Hello I'm a bit confused about the amd WiFi driver on my B500 AORUS Elite V2. Before I had an b550 itx board and switched to ATX and it's AMD WiFi now instead intel. With intel I had regular updates of the WiFi driver available, with the AMD the latest driver on gigabyte site is from ... just checking... ok it's suddenly not available anymore!? Wtf. Ok but it was from 2022 if remember correctly. So l googled and can't find a proper page from amd or MediaTek or gigabyte to download latest drivers. In the moment my only problem is, sometimes the WiFi doesn't connect at windows startup and I need to turn WiFi off an on. But maybe in the future there are more problems...so why are there no updates? Newest driver I can find is from Lenovo, maybe I try that one. But still... doesn't feel good to have obviously unsupported hardware in my system. Thanks

On a winning streak? 🚀 Get the full picture with our customizable PnL Analysis on the #BingX app. Try it today: https://t.co/83eWAGA97g #DownloadBingX #BTC #ETH #DOGE

On a winning streak? 🚀 Get the full picture with our customizable PnL Analysis on the #BingX app. Try it today: https://t.co/83eWAGA97g #DownloadBingX #BTC #ETH #DOGE

Whilst I do agree that countries will undertake some action to help combat the alarming increase in climate change, I shudder to think what AR7's SPM holds if we continue as is. AR6 states that

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.

As if this wasn't enough of a stark warning in the opening, AR6 goes on to says that

Observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities. Since 2011 (measurements reported in AR5), concentrations have continued to increase in the atmosphere, reaching annual averages of 410 parts per million (ppm) for carbon dioxide (CO₂), 1866 parts per billion (ppb) for methane (CH₄), and 332 ppb for nitrous oxide (N₂O) in 2019.
Land and ocean have taken up a near-constant proportion (globally about 56% per year) of CO₂ emissions from human activities over the past six decades, with regional differences (high confidence).

The science was settled for a very long time and I would have thought it would be widely accepted. Sadly this isn't the case. Having had my own family discuss the (non existent) (in my opinion)) issues they are having with analysis of climate change (is it man made or not, etc), many of them have accepted that indeed it is man made. And that we must look after the palnet for the betterment of the future. (Bolded text above was by me to highlight emphasis).
AR6 also informs us about how each of the last four decades has been hotter than any decade before 1850. From 2001 - 2020, the Earth's surface was about 0.99°C warmer than it was from 1850 - 1900. Between 2011 and 2020, it got even warmer, with temperatures about 1.09°C higher than in the late 1800s. The increase in temperature is more pronounced over land than over the ocean. Most of this warming has happened since the early 2000s.
Furthermore, the graphs Figure SPM.1 in IPCC, 2021¹ show us two key things (direct quote from AR6, bolded text is by IPCC):

Panel (a) Changes in global surface temperature reconstructed from paleoclimate archives (solid grey line, years 1–2000) and from direct observations (solid black line, 1850–2020), both relative to 1850–1900 and decadally averaged. The vertical bar on the left shows the estimated temperature (very likely range) during the warmest multi-century period in at least the last 100,000 years, which occurred around 6500 years ago during the current interglacial period (Holocene). The Last Interglacial, around 125,000 years ago, is the next most recent candidate for a period of higher temperature. These past warm periods were caused by slow (multi-millennial) orbital variations. The grey shading with white diagonal lines shows the very likely ranges for the temperature reconstructions.
Panel (b) Changes in global surface temperature over the past 170 years (black line) relative to 1850–1900 and annually averaged, compared to Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate model simulations (see Box SPM.1) of the temperature response to both human and natural drivers (brown) and to only natural drivers (solar and volcanic activity, green). Solid coloured lines show the multi-model average, and coloured shades show the very likely range of simulations.

I am hoping that the conlusions of AR7's SPM shows us the light at the end of the and how much we as a planet have improved. The science is settled; ignoring and arguing against it is to me, foolish.
AR6, SPM: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM.pdf
¹ Figure SPM.1 in IPCC, 2021: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY,USA, pp. 3−32, doi: 10.1017/9781009157896.001 .]

I am trying to install R from source for Ubuntu 23.10 machine ,since i couldnt just use the existing repo as it was not for "Mantic",I followed the R documentation but i keep encountering an error while running the "make" command , The error is :

make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: 'libunix.a' is up to date. make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' gcc -I. -I../../src/include -I../../src/include -I/uslocal/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -g -O2 -L/uslocal/lib -DR_HOME='"/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0"' \ -o Rscript ./Rscript.c make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[4]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' /home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/lib/libR.so is unchanged make[4]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' gcc -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp -L"../../lib" -L/uslocal/lib -o R.bin Rmain.o -lR /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setAttribute_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_close_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_open_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uiter_setUTF8_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_close' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_getLocaleByType_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `_libiconv_version' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setStrength_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_open' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_versionToString_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_strcollIter_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uloc_setDefault_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_getVersion_73' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status make[3]: *** [Makefile:150: R.bin] Error 1 make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[2]: *** [Makefile:141: R] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[1]: *** [Makefile:28: R] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src' make: *** [Makefile:62: R] Error 1` make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: 'libunix.a' is up to date. make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' gcc -I. -I../../src/include -I../../src/include -I/uslocal/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -g -O2 -L/uslocal/lib -DR_HOME='"/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0"' \ -o Rscript ./Rscript.c make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[4]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' /home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/lib/libR.so is unchanged make[4]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' gcc -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp -L"../../lib" -L/uslocal/lib -o R.bin Rmain.o -lR /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setAttribute_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_close_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_open_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uiter_setUTF8_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_close' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_getLocaleByType_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `_libiconv_version' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setStrength_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_open' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_versionToString_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_strcollIter_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uloc_setDefault_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_getVersion_73' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status make[3]: *** [Makefile:150: R.bin] Error 1 make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[2]: *** [Makefile:141: R] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[1]: *** [Makefile:28: R] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src' make: *** [Makefile:62: R] Error 1` 

I am completely new to linux and R ,so it would be great if someone could help me.

I am trying to install R from source for Ubuntu 23.10 machine ,since i couldnt just use the existing repo as it was not for "Mantic",I followed the R documentation but i keep encountering an error while running the "make" command , The error is :

make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: 'libunix.a' is up to date. make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' gcc -I. -I../../src/include -I../../src/include -I/uslocal/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -g -O2 -L/uslocal/lib -DR_HOME='"/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0"' \ -o Rscript ./Rscript.c make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[4]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' /home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/lib/libR.so is unchanged make[4]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' gcc -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp -L"../../lib" -L/uslocal/lib -o R.bin Rmain.o -lR /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setAttribute_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_close_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_open_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uiter_setUTF8_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_close' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_getLocaleByType_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `_libiconv_version' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setStrength_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_open' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_versionToString_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_strcollIter_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uloc_setDefault_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_getVersion_73' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status make[3]: *** [Makefile:150: R.bin] Error 1 make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[2]: *** [Makefile:141: R] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[1]: *** [Makefile:28: R] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src' make: *** [Makefile:62: R] Error 1` make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: 'libunix.a' is up to date. make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' gcc -I. -I../../src/include -I../../src/include -I/uslocal/include -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -g -O2 -L/uslocal/lib -DR_HOME='"/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0"' \ -o Rscript ./Rscript.c make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/unix' make[2]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[4]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' /home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/lib/libR.so is unchanged make[4]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[3]: Entering directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' gcc -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp -L"../../lib" -L/uslocal/lib -o R.bin Rmain.o -lR /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setAttribute_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_close_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_open_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uiter_setUTF8_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_close' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_getLocaleByType_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `_libiconv_version' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_setStrength_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `libiconv_open' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_versionToString_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `ucol_strcollIter_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `uloc_setDefault_73' /usbin/ld: ../../lib/libR.so: undefined reference to `u_getVersion_73' collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status make[3]: *** [Makefile:150: R.bin] Error 1 make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[2]: *** [Makefile:141: R] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src/main' make[1]: *** [Makefile:28: R] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/gcu-gro/Downloads/R-4.4.0/src' make: *** [Makefile:62: R] Error 1` 

I am completely new to linux and R ,so it would be great if someone could help me.

The Android app will be on discount for the next few days.
Even during the discount period, the trial period is 5 days to give those who want to try it a chance to do so without the limitation of a few hours that Play store gives by default and to be able to make a direct opinion without relying on the opinions of others.
EasyJoin allows you to connect Mac, Windows, Android and Linux devices to:

• Send files and folders to multiple devices on your local network (offline) and directly via Internet.
• Read and send SMS / MMS messages from your computer.
• Manage phone calls remotely.
• Browse your phone's contacts and start a phone call from your computer.
• Trigger an action of a notification displayed in the phone.
• Reply to a message from WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger, Viber and other communication apps from your PC.
• Remote file management. Download, rename, delete the files of a remote device.
• Use your phone as a mouse to control your PC (currently available only in the Windows app).
• Automatically synchronizes the clipboards of all devices when you copy text to one of them.
• Send P2P messages and links to one or more devices even when they are offline. Send links and text from your browser.
• Available in light and dark theme.

For Mac I made a new native version based on SwiftUI that has many more features from the previous version and is better integrated with macOS.

Yagami Light (As a third year student in ANHS) (In this poll he's the one who can give Ayanokoji the hardest time in the battle of wit because of his intellect and Death Note power. Yagami Light is a cold, manipulative and calculative but so is Ayanokoji. They're kinda similar. Ayanokoji probably don't mind being an ally of Light if it means he can be free so there's a chance that Ayanokoji would be the second Kira later but this also mean the two of them have to outsmart Takuya, Koenji, Arisu, Nagumo, Manabu, Kiryuin, Atsuomi, Tsukihiro, L. Lawliet, Naomi, Near, Mello and many other geniuses)
Ishigami Senku (He's the only one who can beat Ayanokoji when it comes to IQ, academics and knowledge. In fact he rebuilt the human civilization from a scratch, beat a supercomputer in maths battle, and even built the time machine too. The only problem is.. he's not skilled in manipulation and deception, he's kind-hearted and physically weak)
Katagiri Yuuichi (He's not really good in academics. His IQ is only above average.. but he's a dangerous and sadistic guy with multiple personalities and S-tier acting skill. He used to mind control people for fun and killed countless of them indirectly when he was a child. He never been caught by the police too. He's nearly Johan level in EQ and manipulation.
Jabami Yumeko (She's unpredictable and crazy masochist but a talented gambler with superhuman intuition. When it come to gambling she can probably beat Ayanokoji.. but in everything else Ayanokoji beat her. Knowing COTE writing she might become a part of Ayanokoji's harem though)
Kokichi Ouma (Sent to ANHS to expel Ayanokoji) (His IQ is high but not on Ayanokoji's level. His EQ is high too but not on Yuuichi's level. But physically he's the strongest in this poll. When it come to speed and agility he's definitely better than Ayanokoji. He's also a schemer who compulsively or pathologically creates lies and while putting on his villainous persona he freely states whatever he's thinking, regardless of how it makes others feel)
Beyond Birthday (As a teacher in ANHS) (Basically an evil version of L. Lawliet. In fact he looks like L. Lawliet but with the eyes of a shinigami. This eyes allowed him to see and know when exactly people around him would die, as well as knowing their full names. He can commit a crime which can't be solved even by highly skilled detectives. The only one in ANHS who can solve BB case is Ayanokoji.. so the battle between him and Beyond Birthday would be this verse equivalent of L vs Kira)
View Poll

I downloaded the HyperOS update today and started exploring the features. A friend told me to download a theme to change the control panel icons to squares instead of circles, but in doing so, I also downloaded an icon pack. However the issue is that when I went to change the icons back to the updated HyperOS theme, there was no option for it. There was only the old themes: classic POCO theme and Limitless theme.
How do I get the new HyperOS icons back?

(continuation of part 2)
III. e) The Mobius FF x FFVII collaboration
Alright, back to our suspension world-hopping! Let’s visit the realm of Mobius FF, —more specifically, the collaboration between Mobius FF and FFVII—, where I found the most substantial evidence for my theory.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Mobius FF (MFF) world and games, let’s begin with a bit of a summary of the parts relevant to us. The story takes place in a world called Palamecia, to which people from other worlds are inexplicably summoned. The vast majority of those who are brought there don’t remember anything from their worlds of origin or their lives before Palamecia except their names: these amnesiac people are called Blanks. The main character is Wol, accompanied by a guiding fairy of Palamecia named Echo. Echo knows a lot about the mechanisms of Palamecia, as she’s tied to the realm. The leader of this world is Vox, a being who manifests only as a voice. The first thing all Blanks remember before they wake in Palamecia is Vox telling them the rules of the realm. Incidentally, the crystals of the MFF world are teleportation crystals.
III. e) i. Devs’ Statements
Let’s review some of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration devs’ statements before diving into its story.
For both the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration and the Remake project, Kitase took on the role of producer while Nojima supervised the screenplay and wrote the scenario. The project leader was none other than the Remake trilogy’s Hamaguchi, who told a SE interviewer the following:

“We would love for you to play the [MFF x FFVII] collaboration event as you look forward to [Remake’s] release” (“Celebration of the Overseas Release of the Steam Version and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Collaboration Event”, Square Enix).

He later hints at the collaboration’s storyline:

“This collaboration is focused on Cloud, so the other characters will not make an appearance. Players will join Cloud, who has gone astray in Palamecia, on his adventures and see how the story unfolds based on his decisions. Content-wise, FINAL FANTASY VII fans will surely become fraught with emotion as events unfold in-game (laughs).”

Kitase concurs on the emotional aspect of the collaboration in the same interview:

“When it comes to the story, I seek two things– ‘mystery’ and ‘[…] emotional impact’.”

Clearly, fans of FFVII are supposed to react emotionally to the events of the collaboration. With these statements in mind to give us perspective, we can get into the plot points relevant to our analysis. MFF x FFVII Remake comes in two parts, the relevant plot points of which I will describe and analyze one at a time.
III. e) ii. Eclipse Contact
1) Fact-Finding
Part one of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event is called Eclipse Contact. It came out in 2017 on Aerith’s birthday, February 7th, and its release campaign ran until March. In Eclipse Contact, Palamecia welcomes someone new: Cloud Strife appears in the realm with very little recollection of his core world of FFVII.
Cloud isn’t a Blank, since he recalls the mako reactors in Midgar upon his arrival in Palamecia, and also remembers that he was hired by Avalanche to blow them up:

“Echo: How did you end up in Palamecia?

Cloud: I… That day... I remember now. A job. I had taken a job. I was hired muscle protecting clients. They wanted to stop the reactor... We used a train to get past security... Was it at night? Something happened... Next thing I knew, I was floating through darkness. Then [I woke up here]”.

This piece of dialogue reveals that Eclipse Contact Cloud’s memories end at the very moment when Avalanche arrives at reactor 1 in OG (disk 1, chapter 1): the very beginning of the game. Consequently, Cloud does not remember anything that happened from the beginning of the OG timeline onwards.
Wol and Echo are intrigued by Cloud’s strange case: non-Blanks rarely arrive in Palamecia. The following text appears on the screen shortly after they meet:

“Perhaps he is not truly who he thinks he is.
Perhaps everything is illusory, a dream.
Only one thing is certain, that he must press on, one step at a time, toward the light that shines from the promised land.”

Just like he did in FFT’s Ivalice, Cloud feels the need to find the Promised Land in MFF x FFVII, despite the fact that he lacks memories of the OG timeline. Though Cloud doesn’t remember anything beyond the train ride to reactor 1, he does remember the Promised Land (at least somewhat). This is odd, given that in OG, Cloud didn’t learn about the Promised Land until several chapters into the game.
Wol and Echo agree to help Cloud figure out why he’s here, since there’s clearly something strange going on with his presence in Palamecia. In fact, Cloud brought Midgar’s mako reactors with him somehow, transplanting them onto the landscape of Palamecia. The group decides to bomb these reactors, following Cloud’s instincts in the hopes that it will jog his memory.
Now for my favorite part. After blowing up another reactor, the group is surprised by the appearance of a crystal. A piano rendition of Aerith’s theme begins. When Wol tries to touch the crystal, something akin to a force field rejects him. When Cloud approaches it, however, the crystal responds to his hand by flashing with light. As it begins to glow, Wol concludes that the crystal is linked to Cloud and Cloud alone. Let’s examine the resulting dialogue:

“Echo: This is the light in your memories. The light of home.

Cloud: Home? But I don’t—

Echo: If you don't remember… then your home is lost to you.

Cloud: Then my memories are gone.

Wol: Do you want to reclaim your past?

Cloud: Not interested... I am what I am now. Not what I was.

Wol: Then tell me… This light. If you can’t remember it, what does it mean to you?

Cloud: It's a warm light... I feel at peace. If this place —home— is as warm and peaceful as this light, then I want to go there.

Echo: You can't go there... Not back to the past.

Cloud: I see.

Echo: But even if you can't go back to the past, you can go forward. If you wish for it strongly enough, the crystal will show you the way. The way to a new world. The way to your Promised Land. […]

Cloud: So... Should [I] take [my] chances and make a wish to this crystal?

Wol: Go ahead. It’s your crystal.

Echo: I should warn you that once you start on this journey, there's no coming back.

Cloud: The past is the past. I want to go to a place where everything is new. I’m ready.“

What follows is a moment I call the wishing scene (13:43-14:34). Cloud closes his eyes and wishes on the crystal. It flashes, and suddenly, rainbow-colored ripples of light appear around it. Aerith’s theme is replaced by a slightly modified version of “Midgar, City of Mako”, the track that plays during the opening cutscene of Remake. You can recreate the modification by listening to “Midgar, City of Mako” from 2:00 to 2:23, then skipping to 3:00 and listening until 3:18. You may recognize the musical motif that kicks off the wishing scene as the Lifestream motif, which has become symbolic of the mysteries of the Remake trilogy, as it often plays during scenes where unexplainable plot deviations from OG occur— more specifically, deviations involving multiverse shenanigans. For instance, it plays during MOTF 4. It also plays in Rebirth after Cloud blocks masamune as Aerith is shown dying anyway.
Cloud disappears with his crystal, after which Echo speaks to Wol about Cloud’s journey:

“Echo: Each person gets the Promised Land they justly deserve, not the one they really need. If you’re a bad person, you go to a bad place. If you expect nothing, you get nothing. Even the journey there makes you look deep within yourself to find out who you really are. Cloud should be facing his own past as we speak. It’s cruel, but necessary. That battle was a long time coming”.

Apparently, at least in the context of this collaboration event, the Promised Land can be a reward or a punishment, depending on which you deserve. Echo explains that Cloud will have to face himself and his past on his way to his Promised Land. This means that the Cloud that appears in Eclipse Contact must next embark on a journey that will confront him with his past, test his mettle, and ultimately lead him to the Promised Land he justly deserves.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
There’s a lot of vital information to dig into here, mostly provided by Echo. She claims that the crystal’s light is linked to Cloud’s memories of home; Cloud has to have known this home in the past, as it could not otherwise exist in his memories. MFF Cloud must be a post-OG Cloud. Unfortunately, Echo indicates that whatever Cloud’s home is, he’s lost both it and his memories of it. Despite this, Cloud describes his home as warm and peaceful, concluding that he wishes to find it. Though Cloud can’t return to the past, Echo tells him that if he wishes it strongly enough, the crystal can guide him toward a new world, where his home and his Promised Land exist in the future. The fact that Aerith’s theme is playing all throughout these descriptions of Cloud’s lost home, his Promised Land and the past that he can’t return to makes it extremely obvious that these concepts all point to Aerith. Aerith is Cloud’s lost home. Wherever Aerith is, that’s his Promised Land. The time spent with Aerith before her loss is the past he tragically can’t return to. You might have clocked the similarities between Eclipse Contact’s mention of Cloud’s lost home and DFF’s mention of Cloud’s lost dream: in both these titles, Cloud’s home and dream are equivalent to his Promised Land. It’s confirmed yet again that Aerith is the one Cloud hopes to return to, just like every soul returns to the Lifestream. At this juncture of my research, I was curious as to why the last thing Cloud remembers before waking in Palamecia is the run-up to the Reactor 1 bombing mission in OG (disk 1, chapter 1). This mystery will have to persist for a while longer.
The alarm bells in your head might’ve been triggered by the mention of the wishing scene’s rainbow ripple effects— and rightfully so. This visual cue has sparked passionate debate in the fandom since its appearances in Rebirth, as seen in these pictures:
Zack Choosing To Get A Cure For Cloud, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating a New World/Timeline
Aerith Pushing Cloud Out of that World/Timeline, Remake Chapter 14
Cloud Blocking Masamune, Rebirth Chapter 14; Creating New World/Timeline
You might have read or heard that this rainbow effect signifies that a character has entered another timeline, created a portal to another timeline, created a new timeline or is being shown different timelines. Indeed, whenever the OG timeline is deviated from in a significant way, this effect appears. The pictures above present multiple examples of these shifting realities.
One might propose that the rainbow ripples in Eclipse Contact and Rebirth are unrelated because of the long period between their respective release dates. This long in-between period indeed makes it likelier that the effect was used without forethought in Eclipse Contact, forgotten over the years, and incidentally reused in Rebirth as a plot-important visual cue with no connection to Eclipse Contact. I’m inclined to disagree since the crystal is specifically described as a vessel that can take Cloud “to a new world” by Echo, which is a bit on the nose. Regardless, it’s plausible that there’s no connection. That is, it would be, if the rainbow effect didn’t show up in Remake too.
When the Whispers are finally defeated in chapter 18 of Remake, a burst of the rainbow ripple effects indicate the emergence of multiple worlds, newly freed from the restrictive clutches of fate (1:16:36-1:16:47). Shortly thereafter, Sephiroth takes Cloud to the Edge of Creation and invites him to join forces with him. Cloud refuses, and Sephiroth says the following:

“Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let's see.”

The question “What will you do with it?” implies that the answer is unknown, meaning Cloud is no longer bound to the OG timeline by fate: many alternate futures lay ahead. Sephiroth is telling Cloud and the audience that now, the mystery of the Remake trilogy has become “Which future will Cloud bring into existence? Which among the infinite possible timelines will his choices result in?” After pondering this aloud, Sephiroth leaves Cloud alone to consider the rainbow effects in the sky (1:19:23-1:19:36). Because they generally represent alternate or changing timelines, it’s safe to assume that the rainbow ripples here represent the myriad of possible worlds that Cloud’s actions in those seven seconds could generate. After all, Sephiroth was just talking about them, and chapter 18’s description in Remake reads as follows:

“In a world beyond, Sephiroth shows Cloud a vision of the planet seven seconds before its demise. Having strayed from the course destiny set for them, they strike out on a path towards an unknown future."

This explains why the player is shown Cloud staring at those colors in the apocalyptic sky at world’s end, directly after hearing Sephiroth’s cryptic words: those are all the alternate “unknown future” timelines ahead of him, now unravelled from fate. Amongst those rainbow ripples lies the answer to the question “What will you do with [the seven seconds]?”
Given that Remake was released in 2020 and Eclipse Contact came out in 2017, the major story elements of the Remake trilogy —including the eventuality of alternate timelines— had to have been planned out at the time of Eclipse Contact’s release: while the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration was being made, Remake was also in production. Also recall that the collaboration event and the Remake trilogy share a codirector in Hamaguchi, a writer in Nojima and a producer in Kitase. Based on all this, it’s more than likely that the rainbow ripples in the Remake trilogy and inEclipse Contact represent the very same thing: alternate worlds and timelines. All this to say that when the rainbow effect appears around the crystal in the Eclipse Contact, it means the crystal is acting as a vessel to another world, just like Echo said.
But that’s not all Echo said: she also mentioned that this other world would take Cloud to his home, to his Promised Land. We’ve already established what that means for Cloud, what it’s meant since two whole decades at the time of Eclipse Contact’s release: this crystal will take Cloud to Aerith. So, where exactly did the crystal take Cloud? In what world can he meet Aerith again?
The music that plays during the wishing scene gives us a huge hint. As I noted before, the track playing in the background is a slightly modified version of Remake’s “Midgar, City of Mako”, which plays in the introduction cutscene of Remake. This is a musical cue that the ending of Cloud’s journey in Eclipse Contact and the very beginning of the Remake trilogy are closely related. Add the fact that the devs wanted players to experience this collaboration event before playing Remake, and it becomes undeniable: the crystal that appeared to Cloud in Palamecia —which offers to lead him to his home and Promised Land, meaning to Aerith—, took him to the world of the Remaketrilogy.
Eclipse Contact is huge. The whole crux of my theory lives and dies right here. However, we still have part two of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration event to analyze as well as its promotions to look into before I can drop the thesis on you, so bear with me in order to receive the most thorough analysis of all this possible! I want to give you every drop of proof I can!
III. e) ii. MFF x FFVII Remake Fatal Calling
1) Fact-Finding
Fatal Calling came out February 1 of 2018, and its release campaign ended in March. The game opens with a cutscene: Cloud is floating, seemingly unconscious, through a sparkling, green current of light. The current flows into a circle of bright, white light, surrounded by rainbow ripple effects as Cloud is driven toward and into it. An orb floats along with him. The Advent Children theme “The Promised Land” plays, a choir of mournful, aching, mutedly desperate souls engaged in a lamenting prayer. Sephiroth’s voice echoes:

“Sephiroth: It’s time. You may turn your back on the past, lock your memories away. Hide reality beneath a layer of illusion. But destiny will not die so easily. Yes. At memory’s end you may plead for it all to go away. But the past is a curse, binding your soul. It’s time. Wake to your fate. Rise to your destiny.

Cloud: (In a half-conscious grunt) Reunion…

Sephiroth: The light will lead you. Wake to your fate. Rise!”

Sephiroth’s mentions of Cloud hiding under an illusion and repressing his memories are no doubt allusions to Cloud’s past, which was complicated and darkened by Hojo’s experiments. It makes sense, then, that Cloud responds with “Reunion”. Fatal Calling indeed focuses on Cloud’s relationship to his past, his identity and Sephiroth. Everything involving Nibelheim —where everything started—, Sephiroth’s manipulation, and Hojo’s experiments are on the table. Also noteworthy if not out of place is Sephiroth’s evocation of fate.
Cloud enters a battle with Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, who are surprised to see him back in Palamecia. Cloud tells them about the orb seen floating along with him in the opening cutscene: though he calls it a materia, he doesn’t know how or when he acquired it. Based on his behavior, it appears that Cloud remembers just as little about the events of OG as he did by the end of Eclipse Contact. Wol informs Cloud that whoever he heard speaking to him on his way here was probably Vox pretending to be Sephiroth.
As the group advances, Cloud recalls Midgar and decides they should go there next. At one of Midgar’s mako reactors, the group encounters Sephiroth, who speaks to himself:

“It's still not enough. This... this is but a pale imitation of the power I desire.”

Once Sephiroth has disappeared, Cloud explains what he remembers: Sephiroth was the greatest SOLDIER of all and a hero to Cloud, though Cloud can’t remember what exactly ended this admiration. As players of FFVII OG, we know the event in question is the Nibelheim incident, wherein Sephiroth slaughtered the town’s residents, including Cloud’s mother, after learning of his past. The former war hero also severely injured Tifa, whom Cloud presumed dead when he found her in the old mako reactor with a vicious slash on her chest. Cloud is agitated by the gaps in his memory, so the group resolves to follow Sephiroth for answers. When they find him again, Sephiroth causes Cloud to experience a piercing headache with the mere mention of the Reunion. They fight, but Sephiroth is too powerful— he skewers Cloud with the masamune and taunts his unconscious body:

“Sephiroth: A puppet. I won’t kill you. Not yet. Not until you know true despair.
Wol: If you want despair, we got plenty to go around. Palamecia’s full of it.
Sephiroth: Yes, this planet knows suffering. But it is not the world that was promised to me. I must go home. Tell Cloud, if he wants to see me again, he should face his memories. I will await him there, in the land of memory, where it all began. In Nibelheim.”

Sephiroth darkens Cloud’s materia, turning it black. Later, Wol explains to Cloud that Sephiroth stole the light from his materia, taking Cloud’s strength along with it.
Once Cloud has woken up, the group travels to Nibelheim to uncover the truth about Cloud’s memories. Cloud slowly gathers pieces of his past, shown to the player as titled, diary-like text written from various perspectives. Cloud learns the truth about SOLDIER, Jenova cells, Sephiroth, and what happened in Nibelheim. Let’s examine a few of these diary entries:

“A Warrior’s Tale: There's a girl in Nibelheim I think about. Warm. Cheerful. More grown-up than a child. Haven't talked to her much, but she seems nice. She's going to be leading the SOLDIERs to the mountain reactor. Maybe if I get into the survey team I'll get a chance to talk to her? Nah. She's out of my league.”

Young Cloud’s crush on Tifa is on full display! This must be a memory from his time as an infantryman accompanying Zack and Sephiroth to Nibelheim.

“Tale of the Nameless: I drift along in the mako, asleep. Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Give me a number. I… I… I am… The Reunion. The Reunion must happen.”

This entry could be taken from any one of the Nibelheim survivors’ perspectives, as they were all bathed in mako and turned into Sephiroth clones. I would venture to say this is Cloud’s perspective though, given the reference to this iconic line from OG:

“Cloud: Professor... please give me a number. Please, Professor...
Hojo: Shut up, miserable failure.” (disk 2, chapter 2).

The trio encounters Sephiroth near the old Mt. Nibel mako reactor. Because Sephiroth stole the light from his materia earlier, Cloud goes into the confrontation already drained of his strength. However, when Cloud lifts the materia in his hand, it lights up and creates rainbow ripples in the air around him, similar to those seen in Eclipse Contact and Rebirth. Cloud is healed of his injuries: he closes his eyes for a moment, wearing a peaceful expression. Sephiroth is displeased, but recovers quickly:

“Sephiroth: The guiding light… it healed you.

Wol: […] here, near the mako reactor, the materia regained its light. And your strength returned […]. [Sephiroth]’s here so he can steal the power you've stored inside that materia.

Sephiroth, with a short laugh: I have all the power I need. Cloud. What strength you’ve regained is yours. Use it to fight me. It’s time. Let’s decide this, in this land lost to despair. The prize is home. The Promised Land. There to answer the call of destiny.”

With this second evocation of fate, Sephiroth disappears.
Cloud, Wol and Echo find Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. He mocks Cloud for believing the orb in his possession is materia. Sephiroth waves a hand and his signature black and purple fog surrounds Cloud, immobilizing him. Sephiroth claims that the power Cloud regained at the Mt. Nibel reactor was Sephiroth’s all along. Now that it courses through Cloud’s veins, Sephiroth controls him. He calls Cloud his puppet and finishes with the following before the two vanish, leaving Wol and Echo alone:

“Now, let us return. Back to the Promised Land. The time of the Reunion has come.”

After Cloud finally breaks free and defeats Sephiroth with the help of Wol and Echo, the villain makes a final threat:

“Very good, Cloud. You’ve destroyed an illusion. But the time will come to abandon your illusions and face reality. Then, you will know true pain.”

Sephiroth disappears for the last time, his body surrounded by his signature dark fog and the rainbow ripples. A piano rendition of Tifa’s theme begins. Cloud’s orb rises into the air and becomes a crystal, with the same shape and glow as the one we see in Eclipse Contact. The following dialogue is illuminating:

“Cloud: I will fight. The light will lead me where I need to go.

Wol: You sure? Wasn’t that [crystal] Sephiroth’s?

Cloud: I heard Sephiroth's voice, at the end. Inside me. Whatever he put in me, it’s still in there. Someday I’ll settle that score. If I can't avoid destiny, I might as well face it head-on.

Wol: Yeah. That was quite a speech, Cloud. Surprised you made it through without laughing.

Cloud: Yeah, forget I said it. I will too.

Echo: Forgetting won’t make it go away. Even if the words fade from memory, your dream will never disappear. Not until it becomes real.“

The crystal shines as though in response.

“Echo: See? See, that's how the light of hope works. Hope can turn your dreams into reality.

Cloud: Yeah. I guess so. I might forget this world, but I won’t forget hope. And my reality, that’s for me to live.”

Tifa’s theme ends. Cloud approaches the crystal, and disappears in a beam of blinding light. Once Cloud has vanished with the crystal, Aerith’s theme begins playing. A few pale feathers with a slight orange tint (the color of MFF) float down onto the floor where he stood seconds before. The image fades to black. The credits roll, and Aerith’s theme continues all the way through.
Once both the final name in the credits and Aerith’s theme fade, we’re surprised by a sudden, troubling image: Sephiroth appears in a frightening flash, standing amidst the flames of Nibelheim. When his image fades to black, the collaboration title *“Final Fantasy VII x Mobius Final Fantasy”*appears on the screen. The FFVII title is surrounded by the 1997 meteor logo. Then, a flash of light: the titles reappear, except this time, they read “Final Fantasy VII REMAKE x Mobius Final Fantasy”. The new Remake Meteor logo replaces the 1997 version. As soon as these changes to the FFVIItitle and meteor logo occur, Aerith’s theme returns. It plays on until the game ends a few seconds later, the screen fading to black.
III. e) ii. 2) Fact Analysis
The introduction cutscene shows that MFF Cloud travelled from Eclipse Contact to Fatal Calling via Lifestream. It’s unclear how much time has passed in between, but the atemporal nature of the Lifestream makes the question irrelevant. My theory that MFF Cloud has died is corroborated by the way he’s depicted in the opening cutscene: his eyes are closed and his body is limp as the Lifestream carries him.
Eclipse Contact ended with Echo’s claim that Cloud will face his true self and confront his past while he journeys to his Promised Land. This description resembles what Cloud experienced in the OG Lifestream sequence (disk 2, chapter 8). Indeed, Fatal Calling revolves around the same topics the Lifestream sequence addresses: the truth about the Nibelheim incident, Hojo’s experiments, young Cloud’s crush on Tifa, etc. The opening cutscene shows Cloud being transported to his Promised Land and facing his past on the way there, just like Echo said he would.
Let’s now take a long detour to examine the song that plays during the opening cutscene of Fatal Calling: “The Promised Land” theme from Advent Children. The title and general subject of this song are obviously relevant to the cutscene, but there must be more to its inclusion than that. Perhaps the lyrics can help us understand its appearance in the opening cutscene of Fatal Calling. Here are the unofficial English lyrics (translated from the original Japanese lyrics by an anonymous fan and verified by me via DeepL):

“Why do we cling together?
Why do we give punishment to lesser hearts?
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The planet did not forgive us
Did not forgive us
The pulse of veins flows through the earth
A faint, faint pulse
Of a heart drawn to death
A gentle life returns to the planet
Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?
Why do we cling together?
Why do we beg for forgiveness
In the Promised Land?” (“‘The Promised Land’ (theme)” by Final Fantasy Wiki).

The song appears to be a regretful lament of human behavior, expressed by the repetition of “Why do we […]?” questions. The behaviors listed are all typically human ones: the terms “[clinging] together” and “[giving] punishment to [the] lesser” express the uniquely human nature of tribalism and the consequences of the fear and hatred it can generate, and “[begging] for forgiveness in the Promised Land” is likely a reference to the human hypocrisy of only feeling sorry for one’s crimes when judgement day arrives. This last line describes a scenario where someone remains passive or ignorant in the face of something important, only to realize its essentiality once it’s too late. The repeated“The planet did not forgive us” lines reflect the fear of being condemned forever because of one’s mistakes, as though the planet is a deity one has sinned against. The lyric describing a pulse in the earth is obviously about the planet being alive— a reference to the Lifestream. But the pulse is faint and weak and the planet is dying, perishing because of mankind’s greed. This is an indictment of mako energy. The line “A gentle life returns to the planet” refers to an innocent’s soul returning to the Lifestream after death, while the next lyric “Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?” protests the “sacrifice” of the planet’s soul energy for mako production. In all this darkness, this song’s mention of “forgiveness in the Promised Land” leaves a modicum of hope for a better place, however meek, even though mankind might not deserve it. The song “The Promised Land” is both a lament of mankind’s ways and a plea for mercy, with religious and/or spiritual undertones. The song’s themes seem to be: the Promised Land itself, regret and shame, the sins and foolishness of mankind, the death of innocents, grief, Cetra spirituality, and a meek, quiet hope despite it all. The most interesting aspect of the song is its antithetical portrayal of death as a thing of both despair and hope, condemnation and salvation, cruelty and mercy, suffering and relief. Maybe we can glean more information about this theme’s significance in the world of FFVII if we examine the contexts in which it appears.
Importantly, the song plays in Marlene’s introductory narration of Advent Children, meaning its themes are related or similar to the film’s. I highly recommend listening and watching it again, even if you remember this iconic segment. Marlene references Aerith’s sacrifice as the image of Cloud lowering her into the water is shown. Note that Marlene says “Sadness was the price to see it end” (2:36) after we are shown Aerith’s death and her subsequent unleashing of the Lifestream (1:49-2:24): Aerith’s innocent life was sacrificed for the planet’s survival. The lyrics “A gentle life returns to the planet” and “Is it necessary to sacrifice souls?” suit Aerith’s situation quite well.
The theme also plays in Advent Children as Kadaj dies in Cloud’s arms (1:45:00-1:47:55), hearing Aerith’s gentle voice and reaching up to take her invisible hand. Here is what Aerith says to him in his dying moments as “The Promised Land” plays:

“Aerith’s voice: Kadaj?
Kadaj: Huh?
The dark sky has gone with Sephiroth. Healing rain starts falling from bright clouds. The rain no longer hurts Kadaj.
Aerith’s voice: You don’t have to hang on any longer.
Kadaj: Mother! Is that…?
Aerith’s voice: Everyone’s waiting, if you’re ready.
Kadaj nods his head slightly in acceptance. He holds out his hand, and slowly evaporates into the Lifestream. Cloud watches […]” (Advent Children).

Kadaj is brought into the Lifestream by Aerith as she provides rain from the Lifestream. All those with geostigma are healed by the rain, and Tifa feels Aerith’s presence as the party celebrates:

“Tifa, looking out at the falling rain […]: Somehow, I knew you were there. Thank you” (Advent Children).

Cloud stands in the rain with a smile —his first in the whole film—, closes his eyes and basks in Aerith’s healing with his face upturned. He is finally at peace:

“Cloud’s expression is one of peace as the [Lifestream] rain patters against him” (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children English script, “[83] Atop the Shinra Building”).

One thing is clear: the track “The Promised Land” accompanies Aerith. It only makes sense, since we’ve seen overwhelming evidence that she is Cloud’s Promised Land, and since she occupies the Lifestream —which some consider the Promised Land as it is where souls go after death— during the events of Advent Children. Note that when the piece plays, Cloud is shown either mourning Aerith and releasing her into the river at the Cetra capital, or basking in her presence, smiling with relief at the peaceful feeling that she’s somewhere near: these two opposing scenes reflect the song’s antithetical portrayal of death.
Additionally, the song’s themes of regret, shame concerning one’s sins and a small hope perfectly describe Cloud’s character arc and feelings in Advent Children. Cloud regrets his inability to save Aerith, which he considers a sin. Further, he only realized how important she is to him once it was too late to tell her. And of course, he harbors a fragile yet important hope that he’ll be reunited with her in the Promised Land:

“‘Can sins ever be forgiven?’ — Cloud asks this to Vincent, who mutters a brief answer. For both of them, ‘I couldn't protect my loved one’ is the sense of guilt that they carry, so their words resonate with weight” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorld”, “Vincent Valentine”, “In Advent Children”, page 72).

&

"’It is my sin that I couldn't protect my loved one’ — under this assumption, Cloud closes off his heart. What will the reunion with Aerith bring him? ‘I... think I want to be forgiven. Yeah, I just want to be forgiven’” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVIIWorld”, “Cloud Strife”, “In Advent Children”, page 40).

&

“Cloud, after seeing Aerith’s hand reach for him through the Lifestream: … I think I'm beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?

Cloud: An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there” (disk 3, chapter 3).

Just as the song and Marlene express in the introduction of the film, Aerith was innocent, and her sacrifice generated great grief. Cloud finally experiences peace when he feels her presence in the healing rain, and he smiles: he’s glad to be with her again, even if it’s only for a brief moment of tangential respite.
The scene depicts Aerith guiding Kadaj into the Lifestream as the song plays, tying her to the concept and theme song of the Promised Land once more. This connection is later solidified by Tifa’s thanks to the late flower girl. All of this evidence shows us that this musical theme is intimately linked to Aerith, as it never plays in her absence. After all, the song speaks of sins, the death of innocents, forgiveness, grief, a small sense of hope, regret and the afterlife: all themes relevant to Cloud’s feelings surrounding Aerith’s death in and outside of Advent Children.
The Remake OST also includes a version of this piece called “The Promised Land - Cycle of Life”. This iteration of the theme begins playing in the wake of the first bombing mission, right after Sephiroth taunts Cloud with his mother’s dying words in Sector 8 (chapter 2). Sephiroth appears to Cloud surrounded by flames, evoking the Nibelheim massacre, and the theme begins playing in the background once he disappears, continuing (13:17-15:30) as Cloud walks through the sector, encountering fires and destruction all around him. This version of the Promised Land theme is meant to emphasize the deaths of the innocent Nibelheim townsfolk and the innocents in Sector 8. This dreadful atmosphere is amplified by the cries of despair that ring all around as Cloud passes by NPC Sector 8 residents. Perhaps the themes of tribalism and mankind’s sin are relevant to this scene as well, since Shinra and Avalanche are two distinct and warring groups whose quarrels, regardless of their necessity, result in the deaths of innocents. The theme of guilt also emerges, reflecting the Avalanche members’ feelings upon seeing the unintended collateral damage of the explosion. “The Promised Land - Cycle of Life” plays until Cloud encounters Aerith on Loveless. So it seems in this scenario, the heavy weight of death and despair is lifted when Cloud meets the lively, cheery Aerith. Once more, Aerith is central to the musical theme of the Promised Land, as well as to the concept itself.
I also noticed that a version of the song plays as Cloud and the party ready to enter the Forgotten Capital to save Aerith in Rebirth’s chapter 14: it truly adds the weight of her upcoming death to the scene.
Back to Fatal Calling, the scene where Cloud regains his strength is quite mysterious. Wol says Cloud’s orb regained its “guiding light” light because of its proximity to the mako reactor. In the moment his strength is replenished, Cloud is shown tilting his head back and closing his eyes: this is reminiscent of the scene in Advent Children when he stands under Aerith’s healing Lifestream rain, feeling at peace. The rainbow ripples shining from the orb indicate that something is crossing the boundaries of worlds. Since the mako reactor pumps up the Lifestream, being near a reactor also means being physically near the Lifestream. This means Aerith’s spirit is within proximity. In my opinion, Aerith was able to heal Cloud from the Lifestream, just like in Advent Children. However, Aerith is not in Palamecia with him: her healing had to travel there through the Lifestream, transcending the boundaries of worlds, hence the rainbow ripples.
Let’s now address the appearance of Tifa’s character theme in Fatal Calling. Since Fatal Calling is all about discovering Cloud’s past in Nibelheim and then in Hojo’s lab, it makes lots of sense for Tifa’s theme to play as the crystal appears. In OG’s Lifestream sequence (disk 2 chapter 8), she’s the one there helping Cloud sort through his past instead of Wol and Echo. Cloud even picks up a piece of his childhood crush on Tifa in Fatal Calling as a shard of his memory. After all, this crush was the catalyst for him joining SOLDIER, and everything that transpired in consequence:

“Cloud: That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth. If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might... If I could just get stronger... Then even Tifa would have to notice me” (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).

Additionally, it’s fitting that her theme should begin right after Sephiroth speaks of “[abandoning] your illusions and [facing] reality”, considering that Cloud’s false persona was concocted by Jenova using Tifa’s mistaken impressions of Cloud:

“While being tended to by a station worker in the Sector 7 Slum train station, [Cloud] was reunited with Tifa, and using the abilities of Jenova’s cells, formed a new personality” (FFVII 10th Anniversary Ultimania Revised Edition, “Chapter 2: Character in FFVII World, “Cloud Strife”, “Cloud Behavior Record, Compilation of FFVII”, page 40).

&

“(Image caption:) A new personality takes shape the moment he sees Tifa” (FFVII Story Playback, “Story Check: Tifa’s Flashback”).

&

“Tifa (to Cloud): Deep down, you're a pretty nice guy. Didn't see it when we were kids, but...” (Remake, chapter 14).

As you all already know that in this era of internet, the most used app in social media is WhatsApp. But people who have been using it for a long time are now completely bored with this WhatsApp because there is nothing special in a normal WhatsApp through which people can get some entertainment from it. But now we are going to tell you about FMWhatsApp APK Latest Version, through this WhatsApp you can keep yourself in a lot of privacy. And you get many features in this WhatsApp. let us also tell you that FMWhatsApp APK Latest Version is a third-party app developed by “Fouad Mods”.
Basically it is an unofficial WhatsApp that offers full settings with additional features. Due to its popularity almost more than 2 billion people are using this amazing version of WhatsApp as it is the most favorite messaging app all over the world. And users of FMWhatsApp APK Latest Version will be found in every corner of the world. Now in the further information, we are going to tell you about some of its special features and privacy, which you should read very carefully so that you can get more information about it. And you should not face any kind of problem while using this app.
Download FMWhatsApp APK

What is FM WhatsApp?

FMWhatsApp APK latest version is a very powerful option, this app has many great features and you can enjoy this app for free. The app has more features than any normal WA MOD. You can customize it as per your wish like changing the theme, more security and privacy settings, toast customization and much more. There are thousands of options available in this app, you just need to be careful while using them properly. Below we have shared more details about its main features, so please check them out to understand properly.

i've worked on some updated elements for some time and the skin has now changed quite a bit so this is the re-release
original cursor and spinner made by multy, the rest is mine
tokyo ghoul themed
screenshots
download (old versions available)

Previously posted in discord by multiple group members.
Still WIP
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxNBHptGMdNl-eBsi5prqlhbMdN5EzyKsM Megaphone pattern
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxvfeZp4-W4dBsgl07Hhc4o3h9RE93u7v0 Focus
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZl8MctTB3beEa7pzjluNxQO3_VBCNAal Ignorance breeds emotion
https://www.twitch.tv/winternomics/clip/FaintFrozenHorseradishCoolCat?filter=clips&range=all&sort=time The Central Banker's Bankers
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxnTV9Et5R3hk_x_yju-oRrCGCY5xCkZ0w Bullflags bottoms - dead bodes - told you so
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxYJc_JkjrimMdIonC3qtD3WYcNb2dIALq Consumer sentiment 1
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxEPyYOKTzOGPZZrJa_2bHSBaOJYY2bOpo Consumer sentiment 2
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxYXuccyb_NeQMtgLCHFRjaFtZMCSkXdb3 Foresight minded
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxD-jrWFeozWA-gzozwYT8UKnBH7v7yx14 Thought preceeds action - graph is a behaviour
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxr-qbKm3Zfkp0cnQKUTKTBVOpj2SSWEoj losses are set and potential cost of doing business
https://www.twitch.tv/winternomics/clip/TsundereStrangeAubergineNerfRedBlaster?filter=clips&range=all&sort=time study the losses
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxtew1O645zcDrC5zGAJtVfOvY9zG9psiD overvalue - undervalue - value governed by law of substitution
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxOaUIid7SyFq6KIFlvnUzTFcWBTe2p-e3 learn to fish - learn to think for yourself and have conviction
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxz6Crr-rsUILhd5OIO1AwnYnrspAzOf81 Herd mentality 1
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxpFIaKerCkrqEeazuZ17UvmSlGY-7jsWh Herd mentality 2
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxG2yXkDU5qpwkuq9XsQnLkd7pvl7m7oO4 arbitrage of perception
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxJ0JR1KzYWV9ddeVbEzWhBW7zo8u1mdV7 Housing Price Mechanics - yield - prices
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx29-VDu1Ihxz5WgOuk54PefxUkCPSWMGf What causes SPY gaps
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxbICssst49iuTwHOC1KR5ZBjIeLUfoqPy disappering ppl from the eco
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxkVOaqsCHu5j8dPcBMbH9-TLLBfygLPWP Sector subdivision sympathy
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx12T4L9E1Skui5p70m_rp_YEzJylG9fsA Never bet against the trend if you found one
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx3r5WpgGUK5TMmhKn3oTL5ktEAARjHqyK Don't fomo - think and plan
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxY8vV5jmQM3kzmvJ_L8mjik8RO1PyTIT5 Brics VS West 1
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxrCBo1Hi0Y2Xq4XelOvg7A-mjUb9vUQ24 Brics VS West 2
https://clips.twitch.tv/FantasticFunNightingaleM4xHeh Inflation - like water in the pool
https://clips.twitch.tv/DarkCrackyTermitePeteZaroll Fear is a mind killer
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxs51NcN8mahiWGxITSuGieipMQQ9mC2sy Psychology of trends and bullflag
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx3JUCvnfSEvKVqNCOD63SZfryoS7lYU83 Be proactive, be vigilent
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdqZlIXfNBbRlKtxoT7Q8uvbF1AdfomGX Pusshing buttons -> take a breatherPusshing buttons -> take a breather
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxzeW-NTXGpX-XSfSn78ucvnROvJeKMGXT Expected earnings surprise - perception arbitrage 1
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxx86A594tRWrbcGFCMhqWYBoPUMNYg1MC Expected earnings surprise - perception arbitrage 2
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxCwxB01EJPXSqbq-yIeMrgHeWduE_y71- Being active is a habit most people don't have - most people are lazy
https://www.twitch.tv/winternomics/clip/EnjoyableTolerantFriesYee?filter=clips&range=all&sort=time Keep progressing, constantly become your better version
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx8CcBVtVEt62uF-m1HcjEc_JhksduoFwS Fractal analysis - add context and sentiments
https://clips.twitch.tv/AlertHelpfulTardigradePermaSmug Manage risk and increase capital systematically
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxs8_E7qC6tk4ni_nlNjyW71iJzEdl5W2e manage emotions - make plans - quantum paths
https://clips.twitch.tv/RichStrongBatteryPeteZaroll Be mechanical - have a business plan
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxPmYxjqI1gUHsRVgqFYs-BYTZth6vAuEB Price is people
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVI3m4_GUlgYElHIMuTVIOJIBy-AA4wgR attention span - Organisation is everything - consistency - life pattern
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxX76aXOjDlKdGu-SpHU0OtypgBo7HHkue Government spending is the driver of the economy
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxFZBeTIfKWGYNOkPwF0rvy9idF79JICyN Drift is Real - can happen to all of us
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx949hC7BQ40bYdtVMkekP2ih-ZeF30kQ4?si=VpF4BfB4QNJPMAjK Perspective matters - 2 sides of the cup
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxngVpphKOi_hvcyf09g8LqNds4YMgAQrU Fed fighting inflation by preventing labour force from having pricing power over wages.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxYdoI_l7Q0JOrAp2d5fZsZJHXIn-zD70J no one is in - AAPL gets to ATH because no one is ever in it. #AppleEvents
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-AaE6dG173xUdBFE_MLU2geWUPSZMRej The habits for career trading is not something that everyone has.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxPH2YtekA_hkIVwHbVSPMh8fH5eqPcqkB when it seems too bullish pause and reflect on that
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZnlIU6yS9ACV0ehQJIbOuKrNGXfzoqDO world basket index
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxXxQQL8aiOlUqwMdY9zahI52idcWBlvSM if it's free, you are the product - People are the product in free to trade brokers
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxlDBkPy9nx5La4D6WAqgzWjTFwDmMKhwE Markets about a few making money -- value is about scarcity and utility -- universe hates socialist
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxpi1XcxdeqXBdVytLYUW5-GJGVzjGjpu3 Watch other sectors for catch up mode on SPY flag rotation
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx5f4tP4tKEEDskgMirStfIUgdZnAuRkEO Not trading is a trade
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxqNSmtWHN90fn3Vu-pw0ZjtSW8x9pppgN price has memory
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-06loG1pjfXeMSKNcoFLOJO2NjFsxcJb Sentiment damage at he bottom of the bull flag led to the arch.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxBd9GGCQ8tlxVgAMo5MPiF9aB0q1843e2 No one wants it till ATH. - major sentiment damage in the bottom
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx5ex9OC2B58MkYvMAZLFx_rNoRSPdGN9x Duration of the bottom rotation mind fucks people
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxOqS34ojsxMG4Vya3gqzczieprntJiBEM Fed derisking market == sending people back to work
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxscWAVJw_7Szlp98qZxsfJL_SY1p2tdWt Fed derisking market == sending people back to work --2
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx120HZOMQN-TTZL7bcHB2HfOd5YMsQNHp Dxy index and what it is
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQmdDSdNiMPBVNnpuH5xzsldF1E5Uw8bf inflation / deflation = water illustration
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxC6ZW23V9pZzZO1tctMH5zW3K3vL-wlML inflation / deflation = water illustration - 2
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxG5Oe1QlKN_l1T-dCZqXM4q49-a1UvOuh inflation / deflation = water illustration - 3
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxTFxRy6t-ifxZ-mwaGgc3jGhlASaQm-_w Long attention span important for planning on macro resolutions
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxlLskc-W9jpUusxqHvDweDHJoERNGv-uz synchronicity, Objective analysis - observing without judgement
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZ6rraHg_Sg7Ae1K0o1TDPv3iUHwEkazP observe without judgement - twitter greatest sample of population
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx2Az-MMLUF8QVCA6Dbdmb6fRTgDUiuFEq FED is the Market memo - never bet against the fed
https://www.twitch.tv/winternomics/clip/NeighborlyFrailMallardCmonBruh Information bigotry - system to system
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx8N26_1JkraljnpETDlEt7UFJEAVBbr4a Cycles of the Presidency in US part #1
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxq0ZnFYocliIk5g2u_UdUZRDwpxuc4FMh Debt base Economy explanation, government spending under Democrats
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxAk4Zm2lxbtvqEazMXu0FZ_lwK0rdjs_W Professional trader habits
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxn6kg1Pi-GVfXYxQ9gCSx36hDrcBfWaPI When you cant manage the data flow, you cant use it memo
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxDvijqhLZpj1PjHCMuB5lw06JVqqsPc1t Memo on good idea is seldom and value requires scarcity and utility
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxwg_tahfMcO6_nnCM2ZQAso_3DIgVS5gV Sentiment on rotation to the top memo - nobody wants it
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxZvuNUI5X3i0fOsntLwPU-fPQ-FfW6QBr Best of breed
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxAJLoZuWnTNDKc793xvBn_Z01bUphdpuv What the crowd does
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxR8iZck8a6EkmHOcBcVROpAOjEEo_QtGO Japan - The carry trade and why we watch the YEN
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxyvL3t1R3KbFCP5a-ROWrClRMkbkXE0fe Economists are clueless
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxsjVrJzJJ94eFpCc6V4299ZQww-stfOFP Tesla - Arc & Probably needs consolidation
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxzVwbfPERuc1DEWSj0WZqnlEPVwwc0Lpm Unity - Been a Long Time
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxB8ON2jDIFAIA_BADJC_RJsho0yp-MGfo Rotation of sentiments of crowd and marketing phase
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfO1TqBMKTO1ZbngTU5jdZwsu6_5d1up6 smart money (e.g. goldman sachs in this clip) bullshitting the crowd
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxvw-yvYNdmPv9ekoM76iu8xJK7niQvdE7 TM_HMC_japan - don't sleep on Japan
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxMtNza7rjujyNMXZNvbDXPc9J2FpvHdq5 Bias & People deleting information
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx8YrM1Ps-AxSoUe1jtEuPO-vx-BbE1MpB Bias & People deleting information - emotion and ego
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxcDBNVvhDWXip8x2N4xV_55PL1hkBimSP Detecting Emotions within self is a skill to develop and how we correlate like a school of Fish.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxLyW76I4Ykt6LZth9vVIeqBvbGvydhLd- SPY Emotional Levels - box ranges
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxXjaWFHn57-ME-auOaeKBMFo-0MJCK5mt 1/atometh memo - defi
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdgPMMTveupZa-Jdr8dvME_lLFJuA5GaH 1/atometh memo second part
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxI3NOZJsydIBPZy3xQ2c8loPuRfGkCLeF Where bad ideas come from... memo on behavior! - dunning kruger effect, empty bell makes the most noise
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxzaMRBzYUZo2UsaEGKVKR00N8g4voM5ji BTC & ETH not targeted by SEC
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxbkRh5G6F1nXCvejweGcGCx99I7mXFusn memo on planing for breakout, localised monopoly free and clear.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQeY_6i6FEjKsC4wRBaKwCz2E70CCoIpc Price is people 💀 - mass shootings
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxNWKCsJnUp8goTdqjlBbjcAc45SUbCjJM Sympathy plays 🔮
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx2DDHPjBEXRI3rNAiOzQgS1pzOpTgqt2j darth maul move after fed announcement
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxT8XNCfA7ydDtd_78xA_2WPVyMzEm1vzs How misinformation spreads among people
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxr5HkBp1sYdYYFdLlxA0Z4fUWAeH8kEJ_ Media writers are the point of value in the sea of shit and are clueless about the market
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx6WM9HxmMnKziP-yn6GBshuDIz7HiljBv Dow/Gold ratio -- using the ratio to track how Bob Pisani misleads the crowd
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxKU3SBRgBj3TAcz5HZ0jAP47CRCBJF7b2 quad witching day is noisy - caution
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxD554zo5j9erz9d3sUnCneun0yIZpOmFx Close Emotional Extremes and Interaction
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxbBOuFMfAzAaVou3l7z23HF7hcucrum0D backwadation explained
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxzagKnzgubOy-CSIYxiViUSZPZidGv_Cw How bias works - deletion of information

Title probably sucks because I don’t know how to summarise my question, but I saw someone talking about how sad it is that the banisters had to be repainted in the song, and it occurred to me that perhaps that’s the case for the album too.
To me, the blue banisters becoming green and grey in the song mimics a bruise healing, right? Lana’s support network comes through when she’s heartbroken, and they help her heal. But the blue banisters were also a promise, a hope for the future. The banisters being blue isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, though they are a reminder.
If I zoom out and look at the track list for BB, I feel like I can see the same pattern of events as the song. There’s hope in the beginning (like Text Book, Arcadia, If You Lie With Me) a note of true melancholy (Nectar of the Gods), and then the healing that comes from her family (Living Legend, Sweet Carolina).
It’s not a perfect arrangement of songs and themes, though, and I might be reading into it too much, but does anyone else see the pattern?

(continuation of part 1)

III. Searching for Aerith Beyond FFVII

There were absolutely no answers in Remake or OG (at this point in my research, Rebirth wasn’t released yet), no matter how much I looked; nothing at all hinted at how Cloud could’ve obtained the memories of OG that emerge in Remake as MOTFs. I knew I had to look elsewhere to search for more clues, so I decided to check every piece of media ever released by SE with a mention of Cloud or Aerith in it, digging for hints in the compilation and beyond.
And boy, did I find them.
III. a) Core Worlds and Suspension Worlds
There are a couple of general FF rules that we need to establish before going forward.
It’s important to note that there are multiple realms in which the FF stories take place, each with a different name, history and society. This ensures that all FF stories occur separately, never intercepting or interacting— though they do have creatures like moogles and chocobos in common, as well as concepts like airships, gil, magic and some form of crystal. For simplicity, I will refer to these separate worlds in which the numbered FF games (FFI, FFII, FFIII, etc) occur as “core worlds”.
Characters from different core worlds may appear together in non-numbered FF games, the events of which have no impact on the core world at all: it seems that sometime after a FF character has reached the end of their core world’s plot-line, they may somehow be summoned to far-removed realms where they will face new adventures. I call these far-removed realms “suspension worlds”. One example of a FF game that takes place in a suspension world is Dissidia Final Fantasy, wherein characters from multiple core worlds unite to accomplish a mission as a team.
III. b) Final Fantasy Tactics
First on our list of non-compilation SE games to explore is 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT), a game whose plot takes place in the suspension world of Ivalice. Let’s plot out the relevant events, and then analyze!
III. b) i. Fact-Finding
The main character of FFT, Ramza, encounters a brunette flower peddler with Aerith’s iconic, gravity-defying bangs:
\"Aeris\" in FFT's Ivalice
If you choose to buy a flower from her, she express her relief: apparently, business isn’t going well because no one is interested in flowers. The girl wistfully dreams aloud:

“When is my knight in shining armor going to take me away from here...?”

Later, Ramza and his companions encounter a mysterious machine that can summon people from across universes. The machine is activated, and a rather rude young man with spiky blonde hair appears. Cloud claims he used to be in SOLDIER, and says the last thing he remembers is “getting stuck in the current”. He looks to be disoriented and lost, and suffers from piercing headaches. Mere moments after being summoned to Ivalice, Cloud rambles:

“What’s this? My fingers are tingling… My eyes… they’re burning… Stop… stop it [Se]phiroth…”

He dashes out of the room, but not without announcing:

“I must go… must go to that place…”

Outside, Cloud encounters the brunette flower girl Ramza met earlier. She offers Cloud a flower, but he only stares at her wordlessly:

“Flower girl: Buy a flower? Only 1 gil.
Cloud: …
Flower girl: Something wrong? Do I resemble someone?”
Cloud: No… it’s nothing.”

As soon as Cloud leaves, a gang of ruffians surround the flower girl and start harassing her, demanding payment that’s apparently overdue. One of them finally calls her by her name: “Aeris”. He grabs her, insinuating that he might sexually assault her in lieu of payment. Aeris is not strong enough to push him away. That’s when Cloud returns:

“Cloud: Get your hand off her!
Thug: What did you say!?
Cloud: Didn't you hear me? Get your dirty hand off her!
[…]
Cloud, to Aeris: Go… now.”

Aeris heeds Cloud’s advice, fleeing the scene before a fight between Cloud and the thug can break out. After Cloud scares the ruffians off with the help of Ramza and his companions, he speaks once more:

“I lost… something very important… Ever since, I’ve been lost […]. What should I do? What about this pain [?] Must go… to the Promised Land.”

III. b) ii. Fact Analysis
There’s a lot to unpack here, all of which you probably clocked in your head upon reading, but let’s put it down in writing.
While FFT Cloud’s memory is far from perfect, the Aeris he encounters in Ivalice doesn’t recognize him at all. FFVII Ultimania Omega addresses this question without answering it:

“[The flower seller’s] name is Aeris, and she has the same appearance and tone of voice as the Aeris of FFVII. However, when she comes across Cloud, she does not recognize him. Could she really be the same Aerith who appears in FFVII but with memory loss, or is she a completely different character?” (“#4 Proof of Omega”, “FFVII in Other Games”, “Final Fantasy Tactics”, page 560).

Regardless of her unknown identity and inability to recognize Cloud, FFT Aeris’ fantasy of a “knight in shining armor” is quite reminiscent of the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic we’ve come to know and love. Cloud’s armor doesn’t shine, but in my opinion, if you’re looking for the dystopian, corporatocratic equivalent of a knight, you can’t get much closer than a supposed-former-SOLDIER-turned-bodyguard. Additionally, despite his rude and cold attitude toward Ramza’s gang, the urgency with which Cloud swoops in to save the flower girl from the ruffians betrays a softer, warmer side to him: the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic strikes again!
FFT Cloud’s dialogue borrows two lines from the speech OG Cloud makes as Aerith lies dead in his arms (disk 1, chapter 28): “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” and “What are we supposed to do? What about my pain?” You might’ve noticed that this glimpse of grief Cloud experiences in FFT bears a resemblance to the fourth MOTF 4 experienced by Remake Cloud (see section “II. a)”). Could it be that FFT Cloud and Remake Cloud have something in common?
Shortly after being summoned to Ivalice, FFT Cloud declares that he must go to “that place”, a mysterious line that is later elucidated when he tells Ramza that he must go to the Promised Land and find the “very important” thing he’s lost. The Promised Land is the Cetra culture’s afterlife, meaning FFT Cloud is looking for someone who’s died, someone “very important” to him. OG suggests this is none other than Aerith:

“Cait Sith, reading Cloud’s fortune: You will find [what] you pursue. However, you will lose the most precious thing” (disk 1, chapter 16, English translation by Kotaku’s “Let’s Mosey: A Slow Translation of Final Fantasy Seven: Part Eight” by Tim Rogers, 9:42-9:52).

&

“Cloud, after seeing Aerith’s hand reach for him through the Lifestream: … I think I'm beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there” (disk 3, chapter 3).

Finally, let’s try to understand where on the OG timeline Cloud was summoned to this suspension world from and what he remembers. His comment about getting stuck in a current has to be about the Lifestream; apparently, on top of its atemporal nature, it can act as a conduit to other worlds. One only enters the Lifestream if they’ve somehow fallen into the core of the planet or once they’ve passed away and returned to the planet. Both scenarios merit consideration.
On the one hand, it’s possible that Cloud was summoned to Ivalice after he and Tifa fall into the core of the planet: this point in the FFVII OG timeline occurs after Aerith’s death and shortly before Cloud finds out he was never SOLDIER, which matches the gaps in FFT Cloud’s memory quite well. However, this scenario does not account for the vagueness with which FFT Cloud remembers Aerith and her death. Most importantly, Cloud’s realization that he can find Aerith in the Promised Land occurs much later in the game (FFVII OG, disk 3, chapter 3) than when he falls into the Lifestream with Tifa (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).
On the other hand, FFT Cloud’s vague yet persistent memories of Aerith suggest that he’s been summoned to Ivalice after his eventual death post-OG, but also that he’s lost quite a large portion of his memories. His incomplete memory loss is likely the result of Cloud’s individuality’s erosion by the Lifestream after death, which we discussed in section “II. a) ii.”. We can therefore surmise that by the time he is summoned to Ivalice from the Lifestream, Cloud has been dead for long enough that the Lifestream eroded a large portion of the memories of his lifetime. This post-death scenario is likelier than the first. The memory of Cloud’s realization that he was never SOLDIER must be gone, which explains why he claims otherwise upon being summoned to Ivalice. Contrastingly, vestiges of Cloud’s OG memories of Aerith cling to his soul, even after others have been wiped clean. Could this be a consequence of their soulmate bond? Could the strength of Cloud’s love and grief for Aerith have made his memories of her stronger and more difficult for the Lifestream to erode? Could it be both?
One thing is clear: Aerith is of fundamental importance to Cloud, even when he can’t quite remember her. In fact, the only other character he remembers and/or mentions in FFT is Sephiroth. It does make sense that the memories of those who have marked one’s soul forevermore would be the most difficult for the Lifestream to erode.
III. c) Dissidia Final Fantasy
The next stop on our travels through suspension worlds is 2008’s Dissidia Final Fantasy! Now strap in, because here’s where things get really serious.
III. c) i. Fact Finding
In the suspension world of Dissidia Final Fantasy (DFF), the goddess of harmony Cosmos and the god of discord Chaos are engaged in a never-ending cycle of conflict. Both deities need warriors to fight on their behalf, so they recruit core world characters into their respective teams by summoning them to DFF. Some of these summoned characters are FFIV’s Cecil, FFVI’s Terra, FFVII’s Sephiroth, FFX’s Tidus, and of course, FFVII’s Cloud. The warriors find themselves in the suspension world of DFF with no memories of their core worlds’ plotlines. However, as the DFF adventure progresses, they are able to recover pieces of their memories here and there. It isn’t clear how much they come to remember. Ultimately, the warriors hope to return home to their core worlds by fighting in this war and seeing to its end.
Cloud is summoned to DFF as a warrior on the side of Chaos, who seeks to destroy all existence. Sephiroth is also on Chaos’ side, meaning the two are teammates despite being enemies in their core world of FFVII. It just so happens that Tifa is a summoned warrior in DFF too, though she’s fighting on Cosmos’ side. Intrigued by her vague familiarity, Sephiroth hypothesizes that killing Tifa will bring back his memories of OG’s plot line: before long, the masamune wielder finds Tifa alone and corners her into a one-on-one fight. Thankfully, Cloud swoops in and saves her before Sephiroth can do any harm. Tifa is thankful for Cloud’s help, though confused that Cloud would elect to assist her and turn against a fellow warrior of Chaos; she doesn’t remember what Sephiroth and Cloud mean to each other in OG. In fact, Tifa doesn’t even remember Cloud’s name or that they share a core world, though Cloud feels somewhat familiar to her. For his part, Cloud at least remembers that Tifa is someone he cares about from his core world. As Tifa thanks Cloud for saving her from Sephiroth, something she says elicits an odd reaction from the warrior of Chaos:

“Tifa: The way you showed up and fought that guy off. It was a pretty cool thing to watch. You were like a hero, charging in to save the girl.
Cloud gasps at her words. She doesn’t notice” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).

On another note, Cloud knows he will have to fight Tifa once the Cosmos-Chaos conflict comes to a head, as they are on opposing teams. He thinks to himself:

“Once [her] memories return, [she]’ll lose the will to fight just like I have. So... Before that can happen, I have to act...” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).

In order to end the cycle of the conflict and to avoid fighting Tifa, Cloud decides to try and defeat Chaos himself. Predictably, Cloud is no match for the deity. As he dies, Cloud pleads the following to the goddess Cosmos:

“Cosmos, goddess of harmony. If you can hear me, listen to my plea. I beg you. Save her. Save my friend… Tifa.”

Cosmos hears him and responds immediately:

“Cosmos: An end to this conflict, and a life spared? This is your heart's desire? If your will remains unchanged, I shall bring you here when the battle draws to a close. Cloud. My chosen" (Dissidia 0.13: Treachery of the Gods, report 7: “Unexpected Fulfillment 3”).

Cloud’s wish is granted by Cosmos: the first phase of the conflict ends without Tifa getting hurt, and she is sent away from the suspension world of DFF before the second phase begins. Cloud is saved from death, and Cosmos enlists him into her team of warriors for phase two: this time, Cloud is fighting on the good side.
Now we enter phase two of the war. Cosmos tells her team of ten core world warriors that in order to save the world from Chaos’ destruction, they must collect what she describes as crystals containing the power to persist through darkness. I call these the “DFF crystals”. There are ten DFF crystals in total: one for every warrior in Cosmos’ group to find. To obtain their crystal, each hero must overcome a trial that will confront them with whatever personal struggle they faced in their core world; if they prove themselves worthy, their DFF crystal will appear to them. On one hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals simply take the form of the crystals found in their core world. For example, Onion Knight’s DFF crystal looks to be nothing more than one of FFIII’s elemental crystals, which hold little to no personal significance to him. On the other hand, some warriors’ DFF crystals symbolize something more personal to their respective warriors. For instance, Cecil’s DFF crystal looks to be one of FFIV’s dark crystals, which specifically represent the dichotomy of light and darkness he struggles with in his core world’s plot line. Cosmos describes the quest for the DFF crystals as follows:

“Cosmos: The crystals embody the strength to face despair. With ten gathered, there is hope yet to save the world. The path to your crystal will be perilous... and different for each and every one of you. But you must believe in and follow your own path. Even if you know not where that path leads" (Dissidia 013: Light to All, prologue: “A Final Hope”).

From this exposition, simply keep in mind that: Cloud must find his crystal by overcoming a personal trial, and his crystal may have the appearance of an object in OG that’s important to him.
Once the team is debriefed on their mission, Cloud remains reticent to fight; he doesn’t much like the mysterious nature of this conflict. Not knowing exactly what they’re all fighting for is clearly bothersome to the swordsman, and the idea of thoughtlessly engaging in battles leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Fellow warrior Firion understands that without a reason to fight, Cloud’s heart just isn’t in it. He imparts upon Cloud that he must have a dream he’s fighting to protect, something he wants to see come true, to motivate him to stop Chaos from destroying all existence. Unfortunately, Cloud doesn’t have a dream to preserve, or can’t find one for himself:

“Cloud: I've looked, but I'm still empty-handed. And without a dream, what do you suppose I should do? […] Maybe what I'm looking for... isn't here” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gateway of Good and Evil”).

Another fellow warrior, Cecil, expresses worry for Cloud, whose response evokes the main theme of FFVII OG:

“Cecil: Everyone's worried, Cloud. But... Do you shoulder a larger concern?
Cloud: Concern... Maybe a sense of loss" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Beyond the Continent”).

Whatever Cloud is looking for “isn’t [there]”, and he feels “a sense of loss”: Cloud’s motivating dream has been lost to him. This is later reasserted in a conversation with Terra, another warrior of Cosmos:

“Terra: And you, Cloud... What's your dream?
Cloud: I've lost mine" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 3: “The Chosen Battle”, “Gateway of True Intent”).

Later, Cloud encounters and fights Sephiroth, who is still a part of Chaos’ team. Sephiroth is defeated, but not before he’s taunted Cloud with his habitual puppet talk. However, Cloud remains strong and refutes Sephiroth’s manipulation, asserting that only he can determine his own path. This must’ve been Cloud’s personal trial, because his crystal appears at that very moment: it is a small, light green orb that looks like materia from his core world. Having pocketed his crystal, Cloud decides he must find his own reason to fight. Interestingly, his search is depicted as intertwined with Fate:

“Cloud: Even if I have my doubts... I have to find my own answer […] Until then, I'll keep fighting.
Narration: The warrior has vowed to keep fighting— and keep fighting he will […]. Etched in destiny, his quest for answers continues on” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gulg Gateway”).

Later, the nemeses meet again in a segment called “Recurring Tragedy”. Their interactions here are particularly interesting. Sephiroth speaks of making Cloud suffer through despair and pain as though referencing their history together:

"Sephiroth: This disease called hope is eating you alive. The world of suffering was born out of such half-baked ideals.
Cloud: If that's the case, I have to endure the suffering. There's no moving on if I run from it.
Sephiroth: If that is what you wish for, you shall drown in the pain. I'll lead you to true despair. [My] shadow is burned into your heart. We'll meet again, Cloud. I'll keep coming back— as long as you are who you are."
Sephiroth disappears. Cloud looks out into the distance before the scene ends.
“Cloud: No thanks. The one I really want to meet is…” (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”).

This final line suggests Cloud has finally found a reason to fight: he wants to meet someone unspecified.
Finally, after the war has ended, we arrive at the final cutscene of DFF. I will let you read the full script, with notes added by me in bold behind the spoiler censors. Please do not read my notes if you do not wish to encounter spoilers for FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFVIII, FFIX or FFX:

“[The] heroes are all standing together in a grassy field with a forest behind them. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and the wind is blowing gently. The heroes look around them in awe. They're all holding their crystals.
WoL: The battle has come to an end...
Tidus notices that his crystal has begun to emanate a blue glow.>! His crystal is a movie sphere from his core world of FFX: a capsule containing sounds and images that people record for later viewing. Tidus’ crystal likely represents the specific movie sphere recorded by his love interest Yuna, which revealed that she’d loved him from the beginning.!<
Tidus: Gotta go, huh...
The blue glow transfers to him as well. He turns to look at the others
[…] Tidus grins at the others, then turns and runs toward a nearby lake. He leaps into it in a manner reminiscent of [the events] of FFX. He vanishes as he descends toward the lake.
Zidane: We're not vanishing. We're returning—
Zidane is sitting on a tree limb as he says this. His crystal begins to glow gold, as does he. His crystal is shaped like a highly important ‘progenitor of all life’ crystal from his core world of FFIX.
Zidane: — to where we're supposed to be.
Zidane spins around the tree limb with the use of his tail and launches toward the sun. He's lost to view.
A white feather then drifts down from that direction and Squall catches it. The feather is reminiscent of his love Rinoa Heartilly, whose character symbol is a white feather. In fact, Squall’s crystal looks like a mix of his revolver gunblade from FFVIII and Rinoa’s feather motif. [Squall glows blue.]
Squall: Perhaps we can go on a mission together again.
Squall vanishes.
Cloud is then visible, standing in [a] flower field. The flowers are white and yellow. Cloud has his crystal, a light green materia from his core world of FFVII, in hand.
Cloud: [(Chuckles shortly, like a scoff)] Not interested.
Cloud walks off into the flower field, gaining a green glow. He vanishes.
A snowflake then falls into Terra's right hand as her crystal begins to glow pink. The flames drawn on her crystal represent her power, which is connected to the element of fire: her character arc in FFVI.
Terra: I think I've learned how to keep going. Thank you— and take care.
Terra glows pink and then vanishes. Bartz throws a stick. He's glowing pink as well.
Bartz: When you're having the most fun, that's when time always flies. His crystal is the Adamantite from his core world of FFV.
Bartz vanishes.
Cecil: It's mine to pass on—
A moon appears behind Cecil and goes through its phases as he begins to glow blue. His crystal has shadowed and illuminated parts, representing the duality of his character, which is central to his personal arc in his core world of FFIV. It also represents his brother Golbez, who has chosen the darkness. Cecil considers his familial bond with Golbez his guiding light and hopes to be with him someday.
Cecil: — this strength I've gained from everyone.
Cecil vanishes.
Onion Knight hugs his crystal and looks up toward the sky. His crystal is shaped like those found in his core world of FFIII**.**
Onion Knight: Everyone... thank you!
OK briefly glows blue and then vanishes.
There are wild roses at Firion's feet. He and WoL are looking toward the sky. WoL suddenly begins walking away while Firion looks down and sees the roses.
Firion: This isn't the end. Another dream is waiting to begin.
His crystal is the color of the wild roses that were at the center of his dream and of his motivation to fight Chaos. The roses are also the emblem of the Rebel Army he was a part of in his core world of FFII. His crystal is shaped like Pandaemonium, the final dungeon of his core world story. Firion gains a violet glow and then vanishes.
WoL is walking through the field and then comes to a stop. He's looking at something.
WoL: May the light forever shine upon us.”

As you can see, everyone’s crystal is very important to the story of their core world, and in the cases of at least Tidus, Squall, Terra and Cecil, the crystals represent something very personal. What about Cloud and his crystal, then? What about the dream he lost and the person he wants to meet? Let’s begin analyzing to answer these questions.
III. c) ii. Fact Analysis
Firstly, it’s clear to me that the Cloud that appears in DFF is a post-OG Cloud, given how many plot points from OG he interacts with. I’m reticent to say whether or not this post-OG Cloud is dead like in FFT, as he recovers many of his memories of OG during DFF and there is no evidence of him having passed away and joined the Lifestream.
The second thing I’d like to point out is Cloud’s strange reaction when Tifa compares him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. Cloud gasps, indicating that her words mean something to him; the trope Tifa references must therefore be included somewhere in the FFVII OG plot-line. Some of you are surely ahead of me by now, having realized that only the tragic antithesis of this trope appears in OG: Cloud is unable to save Aerith from Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). Whether or not DFF Cloud remembers Aerith herself at this point, it’s clear he recalls the pain and guilt of losing Aerith to Sephiroth.
Next, let’s address Cloud’s lost dream: to meet an unspecified person. It seems Cloud is aware at this point that in OG, he was eternally separated from the person he dreams of meeting. So, who was he separated from in his core world? Who can he never meet again, even if his team of warriors defeats Chaos and Cloud returns to the realm of FFVII? There are a few options —his mother, his father, Zack, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and any other person he knew who died—, but the sheer narrative weight that Aerith’s untimely death carries makes it clear who he truly wants to meet. This is corroborated by Cloud’s “I think I can meet her… there” line in OG (disk 3 chapter 3), by FFT Cloud’s search for Aerith during his appearance in Ivalice, and by Cloud’s strange reaction to Tifa’s comparing him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. All the available evidence suggests that Cloud’s dream is indeed to reunite with Aerith, and that this dream is “lost” to him because she was killed by Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). This would also explain the title of the DFF segment “Recurring Tragedy”, since as we all know, the ultimate tragedy of FFVII OG is Aerith’s death. Considering Sephiroth was the one to take Aerith away from Cloud, Sephiroth’s threats of drowning him in despair in “Recurring Tragedy” only solidify this interpretation of Cloud’s lost dream.
Finally, we arrive at the ending cutscene. Cosmos’ warriors return to where they belong to try and accomplish whatever dream they held as motivation during the Cosmos-Chaos conflict, each carrying their DFF crystal. Cloud is shown standing in a field of white and yellow flowers and walking deeper into it with a light green materia in hand. Why was a white and yellow flower field chosen to represent DFF Cloud’s dream? The answer is obvious. White and yellow flowers symbolize Aerith: she sold Cloud a yellow blossom upon first meeting him in OG (disk 1, chapter 1), and her yellow and white flowerbed cushioned Cloud’s fall when the two reunited in the Sector 5 church (disk 1, chapter 4). What’s more, we have the iconic credits video of the original cut of Advent Children to refer to, wherein Cloud is seen driving near flower fields. Aerith stands there (3:20), seemingly waiting for him. Here’s what Nomura had to say about this credits scene:

"[...] we filmed the video for the ending credits in Hawaii. There are fields of flowers on both sides of the road, and the colors —yellow and white— are the same as the flowers in Aerith's church […]. With Aerith, 'flowers' have been her image throughout the series” (FFVII Reunion Files, “Countdown to Reunion”, “Stories from CG Production”, page 87).

Even in the Advent Children Complete cut of the film, where Aerith is not shown standing in the field, the flowers and their symbolism of Aerith remain. That being so, it’s more than fair to say that the white and yellow flowers in DFF’s ending cutscene serve as yet another confirmation that Cloud’s dream is to be with Aerith.
With all of this established, we can address the nature of Cloud’s DFF crystal. As we established, every core world has its own version of a crystal, each possessing a distinct appearance, function and meaning. Materia are the crystals of FFVII, so one could be satisfied by the proposition that Cloud’s DFF crystal is simply meant to represent a random materia. However, I think Cloud’s crystal is specifically the White Materia, as it represents Aerith’s sacrifice, her importance to the plot and what she died fighting for. If any one object symbolizes her death, it’s the White Materia; it’s even given closeups during the event (2:33-3:02). Besides, unlike any other materia in FFVII, the White Materia is known to glow a light green when Holy has been activated:

“Bugenhagen: If [the prayer] reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green” (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 15).

Here are pictures of the White Materia in OG and Advent Children, and two pictures of Cloud's DFF crystal (in order) so you can compare for yourself:
https://preview.redd.it/0qtumfeyfq0d1.jpg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3995f010738c83fca0c5842a0564d0a9ad206dfd
https://preview.redd.it/0kj525tzfq0d1.jpg?width=1144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=575573ef1d2c937635cf569d4a376886a24b384c
Cloud's DFF Crystal
Cloud’s DFF crystal
So far, in both suspension world games we’ve examined (FFT and DFF), Cloud is searching for Aerith. As a final note on DFF, it may interest you to know that codirector of the Remake trilogy Toriyama was actually a writer for DFF: he may have carried some themes from DFF to Remake…
III. d) Detour: The Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition
Before we hop onto the next suspension world, let’s return to ours for a quick detour: the 2018 Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Expo. Themed with farewells and tragedy, this expo showcased the heartbreaking goodbyes featured in different FF games. Artwork, clips, quotes and images aplenty here! As the highly anticipated Remake was going to be coming out approximately a year and a half later, the FFVII section of the expo featured a few sneak peek Remake designs. This means the expo was at least partly curated with the Remake trilogy in mind; there could be interesting material in the FFVII section of the expo related to Remake. Let’s dive in!
Unsurprisingly, the focus of the FFVII section is Cloud and Aerith, since she is the loved one he lost in OG. Zack is also given a mention, however Aerith was the glaringly central star of the show. To showcase how important Aerith’s farewell in particular was to the expo, the FFVII portion was introduced by a photo of Cloud lowering Aerith into her watery grave and a video of her tragic death:
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition, FFVII Introduction
The description under the video screen reads:

“She was gone in the blink of an eye. But the pain never went away.
Aerith awoke the ultimate magic to protect the planet and the people she loved. Yet her life came to a sudden end at the hands of Sephiroth, a man bent on seeing the world destroyed. Even the usually stoic Cloud couldn’t hide his grief at the unexpected death of an irreplaceable companion. ‘My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning.’ True words, revealing Cloud’s deep sorrow” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition).

Conveniently enough for us, the expo’s tagline is “Who is the person you want to meet again?” Given that Aerith holds the spotlight in the FFVII section of the expo, it’s clear who SE is telling us Cloud wants to reunite with. Recall Cloud’s unfinished line in DFF: “The one I really want to meet is..." (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”). We theorized that he must be referring to Aerith, and now, we are certain.
The expo also had pamphlet descriptions of the farewells depicted. Here is the general summary of FFVII‘s farewell story according to that pamphlet:

“The story follows the lead character Cloud, but it is the heroine, Aerith, who opens Cloud’s eyes and helps bring him closer to understanding the mystery that is his past. Through her, we draw closer to the truth of the story.
This scene, in which the heroine Aerith is lost, is easily the most shocking and tragic in the story. No one expected to say goodbye to such a major character in the middle of the story. Rumors of a secret way to revive Aerith spread, and it was clear players were having a hard time saying goodbye to her too. Even now, twenty years later, it still feels like a shocking turn of events” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition Pamphlet, page 36).

It’s interesting that SE would mention the rumors of Aerith’s revival circulated by players back in 1997, especially as fans were awaiting Remake’s release…
In light of everything we’ve analyzed so far, it can be said that between FFT (1997) and this farewell expo (2018), SE has consistently demonstrated that reuniting with Aerith is post-OG Cloud’s goal. That’s a period of over two decades— two decades of wishing, seeking, longing in real-world time for this character. This is a huge long-term commitment for SE to make, and you can bet the devs don’t take it lightly. Again and again, once the events of the OG game have ended, Cloud is shown to desire a reunion with Aerith. This ever-present and ever-insistent theme will become very important to us later in this analysis.
(continued in part 3)

Hi all! I'm back finally after a year!
I have a good lot for sale and/or trade today.
I'm primarily looking to sell but I'm also open for trades. I'm very interested in Horus Heresy (especially the starter, I want to get started in it). l also want skirmish games rulebooks/minis, play mats or boards, historical minis, and board games(solo playable and dark fantasy themed ones especially). I'm open minded though so feel free to shoot any other ideas you may have for trades and/or buys. I give a discount if you buy an entire army.
I will update the list as to what is sold as sales/trades are made.
Here are pictures of what's available:
https://imgur.com/a/gmhpH2U
Here is my karma thread:
https://www.reddit.com/MiniSwapKarma/comments/odfsdcitadel223_miniswap_karma_thread/
Here's what I have:
40k:
WORLD EATERS army and CHAOS UNDIVIDED. These are all official models but the Terminators are odd and cool conversions. Some of the models are painted, others aren't. See pictures for reference(same goes for everything else on the list). Most are spray painted red

• Kharn the Betrayer. Missing backpack but good condition otherwise. $25
  
• Cypher. Old version. $25
  
• Blackstone Fortress psyker $15
  
• Exalted champion $20
  
• 10x Khorne Berserkers squad. Mix of chainswords, axes, bolt pistols. $34
  
• 12x Khorne Berserkers . 1 banner in there , text are equipped as other squad $37
  
• 9x Terminators curious and cool conversions in it. Mostly combiweapons but one reaper autocannon is in there. The red painted model has a nicely painted lighting claw actually. $45
  

SALAMANDERS army. These were mostly made from pushfit models and custom made with Salamanders bits. Two of the characters are recast, and 3 of the aggressors are, the rest are official models. I would prefer to sell these as one lot instead of splitting

• Adrax Agatone: $20
  
• Vulkan He'Stan $20
  
• Captain on bike , custom made with Salamanders bits for the shoulders and they weild a mace. $15
  
• 5x Intercessors 2 of which are painted and have nice bases. $25
  
• 10x Assault Imterccesors Sergeant has hand flamer, thunder hammer and Salamanders bits $40
  
• 5x Assault Imterccesors same as above $20
  
• 6x Aggressors 3 official 3 recast , the 3 official ones and 1 recast one have Salamanders specific bits $65
  

LAST WAR:

• Haunted Tank custom model made from bolt action tank and Warcry spikes $60

SKIRMISH / MISCELLANEOUS MINIS:

• Spider Queen $25
  
• Tall Demoness. Works great as a Keeper of Secrets. Missing an arm. Base has barb wire and a tree $40
  
• Grim Reaper this a model from the board game Destinies $15
  

TERRAIN:

• Ice bridges x2 $5 each
  
• Green and Black sci Fi piece , would work great as an objective $12
  
• Daemon Gate $25
  

Hi.
This probably won't gain much traction but I figured I'd try anyways.
I'm making a presentation for a conference and think this theme would be great for it, but it's premium and I don't have a premium account. If anyone who does would be willing to download and send it my way, it'd be greatly appreciated.
https://slidesgo.com/theme/mental-health-awareness-newsletter#search-mental+health&position-33&results-331&rs=search
Send it to tehponycorn@gmail.com.
Even if no one has a premium account, thank you for taking the time to read this!

Cardinals (18-25) @ Angels (16-28)

First Pitch: 6:07 PM at Angel Stadium

Team	Starter	TV	Radio
Cardinals	Lance Lynn (1-2, 4.17 ERA)	BSMW	KMOX
Angels	Griffin Canning (2-4, 5.21 ERA)	BSW	KLAA

Game Preview
/angelsbaseball Discord
Reddit Stream for this post

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
STL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	9	1	11
LAA	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	0		7	14	0	9

Box Score

LAA		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
1B	Schanuel	4	1	2	1	1	0	.244
3B	Guillorme	3	1	2	0	2	1	.237
LF	Ward	5	1	2	1	0	2	.269
DH	Calhoun, W	5	2	3	1	0	1	.319
RF	Pillar	3	1	2	1	0	1	.328
C	O'Hoppe	4	0	0	0	0	3	.260
CF	Moniak	4	0	1	1	0	1	.186
SS	Neto	4	1	2	1	0	0	.250
2B	Paris	3	0	0	0	1	1	.125

LAA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Canning	6.0	5	1	1	3	5	99-65	5.21
Moore	1.0	0	0	0	2	2	34-21	6.19
García, L	1.0	3	1	1	0	2	24-14	5.19
Estévez	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	16-12	5.68

STL		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
DH	Carpenter	4	0	0	0	1	2	.259
RF	Nootbaar	4	0	2	0	1	0	.206
1B	Goldschmidt	4	1	1	1	1	2	.206
3B	Arenado	5	0	0	0	0	2	.258
LF	Burleson	4	1	2	0	0	0	.280
C	Herrera	3	0	1	0	1	1	.276
2B	Donovan	4	0	2	1	0	1	.227
SS	Winn	3	0	1	0	1	1	.281
CF	Siani	3	0	0	0	0	1	.232

STL	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Lynn	5.0	8	4	4	2	5	106-64	4.17
Robertson	1.2	6	3	3	0	3	39-31	3.86
Roycroft	1.1	0	0	0	2	2	33-21	1.80

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
B1	Nolan Schanuel homers (4) on a fly ball to right field.	1-0
B1	Willie Calhoun doubles (7) on a sharp line drive to right fielder Lars Nootbaar. Luis Guillorme scores. Willie Calhoun to 3rd. Willie Calhoun advances to 3rd, on a throwing error by shortstop Masyn Winn.	2-0
B1	Kevin Pillar singles on a ground ball to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, deflected by pitcher Lance Lynn. Willie Calhoun scores.	3-0
B1	Mickey Moniak strikes out on a foul tip.	4-0
T6	Paul Goldschmidt homers (4) on a fly ball to right center field.	4-1
B6	Zach Neto homers (4) on a fly ball to left field.	5-1
B7	Taylor Ward homers (8) on a fly ball to left field.	6-1
B7	Mickey Moniak singles on a line drive to left fielder Alec Burleson. Willie Calhoun scores.	7-1
T8	Brendan Donovan singles on a sharp ground ball to left fielder Taylor Ward. Alec Burleson scores.	7-2

Highlights

Description	Length
Griffin Canning against the Cardinals	0:07
Lance Lynn against the Angels	0:09
Bullpen availability for Los Angeles, May 15 vs Cardinals	0:07
Bullpen availability for St. Louis, May 15 vs Angels	0:07
Bench availability for St. Louis, May 15 vs Angels	0:07
Fielding alignment for St. Louis, May 15 vs Angels	0:11
Bench availability for Los Angeles, May 15 vs Cardinals	0:07
Fielding alignment for Los Angeles, May 15 vs Cardinals	0:11
Starting lineups for Cardinals at Angels - May 15, 2024	0:09
Nolan Schanuel: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
A deep dive into Nolan Schanuel's home run	0:11
Paul Goldschmidt: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:12
A deep dive into Paul Goldschmidt's home run	0:11
Breaking down Lance Lynn's pitches	0:04
Measuring the stats on Zach Neto's home run	0:12
Lance Lynn's outing against the Angels	0:23
A deep dive into Zach Neto's home run	0:11
Breaking down Griffin Canning's pitches	0:04
Griffin Canning's outing against the Cardinals	0:23
Measuring the stats on Taylor Ward's home run	0:12
Visualizing Taylor Ward's swing using bat tracking technology	0:11
Griffin Canning whiffs Matt Carpenter with a fastball	0:06
Nolan Schanuel laces a solo home run to right field	0:29
Willie Calhoun hits an RBI double to right-center	0:28
Kevin Pillar scores Willie Calhoun with an RBI single	0:27
Lance Lynn gets Taylor Ward to swing for a strikeout	0:07
Kevin Pillar makes it home after a wild pitch	0:14
Alec Burleson nails a long throw for a double play	0:13
Paul Goldschmidt leaps to his left for a snag	0:22
Alec Burleson ranges into foul territory for a catch	0:25
Paul Goldschmidt swat a solo home run to right-center	0:26
Michael Siani dives down for a fantastic catch	0:20
Zach Neto lifts a solo home run to left field	0:27
Mickey Moniak goes to ground for a great catch	0:17
Taylor Ward thumps a solo homer to left field	0:27
Mickey Moniak brings in Willie Calhoun with a single	0:10
Brendan Donovan plates Alec Burleson with an single	0:15
Griffin Canning rings up five Cardinals hitters	0:47

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Canning (2-4, 5.21 ERA)	Lynn (1-2, 4.17 ERA)

Game ended at 9:07 PM.