Showing more of Zack and Aerith being together in the Lifestream isn't a deviation, but an enhancement on the existing material. It fits well with what we've seen of the trilogy so far.
You are viewing the scene according to your biases - ie, you believe CA is romantic therefore this scene must be romantic - this putting the cart before the horse style of media literacy is exactly why Cleriths are bamboozled any time CT or ZA are validated.
It comes in the same chapter,peppered in-between a back and forward scene shift with Zack. It's even shippable entirely if one skips Zack scenes in the menu.
Marlene says Aerith likes Cloud, but then Aerith herself confirms yes, but it's not romantic. It's closure.
There's fundamental differences between these scenes - such as A lacking future sight as in said "resolution scene" - but let's be real. Aerith herself comes to state she doesn't know what kind of liking she feels for Cloud in direct response to Marlene's statement
Because Aerith herself clarifies her liking as specifically not romantic that very same chapter.
Either way, it's clear the word is used with great ambiguity here and, clearly, the viewer is left with a different impression of the word than Zack.
The full title of the game is Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII. It's part of the compilation and franchise. Not that you'd know since you haven't played the games.
And it's there Zack waits, knowing Aerith will come wearing pink as she promised. The flowers of reunion surround this scene and ZA as a whole - for instance adorning their Valentine's Day profile with it - ZA will yet be together again, in part 3, and it will happen right there.
And it's not just the events before Rebirth, it's after too! In ACC we see Zack's Buster Sword resting in the church and Aerith's flowers on Zack's grave. It's where ZA joke about adopting Cloud and then they both walk off into the light, together always. It's their place...
Nojima writes that, during the two years of ZA dating that it's the place Zack would come for healing. TWO YEARS of meeting each other there. It's where they met, fell in love, even went into business together. How could it be CAs when Cloud is there for a few minutes and done?
The usage of quotation marks around "our place", coupled with Cloud's confusion about where Aerith is referencing - and the scene panning IMMEDIATELY to Zack waiting for Aerith by the Church - only further reinforces what was made clear in Crisis Core: it's her place with ZACK 🧵
Aerith's feelings for Cloud ARE legitimate, but they aren't love. See her reaction here translated from the Japanese. She does like Cloud, but she likes many things.
This comes directly to answer Marlene.
It's closure.
"It's confirmed?" - where?
Even if you do have receipts, it doesn't matter as there are other sources for the same quote too.
1. Zack's dead, so that would make going on a date with him a bit hard, no?
2. Maiden isn't canon.
3. Advent Children Complete is, however canon, and Zerith are reunited in it and together always :)
Enjoy part 3!
1. NPTK is about everyone she loved.
2. There is no such character as "Aeris"
3. Aerith tells Cloud she doesn't love him
4. I was at the Rebirth orchestra and Zack was everywhere
