Zerith

Zerith is the het ship between Zack Fair and Aerith Gainsborough from the Final Fantasy fandom.

Canon
Both characters debuted in Final Fantasy VII. In the game, Aerith was a major character and a party member. Zack was a minor and hidden in the game. His story has since been expanded on in as sequels and prequels to FFVII have come out.

Zack Fair grew up in a backwater town, Gongaga. At a young age, he became endeared with SOLDIER, a superhuman organization and a branch of the military of the Shinra power company. He travels to the city of Midgar to apply and is accepted as SOLDIER. The talented young man quickly raises to 1st Class.

Aerith was the daughter of Ifalna, the last of the Cetra, and Gast Faremis, head of the Shinra science department. However, Gast was killed by Hojo and mortally Ifalna wounded. Ifalna entrusted Aerith's life to Elmyra Gainsborough who raised her as her daughter in Midgar. Growing up, Aerith took a liking to a local Church and spent time tending the flowers that are grown there.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
In April 0001, while on a mission form Shinra, Zack falls off the upper plate of the city, crashing through the roof of the church, startling Aerith. After the first impression, Aerith agrees to go on a date with Zack, he buys a perfume and a pink ribbon for her. But their date is interrupted as he gets a call to return to headquarter. Aerith asks if she would see him again and Zack replies her positively.

The two spend a lot of time thereafter and become intimate with each other as lovers. Many people know their relationship: The Turks who guards Aerith obviously, Zack's best friend named Kunsel, his mentor named Angeal Hewley, the members of his Fanclub, and surprisingly also Sephiroth. Someday in autumn, he visits her despite grieving over the loss of Angeal and she embraces him from behind.

Zack ever suggests she sell flowers at their first meeting and promised her to build a flower wagon. But time goes on and she demands it right before he leaves for his next mission. He fulfills it but as she isn't satisfied with the wagon, she then hands him a note of her 23 tiny wishes written on it. They sell flowers together later on at the playground in Sector 6 slum and relish the happiness of being together despite the short time since he has to go. Zack asks her to wear a pink dress for their next meeting when he comes back. The mission happens on September 22, 0002 as Zack goes to Nibelheim with Sephiroth to investigate the reactor when things go from bad to worse and Shinra publicly announces they’re all killed in action. The Fanclub, and also Kunsel, check on her due to the sad news, but Aerith doesn’t believe Zack has died as she still waits for his return. She said the tire of the wagon broke so she continued to sell flowers with basket. Kunsel even offers himself to fix it but Aerith only wants Zack to do it. As he doesn’t come back, she writes letters to Zack hoping she could reach him and deliver it through Tseng, one of The Turks who is close to both her and Zack. After writing 88 letters in four years without any reply, she loses hope of ever seeing Zack again. So she writes the 89th letter as the final one and delivers it through Angeal Copy.

The truth is Zack, who is severely wounded from the Nibelheim incident, is experimented by Professor Hojo, Shinra’s mad scientist, until suddenly he is awake on December 19, 0006. Breaking the cell, he escapes with his comatose friend, Cloud Strife. Now as a fugitive of the company he once served, who is trying to coverup the truth of what happened in Nibelheim, Zack spends months on the run with the hope of reaching Midgar one day to fulfill Aerith’s 23 Wishes. When he finishes his confrontation against Genesis Rhapsodos in Banora, he received her 89th letter. He screams out to the sky due to his realization of four years passing and the mention that it’s her final letter; makes him so determined to return to her with all the risks. Few days later, he finally reaches the outskirt of the city but it's surrounded by a battalion of Shinra Army. Fighting for his freedom, he is gunned down by the three soldiers left. Aerith, tending her flowers in the church, senses his dying moment because of her Cetra blood. She prays for him and gasps to the sky, implying she knows he is beyond saving. It also turns out despite her final letter, she’s dressed in pink for the promise of their next meeting.Ultimately, Zack takes his last breath after passing his Buster Sword onto Cloud who gains consciousness. This tragedy happens in late September 0007. Leaving Zack's body in wasteland, Cloud then heads alone to Midgar.

Final Fantasy VII
On December 9, 0007, Aerith meets Cloud when she is selling flowers in Sector 8. Meeting again as Cloud falls to the church as Zack did, Aerith asks Cloud to be her bodyguard with one date payment mirroring Zack did to her. At the same playground where she went on a first date with Zack and sold flowers with him in their last meeting, she asks Cloud if he knew her first love because both are in the same rank in SOLDIER, Aerith still doesn't get closure of what happened with Zack nor been aware that his death is part of the reason behind Cloud's fake persona she could sense as Cetra.

Aerith leaves Midgar with Cloud and the others, set on a journey to pursue and stop Sephiroth. They pass across Gongaga Town and unintentionally meet Zack’s parents. The parents ask the group if they knew where Zack had been since the last news they heard about him is from the letter he sent to them 6-7 years ago, that's the time when Aerith and Zack were dating. In the letter, Zack mentioned that he had a girlfriend, and both Aerith and Tifa are asked if they were his girlfriend. But neither of them replies to his parents as they burst out of the house, implying both shocks.

In Gold Saucer amusement park, as Aerith goes on a date with Cloud in the gondola, she confesses that he reminds her of Zack and that is part of the reason why she felt strongly attracted to him at first. But she also learns that things are different and wants to meet the real Cloud, indicating that she's finally ready to let go of Zack and move on with her life.

Unfortunately, Aerith is slain by Sephiroth days later while trying to save the planet. This tragedy happens in late December 0007, just three months from Zack's death. After the burial, the group must continue the journey without her.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Suffering from terminal illness like his foster son, Denzel, and feeling he fails everyone, Cloud disappears from Tifa and the children. He starts to live in Sector 5 church and keep visiting Zack's grave. At this time, three remnants of Sephiroth begin to attack and kidnap the city's kids.

Separately, Aerith and Zack’s spirit then appear in dream-sphere like to aid Cloud fighting the enemies. Together, they send Cloud’s spirit back to the living world, joking as he’s too big to be adopted, which means it isn’t his time to die yet. Waking up at the church surrounded by his family and friends, Cloud sees Aerith and Zack smiling at him before going back to where they belong by walking to the light-filled doorway. He smiles back as he's no longer alone; returning to Tifa and the children.

At some times around the following year, at the spot where Zack dies, yellow flowers symbolizing reunion are blooming naturally despite a barren land. The Buster Sword, that was previously stuck there as Zack’s grave marker, is now polished and has moved to Sector 5 church, where him and Aerith used to spend time together when they were alive and last seen by Cloud.

The two are now rested in peace together.

Final Fantasy VII Remake
The story of this game follows the events in Final Fantasy VII that takes place only in Midgar City with some differences, especially with the existence of Arbiter of Fate. Major change happens in the last chapter.

In Midgar expressway where the party confronts Sephiroth, Aerith gets a vision of Zack's final battle against Shinra Army. Sephiroth opens a portal, and invite the party to follow, Aerith refers to Zack’s line about freedom that entering the portal would change many things. As the party defeats Arbiter of Fate later on inside, Zack didn't die in his last stand and continues to drag Cloud headed to Midgar, implying that his fate has changed.

When the party reaches the outskirt of the city as they leave to pursue and stop Sephiroth, Aerith and Cloud walk pass Zack with different Cloud which implies two different timelines. Here, Aerith stops walking for a while under the rain and gazes at the cloudy sky.

As the party arrives at Kalm town, Zack also arrives at the church. But when he opens the door and enter, he sees many broken people stay there like a shelter. He has no idea of what had happened and whispering Aerith's name as she's nowhere in sight. What happened to Zack after that, and whether he could reunite with Aerith, are still unknown.

Trace of Two Pasts
During the voyage from Junon to Costa del Sol as the party infiltrate Shinra’s ship and disguise themselves as infantrymen, Aerith shares stories with Tifa about her past. She tells Tifa about times when she and her mom escaped from Shinra, continued with stories of her living with Elmyra Gainsborough in Sector 5 slum. When Aerith reaches the part of her having a first love and is about to tell Tifa, Cloud interrupts them to stop chatting since the girls are too loud. Aerith tells Tifa that she would tell her about the story of her first love next time.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

 * Because Aerith looks wanting a ribbon in the market, Zack buys a pink ribbon for Aerith then puts it on top of her braid.
 * At first date, they stare at each other's eyes closely and almost kiss if Aerith wasn't embarrassed.
 * Aerith embraces and comforts Zack who comes to her church in sadness because of his mentor's death.
 * Zack rushed to the slum church because he’s worried about Aerith and was attacked by Shinra’s mechanical weapons which should’ve been guarding the surroundings.
 * Aerith gives Zack her note of 23 Tiny Wishes and they stare at each other as love birds.
 * Aerith and Zack are selling flowers together.
 * Zack receives a phone call from Aerith under the water tower in Nibelheim, he promises to come visit her.
 * Zack reads Aerith's note of her 23 Wishes after break-free from mako tank.
 * Zack receives Aerith's final letter and feels desperate to come back.
 * His dying's last thought is full of memories of Aerith and ended up with her last voice when she called him in Nibelheim, "I'll be waiting."
 * Aerith senses Zack's dying moment and prays.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

 * Aerith talks with Cloud about Zack in a sad expression.
 * Aerith senses Zack's last stand on highway.
 * Aerith walks past Zack in ending, her expression is sad while Zack turns smiling.
 * Zack tries to reintroduce himself to Aerith in the church only to be confused at seeing refugees from Sector 7 with Zack only being able to say her name.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

 * Aerith and Zack joked about adopting Cloud.
 * Aerith and Zack walk to the light together.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
"I have 23 tiny wishes, but you probably don't remember them all. So, I put them together into one: I'd like to spend more time with you."

- Aerith to Zack "We continued running the fan club after Zack's untimely death, but we have to disband due to financial reasons. We would like to share one last quote from a woman who had a close relationship with Zack: "My wagon broke, so I'm going to use a basket to sell the flowers. I hope you can join me when you're back from your tour." She must not have heard what happened—making her comments all the more poignant. Our thanks go out to all 109,348 members out there. May Zack always live within our hearts."

- Email from Zack Fan Club "Are you doing well? Where are you? It’s been four years. This will be the 89th letter I’ve written, but I don't know where to send it anymore. I hope that this final letter gets to you. Zack, the flowers are selling very well. It makes everyone happy. Thanks to you."

- Aerith's 89th letter to Zack

"Four years? What do you mean final?! Aerith, wait for me..."

- Zack scream out, after reading Aerith's final letter

Final Fantasy VII
"Dear Dad and Mom, How are you guys? Sorry for leaving town so suddenly. I just really wanted to become a SOLDIER. I bet you're worried now that I've told you... But now I'm fulfilling my lifelong dream, and I'll do my best in SOLDIER. P.S. I have a girlfriend."

- Zack's letter to his parents

Final Fantasy VII: Remake
"Do you know I used to sell flowers here? Weird, you were in the same rank as the first guy I ever loved."

- Aerith to Cloud about Zack, Chapter 9 "It's been a while, huh? Long time no see. How you've been? Listen.... (EN) / Sorry... (JP) I'm back! (EN) / I'm home! (JP)"

- Zack being nervous to meet Aerith again after 5 years

Fanon
Zerith is a popular ship in the Final Fantasy fandom. But the number of the fans was never big until the release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2007) as prequel game that shows their past relationship.

Zerith fans feel Zack and Aerith's personalities complement each other. Some are drawn to the tragedy of the ship and pictured being together in death. Both Zack and Aerith's deaths separately are considered to be among the saddest moments in the Final Fantasy franchise. Their tragic fate is contrasted with the perky energy of the pair exhibit. The two are optimists in a world of cynics.

Out of the ship's own fans, Zerith has supporters from the extremely popular Cloti ship and many Cloti fans ship Zerith since it does not conflict with Cloti. Many Clerith fans as rival pairing oppose the idea of Zerith being a serious and intimate relationship because Crisis Core, that comes out 10 years after the release of Final Fantasy VII, retcons what they imagine Zerith is like, as portrayed in "The Diary Entries" inserted in oldest guide book titled FFVII True Script Dissection The Complete (released in 1997) and in Maiden Who Travel The Planet novella inserted in FFVII Ultimania Omega (released in 2005). The canonicity of those materials is debatable since both were written by Benny Matsuyama from Studio Benstuff who also writes several Diary Entries and novellas for other Final Fantasy franchises despite never being involved in the development team. On the contrary, many Zerith fans accept the idea of Aerith developing a genuine feeling for Cloud during the time of her trying to move on from Zack's death as it's mentioned in On The Way To A Smile novella (2009) by a line "Cloud is her friend--more than a friend, for she had loved." This novella is canon because it's written by Kazushige Nojima, the scenario writer of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core (prequel), and Advent Children (sequel).

Since both of them have appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series despite them never encountering with one another in the said game series, some fans of the ship do have their KH counterparts meet one another, ship Zerith beside the KH version of Cloti or feature them in their KH/FF MMD fanwork. By using their KH, CCFFVII, or Dissidia Final Fantasy model renders for it, along with using the child renders of Sora, Riku, and Kairi to create child renders of the Zack and Aerith.

On AO3, Zerith is the second most written ship for Zack and the third most written ship for Aerith. It is also the sixth most written ship in the Final Fantasy VII tag.

Zerith currently has 2468 fics on AO3.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Zack/Aerith tag on FanFiction.net
 * Zack/Aerith (KH) tag on FanFiction.net
 * Zack/Aerith (KH) tag on FanFiction.net

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Trivia

 * Zerith is listed on Square Enix website as one of Great Final Fantasy Love Stories along with Noctluna, Tiduna, and Squinoa.
 * Zack's Japanese voice actor, Suzumura Kenichi, is married to Aerith's Japanese voice actor, Sakamoto Maaya, on August 8. 2011. The two had dated since 2004 after voicing the last episode of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny as Shin Asuka and Lunamaria (Shinnluna); which means they have been always voicing Zack and Aerith since FFVII Advent Children (2005) to FFVII Remake (2020-...) as a real couple. In FFVII 15th Anniversary Stage Event (held around 2012), Cloud's Japanese voice actor, Takahiro Sakurai, teased Suzumura Kenichi that Zack and Aerith are eventually married, referencing Advent Children ending.
 * In FFVII Remake ending, Aerith said "The sky, I hate it." (EN localization: "I miss it, the steel sky"). The phrase is similar to one of her lines in her farewell monologue in FF 30th Anniversary Exhibition with the full sentence is "I hate the sky because it carries away everyone I love." Tetsuya Nomura mentioned it in FFVII Remake Ultimania Book, that it refers to Zack and her mother, Ifalna, as people dear to her taken away by the sky (plausibly as a metaphor of people die and go to heaven). This matches Crisis Core ending, as Zack is showed being picked up to the sky by Angeal, his deceased mentor.
 * The developers revised FFVII: Advent Children with some adjustments of Crisis Core: FFVII become FFVII: Advent Children Complete, released as Director Cut DVD in 2009. Zack's scene is added more to give Cloud's equal guilt as well as Aerith's death as described in ACC Post Card Book that both are his unforgivable sins and the people he could never forget. Aerith's appearance showing her watching Cloud riding motorbike is also removed in credit roll and two new scenes that might imply Zack and Aerith's togetherness in death are added post-credit roll.
 * Aerith's dialogue that mentions she and Zack weren't serious in Final Fantasy VII (1997) is removed in FFVII: Remake (2020), being replaced by her mentioning Zack's name despite in a deep breath and wanting to stare at Cloud's mako eyes that remind her of Zack's eyes. The changes are following how Zack and Aerith's is portrayed in Crisis Core: FFVII (2007).
 * Zack and Aerith were mistranslated as "Zax" and "Aeris" in early material due to the direct romanization of their Japanese name in katakana "Zakkusu" and "Earisu".