Aeris Gainsborough

'''This is not FF7 canon. Well, some of it is. Most of it is not. This is mostly me trying to keep my notes straight. Spoilers abound.'''

Born 1975

Daughter of Ifalna and Faremis Gast, Aeris is the last known Ancient or Cetra. (Technically, she is only half-Cetra.) Her father murdered by Shinra when she was just a baby, and she spent the first seven years of her life inside the Shinra Science Department. When she was seven years old, she and her mother escaped, but her mother died shortly thereafter. Aeris was taken in by childless widow Elmyra Gainsborough. Aeris grew up with Elmyra as a foster mother and called her "mom".

Although she tries to keep her status as a Cetra a secret, it's hard to disguise some of her peculiarities. Also, Shinra is aware of what she is, going as far to place Turk surveillance around her home to keep an eye on her. She is aware of Shinra's plan to use Cetra to guide them to the legendary Promised Land. Even if she were to offer her services to help them, it wouldn't work out. Shinra would not believe her explanation that the Promised Land is not a physical location but another term for the afterlife.

Aeris spends most of her time nurturing a bed of wildflowers that grow in the ruins of an abandoned church in Sector 5. She sells the flowers to supplement her mother's income. Recently her boyfriend, a SOLDIER named Zack, has taken to assisting her in her business venture, going as far as building her a small flower cart. Although she really likes Zack, and her mother seems okay with him, Aeris is happy just to spend time getting to know him.