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The final stage of the hero's journey. Features the refusal to return, the magical flight, the rescue from without, the return threshold, master of two worlds, sharing the knowledge, and freedom to live. Cloud's return focuses on the movie sequel, Advent Children.
Return
The refusal to return is the opposite of the one of the first steps, the refusal to the call. After the deaths of Zack and Aeris and defeating Sephiroth Cloud feels that he has no place to return too. He tries to live with Tifa at 7th Heaven but often ends up alone. He later moves to the old church and lives there away from everyone as though he deserves the loneliness. He refuses to try and live a normal and good life, instead choosing solitude as penance.
The magical flight is usually a flight from the journey back into the natural world. Usually this also encompasses the rescue from without in which the hero needs assistance returning to the normal world. For Cloud to return to the "natural world" he must be forgiven, at least as far as he is concerned. While fighting Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz in the Ancient City he is vastly overpowered. Vincent shows up to help him, saves Marlene, and whisks them away to a safe place where they can regroup. There Marlene insists that they go back to everyone and when Cloud refuses has Vincent help convince him. He returns to Edge to assist int he battle with Bahamut Sin and stop the three silver haired brothers.
The return threshold is the last step the hero must take to return to the natural world. For Cloud this is stopping Kadaj. Unable to stop the merger of Kadaj and Jenova, he becomes Sephiroth. Cloud's nightmare takes physical form again and Cloud must defeat him in order to return to a quiet and peaceful life. He is back to the initial goal of stopping Sephiroth and fighting for the life he wants to keep.
As the last surviving SOLDIER, Cloud is the master of two worlds. He has the super-human strength to protect what he loves and holds dear but does not have the desire to fight. He wants things to stay peaceful and silent. He is able to achieve this by putting his memories to rest, insisting that Sephiroth needs to stay there. This accepts both his desire for peace and his acknowledgement that without Sephiroth he would be nothing.
The last two steps of the journey are sharing the knowledge and the freedom to live. Cloud knows that Kadaj is Sephiroth in a way. Although he does not directly state it - Vincent does. Vincent tells the others that Cloud is aware of the fact that Kadaj and Sephiroth are almost the same. He realizes he needs to defeat him for things to return to normal. This knowledge allows Cloud to hold onto the feelings of protecting and peace that he longed for and was able to use to defeat Sephiroth in the first place. As far as Cloud's freedom to live goes, he is freely able to live after he is shot and returns to the lifestream. Aeris and Zack send him back stating he is too old to adopt. After healing from his geostigma and helping the sick children he catches Aeris's spirit tending to the flowers. She walks to the door where Zack is waiting for her. Zack gives Cloud a small wave, while Aeris gives him a smile. This is perhaps their way of saying, "You're free now. Be happy." With a small smile, Cloud is able to join his friends again.
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