 After a failed attempt to foil Sephiroth 's theft of the Black Materia , Aerith ventures alone into the Forgotten City . Cloud and his companions give chase , eventually finding her praying at an altar . As Aerith looks up to smile at Cloud , Sephiroth appears and kills her by impaling her through the torso . Cloud carries Aerith 's body out into a lake in the Forgotten City , and releases her back to the Planet . Reeve Tuesti , the head of Shinra Urban and Development , brings the news of her death to Elmyra Gainsborough , Aerith 's adoptive mother . The party later learns the reason for Aerith being in the Forgotten City ; through her White Materia , Aerith was able to summon Holy , the only force capable of repelling the ultimate destructive magic , Meteor , which has been summoned by Sephiroth . Although Aerith successfully cast Holy before her death , it is held back by the power of Sephiroth 's will . When Sephiroth is finally defeated and Holy is released , it appears that it is too late to function as effectively as it should , as Meteor has already come too near to the Planet 's surface . While Holy clashes with Meteor , attempting to prevent its impact , the gravity of both Meteor and the Planet pulling on Holy in opposite directions weakens it . Aerith is seen praying with both hands interlocked whilst urging the lifestream to ultimately defend the planet . The Planet 's Lifestream then flows forth , intervening between Holy and Meteor , and acting as a battering ram while aiding in the destruction of Meteor . 
 After a failed attempt to foil Sephiroth <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>theft of the Black Materia , Aerith ventures alone into the Forgotten City . Cloud and his companions give chase , eventually finding her praying at an altar . As Aerith <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>looks</mark></a> up to smile at Cloud , Sephiroth <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>appears</mark></a> and <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>kills</mark></a> her by impaling her through the torso . Cloud <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>carries</mark></a> Aerith <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>body out into a lake in the Forgotten City , and <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>releases</mark></a> her back to the Planet . Reeve Tuesti , the head of Shinra Urban and Development , <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>brings</mark></a> the news of her death to Elmyra Gainsborough , Aerith <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>adoptive mother . The party later <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>learns</mark></a> the reason for Aerith being in the Forgotten City ; through her White Materia , Aerith was able to summon Holy , the only force capable of repelling the ultimate destructive magic , Meteor , which <a href='been_done' title='11'><mark>has</mark></a> been summoned by Sephiroth . Although Aerith successfully cast Holy before her death , it is held back by the power of Sephiroth <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>will . When Sephiroth is finally defeated and Holy is released , it <a href='uninflect' title='13'><mark>appears</mark></a> that it is too late to function as effectively as it should , as Meteor <a href='been_done' title='14'><mark>has</mark></a> already come too near to the Planet <a href='null_genetive' title='15'><mark>'s</mark></a>surface . While Holy clashes with Meteor , attempting to prevent its impact , the gravity of both Meteor and the Planet pulling on Holy in opposite directions <a href='uninflect' title='16'><mark>weakens</mark></a> it . Aerith is seen praying with both hands interlocked whilst urging the lifestream to ultimately defend the planet . The Planet <a href='null_genetive' title='17'><mark>'s</mark></a>Lifestream then <a href='uninflect' title='18'><mark>flows</mark></a> forth , intervening between Holy and Meteor , and acting as a battering ram while aiding in the destruction of Meteor . 
After a failed attempt to foil Sephiroth  theft of the Black Materia , Aerith ventures alone into the Forgotten City . Cloud and his companions give chase , eventually finding her praying at an altar . As Aerith look up to smile at Cloud , Sephiroth appear and kill her by impaling her through the torso . Cloud carry Aerith  body out into a lake in the Forgotten City , and release her bck to da Planet . Reeve Tuesti , tdahead of Shinra Urban and Development , bring the news of her death to Elmyra Gainsborough , Aerith  adoptive mother . Thdaarty later learn the reason for Aerith bein in the Forgotten City ; through her White Materia , Aerith was able to summon Holy , the only force capable of repelling the ultimate destructive magic , Meteor , which done been summoned by Sephiroth . Although Aerith successfully cast Holy b4 her death , it is held back by the power of Sephiroth  gon . When Sephiroth is finally defeated and Holy is released , it appear that it is too late to function as effectively as it should , as Meteor done already cum too near to thedaanet  surface . While Holy clashes w Meteor , attempting to prevent its impact , the davity of both Meteor and the Planet pulling on Holy in opposite directions weaken it . Aerith is seen praying witwitth hands interlocked whilst urging the lifestream to ultimately defend the planet . The Planet  Lifestream then flow forth , intervening between Holy and Meteor , and acting as a battering ram while aiding in the destruction of Meteor .