Might as well keep all the FFVI talk in another thread or a PM.

I'll just give some of my opinions, and I did read your first post, but not all the others.

Aeris' death happened for a reason, and if it was other way, I wouldn't like the game as much as I do. Sure I was sad when I first played through it because I hadn't been spoiled, but it must be done. I think Aeris knew her time was up, maybe even since the beginning if you recall the opening movie, but that's just mere speculation.

Aeris' death was for many reasons. I like some of your theories, and I agree with them. At that moment in the story, the game had truly claimed Sephiroth as the real and main villain in the game, other than your recurrent run-ins with ShinRa-Corp Employees and the such. Aeris dying to save the planet and all that stuff, yes I could go with that as possibly it was the only way her Holy Materia to be activated for later, as she said she didn't know how to use it and it was useless at Sector 5 with Cloud. The game I believe was also at a point were things were building up, and something big had to happen, and it did and whether some gamers like it or not, it fitted well, and gave the player reason to continue on with the game in pursuit of Sephiroth.

Perhaps, a reason, besides others already given in this thread, she seemed prepared for her death, even though she seemed to love Cloud, was that she did not want to see the pain and suffering if Cloud were to have to come to a decision between her or Tifa. Tifa and her were friends, she may not have wanted that jealousy to happen, so she was being selfless, but I don't know. Just thoughts in my head.

As for the Cait Sith-Aeris relations. I think that Cait Sith's first fall could have been a bit of foreshadowing. The Temple of the Ancients sure left an eerie feeling on me playing through it and until the end, and I'm sure on other gamers too. Something was going to happen, and when Cait Sith sort of had an epiphany or inspirational moment as actually doing something for the group, it could have foreshadowed feelings Aeris might have had when she died. Though the controller of Cait Sith never dies, and another comes back, you could make a few connections there.

I believe the Jenova Cells within Cloud had something to do with it, but I don't believe that was all the significance of it. Cloud was going through a struggle during this time to actually find himself, and its more illustrated on Disc 2. Possibly the pursuit of Sephiroth during Disc 1 and the beginning of Disc 2 could be related to strictly Jenova Cells. After Cloud's Mako Poisoning, and struggle to find himself in the lifestream, he finds himself finally, and comes up with real reasons for what he's fighting for.

That's all I could spruce up from my brain for now, but it was fun. Nice thread Calt, I always love a good FF7 discussion.