7th Heaven (Edge)



The 7th Heaven is a bar and restaurant owned and run by Tifa Lockhart in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII; serving as a home base for many of the games' main characters, specifically Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children onwards.

The bar has had two locations. The original bar, located in Midgar slums' Sector 7, is destroyed along with the rest of the sector. It was rebuilt in the city of Edge after the fall of Meteor.

On the Way to a Smile
After visiting many places in an attempt to continue their lives after Meteorfall, Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife and Barret Wallace returned to Midgar where they spent their time helping those still living within the ruined city. After creating a fermented alcohole, which he had learned how to make from his time in Corel, Barret developed the idea of creating a business selling the liquor; with the intention of helping the people of Midgar "unwind" from the stress presently facing the populace.

Deciding to build a bar much like the one AVALANCHE had operated from before Meteorfall, the three, with the help of those they had helped previously, began transporting the necessary materials from Midgar to build the bar in the newly developing city called Edge. While Barret and Cloud oversaw and assisted in the building, Tifa learned how to make the alcohol and developed the bar's menu. When it came time to deciding a name for the bar, Cloud's suggestions were considered too boring while Barret's made them think of monsters. While Tifa couldn't think of a name, Marlene suggested the name of the old AVALANCHE bar, 7th Heaven; as it reminded her of the fun times before Meteorfall and Sephiroth.

The first day of 7th Heaven's opening was a great success. While Barret acted as the bar's pseudo bouncer, Cloud's job was to acquire provisions and wine for the bar's inventory inspite of his lack of experience with civilian life. A week later, Barret left to "settle his past", leaving Marlene in Tifa's care. Several months later, Cloud, after acquiring a new motorbike to aide in his supply runs (having previously having to resort to renting a bike or truck, or sometimes a Chocobo), began developing the Strife Delivery Service to pay for his board and keep at the bar.

Following their adoption of Denzel, who had contracted Geostigma and had been found by Cloud near the Sector 5 Church, the number of customers at the bar deteriorated due to fear of the boy's illness.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-
After the events surrounding the emergence of Deepground, the Tsviet Shelke also seems to have been taken in by Tifa and Cloud and resides at the bar after Deepground's defeat.

Layout
Like in the previous bar, this 7th Heaven has a bar and customer eating area, but has more up-to-date furnishings than its predecessor and various framed pictures on the walls of various locations on the Planet. Behind the bar, Tifa has various crockery and food on display.
 * Bar and Restaurant:

Initially Cloud's living quarters, located across from Marlene and Denzel's room on the second floor, where he keeps souvenirs of his travels (including photos on the wall) and spare equipment (like spare tires for the Fenrir). The room is left barren after he leaves to live alone in Aerith's church. The business number for Cloud's delivery business links to a phone located in his room.
 * Cloud's Room:

Located on the second floor across from Cloud’s room, Marlene and Denzel's room is filled with portraits and pictures of various locations and people, some of which were drawn by Marlene and Denzel themselves. The room's windows look out over the bar's entrance to an angel statue across the street.
 * Marlene and Denzel's Room:

Etymology
The number seven occurs numerous times in Final Fantasy VII as an allusion; e.g. AVALANCHE is based on Sector 7, Shinra Headquarters has 70 floors, there is a status called All Lucky 7s; the bar 7th Heaven follows with the other allusions to the number. itself is a part of religious cosmology found in many major religions, such as Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. The number 7 in Biblical references symbolically represented perfect completion. The number also has a significance in Quranic numerology. According to Jewish teachings in the Talmud, the universe is made of seven heavens, the seventh heaven being where ofanim, the seraphim, and the hayyoth and the throne of the Lord are located.

Trivia



 * The 7th Heaven concept art appears framed on a wall in Denzel and Marlene's room.
 * Since Advent Children's appearance in the Venice Film Festival, some of the pictures shown on the bar wall have been altered as shown in the film's DVD release.
 * Concept art and promotional material for the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII appear as some of the framed pictures in the bar and its various rooms.
 * The document pinned on a wall in 7th Heaven in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has a picture of the North American cover art of Final Fantasy VII.
 * Tifa's most powerful exclusive weapon, "Seventh Heaven", in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, is named after the bar.