Kingdom Hearts II An explanation?

In KH2 (and 1 if I remember correctly) sora finds Cloud and the others. Among them is Aerith, but isn't she dead?
I haven't played the whole storyline so I don't know much about it, that's why I asked.

 

Its kingdom hearts, the characters just kinda go in, the story dosn't have to be just like final fantasy.

 

The Storyline in Kingdom Hearts is set in an Alternate reality where all of the previous things happening in any Final Fantasy or Disney game/movie are wiped clean and are the events in the Disney games are brought about by the Heartless/Organization XIII

 

Kingdom Hearts is a different universe starring characters from all kinds of games and movies.

Some examples of changes are:

Beast and Belle stayed in the same castle for a year and the last pedal didn't fall yet.
Axel is Reno from FF, playing a different role.
FF7's world was consumed by Heartless "ten years ago."

 

9 years ago <_< Go play again and see for yourself.

 

Ten years ago from the events of KH2.

 

In Kingdom Hearts, the FF characters are cameos that fill spots around the games. Their pasts do not necessarily match up with what happened in their respective FF games. Aerith didn't die in KH. Selphie and Tidus are little kids. Squall/Leon appears to have come from Radiant Gardens. Cid sucks on a toothpick and doesn't cuss and builds gummi ships in his spare time, Setzer is not a gambler but instead playing around at a Struggle Match with kids, Seifer, Fuu and Rai are Twilight Town residents and teens instead of being associated with SeeD. They are placed in the story as cameos to hold some positions and give a nod to the characters. Really, there's not much more to them and so they are just like alternate versions of themselves with different pasts, associations etc.

 

Don't forget YuRiPa! They're little treasure hunting fairies in this one! :)

 

Axel was based on Reno, by appearance and personality and I think they had the same voice-actor, but they are two separate people.

 

'Tis true about Reno and Axel to a degree.
Same voice actor, same personalities, and such,
but Axel was only characterized like Reno.

Aerith isn't dead because it doesn't follow the same plot line.
If she ever does ide,
it will be Sora to kill her....Xd Just kidding...or am I?

Anyway, some needed FF cameos yet to be seen:

Lulu, of FF X because of her affiliations with Wakka.

Rinoa, because of the letter Leon got in the epilouge of KH II.

 

The storyline in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy are different due to them to be different games.
They characters from Final Fantasy are different in Kingdom Hearts then they are in Final Fantasy.

 

*shrug* They used any popular characters they could find...dead or alive.

 

For another Example:
*SPOILER TO FF X TEXTED IN WHITE BELOW
READ AT OWN RISK!!*
Tidus went missing at the end
of FF X, and most likely is dead.
Yet he is but a mere young boy
on Destiny Islands in KH.