48 Exposures - Draft 3

[sanctum_c]

Too long for a response to the last draft, so now it must sit separate. Reworked some descriptions and chopped some more unnecessary exposition/dialogue...


Avalanche's annual reunion was scheduled for just two days' time and, as a result, Cloud was currently in the attic of the Seventh Heaven. After a certain amount of reluctance for anyone to actually leave the same day last year, Tifa was ensuring their guests would be comfortable for at least one night. Cloud as usual grumbled slightly; he always eagre to see his friends, but not entirely looking forward to the obligatory moment of explaining to Yuffie that she couldn't live in the bar. No, not even if she promised to get out of the way in the mornings (a promise Cloud would always remind her had been broken the very first time she'd convinced him ninja could stay out from under their feet).

He knocked a cupboard open as he hauled two camp beds out from the corner. Despite only having stood for a few years now, the attic storage space of the Seventh Heaven was a riot of debris, spare glasses, clutters of books, scavenged odds and ends from visits to Midgar. Here too was spare furniture, various seasonal decorations, his old swords carefully wrapped in oil-skin and the odd, really rare beverage that Tifa maintained for the truly special occasions. And in this cupboard was seemingly the few objects they had carried from Midgar to the very top of the world, into the south and by a circuitous, winding route, all the way back to the outskirts of same city. There were four bags here, and Cloud felt an odd swell of excitement build in his belly. That bag was his. It contained only the thick thermal clothes he'd needed in the far North. He'd always disdained mementos; he'd exited Nibelheim at fourteen with nothing save the clothes on his back. The second exodus from a replica of his home town at twenty existed only as fragmented moments in his memory, but he knew full well he had staggered from that place with only a borrowed uniform to his name. That inclination to travel as lightly as possible had continued as he lead the pursuit of Sephiroth, and anything he might have once held for sentimental value had been lost in the collapse of the North Crater. The meagre possessions he'd accrued in the aftermath of Meteorfall were all laid out in his office below and he'd never minded the lack of physical ties to his past. To others a memento of Nibelheim might seem important. As far as he was concerned those days were long gone, and the night his town died was one he still wished he could forget.

This bag was Tifa's. A pair of thick leather gloves tumbled out like some escaping reptile, only to flop lifelessly onto the floor; empty materia sockets gleaming in the dull light. The bag was filled with debris, filled with memories, and for a moment Cloud almost mourned his barren bag. Ticket stubs for the Gold Saucer were mixed with defaced leaflets for Rufus's celebratory march through Junon (Yuffie's distraction on the cargo ship as they sailed between continents had branched out into a pseudo group-bonding exercise) and receipts from a hundred shops scattered throughout the world. He suspected, if he was so inclined, that he could recreate their journey purely from the shops she'd visited. Scraps of desert sand lurked in the linings of the bag and at the very bottom was a pink ribbon. Cloud's heart skipped a beat as he realised what had been left lying up here all this time. It was frayed, aged and one edge was darkly stained but he knew immediately what it had to be. She had kept it; even as he'd been wracked with guilt and concerned only with the now lifeless body of their friend, Tifa had kept this one final memento of Aeris. He carefully withdrew it from the bag and stared at it unsure of what to do with it now. He tucked it away, intending to make a decision later, still curious about the other two bags.

The third bag was Barret's; littered with empty shell cases and one over-looked plush toy. Cloud smiled to see it was a miniature moogle; the toy bore a close resemblance to a certain mechanised entity he'd spent a goodly amount of time in the company of. Wrapped in crinkling paper was folded silk. It puzzled Cloud for a moment before he realised what it was; a kimono, purchased at some expense in Wutai. Too small for Barret, Cloud or even Yuffie. Likely it had been intended for Marlene, aged five. Barret's daughter had grown too quickly to ever make use of the present.

Heart-thudding Cloud pulled the last and least full bag from the shelf. It felt almost empty and Cloud steeled himself for disappointment. It couldn't be hers... could it? It had to be Yuffie's. Maybe Cid's. Cait Sith's? No, he'd never needed or carried a bag... He flipped it open, eyes darting trying to find some evidence, some hint at it's owner. The bag was empty.

Almost.

A black case lay at the bottom containing an inexpensive camera alongside two rolls of film in squat black tubes. He popped both open; one film had been used and wound back to the beginning, the other was untouched. He gingerly looked at the camera itself and found the dial indicated a single exposure left. Hands shaking with excitement he shuffled out of the attic and down to the main bar.

"Cloud? I think I'm going to shut early today. I'm bushed and with the others coming soon..." Tifa trailed off as she saw Cloud staring at the object in his hands. "Cloud? Are you alright?"

He glanced up at her and grinned. "Smile."

"Wha-?" A flare of light washed over her accompanying the click of the shutter. "...okay, I'm confused. What's the occasion?"

Cloud wound the film on, checking it would go no further, and then began to wind it back. "I found this while getting the beds down."

"I'm flattered you wanted another picture of me, but I think we have a better camera somewhere..." She stared at the device in his hands, something surfacing deep within her memories. Something about that particular camera.

Cloud's voice was shaking slightly as he continued. "I found it with our bags; the ones we had when we were hunting Sephiroth."

The camera. There was something vital about that camera. Frustration itched across Tifa's brow. What was it? Cloud extracted the ribbon from his pocket.

"This... this is Aeris' ribbon. I think... I think the camera was too..."

The memory broke open, and Tifa gasped, recalling fractured moments of the grinning Aeris clicking happily away at the landscape, members of Avalanche and anything else that took her fancy. She stretched her hand out towards the blonde man. "Now I remember... she was always taking pictures... I must have forgotten... A-and her ribbon..."

"There's two rolls of used film here, Tifa. We don't have any pictures of her; not even Elmyra has a picture. But..."

"...there might be a picture of her on that film," Tifa completed the thought, her heart fluttering.

Cloud nodded. "Do you think we should see what's on here, or should we let the past be...?"

Tifa gingerly took the ribbon and the camera, studying them both. She remembered her friend's face appearing from behind it as she snapped another picture, only aware that another moment had been caught as she heard the click of the shutter and the ratcheting of the film as Aeris wound it on another position. She remembered being curious about what the flower girl had seen through that view-finder, and that the Cetra would never admit precisely what she had photographed. Some landscapes she could guess at as she'd seen the brunette take the picture, but others... She wanted to know. She needed to know.

"I think we should see them. And I think our friends should see them too."

Cloud smiled and nodded, glad she was as eagre to see the images as he. He carefully took the camera from her hand and extracted the film. "I'm going to try and get these developed in time." Tifa smiled. "Do you think we should have a sneak peak?" he called back over his shoulder as he walked towards the door.

"Depends how long it will take to get them back," replied Tifa. "Actually I think the tension might kill us..."

"This is going to be a surprise," mused Cloud in the doorway. "Not a word to any of them."

"Oh, no," Tifa grinned. "Not a word."


Twenty-four hours had rarely felt so interminable. Cloud had been almost reluctant to leave the exposed film with the chemist, but did finally accept he'd get them back tomorrow. That, and he had absolutely no faith in his own ability to develop the photographs. He could try, but he'd be terrified of ruining the images within; he'd leave it to someone practiced with the process. He distracted himself as much as possible, throwing himself into every activity as thoroughly as he could, just to spur on the passage of time a little more, to hasten tomorrow and the return of the pictures. His over enthusiastic help eventually frustrated Tifa the next morning and she ordered him to take Denzel and Marlene to Sector Five, just to get him out of the way for a while. However, as soon as the door closed, she realised she felt the same way. The sheer potential of the photos was hard to resist, and she was easily as impatient as he.

Cloud waved with a glint in his eye as he came back a few hours later, some rectangular packages clutched in one hand. Tifa felt her heart leap as she saw them. He'd detoured past the chemist's on the way back; it had been earlier then he'd been asked to return but he'd chanced it. Too many hours left. Too many by far. She made a decision, and cleared the bar; gently coaxing regulars out with white lies of preparing for her visitors tomorrow. The bar would be closed for a private gathering for the next three days, but she hoped to see them all again afterwards.

The four of them gathered around a table after the main door was locked, and Cloud carefully explained to both Denzel and Marlene just where the photos he held had come from. Tifa looked at him with a pretense of calm and asked if he hadn't already snuck a look. Cloud replied he'd wanted to, but that this was an experience best shared with them all. He half regretted not waiting one more day, but the temptation was just too great. He lifted the flap on the first set and pulled out the thick stack of printed images. The top one was of Tifa from the picture Cloud had taken just the previous day. The second photo showed a sandstone pyramidal structure surrounded on all sides by forest...


The next day the air was already buzzing inside the Seventh Heaven when Cid trudged through the door muttering something about fuel efficiencies. His face lit up when he saw the rest of Avalanche gathered; Vincent had been found waiting stoically outside the front door that morning, with Yuffie attempting a stealth entry around noon. Which would have (totally) worked this time (dammit) had Tifa and Cloud not decided to re-arrange all the furniture again. Reeve was early this year; he'd nearly missed last year's gathering due to the demands on this time. He'd arrived early afternoon with the increasingly independent Cait Sith perched on a shoulder, just before Barret and Nanaki arrived, the former Avalanche leader gently ribbing the unusually queasy quadruped about the apparently turbulent journey.

Tifa glanced over to Cloud with a smile as she handed Cid a drink and waved him down onto a seat. He nodded back and she cleared her throat. "Welcome, to the third annual 'We helped save the Planet party!'" The bar drowned in cheers as glasses were raised, Denzel and Marlene adding their own voices to the chorus. "And this year... we have a little surprise!"

"You're pregnant!" shouted Yuffie from a table near the door. Cloud flushed.

"No!" said Tifa with a sigh.

"Gotta be marriage then," Cid said flatly.

"Not that either," Cloud put in trying to distract from his embarrassment.

"This is something for all of us," Tifa continued.

"You better not be suggesting an orgy," murmured Yuffie. Barret flicked a peanut towards her as Tifa ignored the comment.

"Okay, I need you to all get into a line... and try to stay sober for this."

"Shit, woman; this is my first drink!" yelled Cid.

"Come on, come on," Tifa clapped her hands and with some grumbling the guests arranged themselves into a tangled line; a grinning Denzel and Marlene at the front.

"I think we're a bit old for party games," Yuffie said as she scrapped her chair across the floor.

"It's not a game. We have some pictures to show you."

"What, holiday snaps? Ah hell, count me out. I'll see you guys next year." Cid moved to get up.

Tifa spoke quickly. "They were taken by Aeris."

The pilot froze and then awkwardly slumped back down. "...ah shit... She had that camera didn't she?"

"She did." The bar was silent then as Tifa spoke. "And we forgot about it. Cloud found it and we thought you'd all like to know what was on it."

Reeve cleared his throat and spoke up. "Having only ever experienced that adventure second hand, I would be delighted to see Aeris' pictures." He was quickly joined with murmurs of assent and Tifa pulled the pack of photos from underneath the bar.

"Couldn't you have them done as slides or on a computer or something?" moaned Yuffie as she stared at the packets.

Tifa ignored Yuffie's grumbling response. "Okay! If anyone has any questions just shout them out. We've had a look through these once already, and we think we know what most of the photos are of, but if anyone's got any comments..."

Tifa slid the first stack of photos from the pack as Cloud walked to the other end of the bar to collect the pictures back up again. She bypassed the first picture of herself and handed the first photo to Denzel, and he to Marlene before she handed it to her father.

They all recognised the Temple of the Ancients; how could it have failed to make an impression? The place all their efforts seemed to count for nothing as Cloud handed the Black Materia to Sephiroth and the first Cait Sith met his end. Cait Sith mark III stared inscrutably at the image as Reeve passed it to him. He had as much of the original's memories as could be transmitted before the implosion, but what Cait Sith really felt about the loss of his predecessor was something Reeve felt oddly reluctant to pry into. The image showed the structure in stark contrast against the grey storm clouds that hung above the small island far out to sea.

The next few photos were all of the Gold Saucer: a view of the complex from high up, flares of fireworks scattered across the scene; then Cloud seemingly back-stage at a theatre staring at a sheet of paper in consternation as a man half dressed as a knight seemed to be speaking to him and gesturing; a view of the Gold Saucer theatre with an attendant excitedly walking towards the camera; and lastly Cloud striding out into the middle of Battle Square. Two required more explanation and all eyes turned to Cloud.

"That first picture is a view from the gondola on Enchantment Night... Aeris wanted to settle her debt for me being her bodyguard when Reno came after her. The deal was for one date and she chose that night. I never noticed her taking the second one... We'd wandered into the theatre, and the guy on the door told us we were the hundredth couple and got to be the leads in that night's show. It... didn't go that well." He bowed his head. "I blew all my lines and forgot all the stage directions. I think Aeris wound up saving the day."

Reeve laughed the loudest at the explanation, commenting he'd witnessed several performances via Cait Sith and could well imagine how easily the short production could be screwed up by a less then willing participant. Cloud flushed a little more as Yuffie teased more and more details of the play from him.

The next three photos pertained to Wutai and there was no confusion over their significance: Yuffie fighting Shake in the central Pagoda as she proved herself to her father; the huge carved forms of the Da Chao statues; and then a high angle view of the capital city. Following these was an image depicting a trio of Turks: Reno, Rude and Elena huddled around a table crowded with bottles, looking up and towards the camera with a mix of suspicion and guilt; and after that Cid crouched on top of the Tiny Bronco as it lay on the beach. He was scowling at a component, cigarette held tight between his teeth, the gloriously blue sea lying behind him. The next picture was assumed to have been taken in the sea just off the coast; an almost nondescript strip of land rising up out of the blue water - someone's arm just caught along the bottom edge of the frame.

Yuffie in particular took an additional moment to stare at these pictures; herself caught mid-movement as she battled and the wonderful views of her home. She murmured that maybe she should visit a little more often than she had been. Everyone chuckled at the Turks' combination of emotions as they looked towards the errant photographer, Reeve commenting they still stuck together like glue.

The next three photos were of Rocket Town: here was Shera pouring a steaming kettle into a tea pot and pushing her glasses back up her nose with her free hand; a view of Cid's house showed the Tiny Bronco parked in the back-garden, the white picket fence and the rows of colourful flowers; another was taken from the outskirts of the town, the rusting form of the Shinra 26 towering high above all of the other buildings. Cid cursed slightly as he stared at the picture of Shera, and asked, nonchalantly, what it would take to get some copies of certain pictures. As mementos naturally; he'd had this trip all around the world and nothing but some scars to show for it. Tifa grinned, and brought eight batches of photos up from beneath the counter, each tied with a red ribbon. Cid swore softly and smiled.

Seven photos traced the path from the Nibel Mountains to the rolling plains that surrounded Rocket Town: a thin strip of mountains could be seen to the right of the first image, showing little other than the rolling green grassland and the wonderfully blue sky - a pleasing contrast to the overcast skies above Mount Nibel in the next photo; the reactor just visible in amongst the twisted outcrops that thrust out from the mountainside. Vincent took a moment to study the photo that followed as it passed along the line. It depicted him stepping from the doorway of the Shinra mansion and blinking in the bright sunlight of Nibelheim.

"The first sun in thirty years..." he murmured as he stared at the image of himself, holding up his clawed hand to keep the sunlight out of his eyes. Cid smirked as he saw the picture, Yuffie just about visible along the left hand edge gawping at their newest party member. The remaining photos were of the town: there was the mountain path that they'd learnt would lead up to the reactor and the place Cloud first defeated Sephiroth; here was the decaying mass of the Shinra mansion with black cloaked figures clustered in front of it. The main gate of Nibelheim framed a view that Aeris must have never suspected she would ever see, capturing the facsimile town in detail. The last of this group of photos showed the vast mountain range through the window of the buggy as they had made their way from Cosmo Canyon.

Nanaki stared at the next picture as Yuffie held it up in front of his good eye. He looked at himself and his grandfather talking at the gates of Cosmo Canyon. Bugenhagen had urged Nanaki to continue travelling now he knew the truth about his father. He thanked Cloud and Tifa once more for providing copies of the photos; he would have otherwise asked for a copy of at least this one. The last picture in the first set was of the New Avalanche as it had been christened; Cloud, Tifa, Nanaki, Cait Sith and Barret were sat around the Cosmo Candle and staring into the flickering flames.

Yuffie had been counting the photos and spoke up. "I thought there were twenty-four photos to a roll?"

"There are. But I had to use the last one up before I could get the rest developed," Cloud replied.

"Oh...? And just what did you take a picture of...? Wait, what came before the Temple then?"

Cloud looked a little flustered. "Oh... just a picture of... Tifa..."

Yuffie smirked. "Way to go Cloud! Getting kinkier in the bedroom are we?"

A bread roll bounced off her head. "It's just a picture of me here," said Tifa with a sigh, holding up the missing photo. "I just didn't think anyone would want to see it." She passed it along the line, Yuffie rolling her eyes at Tifa's expression of surprise.

"Hey... we've gone through one entire roll of film and there's not one picture of Aeris. Don't tell me she got everyone on film except herself?" The ninja spoke up again as Cloud carefully put the first set of pictures back into their folder and carried them to the bar.

"There's one picture of her..." he replied.

"Just one?" asked Reeve concerned. Tifa nodded.

"She was too busy taking the pictures to remind herself of the trip - she never meant for us to be using them to reminisce about her..." replied Tifa with a sad note in her voice.

"But there is one, right?" rumbled Barret.

"Yup!" Tifa grinned wider then he would have expected for the answer.

"So when is it?" asked Yuffie.

"Last picture in the set. The first taken," Cloud replied as he walked back to his position at the end of the line.

"Aw, so we have to wait through all of these to see her again? I mean, I remember what she looked like, but it's just nice... y'know. It's a good picture right? It's not blurry or anything is it?"

Cloud allowed himself a smile. "You'll see Yuffie. Patience."

The girl from Wutai let out an exasperated sigh and looked further up the line as the next images were passed from friend to friend. Aeris had changed film within Cosmo Canyon and the next three images were also Nanaki's home; the view from outside Bugenhagen's observatory and the sprawling settlement spread out below followed by it's twin showing the view up to the observatory from the canyon floor. The final image was of deep red rock from the window of the buggy.

The immediate next image had taken Cloud and Tifa some time to place, or even realise the significance of. It had been taken in Gongaga; the style of the huts in the next photo and the exploded Mako reactor in the one after that had made the location unambiguous. But why photograph that house in the village? It had been taken in the evening, the scene lit with reddening light as dusk fell, likely while the rest of their party was resting in the town's only inn. Cloud at last had realised; it was Zack's parent's house. The Seventh Heaven had fallen silent on both occasions as he explained the image, everyone slightly uncomfortable at the mention of the man so few of them had met, who had painstakingly dragged Cloud with him to Midgar and as a result begun the chain of events that would ultimately draw them all together. Cloud related that shortly after the Strife Delivery Service began operations, he had been able to psyche himself up sufficiently to deliver some long suspected but never confirmed bad news to two parents in Gongaga. Tifa cleared her throat as Cloud finished and proposed a sombre toast to the absent Zack Fair. Glasses were raised with accompanying voices.

The next photo provoked more amusement from the gathered members of Avalanche. Cloud was sat staring forward through the windshield of the buggy as Yuffie seemed to be bouncing in the passenger seat. Nanaki was slumped across two seats in the back, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Tifa had been caught in a half turn towards the buggy as Cait Sith stared up at her. "Shit, you were driving around in one of those things?" muttered Cid. "Pile o'crap."

"It wasn't our choice of vehicle," retorted Tifa. "Dio gave it to us after Cloud won the Chocobo race."

"Can't see it getting more then a few hundred miles before keeling over. Definitely had yourself a lemon there..."

"To be fair to it, it did last until it broke down almost on my doorstep," put in Nanaki.

"And it was better than walking. And it could go overland unlike the Tiny Bronco..." Tifa smirked as she spoke.

Cid scowled. "Now that's a step too far. The Bronco was still plenty useful. I didn't hear you complaining when you used it to get us out of Rocket Town!"

Tifa just laughed and told him they'd abandoned the vehicle outside Nibelheim.

There was a run of photos that related to the Gold Saucer and Corel Prison now; a complete stranger with dirty blonde hair and a manic grin was centred in one shot, Yuffie, Nanaki and Cait Sith behind him and just visible in the distance the retreating forms of Cloud, Barret and Tifa as they strode out into the blistering heat of the Corel desert. Barret passed the photo on without comment, and Yuffie spoke up clarifying that the mystery man was a nuisance inmate who had taken to following them around. No one wanted to press the issue of what was depicted in the background; Barret gone to confront his past and fight with Dyne. The next image was also taken in the desert and showed the ramshackle collection of buildings that clustered against the support column of the Gold Saucer as if trying desperately to stay in the shade thrown by the towering structure.

Cait Sith stared again fascinated at the next photo; Cait Sith mark I was beckoning Cloud over to read his fortune. Reeve smiled as he saw it and mentioned that he had been controlling the robot directly for that little encounter, though could not explain the three fortunes Cait Sith had produced for Cloud. There were two more photos of the entertainment complex in quick succession; a view from the lowest level of the park up towards the towering spire, the gondolas visible suspended high up above the park and then a slightly blurred picture of the cable car's arrival as they approached the station.

Barret paused longer at the next two images; the first showed the North Corel cable car stop for the Gold Saucer, the rest of Avalanche clustered around a decidedly unhappy Barret after his confrontation with the former denizens. The immediate preceding moments of that same confrontation had been caught by the next image; the view was skewed, depicting the scene at an awkward angle, and with a slight blur as if the camera was moving as the shutter closed. Barret was visible on the right hand edge as angry people strode towards him, the ruined remains of North Corel visible beyond them. The former coal miner cleared his throat and mentioned that the town was still doing well; he liked to visit whenever possible. The next three images were of the Corel mountains: the Gold Saucer clearly visible in the sky ahead; a nest of chocobo chicks; and then the mountains themselves. Marlene had adored the picture of the tiny chicks huddled in the nest, looking nervously up at the photographer. The collection of photos was rapidly thinning when Tifa passed along the photo of Cloud sat by a campfire, staring into space. Tifa herself was pushing open the flap of her tent, and in the gloom beyond the swordsman they could just about see Barret waving with his good hand.

"Six photos left," murmured Yuffie.

The final group of photos all related to Costa del Sol. Tifa explained that this was where Aeris had picked the camera up; while they bought swimsuits the flower girl had noticed a display of them in the shop and had delightedly added one to her purchases. The first image was unexpectedly embarrassing; the group sharing a room at the Costa del Sol inn, all sound asleep. Tifa was edged to the right-hand side of the single bed she'd been sharing with Aeris, and in the next bed over was the space encompassing form of Yuffie. The two friends had wound up sharing a bed to allow Cloud to sleep in an actual bed for a change. Barret was on the floor, dressed in his sailor suit and leaning against the far wall, while Nanaki had curled up at the end of Aeris and Tifa's bed.

"I'd forgotten you actually used that as sleep-wear in the end," Cloud commented almost laughing.

"Shut it," growled Barret. "It was comfortable. Don't go bringing up marshmallows again."

To Yuffie's embarrassment there was an additional photo of her asleep; arms and legs hanging over the sides of the bed and as a result taking three times as much space as any of the other sleepers. She also seemed to be snoring. The ninja scowled, threatening to sneak the picture out of everyone else's sets until Tifa piped up and noted it was already too late as they'd had extra copies of that one printed and kept in several safe locations. Yuffie slumped back grumbling that she was sure she could still find them all. Barret made a similar, though gruffer, threat when he found the next picture was close up of him asleep in his sailor uniform.

Three photos now. Cloud was captured listening to a suited man whom had tried very eagerly to sell the swordsman the huge villa that overlooked the beach. The picture had caught the blonde man looking confusedly as the man gestured back towards the structure. The penultimate picture was Yuffie working part-time in the little beach shop. It seemed so incongruous to how they normally perceived the ninja girl; she was smiling and happily pushing something into a bag when the camera caught her. A more suspicious eye might have noted the crumpled money just visible sticking out of her hip pocket. Yuffie insisted that it had been her pay, and that any rumours about her after she quit were exaggerated.

Tifa sighed slightly, her face lightly flushed as she regarded the last photo in the set. She couldn't hold it back now; certainly not when this was the only one of the flower girl. She passed it along, each member falling silent as they regarded it before smiling or laughing slightly.

"This truly is the only picture?" Reeve asked.

Tifa sighed. "Yep. By this stage I think we're just grateful to have one..."

Cloud claimed the photo at the end of the line and took the set back to the bar as Denzel and Marlene distributed the individual bundles of photos to everyone present. With a renewed toast to Aeris Gainsborough, Avalanche carried on with their annual celebration.


"Here we are," said Cloud as he powered Fenrir off. He and Tifa had made a special trip to visit Elmyra Gainsborough in Kalm later that week. They'd always extended her the invitation to attend their gatherings, but she had always politely declined, never wanting to intrude in the close knit group's affairs. Cloud tried to see her more then once a year when she sent bouquets of flowers to the Forgotten City, but between the delivery business and spending time with Tifa and the kids there were simply not enough hours in the day. This would be the first visit in quite a while. Tifa clutched the carefully wrapped present against her chest and hoped that Elmyra would like their unexpected gift.

Aeris' adoptive mother answered the door moments after Cloud had knocked and bid them both come inside, pleased as always to see them.

"Tifa! It's good to see you again. It's been quite a while now... I think the last time was just after Meteorfall?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I would loved to have visited more often..."

Elmyra shushed her and waved them both towards the sofa. "No need to apologise; you've got your hands full with Denzel, Marlene, the bar and him." She gestured to Cloud who played at being offended. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Cloud cleared his throat. "We found... a camera that used to belong to Aeris. It had some used film that we had developed." He put out a hand as Elmyra's hands rushed to cover her mouth. "There was one picture of Aeris."

"We brought a copy of it for you," said Tifa holding out the present with both hands. Elmyra's hands shook as she took the package and then with shocked calm she pulled at the tape holding it closed and slid out the plain white box within. She pulled the lid off, eyes widening as she took in the contents before her lips curled into a smile and she began laughing. Cloud and Tifa couldn't help but smile, remembering how they and their friends reacted to the image. But at some point Elmyra's laughter turned to tears, and now she was crying, staring down at the only image of her lost daughter. "Of course," she whispered. "Of course this would be the only picture of her."

The visitors hurried over to comfort their friend's mother. "It's okay, it's okay," she murmured, before taking a deep breath and smiling. "Thank you," she said, drying her tears. "Thank you for this."

Tifa felt she had to say something. "We're sorry... that this is the only one..."

Elmyra shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I didn't think there were any pictures of her at all, so even just this is more then I could ever hope for. And look how happy she is..." Her fingers stroked down the glass over her daughter's face before she rose and proudly placed the frame so it could be seen prominently within the room.


No matter who visited, Elmyra never hid the picture of Aeris Gainsborough. The intricate silver frame always remained on display surrounding a picture of two girls in bright sunlight. An observant person would have realised the image was taken in Costa del Sol and might have wondered who the photographer was. Tifa didn't know, and if Aeris had ever asked she took that little detail back to the Planet with her. The flower girl stood on the left of the picture, her face lit up with a brilliant smile, the edges of her pink ribbon just visible on either side of her head. Her right hand was held up in a 'v' to the camera, while her left was around the waist of Tifa. The martial artist's right arm was in turn around Aeris' waist and her left hand was held up in a similar 'v'. Her smile wasn't quite as dazzling, but her gentle eyes were intoxicating as she gazed out of the photo. The photo itself was of both girls in their new bikinis; purchased at the same time as the camera that had captured this singular moment of the last Cetra.