A/N: EDITED. Thank you all for your KIND and CONSTRUCTIVE comments. I'm so PLEASED that people in this fandom are so CONSIDERATE. I was SO GLAD to be welcomed with OPEN ARMS. In fact, it got to the point that whenever I saw that this story had received a review, I couldn't WAIT to open it and see what ENCOURAGEMENT and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM my readers had to offer this time. Thank you for MAKING MY DAY.

A genuine thank you to those who gave me more information on how to improve than "AU is no excuse for shitty characterization" or "Go read a fucking gamescript." (Even going back to grab some quotes from the reviews has made my stomach twist up uncomfortably. Thank you EVER SO MUCH.)

Anyhow, I hope this is more satisfactory. Enjoy.

On the table next to my bed is a small picture frame. It's made of some light, cheap wood and decorated with spirals and swirls. (I think Marlene made it when she was really little, because the decorations are in marker.) Behind the glass is a picture. It's a really old picture, and it's seen its share of wear and tear. There are spots where it's been blurred because of all the times I cried on it.

It shows seven people and a giant, red-furred cat. All of them look very happy. In the back, next to the cat, is a giant of a man with chocolate-brown skin and stubby black hair. Next to him is a tall, thin man in a jacket and goggles, leaning on a long spear. Next to him is a man with long black hair draped in a red cloak. A black-haired girl is beside him with a cheerful arm flung around his neck, grinning broadly. In front is a buxom young woman with brown eyes and long black hair. She's holding a little black-and-white cat. Beside her is a rather short man with spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His arm is around another young woman, who has sparkling green eyes and long brown hair.

That's all of us, back in the old days, back when we were all still alive and together, back when we were young and strong.

That cat's Red XIII… or specifically, Nanaki. He's at his home now… it's a long way from here. I hear he's got a mate and some kids… that's good. He always wanted a family, someone to tell all those stories to. Sometimes I'm jealous because he got what he always wanted, and I'm alone now.

The big man is Barret Wallace… he looks tough, but he's a softie inside. He struck big in the oil business, trying to find a replacement for mako power. Last I heard, he'd settled down, made himself a home too, taking care of Marlene. She's all grown up now, of course, and most of the time it's her taking care of him. I don't think he realizes that he's not as strong as he once was. His memory hasn't been so sharp, I hear. I visit him from time to time, but I have to remind him who I am.

This is Cid Highwind, a pilot. He settled down and got a wife… yes, a guy like that actually has a wife. Then again, I always figured that he and Shera would… how would Cid say it?... "get hitched." It's strange how love works. It just shows that however horrible a guy seems, there's always some girl out there who can bring out the best in him. But Cid's been dead for a long time… all those cigarettes were too much for his old lungs. Shera didn't marry again. For all I know, she's all alone every day. I wish Cid were still here to curse the bad days with that colorful tongue of his. Heck, I think Cid would curse the good days… But as much as we'd like him back, we know he's gone, and he's never coming back.

This is Tifa Lockhart, an old friend of mine. She's a lot tougher than she looks, but she just wasn't tough enough. She went back to bartending when it was over, in Edge. Some guy had too much beer and started something. Shot by some slobbering drunk. The last time I ever saw her was about four years before she died. She was grinning like there was no tomorrow and waving at me like we'd see each other again. The next I heard of her was that she was in the hospital, in critical condition.

She's holding Cait Sith. Reeve wasn't there when we took the picture. I think he was busy helping in Edge. I don't really know what he's doing these days. He's the only one who calls from time to time, but he only asks about me. He never says anything about himself. Heck, he could be married and have eight kids and I wouldn't know a thing about it!

This shrimp here is Cloud Strife. That's right, the Cloud Strife, in his glory days. I haven't heard from him in a while. Nobody really knows where he is or how he's doing. He's not even a delivery boy anymore. He just dropped off the face of the Planet. I guess the pressure of being a hero got to him. Even after the incident with Kadaj and his gang, when I thought he'd finally learned to forgive himself. I only hope he's all right, wherever he is.

The girl he's holding is Aeris. She was the heart and soul of our little dysfunctional family. I think after she died nobody could really bear it. Maybe that's why we all went our separate ways, after everything was over. Aeris was almost constantly smiling and laughing, sort of like me. She captured everyone's heart right away. She held us all together through all sorts of arguments. Maybe if she were still alive…

And this is me, and Vincent. He's a bright little ray of sunshine, can't you tell? Don't get me wrong. He's a sweet guy, deep down. I still wish that things could have worked out a little better between us, but he disappeared and never came back. I tracked him as far as the cave where we saw that woman, and then he was gone. But looking at her, I guess I never really stood a chance. Gawky, shrimpy ninja girl; beautiful, intelligent, mature woman. This picture is all I have of him.

There are some days… okay, a lot of days, actually… where I find myself wishing that the war was still going on, terrible as it was, just so we could be together. But that's a selfish wish. Too many people died.

Wherever everyone is right now, whether they're dead, or sick, or just gone somehow, I know that we're always bonded together by the memories we hold of each other.

So Nanaki, Barret, Cid, Tifa, Reeve, Cloud, Aeris… Vincent… I know you're always with me, no matter what the world does to tear us apart.

That's what a team is, and that's what we were… are…