It was the sound of an explosion that woke her, bringing her to her feet with a silent cry in her mind, but unable to voice it for the fear that choked her. The knowledge that her beloved little brothers were all dead...despite how she tried to save them. It was this sadness that startled her – she had not felt such pain in so long...had not felt such honest love for anything in ages...she glanced up as another drop of water hit her, and blinked.
She knew this feeling...this perfect peace...this perfect...balance. It was the same feeling that came over her when she was immersed in pure makou – but how could that be?
"Seraphina...?" The whisper came from her left, and she turned to find her sister, along with Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena, and a man in a wheelchair. Though more tears came, she had to smile a little at the knowledge that her family – some of it – yet lived.
With no other choice, she began walking towards them, one of Yazoo's coats dragging along the ground as she moved – blinking, and glancing down, she realized that they must have brought her here...to safety...and then she remembered how they had cried at seeing her in pain. The thought made her freeze in her steps, tears falling faster now as her hands clenched. They were dead. She knew they were both dead...and now, more than ever, she felt alone...
"Seraphina! It is you!" Sanura rushed to her, throwing her arms around her. Seraphina couldn't react except to let one hand rise, and pat her twin gently on the back. As Tseng and Rude stepped forward, they froze as the woman began to shake her head.
"...If you ever see me again..." She whispered as she pulled herself away from her sister and began stepping past her, only to pause and look directly at Tseng. "Run. I may still be a threat...but I cannot go to death without saying all my goodbyes. ...and until the day I die...I will remain a threat. To all of you."
As she continued walking, she was forced to stop as the man in the wheelchair caught her hand and stood, throwing the sheet off himself.
"It is you, Seraphina." That voice snapped her back to memories that came from before Genesis kidnapped her and set all this in motion, memories of joy even in utter agony. Her gaze shifted down to the hand that wrapped around her own, before she turned to face the man himself, her eyes raising.
"...I..." The conflict in her mind stilled for a moment as she gazed into his deep blue eyes, but before she could say anything, he pulled her close and bent his head to kiss her. For that moment, all the pain in her heart disappeared, and she found herself feeling content.
The moment was short, however, as she began to shake her head, ripping free of his hold only to find herself held at arm's length, as he tightened his hold on her hand. She stood for a moment, before she opened her eyes to meet his again.
"...Stay here, Seraphina..." He whispered, eyes intent on her own. "Stay here with me...please, Seraphina..."
"I cannot..." It was in a voice choked by sorrow that she replied, shaking her head as the tears began to fall once more. "I must see this through to the end..."
"...come back to me..." His voice broke as she jerked her hand free and walked away. Sanura watched, crying as well, as her sister simply walked to the end of the path, then turned and disappeared once again. Though she would have stared at the last spot her sister's back had been, she was ripped out of her own thoughts as the Turks leapt past her – but not in time to catch Rufus before he fell to his knees on the ground.
"You knew her...didn't you..." She whispered, staring at the man as his body began to tremble slightly.
"...I did." He whispered, his fists clenching slightly. "I knew her while she was in Midgar...in the hospital...dying."
"That's why you were so worried...you knew about the weakness... You found out, when I told Tseng, that she was perfectly healthy in the makou capsule in Nibelheim..."
"Very good deduction." His voice was almost a growl. "...if she had only stayed..."
"I think..." Sanura whispered, pausing a moment, before nodding. "I think...she's looking for Genesis..."
"He's the one that started all this!" Tseng roared, rounding toward the alley corner around which Seraphina had disappeared. "If not for him, none of this ever would have happened! Sephiroth might have remained sane! Seraphina wouldn't have..."
"...she loves him, Tseng!" As Sanura snapped this at the man, Rufus felt his world simply...stop functioning. "She's loved him from the day she lay eyes on him! Of course she wants to find him!"
Though Tseng turned to continue his argument with the girl, he was forced to postpone his anger as he dove forward to catch Rufus – but not quickly enough, as the man simply fell face first to the ground, unmoving.
"Boss!" Reno yelped, rushing forward to help Tseng get Rufus back into the wheelchair, which Rude held patiently. While Elena, Reno, and Sanura watched, Rude wheeled the man away, Tseng walking beside the chair – there was only a momentary pause as the two turned the corner, and Rude glanced back to Sanura with a hurt look on his face.
"...what did I say?" Sanura whispered, turning to Reno and Elena in confusion.
"You had to remind him, didn't you...?" Elena whispered, tears in her eyes. "Sanura...Rufus has been in love with Seraphina...he's spent years looking for her...hoping...waiting... And...you had to say she left to find Genesis?"
"Well...she might have...she did say something about goodbyes..."
"...and she also said something about 'seeing it through to the end'..." Reno murmured thoughtfully, glancing over to Sanura. "...what did she mean by that?"
"...I think...she's gone the way of the other three..."
"Other three?" Elena now looked equally confused, only to blink Sanura nodded with tear-filled eyes.
"...yes...and I would rather tell Rufus she's looking for Genesis...than becoming like them... Like Genesis...like Angeal..." She moved to cling to her boyfriend, whimpering the last name on the list. "...like Sephiroth..."