It took her very little time to fight her way out of the headquarters of Underground, rushing through the remains of Midgar and looking to the sky to find herself witness to something she never hoped to see.

Her father was heading for that creature, as it began to lift the lifestream out of the planet with it, never knowing what lay at its heart. She fell to her knees, whimpering faintly, shaking her head as she knew that nearing Omega would only hasten her sister's forthcoming death.

It was here that the others found her, but she would not turn her gaze from the battle, trembling violently every time a blow was struck on either side.

"Sanura, what's wrong?" Tseng questioned, sensing her tension as something far more than trauma from her capture. Reno glared at him, Sanura cradled against his chest. "Vincent will be fine – don't worry. And we haven't seen Seraphina since you were taken."

"...that's because she was never here – not even then." Sanura whispered, one hand lifting to point to the glowing form of Omega. "...She is Jenova. ...and they are Omega's heart."

The group of seven became much more grave, Rude and Tseng looking up to the battle in equal horror, while Tifa covered her mouth with one hand, tears filling her eyes. Marlene, standing beside her father, was the only one of the group who looked unfrightened, merely watching what was happening above.

"...she'll make it." Marlene said quietly. "I know she will."

"Oh, Marlene..." Tifa whispered, moving to hug the girl, recalling how often the girl spoke of The Lady after the incident the previous year. Marlene almost idolized the woman, and now she was so certain that nothing would happen to her.

As the battle ended at last, Vincent clearly the victor as the lifestream settled back into the planet, there was silence among the group, waiting for him to come out of the city and say something snarky or random as he usually did.

Two hours later, much to Sanura's hysterical protests, they returned home without him. Tifa was beginning to worry when, even a week later, Sanura kept vigil by the window, waiting for her father to return.

"...Sanura..."

"He's not dead, Cloud." The girl snapped, starting to tremble. "They can't both be dead..."

"Come home, 'Nura..." Reno coaxed, his arms sliding around her trembling form. "Killing yourself waiting isn't going to bring him back any faster."

"I'm not leaving this apartment until Father comes home!" She snapped at the group who had come, as every day, to try and convince her to leave. "I have to make sure he's okay!"

As every day before, they left unsuccessful.

Finally, nearly four weeks after the battle, the door creaked open an hour after they had tried that day, and Sanura whipped her head around in surprise – to watch her much bedraggled father step through the door as though the entire incident had never happened.

Of course, this air of normalacy was utterly destroyed as Sanura flung herself into his arms with a wail, knocking him back into the closed door behind him, a puzzled look on his face. It was some hours later before she had settled into quiet tears, and he felt it was safe to question this strange reaction.

"...Sanura, what's wrong?"

"...I was so worried...if I'd lost you too..." She whispered, letting out a faint whimper as she lay against the man's legs while he sat in the chair above her. "...you're all I have left..."

"Seraphina is still out there somewhere – we never found her when we were trying to save you, Sanura." Vincent soothed, patting the girl's shoulder – only to stare as she only started crying harder. How the hell did she still have tears left? "Sanura -"

"I tried to tell you." Shelk's voice was quiet from the doorway, looking at the girl with something not unlike sympathy. "...the reason you couldn't touch the Tainted One was because she was never really there, Vincent."

"What do you mean?" His voice hardened immediately, eyes narrowing at the petite creature in the door. "You never did explain that to begin with."

"...that is because you rushed off before I had the chance. You see, Vincent, the Tainted One was at the heart of Omega all along."

For the first and, she hoped last, time in her life, Shelk watched a man break. As his good hand moved to cover his face, she turned away and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her quietly.

The two of them needed to mourn, she knew – and she would be damned if she was going to let those irritating fools they called friends interrupt before either of them were ready to handle it.

"...I wish I could have helped you fight her, Seraphina..."