Rufus dived behind a desk as a demonic dog ran by. His hair had fallen from its neat position and hung in his face. He leaned his head back against the wood of the desk. He closed his wide eyes and let out an almost silent sigh. It still didn't see him. Maybe it would just leave. He quietly got onto his hands and knees and began to crawl out of the room. He had almost reached the door. The demon stopped, its lips pulling back an exposing its teeth as it growled. Rufus froze, hoping to god it wouldn't see him in the dark. The demon turned around and sniffed the air. It saw him and began to crouch and prepare to pounce. Rufus stood and backed against the wall. He gulped as the demon pounced.

All he heard was a pair of roars and a loud tumbling noise. He opened his eyes. His protection had come. His savior. His dark nation. the two wrestled on the ground, clawing at each other and biting ferociously. He looked on as they got closer and closer to the glass window, "W-Wait!!" he shouted just before they broke through the glass. He ran after them, just barely missing his chance to catch his precious dark nation. They both slipped out of his reach, plummeting down to the darkness below.

Rufus slowly leaned against the wall by the window, panting in shock. Tears just barely grew in his eyes before he realized he needed to leave. He quickly slipped out of the room.

Harmonixer Harmony

Part IV

"How long is this going to go on?!" Elena fired, killing another zombie. Rude said nothing, but swung his leg in a round-house to take off another zombie's head. Elena pushed a zombie back against the wall and pulled a second gun from her holster. She fired them both.

Reno leapt behind the demon and pushed it forward into Tifa. Tifa jumped into the air and swung her leg around, slamming the demon in the jaw. Reno growled as the demon simply got up again, "We're not getting anywhere here!" Tifa had started to get tired. She had already killed so many zombies, and this demon wasn't even getting fatigued. She went back to another zombie and hit it in the throat with her fist, breaking it's neck.

You know what to use, Reno. That demon is from darkness. Reno paused and thought. Darkness is from hell. Light is from heaven. He needed something holy. but the only holy materia had been destroyed wen Aeris died. What could he do? Sometimes holiness needs no magic.

Reno looked back over is shoulder at Elena. She had always been religious, and he remembered the cross that hung around her neck, "Elena! Give me your cross!"

"What?! No!" Elena retorted, "You know my aunt gave me this!" She fired, killing another zombie. Rude charged toward a group of them, spinning and doing a backflip to dodge their attack. He swung his leg out and slammed one as he came down.

"I know!" Reno shouted, pushing a zombie onto a spike of debris with his boot, "But it's the only way to take this fucker out!" The demon swung his arm out hit Reno in the stomach, throwing him into another wall. Elena screamed. She aimed her gun and shot the demon in the head. The demon turned to her, a low growl echoing from it. Reno slowly got up, "Elena!" He shouted, holding his hand out to catch the necklace.

She winced, "Ooh!" she grunted and pulled the necklace off, throwing it to him.

He grabbed the chain of the necklace just as the demon struck again. Reno hit his head against the dry wall and slid down. He slowly got up onto his knees. The demon gave him a dark stare, it's eyes glowing a fierce red. Reno waited for exactly the right moment, narrowing his eyes and focusing. As Tifa pulled a zombie over her shoulder she caught a glimpse of Reno and the demon. Her eyes widened as she saw the last few seconds before Reno leapt into the air and onto the demon's shoulders. Reno pulled his arm ack, the cross held tightly in his fist, "Take this you mother fucker!" He rammed his fist down, breaking the demon's teeth in and forcing the cross down its throat. Reno jumped back and landed by Elena and Rude, "Back up!"

The demon grabbed its own neck, as if it were choking. It crouched down on its knees and gagged, light shining out of its mouth. It arched its back a roared as its skin cracked apart and its eyes burst with blinding white light. as the light hit the zombies they each howled and fell down, dead. The demons possessing their bodies soared into the air, crying for mercy as they fell apart. Reno pulled his arm over his eyes as the demon burst open and disintegrated. Rude held Elena and covered his own eyes, as did Tifa

The dust slowly cleared. Tifa raised her head and looked around, "Is everyone okay?"

Elena looked on in sorrow, "... My cross..." She sighed. Rude straightened his now dust-covered sunglasses silently, standing up straight.

Reno coughed from the dust as he lowered his arm, "We're fine." He felt something burning on his chest. Looking down, he noticed the yellow glow of the jewel on his necklace. It didn't hurt, surprisingly. It just felt like some one had held it in front of an oven for a bit. It was much more of a warmth than a burn. He held the pendant up, looking it over. It slowly stopped glowing and turned a dark gold, "What the...?"

Elena walked up to Reno's side, "I hope you know you'll be paying for that..."

He smirked, "Fine."

Rude approached, straightening out his jacket, "Now it's time you tell us what's going on."

Reno closed his eyes and sighed out his nose, "Alright." he looked around, making sure there were no more monsters, "Tseng did kill me, or at least he did for a while. When I was dead, it didn't feel that way, but it didn't feel like I was dreaming either. I went to a different place."

"Heaven?" Tifa raised an eyebrow.

"No. This place was different. I didn't know where I was, but it was so familiar. It was like it was a part of me. When I was there... I found this." Reno held up the pendant, "It's called the periapt. I don't know what it is, really, but it came back with me when I woke up." He dropped it and let it hang limply, "And when I was fighting those monsters, something, or someone was telling me how to beat them. It felt a whole lot like one of you guys speaking to me... I don't know how to explain it other than that."

Tifa blinked, "Well, I guess we have no choice but to take your word for it. But I'm wondering, how did you break through bullet proof glass and a demon's teeth with your strength alone?"

Reno paused, "Bullet proof glass?"

"Bullet proof." Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"......." Reno looked down, "I have no idea I had done that on my own..."

Rude sighed and closed his eyes, "I see."

Tifa looked over, "Rude! Your arm." she pointed. Rude looked down at the bleeding gash in his arm. Before he could speak, Tifa walked over and pulled a potion from her pocket, "Here." She handed it to him. He blushed as their hands touched. He nodded a bit before taking the potion down.

Before anyone could respond, a scream echoed from down the hall. Elena perked up, "... Mr. Shinra!"

Reno looked over, "Huh? Shit!"

Rude brushed the dust off of his shoulders and began to run in the direction of the scream, followed by Elena. Tifa looked over to Reno, "What now?"

"Look, he might be an ass, but he's still my boss... I think. Let's help." Reno nodded and turned to follow. Tifa nodded back in agreement.

. . .

Rufus fell to the ground and backed against the wall. A large, lizard like demon with rotting flesh leaned down in front of him, slipping it's tail out and just barely licking his cheek. Rufus winced and closed on eye in disgust. Hojo grinned, "I've found a gold mine, haven't I?" He nodded and lifted his arm out, "A holy spirit lies within you."

Rufus blinked as the demon stepped out of the way, "W-What are you talking about?!" Hojo got closer, "What's wrong with you?!"

Hojo's glasses reflected the light from the florescent ceiling lamps, blocking any sight of his eyes, "I have been enlightened to what lies beyond. In the lifestream."

Rufus narrowed his eyes, "... Life... stream?"

"Hell lies there. And it looks as if a familiar face has escaped my grasp and come back to the living." Hojo's voice dropped even deeper, becoming less and less recognizable as his own.

Rufus shook his head, "I don't know what your talking about!" He pressed himself against the wall even more.

Hojo's eye glowed red, shining past the reflection of light, "You don't remember me, do you, Nicolai?"

Rufus' eyes widened as he looked frantically around the room, "What?! Who are you talking to?!"

"Nevermind. It's not something you would possibly know of. That feeble mind of yours isn't even ready to accept your own blood, but my mind has. I have embraced my soul. Standing before you is not just Hojo, but the lord of all demons in hell!" Hojo stepped back and cackled. His skin began to rip apart, exposing black, demonic armor plating. Horns broke out of his skull and jaw, pointing forward like a ram's. Rufus stood up, his eyes wide with shock as the transformation came to a halt.

He's here, Reno. Turn. Reno suddenly turned and rammed his shoulder against the door, breaking it open. Tifa quickly followed in after, followed by Elena and Rude. The Demon stood up straight, looking at Reno.

He stared laughing through his nose, "Another soul seems to have escaped me, Godslayer."

Reno held his hands in tight fists, "Who the fuck are you?!"

"I'm surprised. You don't recognize me, but your blood knows exactly who I am."

Reno sighed and dropped one arm, putting the other on his hip, "Can I just get a straight answer from anyone these days?" He sneered.

The demon laughed, "That answer will come when your blood allows." He held his arm out to a shadowed figure, "Tseng. Follow me." He ordered.

Reno glared to the figure as it came into light. Tseng walked forward, his eyes glowing red, "Yes." He smiled a bit.

The demon looked back to Reno, his wings extending and Tseng approaching his side, "We will meet again. But for now, you may face another fragment of your past. Perhaps it will let your blood remind you who I am." The glass behind them shattered. Tseng took hold of the demon's arm as he backed out of the open window, falling.

Reno ran up to the broken glass, "Tseng!" he yelled as the two flew off and out of sight, "Damn."

"Umm... Reno?" Elena called. Reno looked back. Elena pointed to the portal, now open. Reno slowly walked in front of it getting ready to fight.

Six, long, furry, spider legs grabbed hold of the edges of the gate, along with two nimble, pale hands. The head and torso of a beautiful young woman with long black hair tied in an intricate, decorated bun with a braid was the first to come out, followed by the abdomen and backside of a tarantula. She landed before them, her braid falling over her shoulder and covering one of her bare breasts. Reno blinked and backed up slightly as she rose. Her silver eyes opened as she looked them all over. Without warning, she raised her head and screeched.

Everyone crouched and covered their ears; It was so loud and high pitched it could make their ears bleed. Once it stopped they all looked to the recomposed monster. Reno smirked and held his fists up for battle, "Is that all you got? Let's see some bite instead of your bark." Elena pulled out her gun, Tifa and Rude came into stance, and Rufus pulled his hand held shotgun from its holster, "Bring it on!"