((I told you I'd do the WHOLE DIVINE COMEDY! I want to say 'I told you so'…but I don't want to be mean. Anyway, please read and review Maiko's Inferno…PLEASE! And for those of you who are reading this and don't know how this little gaggle got onto a cruise ship, don't be lazy and READ MAIKO'S INFERNO! That is all….for now. But, other than that, read and review Part 1 and Part 2 of this lovely Divine Comedy parody~. The original Divine Comedy, however, I don't own….*sobs*))

I, as well as Hades, Demi, Matt, Hermes, and Suki woke up from a dreamless slumber only to hear people singing heavenly hymns in Latin, "In exitu Israel de Aegypto…" The song echoed in my ears, even as I tried to move to my still-slightly-sleepy shinigami guide, Demi; "What's happening? And who are those people on the port side of the ship?" I asked, shaking her awake. Seeing that she refused to answer, Matt filled in for her, "They are the souls that are neither damned nor blessed; they need to be cleansed of their sins before ascending to Heaven. Speaking of which, Suki did mention something about the Mount of Purgatory having seven terraces. Oddly enough, she was right; each terrace relates to each sin." He explained. "What sins?" "The Seven Cardinal Vices: Pride and Vanity, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and finally Lust; the terraces are made up in that order, Young Miss." Said Hades, now finished with Tale of Two Cities and moved on to The Hunchback of Notre-Dame without looking up from the book.

Hermes, however, was stumbling toward us wearing his winged cap backwards (as well as his clothes) and with some hangover medicine in his hand. "Wow~, that was something of a party last night~. Dionysus* needs to come to Earth more often~." He happily slurred, hiccupping between words as he leaned on Suki, his breath reeking of cocktails. "Not again…" Hades muttered to himself as he reached into one of his pants pockets, fished out a small leather satchel, pulled out a pinch of light blue powder and blew it into his nephew's face. In less than four seconds, Hermes was back to himself before the 'party': sleepy. "Thanks, Uncle Hades…Are we at Purgatory yet?" He asked, now standing up with a slouch as Matt answered, "Take a look in the distance and you'll get your answer."

What we all saw, as we were leaning out over one of the railings of the ship, was an island with a large mountain crowning it. There was one thing my 'guides' forgot to mention: a ring of flame on the Seventh Terrace. As I pointed this out to Demi, she simply answered, "Oh, that's just the way The Lustful souls are purged." By having themselves being burnt to ashes? With the combination of the souls singing in Latin, the clamor on the ship, and the cruise ship's foghorn sounding, I did something I hadn't done since I had first entered Hell: I fainted.

I opened my eyes to see a colossal mountain up ahead, a lengthy line of redeemable spirits headed straight for a large door on the mountain's side, both Hermes and Hades carrying me (am I really THAT heavy?) in their arms, and an old man with a silver beard that reached his chest in length. "Who is he?" I asked, gesturing to the elder as Hermes responded, "That is Cato the Younger of Utica, opposer of Caesar and student of the Stoics. I now regret Athene homeschooling me…" Hermes shuddered, causing me to fall on my side. "Stop! Who are you?" Cato ordered, halting me in my tracks. "I am on a divine quest to steer myself from the path of sin. If you don't mind my asking, are you the guard of Purgatory?" "You asked right, miss. However, I can understand Hermes acting as your guide…but, a former head mobster, a captain of a reapers' clan*, and most of all, the Lord of the Greek Underworld? This is unheard of! All of you, except Hermes, shall stay here with me." Cato ordered.

Demi, Matt, Hades, and Suki looked amongst themselves and glared at the man who dared oppose Caesar. Matt started, "So…what you're saying is…you won't let a leader of the most powerful mob group in HISTORY…" "A top-rank death messenger…", Demi growled. "A right wing to one of the most powerful deities in Greek Mythology…", Suki continued in her cute monotone. "And one of the Great Gods who could have you perish with not even a penny to your name* and be sent to Tartarus not accompany this young lady to cleanse herself of her sins? You are one to talk; the one who went against one of the greatest Caesars in Roman history, defied the Senate by his own stubborness, and committed suicide after your enemy crushed an ally of yours! You should be in the Woods of the Suicides, by the Fates! I suggest you let us pass, otherwise I shall do something that I definitely will NOT regret." Hades growled.

((CLIFF for the first chapter~! Will he let them pass?))