Disclaimer:- Ring, ring- Author picks up telephone and listens for a few minutes.

"WHAT? I don't own Final Fantasy Seven? And the characters? Okay, okay I get it… No need to bite my ear off… bye."

' Here sighs, plaints, and voices of the deepest woe resounded through the starless sky. Strange languages, horrid cries, accents of grief and wrath, voices deep and hoarse, with hands clenched in despair, made a commotion which whirled forever through that everlasting gloom, even as sand when whirlwinds sweep the ground.' -Dante (1265-1321) Inferno, Canto III

Chapter 5: Escape

I accept. The prisoner responded after a moment's thought.

'Good.' Tybalt closed his eyes. He unlocked the steel-laden door, and it swung open. He stood by the doorway, waiting for the man to approach him.

Sephiroth clutched the boulder alongside him, and painfully stood up. His broken shoulder did not help. As if in response, a jolt of pain ran through his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and half-limped to the exit.

'Hurry. We do not have much time.'

I'm trying, dammit.

'I see that you are injured. I apologize that I cannot help you. My powers are limited to offensive attacks.'

I can see the logic of that. Why would the reapers of Hell need of healing spells? Sephiroth edged around the heap of stone; wincing ever so slightly as his wounded shoulder grazed the wall.

Tybalt sighed, tapping his foot against the floor. He remained silent as he watched the warrior reach him.

'Let us go.'

Kalm

-Ring! Ring!- The PHS sat on the bedside table, beeping madly.

"Ugh…" A hand groped around the end table.

-Ring! Ring!-

"Come on...where is that damn PHS?"

Ring! Ring!

His hand slammed against it. The phone was ringing madly, beckoning him to answer it. He had an urge to hurl it across the room and go back to sleep. But he pressed the answer button instead.

"Hello...?" He muffled a yawn.

"SPIKE?"

"Yeah, what's up Cid?" He glanced at his watch. 7:30 am on the dot.

"WHAT'S UP? I'LL TELL YER & WHAT'S UP! YOU'RE &! LATE!" Cloud held the phone away from his ear.

"Oh…sorry. I thought it was still later in the morning."

"GET YER SORRY ASS TO MIDGAR OR YOU'LL BE TASTING THE SHARP END OF VENUS GOSPEL!" Cid bellowed into the phone. Cloud could hear Tifa telling the pilot to calm down. Cid mumbled something incoherent.

"…I'll see you there…" Cloud ended the call and dropped the PHS into his bag. He yawned again. It wasn't his fault his friends were such early birds.

Midgar's just a few hour's chocobo ride from Kalm, anyway. He grabbed his equipment and materia, ran his hand through his spiked hair as he jumped down the stairs. He guided his golden chocobo, which he named Apollo, out of town and mounted on him.

Rain was drizzling by the time he left for the once-dreary city. After three years, right after they defeated Sephiroth, Reeve seized power over ShinRa, with help from the Turks, and transformed the hated company to a peaceful and honest one. Though Reeve decided to leave the corporation named ShinRa, commenting that he wouldn't like his name to become a company.

Tifa once again re-opened her bar, with Barret and Marlene living with her. Cid settled down with Shera. Red XIII returned to Cosmo Canyon to become the leader of the place. Yuffie had never settled down, and continued her search of Materia.

Cloud looked up to the sky. It was gray, and thunder rumbled ahead. Lightning flashed across the dark clouds, streaks of light webbing through the heavens. Rain sprayed lightly on his face, but he could tell a large storm was ahead. He pulled on Apollo's reins, urging the bird to move faster.

Could he outrun the storm?

In the pits of Hell

Sephiroth darted across the halls, staying in the shadows. The caverns were buzzing with confusion and fright, prisoners murmuring to each other, as their punishments were hindered until the repears straighten out the situation. With Sephiroth's mastery of stealth, he easily slid through the dark halls.

Tybalt was ahead, walking briskly, his ebony tresses blown back. He looked as though he was only of sixteen years, but it was clear he was more than that.

'We are almost to the exit.'

The news was welcome to his ears. The sharp throbbing in his right shoulder has intensified, and moving too much has not helped it. Every time the injured shoulder scuffed the stone wall, pain webbed throughout his body. Gritting his teeth, he tried to tolerate the angry, throbbing pain.

The young reaper hurried towards an opening, an opening the swordsman vaguely remembers. It was the passage he once crossed as he entered the loathsome cavern. He followed the black-clothed one to the gaping mouth of the cave. Outside was neutral grounds, neither hell nor heaven.

'I shall leave you here. You must trek alone now.' Tybalt motioned him to step out.

' The entrance to the Planet where the living resides, I cannot tell, save that it is found in the Lifestream.' Tybalt nodded at the taller man. He swiveled around, and left him, disappearing once a gain into oblivion.

End of Chapter

AN: I meant for this chapter to be longer, but I've been busy from schoolwork and other events that came up… I'll try to be faster next time! I promise!

Thanks for all the reviews!

To:

Lilalou: Thanks!

Sulphurya: . Tybalt means "The people's brave one".

Yuka-san: I'm not saying anything…. :evil smile:

Schmelderz: Hey…. -.-

acting shifty- : O.o I don't think I know you… :edge away:

All of you made this poor person very happy!

Hmmm…

The Anji: That review is not worth fighting back to. You didn't even read the damn story.