Deliveries

Delivery 07: Violin

Cloud had it with creepy places. He wished he could deliver packages to normal houses, with normal people, who gave him an above normal tip. But instead he found himself in a place that brought back painful memories, the Shinra Mansion. However, he couldn't refuse this delivery; it was for a comrade after all. Although, Cloud could not imagine what could Vincent want with a violin.

Breathing deeply, Cloud ventured deeper into the abandoned mansion, listening as the floor creaked with each step he took. "Vincent!" There was no reply. "Vincent!" Still nothing, frowning, Cloud continued his search. He didn't really want to go into the basement alone. He was still traumatized by the incident with the Sephiroth fan girls and expected them to pop out of any dark corner. "Vincent!"

Cloud considered leaving the violin and asking Vincent to mail his gil, or transfer it to his savings account, or something, but he really needed it right away. He shook his head and told himself to be brave; the only place left to search was the basement where Vincent most likely was.

Clutching the violin like a comfort plushie, though a hard one, Cloud went down the stairs to finish his delivery job. One of the old steps collapsed under his weight and nearly sent him falling to his doom, or at least to a few broken bones and a shattered violin. But fortunately, Cloud, ever the agile Soldier First Class, if only in his mind, managed to save both himself and the violin, and climb back to the steps, safely continuing his descent into the basement.

Just as he thought, Cloud did in fact find Vincent in the basement, sleeping in a coffin. "Vincent!" Cloud called loudly.

"Five more minutes daddy..." Vincent grumbled before finally realizing that he was not a young Turk in training anymore, and the one calling was not Grimore Valentine but Cloud Strife. "The violin," Vincent spoke as seriously as he could.

Cloud's surprised and weirded out look was overlooked, indicating that Vincent fully intended to ignore the recent odd incident upon his awakening, and no amount of insistence on Cloud's part would make Vincent come close to admitting that it happened. "Here it is."

"Very good, this is your pay, as well as compensation for your trouble coming to this location." Vincent took the violin and handed over the gil.

"Thanks!" Cloud was relieved, his job was over and he actually got his pay and a tip this time, so he could leave. But against his better judgment he didn't leave. "Why do you need a violin anyway?" Curiosity killed the cat, and if Cloud didn't learn to control his, it would also kill the delivery boy.

"To calm the spirits in the mansion," Vincent explained. "Music, especially that of an elegant and classic instrument, can be calming to wandering spirits."

"Wandering spirits?" Cloud repeated, he really hoped Vincent was kidding, but luck was not on his side.

The ghosts of some of the people who had been experimented on and sacrificed in the mansion who were unable to pass away, came out of hiding, passing through the walls, ceiling and various items as Vincent attempted to play the violin and failed miserably because of his golden claw.

The violin's strings snapped, but instead of being relieved, the ghosts continued their rampage while Cloud helplessly slashed at them with his sword. "It doesn't work!"

Vincent observed the angry ghosts and the way Cloud's sword went right through them. "Of course, they are ghosts with no physical body so your sword cannot harm them, but they can harm us." He looked at the broken and scratched violin in disappointment and spoke so calmly that it didn't match the situation at all, "I suggest we leave."

"Suggestion accepted!" Cloud and Vincent hurried out of the mansion chased by the angry ghosts that Vincent had awakened.

Vincent merely wanted to help them. He thought that doing that good deed would be a more effective step towards redemption than simply taking another long nap, but it didn't work out. Nevertheless, when they made it out of the mansion and the ghosts followed them into the sunlight, they were calmed and finally passed away ending their torment. "It worked..."

The sunlight shone upon the abandoned mansion, dissipating all the eerie feelings it might have possessed. As the ghosts vanished, the two men watching concluded that maybe there was a little hope left in their world after all.

End of Delivery 07

Disclaimer, I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Delivery 07 was requested by Snow, the keywords were violin, Vincent, Shinra Mansion and hope.