Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Children of Shin-ra ❯ The Travelling Theatre Group ( Chapter 3 )

The Children Of Shin-ra

Chapter 3 - The Travelling Theatre Group

Zakiran ignored his throbbing foot. Five minutes had passed since he had stood unsuspectingly in a patch of nettles, and the stinging sensation was at its peak.

'Perhaps I should leave my boots on in the future.' he thought sullenly, 'Even if my blisters are about to burst.'

The turbulant journey through the countryside had not been fun for the other members of TORNADO either. Jemaro had lost his precious lucky chocobo feather somewhere between the start and the end of a rather thick wood, and had whined constantly for the best part of an hour. Bruce and Lieuna were both extremely angry - neither enjoyed getting completely drenched in a sudden and unprovoked downpour of rain. Zakiran, their usually chirpy leader, was at his wits end, and was very thankful when he spied Fort Condor not far away. He would have to have words with his unimpressed comrades in the warmth and security of the fort. This was short-lived.

"You dirty little man! How dare you try to steal my chocobo feather!"

Zakiran saw Jemaro being chased out of a room by a furious soldier, waving a golden chocobo feather wildly above his head. Another soldier placed a hand firmly on his shoulder.

"I think you'd all better leave." he said. So the four rebels were left dejectedly in the rain once more. Zakiran pushed his sopping wet fringe out of his eyes.

"Alright alright, people, I suppose we'd better continue." he said. Lieuna started on him.

"How come Divan was able to organise us transport out of Midgar, and you weren't able to do that to get out of Junon?" she asked, frowning. Zakiran shrugged.

"Hmph, just appreciate the fresh air, okay?"

All four looked up at the sky. Then they looked down again. Lastly three angry pair of eyes fixed on Zakiran.

"Okay, so don't." he said. Bruce brandished a solid looking fist.

"One more chance, Zakiran." he said, pushing it near to his leader's face, "Or we'll get someone more capable to lead us."

Zakiran laughed, swallowing a load of rainwater as he did.

"Fine, guys, I guess now would be a good time to unleash my brilliant undercover plan."

"What's that?" Jemaro asked. Zakiran pointed to a cave set into the mountains, a little way off in the distance.

"Follow me." he said. The others shrugged, sighed then followed wearily.

Blossom hurried to the university's main entrance, passing all the chatting students as they left their last lecture of the day, and looking out for James. She spied him coming out alone, three imposing biology books clutched to his chest. He was quite tall, and that and his jet black hair stood out from the crowd. He was surprised to be greeted by Blossom.

"Oh, hi." he said. She showed him a bulging shopping bag that she was carrying.

"I was in town, so I thought I'd find you." she explained. James chuckled.

"You've been like this for the past three weeks ..." he commented. Blossom stared at him inquisitively.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing." he replied, quietly.

'Like you're my mother or something.' he thought to himself.

They caught a train to their high-class neighbourhood, and strolled down their street, taking in the crisp autumn air. Fallen maple leaves lined the pavement, forming thin and unorderly orange and brown carpets. James kicked up a few leaves now and then, lost for words. Things were fairly tense in the Shin-ra household at that time. Thomas was hardly ever around, and when he did occasionally return home, he was either drunk or completely reclused in his room. Rouge was in a bad mood, due to her recent split with her boyfriend. She persisted in talking nastily about him to her siblings, who, in all honesty, had lost interset a while ago. And then, James himself felt uneasy, post stern discussion with Thomas. It was getting hard to concentrate on anything, and, horrifying as it was, Blossom was starting to get on his nerves. It was her relentless concern for him, he figured. She was his younger sister; it should have been the other way around. He prided himself on being the head of the family, the most sensible, reliable and intelligent. He was just not used to feeling cared about. It was a new experience, and rather dauwnting. He felt most at home when being independent.

Blossom spoke presently.

"James ... I have to ask ..."

"What, Blossom?"

"Well, it must sound silly, but ... what's wrong with Thomas?"

"..."

"It's just he's been so quiet -"

"I don't know." James lied, and changed the subject.

"Hey, Bloss, I have a good idea. You remember when I mentioned using dad's villa in Costa Del Sol?"

"Yeah?"

"What's to say all five of us can't go for a short vacation? It could be good ..."

"Oh, James!"

"Hmm?"

"But your studies ... you said -"

"Ahh, I can study on a sunny beach, cocktail in hand. Come on, why don't I announce it over dinner? You know, get everyone around the table -"

"Alright, James." Blossom said, "You can be really impulsive sometimes."

James glanced at her. He supposed she was right ... sometimes his sudden impulses got the better of him. As Blossom unlocked the front door and he wiped his shoes on the mat, he had the tingling sensation down his spine that meant that things were about to get a lot more complicated in his so far strange existance ...

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!!"

Zakiran blinked at Bruce.

"Well, it's a like a portable theatre, I guess you could call it." he said. Jemaro kicked a trunk, no doubt full of dusty old costumes and second-hand props.

"It's pretty crappy." he said, just before sneezing. His superior glared at him.

"Hey Jemaro, I'd like to see you come up with a better undercover plan than this."

He turned to Lieuna.

"Where are the Shin-ra family headed to, again?"

"Costa Del Sol." she replied in a sigh. She'd already told her absent-minded leader five or six times.

"Right, so we change our clothes - while we're still on this continent, anyhow - and catch the next ship to Costa Del Sol."

Jemaro jumped.

"Whaaaatt?!" he said, "But we just left Junon! So we're not going back to Midgar?!"

"Exactly, my little vertically-challenged friend. We'll be a travelling theatre group!"

He was met by three blank faces.

"Great ...?" tried Lieuna. Zakiran ignored her sarcasm.

"Okay, so let's see here ... I left two chocobos around here somewhere ..."

He found the two yellow birds cowering in a dark corner of the cave. They warked in annoyance when they saw Zakiran.

"Hey, Chocki, Bertie." he greeted, yanking them towards the folded up theatre (well, it was like a mini-theatre, really. It was even small enough to fit on a cart). He gave Bertie's reins to Bruce, who reluctantly tied him to the cart.

"So, do we have to walk more?" he asked, uncertainly. Zakiran laughed.

"Nah, if you and me ride the chocobos, then Lieuna and Jemaro can sit up top."

Lieuna looked suspiciously at the unstable-looking theatre.

"On that?" she said, pointing to the top. She got a nod, to which she groaned loudly.

"But it'll fall apart!" she protested. Zakiran waggled a finger at her.

"No no, you can't go on with that attitude. Now," he said, turning his attention to the Bruce and Jemaro, "Fellers, see if you can find any remotely normal looking outfits in those two trunks for us all."

"Easier said than done." Bruce muttered coldly, as he lifted the lid off the largest trunk, "You know them theatre people. Their clothes are always ... err ... what's the word - elo - ela -"

"Elaborate?" guessed Jemaro.

"Yeah, that's it." Bruce said, pulling out a moth-eaten king's costume. Zakiran looked at it thoughtfully.

"Hmm, we're gonna have to find some plays ..." He wandered over to a small cabin at the back of the cart, and climbed inside it. Lieuna, who was watching him, decided that it must have been the 'back-stage'. He emerged a minute later, looking triumphant. Lieuna shuddered at this, thinking the worst.

"Perfect!" he cried, thrusting some manuscripts into her arms. "Look, aren't these great? Brilliant plays, full of kings, queens, knights, witches, tales of days gone by, love, hate, trust, greed, intrigue -"

"Okay, okay! I get the picture." Lieuna frowned at the papers. They were terribly confusing, and perhaps a little muddled up. Sighing, she shoved them into her bag. Meanwhile, Jemaro and Bruce had somehow managed to uncover four hooded cloaks.

"Hey, Zakiran!" Bruce called, and the leader walked over.

"Why don't we just wear these?" Jemaro said, holding one up.

"Hey, well done guys! These'll do fine." said Zakiran. Bruce tried his on, putting the hood up and shadowing his face.

"Oooh, I'm mysterious now." he crooned, "Women will just love this look ..."

"Bruce, we have more important things to think about." Zakiran said, exitedly, "Now, get packed up everybody, we have shows to do!"

"But we're not a real theatre." Lieuna said, completely ruining the dramatic effect, and therefore preventing the writer from skipping to the next scene.

"Lieuna!" exclaimed Zakiran, "Be more enthusiastic. Eh-hem. Sorry about that, reader. Skip scene, now -"

The warm, ocean water felt relieving to Blossom's pale skin, as she floated above the waves in a relaxed state. She now knew the benefit of James' good idea - impulse or not. The Shin-ra children had not had the time to get away on holiday for a while, and that was one of the reasons for their stress.

Blossom watched her brothers as they fought and frolicked in the water, just as if they were ten, eight and seven years old again. Except that this time it was happy frolicking, particularly from James's perspective. As children, despite being older, James was picked on by his brothers, Thomas especially. Now the younger two had limitless respect for James, and all three were getting along extremely well under the sun's blinding gaze. Blossom smiled to herself; she felt that they were all, finally, at peace.

She saw Eddie waving frantically at her admist the spray.

"Hey, Blossy! Come an' join us!" he shouted over the seagulls' piercing cries. James and Thomas laughed, calling her over too. Blossom waded towards them, pulling up her white bikini top as she did. Thomas took a stride forward, grabbing her arm as she neared.

"Thomas, what are -" Blossom started. But before she could finish, Thomas had lifted her up, and proceeded to carry her around, slung over his shoulder. She kicked out playfully, punching his back with her small fists.

"Let me down, you idiot!" she cried, laughing at the same time. Thomas turned his head around and grinned at her.

"As you wish ..." he said, dropping her into the water. When she rose, hair sopping wet and loose, she pounced on him.

"I'll get you!"

There was a scuffle, and somehow, she, Thomas and Eddie were under the water, thrashing amongst the seaweed and each other's legs. James observed, his eyes shining with amusement. When all three had surfaced, he pointed at them and sniggered.

"You lot are so funny ..." he said, lifting up his glasses and wiping his eyes. Blossom, Thomas and Eddie exchanged sly glances. Within seconds, they had gotten hold of the surprised James and had pushed him under the surface. Eddie erupted with laughter, and Thomas let go.

"Now we've all been tricked." he said, smugly. James emerged, dripping glasses in his hand.

"Okay, okay, so we're all even." he said. After a few moments of just standing there, in Blossom and Eddie's case, waist-high in water, the four siblings lunged at each other. Blossom was quite over-whelmed, the sun-heated water washing over her, her excited screams, her brothers' manly bellows, three full-grown men pushing, shoving and twisting around her, their bodies soft and warm next to her own skin. They all relented after a shrill voice called to them from the beach;

"Hey you guys! Don't get carried away!" It was Rouge, lounging in a deckchair with a magazine draped over her mid-rift. Blossom, lying face up in the water, Eddie underneath her trying desperately to stay adrift, heard Thomas call back;

"Fine, fine, we're just having fun!" He rolled his eyes at James, who was sitting in the water beside him, his head the only part of him that was visable. He stood up slowly, the water running down the arch of his back. It was quite a mesmerising effect. Blossom compared his body with that of Thomas's; they were almost the same height, Thomas only an inch taller. Thomas, all thanks to his blood-line, had naturally beautiful tanned skin, much more complimenting than James's pallid complexion. Also, Thomas was much more built up than James, his arm and torso muscles toned well. It could have been said that James was a fraction too skinny, but it wasn't as if he was a skeleton.

'Besides.' Blossom thought, looking lower down James's body, 'He does have good legs.'

She felt Eddie slide out from underneath her, and, sluggishly, put her feet on the sea-bed. Her brothers were all staring at something on the shore; Blossom looked too. It looked like a large Punch-and-Judy show stand, except that real-life people were on the stage. It was rather odd.

Blossom felt someone slip their hand into hers.

"Come on." James said, giving her hand a squeeze, "Let's see what this is all about."

When they reached the beach, spectators had already gathered in front of the wooden stage, all waiting expectantly for the man on it to say something. He was fairly young, and had a red cloak on over what looked like something that a royal prince would wear. Presently, he cleared his throat.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. For your entertainment on this fine day, 'The Travelling Theatre Company' (the audience could hear a mutter of "What an original name." from behind the curtain) will be acting out a fabulous production of 'The Adventures Of Gallohan; The Radiant Prince'."

There was an uncertain applause as the crowd settled into the previously-set up rows of seating. Eddie pushed past some hopeful spectators, and jumped on five vacant seats.

"You guys dry off!" he shouted over the many grumbles around him. Thomas led the way to where Rouge was sun-bathing, and seized a towel that was next to her.

"What are you doing now?" she mumbled.

"We're seeing a play. Up. Now." Thomas said as he rubbed himself down with the towel. Rouge started to protest, but then decided against it; she was no good at arguing, especially when Thomas was concerned. She slipped on some sandels and joined the others as they made their way back to the little theatre. As they sat down, she poked Eddie in the ribs. He nearly dropped his newly aquired bag of peanuts.

"So this is a play, is it?" she asked.

"Yup."

"Well, what's it about?"

Eddie chewed on his peanut thoughtfully.

"Some prince called Galleon or something. Peanut?" he said, offering her the bag. She shook her head, as a woman walked on stage. Shr raised her arms, and opened her mouth to start speaking. The play was beginning.