Return to Roots: New Family

Introduction
The sun was high above the sky on this beautiful  day, many of the people could be seen in Fiore walking around and enjoying their morning. Near the middle of the region was a city standing tall, home to one of the most wealthiest families in the region, The Bronzo Family. It was early in the morning as people could be seen walking pass them, however on that day, one girl with long green hair came up to the gates as the guards stopped in her path.

"Do you have an appointment Ma'am?" asked one of the guards politely."No one gets in without an invitation or formal appointment Miss," added the second guard with a smile. The second guard, who had worked at the Bronzo Estate for over twenty years had a nagging suspicion he recognized this mysterious woman somehow, but he couldn't place her.

"I'm sure that the head of the Bronzo Family would want to see me" She said reaching into her backpack, pulling out something that made both stand at the ready to attack if need be. However, they both looked in shock at what she pulled out, the emblem of the Bronzo Family. "I really would like to speak with her"

The younger, first guard was speechless, staring at the woman in awe. The older, second guard finally remembered where he'd recognized the woman from, she was the spitting image of Brina Bronzo, the run-away daughter of the Bronzo Family Head. "Well don't just stand there, fetch the Mistress and Young Masters immediantly, and inform Sagitta as well," ordered the veteran guard. The young guard ran though the gate up toward the large cliff-side mansion.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry to have disturbed you so early in the morning" She replied bowing in respect as she waited patiently for someone to come out and meet her.

In a few minutes the young guard returned with a short old woman with long brown hair, a petite young woman with the same brown hair, and a cap over it, a young man with long blonde hair in a braid, and a tall, muscular young man with shaggy blue hair. Trailling behind them was a young boy with blonde hair, dress like a guard, and brandishing a bow and arrows, ready to fire if need be.

The old woman stopped in front of the green hair woman. The look on her face made it seem like she was looking at a ghost. "Granny, who is this?" asked the cap-wearing girl. "B-Brina?" asked Yana, on the verge of tears.

"Wait, as in Brina Bronzo? How is that possible granny?" The young man said as the entire group looked back at the girl who bowed in respect.

"Forgive me for intruding so early in the morning Lady Yana, but when my mother told me about her history, well I couldn't just stand by and not see it with my own eyes. My name is Yuri" She looking back up at the head-mistress who had tears running down her face.

"Children," said Yana tearfully to her grandchildren,"This is not your Aunt Brina. If I'm correct, she's my granddaughter, your cousin, and Brina's own daughter," she said with a shaky voice. The cap-wearing girl looked at her grandmother, then at her two cousins, and finally back at her long-lost aunt's apparent daughter. "Your... your my cousin?" said the girl timidly.

Yuri saw them all looking at her with shock, it was as if time had stopped and they saw the past coming back to them, she started to have tears well up as she rubbed her eyes, smiling the same smile that reminded Yana of her daughter, "Yes, I am, and it's very nice to meet you all" She said as small tears slid down her face.

The man looked at her and smiled, walking up to her as he extended his metal prostetic hand, "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Byakko Bronzo" He said as she nodded and shook the hand, not making a face as she felt the cold touch with her hand.

"Cousin!" exclaimed the cap-wearing girl as she leapt forward at Yuri. Byakko ducked as his cousin flew over his head, but before she could tackle Yuri, she was stopped in mid-air by the blue haired man, who was holding her by her shirt collar with one hand. "Maybe you should introduce yourself first Bella," he said to the girl,"Welcome, I'm Duralamon Bronzo, but just call me Duney," said the blue-haired man as he extended his own arm to shake, putting down his cousin as he did so. "And I'm Bella-Anne Bronzo, but you can call me Bella," said the cap-clad girl sweetly. Then, she tackled her new cousin in a bear hug.

Yuri almost feel backwards, laughing a bit as she felt the tight squeeze her cousin gave her, which she then replied to by giving her a hug of her own. "Nice to meet you two" She said with a smile as Byakko chuckled a bit.

"Don't worry, after a while, Bella's hugs will feel like a regular thing after a while, you are gonna stay here aren't you?" Byakko asked which made Yuri a bit surprised as Bella let go and saw her cousin look like someone had offered her a big reward.

"I... I don't honestly know yet, Mama always told me that I came from powerful lines, but I never expected to be part of such a family . I don't know if she ever regretted leaving this place, and honestly I don't know if I belong here, but I needed to come to know where I came from" She said as tears began to come more down her face, which caused Yana to walk forward to her new grandaughter. "We are not judged by the decisions our parents make. The decision you made to find your family is what matters now. Welcome home my child," said Yana tearfully to Yuri, which got Yuri even more choked up.

"Well, come on in, let's talk. It looks like we have plenty to discuss," said Duney to his sobbing relatives. As they all turned around to head toward the mansion, Sagitta was still standing a ways up the path awkwardly, still holding his bow. "Oh Sagitta, put that away, this is our new cousin," said Bella accusingly. Sagitta's face flushed and in a beam of light he was transported back to his station.

"Haha, seems like he is a very good bodyguard" Yuri said walking along side them as they entered the home, the inside made Yuri gasp as she saw that everything was at the peak of luxury, almost everything inside looked very expensive, which made Yuri feel a bit out of place as she tried to make sure she didn't bump into anything.

"You okay?" Byakko asked noticing that Yuri was acting strangly after entering.

"Just.. not used to being surrounded by such expensive objects" She said trying hard not to move her body too much.

"Don't worry to much about breaking anything dear, there's several floors built into the cliff with plenty of other pricy objects. We don't have any shortage so if you break something it can be fixed or replaced," said Yana reassuringly to her new granddaughter. "Let's go down to the third floor to talk," added Duney,"That's where we stay," he said to Yuri.

"Alright," said Yana, "Coma!" she called in no specific direction. Suddenly a pretty, young girl with long purple hair appeared in front of the group. "Yes Mistress?" she said sweetly. The girl seemed nice enough to Yuri... but was that a glare she was shooting Duney, who was blushing. "Third floor please," said Yana. The entire group joined hands with Coma, and Bella extended her own to Yuri, who took it timidly, and they were all transported to the third floor built into the cliff.

Arriving at there, Yuri almost dropped to her knees as her cousins helped her to stay up, "I'm sorry, just never thought something like that would happen, it got the better of me" She said slowly regaining herself as she looked elsewhere and saw the view of Fiore, a view she had not seen since she was a little girl and her father took her to the top of her old hometown mountains.

"Amazing..." She said breathlessly.

I know right," said Byakko. "Gramps sure know how to pick the views, didn't he?" added Bella. "I'll say," replied Yuri, then she lowered her head as she remembered seeing the memorial to her already deceased grandfather. She wouldn't get to meet him. "Don't worry, you'll learn about Ered in due time, but first things first, you want to hear about your mother and myself right?" said Yana wisely.

Yuri knew that this wouldn't be a happy history lesson, but when she found out about her heritage, she knew that there was a reason it was hidden from her. She looked up and nodded, making the others tense up as she and Yana went somewhere privately to speak.

"Let me start from the beginning," said Yana as she closed her eyes, remembering her family when it was whole.

-Twenty-Five Years Earlier-

"I'm off Mother, Father, Uso, and Shira," called a thirty year old Brina Bronzo, as she stood at the front door of the Bronzo Estate. "Okay, be careful," said Shira. "Goodbye, love you," said Uso, Yana, and Ered in unison from down the hall. "Bye Bye, Aunty," said a two year old Duney. "Bye Duney," said Brina, and she set off for the job request she'd taken.

After leaving Fiore, Brina found her way to the location where the thefts were supposedly spotted, looking around she kept her wits about her, a lesson her mother forced her to remember every single moment she was alone. She slowly walked around, hearing some faint rustiling as she quickly spun around, but was gassed by something that caused her body to shut down, leaving her in a sort of a paralyzed state.

All she could hear were the laughter's and evil cackles of the men, telling her how they were gonna take good care of her, but all of it stopped when the sounds of painful screams and gurgling blood could be heard. A figure walked over her, holding something foul stentching to her nose, causing her to cough and move again.

"Sorry, I know it seems horrible, the effects are well worth it" He said putting it back in his bag as he helped Brina off the ground.