This is the first chapter (out of six) on the history of the Artiglio Famiglia. There's nothing else much to say about this really except for this is told from the Artiglio's POV.
So, sit back, prepare your eyes and enjoy the read!
Chapter 1
Many years ago, the Kusuri family saved an old man who was at the brink of death. To show his gratitude, he presented them with a small, antique box. Each generation of the Kusuri Family attempted to open the box but were all unsuccessful. Not long after, it became known as the Kusuri Treasure…
o.o.o.o
"Mary-Anne! Mary!" a four-year-old girl called out, looking at a figure that was hanging upside down on the monkey bars.
Mary dropped down neatly and faced the silver haired girl who looked very upset, "What is it, Yukiko? Did Kiyoshi try to catch you again?"
Yukiko shook her head rapidly. Kiyoshi, her older twin brother, had some sort of a sister complex, but let's leave that for later.
"Then what is it?" Mary asked, jumping up to grip the bars above her head and started swinging.
"We're leaving Italy and moving to Japan."
Mary froze, dropping back down to the ground. She knew that the two of them would separate one day. Both of them were daughters of rich businessmen and an expansion in their businesses was inevitable, especially because Yukiko was half Japanese.
Saying nothing, Mary-Anne simply hugged the other girl and the two stayed like that for a couple of minutes. They had been together ever since birth. Their parents had been partners in business since many years ago. Still, leaving was leaving and there was definitely nothing the two little girls could do about it.
"When are you leaving?"
"Very soon. Mummy will come for me."
"But why do you have to go? Your parents can leave… and then come back!"
Yukiko shook her head. "I asked them. They said that they were going to stay there for a long time," Yukiko answered, stretching out the 'long'.
"Yukiko? It's time to go! Say bye bye to Mary-Anne," a woman called from the rolled down window of a black limousine.
"Yes Mother!"
Yukiko turned to Mary-Anne and gave her one last hug, "Bye."
Mary-Anne nodded in understanding, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye, "Bye, Yukiko. It was a good four years."
Yukiko smiled weakly before turning heel and not looking back.
It wasn't until many years later that they met again but when they did, it was under very bad consequences.
o.o.o.o
The flight to Japan was smooth and Yukiko was thrown into a state of depression. Well, I guess it would be called "sulking". After all, she was only four. Her mother endlessly went on about another family they would be meeting, and their child was also four. Their family, the Kirifuda Family, would be translators for them for the duration of their stay in Japan. Yukiko ignored it and attempted to sleep.
When the plane landed and a debarking message was repeated in a million languages, Yukiko was almost back to normal.
The family made their way outside of the airport, carrying their luggage. There was a small group of three, one man, a pregnant woman and a little kid. The child was holding up a sign labelled "Sujimichi" and Yukiko's mother (who was Japanese), hurried towards them.
The parents exchanged greetings and little Yukiko looked at the person before her, who was glancing up shyly. Yukiko smiled slightly and the other child did the same.
"My name is Yukiko," the silver-haired girl said in quiet, shaky Japanese, "What is yours?"
"Hibiki," was the soft reply. Looking at the ground, the Kirifuda child laughed quietly, "You speak Japanese as well as I speak Italian."
Yukiko grinned. She liked the soft-spoken Hibiki and she just made her first friend in Japan! Turning to Hibiki's mother and pointed discreetly to her stomach, Yukiko's eyes asked what she didn't dare speak.
Hibiki smiled shyly, "I'm going to have a little brother or sister soon." He looked at Kiyoshi who was wandering around in circles impatiently, "He looks like you. Is he your onii-san?"
Yukiko nodded, "Older twin brother. He's very… strange."
"I wish Mummy's baby is a boy."
The two children continued to talk to each other about strange topics and a strong friendship was established,
Yukiko and Hibiki did everything together. They learnt and discovered that they had talents in fighting areas such as martial arts. Not very long after their meeting, Hibiki's baby brother, Teion, was born. The head of Sujimichi Co., Yukiko's father, was constantly in meetings and Yukiko's mother stayed back as support. As a result, Yukiko and Hibiki's bonds were even stronger, more so than the ones Yukiko had with Mary-Anne.
One day, the Sujimichi and Kirifuda Families were invited to a formal party held by the Kusuri Family. It was to celebrate the engagement of their 10-year-old son, Kai. Yukiko and Hibiki, who were unwillingly thrown into formal wear, together with their siblings, Kiyoshi and Teion, met the Kusuri Hana and Hatsuon Mei, who were stepsisters.
"Hello!" Yukiko, Hibiki and Kiyoshi said for the millionth time. Their parents had demanded politeness and no misbehaviour earlier that day. After all, the Kusuri Family had invited them and the children had a reputation to keep. Their families were going to become partners in business and with that, the inheritors of each respective company needed to get along with the others.
"And this is the groom-to-be, Kai, as well as his two sisters, Mei and Hana. Say hello," Hibiki's mother said kindly, nodding her head to Kai politely. She held Teion's hand as she walked away to greet other people.
"Good evening," Kai said, smiling and bowing slightly.
"Hi!" Hana said, waving her hand and beaming at the four children who stood across her.
"Hello," Mei greeted, smiling slightly.
The other three responded appropriately and started a conversation.
By the end of the celebration, the six children were laughing and talking as if they had known each other for years rather than hours. Kai and Mei were biological siblings and were found on the streets of Paris, abandoned by their parents. The Kusuri Family had taken a holiday and Hana insisted on taking the two children in the moment she saw them, not wavering from her decision when the rest of her family decided otherwise. Kai turned out to be very gentleman like and the Kusuri Family had high hopes for him. When another famous company offered a marriage proposal, the Family couldn't have been any happier.
After the engagement party, Yukiko, Hibiki, Hana and Mei ended up spending lots of time together. The four of them grew up happily until a horrid scandal occurred two years later.
The sound of sirens rung up and down the streets. The head of Kusuri Co., Hana, Mei and Kai's father, had been brutally murdered. Only the children knew of the culprits, the Mafia, who were targeting large businesses for money. Not long after the murder of the head of Kusuri Co., a notice was sent to them, saying that Kai's engagement was going to be cancelled. Mr. Kusuri's wife fell into depression and the business fell.
The children of the Sujimichi, Kirifuda and Kusuri Families knew they were being targeted and they barricaded themselves indoors for protection. Guards at all times protected the mansion they stayed in. All of the seven children were scared and unstable, their parents already having their wills written. It wasn't long until the mafia struck again.
"Keep running, Teion! Mummy told us to run! They will be safe. I know it!" Hibiki yelled as all the children sprinted along the streets of Japan. The sounds of their parents' screams were burned into their memories and each of them fought back tears that were bursting to be free.
"This way! Hurry, everyone!" Kai said, ushering everyone into a narrow alleyway. Ever since the murder of his parents, the Kirifuda Family had told him of a secret summerhouse they had. He promised to only go to the summerhouse when in great danger. The place was so secret that Teion and Hibiki had only heard about it once or twice.
All seven children, dirty, sweaty and horribly frightened, finally arrived at an open field with a house just a few metres away.
"Keep running until we get inside!" Yukiko burst out. The children used the last of their strength to sprint into the house.
Hibiki took out a small key, which was hung around his neck, and his eyes widened in surprise, "so that's where it fits." Hibiki unlocked the door and the children stumbled inside.
"Does anyone have a phone?" Yukiko asked breathlessly.
Kai nodded, reaching into his pant pocket and drawing out a slim, black flip mobile.
"I apologise for the money this is going to cost you, Kai," Yukiko joked weakly as she started punching in numbers rapidly.
Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring.
"H-Hello?" A voice spoke in Italian.
"Mary-Anne! It's me! Yukiko!"
"Y-Yukiko?" Mary yawned loudly, "It's three in the morning. What's happening?"
"The mafia are attacking us. We're safe for now but we don't know when they're going to strike."
That woke her up. "How many people are with you?"
"Seven, including me." The conversation continued. Hibiki and Teion understood most of what Yukiko and Mary were saying in rapid Italian but Hana, Mei and Kai had no clue.
A couple of minutes later, Yukiko flipped the phone shut and looked at Kai apologetically before flipping it open again and snapping it in half. Kai nodded in understanding. It was best to leave no traces of that conversation.
"What are we going to do now?" Teion asked quietly.
Hibiki smiled grimly, "We wait."
o.o.o.o
Two days later, seven plane tickets to Italy were sent directly to the summerhouse. Hibiki, who had some money, split the group into two taxi groups to travel to the airport. None of them wished to speak of what had happened to the parents but all of them knew very well.
When the plane landed on Italian soil, the seven of them ran as fast as they could to the outside world, momentarily being stopped by Customs and their questions about parental guidance. Yukiko, Mary-Anne and Anne-Marie had their joyous reunion after five years of being apart. By this time, Yukiko, Hibiki and Mei were 9 whilst Hana and Mary-Anne were 10.
End of side story chapter 1~
It has been decided that THERE WILL BE pairings in this story. (I never realised how many people like pairings…). The thing is, we're not sure which characters should go with whom. Also, although there will be pairings, they will only show up as hints. (I can't write romance at all. xD)
So, to help us with this decision, please go onto our profile page and vote, or leave a review, preferably one for each one of our OC's, making a total of five votes (:
The poll will go on throughout the duration of the side story and part of the main story.
Thankyou!~
- 37, MHYHM
Main Artiglio Family (Our OC's)
Sujimichi Yukiko – The founder/leader of the Artiglio Group. She is described as evil, emotionless and gets bored very easily.
Kirifuda Hibiki – The co-founder of the Artiglio Group. Despite the fact that Yukiko is the leader, it was Hibiki who suggested becoming a mafia family. He is described as quiet, mysterious and slightly sadistic.
Kusuri Hana – The healer of the group. She is described as cheerful, happy, and smart.
Hatsuon Mei – The adopted sister of Hana. For personal reasons, she decided to keep her original last name. She is described as spoilt, childish, somewhat ferocious and has a brother complex.
Mary-Anne (Mary) Schioppo – The trickster of the group. She is described as annoying, confident and extremely hyperactive.
Support
Kusuri Kai – The biological brother of Mei and adopted brother of Hana. He's the oldest of the support group and the mutual leader. He is described as very smart, kind and mature.
Sujimichi Kiyoshi – The older twin brother of Yukiko. He designs and makes all the clothing the Artiglio Family wear and he has a sister complex.
Kirifuda Teion – The younger brother of Hibiki. He is described as cute and is often spoilt by his brother.
Anne-Marie (Anne) Schioppo – The twin sister of Mary-Anne. They are exactly the same, hyperactiveness and all.