I was really inspired by the drawings of the Fujitas in the Big Hero 6 art book, and wanted to write a story that not only incorporated them, but gave some of them backstories. The prologue here just gives a bit of Koneko's backstory to make some of what will happen in the main story make sense. Don't worry, it'll shift to be Hiro and BH6-centric in chapter one!

Comments and critiques welcome and encouraged! (and seriously, if you haven't seen the concept art, just google 'Big Hero 6 - Fujitas')

Prologue

Her face rested in her hand as she slumped over her desk, eyes cast downwards at the little figures she was doodling on her paper. She'd never liked History much, anyway, and it didn't help that History class was sixth period; the last class of the day. She hardly ever paid attention. She knew they were talking about Napoleon, but she couldn't tell you more than that. She was too engrossed in her drawings; several cats dressed up as Sailor Moon characters.

"…And questions 1-17 will be due tomorrow in class," her teacher called, just as the end-of-day bell rung. No one bothered to write the homework down, the entire class was too busy hurriedly shoving their papers and books into backpacks, so they could presumably all try to elbow their way out of the classroom at the same time. Koneko wasn't in any hurry, though. She almost always waited till the rush was gone before leaving, and today, she really wanted to finish her doodle. She was just about finished with a Siamese dressed in Sailor Venus' outfit, when her notebook was snatched away from her abruptly.

"Huh, nice drawing," Rini sneered, flipping through the other pages. Koneko snatched for the book back, but Rini handed it off to Haru, who was a fair bit taller than either of the girls. He held it out of Konako's reach. Standing, her face red, she held her hand out expectantly.

"Give it back, guys!" she said, her voice quivering slightly.

"Why?" Rini asked, crossing her arms. Her hair was pulled back in two small cinnamon-buns, and around her neck was one of those crochet-chokers that were so popular at the moment. Her dark eyes narrowed as her face contorted into a mean smile. "So you can keep drawing your stupid little manga-drawings?"

"They're not-" Koneko started, but gasped as Haru started to pull pages out of the notebook, crumpling them as he did, and letting them fall to the floor. "Hey! Stop!"

"You're not even Japanese," Rini said, giggling slightly as the target of her bullying tried to jump up and stop Haru from destroying her drawings. "So why don't you do everyone a favor and stop being so stupid?"

"I AM Japanese!" Koneko said, tears welling up in her eyes. She resorted to just catching the balls of crumpled paper as they fell, hugging them to her chest. "My mother is Japanese!"

"Shut up!" Stooping to shove Koneko over, Rini scowled down at her. "You're so ugly, I wouldn't even let my dog kiss you." Stepping on Koneko's backpack as she walked towards the door, Haru followed, dropping the ruined notebook beside the crying girl. Once she was alone, she began scooping the balled up papers into her bag, sniffling and trying to hold back the dam of tears behind her eyes.

She made her way across campus, towards the southern end, where she usually hopped a short fence and walked home. But as she walked, she couldn't help but feel everyone's eyes on her. Ever since she'd moved to San Fransokyo, she'd been nothing but an M&M in a bag of skittles. She'd never really fit in with the white kids, and never really fit in with the Japanese kids. Middle school had only made her stand out more.

She didn't know why it had to be this way. If not for her eyes, she could have easily passed for Japanese; rounder than other kid's eyes, with a half-lid, and a very distinctly un-Japanese amber color. Everything else was passable. She'd been begging her mother for colored contacts for years now, but she always got the same answer; 'You have your father's eyes, and they are beautiful! Why would you want to cover them up?' It didn't matter, though. If her eyes didn't give her away, her last name would. Andrews wasn't exactly a very Asian surname. And everyone in her grade already knew her lineage.

"If it wasn't for stupid Rini!" Koneko whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as she walked, holding her bag tighter to her chest. Racism wasn't exactly what San Fransokyo was known for; in fact, one of the major reasons her family had moved here in the fourth grade was because of how diverse and tolerant the city was billed to be. Koneko would have had a perfectly fine time finding friends in elementary school, if it hadn't been for Rini and her gang of friends. She didn't know why Rini hated her so much, but from the first time Koneko had smiled at the girl, and Rini'd told her to 'turn your gross round eyes away from me!', it had been hell for the little girl. It still was.

Koneko didn't turn right after she'd clamored over the fence on the far side of the middle school's campus. After a moment of hesitation, she continued on straight, walking down a fairly large hill. The sun was about three hours from setting, but clouds drifted across it every now and then, casting shade on the sleepy city. It didn't take the sixth grader very long to reach the little park by the bay.

It was small, and a little on the over-grown side, but there was the most beautiful cherry-blossom tree, overlooking the water that Koneko liked to sit under. The afternoon breeze ruffled the skirt on her school uniform, and she stooped to sit down in the grass beside the gnarled old tree. Then, one by one, she took her papers from her bag, and began to smooth them out.

"Oh, jeez!" As Koneko was uncrumpling a particularly elaborate drawing she'd done in math a few days ago, several girls in her school's uniform stopped on the sidewalk, one of them pointing to Koneko. "Look who it is! Playing with her stupid drawings, cuz they're her only friends!" It wasn't Rini, but she looked similar, as her hair was pulled back in the same little buns as Rini's had been. This girl was taller, though, and wore far too much make up. Flocking her were several other girls who took her cue and started to snicker and laugh at Koneko as well. She tried to ignore them.

"Look, I think we're making her mad!" another girl said, this time in Japanese. The first girl, whose name was Yumi, sidestepped a few bushes and walked right up to Koneko.

"What's wrong," she asked, bending to try and get a god look at her victim. "Mad cuz everyone knows what a weird loser you are?"

"I'm not a loser!" she lashed out, scowling up at her abuser, who merely tossed her head back and laughed.

"Oh yes, you are!" she taunted, snatching the uncrumpled pile of drawings at Koneko's side, and over to the crest of the hill. "And your drawings are shit, too!" Tossing them over the side of the hill, Koneko jumped up in vain, as her drawings fluttered in the wind and out of her grasp.

"No!" she yelled, as she watched several get swept up and taken far away.

"Serves you right, for being such a stupid white-fa-AHH!" Yumi was shoved sideways as a streak of color whipped past her. The person skidded to a stop a few feet away, tearing up clumps of the grass in their skates. Yumi's group of friends shrieked at the sudden intruder, and scrambled, going in any direction, as long as it was out of the park. Yumi scowled at the new comer, who straightened up, and scowled over their shoulder at her. "Excuse you!" Yumi said, though she immediately backed down when the person turned.

She was quite tall, especially for a girl. Her hair was pulled up in a tangled knot on top of her head, several chopsticks stuck in it haphazardly. She wore the uniform of a different school, though her black socks did not match the white uniform, and Koneko was fairly certain neither rollerskates nor overly large happi jackets were any school's uniform.

"'Scuse me, Princess," the girl said sarcastically, cocking a penciled eyebrow, "but it looks like you were just leaving." Yumi looked offended, and her eyes darted to Koneko, but evidently figured it wasn't worth the trouble, and she turned with a huff.

"Whatever. See you at school, loser," she sneered, and trumped off to find her scattered friends. Koneko let out a small sigh of relief, and cautiously looked up at the girl on skates. She was eyeing Yumi as she left, her eyes narrowed. When she was sure the bully had left, she turned her steely gray gaze towards Koneko.

"Hey," she barked, her voice too course for a mere middle schooler. Koneko flinched heavily, which caused the rollerskate-girl to smirk in amusement. She reached into the overly-large sleeves of the jacket she wore, and Koneko froze, worried she might pull a knife out, but all she withdrew was a piece of paper. She held it out to her. "Sorry. I only caught this one. The other ones are probably lost."

"Oh!" Stunned, it took Koneko a moment to process what the girl was holding before she reached out and took it. "…Thank you."

"That's pretty good, though," the girl continued, nodding to the paper. It had little drawings of sharks on it. "You draw a lot?"

"Um…yeah," Koneko admitted, holding the paper to her chest.

"You draw koi fish?" This took her off guard again, but she nodded numbly. The girl grinned wide, and she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Sweet! Cuz Lily's convinced she can draw, but she sucks at it, don't tell her I said that. And we need someone to draw us a logo real bad, so it's a good thing I ran into you!" Making her way to the paved sidewalk, she jerked her head towards Koneko, indicating the girl to follow. "The name's Matsu, by the way. Matsu Hanadori." She turned, surprised to see Koneko still standing beneath the cherry blossom tree. "Well, c'mon!" she said, "are you coming, or aren't you?"

"Oh!" Snapping out of it, Koneko snatched up her bag, and shoved the paper into it. She jogged to catch up to Matsu. "Yes! Sorry!"

"We got some skates back at the house," Matsu said, forcing herself to go slowly so Koneko could keep up. "I'm not used to going this slow. What'd you say your name was again?"

"I didn't," Koneko said, tucking a long strand of jet black hair behind her ear. "But it's Koneko Andrews."

"Ooooh, so that's why she was gonna call you white-face," Matsu said. She spun around, taking a hard look at her shorter companion, which made Koneko's face turn a light shade of pink. "Hmmm, well, I'll just call you fire-eyes," the girl said, snapping her fingers. "Yeah, much better! C'mon, Fire-eyes, it's just a few blocks this way." She led the way as Koneko followed, and a small smile broke out on her face. She didn't know exactly what she was getting herself into, but she did know one thing.

Matsu was already more of a friend than anyone she'd met in this city.