A Tail of Two Brothers Chapter 25
I do not own Big Hero 6 or any of its characters
This is part one of the updated chapters! Enjoy!
All was peaceful in the Hamada home; they were all laying in their cozy beds with the covers over them. Time had gone on as it always did; it had now been a little over six months since Hiro came to live with the Hamada family.
The month of November had come to pass and it was now December, and everyone could detect and feel the change in the season. The weather had been a little colder than usual and the trees and brush had been stripped of any vegetation. Tadashi and Cass were especially looking forward to this season and month, because there would be a lot of things for Hiro to do with them.
Little did they know that one of those things was happening right now. Small white shapes began to fall out of the morning sky and land on the ground. Within minutes the shapes started to form large mounds of white, it almost looked like a blanket was starting to cover the land. And the Hamadas slept while this happened.
Cass was the first one to wake up as usual; she went into the kitchen and put on some coffee. She then got to work on making breakfast for the family. A few minutes later Tadashi was the next one to wake up. It was always like this; Hiro was always the last one to wake up. The two adults didn't mind though since Hiro needed the rest because he was a growing boy, plus he always looked so peaceful and calm when he was asleep. It was hard to disturb him during this time.
"Morning Aunt Cass," Tadashi stated.
"Good morning Tadashi," Cass replied as she placed a pan on the stove. "Is Hiro still sleeping?"
"Like always," Tadashi said. "I'll wake him up in a few minutes."
Cass smiled at her nephew before turning her attention back to making breakfast. As she got out the ingredients she recalled something important.
"Tadashi, is your little project almost done yet?" Cass asked with a wink.
Tadashi poured himself some coffee as she asked that, he smiled at his aunt because he knew what she was talking about. Because Christmas was around the corner he thought that it would be a great opportunity to give Hiro something special, something that had never been done before. He had been working on it for a while now. Cass and a few others were aware of the project because he only worked on it whenever Hiro went to school and when his aunt wasn't too busy with the café.
Thankfully, his friends were more than happy to pitch in; they sent him packages with materials and supplies that would be useful for his invention. The challenging part was making sure Hiro didn't find it or notice it. He had been working on it in a separate part of the house; it was more a storage room than anything else. This was the reason why Hiro never went in there. Tadashi felt that he was almost done with the creation but he wanted to make sure that everything was perfect.
"Sure is, it should be ready by Christmas," Tadashi stated. "I hope he likes it."
"I know he will, you know our little Hiro," Cass said.
The two relatives shared a laugh and that was when Cass noticed something new outside. She took a peek outside the kitchen window and saw a large blanket of snow! Her eyes widen with excitement and a big smile appeared on her face. She quickly turned off the stove and placed everything down, she turned to her oldest nephew.
"Tadashi, it's snowing!" she cheered. "Look outside."
"What?" Tadashi questioned. "Let me see."
Tadashi put down his cup of coffee and he looked outside the same kitchen window. His eyes widen and a smile appeared on his face as well, he had just mimicked his aunt's actions. He couldn't believe that it had started snowing so soon, he had to tell Hiro! His aunt seemed to have the same idea as she beat him to it.
"Go get Hiro and put on some warm clothes, we don't want the neighbors to think anything strange or unusual," Cass said.
"Will do," Tadashi replied as he made his way to his room.
Cass reached into a closet and pulled out her old snow boots and a winter coat, she then awoke Mochi from his sleep.
"Wake up Mochi, it's snowing outside," she said. "Come take a look."
She picked up the cat and brought him to the window, Mochi looked amused by her actions and he looked outside to see the snow covered land. Meanwhile, Tadashi walked to his brother's shared room and quickly turned on the lights.
"Hiro," Tadashi called out. "Hiro!"
Hiro stirred a little as he held onto his stuffed animals, Tadashi thought that he looked so cute like so but he had to wake him up. He walked over to his younger brother and shook his shoulder a little.
"Hiro, come on knucklehead wake up," Tadashi said.
"Hmmm," Hiro groaned as he hid his head in his pillow. "Tired."
Tadashi chuckled a little but he didn't give him, he knew one way to get Hiro up. He reached for the little boy and started to tickle his stomach and sides. Hiro's eyes immediately opened and he started to laugh.
"Dashi, no fair," Hiro mumbled. "No fair."
"Well get up then little brother and I'll stop," Tadashi replied. "There's something you need to see."
That caught Hiro's attention and he stood up from the bed and looked at his older brother. Tadashi finally stopped tickling him and smiled at the little boy.
"Come on let's get you ready and then you can see," Tadashi said.
Hiro nodded his head and he quickly went to the bathroom to get ready. Within seconds he was done and Tadashi was helping him put on his shoes and a coat along with his own winter clothes. They finally joined their aunt at the front door along with Mochi. She opened the door and Hiro was immediately hit with the cold air and the sight of a winter wonderland. He gazed in awe over how beautiful it looked.
"Snow," Hiro stated.
"That's right Hiro it's snow," Tadashi replied. "Come on let's get a closer look."
Hiro nodded his head and they all stepped outside, Mochi stayed closer to the door because of the cold though. As soon as he was outside Hiro saw the small drops of snow fall onto the ground, he reached out and managed to grab one but it quickly melted in his hands. He caught a few more as they continued to fall on him.
Hiro had need snow before; he remembered how much his parents used to complain about it whenever they went out. He didn't know much about snow other than the fact that it was cold; he realized that because he saw how cold it became whenever it was around. But other than that, he was never allowed to actually touch it. He was never allowed outside and as a result he had no idea what snow was like up close. But now he had the chance. His brother and aunt came closer to him, they saw how interested he looked and they couldn't blame him. This was a new experience for Hiro. That was when Cass spoke.
"They're called snowflakes sweetie," Cass said.
"Snowflakes," Hiro repeated.
"And that's not all," Cass added. "Did you know that they have designs?"
Hiro gave her a puzzled yet interested look.
"Really?" he questioned.
Tadashi nodded his head.
"Every snowflake has its own unique design," Tadashi stated. "None of them are the same."
"Wow," Hiro replied. "They're so small and pretty. They remind of the fireflies back at our old home."
Hiro meant it too; he remembered how the fireflies looked like they were dancing as their lights shined brightly. And now the snowflakes looked to be doing the same thing, they danced around until they landed on the ground. Hiro never realized that nature was filled with so many wonders and beauty. He wanted to become a part of it, without a second to spare he jumped into the snow and started to mess around with the cold matter. He giggled as he threw the snow up into the air and as some landed on him. Cass and Tadashi chuckled at his actions and soon joined him.
Tadashi was teaching Hiro how to make a snowball when Cass started throwing some at him and Hiro. They got her back though as they threw snowballs of their own. Mochi just watched with an amused look on his face as he rested on the porch.
After a few minutes of throwing snowballs, the family decided to make a snowman together. Cass even put a scarf around his neck while Hiro and Tadashi placed some rocks for its eyes, mouth and buttons on its chest. Tadashi went inside to bring out a carrot for its nose and Hiro placed some sticks for its arms. Within minutes it was done and the Hamada family stepped back to admire their work.
"It looks nice," Hiro commented. "So cool."
"It sure does little brother," Tadashi said. "It fits the Christmas spirit.
That was when Tadashi turned to look at the house. It no longer had the Halloween decorations from a while back, it looked a regular house only now it was covered with snow. But now that it was Christmas time, it was a good opportunity for them to start decorating again. There was so much they could do for the house when it came to designing. Tadashi smiled and then he turned back to his brother and aunt.
"That reminds me, we'll have to start putting up decorations soon," Tadashi added. "We want the house to look as ready for the holidays as it can be."
"That's right. Next weekend, we'll start decorating for Christmas," Cass stated. "We'll get out the old Christmas decorations we've acquired over the years but we'll go shopping for new lights. Hiro you can pick out the colors for this year."
"I can?" Hiro questioned.
"Sure, after all this will be your first Christmas here with us," Cass replied. "Then it will be time to shop for Christmas presents."
Hiro's eyes widen once he heard that. His teachers had been teaching him and his friends more about the holiday and how it was celebrated. He heard that it was a time to give and receive; he didn't realize that it was a time to give gifts though. He understood why his teachers were going to take him and his friends on the field trip to the pottery store. It was a perfect time to make gifts for his family and he intended to do so. After all they had done for him this past year it was the least he could do for them. They had given him so much and more, it was all that he could ever ask for. However, the one thing they gave him that he was really grateful for was them. They gave him a family and a home, somewhere he could belong and come back to. What more could he ask for?
Little did the little boy know that his brother was already working on something for him. Tadashi already had a gift in mind for Hiro and he was almost done with it, just in time for Christmas. He hoped that Hiro would like it. That was when he patted his little brother's head and smiled.
"How about we have breakfast first and then we can play more in the snow?" Tadashi suggested. "We can talk more about Christmas inside."
Hiro never missed an opportunity to miss out on his aunt's cooking especially when his family talked to each other during this time.
"Yeah!" Hiro cheered.
With that the Hamada family and cat brushed off the snow and went back inside. The Hamada relatives took off the winter clothes they had been wearing after they did so. Cass finished making breakfast and they enjoyed the end results while Mochi ate his own breakfast. As they ate they talked amongst themselves. They talked more about the holiday and how they could prepare for it by decorating. Cass also suggested that they go look for a tree next weekend as well much to Hiro's excitement. He had also heard about how people decorated the trees with lights and ornaments. He was looking forward to that.
After they finished breakfast they played in the snow for a while longer before it was time to open up the café. Customers lined up as soon as they saw the open sign on. Cass and Tadashi were busy baking sweets and many other goodies while Hiro had been assigned a more special task. Cass took the liberty of making some hot chocolate for the customers to drink while they waited for their orders. Thankfully Hiro was stronger and more cautious for a child his age; he knew to be careful with the tray filled with cups filled with the hot drinks. Plus, he was more than happy to help his family.
Hiro made his way through the customers; some were in line while others were waiting at the tables. They were all grateful for the hot drinks Hiro was passing out, Hiro couldn't blame them either. About half of the customers were human while the others were kitsune. Kitsunes were well equipped to handle the cold weather due to their fur and increased body heat. They could literally walk around with no winter clothes on and be fine; however it was for the sake of appearances that they did so. But Hiro remembered during his time as a human how cold it got when snow was involved. He remembered how paper thin the walls of his house were and how freezing it could be. As a result he could tell which customers were human and which were kitsune. Nevertheless, he handed out the hot chocolate to whoever asked for it and whoever wanted it.
That was when Hiro noticed one of the customers in particular; it was a familiar face and one that he was always happy to see. Hiro quickly rushed over to him with the tray of hot chocolate still in his hands.
"Hi Mr. Callaghan," Hiro greeted.
Callaghan looked to see the young boy and he leaned down to him, he gave Hiro a warm smile. He then saw that the little kitsune child was carrying a tray filled with hot drinks.
"Hello there young Hiro," Callaghan answered. "What do you got there?"
"Hot chocolate, my aunt told me to pass them out to the customers while they wait for their orders. Would you like one Mr. Callaghan?"
"Sure, I would like one," Callaghan responded.
Hiro smiled as he handed the man a cup filled with the hot drink, he then took a sip of it. There was a contented look on his after he had done so.
"Your aunt has always been an expert at making hot chocolate Hiro, such a delicious and warming drink," Callaghan commented.
Hiro was happy to see that Callaghan was happy. And that was when Hiro announced his happy news; even though it was obvious he still wanted to share it.
"There's snow Mr. Callaghan!" Hiro cheered. "Snow!"
Callaghan chuckled at the young boy's enthusiasm; he patted his hair and smiled.
"Yes I can see that, this is your first time seeing it this close isn't it Hiro?" Callaghan questioned.
As stated before, Callaghan was aware of Hiro's situation before he came to live with the Hamadas. He knew that it was no secret that Hiro had missed out on a lot of opportunism in his early life. The young boy wasn't even able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life like seeing a snowflake fall or making a snowball with his hands. But he was happy to see that Hiro was happy about the change in the weather. Hiro nodded his head.
"My big brother and aunt helped me make a snowman this morning, and we also played in it too," Hiro stated. "The snow was cold but it felt nice. The snowman looks so funny but it's also nice."
Callaghan chuckled as he heard the joy in Hiro's voice. Hearing a child being happy was one of the joys in his life, the last thing he ever wanted to see was a child spending their life being miserable. It was one of the many reasons why he and his family adopted and took in some many children.
"Well it's good to see that you enjoyed it," Callaghan replied. "I remember that I used to make many snowmen back in my day. I used to decorate each and every one of them with different features and clothes. My children did the same when they were younger; I can't tell you how many times they used to play in the snow. They were such energetic children."
Hiro smiled as he listened to Callaghan's words. That was when Callaghan remembered one important detail about one of his children. He knew that Hiro would want to hear about it, he turned his attention back to the boy and there was a smile on his face as he did so.
"And speaking of children, my daughter Abigail will be coming home soon," Callaghan commented.
That caught Hiro's interest as he gave the man his whole attention.
"She wants to spend the holiday with her family so she's coming home," Callaghan added.
"Really?" Hiro asked.
Callaghan nodded his head.
"She'll be staying with us for a while before she returns overseas; if you want you can meet with her. I'm sure she would love to tell you all about her travels."
Hiro's eyes widen and a big smile appeared on his face.
"Yes please," Hiro replied.
"Then it's settled, as soon as you're off school and she's back home I'll set up a meeting between all of us. It will be like celebrating Christmas early."
Hiro giggled, he liked that idea. He wondered what Abigail would tell him about her travels, he hoped that she had pictures and souvenirs to show him. He wondered if Abigail dreamed about going to places when she was his age. Maybe that's way she was so dedicated about learning while traveling, if that was the case then he admired her even more than he did before. After a few seconds Hiro realized that there were other customers to attend to, he turned to Callaghan and excused himself.
"See you later Mr. Callaghan, I have to get back to work now," Hiro stated.
"Well don't let me stand in your way. It's was nice talking to you again Hiro," Callaghan replied.
Hiro gave him one last smile before he returned to handing out the rest of the cups filled with hot chocolate to the other customers. The rest of the day went by relatively smooth due to the fact that most of the customers who came in took their orders to go because of the cold weather. After the work day, the Hamada family enjoyed the rest of the time together. The rest of the weekend went on like this until it was time for Hiro to return to his education.
The next day it was time for Hiro got ready for school and he hummed the whole way there. His heart was filled with joy because he knew that he was going to have so much fun now that there was snow on the ground. Tadashi had told them how snow was never a bother to kitsunes because of their natural tendency to retain warmth and their ability to thrive in a lot of environments. Needless to say he was looking forward to thriving in this new environment, it was one that he had only been able to see and not touch. But now he was able to do so, with his family and his friends.
They soon reached the school, Cass and Tadashi bid him farewell as they kissed and hugged him. He returned their affections before making his way to his friends, they greeted him with smiles and he greeted them back.
"Hey Jasper, hey Dionne," Hiro greeted. "You ready for a school week filled with snow?"
"Sure am!" Dionne cheered. "I can't believe how much snow we have now."
"There's enough to make a lot of things. Let's make a snowman together at recess," Jasper added.
The other children like that ideas as they nodded their heads as they walked into their school. The rest of the students followed their example as they bid their families goodbye and went inside. The two teachers greeted their students before it was time to start their daily lessons. They knew that there students were looking forward to these last weeks of class, especially when there was so much fun around the corner.
However, like all things, nothing is ever that simple. But the fun wouldn't last forever because there were hidden threats around every corner, even if they didn't realize this. In the shadows and snow covered mountains were the same people who spied on their target. They had been doing so for the last month or so. And just like last time they waited until their targets were no longer in sight. One of the people pulled out his walkie talkie and spoke.
"What should we do now sir?" the voice asked.
After a few seconds, a frustrated and annoyed voice spoke.
"Stick to the plan, we wait until they are isolated," the walkie talkie answered. "We can't jeopardize all the hard work we put into this mission. So don't mess it up."
"Yes sir," another spoke. "Fall out men."
With that the shadows and snow covered their bodies as they made their way out of sight. The time would come for them to act, and that time was closer than anyone thought.
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