Final Chapter: Someday.
Everyone at the shelter looks solemnly at Hiro as they watch her and her family put her bag in the limousine's trunk. It wasn't a big bag, but it was more than what Hiro had when she first came here with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Hiro looks at them sadly. She really is going to miss them.
" So. I guess this is goodbye." She said.
" Are we going to see you again?" Fred asked.
" Yeah. Definitely. I'll come visit." Hiro promised. She wouldn't give them up for the world. Not even a galaxy.
" What about school?" Wasabi said.
Hiro definitely doesn't want to leave college. She loves learning about robotics and being a part of the SFIT community. But she has to put it aside for her kingdom. She has to be there for her kingdom.
" I'll see. I promise I'll let you guys know." She lies through her gapped teeth.
" Just admit it. You'll be too busy for us. You're the princess and we're nothing." Hiro heard an angry voice. She looks at GoGo and sees her glaring at her. It was obvious that she's more sad than really angry. Hiro doesn't blame her for her feelings.
GoGo knows Hiro is going back to her family and they are actually really good people. She also knows that she's the princess, but it wasn't fair. It's not fair that they got to know the princess only for her to just leave them like that. They care about her and it's hard for her to her friend leave.
Hiro looks at all of them sadly and says barely containing her tears, " I know that I may seem like a jerk to leave you guys like this. It's not easy for me either. You are all like brothers and sisters to me. I don't know how I can ever repay for taking me in when I thought no one else would. Thank you for being my friends and helping me be the person that I am. I will never forget you and I promise to see you guys. Don't think that just because I'm the princess, I would think of you less than me. I never saw any of you like that from the start and that is never going to change. I see you as part of my family and I hope that you will one day forgive for lying about who I was."
Everyone, even GoGo, looks at Hiro more understandingly. This young woman who had been through so much and became the person that she is because of this shelter. She's smart, compassionate, and overall someone special. No words can describe how much they will miss her.
GoGo steps up to Hiro and gives her a hug. The two women were joined in by Fred, Wasabi, Kathy, and all the other people who lived in the shelter and had come to love having Hiro around.
" Just don't forget us. Ok?" GoGo said.
" I won't." Hiro promised.
Hiro was so enveloped by the hug that she can barely breathe, but she didn't even care. She just gave them one last genuine smile. One last smile before she returns to the life of a princess to San Fransokyo.
Hiro, or now maybe once again Hana, looks out the window as the limo driver pulls away from the mansion. The pit of her stomach keeps sinking more as the mansion and all of her friends disappear from her vision, but the life she had made for herself.
" It's going to be great to have you back at the palace Hana." Tadashi smiles warmly at her looking forward to having her back.
Hana only smiles back at him and nods in agreement.
" What am I doing?" She thought. " This is not who I am. I shouldn't be this quiet." She contemplates her running thoughts. Did she make the right choice?
" We're going have a big celebration and dinner in honor of your homecoming sweetie." Cass said excitedly.
Hana only could think about the times when she and friends celebrated in the kitchen of the shelter. There was no fancy food or famous bands to play. There were no people of great status attending the celebration. Just nothing famous beyond a simple get together, but it made you feel nothing short of something special. Like you were apart of something more.
" Like I belong." She thought before she made a decision and shouted, " Stop the car!"
The limo driver slams his brakes on command. Both her brother and her aunt gasp in surprise.
" Hana. What's wrong?" Her aunt asked concernedly looking to her niece.
" Everything." She answers as tears leaked through.
" Everything?" Tadashi said in confusion. " What do you mean 'everything?'"
Hana looks at them with her tear stained face. She had been quiet about it for so long. But she knew she can't contain her feelings anymore. Because it has done nothing but hurt herself and her family. She has to be honest to them. No matter how much it would hurt.
" I can't go back." She said to them.
" Hana we want you back. You're not a disgrace to us. You're part of our family. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise." Tadashi said soothingly to his crying sister.
" It's not that. I know you guys love me and I know now how much you want me to come back home. And I know the kingdom wants me to come home. But that's the thing. GoGo. Wasabi. Fred. Kathy. Everyone who lives at the shelter. The shelter is my home." She finally said her pent up feelings.
" Hana..." Tadashi said sadly.
" For many years, I felt like a cracked China doll that no amount of glue can fix. I felt like I wasn't good enough. But everyday I wake up there, I know I have a family who makes you feel like you're wanted. Like you're worth something. If it weren't for my friends, I would still be so lost. Alone. And hating myself. They helped me overcome so much obstacles that even I thought were impossible. And going to school with them where I can see myself go beyond my wildest dreams and succeed. It's amazing. Being at that shelter has helped me see that there is someone who cares what happens to me, and that I can be not someone I'm expected to be. But someone who I want to be. I just can't pretend anymore."
Tadashi and Cass look at her in understanding.
" Come here." Tadashi said as he hugged his little sister gently as she cries. Cass gets out of her seat and joins in.
" Tadashi. Aunt Cass. I'm asking you to do this for me. No matter how hard it is. I know I can be Princess Hana of San Fransokyo someday." She said. " But right now I just want to be Hiro. Can you guys do that for me? I just need more time."
Tadashi felt hurt on the inside. He really did want to bring his sister home. He had missed her for so long, it was agonizing. He lost her to those horrible people for five years, and lost her for another half year when she ran away from the pressure and the abuse. He wanted nothing more but for him and his sister build anything to their hearts desire together. To be together again.
But that shelter did helped her. Her friends had taken good care of her when he couldn't. She looks much more happy now than in a very long time. It was more than understanding that she isn't ready to leave them. He really shouldn't have rushed her into trying to get her to come back to the palace.
Cass was conflicted too. It wasn't fair that her niece doesn't want to come back. She missed that sweet girl and wanted to show her that no one has ever resented her for being a part of this family.
But Hana looks so much healthier than when she was back at the palace and much more free to be herself. Cass knew that they need to do what is best. Not what's best for them nor the kingdom. But for her. Even if that meant she wasn't going to live with them anytime soon.
They released her from their heartfelt hug.
Hana started " Please don't think that I don't love you guys. I know it seems selfish but I..."
" Hana. It's ok." Tadashi said. " If you feel like you're not ready to go back to the palace, then we won't object to it. If time is what you need, we'll give as much as you need."
" But aren't you mad or..."
Cass interrupted " Sweetie. We're just so happy to see you happy again. We don't want to ever force you to do something you don't want to or be someone you're not. We love you. That's all it matters."
Hana hugs them tightly. " Thank you." She sobbed.
" No problem sis." Tadashi said with tears in his own eyes. " We'll visit as much as we can. Don't forget that."
" Ok." Hana promised
" And you will visit us as much you can. You're not going to be a stranger to us on my watch." Cass cried.
" I will. " Hana promised again as her smile widens.
" Alright it's settled. Bernard please turn this car around." Cass told the driver.
" Yes your majesty." The driver said as he starts turning the car.
Hana looks to her brother, " Just so you know. Just because I'm not ready to be a princess, I'm ready to be a sister to you again."
" Thank you Hana." Tadashi smiles warmly at her as he embraced her.
" Call me Hiro." She said in return.
Fred stands outside the main doors to his home. It hasn't been five minutes and already he misses Hiro. His friends are inside somewhere feeling sad that she's gone. He wished there was some way that she didn't have to go and she could stay here.
He then hears a car pulling into the driveway of the mansion. His eyes nearly bulge out of his skull. He's heard it before. Only one car can make that type of noise: a limousine.
He runs to the driveway and sees the royal limousine pulling up at it.
" Guys!" He screamed as he ran back into the house and into the atrium. " Everyone! Come out! Hurry!"
Everyone, including GoGo and Wasabi, in the mansion comes running out of their rooms and out of the mansion doors to find Hiro with her bag over her shoulder coming towards them.
They all crowd around her and cheer. It was a surprising shock but a good one. They all embrace her in such happiness. Just when things couldn't even better, they did when she told them she was staying here for a long time.
" I talked to my brother and aunt. They said it was okay for me to stay here until I graduate from college." She said with the biggest smile on her face.
" What about the right hand princess position?" GoGo asked skeptically.
" Honey is going to take care of that. Since she is going to marry my brother anyway. It just makes sense anyway." Hiro explained. She still couldn't believe it. She was here to stay.
Tadashi looks at his sister from a distance and smiles at her. Even though they might not be able to have the relationship they once had again, in a way it has gotten stronger in a whole new light. She's much more outspoken and independent. Maybe letting her go is the best thing he could do for her. But don't think he's going to not be there for her all the way.
" Hey Tadashi come on and join in!" His sister called.
He smiles widely and comes over to the crowd. They instantly pull him into this great big hug. He had been in many crowds before but nothing this personal and close. It makes him feel like he's a part of a big family. It's a whole new experience for the young king.
As the crowd breaks apart a bit, Hana looks towards the doors and sees Kathy in shock.
" Welcome back Hiro." Kathy said as she turns her look of shock back into a smile on her face.
" Yeah I'm glad to be home." Hiro said being on the verge of tears again. But this time it was for the good reasons. She looks around and sees her friends, her brother, everyone smiling at her. None of the smiles are less than the genuine article. The one thing she had learned about emotions and feelings.
Home. Is more than just a four letter word. It's not a building nor a palace. It's where you feel you belong and loved. Sometimes you have to leave the place you lived in your whole life in order to find your home. My brother and aunt has always been apart of my home, but this shelter has done something more. It completed it.
And that's it! Thank you everyone for following my story and giving me your time to review it. I was so glad to finally get it out of my system. It has been bothering me for over six months since I saw the movie Gimme Shelter. Now I can finally move on with my other stories.
For those who were following my story, Daddy Tadashi, Just so you know LuxAvenue has adopted it and is now the author of it. She's doing a wonderful job so far and you should follow her now. I think she'll make better time with it than I ever would.
I am going to do my Big Hero 7 sequel this december as soon as I can finish up No Son Of Mine and start the drafting stages. In the meantime enjoy the stories I already have up.
Tell me what you think and see you at the next story.