A Tail of Two Brothers Chapter 37
I do not own Big Hero 6 or any of its characters
One by one children were reunited with their loved ones. Tears, hugs, kisses, smiles and laughter were seen and heard all throughout the building. The bus driver had taken the children to the location where their families were viewing and waiting for their return. In this defining moment, the children were finally free of Krei and his associates. And speaking of them, the prisoners were transferred to a private facility run and owned by kitsunes. They would remain there until the trail began. The collection at Krei's building would be evidence of their crimes. That was the reason why Tadashi had to leave his parents pelts behind, but he wasn't worried. He knew that they would be returned to him and his family once it was all over. And it would be over soon.
A crime like this had never been committed throughout kitsune history. Everyone expected it to end as soon as it began. But for now they waited and they enjoyed what they had back. The children were safe and that's all that mattered at the moment. Families were complete once again. And that included the Hamada family.
Cass and Callaghan ended their line of communication where they were and traveled to the location where the families were. As soon as she spotted her nephews tears welled up in her eyes, they waved at her and she smiled through her tears. Her heart had skipped a beat when she saw them together; she couldn't believe that her family could be together again. Without anything needing to be said she ran over to her nephews and she scooped Hiro into her arms. She placed multiple kisses around his face and cuddled him close, the actions made Hiro giggle. She then pulled Tadashi into a similar hug and gave him the same amount of attention. The Hamada brothers hugged their aunt, now they were finally a family again. They were going to be together forever.
"Thank goodness you two are safe," Cass cried and then she looked at Hiro. "Are you okay sweetie?"
Hiro nodded his head.
"I'm okay Aunt Cass," Hiro responded. "I missed your cooking."
Cass chuckled a little as she wiped her tears away; she then placed a kiss on his forehead.
"I'll make my famous wings as soon you're feeling better," Cass stated.
Hiro cheered and he nuzzled himself into his aunt's loving embrace, that was another thing he missed. He missed her love and her affection and now he had it back. He couldn't wait to go home and go back into his room. After being in a cage he had almost forgotten what his bed felt like, he was also looking forward to writing in his travel book some more. There were so many thing he had to do in order to make up for lost time. That was when Hiro felt his body tingle a little; he let out a small gasp.
Tadashi and Cass noticed a sudden change in Hiro's body language as he looked stunned. That was when the noticed that the other children seemed to be going through the same thing as him. They were frozen in place, and the older kitsunes immediately knew what was happening.
"Hiro, quick change into your full form," Tadashi said.
Hiro gave his older brother a puzzled look but he did as he was told, Cass gently set him down on the floor. The other families were telling their children to do the same. One by one the children transformed into their full forms, Hiro followed their example and changed as well. That was when the tingling in Hiro's body increased as he felt something new. That was when he could feeling it running to his tails, he looked behind him and saw something amazing happening. Slowly but majestically another tail took its form right next to his other tails. Hiro gasped and then he looked at his friends, he saw that the same thing was happening to them. One tail was created on each of the children, after a few seconds the change stopped and there was officially four tails on Hiro's form. The other children gazed in awe over their new addition and soon cheers and applause were heard throughout the building.
Tadashi and Cass took Hiro back into their arms and cheered for their youngest member. They were very proud of the little kitsune. Hiro wiggled his tails and there was a smile on his face.
"Congratulations Hiro, you gained another tail," Cass stated. "And your friends did too."
"That only happens when a kitsune has gained more wisdom or when they have done something important," Tadashi said. "You and your friends managed to survive whole ordeal and still came out of it on top. And for that you all deserve something to commemorate the experience. My friends and I gained one too, we got it just when we were about to rescue you and the others."
A sudden realization hit Hiro when Tadashi said that, he finally understood why Tadashi seemed stronger than before. It was because he gained a new tail, he recalled his teachers teaching them about tails and how they played an important part in determining a kitsune's power and wisdom.
"Oh, that's why you guys looked stronger," Hiro commented.
And now he had a new tail, he now knew how it felt to gain one. It made him very happy and excited! He couldn't wait to see how much his power and wisdom increased. But for now he curled his body around his two relatives and his tails wagged some more. Tadashi and Cass chuckled a little and the gang of friends soon gathered around them. Then they were all brought together in a group hug. Honey even snapped a picture of the moment on her phone, nothing but smiles could be seen as the family and friends celebrated their moment together.
That was when Callaghan interrupted the moment by making an announcement to the people. Apparently he had gotten news from the society that the children should be brought to the local hospital for checkups, they wanted to make sure that their health's' had not been compromised in any way. Callaghan himself volunteered for this job as he wanted the children to come to his hospital and deal with kitsune employees that were more than happy to be of service. The kitsune society decided that they would prefer for this to be done sooner than later and sooner being right now. None of the families objected to this notion as they got into their vehicles and drove to the hospital Callaghan worked at.
The children were all checked out by medical professionals and so far nothing suspicious came up in their searches. The paperwork done on the children was to be sent to the society due to the fact that they would be used in the trial. Despite that Hiro was happy with the fact that none of his friends were seriously harmed, and that included himself. His family and the other families were happy with this fact as well. In an hour or so the children were given the okay to go home. After all they had been through the best medicine they needed at this point was rest.
With everything done, it was time for Go Go, Honey, Fred and Wasabi to go home back to their families. Hiro hugged each and every one of them and thanked them for their heroic actions. Fred especially couldn't stop talking about how their deeds resembled the ones in the comics he liked to read. Hiro laughed and joked with him about the matter. The gang gave Hiro so many ideas about superheroes and he felt honored over the fact that he finally got to meet some. And he wasn't the only one to thank them, the other children and their families also thanked the group for their deeds. Without them their children wouldn't home and they couldn't be complete families. The gang couldn't help but feel proud over what they had accomplished today and the effort they put. It made them happy to see that they made others happy and that they helped them in some way.
After that was done they took off their superhero suits and packed them up for their homes. They then took off and joined their families for the upcoming holiday. They could now finally rest knowing that the children were safe and that everyone got what they wanted. They knew that they would have to come back for the trial but for now they wanted to get on with their own lives.
That was when the families started going back to their homes. The Hamada family left as well. Hiro leaned against his brother as they drove home, his eyes were drooping a little and to say that he was exhausted was an understatement. Cass and Tadashi allowed him to sleep and they did their best to keep quiet. They were home within minutes and Tadashi gently took Hiro out of the truck and they walked back inside. As soon as they walked through the door they were greeted by Mochi, the Japanese bobtail actually jumped into Cass's arms. He meowed and purred as he nuzzled himself into the woman's arms. That was when he spotted the little figure in Tadashi's arms. The cat got closer to the little boy and nuzzled his face into Hiro's. The little kitsune's eyes fluttered open to see the familiar face of his cat. Hiro smiled and he petted Mochi's head.
"I'm home Mochi," Hiro whispered.
The cat purred some more before Tadashi took Hiro to their shared room. As soon as he was inside he removed the clothes the kidnappers gave Hiro. He then placed Hiro into his pajamas and once he was done with that he pulled back the covers on Hiro's bed. He then laid Hiro down on and placed the blankets over the little boy. Hiro nuzzled into the soft pillow and warm blankets, he also felt his stuffed animals all around him. He hugged Bear Bear and Nanook close to himself and he was content. Tadashi was about to leave to go join his aunt when Hiro stopped him.
"Dashi?" Hiro addressed.
Tadashi turned around to look at his brother.
"Yes Hiro?" Tadashi responded.
There was a question that had been on Hiro's mind since he saw that his brother and his friends had come to save him.
"How did you find us? How did you know where we were?"
Tadashi gave the small kitsune a smile and he knew that he couldn't tell Hiro. He couldn't tell him that Baymax was the reason why they were able to locate him and the others. Baymax was still going to be Hiro's Christmas present, he even told the others not to tell him either. It was a surprise.
"Well that's a little secret," Tadashi answered.
"Aww," Hiro whined. "How come?"
Tadashi chuckled a little and he ruffled Hiro's hair.
"Who knows, maybe one day you'll find out," Tadashi stated.
Hiro would have argued some more but he quickly fell asleep. He nestled into his bed and held his bears close to him as he did so. Tadashi smiled again and he gave Hiro's head one more ruffle before walking out of the room. As he made his way to the living room he thought about the last obstacle that needed to be overcomed. The mystery of his parents' murders had finally been solved, his aunt needed to hear it. Cass had been through just as such heartache and pain as him and she deserved to know what happened to her sister and brother-in-law. He was going to tell her right now.
And so Cass and Tadashi just sat in the living room for a long while, Tadashi told her everything that he had learned during the rescue. To say that she was shocked was an understatement, she cried and she poured out her feelings to her nephew. She couldn't believe that the man who killed her relatives was actually Krei's grandfather; she couldn't believe that her youngest nephew had been kidnapped by the murderer's descendant. She cried some more and hugged Tadashi for support, the oldest Hamada brother hugged her and he cried along with her. They just cried together and as they did so they could actually feel the pain drift away. They also had to think about the other Hamada relative that was currently sleeping in his room. They had to think of Hiro and how he needed them now more than ever. They knew that they had to make their peace with the past… no matter how much it hurt. They had to move forward now that the years of pain were finally coming to an end.
The Hamada family was ready to move on and they would be together as they did so.
Hours went by before Hiro woke up, as soon as he did the two Hamada relatives decided to spoil him. First, they gave Hiro a warm and long bath filled with bubbles and toys. Hiro laughed and smiled as he splashed the water and felt the grime wash away. After that was done and once he was dry Cass gave him a haircut. His hair had grown a little over the last few days and it was ready for a trimming. Hiro felt lighter as his aunt cut away at the strands, she even saved some for the scrapbook they had been making. Then they moved onto dinner, Cass was worried about feeding Hiro solid foods so she decided to give him plenty of liquids and foods that were easier to swallow. And so she made chopped chicken and noodle soup for dinner along with small slices of bread and juice. Hiro's mouth watered over the sight of the food and he wasted no time in eating. The hot broth made the feeling in his throat return while the chicken, vegetables and noodles brought his tongue back to life and the juice helped make everything go down. The bread was also a good source of fiber and it was easy for him to chew and swallow. Overall he enjoyed the meal and it helped him forget about the terrible food he had eaten during his imprisonment. Tadashi and Cass smiled and joyed watching Hiro eat, they could tell that he was becoming full with each bite. They were happy to see Hiro happy.
The Hamada family ate in peace and after that they decided to call it an early night. Despite sleeping or a long time Hiro fell asleep easily and he looked very satisfied. During his sleeping Cass couldn't help but snap a picture of him, she decided that this was a memorable occasion. This chapter in Hiro's life was worth remembering because in a way they had rescued Hiro at least two times by Tadashi now. It seemed like fate wanted Tadashi to always save Hiro. She smiled at that thought and she wondered if her late relatives had something to do with that as well. She wondered if Tomeo and Maemi had guided Tadashi to always find Hiro, maybe it was their way of helping him move on with his life. And in a way it was also helping her move on with her life as well. It was because of Hiro that they were able to be the family that they were today. She thanked them for that and she hoped that they would continue to watch over them as time went on. She knew that they would and she felt that she could finally sleep at night knowing that.
The following days were filled with many medical checks and tests. The families wanted to make sure that their children were as healthy as could be even after all the trauma they had went through. Thankfully the researchers had yet to use any sort of drugs or chemicals on them so there were no lasting effects on them. However, some did need blood transfusions and other transfusions due to the samples the researchers had taken. But other than that the children were fine and with the right nutrition they should be okay. Needless to say that every family was taking this order very seriously as they gave their children vitamins and prepared more snacks and heavy meals for them. Callaghan even took the liberty of hiring a therapist for the children; if the children ever wanted to talk to someone about their problems then they were free to go to them. After a while the children were back to their old selves and as time went by they even started to forget about their experience.
The trial was due to start as soon as the children finished school. However, it was decided that the children would not be needed at the trial. Instead the hired therapist had recorded the children's sessions when they talked about the incident. The kitsune society decided that they were going to use that as evidence. This way the children didn't have to face their kidnappers and they didn't have to face the stress of the trial. But Tadashi and the gang would have to testify for at least one day in order to give the judge and jury their side of the story. Tadashi and the others didn't mind though, they would do it in order to get justice for the children and their families. Plus, Tadashi would be able to get back his parents' pelts after it was over. His aunt and him planned to bury the pelts in the graves where the Hamada couple lied in peace. They also planned on taking Hiro with them when that happened; they were actually planning on doing at Christmas. That way they could celebrate the holiday and Hiro's presence with them. But in the meantime Hiro went to school for one final day.
The children spent one more day at school before finally being released for winter break. The kitsune society allowed for the children to do so since they understood that they had been through a lot. And so, the children and their teachers enjoyed one day of learning. After that they had a small party to commemorate the occasion. Christmas treats were the food for the party and the students ate and drank their fill while talking about their planned winter breaks. Most were leaving town to visit families while others were staying and enjoyed the winter with their loved ones. Hiro missed this as well, he missed the classroom and he missed being together with his class as well. He was happy to see that his teachers were okay and that they too were recovering from the incident. They looked happy with the fact that their class was full again and that they would get a chance to teach the children after the winter break was over. Another great thing about their last day was that they learned that the gifts they had made at the pottery store were complete. They would be sent out to the proper owners during the break. Hiro especially couldn't wait for that, he was looking forward to giving his family his Christmas gifts.
As soon as it began, the day was over and Hiro bid his friends, especially Dionne and Jasper, farewell. Hiro stared at his friends as he and his family drove away from the school, as he did thoughts came to his mind. He thought about how this craziness seemed to forever bond him with the other children. All the kitsune children were united through this event, it made them closer and in a way they also understood each other more than others. Hiro knew that after his school years were over that he would always keep in contact with his friends. Yes the tragedy had almost cost them their lives and freedom but in a way it brought their community and families closer together. He not only had a family with his family but he also had one with his friends as well. He was comforted by that fact.
After days of relaxation the gifts finally arrived at his home and that's not all that happened. The trial, it began.
Tadashi, Go Go, Wasabi, Fred and Honey were all called upon to attend the trial. They had to testify against the defendants, the prisoners, and tell the jury what they had seen and how they rescued the children. The therapist, Callaghan and the other doctors were also called to testify on the children's behalf. As stated before, none of the children would be called upon. The society wanted to spare them from any further trauma. The judge would be an elder from another district, but the three elders who assisted in the rescue would be there as well. The jury would also be kitsunes that weren't related to the kidnapped children. Despite the situation and the circumstances the kitsunes would ensure that the humans would get a fair trial. They were given a lawyer and they were given an opportunity to state their case.
The trial went on for days; there was much evidence to be presented and many testimonies to take. Another important fact about the trial was that Krei's family history was brought up in court; it had to be because his family was his motivation for finding and trapping kitsunes. While this was going on, Hiro stayed at home with his aunt while Tadashi went to the secret location of the trial. Hiro would miss his older brother during those times but he knew that Tadashi was doing it for a good cause. But Hiro had mixed feelings about that not going though. He would never forgive Krei for what he had done to him, his friends and his family but he wasn't the one he wanted to see. There was only one person Hiro was interested in seeing at this moment. Ironically that person probably was interested in seeing him.
During the trial Hiro had been doing a lot of thinking. He thought about the people he knew that he should have forgotten about. His father was dead and his mother betrayed him once again, and now fate was going to punish her too. Even if he wanted to save her, he knew that he couldn't. Everyone in the kitsune society was looking for someone to blame and a part of the blame fell on her. She was the one who gave Krei the information he needed in order to find him. Without her this whole thing might have never happened, it's possible that Krei wouldn't even have an idea on where to find them without her. But he knew his mother, he knew that she avoided taking responsible for anything… and that included her own child. He knew that she would try to fight this but saying that she was a victim as well and that everyone was at fault but her.
But that wasn't the only thing Hiro had been thinking about. He wondered if he would be like Tadashi and Cass when it came to not forgetting the past. They never forgot about their loved ones and they spent years trying to find who killed them. In the end they never got justice because Krei's grandfather had been dead for some time now. In a way they would never get closure, that's what this whole trial was for. And he was starting to wonder if he would ever get closure too. Not from this incident but from his past. He wondered if he could stay in fear of his parents and hate them for the rest of his life. But what kind of a life would that be? His hatred and his fear wouldn't change the past and it wouldn't improve the future either. He wondered if he could move on at this point, there was nothing holding him back anymore.
Maybe it was time to forgive and he knew when to do it.
The trial ended very quickly and all defendants were found guilty. They were sentenced to life in prison, well in a kitsune prison that is. There were other prisoners there that ranged from human to kitsune. Believe it or not but Krei was his associates weren't the only humans who had tried to trap and kill kitsunes, there were others and they were serving their sentences in a private prisoner. There were also kitsunes who committed terrible crimes against their own people or against the humans; they too had to be punished. Despite being its own society, the kitsunes still needed law and order. They would spend the rest of their lives in a cage. The kitsune society also decided to make their disappearances look normal or unsuspicious, the fact that Krei was famous didn't help with this process but they would do their best. At the end of the day the kitsunes just wanted to make sure that their secret was safe and that they were not in harm's way.
The kitsunes had won but Hiro didn't feel satisfied with the results. He wanted more and what he wanted might hurt others… including himself. But nevertheless he wanted to do this.
And so one day at breakfast Hiro poked at his food and stared into outer space. He had been contemplated how to tell his family about what he wanted to do. He knew that they would never allow him to it but he wanted to. At this point he felt that this was something he had to do. It wasn't long before his aunt and brother picked up on his mood and they questioned him about it. That was when Hiro took a deep breath and spoke his mind.
"I want to see her," Hiro requested.
Cass and Tadashi almost choked on their breakfast once they heard that. They looked at Hiro like he was crazy. But Hiro didn't flinch or budge in anyway.
"What?" Cass questioned. "You want to see who baby?"
Deep down she knew who her youngest nephew was talking about but she didn't want to admit it. Tadashi was on the same side as her when it came to the matter. They couldn't believe that Hiro had just asked that of them.
"My mother," Hiro stated. "I want to see her."
"Absolutely not!" Tadashi exclaimed. "She's done enough damage to you and this family!"
It wasn't like Tadashi to use that manner of tone with people especially with his own brother, but he couldn't stand the woman. She was one of the reasons why Hiro had suffered so much in the past. She would hurt him every chance she got and it was obvious that she only cared about herself. Tadashi couldn't imagine his beloved younger brother wanting to see a woman like that. And he couldn't think of a reason why he wanted to see her at this point.
"I have to," Hiro argued.
"You don't have to do anything," Tadashi retorted. "You don't owe that woman anything, even if she's your mother she never acted like one."
That was when their aunt gave her input.
"Hiro, sweetie, that woman is a bad person," Cass stated as she leaned close to him. "She hurt you."
Hiro couldn't deny that but that fact didn't change his mind.
"I know," he started. "But she's still my mother. I don't love her like one but I can't change that fact. Just like how I can't change the past."
Tadashi and Cass felt their heart clenched once they heard that, they remembered how horrible Hiro had look when he first came to them. They remembered seeing the old scars and cuts and bruises, but they also recalled the times where Hiro got to experience new things. They remembered how happy and interested he looked as he learned and grew. That was enough for them to forget about his past, it was as if he had been with them for his entire life. But that didn't make it any easier to remember his past, they hated the very mention of it.
"Why kiddo?" Tadashi quietly asked.
Hiro turned to his brother and gave him a serious look.
"Because without her I wouldn't have you two and Mochi," Hiro stated.
That stunned the two Hamada relatives, Hiro continued to talk.
"I wouldn't have my friends from Dashi and I wouldn't have my friends from school," he added. "I wouldn't have the life I have now. To about it, without her and my father you never would have noticed me and you would have never known that I existed."
Tadashi and Cass couldn't argue with that statement. It was true, kitsunes adopted abused or neglected children. Hiro was one of those children; if it wasn't for that fact then Tadashi would have never found him. He wouldn't be here right now and they wouldn't have the family they had today. In a strange way they did have Ryoko and Keiichi Takachiho to thank for that. They never thought about it like that before. To hear that Hiro thought the same thing was truly something else.
"Please, I want to move on with my life with you all. I want to find closure too," Hiro pleaded. "I want to do this, please give me your blessing."
The two Hamada relatives saw the genuine look on Hiro's face and they knew that he probably wanted this more than anything at this point. And they knew Hiro too, he wouldn't let this go. His reasons were sincere and they were real, how could they say no to that? They couldn't, and so with heavy hearts they nodded their heads. Hiro smiled at that and he hugged them both tightly. As they hugged him back they hoped that Hiro would be able to go forward.
The next day the Hamada family went to the prison where Ryoko was held at and they made their way inside the hidden building. They were given clearance and they headed for the cell Ryoko was in. As soon as they walked in they could feel the tension in the air. Despite that Hiro walked forward and he saw her. Ryoko was sitting in a corner with her head bowed, she was dressed in a prisoner uniform along with prisoner shoes and her hair was in a loose bun. Hiro wasn't used to seeing her like this; in fact he had never seen her in anything so causal and bland. She always wore the best makeup, clothes and accessories but now she no longer had that. She looked like shadow of her former self. Hiro couldn't believe how small she looked, had she always been so small? She always looked so big in his memory but now he wasn't so sure about that.
That was when she finally saw him. As soon as she did she glared at him but she didn't move from her spot. Instead she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her and let out a huff.
"Oh it's you, come to gloat?" she questioned in a spiteful tone.
Despite the obvious hate in her tone, Hiro walked closer to her much to his family's worry. But he wasn't planning on touching Ryoko in any way. He just wanted to see her and talk to her, even if she wouldn't listen.
"Ryoko Takachiho," Hiro addressed. "You are my mother, that much I can't deny. Just like how Keiichi Takachiho was my father."
"Don't spew that nonsense to me," Ryoko stated. "I am aware of our blood ties, that pathetic man's genes and my genes were unfortunate enough to come together to make you. What a waste."
Cass clutched her hands into fists and she wanted to lunge at the woman, no she wanted to destroy her. But she restrained herself; she had to remember that the woman wasn't worth it. Not to mention that she was already paying for her crimes. But that didn't make it any easier to ignore. That was when Hiro made a small yet big declaration from the heart.
"I forgive you," Hiro declared. "I forgive you and your late husband, my father."
That caught the woman's attention as she quickly turned around and stared at Hiro.
"What?" Ryoko questioned. "You forgive me? You of all people? Now I know that this is a joke. Leave already!"
But Hiro didn't listen to her as he continued to speak.
"You may hate me no matter what I say or do but I want you to know one thing. After this I will never bother you again, I will never see or speak to you ever again either, and I expect the same from you," Hiro said.
That was when a look of anger appeared on Ryoko's face as she glared at the little boy. She couldn't believe that he was asking a favor for her at this point especially after all the trouble he had caused her. But nevertheless, she was glad that he finally understood that she wanted nothing to do with him. Ever since the day he was born she wanted that.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ryoko shouted. "It's all because of you that I'm in here! I could care less what you do with your life."
Tadashi growled a little once he heard that but he remained composed, he promised that he would respect his brother's wishes and he intended to do so. Cass felt the same way as she just stood by her oldest nephew.
Hiro listened to her and he simply gave a nod of his head. That was when he spoke the last thing he wanted to say to his mother.
"Despite everything you and your husband put me through, I am grateful to you both," Hiro stated.
That surprised Ryoko and she gave him a puzzled expression; she hadn't been expecting Hiro to say that.
"Without you and him I wouldn't be here today and I never would have met my current family and friends. I also would have never known that there was more to this world than I thought, both in reality and in the supernatural. I just want you to know that, so thank you," Hiro added.
Hiro even bowed his head as he said that and it took a lot for Tadashi and Cass not to cry. They were very proud of their relative. He accomplished something that most adults couldn't do, he forgave and he wanted to move on. Sometimes Hiro seemed wise beyond his years and for that they were grateful. They were happy over the fact that Hiro had such an amazing trait. That was when Hiro stopped bowing and he said one last thing to his mother, for he knew that he would never see her again after this.
"Goodbye Ryoko Takachiho… goodbye Mother."
Ryoko didn't say a word; she just continued to give Hiro a puzzled expression as he turned around and walked back to his family. They gave him concerned looks but he quickly smiled at them, he was showing that everything was okay. They smiled back and held out their hands to him. Hiro took their hands and he walked with them out of the prison. He felt as if the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders. He felt better, he did what he had to do and he was okay with the results. He didn't need his mother's love or his father to be alive, all he needed was what he had right now. And he was happy.
He decided that he wasn't going to let his past define him no more, he didn't need to be concerned about it anymore. Right now he wanted to focus on the future, he never felt so sure of something in his entire life before.
He was finally free.
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