When Momokase had seen Obake drag Hiro down that cliff her heart had nearly stopped. The boy's piercing scream had continued ringing in her ears as she had to control herself not to run forward and jump right after them. Although the panic was growing inside of her she knew that she couldn't just run out, there were so many police officers there that she'd be arrested on the spot. It was too uncertain whether or not they'd believe her that she really did want to help save Hiro.

She had thought that, after they'd gotten Hiro out of the house, his friends would be able to get him back to the city on their own. That they didn't need her help anymore. She thought that she'd just head back to her old lair, get her stuff and then disappear, knowing that Hiro would be safe now. But she'd been wrong. She should never have left him with them only. Obake had found them at the cliffs so easily that she regretted not having been there. She had realized in horror that she was making the same mistakes now as she had with her little sister back then.

She stayed hidden behind the trees and watched for a moment as Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Go Go discussed. Go Go had been with friend until now and had been speaking with the police men. Their friend Fred was being taken care of by them now. They were already working on lifting him into the chopper. Although Go Go had treated the wound, Momokase could see the blood dripping to the floor even from so far away. Still, it seemed that she had saved her friend's life, or at least extended it long enough for him to still have a chance.

She tried to listen in to their conversation and wished she could speak with them and make a plan. If there were four of them out there looking they'd have a much bigger chance of finding Hiro before it was too late. As she crawled through the bushes and a bit closer she suddenly remembered – they had communicated through their watches before, it should still work.

With a few taps on the small watch display she activated the voice control and called for them. Further ahead she saw all of them twitch as they heard her voice inside their helmets. Honey Lemon looked around and then answered into her watch: "Where are you?"

"There's too much police." Momokase replied quietly. "They'll arrest me. But we need to find the kid. What's the plan?"

"I'm confident they hit water." Go Go replied immediately. "I know these woods. The stream flows south, east and west of the city, so it'd be best to split up. I'll take all the shores that are furthest off. With my skates I'll be able to cover all of them quickly." Her voice got shaky as she continued speaking which seemed to surprise everyone. Her tough demeanor didn't fit the way she sounded, but after all the panic and horror they had faced that night …

"I'll head down the southern stream." Wasabi picked up as Go Go didn't continue speaking. His voice sounded surprisingly steady. "Honey Lemon, can you check the east?"

When Honey Lemon agreed Momokase replied: "That leaves me with the west then. Do we have a map? We need to stay connected in case someone finds Hiro."

"I'll enable the location share on the watches." Wasabi agreed immediately. "If anyone finds Hiro, all we need to do is mark the location on the watch and it'll automatically be shared with everyone else. And, as far as the police goes …" he hesitated for a moment and then went on saying: "If you find Hiro, just share the location, give us five minutes and then get out of there, okay?"

Momokase smiled a bit at the thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Wasabi."

"You're welcome, Momo." He chuckled a tiny bit at the nickname and she felt a certain warmth in her heart upon hearing the name Hiro had used for her. The boy's voice had always warmed her heart as it reminded her so much of her little sister, but right now the voice was being replaced by his terrified scream that had echoed over the cliffside. Momokase had never heard anything like it, not even when her family had been attacked back then. The sheer horror she had hear in Hiro's voice had petrified her. But she tried to push the thoughts aside for now. It was far too painful and if Go Go was right and they really had hit water, then they might have survived the fall. She clung to that hope just as much as the others seemed to.

They repeated the plan once more before splitting up. They would each take one of the directions with Go Go covering the shores that were furthest off. After agreeing to stay in constant communication, Honey Lemon went to speak with the police while they were all heading out.

Momokase followed the tiny map on her watch through the woods, barely looking where she was going. The only thing that mattered was the tiny red dot she had set that guided her to the western shores of the streams. As she rushed through the thicket of the woods her mind began to wander – if she were to find Hiro and Obake, what would she find?

Was there any way they'd be unharmed? Any way they'd be fine and just waiting patiently at the shore? Or was she going to find two lifeless bodies rotting away in the water?

A shiver ran down her spine as she tried so hard to push away the thought of another child laying dead in her arms. Momokase knew that she wouldn't be able to handle to look into another pair of dark eyes that had nothing behind them, that had no soul. There was no way she could ever handle those emotions again. If there was any possible way to save Hiro from passing, then she was going to do it, no matter what.

She reached the first shore as the sun was slowly beginning to set. It was a narrow, sandy shore that spread in front of the woods. Although she hadn't expected her luck to allow her to find Hiro at the first place she checked, she was still disappointed when he really wasn't here. And so she marked the place on the watch with an X, to indicate that no-one needed come here. As she scrolled through the area she noticed that the others were starting to mark places as well, they all seemed to have reached their first investigative spots.

"Any luck yet?" Wasabi's voice came from the watch suddenly. The connection was surprisingly well now that she was out of the woods, Momokase thought.

"I only just reached the first place, but they're not here." She replied and took another look around the small place. There was nothing except for some shells here and there and some bugs. And so she turned and left to find the next shore that was marked on the map. Her heart beat heavily with tension.

"Me neither." Honey Lemon said, her soft voice sounding sad. "I'm heading to the next shore … are we sure they couldn't be anywhere else?"

"Unlikely." Go Go responded. "If they really hit the water then the stream would have carried them off. There's no other place for them to wash up at except for the shores."

They continued talking, but she wasn't really listening anymore. She just followed the directions on the small display to the next shore. And then the one after that. And the one after that. Every now and then the others would communicate that they still hadn't found anything even after a couple of hours of searching had passed. Occasionally Momokase heard choppers high above her, but due to the thick fog she figured that they couldn't really see anything and that it was no use. They'd have to search on the ground, like they were doing.

"Anything?" Honey Lemon asked as the sun had set. Darkness had engulfed the woods and the shore Momokase found herself at. This was the second last one she was supposed to check before returning to their meet up point.

"Nothing." Go Go replied breathlessly on the other end of the line. "I checked every single one … they're not here. Not even a trace."

"Wasabi?"

"Me neither." The man replied with a heavy voice. He also seemed to be getting desperate. "It's like they just … disappeared. There's nothing."

Momokase sighed heavily and walked closer to the water. The pebble gave a crunching noise as she walked over it, her feet slowly sinking into it a bit deeper with each step. As the sun had set, she found it hard to see anything at all but she tried her best. As she stood at the edge of the water and took a closer look around her heart suddenly sank when she noticed a dark spot in the pebble to her left side. She stepped closer and her blood froze when she realized that the dark spot was actually blood that had soaked the tiny stones beneath. Momokase quickly knelt down and pushed aside some of the pebble, only to reveal that the blood had dripped quite far below the surface. Whoever had been injured must have bled a lot … and she just begged silently that it was Obake and not Hiro.

The others continued discussing about how to keep going and where to check next, but she stayed silent. If Hiro was the one injured and Obake had taken him further away then she needed to be careful and, most importantly, quiet. If Hiro's friends and the police showed up there'd be a fuss and it would be too loud, Obake would definitely hear them and get away with the kid.

And so she just agreed to the plan that she was going to check the last shore on the list and let them know if she found anything. When the silence returned, she turned her attention away from the bloody pebble and walked up ahead to look for any other traces. Right by the edge of the cliff she found another dark spot and found it to be blood as well. She quickly realized that they must have washed up here, both injured but alive. The pebble revealed that this injury wasn't as bad as the one she had found first, the blood hadn't made its way as far down. Relief washed over her and eased the tension in her chest a little bit. She hadn't really noticed how tense she had been until now. The fear was slowly getting too much, but just knowing that Hiro had survived calmed her enough to at least keep thinking.

She kept looking around, but there wasn't much more to find. The shore was empty and she couldn't find any other traces anywhere. But she figured that they couldn't have gone too far. The way her feet sank deep into the pebble made it hard to walk and judging by the amount of blood either one of them was too badly injured to travel. They must have still been close by, she thought to herself.

Momokase tried her best to push the thought of Obake taking an injured Hiro away again. She knew that there was almost no way that Hiro had been the one to take Obake to safety, as he would have been too weak to do so even without the injuries he must have suffered from the fall. But she still tried her best to believe just that. Hiro was smart and resourceful, he might have found a way, she told herself. And so she tried to put herself in his shoes. If she was a young kid, stranded here and injured, what would she do?

Her eyes wandered around the scenery until they landed on the Golden Gate Bridge far off in the distance – the city. He must have decided to make his way towards the city, she thought. The only thing he knew was that his friends, his Aunt and his home were somewhere in San Fransokyo. It was most likely out of the question that he would have gone anywhere else. She sighed in relief upon the realization that he hadn't, like she had feared for a moment, went into the woods. Hiro must have been smart enough to make his way toward the city via the only way someone might be able to find him – through the shallow water.

Momokase took one last look around and then knelt down to take off her shoes. The water must have been well below ten degrees and wearing wet clothing or shoes would only endanger her, she figured. With her shoes jammed under her arm, she stepped into the water. Her feet both immediately sank into the pebble as she started to make her way along the cliffside. The water was so cold that her feet felt like they were getting stung with needles, it hurt quite a bit. Momokase figured that, if it was this difficult for her to just walk through it, then Hiro would be in severe danger of getting hypothermia. It had already been a couple hours since the fall and the darker it had gotten the colder it had become. She had to hurry and find him before it was too late.

She kept walking along the cliffside until she eventually reached a corner. As her feet were slowly growing numb she thought that, if she didn't find them at the next shore, she'd have to put her shoes back on and continue looking on land. But, fortunately, that wasn't going to be the case.

As she turned the corner of the cliffside she sighed in relief at what she saw. She noticed a tiny speck of color right by the water and realized that it must have been fire. It was tiny and barely visible, but definitely there. Without even knowing what she might find, Momokase walked over to the shore as quickly as possible and stepped out of the freezing water. She noticed a figure sitting by the fire in a crouched position turn as the water splashed with each and every one of her movements. She didn't bother putting on her shoes, she just hurried towards the dark figure. The closer she got the clearer the image in front of her got. She quickly saw that it wasn't just one person but two. The larger person was almost hunched over another, much smaller person who was laying in the pebble. Momokase didn't need long to realize what was going on here.

Although Obake was hunched over and seemed to be injured, it was Hiro who was unconscious. It was just like she had feared. The injuries from the fall, the cold water and the exhaustion must have been too much.

As she looked down at the lifeless body of Hiro her breathing flattened. Suddenly she was reminded of her little sister who had been the same way – unresponsive and pale as marble on the ground. But she tried to control the panic that was quickly rising within her chest. She had to push it down, had to control herself. If she panicked right now it wasn't going to get her anywhere. Hiro wasn't gone yet, she told herself over and over again as she breathed through the fear inside of her. This was going to end differently, Hiro was not going to pass like her little sister had.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked and knelt down quickly, pushing Obake aside. Her hands cupped Hiro's cheeks and she leaned down further to place her ear by his nose and mouth. He was still breathing, yet faintly. His wet clothes were hugging his slender frame and his fringe was sticking to his forehead. The boy's skin felt cold as ice.

"He's passed out from the cold ..." Obake said quietly, his voice hoarse and shaky. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed how his hand was pressed to his side, apparently trying to relieve some pain. She noticed how the man's face seemed to pale more with each second that passed and how he had multiple cuts and bruises all over his skin. He seemed severely injured, but she couldn't really be bothered by him, not after everything he had done. And so she looked away from him and didn't respond. Instead she checked Hiro for further injuries.

There was a bleeding wound on his temple soaking his hair, the blood slowly dripped down his earlobe and into the pebble beneath. His sweatshirt only had one sleeve left and was soaked all the way down to his skin. He had a few abrasions and cuts all over his body as well as larger bruise on his knee. When she noticed how his ankle seemed to be broken she wondered how he even managed to walk this far.

Before she could do anything else, Obake moved next to her. He was holding out a piece of clothing. It was damp and had a large, bloody spot on it.

"He should put this on." The man explained hoarsely when Momokase didn't react. "He found it over there with some other things … it's damp, but it'll keep him warmer than his shirt." she raised a brow and grabbed the damp sweatshirt. Despite the rising anger she felt for the man in front of her she welcomed the little bit of help he offered to get the sweater over Hiro's head. As they gently moved his arms through the sleeves she glanced up at Obake. He looked back at her but didn't really say anything. The tension between them was so tangible that it seemed to make the both of them uncomfortable.

"Is he going to be okay?" Obake suddenly asked and she remembered how he didn't know much about medicine. Even when Hiro had accidentally overdosed the man had been helpless, it was no surprise that he was overwhelmed with this situation. For a second she thought about whether or not she should reassure him. She knew that, as long as they got Hiro into the warm, he was going to be alright. His injuries didn't seem bad enough to cause long-term consequences, at least not from what she could see. But it was Obake's fault that they were in this situation, that Hiro was injured and that his life had been in danger so many times. It might be fair for Obake to experience the same uncertainty, the same fear of not knowing what was going to happen to the boy. The thoughts were racing in her head as she pondered on what to do. The man's eyes were fixed to hers but occasionally moved to glance down at Hiro's expressionless, pale face. In his eyes she could see the worry and decided, reluctantly, to assure him that it was going to be okay. This was her soft side winning, she thought.

"Of course he is." Momokase replied quietly and carefully stuffed the sweatshirt down Hiro's pants to keep the wet fabric off his skin. She didn't think much as she took off her kimono, she only knew that the boy was cold and that he needed to be in the warm as quickly as possible. Calling his friends and the police was going to be the next thing she was going to do.

As she struggled with wrapping the kimono around Hiro she suddenly noticed Obake's hands on his shoulders, trying to hold him up so it'd be easier. She accepted the help again, but remained careful. There was no way for her to know what the man was going to do next.

She tied the kimono around Hiro tightly, making sure he was wrapped in it as well as possible. The piece of clothing was too large for him and reached down almost all the way to his knees. The sleeves went over his hands and reached his fingers. Momokase took off her headband and gently wrapped it around the boy's head, making sure it covered his ears so they'd warm up as well.

"He should be alright ... We just need to get him inside and into the warm." She said softly and gently lifted Hiro so she could cradle him in her arms. His face was resting in the crook of her neck, she tried to make sure he got as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. She felt Hiro's faint breathing against her skin and felt reassured. Although she was left in her undershirt and started getting cold, she didn't care. "I'm going to call the police and his friends." she glanced over to Obake, her arms wrapped tightly around the boy. "They're going to come and get him back home …" the man just nodded, his eyes fixed to Hiro's face. When there was no other reaction Momokase asked: "You do realize what that means, right? You're going to go to jail … they'll arrest you."

"I know." The man agreed and shrugged. As soon as his shoulders moved he winced in pain and pressed his hand back onto the bleeding wound in his side. "I'm not stupid. I know it's over … It was over the moment those kids came along and he remembered. I thought …" he hesitated for a moment before admitting: "I thought the fall would kill us both. That would have been so much easier. I wouldn't have died alone."

Anger rose within Momokase's chest as she listened to the man's words. She could barely control herself, could barely stop herself from going for the man's throat. So it really had been his intention to kill Hiro, she thought. Dying to escape jail and dragging an innocent child with him had been his answer. She noticed how he had paled and how he actually seemed frightened at what he had just said. Obake had always been a strange man who's mood and mind changed like the weather. But this was something else, she realized.

Something seemed off about the man, something that she had never noticed before. She found it odd how his heart seemed conflicted. He was so worried for the boy one moment but then tried to kill him. It made no sense, she thought.

But no matter what exactly was going on in his head, he was finally going to pay. After all the robberies, the kidnapping of an innocent child and attempted murder of one of Hiro's friends … it was finally going to come crashing down on him. And although it was hard for Momokase to keep her calm after what she had just heard she didn't respond to the man's confession. Instead she simply lifted her watch and put in their location so the others could find them.

"And what happened after that?" Hiro asked and furrowed his brow. He was sitting next to his brother on the ground, them leaning against the trunk of a tree. The beautiful view of the red bridge was right in front of them and they enjoyed the sun shining down on them.

After he had lost his consciousness at the shore he had woken up on a meadow. Instead of the dark night sky Hiro had found himself looking up at a blue sky, not a single cloud in sight. It was warm and welcoming, a comfortable feeling had spread inside him. Tadashi had somehow found him not long after he'd woken up and they'd started talking. Hiro was listening to stories from before he lost his memories and before Tadashi had passed.

"Well," Tadashi continued speaking, "the snow machine was a complete bust and instead of changing the weather outside … it made it snow indoors. Aunt Cass was so mad." He chuckled at the memory. "She told us there was no way we were ever going to build another robot or machine inside the house so we were banished to the garage." Hiro laughed a bit at the thought of his aunt being so mad. Although he didn't have a clear picture of her in his mind the story still made him chuckle and made him feel at home. He was saddened though, knowing that he was probably never ever going to remember this story by himself. "But I fixed the machine." Tadashi suddenly said. "I took the notes you had into consideration and it should be working now."

"My notes?" Hiro repeated. "What notes?"
Tadashi smiled a bit and simply said: "Whenever I built something, you always had notes. You teased me and said that you should be the one building the robots, not me."

Hiro blushed a bit and felt embarrassed. That sounded kind of mean, he thought. He wondered whether he really was mean or if that had simply been the way they had treated and played with each other. Tadashi didn't seem upset or angry at all though. Instead he was smiling at the blue sky and seemed to just enjoy the time they spent together. And so Hiro decided to try and let the guilt inside of him go.

"I was wondering …" Hiro spoke up again quietly and fiddled with his fingers. He had already asked so many questions and didn't want to be bothersome, but there were just too many things he wanted to know and learn about. "What's our Aunt like?"

"Aunt Cass?" Tadashi repeated and looked down at him. His eyes were warm and comforting. "She can be a bit weird at times, but she's like the human version of sunshine. She loves her cat, horror movies and spicy food. You will absolutely love her." When Tadashi put his arm around Hiro he smiled and snuggled closer. It felt so good to be held and to know that he was not going to hurt him like others had. It was a safe and comfortable feeling that he welcomed more than anything. He felt his brother's hand on his side and listened closely as he was being told funny stories about their aunt and how she'd always have strange guests at the café she ran by herself. Hiro was getting more and more impressed with the woman that was supposedly raising him and his excitement to meet her grew more and more.

"So she took us in after our parents passed?" Hiro summed up Tadashi's story. "And she's raising us? I mean … me?"

"Yeah." Tadashi responded and smiled down at him. His smile was warm and yet his eyes displayed sadness. Hiro was confused for a moment before Tadashi explained: "Our parents died when you were only three … I was ten. You probably don't really remember them, but … they were the nicest people you can imagine. Dad was working a lot to make sure we had everything we needed but when he came home at night he would always spend his time with us. And on the weekends we'd always go to the countryside or the sea to play. And Mom stayed home with you and the two of you would always come pick me up after school."

"That … that sounds nice." Hiro agreed. His heart was beating heavily in his chest and felt like it was going to burst. He wanted so badly to remember all of those times he was with his mother and father, all those times they had come to get Tadashi after school was out. It hurt him so very much, knowing that he'd probably never ever be able to experience those memories for himself.

"You'll remember." Tadashi suddenly said as if he had read his mind and pulled Hiro's attention back to himself. "I'm sure you will. The way I know Aunt Cass … she will do everything in her power to help you. She's not just going to let you run around without memories of Mom and Dad. Or herself. Or Mochi."

"What's Mochi?" Hiro asked with his brow furrowed. "You mean the pastry?"
Tadashi chuckled and shook his head. "Mochi is our Aunt's cat. She loves it so much, you'll see. I think since you fixed Baymax Mochi likes sleeping with him."

Hiro hesitated upon hearing the name. Since Tadashi was only a figment of his imagination – or at least partly – he knew everything there was to know about Hiro's life, even the things that only Hiro had experienced. The name 'Baymax' had come up a couple of times in Tadashi's stories up until now but Hiro still wasn't completely clear on what exactly Baymax was. He knew that it was a robot that his brother had built, but anything other than that …

"Is Baymax … your robot?" Hiro eventually asked and looked up at Tadashi. His brother looked down at him, his arm still around his shoulders.

"Not really." Tadashi responded. "He's yours now. I built him, but you improved upon him and you made him into so much more than I could have."

"I have?" he repeated and pouted a bit. "I'm not even sure I know what exactly Baymax is …"

"Baymax is my life's work." Tadashi began explaining with a smile still on his lips. "The idea came to me shortly after Mom and Dad passed … I was left with a three-year-old brother and our Aunt. It was really overwhelming and I didn't know what to do. I know that she loves us, but I saw that it was hard on Aunt Cass. She never really wanted kids and then she suddenly had two … and her café on top of that. She never really admitted it, but I know that it was hard on her." Tadashi sighed a bit and Hiro could feel the hurt in his brother's heart. His smile had faded and he suddenly seemed exhausted just by thinking about the time back then. He was suddenly relieved, knowing that he might not remember any of this. "One night you ran a really high fever." Tadashi went on. "And we had to rush you to the hospital. Aunt Cass had to close up the café early and lost a lot of revenue, so for a while money was really tight. She was so stressed that I thought … maybe a machine that could at least take care of our health and make sure that we never had to go back to the hospital would be helpful. So she wouldn't have to close up early again. And … that's how I got the idea for Baymax. A personal healthcare companion."

Hiro stayed silent for a moment as he tried to process all the information. The story behind the robot had touched him and yet saddened him at the same time. He never knew how hard it must have been on his family with two people gone and a toddler. Now that he thought about it he realized how much his brother and aunt had gone through.

"I … am sorry." Hiro eventually admitted softly. His heart was aching in his chest as he thought about how to explain his feelings. Tadashi's eyes were fixed on him. "That must have been hard … and I couldn't help. I don't even remember any of this … but maybe …" he stopped again, trying to get some grip on his emotions, but it was impossible. His heart and head were a mess, there was no way he could put what he wanted to express into words. He wanted to thank his brother for everything he had done and for the help he was providing him with now. He wanted to apologize and to let him know that he was going to try his best to remember but … all the thoughts were too messy to express. And that's why Hiro felt thankful when Tadashi spoke up again.

"You don't have to say anything. I know. And Aunt Cass knows, too. It's alright."

Hiro smiled a bit to himself before looking back up at his big brother. Their eyes met and Hiro could not remember ever feeling this at home. He didn't even need to express himself in words, Tadashi just knew him so well that there was no need to even say anything at all. There was this connection between them that Hiro couldn't explain but just loved. It was something he had never experienced with Obake.

"You know what?" Tadashi asked softly and gently nudged Hiro's shoulder. "It seems like you're going to meet Aunt Cass soon."

"I am?" Hiro repeated and giggled a bit when Tadashi poked his side.

"You are." Tadashi confirmed. "I have a feeling your body's in safe hands now."

Hiro froze upon hearing those words. His body. It was still on the shore and laying in the pebble, next to Obake who was gravely injured. He had almost forgotten about what had happened, but now that Tadashi mentioned it …

"I don't think so." He said and shook his head. "I passed out and Obake's injured … there's no way he could help me. I … I think I'm just going to die there."

"You're not dying." Tadashi disagreed immediately. His expression had darkened and there suddenly was tension building up between the two of them. "There's no way you're going to die. Your friends will not let that happen. But I can just feel it … someone with good intentions has found your body. You'll be fine."

"I don't know …" Hiro mumbled and shrugged. Apart from Momo or his friends there was no-one he could think of that might have good intentions to bring him back to the city. And none of them had been close by. He had practically carried Obake through the shallow water along the shoreline and yet no-one had seen him, no-one had found them, not even after he'd lit the small fire in the dark of night. The tiny bit of hope he had had left inside of him had died the moment he passed out in the pebble. "I just think …" Hiro went on softly. "That it was too much … I … have no memories … I hit my head and I think I broke my ankle … a-and I fell off a cliff … I-I could have … died." He stopped talking for a moment and tried to calm himself. All the panic he had suppressed before to help Obake was suddenly coming back, the reality of what had happened sunk in deeper than it had before.

And the reality was that the man whom he had trusted more than anyone else had tried to kill him.

Before he could stop himself tears started dwelling in his eyes and eventually ran down his cheeks. His heart was suddenly aching so badly that it hurt. He just felt so betrayed and so alone that he could barely stand it. And so he snuggled closer to his big brother and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Feeling Tadashi's presence grounded him a bit as he tried to push through the panic.

"It's alright, Hiro …" Tadashi whispered and pressed his lips onto the crown of his head. His arms were wrapped around him tightly, his chest rising and falling against Hiro's. Through the fabric of Tadashi's shirt and jacket Hiro could feel his brother's elevated heartbeat. "You've been through so much but I promise … it's going to be alright. You'll be fine. And do you know why?"

Hiro just shook his head against Tadashi's chest. He didn't know nor was he sure if he wanted to know. All he did know for sure was that he just wanted it all to end – all the pain, the confusion, the fear. Why couldn't it all just be over?

"Look." Tadashi said softly and gently shook Hiro's shoulder. "Look who's here."

Hiro hesitated before slowly breaking away and looking over to where Tadashi was pointing at. The bridge was right by their side, standing just as tall and majestic as it always had against the blue sky. Ever since Hiro had been able to pass the bridge the strange mist had cleared and it had been him and his brother only. But suddenly, there was someone standing on the other side where he had come from. It was the silhouette of a woman he knew all too well.

"Momo?" Hiro gasped and sat up quickly. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized her dark hair, her black kimono and thin frame. She was looking over at him with a soft smile on her face. Just like he had been unable to before, she also didn't seem to be able to pass the bridge. She was standing on the edge of the road, her feet not leaving the mainland.

Hiro struggled to get to his feet and welcomed Tadashi's arm as his brother offered support. He thought that she had been lost just like he had been. Seeing her now was so much more than he could have hoped for. And so, with his brother's help, he hurried over to the bridge and was just about to set foot on it when Tadashi stopped him.

"What?" Hiro asked and turned to look at him. "I-I need to check she's okay. Let's go!"

"Hiro." Tadashi smiled a bit but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. When he knelt down in front of Hiro and placed his hands on both of his shoulders, Hiro couldn't help but feel like something wrong. This was not going to go the way he was hoping. "I want you to know," Tadashi went on, "that I am crazy proud of you, okay? You have accomplished everything I could have hoped for and even more. You are such a great kid, you have amazing friends and-"

"Why are you saying all of this now?" Hiro questioned and furrowed his brow. He glanced over his shoulders to make sure that Momokase was still there before turning back to Tadashi in front of him. "I-I'm just going to go get her … so you can meet her."

Tadashi smiled a bit up at him and shook his head. "Listen, Hiro." He said softly. "I know that you've been through so very much and that nothing could ever make up for that. I know that I've left you behind and that you're disappointed … and for that I am so very sorry. If I could do it again I'd-"

"Stop." Hiro interrupted. "I don't want to hear any of this … this is not … i-it's not goodbye. I'll be right back …" tears started dripping down his cheeks again quickly as he looked down at the teary eyes of his brother. This all sounded like a goodbye and he did not want it to be. He didn't want to lose his brother ever again.

"I can't cross the bridge, Hiro." Tadashi said softly. His large hand was now resting on Hiro's cheek and wiping the tears that were spilling out of his eyes. "The bridge … it separates this world from yours. She's in your world but I … am not."

"M-My world?"

"The real world." Tadashi said. "This is not real … this is just your conscience tying you to the real world. I'm not real, this place isn't real, nothing really is. You know that, don't you?"

Hiro hesitated before nodding slowly and looking down at his feet. The green grass beneath his feet looked and felt real, but he just knew that it wasn't. He had figured already that the bridge was a connection between the real world out there and his subconsciousness. His brother was dead and yet he was here, interacting and touching him, it couldn't have been more than just wishful thinking or a dream. No matter how hard he wished … Tadashi was never going to be back in the real world. And there was no way Momokase would ever be able to cross the bridge into his subconsciousness as she belonged in the real world.

"W-What happens if I cross the bridge again …?" Hiro asked quietly. "I … will you be gone forever …?"

Tadashi chuckled softly and gently lifted Hiro's head to meet his eyes. "You know," he began speaking with a soft voice, "I'm never truly gone, even if you can't see or hear me. But you're my little brother … I'll always be with you. Right here." He pulled Hiro closer and hugged him tightly to his chest. Hiro immediately wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face in it. He knew that he would always carry Tadashi within his heart, of course he did. But it wouldn't be the same to not be able to talk to him, touch him or just simply see him by his side. And he wanted nothing more than to have his brother by his side, supporting and guiding him through whatever was to come.

"I-I don't know what to do without you …" Hiro whispered, surprised at his bravery to confess his innermost feelings. Ever since he had found Tadashi in his conscience, he had been carrying this fear, knowing that he would be lost if his brother ever disappeared again. He felt empty without his memories, without really knowing who the people around him were … Tadashi had become his anchor.

"You'll be just fine." Tadashi said softly. His voice was a bit shaky and when Hiro noticed the tears in his brother's eyes he couldn't help but to let out a sob. "I'll never really be gone as long as you remember me, okay? And also …" he stopped speaking for a moment and gently lifted Hiro's head back up by his chin when he had looked down. "You'll have Baymax, won't you? He'll be your brother for as long as you need him to be. And you'll never be alone." When Hiro furrowed his brow at the thought of having a robot as his surrogate brother Tadashi chuckled. He gently pulled Hiro's head closer until their foreheads and tip of noses touched again. Hiro smiled a bit at the closeness and held onto Tadashi's shirt. "What do you think, little brother? Do you think you can go back home?"

Hiro hesitated and thought about what to say. The fear inside of him had died a little, but he was still unsure. He wanted so badly to go back and see Momo and his friends, wanted to return to his body and to start living again. But knowing that he would leave his brother behind made the decision so very hard. The smiling face of Tadashi right in front of him tore his heart apart but somehow put it back together, all at the same time.

But deep down inside of him Hiro knew that it was out of the question not to go back. He couldn't stay here, trapped in his consciousness forever while other people were out there worrying about him. He knew that he had to go back and be with them, he had to ease their pain and their worry. It was time to finally become himself again, he thought.

"I … I'll miss you, Tadashi." Hiro eventually said. His eyes got teary once more when they met his brother's. "But I … I'll see you again. Later."

"That's right." Tadashi agreed with a smile on his lips. Tears were dripping down his cheeks as he suddenly wrapped his arms around Hiro and held him close. Hiro returned the hug. He cried harder than he could ever remember but somehow it wasn't as painful as he had imagined it to be. Maybe it was because he knew that it was the right thing to do, he wondered. Or maybe just because Tadashi had gotten to him. Whatever it was he just somehow knew that it would be for the best if he returned now and left Tadashi here to wait for him when his time came to join him.

And so, after what felt like an eternity, the two of them broke the hug and Hiro stepped away. Their hands were linked all the way until Hiro set one foot onto the bridge. He felt Tadashi's hand flurrying and slowly disappear from his grasp. He resisted the temptation of looking at the disappearing face of his brother and instead just held onto his hand for as long as he could with his eyes closed. His feet were both on the bridge and when he took in the first breath of the wind that was blowing over the bridge he finally started to feel free.

He was going to be okay, he thought. Tadashi had told him that someone with good intentions had come to get him, to finally take him back home. Although it was hard to believe, he was going to go back home and be reunited with his aunt at last. He would have his family and never be alone again.

And so Hiro mustered up all his courage and took one step forward, then another and one more. He walked slowly over the bridge all the way to where he knew Momo would be waiting for him. Even though it was painful he peeked through his eyes and glanced back over his shoulders only to see that Tadashi had disappeared back into the mist that had been there the first time Hiro had arrived at the bridge. But this time he wasn't scared of the mist – he knew exactly that, once his time came to return the mist would shift again and welcome him with open arms.

But that time was, hopefully, far off in the future.

*