I'm so sorry for being late. *sighs* Being in an "excellent" exclusive school meant suffering more than an ordinary student would during the last quarter. Luckily, I don't have really any homeworks today...so yey!

This is probably the hardest chapter (next to Chapter 5, which I'm still working on. It's been two weeks and I'm not even halfway...) I've ever done so far. So forgive me if it's crappy.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own We Bare Bears.

-Ultimate-Bear-sama

Thirty minutes later, a nurse came to them.

"Grizzly and Panda Bear, right?"she asked. Said bears nodded. Grizz stood up and asked, "H-how's our baby brother?"

The nurse replied, "It took nine nurses and two doctors to calm a stressed, angry, and wild polar bear. He's fine now. Your brother is asleep." Seeing the worried faces of the bears growing, she added, "No. He won't be going into a coma anytime soon unless complications may happen. Expect that he'll wake up in a few hours, though."

The two bears sighed in relief. "Th-thank you, Miss. M-may we go see him?"Panda asked. The nurse nodded before leaving. Immediately, both brothers ran to the same, old plain room and saw Ice Bear asleep. One thing was different from those last weeks though: he was going to wake up, alive and well.

Grizz went to the chair next to the bed, sat on it, held his youngest brother's paw, and smiled. Somehow, he could feel its warmth coming back. Indeed, what the nurse said was true. Ice Bear was going to be alive. Tears of joy ran down his muzzle at that sudden realization. He then felt Panda's paw on his back and the joy that radiated from it.

"I guess there are such things as miracles, huh?"Panda asked. Grizz nodded and replied, "Not just that, bro. I think the reason this little dude survived was because his will was...well...really strong." I really miss calling him "Little Dude", was what he thought immediately after saying those words.

"He cares about us, huh?"

Grizz nodded. "Yeah. Even if we acted like some sort of jerks to him, he still didn't give up on us."

"That's because we're the only family he has left. He's...lost a lot in his life..."

Grizz raised his eyebrow. "Aren't we his only family?"Panda looked down and said, "Well...when he woke up, he said a name. Ashley, is it? Something like that. He said something about losing her...abandoning his 'precious baby sister'...and then some Russian words."

"You don't say?"Grizz asked.

"It's true, Grizz. I'm not sure about who this Ashley is. But I really want to find out."

Grizz looked at the middle brother. "And how will this help us help Ice Bear?"

Panda shrugged. "I just thought that if I get to know more of his past, then maybe I can think of more ways on how to help him."

There was a pause. Panda looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "Out of the three of us, he's the luckiest,"he said. Grizz's focus turned back on Ice Bear's peaceful face. "What makes you say that bro?"

"Well,"Panda began. "He's the only one who remembers his origins. He remembers where he came from and what type of life he used to have. It's not like our situations, Grizz."

"But you know at least a bit of where you came from. I don't even remember what life I used to have. The pictures are all blurry."

"That maybe true. But a lot of questions still remain unanswered, Grizz. Like, why did my mother abandon me? Why did my father hate me? What have I even done to deserve that? I was just a cub, Grizz. True, I knew that I was born in China. But I didn't even get to understand why all those happened to me."

Grizz used his free paw to rub his own back. "Well I can say that I'm the luckiest here. At least I won't have to face the sad stuff, right?"

"...And how does that make you feel, Grizz?"

Grizz looked at Panda again. "What do you mean, bro?"

The younger of the two opened his eyes. "Not remembering anything, not finding out how you were really made...how does it feel...having a hole in your heart?"

"A-A hole?"

"Well of course, Grizz. In your heart, the center of it will always be your past. It's what makes your heart beat. It what makes life worth living for. It...it gives your heart some hope, even in the darkest times."

"B-but...I had my childhood with you guys. Isn't that enough?"

"Well, yeah. But what about way before that? You didn't just fall out of the sky, right? And don't you want to meet your parents...or those whom you consider as a blood-related family? Yes, Grizz. We are family. But remember that once upon a time, you had another family."

Grizz couldn't respond. All his life, he looked at nothing but the future. He dreamed of a bright day with his brothers. He wished for them to be together, even in the afterlife (if there is such) and for no harm to come in their way. His desires were for hi family. And he hoped for them to come true.

But when Panda mentioned of the past, it really made him think. Grizz was very curious. He really wanted to know who his parents were and how they used to live. He wanted to figure out what were his best moments and the memories they shared as a blood-related family.

He clenched is paw. Then again, what would he gain from knowing that?

"Ice once told me of a story about a boy. He was like you, actually. He had everything: high grades, good friends, a girl he admired, and a perfect family. He was a blessed child, they say. He had everything the other couldn't have. And he was thankful for that.

"But then, he got into an accident. While his father was driving, a truck coming from the opposite lane turned to their lane and crashed their car. In that accident, only the boy survived. He got into a coma for three weeks. The boy then woke up with amnesia. Afraid that the boy might get pressured from remembering everything, his mom made them move to another country. It was a new start for them. And the boy continued to live a normal life. As he grew up though, he felt that something was missing. Like...something has been erased. So while he lived, he kept searching for the answers. However, his mother wouldn't tell him.

"Then one day, he finally broke. By the evening of his mother's funeral, he found her last will. And upon reading it, images...the memories came out too fast. Once he was done reading the letter, he cried. Why did she hide it from him? Sixteen years, and his mother hid something he was supposed to know.

"He then though of going back to his old place. So, he set out. But upon arriving, he realized that many things had changed. His friends didn't remember him and even bullied him. And the girl of his dreams got married to someone else. In the end, he became nothing but a depressed man until the day he died."

After Panda finished the story, he out his paw on the spot where he can feel Grizz's warm heartbeat. "Your past,"he uttered. Grizz looked at where Panda's paw was and closed his eyes. In a way, he can relate with the man in the story. He had a good life with his brothers, yes. But he felt that something was missing. It was as if there was a hole in his heart. And although he tried to ignore that pain, Grizz couldn't help but feel miserable. He had everything he ever wanted. Yet, so many questions remain. Where did he come from? Who was he back then? What was life like before he found himself on the streets of San Francisco?

"Your past, "Panda continued, closing his eyes once again. "Your past is the only thing that can save you in times of suffering, in the middle of wars, and in a world full of darkness. It completes you, Grizz. It holds the reason why you want to live. And it saves you from having the hole in your heart expand until there's nothing he left. It makes you realize what's right and wrong. And it pushes you to where you'll be heading in the future. If you don't find out your past right now, then you'll end up like the man...going crazy...wanting to go back time just to find out...living a life that's full of depression and insanity."He then removed hid paw from Grizz's chest and opened his eyes. "Is that the life you want?"

It was only at that moment when he chose not to ignore that empty, yet scorching pain. It was only at that time when the determination of finding out what he was before came in.

Grizz shook his head. "I understand, Panpan. I'll find out who I am. And I'll take every single risk until I see the truth."

Panda smiled. "Then that makes the two of us."

Grizz chuckled and held out his free paw to his little brother. "Is that a promise?"Panda nodded and held his brother's paw. "It's a promise worth keeping."Then in an instant, Grizz lunged forward and hugged Panda, not caring if they fell onto the floor. The younger of the two was surprised at what his big brother did.

"I'm sorry,"Grizz uttered, tears coming out. Upon hearing those words, Panda smiled and hugged his back. "We both are."

Grizz nodded and stood up. He then helped Panda up and sat down on his own chair. Looking at his youngest brother, he whispered, "I can't wait to see you again."

Panda found another chair, brought it next to Ice Bear's bedside, and reached to pat Ice Bear's head while smiling.

"Just hold on, baby bro. Once you wake up, everything will be fine. I promise."

And on that night, two promises were made. Whether they'll come true or not was unknown to them. But they'll do whatever it would take just to keep them...

...because for them, promises were made, not for them to be broken, but to be cherished.

/...\

It was around one in the morning when Ice Bear opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the plain, old ceiling and the light bulb attached to it. He slowly blinked his eyes before attempting to rub them gently. But before he could even do so, he felt arms pinning his own. It took a while until he finally realized why he couldn't lift it.

His brothers were sleeping on it, even if it was attached to the IV.

Ice Bear smiled a little. They really stayed beside Ice Bear, huh? He yawned for a bit, before looking at his brothers' peaceful faces.

"Grizz...Panda...Ice Bear loves you both...so much..."

A knock was heard minutes later. The nurse from a few hours ago came in. She smiled upon seeing her patient awake.

"I see you're awake,"the nurse spoke softly as she entered the room. Ice Bear nodded. Oh, he had so many questions. Why was he in the hospital? Why was his head painful? What actually happened?

But he didn't want to act as if he were panicking. He had to calm himself.

"Ice Bear doesn't remember anything,"he said.

"Oh. You got run over by a truck and went into a coma for two weeks."

His eyes widened. "T-two weeks?"

Ice Bear finally remembered. Waling down the lane to see some fish for sale, a truck came in. He could remember feeling paralyzed upon realizing it. And then, there was that dream.

He felt his heart being twisted.

"Yeah,"the nurse said before looking at Ice Bear's sleeping brothers. "Your brothers were very worried about you. They tried to stay up just to see you open your eyes. But I guess their brains gave up and slept."

Ice Bear chuckled. No matter what, he had to maintain his composition. The nurse smiled upon seeing the bear smiling (in a way). "How are you feeling?"

The bear looked at the nurse and nodded. Assuming that he was fine, she chuckled. "Well that's nice to hear. A doctor will come to check you at ten in the morning."She then pat his head, before adding, "You should rest."

"Ice Bear is not sleepy."

The nurse sighed. "Well, alright. But if you feel any pain of some sorts, you know who to call. I'm Alice, by the way. See you later, Ice."And with that, she left.

Once again, Ice Bear was left alone with two sleeping bears. He looked at the wall clock that loosely hung above the door.

It was 1:15 AM.

What can Ice Bear do at this hour?

Suddenly, Panda's phone vibrated.

Somebody had to answer it. But what can Ice Bear do?

He frowned. He had no choice but to remove the arm where his two brothers were sleeping on. Using his left foot, he moved it to Panda's back (and a bit of Grizz's as well) and gently pushed them down. He then got two of his pillows from the back of his head (he had four before he thought of doing it) with his teeth. After that, he slowly lifted his brothers' chins, used his elbow and paw to support their chins, reached as far as he could, and placed the pillows on their chins (it took one minute to do that single step). Once that were done, he slowly removed his own arm from their chins, and moved his left leg back to the bed. Finally, he extended his left arm and grabbed Panda's phone.

It was from Chloe.

Ice Bear sighed. As much as he wanted to make his awakening moment a surprise for them, he couldn't just reject the call. He had no choice, right?

He slid the white dot to the green one and placed the front view of the phone in front of his ears.

"H-Hello?"

"Panda? Has your voice gone raspy?"

And yes, it was Chloe. But there was something off. Why was she speaking so softly? Was it because she didn't want to wake his parents?

"No. It's Ice Bear."

The second he said his name, Chloe cheered.

"I-Ice! I can't believe it's you! Do Grizz and Panda know you're awake?"

"Not yet. Ice Bear does not want to disturb them."

"They're sleeping, huh? Well they'll definitely be surprised once they wake up."

"Mmm,"was Ice Bear's reply. There was a pregnant pause. Ice Bear, as much as he loved silence, hated the silence that embraced their conversation. Both sides weren't speaking at all, for they didn't know what to saw. He cleared his throat while making sure that what he did wouldn't disturb his brothers. "H-how are you doing?"

He could hear Chloe sigh. Was there something wrong? He needed to know. "It's a really long story, you know. I don't even know how to interact with kids my age anymore. I just feel awkward around them now."

"I-Is that so? W-what happened?"

And there started their long, long conversation (well, it was Chloe who did most of the talking. But then Ice Bear thought that responding with one sentence was close enough to calling it "polite". So he did...even if he kept repeating what he said.) While Chloe told of her experiences, Ice Bear commented on Chloe's friends' personalities. Chloe said that she didn't mind. The important thing for her was that Ice Bear was fine, physically and emotionally.

It was only an hour later when she uttered, "Scratch that emotional part."

"A-A dream?"

Ice Bear nodded. "Ice Bear felt hurt." Who wouldn't though? Just remembering that dream made him feel like a monster.

"What kind of dream was it?"

And there began Ice Bear's long tale. The polar bear made sure not to leave any single detail behind. But when the murder scene, he vaguely explained it. Just remembering how his sister cried for help, asked him to stop, and plead for mercy made his heart break into billions of pieces. That and because he didn't want Chloe to end up having nightmares.

"After that...Ice Bear woke up and lost control of self. Slept again, then woke up to see brothers sleeping on arm."

It took about a minute just for Chloe to say something.

"Wow. That was...wow."

Ice Bear nodded. "Ice Bear rather not tell this to Grizz nor Panda."

"E-Eh, why?!"

The polar bear looked out at the window and sighed. "Ice Be...no...Anton had lost everything he cherished. He lost his sister and home. He doesn't want the same thing to happen to Ice Bear."

"Hmm..wait. So you're telling me that if you tell your brothers, then it's either they'll be afraid and leave you alone. Either that and/or you're afraid that you might do the same thing you did to Ashley to them, right?"

"Yes."

He could hear Chloe sigh. "Ice, I don't think your brothers will hate you for that. They're your big brothers! They know you more than anyone else in this world...even more than I do. I don't they'll leave because of that. And besides, it's just a dream. Remember that."

"It's not because of that. What Ice Bear did...reminded him of what happened years ago."

"Years ago? Way before you met Grizz and Panda?"

"Yes. Years ago-"

"Wait."

Ice Bear raised his eyebrow.

"...Footsteps. The head mistress is coming this way. If she finds out that I'm awake..."

Ice Bear nodded. "Understood. Until then, Ice Bear will find a way to get you. It's a promise."

"Thank you so much, Ice. Well, see you."

And that's where their conversation ended.

As the sky appeared to have little signs of light coming from the horizons, fate had confirmed the third promise. Ice Bear would make sure that that promise won't be shattered.

It's what Grizz has once said: "Promises are made to be fulfilled."

/...\

Panda woke up to the sound of Grizz screaming. He rubbed his eyes before opening them. "G-Grizz?"

He suddenly felt Grizz shaking his shoulders. "Dude, it's horrible! I-I can't find Ice Bear!"

Upon hearing it, Panda's brain immediately woke up. "I-Ice Bear's missing?!" Grizz nodded. "I don't even know how he disappeared! M-Maybe he was kidnapped while we were asleep! I'm so stupid! Why did I just let myself fall asleep like that?!"Panda groaned and clenched the bed sheets. "I promised my own little brother that everything would be fine."The Asian bear then fell onto his knees. "Why, cruel world, why?!"

And as they continued their rambling, the click of the door was heard.

Grizz and Panda turned to the door and gasped.

It was their little brother...who wore a hospital gown and held the pole where the IV was attached to. His right side was supported by Alive.

The two bears couldn't believe it.

"I-Ice Bear..? You're...awake?!"Grizz exclaimed. Said bear nodded as he made his way to them (with Alice's help, of course). He then bowed a bit, looked at them, and said, "Ice Bear apologizes for not waking you two up...and for worrying you."

Alice chuckled. "Ice Bear requested me to walk with him to the cafeteria instead of having letting me feed him. I didn't know he was going to cook our breakfast, though. It still tastes good."

The two older brothers sighed in relief. "Well that's good,"Grizz uttered. Panda smiled and looked at Ice Bear. He took a few, small steps and spread out his arms. When no response came, Panda hugged him. Oh how he missed that warmth. Somehow, it made his heart feel...safer. It made his heart feel complete. And after two weeks of despair, he finally felt at home.

It was perfection.

He felt two, big, strong arms envelop the other two bears. Alice stepped away from the scenario and smiled. Panda's own grin grew when he realized that it was Grizz.

Yes..., he thought. This is home...where I belong.

Even so, that didn't mean that all the family and personal problems were cleared. There was their debt, then Ice Bear's health, how they'll get Chloe out of that damned orphanage, Grizz's past crisis, how he'll find out the secrets of his own past, and how to help Ice Bear deal what has been done.

It may be a tough challenge, yes. But Panda would make sure that all the answers will arrive at them before the problems worsen.

With that, fate hit the gravel with his hammer, signifying that another promise has been made.

Four promises. Whether they'll break or not in the future was unknown to them at that moment. But with that kind of determination the three brothers held, will they really break?

Only time can tell.

AND I'M DONE HOLY SHIT 8D

Any feedback? Please say so~.

-Ultimate-Bear-sama