Hinyah~ Hikari here.

Riku apparently decided to only update this story on AO3 and not here.

Well, I'm off to bury myself in craft foam in the name of cosplay.

Enjoy the continuation of Saruhiko's birthday in this new chapter.

Chapter 28

The two of them proceeded forward and when they got up to the front doors, Riku opened them and let Saru walk in first. The inside was much more than what he had expected it. It was still marble just like the outside and there were bookcases lined everywhere in the front room.

In the back center was a podium with shelves of books lined up behind it. Currently a man was standing there, reading through a book that was on the podium. He looked up seconds later once the door closed.

"Ah, I didn't expect to see you back so soon Riku," the man said, stepping down and walking towards the brothers.

Once he was closer, Saru got a better look at the man. He was an older looking man with tanned skin and light blond hair. It was a bit long and slicked back and he also sported a goatee. Even though Saruhiko had never met this man before, he could tell there was a wise air about this man.

Riku nodded his head slightly. "Hello Ansem, it's nice to see you again. I hope you father is doing well?"

"Yes thank you. Unfortunately he isn't here for tonight otherwise I know he would be glad to talk," Ansem replied. He then looked to Saruhiko. "And this must be one of your brothers then?"

Saru nodded his head slightly, looking at Ansem inquisitively.

"Yes, this is my younger brother, Saruhiko," Riku answered.

Ansem bowed his head slightly. "Pleasure to meet you, Saruhiko."

Saruhiko nodded slightly, but still didn't say a word. His eyes started to drift around to the interior of the room again. Ansem chuckled at the sight, now looking rather amused.

"Haha, it is always quiet, nice to see someone's reaction to seeing the Spirit Sanctuary for the first time. But I take it is more than just a leisure visit that you are both here, correct?"

Riku gave a short nod. "Yeah, if you want, you can give the introduction on how it works."

"All right, follow me then," Ansem said as he turned around and began to walk.

The two boys followed quietly behind him. He lead them to the right of the podium. There was an open doorway that lead down to a long hallway. There were doors lined up on the left and evenly spaced throughout. Ansem came to a stop and turned around to face Saruhiko and Riku again.

"The Spirit Sanctuary has been in my family for generations, and we are the guardians, as you could say, of this place. When a person passes on, their spirit enters the realm for spirits. But this land we stand on is very closely tied to that place. So through some magic we are able to call forth any spirit a person wishes, and they can communicate once again."

"It can't be that simple," Saru stared bluntly.

Ansem laughed. "It may seem that way, but I've been raised in this life so it isn't so unnatural to me. But I can assure you it is as easy as I say."

Saruhiko just made a nod and said nothing more.

"Since Riku knows how this goes, I'll leave you to be and have him explain the rest. I'll be in the front if either of you need me," Ansem said before taking his leave.

Once he was gone, Riku looked to Saru. Carefully he thought of his next words again. "So… um, do you want to go alone, or would you want me to be with you?"

"I… I don't know..." Saru said in a soft voice.

Riku carefully reached out and placed a hand on Saru's shoulder. "Well, just take your time then. Whenever you're ready. I'm here if you need me."

"I guess… I would like you to at least meet her. After that, it's your choice if you wish to stay."

Riku looked at his brother with surprise. He hadn't actually expected Saru to want him to come along. But Riku could see the worried and nervous look in his brother's face. He could see that he truly meant his words.

"Okay, follow me," Riku replied as he walked forward to one of the doors and opened it.

Inside was a small room, only enough to fit a few people. The walls were a light, golden yellow and almost seemed to have a glowing magic infused into them. There were a couple of cushions played on the floor before a small ledge. Sitting in the center and in front of the cushions was a small clear cube. It shimmered and also gave a glow even though one could clearly see through it. Furthermore it was larger than the size of one's fist, but only by a little bit. Riku moved forward and kneeled down onto one of the cushions.

"You can sit or kneel. It's up to you," he stated.

Saru hesitantly moved to briefly kneel on the cushion next Riku before sitting back on his heels.

"Now all that is left is to bring her spirit forward. Place your hand on the cube and speak her full name," Riku explained. "Then you just have to wait."

After a moment, Saru reached out with his right arm, hovering it over the cube before tentatively setting his hand on it. Taking a deep breath, he quietly spoke out his mother's name. "Aerith Gainsborough."

The clear cube started to cloud up, filling with a light grey smoke. Once the cube was filled a light glow began to emanate from it. The walls themselves began to give off their own light glow.

Directly in front of the boys another light source began to shine. Light from the cube was spreading out in front of them and it slowly took shape. In seconds it had taken the shape of a young woman and though she was transparent, there was color to see the details and appearance of her. She wore a long pink dress with a short-sleeved, stylish red jacket over it. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a braid, but it rested on her shoulder.

"M-Mom…?" Saru stuttered out, looking like a lost child who had just found his family.

The eyes of his mother flickered open, revealing a deep green. For a moment she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. A look of curiosity and wonder filled her eyes. Then she looked back to Saru and the warmest of smiles appeared on her face.

"Hello Saru, I've missed you."

Tears began to streak down Saruhiko's face, slowly at first, before he was basically crying rivers. "I've missed you too, mom." Saru bowed his head, quietly sobbing has he wrapped his arms around himself.

Riku watched, once again surprised by Saru's actions. He thought to reach out to try and comfort him, but he saw Saru's mother look at him. She smiled gently before turning her attention back to Saru. She reached out a hand and placed it against Saru's cheek.

His initial reaction was to flinch. He had not expected to actually feel her fingers brush up against his cheek. Though it was strange, the sensation was light and tingly, but still noticeably there.

"My sweet little boy, I'm right here. You can let those tears out, it's okay," Aerith said, her voice just as soft and soothing as Saru remembered it.

Letting out a faint whine between sobs, Saru attempted to lean into her touch. Following that he felt himself being pulled into her embrace. His whole body shuddered as her arms wrapped around him, something he never expected he would get to experience again.

"You've been holding a lot of this back haven't you Saru?" Aerith asked, still speaking in her gentle voice. One of her hands moved from just holding him to gently stroking the back of his head. "Just remember to breath, let it all out."

Saru tried to speak again, but what came out was a mess of garbled words mixed in with sobs. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get out his words. He wanted to speak though, he wanted to talk to his mother. It was his dear sweet mother, the mother who he loved dearly and never thought he would see again.

Another sob escaped his throat, making it feel dry and raspy. The light sensation of his mother's hand stroking his head would normally bring a calming feeling to him. But for the fact that he had not felt this in years, it only caused his body to tremble more. He never wanted the moment to end. He wasn't sure if he could handle losing the warm and gentle hug from his mother.

"There there, dry up your tears. I want to get a good look at you," Aerith said pulling from the hug and placed a hand on Saru's chin.

She tilted his head up towards her and he stared at her with wide eyes. He could see that her eyes began to water as she ran a hand over his face. She kept smiling the entire time as she looked over him, it growing larger with each passing second.

"Look how much you've grown. You're such a handsome young man now," she stated. "How did you ever get to be so handsome?"

"Mom…" Saru whispered out again. The longer she talked with him, the less overwhelmed he felt and the more natural it felt. Just like how it did years ago. Much to his surprise he managed a small chuckle. "Thanks…"

"There's that smile I always loved seeing," Aerith replied. "Now, you think you could tell me who your friend is?" Aerith glanced over to Riku who still sat there, staying quiet trying not to interrupt the reunion that was happening.

"This… is my older, half-brother, Riku."

"Oh?" Aerith asked inquisitively. She then faced Riku and smiled at him. "Well it is very nice to meet you, Riku."

Riku nodded. "Nice to meet you too ma'am."

"Now, does that mean you found Zack and Zexion as well?" Aerith asked Saru a moment after.

Giving his mother a look of surprise, Saru questioned her. "You know of our other brothers?"

Aerith's expression straighten out, a distant look filled her eyes. She sighed slowly before closing them and bowing her head. "Yes… I assume you both know the reason that connects you as half-brothers, correct?"

"Yeah," Riku answered. "The connection… is that we have the same father."

"Your father…" Aerith let out another sigh. "He had mentioned the names before… so it was just something I happened to know of. I am glad you found each other though."

"Zack brought us all together. He saved me that day."

"Ah, I see then," Aerith replied. Her expression saddened slightly. "I'm so sorry Saru, I should have been able to protect you better."

Saru shook his head, beginning to tear up again. "You did everything you could have done to protect me mom."

Aerith smiled and reached out to place a hand once more on Saru's cheek. "I just wish I could have done more. But I am glad that you survived and have lived with your brothers since. But you're such a young man now, there is so much I wish to ask and talk about with you."

Saru leaned his head to the side, leaning into the feeling of her hand. "I want to talk as well, there's… so much I want to say."

Riku cleared his throat and stood up. "Ah… um, I'll step out now. But it was nice to meet you ma'am," Riku said before giving a slight bow.

Aerith laughed. "You don't have to be so formal Riku, but thank you."

Riku nodded quietly before stepped out of the room. When the door closed Aerith spoke up again. "Now Saru, would you like to talk first then?"

Saru sighed and nodded to her. "Yeah… I wanted to say… I-I'm sorry." Saru tried his hardest to hold in his emotions this time, though he could feel them swirling inside of him. They were trying to break out again, but he wasn't going to let them. "I should have listened to you that day… if I had… m-maybe you would have not been so distracted trying to protect me."

"Saru, you know you shouldn't think that. What happened that day was never your fault," Aerith replied.

"B-But… I didn't listen… and I ended up having to see… see him k-kill…" Saru shuddered, lowering his head. A lump formed in his throat, preventing him from finishing the rest of his sentence.

Aerith placed her hand under Saru's chin. She tilted his head up and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know, and I am so sorry you ever had to see that. But what matters is that you survived. I would have felt awful if that were the case."

"I still miss you, I never stopped thinking about you mom," Saru whispered, his voice growing weak again.

"My little sweetheart, I am glad to hear that. But I am right here, and I am here if you need me. Is there anything you would like to talk about first? Or do you wish to tell me about your life and anything exciting that happened." Aerith smiled at him, bringing a sense of calming within him. "I'm very curious to know how my little boy has been doing."

Slowly Saru felt the corners of his mouth curl up into a smile. A warthm filled inside of him that he had long forgotten and missed after so many years. He let out a small laugh much to his surprise. "There is a lot to talk about, especially in recent times."

"Well, I am all ears, tell me what you want to say," Aerith replied.

Saru had told his mother what he wanted to first, which was what happened after her death. He told about how Zack came to save him in time and then brought him back to him home. He wasn't the best at explaining his thoughts of the experiences as that time was a jumbled mess of emotions, but he wanted to try his best. He wanted to say as much as he could.

He had only gotten through telling about the general things that had happened though included a few funny stories. He had just gotten though telling the story of Zack beginning to train him with his choice of weapons, which were his throwing knives. Aerith started to laugh when the magic from the room faded slightly and so did her apparition.

Saru raised an eyebrow as he looked around. "What's happening?"

"There is magic within this room that is used to bring my spirit here, but it isn't able to keep it going forever. It wanes after a time and will need a chance to restore itself."

"So… does that mean… you're going to," Saru started to say what he wanted, but again he ended up trailing off. The words were too hard for him to truly speak.

Aerith reached out and placed a hand on Saru's shoulder. "Yes, I'm afraid I will have to go for now."

"But wait!" Saru shouted. "Can't I just go to another room here? Surely the other rooms still are okay to use after this."

Aerith shook her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. The energy is also being channeled through me as well. I'll need time to rest before being summoned here again. But it's okay Saru, you can always come back and see me. We don't want to talk about everything all in one night."

Saru lowered his head and muttered something softly. "I wouldn't mind…"

Aerith clicked her tongue. "If we were to talk about everything all in one session, then what would we have for next time? I know you are feeling a lot of things upon seeing me again, but just remember to breath. I'll always be here if you need me."

Her image started to fade more, yet she was able to keep her kindhearted smile.

Saru reached out to her, but his hand just went through her. "Mom!"

"I still love you Saru, I always have and I will continue to do so. I'll be awaiting your next visit."

The magic finally died out and the color from the room faded. The cube in front of him went dull as well. Saru waited though, to see if anything else would happen. But everything remained quiet.

Eventually, Saru rose from the cushion, stumbling slightly as his legs had gone numb from how he was sitting. He hesitantly made his way over to the door, throwing a longing glance over his shoulder towards where the spiritual form of his mother once stood. With a sigh of longing, he finally stepped out of the room.

Across from the door in the hallway was Riku. He stood leaning up against the wall, with his head turned to the side. From the few seconds that Saru could see, he seemed to be lost deep in thought. But that look was quickly changed once Riku turned his attention over to Saru.

"Hey, so… how did it go? I mean, are you going to be okay?"

Saru staggered forward to Riku until he was standing directly in front of him. Now being so close to one another, Riku could truly see the weariness in his brothers eyes. There was such a sadness in them, yet at the same time a renewed sense of something much more positive. Riku didn't get much time to look through as Saru grabbed onto him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Riku was about to ask what was going on, but then what he heard next gave him his answer.

He heard Saru begin to cry again. It was just something small, but it quickly evolved into a series of sobs. The action still surprised Riku though as he could feel Saru gripping the back of his jacket.

The sobs continued to pour out from him and still Riku didn't know how to react. He had never seen Saru like this before. Seeing him sad and vulnerable was something he never suspected in all of the years he had known him. But he started to figure that it was all tied to his mother. It was the one thing that could get through to him to break down those cold and harsh walls.

Finally Riku placed his hands onto Saru's back and patted him gently. He opened his mouth to say something, but he found no words to come out. At the time he was completely unsure what he should say. But he figured he would stay in the embrace as long as Saru needed.

After a few minutes the sobs died down a bit. Saru huffed heavily, his throat sore once more from crying. "Th-than… thank… you…" he said, whispering into Riku's ear.

Saru breathed out a long breath before the rest of his energy left him, causing him to pass out onto Riku's shoulder. It was yet another surprise to Riku, but he managed to catch and hold his brother to prevent him from falling.

"You're welcome," Riku whispered back, knowing he would repeat himself later, but the words just came anyways. Never in all of these years did he ever suspect he would have a brotherly bonding moment with Saru, but he welcomed it, happy to have helped.

*Hikari's head pokes out of a pile of EVA foam pieces*

Hope that you all enjoyed emotional Saru.

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Until next time, kweh-nyah~