Author's note: This is a darker side to SIH. Warning: Heartbreak, Cussing & Yaoi. Reviews welcomed, no reviews also welcomed. Disclaimer: I owned nothing of SIH but my own creation Nagasaki Raiu. I'm simply unleashing my imagination!

Inspired by: Adam Lambert's 'It's time for Miracles'

*Dedicated to TheNoir, Siren, EriKato – a bit of spiritual healing, and for your encouraging reviews.

Chapter 10: Beyond Darkness

"Ricchan… you promised…"

He turned around and saw the approaching darkness. It had entered the glowing orb and followed him. Death, vile, putrid, His toxic stench enveloping his senses, Death was coming for his last chance.

"Ricchan… you promised! You promised to live for me and Masamune!"

That voice… He looked at the key in his hands and pushed it into the lock. His hands trembled as he turned the key and pushed the gates opened…

Masamune threw his head back and screamed, still clinging desperately onto the lifeless body in his arms. He was in a crazed hysteria. Have you ever seen or heard the sound of a heart breaking into pieces? It was in the sorrowful cries that escaped his gritted teeth, it was in the tightly shut eyes that overflowed with tears, it was in the strained muscles of his neck, the tenseness of his body, the white knuckles that gripped his lover's lifeless form.

He held Ritsu tightly in his arms, daring finally to look at his angelic face. He turned his lover's pale and cold face towards him. He placed a trembling palm on his cheek, caressed the blue-tinged skin and lowered his lips to his lover's slightly parted ones. He shut his eyes tightly, unable to stop the tears that no longer cared if anyone saw, and kissed Ritsu's cold lips for… one last kiss.

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders, yanking him forwards. He heard loud wailings of protests behind him, distorted voices, angry that he had escaped the clutches of the lord Death Himself. The banging of a thousand invisible hands on the golden gates now shut tightly behind him, grated on his eardrums, sending shivers up his spine. He turned to look up into the shining figure, his saviour. He shielded his eyes from the bright glow of the entity in front of him.

"Ricchan… Quickly… While Masamune is still locked to you," The voice was gentle, caressing, otherworldly.

He squinted up and saw someone familiar.

"Raiu-san…" Ritsu whispered, lost for words, "but…how… what about you?!" coming to his senses, "I can't leave you! Masamune needs us both!"

"I'll be right behind you, Ricchan," Raiu smiled. Her spirit glowed brighter than the sun, blinding him, "Quickly, the gates are closing behind me, quickly! I will hold off Death Himself from you. He will not have you!"

"Raiu-san…"Ritsu whispered, reluctance weighing heavily on his conscience.

"Believe in me, by my father's grave, Ricchan, I will be right behind you… Quickly, you don't have time!" Raiu urged, her voice strained, her light glowed brighter.

She placed a loving palm on Ritsu's left cheek, sending him waves of warmth and reassurances… and let go. Her hazel eyes, a strange ethereal glow glazing over them, looked upwards, focused into the darkness which had now seeped into the gates. A promise is a promise, Ricchan, a gentle voice whispered in his mind, caressing his troubled conscience; don't underestimate the power of a promise…

He looked over her shoulders and made out a sliver of an outline of a pair of dark, tall and formidable looking, iron-wrought gates, with runes of roses and thorns embellishing its pillars. It was a complete opposite of the one he had came into. He looked at the spirit entity that was Masamune's half-sister and swallowing his fear, putting his faith in the impossible, he ran towards the iron gates, which was slowly disappearing into thin air. He shut his eyes tight and reached forward with his fingertips.

"Masamune!" he whispered, "Please! God, I'm begging you, let me through!"

He opened his eyes.

He inhaled sharply, his lungs burning.

He choked on the life-giving oxygen, tears forming in his eyes at the pain.

He feebly pushed the warm wall in front of him away, turned and vomited.

His insides heaved, bile, anesthetic, blood mixed together.

He looked up, his eyes teary, unfocused.

A pair of hazel brown eyes, with tears streaming, looked down at him.

Eyes widened with disbelief…

"Masamune…"

He reached up, one weak hand palming his lover's cheek.

"Raiu-san… She made me promise… She made me promised to live… for you…"

His hand fell and he collapsed again, his breathing labored, his heart working over time. He was having another seizure and darkness consumed him once more.

Brother…

We will be together again one day… please just… wait…

Ritsu woke up from what seemed like an all too real nightmare to the sound of a light monotone beeping by his right ear. He blinked a few times. He tried to focus his eyes on the dim lights above him. He was in a room, his hands and legs strapped to the bed, immobilizing him. Why? He turned his head slightly to the right. The curtains were drawn, throwing minimal light into the room save the dim fluorescent light above him. Where is that beeping coming from? He thought, irritated.

He could make out the outline of a door in a corner, a couple of plastic chairs that didn't look very comfortable, an insignificant looking table between the chairs and nothing more. He lifted his head and looked down on his body. He was clad in a blue and white gown, his wrists firmly strapped to the side of the bed, his legs strapped down as well around the ankles. He tried lifting his left hand and saw an IV tube inserted into it. There was a purple bruising on the skin around the needle. He followed the path of the tube and found the IV drip above his head, a little to the left.

He turned his head again and noted that there was a finger clipper on his right forefinger. He followed the wire trail and finally knew where the beeping came from. It was the heart monitor machine. He looked at his pulse rates. It seemed normal, the jagged lines going up and down in a rhythm. Irritated, he tried his voice. A funny croak escaped his lips. Where is everyone? Where am I? What time is it?

He tried again.

"H-Hello?" he whispered. No one came to him. The door remained closed.

He closed his eyes again and tried to steady his breathing. What happened to me? He wondered. Where am I? He asked himself again. Am I in the hospital? Why am I strapped down to the bed? Where is… where… is… Masamune? A thought came into his mind. The image of a tall man, with raven black hair, sharp elfish like features on his handsome face and a pair of beautiful hazel brown eyes looking down at him with an unbearable love came unbidden into his thoughts, calming his irritated nerves.

A click. A turn of a handle. The door opened quietly. Ritsu turned his gaze upon the man, who had just come in. It was as though his prayers had been answered. Tall, lithe, agile and handsome, he doesn't seem to be aware that Ritsu was already awake and watching him. He placed his coat and bag on the waiting chair, his eyes averted. He looked like he had been crying for days, his eyes swollen, his very demeanor tired and strained. Ritsu's heart went out to him, this man.

"Ritsu, I had another bad day at work today, I couldn't concentrate on anything. At this rate I'll probably get fired. Isaka-san really should fire me. I'm useless to him in my state now. I don't understand why he's still keeping me around," he started rambling to himself, eyes still averted. He went about his business, still unaware that a pair of emerald eyes was following him about in the room.

He pulled the curtains apart slowly and moonlight spilled into the room. The lone man stood by the windows, shoulders hunched, leaning his forehead on the glass pane, looking alone and tired.

"I miss you Ritsu… it's been 3 months and you haven't woken up yet," again the man spoke more to himself than to anyone else.

It was as though he had done this numerous times, talking to himself, not expecting any rebuke, response, not expecting anything…

"Masamune…" Ritsu whispered, struggling to say his name, begging him silently to turn and look at him.

The man straightened and then shook his head.

"I'm hearing voices again, Ritsu. Sometimes I'd imagine you're talking to me but when I turned, your eyes are still closed," he sighed and leaned his head on the glass pane again, "Raiu is doing better today too. I've just been to visit her,"

Raiu-san… a flash of bright light, a gentle smile, long black flowing hair, a pure spirit… that image burned into Ritsu's mind. Was it all a dream?

"She hasn't woken up either Ritsu, her vitals are good but she's not awake yet," there was untold sorrow in his voice, "She had a kidney transplant. It was difficult seeing her fight it Ritsu. Her body was rejecting the kidney for a while before finally working properly. What I would give to see the both of you again…"

"M-Masamune," Ritsu tried again, his vocal chords unused, rusty. 3 months he said? Had I been in comatose for that long? The man straightened again this time but didn't say anything. "Ma-Masamune…"

Could it be? I've been hoping and begging and praying for so long. Could it be? He didn't dare turn around. The sweet voice he had been longing to hear for so long seemed so close. So… so real… He closed his eyes to block the illusion out. He must be dreaming again. His Ritsu had been asleep for 3 months and he would stay by his side, day in, day out, night in and night out, talking to him about his day, his work. Sometimes reading out loud some of Ritsu's favorite books. He was so used to Ritsu being silent, his eyes closed that he could no longer look at that beautiful face in fear of breaking down.

"I must really be screwed up in the head Ritsu," Masamune sighed, shaking his head again, "I keep hearing your voice. Maybe I missed you so much that I'm starting to become delusional,"

Ritsu was annoyed now. He was still feeling weak but he really wanted Masamune to turn around and see that he was wide awake.

"Masamune… oi…" Ritsu croaked again, his chords unhinging.

Masamune shook his head again and laughed softly, "Baka ja nai… I know I'm not crazy but I must really be losing it," he spoke to himself again.

"BAKA! I'M AWAKE, DAMN IT! COME HERE ALREADY!" a hoarse voice, clear as day, clear as the moonlight streaming into the room snapped at him, cutting through his thoughts like a knife.

Masamune turned on his heels and his eyes widened.

"Oi! Oi! Let go! I can't breathe!" Ritsu begged, regretting now that he had opened his mouth.

Masamune's crushing weight was on top of him. His arms encircling Ritsu's slender frame tightly, his tears hard and unbidden. He couldn't believe his ears, his eyes. He couldn't believe it. He had lost nearly all hope of getting to hear his beloved's voice again. He was finally awake…

"Rits-Ritsu…"He choked on his own tears, " I-I miss you, you idiot…" he whispered.

"Masamune, you're crushing me," Ritsu's voice was gentle, "Please, let go,"

"No, don't wanna!" Masamune whispered, his voice breaking, "You scared me to death, I'm not ever letting you go again!" he protested.

"Well, at least get the straps off me," Ritsu coaxed gently, "Don't you want me to hug you too?"

It was not for another two hours before Masamune could have Ritsu in his arms again. He had jumped off the bed eagerly and alerted the nurses of Ritsu's condition. He was barred from the room until the doctors and nurses have taken a good look at Ritsu. He paced unhappily and angrily outside the doors, waiting impatiently to be allowed inside so he could look into those emerald eyes that belonged to his lover and hold his hands in his.

When he was allowed to come back in, Ritsu was in the wheelchair, helped on by a nurse. He had his IV drip sitting on his lap. Masamune drank in the scene before him, Ritsu was pale from the lack of sun and he was all but skin and bones. His hair had grown out again, much longer, framing his gaunt face. The doctors had to shave his hair off during the operation and now it was sticking up in places haphazardly, some strands longer and some shorter. He swallowed the lump in his throat when Ritsu looked up at him, his emerald eyes brimming with excitement and life.

"Masamune, p-please… wheel me out, I want fresh air," Ritsu asked, shyly.

Masamune kneeled on his knees in front of Ritsu and took both his hands in his. He lowered his lips and kissed them, savouring the feel of them palming his cheeks. Warm, soft and alive. Ritsu pulled his right hand away and ruffled Masamune's hair. His lover looked up at him, his eyes unusually bright with tears dotting his eyelashes. He had lost so much weight, Ritsu thought, rubbing his palm on the unshaven chin. Has he been eating properly? He looked tired and strained, noting the dark circles under Masamune's eyes. Has he been sleeping? He didn't seem like he had taken care of himself; noting the crumpled t-shirt Masamune had put on. He was usually tidy and neat and Ritsu felt a pang of sorrow, tearing at his heartstrings.

"Your wish is my command, Ritsu," Masamune whispered.

I would do anything for you Ritsu… You are my miracle… I'm not giving up on your love...

In a room further away from this block, a pair of hazel eyes blinked open…