a/n: This is for you, Susan. Hope it's not too emo for you... or anything... u_u

i. Loss
(the things I do for you)

He could feel it in his bones, in the way the sharp, damp wind brushed against his face. The skies thundered in anticipation, ashen clouds racing across the heavens in a way that bespoke only fury. This was it. The moment that he had waited for, cherished, and feared above all else. Poke. He could feel it in his bones. IllnessfeverSasuke. It all added up to this moment, this point in time, this pain. For you brother, always, always for you.

ii. Dream
(another way to remember)

He dreamt of eyelash wishes and home cooked meals and piggyback rides and times when everything was happier. Safer. Beautiful. He dreamt of her, of weekends and of sweets; of days when he could see. The world. Beautiful. He saw fields and fields of emptiness, where pain was just. A dream. He saw mother and father and precious brother and oh god why and days when he could feel. He remembered.

iii. Rest
(slowing down death)

Because he knew that in the end, he wasn't going to make it. He wouldn't allow himself to. So he breathed. Inoutinout. And remembered times when it didn't hurt. When everything didn't hurt. And he lay against him. Precious brother. And just breathed.

iv. Listen
(feeling with your ears)

Thump. Thump. Thump. He felt, and so he listened. Thumpthumpthump. He could hear, no, feel him through the thin fabric; chest moving with exertion, short breaths coming like puffs of wind. It felt like hope, so he listened. Thumpthumpthump. While his everything screamed and screamed all he let himself hear thump thump thump. Drowning out the pain, the sorrow, the regret. Thumpthumpthump. Don't ever stop.

v. Regret
(pain comes from within)

He rebuilt his world from the ground up; built an empire on wasteland of emptiness as a monument to everything he had lost. Was torn away from him. He couldn't dream not anymore and so while he built his heaven up around him he didn't deserve one he didn't notice that his world had already fallen.

vi. Live
(playing God)

Leaving nothing but destruction. Broken hearts. Broken souls. Broken bodies. But he supposed that this one night, it would be worth it. Feeling. Breathing. Touching. Living. And as he fell, grasping and groaning and feeling- he thought he knew what it felt like, to be alive.

vii. Die
(say your goodbyes)

He had felt it coming and he knew, he supposed, that his end would come all too soon. But he held on to the edge- even as he felt himself slipping and falling. He held on. Thumpthumpthump. Thought that maybe, with this, he'd finally do the world some good. Sacrifice. But he felt it, running, rushing through his veins even as he held on. Tighter. Racing towards goodbye.

viii. Cry
(feel my pain)

And because the best ninja always, always, used every advantage (Uchiha Itachi was nothing if not the perfect ninja)- he used the rain to hide his tears. Flowing and flowing. Because crying would help nothing, now. He closed his eyes, letting the rain was his soul clean. Just this once. And so, he died. And because he couldn't cry not anymore the sky cried for him.

I wear this crown of thorns

Upon my liar's chair

Full of broken thoughts

I cannot repair

Beneath the stains of time

The feelings disappear

What have I become?

A/N: This was a little test- a really different style of writing than is the norm for me. I hope you liked it. u_u Constructive criticism would be helpful, thanks. Reviews are chocolate for the soul :)