Moments after eating breakfast, Sasuke wandered out onto a cliff
overlooking a silent, clear spring. He gazed down at it, watching the fish
dart to and fro. As Itachi finally caught up, he sat down next to Sasuke,
gazing down at the water also.
"You know, this is my favorite spring. It's said that if you go in it, some of your wishes will be fulfilled. Of course, I've never tried." Itachi murmered, tossing a small stone down into the crystal-clear spring.
Both boys stayed silent, watching the ripples spread out, away from the rock.
After a few minutes, Itachi stood up, looking down at Sasuke.
"I have to leave for a meeting with the Ataksuki. You can come if you want." Itachi offered, turning to leave.
Sasuke stayed silent, however, gazing down at the receding ripples, breathing lightly.
'If it really can grant my wishes, then...'
"Sasuke?" I'll be at my house, ok? You can decide if you want to come when you come back."
Sasuke gazed up at him, with no emotion in his eyes, and nodded his head.
He watched his brother's receding form, and when he judged it was far enough, he stood up. As his feet drew him nearer to the cliff edge, he closed his eyes. He tuned out every other sound, and raised his arms so that they were straight out at the sides.
"Sasuke? You comi—Sasuke!!" Itachi cried, turning around to face the distant form.
He dashed forwards, getting an idea of what he might try to do. And he feared it.
Sasuke let out a light sigh, and tipped forwards, dropping over the edge of the cliff with his arms still out at the sides.
'I wish...'
As he plummeted down the two-hundred foot drop, he wished with all his might for what he truly desired.
"Sasuke!!" He cried, knowing he wouldn't make it in time. His eyes narrowed in despair, and he urged himself to go faster.
'I wish... For Them to be alive again...'
"SASUKE!!!" Itachi cried, as he dove to the edge of the cliff, reaching his hand down fruitlessly to try and catch the falling angel. "SASUKE!!!!" He cried out in despair and frustration, gazing down, horrified, as he watched his brother drop down away from him.
"Please, God, anyone but him... Not him..." And the silent tears ran down his face, to fall behind Sasuke's receding figure, hurtling towards the deceptive stillness of the spring's surface.
As he drew ever nearer to the calm surface of the spring, a tear silently slid down his pale alabaster cheek, to be flung upwards by the wind.
'Please...'
And he made impact.
"SASUKE!!!!!" He cried again, this time in full despair, as he watched his brother - his lover – make impact with the crystal surface of the spring.
'Please...'
"NO!!!! PLEASE, GOD, NO..." Itachi sobbed, his hand frozen in shock at what he witnessed.
The clear waters swirled around him, as he was forced deeper, and deeper under the surface. As he opened his eyes, he watched the bubbles swirl around him, as they raced to the distant surface. The near-by fish darted off, only to come back, swimming around in a cautious distance from him, watching him curiously.
'Please... Make it come true...'
The sunlight danced on the surface, sending playful patterns across the sandy bottom of the spring, adding to the full effect of the spring's visual prowess.
"Sasuke... Why..." Itachi murmered, sobbing silently as he gazed at the rippling surface.
'Please make it come true...'
He thought it and said it at the same time, the spoken part erupting forth in a caphony of silver bubbles.
'Please...'
Itachi couldn't take it anymore. He might lose his only love, his only remaining family member. And it would be his fault. Again.
He had already made his decision.
As the silver, radiant bubbles rose away from him, he closed his eyes in desperation and hope.
'Please... I don't want to suffer anymore...'
And his tears mixed with the spring's untainted waters, blending them with feelings of hope, despair, and distant tragedy.
'Please...'
His hopes swirled around him, in the water. He couldn't bear to face the truth that his wish might not actually come true, so he closed his eyes in sadness, letting the growing darkness take him over.
When he slowly awoke, he wondered where he was.
As he looked around, he saw, to his dismay, that he was in Itachi's house, with him sitting beside him, lightly dozing.
'Did they...'
At the sound of his shuffling, Itachi awoke, hurriedly gazing at the bed to see if He was ok. To his amazement and relief, he was.
Itachi stood up silently, and slowly walked over to the bed's side.
"Are you ok?"
Sasuke gazed at his brother, expectation in his eyes, but with a distant mixing of knowing grief.
"I made a wish..." He whispered, gazing to the side, sadly.
"... A wish..."
"That They would be here... Alive..." He murmered, blinking slowly.
"... Them?" Itachi asked, curious, but knowing who his brother was talking about.
"It didn't come true, did it?" He whispered sadly, voice filled with despair.
Itachi swore he saw a stray tear wind down his lover's face.
"... No, it didn't." He replied, gazing down at his feet, unable to watch his lover suffer like this. It was because of him that they were dead...
"I knew it wouldn't come true, I knew it." Sasuke sobbed quietly, closing his eyes as the tears came forth, dripping down his pale face. "But... But I wanted it so much... I wanted to believe that they would appear..."
"..." Itachi stayed silent, as he listened to Sasuke whisper his dead hopes.
"I wanted so much to be with them, to see them again..." He sobbed, clamping his eyes shut as the tears poured faster and faster.
"I wanted to believe that they could be brought back... So I could be with them again..." Sasuke whispered, sobbing.
"..." Itachi kept listening, guilt pouring onto him at every word Sasuke said.
"It hurts so much, being without them... I miss them so much..."
Itachi turned his head away, feeling the enormous weight of his guilt on his shoulders.
"I... I..." Sasuke broke down, sobbing loudly, tears falling onto the white sheets.
Itachi couldn't take it anymore. This crying... It hurt too much. It made him realize how much he hurt his lover by doing what he did. As he wrapped his muscular arms around the young boy, he whispered quietly, "I'm so sorry, Sasuke..."
He sobbed even louder, bringing forth more tears, which flowed down his mourning, pale face.
"I'm so sorry..."
"You know, this is my favorite spring. It's said that if you go in it, some of your wishes will be fulfilled. Of course, I've never tried." Itachi murmered, tossing a small stone down into the crystal-clear spring.
Both boys stayed silent, watching the ripples spread out, away from the rock.
After a few minutes, Itachi stood up, looking down at Sasuke.
"I have to leave for a meeting with the Ataksuki. You can come if you want." Itachi offered, turning to leave.
Sasuke stayed silent, however, gazing down at the receding ripples, breathing lightly.
'If it really can grant my wishes, then...'
"Sasuke?" I'll be at my house, ok? You can decide if you want to come when you come back."
Sasuke gazed up at him, with no emotion in his eyes, and nodded his head.
He watched his brother's receding form, and when he judged it was far enough, he stood up. As his feet drew him nearer to the cliff edge, he closed his eyes. He tuned out every other sound, and raised his arms so that they were straight out at the sides.
"Sasuke? You comi—Sasuke!!" Itachi cried, turning around to face the distant form.
He dashed forwards, getting an idea of what he might try to do. And he feared it.
Sasuke let out a light sigh, and tipped forwards, dropping over the edge of the cliff with his arms still out at the sides.
'I wish...'
As he plummeted down the two-hundred foot drop, he wished with all his might for what he truly desired.
"Sasuke!!" He cried, knowing he wouldn't make it in time. His eyes narrowed in despair, and he urged himself to go faster.
'I wish... For Them to be alive again...'
"SASUKE!!!" Itachi cried, as he dove to the edge of the cliff, reaching his hand down fruitlessly to try and catch the falling angel. "SASUKE!!!!" He cried out in despair and frustration, gazing down, horrified, as he watched his brother drop down away from him.
"Please, God, anyone but him... Not him..." And the silent tears ran down his face, to fall behind Sasuke's receding figure, hurtling towards the deceptive stillness of the spring's surface.
As he drew ever nearer to the calm surface of the spring, a tear silently slid down his pale alabaster cheek, to be flung upwards by the wind.
'Please...'
And he made impact.
"SASUKE!!!!!" He cried again, this time in full despair, as he watched his brother - his lover – make impact with the crystal surface of the spring.
'Please...'
"NO!!!! PLEASE, GOD, NO..." Itachi sobbed, his hand frozen in shock at what he witnessed.
The clear waters swirled around him, as he was forced deeper, and deeper under the surface. As he opened his eyes, he watched the bubbles swirl around him, as they raced to the distant surface. The near-by fish darted off, only to come back, swimming around in a cautious distance from him, watching him curiously.
'Please... Make it come true...'
The sunlight danced on the surface, sending playful patterns across the sandy bottom of the spring, adding to the full effect of the spring's visual prowess.
"Sasuke... Why..." Itachi murmered, sobbing silently as he gazed at the rippling surface.
'Please make it come true...'
He thought it and said it at the same time, the spoken part erupting forth in a caphony of silver bubbles.
'Please...'
Itachi couldn't take it anymore. He might lose his only love, his only remaining family member. And it would be his fault. Again.
He had already made his decision.
As the silver, radiant bubbles rose away from him, he closed his eyes in desperation and hope.
'Please... I don't want to suffer anymore...'
And his tears mixed with the spring's untainted waters, blending them with feelings of hope, despair, and distant tragedy.
'Please...'
His hopes swirled around him, in the water. He couldn't bear to face the truth that his wish might not actually come true, so he closed his eyes in sadness, letting the growing darkness take him over.
When he slowly awoke, he wondered where he was.
As he looked around, he saw, to his dismay, that he was in Itachi's house, with him sitting beside him, lightly dozing.
'Did they...'
At the sound of his shuffling, Itachi awoke, hurriedly gazing at the bed to see if He was ok. To his amazement and relief, he was.
Itachi stood up silently, and slowly walked over to the bed's side.
"Are you ok?"
Sasuke gazed at his brother, expectation in his eyes, but with a distant mixing of knowing grief.
"I made a wish..." He whispered, gazing to the side, sadly.
"... A wish..."
"That They would be here... Alive..." He murmered, blinking slowly.
"... Them?" Itachi asked, curious, but knowing who his brother was talking about.
"It didn't come true, did it?" He whispered sadly, voice filled with despair.
Itachi swore he saw a stray tear wind down his lover's face.
"... No, it didn't." He replied, gazing down at his feet, unable to watch his lover suffer like this. It was because of him that they were dead...
"I knew it wouldn't come true, I knew it." Sasuke sobbed quietly, closing his eyes as the tears came forth, dripping down his pale face. "But... But I wanted it so much... I wanted to believe that they would appear..."
"..." Itachi stayed silent, as he listened to Sasuke whisper his dead hopes.
"I wanted so much to be with them, to see them again..." He sobbed, clamping his eyes shut as the tears poured faster and faster.
"I wanted to believe that they could be brought back... So I could be with them again..." Sasuke whispered, sobbing.
"..." Itachi kept listening, guilt pouring onto him at every word Sasuke said.
"It hurts so much, being without them... I miss them so much..."
Itachi turned his head away, feeling the enormous weight of his guilt on his shoulders.
"I... I..." Sasuke broke down, sobbing loudly, tears falling onto the white sheets.
Itachi couldn't take it anymore. This crying... It hurt too much. It made him realize how much he hurt his lover by doing what he did. As he wrapped his muscular arms around the young boy, he whispered quietly, "I'm so sorry, Sasuke..."
He sobbed even louder, bringing forth more tears, which flowed down his mourning, pale face.
"I'm so sorry..."