Author's Note: I got the idea for this story about…oh, almost a year ago, while I was trying to memorize the poem "The Poison Tree." I wrote the prologue that day. At that point my plan was for a long, one-chapter thing focusing solely on Nagi. I ended up scrapping everything I wrote besides the prologue a few months later, deciding to go from a different angle. I've got a few chapters written; I'll upload them as I become satisfied with them (they'll probably get uploaded to my livejournal first, so if you're interested, come comment on them.) This is will be the only author's note and disclaimer stuff included in the story.

Disclaimer: Weiss isn't mine, the poem isn't mine, the story is mine.

Warnings: This story contains the death of major characters. It will also contain shounen-ai in some amount or another. Hints, certainly, but full out smut, not likely. I won't list pairings for the plot's sake.

The Poison Tree
Prologue

This is a story. It's not about a girl, it's not about teenage angst, it's not about love, lust, or romance. It's about a young man, a boy who is no longer a teenager, but not really an adult. It's about the boy he met, a boy who is not a child and is more jaded than any adult has the right to be. It is the story of how the boy changed the young man's entire world, and how they both learned a little about living life and finding happiness. Well, not true happiness, not exactly. Because no one can ever be truly happy.

Can they?

Ken surveyed the scene in front of him with growing elation. Never had a destroyed building looked so beautiful. Skeletal walls and dead wires ran haphazardly through the rubble, portions of the building still standing despite what looked to be an expert demolitions job. Ken had blown up quite a few buildings in his life, so he knew a professional job when he saw one.

He and Omi were encamped a safe distance from the rubble. The building had exploded just as they had arrived, scaring the daylights out of both of them. They had monitored the building closely afterward, looking for signs of life, but nothing had been spotted. Technically, they hadn't even started their mission, but Ken was more than ready to leave. They couldn't run reconnaissance on a destroyed building, certainly!

"I guess we have to go home," Ken said, trying to keep his enthusiasm out of his voice. Omi gave him an annoyed glare before launching into a lecture.

"Of course we can't go home! If our target was in that building we'll have to cancel tomorrow's assassination mission! And if he wasn't, I'll have to do all new research to find his new location! We need to know if he was in there!"

Ken almost cringed against the tirade. "But what if someone's still in there? What if the cops show up? It was a big explosion…"

"We haven't seen anyone, a blast like that should have taken out everyone inside. And this is a really secluded mansion, since the target didn't want the cops snooping around. I seriously doubt they'll show up."

"Alright, alright, we continue the mission." Ken said, throwing his hands up in surrender. So much for an early night.

Omi smiled brightly at him before walking up the slight hill towards the remains of the mansion. Ken jogged after him, his shoes making squashy noises on the dewy grass. It was just his luck to be on this mission with Omi. Too bad it wasn't Yohji instead of Omi. Yohji hated reconnaissance just as much as Ken did. But no, Yohji had a date. Damn that Yohji, damn him to hell.

Ken sighed as he came to the top of the hill. The building didn't look nearly as beautiful as it had a few minutes prior. Dark clouds had gathered and blocked out the moonlight and stars, thunder rumbling in the distance. Omi was already poking around the fringe of the rubble, boards and cement making groaning sounds where he walked.

"Uh…Omi, are you sure we should go in there? It doesn't look too stable…"

"Come on Ken, get a backbone!" Omi chirped, balancing on a pillar of cement.

"I've got a backbone!"

Omi rolled his eyes and leapt off the cement, causing little puffs of ash to billow up. "Yes Ken, you have the strongest backbone of any tadpole I've ever met." He snickered and disappeared through an intact doorway.

"Tadpoles don't have backbones, for your information!" Ken yelled.

"Forget about it, Ken. Go around to the other side and see what you can find. We can search faster if we split up."

"Yeah yeah," Ken muttered, turning on his headset. He trudged around the outskirts of the building, heading for one of the intact wings. Thunder became louder, lightning flashing high in the atmosphere. He would do a really quick search, and then they could get out of here before it started to rain.

Ken coughed and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve as he entered the building. Ash rose in huge clouds around him, and the place smelled horrible. Thick, choking. It was the smell of blood, Ken could place it immediately, but he couldn't see more than three feet ahead of him. He could be walking into anything.

"This place is darker than a cow's ass," he muttered.

"Is that really a saying?" Omi's voice came out sharp from the headset, and Ken jumped. He had forgotten about the damn thing.

"No, but it's true, and you scared the bejesus out of me." He waited for his adrenaline level to come down a few notches and then moved cautiously down the hallway.

"Sheesh, didn't you bring a flashlight?"

"Of course I didn't! How was I supposed to know I'd be creeping around in the freaking dark like a rat?"

"I brought a flashlight."

"Good for you." Ken said, hoping Omi would catch the sarcasm through the headset.

He continued in silence for a few more minutes before reaching a doorway on his right. The smell was stronger. Much stronger. Ken stepped wearily into the room, tensing his muscles, prepared for anything. He had only taken a few steps when his foot splashed into a puddle. He took one more step and something wet squished under his shoe. Ken stopped in his tracks.

The building storm took that moment as a great opportunity to illuminate the room with a flash of lightning, and Ken felt his stomach drop out at what he saw. He was used to scenes of carnage…but this, this was new.

Ohmygod, I think I'm gonna barf.

"Omi, you need to see this."