Fool's Fate

Kenta stared in disbelief at Kiku. Really, it was a very small thing to be surprised about. However, Kenta knew the reserved, shy Kiku to an extent that the simple phrase "let's go to the public bath house tonight" nearly caused him to swoon.

"Are you sure, Kiku? This is a huge step." Kenta said in mock-worry.

Kiku gave him a long stare, cracking a small smile.

Eiji, who stood next to him, said; "I'll go too. If Kiku can overcome his obstacles, so can I."

"What obstacles do you have, Eiji-kun?" Kenta asked.

Eiji turned away. Kiku looked at him curiously. A secret began to crawl away from its cave. This, for them, would be the last time they would see him before his untimely death. Kiku would take the vial that evening. He felt a drop of dread, as if he truly was dying and being reborn into a different body. "You can tell us." Kiku said suddenly.

Kenta eyed him curiously. Then he turned to Eiji. "Yes, go ahead and tell us."

Courage and belief welled in Eiji's eyes. He looked at his closest friends, believing he could trust them with his dearest secret. He gathered his nerve and, wringing the towel in his hands, muttered something towards the ground.

"Speak up, Eiji-kun." Kenta said comfortingly.

"I…" Eiji said, shaking his head slowly, "I am not comfortable within my own body."

Kenta's eyebrows rose. Eiji began to tremble slightly, the adrenaline of the reveal coursing through his veins too quickly. He felt that he could drop, that his entire world would end in a matter of moment. He wanted for the ground to tear open so he could slip through and vanish into the darkest depths of the earth. He wanted to burst into stardust. He wanted to—

Kiku put his hand on Eiji's shoulder and rubbed it gently. "Why were you worried about telling us?" Kiku asked. Kenta had already turned away without a comment, starting towards the public bathhouse.

Eiji stared at his wake. "Because I feared you would leave me like Kenta has."

"It's all new to him." Kiku said, ushering Eiji along after trundling Kenta. "Give him some time. Even the largest rock will erode with enough time and pressure. You are his friend before an anomaly he seems to think you are."

Eiji shook his head in disbelief.

"Why didn't you leave?" he asked.

"I don't see anything wrong with you." Kiku said lightly.

. . .

The warm waters lapped over Kiku's pale legs. They swathed his large bruises and comforted them. He pushed his legs through the depths before going in, a white towel resting on his lap. At this time there was only an elderly man calmly washing his arms and a teenage boy ducking his head in the water. Kenta decided to take a hot bath.

Next to Kiku, Eiji slipped into the water. Kiku glanced over his figure briefly, seeing the slight curve of his hips and the freedom his long hair had when fanning into the water. Kiku wondered why he hadn't noticed the genteel nature to his nervous friend before. Perhaps he was good at hiding it. Or perhaps Kiku didn't watch enough.

"Why don't you come in?" Eiji asked, running his hands through the glistening pools. He placed a towel on his head. A corner reached towards his eyes.

Kiku took the towel off, exposing the small scar to fresh air, and slipped in. Eiji's eyes widened slightly when he saw. He turned away shyly, resting his back against the edge of the rectangular pool. Light poured in through the high windows, bouncing off the emerald-colored waters.

Usually Kiku bathed alone in a wooden tub, ashamed of his defect. Now, well, now he was dying. He had some liberties he could partake in.

. . .

"Fool's fate," Kiku mumbled, holding the vial up. Evening was nearing. He stood in a small room with Yao. Yao had his hands tucked into his sleeves. He watched as Kiku handed it to the assigned servant girl. She bowed to him and left the room. "Why do you call it that?"

Yao smiled but did not respond.

Kiku knew better than to pester him on about it. Instead, he regarded the other vial, Fool's Fate's twin, the so-called "antidote".

"What will it do to me?" Kiku asked.

"It will simply let you relax and sleep for a while. When you wake up you will be in my home."

Kiku paused. "Won't it be suspicious that my body doesn't turn up?"

"You certainly are observant." Yao said, moving to the other side of the room. A stick of incense burned on a podium. Kiku turned as he did, following the man with his eyes.

Yao didn't walk: he glided. He moved swiftly and flawlessly, as if the air was lifting him. He drifted over dirt and bumps in the road. He seemed dragonish in his gait, Kiku realized with a start—though he didn't know why he was shocked. Yao's eyes were wicked and his body unnaturally long due to his castration. Without his robes, as Kiku had seen him once, he only justified his movements more. The rustling of fabric did give him a more dramatic appeal, though.

This evening he wore a red robe, designed with green and gold dragons. His hair was tied back and braided, dark as an ink stain on his back. "It will be simple." He said. "Follow your part in the plan and there will be no trouble."

He lifted the incense and with a breath he snuffed it out.

. . .

Kiku felt the Fool's Fate hit him slowly, and then all at once. It was as though the golden liquid, hidden in his broth, had turned into spears and was jabbing his muscles. He seized up, his eyes glazing over. He fell backwards into someone's arms—who, he didn't know. And he didn't care. His muscles became numb and his fingers stopped moving. Even his heart began to feel dull and heavy. He shut his eyes slowly, welcoming the darkness like water seeping over his head.

"He's dying! Someone get a doctor!" Someone cried out.

Kiku barely heard. The voice was at the other side of a sea, ripped apart by the wind and smashed to bits by the tides. Kiku felt no more.

The men carried his body, believing he had died. The Fool's Fate worked quickly, snapping at his body and silencing it. They could hardly feel his heart thumping. Panic rose in their throats. Had someone poisoned them, too?

Yao moved in, claiming he was a Chinese doctor there to help. He created a false accent and took Kiku's small body in his arms, placing his fingers against Kiku's neck. He felt a dim pulse and Kiku's warm breath tickle his neck. Kiku's head lolled on to Yao. The maid who had fetched him, purposely avoiding a real doctor, vanished down a corridor. She had an antidote to wake him up, but for them to pass off Kiku's burning or drowning, whatever was a viable option, they would need Kiku asleep for as long as possible.

Yao's saddened eyes flicked up towards the other men.

"He is dead."