Title: Phobos
Author: Starsea
Theme: Fear (Villains)
Genre: Dark
Version: Manga
Rating: PG

Jadeite often wondered, if they feared the light so much, why they were drawn to it. They were meant to love the shadows. They did love the shadows, especially Kunzite, the palest of them all. They all agreed on how restful the dark was.

But that didn't stop his fascination.

"You know the light is our enemy," Nephrite said to him. "Why do you insist on going out there? Ever since those sailor senshi appeared, you've been..."

Jadeite turned and looked at him, daring him to complete the sentence. The torches on the walls guttered and a gust of cold, recycled air blew down the passage. Still Nephrite did not speak.

"I have things to be doing," Jadeite said coolly. "If you're quite finished-"

"Distracted." Nephrite folded his arms. "You're distracted. Something's caught your attention. Or someone..." Even though his expression did not change, there was the faintest hint of a question, of an invitation to confess.

"I might have a lead." Jadeite looked along the corridor. "So if you don't mind..."

"If it was a lead, you would have told our beloved mistress." Jadeite wondered if they all spoke of Beryl with that same dead tone. They were meant to be devoted to her, they were devoted to her and yet all they felt was fear. Cold fear. The emptiness in Jadeite's chest had stopped bothering him long ago but the lack of heat, that was a different story. What heat he had left he saved for his comrades. His fellow kings. His fellow prisoners.

But I found another source...

As if to confirm this, Nephrite reached forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," he said, his voice strained with the effort to be neutral. Nephrite had never been good at keeping his emotions in check. "Remember that we are meant to love her only. If she finds you love another..."

"Love?" Jadeite turned away with a harsh laugh. "Love requires feeling. Love requires humanity. We are no longer human, Nephrite."

"Maybe not," his companion said quietly. "I only meant to warn you that she will not tolerate a rival. Any rival."

Jadeite stopped, memory flickering in his brain like blue fire. Rival... light... jealousy... He shook himself. The flame went out.

"I need no warning," he said, the harshness gone from his voice. "I remember the terms of our binding as well as you, maybe better. All or nothing."

"Then why do you go?" Nephrite's voice had dropped to a whisper. "Who do you see?"

"Nobody," he said through gritted teeth. "No one."

I see light... I see flame... I see the heat that I lack.

There was another silence and he heard Nephrite turn away. "I warned you," he said again.

Jadeite didn't reply. In his mind, he was already there, on the hill with the cherry trees scattering their paper blossoms and that girl. The shrine maiden. The girl who had kindled something inside him, woken feelings he thought had died long ago.

There is no beauty here, no light, no warmth. I don't care if the light is our enemy... I will bring it here. I will bring her here. I will have that warmth for myself. He closed his eyes and licked his lips. I will have her. I will feed on her warmth and her light and her fear... I will know what it is like to live again.

And Jadeite went to his death with a smile on his lips.


DISCLAIMER: Jadeite and Nephrite belong to Naoko Takeuchi (despite my wishful thinking).