Nightlight moved as fast as light could travel, streaming through the galaxies. He saw wonders that made him smile in awe and laugh in

genius understanding. He saw planets filled to the brim with beautiful creatures. He saw meteors piloted by spectral beings of learning and

light. He met stars young and old, and watched the benevolent constellations govern from afar. Everything was beautiful to his new eyes. He

felt like there was so much to see, and he raced to catch it all. He spent many days and months exploring his new universe. One day that must

be mentioned, however, is the day Nightlight first encountered a fearling.

The young being was free floating somewhere near the asteroid belt, when out of nowhere, he felt a shiver. Nightlight paused, having

never experience something such as a shiver before, and warily looked around. Asteroids to the left, glowing cosmos up and to the right,

Genova constellation below. But nothing to suggest the source of the cold. And what Nightlight felt wasn't the cold environment of space, but

an icy, dead feeling he felt down inside. He shivered again and whirled around, the cold feeling creeping back. He heard hiss-like whispers.

There, a few feet away, was an inky ghost-like figure grinning maliciously at the spectral boy. Nightlight paused, curious and slightly unsure.

The figure seemed to be made of shadow, but with gleaming fangs and blind white orbs for eyes. The fearling hissed again, and slithered

closer to Nightlight, equally intrigued by this stranger's presence. But as soon as Nightlight's light hit the fearling, it screeched and recoiled

from the glowing boy. Small wisps of smoke drifted off the shadow creature, as if he'd been burned. Nightlight stared at the creature, his

interest perked. He watched as the fearling shot him a hateful look and slithered away.

Several hours passed, and that encounter with the fearling had been the only thing on the spectral boy's mind. He sat on a floating

asteroid, thinking. The shadow had come and hissed. It couldn't touch him. It made him feel…Nightlight wasn't sure what he'd felt. It was

pause and hesitation and unease and, and, and….fear. Nightlight gasped, realizing he'd be afraid. Mind, you, he wasn't paralyzed in fright. It

wasn't that sort of fear. It was the fear you get when you're alone at night, and you suddenly realize you may not be so alone, and your new

companion isn't friendly. Nightlight felt unrest in the presence of evil. He slumped against the heat-less rock, and studied the sky. There was

light everywhere. Nightlight thought of all the good, wonderful things he's seen in his young life. And he smiled. He was one of the good

things. His light had pushed the shadow away. Nightlight tucked this knowledge away inside his heart, and did not fear.

That isn't to say fear didn't leave him alone. Oh, no. that fearling was so flabbergasted at this boy that it went into the darkest

recesses of space, got a few of its friends together and formed a hunting party for the light child.

Nightlight watched in amusement as two children giggled and played with each other in the woods. He was exploring an earth twin

some 800 million light-years away, called Haeor (hay-or). The two were obviously siblings. The older, a boy, plucked a stick off the ground and

began to duel the younger, a girl, in a fierce duel. They poked and swiped, until the girl cleverly knocked her brother's feet out from under him.

He collapsed on the ground, and laughed as his sister jumped on top of him. Their joy was so pure and whole that it extended to nightlight,

and let out a laugh. The children stopped and gazed in wonder a trees, looking for the source of the musical sound. Nightlight refracted

through the scatted sunbeams and materialized before them. He'd recently discovered that he could travel effortlessly through any pure

concentration of light. As he came into focus, the girl gasped, a smile on her face. The boy grinned, but then tensed. He began looking around

wildly. Nightlight followed his gaze to see every shadow lengthening and darkening. He turned his gaze skywards, and saw nothing but

withering shadows. Millions of fearlings were converging like a wave overhead, poised to strike at Nightlight like a cobra. The brother and

sister cowered beneath him, fear apparent on their faces. Nightlight's mind raced to find an explanation and, more importantly, a plan of action.

But before he could form a thought, the wave crashed down and engulfed him.