Horus was hoping that Samuel or someone else would actually kill this Daniel child. He was there to provide cover as usual; but was he not just as guilty as the others, even though he always hung back in the sky, watching them butcher innocent people? He flew overhead and did nothing, nothing at all to save the screaming children of planets now dead. He always soothed himself by telling himself, “*They* did it; *they* killed all those people.” By those words, he’d successfully buried his guilt for a long time. Now, after phasing a Lightchild for the first time, something new was now a part of him. Horus fell to his knees.

“I don’t know what to do,” he sobbed to himself.” If I choose not to fight, then I will lose Aggie and I will be all alone again. I *will* not be alone; I will not tolerate that. But if I fight, and if I press down these feelings, then what am I? If I fight this Lord of whom they speak, am I a monster?” He slammed his head on the glass crying. “I don’t want to be alone, I can’t lose Aggie; the Lightchild known as the Undying Singer must die.”

< Good luck with *that*, > said a voice in Horus’ head that he couldn’t identify. Was it Horus’ conscience playing tricks on him, or was Starbright somehow communicating with him? Or was it someone else entirely? Whatever it was, it got Horus’ full attention, and it made him face the real question at hand.

“Even if I succeed in his death…what does that make me?”

“What are you blubbering about?” Edwin shouted as Horus snapped to attention.

“I was just thinking.”

“You want to repent? Is that it? Do you want to turn from this path and walk into the Light?” Edwin’s voice was cold as ice. Horus hung his head.

“I do not know.”

“Let me tell you something, bird boy: I was a Lightchild once. Join them and all you will have is suffering and pain. With us, you can have all you desire.”

“Smooth words, coming from someone so apt to cause suffering and pain to others,” Horus snapped. It was easily the bravest thing he had ever said. But his new realization of what it meant to be a Lightchild, and to have a close link to the Lord thereby, would no longer be denied.

Edwin’s temper got the better of him, as it so often did. “*Fool!* If for no other reason, you would suffer trying so hard to please the Lord; but let me tell you, you cannot, you will fail. There is no hope, no redemption and no forgiveness for us. We are all lost, *lost* I say, because we chose a different path. Hear me, bird boy: if you try to follow the law of the Lord, you will fail, and you will die. So I say, live it up now and have fun, because you’re going to die anyway.”

Horus actually hissed at Edwin in anger. “*Fine!* Now leave me be, so I can help you murder and destroy again when the time comes.” And deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Edwin bowed and vanished.

Horus turned to the planet once again, focusing on that new power now in orbit around it. Its owner seemed able to do anything, even overcome evil. Maybe if Horus did a permanent phase with this Starbright creature, he could become a better person. Of course a permanent phase required killing the Lightchild, but at least Horus would have the power to change.

For a short time, Horus had access to the power that Starbright wielded, while linked to that girl. It felt so wonderful, so great; if only he could tap into it forever. He would ditch these fools, and then maybe find a woman that would love him and not require murder as part of the deal. Maybe…!