Sorry guys, but this'll be my last chapter for a few weeks, I'm busy moving as today is my second-last day in portugal, I move this upcmoing saturday, (oct. 22) and I shall be away for two weeks to get settled in my new home. Sorry guys.

By the time Claire had run up to where Migro had fallen, the Vampire bat had vanished. Claire crouched on the edge of the hole and shook her head in despair.

"Stupid bat, should've watched where he stepped." She grumbled, though in despair. She was about to turn her back on the pit, before another groan reached her ears

"Who's calling me stupid?" It asked. Claire looked back to the talking hole and grinned, before spreading her wings and diving into the hole. The bat quickly flared her wings again, this time, when she broke free of the tunnel; she did a graceful back flip and hung off the ceiling. Migro had landed painfully on his back, His wings were laid out flat behind him and his legs were practically bent over his head. Claire stifled a laugh as the tangled bat shook him and rose back to his feet, rubbing his neck.

"So…You do have some uses." She said. Migro glared at her, but she continued anyway "You stumbled across a cave, this should keep us sheltered for the majority of the storm." She took a careful look at the small cavern before shrugging and reaching into her bag. She pulled out a loaf of bread and gently tore off a piece, nibbling at it before catching Migro eying her in disgust, as if eating bread was a crime to him. She swallowed her bite and tore off another piece of bread, she held it in two finger out too Migro. Who flinched at the sight of the bread. The odd bat's behavior puzzled her. Migro still hadn't told her about his roots. "Want some?" She offered shyly, grinning at the bat's stubbornness. Migro shook his head and snorted, turning his back to face the wall

"No thanks." He said, though she could hear a small grumble come from within the obviously hungry bat. Claire grinned

"Alright, suit yourself." She stated, shrugging and tearing off one last piece before saving the bread for later.

For a while, Claire had dozed off, dimly aware of Migro staring intently at her, as if talking to someone else about her. Though no one else was in the cave. She blinked and yawned before finally letting sleep take hold of her. When she awoke again, the bright light that had shone through the hole and provide Shadows for Migro to lurk in had vanished.

"Migro?" She asked out loud, flaring her ears and scanning the ground. A faint rustle entangled itself in her ears, and she saw a slight movement from the shadowy part of the cave, a few feet away from the now dim light that was shining through the hole. "Did I fall asleep?" She asked, stretching out her arms and flaring her wings. Migro blinked his pale eyes now visible in the darkness.

"Yes. You've been asleep for hours. The sun's going down." He reported tonelessly. Claire blinked

"How do you know, weren't you asleep?"

"I saw the light from the hole change, I've been shifting to stay in the shadows. I don't like the light too much…And…I don't sleep often." He said, shuffling again to move out of the shadows and into view. The bat seemed to be getting more and more exhausted as the day drew on and night drew closer. She was about to question the bat for his behavior and motives, but she never got the chance to. Through the hole which still produced a bit of light flew sand. Thousands and thousands of little grains of sand, like the sand from an hour glass slowly creeping up to the ceiling. This would eventually force the bats out of the cave.

"Come on!" She exclaimed "We've got to get out of here!" But Migro had already gone up the hole, for the sand had slowed and the light had been blocked, obvious signs of the bat's departure.

"Come on!" He hissed form above; Claire blinked and headed up the hole and towards the light, which was rather hard. Sand was pouring down the sides and making a firm grip impossible. She slipped and cut her arm on a rock that was sticking out of the stone. Sand slipped into the hole and blinded her; she opened her mouth and let out a screech of echo location. The world re-painted itself silver in front of her mind's eye. She continued to scramble up the hole, tearing her clothes and skin on the rocks and debris that poked out at her and fell from the sky. It seemed like for ever before she actually broke through the surface and onto the sand. Migro was staring dumbfounded at her, she wondered why. Suddenly searing pain shot through her wings and arms. Almost as if they'd caught on fire. Her arms were smeared in blood and her wings were painfully bent. Though Migro said nothing.

"We've got to get…above the clouds." Claire said, trying not to show any weakness to the bigger bat. He frowned and took off into the darkening sky, circling back while Claire uncertainly tested her wings. After a few hesitant moments, she managed to take off into the air, her wings searing with pain and her flying pace much slower than usual. Migro sighed and turned around, flapping up to the slower bat, who'd fallen behind. He circled above her, struggling to keep pace with the weakened bat.

Look at her, she's having troubles flying.

Migro frowned, he'd become familiar with that voice. It had whispered to him while Claire was asleep. He'd figured out what it was, and how it had got there. When he'd fought the entire Sonic crew and lost, his Vampire instincts had woken inside him. It had a mind and voice of their own, just waiting until nightfall to emerge and take control. He'd terrorize the night-time streets until sun-rise, where he'd leave the normal revived and refreshed Migro to take the blame of the crimes he'd watched himself commit in public.

'You don't understand…what you've done'

That wasn't him speaking then, at the time when Sonic haddiscarded the opportunity to finish him off, it was his vampire side, getting a small voice in before he was thrown into the desert. Now, as the sun sank into the sky, it was preparing for full control.

There's no easier prey than that. Prey that can't fly…It'll be over quick…

The voice continued to taunt the bat, who scratched his ear nervously, as if trying to will the voices away. He suddenly lurched down and grabbed Claire's wrist, dragging her higher into the air.

"Hey, I can fly myself!" She stated angrily to Migro, who wasn't really paying attention to her. She was still grateful for the help.

"It'll be easier for you to fly above the cloud line." He said coldly, his mind obviously on other things. When the pair of bats broke the surface of clouds, Migro instantly let go and flapped above her, leaving the female to ponder over Migro's actions.

You had the chance then…Why didn't you take it? You can't ignore instinct Migro.

The voice snorted rudely, disgusted at his counterpart's shrouded actions.

If you do ignore instinct and try to do my job yourself…

Instantly, Migro's vision clouded and his ears were filled with a terrifying shriek, a scream that carried the voice of someone he dimly new.

…I'll do it for you.

It suddenly dawned on Migro what exactly the counterpart was talking about

Claire!

Yes…Claire. You're hearing Claire's scream, the last sound she'll ever make.

Migro's eyes widened in terror as the shriek grew louder,

Oblivious to everyone but the Vampire bat. He covered his ears, unaware that he'd stopped flying and Claire had turned around and was heading towards the oddly flinching bat.

No…Claire…Go Away…

Migro pleaded in his mind, unable to place words to his thoughts. She rested a hand on his shoulder

"Are you alright?" She asked, but Migro frowned as a cold feeling touched his hand. Claire was still bleeding, but not as badly, a droplet of her blood had fallen onto the bat. Suddenly, the voices in his ears died like fire. He stared blindly at the blood on his hand

"Get away…" He said slowly, rising higher into the air. Claire watched with puzzled eyes, before she forced herself to think. The bat's reluctance to eat…His utter hatred of sunlight in darkness…His silence and effortless flight…Why he never really needed sleep...Why he acted the way he did…Everything fit into place, forming one word in her mind

Vampire.

"How could I be so stupid?" Claire instantly turned around and flapped away as Migro covered his ears and the shriek resumed.

Nighty-night.

The voice cheered gleefully as Migro found himself turn to face the last slit of the sun as it sank below the horizon. He frowned and closed his eyes, dropping out of the sky and through the clouds. Claire looked over her shoulder in worry and cast out a shriek again to watch the Bat's plummet from the sky in her mind's eye. Migro had fallen unconscious, rendered to sleep by his counter part, who gladly took over, opening his wings and eyes, pulling back into the sky. "The Vampire's in control now, girly." He muttered, sending ashriek of echolocation into the sky to locate Claire. The female head the blast of sound and instantly turned tail and flew for the city, desperately trying to reach sanctuary. But her pace was slowed and damaged, there was no way she could out fly a fully restored Vampire bat. "And there's one thing on the menu" She heard the hybrid say as he silently plunged into flight.

"You."