Authors Note: Once again, I have taken ages to update. But unfortunately, this is the future of my story. Updates will be sparse, so put the story on your Story Alert thing so your email tells you when I update. Sorry, but this is the way we must go if I am to keep this story going. And I want to keep this story going.

Chapter 14: Master of Shadows

Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden – Team Riku (Riku and Cloud) (Sora is on his own, sorry for the mistake in last chapter)

The team had decided to search the city while Cid and Sophie searched the outskirts of the world. Technically, Team Sora had the toughest job as they had to ask everyone and check everywhere for information, but kept turning up dry. One person threw them out because Cloud got angry, freaking out the customers. They were able to turn up nothing, and they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary themselves.

"Sorry sir, I've haven't seen anything strange. I can't help you." a merchant said.

"Well, this is getting us nowhere. We've tried the whole city and found nothing. No-one has any strange activities to report, or anything out of the ordinary." Riku said.

"Well, maybe Sora is having more luck, I mean, if the guy is a vampire, he definitely won't be out in the sunlight. He'll most likely be in the sewers." Cloud replied.

"Well, let's check the inn, then." Riku said.

"Why there?" Cloud asked, confused.

"Well, the inn has rooms with no windows, and the ones that do an easy way of covering them up, and it wouldn't look suspicious

Meanwhile, Sora had taken to sewers to find any info (He took this path as he was a vampire, and therefore susceptible to the sun). He had also discovered his brilliant eyesight down here. Even in the pitch black, he could see perfectly. He thought that if the guy that he saw was real, and he was a vampire, he would likely be down here.

Sora found a mirror down in the sewers (albeit a damaged one, but not cracked) and saw his reflection. What he saw, he didn't like. His eyes were the most noticeable, as they were glowing their usual blood red. His fangs were a bit sharper and longer now, and if they got any longer they would be sticking out of his mouth all the time, even with his lips tightly shut. He also saw that his muscles had increased noticeably. His arms were bulkier, and his legs looked like he did a hell of a lot of running. He looked under his vest and saw he was on his way to developing a six-pack, and fast. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. 'Damn, I liked having no muscles, now I'm turning into Riku' he thought. But the one thing that made him afraid the most was that his face looked… different. He couldn't tell how, exactly, but it just didn't look the same as when he had begun this journey. He let it go and continued to walk on.

He had noticed some blood marks down in the sewers. He was able to tell they were fresh by tasting them (don't berate me, he needs the blood and you know it), which he would have found nasty to do usually, but he knew he needed as much as he could get (he didn't want to resort to… that…). Anyway, he was turning up no progress other than the obvious fact. However, as he continued along, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed, and the deeper he went into the sewers, the stronger the feeling became. He eventually made his keyblade summoning stance, knowing that nothing would come (and nothing did). He already missed his keyblade. It had made him feel more secure, but now that he had somehow lost the ability to summon it to his call, he felt more vulnerable.

He instead on instinct, turned it into a punch at whatever was behind him. To his surprise, he saw nothing, but it felt like he hit something with that punch. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him, on the floor. He had shock in his eyes, which Sora soon copied in equal shock.

It was the person he saw in his dream! He got a better look at him and noticed he seemed really young and had long black hair that had a few blond spikes in it (Think Riku's hair in KH2 only a bit longer and a different colour). He couldn't see most of his body as he was wearing a long-sleeved sweater with a large overcoat. His jeans were black and had a strange tribal pattern on the left leg in white and red going from the top to the bottom of the leg. He also had a red and black belt with the buckle another strange tribal pattern, only this time made of metal (obviously) and only coloured dark silver.

"Crap!" he said, and without another word, he booted Sora in the face and ran off, but the kick didn't send Sora off his feet as he quickly regained his balance and ran after him.

"Stop! Who are you?" Sora shouted as he ran up the wall. Wait, ran? The mysterious guy went straight for the vent, and then doing something Sora didn't expect.

He ran right through the vent as if it wasn't there.

Sora was about to give chase, but as soon as he put a hand out for the ladder, he got a burn from the sun. "OW! Jesus!" He screamed as he yanked his hand back. 'Great, more burns!' he thought as his hand and wrist again began to smoke lightly. Boy, did it hurt like nothing else, he thought, but there was no time to lose. He needed to contact Riku, and fast. But how? He didn't have a phone. He couldn't go out in the sunlight to find him, and even if he waited for the clouds to come along it was too dangerous. He closed his eyes in failure.

But suddenly he noticed something. He could hear something. He could hear Riku and Cloud talking to someone. He listened to them for a while.

"Hello, welcome to the Radiant Inn! Are you looking for a room?" Another voice said. It was the innkeeper.

"Actually, we're looking for someone. And it's very important we find them." Riku told the woman.

"Well, I'll be glad to help. Who is it? I'll check the listings."

"Well, we don't know their name."

"Then I can't help you, sorry."

"Well, the person we're looking for would probably sleep in a room with no windows, and only come out at night and eats little to nothing." Cloud said.

"Well, there is one person, rented out a room, but I have not seen his face ever. Even when he asked for the room, he wrote it in the lodge book himself and I never saw him. He also leaves the daily rent for the room very day at 7:00pm and I never see him." The innkeeper said, with concern in her voice.

"Okay, we'll come at 6:30pm and watch for him. Let's go get Sora."

"Wait, Riku! He knows we're after him!" Sora shouted out loud.

'S…Sora?' Riku thought.

"Yes, Riku, it's me. I think I've found a way for us to keep in contact- anyway, listen, I saw him, the guy from my dream, and as soon as I saw him, he ran away into the streets and disappeared!"

'I see. Sora, what was that you first said?'

"He may know that we are waiting for him at the inn, but we will meet there anyway. Sun goes down at 5:30pm tonight, so he should be there."

'5:30? How do you know that, Sora? They have weather reports here?'

"No, it's just… I felt like it was common sense."

'Oh… well, ok, we'll meet you wherever you are. You okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, if anything I hurt him. I actually feel and look stronger now, Riku, you should see my body."

'Um, okay. We'll see you there. Don't worry, we'll bring a torch-'

"Or you can use the keyblade, ya goof."

'Oh yeah, forgot abut that…'

The conversation ended there and Sora opened his eyes. He realised he felt thirsty again. Whenever he felt thirsty he always got worried. He couldn't get back to the Gummi Ship without exposing himself to the sunlight, so that was out of the question…

His thinking was interrupted as he received a kick from behind, but he readied himself for battle.

'Great, more vampires' he thought.

"You shouldn't be down here little boy."

"You clearly don't know who I am. This is your only chance. Turn around and walk away, or you will pay the price."

The group, three in total, all laughed before going for Sora. But Sora found he was way quicker than all of them, and in seconds, they were all on the floor.

He stared at the vampires as they were down and had a long think.

'Well, if I want to survive, I have to feed. I'll do my best to avoid going crazy, but I can only hope this works. I'm sorry Riku…'

He picked up one of the vampires, and exposed his neck, baring his fangs.

'Forgive me…' he thought as he sank his fangs into the vampires. He sat there for a while until he had taken every last ounce of blood from him, then threw the body back as it dispersed into ash. He then proceeded to suck the other two dry, making heavy breathing noises as he finished off the third. He looked at his hands, smiling demonically, his eyes now completely red with a thin black line going from top to bottom on each. He was letting his anti-form take over as his hair slightly grew longer and his body began to ooze a black inky substance, much like the darkness Heartless came out of.

Suddenly, he began to hit himself in the head, making wailing noises as the darkness crept up all around his body, having yet to cover his head, but having covered up all of his arms and legs. He kept hitting himself in the head until, albeit slowly, the darkness began to go away.

Eventually, the darkness was all gone, and Sora's eyes were in their normal state again (although still with a blood red cornea, yay, I found out what it was called!). He heard footsteps coming from across the hallway, and stood up, readying himself for an attack.

But that attack never came. It instead turned out to be Riku and Cloud, and also accompanying them were Cid and Sophie.

"Hey, Sora, it took us a little while to find you." Riku said.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I didn't know what else to do. But that's not important right now." Sora replied.

"Ya damn right it's not important! That burglar's got all my data and I want it back!" Cid shouted.

'Your data?' Cloud thought to himself.

"Well then, let's get to the inn. We're burning time here." Sora said.

Radiant Inn – 7:00pm

The gang were all set up and ready. Riku and Cloud sat in the reception. Cid was on his laptop, watching what the inn's security cameras could see. Sophie and Sora were well hidden in the shadows, with Sophie in the sewers while Sora was hidden in the inn. He was hidden so well that Sophie could barely see him, it seemed.

They waited.

And waited.

Suddenly a heavy presence made everyone fall asleep except the innkeeper and Sora. Sora's vision went black and white again, as he saw the person enter he room and put the money (or is that munny?) on the table. Sora didn't think twice and gave the guy a tackle, seemingly waking everybody up at the same time.

"It's him!" Sora shouted, but the guy tackled him and ran away, with everyone giving chase, however, only Sora could keep up, and Sophie was following via the sewers.

Eventually, the guy jumped in to the sewers, with Sora following (although he had to take the grate out first). They kept running after him, and eventually came to a large area in the sewers. As they entered, all of the doors in the room shut tight. Looks like this was going to be Sora and Sophie against whomever this person was.

"Who are you?" Sora shouted.

"Quiet Sora, do you really think he'll tell us his name?" Sophie whispered to him.

"Well, you were smart enough to find me, so I believe you deserve the honour. My name is Zangyre… and this, Sora, is where you will be tested." The man said.

"Tested?" Sora asked, confused.

"Yes, tested. To see if you are worthy of the blood you carry within you. If you pass, then you and your friends will be allowed to leave safely. But if you lose…" Shadows became wrapped around his hand and wrist. "Then you will find out why I am referred to as the 'Master of Shadows'…"

Zangyre walked slowly toward Sora and Sophie.

Can Sora survive the test? Or will he perish here and now? And who is Zangyre anyway? Find out in the next chapter!

End Chapter

Authors Note: There you go.