Jazzerman here, I do not own any of these characters, they are owned by their respected companies, as many as there are. You've heard this crap before. I DO own the OCs. If you'd like to use them in a fic, just tell me.

Am I Heartless?

Part 4

"Well he can't stay at my place," Sora said casually, "My parents went off when I brought home a puppy, imagine what would happen if I brought Orin home. Especially after I told my parents all about our adventures."

Riku shook his head. "Nothing good I bet. But, I don't know that taking him into town is a good idea in the first place. I mean if the Heartless are after him we don't want to take him to a populated area."

Orin didn't like how these nice people were willing to go out of their way for him. Especially since he was doing nothing in return but be a burden on them. "Excuse me, but it will make you guys happy you can go ahead and go home. I'll stay here tonight."

"But what if the Heartless come after you in the night?" Sora asked, sounding as concerned as one can for someone you hardly know.

In response Orin said the first thing that came to his mind. "Well... I guess I'll run."

"Run where? You're on an island remember?" Riku pointed out.

Orin mentally slapped himself at forgetting such obvious information. "Okay, I have no idea."

Kairi thought for a second then snapped her fingers. "Sora, how about you, me, and Riku camp here to night like we used to and make sure nothing happens?"

Sora smiled and nodded his spiky haired head. "Yeah! Sounds like fun."

Riku smirked and shook his head. "Same old Sora... I'll stay too to make sure neither of you get into trouble."

"Okay!" Kairi cheered, "I'll go tell our parents what's going on. I think they'll understand that we're helping out a friend in need."

"Just be sure not to say anything about Heartless or anything like that." Sora said.

"Wouldn't dream it! I'll be back soon." Kairi said as she ran off towards the docks to sail back to shore.

"She'll be back soon. We better get a fire started. I'll get the fire wood, Sora you keep an eye on our 'friend'."

Sora nodded and watched Riku run off to gather some drift wood. He wasn't worried, Riku could take care of himself if something came up. Sora looked Orin to see that once more he was wearing a very glum look beyond his two wiggling antennas.

"Hey Orin, you okay?" Sora asked.

Orin just turned and shuffled back to the seaside shack. Leaving Sora behind on the beach to wonder what was that all about.

Riku poked at the fire with a stick, moving the drift wood that was the furthest away from the fire into the hot and glowing cinders. Within a few minutes the fire was alive again and sending light to dance along the walls of the shack. The small window on the side was cracked open so the smoke would be sucked out by the cool night air. There wasn't much smoke anyway, the wood was burning very cleanly.

"Listen... I can't thank you enough." Orin said, breaking the silent spell that hung in the air. "You've been much kinder to me than I deserve. Thanks for your hospitality."

"Why should you not deserve it?" Riku asked, his eyes not straying from the flames he had previously tended. "I'm the one who should apologize to you. You don't seem to be a bad person. You've been beached, attacked by Heartless, and on top of that I've been acting like a jerk just because you're... different."

Orin smirked, the way Riku had put it somehow seemed comical. Few had called him 'different' before. "No apologies are needed. I understand why you'd think that way. Just promise to keep that Keyblade away from me and we'll call it even."

Riku smiled and nodded. Silently agreeing to Orin's terms as he leaned forward to poke at the fire again to get what little wasn't burning into a pile.

"By the way, how's your chest Orin?" Kairi asked.

Orin grabbed the collar of his shirt and looked down. The burn mark wasn't as bad as it had been but it still looked red and a little swollen. "It stings a little but it doesn't hurt quite as bad as before."

"Good." Riku said as he set his stick down on the floor and laid down on the wooden bench. There were questions about Orin that buzzed around in Riku's head but he decided that they could wait until morning. And if Orin tried anything he would have to break that promise he had just made to him.

"How did you end up in the ocean Orin?"

"I remember running along a dark rocky beach last night being chased by the Heartless..." Orin said, "I remember I jumped into the water and just began to swim out to sea. I was so scared I didn't think about drowning or sharks or anything like that. After what felt like hours I was so tired I passed out. The next thing I know I was laying on that pile of straw over there."

"Dark rocky beach?" Sora mused, turning to Riku. He and Riku had been to a place like that after they defeated Xemnas. Sora leaned towards Riku and whispered so only he could hear. "You think he's talking about that beach we were on in the Realm of darkness?"

Riku considered this for a moment. Even though it was possible it was difficult to say for certain that it was the same beach. "Dunno. It would make sense if the Heartless are after him but for now let's keep this between us."

"Alright, what are you two conspiring about" Kairi demanded, putting her balled fists on her hips.

Both Riku and Sora jerked back and tried to look innocent. Both said "Nothing!" at the exact same moment.

Kairi rolled her eyes in protest but said nothing. She did however yawn as her creeping fatigue catch up with her. "I'm getting sleepy. I'll see you guys in the morning." And with that Kairi laid down on the bench and went to sleep.

Orin saw no reason to argue with reason and sat in the corner, getting as comfortable as possible and quickly settled into a deep sleep of his own.

Sora and Riku sighed, things were certainly getting awkward around here. Riku put out the fire and made sure the doors were locked before coming back to find Sora curled up asleep on the hay stack. Riku shook his head in annoyance that Sora would take the whole stack for himself to sleep on but shrugged it off and laid down next to where the fire had been. Riku smirked when he found that the sandy floor around the fire retained a lot of the residual heat and soon drifted off to sleep.

Dawn was just beginning to turn to mid day when they awoke. Riku was the first to stretch and rub his eyes before waking up Kairi and Sora, who was the most reluctant to wake up. Orin however was awakened by the sounds of the others grumbling and yawning. Riku had remembered that he shouldn't make physical contact with Orin and had little choice. He either had to allow Orin to wake up on his own or poke him with the stick he had used to poke at the fire, which would have soiled Orin's clothes with ashes and been very rude.

"Morning guys." Kairi said as she covered her mouth and yawned. "Sleep well?"

"I wouldn't have minded a nice soft pillow." Sora said as he rubbed his neck.

Riku gave his childhood friend a jab on the arm. "And maybe you shouldn't have hogged the entire hay stack. I hope you're all itchy."

Sora rubbed his arm and smiled weakly at Riku. "Well maybe I shouldn't have but you didn't have to hit me."

Riku sighed and shook his head. Sora, even after fighting Heartless, Nobodies, the Organization, and the evils of dozens of other worlds he was still the same lazy yet good natured kid that he always had known.

Kairi had thought the exact same thing about Sora, he was still the same after all this time. However she also thought that after they had come back to Destiny islands Riku pretty much returned to his old self. He was once more the group's father figure, he made sure the others weren't being picked on in town but he was no longer the one who had the last say in anything. In Kairi's opinion he still kicked himself a little for giving himself over to darkness but he seemed to be getting over it little by little.

The three of them were soon sitting down to a simple breakfast of fish cooked over an open fire, coconuts, and mushrooms (which Orin avoided like the plague). As they were finishing up and the fire was put out there came a knock just before the door swung open.

"Donald! Goofy! It's good to see you guys again!" Sora said as he was tackled by two of his best friends anywhere.

After a extended period of laughter and a group hug or two Donald and Goofy stood in front of the islanders.

"We don't have time to mess around Sora! We've got problems!" Donald quacked.

Sora blinked. "Something wrong guys?"

Goofy nodded, the funny hat he wore bobbed up and down a little as he did so. "There's Heartless popping up all over the place!"

"What?" Sora exclaimed. "Why are they attacking? We beat Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas, who could be commanding them now?"

This was a shock to Riku and Kairi as well. Things were already going wrong just after all that they had been through only a few weeks ago. Couldn't they catch a break?

"That's the strange thing." Goofy continued, "They aren't attacking anybody. It's like they're lookin for something..."

"Or someone." Orin said, getting up and walking up to stand next to Sora.

"Who's this clown?" Donald said, brandishing his staff in his hands upon noticing the Heartless mark on Orin's chest.

"Oh yeah, Donald, Goofy, this is my new friend Orin. He showed up this morning and helped us take on a group of Heartless." Sora was lying of course, but he knew if he told Donald what happened he'd have to go to great lengths to get the court magician to understand that Orin wasn't what he seemed.

"Hi..." Orin said weakly, silently he cursed as his antennas squirmed on his forehead. Orin reached up and grabbed hold of them, the ends that stuck out of the end of his clenched hands wiggling with a new ferocity. Finally Orin relinquished with a defeated groan and let go. "It's like they have a mind of their own..."

"Don't worry Orin." Kairi teased, "Those things don't make you look scary. In fact they make you look kinda like a cute little caterpillar."

"Ugh..." Orin shuddered. "I don't know which is worse, being 'cute' or looking like a worm with legs."

Donald wasn't sure about this. Everything about Orin seemed to put him on edge. The way he was dressed, the Heartless mark on his chest and back, the antennas... In Donald's opinion it was better to be cautious.

Goofy however walked up and shook Orin's hand. Luckily the gloves he always wore prevented Orin from being set off by Goofy's pulse. "Hiya Orin, glad to meetcha!"

Orin was shaken up and down by Goofy's powerful handshake and quickly jerked his hand back. "Please don't do that... No offence it's just don't like it when people touch me."

"Oh, Sorry. I was just trying to be friendly." Goofy said.

Orin shook his head. "No harm done. It's nice to meet you both."

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Riku asked as he stepped up to the group.

The others strained their ears but could hear nothing save for the gentle sounds of the waves breaking on the nearby shore.

"I don't hear anything Riku." Kairi said plainly.

Riku's eyes narrowed. "That's just it. I don't hear any birds, crickets, or anything."

It wasn't long after Riku spoke as Heartless began to pour from the forest further inland. The Heartless were pouring out of the nearby forest like roaches pouring out of a drain pipe. And all of them were heading towards the small group standing on the beach.

"Heartless!" Donald cried out as the small army of Heartless began to surround them.

'Thanks for stating the obvious Donald...' Kairi thought.

"Kairi get back to the shack, now!" Riku ordered as he stepped in front of the group. If anyone was going to get the first shot at these things it would be him.

Kairi did as she was told and ran back to the shack and locked the door just as the Heartless surrounded Rku, Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Kairi knelt down and began to pray silently for her friends, she didn't want this to happen all over again...

The Heartless were all Shadows and Soldiers. The lowest of the Heartless totem pole but it was the sheer numbers that made the gang worry. In small groups these types of Heartless weren't much of a threat but this was more than enough to challenge Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Riku. 'Way to the Dawn' and 'Kingdom Key' were summoned to their respective owners as they both leapt into the fray, breaking down the numbers of Heartless with each swing of their Keyblades.

Donald began with casting Thunder down on the Heartless, taking out a fair number of their ranks. Goofy hoisted his Knight shield and let it fly, bashing its way clear of the gang of Heartless and returning to his hand.

Orin was doing his best to avoid the Heartless despite he was in the center of the entire battle. However the Shadows were too many and soon some of them had grasped onto his left arm and onto his legs, their weight making it easier for the other Heartless to surround him and advance.

"Get off me you mindless things!" Orin cried as he tried to shake the Shadow off of his arm. In a desperate attempt Orin raised his other hand and brought it quickly down on the Heartless, meaning to rake it with his fingernails. To his surprise the Shadow was destroyed, reduced to a black cloud of smoke that quickly vanished in the fresh air. Curious Orin looked as the Heartless around him backed away from him in fear. The ones that had grabbed onto him had also backed off. Orin smirked, pleased that he had struck fear in the Heartless however his sense of accomplishment turned to dread when he looked down and saw that the arm he had swatted at the Heartless was now as black as the Shadow he had attacked and was equipped with very sharp claws on each finger. Now it was Orin's turn to be struck with fear. Old buried questions boiled to the surface as he stared in terror at his transformed appendage. What had happened? Why did he have claws? What was he? Why was this happening to him? Was he a Heartless? Was he no different than these creatures...? Orin was so transfixed on his arm he didn't notice the Heartless were advancing on him again.

"Orin you moron move!"

Orin awoke from his terror induced stupor just in time to see Riku easily breaking through the lines of Shadows with his 'Way to the Dawn' Keyblade. But even Riku was speechless to see Orin's new look. However this lasted only long enough for a Shadow to leap at Riku only to be vanquished by Riku's Keyblade. "Orin get your head together. You and I will talk after we're done here."

Orin nodded as the shock he had received began to wear off. Orin needed an outlet for his anger and these Heartless would prove just what he needed.

To be continued...