DISCLAIMER: I don't own Total Drama or the Kingdom Hearts series. Everything belongs to its respective owners.

Well, I'm back updating this once again, and like I said before, I'll actually try to update this twice a month at most. But it really just depends on whether or not I think I'll even be up to it. If not, then just once a month. I was going to save this update for March originally, but I'd figured I'd just throw you guys a bone, instead.

Anyway, some of you are probably surprised that I didn't have Trent as Demyx for this, what with the whole number 9 thing and the guitar playing, (even though Demyx plays a sitar, technically). But I honestly just think that Cody fits his role a lot more in terms of personality, and while Trent taking on Saix's role does seem a bit strange, I think it's something that I could have work very well here.

But also, concerning Mike and Zoey... One of my biggest worries about writing with them is that I don't want to put my readers to sleep with how boring they are... I want to at least make them both somewhat interesting, so yeah. There's that out of the way.

This is also the longest chapter I've written for this so far, so hopefully it came out Ok.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this and please be sure to R & R!

"Since first arriving here, I've felt like I don't know myself very well at all. I still had no idea over what it is that everyone wanted, or why I was even needed. Why am I even here? Someone so insignificant as me… I probably wouldn't even want anything to do with myself either, because I'm such the odd one out of the group."

Day 8: Icing On The Cake

The following morning, I found myself talking to one of the Organization members I had seen at the meeting place the other day: he had messy black hair, with some of it covering his face. He also had an average kind of build, with his height complementing that of his slimness. His wide chin was probably one of his most prominent features, that is, until I realized the huge scar that was planted plainly in the middle of his face… I'd ask him where he'd got it, but I don't think that would've exactly been one of the best conversation starters to use… That is, if I actually wanted myself to die.

His expression towards me was all deadpan, his lime green eyes piercing right into me. "Xikem, since you're one of the Organization's newest members, it's important that you learn the ropes around here."

I just started at the mystery man all blankly, seeing him facepalm.

"It's a figure of speech…" he muttered, still maintaining that soulless expression of his. "What I really mean is, you need to be ready on how to approach your missions properly for us here. So you need some guidance to help you along with that."

I continued to just stare at him and say nothing, while he let out a heavy sigh. "Long story short, you work for us now by doing missions, and I'll be sending someone along to go with you." He then gestured his hand over to where Oxctst was leaning. "Oxctst, take the kid and help him out today. That's an order."

Oxctst's eyes widened in confusion, before shooting an irritated glare towards us. "Why do I always have to watch the kid, Xntret? Can't someone like, I dunno, Cyodx do it?"

"You and I both know that Cyodx is very bad at doing his share around here." Xntret pointed out to the ginger. "Plus, you're a lot more street smart than he is, anyway…"

"Yeah, I know that, but…" he stuttered. "It's like you're trying to work me to death or something, ya know?"

"I must be doing my job well then…" he frowned clearly unamused. "Oxctst, just take the kid out and help him with his mission today. That's all I'm asking from you." He then turned his back towards me and Oxctst, pausing on his words slightly before continuing from where he left off. "Do it for me and him, or I'll convince Xirsch to turn you into a Dusk…"

Once that was established, Xntret left the room, leaving me all alone with Oxctst.

The redhead still looked pretty irritated, causing him to lash out in the direction of where Xntret was walking. "Oh yeah, well maybe I actually want to be a Dusk, huh?! Ever thought of that?!"

Sighing, he looked at me again, causing me to gulp when my throat was practically numb. "What's got you so afraid? You look like a deer trapped in freaking headlights!"

Once I said nothing in return, Oxctst just growled at me again in response. "Fine, don't say anything… See if I care!" I then watched the redhead create a blob-like, purple portal with his hand, gesturing for me to follow him inside it. "Anyways, let's just get this stupid mission stuff over and done with…"

I saw daylight gleam from just the very end of the portal, squinting my eyes to get a much better view. I quickly followed Oxctst through the bright and wide opening, stepping into the quiet and desolate town, getting a very familiar vibe from it: there were all kinds of neat looking buildings scattered around here, from tall to small. Some with colorful signs, while others were just completely bare to the bone in terms of decoration and design. I looked up to find a flockful of pigeons flying up ahead, startled by the chiming of the clock tower in the distance.

I glanced up at Oxctst for a bit, before he caught my gaze and just glared at me. "What?"

"It's just…" I murmured slightly, adjusting my eyesight to the ground again. "Isn't this… Twilight Town?"

"Yeah, so what if it is, wise guy? What does it even matter for? It's just some stupid, rundown place…" I saw the ginger roll his eyes and frown irritatedly down at the dirt; it was pretty obvious that he didn't want to be here, and his cut throat attitude wasn't helping things much for me, either.

I tried my hardest to lighten the mood on things. "Well, I just figured I'd bring it up, because… Isn't this where we first met, Oxctst? You know, where you found me just wondering around all lost?"

"Lost is an understatement…" he smirked, crossing his arms. "I'd say blind is more like it, hehehe." Once I heard Oxctst finally laughing, I couldn't help but smile a little. But he quickly caught me looking his way again and just glanced away, rubbing his arm nervously.

"Well, we should probably both get started on your mission now. No use in just standing around here and doing nothing. We should probably go." I followed the red-haired ginger through town, looking around the atmosphere aimlessly.

"Hey, why is this place so empty?" the ginger stopped dead in his tracks for a moment in thought, before continuing on his way.

"Beats me." he shrugged. "It's best that we aren't seen by any, anyways…"

I felt my eyes go wide at what he said for a second. "Wait, what do you mean, exactly?"

"Important rule when it comes to joining the Organization: you aren't allowed to be seen by anyone… Especially during missions." He then turned to face me again. "There. Does that answer your question?"

"Well, kind of." I muttered, twiddling my thumbs. "It's just, what if there's someone that needs our help?"

Oxctst just sighed as we continued on walking. "We aren't miracle workers, Xikem. We just do what the boss man tells us, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. You really need to stop doing all this thinking, ya know? It's kind of annoying me."

I just sighed in response and lowered my head, knowing he was probably right. "Well, anyway. What kind of mission are we even looking at?"

"We're supposed to find a chest and bring it back to the boss himself." he stated simply. "Well, it was more along the lines of how you have to find the chest, while I just stand around and look pretty." He cringed a bit after saying that last part.

We both suddenly stopped and I carelessly bumped into Oxctst, rubbing my head from the impact.

"Like I said earlier before." Oxctst started. "You can't rely on me to do everything for ya, so it's something you're gonna have to get used to from now on." He then gestured to the town area up ahead, catching my complete attention. "Now, go and find the chest. And be quick about it. I've got somewhere to be right after this."

I glanced around the area some more before looking at him all bewildered. Sighing, I went and did as I was told.

A half an hour or so had passed, and I had finally managed to find the chest. It was pretty heavy and I couldn't even open it, but I just ignored my gut instinct and arrived back to where Oxctst was leaning.

As I was just about to say something to him, I realized that he was… Sleeping? Sleep standing? How the heck can you even fall asleep while standing up?

Regardless, I dropped the chest right in front of him and the noise of it hitting the ground shot him wide-awake. He looked at me drowsily, then down at the chest and back at me again. Oxctst smirked.

"Nice job, Xikem." he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Was starting to think you didn't have it in you."

"So, does this mean we're allowed to go back to the castle now?" I asked him curiously.

"Well, you can go back to the castle. I have somewhere to…" The redhead then stopped himself for a moment once he caught onto what he was about to say, rubbing the back of his neck rather nervously. "It's, nothing."

"It sure doesn't seem like nothing." I smirked slyly with a chuckle, raising one of my eyebrows at him.

"No, Xikem. It's pretty stupid…" he laughed weakly, but stopped himself again once he realized I was still watching him. Watching and listening.

Sighing in defeat, Oxctst seemed to finally give in. "Just, come on. I'll show ya."

"What did you bring me all the way up to the clock tower for?" I asked the ginger sitting next to me, my eyes filled with a little bit of wonder.

"It's just, you know, I like watching the sunsets up here and stuff. That's all." Oxctst then sighed again, before directing his attention away from me. "It just, gets kind of lonely up here sometimes."

He then turned to face me again and handed me something from his right coat pocket, while I just looked at him all confused: it was a light blue bar of ice-cream, and it was glistening under the sun's waves perfectly.

I just continued to stare at the object, before glancing back up at Oxctst. "What's this?"

I felt myself practically jump once the ginger shot me another one of his irritated glares. "Don't tell me you forgot about that, too! I brought you up here before, but you're just too stupid to remember!" I just looked at him shocked, and I could instantly tell that he was frustrated with me again; why do I always feel so guilty whenever he goes off on me like this? It's like I'm some sort of villain, when I don't mean to be…

All I could do now was apologize. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I would offend you… My memory's just been failing me lately, that's all."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever…" the redhead muttered. "Just take the ice-cream before it melts."

I nodded to show him that I understood, taking it firmly from his grip. The way it dazzled in the sunlight really held me captivated to it for quite a bit, before finally giving it a taste.

"It's salty… Yet sweet." Is a flavor like this even possible? I've honestly never tasted anything like this… Something so foreign, yet strangely delightful.

"That's sea salt ice-cream for ya." he laughed a little, looking in the distance. "All the kids around here are crazy for this stuff, including me." Oxctst's eyes went wide once he realized I already wolfed my entire thing of ice-cream down. "And I can see that you're just about as crazy about this stuff as me, maybe even a little more."

He just smiled in slight amusement, while I licked the sticky, blue remnants off my face. "It's really good, though."

"Yeah, I know. It's probably best that you savor the flavor though, unless you wanna end up with some kind of brain freeze." We both just kind of laughed a little right after that, before I looked at him a little more seriously.

"Hey, Oxctst. You could've just as easily said no, but you didn't." Oxctst just looked at me all funny for a moment, before scratching his head.

"What are you trying to get at here?" he suddenly asked me.

"What I mean is… You could've just as easily declined on taking me up here, but you didn't. I thought you kind of hated me…" There was silence, which felt like an eternity to me. Finally, I got my answer.

"It's because, you know… We're… Friends. I guess…" He seemed pretty reluctant to say it, but I couldn't help but warm up to his compliment a little bit. "There. Happy?"

To be honest, I had no idea what a friend even was… But I guess it would probably have to be something very special. "Wait, so we're… Friends?"

"Yep." he nodded. "I don't know much about friendship myself, but all I know is that friends keep friends from doing stupid shit, and eat ice-cream together. I like to call it the icing on the cake." He then gestured to his bar of sea salt ice-cream, and I finally understood.

"So Oxctst called me his friend today, so does that mean… He's my friend, too? I've never been called a friend before, or even had my own. This whole concept of friendship… Is there even more to it?"