Admittedly, this is a really short chapter, but i wasn't planning on making it really long. but i hope this makes up for me no updating in over two months! two chapters in one day. hope you'll forgive my long absence, but i plan to be updating regularly, or at least more regularly. also, check out my amvs, (Allientis). it's summer and i've had time to make a few more, along with some other little things i've been working on. almost to the wake of th Kishin! so excited to write that part! i don't know how long it will be, or if it's going to be several chapters, we'll see how it plays out. anyway, enjoy this litte chapter!

disclaimer: soul eater is a wonderful story, but sadly i don't own it, nor do i claim to. i only own my original characters and concepts!

Chapter 14: The Super Written Exam

We were sitting in class, and Stein was talking. "I think everybody is already aware that the time has come. Class is over. What do you think? How have you all progressed?" Stein said, watching us from behind his glasses. "The common exams for both technicians and weapons. The super written exam. The exams are getting closer. Less than one week left." he went on. "I'm the one who prepared the exams this time. Some of you are probably excited, some of you terrified, but... do you best! Class dismissed!" Stein said, waving at us as he left on his chair, falling over once he got to the doorway. Of course he fell.

Tests... how stupid... I suppose school kinda comes with them though... hrmm... I really don't see my mother's point in putting me through all this. If she wanted me to be a spy, why do I have to do this? If she wanted an errand boy why couldn't she have asked one of our 'friends'. Uselessness. That's what all this is. A waste of my time... not like I don't have plenty of it, but still...

I felt a tug on my sleeve, and I looked up. Max was standing to go, and soul and everyone was behind him, waiting for me. I smiled weakly, standing up, following after them.

"hey" soul said to Black*Star. Black*Star turned to look at him. "Have you heard the rumor that whoever gets first place on the exam gets to become a death scythe?" Soul asked him. "What! Really?" Black*Star said. I rolled my eyes. Of course it was only a rumor. Even if it wasn't, I Still wasn't going to study.

"All right! I'll get first place on the test and make you into a death scythe Tsubaki!" Black*Star shouted enthusiastically. "yeah!" Tsubaki said happily. "it;s our first test! Let's do our best!" Patty said happily to kid. "It's only a test. There's no real need to study. I already know this stuff." Kidd said. "what? That's not right.." Liz mumbled.

We split up an went home. Three days until this worthless test. ha. Like I was going to study. I knew most of this stuff already anyway. My mother was a good teacher. At least she never gave me a test... or, at least a written one. She gave me drills occasionally, and I was pretty good. I needed to be after all. Just like Kidd, it was something I was raised to and expected to know.

I went to my room and sat down on the bed, pulling out my sketchpad. I flicked on my table lamp and pulled out a mechanical pencil and started sketching. Just as I had finished the base of my drawing's head, the door opened slowly, and max popped his head inside. "You're not studying?" he asked quietly. My gaze slowly slid up to meet his eyes. It must have been a threatening look, because he suddenly seemed a lot more uncomfortable. "no." I replied. Then I realized he was holding a textbook. "are you?" I replied. "yeah... I was going to ask if you wanted to study together, but since you're not..." he trailed off, looking away for a moment. I smiled slightly, not a happy smile, more an amused one. "I already know these things." I replied, returning my gaze to my drawing, waiting for him to leave. "Oh... okay..." he mumbled, and left, closing the door softly behind him. "Cute." I mumbled to myself, before continuing my sketch. I ended up drawing the rest of the day, while max studied away in his room.

The next passed about the same. No one to hang out with. So I ended up spending the day in the shadow forest around my respective home. The dark mansion. I wandered the forest, and made conversation with my friends that lived out there. I always enjoyed talking to demons more than people, for the most part. They were really good at telling stories.

After awhile I ended up in my own home, relaxing with my twins shadows, Alex and Riley. "hello your majesty~" Riley chirped happily, sitting down next to me. Alex just gave me a nod and sat down across from us. Weird how a mere difference in elements could create such different characters for the twins... I had never met another pair of twin shadows with such opposite personalities as these two... then again, they were on different spectrum's when it came down to it...we talked the day away, and I slept over there.

Back to Max's house in the morning. Tomorrow was the exam. Max was still diligently studying away. I hadn't seen much of him. I was bored. Really bored. And I was getting a little impatient. I couldn't sit still. I needed something to do to spend a little energy. My fingers twitched as I paced the house and ended up taking a walk. I walked around the city the whole day, and couldn't find anything to do. Ugh! Why did everyone have to be so absorbed in this stupid test! It was so pointless... I ended up trying to go to bed early, but I couldn't sleep. I was too twitchy. So I ended up drawing till I was tired. I didn't end up falling asleep until almost midnight. Good thing I didn't need much sleep anyway.

We got up early and had a nice breakfast. Exam day. Max seemed really stressed. I was about at relaxed as I could be. "Why are you so worked up?" I mumbled to Max as we ate. "Because! I have to do better than my older brother did! He got a 98! if I don't get a perfect, then there's no way I'll ever be able to outshine him!" he said, getting really worked up just telling me. I was quiet for a moment. "you have a brother?" I asked. His jaw almost dropped, and he slumped over. "yes. I've told you a million times." he mumbled from the table. "oh... well then at least that means I don't think he could be that great if I can't remember him..." I mumbled. He looked up, his chin still on the table. "I guess... but you wouldn't say that if you got to meet him..." he mumbled. "is he still at Shibusen?" I asked. "yeah. He's a year ahead of me, and he's a meister. I don't see him much, but I've heard he's really close to having a death scythe, after failing twice because Lord death restarted him twice. No one knows why either..." Max mumbled, starting to eat again. He suddenly seemed a little less tense, but this guy was nothing but tense, so it was barely an improvement.

After we finished our long breakfast we headed to school. Max's nerves worked right back up. I sighed. This guy was starting to give me a headache. We arrived in the classroom and took our seats. Sid was standing in front of the class. Beside him was a large Timer. "I'm the examiner. Before we start the test, there's one thing... " Sid said, motioning to someone hanging from the wall... it took a moment before I realized who it was. "Black*Star!" Tsubaki shouted, her jaw dropping. "here, we have a moron who decided to try to steal the the test from Professor stein's laboratory yesterday. Misconduct will not be tolerated!" Sid said. "The test is 60 minutes long... Turn over your question sheets. And begin!" Side said, and we all got to work.

Well. I guess here goes nothing. I thought, reading the first question. I had barely finished reading it when soul was called up and all of his clothes were taken. Idiot. Trying to cheat. "is this all?" Sid asked, having everything but his underwear. "What? You want me to take off my underwear too!" Soul shouted. I snickered before returning my attention to the piece of paper in front of me.

Question one. Fill in the blank. 'A sound soul dwells within a sound _ and a sound _'. easy. A sound soul dwells within a sound soul and a sound body. My mother taught me, and she was the same year as stein, so they can't have learned much differently right? Besides, it's not like I haven't been here.

The questions went by, simple enough. I wasn't even that worried about getting them all right. Question ten. True or false? Looks like it's should be false, but with a bit of thought I think it's true...

time ticked right on by, and soon there was only ten minutes left. I glanced behind me to see what I heard. Patty had made a giraffe out of her test. Creative I thought. Soul was directly behind me, and kid was to his right, patty being on the left. I looked back to my test. Almost done. There was a loud noise behind me and I turned to look. Kidd had just collapsed. I gave a sigh, and went back to the few questions I had left. I finished a few minutes before the bell went off, signaling the test was over.

The next day the results were posted. Maka got first, 100 points. Max was sulking in a corner because he only got 91 points. I got 98, Just below someone in the class named Ox. Ha! There was a reason I didn't study! Third place! I guess there's an advantage to being forced to learn about this stupid stuff everyday for years... Tsubaki got 81 points. Soul got 35. good, considering I'm sure he didn't study. Liz got 28, and Patty got 2. hmm... so the giraffe was worth something. Black*Star of course got 0, but so did Kidd, who I'm sure knew the stuff he just had a breakdown.

I smiled contently to myself and walked away, wondering if Max was filled with a spite that I tied with his older brother. He had me interested. I'd like to meet this brother of his... I wonder what kind of a guy he was... was he just like max? Or maybe cooler... Max sure did talk him up...

interesting thought at least.

like i said, not terriably long. next up is the Black dragon, but Zora won't be involved there, then next is the founder's eve party, and start of the revival ark! so excited to write it, but the next chapter will probably be a free chapter. probably more of mitchie, and i may even introduce Max's brother~ hehe, i think i will~ also, around the time the death scythes are summoned to death city, i plan on doinf a chapter about Z's bithday. that should be interesting :D

anyways, hope you enjoyed! pleaase review!

~Lots of love~

AlLiEnTiS~~