A/N: Hey, it's Indi again, here with another chapter. I'd just like to give one more big shout-out to all my reviewers. Believe me, nothing brightens my day like checking my email to find that one or two more of you have sent me such kind reviews. Really, my personal goal was to nab at least one per chapter, but you guys gave me so much more. I don't know how I can thank you all enough.

Also, I do enjoy communities that rant about bad fanfictions, and I understand that my writing is some of the lower quality here, so I will not get angry if some one posts a rant about my fic. I only ask that 1) you understand that I will probably see and respond to your rant, and 2) if you have a problem with my fic, please tell me before you go posting tales of my suckitude across the internets.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspects of the Kingdom Hearts plot and/or characters. They belong to Square Enix.

Warning: Some cussing in this chapter

It was raining heavily in The World that Never Was. Demyx was on one of the outside balconies, it had been almost an entire day since he had taken his second test, and the results were due back soon. An overhanging canopy shielded him from the rain. He was squatted down and staring at some castle blueprints that he asked Xemnas for right after he finished his second test. Every so often, Demyx would take out a pencil and make a few marks in certain rooms. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice a figure in a black cloak sneak up on him.

"Boo!"

"Aaiiiiie!" Demyx dropped his pencil and jumped a few inches in the air. Since he was already squatting, the jump caused him to lose his balance, get tied up in his cloak, and fall painfully on his back. Some very familiar laughter was coming from the intruder. "Xigbar! Don't do that!"

Number II in the Organization ignored his cohort's protests and looked over blueprints. "What's this for? Some kind of secret plan? Zexion said that you looked like you were scheming something when you came out of that testing room."

"Oh, that." Demyx grinned as he picked up the scattered blueprints. "You won't tell the others, will you?"

"My lips are sealed, now spill it."

"Ok. See, no matter what Xemnas is going to say about my results, Saix, Larxene, and some of the others are gonna be pissed. I'm charting out all the best hiding places in the castle so I can lay low until he forgets about it. I've also marked ways to travel from one hiding place to another in case one of them get too close, and so I can go grab food and stuff."

"Uh, Demyx?"

"Hm?"

"This is all very impressive, I actually don't think anyone else in the Organization could make something like this, but you have a mission tomorrow. Me, you, Saix, and Marluxia. And it usually takes Saix a week to get over something like this. Didn't you remember?"

"Gah! Ouch!" Demyx whacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and winced in pain. "Is face-palming supposed to hurt that much? I see you do it all the time and it never seems to bug you."

Xigbar sighed, "You aren't supposed to really hit yourself full force, did you think I'd just clobber my face every time some one in this castle did something stupid?"

"Well… that would explain those scars."

"Heh, it'd take more than that to cut me up Kid. Anyhoo, Xemnas said he's going to announce your new scores in the Proof in five minutes. Said you might wanna come. I'm going to stay out here and skip the fireworks, you can let me know how it went."

Demyx brightened up. "Alright! I've got a good feeling about this. Meetcha back here!" He flashed Xigbar a corny grin before stepping through a dark portal to the Proof of Existence. Truth be told, the Melodious Nocturne was feeling rather optimistic. He had tried much harder during the second test than the first, and he was maybe, just maybe starting to believe that he might not be as stupid as he thought.

"This should be good." Saix had gotten to the Proof right after Demyx. He was leaning on his claymore and grinning. Larxene stood next to him, sharpening her knives. The room slowly started to fill with the remaining members. Everyone had come except for Xigbar, who was waiting on the balcony outside, and Luxord, Vexen, and Xaldin, who decided that they weren't overly concerned about the matter and the evening would be better spent playing poker and drinking copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. Xemnas was the last to arrive, and he held the results in his hand. Silence fell amongst the gathered members.

"Ahem, if I may have your attention. Demyx's results from his second test recently came in. For the record, he did not cheat on his first test, it was Zexion's hypothesis that Demyx was just lucky that day. So for this test we had him wear the Deus Ex Machina charm. Anyone who wants further information on the capabilities of this charm should ask Vexen tomorrow once his imminent hangover has cleared." Demyx gulped, and ran his eyes across the room. He noticed Lexeaus looking his way, and the Silent Hero gave him a smile and a wink. Demyx nodded and turned back to Xemnas. "Now, with the charm, Demyx scored more like we would expect. He was lower than the rest of the Organization. And by a very considerable margin too. If any of you have questions, just ask me, but I request we drop the matter." With that, Xemnas turned around and faded through a dark portal. Demyx froze, he was the lowest? His good score earlier was just dumb luck? Why… when he was starting to think that maybe, he wasn't that stupid.

"Hey Demyx! Good one!" Larxene gleefully slapped the Melodious Nocturne on the back. "We know you, you'll never let us down!"

Demyx said nothing, he just opened his own dark portal and stepped through. Axel watched him go.

"Eh, think he's suffered enough by now?"

"Of course not!" Larxene looked like her birthday had come early. "I'm having way too much fun! Right Saix?" The Lunar Diviner nodded and smiled.

Demyx had teleported to one of the highest spires of the castle. It was a place he liked to go when his thoughts were troubling him. No one ever bothered him there. The only trouble was that there was no cover from the rain. It had really picked up, Demyx was drenched in seconds and the rain was getting colder. Still, it wasn't that bad, and he really needed to be alone for a bit.

"I guess Saix and the others were right, there really isn't that much to me. I'll miss it though, Xig and the others thinking I'm smart."

Demyx leaned against the spire and pulled his cloak around him. He just remembered how long it had been since he had slept. Last night his nerves wouldn't let him get to sleep so he just sat up and practiced his sitar. A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that he should go back in, but he didn't want to move, he was to tired to move… Why couldn't he just take a quick nap here?

"Damn," Xigbar grumpily stepped into the Proof of Existence, carrying Demyx's blueprints. "Can't blame the kid for not wanting to go back out in this storm, but he could've at least told me." He turned to Zexion, who was seated nearby quietly working on a Rubix cube. "Where is he, anyways? How did the plan go?"

Zexion looked up. "The plan went well. Demyx put on the best performance I've seen in my life. Did you tell him what Xemnas was going to tell the others?"

"Me? I thought Xemnas already told Demyx about the results before he got us?"

"Really?" Zexion arched his visible eyebrow in mild surprise. "I thought that's why you were going, to tell Demyx about everything."

"No, didn't Xemnas tell him?"

"No, you were supposed to."

The Freeshooter and the Cloaked Schemer stared at each other as the recognition dawned upon them.

"SHIT!"