WOWWWWWW, I had re-edited this on 10-18-17... and had planned to post it and other chapters up to chapter 12 (where I left off before the revamp) and litteratly left it for two more years... talk about a hiatus. Jeez i'm shocked anyone is still reading this at all at this point. Its now 9-14-19 and I got a review for the first time in forever asking if this was dead... and then I thought to myself 'no, I don't think so... I have always had a plan for this story... and apparetnly someone still like it... so why not pick it back up?' So here we go!

This is the only message from 2014 kiddo's. I didn't have the heart to erase it lol. Skip over it and go to the story if you wish. It's simply babbling.

Ok so I have lots of catching up to do, I have had a lot going on. One thing I just found out last month that I have ADHD (which I have known my whole life) but now I found out that I have dyslexia too D: yeah I think I might be a demigod. Hahahah! (If you know who Rick Riordan or the Percy Jackson series he wrote then you got that joke)

Anyways, I looked back at all of my previous chapters and thought about revising them all when I realized that you really could tell how much it messed up my writing, even with the computers help. But then I consider it a learning experience for all of my readers. You can go ahead and look back at them and find all the mistakes that were just simply common, that I didn't catch when I was re-checking my work before I posted them. I think it's interesting to look back and see how much it really affected me in my daily life even when I thought the computer had fixed everything and I had honestly thought I had revised it to perfection. Well its not like I can do anything about it, I have had it my whole life, I just didn't know about it. Well I hope that it will inspire those of you who might have it as well, or even if you don't, to keep writing and not let disabilities and other quarks you might have from keeping you from writing or reading to your hearts content. Okay!

Well, even if you just skipped that first paragraph, back to the story. Yeah I know some of you guys are mad at me and I am kinda upset with myself for putting this off for so long, but now I have my inspiration back and my last fist trimmester (it's my senior year baby!) Is ending this week I can have more time again to update. I might even have another chapter up by Christmas! (Hey I can always dream can't I?) anyhow I do have the chapter you have all been in suspense for. (Hey at least its not as bad as the 'cliff hanger' in Mark of Athena! (Sorry another Percy Jackson joke! You can tell I really have become a fan of his, hahaha!)) I will be giving flashbacks just like I promised. Now on with the chapter!

Who's who

Maka was sitting at her mirror conceal and brushing her hair out from the nap she took. She remembered Arachne saying something about her bringing 'special' things for her, but when Maka looked around she saw nothing out of order from where it was when she went to sleep. Hmmmm, maybe she hasn't came yet.

She thought back to earlier and looked at her cheek again, 'was that really just my imagination, I don't know, it just bothers me for some reason.' She looked at herself with worry, and then shook her head. 'Nah, I'm just overreacting, it might be the bad vibes from this place that are causing me to be paranoid.' She took a deep breath and let it out nice and slow. She decided to go back to her bed and lay down for a while. She hadn't had much time to think about the offer Arachne had made her and thought it would be a good idea to think about it now before she came back. But that was just the thing, she still couldn't believe the academy the people she trusted the most, would lie to her.

*Flashback*

"Why did you take me? Why am I so important to you? And how come you are treating me so generously?!" She asked with much seriousness on her face, but also a hint of fear.

Arachne looked at her with a little shock and surprise on her face; she hadn't expected Maka to be so straight forward. But it quickly disappeared when she noticed the presence of fear. She was only being so direct because she was scared she would loose the nerve. How cute. But Maka had every right to be scared so, 'maybe I should just tell her what she wants to know;' Arachne gave her a small smile to put her at ease a little. 'Now its time to spin my web, and let the truth be my lure.'

"Well to answer them in order: I took you so I could talk to you without interruptions, you will find out why you are 'special' to me soon enough, and you are a guest here not a prisoner, although I won't permit you to leave until we have come to an agreement. How does that sound to you hmm?" She gave her a sly smile, Maka looked even more confused and afraid and then Arachne couldn't help but smile and gave an honest chuckle when Maka realized she was showing her fear and tried to put on her stubborn brave face.

"My dear meister, it's okay to be afraid, you should have no shame in it. I'm sure the academy has told you many nasty things about us witches, but they probably lied to you the most. Huh," she sighed, this was going to be the hard part and she knew Maka wouldn't believe her, but this was as true as it got. "You don't know your own lineage, do you?"

"Whwh- what?" Maka looked surprised that Arachne would ask that. Why would it matter? She remembered what Arachne had said earlier about her owing a debt, but was that what she was refereeing to now? "Oh, do you mean the debt you were talking about earlier…. Before you knocked me out?" She was looking away now, remembering what had happened before she awoke here.

'Good she remembers the conversation. She will believe she has it all figured out until I tell her the bit she clearly doesn't know yet. The biggest lie of the Academy. It will just make revealing her heritage much easier and by then I believe she will have started to figure it out any ways. She will know I'm telling the truth.' Arachne straightened herself out again. 'If she doesn't learn it from me, then she will be much more likely to believe it. Now to deal with the matter at hand.'

"Well well well, you were conscious after all, that's good, now I won't have to waste any time re-explaining it. Tell me Maka, what do you think about my history?" Now that question caught Maka totally off guard.

"Umm, well,"

Okay, so Maka knew Arachne wanted her as an ally, but, she would never leave the academy, and if Arachne had really been spying on her, she knew that already, so what was she planning? And what with the knowing about her history already, huh? It just felt wrong. But, there was the fact that due to a weird chain of events she was only alive due to the witch's wrong doings. That's where another question comes to play, 'where they really wrong?'

While Maka thought she subconsciously start to eat her food. Arachne just sat and ate in silence while waiting for Maka to collect her thoughts. 'Now is my time to strike.'

"Maka," she jumped a little, not expecting the witch to talk. "I know you have much to think about, but do consider this, why would the DWMA try to kill me, even now, when I am the only reason that they even exist? And why would Lord Death lie to you all of these years, and not even try to go find your mother when she left? Did you know that he never even sent people to track her down? She could be fighting for her life and he has made no attempt at communication with her for years. Doesn't that seem odd to you? One of his best soilders goes missing and he doesn't seem to mind. What do you think he knows that would cause that? What does he know about your family that would leave your mother and you out on your own? The fact is not everything is what it seems my dear. Not even the Academy." That stopped Maka's heart. Arachne knew she had her now. But this kind of thing is delicate and she didn't want to risk anymore uncertainty. She would let Maka think it over in her room.

Maka was staring at her hands with a contemplated look. She had listened to Arachne's reasoning, but was still taking it all in. Arachne had made some very good points, but Maka just couldn't believe that the academy had betrayed her.

"I'm sure this is all a very big shock to you still, but I'm sure you will come to accept the truth with time. For now though, how about you go back to your room and wait. I will be there shortly with some "special things" for you that might help you while you are still deciding."

Then she looked over to the servant who had brought Maka in, "This is going to be your personal servant Edgar." He bowed to her as she introduced him. "He and his assistant Victoria are going to be by your side at almost every moment. They will attend to any of your needs that may come up," She said with a soft smile, pleased that two of her most trusted servants would be guarding Maka. "Now, I trust that you will behave yourself and treat them with respect." With that she waved for Edgar to open the doors once again and escort Maka back to her room.

*End flash back*

… "Actually that was pure coincidence; believe it or not I didn't have a clue who Death was sending. That's why I had my partner ready to kill some of the unsuspecting saps who would be sent to stop the golem."

That still bothered her. It could have been one of her friends. Could Maka really stay here with her in order to 'pay' the debt? What would she do? Would Arachne hurt anyone else?

And with that last comment about her mother leaving, there was something fishy going on, and even though she hated to admit it, but Lord Death and even her own father have always acted funny whenever she mentioned where mom could be or if she would come back. They never liked talking about it. Like there was something they were trying to hide….

*knock knock*

"Ummm, come in." Victoria came through the door. She didn't have the mask everyone else had on, hers was lying on her back like a hood. She had orange hair that went down to her shoulders, violet eyes, and a smile on her tanned face. She only looked to be around 17, maybe 18 years old.

"Oh, good you are awake and have brushed your hair already. The mistress will be a while longer, an… unexpected interruption has accrued. 'The DWMA they must be trying to rescue me' Maka thought but was suddenly uncertain if she really was excited about that.

Victoria was good at reading expressions. "Hey don't worry dear. You're perfectly safe here. Plus the bad people aren't here here,they are just scouting. They aren't sure of our location just yet. You have time." She moved and sat next to her on the bed. And put a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

"I just..." Maka was still unsure of so many things. She wasn't sure who was lying to her and who wasn't.

Victoria knew why Arachne had picked her and Edgar for this job. Emotional drama was her specialty. Plus she thought Maka was interesting, with her back round and all. In truth Victoria was kind of hoping Maka would stay.

"Hey don't be so hard on yourself, its okay to be lost sometimes." Maka looked up in surprise that Victoria was actually trying to comfort her. "Don't give me that look, just because I work for a witch doesn't mean I'm bad. I have a heart to you know. We all do."

"Then why do you follow her?" Maka asked.

"That's a tough question. But If I answer it you would think I am simply trying to persuade you into joining us. That's how sad my story is. But I'm not here to do that. I'm simply here to make sure you're alright." She spoke with much care in her voice and in her expression.

"I'm sorry for scrutinizing you I guess I just figured…"

"That all of us were heartless creatures just because we follow and obey someone who you have been taught was evil. Yeah I figured that much. But it's just human nature to discriminate like that. As you can see I'm clearly not evil. Maybe a little mischievous sometimes, I will admit; but who wouldn't be with a mentor like Edgar." She laughed. She looked at Maka with a genuine smile.

"It's okay to talk to me. I'm not going to hurt you. And I swear" she made a cross over her heart, "cross my heart, that I won't tell Arachne or anyone else anything that you tell me. Your secrets are safe, and trust me I know how to keep a secret, one time Edgar caught me…." as she told her hilarious story about how Edgar got so mad at her once when she had switched orders from their mistress around and had sent him to Pakistan as a prank so she could get a break and go to a party with her friends.

Maka started to really relax and even laugh some too. Victoria was really smart and funny and it seemed she acted just like any other teenager; she even had a kind of normal life. This was kinda just like a normal job to her aside from her studies. Maka decided she really was just here to look out for her. Who knows maybe they could be friends, she seemed nice and straight forward. Plus she needed someone who she could confined in that wasn't the witch.

Meanwhile, Arachne was watching from one of her monitors while Maka and Victoria talked. She kept the mute on so she couldn't here anything after Victoria had promised Maka that she wouldn't tell anyone anything. 'I shouldn't listen in or else I would make Victoria look like a liar and then Maka wouldn't trust her anymore. I need to have her on the inside of Maka's walls so I can make sure she is comfortable and will keep following my lure. Victoria will tell me which way she is titling. But I do want her to be Maka's friend, she needs to know she isn't alone here and is a guest not a prisoner.'

Arachne knew this would help sway Maka. Victoria was a fun loving innocent soul, she was friendly and energetic, just like Maka. Now that they have established a bond it was only a matter of time before Maka understood where she truly belongs.

Alright! So now we have some new material to chew on! (again lol. If you remember reading this 5 years ago before the revamp you will recognize that this scene got better.)

The title is supposed to be conveying that Maka is starting to wonder 'who are the real bad guys here' which of coarse is exactly what Arachne wants. Thank you for waiting so long and I hope you like it. Make sure to tell me you're thoughts and feelings about the new developments in the story and the characters okay! Feedback is always helpful.

Original re-edit on 10-17-17. Second re-edit/ revamp on 9-14-19.