The long awaited Ninth Chapter is here! The story is coming to a close soon so be prepared. I hope you enjoy!
Mana
Mana found a night sheath to put on, but she was kind of self-conscious about it. It was almost sheer and she knew that Atem would be able to see everything. She was so not ready for that yet. Mana had to admit that she had no idea how the offending garment had gotten into her things, since she had never seen it, but she assumed someone slipped it in. She looked around for something else and found a white linen and unflattering linen sheath. She assumed it was supposed to be tied with some elaborate robe or scarf, but Mana didn't really think it mattered since she planned on only sleeping in it.
She pulled her other dress off and slipped the ugly linen garment on. It was comfortable, she had to give it that and in all honesty, that was what a night sheath was for, wasn't it? That sheer monstrosity was for a completely different occasion that Mana simply couldn't handle right now.
Besides, she had taken way too long to find something to wear. The sun was almost fully set and Atem was surely waiting for her. A shiver ran up her spine and she knew it was a warning. Something was horribly wrong.
Mana decided she had wasted enough time. She left the room and greeted her guards before walking towards Atem's room. Her guards followed close behind her and she felt safe and comforted knowing that they were beside her. As Mana got closer a sinking feeling coiled in the pit of her stomach and she upped her pace. Her guards were having a hard time keeping up with her. Mana wasn't worried about them though her only focus was getting to Atem.
When she reached the door only one of Atem's guards were present. Mana looked at the door and waited to see if she heard anything. Nothing. She looked at the floor hoping to see a shadow that told her Atem was okay, but there was, again, nothing.
"Did your Pharaoh come through here?" Mana asked the guard. "And where is the other guard?"
"Pharaoh entered his chambers and ordered that the torches be lit as soon as possible, Lady Mana," the man answered. "The other guard went to find a servant to fulfill the pharaoh's request."
Mana's heart dropped. She heard something being jostled on the other side of the door and immediately registered it as being unusual. Why didn't the guards hear it? How was it that Mana was the only one who could tell something was wrong?
"Did you secure the room before he went in?"
"No, Lady Mana. He said there was no need to do so," he replied.
Danger!
"Open the door!" she yelled.
The guard looked at her trying decide if he should be following her command or not. Mana ordered him to open the door again before he followed her demand. She burst into the room with the guards close behind and her breath caught.
Two forms were caught in the darkness. Torches from outside were the only things illuminating them and Mana went from worried to pissed off in seconds. Bakura's hand was closing around Atem's throat and a small dagger was pointed at his chest. Atem looked angry, but didn't flinch as Bakura's grip tightened.
Bakura turned to see the intrusion and gave an evil smile. He looked almost happy to see Mana and the guards standing rooted on the spot as their pharaoh was in a life or death situation.
"Mana, it is lovely to see you again," Bakura cooed.
"That makes one of us," Mana sneered. "Release him."
"Not until he agrees to my terms, sweet Mana."
"I said release him," Mana demanded again.
Something inside of her was twisting. She was seeing red. Atem was the pharaoh and as such should never be harmed. Rage was pooling in her belly and all she wanted was to tear Bakura's throat out. Atem was hers! Hers to love and hers to protect! This vile man should never be able to touch him. Wait, what? When had Atem become hers?
"I don't think I will. See, he has everything I want and as a man who always gets what he wants I will have my way," Bakura stated. "Even if I have to kill him."
Mana growled, a sound she never expected to come from her throat, as she advanced on the two men. She vaguely heard the guard yelling for reinforcements, but she didn't even care. Bakura was standing way to close to Atem and the grip was tightening. There would be bruises on Atem's beautiful skin and Mana couldn't have that.
"I will not tell you again to release him so I give you one more chance," Mana offered. "Release him."
Bakura started laughing, "I am not afraid you, Mana. You don't scare me. I survived once because you could not kill me I have confidence that I will survive again."
"Not this time, Bakura," Mana pointed out. Things were different this time. She once had held affection for Bakura because she had thought he had saved her and that had been why she had let him live, but Atem loved her. Atem wanted to be with her because he loved her. Her affection for Bakura was gone and replaced by her love for Atem. "This time I have no ties to you, but Atem is different. I feel more for him than I ever did for you."
"That is nonsense, Mana!" Bakura seethed.
The blade pressed closer into Atem's chest and a small trickle of blood slid down his tan skin. Mana ground her teeth as she waited. She only had one chance to get Bakura away from him, but she had to wait till his rant was close to done. He would slip up and she would be ready.
"He tricked you! He put all these ideas of love in your head when you know that love doesn't exist. Your family abandoned you! They left you in the desert and I rescued you. Don't you think I deserve your respect and loyalty?"
"You had it, Bakura, and then you took the most precious thing from me. You took my innocence!" Mana snapped.
"Yes, that was…regrettable, but don't you think that I deserved it after raising you and caring for you as if you were my own family?"
"No, I don't! What you did no sane family member would do! You are a monster!"
"Monster!" Bakura roared. "I am not the monster here, Mana! This boy's father was the monster! He annihilated my village for his own purpose! He took my family from me!"
Mana understood what Bakura was doing. He was projecting his hate for Atem's father onto Atem instead of coming to terms with the past. Bakura was angry and hurt, but he was taking his anger out on someone who wasn't even responsible.
"Atem didn't kill your family or destroy your village, Bakura. He couldn't have been four or five when it happened. He is not the one you should be angry with."
Bakura sneered and he pressed the blade deeper into Atem's skin. Atem hissed and she could feel the blood rushing to her ears. The pharaoh was in pain and it was killing her to stand and watch, but she also knew that she had to wait.
"But he is that viper's son. He has his blood in his veins."
"Should you judge a man's heart based on what his father and predecessors did before him?" Mana questioned. "Shouldn't he be judged for the decisions he makes in his own lifetime with his own heart? Why condemn him for something he did not order?"
The room was quiet for a moment as Bakura thought. Mana knew he was toying with her. She could see it in his cold gray eyes, but she still had a shred of hope for him. When the guards came rushing into the room and Set and Mahad came to stand beside her she saw Bakura tense.
Mahad and Set made to move forward, but Mana told them to wait. She had to be the one to move. If anyone else did Atem was dead and Mana was not prepared to lose him. Protests rang out behind her, but she ignored them and focused her eyes on Atem. He met her gaze and Mana smiled.
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
The room went silent. Bakura looked between them and she could see his fury rising. Atem and Mana only had seconds before Bakura would change their lives forever. Atem nodded and her smile widened as she focused back on Bakura.
"Why should he trust you, Mana? You are nothing but a filthy peasant, a thief in a noblewoman's clothing," Bakura snapped.
"It is simple, Bakura," Mana replied as she took a small step forward. "I love him."
Those seemed to be the magic words as Bakura's eyes widened and he pulled his dagger back. Mana sprang into action then and she could hear the gasps as she took Bakura to the floor in her lioness form. Atem had been jostled in the attack and subsequently thrown to the floor. He was slowly picking himself off the floor as Bakura thrashed under her.
Mana's claws were buried in his shoulders, but the dagger was still in his hand. His legs kicked under her, but she was heavier in this form and would not be easily jostled. Mana snarled in his face as a way of telling him to cease, but he refused to listen to her warning. Instead he took the dagger and embedded it in her shoulder. Mana let out a fierce roar as the blade pierced her skin and her shoulder exploded in pain.
She heard Atem yell her name, but Mana ignored him. She focused her gaze on Bakura and sank her teeth into his other shoulder. He screamed at the pain, but Mana knew she couldn't kill him. He needed to face judgement and Atem would be the one to do it. Bakura yanked the blade out to try and stab Mana again, but someone knocked it out of his hand.
"Mana!" Atem yelled.
She dislodged her jaws from the shoulder of her love's enemy and looked at Atem. He was holding a cloth to his chest where the dagger had been pressed into his skin. She looked around her at the men who were watching her with both horror and wonder. Mana slowly moved off Bakura and made her way to Atem. There were some protests as she approached him, but Atem ordered them to quiet down and that someone needed to take Bakura away.
No one moved. Everyone waited to see if Mana would attack their pharaoh.
"Mana," Atem breathed. He reached forward and rested his hand on her head. Mana purred and moved closer. He smiled before he wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her uninjured shoulder. "Thank you."
Mana purred a little louder and sat down so that he could wrap his arms tighter around her. She turned and met the gaze of the soldiers and Atem's two advisors. Muran came running in then followed by Isis. They looked at the scene and then at Atem hugging her. Muran was confused, but Isis smiled at Mana.
"Why are you all standing there? There is an assassin bleeding out on the pharaoh's floor and a lion who could be seconds away from killing him!" Muran screeched.
"You have nothing to fear from the lioness, Muran," Isis soothed. "That is Lady Mana."
Muran blanched as he looked at Mana again. She nodded and rested her chin on Atem's shoulder. Mana decided to ignore him as she focused on Atem's heartbeat. His was slowing down and returning to normal and Mana knew that it had been due to his being in danger that had caused her to change.
Mana had a need to protect him and so she became something that could. She became an animal that could keep him safe from all that harmed him. Something inside Mana told her that she could never leave him, an irrational part she might add. The rational part of her was wondering if he would be too afraid of what the court would think to keep her around.
Atem pulled away and gazed into Mana's eyes. She saw the happiness in his eyes and the relief as the tension released from his shoulders. He was tired and wanted to rest. Mana could see it in his eyes.
"Change back, Mana. We need to get you cleaned up," Atem said.
It was an order, an order from her pharaoh, and one Mana planned to follow.
In seconds, Mana was back to being a young woman. She remembered how long the transformation had taken the first time and she wondered if the adrenaline of seeing her beloved in danger was what had caused her to shift forms so fast. But, then it should have taken her longer to change back, but it had only been a moment. Atem smiled before he looked around for something to cover her with. Mana saw someone hand the pharaoh a blanket and Atem thanked him.
Atem wrapped her in the blanket and used the corner to wipe her mouth as best he could. She could taste Bakura's blood in her mouth and on her lips. Mana wondered how Atem saw her. Did he see her as a monster or as his hero? Was she a danger to him or a protector? Mana wanted to know, but Atem's next words stopped her.
"I want Bakura released into the desert. There is no way he will be able to survive with the wound Mana has given him. Drop him in the middle of nowhere and let Anubis take him as he wishes," Atem ordered.
No one spoke only acted. Bakura had passed out from blood loss or was faking it, but the guards got him up and dragged him out of the room. Muran ordered for the pharaoh's rooms to be cleaned immediately and Isis guided Mana out of the room. Mana shivered as they made their way back to her room.
Isis was speaking to her, but Mana only nodded her head in response because she wasn't really listening to the priestess. Mana was worried. What if Atem no longer wanted her? What if Muran convinced him that she was a threat and not an asset? What would Mana do then? Would she be thrust from court back into peasant life? Would she be killed?
"Mana, stop thinking so hard," Isis commanded as the servants came in to start the bath. She took the covering from Mana and went to inspect her shoulder. The wound was gone. As if it had healed when Mana returned to her original form. Mana hadn't even noticed. Isis continued, "Atem will not forsake you."
"But…" Mana began, but Isis cut her off with a small gesture of her hand.
"Believe me, Mana. You and Atem are tied together. Nothing could change his mind or dissuade him from loving you. The only one who could sway the future, is you. It is you who must decide if you will stand beside him."
Isis pushed Mana towards the bath that had been readied while they had been talking. The woman helped her to clean up and made sure that all the blood was gone from her face. Isis hummed while she worked and Mana relaxed a bit, but she was still worried.
When her bath was finished, Mana was wrapped in the sheer night sheath. Her body was on full display and she blushed at the prospect of Atem seeing her like this. She frowned at the garment and Isis chuckled at her.
"You look lovely," Isis complimented.
"No, I don't," Mana snapped. "I look like a palace whore."
Isis laughed harder. Mana couldn't see what was so funny. She felt like a sexual object and it didn't sit well with her. She had spent so much of her life trying to be inconsequential to everyone so that she could survive, but now she was the beloved of the pharaoh. Even if he truly loved her, like he claimed, once he saw her in this everything would change. He wouldn't see her as his equal, but as a possession and it angered her.
"Now, now, Mana," Isis chided. "You shouldn't use words like that. You look like a goddess come to life. You may think that this will change the way Pharaoh looks at you, but he loves you for you."
Mana snorted, "He is still a man, Isis. He still has…needs...and…I'm not ready to give into him in that way."
Isis nodded in understanding. "He won't force you, Mana. You know that."
Mana nodded. She did know, but what worried her was what would happen once his patience ran out. A man couldn't suppress himself forever. Atem was no different. If she never gave in he would find his satisfaction somewhere else and then Mana would be out. Mana was starting to think that it would be better for her to leave than to stay. She was just too broken for Atem to put together and, as pharaoh, he would need an heir. There was no guarantee that she would give him one and it would be the end of his line.
There was a knock on the door and Mana watched as the door opened. Atem entered the room in just a simple linen tunic. He had taken his crown from his brow, but the Millennium Puzzle still hung from his throat. He caught sight of Mana and a small blush found its way onto his cheeks. Mana blushed in response and Isis laughed again.
"I will leave you two alone," Isis stated.
She left the room and with the closing of the door the couple was alone.
They stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds before Atem crossed the room and wrapped her in a hug. Mana was stunned so it took her a moment before she returned the gesture. His hold tightened and Mana couldn't help but smile.
"Mana, I honestly thought I was going to die tonight," Atem admitted. Mana pulled away to stare into his face, but he held her still. "I decided that if it was by Ra's design then I would take Bakura with me. I would not let him hurt you anymore if it was in my power to do so."
"Atem…," Mana whispered.
"All I could think about was that I at least got to meet you and love you. If I died, I would die happy knowing that I had loved you and protected you from the one who terrified you so," Atem continued.
Mana hugged him again. She felt his heart beating and his body was trembling as he concluded his story. Mana pulled away slowly and Atem allowed her too. She looked up into his eyes and found relief residing in them. He was relieved he was alive and relieved that the fight was over.
"Thank you, Mana, for saving me."
Mana nodded. "I didn't have a choice, Atem. I couldn't let him kill you. I couldn't let him hurt you anymore than he already had."
Atem just smiled at her and then rested a hand on her cheek. She nuzzled into his palm and he pulled her close again to place a gentle kiss on her lips. She smiled into the kiss and moved forward into his arms. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The kiss was languid and slow. There was no rush or pressure for anything more. It was a kiss of comfort and acceptance between them and it was the sweetest one she had received.
"Let's go to bed. Tomorrow is a big day," Atem said.
Mana couldn't believe that tomorrow was the day when she would make the biggest decision of her life. Would she stay with Atem and become Queen of Egypt or would she run away? Would she go back to the life of loneliness that she had left behind? Or would she stay with the man she loved and would die to protect?
Mana still didn't know.
Atem seemed to know what she was thinking about because he picked her up bridal style and took her to the bed. He laid her down before looming above her. Atem kissed her forehead and smiled.
"Don't think too hard about it, Mana. I want you to make your decision when you are ready," Atem assured. "If you want to stay and take more time to think about it I won't stop you. If you choose to leave…I won't stop you, but know that every day I will be thinking about you."
"That's playing dirty, Atem," she replied.
"I wanted to play fair, Mana. I did, but I can't anymore. I need you here with me. I need you by my side more than I need to breathe."
Mana felt a tear slide down her cheek as she looked at him. He was so sincere and it made her heart hurt. How could she leave this man who loved her so dearly? How could she forsake him for a life she no longer belonged to?
Mana was positive she couldn't.
He wiped the tear from her eye and laid down beside her. He wrapped himself around her frame and held her close. He pulled a blanket over them before nestling his face in her hair.
"Don't think about it now, Mana. We can talk it over tomorrow."
Mana nodded, but she knew that she would be up all night thinking about it and worrying if she would make the wrong choice. Hopefully, if Mana did sleep, Sekhmet would guide her dreams into give her a definite answer.
Author's Note: I don't plan on dropping this story. I have a great love for Atem and Mana and I want to see them succeed in their ventures. I will tell you know that there is a strong chance for a sequel and an even stronger chance of their being more installments. I want to do, at least, the year after the end of this story and introduce some new characters and a story that goes into the time when Atem is locked in the Puzzle and set loose by Yugi, but that depends on how much receivership this story and the possible next one gets. I will not guarantee either story right now, but they are on the docket.
With that being said…Please review! They make my day and make writing this story enjoyable! I always look forward to your reviews!
