DISCLAIMER - see chapter 1
"No! Master Mahado!" Mana cried as Atem stopped the horse. She put a hand to her chest and leaned on Atem's back,
"Mana! Your magician! Did she?" he began,
"No, but I felt something." She replied as she slid off the horse and stood by the pile of rocks at the foot of the cliff where the entrance to the tomb had been, "They must be trapped inside." She said. Mana turned as more horses approached and Seto appeared with Shadda and Karmim.
"Mana, look out!" Atem cried as he dived towards her, knocking her to the ground as a huge stone tablet fell from above. Mana got to her knees and looked at the tablet,
"No! Mahado…" she cried as tears poured from her eyes. She looked at the ring he had given to her and clenched her fist. "You fool! You promised…" she cried quietly. Behind her she thought she heard Atem say thank you, but she didn't know whom he was talking to.
"His sacrifice shall not be in vain!" Seto said as he knelt down beside Mana. Mana barely registered his presence, she was still looking at the ring on her finger, "We should take her back to the palace…in fact we should all go. We need to make plans." He added as he gently coaxed Mana to her feet. Mana stood as if in a trance,
"Mana?" Atem said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Mana looked at the ground and saw her staff, leaning down she picked it up,
"I'll meet you at the palace later." She replied as she walked away. Seto went to stop her as she walked further into the desert, but Atem laid a hand on his shoulder,
"Let her go…this is her time to grieve." He said.
"Mahado…can you even hear me? I'll get Bakura for what he's done if it's the last thing I do…I promise." She said as she knelt before the tablet, which had been placed in Mahado's temple. She hadn't expected anything to happen so she was content just kneeling on the ground looking up at the stone tablet.
"Mana. What are you doing here?" Seto asked as he entered the temple. Mana dried her eyes and got to her feet,
"I came here to speak to my master…I think he listens even though he can't answer." She added as she turned to the young man, "And you?" she asked. Seto shrugged and joined her in front of the tablet,
"I was restless so I went walking and I saw the light…I suppose I was looking for companionship." He replied as he looked at the stone image of his friend.
"Well…I guess I could count for that…why were you restless?" she asked as she settled herself on the steps that led up to her master's tablet. Seto hesitated a moment before joining her,
"I just had a feeling that's all. I felt a great evil stirring…Bakura is no longer trapped in the tomb…he will soon return here for more items. If that monster of his defeated Mahado then I am truly afraid. Mahado was the strongest of all of us; I am not ashamed to admit this…he was a great man…a man I was proud to call my friend." He replied. Mana sighed and looked at Seto, the millennium rod catching her eye. If I want to get to Bakura I'll need an item…I may not get another chance like this, she thought guiltily. She gripped her staff tightly as she looked at Seto, who was looking at the ground sadly,
"Forgive me for this." She said as she swung her staff and hit Seto over the head. Seto gave her a surprise look as he fell back unconscious. "When I get Bakura I'll bring it back, I promise." She added as she pulled Seto onto flat ground and covered him with his dark blue cloak. She took the millennium rod from his belt and walked to the door.
"Guards!" Isis cried from somewhere in the palace. I knew this would happen, Mana thought as she ran down the temple steps and took Seto's horse. "Mana, please stop!" Isis shouted as she rode towards her with one of her monsters flying along beside her,
"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Seto's inside!" Mana added as she called her magician to hold off Isis's monster. Isis tried to position her horse so that Mana was blocked off, but Seto's horse was so intimidating that Isis's light brown horse jerked out of the way fearfully. Mana stopped by her house and allowed Seto's horse to leave. Once inside she headed for the roof, where she could see for many miles around. Where are you? She wondered.
"I knew you would come…you can't resist me can you?" a cold voice said. Mana turned with her staff in one hand and the millennium rod in the other, "Oh, you've brought me a present! How thoughtful." He mocked as he approached her. Mana looked at Bakura and felt herself freeze, her body shaking as he stepped towards her. Once he was in front of her he caressed her cheek gently and lifted her chin, "Did you return for a repeat performance?" he asked before he kissed her. Mana pulled back and stabbed forward with the millennium rod, hitting Bakura's stomach. She watched in satisfaction as he doubled over in agony,
"Shame. I meant to aim lower." Mana said as she crouched down, ready to take him on physically. Bakura got to his feet and raised his arm to summon a monster, "What's wrong? Are you afraid to face me on your own?" Mana demanded. Bakura froze and grinned maliciously,
"What do I get if I win?" he asked as he lifted a long wooden pole into his hands,
"What do you mean?" Mana asked curiously,
"Well, I know I get the millennium rod, but what else do I get?" he repeated as he looked her up and down, remembering the feeling of her between his legs.
"No, not again," Mana replied fearfully, knowing what he wanted,
"Well, then you had better win!" he cried as he dived forward. Mana hopped back onto the wall and swung her staff down, hitting Bakura's back.
"Mana!" a voice cried below. Mana glanced down and saw Seto, Atem and Isis,
"Seto! Catch!" Mana cried as she threw the rod down to him. "Don't even think about running!" she added as she blocked Bakura's pole, but he just grinned maliciously,
"Run? Without claiming my prize?" he replied as he tried to hit her again, frustration showing on his face as she dodged away.
"Mana!" Atem cried as he appeared on the wall,
"Get back! This is our fight!" she replied as she swung at Bakura, who blocked and swung his leg into her stomach. Mana doubled over and heard Atem running towards her, "No! Stay back!" she replied as she got to her feet. Bakura looked at her in surprise as she began swinging her staff in circles until a flame appeared. She swept her arm out and sent the flame crashing into his chest, setting his red robe on fire,
"Trying to get me undressed already are we?" he mocked. Mana dived forward with her staff raised and felt Bakura's pole rip through her stomach between her rib cages. She dropped her staff and felt blood choking her and trickling from her mouth,
"Mana!" Atem cried as he ran forward. Mana looked into Bakura's eyes and saw that he was surprised. He released the pole and Mana staggered to the wall, where her legs caught and she fell over the edge, "No! Mana!" Atem cried as he ran back to the stairs.
In the temple there was a purple light inside and the guards opened the doors just as the Dark Magician flew out. They all stood back in astonishment as the magician flew away towards town.
Seto looked up in horror as Mana fell towards them, though she was probably already dead. He heard the wind pick up and turned to see Mahado standing behind him in the purple robes of his Illusion Magician. Without hesitation he raised his staff and a purple light enveloped Mana, slowing her descent until she floated down safely into Mahado's arms and he lowered her to the ground. Mahado pulled the staff from her stomach and laid a hand over it, healing her wounds,
"It is not your time yet Mana. You still have much to do in this world before we can be together again." He said as he brushed the hair away from her face. Mana smiled weakly as he cradled her in his arms,
"You healed her!" Isis cried in surprise,
"No, I merely created a time field and reversed time for her body back to just before the staff hit her." He replied, "Now I must return to the shadow realm until I am summoned again," he said.
"Mahado, kiss me once before you leave." Mana said as she gripped his robes. Mahado smiled and leaned down until their lips met, "Come back to me soon." She said as he faded away,
"Bakura is gone." Atem said as he reached the street where Mana was already on her feet with a hand on her stomach where the pole had been.
"Not quite!" Bakura replied as he rode past and grabbed Mana, "We had a bargain. You lost." He said as he rode away.