MBP: Okay, this is one of my own prompts... Please send me some, so I can have some fun!

Rini: She owns nothing!

Kio: Hope you enjoy...

Chapter Four: Thief

Atemu worried about Mana. He didn't want her to get hurt, especially not after what had happened to Mahado.

Mana was worried about Atemu. She didn't want to risk losing anyone else important to her now that Mahado was gone.

Strange, how one thief could take so much when he took one item... and left a bloody trail behind him.

Their relationship was never the same. Atemu was constantly sheltering Mana, trying to leave her behind, which the headstrong and concerned girl would never allow. Mana was always rebelling, trying to see how far she could go before Atemu reacted to her rash, and often reckless, actions.

Bakura took more than the Millennium Ring when Mahado died... he took their relationship away from them as well...

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"Stop trying to protect me, I can take care of myself!" Mana yelled at Atemu, refusing to back down.

"And I'm saying you can't come!" Atemu snapped back, out of concern for the girl. "In fact, I'm ordering you to stay in the palace!"

"Oh, so you'll pull that on me? I thought we were friends, that we'd stick together no matter what!" Mana felt the tears prickle her eyes and turned away before Atemu could see them. "Well fine! I'll stay!" She ran off, ignoring Atemu calling after her and never once looking back.

Atemu found her sniffling in one of the vases lining the corridor to her bedchambers. "Mana... I'm sorry..." he apologized meekly, standing by the vase, waiting for her to pop out. "What I said was ridiculous, and..."

"But you still won't let me come!" Mana called, peeking her head out and glaring, her eyes red from weeping.

"No." Atemu sighed when Mana glared and retreated back into the vase. "But... Mana, it's not because I think you're weak." Mana didn't come out and Atemu took a deep breath.

"Mana, I want you here because I care about you," Atemu said quietly. "I don't want to risk Bakura hurting you."

"And you think I want you to risk getting hurt by that thief without me there to help?" Mana snapped, her head coming back out again. "I don't! And if you don't realize that, maybe we're not really friends!"

Atemu sighed. He should have known the reason she wanted to come was to help him. "Listen... Mana, I don't want this to ruin our friendship..." He pulled Mana out of the vase, ignoring her protests, and only wincing slightly as she hit him.

"It already is!" Mana felt the traitorous tears rise again. "Because you won't realize that I want to help! If you got hurt and I didn't help, I..."

Atemu shook his head. "I can't risk you," he said quietly, stopping her outburst. "Even if I lost everything else, I couldn't lose you." He looked her in the eyes, begging silently for her to understand. "Saving Egypt would be pointless if I couldn't keep you safe."

"What point is there in being safe if your friends are in danger?" Mana asked, holding onto him now, giving him a little bit of hope, even as he knew she wouldn't back down. "I don't want to be safe, I want to stop Bakura!"

"I know... Just... promise me that you'll try not to get hurt..." It hurt to give in, to risk her in battle, but he wouldn't let Bakura ruin the friendship he cherished more than his own life. Atemu wouldn't let Bakura take that away from them as well as Mahado.

"I promise... if you'll promise the same thing!" It was one of the few times that Mana looked serious about something without crying. It was a rare sight, and it always made people wonder if the end of the world was coming, since Mana was usually so happy. It was also the one look that was guaranteed to make Atemu do anything for her.

Atemu held onto Mana carefully to his chest, burying his face into her hair. Feeling tired and weak, he whispered in her ear, "I promise..."

But what really ran through their heads was: I promise I won't let him hurt you... I will keep you safe! I won't let that thief hurt you, even if I die stopping him!

MBP: Okay, that's it! Hope you liked it!

Rini: Please, send in a prompt! And tell us what you think in a review!

Kio: That's it really... Jaa nee!