A/N: A simple one-shot I felt like doing...

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh= Not mine

Warning: slight vulgarity....

She was nothing but a student. A very annoying, stubborn, and strong-willed student but a student nonetheless. Though, her constant interfering was always very tedious and troublesome, but, in secret, he found it amusing. She was, after all, a very amusing character.

She had talent, he could admit and a strong possibility to be one of the best, maybe even the best, in fact, if she kept at her endearing determination and persistence. But to him, she would always be a student. Always be the small child clinging to the pharaoh with the wide-eyed innocent expression plastered on her face. Those green, naïve eyes.

She was his student and he always tolerated her as such. But there was always something more there, always lurking beneath his carefully placid face.

She would beg and beg until she was blue in the face to be allowed to accompany him everywhere, as his assistant magician. Just to be allowed to prove herself, that was all she wanted, she had claimed.

But no matter, he wouldn't permit such things. Not with Mana. To him, she should always be left at home, only to act as the pharaoh's playmate. Nothing more.

"Please! Master Mahad needs me!" he heard her beg from the pharaoh's balcony. He didn't even so much as turn or acknowledge he had heard her. Instead, he continued his steady pace toward the Magician's Training Grounds, mentally preparing himself for he knew he was about to face the Thief King, Bakura. And from what he could conclude from Isis' prediction, he would, to the very least be coming back. It didn't, however, prove he would come back victorious. In fact, he was quite sure he wouldn't.

But he would come back. As what, he wouldn't allow Isis to say. The future was unknown to mankind for a reason.

This was nothing for Mana to experience, the pure evil that Bakura possessed. If he could will it, he would rather that Mana remained out of danger for the rest of her life, even if that meant she couldn't be a magician. He'd much rather prefer her to be well and safe than to be placed in the face of danger constantly. She was but a young teenage girl after all. An overzealous female who could not control her tongue nor temper.

But that was to be expected, he supposed, of the female gender.

He knew that these feelings he had for Mana went past the simple boundaries friendship and apprenticeship called for. He knew that and yet he kept them inside, never hinting their existence for he knew he was not destined for Mana.

He was a magician, she was the pharaoh's playmate and probably end up as the pharaoh's wife because of that. She didn't belong to a priest, no matter how high-ranking he was.

Mahad had devoted his entire life to the prince and up until he became pharaoh. Carelessly, he had placed his life in harm's way in order to protect him. Mahad didn't mind, it was his duty to the royal family.

He had spent countless events with the pharaoh which often times meant Mana would always be there, sneaking around the picture just to be with the pharaoh. Sure she only saw him as a friend now, but it was only a matter of time before she matured to a point where she saw Atem as something else entirely. And Mahad would have no affiliation to those feelings of Mana's if he could help it.

Mana was around five years his junior and although age barely meant anything to their society, he knew that because of it, Mana wouldn't be able to connect with him on any such personal level.

He knew he couldn't have her, knew he couldn't offer her anything that she would benefit from but there was one thing…

As her mentor in magic, he could, to an extent, dictate on how her training went. And from that, Mahad never allowed himself to teach her anything that might cause her danger as well as not to send her on any expedition that might risk her life.

The only thing he could give her was safety, protection and that was just what he was going to ensure, as long as he could help it.

So to him, she was nothing more than a student, never allowed to go beyond apprentice. And that was why he left her behind now, as she pleaded exuberantly and cried out his name.

He loved Mana and that was why he acted out accordingly.

She wasn't his to love, wasn't his to protect but all be damned, he was protecting her for as long as he could…

Mahad had his back to those he brought along with him so he felt no shame in the tears he shed for Mana's sake.

"I'm sorry, Mana," he whispered. "This is all I have to offer."

Sorry if you don't like the ending. When writing this, I felt as though Mahad knew he wasn't never destined for Mana.

Please review.

-Nuit Songeur