MR: you guys do realize that I've been mean to you, right? I'm holding off chapters that are already written and uploaded, just waiting to be posted. I want a few more reviews, so I wait a couple days for loyal readers (and maybe some new ones) to discover I've updated. So, yeah. I'm just being cruel to you guys.

NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER!!! Also, I'm putting in the translated lyrics to Gackt's song Lust for Blood. Both the title and the lyrics themselves suit the end part of this chapter perfectly. ^_^ The lyrics can be seen in italics to set them apart from the rest of the fic.

Passion and Blood

Chapter 9

Yuugi stepped forward, his eyes once more flashing crimson on occasion. Bakura tilted his head cockily, as if he knew a way to kill all of his intended victims. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… You've no idea what you're getting yourself into, little one. I've learned, and I've watched; I've been planning in the afterlife for 5,000 years, and I've waited all that time just for this moment, when I could devastate the Pharaoh by doing to him what he did to me. First, I will take his love away from him, and then kill him. I do know a way to kill the eternal," Bakura sneered. "The only way to accomplish both my goals is to induce a state of mind for the khasthi that makes them lose themselves entirely."

Yami furrowed his eyebrows, confused. He didn't know of a state of mind that made khasthi lose their personality, did he? Bakura smirked, knowing he had distracted Yami long enough to pull of his plan. When he opened his mouth, he did the most unexpected thing possible: he sang. His hypnotizing baritone-tenor voice sang to the core of Yami and Yuugi's beings, telling them in words lost since time immemorial of when the world was inhabited only by them. It told them how the coming of humans incurred the loss of their immortal brood; and that the ones left were forever changed, lusting for blood of a certain type. The haunting song came to a close, and Yami just laughed. "So you've learned how to sing a song, Bakura. What good does that do you?"

"It wasn't you that the song was directed at, Pharaoh. You've lived for over 5,000 years as an immortal. The song only affects those less than a millennium old," Bakura sneered, motioning towards Yuugi.

Yuugi's eyes were blazing a steady crimson, but he didn't seem to be affected otherwise. He walked over to Jounouchi, smiling his friendly smile, but the happiness never reaching his cold, blood-red eyes. Yami wondered what was happening, but Bakura broke his concentration by telling him exactly what was going on. "Bloodlust, Pharaoh," Bakura continued in the same haunting language. "The song induces Bloodlust to those who have not lived for a certain length of time. Ever wonder why, when your precious love got angry, his eyes flashed crimson? It's because Bloodlust was trying to creep through, to consume him. I've learned enough, and I know that your power has grown through the millennia, and Yuugi was that special number, after a certain period of time, where Bloodlust would consume him like it has no other. He'll have an insatiable thirst for blood, and I know that since this is his first experience, he will want the ones he cares about. That means Katsuya over there, then maybe Seto, and lastly you. Goodbye, Pharaoh, forever!" Bakura yelled, his voice never even reaching Yuugi's deaf ears.

Yuugi pulled Jounouchi down to his level, nuzzling his best friend's neck before piercing the tender flesh there with cruelly longer fangs. Yuugi drank the life-giving liquid that bubbled up from the wound, and Jounouchi gave out a strangled cry as the Bloodlusted vampire forced him onto the floor. Yuugi, giving a feral growl every time Jounouchi struggled, caused red droplets to spatter on the floor, on his face and onto Jou's neck. When Yuugi pulled away, Yami was shocked to see his lover looking so completely innocent, but his face and hands smeared with blood.

Seto closed his eyes, unable to watch the scene before him. He knew his fate now, and he sunk down onto his knees to greet Death's Bloodlusted crimson eyes at their own level. Yuugi looked at Seto, head tilted and blood staining his perfect face. "Yuugi, at least I'll be joining Jounouchi in the land of the dead soon. At least I've known my own true love before I die, so I'll be able to rest in peace."

Yuugi hesitated, as if his own will was trying to break its way through over the lust for blood. His eyes darted towards his best friend's lifeless corpse, then back to Seto. Flickering to amethyst for just a fraction of a second, it gave Seto hope for Yami's well being, but the former priest knew it was too much to hope for his own life to be spared. He pulled Yuugi closer to him, embracing his executioner.

Yuugi's eyes glazed over, practically glowing with the color of the blood he thrived off of. Burying his face into Seto's neck, he nipped gently, drawing a slight amount of blood. Licking up that amount, he bit down slightly harder, making the blood pour out even faster. Sucking lightly, he forced his fangs deeper and crushed the artery laying just beneath the skin.

Yami watched sadly as his beloved drained the life of his former lover in a deadly kiss. He was helpless, and he knew it; there was nothing that could stop Yuugi's Bloodlust, it could only run its natural course. Trying to stop it would be pointless, and might even get him killed. After all, even immortals could be killed if you knew their weak point, and Bakura had obviously found it.

Yuugi looked up, his eyes bleeding crimson into the whites. A fine sheen of slightly red sweat coated his face, and Yami knew that although Yuugi's system was being flooded, it still wasn't enough for the Bloodlust. What would be enough? He could only wait and see what would happen.

Bakura stood by, chuckling to himself. A feverish hand grabbed hold of his face and brought it down to the owner's eye level. Cold, blood red eyes looked into harsh chocolate, and for the first time since he started plotting his revenge in this life, Bakura felt afraid. Yuugi ground his hips into the taller boy's leg, indicating that the khasthi had become aroused while he was feeding the Bloodlust.

No mercy was given to Bakura from Yuugi, his anger-driven Bloodlust making him hungrier, and the lust for body as well as for blood took over. Yami could only watch in a fascinated mix of horror and mirth as Yuugi humped his victim. The former pharaoh couldn't even count the number of times that had happened to him.

Yuugi's sweat had become almost pure blood by now, the scent intoxicating Yami. He went over to Yuugi and embraced him lovingly. "It's over, Yuugi."

My uncertain soul melts entirely into oblivion

While I'm puzzled by the visible scars, I stretch out my hand

Yuugi only looked up at Yami, his eyes fading from crimson into their normal amethyst color. "Yami, I can't fight it…"

The much older boy just comforted Yuugi, pulling him closer to himself. "It's okay, Yuugi, you don't have to anymore."

In a bright white field of vision, at the end, time is uncontrollable

The tears running off won't come back, the promise from that day

No one could stop them, the tears only we could forgive at our parting

The past promise we made to stop the mistakes from repeating over again

"Yami, please…" Yuugi pleaded, knowing that he wouldn't be able to speak for too much longer.

Yami was unaware that Yuugi's eyes were slowly bleeding back to crimson, indicating that the Bloodlust had not yet worn off, merely been held at bay for a little while. Shock registered in his mind as tiny twin daggers pierce the flesh on his neck. How much of his blood would it take for Yuugi's Bloodlust to completely wear off? He might not ever know, because the smaller form might end up killing him first.

Yami knew his possible fate, but he felt better knowing that he would at least die at the hands of his one true love. It was better than dying at the hands of his enemies, wasn't it? Leaning against Yuugi, he felt himself losing his strength, even his will to live.

Yuugi moaned, and Yami almost laughed at the irony when Yuugi started humping him; it would be the closest Yami would ever get to making love to Yuugi in this lifetime. Maybe in another life… Yuugi pulled away suddenly, tears of blood streaming down his face. "No, I won't do it…" Yuugi gasped out.

Yami smiled. "Don't look like that, Yuugi. And for God's sake, stop trying to fight the Bloodlust."

Take another breath

You can't find what's important

Destroy all of the peace

Make the same mistake over again

Yuugi sobbed, burying his face back into Yami's neck, drinking at the blood pouring out like a fountain. The texture was thicker and the taste was richer than human blood, and infinitely more satisfying. --I'm sorry, Yami…--

No one could stop them, the tears only we could forgive at our parting

The past promise we made to stop the mistakes from repeating over again.

Yami replied weakly in the mind-link he had forged with Yuugi, --I'm not. I'm glad I lived long enough to meet you.--

MR: HAHA!!! EVIL CLIFFY! *Dances* I'm only doing this for the reviews; you realize that, right? Now, just to let you know, I won't be holding chapter 10 off in limbo like I have been the previous chapters. In fact, I won't even be working on it until after this chapter gets at least seven reviews. That's not a whole lot, considering the kind of cliffhanger I put in it! SEVEN REVIEWS OR NO LAST CHAPTER! (And no, you can't leave repeat reviews! Just tell everyone you know about this fanfic!)