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Chapter rating & content: G - DM popping out of nowhere, major cuteness and very sweet bewilderment on Yami and DM's behalf. Bless their cotton socks (?) … ^_^

Disclaimer: We do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

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~'~ Reincarnation ~'~

Brief Summary: When something changes, the Dark Magician gets the chance to live as a human, and takes the opportunity. But, with the help of Yugi, can he cope with modern life?

~ Living as One ~

He didn't understand what exactly, but something had changed - maybe something amiss in the past? Or possibly a change in the present? Or even part of the future's course?

Well, whatever it was, the Dark Magician only knew one thing for certain. What has arisen had given him the chance to live as a human. It meant no more fighting on someone else's behalf for all of your life; it meant independence and freedom on his account. He would be the one controlling his own fate.

He was smart enough to know there would be consequences too, but the prosperity and possibilities in his grasp were too much of a pull to ignore.

How could he refuse this offer?

The Dark Magician let out a groan as he fell from mid-air straight into a tall bush, with a loud crash. He sighed as he struggled to find his way out, squinting his cerulean blue eyes as he tried to make sense of his location in the dimness of very early morning, whilst unhappily pulling out small twigs and leaves which had become tangled in his silky indigo locks.

This was a great start to his little adventure…

*               *              *              *              *              *

/ Yami…! / Yugi whispered, having been startled awake from his sleep, / Yami! Are you awake? /

Yugi almost jumped as the door of his soul room swung open and Yami glanced sleepily at him, looking slightly peeved, // …It's not even 5 a.m., Aibou, go back to sleep! // He then shut his door and his footsteps could be heard trooping back to his bed.

Yugi sighed as he wiped his eyes and swung his legs round, out of his covers, and got out of bed, picking up a baseball bat that happened to be lying on his bedroom floor in his small hands.

Just because Yami wasn't going to come, it didn't mean he wasn't going to investigate. He had heard a loud crash come from outside and he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't find out exactly what it was… he quickly marched down the stairs and sneaked out of his front door, clutching the bat, ready to strike if he had to.

He cautiously walked along, shivering in the cold breeze as his big violet eyes scrutinized around him. He suddenly jumped as he heard a rustle not too far up ahead. He gasped as a hand broke through the bush and began to drag the rest of the figure out. Not knowing what else to do, Yugi raised the bat above his head, and…

SMACK!

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Yami rolled over in his sleep and sighed as his eyelids fluttered open. He couldn't ignore the guilt he felt after turning Yugi away when something was obviously up, and he wouldn't be able to get some decent rest until he at least apologised.  This, he had decided, was one of the reasons he wasn't much of a people person. So much effort had to be made to keep them happy. He yawned before emerging from the Millennium Puzzle, and then looked over at Yugi's empty bed. He blinked, listening to the patter of feet in the kitchen, before heading downstairs to find Yugi.

But Yugi found him first, with a huge smile planted on his excited face. "C'mon! You have to see this!" he exclaimed, grabbing Yami's arm and pulling him along, into the kitchen.

Yami's eyes widened as he stared in amazement at what was sat in front of him.

The Dark Magician placed down his dented helmet, and upon seeing Yami, bowed to him. "Pharaoh," his calm voice said as he rose again and sat back down.

Yami then looked at Yugi, who was grinning excessively, "Cool, huh? I found him after he emerged from a bush and I whacked him round the head with my baseball bat," he explained.

"You have quite a swing, little Yugi," the Dark Magician added.

Yami raised a hand to his head and sighed. "I won't ask. You can tell me what exactly is going on in a few hours, when I'll be able to comprehend a little better, but right now I need to sleep."

He then groggily headed back up the stairs and Yugi watched, before running back over to the Dark Magician, laughing.

"I can't believe you're really here," Yugi awed, gazing up at the tall, beautiful creature, "How…?"

The Dark Magician smiled as he gently lifted Yugi up, onto his lap, "I'm not quite sure myself, little one," he carefully lifted Yugi's chin and looked at him, "all I know is that I will be staying here for a while,"

Yugi looked up thoughtfully, "You'll have quite a lot of adjusting to do…" suddenly Yugi's stomach started to rumble. He grinned at the Dark Magician. "I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

"Eat? Hungry? What?" asked the obviously bewildered Dark Magician. Yugi looked at him curiously.

"Don't you eat?" he asked. The Dark Magician shook his head. Yugi sighed and took a step towards him. "Look, if you're going to live in this world, you have to eat, OK? Follow me! To the kitchen!" Yugi clasped onto the Dark Magician's hand and dragged him into the kitchen. The Dark Magician looked around cluelessly. What were all of these strange objects?

"Er…Yugi…" the Dark Magician began, but he was interrupted by Yugi patting his back.

"It'll be OK! Don't worry!" Yugi reassured the nervous Duel Monster. Yugi turned on his heel and scanned the kitchen. "Now…what would a Dark Magician eat?" he asked himself. He walked over to a large cupboard and pulled out a large mixing bowl. "What would a Dark Magician eat?" he continued to ask himself the same question at regular intervals whilst at the same time gathering all sorts of things such as eggs, syrup, sprinkles, margarine, sugar and oranges, and placing them into the bowl. He then grabbed up a large wooden spoon and began to mash it all up. The Dark Magician watched on apprehensively, praying to the Pharaohs that this wasn't a huge mistake.

Once Yugi had finished mashing he added some more food like jelly mix, peanut butter, Angel Delight, a few slices of Banana and a large sack of flour, then he resumed mashing, repeating the same question to himself over and over. He then got a tin and placed the mixture into it, still reciting the self same question. He turned on the oven and placed the tin in there. He then sat for three-quarters of an hour continually pondering on the question of what the Dark Magician would eat.

"Yugi…" the Dark Magician began again, but this time was interrupted by a loud ting.

"Cake's done!" Yugi squealed with delight. He grabbed the oven mitts and carefully removed the cake from the oven and onto a plate. He proceeded to using his hairdryer to cool the cake down a bit. The Dark Magician watched in awe. Yugi plopped the cake onto a pretty plate and placed it in front of the Dark Magician.

"Eat up!" he giggled happily. "You'll like it, I bet you will!"

"But Yugi…" the Dark Magician hesitated. He looked at the young one's face. It was so happy and cheery. He'd put a lot of effort into this, and he had to show he was grateful by eating it. However he did that.

"OK!" Yugi began, pulling up a chair next to the Dark Magician. "Lesson 1! Eating! Pick up a slice of the cake and put it in your mouth." The Dark Magician slowly picked up a piece of the cake and put it in his mouth. He let out a loud muffled noise. "Oh yeah, you gotta chew it. Like this!" Yugi demonstrated how to chew food, pretending to be eating himself. The Dark Magician nodded and mimicked Yugi's action.

"Now what?" he asked with a mouthful of cake.

"You have to swallow it. Oh, and never talk with your mouth full. It's rude ya know," Yugi informed him. The Dark Magician nodded and swallowed. He sat there quietly for a few moments, trying to contemplate all the different sensations he was experiencing. He'd never used his taste buds before. "Well…" Yugi paused briefly. "How is it?" the Dark Magician looked at Yugi.

"How do I describe it?" he asked.

"Did you like it? Did you hate it?" Yugi gave a few examples to help him along.

"I…I…I think I like it," he finally said, picking up another piece of cake and proceeding in eating it. Yugi grinned and clapped his hands happily.

"I did it! I really did it! I taught you to eat! All right!" he cheered happily. No one could've been as happy as Yugi was in that moment. Suddenly Yami came down the stairs. At first it sounded like he was walking, then it sounded like he was falling. He hit the floor with a thud.

"Shimatta!" Yami cursed loudly. Yugi turned to the Dark Magician and sighed.

"Yami hasn't mastered the stairs yet," he said. Yami stalked into the room, looking very grumpy indeed.

"What are stairs?" the Dark Magician asked.

"You'll see them soon," Yugi replied.

"Darn right he will," Yami growled. "One minute you're on top of them, the next you're on top of yourself!"

"Yami, you still have a lot to learn. You should learn with the Dark Magician. It'll be fun," Yugi offered. Yami sighed.

"If you insist Yugi," he replied. Yugi smiled.

"OK! Now that we've got eating covered…" Yugi was interrupted by Yami cutting some bread. The pair turned to face Yami. Yami smiled.

"Carry on Yugi," he ushered the young duellist on. Yugi nodded.

"Well anyway, seeing as eating is covered, maybe next I should show you both the bathroom!" Yugi nodded.

"A what?" the Dark Magician asked.

"Oh great," Yami groaned. "I just love the bathroom…"

"It'll be great fun! To live in modern society, you 2 have to adapt, that means, you do things my way or the highway kapische?" Yugi glared at the two that stood before him. They nodded. "Good…"

The Dark Magician nudged Yami. "Pharaoh?" he began.

"What?" he replied.

"Two things: 1. What's a kapische?"

"No clue."

"OK, and 2. What's a bathroom?"

"Oh great…the bathroom is where you wash, brush your teeth, have a bath or go to the toilet."

"OK. What's a toilet?"

"Ask Sage Master Yugi!"

"OK."

"The things I put up with…"

"You two ready?" Yugi asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Yami replied. "This'll be fun…oh yeah…super…"

"Come on then!" Yugi lead the pair out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.

That's it for this chapter. Next chapter: How to toilet train your Duel Monster and the pains of brain freeze. ^^