2.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Note: Bleep.
There was a click, and a green light on the machine was turned on. It started to make a sinister whirring sound.
"Ten seconds until activation." A mechanic voice said.
"Goodbye, Yugi." Anzu said tearfully.
"Damn you, Kaiba! I don't want to die!" Jounouchi yelled.
"Six seconds until activation."
There was silence, as they waited for something to happen.
"Activation complete. Initiating sonar beam."
"Will you just hurry up with it already?" Malik shouted.
"Remember everyone… we'll always be friends!" Anzu said. "Nothing can break that."
"There's something extremely morbid about those friend speeches you make, Anzu." Bakura said. "It's almost as if you think we're never going to see each other again."
"Why doesn't anyone have a positive attitude?" Yugi asked. "We'll get through this"
Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light, and… nothing happened.
"We're OK!" Honda exclaimed.
"Ha ha. Kaiba's invention didn't do anything." Jounouchi laughed gleefully.
"Yes it did!" A high-pitched voice squeaked from the floor.
"What the-?" Yugi said, as he crouched down to get a better look at the thing that was talking to him.
"It's me! Yami!"
"But you're four inches tall!" Yugi exclaimed in disbelief.
"So are Yami Bakura and Yami Malik. Except they're more like six inches tall."
"It's amazing!" Malik said.
Yugi scowled at him.
"I mean, er- it's terrible, absolutely terrible." Malik corrected himself. "Poor Yami."
"What the-!" This voice was even higher than Yami's, almost mouse-like.
"Yami Bakura? What happened to your voice?" Jounouchi asked, and started laughing his head off.
"I'll get you!" squeaked Yami Bakura, only making Jounouchi laugh harder.
Anzu poked him.
"That's not very nice!" she said reproachfully.
"What's happened to my Yami?" Malik asked, prodding an inert Yami Malik.
"I think he's asleep, but I'm not sure." Yami said.
"Hey- the puzzle's gone!" Yugi cried.
"My ring too!"
"And my rod!"
"Er- no, they're still here…" Yami said, holding up a miniscule pyramid-shaped object, which was clearly the Puzzle.
"So, what did my invention do?" Kaiba asked breezily, striding into the room, with the air of asking someone how their dinner party went.
"It shrank the Yamis." Ryou said, pointing towards the three tiny people on the floor.
"Really? You're joking!" Kaiba said, and started to laugh.
Jounouchi took off his space suit and glowered at Kaiba.
"I can't believe you were going to test that on us! It could have caused radiation or something!"
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Of COURSE it wouldn't cause radiation, you imbecile. Radiation is only caused when one has a radioactive material, usually an element although sometimes a compound, and it emits rays, waves or particles according to Inverse square Law. As I didn't use any radioactive elements, and the machine did not have the capabilities of creating a radioactive material, I can therefore conclude that there was little or no risk of radiation."
Jounouchi tried to look as if he understood, but only succeeded in looking completely confused.
"Should I explain radioactivity?" Kaiba asked, clearly getting into his stride. The pleasure on his face at discussing matters of complicated chemistry and physics was quite alarming to see.
"Radioactivity is the spontaneous decay of unstable atomic nuclei, with emissions of either alpha particles, beta particles or gamma-"
"It doesn't matter." Yugi interrupted. "We need to know when we can get them back. Kaiba?"
There was a long silence.
"Well…" Kaiba began, "I could try and make another machine…"
"How long would it take?" Yugi asked.
"Well, this one took five months, but if I'm making it to fit certain specifications, and also allowing for a series of tests…"
"How long?" Yugi repeated.
"Er… anything up to 10 years."
"TEN YEARS!" Two indignant mouse-voices chorused from the floor.
"I can't wait ten years to be normal-sized!" Yami Bakura wailed.
"Well, the thing is… you might not live for ten years." Kaiba said awkwardly.
"This gets better and better!" Yami groaned.
"Why won't we live for ten years?" Yami Bakura demanded, slightly panicked.
"Well, you're between mouse and guinea-pig size." Kaiba said. "Mice live for about two years, and guinea pigs up to five, six if they're lucky…"
"So you're saying we'll die in two to five years' time?" Yami asked.
"Well- yes."
There was another long silence.
"This will sound harsh." Kaiba said. "But, you're both three thousand years old already. I mean, it's not bad innings, is it, three thousand and two?"
"I wanted to save the world!" Yami said.
"And I wanted to consume the world in darkness!" Yami Bakura said.
There was yet another long silence.
"What are we going to do?" Yami asked. "There's nowhere for them to live, unless someone has a dolls house around here."
"I have one." Ryou said.
Everyone stared at him.
"It was my sister's, before she died." Ryou said quickly.
"Well, if you take them for the time being, we can sort something out later." Yugi said.
"Shall I carry them in my hand?" Ryou asked, doubtful.
"I'd put them in a bag." Kaiba said, helpfully.
"But I don't have a bag."
"I have one!" Anzu said, holding out hers.
"I know I'm not exactly the most masculine of boys." Ryou said after a moment. "But what would I look like carrying a handbag home? Especially a pink one? I appreciate the offer, Anzu, but-"
"Don't worry, Bakura. I'll come home with you, and drop them off." Anzu said. She bent down to pick Yami Malik up.
"Shouldn't you be more careful? I mean, he is insane, evil and he probably deserves it, but you might injure him if you treat him too roughly." Malik said.
"You two can climb into the bag." Anzu said, holding it down. "Is there any way you could drag Yami Malik in?"
"I have a better idea." Yami Bakura said. He ran over to Yami Malik and kicked him very hard.
"Ow!" Yami Malik said, sitting up and looking around. "Who did that? I'll get them…"
"If you try and attack anyone, I'll squash you." Malik said.
"Yeek!" Yami Malik squeaked. "What happened?"