Spirit- okay, I meant to have this done before the new year... But I suck at these cutesy chapters! It took a long time to get any sort of motivation to write more than a couple of sentences. Then I had to actually figure out how I wanted the plot for these two to work out. Ugh! I hate working with this pairing, but they're to stinking cute to pass up! Anyways here is their final part to their two-shot thingy. Enjoy!

Pairing for this Chap:

Yugi/Pallas

Songs that inspired this chapter: Christina Perry's "Only Human", Kutless "More Than it Seems"

Lights Out, End Act: Neverland

Friday morning arrived and the Domino gang all met up at the front of the local arcade. Yugi hadn't expected them all to show up, especially so early. Well, early for a bunch of teenagers at the end of their vacation. After finalizing the arrangements with the girls, they discovered the circus performers and Chibiusa were spending the evening with family and friends. That left the get together to take place in the morning and go through the afternoon. Jou and Honda were yawning, their summer sleep schedule ranging from late at night to noon. Atem, Ryou, and Seto seemed wide awake, while the rest were just a little groggy. The two "brothers" hadn't really told their friends why they were meeting up at the arcade at such an odd time. Mostly Yugi forgot, and Atem didn't seem to want to divulge that information to them.

Entering the building, Yugi immediately began looking around. He wondered if the girls had beaten them there. The place was pretty vacant. Like the game shop, it wouldn't start picking up until around two in the afternoon. A lot of the machines were open and there was enough space to maneuver around them freely, unlike the other times they had been there. Perhaps they should start coming to the place earlier from now on to avoid the masses of kids and teens.

He heard someone call his name and looked over towards the racing games. Sure enough Pallas, her sisters, Hotaru, and who he guessed was Chibiusa were crowded around there. Apparently the blue haired girls outburst had caused Juno and Vesta to mess up in their race for which they scolded her on. She just apologized sheepishly to them. The boy smiled as he and his friends made their way over to them.

"Hi girls, I'm glad you could make it." he greeted.

Jou immediately gaped at him, "wait a sec! When did you get so buddy-buddy with them?"

Chibiusa didn't seem to like his attitude as she crossed her arms, scowled slighty, and commented that it was rude to point. The purple eyed boy suddenly remembered he hadn't mentioned to his friends that he knew the girls, well at least Pallas, personally. He explained to them now and earned a huge smile from the blue haired performer. Instantly he felt his face heat up and prayed no one noticed. They went and exchanged their money for quarters to begin playing. Much to Yugis surprise, the group melded well together. Most of the girls weren't the least bit shy and openly challenged his friends to many of the versus games. Even Seto, who looked about ready to leave, was roped into an alien shooting game by Ceres. Pallas had not been lying when she said her sisters loved video games. They easily went through the levels and were tough to beat.

Yugi himself was in a close match with the blue haired girl on a martial arts game. She creamed him with the scariest character you could pick from the lot. To be honest, he had thought she'd go for a cuter looking fighter, but she stuck with this one and new all of his combos. While Yugi may be the best at Duel Monsters, she was a master at this game. After losing another round of fights they went off to play another machine. Hearing a commotion they saw Atem and Chibiusa arguing about the racing game while Vesta and Juno snickered from their own seats. According to the taller boy, the girls had cheated so that Chibiusa could win. The trio only countered that if he couldn't appreciate teamwork then he shouldn't have been so cocky.

"Your sisters can be pretty ruthless, huh?" Yugi commented.

"It's how we were brought up. Pallas can kick butt too!" she said, holding out her arm and flexing to show some muscle. The boy gulped. He guessed since she was in the circus she would have to be well toned. It wasn't much, but he bet if she punched him it would really hurt.

"Have you gotten into actual fights?" Yugi asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"A few, but mostly Pallas's sisters handled it. Juno and Vesta are really good, but they haven't gotten into a real fight in a long time." she explained.

"Enough of this, let's get some chow! I'm starving!" Jou proclaimed. The group agreed and headed over to the diner across the way. By now the two groups were well immersed. They ordered some drinks and food and just continued chatting. Aside from a few scenes involving Jou and Vesta, everyone was having a great time. Yugi would casually glance over at Atem and Chibiusa occasionally to see how they were doing. The two weren't talking much, instead they were pretending to be interested in the others conversations while every once in awhile stealing glances at each other. Yugi mentally sighed. These two were going to be a toughie.

"Hey, Yugi, we should play more Duel Monsters sometime. Pallas wants to get really good for the next tournament so Pallas can enter." his blue haired friend, who was seated to his right in the booth, said.

He now drew his attention back to the girl and smiled. "Sure!"

"Great! Pallas has been practicing so next time don't think you'll win so easily."

Yugi blanched a little, those last matches they had weren't already hard enough? But he agreed as he never backed down from a challenge. Soon the girls had to leave and the rest of the group hung out for awhile longer. Ryou was the first to part ways, then Seto, and eventually they all went home. Yugi and Atem didn't talk much when they finally got home. Mostly they were too tired from the day and just opted to relax in their rooms until they fell asleep.

For Yugi, he realized it was going to be awhile before he went to bed. Pallas started texting him again. This time, they just talked about random stuff; if they were ready for school, strategies for Duel Monsters, even favorite things like movies or foods. Eventually Pallas stopped responding; most likely she had fallen asleep on him. Yugi was about to turn in too when his phone went off again. This time it was Marik. Apparently he was concerned about Ryou and the changes he was going through. Atem had also mention before that Seto was going through similar problems, though not to such an extent. The two decided to get together with Atem and the previously mentioned two sometime in the next two days and see what they could do to help. With that, Yugi turned off his lamp and got under his covers. Their last weekend before school was almost over. He hoped the days didn't fly by too quickly.

88888

A week had passed since the day they went to the arcade. School had started up, and things were starting to fall into a somewhat familiar routine. The first weekend of the school year was upon them however, so most teenagers were anxious and fidgety as they sat at their desks all day that Friday. Yugi was no exception. He had made plans to meet with Pallas at the park where they first met once school got out. He hadn't hung out with her since classes started, but they had kept in touch by either texting or calling each other. Apparently she had popped in at the game shop once, but he had been out with his friends. She wanted to have a rematch with him, and he was looking forward to it.

Strangely enough, he was also very much looking forward to seeing her. He didn't understand that. Had he really already developed a crush on the girl? The young duelist has had a crush on Anzu for years now, but ever since they returned from Egypt it hadn't really been the same. It was obvious Anzu had always liked Atem. But when he had received his own body she never pursued him. Now that he and Chibiusa were seeing each other, she was more focused on obtaining her dancing career. Yugi had accepted that his love was unrequited and had moved on from it, sort of. He didn't deny he still had a few feelings for the brunette, but now his recent thoughts were more occupied by the cute, little, ball dancer from the circus.

So today was going to be a test for him. If after hanging out with her, he decided he did like her then he was going to tell her. He wasn't going to wait on the sidelines while she fell for another guy and he got pushed to just being the good friend again. The thought of asking her out made his stomach clench however. After all, he had never really asked any girl out before.

"Come on, Yugi. You've battled Pegasus, evil kings, and even demons. Asking a girl out shouldn't be as hard as all that!" he thought as the teacher droned on about a boring section of history. This was one of the moments he wished Atem and himself were still connected. The old pharaoh always knew what to say to boost his confidence. Though with Atems latest relationship, Yugi wasn't sure he had much confidence to spare at the moment. The thought made him nearly laugh, but he held it in so the teacher wouldn't notice.

Finally, after mentally torturing himself for what felt like years, the bell sounded and classes were over with for the day. Jou and Honda wanted to hang out, but Yugi said he had other plans. The two boys gave him suspicious looks, but luckily Anzu dragged them away before they could say anything. She gave Yugi an encouraging wink, though he didn't think she knew what he was up to. The boy practically ran all the way to the park. He sat on the bench that was near the spot they met at. It seemed like a good place as Pallas didn't specify where in the park to go. Just in case, he texted her his location and waited.

A beeping tune made him look at his phone. Pallas had texted him that she was at the swings. He got up and went over to the playground area. A few younger kids were out with their parents, but other than that the area was pretty empty. He spotted the blue haired girl immediately and noticed something was wrong. He frowned and quickly made his way to her. She was barely moving on the swing and looking down at the ground with red, slightly puffy eyes. The girl sniffled then looked up when he reached her. Like him, she was still in her school uniform, but there was a used handkerchief in her lap.

"Hey Yugi." she said softly.

Yugi kneeled down next to her, "Pallas, what's wrong?"

"I just had a fight with Vesta... I'm sorry, I know today is supposed to be fun." she replied and wiped at her face.

The boy shook his head and put a comforting hand on her back. "It's okay, we're friends. I'm here for you when you need me. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but maybe I can help get your mind off of it?"

She smiled at that. It wasn't one of her huge, childlike ones, but a very grateful and sincere one. Yugi gave her a smile back and both stood up. "Thanks, Yugi." she said then hugged him. This time it wasn't so awkward for the like their firs hug, and Yugi hugged her back. When they pulled away, she was back to her old self. "I think we should duel now. Duel Monsters always cheers me up!"

The boy nodded and the pair found an empty picnic table they could use. Immediately they became wrapped up in the game. Yugi was just glad the girl was smiling and having fun. It was as if nothing had happened. The smile she had given him earlier made him feel more nervous about his decision. Though with her having had a fight with one of her sisters, he wasn't sure today would be a good day to ask her. Perhaps he could plan something for the weekend?

It was then he noticed something. During their whole conversation Pallas hadn't referred to herself in first person. That was strange. He wondered why the sudden change. Maybe the school was trying to get her to stop and speak more like an adult rather than a child? A high end school like Mugen would probably do something like that. They were always ranked the best middle and high school within Tokyo. They also had a notorious reputation for being very strict with their students. He mentally sighed at that. It was a bit of a shame. Pallas was really cute and the fact that she spoke that way was one of her charms. Even now, as she was talking to him about her week at school, she wasn't calling herself by name.

"Pallas?"

"Yeah?" the girl asked as she looked at the cards in her hand intently.

"How come you're talking differently?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as the girl visibly tensed. A pained look crossed over her eyes, but she didn't look up to meet his gaze. Yugi grimaced at her sudden change. Now he'd done it. Whatever "it" was? He had really only meant for that to be an innocent question. There was a long pause before Pallas put two cards face down.

"My fight with Vesta was about how childish I am. She and the rest of my sisters say I need to grow up... Like they did." she explained as Yugi drew his card, but he still kept his focus on the blue haired girl. She continued on, "we're orphans you know. Technically we're not related, but we grew up together and banded together. The orphanage we grew up in wasn't very nice. We weren't liked very much because we looked different from everyone so we decided we'd be sisters. When we saw all the other kids get adopted every year we got upset. We decided we hated grown-ups, and that no matter what, we'd never grow up. That promise was all we had for a long time."

She let him play his cards, but Yugi was no longer interested in the game. "Did your sisters forget that promise?"

Pallas shook her head. "No, during middle school we were really bad. We bullied other kids and got in fights all the time. The teachers and adults said it was because we didn't have parents and just wanted attention. Really, I can't remember why we did it. That might've been one of the reasons, but we were also picked on too. It wasn't a good time for us. Then Chibiusa and Hotaru showed up and we changed. They helped us out a lot. We were able to get a job at the circus and Fisheye, Hawkeye, and Tigerseye look after us when we're in school. We finally had a family and friends. But...my sisters and I weren't the same. They decided being an adult is okay now. They stopped playing with me and they want me to stop to. I don't mind that if it's what they want, but I just want to remind them of where we came from. All that we went through. I want to show them it's okay to still be kids some of the time... They don't understand that."

Yugi frowned. It made sense to him. His grandpa still acted childish from time to time after all. There was nothing wrong with that. Clearly her sisters still liked arcades and video games. So why did Pallas have to change? Just because they wanted her too, or maybe they were embarrassed? That was stupid. Really, as long as Pallas wasn't hurting anyone she should be whoever she wants to be.

"I like who you are, Pallas." he suddenly stated, then flushed as he realized what he said.

Pallas looked shocked too, and finally met his gaze, a slight pink blush staining her cheeks. She looked a little unsure as she fidgeted in her seat. "Really?"

"Of course! I think you should be whatever you want to be. It's your life. I'm sure your sisters will realize what you're trying to do eventually. They just may need more time. I think as teenagers, we just have trouble finding a balance between still wanting to be a kid and also wanting to be an adult because we are getting older. But I know lots of adults who act like kids every once in awhile. I mean, my grandpa owns a game shop and plays with the kids that come in all the time. My mom will sometimes play jokes on Atem and I. Seto, even though he's our age, is the most mature acting person I know, I mean he runs his own company and all, but he's building an amusement park with his own name in it."

Pallas giggled as Yugi flailed his arms about. He stopped and smiled warmly at her. The girl nodded. "You're right! Pallas doesn't have to grow up if she doesn't want to. At least, not yet."

"Good." he said with a broad smile

Pallas clapped her hands together, "hey, we should play a prank on them! That'll teach them not to be mean to Pallas again."

Yugi laughed, "I think that might have the opposite effect, Pallas."

"You're probably right." she agreed, sticking her tongue out playfully. Yugi shook his head and held up his cards.

"Now, shall we continue? I believe I was in the middle of winning again."

The circus performer snorted. "Yeah right! Pallas shall be victorious today!" she cried as she pumped her fist into the air.

They played several matches. Pallas actually did win two whole duels out of the five they played that afternoon. Yugi had to assure her he didn't just let her win. When it started getting around dinner time, the two decided it was time to stop and head home before their families worried. Yugi walked the girl to her bus stop and waited with her. They continued talking about their games until the next bus arrived. It was now or never. Yugi asked the girl if she'd join him the next day at a locally owned ice-cream and candy store. Pallas eagerly agreed and hugged the boy before she got on the bus. She waved at him from her seat as it left the stop and he waved back.

He let out a sigh of relief at her answer, but the relief was short lived. Tomorrow he was going to ask her out. He was glad he got to know more about her past. It made him feel closer to her. Though they hadn't known each other long, he was looking forward to learning more about her, and sharing more of who he was too.

88888

Yugi stood outside the ice-cream parlor, waiting for Pallas to arrive. His stomach felt like it was doing backflips, cartwheels, and tumbles all at once. He tried his best to keep his nervousness from showing on the outside, but he could already feel himself begin to sweat. The only girl he'd ever truly liked was Anzu, but he had never mustered enough courage to ask her out. Especially when he discovered she preferred the ex-pharaoh. Now was going to be different though. As Jou had told him earlier, when he confided in his best friend about his growing feeling for Pallas; it was time to man up and get the girl. He just hoped it all worked out in the end.

"Yugi!" came the ever cheery voice of the blue haired girl. His heart felt like it had just slammed into his ribcage, but he held most of himself together.

Turning he saw the girl skipping over to him from the bus-stop. "Hey, Pallas. How are you?"

"Great! After all, Pallas gets to have ice-cream and candy with her best friend."

This immediately caused the strong walls around Yugis composure to come crashing down. "B-best friend?!"

"Well yeah, silly." the girl chimed as if it were no big deal. "Pallas only has her sisters and Chibi-chan and Taru-chan. Chibi-chan and Taru-chan are great, but they mostly hang out with each other so Pallas doesn't call them best friends. So, you're Pallas's best friend. Is that okay?"

The boy stammered a yes as they went into the shop and stood in line for their treats. Yugi tried to avoid eye contact with Pallas. It was easy since she was too marveled by all the sweets in the store and was looking at the colorful ice-cream flavors. Yugi kept his eyes to the ground as his red face refused to go back to normal. He wasn't sure if being labeled the "best friend" was a good thing. What if Pallas only wanted to keep this a friendship? Was he really going to be friend-zoned again?

Taking a deep breath, he tried once more to calm his nerves, and managed to gain some control over them. The pair ordered their ice-creams and sat down at one of the tall tables by the window so they could watch the people and cars go by. Pallas struck up a conversation about how school was going. She mentioned that she, Hotaru, and her sister Vesta had been picked on, but most of those guys had backed off now for some reason. The two joked about Chibiusa and Atems rocky relationship and their other friends as well. The circus going on in Yugis stomach had dissipated and soon he forgot that he ever was nervous.

The two finished their ice-cream and got bags full of mixed candy. They decided to just walked around the streets and talk more. Pallas seemed to have no problem downing all of her sugar, while Yugi had to stop or risk getting a stomach ache. They soon came across the grounds where her circus used to be. It was nothing more than an empty lot with a few trash cans now. Sneaking through the fence that was still there, the pair walked around inside. A few flyers of the acts still remained stapled to some of the posts while others littered the ground.

Yugi spotted one that Pallas and her sisters were featured on and picked it up. "Do you miss performing?"

"Yeah, life sure has gotten dull without risking our necks every night. But Pallas is happy to catch a break." she replied, looking over his shoulder at the depiction of her family. Glancing around, something caught her eye and she smiled hugely. "Oh, hey look!"

Before Yugi could respond she ran over to one of the benches still left there and knelt down to get something underneath it. When she retrieved it, she straightened to present her find to the boy. It was a ball. It was about the size of a volley ball, and made just as sturdy. It was the same blue as her hair and had glitter in the material. It must have been left behind when the circus moved on. She bounced it a few times, testing it. With its mass, it took a bit of effort, but she seemed satisfied with the results. Placing it on the ground, she kept her palms trained on it and soon kicked her feet off the ground to do a handstand on top of it. Easily she was able to keep her balance and make it look effortless.

"Wow, that's amazing! I'd never be able to do something like that." Yugi marveled as he walked over to sit on the bench and watch her.

"Of course you can, you just have to practice!" she stated as she lifted one of her hands off the ball and held it out for balance.

The boy chuckled, "that would still take years. I'm not exactly the most balanced person."

The girl vaulted off the ball and landed gracefully near him where she then ungracefully plopped herself next to him on the bench. "Pallas wasn't either, but Pallas wanted to learn more than anything! You probably weren't the best at Duel Monsters when you first started, but you kept going and now you're the champ!"

This made the boy smile. She was right. It took many hours of practicing and building up his deck to suit his gaming style, but it paid off in the end. Though Atem won most of the duels they had landed in throughout the tournaments, he had beaten the once pharaoh when they played in Egypt. He wasn't sure if he could ever do it again, but it had happened already so he didn't really care anymore. Yugi continued to smile at his friend. Pallas was a lot smarter than she seemed. She could definitely be childish, and a total goof, but she understood hard work and friendship very well.

He watched as she got up to get the ball and suddenly his mouth blurted out, "I like you, Pallas."

The girl stopped when she had picked up the item and turned to look at him. There was a bit of confusion on her face, but then she smiled. "Pallas likes you too, Yugi. You're a lot of fun."

"No, I mean..." he got up from his seat and walked over to her. His nerves came back, but it was too late now. He scratched the back of his head and kept shifting his eyes from her to the ground. "I mean I... really like you. Maybe a little more than a friend. And I was wondering, if well, you'd like to go out on a date or something...sometime?"

There was a moment's pause and the duelist soon became too nervous to look at her. When he finally did he noticed a strong blush across her cheeks. She stuttered a bit, not really producing any words. Eventually she managed a few.

"I...Yugi... I..." he became a little concerned as she had stopped referring to herself by her name. Suddenly she dropped the ball and grabbed the hand he had been keeping to his side. It was his turn to blush now. She was beaming. "Yugi, I li-..."

Her eyes shifted within those few seconds. They had gone from surprised and elated to suddenly scared and angry. "I... Why do you have to ruin everything?!" she exclaimed, tears rapidly welling up in her eyes.

Yugi looked at her in shock and she released his hand as if it were a snake before taking a step back. "We were having fun. We played games and ate candy and didn't worry about stupid things like my sisters do! That was our world! The world I thought I'd have to leave, but you said it was okay!"

"...What do you mean, Pallas? I'm afraid I don't understand." the boy confessed, not sure why she suddenly was blurting out such things. He tried to reach for her but she backed away as she openly cried now.

"You're just like them ... You can't make me grow up!" with that she turned and ran.

The small boy started to run after her, but then stopped. Catching her now would be pointless. It would only frighten her more. What exactly had that been about? Something bumped into his foot and he looked down. A breeze had rolled the ball the blue haired girl had been playing with over to him. He picked it up now and stared at it, unsure of what to do. He knew he had been rejected, but something about it didn't feel right. She had been about to say something else before she spooked. He should've known better than to trust any hope.

Letting out a sigh, he slowly released the ball and watched it roll away from him. He'd leave her be. If she wanted to talk she'd text or call. He didn't want to bother her, and wasn't sure if their friendship would survive this. If it did, it wouldn't be the same. That was probably the most tragic part about this. The young duelist wondered if he truly had ruined everything. With a heavy heart we walked out of the lot and trudged home. He felt like such an idiot...

Spirit-... Please don't hurt me! I know this wasn't the ideal ending for their two-shot, but don't worry! I won't let it actually end like this for them. I'm still debating if I will resolve their relationship in someone else's two-shot or in the epilogue chapter at the end... You'll have to wait and see. I hated doing this to poor Yugi, but it was a plot I thought would work out best for Pallas. What do you guys think?

Please review!

Chow!