Crimson Ice Flame: Hey there, guys! I know it's been a while, but this story is going to be a remake of "Hope," the story Sister of the Pharaoh had asked me to write forever and a day ago, but this time, we're gonna have a nice little twist to the story! I hope you guys enjoy the changes I've made and how I'm going to be writing this brand new version of "Hope." Enjoy!

"Talking"

"Whispering/Mumbling"

Thinking

Sound Effects

A teenager walked through the double door of New Domino General Hospital, waving back to someone as she exited. She was very beautiful, with long, vibrant, crimson red hair, emerald green eyes shining behind her thick bangs. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans; a black top, the sleeves stopping just past her elbows; a thin, floral scarf; a pair of brown, knee high boots; and a silver cross around her neck, tucked into her shirt. She held onto the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she head down the sidewalk, making her way toward her high school, New Domino High. This girl's name was Ashley Young, age seventeen. She walked down the sidewalk for a little bit, but when she was finally far enough away from the hospital, the teen pulled her cellphone out from her bag, glancing at the time, that was nearing 7:30. It was 7:22, so she had about eight minutes to get there before the first warning bell, if she ran, and that's exactly what she did. Ashley booked it down the sidewalk as fast as she could, the school finally coming into her line of view. It was then she noticed two people waving and smiling at her, Ashley waving back. When she got close to her two best friends though, the redhead stopped, panting hard. She leaned over, gripping her chest that started to ache, her two friends rushing over to her.

"Hey, Ash, are you okay?" The girl with long, charcoal black hair asked worriedly, a pair of thick, coke bottle framed glasses on her petite face.

"You know you're not supposed to do any strenuous exercise." The girl with short, deep red hair said, a metal curler in the front of her hair with two longer pieces hanging down to frame her face.

"I know, but..." Ashley panted. "I...had to. Running late... Tests...took longer than...they thought." She said through her heavy breathing.

It took a couple minutes, but the pain in Ashley's chest finally subsided as she stood up straight again, giving a low sigh. "Sorry, guys, but I had to run to make it here in time... The tests we did this morning ran a little longer than they anticipated..."

"And if you're not careful, you could do some serious damage." The girl with deep red hair scolded.

"I know, Akiza, but at this point, it's not like I'm doing anything that isn't already there..." Ashley replied.

"Even so, you really should be more careful."

"You guys don't need to scold me, Carly, I already know the stakes I'm faced with. And besides, it's not like they've found a new heart for me anyway..."

"Don't get discouraged, Ashley. I'm sure they'll be able to find one soon." Akiza tried to encourage.

Maybe so, but that becomes a bit more difficult when I know I don't have much time left to live... Ashley silently thought.

Ashley's two best friends were named Carly Carmine and Akiza Izinski, who she has known since they were all children. Carly had semi-long charcoal black hair with steel grey eyes, a pair of circular glasses propped on her small nose. She was always more quirky and full of energy compared to Ashley's calmer and more tame demeanor. Carly has always tried her best to help give Ashley hope and make everything more positive, trying to look on the brighter side of things. Carly had always been interested in photography and wanting to see others happy, and it was this belief that has caused her to become such a positive ray of sunshine, especially to Ashley. True, Carly may have her faults, such as her clumsiness, and she can get very flustered easily, but even through that, Carly still manages to smile. He bright and innocent smile is what helps give Ashley hope, something that she refuses to let go of, no matter how hard things become. Now, as for Akiza, she had short, deep red, almost maroon colored hair with a metal curler on the top to hold her bangs back as two longer pieces hung down on either side of her face, framing her hazel eyes. Akiza was always the mitigatory, or the person who tries to make a bad situation less severe or painful. Akiza didn't used to be that way though, she used to be very cold towards others just because she was different, and always got picked on because of that. However, when she got to know Ashley, things gradually had begun to change. Akiza had opened up more, and learned what it meant to have friends that cared for her. It was because of this that Akiza was able to learn how to stay calm and learn to care for others, something she hadn't been shown before. Through all of this, the three girls have known each other since they were little and have become aware of Ashley's heart condition. They have been trying their best to encourage her so that she won't lose hope, knowing that she doesn't have much longer to live. Ashley's heart condition has worsened over the years, that much is certain, making it more and more difficult for her to function normally, which is why she is constantly in and out of the hospital in case she experiences unexpected heart failure or any kind of complications. This condition is exactly why Ashley is hoping the find a new heart, and hopefully soon, especially considering the limited time she has left. Her only solace seems to be that she has people like Carly and Akiza that have kept her afloat in that sea of uncertainty and despair thus far. Carly is Ashley's shining ray of light, and Akiza is the shoulder she can lean on whenever things get to difficult for her, and so, Ashley holds onto that, holds onto that small sliver of hope that she has, praying that one day, something with finally happen...

"Oh, yeah! I just remembered something!" Carly suddenly spoke up, Ashley perking up a bit. "We're getting a new student today." She smiled.

"New student?" Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, I remember that now." Akiza said in agreement. "Although, I can't remember what his name is, but I've heard that he's the son of a really famous scientist involved with the Ener-D Reactor project and even owns his very own Duel Runner."

"A Duel Runner too? I thought you couldn't ride those without a license though, especially on campus?" Ashley commented.

"From what I hear, he does have one." Akiza added.

"And I also heard that he built the Duel Runner himself." Carly then said.

"Hmm... Okay, so he owns a Duel Runner and he's the son of a famous scientist involved in that Ener-D thing… Do we know anything else about him?"

The two thought for a moment. "Not that I can recall." Said Akiza.

"Hold on, I think I remember hearing something about him being a really good duelist." Carly cut in.

"Well, I guess that makes sense considering dueling is a big part of Duel Academy..." Ashley noted.

"If you didn't have your heart condition, you could probably join back with the riding team..." Akiza then said a bit sadly.

Ashley just waved it off. "Maybe one day I will be able to... For now though, I think I'll just stick with what I can do in automotives..."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you took that class too." Carly grinned.

"Well, she did build her own Duel Runner, after all." Akiza added.

"That was years ago, and my mother has prohibited me from riding it again until I can get a new heart, so it kinda just sits there now, collecting dust…" The redhead said a bit sadly. "But that doesn't stop me from trying to build a new engine for it, or maybe even a CP—"

Vrooom!

"Ugh?!" The three girls suddenly gasped when the sound of a motorcycle caught their ears.

They quickly turned toward the source as a red and white blur zipped past them before they were trampled by a hoard of other girls squealing and going nuts over that sound, obviously eager to meet this new student. However, as Ashley was being trampled on, she was being pushed both forwards and backwards, not even noticing a discarded skateboard behind her. She stepped on it with one foot, but instantly lost her balance, her foot slipping out from under her as she crashed to the ground, landing hard on her back with a loud 'thud' and audible grunt. However, just as she opened her eyes, Ashley noticed the skateboard she tripped on was sent skyward, heading straight down for her face. The redhead gasped and quickly crossed her arms over her face, slamming her eyes shut as she waited for the impact. She waited for a few long seconds, until nothing came... This confused Ashley, wondering why the skateboard hadn't hit her by now. Gravity was clearly a thing, so...why didn't it touchdown? Slowly, Ashley began to open her eyes only to see the skateboard only a few inches above her face before it was moved away, someone letting out a sigh.

"Well, that was a close one..." A semi-deep, but velvety voice said in relief

Ashley lowered her arms from her face as she pushed herself to sit up before turning to where the voice had come from. It was there that she couldn't stop the slight blush that covered her cheeks upon finding who the voice belonged to. He was relatively tall with dark, midnight black hair that had a few yellow streaks in it, followed by these deep, cerulean blue eyes that could stop anyone in their tracks. He was dressed in a black tank top with a red symbol on the front; dark blue jeans with a brown belt; matching brown boots; and a navy blue jacket. Something about this boy seemed rather off, but somehow, in a good way. That warm smile on his face seemed like it could brighten a room in an instant, and that voice of his: You could just melt the moment it touched your ears. Suddenly though, Ashley was pulled out of her trance when this stranger extended a hand out toward her.

"Are you alright?" The male asked kindly.

"U-uhh, yeah..." Ashley stammered over her words a bit before taking the boy's hand, helping the redhead back on her feet as she dusted herself off. "U-um, thank you..." She thanked, though bashfully.

"Don't mention it. You're not hurt, are you?"

Ashley shook her head. "No, I'm alright. I just slipped on a skateboard and landed on my back, but I'll be okay."

"Well, that's good to hear. Sorry for zipping past you like that, by the way... When I saw all those girls swarm you and your friends, I noticed you slip on that skateboard. I'm just glad I grabbed it before it could hit you."

Ashley grinned a bit shyly. "And again, thank you for that. I'm sure it would've hurt a lot had it really hit me..."

"Well, now that I know you're not hurt, you wouldn't mind if I asked for your name, would you?"

She suddenly blushed a bit. "Oh!" Ashley said in slight surprise. "It's Ashley, Ashley Young." She said almost immediately.

"Ashley, is it?" The raven let his name roll off his tongue. "It may be a somewhat common name, but it was derived from a surname and a place based on the old English word for "ash wood." In this case though, it could very well mean "lives in the ash tree grove," but I think it suits you quite nicely."

Ashley blushed again. "Oh, well, thank you... That's very kind of you to say..." She felt a bit shy for some reason, grinning shyly.

"And my name is Yusei Fudo."

"Yusei?" Ashley thought for a moment. "That's a pretty unique name, but in a way, it could mean either "planetary" or "bonds," almost like you can create links between you and the people you meet or who are around you, err, I mean, in a nutshell, that's what it could translate to. I think it suits your kind of style though, if I had to say." She said, though seeming a bit sheepish.

The male known as Yusei seemed to be a bit surprised by this. "Oh, I wasn't aware of that, actually... My father never really told me that my name actually meant something, but that's very interesting to know."

"I kinda stumbled upon it, and I guess it must've stuck somehow..."

The boy known as Yusei let out a soft chuckle at Ashley's sudden shy demeanor. "Well then, on that note, I should probably be on my way so that I can get my schedule for my classes, but it was nice to meet you, Ashley."

"You too, Yusei. If you ever need me to give you a tour around the school, just let me know and I'd be happy to help."

"Alright, well thank you for the offer. I hope to see you around." He then turned and went in the opposite direction.

Once out of earshot, Ashley let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding in, sighing a bit. My heart... I didn't even notice that it was pounding so hard... And it feels like I've got butterflies in my stomach... Geez... I can't tell if I feel sick or embarrassed... Ashley placed her hands against her burning cheeks. I only just met him, and yet...my heart feels like it's floating. I feel so strange all of a sudden... Oh man, I'm turning into such a cliché lovestruck teenager... How embarrassing.

"Nugh!?" Ashley suddenly gasped as an excruciating pain stabbed her in the chest completely out of nowhere and without warning. She gave an audible gasp in pain before collapsing to her knees, both Carly and Akiza running over to her.

"Ashley!" They gasped, crouching on either side of their friend while trying to ease her through the pain.

It almost felt like Ashley was being stabbed through the chest, her heart pounding rapidly against her ribcage; it felt like it could explode at any minutes. She gripped her chest hard, her other hand on the ground to try and hold herself up. However, when her elbow buckled a bit, Ashley had to lean against her forearm for support, holding her breath since it hurt too much to even breathe. It felt like an eternity before the pain in her chest had finally decided to subside, Ashley letting out an audible gasp, panting hard. She coughed a bit, still gripping her pained chest before sitting up, Carly and Akiza rubbing her back.

"You okay, Ash?" Carly then asked.

She nodded, letting out a low sigh. "Yeah, I'm alright now..."

"What was that all about just now?" Akiza questioned worriedly.

"My chest just started to hurt for some reason, but it's gone now."

"It's getting worse..." The maroon redhead then said, sounding concerned.

"I know it is, but there's nothing I can do about it..." Ashley replied, sounding almost bitter about it.

"Yeah, but...if this continues, won't it become life threatening?" Carly questioned anxiously.

"I don't know... What I do know is that my heart won't last much longer, not at this rate anyway... I need a new one, and soon..."

"But didn't you say that even if they found you a new heart, the procedure was going to be dangerous?" Akiza asked.

"They said I might not make it out of the procedure because I'm so young, and my body isn't as strong as it used to be because of my heart having to work twice as hard... However, I...I can't just give up, not yet... Someday, I know I'll get a new heart, and then I'll finally be able to live a normal life again..."

"Live normal again"...? Ashley mulled over that thought for a moment, though doubting herself. At this point, even I'm having trouble believing that... If I'm going to die, I just hope...that I won't have to suffer like I am now... If only for a fleeting moment, I just want to know what it's like...to not have to live with death looming over my shoulder...