Ashleigh: Hey everyone! We're back and bringing you another chapter of Radical Dreamers.

Ice: YAY! ^__^

Ashleigh: Ice? You okay?

Ice: Just fine. Why?

Ashleigh: Because you are so hyper at *checks her watch* 9 in the morning.

Ice: I'm not hyper! I haven't had anything with sugar in it! I'm hyper because I was watching Yu-Gi-Oh this morning and the host, Paula, was saying how there's gonna be 15 hours of anime! I'm taping all the shows I want!

Ashleigh: Which is . . . what shows?

Ice: Sailor Moon (I wanna see if Ann, Alan *sighs happily* and Fiori are in it), Yu-Gi-Oh (4 back to back episodes!!!!), InuYasha (yeah! The half-dog-demon is so totally cool. He kicks butt! ^__^), and whatever else they have on that I like. I wouldn't know because I haven't seen the line up yet.

Ashleigh: So, when's this anime thing?

Ice: It's on YTV starting at 2:30 in the afternoon December 31 and goes through to like 6 in the morning January 1. I'm gonna watch it all!!! ^_____________________^

Ashleigh: Well, I think the readers really wanna read the story so I say we start. Ice, can I trust you to do the disclaimer?

Ice: *imitates Ducky from the Land Before Time movie* Yup, yup, yup! Me, Ice-dragon1018 and Ashleigh-Kaiba are writing the story together. We only own Ashli, Jurida, Fox, Azure, the plot, Danielle (she's coming in this chapter . . . I think), and everything you don't recognize. Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to whoever made it (I don't pay attention to the company names). Trust me, if it belonged to me and Ashleigh-Kaiba, there would probably be major chaos! ^______^

Bakura: Chaos . . .*grins* My favourite past time. ^_____^

Ashleigh: *sighs* I'm stuck in this room with a hyper-obsessed Joey lover, and a psychotic white-haired Tomb Robber who enjoys creating chaos when he has free time. *looks up to the ceiling* Ra, if you can hear me, kill me now. . .

Ice and Bakura: Ra doesn't like you enough to grant your wish. ^_^ Which means that you can stay here with us!

Ashleigh: Noooo! *runs around screaming*

Ice: On with the story!

~*~*~*~*~

". . ." = talking (in the story)
'. . .' = thoughts (in the story)
*. . .* = Ashli's voice over/narration throughout the story
^&&^ = change of scene
~*~. . .~*~ = Flashbacks, future scenes, etc.

~*~*~*~*~

Ashli shoved the knife into his stomach just like he had done to Jurida, twisted it and ripped it out. Sartura's mouth opened, and he started to choke. Clutching his stomach, he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

Ashli's eyes went wide, as she clutched the knife in her now-shaking hand.

'God this can't be happening.' Ashli thought to herself. She was now to the breaking point of panicking. She had to do something. She had to get rid of the evidence, and get rid of the bodies soon before someone found her in the alley with a bloody knife and two dead bodies.

'That's it!' Ashli cried in her mind. She had to get back to the Azure hideout, tell the other members and lead them back to this exact spot so they could get Jurida's body and move it.

Ashli took one last look at her surrogate mother, before whispering, "I'm sorry Jurida. Please forgive me."

Ashli closed the knife and slipped it into her black baggy sweatshirt. The way Ashli figured it, nobody could see the blood-stained knife there – it would be invisible to the human eye if it was in her sweatshirt.

The lilac haired girl turned and ran out of the alley way, taking sharp turns around corners, and jumping over crates and boxes that were in the alley.

After about ten minutes, Ashli figured she was lost since she had no idea of where she was going.

'I really wish I was paying attention to where Jurida was going when we were running from Sartura. That way, all I would have to do is go backwards.'

Ashli leant against a wall, and while trying to catch her breath, she could feel something crawling over her foot. She looked down, and to her disgust, there was a large, grey mouse sitting on her shoe, swishing its tail.

"Go away." Ashli said, before raising up her foot and kicking away the alley animal. She could hear it thump against the cement, and scuttle away. However, it ended its life, by getting run over by a car. At least, Ashli thought it was getting run over by a car. She had heard a car drive past the alley she was in.

Deciding to follow the sound, she got off the wall, and quickly made her way according to where the sound was coming from.

After a few minutes, Ashli walked out of the alley, and noticed it was dark out. It had been dark out when Ashli and Jurida were out walking and chatting about Ashli's future. She could remember it so well.

~*~ Flashback ~*~

It was dark and a little cold out. Jurida had wanted to take a walk with Ashli and discuss her future.

Ashli had her hair down and dressed in light blue jeans, and a black baggy sweatshirt on. Jurida had been dressed in a dark purple sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, and white running shoes. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a French braid, and her green eyes were not showing their usual happiness.

Ashli had been worried about her surrogate mother. They hadn't yet found Ashli's real mother, and Ashli figured there was a slim to none chance of finding either of her parents. Jurida was the closest thing to a mother that Ashli had.

"Ashli," Jurida had begun, jamming her hands into her pockets. "I want you to know that you have a future. You can leave Azure at any time."

"Jurida," Ashli replied, turning a little to see the blonde, as she continued to walk. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that I don't want you to ruin your future."

"I'm not going to ruin my future." Ashli said in defence. When Jurida didn't answer, Ashli elaborated. "What's wrong? Tell me the truth."

Jurida sighed. "I want you to leave Azure. I want you to leave now while you still have a chance; while you still have a future."

Ashli stopped walking. "No."

Jurida stopped walking and turned around. "What did you say?"

"I said no Jurida. I will not leave Azure. Azure and you are family to me. If I leave, I won't have anywhere to go! Azure is my home; it's where I belong."

Jurida shook her head. "It's not where you belong. You were never meant to join our band of thieves. It was not your destiny."

Ashli grew angry. "So, tell me. What is my destiny?"

"Your destiny," Jurida began, staring into Ashli's eyes. "is to leave Azure, get an education, have a career and a family. Your destiny is to have everything I didn't. You have a future; when I was your age, I had nothing to live for. I didn't have the education to be a doctor, or a teacher, or any high-paying job. I may never have the chance at having a family. And we both know I will never have the chance at having a career. I don't have the education or knowledge."

"Jurida. You don't mean this. . ."

Jurida put her hands on her surrogate daughter's shoulders. "I do. Ashli, you are the closest thing I've had to a real daughter. If I lost you, I wouldn't forgive myself. Being in our band of thieves isn't safe anymore. Leave while you have the chance."

~*~ End Flashback ~*~

Ashli began to climb the fire escape ladder that was suspended to the wall of the Azure headquarters.

'Jurida must've known Sartura was after us. She must've known that we were both in danger. That's why she wanted me to leave. It was so I wouldn't get hurt.' Ashli thought to herself, as she opened the door that was on the roof of the hideout that led to the inside of Azure.

Ashli practically flew down the stairs, causing the other members to look at her, and laugh.

When Ashli glared at them, they knew something was wrong. Jurida and Ashli had left together, and only one had returned.

"What's wrong?" a tall, brown-haired kid with a mushroom cut (A/n: I think it's called that. Imagine his hair cut like Trunks from DBZ when he first comes from the future.) and deep green eyes asked.

"Fox, Jurida's dead." Ashli said bluntly.

"What?" The man named Fox shouted, jumping up from his spot on a crate. The rest of the thieves glared at the lilac haired girl.

"As you know, Jurida and I went out for a walk. When we were out walking, Sartura and two of his groupies spotted us and a fight broke out between all of us. Sartura brought out a knife and stabbed Jurida in the stomach."

Ashli left out the part about her killing Sartura. That was unimportant because now that he was dead, they were sure not to have any problems anymore from him.

"Where's her body?" Fox asked.

"In the alley. Follow me, and I'll take you to her." Ashli ordered before running out of the room, and having Fox follow her.

^&&^

Fox and Ashli ran through the dark and smelly alley ways. Ashli had been able to find the entrance to the alley that Jurida was killed in, faster than she had been able to find its exit.

"There she is." Ashli said, pointing to the four bodies in the alley; two unconscious, two dead.

Fox walked over to Jurida and picked her up. A tear escaped his eye.

'No wonder. Fox and Jurida were best friends. They were so close, they were like brother and sister.'

"Come on Ashli." Fox said, sniffing. He walked forwards, out of the alley. "Let's go back to the hideout and give Jurida a proper burial."

Ashli let some tears escape her eyes, and followed the man named Fox out of the alley.

^&&^

*When Jurida died, it felt like I was loosing my mother. I found myself unable to trust almost anyone. After Jurida's death, I left Azure. I couldn't deal being in that band of thieves anymore. Before I left, Fox confronted me, and gave me a small black crest. He had told me it was Jurida's, and Jurida would want me to have it. I thanked him, and left.

About a year after that, when I was sixteen, I was a student at Domino High school. A new girl arrived from Texas. Her name was Danielle. I saw something in her. Something that reminded me of Jurida; maybe it was her eyes the held a mysterious look to them.*

"Now class. We've got a new student joining us today." Mr Yukio stated. Mr Yukio was the gang's homeroom teacher and he taught history class. "Please enter."

He gestured to the door and a pretty girl who must've been just over five feet with shoulder-length, curly red hair and mysterious turquoise eyes. She seemed really nervous and her eyes were looking towards the floor, but Ashli had caught a glimpse of them as she walked in. She was wearing the typical Domino High girl uniform.

Ashli looked over at Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor, two guys in Ashli's homeroom class that would drool at the sight of any pretty girl; which is what they were doing at that moment.

"Everyone, this is Danielle Makenna, and she has moved here from Texas. I hope you all make her feel welcome. Right?"

The class was silent except for Joey and Tristan who jumped up and yelled, "Ya!"

That caused the class to burst out laughing, and Danielle's face to show a tinge of pink.

Ashli got the feeling Danielle didn't like it when people acted like that for her.

"Right class?" Mr Yukio asked again, this time more sternly. "And Mr Wheeler, Mr Taylor, sit down now or you can sit down later in detention."

Joey and Tristan sat down, as the class replied "Yes" in a bored tone. Another thing about Mr Yukio was that he lived up to his last name. [1]

Mr Yukio looked around the class and eventually pointed at Ashli. "Miss Makenna, you can sit beside Miss Holling."

Danielle nodded, and walked over to Ashli. She sat down in the once-vacant chair beside Ashli and put her books on top of the desk. Ashli gave her a small smile, which Danielle responded to by giving Ashli a small, nervous smile back.

As the class went on, Ashli could swear she could sense something coming from Danielle. She would just have to confront Danielle about it later using the Black Crest. [2]

~*~*~*~*~

[1] In Japanese, Yukio is a boy's name which means "gets what he wants". I got this off of babynames.com.
[2] Remember that thing that Fox gave Ashli earlier on in the chapter? It was a black crest, which is the name of the object Ashli has.  Seemed sorta self-explanatory. . .

~*~*~*~*~

Ashleigh: I liked this chapter. It seems cool.

Ice: But it was short. We should try to put up longer chapters.

*dodges flying tomatoes from Bakura*

Ice: What is your problem Bakura? Where'd you get the tomatoes?

Bakura: From the tomato dude.

Ice: Tomato dude?

Ashleigh: He must mean that dude that sells tomatoes at the grocery stores.

Ice: Oh. *suddenly remembers something* That doesn't explain why he's throwing them at me!

Bakura: You're an easy target.

Ice: That's why you missed every shot. Because I'm an easy target?

Ashleigh: *grins* You know who is a much easier target than Ice here?

Bakura: Who?

Ice: Mai. She's always too distracted with her face and nails and clothes to pay attention to anything around her. If you whip tomatoes at her, you won't miss because she won't be paying attention.

Bakura: Good idea. *throws a tomato at Ice and hits her in the face*

Ice: AHHH! *runs around screaming* My eyes! The juice burns!

Ashleigh: ^_^U Ehhh. . .Ice go wash your eyes out with water.

Ice: *leaves*

Ashleigh: While she does that, why don't you review? Please R&R . . . oh god, I just made that repetitive. . .