PREVIOUSLY: "Hey Ryoga! Where'd you go?" She called.

"I don't know! Where are you?" He replied. Scarlett looked around, but the mist was too thick. She then remembered her bell.

"Ryoga, listen!" She called. She rang her bell. Ryoga smiled. He listened and followed the sound of the bell. He made it to her. "What do you know, this bell came in handy!" She cheered. She took his hand. "This is so I won't lose you. Now all we have to do find Azusa and her perverted partner." She huffed. She blinked. "I'm an idiot. Ryoga don't move." She said. She jumped up. "Scarlett Firey Aura Burst!" She shouted.

Coming from Scarlett's hands were balls of fiery aura that spread as she spun. The heat made the mist disappear. She landed and searched for Ryoga.

"DAMMIT RYOGA! I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOVE!" She shouted. She searched for Ryoga. He was in the crowd buying a chili dog. She glared. She stomped off the ice and grabbed his ear. She dragged him back onto the ice. "Really Ryoga? Really?" She huffed. Ryoga sweatdropped.

"I don't really know how I ended up there." He chuckled. Scarlett glared.

"I told you not to move!" She snapped. Ryoga sweatdropped again.

"It's not my fault!" He retorted. The Golden Pair skated toward them at top speed. Preparing to strike. Unfortunately for Scarlett and Ryoga, and fortunately for the Golden Pair, they went unnoticed.

"Why would you buy food in the middle of a fight!" She snapped.

"I was hungry!" He hissed.

"You should've eaten before we got on ice!"

"I did!"

"What? Then how are you hungry now!"

"It's called having a stomach Scarlett! Mine was empty, and I got hungry!"

Scarlett glared. "You aren't even taking this seriously are you!"

"Hard to with these stupid outfits!" He retorted. Scarlett glared at him.

"If you thought they were so stupid, then why did you let me buy it!" She snapped.

"So we could stop shopping and get this stupid thing over with!" He barked. And then...it happened.

"If you weren't going take this seriously then why did you agree to be my partner!" Scarlett snapped.

"I'm not sure why I agreed to be your stupid partner!"

"You just called yourself stupid, Stupid!"

Scarlett and Ryoga stopped their arguing and looked toward Azusa and Mikado. They were aiming kicks for them.

"Move it!"

They both skated out of the way. Ryoga looked toward Scarlett. Her face showed anger. Hair fell onto the ice.

Scarlett stood. She glared at Azusa. "How dare you…" She growled. She charged toward her. "Now my hair is a whole inch shorter!" She kicked Azusa and sent her flying into the wall.

Genma held up a sign. 'Never cut a Saotome girl's hair.' It read.

"Words to live by." The announcer said with a nod.

"Scarlett Final Attack!" She began. Ryoga sweatdrop. "Mystical Aura Beam!" She slammed her hand onto Azusa's chest and a bright light flashed. With that, Azusa was knocked out cold. Scarlett smirked. "Yeah, you might stay like that for a month or two. Or three." She declared.

"AZUSA IS DOWN! I REPEAT, AZUSA! IS! DOWN!" The announcer shrieked.

Scarlett glared at Mikado. "And you! You perverted freak, I'm going to do worse!" Ryoga sweatdropped.

"Uh, maybe I should handle this." He said.

"What, can't a girl get her revenge?" She growled.

"No you can, but…" He muttered.

"Fine." She grunted. "Use all you have! Knock him out for two months like with Azusa!" She growled. Ryoga sweatdropped as he skated towrd Mikado.

"Man. I'll be sure not to cut her hair. If an inch pisses her off, imagine what would happen if she got her hair chopped to the same length as Akane's." He muttered. He used his breaking point attack, which would still do damage even though it's not suppose to have an effect on people .(Considering his strength I mean.) Mikado groaned as he tried to get up. "Scarlett, I hope your ready for the Goodbye Whirl, Ryoga edition." He said, taking Scarlett's hands.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked with confusion. Ryoga began to spin, dragging Scarlett along, her flying as they spun. "RYOGA!" She shrieked.

"Get ready!" He shouted. After a few more spins Ryoga released Scarlett and she went flying in Mikado's direction

Scarlett shrieked as she crashed into Mikado. Scarlett groaned and Mikado passed out.

"The Golden Pair has been defeated!" The announcer shrieked. Scarlett dazed as she stood her, spirals in her eyes as she attempted to regain her balance. Eventually she fell on her bum.

Ryoga helped Scarlett up, and in return, Scarlett smacked him upside the head. "What was that for?"

"For throwing me as a weapon!" She hissed, though she was still fairly dizzy. It showed as she skated toward Genma. "There's two chains. Which one do I choose?" She shook her head and broke the chain he was tied to the stand with. "Come on Uncle Panda, let's go."

Scarlett sighed as she walked around Nerima. It had been about four and a half weeks since the challenge from Mikado and Azusa, and she really needed to relax. But in Nerima, that wasn't likely. She went to the Cat Cafe. While Ukyo was Scarlett's long time friend, for some reason, the redhead just felt better talking with Shampoo. Even if the conversation had to be in Chinese.

"Shampoo-chan?" She asked. Shampoo perked.

"Ni-hou Scarlett!" Shampoo chirped. "What's the occassion?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just needed to talk." Scarlett said with a shrug.

"Okay. Has Ranma said anything about me?" Shampoo asked eagerly. Scarlett looked at the ceiling as she thought.

"I don't think so. Sorry."

Shampoo frowned. "Oh." She smiled. "I'm not worried. I've got a secret weapon."

"That of which, I do not want to know of."

Shampoo frowned. "Oh too bad." She looked at Scarlett's bell. "Why do you keep that around your neck?" She asked.

"This? I don't know." She muttered.

"Is it because Ryoga gave it to you?" Scarlett blushed lightly. She grabbed a bucket of cold water and tossed it at her. "Meow?"

"Sorry Shampoo. Curiosity kills the cat." She chirped before quickly exiting the Cat Cafe.

Scarlett looked at the ceiling of her's and Akane's room. "Why do I keep this bell around my neck? Ryoga gave it to me for in case he gets lost, but it's not like he's here everyday. So why do I wear it everyday?" She asked herself. "It's obvious that Ryoga is too infatuated with Akane to love me. So why do I keep chasing after him?" She rang her bell and sighed. "I've always told myself that I would only go for a guy who likes me and only me." She closed her eyes. "Does this make me a hypocrite?"

"In a way."

"Nabiki?" Scarlett asked. She looked toward the door. Nabiki was leaning on the frame of the door, smirking. "Quit eavesdropping on me!" She barked.

Nabiki chuckled. "Right, right. Anyway, Daddy says there' some boy looking for you. Says he's a student of yours and goes under the Saotome School of Anything Goes?"

Scarlett sweatdropped. "Kouki! Right, I was supposed to be training him in the park an hour ago! Bye Nabiki!" She ran downstairs. Nabiki raised an eyebrow. She grabbed her phone.

"Hey girls. I've got a bet going on for Scarlett's love life."

"Scarlett and Ryoga of course!"

"Well, some people are betting on Scarlett and Kuno, but we all know that's not going to work. I for one think that Scarlett and Mousse would make a good couple."

"No. I've got a different idea. You know that boy in our school she's been training with?" Nabiki asked.

"Kouki Beryl?"

Nabiki nodded. "Uh-huh. I bet that by the end of the day, Scarlett and Kouki will be together." She declared.

"Nabiki, I usually don't question your decisions, but Scarlett has some strong feelings for Ryoga. I'm afraid we won't win this one."

Nabiki smirked. "Trust me. Not only will they be together, I bet that they'll have their first kiss." She insisted. "And I'll have the picture to prove it."

"Okay, we trust you."

Scarlett and Kouki were in the park where Scarlett was training the boy.

She smiled as Kouki broke two wooden boards. "Nice one Kouki!" She chirped. "All right, I think your ready to spar with me." She got in position. "Now, give me your best." They sparred for quite a while until Kouki tripped over and landed on Scarlett. "Okay, we're done, get off me." She said nervously. Kouki jumped off immediately.

"S-sorry Scarlett." He muttered, a blush taking over.

"It's cool." She muttered. She looked to the side.

"I didn't mean too."

"I know, it's cool." She muttered. She brushed her hair behind her ear. "We've been practicing for weeks now, why don't we do something relaxing?" She asked.

Kouki looked at her shyly. "L-like what?" He asked.

Scarlett looked up in a thinking mode. "Why don't we rent a boat to go out on the lake? Akane says that always calms her down." Kouki blushed and nodded.

"O-okay. Sounds nice." Scarlett smiled.

Scarlett smiled as she watched the clouds pass by from the boat. She had one oar and Kouki held the other. "The lake is so pretty." She said as she looked at the water.

"Yeah, the water sparkles in the sunlight." He muttered in awe. "U-uh…S-Scarlett?" He stammered. She looked at him. "D-do you have a…a…" Scarlett tilted her head and looked at him patiently with her stunning blue eyes.

"A…what?" She asked.

Kouki gulped. "D-Do you h-have a b-boy…boyfriend?" He asked.

Scarlett blushed. "A boyfriend?" She asked. She looked toward the water, staring at her reflection. "I-I…" She brushed her hair behind her ear. 'Well…Ryoga…I'm not sure if he's actually returned my feelings…' She looked at Kouki. "I…I guess not." She sighed. "W-why?" She asked. They headed toward the edge of the lake.

"I-I was wondering…" He muttered, getting out of the boat first and helping Scarlett out. "If y-you'd l-like to go out or something…sometime?" He asked. "Y-you know, like a d-date?" He asked. Scarlett stared at him, startled slightly. "I-it's okay if you don't want to! I-I mean, I'm n-not forcing you or anything! I mean you d-don't have to go on a d-date with me!"

Scarlett smiled gently. "Kouki, I'm sorry." She said.

Kouki's entire face turned red. "I knew I shouldn't have asked! Man, I'm so embarrassed!"

Scarlett sweatdropped and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not that I don't like you, I do." She sighed. "But, it's just that…I meet you in school and teach you martial arts everyday. If something went wrong it would be way too awkward." She muttered. "If it weren't for this situation, I'd say yes. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. B-but…Can you promise me that you'll keep an open mind?" He asked.

Scarlett smiled. "Sure."

"Ranma, you coward! Shampoo's mine! Now come back and die like a man!" Scarlett and Kouki looked in the direction of the sudden outburst. Mousse was chasing Ranma around.

"I ain't running, I'm tryin' to find a suitable place for us to fight you moron!" Ranma insisted.

Scarlett stepped back as Ranma landed where she was and jumped away. However, when Mousse landed, he accidentally pushed her.

"Eep!" She shrieked and fell, crashing into the water with a loud splash. 'Dammit! Now Kouki's gonna find out about my curse!' Scarlett thought.

After a few seconds, Akatsune-chan surfaced, gasping for air. She looked up, seeing a surprised Kouki.

"Yip yap?" Scarlett asked with embarrassment. Kouki grabbed her from the water and placed her on his lap.

"Scarlett?" She nodded. "You went to Jusenkyo huh?" Scarlett's eyes widened before nodding.

'How does he know about Jusenkyo?'

"My Dad used to be a martial artist. He went to Jusenkyo and fell into the Spring of Drowned Rabbit." He sighed. "So how'd you fall? Training, sight-seeing, or did you just flat out dive in thinking it was a pool for tourists?" He asked.

Scarlett grumbled. 'I have the tape if he wants to see it.' She thought bitterly, still holding onto the grudge against Ryoga.

Kouki couldn't help but laugh as he watched the video of Ryoga dropping Scarlett into the spring. Scarlett folded her arms, her bottom lip pooched out in a full-blown pout. After a few more moments of laughter,

"Koukiiiiii!" She whined.

"S-sorry! B-but it's just s-so f-funny! He caught you but th-then h-he dropped you! Hahahaha!" Scarlett groaned.

"If I knew you were going to be a jerk about it, I would never shown you." She grumbled. Kouki stopped laughing and looked at her.

"S-sorry Scarlett. I-I didn't mean to offend you." He muttered. Scarlett looked away from him, her eyes closed stubbornly. "Scarlett, come on, I'm sorry." He pleaded. She looked at him through one eye before closing it again. "Do I have to beg for your forgiveness?" He asked. This caught her attention. "Ugh, fine." He stood, walked up to her, and grabbed her hand. "Scarlett please, I beg of you, forgive me for my rudeness." He pleaded.

Though Scarlett could tell he was sincere, she could also tell that he was slightly annoyed. She looked at the ceiling, as if thinking about it.

"Well…" She muttered. She hugged him. "Okay!" He sweatdropped as a blush took over.

"W-what? That's all it took?"

Scarlett laughed. "Please! I forgave you the minute you apologized. I just thought this was funnier!" She laughed. Kouki stared at her, a look of disbelief on his face. He puffed his cheek as Scarlett continued to laugh. Within two seconds flat, Scarlett found herself pinned to the wall. "K…Kouki!" She said with shock. It had only been a few hours from when Kouki was a stammering fool! And when the heck did he get so fast?

"Stop laughing Scarlett! That wasn't nice! I honestly thought you weren't ever going to forgive me!" He hissed. Scarlett looked at him with surprise and for some reason a light fear.

"Kouki I'm sorry. I was only teasing you." She muttered. "I didn't know you were going to be so upset."

Kouki frowned. Despite being a tough girl who was almost as skilled as her older cousin, Scarlett was actually very easy to startle and intimidate. He knew this. "S-sorry. I-I didn't mean to scare you. I just kinda snap when people laugh at me." Scarlett nodded.

"It's because of how they bullied you, huh?" She asked. Kouki nodded.

"I just have so little self-esteem that my temper rises when someone laughs at me." He murmured.

Scarlett tilted her head. "Why would you have low self-esteem? You're super cute, friendly, and smart." She chirped. "While I admit you're totally shy when it comes to girls, that just adds to your charm." She chirped. "You have no reason to have self-esteem problems." Kouki blushed.

"You think so?"

"Yeah." She assured. She blinked. "You have incredibly strong grip. Seriously, you're killing my shoulders." He blushed released her.

"Sorry."

Scarlett smiled. "Yeah, it's cool." She chirped. She looked at the clock. "I gotta go. My uncle will be upset if I'm not home by now. We were supposed to do this weird activity together." She sighed. She headed toward the door.

Out of nowhere, Kouki grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. "Kouki, what are you-" Kouki cut her off by kissing her. Scarlett's eyes widened. Kouki released her after a few seconds. The look in his eyes told Scarlett that he was surprised that he did that.

"S-sorry, I just really wanted to do that."

"R-right. I-I totally get it." Scarlett stammered. She had a mega huge blush on her face. "Now, I've gotta go. M-my uncle a-and," She shook her head. "I-I'll just go! Byebye!" She ran.

Kouki closed the door. "Why did I just do that?"

Scarlett rested on her bed. 'Why did Kouki kiss me?' She asked. A blush surfaced on her cheeks. 'What's just as important is why I liked it?' She held onto her bell. 'What about Ryoga?' She shook her head. 'He doesn't love me. He loves Akane. Maybe I should consider Kouki. We might actually have something.' She thought. She squeezed the bell. 'Oh Ryoga…'

With Ryoga…

'What about Ryoga?' Ryoga stirred in his sleep. 'He doesn't love me. He loves Akane. Maybe I should consider Kouki. We might actually have something.' Beads of sweat appeared on Ryoga's head and his hair stuck to his forehead. 'Oh Ryoga…'

Ryoga sat up from inside his tent. "What the hell was that?" He looked around. He poked his head out of the tent. "Scarlett?" He called. "I know I heard her." He muttered. He blinked. "Who's Kouki?" He asked. He laid back down. "I need to get to Nerima soon." Funny part was that his tent was on the top of the high school. 'Why did I hear Scarlett's voice?'

With Scarlett…

'Why did I hear Scarlett's voice?' Scarlett's eyes widened. "What the-?" She gasped. Akane looked at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I…I just heard Ryoga!" She said.

"Ryoga? But he's not here."

Scarlett looked toward her. "I know, but I heard him! He said, why did I hear Scarlett's voice!" She blinked. "Wait, how can he hear my voice? I'm not with him." Akane blinked.

"Hmm…You can hear Ryoga, but he's not here talking to you. Ryoga can hear you but you're not where he is talking to him." Akane sat up in her bed. "How does that work? You haven't said a word since you got home from that wierd activity with Mr. Saotome. What were you doing?"

"We were taking dance lessons against my will. I don't wanna talk about it."

I don't wanna talk about it either. But what the heck is with the way Scarlett and Ryoga heard each other's thoughts? Does the bell have something to do with it? Ahh…Suspense. MUAHAHAHAHA! Peace! *Does peace sign and pose cutely.*