Storms of Change
A Ranma ½ / Love Hina crossover
By: Kiikun

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ or Love Hina and did not ask permission for their use. I make no money off of this and have no money to begin with, so suing me won't get you much.

03 – Lightning's Second Strike

Ikumi sat on the deck overlooking the sea as she watched the sun set. The twins were worn out by the end of Mutsumi's Grand Tour and had gone to bed. Mutsumi had shown her the entire house and even a few other places on the property. She was surprised to see the half-filled crater that marked her landing point. 'I made that... and survived?' she had asked herself disbelievingly.

At the moment, she was trying to figure out what she should be doing. Was there anything she could do to recover her memory? No one she had met at the hospital knew who she was, and it seemed like no one in the area did either. She felt like she should be doing something, but didn't know what. Hopefully it would only take time, like the doctors had said.

"Ikumi-chan?" Natsumi called out from the doorway with a smile.

Shaking her head clear of everything she was thinking of, she turned around and faced the Otohime matriarch. "Yes, Otohime-san?"

Natsumi pouted. "You don't need to call me 'Otohime-san', Ikumi-chan. Right now, you're an Otohime too."

Ikumi slumped a bit, realizing she might have inadvertently insulted her savior. "Sorry, Natsumi-san."

She sighed and smiled at the antennaed redhead. "It's ok." Really, she wished the girl would call her 'Okaasan' or 'Natsumi-mama', but wouldn't push her into calling her that. "I was thinking that you'd like to know where you'll be sleeping."

She looked at her quizzically with a slight hint of dread. 'Please, not that room with the frilly bed,' she hoped. "Where?"

With a gesture to follow, she headed in the direction of the rooms of the older girls. Ikumi was confused because she was sure there were no empty rooms this way. "I don't think Chi-chan would mind lending you her room while she's off in Tokyo," Natsumi smiled.

"You mean..." she started saying as they stopped in front of a specific door. "Chinami-san's room?"

Natsumi nodded and smiled. "She shouldn't mind as long as you don't go making a mess out of it."

"I'll do my best to keep it as clean as possible," she said while looking nervously at the door.

"She's left behind some of her clothes so she doesn't have to carry suitcases back when she visits, so you can use her clothes as well if they fit you," she smiled. "That dress you have on now is one of hers."

She looked down at the blue dress and fidgeted with it again. She didn't think it looked bad on her, but she had this weird feeling that someone was going to burst out laughing, or worse. The last though caused her to shudder slightly.

Natsumi noticed the redhead's shudder. "Cold?"

Ikumi shook her head. "I just feel... odd."

With a mental shrug, the homemaker smiled and walked off. "Oyasumi nasai, Ikumi-chan."

"Oyasumi nasai, Natsumi-san," she said as she looked at the door with trepidation again. 'Why do I feel like this?' she asked herself as she slowly reached out to open the door. After taking a deep breath she slid the door open in a single, quick motion and stepped inside.

The moment her foot landed inside the room, she felt like someone was going to leap out of the woodwork and beat her back into a coma. After scanning over the room quickly for any danger, she pushed the feeling away while wondering what it meant as she closed the door behind her.

The room was fairly normal for a girl's room. The bed sheets were blue-green with hot spring turtles printed all over it. There was also a desk, but it was mostly cleared off. Chinami must have taken it all with her, except for a lamp that was still sitting on corner of the desk. There was a bookcase opposite the desk that had three of the shelves nearly full of mangas. The last shelf and the top have stuffed animals in them, more than one looks like the same turtles printed on the bed sheets.

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror mounted to the closet door and shivered again. 'Definitely don't like dresses.' Opening the closet, she found that almost all of Chinami's wardrobe was dresses of one type or another. 'Great,' she though morosely and sighed. "Guess I'll just get used to them," she muttered quietly as she hunted for something to wear to sleep. After a few minutes she managed to find an oversized t-shirt and changed into that, then laid down on the bed.

"Myu." The sound seemed to echo throughout the room.

Ikumi sat up and looked around the room for the source of the sound, not recognizing it as anything. She noticed one of the stuffed turtles had fallen off the bookcase and was in the middle of the floor. 'A squeaky doll?' She got up and grabbed it by the shell and her brow furrowed. "Ok, this is too hard to be a squeaky doll..."

"Myu Myu," the 'doll' nodded.

"GYAAH!" Ikumi, startled, threw it into the air and fell backwards on her rear. The 'doll' just glided over to the desk and turned back to face her with its head tilted questioningly.

Mutsumi opened the door part-way to see Ikumi on the floor. "Something wrong, Ikumi-chan?"

Hearing Mutsumi, she looked over and started pointing wildly at the turtle. "W-w-what is that thing!"

"Myu," said the thing in question, managing to sound hurt by being called a thing.

Following where the redhead was pointing, she saw a slightly dejected looking turtle sitting on the desk. "Ara ara," she smiled. "Hello, Midori-chan."

The turtle raised a flipper. "Myuu."

Ikumi sat there watching the two in complete confusion. Her shock was lost when Mutsumi recognized it and it seemingly greeted her back.

"That's just Midori-chan. Did she startle you?"

Ikumi just stared at the turtle on her desk for a moment before looking back over at Mutsumi. "Just what is she? I thought she was one of the dolls before."

Mutsumi just nodded. "She's a hot spring turtle and she likes sleeping in here," she smiled. "You two are going to be best friends."

"But, I didn't think turtles could fly. I thought they only walked and swam."

"Myuuu myu myuu," Midori glided off the desk and over to land on Mutsumi's shoulder with Ikumi watching her the entire way.

"Young hot spring turtles can fly. I haven't met any other types that can though."

Ikumi sighed and got up off the floor. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Mutsumi put her finger to her chin and thought for a moment. "Hmm, nothing I can think of."

Ikumi shifted her view to the turtle on Mutsumi's shoulder. "And can I go to sleep without getting scared out of my wits again?"

"Myu," Midori nodded, then glided off to one of her sleeping spots.

"Oyasumi, Ikumi-chan," Mutsumi said with a smile as she left the room.

"Oyasumi, Mutsumi-san."

"Myuu myu myu"

"You too, Midori-chan."

Life with the Otohimes was relatively calm for Ikumi over the next few days. Well, calm taking into account who she had been and the strangeness that surrounds her adoptive family. The morning after meeting Midori, Mutsumi introduced the other two turtles that floated from place to place around the house and yard. Kame and Kinoe were their names. She was surprised she hadn't seen them during the party, considering how often she's seen them around since then. Maybe it was their off day?

The twins often dragged her off to play with them, not that she minded. They usually played tag, hide and seek, or other highly-active games. Those two had energy and endurance that was well above that of normal people. The only people that could actually out-last them were Tamami, thanks to her martial arts, and Ikumi. Tamami had taken note of that and was keeping an eye on her new older sister.

Ikumi had noticed how lethargic Pokari was and started watching over her as she slept the afternoons away. It was a nice, calm time when she could get away from the hyperactive excitable twins and the unpredictability that is Natsumi and Mutsumi and just think about what she was going to do. The doctor said her memories should return, but nearly a week had passed and she hadn't remembered anything beyond a few flashes and a few dreams that didn't tell her much about who she was.

One of the things she's noticed over the week since she awoke was that she was an early waker, but she didn't know why. Each morning she felt like someone would attack her, but it never came. In fact, most of the day she felt like she should be aware of everyone like they were about to try and hurt her and it was only leaving her more and more confused as each day passed. At first, even eating had her on guard and eyeing everyone and their plates for some reason. She had felt she needed to take stock of what everyone had while protecting her own food like some sort of wild animal. She actually had to restrain herself from trying to grab food off other people's plates. The fact she ate like a black hole didn't go down well either. Natsumi had to scold her a few times before that habit was broken. Tamami had taken note of the whole thing as well and it only added to her curiosity about the redhead.

At the moment, she was helping Natsumi cook breakfast. Natsumi was surprised with the skill her new daughter showed. It was on par with her own, even if the preparation itself was a little unorthodox. Slicing vegetables mid-air wasn't exactly a common skill, or easy, yet Ikumi was doing it without a second thought.

"You're quite good at that," Natsumi said as Ikumi sliced a carrot and all the pieces fell into a bowl.

Ikumi smiled as she grabbed another vegetable. "Thanks. I think I've had a lot of practice doing things like this, though I don't think it was this exactly."

"I think I know what it is," Tamami said from the doorway. She had caught sight of the little show on her way to the furo and decided to stick around a bit. "But it'll have to wait until after school," she said as she walked off.

Ikumi just stared at the doorway. "She couldn't just tell me now?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Natsumi laughed lightly. "Ta-chan is like that. She'll tell you later. She probably wants to make sure she's right first."

"Right..." Ikumi wasn't completely sure she believed the explanation, but accepted it. Tamami had been watching her a bit too closely for her to feel comfortable.

After school, Tamami had handed her a martial arts gi and asked her to come outside once she was changed. Ikumi had stared at it for a few moments before changing. Something about it felt familiar, but she wasn't sure what. Maybe this was what Tamami wanted to make sure of before telling her?

Ikumi walked out into the back yard where Tamami was waiting for her.

"Over here," Tamami called out and waved her over while continuing her stretches.

"Why did you want me to put this on?" she asked, tugging lightly at the gi. It felt familiar to her; almost nostalgic.

"Didn't want to ruin any of Chi-neechan's clothes," she said as she finished her stretches. "You're not going to loosen up first?"

"For what?"

Tamami sighed. "Ok. I think you've had some training in the Art, martial arts, and since you can't remember anything I thought I'd see how much skill your body remembers. That show in the kitchen this morning showed that you have some skill. Being able to keep up with my twin little sisters, and actually surviving that," she gestured to the remains of the crater that marked her entry point into their lives, "shows that you have high endurance and maybe even subconscious protective reflexes. That's what I want to test. The body remembers what the mind forgets."

Ikumi was slightly overwhelmed. 'That explains why she's been watching me like a hawk.' "Ok. But how are we going to do this then?"

Tamami smirked. "Just try and avoid my tags and try to tag me. No hard hits."

"Ok," she nodded.

Tamami took a stance and Ikumi mirrored it perfectly, much to the younger girl's surprise. Eyeing the redhead critically, she charged forward to start their tag-dance.

Two hours later, Tamami was lying on the ground panting and covered in sweat. "I can't believe I couldn't even touch you," she said between breaths while looking over at the older and obviously more skilled girl.

"I don't believe it either," she said while idly scratching at the back of her head with an apologetic smile. She had barely exerted herself and could probably keep going for hours more. "I guess you were right, but I really don't remember anything about it. I wasn't even thinking about what moves I was making. I was just doing them."

Tamami propped herself up on her elbows after catching her breath. "You're coming with me to my next class. Maybe Sensei can recognize what school you're using and we can find out where you're from that way."

The redhead brightened up. "Really? I hope so," she smiled.

Tamami smiled back. "How about we go wash up before Okaachan has dinner ready?"

Ikumi visibly paled. "Ah... um... Y-you go ahead first," she said nervously while looking for somewhere to run off to.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. 'What's she so afraid of?'

"Nothing! Um... Nothing's wrong... I just like to bathe alone," she said while still looking slightly panicked.

Tamami sighed and got up. "I'll tell you when I'm done," she said as she walked off to the furo.

When Tamami was out of sight, Ikumi exhaled heavily. 'Safe!'

"Have a bit too much fun practicing, Tamami-chan?" Mutsumi asked as Tamami walked by clad only in a towel and headed to her room.

Looking over at her older sister, she nodded. "Maybe a bit," she said with a slight smile. "I'm seriously surprised at how good Ikumi-san is, even without her memory."

Mutsumi looked at her questioningly. "So, she's better than you?"

"Better well beyond our age difference," she said with a sigh. "I'm taking her to my next class to introduce her to Sensei. He may know what school she practices."

"Ara," Mutsumi smiled. "So we may be able to find her family, right? That's a good idea!" she said gleefully. "So, where is Ikumi-chan?"

Tamami gestured back the way she had come. "She's in the furo now. She didn't want to bathe together for some reason," she shrugged.

The elder Otohime looked thoughtful for a few moments before getting up and heading over to her younger sister. "I think I'll go keep her company," she smiled.

Tamami looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure about that, Oneechan? She seemed terrified of going bathing with someone else."

Mutsumi just waved her off. "It's ok. She probably is afraid of how she looks because of those burns." 'Though the doctor said they should be gone by now,' she thought.

The short-haired Otohime just shrugged. "Ok, but I think you're wrong about that," she said as she walked off to her room to get dressed.

Ikumi stood at the edge of the furo, staring at the obviously warm water. She was a bit sore from the exercise and the hot water would soothe her muscles, but the side effect of getting in always caused her to pause. After a moment she sighed and stepped into the water, her form shifting within a fraction of a second.

'Why does this happen every time? What's wrong with me?' the now male Ikumi thought as he sat down in the water and stared at his hands. After a minute he just sighed and slipped deeper into the water and let it wash away his current worries. 'Mutsumi-san was right,' he thought with a smile. 'Why worry about something I can't help and isn't really important right now?'

After a few minutes of soaking, he felt something wrong and looked around. 'What was that feeling?' he thought as the feeling got worse. After a moment of thought he decided it was probably time to get out anyway and stood up. The moment he had a leg up on the edge, the door slid open. He looked and froze in shock.

Mutsumi stood in the doorway covered only with a towel she was holding in front of her. She had expected to see a redhead in here, not a boy standing there in the nude. She froze partly in fear and partly in surprise.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours before the male Ikumi made the first move. He dove back into the water and curled up with his back to her.

Mutsumi snapped out of it a moment later as she realized what she had just seen. 'Ara maa, such a big boy,' she thought with a blush. She quickly wrapped the towel around herself to distract herself from the scene she had just been shown.

Ikumi sat curled up in the still warm water, shivering. 'She saw me! What should I do!' the thought kept repeating in his mind. 'Run? They've been so nice to me, but they'll find out sooner or later. I'm a freak! They'll probably send me away,' he thought, on the verge of crying.

Mutsumi just watched curiously, but cautiously, for a bit. If this person had meant her harm, why did he dive back into the water shaking like a scared child?

After a few minutes of silence, she decided to speak up. "Excuse me, why are you in our bath?"

Ikumi glanced back. 'She didn't leave?' he thought, surprised, before turning back. 'Running's out. I have nowhere else to go anyway.' He made his decision and steeled himself. "Mu-Mutsumi-san?"

'He knows my name?' she thought. "Yes?"

"C-could you please keep what I'm about to show you a secret?" he asked in a trembling, pleading voice while still looking away from her.

"Well, I've already seen 'it'," she blushed. "It's not something I would normally go telling people about, though."

Ikumi turned around and looked at her confused and supprised. "Huh? You knew!" Then he noticed her blush. After a moment he realized what she was thinking and started making warding gestures. "Gah! I'm not talking about that!"

She looked at him and noticed his eyes first. 'Blue. Just like Ikumi's.' "Then what is it? And where's Ikumi?"

He froze, then calmed down and stepped over to the faucet on the wall and partially filled one of the wooden wash buckets with cold water. He grabbed it and faced Mutsumi with a worried and sad expression. "I'm right here, Mutsumi-san," he said and dumped the water over his head.

Mutsumi watched and blinked a few times just to confirm she wasn't imagining it. The unknown boy she had just been talking to had turned into the girl who had crashed down in her back yard. She couldn't take the shock this time and she fainted a moment later.

Ikumi, who had started looking at the ground after changing back into a girl, noticed the change in the way Mutsumi was standing and looked up slightly to see her starting to fall over. Before she could even think, she was over by the older girl and caught her.

"Mutsumi-san... Mutsumi-san!" she said shaking the older girl. Not getting any response, Ikumi laid her on the ground gently and ran over to the door, completely ignoring her own nudity. "Natsumi-san! Mutsumi-san's fainted!"

Author's Notes: I hope this chapter flows as smoothly as I tried to make it. Still have a few reservations on how a few points ended up being played out, but I think it works for the most part.

The curse is revealed, Ikumi going to start martial arts again, and Mutsumi's out cold. Oh, and can't forget Tama-chan's family!

Bobboky: As far as I know anything that happens to one form affects both. Like I doubt that if he lost his hand as a guy, he'd have back it as a girl, and the curse never affected his mental state. (with the exception of that bump on the head in the koi pond) The same with the other cursed people.

Wonderbee: Thanks. I started writing the Nerima section and it all just flowed out of my fingers. I thought the confrontation between Nabiki and Nodoka was needed. Nabiki, while being a gold digger, is probably one of the most informed people in the district and everything going haywired is getting to her.

Shiner: I think it's a nice disguise, and insanely cute at the same time. grin

glazedlookingeyes: Thanks, I've been thinking a lot about how to keep this from spinning out of control and now I know I'm doing well. And about Kodachi, sorry I never actually said it, but she's having withdrawals from her own drugs, powders, and poisons. She had inadvertently been subjecting herself (and probably Tatewaki) to them over the years and it came to affect her judgment, creating the Black Rose we all know and cringe from when she laughs. I'll be sure to note it next time I come back to her.

Trugeta: Yes, she has changed and learned the basics of the curse. I'll explain most of it in the next chapter since I revealed it in this one. I haven't really been pointing them out, but she has been remembering things, just nothing important or identifying.

Eric: I never claimed to be a good writer. I'm terrible in English classes that need me to write essays most of the time. And about Mutsumi's fits... She's a really hard character to write for so hopefully I can explain off the 'fits' quickly and use them as the plot devices/jokes they were meant for.

Thank you everyone that reviewed! You all give me the will to write. Hope you like this chapter and where I plan to take the story as a whole!