Travels of a Martial Artist

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Travels of a Martial Artist
Part Six: Road to Recovery

Ranma had to take up a job to help pay for the vast quantities of food he and Shampoo consumed during their stay with the Senshi of Jupiter, but he didn't complain.

Besides, lugging iron girders around all day was great strength conditioning, and it payed well.

Standing at the base of the new Yakitoma Hotel that was being constructed, Ranma would hurl a girder at it's soon to be resting place and rebound himself between the framework of the building's still skeletal structure to catch it and set it in place to be riveted down. With his help, the construction team finished in record time, and he was granted a hefty bonus.

After a week, Shampoo was once again sporting a healthy figure, and her consumption had slowed to more normal levels, as she was no longer exerting herself with martial arts training. At least, not to the level that Ranma was.

The pigtailed youth was determined to help the Little Phoenix regain her stolen ability, and so he had tried to help her through a beginner level kata from the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu. He soon learned that whatever pressure points had been used against the former Amazon had tensed her body and limited the mobility of her tendons and ligaments, as well as severely limiting her strength. While not as severe a cut off as the moxibustion that Happosai had used against him, she did require help to open the pickle jar, much to her growing shame.

After a day of frustrated attempts at performing the kata, Shampoo had taken a long bath to sulk. She had learned on the first day at Makoto's home that Ranma was no longer shy around women, though not the details as to why, and so thought nothing of walking into the living room in just a towel to fetch the moisturizing lotion she had forgotten to take with her.

It was nice that Ranma was able to appreciate her body without jealous kitchen destroyers brain him, or his own bashful stammering and attempts at flight.

“Shampoo, come her for a minute, would ya?” he said from across the room.

Looking over, she noticed that he had lain out Makoto's spare futon that he used at night, while she and Ukyo shared the fold out bed. After a week of that arrangement, Shampoo had decided that it wasn't too bad, snuggling up with her former rival every night.

She's no Ranma, but-

She violently crushed that thought before she could get herself upset at the immense regret it would inevitably call forth.

“What Ranma want,” she asked as she approached her pigtailed roommate.

“Lay on your stomach and take off the towel. I want to try somethin.”

For a moment, Shampoo was almost willing to entertain her fantasies. Almost.

Laying down as instructed, she opened the towel, exposing her bare backside.

Ranma grabbed the lotion and straddled her generous hips. Shampoo, still unsure of what was happening, stayed silent. When Ranma's strong calloused hands started applying the lotion to her back, she smiled.

This feels nice...

When he began to knead the muscles in her back, she gave a content purr. While the shiatsu induced tension didn't leave, it was reduced immensely.

“Ohh... Ranma too too good with hands,” Shampoo moaned under his ministrations.

He shimmied down her legs a bit to get better access to the muscles of her lower back, which did nothing for Shampoo's peace of mind. His endowment was nicely wedged against her ass, and his hands were sending sensations through her body unlike anything she had ever experienced. She whimpered as he unconsciously ground himself against her soft flesh as he kneaded her back.

She sighed in mix of relief and frustration as he removed himself from her person and continued the treatment with her legs. She gave a soft gasp as he brushed her core when he began to knead her thigh.

She buried her face in her arms in shame and embarrassment. She just knew his hand was covered in her arousal.

When he didn't say anything, she timidly glanced at him. He was focused on his task, and didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that she was nude, let alone dripping.

When he began her other leg, his hand slipped on her fluids. He stared, curious as to why the digit was in a very warm and slick place between her legs. Shampoo's passionate moan struck a chord as his curiosity slowly faded.

Giving his thumb a flex, he realized where it was. He jerked it out of her folds with a wet pop and backed away, throwing himself into one of the Saotome Secret techniques. Crouch of the Fierce Tiger.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!!!!!”

“Now now Ran-chan,” came a voice from behind. “You know you can't get a woman that worked up and leave her hanging. That's one of the rudest things a man can do.”

Groveling shifted to panic as he turned around. He saw Ukyo close the front door and make her way to the kitchen, bags of groceries in hand.

“Ride the life out of him Shampoo,” Ukyo said with a bemused grin. “Maybe that'll teach him to go sticking his fingers in places they don't belong.”

“Wait! It's not what it looks like! I was giving her a massage to try and loosen her up from whatever damn points that old ghoul used on her and my hand slipped! It was an accident!” he defended wildly.

“I believe you Ran-chan,” Ukyo replied honestly, “but you did get Shampoo aroused something terrible. I can smell it over here. How did you not know?” she asked curiously.

“I uh, was using a new meditative technique to increase focus. I was too busy with what I was doin' to notice.”

A slamming door was all that was needed to inform them of Shampoo's rather swift escape.

“Aw crap,” Ranma muttered, “I hope I didn't upset her much.”

“You'd better go make sure. I have to put these up before the milk and stuff goes bad,” Ukyo replied gesturing to the groceries.

Ranma nodded as he walked toward the bathroom. Opening the door, he found Shampoo violently scrubbing the fluids from her body.

“Cut that out!” Ranma admonished as he grabbed her wrists from rubbing herself bloody. “You're gonna hurt yourself!”

Shampoo quickly closed her legs to hide her nearly raw core from view.

Ranma let her arms free and wrapped his own around the slightly panicked woman, leaning her back against his strong body.

“I'm sorry Shampoo. I didn't mean to do that too ya. I just thought a massage would help ease the tension from that damned pressure point.”

“Is not Ranma's fault. You just trying to help Shampoo. Shampoo one who sorry. Shouldn't be feeling these things since you not husband no more, but Ranma only man Shampoo want to be touching like that. Shampoo still loves airen, even though can never be airen again.”

With no more pressing concern to focus on, Shampoo's tears drove Ranma's mind into panic mode. Looking around hysterically, he saw Ukyo standing in the doorway.

“Give her what she needs Ran-chan. I don't think her strength of heart will last otherwise,” his lover said softly.

The pain that flashed in her eyes didn't go unnoticed, and he nodded his acceptance. Willingly giving him to another woman didn't rest easy with her. Not in this manner. Total acceptance was the only thing that would keep Shampoo going. Both of them knew that if he took this step, there was no turning back. For any of them.

One look at the sobbing girl in his arms was all it took to make his decision. Turning her to face him, he locked her into a passionate kiss.

She pulled away, her expression rife with confusion.

“It's okay Shampoo. If you promise to never leave me, I'll promise to never leave you,” he whispered.

Shampoo's gaze drifted to Ukyo. All she saw was compassion and acceptance.

“Only if Ukyo make same promise. Shampoo no want to drive her away... No want to steal Ranma's love away,” the short haired girl said, her tone solemn.

“Neither of us will leave you alone Shampoo,” the other woman responded. “Ranma is more than enough man for the both of us. There shouldn't be any problem with sharing,” she finished with a feral grin. “We'll teach him how impolite it is to tease a woman's senses without satisfying her needs later. For now though, I'll leave you to your fun.”

With that Ukyo closed the bathroom door, giving Ranma and Shampoo some privacy.

“Now, where were we?” Shampoo asked coyly. “Aiyah! Was right about here!”

With that, she gave herself in to her lust and tackled Ranma to the floor dominating his mouth the entire way.

Deciding he owed her this for the massage incident, he let her tear open his favorite shirt and sundering a few ties in the process. She rubbed herself against him bodily, savoring the contact of her bare flesh against his.

Gripping her firm ass, he raised her high enough to take a rigid nipple in his mouth. She gasped as he gently nipped the sensitive bud and lavished it with his tongue. Freeing one of his hands, he shoved his pants down until he could kick them off, his stiff member slapping against Shampoo's rear as it popped free.

“No more tease Shampoo,” the former Amazon whimpered as she caressed his hard length.

Ranma granted her desires and slowly drove himself into her, stretching her inner folds with his entrance. He marveled at the look of completion on Shampoo's face as he began to grind his shaft deep inside her.

Laying fully on the cold tile, he let Shampoo set the pace. A momentary feeling of guilt was washed away when as he gazed upon Shampoo's sweaty radiance. The florescent lighting cast a luxurious sheen to her toned body, and he drank in the sight of her as she rode him.

The look in her eyes was urgent, as if she still didn't believe the sensations in her body were real, the fullness granted her by the man she loved. Her body devoured him, afraid that she would awaken alone and miserable in the cold night as she had many times before.

“It's alright Shampoo,” Ranma whispered, slowing her wild movements.

He leaned up and nibbled her bottom lip before drawing her into a soft and electric kiss. Shifting her weight, he rolled her onto her back and wrapped her legs about his waist.

“There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. You're with me now, and nothing will change that.”

He started a slow and sensual rhythm as he nibbled a trail down her neck to her collar bone, gently nipping at her hot flesh. His hands caressed her lithe form and she shuddered at his touched, his every stroke sending molten lightning through her body. She dug her nails into his shoulders as her first climax cascaded upon her.

Feeling the woman beneath him convulse in release he picked up his pace, thrusting into her with wet slaps echoing in the tiled room. She mewled at the sensations ripping through her body as his mouth descended on her sensitive nipples once again.

Her nails dug painfully into Ranma's back as the throes of passion claimed her yet again.

He slowed himself again as he studied her face with a wide grin. Her eyes were largely unfocused, but there was a fire in them that had been absent in the week since she has stumbled into them. He delighted in the return of her passion and zeal.

Ranma nibbled her earlobe before whispering, his breath tickling her senses.

“Looks like my Phoenix has risen again.”

The possessiveness of his statement triggered something deep within the exhausted woman, setting off a reaction culminating in a third climax.

Shampoo screamed in passion as she clawed Ranma's shoulders, drawing rivulets of blood down the young man's back while she forced her tongue into his mouth in a soul devouring kiss. Ignoring the pain, he eagerly responded, matching the intensity of her frenzied tongue.

Feeling his release, he tried to pull himself out of her velvet embrace, but her legs locked him within her denying his escape. She cried out in Chinese as she felt his seed spill into her, a smile of rapture on her lips.

To tired to move immediately, he watched curiously as Shampoo brought her red stained fingertips to her lips. His confusion grew when her small pink tongue darted out sexily to taste the blood she drew during her final release.

“What are you...?” he cried as she brought her hand across her chest and tore open a line of her flesh above her left breast with her sharp nails.

The look in her eyes was pleading, and he knew what she wanted, what she needed, of him. Bending his head down he licked her wound, tasting her life's blood.

“Now spirits is bonded. Must bond Ukyo too, yes? Shampoo would proudly call spatula girl Sister Wife.”

Shampoo gave him a deep but quick kiss, mixing a small remnant of their blood, before giving him a wry smile.

“But Shampoo think it time for 'nother bath first. Airen is all sweaty. Shampoo think Airen is too tired to move, but not worry. Shampoo will wash. Is duty of wife, yes?”

She slid out from underneath the baffled Ranma and walked to the bathing supplies with her old grace, the subtle sway of her hips dominating Ranma's gaze.

The Phoenix had risen from the ashes once again.

End 6

A/N: Well, here's the latest update. It sat on my computer for a couple days, just waiting for a lemon to fill it. I hope it didn't disappoint much given it's lack of explicit description, but I felt a more emotional take was more appropriate for the situation.

Scorpinac, dumbledork... Thanks for keeping with me thus far, even after that year and a half long hiatus.

I've got ideas for the next leg of this story, and I'm blatantly starting the origins of another anime series I have much love for.

Bonus cookies to those who can guess which it is ;P

And on a final note (for this batch), thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and voted for this story. Reviews are great, and they boost my ego, and following Ranma's example, a boosted ego means a bigger and more kick ass Mouko Takabisha!

At the very least it makes for a giddy fanfic writer ;P

Alright... that's enough stupid ramblings for now. Hope to see ya next chapter!