Chapter 11: King Loki
Rika and Ichigo had of course gotten themselves lost, and Rika had no idea where in the blazes they were. They had wandered away from the dead T-rex and almost an hour of walking around aimlessly came up to an abandoned little hut. Rika looked at the barrier around it, it was still strong enough, all she had to do was crack it and redirect it to protect her and Ichigo for the night. She closed her eyes and concentrated way harder than she was used to and sudden a little door opened in the barrier.
Quickly she ushered Ichigo inside and she followed him onto the porch and then let it reseal itself. She smacked her hands together like she had just done a dirty job or something of that nature. She turned to Ichigo who had already gone inside the hut and began to look around.
Ichigo looked at it and it was just a room, there was nothing else besides a floor, ceiling and four walls. There was only a door and no windows he stumbled more into the room and tripped over something on the floor. He looked down at it and it looked like a fire pit, he looked at the ceiling searching for some sort of chimney or hole for the smoke to escape. He heard Rika laugh behind him and he turned around to see what was so funny.
Rika thought it was interesting to witness people inspecting things they didn't know. He snapped at her and asked her what was so funny. She smiled at him and walked closer to him, "This house is supposed to be a sauna/opium room," she said pointing to the fire pit. "You just start the coals and wet them down to create steam."
He looked down and realized he was standing in some ash and he quickly got out of it and sighed. Everything happened to him, it was like once he had met Rukia everything had turned into bad luck. He walked over to a wall and sat up against it, finally he was getting tired. Rika walked over and sat next to him and rested her head on his arm.
"Sorry," she said simply and he looked down at her.
What was she saying sorry about? "What?" he asked and she kept her head on his arm and turned her face to look up at him. "What are you apologizing for?"
"For getting you involved in all of this, I mean, I didn't even ask you if you wanted to keep your powers," she said moving her head back and looking straight forwards.
"Well, I really didn't want to have them taken away," he said looking straight as well. He had just only been back for 3 days before he had run into Yusuke, but oh well. 'War is never ending,' he thought to himself. "I mean this is my job now, I never expect to get a vacation. Once you beat someone stronger another more stronger enemy comes to out shine the last, war is never ending."
"That is too true; that is a very smart thing to say. Did you think of that all by yourself? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before," she said trying not to dose off.
"Buddha maybe," he said and she lifted her head off of him and she sprawled out on the floor next to him and fell asleep. He thought it was an excellent idea and he lay down and instantly fell fast asleep.
The next morning Kurama almost felt guilty because he knew that Rika was gone, but Ichigo was too. He hoped that she would be safe with him, assuming a T-rex or something hadn't eaten them. He jumped out of his tree and Soi fon, Kyoraku, and Rukia were all awake sitting at the fire. Kurama walked up to them, "Since we are all up should we head out?"
"What about everyone else?" Soi fon looked up at him from her Indian style position on the ground.
"They will go with Yusuke and Hiei; we can't all travel in such a large group it will be easy for anyone to find us. The best way to go undetected is to be alone or with a very small group, there isn't as much stench," Kurama said and they all stood up and stretched.
"I don't stink," Rukia said gruffly and she bent down to touch her toes.
"You stink to them," Kyoraku said before Kurama could. "Do you think we should all go have a good roll in the mud together?"
Rukia looked at him and raised her hand but Soi fon already knocked him in the back of the head. "Thank you," Rukia said before she turned to Kurama and they all headed out.
When Zaraki woke he clumsily fell out of his tree and landed with a large crash on the ground. This woke the only other remaining person, Yusuke, and he fell out of his tree with the vibrations.
"What the hell was that?" Yusuke quickly jumped up off the ground and groggily looked around while rubbing his head.
"Kenny fell out of the tree," Yachiru piped up running in circles around Yusuke.
Yusuke saw Zaraki stretching while he sat on the ground under his tree. "Where is everyone else?" Yusuke asked not seeing anyone but these crazy 2.
"Little guy, Boobies, and angry Ikki left with Hiei about an hour ago, and Foxy took Soi, dizzy man, and Rukia. Then last night Rika and Ichigo went off all by their selves. So that just leaves me and Kenny to go with you," Yachiru smiled then ran over to Kenny and helped him up.
"Wow, you give just as many people nicknames as Rika does," Yusuke commented and Yachiru ran back over to him and looked at him. "What?"
"Don't compare me to her, she is scary!" She said and then started to giggle.
Yusuke looked at the little girl wondering why Zaraki thought this place would be safe for her, "Shall we go?"
"Let's go!" Zaraki shouted and pointed in a random direction.
"Actually we have to go this way," Yusuke said pointing a thumb behind him and Zaraki started to disagree with him. "No really it's this way."
"Yachiru lets show this guy our brilliant sense of direction and prove him wrong," he bellowed and Yachiru jumped on his back and they sped off in a totally different direction. Yusuke sighed and ran after them; he was surprised to see that they were so slow compared to him. He hadn't run like that in a long time now and he was impressed that he was doing excellent in keeping up with them.
After a while Yusuke closed his eyes to yawn and he slammed against Zaraki's back. "What the heck?" He said and he walked around his broad back to see what the hold up was. He looked to see a dead T-rex and about a billion creatures, dinosaurs, and demons just devouring it.
"That is disgusting," Zaraki said almost throwing up in his mouth, this was the first thing in a long time he had seen that made him nauseas. He had to look away and Yachiru crawled and sat on his shoulder and she turned to keep watching the scene unfold. He had to smile at the little girl, she was afraid of nothing and death only interested her. She must have been a corner or something sick like that in her real life.
Yusuke looked at the demons and you could barely distinguish them from all the other things around them. He looked at his hands, he was half demon, and would he resort to something like that some day? He clenched them into fist, no, he was different from them, he was also half human, and he would die eventually when it was his time. "Let's go," he said and turning with his back to the grossness. He could feel Rika's energy all over the beast.
"Hey you!" A hoarse voice cried out and Yusuke and Zaraki turned to see a dog like demon looking at them. His hair was long and blonde and his eyes were as red as rubies. He wore a loin cloth around his waist and a rough looking vest and he was standing on top of the head looking at them.
"Oh great," Yusuke mumbled to himself looking at him, this guy he knew was something else, a pompous ass.
"Yusuke! Nice to see you again!" He jumped over to them and studied Zaraki and Yachiru. "Who are these weaklings?"
"Kansei, just go away," Yusuke said shooing him with his hand.
"But, what? Don't shoo me like you don't know who I am," the dog demon known as Kansei pleaded lowering his tail so it hung down at his feet.
"Don't get going all excited, just go back to your meal," Yusuke said and he turned to leave.
"Master," Kansei ran up directly behind him, and Yusuke turned around and had to take a step back. "I don't eat stuff like this! I am royalty."
"I'm not your master anymore, Kansei, why aren't you in the castle?" Yusuke said realizing it was weird to see his one of his old entourage out in the forest.
"I got kicked out," Kansei said making an almost angry face. "King Loki had everybody dismissed."
"Who is King Loki?" Yachiru squeaked in as she brought her attention back to this weird demon.
"He raised an army against Rika and said that a woman should have never been left in charge in first place. He defeated Yomi and his son and declared himself the truly strongest demon in the realm," Kansei said directly to Yusuke and didn't even bother looking at Zaraki or Yachiru as he spoke. He had a very arrogant air about him and he tended to rub everybody the wrong way, but he had a tendency to not give a shit.
"I see, do you know any of his plans? Like anything evolving the soul society? Or anything about Koenma?" Yusuke looked at him his Blonde hair glimmered in the bright pinkish light.
"Why don't you go ask him yourself? He is a very nice guy, I'm sure he will welcome in a son of Raizen," Kansei said and he looked back at the corpse which was mostly bone now.
"That actually sounds like a plan," Yusuke said rubbing his chin looking at Zaraki who was still trying to hold everything in.
"I'll lead!" Yachiru smiled raising her hand and waving it back and forth.
"NO!" Yusuke screamed and started to run in the right direction and Zaraki was never happier to leave a dead body. Zaraki decided that he would actually follow Yusuke this time because his head was spinning and every time Yachiru talked it made his head pound harder.
After what seemed like forever they came up to the door of the huge pointy castle they had seen when they first arrive. Zaraki had finally started to feel better a while back and had been arguing with Yusuke the whole time that they were going the wrong way. But now here they were in front of the door.
Yusuke walked up to the 2 guards and they both got on edge and got ready to attack if needed. "I'm here to talk with your king Loki, I am King Urameshi a son of the late King Raizen."
The guards looked at him with disbelief and then both agreed it was really him. Yusuke began to walk and he directed Zaraki to follow and then the guards quickly stopped Yusuke before he entered. They pointed at Zaraki and Yachiru, Yusuke looked back at them and then at the guard on his right. "They are okay, they are with me and I command that you let them pass safely."
The guards couldn't disobey any king or ruler of the realm and let Zaraki and Yachiru pass safely through the door. Once they were inside they were greeted with a handsome demon.
He had blue hair that was pulled back in a pony tail but the there was four strands that spiked out like large bangs or the 2 in front looked like insect feelers. He was wearing all white and his outfit looked almost like the Shinigami uniform. As he walked up to them he smiled and with one hand on his sword. "Greetings," he said with a happy light personality about him.
"Shishi, Kansei just told me that this King Loki fired all the workers," Yusuke smiled shaking his old friend's hand. "I'm very sorry about Jin."
"Ah, he was restless and when you get that way you should die," Shishiwakumaru smiled shaking Zaraki's hand and even reaching up to shake Yachiru's on Zaraki's back.
"Who is Jin?" Zaraki asked to no one in particular as he looked at the high ceiling and creepy gothic decoration around him. This place was absolutely amazing; there were pictures of people in the heat of battle all around him. There were also photographs lined up on one wall of losers of the battles after they had died. Who were these guys? He couldn't help but think he was really supposed to be a rich strong demon. To him this would be the ultimate life style; there would be tons of strong demons willing to fight him all the time.
No one answered his question and Shishi began to lead them to the chamber room so that they could meet the great awesome King Loki. As they entered the large throne room they instantly noticed the huge demon.
He was a very ginormous wolf demon; he was tall as he was fat. He was all muscle though, and his brown hair was tied neatly on top of his head. He had an almost tricky appearance to him, like he was extremely untrustable. He wore a large brown kimono and a bright red Obi around his large gut. This guy made Zaraki feel small, very small. He was also packing some very strong spirit energy and Yusuke was extremely impressed.
"King Loki I present to you King Urameshi a son of King Raizen and his subordinates," Shishiwakumaru announced very loudly and King Loki looked over in there direction.
"King Urameshi?" He said his voice was like an earthquake, he spoke just like you image Zeus would have spoken.
Yusuke stepped forward and bowed, "I am pleased to finally meet you," he said very loudly and King Loki stood up. Once he stood up he was suddenly the same size as Yusuke if not a few inches taller. He looked very kingly in all his glory, way more that Yusuke had ever looked.
"Please do not bow to me," he said in a more normal but still deep voice, and he bowed to Yusuke. "Have you come to claim what is rightfully yours? If that is the case I will not give in so easily."
Yusuke laughed, "No, no, I am here on a mission, and that is it." King Loki looked at him a little hurt, and a devilish smile started to spread across his face. "No, really I just came here to get some questions answered."
"King Urameshi, what if I refuse to answer questions unless I get to fight," he said and Yusuke was really not in the mood.
"I'll fight you!" Zaraki finally spoke up at the chance to get fight a very powerful demon, he smile was eviler then the one Loki wore.
"Deal, I will fight this man, if he wins I will answer anything open and honest, though if he loses," King Loki thought about it for a minute, what did he want from them? "Then I get to keep this fighter for my army."
Yusuke opened his mouth to protest but Yachiru jumped off of Zaraki's back and he drew his sword. Yusuke shook his head; he couldn't afford to supply King Loki's army against Rika with this powerful soul reaper. Yachiru grabbed his hand and insisted that they get very far away to watch. Yusuke shrugged, he was pretty sure this guy had enough power to almost be on equal footing with this demon king.
A/n: Thank you for all the reviews, and i know Ichigo seems like a minor character but, it will not continue like that. I hope you enjoy there is going to be a lot of fighting and little romance in the next chapters so be prepared.
