The World of Shoria [1x1 with yankees324]

[yankees324]

"I know I'll get punished anyways," sighed Ikari, sitting upright. "So I might as well tell." He took in a deep shaky breath, and before his mouth could protest, he spoke: "Talon and I went to check the west side for the flood, and I tried to help Jessalyn Mandori, but she refused, saying that she'd rather die than get help from that Sylden boy, and outsiders and traitors. So my anger took over and Talon and I sort of drowned Jessalyn." Ikari gulped and looked down at this point, not wanting to meet his parents' gazes. "Then when Kelson, her son, went to save her, well..." He trailed off, hoping they'd get what followed. He was purely ashamed of himself. "I told you you'd be mad," he whimpered as he refused to meet anyone, not even his brother's, gaze.

[Mayiamaru]

The eyes of everyone in the room gained widened eyes, staring at Ikari. Sasaki was the first to act after just a second. She scooted closer and put a hand onto Ikari's cheek gently and looked at him. "Ikari... You know that this is a serious offense... One of high treason that's punishable by death... You killed off the last of a bloodline..." Sasaki said quietly, her voice showing that she hoped for this to be a lie. Lora soon broke into tears, getting up and running to Syn, crying on his chest. Syn, more than anyone, wanted to keep this a secret, but he didn't want to let his eldest son get killed. It made him feel like his children were being destined for death. Ryzo began to whimper sadly, his ears and tail low while he pawed Ikari's back in his wolf form. Anna was just silent, staring.

[yankees324]

Ikari sighed as he pushed away from Sasaki and Ryzo. His eyes still didn't meet anyone else's, for he was deathly ashamed of what he'd done. "I know, Sasaki," he whispered, taking a seat by the wall, facing it with his arms tightly around his knees. "I know. I don't want to die, and if no one here tells, I won't. But I think I'll confess to the Elders and face their wrath, it's what I deserve." Another sigh escaped Ikari, as if he were a tree being blown through by a wind. "I'm sorry, guys."

[Mayiamaru]

Sasaki looked at Ikari, then her expression hardened. "Wait... Who is protecting the plate? If you become the protector, you can stay. You have to stay. Talon isn't a citizen of this village officially, so he isn't liable for death penalty! If we do tell, then all should be fine! We just need to get the plate to approve of you..." Sasaki said hopefully, leaning forwards again, trapping Ikari in his position against the wall. "It could work... But someone could have already gone upon finding the Mandoris' bodies..." Anna mused. "But then again, we would have gotten that announced by now..."

[yankees324]

"Talon's buried the war deaths along with the Mandoris," Ikari said, his mouth in a grim straight line. "And even if Talon was a citizen, he'd get to stay here. He's the new protector of the plate. So either way, he gets to stay, and I either die or get banished for the second time of my life." Angrily, Ikari shook his head, trying to wake himself as if in a nightmare, but to no avail.

[Mayiamaru]

Syn and Anna looked at Ikari in disbelief. "Never in our history has an outsider gained recognition to be a protector... Much less, an elder. It's absurd!" Syn said, straining his wound a little to sit up, Lora's weight putting pressure against his chest. Sasaki looked at Ikari with teary eyes and moved around to be beside him, wrapping her arms around his arm. "Ikari... I don't want to lose you." She said quietly. "We have to find a way to get Talon to take all the blame then... It's the only way you can be allowed to stay here!" She said, pleading now with the tears spilling over her eye lids.

[yankees324]

Ikari sighed heavily and wrapped his arms protectively around Sasaki, savoring the moment as if it was their last, for it easily could be. "He said he would when we killed them," he whispered to her. "He said he'd take all the blame, but I doubt it. I have a feeling he'll pin it all on me, or share it between us evenly. I don't think I'll be able to stay much longer, Sasaki." Tears were now rolling down Ikari's cheeks too, and he didn't care. All he was thinking was that he'd never get to see his family or Sasaki ever again, after just being reunited with them a short while before.

[Mayiamaru]

Sasaki looked up at Ikari, using a gentle hand to brush away his tears. "Ikari. Just be optimistic... I'm going to talk to him. Now." Sasaki said, leaning up and pressing her lips against Ikari's. She pulled away from Ikari's grip and rose to her feet. "Talon would have more sense than to pin it all on you..." She said quickly before she ran out the door towards the western hills. To the cemetary where Talon was still kneeling, now facing the graves and offering his prayers.

Ryzo was about to run out after Sasaki, but Syn had gotten up to stop him, giving Ikari a look. "Son... We all want you to stay, but you need to do what is right. Whatever Talon's decision is, if it isn't right, you set it all straight. Promise me that." Syn said, holding the squirming pup in his arms, his wound pulsing.

[yankees324]

"Dad, I can't promise anything," Ikari answered, his voice grave and dark. "If Talon takes a the blame, who knows that I'll do. I may brake down and cry and set it right unintentionally, or I may just take all the blame myself to begin with, because Talon has to stay anyways. Either way Dad, you and I both know this will be our last moment, because I'm probably sentenced to death. It's probably that over banishment, if I was to guess." he sighed deeply and held his head in his hands, shaking it ever so slightly.

[Mayiamaru]

Syn waited until Ryzo calmed down before he went to his son and pulled him into a hug, still holding Ryzo as well. "Son. I won't let you die. If you get banished, your mother and I will help you create a settlement ouside of the village. Hopefully, that will be the punishmen if you do get punished... Son. You have a life here. We all love you, and you don't want Sasaki to be crying over you, do you?" Syn spoke in a gentle voice. One he used to coax Lora with. Ryzo had become calm and pressed his paws against Ikari, whimpering quietly.

=====================================================================
Meanwhile, at the cemetary...

"Talon... I know you and Ikari did it." Sasaki said in a weak, but forceful tone.
Talon raised his head, got to his feet and turned to face Sasaki, his eyes blank and calm even though inside, he knew he couldn't lie to Sasaki. "... Yeah?..." He said. Plain and simple.
Sasaki took in a breath and her eyes softened lightly. "Why did you do it?... And what are you going to do when people can't find a new protector?" She asked quietly.
Talon shook his head. "I'm going to tell them I am the new protector... No one needs to know that we were at fault. I'm just going to stick to the story that they drowned, and then I brought them to the hill after finding their bodies. No one needs to be blamed." Talon said sourly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Sasaki didn't say a word just yet. She was thinking about it all. What would it commeto if that story was the one to be told.