Sequel to: Death of a Texas Pride
Plot: The Uktena Beast returns
Irvine looked up at the stars. Since the jeep's tires went flat thanks to the rough Oregon roads and Tanaka finally learning how to change tires, Irvine's went through some major soul searching. He thought of the the day in Arizona, Brad Crawford being half-Cherokee, what Tanaka said about forgiveness, everything. "Irvine?" Tanaka asked. "Yes?" Irvine looked at him. Tanaka sat down in the driver's seat and looked at him. "You still don't forgive him, do you?" "I've been thinking about that a lot since Las Vegas." Tanaka nodded. "I arranged for Brad and Trowa to meet us in a cabin at Washington's Cherokee National Park. I hope this brings closure and not another bloodbath..." Irvine nodded. He looked at the rumbling Oregon sky at Tanaka restarted the jeep. "Tanaka?" Irvine asked. "Yes, Irvine?" Tanaka asked. "I guess I should follow your advice, you being a God and everything and everyone says if your God says to forgive them, then do it." Tanaka smiled. "But you worship angels and I'm a Lesser God..." "Yeah, but you're the God of love..." "Point made." Tanaka said, looking at the road. Little did they know, the Uktena's shadow was following...
"Mr. and Mr. Crawford." Tanaka got out of the jeep and grabbed his duffelbag. "Yes?" Brad asked. "Glad you could make it." Tanaka said. "We have a lot to talk about." "I got nothing to say." Brad said. "I don't even see why he's angry with me over this." "You will have plenty to say, Brad. Trust me." Tanaka said. Trowa looked at Brad. "What happened?" "Long story." Brad said. They walked into the cabin and Tanaka got to work building the fire in the fireplace. Trowa sat in a chair as Irvine leaned against the wall, hugging his shotgun. Brad sat at the table. "So, how do we start?" "4 months ago, 100 Texas Rangers died in an Indian Burial Site in Arizona thanks to the legendary Uktena beast." Tanaka began. "But however, the manner in which the deaths happened has angered Irvine to the point ot hunting you into hell... As the Kitsune God of Love, I made it a goal to get Irvine to finally find it in his heart to forgive you and put this mess behind us. The fighting will only continue if Irvine still carries this grudge with him." Brad nodded. Trowa rubbed Brad's shoulders and looked up at the enraged Irvine. Tanaka looked at Brad and Trowa. "I was there the day the Uktena attacked. As a God, I had to find my reasons for anger and then find my reasons to forgive and forget. I found mine. I want Irvine to do the same. This grudge is very unhealthy." "I agree." Trowa spoke. "I don't!" Irvine protested. "Little Innocent Brad-Fucking-Crawford is responsible for the deaths of 100 good men!! I hope the ravens eat his guts and choke on them!" Irvine stormed out. Tanaka pressed his forehead against the stone wall around the fireplace. Brad hung his head. "He really hates me that bad?" "It's totally unavoidable." Tanaka said. "But it's totally pointless. You're a good man, Brad... no good man should have someone hate him that badly." "I know..." The ground began to shake. The cabin began to fall apart. Trowa looked around. "What's going on!?" Before Tanaka could answer, a giant snake's tail whapped him and sent him flying... yet again. Brad and Trowa looked up. The Uktena shrieked at them. Then in Cherokee, it spoke. "JOIN ME!!" "NO!!!" Brad shouted. "You killed innocent men!! It should never be this way!!" "THEN DIE!!!" The Uktena blasted Brad and Trowa into the forest. Brad staggered up and looked for Trowa. Trowa was a few meters away from him, out cold. Brad ran to his side, that's when he saw Tanaka, face down in a stream, blood seeping into the water and killing the fish in it. "T-tanaka?" No response. "Oh no.... Tanaka!! Trowa!! ANYONE!!!!" The Uktena located them. Then with a thrash of its' tail, it created a small canyon between Tanaka and Brad. Tanaka was safe, but Brad was dangling off the cliff, too weak to morph, weaker still to climb. His bloody trembling hands began to slip. Brad called for help seeing spike at the bottom of the canyon. Then two hands snagged his right one. "I-Irvine???" Irvine stood there, fighting the Uktena's breath weapon to hold onto Brad. "Gimme your other hand!!" Brad's left hand slipped, leaving him dangling. "GIMME YOUR HAND NOW!!!!!!" "If you really want me dead, here's your chance!!" Brad shouted. Irvine said nothing. He looked at Tanaka. //You got to forgive Brad and put this behind you. Sure, 100 men died but it wasn't Brad's fault... I forgive him.// Irvine looked at the unconscious Trowa. //You want to see a man who continues to hate? Look at me, I hate the man I had become when I entered the Order... with Brad, I can finally live like a normal human... Brad makes me feel life is worth living...// Irvine looked down at Brad. "Brad Crawford." Irvine spoke softly. Brad looked up at him. "I forgive you...." Irvine spoke softly. Brad's eyes widened. He looked at the spikes, then raised his left hand. Irvine grabbed it and helped him up. Brad looked at Irvine and then at the Uktena Beast. "We got to find a way to stop it." "I agree with you there." Irvine said. Tanaka limped over to them, followed by Trowa. They looked at the Uktena.