Alternate Ending

Mugen solemnly gazed down upon the freshly dug mound of earth at his feet, his eyes somber and grim once he realized how hollow he'd become within only a matter of days. He'd never been an emotional man before, but now…now he knew what it felt like to be truly empty inside.

Suddenly placing a supportive hand on the Ryukyuan's shoulder from behind, Jin remarked softly, "Do not be sad, Mugen-san…she is finally at peace."

The vagrant didn't answer the stoic samurai at his side, his eyes grave and bleak as he dolefully gazed down upon the pathetic little grave and snorted. "She died 'cause-a me, Four Eyes…if I'da left well enough alone, she'd still be here."

The ronin solemnly shook his head. "Fuu-chan would not want you to think such thoughts…she'd tell you to move on."

"Well that's pretty fuckin' easy for you ta say, don'tcha think?" Mugen snarled, his being suddenly consumed by an inexplicable bout of rage. "Fuu was my woman, not yours, so you don't have any fuckin' right ta say what she would or wouldn't have wanted me ta do!"

Jin's eyes narrowed considerably as he looked the pirate over, his voice cold and laden with resentment as he bitterly remarked, "Mugen, you are such a lazy bum – why can't you ever just wake up when spoken to?"

The Ryukyuan eyed Jin strangely. "I…wha?"

"I said wake up!"

With a startled yelp, Mugen shot straight up from his perch as if attached to a spring, his eyes blinking in rapid succession once he rested his hazy vision upon a familiar pink blur at his side.

"Mugen?" it persisted, lighting tapping at his forehead with its finger, "C'mon, we were supposed to leave an hour ago! I really do think this time that the Sunflower Samurai is close by!"

"Huh?"

"What, are you hard of hearing? Let's go!" the girl persisted, now tugging impatiently at his arm. "If we don't, we might miss him!"

Mugen looked up at her then, his eyes widening once he realized that it was none other than intolerable little Fuu, the typical rosy shade of her cheeks only blossoming along with the overexertion of her incessant yanking.

"Fuu" he finally whispered, trying his best to bite back a smile, "it's really you…you're alive!"

She gave him a funny look. "Well of course I'm alive! Whatever made you say such a silly thing?"

"You mean…neither of us ever had tuberculosis?"

"Of course not! Mugen, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling alright?" Fuu demanded, now placing a hand gently over his forehead so she could check his temperature.

When Mugen could only grin up at her dazed expression he finally sat up, his tone warm and genuinely surprising her as he returned, "Well, Fuu, I think it's pretty safe ta say that I've never been better."

Blinking, Fuu followed after the Ryukyuan's retreating form with her big brown eyes, all the while wondering what on earth could have possibly fried his brain.

A/N: Yay, here's my happier ending for all you fluff lovers out there…I personally like the other one better, but you tell me. :) Hope I did you guys service…and if you're REALLY bored, I wrote some new SC fics, my favorite being "Through Hell and Back" because of the storyline. Welp…love you!!