SO: w00t! chappie number 17! And guess what? That's right! Alternate ending number 1! I'm in a good mood again! Hehe! And everything would be great if…if my stupid Full Metal Panic episodes would download! urg! Y is it always MY computer that downloads these things slow??? Ahem, anyway, I don't think I've got much else to say, other then enjoy! :)

I know, I promised to do responses, so here I go. All reviewers this time!: Rin, Sesshomaru's Lover: woa…16 reviews, thx! I'm a glad u like it! I hope u like the alt ends also! g27: heh, I know how u feel, about exams. My finals are in 6 weeks, but all teachers are stressing it already…anyway, ya, the part with Sango just seemed apropriate! SpaceVixon: well, here it is! Thx! Lynn-Minmay: heh, I like the sneezing superstition. And yup, evil Naraku. And again, the part with Sango just poped into my head, so why not? Ilovecake2: yes, u I know cant take a joke, and somehow I think u'll be sastisfied! Vikki: yo, arigato for reviewing! Thx! West FullMoon: well that's a good thing right? I hope so! turtlerad17: I know, but what author isn't? Retta: yay! Update! I am I am! Maiyuka sequel, eh? I'm considering it… AnGeL: yay! Thx! Stacerue: thx! Glad u like! MoonPhoenix: yo, thx! anime-obsessed:P: nah…I didn't forget u! my very crazed friend! Don't worry! I'm in a writing mood now so I'm a workin on it!!!

Woa, that was LONG! Heh, oh well!

It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are
but I... I'm with you


Chapter 17

Alt. Ending 1

Everyone Likes Happy Endings…Right?

Life sucks! No matter how hard you try, no matter how perfect it may seem at first, it'll always come back to bite you in the ass. Sometimes it's better just to end it all. After thought anyway…no one really likes you. How come your parents left you alone…your companion left you alone…your friends ditched you, so now your alone once again. What's the point? People say life is too short, while in reality, it's way too long. Life…it's a gift. A gift that some people don't deserve to have. People like me.


Rin hadn't returned that night. Everyone had found it a little weird about where she would stay. Kagome had called Sango's place…but she knew as much as they did. Sess wasn't saying anything. Not that it would have helped them locate her in any way. They decided to give her the space she needed for the time being. That didn't help the atmosphere much. Normally it wouldn't have made a difference to the Keiyoukai household, but Rin had seemed as a part of the family. Kagome loved her as a sister, and Inuyasha wouldn't admit it, but so did he. Meiko was looking like a wreck, even though she was so young. "When is Auntie Rin coming back?" she cried. Not to say that Sesshomaru wasn't worried too, but knowing her, she just wanted to be alone.

"So what happened? You two have a fight or something?" Inuyasha constantly pestered his brother. He didn't exactly know if they'd even seen each other today, but it was probably the case. She wouldn't just leave and say she was meeting someone, and not return home. It was so…un-Rin-like.

He'd ignore the annoying half-demon and occasionally responded with a, "Get out of my sight," or, "none of your concern."

Kagome had finally convinced him to give up. It was useless to get any information from him when he got like this. "You're just lucky he didn't rip your head from your neck," she reasoned.

Inuyasha gave a "keh" in response and returned to his room, not wanting to answer the questions of his eldest daughter at the moment. He wasn't the best at that…Kagome could deal with it ten times better then he.

"She needs her space," Kagome told Meiko as she tucked the seven-year-old into bed. "You see, when grownups get angry or upset, they often go out of the house for a day. Then they come back and everything is fine. You'll see…Auntie Rin is fine."

Meiko dried her damp face with the bed sheets. "Oh…okay. It's just, everyone seemed so angry of sad. So I got sad and…I'm sorry. I shouldn't be sad. You're not crying, neither is Daddy or Uncle Sesshy."

Kagome wrapped her daughter in a hug. "Shh…you can cry. It's just that adults don't like to cry. It shows weakness…especially to Daddy and your Uncle. But rest assured…Rin is okay." With that Kagome turned out the lights and walked out of the room, sighing. As much as she'd like to think those words were true, it couldn't be confirmed yet. 'Oh Rin…look what problems you've caused us. Please…be alright.'


With her collared white blouse, and short length, black, frilled skirt, Sango walked onto her office floor, briefcase slung over her shoulder. The heels of her shoes sounded at each step. She set her case on the desk and ruffled her long chestnut hair before reporting in to the boss, as always. "Morning Rin, Boss," she would say instinctively, considering her longtime friend was always with her longtime crush's office. Then she'd be greeted with a cheerful voice. However, no reply came today. "I said, good morning Rin. Does 'ohayou' work too?" and then she finally took a look at her surroundings. There was only one other person in the room other than she, and that was the boss, who she didn't expect a reply back from anyway.

"Are you blind?" Sesshomaru never took his eyes of the computer screen for a moment, "she isn't here, Sango. Go about your business."

For the first time ever that she had worked for 'golden-eyes', face set in a stern look, she bluntly said, "No."

The taping noise on the keyboard stopped and her stare was equally matched with his. "Excuse me?" It wasn't actually a question, more of a, 'Do-as-I-say-or-else' comment.

Sango wasn't going to move on this. If she did, it would probably come back later as a guilt trip, should something bad happen. "I don't know what kind of bond you guys had, or what came between it to cause my friend such pain, but I'm not going to be at ease until I know she's alright and kicking," her tone meant she was serious. Something that didn't occur too often.

After some silence between the two, he spoke, "What do you suggest?"

Frustration got the better of her, "I don't know! I don't know!" she pounded her fist onto his wooden desk with such force, the bottom drawer popped out slightly. "I don't know what she's doing or thinking! I don't totally understand her, but I do know this; she's got a weak heart. Not physically but spiritually. She'd been already pushed to her limits and what if this shoves her over the edge? Smart she may be, but I can't help the fact that she's going to do something stupid!" a small tear escaped her eye and fell onto her throbbing hand. "Shouldn't have done that…" she said quietly to herself, nursing the aching hand,

To his dismay, Sango did have a point. He glanced at the opened drawer. Something…wasn't quite right. Eyebrows furrowing, he searched through the many layers of paper. After reaching the bottom, it made sense what was missing…rather, replaced. "She'll regret this…"he trailed off, closing the drawer, with an object clutched in his fist. Sango gave a 'care-to-explain?' look. "She took my gold dagger."

The brown-eyed woman was in shock for a few moments. "F-first," she stammered at the thought of what her friend would do with that, "why do you keep a knife there? Second, how do you know she took it?"

"First," he said mimicking her questions, "that's of no importance. Second, this didn't wander here on its own." The object sitting in his palm was a gold chain. The pendant was that of a sitting tiger, carved from jade.

"Ah! I knew it! Rin, why do something stupid like that?" Sango yelled to no one in particular. "Where would you go?"

Sesshomaru removed one of the windowpanes. "She's the type that would like to die happy, in a peaceful manner."

"You mean like a park, or forest where no one could see her?" He shrugged in response. "Well she wouldn't want to walk about the streets of Tokyo with a knife, so I'd say she'd go to the one close to here…you know, the one with the pond?"

"Worth a shot," he replied, extending a hand to Sango. "I don't want to wait for an elevator."

"Are you insane?" she backed away. "This is the 27th floor! No way!"

"I'm a demon, don't forget," he emphasized the 'demon', "besides, I'm sure my ancestors 500 years ago fell from higher heights…and if you want to save her…"

Sango bit her bottom lip. "If I die, Miroku claims all your money," she reluctantly climbed onto his back and shut her eyes.

"Whatever you do," he cautioned, "don't scream." She now could feel that they were no longer supported by firm ground. 'Don't scream, don't scream, don't scream…' passed through her head over and over. Once the feeling of no longer dropping could be distinguished, she summoned up courage to force one eye open. They were jumping from tree to tree, and it happened so fast the people below took no notice. Actually, Sango had to admit it was kind of fun. But this wasn't the time for games. 'Rin, don't do anything stupid. Not until I have anything to say about it!'


The wind rustled through the trees, shaking some orange colored ones to fall to the earth, and some onto the nearby pond, as they floated on its surface. The sun, still climbing up towards the top, reflected off a golden object, that lay at rest in the grass. Against a tree, way off the main path and hidden from view was a young woman with long black hair. Her eyes remained closed, but she was not sleeping. Well, for over 24 hours she hadn't slept, ate nor drank. Things were becoming hazy now.

She squinted into the sunlight, taking a good look at it one last time. "You're brave," she told it, lost in one of those moments, "how can you come out everyday with such confidence? Don't you regret some moments in those million years you've been alive?" she didn't receive an answer, not expecting one anyway, and continued, "even when those rainy days come and go, you never give up? Jeez, how can you do this for the next billion years or so? I could never…"

The distressed maiden grasped the hilt of the gleaming blade. "Fitting animal, nee?" she mused, "a snake. Just like him, trying to withstand it's bite, but to no luck, for the venom poison gets worse. And as soon as you think you've come over it, it comes back and…"her grip tightened, "you're dead!"

She looked at her reflection on the sharp edge. There were heavy lines under her eyes, her hair was a mess and clothes were wrinkled. "There's no point in living when you're alone…" she pointed the dagger to the sky, and then rested it by her side once again. "Let's face it. Life's a joke. Money will bring you temporary happiness, but it's all fake. Love is there, just for you to be hurt. A heart exists for it to be broken. He…hated me from the beginning. It was all a cover; fate's stupid plans. My friends…I can't tell what they think, but it's not worth coming home through the day when they aren't always available when you need support, or just someone to talk to. No…that's what your family is for…which I…have none, of course. Only this would happen to someone like me…"

Her thoughts drifted to the faint sounds of the nearby city streets. "They're all oblivious. When you read about death, or watch a show about it, that's all fake to them. No, nothing like that can happen in real life so commonly. Such an unfortunate soul…is their thoughts when they open the newspaper and read the headline. It's a scary reality…and the sooner I escape it, the better."

"This…" she said gripping the blade with a shaking hand and placing it's tip on the skin near her ribcage. "This is where it hurts the most…" her eyes were closed, and she wanted to pierce through it so badly! "But, what if I miss…that will only land me in hospital and suffering through the next sunrise again."

This time she placed the sharp edge to her throat. "No…this will hurt. Pain is the last thing I need before I die." And set the knife back down once again. "This sucks, I want to die," she spoke in an all-truthful tone.

She glanced at her wrist…suddenly remembering something she'd read awhile back. About a teenager, who was suicidal, and would do anything to die…even risk to lives of others. That wasn't the part that triggered her memory though…it was how she did it. "Cutting her wrist…" she drew an imaginary line with her fingernail. "One slash won't hurt at all, and you'll feel no pain as the impure blood seeps out."

She ran the blade across her fingertip, to test how sharp it was. When a trickle of red liquid slowly dripped down her finger, it was proof enough. This was it…the time had come. She rested the blade lightly against her forearm. 'I'm not afraid to die…' she thought, but a small tear was freed from her eye. Her grip tightened on the hilt, as she was prepared to slice through her skin.

There was a new sharp pain to the hand holding the knife. It was the pain of another hand, knocking it away. The shock caused her hold to loosen, and it landed no more then six feet from where she lay. It glittered in the light of day. Reluctantly, she turned her head to see who had disrupted her oh, so peaceful death. "You…" her voice was covered with fear and anger.

"What do you think you're doing young lady?" Sesshomaru was not joking around with this. Sango made her way slowly down the hill from the path, to avoid tripping,

"Screw off!" she got up using all her strength and reached out for the knife again…she was going to finish this in one painless slash. Just before she once again reached her wrist, he grasped it in his hand, with a painful hold. He twisted her forearm and positioned the tip of his own knife at his chest. "What are…"

"You won't kill yourself, Smart Cookie, so long as I'm around." Rin tried to worm out of his grip, but he just tightened it. "If you want to die so badly, then you'll do so over my dead body." she was breathing heavily now…no! This was not how it should be! "What are you waiting for, Smart Cookie? I am not afraid to die either. That's the price you pay, and that's the price I shall too."

No, it shouldn't be this way! Innocent people shouldn't get hurt. She was willing to take her life and hers alone. "I…can't…" now many tears poured from her eyes and glistened down her face. "I won't take another life. I'm no murderer!" With that, the blade dropped from her hand and without a hesitation, Sesshomaru used his free hand to throw it into the pond. She'd never use it again.

"I…I don't know what came over me! I wanted to die! I'm so lost!" Rin cried, letting a whole buildup of years emotions flood the other two that stood there. She flung her arms around his neck, and sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm such an idiot," her voice squeaked.

After a good ten minutes, Rin turned to her other friend, who carried a grim look. "Rin…"she whispered, "don't scare me like that again."

"Oh Sango," she hugged her friend, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!" she cried on her friend's shoulder. The other woman bit her lip, but let a few tears flow as well. She was safe, thank God. I guess He really is merciful.


Her once long, raven hair, now barely reached her shoulders. Her eyes scanned the first sheet of music quickly, but quite carefully. She rested her slender fingers on the white and black piano keys, and pressed them gently. A familiar melody filled the once silent room. That is, until she hit a wrong note.

"Ah, crap," she cursed, and began from the beginning. It was fine until she hit another sour note. So from the top she played, and even the third time around, made the same mistake. "Stupid piano…" she mumbled banging her head lightly into its many keys.

"Here, let me show you how it's done," a distinguished monotone voice spoke. Two hands appeared over her shoulders, and played the line with ease, and without a glance at the keys.

"Shut up, don't make me feel worse than I already do…" Rin sighed, facing the hansom man behind her.

"Oh, and why is that?" he questioned, taking a seat next to her on the piano bench.

That's when another familiar voice made it's way into the room. "Uncle Sesshy! Auntie Rin!" a now twelve-year-old Meiko bounded into the room and took a seat in between the two. "I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!" she clapped excitedly.

"Wait for what?" Rin replied with a question of her own.

"How can you not remember? You guys's big day!" she beamed happily. Her aunt smiled back. "Come on!" she said dragging the two up from the bench. "We're gonna play Frisbee!"

"No thank you," Sesshomaru stated plainly.

"Oh come on!" Rin said interlocking her arm with his. "Enjoy this for once." The three didn't say anything more as they made their way to the back entrance to the garden. Rin smiled once again to herself. 'I'm so lucky to have so many people who love me. I really do…love my life!'


END

That ended kinda…uh…abruptly I'd say. But, it's finished! :D well, so to speak. More alt ends to come, well, actually only one. And I, just wanna say, am NOT suicidal, and all that info is from a manga I read, Confidential Confessions, if anyone's heard of that! Soo…I think that's it! Happy holidays guys!