A/N: Hello everyone! So this is it... The last chapter of In A Fruits Basket! I couldn't stop smiling when I finished typing the last line.

A huge thank you to everyone that stuck with me through the whole thing, and who supported and encouraged me with reviews, PM's, etc. Thank you for making a new author like me feel so welcomed and comfortable!

But honestly, I might look back at this and be like, "Oof, was this really my first fanfiction?! O_o" Don't be surprised if you see the chapters updated or edited once in a while.

I don't plan to make a sequel, or even write more OC stories... Too scared of falling into the Mary-Sues. Sometimes I even got annoyed with my OC's... But I'm glad everything turned out okay until the end, and I have such awesome readers to share this moment with! *bows deeply* ^_^ I couldn't have done it without you! Please tell me what you think and check out my other fanfictions if you have the time! Thanks again.

Without further ado, here's the last chapter.

In a Fruits Basket - Chapter 22: As Time Passes By

Recap:

"The departure... is finally here, right? Even though parting with the people you love maybe lonely. It's a jewel. A dear, precious jewel. Hold onto it, no matter how much time goes by."

Who is this?

"Arya and Mai, thank you for sharing your life with me. It was fun."

N-No, thank you for sharing yours! Thank you for helping us! Without you, Mai and I would still be fighting to this day... We wouldn't be the way we are now! You've done well. Thank you, Tohru.

Then, the world we thought we lived in flashed before our eyes, completely slipping from our mind, like water spilling between our fingers. But that water cleaned the dirt off our hands.

And the Fruits Basket world faded to black.

I was in Fruits Basket. The thought of it happening never crossed my mind. But when it did happen, the thought of leaving never crossed my mind either.

The departure... does it really have to be so soon? Right now? They've already done so much for us. I... No, we've grown to love the Sohmas. Leaving them is a difficult thing.

"Even though parting with the people you love maybe lonely... It's a jewel. A dear, precious jewel," Tohru told me.

My memories? Yes, I will keep them forever.

And for some reason, when I saw her before me, even though it was for the first time, it was like I was immediately reminded of someone else. Like I actually knew her for a really long time. It was like she's always been there with me when I was in her world.

As if I was her, and she was me.

It was a strange, confusing feeling, and at first I didn't believe it, but I was able to understand that Tohru never left while we were in her place. She was guiding our words. She was guiding our minds. She was in our hearts, helping us learn to accept one another again, and gave us a glimpse of her life.

We didn't really know what our purpose was in that world. We didn't even know how we got there. All we knew was we returned with a different perspective on our lives.

Mai and I were sent there to reconcile.

And without the Sohmas... without Tohru Honda, none of it would have been possible.

Just thinking that made me love Fruits Basket even more.

I woke up to the beige ceiling of my room and my sister calling out my name. I was in my house. I was in reality. The life I lived before was now a memory, a vivid dream - one my sister and I will never forget.

"Arya!"

I rubbed my eyes a few times before I got up into a sitting position. The sunlight beamed down through my window. I blinked as my eyes began to focus.

"Mai?" I murmured, touching her arm.

She was the same. Real, alive and breathing. Her facial features were more realistic now and so were mine. I was still wearing Mai's long jeans that I borrowed that day.

She laughed, "You're alright."

"Yeah, and you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm very happy," I admitted, "but I can't help but feel a little... empty inside."

I looked down at the book I was holding, tracing my fingers around the oval face of the brunette girl on the cover who was smiling brightly. Warm droplets streaked down my face and my vision became blurry. I didn't expect it to be this much. But I wasn't surprised I was crying again. The feeling was so sudden and overwhelming, it came out in tears.

Mai smiled sadly, "It's okay." She pulled me in for a big hug, soothing me. "It's okay, we're home now."

That was all she could say to me. Hugging me and being there for me was all she could do for me. But then I started laughing a bit, as did she.

"First thing I'm going to do is sleep." I chortled, "I miss my old bed."

We laughed for a couple of minutes over our slight sniffling and sobs. Looking around, and blinking the last of our tears away together...

We were finally home.

Luckily, time didn't pass while we were gone and our parents returned from their business trip the next day, just before the end of the weekend.

The day we came back, we found ourselves accidentally calling for one of the Fruits Basket characters, or doing the laundry and expecting more clothes, or cooking meals for five. It still took a bit to get used to, but we quickly adjusted. It wasn't as hard as we thought. It was our lives, after all.

I was in my room, checking myself in the mirror.

My hair wasn't like how it was in Fruits Basket. It wasn't short and streaked with blue and green like the first time, or shoulder-length and a shiny jet black with jagged layers either.

It was the same. It was like how I left it before: short, plain, and black. My side bangs were growing a bit long though. So I decided I was going to grow my hair out again.

I checked my height. I was still as small as ever. I smirked. At least I know I still have some time left to grow again. I was about to head down the stairs to ask Mai for lunch, but someone was at the door.

"We're home!" a familiar voice called as the door swung open. Two adults stood at the entrance, one hauling two suitcases, the other simply waving.

"Mom! Dad!" Mai exclaimed, running from the kitchen.

"Welcome home," I smiled at them and rushed to them as well. They held us tightly in an embrace. Their warmth was comforting.

"Oh, sweetie," my mother began, frowning in concern, "are you tearing up?"

"I'm not -" I began, but then Mai cut in.

"A - A bit, yeah," she replied, laughing, "I missed you a lot."

Dad kissed the top of Mai's head. "Well, we missed you, too. Now, could you give me a hand with the suitcases, dear? I've been carrying both of them."

Mom gasped slightly, smiling nervously, "Right, sorry!" Before she went to help Dad, she raised a thin, suspicious eyebrow at us. Pointing, she asked, "You girls didn't fight while we were gone, did you?"

Mai and I exchanged looks and smiled at her.

"Not much, really," I answered.

Mai wrapped an arm around my neck, then held me in a headlock. "We're just fine now, Mom."

"H-hey!" I choked out, laughing.

Mom's eyes lit up in surprise and I could see the smile she was wearing was out of relief. "Really, now? That's... very good."

As she left, Mai released me. Suddenly, she jabbed her elbow into my ribs. I felt all the air escape my lungs as I choked out once more, "Hey!"

She mumbled, smirking, "That's for all the times you did that to me."

Usually, I'd hit her back. But I didn't. I just smiled weakly at her. "Heh, guess I should've seen it coming."

I stuck my hands in my pockets, fumbling around with them, and to my surprise, found something round and beaded in them. I gasped, as I tightly grabbed it with my index finger and thumb, whipping it out of the pocket. My eyes widened, as did Mai's. My heart skipped a beat.

I had Kyo's beaded bracelet in my pocket and took it with me to reality!

"This... really is proof," I breathed.

She paused. "We could've done it, y'know."

"What?"

"Lived there, lived in Fruits Basket. Maybe I would've graduated from Kaibara High, gone to college, waited for you, Kyo, and Yuki to join me..." she said quietly, "I'd try to visit Shigure on my days off and he'd probably complain about how lonely he is without us... Then on some occasions, we'd all hang out and stuff."

I tilted my head to the side, narrowing my eyes. "Mai?"

"Ah - Never mind, I sound crazy."

I shook my head. "I believe you. We honestly could've. Maybe Kyo and I..." I played with the beads between my fingers.

"Hey, where'd you get that? That's a neat bracelet!" Dad interjected as he returned from unpacking.

"Oh," I began, slipping the bracelet onto my wrist, "it's from a friend. He gave it to me."

"He?"

"Yeah, sort of like a farewell gift to remember him by," I replied softly.

"Do you really want it, though? That piece of me?" I remembered Kyo's voice perfectly. "You and Mai are very important in our lives, y'know."

"He?" Dad repeated, a bit louder, "Do I know this guy?"

"No," I laughed, "he moved away already."

"You never told me you were in a long-distance relationship!" he cried in shock.

"No!" I said again, smiling. "He's got a girlfriend, Dad! She's named Tohru!"

"What a strange name for a girl..."

"But you didn't meet Tohru either," I added. "She's one of the sweetest girls ever. And then there's their friend Yuki -"

"Miss Nadeshiko..." How could I ever forget Yuki? "The Secret Base - when was the last time you were there?"

"- and their older cousin Shigure..."

"I know I always called you clever, but you're also a bit sensitive, did you know that? Is there something you're still looking for? One step at a time, Arya. Shall we take it slowly, then?"

"All of them are so nice!"

He cocked a thick eyebrow. "Alright then. I was just wondering. I'm only looking out for my daughter."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, Dad."

He grinned and ruffled my hair. "Why don't we all go out to eat later? Wouldn't that be fun?" he then suggested. Mai and I looked up and nodded.

"I'd like that," I replied.

"Yeah, I'm down," Mai added.

"Then it's settled. Isn't it nice how we can all be together again?" Mom commented, joining us.

We agreed.

"Hey, can I borrow your manga set of Fruits Basket?"

I looked up from my homework to meet eyes with Mai.

"Uh, sure, I guess. It's in my room and on the shelf," I answered. "Oh yeah, I checked the books. Kyo's still wearing his bracelet, don't worry."

"What a relief! Anyway, I'll try not to bend the pages," she joked.

I chuckled, pointing my pencil at her, "I'm serious, y'know. Be very careful with them."

"Of course," she grinned, "I really like Fruits Basket now. But Tohru was never really like us, was she? I think we were more like Yuki and Kyo, don't you think? 'Cause we argued so much before. Maybe that's why we were only able to break their curses. That's what I believe."

We stayed silent, as Mai stared into space. I traced my fingertips around the beads I wore on my wrist.

"I wonder how we changed the story, then," I mused, breaking the silence.

She winked. "I'll just have to read and find out." Then, she smiled at me and spun on her heels to head to my room and start reading. "Thanks, Arya!"

"I love you, idiot sister," I called out, teasing her.

"Love you, too, midget!"

I smiled to myself. Even though Mai and I only lifted the curse between the cat and the rat of the zodiac, it seemed like we also lifted a curse of our own.

And so, we continued our own lives with that dear, precious jewel - that Tohru, the Sohmas, and all the other characters of Fruits Basket gave to us - held closely to our hearts as time passed by.

The End.