Chapter 7.- It doesn't have to end this way.

Both, mother and daughter arrived to their home by mid-morning.

Chihiro phoned Mrs. Huyo and told her she had found Chiharu, and that they were reporting sick that day.

Chihiro and her daughter slept most of the morning and woke up in the afternoon.

Kasumi visited Chiharu and asked her what had happened.

"I bumped my head with a rock and fell unconscious." Chiharu explained. "When I woke up it was too late, I could see nothing, and then I got lost, I couldn't find my way home."

"You are certainly a case Chiharu." Kasumi said laughing. "But what about the magic river and the spirits?"

"There's nothing of that." Chiharu lied. "They're only legends."

Kasumi nodded.

Chiharu smiled vaguely while she took hold of the dragon necklace. The one Haku had given her (he had given it to Chihiro, and she to Chiharu).

.---.

That night Chihiro explained all the story to her daughter the right way (without the Prince and Princess thing).

"You told Yubaba something about an Eternal Power. I couldn't understand that." Chiharu said.

"All the Spirits have an essence, a natural power, Haku's is related to the water, because he's a river spirit." Chihiro explained. "The Spirits always inherit their power to their children, but if they don't have any, they leave it to the nearest spirit when they die."

"Yubaba wanted Haku's power." Chiharu deduced.

"Exactly." Chihiro nodded. "That's why she didn't want me there. If Haku had kids, he would give his power to them. When I left she thought she won. She didn't know that even before you had been born, when you were still inside my belly, you had already inherited Haku's power."

"So she never got the power." Chiharu said smiling.

"No." Chihiro shook her head. "Because you have it."

Chiharu smiled, proudly.

.---.

The days passed. Chiharu went back to attending school, and Chihiro to teaching Art.

What nobody seemed to notice was that they weren't the same persons anymore. Neither of them.

Chihiro sometimes got lost in her lessons, remembering her good times in the Spirit Realm. Everything she painted was related to dragons, Haku, spirits, or the friends she had met in the other world.

Chiharu dozed off often, daydreaming about what her life would be if they had stayed in the Spirit World. Now more than ever she wanted to believe that fairy-tales could come true, and that they would have their happy ending.

.---.

One day both mother and daughter where having dinner in the kitchen, when Chiharu came up with an idea.

"Why don't we write our story?" Chiharu proposed.

"What?" Chihiro asked confused.

"Yes." Chiharu insisted. "Why don't we write our own fairy-tale?"

Chihiro didn't think it was a too good idea, but accepted and began writing.

.---.

A couple of weeks later she was done.

"It's perfect." Chiharu said happily.

"It is not." Chihiro said. "No one will read a fairy-tale without a happy ending."

"It doesn't have to end this way." Chiharu whispered.

But Chihiro didn't listen; she was again lost in her own thoughts.

She left the kitchen and went to the backyard; she supported herself in the bard, watching her lone reflection in the river.

Suddenly she saw another reflection next to hers…

"Ha…" she cut herself shaking her head. "No, I must be imagining things again."

"No you're not." A voice said.

Chihiro looked at the reflection behind her, it was still there.

"You wanted me to follow you." Haku said. "And so I did."

"This must be a dream." Chihiro whispered, as she silently began crying.

"It isn't." Haku assured her. "I'm real, I'm here. I've come back for you, for both of you."

"Why? Why now?" Chihiro asked.

"Because I discovered I couldn't bear to see you leaving me again. I need you with me. I love you." He said solemnly as he embraced Chihiro.

Chihiro rested her head on his chest, sighing happily.

"It's like a fairy tale." Chihiro murmured. But then she remembered something. "Yubaba…"

"She ran away." Haku said.

"Why?" Chihiro asked.

"I suppose she knew that sooner or later I would follow you and get both of you back to the Spirit World with me." Haku said. "And she didn't want to risk loosing against you again. She left."

"What about the Bathhouse?" Chihiro asked.

"Zeniba owns it."

"Granny?"

"Yes. She owns it, but I administrate it, as she still lives at "Bottom of the Swamp". And Rin is my assistant."

"I see."

"Yubaba was wrong Chihiro. We can have a happy ending. We can live happily ever after."

Chihiro pressed herself tightly to him.

"Please come back with me." Haku pleaded. "Don't leave me again."

"Don't let me go." Chihiro pleaded at the same time.

"I never will." Haku assured her.

.-.

Meanwhile, Chiharu just looked at them happily.

"Seems like all my dreams are finally coming true." She said as she went back to the kitchen.

She opened the book her mother had written, and added some things.

"Now this fairy tale will have a happy ending." She said smiling.

"Chiharu!!" two voices called her.

"Come on sweety we're leaving!" Chihiro called.

"Coming!" Chiharu yelled back.

She closed the book and smiled, as she left with her parents. To live a new life, a happy one.

.---.---.---.

"And what happened after that mommy?" a girl asked.

"Prince Haku took Princess Sen and little Princess Hari back to the Spirit Kingdom. And once there Haku and Sen were crowned as King and Queen, and Hari was considered Royal Princess. The evil witch Yubaba never returned. And the Royal family lived happily ever after."

"Why does every fairy-tale has to have a happy ending?" a boy asked.

"Because if not it wouldn't be a fairly-tale, fool." The girl said.

"I prefer stories about wars and dragons." The boy insisted.

"No, better princes rescuing beautiful princesses." The girl said.

"Don't argue." The mother said. "And go to sleep now."

"Yes mommy." Both kids said at once and got to bed.

The woman tucked them in and then left the bedroom, once outside she saw her husband.

"Good night Kasumi, dear." He kissed her. "What were you doing?"

"Just telling my kids an old fairy-tale a friend of mine wrote." Kasumi answered as she closed the book she had in her hands and looked at the cover.

It read:

Humans and Spirits.

Like a Fairy Tale

By: Chihiro Ogino, and Chiharu Materu.

The End.

And it's over!!! Finally…

Really, I felt like this was taking me an eternity to finish, but it's finally done. I know it's not long, and that maybe I could have added some more things, but I didn't want the story to become too long (I already have too many of those), tedious (I'm not sure if any of my stories ended up like that but I hope not) and without me knowing when or how to end it (believe me, it has happened before).

Now that this is over I may not write a fic about this for a while (I mean about Spirited Away), that's because I'm currently working in a Full Metal Alchemist fic, and a crossover between Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha, those two fics are taking a lot of time; and besides I still have all my other stories I'm still updating.

On recommendations, please I would like you to read my fic of "Yokai Love", it's of Yu Yu Hakusho, and though I don't have that many chapters up yet I promise that as soon as I get reviews I'll update (it makes me sad that no one is leaving reviews there, that's why I don't update soon).

Oh, something else. If any of you guys reading this is reading "Two Roses" as well, please forgive me, I just haven't had the inspiration to continue that fic, but I promise I'll be doing it soon (as soon as I possibly can).

Well, I think those were all the notes. Thanks to all of those who were with me throughout all this fic, I love you, you're my reason for going on as a fanfic-writer.

See you in the next fanfic!