Shades of Gray
Summary: Haku never tried to see Chihiro but once she decides to return to Spirit World the night that her parents die she receives a less than warm welcome from him since his attention is on another spirit like himself. With nowhere left to turn, Chihiro calls upon the promise of a childhood friend, Serena. Together, the two are prepared to show Haku and the other members of the Aburaya that just because they're human doesn't mean that they should be taken at face value. The question is, will Haku ever see Chihiro for the wonderful person that she is?
Disclaimer: I own nothing off of Spirited Away (wish I did though)! The only thing I own is the plot and any and all original characters and creatures.
Prologue: Promises Between Sisters"Chihiro! What are you doing?" Called Serena, one of Chihiro's closest friends. Serena was a very beautiful and exotic looking girl. Her hair was a long mass of silvery blonde curls and her eyes were a bright startling green color flecked with gold. Unlike Chihiro's other friends, Serena was a foreigner but that didn't stop her from making friends.
"Planet earth to Chihiro. The mother planet is requesting if you are home or off in space, come in please." Serena teased.
"I was just thinking about stuff." Chihiro answered and Serena rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"Thinking about what?" She asked.
"About how people change as they grow older." Chihiro answered.
Serena narrowed her eyes a bit and tilted her head slightly to the side as she considered Chihiro's words. Change… Yes, they all changed it seemed. When Serena had first met Chihiro she'd been a skinny little girl with dark drown hair that was constantly in a ponytail. The skinny little girl was gone now though, replaced by a slender young woman with long dark brown eyes and, in Serena's opinion, deep dark brown eyes that held a hint of mystery about them.
In reality, both girls were each extraordinarily beautiful in their own way. Chihiro's, despite her dark coloring, was the true sunshine beauty of the two. She was always sweet and kind to people, her years in the spirit world had taught her to have a better outlook on life, and was good in school and sports. But she was known to have a smart mouth from time to time, usually when some guy tried to push her into dating him constantly. Serena, even though her coloring was fair, was the night creature. Her seemingly delicate frame and beauty hid an unusual strength that came from years of dance and martial arts. More sassy natured than Chihiro, Serena was often in trouble for pulling pranks or for doing dangerous stunts that nearly scared her family to death. Yet she was a loyal friend to Chihiro and possessed a genuinely caring nature.
"I think people always change, no matter how old they are." Serena said thoughtfully and then shook her head. "No. That's not true. People change if they want to grow and expand. The people who don't grow stagnant."
"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Chihiro exclaimed excitedly.
Serena grinned at her and shrugged. "What can I say? Great minds think alike."
Chihiro smiled back at her. Serena often said things like that. Despite the fact that she was sixteen and hid her real intelligence, Serena was a genius. Not in as really smart but a real, certified genius, even though you wouldn't guess since she acted like a kid. Chihiro looked at her friend thoughtfully and wondered what she was thinking about. Serena reminded her of Haku sometimes. Both seemed to be so much older than what they really were.
Haku… In six years he'd never come for her; never showed any sign that he cared for her at all. "Thinking about him again?" Serena asked; Chihiro had told her everything a little over four years ago.
"Why hasn't he ever tried to see me?" Chihiro whispered.
"Maybe he's waiting for you to grow up so that he can use his dark sensual magic on you." Serena teased but her smile faded away when she saw the sad look on Chihiro's face. "I don't know. Maybe he's gathering his strength. Didn't you say that his river had been filled in?"
"Yes," Chihiro replied. "It's just been so long."
Serena gave her a hug and sat down on the ground. She'd come over to Chihiro's to tell her something very important and she hoped that her friend wouldn't be as upset as she'd been. "Chihiro, I need to tell you something." She said softly. "I'm moving."
"What?! Why?" Chihiro gasped in shock.
Serena scowled fiercely and tossed her hair back, her eyes almost seeming to glow in rage before she closed them. "It's supposed to be for my own good. My father wants us to go back to France to 'complete my training' as he calls it."
"But you'll come back?" Chihiro asked.
Serena opened her eyes then and looked over at her best friend, the sadness she felt apparent in her green gaze. "I don't know if we will or not."
Chihiro nodded and sniffled a bit to keep from crying. Serena seeing this felt her anger at her father rise up again. What did she need to train for? It wasn't like they were a family of spies or anything! Still… there was no way she could leave Chihiro like this. So decided she pulled off the necklace she always wore and stared at it for a moment. The pendant on the necklace was made of gold, silver, and platinum. Basically, it depicted a silver crescent moon inside a gold circle, inside a platinum sun. Her family symbol, a symbol that would have her bound to it for forever and to those who wore it. "Here." She said and slipped it around Chihiro's neck. "Now, no matter where you are or where I am, I'll always be able to come to you if you need me." She swore.
Chihiro looked down at the necklace that Serena had placed around her neck and shook her head. "I can't accept this!" She protested and started to take it off but Serena stopped her gently.
"It is an insult to refuse." She said softly, gently reproving her.
Chihiro sighed and frowned at her. "You and all your foreign customs!" She complained a second before she hugged Serena. "I'll miss you, night sister."
"And I you, day sister." Serena answered and hugged her back. Blood wasn't needed to make people family, these two had been sisters from the moment they met. The last words that Serena said to Chihiro before she left was "don't be afraid to go back. Follow your heart. Always…"
