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.
Chapter 1: Goodbye's the Saddest WordThe terrifying sound of metal ripping into flesh and bone is one of the worst things that you would ever want to hear. Another is the sound of screeching tires and shattering glass and the terrified screams of those you love. But the worst thing of all is to see all of this and know that it's not just some horrible nightmare that you can make up from.
Somehow, Chihiro was thrown out of the car just as it smashed and then wrapped itself around a tree. It was a sight that most grown men would have blanched at, it was a sight that sent a nineteen-year-old Chihiro into shock. Haku… I need you. She thought desperately and unknowingly began to walk towards the gateway to the Spirit World. Her mind not yet ready to accept the fact that her parents were really and truly dead. Somehow, in her dazed state of mind, she made it to the gateway and actually passed through.
"I'm here." She said and passed out into sweet oblivion.
"What are you doing here, Sen?" Demanded a cold voice that was oddly familiar.
My name is Chihiro. Not Sen. Chihiro thought groggily as she opened her eyes and saw an angry Haku glaring coldly down at her. He was taller now, and older. Most likely the same age as her or a bit older but he'd kept his hair cut the same and his eyes were still the same dark forest green they'd always been yet… they were colder now.
"Haku?" She asked, a bit off balance.
"It's Master Haku." He corrected her. "Why are you here?"
"I…"
"You have to go back." He said and grabbed her arm and started to pull her forcefully along.
"Haku! You're hurting me!" She cried.
"Good. Maybe that will knock some sense into your thick skull." She replied harshly, shocking them both. He stopped then and started to turn to apologize when a sound caught both of their attention.
"Haku! Haku!" Cried a young woman as she sprinted towards them her long beautiful black hair billowing behind her. "Haku, what are you doing with a smelly human?" She asked curiously, her burgundy eyes searching his.
"Nothing Sakura. Just getting rid of the filth." He answered reassuringly.
Chihiro stared at him in shock for a long moment and then wrenched her arm out of his grasp. Startled, Haku's gaze jerked to her but when he took a step towards her she stumbled back. "You're not Haku. You're a monster!" She cried and ran, unconsciously grasping the pendent that Serena had given her so long ago and wished that she was safe at Zeniba's instead of here with Haku. Almost as soon as she finished forming the thought a warm golden mist surrounded her body and Chihiro disappeared. Leaving a very surprised Haku and Sakura behind.
"Wake up, dear. Oh, Chihiro! Please wake up." Zeniba said worriedly to the unconscious girl who was asleep on a spare futon. Behind her, Kaorashi made his soft uh's and added his two cents in. "Come on dear, wake up." Zeniba said and gently shook Chihiro. This time the girl responded and blinked her eyes sleepily at them.
"Wha what happened?" She asked.
"We were hoping that you could tell us dear." Zeniba answered.
Chihiro nodded and started from the beginning, telling them everything from the wreck to Haku's hurtful words.
"I'm sorry child." Zeniba said sympathetically and gently took the pendent in her hand. "You say that you grabbed this? Who gave this necklace to you?" She asked.
"A friend of mine gave it to me about three years ago." She answered and held it in her hand again. "I wish that Serena was here now. I need her." She whispered. Feeling a strange heat in her hand she looked down at the pendant and was stunned to see it glowing just as a warm gold colored light filled the room.
"No matter where you are, or where I am, if you need me I'll be there. I promise." Said a voice out of the light just before it disappeared. An older version of the girl that Chihiro knew stood there grinning at her. "What's up, sis?" She asked in the next moment.
"Serena!" Chihiro exclaimed and threw her arms around the girl.
"Hey, what is it, mon amie?" Serena asked worriedly as she looked around and finally noticed the other occupants in the room. "Wow. A lady with a whole bunch of hair and a man in a cloak and a mask." She murmured in surprise.
"They're my friends; Zeniba and Kaorashi." Chihiro explained.
"Zeniba…that means money crone and Kaorashi…doesn't that mean no face?" She asked curiously.
"Very good, for a human anyway." Zeniba told her.
"Merci, madame." Serena replied and looked back down at Chihiro. "What's wrong, sis? Why do you need me for?" She asked again.
Slowly, with help from Zeniba, Chihiro retold her story to Serena. When she was finished Serena looked very angry and her bright green eyes almost seemed to radiate energy and annoyance. "What a jerk!" She growled. "You should have punched out a few of his teeth and hers to just for the hell of it!" She added.
"A human hit Haku!" Zeniba laughed and shook her head at the fair human girl with the strange accent. "You have a lot of courage little one but Haku is a river spirit."
"So? Does that give him the right to do as he pleases?" She demanded.
Zeniba looked at the girl thoughtfully and for the first time noticed the stirrings of magic around the girl. "Tell me child, how is it that a mere human was able to bind herself to another so strongly that she was able to travel to Spirit World."
"Yeah, Serena. I don't understand how you could be here." Chihiro told her.
Serena looked down at her hand sheepishly and the smiled uneasily at them. "Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't have a clue?"
"No."
"No."
"Uh."
She sighed and said, "alright alright! I get the point." She stretched a bit then a got ready to explain. "Chihiro, do you remember all the training that my father made me do while I was younger?"
"Of course."
"Well as it turns out my family have been 'Guardians' for centuries. Basically, a Guardian is a person with magic whose main purpose in life is to protect and help others. So since I promised to help you should you ever need me I was able to answer the pendant's call."
"So the pendant holds the actual power?" Zeniba asked.
"Yes and no. The pendant's powers are an extension of my own but it will give Chihiro certain powers. I think…" She frowned and shook her head. "But this is all besides the point. We have to go back to the Aburaya, Chihiro. We have to show Haku that you're strong enough to be without him but he's not nearly as strong as he thinks!"
"Serena! We can't!" Chihiro scolded. "Besides, Yu-Baaba would have to give us a job then."
"Oh I can get us a job." Serena told her with a mischievous grin. "Never fear of that. The only question is, do you think that you can go back and face them all?"
Chihiro was silent for a long moment as she thought over what Serena had said. She knew that Haku was very strong but Serena actually believed she could handle him. Serena's always believed in me. It's my turn to believe in what she says. Chihiro decided. "Yes. I can face them." She said aloud.
"Great! I'm going to need a few of my friends from back home and a few other things but that'll be easy to handle. Now, here's what we're going to do…"
One year later…Yu-Baaba was giving orders to Haku when she stopped suddenly; an icy chill tingled its way down her spine. "Someone's coming." She said and turned to look out the window.
"What is it?" Haku asked.
"I don't know. It's different, whatever it is…" She murmured.
"I want a job, Madame Yu-Baaba." Called a soft feminine voice from the shadows.
"Who's there!?" Yu-Baaba demanded as she whirled around. Haku was already scanning the room with his eyes and was startled when a small, cloaked woman stepped into the light and faced them.
"I want you to give me a job which I am qualified for." She said
Yu-Baaba sneered and glared at her. "A human! What is a human qualified for when it can't even show its face!" She taunted.
"Many things." Answered the human and yanked off her cloak. The strange silvery blonde curls instantly caught their attention but it was the bright green eyes that watched them both that held it. "My name is Serena LaCroix. I want you to give me a job here as an entertainer."
"Oh really?" Yu-Baaba asked. "And why should I do that?"
"Because I, am one damn good dancer and I know that I can pull in more customers. I'm also a pretty good singer as are the others in my dance troop."
"You are awfully bold for a human." Haku told her.
"Oh? Why should my being human matter about that?" She asked haughtily. "Should I cower before you when I am your equal in every way?"
"My equal?!" Haku barely managed to say as he tried not to gape at the girl.
"Indeed. Unless of course, you think you're better than I but… if you think that then I demand to be shown what makes you so much better." She replied and then she looked at him with a sneer as she added, "oath breaker."
Yu-Baaba, who'd been quiet all this time, now began to laugh. "Fine, I'll give you and your dance troop each a contract as the Aburaya's new form of entertainment; but only because you've entertained me by arguing with Haku."
"No. You offer me the contract as the manager. The rest of my troop already have contracts with me so you will deal with me and only with me."
Yu-Baaba studied the young woman shrewdly and chuckled. "You're smart for such a young brat."
"Merci. May I have my contract now?" She asked.
"Of course." Zeniba answered and a paper and pen floated to Serena. "Just sign here." After Serena signed the contractor Yu-Baaba called it back to her and started to pull Serena's name from the paper but it remained written in the black ink.
"I signed a contract allowing you my services for a time, not a dealing to control me." Serena told her.
"Fine!" Zeniba snapped. "What do you need?"
"Just a fairly large room that guests won't mind sitting in once we've got it fixed up."
"Agreed, but you'll have to clean it yourselves."
"No problem."
"Haku, show her the unused hall." Zeniba said, dismissing them both.
After they were on the elevator Serena looked Haku over and snorted. He was handsome she'd give him that. He was tall, taller than her or Chihiro and seemed to be well muscled with dark green eyes that were looking at her intently. Unfortunately, she just plain didn't like him or his attitude that he had towards Chihiro.
"Why did you call me an oath breaker?" He asked.
"Have you ever broken a promise?"
"No."
"You're lying." She answered and narrowed her eyes at him. "I really detest people who lie."
"And I really detest humans."
"Wonderful. Then we should get along well don't you think oath breaker?"
"Why do you keep calling me that?!" He demanded.
"Figure it out." She taunted and stepped out of the elevator just as the doors opened. "Lead the way." She instructed, waving her hand haughtily.
"What a mess." Chihiro said as she and the other humans that Serena had brought to Spirit World entered the room that Yu-Baaba had given to them to use.
"Yep but don't worry, pretty girl, we shall make it shine!" Cried Diego, a handsome man from Spain that loved to flirt with all the ladies. Diego had dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin, and a quick smile that always made her feel better.
Chaz, an American had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, a killer body and a playful sense of humor. His twin sister, Kitty, shared his coloring but she was a very beautiful girl and more serious than her happy go lucky brother.
And last but not least was Ace. He was also an American but he had midnight black hair and steely gray eyes that always seemed to be laughing at some private joke. He was tall and very good-looking with a well-toned body that any dancer would kill to have.
"Alright babies, let's get to work!" Serena said as she came in behind them and set the stereo down and popped a CD in after turning it on.
"Right!" Chihiro agreed and they all grabbed brooms and set to work, after Serena tossed them their headset mikes anyway. None of the music CD's they owned had vocals, that was their job along with dancing.
I'm just a simple girl in a high tech, digital world.
Trying to understand all the guys who rule this land.
His name is Jay's be butter boss; Kate Moss can't find a job.
In a world of modern fad; what is good, now is bad.
It's not hard to understand just follow this simple plan…Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction
And though you're mine…
Your intuition.
Is easy to find!
Just follow your heart baby!
Although they didn't know it, they were being watched by members of the Aburaya; and most especially by the spirit, Sakura. The only people who weren't there was Bou and Yu-Baaba. Haku was there as well, but he was out of sight of everyone for now.
You look at me but you're not quite sure…
Am I it or could you get more?
You look cool for magazines; you're in love with Charlie Sheen
If you want me, let me know it. I promise I won't say no!
Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction
And though you're mine…
Your intuition.
Is easy to find!
Just follow your heart baby!
You got sumthin that you're wantin to sell?
Sell your skin; just cash in.
You got sumthin that you wantin to tell?
You'll love me, wait and see.
If you want me…
Don't play games.
I promise, it won't be in vain.
By this time they'd finished sweeping and had tied scrub brushes onto their shoes and after dumping buckets of soapy water onto the floor they began to dance around the whole room. Amazingly, they never fell and the room was quickly being cleaned. Then the guys grabbed hold of the girls and lifted them into the air so that hey could use the brushes on their feet to scrub the walls. Over and over this unusual cleaning dance was done. The whole time the girls sang and kept up the rhythm with easy smiles.
Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction.
And though you're mine…
Your intuition.
Is easy to find!
Just follow your heart baby!
Just follow your heart.
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction.
And though you're mine.
Your intuition.
Leaves you easy to find, just follow your heart baby!
Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction.
And though you're mine…
Your intuition.
Is easy to find!
Just follow your heart baby!
Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction.
And though you're mine…
Your intuition.
Is easy to find!
Just follow your heart baby!
Follow your heart!
Your intuition.
It will lead you in the right direction.
And so they continued to get the room ready for the night's performance. Never ceasing to stop in their cleaning. Soon after, the members of the Aburaya left to seek their beds. Well all save two. Haku and Rin both stayed but only because one of the girls reminded them so much of Sen, but Sen was gone. Wasn't she?
If I promised you forever, would you stay?
Forever doesn't mean ever.
Eternity then?
Only if eternity means always.
