Neighbors: Swimming Upsteam

by Siren & SpelCastrMax

Authors Note (Yes there's 2 of us for the price of one): Everyone has

seen Spirited Away and EVERYONE wanted a longer ending, so here's our

rendition. Enjoy.

From SIREN: Hey people! We're back!!

From SPELCASTRMAX: Well...sort of.

SIREN: What is it with you?

SPELCASTRMAX: Only the animation gods can answer that one. Chuck

Jones, smite Siren.

SIREN: Rrrrrright

(insert giant paint brush from sky which paints Siren's face with clown

makeup)

SIREN: That.....was.....uncalled for.

SPELCASTRMAX: Thank you Mr. Jones. I shall pay homage to your Bugs

Bunny later.

(SIREN shakes her head)

Chapter Three: Swimming Upstream

The whistle blew, followed by eight splashes as the group of high

schoolers descended into the pool. Cheers erupted from the stands as

parents, friends, and family stood to attention.

One female voice stood out quite well. A brunette called Lin was

screaming, "Go Chihiro! Come on, Yukari! Yeah!" She glanced down at the

teen who remained in his seat, his back perfectly straight and he was

far from excited. Lin jabbed the boy in the ribs. "Haku, don't be such

a stick!"

Haku didn't take his eyes from the girl in the water. His voice,

deeper than it had been when he was in the form of a twelve year old, held

a suppressed emotion. "The last time Chihiro was in water it was not

that pleasant for her."

Lin sighed, then shouted over the crowd, "Are you still remembering

that little pink shoe experience?!" (A/N: That was for everyone who saw

the American dubbing and was sick of the "little pink shoe" reference.)

Haku took his eyes off Chihiro just long enough to glare at Lin. He

was taller now, finally towering over the woman beside him. His hair

was just long enough to be pulled back in a simple ponytail. The clothes

he wore were still the simple blue and white, but fit with the world he

was currently in: loose fitting jeans with a white tee-shirt accented

by a blue button down over shirt that always remained open.

Chihiro was the first to touch the wall. Yukari came in fourth. The

two came out of the water and embraced happily, still out of breath.

Lin settled down and glanced at Haku. "The race is over. You can stop

strangling your knees now."

He looked down and realized that she was speaking the truth. His

knuckles were white and his toes were going numb. Haku pried his own

fingers off, then relaxed as best he could while standing to clap.

It wasn't long before Lin noticed his face growing distracted.

Chihiro, with a smile that could spilt her face open had it been any wider,

energetically waved to them. As the pair returned the wave, Lin

whispered out of the corner of her mouth to Haku, "Get going."

He responded with a curt nod and swept away before Chihiro could see

him leave. As she forced a continual smile, Lin bit the inside of her

cheek silently cursing heaven, earth, little pink shoes, and anything

else she could think of.

Lin started down the bleachers to meet with Chihiro and her friends.

In nearly four years, the young humans had matured. Tommy was the

greatest change amongst them. Even as he stood a full dripping wet Ohio

six feet two, shinning his silver plated second place diving medal the

change was obvious. The "all elbows and knees" ten year old he had been

had filled out. Despite having the exact same hair style, his

"non-existent" social life seemed to have morphed into more girlfriends than he

knew what to do with.

Unlike her twin, Yukari's face and personality had changed very

little. Though it was a mess from being confined in her swimming cap, the

girl's now bobbed cut hair was same in color and body. The perfect

height for her age, she was taller than Chihiro yet shorter than Tommy. She

never lost her energy or openness. Practically the only thing that had

altered other than her haircut was her fashion sense.

Finally, there was Chihiro. The girl still had her open emotions,

whining occasionally when things were REALLY bad. Her baby fat had faded

away revealing slightly less round face. If not for the blue cap, one

would have noted the length of her straight hair. It now reached her

mid back and had lighter tint. Usually it was held back by a sparkly

violet elastic band which Yukari would constantly ask where she could

buy. Thin as ever, Chihiro had gained enough muscle to be the great

swimmer she had become. Lin thought back to the little girl who had been

crying her first night at the bathhouse. These days when things were

tough, Chihiro's reactions were different proof that she had grown on the

inside.

The two girls practically attacked Lin as she came near. Her red

blouse and black slacks were soaked from the embrace. The three turned to

Tommy who loudly protested, "No! I have enough girls hugging me

already!" Despites his "no's", they bombarded him with their wet forms.

Chihiro's smile turned to an irritated frown. "Okay, Lin. Where's

Haku this time?"

Yukari glanced around. "Yeah, where does he go?"

Lin, looking very uncomfortable, replied slowly, "He...had a job...to

do...over there." She offhandedly waved behind the bleachers.

The trio of teens gave the woman the same expression that had given

her for the last fours years, ever since her first trip to their world

and her first lame excuse for Haku. Of course, Tommy and Yukari never

realized Chihiro's mysterious friend and his "older sister" weren't

human, but they couldn't deny that something odd was going on.

The crowds thinned, Chihiro's parents congratulated her followed by,

"We'll meet you back at the house. Have fun with your friends?" The

father glanced at Lin with confusion as he often did. Chihiro's mother

was more friendly having been told the same tale as the twins - that Lin

was Haku's older sister.

Chihiro, Yukari, and Tommy left Lin to wait by the gate while they

changed into dry clothes. The wait was tedious for Lin as she anxiously

watched for Haku's return. It wasn't long after the three reemerged

from the locker rooms that Haku came back. He was battered on one side as

if he'd been dragged through the forest and a cut on his forehead had

created a river of blood down his face.

Tommy was the first to speak. He grimaced, "Oooh, that must hurt."

Taking a handkerchief from her pocket, an item Chihiro had grown

accustomed to carrying over the past years, she dabbed at the scraps on his

arm, muttering, "What did you do now?" Her eyes never met his.

Everyone noticed his wince at her tone. His answer, a grumble, was "I

fell down."

The twins in unison questioned, "Down what exactly?"

Lin smiled, slapping Haku upside his unscathed arm. She enjoyed

pretending to be his sister since she could knock him around without much

protest.

Chihiro's expression at last met Haku's, but the silent message was

one of "we need to talk...now!" At that look, Lin spoke up, "Time for me

to go work. Have fun tonight." She backed away, then power walked up

the hill.

Tommy shook his head and repeated his classic question, "She works in

the forest?"

"You guys go on up ahead," Chihiro instructed to the twins, "I need to

talk to Haku."

Yukiari gently wrapped an arm around Haku's shoulders. "I'll miss

you."

Tommy bowed to him, then the two hurriedly turned away. In a hushed

whisper that the pair behind them could still hear, Tommy added, "Are

they actually dating yet or what?" The question was followed by a grunt

as his sister's elbow came in contact with his ribs.

Spirit and human waited until the twins were out of listening range.

Chihiro at last confronted her friend, looking up into his face with

pleading eyes. "For last four years you've been disappearing and coming

back hurt. Now what's been going on? I want the truth, Kohaku."

Haku avoided eye contact, but his voice was firm. "I can't tell you,

Chihiro. Just trust me that it's for your own safety."

The girl, acting her age, poked at his forehead wound causing him to

cringe. "What about your safety?" She couldn't help smirking at her

side of the argument.

After a sigh, Haku place his hands on her shoulders and pivoted

Chihiro around to face the retreating backs of their two friends. With his

hands still on her shoulders, he leaned foreword to rest his cheek

beside hers. "This is your life and you have a responsibility to it, just

as I have a responsibility to you."

Realizing that their breath was in time with one another's, Haku

stepped back to gather his suddenly jumbled thoughts. He couldn't see the

blush on Chihiro's face.

As he broke their silence, Haku grabbed her hand, saying, "This is

your life so let's get on with it." He proceeded to run, pulling her

behind.

With the awkward moment gone, Chihiro joked, "Don't run at top speed,

please. I don't want to get pulled over by the police again."

_________________________

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