My Name is Ryu

"Wait!" He shouted as he held out his palm and almost as if frozen in time everyone stopped... and Inu found herself frozen right in the doorway halfway through a step. She it the ground like a rag doll and, after realizing her voice remained intact, she screamed every obsinety she knew before Haku appeared within seconds and put a hand over her mouth.

Inu glared at him, a look she'd almost perfected over the last three years she'd been at home in the dump that was her uncle's house. Haku didn't see, to pay attention as he picked her up and darted outside once more, into the flower garden were he set her leaning against a cherry tree and said in an irritated voice that could've passed for anger, "What were you thinking? You can't get across now! You'll be stuck here!"

"Why can't I move you bastard!" Inu snarled at him teeth bared as the bone shaped dog tag on her dog collar clicked against a heart shaped one and he knelt to look at it as he answered her calmly, his irritation having become hidden once more to his thoughts.

"I put a spell on you so you wouldn't get into the bath house. It's dangerous for you to be here." His smooth hands lifted up the heart shaped dog tag and he said, "So, Miyu, here's what you're going to have to-"

"My name is NOT Miyu!" Inu snarled once for and she snapped her teeth shut where Haku's hand had been only to find he ha drawn it away so fast all that remained was air.

"It's not? then what is your name? My name is Haku."

"Inu." She snapped, seeing that cruelty was not working she felt herself relax as she gave up. It was a natural reflex she had earned herself: to be prepared to bend with each punch when she had lost a fight or argument.

"Ok. Inu, I-"

"Hey Haku! I hear there's another human! Did Chihiro come back?" Lin yelled as she made a fast turn around a rose bush and then stopped.

"Oh, I see your aquatinted. Well Haku what do you plan on doing with this one seeing as its not Chihiro?"

"I'm going to send her to Kamaji."

"Haku," Lin said sighing as she put her hands on her hips, "You know Kamaji will just send her to me to take to Yubaba."

"So you're going to just take her?" Haku said looking at Lin who smiled and said, "Well yeah, I mean the last human ended up my assistant why shouldn't this one? So what's your name kid?"

"I'm 16. I'm not a kid. And my name is Inu." Inu spoke looking down and finally, after realizing she could move, standing and looking at them. "So?"

"So what? Come on, I'll take you to go talk to Yubaba." Lin said and Inu followed without a word to Haku, that is, until Lin turned back to him and said, "Hey Haku! You better have a plan to get her inside by the time we get there."

"Don't worry, I will."

By the time they reached the doorway into the bath house then found it deserted. "How'd Haku manage this one?" Lin wondered allowed and was answered quickly but a girl she knew as Tora, a girl from the restraunt floor, as she shrieked, "Oh poor Master Haku! Who did this to you!"

Inu heard Haku say something in a ragged breath and cough and Lin smiled, "Heh, Haku must've had a hell of a time beating himself up if everyone's trying to help him."

"Huh?" Inu asked raising an eyebrow as she trudged a little behind Lin, shoulders slumped as if forcing herself to stand as her stomach gave a loud growl and Lin smiled, "Hungry?"

"A little..." That was when Inu remembered Cousin and Uncle and was about to as Lin about them when Lin shoved her into an elevator as Tora came running down the hall.

"Did you hear? Haku's all beaten up! He can barely stand! Don't you want to help Lin?"

Lin looked at the girl and said rolling her eyes, "You know, Tora, that Haku's not interested in you OR me, so don't bother. Now I have to get to Yubaba's or I'll get turned into a fish." And with that, Lin walked into the elevator and pulled the lever leaving the pretty waitress looking wide eyed were she'd been standing.

"What was that all about?" Inu asked, annoyed that no one was telling her anything and Lin sighed. "Two years ago Haku's... well... It'd be like turning fifteen in YOUR years, and ever since almost every girl in the bath house has been trying for him."

"Why? He's a bastard." Inu, showing her usual talent for speaking before thinking, was greeted by a laugh, "Good thing I'm not the only one who thinks so. This is as high as this elevator goes, we'll have to get out and get in one that goes higher. Yubaba lives on the top floor."

After changing elevators in silence a few more times Lin left Inu on the floor in front of Yubaba's home. Inu stepped forward, her feet now bare since Lin had taken her shoes, and she knocked on the door with a hunger-weakened fist.

"Another human? well atleast YOU have manners. Come in." Said the door-knocker, making Inu jump as the doors opened before her and she looked stupidly inside, she felt her muscles tensing up as she prepared to take a step and instead was greeted by the sensation of begging pulled forward from an invisible lasso around her ankles.

"Well?" Yubaba said looking at Inu from were she'd face planted on the floor, and she looked up an asked exactly what Lin had told her too.

"May I please have a job?"

"Is it Chihiro, Mama?" said a babies voice as Yubaba's giant child walked in from his toy room and Yubaba shook her head as she stood, "No sweetie, it's another human."

"Oh, ok." He said as he yawned and walked back into his toy room.

"Who is this fricking Chihiro person!" Inu said, having reached the end of her rope before saying remembering Lin's orders"...and may I PLEASE have a job? I just want to work! I can work hard! Harder then anyone else!"

Yubaba, having gone through this before, waved the requests away and a paper and pen flew to Inu as if by magic.

"You make any mistakes I'll turn you into pigs like your father and brother, understand?'

"Yes..." Inu said as she caught the paper in her long fingered hand and sat down by the fire place to sign her name.

"It IS by magic." Inu reminded herself as she ran a finger through tangled strands of hair before signing in scribbled, sloppy hand writing, and as the paper returned to Yubaba she felt as if something had just been pulled out of her rib cage as Yubab said. "Inu? what an ugly name. You'll need a prettier name to work in MY bath house... Hm... Your new name will be Ryu, got it?" Inu's old name peeled off the paper and flew to Yubaba's hand and suddenly as if she was flying she felt the wait of her uncles curse vanish, and be replaced by what felt like shackles...

But the shackles were light compared to carrying around such an ugly name.

"My name is Ryu..." Inu gave what was left of her smile in a half a second then it was gone.

"You sent for me." Haku said and Inu jumped, having not noticed him.

"This girl signed a contract-"

"Find her a job. I know. What's your name?" Haku looked at her and Inu's angry eyes glared at him as she answered noticing the absence of any wounds on his apparently flawless skin.

"In-Ryu...Ryu..." Inu had to stop herself from saying her old name as he nodded and she followed him out of Yubaba's office back to the elevator.

"Lin." Haku barked as he walked down the hall to their rooms, and Ryu noticed finally how late it had gotten to be.

"Yeah, Yeah." Lin said and they traded looks of loathing as Ryu walked over to Lin, and then followed her into their room.

Ryu,

Ryu means Dragon.

But inside? Inu felt the familiar feeling return to her. No matter what name she was called by, she'd always feel like nothing more then a dog.

Inu took the bowl of food Lin handed to her and took a small bite before setting it down beside her as she sat outside and waited for Lin to find her some new clothes.

She put her forehead against the rail, and closed her eyes. And the hungry jaws of sleep which were waiting there to claim her devoured her hungrily and trapped her in yet another nightmare as she rested in its belly, just waiting for the jaws on life to over take sleep and devour it in the vicious cycle she'd become accustom to.

But atleast the next day, she'd have a reason to wake up.

REVIEW! Thanx to all my reviewers! They make me type faster!