"No," Kuraku whispered as she watched sand creep from the gourd up Kichigai's back.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Kichigai shouted, with a deeper, smoother voice that of a woman of sixteen or seventeen. The sand crept, slowly encasing Kichigai. Tails shot out. One two three four. It didn't stop 'till it reached twelve.
"Snap out of it, Kichigai! Come on!" Kuraku yelled as she shook Kichigai's shoulders.
"I'm sorry I have to do this!" Atsuiaru said. She stood back and yanked a shuriken star from her belt and slashed it at Kichigai, hitting her in her pressure point on her shoulder, knocking her out.
"No! You cannot contain her true self! She has no need for you!" Yelled the demon as the sand fell from Kichigai's body, creeping back into the gourd. Kuraku quickly shook Kichigai awake before anything else could happen, knowing that if the host or hostess slept for more than an hour, the Toshiosurukemono would control them until the host woke up.
"What happened?" Kichigai asked, holding her head as she pushed herself up from the ground, noticing Gaara had seen the whole thing, and was watching up from a tree. She turned red and looked away.
That girl… Gaara thought. Has the Toshiosurukemono within her.
Atsuiaru backed away slowly.
"What the?" Kichigai asked, watching her back away. Suddenly, she realized. "No!" She screamed, and held out her hand, making Atsuiaru jump.
"It's t-t-true! It's real!" Atsuiaru screamed.
NO NO NO NO!!! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN! PLEASE DON'T! I'M BEGGING YOU! I CAN'T BE ALONE! NOT AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!
Kichigai, without thinking, closed her fist. Atsuiaru gasped and ran away, but the sand caught her and wrapped around her squirming body.
"Please let me go! I am sorry if I angered you! Please don't kill me!" Atsuiaru screeched.
"I'm not trying to kill you! I can't control it! Please, forgive me!" Kichigai yelled back. She pulled her hands away and held them together, freeing Atsuiaru. She bolted off crying. Kuraku chased after her, trying to calm her down. Kichigai watched as they ran off. She just stood there. She reached to the side of the strong ribbon that wrapped around her and the gourd to hold it to her back and pulled out a little stuffed toy, with twelve tails. They look as if they had been sown on one by one. It was the Toshiosurukemono stuffed toy she had. Each birthday ever since she was five, in which she had sown it with five tails to catch up when she made it, she'd sown a tail on for each birthday. She held it to her heart, as if it would help her.
My mother, she thought, had helped me make this. I must keep it close to me. Or I lose it all. Memories aren't enough. Now Atsuiaru is to afraid to even look at me. What am I going to do?! I can't be alone. Not again. God, no. Never again. Please, she thought, clutching the stuffed monster to her heart, never, ever again.