Kiku had grown to love the nighttime. She loved to watch the moon and stars shimmering brightly in the dark blue sky. She loved the feel of the night's cool air. It was never cold, but without the sun one was able to avoid the immense heat that went with it. Okarina and Kana loved this time most of all, as they couldn't stand Suna's heat... and Kiku had eventually grown to enjoy it too.

Now her cousins were gone, but Kiku still enjoyed this time...even when she was alone. She remembered something Okarina had told her once, about how no matter who you are or where you are, everyone sees the same moon. She used to say that it kept her connected to her brothers and friends in Konoha in some small way.

Kiku liked to watch it and hope that, at that moment, the people she missed were watching it with her...Okarina...and Gaara. She wanted one thing that could still tie her to them, and she found that in watching the moon. It took away some of the loneliness that she felt.

It was because she loved the night that she accepted her mothers request to go get the family some drinks from the store so late. It gave Kiku time to watch the sky, as the only store open that time of night was rather far from their house.

She'd made this trip many times with Okarina, but it was so different with her gone...so quiet. Kiku played with her simple gold necklace, twirling it around her finger before playing with the clasp on her bag. Kiku's mother hadn't bothered to count the money she gave her daughter, and had given her much more than she needed for drinks. Kiku wondered if she should get herself a snack while she was at it.

A cough from directly behind her made the girl turn around. She didnt recognize these strangers one bit.

One look at the sneering pair of men set her heart racing and she wondered how she could get out of this.

The next thing she knew, however, she was being dragged and shoved against the alley wall by the smaller of the two.

"Stop it! Let me go!" Kiku screamed, hoping someone would hear her at this time of night. She cursed her luck.

"Now listen, princess, just give us that necklace and anything else you got on you, and maybe we'll think of letting you go." the one holding her smiled wickedly, hands squeezing her small arms harshly. She winced, and tried to squirm away.

"Let me go!" she yelled again.

The taller man stepped closer to the two and Kiku's eyes widened at the glistening object in his hand.

"I don't think princess wants to play along yet." He laughed, moving his friend aside, waving the kunai in her face. "Do you want to play along, princess? We just need some money...you have some, don't you?"

Kiku felt her head nod and she looked to her bag. The taller man's eyes filled with greed and he cut the bag from her side. He started to dig through it.

"Well, you really are a princess, aren't you?" He pulled the money her mother had given her from the bag. The other loosened his grip on the girl before letting go slightly to look at the money himself.

Noticing they were suddenly distracted, Kiku shoved the shorter man as hard as she could and turned to run away, screaming.

She only made it to the edge of the alley before she was grabbed again. Speed was not something she was known for.

Kiku knew she was done for, they wouldn't let her go again. Her eyes shut and she let out one final scream, hoping someone would hear.

A searing pain ripped across her side and the man's grip dissapeared. Kiku's eyes shot back open and she was face to face with someone she'd hoped to see for the longest time.

So much older than she remembered...but it was definitelly him. Kiku's heart pounded harsh against her chest.

"Gaara..." she whispered quietly, wincing and looking down at the thin, deep gash along her side. Kiku turned to look behind her and let out a gasp. The man that had grabbed her was now kneeling on the ground, clutching at the sand through his side. She briefly saw the sand go through his friend as well before they were comletely encased in it.

"Sand burial..."

Kiku heard Gaara's words and the screams of her attackers...then silence as red sand fell to the ground around her.

Kiku didn't know what to do. She couldn't understand what just happened. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or scared. Her mind was just a flurry of thoughts and she stood there motionless.

The thin string of sand winding its way around her neck finally pulled her back to reality. Kiku looked at Gaara and he glared back. Those eyes...they were the same as always...but they no longer held their childish gaze. They were only full of hate...recognition and hate.

The sand tightened around the petite girl's throat, lifting her feet off the ground and she knew he was going to kill her too.

'This is my fault.' she thought, 'He's like this because of me.' The thoughts and memories rushed through her head.

'If only I'd stood up to mother that night, or denied the Kazekage's request...maybe I'd still have the old Gaara...not this... Maybe this is my punishment for those mistakes.' Kiku's expression showed her sadness, not fear, and Gaara's glare only intensified.

"Don't look at me like that!" He ordered.

Tears filled her eyes but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. The sand slowly tightened and she had trouble making much sound, but she whispered the one thing she wished to say if she was going to die.

"I'm sorry...Gaara-kun."

The sand tightened, cutting off all air from Kiku's lungs before it froze for a moment.

"Don't say that!" He yelled.

The sand dropped and she fell to her knees gasping for air.

Gaara clutched his head and screamed.
The sand rushed at her again, as she tried to stand up, swirling all around. Small cuts formed all along her body from the rough grains flying past her. Kiku's attention moved back to the throbbing gash in her side and she saw the pool of blood it had formed on the ground.

She suddenly felt dizzy.

Kiku tried to walk and stumbled forward, falling to her knees again.

Gaara slowly looked back to the girl, his head pounding, screaming at him to kill her...to prove his existence...but that face and those eyes...they made him remember things he tried to forget. It wouldn't let him go through with it.

Then he saw the blood...there was so much. She was dying anyway, he thought...he could leave her and ignore those eyes. His existence was still proven. He chuckled darkly and backed away from her. He turned to leave...he felt like going home now.

Kiku watched him go, and tears continued to fall from her eyes.

'This is my fault...'

She turned over to lay on her back and stared blankly at the moon. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the sound of footsteps.

Chapter End Notes:

So Gaara's back...kinda...
This is before he leaves for the chunin exams so he was still pretty kill happy...so...yeah...o.o It doesn't end well for anyone who bumps into Gaara at night...or ever at this point...I didn't want Kiku to be too much different in that respect...just a little bit different cuz of their history together. Hopefully it didn't suck too bad XD