Well, that was a really, really hard chapter to write, and I have been stalling (in case you haven't noticed from the number of flashback chapters I've had (2)) but here it is. Hope you like it.

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"Understand Death? Sure. That was when the monsters got you."
-Mark Petrie; Stephen King, Salem's Lot, page 139

"We have the gate ready," Urahara told Kuro, twirling his cane in his hand. "You need to decide if you're coming."

She glanced at Ichigo, who was involved in a heated conversation with Rukia over…rabbits. "I'm going." She pulled out her zanpakuto and ran one long, thin finger over it. Her reiatsu jumped for a moment—though not nearly as high as when she lost control—before she sighed and it faded back to normal.

They all stared at her as she pocketed her zanpakuto once again. "What did you do?" Rukia asked.

Kuro smiled wanly, staring down at the hilt of her sword. "I was trying to put some of my reiatsu into my zanpakuto, so if I lost control, I wouldn't be as strong. It didn't work. I never has."

"Never?" Rukia asked. "What happened the other times?"

Kuro looked up, a sad, defeated sort of light in her eyes. "I lost control." They all nodded, like they understood, but they didn't; she could tell.

"It's time to go." They all looked over at Urahara, who had just spoken. "Get ready."

Kuro, Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Ishida, and Orihime lined up—the other Shinigami had left already—as Yoruichi stepped in front of them.

"You have gotten permission to go through and will be allowed directly into the Seireitei. Be prepared to fight as soon as you get in there."

"Don't attack my brother." Startled, everyone looked at Kuro. "He shouldn't attack you if you leave him alone. I'm going to fight him. Don't try to help me, or stop him. You will die—either of us could kill you easily."

There was silence for a moment, and then Yoruichi sighed. "Very well."

Everyone waited as Yoruichi and Urahara opened the gate, and then the six of them hurried into it before it could close on them. Kuro was last, and she seemed happy—as happy as she ever was—with that face; this way, she didn't have to see everyone's face when they stepped into the Soul Society and saw the devastation caused by her brother.

"It's like last time," Ishida announced suddenly from his square, flat hover board of sorts. "We're all going to save the Soul Society." And then he glanced behind them and said, "But this time Kuro-san's with us."

Kuro inclined her head as a form of acceptance but otherwise made no move to join in the conversation. A few moments later the six of them entered the Soul Society, standing on the roof of a building as the hole behind them closed. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto stood in front of them, hands of hilts of their zanpakutos.

"The prisoner"—Hitsugaya shot a pointed glance at Kuro—"has escaped. He has called up innumerable Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde."

"Taichou," Rukia began tentatively, "Why can't you just block out the hollows?"

Hitsugaya now looked past frustrated—he was pissed off. "He's too strong."

"How is he controlling them?" Ishida muttered to himself.

Kuro surprised everyone by answering, "He's not. Not exactly. They all want revenge against the Shinigami that have been killing and oppressing them. He's given them a way to get that. They're following him. He isn't controlling them."

"Of course I'm not," a voice came from behind her; she didn't move, but everyone else spun to look at the person speaking. It was Hayate.

Kuro motioned with her eyes for everyone to move, to leave, but it took them all a few seconds to respond. Then, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto shunpo'ed away, Rukia jumped off the room, and Ishida, Chad, and Orihime, leapt from the roof they were on to another roof. Ichigo hesitated for a moment before shunpo'ing away.

An arm wound around her waist and breath tickled her neck as Hayate spoke. "Have you come to join my side, dear sister, or opposed me. Either way, I have no wish to kill you or hurt you in any manner."

Kuro pulled away and spun around to face Hayate, who was smiling gently at her. She drew her sword but didn't release her shikai, automatically, running a finger over to the black blade. "I will not join your side."

Hayate's smile grew. "You will. Maybe not now, but sometime. You hate the Shinigami too much to stay on their side."

"Don't tell me what I feel."

"My precious sister, I know you better than you know yourself."

Shaking her head slightly and taking a step back, Kuro said, "Like hell you do."

Hayate shunpo'ed in front of her and, before she could react and shunpo away, grabbed her chin and slammed his lips against hers. He was taller than her by at least four inches—odd, seeing as they had the same parents and were the same age—so he had to lean down to reach her mouth with his.

His lips forced hers open, and she gasped as she pulled away, shunpo'ing to the edge of the roof—as far away from him as possible without falling off. Hayate was smirking at her as she wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed at him, her hands trembling with adrenaline and shock.

He cocked his head to the side a little, like he was confused, but his face showed no confusion, only pleasure…and a little bit of sorrow. "This was fine before, when we were here last time. I kissed you all the time then, just not on the lips."

Kuro flinched, remembering him press his lips to her forehead or cheek sometimes when she was crying or exhausted.

"That was different," she whispered.

"How?"

"Then you were more of a father figure or older brother to me than anything else. And I thought you were seven years older than me." She cringed again at the memories from the last time she was in the Seireitei, the last time she was in the Soul Society…before he saved her.

He had saved her.

"How is that any better?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. All around them there were sounds of the battles raging, but she couldn't concentrate on them, only on the person in front of her, her twin, her savior, and, in some ways, her destroyer.

"I don't know," she muttered. Then she straightened out, raising her sword, held tight in her clenched fist, and said, as clearly and strongly as she could, "Enough talk. Lets fight."

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How was it? Please tell me. If you do, I'll post again sooner. Probably. If anyone cares. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.