I UPDATED!! :D Happy now? XD

Sorry for the long wait, guys. School issues...

Well, I got a poll up on my profile. Please vote, ok? I really need help on deciding on which story to do next. I know it'll be a while, but I need to know so I can go ahead and work out the story details :D

Well, enjoy A Thousand Sparkles, Chapter 7!!

Whispers followed Toshiro down the hallway, almost all of them belonging to females. Beside him, Mitsuki glared at the owners, who immediately stopped and hurried to their classes. Sighing, he said, "They mean no harm. Stop it."

She shook her head. "They were checking you out, Toshiro. I had to do something." Mitsuki replied, shifting her books. It had been five days since they had joined the college, and already Toshiro was famous across campus. Besides being a newcomer, he was acing all his classes and was good-looking and mysterious, a must-have for any girl. Mitsuki had been thrust into the shadows behind him, only known because she was always with him. Despite the spotlight on her husband, she pretended to act like it didn't bother her, but in actuality, it did- she was an outcast no matter where she was or who she was with, and it was amazing that she even had Toshiro at all. She thanked whatever god or gods there may be for her blessings every day.

"You have that look again." Toshiro said. "You're beating yourself up, aren't you?"

Mitsuki sighed. "I wish I was able to have the easy popularity like you. I have to work hard to make the person that sits next to me notice who I am!"

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro stopped, pulling her over to the side of the hallway. "Look," he said seriously, "You're perfect the way you are, alright? If no one wants to be with you, that's their loss. You just focus on being you, and eventually they'll learn, alright?"

"But…" she started, but was interrupted by him kissing her. Melting, she wasn't able to deny him longer. "Alright." She said once they broke apart.

"Good." He responded, giving her one of his rare smiles. "Now, we'd best be getting to class."

She nodded happily, following him into their Psychology class. Currently, they were studying the way the human brain reacts with lying and the truth, which Mitsuki excelled at. The teacher claimed she had real talent, since she was able to 'see' through his lies. Toshiro was silently trying not to laugh.

Settling into her seat, Mitsuki pulled her homework out of her backpack and checked it over. Satisfied, she placed it in front of her and took the textbook out. Landing with a loud 'thud' on the table, it rattled a few pencils and the surrounding students glared. Smiling sheepishly, she shifted uncomfortably.

The professor came in, collecting papers, already starting with the lesson. They scrambled for pencils and began taking notes. Mitsuki zoned out, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Toshiro, noticing, kicked her under the table, but she didn't respond.

"Ms. Hitsugaya, will you care to answer the question?" The professor said, sounding annoyed. Mitsuki blinked. "The answer is false, Mr. Kyoto." She replied, to everyone's astonishment. The professor looked taken aback, but continued on with the lesson. Mitsuki, meanwhile, returned to her far-away staring.

After class Toshiro eyed her. "What happened during class? I was certain you were busted."

She shrugged. "I seem to listen better when I tune everything out but the person listening. Even if it looks otherwise."

"…If you say so…" he replied, studying the floor. Mitsuki gave him a kiss, than turned down another hallway to go to her next class with Rukia, computers. Toshiro went to History, his best class, since he had been alive and on patrol for hollows during the decade they were studying. Already he had provided more than enough facts for class, much to the impression of the professor.

When free period rolled around, they gathered on the rooftop and Toshiro checked for orders from his cell phone, and worked on paperwork. Ichigo, eating a snack he had stolen from the cafeteria, said, "Any idea what's up with the hollows?"

Mitsuki shook her head. "I don't really know. They can't be acting on their own accord- without anyone to control them, they would fight amongst themselves. This has to be the doing of someone, or something, else."

"That's what I think." Rukia replied. "We just need to figure who it is."

"HEEEEY!" Someone hollered, bounding out. Mitsuki, startled, jumped nearly a foot, relaxing when she saw who it was. "Orihime, what took you so long?" Ichigo said, scowling. The orange-haired girl shrugged. "Uryuu took forever getting out of his debate room. He was arguing with the teacher again."
"And I was winning, too," Uryuu scowled, following behind Orihime. "Now he'll have plenty of more evidence against me when we continue it tomorrow."

"Aw, stop being so stiff, Uryuu." Ichigo yawned. "Just find more evidence against him- what was the topic, anyway?"

"The afterlife." He replied. "I was in support of it."
"You'll have plenty of evidence of that!" Mitsuki giggled. "Do you want one of us to give him a little demonstration?"

"I don't think so." He said sharply, but she could see the faint smile he had.

They all stared when Toshiro's phone began beeping, getting more and more frantic as more red spots showed up on the scanner. Looking at each other, they sighed in unison.

"We might as well get this over with." Ichigo said, and Rukia pulled on her glove and smacked him in the forehead. His body slumped forward, but the shinigami was already racing away, Rukia right behind him, following the Tenth Squad members. Uryuu and Orihime, though slower, arrived at roughly the same time they did, facing off against four hollows.

"Shatter, Hogosha Chuusin!" Mitsuki cried, leaping forward. Toshiro was right behind her, swinging Hyorinmaru with a vengeance. It was utter chaos, with friend and foe alike dodging attacks- mostly Toshiro's- until finally the hollows were beaten, disappearing.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish." Toshiro muttered.

Mitsuki stilled. Placing a hand on his arm, she stared strait ahead, eyes wide. Toshiro looked at her, than followed her eyesight until his eyes rested on a grey-cloaked figure in front of them.

His hold tightened on his zanpaku-to. Stepping protectively in front of Mitsuki, he warily watched it. Ichigo, however, wasn't so cautious. "Who the hell are you?" he said bluntly, Zangetsu at the ready.

The figure didn't respond, but drew their sword- Mitsuki's eyes narrowed when she realized it was a shinigami. Toshiro let her ready her sword.

Tense seconds past as the six stared at the cloaked figure; then it raised its hand and disappeared through a black swirling portal. Ichigo raced forward, trying to catch it, but it vanished before he could enter.

Mitsuki turned worried eyes to Toshiro. "That sword looked familiar, but I can't place it." She said. Toshiro agreed. For some reason, the mysterious figure that stood in front of them filled him with a sense of dread- he felt as if he were forgetting something important. Suppressing the shiver of fear he felt, he turned toward his companions. "We'd best get back." He said.

Ichigo, frustrated, didn't say anything. Rukia ended up dragging him off, arriving after the others. Mitsuki was taking a nap, leaning against Toshiro, who was back to work on his 'cell phone'. Chad had joined them, protectively watching over the remaining gigai's.

"Thanks Chad." Ichigo sighed, sitting up and rubbing his head. Chad nodded, lumbering off to join Orihime and Uryuu in a game of war.

As Toshiro sent in the report of his findings to Squad One, a cluster of girls gathered on the rooftop, slightly away from the group. He recognized them as some of the girls who always stared at him, and now that Mitsuki was currently asleep, they had taken advantage of the situation and decided to get close to him.

Sighing inwardly, he looked at his cell phone, trying to find a distraction. Sadly, there was none, and one of the girls approached him, obviously the leader.

"Hitsugaya-kun, what brings you up here?" she asked innocently. He shrugged. "I came to get some peace and quiet, I guess. You?"

"Oh…I was bored." She was pleased he had asked. "My friends and I were wondering if you would like to join us."

"Sorry," he responded, "But as you can see I'm a little occupied." He gestured at Mitsuki. "She'll probably wake up if I move."

The girl cocked her head slightly. "What's wrong if she does?"

"Mitsuki never gets enough rest, and she needs it now more than ever. It wouldn't be right if I woke her."

"Well, can you join us tomorrow then?"

He blinked slowly. "Tomorrow is Saturday." The girl looked surprised and then embarrassed that she had forgotten. "Oh! Right, well then… what about lunch? Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"I already have a girlfriend." He said. "No thank you."

"I wasn't…."

"Hey, Toshiro, are you gonna stand there chatting all day?" Ichigo yelled. "We have five minuets till break is over!"

Grateful for the distraction, Toshiro gently shook Mitsuki. "C'mon, its time to go; Classes are starting again." He murmured. Mitsuki yawned, coming awake. "How long did I sleep?" she asked.

"Not long." He replied. Helping her up, he gave a slight nod to the girl and left, disappearing down the stairs, where everyone else was waiting.

"You ok, Mitsuki?" Rukia asked. "You look tired."

"I'm fine." She said, stifling a yawn. "I just woke up."

"Anyways, what are we going to do about the hollows?" Ichigo said. "I say we go on a reconnaissance of the city tomorrow to find out more information."

"Sounds ok to me." Mitsuki said. "What do you think, Toshiro?"

"I don't mind."

"Alright then, it's set." Ichigo said. "Uryuu, Orihime, Chad...want to join us?"

They agreed, and the party split up. Only Toshiro was the one to dread the things they would uncover.


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