High Tide, High Time

**High Tide, High Time** is the twenty-seventh episode of the Bleached Wolf's Rain series.

One of the group is killed off by Darcia, affecting the rest. With the lose of another close to them, they put their emotions aside to continue on.

## Summary

A gunshot rings out, showing that Toboe was accidentally shot by Quent. When he realizes what he's done, he throws his rifle aside, and rushes over to him, taking in his seemingly lifeless body. That's when Darcia poises to strike down Quent with his sword, until Toboe attacks him. Having heard the gunshot, Ichigo suggests that they check it out, while Hige tells Blue they should move.

During that time, Toboe sinks his teeth into Darcia's arm, although he claims that he cannot feel pain due to the poison of the dagger Jaguara stabbed him with. He throws Toboe aside, causing Quent to draw a handgun to fire a shot at him, which doesn't appear to affect Darcia at all. After that, he goes on about how humans were once wolves, until they were driven from Paradise, then says that now he can no longer go back to what he once was, and strikes him down.

With Darcia gone, Quent falls to the ground, when Toboe calls to him, struggling to get up. He says that he's sorry, confusing Quent, since he was the one who pulled the trigger. Managing his way over to him, Toboe admits that he wanted to keep him safe and watch over him, like Blue did. That all he wanted was for them to get to Paradise together. He collapses next to him to Quent, stating that he'll rest for a while. As such, he takes this in as Toboe starts to pass, when he finds himself in a grassland, next to his Granny as she knits in a rocking chair. Quent pets him, when he realizes that back when he was lying in the snow, it was Toboe who kept him warm. He sheds tears as he admits that he saved him. It's Tsume who's the first to see them, and cries out for Toboe, trying to get him to wake up. But he realizes that he's dead, and comments on him being a "stupid kid". While Kiba says nothing, he senses something, that causes him to take off, Ichigo about to come over, when he wonders where he's going. So he follows him.

Out in the wasteland, Kisuke is still in the dust storm, now calling out to someone, anyone. That's until he turns around to see Darcia, much to his surprise. To his surprise, he grabs Kisuke by the throat and starts choking him, causing him to gasp for air. But that stops when Ichigo comes in with a swing of his Zangetsu, Darcia moving away. As Kiba gets in front of them, Darcia is interested that he came. Knowing that he has the stone that will open Paradise, Kiba asks what he's waiting for. Darcia replies that he's been waiting for him, and in order to enter Paradise, he must discard everything close to him. With that, he tells him the seal has been broken, and that he should hurry, for Paradise is "right under his nose". Letting out a laugh, Darcia then disappears, none of them saying as thing as the dust storm dissipates.

Getting back to the others, they notice that they're around something. Only when they get closer is Ichigo taken back to see that it's Toboe, lying motionless next to Quent. Rushing over, he attempts to wake him, but Renji informs him that he's gone. He doesn't believe this, breaking down a little. There is silence, when Blue looks at Quent, and begs for him not to go. He simply smiles, until he passes. While Hige holds her, Ichigo is still hurting from the loss of Toboe, Renji and Kisuke saying nothing, when Kiba let's out a howl. Tsume does the same, as do Hige and Blue, causing Cheza to sing. Afterwards, Kiba says that they have to keep moving. But Ichigo wants to know how they can go on without Toboe. He merely states that no one is indispensable anymore. As Ichigo puts a hand on Toboe, he understands, now believing they have to keep going. Before they can, Tsume tells them to go on ahead, wanting to have parting words. They understand as they start leaving, while he stays behind. Crouching down next to Toboe, he talks about how he first met him, all the way to what they'd been through.

Then he asks him if he recalls how he wanted to know about the scar on his chest, and describes it as his "sin". It turns out that Tsume had a pack, who was being killed off all around him as he ran. The leader learned of this, so he gave him a scar on his chest, and banished him from the pack. Since then, he never allowed himself to get close to anyone, until he met Toboe and the others. Not only does Tsume admit that he really wanted to go to Paradise, but that he was the only one who made him see it through. In that moment, he hears the memory of Toboe's voice, and shed's tears. Getting up, Tsume asks Quent to take good care of him, then starts to head out.

Elsewhere, the group makes their way up the mountainside. They eventually reach a tree that Ichigo asks about, which Cheza reveals is the Tree of Ages, which has existed for many years. How it has felt the world's pain, but no longer has to, for it can breathe again. Cheza puts a hand on it, when aurora lights appear in the sky, and afterwards, she thanks the tree, which freezes. Marveling at the aurora lights, Kisuke backs into a marble slab, seeing that it has the Darcia family crest, which has his bring out the Book of the Moon.

Going through it, he reads that the family had sealed off Paradise. It's then that Kiba goes over what Darcia said about "the seal has been broken". As Ichigo asks him about it, Kiba says that his scent was different, and that he's becoming a wolf, surprising them all. That and they have to get to Paradise before Darcia does. Blue asks what would happen if he did, Kiba answering that their future will be lost. At that moment, Renji asks Kisuke if the Book of the Moon shows what Paradise looks like. But when he looks at the end of the book, he says that the last two pages are blank. Pointing at the mountain itself, Cheza informs them that it's the First Mountain.

Continuing on, the group make their way up the mountain now, while Kisuke climbs it. Seeing him, Hige wants to know if he needs any help, but he assures him that he's fine. He stops though when he sees the aurora lights, asking Yoruichi if she can see it. Just then, Kisuke loses his hold, and starts to fall. The Book of the Moon falls to the ground below, until Darcia recites a passage from the book. Ichigo sees what's happened, and tells Kisuke that he'll help. To his surprise, he replies for him not to, and that he now realizes that he and the wolves are the ones who will open Paradise. After commenting that he didn't need the sword after all, he falls, all of them watching helplessly.

When Darcia goes on with the passage, Tsume sees him passing by downwards, holding his hand out to reach him. However, it's for not as he hits the bottom. He apologizes to Yoruichi as he takes one last breath. As soon as Darcia finishes reciting the passage, Kiba looks up to see a wolf standing on a ledge: Darcia.

## Appearances In Order

* Toboe
* Quent Yaiden
* Darcia The Third
* Ichigo Kurosaki
* Kiba
* Cheza
* Renji Abarai
* Tsume
* Hige
* Blue
* Granny

## Notes & trivia

* This is the first episode to feature the death of one of the wolves.
* In the *Wolf's Rain* series, Darcia used a gun, rather than his sword.
* Out of all the characters, Ichigo and Tsume seemed to be the only ones the most affected by Toboe's death.
* Although only at the end of the episode, this episode is the first to feature Darcia as a wolf.