Dream of an Oasis

**Dream of an Oasis** is the fifteenth episode of the Bleached Wolf's Rain series.

In the aftermath of the events at Darcia's keep, the group searches for Kiba, leading them to meet a local tribe.

## Summary

Pursuing after the air battleship, Kiba is determined to get to it to save Cheza. A platform is lowered to show a couple of armored soldiers, one of them aiming his staff ax at him to fire laser shots. Eventually, Kiba manages to get on the platform, taking on the soldier, until they fall off the platform, plummeting below. Back at Darcia's keep, a light emits out all throughout the area.

Now going over what happened, Ichigo, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe wonder what happened to Kiba. As he looks back, Ichigo suggests going back to look around the area where the keep was one more time. Hige wants to know why, believing that he won't find Kiba, causing Toboe to prevent them from arguing. But he stops when something catches his attention, so he follows the scent, the others following him. They end up finding, to their surprise, Quent lying unconscious in the snow. Although Toboe is worried about him, Hige question why he would, until he mentions how they couldn't save Blue. This causes Hige to hit him in the face, when he's stopped by Ichigo, who states that it's not his fault. Still, Hige suggests that they get a move in, Toboe revealing that he's going to stay and make sure that Quent will make it.

Curious, Ichigo asks him if he's sure, but he assures him that he'll catch up. All Tsume does is tell him not to get too involved with Quent, then follows Ichigo and Hige. Making his way over to him in his wolf state, Toboe gets close to his body. Quent thinks that it's Blue, and says that he's sorry as he holds Toboe close and sheds tears, repeating that he's sorry.

At that moment, Ichigo, Tsume, and Hige make their way through a gorge, where Hige wonders why Toboe is so concerned about Quent. But Ichigo replies that he cares about humans, and that Toboe seems to care particularly about him. Just then, Tsume warns them to take cover, which they do as air battleships pass overhead. Ichigo recognizes them from Darcia's keep, when Hige reveals that they belong to a Noble by the name of Jaguara, who rules the south, making Ichigo curious.

Trying to catch up with them, Toboe stops when he thinks he hears something, but disregards it. When he hears it again, it passes, and he thinks nothing of it. That's when he sees he's being pursued by a couple of native tribesmen on horseback, one of them aiming a bow, until he releases an arrow.

Right then, Ichigo, Tsume, and Hige hear a howl, who they realize is Toboe's. Hurrying out, they find the two native tribesmen are after him, one of them readying an arrow on his bow, but is stopped. Tsume holds down the one with the bow, demanding that he tells them why Jaguara is hunting wolves. All he does is laugh after hearing this, saying that he wished he told him they were wolves sooner. Following him, it turns out that the man, Ihk, is part of a tribe that believes in wolves, as well as Soul Reapers.

When Ichigo asks if he's run into any trouble, he admits that there were soldiers apparently hunting, and ended up injuring one of his friends. It's then that they're brought to a village of tepees, where a couple of children are tending to a dingo with a bandage wrapped around it. Ichigo asks Ihk if the dingo was his "friend" that got injured.

He tells them that some soldiers were out hunting and found the dingo. Although it wasn't that badly injured, the soldier apparently realized what it actually was, then finally left. Going over this, Hige wonders if Quent was involved, but Toboe believes he wasn't, and that he can tell the difference between a wolf and a dog. He asks why he takes his side, when Tsume wonders if maybe Jaguara was behind it. Believing it might have been, Hige feels she's killing wolves, but might be also killing anything that looks like a wolf. Ihk lets the group know at that time that the elder wants to see them. Following him inside a tepee, they meet the village elder, and listens as he explains the story of how wolves originally came from Rakuen. How humans were born from them, and the role that Soul Reapers play.

Elsewhere, Orihime is driving her and Rukia through the desert wasteland outside the village. They haven't talked much since having left Freeze City. Just then though, they notice a large weed, causing Orihime to stop the Jeep. Getting out and going over to investigate, she is curious about the weed. Only when Rukia gets closer does she see that under it is Kiba, who seems to be unconscious. Confused at seeing this, Orihime doesn't know what to say, until they hear another vehicle coming. They hide behind the Jeep, when a transport vehicle shows up to come to a stop, then opens to reveal some of Jaguara's soldiers and an armored troop come out.

It's when they go over to check the weed that they find Kiba, one of them giving a motion. Before they can do anything though, Rukia comes out to fire a Soketsui kido blast, taking them by surprise. As she breaks into a run, she fires more of them, taking out each one. The armored soldier goes over to where Kiba is, ready to kill him. However, before he can, the blow is deflected by a figure, who turns out to be Shinji. He fights off the armored soldier, until it suddenly falls to the ground. Feeling it's now safe, Orihime comes out. Rukia goes over to the weed, and is about to get close under it, but Shinji warns her to say back. He warns her that the weed contains paralyzing toxins, when he's able to pull Kiba out. Afterwards, he sets him down in the back of the Jeep, he says that they need to get him somewhere safe until the effects wear off. This causes Rukia to ask how he knows Kiba, and Shinji goes over how he met Ichigo and the other wolves, but suggests they get somewhere for Kiba to recover, and knows of only one nearby place.

Back in the village, Ihk asks the group where they plan on going. Tsume tells him that they're looking for Kiba, but doesn't know where to start, when Ihk brings up a place called the Desert's Bones, a desert wasteland that is so dry that there's no life. Wanting to know more, Ichigo asks if there's anything past the desert.

All Ihk does is tell him that there's supposed to be a city past it. The group decides to leave for the desert, when Toboe stops, informing them that he's not going with them; that he wants to stay in the village. This surprises them, until Ichigo asks him if that's what he really wants. After a while, Toboe finally says it is, then Ichigo tells him he understands, and to take care of himself. Confused, Tsume wants to say something, but Toboe assures him it's okay, and that he will miss them. Then he makes his way back to the village.

On the move, Hige can't help but wonder if leaving Toboe behind was right, although Tsume believes that it was his decision. Ichigo tells them the choice he made was his, the same as his choice to keep going to find Paradise. Taking this in, Hige asks him if he would keep going, even if he had to do it alone.

He admits that he would because hearing Kiba talk about Paradise each time made him want to find it more and more, and it's for that reason he's not going to give up on find him. On the move again, Hige admits to Ichigo that he sounds exactly like Kiba. After that, they reach a cliff overlooking the desert, where Hige catches the scent of something. Following the scent, they find the large weed, as well as the unconcious soldiers, making them wonder what happened. Checking the weed, Hige picks up a familiar scent, which he realizes is Kiba's. Tsume believes that if it is Kiba's, that he could still be alive, but Hige says that he's picked up other scents as well. One of them happens to be Rukia's, to their surprise, as well as another one that's Shinji's. As Hige picks up a third scent, he describes it as a "faint scent of lavender". This takes Ichigo by surprise, who knows that it could only belong to one person: Orihime.

## Appearances In Order

* Kiba
* Armored Soldier #1
* Armored Soldier #2
* Ichigo Kurosaki
* Tsume
* Hige
* Toboe
* Quent Yaiden
* Lady Jaguara (Mentioned)
* Ihk
* Tribesman
* Dingo
* Native Boy
* Native Girl
* Village Elder
* Orihime Inoue
* Rukia Kuchiki
* Jaguara Soldiers
* Shinji Hirako

## Notes & trivia

* This is the first episode to feature the use of kido.
* Shinji's last appearance was back in Episode 10: "Moon's Doom".
* Despite not having her Soul Reaper powers, Rukia is still capable of fighting back.