Pieces of a Shooting Star

**Pieces of a Shooting Star** is the twentieth episode of the Bleached Wolf's Rain series.

Making their way for Jaguara's city, the group finds they must cross a frozen river.

## Summary

A group of people are in line to get on a delivery truck, Quent among them as he waits to get in. With everyone getting into the back, it finally is able to drive off, on it's way to Jaguara's city. In the vehicle, Quent takes note of the people around him, one of them a skeptical man who seems uncertain of what to expect once they reach Jaguara's city. One of them appears to be pleased, going through some belongings from one of Jaguara's soldiers, one of the items a dog tag that he puts on. The skeptical man starts ranting, which seems to irritate the other one, until he finally stand it. Quent attempts to stop him, but he pulls out a handgun that he points at him, believing that Jaguara will save them all. As the skeptical man goes on, he warns him not to say another word. But when he does, he shoots and kills him, and states that he warned him. That's when a child starts crying, causing him to tell him the child to stop, until after a while, he eventually points the handgun at him, Quent stopping him as they struggle. However, that changes, when after a while, the man falls out the back of the delivery truck, Quent having failed to help him. All he does is watch the man go out of sight, grasping the dog tag in his hand.

Elsewhere, Blue and Yoruichi are in a transport vehicle, making their way for Jaguara's city. While she hums a familiar tune, Yoruichi asks her about being able to be in a human state. Blue admits that it has its' advantages, and that if she could have spoken to Quent like that, they could have talked about all kinds of things. Realizing who she's referring to, Yoruichi wants to know if she misses him, but Blue assures her it's okay. That and even if they found him, she wouldn't know what to say, but thinks that all that matters right now is saving Cheza. Agreeing, Yoruichi feels they'll get to Kisuke as well.

On the move, also heading for Jaguara's city, the group stops when they come across a river of ice. While Renji points it out, Toboe wonders what they would have to do. All Kiba says is that they'll have to cross it. Knowing what to do, they make their way over towards it. While crossing it, some of them make it over a gap, when Toboe accidently slips, his hand hitting the cold water, causing him to yelp from it. Hige sees this and warns him to be more careful, but all Toboe does is reply that he gets it, and jumps the gap, none of them aware that something's in the water.

At that moment, Kisuke has been taken prisoner to Jaguara's keep, alone with other people. They are escorted by soldiers, but stop when they see armored troops pass by. It's then that Kisuke sees that one of them has Cheza, and tries to get to her, but one of the soldiers knock him down, stopping him as he calls out to her. During that time, three armored soldiers are watching a view screen, which shows they are tracking the group.

Having passed over the sheets of ice, they reach the other side of the river, there, Ichigo notices that Toboe's behind, and seems to be out of breath. He asks him if he's okay, though he claims to be fine. So they keep moving, Toboe trying to catch up with them, until he finally trips and falls to the ground, causing them to look back. Ichigo is concerned for him as Toboe gets back up, when the ground shakes, making him fall. Confused, the group looks around, when the ground shakes again, Tsume wondering what it is. All of a sudden, something bursts through the ice, Hige taken in, and Renji asking what it is. Before them is a giant walrus, which sees them, and lets out a roar, Ichigo and Renji drawing their swords. Moving in, Tsume and Hige attack it. When Kiba and Renji move in as well, they get slapped away, until Ichigo manages to cut the walrus. It headbutts him in retaliation, Toboe seeing all this, but unable to do a thing. The walrus then stabs on of its' tusks in Kiba's right leg, causing Tsume to come over and try to help him.

Toboe still can't do anything as Renji comes over to help Tsume remove the tusk from Kiba's leg, which allows Ichigo to attack again, but it gets thrown off. Finally, Toboe snaps, and runs towards the walrus, and bite into it near it's left eye, causing it to roar in pain. It tries to get him off, but he refuses to. Coming up to the surface from the water, Hige is helped by Kiba, while Ichigo cries out to Toboe. The walrus swims around as he still holds onto it, until they end up going down into the water. Getting together, the others watch, Renji wondering if Toboe's okay, since he's been under for too long. Hige grows worried, and calls out to him, until finally, the walrus emerges out of the water and onto land. After he lets go, Toboe stands his ground, growling as the walrus does the same at him, until it suddenly collapses to the ground. Coming over to him, Ichigo asks him what happened, but all Toboe can say is that something inside of him just snapped. That's when the walrus can't believe that he overpowered him, It also reveals that it has lived through the land long ago, and that it will not die there. Instead, it claims that it will save them, until it succumbs to its' injuries. None of them say a word, until the wolves' stomachs growls, and Hige is about to go for the dead walrus, but Kiba stops him. Going to Toboe, he tells him since it's his kill, he gets to go first. He goes over and eats first, Kiba and Hige following, and start eating, Tsume looking at Ichigo and Renji. However they're skeptical about it, so he joins the other wolves.

Inside her keep, Jaguara quotes from the Book of the Moon about the appearance of wolves. As such, she watches Cheza, held in a bubble tank. Her servants serve her a plate of wolf's meat and a glass of wolf's blood, which she drinks. Seeing this, she cries out, and for Jaguara to let out an evil laugh.

Finished with the walrus, the group continues on as pieces of shooting stars are seen through the sky.

## Appearances In Order

* Quent Yaiden
* Travellers
* Skeptical Man
* Thief Man
* Child
* Blue
* Yoruichi Shihoin
* Ichigo Kurosaki
* Kiba
* Renji Abarai
* Tsume
* Hige
* Toboe
* Jaguara's Soldiers
* Kisuke Urahara
* Armored Soldiers
* Cheza
* Giant Walrus
* Lady Jaguara
* Servant #1
* Servant #2

## Notes & trivia

* This episode features Jaguara's first appearance.
* Normally, Toboe is passive throughout the series. This is the only episode in which he attacks in a rage.
* It's the second time that the wolves have been shown eating an animal, and that Ichigo passes up on it.