Disclaimer: Inu Yasha and friends are property of the talented Rumiko Takahashi. A few of the characters were my creations based on her the rules of her world.

Warning: It is highly recommended that if you have not read "Catch a Falling Star" that you do so before continuing. The personalities of the characters in this story are not quite what you might remember from their original counterparts due to events that occurred in the first story. Plus, you will spoil "Catch a Falling Star" as I reference a lot of the events that happened in it. If you have read "Catch a Falling Star" then please continue.

A/N: This story is what I like to think of as an "in betweener". It follows the story "Catch a Falling Star," but it is not really a sequel. This story follows Kouga in his journey after Julia and Kagome return to the future, something that a few of the reviewers hinted at wanting to know. However, it also has the purpose of setting up some of the plot points in the actual sequel to "Catch a Falling Star." The sequel should follow shortly after the completion of this story, which (I hope) will not be as long as CaFS since it is just supposed to be an interlude. Now, please read and enjoy. Comments always welcome.

What about the Wolf? Kouga's Story.

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Chapter 1: Responsibilities

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Kouga had left his friends shortly after Julia and Kagome returned to the future in order to return to his pack. He had been away far too long and there was no telling what mischief they were getting into, especially Hakaku and Ginta. Besides, Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha were not the only ones suffering from the loss of the ones they loved, but unlike them he had no one to feel sorry for him. He had loved Kagome and Julia, but knew that neither was destined to be with him. In the end he was just happy to call them friends. Now all he cared about was getting back to his den and living the good life of bachelor hood as he had before he'd gotten involved with any of them.

He rounded the final curve in the mountain that led to the falls that hid the entrance to the wolves' den. This trip sure does take longer without the shards he thought off handedly as the watery veil came into view. He was still fast, but he had no where near the speed he'd had with the shards.

"Kouga!" The call broke into his thoughts and he looked up to find Hakaku and Ginta running towards him. I guess they missed me he thought and placed a smug grin upon his lips. Yup, I bet they were all lost without their fearless leader.

"Kouga, there is a messenger from the northern tribe," said Ginta as he and Hakaku finally reached Kouga.

"He's been eating us out of house and home and refuses to leave the message with anyone but you. Where have you been?" continued Hakaku, clearly agitated by their unwelcome guest.

"Geez guys, glad to see you too," snorted out Kouga as they continued to the den, "I've only been off destroying Naraku, who by the way is now dead." Hakaku and Ginta both paused and looked at each other in disbelief. Kouga simply continued to walk right on by. "That's right. I struck the finishing blow myself. You didn't think I'd let dog breath get that honor did you?"

"What about Kagome?" questioned Hakaku as he and his friend caught up.

"Does that mean you don't have the jewel shards anymore?" added Ginta. Kouga turned to his men, ready to let them have it for being so annoying, but was interrupted.

"You don't have the shards anymore?" shouted out another voice echoing Ginta's question, but clearly sounding more upset by the thought. Kouga turned to see an unknown wolf demon coming out from behind the waterfall, but immediately knew he must be the messenger from the north.

"I don't see why that is any concern of yours," replied Kouga. He was already agitated by Hakaku and Ginta's questions, so he really didn't want to deal with an outsider doing the same thing.

"But, without the shards…you aren't…you can't…" sputtered the messenger.

"Look you are really starting to annoy me," growled Kouga as he realized what the messenger was gaping about, "So I suggest you tell me that message before I do something to prevent you from completing your assignment," threatened Kouga as he cracked his knuckles and curled his fist into a ball. The messenger swallowed hard and visibly paled.

"The elder of the Northern tribes requests a meeting with you," stated the messenger after taking a deep breath.

"For what reason?" asked Kouga. The last time the elder had wanted him to come it was because that undead monster had been terrorizing their territory and had thrown the tribes residing in the area into some sort of tribal war. But, the monster was now dead, he had killed the beast himself, so what could the elder possibly want to speak to him about?

"He would like to ask for your aid in resolving a conflict among the tribes," answered the messenger, but in his voice Kouga could hear the lack of confidence that the messenger had in Kouga's abilities to do so. Does he really think just because I no longer have the shards I am weak? I was among the strongest even before I gained the shard's power.

"I will leave in the morning," stated Kouga with all the self-importance he could muster. But, the messenger looked, if possible, more upset by this prospect than Kouga's earlier threat.

"What?"

"It is just that," the messenger paused, almost as if he was unsure as to whether or not he should share the piece of information that was obviously bothering him.

"Spit it out," demanded Kouga, growing ever more impatient with the man.

"The elder is dying," replied the messenger, but he'd said the words so fast that it took a moment for Kouga to fully comprehend what he was hearing. "I was sent to find you more than a week ago, and I don't know how long the elder had left."

Kouga turned from the messenger and looked out across the valley below, his valley. It had been weeks since he'd last been here and even longer since he'd been able to spend a worry free evening with his men. Ever since that fateful day all those months ago when he'd first met Kagome and joined the fight against Naraku he'd never really had a moment of peace. He had hoped that tonight would be a night of nothing but drinking and being showered with praises for his victory over Naraku. But, if the elder truly was dying, or possibly already dead, that meant that Ayame was now the one in charge.

"Hakaku, Ginta, tell the men that we are leaving and to be ready for my orders if they come," said Kouga as he turned back towards his men and visitor. Hakaku and Ginta looked slightly put out by the prospect of having to go with him, but knew better than to question him, so without a word Hakaku headed towards the cave and Ginta went to tell the guards in the surrounding area.

Kouga turned back to the messenger who was now wearing a less worried look. "I suggest you get going to let the elder know I am on the way," Kouga said with a nod in the direction the messenger needed to go. "And, you'd better beat us there because I expect a good meal and comfortable place to sleep when we get there." The messenger gave a sharp nod and took off running.

Kouga didn't need or want a guide. He'd been to see the elder many times before. Even if they had changed locations due to the monster that had attacked them a few months ago, he could still track the scent of the messenger. What he really wanted to do was to go inside the cave and just forget about everyone else's troubles. He'd spent so much time dealing with Naraku and avenging his fallen comrades that what he really wanted was to do nothing at all. But he could not. If the elder really was dying that would mean Ayame would take over the leadership of the Northern clan. Ayame was smart, but she was also young and inexperienced. If there really was still some sort of tribal dispute could she handle it?

"Kouga the men know we are leaving," said Hakaku breaking in to his thoughts. Kouga looked up to see Ginta standing at Hakaku's side. Neither looked very happy about going, and in all truth Kouga did not need them to go, but it would be good to have their company again. Even if they did complain every other step of the way, he thought.

"Let's go then. We should be there a few hours after dark," he called as he turned to run in the direction the messenger had gone. He heard his brothers fall in behind him at an easy pace. It was a few hours before noon so they had quite a journey ahead of them. The time would be cut in half if he still had the shards, but those were some things he was going to have to learn to live without. He would handle what ever this dispute was without them, so it really didn't matter.

The fact that there was a dispute, however, still troubled him. The tribes had always lived in peace before that undead monster had wreaked havoc across the mountains. There was some fighting at that time, but once the cause had been removed the tribes should have been able to go back to living peaceful lives again. There should be no more reason for such a conflict to exist.

This would definitely be a hard time for Ayame to assume the role of leader. Her grandfather had sent a messenger instead of Ayame to come find him, could it be that things in the mountains were so bad that she could not be spared, or could it be that she did not really want to see him? It was also possible that she had given up on him.

He had met her as a child and had only made the promise to marry her back then to help keep her spirits up after he'd rescued her from those bird demons. When she came back into his life a few months ago he was in no way ready to honor that promise. How could he when he didn't even know if he was going to come out of the conflict with Naraku alive? Not to mention he still had feelings for Kagome at that point. It wasn't till the incident when they thought Inu Yahsa had been blown up and then suddenly rose up from the ashes that he finally realized that there would be no winning her over. He knew he'd found a good friend in Julia, and he could have hoped for more, but he knew from the start that her feelings were directed else where. But now they were both gone, and Kouga was left to face reality. Ayame had certainly grown into a beautiful woman with a lot of spirit, but…did Ayame still expect him to make good on his promise, and could he even keep that promise?

Was he still the man that Ayame dreamed he was? He believed that he did not need his shards to be a good leader, but would Ayame, and for that matter, the rest of the wolf clan believe that as well? This kind of headache was not what Kouga wanted right now. Why couldn't life go back to being simple, he wondered as he ran through the mountain paths that led to the Northern tribe's den with Hakaku and Ginta in tow.

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It had been over a week since her grandfather had sent the messenger to find and bring back Kouga, and Ayame's grandfather was getting weaker by the day. Ayame had tried to convince her grandfather that Kouga was on a mission and could not be persuaded to abandon it. How was a messenger supposed to do what she could not she wondered as she paced at the entrance to their den. But, her grandfather insisted that in order to reunite the tribes Kouga needed to be present. They needed the strength of the Southern tribes to bring harmony back to their lands. Her grandfather seemed to feel that Kouga would come if he knew of the unrest in the area, but Ayame was not so sure.

The Eastern and Western tribe leaders were growing impatient and bolder with each passing day. They were sending hunting parties into the Northern tribe's territories without permission and their threats increased in malice daily. They called for her grandfather to hand over his lands and relinquish his title as leader or they would take it by force. A title that would soon rest on her shoulders, she thought and paused in mid stride. She glanced to the back of the cave where her grandfather rested in his den. Was she ready for that kind of responsibility?

Fast footsteps on the path leading up to the cave caught her attention. Walking out the entrance she saw the messenger they'd sent running at full speed up the path. He skidded to a stop in front of her, leaned forward, hands on his knees, and attempted to give his report around very heavy breaths. None of which she could understand.

"Catch your breath Shino, it can wait," she said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He was dripping with sweat, a fact that was confirmed not only by his very wet shoulder, but also the sheen of his body in the dwindling light of sunset. She had never known Shino to be so dedicated, what could have caused him to run so hard? She began to worry that perhaps he had found Kouga and he had refused to come, or worse that devil Naraku had killed him. She suddenly wanted to hurry on the report, but showing worry was not a quality a strong leader possessed. She had to remember her duty.

"Kouga…," said Shino, still breathing rather heavily, "is…coming... ." Ayame was stunned. He is coming!

"When?" she asked. She tried to maintain control of her voice, but even she could hear the hint of relief in her words.

"In a few hours," replied Shino as he finally stood up right and resumed normal breathing. "He sent me ahead so that a meal would be prepared."

"I'll tell my grandfather. Please see that arrangements for his arrival are taken care of." Shino nodded and tiredly walked off to do as she asked. She turned and rushed towards her grandfather's den. The elder wolf would be happy to hear that Kouga would be arriving soon.

Ayame came to an abrupt stop steps before the entrance to her grandfather's den. She was grinning ear to ear at the thought of Kouga being with her again. She was acting like a love sick whelp. That was no way for a leader to behave. If she went in to see her grandfather in that state she might come across as being weak, and she did not want her grandfather to worry, about her or the tribe.

When Kouga gets here it will be strictly business, leader to leader she thought. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way of doing her job. She realized that Kouga would be a big help in the reunification of the tribes, but she wanted to prove that she was a good leader, and that meant not chasing after Kouga like a love sick pup. Resolve in place Ayame took the last few steps to enter her grandfather's den.

"Grandfather," she called softly, "Kouga will be here shortly." Her voice was neutral, and she had to keep it that way. Leader to leader she thought again besides, Kouga is probably still chasing after that human priestess. Her affections would just be carelessly tossed aside, so her decision would be best for everyone.

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Kouga skidded to a halt outside the entrance to the Northern tribes den. The messenger had obviously given someone the message because the smell of cooked meat was wafting out of the entrance. He looked behind him, but Hakaku and Ginta were no where to be seen. Even without his shards the pair appeared unable to keep up with him. His attention was drawn back to the entrance as people started shouting his name.

It appeared their look out had reported that he had arrived. His Northern brothers ushered him into the den with cheers and praises, something that both pleased and unnerved him all at the same time. They obviously thought he would be the solution to all of their problems, but he really wasn't even sure what the problem was, nor did he know how to solve it. Towards the back of the cave he spied a few of the elder wolf demons who still chose to retain the look of a wolf, they were so few these day. Among them he spied Ayame leaning against the cave wall watching his entrance.

Kouga wasn't sure what to make of her attitude. She simply stood there staring at him without any readable emotion on her face. Could it be that she really had given up on him? The thought unsettled him and he found it slightly harder to walk towards her. She is probably just worried about her grandfather he reminded himself as he came to stand in front of her.

"Welcome Kouga," she said in a cool voice. It was so far removed from anything he was used to hearing out of her mouth. Could it be that he was too late?

"Ayame, where's your grandfather?" he asked as calmly as possible. Her eyes momentarily betrayed her calm exterior as she bowed her head.

"Come with me," she said softly and led the way into a smaller chamber with in the den.

Kouga was relieved as he walked inside. It did not smell like death, which meant the Elder still lived. They only walked a short distance when Ayame stopped and lit a small candle. The light was minimal, but more than enough to see by. The Elder lay on a bed of straw a few steps in front of him. Kouga could see that his time was definitely approaching.

"Greetings Elder," he said as he knelt down in front of the Elder. The old wolf opened his eyes and stared out at him.

"Welcome Kouga," replied the Elder in a low rasping voice. "I knew you would come when you heard the news of the chaos that was enveloping our people." Kouga felt a pang of guilt as the Elder spoke. He honestly did not know if he would have come if his battle with Naraku hadn't finally ended. He had thought his quest for vengeance for the lives of his fallen comrades noble, but he knew now that it had been a selfish endeavor.

"Tell me what's going on," he asked, though he had to admit it sounded more like a demand, "What is this conflict really about?" The old wolf seemed to almost sigh as he began his tale.

"Once you destroyed the monster who had forced us out of our lands we went back to reestablish our homes. The leaders of the East and West offered help, and indeed were very helpful. However, only weeks later, the leaders of both tribes seem to change their nature. Since they had helped us, they demanded a rewarded for their generosity. They each wanted a portion of the Northern territories." He paused in his tale and sighed once more. "When I denied them, they then insisted that the only reason the Northern tribe was pushed out of their lands was that I was a weak leader and that I should step down and hand over leadership to them."

"Their men have begun hunting in our territories without permission," added Ayame, "and even attack our patrols."

"I have never known Ryoku and Takeo to be so vindictive," commented Kouga.

"Nor I," replied the Elder, "and that is what makes this situation so troublesome." Kouga looked away from the elder to examine Ayame's face. It appeared that she felt the same way as well. Though she was upset about the trouble their tribal brothers were causing, she was hiding it well. She was trying to put on the air of a good leader by not letting others see her worry. She was probably also trying to appear brave in the eyes of her grandfather.

"What is it you think I can do to help with this problem Elder?" Kouga finally asked.

"There was to be a meeting with Ryoku and Takeo, but I delayed it until my health returned to me," replied the Elder. "They did not take kindly to that. So, now that you are here, I wish you to accompany Ayame to the meeting."

"What was the meeting for?" asked Kouga.

"They wished to discuss the division of this clan's territory," replied the Elder.

"What!" cried Kouga, "That is not a meeting. They want you to surrender with out a fight." Kouga was furious. What could Takeo and Ryoku be thinking?

"I know," agreed the Elder, but his voice was infinitely calmer that Kouga's was. "However, it is my hope that once they see that the Southern clan is offering us their support that it is possible that they might remember the unity that our clans once shared."

"I understand," replied Kouga, "but it is not my style to be diplomatic. I might just wind up busting their thick heads together to try and knock some sense into them." The Elder seemed to laugh slightly at Kouga's comment, but it was an effort to do so.

"That, my young friend, is why Ayame is going with you," explained the Elder. "She will make sure there is no unnecessary violence. Kouga grinned and looked over to Ayame, but she still wore that no nonsense expression from earlier. "I will send messengers to Ryoku and Takeo in the morning. You should be ready to leave once they return, which I imagine will be very soon."

"I will be ready Elder," replied Kouga as he got up to leave, "I will let you rest now." Ayame stood as well and began to lead them out.

"Kouga," called the Elder softly causing Kouga to turn back to the old wolf, "I would like one more word with you." Kouga glanced back at Ayame. Her mask seemed to crack for an instant at the thought of what the Elder could want. However, a moment later she turned and left the alcove without sparing him a glance.

"What is it Elder?" asked Kouga as he knelt back down near the Elder.

"She is strong," stated the Elder a moment later. Kouga did not a have to ask who the Elder was referring to.

"Of course she is. She is your granddaughter after all," agreed Kouga. The Elder smiled his wolfish smile.

"But, I still worry for her," he said in a slightly lower voice. "She will be a great leader, but she is still so inexperienced. I had hoped that I would have a few more years to guide her, but the ordeals we have faced over the last couple of months have drained me." The Elder sighed deeply before continuing. "You protected her once Kouga. I need you to do it again. Make sure she comes out of this ordeal safely."

"Of course Elder," replied Kouga as he bowed his head, but the Elder did not have to ask him, he knew he could not let anything happen to Ayame.

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A/N: To all of my returning readers: Sorry for the delay in getting this up, and while the story is not yet completed it is damn close. I just wanted to let you all know I was working on it. But, between grad school, computer malfunctions, and a massive case of writer's block it hasn't been as smooth a process as I would have liked. But, here, in all its glory is the first chapter to Kouga's story. I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as I give it one more read through for errors. The third chapter will follow shortly after that etc. And, hopefully, by the time I run out of already finished chapters I'll have the ending completely worked out.

To all of my new readers: Hi. Hope you are enjoying it so far and took my advice to read "Catch a Falling Star" first.

Please review. I'd love to know what you all think so far. And, don't worry. The chapters will be longer in the future.