The smell of cinnamon and maple filled the open air assaulting his sense of smell. A cool gust of wind blew past brushing his blonde locks back. The day was bright and the distant sound of Nightingales could be heard. The warm summer sun warming all around him. The village to the left was small but alive with activity.

The Omega's eyes narrowed as a certain scent overwhelmed him. Alpha…all of them were Alphas! Every last villager was an Alpha. His heart beat rapidly. An Omega in a village of Alphas would never last long. No matter how trained an Alpha claimed to be they were still just Alphas, hormonally driven beings with only one thing on their minds, Breeding.

Alfred paled at the sight of the Alpha approaching him. The male was large and nearly twice his size with a muscular build, his legs looked as if he could leap over the great oaks that surrounded them. The tanned skin accented his dark eyes well and Alfred had to admit he was a desirable mate. Fearful, he lowered his body to the ground submissively. Once more fear consumed him as he noticed two more Alphas, one female and one a child, running toward them. The larger Alpha stood proudly as he smirked. "Sadik!" he called as he took the boy in his arms and spun him around playfully.

The blonde mentally slapped himself. He was within Sadik's subconscious, searching his past. He stood then knowing he was safe from any harm, but the thought of so many Alphas in one place made him nervous. The female leaned over and kissed the male. It was puzzling, Alphas were not allowed to be together, it went against their nature and yet, they seemed so content together so happy. "Sadilla, don't tell me you took out that kill alone." The male asked concerned.

The woman smiled happily. Her skin was slightly lighter than the others and her eyes a lovely lavender only accented her dark brown hair all too well. "No, I did not even touch this one. Sadik had taken it down alone!" She clapped her hands together happily.

"Sadilla, I don't think you should allow him to…" She smiled happily and effectively hushed him with the finger she pressed to his lips.

"Saddie dear, go play with the others." He smiled happily and ran off to play.

"Sada, you know how I feel! His birth nearly killed you and now you can't bear any…" He trailed off at her saddened expression. "Sada I…"

She kissed him softly. "I don't want to hold him back. Hadiq, I want our only child to be happy. How can he find such if he is fenced in?" she spun around him, happily dancing. "I chose to mate you because of the freedoms you would give me. With a Beta or Omega I would be bound by the cycles and even more so the need to protect them and my offspring. That is not in me, to be bound but to be free and loved."

Hadiq smiled. "Always the free spirit, a bird forever meant to soar." He picked her up and spun her about.

Alfred felt his heart melt. Such love and commitment from those destined by fate to never be accepted yet, here and now they were happily mated with a youngling of their own. What did it matter if they were both Alphas? Wouldn't it matter more that they were in love and happy? Alfred's head began to hurt and his heart ache. Somehow, in some odd way, he knew their pain. He knew the longing and wishing for acceptance of the one you loved and yet he could not explain why.

A large boom was heard as all turned in the direction it sounded in. Quickly, the carefree mother turned on her heel toward the onslaught that was to come. Hadiq quickly moved her aside and held tight her hand. "Stay close." He warned.

"Where is Sadik?" she asked. She could not see him but his scent was there. She let out a howl and received nothing. Fear for her child's life consumed her. All around them they could see the swarm of imperial troops running at them. There would be no survivors, it was a massacre! "Hadiq," she turned to him eyes smiling with all the love in her heart. "I will see you in the realm of the God of Death." She kissed him one last time. "Forgive me." With that she ran from the scene and inward toward the village, past the Alphas that ran out to defend the boarders. She was driven by her love for her child, her only son. She followed his scent, unknowing that she too was being followed by Alfred. In the village square she found him, along with several other of the younglings huddled together and protected by young yet mature Alpha teens. Instantly Sadik ran to her, clinging. "Mother…where is father? What's going on?" he asked.

"Hush, your father is fighting for us." She said softly. Turning to the others she knew it would be risky to attempt to move them all. Yet, she could not bear the thought of losing any of them. "Come now, heads up you are Alphas by nature and Breed. Pride children even now." She held her head high as she walked slowly down the path and to the main hall where the escape tunnel lay, four teens ahead and five behind with her in the front leading. "Keep your senses sharp like you were taught." It was dark and hard to see for the others but to her it was bright as day. Her fear and paranoia had gotten the best of her and she spent countless nights walking the tunnels mapping them in her mind for just this moment.

She froze; deep within the tunnel she could smell them, intruders. Slowly she turned to her son, smiling as she did. "Sadik, two lefts, a right and straight on until you smell the sweet scent of apples. I must take the rear so none are left behind. Can you do that?" he nodded. "Good boy. Stay proud of who you are, lead and never follow. Love and be loved my son, hold your head with pride." She turned from him and stood, hiding her tears. She walked away toward the back as he followed her orders holding his head high.

She stood at the end facing the intruders who slowly advanced. She had the advantage, knowledge of the tunnels and superior sight. Yet, they had the numbers. A sharp pain ripped through her and she fell to her knees and covered her mouth to keep from screaming. Tears swelled and she looked upward and toward the sky. "My dearest…" she whispered.

Alfred watched with tear filled eyes. He had witnessed for the first time the bonds between mates sever with death. Hadiq had been killed and she knew it. Anger swelled with in her and she turned to the intruders who laughed. "An Alpha female! Strong by the looks of it…"

Another smiled and approached. "She reeks! Just whiff her, appalling!"

"She can't bear. What use is she to us?"

With one swift motion she attacked them, slitting three of their throats with a hair pin. Her eyes shot back and forth between the bunch of them. There were too many of them. Yet, she smiled happily. She was fighting for her people, the Alphas who wished to love others of the same breed. "Why was it only that Betas have such a right?" she growled out.

The leader stepped forward, his head held up prideful, as a well-respected Alpha should. He was large, larger then Hadiq had been. His short ash blonde hair hung from his head nicely, accenting his face greatly. His pale skin only served to heighten the glow of his violet eyes all the more. Alfred took a step back, out of pure instinct as an Omega. The large Alpha looked directly at him. The poor Omega looked around trying to find what or whom he was looking at. Yet, there was nothing there but him. "I-It can't be…no one can see me when I'm here!" The Alpha smiled childishly and shook his head.

"No mortal can." The Alpha's voice whispered, sending a cold chill down his spine. He turned back to the forgotten female. "They are greater then Omegas, yet lesser then us. We are proud breed and must act as such. We care for those lesser then us, not for those as great." He pulled a weapon from his coat and without warning smashed it against the woman's body. Bone snapped audibly as she fell to the ground clutching her side. She coughed violently, expelling blood to the cold unforgiving ground. Alfred ran to her side hoping he could do something anything to help. Yet, just as countless other times, Alfred was forced to be a spectator to the cruel events within Sadik's past.

"Because of people like you…my family was torn apart. Narrow minded b-bastards." She glared at him viciously, causing most men to back up.

The large male smiled as he brought his boot down upon her chest, snapping more bone. The female held out, refusing to scream for his pleasure. She was still an Alpha and still prideful. Though, in her mind, the longer they toyed with her, the longer her son and the children had to escape. That thought alone gave her the strength to fight. "Stop! Please! She is injured enough can't you let her be?!" Alfred screamed, hopping someone would hear him and stop this madness.

A cold chuckle was his response. "Leave her to waist away. We have bigger plans for the children."

"NO!" she screamed. She tried hard to stand, to fight and prove to be amusing but she could not. Her bones were broken and her body was too damaged. She was bleeding internally and knew there was little time left.

"You are strong woman, God of Souls would be sure to place you in sky." He stepped over her and walked further down the corridor. "That is, if he were still around. Until we meet again Omega." With that he and the others vanished.

Tears welled in her eyes. "I have…failed." Her eyes grew heavy as she gave in to her body's demand for eternal rest. "Was a family…too much to ask for?"

"MOTHER!" Sadik ran to her, cuddling in her warm embrace. "Mother come on, let's go before they come back, we can get daddy and…" he looked at her mangled body fighting the tears as he did.

"Hush child, don't worry. Mommy will soon be with Daddy in the stars." She coughed again and looked to him. "Be strong my brave little Alpha, grow into a true Alpha and find happiness in a wife." Her eyes shut slowly. "I wish you…peace my son." With that her last breath was drawn.

~/-*-\~

Alfred flew from Sadik's body and to the unforgiving ground. "Y-You survived…using your mother's death…scent to mask your own." His body was weak, the vision had gone back too far and his energy was drained. He quickly tried to cover his exposed body only to find there was nothing to conceal his flesh.

Sadik slowly rose, eyes locked on his prize. "For years I moved from Pack to Pack, Accepted easily as a Prime Alpha. Omegas, what few there were, swooned to me. I fell in love once…A beautiful Omega, kind and loving. He stopped a moment to look at the rising sun. "He was perfect, never once did he hate me for my abnormity." He looked back to the weakened Omega, his expression that of a pained mate. "It was because of me he was killed! Dead before I could mate him! Punishment for my blood line!" He moved toward Alfred again. "I have tried to live on, tried to forgive those who feared me, look where it has brought me! If I am to have a mate I must take one, secure him and watch him closely. That alone is my only chance to fulfill my Mother's dying wish! I will have the family she never could!"

The Omega struggled to sit on his knees. He used what little strength he had left to position himself for a respectful bow. A gentle smile on his lips. "Yet, will thy heart be true to thy mother's wish?" The Alpha froze in his tracks. "Thy mother gave her last breath for thy life be lived. A sacrifice noble as it is true." At this time Alfred looked him in the eyes, kindly as his mother once had. "Happiness comes when thy heart is truest to thyself." His vision began to blur, his eyes were barely able to make out the Alpha. Time was short.

The Turk stood there a moment. Truthfully he didn't want to force a bond; it risked the younglings he was to father. A forced bond meant an Omega would be classified as a breeder and not a Mate. This meant that any Alpha could breed them for they were not truly bonded. That was the difference between a Mated Bond and a Breeding Bond. A Mated Bond held stronger and truer than that of a Breeding Bond. That is what the Alpha wished. "It is not what I truly wish, but a family is what I long so deeply for. I will be kind to you with the hopes you will one day bond to me as a Mate."

Alfred lowered his head in submission. He could no longer fight, exhaustion had won out. "It is respect I truly long for. Freedom to fly for caged am I, a bird with not a song to sing." He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. 'Forgive me…Mattie…I have failed you.' The sun's rays cloaked him in a warm embrace. Alfred smiled as he awaited his fate, finding it odd how comforting the sun was.

A loud growl was heard, snapping the Omega from his thoughts. His large sapphire eyes locked on the Alpha who stood between him and the Turk. He struggled to stand, to help the Alpha but his weak body refused to obey him. "Stay!" he ordered. Alfred immediately turned his head to the side exposing his neck fully in an act of submission to the Alpha. "What right have you to claim what is rightfully mine?!" William barked.

He had been bathing when he picked up the scent of Alphas. After scouting them out and discovering their sinister intentions, William turned back only to find he had been too late and there had been a second part, he had not noticed due to their mixed scents that had attacked first. When he made his way to the room he found it empty but burning. Following the Omega's scent he found Kiku fighting off two dozen Alphas with three tails. Anger consumed him as he watched the other Alpha fight. He had disobeyed him, had left the Omega alone with so many Alphas about. He would pay! It was not long before he lost the scent, hidden behind Nightshade. This only served to enrage him more. "ALFRED!" he howled hopping for a response.

He would lose him…he was going to die or worse yet forcibly bonded. Death only meant another chance. A new beginning. When there was no reply it meant one of two things. Alfred was not with in ear shot of him or an Alpha had gotten to him. "Alfred…" It was then that the claimed Omega poked his head out from the Nightshade to have a peak. William wasted no time to get to him but when there he was met with resilience. The Omega took a swipe at the Alpha who narrowly escaped with only a scratch on his arm. In his haste, he had forgotten about the youngling and thus posed a threat to him. He had not asked permission to enter their, nest for the moment, and so was an unwelcome Alpha. As custom dictates, he lowered his head and bowed to the Omega keeping his eyes lowered. He was to wait for a response from the Omega be it to come near or stay away. Either way he would have to honor that wish or be faced with a fierce mother protecting his child.

When he was granted permission to come near he did, slowly but leaving enough space between himself and the youngling. "I beg you, have you seen the virgin Alfred?" his stature changed slightly and caused the Omega mother to growl, reminding him to stay low for it was he who ruled this conversation.

"He saved us, not long ago. West he traveled toward the meadow and near the valley. He was leading them away from us, giving them a scent to follow…" his eyes looked at the Alpha worriedly. "Save him. His is a good Omega." William nodded and thanked him quickly before heading off toward the west.

Now here he was standing between his Omega and a hormonal Alpha. "How dare you try to breed outside of a heat! You know the risk it would be for him!" It was risky for if the child were to grow too low within him, neither would survive the ordeal. No shaman, medicine man, healer, or prayer to any God or Goddess could save them. The heats were the optimal time to breed because that is the time an Omega is most fertile.

The Alpha of Alpha lowered his head. "I-It cannot be! You are not meant to walk the mortal realm and yet…" He backed away, knowing him for what he was. A God. Sadik considered his risks. To fight a God was nearly unheard of. No Mortal could defeat them. Yet, his Alpha hormones were raging. There, just a few feet away, was a perfectly ripe Omega for him to pluck. To just let him go…it was almost as irrational as fighting a God. "What right do Gods claim to take mortal mates from us?!" He barked back, readying his attack.

The God laughed. "How pitiful for a Mortal to challenge me!" William knew very well that he could be killed. Yet, he was willing to risk it. The Omega was his alone and he would defend him just as he had countless times before. He swore, just as he had countless times before that they would survive.

Alfred's head began to spin. His body was giving out on him and there was nothing he could do about it, though that was the last thing on his mind. He was forced into submission by the presents of two Alphas preparing to fight one another all because of him. It was his fault that one of them was going to die, that the victor would have claim to him and by the laws of their natures he would be forced to submit. He wouldn't though. He would not submit to either of them so easily. Alfred was not a fool, he was not a whore, he was strong. He tied once more to stand but the harsh command from the Alpha had left him there. Pushing against his nature and the command he tried, with the last of what he could muster, to stop their foolish attempts to gain his favor. He did not make it for his exhaustion won out.

The Masked Alpha looked behind him when he heard a thump. Alfred had lost consciousness. This mean he had touched Sadik and his curse triggered. This wasn't good. In a state like that he was vulnerable. He had to end this quickly before Alfred was harmed. He turned just in time to narrowly dodge Sadik's attack. His arm had suffered a blow causing him to bleed. It was nothing to him, Alfred was his main concern. Serpentining to the side, he cleverly lead the raging Alpha away from the defenseless Omega. With each swipe the other took at him he stepped back and dodged it as if he knew each and every one of Sadik's moves. After sometime he spotted what he was waiting for, an opening. The Alpha's resolve had failed just slightly leaving a narrow opening in his attack where Matthew could inflict the most damage. With the swiftness of a snake, he struck the torso causing the other to lose balance and fall before him with locked muscles.

Unwilling to give up Sadik strained to stand and in doing so tore several of his muscles. He growled lowly from the pain and knowledge that he had been beaten.

"I respect your will. Not all can face a God. Lay for now and rest mortal." With that he turned to his prize taking him far from the clutches of the Alpha.

Gently he scooped the unconscious bearer into his arms and carried him to a secured cave he had scouted the night before just in case there was a raid. Sighing heavily he laid the Omega in the poorly constructed nest, really it was the Omega's job to make them, and laid his outer coat on top of the exposed body. He then moved to mark the territory, a few hundred feet or so around with his scent. Clawing the trees showed strength and urinating on them showed his willingness to fight any and all who were to trespass on his sacred ground. When he returned to the cave he set to making a fire. It was simple for him, all he needed to do was snap his fingers and a flame appeared. Once done, he settled to scent mark the Omega. He knew the other would resent him for it, but it would cover up the fact he was not bonded and if that didn't work it showed he was claimed as William's property.

William strattled the unconscious blonde, preparing to make his mark. He closed his eyes and smiled fondly at the sight of a flustered God beneath him. Large black feathered wings spread out on the cool marble of his Temple of the Sun. A thin black tail swaying from side to side frantically as matted black hair fell back exposing two small ebony ram horns, a once pale face now deliciously red, sharp canines biting at a lower lips trying desperately to keep from moaning, bright shining blue eyes begging for him to stop the sweet torment.

~/-*-\~

Demon God. That is what he was called and what he had refused to accept. He was no Demon God he was simply the Lord of Darkness, God of the Dead and Guardian of Darkness. As the Lord of Darkness it was his duty to lead those of the Dark realm, limit their intake of human souls and keep them in line. He was not the overall ruler of the realm of Darkness, which belonged to the Heavenly Father. It was his duty to report and carry out the Great Father's wishes for he could not leave the City of Yozora. It was here the realm of Darkness was governed and run. Truthfully, he was known as Ankoku No Ouji or to the mortals Prince of Darkness.

Tsukiyomi looked out at the full moon from his spot in the tree. He sighed deeply as he heard the mortals below him. They cursed his name, his title for the death of a young prince they had laid upon the alter for his cremation. He was a young child, born in the year of the Rabbit and now death had claimed him in the year of the Monkey. The mother of the child screamed and cured his name for all to hear as she threw herself on her lifeless child begging him to come back to her. Ankoku No Ouji shook his head. He was not the God of Death that took the lives of the living, no he was the God of the Dead who passed judgment upon those souls and ushered them to their final resting place. He would never truly understand why they believed him to be such he was not. Slowly he moved from the tree and to the child's side. No one could see him save the boy's soul that tried to comfort his mother.

"You come for me right? Just as you had my Nii-san for the same illness?" the child looked up at him. He was a strong child and a dignified prince.

"I have, do not fear me I shall not harm you." He said smiling kindly at the child as not to scare him away and into the arms of a waiting demon who would eat him without a second thought.

The child smiled, missing teeth exposed. "Nii-san said he saw two Gods. One for death and one for the dead. You are the good one." The god nodded. "Can you do one last thing for my poor Okaa-san for me?"

Tsukiyomi smiled and placed his hand on the young child's shoulder. "Of course." And he leaned down to hear the child's last request. It nearly brought tears to his eyes. He took the child's hand and they walked away. They spoke for some time as the child stood in the clearing picking bright red Tsubaki flowers. They spoke of his time, what he liked and disliked. Tsukiyomi loved to hear the child rabble on and on about things that were so minute to him but yet, to a child it meant the world. The child, named Tsubiki-ouji, turned to him as they headed back to the village. "What was it like when you were younger?" he asked.

The God stopped in his tracks. He had been created, not born and thus had no childhood to recall. "I didn't have one." The child seemed saddened by such but knew well to remain silent. "Come now child, you've not much time."

The kind God stood off in the trees as the child carried the small bouquet of flowers to the room where his mother lay. "Kaa-san…" Almost instantly the mother woke from her restless sleep and stared at him. Tears streamed down her face as she held her child close. "Tsubiki! My Tsubiki!" she chanted his name over and over again. "Kaa-san, I can't stay. I have to go."

"Why?! Why so soon?!" she begged for him to stay.

"I wanted to say good-bye." He handed her the flowers and kissed her cheek. "Saiyonara, Kaa-san." He turned to leave but was pulled back by his mother placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Until the day we meet again my child." She watched him leave as she coddled the flowers, the last gift her son would ever give to her.

A samurai burst into the room, hand on his sword. "What is it Tsubaki-hime?!" he asked looking around.

She stood from her bed and looked to the stars. "A dream. A wonderful dream."

It was sad to say Tsukiyomi was forced to come back for her a few months later for the same illness. Though when he did, he was sure to bring her two sons to greet her for she alone had built a small shrine within her room for him.

He stood there at the Twilight Barrier watching the woman's spirit lead her children to heaven. He regretted their deaths so deeply for they were the only ones to truly understand what he was. He was not the demon everyone wanted him to be, he was simply Tsukiyomi.

As the light of the sun began to fade, he rose from his hiding place to continue his duties when something caught his eye. Off to the side, far off toward the Light side of the barrier was something bright. Moving toward it slowly, curiously. There, much to his surprise was a lovely red rose. He looked around, trying to find who had dropped such a flower but found no one. He collected the flower, gently touching the soft elegant petals and inhaling the sweet aroma. "Curious." He whispered, smiling slightly. As his hand palmed the small note which read. "Tsu-chan."

A/N

Okay so I know I've been out for a while but here it is.

Notes:

City of Yozora- City of NightSky is the translation.

Ankoku No Ouji-Prince of Darkness, just as the English translation it means Devil as well.

Kaa-san-Mommy, i have heard this be used in several Anime. Okaa-san means Mother, Kaa-san means Mommy.