The couple had settled in for the night after an adventurous and overdue anniversary. Alexie was sleeping soundly, snoring lightly, as if she were a young child. She dreamed in her sleep, going on a date with Allen as they cooked up some ground meat and enjoyed the cool night during summer. The wind passing through her hair as they dined and savored the juicy burgers with a side of seasoned fries. Simple moments that make her life happy as her husband cooked for her and borderline pampered her. He was many things to her, a husband, a fiance, a friend and at times, a father.

She enjoyed her dream but Allen wasn't dreaming. Thousands of years of meditation and he recognized the sensation. He looked around and Cain waved at him from the tree. He smiled, knowing he could manipulate his dreams, or his space rather, to train or fight. He wanted to fight though. His little spat with Sombra left him a bit cold and he wanted to stretch his power, but given that Cain won't fight to the death, that left one option. Lovecraft. So he focused his thoughts on creating a creature that would embody the dark nature of humanity, an Oni that H.P. Lovecraft himself would dare not attempt to understand or explain, for what is darker than human nature itself when twisted by desire, greed, supremacy.

From the ground sprang something that Allen understood, something he hated and yet something he accepted, himself. This image of Allen, stood with a striking resemblance to what people think Oni are in the modern day. This creature was Allen's height and that was it. It's nails on its hands and feet were sharp, more like claws. The skin was course and crimson with outside sections a jet black, like armor. Fire emerged from the star split flesh on its chest and tears along its body. Its teeth had four prominent fangs, each with a slight curve. The eyes burned a sun gold to match its asymmetrically grown horn. The left horn was larger, riddled with divots and tamper at the tip and close to the base, resembling a curved club or blade. The shorter her grew straight out at half the length and leaked smoke like a dying flame. The hair was the only other thing standing out as it looked like clouds at sunset.

Allen stared it down and it smirked. It represented his own dark nature, something he wished he could bury so he didn't break Alexie's heart. He would try, but to refuse accepting it was accepting only half of himself. It was why he cried in her arms or worried for her heart. He didn't want to hurt her. Now it was hear for a different reason and the two shared a desiring look as the slightest movements loosened and popped their bones. Thousands of years trapped in crystal and the first thing they fought was a let down. Now they get to savor the fight, the thrill, the rush.

The first move from them both triggered a launch as the Oni was the first to claw at at it's maker and host. Allen raised an arm, taking the slash before bringing his arm around in a cross jab. The fist connected and sent a jarring ring in the Oni's skull before it retaliated with a kick to Allen's ribs. The force made his body shake and sting before he slammed his palm up its chin and another to its stomach, making both the skull and the vitals ring as its ether bled from its mouth. It smirked went for a gut punch which Allen blocked but the divided attention left his face open as another fist connected, blurring his vision briefly as his nostrils bled.

Allen then tripped up the Oni and grabbed its wrist, cupping the crotch for a throw into a building. Giving him some time, the human started breathing, gathering ether and slowing his blood flow before the cuts clot and he speed up his blood again, getting a proper heat in his muscles. The Oni emerged again and landed some meters from Allen. It smiled but it wanted a true death match. The monk obliged and channeled his intent into his limbs and head, the image of an ogre seeming to form from him. The Oni smiled sadistically and channeled its own intent, the image of a human coming from him. Both had one intention in their hands and it would be fulfilled, the intention of murder.

Oni made the first strike closing the distance as the air seemed to bend from the force of its palm. Allen ducked under and slapped the hand to the side and used the new momentum and punched the Oni against the rotation, grinding his knuckles into its ribs and vitals and the insides hurt worse than the actual skin. The course texture ground Allen's knuckles but the pain was already numbing. The pleasure was starting to take root. It got back up with a fist coming up, the middle knuckle protruding a bit. It was stopped but a passing hand ripped some skin and muscle from Allen's neck. 'About six minutes before I get ether poison. Any more hits like that will cut my time, similar to oxygen poisoning.' Allen started to change his breathing and the blood was slowing to a clot. The Oni grinned, licking its fang as Allen smiled, his glare relaxing into a menacing smile.

The two slowly shuffled to each other and Allen had gotten a feel for that attacks style. Within seconds, several things happened. Allen came in with a palm strike, and rolled his fingers into a loose fist as the Oni blocked. When contact was made, he rolled his fingers into a full fist. This unorthodox style used the initial resistance for that brief second to allow a harder build in striking power. If that failed, rolling the knuckled into a full punch would succeed as all of the recoil from a normal punch is rolled back in, eliminating the recoil and driving all of the punches power into a target. Not as strong or fast as sound breaking punches, but just as lethal. The Oni's arm jarred as it was knocked away and the two were properly in a killing mood, tasting their own blood and ether in their mouths as they stared the other down with a grin.

The two adopted their stance and inched ever closer, shifting the dirt very little before a dark object hit the ground, kicking up dust and rubble. Before it settled, dark blue wings expanded out, clearing the dust to reveal a dark blue alicorn, with an ethereal mane and tail representing the night sky. She looked at the Oni and scowled. "Fowl creature, you shall torment this dreamer no further!" Her horn lit up and a bright light enveloped them and when it had faded, nothing changed. The alicorn looked shocked before firing a direct spell and it did nothing. "What are you? You do not fade."

That is when Cain walked over, the massive footsteps resounding throughout the dream land as Luna looked startled before seeing the actual dreamer. "They do not fade because, in one or another way, they are part of me." He gestured to the Oni and it stood at his side. "This is an Oni, known most commonly by humans as those who gave into their darker desires. You can not banish it, for it is a part of me." He gestured up to Cain and the giant shrank some while waving. "And that is Cain, a loose personification of those within my residence, something I call my spirits in collection as calling them a Legion would mean they are one of the same yet many of one."

The alicorn blushed under her coat as she felt embarrassed. "My apologies." She straightened her dress and stood proud. "I am Luna Midnight Faust, vanguard and defender of dreams and princess of the night." She curtsied gently with a refined smile and stood straight again to see the trio paying a mild yet professional interest to her. "So then who and what are you?"

The two non-humans look to Allen and he shrugged with a sigh. "Kinda wish you two would be gentleman but... whatever." He then points his thumb up at Cain. "The giant here is Cain, the embodiment of my residence collective emotions to act as a teacher to myself."

The larger creature attempts a hunched bow and the Oni spoke up, as ask. "I'm Yurie." Luna looked perplexed that a fierce creature would have a foreign yet tender name. "It's a way of saying Ghost, but it can't be used as a name unless translated to something else." Luna was intrigued by the names and their convention of use. With a thought, the human and Oni sprouted wings from their backs before ascending to the air and Luna followed close as the four made for the tree. She witnessed the devastated land and buildings and was curious about what it was like before coming here. When she noticed Cain drop a bit she looked up and saw the massive tree in the center of forested lands. "Fells like a completely different world than what you're used to, eh princess?"

Luna simply nodded as they landed on the top of the tree while Cain was climbing up. "So... is this a dream then?" They shook their heads and looked out to the night sky. Each distant star was bright and visible and a large cluster of them made a band of light as if it were the trail of an angel seeking new things in life. She was dazzled by the spectacle and they had time in the world, thanks to his endless training. But that would have to wait as he heard a scream in the distance. Luna perked up and noticed the same scream. "Your wife is in distress!" Allen paid closer attention and the scream for of fear, followed by crying.

Before she could set out, Allen grabbed Luna's shoulder. "Take me to her." Luna looked shocked that he would rush head first into this. "I don't care how I have to do it. Just show my how to go to her dreams!" Luna settled her breathing and turned to him.

"In order to find another's dream, you must find them and connect to their dream, but be prepared for what you may see in their mind." Luna was stern about this as one move could save the person or make it worse. He focused on their souls, as they had split their souls in half and melded each half together, forming a deep, spiritual bond. If he was right, then her dream would be- "There." As if a gate had surrounded him, Allen was transported through a stream and into a location that looked like a netherworld, where the dead crave to live and the living die of fear. Finding the scream, Allen channeled his own aura, as if her were there, and sprouted wings, flying up and between his wife and the beast. It screamed at him in anger and spoke in a malformed dialect.

Alexie looked up and hugged her husband. "Please... end this nightmare. I'm scared." The beast spoke again and she withdrew. Allen had no access to Yurie or Cain. He had to call them when he remembered that his residents weren't just spirits from the heavens or underworld. They were apart of him, a piece of him that called to them. He didn't call for their presence. He called on the power that drew them. His own power. The larger beast charged in and it was knocked away before a small gremlin creature came up and tried scratching at him before knocking it away. Another behemoth grabbed at Alexie and Allen slashed it's hand as it screeched in pain before growing the hand back. Luna was trying to erase the nightmare but there was so much of it and so much fear that it would only be weakened.

He looked to Alexie and she was holding one of the jewels he gave her as it glowed. The other behemoth grew enraged and tried grabbing her before a manifestation of Allen backhanded the offending appendage. Something was starting to click with him but them she muttered something that made him flinch.

==Allen POV==

"Please don't take him from me. You have taken enough from him. Don't take me too. I love him. He loves me." I was scared for Alexie before the other beast started fighting again and I kicked the hand away and it recoiled more than it should have. I then looked around and noticed something about the area. More of the same gremlin came up, these two were bigger but I smacked them away as more of the black creatures emerged angry like the others. I was getting angry as no matter how hard I hit them they kept coming from nearly all angles of this damn room.

'Room?' My thought was cut as the same beast that started the trend yelled at him and he lost it. "Oh shut your howling screamer you belly aching cry baby!" I popped it so hard a familiar face was seen. It turned back before I started placing faces. Soon enough, while it would appear the beasts were shrinking, Alexie and I were the one's growing, and the darkness and anguish that made up these nightmares faded as I saw faces I did not want to see. Faces from my own family that put me through hell. A hell personal to me in my life and one I had to endure for those long years to get where I was now.

The woman that was the source of the problem spoke up and my god was she as pretentious as I remember. "You know that she eats souls right. Why are you doing this to yourself if god can-" I slapped the piss out of her and even knocked some teeth loose. I have put up with her enough. If I were still home and heard this, I would happily go to jail for assault just to get away from this woman and the one who abandoned everything for his greed, Leonard. He charge me and I gave no fucks when I wound up and punched him so hard some teeth flew with some blood. I don't even give him the satisfaction of being called father anymore. All he deserved and got from me anymore, was pain and abandonment because I don't want his lifestyle. He wasn't what I wanted in my life and I rejected him all the way. Guess I still held onto some fear.

I looked all of them in the eye and glared. "You all made my life hell, and I held onto it for too long. My fears were removed by a succubus. My guilt washed by a demon who wished for me to live my life without this crippling guilt and anger. I'm finished thinking about what you will do or would. Before me, before the law, you were powerless. Now I am as far from you as I can be and here, I will say my piece. Regardless of what you think, I reject your lives and your pleas." The nightmare was fading and the house I was in was crumbling to nothing, falling to oblivion before hitting us. "So take your false cries of loneliness and piss off peasants! I am the king here!" The figures screamed as they were sent to nothing and the house faded away along with the surrounding field into a room adorned in blacks and pinks, some in a tiger stripe pattern. The room was large enough for a queen-size bed to look twin sized and it had a TV, electronics of all kinds, a corner desk and two small fridges.

I looked around the room before coming to Alexie's side. "Alexie." Her whimpers were audible as I held her in my arms. "It's okay. They can't take use apart. They're gone now." I picked her up and sat on the bed with her in my lap. She held onto me and wrapped her arms around me as Luna had grown to her otherwise normal size. I look over and put a finger to my lips and she nods, waiting as Alexie was calming down. She looked up and kissed me gently on he lips and I returned it, letting her vent her emotions as she pulled away.

She looked over to Luna and blushed. "Um... hello there."

"Alexie, this is Luna, Princess of the night and dreams. Luna, this is Alexie, succubus, good cook, dancer and singer and my wife." Luna was thrown for a big loop. A demon... and a human... in love?! I could see it in her face but there was no telling what she was thinking beyond that.

==General POV==

'This demon is this in love with a human?!' Luna's disbelief was obvious as she stared at these two in shock as a human was holding a demon with such tender affection. 'But humans were said to be worse than demons, yet the way he holds and addresses her. The look in their eyes. The way... they... they love each other.' She then felt herself questioning what she knew for the books. She knew humans weren't bad, but for humans and demons to love each other was unheard of from the pages. 'Perhaps... this one is more open than most.' She cleared her throat and they looked her way. "I shall take my leave then and return to my duties. Good nights to you both." She bowed and left through a doorway that appeared then closed.

The two were left in their dream for the remainder of the night, catching up and going on a date in the expansive and fantastical dream land, looking at strange and wonderful sights as they enjoyed cuisine they would not find anywhere else, except maybe the world of Toriko with its literal otherworldly food that had so many properties, tastes and flavors if prepped right. It was the first date in centuries and they were like high school sweethearts.

Author's Note

So just a heads up the next chapter might be a bit late if not released the Monday after to plan out if Celestia comes to him or he goes to her. That's all I'm planing so as to keep a good pace for self driven story development.

Anyway hope you like this and I'll see you all next chapter.