Author's Note: So I decided to finally post the Doctor Strange fanfiction I mentioned on my profile page. I've had it lying around for a while and I'd kind of like to see what people think of it. So please don't get mad at me because I know I haven't updated my other stories 'Dry Bite' and 'Rose Garden Dreams' in a long time. I just had this lying around for a while and I felt like posting it.

This story is in no way connected to 'Some Things Never Sleep' which is my Peter Parker/OC fanfic. This is completely separate.

'Sweet Dreams' takes place post Doctor Strange and post Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's completely AU after that so I won't be acknowledging the Civil War and Infinity War movies in this story.

I also kind of loosely based this character off Raven Roth from the DC universe. They'll have similar powers and everything but their personalities are way different. I just felt like someone like Raven could fit in really well into the MCU and especially with Doctor Strange considering all the dimensions, astral projection, and the like.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Ilaria in this story. I don't even own Nightmare since he's an actual real Marvel villain(specifically one of Doctor Strange's top enemies). He's super creepy and evil so I thought I would bring him into this story although I kind of changed his appearance a bit.

I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you think.

There was a darkness that lurked within her.

Ilaria was made aware of this since she came into her father's care…or until he took her away from her mother at least. This happened many years ago. Ilaria was just a small child when her father took her away from her home planet and brought her to a place that was nowhere near as bright and warm as her mother's planet. It was more like a forgotten wasteland than an actual place. Her father called it his "kingdom" but to most it was known as the Dream Dimension.

Ilaria hated the Dream Dimension more than anything else. It was full of darkness and ugliness which was a constant reminder to Ilaria just what she was. She didn't like thinking about what she was. As much as Ilaria liked to think of herself as human, she wasn't stupid. She knew that she wasn't human like her mother. Ilaria wished she was so that her father wouldn't have wanted her but she was never the lucky sort.

"Daughter! Where are you?!" Her father's commanding voice yelled out. Ilaria had been in the library of her father's palace. She knew the word palace was a bit of a stretch. It looked more like one of those big abandoned haunted castles she used to see in those old horror films her mother left on during Halloween. Ilaria always loved Halloween even though she hadn't been able to leave the house at the time. Ilaria hadn't been able to leave the house ever but she still missed her home planet just the same.

"I'm coming, father!" Ilaria called back as she tiredly got up from the seat she had been sitting in by the window. She didn't why she always liked sitting by the window. It's not like it ever looked any different out there.

The Dream Dimension was empty looking as Ilaria said before. The sky was so purple which also made it dark. It was like that all the time in the Dream Dimension. Ilaria hated how dark it always was. The land was filled with decay and there wasn't even a single flower that was planted in the soil. Ilaria believed the place reeked of death from the constant torment her father bestowed on the humans he kept imprisoned within the dungeons of the palace. The humans weren't really imprisoned in the palace. It was just their subconscious mind that was trapped there while they slept back in their homeworld. That didn't mean that the humans still didn't get injured from their time in her father's dimension. Her father certainly had an effect on people. That much was obvious.

"You better hurry, Your Highness. The king sounds like it might be urgent." Vareen said as he tried to hurry the princess along. Vareen was a servant in the palace who tended to the library and he was the closest thing Ilaria could have to a friend in this place. He was a winged creature that resembled something closer to a goat than a man. His fur was a dark brown color while his eyes were silver.

Vareen also had the longest and most beautiful pair of horns perched on the top of his head. Ilaria always admired their beauty but Vareen once told her that his horns signaled how old he was. She always asked just exactly how old he was but he never gave her a straight answer. She liked to think he was a million years old and had seen every dimension and planet that was out there.

She couldn't imagine all the things Vareen had seen in his long life nor could she even begin to fathom it. Ilaria just wondered how he came to be imprisoned by her father. It must've been so painful to have seen so many worlds yet to be imprisoned in a dimension like this one...to spend the rest of your existence in a place filled with death and horror. Maybe Ilaria was better off not having seen anything of what the universe had to offer. It made being stuck in this wasteland much more bearable.

"When is it ever not urgent where the king is concerned?" Ilaria grumbled and Vareen just smiled at her as he put a book away.

"You should still hurry along, Princess. We all know how unpleasant the king can be when he's kept waiting." Vareen informed her and Ilaria thought that was the understatement of the year.

"I know, Vareen. I'll see you later, okay?" Ilaria said as she shot him a small smile before leaving the library. He gave her a short nod.

"I'll be waiting right here, Your Highness." He told her politely and Ilaria finally left the library although that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. She loved the library. It was like her own little sanctuary or hiding place from her father. She spent nearly all her time in there just to be away from her father. Ilaria hated her father and she wasn't being dramatic when she said that either.

She meant it.

Ilaria walked through the halls of the palace…the same so called palace that she had grown up in. She hated how cold and dark it always was.

Why was everything so dark here?

It was so depressing.

The guards stood outside the throne room of the palace. Ilaria wrinkled her nose in disgust when she saw them. They were her father's hideous little pets that acted as guards when really all they were was slobbering evil looking goblins. Their skin looked rotten and their yellow eyes were narrowed into a constant glare. Ilaria always hated the sight of them. She hated the way they watched her and she also hated the way they licked their lips as though she might be something good to eat. They even smelled like decay and it was entirely revolting to Ilaria.

"I'm here to see my father." Ilaria told them both, trying to keep the fear and disgust out of her voice. "Let me through." The two guards obliged and the doors to the throne room opened on their own. Ilaria took a deep breath before entering.

The throne room was large and open but at the same time dark and eerie looking. The room was filled with ancient artifacts her father had been collecting since he was first born. It was almost like a creepy abandoned museum of some sort.

It was then that Ilaria's eyes finally fell upon her father who was sitting on his throne with his usual commanding presence. The throne was worn looking and seemed to be falling apart but her father never cared for the way things looked. That much was obvious. Ilaria took a good look at her father who looked as sinister as ever.

Nightmare.

Believe it or not that was his name…a name he had given himself when he was just a child. It was a very fitting name too or so Ilaria thought at least. Her father was a thing of nightmares which was why the name was so fitting. He was a creature so evil that upon his birth he killed his own mother and father in cold blood.

By the age of eight he had killed beings from many dimensions. The numbers were so high that Ilaria was afraid to keep track. By the age of thirteen he had taken over the Dream Dimension and declared himself it's ruler which was when he gave himself the name Nightmare. This was thousands of years ago and well before Ilaria's time but she had read enough books in the library to know how her father came to be.

"Daughter…I see you've finally made an appearance. I called for you ten minutes ago, did I not?" Nightmare said, sounding very annoyed. Ilaria looked back at the face of her father…Nightmare. He was a terrifying creature to most but Ilaria had grown used to his appearance over time.

Ilaria and him shared a couple of traits with each other although it was still too many for Ilaria's liking. From their lavender colored skin to their pointed ears that were almost elf like in nature and then their locks of vibrant dark purple hair. However, that's where the similarities ended looks wise. Ilaria's other features were rather human which was from her mother's side. She actually shared the same eyes as her mother's which were a beautiful hazel while her father's eyes were a startling red. He had fangs of his own that he always displayed whenever he had that evil and devious smirk on her face but Ilaria didn't have fangs. Her father always said it was because of the human in her but he said it like it was a bad thing.

"Sorry, Father. I was just reading in the library." Ilaria told him as she kneeled before him. She was always so obedient. Ilaria always did what she was supposed to. Her father was a cruel creature and she had seen the wrath he bestowed upon those who angered him. Ilaria didn't wish to be that person. Nightmare scoffed at his daughter's excuse.

"Always in the library. You practically live in the library." Nightmare complained loudly. "We might as well put your bed in there."

"I wouldn't mind it, Father." Ilaria remarked as she stood back up and Nightmare rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course you wouldn't." Nightmare said bitterly. "If you spent as much time mastering my teachings as you do reading in that library then you would've already have killed me and taken over the dimension."

"Sorry, Father." Ilaria apologized, knowing that it was better to apologize than argue with her father. There was really no point in arguing with him. "I'll pay more attention to your teachings. I promise."

"You better." Nightmare said sternly as he looked upon his young daughter who was now a woman. She was much older than the small child he had taken from Earth many years ago. "Your lazy and arrogant sister already failed me years ago. Your brother was even more disappointing. I will not have you fail me too."

"I understand, Father." Ilaria said and a smirk came across Nightmare's face.

"Although I don't think even you, being half human, could disappoint me as much as your brother." Nightmare said jokingly. "Isn't that right, ladies?"

He then looked back at the three giggling succubuses. Her father's three wives that Ilaria almost hated as much as her father. Almost. They were seated on a large lavish looking couch off to the right side of her father's throne. The group of wives looked to be having the time of their lives as they relaxed in the throne room, showered with riches and a large assortment of extravagant food...well, it was extravagant for this dimension anyways.

"He was quite the fool, My Love." Zaara, her father's first wife, said in agreement. Her eyes were as red and eerie looking as Ilaria's father's eyes were. However, like her father's other wives, Zaara's hair was a striking green color which contrasted against her pale chalky white skin.

"It's too bad that you had to get rid of him." Naria, her father's second wife, added.

"Yes. It was very sad." Villianelle, the third wife, pouted although Ilaria knew she was only feigning sadness. "He was very handsome, after all."

"It was my fault for breeding with a light elf." Nightmare said as Ilaria fought the urge to scream in anger or to cry. She had loved her brother very much. Even though he had been dead for years, she still missed him every day. He was the only one who had taken care of her in this evil place. "My dear son was too compassionate. It was his downfall."

"Ilaria's even worse." Zaara said as she gave the purple haired girl a disgusted look. "She's half human. What could be worse?" Ilaria didn't say anything as she just averted her gaze from theirs. She was used to the ridicule and disgust at this point. This wasn't anything new.

"There is one good thing about humans." Nightmare mentioned as he gave his daughter a smug look. "They're frightful creatures which makes them very obedient when needed. Just look at Ilaria. I could not ask for a more obedient daughter. Isn't that right, Ilaria?"

"Of course, Father." Ilaria replied as she tried to force the angry thoughts about her late brother away.

She had never known her brother's real name. Only the title her father had given him which had been Trauma but she had only referred to him as brother and he referred to her as sister. He hadn't done anything wrong. Her brother had just shown mercy to one of the human prisoners. Her father punished him for his insolence by killing him and hanging him above the entrance to the palace as a warning to everyone that no one was safe from Nightmare's wrath. Not even his son. Ilaria had only been around twelve at the time and she had never truly recovered. She didn't think she ever would.

"You must be wondering why I've brought you here." Nightmare said as he changed the subject. Ilaria didn't really want to know why he brought her there but she knew better than to say that aloud.

"Yes." She said, playing along with her father's usual antics.

"I've received word that Dormammu has fled Earth." Nightmare said, looking very intrigued as he told Ilaria this.

Ilaria gave him a confused look. For a moment she thought she heard him wrong. Dormammu? Ilaria knew fully well who that was. Dormammu was only the leader of the Dark Dimension. He was one of the most powerful beings in all the dimensions other than her father. Despite her father always acting like Dormammu's best friend, she knew the two beings only tolerated each other. Both were incredibly powerful beings that knew better than to try to fight each other for power. Her father had settled for the Dream Dimension and Dormammu remained in the Dark Dimension. That was their silent agreement and they both respected that agreement even to this day.

"Fled Earth? I thought you said he was trying to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth?" Ilaria questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Apparently he was scared off by some pathetic human." Nightmare said as he grinned in delight. Ilaria didn't know why her father seemed so amused by this news. She thought he'd be disgusted or angry.

"How can that be? He's Dormammu. The Cosmic Conqueror." Ilaria said, still bewildered at the idea that a human could do that much damage. Nightmare just snickered.

"Apparently this human was more irritating than most." Nightmare told her as Ilaria took in this information. "I've been told he's one of those human sorcerers. One of the ones who thinks he knows everything about all the dimensions."

"Does he know everything about the dimensions?" Ilaria asked and Nightmare just grinned at her before shaking his head.

"If he did then he'd know about this one, wouldn't he?" Nightmare said smugly. "None of the humans have so much as a clue about the Dream Dimension."

"Should we be worried, Father? This human's already chased off Dormammu." Ilaria said as she wondered if she'd be lucky enough for this human sorcerer to come around and chase her father off too. Maybe he'd even know how to kill her father although she doubted it. Her father was one of the most powerful beings in existence. She didn't even think she could defeat him. How could she expect a human too? "What if we're next?" Nightmare scoffed.

"Don't give the humans too much credit, My Daughter." Nightmare said, sounding very sure of himself. "The Dream Dimension is far beyond his or any other human's reach. We're safe here. We're untouchable."

"What should we do then?" Ilaria asked and Nightmare grew serious as he looked down at his daughter.

"I say we do nothing about this human. Let him experiment with all the dimensions he wants. He'll never find this one." Nightmare said nonchalantly before something else came to mind. "In the mean time, however, we shall prepare for your ceremony tomorrow night."

Ilaria forced herself not to frown at this news. Her ceremony. The very thing she had been dreading for the past twenty years…ever since her father took her and kept her prisoner in this dimension. He made sure that she learned her destiny early on. Her destiny in becoming a ruler of another dimension like the Dream Dimension. Nightmare wanted to give her the Fear Dimension to rule over. Ilaria didn't think she was the kind of person to rule over such a dimension with so much darkness in it but it was what her father demanded so she had to allow it.

The ceremony was supposed to be a big deal. It would be the night she received her proper title and the night she would stop aging. The beginning of her eternal life or so her father always told her. Ilaria didn't want this life. Some yearned for eternal life but Ilaria only saw immortality as spending eternity under her father's control. It was like a life long prison sentence but in Ilaria's case it was much worse because her life wasn't short like a human's. She'd be her father's slave for eternity.

"The ceremony. I almost forgot." Ilaria said in a small voice and her father raised an eyebrow.

"How could you have forgotten?" Nightmare questioned before rolling his eyes. "Of course. It must be the human in you. Humans are always such forgetful creatures."

"Yes, Father." Ilaria said obediently despite hating her father's tone when he talked about the human part of her. She hated how he looked down at her as if he found the human part of her revolting. He never ceased reminding her of how weak and pathetic she was because of her disadvantage of being part human.

Ilaria knew that she would rather be part human than part of what he was…a demon. She meant that literally too. Her father was a demonic entity so there was some truth to the saying that some people were born evil. Ilaria's father really was born evil. Ilaria just didn't know what she was. Good or evil. She really had no clue. How could she be good if she was born from someone as evil and sadistic as her father? No. Ilaria must be evil too. She just had to be.

"Now head back to your chambers at once. Make sure everything's in order for the ceremony tomorrow." Nightmare ordered as he dismissed her. Ilaria nodded.

"Yes, Father." She said, once again being the obedient daughter. Her father nodded at her in return.

Without another word, Ilaria then began to exit the throne room. The only feeling she felt was relief as she left the room so that she could finally be away from her father and his wives. She was always relieved to be away from her father. Ilaria doubted the feeling would ever change. She would always resent her father for being an evil being while he would resent her for being part human.

It was a never ending cycle.

Author's Note: I know most of you are probably wondering about Ilaria's powers and more of her backstory with her father and mother but a lot more will be discussed in the next chapter as well as future chapters. This is only the first chapter so there's way more to come.