Author's Note: Here's another chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows last chapter. I'm really glad you guys are liking the story and I'll try to have another chapter out soon. It'll still be a couple chapters before Ilaria and Stephen will meet but she will meet the Avengers next chapter.

I actually did make up another character for this story other than Ilaria which is Vareen who is the librarian/servant imprisoned in Nightmare's palace. He'll have a bigger part in this chapter. If you have some trouble imagining him just picture Fauno from Pan's Labyrinth. That's who I kind of based Vareen off of looks wise.

I also just want to say that I don't own Dreamstalker which is another character from Marvel comics and who will also show up in this chapter.

readeratheart8128: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story and I get what you mean about Doctor Strange. There's hardly any Doctor Strange fanfics on here. There's only one that I found that I actually liked but that was it so I decided to make my own which is the same reason I did 'Some Things Never Sleep'. Christine will still be in this story as Stephen's love interest for a while but this is a Doctor Strange/OC pairing so eventually Ilaria and Stephen will end up together but not for some time. I love writing slow burn stories in case you couldn't tell.

Purplestan: I'm glad you like it and I'll try to have another chapter out soon.

Thanks to Another random account for reviewing last chapter as well.

I hope you like the chapter and let me know what you think.

"Princess, stand still." One of Ilaria's handmaidens said. Her handmaidens were fairy looking creatures with their slender figures and large wings but they weren't as colorful or happy as the fairies you read about in fairytales. Their skin was a sad looking gray, their wings torn and weathered, and their eyes as gray as their skin. Her handmaidens were sad and miserable looking creatures just like all the creatures in this dimension.

Ilaria didn't know their names. Her father said that the names of their servants was forbidden knowledge. They were only servants and were not worthy of having names or being talked to as equals. Ilaria never cared for those rules. She was too lonely to honor those rules but her handmaidens refused to talk to her on a friendly level. They were professional and that was it.

"Sorry." Ilaria mumbled as she tried to stand more still. They were currently dressing her for the ceremony which was mere hours away. Her handmaidens fitted her in a black gown. It was simple in color and design. The dress was long sleeved, the neckline lowcut, and the bodice clung to her torso like a second skin while the dress from the waist down hung loose against her form. The skirt of her dress only ended at her ankles.

"Raise your arms, Princess." One of the other handmaidens told her and Ilaria did as she was asked. The handmaidens then proceeded to put on her cloak which was an even darker purple than her hair. The cloak hung loosely off her form and felt soft against her skin. The cloak was only supposed to be for the ceremony. It was tradition.

"There you go, Princess. We're all done for now." The first handmaiden told her as she smiled at Ilaria.

"You're ready for the ceremony. I think the king will be very pleased." The other one told her. Ilaria faked a smile as she nodded.

"I can only hope to make him proud." Ilaria told them but her voice was empty. She didn't seem as happy as she should've been.

This should've been a happy occasion, right? The ceremony was tonight. Her ceremony. She would finally get her title just like her sister had received hers nearly a thousand years before her. Her sister was the entity known as Dream Queen. It was a ridiculous sounding name but these were the titles they were given once they participated in their ceremony. Her brother had been Trauma and Ilaria was to become Daydream.

She would be Daydream.

Ruler of the Fear Dimension.

The Fear Dimension was never supposed to be hers. It had belonged to her brother when he was still alive. It was suited to him given the fact that her brother's powers allowed him to shapeshift into his victim's darkest and most dreaded fear. Ilaria's powers were nothing like the sort. Ilaria was an empath who was able to sense the emotions of others as well as manipulate them to her choosing. It wasn't the only power she had either. She was very gifted in astral projection which could be a learned skill for many but it was something Ilaria was born with although Ilaria could not stay outside her body long. Teleportation and energy projection were also some of her abilities. Some might say she was a powerful being but she was nothing in comparison to her father.

Nightmare haunted the dreams of tormented beings across the universe. Usually he only preyed on humans since humans were the weakest and most emotional. Her father would feed on their fear and anguish which only made him more and more powerful. Although they were only supposed to be dreams, the damage could still be very real. It was impossible to destroy her father because he lived off fear. As long as there would be fear, her father would exist.

Ilaria was meant to be like her father once she went through the ceremony. Something to be feared. The ceremony would be the first step in embarking on this dark journey. It might've seemed like a good thing for her to be allowed to rule over her own dimension but Ilaria feared the very idea. How was she supposed to instill fear in others? She wasn't scary and she most certainly didn't like the idea of trying to scare people. She didn't understand why this was needed. However, her father commanded her to do this so she had to listen. This was supposed to be her life now.

"We'll leave you until one of the servants comes to fetch you for the ceremony, Your Highness." One of her handmaidens told her. Ilaria barely managed to smile as she nodded.

"Of course. Thank you." She told them. They only nodded before they both vacated her chambers and Ilaria was left alone.

She tried making herself happy for the ceremony. She tried telling herself that this would be a good thing. But somehow she couldn't be happy even if she tried really hard. Ilaria supposed she wasn't like her sister who had been estatic to receive her title and immortality. Her heart just wasn't in it.

Ilaria then allowed her thoughts to drift towards her mother and her home planet. She didn't remember much about her mother or Earth anymore. It had been years since she had been there. Ilaria didn't even remember the name she had before all this. The human name her mother had given her. She also didn't remember her mother's name either. Her mother who had the very same hazel eyes she had as well as the same delicate pixie features. She remembered her mother's hair had been a dishwater blonde that her mother always left down. Her face was incredibly kind and beautiful.

Ilaria snapped out of the flashback of her mother. What was the point of thinking of her mother now of all times? Her mother couldn't help her now. She was just a distant fading memory. Her mother had probably long forgotten about her anyways. She probably had a new family now. A kind and loyal husband, a cute little boy, and a daughter who was normal. Her mother could probably take her new daughter to the park without causing a riot. Her new daughter wasn't the spawn of such evil like Ilaria was.

"Princess, the ceremony's about to start." A servant boy said as he popped his head into her chambers. Ilaria was once again broken out of her thoughts. "I'm here to escort you to the ceremonial chambers."

"Yes, of course." Ilaria said as she immediately started heading for the door. It was time for the ceremony. There was no more delaying it. In a couple short hours she would be Daydream. Ruler of the Fear Dimension. It would be the start of eternity as her father's slave.

There was nothing Ilaria wished more than to run away far from her father. But where would she go? Her teleportation skills weren't that great. She could only teleport herself from one end of the palace to the other. She still couldn't manage to travel long distances. Ilaria knew better than anyone else that there wasn't any escape. She was trapped here…destined to become the very thing she feared. To become as evil as her father. There was no way out. This was Ilaria's destiny and she was just going to have to accept it. She was her father's daughter.

What other outcome could she possibly have?

The princess waited outside the ceremonial chambers alone as she listened for her signal to enter the chambers. The servant boy had left her alone to tend to his chores. She could already hear her father and the succubuses in the chambers, doing their ceremonial chants as they started the ceremony off. Her throat felt increasingly thick with emotion as she began to panic. Here it was…her ceremony. The night her life became truly doomed for eternity. Ilaria was just about to continue to brood about the upcoming event when she heard a voice a short distance away.

"Princess!" A hoarse voice whispered. Ilaria immediately turned her head to look down the dark and empty corridor of the palace. She squinted her eyes as she spotted a familiar figure lurking in the shadows. Her eyes then widened in recognition.

"Vareen?" Ilaria questioned as she spotted the familiar goat like figure. Vareen quickly made his way over to her, his silvery eyes scanning the corridor quickly to make sure they were alone. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come for you, Princess." He told her and Ilaria gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She asked the old creature and he continued to stare back at her.

"I've come to get you out of here." He elaborated but Ilaria was still puzzled.

"Get me out of here?" Ilaria questioned in a hushed voice. "What are you talking about, Vareen?"

"I'm helping you escape. You must come with me right now." Vareen told her. "I can get you out of here but it has to be right here and now."

"Vareen, you can get killed just for talking about this. My father killed my brother for a lot less." She told him.

"You can't finish the ceremony. You need to leave now." He told her and Ilaria just looked at him in disbelief.

"I can't just leave, Vareen." Ilaria told him, sounding frightened. "You know that." Vareen then gave her an annoyed look as he rested his hoof on her arm. Ilaria looked at him in shock. This was so unlike Vareen. He was never this bold and he most certainly never acted this crazy.

"If you stay here your father will keep you in the Fear Dimension for all eternity. You'll never get the chance to leave again." He told her seriously and Ilaria felt breathless at what he was telling her. He was describing her deepest and darkest fear to her. "Why do you think he's forbidden you from reaching your full potential? Why do you think he hasn't given you his full knowledge?"

"I-I don't know." Ilaria said nervously as she started to consider what he was telling her.

"He's afraid of how powerful you are. He's trying to prevent you from escaping him." Vareen told her and everything suddenly made more sense.

Her father always complained about how she never applied herself to their lessons but she was starting to realize that he never gave her the proper tools to do so. There was a forbidden section in the library he banned her from and not to mention there were certain areas of her powers that he didn't teach her. He didn't dare teach her anything about teleportation or energy projection. Ilaria realized that he was trying to stop her from leaving or fighting against him.

"He's afraid of me?" Ilaria questioned and Vareen nodded.

"He'll do to you what he did to your brother if you become too powerful." Vareen said as he gave her a pleading look. "Please, Princess. Please come with me right now."

Ilaria stood there as she contemplated what she was going to do. This was possibly the toughest decision she had ever made. She could either stay here and spend eternity bound to her father or she could leave and wait for him to hunt her down before he killed her like her brother. Ilaria remembered her brother when he faced death after freeing the humans from their father's torment. He hadn't been scared when their father killed him. He had faced their father without fear and accepted his fate because he knew death was better than an eternity bound to Nightmare. If her brother had been that brave then she could be too. Facing her father's wrath was better than spending eternity inprisoned in the Fear Dimension. Ilaria swallowed hard before she nodded furiously.

"Let's go then." She told Vareen. The mythical looking creature gave her a single satisfied nod.

"Good." He said before he continued. "You'll have to summon a portal." Ilaria gave him a confused look.

"A portal?" She questioned. "Vareen, you know I'm not capable of teleporting myself out of this dimension. My teleporting capabilities are very poor."

"I only need you to teleport us to the stables." Vareen told her and Ilaria gave him a bewildered look.

"You're not actually suggesting-" Ilaria started to say but Vareen interupted her with a small smile on his face.

"I am suggesting it." He said before his face grew more grim. "However, we must hurry. It won't be long before your father realizes you're missing." Ilaria nodded.

"Okay." She said as she then prepared herself to open up a portal.

The purple haired princess held out her hands as she focused with all of her might on the space in between her hands. She pushed the thought of what her father would do to her if he discovered her out of her head. Her eyes narrowed as she used all the power she could muster, her hands trembling, and as luck would have it sparks of purple energy flew from her hands.

This was a challenging task since the most Ilaria could ever do was teleport herself from end of the palace to the other. It was seldom she ever tried teleporting herself to the grounds of the palace. It required a lot of power and it was starting to take it's toll on her. Ilaria smiled in relief when she saw the portal begin to open itself up and she could see the stables through the very same portal. She did it! She couldn't believe it. Ilaria guessed that's what happened when you were desperate.

"Let's go now. I can't hold it for long." Ilaria told him. Vareen just nodded before he nudged her along and she quickly flew up from the ground, flying through the portal with ease. Vareen followed her as he hopped through the very same portal. The portal closed the moment they reached the other side.

Ilaria looked back upon the palace which was quite a distance aways. Her father should be expecting her in the ceremonial chambers any minute now but instead she was here. Risking her life to follow whatever crazy plan Vareen had for her. She turned back as she looked across the wasteland of the Dream Dimension. She could see countless skeletons littered across the barren and desolate land. Nothing ever lived or thrived here. The whole dimension was filled with death. Ilaria couldn't wait to leave. Hopefully she would be able to actually leave without being killed by her father.

"We must be quiet now, Princess." Vareen whispered to her as he raised his hoof to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. They then quickly ducked behind a withering shrub along the garden filled with dead flowers and plants. Vareen and Ilaria hurried peeked above the shrub and noticed the guards doing their rounds as they guarded the stables. It was those same disgusting little goblins her father loved to keep as his pets. Ilaria really hated those things. They were like little scavengers who only feasted on rotted flesh.

"What's the plan, Vareen?" She asked him quietly and he looked up at her, his floppy little ears curling as he came up with a plan.

"One step at a time, Princess. First we shall take out the guards and from there we will get Dreamstalker." Vareen told her and Ilaria raised an eyebrow.

"How do we know Dreamstalker will even go with us? Maybe he'll call upon my father." Ilaria said, doubt in her tone but Vareen only smiled.

"If there's one person Dreamstalker adores more than your father…it's you." He told her affectionately and Ilaria only smiled softly before she nodded.

"So how are we going to do this?" She asked him and he grew serious once more.

"When they circle around to the back of the stables, we'll wait around each corner for them and then attack." Vareen told her and Ilaria raised an eyebrow.

"You seem like you know what you're doing." She said observantly and he only smiled at her.

"Before I was imprisoned here, Princess, I fought in many wars on my home planet." He informed her and Ilaria was delightfully surprised by this news. "Trust me. I do know what I'm doing."

"I never said I didn't trust you." Ilaria replied softly.

They then both turned their attention to the guards circling around the back of the stables. They both shared a look before nodding as they quickly made their way to the stables. Ilaria positioned herself at one corner of the stables while Vareen positioned himself at the other corner. She could hear the goblin getting closer and closer as he wobbled his way over to their side of the stables.

Ilaria took a deep breath as she prepared herself to use her powers once more. When she felt the goblin's presence grow closer to them, she searched out for his emotions. These little goblins or gorgoyles, as she sometimes called them, weren't complicated beings. They were never very smart and their emotions never changed much.

Hunger was the only emotion she could detect as she reached out through her mind and quickly lulled him to sleep. Her abilities as an empath were the only powers she had that she felt truly confident in so it only took a second before the evil little creature passed out and fell to the ground. He never even saw her. Ilaria smiled in satisfaction until she heard a grunt and a revolting sound from behind her.

She quickly turned around only to see Vareen standing there with the goblin's head in one hand and it's headless corpse laying on the ground. Green blood was splattered all over Vareen's face as he gave her a sheepish look. Ilaria crossed her arms and gave the old looking creature a pointed look.

"My apologies, Princess." Vareen told her sheepishly. "I'm not nearly as gentle as you."

"I can see that." Ilaria said in amusement before a serious look crossed their faces as they remembered that they didn't have a lot of time on their hands. "Come on, let's go. Those creatures always reek the most revolting odor. It's even worse now that they're dead believe it or not."

Ilaria and Vareen headed inside the stables, not wanting to waste anymore time. Ilaria didn't know when the goblin she put to rest would wake up. Her father was probably just realizing that she wasn't waiting outside the ceremonial chambers any longer. The stables didn't contain many horses other than one in particular. Her father's mount. Ilaria's eyes rested on the very horse they had come all this way for.

Dreamstalker.

Dreamstalker was both an eerie and beautiful looking horse. Possibly one of the most legendary creatures of all the dimensions. He was a massive creature with tattered yet powerful wings that looked like they could capture you in between them and keep you prisoner. Dreamstalker was majestic and black in color. His eyes were an angry looking red and his mane long and beautiful. The only other jawdropping feature of his was his horn that rested on the top of his head much like the unicorns humans always talked about in their folktales and myths. The very same horn that had pierced the hearts of many fearsome foes of her father's. He was a mean looking horse but Ilaria knew him better than that. He could be quite kind and gentle despite what the legends said.

"Dreamy." Ilaria murmured softly as she reached out and rubbed his forehead affectionately. He made a soft sound of satisfaction at her touch.

"Princess…" Vareen said softly, grabbing her attention as she turned back to him. "You must take Dreamstalker and reach the Forest of Dreamscapes before dawn comes upon us."

"What are you talking about, Vareen? I don't understand? The Forest of Dreamscapes?" Ilaria asked in confusion.

She knew what the Forest of Dreamscapes was. Her brother used to take her there as a child so that they could have a picnic and get away from their father. Just like the rest of the Dream Dimension, it wasn't very beautiful but it was peaceful in a strange way. The Forest of Dreamscapes held the spirits of all the beings imprisoned in the dimension who had been slaughtered by her father. It was a mystical place and very enchanting in an eerie way. However, Ilaria had not been back there since the death of her brother.

"Every time there's a ceremony, the Forest of Dreamscapes becomes home to hundreds of portals from every corner of the universe. Dimensions, planets…you name it." Vareen informed her and Ilaria was entirely intrigued at this point. "The dark energy conjured for the ceremony is enough power to summon all these portals. If you reach the Forest of Dreamscapes in time then you'll be able to leave through one of these portals."

"Really?" Ilaria questioned, completely blown away by this news. She could finally escape? It was really that simple? All she had to do was travel to the Forest of Dreamscapes and choose a portal then she was finally free. It was so hard to believe after all this time.

"Yes but you must leave right away. The portals will close soon." He told her as he pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. Ilaria just nodded as she immediately floated up into the air before seating herself on Dreamstalker's back. She ran her fingers through Dreamstalker's mane and the horse sighed in content. Ilaria then looked back down at Vareen and offered him her hand.

"Come on, Vareen. We must hurry then." Ilaria told him but the kind creature didn't move a single inch. He smiled up at her sadly.

"I'm afraid this is where I must leave you, Princess." He told her and Ilaria's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" She questioned and he just shook his head. "Don't be silly, Vareen. My father will kill you if you stay here. You know that."

"I've lived a very long time, Princess. Thousands upon thousands of years. My dying wish was only to see you free." He told her and Ilaria could feel her eyes glisten with tears when she realized what he was saying. This was it. The end.

"You can't! You have to come with me! I can't do this alone." Ilaria told him but he just continued to smile at her.

"Yes, you can. You're stronger than you know." He said truthfully as his gaze then softened. "You must leave, Princess. You don't belong in a place like this. You're too good…too pure. You deserve to be free and happy."

"I'll miss you." Ilaria told him as the tears began to stream down her face. She was starting to realize that this was the last time she would ever see him…the last time she'd ever see him alive too. "I'll never forget you."

"You'll find your way, Princess. I know you will." He said softly. Ilaria swallowed hard before she leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss against his forehead, his soft fur brushing against her lips.

"Thank you." She told him and he continued to give her that wise smile.

"Don't look back." He made her promise.

Ilaria could only manage to nod before she tangled her fingers through Dreamstalker's mane. He made a loud neighing sound before he rose up and took off into the air. Ilaria flinched when she felt him start to take flight. The take off was abrupt and rough but it became smooth once Dreamstalker stretched out his wings and glided swiftly through the air.

Ilaria felt the overwhelming urge to turn back to look back at Vareen but she instead tangled her fingers further into Dreamstalker's mane to resist the urge. Her face was probably soaked with tears by now but she was beyond trying to control her emotions.

"DAUGHTER!" Her father's voice bellowed out through the dimension. Her heartbeat increased as she heard the anger and malice in her father's voice.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" He yelled out and Ilaria flinched again. Dreamstalker fidgeted around like he wanted to turn around and return to his master but Ilaria just hushed him, running her fingers soothingly through his mane. The mystical horse calmed down at once.

"It's okay, Dreamy." Ilaria told the horse but she didn't know who she was comforting. Her or Dreamstalker. She noticed that Dreamstalker flew much faster than she could. She could see the beginning of the Forest of Dreamscapes through the murky purple clouds.

"We're almost there." She told him and it was then that Dreamstalker began to drop down from the high altitude they were at. She held on more tightly to him as the dead looking trees of the forest came closer and closer. She closed her eyes for a moment as she ignored the pull she felt to her father. He was searching for her. That much she knew but Ilaria was good at hiding from him. She spent a lot of time practicing these past years she had spent in the Dream Dimension.

Dreamstalker began to fly through the forest, dodging all the trees in their path as he headed for the forest floor. She gulped as they narrowly missed a large looking tree trunk standing up by itself in the middle of the forest. Dreamstalker really seemed to have little care whether or not she ended up getting impaled by a tree trunk. Sure she'd heal but that didn't make it any less painful.

Ilaria held on tight to Dreamstalker as he finally landed on the forest floor with a loud thud. She could practically feel the ground tremble underneath Dreamstalker's large hooves. He galloped several steps as he steadied himself and Ilaria just kept her eyes closed until the landing was over. A moment later, she could feel Dreamstalker slow down and she realized that they had officially landed. Ilaria reluctantly opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings in wonder.

There was nothing remarkable about the Forest of Dreamscapes. It was just as barren looking as the rest of the Dream Dimension. There were swamps filled with murky purple water and Ilaria could tell there was something swimming around down there. Two little beady red eyes looking at her from the surface proved it. All the trees in the forest were dying, the trunks skinny and small while the trees also contained no leaves. There wasn't a lot of places to hide within the forest. It was that barren.

Ilaria looked down in disgust as Dreamstalker's hooves sunk down into the purple clay like forest floor. The purple clay came oozing up to the surface with every step Dreamstalker took. Ilaria couldn't wait to finally be free of this place. It was the most depressing and decay filled dimension of all the dimensions in the multi-verse. She just wanted to leave and never look back. Hopefully she made it in time to the portals. If she didn't make it then her father would inevitably kill her but she supposed death was better than spending the rest of her existence in this wasteland of lost souls and horrors.

"Keep going, Dreamy." Ilaria encouraged as they continued to trek through the forest. She flinched when she saw the sky flash an alarming shade of violet as purple lightning flashed through the sky. Thunder rumbled and Ilaria trembled from the very sound. This was her father's doing. She was sure of it.

Whispers could be heard through the forest but Ilaria knew this was normal. These were the whispers of all the lost people her father had tortured and killed. Their spirits still haunted the forest and would for eternity. Ilaria swallowed hard as she tried not to let herself get too scared. Now was not the time for her to be a coward. She needed to find the portals that Vareen was talking about and then she needed to make her escape.

"Where is she going?" A voice whispered through the trees.

"She's going to the place were the portals are at." Another voice answered.

"She's going to escape? No one's ever escaped this dimension before. Only in death." Said another voice.

"She's the daughter of Nightmare. If anyone's going to escape it'll be her. She's a special one." The first voice said. Ilaria shivered as she heard the voices whispering about her. It was slightly unsettling knowing that you were being watched by the very spirits who haunted the forest.

"Princess." One of the voices called out to her as Dreamstalker trotted through the forest. Her breathing hitched when she realized they were calling for her. "Princess, are you lost?" It took Ilaria a moment before she could respond to the spirit.

"I'm uh…trying to look for the portals." Ilaria said softly as she kept her eyes set on the path in front of her. "I don't have a clue as to where they are."

"We know where they are." Another voice said eerily as it whispered through the wind. Ilaria felt her heart skip a beat in anticipation.

"Could you please show me the way? Please? I don't have much time left." Ilaria told them.

"Of course, Princess. We'll show you the way." Yet another voice said. Ilaria suddenly felt hesitant at the willingness of the spirits to help her. Why should they want to help her? She was Nightmare's daughter, after all. They should want to kill the daughter of the man who murdered them.

"What do you want in return?" Ilaria asked suspiciously.

"We only want you to be free. Nothing more and nothing less." One of the voices told her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But why?" She asked.

"Nightmare has tormented all of us for far too long. Even in death. If someone escapes then at least that's a strike against him." A wise sounding voice told her. "Your freedom is our victory."

"Okay." Ilaria said softly, believing that they were genuine in their eagerness to help her.

"Come along this way, Princess. Take a left." One of the voices told her. Ilaria saw that the direction the spirit was pointing her in was off the path. It was a deeper and darker part of the forst but she supposed she had nothing to lose at this point.

"Left." Ilaria told Dreamstalker as she patted him on his side. The massive horse took a left and veered off the path.

"Hurry, Princess!" Another voice said as they ushered her along. "Your father's hounds have just entered the forest. They're looking for you." Elaria swallowed hard as she felt overcome with fear. Oh no. Her father was getting close. She smacked Dreamstalker on his side, willing him to go faster through the forest.

"Take a right!" A voice guided her and she gave the same direction to Dreamstalker. He was galloping through the dark and eerie forest at this point.

"It's straight ahead, Princess! Straight ahead!" One of the voices called out and it was then that Ilaria came across a clearing. Dreamstalker slowed down but Ilaria was taken back by the sheer sight of what was in front of her.

In the clearing there was dozens upon dozens of portals littered all around. Her jaw dropped at the sight of all the portals. It was like looking at multiple windows into multiple worlds all at once. Dreamstalker stopped in the middle of the clearing and Ilaria didn't waste any time as she stepped down from the horse as she looked around the clearing in awe. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. In such an ugly and evil world this was a sight of pure beauty unlike anything she had seen in her existence.

"It's so beautiful." Ilaria whispered as she looked at all the portals. She could see a world covered in ice, glaciers covering the surface of the blindingly white planet. Another portal showed a world with volcanos covering the expanse of the planet, lava swarming every possible surface.

Ilaria looked through another portal and saw a glittering rainbow bridge leading to a city that looked all too perfect. Asgard. She had read a little about it from the books in the library to be able to tell what it was. She then turned her head and saw another portal. This one showed grassy plains and a bright sky with the sun overlooking an ocean. Ilaria knew what this world was.

Alfheim.

The land of the Light Elves. She only knew this because her brother had described the world tp her on many occasions. During bedtime stories and in the pictures he would draw for her. He was half Light Elf, after all. A half breed just like her or so her father at times called them. Ilaria smiled as she looked at the world her brother had come from. He was right. It was the most beautiful place in the whole universe. That much was obvious.

However, a loud noise broke her gaze away from Alfheim. Ilaria turned and spotted a portal on the opposite side of the clearing. It stood by itself and something set it apart from all the other portals. There seemed to be some kind of pull between Ilaria and the portal as she entered a sort of trance, walking towards the portal. That noise…it had sounded so familiar. Ilaria finally reached the portal and was left astonished by what she saw.

The portal overlooked a paved area between two large looking buildings. An alley. Bins filled with waste littered the alley but Ilaria was more drawn in by the street that the alley overlooked. In the distance she could see people walking along the street, chattering amongst each other, completely oblivious to the portal overlooking them. Ilaria gasped as she saw the people. She knew exactly what species they were.

Humans.

To Ilaria's astonishment she realized that she was looking through the portal that led to Earth. Her home planet. That was the noise she recognized. It was the sound of a car honking. She remembered her mother driving them around the small, hidden away town they lived in. A car had stopped in front of them and her mother pressed her hand against the middle of the steering wheel in frustration. After all this time, she still remembered the sound of a honking car. Ilaria could now hear many cars honking as they drove across intersections in the distrance.

She laughed, completely bewildered at the fact that she was finally face to face with her home planet. This was Earth. The world she had thought of for many years. It had been so long since she had last seen it. So long since she had seen all the vibrant colors and light. Ilaria hadn't realized she had missed it this much until this very moment.

"You have to make a choice, Princess, and fast. They're coming." One of the spirits told her. Ilaria was broken out of her thoughts as she nodded furiously. They were right. She didn't have much time now. She was going to have to make a choice. Which portal was she going to choose?

"I suppose I'll have to leave you now, Dreamy." Ilaria told Dreamstalker as the horse just silently watched her. She gave him a sad look and she wondered if he sensed that about her. Maybe he did. She could sense a deep sadness coming from within him as well.

"I know." She whispered to him as she rested her forehead against his head, softly stroking his face.

"I think I'll miss you the most." She told him. He stared back at her, looking somehow regretful.

"Take care of yourself, Dreamy." Ilaria whispered to him as she then gave him a chaste kiss on his head. He made a chortling sound before Ilaria finally parted from him, turning back to look at all the portals. She now needed to make her decision more than ever. There wasn't much time now. They were almost there.

However, the decision was easier than she thought. She already knew which portal she was going to pick. She knew it from the moment she heard the sound of a car honking. Ilaria was going to pick Earth. It was an obvious pick but she wanted to go back to where she came from. She wanted to find her mother and she just wanted to go back after all these years. Hopefully they'd accept her. Ilaria really hoped they would.

"So what will it be, Princess?" Another spirit asked her. A soft smile came across the princess's face as she stood in front of the portal of her choosing. The only one she could've really picked.

"Home."