//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Into The Nightmare Realm! 
// Story: The Sorcerer Supreme of Earth 
// by Vishanti 
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Somewhere in the city of Canterlot, between darkness and dawn, a tortured noble tosses fitfully in his bed, vainly seeking peace that will not come. 

“No! No!! Go away! Please -- Go away!” a noble shouts as he abruptly wakes up with sweat on his pristine white coat.

He breathed slowly, combing his blonde mane with his hoof in a failed attempt to calm himself from the trauma he had experienced. “W-what was that? Why didn’t aunt Luna save me from that nightmare?” The noble asked to nothing but air.

He picked himself up and turned on a lamp beside his bed. “I must tell her, only she can help me with my nightmares.”

In the Canterlot Castle, the doors to the throne room are opened by the Royal Guards to let the noble through. The noble walked in with dignity, but it can’t be said the same for his face as he was dead tired from the nightmare that he tried to forget.

Princess Luna sits alone on her throne, taking her night shift duty very seriously, waiting for any ponies to visit her for guidance, advice, or requests of her, even demands. But admittedly, this duty bored her. No one ever visited her ever, until now.

The noble stands before the Moon Princess’ throne. As excited she would’ve been for a visitor, she was disappointed when she saw who the noble was, Prince Blueblood.

With a sigh she put on a smile, although the smile looked either obviously fake or downright terrifying. “What can we do for thy, our nephew?” Luna strained.

Prince Blueblood started with a frown and small anger. “Why haven’t you saved me?” He questioned. Luna stared back confusedly with a raised brow. “Save thee from what?” She asked.

“From my nightmare!” He shrieked, his blood boiling for her aunt not knowing the big problem. Luna frowned on her nephew's rude behavior but let it slide, for her sister’s sake. But at the same time, more confused.

“We patrolled the dreams and have never spotted thy nightmare.” She stated. 

Prince Blueblood frowned. “If so then why did I have a nightmare? You were supposed to get rid of every ponies nightmares, and yet you failed to do one simple task.” He jabbed. Luna’s eyebrow twitched at his nephew's rude comment but said nothing.

The prince babbled on about how the Moon Princess failed to perform her duty and went even as far as to say Luna should leave the job to somepony fit for it.

This hit the Moon Princess breaking point as she stood up from her throne seat and hardened her fierce glare at Blueblood’s direction. “Thou will respect us as such,”nephew”.” She said with distaste. “Now if thee is done with thy squabble, we suggest thou go to sleep so we will enter thy dreams.” She said, snorting before going to the corridors of the castle to lead Blueblood to an empty room.

Blueblood wanted to retort but knew better than to argue, so he did as he was told.

Blueblood went to sleep on the bed after commenting on how the mattress is low class to him. Luna stood nearby and used a spell to enter the Dreamscape.

The Dreamscape is a separate dimension connecting to every breathing sentient and sapient consciousness. A dimension made of calming shades of blue that goes beyond infinity in an endless void, with stars as the sky and soft light orbs acting as a pathway to all who walks the Dreamscape.

There would also be doors, doors that lead to the mind of the sleeper’s dreams. Ever since Luna’s return she has resumed her duty to patrol the ponies’ dreams and rid any nightmare she comes across. 

But it seems tonight and the near morning, Luna must enter Blueblood’s dreams to see why she has never come across his nightmare.

She walked calmly to Blueblood’s door and entered. What sight lay before her eyes was shocking.

The dream in Blueblood’s mind was the true definition of nightmares, something not even she has ever seen before in her immortal life. Horrid descriptions were impossible to describe.

She got over her shock and marched on to see the source of this by finding Blueblood himself in this nightmare.

She flew over the floating landscape not wanting to touch the disgusting sight she saw around her.

After flying around floating lands and small trails she sees something far away. She flew closer to get a better look of the gray thing.

Upon closer inspection she saw a gray hooded cloaked figure wrapped in chains, their face featureless as it was obscured in the shadows of its hood.

She flies closer with caution, unknown if it was an enemy or friend. She lands on the small bit of floating land with a dead tree and gazes upon the stranger. 

Staring at the stranger gives the princess a dreadful, guilty feeling. She has no idea why she feels it. She could also hear Blueblood screaming in fear, shouting the stranger in his dream to go away.

“Who art thee?” She asked. The stranger didn’t respond but Luna could feel the stranger stare deep into her eyes. The guilt feeling increased even more.

Luna fierce her eyes on the stranger and put on a defensive stance, readying for a possible attack. “We demand to know who art thee!” She shouts. 

The stranger finally spoke. “I am the symbol of evil,” It said in its low groan of a voice. “The evil he has done. That is why I am chained so. If you do not believe, then ask your nephew.” 

But before Luna could respond, suddenly, another form appeared. Far more menacing then the first.

The shadow from a small distance looked like a centaur, but the shadow turned to reveal a large, tall unicorn with a creature sitting on top of it with a cape. The sitting creature laughed evilly, the unicorn neighed.

Luna was unsure what to make of this. She couldn’t tell if the mysterious unicorn was held captive and manipulated by the creature sitting on it, to which it was similar to the creature Doctor Strange, or if the unicorn was the mastermind.

“Art thou the cause of this?” She asked the shadowed unicorn, the unicorn just snorted in response. “Dreamstalker doesn’t talk, little pony.” The shadowed rider said amusedly. Luna looked up from the steed to look at the caped figure

“Then who art thou, creature?” She asked with hostility. The rider chuckled, feeling amused as if the princess was a foal. “I am Nightmare! And you, little pony, are in my territory.” He said strictly with narrow eyes.

Luna looked on with hatred, not liking the creature that calls itself Nightmare, it reminds her too much of her other half, Nightmare Moon.

She shook off the thought and glared at Nightmare and his steed. “Whatever thou art, I can not allow thee to bring suffering onto this pony.” She said as her horn glowed. She tried to erase the nightmare, but for some reason, couldn’t.

She blinked. “What?” She looked around, everything was still the same, the nightmare dream was still the hellish landscape before. Nightmare laughed. “You can no longer control the dreams as I am a much higher form of power than you, faker.” He revealed. 

Luna charged up her horn but felt nothing. She crossed her eyes and was shocked to see that her horn was gone! As so were her wings! “What’s wrong, little pony? You look like you had a nightmare!” He laughed.

It was one thing to fear monsters invade your home, but being helpless and losing control over the Dreamscape was another. Luna feels the same feeling of terror as she had before during the invasion.

With nothing to use to fight, Luna ran away as quickly as possible. She passed the gray cloaked stranger and over the floating lands. 

Her heart pounded from her rush, she could feel the adrenaline pushing her on to find an escape. She could hear the echo of Nightmare’s laughter from far away, but she could also hear the clopping of hoofs. 

Luna passed through large hills of skulls and a flowing black tar river, she could see the deserted floating landscape with dead trees or long bridges that extended far away with stone skull architecture. 

She still hears the sound of clopping of hooves against the ground, the sound getting louder and louder that spells her doom and she was terrified of it. She has hoped for a savior, but none would come. She had hoped her sister would appear to save her, but she wasn’t. She was alone. But then again, was she truly alone? No, not when the nightmare hunts her down like a hunter to its prey, a wolf to its rabbit.

She never stopped running, but she could feel the exhaustion taking her, which should be impossible in the Dreamscape, maybe it was Nightmare who manipulated the dream to be realistic? It matters not when her life was on the line.

Her breathing ragged and shallow. When she felt she lost the creature as the noise of clopping was silent, she hid behind some cover of a large rock. 

Her heart pounded so loud like drums, she could hear it in her ears. She could feel her head pounding from how hard her heart thumps. She tried to breathe easy as she knew she was safe. But was she?

Her eyes shrunk from the sound of clopping, the sound of Nightmare. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.” He sang slowly and darkly as he rode his steed slowly in Luna’s location. 

Luna covered her mouth with her hoof to hide her breathing, the feeling of dread with her heart pounded. “Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.” He continued but his voice sounded closer. 

He and his steed stood above Luna’s hiding place, she sat deadly still like stone, her coat stood on edge and her blood ran cold.

Nightmare inspected the far lands of the dream, searching for the Moon Princess. When he found nothing, he turned his steed to go somewhere in a different direction while singing. “When the blazing sun is gone. When he nothing shines upon. Then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.”

With the sound of singing and hooves clopping gone, Luna allowed herself to breathe easy. She moved out of her hiding place before she was suddenly face to face with Dreamstalker.

She screams as Nightmare laughed in delight of her fear, knowing that this was just the start of her eternal nightmare.

Meanwhile, back in the awakening world, Celestia raised the sun but was confused that the moon was still high in the sky. She sighed, knowing that Luna probably forgot. So, to help her sister she decided to move the moon herself.

Ever since the event of Dormammu’s invasion, to which it was three weeks ago, Celestia has taken very care of the card that she was given by the mysterious creature who calls himself Doctor Strange. 

She has treated the card as a powerful weapon, a holy relic, she even went as far as putting it on a pedestal in her room. She remembers briefly of meeting the mysterious doctor and was forever grateful for his help in their time of need. If it wasn’t for him, who knows what would've happened to her sister, friends, ponies and other creatures.

She walked down the corridors of her castle, expecting to pass by a sleepy Luna. She didn’t, so she assumed her little sister passed out on the throne. She giggled at the thought as two Royal Guards opened the doors for her to enter her throne room.

She was expecting to see a passed out alicorn but was surprised to find her missing. This was something new, something she isn’t aware of. “Just where could she be,” she wondered.

She tried to search for her in the lunchroom, nothing. The gardens, nothing. Her bedroom, nothing. Panic slowly rises within her, but she calms herself before she makes a scene. “Maybe she went to another room to sleep in,” she thought.

She checked the other rooms in the castle where she came across an opened door. She peaked in and saw her sister, Luna, laying on the ground and her nephew, Blueblood, laying on the bed.

She quickly rushed in and checked on her sister’s vitals frantically. She sighs in relief to know that her sister is well, but something troubles her as Luna has the look of terror on her face. She tried to wake her up but she didn’t budge. Her breath slowly became shallow when Luna wasn’t responding.

“Guards!” She shouted a demand for help. Her sister and nephew were immediately taken to the hospital and put on life support.

“Something was wrong, this has never happened before. So what was the cause of this?” She thought as she let the best doctors analyze the situation, concluding it was a coma.

Celestia wished she could enter Luna’s dreams, but wasn’t trained to do so as Luna was the only one who mastered the sleep walking spell, taught by Starswirl the Bearded, their old mentor.

She was thinking of calling the Elements of Harmony for help, but could they do it? She knew Twilight and her friends have never experienced a dream situation before, so it was up to her to figure out how to save her sister.

But just then, a thought came to her. She remembered the card.

She entered her room and picked up the card from its pedestal to her magic grasp. She first admired the sleek black card with gold accents; it also had a symbol of a circle and four long streaks. She read what the card said on the front and back.


Dr. Stephen Strange


Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts, Part-time Superhero, M.D., Ph.D


177A Bleecker St.


(212-970-4133)


(If you cannot call me, then you must burn the card and I will be summoned)


Not knowing how to call the doctor, she did as the card suggested by lifting it onto a lit candle and watched it burn to smoke.

The smoke took shape into an orange fiery portal to the inside of a mansion. The first thing she saw was a red fabric before it turned out to be Doctor Strange’s back.

Doctor Strange turned to see the noise of an active portal and was surprised to see one of the alicorn princesses he saved three weeks ago. “Greetings and salutations, princess.” He welcomed her gracefully. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked as he stepped into Celestia’s room and the portal closed in on itself.

“I need your help.” She stated calmly, “Naturally, all who call or summon me are.” He responded. “Speak your mind and I’ll see what I can do.”

The sun princess explained the current situation of her sister and nephew, both in a coma and nopony knows the cause of it. Doctor Strange hummed in acknowledgement of the information he was given, pondering the problem in deep thought. 

With that in mind he looked back to the princess. “Take me to your sister and nephew.” He demanded.

Both are now currently at the Canterlot Hospital as Doctor Strange stands in the middle of both patients. He examined both the blue alicorn and white unicorn with a mandala hovering above his finger tips, magically scanning both with a mystic glow before dying down and standing back.

“Just as I suspected. Obviously this isn’t a normal coma caused by natural causes, this is caused by a greater force that seeks qualms upon them.” He said. Celestia stands with other doctors and nurses, she looked on with worry as she stepped forward by his side.

“Is there anything you can do, doctor?” She pleaded, Doctor Strange nodded in response. “I’ll need space to perform a spell that will allow me to enter their dreams.” He said, surprising Celestia and other ponies. “You can do such a thing?” She asked.

Doctor Strange stared at her with an incredulous look. “Did you not read what the card says? I am the Master of the Mystic Arts! Such a feat is easily accomplished for a mere amateur of magic.” He said before sitting on the floor and crossed his legs. “Now leave me as I am in need of the sound of silence.” He said as he closed his eyes and meditated.

The ponies were left quite stunned at such rudeness of the strange creature, they really thought their princess was going to punish him for such behavior, but she did nothing. She is also quite stunned, never before has anyone treated her like this, like a normal pony instead of a highly respected goddess.

Doctor Strange slowly hovered off the ground, still in a leg crossed meditation pose and silent as his cloak flowed and waved in the air.

Doctor Strange concentrated his Astral Projection as his metaphysical spirit exited his physical body, drifting in the air and shocking the ponies who get to witness such display of magic. 

His astral projection was of transparent white, similarly of a ghost, but yet not. Becoming intangible in this form he flew into the dream of Luna and was caught off guard at the sight.

The blue alicorn, Luna, was haunted by the guilt of her past mistakes as Nightmare Moon, the people she hurt, the damage she has caused. All the guilt returns to haunt her in her dreams in the form of shadows of her victims. It brings her mental agony, every dark reminder felt like a stab wound to her heart. 

She cried and begged for forgiveness, promising that she had changed for the better. But the shadow ponies did not heed her words nor believe them as they continued to verbally abuse her, surrounding her.

Doctor Strange quickly exits the dream and re-enters his physical body, now knowing what to do and a goal in mind. 

He knew this was the work of Nightmare, the Prince of the Nightmare Dimension. Doctor Strange is at a disadvantage when it comes to facing someone like Nightmare in their domain. But with the spell called “Mist of Hoggoth”, Doctor Strange will be safe from the clutches of Nightmare, as he will be unaffected by Nightmare’s control of dreams.

Doctor Strange lifted his arms outward in the air and performed hand signs like before, but different and with a different chant of a powerful spell. “I summon the Host of Hoggoth!” His voice echoed throughout the room as a light blue mist formed in front of him. “Lead me to the source of evil! Obey the words of Doctor Strange!”

The mist swirled into a portal that leads to the Dream Dimension, specifically, Luna’s. 

Doctor Strange switches back to his astral projection and lands on top of a misty trail, made by the mist portal that leads to the Dream Dimension with his safety. If Doctor Strange were to step off the misty trail for just a moment, Nightmare would be able to take away his magic and he’ll be completely defenseless against his foe.

Doctor Strange walked where the misty trail guided to Luna’s, and possibly, Blueblood’s location.

He walked past some disturbing sights such as a giant fang mouth, or a demonic octopus. He gazed in the horror of the nightmarish world. He could feel the eerie presence of something or someone watching him, gazing from afar.

He stopped when he stood close to the cloak stranger that Luna met before. “Who are you?” The doctor asked as the stranger looked deep into the sorcerer’s eyes, giving the doctor that feeling of guilt. “I am the symbol of evil, the same evil Prince Blueblood has done!” He said. “I am chained here as his forever guilt.”

Doctor Strange took in the information as it reminded him of a strange tale of his servant and friend, Wong, telling him a similar story. But he continued on his journey where the misty trail leads him.

Almost near the end of the trail, the sorcerer could see a large, horned, demonic head, the size of a building with its eyes moving, staring into his soul. The place where the mouth would be was replaced with a large door.

The large door creaked open ever so slowly, giving the doctor the creeps. He entered the barely dark room as he saw his trail was split into three pathways. “Nightmare’s first trap. It seems he never learns from his past, but at the same time, he never knew what I had learned about him from his encounter with my grandfather.”

He stands on the edge of the three paths. He glanced at his amulet and instinctively knew what to do. 

“By the Eye of Agamotto! Reveal the true path to me!” He commanded, and the amulet opened its eye, obeying its current master’s demands and shed some light onto the trails, the two fakes faded away by its light as the true path stayed.

Doctor Strange went on his way to Nightmare’s captives, knowing that he was closer than ever, if the trap wasn’t a clue.

“So, Doctor Strange, we meet again!” Suddenly, Nightmare appeared! The sorcerer froze at the voice as he looked up to see Nightmare on his loyal black horse with a large grin. 

“So you finally reveal yourself. Tired of playing hide and seek, Nightmare?” The doctor quipped. Nightmare sneered. “I promise you, Doctor Strange, this shall be the last time we meet as you will be trapped in the Nightmare World, forever!” He declared.

“You cannot harm me as long as I am on the Path of Hoggoth, Nightmare. “ Doctor Strange said with a smirk, his confidence slowly growing overconfident. “So I see. But do not gloat too soon, for I shall find a way to drive you from your path!” Nightmare promised.

Doctor Strange ignored him and looked around to find the prisoned captives of the dreams. He spotted two of them, caged on a rocky platform just a quarter of a mile away. “I have captured their ethereal selves, as you can see. If you can reach them, they are free to go. But if you do not reach them, then their lives are forfeit!” Nightmare laughs.

He flies his horse above your path that leads to the captive sleepers with a sinister idea. “I cannot affect the path you have already trot on, but I can destroy the path which lies ahead - like this!” He threw a fiery orb at the path ahead of Doctor Strange, destroying the trail and leaving the sorcerer stumped at his current situation.

It may seem now it was hopeless to save the captives of the dreams, but Doctor Strange had an idea. “You forget, Nightmare. I am resourceful and can adapt to any situation.” He said as he untied his yellow enchanted sash from his hips.

He threw the enchanted sash as it magically extended and stretched across toward the platform where the captives were. The sash stiffens as hard as rock when it lands on the platform, giving the sorcerer a new path to walk on where Nightmare can’t interfere with.

“Damn you, Doctor Strange!” Nightmare cursed as Doctor Strange walked toward his goal.

Doctor Strange clashed with Luna’s nightmares as he punched the shadows and disintegrated them with the help of the Eye of Agamotto. He soothingly woke up both Luna and Blueblood.

“Wake up, your nightmare has ended. I will bring you home.” He assured them. Luna shivers from the mental tortures, but seeing Doctor Strange in her vision, she feels a sense of safety and security as she hugs him tightly. The doctor soothes her and rubbed her back.

Blueblood awakens from his own nightmare of guilt. He glances up at the doctor before him and jumps with a fright. “Who are you!?” He frightfully asked.

“Do not fear, I am here to help you return home.” Doctor Strange promised as he gave himself space from the Moon Princess’ hug. 

Blueblood was still untrustful, but hearing of being able to go back home was good enough and he’ll take the chance. “W-well good! Take me home immediately!” He demanded.

With the whole conversation out of the way, he guided them onto the sash, standing aside to give them room to step on the sash. Not realizing that he stepped off the safety of Hoggoth.

“Hah! I caught you napping, Strange, just as I had hoped!” Nightmare says as he threw a lighting bolt under Doctor Strange’s feet, destroying the platform he stood on.

He tried to grab onto the sash, but was blocked by a wall of black cobwebs, made of a powerful magic material that was too strong for him to break through. Even in his Astral Projection, he couldn’t phase through it, he was trapped.

Doctor Strange heard the cries of Luna as he could only float down to another platform.

“At long last, Strange, you are my prisoner!” Nightmare said gleefully as he held a long, metallic, sharp wand. He summoned an orange, spiny spider as it crawled closer to Doctor Strange. 

“The others are free to go, their fate does not matter as long as you are mine to destroy!” Nightmare said with victory. He pointed his wand at the orange, spiked spider. “This is the spiny beast, whose touch means death! He seems to want to meet you, Strange, to touch you! Or is it because of the mystic prod, which I command him?” He rhetorically asked with mock wonder.

Doctor Strange paused, unknowing which way to turn, unsure what move to make. The spiny beast crawled closer and closer with Deathstalker and Nightmare by its side with its big, blank, red eyes staring at him as the sorcerer could see his reflection.

But an idea came to him, but it must be timed perfectly. “At last I know what I must do! But I must not fail! There will be no second chance, so I must make it count!” He thought with a sweat on his eyebrow. His teeth and fists clenched and his eyes narrowed.

Doctor Strange was back into the corner edge of the platform with giant demonic tentacles sprouting to reach him for its meal, the pursuers inching closer every quarter of a microsecond.

When Nightmare, on his steed, Deathstalker, and the spiny beast were closer by sides. Doctor Strange made a mental command to the Eye of Agamotto to send a blinding light onto his foes, rendering them temporarily blind and surprised.

“My eyes! I can’t see!” Nightmare shouted as his steed reeled itself back with a loud neigh. Nightmare almost fell but swung his arms around to keep his balance by instinct, not knowing he accidentally killed his spiny beast by poking his rod-wand at it with a tap.

“My spiny beast!” Nightmare shrieked in horror upon his own actions. Doctor Strange used this chance while Nightmare was distracted and latched onto the sash and quickly climbed back into the misty trail’s safety.

With the small group consisting of an alicorn, unicorn, and human, all walked to the misty portal on their safe return, with Nightmare scowling as he followed them, knowing that he can’t do anything but watch.

“You will not have time to enjoy your triumph, Strange! We shall meet again, sooner than you think! And next time, victory will be mine!” Nightmare‘s shrill, vindictive cry follows them, ringing sharply in their ears.

With the group now in safe return, the once captives of Nightmare entered their physical bodies upon the doctor’s suggestion as he did too.

Luna and Blueblood awoke from their mystic comas and Luna was met with a tight hug of her beloved older sister, Celestia.

“Oh, it is good to see you, my dear sister!” Celestia cried out with glee upon her sister’s return from her almost eternal slumber. Luna hugged back tightly as well as she too cried, happy to return back to the land of the awakening.

Doctor Strange stood and watched, happy to see another job well done as the Sorcerer Supreme. But one thought lingers his mind as he was curious how this happened. “If you don’t mind me asking; how did this all even happen?” the mystic doctor asked.

Celestia and Luna turned to him as Celestia too had the same question. “Luna, what caused this problem?” Celestia asked, to which Luna was looking over Blueblood where he was confused why he was the center of attention with all the eyes on him.

“Our nephew came to us to talk about his nightmares. We entered his dreams and we met the beast who was more powerful than us in the Dreamscape.” Luna explained. 

The mystic doctor now got all the information and pieced it together and knew what happened. He turned to the prince. “It seems your nightmares are caused by guilt, now explain to me the truth, and only the truth, to such as why were you consumed in guilt?” Doctor Strange asked as he cast a temporary truth spell to make Blueblood spill the beans.

“I-I was a fool!” The spell that was casted onto Blueblood changed his demeanor. “My dreams were caused by the ponies’ lives I ruined! Two Bit was the last of them, but he couldn’t prove it! I-I confess!” Blueblood gasped as he fell to his side on the hospital bed.

“It seems confessing your terrible deeds will be the only way you can ever sleep again.” Doctor Strange said as he turned to the princesses. He gave them a new card, the same as before. “In case you’ll ever need me when another interdimensional invader comes to your universe.” He said as he turned to leave.

But just as he was about to conjure a portal to leave, his whole body was surrounded by a blue and yellow glittering aura as he was lifted and pulled into the princesses’ hooves in a hug.

“Thank you for saving me.” Luna said as she hugged tighter. “Yes, thank you for rescuing my little sister.” Celestia said in her motherly, angelic voice. Together with their warm furred bodies and their angelic voice, it almost succumbed to the sorcerer to sleep, but he relented.

“You’re very much welcome, princesses.” He said as he drops his “mightier than thou” act with kindness as he hugs back as well.

But he pulls himself back, much to his dismay, as he has other duties to go back to. “Unfortunately, I must leave.” Doctor Strange said.

‘But what about your reward? Or payment?” Celestia asked. The doctor just smirked. “In my line of work as the Sorcerer Supreme, there is no payment involved.”  Doctor Strange said as he quickly conjured a sparkly portal to return home to not be persuaded any further to stay, leaving the princesses, prince, doctors and nurses alone in the hospital room, to ponder when the mysterious, sorcerer doctor would return. 

The End.

(To Be Continued)