Doctor Who: If Only In My Dreams (Christmas Special 2023)

Stave 2: A Marshmallow World

     The Doctor and I stepped out of the TARDIS. Where were we? It was nighttime and snowy. Had we even moved? This all still could've been on my roof.

     I looked up into the night sky, and saw great streaks of green, blue, and purple. The Northern Lights? I thought. "Are we at the North Pole, Doctor?"

     "We're not even on Earth!" he replied.

     "Then where are we?" I asked. "Why take me here?"

     "The planet Nativitas, and we're here for this!"

     The Doctor spun me around. Behind me was a massive Christmas tree that had to be at least 300 meters. It went up, and up forever onwards into the sky.

     The Doctor pointed to the top, "You see that!?"

     At the tip of the tree was a big beam of white light. "Is that a star?"

     "Yep! And not just a decoration. A real star, powering the tree!"

     "How is it powering the tree? Trees don't need to be powered!"

     "Those little baubles on the tree! Each of those is someone's memory of a Christmas. All we have to do is hold one to experience Christmas through their eyes!"

     "And the star is powering that?"

     "Star's slightly telepathic. Without it, they would just be baubles."

     "So that's what we're here to do?"

     "What?" the Doctor asked.

     "Experience someone else's Christmas?"

     "Close, not someone else's, but one of yours!"

     We walked through the snow, up to the tree. On the trunk of the tree was a door. We stepped inside to what looked like a wooden lift. Sitting inside was a short fellow with pointed ears, dressed in green.

     "Name?" he asked.

     "I'm sorry?" I said.

     "What's your name? If that's whose Christmas you're going to visit."

     I looked up to the Doctor who gave me a little nod. I told the little guy my name, and he punched some numbers into a silver panel.

     "You're on floor 738; going up right now."

     The ride up the lift was quiet. I expected the Doctor to be blabbing about, but he didn't say a word.

     I stared at the short guy. "What's your name?" I asked.

     "Sprinkles."

     I burst out laughing.

     "What's so funny?"

     I looked over at the Doctor, and saw him holding back a chuckle.

     "Well, it's just, not what I expected," I told him. "To be honest I don't know what I did expect... Glorfindel? Though I guess you're the wrong type of elf to be named that."

     "What did you call me?!"

     "An elf?"

     There was a long, awkward pause.

     "That's what you are?" I said, "Right?"

     I looked at the Doctor for confirmation, but now he just looked shocked.

     "Excuse you!" Sprinkles said, "But that term is offensive and outdated! We are the Drydalis, not 'elves'!"

     "Oh my God, I am so sorry. I didn't know. On my planet we have no other name for you."