The Dreaming (short story)

The Dreaming was a short story published in Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand. It was written by Mark Morris.

Summary
Aliganza Torp meets a sepulchral undertaker in a dark place who questions him about his name as well as the Doctor's. The undertaker explains that the Doctor thinks so little of him because he won't reveal his name. Then he tells Aliganza to hold out his hand.

Characters

 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Mara
 * Aliganza Torp
 * Pericles Torp
 * Mellandine Eggleton
 * Sylvian Capple
 * Fergin Eggleton
 * Tomalin Pilke
 * Vida Clatterly
 * Taskia
 * Clem Svorsen
 * Samanda Glyde
 * Jalen Fellwood

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor tells Vida that the Dæmons, the Osirans, the Carrionites, and the Hervoken have all used science disguised as magic.
 * In his old age, the Doctor referred to Aliganza Torp as "Barnable the 43rd," Mellandine Eggleton as "Amelia," and Taskia as "Clara."
 * The Mara is a gestalt entity that has many forms and also none. It uses a human skeleton as framework to take on physical form, essentially making a human-Mara hybrid.
 * The Doctor lost his leg due to a Tsunami Snake.

Continuity

 * The Doctor wore a Stetson while performing his duties as sheriff. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut, The Wedding of River Song, A Town Called Mercy)
 * The Doctor tells the Mara that "Only people with something to live for feel fear." His successor would share a similar sentiment with the Fisher King when facing a death he had been given foreknowledge of. (TV: Before the Flood)
 * The Mara may have tried to use Tegan's body to manifest itself, as it merged with her temporarily before once again being defeated. Additionally, the Mara may need to convert a body into its own, so when Aris was pulled from the circle of mirrors, it had no one to attach to. (TV: Kinda, Snakedance)
 * The Doctor has encountered corpses and skulls used by aliens before. (TV: Pyramids of Mars, Image of the Fendahl; AUDIO: The Dark Flame)