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The newly regenerated Doctor quickly stood up, feeling renewed, perhaps even for the first time, refreshed, renewed, re… Reborn!
As the Doctor is fully inspecting himself, Eunice looked on with bewilderment. One moment, the Doctor was lying on the floor dying, and the next, a bright golden flash of light covered him, and then POOF! He sat up, only… He’s a Hypnobrai! How was that possible?! How did he do that?! Why? Where’s the Doctor, MY Doctor? Who is this Serpentine in the Doctor’s clothes? All these questions yield no answers; they only lead to more questions.
The Doctor took no heed of Eunice's internal situation. He’s still gathering his thoughts, right, so he became a Hypnobrai, hmm? Hurra for the Hypnobrai tribe, he suppose, Skales would be very pleased when he sees him like this, a snout is a new one, a hood, too, fangs hanging out of his snout just makes it sound less hygienic, but he’ll survive… huh, his tongue sticks out at any given moment, not only he gets a new body, he noticed how broad he is compared to his previous self.
‘Tail, that’s something to get used to a lot more than the teeth,’ the Doctor thought. His thoughts were interrupted by Eunice.
“Who… are you?” Eunice choked out.
The Doctor looked at her and, with an understanding look on his face, replied, “I’m the Doctor.”
“No, no, you’re not! You’re not the Doctor!” Eunice exclaimed, “What have you done to him?!”
The Doctor stepped back, surprised by her outburst; she should’ve known SOMETHING about regeneration, or something similar like that.
“Don’t be ridiculousss!” exclaimed the Doctor, “I change all the time! Thisss isss hardly the firssst time that hasss every happened!”
Eunice shook her head, completely in denial. After all, the change was so sudden in her point of view, why would she trust this Serpentine that wears the Doctor’s clothes, claiming himself to be the Doctor?
“Change?” Eunice repeated, in her mind, she’s trying to reason, or at least what- “He just… kind glowed and, you replaced him, I don’t know, body swap? The Master trying to take over your mind?”
Eunice looked at the Doctor for a few moments before, “Oh my First Master, you’re a Swapling!” Eunice starts backing away from the Doctor.
The Doctor is astonished, he placed his claw on his chest and gave her a look of offense, “I beg your PARDON?!”
“Ssswapling?! ME?!” The Doctor shouted, “I can asssure you, misssy, that I am NOT a Ssswapling!”
Eunice still skeptical, still grappling the fact that this snake is her friend.
“Eunice, it’sss me, honessstly!” The Doctor said, far more kinder than before, “I wasss dying, or atleassst on the verge of dying, you were alssso dying, I made a choice, a choice that sssaved your life, well, more or lesss a no choice at all.”
“But… but…” Eunice tried to shoot back, no response was formed.
“All my cells jussst sssimply changed, ssswapped with a new one, thusss, a new body, only thisss time, I’m now a Ssserpentine.” The Doctor explained to Eunice.
Eunice is beginning to believe him, but she just wanted to make sure if he is the Doctor.
“Then, how did we first meet?” Eunice asked softly.
The Doctor, looked softer by the moment, “We firssst met at Lake Mujabihan, me, Nyssssa, and Turlough, were tracking down the Zygonsss, you were sitting at the docksss when a Zygon pussshed you off the boardwalk, Turlough quickly jumped in to sssave you from drowning,” He made a small chuckle and a happy hiss, “And after that, you decided to ssstick with usss, you were more angry that an alien pussshed you off inssstead of running away like everyone elssse, and helped defeat the Zygonsss.”
The Doctor looked up to Eunice and continued, “After all the messss, I asssked you if you’re interesssted in travelling with me, Nysssa, and Turlough, and did you know what you sssaid?”
Eunice, with a small smile and nodded.
“You sssaid, ‘Hell Yesss!’” the Doctor laughed at the memory, “And ever sssince then, we’ve been travelling ever sssince.”
“... Doctor.” Eunice choked out, finally believing him.
“And we never ssstopped, did we?” the Doctor continued, “Going one Realm to another, running, running, running, running, fend off the worssst of the worssst, run-insss with the Massster here and there, ssstill sssaving people.”
“But… can you change back?” Eunice asked, wanting to make sure for something she couldn’t put her finger on.
“Do you want me to change back?” the Doctor asked.
Eunice nodded.
“Ah.” the Doctor simply replied.
“Can you?” Eunice asked when the Doctor’s hesitated.
“No.” The Doctor replied bluntly, flickered his tongue.
Silence had blanketed over the two as the TARDIS console goes up and down.
“Do… you want to leave?” The Doctor asked, sounding sad and a little scared at the thought of Eunice leaving him.
“Do you want me to leave?” Eunice asked, taking note at the tone of the Doctor’s question.
Taking that as a no, the Doctor looks over at the TARDIS console.
“Ninjago Realm, Ninjago City, Xibei Province, October 16, 1989 YFM, all the information isss all correct, it ssseemsss that my predecesssor placed in the right cordinatesss before turning into me.” The Doctor confirmed.
“You were taking me home?” Eunice said bewildered.
“Your choice,” replied the Doctor, “But I wasss taking you home AFTER we both got poisssoned by that gasss.”
“Oh.” Eunice said.
The TARDIS suddenly flung around, throwing Eunice from wall to wall, as the Doctor struggled to regain control.
“What’s happening?!” Eunice shouted in surprise.
“I- omff, not sssure! The TARDISss isss ssseemingly- aaarrgh! Hit a roadblock of sssome sssort!” the Doctor replied back as the TARDIS is crash landing into Ninjago City.
A city currently riddled with the crystal zombies.