All regenerations

The Doctor grinned. ‗Charade over, Toymaker. Checkmate, square number one hundred and final tiddlywink to me.‘ He deliberately dropped the jigsaw piece to the floor.

The Toymaker let out a great shriek of agony and dropped to his knees, his features once more blurring into the starscape.

(...)

The Doctor‘s party, meanwhile, was engrossed with the Toymaker, who was staggering from side to side, ready to topple. He slumped further, then fell to the ground.

But part of him seemed to remain kneeling up. It was a body twisted and mutilated beyond recognition, hairless and white, gaunt to the point of being little more than a thin layer of skin on bones.

The eyes were gone, the nose and mouth little more than small holes.

'I did it,‘ a hollow voice said from within the feeble chest which wheezed painfully in and out, breathing properly for the first time in aeons. 'I regenerated twelve times at once - disrupted him completely.‘

'Rallon?‘ The Doctor was at his old friend‘s side in a second, hugging him, but terrified in case he broke.

'Did we get there, Thete? Did we find the Toymaker?‘ For a moment the Doctor was confused, then he realised that Rallon‘s mind was retreating, that the memories of his initial capture were resurfacing.

'Are you there, Thete? I can‘t see...‘ His voice faltered and he coughed, a terrible hacking sound. The Doctor felt sure he heard his friend‘s ribs breaking with the effort.

'Millennia? Millennia, my love... I‘ll miss you most of all. Are you there?‘

The Doctor was about to say no when Nyssa dropped down beside them both. She took Rallon‘s brittle hands gently. 'I‘m here, my love,‘ she said. 'I‘ll always be with you.‘

Rallon sighed. 'I... love you...‘ And with a last breath, the Doctor‘s oldest friend expired.

'Thank you,‘ the Doctor said to Nyssa. 'That was... good of you.‘

Nyssa stared at him, her face clouded with different emotions. He dared not hope which one would win.

Eventually she laid down Rallon‘s hands. 'I want a break, Doctor,‘ she said. 'We all do. No monsters, no danger, and just time to be ourselves.‘

The Doctor nodded. 'It‘s been a bit of a roller coaster since my regeneration, hasn‘t it? I think I can see the sense in what you are saying.‘

He looked at the Toymaker, still lying beside them. 'Is he dead,‘ Tegan asked.

'Oh no, but he‘s going to be very weak for a while.‘ The Doctor slipped the Toymaker‘s ring off his finger and waved it before the memory mirror.

Instead of their reflections, he and Nyssa saw Rallon and Millennia, healthy and smiling, walking hand in hand through a rose garden, verdant and pleasant. The Doctor momentarily closed his eyes and smiled.

'Happy days,‘ he said. ‗And may they have many more.‘

Then, with all his strength, he threw the ring at the mirror, shattering the glass into tiny fragments. Of the ring, there was no sign.

The whole realm began to shudder, accompanied by very loud thunder that caused everyone to raise their voices to be heard.

The Doctor took in the devastation behind them.

'Stefan,‘ he said darkly. 'Your lord is in need of help - maybe a new body to support him. Will you take up the challenge?‘

***

Divided Loyalties, Round 3, Chapter 6