Before the Doctor could respond, however, they all heard footsteps behind them. They turned around, only to see the group of women, led by a gleeful Faenia. There went their hope that they'd have more time to get a plan ready. They all faced each other. At this moment, it was 3 against 100.
"Doctor, you and your pathetic humans can't stop me." Faenia sneered. "This world and all of your precious humans are mine."
Both Taylor and Dani were outraged at being called pathetic and were about to speak up when the Doctor silenced them with a small shake of her head. She wasn't sure about Taylor, but she knew that Dani could get pretty angry and she knew that wouldn't help the situation. But, she also wasn't about to let Faenia take control of this planet. Not if she was around.
"Yeah, well I beg to differ." The Doctor said in a stern voice. "I can, and will stop you. These people aren't your playthings. They have spirit and heart, unlike you. Whatever you have planned with them, consider your plans canceled."
"Hah! You don't have the skills to even try to stop me. Not like you have a choice anymore."
With that said, Faenia lifted her arm up and used her powers to throw the Doctor against a wall, knocking her unconscious, much to Dani and Taylor's shock and dismay.
"Ok, that's it, I have had too much of you!" Dani said, shaking. "If the Doctor can't stop you right now, then someone has to, and that's going to be me."
Faenia laughed a cold laugh. "It's really adorable you think that, considering what you just saw me do to your friend. I can easily do the same thing to you. But I won't. I will, however make it so you can't stop me from taking Taylor here. She's needed for the sacrifice
Taylor screamed as Angela and another woman grabbed her. "Mom, no!" She said, crying. "Just look at what you're doing and fight it! I'm your daughter! Look at me!"
"I'm sorry dear." Angela said in a voice that almost wasn't her own. "You must be sacriced for the greater good."
They started marching back to the room as Dani started to chase after them. Faenia chose that moment to force her to fall back. Dani flew back and landed on the floor. She felt defeated. Not only had Faenia knocked the Doctor unconscious, but they'd also taken Taylor to be converted. There was no way out of this. She got up and paced the floor until she heard a faint moaning from the Doctor. She ran over to the Doctor's side to make sure her friend was ok. As she put her ear to the Doctor's chest to make sure both hearts were working, she heard some faint mutterings coming from her. She caught the words, "Master," and "Tecteun" and something about not knowing who she was.
Dani sat back, wondering where those words were coming from. Did this have anything to do with why it seemed like the Doctor was hiding something? Is that why she'd been eager to change the subject on certain topics? She had to ask her about it. She only hoped the Doctor would wake up in time.
She was about to go back to the room and take Faenia on her own, when she heard another moan from the Doctor, except this one sounded a little bit louder than the other one, though, and she rushed back to the Doctor as the Doctor fluttered her eyes opened.
"Doctor? Are you ok" Dani asked.
"Oof, why's it always the ones who want world domination?" The Doctor said in a tired voice as Dani helped her up to a sitting position.
"Doctor, I need to tell you a couple of things." Dani started, before the Doctor became suddenly alert.
"Wait, where's Taylor?" The Doctor asked in an urgent voice.
"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about." Dani said, nervously. "They, um, they took her to be sacrificed. I tried to stop them, but Faenia knocked me down and by the time I got up, it was too late."
"Argh! If I had just woken up in time, I would've been able to gotten her back." The Doctor said in an aggravated voice. "Alright, what's the second thing?"
"Well, you were moaning a lot and muttering some words, like Tecteun, and you were muttering about not knowing who you were." Dani said. "Which sounded odd to me."
The Doctor cursed herself for saying those, even though she knew she couldn't control, as much as she tried to, things she said while she was unconscious. "Ah, well sometimes I just say random things while I'm out. Nothing to worry about." The Doctor said in what she hoped was a ressuraing voice.
Dani sighed. "Doctor, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can't help but feel like there's something you're hiding from me."
"'Course I'm not hiding anything from you!" The Doctor said. "Why would you think that? Now let's go get Taylor before they kill her. Really don't want another murder on my conscious."
"Doctor, please. I know there's something going on. Ever since we ran into each other, I've noticed that something's off with you. Plus, you've been avoiding some of my questions. Please just tell me." Dani pleaded.
The Doctor sighed as she looked into her former companion's earnest eyes. Maybe it was time to tell someone.
"Alright, I'll tell you." The Doctor said patting the seat next to her. As Dani sat down next to her, the Doctor took a deep breath. She knew this was going to be hard, but she was willing to do it. "The thing is, I don't know who I am anymore." She said.
Dani looked confused. "What do you mean you don't know who you are anymore?" She asked, concerned. She knew the Doctor didn't have amnesia, so what could she even be talking about.
The Doctor found herself telling Dani everything. From saving Gallifrey from the Time War, to finding out from the Master that she'd been found by Tecteun outside of Gallifrey and that her regeneration powers had been used on the other Time Lords and Ladies. Not to mention that she'd had her memories of her other regenerations wiped.
"I'm not Gallifreyan." She let out a sad laugh and looked down at the floor. "Don't even know where I'm from. All I know is is that I'm not who I thought I was."
Dani didn't think she'd ever seen the Doctor this vulnerable or fragile. She elt so much empathy for this amazing woman she'd come to think of as a friend. She really had gone through so much and taken on so much. And then to find out that she gone her whole centuries life thinking that she was a Gallifreyan, only to find out that she wasn't. Dani really hurt for her. The fact that she had gone through this much and kept it locked up inside her, but still went out fighting for what was right, just showed Dani how much of a hero the Doctor actually was. If Dani could name anyone as her favorite hero, she'd pick the Doctor.
"But you do know who you are." Dani said. "You're the Doctor. You go around traveling throughout time and space, saving people and places, fighting for justice. You've shown so many people what it's like to have hope and to keep fighting, no matter how hard they want to give up. You give people a purpose. Heck, you helped me gain confidence in myself and made me realize that I'm strong. So you've lost some memories of your past regenerations. You still remembered what you're fighting for and I think that's what's important."
The Doctor hugged her friend tightly. It stll continued to amaze her how some humans really did have the gift of wisdom. Dani was no exception. She had to admit that she was right. It didn't matter where she came from. All that mattered is that she fought for people and justice. She fought against the monsters of universes just so their inhabitants could live. She did it because it was the right thing to do, and nothing could ever take that away. It really did feel good letting that out.
"Now, let's go find taylor and continue saving this planet, eh?" The Doctor asked Dani, after that touching moment.
"Sounds good to me." Dani said, getting off the floor, and putting out a hand to help the Time Lady up.
Just as they were about to leave, the front door opened and Andy rushed in.
"Andy?! What are you doing here?" Dani asked, confused.
"Thank God you're ok!" Andy said, hugging Dani tightly You kind of rushed yourself off of the phone, so I wanted to check on you."
"I wouldn't exactly say ok." The Doctor said, "We're slightly ok, but more than not ok."
"Wait, who are you?" Andy asked. "And why is it so empty?"
"Aliens." Dani said, and quickly caught him up.
"So basically what you were waiting for." Andy said. "But then, where's the Doctor? Shouldn't he be here?"
"Well, um." Dani started as she and the Doctor looked at each other. There was a beat of silence before Andy finally figured out what was going on.
"Wait... So SHE's the Doctor?!" Andy asked in surprise, pointing to the Doctor.
"Hi!" The Doctor said. "Really good to see you again!"
Andy looked at Dani in confusion. "Long story." Dani said.
"Ok, then. Andy said, still confused.
"We should probably get going now." The Doctor said. "Really don't need to witness the sacrifice of a teenage girl. Already witnessed way too many."
"Good idea." Dani agreed, as they ran back again to the room where they had been before.
"Ok, so let me get this straight." Andy whispered to Dani had explained everything. "So The Doctor can change into a completely different person.
"It's a bit more complicated than that." The Doctor said, overhearing them. "All the cells in my body get rewritten and it's almost like being born again, except I can remmeber my past incarnations. Well, most of them anyways." The Doctor said the last part as an afterthought.
"I guess stranger things have happened." Andy said. He looked at the Doctor again and squinted his eyes.
"What?" Dani whispered to him.
"It's weird. I feel like I've seen this version of her somewhere, but I can't remember." Andy whispered back.
"Maybe you just passed her on the street somewhere. Maybe she hasn't done it yet." Dani said.
"You might be right." Andy agreed.
They got to the room and peeked in only to discover something shocking.
"It's empty!" The Doctor said in surprise.