This was impossible.

Well, of course it was. When was the last time something even remotely feasible happened to him?

Not very recently, in any case.

And of course, there was no one around to complain to this time. No one to rant to, to hash out an overly complex diatribe of how not bloody possible this all was.

Because it wasn't possible. If it was possible then surely he would have known about it centuries ago. Something like this would never have flown under his radar, would not have escaped his notice, would have been a great, mauve, exclamation point of THIS IS NOT RIGHT!

THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!

Three Time Lords, not a meter away! Three! And oh, that was just the start. That was just the start.

Because if what the TARDIS was telling him was true. . .

Well, that was probably what all that incessant rapping on his TARDIS' door was all about.

"Well then," a voice rang out - male, loud, and familiar. "Are you going to come out, or are you just going to run scans all day?" There was a pause, then a slightly softer murmur, "Ten credits says it's another you. All doom and gloom, going all nutters about a big 'ol potential paradox."

A grunt. Another familiar voice, "No. If you'd shut your gob long enough, maybe you'd have noticed there's no telepathic link with whoever's in there. Not even a trace," he grumbled. "I can't do that, and neither can you. If he's one of us, he's shutting us out."

"Huh. Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever heard of a Time Lord younger than a millenia who could pull that off," the first voice laughed, and the Doctor in the TARDIS bristled. "So he's either very old, or he's just some bloke who nicked a TARDIS and went and crashed it into Laperlla of all places. Oh, I'd love to see that. Think he's human?"

"Hope not. Only ape I can almost stand is that blonde you're always hanging around with. Any more of that lot and I'll be taking the next trip out."

"Miserable old bastard, you are," the first voice chuckled and the second voice scoffed. "When you regenerate into some ginger, pock marked, crotchety hobbit, I'm going to find you and laugh. 'Coulda been me,' I'll say! 'And all because you never had a Rose Tyler. You poor bastard.'"

"The Rose Tyler in my universe is a monkey! You should see that daft old Tyler woman, walking the thing along on a leash, dropping banana peels everywhere. It's disgusting!"

With a sudden bang, the TARDIS doors slammed open and the two stepped back in surprise.

The Doctor stepped out, looking down, adjusting his bow tie. Lifting his head and swallowing hard, he stared in disbelief as his suspicions were confirmed.

The two men in front of him were impossibly who he had thought they were:

His ninth incarnation glared back at him, arms crossed. The tenth just smiled, waved cheekily, and mouthed a 'hello.'

"Alright," the Doctor said, fixing a hard look on the pair. "Explain."

END PROLOGUE

A.N. Confused? Excited? Review! (Seriously, it's super encouraging!)

Hint: The name of the planet is an anagram for what we're working with here.