Author's Notes: This chapter takes place during the end of the episode "Double Edged Blake." About the reviews: people actually feel sorry for Tobi? But, if Dustin ends up with Hunter (which is like a 2 to 1 or higher preference), Tobi can't not be hurt by that. I'll see what I can come up with.
Thanks Migichalo for the review. Glad you like the story so far. Yes, Tobi was kind of jerk-ish at first, but there was a reason for that. I decided to briefly address that in this chapter.
Thanks yellowPrincess for another review and Tobi thanks you for your comments. I too want him to be happy, but how to do that? I'll just have to see where the story goes.
Thanks Ghostwriter for another review. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations...
Previously in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm:
Tobi feels that he doesn't belong in this dimension, but he knows he didn't belong in his own dimension either. He wanders around town, running into his mother (who is alive in this dimension) and Kelly (who says Dustin was looking for him). Later, he is able to use the morpher he stole from Tori to transform into the blue Power Ranger, but his dimension's Tori shows up and he is forced to give the morpher to her. After that, he runs into the Power Rangers after a battle with a balloon alien called Inflatron. Back at Ninja Ops, Cam explains that Tori's morpher (which Tobi had secretly switched with his dimension's Tori's morpher) was aligned to Tobi's dimension but he fixed it. After a talk with Sensei that suggests Tobi could become a ninja with training, Tobi discovers that Cam can relate to his feelings of not belonging. Meanwhile, Blake leaves and Tori follows him. The others head out in the Mobile Command Center, leaving Tobi to train with Sensei and Cyber Cam. But, the training begins with Sensei activating Cyber Dustin, who begins to strip...
Parallel Realities Ninja Storm: Chapter 13 (Training and Tears)
"You want me to have sex with Cyber Dustin as part of ninja training?" Tobi asked Sensei while Cyber Dustin dropped his pants.
"No," Sensei stated. "That is not the purpose of the exercise."
"No one told Cyber Dustin that," Cyber Cam pointed out.
"Please do not interrupt, Cyber Cam," Sensei ordered.
Tobi watched as Cyber Dustin slid down his yellow boxers. Apparently Cam had managed to fix the layering glitch because Cyber Dustin was now standing fully naked except for his socks and fully erect. The same thing was quickly happening to Tobi. "What is the purpose of this exercise?" Tobi managed to ask between quickening breaths.
"You must first learn control before you learn abilities or power," Sensei explained.
Cyber Dustin bent over to remove his socks. As he did, he exposed his virgin butt to Tobi teasingly. He then fell over and laughed at his clumsiness. When his big chocolate eyes met Tobi's, his cheeks were flushed with pink.
"First, you must focus on your breathing," Sensei told Tobi. "Take slow and steady breaths."
Tobi was trying his best, but his efforts seemed to be in vain.
"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth," Sensei continued. "It may help to picture ocean waves."
Tobi's eyes widened as Cyber Dustin seemed to pull a container of lube out of nowhere. He then coated his finger and stuck it where the sun doesn't shine. He moaned seductively. "Tobi, I need you," he begged.
"This is how you teach me how to breathe?" Tobi asked Sensei. "Why not on an empty beach?"
"One can easily summon calm and control when one's surroundings encourage it," Sensei pointed out. "The challenge is to be able to summon them when faced with circumstances that threaten to break such control."
Cyber Dustin grew impatient and walked over to Tobi. "I, uh, can understand your reasoning," Tobi told Sensei while Cyber Dustin breathed on his face and smiled. He leaned forward and kissed Tobi. Cyber Dustin's lips felt like they were on fire and Tobi felt himself falling into his open mouth.
"Do not let him rob you of your control," Sensei warned. "And remember your breathing."
Tobi broke away from the kiss and gasped before trying to steady his breathing.
Cyber Dustin blushed and looked a little flustered, but he still pressed his naked body against Tobi.
Tobi's breathing began to steady as he watched Cyber Dustin's face and stared into his eyes. If he focused just on Dustin's beauty, he could control his breathing easier.
"Very good," Sensei praised. "Cyber Cam, you may increase the difficulty."
Cyber Dustin immediately yanked down Tobi's shorts and plunged his head between his legs.
"Gah!" Tobi gasped at the new sensation.
Sensei somersaulted back over to Cam's computer consol. "No, try this," he argued with Cyber Cam. He turned back to Tobi briefly. "Remember your breathing," he advised.
Tobi instinctively ran his fingers through Cyber Dustin's wavy dark chocolate hair and moaned.
"I don't think that's the button, little furry dude," Cyber Cam warned Sensei.
Suddenly, just as Tobi felt his release, Cyber Dustin vanished. Tobi's disappointment was short lived as he noticed that the liquid that had left his body hovered in the air momentarily. He focused on it and the fluid began to take shape until his concentration broke and it spattered to the floor. "Did you see that?" he asked.
"I did and I am so in need of a memory wipe right about now," Cyber Cam commented.
"It may be that, as Tori's twin, you also have a gift at controlling water—or liquids," Sensei theorized. "It may then be beneficial to begin our training in that area. And, Tobi, please pull your shorts up."
Tobi reached down and returned his shorts to their rightful place.
"Let us next move on to basic combat," Sensei said, again studying Cam's screen.
"Let's activate this one!" Cyber Cam said, pressing a button.
Suddenly a Cyber Tori appeared. "Oh, Cam," she moaned. "Let's do it now!" Obviously dialog was not one of Cam's strong suits. Cyber Tori then began stripping.
"Here, let us try this," Sensei said and Cyber Tori began redressing. She then took on a fighting stance.
"You want me to fight my sister?" Tobi asked.
"No," Sensei replied. "You will only be practicing blocking. It is essential to learn how to avoid attacks before engaging in them. You said that you have practiced some combat, so please begin."
Cyber Cam pressed a button and Cyber Tori began attacking. Tobi easily blocked or dodged her attacks at first, but she seemed to learn and adapt quickly. Tobi dodged a punch only moments before she went for a sweeping kick. Tobi flipped backward, only to find himself cornered. As she went in for the kill, he ducked suddenly and slid forward, causing her to trip over him.
"Excellent," Sensei congratulated him.
The momentary distraction caused Tobi to miss a 360 degree spin kick that sent him flying against the wall.
Cyber Tori hadn't even broken a sweat, but before she could add insult to injury, she vanished.
Tobi stood up and caught his breath, clutching his side.
"We will now move on to focused attacks," Sensei said. "You did quite well with defense."
"Yeah, it was easier to focus after… relieving myself," Tobi said.
"Are you certain it was not the breathing exercises?" Sensei suggested.
"Maybe a little," Tobi offered for Sensei's sake.
Sensei turned back to the screen. "I have a clue who his opponent should be," Cyber Cam suggested.
Suddenly a Cyber Hunter appeared and immediately took up a fighting stance.
"Bow to your opponent," Sensei commanded.
Tobi bowed before looking back at Cyber Hunter.
Cyber Hunter was the first to attack, but once Tobi began his attacks, Cyber Hunter proceeded to mostly block and avoid his attacks versus fight back. Tobi got in a few good kicks and punches, but nothing seemed to phase Cyber Hunter at all.
"Hey," Tobi protested. "How am I supposed to know if my moves work if nothing effects Cyber Hunter?"
"Cyber Hunter's programmed to respond to your attacks," Cyber Cam explained, "if they're not totally weak."
"Hey!" Tobi yelled, giving Cyber Hunter yet another completely ineffective punch.
"This doohickey measures the force of your attacks and, if they were any weaker, you'd be a girl," Cyber Cam said.
"Be glad Tori is not present to hear you say that," Sensei advised.
"What am I doing wrong?" Tobi asked, now covered in sweat.
Suddenly Cyber Hunter vanished and Tobi fell to the floor and rested.
"You seem to be holding yourself back when it comes to offensive moves," Sensei noticed. "Perhaps it was your opponent."
"No, I have nothing to hold back with Hunter," Tobi disagreed.
"Perhaps you do," Sensei suggested.
Tobi thought as he caught his breath. "Maybe," he finally admitted. "I mean, I guess if Dustin really likes him and is happy with him and he's not a horrible person. He's just... not me."
"Then let us pick something a bit more neutral," Sensei said.
"What? More?" Tobi complained just as a Cyber Kelzak appeared. He groaned and stood up.
The Cyber Kelzak did a lot of moving about, but its attacks were nothing that special. Still, Tobi found that his punches and kicks did nothing.
A beeping sound came from Cam's computer. Cyber Cam pressed a series of buttons. "Shane, Dustin and Hunter have engaged Motodrone, Shimazu and Zurgane," he said. "That's a lot of bad dudes. Don't they know three's a crowd?"
Suddenly Tobi heard a crash. His attention had momentarily gone to the screen when he heard Dustin's name and that he was in a battle, but when he looked back at the Cyber Kelzak, he noticed it was upside down on the other side of the room. "How'd that happen?" he asked.
"Interesting," Sensei said. "When you were distracted, you seemed to be able to channel your strength. Perhaps learning focus is not the best approach in your case.
"I think it's because he was worried about Dustin," Cyber Cam suggested.
"Another possibility," Sensei agreed. He turned back to the screen and worked with Cyber Cam on something.
When Tobi looked back to the center of the room, several Cyber Kelzaks had appeared. Three of them were holding Cyber Dustin prisoner. Cyber Dustin looked up at him with his burning eyes and called out to him.
The first Cyber Kelzak moved toward Tobi but he just threw it aside. He then approached the three surrounding Cyber Dustin and knocked them on their heads, kicked their chests and slammed them into each other. Only moments later, the floor was littered with Cyber Kelzaks and Cyber Dustin was hugging Tobi and giving him a congratulatory kiss.
"Gotta say, I never saw that coming," Cyber Cam commented.
"We must work on channeling this passion," Sensei mused. "Once harnessed and controlled, your abilities may prove invaluable in confrontations in the future."
"So, when do I become a ninja?" Tobi asked, pulling away from Cyber Dustin's kiss and holding him around the waist.
"It seems you already are a ninja on the outside," Sensei stated.
"Really?" Tobi asked excitedly.
"Next we work on your inner ninja," Sensei continued.
"My what?" Tobi asked.
"Doesn't Lothor know, the bigger they are, the easier they are to pop?" Cyber Cam asked.
"It seems the others have teamed up to take on Inflatron and the system resources will be needed," Sensei said, glancing at the screen. "Perhaps it is time to take a break. Although I am impressed with your flexibility, it would not be advisable for Dustin to witness you in that position."
"We weren't going to go all the way!" Tobi protested, pulling up his shorts and Cyber Dustin's pants moments before Cyber Dustin and the Cyber Kelzaks vanished.
"We will work on your inner ninja later," Sensei said. "For now, perhaps a shower would remove the smell."
"Smell?" Tobi sniffed his armpits. "Ah! Yeah, I'll, uh, be back."
After showering, Tobi entered Ninja Ops with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey, Cyber Cam, where does Cam keep his clean clothes?" he asked.
"Cyber Cam is busy," Sensei answered for him.
Tobi looked over toward the screen in front of Cyber Cam and saw a whole bunch of Zords. "Whose Zords are those?" he asked, approaching the screen.
"Ours," was all Cyber Cam said as he continued pressing a series of buttons. The screen showed a series of power transfer beams between schematic versions of the Zords on the live screen.
"I thought all the Zords were destroyed," Tobi said, studying the screen.
"The Zords in your dimension were destroyed?" Sensei asked, hopping closer.
"Yeah, of course," Tobi replied. "And no one is allowed to make new ones. Not even Dustin—the Dustin from back in my dimension—would do that. They could destroy the whole city and then stomp on to the next. You guys are supposedly the 'good guys' and you use them?"
"The rangers never escalate a fight unless Lothor does so first," Sensei explained.
"All of this just because Lothor wants to become mayor?" Tobi asked.
"Lothor wants to take over the world," Sensei said. "He simply focuses on Blue Bay Harbor because he wants to defeat the Power Rangers and this is where I am."
"Why you?" Tobi asked.
"He is my twin brother and he swore revenge after I tried to stop him in the past," Sensei explained.
"Lothor is your twin brother? I wonder if the same is true back in the other dimension," he pondered before noticing something on the screen. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Cyber Cam asked.
"There was a power spike on the map over at the beach," Tobi said, pointing.
"Probably a random power flux," Cyber Cam suggested. "Lothor's really stepping it up a notch with balloon dude. It's taking everything we've got to bring this guy down."
Suddenly a huge flash filled the screen as Inflatron was destroyed. At that exact moment, another random power flux hit the same area of the beach. Although Cyber Cam insisted it was nothing, Tobi couldn't help but suspect it was something more. If he didn't know better, he would even say Inflatron had been a giant distraction for something else.
A moment later, the group returned. They looked at Tobi strangely and then he realized he was still just in a towel. "Welcome back," he greeted quickly. "Cam, where do you keep your clean clothes? Unless of course Dustin has some he can loan me," he added, grinning toward Dustin.
"I thought you said clean clothes," Cam said, giving a sideways glance to Dustin.
"Hey!" Dustin protested. "I have clean clothes!"
Tobi walked up to Dustin. After Cyber Dustin, for some reason he felt closer to Dustin. He had to remind himself that they weren't the same. It helped when he spotted a subtle difference between Cyber Dustin and the real Dustin. The real Dustin had longer eyelashes. They were a dark chocolate color like his eyebrows and hair. Tobi licked his lips.
Meanwhile, Dustin was nervously looking Tobi up and down.
"I think you need to tell him now," Hunter said, leaning between Tobi and Dustin.
"Right," Dustin gulped. "Maybe we should go in the other room."
Hunter gave him a skeptical look. "Cam, why don't you find Tobi something to wear that won't 'accidentally' fall down," he suggested, turning to Cam, who was deactivating Cyber Cam.
"Alright," Cam agreed. "This way," he gestured to Tobi.
"I'm gonna go say goodbye to someone," Blake said, heading for the exit.
Naturally, Tori followed him out. The others exchanged looks.
Meanwhile, Cam led Tobi to a room he had off of the main room of Ninja Ops.
"I don't want to sound picky, but do you have any colors besides green?" Tobi asked, looking around Cam's room. It was immaculately clean to the point that it didn't look lived in. The bed was made and the desk empty of everything but a framed photo.
"I'll see what I can find," Cam offered, "but are you still trying to impress Dustin? Based on what you said about him choosing Hunter, I can only assume he wants to talk to you to let you down easy."
"Yeah, I know," Tobi replied somberly, "but I still like gold and blue more than green.
"You do realize that yellow and blue make green," Cam pointed out while searching through his closet.
"Oh, yeah, you're right," he said, picking up the photo. "I guess you don't spend much time in here. It seems kinda... sparse."
"I spend most of my time working," Cam replied, peaking out and noticing Tobi put back the photo. "I was able to meet her."
"What?" Tobi asked, turning around.
"My mother," Cam clarified. "I used a scroll to travel back in time. There were so many things I wanted to ask her though. But that's how I became the Samurai ranger.
"I don't understand," Tobi admitted.
"I guess it's a long story," Cam said, turning back to his clothes. "I'll tell you some other time. The point is, I miss her."
"Yeah, I miss my mom too," Tobi agreed, "but I saw her this morning and it didn't help at all. Somehow knowing she had never known me made it like losing her to the Zord attack all over again."
Cam turned back to Tobi, a confused look on his face. "Your mother is dead too? I mean, back in your dimension?"
"Too?" Tobi asked. "Your mom just couldn't handle the whole grumpy guinea pig version of your dad and left him."
Cam studied his expression for a moment. "No, she died a long time ago." He paused. "What's she like?"
"Independent and headstrong," Tobi replied.
"I see," Cam said, looking down in thought before looking up again. "And Hunter and Blake's parents?"
"What about them?" Tobi asked.
"Are they alive?" Cam clarified.
"Yeah," Tobi answered. "They're ninjas too."
Cam looked lost in thought again until he shook it off and returned to the closet. "I've been wondering if the versions of us you describe in your dimension are naturally different or if it's just that circumstances in the past were different and that changed them."
"Uh, I don't know," Tobi shrugged.
"Here, try these on," Cam said, holding a pair of blue jeans. "I haven't actually ever seen you in pants."
"I like to let my... equipment breathe," Tobi explained. "Hey! Can I have a ninja training outfit?"
"There were a bunch of spares back at the academy before it was destroyed," Cam replied. "I'll see what I can find, but you'll still need some casual clothes. When you trained with my father, what element did he say you tended toward?"
"He thinks water, like my sister," Tobi answered, dropping his towel and trying on the jeans.
"Here," Cam said, handing him a pair of white briefs. "Put these on first. Jeans are not like shorts. You'll need the padding."
"Thanks," Tobi replied, putting on the briefs.
"You certainly aren't shy," Cam commented.
"I guess I'm getting used to everyone seeing me naked at some point or another," Tobi explained.
"Uh, sure," Cam said, shaking his head and pulling a teal polo shirt from the closet.
"Nothing in yellow?" Tobi asked, pulling up his jeans.
"No," Cam replied. "Besides, they match your eyes. Like Tori, you have little specks of teal near your irises."
Tobi gave him a surprised look. "Thanks," he said, putting on the shirt. "Do you always notice other guy's eyes?"
Cam grinned nervously and blushed. "Only when they remind me of their sister." He laughed a little.
Tobi took a breath. "I guess it's time to get this over with," he said, slipping on his sandals.
Tobi returned to the main room of Ninja Ops to find Shane and Dustin talking while Hunter watched them with a dreamy look in his eyes.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" Tobi asked Dustin, already knowing exactly what he was going to say.
Dustin looked from Shane to Tobi as he entered and smiled. "You changed, dude," he said, standing and approaching him. "I haven't seen you in this much before. It's always like you're showing off your body, but I like this you." His smile melted Tobi's heart and he started to lose the resolve that came from already knowing what Dustin was going to tell him.
"Is my body really that bad?" Tobi asked.
"No," Dustin replied, blushing. "I... I like it a lot." He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "You're no Hunter though, TZT," he added with a laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tobi asked defensively.
"I, uh, just mean he has more muscles," Dustin nervously explained.
"Hunter," Shane addressed, "why don't we go outside?"
"Yeah," Hunter agreed, giving Dustin one last look.
"I need to go over today's battle with Cam," Sensei said, hopping off.
Once alone, Dustin sighed and looked into Tobi's eyes. "Hey, your shirt kinda matches your eyes."
Tobi blushed. "Yeah, thanks."
Dustin fidgeted a bit. "You know, when I said you changed, I didn't just mean like your clothes. You're different than when we first met."
Tobi gave him a surprised look before realizing that he had changed. He remembered something his sister said on his first day in this dimension. "I'm starting to think the whole tough guy thing is just an act," Tori had accused. "Maybe you had to be that way before, but you don't now." He had replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. I am tough." So, he had changed. He had let his guard down and it had left him hurt. "Yeah," he agreed somberly.
Dustin had this lost and frightened look in his eyes. "TZT, I..." he mumbled, biting his bottom lip.
Tobi watched the struggle in Dustin's eyes. "Here, let's sit down," he offered, leading him to a spot on the floor near the table.
"Thanks," Dustin mumbled, looking back at Tobi. "Dude, I want you to know..." Then he looked down and Tobi noticed a tear streak down his cheek.
Instinctively, Tobi put an arm around Dustin's shoulders. He knew he couldn't make Dustin go through with this, so he sat on his knees directly in front of him. "Dustin," he began, "I know you chose."
Dustin looked up at him with wide, shinny surprised eyes.
"I said you were going to have to choose," Tobi continued.
"But I... I didn't choose you," Dustin said slowly. "I'm... sorry." Several tears began falling from his brown eyes.
"No, Dustin," Tobi said, holding his face and wiping away his tears. "I... I want you to be happy. And, if that's what Hunter does for you, then... then he's very lucky." Now it was time for Tobi's eyes to fill with tears.
"TZT," Dustin said slowly, the gold in his eyes burning into Tobi's soul. "I like you a lot. You can be kind of crazy, dude, but that's like who you are and you're like me sometimes, but..."
"Yeah, but..." Tobi repeated.
Dustin looked down and studied his hands. "I met Hunter when we were kids and I like didn't even know that and now Hunter's like, 'It's destiny!' but I don't know if that's what convinced me. He has a good explanation and all, like how we all liked these colors and we end up becoming Power Rangers of those colors. It can't be coincidence. But, yeah... It was when Hunter said I was exactly what he needed and I realized..." He looked back up at Tobi. "I like you a lot. You're funny and you get kind of geeky sometimes or insecure."
"But..." Tobi said again.
Dustin sighed and wiped his eyes. "But I thought about that, about who I need and I need someone... I need someone different than me. I need someone I can get advise from and who I can count on and won't get all flaky like me sometimes."
"How do you know he won't?" Tobi asked. When Dustin gave him a surprised look, he realized the desperation in his voice. "I'm sorry," he said. "I am glad you're happy. I just... I wish it was me."
"Yeah," Dustin mumbled. He looked into Tobi's eyes and leaned forward. With his hand, he held Tobi's chin and tilted their heads. He kissed Tobi slowly and softly on the lips and then pulled away.
Tobi had a shocked expression on his face, which made Dustin grin with satisfaction.
"You'll find somebody, TZT," Dustin told him. "I know you will. And, if he doesn't treat you right, I'll kick his butt."
"I..." Tobi mumbled. Inside, his mind screamed, "I love you Dustin!" but he held it in. Instead he asked, "We can still be friends, right?"
"Of course," Dustin said with a smile.
"I'm glad," Tobi said, staring into Dustin's eyes. "Did I ever tell you that you make me crave chocolate?"
Dustin gave him a confused look.
"Milk chocolate skin, dark chocolate hair, chocolate caramel cream eyes," he listed off. Seeing Dustin's confused expression, he added, "Nevermind. I bet Hunter's out there missing you right now."
"Probably," Dustin said teasingly.
"Don't torture him too much," Tobi warned, standing.
Dustin stood to join him. "I like make no promises, dude," he said with a laugh before stopping to study Tobi's face. "You're okay, right?"
"Yeah," Tobi lied. "I said I'm glad you're happy."
Dustin reached up and ran a finger over Tobi's lips and then let his hand brush down his hair. "I... I wish I… You'll find somebody who can love you back."
Tobi felt his breath catch in his throat. "Go on!" he insisted. "Before Hunter starts making out with Shane."
Dustin grinned and headed for the exit. "See you later, TZT," he said before vanishing.
The moment he was gone, Tobi let the flood of emotions that he had been holding back pour out. He found himself crying so hard that he couldn't even feel the tears running down his cheeks. It was when he felt a mist on his face that he opened his eyes. His tears were not falling but instead evaporating into a cloud that hovered around him.
The strange occurrence distracted him long enough to notice a beeping coming from Cam's computer. He glanced over at the map still on the screen and saw a power fluctuation near the beach, but he also saw something else. Based on the display next to the map, he recognized that the symbols were Blake and Tori. They were at the beach not that far from the strange power flux.
He wiped the mist from his face and raised the communicator attached to his wrist. "Tori?" he asked.
"I'm here," her voice replied, a hint of laughter behind it.
"Is everything alright over there?" Tobi asked.
"Yeah," Tori replied. "The woman who I saw yesterday was Leanne, a Thunder Ninja Academy graduate who was training Blake how to use the Thunderblade. I told him I was sorry for following him. Actually, he said it was kind of cute, me being jealous—not that I was jealous," she quickly added.
"So, nothing out of the ordinary there?" Tobi asked, still watching the screen. A third symbol formed next to Blake and Tori.
"Nope," she said. "Just messing around with Blake, who—" Her voice cut out and a series of strange sounds came from the communicator.
"Get back!" Blake's voice ordered. Several zapping sounds followed.
"Cam!" Tobi called. "Cam! Get in here now!"
Cam came rushing into the main room of Ninja Ops from the back. "What's' wrong?" he asked.
"Tori and Blake are in trouble," Tobi said, holding out his left arm. A few short indistinguishable sounds came from the communicator before it cut out entirely and only silence could be heard.
Cam immediately sat down in front of his computer and began typing away quickly. A file popped open suddenly. "Not now!" he yelled at the screen.
"Why did that open?" Tobi asked.
"I have no idea," Cam replied. "I'm trying to find Tori and..." he studied the document. "The axis coordinates are no longer negative."
"Huh?' Tobi said, leaning over Cam's chair.
"The coordinates to your dimension now point to a specific location in our dimension," Cam explained, "to the beach, right were they were..."
"It's a rift between the two dimensions," Tobi realized.
"I don't know how you know that," Cam said, "but I think you're right. There is a detail you're overlooked though. Get the others and bring them in here quick. We're in trouble."
At that moment, the screen went black and the room became pitch black.
To be continued...