Author's Notes: I have to apologize in advance if this chapter comes across as spotty because I was... distracted a lot. Anyway, I always thank everyone who takes the time to review after each chapter, but I'd also like to give a shout out to the readers who don't review (after all, I've been one of those so many times): Glad you like the story enough to keep coming back for more! I hope you are enjoying the... drama? If you're reading right now, Happy Holidays! Hope you and your loved ones got what you wanted this year (unless of course it was something unrealistic, like world peace or waking up with Dustin in your bed...). If you're reading in like July or something, you're probably scratching your head. But, if you're reading now, remember you can vote in the poll located at the top of my profile page (click on Rogue Ranger). And, now, in the order of time reviews were posted...

Thanks Ghostwriter for such regular reviews. Some time I'm going to have to figure out what "Catch you on the flip side" means...

Thanks YellowPrincess for yet another enthusiastic review. You're right, Tobi's sister is evil, but at least Tobi seems to have made the right choice. But what will be the consequences? And what will the other rangers be like if his own sister is evil? Oh, and glad your heart is okay. ;)

Thanks Magichalo for another encouraging review. You're right, the drama never ends! And, yes, Tobi is alone, but will he stay that way? I could answer that question, but why do that when instead I can continue the story? After all, according to you, I'm "soo good." Haha...

Previously in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm:

After he finds out that his sister is in Ninja Ops and this dimension's Tori is trapped on Lothor's ship, Tobi reluctantly decides to betray his sister. He asks Hunter for advice and Hunter decides to rescue Tori. Meanwhile, Tobi fixes the changes his sister made to Cyber Dustin, thus allowing Cam to be aware of the moment the other Power Rangers enter this dimension. When they do, Cam announces that he will sacrifice his Samurai powers in order to seal the dimensional rift. When Hunter returns with this dimension's Tori, Tobi's sister manages to convince everyone that she's the real Tori and, especially after Tobi's confessions, that Tobi is a traitor. Tobi tries to change their minds, but Tori seems to be brainwashed and destroys Ninja Ops' computer systems, causing the Wind Power Rangers to dimorph. Thinking that she must be the other dimension's Tori and that Tobi is a traitor, they lock them together in the training room. Worst of all, Dustin doesn't seem to trust Tobi...

Parallel Realities Ninja Storm: Chapter 17 (Who Cares?)

The moment the two were locked in the training room, Tobi turned to Tori. "Come on, Tori," he pleaded, approaching her. "Snap out of it."

She just looked at him blankly. When he tried to touch her arm, she pushed him away and took up a fighting stance.

"I'm not going to fight you," he told her. He looked around the room in exhaustion. "I chose you over my own sister and look where it got me. The least you can do is talk to me."

She just watched him, silently maintaining her fighting stance.

He sat down on his cot and put his head into his hands. "Dustin," he muttered into his palms. "I just wish you knew I didn't trick you." He hit his forehead with one hand. He never should have helped his sister. He should have told Hunter about the first secret meeting the moment he received the letter out of the sky. But she was his twin sister and, despite her being a self-absorbed jerk, he couldn't stop loving her. He hated that fact, but what could he do?

After a while of waiting, Tobi's exhaustion took over and he fell asleep on his cot.

He awoke to the sound of someone entering the training room. Looking up, he saw that it was his sister and he immediately frowned.

"I'm here for an apology and because I care," she said.

"Is that what you told the others to let you in here with such dangerous people?" he asked her, sitting up and looking over at this dimension's brainwashed Tori.

"That's what I told them and it's the truth," she insisted.

"You can cut the act," Tobi said. "The computer systems are fried. There's no way for them to monitor our conversation."

She pointed to her morpher and shook her head. Apparently, Cam had one again fixed communications first. "So, you betrayed us for that Tori?" she asked, her words and her tone making it obvious that she had a double meaning. She even pointed between him and her when she said "us." She wanted to know why Tobi had betrayed her relationship with him for this dimension's Tori.

Tobi sighed. "I told you already why I did it. What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I feel bad, but I'm not sorry."

She sat down on the cot next to him and lowered her voice. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," Tobi insisted. "In fact, I was just thinking how much I hated the fact that I couldn't change how much I love you despite everything."

"Isn't that the same thing?" she asked.

"No, it's not," he replied before looking down. "When I first came here, Tori was the first person who trusted me."

"Maybe I shouldn't have trusted you," she suggested.

"You had no choice," he replied. "She did."

"I don't understand," she said.

Tobi just groaned. "How's Dustin?"

"What?" she asked.

Tobi looked at her crossly. "How's Dustin doing? Does he think I tricked him?"

"Oh," she said. "He seems hurt, if that's what you mean."

Tobi frowned. "That's what I was afraid of."

She leaned toward her brother and whispered in his ear. "Look, I'm making this easier on you. Dustin and Hunter are together. The others don't trust you and there's a hole leading back to our dimension. Play along and you'll be going home."

"And what if I don't want to go back?" she asked.

"They'll never trust you again," she replied, "but look at me. Here I am giving you a second chance despite your betrayal."

"It's not like my 'betrayal' did anything," he pointed out, "not with Tori acting like some drone." He gestured toward a blank-faced Tori.

His sister leaned forward and whispered again, "She was insurance in case something went wrong or I was betrayed by my own brother."

"So, you never trusted me to begin with?" he asked.

"Lothor didn't trust you," she whispered before continuing in a normal volume. "I always trusted you. That's why it hurts."

He looked into his sister's eyes, trying to figure out how much she really did feel hurt. Some of the emotion was obviously very real and it made him feel guilty, which of course made him feel emotionally confused.

"I'm guessing I'm not getting an apology," she said, turning away from him.

Tobi sighed. "Not unless you can break Lothor's spell over Tori," he replied.

"So, she's not naturally evil?" his sister asked, which earned her a jab in the arm from Tobi. That quickly changed her expression. She offered him a grin, but he merely rolled his eyes at her.

Just then, the door opened and Dustin peaked in. "Hey," he said in what seemed like a nervous attempt at sounding casual.

"Hey," Tobi's sister repeated, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I just like... wanted to talk to Tobi," he said, opening his mouth into a wide, forced smile.

"Sure, join the party," Tobi's sister offered.

"I, uh, kinda wanted to talk to him alone, you know?" he replied.

Tobi watched Dustin's eyes and saw... hope. It made him smile up at the earth ninja.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Tobi's sister asked.

Tobi couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

Dustin grinned at Tobi's sister. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll be fine. They didn't like go all Psycho Rangers on you."

She gave Tobi a warning gaze before agreeing with Dustin's... logic? and leaving.

Tobi looked up at Dustin optimistically. "Do you believe me?"

Dustin was watching the silent, blank-faced Tori in the corner. "I don't know," he admitted. "This is all freaking me out."

"I don't blame you if you never trust me again," Tobi said, following Dustin's gaze to Tori. "I never should have kept me being in contact with my real sister a secret from you—from everyone, I mean," he corrected.

Dustin began to approach Tori. "So, this is really Tori—our dimension's Tori?" he asked, trying to get her attention. She immediately lashed out against him until he backed off. "Dude," he mumbled, "so not on her good side."

Tobi stood up and walked over to Dustin. "We have to find a way to help her. I think Lothor used some kind of mind control on her."

He looked from Tori to Tobi. "But the other Tori knows my name."

"Even I know your real name is Waldo," Tobi explained. "It's not that big a secret."

Dustin frowned.

"At least not back in my dimension," he added.

Dustin again looked from Tori to Tobi and bit his lip uncomfortably. "Dude, I..." He rethought what he was going to say. "Maybe I believe you."

Tobi smiled. "Thanks," he said. "That means a lot to me."

"But I'm always the trusting one," Dustin pointed out.

"Maybe," Tobi agreed, "but I care a lot about what you think."

"Oh, right," he replied, grinning nervously. "TZT, I..." He looked down at the training room floor.

"What?" Tobi asked.

Dustin looked up and swallowed. "I... When I thought you..."

"When you thought I tricked you," Tobi offered.

"Yeah," Dustin replied, his eyes lighting up like he was hoping he wouldn't have to say anything at all.

"You thought I was like Marah and whoever else you got duped and used by and..." Tobi grimaced at the thought, "you felt hurt."

"Yeah," Dustin agreed, his eyes still alight. "It's like you can read my mind. A little freaky, dude."

Tobi laughed and placed a hand on Dustin's shoulder. "I wish I could find out all the stuff that goes on inside that cute head of yours."

"Dude, it would totally freak you out," Dustin assured him. "It even freaks me out sometimes. Like now, I'm thinking, 'Is he tricking me now? No, he likes me too much. But what is too much? Like, can you have too much pizza? Or too much ice cream? Or too much talent? Or too much good looks?"

"You can definitely think too much," Tobi suggested, shaking his head. When he stopped, Dustin was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away.

Tobi furrowed his brow. "So... where's Hunter?"

"He and Blake are outside guarding Ninja Ops," Dustin explained. "Shane's there too."

"Can Shane morph?" Tobi asked, surprised.

"No," Dustin replied. "He's just like... keeping an eye on them." When Tobi gave him a confused look, he added, "You know, in case Hunter's not really Hunter. The right Hunter," he clarified.

"If the others are in this dimension now, we need to come up with a way to tell everyone apart," Tobi explained, "or else we'll get used like we did with my sister."

"We'll get... replaced one by one," Dustin realized, "like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

"Something like that," Tobi agreed, looking at Tori. "And, while the duplicates take over, this dimension's real Power Rangers will become just like her, mindless drones."

Dustin's eyes widened. "We have to do something!" he shouted.

"I know," Tobi agreed. "Cam would know what to do, but... I think he feels personally betrayed."

Dustin nodded. "Dude! I have it!" he announced, his eyes lighting up. "We just need a difference between this Tori and the other Tori. Like, does she have a tattoo?"

"Tori has a tattoo?" Tobi asked.

"No! The other Tori!" Dustin corrected, shaking his head at how dense Tobi was compared to him.

"My sister doesn't have any tattoos either," Tobi admitted. "Naked, they both look the same and my sister's a good actress—or at least a good manipulator. She always gets her way." Suddenly he realized something. "This Tori is still a virgin. Blake had sex with my sister and she wasn't a virgin to begin with."

Dustin gave him a confused look. "I don't think Blake could tell," he pointed out.

Tobi thought some more. "There's this thing inside girls. I forget what it's called. I think it's hymen or something like that. Anyway, it snaps or breaks or something when a girl has sex for the first time."

Dustin grew wide-eyed. "Dude, you want everybody to look at Tori's... hole to see if she's still a virgin?" he threw a nervous glance to the still mind controlled Tori.

"No, no," Tobi disagreed. "When girls have sex for the first time they bleed. At least, Tori did. Don't ask me how I know that," he said quickly, shaking off the memory of his first time seeing his sister go all the way with a boy.

"Girls... bleed the first time?" Dustin asked, shocked.

"I don't know if all do," Tobi admitted.

"Do guys bleed their first time?" Dustin suddenly asked.

Tobi gave him a confused look. "No," he said. "Well, I guess if like no lubrication was used and the guy is huge."

Dustin again grew wide eyed. "Do you think Hunter is... huge?"

Tobi gave him a horrified look. "I, uh, thought you saw him when me and Hunter were comparing sizes."

Dustin blushed at the memory. "I couldn't tell much because your hands were in the way."

"Oh," Tobi realized. "Well, he's only a little bit bigger than me and you remember mine, right?"

His blush became more pronounced. "Yeah," he agreed.

"Hey, are you... huge?" Tobi asked hesitantly.

"Of course, dude," Dustin replied with a grin. "I'm like a horse!"

"Sure," Tobi agreed, shaking his head. He frowned. "I certainly hope Hunter isn't going to pound you senseless. If he hurts you..." He shook his head again, trying to shake off the image, though for some reason he found it... arousing. "Anyway, back on topic" he continued, feeling like he was in some very perverse version of a sex ed class, "you can't tell when a guy's lost his virginity—I mean, unless he's a bottom and a whore. If there were two naked Hunters here and one was a virgin and the other wasn't, you probably couldn't tell the difference."

Dustin's eyes glazed over, no doubt because thoughts of two naked Hunters were dancing through his head.

"So, if we can convince Blake that my sister can't be the real Tori because she wasn't a virgin—" Tobi continued before looking at Dustin. "Are you listening?"

"Oh, yeah," he said quickly. "Awesome plan, dude."

Tobi blinked at him. "You were picturing Hunter naked, weren't you," he accused.

Dustin grinned sheepishly.

Tobi made a face before saying, "Well, you did only see me naked, so I guess I don't blame you."

"You're so cute when you're jealous," Dustin replied.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Tobi said, blushing and fidgeting. "So, how do we convince Blake that he had sex with the wrong Tori?"

"And totally crush his world," Dustin added.

"Right," Tobi agreed. "Cam would probably know about science type stuff like that, so if we can create doubt and get them to talk about a topic they both love, i.e. Tori, then the truth will come out. Hunter can help since he's Blake's brother and he had sex with a girl. That is, if Hunter trusts me."

Dustin's face flinched for a moment.

"I'm sure he trusts you," Tobi offered. "Things will work out. I don't care if he trusts me specifically," he lied.

"It's not that," Dustin said.

"Then what?" Tobi asked.

"Nevermind," Dustin mumbled.

"No, tell me!" Tobi insisted. "Please."

Dustin gave him a weak smile. "It's when I think about Hunter doing it with a girl..."

"I thought you wanted to have sex with a girl first too," Tobi reminded him.

"Yeah, about that," he muttered. "I thought about that and I think I just wanted to be like... normal and I thought it would make things more..." he struggled for the right word.

"Equal?" Tobi offered.

"Yeah, exactly. Equal," Dustin repeated. "I wouldn't be the inexperienced one. We'd be... equal."

"Oh," Tobi replied. "I get it. Look," he said, staring into Dustin's chocolate eyes, "you don't have to have sex with someone just to... prepare yourself for someone else. If you did, I'd say pretend like I'm a girl."

Dustin stared at Tobi with a shocked expression.

"I'm joking," Tobi assured him. "I just mean, you have to follow your heart, not your... fears."

Dustin smiled at him. "Thanks, TZT."

"Anytime," Tobi replied, feeling suddenly emotional. "Let's get this plan moving, okay?"

"Right!" Dustin agreed, spinning around.

"Good luck!" Tobi offered.

"Hey, TZT," Dustin said before leaving. "I'm glad you're not a girl." And, with a wink, he left and Tobi felt a sense of loss sweep over him. He was never going to get used to that. But, he had his own problem to face. He had to find a way to break Lothor's hold on Tori.

For the next hour, Tobi tried doing everything short of actually fighting back against Tori to try to snap her out of her mind control. He tried talking to her, asking her questions, dodging her kicks. Nothing.

After a while, his one-way conversation had turned into a confessional, but not just of his secrets. He told her about Cam's crush on her, though he left out the fact that he had a cyber version of her that was programmed to strip and say things like, "Cam, I need you." He told her about Sensei's late night munchies, Dustin's Pinky and the Brain figures, Shane's admission that even he thought some guys were cute and Hunter's bathroom kiss with Dustin. It was when he came to Blake that something changed.

"And so he must have been so excited to finally have sex with you that he didn't stop to ask himself why you suddenly changed so much," Tobi continued. "And, after they did it again, Tori—my sister—was dangling the used condom in my face and I was like—"

"Gah!" Tori suddenly made a sound.

"Exactly," Tobi agreed. "I was like—Wait! Tori!" He suddenly realized what had happened. "Tori? Can you hear me?" he cautiously reached out to touch her. For a moment, nothing happened, but then she lashed out again and he was forced to back off.

"Almost," he thought outloud. "You almost came back. Maybe I'm just not the right one to pull you through this." He sighed and sat down on his cot. "Everything would have been different if I had been born here instead. We'd have grown up together and we'd be close. Plus, maybe I would have had a chance with Dustin before Hunter ever reentered his life." He thought about that. "But, I guess either way, he might have still ended up with Hunter. Maybe he never would have loved me back." He sighed. "My sister was right when she said nobody loves me here. Of course, she also said she thought I belonged here."

He brushed his hair away from his face in frustration. "If I had never ended up in this dimension, sure I'd still feel like a misfit, but I'd never know anything else so I'd be okay with it. I'd just keep going through every day being ridiculed by my sister's friends while they trash the..." He paused, realizing something. "My sister's friends," he repeated. "That's who they are. Sure, we hung out and even grew up together, but they were never my friends."

He thought of Dustin's words, calling him and Hunter "good friends." He even thought of himself and Cam. That's why they felt so betrayed. His dimension's version's of them never would have been hurt by him. They couldn't be because they didn't... care. Not even Dustin cared. "You care about me," he realized outloud. "You all care about me here. And... I care about you." Rather than his realization making him feel better, for some reason he actually felt worse. It was one thing to have people you don't care about and who don't care about you mad at you. It was another thing entirely to have people you felt so strongly about and who also cared about you feeling betrayed.

Before he realized he was doing it, he had started to cry. But, rather than feeling embarrassed, he didn't try to hide his face. After all, it's not like Tori was even aware of—

Suddenly he felt something warm touch his hands. Confused, he looked up quickly and saw Tori holding his hands in her own. For a moment, she seemed to almost be glowing in the reflected light from his evaporated tears. He gave her a surprised and confused look. "Tori?" he asked, but she just pulled him up into a hug and began crying on his shoulder. "Tori," he whispered. "It'll be okay. We'll get through this... together." He pulled her away so he could look into her eyes. "Are you... yourself now?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "I'm... sorry."

He gave her a confused look.

"I remember... everything," she told him, tears still filling her eyes.

"Oh," Tobi realized.

"It was like I was watching myself through my own eyes, but I couldn't..." She began crying uncontrollably.

"It's okay," Tobi assured her. "It's not your fault. Lothor somehow did this to you. Everyone will forgive you. They... they care about you. I care about you."

She gave him a weak smile before saying, "It wasn't Lothor."

"What!" Tobi replied, shocked. "Was it my sister or... the other Power Rangers?"

"No," she shook her head. "It was some monster that Marah and Kapri introduced to Lothor." Her eyes filled with fear. "We have to warn the guys. If it attacks the city and they go to fight it..."

"They'll become drones too," Tobi realized.

He immediately reached down for his communicator. "Cam!" he shouted.

"What do you want?" Cam's voice replied coldly.

"Tori's okay now," he told him.

"I can see that for myself," Cam replied. "She's out here."

Apparently Dustin hadn't been able to convince him who the real Tori was. "So... you haven't talked to Dustin, Blake and Hunter yet?" Tobi asked.

"Dustin's with Shane, guarding the entrance into Ninja Ops while Hunter and Blake check out a monster that's attacking downtown," Cam explained. "Now, I need to get back to work on repairs so we won't be—"

"You have to warn Hunter and Blake!" Tobi interrupted, shouting. "The monster can control people's minds. It's what Lothor used on Tori."

There was a moment of silence. "I'll warn them," he said without revealing whether or not he believed Tobi. "Hunter, Blake," Cam's voice said while Tobi used his communicator to listen in. "Tobi says that the monster you're fighting might pose some additional danger. He claims it can influence people's minds. I don't know if I believe him or not, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

There was a long pause.

"Blake? Hunter?" Cam repeated.

Tobi looked at Tori. "Do you think you can get us out of here even though you can't morph?"

She smiled and replied, "I'm still a ninja," before adding, "And, Tobi... to me, you are my brother."

Tobi smiled at her as she focused on the door.

Smash! The door flew off its hinges as water rushed past it. Tobi worried briefly about the water flooding Ninja Ops again, but he quickly found concentrating made the water evaporate. It then vanished back to wherever it had come from.

"Cam!" Tori shouted, running into the main room of Ninja Ops. "We have to help Hunter and Blake."

"How did you get out?" Cam asked, standing up, startled.

"Nevermind that," Tobi spoke up. "They're in trouble."

"Not as much trouble as you'll be in for letting her out," Tobi's sister warned.

He glared at her.

"I'll deal with you later," Tori told Tobi's sister, a spark of anger behind her eyes. "Cam, try to get our suits online. I'm going to get Shane and Dustin to help." She then ran for the exit.

Cam looked between the fleeing Tori and Tobi's sister. With both of them now in their ninja training suits, they looked exactly identical.

"I know what you're thinking," Tobi told Cam, "And I'll make up your mind for you. The Tori you know and love is the one who cares enough about others to run out unarmed to help them." He eyed his sister accusingly.

Cam looked like he was analyzing the situation. Then his eyes lit up. He suddenly grabbed what looked like a big gun and pointed it at Tobi's sister, but he wasn't fast enough, as she kicked it out of his hands.

Cam quickly returned a kick, but she just jumped while knocking him against his computer.

Just then, Sensei somersaulted into Tobi's sister. Surprisingly, his little body caused her to fall to the ground. She flipped backward and stood with her hands raised, glancing between Cam, Sensei and Tobi. "I'd love to stick around, but it's time to regroup," she said quickly, streaking out of Ninja Ops.

"Get the morphers working," Tobi told Cam. "I'm going after her!"

Cam started to speak up, but Tobi was already streaking after his sister, his inner ninja glowing brightly.

To be continued...

Author's Note: That's right, action scenes coming up...