ATTENTION!: I have created a new poll that asks "How do you feel about having a character die in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm?" Please vote! As always, I will go with what the poll says. And, since you can click "Review this Chapter" at the bottom of the page and review ANONYMOUSLY, feel free to vote that way too since you have to log in to vote in the poll (located at the top of my profile page if you click on Rogue Ranger to the top left of this). Thanks!
LAST POLL RESULTS: "What previous generation Power Ranger(s) should appear in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm?" First place goes to Wes, second is tied with Eric and Kimberly and third is tied amongst Tommy, Ryan, Lucas and Trip. Honorable mentions (those that received one vote each) are Jason, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Mike, Jen, Katie and Merrick.
Author's Notes: I hope this chapter was worth the long wait. I have moved my comments (and questions!) to the end of the chapter to avoid creating reader bias. You'll see…
Previously in Parallel Realities Ninja Storm:
Tobi puts the two Sensei's on his shoulders and meets up with Shane and Tori before visiting Dustin at the park. Dustin finishes a musical performance with Marah, Kapri and some aliens and kelzacks before revealing to the others that he believes he's destined to stay in Tobi's dimension with Marah. Because Cam's mother and Blake and Hunter's parents are alive in that dimension, he thinks everyone will be happier there. At first Tori and Shane try to keep their dead relatives in that dimension a secret in order to keep Dustin happy, but the truth comes out and Dustin is forced to decide between his friends and Marah. To emphasize his choice, they find Cam outside his mother's house saying she doesn't want to see him again. The group then decides to meet up with Blake and Hunter...
Parallel Realities Ninja Storm: Chapter 22 (From Urban Legends to Legendary)
The group met up with Hunter and Blake outside the Blue Bay Harbor Shopping Plaza, a glorified strip mall designed to somewhat resemble a park.
"Ouch!" Cam cried for the tenth time. "I'm not a pin cushion. Maybe you should rejoin my father on Tobi's shoulder instead of mine."
"You're… father?" the Sensei on his shoulder scoffed. "I still find the whole 'parallel dimension' story a little hard to believe, but I suppose it would explain a lot…"
"Tobi, please take this Sensei," Cam pleaded in exhaustion as Hunter and Blake greeted the others.
"But I want to stay with you," the Sensei on Cam's shoulder insisted.
"Please, for me," Cam begged.
"Fine," the guinea pig reluctantly agreed. "But, if he blows me up or turns me queer, I'm blaming you!"
Cam gave Tobi a wordless "thank you" with his eyes as the guinea pig was placed on Tobi's shoulder opposite Cam's father.
"So, when they weren't here, we thought maybe the Thunder Ninja Academy is still standing here and we'd find them there," Blake told Shane.
"Because… your parents were ninjas too," Shane realized, remembering their spirits being in the Mountain of Lost Ninjas.
"They were the ones who brought us to Sensei Omino to train when we were kids," Hunter added, turning to Dustin. "That's why we had to move that day when I said goodbye to you."
"Dude, I remember it was raining," Dustin replied. "I never forgot that, but I guess I was still kinda clueless until you told me that was you."
"You were the sixth grader," Shane realized. "Dustin thought you turned him gay."
"Hey!" Dustin protested. "I didn't say that!"
"Didn't you hit him in the face with a volley ball?" Shane recalled.
Hunter blushed. "It was an accident,," he defended, turning to Dustin. "And, you told him you thought I made you gay?"
Dustin fidgeted nervously. "I didn't say that," he defended. "I just said you made me wonder because in like middle school and after, I started noticing guys and Shane pointed out they were all blondes and…" He looked down, embarrassed.
"It's the whole blonde looks yellow thing," Shane suggested with a grin.
"So that's your secret, bro," Blake teased his brother. "It's your hair color. I always knew it couldn't be your charming personality that attracted people to you."
Hunter turned and glared at his brother, shooting invisible lightning bolts out of his eyes.
"I think we can all agree Hunter's more than just a pretty head of hair," Tori offered.
"Thank you, Tori," Hunter said slowly, still glaring at Blake.
"So…" Shane said with a sideways look between his friends, "are we going to find Goldwinger or Blake and Hunter's parents?"
"Our parents first," Hunter replied quickly.
"Yeah," Blake agreed. "We can't go back without seeing them. Then we'd always wonder…"
Shane nodded. "I get it," he agreed. "Besides, not all of us are sure we want to go back." He looked at Dustin with a knowing stare.
Dustin grinned, trying to look together but clearly uneasy behind his chocolate eyes and dark curls. "I'm still thinking about that," he told them.
"Dustin did have a point earlier," Tori chimed in. "What if your parents are… evil ninjas?"
Hunter and Blake exchanged looks. Clearly, neither had thought of that.
"Wait," Dustin said, blinking and waving his arms. "Did I just figure something out before you guys?"
Since neither brother replied, Tobi decided to remind Dustin, "It wouldn't be the first time."
Dustin grinned at him. "Comic book geek strikes again!" He offered Tobi a high five, but when Tobi went to meet Dustin's hand, he ended up with a guinea pig hanging from his hair.
"Don't let it go to your head, Dustin," tori warned, helping Tobi put the dangling Sensei back on his shoulder.
"Sensei… from this dimension," Cam addressed. "What do you know about Hunter and Blake's parents?"
The guinea pig shifted its weight on Tobi's shoulder. "I know they are very powerful ninjas. How they produced these two, I have no idea."
"Are they… evil?" Cam asked.
"Evil?" Sensei repeated, confused.
"You know, like you," Shane offered.
"I'm not the one into bondage," Sensei told Shane.
Cam sighed. "I don't think he's necessarily evil. Misguided, maybe. Jaded, definitely. Evil, I don't think so."
"Maybe if this Sensei can change," Dustin began, thinking, "you guys' parents can turn from the dark side too."
"The dark side?" Shane repeated, turning to Dustin.
"You know what I mean," Dustin defended, making the sound of a lightsaber battle while waving his arms. "Shane… I am your father."
Shane just grinned and shook his head before turning to Cam's father on Tobi's opposite shoulder. "Sensei, what do you think?"
"Since we do not yet know where to find Goldwinger, Blake and Hunter should avail themselves of this opportunity," Sensei said wisely. "However, caution is advised."
"Of course, Sensei," Blake said, he and Hunter bowing slightly before turning to go."
"Hold up!" Shane called. "We're going with you."
The two brothers turned around, surprised looks on their faces.
Tori grinned. "You don't think we'd let our friends go off alone?"
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "Last time you guys came back evil again." He frowned at the obviously unpleasant memory.
Hunter looked at Dustin. "I remember everything I did and… I'm still really sorry."
Dustin's expression changed quickly as he tried to dismiss Hunter's concerns. "It's cool, bro. I know you couldn't control yourself."
"Yeah," Hunter agreed quietly.
"Let's find a place to go and streak to the Hunter Ninja Academy," Shane suggested. "You guys'll have to lead the way."
"Dude, maybe we should like get TZT a backpack or something first," Dustin said, watching Tobi. "That looks kind of uncomfortable, especially if we're going really far away."
Tobi could feel one of the Sensei's trying to sit on his shoulder, but it just made him slip, making him grab Tobi's hair more forcefully while digging his tiny feet into Tobi's shoulder blades. "Yeah, a backpack would be nice," he agreed.
"Well, we are at a mall," Tori pointed out, gesturing toward the nearby stores.
Dustin seemed to realize something. "TZT, do you still have that weird money?" he asked.
Tobi felt around in his jeans pocket and found his plastic bag of cash. "Yeah, but I don't have enough for anything fancy," he said.\
"We should get something easy to carry over long distances and something comfortable for my father," Cam said, adding, "both my fathers."
"Right," Shane agreed, shaking his head and leading the way.
"And, Tori, I should align your morpher first, just in case," Cam added.
"Just make sure you remember how to align it back," Tori agreed before whispering something to Cam who nodded.
The first store they passed by was one selling baby supplies and Dustin immediately stopped, an excited expression on his face. "Check it out!" he shouted, grabbing a double stroller. "It's perfect! The Senseis get to ride around in style. They even get a little cover for shade," he added, lowering a shade over the two seats. "Man, I'm so jealous!"
"Dustin, my father is a guinea pig, not an infant," Cam pointed out, looking up from Tori's morpehr.
"I'm sure he doesn't want to be stuffed in a backpack, dude," Dustin defended. "Right, Sensei?"
"I will be comfortable in whatever you choose," one Sensei replied.
"I like the shade," the other Sensei said. "I am not being shoved in a backpack."
"So, who will push around the stroller?" Blake asked, his eyes wandering toward Tori.
"What?" Tori asked, glaring at him and taking back her morpher from Cam more forcefully than necessary. "Because I'm a girl?"
Tobi groaned. "I'll do it," he said in a defeated tone. Someone had to take one for the team.
Everyone gave him a surprised look, but he just shrugged.
"Perhaps we should consider something more practical for streaking," Cam suggested.
"Oh… right," Dustin realized, frowning.
"It's okay, Dustin," Tobi offered, actually relieved not to have to push around a stroller full of guinea pigs. "Maybe some day you'll get to push a stroller around.:"
Dustin thought about that. "Do you think me and… Marah would have cute kids?" he asked seemingly out of nowhere.
"What?" Tobi replied, surprised. "Oh…" He pictured Marah as she leaned up to kiss Dustin on the cheek and thought of them falling in love, getting married and… having kids. They'd look like their father, so they'd be adorable, but they'd also look like their mother and Tobi knew he was a bad judge of female beauty. But, still, he could see it in his mind and… in his mind, Dustin was not just a father, but a very happy father. He played with his kids and loved them and he loved… his wife. "Yeah, I think they'd be great," Tobi choked out. "You'll make a great dad some day."
"You think so?" Dustin asked, almost… hopefully.
"Yeah, I totally see it," Tobi agreed, trying not to sound emotional. Suddenly he saw a small boy with tanned skin, wavy dark brown hair and big brown eyes. Tobi blinked and shook his head for a moment and the boy was gone. It must have just been his imagination.
"It sounds like we should buy condoms while we're here, before Dustin becomes a dad," the formerly grumpy Sensei announced. "Trust me, Dustin, fatherhood is not what you think it is."
Cam folded his arms while Dustin looked embarrassed. "I think I see a sporting goods store over there," Cam suggested, eyeing the two Senseis.
"So, you… really care about Marah?" Hunter asked hesitantly, walking over next to Dustin.
Dustin gave him a nervous grin. "She's…"
"Nice," Hunter finished for him. "Yeah, I remember, but would you really want to stay here just for her?"
Dustin thought about that. "No," he admitted, "but there's more here than just… her."
Hunter thought for a moment too. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed. "I just hope you're not also right about our parents." His expression suddenly changed. "Hey, what happened between Cam and his mom?"
"I think you'll have to ask Cam that," Tobi chimed in.
Hunter put a hand on Dustin's shoulder and stared directly into his eyes. "I want you to know, Dustin, I'll always love you no matter what you… decide." He didn't say it in a sentimental way, but just like he was stating a fact. Tobi envied how together he was. Maybe it came from believing in destiny. He then smiled and preceded to ask Cam about his mother, a topic Cam did not seem to want to relive.
Dustin turned to Tobi and whispered, "Hunter can't get pregnant."
Tobi gave him a confused look. "Uh, that's not a secret," he pointed out, looking over at Hunter. So, Dustin was giving him another try? "There's always adoption," he offered. "Hunter was adopted. If anyone believes that adoption can work, it would be him."
Dustin thought about that and seemed to be slightly more satisfied. Tobi couldn't help but sigh a little to himself. He always seemed to be pushing Dustin toward Hunter. But why? Maybe, deep down inside, he felt that they were supposed to be together, maybe even destined to be together. But what about his destiny? It seemed it was still up to him to make his own fate work out.
Just then, Tori and Blake were knocked over as something ran past them. Everyone turned to see a giant pile of clothes scampering away from them.
"Clothes monster?" Shane suggested, helping the two up.
The pile was composed suspiciously of clothes that were almost exclusively shades of blue, but they still looked separate. Plus, there were blue boots sticking out below the pile that were carrying it along.
"Stop, thief!" a voice shouted. The others turned from the startled clothes as it lost a pair of jeans to an alien emerging from the nearby clothing store. The alien looked roughly like a fashion model, though probably closer to a deformed drag queen.
"I said one item of clothing would suffice," a female voice called from across the parking lot.
The pile of clothes changed directions toward the voice, where it met up with a woman wearing pink overalls and matching candy pink glasses as she emerged from the sporting goods store that the group had been heading toward. Her arms were full of all kinds of equipment, from ropes to pick axes.
"As if!" the pile of blue clothes protested. "You can't limit my fabulousness, you know!"
"Let's just make a hasty departure before we find ourselves apprehended and you find yourself without a new wardrobe," the woman in pink said, joining the pile of clothes in a getaway.
"Gwen Stefani boots, don't fail me now!" the blue pile cried.
"Stop her!" This time a shell-shaped alien was calling out from the sporting goods store.
Tori turned to Shane and seemed to say something without words. He nodded and raised his arms.
Suddenly a wind whipped through the parking lot, toppling the woman over and scattering her supplies while sending articles of blue clothing flying everywhere.
A blue thong landed on Dustin's face. He removed it, studying what it was. "Blue's not my color, dude."
"So, you'd go for a thong if it was yellow?" Tobi asked, not being able to help but picture Dustin in a thong.
Meanwhile, the woman in pink was trying to gather up her now strewn equipment while the flying clothes revealed a man in sparkling jeans and a blue leather vest who was currently chasing after his assortment of stolen clothes. "My clothes! My fabulous clothes!" he yelled.
The group exchanged looks before approaching the two and blocking their escape routes. "Maybe that will teach you to pay for things next time," Tori suggested.
"Don't move!" a metallic sounding voice announced. Everyone looked across the parking lot toward the street to see what looked like an ugly, skinny golden robot flanked by a group of humans in dark navy blue. "We have you know, Kimberly Hart and Billy Cranston," the robot continued.
Two of the humans moved in, brandishing laser pistols. "Now look what you've done," the woman in pink complained.
"This is like so not my fault!" the man in blue insisted.
"We'll take it from here," one of the two humans that had separated from the others said. They appeared to be young men of about the same age.
"Watch your back, Eric," one of the two warned the other. "They're not as weak as they look."
"I can handle myself, Wes," the other assured him, grinning.
Meanwhile, the remaining humans in navy had formed a circle around the group. By this time, a bunch of aliens, kelzacks and human shoppers had stopped to stare.
"Thank you for your help in detaining them," the golden robot said to Shane, Tori and the others.
"I guess shoplifting is like a seriously major crime here," Dustin commented with wide eyes.
"Actually, we have been pursuing these two all the way from Angel Grove," the robot replied. "I have calculated that they are most likely working their way south to the Robotics Institute of California where Alpha 6 and Circuit are stored."
"So, the supplies must be for the attempted break in," the human named Eric suggested.
"They probably thought we'd never look in a place nobody's ever head of like Blue Bay Harbor," the human named We commented before adding to the group, "No offense if you guys live here."
"No, we're… visiting," Shane answered. "So, who are you guys?"
"We are the Golden Guardians," the robot answered. "I am Frax and this is Wes and Eric, my two top men."
"The Golden Guardians?" Blake repeated.
"You know, like the Golden State," Eric explained. "We're California's only human-based security force."
"If we still had our powers, you would regret ever tracking us down," the woman in pink, Kimberly declared.
"But you never will again," Frax told her. "And I doubt even your Alpha 6 would have been able to help you two escape justice for long. It was our hope you would lead us to Doctor Oliver himself, but clearly you two were on your own. The lack of coordination proves that."
"Alpha 6? Powers?" Dustin repeated, becoming excited. "They're Power Rangers!" he shouted.
"Former Power Rangers," Frax corrected. "Please keep your voice down. I promise you there is no need for alarm. They had already passed on their powers to new Power Rangers long ago and any remaining power was destroyed after the evil Zordon was finally defeated."
"Oh, right," Dustin realized. "Because the Power Rangers are all evil and stuff."
"They're not all evil," Wes said defensively. "We're not all evil…"
"That is true," Frax added, noticing the surprised looks on some of their faces. "Those two actually used to be Power Rangers." He gestured to Wes and Eric. "But once the Time Force Power Rangers were defeated and returned to the future, these two regretted their actions and pledged to do good and help others from then on. They even helped in finally capturing the Time Force Rangers. That was two years ago. I put them at the head of my team because of the… unique abilities they possess."
"So you guys must be… the red Time Force Power Ranger and… the Quantum Ranger!" Dustin concluded.
The others looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Don't look so surprised, Eric," Wes said. "It's only a process of elimination if you know who was sent back to the future."
"Of course," Eric realized.
"I've read every one of the Power Rangers Time Force comics!" Dustin bragged excitedly. "Up to the last one with the red and pink rangers' tearful farewell. It was a little mushy, but…"
"Pink ranger, huh?" Eric commented. "I always thought it was the green ranger he cared about." He grinned over at Wes.
"Shut up, Eric!" Wes demanded.
"You'll have to forgive my boyfriend," Eric told the others. "He never did get over a certain green haired boy."
"Eric, I'm warning you!" Wes growled.
Eric chuckled. "So, they made comics of us?"
"Well, kinda," Dustin replied.
"That would take some explaining," Shane interrupted. "So, have you Golden Guardians come across a moth-like alien called Goldwinger?"
"The name does not sound familiar," Frax answered. "The mayor of Blue Bay Harbor has been extremely cooperative. Perhaps you should ask h—"
Zap! Zap! Zap! Suddenly the surrounding humans in navy began flying backward as they were blasted by something. Everyone turned to see a shadow blur to a stop and begin to take shape. It formed a man in a black cloak with a goatee and fierce eyes.
"Doctor Oliver," Frax greeted. "So, you have not abandoned your friends."
"Tommy, you do still care," Kimberly whispered.
"No, I don't!" Dr. Oliver barked. "I just happened to be in the area."
"An unlikely story," Frax replied before calling, "Attack!" A panel on his finger opened and a small missile shot out toward Dr. Oliver, but he vanished into a shadow of smoke. "Do not let him escape!"
Wes and Eric began blasting away at the swirling shadow as it streaked around them. Suddenly it formed back into Dr. Oliver right next to Wes and began spin kicking him.
"Wes!" Eric screamed, attacking Dr. Oliver.
The doctor waved his finger tauntingly and turned back into a dark cloud before reforming nearby and shooting what looked like lightning out of his body.
Almost instinctively, Tobi raised his arms and pushed energy out from his body into the air in front of him. A bright flash and then a shock wave sent the lightning right back at Dr. Oliver. He fell backward a step, but quickly recovered. In a flash, he was gone as a shadow streaked around, knocking everyone over.
"I think it's time the Power Rangers showed up," Hunter suggested.
Shane nodded toward him and they slipped back toward a secluded area behind a store. Fortunately, all the aliens, kelzacks and humans were too busy either watching or running away from the fight.
They all quickly morphed while Tobi watched. Except for Dustin. He went through the movements only to notice he hadn't changed and, only then, did he remember that he couldn't morph.
The others wasted no time rushing back to the fight while Tobi turned to Dustin, who looked a little lost.
"Are you okay?" Tobi asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," He insisted.
"You may not be a Power Ranger anymore," Tobi began, "but you still have power."
Dustin grinned at him. "You're right," he agreed, "and so do you," he added, heading back to watch the fight.
When Tobi followed, he thought he saw the same small boy as before watching them, but he quickly dismissed it as his imagination.
Meanwhile, the now morphed Power Rangers were flying at the quickly moving shadow from all sides.
"Power Rangers?" Frax said as Eric and Wes helped him up. "Active Power Raners? They must be stopped at any cost. Forget the doctor for now. Taking out these Power Rangers is our top priority."
"But they look like they're attacking Doctor O.," Eric pointed out as Tori was thrown backward by a shadow kick.
Frax studied the action fro a moment before a loud voice interrupted, announcing, "I knew I'd find you again!" It was Mayor Lothor, surrounded by aliens and kelzacks.
"Wait! We're on your—" Blake tried to explain as Vexacus slid into him, knocking his breath out.
As Lothor and his allies began to attack the Power Rangers, a shadow slipped over to Kimberly and Billy. "You owe me big time," Dr. Oliver's voice said as he began to take shape.
"Doctor Oliver is freeing them!" Frax shouted, but it was too late. The two had been carried away by a black streak.
"Damn it!" Wes cursed.
Meanwhile, Shane was thrown into Cam by Shimazu.
"The Power Rangers used the fight to cover their escape," Frax concluded. "Get them!"
The humans in navy as well as Frax joined the attack on the Power Rangers. Since none of the ninjas wanted to hurt their misguided attackers, they were using only defensive moves like shields, gusts of air, torrents of water, etc., and were quickly outmatched.
"We can't win this," Cam said from within his Samurai Power Ranger suit.
"He's right," Shane reluctantly agreed.
The five morphed rangers streaked over to Dustin and Tobi before streaking off together with them.
Once they were in the safety of the woods, they demorphed and caught their breath. "I'm like really sorry I couldn't help you guys," Dustin immediately apologized. "It's like so unfair. Maybe if it wasn't a parking lot…"
"Don't worry about it, bro," Shane encouraged. "We would have bailed anyway."
"Shane's right," Hunter agreed before turning to the others. "We've got to remember that we're the bad guys. We're going to get attacked again if we morph."
"Then we'll have to use our morphers sparingly," Cam advised. "It might be a good idea to find Goldwinger soon."
"We'll just avoid fights, Cam," Hunter told him.
"Hunter," Tori said hesitantly, "I think it's safe to say that your parents aren't going to be who you remember."
Hunter looked down for a moment.
"You heard those guys, Tor," Blake chimed in. "They were Power Rangers but they didn't stay evil."
"You guys think this means all Power Rangers are real back in our old dimension?" Dustin asked.
"What?" Shane asked. "Like from all your comic books?"
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "We're real and like, if they're all real here, then maybe they're all real back there."
"And, if we go back, they might be able to help us," Tori added.
"I suppose it's possible," Cam offered. "If each Power Rangers team is local to a particular city like our team, and media coverage is frequently limited or even blocked, they may have become nothing more than urban legends."
"You guys thought the Power Rangers were urban legends," Dustin pointed out.
"It was mostly Tori," Shane replied with a lopsided grin.
Tori shook her head. "So, I was wrong. Am I never going to live that down?"
"I wonder if that means Bigfoot is real?" Dustin asked, his eyes darting around the woods.
"Wait, Tori was wrong about something?" Blake teased.
She folded her arms. "Maybe I was wrong about a lot of things. Like… us."
Hunter jabbed his brother in the ribs. "Tor, I…" Blake stuttered out, "I said I'm sorry and… all that."
"Smooth, bro, real smooth," Hunter told him before turning to the others. "Look, maybe one of us should streak back unmorphed to get a backpack." He then dragged his brother toward Tori. "Blake wants to talk to you alone," he told her.
"I don't know what to say, except that maybe he should take pointers form his brother," she replied, only glancing at Blake out of the corner of her eyes. "At least Hunter knows how to treat someone he cares about."
"You… and Tori?" Blake asked his brother.
"We're friends," Hunter defended. "That's all."
"That's more than I've got," Blake pouted. "She hates me."
"I don't hate you," Tori defended. "I… I like you… a lot."
"Really?" Blake asked hopefully.
She looked at Hunter, who offered her an encouraging smile. "Sure, really. Maybe we should… give it another try."
"Thanks, Tor!" Blake re-plied happily. "You're the best!"
"Except when it comes to sex," Tori mumbled.
Blake glanced around nervously at the others. "Uh, weren't you guys deciding who was going to get a backpack for Tobi?"
The others looked back and forth, trying to pretend like they hadn't been listening in on the conversation.
"I'll go," Tobi offered. "Since I'll be carrying it and I have the money, it makes sense. Here, Cam, can you take the Senseis while I'm gone?"
"Sure," cam reluctantly agreed, grimacing.
"I'll go with you," Dustin offered.
"I'll be okay," Tobi replied. "I'm sure you want to be with Hunter."
Dustin looked at Hunter as he seemed to be giving his brother advice.
"No, dude, I… wanna ask you something," Dustin whispered.
"Okay," Tobi agreed, trying to hide his smile.
"Catch you guys later," Dustin called. Hunter looked over with a confused expression just as Tobi and Dustin streaked off.
The two landed their ninja streak just inside the city and Tobi turned to Dustin as they then walked. "So, what did you want to ask me?" he asked.
"TZT, you're like Tori in that I can count on you for an answer, but I think you get me better then she does, more like Shane, but I know you'll always give me an honest answer even if it like… hurts, right?" Dustin explained nervously while biting his bottom lip and watching the ground in front of them.
"Yeah, I guess so," Tobi admitted, realizing how much trouble he had protecting Dustin's feelings by bending or omitting the truth. "And… thanks for the compliment. So, what was it you were going to ask?"
Dustin smiled at him, but it was a slightly forced expression. "You think you can make evil Tori good?"
"My sister?" Tobi asked. "I… I hope so. I will try. I mean, if we ever go back…" He looked at Dustin, trying to read his emotions.
"What about evil me?" he asked.
"I don't know," Tobi admitted, thinking. "What doesn't make sense to me is that Cam said he found files or something that made him think the other Dustin liked me, but that Dustin said he felt nothing but… pity for me."
Dustin frowned. "That's like no fair, dude." He seemed to realizes something. "Maybe he was scared to tell you how he really felt?" he suggested.
"Dustin scared?" Tobi replied skeptically. "In any dimension, there's no such thing as a Dustin who's a coward."
Dustin grinned at him.
"But I thought he was Cyber Dustin at first," Tobi recalled, "and I told him the Dustin who I loved wasn't him but… was you."
"Oh," Dustin mumbled. "So, you like dissed him and he was… jealous?"
"Maybe," Tobi admitted. "Why do you care about him?"
Dustin bit his bottom lip. "I just like…" he began. "If me and you can't… I just like want you to be happy, TZT."
"Thanks…" Tobi said, looking at Dustin's dark eyes as the brunet watched the road. "Maybe they can all change," he offered, deciding not to add that he didn't fele like he himself could change when it came to how he felt.
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "I think there's like some good in everybody."
Tobi looked at him quickly. "You really believe that, don't you?" he asked. "You trust everyone's intentions because… you'd never have bad intentions. So, you believed Hunter when he said you two were destined to be together but you also believed Marah when she said the same thing."
"I don't believe everything people say," Dustin disagreed. "I know it's like people's opinions and stuff."
Tobi remembered something. "I was trying to convince Sensei that maybe Lothor could change, but he didn't believe it was even possible."
"You think Lothor can turn good?" Dustin asked skeptically. "Man, you're even more trusting than me!"
Tobi grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said, once again finding himself fighting the urge to at least hug Dustin.
"So… you think the other Marah could turn good too?" Dustin asked.
Tobi noticed a hopeful look appear in Dustin's eyes. "I guess it's possible," he conceded.
"So, like, if Hunter and Blake's parents are evil, we'd go back and I'd be the yellow Power Ranger again and have my powers and my bike and I'd be awesome…" Dustin trailed off.
"Why do you like her so much?" Tobi asked.
Dustin grinned nervously. "She's nice and cute and…"
"I mean, what originally made you like her, the other Marah who tricked and used you?" Tobi interrupted.
"Oh," Dustin said, thinking. "There was something about her. She didn't think she was good enough… or bad enough," he corrected, "to fit in. Everyone thought she was dumb and a screwup."
Tobi looked at the emotions in Dustin's eyes. "You think that's you," he realized, "that you're the one who's dumb and a screwup. You already said you didn't feel like you fit in. That's why you wanted to stay even though you lost your powers here… It wasn't just Marah. You felt like you could fit in here. Or, at least be… 'less weird.'"
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "I wouldn't be like the goofy one. Not with talking octopuses and stuff all over. I don't feel like a total airhead for not getting anything in the Twilight Zone because, dude it's the Twilight Zone!"
"But I thought you liked being the goofy one," Tobi pointed out.
"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "Who told you that?"
"Nobody, I guess," Tobi admitted, "but you like to make people laugh. And I'm not just talking about playing 'airhead.' Like when you said Inflatron was 'really just full of hot air after all,' that wasn't an airhead thing to say. It was a clever joke and you even made Cam laugh. And that's not easy!"
"Oh, so right!" Dustin agreed.
"So, you do like to be the goofy one then?" Tobi asked.
"I guess," Dustin agreed. "It's like my job to keep the team together."
"Even if that means pretending to be dumb," Tobi added.
"Maybe…" Dustin admitted, his mouth forming a Cheshire Cat grin. "I'm like a doctor."
"A doctor?" Tobi repeated.
"You know, dude, like 'laughter's the best medicine," Dustin quoted.
"Right," Tobi agreed. "It's also easy for you because that's who you are, but that's not all you are. You might be the yellow Power Ranger, but you cant' always shine like the sun. I've seen your other sides… how you care so much about other people that it makes you insecure about yourself, how you blame yourself before anyone else and how…" He had to stop himself. For some reason it really hurt him to talk about that side of Dustin outloud.
"It's like you can read my mind, dude!" Dustin declared. "And you're the one who shined like the sun, TZT."
"Oh," Tobi realized, thinking of the explosion he caused. "Does she get you?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh? Oh," Dustin realized. "Yeah, sort of. We're not like totally different. She's kinda weird too," he added, grinning.
"So, she offered you a chance to be less weird," Tobi realized, "not just because of this dimension, but because she's… a girl."
Dustin looked embarrassed.
"But what about Hunter?" Tobi asked. "What will happen to him?"
Dustin frowned. "I don't know… I still like him a lot…"
"Dustin… have you figured out if you… love anyone yet?" Tobi asked hesitantly. "Marah, Hunter… me?"
Dustin glanced at him quickly before looking back at the road. "No…" he replied quietly. "I was trying to… make it happen."
"Make it happen?" Tobi repeated.
"Make me fall in love," Dustin clarified, "but I can't…"
"Oh, Dustin…" Tobi sighed.
"What's wrong?" Dustin asked.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Tobi asked.
"I was the one who wanted you to be all honest no matter what," Dustin reminded him.
"Okay," Tobi agreed, taking a breath.
"I know you're not trying to," Tobi said, "but you're leading people on."
Dustin gave him a quick, horrified look.
"Marah, Hunter," he continued. "You're making them… hope. And one of them is going to get hurt badly. Believe me, I know."
Dustin stopped walking and turned to Tobi. "You're right," he told him, an array of emotions playing out in his eyes, "but what do I do?"
Tobi honestly didn't have an answer for that. What would have made Dustin choosing Hunter over him hurt less? What could Dustin have told him or done? "I honestly don't know," he replied. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, dude," Dustin told him. "You're always there for me. I wish… I wish I could fall in love with you…"
"Yeah," Tobi gulped. "A word of advice, Dustin. Don't tell Hunter or Marah that."
"Why not?" he asked.
"Trust me, it won't make them feel better," Tobi explained. "Save the word love for when you feel it."
"Oh," Dustin mumbled. "Sorry…"
"No," Tobi told him. "Your heart's in the right place."
"Thanks, TZT," Dustin replied. "I'm glad you can like make sense of what's in my head."
"Anytime," Tobi told him. "What are friends for?"
"Friends, yeah," Dustin agreed, squinting. "Hey, I just noticed you and Marah have the same color eyes. Isn't that freaky?"
"Yeah, freaky," Tobi agreed, raising an eyebrow. He never even knew Marah had blue eyes. Dustin just grinned at him with that goofy look of his and Tobi found himself smiling back at him with what he was sure was an equally goofy expression.
By the time the two found their way back to the Blue Bay Harbor Shopping Plaza, everything seemed to have returned to normal. So, the two entered the sporting goods store and looked for a backpack.
"What about this one?" Dustin suggested, holding up a bulky yellow backpack.
"The color's nice," Tobi offered with a smirk, "but I don't need a million pockets. I need something light."
Dustin put the backpack back, while Tobi noticed a mannequin modeling black lycra swim shorts with yellow stripes. He then looked at Dustin, then back at the shorts.
Dustin looked over. "I know what you're thinking," he said, grinning, "but I don't look good in dark colors." He then moved his attention back to the backpacks.
"What are you talking about?" Tobi asked. "Your training suit is black and you look hot in that. This is just like it, only… smaller."
"Only smaller," Dustin replied, giggling. "And people say I get distracted easily. I wonder what you'd look like in ninja training gear… Oh! This one'll work!" he announced suddenly, holding up a grey backpack with gold trim. "It looks kinda like the one the green Time Force Power Ranger always worse. It has one big section just like his and he carried around Circuit in it."
"Circuit?" Tobi repeated.
"Yeah, he was a robot owl from the future," Dustin explained, putting the backpack on Tobi. "The green ranger used Circuit to call for Zords from the future."
Tobi adjusted the backpack straps until he was comfortable, then he realized something. "Frax said something about Circuit." He tried to remember. "That Circuit and the other robot…"
"Alpha 6," Dustin added.
"That they were in the… Robotics Institute of California," Tobi finished. "If we could get Circuit and reprogram it…"
"Cam probably could do that," Dustin suggested.
"Right," Tobi agreed. "Then, we could use it back in your dimension to call on the Power Rangers from the future for help. Since all the Power Rangers are good, right?"
"'Reinforcements from the Future!'" Dustin announced.
"Right," Tobi agreed.
"That's the name of a two comic book special for Power Rangers Wild Force," Dustin clarified.
"Uh, sure," Tobi replied. "I wonder why Frax isn't in the Robotics Institute."
"Because in the comics Frax used to be human," Dustin explained.
"Wait, Frax was in the comics too?" Tobi asked.
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "Like so much for urban legends."
"It does seem a little strange the comics are made of 'urban legends' that turn out to be true," Tobi pointed out, approaching the register to pay for the backpack.
"I know, dude," Dustin agreed. "It's like Gold Wing Comics has spies everywhere. Hey, I wonder if that means we're gonna be in comics!"
Tobi rolled his eyes and paid the shell-like alien behind the counter before turning to leave. "Wait a minute," he realized. "'Gold Wing Comics?'"
"Yeah, they make—" Dustin began. "Oh, Goldwinger, the moth dude," he realized. "You think…"
"It's worth looking into, if there's a Gold Wing Comics in this dimension too," Tobi suggested as they left the store. He paused, turning to Dustin. "But, if we find Goldwinger, are you coming back with us?"
Dustin turned to Tobi and smiled. "I'm going wherever my friends choose to go," he replied before freezing.
"What's wrong?" Tobi asked, watching Dustin's face scrunch up in concentration.
"I don't know," he replied. "It's like… a feeling."
"Maybe you're sensing your element," Tobi suggested. "The other Dustin did that before. Maybe it's an earthquake somewhere."
"Oh," Dustin realized. "Yeah, I think that's it."
Just then, the two heard a familiar voice call out Dustin's name. They looked up to see Marah running over to them with a big smile on her face. …But she wasn't alone. Beside her was a small boy with wavy brown hair and big chocolate eyes wearing a brown and beige camouflage shirt and shorts.
"Marah," Dustin greeted, surprised.
"Geo said you were over here when the Power Rangers attacked," she said, concern flickering only momentarily in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She then gave him a big hug.
Tobi just looked from Marah and Dustin over to the boy that he had thought was a figment of his imagination.
"Oh," Marah realized, breaking her hug and leaving Dustin with flushed cheeks. "This is my cousin, Geo," she said, gesturing toward the boy. "Say hi to Dustin," she encouraged.
"Hi," Geo said, looking up at Dustin with a curious expression.
"Your cousin?" Dustin repeated.
"Well, he's adopted, but that doesn't matter?" she replied.
"No, it doesn't matter," Dustin agreed.
"We're all children of the earth," she added. "By earth, I mean ground, not the planet Earth, obviously, since not everyone's from Earth."
"Uh, right," Dustin agreed, furrowing his brow before looking down at Geo. "Hey, Geo, dude." He laughed. "Geodude, like from…"
"Pokémon," both Tobi and Dustin said in unison, exchanging silly grins at their synchronicity.
"I like Pokémon," Geo declared. "I have Pokémon toys and Pokémon cookies."
"Cookies, huh?" Dustin repeated. "I never had those before."
"I like the chocolate ones," Geo continued.
Marah giggled. "I always call him my little chocolate cousin."
"Chocolate cousin?" Tobi repeated. "Because he looks like chocolate?"
She gave him a funny look. "Uh, because he only eats chocolate," she explained. "But since they have chocolate cereal, pancakes, muffins, sandwiches, fries, chocolate covered vegetables and all that, he still gets a balanced meal."
"Chocolate for every meal?" Dustin asked, his eyes widening. "Woah, awesome! You're so lucky, Geodude!"
Geo giggled at him. "I know! I'm awesome!"
"You two kind of look alike," Marah realized, picking up Geo under his arms and holding him in front of Dustin.
"Stop it!" Geo giggled, kicking his feet. "That tickles!"
Dustin hesitantly took hold of Geo, trying to figure out how to hold the fidgeting kid.
"Aw," Marah cooed. "You two look so cute together." She then pulled out a camera and proceeded to take a picture. "Kapri will love this once she gets down with voice theropy."
Geo had managed to wriggle around and grab Dustin around the back of his neck. Tobi looked between Marah—who, yes, it turned out did have light blue green eyes after all—and her camera and the boy hanging off a grinning Dustin. And, as Marah put her camera away and slung an arm around Geo and Dustin, they looked like… a family.
"Are you friends with the Power Rangers?" Geo asked, still hanging off Dustin's neck.
"Why would you ask that?" Marah scolded, confused. "Dustin would never associate with those evil creatures."
"But I saw him with them when they morphed," Geo insisted. "He even tried to morph too, but he couldn't."
Dustin grimaced before looking at Tobi for support.
Tobi sighed. "The Power Rangers aren't evil," he told Marah.
"What?" she asked. "What are you saying?" She removed her arm from the two and backed up, looking Dustin in the eyes. "Dustin?"
"Yeah," he mumbled. "My friends are… Power Rangers."
At that exact moment, the earth began to shake. "Aaaah!" Geo screamed, tightening his grip on Dustin's neck and nearly strangling him.
"Calm down, Geo," Marah advised, trying to steady herself. "It's only an earthquake."
Tobi looked at Dustin's eyes as they seemed to gloss over. "No," Dustin declared, "it's not."
Just then, his morpher beeped.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: What did you think? When I wrote this, I was sick. I felt like my head was going to explode and I didn't have the strength to clean up the mess. I wrote this chapter mostly nonlinearly and then put it together. My mind was hazy, but when you read it, you did not know this, so how did it turn out? Honestly.
I introduce a lot of things in this chapter that will come up later, such as Tobi's dimension's versions of a few past generation Power Rangers, Time Force, Gold Wing Comics, Marah's cousin, etc. What are your thoughts on some of these things? If you dislike something, it will be waned down. If you really like something, I'll try to have more of it. Not enough action? Too much talking? Do you think I'm staying true to everyone's characters and how they would react? Let me know!
***Remember, you can review anonymously! This means you, all those dozens of people who read the story (I can see chapter stats) can let your opinion be known without having to reveal your secret identity as a super hero.***
To my dedicated regular reviews, thank you!
Thanks Magichalo for your constant suggestions that inspire new ideas in me! I hadn't thought of the Sun as an element. It's an interesting idea and you might have noticed Tobi and Dustin briefly mention it. It has elements of fire in it too. Also, when I was writing this chapter, I thought about what you said about a counter element of darkness and I decided, in Tobi's dimension, to give it to Tommy. I'm not sure what I'll do in the regular dimension yet, but I had an idea come to me. Unfortunately, it centers around the death of a character. Hence the poll. I guess I'll see how the results turn out. As far as thunder and training with Hunter, I decided to reference that suggestion in the next chapter since I ended up having so many things for Dustin and Tobi to discuss and a bunch of other stuff happened. I look forward to any other ideas you have after this chapter.
Thanks YellowPrincess for your constant encouragement and support! During Dustin's talk with Tobi, I tried to have the two sort through Dustin's feelings for Marah a bit, but I also realized that I needed an obstacle that can come between them. Hence her finding out he's a Power Ranger. I understand that you want Dustin to be happy but the other rangers also to be happy, which means that he must somehow find happiness back in their original dimension. How that comes about, we'll see. I like your idea about having each person choose their own destiny and dimension to stay in. If some of the evil Power Rangers can be turned good, maybe they could trade places with their counterparts. Obviously, you don't want evil (turned good) Dustin to end up staying with the good Power Rangers, but what about another character, say evil (turned good) Blake or Hunter or something like that staying with the others? Ah, don't worry, I'll figure out some way to make everyone happy, but not right away…