Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, unless you count all the action figures, morphers and other random stuff. I do own those.
Author's Note: Yes, I know I should be posting more Children of Light, but this oneshot has been sitting around since SPD was new, so I figured it had the right to finally see the light of day. I promise I am working on CoL, though. I really am. It's not abandoned, just lost between other projects and laziness. I prosmise more will come. Eventually. Enjoy this in the meantime, yeah? Cos I love reviews, and I love people who review. It is a bit crack-y, I know, but that's what happens when you watch Galaxy Quest once too often right after SPD. The ending got away from me, too, but they usually do. Anyway, sorry for the rambling, and onto the fic!
"Did you ever watch Galaxy Quest as a kid, Sky?"
The young man being questioned quietly cursed his friend for bothering him, even if he should have expected it. Bridge was strange to begin with–he could deal with the everyday strangeness–but he when he did handstands with nothing to really focus on, his thoughts seemed to drift somewhere uncharted, even by the standards of strangeness.
"Only you would watch that show. It's as cheesy as it comes," Sky retorted, not looking up from his magazine. Maybe it would end there. Sometimes Bridge didn't pursue his thoughts, or became distracted by something even more intriguing.
The psychic frowned vaguely.
"But I thought you of all people would've watched it. I mean, it did start the whole aliens-to-Earth revolution, and you're sort of a history buff."
"Bridge, I never watched it," he replied tightly. "Just because it furthered our technology by decades and introduced Earth to the concept of non-hostile aliens, doesn't mean I had to watch it."
The Blue Ranger was visibly irritated now, not caring for the interruption. It had been a long day for him--the new E-Squad cadets were beyond inept with laser pistols. Eventually he'd taken each one aside and trained them personally, taking hours more than necessary in order to properly teach them. Needless to say, he was not interested in one of his teammate's out of the blue tangents.
Bridge pushed on.
"But you at least count the day that the NSEA Protector command deck landed in that convention center as historical, right? Even if we didn't realize it was real technology and not just a really good prop?" Sky lowered his magazine with a quiet anger and stared at his friend.
"Yes, Bridge, I do. But who doesn't?" The Green Ranger ignored his friend's irate attitude, but peeked one eye open to look at the brunet from across the room.
"...And what about Laliari? She was the first Thermian to ever be on this planet and admit that she was an alien, even if she didn't come out with it until 2010. And then we find out that Xybrians and Aquitarians and Eltarians exist, too, and that they'd been on the planet even before she had. What about that kid Brandon Wheeger, remember him? He helped the actors get to the core and disable the bomb, and he was the first to start researching the command deck, even if it was mostly from a fan's perspective. But now he's the Chief Technical Officer at SPD Headquarters and he's responsible for all kinds of stuff around us, like the food replicator. The guy's a genius. I even got to meet him once. And how about Sarris? We learned all about his kind after that and apparently they're all a little crazy and-"
"Bridge, that's enough," Sky said, voice calm but not without a cool edge. He folded his magazine onto his lap and met Bridge's one open eye. "I don't need the history lesson. I already memorized everything about it back in history class, and I still remember it all. Besides, the show itself was on more than twenty years before we were born."
"Au contraire," Bridge said with a grin, closing his eye. "Back in 1999 they revived it and it was still on when I was a kid in the late 2000s, even if it was only in syndication by then, and I watched it every day, which means you could have watched it too. I always loved Tech Sergeant Chen because he was always smart and kept his cool and was good with machines and everything. Who was your favorite character, Sky?"
"I told you, I never watched the show. It was stupid," he replied flatly, glancing away from his friend.
Bridge lowered himself out of his handstand, sitting cross-legged on the floor for a moment before looking to Sky and shaking his head disapprovingly. "No way. You can't tell me you never watched a single episode."
"Well..." Sky responded, cracking a small smile as he watched a couple cadets play lightball on the other side of the room. "Maybe once or twice."
The Green Ranger beamed knowingly. "So you did watch it!" Sky shrugged, still not looking at his friend.
"Not much. Just a couple of times, when I was bored." Bridge crossed his arms, adamant but almost childlike in his position.
"Nuh-uh. I'm not believing it for a second." Before Sky could stop him, he was up and across the room, waving a glove-less hand in front of his face. The Green Ranger read him for a second before a smile bloomed on his lips.
"I knew it!" Bridge proclaimed triumphantly, face alight with glee. "I knew you liked Galaxy Quest!" Sky grimaced, finally glancing back to the psychic.
"Could you not spread it around? If Z knew I liked such a dorky show I'd never hear the end of it."
"Of course, buddy," Bridge responded in a friendly tone, reclining next to him. A brief pause echoed between them, and then the Green Ranger added with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "But it's going to cost you."
Of course it would.
"What is it?" Sky asked warily. His friend smiled wickedly, leaning forward.
"Buttery toast every morning for a month." His fingers wiggled with the first word, as if excited by the prospect. "I want it ready before I wake up." Sky pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, and sighed acquiescently.
"Fine."
Bridge's smile grew, stretching from ear to ear; he left the rec room happily. It was a moment before Sky took up his magazine, shaking his head in disbelief. The things he did for his reputation...