The Bonds of Friendship

Disclaimer: I don’t own Power Rangers, they belong to Disney, Saban, etc. etc.

Timeline: Set during the last segment of “Idol” and a bit after.

Summary: Sky learns what true friendships are all about.

Note: You might notice that I’ve used some quotes from various episodes. Yeah, I don’t own them either.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

“You have to do the entire entrance?”

Sky didn’t look up as he continued scrubbing with the toothbrush he was holding. “Yeah,” he paused as he looked around the Academy entrance, “and all the other cement areas too. Seems Commander Cruger thinks that I’ll remember that Academy Regulations are meant for everybody,” Sky looked up at Jack, “even self-righteous, pig-headed, ego-driven rangers like myself.”

Jack looked incredulous at those words. “He said that?”

The blue ranger gave a small laugh and shook his head. “He wasn’t so nice.”

“Ouch,” Jack paused before holding out a small object in his hand. “Hey, I thought you might want this.”

Sky reached out and accepted the silver object. “Thanks,” he said, before glancing at it. He felt a pang of sadness and hurt wash over him as he played with the bracelet in his hand. “I guess a bracelet alone doesn’t make a friendship.”

“No,” the red ranger gave Sky a small smile and sat down next to Sky before continuing the conversation, “it doesn’t. But I admire what you and Dru had once.” Glancing around him, Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a toothbrush of his own. “Hey, you missed a spot.”

Sky was momentarily stunned. “Jack stop, you don’t have to do that.”

The red ranger stopped long enough to say two simple words, “I know.”

The two rangers fell silent as they continued scrubbing away. Sky’s mind was reeling. Why was Jack doing this? Looking down at the bracelet in his hand, Sky let out a soft sigh. Even though he had been at the Academy for a few years now, he still had a lot to learn.

The blue ranger glanced at Jack before looking down once more, his hand still mindlessly scrubbing. He was still puzzled as to way Jack was helping him. Then, all his thoughts flew out of his head as he realized what he held in his hand. And he started laughing.

Jack was surprised to say the least. He had never seen Sky laugh like that before, like he had nothing to worry about. It was a nice change from the uptight Sky he always saw. Maybe the blue ranger wasn’t as strict as everyone thought. “What? What are you laughing at?”

Sky’s shoulders shook as he continued to laugh. “I can’t say.” Calming down a bit, it was a few seconds before he let loose another laugh.

The red ranger was very curious by now. “What’s so funny?”

Sky calmed down long enough to reply, “I’m sorry,” the blue ranger held up the toothbrush he was cleaning with, grinning widely. “I’m using your toothbrush.”

Jack was momentarily stunned, but then grinned and threw the toothbrush he was using at the blue ranger. “You owe me a new one.”

The blue ranger nodded, still grinning. “I know.”

Jack reached over to pick up the toothbrush he had thrown and silence was regained as the pair continued to clean. All of Sky’s previous thoughts came back and he sat wondering.

He would never understand Jack. One minute he was this bossy jerk and the next he was helping Sky clean all the cement areas. Where was the logic? Sky just couldn’t figure it out.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?”

Sky was startled out of his thoughts and both he and Jack looked up to see Bridge, Z and Syd standing in front of them with amused smiles on their faces.

“What are you guys doing here?” The blue ranger questioned.

“We just came to see how you guys were doing,” Z replied cheerfully.

“It doesn’t look like they’re getting much done,” Syd remarked, observing the small amount of clean cement between the red and blue rangers. The pink ranger grinned. “Jack isn’t helping Sky out that much,” she teased.

Jack snorted. “I’ll have you know that Sky wouldn’t have gotten this far, if it wasn’t for the goodness of my heart,” he mocked.

It was Sky’s turn to snort and he rolled his eyes. “Right.” His gaze shifted to his three teammates that were standing in front of him. “Did you three come here to annoy me?”

“Actually,” Bridge raised his hand and pointed at Sky, “that was the original plan.”

“Yeah,” Z cut in, snickering. “It’s not everyday you get to see the ‘great’ Sky Tate carry out a punishment.”

“But then we overheard Commander Cruger talking to Kat,” Syd continued Bridge’s explanation, “and we found out what your punishment was.”

“And that’s a whole lot of cement you have to clean,” Bridge added, “plus the fact that you have to use a toothbrush.”

“So,” Syd spoke up again, while Z nodded. “We decided to help you.”

Sky’s eyes widened in surprise as his three teammates pulled out toothbrushes of their own, or in Syd’s case, an actual scrubbing brush. A feeling came over him that he couldn’t explain. “W-why?” he stammered, stunned, “y-you don’t have to do that.”

Z rolled her eyes. “Put aside your pride for once blue boy,” the yellow ranger walked over and sat on Jack’s left. “We’re helping you whether you like it or not. Otherwise you’ll be out here for days trying to get all this cement clean.” With that comment, Z got on her knees and began scrubbing.

Bridge walked over and sat on the ground in between Jack and Sky. “Yeah, and you’d collapse of exhaustion. We can’t have you fainting on us in battle.” Kneeling, he began scrubbing the side of the cement entrance.

Sky was still stunned. “I don’t get why you guys are doing this.”

Syd walked over to Sky’s other side. “Silly,” she playfully slapped the blue ranger’s shoulder before kneeling down as well. “Did you really think we would let you do all this work by yourself? It would take you forever!”

“But it’s my punishment!”

“We’re a team,” Syd reminded the blue ranger. “We have to stick together no matter what.”

“Yeah,” Bridge spoke up, “you think after all we’ve been through, we’d leave you to your misery? I mean, sure we’d make fun of you for a few minutes but we wouldn’t leave you to your doom.”

Jack nodded. “Now this is friendship.”

Sky fell silent after hearing those words. Friendship. It was a word that he once thought he knew the meaning of, until Dru betrayed him. Looking at the others beside him, he watched as his teammates scrubbed along the cement. It was his punishment but they chose to share it with him. Why though? Who would want to spend their free time cleaning something they didn’t have to do?

“Now this is friendship.”

Jack’s words came back to him. As Sky continued to clean, a realization came to him. Jack, Z, Bridge and Syd considered him as part of their family, one of them. He was one of them. He was their teammate and they would never leave him behind. The four of them gave whole new meanings to the word friendship. Each of them representing a different meaning.

“Wild and wacky? Those aren’t the first words that come to mind.”

Outspoken and challenging. That described Z perfectly. Always speaking her mind and making things interesting. Sky realized that he didn’t mind bickering with her at all and sometimes found it fun. She was humorous and always knew how to ease tension with a joke or a sarcastic comment. Things were never boring with her around, that was for sure.

“I’m willing to work with you, if you’re willing to work with me. What do you say?”

Determination and loyalty. Jack annoyed the hell out of him most of the time and it had been a huge blow to his ego when the red ranger mantle went to the street thief, and Sky got into fights and arguments with him more often than not, but the blue ranger had to admit that Jack was loyal and a good leader and Sky greatly admired his determination in battle and he respected him (he would never admit out loud though).

“You know what Sky? You ARE good!”

Sincerity, individuality, and trust. There was no one else that Sky knew that was as sincere and trusting as Bridge was. No matter what, the green ranger always tried to see the good in everyone. Bridge was oddball, but in Sky’s opinion, that was what made him so loveable, and unique. Sky didn’t think he would ever meet another person with Bridge’s personality and he hoped he never had too.

“Come on Sky, play with us!”

Fun, caring and filled with love. The described Syd perfectly. She was playful and at times a bit childish, but she cared about others in her own way. She was spoiled and whiny, but Sky strongly suspected that it was all an act –a test to see who could put up with her attitude and stubborn nature. Syd was so filled with love that once she decided you were her friend, she would follow you to the ends of the earth.

Challenging. Loyalty. Honesty. Trust. Fun. Love. All those made up a friendship and more. But what did he bring into the friendship? What did he represent? After much thinking, Sky concluded that he was the protective one. The most reliable. Even though he didn’t show it that often, he did care deeply about his teammates (even Jack!) and would never let any harm come to them, not if he could help it.

Challenges. Loyalty. Honesty. Trust. Fun. Love. Reliability. All those things made up a friendship and more. Sky grinned softly to himself. Feelings of hurt and betrayal were washed away as new feelings came to him. Happiness and acceptance. They were all different as night and day, but they were a team. They were his friends.

And he had a feeling they always would be.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Note: I know this was a crappy story, but the idea wouldn’t leave my head. So, after much debate against myself, I decided to write it. Flames will be laughed at and nice reviews are greatly appreciated! (So leave a review!) Thanks, bye till next time!