Disclaimer: All I own is the plot bunny. I blame/thank Michelle the Editor for this.
And this one takes place in the "Letters Between Rangers" verse; when I'm not sure. Probably in a few letters considering what the Pinks have been up to…
And no, I'm not referencing last year's attempt at a mega crossover. I'm referencing an upcoming attempt at a mega crossover. Ta-da!
"Hey, guys, check this out!" Kimberly called out, sitting at a table in the Cybercafé. She and the other original Power Rangers had come to Reefside to discuss how the Samurai Rangers were doing, but since Tommy was somehow late despite taking place where Dino Thunder had occurred Kimberly, Trini, Billy, Zack, and Jason had been surfing the net.
"What is it?" asked Trini. Kimberly commented, "Okay, you guys know about That Guy with the Glasses?"
The other four groaned, "Yes."
"Okay, apparently the Nostalgia Critic did a review about us Power Rangers movie. Since it was at the bottom I never saw it before. I'm about to watch it… you guys want in?"
"There's a movie about us?" exclaimed Zack. Kimberly shrugged. "And a couple of really bad comic books Linkara reviewed. Linkara is a huge fan of ours… even has a fake Green Ranger suit and Dragon Dagger."
"That's kind of creepy," decided Jason after a minute of thinking. Trini shrugged as she pulled her chair up to Kimberly's, "People dress up like Harry Potter all the time. I suppose it's a similar thing."
Once the guys were crowded around the two girls, Kimberly started the video. After the ad had been played: "Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic, I remember it so you don't have to."
"Who is this?" questioned Zack, Kim hastily pausing the video. The original Pink Ranger gave him a long look. "The Nostalgia Critic, who else? I mean, with the hat and the tie and the white shirt and the blazer and of course the glasses… duh."
"Let's keep watching," Trini suggested when Zack opened his mouth to respond. But within thirty seconds all five were very, very confused so they paused the video again.
"There's a Power Rangers TV show?" Jason asked blankly. "When did that happen? How did that happen? Why haven't we heard of it before?"
"I have never heard of such a thing," Billy blinked. "Maybe if we keep watching…"
"A movie? In 1995? But… but… what?" went Zack just a few more seconds in. Jason scratched his head. "Japanese stock footage?"
"Uh-oh," winced Billy. "Remember how the male Yellows and the boom twins traveled between dimensions a while back? I think it left a loophole between two dimensions so that we can access this website… this website is from a dimension where Power Rangers are just a TV show."
"That makes sense," agreed Trini nervously. "But that's also kind of scary."
"Wait: so that Linkara girl is dressing up as a TV character opposed to a real life superhero? That's even weirder."
Kimberly gave Jason a long look. "Linkara is a boy."
"Oh. Sorry, with the last letter of his name being an a I thought… sorry."
"We never went skydiving!" frowned Billy. "What is he talking about?"
"I have no idea," shrugged Kimberly. "Tommy's in his White Ranger suit though."
So the five kept watching the video, pausing it once again soon enough.
"Yeah… did not realize the implications at the time," Zack had to admit. Trini looked sheepish as well. "Yeah."
"Guys, we're only ninety seconds into the video," Billy pointed out. "Can we just keep watching and discuss the political correctness of who wears what suit later? But I have to admit, at least so far the actors look scarily like us."
Two and a half minutes in Trini had to pause it again. Eyes slightly narrowed she protested, "Hey, don't insult Alpha 5! Or Bulk and Skull for that matter."
"He doesn't like much of anything as the Nostalgia Critic- or at least not much of anything that he reviews," Kimberly sighed. "Besides, to him we're just a kids' show. We're not real. And we weren't always that fond of Bulk and Skull ourselves."
"Affirmative," agreed Billy. "Let's keep watching."
Hardly twenty seconds later Billy paused it himself. "Wait- Ivan Ooze? Didn't he only get released last year?"
"It's a movie about us as a TV show in an alternate dimension. I think we should be impressed with everything they've been getting right so far," Jason pointed out.
"Yeah," nodded Zack as Billy clicked to restart the video. Three-quarters of the way through the third minute Kimberly paused the video. Horrified she went, "Zordon's DYING? No wonder I'm freaking out… and before that, was that a clip of me and Tommy acting mushy around one another?"
"You two were dating at the time," Trini had to chuckle.
"Oh yeah… Let's continue."
A half a minute later…
"Who is that?" yelped Billy as Kimberly paused the video in shock. Zack tilted his head curiously before commenting, "Okay, I wish I could have gone on this adventure…with Dulcea."
Trini lightly smacked him on the arm. "Zack, you're married."
"Yeah: married, not dead."
"Oh great, the movie probably takes place in another alternate dimension or something," sighed Jason. "It's an alternate way of you guys obtaining your Ninjetti powers."
Billy blinked after thinking it over. "Your theory is the most probable one, Jason. Yet this movie is rather odd; I understand why this Nostalgia Critic dislikes it. Let's resume the video."
Near the end of the fourth minute they had to pause it again to laugh. In between laughs Zack went, "You… win… this… one… Dulcea. I like this guy!"
"So immature," Billy shook his head, but he was laughing as well. Despite nodding, Trini couldn't help but giggle. Regaining his dignity first, Jason clicked the play button.
"Cunning and swift, eh?" beamed Billy. Then the video had to be paused again once they saw Adam's reaction to his new spirit animal. And then again when they saw the Nostalgia Critic's reaction to Adam's 'super power'.
"Who on Earth is he mimicking? And why?" giggled Trini a few seconds later. Kimberly shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea. Maybe an anime character but why is beyond me."
"Perhaps the actor who portrayed Adam went on to voice anime characters in dubs, and that was one of them?" theorized Billy. Jason shrugged. "I guess so. Come on, we're over halfway through the video already."
"This is one of his earliest and therefore shorter videos," admitted Kimberly before clicking play.
"Yep, went into anime," echoed Zack a few seconds late as the screen shifted to Tommy and Kimberly's actors. "Nice."
"Toy models? Of the Zords?" blinked Billy. Then he grinned. "Toy models of Zords… that could be lucrative."
"Uh-oh," went the other four. Looking put out Billy had to concede, "You're right, slightly materialistic and not very respectful of our legacy. But I'm sure this other universe makes plenty of money off of toys and that will have to do."
"We should have never let him start his own company," Zack informed Jason solemnly. Jason just rolled his eyes as the video kept playing.
At the seven minute mark the five got around to pausing it, having gone into collective shock.
"Our Zords can do that?" Kimberly marveled. "Why didn't anyone tell us?"
"I hope our Zords can't actually do that and it was just something the movie made up," Zack shuddered. The other two males nodded with feeling. Pensively Trini acknowledged, "That isn't a very honorable move… I bet Aisha was behind it. She can be a bit of a pragmatic combatant sometimes."
"Note to self: never spar with Aisha," muttered Zack as Kimberly resumed the video again to see if their movie counterparts could save Zordon.
"AAH!" went Kimberly, Trini quickly covering her friend's mouth. Hastily she assured the brunette, "They wouldn't really kill off Zordon yet."
And Trini was right: they did something… odd even by this movie's standards and Zordon recovered. In silence they watched the last bit of the review.
"Heh. The Nostalgia Critic thinks I'm hot. Well, I think you're plenty cute too, Critic," Kimberly giggled happily. Zack grinned, "We have a theme song? Awesome!"
"Hey, Channel Awesome is another name for That Guy with the Glasses," Kimberly informed Zack happily. Shaking his head Billy commented, "Well… this was a unique take on us. Or at least a televised version of us."
"Hm, Linkara does have a "History of Power Rangers" series. I've just been busy watching all the reviews and I thought I knew everything I needed to about Power Rangers. But now I'm interested in getting his view on this TV version of Power Rangers, especially since he likes it a lot more than the Nostalgia Critic," mused Kimberly.
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" came Tommy's voice from behind them. Startled Jason managed to shrug, "Waiting for you."
"Yeah… got caught up grading a quiz my homeroom took yesterday, sorry. Hey, what's that? Power Rangers: A Look Back? Someone did a video of us?" blinked Tommy. Zack shook his head. "Apparently Kim's favorite website is one from an alternate dimension where Power Rangers is a TV show."
"What? I don't believe you."
"Ooh… now we have to watch at least one of Linkara's videos just to prove to Tommy that we're not lying!"
"Or just re-watch the movie review," Billy pointed out. Pouting Kimberly refuted, "But that won't be as much fun!"
"Nostalgia Critic or Linkara?" Jason asked Tommy. Searching the website Trini pointed out, "Someone named Spoony did a video game review of us…"
"Spoony?" echoed Tommy.
Happily Kimberly linked the link. "Okay, Tommy, Spoony it is!"
"Wait- what?" Tommy looked baffled while the others were resigned to Kimberly's glee.