Title: Performance Anxiety
Fandom: Power Rangers Zeo
Rating: G
Length: 501
Content notes: None.
Author notes: 35 minutes from story conception to completion. I think this is a record, even for me (I like to try and get stories written in a single sitting where possible). Pre-femslash could be inferred, but was not intended (nor was it unintended!)
Summary: Tanya's first day in America was a tad overwhelming and Kat finds a way to repay the kindness shown to her when she was first given the Power.

It finally hit Tanya as she slumped into bed that evening. Everything up until then had been adrenaline – her discovery of Zordon, first Morph, first fight, first day in America. It was only as she crawled beneath the yellow blankets of her make-shift bed that the reality of the past twenty four hours began to sink in.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said aloud, more to herself than anyone.

“What do you mean?” Kat asked. She looked over from her bed, concerned for her newfound friend.

“I don’t think I can be a Power Ranger, Kat.” Tanya brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. “At home, I’m a…In Kenya, I was a singer. I moved from Aunt Ashalla’s village when I was 14 and had spent 4 years singing in Clubs and giving music lessons. I’m not a fighter. I just…”

“You did okay today,” Kat pointed out. “We fought an entire platoon of Cogs today and you did just fine.”

“I guess. I just…”

“My predecessor was called Kimberly,” Kat interrupted, bringing her own pink blankets to join Tanya on the floor. “She was perfect.” Tanya chortled slightly, but Kat continued. “I mean it. She was a singer too, and she played guitar. She was a good student, a cheerleader, a Pan-Global gymnast and a Power Ranger. She knew sign language, was learning French for when she went to visit her family in Paris, ran the Gardening Club…I really don’t know how she did it.” A wry smile crossed Kat’s lips. “When I took over from her, I didn’t know if I could do it. Zordon wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to access her…the Powers properly. I was so excited the first time I Morphed.”

A six chimed beep interrupted Kat’s story.

“I could do it. You can do it too.”

“But what if I can’t?”

Tanya’s question went unanswered as Kat activated her communicator.

“Go ahead, Zordon.”

“Kat, this is Billy. There’s a weird energy signature coming from the park. It doesn’t match the Cogs, but we don’t have records for anything else from the Machine Empire. I need you to go and check it out.”

“Of course.” She looked over at Tanya, who was hugging her knees tighter. “Billy, have you sent anyone else out yet?”

“No, Rocky and Adam are next on the list.”

“Don’t. We can take care of this.”

“Okay. Thanks, Kat.”

Katherine pulled the blanket off of Tanya and dragged her friend to her feet.

“First thing you need to know…” she said, summoning her Zeonizers. “…is that there’s a pass phrase to start the Morphing process.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It needs to be forceful and clear to turn the morphers on.”

“Okay.”

Katherine smiled as Tanya delivered her first “It’s Morphin’ Time.” She noticed that the Yellow Ranger was trembling throughout the Morph, and the teleportation, and the fight with Klank and Orbus.
But she knew Tanya Sloan would make a fine Power Ranger.