Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. There is no profit made for this fiction. It is purely for amusement only.
Author's Note: Okay! Well, it's been years since I wrote a PR fanfiction, so please forgive me for any mistakes. I'm a big Tanya fan so I try to write a lot of my stories about her. Enjoy! ^_^
An Undeclared Development
By genielou
Tanya sat on the bed, or what would constitute as a bed in her current alien environment, while staring intently at the monitor. The room was brightly lit, but, according to the clock on the wall, the time was merely 2:30 am. The Chamber only had one setting for lighting, which was the sole reason and basis of fault for Tanya's wide-awake demeanor.
Zordon had been generous enough to provide her a haven for the night, or until Kat convinces her parents to let her adopt a sister.
*I'm a foster child,* she thought to herself. *I left my own home, where I have a legitimately acceptable stature in a family, to be a foster child.*
She pressed a button on the remote and the monitor's view switched into a show featuring a performer on a stage, and an audience of screaming teenagers.
"M- T- V," she read aloud.
It had been only hours ago that Mondo decided to retire for the day. She had fought as best she could, second-guessing her every move to survive. Her punches were rash, her kicks were clumsy, and her leaps were frantic, but she survived nonetheless. She made it through her very first fight with much luck.
*What am I doing here?* the new yellow ranger pondered, regret slowly engulfing her previous confidence. It was her decision to accept the responsibility, to leave her home and start anew in a world that she is nowhere near familiar with. She knew that it was for a noble cause.
Although now, as she sat there in that quiet room, staring at the new world she must soon face and conquer, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made the right decision after all.
Ping- ping.
She frowned at the door as a low moan and a barely audible "Ow…" and "Damnit.." came from the other side of it.
"Tanya? Are you there?" a muffled voice called.
She fumbles over the buttons of the remote as she pointed it at the door. The metal barrier separated with a hiss, sliding sideways to reveal a young teen with a pained look on his face.
"Hey," he smirked, wincing as he shook his right hand. "Don't ever knock on metal."
Her lips pursed as she repressed a giggle, bemused at the way he scrunched his nose and glared at the metal doors.
"Anyhoo," he said, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. "I was hoping you'd still be up."
She offers an awkward smile, unsure how to behave.
"I couldn't sleep," he continued. "You know, still hyper from today's excitement. Or actually," glancing at the clock, "yesterday's excitement."
"Same here" she replied, trying hard to act casual as she fidgeted on her side of the bed. This boy, despite the fact that he had barely met her or that he knew almost nothing about her, felt comfortable enough to visit her in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep. Her in an oversized pink sweatshirt and shorts that Kat had lent her, and him in his green sweatshirt and frog-patterned pajama bottoms. *This is ridiculous. Why am I being nervous?* "Um, I thought I'd watch some television. Zordon said it'd be a good way to review your culture."
He turns to the monitor, raising a brow at the half-naked college students being covered with whipped cream.
"I hate to break it to you, Tanya," he started. "But those kids live a more surreal life than the people of Angel Grove."
"Yeah," she sighs. "I figured as much. I just couldn't picture you guys acting like that in public."
She flipped the channel and a documentary of an African tribe, not too different from the one Tanya lived with, appeared on the screen.
Her expression changed and he was quick to notice. "Tanya," he began. "Can I ask you a question?"
She nods with a smile.
"I was just wondering," he continues. "Why are you here?"
Tanya's smile fades. *I knew it.*
"Oh! No," he added quickly. "No, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was why did you accept the zeo crystal?"
*The crystal… Why did I accept it?*
"Didn't you think it was strange that some girl you didn't know suddenly showed up out of nowhere and offered you super powers? I mean, I know I wouldn't have believed it if it had happened to me."
She lowered her eyes, thinking. It made sense to her. He worded it awkwardly but she understood.
"Honestly, I'm not really sure," she answered, more to herself than to him. "I know I had a reason, but, now that I think about it, the decision was still very rash, wasn't it?"
She remained silent for a while, and so did he. Unsure of how to continue, he focuses on an invisible stain on the bed sheet. His frown deepens as he concentrates deeper into the abyss.
She looked up at him, as if the answer was so obvious. Curling her lips to a smile and shrugging her shoulders, she chimed matter-of-factly, "I wanted to save the world."
He blinks a few times, staring at her. A blank expression surfaces on his face that could easily be mistaken for incredulousness.
"That's funny," he replied, a lopsided smile declaring his reaction. "'Because I thought the same exact thing when I was asked to be a Power Ranger too."
They laughed to themselves, enjoying the company they each provided. She took the remote and pointed it at the monitor, flipping through channels. He watched her for awhile, examining her, all the while maintaining a tiny hint of a smirk. Then he turned to the monitor, trying to guess the show that flickered with each channel. Ed, ed, and eddie; Lizzie McGuire; Daria; The Real World; The Home Improvement; What Not To Wear...
"Why would they make a show about what we shouldn't wear?"
The corner of his lip curled. "I'm not really too sure."
*There's that lopsided smile again.*
They were both silent, watching intently, each occasionally glancing at each other while the latter wasn't looking.
Time eventually got the best of them as a high-pitched sound suddenly rang from his sweater pocket. His cellphone has officially alarmed him to wake up for the day.
"Oh man, I should go," he rises from the bed and starts to walk away, stopping by the door. "Will I see you at school tomorrow?"
Tanya frowns, "I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Billy about that when he gets here."
"Okay," he said, content. "If not, I'll just drop by for lunch to see how you're doing."
*There it is again, that lopsided smile.*
"Well, later Tanya," he waves as he walks out the door.
"Bye Adam," she smiles, now feeling anxious to start the new day.