//------------------------------// // From Zero to Hero // Story: Tangerine Sashay of Power // by touileasaso //------------------------------// After the unsuccessful attempts today on her hall monitor duties, Tangerine immediately went home to earn some rest, while Babs sworn to come up with better tactics for her tomorrow, consulting the Iron Will book for advice and Featherweight promised to help however he could. Tangerine appreciated their support, but now she wanted nothing else but to relax after such a tough day. During the evening, the Orange family were eating orange-sesame coleslaw for dinner. Tangerine was slowly nibbling at her food, still thinking about the duties she was supposed to do as a hall monitor, yet doubting herself a lot. If she couldn't do anything right today at school, how could she ever be a good hall monitor? Her silence was noticed by her parents, who grew concerned for their daughter. "Tangerine, is something the matter?" Sherbet asked their daughter. The filly slowly turned her eyes to them. "Why would you say that, mother?" "I agree with your mother, dear. You have barely touched your plate and you look like as if something is bothering you." Mosley pointed out. "Please, tell us what's on your mind." Tangerine wanted to keep quiet because she did not want to worry her parents. However, she was taught not to lie, and couldn't find herself keeping a secret from her parents. And so Tangerine told Sherbet and Mosley everything: from being chosen as the new hall monitor, her doubts, Babs' support along with Featherweight, her failed attempts at performing her duties, everything. Her parents listened to every last word she said. "Well...this is quite the situation you're in..." Mosley muttered in concern. Tangerine put her forehooves over her eyes. "What do I do? I do not feel like I am meant to be hall monitor but I do not want to let Babs down, not when she is doing so much to help me..." Sherbet wrapped one of her forelegs around her daughter in a soft yet tight hug, comforting her. "There there my sweet citrus blossom...there is nothing to be ashamed of..." "Your mother is absolutely right, sweetheart." Mosley joined in the hug. "You don't have to go out of your way to prove anything." "But what do I do? I do not know what I am supposed to do..." Tangerine whimpered. "Well...how about you try for one more day being a hall monitor? Perhaps there might still be a chance for you to prove yourself." her father suggested "And if you truly feel that it is not for you, it is all right to say so to your cousin and your new friend. I'm sure they'll understand." Her mother added. "Is...is it all right to be bad at something?" Tangerine asked her parents. "Of course it is my little seedling. Nopony is perfect. Why, you should hear about the time your father tried to herd the cattle back in our younger days. He was absolutely hopeless. Why, he actually tried to..." "Now now dear, I thought we promised not to talk about that again..." said an embarassed and sheepish Mosley. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." Sherbet giggled. Tangerine giggled along with her mother. "Thank you, mother! Thank you, father! I'm feeling a bit better now!" "That's good to know, kiddo." Mosley smiled. "Now eat up, you should getting ready for bed soon." Tangerine nodded and began to eat her dinner normally, her mind put at ease for now. Next day at school, Tangerine met up with Babs and Featherweight in the hallways early before school began. "Hello Featherweight. Hello Babs." she greeted them. "Have you found out anything new that could help me?" "Yup! I read through Iron Will's book some more, and I found wut he calls exercises to harden your attitude!" "I'm not sure I like the sound of that..." the pegasus colt frowned in concern. "Relax Featherweight! I'm sure that dese exercises will help my cuz once and for all!" "What have you found Cousin Babs?" asked Tangerine. "Da first one should be easy: ya jus' have to keep a tough face on all da time." "A tough face?" "Yeah, like dis!" To show an example, Babs' eyes scowled and she bared her teeth, looking very intimidating. "Uh, how is that going to help Tangerine?" Featherweight questioned her. "Iron Will says dat if ya keep a tough face on all da time, you'll eventually grow tough, not to mention you'll scare others away!" Babs explained. "But Babs, I do not want to scare everypony around me..." Tangerine frowned. "Don't worry cuz, it'll only completely work if ya also talk tough to anypony else around you, which we'll also practice later." "...come again, Babs?" The school bell rang, signaling the start of school for today. "We'll talk later, we gotta go to class." said Featherweight. "Remember cuz, tough face!" Babs reminded Tangerine. Wanting to try and follow her cousin's advice, the green-maned filly put on the most aggressive look she could. However, she looked more nervous than aggressive. Tangerine hoped that today would at least be better than yesterday. The three foals met up with one another again during recess after math class. "Babs, where are we going?" Tangerine asked her cousin. "Da school's gym!" Babs answered. "Are you sure we can do that? Another class is taking place there, you know." Featherweight pointed out. "We'll stay outta their way so they won't complain." "But how will going to the gym help me?" Tangerine questioned. "Trust me, da things we need to help ya are all in da gym." Babs grinned. "Well, if you say so..." Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "Say, Babs?" "What's up?" "What if you or Featherweight happen to break some rules?" Tangerine stuttered a bit, looking flustered. "I-I mean, not that I am saying that you will, but what if it does happen? What do I do?" "...well, if it did happen, then you'll have to throw da book at us." Babs replied honestly. "Throw the book? What book?" Tangerine asked in confusion. "No Tangerine, she means that you'll have to report us, even if we're your friends." Featherweight clarified, making her gasp. "What!? But I do not want to get you two in trouble! Is there not another way?" "Cuz, I really hate to break dis to ya, but if you do have to report us to something we did, den we probably deserve it." Babs grimaced. Featherweight thought for a while before speaking up. "Think about it this way: do you think it will be fair for other colts and fillies if you just keep letting us go?" Seeing his point, Tangerine shook her head. "So there you go. Look, from the off-chance if me and Babs do get in trouble, we promise that we won't be mad at you." "Even so, we'll work really hard to not cause trouble so you won't have to do anything to us, okay?" Babs promised. Tangerine nodded, thankful by their promises. "Okay...thank you..." Seeing their destination close, Babs ran ahead of her friend and cousin to open the doors. "Well, here we are!" Opening the doors to the gym, there were students training inside, true to Featherweight's words. Most of the floor in the center was covered by a blue mat, and there were stands on both sides of the gym for when competitions took place in the school. There was also a door on the other side that lead to the locker rooms of the gym. Currently the students, with a dark grey earth pony wearing a cap watching over them. The students were doing warmup exercises, such as wing-ups from the pegasi, trotting around the gym, jumping jacks, stretching their limbs and other things as well. "So how are we supposed to begin with all these guys around here?" Featherweight motioned to the students. "Easy. We'll just go up to da stands." Babs pointed to the empty stands. "We won't be bothering anypony up dere." "I guess it will be all right, as long as we stay out of the students' way." Tangerine conceded. With everyone in agreement, the three foals climbed all the way up the stands to the very top and they took their seats on the stands. "So cuz, how are you doing with your tough face? Did ya get a lotta practice?" Babs inquired. "Um...I think I did..." "Can we see it?" Featherweight asked. "Yeah! Show us how tough ya look!" Babs encouraged her cousin. "Ok..." Tangerine cleared her throat, took a deep breath, preparing the toughest face she could, and... "Squeeeee!" Tangerine's 'tough' face turned out to be more adorable than intimidating, with her cheeks puffed out, her eyes shining and it looked like she was smiling. And her squeak didn't help. Babs and Featherweight raised their eyebrows at this, completely not what they were expecting. Sure, they weren't expecting for her to be absolutely spot-on, but... "...so, how was I?" "...I think that'd be the kind of face you make for when you want ponies to do things for you." Featherweight commented. "Oh. Sorry Babs..." Tangerine apologized. "...eh, don't sweat it, I'll give you some pointers later." Babs waved it off. "Right now, I think I can give ya practice on how to talk tough." The green-maned filly looked a bit nervous at hearing this. "Talk...tough?" "Yeah. You know, something like 'What are you looking at, chump?', or 'Are you talking to me?'." Featherweight explained. "Just to name a few." "Right, but we're only gonna have you say what hall monitors would say, sound good?" Babs said. Tangerine nervously nodded. "I suppose so..." "Ok!" Babs grinned. "Now, I want ya to shout, as loud as ya can, 'You, stop right there!'. Show me what you can do!" Tangerine once again took a deep breath to get herself ready, and then... "You, stop right there!" Both Babs and Featherweight had wide eyes upon hearing her, clearly impressed by the filly's shout. Tangerine was a bit shaky in her shout, but she did do well enough. Noticing their silence, Tangerine sheepishly rubbed her forehooves together. "Um...was I too loud?" Shaking off her stupor, Babs smirked and wrapped a foreleg around her cousin. "No way! Ya did great! Dat was an awesome shout!" "R-Really!? Do you really mean it!?" Tangerine asked excitedly. "Yeah! You did a great job just now!" Featherweight piped in. "Sure, you sounded a bit shaky, but that doesn't matter! You did really good!" Tangerine smiled at both of their praises. With at least one success now, Tangerine felt a bit more confident in herself. In fact, she was so confident that she wanted to try again. "Babs, what else should I shout?" she asked. "Right! Try 'Stop dat right now!'." Babs suggested "Stop that right now!" Tangerine repeated, doing well once again. "Now try 'Silence!'." Featherweight brought up. Smiling confidently, Tangerine shouted without hesitation. "Silence!" "Shout 'Move along!'." Babs spoke excitedly. Complying, Tangerine shouted once again. "Move along!" "Now shout 'You're under arrest!'." Featherweight was answered by the two fillies staring at him quizzically. "What?" "Featherweight, I am a hall monitor, not a police officer." Tangerine pointed out. Seeing her point, the pegasus colt scratched the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Whoops. I guess I got too much into it..." "Ya just had to kill the mood, didncha?" Babs sighed. "Sorry..." "Ah, fuhgeddaboudit. Anyway, at least one thing went right for us! And I got a good feeling our next one will be jus' as good!" Her excitement calming down, tangerine looked to her cousin. "Really? What will we do next?" Babs began to walk down the stands, since the students went outside to the field now, and went to a kicking bag in the corner with a grin. "You're gonna be kicking dis kicking bag!" "What!?" Tangerine cried in shock. "Babs, have you gone nuts!? Tangerine isn't supposed to hit anypony! She could get in trouble, hall monitor or not!" Featherweight protested for his friend. "No no, it's not like dat at all! Lemme explain!" Babs said to them. "I read in a section in Iron Will's book dat hitting something again and again increases your assertive determination. So if you keep hitting this cuz, you'll be ready for anything!" "I dunno, I'm beginning to think that this Iron Will guy is crazy in the head." The cream-coated colt frowned. "Yeah, I'll admit that he can be a big weirdo at times, but his advice really helps! Trust me on dis!" As much as Tangerine did not feel like kicking the kicking bag, she had complete trust in Babs. Mustering up her confidence she built from the shouting earlier she walked up to the kicking bag, only to look at it in confusion. "How do I hit it?" Tangerine asked with uncertainty. "Just think of it as if it were an apple tree, like at de Apple Family Reunion when we first met!" Babs suggested. "Okay..." Tangerine nodded as she got in position. Facing away from the kicking bag, she reared up on her forelegs and kicked the bag. It shook slightly before standing still again. "That wasn't too bad..." Featherweight said. "Try again cuz, but a little harder this time." instructed the red-maned filly. Tangerine followed Babs' intructions and put more strength in her next kick, making the bag sway a bit more than last time. "Good, now kick it as hard as ya can!" Gathering up all of her strength, Tangerine kicked the bag with all of her might, knocking it all the way back. "All right! You got it-" Before Babs could finish what she was about to say, the bag swept back up, striking Tangerine and sending her flying into Babs and Featherweight. Fortunately, it was a soft landing since they all crashed on the blue mats in a heap. "Uh Babs? Can we call it off now?" Featherweight spoke from inside a rolled-up mat. "Uh, yeah. I think dat was good enough." Babs agreed, slowly getting up. "Maybe too good...we all got clocked right across the gym..." "I'm sorry..." Tangerine apologized. "Did I kick too hard?" "Er, I'm gonna go with 'yes' on this one. You kicked that bag way too hard." Featherweight replied, getting out of the mat. "Heh, you may be an Orange, but ya still got da strength of an Apple." Babs chuckled, making Tangerine blush at the compliment. "So what do we do now?" asked Featherweight, helping Tangerine up. "Let's try and see of we can find anymore students making trouble around school. At least things will be better than yesterday, right?" "I hope so..." Tangerine frowned a little. "I do not want to be chased by a crowd of foals again..." "What are we exactly going to be looking for anyway?" Featherweight asked Babs as they left the gym. "Have you thought of something?" "Yeah, we'll go easy dis time." she answered. "We'll look for something dat somepony is doing dat's clearly breaking da rules. If Tangerine calls dem out on dis, it should be a piece of cake." "Like what?" Looking around the playground flow a while, Babs smirked when she found what she was looking for. "Something like dat!" She pointed her hoof to a group of foals playing hoofball on the street. "We're not allowed to play outside da school! What those guys are doing ain't right!" "So all I have to do is tell them to get back inside the school?" Tangerine surmised. "Yeah, that sounds about right." Featherweight shrugged. "Go on, cuz! Show 'em what you're made of!" Babs cheered. Looking determined, Tangerine marched up to one of the players and spoke up. "Excuse me." She caught the colt's attention and he turned to face her. "Yeah?" "Why are you and your friends out here? Should you not be inside the school?" "All right Tangerine! She's doing great!" smiled Featherweight. "Yeah, I think she'll make it this time!" Babs smirked. "That's because the older colts wouldn't let us play in the field. They kept kicking us out just because they were having P.E.!" the colt explained. "Tell you what, if you can deal with them, then we can come back, all right?" Tangerine stayed silent, not knowing what to do and looked back to her friends for advice. They both shook their heads, meaning no. Tangerine knew that this was the time for her to be tough, but did not know how. Still, she had to at least try. "I am sorry, but rules are rules." Tangerine firmly spoke. "You and your friends have to come back right now." "Oh come on! Just talk some sense into the colts on the field for us! Please?" he begged. "But I-" "HEY, WATCH OUT!!!" Before she knew it, a ball hit Tangerine on the face, knocking her down. "TANGERINE!" Babs and Featherweight cried in shock, running up to her. "Oh horseapples! We accidentally hit a filly, guys!" one of the other colts cried in panic. "Hey, are you all right?" they asked in concern to the filly on the ground. "Don't you touch her!!" Babs snapped to the colts, scaring them a bit. "H-Hey, calm down. It was an accident. We didn't mean to hit her..." one of the colts tried to explain to her. "Yeah, well if you guys just played somewhere inside da school, then maybe dis wouldn't have happened, huh!?" The colt that had been talking to Tangerine looked down in shame. "I guess you got a point there..." "See!? Now get outta here or I'll tell the teachers on you!" Babs threatened the colts, who all ran away back to school. Having dealt with them, she checked up on her cousin. "Hey, Tangerine. Are you all right?" Poor Tangerine was crying due to the ball that hit her on the face. "It really hurts..." "It'll be okay. We'll get you to the nurse's office." Featherweight comforted her, leading his friend back inside with Babs' help. The three foals immediately went to the nurse's office to take care of Tangerine's small injury. The nurse's office had two beds for ill or hurt students, one of which Tangerine was sitting on right now, a cabinet full of medicine, a sink for the nurse to wash her hooves, a refrigerator, some medical instruments on the sink and a stool for the nurse. Nurse Carewell, the school's unicorn nurse with a red coat, blue mane and a pink cross for a cutie mark, treated Tangerine's wound with some disinfectant and a band-aid. "All right, this should do it." said the nurse. "Now try to be more careful you three. I'd not want to see any of you hurt again." "Yes, Nurse Carewell." Featherweight replied. "Thank you for taking care of Tangerine." "Think nothing of it, dear. I'm just glad that she'll be all right. Off you go now." The three foals left the nurse's office with Tangerine now having a band-aid on her forehead. "Hey cuz, are you feeling okay?" Babs asked in concern. "It still hurts a little, but I am better now." Tangerine responded, rubbing her head a little. "Dat's good to know! First, I'll let ya rest for a while, then we can try again next time to catch any rule-breaking foals around the school." Tangerine bit her lip, and spoke the next words sadly. "Babs...I am afraid that there will not be a next time. I do not want to do this anymore." Babs and Featherweight looked at the green-maned filly in stunned silence, surprised that their friend was giving up. "You want to call it quits?" Featherweight slowly said. "But why? You were doing good at some points today." Tangerine lowered her eyes, unable to look at any of them in the eyes. "Yes, but I am always terrible at speaking to other foals for them to stop. Even when the colts playing outside were in the wrong, I could not get any of them to listen to me. Babs was the one who drove them away in the end." "Aw, but dat wasn't your fault! You still can..." "Babs, I truly appreciate you working so hard for my sake, but I can not do this anymore. I am sorry, but I am not meant to be a hall monitor. I hope you understand..." Although Babs looked sad at Tangerine's proclamation, she gave an assuring pat on her cousin's shoulder. "Hey, it's fine. It ain't up to me if ya want to be hall monitor or not..." "Well, at least we can say that we tried, right...?" Featherweight said, trying to bring an upside to this. "I am sorry for putting you two through all of this, but I can not take this anymore..." Tangerine sniffled, fiddling with her sash. "I will have to give this sash back to one of the teachers so they can choose a new hall monitor..." And with that, Tangerine slowly walked away from her cousin and friend, their attempt to turn her into a full-fledged hall monitor failed. "Shoot...and I worked so hard..." Babs sighed. "Did I force her into all this? I didn't want to force her into anything she didn't wanna do, I was jus' trying to help her..." "I'm sure she knew that, Babs." Featherweight comforted her. "It's not your fault." "I-I guess..." Tangerine walked down the hallway with her head down and her ears flat against her head. Who was she kidding, trying to become a hall monitor? This wasn't meant for her. She could never be assertive or aggressive if she needed to. All she'd do is fail again and again in her duties. And that was not the kind of hall monitor this school needed. It should be somepony who was reliable and strong. Perhaps Babs if she lucky enough to be chosen. She didn't feel worthy to wear the yellow sash. In another corner of the hallway, Tangerine heard crying and laughing. Wondering what it was, she took a peek from her corner and she gasped at what she saw. A tearful Gloria was trying to get her make-up kit back from an older pegasus filly who was flying in the air laughing at the pink unicorn. "Stop that! Give me my make-up kit back!" Gloria cried as she jumped to try and get her belonging back. "Come on, use your magic! Aren't you a unicorn?" the pegasus filly taunted her. "I can't! I'm not that good at magic yet!" "Well then it's time for you to learn! Come and get it!" And beside the two fillies was a bigger, older colt holding Cutup in a headlock playfully hitting him again and again. However, it was clear from Cutup's expression that he was not enjoying this. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" laughed the bigger colt. "My bad! Oh, did that hurt?" "Yes it hurt, so knock it off!" Cutup snapped. "This is the only head I have!" "Knock it off? Okay, since you said so!" "Ow! That's not what I meant, you jerk!" The two bullies kept laughing at their victims, having fun at picking on them. And it didn't look like they were going to stop anytime soon... "YOU TWO STOP THAT AT ONCE!!!" Everyone turned to see a green-maned filly wearing a yellow sash, fierce determination sketched on her face. "Well lookee here. This little filly wants to play hero." the colt laughed. "Come and try to stop us if you can." The older filly however, widened her eyes when she recognized the sash that Tangerine was wearing. "You idiot, don't you know who that is!? That's the hall monitor!" All of the colt's smugness vanished at the mere mention of that title. "Hall monitor!? Horseapples..." Tangerine marched right up to the two older foals, making them back up a bit. "What were you two doing to that poor filly and colt!?" "We were just...playing with them." the filly laughed nervously. "Yeah, all in good fun, honest." th colt quickly agreed. "Is that so?" Tangerine narrowed her eyes. "Because it seems to me that they were not having fun!" the older foals winced at her sudden rise in volume. "Tell me what truly happened!" "She stole my make-up kit and she wouldn't give it back!" Gloria spoke up from behind. "And this jerk just kept pounding me just because he likes it!" Cutup added. "Picking on younger foals!? You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Tangerine scolded the older filly and colt. "Apologize to those two right this instant!" "What!? You mean now?" the colt exclaimed. "Yes, now!" After making the two bullies apologize to Gloria and Cutup, Tangerine glared at them once again. "Remember, if I see you two picking on anypony else again, there will be consequences, am I clear!?" "Y-Yes m'am!" "For your sakes, that should better be true! Now get going!" The bullies didn't need to be told twice, running away as fast as they could. With the two bullies now dealt with, Tangerine turned her attention to Gloria and Cutup. "Are you two all right?" Gloria nodded, happy to have her make-up kit back. "Yes, I think we are, but..." Tangerine tilted her head. "But what?" "It's just that, I never expected you to be so assertive like that." "I was...being assertive?" Tangerine asked in surprise. "Heck yeah! You were like a superhero fighting the bad guys to save the victims!" Cutup said in excitement before muttering to himself. "Although honestly, I'd rather be the hero than the victim...if Specs hears about this, he's never going to let me live it down..." "Hey, Tangerine...?" Tangerine turned to see Babs and Featherweight staring at her in silent surprise. "We...we saw you standing up to the two bullies earlier." Featherweight slowly spoke. "Oh. You did?" Tangerine asked sheepishly. Babs slowly nodded. "Yup. And it...was...AWESOME!!!" Both of her friends ran up to her and hugged her together. "See, Tangerine!? You can be a great hall monitor!" Babs laughed in delight. "Yeah, you just needed a push in the right direction!" Featherweight agreed. Tangerine was absolutely speechless. "I can...? I did...?" Looking back, when she saw Gloria and Cutup being picked on by the two bullies, a side she believed that she never had before rose up. A side that was ready to pounce at any given moment. Was this the assertive side that Tangerine had been trying to gather through all the training she had gone through? Realizing this, Tangerine smiled, now having complete confidence in herself that she can be a great hall monitor. And she has two ponies to thank for that. "Babs, thank you for helping me and never giving up on me!" Tangerine hugged her cousin before doing so Featherweight. "And Featherweight, thank you for always standing by our side no matter what! Both of you, thank you so much!" "Think nothing of it! I'm jus' glad to help family!" Babs grinned. "Come on, Tangerine!" Featherweight exclaimed excitedly. "It's time show this school what it's new hall monitor can really do!" With a new air of confidence surrounding her, Tangerine was doing a stellar job as a hall monitor. While patrolling around the playground, she noticed a colt mindlessly throwing away some crumpled up paper on the ground. Knowing what to do, Tangerine instantly walked up to the colt and said "Excuse me, but you are not supposed to throw garbage on the ground. It should be tossed inside a trash can!" "Ok, sorry about that." the colt complied and went back to pick up his discarded junk and threw it inside a trash can. "Good work. Carry on." Tangerine said in satisfaction, letting him go. Babs and Featherweight, who were watching from afar, cheered for her success. "All right, Tangerine!" Featherweight applauded. "You're doing great!" her cousin cheered loudly. Next, while having her lunch made by her mother at a table with her friends, she noticed somepony cutting in line for lunch at the cafeteria. "Dat's your cue, cuz!" smirked Babs. "Go get 'em!" Featherweight smirked as well. Nodding, Tangerine walked right to the line-cutter with no hesitation. "Pardon me, but I believe that I saw you cutting in front of the other ponies. Is this true?" "Yeah, but my friend was saving my spot, so it's all good, right?" said the line-cutter. Tangerine shook her head. "I am sorry, but no. It is not 'all good'. You should go to the back of the line or I will have to demerit you." "But my friend was saving my spot!" the colt insisted. "I am sorry, but I do not make the rules. Go to the back of the line like everypony else." "Oh all right..." And with that said, colt reluctantly went to the back of the line. Featherweight and Babs pumped their forehooves in the air in celebration. It has been a few days after Tangerine became confident in her new duty as a hall monitor, and she was doing a great performance in her job at the hallways, always asking for ponies to show the their hall passes, giving demerits to students when she had to and breaking up fights that occasionally happened. It truly seemed like she was the best hall monitor the school had. And today, she was eager to prove herself even more. She stood in the middle of the hallway to face the onslaught of the stampeding students like she did last time. But this time, she was ready. "So cuz, are you ready for dis?" Babs asked from the corner along with Featherweight to avoid the student here that will rampage out soon. "Yes, I am prepared!" Tangerine nodded eagerly. "Okay, they're about to come. Get ready..." Featherweight warned her. Few seconds later, the cheering students came running down the hallway right towards Tangerine. This time, she stood her ground, not letting herself be intimidated by the fearsome sight for a foal. "HALT!!!" All of the running students almost immediately stopped at the loud command from the filly wearing the yellow sash. "Please leave the school slowly and quietly." All of the students obeyed, now walking outside of the school to their waiting parents. Featherweight and Babs bumped their forehooves together before joining up with Tangerine. "I gotta say Tangerine, you've come such a long way! I'm impressed!" Featherweight commented. "Yeah, I bet dat you're putting every hall monitor dis school ever had to shame!" Babs grinned. "Dere's no doubt about it! You're da best hall monitor ever!" "The best hall monitor?" Tangerine looked to the side. "Do you truly think so?" "I know so! You're da best of da best!" "That might be exaggerating it a bit, but you really are a great hall monitor, that I can guarantee!" Featherweight smiled. Tangerine smiled from all the praise she was receiving. Looks like being a hall monitor wasn't so bad after all... After coming home with her parents, they let their 'little trooper', as they called her once they found out how she was admirably performing as a hall monitor, up in her room so she could focus on her homework. While she was concentrating, pencil in her mouth, she couldn't help but think back to all the praise she had gotten when she became competent in her work. 'Everypony respected me...they all answered my orders without a second thought...' She had to admit, it felt good to have a level of authority over others. She could tell the ponies if what they were doing was either right or wrong, and they would listen. It felt good to have ponies pay attention to you. 'But...there was a time when they were not listening to me...' Indeed, she remembered the time she had with the students before she stood up to the two bullies. They treated her like as if she was just another student, as if she wasn't such a big deal. Those were not pleasant memories to think of again. 'What if...what if they do that...again?' Tangerine did not like the sound of that. Not at all. Even then, there were still some students who questioned her before they reluctantly followed her orders. Everything she had worked so hard for, only for it to fall all the way down again? Only to have the students disrespect her once more? To treat her...as just another student? 'No! I will not let that happen!' Pushing her homework aside, Tangerine tore up another sheet of paper and began scribbling into it. Few minutes later, she was done and looked at the title she has written for this paper. 'New Rules for School' Tangerine giggled sinisterly at her new set of rules meant to change the school. "With this, nopony will dare to question me again..."