Twilight pulled her, shook her, teleported her, but Starlight was just too strong. She was holding onto the castle walls too tightly, with both her magic and her hooves, and if Twilight used magic, Starlight just used the counterspell.

“Come on, Starlight!” Twilight grunted as she pulled one more time.

“Yeah, ugh, you should just, ugh, face your FEARS!” Spike shouted through clenched teeth.

Starlight felt the tears streaming down her cheek and yelled, “NO!” She continued to bail as Spike rolled his eyes. She wanted to wipe away her tears, bury her head in her hooves, but that would allow Twilight to get Starlight away from the castle and into the school.

Twilight finally let go. “I’m sorry, Starlight. You don’t have to be headmare just yet if you don’t want to.” Starlight’s face was covered, but Twilight saw a slight nod. “But, in the week that I’m in charge, I want you to follow me around and see how I run the school. That way, you’ll be better prepared.”

Starlight sighed. “You know, I wasn’t ready to be a leader again. But I guess a week to prepare is better than one day.”

“Then let’s get going!” ushered Spike. “We don’t want to be late!” Twilight nodded and teleported all three of them into the School of Friendship.

Starlight followed Twilight to her office, which would soon be hers. Starlight sat down and helped Twilight with some paperwork. “Starlight,” Twilight said, causing Starlight to look up. “When I leave, either you or Sunburst will be in charge of magic class. If it’s you, I suggest you get somepony else to help you with headmare duties,” Twilight explained.

“Shouldn’t you be teaching magic class right now?” Starlight asked.

Twilight chuckled. “I should, but sometimes I make arrangements with my friends and have my class merge with theirs. But you have a vice headmare, or should I say, headstallion, so it will be easier for you.”

Starlight thought about this for a moment. “Can I go see how your friends teach?” she asked.

“Sure,” Twilight agreed, now busy grading papers.

Starlight walked to Rainbow Dash’s classroom. They were playing a game that Starlight didn’t know of. “What are you playing?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash pointed to a ball. The ball that was about to hit Starlight! She ducked down in time to save herself, then the ball was caught into a bucket that was held by a unicorn. Rainbow Dash then looked at Starlight in surprise, but not as much surprise as she had when she first learned that Starlight didn’t know what a Wonderbolt was. “Buckball,” she answered.

Starlight nodded and watched how Rainbow taught her class. She went back and forth between classes and student counseling duties for the rest of the school day. One place she avoided, though, was Twilight’s office, the one that would soon become hers. And everyone noticed.

Twilight heard a scream coming from Starlight’s room, and she immediately flew out of bed to investigate. She thought about their conversation earlier.

“I know it was wrong to avoid the office… but…”

“You need to take charge, Starlight. I thought you’d conquered your fear of leading. I thought you were excited to run the school!”

“I was! Or at least I thought I was. I was until I wasn’t.”

“Starlight, I have a lot of important duties, and you need to help me by becoming headmare of the school.”

“But… but… It’s hard!”

“I know! It’s even harder, though, when you are the ruler of Equestria and the ruler of a school!”

“Yeah, sure, but you want me to take care of the school and the castle, while still managing everything else. How? You’re being too hard on me.”

“And if I went any softer, it would be too hard on me! I have to do just about as much as you do, plus a hundred other things! I’m stressed, Starlight. Not that you would care.”

“Ugh! You always twist things to make it sound like you’re right!” And with that, Starlight stormed out of the office.

Twilight opened Starlight’s door and saw her standing up, facing her window. Starlight turned, a nervous look on her face. “Are you okay, Starlight?” Twilight asked, now concerned for her friend.

Starlight quickly nodded. “Just a nightmare,” she explained.

“About leading the school?”

Starlight gaped for about a minute, and then broke out laughing. “Afraid? Of leading the school? Seriously?” she asked, her laughs calmer than they were earlier.

“Well if you are, you can talk to me about it,” Twilight offered, bewildered. Starlight already knew that Twilight knew that she was nervous of becoming the headmare. So why would she try to hide her feelings now?

Starlight shook her head and then laid down on her bed, signifying that she wanted to sleep. A confused Twilight walked out of the room, unsure about what had just happened.

Starlight sat inside Twilight’s office while Trixie took to her duties as student counselor. She tried walking away a few times, but Twilight kept dragging her back to her seat. Starlight eventually gave up and just teleported out of the room, much to Twilight’s dismay.

Spike came in a short while after Starlight left, then he turned his head back and forth. “Where’s Starlight?” he asked.

“How would I know? She just left. I honestly think she hates me now,” Twilight said with a tone of disappointment.

Spike flew up to Twilight’s chair and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I don’t think she hates you.”

“She might as well,” Twilight snapped, “because she seems to be avoiding me. Yelling at me and staying as far away from what I have planned for her as she can.” Spike’s eyes widened as Twilight continued. “She doesn’t seem to appreciate me, she doesn’t want to do anything with me, so why would I even think she likes me anymore? Why would she like me anymore?” she vented.

Spike sat down on her table and crossed his legs, content. “Why don’t you talk to her and find out?”

Author's Note

I hope you liked it; thanks for reading it! Sorry I have so many unfinished stories, but I just couldn't wait to write this one! After this I'm going to work on my other stories. Once I finish Unbreakable, Princess Twilight's Pupil, or both, I'll start working on this again.