Heirs

Princess Celestia’s face was full of worry.

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” Luna smiled and patted Steven on the head.

“He’ll be just fine, he just has to practice what I showed him, right Steven?” Steven looked up at Luna and smiled.

“Mm-hm.” They walked into the main hall where they ran into Cadence.

“There you three are, I was starting to get worried about you.” Cadence walked up to them and gave them hugs. Luna looked down at Steven.

“I suppose I know why you’re here, a dream, right?” Cadence nodded. “Well, everything’s fine now.” Cadence seemed relieved.

“Good.” Celestia stepped in.

“Cadence, would you mind taking Steven to the study? We’ll be right there.” Cadence nodded, knowing where they were going to.

“Yea, sure. C’mon Steven.” She walked toward the study with Steven trailing her, excited to play around with her while they waited.

As they walked toward toward the room Luna spoke to her sister.

“I’m honestly surprised, I thought Twilight would be here as well.” They reached the guards just as Princess Celestia responded.

“Yes, I suppose your right. Where is Twilight?” One of the guards heard them and spoke.

“Princess Twilight was with Princess Cadence. She actually arrived first. She stopped Princess Cadence from going ballistic when we wouldn’t let her in.” Celestia frowned.

“Hmm, I wonder where she went then.”

They arrived in front of Luna’s door. Luna hesitated to open the door.

“What is it Luna?”

“Shhh.” Luna motioned to the door. Celestia put her ear to the door and heard giggling. She closed her eyes and sighed. Slowly they opened the door. There sat Twilight and Holo playing. Holo immediately stopped and sat down when she saw them.

“Oh, you're back.” Luna walked toward them.

“Well Twilight, since you’re here this is…” Luna didn't get to finish before getting cut off by Twilight.

“Holo, I know. What I can’t believe how well you treated her.” Luna tilted her head.

“How well I treated her…what are you talking about?” Twilight’s eyes widened before she let out a laugh.

“You don’t know who she is, do you.” Holo looked down.

“Twilight, it’s not important.” But Twilight insisted.

“No, Holo, it is. I’m sure that Princess Celestia would want to know as well.” Princess Celestia was beginning to look curious as well.

“Who is she?” Holo laid down and covered her face embarrassed. Twilight happily shared what she had learned.

“She is from the same place Steven is.” Luna cut in.

“Yes, we know that already.” Twilight put up her hoof.

“The part you don’t know is that she actually knew Steven, like knew knew him. She actually had a crush on him. But you,” Twilight pointed at Luna, "you took it into your own hooves to 'help' Steven." Luna got defensive.

“He had terrible nightmares, I saved him. There’s no way anypony could take that every night. I stand by what I did.” Celestia looked at her and sighed.

“I must agree with you. It would have only been a matter of time before his mind could take it anymore.” Twilight looked furious.

“How could you say that? He was taken from the life and friends he knew.” Princess Celestia stood between Twilight and Luna.

“Twilight, calm down. Right or wrong, there’s nothing we can do about it now. Steven is here to stay.” Holo peered up at them finally.

“Can I see Steven?” Luna looked at Holo with a sympathetic look.

“Of course, the only thing is…well, he doesn’t have any memory from before he arrived here.” Holo’s eyes watered up.

“You mean he won’t remember me?” Celestia tried to comfort the filly.

“He won’t, but maybe you will bring back some of his memories. If not then we'll keep trying, right sister?” Celestia looked at Luna but before she could respond Holo began to panic.

“Sister?” Holo looked around in shock. “My little sister is in the other world!” She started crying and Celestia tried to quiet her before the whole kingdom heard her.

“What about your parents? Won’t they take care of her?”

“M-my parents? They died in an accident...we all lived in an orphanage.” Both Luna and Celestia now looked sad as well.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Celestia looked at Luna. Luna rolled her eyes.

“Fine.” She went to her bed and curled up, delving into the sea of dreams.

Taiga sniffled as she walked home to the orphanage. She missed Steven, he was like her big brother, he made everything okay. When they had ended up in the orphanage she hadn't stopped crying. But then they met Steven and she couldn’t have been happier. Holo was so happy around him and so was she. Given that Holo was so shy, she had begun to doubt that she would ever fine someone she could be happy with, even though she herself was going to marry Steven when she was older. Taiga smirked as she thought that. When she went inside she hopped up to the room the older kids slept in. When she didn't see her older sister she pouted. She then noticed that Steven's bed was wrinkled and saw a book sticking out from under the pillow. Taiga climbed onto the bed and put the book into her backpack, Steven might want it when he came home. As she put her backpack back on she suddenly couldn't keep her eyes open and fell asleep on the bed.

“Steven!” Taiga ran and hugged Steven tightly.

“Shh, you’re okay now, Taiga.” Taiga looked up at him.

“Have you seen Holo? She isn't in the room.” Steven smiled.

“Don’t worry, Holo is fine.” She relaxed.

“Thank you Steven, you can fix anything.” Steven smiled.

“There’s just one thing Taiga.”

“What is it?”

“You need to wake up.”

“What?” Steven waved his arm around.

“None of this is real, it’s just a dream.” He kneeled down. “I’m just a dream.”

“A dream?” He nodded. She blinked as tears filled her eyes. “But…but I don’t want it to be a dream. I want to be with you Steven.” He looked at her compassionately.

“Then you need to wake up.” She sniffled, then grabbed his hand.

“Fine, but you’re coming with me. And you have to marry me.”

“Taiga…Taiga.”

“Hmph.” Slowly Taiga opened her eyes.

“Taiga it’s me, Holo.” Taiga launched out of the bed at Holo and hugged her.

“Oh, I thought you and Steven ran away or something. Then I thought to myself ‘Steven can’t leave, he has to marry me’.” Luna shifted uncomfortably. She looked around. “Where are we, what are we?” Twilight gave a brief explanation. Taiga looked at Holo. “Hey, I’m almost the same size as you now.” Princess Celestia nodded.

“In Alicorn years you two are very close.” Taiga and Holo looked at her confused. She sighed. “Alicorns age slower than others. You two are still the same ages, but the difference in your Alicorn bodies is very small.” Taiga’s eyes lit up.

“Holo and Steven are the same age. That means that Steven and I will be almost the same size. Now I can marry him even sooner.” Luna shifted again, but it was Holo who spoke up.

“Taiga, I don’t think Steven feels that way about you.” Luna knelt down to Taiga’s level.

“Taiga…Steven doesn’t remember you, or Holo.” Taiga didn’t understand.

“Why wouldn’t he remember me?” Luna didn't know how to explain.

“It’s…complicated.” Just then they heard a commotion in the hall and Cadence yelling.

“Steven, wait!” There was a flash of blue light as Steven teleported into the room. Immediately after that Cadence opened the door, out of breath.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep him out.” Taiga ran up to Steven and hugged him.

“Steven!” Luna gave a command almost like it was practiced.

“Steven, horn up!” Steven tilted his head in the air to keep their horns from touching. Taiga didn't care and kept holding onto him.

“I missed you Steven.” Holo finally couldn’t hold out and hugged him as well. Steven looked around the room confused. All eyes were on them, except Luna’s. She was the only one not smiling. Taiga and Holo fell over when Steven teleported in front of Luna.

“What’s going on Luna?” Luna just left the room, feeling uncomfortable. Steven started to go after her, but Princess Celestia stopped him.

“Let me talk with her.” She looked at Twilight and Cadence. “Can you keep them separated until we straighten things out?”

“Of course.” Princess Celestia smiled at everypony before leaving after Luna.