The party went on far into the night and into early morning before the ponies began to walk home. Most of the Tau went back when Applejack did, since they were staying there. Leaving just Var, Aloh and Sven with Twilight. Her dragon pet-brother Spike had gone to bed early into the party from what the warriors had seen, but Spike was young and going to bed so early could mean anything.
Var right now was leaning against the wall watching Twilight, she had decided to study some book about aliens or something instead of going to sleep, Aloh and Sven had as soon as the last pony left and were snoring loudly down in the basement. The velvet pony suddenly looked to Var, who flinched slightly. Instantly putting a hand on a grenade. He let go when Twilight looked up at Var's face in fear.

"Why do you hate Valar so much?" Twilight asked. Var wasn't expecting that question, anything but that question really.

"I told he." He replied with a grunt. "He is corrupt and would happily turn this planet against The Greater Good. Like he would any planet he is in command of the diplomacy of." Var added. Twilight's horn began to glow in the dim light and she looked at Var with concern.

"That's not it is it?" She asked. Var grunted again and folded his arms, looking at Twilight then the stairs. Eventually however, Var nodded and huffed.

“This happened years ago, just as I earned my commander rank and becoming a Shas’O. I was honoured to finally reach that rank after so many long years of training and fighting. We happened to be taking a small colony, not a planet. The force we had couldn’t handle a fight on that scale, we were regaining our numbers from a long battle with the Necrons, a mechanical race with no moral or mercy, and had been forced to retreat from the field. But we received an order dispatch from another Tau commander, asking us to take this planet, well, more of a moon. Anyway, we found ourselves over this moon base, three Tau ships orbiting. We seemed like we were there to destroy the moon. We had the fire power. But to stop the moon’s population from panicking, as well as set up a Tau base this far out in the galaxy, we planned to send down a diplomat. Valar. He had been a bit, strange from the moment he joined my force but never had he done something this drastic. My old sergeant doubted him and so was I, but went down he did. Followed by myself, my sergeant and four other fire warrior shas’els. Valar quickly made very private, very long talks with the planets own ambassador, not allowing any other Tau into the meeting room, but humans went in and out as much as they pleased. Now, members of the Fire Caste, warriors, aren’t exactly known for their shining diplomatic skills, so for a few days found nothing wrong with that. But Valar dragged on negotiations for over three months before we stepped in. Baring in mind we only had food enough for two of those months we were running low, on the ground and in space. As well as the fact, the longer we were outside of friendly territory, the higher the chances were that we were attacked. Which everyone knew, including, Valar. So eventually, after these three months we got a call from our capital ship. Saying it had detected a superior class of Imperial ship coming in through the warp. We planned and evacuation because honestly, we would have trouble defeating it. Even three on one. If it was only one that was. The day, no, night it was. The night this happened us fire warriors stormed into the room Valar was holding a meeting and he began cursing us when we told him we had to leave, the humans. Of course, went to Valar’s aid when we dragged him out kicking and screaming. The standoff that happened next was bloody and long. For six days five fire warriors held off an entire moon’s worth of population. We, we lost a few. One being my sergeant. Shot whilst he rested by a sniper. I had my theories that it was an execution ordered by Valar, but could never prove it. Thankfully, the Tau above sent the Imperial ship fleeing, so sent ships to pick us up. Things hadn’t fared well up in space either, one ship being utterly destroyed along with most of its crew. And another being so crippled it had to stay behind. The only thing that stopped me from killing Valar on the spot was Aloh and Sven. Sven was just a mere recruit back then, and Aloh only a Shas’vre. They were grunts. But both of them stopped me, telling me he wasn’t worth it.
Of course, I reported Valar’s traitorous actions to the nearby Ethereals but forgot one thing, Valar knew most of them and they knew him. Well, so of course any charges against him were dropped and the moon base destroyed. It was a bloody few months and that scum got away with it completely. I have never found reason to openly attack him since, but I will never forgive his actions back then, and if I ever find him to be a threat against my team again I will destroy him. Yes, I am a commander so should guard my entire force the same, but these eleven with me? They are like family. I will protect them, if even one of them dies I will take revenge.”

After the story, Twilight just sat there. Staring at the commander with shock and, awe? She didn't say anything for a good ten minutes, but when she did. It was exactly what he expected.

"Why wasn't he sent to prison or something? He clearly betrayed your race and was behind your sergeants death." She said, she sounded unsure of her wording but stuck to it.

"I tried to get him executed, but the Ethereals of T'ros are soft, no experience from war. Or Valar. They believed I didn't have any evidence of his betrayal, so they pardoned any crimes he was being accused of and put me on ground duty for sixteen months. By that time, he had been moved around to so many planets and we lost so much land because of it. The Ethereals believed he should be put with me, so I could control him. They knew he was a traitor. But did nothing." Var punched his leg at that last word and glared at Twilight. "As much as I hate him, he is still Tau, a traitor, but a Tau. And any spilled Tau blood is a scar to any of us."

"Indeed, it is the same with us ponies. There hasn't been a war or execution since after the Nightmare Moon issue just under a thousand years ago. Times were supposedly darker then. But Celestia kept the peace." Twilight replied. Var nodded.

"Your Aun is a thousand years old?" Var asked. Twilight nodded.

"Over. She and her sister, Luna. Became the rulers of Equestria after an entity called Discord was defeated, and they held a lot of power of the three tribes before then to. Being Alicorns."

"Alicorns?" Var asked, blinking a few times.

"Yeah, a pony with both wings and a horn." Twilight explained.

"I see, so what does that make you, a Horicorn?" Var asked, that made Twilight laugh for some reason, which in turn made Var smile slightly.

"No silly, I'm a unicorn." Twilight said, Var 'ahh'd' and lent up off the wall.

"So what about the winged ponies. Or those without anything special?" Var asked. Twilight's horn emitted light again and an image of Twilight and two other ponies who looked like Twilight appeared on the wall next to Var, he turned to look. One had a horn, illuminated by a white glow, another had wings, again illuminated by a glow, and the other had nothing, but the four legs were glowing.

"This, is a unicorn. Like me. We can use our horns to channel magic and conjure spells, like this one. We are the only race of ponies that can cast spells, to an extent. Besides the Alicorns though, and only the princesses are Alicorns." Twilight said, next she pointed a hoof to the winged pony. "This is a Pegasus, they have the ability of flight, weather manipulation and cloud walking." She said, pointing the same hoof at the last illusion on the wall. "And this, is an Earth Pony. They are usually farmers or basic builders. They have strong strength and are much faster on the ground than a unicorn or Pegasus pony is. But can't cast any sort of spell or fly. Unless a unicorn casts some sort of manipulation spell on them, giving them false wings or a horn."

"So how do you become a certain caste? And why are there only two Alicorns?" Var asked.

"By caste I presume you mean pony type?" Twilight asked, Var shrugged. "In any case, one doesn't choose to be a unicorn, Pegasus or Earth pony. You are born like it. Earth ponies are more common, but it depends on the parents genres really." Twilight explained. "And there aren't two Princesses, there are three. Princess of the Sun, the Moon and of Love." Var snorted at that. "What's wrong with being Princess of Love?" She asked. Var smiled.

"No I meant Princess of the Sun, what kind of role would that be?" Var asked, using some thing Sven used quite a lot, sarcasm or something like that. Twilight either ignored it or missed it.

"Well, Celestia raises the sun every morning. Not much to it really. She is also the co-ruler of Equestria, but in the context of your question, that's what she does. Whilst Luna raises the moon every evening and sets out the stars." She said, proudly.

"You know stars are just other suns right? If your Aun can really control your sun, she should be able to control the other stars too. Unless this 'Luna' is the stronger Alicorn, being able to control objects of that mass, en masse, must take a lot of your magic." Twilight actually flinched at that. Maybe she looked up to the other Aun? "Also, your Aun's have very convenient names. Celesita for the sun, and Luna for the moon. Not overly original." Another flinch. Followed by a long silence. Var could just make out Twilight count to ten.

"What do you mean, the stars are just other stars?" She asked finally.

"Well, your sun is a star. One of infinite amount. All suns are stars, but not all stars are suns. Some are much bigger and much hotter, or smaller than suns." Var explained. Twilight nodded.

"So your theory is that because the stars are suns, or more. And Luna can control things so far away in perfect control, she is stronger than Celestia?" Twilight asked.

"That's not my theory, if this Luna can really control the stars, then she is stronger than this other Aun. Hands, or hooves, down." Var replied, another pause. "Is there an issue with that?" He asked. Twilight looked up, before running to her bed after saying. "Ihavetogo."
Var just sat in silence, before heading to bed himself, tomorrow would be a grim day. Followed by some dragon ass kicking.
Is that the right phrase? 'Dragon ass kicking'? It sounded right. Var thought before going to sleep.

Author's Note

All hail the (W)Horicorn! The Princess of Clop has arisen!
Also, in this chapter Var strikes a nerve in Twilight's religious belief of Celestia, coming up. A funeral, a drone repair montage and then finally, the dragon.
New chapters to be planned after that, this appears to be heading toward the 20 chapters mark. Give or take a few.

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