//------------------------------//
// A Rock and a Sharp Place - Part 6 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

"Starlight Glimmer," Twilight introduced the unicorn to the newly arrived stallion, pointing a hoof towards her. "My main assistant in the study of scales. And just about everything else I study. How was the trip there?" she asked, turning back towards Starlight. 
"Dry," answered the mare. "Nothing but sand and wind, like the last time. But at least the portal wasn't under a dune this time around. I think we should prioritise exploring other scales." She stepped forward as she spoke, and perked up as she noticed Stone Brick and Soarin'. "Oh, I see we've got someone new."
Twilight nodded. "Starlight, this is..." She pursed her lips, bringing a hoof to her chin. "Huh. What is your name, actually? I forgot to ask."
"Stone Brick," Stone Brick replied.
"Starlight, this is Stone Brick," Twilight said, pointing at him. "He's got a new scale with him, I assume that's why he's here. That is why you're here, right?"
A little uncertain at first, Stone nodded.
"Well, I'm going," Soarin' said, turning to leave and waving with a wing. "Call me if you need help with anything."
"Meeting up with Silver?" Starlight asked, smirking.
Soarin' didn't answer, but the way his hind legs tensed up for a moment was all the confirmation Starlight needed. He left the room and closed the door, while she turned around and picked up the scale still floating above the platform.
Twilight focused her attention on Stone. "So. Want to know where your scale leads?"
The pony swallowed, and set down his saddlebags, slowly digging through them to reach the bottom. "I was hoping for answers, when I came here," he said, as he grabbed the scale.
"Start asking questions then." Twilight noticed the stallion's tension, and she moved a little closer, her tone a little quieter. She gave a brief look around, making sure everyone else in the laboratory was preoccupied with something else.
"What is this?" Stone pulled out the scale and showed it to Twilight.
The alicorn smiled. "That is something I really wish I knew. But there are a few things about it I can tell you. I'm sure you know it's called a scale. We have no confirmation on it, but we suspect it might be a part of the Behemoth itself. We know about the way they bond with creatures." She looked back. "And you saw what they can be used for."
"So it's a portal?"
Twilight grimaced, biting the corner of her lower lip. "It's closer to a key. A way to open a gate between worlds, if you know how to turn it right. But that's reductive. There's more to scales than this. Unfortunately, they are a tricky thing to work with, and this is the one use we've found so far that we can safely study." As she spoke, she slowly turned back towards Stone Brick. "Every scale opens a way to a different world. Do you want to know where yours leads?"
Stone looked at the scale in his hoof, then back at Twilight. He took a slow breath in, then he nodded.