//------------------------------//
// ahw 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

"Ah, yes. I figured you'd get to them eventually." The Charioteer stood up again and seemingly stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Anything in particular you would like to know?" he asked.
"What are they?" Twilight asked, bluntly.
"Fragments of the Behemoth. Pieces of its body, as you've been able to put together. Naturally shed, not ripped. Not quite like how a snake loses its skin though. Closer to some creatures losing their teeth as they grow new ones, though that's not an exact parallel either," the Charioteer explained. "I know most of that is things you'd already figured out by yourself, though I suppose it must feel nice to hear them confirmed. Assuming you do consider me a trustworthy source of information, of course."
Twilight gave a half nod. "It is nice to hear I was right, yes. Other abominations, if that's what we're calling them, in other worlds, all share this common trait of seemingly shedding parts of themselves, as far as observed. Is this a constant?" she asked.
"It is," the stallion replied. "Not always in the same form, and I mean that in more than just the way the shapes variate across different creatures, but every equivalent to the Behemoth has its equivalent to scales. And on that note, they do all share the same properties and uses."
"You know an awful lot about other worlds for someone claiming you never really paid attention to them," Twilight noted.
"I may not be informed about the specifics," the Charioteer replied, "but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of the general points. Some things were established as common elements before every creature was sent its way."
Suddenly reflecting on something what she'd just heard had touched on, Twilight blinked, and asked, "Were they all sent together? Why is there such a seemingly wide time frame for their arrivals? Are some universes further apart than others, at different distances from where you came?"
The Charioteer snickered, and Twilight wasn't sure if he was actually mocking her or if he'd just thought of something really funny and completely unrelated. "A linear, equivalent flow of time with a common beginning across different universes is not an assumption you can afford to make, nor is portals derived from scales travelling perpendicular to its direction. Functionally they might as well, but you should consider that an oversimplification if you want to deal with the bigger picture," he explained. "As for your question, interdimensional travel between and across different realities is a complicated mess. One day you might get to see that for yourself."
"Does it not bother you to be used as a standing on-demand distributor of information?" Twilight suddenly asked, on a whim.
"I have sat here immobile for months. I have very low standards for what counts as an entertaining use of my time." The Charioteer chuckled to himself. "And I do love rambling. I won't waste my one chance at an audience who's actually willing to stand there and take it."
Twilight chewed on nothing for a moment. "Makes sense to me. Back to scales then, I suppose. I've still got a couple things to ask there."