The two froze as the strange woman continued to stare at the bush.
“Please, do not be shy. There’s nothing to fear, I am your ally.”
“Mac, are we going to trust it?” Lyra hissed.
“Sounds like Zecora.”
“If you come out and we are acquainted, all your questions will be sated.” Zuri sighed, “Please, it will be better for both of us, this is, after all a matter of trust.”
Mac shifted his position, moving forward.
“…Mac, you can’t be serious.” Lyra stared at him.
“It’s worth a shot, she know what we are anyway.” He shrugged as he left the bush.
“If this gets us killed…” the mare stood up anyway and followed her husband.
The three paused, as Zuri looked over the two.
“An Apple Cutie mark and unicorn mare? Surely not another Apple Affair.” She sighed, “You are married, is that fair?”
“…”
“Macintosh and Lyra, it is best if you answer my query. Silence from your half is getting quite weary.” She smiled at the alarmed faces on both of the ponies.
“Once we are in my hut this conversation may continue…but please, wash yourselves off, will you? Mud is not welcome in my venue.”
Zuri walked off and returned with a bucket. She motioned for the two ponies to come closer, away from the dirt and onto the rock pathway. As they did so, Zuri poured water onto the two of them.
“Sweet Celestia, that’s freezing!” Lyra yelped.
“Deep waters spring. I do not complain, it’s a free thing.” Zuri shrugged, “Once you are dried, please come inside. Are you nourished?”
“No,” Mac grumbled, “haven’t eaten well since we got here.”
“I have edibles from the forest.”
Zuri picked a towel and began to scrub Lyra off.
“How do you know what we are?” Big Macintosh asked as he watched.
“David is not the only one to watch the multiverse. Did you not think others traverse? I have watched your struggle with all twenty, and James Smith with his children aplenty.”
“…wait, what?” Lyra stared up at her.
“…She’s sayin’ it happened here too, didn’t it?” Big Macintosh frowned.
“This universe is a direct analogue, should it not be surprising that we keep it catalogued?”
“…Are you telling me that there’s…there’s a weird looking, ape that’s suppose to be me?” Lyra looked up at Zuri, horrified.
“Lyra Mandolini was her name. And she is exactly as you are, this I claim.” Zuri motioned at Big Macintosh, “She is clean all over, body and mane, now it is your turn to do the same.”
“This is far too disturbing.” Lyra muttered to herself as she trotted off, “This is a horrible dream, right? Lost in some place filled with apes.”
Big Macintosh sat as Zuri poured a bucket of water onto the stallion.
“I oughta apologize ‘bout Lyra.”
“Words of concern are kind to hear, but you must admit there is some fear.” Zuri poured more water onto Mac’s head, “Lost in a strange place and daughter amiss, surely there is reason to be pissed.”
“Ain’t no reason to be rude,” He paused, “I mean here you are, bein’ kind enough t’ take care of two strangers inna strange place.”
“The Smiths and I are much like family. Sarah asked me to be a godmother and I said happily. I assume that it is the same for you, else that is a tragedy.”
“Eeyup. Applebloom’s askin’ Zecora t’… How do you know Zecora?”
“I watch the multiverse as part of work. I have spoken with my counterparts, and some are jerks. But while your Zecora is kind, her job she does shirk.”
“..Are you sayin’ you all watch the multiverse?” Lyra asked.
“Of a sort. We all work together, me and my cohorts.”
“So you knew when we ended up here, didn’t you?” Lyra continued on.
“Indeed. Your arrival was quite pronounce, but as for action I could take, I could not give an ounce.
The Everfree is treacherous as you should know, and with Sarah Blossom’s presence I could not go.
So be fierce in temper and angry at me, but I do know what has become of your daughter, Rhapsody.”
Lyra perked up, as Mac turned to face her.
“You know where she is?”
“Two arrived off course. The last is in some place as a…Gift Horse. She has fallen into the hands of an energetic youth, that it may not be wise to tell you the truth.”
“Who is she with?” Lyra demanded.
“Herself.” Zuri paused, “It is difficult to rhyme with self. This one is a cop-out, such a cheap route. She is with her counterpart, which makes this convenient, but getting her back may be not as lenient.”
“…A naked ape version of Rhapsody.” Lyra paused, “…That’s terrifying.”
“Is it terrifying because it’s an ape version of Rhapsody, or is it because it means there’s two of her in one place?” Mac asked.
“Both.”
---
Everyone in the clubhouse watched as Rhapsody took another bite from her apple.
“How much did she eat?” Rachael asked the others
“All my carrots.” Sylvia held up the empty baggie, “Mom gave me half of one.”
“She eats a lot, doesn’t she?” Liliana watched as Rhapsody took another bite.
“She’s little. An’ she didn’t eat all the food we put out for her last night.” Rachael paused as Rhapsody swallowed the apple core, “Can ponies eat apple seeds?”
“Probably.” Brad put his apple core on the ground for Rhapsody to eat.
“Why shouldn’t they be able to?” Hawk peeked over the top of his comic book.
“ ‘Cause they have arsenic.”
“They have what?” Hawk sat up, putting his comic down.
“Arsenic,’ Rachael paused, “Pa said it’s poisonous to eat.”
“Really? Mom puts whole apples in her breakfast smoothies,” Hawk blinked as realization sunk in, “That might be why she stopped doing it.”
“It’s cyanide, not arsenic,” Sylvia countered, “And the amounts found in apples are not in significant amounts to cause illness.”
“…How come she knows this stuff, if you’re the one with the apple farm?” Hawk looked at Rachael.
“ ‘Cause she’s smarter than me.” Rachael shrugged as Rhapsody bit into another apple core.
---
Big Macintosh sat outside of Zuri’s hut staring at the night sky. The stallion sighed as the door creaked open. Zuri stepped out of her hut, clad in a coarse pair of pajamas.
“Ah, that is where you have run off to. May I stay and join you?” Zuri asked.
“Ain’t gonna say no.”
Zuri picked up a stool and set it down next him.
“Your wife is poor at hiding her unease, but I cannot blame her, nor can I please.”
“She has a thing ‘bout humans.” Big Macintosh shrugged, “Back home, they’re fairy tales. Things we tell th’ kids to make’m laugh, or eat the vegetable they don’t like. She hated that.”
“Ah, so her fears have been made into flesh and bone, that sort of thing is reason to groan.” Zuri nodded, “But have I not made it clear? You both have nothing to fear, it is safe with me out here.”
“Don’t mean much,” Big Macintosh shrugged, “She’s set in her ways an’ thinkin’.”
“I wish to change the subject, my counterpart is still in Equestria, is that correct?”
“Eyup. Apple Bloom just had her daughter and she got Zecora to be her godmother,” Big Macintosh chuckled, “Cute little pegasus, named her Zap Apple.”
“Ah, so things are exactly as I had guessed. Sarah Blossom has also made that request. While her daughter has not yet arrive, it seemed prudent to ask you and analyze.”
“…You said somethin’ ‘bout a fella named David?”
“David Baker sells clocks and does monitor, I believe his counterpart is named Time Turner?”
“So he’s married th’ the School teacher?”
“Miss Cheryl Lee and David are quite happy, with their daughter it all seems rather sappy. Sylvia has friends and they’re always together, your daughter and her are birds of a feather.”
“My daughter?” Big Maicntosh’s eyebrows perked up as he looked at Zuri.
“Young, energetic, willing and able, you and Lyra named her Rachael.”
“And you think that’s where my daughter is?”
“Of course, I saw it and my vision is not phony, because why wouldn’t every little girl want their own pony?” with that, Zuri got to her feet and yawned “Come it is late, and I struggle to stay awake, we shall continue your quest once the new day breaks.”
Zuri opened the door to her hut, allowing Big Macintosh to enter.
---
“I can’t believe you’re letting it sleep in her bed,” Lyra grumbled.
“Let her do it,” James chided his wife, “If Ember wets her bed, it’s a lesson learned.”
James opened the door to his daughter’s room and found the two laying down on Rachael’s bed. Rhapsody hogged the side of the bed against the wall, forcing Rachael onto the edge. The farmer walked into the room and gave his daughter a peck on the forehead.
“Remember what I said.”
“I know Pa.”
“G’night Rachael. G’night Ember.” James flicked off the light switch, leaving the bed lamp as the only source of light, “No readin’ comics in bed, you’re gonna strain yer eyes.”
“Fine…” the door closed as Rachael reached out and flicked her lamp off.
“G’night Ember.”
“Good night.” Rhapsody sleepily muttered back. The room fell eerily silence as the two occupants processed what had happened.
Rhapsody’s eyes snapped open in shock, as the lamp switched back on. The terrified filly looked up into the awestruck face of Rachael.
“You can talk?”