Weatherponies were trained to work very closely with cartographers, and Rainbow Dash’s report on the surrounding terrain was thorough and detailed. Altitude levels, biome types, average rainfall and wind speed... everything they might need to make sense of the local weather system.

After an hour of sharing notes they were ready to set out. They left behind anything non-perishable or non-essential: the quilts would keep forever, and they wouldn’t need a large stockpile of food. Once they’d settled into a new base camp Rainbow Dash could go back to retrieve what they’d left behind. They left a bright-orange cloak tied to the tree to serve as a landmark.

They set out east for the verdant forest Dash had mentioned. The area around the shelter was more than just a bleak forest: it was right on the edge of a swamp. If they had explored any further west, they would have been slogging through mud and marsh water. Dash hadn’t bothered exploring the swamp, but she knew it was huge... it stretched on further than even her eagle-sharp eyes could see. As they traveled away from it, the trees began to look vibrant and healthy. It was some time before they realized things weren’t actually pleasant here. Just not as gloomy.

They walked at an excellent pace all day, with Dash flying above to scout out the best land route. They came across no more of the stick figures, nor the tracks of any unnaturally large animals, and spent the night camped under the sheltering crown of a giant oak.

By noon the next day they reached the edge of the forest at last, and emerged from the trees and stood on a small cliff-side with a grand view: a massive mountain range dominated the horizon running in a northwesterly line. Below them a green valley followed the foot of the range. It looked like a lush jungle moat along the base of a castle wall. Flocks of birds wheeled over the jungle, mere specks in the distance. The mountaintops were white and silver with snow and ice and the tallest peaks pierced the lowest clouds.

“That’s definitely the same mountain range we saw from the balloon,” Twilight said and peered at her notes with a frown. “But I don’t recognize any of the individual peaks. We must be further north or south than before.”

Applejack stared, slack jawed. “That’s where we’re headed? It could take years to map the whole thing!”

“Maybe,” Twilight said, “but we don’t have to. We just need to find the problem area. We’re looking for a major ecological change... something that can create rainstorms strong enough to wander all the way back to Ponyville.”

Dash landed next to them. “We’re definitely in the right place for that. I spent almost a week looking for you two, and the storms are thicker here than anywhere else.”

Applejack looked to each of her friends in turn. “What normally causes rainstorms?”

“Two things,” said Dash. “Either something is adding water vapor to the air or something is cooling the air off. We’re probably dealing with both at the same time. Those clouds up there? Cumulonimbus. They’re very tall, very dense, and they look just about ready to burst.”

Dash pointed down along the mountainside and into the jungle below. “The wind that rolls down from the mountain is probably freezing cold and the air over that jungle is probably sweltering hot. When cold and warm air shove against each other... bam! Instant rainstorm.”

Applejack tugged her rain cloak tighter. “So whatever’s causing this could be in the mountains or the jungle?”

Dash nodded. “Or both.”

“We have to narrow it down,” said Twilight. “These storms appeared out of nowhere so there must have been a severe environmental upheaval. Does anything look out of place? Anything at all?”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared at the scenery.

“It could be anything,” she said. “Perhaps some kind of natural disaster or catastrophe? An earthquake, or a landslide?”

Applejack tilted her head to one side. “...What about a volcano?”

Dash rolled her eyes. “I think if something erupted we would've noticed by now.”

“Actually,” said Twilight, “a subglacial volcano would explain everything. A lava flow would melt ice and snow, producing warm air and water vapor.”

“Only one problem with that theory,” Dash said. “No volcano! Wouldn’t there be lava and ash all over the place?”

“There probably was,” said Twilight. “Volcanic ash is extremely rich in nutrients. An eruption could have covered that valley in ash... it would be the perfect soil for a jungle to grow in.”

“Doesn’t seem like a recent change,” Applejack said. “That jungle has to be at least a hundred years old.”

“The original eruption could have happened long ago. What we’re dealing with now could be a small fissure or vent: Enough to melt ice and snow, but not enough to cause any noticeable damage.”

“Great,” said Dash. “So how do we find a stealth volcano?”

Twilight gazed at the mountain range. She tapped the nib of her quill against the side of her notebook. Eventually, she pointed at one of the peaks. “Dash... does that one look different? The third one from the left?”

Dash flew up for a minute then called back to them. “It’s all shiny... it probably has a lot more ice buildup.”

“Like a glacier?”

“Nah,” Dash shouted back. “It looks like a glacier, but it’s way too fresh. Not even a year old.”

“Something must be melting the ice and creating runoff.” Twilight said and snapped her book shut. “There’s our problem area.”

They walked along the rocky ledge for a few minutes and came to a steep slope that led down into the valley. At first the jungle seemed like any other thick forest. As they went deeper the trees grew larger... much larger. They also formed layers: the thick underbrush was sheltered by the crowns of larger trees. Whenever they came to a break in the canopy, the sky was always shrouded by an even larger canopy further up, with plenty of open space between. They occasionally caught sight of Rainbow Dash gliding between the foliage and circling around gargantuan trunks. She returned to them at regular intervals to report on the geography ahead.

“Oh-my-gosh you guys, this is amazing! It’s like the trees are... clouds or something! You know how clouds form layers, right? Well this is just like that!”

“Uh-huh. Yeah.” Applejack kicked at the branches ahead and pushed her way through the dense underbrush.

“I mean, I’ve been in the Everfree forest before. Don’t get me wrong: it’s huge. But you can’t really fly through it! This is like a forest in the sky!”

Applejack pulled and kicked at a thick wall of vines, struggling to pull them down. “I’m sure it’s very exciting up there... but it’s real slow goin’ for us down here.”

“Yeah, that must suck. Hey, do you have a machete? That would be so perfect!”

“No, we don’t have a...” Applejack paused to consider. “What’s a machete? Exactly?”

“It’s a kind of big heavy knife.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. What good is a knife gonna do us?”

“They’re perfect for chopping through leaves and vines.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Of course we don’t have a big heavy knife. You’d probably just nick yourself by accident anyhow.”

Dash scowled at her. “Daring Do would remember to bring a machete to a jungle.”

Applejack offered her a mild scowl. “I’ll have you know, I’ve lived in or around woodlands all my life. A knife is the last thing we need. What we need is a deer path.”

Dash shook her head. “I’ve already looked everywhere. The underbrush is thick all over. Not even any streams or brooks.”

“Well, somepony ought to give the deer hereabouts a stern talking to, ’cause they’re not doing their job very well.”

“I don’t think there are any deer. Actually, I haven’t seen any animals, except for birds.”

“Can you please just keep looking? We’d really appreciate it. And if there is a path out there, I can’t think of anypony else who could find it.”

Rainbow sketched a quick salute. “Roger dodger! Daring Dash is on the trail!” She flew up and out of the brush.

Applejack waited until she was out of sight before rolling her eyes.

Twilight came up beside her. “She’s trying her best, you know.”

“I know, it must be terribly exciting for her, but this isn’t exactly peaches and cream for the rest of us.” Applejack pursed her lips. “It isn’t just me, is it?”

“Well there are a lot of amazing sights here,” said Twilight as she gazed all around. “My report to the academy is going to be longer than I thought. We don’t know much about how jungles grow, and this seems to be in an early formative stage... it’s only a century old!”

Applejack sighed, this time regretful. “It is just me, isn’t it?”

“You’re focused on the destination,” Twilight said, “and the reason we came out here in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with being sensible.”

“Beggin’ yer pardon, but tromping through the brush doesn’t seem particularly sensible to me. This is slow going and we can’t see more than a few yards. We’re just beggin’ to be bushwhacked.” Applejack reared up and kicked at a vine, trying to tug it down. "Can’t you use your magic to clear a path?”

“I’d rather not.”

Applejack looked back at her. Twilight was looking away, trying to be nonchalant.

“Heh. You’re really no good at this whole ‘being sneaky’ thing, are you?”

“Yeah,” said Twilight with a sigh. “The truth is... magic is much harder to use in the Everfree Forest. In any wilderness, actually: pony magic is strongest in civilized areas. I could cast a ‘clear-the-way’ spell, but I’d rather not risk it.”

“You sure about that? I’ve seen you do some amazing things.”

“You know how pegasi can control the weather? Well that’s a kind of magic too, and it’s much harder in the wilderness. I asked Dash about it before we left and she said that naturally occurring weather is very chaotic. Very unpredictable. Even basic weather can go wildly out of control.”

“Are you saying your magic could go out of control?”

“Normally, it wouldn’t. It would just be more difficult to use.” Twilight looked at the claustrophobic greenery. “But here...?”

“Hey girls!” Rainbow dash burst through the leaves above and hovered over them. “I found a path! Right this way!”

They followed as quickly as the brush would allow, and came to a rough dirt path. The smaller trees to each side arched up and joined in the middle, enclosing the path completely.

Applejack let out a low whistle. “Mighty good eyes on you, girl! We never would’ve found this on our own, and it was only a dozen yards away.”

“What’d I say, girls? I’ve got survival instincts like nopony’s business.”

“This is great!” Twilight said, glancing down each side of the path. “Where does it lead?”

“That way leads to a pond. Pretty gross. The other way... dunno.”

“Only one way to find out!” Applejack said as she headed down the path.

With the thick, low ceiling, Dash followed them on foot. Before long, she looked up. “Ooh... check that out!” She hovered up and rummaged in the overhanging branches.

“Check what out?” Applejack looked up, and gasped in shock. “Heavens to Betsy! What’s wrong with you?!”

“Wrong...?” Rainbow Dash held up the small, homemade stick figure fashioned from twigs and twine. “I think it’s cool.”

“Cool?! Put it back before you get us all... before you...”

“Before what, exactly?” said Dash. “Are you okay? You look spooked.”

Twilight stepped forward. “She had a scary dream earlier, and those stick... thingies... were involved. Somehow.”

Applejack frowned. “It wasn’t that scary.”

“Really?” Dash said, and dangled the figure over Applejack’s face. “Ooh-oooh! Spoooky!”

Applejack retreated a step, ready to rear up. “You put that thing back exactly where you found it this instant!”

“Jeez! You sound like my old teacher. My old kinder-garden teacher.”

Applejack straightened up and wiped a drop of sweat off her brow. “Now look. If you put it back, and I’m wrong, then it doesn’t matter. But if I’m right...”

“Yeah, sure.” Dash began tugging at the crystal in the center. “Wow, that’s really on there tight. Anypony have a pair of scissors?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouted and stamped both front hooves.

Dash and Twilight both flinched.

Applejack settled down and took a breath. “Okay. You know those Daring Do books? How she explores all kinds of ruined temples?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve almost finished the whole series and there’s a new book coming out soon!”

“Does Daring Do ever take anything when she’s on an adventure?”

“No way. Daring Do never steals... she only steals things back. She has the utmost respect for... oh. Yeah.”

“So? Do you think, maybe, you could...?” Applejack nudged her nose towards the branches above.

“Yeah... prolly. I guess.” She hovered up and put the figure back in place.

They continued along the path for a minute. Dash watched the branches, and caught sight of several more glinting figures. Whenever she opened her mouth to comment, a glare from Applejack interrupted her.

Dash finally dropped down and walked next to Twilight. “So... did you make notes about the stick thingies?”

“Of course.”

“Cool. Cool.” She looked away and rubbed the side of her neck. “Sooo... do you think I could have a journal of my own? For notes? And stuff?”

Twilight smiled at her. “I always keep a couple spares just in case.”

Soon enough, the path led them to a clearing where the lowest layer of brush had been removed. The vast canopy above was clearly visible, with curtains of sunlight shining down through the leaves and mist. There, in the middle of the clearing, was a mound of grassy sod with windows and a door. There was a garden in the front yard made of a series of raised tiers, and a carefully arranged stream wandered through the garden and trickled into a reflecting pool. The whole property had been designed and constructed with great care, but had fallen into extreme disrepair: The bushes and flowers were all thorny and choked with weeds, and the flagstone path that led to the door was uneven and choked with crabgrass. The reflecting pool was stagnant and brackish.

The three of them stared at the sod hut for some time.

“Well, that was interestin’,” Applejack said and turned back the way they’d came. “So how about them mountains, right? I’ve never seen a volcano before and I bet none of you have either. Sounds exciting, don’t it?”

Applejack walked back to the enclosed path but stopped when she realized she was alone. Twilight and Dash were still staring at the clearing.

“Hello, there? Volcano? Oughta get moving, right?”

Dash squinted at the yard. “Is that garden full of weeds, or is it just a garden made entirely of weeds?”

Twilight scraped a hoof against one of the flagstones. “The path is overgrown, but there’s no soil buildup... it’s like somepony’s swept it clean.”

“Girls!” Applejack said, walking in place. “That volcano won’t exctinctify itself, you know!”

Dash flew up and pointed across the clearing. “There’s an open stables over there... and a chicken coop, too.”

“It doesn’t look like anypony’s home at the moment. How long do you think we could afford to wait?”

“We can’t,” Applejack said. “Now let’s hop to it.”

Dash flew over and pushed her face against one of the sloping, murky windows. “You think they’ve got food in there? Or at least some soap and a bathtub? Starting to get a little funky.”

“You leave that alone!” called applejack. “How would you feel if somepony went into your house without asking? It’d be... it’d be right... creepy, wouldn’t it?”

Twilight walked up the curving path and went to the door. “We’re not going to go in, of course. But we can still knock, right?”

Dash landed next to her. “Why not? We could really use a friend right now, and this is our chance to be neighborly.”

“I suppose there’s no harm in being... neighborly.” Applejack walked over and stared at the ornate wooden door. “Whoever built it musta knew what they were doing. It’s pretty solid, and those’re some fine-looking carvings... shame they let it go so badly.”

Twilight knocked on the door. “Hello, there! Is anyp... anyone home?”

With the third knock the door slowly creaked open. Twilight glanced at her friends, both of whom simply shrugged. Her horn glowed, and a cone of warm golden light illuminated the interior.

Twilight stepped closer. “Hello? Is anyone—” She gasped as something buzzed by her nose. She stepped back, and a tiny spray of sparks arced from her horn. Her light spell spritzed and sputtered, and some of the larger sparks turned into glowing dragonflies that fluttered away and faded like embers.

Twilight swallowed and canceled the light spell before approaching the door again. “Hello? Excuse me, but is anyone home?”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward.

Applejack caught her shoulder before she could enter. “This is not a good idea.”

Dash peered in. “We’re not going to do anything. Just take a look. And what if they’re hurt or something?”

Applejack swallowed and watched as she went inside. “I’ll just... stay out here. You know. Stand watch.”

“Good idea, AJ.”

“Just in case the owner comes back and sees us... y’know. Trespassing.”

Twilight followed inside but paused to look back at Applejack. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t touch anything. Promise.”

Twilight went inside and looked around. The whole sod house was one large space with curtains to partition rooms as needed. The floor was a natural deposit of moist clay littered with dry leaves. The low ceiling was loose soil held up by a dome of curved wooden struts: It looked like a spiderweb, but with concentric rings instead of a spiral. The soil it supported was thick and packed tight, but a forest of little roots dangled down from it. There were numerous netting-sacks hanging from hooks, each loaded near to bursting with clay jars and sealed gourds.

There were only a few furnishings. The largest was a circular oven in the center of the room, like a fireplace with an oven range on top. The chimney was made of mortared stone bricks and formed a pillar through the middle of the room, more than strong enough to support the roof. The rest of the furniture was made of lumber: there were counter-tops and shelves along every inch of the elliptical wall and there were chairs and tables all over. The wood was unvarnished and splintery, but the rich red hue hinted at expensive hardwood.

“I don’t get it,” Twilight whispered to herself. She wiped a bit of grime off the nearest chair. “Everything is so well crafted, but so...”

“Check this out!” Dash turned around and held up a pair of baggy, frilly bloomers. “Giant grandma undies! Is this crazy or what?”

“Dash, how could you?” she said, “that’s someone’s clothing! We’re not here to pry.”

Dash nodded behind herself. “It wasn’t folded up or anything. There’s a whole heap of laundry here on the bed.”

Twilight scrunched her nose. “Then it’s probably filthy!”

“Nah, it’s squeaky clean... just really old and worn. Hey, there’s even some dresses here! Maybe we should’ve brought Rarity along after all.”

“I doubt she would have agreed to rummage through someone else’s wardrobe without asking. She’d consider it a crime of high treason against fashion.” Twilight looked around the crowded, cluttered room. “I’m starting to think Applejack was right. We shouldn’t be in here at all.”

“Aw, come on...”

“No, I’m serious. We need to go now.”

“Are you sure?" Dash said, "there’s some books over there.”

Twilight gasped and looked to the opposite wall. One of the shelves was actually a set of bookshelves. She ran over, shoving past a few of the netting-sacks.

“They’re all hoofbound. That’s a dying art, these days! And there’s a writing desk, and a... oh-mi-goodness she makes her own quills! Do you have any idea how difficult that is?” Her horn glowed and a book pulled free from the shelf.

Dash’s eyes widened. “Whoa, there! Are you sure you should be using magic in here? I thought you said...”

Twilight opened the book and flipped through the pages. “Look at the binding... such tiny stitches!”

Dash reached over and closed the book. “What was that you said about prying?”

Twilight bit her lip and stared at the collection of tomes, all different shapes and sizes. Only a few of the spines were labeled, all in an incomprehensible language. Were they reference books? Journals? Formularies? Works of fiction? How hard would they be to translate? Perhaps there were diagrams or illustrations she could make sense of.

“You’re right,” Twilight set the book back on the shelf. “It really is none of our business.”

Dash nodded and went to the front door. Twilight followed her, but paused by one of the work tables. It was cluttered with crusty jars of chemicals and several wool-spindles. There were also bundles of small branches and rolls of rough twine. The table beside it held a set of tiny chisels and hammers, and a clay bowl filled with rough white stones.

“You coming, Twi?”

“Yes... of course. I’ll be right out.”

They did their best to leave the hut as they’d found it. As they left, Dash took one last look at the clearing.

“Dash?” Twilight called out. “Something wrong?”

“Maybe it’s nothing, but... there’s an axe in that tree-stump over there.”

“An axe? Where?”

“Over there,” Dash said, “right next to that chicken coop... but I don’t see any firewood around.”

“It’s probably nothing. Come on. We’d best get moving.”

“Sure... sure.”