Gypsum
After apologizing for her erratic behavior, Maud felt that she should appease her family members before beginning her investigation. So she went about her chores even more efficiently than usual.
Unfortunately, that did nothing to speed up the rest of her family, so she spent the rest of the day in the house reading a well-worn rock-finding guide.
After supper and the reading of a chapter of the Big Book, the Pies split up to pursue their individual hobbies. Maud followed Limestone up to their bedroom, which the leading sister always claimed as her own during this time.
“Well, what do you want?” Limestone scowled. (You can assume that every use of “said”, “asked” or “yelled” when applied to Limestone also includes an implied scowl.)
“I was wondering if you noticed anything unusual happening today,” Maud asked.
Limestone thought back. “No, not really,” she said, “other than the stunt you pulled last night. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve got a feeling,” Maud said.
This wasn’t true—Maud was sure that something was wrong. But she knew if she told the truth without any strong evidence then Limestone would never believe her. But on another hoof, she knew something no normal pony would know, and that was practically the definition of a Pie Family Feeling.
“Should I ask…?”
“Not if you like keeping your sanity intact.”
“Yeah, that was what I thought you were going to say.”
Limestone thought some more, then shook her head. “The last town day was Sunday, and the big storm is scheduled for tomorrow night. But for today? I’ve got nothing.”
“Alright,” said Maud, and she moved on to Marble Pie, who was sitting on the porch knitting a monochrome rug by touch alone.
After much coaxing, Marble told Maud that Pinkamena was upset.
Maud hadn’t noticed. She felt horrible that her sister had been hurting, that she had been hurting every day for months, and she had never noticed. She vowed that if she ever got out of this loop that she would do everything in her power to be a better sister to Pinkamena.
Pinkamena was sitting on the roof, looking up at the stars. The trap door to the attic was propped open next to her.
“Pinkie?” said Maud, sitting down beside her. This was the nickname that their recently deceased grandmother had given her. Their parents preferred “Pinkamena”, but Maud knew that using that nickname always lifted her sister’s spirits.
“Yes?” Pinkamena replied, with a sniffle.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing happened today.”
Maud spent a long time thinking over what her sister had said. “Did you want something to happen?”
“I was supposed to get my cutie mark today,” Pinkamena declared.
“You were?”
“Yes. I had a feeling. I was standing out in the south fields just after everypony else went in for supper. I looked up in the sky and…nothing happened. You believe me, don’t you?”
Maud awkwardly wrapped an arm around her. “Of course I believe you,” she said.
This changed things. Before, the world wanted her to save it, and she was hesitant.
But now she knew she was saving the world and her sister.
And Celestia help anypony foalish enough to get between her and that particular goal.