Igneous Rock Pie ran to the broken railing and looked down over the cliff. A carriage with one occupant was hanging over the cliff's ledge. The stallion he'd seen pulling it was no doubt at the bottom of the crevasse already. Though that stranger would be in his prayers this evening he had to focus on the one he might yet save. Paying no heed to the fact that lightning had just struck not ten feet from him, causing this terrible accident, Igneous Rock started to climb down the cliffside. Even as the heavy rainfall stang him, threatening his footing he doggedly pursued his goal of the carriage. The ropes he could see tangled in the remaining fence post was currently holding the carriage up. But the strain on them was obvious as the winds buffeted the carriage. Even though time was of the essence Igneous Rock couldn't rush, falling to his own death wouldn't help the mare trapped below.
Finding a semi-flat rock face near the carriage Igneous Rock climbed onto it. Looking nervously back up at the roadside he wasn't sure if he could hear the ropes straining or if it was just his imagination. Either way, he knew he didn't have much time to spare. He climbed atop the carriage, carefully placing his hooves as the entire thing creaked underneath him. Kicking an errant piece of fencing off of the carriage door he pulled it open. Grimacing he could see the mare inside hunched over, one of her hind legs splayed at an odd angle behind her. He'd have to carry her up the cliffside.
Though the roaring wind stole away his first call his second made it through. The orange maned mare looked up in surprise for a moment. He could see her light yellow mane was already soaked through. Her cutie mark was some kind of jar, a detail he'd store away to identify her later to the others in town.
Igneous Rock extended his forelegs into the carriage. He had been ready to hoist the mare out of the death trap. But the mare hunkered back down, causing him to frown in surprise and annoyance. Moments later though she looked back up. Now she was extending a small package up towards him.
Igneous Rock was for a moment furious the mare seemed to be trying to save her luggage. Moments later he was shamed by his feeling as he saw a small, pink, bawling face bundled up. He quickly reached down and gathered the most precious bundle to himself. Looking down and meeting the eyes of the mare. In that moment they both knew the choice she had just made. There was no way Igneous Rock could carry them both up the cliff. After a long second, he inclined his head to her. He might have said something comforting or reassuring. But he couldn't risk any more time on the hanging carriage.
It was a good decision as right as his hooves hit the rocky outcropping he heard the snap of the ropes. He cringed as he heard the crashing of the carriage. And over even the storm he heard a single cry. Though he couldn't say that it wasn't wishful thinking on his part, he thought he just might have heard a hint of triumph in the word, not one of despair.
Turning Igneous Rock started to make his way back up the slick cliff side. Holding a bawling foal. It was hard going and he was concerned for the little one in the storm but there was nothing he could do but climb as fast and as safely as possible. Getting to the top was a treacherous but ultimately successful trial.
The road home was long, wet, and tiring for Igneous Rock. It would have been far easier to carry the foal on his back. But he kept the small foal pressed up against his chest with on foreleg. Sharing what little heat he had with the sleeping baby. It had obviously exhausted itself and now had fallen into unconsciousness.
As Igneous Rock pushed the door of his home opened Cloudy Quartz looked up sharply to reprimand his tardiness. Until she saw the small babe he held. The flurry of activity from his wife left Igneous Rock in a bit of a daze. He wasn't sure how it happened so quickly. But in what seemed to be mere seconds he was wrapped in a blanket with a bowl of warm soup. And the foal he'd carried for miles was dried off and sleeping next to Marble in her crib.
The next few days were a headache of trying to identify the two ponies killed in the storm. But they had been just traveling through town, no one knew their names, destination, or source. Their bodies were too damaged to see cutie marks so the only description was Igneous Rock's recollections from the storm.
Since the search for the two's kin had turned up nothing the topic turned to who would take in the orphaned pony and where the two strangers would be put to rest. One of the mare's brought up a side issue that became another argument. What would the child be called? They hadn't named her for the hope of learning her true name but now...
As the entire council of elders argued about the best course of action, Igneous Rock walked over to his wife. Who was currently tending to both Marble Pie and the as of yet unnamed orphan. The two didn't even need to exchange a single word as he knew the will of his wife well. Turning to confront the council Igneous Rock paused, casting his mind back to that terrible night. He heard once again that terrible crash. But over that, he heard also that single word that was actually a cry of victory, not one of defeat. Igneous Rock stepped forward and with three words brought the arguments to an end. "Pinkamena Diane Pie."
