How I Became My Mother

by Halira

Chapter 3: Old Bridges and Lighthouses

The following day, Haven and Phyllis watched as Argyle sat on the bridge, taking notes in his notebook. Phyllis seemed bored, and for once, Haven found herself in agreement with the mare. The bridge was nothing of note. Oh, it did cross an impressive chasm that would be near impossible to get across otherwise, but it lacked any flair or decoration; it was just a plain stone bridge. Yet Argyle seemed positively tickled to be inspecting it.

There wasn't much to look at in the area either. There was an extremely tall husk of a tree that stood near the bridge that looked like it had died ages ago, and she wondered how the thing was still standing and hadn't given in to wood rot and collapsed under its own weight. The chasm had a river far below that she assumed carried out to sea eventually, but she was unsure where it originated from. Other than that, there were hills, grass, and a road of packed dirt that went off into the distance on either side of the bridge.

"Are you about done, Argyle? I want to head back home," Phyllis called out to the stallion, refusing to step on the bridge despite it looking sturdy enough to hold a parade.

Argyle didn't look up from making his notes. "I thought you were waiting on Lucky to come to find you."

Phyllis looked back over the hills; she didn't seem particularly burdened by the heavy-looking saddlebag she was carrying. "He probably thinks I'm avoiding him and is no doubt just moping about. He must not have found my note. I love him, but he isn't the most observant stallion."

"You're welcome to head back. All you have to do is follow the road," Argyle replied.

"I know that. Although I don't know why the road from town leads here of all places," Phyllis replied as she flicked her tail at the bridge.

Argyle looked up from his notebook. "I would assume that was obvious. This is the road ponies used to ship goods down from Maretime Bay to Bridlewood. It leads from the center of one and straight to the center of the other."

The mare humphed and flicked her tail. "I find that unlikely. What I believe is that the unicorns built it so they could more easily march an army to try to conquer us. I'm sure it was the method they used during the Unicorn-Mayonnaise War."

"Unicorn-Mayonnaise War?" Haven asked with a frown.

"You pegasi weren't the first to try to conquer us," Phyllis said with a smirk. "Luckily, we learned that if you covered the unicorn's horn with anything, they couldn't use it to mind-control us or fry our brains. We had an excess of mayonnaise sitting around at the time, and we sprayed them down with it. They were helpless, and it had them slipping and sliding all over the place as a bonus. They were forced to retreat with their tails tucked between their legs. You can take that information home with you. I'm not interested in a brainwashed pegasus army showing up at our doorstep because you failed to be prepared for a unicorn invasion."

"I'm sure our friend isn't interested in fighting with the unicorns," Argyle said.

Phyllis gave Haven a dirty look while answering him. "She's not our friend; she's a pegasus. I only tolerate her presence because she's a cripple that can't hurt anypony. She is still likely spying for them."

"I'm not a spy," Haven said, feeling exasperated. "Why don't you go home? You've lost faith that your stallion is coming, you don't seem to care about what Argyle is doing, and you clearly don't like being around me."

The mare glared back. "Somepony needs to make sure you don't do anything to Argyle. He might be a fool, even more a fool for trusting you, but I'm not some bloodthirsty savage that is going to let him get himself killed just because I strongly disagree with his beliefs."

Haven grit your teeth. "You're only bloodthirsty when dealing with pegasi, right? I lost one of my parents to earth ponies in the war."

Phyllis blinked and stepped back. "I'm sorry that happened, but I had nothing to do with that. I was only a tiny filly when the war happened. I can say this if you aren't just making it up for sympathy, it had to be an accident. Our goal was to repel and force you to abandon your attack. Unlike your kind, we aren't murderers. If I were a killer, it wouldn't hesitate to shove you off that cliff."

The side of the cliff suddenly felt much too close, and Haven took a few more steps away from its edge. Phyllis must have had a similar thought go through her head because she also put more distance between herself and the cliff.

"Neither of you is going to hurt the other, so stop looking cross-eyed at one another," Argyle said while still keeping his eyes focused on his notes.

Phyllis pointed a hoof at me while looking at him. "You just met this mare last night; you don't know what she's capable of! I'm surprised you aren't interrogating her. Haven't you always wanted to talk to a pegasus? One shows up, and you are still focused on your stupid old things."

Argyle looked over at us. "I'm hoping to do that, but I didn't want to ask her questions while you were around."

"What? Why?" Phyllis demanded in outrage.

Haven nodded, hating to be sharing the same confusion as the mare. "I don't understand either."

He sighed, put his notebook away, and walked over to us. "Because, Phyllis, you would turn it into an actual interrogation, and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on her. I can learn a lot more talking to her when you aren't making her nervous."

Phyllis scrunched up her muzzle, looked at the bridge, then looked back in the direction where their camp had been. "If you want to take her back to the tree to talk to her. That would be alright. I can hear from here if you yell, and she's got no cliff to push you off over there."

Argyle raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? I thought you didn't want her out of sight."

"You're in audible distance, and it will get her out of here faster," Phyllis replied. "Hurry up! The quicker you get talking to a pegasus out of your system, the quicker we can go home."

He looked at Haven. "If that's alright with you. I'm sure you have plenty of questions too. We can learn so much about each other."

Haven did want to talk to him. He was more accommodating than she could have hoped. "Sure, let's go. I won't mind getting away from your friend—"

"Acquaintance!' Phyllis corrected.

" —I wouldn't mind not having to deal with her for a few minutes," Haven finished.

The two of them walked away, and she felt a wave of relief as they did.

---

"So, you have a lighthouse in Maretime Bay, right?" Haven asked as they sat under the tree. "Do you have ships that come in? If so, where do they come from?"

Argyle sighed. "We do have a lighthouse. Actually, my family has maintained it for generations, but no ships come, not anymore."

"Why not?" Haven asked.

He shook his head. "They stopped coming ages ago. I'm not even sure what happened or what became of those other ports. I have seen the old logs that listed incoming ships. The oldest ones had many ships, but the closer to the present you get the fewer and fewer ships came until none came at all. Still, my family kept the light on, years after the last ship arrived, just in case somepony needed it, but after the unicorns attacked, the town ordered my family never to light the beacon again."

Haven looked down. "I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like it is a sore point."

"It is," he said with a nod. "I'm told it broke my great grandfather's heart to shut it off. My grandfather used to tell me stories about the beacon. It wasn't just a simple beam of light to guide the ships. In that light were images of ponies of all tribes, dancing together. That was what incoming ships first saw as they neared us. It wasn't just a beacon; it was us giving them a welcoming message of our friendship. Nopony has seen those ponies dancing in the night sky for generations now."

"It sounds like it was beautiful," Haven replied softly.

He nodded again and wiped a tear from his eye. "You said you saw Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark in Zephyr Heights, in an abandoned area?"

She was unsure how much she should say, but ultimately decided to be open about it. "In the lowest levels of the palace, there's an old station. I think it was for airships, and it had schedules for arrivals and departures to all kinds of places I have never heard of, but also Bridlewood and Maretime Bay. There were pictures of ponies of all tribes, spending time together."

He nodded. "Zephyr Heights is on a mountain, correct? It makes sense that it would have an extensive airship station. I would like to see this station."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure if that is possible. Getting you into Zephyr Heights would be hard enough, but to reach it, you have to go through the palace, and if my...my queen found out an earth pony had been caught breaking into the palace; she'd throw you in the dungeon for the rest of your life."

"I don't think I would enjoy that," Argyle said dryly.

"If dungeons were enjoyable, every pony would go out of their way to get locked up," Haven replied with a shrug. "Unless they're a royal. Royal's get held in special cells that are practically luxury suites. You can't mistreat royals."

"You seem to have inside information. Did you work at the palace?" Argyle asked.

That was getting into dangerous territory. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell him she was the princess. What was she supposed to say?

BOOM!!!

They both jumped and looked in the direction of the noise, the bridge. They shared a brief glance at one another and galloped back towards it.

They found Phyllis standing well away from the bridge, coughing on dust and smoke. The opposite ends of the bridge were there, but the entire middle of the bridge was gone.

"What did you do?!" Argyle growled at Phyllis.

The mare gave him a flat look. "I would think that is obvious. You are usually much more observant, Argyle."

"Why did you do it?!" Argyle shouted.

She dusted herself off. "That should be obvious as well. You said it yourself; this is the most direct and easy-to-use route between our home and Bridlewood. It needed to be destroyed, to protect ourselves. We can't give those unicorns easy access to our town."

He stared at the remains of the bridge in fury. "You were never waiting for Lucky to come looking for you, were you? This was your reason for accompanying me the entire time."

"I'm sorry I had to deceive you, but this is for the best," Phyllis said. The way she sounded, Haven could believe she was legitimately sorry for the deception part.

Argyle kept staring at the bridge, tears running down his face. "Go home, Phyllis. You did what you came for, and I can't stand seeing your face right now."

Phyllis pointed at Haven. "But the pegasus—"

"I trust her far more than you right now! Go!" Argyle shouted.

Phyllis took off fast enough she was out of sight within seconds. Argyle sat down where he was and wept.

Haven carefully walked over beside him, making sure he could see her, and then laid a comforting wing over his back. She wasn't sure how the gesture would be received, but he didn't flinch away. After a few seconds, he turned and leaned into her shoulder to cry, and she wrapped her wing around him in embrace.

Comments

[Magic135]

That Phyllis, what she did was wrong.

[Yoshifan30]

"You pegasi weren't the first to try to conquer us," Phyllis said with a smirk. "Luckily, we learned that if you covered the unicorn's horn with anything, they couldn't use it to mind-control us or fry our brains. We had an excess of mayonnaise sitting around at the time, and we sprayed them down with it. They were helpless, and it had them slipping and sliding all over the place as a bonus. They were forced to retreat with their tails tucked between their legs. You can take that information home with you. I'm not interested in a brainwashed pegasus army showing up at our doorstep because you failed to be prepared for a unicorn invasion."

To be honest that would make sense even though it kind of sound a little bit far-fetched but I can see why they didn't like mayonnaise I don't like mayonnaise either

[Yoshifan30]

Oh man I was not expecting that at all okay but it looks like Argyle was studying the bridge that leads to bridlewood and of course Phyllis was really getting impatient about what was he doing and not only that really don't trusting Haven but it looks like Argyle and Haven had a pretty good conversation with each other which is always nice to see that but unfortunately things really got ugly apparently Phyllis blew up the bridge which that makes sense what happened to the bridge in the movie but that was a jerk move basically just lied to him what she was trying to accomplish leaving a broken hearted Argyle but it's sweet that Haven comfort him wow that really sucks what Phyllis did that was not cool I wonder how this will work out I guess we'll find out next time

[Fnorfensuld]

It's a bit ironic, if Sprout's dad's name is "Lucky".

[Evil Paladin]

I'm impressed.
You somehow made Phyllis even more of a Karen cunt than she was in the movie.

I like that you made Haven and Phyllis indirectly bond over mutual bored frustration over Argyle being so interested in the bridge.

[Evil Paladin]

The bridge was nothing of note. Oh, it did cross an impressive chasm that would be near impossible to get across otherwise, but it lacked any flair or decoration; it was just a plain stone bridge. Yet Argyle seemed positively tickled to be inspecting it.

There wasn't much to look at in the area either. There was an extremely tall husk of a tree that stood near the bridge that looked like it had died ages ago, and she wondered how the thing was still standing and hadn't given in to wood rot and collapsed under its own weight.

Nice foreshadowing to the movie.