The night was warm yet the floor of the prison cell was ice cold. Breeze shivered as he shifted on the floor-level cot he now called his bed. It had been his bed and this prison had been his home for now 12 months. Ever since he had been convicted of 2nd degree foal abuse and neglect as well as attempted murder and a murder charge (due to his daughter miscarrying her foal after being severely beaten on his orders). 12 months out of a sentence of 1 life sentence + 15 years on the abuse charges. While he has the possibility of parole, Breeze found it useless as it would be when he's so very old and near death (he’d be in his 70s). As he sat up in his cot, he couldn't help but think about the one image that would forever haunt his dreams: the image of his only foal dead in her room.
His daughter, Windy Chyme wasn't a necessarily “bad” filly, she just got caught up in the wrong stuff as she got older. He supposed it was mostly his fault that she turned to the gang lifestyle in order to survive. After all, he certainly wasn't around enough to be considered a good father. Plus the abuse charges were accurate. He really did a number on his little girl over the course of many years, both physically and psychologically. Yet the image of his little girl laying there with a blank, lifeless look on her face. Her too thin body marred with scars and burns and other injury. The only thing that gave him any semblance that this body was indeed his Windy, was the, now lifeless emerald eyes that the two shared and the white/blue mane that sat in a messy unkempt half ponytail on her head. That thought made him start to cry. It took a lot in life to make Breeze cry. In recent years the only things he can remember actually crying about was when his beloved wife, Feather Chyme passed away and when his mother-in-law passed on when Windy was 10. Breeze considered himself a strong stallion. In his line of work, he had to be. A top-tier gangster like him needed to be strong and never show weakness in adversity. Yet in that moment, before he was apprehended by the police when he saw his daughter being lifted into a body bag by the coroner unicorn, he cried out. Whether or not it was rage, sorrow or guilt he was unsure. When he had to identify his daughter in a morgue before his hearing, he couldn't help but feel rage and guilt as his tears flowed like a stream as he positively identified the lithe lifeless corpse as his daughter.
It was with that image in his head now that had him awake now and contemplating things. Thinking about how his life had come to this point. Mostly because on this day, as he looked up at the sole clock on the wall of the empty cell adjacent of his that read 2:30 am, that he realized what this day was: His daughter's birthday.
“Happy Birthday mi pequeño girasol. How I wish things were different.”, Breeze said to the air. The window above him spilling moonlight around the room.
Suddenly the air around him shifted. Became warmer and the light from outside became brighter as Breeze shielded his eyes with a wing. When his vision cleared, he nearly fainted before remembering that he doesn't faint. Instead lightly slapping himself to see what he was witnessing was real or a figment of his imagination. For right before him, draped in a gown of white and gold, a golden crown adorning her head like a halo, was his daughter Windy Chyme.
“W-Wi-Wind Chyme?!?!? H-How are you here?! You...You died!?”, Breeze said in shocked fear.
“Hola Papa. Yes it's true, I am dead and have been for exactly a year now. However I pulled a few strings and as a birthday/death day gift for myself, I have come to you.”, Windy said in her light voice that Breeze hadn't heard in what felt like ages.
“But why? Why have you come to see me?”, Breeze asked.
“Simple. To tell you I forgive you.”, Windy said.
Breeze was taken aback by this. So much so that he stumbled back and fell upon his cot.
“Forgive me? Windy you know I don't deserve that. I deserve your hate! I-I deserve your scorn and rage! Not your forgiveness.”, Breeze stammered.
“True. You don't deserve any of what I’m about to say. However, you're gonna get it. I forgive you for the living Tartarus that you made my life. I wouldn't have had the stuff I dealt with happen had your actions not caused that. Because of your abuse and neglect, I moved onto a ‘family’ that would look out for me and I them. However I should be saying thank you. Yes. Thank you for your pushing me away. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to find my special talent or find my courage or even meet my husband--”, Wind was cut off by her father's gasp.
“Husband?!”, Breeze gasped.
“Yes. My marido! Lightning and I are married now. It will be a year in two days. Also, goodness you should see your nieta! Hope Spring is now a big, happy yearling! She loves to try and fly up to the roof of our family home. Scares me to a near second death everytime she does it. Albeit, it's only been twice but still...anyways, yes she's happy and amazingly healthy. Despite being born too early and dead. She's a bit small for foals her age, yet don't worry. Abuela is handling that part well. I forgive you for all the times you left me alone for months on end. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to figure out some of my best life-hacks! After all, when one is an accomplished writer, one has to have source material and experience. The many times I could've died from malnutrition, I didn't because I figured out how to smartly save my money and to find the cheapest and best ways to scrounge up some food and water. My book is a best-seller in circulation all throughout Paradise Plains. As well as my other self-help books too. I’ve since been recruiting new talent for my gym.”, Wind explained happily.
“You’ve got a gym?! Really! That's... that's fantastic mija. I knew you'd always wanted to own your own gym. Are you still boxing?”, Breeze asked earnestly.
“I had to stop for a while due to me having to take care of Hope, but yes I am getting back into the swing of things. Running one's own gym, writing and trying to be a good mother and wife is truly a balancing act all its own. Yet I am managing just fine with my teams. My publishers might harp on my ass sometimes buuut what can ya do?”, Windy laughed as her wings began to glow.
“Yeah that'll happen. Truly I...okay there is no way in all of Equus that I can express how sorry I am for how your life ended up. I was a terrible excuse for a father and for that I….”, Breeze stopped himself short due to his silent sobs racking his body.
Windy walked closer to her dad and did the one thing he used to do with her when she was sad and crying like that. Wrapping her slightly smaller wings around him, she held him as he sobbed. Soothingly rubbing his back with a hoof and quietly humming.
A la nanita nana
nanita ella, nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueño
bendito sea, bendito sea
A la nanita nana
nanita ella, nanita ella
Mi niña tiene sueño
bendito sea, bendito sea
Fuentecita que corre
Clara y sonora
Ruiseñor que en la selva
Cantando y llora
Calla mientras la cuna
Se balancea
A la nanita nana
Nanita ella
“I--I used to sing that to you. When you were a baby, it was the only way we could get you to sleep and it absolutely had to be me singing it or else you'd scream the apartment down. Hehe. Ahhh, I remember when it was time for you to lie down and I had to get ready for work and you would stubbornly wait until I came in after your story to sing to you while your mama played the guitar.”, Breeze said with a chuckle.
“How do you think I’m able to get Hope to sleep now? She's just as stubborn as I was as a foal. Or at least, according to mama that is.”, Windy giggled as her wings started twinkling brighter.
“I'm afraid that means that my time is up. I guess I’ll just sum up what I'm trying to say then. I forgive you for everything Papa. You may not feel like you deserve my forgiveness, despite everything we've been through, but you do! My time in Paradise has taught me it's better to forgive and move on than to hold onto the hate of the past. Especially if it means holding it for eternity! Literally eternity here! Ha. Anyway, I have a strong feeling that being in here will do you some good for the first time in a long time. Now I have to go. My time’s up and Lightning is waiting for me. Te amo papa.”, Windy said as she stepped back.
“Te amo mi pequeño girasol. Happy Birthday baby girl. 17 really suits you.”, Breeze said to a smiling Windy as she began to disappear.
“I’ll see you soon Breeze.”, Windy said as she disappeared finally. The cell going back to near pitch black as Breeze lay down to sleep.
Nopony knew how it happened or why, but when the guards went to wake up Breeze the next morning, they found him dead on his cot. The medics and coroner agreed that it was probably a heart attack that killed him in his sleep. The part they couldn't figure out was why he appeared to be smiling. Some of the inmates swear that he’d snapped and offed himself in his cell. Some proclaim that he was so old that his stubborn heart gave out. Yet only one knew the truth. The night guard that was watching over the cell block passed by Breeze’s cell and he could have sworn on his own grave that he...saw an angel speak to a criminal that night.