That same afternoon, Atmospheric sent Rainbow a photo using my phone. Her hair was disheveled and unkempt. She was wearing my Death Note shirt from the night before. There was a message attached.

"You asked me back in March. Now you have a definitive answer."

"Holy shit! How was it?"

"I'll tell you over lunch. Tell everyone to get ready."

"I'm on it."

Around 2:00 P.M., Atmospheric met up with the others at one of the higher-end restaurants in town. Over their meal, they discussed the current situation and future plans.

"So? How was he?" Rainbow pressured.

"Very attentive to detail," Atmospheric replied, "He has a decent understanding of traditional eroticism: something that seems increasingly hard to find these days."

"I kind of get it. Writers and marketers shoehorn sex into everything nowadays. Most of the personal stuff's been lost in the mix. There's no intimacy involved anymore."

Rarity and Twilight were taken aback.

"You seem awfully knowledgeable on the subject." Rarity voiced.

"What? You didn't think I was just another meathead jock, did you? I have a brain, ya know."

"Your deception skills are impressive."

"Thanks...Hey!"

Atmospheric chuckled.

"I guess this is where we part ways." Sunset stated. There was a faint hint of sadness, "Kyle's on his way to recovery. Guess that means our work's finished."

"Actually, if you don't mind, I could still use some help." Atmospheric requested.

"What do you mean?"

"He's done a decent job of restraining his darker impulses, but I'd rather curb them altogether if possible."

"How?"

"Therapy. I'd like to encourage him to seek anger management counselling."

"Snuffing it out early before it has the chance to cause problems."

"Exactly."

"Yeah. We can definitely talk to him."

"I'd appreciate it."

As a means of distancing myself from my father's criminal background, I became more involved in maintaining my own well-being. Given the testimonies of others who came before me, I had to approach the process with an open mind and heart. To gain insight into Peter's condition, I began researching the effects of substance use on the brain. What I didn't know was that Atmospheric had plans of her own...

It took some time, but Atmospheric eventually tracked Peter down. When she found him, he was still serving time for his battery charge. Given his history, she didn't find it surprising. She visited him the following January.

Behind the glass, Peter saw a young woman approach the communication line. A guard stood watch to prevent him from acting out in the event his temper flared up. He and Atmospheric picked up the receivers from their respective ends.

"Hey..." she said in a soft, gentle tone.

"How's it goin'?" Peter asked in a thick western accent.

"Did they tell you who I was?"

"You're my son's wife, right? It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Atmospheric's reply was sincere.

"How's he doin', anyway?"

"Better than he was."

"Say what?"

"There's a lot you've missed since you've been in here."

"I mean, yeah..."

She looked my father directly in his eyes.

"...Why did you try to abduct him...?"

"Who told you about that?"

"He found out from his mother."

Peter sighed.

"...I was in a real bad way at the time. Did a lotta drinkin' back in the day. Got in some trouble as you can probably tell."

"That's all he remembers of you. The last time he saw you, you were already drunk."

"I can't remember how old he was at the time."

"Five."

"Yeah...Now I remember. He was gettin' a bit rowdy. Had an argument with his mom because I was ready to paddle him, but she wasn't havin' it."

"Can you blame her?"

"Nah. Guess she had a point anyway. By the sound of things, he turned out all right."

"You understand he has some words that might be less than kind for you."

"Is he here?"

"I came here without his knowledge. Make no mistake, though; he's sympathetic to your plight. He's spent his whole life trying to learn from your mistakes. That effort is what made him the man I fell in love with."

"Well, seems like he found a good woman to keep him in line."

"You have no idea."

Peter wheezed. Atmospheric could tell the years had put a strain on him.

"You two have a lot to catch up on. He still doesn't know anything about where or how you grew up."

"Next time you drop by, bring him here. I owe him and Theo a serious apology..."

"Kyle's a fairly forgiving person. Theo might prove to be a bit trickier."

"I just hope they know I love 'em. I know I fucked up bad, but I'm proud of 'em. They're my kids, ya know?"

"I'll make you a deal. Kyle and I are discussing plans to conceive children. If you can get your act together when you get out of this place, maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to meet them."

"I'm gonna be a granddaddy!?"

Atmospheric nodded.

"Figured that would give you some extra motivation to stay out of trouble. By the look of things, they've been treating you for your psychological problems, too. I'm sure Kyle will be relieved to hear that."

"Whatcha still doin' here? Y'all best get busy. We got a lotta work to do."

"I don't know when Kyle and Theo will be ready to see you. They're still trying to figure things out. I'll try to get them here as soon as possible."

"I gotcha."

"I'll come visit again soon. Take care."

"Later."

Atmospheric hung up. She left the prison with a renewed sense of purpose and idealism.

The warm glow of the sun brought Atmospheric peace of mind. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. In truth, she'd expected the conversation to go in a different direction, but was glad things turned out the way they did. She gazed at the ring on her finger: a silver band with her original pony form welded to the top. In that moment, her feelings were the same as mine.

"We've come a long way..."

Author's Note