I walked over to him and let him keep playing with it till he dropped it in my hands and asked

“How I play like you daddy”?

I snuggled him close on my lap and showed him how to use the controller for basic menu surfing.

“See bud all you do is use the green button which is called the “A” button and then you use this little joy stick here for looking around on the menu”.

Lil Rio spoke up

“I wanna play game with daddy”.

I gave him a little smile and nodded my head.

“Alright sure why not”?

I had to start off with a simple game so I chose a game called “N+” which is a platforming game where the players are ninjas who run a course collecting gold and try to reach the end of the of the level first. All we had to use for controls were the “left stick” on the controller for movment and the “A” button to jump.

Lil Rio seemed to be having a lot of fun and amazingly enough he was beating me at almost every race. It was odd because at first he playing the game by using his nose to move and his right hoof to press “A”. Then after a few moments of this he just picked it up with both hooves and began playing like a normal human did.

He used both hooves to make his character run and jump with ease. Just then as we were playing and when the final race of that level was done something amazing happened. His cutie mark appeared in the form of a white Xbox controller.

“Hey Jr look at this”.

I picked him up and brought him to a mirrior and showed him his cutie mark. Needless to say he was bursting with excitement and joy.

“You did it Lil buddy. You found your special talent and I’m very proud of you”.

“I gamer like daddy now”?

“Ya you are Lil buddy. I’m very very proud of you. You found your special talent and you’re kind and gentle being to all those around you Lil Rio. You’re a little angel and I don’t want you ever thinking otherwise ok”?

He nodded his head and asked for a hug.

I picked him up and held him tight in my arms and nuzzled his belly. I gave him chin scratches and pats which made him flop onto the ground in enjoyment. The time flew on by and 8pm soon found its way to us. Now was the time to take him to meet my friends.

To get him down to the parkade safely I wrapped him up in my sweater and sat him in the front seat of the car with me so he’d look like a child in a really big sweater on. We made our way to the bowling alley and I was holding Lil Rio under my arm. I could tell he was a little uncomfortable because he was moving around a lot when I was bringing him down to the bowling alley where my friends were waiting for us.

When we arrived Ray and James were waiting for me outside of the doors to the bowling alley and I showed them Lil Rio and he was of course happy to see them.

“Hey Lil Rio”. Ray said with excitement about her.

Lil Rio popped out of the sweater and jumped right into her arms with James giving him pats and chin scratches.

“Well he obviously isn’t worried about you guys but I’m still a little worried about Noir and grant”.

James spoke up.

“I think you worry to much my friend. Think about it Lil Rio was happy to meet us right away so why would he have a problem with other people. Besides grant and Noir are harmless”.

“You hold a good point there James plus the alley is private so its only going to be just us there so I guess everything will be okay”.

I let Ray take Lil Rio into the bowling alley covering him with my sweater when passing the owner of the building and going to meet my friends.

“Hey Noir. Wassup Grant how are ya both”?

Grant and Noir spoke up in happy tones.

“Hey Rio glad you could make it”.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for anything guys”.

On our way to the lanes I told grant and Noir that I had something that I needed to show them. Lil Rio’s tail began to stick out of the sweater and Noir caught eye of this and laughed a bit.

“Is by chance the thing you want to show us a new plushy that you got Rio”?

“What are you talking about Noir”?

Then I noticed that Lil Rio’s tail was sticking out and I figure screw it may as well just show them now.

“Okay this is what I wanted to show you”.

I pulled him out of the sweater and set him down to the ground and let him stretch his legs.

“Rio….what….is that”? Noir asked with shocked tone.

“This is Lil Rio”.

Grant had a different reaction he picked up Lil Rio and examined him and the reaction from Lil Rio as expected was a lick to the face which grant didn’t seem to mind at all. After grant put him down and gave him a pat Lil Rio made his way to Noir. He sat in front of Noir and looked at him with his head tilited to the right as if in confusion as to why Noir hadn’t pat him yet.

“Uh hey Noir I think Lil Rio wants something from you”.

“Oh…What does he want”?

“I’m sure you can figure it out bud just look at him and you’ll see”.

Lil Rio hopped up onto Noir’s lap and continued to look at him with his adorable little eyes. After a few moments Noir began to pet Lil Rio’s head and he let out a happy sigh.

“See Noir I knew you’d figure it out you just have to relax a little more bud”.

“How did he get here Rio”?

I explained what I had explained to James and Ray and of course it’s hard to believe but It was true that Luna created Lil Rio for me and gave him to me in order to restore my hope. Luna knew that I was on the verge of giving up hope entirely and she made Lil Rio for me to take care of and at the same time I was taking of myself because of this.

“So your Luna is real and she sent you Lil Rio because she knew that you were lost in depression basically”? Noir asked.

“Basically ya I felt alone and I had stopped caring about almost everything. but then one night Luna talked to me and asked why I was this way. I told her I just didn’t care anymore and then out of nowhere she sent me Lil Rio and since then my life as been full of meaning again. Long story short anyway”.

“Dude I’m jelly bro”. Grant said breaking the moment.

“Really grant you had to say that”? As I said laughing.

Afterward we started our game with the list of players being:

Team 1:

Rio

DerpyApples

Jamesdabeast

Team 2:

Lil Rio

NoirUnicorn

Fluttershybroni

We had even teams and it was fun to watch Lil Rio bowl since he tried to grab the bowling ball in his mouth and spit it out toward the pins. I was always against him whenever we bowled and every time I would be the one help him with rolling the ball down the lane to hit the pins.

It was a five pin game of bowling so the bowling ball itself wasn’t massive for him. He was still pretty wobbly and whenever he tried to pick it up and move around with it in his mouth. His first attempt was probably the most adorable thing you could have ever seen and here’s why. He ran with the ball in his mouth and when he threw it the strength that he used plus the weight of the ball had launched him down the lane.

The lane being the way it was which was extremely slippery made him lose his grip on the wood and so he was sliding toward the pins along side the ball and his legs were all spread apart with his face holding the expression of fear. When he was finally stopped by the pins he looked embarrassed until he came back up the lane to us and we cheered for him because he scored a strike.

He looked up at us with surprise and then after explaining his accomplishment he we bursting with joy. Of course afterward to look funny he walked to his seat with his head held high and his eyes closed. As I knew it would come to pass he accidentally hit his head on the seat in front of him.

He cutely fell back on his rump and his eyes became derpy for a quick moment until he shook it off. Everyone ran to him and snuggled him and rubbed his head where it hurt and they all played with him. I knew he was welcome and that everyone would be there for him if he ever needed any of them. They cared about him almost as much as I did.

Unfortunately for us we lost the game but no one really cared about the score since we were just there to have fun and welcome Lil Rio into the group. I told Lil Rio each of their names and so he tried to speak them which was pretty adorable to watch.

After about two more hours of fun it was time to end the night and we both said our goodbyes to our friends but of course being who he was Lil Rio without needing to do anything got all the attention and so we were there saying goodbye for at least another thirty minutes or so. He got hugs, nuzzles, chin scratches, and snuggles.

He is a loved pony for sure which made me happy. On our way home Luna was once again shining brightly and so I figured tonight why don’t we both got out to the balcony and see if we can’t talk with her together. That night when we arrived home I made us some dinner and after our meal and I picked up Lil Rio in my arms and took him outside to see Luna.

Amazingly enough she actually did talk this time in a semi serious tone but also somewhat happy.

“Greetings Rio how are you”.

“Oh Luna I have been fantastic. What you have given me is more then I could have ever hoped for. Thank you thank you thank you Princess. Really Thank you so much”.

“It was my pleasure and Rio I need to explain something to you and just as well I must do one more thing before I make my leave tonight.”

“What is it Princess?”

The moon began to glow so bright and then from that nearly blinding glow a figure could be seen coming down from the moon. The princess of the night had shown her true form. She stood tall with a brilliant dark blue body and a wonderous flowing mane of what looked like stars in outer space being trapped within its beauty of a somewhat calm flowing darkness.

She is a mix of both Unicorn and pegasus and her beauty is yet to be rivaled by anything here on earth. Her beauty alone has me on showing the upmost honor toward her. She has been my guide since I was young and felt scared at night. She looked upon me with kindness and warmth.

“Rio stand please it is alright you need not be so formal. I remember watching over you when you were only a child. I could hear your cries and I have seen how much your mother and father loved you and how they took care of you. I watched over you whenever they were not around.”

She placed a hood under my chin and raised my head to meet her warm loving motherly eyes.

“I would always move the clouds just enough to let my glow fill your room with my light so that you would not truly need to fear the darkness.”

Author's Note

Enjoy ^_^