I spoke up.

“Princess why do you speak to me with such kindness? What have I done to deserve such a gift as your kindness upon me?”

She gently kissed my cheek and told me.

“It is because you placed your faith upon me to guide you for your entire life and for that I am truly honored. Rio I must make my leave soon but first I must give you something.”

I looked upon her beauty and noticed how she began to glow and at the same time Lil Rio began to match the very same glow.

“Princess what are you doi…”

Just then I noticed Lil Rio’s body was growing in size to the point of being a full grown stallion the glow surrounding him must be Luna’s power taking hold and . Just as well his cutie mark had changed to that of a shield bareing six angels in total with three wings on each side of the shield with a few black feathers being placed in each wing.

After Luna had finished she spoke once more to me.

“Rio it is done. I want you to know something very important. I created this pony just for you from my very being. You have taken good care of him and for that he will always love you like his father. I noticed she began to teeter. I ran to her side before she fell.

“LUNA whoa easy. Princess what happened to you? Are you going to be okay?”

“I will be fine Rio I just used a fair amount of energy changing Rio into what he is now along side with changing his cutie mark.”

I held Luna lovingly like she was my mother who is I have been without for years since her passing.

“Luna please tell me your going to be okay.”

She looked up at me with a smile and spoke sweetly.

“Rio I am the princess of the night and as such I gain power from the night which are currently in.”

She looked at her current position and the tears in my eyes and adjusted herself so that she was in a relaxed snuggled position in my arms with her front legs stretch out across my lap and her head begin held comfortably in my arms.

“Princess why are you doing that?”

She let out a calm sigh of relief.

“I am warm in your arms and I have never been held like this except by my sister Celestia. It has been a long time since I have felt this comfortable. You hold me like a child holds their mother lovingly and I have never felt what that sensation feels like until now.”

“I do love you Luna just like I loved my mother when she was alive.”

Luna had regained her strength and when she stood before me once again she kissed my forehead.

“I love you too my sweet Rio.”

After her words left her lips she rose into the moon illuminated skies and vanished into its embrace.

“Just like I have Lil Rio I am her child as well in her eyes.”

“Dad are you ok?”

I looked up almost forgetting that I still had Lil Rio there on the balcony with us.

“Oh ya I…”

I looked upon him and couldn't help but be amazed by his size and stature.

“Whoa Lil buddy you sure have grown up. oh kids how they grow up so fast. Wow now I feel old.”

He trotted over to me and gave me a hug. I was almost put to my knees with his strength because he stood at about my height but most of his force was put on my shoulders since his hugs consisted of him wrapping his front legs around my neck and him nuzzling me.

“You’re not old dad don’t be silly. Whoa…. hey…dad why are you crying? whats wrong? did I hurt you…. i’m so sorry.”

Before I knew it the little foal Rio that I had taken care of for so many months was all grown up right before my eyes and I meant that literally too. He truly did grow up right before my eyes because of what Luna did to him but I knew there had to be a good reason for it.

“I…I just…. I love you son I really do. You’re not the little foal I remember taking care of.” “You’re all grown up now and I just don’t know what to do.”

Rio Jr spoke up while nuzzling me to make me feel better.

“Dad I love you very much and i’m still your son… I always will be.” “That I promise you is never going to change.” “I love you dad. You have given me a home to live in and the love of not just yourself but the love of your friends too. Just like how a family is.”

I looked upon him and he was dawning a smile and tears as if mirroring me. Just then Luna reappeared on the balcony of my home standing strong as if renewed. She looked upon me with a commanding look about her.

“Rio stand before me.”

I looked at her with awe. Her eyes began to glow a blazing blue and I could feel a force surrounding me that shined with a bright blue glow. The black sweater that my mom had given me many years ago now dawned icons of great honor.

“Princess what are these?”

The glow from her eyes faded and a smile appeared on her muzzle.

“Rio those icons that I have placed upon your garment are the icons of my personal guard and the division of which your son Rio is the leader of.”

I looked upon the patches on my sweater and they showed “Luna’s Angels guardian of Ponyville” The other one I sort of knew but only because of the show yet it was different. It was a Wonderbolt symbol that dawned a shield with wings of blue, white and gold feathers with a gold trim on the outside.

The middle of the shield was holding the Wonderbolts mark of pride which was a lighting bolt. I turned my head upon the Princess and asked.

“Luna what is this symbol?”

She placed a hoof on the symbol and spoke.

“This is the symbol of the Earthstriders which is a division of the Wonderbolts dedicated to Earth Ponies who have shown great feats of strength, agility, and the pride to protect their land from any form of danger.” “Your son Rio is the Captain of the Earthstriders.”

“I created this division after seeing what the future held for your son Rio.” “He is also going to fall in love with a very beautiful earth pony.”

I gave her a questioning look and she whispered in my ear who it was. Applejack was her name and I knew of her. After she told me I looked upon my son and could only smile and be proud.

“I knew one day he’d find his true love. I did kinda figure it to be her. So princess this is all in the future?”

She nodded and gave me a hug.

“It is time Rio.”

I held a face of mild shock

“Time…time for what?”

Luna walked over to Rio Jr and created a portal back to Equestria and that’s when it hit me. She was telling me all of these things because it was time to say goodbye to my son.

“Luna wait…why…why does he need to leave now?”

“His time has come to return to his true home and live the rest of his there where he truly belongs. I created him for you to take care of and show me that you truly are a man of kindness and not a man who has lost his faith and hope.”

“You truly are strong Rio…never forget who you are on the inside and you must always know that wherever you and your son are always know that you are both making each other proud. Remember your love for one another and never forget that there will always be that link between you two.”

“Princess can I have a few minutes with my son before he goes please?”

“Take your time.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1K3OJ_COWA

Credit for this wonderful music goes to David Larson please listen while reading the following.

I beckoned Lil Rio over to my side and held out my hand to him. He placed his hoof on my hand and from man to man or stallion I guess I should say and we shook each others hand/hoof. After that however we could not hold our composer.

I fell to one knee and came down to his height and wrapped my arms around his neck and held on tightly. I could see tears forming in his eyes and his lip was trembling as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

“Dad I’m really going to miss you. I…I love you dad I really really do.” “Please promise me you’ll never forget me….please.”

I spoke with a soft yet fatherly tone.

“Silly filly…how could I ever forget the little foal that brought my life so much joy huh.”

Lil Rio spoke through his tears.

“It’s just we’ll never see each other again will we?”

I looked upon Luna who was showing signs of tears but was keeping her composer. She shook her head knowing what I my question was. I had my answer needless to say I wasn’t happy with it but I didn’t have a say in the matter.

“I can’t lie to you Jr…. I don’t think we’ll see each other again but listen to me. I love you with all my heart and I always will. You’re my son and that’s never going to change no matter where we are.”

I could feel Lil Rio’s grip around me tighten.

“Hey…do you…do you remember the first time you called me daddy heh you were so cute back then. The way you woke up every morning just to stumble out of bed.”

We were both crying all of our tears out within those minutes.

“Ya dad I remember. Dad do you remember the very first breakfast you ever made me?”

“How could I forget. Mashed carrots and chocolate milk… your favorite.”

“Jr I’ll never forget how you knew when I was holding you how you’d get comfortable by stretching out your legs across my chest and falling asleep like that.” “You only ever did that when you knew it was me holding you while you were asleep.”

He released his grip around my shoulders and I brought my forehead to his while placing one hand under his chin and one hand between his ears.

“I have something for you to remember me by.”

With a tear filled smile on my face and surprise him by gently tackling him so as to flop him on his back and began to give him chin scratches and belly rubs for the final time.

His reaction was as it always was. Happy sighs a slight tail wag. after I finished he stood and told me he had something for me too. He looked at me and gave me the biggest sloppiest lick he has ever given me.

“aw Jr that’s nasty.”

I said while laughing through my tears.

The lick was basically our way of showing affection from father to son. I knew I couldn’t match it but I still gave him a big loving lick on his nose to show him love and affection back.

Finally it was time to truly say goodbye. Luna beckoned Lil Rio over to the portal and I made my way close to it and said my final goodbyes to my son and Luna.

“Princess Luna I want to personally thank you for bringing Lil Rio into my once lonely life and giving me hope and the strength to move forward once again.”

I knelt down on one knee and bowed my head to her.

“Jr”.

I said as I gave him one last hug.

“Thank you for giving me a son to look after and a reason to take care of myself once more. It’s thanks to you that I am once again inspired to be who I once was.” Thank you my son.” “I know I have said this already but I am very very proud of you.

“Thanks dad…I love you.”

“Love you too son.”

Luna was the first through the portal with Lil Rio following suit but not after one last word.

“Goodbye dad….I’ll never forget about you I promise.”

“Goodbye son…I’ll never forget about you either….This I swear.”

When the portal closed I could feel my heart stop for a few moments and I knew it was because It was missing a big piece of itself where Lil Rio left his mark.

I knew however that everything would be okay. I was going to keep moving forward in my life not just for myself but because I was inspired once more by my loving son Lil Rio. I spoke once more to the night sky which was slowly being taken over by Celestia’s glow being the sun.

“I’m going to miss you buddy” I whispered to myself as I remember all of the great times we had together as father and son.

“I’ll make you proud Lil Rio.”

Fin.

Author's Note

I hope you all enjoyed it. brohoof to all /). By the way I hope you all know that all of the music I posted with this, none of that is my work I have given due credit to those who have made those wonderful pieces and that I am only using that music because I felt that it gave the perfect atmosphere to my story as I read it.