AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the World of New Characters. That's what I'm doing here. This is an original character I came up with for my other site, and I really like him, so he's making an appearance here in this story. His name is Ken Mills, and by introducing him, I also introduce my second character from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, "The Impossibles," in which Fluey is originally from (but, like with Fluey, Multi's design and character is a bit tweaked to suit the story better).

Firefly, Medley, Airedale, and Medley and Airedale's twins, Jet and Melody, were on a picnic by the water fall. Jet and Melody were rough housing a bit. Firefly, Medley, and Airedale were watching them, thinking they were just the cutest little things on four legs. They couldn't fly yet, either.

"They're sooo cute!" Firefly gushed. "Can I have one of them?"

"Firefly!" Medley shouted.

"I'm kidding! If I want a baby pony, I'll go to Majesty's magic mirror and get one. Sheesh, Medley, can't you take a joke?"

Medley shook her head and groaned. Then she picked up Melody by the scruff of her neck, and put her on her back. Airedale took Jet and put him on his back.

"Let's head back to the Estate," Airedale said.

Firefly and Medley nodded, and flew back to the Estate. Firefly went into the kitchen to unload the gigantic picnic basket she had.

"That must have been some picnic," Cupcake said when she saw the basket. "Especially if it was just you, Medley, Airedale, and Jet and Melody."

"Well, Airedale's a little like Micky," Firefly said. She put a blanket into the basket. "He eats like a pig."

"Are you going to go return that to Megan?"

"No, I'm gonna go return it to Valerie. I borrowed it from her. I also promised her some treats from here. Such as Applejack's apple jelly, and Cherries Jubilee's cherry jelly, Peachy's peach jelly, and some honey that the Flutter Ponies brought us from Bumbleland."

"I'll give you a hand, Firefly."

"Thanks."

Firefly and Cupcake packed the things into the basket, and carried it outside. Then they went back into the Estate to see if they had forgotten anything. They left the picnic basket where it was. While their attention was diverted, Ember came running by. She was playing Hide and Seek with the other Baby Ponies, and she was looking for a good hiding place. She spotted the picnic basket and climbed in.

"Baby Gusty will never find me in here!" she giggled, and she closed the lid.

A few minutes later, Firefly returned, picked up the picnic basket, and started flying. She nearly fell right out of the sky.

"Wow!" she shouted. "This thing weighs a ton! I've told Peachy, Applejack, and Cherries Jubilee a hundred times to try and make low fat jelly!"

Firefly flew over the rainbow and landed at Valerie's front door. She saw that her car wasn't in the driveway. Firefly flew around the house, looking for her human friend, but she didn't see her. She put the basket down on the front stoop and started back towards Ponyland.

"I don't have time to wait here all day," she said. "The basket will be safe there."

And with that, Firefly disappeared back over the rainbow. Ember peeked out of the basket and looked around. She wasn't in Ponyland anymore, she knew that. She felt herself flying.

"I don't think this was such a good place to hide after all," she said, as she climbed out of the basket. "Where am I? How am I going to get home?"

Ember began walking around. She crawled under a bush, and made her way down the sidewalk. This was the first time she had ever seen a sidewalk. Most of Ponyland was grassy fields. This also meant this was the first time she saw a street, too. Cars and trucks whizzed by, giving off a blast of exhaust fumes. That wasn't too pleasant for Ember. She coughed, and continued walking.

"If this is life over the rainbow, I don't think I want to come here too often," she said, and she continued walking.

Ember made her way down towards the city. There were big buildings and people all around. She was nearly stepped on by almost everybody, since she was so small, and everyone was so busy.

"I wish I could fly like Firefly and Medley," she said. "Then I wouldn't have to go through this."

Ember silently made her way towards the end of the street where a lot of people were standing. Cars were shooting past. Ember looked up at a light. An orange hand was lit up. Ember didn't know what that meant. Then, all the cars stopped, and a white person came on across the street. Everyone started walking. Ember followed, but slowly. She stopped when she saw the orange hand blinking, and then it stopped. Ember just stood there, staring at it. What could that be? How come they don't have those in Ponyland?

HOOONNNNNNK!

Ember nearly jumped a mile, and ran across the street. That had scared her half to death! She looked over at the car that honked at her. A man was driving it. He looked at Ember glared at her, and yelled something at her. Something Ember had never heard before. She would have to ask Twilight what it meant when she got home.

If she ever got home.

Ember continued walking along the city. She came across a pretty slummy part of town. People there were dirty, and they smoked. Some were drinking out of brown bottles hidden in paper bags. They wore leather and chains, and jeans with holes in them. The girls wore heavy make up and short skirts.

"Awww, look!" somebody shouted. "That little baby horsie is made up for Halloween!"

"Ain't she the pwettiest wittle pony you ever saw!" someone else shouted, and then they started laughing.

Ember began running. She didn't like this place. She wanted to go home. She just ran until she got out of the city. She found a place without a bunch of cars zooming past, or people. She saw a big, yellow school bus coming around the corner, and a bunch of kids standing on the corner. They got on the bus, and ran to the window.

"Hey look!" a little girl called, opening the window. "A pretty little pony!"

A couple of the other kids opened the windows to the bus and looked. Ember just stood there. These kids seemed a lot nicer than those other people she had met. They were all smiling and waving.

"Hello, little pony!" another little girl called.

"She's so cute!" another shouted.

Before anything else could happen, the bus pulled out. Ember continued walking. She looked at all the houses on the block she was on. They all pretty much looked the same, except they were all different colors. Some were blue, some were green, some were white, and some were brick. Ember came across a house that was blue, and stopped. The front door opened, and two teenage boys ran out. One had red hair that hung in his face. The other had black hair, cut in a Beatle-esque hairdo, and he looked awfully familiar. As Ember inched closer, she recognized the black haired teenager.

Fluey!

Ember started to run, but stopped. Fluey and his friend began racing down the sidewalk.

"We'd better hurry or we're gonna be late!" Fluey shouted.

"I can't believe my alarm clock didn't go off!" Fluey's friend shouted.

The two boys ran down the sidewalk. Ember tried to follow them, but they were going too fast for her. The baby pony slowed to a stop and caught her breath. She sniffled, and began walking back to the house.

"Now I'll never get home," she said, as she lay down in the bushes.

Ember curled into a ball, and began crying a little. She didn't know how she was going to get back home to Ponyland now. As she was laying there, she heard something coming from inside the house. It sounded like singing.

"My, my, my Delilah! Why, why, why Delilah! So before they come to break down the door, forgive me Delilah, I just couldn't take anymore!"

Ember climbed up onto a large pot that was in the bushes, so she could see what was going on inside. She saw a man, much older than any of the Monkees, she noticed, dancing around the kitchen with a mop. He had red hair and sideburns, the same shade of red that Fluey's friend had. He was playing some song on a record player, and singing along with it. Not to mention dancing to the instrumental interlude. Once it was over, he began singing again.

"So before they come to break down the door, forgive me Delilah I just couldn't take anymore. Forgive me Delilah I just couldn't take anymore!"

Ember leaned forward to see what was going to happen next, but she leaned over too far, and lost her balance. The pot fell over too, and

CRASH!

The minute the pot hit the ground, it smashed to pieces.

"What's going on out there?!" the man in the house shouted. He came over to the window. Ember wanted to hide, but she couldn't. There was nowhere to hide, so she just sat there amid the shards of the broken pot. The man spotted her immediately, and nearly had a heart attack.

"What the . . . ." he said. "Now what in the world are you?!"

Ember whimpered, and began to cry. She hid her face in her hooves and just cried. The man leaned out the window, picked her up, and pulled her inside the house.

"Okay, calm down," he said. "Take it easy. It's okay. Don't cry. It's all right."

Ember sniffled, and looked up at this strange man. She was still a little scared, but she began to calm down. The man put her on the living room couch, and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a baby bottle full of milk.

"Good thing I saved most of Multi and Windy's baby stuff," he said. He held the bottle up to Ember's mouth. Ember gladly accepted it. She was hungry.

"Thatta girl," the man said. "That's it. Drink it all down. That's a good girl."

Ember sucked on the bottle and closed her eyes. A familiar feeling came over her. A good feeling, when Twilight would give her her bottle.

"I gotta admit, you surprised me, little pony," the man said. "I've never seen a purple pony with pink hair before! I wonder where a pony like you comes from?"

"Ponyland," Ember said quietly. Then she went back to the bottle. The man dropped the bottle and stared at Ember wide eyed. Ember looked down at the bottle and jumped off the couch to get it.

"What . . . . . . did you say?" the man asked.

"I live in Ponyland," Ember said. She sucked on the bottle for a little while and looked up at the man. "My name is Ember. What's yours?"

"K-K-K-Ken," the man stuttered. He was still shocked. "Ken Mills. I must be losing it. Ponies can't talk!"

"Real ponies can't. Magic ponies can."

Ken made a face and nearly had a heart attack. He took a deep breath and turned towards Ember.

"I have a fourteen-year-old son named Multi," he said. "And he has a friend named Fluey. He's always talking about flying ponies and unicorns and ponies that talk and that are all sorts of different colors."

"That's Ponyland all right," Ember said. "I know Fluey. He's nice."

"I think I need to sit down."

Ember giggled, and jumped back onto the couch. She rested her head in Ken's lap, and settled in for a nap. She liked him.

Back in Dream Valley, things were in an uproar. All the little ponies were turning the Estate and the Nursery inside out looking for Ember.

"She find good hiding place," Baby Tiddly Winks said.

"It must've been a very good place if we can't find her," Twilight replied.

"Don't panic, Twilight, she's gotta be around here somewhere," Firefly said.

"We just gotta keep looking," Bowtie replied.

Hours passed. They still couldn't find Ember by two forty-five in the afternoon. Firefly had no alternative. She flew over the Rainbow to get Megan. If anyone could find Ember, Megan could. She flew down to Megan's barn and explained everything, and then flew back up together.

"Have you looked everywhere for her?" Megan asked.

"Everywhere," Twilight replied.

"We tore the Estate and the Nursery apart," Gusty replied. "She just isn't anywhere!"

"Ember know we not allowed to play hide and seek away from Estate," Baby Tiddly Winks said.

"Well, she's got to be around here somewhere," Sparkler said. "Let's keep looking."

The others nodded and began searching around again.

Back over the rainbow, Ken had put Ember in a basket that belonged to the Mills' pet puppy, Skittles. He hid the basket in the laundry room, and gave Ember a bottle.

"Just stay here until I can distract Multi," he said. "Then I'll bring Fluey in here."

"Okay," Ember said, sucking on the bottle. She liked Ken. He was very nice.

The front door opened, and Multi and Fluey came inside, talking about a creative writing assignment.

"Can I borrow those ponies of yours as characters?" Multi asked.

"Yeah, sure," Fluey said.

"I'm glad you're not convincing me they're real ponies anymore."

"Hey, believe what you want, pal."

"Fluey, can you come here for a sec?" Ken asked, as Multi walked up the stairs.

"Sure thing, Mr. Mills," Fluey said, walking into the kitchen. "What's up?"

"About these ponies of yours . . . . . uhh, I don't know how to put this . . . . . I met one."

"You met one."

"Yeah."

"That's impossible, Mr. Mills. You couldn't have. Unless she had wings. Does she have wings?"

"Noooo, which is why I'm surprised she's here. Follow me."

Fluey shrugged, and followed Ken to the laundry room. Ken opened the door, and Fluey nearly had a heart attack.

"Ember!" he shouted. "What in the world are you doing here?! How'd you get over the rainbow?!"

"Ummm," Ember said, sheepishly. "Oops?"

"Oops is right! How long have you been over here?!"

"All day," Ken said.

"Oh brother," Fluey groaned. "Ember, you know all the other ponies are gonna go crazy, don't you?!"

"I'm sorry," Ember said. "It was an accident. The baby ponies and I were playing hide and seek. And I hid in a big picnic basket. Then I was over the rainbow."

"Oh no," Fluey groaned. "You hid in Valerie's picnic basket. Firefly and Medley borrowed it for their picnic the other day."

"Oops," Ember said.

"Oops is right," Ken said. "So how do we get her back?"

"I don't know," Fluey said shrugging.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know! I have no way of getting in touch with the little ponies!"

"Have you tried calling them?"

"Mr. Mills, how is a pony gonna use a phone?!"

"Hmm. Good point."

Fluey thought about it a little more, then came up with an idea. He picked up Ember, and carried her out the back door. Ken followed. He was curious about this. The two of them walked to 1334 N Beechwood Drive. That was the Monkees Pad. Mike was the only one there at the time. He was twirling his magic wand in his hand, at least until Fluey and Ken came in.

"MIKE!" Fluey screamed. Mike was so startled, he fell off the chair he was sitting in.

"Fluey, give me fair warnin' when you burst in here like that!" he shouted.

"Sorry," Fluey said. "Uhh, you know Mr. Mills, right?"

"Yeah, I met him," Mike said, climbing to his feet. "He's your friend Multi's father, right?"

"That's right," Ken said. "How's it going?"

"Well, what are you doin' here, Mr. Mills?" Mike asked.

"Please, call me Ken," Ken replied. "As for what I'm doing here, well, I sort of met a friend of Fluey's."

"Hi, Mike," Ember said.

"Hi, Ember," Mike said. Then he realized something. "EMBER?! What in the Sam Hill are you doin' over the rainbow?!"

"We need you to use your magic wand to call the ponies," Fluey said. "I don't know how else we're going to get Ember back to Ponyland."

"You want to use my wand to call the ponies," Mike said. "Fluey, that's bein' ridiculous. I don't know if I can do that. I'm only a beginner when it comes to magic."

"How else is she gonna get home?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, Mike, it'll take forever for Firefly and Medley to get around to checking here," Fluey said. "And you know the landlord doesn't allow pets!"

"You're right," Mike said. "I had to pass Mornin' Glory and Lily off as carousel horses so he wouldn't get suspicious. I don't think he'll buy the same excuse twice. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

Mike walked over to the window and opened it. He waved his magic wand and a rainbow shot out of it and into the sky. Ken just shook his head.

"And I thought this was going to be a boring day," he said with a sigh.

Back in Ponyland, Megan and all the little ponies were still searching for Ember, until a rainbow popped out of the sky and into the valley.

"Look!" Fizzy shouted. "A rainbow!"

"But who could have sent it?" Sweet Stuff asked.

"Logically, Mike," Wind Whistler replied. "He must need us down in California. We must follow the rainbow to the Monkees Pad!"

"I'll go with you!" Firefly shouted.

"Me too," Paradise replied.

"And me," North Star said. "Just in case all four Monkees need to be brought to Ponyland."

The four Pegasus ponies flew off after the rainbow Mike had sent. Once they reached the Pad, they flew into the window.

"Is your landlord about, Mike?" Wind Whistler asked.

"Luckily, no," Mike said.

"So that's how they go back and forth," Ken said. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Who's that?" Paradise asked.

"This is Ken Mills," Fluey said. "He's my friend's father."

"Why did you summon for us, Mike?" Wind Whistler asked. "Are you in trouble?"

"No," Mike said. "We've just had a little guest appearance by someone I think you're lookin' for."

"Hi," Ember said.

"EMBER!" Firefly shouted. "Have you been down here the whole time?!"

"I'm sorry," Ember said. "I didn't mean to run away. I was just playing hide and seek."

"And she hid in Valerie's picnic basket," Fluey said.

"Over the rainbow is scary!" Ember shouted. "There are big monsters on wheels that blow black smoke out of their ends, and they honk like mad geese!"

"Those are cars and trucks, Ember," Mike said. "Humans drive them to get around."

"How come they're so noisy?" Ember asked.

"I don't know," Mike said, shrugging.

"I take it you don't have roads in the Land of Ponies," Ken said.

"Ponyland," everyone said at once.

"Whatever," Ken said, shrugging. "But what's Ponyland like?"

"You want to see?" Firefly asked.

"Yeah. How do we get there?"

"Hop on!"

Ken looked at Firefly as if she were crazy.

"Uhh, you do know how to ride, I hope," Firefly said.

"N-no, I don't know how to ride," Ken said. "Umm, actually, I'm not all that curious so I think I'll just . . . . ."

"Hey, you wanted to know what Ponyland was like," Mike said, pushing Ken towards Firefly.

"I've never been on a horse in my life," Ken said. "Much less a flying one!"

"Come on, Mr. Mills!" Fluey shouted. "Riding a pony is great!"

"I think I'm too tall for this . . . . ." Ken said.

"Pony feathers!" Firefly shouted. "You're not even as tall as Mike!"

"I don't know about this . . . . ."

Before anything else could happen, Fluey and Mike maneuvered Ken onto Paradise's back. Mike got on North Star and Fluey got on Wind Whistler. Mike put Ember on Firefly's back, and they were off to Ponyland. Ken looked down and got a sick look to his face.

"Bring me back!" he shouted. "Take me back! I can't do this! I can't look!"

"Just hold on," Paradise said.

Ken groaned, slapped his hand over his eyes, and squeezed Paradise's mane as tightly as he could, and he ended up pulling it.

"Not that tight!" Paradise shouted.

"I can't look!" Ken shouted again.

Finally, the little ponies landed at Paradise Estate. Ember jumped off Firefly's back and ran to Twilight, who nuzzled her.

"And where have you been, little one?" she asked. "You had me scared to death!"

"I'm sorry," Ember said.

"Ember win hide and seek," Baby Tiddly Winks said. "She find best hiding place! Over rainbow!"

"You don't want to go over the rainbow," Ember said. "It's scary!"

"Hey, Mike, who's your friend?" Fizzy asked.

"This is Ken Mills," Mike said. "He's the father of one of Fluey's friends."

"Hi Ken!" Surprise shouted. "Welcome to Ponyland!"

"Humina, humina, humina . . . . . ." Ken stammered, looking around. There were all these different kinds of ponies. Some with wings, some with horns, some pink, some purple, some blue, he just couldn't figure this out.

"What's the matter with him?" Gusty asked. "He's acting like he's never seen a pony before!"

"Let's show him some tricks!" Fizzy shouted. She lit up her horn and blew some bubbles. One landed on Mike's nose, and he sneezed rather loudly.

"Bless you," Fizzy said.

"Thanks," Mike said. "I'm allergic to Fizzy's bubbles."

Ken made another nervous face, and started to back away again.

"I think we surprised him," Surprise said.

"I think you did, too," Fluey said. "Hey, Mr. Mills, relax!"

"Yeah, we don't bite," Gusty said. "What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen a pony before?"

"Not ones with wings, horns, and look like a batch of rainbow sherbet," Ken said, a little nervously. "That, and I've never been on a horse in my life!"

"Come on," Twilight said. "I'll give you a tour of Ponyland. You'll like it. Hop on."

"Well . . . . ." Ken said, thinking it over.

"It's all right," Ember said. "Twilight's so gentle. She won't let anything happen to you."

"Okay, I guess," Ken said, with a shrug. He climbed onto Twilight's back, and they were off. Baby Lofty, Baby Heart Throb, Ember, and Baby Glory followed. As they were showing Ken around, they started to sing.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony

Isn't the world a lovely place?

My Little Pony, My Little Pony

Everywhere you go a smiling face

Running and skipping, merrily tripping

Watching the morning unfold

My Little Pony, My Little Pony

What does the future hold?

Twilight and the Baby Ponies ran around. Ken felt a little queasy, only because Twilight was running, and he wasn't used to riding horses.

"I grew up in the city," he said. "I'm forty-two, and prone to heart attacks. Heart disease runs in my family, I've never been on a horse, and I get dizzy on merry-go-rounds, so . . . uhh, could you please slow down before I throw up?!"

Twilight skidded to a halt, a little too fast, and Ken was thrown off her back. He landed directly into the lake, and soaked Bubbles, who was sitting on the nearby river bed. The baby ponies began giggling over that one.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Twilight shouted.

"This is just a normal day here in Ponyland," Bubbles said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Ken said, standing up. "Just all wet. Get me outta here."

Ken climbed out of the lake, and rung out his shirt. Then he started back to the Estate. Fluey looked at him oddly.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I fell off that pink unicorn," Ken replied.

"Twilight?"

"Yeah, whatever her name is. How can you people stand to ride these things? They're dangerous!"

"The little ponies aren't dangerous. Bucking broncos, however . . . . ."

"Don't get me started on bucking broncos, Fluey. Does your uncle know you ride these things?"

"Oh yeah. He's been coming here to Ponyland even before I moved in with the Monkees."

"And he's okay with this?"

"Yeah. Okay, so he doesn't like it too much when Firefly does the double inside out loop when I'm on her back, only because I almost fell off once but . . . . ."

"That's it! I'm outta here! How do I get back down?"

"You hop on a Pegasus and she'll take you home."

"Ohhh-hooo no. There is no way you're gonna get me back onto a flying horse! No way! I'll find my own way back!"

Fluey shrugged, and Ken walked off. Fizzy watched him leave.

"Doesn't he like it here?" she asked.

"I guess not," Fluey said. "But what do you expect from adults, Fizz?"

"I guess. Let's go play bubble ball."

Fluey and Fizzy walked off. Ken went inside the Estate to find Mike. Mike was sitting on the couch, watching TV with Cherries Jubilee.

"Mike, how do I get out of here without getting on a Pegasus?" Ken asked.

"You don't," Mike said, not looking up from the TV.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"I'm not kiddin' you. You want to leave, you gotta fly."

"Oh boy."

Ken walked off just then. He sat down by a tree and groaned. Ember walked up to him.

"Don't you like us?" she asked.

"Oh I like you fine," Ken said. "It's just that I'm not an outdoors person. The kind of animals I prefer are dogs, cats, and goldfish. And the flying I'd rather do is in an airplane!"

"You'll get used to flying. The Monkees did."

"You know you're cute. You're very cute. But I'd rather keep my feet on the ground."

"Just give Ponyland a chance."

Ken thought it over, and watched Ember go off to chase a butterfly. He staid right where he was, thinking about how in the world he was going to get back over the rainbow. Without having to get on a Pegasus, that is.

Just as Ken thought he was getting somewhere with his thinking, Twilight came out and nudged his shoulder.

"What?" Ken asked.

"Just came to tell you," she said. "Mike's getting a headache."

"So?"

"The last time Mike had a headache here, we were attacked by this purple glop called Gloob. Be on your toes for something out of the ordinary."

"Like a talking pink unicorn with white hair with a purple streak in it, and pink stars on her butt?"

"Very funny."

Twilight was about to run off when she heard a growl and a scream. Ken looked up and saw the most hideous gargoyle you can ever imagine standing in the distance. The scream had come from Ember. The gargoyle was holding her, looking her over. Twilight nearly had a heart attack!

"Ember!" she shouted.

"Hey ugly!" Ken shouted. "Put her down right now!"

The gargoyle growled and slobbered. Ember grimaced.

"Eeeeuuwww," she groaned, as some gargoyle slobber ended up on her pink mane.

The other ponies and their friends had heard the scream and ran out to the field, wondering what was going on.

"This must've been what my headache was about," Mike said. "Ugly! Oh that thing is ugly!"

"How did a gargoyle get here, Megan?" Fizzy asked.

"I don't know," Megan said. "But we've got to get rid of it."

Fizzy, Megan, Wind Whistler, and Mike charged at the gargoyle.

"Shoo! Go on, get out of here!" Megan shouted.

"Hit the road, Jack," Mike said. "And don't you come back no more, no more!"

The gargoyle growled, and took a swipe at the ponies and the two humans. They backed away as quickly as they could.

"Okay, buster, you're asking for it!" Ken shouted. "Put the baby pony down!"

The gargoyle growled and slobbered again. Ken narrowed his eyes, and lowered his head. Fluey recognized that look. He called it "The Vulture," and Ken only gave it to someone when he was really mad at them. The last time Fluey saw it, Multi had broken a window playing baseball inside the house, which was against Ken's house rules.

"Are you growling at me?" Ken asked. "Are you growling at me?"

"Who does he think he is?" Fluey asked. "Robert Dinero?"

Ken just stood there for a moment or so. The gargoyle stood there too, growling and slobbering. Ken folded his arms over his chest and still gave "The Vulture" to the gargoyle.

"So," he said. "You gonna put the baby pony down?"

The gargoyle looked at Ken and blew him a raspberry, sending his slobber at the little ponies and their friends.

"Eeeuuuwwww!" Mike shouted, very uncharacteristically.

"Gross!" Fluey shouted.

"That does it," Ken said, calmly wiping gargoyle spit out of his eye. He took off his brown suede jacket, and handed it to Fluey. He rolled up his sleeves, and got to the ground, in a runner's stance.

"On your mark, get set, GO!" he shouted, and ran towards the gargoyle. He tackled it to the ground, and Ember flew into the air. Firefly flew upwards and caught her before she fell. She deposited the baby pony onto the ground.

"Ember, are you okay?" Twilight asked, nuzzling the baby pony.

"Yes," Ember said. "Just a little scared."

"Hey, check this out, you guys!" Fluey shouted, looking over a small cliff.

The group looked down and saw Ken wrestling the gargoyle. The gargoyle was putting up a good fight, but Ken was whipping his butt.

"That's something I'd never think I'd believe," Firefly said. "Considering how chicken he was when he came up here!"

"Yeah man!" Fluey shouted, truly amazed.

Finally, Ken grabbed the gargoyle by it's tail, and threw it over his shoulder.

"Hiiiiyyyyaaaa!" he shouted. The gargoyle landed flat on his back and groaned.

"Now get outta here before I make mincemeat outta ya!" Ken shouted.

The gargoyle whimpered like a wounded puppy, and flew off. Ken climbed up the cliff, and brushed himself off. He took his jacket from Fluey and put it on.

"What are you all looking at?" he asked.

"You . . . . you . . . ." Firefly started. "How did you . . . . I mean, you just whupped a gargoyle and . . . . ."

"I have a black belt in karate, I was captain of my high school track team, and I was captain of my college wrestling team," Ken replied. "Then I became an actor and I often did my own stunts. But riding a horse was never one of them."

And with that, Ken picked up Ember, and started to carry her towards the nursery. The little ponies and their friends looked at each other, completely shocked. But they went back to the Estate and celebrated what happened with ice cream sundaes.

"You really surprised us, Ken," Twilight said.

"Yeah we all thought you were completely chicken," Firefly said. "Considering how you reacted when we brought you here."

"Hey, you'd be scared out of your gourd too, if you've never been on a horse," Ken said. "Much less a flying one."

"Right," Twilight said. "I don't know where in the world the gargoyle came from, but I'm glad you were here to help us, Ken."

Ken smiled, and ate his sundae. Then, Firefly, Medley, Locket, and Wind Whistler took Megan, Mike, Fluey, and Ken back over the rainbow. Ken walked through his door and waited until Wind Whistler was out of sight. Then he started into the kitchen. Multi was sitting there, doing his homework.

"Where have you been, Dad?" he asked.

Ken didn't answer. He took out the key to his liquor cabinet, opened it, and took out a bottle of Jack Daniels. Then he locked the liquor cabinet, popped the cap off the bottle, and took a swig.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," he said, feeling completely wiped out. He had a rough day.

The End