My Little Pony

‘I think you’re stretching the point a bit,’ said Daisy. ‘Being a bit pedantic if you don’t mind my saying.’

‘There cannot be a new king without the death of the old,’ explained The Assistant. ‘it stands to reason.’

‘New king,’ mused Daisy, glancing sideways in thought.

Something occurred to her.

‘This new King small?’ she said, then continued like one picking at a scab. ‘Talks like a girl? Looks like Diana Ross? Skin condition?’

The Assistant raised a hand and the honour guard surrounded her.

‘I promise your death will be quick.’ he said simply.

‘Oh, that puts my mind at rest,’ said Daisy.

The Assistant raised his arm, then glanced up, suddenly shocked.

The children attacked.

From Daisy’s point-of-view, the children’s attack was scary only because there were so many of them.

They were pulling at her from all directions, and whatever purchase they could get on her clothing they took. She couldn’t keep standing forever.

Marcus arrived in a cloud of flying children.

Daisy wrestled free of the last of them, leaving her underwear behind in a clutching child’s grubby mitt and vaulted up onto Marcus’s back.

Then, in an image that would have had psychologists peering over their bifocals, Marcus bolted forwards.

* * *