Lucky Rabbit (Isekai)

Not surprisingly, the chancellor had other things to do than continue entertaining Pandy – if that was the right word for it. After she transformed back into Bunny, he carried her to the landing just outside his office and politely but firmly set her on her paws and bid her farewell, not even giving her an opportunity to shift back to human form in order to return the gesture.

It was only after his office door clicked shut behind him that Pandy realized she'd completely failed to mention the actual reason she'd called for him. Should she knock and try again? But when she timidly hopped forward, her ears picked up the distinct sound of voices coming from inside the room. One was deeper, possibly Augustus, while the other was higher-pitched, either a child or a woman. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't understand what they were saying.

When she found one long ear plastered against the wooden door, she yanked herself backwards. Really, what did it matter to her what he was talking about, or with whom? Except that he might well be talking about her, and Pandy really, really wanted to know what he thought of her. Was she just a slightly-amusing annoyance, always getting in the way and causing chaos, or did he actually…like her? Just as a person, of course. Or probably a person, but maybe a demonic undead rabbit.

Fortunately, as Pandy started to spiral into this Very Confusing train of thought, she heard voices from below, and unlike the ones inside the office, they were perfectly clear. And familiar.

"I just don't know why you let it bother you so much," Matilda said. "I'm still your friend, you know."

"They're still my friends, too," Suzanne said, her voice much quieter than that of her companion. "I thought Ellie didn't trust me, but the look on her face-" There was a pause, and Pandy crept forward, trying to peer between the… What were those things called? The wooden posty-bits that held up the hand-rail part of a banister?

"Well, either way, she should apologize. I mean, not that it matters," Matilda said, and Pandy could just see her bright golden curls as she tossed her head. The two girls were directly beneath the steps, and Pandy couldn't catch a glimpse of Suzanne.

"We should have told them we wanted to show them the grotto. It didn't have to be a secret. It just would have been fun to see their faces," Suzanne said. Pandy could imagine the worried expression on her face.

"Well, it's not like we care what they think, anyway," Matilda spoke again, this time stepping a bit further into the foyer, with Suzanne trailing along after her. And, yes, there was that look. The young Dark mage was even gnawing on a fingernail as she answered.

"I do care," she said. "I'm very glad you're my friend, Tilly. No one else… You know how my parents are. But it's been nice talking to them, and showing them around." She offered a wobbly smile. "Maybe that's what it feels like to have a little brother or sister."

Matilda snorted. "Little kids are so annoying. Always following you around, copying you, acting like you're the best person in the world. Who needs them?" She did, from the sounds of it. There was definitely a little longing in her voice.

"Well, I'm going to see if they want me to sit with them again," Suzanne told her. "Come with me?"

A pause, then an anime-classic Sniff of Mild Disdain. "If I have to," Matilda said, lifting a hand to flip back her curls. "But only because you asked me."

The bell rang, and Pandy clamped her ears against her head as it seemed to echo. Yes, the sound definitely came from somewhere nearby, and it was not pleasant hearing it from up close. But how was it possible that it was lunchtime already? They'd just had breakfast, then gone outside, then ran around the school, and then she spent who-knew-how-long talking to the chancellor and the dragon…

No, wait, she did know! Well, her status knew, anyway. She glanced at her stats, seeing that the red number after Shifting Faces now had only a bit over forty-seven minutes remaining. Had she really spent almost two-and-a-quarter hours with Augustus? No wonder he'd been in such a hurry to go. That was more time than most people could spend with Pandy without fleeing.

A bustling herd of children had emerged from the door leading back to their bedrooms, and Pandy waited until most of them had passed before hopping down the stairs. She could heal almost instantly from any damage dealt by incautious feet, but that didn't mean she wanted to be kicked or stepped on.

Thaniel and the others were at their usual table, and Pandy arrived just in time to hear a somewhat puzzled Thaniel tell Suzanne that of course she was welcome to sit with them, why wouldn't she be? Obviously, Eleanor hadn't explained, and Thaniel hadn't picked up on the tension. Eleanor, who was seated to Thaniel's left, gave the two older girls a smile that seemed to hold genuine relief, but still didn't apologize or acknowledge the events of that morning. Apparently, she was hoping the whole thing would just blow over, and for a while it seemed that that was exactly what would happen.

Everyone greeted each other with varying degrees of enthusiasm, including Pandy, who gave Thaniel's ankle a little tickle with her whiskers as she moved under the table. Miss Cupcakes was already there, though she barely bothered glancing over as Pandy arrived, but for a moment, Pandy thought Lord Winston was missing. Then Eleanor's dress shifted, and she realized the dog was actually seated in the princess's lap, the little girl's fingers stroking his silky ears, his jowls spread over the brown fabric of her skirt, which was almost the same shade as his fur.

Food was served with the usual efficiency, and everyone ate. Eleanor released Winston so he, too, could enjoy his meal, but he stayed close to her booted little feet, even nudging his bowl closer with his nose when the server placed it too far away.

It was, of course, Matilda who broke the unspoken truce, as dessert was settled in front of each of the children. It was a bowl of what looked like blue gelatin, with mounds of whipped cream, and the blonde girl pointed to it and said, "This looks just like the waterfall, don't you think, Suzanne?"

As had become her habit, Pandy had edged out from under the table once she finished eating, so she could see the children more clearly. That meant she saw Suzanne flinch, but the girl said, "It does. Such a pretty, clear blue." She hesitated, then added, "That's where we were going to take you this morning. It's part of the area set aside for swimming, but the horticulture teacher insisted that it be used to grow water plants, so there's a creek, and a little waterfall, as well as the pool. It's my very favorite place to go on days like this."

Eleanor's head came up, and for an instant, an expression of longing crossed her face. Then she slumped back in her chair, and her hand dropped to her side, quickly receiving a damp nose in the palm as Lord Winston saw the invitation. Surprisingly, Abbington was the first to speak.

"Th' soun's rightpretty!" he said, blue eyes blinking enthusiastically. "Pets'llowed there?"

Matilda hadn't spent as much time around him, and simply looked baffled, but Suzanne said, "I don't know. I don't see any reason Brook couldn't visit, though I doubt if they'd allow her to swim there. They keep the pool quite clean, and no one can use it unless they're with an instructor."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The boy was obviously disappointed, but Thaniel patted his arm and said, "But we can just go and see it? Whenever we want? Why haven't we gone already, then?"

Suzanne glanced at Eleanor, then said, "It's tucked way back in the corner between the student wing and the main building. You can see it from a few of the rooms, but otherwise it's pretty well hidden, and since you can't actually swim in the pool except during class, most people don't bother. We can still show it to you, though."

"You don't have to go, of course," Matilda put in. "It's not like it matters to us." Beneath the table, Suzanne nudged her, and the young tsundere amended her comment to, "But I suppose it'd be nice if you did."

Geraldine, Abbington, and Thaniel all gave enthusiastic approval to the suggestion, but Eleanor only slumped down even further, her retreat all the more noticeable because her posture was usually so perfect. "I…can't," the girl said, pushing away her unfinished dessert. "I really…don't like gardens. Or waterfalls."

"But Ellie-" Thaniel said, but the princess pushed back her chair, still not meeting anyone's eyes. She stood, pressing her hand to her stomach, and glanced toward the teachers' table, where Ms. Davenport was once again presiding. The hall supervisor lifted her brows, and Eleanor added a rather theatrical hand covering her mouth before rushing from the room, her dog on her heels.

Quiet murmurs followed her, especially when Isidor stood and departed as well, his face as expressionless as Pandy had ever seen it. Lunch wasn't quite over yet, and no one had been dismissed, so this abrupt exit was very noticeable. Meals on the weekends were less formal than those during the week, but Ms. Davenport wasn't the sort to tolerate anything she perceived as rudeness. Fortunately, she just turned to Mistress Rose, and the school's healer stood and hurried after the two children.

"Oh. I'm so sorry," Suzanne said, eyes wide as the doors closed behind the doctor. "I just- We just-"

Geraldine, Eleanor's roommate and most likely confidante, was biting her lip. She shook her head at Suzanne. "It's not your fault. She's…afraid of bees!" Her tension fell away as she came up with an excuse she obviously felt would explain everything. She curved her hands next to her face and puffed her cheeks out. "She got stung once, and swelled up, but she doesn't like to admit it, because she's, um…"

Fortunately for her, Suzanne's expression lightened considerably, and she nodded, preventing Geraldine from having to complete her failing excuse. "I was stung once, and it was awful," she said, then lowered her voice. "Healing magic doesn't work very well on me, you know, and it took days for the swelling to go away completely."

She looked after Eleanor thoughtfully, perhaps realizing that she didn't know what kind of magic the princess had, and obviously put two and two together to make fifteen. When she spoke again, it was with deep compassion. "We can show the rest of you, and when…if she gets over her fear, she can go then. You won't have swimming class until you're eight, and there are no bees in the greenhouses."

Geraldine looked uncertain again, but nodded, and the boys shrugged.

"Nev'r beenstung," Abbington offered. "Beeslikeme."

"I have," Thaniel said confidently, puffing out his chest. "Lots an' lots. It doesn't hurt that bad. But Ellie's a girl," he added magnanimously, just in time to catch a sharp elbow in the ribs from Geraldine, who glared at him.

The conversation shifted, first becoming a contest between Geraldine, Thaniel, and Matilda to see who had had more bee stings, and where. Thaniel won after admitting he'd tried to steal honey from a hive and had been forced to hide in the stream surrounding the Dunning estate until after dark. At that point, Abbington attempted to teach the others about bees, beehives, and how honey was gathered, but it quickly became clear that only Suzanne was listening, so those two chatted while the other three children exchanged harrowing tales of near death experiences. By the time lunch was over, Pandy was beginning to question whether her luck was really that bad, or if she had somehow been surrounded by equally hapless people in her new life.

The 'grotto' – it turned out this was the unofficial name for the area around the pool, and Pandy could see why – was as beautiful and peaceful as the girls had promised. There were a few other students there, as well as several adults sitting at a table, talking quietly, but the hush was almost palpable, prompting even Thaniel and Geraldine to keep their voices down. The white noise generated by the gently rippling stream and the short waterfall covered any conversation. The water was crystal clear thanks to the carefully placed stones that lined the bottom and sides, keeping any dirt from entering.

They had to follow the stream for a bit to find the actual pool, at one point crossing a small, beautifully crafted bridge. The pool was perhaps twenty feet long and ten feet wide, too perfectly rectangular to be natural, with a sloping bottom just like swimming pools on her world. She couldn't tell how deep it was, but Matilda proudly told them that she could swim in even the deepest part, which was well over her head. Since she was around five feet tall, that made the pool at least six feet deep.

But while the area was indeed lovely, since they couldn't dip even a single toe into the water, and there was nothing in particular to do other than soak in the tranquil environment, Thaniel and Geraldine quickly became restless. Matilda, too, looked like she had achieved her goal when she saw how surprised the younger children were by the presence of this oasis in the middle of the busy school, and so in spite of the fact that Suzanne looked like she would happily spend all day there, they left in less than half an hour, heading once again for Brook's pasture.

Several hours passed as the children played, somehow never becoming bored, even though they just ran around and made up ever more complex games. Isidor and Eleanor never reappeared, but since the teenager rarely joined in their games, his absence didn't bother them much. Eleanor usually sat with Suzanne on the blanket – which might explain part of why Suzanne reacted so strongly to the princess's apparent rejection – but Matilda quickly pulled her friend into the games, seeming unable to resist joining any form of competition.

Eleanor was still absent at dinner, but Isidor was there. He explained that their absent friend had simply become ill at lunch, but she would be fine in the morning. His rather grim demeanor discouraged further questions, and since he was Eleanor's 'boyfriend' – ever since giving her the HeartSplit Charm so publicly, an act which he undoubtedly regretted almost as soon as it happened – no one pressed him on the matter.

There were no chores on weekends, but Isidor, Matilda, and Suzanne all said they had other things to do before school the next day, and Abbington said that Brook's stall had been cleaned out and repaired, so he needed to go set it up before bed. That left Thaniel, Geraldine, Miss Cupcakes, and Pandy, who had planned a surprise for the children.

So, as the much-smaller group wandered out of the dining hall, already discussing the possibility of returning to the grotto, or perhaps trying to find some of their acquaintances from their classes to play with, Pandy hopped ahead and blocked their path. Geraldine didn't even notice, and her foot came perilously close to Pandy's tail, but Thaniel caught the girl's arm and halted her mid-step.

"What is it, Bunny?" Thaniel asked. Geraldine looked startled that he was talking to his rabbit, then glanced at Miss Cupcakes before nodding.

Pandy looked around. They'd just left the main building, and in spite of the hour, there were a number of other students nearby. Most of them were heading for the training grounds and stable, though, so instead, Pandy tilted her head to indicate that the children should follow her, and hopped off toward the gardens. She led them onward until she was certain no one else was close by, then wiggled into a particularly large bush and thought, <Cast Shifting Faces.>

Shifting Faces successful. 00:47:18 remaining.

That was fine. Perfect, in fact, so when Pandy finally managed to wrestle her much-larger body out of what had suddenly become a horticultural death-trap, she smiled down at the two startled and curious little faces before producing the book she'd placed in her inventory that morning. Hopefully, no one would look under Thaniel's bed and find the coins she'd had to stash there in order to make room, but even if they did, and stole every one, it was worth it for this moment.

"Come on," she told them, and sat down, right there in the grass, her skirts billowing out around her. She patted the material, and Thaniel gladly sat beside her, leaning against her arm and grinning as he saw the title of the book. Geraldine was a bit more hesitant, but when Miss Cupcakes padded a few dirty little paws onto Pandy's skirt and laid down, the girl gave in and joined them, though she didn't quite touch Pandy.

Lifting the cover open and turning to the first page, Pandy cleared her throat. "If you've ever seen an ocean, Dear Reader, then you'll understand just how small one little boy is when he's lost upon it. If you haven't, don't worry, because this will make complete sense very soon. Our story begins on the seventh birthday of a little boy named Peter, but you will come to know him as Wayward Pirate Pete…."