Magic Bunny: Chocolate Wishes Read online

  Dawn jumped guiltily. She had no chance to hide Arrow. ‘Mum! You’re back!’

  ‘Hi, love!’ Mrs Kenton said cheerily. Crossing the room, she dumped the shopping on the work surface. ‘I was quicker than I expected. They opened a new till just as I got to the check-out.’ She started unpacking groceries. ‘How was your first day at school?’

  Dawn braced herself for a serious telling-off when her mum eventually spotted Arrow in the kitchen. From the corner of her eye she noticed that the key round Arrow’s neck was glowing again. ‘It was… erm, OK,’ she said vaguely.

  Why hadn’t Mum said anything about Arrow? It was almost as if she hadn’t seen him.

  ‘What’s that you’re clutching?’ Mrs Kenton nodded towards the shoebox as she put a carton of milk in the fridge. ‘Is it part of a class project?’

  ‘Yeah! We’re doing…’ Dawn fought for an explanation ‘… Easter stuff. I’m going to work on it in my bedroom. See you later!’ She shot out of the kitchen and hurried into her bedroom.

  Once the door was closed, Dawn placed Arrow’s box on her bedside chest of drawers. ‘Phew! That was close. I thought I was toast back there. Why didn’t Mum see you?’

  Arrow’s tail waggled cheekily. ‘I used my magic to make myself invisible. Now only you will be able to see me and hear me talking to you.’

  ‘Fine by me! It makes it easier to hide you from Mum and Dad. Is anyone else allowed to know?’

  ‘No. My presence here must be kept secret,’ Arrow said, looking serious. ‘You can tell no one about me, Dawn.’

  Dawn felt disappointed. She had wondered if Emma would be nicer to her if she knew a magic bunny had chosen her for his friend. But she was prepared to keep Arrow’s secret, if it would help keep him and his key safe from the fierce dark rabbits. She didn’t want to lose her only friend here.

  ‘OK, then. Cross my heart,’ she promised.

  ‘Thank you, Dawn.’

  Dawn stroked his velvety ears with the tips of her fingers. ‘Why does that key round your neck keep flashing?’

  ‘It makes my magic stronger,’ he explained. ‘When its power is needed for Moonglow Meadow the key will glow continuously. And I will have to return.’ As he finished speaking, Arrow’s whiskers quivered and he yawned sleepily.

  Dawn would have liked to ask him more about his strange and wonderful world, but he had already closed his eyes with a sigh. Almost at once soft little bunny snores rose from the box.

  Dawn gently tucked the scarf around her fluffy new friend. She’d only known Arrow for a short time but she already loved him to bits.

  Dawn heard her dad come home from work and so she left Arrow snoozing while she went in to eat supper with her mum and dad. Later, she was helping to clear away the plates when the phone went in the hall.

  Dawn dashed to answer it. It was Aunt Jenny, her mum’s sister.

  ‘Hello, Aunt Jenny! How’s Tansy? Is she missing me? Have you taken her for lots of walks?’ The pent-up questions spilled out of her. ‘She loves it in the park. Her favourite food is meaty chunks. And how’s she getting on with Bella? Have they been playing together?’ Bella was her aunt’s gentle old Labrador.

  ‘Whoa! Slow down, love!’ Dawn could tell her aunt was smiling. ‘Tansy’s doing fine, although she’s running rings round poor old Bella. We’re giving her lots of extra cuddles. Don’t worry about her,’ she said in her kind sensible way.

  ‘I’m trying not to, but I miss her loads,’ Dawn said sadly. She knew that she always would, but she had to try to be grown-up about this. Tansy had a good home with her aunt and Bella for company. ‘Can I come and see her this weekend?’

  ‘Come any time you like. It’s always lovely to see you,’ Aunt Jenny said warmly. ‘Tansy’s still your dog, you know. She always will be.’ After they’d chatted for a few more minutes, they said their goodbyes and Dawn passed the phone to her mum.

  Dawn had a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard, determined not to cry as she left her mum and aunt chatting and wandered into the kitchen. Putting thoughts of Tansy aside, she opened the fridge and chose a carrot and some juicy lettuce leaves.

  Stuffing the food under her top, Dawn went into her bedroom to see if Arrow was awake. The box on her bedside chest was empty.

  ‘Arrow?’ she whispered, looking around.

  There was a faint scrabbling noise. A pink nose followed by a fluffy little head with pricked ears appeared from beneath the bed. ‘I have been exploring your territory,’ Arrow said, his nose twitching.

  Dawn smiled. She’d never thought of her bedroom as ‘territory’ before – but she supposed it was in a way! She sank down on to the bedside mat beside him and pulled out the food.

  ‘Are you hungry? I don’t know what magic bunnies eat, so I got you these.’

  ‘In Moonglow Meadow I eat juicy grass and sweet wild flowers. This is strange food!’ Arrow hopped forward and nudged the carrot, sniffing it curiously. He took a tiny nibble and then did the same with a lettuce leaf. ‘I like it!’

  Dawn watched, smiling as he munched through the food and then groomed himself. When he’d finished, she lifted Arrow on to her bed and lay down with him sprawled out full length on her chest.

  She cuddled his warm little body delightedly, enjoying the clean grassy scent of his fur. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet Tansy. I’m going to see her this weekend. She belongs to me, but she’s gone to live with my Aunt Jenny and Bella,’ she explained.

  ‘I would like to meet Tansy very much. What sort of rabbit is she?’ Arrow asked, tucking his front paws beneath him.

  Dawn laughed. ‘Tansy isn’t a rabbit! She’s a white-and-brown Jack Russell terrier.’

  ‘A dog?’ Arrow blinked at her nervously. ‘I know of these, but we do not have any in Moonglow Meadow. Is Tansy friendly?’

  ‘Oh yes. She wouldn’t hurt a fly,’ Dawn assured him confidently, although she wasn’t actually sure that her little dog had ever met a rabbit before. She was looking forward to all the fun Tansy and Arrow would have, playing chase around her aunt’s huge garden.

  Chapter

  FOUR

  The following morning Dawn woke to find something furry curled up right under her chin. It took a moment for her to realize that it was Arrow and he was trembling all over.

  ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ she whispered, stroking him gently.

  The magic bunny sat up, blinking his big brown eyes. ‘I thought one of those giant noisy monsters that grumble outside was chasing me!’

  Dawn frowned, listening hard, but there were only a few cars going past the flat. That’s what he meant! So many things in this big new world must seem strange and scary to the tiny bunny.

  ‘Cars and buses aren’t monsters. They’re just things people travel about in. I used to be a bit scared of them when I was little. Don’t worry, I won’t let them hurt you. I’m very good at crossing roads,’ she reassured him.

  Arrow had stopped trembling. ‘I must try to be braver,’ he decided.

  ‘I think you’re already a brave little bunny!’ Dawn crooned. ‘It took heaps of courage to come here on this mission.’

  ‘Thank you, Dawn.’ He touched her chin with the tip of his damp pink nose.

  ‘You’re welcome! I love having you for my friend. I really wish we could spend all day together.’ She pulled a face. ‘Unfortunately, I have to get ready for school instead. It’s my second day in my new class.’

  ‘What is school?’

  ‘It’s where kids go to learn things,’ Dawn explained.

  Arrow’s cute face lit up with eagerness. ‘We do not have such things in Moonglow Meadow. I will come with you!’

  ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea,’ Dawn said doubtfully, imagining the complications of having a bunny hopping around the classroom – even an invisible one. But then her tummy fluttered at the thought of being teased or laughed at again and she decided it would be good to have her magical new friend with her.

  ‘Well, all right then,�
�� she agreed.

  After a quick breakfast, Dawn and Arrow hurried to school. They made it to the playground as the bell was sounding for lessons. Dawn filed inside to the cloakroom with everyone else.

  Some kids she recognized from yesterday’s class smiled at her. Dawn smiled back as she hung up her coat. She turned round, about to speak to them, but they were already walking away, chattering excitedly about the Easter celebrations. Everyone was so distracted with Easter that Dawn thought she would never make friends!

  Her smile faded as she unzipped her bag. She was really glad that Arrow was here.

  The magic bunny had just popped his head out of the opening when a hand snatched her bag and whisked it away.

  Arrow gave a startled cry.

  ‘Hey! Don’t! You’ll hurt him!’ Dawn cried without thinking. Whipping round, she saw Emma clutching the bag to her chest.

  ‘Hurt who?’ Emma asked. ‘Have you brought your ickle teddy bear to school wiv oo den?’ she joked in a silly baby voice.

  Dawn was too worried about Arrow to care what Emma thought. ‘Give me my bag! Now!’ she demanded.

  ‘Why don’t I see what’s in it first?’ Emma teased, her eyes sparkling. ‘Do you have something yummy in your lunchbox? I’ve got some of Mum’s lemon cake. Tell you what! I’ll swap you some.’

  Dawn hesitated, puzzled. Emma almost seemed to be making some kind of effort now, but she was too terrified that Arrow was going to get squashed to think any more of it. She lunged forward and tried to grab her bag back.

  Emma danced away, holding it up out of reach. Dawn stood still, feeling helpless. She knew this game. It could go on for ages.

  Suddenly, she felt a warm prickling sensation down her spine. Something very strange was about to happen.

  Dawn saw a puff of crystal dust shoot up out of the bag’s opening. The dust transformed into a big whoosh of what looked like thin brightly coloured tentacles.

  Pink, yellow and blue, they made comical whizzing and burping noises as they shot out in all directions, forming a ragged clump and making a beeline for Emma.

  Splat! Splop! Sploosh!

  Emma’s head, shoulders and the front of her school uniform were immediately covered in sticky party streamers.

  ‘Aargh! Get it off me!’ she cried in a panic, throwing up her arms in shock. Dawn’s bag went sailing high up into the air.

  ‘Arrow!’ Dawn almost tripped over her own feet as she tried to catch it.

  Her fingers closed on thin air as the bag hovered out of reach for a moment and then floated away to land gently on a bench at the far side of the cloakroom. Arrow hopped out with a flick of his fluffy tail and sat there looking innocent with rainbows dancing in his big brown eyes. He waved a front paw at Dawn to show he was fine.

  ‘Phew!’ Dawn’s heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

  Luckily, Emma hadn’t noticed the floating bag. ‘Yuck! This stuff’s gross!’ she complained, going cross-eyed as she pulled bits of twirly pink stuff off the end of her nose.

  Dawn felt laughter bubbling up in her. ‘I thought you liked jokes!’ she spluttered.

  Emma didn’t answer. She shook herself like a wet dog and the streamers tumbled on to the floor and started to dissolve.

  Dawn went over to Arrow. She picked him up, tucked him under one arm and grabbed her bag, before heading towards the door to the classroom. ‘Arrow! That was so naughty!’ she scolded gently. ‘But maybe Emma will stop being such a pain with me now. Oops, sorry!’ She only just managed to stop herself from knocking into Miss Walker, who was coming into the cloakroom.

  ‘Why aren’t you two in class? What’s going on?’ the teacher asked.

  ‘I… erm…’ Dawn didn’t know quite what to say without getting into trouble, but she wasn’t going to snitch.

  But Miss Walker seemed to have worked things out for herself. Frowning, she turned to Emma. ‘Look at you covered in mess. I expect you’ve been playing silly tricks again. I’m very disappointed in you. I expected you to make Dawn welcome and help her settle down in class.’

  ‘I was only messing about with her bag as a joke!’ Emma argued, looking at Dawn with a wounded expression. ‘It was meant to be funny.’

  ‘Jokes aren’t funny if no one’s laughing, Emma,’ the teacher said firmly. ‘Now I want you both in class. Pronto!’

  Hanging her head, Emma went to the classroom. Dawn walked beside her, no longer feeling like laughing. Why did she have the feeling that this time what happened hadn’t been all Emma’s fault?

  She sighed. It looked like being another long school day, sitting next to each other without speaking.

  Chapter

  FIVE

  ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you in class!’ Dawn whispered to Arrow on Saturday morning. They were in the supermarket with her mum. ‘Since Miss Walker told us about the Easter Fayre everyone’s too busy to be friends. And Emma’s always with Alesha and Vicky. She probably hates me after she got into trouble with Miss in the cloakroom.’

  Arrow was sitting with his front legs looped over the opening of her shoulder bag. He looked up at her. ‘Perhaps she would like it if you talked to her. I do not think that Emma is a mean person,’ he said wisely.

  Dawn fell silent as she wondered whether Arrow could be right. But even if she wanted to make things up with Emma, she didn’t know how to start.

  She soon forgot about Emma when she noticed Arrow licking his lips at a display of particularly juicy carrots. Reaching for a bag, she filled it right up. Mrs Kenton raised her eyebrows as Dawn dumped the carrots in the shopping trolley.

  ‘Are you sure you’re feeling all right?’

  ‘Yep! I love carrots! But that doesn’t mean I don’t want any Easter eggs!’ Dawn added hastily. She was a big fan of chocolate.

  Her mum laughed. ‘I think I’m finished. Let’s go. You must be looking forward to seeing Tansy.’ They were going to Aunt Jenny’s house straight after the supermarket.

  ‘You bet!’ Dawn exclaimed. ‘Can we pop into the pet shop on the way please? I want to get a present for Tansy.’ And something for Arrow, she thought.

  Her mum nodded. ‘No problem. I’ll park outside and wait for you in the car.’

  In the shop, Dawn counted out her spending money. There was just enough for a dog biscuit shaped like a bone and a rabbit chew made from parsley and wheat. Before going back to the car, Dawn hid the rabbit treat in her pocket so her mum wouldn’t be suspicious.

  A few minutes later, they drew up to her aunt’s front drive and her mum climbed out. ‘Here we are,’ Dawn whispered excitedly to Arrow, who was standing on his back legs and peering out of the side window. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet Tansy.’

  Her aunt appeared at the garden gate. Bella, her elderly Labrador, was at her side and she had a little brown-and-white dog in her arms.

  ‘Hi, Aunt Jenny! Bella! Tansy!’ Dawn called, waving as she opened the car door. She glanced quickly over her shoulder at Arrow. ‘I think you should jump into my bag for a start –’ she began to say.

  All of a sudden Tansy wriggled free from Aunt Jenny. Yapping excitedly, she exploded out of the front gate, bounded straight into the car and into Dawn’s lap.

  Arrow’s muffled squeal of panic was lost in a torrent of barking and tail wagging. The magic bunny hastily leapt under the front seat.

  ‘Hello, girl! Have you missed me then?’ Dawn grabbed Tansy’s collar as the little dog licked her chin and the end of her nose. ‘Hey! I’ve had a wash today! Calm down. There’s someone I want you to meet!’

  Tansy’s nose twitched. She stiffened as she seemed to catch Arrow’s scent. ‘Wroof!’ An eager whine rumbled in her throat as she struggled to get free again.

  ‘Be gentle!’ Dawn scolded, hanging on tight. ‘It’s OK, Arrow. Tansy’s just excited. She won’t hurt… Oh!’

  ‘Grrr-uuf!’ Tansy had slipped her collar. She peered down under the front seat, her mouth lolling open in a doggy grin as she prepared to jump at the m
agic bunny.

  Arrow had other ideas. He shot out of the car and streaked round the side of the house. Tansy gave chase, barking with excitement.

  ‘Oh my gosh!’ Dawn almost fell on to the pavement as she scrambled after them.

  Aunt Jenny and Mrs Kenton watched, open-mouthed, as Arrow, Tansy and then Dawn rushed past them.

  ‘Wherever did that little white rabbit come from?’ Aunt Jenny exclaimed.

  Oh no! Dawn realized that Arrow must have forgotten to stay invisible! She pounded down the garden path, just in time to see him leap into a bush at the bottom.

  Tansy wasn’t far behind Arrow. She skidded to a halt, tail wagging. With a triumphant bark, she plunged in head first after him.

  Dawn saw something golden glow in the depth of the bush. The magic key! She felt the familiar warm tingling sensation down her spine as a tall column of shimmering crystal dust rose from the bush. There was a rustle of frantic movement, followed by a surprised bark.

  ‘Yipe!’ Tansy shot upwards out of the bush like a cork from a bottle.

  The little Jack Russell landed on top of a very small birdhouse that was hanging from a tree overhead. Tansy perched there, balancing on the tips of all four paws. Flattening her ears, she whined nervously as she looked down at the lawn.

  Dawn couldn’t help smiling at her mournful expression. ‘I warned you about being too rough! Arrow’s a very special little rabbit!’

  Arrow hopped out from under the bush. He looked up at Tansy indignantly, dusting himself down with his fluffy front paws.

  ‘I’m sorry, Arrow. I should have warned you that Tansy gets overexcited. Are you OK?’

  The magic bunny nodded. ‘I am fine now.’

  ‘Good. So how about you two making friends?’ she whispered as she heard her mum, her aunt and Bella approaching. ‘Tansy needs to get down from there. And I think you need to become invisible.’