True to Yourself

     Rofls was a soft, fuzzy blue JubJub. He was very smart for his young age. He was quick witted and full of energy. I loved petting him when my Cybunny and I would go to the Haunted Woods to visit them. Rofls seemed amazed by Cc, as she hopped around their Haunted Wood mansion. He watched her with awe. Fen and I thought nothing of it, accepting the idea as flattery of her cloud painted coat.

     ---

     When Fen made enough Neopoints to go out shopping, she and Rofls joined Cc and me on one of our many shopping sprees. (Cc's closet at home held so many clothing items the doors wouldn't shut. Still, we were out looking for great deals to keep her looking tip-top.) Fen wanted to buy a few things for Rofls. We walked into one of the many shops in the market and looked through all the wearables.

     Fen was looking at some of the furniture sets on display (they were in great need of filling up their large empty house) when Rofls pulled on her shirt, asking for her attention.

     "What is it?" she asked in a motherly tone.

     "I found something," Rofls said, starting to walk toward his find.

     I shrugged at Fen and we followed as he lead us to a worn pair of Purple Cybunny Pyjamas. Fen frowned at the price, which was certainly not in a budget of someone who had lived in Neopia less than a month. She looked at her dear pet with a certain broken heart. (A look we've all known at one point or another.)

     "Rofls, I am sorry, but we can't afford this," she said, petting him.

     "Please? I want to be just like Cc," he said softly, tears swelling up in his large blue eyes.

     I hated to watch the scene, so naturally I offered to buy them as a gift. Rofls admiring Cc was too cute to pass up. Fen or myself thought nothing of the fact he wanted to be 'just like Cc'. I also thought he looked adorable when he tried them on for size. His furry little face stuck out, little tufts of blue fur mixed with the purple around his face. The fuzzy collar that I adored on my own Cybunny looked too precious on him.

     "Oh, thank you!" he said over and over, wearing them out of the shop.

     "No problem at all, Rofls." I smiled, happy to see him back to his normal self.

     "I will pay you back," Fen promised. She was smiling too, her dear JubJub happy again.

     "Don't worry about it. It's what friends are for." I waved away such an idea.

     We went our separate ways for the evening. Fen and Rofls promised to come visit our home in Brightvale as soon as they could. Cc smiled, hopping along the trail to our small cottage. She started to giggle.

     "What is so funny?" I asked, wanting a laugh too.

     "Mama, that silly JubJub wants to be just like me!" She giggled.

     "Now Cc, don't make fun of him. I think it's cute."

     "But Mama, he's a JubJub!" She laughed.

     I ignored Cc's taunts. Not realizing, she was right. Fen and I were very mistaken thinking he wanted to be painted like Cc.

     ---

     Weeks later Fen and Rofls showed up at the door. Fen looked at me, tired, and Rofls looked... dirty. I ushered them in quickly before any neighbors saw the sad girl and her dirty pet on my doorstep. The worn pyjamas that I purchased looked dirty and stained. Fen shook her head as we took a seat in the kitchen.

     "He won't take them off!" she exclaimed, putting her face in her hands.

     "Not even to let you make them clean?" I asked, pouring each of us a cup of hot chocolate.

     "No. He keeps saying 'No, I am a Cybunny now,' and insists I bathe him in it, like a normal Cybunny." She sighed.

     "A Cybunny?" I asked, confused.

     "He wanted them to be a Cybunny, not a painted pet." Fen shook her head, looking at the table.

     "Oh no," I agreed, shaking my head.

     I heard the too familiar giggling from the other room. Cc was rolling on the floor near tears from her hysterics as I walked into the room, hoping to catch her before I was too late. I was too late.

     "Mama, I told you!" Cc giggled. "He thinks he is a Cybunny!"

     "Cc, that's enough," I said, walking over to the sad looking JubJub.

     "Rofls, honey, how about we clean up those pyjamas and make you look like a pretty purple Cybunny?" I offered.

     "I am a Cybunny," he protested.

     "Don't you want to have a pretty coat like Cc?" I offered.

     He sniffled and mumbled a yes.

     "Then let's take those off, and I'll clean them right up for you." I smiled.

     "No," he huffed.

     "Rofls..." I tried to plead.

     "No!" he exclaimed, hiding his face against the couch cushion.

     It really was hopeless. He was truly convinced he was a Cybunny. I walked into the kitchen and sighed. Fen looked up with an 'I told you so' expression. Sitting at the table, I began to think of new ideas, coming up with nothing. Fen couldn't think of anything either.

     "I just don't know what to do..." she mumbled.

     ---

     Fen thanked me for the hot chocolate, as she and Rofls left. Inyu (my spotted Bori) walked in the door with Daiyu (my new blue Lupe) just as the other two were leaving.

     "Whoa, what's that smell?!" Daiyu exclaimed.

     Rofls started to sniffle, and ran ahead of Fen. She groaned chasing after him. I shot Daiyu a look of disapproval.

     "Sorry, Mama," he said, hanging his head low.

     ---

     The next day I took Daiyu to the Trading Post. He was still young and new to the many lands of Neopia, I had slowly been inviting him on trips that did not include heavy shopping. He adored Mystery Island. I left him playing on the beach as I checked the trades.

     Something caught my eye, a morphing potion. The bottle had the familiar collar and ears that my own pet had at home. The idea hit me fast and I quickly sent a message to Fen informing her of my plan, telling her to bring Rofls to Mystery Island as soon as she could.

     We were going to get Rofls behaving like a JubJub again! At least, I hoped.

     They walked up. Rofls was looking at me curiously. I had told Fen to tell him that I had a surprise for him. I smiled and greeted them both.

     "Rofls, I had a wonderful idea!" I said happily.

     "Hmm?"

     "See that bottle right there?" I asked, pointing to the Cybunny potion.

     "Yeah?"

     "If you drink that, you will become a real Cybunny." I smiled. "You won't have to wear those pyjamas to show people. You can look just like a Cybunny so people don't think you're a JubJub anymore."

     Rofls stood thinking it over. That potion could make him a true Cybunny. He swallowed and kindly shook his head.

     "I don't think yellow will look good on me," he commented.

     Fen let out a sigh of relief. I frowned, playing along.

     "Oh, what color do you have in mind?" I asked.

     "I am not sure. I-I wanna think about it," he said.

     "OK, take your time."

     Fen and Rofls left to return home after the JubJub's declaration of "needing to sleep on it". I bit them farewell and left to find Daiyu. He was looking at the owner shops of Mystery Island and found a few clothing items he liked.

     I paid no mind and went ahead and bought them as I so often did with my usual shopping partner. Daiyu thanked me and we made our way back to our small cottage in Brightvale.

     --

     I received a message the next day. Rofls had taken off his pyjamas! He was also rolling around the house just like a normal JubJub. Fen had asked why he was no longer a Cybunny and he told her he liked being a JubJub. He also mentioned he wanted to keep the pyjamas. They were comfortable and he promised to only wear them to bed.

     I was glad my plan worked. Rofls was back to being a JubJub, and I did not have to worry about spending a lot of Neopoints on a Cybunny potion to make him happy. I went through Cc's closet and made sure to remove everything that resembled another species. That was when my dear Lupe walked in a complete Polarchuck costume and exclaimed, "Mama, I'm a petpet!"

The End