Astaweave The Little Jubjub

     Probably due to his simple mind, the JubJub couldn't remember who his parents were, or why they abandoned him; maybe he wandered off one day and got lost. But in any case, he was left to fend for himself in the world of Neopia, despite not knowing how.

     And so he got by in the wilderness through a mixture of fight or flight instinct and sheer luck; this soft little fuzzball had no means of self-defence other than to curl up and roll away at the first sight of danger, but he still made for easy prey for wild Neopians who were bigger, stronger and more aggressive than him.

     As a result, he accumulated quite a few bumps, bruises and scratches during his time; from cheeky Pteris dropping rocks on his head to big scary Grarrls clawing at him, to accidents caused by his own clumsiness such as tripping over or running into trees as he rolled away. It was a miracle he had survived, although he struggled every step of the way.

     As a result of all his scary experiences from the outside world, he learned to become increasingly anxious over time. He'd always be on edge for what danger could be lurking around the corner, whether it be in his head or a serious threat; it was no way to live, but that was just how the world around him taught him how to feel.

     And yet, he never lost his innocence or optimism. He still held onto the undying hope that someday, hopefully, he would find a home, and his survival would pay off eventually...

     Then came the day of the Brightvale incident. It started off as any other ordinary day in the JubJub's life as he wandered into the kingdom valley, which seemed less dangerous than the wilds. But even still, there were frightening Neopians to be found...

     The JubJub came across one as he was walking unassumingly through the hilly fields, when he came face to face with a big, grumpy Skeith, with his threatening scowl and gigantic size that towered over the little guy. He was visibly nervous, but the Skeith didn't seem to notice or care as he let out a booming growl to frighten him away. "GO AWAY!!!"

     The JubJub's fight or flight instinct kicked in as he cried, and he started to roll away as he often did. But in his haste, he didn't see how steep the hill he was on was, and the next thing he knew, he was rolling through the hills uncontrollably fast, headed towards certain disaster with no choice but to scream.

     However, as a JubJub, his ear-piercing screech when scared was the one weapon he had at his disposal. His screams echoed through the hills until they reached the ears of a trio of Neopians picnicking in the fields nearby. "HELP! I'm rolling!! I'm rolling!!"

     "Did you hear that? Someone's in trouble! Quick!" Without wasting any time, the Shoyru, who went by the name Lillibet, leapt into action as she took off into the skies in search of the source of the cry. Lily the Aisha tried to run after the JubJub on all fours, as Bento the Kacheek panicked internally.

     Thankfully Lillibet's lightning-fast flying skills meant she found the JubJub from the skies, and just in time, as he was about to go flying off a cliff! As he continued to scream for dear life, Lillibet swooped down just as he went careening off the edge, fearing this was the end.

     But as the JubJub closed his eyes in terror, he felt himself not falling down but flying upwards, as he heard an enthusiastic voice. "Don't worry, little buddy! I got ya!" He reluctantly opened his eyes to see the friendly Shoyru who had come to his rescue, and as the two flew through the skies, he felt his fear turn into excitement.

     "Weehee! This is fun! Faster, go faster!" The JubJub cheered, as he never felt this kind of joy before. "You like that, huh? Well, check this out!" Then suddenly, Lillibet threw the JubJub high into the air, but he felt excited as he flew before being caught again, giggling uncontrollably as the two continued to soar through the skies before returning to the ground safely.

     When they landed, the JubJub felt all dizzy, but he was happy. "Whee, that was the most fun thing ever! I was scared before, but now I'm really happy!" As she heard him speak, Bento's heart melted in the presence of the little JubJub. "He's so cute..." She spoke softly.

     It didn't take too much inspection to see the JubJub was terribly neglected; his fur was all matted in spots, and he lacked the maturity to be able to look after himself like he had to. "Aww, you poor thing. Don't you have any home or family?" Lily knelt down as she gave him a warm hug. "Nope!" He replied.

     "Maybe he can stay with us?" Suggested Bento, hoping to look after the JubJub. "Wow, really? Yay!" The JubJub cheered happily. These three weren't like so many he had come across before. They seemed so nice and caring and wanted to look after him... Like a family.

     And so they took the JubJub in and named him Astaweave Haven, or Asta for short. Lillibet suggested the name, simply because it sounded cool. She also took him on many more adventures, carrying and tossing him in the skies much to his delight, although she had to be discreet so as to not get in trouble with Lily; even though Asta always had lots of fun.

     Bento enjoyed many cuddles with him, and the two enjoyed frolicking through flower fields together. Bento found everything Asta did, from rolling around to nuzzling up to her as they sat together, to be heart-meltingly precious, and Asta loved getting cuddles from Bento and seeing how he made her smile as they enjoyed many peaceful moments to counterbalance the action-packed adventures with Lillibet.

     But Lily helped balance the others out by being the responsible big sister, always making sure he was safe and fussing over him, although she still made sure to show her love for him and reprimand him gently; she didn't want Asta to have to feel scared anymore, and that wasn't lost on him.

     And so for the first time in his life, Astaweave felt happy. He no longer had to be afraid as he fended for himself in a cruel harsh world; he had found a family of three big sisters who loved him and filled his days with lots of fun and happiness. Although he still felt anxious and scared at times, he knew that as long as he stayed with his new family, he would have all he needed in life to be truly happy.

     (I love my big sisters so much!) Asta thought to himself as he enjoyed hanging out with them one day. (And I'm really happy because I know they love me too! Yipee!)

     The End.

     Dedicated to AstaweaveHaven, my newly adopted pet JubJub. I wrote this because I think JubJubs are adorable and I will make sure he gets all the love and happiness he deserves. He's such a cute little fluffy boy.