The New Jewelpet: Chinchilla

## Summary

Ruby, Garnet and Sapphie accidentally meet a shy new Jewelpet. And most surprising yet, the new Jewelpet turned out to be a Chinchilla! Actually what is the animal named Chinchilla?

## \*~The New Jewelpet: Chinchilla~\*

One day in Jewel Land, there were three cute Jewelpets playing in a beautiful garden. The garden was filled with sparkling multicolored crystal stones. They were everywhere both in the bushes, even in the trees, until everyone who saw them was amazed.

"Got it! You take care of it now. Hehe..." cried Ruby, the white rabbit Jewelpet while touching the Jewelpet cat's shoulder.

"Ouch, Ruby! You hit me!" squealed the pink fluffy Jewelpet cat, Garnet. He just scowled while puffing his cheeks as he stared at Ruby running away from him. "Hmph, who am I going to catch this time?" he asked then. When her magenta irises spotted the blue eared dog Jewelpet from a distance, she dashed after it on all four legs.

"Got you, Sapphie! You take care of it," he shouted as he touched Sapphie's shoulder and ran away from her.

"God! I got hit," Sapphie complained. "I'll catch you two," continued the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Jewelpet as he ran after Ruby and Garnet.

The three of them continued the game of chase. Oh, how cute. How fun it is to play with them. However, the game must end. Because Ruby suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her red irises accidentally caught the figure of an animal under the tree. The Jewelpet Rabbit fell silent, not moving at all. As if glued to the ground. His eyes were still on the figure. Garnet and Sapphie were surprised to see his behavior.

"What's wrong, Ruby?" asked Sapphie curiously, walking over to him.

"Really serious," commented Garnet as she followed Sapphie. "Did you see anything, Ruby?"

"Did you see that?" Ruby pointed at the figure. "I saw a figure that looked like a rat. See, look! It's there, under the tree."

"Eh?" Garnet and Sapphie turned their heads in unison where Ruby was pointing. In their eyes, there was a figure of a beast similar to a mouse. Or maybe more like a ground squirrel. However, their ears are larger than those of mice in general. Its tail is long and bushy like a squirrel's tail. The animal has brownish red fur with pale pink eyes. It looked like her eyes were made of rose quartz. Around her neck is decorated with a pink pearl necklace with a red rose-shaped crystal stone. The left and right of his head decorated with pink and red roses.

"Kawaii ne!" cried Garnet, admiring the beast's figure.

"Wow, looks like that figure... She's also a Jewelpet like us!" said Sapphie.

"But I'm curious. What kind, huh? I've never seen an animal like this," said Garnet. "She looks like Titana, but she doesn't seem like a squirrel. Even though she looks like a squirrel."

"And he's not a mouse either, but looks like one," Sapphie continued.

"He's not a rat, but not a squirrel either. Hmm..." Ruby thought for a moment. "I'll see him," he said, then walked over to the Jewelpet.

"Hi!" Ruby greeted the Jewelpet. "You're new here, huh? What's your name?" he asked kindly, but politely.

But the Jewelpet was even frightened when he saw Ruby in front of him. His whole body was shaking. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. His mouth was closed tightly, unable to get a word out. I was so embarrassed, he ran away from Ruby.

"Hey, wait!" exclaimed Ruby preventing. But the Jewelpet paid no heed. He kept running until his figure disappeared.

"Well, he's gone..." Ruby groaned disappointed. Garnet and Sapphie approached him from behind.

"He seems pretty shy, doesn't he?" Garnet said.

"Huh, even though I just asked him to get acquainted. Why should I be afraid to run away like that?" Ruby said a little annoyed.

"Maybe he's afraid of you, Ruby. Hehe..."

"Ouch, Garnet. Hidoi!" Ruby exclaimed.

Sapphie said nothing. Not talking at all. Its chin is supported by one of its front legs. It looked like he was thinking about something.

"Sapphire?" Ruby scolded. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm... I think I know what kind of beast the Jewelpet is," Sapphie replied.

"Eh? You know?" said Garnet. "Just tell us!" he asked.

"That beast is... Chinchilla."

"Chinchillas?!" Ruby and Garnet stared at this. Chinchillas? What animal is it?

"You don't know what a chinchilla is?" she asked. Ruby and Garnet just shook their heads in ignorance.

"I just heard about it, Sapphie. I swear I don't know what animal it is," Garnet said with a shrug.

"I don't know either," said Ruby. "Sapphie, can you explain what a chinchilla is? I want to know."

Sapphie nodded. He finally wanted to explain the animal to his two friends. "You guys want to come with me to the library? I'll explain it to you there later. You see, I've read the book. So naturally I know those Chinchillas."

Ruby and Garnet sweatdropped instantly. Yes, of course. Sapphie is a true connoisseur of books. Any type of book he would definitely want to read especially books about magic. Well, he's one of the "Crystal" class Jewelpets, namely Jewelpets that can cast their magical abilities within a 100% success range. Hence, he came to know everything including how to use magic because he likes to read books.

"F, well..." Ruby and Garnet nodded.

In library...

"Wow, that's huge!" praised Ruby. He was amazed to see the vast library room. The entire room was filled with wooden shelves containing various types of books. There are several tables used as a place to read. Starting from the walls to the ceiling, almost everything is made of wood. The air ventilation is quite good and cool. Very comfortable place to read a book.

"Sshhh..." Sapphie suddenly nudged Ruby. "Don't be loud, Ruby. This is the library. No fuss!" he scolded.

"Oh, sorry." Ruby hastily covered her mouth with her front legs.

"Humph, Ruby! Don't make trouble here," whispered Garnet irritably. "We can get kicked out later for making a scene, you know!"

"After that, this is the first time I've been to the library," Ruby replied, just as slowly.

"At least you can take care of yourself!"

"Come on, Garnet." Sapphie tried to break up their little fight. "I've found the book. Come on, I'll show you what a Chinchilla looks like and I'll explain it through this book," he continued, showing a book he took out from the shelf. The book is quite thick. At least about 160 pages. The title is "Encyclopedia of Rare Animals".

"Endangered animals?" Ruby's forehead wrinkled, surprised when she saw the title of the book. Likewise Garnet.

Sapphie nodded. "Yes, Chinchillas are rare animals in the Human World," he replied as he flipped through the pages of the book, looking for an explanation for these Chinchillas.

"Well, here it is, guys," he said then. Then showed the encyclopedia book to Ruby and Garnet. Its forepaws pointed at an image on it. "This is what it looks like. It has the same features as the Jewelpet we met that time."

"Wow, kawaii," Ruby and Garnet muttered in awe together. Their eyes lit up, mesmerized by the cuteness of the Chinchilla in the picture. Exactly the same as the shy Jewelpet. It's just that in that picture, the Chinchilla has gray fur.

"Yes, you're right, Sapphie. Very much like her," said Garnet.

"Right, what did I say?" Sapphie smiled. "The chinchilla does at first glance look like mice and squirrels because of its appearance, but it is stronger and bigger. Just like the two animals, Chinchillas also belong to the Rodentia class or rodents. These animals come from the Andes mountains. To be precise in South America. The name 'chinchilla' means 'Little Chincha'. The name 'Chincha' comes from the name of a tribe in the Andes, Chincha. Currently there are 2 species of chinchilla that still exist, namely Chinchilla Brevicaudata and Chinchilla Lanigera. Chinchilla Lanigera has a thinner physique and a longer tail," he explained .

"Oh, I see..." Ruby muttered nodding. "No wonder why Chinchillas are similar to mice and squirrels. Apparently they are from the same class, after all."

"Naturally similar," commented Garnet.

"Sapphie, can you explain a bit more about this chinchilla?" she asked. It seemed that he was very interested in getting to know this rare animal.

"Of course, Ruby," Sapphie replied. Then he began to sigh, preparing to tell a story. "Chinchillas are nocturnal animals that look for food at night. They are omnivorous, that is, all-consuming animals. They eat grass, seeds, fruit, insects and bird eggs. During the day, they live mostly in holes or rock crevices. In nature wild, they can live in groups where one group can reach 100 individuals."

"Wow..." Garnet chuckled in awe. "Tell me again, Sapphie! I'm getting more and more interested."

"Just a moment, Garnet..." Sapphie flipped through her book. "There you go. There's another interesting thing about chinchillas."

"What's that?"

"Chinchillas have very fine, velvety fur. Their hair is so dense that skin parasites such as fleas cannot survive because they suffocate to death. Their coat color varies, but the most common are gray, blue, light brown and white ," answered Sapphie at length.

"Velvet-like fur?" muttered Garnet. "Ah, my body hair is finer and prettier than Chinchilla. Smoother than chiffon. Hihi..." he said narcissistically. Garnet base. She still likes to boast about the beauty of her fur. Made Ruby sweatdrop her brag.

"Try it compared to your body hair, Garnet. If a cat's hair grows in each follicle, then a Chinchilla has 50 hairs from one follicle. Isn't that a lot? That's why Chinchilla's fur is so fine," said Sapphie.

Somehow the Persian cat Jewelpet didn't like Sapphie's explanation at all on this one. He felt himself inferior to Chinchilla.

"See, Garnet. Don't get a big head because you compare your fur with Chinchilla's fur. Yours is still less beautiful. Hehe..." Ruby sneered.

"Humph!" Garnet puffed out her cheeks in annoyance as she turned the other way.

"Come on, move on," Ruby said to Sapphie. Sapphie nodded.

"Chinchillas don't like water. That's why they bathe their fur with volcanic dust regularly. This is used to get rid of oil and water droplets that collect in their thick hair," Sapphie said. "Chinchillas are prey for a number of predators such as birds of prey, raccoons, snakes and big cats. If threatened, chinchillas will move towards their hiding holes so that their enemies cannot reach them. They can also move fast and jump. They can jump up to 1.8 meters. Chinchillas can also shed their fur or spray urine at their enemies."

"Sugoii ne..." Ruby's eyes twinkled.

"Wow, I didn't think they could jump high too," said Garnet. "Do they have a breeding season?" he asked.

Sapphie shook her head. "No, Garnet. They live monogamously or have only one life partner. They can reproduce at any time. After mating, the female Chinchilla will enter a gestation period of 111 days. After the cub is born, the mother will nurse the calf for up to 8 weeks. A Chinchilla can live up to 10 years old. If caught, they can live for 20 years. Their body size can reach 30 cm. The body size of the female is bigger than the male..."

"Can chinchillas be kept or not?" she asked.

"Yes, they can be kept. Chinchillas are very spoiled animals. Hence, they are suitable as pets. They are usually kept in cold climates. They cannot live in areas with hot enough weather, so you have to make sure that these Chinchillas stay It's cold. They need a large enough cage so they can move freely," Sapphie explained.

"Oh..." Ruby and Garnet's mouth looked like an o.

"Then, why are they called rare animals?" asked Ruby again.

"Yes, Sapphie. Why do you think chinchillas are rare? I'm curious," said Garnet.

"Hmm..." Sapphie turned the page again. "You want to know why?" he asked, looking at his two best friends. They nod.

"Here's the explanation." He pointed to an article in his encyclopedia. "Chinchillas were hunted by humans to make use of their fine fur and make it into clothing. In the early 20th century, chinchilla fur was very expensive. However..." He paused.

"Why?" asked Garnet.

"Chinchillas are now facing the danger of extinction due to poaching. In addition, habitat destruction also contributes to the decline in the chinchilla population..."

"What?!" Ruby and Garnet were taken aback. Their eyes widened with shock.

"Oh, no! Poor animal. What if that cute animal will become extinct in the Human World? I don't want that to happen," screamed Garnet hysterically.

"Poor Chinchilla..." Ruby said sadly. He didn't expect that fluffy beast would be in danger of extinction in the Human World.

"Don't worry, guys," Sapphie said then. "Currently, the hunting of chinchillas is opposed and protected by CITES or the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Animals. Apart from being used for their fur and used as pets, chinchillas are now being bred en masse. So, you don't need to worry..."

"Oh, youkatta..." Garnet stroked her chest, relieved to hear that.

"Yosh, the animal will be protected. Thankfully, there are also humans who care about chinchillas," said Ruby. "I am so glad!"

"Me too," Sapphie said. "Hopefully in the future, chinchillas will still exist and continue to be preserved by humans."

"Agreed! The cute animal must stay." Garnet agrees.

"Guys," called Ruby to Garnet and Sapphie. "Shall we meet that Jewelpet Chinchilla again? We'll make him a friend," he suggested.

"But what if he's still afraid of us, Ruby?" said Garnet anxiously.

"If we convince him he will," said Sapphie.

"Hmm... That's right."

"Come on, guys! Let's meet him," said Ruby enthusiastically.

"Come on!"

Ruby, Garnet and Sapphie searched for the new Jewelpet in the park where they had been playing. As they searched around the park, Ruby suddenly shouted, "Look, guys! I found it!"

"Where, Ruby?" asked Sapphie walking up to him, followed by Garnet.

"There! He is near the rosebush," Ruby replied, pointing in the direction in question.

Garnet and Sapphie turned to where Ruby was pointing. It is true. The Chinchilla Jewelpet was near a newly blooming rosebush.

"There he is!" cried Garnet. "Come on, let's go see him, Ruby!"

"Hn!" Ruby agreed.

"Me too," Sapphie said.

Ruby and her friends walked up to the Chinchilla Jewelpet. Meanwhile, the Jewelpet Chinchilla was enjoying the scent of roses in front of him. He didn't notice that Ruby and the others were nearby.

"Hey, Friends! We meet again," said Ruby friendly to the Jewelpet.

The Jewelpet was surprised, then turned towards Ruby. Her face turned into one of fear when she saw Ruby nearby. He wanted to run away, but Ruby prevented him by grabbing his forelegs.

"Don't be afraid," said Ruby. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to get to know you..."

"Eng? B, really...?" Finally the Jewelpet Chinchilla would let out its voice. His voice sounded nervous and shaky. It can be seen that he is not good at socializing like other Jewelpets.

Ruby nodded with a smile. "Yes of course."

The Chinchilla Jewelpet returned Ruby's smile. Wow, that's sweet. Ruby and the others were excited to see his smile.

"My name is Ruby. Who are you?"

"Na... My name is... Rosie..." The new Jewelpet introduced itself.

"Rosie? Wow, what a nice name for you," Ruby complimented.

"Eh? A, arigato, Ruby..." The jewelpet named Rosie smiled shyly. A blush appeared on his cheeks. Then he noticed Garnet and Sapphie who were near Ruby. "Ano... These people... Who, Ruby?" he asked quietly.

"Oh yes. They are my friends," Ruby replied cheerfully. "The Jewelpet cat's name is Garnet. The Jewelpet dog's name is Sapphie..."

"Yoroshiku ne..." said Garnet while shaking hands with Rosie.

"Yoroshiku," said Sapphie.

"Ah, yoroshiku mo, Garnet, Sapphie..." Rosie replied. "I'm Rosie..."

"By the way, you are very funny, aren't you," commented Garnet.

"Yeah, you're cute, Rosie. You look cute with that rose on your head." Sapphie chimed in.

Rosie's face looks as red as a ripe apple. He looked so embarrassed to hear Garnet and Sapphie's compliments, but inside he was happy. "A, arigato... Roses are my favorite flower... That's why... I'm here..." he said.

"Wow, that's appropriate. It turns out you like roses, huh," said Ruby. "If I like cherry blossoms. I even like to see them blooming on the tree. It's very beautiful to me."

"Sakura...? Mom, that flower on your head, huh?" asked Rosie, pointing to the cherry blossoms on Ruby's head. Ruby nodded enthusiastically.

"Kirei na... No less beautiful than roses..."

"Hehe..." Ruby blushed. He stuck out his tongue while putting on a ridiculous expression.

"You new here?" Sapphie asked Rosie.

"Y, yes... But..." Rosie paused for a moment. "I... I don't have friends... Because... If they approach me... I don't know why I get scared and embarrassed... Like what I did to Ruby earlier..."

"So that's why you don't have any friends?" This time it was Ruby who asked.

Rosie nodded sadly. Her rose quartz beads glisten. Tears started welling up in her eyes. "I... A, I... Lonely because of that... Sob... Sob..." she said while crying.

"Don't be sad, Rosie." Ruby tried to console. "Now, you are not lonely anymore. Because you already have friends here."

"Is it true?" Rosie stopped crying. He looked at Ruby.

"Hn! You have me, Garnet and Sapphie by your side. So don't worry if you're lonely. The three of us are willing to be friends for you, Rosie," Ruby replied, smiling happily.

Rosie's eyes shone like stars. He was overjoyed that Ruby and the others wanted to be his friends. "Y, you're so kind, Ruby... Thank you..."

"You're welcome, Rosie," Ruby replied, then she turned to Garnet and Sapphie. "Come on, let's play again with Rosie, friends!" he asked.

"Ah, time to play again. Tired, ah!" Garnet refused firmly. "Later my body hair will get dirty again if I keep on playing..."

"Ouch, Garnet! No fun, please!" complained Ruby annoyed.

"Then how about we introduce Rosie to the others?" Sapphie suggested. "Rosie can have lots of friends later."

"That's a pretty good suggestion, Sapphie!" Garnet agrees to hear Sapphie's proposal. "This way the other Jewelpets will get to know Rosie."

Ruby seems to agree too. Then he turned to Rosie. "Rosie, you want to have lots of friends, right? The three of us will introduce you."

"Ah, bu, but... I'm embarrassed..."

"Daijoubu, Rosie. Don't be shy. No one will bother you," said Garnet reassuringly.

"Ha, ha'i... Then... I want..." A smile appeared on Rosie's lips.

"Yosh! Come with us, come on!" asked Ruby while holding Rosie's forelegs. Rosie nodded in approval.

Ruby, Garnet, Sapphie and Rosie walked on all fours talking, out of the garden. Now thanks to Ruby and her friends, Jewelpet Chinchilla named Rosie finally has a new friend. Rosie doesn't feel lonely anymore. He lives happily in Jewel Land with Ruby, Garnet and Sapphie.