How Rosie the Grarrl Came to Be

     Rosie used to live in a Grarrl neighborhood that was set on a hill near the famed Tyrannian battledome. Rosie did not like her home that much. The bleak, primordial surroundings on dry, dull sand bored her. There was nothing much to do except to spend time at the Battledome. Rosie was never fond of being a tough, ferocious creature, though. She could not get along with many other Grarrls since they claimed that she was "too soft" on her opponents when in the Battledome (which was true- one time she used her negg ability to generate neggs for the other opponent! None of her teammates were particularly happy about that).

     "Grarrg would never train you!" they all scoffed. Grarrg was a famous battle master who all Grarrls worship and he's the reason why all Grarrls strive to become fierce warriors. Though Rosie simply ignored these comments, she became quite lonely and spent most of her time eating her favorite neggs (generated from her negg ability, of course) while watching the gorgeous sunsets that Tyrannia was known for. They were indeed lovely and Rosie's home was the best place to see them; a show of blazing orange, red, pink, and gold would blend together as the sun began to gracefully dive into the ground, with the village in the spotlight.

     "Not all Grarrls have to be like that. We can be nice, can't we?" she pondered to herself one afternoon as she sat on a hill that overlooked the place. "Aren't there any Grarrls out there that are known for something other than being warriors?" She rested her chin in her palm, and gazed at the bright colors sky that looked as if someone had a sudden notion to paint the it. The sun was just beginning to set. While lost in her thoughts, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

     "Excuse me, miss."

     Rosie jumped at the sound of the unknown voice. When she turned around, she saw a Cybunny in a sand-colored cloak and straw hat. He seemed to blend in with the sand dunes. The large hat kept most of his face in the shadows but as he tilted his head, Rosie could see his exhausted, weary eyes. The Cybunny spoke in a weak, but audible voice.

     "My name is Pano. I am a traveler from the Lost Desert and have gotten myself lost. I am so tired, hungry, and thirsty. Would you be willing to tell me the way to the nearest food stand?"

     Rosie began to give him directions but upon seeing the extremely fatigued look on his face once again, thought better of it. She took out a negg from her pouch and gave it to him.

     "Here, eat this. It's one of the juiciest kinds around and will replenish you. Besides you don't look like you'll make it very far without something to eat or drink."

     Pano's face lit up. He cautiously took the negg but after seeing that this wasn't some trick, quickly finished it. Soon he did not look like he was about to collapse at any moment. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed. "You are most kind indeed!"

     "I'm glad that I could help." Rosie smiled and turned back to watch the colorful patterns of the sky. Rosie waited for Pano's retreating footsteps but never heard them. After hearing him shuffle around, she saw him sit next to her.

     "You are most unlike the other villagers here. A very kind Grarrl indeed."

     "Yes, I know," Rosie softly replied, staring into the horizon. "I guess that's not a very good thing, is it?"

     Pano raised an eyebrow. "How so? Being kind is a gift, not a curse."

     Rosie looked away. "My home is best for those who are fierce and love to battle, not those with soft hearts. All I have is this." She gestured to the fading sun. "Nothing else out here to do," she sighed.

     Pano put a hand on her to comfort her. "My home was also... not for me. It was a small village and we couldn't do much there. So I decided to leave to see the world and all that it has to offer. There is more to the world than just battling, you know." He chuckled. "Tell you the truth, I'm not much of a battler myself!"

     Rosie giggled. "I guess you're right. But what can I do? I don't even know where to go, or even what to do!" Rosie buried her face in her hands, unable to think. If what she said was really true, what was to become of her? She loved sunsets as much as the next villager Grarrl, but she could not spend her whole life living in a place where she just did not belong. She felt as sense of hopelessness wash over her when suddenly, an idea came to her like the golden sun breaking through the grey mass of clouds. She lifted her head and said cautiously, "Unless... maybe I could go with you? I could leave almost immediately. No one would mind me leaving."

     Pano did not seem taken back at all. His eyes lit up just as before and answered with a grin, "It would be nice to have a companion... sure, why not. We can leave tomorrow morning. I'll go stay at an inn tonight and you get ready."

     "That's great!! I'll meet you at the village square at sunrise." Rosie returned Pano's smile and watched him leave. She turned to look at the sky once more. Dark blends of blue and purple showed where the bright colors had once been. Some hues of pink and orange still glowed. The sun was barely visible, with only a little bit of its fiery red top showing. It was a beautifully blissful sight, one that Rosie would never forget.

     After taking in a bit more of what she knew would be her last wonderous sunset for a while, Rosie left for home. This was going to be the beginning of a new life, one with adventure, journey, and best of all, company- no even better than that, a friend.

     The next day, she put on a dress that matched the color of the sand but outlined in pink and her best sunhat to shield her from the sun. She then left with a pouch of coins and a bag of neggs to meet Pano. She found Pano exactly where he said they'd meet. He greeted her with a broad smile.

     "Ready?" he asked. "You need to say any goodbyes of any sort before we leave?"

     Rosie looked around at the village she had grown up in. She had always found it very boring, but as she looked at the places she had always taken for granted, she realized that she was going to miss the place very much. The memory of yesterday's sunset filled her.

     "Nope, I'm ready. Let's go!"

     Together they left the village and started their journey.

     From that day on, the two traveled around the world together. In each village they went to, Rosie managed to help the villagers out in some way. She was, after all, one who enjoyed to help.And wherever she went, no matter where, none ever objected to the idea that she was not a warrior Grarrl.

     But why does she give out neggs on Easter? Well, it happened that the day that Rosie and Pano met was Easter (it's just that all of Rosie's neighbors were too busy scheduling more battles to care, Rosie plain forgot, only noting the date, and Pano was too exhausted and busy making sure he would not be stranded in the desert to remember what day it was). Since the day they met, Rosie celebrates the beginning of their friendship by giving out neggs every year around this day (and coincidently, she always gave them out on Easter... without even noticing!). It was only after, when Rosie was telling her story to a group of young Blumaroos on Roo Island that a small blue one pointed out that that day was Easter. The next day, Pano bought Rosie a set of cybunny ears and joked that she should put them on when giving out neggs to give it more of an "Easter-feeling".

     "I should actually be the one giving out neggs then!" Pano teased. "I can be the traveling Easter Bunny, you know."

     "Well, there can be Easter Grarrls too and I'll be the first one," Rosie replied as she tried on the ears, smiling at how well they matched her dress. "Oooh, I really like them!"

     Pano laughed, his eyes twinkling, but he nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's who you'll be known as, Rosie the Easter Grarrl; the negg-loving, most kindest Easter Grarrl in all of Neopia!!" And that was exactly what Neopians started calling her. Even her own village recognized her as a Grarrl as famous as Grarrg. Because of her, many even realized that there's more to a Grarrl-life than battling. And Rosie never had to change herself into a fierce warrior-fighting Grarrl.

The End