The Untold Story of Tyrannian Victory Day

      May 10th will go down in history as the day Tyrannia emerged victorious from a battle that compromised it as a land entirely. The story goes that a courageous Lupe is responsible for the defeat of the evil Monoceraptor and subsequent security and victory of our land. That’s great and all, but I’ll let you in on a little secret - he’s not the only one who was there. I can’t say I blame the historian; everyone loves a good battle story with the main character exerting incredible bravery and fortitude. I kept my story inside for a long time - coming up on sixteen years on Wednesday (the anniversary of this holiday), but I am happy to say that my story will no longer be a secret.

      My name is Ug-Ha-Ag-Un but my friends call me Kate. I grew up on the plateau with my parents and three big brothers, selling handmade weapons in my dad’s shop. Coming from this type of family, I learned to use these weapons at a young age - my brothers used to ambush me at school to teach me to “always be prepared”, for example. Although it was expected that I was to grow up to be a lady, learning to cook traditional Tyrannian food and raise a beautiful family, I constantly looked up to my brothers and father, seeing what amazing tools they made and how agile they were in wielding them. My brother even won the national tournament in the Ugga Dome three years in a row! In my spare time, between sewing and cooking classes and learning to read, I would sneak down to the weaponry shop and practice my skills, hoping to one day be as ferocious as my brothers. I bet you know where I’m going with this, but let me just say it all paid off.

      As I grew, my sparring skills improved. I went from struggling against plains Lupes to smoothly and swiftly overcoming cave ogres. My brothers even had to exert an extra bit of effort against me - granted, I’d still lose, but I had much more to learn. One of my neighbors, Triggulek, caught my attention one day; he often participated in arena competitions to prove strength and might, and that day he was parading around, bragging how he’d win that day’s challenge as well. Being the hot-headed competitive girl I am, this sparked a will in me even greater than the one I’d been carrying around for years in the shadow of my brothers. Unwilling to waste any more time in the dark, I knew this was my opportunity to show my skill and that I was unlike any Tyrannian girl they’d ever seen.

      So I did what any girl would do. I grabbed my Fire Hammer and put on my Mega Fire Shield (looking fabulous, may I add) and set out toward the Ugga Dome. However, what occurred next was something I hadn’t prepared for. As I neared the arena, I began to hear screams in the distance, coming from Tyrammet Village. Chaos ensued, with our people running in all directions, afraid for their lives, and our land was brought to turmoil. Korbat Scouts had unleashed their wrath, hoping to conquer our land. Parents scurried their children indoors, utilizing the safe-houses we all thought we would never need. My parents somehow tracked me down, pulling me back toward the Plateau…

      I’m not sure how long we hid, but my father told me to leave my worries behind and rely on our nation’s defenders. It was hard not to worry with all the commotion that ensued for what felt like a week. My brothers kept me from insisting on joining the fight, until the fateful day when a knock on our door came, enlisting the help of my brothers. My decision came then - and once I made a decision, there was no talking me out of it - and I equipped myself with my weapons and set out with my brothers.

      I was not prepared for what I was about to see. The land I knew and loved was being ruined and turned upside down. In the time I had been barricaded in my hut, Chia Bombers and Grarrl Battle Masters had arrived to continue to inflict damage, and our team of defenders was dwindling. I knew I had to do my part in defending my land.

      I ran head first into the rubble, trying to make a plan in my head as I went. Consumed in my thoughts, I ran right into a Lupe. “Oh I’m sorry…” I went to say, before I realized who it was. “Triggulek?”

      He looked at me, confused, wondering what a Tyrannian girl was doing in the heat of the fight. I figure he didn’t want to waste his time arguing with me, so we just nodded to each other and forged on. With the new recruits from our village to fight, we were making progress. The Korbat, chia, and Grarrl invaders were being fought off (or scared away), and the battle seemed to be turning in our favor. Until…

      *Insert picture of the Monoceraptor*

      Off in the distance, a giant shadow appeared and stopped us all in our tracks. We were stunned in place, overwhelmed with the sight, for our worst fear had arrived; the Monoceraptor bared his teeth and lunged toward our people. At first, our people fought valiantly, but realizing they were no match for this creature, most retreated. Our council whispered about forfeit, but I would not settle for that. As I sat behind a large rock, I tried to come up with a plan. As it turns out, I didn’t have much time for this, because out of the corner of my eye, I saw Triggulek running full force toward the beast. He was as arrogant as he was brave, but I knew he couldn’t do it alone. I called after him to no avail. I took a deep breath, secured my armor, picked up my weapon, and ran after him.

      Being lighter on my feet, I was able to catch up to him quickly. Still attempting to calculate a plan to bring down the terrible beast in my head, I remembered something my parents had told my brother long ago, before he entered a fight: “You don’t have to be stronger, you just have to know their weakness”. So what was this Monoceraptor’s weakness?

      As I asked myself this question, the beast came into view. He was bigger than I imagined, I must say, and was very disappointed at this revelation. His size made him intimidating, but also clumsy. In watching his movements, I realized he not only lacked agility, but he was also furiously protecting his throat - in fact, it was the only part of his body that contained any armor. Triggulek, always the hero, rushed toward him with his Billion Degree Sword and slashed at the monster’s belly, with no luck. His skin was so thick that it resisted the weapon, barely showing a mark at all. The monster wiggled back, almost as if it had been tickled, and put its eyes straight on Triggulek, his next target.

      By instinct, I ran out, waving my arms and yelling to the black beast. I ran back and forth, ensuring its eyes were on me the whole time. I ran up, down, side to side, and around the monster in circles, until he could no longer keep up. Dizzy and confused, the Monoceraptor tripped! He fell to the ground with a THUD! As he scrambled with his small arms to stand, the plan I had been waiting for popped into my head. But I was too far away from the beast! Unless…

          “Triggulek!” I called frantically. “His neck!” Luckily, he knew exactly what I meant. He ran to the beast, still sideways, slashed off his neck armor and pierced his neck with the Billion Degree Sword. In that instant, the Monoceraptor let out a roar that shook the nation, and then went limp. After several seconds of making sure the beast really was done for good, citizens began to emerge from their safe-houses in curiousity of the silence. And thank goodness, the silenced persisted, with no one else coming to challenge our nation.

      At long last, the war was over, and Tyrannia was victorious. Triggulek went down in history as the ferocious Lupe who took down the Monoceraptor on his own. Of course, he decided to leave me out of the story, owing his accomplishment solely to his immense bravery and wit, and who would believe a little Tyrannian girl anyway? I watched for years as our community showered him with love and admiration, for he saved us all. You might think I looked on with envy and anger, but you’d be wrong. I knew in my heart the difference I had made, and proved to myself what I had been wanting all along - to know that I am just as ferocious as my brothers and that I am capable of anything. So I let him have his fame and adoration, for I had gained the one thing I always wanted as well. After all this time, I thought the Neopian world should knew my side of the story; not because I want the credit, nor because I want to be cherished, but because there is another Tyrannian girl out there wondering if she has what it takes - and I am here to tell you, YES!

      The End.