The Beauty System



 Th e B ea ut y S ys te m

Episode One, Season One, of Beauty.

Enjoy <3

The Beauty System
“Amberpaw, stop messing with the prey and get over here!” My mother sighs, beckoning with her tail for me to hurry over.

I bound over, my eyes playful. “Mother, it’s too early to start preparing,” I groan, “The sign-ups don’t start until sunset. Plus, I need to talk with Brownpaw first. I promised I’d see him before...I left for the Beauty System.”

“You know you shouldn’t be talking to Brownpaw anymore!” My mother scolds, “You and Brownpaw shouldn’t even be friends!”

Rolling my eyes, I hop over a pile of rose petals and stride outside.

The problem with the Beauty System is that the Clan is separated into two halves. One has more than enough prey, enough medicine, and life that every cat wanted in FireClan. This is my home.

The other half is gloomy and poor, with barely enough prey to go by, almost no medicine, and definitely not somewhere you want to live. Brownpaw happens to live in these parts.

As I trot through FireClan territory, I let myself take in my surroundings. The “Beauty” side, as most cats called it, is lush and beautiful, overflowing with prey and filled with the best looking cats in the entire Clan. Honestly, I find the rules stupid, you have to “qualify” to be in the Beauty System, and if you aren’t good looking, the best you could hope for is that you have enough skill to qualify for the Beauty.

As I edge towards the “poor” side of FireClan, I can see the line that marked the edge of the two sides. Beauty warriors swarms the area, making sure the poor cats doesn’t try to cross the border.

“Halt,” a warrior says, and I do, “Why are you here, miss?” The soldier sounds so respectful it makes me cringe slightly.

“I have some business to attend on the other side of FireClan,” I reply, standing my ground.

The Beauty warrior looks surprised. I’m not shocked to see that she was, considering not so many Beauty cats decides to cross the border, even to attend businesses.

“You can go through,” the warrior mutters gruffly, “But be careful, those cats are filths, not what you would expect them to be.” She flicks her tail and scoots to the side, allowing me through.

Sighing in relief that I have been let through, I weave my way through the crowds until I find Brownpaw. He isn’t near his den, but his glossy brown pelt easily shines in the strong sun.

“Amberpaw!” Brownpaw purrs, “You came. I thought your mother would never let you out.” His yellow eyes are warm, and I laugh too.

“I would be pretty surprised too if she had said yes,” I snort, “I just left the den. Nothing would stop me from seeing you on my last day.” The laughter in his eyes dies at the mention of my last day.

Every FireClan cat wants to enroll into the Beauty System, poor and Beauty alike. Brownpaw is remarkably handsome, though he had not wanted to sign up for the sake of his parents. He would have to leave them behind. I am lucky, I don’t have to leave my mother in the dust since I already live in the Beauty.

It is a tradition for all Beauty members’ kits to enroll. Any of the cats that don’t make it past initiation will be sent to live in the poor area.

“My, my, what a beauty I have here.” A rich she-cat’s voice sounds from behind me, “Both of you look perfect from the Beauty System.”

Brownpaw’s eyes go wide with amazement, and he bows low. Suddenly, his dirty, matted, though glossy, pelt looks so...disgraceful. I whirl around and immediately crouch, aware of how pretty my pelt looks against Brownpaw’s.

Standing in front of us is Redstar, the gorgeous leader of FireClan. She has a sleek, russet pelt and dazzling amber eyes. She seems to tower over us, and she purrs warmly, “From what my eyes tell me, the one crouched extremely low with the dirty pelt is from this side of FireClan, and the one with the fluff of orange pelt is from the Beauty side. But no matter what side you two come from, I would think that you could both pass and get into the Beauty System.”

I don’t know what to say. Sure, I know I can get in, since I come from the rich side of FireClan, but Brownpaw...Redstar has so much faith in my best friend, I almost dread the moment when he tells her that he isn’t going to enroll.

He doesn’t even get a chance.

“I expect to see you both in the group of cats going to the Beauty Academy,” Redstar smiles, “I don’t want to have to chase you down.”

Her gaze lingers for a moment longer on Brownpaw, then she is gone.

“What are you going to do?” My shock of seeing my own leader on this side of FireClan has been replaced by anxiety, “She wants you to be there. Your parents-”

“They’ll be fine,” Brownpaw cuts in briskly, “Redstar pretty much just ordered me to go. I can’t disobey my own leader. Plus, my mother has always wanted me to enroll, and my father agrees I should. They want me to go, and I haven’t wanted to until now.” He shrugs.

“Let’s go back to your den,” I suggest, “I want to say goodbye to Silverfrost and Duskheart before I leave.” I don’t point out that this would be the last day with his parents too. He doesn’t need the reminder.

Brownpaw nods stiffly and leads the way back. I spot the small den from a distance, and Brownpaw stares wistfully at everything around us, “You know, even though nobody wants to live there, and I don’t either, I’m going to miss this place anyways.” He gives a small laugh. I don’t respond, knowing he will miss his parents more.

When we enter, I marvel how Brownpaw’s parents works together. I feel a pang of envy as I see Duskheart link tails with Silverfrost. If they lived in the Beauty, they wouldn’t be together.

I didn’t know my father. He left when I was a week old, because he had no need to stay. My mother let him go, it wasn’t as if she loved him anyways.

You aren’t allowed to love in the Beauty, and you only have kits to keep the population of Beauty cats high. I never dream about meeting my father, though I wish I had a complete family like Brownpaw.

Silverfrost looks up from her work and purrs, “Hello there, Amberpaw! I heard from Brownpaw that today was your last day.” Her eyes are warm. Unlike my mother, Brownpaw’s parents never cares about my status and treats me like their own daughter.

“We’ll miss you,” Duskheart adds mournfully, “We’re lucky that Brownpaw is staying with us, you’re both finally eight moons old, qualifying for the Beauty System.” I stay silent as Brownpaw clears his throat nervously.

“Actually,” my best friend starts, “I’m going too.”

“Going?” His mother echoes, her green eyes widening in horror, “You can’t!” The distraught look in Silverfrost’s eyes causes Brownpaw to take a step back.

Duskheart glances over, his eyes dark, “Son, what do you mean ‘I’m going too’? We’ve talked this over, you’re going to stay, rather then enroll for the Beauty System. We need all the help we can get here.” The grim look in his father’s eyes causes Brownpaw to flinch.

“Redstar invited him herself,” I cut in, “He has to be there today. He has no other choice.”

Brownpaw keep his head down, and Silverfrost whimpers, “We’ll lose Brownpaw forever! He won’t be able to come back and live here anymore.”

“Not unless he fails,” Duskheart growls.

I glance over at the bigger brown tom sharply. Brownpaw doesn’t look up. I know what Brownpaw’s father is suggesting. He wants Brownpaw to drop out and fail so he will have to live in the poor. The prospect of losing my best friend makes me shudder. Silverfrost’s eyes widen again, “You can’t pray for that,” she whispers in a hushed voice, “We want Brownpaw to strive for the best, not the worst.”

Finally, my friend looks up. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “I didn’t want to go, but Redstar saw us, and she said I had to go.”

Silverfrost shoots a look at her mate, then sighs, “He wants you to do your best, but he wants you to stay at home too.”

Brownpaw stiffens, then turns to me, “Shouldn’t you get back and help with preparations?” I know he wants some time alone with his parents before he has to leave.

Nodding, I embrace Silverfrost and Duskheart before turning away one last time. After this, I probably won’t see Brownpaw’s parents again for a long time.

As I make my way home, I find my mother sitting in our spacious den, eating, “Ah, Amberpaw, you’re back,” my mother’s glossy white pelt shines. I have no idea how I got an amber pelt, because it didn’t come from my mother, so I assume it came from my father.

“Come eat,” she beckons, “It is your last day.”

I trots over to her side, grateful that she doesn’t question what had happened while I was out visiting Brownpaw.

I choose a rabbit from the prey-pile and thank StarClan before digging in. My mother comes over to groom my fur, and I feel content with the life I have. I can feel my mother’s tongue go over my pelt, and I know that even though she has no affection for her “mate”, she at least loves me.

“You’re going to look perfect for the ceremony,” my mother purrs, “I’m proud of you, daughter.” And I know she is, despite all the quarrels we’ve gone through, and the fact that I will be training for eight moons in the Beauty Academy until I am sixteen moons old.

“Brownpaw’s going too.” I blurt out.

My mother looks pleased, “I was never fond of you going off with Brownpaw all day, but I always knew he would be a wonderful Beauty warrior.”

I smile a bit, and my mother sighs, “Time for me to sort out the rest of the flower petals, you should get some rest.”

Instead of resting, I look through my den one last time, trying to memorize every detail, even though I can live here after I become a warrior.

~

The ceremony is nice, full of flowers and pretty cats. Redstar herself is perched on a large rock so she towers over the whole FireClan. Brownpaw is seated next to Amberpaw, his eyes narrow, looking worried. I look around for my mother, but I can not find her.

Brownpaw’s eyes never stray from Redstar, and he sighs, “You find her?” I shake my head. Brownpaw’s parents aren’t in the crowd, they aren’t permitted to. But my mother should be here somewhere.

“Cats of FireClan, welcome to the Beauty Ceremony!” Cats cheer. “Every moon, we have a few apprentices ready to become warriors, and a few apprentices ready to enroll into the Beauty System.” Redstar purrs, “This moon in no different.”

Brownpaw and I had signed up early, my mother had cautioned me about being late. “And now, the worthy Beauty warriors...” She prattles on about cats who has passed their initiation and training. The list of names go on and on, and then she calls out, “And the new, incoming apprentices!”

I stiffen as she read off the names, “...Amberpaw...” I trot over to join the group of new apprentices, “...Brownpaw...” Murmurs of surprise ripple through the crowd at the sight of a worn down poor apprentice.

He looks good though. Brownpaw’s fur is clean and the right shade. If it isn’t for the fact that he still looks gaunt and skinny, he will have passed as a Beauty member. Redstar looks moderately pleased to see Brownpaw, and that is enough to get my best friend through.

We stand there together, and the white she-cat next to me snorts, “Redstar makes us all believe in this system.” Her blue eyes flashes angrily, “It’s not like everyone profits from it. We aren’t a Clan.”

I silently agree with her, though Brownpaw is the one that pipes up, “You’re right.”

The white she-cat glances over, eyes like blue fire, “And who are you?”

“Brownpaw.”

“Oh, the poor cat.” The white she-cat’s dismissal of Brownpaw makes me bristle.

“What’s your name?” I growl back, pressing in closer to my best friend.

“Snowpaw, yours?”

“Amberpaw.”

Snowpaw blinks, “Well, don’t tell me you believe in the Beauty System.” I stare back. I have never really thought about it, it is more of just part of my life. I guess I took the system for granted.

“I don’t know.” I really don’t.

Snowpaw snorts, “You don’t know? Come on, I know Redstar makes it sound convincing, but it’s nothing. It’s a bunch of lies, ways to contain how we can live. The poor are freer, they live like normal cats. But the Beauty-”

“Come on, let’s go!” A cutting voice snaps, “Stop chatting and keep up!”

Brownpaw immediately jogs after the snappy instructor, and Snowpaw snaps her jaw shut and runs to keep up. I hurry after them, my legs not used to any running.

Maybe Snowpaw is right about them.

It is a short run, and I manage to keep up, despite my huffing and cursing about sore legs. Snowpaw stays near Brownpaw and I, and I just assume we are friends.

“Alright rats, line up and I’ll explain the rules.” A scarred looking tom snarls. I shuffle in line and keep my eyes down, though I notice Snowpaw glares at the instructors defiantly. “First, you must understand what a Beauty warrior is, and what it takes to be one.”

“There are no divisions between the poor and the Beauty in the Academy, this is where you learn to be a Beauty warrior. The warriors hunt and fight for the Clan and the poor. But,” the tom pauses and let the words hang in the air, “there are some rules.”

He steps back, and a strikingly gorgeous she-cat steps forward, “Usually the toms do the fighting and the she-cats do the hunting and kitting,” she glares at all the apprentices, “Although sometimes there are acceptations and occasionally she-cats would join one of the ‘squads’ and help fight off invaders.”

I have heard about outside cats and Clans that would fight against FireClan. We are a pretty large Clan, but there are others surrounding us.

“In the Beauty System, you are not allowed to love. You have kits to maintain the population of FireClan, and no more. You never attack another Beauty cat, unless they have betrayed FireClan or broke the Beauty rules.”

The she-cat steps back, and a golden she-cat took her place, “In the Academy, you are proving your worth in becoming a Beauty cat. You must pass initiation. If you do not pass, then you automatically drop out and become poor.”

“Any questions?”

Snowpaw stares straight ahead while Brownpaw and I exchange glances. Nobody responds, and the she-cat continues, “Alright then, she-cats you stay here, and toms, follow Gorseheart and Thornstrike to your dens.”

I stare at Brownpaw and whisper, “Good luck.”

“You too,” he replies swiftly, “May StarClan light your path.”

And yours.

The End.