Easy Pickings



 E a s y  P i c k i n g s

Episode Five, Season One, of Beauty.

Enjoy <3

Easy Pickings
Today, we are gathered in the Hollow, ready to start today’s assignment. “Today is special,” Willowbreeze mews, “Today you will be fighting to see who stays, and who does not.”

I exchange terrified glances with my friends. This might be our last day together, I realize. Snowpaw, who has been my best friend – not counting Brownpaw – since I got here. Rainpaw, who is our peace-maker. Finchpaw, who is clever and Snowpaw’s practical twin in thinking. Applepaw, who I had just met yesterday, is the other intelligent cat I knew. Gingerpaw, who is our ally.

Then there are the toms. Brownpaw, who has been my best friend since kithood. Hawkpaw, who is calm and easy-going. Lionpaw, who is cocky and is just like Gingerpaw.

Tomorrow they might not be here anymore.

“Hey, you still there?” Finchpaw nudges me, shaking me out of my thoughts, “The instructors are going to announce the match ups for the first round.”

“In these rounds,” Blossomflecks is saying, “You could either be fighting a she-cat or a tom. Now for the first match, it’s Amberpaw versus Flarepaw!” Already it’s me versus Redstar’s daughter.

“Flarepaw cannot be placed in the poor due to her family ties so if Amberpaw defeats Flarepaw, both move on.” Blossomflecks adds. Great, I think, Flarepaw can’t even lose.

The two of us gets into the Arena. “You’re going down, newbie. You’ve barely got any training, so you should be easy. Plus, you hang out with the poor cats, so you couldn’t have learned much from there.” She bares her teeth at that.

“Claws shealthed!” Blackstripe orders, “Ready, fight!”

I bristle at her harsh words. “Yeah and? A wealthy she-cat like you doesn’t know what it’s like to do all the dirty work. I wouldn’t expect you to understand fighting at all.” She bares her teeth at that.

“Claws sheathed!” Blackstripe orders, “Ready, fight!”

Flarepaw lunges for me, her paw hitting the side of my flank. Blood gushes out of the wound and I shriek in pain. ''Claws sheathed? Yeah right.''

I narrow my eyes and feign weakness. Flarepaw smirks. She is fast, and she is light on her paws. I can see that she favors her left side and puts a lot of weight on her right side. When she strikes, Flarepaw would shift to her left side and throw off her opponents.

All this rushes in my mind. Applepaw had taught me to see things differently and focus on the details instead. It proves to be helpful when Flarepaw leaps at me again.

I slip to the right, dodging her blow. Flarepaw’s surprised eyes widens and I rake my paw down her flank, careful to scratch her but not letting her bleed.

Flarepaw lets out an outraged hiss. I crouch, watching her again. This time, Flarepaw keeps on the balls of her feet. She shifts constantly, trying to confuse me. She is studying me so I decide to attack quickly.

I dart forward, my paw sweeping under her legs, tripping her. Before she can regain her balance, I bowl her over and pin her down. Little do I know, Flarepaw is ready for my attack. She flips upward, kicking me backwards. I hit the ground hard, dazed. Flarepaw stalks towards me with the aplomb of a well-trained warrior.

Spots dance before my eyes and as I groggily stand up, Flarepaw strikes again. I manage to duck in time and my paw flashes upwards, striking her in the stomach.

She lets out a groan and this time I pin her down, breathing hard. “Amberpaw is the winner!” Blackstripe announces.

Cheers engulf me and I stagger to the side. My flank burns from the wound Flarepaw gave me. Snowpaw slaps her tail across my back as I join the group. “You beat her so badly,” the white she-cat grins, “the shocked look on her face was priceless. Too bad I wasn’t the one fighting her. Then she wouldn’t even be standing.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing that you didn’t’ fight Flarepaw then,” Rainpaw points out.

Gingerpaw lets out a little snort. “Yeah, a shame Amberpaw didn’t claw that smirk off Flarepaw’s face. Flarepaw’s too arrogant for her own good.”

“Agreed,” we all chorus.

“Next match,” Flowerbeam yowls, “Brownpaw versus Shadowpaw!” I have no idea who Shadowpaw is, but I hope Brownpaw wins.

The brown tom stands up and makes his way towards the Arena. Shadowpaw is already in there, pacing and pawing at the ground. As Brownpaw enters, the Arena, Shadowpaw crouches, his one eye narrowed. I find him unnerving with only one eye.

“Fight!” Blackstripe orders.

Immediately, Shadowpaw lunges for Brownpaw with surprising speed. Brownpaw rolls to the left, which is Shadowpaw’s blind side. That should have been an easy target, but Shadowpaw lashes out, smacking Brownpaw aside.

Brownpaw hits the ground hard and Shadowpaw stalks towards my best friend. Without warning, Shadowpaw slams his paw down. Brownpaw lets out a groan, and Blackstripe frowns. “I guess that concludes our second match-”

No, he can’t lose. I dig my claws in the dirt. Before Blackstripe can declare anything, Brownpaw surges upwards, slamming into Shadowpaw. “Never mind!” Blackstripe yowls, “The match resumes!”

As the two toms spar, Snowpaw whispers to me. “I heard that Shadowpaw came from the poor. His father was abusing the use of catmint and usually beat his son. That’s how Shadowpaw lost his right eye. Something he did angered his father and he demanded his son’s right eye for it.”

“That’s…harsh,” is all I could say.

“Right?” Snowpaw agrees, “I guess that’s why he’s so determined to win. He probably doesn’t want to go near his father ever again. How about Brownpaw?”

“What about him?” I ask, watching Brownpaw pummel Shadowpaw. “He has a loving family waiting for him. His father didn’t want him to come. Brownpaw never planned on enrolling, you know? He wanted to stay with his family.”

“Maybe it’s better if he loses,” Snowpaw murmurs.

I shoot her a sharp look. “Why would you say that?” I snap, feeling defensive.

Snowpaw shrugs, “Well…Brownpaw has a family to go back to in the poor. Shadowpaw has nobody. What else can I say? Only one’s staying with us anyways.”

I know she’s right, but I still resent her for thinking like that. “I don’t want Brownpaw to go,” is all I say. We watch in silence as the two toms battle. Both are battered and I wait nervously to see which will out beat the other.

After what seems like an eternity, Brownpaw finally manages to pin Shadowpaw down. “Brownpaw is the winner!” Shouts and cheers meet Blackstripe’s words. Relief flows through me as Brownpaw staggers out of the Arena.

Shadowpaw lies in the middle of the clearing, sobbing. “You can’t send me back to the poor!” he wailed, “I refuse to go back! I’ll train harder, I promise!”

The instructors are already dragging him away. This will be the first time we see go. We watch in horror as the instructors ignore his cries and take him away. “That poor tom…” someone whispers, “who knows what he’ll face back in the paws of his father…”

When the instructors pause at the exit, Blackstripe calls out. “This poor cat shall be known as Shadowfang. He is a failure, however, and cannot be part of the Beauty. StarClan therefore declares him sentenced to a life in the poor.”

What a horrible fate… I think, horrified, ''StarClan…does anyone even still believe they exist? I remember my mom once saying that to the poor, StarClan is a lie and a myth. But to the Beauty cats, StarClan is still watching over them.''

More and more fights take place and other cats leave. Flarepaw’s goons, Larkpaw and some cat called Dreampaw had to go too. Both protested loudly and refused to leave. They had even trued to pick a fight with the instructors. After that, the scene got a little…brutal.

Finchpaw smirks (she had defeated Larkpaw) and whispers to Flarepaw, “How does it feel to be all alone?”

Flarepaw glares at Finchpaw. “I’ll find more willing servants from the next wave. It shouldn’t be too hard to persuade them to join my side. After all, I’m the real cat with power here…”

Finchpaw shoots Flarepaw a dirty look as she made her way back to us. “That ingrate’s going to be real trouble to us if we don’t find some way to get rid of her.” She digs her claws into the ground in frustration, “she’s a big threat.”

I nod, “But we can’t get rid of her yet. She does have the power after all. First, we’ll have to deceive her and get rid of her allies. Then we’ll strike.”

I can see Snowpaw’s tail twitch in excitement and Finchpaw only digs her claws in harder.

Cats from the toms left too. From the original wave of fifty cats, there would only fifteen left form both the she-cats and the toms. The rest will have to go to the poor. And according to what Brownpaw told me, that meant Redstar despises them and wants to destroy them all.

But then I remember the Beauty patrol just when they had finished defeating the “poor”.

“The first day is over,” Snowpaw murmurs in my ear, “Let’s go and rest.” I glance around; panic engulfing me for a second. Had some of our friends left and I hadn’t noticed? To my relief, the whole pack is still here.

But tomorrow might be different.

~

“Get up,” Flarepaw’s ever so peppy yowl sounds in my ear, “It’s time for second rounds!”

I groan and haul myself out of my nest. “How is she so freaking chipper in the morning? Don’t lunatics and sadistic cats need rest too?”

Applepaw snorts, “Apparently sleeping makes them ‘weak’.”

Rainpaw joins us but doesn’t say anything. Finchpaw growls as she glares after Flarepaw’s fluffy tail. Snowpaw stretches and accidentally hits Gingerpaw with one paw and Cherrypaw with the other.

My group of rebels.

I pray to StarClan that none of them will be sent to the poor. Then I add Brownpaw and the two toms in my prayers too. Please let them all stay.

We reach the Hollow with five minutes to spare and Flarepaw glares at us. “How come you’re so slow?” she goads, “Something wrong-?”

Applepaw cuts in coolly, “No, we lagged behind because we didn’t want to see your face so early in the morning.”

“Or hear your voice,” Finchpaw adds, “So you can just shut up.” The priceless look on Flarepaw’s face is worth it. Even the instructors behind us are trying not to smile. Apparently not every one loves Flarepaw other than us.

“Whatever,” Flarepaw stutters, “You’ll regret saying that when I’m leader.”

“And that will happen when porcupines fly,” Snowpaw smiles sweetly, imitating Flarepaw’s signature smiles, “So keep on dreaming.”

Blossomflecks joins us. “That’s enough, Flarepaw,” she warns, “You don’t want us reporting this negatively to Redstar, do you?”

Flarepaw looks outraged. “As if it’s just me who’s causing trouble,” she huffs, stalking away, “You should at least report them for harassing Redstar’s prized daughter.”

Blossomflecks wrinkles her nose and turns to us. “Never liked that one anyways. Now you guys watch it too. As much as I love seeing that brat get humiliated, I can’t let this keep going.”

“Yes, Blossomflecks,” we chorus obediently.

Looking satisfied, the instructor pads away again. “As if,” Gingerpaw then mutters, “Who could resist scorning Flarepaw? It’s like the number one entertainment there is.”

I shoot her an amused glance and Rainpaw’s name is suddenly called. “Rainpaw versus Flarepaw!” The light gray tabby she-cat stands up and pads towards the Arena.

“Beat her up for me,” I mumble.

“Make sure you scratch her hard, but don’t let it bleed,” Snowpaw grunts.

“Just make sure you win,” Finchpaw mews, eyes narrowed.

“Good luck,” Applepaw concludes.

Rainpaw smiles and she’s gone. From the tom’s side, I notice Hawkpaw staring at her, worry in his gaze. Surely the tom isn’t worried, right? Rainpaw can take care of herself.

Rainpaw and Flarepaw face off in the center of the Arena. “Fight!” Blackstripe yowls and Flarepaw dives forward.

The light gray she-cat dodges and clouts Flarepaw. Snowpaw is staring anxiously at the fight. “Come on,” my best firend mutters, “You have to do more than that to put her down…”

Flarepaw lets out a shriek but lunges for Rainpaw. They clash and finally Rainpaw manages to throw Flarepaw off. “Aw, is this too hard for you?” Flarepaw goads, “I hear your father is from the poor and your mother is in prison.”

“What?” Applepaw’s eyes widened.

Rainpaw flinches and Flarepaw takes this opportunity to pummel Rainpaw. “That’s right!” she purrs, “I know all about you and your friends. My mother likes to tell me some secrets. For example, Brownpaw’s a poor cat but he befriended Amberpaw. Amberpaw favors the poor and didn’t even know her father. Finchpaw-”

The brown she-cat bristles but Rainpaw kicks Flarepaw and snarls, “You have no right to use my past or anyone’s past against them.”

Flarepaw smirks. “It won’t matter to you anymore because you’ll be in the poor, where you belong.”

Before Rainpaw can reply, Flarepaw pins her down. “No…” Gingerpaw whispers, horrified, “Rainpaw, fight back!”

“Flarepaw wins!” Blackstripe declares.

Rainpaw is haulted up to her paws. Before I know what I’m doing, I rush to Rainpaw’s side. “Don’t,” she whispers, “its okay.”

“No it’s not,” I hiss, “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

Rainpaw shrugs, “I never wanted to be a Beauty cat, Amberpaw,” she sighs, “Plus, I can be of help still. I’ll rouse the poor into action. We can still do this, Amberpaw.” I gaze back at her.

“I don’t want you to go,” I whisper brokenly, “You’re one of my best friends.” I can feel panic spread across my body. “You can’t go.”

“I won’t be gone forever,” Rainpaw pushes me away gently as the instructors come closer, “Remember what our goal is, Amberpaw. I’ll be fine. We’ll meet up again one day, okay?”

“Okay,” I whisper.

I am pulled away as Rainpaw is ushered to the exit of the Academy. They repeat the same ceremony they did with Shadowfang. They name her Rainstorm. Then she’s gone.

“I told her about my familt,” Brownpaw tells me, “I’m she she’ll be fine.”

I let out a short sigh.

~

The rounds end that day and all of us are mute and silent. Flarepaw has the sense not to gloat because she doesn’t draw near us.

“She’s gone,” Finchpaw whispers.

“I know,” I close my eyes, “I know.”

The End.