First Run



 F i r s t R u n

Episode Six, Season Two, of Beauty.

Enjoy <3

First Run
“Mom, my pelt is clean enough and I need to go see Redstar for my mission!” I try to twist away from her grasp. She’s fussing over me like I’m five moons old.

“More the reason why your pelt shouldn’t be such a mess!” She sighs as I dart away from her. “You’ll give our glorious leader a bad impression! Come on, dear, clean your pelt.”

I roll my eyes. “If you keep me here any longer, I’m going to be late, mom. Redstar is waiting for me.”

Finally, my mother steps back. “All right then,” she waves me off, “by the way, where are the rest of your squad? Shouldn’t you receive your mission together?”

“They’re on guard duty at the border.” I turn away, “I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck!”

I let out a huff as I finally escape my insufferable mother. I hurry towards Redstar’s palace. I better hope she tolerates late squad leaders. The guards usher me in when I tell them who I am.

“Late again, Amberfrost,” Redstar mews disapprovingly, “What took you so long?”

I keep my mouth shut and crouch low. “Whatever,” Redstar dismisses, “Your first mission is to capture rebel spies. I don’t care how many. Just return with spies. How long do you think you can do it? One week?”

I open my mouth to ask for more time, but she smirks. “You say you’re a special squad. Prove it to me, Amberfrost. I heard you also defeated Flareheart during rounds at the Academy. Surely catching a few rebels won’t be too hard for you?”

She’s testing me. “No,” I manage to spit out through gritted teeth, “We can handle it.”

“Perfect!” Redstar beams, “I expect my rebels to be back in one week.” Her eyes darken, “Though if you don’t return,” she gives me a malevolent smile, “I’ll know which side you’re really on, and of course, I’ll have to execute you as traitors.”

The words die in my mouth. I stare in shock at Redstar. “Wonderful!” She goes on, “Your squad is dismissed from guard duty and I do hope you don’t turn out to be traitors! That would be terribly sad.”

I don’t even know what to say. As I back out of her den, I can only curse and hurry towards the border. Redstar definitely knew how to catch her rebels, but I’m not falling for her trap.

~

“What in the name of StarClan were you thinking?” Snowflare shouts at me, “There’s no way we can do this in a week! We can’t do it ever.”

“She had no choice,” Lionclaw interjects, “Redstar wants us to either admit that we’re not strong enough, or take the mission to test our loyalty. If Amberfrost refused, we’d all be suspected as rebels!”

“Wow,” Snowflare hisses, “I never knew you could sprout intelligent words.”

The golden tom looks surprised and hurt. He opens to reply but Appleleaf snaps. “We don’t have time for this.”

Snowflare looks enraged. “Whatever,” she mutters mutinously, “If you want to go traipsing around to sacrifice rebels, go ahead.” She turns and stomps off.

Lionclaw doesn’t say another word but darts after her. “Great StarClan,” Hawkpelt sighs and Finchwing looks uncomfortable.

“She right though,” the brown she-cat sighs, “We can’t do this.”

“We have to try,” I mew determinedly, “If Shadowfang really values us, he’ll let us do something rather than letting us die.”

I turn to Appleleaf, who looks troubled. “Can you think of anything?”

She shakes her head. “There’s no logical solution to this. Let’s just wait for Snowflare and Lionclaw before we go visit Shadowfang.”

~

“Hey!” Lionclaw said for the fifth time. “you didn’t used to get so snappish.” Snowflare was sitting in front of him, her gaze stormy.

“Yeah, and you never used to be so intelligent.” Snowflare mewed bitterly.

The golden tom looked visibly hurt. “I don’t know what’s gotten in you!” He huffed, “Why are you being so rude? What did I ever do to you except show you kindness?”

The white she-cat closed her eyes. “It’s not your fault. It’s not even Amberfrost’s fault. It’s just that we’re going to have to sacrifice someone to save our own pelts. What if that cat had a kit who loved them?”

Lionclaw was silent. He sat next to Snowflare and curled his tail around her. Snowflare had tears in her eyes, “What if a kit lost their parent to this just so a group of warriors could keep their lives? I know what it feels like to lose a parent. Both my parents may be alive, but one of them hates me, and the other wallows in her grief so much that she doesn’t even notice I’m there. I don’t want to ruin someone’s life!”

She turned to Lionclaw. “Remember Violetpaw? She sacrificed herself so Amberfrost wouldn’t die.”

Lionclaw held her close. The white she-cat was sobbing. “I know,” the golden tom whispered, “but this is war. There’s no way we can avoid this.”

“What if there is a way?” She whispered brokenly, “Why do cats have to die?”

Lionclaw could only shake his head and embrace her. “I don’t know,” he replied, “I really don’t know.”

~

When Snowflare and Lionclaw returns, they look down and depressed. Snowflare looks like she was crying. “Sorry for my outburst,” she murmurs, “I was just upset.”

Lionclaw wordlessly wraps his tail around her, as if trying to protect her from all the grief she might be feeling.

“Let’s go see Shadowfang,” I mew quietly, “Perhaps he will have something for us.”

The others nod and we set out. By the time we reach the entrance and had navigated through the maze, it’s already night.

“What can I do for you?” Shadowfang asks, looking bored, “I don’t have any missions, mind you.”

“It’s more of we need to ask you something for our Beauty mission.”

Shadowfang raises an eyebrow. I explain our current situation and when I’m done, he just laughs us off. “I’m not going to sacrifice a few of my loyal soldiers for you.” He snorts, “Go find one of those meddling ‘no rebellion’ rebels if you must.”

“Great StarClan,” Finchwing snaps, “We’re going to die if you don’t help us. What are seven solders compared to one or even two?”

“I’d rather have one soldier I can trust over seven soldiers I despise.” He waves his tail, “Though, it’s such a shame because I think the leader would be interested in you, Amberfrost.”

“If you really want,” he smirks, “Turn in Rainstorm or Laura.”

Hawkpelt bristles and I shake my head. “Rainstorm’s not an option.”

“Then take Laura, I could care less.”

“No,” I find myself saying. “She’s been through enough.” Snowflare shoots me a pained look and Appleleaf leans over.

“Amberfrost, someone has to die for us. I’d rather take an old enemy over someone else. You can’t seriously be considering this.”

“She’s been through so much,” I counter, “We’ll find another way.”

“Plus,” Shadowfang purrs mirthlessly, “She’s out on a messaging mission that is going to take her two weeks.”

Appleleaf groans in frustration. “Well, since we’re done with that matter, you can forget about turning in one of my warriors and get out.”

“That was pointless,” Brownhare frowns, “What are we going to do now?”

“Let’s go see Rainstorm,” I suggest. When Hawkpelt glares at me, I yelp, “I’m not going to turn her in! I just want to see if she can help us.”

“Plus,” Appleleaf adds, “She has that power that can be of help one day.”

When we reach Brownhare’s old den, I explain everything to Rainstorm and Brownhare’s parents. All three of them look mortified by the situation.

“I’ll see if I can convince Shadowfang,” Rainstorm tells me, “There’s no way I’m letting you die.”

I blink gratefully at the gray she-cat. “Thanks, Rainstorm, it would really help.”

She purrs. “No problem.”

As she darts away, I can only hope that it works.

~

“No luck again?” Finchwing mutters as Rainstorm pads into the den. Rainstorm shakes her head in frustration.

“He won’t give in! He keeps saying that there’s no way he would sacrifice loyal soldiers for us. It’s insanity.” She sags, “Sorry I couldn’t change his mind.”

Six days has passed. Tomorrow would be our last day. If we didn’t have someone to turn in by tomorrow, we would be doomed.

“Maybe we could run for it?” Snowflare suggests, “I mean we could hide like the rebels and just forget the whole undercover thing.”

I shake my head. “There’s no way we can accomplish anything like that. We need to be in the Beauty. It’s the best way.”

“Who are we going to turn in then?” The white she-cat asks, exasperated, “We don’t have anyone.”

“We could sacrifice one of us,” Appleleaf mutters quietly, “If we really don’t have anyone.”

“No way,” I shake my head, “I can’t lose any of you.” I glance at Brownhare as I say this.

The rest of them are silent. “I don’t know anymore,” I sigh, “If worst comes to worst, I’ll be the sacrifice.”

All of them look alarmed. “No Amberfrost, you’re the leader, if anyone should die, it should be me.” Finchwing declares.

“Nobody is dying,” Snowflare hisses, “I won’t allow it. We’re a team. We’re going to stick together.”

Brownhare is still looking at the ground. “Brownhare,” I mew urgently, “You aren’t planning on turning yourself in, right?”

He shakes his head. “That’s not what’s bothering me.” But he won’t meet my gaze.

Before I can persist the issue, Silverfrost and Duskheart speak up. “We’ll be the sacrifices,” the silver she-cat mews, “You guys must continue onwards.”

I stare, horrified. I turn to Brownhare, but he’s still staring at the ground. His parents must have talked it over with him already.

“We can’t-”

“You have to,” Duskheart mews gently, “You are FireClan’s only hope. We will not stand by to watch our son die instead.”

Brownhare flinches.

I can feel tears father in my eyes. “But-”

“We have to do it,” Brownhare whispers suddenly, “We have no other choice.”

~

All of us are holding back tears as the guards take away Brownhare’s parents. Redstar looks rather angry that we succeeded. “Good job,” she mews stiffly, “You really are a special squad.”

None of us bother acknowledging her.

I don’t care anymore. We will free Brownhare’s parents and we will destroy the Beauty.

This, I promise you.

The End.