Newc(o)mer

[Maplekit]

Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ ᴏᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴅʀᴏᴏᴘʏ, ᴛɪʀᴇᴅ ᴇʏᴇs ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴅᴀʏ sᴛʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴏᴘɪᴇs ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ. Hᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, Lʏɴxʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ʜᴀᴅ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ɢᴏɴᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ, ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇsᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ sɪʙʟɪɴɢs, sᴏᴍᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ɢᴏɴᴇ, ᴛᴏᴏ. Sʜᴇ ʏᴀᴡɴᴇᴅ, sʜᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ɴᴏ ᴛᴇᴇᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏᴛ ᴜᴘ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ ᴏғ ʙᴇᴅᴅɪɴɢ. Tᴏᴅᴀʏ, sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴏᴜs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. Tʜᴇ ɴᴜʀsᴇʀʏ ᴡᴀs ʟᴏᴜᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀᴄᴋᴇᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ's ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏʙ ᴀs sʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ, ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ʀᴏᴄᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴛᴏ sᴛᴜᴍᴘs. As sʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴘᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴛᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ sᴛᴜᴍᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ, sʜᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ɴᴇsᴛ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴜᴛ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴇɢɢsʜᴇʟʟs ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ. Wʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴛʜɪs? sʜᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴀs sʜᴇ sᴛᴜᴄᴋ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴏsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴍᴀʟʟ, ғᴏᴜʟ sᴍᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀᴇʀɪᴇ. As ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴇɴᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ᴄʟᴏsᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴏsᴇ, Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇʟʟ ᴏғғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴇ sᴛᴜᴍᴘ, ʜɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴛʜᴜᴅ. Sʜᴇ sʜᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ʀᴏʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀᴡs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ, ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ. Sʜᴇ sᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ ᴘɪʟʟᴀʀ ᴏɴ ᴀ ʟᴇᴀғ, ᴄʀᴀᴡʟɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛɪᴍᴇᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏᴜʀ, ᴀɴᴅ Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ɪᴛ. Sʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ, ɢɪɴɢᴇʀʟʏ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴇᴇᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ʜᴇᴀᴅᴇᴅ. Sᴀᴅɴᴇss ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴀᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴛɪᴘɪʟʟᴀʀ ᴅᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀ ғᴇʀɴ. Sʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀᴡs, ʜᴇʀ ᴄʀᴇsᴛғᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴇʏᴇs ᴅʀᴏᴏᴘᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴡ. Sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴏʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴏ ғᴀsᴛ. Sʜᴇ ʟᴇᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ sɪɢɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ sʟᴏᴡʟʏ, ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴇsᴛ. As sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ, sʜᴇ sᴛᴜᴍʙʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ sᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇʟʟ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴄᴇ. Mᴀᴘʟᴇᴋɪᴛ ʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, ᴀʟʟ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀᴡs ᴏᴜᴛsᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ, ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴇʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴇᴄᴋ, ᴛᴏᴏ sᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍʙᴀʀʀᴀssᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ. Sʜᴇ ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪsʜᴇᴅ sʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅɴ'ᴛ ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇsᴛ.

FOR EASIER READING

Maplekit opened her droopy, tired eyes to see the light of a new day streaming through the canopies above. Her mother, Lynxheart, had already gone somewhere else, leaving Maplekit in the nest with a few of her siblings, some already gone, too. She yawned, showing almost no teeth, and got up from the comfort of bedding. Today, she was adventurous, and wanted to see the world. The nursery was loud, and the racket made Maplekit's head throb as she pranced around the place, looking under rocks and jumping onto stumps. As she leaped onto one lonely stump with grace, she found a nest, with nothing but broken eggshells inside. What is this? she thought as she stuck her nose in the small, foul smelling aerie. As the stench was closer to her nose, Maplekit pulled back quickly and fell off the tree stump, hitting the ground on her back with a thud. She shook her head, then rolled onto her paws and continued prancing around, looking for anything exciting. She spotted a data pillar on a leaf, crawling at one centimeter an hour, and Maplekit decided she wanted to help it. She padded over, gingerly picked it up in her teeth, and set it on the base of the plant, where it looked like it was headed. Sadness overcame her as the catipillar darted away under a fern. She looked down at her paws, her crestfallen eyes drooped low. She was just trying to help the poor thing, and it wasn't going to get wherever it was going too fast. She let out a sign and turned slowly, taking her time to walk back to her nest. As she was walking, she stumbled over a stone and fell on her face. Maplekit lay there, all her paws outstretched, on her belly and her neck, too sad and embarrassed to move. She closed her eyes and wished she hadn't gotten out of the nest.

[Lionpaw]

The morning was warm, by the standards Lionkit had grown accustomed to. The sky was a clear blue, uninterrupted by even the smallest of clouds, and all around the young tom could hear the sounds of animals that had disappeared over the winter. This all seemed to point to the coming of spring, something that was foreign to him. The entirety of his short life, he'd only known snow and cold; the change in the land's appearance was something Lionkit looked forward to. As he basked in the warmth of the sun, Lionkit realized he'd stopped moving; he'd been on his way back to the nursery after having eaten breakfast. With an embarrassed twitch of his tail, he began to walk again, hoping no one had noticed his lapse in attention. Before he'd taken more than a couple of steps, he saw the sorry form of a kit, even younger than he was, looking sad and defeated by whatever had befallen her. Changing course, the golden furred tom padded up to the she-kit, concern and curiosity evident in his emerald gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, crouching down so that he was eye to eye with the prone kitten.

[Maplekit]

Maplekit opened her eyes and looked up at another kit, who was quite close to her. She sighed and looked at his paws. At this state, her shyness wasn't evident at all. She slowly pushed herself to her feet and looked back up at the other kit. His flaming orange coat made her smile. Compared to her dull colored coat, he was bright. "I'm okay," she mewed, shaking her paw. Her eyes still had a trace of sadness, but now that she wasn't alone, it was starting to go away, but as it went away, her nerousness came back. "Do I know you?" she said, crouching down a bit to appear smaller. Her eyes were a bit wider, noticing that she didn't know him. But did Maplekit really know anyone? She looked at him curiously.

[Lionpaw]

Lionkit was still a bit concerned; there remained a touch of sadness in the she-cat's olive green eyes, despite her assurance that she was fine. But he smiled nonetheless, happy that, at the very least, she was less sad than before. He straightened once more, sitting back on his hind legs, and lifted a shoulder in a half shrug at the other kit's question. "I doubt it, seeing as I don't know you. But if you're curious, my name's Lionkit," he said with a grin, his bright green gaze as happy as it usually was. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Maplekit]

Maplekit looked away, admiring the other kit's, who's name was Lionkit, confidence. "I'm Maplekit," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. Then, she turned her attention back to him, bringing herself to look into his green gaze. "Have you ever been rejected?" Maplekit asked out of the blue, remembering the catipillar. She looked at him curiously, sitting a little straighter, trying to mimick his confident posture, but she turned out looking like a bird trying to sit on a rock.

[Lionpaw]

Lionkit had to strain his ears to catch what the she-kit said, and, upon realizing that she'd given him her name, he dipped his head by way of greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, Maplekit," he said, a small grin forming upon his muzzle as the she-cat copied his posture. He considered her question for a moment; he wasn't entirely certain what she meant when she said rejected. "How do you mean? Do you mean have I ever been upset by something?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

[Maplekit]

Maplekit sighed. "I guess so," she mewed, referring to Lionkit's question. She looked down at his paws again. He was older than her, she could tell. To change the subject, she asked him another question. "Are you almost an apprentice?" Her eyes scanned his face curiously, his smile and the ways his eyes squinted.

[Lionpaw]

"I am," Lionkit replied; he was, indeed, very close to receiving his apprenticeship. "To answer your earlier question," he added, shifting the topic of conversation once again to what Maplekit had asked him originally, "I have been upset before. But so has most every other cat, I suspect. It passes eventually, of course; if that's what you're feeling now, I'm certain it won't last for much longer," he told the she-cat, meeting her gaze with his own as his grin turned into a reassuring smile.

[Maplekit]

"Oh," Maplekit mewed softly. She met his gaze with her, big, green eyes. "So I won't be sad much longer?" She was confused by the concept of being sad, then being happy again. She didn't like being sad, it made her feel a lot heavier than she was. She liked feeling as light as a feather. If somehow she got distracted, her sadness might leave her. She might never be sad ever again. Maplekit wanted to run away from sadness, and never see it again.