Warriors Cats Short Stories

The Rejection of Rabbitfur

In the clan of NightClan, Rabbitpaw was as skilled as any other apprentice his age. He participated in training each morning, brought moss to the elders, and continued about his day. It was a simple life in a simple clan.

NightClan was a newer clan of sorts, but the clan was growing, and as more kits were born, Rabbitpaw knew NightClan could become great.

Despite some of the boring parts of apprenticeship, there was one cat who made Rabbitpaw's difficult, and often boring, training more bearable. Applepaw...

Rabbit had been crushing on the ginger she-cat since they were kits in the nursery. Applepaw was often side-by-side with her sister, Acornpaw, a brown tabby. It was difficult to find them not together.

Applepaw and Acornpaw's parents were older, senior warriors, who Rabbitpaw suspected would eventually head to the elders' den. He had been playmates with the sisters since birth, and while there was definitely a friendly connection between all of them, Rabbitpaw only wished Applepaw would realize his true feelings for her.

There was one tom in the picture, however, who got in Rabbitpaw's way, and that was Ashpaw. He was around the same age as them, though Rabbitpaw had never been fond of the tom. He had a dark gray pelt, darker than Rabbitpaw's own light gray pelt. And he knew Ashpaw had feelings for Applepaw.

Applepaw would sometimes go off with Ashpaw, though it appeared they were only friends at the time. Rabbitpaw knew he couldn't lose Applepaw to Ashpaw.

Rabbitpaw tried all he could to capture Applepaw's attention. He would stay by her side on patrols, try to make conversation, offer any warrior advice he could, and so forth. It appeared not to be enough.

Meanwhile, Acornpaw had no problem speaking to Rabbitpaw, and when Applepaw would leave Rabbitpaw in the dust, Acornpaw was at his side, having a friendly conversation. Acornpaw was kind, but nothing could keep Rabbitpaw's attention away from Applepaw.

One morning, he approached Applepaw before training. She had been speaking with Ashpaw until Rabbitpaw rudely interrupted.

"Hey, Applepaw," he called.

The ginger she-cat spun around, focusing her bright green eyes on him.

"What is it, Rabbitpaw?" she wondered.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go on a walk in the forest with me later today," he thought.

Applepaw glanced down. "Oh, that's very kind, Rabbitpaw, but...I'm going to be busy then. I'm sure Acornpaw would love to come," she said, glancing over her shoulder to where Acornpaw was chatting with her mentor.

Rabbitpaw's tail drooped. "Oh, that's okay."

He turned and padded away, glancing back over. Applepaw was chatting with Ashpaw again. His heart hurt, but he wouldn't give up.

He continued asking Applepaw to do little things with him now and again, but again and again, he was rejected. Sometimes, he'd ask Acornpaw out of shame, and she'd tag along, but it was always awkward, and he wished it were Applepaw beside him.

After a moon or so of his attempts to spend some time with Applepaw, she pulled him aside one day after he had asked her once again to go hunting with him.

"Rabbitpaw, this has to stop," Applepaw told him. They were on the outskirts of camp by a nearby tree, away from the rest of his clanmates.

"What?" he asked.

"Rabbitpaw, you know I don't like you like that."

"Like what?" he wondered.

"It's become pretty obvious to everyone that you have a crush on me," Applepaw explained. "I don't like you that way."