''In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.'' - Theodore Roosevelt

Hawkpaw slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? Then she remembered. I made my choice! I made my choice to go to the past! But… I'm still in the lake. She widened her warm amber eyes. This must be when there was no DarkClan!

Looking at her surroundings, she stood up. She was in the lake, in DarkClan's territory- well, future territory. She remembered Foxleap saying that a Clan called ShadowClan was the ancestor of DarkClan, so she should be in that Clan's territory. Hawkpaw quickly noticed that she was standing right outside the camp… a patrol should come anytime now.

And that was very true. A small tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes rushed through the bushes and pinned Hawkpaw quickly. When Hawkpaw saw those bright amber eyes, she almost fainted. The pelt, the eyes… they were exactly like…

''Owlpaw!'' a cat called. Hawkpaw stiffened. It was Owlflight in a much younger version, like about seven moons. ''Did you find the intruder?'' A tom rushed through the bushes and stopped when he saw Owlpaw pinning Hawkpaw. It was a much younger Redfern, with his dusty ginger pelt and green eyes, with that determination that Hawkpaw had never seen in his eyes as an elder.

''Redfern, I found this she-cat,'' Owlpaw reported, blinking her eyes and nearing towards Hawkpaw's face. ''She was near camp. Like, literally, standing in front of the camp. She must know where we live!'' She gasped.

Redfern grabbed Owlpaw's scruff and placed her near Hawkpaw. Hawkpaw stood up, shivering at the thought of her own mother as an apprentice. It felt like she was in a fantasy world, but in a perfect world. Her mother didn't dislike her, and there was no Shadowpaw.

Owlpaw's mentor waited until Hawkpaw calmed down. ''Who are you?''

Hawkpaw didn't know what to say. She couldn't say she was Hawkpaw, because they would suspect that she was from an enemy Clan. ''I-I'm Hawk,'' she answered, not really thinking about her answer.

''Well… Hawk,'' Redfern meowed cautiously. ''What were you doing outside the camp? Do you want a fight with ShadowClan, the fiercest of the Clans? Or did you want to spy on us?'' He bared his teeth, showing yellow, crooked teeth. They were disgusting. And that he had a terrible breath didn't help. ''Maybe you wanted to take our kits!''

''N-No!'' Hawkpaw pleaded. ''I was…'' In order to create a lie without being noticed, she covered it up with a cough. ''I was out there, trying to catch prey for myself. You see, my parents,'' she gulped at the word, ''have died long ago as well as my siblings in a huge fire. I am now alone and when I smelled cats, I thought they would be friendly and that I would be able to stay with them.'' She gave a fake sigh. ''But, I see I was wrong. I'll leave now.'' She stood up and turned to the opposite direction.

Redfern quickly blocked her path. ''You're not going anywhere, kit,'' he hissed. ''You're going to talk with Snowstar now.'' He nudged Hawkpaw to the direction of the camp. Even though Hawkpaw knew how to enter the camp perfectly, she couldn't show Redfern and Owlpaw that she knew the camp.

The camp was the same, only it had some changes. Instead of the Big Rock, which was a huge boulder where Tinystar made his usual announcements, there was a small log. The warriors' and apprentices' den looked smaller than before and the medicine cat didn't have those ferns blocking over it so it was more protective. Though there were some changes, the camp had maintained its circle-like shape and the nursery den was the same as well.

Hawkpaw entered the leader's den. Shadowpaw had already been there several times, but the golden apprentice had never entered Tinystar's- or Snowstar's den- for that matter. She waited silently with Redfern at her side. Owlpaw had been sent to go and hunt.

Maybe the techniques are the same as DarkClan… If that's true, I'll be the best apprentice, then.

Quickly, a snowy white she-cat emerged from the shadows. She had an air of authority around her, and Redfern dipped his head. The she-cat's physical look betrayed her authority; she was just a frail old cat with ribs showing through her pelt. Hawkpaw could hear her wheezing and her green eyes looking worried as she coughed.

''Who is this, may I ask, Redfern?'' the leader asked slowly. She seemed to scan Hawkpaw from the bottom to the top. ''Is this another one of your kits? I thought you had better loyalty than that, Redfern.'' She unsheathed her claws with a growl.

''No, Snowstar,'' the ginger tom replied with a hiss. ''I said I would only bring Tinypaw and nobody else. She told me that her name is Hawk, and that she was looking for shelter. Her parents and siblings died in a… fire, did you say?'' Hawkpaw nodded and Redfern continued. ''She thought we would welcome her, and, as she was in front of the camp, I had to bring her here.''

Snowstar sighed. ''Then there are two ways this can go,'' she coughed. ''Stay, or execution.''

Hawkpaw widened her eyes at the word 'execution'. ''Please, Snowstar,'' she pleaded. ''I didn't want to get in trouble! I was just looking for shelter, it's not my fault!'' The golden apprentice hated lying, especially to a cat with authority, but she had to, or else, this whole journey would be for nothing!

''Well…'' Snowstar meowed with doubt trailing in her voice. ''I'll ask Dawnleap and Nightsky about this. You're allowed to stay in the apprentices' den for today, Redfern shall teach you the basics of the Clan. I'll announce what's going to happen tomorrow.''

Hawkpaw reunites with young Owlflight... *cackles* let's see what they become.

I am oficially accepting OC's! I've already got a leader (Snowstar), Deputy (Nightsky), Med Cat (Dawnleap), a Warrior (Redfern), an Apprentice (Owlpaw). They need to be mostly from ShadowClan, but I can accept cats for other Clans (including leader, deputy, med cat, etc).

I wanted to kill Hawkpaw in this chapter, but, *sighs* oh well, I'll let you decide.

Reply to Reviews:

Empress Tansy - It does say why, but I'll explain it here as well. Hawkpaw's and Shadowpaw's father turned out to be a traitor/murderer and Hawkpaw looked like him a lot. So, the Clan thought that Hawkpaw would betray them. I might add a flashback in a chapter, though I'm not so sure.

Potatotheumbreon - Welcome to the past...! And, I need OCs, yes (explanation above).

Grasswing of WingClan - I might do that... or just kill her. Idk, whatever the reviewers prefer.

ConnietheCat - She was from DarkClan, and Foxleap mentions ShadowClan is the ancestor for DarkClan, so it makes more sense she's sent to ShadowClan.

xXLeafhearXx - Hawkblaze does sound good... but I'll need to see. I made the poll and it's in my profile.

Snowsong of SnowClan - This is after the Great Battle but I can make that last part of being reincarnated. Maybe...

QOTDs:

Should Hawkpaw live or be executed?

What should Owlpaw and Hawkpaw become? (friends, enemies...)