Sheer Mountain stood frozen in shock, unable to process what was happening. It felt as if her entire world had shattered in a few short moments. Just moments again she was hunting with the Clan cats and enjoying the sunny day. Then she came home. She walked into Tumbleweed's cavern to check in on her father when she saw Owlpaw.

The moment she saw the young she-cat she knew something was wrong. Her eyes were wide with pain and fear, her entire body was shaking and she looked horrified. Then Sheer Mountain had looked passed Owlpaw and saw her father's lifeless body. Sheer Mountain had been overcome by grief and shock and she had lost her cool.

She had so many questions about what happened, and perhaps she had take out some of her anger and shock on Owlpaw which caused her to sprint out of the den, leaving Sheer Mountain standing alone in shock.

She stared down at her father, her legs shaking. How could this happen? Sheer Mountain sat down and buried her muzzle into her father's pelt. "Why?" Sheer Mountain whimpered. "Why did you have to leave me?" He body shook. "You're my father, you always gave me all the answers, you always made me laugh, how can you just be...gone." Sheer Mountain lifted her head, sobbing. "How can I do this without you?"

She laid down next to her father. "How can I just say goodbye to you? You were always there for me. When my mother died, when I found those kits, everything. You taught me how to hunt, you taught me how to be brave. You taught me how to be a good mother." She breathed in the scent of her father, never wanting to forget it. "I don't want to say goodbye."

For a moment she was a kit again, hiding in the safety of her father's pelt. For so long it had been the two of them, after Star died it had just been her and her father. He protected her from everything that scared her, from viscous rouges to the nightmares that would plague her at night.

He would guide her when she was lost, and he would make her laugh whenever she was sad. When she brought home three half-dead kits, soaked to the bone, he made a nest for them and showed Sheer Mountain how to be a mother to them. How am I supposed to tell them? Sheer Mountain rested her chin on the top of Tumbleweed's head. "I don't want to do this without you. What do I do now? I feel so confused, am I supposed to go with the Clan cats? Or do I stay here, where my parents died. What do I do?" She wailed. "Father please, I need your answers. Tell me what to do." Her voice broke off. "What do I do?" She whispered.

"Sheer Mountain?" Sheer Mountain lifted her head weakly and saw the silhouette of a cat standing at the cave entrance. Sheer Mountain shakily rose to her paws and walked up to see Seedclaw looking in the cave. "Do you know why Owlpaw ran out of here?"

Sheer Mountain looked over her shoulder at Tumbleweed's body for a moment, preparing to speak the next set of words. "Yeah," She cleared her throat. "My father is dead. Owlpaw was...upset." And I didn't help. Now that Sheer Mountain had calmed down a little, she had realized just how cruel she had been to Owlpaw.

"I'm so sorry." Seedclaw dropped his head. "He was a wonderful cat, even in the short time I've known him, I knew that much."

Emotion choked Sheer Mountain's throat and she let out a shaky breath. "Where is Owlpaw?"

"She ran out of the cavern, Earthpelt went after her. None of us knew what was going on." Seedclaw explained. "So I came to check on you."

"I wasn't fair to her." Sheer Mountain admitted. "I need to apologize."

"She seemed rather hysterical." Seedclaw sighed. "I would let Earthpelt try and handle her first. I think you need to tell the kits what happened."

Sheer Mountain froze for a moment. "Are they awake?"

Seedclaw nodded. "They wanted to come see you but Leafdawn suspected something bad happened and she kept them back."

"Thank you." Sheer Mountain took a deep breath, pain choking her heart. I can do this. She stepped past Seedclaw and saw the three kits sitting with Leafdawn. Maybe I can't. Wren spotted her first and ran over to her in glee, breaking Sheer Mountain's heart even further. She sat down as the three kits cuddled up to her.

"Is everything okay, Sheer Mountain?" Finch questioned, tilting his head. "You look so sad."

"Well," Sheer Mountain kept her voice low, taking in her kits close with her tail. "You know how Tumbleweed has been so sick lately?" They nodded. "Well sometimes, when cats get sick, they can't get better. Tumbleweed couldn't get better, so he had to leave us."

"He left?" Wren questioned with a small squeak. "Where did he go?"

"He went to my mother." Sheer Mountain's voice cracked. "He's with her now, safe."

"Did he go to the stars?" Sheer Mountain looked at Sparrow in surprise. "I heard the Clan cats talking about cats in the stars. Is that where he went?"

The stars. Sheer Mountain thought for a moment the nodded. "Yes, Sparrow. Tumbleweed is in the stars now. He's not sick anymore, he's happy with my mother. Where he always belonged."

"Will we see him again?" Finch asked.

"Someday." Sheer Mountain promised. "Someday you'll see him again, and he'll be so happy to see you. He loved you all so much, just like I do." She buried her muzzle into her kits. "I'm so sorry you had to lose him."

"I'm sorry you lost him." Wren mewed quietly. "I don't like seeing you hurt so much, it makes me sad."

"I'll be okay, Wren." Sheer Mountain promised. "And so will you three. I promise." It didn't take long for news of Tumbelweed's death to spread to every cat in the cavern. Sheer Mountain stayed with her kits and after a few moments, Owlpaw and Earthpelt returned. Sheer Mountain met Owlpaw's gaze for just a moment before the she-cat's eyes flashed with pain and she rushed into the cave where she slept. I need to apologize. Sheer Mountain thought, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her kits' side.

Together, Sheer Mountain, her kits, Nettle and the Clan cats all sat a vigil for Tumbleweed. They set his body under the rising moon and Sheer Mountain stared at her father's body for a long time, feeling hopeless. What am I going to do without you?

When the vigil ended, she was approached by Seedclaw and Leafdawn. "In a Clan, its usually the elders who bury the dead, but I figured you would want to help us." Sheer Mountain nodded.

"I know where he would want to be buried."

Seedclaw and Leafdawn carried Tumbleweed's body out of the cavern and Sheer Mountain led them to a special place. It was beneath the overlook, where Star had been buried. "This is my mother's grave." Sheer Mountain explained. "He would want to be next to her."

The three cats got to work and after a while, Tumbleweed's body was buried under the earth, next to Star. It still didn't feel right, it felt like a wound burning across her heart. Sheer Mountain walked slowly behind Seedclaw and Leafdawn as they returned to the cavern.

"Are you alright, Sheer Mountain?" Leafdawn questioned with concern.

"I don't know." Sheer Mountain admitted. "I think I just need some time alone."

"Very well." Seedclaw dipped his head and the two Clan cats returned without her. She sat down on the overlook, her mind an endless storm of numbing pain. She knew her kits were sleeping safely in the cavern, but she didn't think she could sleep tonight.

She found herself underneath the stars, shimmering overhead. Sheer Mountain stared up at the sparkling sky. Is it true? Are you in the stars? Sheer Mountain really wished it was. "I don't know what to do." Sheer Mountain spoke aloud. "What am I supposed to do now? How do i go on without him? These Clan cats want me to follow some destiny, to lead some Clan, but I've never felt so lost."

Sheer Mountain slumped over. "You want me to open up my mind?" She raised her voice. "Fine. I'm opening up my mind to StarClan, show me something, anything. Tell me what I'm supposed to do! Because I feel so helpless right now, I need someone to tell me the right thing to do."

*****

Sheer Mountain didn't realize that she had fallen asleep. She lifted her head slowly, her body aching slightly from the cold stone. Figures. Sheer Mountain thought bitterly as she rose to her paws. I'll have to find my own answers. She turned away to leave when a voice suddenly spoke to her.

"It's easy to see why your mother liked this place so much." Sheer Mountain whipped around in alarm seeing an unfamiliar cat sitting on the outlook edge. It was a lean tortoiseshell she-cat, her pelt shimmered with starlight. Impossible. The she-cat rose to her paws and turned to face Sheer Mountain, her green eyes sparkling with the same stars that filled the sky. "I've been so eager to meet you, Sheer Mountain."

"Wh-who are you." Sheer Mountain demanded, shaking slightly.

"My name is Mosscloud. I am a former MoonClan medicine cat, and the guide for the Clan cats."

"Y-you're the one who gave them their mission." Mosscloud nodded. "And you're...real?"

"I am." Mosscloud purred. "I've been trying to reach you for a long time now."

"This is just--" Sheer Mountain shook her head. "How can I believe this? Maybe I'm just seeing things because I'm so grief stricken."

"I was worried you might think that." Mosscloud admitted. "So I brought someone else with me, someone you might want to listen to."

"What do you mean?" Mosscloud motioned with her head for Sheer Mountain to turn around. Confused, Sheer Mountain turned around and her heart froze. Standing a few lengths in front of Sheer Mountain was a beautiful she-cat, she had the same pelt as Sheer Mountain and the same golden eyes. Her pelt was lined with stars just as Mosscloud was.

Mother. Sheer Mountain was overwhelmed with emotion and raced towards her mother. She fell against her mother's pelt like she was a kit and Star buried her muzzle into Sheer Mountain's shoulder. "Oh, my sweet Sheer Mountain." Sheer Mountain breathed in her mother's scent and it brought her back to when she was a kit. It's really her. It's really her! "I've missed you so much."

"I can't believe this." Sheer Mountain whimpered. "I thought I would never see you again."

"I've always been watching over you." Star mewed silently, her sweet voice bringing Sheer Mountain back to a simpler time. "I've watch you grown, I've watched you raise those kits and I am so unbelievably proud of you."

"M-my father." Sheer Mountain pulled back. "Is he..."

"Tumbleweed is waiting for me to go get him." Star purred. "Just as Mosscloud found me." She looked towards the other Clan cat. "I've lived all this time at your side in the stars, until the Clan cats got there and I was able to meet Mosscloud. She told me about StarClan and everything about the Clans. It's been such a wonderful experience, she told me about your destiny as well."

Sheer Mountain stared at her paws. "Is that really was I'm supposed to do? How can I just completely change my life?"

"This is what you were born to do, Sheer Mountain." Star explained. "And I will be right there with you, as will your father. The kits will come with you, and you will lead a wonderful life as a Clan leader."

"You'll be there?" Sheer Mountain asked hopefully.

"I'll be at your side, watching over you and guiding you. As a Clan leader you'll be able to speak to me any time you need guidance."

Sheer Mountain stared at her mother and looked at Mosscloud. "Sheer Mountain, this is the life you were destined to live." Mosscloud mewed. "Destiny isn't always easy, my destiny was to form this Clan and I've been waiting for this moment."

Sheer Mountain stared at her paws. My destiny. She was enjoying the thought of being able to speak with her mother whenever she wanted. We stayed in these mountains because my father didn't want to leave my mother's home. Sheer Mountain thought. But now they're both gone, and there's a whole world out there for me to see. For my kits to see. "Alright then." Sheer Mountain sighed. I have nothing else to do here. "I'll do it."