When Cats Fly

In her hand, Aurora could feel the Seed shaking. Holding tight to the bloom, she begged the Maker. 'Please let everything be alright. I hope I did not do something wrong by flinching at the last moment"

Though if she moved, the delicate diamond-like Seed would have shattered on the ground. 

"What can I do?" she looked at the Keeper. 

"Hold still," he responded. His face was fraught with concern.

The Seed had only been moved once before and that was when it was taken from the Source. Now it had bloomed and made a new crystal core, and there was no knowing exactly what it would do. 

The rattling of the Seed became more intense. "I...I think it is trying to return to the real flower." 

"It must still feel the connection. Step back," the Keeper advised. 

"Why do I feel like you are just making this up as you go along?" Brinn chewed her lip.

"This is not something that is done every day," the Keeper retorted. "I do not have a guidebook." 

As Aurora took a step back with Devrim's help, the Seed shook even more, emitting a soft hum. The sound was familiar. 

"Do you hear it?" She asked Devrim. 

Continuing to step back, Aurora sang the words to the second half of the Seed's tune "There make your home in palace white above the hill and trees."

The Seed hummed louder and Aurora sang the words again from the beginning. This time, Devrim joined in the melody. 

"Beyond the land of ice and snow, you'll find a land of green. There make your home in the palace white above the hill and trees."

The little crystal glowed brightly. On the final note, a burst of light filled the whole room before dimming.

The silk petals wrapped around the Seed and tucked it in tightly like a child being put to bed. Having heard its call answered, the Seed was at peace.

"How did you know that tune?" The Keeper looked at her with wonder.

"My Nanny used to sing me to sleep with it. Why?" Aurora made a note to remember to thank the woman when she finally made it home. 

"The words are unfamiliar to me, but the tune. It was woven into the very foundation of our world. It had all but been forgotten by even the Fates before I broke away. The Seed was wanting to go home. You are taking it there." The Keeper bowed his head. "My job keeping it is complete." 

"Thank you for your service," Aurora carefully dipped her head to the Fate. "If your job is done, will you return to your brethren?" 

"I do not think so. You may trust them, but I am not there. I still have to tend the magical flower, of course. And the leopards need a leader. For now, I shall remain." The Keeper looked at the metal door with a far-off expression. 

"If you change your mind, I am sure Hanna and the others would love to know you are doing well," Aurora suggested gently.

The rest of the group nodded. 

"No promises, but I will think on it." The Keeper's face changed to a more neutral expression. "Now, the rest of you need to be getting to the Mystic Spires. I do not know how long the vessel will hold, but I do not think the Empress should put it down until it has served its purpose."

"You mean I cannot hand it to someone else to hold?" Aurora was surprised by this development.

Holding it until the Seed settled was one thing. Keeping the flower in her grasp for months until they made it to the other side of the earth was something else altogether.

"Does she need to keep both hands on it? Does she need to remain standing? How will she eat? How will she sleep?" Devrim's mind began to race. If he had known the burden that his wife was accepting, he would have insisted on taking it himself.

"I do not think both hands are necessary nor do I think her position matters. She can eat and rest after the Seed is returned if it concerns you so deeply." The Keeper looked quite confused by all of the worry.

"You expect her not to eat or sleep for that entire time? She will die!" Brinn was now just as concerned as the Emperor.

"Why would she die? Humans are frail, but I didn't realize they were that needy," the Keeper clicked his tongue.

"Without magic, even you would not be able to go months without eating," Devrim countered. 

"Months? Who said anything about months?" the thin Fate looked at the others like they had lost their minds. 

"That's how long it will take for us to get to the North if we are lucky," Aurora cocked her head to one side, "Unless you know something we don't."

"I know many things you don't," the Keeper sniffed. "But in this case, I thought it would be obvious. You saw the Stones at the top of the Forbidden Tower. The Fairies enter through one of them to change the seasons." 

"Can you send us back the way they come?" the Empress asked excitedly. "That would save us a lot of travel." 

"I will do one better than that. I can get you right to the Spires...more or less. You have the necklaces, so you may have heard of a place called The Storehouse."

The Keeper made sure the others understood before continuing. 

"One of the stones up in the top of the tower, the smallest one, is linked to a stone inside the Storehouse." 

"Wait, you made your own backdoor into the Storehouse?" The meaning behind the words was not lost on Reyan. 

"I needed a way to stop the Fates if it came to that. So yes, I carefully placed one of the transport stones before leaving." The Keeper nodded as if this were obvious. "It is still there." 

'Surely the others know it is there. They must trust still him if they did not remove it.' Aurora mused. "There is one problem. If there is no magic in the North, how will we exit the Storehouse?" 

"With no magic, the real exit should behave as a normal door. At least, I believe it should." The Keeper was almost positive on this point. 

"And if it doesn't..." Brinn narrowed her gaze. 

"That would be less than ideal," the Fate looked away. 

"I don't like it..." Devrim lowered his voice even though she knew the Keeper could hear. 

"What choice do we have?" Brinn looked down at the flower and then at the pale Empress. "I do not that Rory or that Seed will last if we go home the long way." 

"Can we skip the long debate and just do it?" Reyan grumbled. "I only have one question. Can the humans travel that far instantly without getting hurt?" 

The Keeper considered the question. "The Storehouse is both a place and not a place. It is why the Fate's chains work. By going there and then walking out, it should be fine." 

"Another should," Devrim scoffed. "I am getting very tired of those."

"You said the stone is at the top of the Tower?" Brinn scrunched her face. "How are we supposed to get up there without touching the walls?" 

Reyan answered. "I think the Keeper is intending for us to fly." 

"You are the only one of us that can fly. Can you even carry Aurora all that way on limited magic? I would suggest portalling, but I feel like that also poses a problem." Devrim thought aloud.

"You won't need Reyan to carry any of us, at least if my theory is correct," Aurora looked at the Keeper, who nodded. "Reyan said that the fairies are attacked and chased off as soon as they enter the South at the top of the Tower. How would that be possible with only the leopards for guards unless..." 

Devrim and Brinn suddenly understood. "The Leopards can fly!"