The Stolen Mirror

Returning to his chambers for the night, Ao Huli settled cross-legged on his bed, drawing the mirror onto his lap. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he opened himself to its energy once more.

The first scene was gentle - a mother's perspective as she tucked her child into bed, smoothing the blanket with tender care. The second showed him a man's viewpoint, standing before a weathered gravestone in solemn remembrance.

But when he shifted to the third scene, Ao Huli's careful composure shattered. He found himself looking at something beyond his comprehension - massive structures that seemed to scrape the sky itself, gleaming with countless points of light. Between them ran smooth black paths where strange enclosed carriages moved without horses, humans sitting casually inside as if this miracle were commonplace.

The prince rose to his feet on the bed, his red-tipped ears rigid with shock as he stared transfixed into the mirror. His mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. This couldn't be the mortal realm he knew - where were the familiar sights of daily life? The traditional modes of transport?

His amazement only grew as the person whose eyes he looked through glanced down at a thin rectangular box. They swept their finger across its surface, and to Ao Huli's astonishment, the box responded, its image changing at their touch.

Slowly sinking back onto his bed, the prince gazed in wonder at this glimpse of what seemed like another world entirely. A sharp knock at his door made him jump, and he hastily concealed the mirror in its hiding place.

Opening the door revealed his father Xiaohei, deftly balancing the infant Ao Qiu in his arms while three-year-old Ao Meiling perched precariously on his shoulders. Ao Huli immediately bowed respectfully, but as Xiaohei attempted to return the gesture, Ao Meiling let out a startled squeal, grabbing his cat ears to keep from sliding off.

Wincing at his daughter's grip on his sensitive ears, Xiaohei asked, "How are things going at the sanctuary?"

Ao Huli's magenta eyes slid away from his father's concerned green ones, unable to maintain eye contact. Xiaohei noticed the evasion immediately. With practiced ease, he reached up and lifted Ao Meiling from his shoulders, setting her gently on her feet.

"Meiling, sweetheart," he said, "why don't you go find your father Ao Liu? I think he was teaching the little ones how to make lightning balls in the east garden."

Ao Meiling scampered off happily, leaving Xiaohei standing expectantly at the door. Understanding the unspoken request, Ao Huli stepped aside to let his father enter. Xiaohei settled onto the floor, adjusting Ao Qiu in his lap as Ao Huli knelt across from him.

"What's troubling you?" Xiaohei asked directly, his green eyes gentle but perceptive.

Ao Huli's perfect posture seemed to waver slightly as he explained the day's events. "They say I'm better suited to Yan Wang's work," he said carefully. "That my constitution aligns with his."

"And this bothers you?"

"It's not the work itself," Ao Huli admitted, his red-tipped ears drooping slightly. "It's... the implication that I'm like him. Father, is that how others see me?"

Xiaohei shook his head, bouncing Ao Qiu gently on his knee. "No, you're very much like your father Ao Liu - responsible, mature, thoughtful."

"Then why would they say such a thing?"

Xiaohei was quiet for a moment, letting Ao Qiu play with his fingers as he considered his response. "You know," he said finally, "being like Yan Wang isn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps some of his... personality might rub off on you."

Ao Huli's face scrunched up in distaste, making Xiaohei chuckle. "Listen," he said softly, "perhaps we were too strict with you, as our firstborn. But I want you to enjoy your life too, not just excel at your duties."

"You mean you wish I was more like Ao Qing?" Ao Huli asked, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"No, no," Xiaohei said quickly. "It's not about comparing yourself to others. It's about being comfortable with who you are." He smiled nostalgically. "You know, I was quite the troublemaker in my youth - always going places I shouldn't, doing things I wasn't supposed to. Got me into plenty of scrapes, but..." his eyes softened, "it also led me to your father Ao Liu, so I can't regret it too much."

"Just... try," Xiaohei encouraged. "And if it truly isn't right for you, we could speak with your grandfather Ne Zha. His influence could-"

"No," Ao Huli cut in firmly. "I don't want to use family connections. I don't want anyone thinking I achieved my position through anything but my own merit."

Xiaohei nodded, understanding and pride mingling in his expression. "Very well."

"I'll try," Ao Huli promised quietly.

Xiaohei stood, adjusting Ao Qiu in his arms as he moved toward the door. Ao Huli rose to escort him out, both bowing respectfully. But just before closing the door, something occurred to the young prince.

"Father, wait," Ao Huli called, an uncharacteristic urgency in his voice that made Xiaohei pause in the doorway. "You travel to the mortal realm often with Master Wuxian, don't you?"

Xiaohei turned back, adjusting little Ao Qiu on his hip, "I do," he confirmed.

"Has..." Ao Huli hesitated, his red-tipped ears twitching slightly as he searched for the right words. "Has the human world changed much?"

Xiaohei's green eyes lifted thoughtfully toward the ceiling, his tail swishing back and forth in contemplation, a habit that had always fascinated his children when they were young.

"Well," he said finally, "it's certainly different from when I was young." A nostalgic smile crossed his face. "But time flows strangely between realms. A decade here might be a century there, or sometimes the other way around. The mortals' perception of time has never quite aligned with ours."

He shrugged slightly, careful not to disturb Ao Qiu, "My work focuses on displaced spirits, not humans themselves, so I can't say I've paid much attention to their advancements. Why do you ask?"

Ao Huli nodded slowly, absorbing this information. Xiaohei gave a small wave, and Ao Qiu mimicked the gesture with his tiny hand as they departed.

As the door closed behind them, Ao Huli leaned against it, his magenta eyes drawn inexorably to where the mirror lay hidden. The weight of his earlier glimpses into the mortal realm seemed to pull at him, demanding further investigation.

Moving with deliberate steps to his hiding place, he retrieved the mirror, turning it over in his hands. The surface caught the lamp light, reflecting it back in mesmerizing patterns. Drawing in a deep breath, he opened himself to its energy once more.

The scenes that unfolded before him were as fascinating as they were bewildering. Each new perspective showed him a world he barely recognized. Humans rushed through their lives surrounded by devices that seemed to defy explanation - boxes that responded to touch, carriages that moved without horses, lights that burned without flame.

Their world had transformed into something both magnificent and strange, filled with lights and machines that would have seemed like magic to their ancestors.

As he shifted through different perspectives, searching for understanding in this sea of change, one scene made him pause. Through this person's eyes, he watched them tend to a makeshift shrine tucked away in what appeared to be a private room. The familiarity of it struck him - deity statues arranged with care, incense burning in traditional holders, offering bowls placed with precision he recognized from countless ceremonies in the celestial realm.

Just as the person's hands pressed together in prayer, a sharp knocking shattered the peaceful moment. The sudden sound carried an unmistakable threat, and the person's hands moved with panicked urgency. They scrambled to hide the statues beneath a nearby table, throwing a cloth over them with trembling fingers. The incense smoke still curled through the air, and they waved desperately at it, trying to disperse the evidence of their worship before whoever was at the door could enter.

"Is that the mirror?!"

Ao Qing's excited voice cut through his concentration like a thunderbolt. Ao Huli startled violently, nearly dropping the sacred artifact as he clutched it protectively to his chest. His usual perfect composure cracked completely as he spun to face his twin, his eyes wide with shock as though he were caught in an act of disobedience that felt distinctly unlike him.

His heart thundered against his ribs as he spun to face her, finding Ao Qing perched on his windowsill, her white hair gleaming in the celestial light and her red eyes sparkling with mischief.

"How... how did you get in here?" he demanded, his usually measured voice slightly breathless from surprise.

Ao Qing grinned, gracefully sliding off the sill into his room. "Please, brother. I've been climbing in and out of windows since we were children." Her tail swished with excitement as she approached. "But never mind that - I knew it! I knew you had to have brought it home!"

"That's not-" Ao Huli began, taking a step back as she advanced. His magenta eyes darted between his sister and the door, calculating escape routes.

"Oh, come on!" she wheedled, bouncing on her toes. "Let me see it! You've been hogging it all to yourself, and I've been dying to know what it does!" She made a playful grab for the mirror, which Ao Huli barely managed to keep out of her reach.

"It's not a toy," he said firmly, trying to recover his usual dignity despite the undignified way he was now holding the mirror over his head. "This is a sacred artifact meant for-"

"For spying on people!?" Ao Qing finished with a knowing smirk. "Because that's exactly what you were doing when I came in. Don't try to deny it - I saw your face. You looked completely absorbed."

Ao Huli felt his cheeks warm slightly. "I was... studying. For my duties."

"Studying?" Ao Qing's eyes lit up with interest. "What were you watching that had you so fascinated? Was it something scandalous? Come on, share with your favorite twin!"

"You're my only twin," Ao Huli pointed out automatically, then immediately regretted engaging as Ao Qing's grin widened.

"All the more reason to share!" She darted forward again, this time managing to brush her fingers against the mirror's edge before Ao Huli could jerk it away.

"Ao Qing, please," he said, his voice taking on a note of genuine distress. "If Masters Yan Wang and Meng Po found out I was using it without supervision..."

His sister paused in her pursuit, her expression softening slightly at his obvious anxiety. "They gave it to you, didn't they? So technically, it's yours to use."

"That's not... it's not that simple," Ao Huli sighed, finally lowering the mirror but keeping it firmly in his grasp.

Ao Qing stalked toward her brother with predatory grace, her tail swishing in anticipation before she suddenly pounced. But Ao Huli, despite his formal bearing, easily sidestepped her attack, years of training evident in his fluid movement.

Clicking her tongue in disappointment, Ao Qing crossed her arms. "Why are you being so secretive about it? Come on, just one little peek!"

"Unlike some people," Ao Huli said pointedly, "I intend to take my divine responsibilities seriously."

"Oh please," Ao Qing scoffed, her white hair bristling slightly with irritation. "The only reason I'm not taking it 'seriously' is because I got stuck with some meaningless task while you got something actually important. It's always like this - you always get the better end of things!"

Ao Huli sighed, his red-tipped ears drooping slightly with exhaustion. "Perhaps that's because you're incapable of taking anything seriously, sister."

"Look," Ao Qing wheedled, reaching into her robes and pulling out a delicate flute. "I'll let you try my artifact if you let me see yours. Fair trade, right?"

"I have no interest in playing with wind currents," Ao Huli replied firmly.

Ao Qing's tail lashed once in frustration before she turned toward the window. "You're such a downer, brother," she pouted, positioning herself on the sill. 

With casual grace, she dropped from the window, landing softly on her feet several stories below. As she walked away, she raised one hand in a lazy farewell gesture without looking back.

Ao Huli waited until he could no longer sense his twin's presence before allowing himself to relax. He sat heavily on his bed, the mirror still clutched in his hands. Instead of activating it again, he simply ran his fingers over its smooth surface, lost in thought.

The scene he had witnessed troubled him deeply - not just the obvious fear in the human's actions, but what it might mean for the relationship between mortals and gods. After a long moment of contemplation, he carefully returned the mirror to its hiding place and prepared for bed, though sleep would be long in coming as his mind continued to turn over what he had seen.

The morning sun had barely begun to paint the celestial realm in its ethereal light when Ao Huli arrived at the training grounds the next morning. Wuxian was already there, as always, his presence commanding respect despite his casual stance.

Their training session was rigorous - a complex dance of attacks and defenses that left Ao Huli's muscles burning pleasantly with exertion. When they finished, he bowed deeply to his master before making his way to the inner garden where he knew his grandfather would be waiting.

Ao Bing sat in his usual spot, the morning light catching his silver-blue hair in a way that made it shimmer like water. He gestured for Ao Huli to take his place, and the prince knelt gracefully across from him, preparing himself for their daily cultivation practice.

"Today," Ao Bing said gently, "I'd like to try something different with your cultivation practice."

Ao Huli's magenta eyes registered surprise, his red-tipped ears twitching slightly. Before he could inquire about this change, Ao Bing continued.

"I've been thinking about your transformation abilities," Ao Bing continued, his voice carefully neutral.

Ao Huli's perfect posture couldn't quite hide his discomfort. As if to underscore the point, delighted squeals echoed from nearby as another of his younger siblings swooped overhead in dragon form, their scales gleaming in the morning light.

"I know we've tried numerous approaches over the years," Ao Bing acknowledged, "but I've been considering your unique genetic makeup more carefully. With dragon blood being only one-eighth of your composition, perhaps we've been approaching this wrong."

"Grandfather," Ao Huli said quietly, "we both know I've tried everything. For years. Even the cat transformation should come naturally with father Xiaohei's bloodline being dominant, but..." He trailed off, the admission of failure tasting bitter on his tongue.

"And yet your siblings, even the youngest ones, shift forms as easily as breathing," Ao Bing finished the thought that hung between them. It wasn't meant cruelly - they both knew it was simple truth. "But that's exactly why I think we need to try something new."

Ao Bing leaned forward slightly. "Instead of focusing on the end result - dragon or cat - I want you to practice molding your spiritual energy itself. Focus on changing your aura first, before attempting to change your form."

Ao Huli nodded, though the tightness around his eyes betrayed his skepticism. How many different methods had they tried over the years? How many times had he watched his younger siblings master in days what he couldn't achieve in years?

"You may go early today," Ao Bing said finally. "Take some actual rest before your duties at the sanctuary. No extra training," he added, knowing his grandson's tendency to work himself harder when feeling inadequate.

Ao Huli bowed and stood to leave, his movements perfectly controlled despite the emotional weight of their discussion. Back in his room, he sat heavily on his bed, tugging off his shoes with a weary sigh. The morning's conversation had reopened old wounds - yet another reminder of how he failed to live up to expectations despite being the eldest.

Almost without thinking, he reached under his bedroll for the mirror, wanting to lose himself in observing the mortal realm rather than dwelling on his shortcomings. His hand met empty space.

Ao Huli froze, his carefully maintained composure cracking as alarm shot through him. He stood quickly, lifting the bedroll completely. The mirror was gone, leaving no trace it had ever been there. 

Ao Huli burst from his room, his usual measured pace forgotten as he strode through the palace halls with barely contained fury. He made his way to the kitchen area, where he found Ao Liu surrounded by several of his siblings, a cookbook floating in front of them as their father demonstrated proper measuring techniques.

Ao Liu looked up at his eldest son's entrance, surprise crossing his features. Not just at Ao Huli's early return from training, but at his uncharacteristically disheveled state. His eldest was pale, his perfect composure noticeably fractured.

Setting the cookbook aside with a gentle motion, Ao Liu approached his son. "Huli?" he said softly, placing a concerned hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Father," Ao Huli lied, not wanting to worry Ao Liu with his careless mistake. "Have you seen Ao Qing?"

Ao Liu's brow furrowed with worry as he pressed his hand to Ao Huli's forehead, checking for fever. "No, not since she left for morning training." He studied his son's face carefully. "Are you sure you're feeling well?"

Ao Huli's frown deepened. Ao Qing hadn't been at training - he certainly would have noticed her disruptive behavior. 

"She went to the flower maiden's house," Thirteen year old Ao Min piped up from behind Ao Liu, his blue hair a counterpoint to his twin's red hair. "I heard her talking about it this morning."

Ao Huli nodded curtly, already turning to leave, but Ao Min and his twin Ao Fang quickly moved to block his path at the door.

"We want to come too," they announced in unison, their cat ears twitching with identical mischievous energy.

"Why?" Ao Huli asked, barely containing his exasperation. He didn't have time for this - he needed to retrieve the mirror before his afternoon duties at the sanctuary.

The twins exchanged a look, seeming to communicate silently in that uncanny way they had. Then they turned back to him, matching grins spreading across their faces as they spoke in perfect synchronization: "We're bored."

Ao Huli closed his eyes briefly, pressing his fingers to his temples. He could feel a headache forming. "Fine," he sighed, knowing arguing would take longer than just letting them come along. "Get your things. Quickly."

As the twins scampered off to prepare, Ao Liu called after them, "Be careful! And be back before dinner!"

The twins scampered off excitedly to prepare, leaving Ao Huli waiting in the kitchen with barely contained impatience. When they finally set out into the heavenly city, he realized he had no idea where they were going. He'd never visited the flower maiden's residence before, and the winding celestial streets seemed to stretch endlessly before them.

Ao Min and Ao Fang trailed behind him, their progress constantly delayed as they darted from vendor to vendor, fascinated by every trinket and treat they passed. Ao Huli found himself having to stop repeatedly, waiting as his brothers examined elaborate wind chimes or argued over which celestial candies looked most appealing.