That night Hu Li sits on her bed and meditate to remove the hated in her mind. The steam in her is evaporating off her. She sweat off the stress. Her white hair is floating around her face. Her crystal at her middle of her forehead appears. The crystals near her lips are forming into round shape almost like pearls. Red eyeliner around her eyes have extend down wards to her chin. Her eyebrows are almost changing to red as well. She got off from the bed and look at the mirror.
"What did i say... i am really ugly now."
"No my Hu Li is never ugly. Still a beautiful little fox that i saw any any any years ago."
She look at Hei who is alike her but yet something strange about him. As if he have change. He is physically the same except for his fangs,Somehow something is odd. She touch his face tenderly. His dark diamond hair glitter under the dark room.
"Hei... there is something different about you now."
"What is different?"
"I cannot say what is the difference."
"Do you like the different me or dislike it?"
"Hei no matter what you are who you are. You are Hei, to me. The one who approach me."
"That is because i don't like that monkey to hold you back and not letting you see the world outside."
"Hahaha, Di Jun is not a monkey. He is a great white ape"
"Still a monkey..."
She giggle and cover her mouth. While he with his serious face he look at her child like face. Thousand of years fly past and the remain the same looking little fox except that she is now have wisdom and grown up. While he is going through the second phase of life and soon have to leave her alone. Hu Li walk nearer to him and lean on his chest. For a long time, they stand together in the darkness of the room. Their hearts unlike the humans beat slowly and steady. Their breathing is deep with every breath.
"Do you like me, Hu Li?"
"You are my first friend. I like..."
"No i mean... like how you like that ... two legged man."
"You are always like a family. Always because we are made from the same creator. In this world besides your brothers, we are the only one who are this race of the magical beast. Even my son belongs to another different beast. While you and i belong the same."
"In this case, we will be together forever. Till the end of time. Are you wiling...?"
She quietly nod her head. She tighten her arms that circle around his waist. For a long time they stand there in the silence dark room. Only to hear the heart beat like a drum. Deep and loud.
The following days, Hu Li watch the palace decorations goes up for the wedding. People walking up and down busy with the wedding. She heard that the crown prince is now on his way back with his bride. Each prince and princess have a new outfit made. Some even buy new jewellery for this occasion. The emperor have given Princess Wang Ching special permission to make her own accessories. However Hu Li is not interested. Prince Ying Tian, constantly come by her courtyard. Sometimes her little brother comes by and a fight will break out. What she will do is simply just kick them out. Hu Li knows that Wang Cao is watching her thus she did not do anything much but lay around.in her courtyard. At night, she have written a letter to inform Du Wei the likely attacks when will it happen. Now everything will have to happen on the crown prince's wedding day. She have to wait till the day before and carry out a plan to wipe out the attacks. Meanwhile she will be in her most lazy attitude ever in the palace. She watch the sun rises and sun sets. A huge golden cage she is living in. How boring.
Hu Li waited patiently for the day to arrive but it never comes. Hei is getting tired. He naps all day long. She carry him in her shirt or her arms all day never leaving him alone. They are together most of the time. Sometimes his magic gets weaken, his original form is almost shown. Hu Li stop it by injecting part of her power on him. However during the part of transfers she see his original form. He is not a fox. He is a black panther. She continue to protect him as much as she can but one night Fei comes and ask for his brother.
"Let me bring him to the lotus pond. My master said it will benefit him. He is shedding his old shell. His new identity is draining him. So going there to review his energy is the best."
"When will he be ... "
"We don't know. It's up to his body."
"Will they chase him again..."
"No. Till he cause trouble again. We are all magical beast living in the sky palace. No one is rejected there unless mischief is done up there. "
Hu Li look at the baby cat in her arms. She rub the forehead with her finger gently.
"I shall see you when you are ready."
Fei take the little kitten and wrap it in his magical ball of soft light. He place it in his long sleeves and look at Hu Li. Her eyes are watering and it flow upwards. Fei knows once she cry, he cannot fly back up to the sky. So he wait for her to stop. Little rain comes down soon it stop. He smile at her and morph into a phoenix. His burning fire body raise from the floor and dive out of the room. She watch the ball of fire fly towards the moon and disappear behind the clouds. Hu Li sits alone in a swing by the tree. She stare at the moon without a smile on her face. The rats come out of the bedroom and stand by the door. They sense her sadness. At the same time, they see in a distance, there is someone running towards their courtyard.