"Jeremy!"

Or perhaps they were.

Jeremy was startled awake at the sharp tone of his teacher's voice. He looked up to see her disappointed expression and the large claws of the Maraquan Ruki resting on her hips. She gestured to the front of the classroom. "If the lesson is so boring to you that you fall asleep, surely you are knowledgeable enough to work through this problem in front of the class?"

Like a sign from the heavens, the bell rang then, sparing him from this cruel fate. He rushed out of the classroom, ignoring Mrs. H's reprimands at his back. Face still burning at being caught daydreaming in class, he swam through the crowd of students flooding the halls.

"Jeremy! Hey, Jeremy, wait up!" He looked behind him to see a large Maraquan Grarrl coming toward him, the students parting for her with ease. Jeremy sighed, knowing there was no escaping this fate.

"Hey, Mia," he said glumly. He knew what she was going to say: chastise him for falling asleep - "The Royal Guard doesn't accept dummies, you know!" - and try to reassure him at the same time that of course he was physically capable, everyone else didn't know what they were talking about. It was easy for her to say. She was tall and strong, a perfect candidate for the Royal Guard. But to his surprise, she said neither of those things.

"Come with me a sec! I found something really cool that you've gotta see!" Mia abruptly turned around without waiting for him. Curious, he darted after her...

Eventually, Mia paused in front of a rather disappointing wooden door. Jeremy stumbled up to her a few moments later, already out of breath. The small sign on the door read: "Storage -- do not enter!"

As Mia reached for the handle, Jeremy slapped his fin on hers, hissing quietly at her.

"Didn't you read the sign? It says NOT to enter! Do you know how much trouble we could get in if we --"

"Relax, Jeremy", the Grarrl responded with a sigh. "I've done this before. Besides, when were you such a stickler for the rules?"

Though apprehensive, Jeremy drew his fin away. Mia grasped the handle firmly, turning it and swinging the door open. At once, a bright light shone from the room -- then suddenly, complete darkness.

As he adjusted his eyes to the dark, Jeremy heard a shrill, high-pitched voice call out to them.

"So, you've decided to return... with a friend."

He could barely make out who was talking. He heard the source of the voice call out once more, this time to Mia.

"He doesn't know who I am, does he?"

Before Mia could respond, a dim light began streaming from the ceiling. He squinted at the mysterious Neopian; with a gasp, he knew who he was talking to. It was none other than...

The high-pitched voice spoke again. "I am known as The Wishing Mirror," it claimed. "I exist to grant whatever wishes your heart desires, to the best of my ability. Although my powers are not limitless, they are no trifle either."

It was disconcerting for Jeremy to behold. The mirror's surface was well-lit, despite the darkness around them. He saw himself in the mirror, speaking the voice's words as if he had said them.

Jeremy lunged forward and flipped the mirror to face the floor. Then, he turned to Mia. "Mia, do you know what this is?" he hissed.

"Yeah, it just said. It's really great," Mia replied. "I asked to be stronger," she paused, her face contorted in thought, "a few months ago? It took some time to happen, but look at me now," she emphasized with a flex of her muscular tail. "I owe it all to that mirror."

"You used it?" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Do you remember that time the Royal Guard visited?" Mia asked. "I was already using it then. Do you think I could have cut through the water like that otherwise?"

"Mia, it's dangerous! The Royal Guard put out a notice that said it was bad!"

"I granted Mia's wish," the mirror's voice piped up, despite being turned over. "You have witnessed the results first-hand. She has suffered no ill effects, has she not?"

"I'm better than ever," Mia confirmed. "And you can be too."

"You see?" the mirror chided Jeremy. "What you heard was baseless slander, perpetuated by those who desire to claim me all for themselves." The mirror's voice dropped in pitch slightly. "It is a sad fact that greed runs rampant in Neopia."

"Surely," the mirror continued, "someone as noble-minded as you cannot be swayed from a righteous path. It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity, would it not? What do you say?"

In his heart, Jeremy already knew the truth: heroes don’t take shortcuts. Still, he had little hope of outrunning Mia if he tried to take the mirror, so he tried to play it cool.

“Okay, I’ll make a wish,” he agreed.

Mia smirked, “I knew you’d come around,” She said smugly.

From deep within the mirror, his own reflection smirked as well, “A wise choice, Jeremy,” the high-pitched voice echoed, “Perhaps you’d like to be stronger—like your friend Mia.”

The reflection in the mirror shifted and Jeremy saw himself in gym class, throwing a gormball so fast that it nearly knocked over the peophin next to him.

Jeremy couldn’t help but smile at the image.

“… Or perhaps smarter?”

The reflection shifted again, and this time Jeremy could see Mrs. H smiling down at him. She handed him back a sheet of paper with a big “A+” circled in red. Jeremy was still considering the image as it shifted once more.

“No, something a bit….bigger, I think,” the voice said slowly.

A new scene materialized behind the glass. In this one, Jeremy stood next to the head of the Royal Guard. A crowd was gathered around them, and they applauded as the guard hung a medal of honour around Jeremy’s neck.

Jeremy’s eyes widened, mesmerized. It was like the mirror could see inside his head. Temptation rolled over him like a storm cloud. Suddenly, doing the right thing didn’t seem so important.

He stared into the mirror, searching for some small flaw in his face that would differentiate his true self from the creature within it. Before he had a chance to stop himself, he could feel his lips starting to move.

“I wish…” the words were little more than a whisper.

Mia leaned in closer in anticipation. Jeremy cleared his throat.

“I wish,” Jeremy commanded more loudly this time.

In one exaggerated swoop, Jeremy pivoted and reached for the door.

“Jeremy, no!” Mia yelled.

She lunged forward to stop him, knocking the mirror from his hands and onto the floor. It shattered with a crack. A cool green mist rose from the shards of broken glass.

Occenti’s laughter boomed, filling the small storage closet like a roll of thunder. Her figure materialized before them. And although her skin was pale blue, her eyes glowed red, “You fools!” She cackled, “You’ve released me from my prison, and now I am unstoppable!”

How will this story end?

Suddenly Mia let out a low, agonizing roar! Jeremy looked on in horror as she writhed and became engulfed in the very miasma that shrouded Occenti.

Jeremy swam hastily through the dense fog for the door and yelled desperately “HELP! We need the Royal Guards, HELP!”

Occenti’s voice cackled, “You think you can escape so easily… you truly are weak.”

The miasma dissipated and he saw Mia on the floor unconscious. Jeremy gasped - seeing his classmate in danger triggered something in him. Without a second thought, he sprung into action.

Time seemed to slow as Jeremy recalled years of studying battle strategy.

First: Ascertain the Safety of the Squad — Without flinching, his eyes shift to Mia. She cannot help, she reverted to how she presumably was before the mirror’s magic changed her - far smaller and weaker, curled on the storage room floor. There was no time to dwell on that.

Second: Analyze the Opponent’s Strength — The opponent is unknown, the green fog disguising her true form. Approaching the battle head-on would be foolish.

Third: What was third again? There was no time! The miasma bolted out like spikes, Jeremy dodged and dove for Mia.

His whiskers flinched, sensing an attack. He whipped his tail with instinctual speed and strength. The water surged toward Occenti, she let out a startled cry “What is this?!”

The water seemed to obey Jeremy’s wishes, pulling the green fog back from her physical body, creating an explosion behind her. The water created an opening in the wall and the sand from the seafloor veiled Jeremy and Mia.

Jeremy didn’t waste the opportunity. He lifted Mia, and whipped his tail again, this time on purpose, using it to propel him through the opening, bringing them to safety.

He only caught a glimpse of Occenti’s true form - a ghost peophin. With his comrade injured, and without having clearance to engage in battle, Jeremy’s only hope was to retreat and alert the Royal Guards.

The Next Day:

Jeremy floated into the classroom exhausted. He had spent the night in a rigorous interrogation by the Royal Guards. "Why were you in possession of that accursed mirror? Why was this not reported immediately? What caused those explosions? Who else knows about this?” The night replayed in his head as he sat himself down at his desk.

He looked up and noticed conversation in the classroom had come to a halt. All eyes were on him.

*SLAM*

Using her lesson plan as a hammer, Mrs. H stole the attention of the students. “I would appreciate it if we could begin class promptly.” Her eyes, cold but understanding, briefly swept over Jeremy’s, and then she began class.

Mia’s desk was empty. That was expected. He wondered if she was okay. The boost his tail had given him was like a rocket. He had swum straight to the hospital without stopping. He successfully delivered Mia to the doctors, but not without creating an uproar. The journey was rough, his lack of control left him covered in sand and kelp, and so out of breath that he could not speak.

A few students snickered in the back, “kelpman” they said. One student passed a note with a crude drawing of Jeremy covered in kelp and they chuckled a little louder, “kelpbeard” they said.

Jeremy sighed heavily and hid his face under his fins. Facing downward he noticed a folded piece of paper in his desk cubby. He unfolded it:

“Thank you - M

P.S. Don’t get a big head, I was caught by surprise is all…”

His face curled into a tiny smile. Jeremy pondered for a moment, and sat up straight. Students continued to snicker and gossip. He reined in his emotions and put on a stern face. He was conflicted and embarrassed. Nonetheless, he knew he had done everything he could and Mia was safe because of it.

With his newly found confidence, he pondered: Maybe "Kelpbeard” had a nice ring to it after all.

The End,