Free Cassie Comes Through by Ahmet Zappa

clarity and focus to her that will aid in wish fulfillment.”
    She began to walk around the room as she spoke. “Mirror Mantras used to be presented to Starling Academy students upon graduation. We had four staryears to determine the perfect message for each student. The timing was a little tighter for you Star Darlings,” she said with a laugh. “But we were able to determine the correct mantras for each of you.”
    â€œHow do you choose them?” asked Libby with a yawn.
    â€œAn excellent question,” said Kiri. “They were carefully selected based on each of your personalities, strengths, and challenges.”
    â€œChallenges?” asked Astra.
    â€œYes, challenges,” said Kiri. “It is not just your strengths that make you the special person you are, but also your challenges and how you face them.”
    â€œBut we already know our mantras,” said Leona. “They were assigned to us as soon as we found out we were Star Darlings.”
    â€œYes,” said Kiri patiently. “But we’ve determined that the more you use them before your Wish Mission, the more their strength will increase. We want you to become as familiar with your mantra as you are with your own name. We want to make sure that they become second nature to you, and that you use them to their fullest potential. We want you to know your mantras forwards and backwards.”
    The girls nodded.
    â€œSo let’s begin!” The classroom door opened and a bevy of Bot-Bot assistants flew into the room, each holding a floating holo-mirror, which it placed in front of a student. Cassie gazed at herself and found herself taking off her starglasses to get a closer look at her eyelashes. They were so thick and lush! How had she never noticed them before? They were pretty starmazing, actually. She was about to lean over and ask Leona if she had noticed her lashes before—and, if so, why she had never called them to Cassie’s attention—when Kiri began to speak again.
    â€œOkay,” she said. “Now let’s go around the room and recite your mantras for each other. Why don’t you start?” she asked, pointing to Sage, who sat in the front of the room.
    Sage giggled nervously and cleared her throat. She gazed into the mirror levelly. “I believe in you,” she said. “Glow for it!”
    Even from the back of the room, Cassie could see that Sage’s reflection took on a brilliant glow.
    â€œLook at her reflection!” Kiri cried to the class. “Her glow is intensifying even here on Starland! This is some pretty powerful stuff!”
    She turned back to Sage. “Okay,” said Kiri. “How did that make you feel?”
    â€œI felt really energized,” Sage said with a laugh. “While I definitely felt the power of the mantra when I used it on Wishworld, I felt something extra just now. Maybe my mantra has even more power than I realized.”
    Kiri nodded enthusiastically. “That’s exactly it. We’re thinking that we have not yet taken full advantage of the power of the mantras. And we think that you as Star Darlings may have even greater mantra powers than the other students.”
    The room began to buzz with excitement. When they quieted down, Kiri went around the room and had the rest of the Star Darlings recite their mantras, one by one.
    â€œIt’s all in the balance. Glimmer and shine!” said Libby, her pink ponytail shimmering.
    Leona said: “You are a star. Light up the world!”
    Scarlet reached into her back pocket for her drumsticks and beat out a drumroll on top of her desk before stating: “Abracadabra—time for some star power!” And even she looked impressed by the burst of sparkle in her reflection.
    â€œDreams can come true,” said Piper when it was her turn. “It’s your time to shine!”
    â€œStronger you make challenges,” said Astra with a wide grin.