"Tell you what, how about I take you to see a friend of mine on Monday, run some tests?"

"...ooh, tests! Wait what day of the week is it?"

"Friday."

"Oh. Why can't we go today?"

"What's the rush, dear?"

"One year of having powers and not testing them a lot because they were secret."

"Hmm, fair enough. But these things do take a little while to arrange."

"...tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

"Eeee!"

Zaneta smiles. "I must say, most children would be more excited about the tropical island populated by other powered children, and the occasional mer-boy."

"Well if I can run tests on their powers that's exciting too!"

"Well, my powers have been extensively tested since I was about your age."

"Are theirs the same? They can talk to animals too and they wouldn't believe me that if their animals are people then all animals are."

"Yes, their powers are the same as mine, except for what came from their father."

"Can they control animals' minds?"

"Yes. My husband had more range. I'm trying to let them down easy."

"Let them down easy?"

"When you were small, did you think a stuffed animal was a thinking, feeling creature?"

"...no, I don't think so. Or don't remember if I did."

She thinks carefully. "What's you opinion on Father Christmas?"

"I think there's a villain who decided to call himself that. And I think I used to believe in him when I was little because another kid told me about him but then my mom taught me how to figure out which things are real and which aren't."

"Well, can you imagine how that child eventually felt when he found out there wasn't a Father Christmas?"

"Um." She pauses, clearly never having thought of this before. "Bad?" she guesses.

"Exactly. Except imagine if instead of their mum or dad telling them he existed, nature itself seemed to confirm it for them."