"Yeah Ripples?"
"When are you going to turn into a rat?"
Zac looked at Ripples in confusion.
"I can't turn into a rat."
"But Frog-features said you could."
"Well, Frog-features is wrong."
Ripples flew right in front of Zac's face and stared in amazement.
"She's wrong?"
"Yes." Then Zac thought of something else. "And I'm not telepathic either."
"Gobble-nose is wrong!" Ripples squealed in delight. "She's wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!"
With of course, triggered a series of triumphant somersaults. Zac had to grin.
"So, what can you do instead?" Ripples asked, coming to a sudden stop.
"Electricity and Restoration." Zac answered.
"Ooh."
Zac smiled.
"I wonder why she thought I could turn into a rat and had Telepathy?" he asked himself.
" 'Cause she's stupid. Stupid Goblin! Stupid Goblin!"
"I suppose, if she's a goblin, then you're a fairy?"
"Many call us dat. But we are mighty insect people! Not magical fairy beings."
"Then Gretel is really a frog person."
"Called Goblin for long time. She live long time. Much, much longer than insect people. Insect people 'bout ten years. Frog-lips hundreds years old. Lots other frog-people, not live so long, also called goblins. But Grets is The Goblin."
What was scaring Zac most about this conversation was that he thought if he spoke to Ripples for too long, he may just start talking like him.
"So, how come you're... an insect person?"
"Mommy and Daddy were insect people."
"Right. Of course." Zac answered, figuring he should have seen that one coming.
He laid back in the pool. Ripples watched for a moment, then dived into the water himself. Zac half looked at his new, small friend and then did a double take.
"You're... you're... you've got Water too?" Zac asked.
"Yep." Ripples replied proudly. "And me is Dragonfly and -"
"Telepathy." Zac said suddenly.