I awoke this morning feeling a bit nostalgic. For some reason I was recalling the last time I was on earth, and the anger in my words aimed at those I loved.

Today was my Name Day. I've lived for the last five years without one. And today, my mother will be selecting one for me. And tomorrow I will be starting school.

Demeter told me that I needed to have a recognized persona for her little bet, so I decided that I would do something for my naming ceremony that I doubted other five year olds would do. I decided to wear a costume to it! I didn't have any choice on the clothes I would wear, but I did have a choice on accessories. No respectable girl's outfit is complete without them.

I found some stuff that would work for what I had in mind, and went to work. When mom came in as I was finishing up, she had a half smile as she asked me what I was doing.

"I'm hoping to be remembered." I smiled back.

I grabbed the pair of shorts off my bed, and slid them under the white skirt I would have to wear today. Attached to the back of the shorts, was the white fox tail I had made, I used some blue dye to get the tip to match my hair color. Where my skirt stopped at my knee, my new tail came to the center of my lower legs.

I then grabbed one of the barrettes I made, and attached a matching Fox ear to my hair. Mom helped me get the other one right when she saw me struggling with it. She then braided my hair, making sure to hide my real ears and the metal bases I used for the fake ones. The white faux-fur on my head gave me a decidedly exotic appearance, especially with my grey eyes.

"You'll always be unforgettable," she smiled as she looked over my outfit. I think she was surprised at the fact that I chose my naming ceremony to be the first time I did something completely selfish.

An hour later, Oracle Darrien, Mom and I entered a crowded governor's building. It was the first time I had been out of the temple, and because I didn't have a name yet, I had to wear this greyish-white cloak that fell to just past my ankles.

The five clasps on the left side were all brass, white-oak leaves, with two acorns in the middle. The symbol for a follower of Demeter. The sixth and final clasp, rested at the center of my neck, but loose enough to not be a bother, was a Crystal Idol of Demeter, a gift from the Oracle for today. Something told me that the crystal Idol was the one off his cord, because today is the first time I have ever seen him without it.

When I put the cloak on, it felt nice, and well made. Because I'm not allowed to show myself, until I have my name, in public, all the clasps were fixed. My fingers fidgeted with the embroidery at the hems of the sleeves. I could barely make out the thin, clear threads as the sun made them glint. I could tell they were Zeon runes, but I couldn't read them yet.

The Early Autumn sun was dancing through the stained glass windows as Oracle Darrien showed Mom and I where to line up. He then walked away, we knew he would be to watch from the seats in the hall. After all, we would also be tested to see if we have the gift, and that was required to be public knowledge. We already knew I did, but this was for the world to know.

At the same time would be affinity testing. The same web Demeter showed me was carved into the six pillars around the room. Everyone would know immediately what each gift could do. I was the last in line. Anyone associated with the Pantheon was required to wait until the end, they considered me an orphan because of my symbols of Demeter, and my mother was a well known Priestess.

Once the line was set, and it wasn't hard to tell that it was in order of social standing, the woman walked out into the center of the room, and then began her long boring monologue. Everything other than her name was boxed and tagged under 'crap I already know.'

Good morning, I am Celia Strider, and am the overseer for today. Once I call the first to be named, no talking is allowed in the hall until the last one is tested." She paused for a moment and looked at the six different walls of the hexagonal room.

"Most of you are here each month. however The King of Arlan requires I repeat the pathways before we can begin."

First are the East and West Greater Pathways. Light and darkness. Where light has domain over positive emotions, darkness has domain over the negative emotions. Next we have the North and South Greter Pathways, Creation and Destruction. Where creation is about Change, Healing, and Defense; Destruction focuses on manipulation of the Flow of souls, and their Offensive power."

If you didn't get it already Pathways of the opposite cardinal direction are weak against each other, and always listed together when someone is lecturing. And although I know al this, I still had to Listen. Every time I tried to zone out Mom would lightly elbow me to keep my attention.

"Next are the elemental pathways of the South East, and North West, Fire and Water. Fire is the first of the four Elemental Pathways, these spells generally cover heat, and fire, and have the potential to devastate large areas of land, some spells even require casters to sacrifice parts of themselves to be consumed by the spell. Water confers dominion over liquids and purity, it also represents Ice and cold temperatures."

"Next we have the North East and South West of Earth and Air. Earh's Dominion is the Planet, stones and minerals. It also governs physics, such as gravity and magnatism. Air is the path of the ethereal, and incorporeal. It contains movement, and speed spells, with its power, space may be altered and bodies may be transported from one place to another. It's also the path of Charge and Electricity."

"This brings me to our Lowest Pathways, Low North and Low South; Essence, and Illusion respectively. Essence is the power over life,souls, and all things natural. Illusion is the power of deception, and often distort the perception of reality."

"Finally, this brings us to the last Pathway. If you wil all look at the stone webs located on these pillars, you will see a prominent stone in the center, and no connections attach it to any other pathway. This is necromancy. It is a perversion of the Soul Flow. Anyone showing this affinity will be banished from the kingdom immediately, along with all family members out to their fifth cousins."

"These webs will show a blue color if the participant can use it, a red color if they can't, and white if it's an affinity. Now that the long and boring part is over, lets get to the reason all of you are here. First Participant." All the noise in the hall stops. The man at the front steps forward, along with someone wearing a well made white cloak.

"Please remove the child's hood, and state the name." Celia told him. He seemed offended by her lack of humility towards him, but even I knew, the next words out of his mouth would be the child's name. It wouldn't be the first time a Noble was named 'Why You.'

He lowered the hood, and the boy unbuttoned the cloak, and folded it over his arm. The man then announced the name Charles Ironwood. Charles stepped up to a podium with three spheres. Each one representing the three tests we were required to take, strength of Ki, The Gift, and Psyonics. He touch the gift one first, and all the crystals shown Red. No gift. Then Psyonics, no reaction, and then Ki, a faint black aura surrounded him. Celia didn't say a word as the boy touched the stones, and simply shouted 'next'. When he was done. The next kid was a girl, she also had no gift, and her Ki aura was an almost non-existent orange. But when she touched the Psyonics stone, her orange aura became so thick it was hard to see her. Her mother was smiling. I guess they are a Psyonics family. After an hour, it was finally my turn. Celia was obviously bored by this point. All of the participants, except black-aura Charles were sitting around the room.

"Finally the last one, get up here kid." I step up, but instead of asking Mom for my name, she looks at me, "Do you know either parent's name?"

Mom smirked at this, I just nodded. Celia rolled her hand to motion for me to continue. I walked up to her and took her pen and a blank page, then began to write.

'My father was Paladin Ryan Heart, My mother is Priestess Michelle Heart. Please refrain from dishonoring my mother further and speak with her.'

When I handed back the note, her eyes went wide, and then she addressed Mom.

"Please remove the hood, and then state your child's name." A few gasps could be heard, and a couple people were removed from the room for talking.

"Tasha Heart." I heard her say, as my little fake ears were revealed. I took off the cloak, and the air felt like it got warmer. I started to approach the spheres and a chime went off.

"Stop!" Celia shouted and walked over to me. She handed my cloak to Mom, and then looked me over a little closer. "Enchanted items aren't allowed on the podium." When she could tell I didn't understand she looked at Mom.

"Priests Michelle, could you please explain the enchanted cloak?"

Mom nodded and then began. "Tasha's body reacts strangely to today's weather, so we embroidered this cloak with runes to keep her comfortable, knowing she would be put at the end of the line."

Celia seemed pleased with the response and looked at me with a bit less hostility, but it was still there. "Continue, Tasha Heart."

I stepped onto the platform, knowing the outcome of only one of the spheres. I touched Psyonic's test first. And got no reaction. Then the Ki test, and I was surrounded by a silvery Aura. It was thick, but not like that first girl's Psyonic Aura. And now for, the gift. I looked up at the web above me, having seen all reds, and nothing else, I wondered if it was broken. I extended my hand and put my palm on it. The web lit up with three colors. Red in the center, blue in the South and West, with the North and East being white.

I took my hand off the stone, and took my cloak back from Mom, it felt better to have it on. Celia stood there for a moment, then spoke.

"I have worked the Naming Ceremony for 12 years, just to try to see one with the gift. That's all I wanted in my life, was to see one gift revealed. Thank you Tasha Heart. May Demeter's Oak bear your name."

'It already does' I thought to myself. Well at least I made an impression.