Legacies by Ken Arromdee The girl was barely 9. In fact, she was exactly 9, which is why she was raiding the freezer for a piece of cake. It was her birthday, and only a little bit of it was still left. She looked at the cake for a moment. Boy was she hungry... for cake, anyway. But she thought about it a moment, and cut it into three pieces. Her parents wouldn't make her leave parts for her sisters, but she wanted to be nice to them. "Beryl, it's time. We need to go now. You can eat the rest of that when we get back" shouted her mother. The girl nodded to her off-in-the-next-room parent, and left the cake behind. This was the time! It was better even than her birthday. Of course, just because she attended a ceremony didn't mean that she would somehow become the equal of all the older children and adults. It would take a long time, and she would need to go through years of training. * * * * * "So how do you feel?" asked her older sister. "It's your big day. Hey, you have figured out what you're going to do, right?" "Of course, oneesan. I met with everyone last week. I've been thinking about it all the time! Except when eating that cake." "Well, it's not all fun and games, you know. Studying... we have to study almost as much as children in Japan." "Aww, you're just saying that because your time hasn't come yet." "Ready?" shouted their mother. "It's a long trip and we're not supposed to use any shortcuts. "Where we going?" asked Beryl's younger sister. She was still a toddler; she didn't understand any of these things. Beryl thought about it and tried her best to explain. "We're going to a temple." "Temple?" "For my ceremony. You'll see yourself. You will have one some day." The girls' mother entered the room and carefully examined each of her daughters. All except the girl who was having the ceremony today, because she knew that she would always do what was expected of her. Her hair was neatly combed in a surprisingly intricate manner, and she had her best traditional dress on. * * * * * "The first step in coming to age", announced the man at the podium, "is the ceremony we begin now." He wasn't exactly a priest, but his role was similar. "Come forth, Beryl." The girl stood up and walked onto the stage. She bowed and smiled to the congregation, then sat down again next to all the adults. She did her best not to fidget as the long, and ultimately rather boring, ceremony took place. As far back as she could remember, her mother had told her that little girls, and indeed people of any age and sex, should be polite. And unlike her older sister, she had really listened. She certainly didn't want her mother to feel disappointed. An hour later--not really a long time, but forever to a child, came the big moment. "And now, my child, have you decided?" "Yes, I have", she said. Of course, it was merely a formality, since everyone knew what her decision was. She caught the eye of a middle-aged woman in the audience and waved to her. The woman rose to her feet and walked up to the stage to join her. The woman began, reciting the memorized lines. "In a few years, my position will come to an end. As is customary when one is granted a change in position, I have found a worthy successor. Beryl, do you promise to take on the responsibilites that have been mine? Do you promise that the skills you will learn will be used for the betterment of mankind and not for selfish purposes? "This I promise", said the girl. "Are there any objections?" asked the announcer. This too was merely a formality; everyone had agreed that the girl was a perfect candidate. The woman pressed her fingers to Beryl's forehead. The mark that they left seemed to burn into her skin painlessly, as a similar mark on the woman's own head disappeared. "Then I declare you my successor. I bestow upon you the potential that will let you grow into becoming goddess of the present. And I bestow upon you your new name, Belldandy. May your powers come soon, and may the studies for your license be swift. Everybody applauded.