Zeta

Chapter 9 The Flower

     On the morning of June 30th, Ruby Andromeda awoke with a long yawn. . . and excitedly hopped out of bed. Her once barren dresser was now filled to the brim with stylish clothes, but her hands fished for one thing in particular.
     Emerging from her dorm was a young girl in a majestic maroon sundress, colorful bright stars woven into the fabric. It was a perfect fit. The thirteen year old twirled before skipping towards the end of the hall, carefully peaking out from the corner and down the stairs.
     "Okay, no Neo or Jason!" With the coast clear, Ruby made a hasty getaway and ventured out into the streets of Andria City. . .
     The central plaza in the center of the small city was nearly always bustling with life. Vendors were up day and night, encircling the beautiful Red Maple in the plaza's center. A number of shops formed a ring around the road, shaping the plaza itself. The member of Hestia skipped through the crowd, cheerfully returning waves and nervously blushing at the compliments aimed at her dress.
     Soon, she found a modestly sized shop with plants framing the entrance, vines curling up the exterior. Spelled out in red flower petals was "Pyrrha's Petals."
     "Pyrrha!" Ruby called as she entered the flower shop, being met with shelves stacked with every flower known to man. The young owner smiled at her newcomer.
     "Good morning to you, too. Ruby." Pyrrha shook her head and smiled from behind the counter, a straw-hat resting atop her red hair and a red apron tied around her waist to cover her clothes. "So what brings you to my domain?"
     "Oh, you know why I'm here!" The maroonette pouted, the fifteen year old laughing as she walked into the back of her shop, returning with a bouquet of hot pink and light blue roses.
     "That'll be forty credits." The florist stated nonchalantly, her customer paling at the price. She raised a brow as Ruby began to dig through her wallet for any spare cash. "You used most of your allowance on that dress, didn't you?" Pyrrha sighed as the younger girl shamefully nodded. ". . . This is your one freebie."
     "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" The Andromeda snatched the bouquet away and in an impressive display of speed, practically teleported through the doors!
     "HEY WAIT! I meant to give me what you had!" The older girl shouted, futilely reaching out and letting out a groan. "She's so lucky that it's their birthday. . . ."

—

     "That was a close one!" Ruby ran back to the faction, praying to Hestia that the Rose Twins weren't at the Hestia House yet! Thankfully, they weren't. . . Once she arrived, she got her first glance at all party decorations. The homey atmosphere of the building was replaced with a more childish mood, balloons practically flooding the floors, banners hanging from the ceiling, and confetti pretty much everywhere.
     "Oh, hey Ruby." Barbara greeted her whilst carefully balancing a banquet's worth of food on her arms and head.
     "H-Hey Barbara. . . Do you need help?" The redhead wondered, the brunette frantically shaking her head!
     "You're not allowed in the kitchen!" She declared!
     "The fire was an accident!"
     "You were cooking eggs!"
     "One time!"
     "Break it up, girls! We got more work to do!" Hestia IV ushered Barbara along, then taking a glance at the faction's fireplace. She smiled and snapped her fingers, the hearth lighting ablaze.       "Did you get your gift, Ruby?"
     "Oh, yeah! I have the flowers." The maroonette held up her bouquet, the Goddess pointing towards the dining room.
     "Center of the table. Put it on there neatly." She ordered, emphasis on the 'neatly'. The Andromeda nodded and walked to the dinner table. . . An extravagant pyramid of gifts held up a small strawberry cake, rose petals made of frosting decorating the top. Hanging from the chandelier were two massive balloons, spelling "14."
     "Everyone's really going all out for this, huh. . .?" Ruby mumbled, placing her bouquet of roses at the bottom of the pyramid. . . Her heart froze as a warm breath hit the back of her neck.
     ". . . Boo." A horrified shriek escaped the poor girl's lips as her Spirit Dust threw her into the air, the redhead tightly hanging onto a ceiling fan as hysterical laughter reverberated off the walls. A trembling Ruby Andromeda was met by a. . . familiar face?
     Dressed in a form fitting white shirt and very short, jean shorts was a teenager who was the spitting image of the Goddess Hestia herself in many ways. The sixteen year old had definitely inherited the Goddess' mature physique, as well as her round face, and even her smooth skin. She however, had much paler skin and was much shorter. And her hair was much, MUCH different. It was still plenty raven, but had bright gold highlights shining through the dark. The left side of her hair flowed down to her waist, gorgeously combed and waved. The right side didn't even reach her shoulders, her hair curling crazily. And lastly, her eyes were a beaming honey yellow.
     "Oh. . . Oh my. . . You should see the look on your face!" Hestia 'V' Cloud, or Hesty cackled once more, trying and failing to stop herself from laughing as the maroonette's expense.
     "Wh-Who are you. . .?" Ruby questioned as she landed on the ground, a less than amused frown on her face.
     "The name's Hestia! I'm the Goddess' daughter." Hestia V thumbed to herself with a wide grin before flicking her wrist and pointing to the thirteen year old. "And you're the new girl!" Her air of confidence faded very quickly as she slipped on the carpet, falling into her back. . .
     "Hesty, quit bothering Ruby and help me fix the living room!" Hestia IV yelled from said room, a tick mark placing itself over the teenager's forehead.
     "Please, never call me Hesty. . ." She demanded with a glare, still sprawled on the floor, only for Ruby to smirk.
     ". . . No promises."