Disclaimer: All fictional works belong to their respective creators and licensed distributors. I own nothing.
My house on Earth is actually the safest location available to me at the moment, if only because it's so low-key. As such, I make a stop there to put the Arrow in the small safe I keep important documents in. It's really just to keep things safe in case of a fire, but it has a combination lock and is both too thick for the Arrow to pierce and too small for it to maneuver. On the small chance someone with a strong spirit passes within its range, the Arrow is secure.
After that, it's time to visit my...well, I guess she's kind of my boss. Though with the freedom she gives me, Hestia is more like my partner.
Partner, huh? That actually sounds pretty good. I give her access to vast resources and knowledge about how to use them. She empowers me and our allies. It's a win-win.
*Snip!*
I step into the old church, knocking on a wall to alert Hestia to my presence.
She pokes her head out of a room down the hall, her hands busy tying up her hair in twintails
It's a good look on her, but if she wants to be taken more seriously she should probably try a more conservative hairstyle. It's why I have a goatee.
She would look great with her hair up. Maybe one of those elaborate buns?
"You're back!" She yells, both happy to see me and a little surprised.
Was she not expecting me to return? Why? Even if I didn't enjoy her company, I need her to level up my stats.
Hestia cocks her head. "I thought you said you had to go train for a while to get stronger? Did you get what you needed in a single night?"
...Oh, right. To her, I've only been gone a few hours. I should probably explain to her why they call it the Space-Time Continuum.
"Actually, my lady, I was gone for several months. I can explain it more to you later but...when you jump across worlds like I do time gets a little weird. Technically, I can use my teleporting scissors for a poor man's version of time travel."
"Really!? That's so cool!"
I think the only person more surprised than me by that is Hestia herself, who flushes red and all but slams her hands over her mouth.
"...s-sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Heh, she's too adorable.
"It's fine, my lady. My powers are pretty cool."
Hestia smiles at me before frowning suddenly. "You don't have to call me 'my lady', you know. Just call me Hestia!"
"Very well, Hestia. In return, please call me Steven. Or Mr. Black when introducing me to others, I suppose."
"Steven? But that's not your name!"
Right. My Falna has my real identity transcribed on it. Good thing Hestia's handwriting is even worse than mine.
"Steven is my pseudonym. I don't use my real name, Hestia, it's too dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
She looks genuinely confused…
Oh.
"You probably never had to worry about it because you are a goddess, but for mortals having your true name known can leave one vulnerable to sorcerers. Names have power, which is part of the reason I wanted to join your familia. I won't worship you, but out of all the deities who have descended upon Orario I trust you the most."
Look at that, the more embarrassed Hestia gets, the cuter she is. Heh, she's too easy. I think she'll spoil my inner S rotten by the end of the week.
"Steven," she says choking up a bit, "thank you."
"You don't have to thank me for recognizing that you're a good person. It just means I'm not a complete moron. Would you mind updating my Falna now?"
"Ah, no that's fine! Just lay down on my bed, I'll be right with you."
I stop, and stare meaningfully at her.
"Your bed, huh? Really?"
Ah, stop blushing like that Hestia-tan! You'll make my poor heart doki-doki right out of my chest!
"J-just shut up and lay down you ass! And take your shirt off!"
"Okay than, if you insist."
I start pulling my freshly washed Zora Tunic over my head right there in the hall. Hestia stops me before it can clear my stomach, though that might be because of the clear view she just got of my abs.
"NOT HERE!"
Sure enough, my partner has her hands over her eyes, though I can spy her peeking through them all the same.
Heh, too easy.
"Alright, all done! Lets see what your new stats a-Holy Shit!"
That was unexpected.
"Hestia?" I ask, turning over on my side to look at her.
"I-im sorry it's just...I know you said you were gone for months but I didn't understand until right now. How did you get your stats so high?"
I frown. "I thought the Falna recorded my 'legend', it doesn't say?"
"No, it does, but the Falna only records things in the most general terms. Nobody wants to hear about every single goblin a hero kills. It just says you 'journeyed to a foreign land, besieged by monsters, and fought them ceaselessly for several moons'."
"Huh. Well, that's pretty much what happened. I went to a place called Hyrule which has a little Dark Lord problem. He has thousands of monsters roaming around attacking travelers, so I just started killing them to train."
"Seriously!? And did you really steal from a Vampire Lord?"
"Technically. He was dead at the time, another group of warriors with a personal beef against him had just killed him. I knew there was a magic item in his possession that could give those with strong spirits special powers, so I stole it before one of his remaining followers could reclaim it."
Apparently, doing either of those things is more than a newly 'born' demigod usually does, as Hestia looks like she is blue screening right now.
"Hestia?"
Shaking herself out of her funk, Hestia begins studying my Falna more closely.
"Is that how you got a new skill so early?"
"Skill?"
"Uh huh. It's called 'Anima stans'. It's description basically says that it lets your 'soul stand by your side and support you with unique abilities' or something like that."
"Oh! That's called a [Stand]. It's the power granted by that artifact I told you about. Here, I'll introduce you to mine."
Focusing, I call forth the shadow of my soul made manifest. As a goddess, Hestia should easily be able to see it.
An aquamarine light envelops me, extending out beside me to form my [Stand].
"Hestia, meet [Shoot To Thrill]. He's the manifestation of my soul. Any damage he takes is translated onto my own body, and he can't go far from me, but he has special abilities and can attack independant of me."
"That sounds...useful?"
"Trust me, it is."
"Okay then, I'll take your word for it. What kind of abilities does it have?"
"He. And I have no idea."
"...what?"
"Yeah, he knows what his powers are, but I have to figure them out. It's kind of a thing all [Stand] users have to go through."
Hestia contemplates that for a moment.
"Why don't I just see what his Falna says then?"
What.
"Would that work?"
Hestia grins triumphantly and gives me a thumbs up.
"Leave it to me! The great and magnificent Hestia will figure out this puzzle no problem!"
Well someone is confident. Though I guess she has every right to be.
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
