They never found Medusa. She was eventually thought to have ran away, which Pythagoras had to admit, seemed likely. But he couldn't believe that she had. She was his best friend, she was just a child, like him, how could she have decided to just leave?
He never quite stopped mourning her loss. And, as the years melted by, he never stopped missing her.

Not so far from the palace, a young girl was humming as she idly stepped back to her home. Her name was Ariadne, and she'd lived in Atlantis for four, quite interesting, years. Upon first arrival, she'd met a man who had a mountain of gambling debts that needed to be paid off. She was a very compassionate person, and managed to barter with the loaners to lower the amount and to give him more time to pay them off. Well, for them to pay it off. He'd offered to let her stay with him, and though she'd been worried to live with a strange man at first, she'd accepted. Now the house was half hers too, as the man, Hercules, had decided to gamble that away in a game of cards and she'd ended up buying it back.
They were alright, though. He was good to her and she had grown fond of him.

As she moved closer to the house, she heard cries of 'Stop!' and grimaced. Some poor fool was running from the guards again. She started placing away the various groceries she'd bought and without warning, a 'THUMP!' came from the window. She padded over and to her surprise a young man was there, hanging on by his fingertips. He didn't say anything, but she could see the desperation in his eyes, and she grabbed at him, only just catching his forearm before his grip failed him. He pulled himself up and she hauled and suddenly she was on her back, the panting man lying dazed on top of her.

"Oh...Thank you! thank you!" He buried his head into her shoulder and held her tightly. He held on for several minutes before he let her go and knelt back.

She stood up and, as if on cue, the guards began hammering on the door. She saw the man looked worried and realised that it was him they were after. She stared at him.

"I can explain! I was on the sub, then a bright light and suddenly I'm on a beach and then I find this city and there's two-headed dragons and arrows..."

"What's a 'sub'?"

"OPEN UP!"

She looked back at him. He was not threatening, that much she could see. She sighed heavily, cursing her soft nature and moving the table back, opened the hatchdoor. "Get in there. Quickly!"

"You took your time!" the guard barked.

"I was busy."

"Hmm. Have you seen anyone?"

"I have not."

They stalked around , knocking over various things, but decided that whomever they were looking for was not there. When they left, Ariadne locked the door and ran back to the hatchdoor, fearing for the man's life.

He peered up at her and she noticed a bloody wound, shining in the sunlight. She helped him out and helped him to her bed. She made him sit and went to get water and herbs. Tearing a makeshift bandage from some cloth, she dampened it and held it to his wound.

"Where am I?"

"Atlantis."

"Atlantis? But that's under the ocean!"

"If it was, we'd all be dead."

"Oh, my God. This is..."

The door swung open again, the man jerked and gazed to see who it was. To his relief it was not a person who looked to be a threat and he relaxed.

"And who is this?"

"This is...um..."

"Jason." the stranger murmured.

"This is Jason." Ariadne announced.

"Boyfriend, is he?"

Ariadne blushed and when she next spoke, she spoke shaprly. "No. He was running from the guards and needed help. He was injured, see?"

"You took in a criminal?!"

"He's not a criminal. He's not from here."

"For the gods' sake!"

"Hercules! After all the messes you've landed us in..."

"What?! Name me one time, just one..."

Ariadne smiled at Jason, dimples denting her cheeks. Jason quite liked her. She was strong and unafraid and could work miracles as she'd managed to get Hercules (he couldn't believe this plump, middle-aged man was actually him) to allow him to stay with them.

"Thank you."

"No problem. What did you come here for?"

"I wanted to find my father. He was lost...around these parts."

"I see. Have you found anything yet?"

"No."

Ariadne took hold of Jason's forearm again. "Come with me. There's someone who can help you."

Jason was almost swaying on the spot when he came out of the temple into the cool shade it cast upon the marbled ground. He sat down heavily on a step and tried to breathe.

Dead. his father was dead. He didn't know what to do. Here he was in a strange city, alone, with nothing but his necklace and the clothes on his back. And even the clothes were stolen. He lay his head in his hands and sighed miserably. What the hell was he going to do?

"Are you alright?" A man's voice, quiet and gentle pierced his thoughts. Looking up, he saw blue, silken robes surrounding a pale, slender body. looking higher, he saw golden curls and eyes blue as the sea in the horizon.

"I'm fine."

The newcomer wasn't fooled. He sat next to him and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Something is troubling you. What is it?"

"My father is dead."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm lost here..."

"Don't be afraid. Atlantis will soon seem like home to you."

"It's so... different to where I am from."

"It's different from everywhere." the stranger agreed. "But it will feel like your true home in time."

Jason sighed. "I hope so."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes. I made a friend this morning. She's agreed to let me stay with her and her housemate."

"What is her name?"

"Ariadne."

The blonde smiled. "I'm glad you found her. She's a good woman with a kind heart. SHe has a sharp tongue, so don't cross her."

"I won't." Jason promised. he felt relaxed and he gave the other man a small smile.

"I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

"Jason. You?"

"I'm Pythagoras." the stranger told him. He was getting up now. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're the triangle guy."

Pythagoras whipped his head up. "What?"

Jason seemed nervous. "I've heard stories..."

"Nobody knows about my thoughts on triangles, but my parents. Who told you?"

"Oh, I...overheard some people."

"I see."

"Well," Jason could see Ariadne, making her way towards them. "I'd better go. Goodbye, Pythagoras."

"Goodbye." Pythagoras murmured. He stared in wonder at the man's retreating back, and shaking his head in wonder, returned to the palace. He hoped he would see him again.

"Finally met our prince, did you?" Hercules asked. He was slightly drunk and was warming up to Jason, to the latter's relief.

Jason almost spat out his water. "Your prince?"

Ariadne almost giggled. "I couldn't believe it either. He's almost like one of us, and so down-to-earth.." She swallowed some of her drink. "But he's going to be good king one day."

"I...wow."

"He likes spending time with the non-royals. He's not actually of royal blood."

"Oh." Atlantis truly was the oddest place. Jason didn't know what to say.

"He's liked." Hercules said, getting up to refill his wineskin. "WHich is important, especially for him. Nothing worse than being a disliked king."

Jason was quiet, thinking about how similar, yet different history was in this...world? Time? He didn't know. He took a sip of water and gazed out the window. Almost without warning, the sound of drums echoed in the night air.

"Marching band?"

"Whatever they are, no. Tomorrow, tributes will be selected to face the Minotaur."

"What? You send people to their deaths?"

"We have to. Sending a sacrifice appeases the gods. The Minotaur is what it is because, as a man, he angered the gods and was cursed. We can't have the same happen to us."

"Minotaur Island has a ring to it, though." Hercules pointed out.

"Well, Minos wouldn't agree. There's a curfew, so don't go back out, either of you. I don't want anyone in this house to get torn up by the hunting lions."