Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“ My name’s Percy Jackson, and this is the story of how I died. Don’t worry, this is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it isn't even mine. I’m just the dude that dies.

This is the story of a boy named Jason.

And it starts with the sun.

Once upon a time, a drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, and from this small drop of sun, grew a magic, golden flower. It possessed the ability to heal the sick and injured .”

On a cliff overlooking the calm sea, a cloaked figure hobbles towards an overturned basket made of woven leaves and vines. The figure kneels down and sets a lantern next to the basket, throwing back the hood covering their face to reveal a frail, elderly crone. Her gnarled, arthritic hands shake as they pick the basket up and set it aside carefully. Underneath the basket a beautiful lone flower grew. It’s petals shone with the golden light of the sun and it radiated an aura of peacefulness.

“ Oh, you see that old woman? You might want to remember her, she’s kind of important.

Anyways, centuries pass and a hop skip and a jump away grew a kingdom governed by beloved rulers. King Zeus and Queen Beryl.

And the Queen, well she was about to have a baby. But she got sick, really sick. She was running out of time. And that’s when people usually start to look for a miracle. 

Or in this case, a magic golden flower.

The King sent out every guard he could spare in search of the cure to save the Queen and their baby. His loyal subjects volunteered left and right for a chance to help them. ”

The old crone once again visits the cliff by the sea. She hovers over the golden flower, her greedy eyes reflecting the soft glow it gives off.

“ Ahhh, I told you she’d be important. You see, instead of sharing the sun’s gift, this woman, Mother Juno, hoarded it’s healing power and used it to keep herself young for hundreds of years. Talk about selfishness, am I right?

All she had to do was sing a special song.”

Mother Juno hunches down, cradling the delicate petals with her wrinkly hands. Her long black hair, streaked through almost completely with grey, falls over her shoulders and frames her face. In the falling twilight she starts to sing to the precious plant. 

“Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine.

Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine.

What once was mine…”

As she sings the flower starts to glow brighter, small motes of light float around the petals and the pollen stalks. Mother Juno’s crackly old voice grows stronger with each line of the song. Her milky eyes start to clear, her wrinkles and liver spots begin to fade, and her hair darkens to a deep black leaving no trace of the grey. She delivers the last stanza and a small burst of power washes from the plant to roll over her. She smiles, her body youthful and healthy again.

“All right, you get the jist. She sings, she turns young, creepy right? ”

A twig snaps further down the tree line, alerting Mother Juno to the search party of palace guards combing their way over the rocky cliffs. Their torches throw dancing shadows across the trees. Heart pounding, Mother Juno quickly covers her coveted flower with the woven camouflage basket in the hopes of keeping it secret. She grabs her lantern, turning away as she runs towards the cover of the forest. She doesn’t notice the base of her lantern catch on one of the vines of the basket, tipping it over and off the flower. The basket rocks precariously for a moment before settling next to the magic plant.

As darkness falls the shine from the flower stands out brighter than ever before. Reyna, captain of the royal guard, skirts the edge of the cliff desperate for any sign of hope that might save her Queen. She’s almost to the point of giving up on this section of the kingdom when a gentle golden glow catches her eye. Her iron boots pound against the grass as she runs to the light, not daring to get her hopes up, but failing anyway. She crests the hill of the cliff and looks down onto a small outcropping of a ledge that otherwise would have gone unnoticed if it hadn’t been for the unnatural light. She can’t believe her eyes. The golden sun flower sways gently in the sea breeze that blows off the ocean, it’s yellow petals streaked with purple dance and glow. Her heart soars with the knowledge that Queen Beryl and the little prince or princess will be alright. Captain Reyna waves her torch to get the attention of the others in the search party, they rush over as fast as they can and as soon as they are close enough she shouts, “We’ve found it! The Queen is saved! Send a messenger back to the palace at once!.” 

One of the guards swings himself up onto his horse and turns to flat out gallop back the way they came, hoofs tearing up clods of dirt as he flies across the kingdom with the news.

From between the branches of a bush, Mother Juno watches as the palace guards thrust their hands into the earth around the base of the flower and lift it, roots and all, out of the ground. A snarl twists her lips when the guards place the flower inside a sack and quickly make way for the distant castle. Hot anger bubbles up in her throat as her ticket to immortality is crudely stolen away from her. She can do nothing but watch them march away, her flower in their hands.

“ The magic of the flower healed the Queen. A healthy baby boy, a prince, was born. With beautiful sun golden hair and sky blue eyes. I’ll give you a hint.

That’s Jason.

To celebrate his birth, the King and Queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. ”

On the balcony of the castle the royal family addressed the citizens of their kingdom. The people cheered as the baby prince was shown for the first time. He giggled and cooed as the King and Queen lifted the paper lantern emblazoned with the royal sun sigil and guided it into the sky. They had a regal crown made for the prince, sized to fit him once he came of age. The metal was a polished gold band inlaid with precious gems and stones. Three large diamonds adorned the front.

“ For that one moment, everything was perfect. 

And then that moment ended. ”

The latch to the window of the nursery room flicks upwards with the gentle nudge from a dagger. The window glides open soundlessly as Mother Juno hops down from the sill, the purple curtains fluttering around her aging form. Her shoes sink into the thick carpet, making it easy to creep silently over to the prince’s crib where he sleeps peacefully and unawares. His purple night shirt bunches up as he shakes his little fists in his sleep.

Mother Juno leans over the crib and gently gathers a lock of golden hair, the strand silky soft. She lifts a pair of shears, holding them at the ready.

“Flower, gleam and glow.”

The prince’s hair begins to glow, starting at the roots and spreading to the ends. Mother Juno’s old age fades away as the light spreads. She brings the shears down and snips the lock she’s holding.

“Let your powers shine, make the clock re-”

Mother Juno gasps. Immediately the separated hair stops glowing, the beautiful golden color leeching away, leaving behind a pale white blond strand of hair. She watches in disbelief as the other half of the lock she cut does the same, the golden hue fading away as the hair dies all the way up to the root.

Mother Juno’s eyes are wide and panicked as she tries to find a way, any way, to keep the power of the sun. She has no choice.

She reaches into the crib and snatches up Prince Jason as quickly as she can. She runs back to the window but along the way the little prince wakes up. His cry pierces through the night and she hears his parents stirring. Mother Juno leaps onto the balcony outside the window, pausing just long enough to look back and see the King and Queen’s anguished faces as they rush into the nursery room, too late to do anything but watch as the thief makes off with their baby.

“Juno broke into the castle and stole the child, just like that...gone. The kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the Prince. Deep within the forest in a hidden tower, Juno raised the child as her own. ”

In the top of the tower Juno sat behind Jason and combed through his long golden hair as he sang for his mother, his little voice sweet and loving.

“-save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine.

What once was mine.”

The flower’s magic took effect, reversing her age. She smiled and ran her fingers through the soft strands.

“Juno had found her new magic flower. But this time she was determined to keep it hidden forever. ”

Baby Jason kicked his feet idly as he sat on his stool while his mom brushed his hair. The flames in the fireplace were the only light in the circular room. Out the window to his left he saw the vast expanse of the starry sky and the very tops of the trees in the forest. His heart ached to be out there, standing under the sea of lights, his toes in the grass.

“Why can’t I go outside?” He asked his mom.

“The outside is a dangerous place. There are people out there that wouldn’t think twice about hurting you. I can’t always protect you out there. Therefore we must stay here, where you’re safe. Do you understand, little flower?” Juno brushed out the last of the knots in Jason’s hair, letting it fall through her hands to pool on the tiled floor.

He frowned. “Yes, Mommy.” But he didn’t understand, not really.

“ But the walls of Mother Juno’s prison could not hide everything. Each year on his birthday, King Zeus and Queen Beryl released thousands of lanterns into the sky in the hopes that one day, they might lead their lost Prince back home. ”

Jason tiptoed down the curving staircase to the main room of the tower, careful to avoid the creaky step. He paused in front of his mom’s room to make sure she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and she was wrapped up in her quilt. He spared a glance at her floor length mirror, seeing himself as he hurried past her open door, his long hair trailing behind him.

Jason climbed the wide window seat, his knees scrambling for purchase before he finally made it all the way up. He shuffled forwards, opening both sides of the window and throwing them outwards. He placed his elbows on the sill and rested his head in his hands as he watched the first of the floating lights appear on the distant horizon, his blue eyes filled with wonder and awe. He couldn’t help but think that these lights were meant for him, in some way. They only happened on his birthday and whenever he snuck down here to watch them, he got a feeling of belonging , like the lights were calling out and asking him to follow. 

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Chapter Text

Seventeen year old Jason crouched around the corner of the main window of the tower, looking for his little green chameleon, Tempest. Despite the fact that he could naturally camouflage into any color he wanted, he was dreadful at Hide and Seek. 

“Ha!” Jason shouted, throwing open the window shutters, pretending not to see the flash of green as it flattened against a flowerpot. “Hmmmm. I guess I was wrong, Tempest isn’t hiding out here…” He heard the small sigh of relief coming from the lumpy, badly camouflaged ‘flower’ and smirked. 

Quick as a snake, he snapped out a lock of his hair and plucked the chameleon up by his curly tail. “Gotcha!” He laughed as Tempest screamed, caught off guard by the sudden upside down view the world had taken.

Jason plucked Tempest off his hair, gently setting him on the window sill next to his elbow. He leaned his hip against the wood and crossed his arms, “Pretty good, right buddy? That’s what?” He tapped a finger on his chin while he counted in his head. “Twenty three out of twenty three games now. You know, you’d think with all this hair you’d be able to find me easier when it’s your turn to seek.”

Tempest narrowed his beady little eyes at him, squeaking out what was probably a snarky retort.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah...So, you wanna play another round?” Tempest frowned and shook his head. “Alright, fine. Then what do you want to do?” He gave him a stern look and pointed out the window with his tail. Jason rolled his eyes at him, picking him up and setting him down on his pants as settled onto the window seat. “Not gonna happen, little guy. Mom says outside isn’t safe, you know that. Besides, I like it in here. And you like me, so you’ll stay up here too.”

Tempest stuck his tongue out, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

Jason sighed. “It’s not that bad in here, Tempest. There’s plenty of things to do, and it’s only seven o’clock.” He tried to sound cheery and upbeat as he picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. Jason got off the window seat and strolled back inside. He put his hands on his hips, surveying the room. “Well, we still have to do the daily chores, Mother will expect that. Sweeping, mopping, dusting. But that’s all easy stuff, it’ll only take about a half hour. After that do you want to...read a book?” At Tempest’s expression he snorted. “Okay, we can bake a couple of pies? Yeah, I knew you’d agree to that. Then we can…” He paused, looking around. 

“Sew a vest?” He picked at the front of the purple one he was currently wearing, brushing off an imaginary speck of dirt. “This one’s like...a week old already. I only have twenty two others in my closet, I’m running low on them, you know.” He said dryly, pursing his lips, feeling the small scar on them tug. He’d gotten it when he was two years old and had apparently tried to eat the cheese knife. Not a very heroic story, don’t worry, he knows. “I could even sew you a matching one.” Tempest tried to leap off his shoulder, not liking the idea of being crammed into yet another one of the vests Jason made for him. He laughed and caught his friend in mid air. “Just kidding.”

He walked over to the oven and got started on making a low fire in it, then proceeded to pull out all the ingredients he’d need to make an apple pie. As he worked he chatted aimlessly at Tempest. “After the pies are done I’m going to make a few new candles because we actually are running low on those, then I’ll brush my hair out…” He paused and glanced over to where the chameleon was currently smoothing out the lumps in his pie crust. “You’re gonna help with that, right?” Tempest rolled his eyes and nodded. Not that he’d be much help, but it was nice to have the company. Even if it was the moody little lizard. That guy was as temperamental as the storm that had chased him inside the tower and earned him his name in the first place. Well, temperamental to anyone who wasn’t Jason, which pretty much left just Mother. Long story short, Tempest and his mom did not get along.

The pies were cooling by the time he was done with the candles so he started on his hair, working it from the top down. He draped it on the furniture and over the rafters to make it easier to sort. By the time he pulled the brush through the ends of his golden hair his arms were sore and he was exhausted. Jason leaned backwards against the rafter beam he was perched on, resting his muscles and catching his breath.

A small section of wall above the mantel on the fireplace caught his eye. It was partially covered by drapes and a decorative wooden plaque. He cocked his head, thinking about sizes and dimensions while the inspiration to paint over took him.

Jason sat up. “Hey, Tempest.” He called and the little guy popped out of a coil of hair on the next beam over. He pointed to the wall. “What do you say we add another painting to the gallery, huh?”

Tempest nodded enthusiastically, always in the mood to watch Jason paint. The lizard jumped down and scuttled over to the old wooden box he kept his paints in. He already had it open when Jason reached it. He chuckled and rubbed his scaly head with one finger. “Thanks, buddy.” He hefted the large box up onto the mantle before pulling himself up. The wooden plague wasn’t hard to move at all, it was surprisingly lightweight. He shoved it out of the way and pushed back the drapes, a smile taking over his face as he saw the painting in his mind. He chose his brushes and got to work. In no time a beautiful rendition of the floating lights sailing across the night sky above the tree line took form. He admired his art as it dried and after a moment’s hesitation, feeling a little childish, added a smaller version of himself sitting on the treetops gazing up at the lights, his river of golden hair flowing down his back and hanging off the tree, then running across the ground before finally ending at the edge of the mural.

Jason swung down from the mantel on a lock of hair that was still hanging from the ceiling. He packed up his paints and put them away before taking a step back to finally get the full view of his work. “What do you think, Tempest?”

The lizard eyed the painting thoughtfully before bumping his head gently against Jason’s chin. He laughed and put a hand up so Tempest could walk onto it. “I’m glad you like it.”

He sighed and walked back to the window seat to look at the real world view he had painted. “Tomorrow night those lights are going to appear in the sky, just like they do every year on my birthday. You think…” He chewed his lip, worried about even putting to words what he was thinking. “...Do you think now that I’m older, Mother might let me go see them?” Tempest cooed softly at him.

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Chapter Text

Percy Jackson skidded down the sloped tiled roof of the royal castle, his leather boots thud thud thud thud thud ing as they slid across the uneven terrain. When he got closer to the edge he pushed off, landing in a crouch on the top of the tower that was next in his path. His partners for this mission coming right behind him. Luke Castellan, a big and bulky thug with a gnarly scar down the side of his face, and Ethan Nakamura, equally as thugly and ugly with a scuffed up eye patch and smaller facial scar. Colloquially known as the Stabbington Brothers because, well, they liked to stab things. Mostly people. Mostly in the back. Percy didn’t even think they were actually brothers. He didn’t care. After they pulled this heist off he’d never had to think about the Stabbingtons again. 

Percy’s lithe and nimble form made it easy for him to jump and scale the frescoes and rooftops that dotted the castle, although his meaty compatriots kept up surprisingly well. He hopped over the last gap and rolled to a stop on the domed roof of the throne room. He came up on his feet, bracing himself on the stone decoration as Luke pried up a section of tile on the ceiling.

He peered out over the beautiful landscape, his breath momentarily taken away. “Look at this view!” He whistled lowly and nodded, making a decision. “That’s it, boys. I’ve decided. I want a castle.”

Ethan spoke up from right behind him, “We do this job, you can buy your own castle. Now get over here and down this hole.” He yanked him back by his collar, spinning him around.

“What! Why do I have to do it?”

Luke and Ethan paused in the action of tying complicated knots into the length of rope they’d brought. Luke raised an eyebrow and looked Percy’s body up and down slowly then gestured towards his own. “You’re the smallest.”

He had to concede it was a fair point. He nodded and mutely held his arms out, his satchel clutched in one, as the brothers fitted the makeshift harness around him. He was about to trust his life to these criminals. The thought made him shudder but he suppressed it.

The brothers finished with the harness and Luke pointed to the hole in a silent demand. Percy sighed and sat down on the edge of it, his legs dangling. Inside he could see the whole throne room laid out, the King and Queen’s thrones up on the raised dais facing out over the standing area for the subjects. Purple banners sporting the sun sigil hung from the ceiling. A retinue of guards stood at the base of the steps to the dais, their poleaxes raised at attention, their postures ramrod straight. It was apparently a very high honor to get stuck babysitting the lost Prince’s crown.

And, ahhhh, there it was in all its glittering, expensive glory, resting innocently on a stuffed purple pillow supported by a marble pillar that stood in between and a few feet in front of the royal thrones. Light filtering in through the stained glass windows made the jewels on the crown sparkly and shine.

Percy rubbed his hands together, already thinking about all the things he could buy, and pushed off the ledge, falling a few inches before the rope pulled taut, halting his descent. The brothers lowered him down swiftly and efficiently, it took merely seconds before they stopped feeding more rope down.

Percy glided to a gentle stop right above the pedestal. Wasting no time, he scooped up the crown and secured it in his leather satchel.

One of the guards sneezed and rubbed his nose.

He shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t...but he just couldn’t help it.

“Ah, hay fever?” He asked.

The guard looked back at him and nodded sagely, “Yeah,” he agreed, before turning back to face the front.

He could practically hear the Stabbington brothers gritting their teeth in frustration and anger. He held back a snort and tugged on the room, giving them the cue to pull him up. He was scrambling up out of the hole when the allergy prone guard shouted, “Hey! Wait! Stop them!”

Percy, Luke, and Ethan flew over the rooftops as fast as their legs could carry them. They shimmied down a drainpipe and weaved through the crowded streets before escaping the capitol. They dashed across the bridge and were free at last.

Percy laughed, “I can’t wait to be in a castle of my own! Could you guys picture it? Oh all the things we’ve done and it’s not even nine in the morning!” He skipped in joy as they bolted into the forest.

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Chapter Text

Jason paced back and forth across the main room of the tower, wringing his hands nervously, anticipating his mom’s return any minute.

“Okay, okay...deep breath, Jason, you can do this.” He looked at the lizard on his shoulder, “I’m going to ask her, Tempest, I really am. She’s got to say yes, I know it.” Tempest nodded firmly, radiating confidence.

From out of the window he heard his mom call up in a singsong tone, “Jason, let down your hair!"

His nerves jumped like crazy but so did his excitement. Jason set Tempest on the mantel where he scurried to hide behind the curtains, “Don’t let her see you, little buddy, we need her to be in a good mood today.” Tempest nodded and turned purple to match the drapes. Over his shoulder Jason yelled, “Coming, Mother!”

 He rushed over to the window and tossed his hair up over the hook that hung above it, throwing the rest of the length out into the open air. Jason gripped it in both hands just before he felt the pull and tug that signaled his mom was ready to be hoisted up.

He breathed out and started the slow process of hauling her up the side of the tower. Muscles straining, he carefully brought his hair back in through the window, hand over hand on his golden locks, the weight of the person on the other end seemed to get heavier and heavier the further up she got. But Jason kept going, he’d done this a thousand times before. Finally he saw the bushy top of his mom’s hair poke over the windowsill and then she was stepping onto the ledge and off of his hair. She slipped the last of it off the hook for him and it pooled on the floor with the rest of the tresses.

“Oh, Jason, I have no idea how you manage to do that each and every time without fail. You’ve grown up to be such a strong young man, I’m so proud of you.” Juno hopped off the window seat and pinched his cheek while he caught his breath from the workout.

“It’s nothing, Mother, really I-”

“Well then it shouldn’t take you so long if it’s nothing then, hmmm?” Juno shook his chin a little.

Jason involuntarily recoiled, not quite managing to hide the hurt that flashed across his face. His mom’s moods were unpredictable at best. “Well, I-” 

She cut him off again, and bopped him on the nose, laughing, “I’m just kidding, darling, you always take everything so seriously.”

“Oh,” He chuckled nervously and trailed after her while she made her way over to the vanity mirror next to the table. “Right... Well, Mother, as you know, tomorrow is a very important day for me, so-”

Juno grabbed his wrist and yanked him in front of the mirror next to her. “Look, Jason, what do you see?” She nodded towards the mirror, but continued before he had a chance to answer, “ I see someone who’s young, beautiful, and confident...oh, look you’re here too!” She cackled at her own joke while Jason played with a lock of his hair and waited for a turn to speak again. She waved a hand like she was shooing away the humor, “I’m teasing you again, little flower. You need to stop taking everything to heart, it’s not good for you, you know.”

“O-okay.” He said as she turned back to her reflection, tugging at the crows feet that were just starting to show and stretching the skin around her mouth. “So, as I was saying, Mother, tomorrow is-”

Juno clucked her tongue and brushed a lock of hair behind her son’s ear, “Jason, Mother’s feeling a little run-down. Will you sing for me, sunshine? Then we can talk after, I promise.”

“Oh! Of course, Mother.” He was almost grateful she’d asked because she was always in a good mood after a refreshing jolt of magic. Jason rushed around the room, dragging his mom’s favorite high-backed chair into the center of the circular floor, then hurried over and retrieved the little stool he’d sat on since he was a baby. Juno strolled over to her chair slowly, but Jason sprinted by and sat her down quickly, piling a section of his hair on her arm. She grunted in surprise but he kept going in one fluid movement towards the vanity and snatched up the hair brush, then made a beeline back to the stool. He placed the brush in his mom’s hand and sat down, facing away from her. On second thought, he scooted the stool back a few paces so he was closer to her.

He sped through the first few lines of the song.

“Flowergleamandglowletyourpowershine-”

“Wait! Wait, Jason! Hang on a minute h-”

“Healwhathasbeenlostchangethefatesdesign-”

Juno frantically started brushing through his hair as it glowed brighter at an alarming rate, her own hair being blown back by the sheer amount of magical energy Jason’s was giving off. He didn’t even pause for a breath as he finished the song, his words stringing together.

“Savewhathasbeenlostbringbackwhatoncewasmine!”

His hair let off the small light wave that signaled the completion of it’s magical cycle, and Mother Juno poofed back into a younger version of herself. She huffed in annoyance, “Jason!” She reprimanded him but he ignored her for once in his life, opting instead to spin around on his stool and face her, his hands moving around as he spoke animatedly.

“So, Mother, anyway I was trying to tell you earlier about the important event happening tomorrow but you didn’t really respond, so I’m just gonna tell you. It’s my birthday!” He said.

Mother’s irritated face softened and she set the hairbrush down in her lap, “Hmmm, no. I don’t think that’s right...I distinctly remember your birthday being last year, dear.”

“Well,” He laughed, “That’s kinda the thing about birthdays, they sorta happen every year.” Jason picked up a portion of his hair and tugged on it absently and lowered his eyes, unable to look at his mom while he asked her his question, “Mother, I’m turning eighteen, and I wanted to ask...well you see I know what I want. F-for my birthday, and-actually it’s what I wanted for quite a few birthdays now-” His confident speech turned into a mumbled mess towards the end and Mother cut him off.

“Jason, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how much I hate that, it’s very annoying.” His jaw snapped shut with an audible click and Mother continued, “I’m just teasing, darling, you’re so handsome, you know how much I love you.” She patted his head and stood up in a manner that clearly said this conversation was finished. She walked over to the table that she’d set her basket down on after she got back.

Jason tried not to feel too disappointed, he knew the chances were slim that she’d ever allow him to go, but he’d hoped he would be able to at least ask before she shut him down. He cast his eyes down to the floor, twirling a piece of hair around his finger. A small squeak brought his attention to Tempest, who had scuttled down the mantelpiece and was currently hiding behind a table leg. The lizard stomped his little foot and shooed it towards the back of Mother, who was digging around in the basket. His little friend gave him a new boost of confidence and he steeled himself before exclaiming, “I want to go see the floating lights!”

Mother froze, the apple clutched in her hand suspended over the wicker basket. She laughed humorlessly and slowly looked over at her son. “What?”

“Oh, well, I was really hoping you’d take me to see the floating lights.” He got up and went towards the fireplace, climbing up on the chair in front of it but never breaking eye contact with his mom. He reached up and felt around until he grabbed the hanging drapes and flung them open, showing her the portrait he’d worked so hard on earlier.

“Ah! You mean the stars,” Mother said gently, returning to her task of unpacking the basket.

“That’s the thing, mom.” Jason said excitedly, using a long rope of hair to lasso the lever that controlled the hatch in the roof. He gave it a tug and the shutter popped open, spilling warm sunlight directly on the constellations he’d painstakingly poured hours over recreating. “I’ve charted every star in the night sky, and they never change, never move. But these ? These lights only ever show up on my birthday. There’s literally thousands of them, Mother, there is just absolutely no way I ever would’ve missed them when I was studying the stars. They’re special, I just know it, and...and I can’t help but feel like they’re meant for... me. I...need to see them. A-and not just from my window, but in person, I need to go to where they originate from. I have to know what they are.” He stepped down from the chair as his mom rolled her eyes and set down the apple, heading towards the open window. “They call to me.” He whispered.

Mother Juno slammed the window shutters, darkness spreading across the room. “You want to go outside, Jason?” She scoffed, as if he hadn’t just poured his heart out to her, “Look at you, still a silly boy, just a little sapling.” His mom came over and gripped him by the shoulders, staring firmly into his eyes. “You know why we stay up here in this tower?” She asked.

“Yes, but-”

“That’s right,” Mother twirled around him, lifting the bulk of his hair up with her hands and running them through it, “To keep you safe and sound, flower.” She released his hair and sauntered over to the large floor length stained glass window. “I guess I always knew the day would come when you’d want to leave me, Jason.” The curtain hooks scraped against the rod holding them up when she drew them closed dramatically.

“Mother, I don’t want to leave you-” He started, but she brushed past him and put a finger to his lips.

“Shhhh, trust me, pet. Mother knows best.” She climbed halfway up the stairs and banged her hip against a support beam on the wall, the vibrations from the force of it activating the lever in the rafters and closing the roof hatch, plunging the room into full darkness.

Alarmed, Jason groped blindly until he felt the cold metal of a candle holder. He picked up the match that was at the base of it and lit the candle, looking around in the gloom for his mom. He turned and she appeared suddenly out of the shadows. “Gahh!” He shouted, a hand to his racing heart. 

Mother spun and disappeared once again into the darkness and something tugged on his hair hard. He hissed in pain and dropped the candle, fighting whatever was on the other end. Suddenly the hair went slack and he fell backwards, almost hitting the floor, but Mother caught him under the arms before he could. “Jason, you know I can’t protect you out there. Something will go wrong, I swear it.” She let him flop the rest of the way to the ground and slunk away. He scrambled to his hands and knees, chest heaving. “There’s all manner of deadly things lurking around. Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, cannibals, quicksand…” She listed a numerous amount of threats from her hiding place in the dark room. Jason whipped his head around, trying to pinpoint her location. He felt the air stir next to him and he turned, only to come face to face with his mother’s gaunt, greenlit face. The large tinted lantern in her hands illuminating nothing but the front of her. “Have I told you about the plague yet?” She asked innocently.

He jumped back and shouted, “No!”

She smiled at him, “Yes!” The lantern went out and he lost her again. Somewhere a clank rang out and one of the smaller window hatches popped open, throwing a small circle of light onto the floor.

Something hard knocked into him from behind and he grunted as he fell forwards, barely managing to catch himself with his hands before his face hit the floor. “What-”

“It’s not only the plague, dear.” His mom’s voice called out, “Don’t forget about the large bugs...oh! And the men with pointy teeth, can’t disregard them!”

His hand slid against something wet and he looked down to find a crudely drawn figure of a man with fangs. It was painted in his good quality red paint, which usually made anything look nice, but now it just reminded him of spilled blood. He hastily wiped his palm on his pants, jerking back when his mother stepped out into the light, a paintbrush in her hands. “Jason, I’d really like to stop talking about this, darling, it’s just going to upset me. Why don’t we skip all the drama and you can just stay with me? Hmm?” He got to his feet but by the time he looked back for her she wasn’t there and then the window shut and it was pitch black again.

Jason backed up and bumped into the table he’d laid out all the new candles he had made that morning. Heart in his throat, he fumbled with the drawer and found the box of matches, striking one and making his way down the row of fresh candles. He lit them one by one but every time he moved to the next one, his mother snuffed out another behind him. Confused, he gave up and put the match out. 

“Mother knows best, pet. Take it from me, you won’t survive out there on your own.” Jason stumbled in the direction of her voice but encountered something hard and cold. He took a step back and a beam of light streamed down and he found himself staring at his reflection in the vanity mirror. Mother’s black velvet slippers poked out from underneath it. “You’re too soft, Jason, look at yourself. Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy,” Jason winced with every derogatory word she hurled at him, but he heard the truth in each one. He tugged self consciously on the hem of his vest, knowing that he’d grown taller in the last few weeks and it rode up just a bit too high now. “Please, they’ll eat you up alive.” Mother walked around the mirror and straightened his collar, “I’m only saying this because I love you. You’re gullible, naïve, ditsy and a bit...hmm...vague,” She smirked at him, “Plus, I believe you’re getting kind of chubby, what is it you do up here all day, lounge around?” Mother patted her hand under his chin a few times, and he curled his scarred lip, trying not to lash out at her. Her hand came up and smoothed over his cheek, softening the sting from her criticism. “Mother’s here to help you, my dear. All I have is one request.” Mother stepped back and spread her arms. Despite the harsh lecture he’d just received, he flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around his mom, seeking comfort as she held him tightly and stroked his soft hair. “Jason?”

“Yes, Mother?” He asked, leaning back as she moved her hands to his shoulders.

Her grip tightened on his shoulders. “Do not ever ask to leave this tower again.” She said through clenched teeth, her voice firm and laced with the smallest hint of a threat that promised bad things if he disobeyed her.

He let his head droop down, accepting defeat, “Yes, Mother.” Jason promised softly. 

Mother sighed, rubbing her hands up and down his arms, “I love you very much, dear.”

“I love you more,” He said, falling into the familiar scripted exchange of ‘I love you’s’ that they’d been doing since he was old enough to talk. A small smile played around his lips, the routine feeling safe and comfortable.

Juno smiled back at him and moved her hands up to his hair, smoothing the sides of it, “And I love you most,” She said as she tilted his head down and kissed the top of his hair. “Don’t you forget it, or you’ll regret it.” Mother stepped back, letting his golden hair sift through her hands as she walked over to the table and picked up the now empty basket.

Jason’s arms dropped to his sides and a cold, murky fog settled into his heart, his dreams having been crushed underfoot before they’d been given a chance to grow. Mother waited for him by the open window, her travelling cloak once again on her shoulders. He sighed and joined her, looping his hair over the hook. She made a foot hold in it and stepped off the windowsill, the only thing keeping her from plummeting to a harsh death was the strength in Jason’s arms. He dutifully lowered her down slowly, like she expected him too.

She looked up and waved cheerfully at him, “Ta ta! I’ll see you in a bit, little flower!”

“I’ll...be here.” He said quietly, leaning his arms against the wood of the window and letting his hair blow in the morning breeze even long after his mom had vanished into the surrounding woods. He rested his head on his arms and just stared up at the blue sky where the floating lights would appear tomorrow, resigning himself to an eternity of being stuck up here.

--------------------------------------------

Chapter Text

Percy brought up the rear of their little group, his leather boots tearing up the soft grass as they ran through the forest. His lungs burned, but the rhythmic slapping of the leather satchel against his hip, heavy with the weight of the crown, made the ache not quite so bad. Ahead of him, Ethan and Luke blazed a path through the underbrush, their immense, overly muscular bodies making the perfect battering ram. 

Eventually though he had to rest and catch his breath. His feet skidded to a stop next to a thick oak trunk. Percy rested his shoulder against it, filling his lungs with the sweet morning air. The breeze ruffled something against the tree and he peeked around the front of it, curious.

“Oh no. No no no no no.” He plucked the top most paper off the tree. The Stabbington brothers, alerted by his panicked voice, looked up from where they were hunched over, also trying to catch their breath.. “This is bad, this is really really bad!” He flipped the paper towards them so they could see the atrocity that was his wanted poster. “They just can’t get my nose right!”

Luke straightened up, his eyebrows drawing together angrily. “Who cares?” He grunted.

Percy scoffed, offended at their lack of sympathy. “Well that’s easy for you to say, you guys look amazing!” He leaned over and gestured to the Stabbington brothers’ admittedly impressive likenesses.

Behind them, the sound of multiple horses neighing made all three of them turn. Above, on a ridge overlooking the little glen they’d found themselves in, a litany of palace guards reigned in their horses. Leading the formation was the Captain of the Guard herself, Reyna. Percy had encountered Reyna a few times over the years, never pleasant encounters he’ll admit. She was tenacious and cutthroat, loyal to the royal family like no other. Legend says it was her who found the magic flower that saved the queen and her son’s life. 

Reyna made eye contact with him and her lip curled up in disgust. She tugged on her horse’s reins, the formation of riders following her lead and they shot off down the slope of the hill towards them. Reyna might have a personal grudge against him, and it might be all his fault, but he would have thought she’d gotten over it by now. Turns out flirting with a palace guard to try and get out of an arrest is not the smartest idea. Especially when that guard turned out to be the Captain. How was he supposed to know?

Percy hastily shoved his offensive wanted poster into his satchel and the three of them took off on foot, hoping to lose the guards once again. They didn’t get very far before their path was blocked by a natural rock ledge. Seriously, what was with this forest? You couldn’t walk fifteen feet without seeing one.

He rested his hands against the rock as his mind ran through a dozen different ways to get out of this situation. If there was anything he was good at, it was solving problems. An idea stuck him and he turned to face the brothers. “Uh, okay, give me a boost, and I’ll pull you guys up.”

Immediately Ethan’s one eye turned flinty with suspicion. He flicked his gaze over to his brother. Luke put one hand on his hip, the other held out as if it was waiting for something to be dropped into it. “Give us the satchel first.” He said, his gravelly voice low and threatening.

Percy exclaimed in disbelief. “I-you-what, seriously? ” Luke raised an eyebrow, the action tugging at his facial scar. Next to him, Ethan crossed his arms. “I can’t believe that after all we’ve been through together, you two still don’t trust me?” He told them in a hurt voice, placing a hand gently over his heart.

Luke and Ethan watch him impassively, no sympathy on their faces at all.

“Ouch.” Percy said, dropping the false hurt from his voice. Ethan rolled his eye as Percy slipped the strap over his shoulder and laid it in Luke’s waiting hand.

It didn’t take long for the brothers to get into position and it took even less time for Percy to climb nimbly up their backs and onto the top of the cliff edge. He turned and looked down at them.

Luke reached his hand out, expecting him to take it. “Now help us up, pretty boy.”

Percy tsked. “Sorry, boys. My hands are full.” He dangled the satchel he’d nicked from Luke on the way up off his finger. Luke and Ethan watched it swing above them, their lips set in thin lines of anger. They really shouldn’t have trusted him.

He tossed it up and caught it in one smooth motion, taking off into the woods once again, this time by himself. It would be much easier to lose the guards if it was just him. Those two lumbering brutes made too much noise, drew too much attention. 

Luke’s angry shout echoed through the trees, startling the birds. “JACKSON!”

He almost didn’t see the stampeding horses until it was too late. His boots skidded and he nearly slipped in the soft earth, changing direction quickly as Reyna pulled a crossbow from her saddle and took aim.

“Retrieve that satchel at any cost!” He heard her shout to her guards.

“Yes, m’am!” They replied, their voices punctuated by Reyna’s immense black stallion letting off a menacing neigh to the other horses.

Reyna’s crossbow bolts missed his head by inches, thunking into the bark of the fallen log he slid under. He came up the other side and got to his feet quickly, heart pounding as he weaved through the trees, dodging bolts left and right. A particularly wild shaped tree proved to be a great barrier for the horses so he leaped over it and the guards had to stop on the other side. He had hope for approximately two seconds, before Reyna’s insane stallion leaped through the branches, hot on his tail.

“We’ve got him now, Blackjack!” She said to the horse, who whinnied back to her. The twang of the crossbow urged his feet to fly faster.

Up ahead he saw a dangling vine, and a crazy idea snuck into his head. He ran and leaped off of a small rock, grabbing onto the vine and letting his momentum swing him around the tree it hung from. When he came out the otherside he was right behind Reyna. A swift kick to her side had her tumbling off Blackjack. She rolled into the underbrush with a grunt. Percy let go of the vine and landed on the back of the horse, grabbing his reins.

He snapped them against the horse’s neck. “Yah!” Percy laughed, amazed that it had actually worked.

Blackjack’s hoofs dug deep into the soil, grounding them into an almost immediate stop. He  lurched forward in the saddle, the back of the horse's neck knocking the wind out of him momentarily.

“What?” He said confused, digging his heels into the horse’s sides. “Come on, fleabag! Move it!” Blackjack turned his head around sharply to look at him, his amber eye rolling wildly. “What is your prob- ” The horse’s eye flicked down, zeroing in on the satchel that hung from Percy’s hand. “No.” He told him right before he nipped at the leather bag. “No!” Blackjack nipped again and he pulled the satchel out of reach, but that didn’t deter the horse, who came back with more force. He bit and bucked, trying to throw Percy off at the same time he tried to grab the bag. “No, no, stop it! Urg , you useless horse, knock it off! No, will you just- give that back to me!” They fought over the satchel, Blackjack finally managing to get his teeth on it, but Percy wasn’t going to lose to a horse. Especially not Reyna’s horse. He tugged on the bag, holding on to the reins with his other hand so he didn’t fly off the crazy horse.

He finally yanked hard enough to get Blackjack to let go, but he misjudged the force he’d put behind it and the satchel flew out of his hand. The horse froze and they both watched it sail towards another cliff ledge. It caught on the branch of a tree that hung over the steep drop. Him and the horse locked eyes.

Percy swung his leg over and off the saddle and rushed to the tree, Blackjack right behind him. The horse pulled up next to him and then started to gain the lead so Percy did the only logical thing and tripped him by grabbing onto his front leg. He jumped over the prone horse and then promptly faceplanted into the dirt as Blackjack returned the favor and nipped his pant leg. The horse surged to his feet and made it to the tree, carefully walking across the log. Percy ran up behind him and climbed back into the saddle and up onto his head, trying to get in front of him. Blackjack tossed his head and Percy slipped off of it, just barely managing to grab ahold of the tree, dangling over the drop. He poked his head around the trunk to see Blackjack watching him with what he could swear was satisfaction.

The first hoof came down and he was able to move his hand up fractionally so it didn’t break it. Then the hoofs came faster and he had to scramble and shimmy his way up the log to avoid being knocked to his death by this psychotic equaine. Their tussling jostled the tree and saw the leather strap slide dangerously close to the edge of the twig it had caught on. Panicked, he shuffled faster and grabbed the branch the twig came off of and snached the strap right as it slipped the rest of the way off. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Blackjack, who had his head lowered down next to Percy’s face.

The log cracked and Blackjack’s eyes got wide right before the wood snapped and they both fell with it down the cliff. Percy had never heard a horse scream before that moment, and even though it was one of the weirdest experiences of his life, he screamed with him.

How they both managed to survive, he’ll never know. The log shattered on the way down and threw him behind a large boulder. Blackjack landed a few yards away, dazed but quickly gathering his senses. The stallion got to his feet and immediately started... sniffing? Yes, he was sniffing the ground like a bloodhound. Percy internally laughed at him. He must not have been very good at scenting because the horse waltzed right past his boulder, nose to the grass. He couldn’t believe his luck today!

He draped the satchel over his shoulder once again and backed away from the rock slowly, eyes fixed on where Blackjack had disappeared into the bushes. Percy stuck a hand out behind him to feel along the rock wall at his back but when he encountered the ivy covering, his hand went right though. He grunted and caught himself before he fell.

In the distance, Blackjack neighed at the small sound he’d made. Percy ducked into the ivy covered cave just in time for the horse’s silhouette to be thrown over the leaves. He huddled against the wall, scooting further into the cave, hoping to go unnoticed. Blackjack snorted, tossing his head this way and that, searching. He gave up and trotted off.

Percy released the breath he was holding and pushed off the wall. A glint of light caught his eye and he realized this wasn’t a cave but a passage through the rock. Curious, he went through it.

He stared in amazement at what he saw on the other side. The passage opened up into a small, secluded area with a waterfall cascading off the cliffs on the far edge. What was most intriguing of all was the tall solitary tower that stood at the base of the waterfall. It’s base was long and made of old fashioned brick covered in ivy. The living quarters at the top were small compared to the rest of it and the roof came to a sharp point. He took one look back through the cave passageway and decided it was probably safer up in the spooky tower.

Percy found two stray crossbow bolts that had found their way into the satchel and used them to climb the tower. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem to have a door. He wedged the points of the bolts into the gaps between the bricks and used them as makeshift rungs on a ladder. When he got to the living area he scrambled up into the open window and slammed the sutters behind him, breathing heavily. 

He stood up and brushed dirt from his clothes and smoothed his hair back before lifting the satchel and taking a look inside it for the first time since the palace roof. Nestled deep within, the lost prince’s crown glinted like a million jewels.

“Ahh, alone at last.” He crooned to it. 

A whoosh of air was all he heard before an intense pain burst across the back of his head and  his vision erupted in stars and went black.

Chapter Text

Tink...tink...tink...tink.

Jason paused in the motion of removing the frying pan from the cupboard. He listened intently, sure that he had heard something that sounded like metal striking stone. If his mother had come back and was trying to get his attention then he didn’t want to keep her waiting. He held very still but the noise didn’t sound again so he chalked it up to his imagination.

He closed the cupboard door and turned to the stove. Jason was just about to set the pan down to make an early lunch when he heard it.

Tink...tink...tink...tink.

It was definitely not his imagination and it sounded like it had gotten a lot closer. Instinctively he gripped the pans handle harder.

“Do you hear that?” He whispered to the little green lizard that had been drowsing on a shelf above the stove. Now Tempest was hunched down low, his eyes wide as his skin darkened to a light brown color to match the wood. He nodded at Jason but his eyes were fixed on the large window that Juno usually came and went from. “Do you...Is it Mother, do you think?”

Tempest was still for a moment, listening as the tinking got closer and louder. He shook his head frantically and Jason’s stomach sank with fear. Once, a racoon had managed to scamper all the way up the tower and had sought shelter inside. Something had obviously been wrong with the poor creature because it’s movements had been jerky and white foam kept dribbling from its mouth. It had been the middle of the night, but his mother had been here. Juno had taken one look at the raccoon and picked up the heavy fire poker. It took Jason three hours just to wash the blood out of the rug.

But his mother wasn’t here now, and whatever was making that rapidly approaching noise did not sound like a racoon. Jason hefted the frying pan. It was cast iron and extremely heavy so if he needed to he could use it as a weapon.

“Come on, Tempest.” He held his arm out and the lizard hurried up it, settling down on his shoulder under a waterfall of hair. “Let’s go see what’s out there.” He steadied his shaky breath and crept to the window.

Holding the frying pan aloft and at the ready, he slowly leaned over the window sill and looked down. There was nothing there. The tinking still rang out but now it was accompanied by what sounded like grunts and muttering. Whatever was responsible for it was under the curve of the main part of the tower, which meant it was just about to reach the window. Something pale reached up over the sill and Jason turned, flattening himself against the wall. The arm was joined by another one, both finding purchase on the little lip of wood that jutted out.

Tempest moved on his shoulder and he looked down. The chameleon mimed a swinging motion with one scaly arm, indicating that he should bring the metal pan down on the hands that were straining to pull whoever was attempting to enter up. Jason held his breath and scooted further across the wall, sinking into a dark shadow. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t knock the hands away.

An elbow followed the arms and the person grunted and heaved themselves up into the window. Tempest flattened himself against Jason’s neck and Jason tried to merge with the wall. The man, because he could see that’s what this person was now, hopped off the window sill and slammed the shutters closed behind him, darkening the room considerably. Jason flinched at the loud bang but kept utterly silent. The man was breathing heavily, his strong looking shoulders rising and falling with the motion as he brushed dirt from his blue vest and ran a hand through his hair. His back was turned towards Jason, completely unaware that he was standing mere feet away. The man’s arms moved, lifting something up in front of him and his head tilted down.

“Ahh, alone at last.” He said, his voice gentle and soft, like he was speaking to something he valued greatly. 

Tempest restarted his swinging motion but more frantic than before as he patted Jason’s shoulder repeatedly with his other arm. Jason nodded and stepped quietly out of the shadows right behind the man. He swung the pan without hesitation, its wide base whooshing through the air before connecting with the back of the intruder's head with an echoing thwunk. The man’s body went rigid and then limp and he fell face first into the stone floor.

“Gahh!” Jason shouted, jumping back from the body. He held the pan defensively in front of him and Tempest leaped off his shoulder to go hide in a fold of curtain. When the body didn’t move for several seconds he shared a look with his lizard and crept forward to tap the pan a few times against its head. It still didn’t move and Tempest only shrugged at him so he pushed a little harder and the head lolled to the side, the man’s face half obscured by a lock of his black hair.

Tempest scurried over to the drawing Juno had done earlier in his favorite red paint. He pointed to the fangs and turned a shade of red to match. Jason looked back down and used the handle of the pan to pull the man’s lips back, fully expecting to reveal pointed teeth.

Instead, he had a row of perfectly straight, pearly white ones. “Oh.” Jason said, surprised. The sight of them made the intruder seem infinitely less scary. He let the lips fall closed and moved the handle up to flip the lock of hair out of his face.

It struck him in that instant that he’d never seen another man before. His whole life he had been inside of this tower with no one but his mom and a lizard for company. Sure, Tempest was male...he thought...but as far as people went, the others that shared his gender were a complete mystery. He’d seen his own face countless times in the mirror and never really thought that much about it. It was just him, nothing special. Golden hair, blue eyes, a plain face. But looking at this person’s relaxed features he felt a strange sort of wonder.

Jason let his arms fall down to his sides, feeling his guard start to slip away, as he gazed down at the intruder, taking the time to study his face. It was all sharp angles and sloping curves. He bet it would be lovely to draw.

The man snorted abruptly and the eyelid facing upward snapped open, revealing a strikingly bright green eye. “Huh?”

Startled, Jason gasped and brought the pan back down on his head. He grunted in pain and his eyelid fluttered closed. Jason brandished his weapon a little longer just in case he woke up again. When he was sure he wouldn’t he lowered the pan and flopped down on the floor next to him. Tempest came out of his hiding spot and crawled over, climbing up his pant leg to sit on his knee. “What do we do with him?” He asked his friend, expecting him to shrug. Instead the lizard slowly turned his head towards the large wooden wardrobe on the other side of the room.

It was embarrassing, really, the amount of time he spent trying to get this stupid man’s body to stay inside the closet. At one point he was confident he had succeeded. He turned and brushed his hands together, ridding them of invisible dust, and lifted a leg to take a step away. The body promptly tumbled out of the doors and landed on Jason. He went down with an oompf! Tempest snickered at him from a few feet away. 

Jason huffed, his breath blowing long strands of gold hair out of his face, and struggled to get out from under the body. His lizard wheezed at him again and Jason gave up, flopping down, still half pinned to the floor. 

“Are you just going to laugh at me the whole time or do you have any better ideas?” He asked sarcastically. He had severely underestimated just how heavy an unconscious adult man really was. Picking him up was simply not an option. Tempest scuttled over and picked up a strand of hair in his mouth, pulling it down and clumsily wrapping it around the intruder’s hand before pointing up to the rafters. “Well...it works for Mother, so why not?”

After a brief period of time which consisted of him struggling to get free of the tangle of loose limbs and then trying to keep the body upright long enough to tie his hair around it, Jason was finally able to hoist it up off the floor. The first attempt didn’t go so well because his aim was off and he just launched the man into the side of the wall, two feet away from the wardrobe. Tempest flinched in sympathy and Jason bared his teeth in an apologetic smile even though the man couldn’t see it. It took him a few tries before he was able to fully close the doors of the closet without his hair or the man’s fingers being caught between them. He held them shut and reached out with his foot, hooking it around a nearby chair and dragging it over so he could wedge the back of it under the wardrobe handles. 

He backed away slowly just in case the chair slipped and the doors flew open again but thankfully they stayed shut. “I’ve got a...person...in my closet.” He whispered, shock and disbelief starting to settle in. “I-I’ve got a person...in my closet! ” He let out a little laugh. “I have got a person in my closet.” 

Jason caught sight of his reflection in the large mirror that sat next to him. He turned and admired himself through new eyes, putting one hand on his hip, the other twirling pan around. “And mom says I can’t handle myself out there. Who knew frying pans made such good we- ”

Donk!

He swung the pan a little too close and it thumped him on the side of the head. “ Owww…” He rubbed the sore spot, glad that the only one who’d seen that was Tempest. He looked down in the mirror to see the lizard but something shiny caught his eye instead. The man’s satchel lay on the floor a few feet behind him, a stray beam of sunlight catching on whatever was hiding inside it. “What…?”

Jason knelt down next to the bag, setting the pan on the floor, and hesitated a moment before reaching inside to pull out the glittering object. It was a circle of thin gold, hundreds of small, colored gems adorned the intricately weaved metal work on one side of the band that built up until it tapered off into a point. Three large clear gems were set in amongst the smaller ones. He stood up and rotated the thing, looking at it in confusion, trying to find a purpose for this seemingly useless piece of metal and rocks. He stuck his arm through it and nothing extraordinary happened, it just dangled there around his wrist. He raised his eyebrow at Tempest who shook his head so firmly that Jason took the metal circle off. He peered through one of the large clear gems in the front of it. It distorted his vision and he vaughly made out Tempest shaking his head again.

He pulled it away and frowned, spinning it around again. He turned towards the mirror, an idea suddenly coming to him. The circle seemed just small enough to rest on top of a head and not slip down, maybe it was some sort of...hat? Slowly he raised it up and set it on top of his golden hair, pointed side facing front. His hands fell away and the metal stayed where it was. There was a moment where he thought he felt...something...as his reflection stared back at him, his hair cascading around his shoulders, the gems glittering against the golden hue of it. It was almost the same feeling he got from watching the floating lights on his birthday.

“Jaaaasoon!” Mother Juno’s voice broke through the trance he had found himself in. His heart raced, excitement bubbling up inside him. Jason quickly took the metal circle off his head, rushing over to the satchel and scooping it up before depositing them both in an empty clay pot. “Let down your haiiiir!”

“Be right there!” He called down as he ran to the closet and checked to make sure the chair holding the doors closed was still firmly in place. Everything looked good so he went to the window, throwing open the shutters.

“I’ve got a big surprise for you!” Mother said when she saw him throwing his hair over the hook. He tossed the longest part of it out the window for her.

“So do I!” He said.

Mother made a loop from the bottom of his hair and stepped into it, indicating that she was ready to be hoisted up. “I bet my surprise is bigger!”

“I seriously doubt that…'' Jason muttered with a quick glance over his shoulder at the innocent looking wardrobe that contained the comatose body of the man. He got to work pulling his mom up the side of the tower.