Falling. Again. This time, it doesn't feel like a dream. This time, Amber can feel the rush of wind–

"OH SHIT IT ISN'T A DREAM!" she screamed as they fell.

Use your shoes, dumbass!

And what? Leave Jason to rescue Piper and Leo by himself? As if.

Amber spread her limbs in a way that was angled towards Piper. Jason had already gotten Leo, and was straining against the winds.

"Piper! Open your arms wide, as if to hug me!" Amber called when she was close enough for Piper to hear.

Piper did as Amber told her, and Amber caught her in a hug.

"Maia!" she said.

Her shoes sprouted wings and started to slow dow their fall a bit, but their combined weight was too much for the shoes to do more than that.

"Jason!" Amber called, having already done the calculations to see if she and Piper could make it to the ground alive (it was possible, but had around a 50:50 chance). "I can't–my shoes can't–"

Jason moved towards them and Amber forced herself into a standing position so the shoes would be more effective. They were about 40 feet away from the ground when Amber's shoes just stopped working. Amber looked down in a panic and saw ice on the wings, freezing them and stopping them from being able to move.

That fu–freaking ice princess, Emerald hissed.

They half-hovered, half-fell for 15 feet, watched Festus explode–although Amber could tell that the dragon wasn't completely destroyed–then Jason lost control of the winds.

"AGHHH!" Piper and Leo–and Emerald–screamed. Jason seemed to be too tired to scream.

Amber positioned herself in a way that would sort-of cushion the fall for her friends. She knew she'd definitely break a bone or two, but as long as her friends were okay, she was okay. Then, as more of an afterthought, she thought relinquo to send her glasses away.

Jason and Leo hit the floor with a thump, but Amber and Piper managed to fall in a deeper part of the warehouse thing than Jason and Leo, and they landed with two sickening cracks.

AHHH MY WRIST.

Which wrist?

MY LEFT ONE. MY FREAKING DOMINANT ONE.

Uh-oh. I'll get the ambrosia.

Amber closed her eyes for a moment, trying to move the thought of the pain to a different part of her brain. The only problem was that was all she could focus on.

Come on Amber, she thought. You've done this before. Just...ignore it.

Emerald slithered out with the ambrosia. Amber heard Jason's voice somewhere above, echoing through the building. "Amber? Amber? Where's Amber? And Piper?"

"Ow, bro!" Leo groaned. "That's my back, not a sofa! Amber, Pipes, where'd you go?"

"We're below," Amber said, but her usually raspy and slightly weak voice was even quieter than usual.

"Here," Piper said, her voice a whimper.

Regressus, Amber thought, and her glasses immediately went back to her face.

Emerald, give the ambrosia to Piper first, Amber told her.

But you're closer! And you're... you.

Exactly. I've been injured like this before. Piper said, in a game of Never Have I Ever, that she hasn't broken or twisted a single bone before. She isn't used to the pain.

I...fine. But I'm helping you next, no excuses.

Amber heard shuffling and grunting, then feet pounding on metal steps. She looked up, and Leo and Jason were rushing down a few stairs that led from a catwalk down to Amber and Piper.

Amber looked around as Jason and Leo got closer. She was almost directly under a metal catwalk that ringed the warehouse interior. The hole they'd fell through in the roof was 46 feet above. Amber wondered how they survived for a moment, then remembered that as demigods, they had more immunity to death to things like heights than mortals, and she hadn't put that in her calculations.

Stupid, she cursed herself. Next time, those calculations could've been life or death. And I just forgot an important factor like that. What sort of granddaughter of Athena am I?

Amber, Emerald hissed from where she was, halfway between Piper and Amber, I wouldn't even be able to do a tenth of those calculations, much less have time to think about factors like that. Stop beating yourself up.

Are you related to Athena, though? Exactly.

No, I'm not, but Athena isn't the goddess of perfection, is she? We all make mistakes. Also, that logo is creeping me out.

Amber turned to look at the logo and shuddered. Next to Piper. The corrugated metalwall was emblazoned with a company logo, but it was almost completely spray-painted over with graffiti. The logo was a single eye with the words Monocle Motors above them.

You're right, it's terrible. Now, please give Piper the ambrosia.

I'm trying, okay? I don't have feet! I have to slither everywhere!

Jason and Leo made it over to Amber and Piper. Amber tried to get up, and immediately regretted it. She stifled a hiss of pain as she slightly moved her left hand. She looked over at the wrist. It was definitely broken. Her hand was slumped forward in an unnatural position.

Leo started to ask, "You guys okay...?" Then he saw Piper's foot. "Oh no, you're not. What about you, Amber? Oh, you also aren't."

Amber felt something wet dripping from her forehead and realized she cut it on a piece of glass nearby while trying to sit up, which she did slowly and painfully. She felt around for the wound, found the piece of glass in it, and yanked it out with a short yelp of pain.

"Thanks for the reassurance," Piper groaned. "Also, what is Emerald doing?"

Emerald was nudging her hand, a Ziploc bag of ambrosia in her mouth.

"Ambrosia," Amber told her. "Take one square, and one square only."

Piper did what she told her to do, downing the ambrosia in two bites.

"Here, someone, take my bag. There's a First Aid kit in it."

Jason knelt by Amber, reached into her bag, and grabbed the First Aid kit out.

"D'you know what to do?" Amber asked him.

"I think so," he said.

"Comforting," Amber deadpanned. "Here, do Piper's ankle first. Leo, can you take the ambrosia from Emerald and give it to me?"

Leo obliged, and Amber ate half a square, leaving the rest in case they needed it for something else later. She immediately felt about a quarter of the pain disappear, and her forehead cut mostly healed, from what she could tell.

Amber Regina Inglese Castellan, I saw that. Eat the entire thing.

We might need it later, though! Plus, I don't need it. I'll be fine with this.

We have hundreds of squares in your bag!

And I've had hundreds before that ended up all disappearing within a few months before! Who knows what could happen on this quest? 'Child of travels, beware the past,' remember?

I don't ca– Emerald started, but she was cut off by Amber.

Y'know what, whatever. I'm not having it, and that's that.

I'm just trying to take care of you!

I know, and I appreciate that. But I don't need it that badly. Someone else may need it more later.

Amber watched in silence as Leo explained that his toolbelt was magical. He offered Piper a breath mint, and Amber called out, "Can I have it?"

Leo tossed it to her and she caught it in her mouth. "Thanks."

"Okay, Jason," Amber said. "Just hold it–just like that. Leo, put the splint just a little to the left–there. Hold her leg still. Now, Piper, this'll hurt. Sorry, but it will. Jason, set it at a random time."

When Jason set her foot, Piper flinched so hard she punched Leo in the arm, and he yelled almost as much as she did. Amber looked at her ankle. It was in the right place, with a sort-of improvised cast from materials in Amber's bag.

"Is it better, Pipes?" she asked.

"Much," the daughter of Aphrodite said.

"Okay. Now, Jason, d'you think you could do the same with my wrist?" Amber questioned.

"I should, yeah," he said, moving towards Amber.

Amber took a few more materials out of her bag and made another makeshift cast.

"Piper, can you hold this?" she asked her.

"Sure," Piper said, tentatively getting up and hobbling towards them.

"Leo, can you hold my wrist in place? Don't worry, I won't punch you unless I want to," she reassured.

"That's not making me feel any better," the son of Hephaestus grumbled, but he moved forward and put her hand in the right position.

Amber tried not to cry out in pain.

"Okay, ready, Amber?" Jason asked.

"Just get it over with," she muttered, teeth clenched.

"Got it. Three, two.." Without warning, he set it.

"FUCKING HADES!" Amber yelped, clenching her right hand into a fist. Her nails cut into her hand, and she felt a tiny bit of blood.

As Piper put the cast on, Jason raised an eyebrow at Amber. "Fucking Hades? Persephone won't be happy."

Amber's mouth twitched involuntarily into a grin, although the look Jason was giving her reminded her a lot of Luke.

"What happened to Festus?" she asked suddenly. "I know he wasn't completely destroyed, 'cause of calculations and things, but where is he?"

"Where are we?" Jason added.

Leo's expression turned sullen. "I don't know with Festus. He just jerked sideways like he hit an invisible wall and started to fall."

Amber nodded, brows furrowed in thought, and knelt down, moving her right hand over a wing on one of her shoes.

"I think–it's snowing right now, right? And my shoes wouldn't just...freeze. So, who has control over the cold and hates us?"

"Khione," Jason grumbled.

"Exactly." Amber nodded.

Leo pointed to the logo on the wall. "As far as where we are..."

Emerald slithered back into Amber's bag.

"Closed car plant," Leo continued. "I'm guessing we crash-landed in Detroit."

"How far is that from Chicago?" Piper asked. "And not the exact amount of miles, please, Amber," she added quickly, as the daughter of Hermes opened her mouth to tell her just that.

"Maybe three-fourths of the way from Quebec?" Jason guessed, and Amber nodded. "The thing is, without the dragon, we're stuck travelling overland."

"No way," Leo said. "It isn't safe."

"He's right," Piper stated. "And four people–Jason, Amber, if you can get the ice off your shoes, d'you think you'd be able to fly that many people across the country?"

Amber had already done the calculations when Jason opened his mouth to speak. "No, we definitely couldn't," she informed them.

"Oh," was all Piper seemed to be able to say.

"Hm," Amber titled her head in thought. "What if–I could go with Leo, find Festus, and try to fix him? And yes, I do know quite a few things about fixing bronze automatons, believe it or not. My siblings were always breaking them, and I usually ended up being the one volunteering to help fix or rebuild them."

"Maybe," Leo said. "But do you think you'd be able to help much with your wrist?"

Amber full-out laughed, although it sounded slightly bitter. "I've been in much more pain than this. I'll be fine," she said.

No, you won't! Emerald protested.

Leo hesitated for a moment, and Amber looked directly into his eyes.

Oh, she realized. He just wants to be alone.

"Actually, now that I think about it," she started, "I should probably try to get the ice off my shoes. If you're okay with going alone, anyways."

"Yep. It's fine," he told her. "Plus, I won't be alone. I got duct tape and breath mints to keep me company."

Amber gave a half-grin. "Got it."

"You guys just don't run off without me," Leo said. He reached into his tool belt, grabbed a flashlight, and headed down the stairs.

Amber reached into her bag and grabbed out a match.

"Won't that burn the shoes?" Piper asked with a worried frown.

"They're magical." Amber felt like doing jazz hands, but couldn't, because of her left wrist.

Stupid wrist, she thought.

She reached into her bag again, grabbed a box of tissues, took her shoes off, put them in front of her, put the box in between them, and lit it on fire.

Why is it so satisying to just watch that box burn? Emerald wondered.

I don't know. It just...is.

The ice melted relatively quickly, and Amber wondered why it didn't take longer. A goddess had used her powers to freeze them, after all.

Maybe she just isn't powerful enough, Emerald suggested.

Or she's scared of breaking the ancient laws and interfering directly, Amber pointed out.

Amber half-listened to Jason and Piper's conversation as she double, triple, and quadruple-checked her shoes to make sure they were working properly.

"Hey, Jason?" Amber called when there was a pause in their conversation.

"Yeah?"

"Y'know that picture in your pocket? The one of Thalia?"

"Mhm?"

"She's your sister. Like, full sister. I'm guessing you knew that, though." Amber got up and walked towards her friends.

"Yeah. Annabeth told me about her, and part of my dream helped me understand my last name," he said.

"She never mentioned she had a brother," Amber commented. "She was–is one of my best friends. She got turned into a tree for a while. She's a hunter of Artemis now."

"A what?" he asked.

"Hunters of Artemis are a group of immortal girls who go around, always on the Hunt, with Lady Artemis. Or–sometimes with her, anyways. Thalia's the lieutenant," she explained.

"Just girls?" he asked.

"Yep," Amber confirmed. "They're not really fans of boys. Or love in general."

"Huh. And they're all immortal?" Jason asked.

"They can't die unless they fall in battle," the daughter of Hermes informed him. "She offered to let me join. I'm still thinking about it. The offer was too soon after..."

After Luke. After everything.

"After the war," Piper guessed, and Amber nodded.

"What about the tree?" Jason questioned, though a slightly disappointed look was in his eyes. For once, Amber couldn't understand why. "Is that something all children of Zeus have to do, or was that a one-time thing?"

Amber chuckled. "It's like initiation for every kid of the Big Three. Percy, Thalia, and Nico all had to go through it. Don't worry, the pain only lasts for a while, I'm told," she drawled. Then, seeing the look on Jason's face, she laughed. "Kidding. We were being chased by monsters, she sacrificed herself, and, as she was dying, her father took pity on her and turned her into a pine tree. Her spirit enforced the borders around the camp and protected all of us."

"Whoa," Jason breathed out.

"Yeah," Piper agreed.

Amber?

Yeah?

I think–we need to go. There's something about this entire place–

Emerald was cut off by a loud bang; metal clanging against metal. Probably a door being shut. Amber jumped at the noise, instinctively grabbing Choisant and Verja. She tried to ignore the stabbing pain in her left wrist as she moved it to use Choisant.

Amber, grab more ambrosia.

But what if we run out and it's all my fault?

It's one square!

But–

No buts!

Amber grabbed a square of ambrosia and shoved it into her mouth, silently praying that no one else would've needed it.

Jason stood. He took out his coin and flipped it, snatching his golden sword out of the air. He peered over the railing, and called out, "Leo?" before Amber could stop him.

No answer.

What could've made that noise? To slam the door that loudly, it was probably a large monster. One that has a lot of strenth, too. And one that has something that'd be able to close the door. Hm. Where are we? We're in a warehouse, where there's a logo that–sugar honey iced tea.

What? Emerald asked.

Cyclopes, Amber answered. She'd never really gotten over her dislike/fear of them. Tyson was the only Cyclops she was okay with.

"Cyclops den," Amber murmured, or tried to. But her voice came out raspier than usual, and her terrible lungs seemed to decide she didn't need them right now, weakening her voice even more.

She tried to stop Jason, who was going to look for the noise, but it was too late.

He walked away. She tried to follow him, but her legs felt like jelly. She thought of all the different Cyclopes she'd met, how many times she'd almost died, how Thalia almost died, and she started shaking. She thought of her friend, Georgia, who did die.

Amber, you're okay. You can beat them. We can beat them. We've done it before, and we'll do it again.

Cyclopes–they–my–so many–

Amber, we aren't there anymore. That was two–three? years ago. We'll be fine.

But–the–Georgia--Amber was struggling to breathe.

"Amber? You okay?" Piper asked. Amber only managed to shake her head.

Amber saw Piper grab a square of ambrosia and shove it in her mouth, standing up. Amber walked over to her and stood in front of her protectively, katanas drawn, although she was still shaking slightly.

Then, she heard it. Footsteps.

They're–almost–they're almost–

Amber, it's okay. You'll be okay.

"I'm okay," Jason's voice called out. Except it had the sort of...tone a Cyclops would have. Amber had heard it so many times, she'd taught herself to recognize it.

"Not Jason," she managed to whisper.

The steps got closer.

"It's okay," the Cyclops with Jason's voice promised.

At the top of the stairs, a face appeared out of the darkness–a hideous black grin, a smashed nose, and a single bloodshot eye in the middle of their forehead.

"It's fine," the Cyclops said. "You're just in time for dinner."

Amber hurled a throwing knife at him, but, with her shaking hands and the fact she wasn't using her left hand, she missed his heart and only managed to hit his shoulder. Emerald got out of the bag and hissed protectively.

Amber walked forward, and, with the speed only a child of Hermes could have, she charged.

She impaled the Cyclops, and it crumbled into nothing but dust. She blinked for a moment, trying to discern if there were any more, and then she heard it. A bellow, and a cry of, "My son!"

A huge, female Cyclops barreled her way towards Amber. Out of habit, she swung at her with her left wrist, and immediately felt a burning pain. She just barely missed, because of the pain, and, before she could swing Verja, everything went black.

Would anyone be interested in a chapter in Emerald's perspective?