Chapter 4

Far from home

"Ma'am we there are no bodies or possibly any sight of death in the forest," a brown colt Pegasus spoke to Rainbow outside of the forest.

"Then they're okay?" she replied hoping for an answer.

He shook his head, "Not sure but they might have gone either north or south if they kept moving straight."

"She said she wanted to go Manehattan to see the Night Fliers."

"It's dangerous for two fillies to walk the streets over there let alone running away."

"How dangerous?"

"The Wolf Gang tends to steal young fillies and pluck their wings and sell them for quite a bit of bits."

"We need to go now!"

"Ma'am let the authorities handle this; you look after your son there."

"Are you going to stop me?"

"No but it's not wise to do so."

"I don't care!"

"Suit yourself."

Back at the train, all three ponies sat around eating sandwiches from the train.

"Hey Icarus how cold is it going to be?" Silver asked.

"U-up in t-the m-mountains it's b-below t-ten."

Angel stood up and looked out the window, it was getting dry and rocky and from a distance she could see snow capped mountains. "Why do you need to be here?" Angel asked nervously.

Icarus was in the middle of his sandwich and forced himself to swallow making his cough some out. "Incase p-ponies g-get t-trapped and n-need a w-way t-to find t-them."

"But the Griffons?"

"Have anger i-issues, b-but their friendly."

"I hope you're kidding about the anger part."

Icarus shook his head and Angel began to shake.

They finally arrived at the train station and began to depart. There were mixes of griffons and ponies but mostly griffons around talking and watching those who arrived. "You better hurry up before their awake!" One griffon said to Angel who shook by her warning.

"Who?" Her voice shook again.

"The gargoyles! It's been told they protect those are living in the building in exchange to be part of the building."

Icarus spoke up, "I thought t-that was l-legend!"

"So did my cousin! She went out at night and never came back."

Angel found herself hiding behind Silver. She began to speak in a very frightful voice, "Icarus can we go please!"

Icarus nodded his head and left the griffon and her warning. "M-my father g-gave m-me a room for a week so y-you c-can help me w-with t-the project!"

Angel back away, "I'll wait by the train," she smiled awkwardly.

Silver grinned, "What about the gargoyles?"

Angel's mane stood straight up and walked by them smiling trying to force her fear in, she began to giggle as she talked, "What about them? I think we should stay with Icarus until we have a plan!"

They reached to a hotel where a unicorn gave them the keys to a very fancy suite; the bed was a king size with the softest silk. Angel jumped on the bed and enjoying every second of the bed as she rolled around like a cat with catnip. Silver giggled and Icarus was out of the room before they knew it.

"Hey Icarus!" Silver cried out. "Where you going?"

"Got to keep experimenting, got to find the right parts!" He walked in the hall holding up a blueprint and was deep in thought. Silver stopped following him and went back into the room to find Angel wrapped around in the blanket like a cocoon, her face was like she just took a dip in the hot tub. She finally snapped and saw the look on Silvers face. She was dumbstruck.

"Silver help!" She pleaded unable to get out with one hoof reaching out to her.

It was getting dark and heard rock crumbling from the roof top. They quiet down and saw yellow eyes look through the window. Angel remained hidden but Silver went up to it, "Silver what are you doing?" Angel loudly whispered.

It began to speak in a creepy tone, "Hello little one. Where might your parents be?" It said as it looked around the room from the window upside down for that matter.

"We ran away."

"Oh no no no no no that won't do! How would you survive without any, knowledge of this place?"

"Oh we're traveling with Icarus-."

"Gear? Oh such art they create! Let me in and I'll show you some inventions they created over years and years they came here!"

Silver did as what the thing said with a big smile and opened the window. It jumped in making a loud thud that made Angel squeak and shake. "I've been eyeing on that white Pegasus, what's she afraid of?"

"You I guess? But I heard you'll protect the ponies living inside of the building it's guarding and not attack the other living in the other buildings correct?"

"You got it little one!"

"It's Silver Crack. Now what are these inventions are you talk about?"

"Ah yes here it is!" It scraped off the stone left over on its skin and used it to make a portal like screen to see what the Gear family has built.

The first image showed possibly a century ago, a unicorn messed with some gears underneath the bridge. He then went to a lever to the right of him and pulled it, instead of lifting up; it began to head in the ground of the bridge. The unicorn wiped off the sweat from his face and smiled at his accomplishment.

Angel wormed her way out of the silky blanket and stuck her head out to see the tail of the Gear family.

The next image showed some form of machine and a light bulb right next to it. The unicorn had a turning wheel representing a windmill but had the words saying winter design. She used her magic to revolve the windmill and the power turned on. The scene showed her taking it to the snowy mountain with the help with a gryphon. The windmill had a different kind of metal on it and rotated just fine.

"You see little ones; the Gear family is famous throughout the south. Wait where is he?"

"Out, side!" Silver realized he could be in trouble and ran out the door.

"Wait where are you going?"

"Silver don't leave me!" Angel cried out before realizing she's alone with the gargoyle.

It walked toward her and reached its hand out to her. Angel flinched and closed her expecting the worse but she wasn't constricted by the blankets and soon looked up at it. Its smile wasn't pleasant but his word wasn't ignored. "You looked as though you needed help?"

Angel was still scared and gave out a small smile, "Thanks," she said nervously and walked out to follow her friend.

Later, Icarus walked down an abandon tunnel with train tracks in it. He pushed the cart full of metal, tools, and gears with his magic. He had to carry a torch with his mouth and while looking at his pages of facts and drawings. He thought to himself about how the gargoyles hunt at night and hope the girls don't follow him.

"Let out!"Silver yelled at the pony blocking the way of the chained up door.

"Sorry it's curfew you have to stay inside."

"But my friend is out there!"

"I'm sorry but I can't have somepony especially out there especially somepony your age."

Silver grinned and turned to the suite again passing Angel who was running to her and kept following going in the room and leaping outside flying toward the ground landing followed by Angel. She notices that gargoyle is gone but she soon took Angel into the alleyway and covered her mouth. "Quiet!"

Silver looked all around and nothing but a basement. She released her and went toward it saying Gear. She opened it and went inside the dark tunnel, "Silver its dark in there!"

Suddenly she lit a torch and lit up the area, "No its not," she giggled.

Angel gulped and slowly walked in; they walked through the tunnel with Angel clinging to Silver. She didn't mind at first but it was getting hard to walk when she was practically in her face, "Angel!"

Angel let go of her, "Sorry," being embarrassed.

A familiar voice called out, "H-hello?"

"Icarus?" Silver called out.

"Silver? H-how d-did you f-find m-me?" Icarus lit his horn up to reveal his location. He was quite a ways but flying did the trick.

"The basement door said Gear," she said rolling her eyes.

"W-what's w-wrong w-with Angel?"

"She's scared."

"W-well I hope you b-brought something w-warm. W-we're g-going in t-the m-mountains," Icarus smiled.

Back near the basement entrance some gargoyles were a bit curious and decided to go inside the revealed path.