For the next few weeks, it continued to get colder outside.

Life remained as normal for the clan. They ate, patrolled, did their favorite activities. Lovers had dates. There was babysitting duties. Charity events to go to for the Xanatos'.

One night, Sil grew curious about all the charity events that the humans went to.

"Could Chamberlain ever go to one of these… things you go to?" Sil asked David.

"It probably wouldn't be safe." David replied.

"Please. Want to see one." Sil was persuasive.

"I'll see what I can do, but it would have to be one where people might be wearing costumes would be the best kind of event you could attend." David said.

"That good enough." Sil was satisfied with that.

….

A few days later, Owen told his boss that there was an event where there were people sponsoring saving endangered wildlife in Africa.

After looking up some African animals, it was found that some species of vultures were endangered. Sil could go to sponsor that, in his 'costume.'

David went and showed it to Sil. People were dressing up at this comic con as their favorite kind of animal. Sil would fit right in.

"Hmm, look like sound promise of fun." Sil said.

"Good. Be ready to go in a couple of days." David said.

That night, Sil told Brooklyn about it.

"Well, it sounds like fun if you can get into it. I wish we could go to these charity events. At least yours is a costume event." Brooklyn declared. "You do actually look enough like a vulture, I mean with your head. But, you might need some more real bird qualities to make a sufficient costume. You might want to ask Fox or Owen on that part. We would know nothing of how to design something like that."

"Okay." Sil replied.

The next day, he went to talk to Owen about designing a more convincing costume. Things that might be able to be put on its own costume, or added to his robes.

"You would need to wear some lighter clothes if you were to add more feathers to be a convincing vulture." Owen advised.

Together, for the next long while, they got to work on a convincing vulture costume.

In the end, Sil was back in his lightest robes, the grayish ones like when he had been banished the first time. Only this time, another sheet with feathers was added over it to hide his spikes and ribs. He would wear a blanket outside.

This was during the daytime, so Sil was riding down in elevators with his human allies. They were wearing animal costumes too. David was in a lion costume. Fox was in a leopard one.

The officer in the lobby saw them. David told him they were headed to a costume party across town.

"Just mind your manners and stay close to us." Fox told him.

Sil had been told that he couldn't bring his dagger with him this time. Some events scanned their guests for weapons.

Sil had never ridden in a car before here on Earth. This would be his first time. But to him, once inside it, it didn't seem no more different than riding in one of the Skeksis former carriages, only there were no Armaligs moving them. Someone drove the car.

He was shown quite a few luxuries that the rich had in their cars. TV, VCR, remote, brandy, buttons to several commands, a window to roll up or down to talk to the driver, and so on. Much more accessories than a Skeksis carriage.

"Hmm. I have it great living with you guys." Sil complimented.

"Yes, you do. There are many humans who don't even have this luxury life and have to struggle for everything they have." Fox stated. "We give money to some of those events for the poor sometimes."

"Hmm. Almost face that challenge when banished. If not for Brooklyn, never would have gotten back into castle without problems. Brooklyn be worthy cause for Chamberlain to get back into castle." Sil explained.

Soon, they were across town and the three of them got out of the car and went into the event. Indeed, there were lots of costumed humans in animal costumes. Sil would fit right in.

He noticed that he would be the only one looking like a vulture.

"Just say that you sponsor the vulture birds. Do not say you're a Skeksis if you're asked what you are." Fox advised.

"Okay."

"Stay close, Lord Sil." David said.

Sil nodded. He was oh so curious about this event and just wanted to look around so badly on his own, but this was not his element. He had to stay close. He was shown around that way.

He was so intrigued with all the special accessories and beautiful movies of the animals and toys. Even the food. There were a few times what he sponsored there, and he said, "I am vulture person. Sponsor those."

"Those awful things? You have weird taste, Mister!" a teen exclaimed.

Sil glared and growled. David put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't. It will only get us kicked out if you make a scene here." he said.

"Hmmm, fine." Sil replied glumly.

"There's other better things here to see. Don't let him get you down for one comment." Fox said.

Later, there was a gathering and the three of them sat down to listen how the people here were sponsoring the endangered animals over in Africa with this event. It went a good time into the evening.

By the time they left the event, all three of them felt that they were ready for bed by the time they got back to the castle headquarters.

Sil would take a pass on leaving the castle tonight. He had been gone long enough today.

….

He was so exhausted that he slept most of the next day away. Even into the evening.

The gargoyles woke up and found Sil was still asleep.

"The event must have been really tiring." Goliath said.

"No doubt, but he must have had fun too." Brooklyn said.

Tonight, the Trio went to a movie and to a rock concert at Madison Square Garden. They just spent time as brothers tonight.

Goliath went to spend time with Elisa. Angela hung out with Hudson and Bronx tonight. They went on a patrol together. They went to the park to let Bronx run around too.

Sil awoke later in the night to go finally get something to eat and try to see how his friends were doing. He looked for them all over the castle, and no one was around.

He figured they were all just off on patrol. Nothing unusual.

Sil got some lunch meat, cheese, some water, and a plate. Then he went to the TV room to have all to himself. What a night.

…

Everyone came back just prior to sunrise. Sil only got to see the gargoyles all briefly before it was time to enter stone sleep.

He still wasn't too tired. He went to go to work for Owen earlier in the day than usual so he could have the later afternoon off for sleeping and later, hanging out with his friends.

When he went to bed, he ended up oversleeping again. The gargoyles were likely already out of the castle.

Sil went to look for them, and indeed, they were. He missed them yet again.

That night though, something happened. Elisa had been advised that there were new gargoyles around and the four youngest males had gone to check it out.

Angela had stayed home to read. She liked to read alone at times. Hudson was once again in the TV room. They had been told of what was going too, and if there were new gargoyles here in New York, they would also welcome them with open arms when they came back with them.

But Goliath, Lex, Brook, and Broadway didn't return that night. It was odd. It was possible they were just too far away from home at sunrise, so they weren't too worried just yet.

…

The next night, when the guys didn't return again, Angela and Hudson took off in search of them. Hudson brought Bronx along too.

"We have to find them, Hudson." Angela was worried.

"We'll find them, Lass." Hudson tried to console her. Their clan was so small yet. If the males were all gone, it would just be the three of them as gargoyles. They couldn't give up.

Elisa and Matt went off in search of them too.

This ended up being another week long search for the guys. This wasn't good.

The next night, even the Mutates were called in to search for the four missing clan members too. The clones were even happy to help lend a hand.

Angela even took Chamberlain along on one of the patrols. He started coming a lot more, but there was one night where Sil had to end up babysitting because Alex's parents had to run out, and Owen had to be their driver.

Sil wanted to patrol, but someone had to watch Alex. Hudson and Bronx were gone too. He was alone. He was the Xanatos baby's only hope for a babysitter.

Sil did his best to watch the toddler.

When David and Fox and Owen came home, he was relieved of duty and went to go wait for the gargoyles. He spoke into his com. "Any finding of them yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet, Chamberlain." Hudson replied.

"Where could they be?" Angela said.

That night, none of them came home. Angela and Hudson had gone further out into the city to find the guys. They were searching hard for their friends.

Sil paced on the battlements at sunrise. Nothing.

"Where are you two?" Sil asked.

"We're up in Queens. We're fine, Sil. We won't make it back tonight. We're taking any possible leads to where they are." Angela explained. "It might take us awhile to get back."

"You are in charge of protecting the castle when we're away, Sil." Hudson declared.

Sil's eyes widened. He liked the sound of that. Of course, Xanatos had his robots too, but he was totally alone at the moment. And there was no telling when the clan would be back again. Hopefully, they would be back.

Unknown to him, there were eyes watching the castle again. She hadn't seen the clan leave from the castle for days now. She did see the Skeksis though. Not even Bronx was there at the moment.

Demona couldn't have planned it better. Of course, she had no idea where the guys were. This wasn't her doing. It was someone else entirely. She was planning something for tomorrow night. Her old enemies were going to pay, and pay dearly for ruining her plans for so long.

With having Sil go to one of these charity events, I couldn't resist. I figured he might be curious about where they go all the time. The only way he could go to one, without being turned human, would be like a comic con thing. I've never been to one myself, but I know some people dress up at some charity events and others sponsoring animals too.