The Sky, the Smoke, and the Ferns

The Sky, the Smoke, and the Ferns (空と煙とゼンマイと, Sora to Kemuri to Zenmai to) is a short story written by Tōya Minato and illustrated by Iwama Junko, published in Genso Suikoden Short Story Collection 1 in 2000.

The story tells of the creation of Gadget and how Meg's pursuit of her uncle Juppo began after the Gate Rune War.

Overview
After the Gate Rune War, Juppo is spending time at his workshop in Rikon, researching and taking commissions. However, his work is continually stymied by his niece, Meg's habit of disrupting his actual work rather than tinkering with the box of spare and broken parts he frequently tries to direct her to. Her bad habit of ignoring blueprints and hastily disassembling and reassembling creations in different (usually non-working, smoke spewing, exploding) configurations, frustrates her uncle.

Feeling the need to travel and concerned about Meg, Juppo decides to build her Gadget. After that, he leaves, feeling both that Meg needed to see more of the world to become a true trickster and that she needs to return to Lenankamp under Gadget's escort.

Ordered by Juppo to take Meg home to Lenankamp, Gadget begins a mad dash across Kunan as soon as Meg climbs aboard, but she manages to distract and dismount him shortly before they reach the Fortress of Garan. Returning to Rikon with her, and discovering Juppo has left, Gadget comes to believe he was not merely ordered to bring Meg home by any means necessary but to escort her and keep her safe wherever she went, and so agrees to accompany her on her pursuit of her uncle.