Songs listened to : Thunderstruck - Owl City

My Kind - Hilary Duff

*Chapter 110*

Tron's last light-cycle roared through Stonecrest's glorious, sprawling city. The ancient, candy-vine and sweet moss covered stone buildings were crowned with futuristic lights and fixtures; a gem strung in Sugar Rush's humid, southern most reaches. The air was thick, though the farther they began to push the city limits, the more crisp the country atmosphere became. Zed held his strong arms around Tessa's middle, he was impressed with how fluidly she drove, how in sync she was with just how the bike operated. He figured it had something to do with how much time had allowed her to adjust to flying Lickity. Her body tensed and eased with each turn, she curved into everything the bike threw at her. She was as graceful as they came, which had Zed beaming at the irony of it all; he knew her appearance was likely deceiving, to most people, though the fact that this contradictory gamer was all his, had his heart soaring faster than the rocket they were mounted.

Zed softly eased his body into hers, a little tighter, as if anxiousness was getting the better of him. He tucked his chin to the top of her shoulder and relished in her soft skin, though he kept his eyes concentrated forward. He was thrilled to see Stonecrest lightly dwindle from city to a sloping crawl of a mountainside, riddled with candy jungle trees and plants alike. He flinched as Tessa suddenly flicked her fingers down at the gauges, and the bike's single headlight illuminated the path before them. He noticed their destination begin to creep into their line of sight, though the path was still dense with trees. He smirked with how much at home he felt, though he was positive the smell of the crisp, apple and exotic berry scents, of Stonecrest's atmosphere, would definitely be sorely missed.

After a handful of time, Tessa eased the bike up the mountainside, though it was clear their destination resided in a building that slowly came to a head, along with the single peak they climbed. The light bike persisted with the gradual climb, which upward spiraled around their home for the night. Tessa easily kept her eye on the bike, as well as the complicated gauges below her eyesight, on the body of the bike. She made sure to take extra care of Zed's possession; she knew she would want the same care for Lickity, if and when anyone else were to fly her. The air began to grow a misty, cool temperature as they glided through a thin fog. Before they could mention it, they finally were totally submerged in a cloud that hugged the mountain they were scaling. Tessa squinted her eyes and peered ahead in an expert sweep of attention. She slowed the bike, for fear of accidentally slipping off of their path, though she hugged the inside rail and made certain her body language eked of positive knowledge, to cue to Zed she knew exactly what she was doing.

Before too long, the two suddenly popped free of the thick, white cloud they hung in, and sat up a little straighter in surprise. Tessa quickly, though delicately, hit the brakes as they came to their final landing, a lot quicker than what they thought. The bike growled to a slow stop as Tessa eased her bare foot to the ground, to hold the two upright. Tessa inhaled a small gasp as the two sat up and finally got a good look around. They had come to a large, circular mesa that was seemingly the top of the world. The cold wind suddenly whipped at the two, which made Tessa's long hair slide off of her shoulder and splay the air behind the two. Zed raised his eyebrows in hard surprise as the two gawked at the flawless, heavenly scenery before them. He let his hands slide down her waist, as the two finally relaxed, though he shook his head and slumped his shoulders.

"Y'weren't kidding," Zed uttered as the only sound present was the mere sound of the soft, calling wind, and the rumbling of Zed's bike.

"I forgot just what this looked like," Tessa said through a loud whisper.

The valley, very far below them, was riddled with Stonecrest's wonderful, brightly speckled city, though the sky above it was painted with heavenly storm clouds. They were swirled, blue cotton candy, with splashes of pinks and purple, as well. They were brooding, angry and fuming, as if wanting to unleash the storm it harbored was something it could hardly contain anymore. Tessa finally exhaled her gut and relaxed her strict posture once and for all. With a gentle crank of the accelerator, she eased the bike to the center of the circular mesa they were perched atop. It was grey stone, etched and old, though it had beautiful swirls of carved circuit board lines, symmetrically even with the massive circle they stood on, which had about a fifty feet radius. As Tessa eased the bike to the very center of the circle, she parked the bike and turned it off; she knew the two were at the front door of their destination, though she was excited to show Zed just how to get inside.

"It's so quiet out here," Zed said softly as the bike's grumbling finally ceased, and all they were left with was each other and the soft sound of the whistling wind. They could potentially hear the trees rustle with the breeze, from far below their perch, on the mountainside, but it only aided to the peaceful atmosphere.

"I love it," Tessa eased as she dis-mounted the bike and straightened out her dress, almost in growing annoyance, as if she couldn't wait to get out of it, "Especially in the morning, when dad would open the bay windows... I have considered moving out of the castle, to live here."

"Well," Zed furrowed his eyebrows and got off of his bike, as well. He, too, straightened out his clothes and hair as he continued, "Why don't you?"

"You know my family," Tessa giggled as she began to gently distance herself from the bike, to reach the edge of the mesa. She wanted to see the view from their home, for the night, "They'd constantly want me at the castle every night, for dinner, or something. Oliver and Penny would likely be upset for not taking them with me."

"Guess it's just something to think about," Zed shrugged, "Maybe you can construct small houses for them, too... I wouldn't complain, I've only been up here for two minutes and I'm already in love."

"Jungles," Tessa teased with a side eye and a playful smile. Zed rolled his eyes and smiled down to his feet.

"Y'got me."

"To tell you the truth, it's because of Dead Zed that I've come to appreciate Stonecrest," Tessa and Zed lightly strolled to the edge of the circle, though once they came within five feet of it, they slowed to a stop. Tessa crossed her arms and lightly shivered with the cold wind that suddenly whipped past them, "I-I used to not totally like it here, as a child. It was so humid."

"Yeah, humidity usually drives most people away," Zed chuckled, though he lovingly slipped his tux coat off of his arms and, on cue, he warmly draped it over Tessa's bare shoulders, "That, or the bugs will."

"Thank you," Tessa raised her eyebrows and gave him a thankful smile. She eagerly shoved her arms into his larger coat and was so thankful it was already warm, because had been wearing it.

"Of course," Zed assured as he rubbed Tessa's back, up and down, for added warmth from the friction. His blue tie finally had freedom to whip around in the wind. The two quickly threw their attention to the large clouds they were strangely far above, a few of them boomed with a gentle display of lightning that coursed through the clouds.

"There's that thunderstorm, you wanted," Tessa giggled as she gestured her fingers, though she furrowed her eyebrows as she caught sight of something coming their way, "Oh hey, there's Lickity."

"She found us," Zed uttered thankfully, though Tessa shot her attention to him as the sound of his voice held a twinge of agitation. Zed looked up to the sky aimlessly in annoyance, though his smile was wide and bashful, "Do you NOT recall the last time Lickity was with us during a thunderstorm?"

"That thunderstorm was right over head," Tessa laughed as Lickity's large, powerful wings flapped a few times, to aid her in slowing down, though she sailed over the two and gingerly landed on the clearing behind them; Tessa continued on, "THIS thunderstorm is below us, and dozens of miles away. She's not going to interrupt us."

"What was that?" Zed inquired as he tucked his arms behind his back, he let a sly smile grace his face.

"Huh?" Tessa inquired through a furrowed expression she tried to hide her embarrassment behind. She lightly let her palms riddle with her purple, glowing circuitry and, as head of the game, she was able to summon a 3D hologram in the palm of her hands, from energy that seemingly sparked from something curious below their feet; she held a small map of Stonecrest, and it's added atmospheric turmoil above.

"You said Lickity won't interrupt us," Zed wondered, he tried to hold onto his slyness, though his eyes curiously scanned the glorious, detailed, glowing hologram that floated above Tessa's hands, tethered by small, albeit strong circuit veins, "Interrupt us, doing what, exactly?"

"If you keep embarrassing me, you're not going to find out," Tessa muttered as her face was a very noticeable shade of red, even through the dark and the purple hologram that lit up their area. Just as Tessa was about to try and attempt to busy herself with the hologram before her, Zed largely furrowed his eyebrows and gestured his head towards it.

"What's that button do?" Zed asked; the hologram included a detailed picture of the clouds above the city, though glowing hot blue, in a beckoning, button of a circle, was a pretty lightning bolt icon.

"Why don't you press it and find out?" Tessa's voice was laced with a dark undertone of an insinuation.

She side-eyed Zed and gave him a minor squint of a smirk. Zed finally slid his eyes from the button, he was so eagerly honed on, to her eye contact, which held true to a dip of girly sass. He beamed her a closed-mouth grin and squinted his eyes at her. The two hung in their staring contest, though before Zed could admit silent defeat, Tessa beat him to it, rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders. She finally peered back at him with an anticipated grin of baited wait; she gave him a longing look and breathed a small, silent giggle, as if to just ask him to get on with it. Without letting his eyes leave hers, he unraveled his right arm and hand, from behind his back, pricked his taught fingers, and went in for the kill. He finally honed his whole attention to the hologram Tessa delicately held, though he swiped his finger at the button and felt an awesome wave of relief come over him as the button sunk into itself and bleeped a knowing, futuristic noise.

The two flinched once the massive, brooding storm clouds far beyond them grumbled a loud roll of thunder and flashed a vicious rip of lightning. Zed straightened his posture and dropped his shoulders in awe. He smiled a wonder-struck grin and could feel himself become painfully similar to a little kid in a candy shop. Tessa giggled at his notion as the two got an awesome light display, as well as the beautiful show of rain that fell from the clouds and graced the glorious city below. Tessa tsked a small noise, lightly shooed the hologram away and waved her fingers a little bit.

"Lookit what you did," Tessa said in sarcastic dismay, though she began to trek to the center of the circle. Zed double took on her and peered back at the clouds he had just disrupted. Lickity garbled an excited noise, perked her whole body and curiously peered to the ruckus going on, as well.

"That was strangely satisfying," Zed laughed as he turned heel and began to follow Tessa, as did Lickity.

Tessa reached the center of the circle and prepared herself; for what, Zed was curious to find out. The three gathered close, as Tessa instructed, and with one single shockwave of her glorious, purple coding through the delicate carvings on the stone ground underneath them, the three lightly shifted as the inner circle began to very slowly sink, as if they were simply on an elevator. The stone made it's dull, scraping sounds as the pillar they were on began to hollow out and bring them under ground. Zed quickly pushed a few buttons, on his bike, and brought it down to it's idle, baton form. He slid it into his back pocket, and though it stuck out a bit, he drew his attention to Tessa in curiosity, as did Lickity.

The elevator finally thud to a stop; Zed noticed they were about two dozen feet down from the surface, and all that could be seen, out their hollow pillar they were in, was Sugar Rush's glorious, twinkling stars. Tessa softly called for the two to follow her as she approached a large, sliding glass door, which originally just looked like a floor to human height window. As Tessa approached, it quickly slid open and further revealed a warmly lit, narrow stairwell that led down. Silently, the three carried on, with Tessa at the head. As they finally came to the end of the stairwell, they could hear the sliding glass door close, as well as the stone elevator they were just on, begin to make it's way up back to normality, as if to seal the three in for the night, so no one else could reach them.

As Tessa rounded the corner, her feet moved in such a way, as if it were second nature to be here, like she had just graced a room she merely hadn't been in for a few days. Memories of old family trips flood back to her, though Zed softly squinted as he rounded the corner, as if to take in everything. Before him was one large, domed ceiling room. It was the same size as the landing that they were now far beneath. The room was only lightly cut directly in half, by one wall, though it only stretched half way to the dome of the ceiling, as if to only create half a barrier between rooms, essentially to only divide one room as opposed to two separate rooms. One half was graced with the beautiful bay windows, in which Tessa had mentioned. Along the smoothness of the birch wood flooring, the living space was furnished with a proper, homey sitting area, a dining room table and a small, expensive looking kitchenette.

Zed curiously stepped into the area and let his eyes wander to the double doors in the center of the dividing wall; they were wide open and revealed a dark bedroom, though with just one glance inside, Zed could clearly see a beckoning bed housed in a wonderful, large white frame, one only built for royalty. The room was dark, though Zed squinted and could tell it eked a proper amount of looming romance, as if it were merely begging for the two to relax and unwind with each other. Zed swallowed nervously and was certain his heartbeat was on stereo surround sound. He let his mind take everything in; the massive studio loft was practically flawless. He knew this landing point was likely one of Tessa's favorite vacation spots, from when she was a child, though he was eager to leave her with memories to add to the collection.

As the night carried on well into the wee hours of the morning, the two got more than settled and finally changed out of their prom clothes. After a delicious, candlelit dinner with the bay windows wide open, to let in the cool, high altitude, Stonecrest breeze, Zed hung in the kitchenette and cleaned up the dishes. His whole attention was tuned to the clouds, however, as if he was merely grasping at thoughts he could download and nervously visit when the silence was too deafening, beyond the soft snores of Lickity, who was lazily sprawled before the wide open windows. He furrowed his eyebrows into a headache he could swear wanted to billow straight into his eyeballs, though he let his mind wander far beyond his standpoint.

His strong hands worked at the few dishes they had used; he knew Tessa had laid off to the bedroom to prepare potentially going to sleep and possibly to work on deleting the additive in Zed's brain coding, though he swallowed a hard gulp and had to wonder if anything was going to come of the night. He knew the two had to be patient, their spark would eventually explode one day, and he knew that day was coming, though he couldn't help but feel mild disappointment. He knew it was nothing either of them could help, though somehow he felt as if his coding was beginning to become angry with itself. He inwardly scolded himself for being too impatient, he wondered if sleeping next to her beautiful figure tonight would likely push him over the edge. He knew she was good at controlling the two, and only letting their anxious, grabby hands go so far, though before Zed could dwell farther into letting his hopes be delightfully crushed, his arm suddenly sparked a quick slice of curious, purple coding.

Zed gasped in mild shock and dropped the fork, he was cleaning, into the sink. He harshly glared down at his arm and felt a huge wave of confusion come over him. He froze and continued to stare at his skin, though after a few moments of nothing happening, he reached for the fork he was in the middle of cleaning and prepared to carry on with his small chore. The second he took his eyes away from his skin, in a draw of curious confusion, his arm largely riddled with Tessa's purple coding, yet again, though this time, Zed choked a nervous noise of an inquiry, dropped the utensil once more, and whirled around in panting confusion. His eyes dart about the dim room, though his sharp attention was quick to notice the birch flooring. It easily snaked with thick lines of purple circuitry. It almost snaked back into the bedroom without him being able to catch one last glance at it.

Zed froze and leaned his lower back into the counter behind him. He felt his heart suddenly pulse in a hard, needy draw of desire, though confusion still largely hung over him. He wiped his palm on his lazy wife beater and grey, cotton sweats that were cut just below the knee, though he apprehensively began to step towards the bedroom. His eyes scanned the floor for any more of Tessa's secretive snakes of circuits, though the birch continued to lie to his face. As slowly and silently as he could, he peeked his head around the corner of the double doors and peered into the warmly dimmed bedroom. He noticed Tessa sitting criss-cross on the fluffy downs of the bed, her nose was dug deep into Zed's brain coding. She intelligently worked at deleting the additive and looked completely distracted.

Zed slowly eased away from the door and began to back step towards the kitchenette again. He figured maybe Tessa's powers were heightened, from being put in charge of the whole game. He shrugged his shoulders softly, though the air of Tessa's lingering code still hung in his arms. He began to feel toyed with, though he bit his tongue and knew he had to seriously control himself. He painfully brought himself back to the sink, to complete cleaning the dishes. He clenched his fists in a nervous manner, though he reached the sink and leaned his masculine hands to the counter. He leaned over the sink a little and aimlessly gazed into it, as if he had to continue to take small breaks, for the sake of trying to calm down his beating, longing heart. He finally exhaled a hard, collective sigh through his nose and straightened his spine, though just as he was about to reach into the sink, his whole right arm angrily riddled with Tessa's electric, snake like code again.

With a hard gasp and a few clumsy back steps, Zed finally whirled around and set his determined glare to the beckoning bedroom doors. Her circuits riddled the wood flooring again, though this time, they snaked slowly back into the room and vanished, as if to hopefully give Zed more than enough time to get the hint. Zed largely furrowed his brow and squinted his eyes, as if to finally find clues to a puzzle, like the map to the treasure was splayed before him. He stood frozen in the kitchenette for a few painful minutes before, once and for all, he began to confidently mosey over to the bedroom once more. His demeanor was stoic and solid, though delightfully scared. He nervously approached the dark bedroom and tucked his bottom lip into his top row of teeth. He kept his footwork slow and sure, in hopes to bring their worries to an end.

A/N: I drew fan art for this chapter, labeled 'Thunderstruck' on deviantart. My username is Vyntresser :)