Queen's note: ...blah

Chapter Nineteen:

Metropolis Zone

"Heeee-yo brothers," A rich, male baritone voice lifted in the air, strong and bold lifted into the air. Startling a few people into sitting up in the seats of their cars, those in range at least to hear it, "There's this endless land to discover,"

"The roads that lead to nowhere, and every dream," a woman's voice joined in, not on lighter side of the scale but still pleasant,

"These are our roads, the endless ways to eternity." Sonic was standing up straight beside the motorcycle, smiling at the young Tails on the seat. Jessy was standing on the other side, clapping her hands to keep the time of the song and encouraging both Tails, and the two kids in the SUV to the left of her motorcycle to join in. Very quickly Sonic was also clapping in time as well, joining in on the extra bit of fun that helped get rid the boredom of waiting.

Though some, or rather most didn't seem to mind the group, even rolling down windows to listen to the impromptu consort. There were one or two visible humans that would glare over, as much at Sonic and Tails as they did Jessy when it became clear she was the one producing the nomad songs. The group didn't seem to notice, or rather the older two had but were just ignoring the old and new predigests.

It was a great way to pass the time, waiting at the board-line like half parking lot to go through the open warp ring that led to one of the oldest known Zones. Metropolis, as the city-filled Zone was called was large enough that it had some Zones itself, expanding to resorts or planes for food. Being so big there had to be some traffic coordination needed for the daily flow.

Jessy had been to this Zone a few times over her life, and knew enough to get her timing right so although it was a few hours to walk the bike up to the Warp Ring, she still got them to it for that day. About ten people came out of the Zone, then ten into the Zone, the pattern back in forth, with the side here in the old world getting to be hot in the semi-desert area. A few large dirt parking lots where set for those wishing to walk into the zone for the day instead of bringing their vehicle.

The ring, once up close was more than impressive as evidence by the...

"Oooo…" Sonic breathed as he walked over, one hand on the right handle bar with his ears standing up right all the way. Holding the tank like motor cycle up as Jessy cleared their passage with it.

"It's so pretty Sonic..." Tails reached up with his own blue eyes locked on the great golden ring, he fumbled about until one hand got a hold of a blue furred arm to tug on it, "And shiny!"

"It is really shiny," Sonic agreed, but this was nothing they had ever heard about or read on the Warp Rings could have really prepared any of them for seeing one up-close. Not even that video the group had seen in a small mom and pop dinner when the owners where showing a vacation home-movie.

It was as thick as a person, three and half times as tall, hovering a foot off the ground and a rich gold color that seemed to glow from within. The ring somehow reflected everything around it, so Sonic could see himself when he got closer as well. Yet, at the same times, the ring was also transparent. What looked like purple, silver, crimson and white sparks formed and were shed off the ring to drift down to the gravel below. Sonic reached out, when they got closer, letting one of the sparks fall into his palm. It absorbed harmlessly into his hand, leaving a tingling feeling behind, and the hedgehog peer at his blue hand. Flexing his fingers to test if the motion changed.

"This just amazing isn't?"

Sonic looked up at Jessy's voice, the spell of wonder he had been under braking, but not for the boy still sitting on the motorcycle. The dark blue hedgehog shook his head, the long quills rattling against each other as he did so.

"It is." Sonic said resting a hand on top of Tails' head. The kit had his arms wrapped around the left side of the older Anthro as he still stared at the Warp Ring with rounded eyes widen enough for a saucer plate it seemed.

It was so tempting to reach out and touch the golden ring... Sonic moved his hand back to holding the handle bar as Jessy got on, as to touch a Warp Ring meant you were going somewhere else. If you're ready for it or not.

The travel aid, one of several, that was a human this time touched the ring, her form wavering and vanished with an eep from Tails.

"What happened?" Tails asked, and though there was a Warp Ring leading to his home Zone, the kit had never seen it but from a distance, nor seen how it worked.

"It's okay Tails," Jessy turned as the boy latched onto her jacket from behind. "This is how it works, she has to go to the other side to make sure its clear because we're taking the motorcycle with us. When she's back, we can go." She looked up as Sonic moved around to the back and his seat, hopping up on the back as they all needed to be on it.

The travel aid came back, smiling as she brushed her hand and motioned Jessy to come over, "Alright come on. Remember to keep your engine off." The burnet reminded, smiling as the nomad gave a salute and then the woman waved at Tails. The fox gave a small smile and wave back, his shy flattened ears pricking back up.

Sonic grinned, winked in a flirt to the travel aid as he wrapped one arm around Tails, the other hand gripping Jessy's jacket as he extended a leg to help push the motorcycle. Jessy stired it in close, just enough to be in arm's reach. Her left arm reached out and after a moment's hesitating, laid her hand on the there but not ring.

Energy pulsed around and through the three, even vibrating in the metal. Hair and fur rose with a tingling sensation, and then things blurred, and then changed. No more in the heat laden air of the desert, even under the shade casting tarps, but machined cooled air. Sonic and Tails both snorted and started sniffing before seeing the glittering twilight world about them.

Yet it was Sonic who's jaw dropped at the sight beyond the cleared area where the warp ring hovered. Somehow managing to stay up on his seat as Jessy pushed the motorcycle where directed to get into the road way areas of the Metropolis Zone, reassuring the travel aids that she had been here before.

This world, this Zone had an almost living breathing feel to it, awake and alive like New York… or more like Las Vegas, only on steroids. With a flow of not just humans but just as many anthros, of all types it seem, fur to feathers. Lights pulsed rhythms and traced paths through the many levels, spelling out letters and images to coax costumers and guests into their businesses, casinos, grocery stores, even cafes. Just barely seen above, towards the highest levels were just visible edges of vast solar panels and supported power cores. Once one learned how to look, they would be able to pick out smaller panels littering the building to catch the lights from the signs.

Queen's note: ...okay, so I know this is short but I've been sitting on this chapter since my dad died. Its… been really hard, I haven't forgotten any of my stories, even the old ones but life seemed to literally turn upside down for me. I'm not 'better,' maybe 'okay' but depression makes it hard to write, more so on a story I love still, and I don't want to change it even more in a bad way.

Soo… yeah, sorry it took so long to update but, you know survival has to delta with (sucks being technically homeless).