so it looks like the activity level on fanfiction is going down, simply because of the fact that school has started back up, and everyone is busy.

I just have no life, and that's why I have so much free time. Yeah, you readers are probably celebrating the fact I have no life. What a sad day.

Anyways, I'm dead tired after a cross country practice, and my legs are so sore I can barely stand, let alone walk.

It's like this for the past 3 days. I hate Saturdays. I love Sundays. Okay, that last part was random.

Blood: Ms. Allora just went to go collapse on her bed. I will be talking instead of her.

Boris: Actually, we just have to tell the readers that updates will be more spaced out especially because school has started.

Dee: Oh, and she's going to the Salem Witch Trials in October!

Dum: Hey brother, what does that have to do with updates?

Blood: Dum is correct, it has nothing do to with anything.

Elliot: Anyway, we are going to stay here in the Fire Ring for a while. Though because of that, we aren't going to be in the next Ring for a very long time, maybe 4 or 5 chapters worth.

Disclaimer: I do not own J/C/HnKnA.

The Land of Spades Part 1:

Chapter 12

Overturning Emotions

Let me remind you Reader, that we have been in the Emperor's Palace for at least 3 chapters.

This is very long in book terms. For example, most authors put their childhood in a sentence, which only takes a minute to write, but in reality, was at least 8 years. Yes, we are going to be here for a while, especially me.

But Mia and Lucian need some spotlight, so let's go straight to the dungeon where Lucian and Mia were being held.

Third Person View

Lucian was sighing. A lot. Multiply by 300. Plus 7 more.

Mia had just retold what had happened to Allora through her telekinesis, and things were looking bad. With the gold weakening her, she probably couldn't even think up a plan to escape, part of which was her sense of duty, to never abandon her friends, and with that deal that she had made... It was hard to say what would happen. But a contest in three days... Those impossible contests.. It all connected now.

Even if we cleared them, Lucian thought, there's no saying what he'll really do.

"Hey Lucy," Mia said suddenly. "Knock me out on the day of the Contest. I think Sia will handle this situation better." Lucian looked at her, surprised. For the years that she had known Mia, the girl had never called out Sia voluntarily. Mia was slowly changing. I guess this adventure makes people change, whether they like it or not, Lucian thought. And I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

Lucian sighed. "Fine." Hold on Allora! She thought, looking up at the eternal moon of the Fire Ring. Just for 3 more days!

I looked out at the skyline of the beautiful Fire Ring from the bed that was conveniently placed in the bird cage. I saw the real beauty radiating from it. The family's laughing, the pure energy from the people, the dancers, the food, the lights, the everything.

As I sat observing, (The only thing I could do anyway) Ace came up from behind me and hugged me tightly. "H-hey! What are y-"

"Can we just stay like this for a while?" His voice had such a sad, bitter tone to it, that I stopped struggling. His voice sounded close to breaking.

When I finally found this first emotion, I realized why he didn't show his emotions much, and because of it, when he did, it was very strong and powerful. I felt a kiss of water run down my neck, and I craned my neck to see more.

A hand pushed my head back forward and said, "Don't look over here. Please."

For just this moment, he was not Ace Kishi, the Fire God. He was just Ace, a boy who needed a shoulder to cry on.

When the 10 minutes passed, he swirled me around and gave me a full blown kiss on the lips. He dived deeper and deeper into my mouth, and I felt like I was melting. I moaned against Ace's mouth involuntarily, and he smirked.

The hot, passionate kiss lasted for only 2 seconds, (or so it seemed) and he threw me on the bed and walked out, smile again intact.

It sorta hurt, how he just threw me away like that, but I was to blown away by the kiss to even notice.

Lucian and Mia:

Mia snorted suddenly, face turning bright red. "Mythia, did something happen?" Lucian asked, a little worried.

"My little Ally-chan has got herself a GUY! Who ever would have thought! "

"Soo.. That means that Ace kissed Allora?"

"Oh no. He did that before. This one was so lovey-dovey though! I can't believe it! Ace, the mindless idiot knight actually knows how to kiss!"

The ranting about this issue continued until late at night, when Lucian finally snapped and told Mythia to shut up.

Back to Allora...

As I stared at the door that Ace had just left in, I realized that It got lonelier when he left, and I felt myself longing for Ace, his face drifting into my head. Unknowingly enough, I was slowly looking forward to the next time he would visit.

To pass the time, I stared at the stars and the town, and made up escape plans in my head, which I crumpled up mentally and threw in a trash bin. Whenever I made the effort to build the escape plans however, The gold sensed my struggling, and I would always wipe out on the bed.

My face went red every time I thought of Ace and his kiss. It had been heated, and much rougher the 2nd time, and I felt like and idiot fangirling over a person who has me trapped.

The second day passed. And finally, the third. On the morning of the fourth day, Ace opened my cage and said,

"Come. The first test awaits."

In Lucian and Mia's Dungeon-

"Ready?" "I don't think I'll ever be."

"It's now or never."

"Okay. Do it." The sound of a fist sinking into flesh, and then hacking.

At last, there was silence. Sapphire blue eyes flashed in the dark.

"I have heard every thing from Mythia. Lucian, I promise to help thy friend Allora. We can not wait for long. After the contest, we set out at first light."

~The Land of Spades~