Dungeons and Dragons: Out of Nothing At All

by

DrummondType2

Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons and Dragons, and I am making no profit on this work.

1.

"We haven't fought Orcs in awhile," Diana noted, vaulting over a handful of said creatures to topple their leader into the fast moving waters of the river.
"Not long enough for me," Eric strained, five Orcs pushing against his shield, attempting to dunk the Cavalier, "Bobby, stop worrying about your pet and give me a hand."
"Shut it, Eric," Bobby shot back, swinging his club wildly at any Orc that dared to come near him and Uni.
"Where's Hank?" Sheila's voice came out of thin air, as she'd ducked under her cloak to provide stealth support.
"Hank? He's...uh...indisposed," Eric stepped to the side, suddenly, causing all of the Orcs that had been pushing against him to pitch forward into the water.
"Wow, I hope the Orcs didn't find him," Presto piped up, "That would not be big on dignity."
Presto was pulling and discarding random objects out of his hat as he rushed to join Eric and Diana, "Why can't I ever find anything good in here?"
Sheila had returned to visibility, and was standing beside Bobby, keeping a close watch on her brother.
"Presto, see if you can get a signal flare," Sheila suggested, "Maybe we can get Hank's attention!"
"Worth a try," Presto stood in a small triangle with the others, "Magic hat, I'm gonna be frank, give me a way to call up Hank!"
He reached into the hat and pulled out the end of a telephone.
"I don't think that's gonna be much help, Presto," Diana groaned.
Presto angrily threw the phone back into the hat, "Oh for the love of...SHEILA!"
Presto had seen an Orc about to drop from a tree onto the redhead. She sidestepped at Presto's warning, causing the Orc to fall chin first to the ground,
However, there was now a sudden glow of pinking red light emanating from Presto's hat. He, Eric, and Diana peered into it, quizzically. That would prove to be a mistake, as a stream of light burst out of the hat, striking first the three young friends, then shooting straight into the air, and then falling back down to the ground in the form of pinkish red glittering speckles that covered the area, and everyone in it.
"A-are you guys alright?" Sheila asked tentatively, looking at her friends, who all seemed a bit dazed.
"Just fine and dandy, sweetie," Diana cooed, "Howsabout you?"
"Couldn't be better, dearest Sheila," Presto added.
"Are you two nuts? We just got hit with a beam from your hat! Next thing you know, we'll all be sprouting flowers or turn into bog beasts or shrink to the size of fairy dragons!"
"Well, Eric seems normal," Bobby opined, "For Eric, that is."
"G-Guys..."Sheila was backing away slowly, "Why are these Orcs all...just staring at me?"
At that moment, Hank came running onto the scene, "I heard the commotion and came quick as I could. Are you all...Um...Why are all the Orcs staring at Sheila like eager puppies?"
"I think it may have something to do with Presto's hat," Eric said, "But I'm not sure what."
"Indeed it does," Dungeon Master stepped out from behind a tree, "I believe this is a textbook case of why one shouldn't give in to distractions while reciting incantations."
"Incantation?! Oh...Oh, no," Eric had a worried smile on his face, "I get it."
"Will someone please explain it to me?" Hank suggested.
"And me," Sheila said, warily eying the Orcs, who were now engaged in the act of picking wildflowers, stealing glances at her, and...
"Are those Orcs blushing?" Bobby blinked.
"Yep," Eric sighed, "Think about it. Presto, here, he's never had the best of luck with his hat, which will either provide a ridiculous pun based on what Presto said, or it will take his words overly literally. Well, what was the last think he said?"
Sheila suddenly understood, "Oh, no. He was cursing out the hat, and he said 'Oh, for the love of...' and then...he called out my name to warn me about the Orc."
"Exactly," Eric and Dungeon Master said at the same time.
"So his exact words," Hank concluded, shaking his head, "were, 'For the love of Sheila.'"
"The hat responded with power equal to the Magician's furor," Dungeon Master explained, "And everyone in the area was hit with the spell."
"So, then...why aren't Bobby and Eric affected?" Hank puzzled, "And how come Diana is?"
He said this as he noted Diana cozying up next to Sheila, uncharacteristically doe-eyed.
"In the case of the Barbarian, he is her brother," Dungeon Master said, "The spell couldn't create love where it already existed, nor could it replace one type of love for another. The Barbarian's love for his sister is Familial Love. It is already quite strong, and therefore, he was unaffected by the spell."
"Thank God for that," Sheila muttered.
"As for the Cavalier, I could be mistaken, but I believe that the magic shield may have protected him from the spell's effects. "
"And Diana, Presto, and the Orcs?" Sheila was afraid of what she was about to hear, but decided that if she was in for a penny, she was in for a pound.
"The magic of the hat created Eros, or Romantic Love in them."
"Even in Diana?" Sheila looked wide eyed at the Acrobat, "But, she...well...she likes boys! Like Kosar!"
"In her case, the spell will probably fade over a short while," Dungeon Master shrugged, "Magic like this, it cannot change the nature of who you truly are. Unless, that is, she always harbored hidden feelings. These things are not unheard of.
"Still, I don't believe that to be true. The spell has muddled her mind. She should be herself again in about a week."
"And Presto?" Hank looked concerned.
"A far more serious case, I'm afraid," Dungeon Master sighed, "He is the spell's caster, so I cannot break the spell. And love isn't a curse of dark magic, and I fear it might take a curse of equal and opposite intensity to negate it, at which point, his love for you, child, would transform into an equally powerful hatred. Not an ideal solution, for anyone involved."
"There has to be something you can do, Dungeon Master," Sheila pleaded, "It's not fair to Presto. He's a nice guy, and I like him. But I was with Hank long before I met Presto, and I can't let him go on like that. But..I don't want to make him hate me, either."
Dungeon Master stroked his chin in thought, "There is one possibility. The Cancellation Stone. There's only one left in all the Realm, and it can negate any spell. All you'd need do is touch it to Presto's head, and he'd be back to normal.
"However, the stones of Cancellation only work once, and if you touch it with ANY other magic, it will be used up. You'll find what you seek three days travel to the east. And I warn you now, Love is a blessing, but one that can cause much hardship and pain. And the ones we love are the ones who have the most power to hurt us...or be hurt by us."
Dungeon Master walked behind a tree, then poked his head out, "Oh, as for the Orcs, Venger's underlying magic will revert them to normal in a day or so. Until then...cope as best you can."
Eric didn't even bother looking after Dungeon Master went behind the tree again.
"Well, guess we start heading east," Eric sighed, "Come on, Presto, let's get you fixed up."
"Have I ever told you how cute you being all shy and timid is?" Diana looped her arm around Sheila's.
"Uh...no. No, you haven't. Uh, Diana, let's not do anything you'd be embarrassed about once you get back to normal."
Diana gave Sheila a quick peck on the tip of her nose, "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. So cute, There's nothing to be embarrassed about, girl. Love is just a natural part of life. Embrace it."
"help me?" Sheila squeaked to Hank.
"Sheila," Presto stepped up, stammering, "Wh-when we g-get back. wou-would y-you go to the d-dance with me?"
"East, guys," Hank ordered, "Double time."