Shock! The Great Summer Solstice Screw-up!
By Elena Qualen
Night had fallen in Sforzendo as it usually did, and the occupants of the castle were tucked
in their beds, asleep. Most of them, anyway. The only exception was Queen Horn. She had
locked herself in her study, mixing potions, preparing spells, and everything else that
a sorceress did before she performed a ritual. It was the eve of the summer solstice, a
night of the summer solstice, a night in which the air was filled with magic. That particular
night, Queen Horn planned to use some of that magic to reconstruct the barrier that she had
previously built around Hameln. And this time, it would stay up.
Once the magic circle was cast and consecrated, she picked up her scroll and began the necessary
incantation.
*****
Meanwhile, in the Northern City, Bass was very aware that it was the summer solstice, and of
what Queen Horn intended to do. To counter her barrier spell, he had created a barrier of his
own to encircle Hameln with. However, this barrier would not seal the mazoku within it. No,
it would merely shield Hameln and it's occupants from any human magic attacks, including Queen
Horn's barrier. It would bounce off of Bass's barrier, and return to the one who had cast it.
Bass gave one of his patented evil villain laughs as he pictured a very fried Queen Horn.
*****
What happened after that is hard to say. Even as the story teller, I cannot fully explain what
happened. I can tell you for sure that one of the lightening bolts from the storm that is forever
hanging around the Northern Capital struck one of the castle's spires at the same instant that
Bass was releasing the energy from his spell to counter Queen Horn's. And I could tell you that
both Queen Horn and Bass suddenly cried out in pain, as their senses were flooded by the amazing
energy of each other's spells. And then... there was darkness.
*****
Bass groaned and sat up. His head ached with pain that could only have been spawned in hell
itself, and his body was stiff due to the electric shock that he had just suffered. Worse yet,
his dress was covered with soot!
Dress??? Bass could not remember much of the last few hours, but he knew that he had been wearing
his regular uniform when he had tried to cast that barrier spell. With a groan, Bass placed his
head in his hands, failing to notice that not only were his hands empty, but his head was still
attached to his body.
When at last the realization did dawn upon him, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his
throat. What in the name of the nine hells happened to him while he was unconscious?!
With another groan, Bass got to his feet. He noticed that he was no longer in his study, but in a
different place. Then, he caught sight of a mirror, and his mouth dropped open in shock.
*****
Queen Horn awoke about the same time Bass did. However, her headache seemed to be magnified twice
the size as usual. She shook her head slowly, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The cold was what made her realize that something was amiss. She shivered, wondering if the fire
that she had built in the fireplace before she had started the ritual had gone out. She looked up
at the place in which her fireplace was supposed to be, only she found it missing. In fact, she
was not even in her study.
"Where am I?" she wondered out loud, and froze. That was not her voice that she had just spoken
in! Last time she checked, her voice was not two toned!
A sick feeling began to collect in the pit of her stomach as she realized that something was
amiss. Biting her lower lip, she got to her feet (unconsciously picking up the staff with the
blue orb atop it that was lying beside her) and began looking for a mirror or any type of
reflective surface.
When she at last found one, her fears were confirmed. It was not her reflection that stared back
at her, but the wide eyes face of her son, Lute (Not to mention the overtly ugly face of Bass).
"Oh dear," Queen Horn groaned and sank to her knees.
"Bass sama, are you feeling well?" Guita demanded, bursting into Bass's study. "I thought I heard
you shout."
"Of course Guita would be able to hear so well, since he was listening at the keyhole," Lady
Saiza added as she stepped into the room. Drum was not far behind.
Queen Horn froze, unsure of what to say or do. "I am well," she said quickly. "Leave me."
"Bass sama, you do not look well, and you are not acting like yourself," Guita said with a blood
thirsty grin. The other two generals winced. For that, Bass sama would probably send the Bloody
Death Eater at him!
Believe me, Queen Horn would have, had she known how to cast Bloody Death Eater. However, she did
not have even the foggiest idea.
"I think perhaps you should be confined to the dungeon for the time being, at least until you
regain full control of your senses," Guita said sweetly.
He thinks Lute is in control, Queen Horn realized, her eyes snapping open.
But in reality, the thought had not even occurred to Guita. It was obvious to him that Bass was
in a weakened state, and Guita had every intention of taking advantage of that! Biting her lower
lip, she got to her feet and turned to glare at Guita. However, it was too late. Guita had
already summoned the necessary guards to "escort Bass sama to the dungeon".
*****
Bass had wasted not time in beginning his trek back to the Northern Capital. He did not
understand what had happened. However, common reasoning told him that if he was in Queen Horn's
body, then Queen Horn must be in his.
He had wasted enough time searching through Queen Horn's spell books to find a proper levitation
spell (and stealing a few of the Sforzendo battle plans. After all, he was not about to let such
a perfect opportunity pass by completely untouched!), and was now floating as quickly as he could
toward the Northern Capital.
At last, he landed neatly in front of the gates of Hameln, only to lose his balance as Queen
Horn's high heeled shoes sank into the moist ground. How did women walk in these shoes? They were
more like torture devices!
He uttered a low growl, the fact that he had fallen only adding to his annoyance. That, and the
fact that several of the guards, his guards had rushed out of the gates and proceeded to tie his
hands behind his back. He bit his lower lip, almost drawing blood at the indignity of all this.
But, the soldiers would most probably take him to Queen Horn, if she was in his body.
Yet this was not the case. He was instead was brought to kneel before Guita, who was standing in
the throne room looking a little too smug with himself.
"Well, well, Queen Horn! What brings you to the gates of out humble abode so late at night?"
Guita asked with mock sweetness.
Trying to sound as much like Queen Horn as he could, Bass replied "I expected to speack with
Bass, inu."
His insult was met with Guita's laughter. "My dear, Bass is not feeling well, and will be
recuperating in the dungeon. I, of course, will assume his duties as... what is it that Saiza
calls him? Kestra's number one."
"I see," Bass said tightly.
"Yes, that old fool has finally lost control to the insolent prince... your son, I believe,"
Guita said.
Old fool?! Bass seethed inwardly. If only he could summon the Bloody Death Eater! "Old fool, is
it?"
"That is what I said! The old man was becoming too decrepit to lead the Hameln Army! I think it
is time for somone with considerable more amount of talent to seize control," Guita added,
unaware that he was only digging his grave a little deeper.
"If that was one of the requirements, then why were you chosen?" Bass asked. His vision was
clouded over almost completely with red.
"For obvious reasons. Now, what should we do with you, my dear? It is a bit late to begin
torture, so I think we should stick you in the same cell as your son," Guita said smugly.
Before Bass could say anything, the guards dragged him off, unceremoniously escorting him to the
dungeon. However, Bass went willingly, eager to find a way to get out of this accursed form and
properly repay Guita for his hospitality.
*****
Queen Horn sighed with abject boredom as she absently tossed the head into the air and caught it.
She tried as hard as she could, but she still could not cast any of her spells. Much as she hated
to admit it, she was helpless.
The sound of footsteps approached as what sounded like a group of people waled down the main
hallway of the dungeon. Queen Horn glanced up as she was tossed unceremoniously into the cell.
Then, she realized that if she was in Bass's form, then perhaps Bass was in her form.
"It took you long enough," she said as Bass pulled himself to his feet.
"I figured that it would not take you long to land yourself in the dungeon, and lo, here you
are," Bass snapped back.
"Do not think that I wanted to be in your body. Some sort of accident happened," Queen Horn said
as she tossed the head into the air yet again.
"Trust me, it was not an enjoyable experince residing in your form either," Bass replied.
"I would not care if you were stuck in the form of a three headed dragon," Queen Horn snapped.
"There really is not very much contrast," Bass said dryly. "However much I am enjoying this
childish exchange of insults, I would much prefer to be back in my own body."
"Lute's body, you mean," Queen Horn said with a glare.
"Whatever," Bass said with a shrug. "at any rate, I suggest a truce. At least until we are each
back in our own forms.
Grudgingly, Queen Horn agreed and they began trying to figure out just what happened. After a
while (And a few more insults exchanged), they managed to figure out that after Queen Horn's
magic had struck the barrier, something interfered with Bass's magic, at the same time
interfering with Queen Horn's. That provided a temorary link between them, long enough to switch
personalities.
"Amazing how something so simple could cause such a big mess," Queen Horn said with a sigh. "So
basically what we need to do is literally zap each other again?"
"That will either kill the both of us or get us back to normal," Bass agreed.
Eager to return to their own bodies, they chose a lightening spell that they both could use.
Taking a few steps back, they chanted the spell in unison, before releasing the energy with all
of their strength. The was a loud ZAP, a SIZZLE, and then nothing but darkness.
*****
Queen Horn groaned and sat up for the second time that evening. She was happy, very happy indeed
to find herself back in her own body (minus the battle plans that Bass had stolen. he had
thoughtfully removed them from her pockets, so that she would be unburdened by them.
The next thing she was aware of was the sound of the cell door slamming. Turning to look, she saw
Bass smirking at her from the other side of the door.
"I guess the truce is off," Queen Horn said as she slowly got to her feet. An evil villain laugh
was her only response.
"I was hoping you would say that! Er... something like that, at least," Queen Horn said, and cast
a spell that filled the air with fog. Not wasting any time, she lashed out at the cell door with
one of her judo kicks, nearly removing it from its hinges. Then, without pausing for breath, she
cast another lightening spell to take at the wall, and a levitation spell to cause her to float
safely home.
All this had happened in the course of about five seconds. Bass merely stood and watched her
float away. He had no desire to follow after her, since he had bigger fish to fry... literally!
As if summoned by his thoughts, Guita raced down into the celler with several guards behing him.
"You there! Do not even try to escape!" Guita said.
"I would not even dream of it," Bass said sweetly, and summoned the Bloody Death Eater.
"Bass sama!" Guita gasped, obviously taken effect. "You have regained your senses!"
"Yes, inu, I have. Now then, let me show you why I am the commander of the Hameln army," Bass
said with a grin. This was going to be a fun evening indeed, not to mention those Sforzendo
battle plans would make for excellent reading later on!
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