“Well, open the letter and see what your mother wrote to you,” Naomi hissed.

“How do I know that this letter is really from my mother? It could be a trick.”

Naomi bit her lip, which surprised Trick that the action didn;t cut it open, owing to her orcish teeth. But she persisted.

“There’s no reason for the fae to try and trick us right now.”

Trick reminded her, “They might need someone new to take on their covenant, given everything that is right now going on out there.”

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to the distant carnage for further emphasis.

“Maybe,” Naomi said uneasily. “But still, let’s take a closer look. Remember, these are D&D avatars, and have the ability to use dice rolls to figure out the real nature of this letter.”

“But we loss the dice! We used them up,” Trick protested.

“Those were special dice,” Naomi pointed out. “Remember how when we did the bar fight the bartender gave a bit of running commentary on how everything was playing out. He even made mentioned to dice rolls. We then both had feelings of dice tumbling around in our heads as we fought and did other things. You even told me as such.”

Trick relented and agreed. “You’re right. I had forgotten about that. It’s been a stressful night!”

“All of our cases have been stressful,” Naomi deadpanned. “Well, get on with it! You;re the thief! You should be able to determine is this letter is authentic or not!”

Drawing upon Trickster’s past and skills, Trick examined the letter. He then opened it and studied the handwriting. It looked like his mother’s. He could faintly hear the clatter of dice in his head. If he had to constantly hear that, he would have gone insane!

The quiet rolling of the dice finally ended and Trick felt very certain that this letter was indeed from his mother. Not only id the handwriting match, but the wording felt like something she would write. He had sneaked peeks at her emails from time to time. She had a very official way of going about things. This letter matched what he knew of her.

“Wow, I wish I had this ability earlier in life for tests,” he said.

Naomi grumbled, “It only works as a skill if you put time and effort into it.”

He shrugged and said, “In any event, this is a letter from my mom. The dice confirm it, and I can see that this is pretty much her writing. The only thing I find weird is that it came to us like it did. Whoosh! Fire and all that!”

“If we read it, maybe we’ll get an answer,” Naomi suggested impatiently.

The put their heads together and began reading the long letter.

Trick, it’s your mother.

And if you need any confirmation that this is really me and not these elves or whatever they are trying to pull a fast one on you, just remember this: We didn’t call you Patrick because you were born on St. Patrick’s Day, but because the doctor and nurse who were Pat and Rick. Pat was the doctor and the nurse was Rick. And your middle name is the result of a crazy night of Scrabble.

“What is your middle name anyway,” Naomi asked.

“That’s not relevant,” Trick said, embarrassed. “But yes, this is a family secret!”

“Okay, I’ll just hack into the birth records later.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Naomi rolled her eyes and said, “Come on! We have a job to do and a letter to read! If you the dice say that this is legit and the clue tells you the same, then we don’t have to question it!’

“You were the one who interrupted us!”

And no doubt by now you and Naomi are arguing. Stop it! We have work to do!

I guess I should explain myself just in case. I have spoken with one of the leaders of the creatures that are besieging the prom at this very moment, They have made a covenant, a promise, to help a group of students take over the school and set things they way they would have it. I’m not sure yet who made this deal with these damned elves, but there will be hell to pay once you set everything right.

And yes, I mean you two! You are the only ones with the power and in the position necessary to take over the covenant and subvert this plan. The entire prom and the surrounding area have been pulled into a kind of Grey Bubble, similar to what Naomi and yourself experienced in Miami. And what that means is that you are touching a universe where imagination is the driving force to all powers. Including this covenant. If you can come up with a deal to take command of the covenant, then you can succeed.

I was able to send this letter, because the head elf and myself came to an agreement. He would let me send a letter to the two of you on the condition that you would challenge the covenant and its current holders to one trial. Or so they put it. This trial will have incredible stakes attached to it, even if it may not seem so at the moment. It will include that should the elves win, they will have free reign to go wherever they wish and use whatever kinds of power they want. They will be unrestricted in their access to our world and pulling ours into theirs.

However, if you win, you get whatever terms you have set. They will have to be made before the trial begins. You must make them agree that they will return back to their world the moment you win. And to make them agree to the trial, you will want to make it as close to the current covenant as possible. Hopefully you know what that is by now, because the big guy I have been with has been absolutely silent on the matter!

Damn him…

But here is the most important thing, once you have challenged them and they accept it, they will select a champion to go against you. The only way to beat them is to let your imagination out. Because of where you are, you can access your thoughts and turn them into reality. Be warned though! It will make you super tired! So be careful!

Well, that is the best I can give you. By sending this letter, you have to commit to the trial, or the elves will be allowed to leave the prom immediately and do as they will. That was the agreement I had to make to send this letter. No pressure!

And Patrick, I love you. And I believe in you! You are incredible, smart, and courageous. And I am proud to be your mother. I always have been, even when you made life difficult. And Naomi, you worth him twice over. And I love you like my own daughter.

Best of luck!

Mom

“Your mother is so sweet,” Naomi commented.

“That is what you have to say after reading all of that? I can barely think! This is so much to take in,” Trick said exasperated.

“I thought it was very straightforward,” Naomi replied.

“It was,” Trick agreed. “But to have the fate of the world so readily on our shoulders? This is too much!”

Naomi patted him on the back. “Then we’ll just have to bear it. I’m not sure why we are blessed with such bad luck to get tangled up in these magical affairs. But just know this, I blame you.”

“Of course you do,” Trick said with a smirk. He then studied the letter again. “Naomi, a lot of very bad things have happened her tonight, but I think i have a way to fix all of that.”

She gave him a studious look and replied with a grin of her own, “For once, Trick, I think you and I are on the same page.”

“For once? I thought it happens at least once an adventure!”

With that they quickly laid out their plans. They figured that since the trials so far had been about dancing that dancing was the way they were going to get out of this whole mess. They figured out out what the agreement should be for the trial and the nature of the trial itself. Trick’s mother had given them a very good hint.

It was the key to their retaliation.

They finally came out of the darkness of grove. Bodies were strewn across the grass where there had once been a dance floor. Most were not moving, some still were. The students were again huddled in groups according to their cliques. Though they were all much smaller than they had been before.

In front of them was a line up bedraggled jocks. Becky stood at their head, fae flying around her head like a spinning, multicolored crown. She gave Trick and Naomi an imperious look.

“You survived going into there. I wonder if it because of your new skins or something else. Three tried to follow you and they were eaten by the darkness. Literally eaten! Right in front of my eyes!”

“Sorry,” Trick offered.

“Whatever,” Becky huffed. “They have told me that it is time to wrap this up. They wanted to make sure that every group was ready to participate in the final dance. I guess they see the two of you are another clique, or something like that. Let’s get this over with.”

“I agree, Becky,” Naomi said dangerously. “But first we have a word to say with the fae, if you would be so kind.”

That gave becky pause and she glared back at the paladin.

“We have a counter offer to the covenant the jocks have made with you,” Naomi declared to the fae. “An offer that could satisfy all of your desires.”

No less than twenty fae zoomed up to her and floated around her. Becky began to protest, but a yellow fae with a ballgown put her tiny hands to her lips and stopped her from speaking.

“What do you have to offer? We know about the letter,” the fae sang together.

“We propose a more powerful agreement,” Naomi explained. “We will have one last dance. A free style dance between you and myself with Trick. Should you win you will have unfettered access to our world, whatever you want.”

The fae began to sing and cheer at this, but naomi cut them off with a bark. “But if we win, you will return to your own world immediately. And you will use your powers to reverse everything that has happened to the kids here. Those you have captured and killed will be returned. All those who have been injured by others will be released. And you will remove the memories of everything that has been done with your power. The school and its students will return to the way they were before.”

Becky looked thunderstruck, but she remained silent. There were hopeful looks around the room. Some of the jocks also looked relieved at the terms.

“A free style dance,” the fae sang together. Trick was unnerved by the happy and excited looks on the diminutive faces. “We would be delighted. Of course we will choose our own champions to dance. And the current handlers of our covenant must also be allowed to compete. And as per the rules of ceremonial combat, we will choose the weapon, or in this case, the music.”

Becky finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and blurted out, “But what about our deal? We hold your covenant! You can’t break it!”

“Silly, sweet, stupid child of man,” all of the fae sang together, a terrifying chorus. “Your clique will still be allowed to compete. We are not breaking the agreement. Should your society win out, you will have what you desire. But your covenant only granted us limited freedom. They offer us something more. Of course we would entratin it. We have broken nothing, only compounded!”

The fae rose up and flew about, creating a dazzling hurricane. Their song became louder and harsher. But it still remained beautiful in an other worldly way.

“As for Trick and Naomi, dismiss those forms. You will dance as you are, not as the Collector and Corruptor has touched you. Cast off his influence so that there will be no foul play!”

Trick leaned and said, “I guess World Eater was telling the truth. He is known by other worlds.”

“And now I feel less comfortable with this form,” Naomi grumbled. “But it is so cool!”

“How do we take these off?”

“Imagine taking the form off,” Naomi guessed.

It was easier than Trick would have thought. He mimed taking off a mask and concentrated on losing Trickster’s form. The character sheet formed in his hand and the appearance and clothing of the thief disappeared. The same happened with naomi, though she did not pantomiming. Her character sheet simply appeared in her hands as she shrunk back to her normal self.

Trick and Naomi shared a quick look and a nod. The hurricane of fae swooped down on becky. She disappeared in a storm of colors. There was not even a cry out for help or anything. Tye fae scattered and Becky was then floating in the air, beaming white. Her eyes were open and glowing like molten gold And when she spoke, she spoke with the chorus of many voices.

“I hope you won’t mind if we proceed immediately?”

“Nope,” Trick said, cursing himself for the squeak that entered his voice.

“Most wonderful,” the new Becky said, and gestured at a young man in the line up of jocks.

Her friends dove out of the way as the fae once again pounced. They cascaded on the young man, and identically to Becky he was engulfed by fae, hovered in the air, and glowed. He greeted Naomi and Trick in a similarly creepy voice.

“Well met, children of men. The time for the final trial is now.”

Finally, some student in the distance managed to speak up and asked, “And what about the rest of us?”

New Becky answered, “Each society can offer up their best dancers for the last trial A free style dance that will determine everyone’s fate, including our own. We have made the covenant. We have made an agreement. And we will honor our word.”

As she spoke, more black barked trees grew out of the ground and now the walls. Their strange fruit shone more brightly than before casting everyone into eerie, deep, Halloween colors. Most of the surviving prom goers cowered against the naked walls, or they hugged one another close. A fe jocks lost their nerve and bolted, but the others drew closer, ready for the final dance.

Trick focused on the new Becky and the boy as they floated to each other and embraced. The fae began playing their music once again, but this time it felt full of power. It quickly became a full orchestra of strings, horns, winds, and percussion.

“I feel like I have heard this before,” Naomi said.

“I can’t say this sounds familiar,” Trick said. “But it looks like the beginning of the final trial. Shall we?”

Drums reached a fevered tempo and then quieted. A piano played somewhere and an other-wordly voice began to sing. It sounded like goddess singing along with the piano. And the words she sang were painful and sad, but amazing beautiful and full of love.

It might have been freestyle, but Trick and Naomi moved as one. They locked hands and began flying on the air, moving with the words. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Becky and the boy soar past them. No else looked ready to dance.

This was beyond any of them.

The two tangoes in the air, images of a beautiful, starry night were conjured all about them as they danced. And then a male voice, powerful, haunting, and tormented sang in response to the goddess’ words. Trick didn’t know why, but it made him want to cry.

“It’s a song about doomed love,” Naomi said. “We need to match their passion!”

“But how,” Trick asked. “That feels beyond me!”

“I can see it in your face, you can feel the emotions of the dance. Just give into the music. Let us follow wherever it leads.”

And with that, Trick imagined himself becoming one with the notes of the song. He closed his eyes and gave himself over the flowing music and the words of the song. Almost immediately, he lost himself, but he saw with new eyes.

He saw himself. And he saw Naomi.

They continued to dance amidst a starry night, surrounded by dark thunderheads lit with the constant lightning. Colors flew from the bodies like pouring sweat as they danced with intense rigor. Their bodies contorted in amazing, beautiful, unnatural ways. Ways in which the human body should not have been able to produce, but they had become more like rushing wind and and raging water.

Trick threw Naomi into the air, and she spun, throwing color into the stars. She came gracefully back into his arms and the spun like a whirlwind. The stars shimmered with them. It was something out of a dream.

The words continued their sad duet, telling the story of lovers desperately reaching for one another across war, time, and space, but unable to reach. Time made their longing stronger, space made their love cold, and war dulled the heart. The entire story played itself out across the constellations, the clouds shifting to reveal the story of a long lost warrior and his woman.

Tears streamed from their eyes as they continued flying and dancing to the music.

When the duet ended, the music picked up pace and intensity. They continued to follow it, coming together for amazing twists, pirouettes, spins, throws, and dashes across the sky. And Trick watched this all with his eyes, apart from the action but feeling it all the same.

This makes no sense, he muttered to himself. But if it were possible to actually dance this way for real, then I wish that everyone could experience it! Then maybe school dances wouldn't be as lame as most people make them out to be.

He then noticed two other figures dancing in the distance. He squinted and wondered who they could be. Possible the possessed Becky and her partner. But no, that couldn;t be them, could it?

It was a knight in gleaming, white armor, and a black cloak around his shoulders. He danced with a woman with hair of different colors. White, red, purple, and more. Their dance was playful. They would come together, spin, and cut a strong line across the night sky. But then they would break apart and one would chase the other. He could nearly hear their laughter.

Is that them? The couple this song is about, he thought. Is this who they once were? Or is this somebody else?

The music now hit its crescendo. Trick was pulled right back into his body. Naomi and he flew up together above the storms. They clashed underneath them, spraying lightning in all directions at their feet. They now spun slowly, surrounded by the tiny prick of distant stars.

And then Naomi grabbed his face and kissed him.

They came to on the grass in the danceroom. Despite himself, Trick found himself melting into Naomi’s embrace and kiss. She was slightly taller than him which must have made for a funny picture, he was sure. Abruptly, she pulled away.

Trick sputtered, “What was that for!?”

“We needed a grand finish,” Naomi said simply. “The song was one of passion. It was something that occured to me might tilt the dance in our favor. Do something that was completely out of character for either of us. Give into that passion.”

“Oh… Well, that makes good sense.”

“Of course it does,” Naomi snapped. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it!”

“I hope I’m not your first kiss,” Trick said tentatively.

That earned him a slug to the shoulder as naomi replied with a smile, “Of course it wasn’t. Don’t flatter yourself, Patrick.”

Becky and the boy landed next to them with a loud thump. Trick jumped, surprised and slightly spooked. The two spoke together in their strange, choir-like voices.

“It is always the same where we come from. Humans can access something that we don’t quite have. Our kin elsewhere in the Realms have it, but we do not. A curious deficiency. Naomi, you were right. That kiss at the end, the reckless abandon. That was the at the heart of the music. You felt its story, and you gave it a happy ending.

“Our covenant and agreement are fulfilled.”

From out of the shadows under the trees, a storm came out and engulfed them all. Trick lost sight of naomi and everyone else. The cold air and pellets of water stung his skin. He was forced to close his eyes. But his ears heard the voices speak clearly once more.

“Naomi and Patrick, you will retain your memories of these events. The same as with your fellow warriors. Those who belong to the society of the Q Files. Very odd. But you will be the ones to do what we could not. You must find the one who sees the realms, but knows not what he does. He leaves clues. How can he not? You will find them among the words that are familiar to you, but obviously a lie. The very name of your society…”

“Wait, what do you mean,” Trick began to ask to the howling wind.

Through his shut eyes, he could perceive a bright light. The storm stopped.

He dared opened his eyes, and he saw a personage. It was dressed in blinding white armor. It had a commanding atmosphere and powerful presence about it. Trick thought he would burn up seeing it. The fae flew around it, and in a flash everything went dark. And the personage and the fae vanished.