So I noticed that the Rayllum month/Birthday Bash/thing 2020 for today is "AU" and I remembered I had this fun AU I'd considered doing more with in the past. So here's a tiny extra chapter that's all original content, no Unforgotten Realms parody this time! Technically there isn't any real Rayllum content but it I wanted to revisit this AU and this was a good excuse.

After two hours slogging through the snowy mountains of Katolis and Soren's complaints that there wasn't enough 'action,' followed by Callum's addressing this criticism with a huge battle against a leech that Soren didn't get to take part in, the kids called it a night on their campaign. They sat around the dining room table, eating some leftover pizza and just hanging out until it was time for Rayla, Soren, and Claudia to go home. A meandering discussions none of them could remember the start of had somehow led to them using their leftover twenty-sided dice for another game. One much simpler, but with enormously higher stakes. Enormously high to three teenagers and a ten year old, at least.

"Okay," Claudia said, "whoever rolls the lowest number has to reveal their deepest..." she paused menacingly, "darkest..." another pause for effect, "secret!" She cackled and accidentally tossed her d20 in the air. When it clacked against the table Claudia broke from her reverie and hastily added "That wasn't my roll. That didn't count!"

Callum frowned. "I think you're taking this dark mage thing a little too seriously."

"Scared that you'll lose?" Claudia taunted.

"No!"

"I'm not scared, 'cause I'm goin' to win," Rayla boasted. "I don't know if ya've noticed, but I seem to have a natural skill for rolling these thingies." Despite being completely new to the art of tabletop RPGs, Rayla had nearly supernatural good luck with dice rolls.

"I'm not afraid either," Ezran said, "since I don't have any dark secrets."

"Big talk from all of you," Soren leaned forward, "but now its time to put your money where your mouths are. Except that your money is dice and-and I lost the metaphor."

Everyone rolled. The five inspected their dice with baited breath.

"Oh thank goodness!" Callum sighed and slumped back in his chair. He'd rolled a perfect twenty.

"What happened to not being scared?" Claudia asked. She'd rolled a fifteen. Lower, but still high enough to suggest she'd be fine herself.

"Darn it!" Soren thumped his fists on the table. "Six."

Claudia leaned over and checked Soren's die. "That's a nine."

Soren smiled. "Hmm. Less darn it."

"I've got a twelve," Ezran cheered. "So its down to Soren and Rayla."

At that moment, the others realized that Rayla had been uncharacteristically quiet since rolling. Everyone looked over to her. Rayla stared down at her d20, mouth agape. She had rolled a one.

"Tha's not possible," Rayla muttered.

"Oh snap!" Soren accompanied his verbal snap with a actual one.

Rayla slowly raised her head. She gulped, then took in a deep breath.

Callum put his hand on Rayla's shoulder. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's just a stupid game."

"No, I made this bed. Now I've gotta lay in it." Rayla spun her index finger through a strand of her white hair. "My darkest secret. My deepest, darkest secret. Is..."

Her pause was longer than any of Claudia's. Anticipation filled the room like a deadly gas. No one could imagine what would come next.

"Tha' this isn't my natural hair color."

Ezran gasped. "No way!"

The other three groaned.

"I know," Callum mock-agreed. "Who would have guessed that Rayla's white hair is dyed?"

Rayla flashed a cocky smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So what is your natural hair color?" Soren asked.

"A secret. And since its not my deepest, darkest one, it'll have to remain tha' way."

"Is it red?"

"Not everyone from Scotland's a ginger. Tha's just a dumb stereotype."

The others narrowed their eyes. "It's also not a 'no,'" Callum smirked.

"Okay fine," Rayla threw up her hands, "I'm a ginger."

Ezran grinned. "That reminds me. One time, Callum told me he thought redheads were really pretty!"

"Ez!"