-||Truth Behind the Mask||-

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven opened her eyes, or so she thought, and looked around. She wasn't somewhere she recognized, everything seemed almost dream-like. She wanted to know where she was and was quick to jump to conclusions. "Am I dead?!" She asked worriedly and then her grandmother stepped into her view from out of no where. "No, this is the astral realm. I made you come here." She said and Haven glared at her.

Beth looked at Haven's limp body and noted she didn't look like she was breathing. "Why isn't she breathing?!" She asked then looked at her chest and noticed that it was moving up and down but very slowly. "What's going on?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Ray studied them for a moment and then realized what was going on. He looked at her face and then tried slapping her. "I think her grandmother took her to the astral realm," Ray said gravely. "I don't know much about it but I know I've only been there a few times. I can go there but it would be difficult.

Alex looked frantic now. He'd laid her down on the ground gently and propped her up with some blankets he'd raced around this floor to find. He was panicking and he couldn't calm himself down at all.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Beth looked to Ray and asked, "Do you think you could try?"

Haven rolled her eyes at her grandmother and said, "Great... So, you want to lie to me a lot more and try to get me to join up with you? It's not going to work." She crossed her arms stubbornly and her grandmother narrowed her eyes. "Being nice didn't work. You're coming back whether you want to or not. If I have to drag you there by force, yet again. I will. If I need to kill people to get to you I will but I know you and you don't want people getting hurt because of you, now do you?" She said harshly and Haven blinked a bit.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Ray nodded slightly and he sat down against a wall as he concentrated. It was difficult but after a while he could feel the familiar sense of being somewhere but not being somewhere. He recognized the place and he came it just about the same point that Agatha was talking about knowing Haven. He scowled slightly.

"I think you're going a bit out of line," he said in a deep voice, it was linked to his magic and his voice was a little different here, almost distorted. "You know the laws, someone is not to be forced to your side through magic and certainly you are not supposed to use these as a means of negotiation when the hadn't even been aware of this place." There was menace in his voice, he could call the people that formed the magic laws and she'd be dealt with swiftly. He'd been trained the laws since he was young, the agreement that the elder witches and wizards had made to keep earth a safer place.

Alex watched Ray and when he seemed to become like Haven he became even more frightened. He wasn't aware of anything that was going on and it made him uneasy. He felt like he was going to be sick, yet he knew he wasn't.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven looked around and saw Ray. She smiled then quickly ran over to him and then glared over at her grandmother who was blinking a bit. It was obvious she hadn't thought about the law at all. She let out a small huff of frustration then was gone.

Haven looked at Ray and then asked, "How do we leave here?" She was less frightened now that he was there.

Betha looked over at them both and then to Alex. "I wouldn't worry, I think Ray has it undercontrol. Haven's face looks calmer in a way." She said looking over at her daughter now.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Ray squeezed her hand gently and then they were gone from the astral realm, leaving Haven's grandmother to herself. Ray woke then with a sudden gasp as if trying to replenish the lowered amount of oxygen in his lungs. He looked bewildered for a moment but glanced at Haven.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

After he squeezed her hand, she awoke as well. She sat up quickly, her breath staggered terribly as she gasped for air as well. She blinked a bit and then rubbed her head gently.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex was next to her almost instantly, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. He was beginning to doubt something in him for a moment because he'd realized that he could easily lose her also. He did not want to have to lose someone he loved again. It was too painful and he looked away for a moment, glancing at Ray.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven looked over to Ray and then to Alex then back to Ray. "Thank you." She said breathlessly. She closed her eyes for a moment then sighed a bit as she finally gained control of her breath. "Damn b***h." Haven muttered and Beth's eyes widened a bit. "Haven, language." She said and Haven looked at her. "But it's true!" She said then shook her head a little.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

"No problem," Ray said as he laid down and concentrated on just relaxing. He wanted to sleep now, ignore what was going on here and be able to focus on what he was supposed to do. Alex was tending to Haven, trying to understand what emotions she might be feeling.

"Are you feeling okay?" Alex asked as he tried to think about his feelings. He backed away after a moment and headed towards the stairs. She'd looked at him and it didn't seem right.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven opened her mouth to answer Alex but then he walked away. She blinked a bit and frowned then sighed. Did she do something wrong? Her mother came over to her and then kissed her forehead. "How do you feel?" She asked and Haven shrugged a bit. "Tired... That's all." She said, casting a glance at Ray. How had he known about that realm? Was it something everyone who practiced magic knew? She then looked back at her mother and smiled slightly.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex was pacing now at the top of the stares, trying to decipher the strange thoughts he was having. Images seem to pop into his head of her rejecting him for being what he was. He felt a gaping hole in his chest and he began to weep. He rarely cried but these thoughts were overwhelming. He went to the main hall then and laid down, letting himself change into his wolf form so he could feel the cold tile through his fur.

"You'll be tired for a while," Ray responded after a moment. "It's always exhausting going there and it's even more so when you go for the first time." He looked exhausted also but he had a lot more energy than she did.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven nodded at his words and said, "That makes sense." She thought about it for a brief moment then nodded in agreement with her words. "Thank you again." She said with a sigh. "Do you think she'll try to do something like this again?" She asked. She doubted she would unless she was stupid. But, Haven really didn't know her grandmother so she didn't know.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

"I have no idea at this point," Ray responded with a sigh. "I reminded her about the rules but from what I know she's done so far I'm sure she'll do anything to get you back. You're an excellent asset to them and Richard would love to make you his bride to annoy Alex." He had smiled at that though though, the humor in that situation.

As he let his eyes rest for a moment he thought about what he could say to her next. Ray knew exactly what Alex was feeling, that same confusion was sprining up in him also. The idea of liking someone that you were trying to train had perplexed him. From the moment he met Haven though he adored her. She was beautiful but he knew that she was out of reach because of Alex.

Alex had drifted off into a peaceful sleep. There were no dreams this time and he lay still with only the visible inhale and exhale and the occasional twitch of a leg or ear.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven nodded and continued to do so until she heard what he said about Richard. "What!?!?! No way am I going to let that happen!!" She said, her eyes wide. She shuddered at the thought of getting married to....him. She shook her head then sighed. "I feel like such a tool." She said pouting now and Beth sighed a bit. "Hun, you are a little on the easy to influence side..." Her mother pointed out and Haven sighed. "I know that." She said then shook her head. "But not anymore."