Could have Been (AU II)

Owain McConn sat bored, so very bored in a old Shrine he had begged his father to bring him to. It wasn't that he wasn't greatful he could spend rare time with his father, he was... but there only so much a 10 year old boy could get form out dated dusty ruins of a shine.. espesially with they had been there for 5 hours...

The 10 year old yawned as he listened to a older man ramble and rant about how the year and people tampering had left certian parts of the shine unreadable..

"Well the explains it..." he thought to him self, his head drooping into his hand as he forced himself to continue listening and not fidget... which was becoming increasingly hard to do.

Eventually he lost interest alltogether and his mind wandered around the room..

The place really was quite beaultiful, the sun beamed through holes in the roof and leafy vines incased the stone in the perfect way.. it kinda had a story book feel to it. Which only made is curiosity to explore the place himself all that more powerful..

With that he got up from his rock seat, leaving the ranting old man on his own... not that he really seemed to notice...

Tav glanced over at his father, who seemed lost in thought and then over to poor Owain. He was having a hard enough time keeping still himself and hid a growing smile as his brother left his seat. Maybe he'd enjoy a brief explore more than the continuation of the man... sheesh, he'd pay the man to simply cut off the end of the speech if it wasn't for the fact that Ciaran seemed to be enjoying it.
Sometimes he worried about his father, such as now, when he stared ahead of him as if a ghost might float out from the alter. There had been a time when everything had been different. Different even in how they used to spend time together...
Tav glanced after Owain, wondering if maybe he should rise and go after him. They hadn't really done much together recently. Brotherly affection was often in need of the occasional chat or walk.
"I'll be right back." he whispered to his engrossed father, who nodded absently. Several others parted for him as he made his way back from the shrine. In his haste he stepped on a woman's foot and her exaggerated howl of pain turned every head in the place; even the old man went quiet. Tav growled under his breath and apologized to the crying woman. However, when he looked back for Owain, he had lost sight of him.

Owain looked out from behind a rock pillar when he heard a woman crying and the older man pause in his rant..

He snickered softly when he noticed it was his brothers doing.

"Smooth Tav...." he muttered shaking his head before wandering a little further away.. not really wanting to get pulled back into listening to the speach. He wasn't intending on going far of course.. he knew better then to get himself lost.

As he looked around for a few moments he looked at some of the runes on the rock pillars.. He only knew the basics of reading Runes.. and only a few of them looked familiar to him. He read along the wall until it went into shadow...

"Hmmm, ah what the heck" he said after a moment, he took out a wand he borrowed form Tav to practice spells with, he has also heard his mother had made it. So there was his added value to want to hold it.

"Lumos" he said lighting up the dark cornor.

He walked in and continued reading what he could... it made little sense, like reading a letter when most of the ink was watered out and only afew letters was visable. But the mystery interested him.

"Cool..." he whispered touching the carved stone with his other hand.

Then like out of a movie, Some of the runes started glowing..

"Wow.. Wicked" he muttered entraced, wandering furthur down the shadowed corridor.

"I'm terribly sorry." Tav repeated, earning himself a few hidden snickers from those around him. Honestly, since when had causing a slight injury turned one into the entertainment highlight of the day. Or maybe these people just needed to get out more...
"I think you broke my ankle." The lady squalled, eyes already puffy from her tears. Even if there was no broken bones, Tav still felt like a heel... damn he shouldn't be mocking the woman.
"Here, let me feel the bone." Ciaran muttered, kneeling gallantly at the woman's feet. Amazingly, the woman was able to smile through her suffering and allow her boot to be removed. "It's sound as a core." Tav sighed in relief and the woman batted moist eyes in his father's bending direction.
"Oh thank you, kind sir." Tav wanted to hurl as Ciaran returned the smile without even noting the woman was openly flirting with him. Ignorance was bliss...

Owian contined to walk down the corridor, entranced by the glowing runes he followed them until he reached a seemingly dead end,

"Ah... darn.." he said disapponted the was nothing at the end of his exploration, but just to make sure, he reached his hand into the darkest corner of the corridor to make sure nothing was there.

Solid rock met his palm...

With a sigh he turned around to look for his Dad and Tav agian to tell them of his uneventful adventure...

However something caught his eye when he turned around, a sparkle of Gold...

Gold?

"Huh?" Owain voiced as he moved towards the sparkle only to discover the "dead end" had suddenly opened up.

"Why do I get the feeling one else knows about this?" he mused to himself as he peared closer into the new Room.

The feeling of exploring the truely unknown ecited the 10 year old as he entered... ignoring the worry wart voice in his head to tell someone about his find.

He walked toward the Gold sparkle that was on some sort of Alter. It was covered in dust and rock pebbles.

"Wow..." was all he could say as his curiousity got the better of him and he pick the object up and dusted it off.

As he cleaned it off the needle, like a hand on a clock started to move and a golden dust started to circle around it holder..

Owain started to feel wierd, light headed and his lumos light went out...

"What? Whats going on?" he said as he tried to put the object back, but to no avail...

With a resounding crack and a shockwave of magic Owian McConn vanished from the universe...

The Shockwave then unfortunatly collapesed the hidden corridor with a loud rumble.

Things had just started to settle, with the woman placated by peppering Ciaran with questions and Tav inching his way back until he was out of sight. Just as he turned to begin looking for his younger brother, the stone beneath his feet shook slightly and he heard the crashing break of rock.
Although he truly doubted that Owain was the cause of the breakage, he felt his heart lurch in his chest as he ran toward the sound. Horrible thoughts of the boy hurt or in any way harmed reached up to shake his brain and he felt sick. Why hadn't he gone with him when he first saw him leave his seat.
"Owain!" he called, not seeing his brother anywhere and without his wand to locate him. "Owain!"
Soon Ciaran rushed to his side, his wand already in hand.
"Where is yar brother?" His father's voice trembled and the fear already pecking at him now bored a hole into a skull.
"I don't... I don't know." He hurried toward what remained of a fallen doorway, the rising dust whispering of settling stone. It was hard to tell what was recently fallen debris from the piles of fallen stone all about them. "Owain!"
"Be quiet, Tavish." Ciaran murmured, casting a complex spell to locate his younger son. It blinked at him but showed nothing. He tried again with the same results. By some horrible twist of the tormentor, Owain McConn had vanished.

---

Eglantine set her quill down, yawning into her hand as she noted how late it was; nearly three in the morning. Soft snores echoed from the couch as Horatio had fallen asleep with his nose in a book a good hour earlier.
Slowly making her way over to him, she sat down, stroking his white hair with a casual hand.
He groaned and blinked awake, apparently not as asleep as she'd thought.
"Morning already?" groggily, he sought his glasses.
"Yes, but you need more sleep." she assured him.
"Nonsense. Where are my bloody glasses?"
She tapped the end of his nose and he smiled bashfully. "How'd they get there?"
"Come on, let's go to bed."
He rose to his feet, ignoring the pops and cracks his tired body made as he did so.
"Feel like I need oiling." he muttered.
Suddenly a flash lit the dark room and both all but felt pushed back onto the couch.
"I'm awake!" Horatio gasped. "Sheesh, Lenty."
Eglantine blinked as the light faded.
"I didn't do it." she rolled her eyes, wand already in hand as she approached the centre of the sitting room.
A young boy laid on his stomach, his hands twitching as if from shock. Regardless of his unusual means of arrival, Eglantine gently felt for a pulse, finding it strong and stable.
"What the-?" Horatio joined her and carried the child to the couch.
"Who is he?" Eglantine shrugged, removing the compass and wand from his clenched fingers.
"Hey, isn't that the wand Kiara gave Tav?" Horatio peered at it over his glasses and took the compass as it was offered.
"It appears to be." Eglantine nodded. "The compass has old magic though." She gently patted the boy's hair.
"What does all this mean?" Horatio shook the compass slightly.
"Go get some tea. We'll ask him when he wakes up."

Kiara watched her still living husband and stepson observing them... they both suffered so.. she knew. This would only needless Suffering if they were allowed to go through to the most logical conclusion..

That Owain had been killed or lost in the cave in...

No she had to give them hope.

She waited to present her self however... She didn't want to show her self in the crowded ruins just yet, she remaind close to both Ciaran and Tav.. and waited until they were alone.

Rock, rock, rock and more rock. Tav felt as though the world had vanished away and been replaced by the heavy stones as he sunk to his knees in front of the crumpled entryway. His father kept levitating stones past his head; some easily swooping away, others unbudging as though locked in place like his grandmother's cookie jar.
"Da?" he tried to catch the silently frantic man, but failed. Ciaran had lost a piece of him irreplaceable when Kiara had died... now they had lost the only part of her that kept him going. Sometimes it grated at the young wizard, but the truth was meant to hurt. Owain's vanishing would crush his father unlike any other's vanishing would do.
"Da?" he tried again, this time getting the older man's attention.
"Tavish, what is it?" His tone was clipped and shook with barely held emotion.
"We've been looking for two hours."
So what, he thought, even as the words tumbled from his mouth. His father would look two decades if he thought it would bring his son back.
Ciaran sat beside him, rubbing his bearded jaw.
"I don't know what ta do." he whispered and the confession of weakness tore at Tav's heart.
They sat alone among the fallen rocks, men of different generations and yet similar thought... both had lost too much.

Kiara sighed to her self, the people had left mostly some were still on other area's of the shrine looking for Owian...

As Both Ciaran and Tav sat not knowing what to do next, she couldn't stop herself any longer.. she had to help them...

Allowing herself to be visable to them she said softly infront them...

"Ciaran, Tav.... Don't worry Owain is in safe hands at this time." she said looking at the two of them as if she always had, with a smile on her face.

Tav nearly leapt out of his skin, regardless of how gentle and friendly his mother's ghost was. Frantically moving to calm his racing heart, he nodded, taking her words in as truth. At least his brother was safe... that was wonderful uplifting news.
Carefully, Ciaran rose to his feet, a hand reaching out to Kiara's glowing form. He smiled softly, finding the vision of her to be the loveliest dream he'd ever had... her ghost form was no different.
"Where did he go?" he asked, knowing his hand would go through hers but wanting nothing more than to hold her within his arms again.

Kiara chuckled at Tav's startled form, she was a ghost after all, famous for spooking others even without meaning to.

"Sorry Tav, can't help it, have to scare at least one of ya, you know?" she said with a wink to let him know she was kidding. Oh how she missed playing and laughing with her sweet step son...

Then she turned to Ciaran, wishing she were solid for his sake, alsa she pushing the limits of existance in the living world as it was...

So she did the next best thing she could do.. she moved her hand to his cheek and kept it there as if it was solid again. Not the same she knew, for her ghostly hand held only coldness. But it was the thought that counted right?

"It is complicated Love... he isn't dead by any means.. but he is no longer in this universe anymore. He has gone to a different one, a universe paralell to this one... Old magic was activated to take him there, old magic must be used to get him back again" she explained in simplest way she could.

"Not a simple task, but possible with time.." she assured.

Ciaran did not lean into her touch, knowing it would not warm from the coldness he felt. But it was Kiara... and that was enough for him to enjoy her gesture.
It made little sense to him that ancient magic would be so cruel as to tear his son from this universe. What other universe needed Owain more than he and Tav? Or Horatio and Eglantine? He had forgotten about them. What would they say when he returned without his son...
He nodded.
"All things are possible with time." he whispered. "Just as I'll be with ya with time." he closed his eyes, imagining that she was whole and alive in front of him. "I love ya, Ara."

Kiara smiled and nodded, "I know love, and I you" she said, she paused for a moment when Ciaran closed his eyes. When she diecided to give him a gift.

Placing her ghostly finger on his forehead, she allowed apart of her self into her husbands "mind" sort of speak. Which, for him would feel like she had giving him a kiss.

"In the mean time, Don't worry, My.. other self will keep him safe and sound for you until he is to return" she said her smile widening a bit. Perhaps giving them a clue what awaited young Owain McConn and the purpose of him going there.

He imagined Kiara's soft lips against his and sighed softly. Though each day seemed an eternity without her, for a split moment, he felt as though he'd never lost her. His eyes opened and he felt the spell break. His wife was dead and her ghost was speaking to him.
"Aye, me darling." he nodded, knowing the Kiara of the other universe would take good care of his son. There was no thought of any way Kiara could be other than perfect. "I trust ya, regardless of time or universe."

Kiara smiled and nodded, "Good"

She turned to Tav wishing she could pat him on the head and hug him the way she used to, "Take care of eachother okay?" she said knowing her time was nearing its end.

"I need to go soon, my time in this form is limited, Explain what you can to Eglantine and Horatio, there knowlegde of magic may prove useful.. love you both, until we meet again".. then she faded away back to the after life.

As an after though however, she hoped Eglantine and Horatio hadn't thought Ciaran and Tav lost it... After all talk of dead wifes telling you things of some not very likely sounded quite like crazy talk...

"Hmmm..." she mused with a chuckle.

Tav gently settled a hand on his father's shoulder. She had faded and Ciaran had leaned forward for a moment before sighing and straightening himself. The stoop in his shoulders and the sadness etched in his eyes and mouth suddenly made him look far older than his years.
"Da?" Tav muttered, hoping to do just what Kiara had said... take care of him.
Ciaran nodded.
"We need to go."
Carefully they made their way to the muggle car they'd parked half a kilometre from the shrine. Tav drove, without Ciaran moving to do so himself and it was a fairly quiet trip. They reached the rental place by noon and left the vehicle along with the money to pay for the gas they'd used. A portkey later found them walking up the path to the McKevin cottage. It was a small house, but it suited the purpose of those who lived within it.
"You gonna tell them?" Tav asked.
Ciaran nodded.
"Aye. Ya needn't be saying anything."
Without knocking they both entered, having been family long enough to no longer stick to formalities.
"Horatio." Ciaran called, knowing someone was home by the ticking of the egg timer on the coffee table.
"He's not here." Eglantine walked in from the kitchen, her face and hands covered with flour. Tav smothered a laugh at the sight of her, but the snort that escaped his lips earned him a flour mark against his shirt sleeve. "What is it?"
Ciaran took a seat on the couch, his energy fading fast.
"Something happened." he sighed.
Eglantine stared at him and then back to Tav, who sobered rather quickly.
"Where is Owain?"
"He's gone." Ciaran rubbed his jaw, the repeating of the news washing the dread over him again.
"Gone?" Eglantine repeated. "Where has he gone to?"
The smell of baking apples wafted in from the kitchen and Tav guessed an apple pie was in the oven. Owain loved apple pie and the tears pricked at the back of his eyes.
"Into another world." Ciaran attempted to explain, but did poorly as the translation from those words meant something else entirely to Eglantine.
She covered her mouth from her hand, hardly adding more flour to her already streaked face. Her other hand reached for the chair back but missed and only Tav's quick thinking saved her from hitting the floor. Their usual positions reversed as the young man had been comforted many times by his grandmother, Tav held her as she sobbed against his shoulder.
The egg timer chimed that it was time but no one moved to remove the golden pie from the oven.

Kiara observed the encounter, and would hit her hand over her head at her Husbands lack of clearity to what he meant...

"Smooth Love..." but she supposed he couldn't blame him. He was likely exsausted from the days events and the fact their son was in another universe... and had she been alive she would have been in no better shape... it was something about being dead that nullified the fear or worry for her son.. she new he would be safe.
Though how she wished she could relieve her dearest of his saddness...

Remaining invisable to those in the room, she went close to her mother, hopeing she was still sensitive to those spirits of dead, hopfully her voice and suggestion would be heard by her mother.

"Eglantine, mother.. Do not fear, Owain is not among the dead... he is alive, merely as Ciaran said in a different world then this. He is in good hands" she whispered hoping to calm her sobbing mother.

Tav helped his grandmother sit on the couch and hurried into the kitchen to get some tissues when she pulled back from him.
Although with Kiara's death, Eglantine had not continued with Excessum, she had a keen ear when it came to death. The tears still flowed, despite her daughter's words. Not dead, but gone all the same.
"How did it happen?" she murmured, her voice as shattered as Ciaran felt.
"I don't know." He replied, feeling all the worse for it.
"But he isn't dead..." Ciaran nodded.
"Aye, Kiara said he was safe."
Eglantine took the tissues given her by Tav.
"Good hands..." she shook her head. "I just want him back here." The tears overwhelmed her again and Tav swallowed, his own tears causing a lump in his throat. At any moment he felt like Horatio would appear and then the roof would cave in.
"At least he's safe." Tav offered. He was ignored by both. Don't worry, Mum, he whispered, I'll help them understand. He didn't know if Kiara could hear his thoughts or not, but it was comforting all the same.

Kiara once again wished she were solid, never had she felt so helpless to comfort her loved ones.

She did however feel some hope at Tav's words, "Thats my Tav" she said, if she were able to kiss him she would have.

She decided to stay and whatch in her spirit form, even though they couldn't see her. She hoped her presence at least was comforting.

"Owain will return to you... it is all a question of when..." she said to herself with a sigh. it was all a matter of time... one way or another.