Soul Bond

He was nine when it happened.

Sodapop was five, going on six and Ponyboy was three. They were kids, oblivious, carefree, and innocent, and nothing was better than being able to play after getting their chores done. School was out for the summer, and they didn't have to come home until the sun set. One never experiences freedom quite like a child does. Being the oldest, Darry was supposed to look out for his younger brothers, and he thought he did a pretty good job. Innocence can often go hand in hand with ignorance.

Their small group of friends consisted of the three of them, Dally, Keith though he was called Two-Bits since he talked a lot, and Johnny. The six of them had numerous adventures that often led them away from their small town. Desert and hills surrounded the place they called home, and the boys knew it well. Every plant and tree, every cave and stream, every faerie spring and goblin den were as familiar to them as the sun and stars. Animals, small and large, tended to stay away from their loud, rambunctious voices, and as many of them only came out at night time, when they were at home asleep, there was little danger. Or so Darry thought.

On that day, the one that changed everything forever, it was only Sodapop, Ponyboy, and himself. Dally, Two-Bits, and Johnny often joined them at different intervals during those summer days, and it wasn't uncommon for the three brothers to be on their own for a bit. They were shouting, giggling, and running as their game of tag carried on, causing small dust clouds to form in their wake. Whatever dangers hid nearby went unnoticed by the three of them. So when Darry pushed Ponyboy, tagging his baby brother with too much force, it was a shock and a slap to the face when the devil viper struck. Devil vipers were hybrid creatures, a perverse mix of devils and snakes. Mean creatures they were, but shy and typically nocturnal, except when moving to a safer place to lay their eggs. They were as fast as lightning, but when that one struck out at Ponyboy, Darry saw it in painful slow motion.

Fangs sunk into Ponyboy's supple flesh, causing the three year old to cry out, and then, the devil viper was slithering away. Ponyboy collapsed to the ground, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he clutched his leg. Panic and guilt immediately fell upon Darry like a guillotine.

"Soda, go get Mom and Dad!" he hollered as he bent down and picked Ponyboy up.

"Where are you goin'?" Soda asked through his own thick tears and sobs.

"There's a faerie spring nearby. If we're lucky, it won't be too late," Darry told him, confidence lacing his tone, hiding the dreadful fear that was consuming him quietly.

What he hadn't mentioned, and what he was afraid of, is that the spring he had in mind could be barren and dry. If that were the case, Ponyboy wouldn't survive. So Darry prayed to whatever gods there were that the spring was flourishing with water with a faerie lounging around it, as they are want to do. Time seemed to slow down to a snail's pace; the roughly ten minute walk to the cave the spring rested in felt like it took a lifetime to reach. All the while, Ponyboy was cradled in his arms, slowly getting worse and worse. His sobs and tears eventually stopped, he went limp in Darry's arms, and his face took on a sickeningly pallor complexion. Fear and guilt dug themselves deep into the very confines of his soul, and the only thing keeping Darry from bawling his eyes out was the task at hand.

The cave soon came into view, and Darry shifted Pony's weight before venturing forth. Sweat caused his clothes to cling to his body. Dirt caked itself all over his body and in his hair. Stepping into the cave was like stepping into a cool pond; the relief was that strong. It had been two years since he last stepped foot into the cave, and for two years, he had kept its existence a secret. Faerie springs were few and far between, and his gut had told him not to tell a soul about this one.

In hindsight, he understood why.

Time kept ticking away as he followed the winding tunnel that led to the spring. He hadn't stopped praying since he started the somber journey; Darry didn't know what he'd do if the spring was dried up and abandoned. As he drew nearer, though, his fear subsided as blue and green light reflected off of the cave walls and the scent of fresh grass and flowers filled the air. Rounding the corner, the spring came into sight, and he released a relieved sob. Grass carpeted the ground before him, flowers bloomed out of various crevices in the wall, and fruit was strewn about by the waterside. Its beauty didn't go unappreciated, but there was a more pressing matter at hand. While the fae creature was nowhere to be seen, its magick could be felt in the very air, and it gave him goosebumps. Unsure what to do exactly, Darry approached the water and stood by its edge.

"I... I need your h-help," he said, his voice sounding just as small, weak, and afraid as he felt.

"What for, child of man?" came a disembodied voice. It came from all around him, sounding amused, laughter barely concealed.

"My brother... he was... he was..." Darry couldn't finish the sentence as tears began to fall from his eyes at long last.

"Oh, dear. He's been tainted by the viper," the voice resounded, feigning concern.

"Yes, and he's dying! Please, save him," he begged.

"And what will you give me in return?" the voice inquired.

"Anything you want!" Darry vowed, determined to save his baby brother. For a moment, only silence lingered in the spring. And then...

"Step into the water." A command, not harsh or flippant, but firm all the same, leaving no room for argument.

He did as he was told, the cool, clear water coming up halfway to his knees. The pool wasn't very deep and would only reach his waist at the deepest part. Ponyboy was heavy in his arms, or maybe his arms were getting tired.

"Sink into the depths."

"But... but the water's too shallow," Darry stated meekly.

"Do you want your kin to live?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then sink."

Still feeling unsure, Darry did as the voice instructed, and he waded to where the pool was deepest. Juggling Pony's body, he knelt down at first and then, after taking a deep breath, dived headfirst into the water. Fae magick seemed to swirl and dance around him as the shallow pool became a deep lagoon. Vibrant, strange plants swayed with the waters current, and tiny, exotic fish swam by, nonplussed by his and Ponyboy's appearance. Looking around, he sees a faerie leisurely drifting by him, its large, black eyes boring into his very soul.

"Your brother is not dead," it spoke, and Darry watched as it did so effortlessly. Its wings resembled flippers, and there were scales of varying colors dotting its naked body.

"Only life can pay for death, and only death can pay for life," it continued, a smirk slowly crossing its face. Panic flared inside of him.

"I'll do anything! Give you everything that I have!" Darry swore. He didn't even notice that he was able to speak and breathe freely in the water.

"I can heal him, child of man, but you would be bound to him for eternity," it stated nonchalantly, clearing deriving pleasure from his plight. "Your souls would forever be entwined. There'd be no life outside of him for you.

"Are you still willing to pay such a price?" At that question, the fae swam in front of him, its small face so close to his that their noses were nearly touching. The fae smiled at him, revealing its sharp, needle-like teeth.

"I am. Whatever it takes!" Darry told the creature. Its eyes crinkled as its smile widened.

"So it shall be."

It began to swim around the two boys, slow at first, but as fish and other creatures joined it, it sped up. A whirlpool enveloped Ponyboy and himself, causing the world around him to be a swirl of blues, greens, purples, and pinks, all blending together beautifully. He couldn't see past the whirlpool, and it made him dizzy and nauseated. When he tried to breathe, he found that he could no longer do so as he had before, and he began to choke and suffocate. All strength left his body, and Ponyboy's small frame floated before him, ashen, frail, and seemingly dead. As his eyes began to close, his own death nearing, his baby brother's closed eyes were the last thing he saw.

When next he woke, he was lying on the ground, body and clothes dry. Where once was luscious green grass was now only brown and red earth. The flowers were gone. All life had left the spring. Darry stood up on shaking legs and looked about him frantically, looking for his brother. Pain shot through his body, sharp and stunning, and he looked down at his chest. Blood had soaked through his shirt, causing it to cling to his flesh. Lifting it up, he saw a bite mark over his heart, made up on small, pinpricks, almost as though it had been given by a mouth full of needle-like teeth.

That wasn't important; Ponyboy was.

Turning to the spring where fresh, cool, and clean water had been, was Pony, lying in a puddle of black sludge. Crouching down, Darry quickly approached him and watched as his brother's chest rose and fell with each breath. Color had returned to his face, and when he looked down at the leg that had been bitten, only a faint scar remained. And there on his shirt, seeping from a wound on his chest, was blood. Initially hesitant to lift Pony's shirt, Darry forced himself to do so, already knowing what he'd find. As sure as the grass was green and the sky was blue, there was a matching bite mark on his chest, a physical wound linking the two brothers.

"C'mon, Ponyboy," Darry said as he picked the three year old up.

The black sludge dripped and fdll away from his tiny frame, leaving no trace behind. After Ponyboy had been removed from the sludge-filled spring, the ooze seeped into the ground, leaving the earth blackened and cracked. Hoisting Pony so that he could comfortably carry him, Darry followed the cave tunnel back to the outside world. He expected a bright, sunny afternoon to greet them but was met instead with the sunset and night encroaching.

How much time had passed? Their parents and Sodapop must be worried sick!

Darry beat feet as fast and carefully as he could, kicking up dust and dirt all around. With all of the jostling and movement, Ponyboy woke up.

"Dar?" he asked, looking up at his older brother.

"H-Hey, Ponyboy," Darry greeted him with a strained, exhausted smile.

"Where...?" Ponyboy looked around.

"We're almost home," Darry told him.

"Go home?"

"Yeah."

By the time their house came into view, the sun was almost set. Sodapop spotted them first, and he shouted to their Mom and Dad. All three of them ran to meet them halfway. Tears were falling freely from his eyes, and Darry couldn't help but bawl like a baby when their parents swept him and Ponyboy up in a fierce embrace. Everyone was crying except for Pony, who seemed confused by everything.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Darry heaved, unable to stop himself. "I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault," their dad reassured him.

"It was an accident, Darrel," their mom insisted as she kissed his cheek.

He kept crying and apologizing until he was spent, and their dad had to carry him into the house. Ponyboy was carried by their mom, and Soda raced inside after their dad and Darry. Though he was covered in dirt and sweat, Darry was placed in his bed, his nine year old body exhausted by the day's events. After being bathed, Ponyboy joined the rest of the family for a quick dinner before bedtime. Aside from the master bedroom, which was their parents', there were two other rooms upstairs: Darry's and the one Pony shared with Soda. Usually, Ponyboy wasn't fussy or stubborn, but he refused to sleep in his own bed that night.

"What's wrong, baby?" Mrs. Curtis inquired gently.

"Darry!" Ponyboy fumed, looking very like as though he were about to throw a tantrum.

"You... you want to sleep with Darry?" she asked, a bit confused. All three brothers got long well enough, but Ponyboy had always favored Sodapop. Though, given the day's events, it wasn't that peculiar.

"Okay, honey, you can sleep with Darry for the night," she said, as she climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Darry didn't stir at all while Ponyboy was being tucked in beside him. The youngest Curtis was quick to snuggle up against his older brother and was asleep by the time the lights were turned off.

And that was how it started.

The early years were hard.

While still a child himself, Darry was more mature than Ponyboy, who was still very much a toddler, very innocent, constantly had his head constantly in the clouds, and had little control or understanding of his emotions. And, as the older brother had found out, he could very much feel what Pony felt, every emotion, every wound, every pain his baby brother experienced, he did too. It had frightened him at first; out of nowhere, he'd start crying or laughing, and he didn't understand why. At the drop of a hat, he'd be hit with an emotion that wasn't his, and his family and friends were getting worried for him. Had something happened to him when he had taken Pony to the faerie spring? He and his parents wanted to know what was happening before school started again.

It was actually Sodapop who figured it out first.

"You always get emotional whenever Ponyboy does," he pointed out one day while they were doing chores. "Is it because of the fae that healed him? At the spring?"

That struck Darry like lightning. He hadn't really thought about how the bond he now shared with their baby brother would manifest. Being connected through their souls was something he hadn't dwelt on; he was just grateful that Pony was alive. Did having a soul bond mean he would forever feel Ponyboy's emotions and vice versa? While it had felt like he wasn't the only one inhabiting his body since going to the faerie spring, Darry didn't realize it was because of their bond. What else would happen? How else would it show itself? Would it grow?

"I... I think you're right, Soda," was all he could muster to say.

The gravity of it truly struck him that day, that moment; he would later say that that was when his childhood had officially died. It wouldn't just be him anymore; it'd be him and Ponyboy. Endless possibilities were laid out in the future he was fated to share with his brother. It was overwhelming.

He had never before felt a dread so deep.

Darry's magick magnified his strength, though, at first, he only noticed how it affected him physically.

Avikko was a world of earth, with mountains, caves, and deserts covering the plane. The largest body of water on the surface was a lake; there were no oceans, and other sources of water were sprinkled around the surface. Most of the plane's water was underground, fueling the world much like blood helped to fuel the body. So, being able to break the earth itself was quite a useful gift.

When starting school, children first learned the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic, etc. It wasn't until they were ten that they were put in classes that taught them how to harness their magick and use it safely as it didn't often manifest until that age. There were a few exceptions, and, naturally, when Darry's began to stir, so did Ponyboy's. He noticed it one day after school let out. Ponyboy was just slowing down from twirling around in circles, his laughter floating on the air, infusing it with happiness and joy.

"Whatcha doin', Pony?" he asked as he approached him.

Ponyboy looked up at him and gave him a smile so bright and full of happiness that it made Darry's heart melt. He could feel his baby brother's sheer delight just at seeing him, and it made him feel special and important. The four year old rushed to him for a hug, which he gave freely.

"Look at what I can do!" Pony nearly squealed with delight as he pulled Darry with him to where he'd been spinning before.

"Look! Look!"

With his arms stretched out, Ponyboy began to twirl again, starting off slow at first before going faster. As he spun, the air picked up around him, enveloping him in a miniature whirlwind that kicked up dirt and dust. Of course. Pony often had his head in the clouds, figuratively and literally; he loved cloud watching, had an amazing imagination, and was a dreamer. Being magickally gifted with an affinity for air wasn't surprising; it starting when he was only four was what was surprising. Part of Darry was truly awestruck at the sight before him, but another part was also sad and disappointed. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for his brother, because he was, but he done really well in class that day; in fact, the teacher called him the best in the class, that his hard work had paid off. Seeing Ponyboy control the air around him so effortlessly took the wind out of his sails. That Ponyboy was special had never been in question; even before the death viper incident, it was clear that the youngest Curtis brother was different. Darry just felt... unimportant? Insignificant? Inconsequential?

Ponyboy stopped spinning, and the whirlwind immediately fizzled out. His green-grey eyes began to well with tears and he looked utterly devastated.

"I made you sad, Darry," he said with a sniffle. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to."

"It's okay, Pone," Darry lied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"No, it's not!" Pony shook his head, causing his tears to fly from his eyes. "I... I made you sad!"

Daryy sighed, dropped to his knees, and pulled Ponyboy into a hug. The four year old clung to him like a lifeline, all the while crying into his shirt. Footsteps came from behind them.

"What's wrong with Pony?" Soda asked, his face laced with worry. He knelt down beside the two of them. "Is he hurt or somethin'?"

"No, he's not hurt," Darry told him quietly.

"Then why're you crying?" Soda inquired, tilting his head to the side as he brought a hand up to wipe the tears away from Pony's eyes.

"I... I... I m-made... Darry s-sad," Pony replied through his sobs.

"Didju now?" Sodapop spoke softly to their baby brother.

"I'm fine, Pony, really," Darry said as he rubbed his back. "You don't need to feel bad."

"But... but... but I do," Pony stuttered in between hiccups.

"Aw, Pony. Does Darry look sad?" Soda said as he poked Darry's cheek, causing him to smile ever so slightly. Through teary eyes, Ponyboy looked up.

"N-not really..."

"Then cheer up!" Soda shot straight up with a big smile. "Say, d'you want me to push you on the swing for a bit?" At that, Ponyboy perked up and stopped crying.

"Yeah, I do!" After letting Darry go, the two dashed over to the swing their dad had hung on the tree when Darry was five.

Watching them go, Darry felt a jolt of excitement and glee surge inside of him. He was relieved that Ponyboy was feeling better and that his attention was on something other than his oldest brother. Seeing Pony sad or fearful or any kind of upset made him feel like the worst big brother alive. It was fine that Ponyboy had tapped into his magick so early, and neither of them should feel bad about it. Actually, it was a great and wonderful thing because it reinforced how unique Pony was.

If he kept telling himself that, he'd believe it eventually, right?

Later that night, when everyone was in bed, the door to Darry's bedroom slowly creaked open. He hadn't been able to sleep and watched as Ponyboy poked his head in.

"Darry?" his voice sounded so small. "Can... can I come in?"

"'Course, Pony," Darry whispered, loud enough for his brother to hear, but not so loud as to potentially wake anyone.

Quietly, Pony opened the door wider, crept inside the room, and closed the door behind him. He crawled onto the bed and cuddled up to Darry, who immediately embraced him. They laid there in silence for a few minutes, with only the soft sounds of the night as background noise. For the first time in a while, Darry took in just how small Pony was compared to him. Just how tall would he get? As tall as their dad, maybe?

"Did you have a nightmare?" Darry asked. He felt Ponyboy shake his head no.

"Was Soda being a bed hog again?" Another no.

"What's buggin' you then?" he continued to press gently. Darry waited patiently for his brother to respond, and he had almost fallen asleep when he finally did.

"I'm not gonna tell anyone," Ponyboy said at long last, his voice soft, quiet, and serious.

"About what?" Darry already knew, but he couldn't help but ask. He needed to hear the words, even as the guilt and apprehension began to grow within him.

"About my magick. I won't tell anyone," Ponyboy promised. He was lying on his side with his back pressed to Darry's chest, and his face turned away from him. Darry tightened his hold on him.

"Ponyboy, you don't have to do that," he said with a sigh. "It's okay; I'm fine with it."

"No, you're not. I can feel it," Pony countered. "You're hurt."

"I'll get over it," Darry told him. "I always do."

Ponyboy's determination was palpable and steadfast; he was probably just as stubborn as Darry was. No amount of talking would get him to change his mind once it's been made up. Guilt blossomed in his chest, but not because Pony was keeping his magick a secret.

Darry felt guilty because he was relieved.

Lianna was a pretty girl.

She was smart and adorable, and everyone's dream girl at school. She was also Darry's first kiss.

He wanted, oh, so badly to feel pure joy and satisfaction at being the one to catch her eye. At sixteen, he had grown to look like his dad, but with his mom's eyes. On many occasions, his mom had commented on what a handsome man he was becoming. Plus, he had built muscle from training with his magick and helping his parents with the housework and the little farm they had. Being the top student of his age at school didn't hurt, either.
So when she kissed him, he thought he'd be elated, on cloud nine, or something. Instead, all he felt was disgust and horror. As their lips moved together, his soul screamed that it was wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Lianna was not the person he wanted to kiss, and he felt like he was betraying his other half. Adding to the confusion was that Darry did like her and found her attractive. But kissing her felt wrong and made him feel like a cheater. His mind could only think 'wrong, wrong, not him, wrong', and that only added to the complexity of his inner turmoil. He wanted to kiss her; he wanted to be her boyfriend, but everything he was - his body, mind, heart, and soul - utterly rejected her. And why?

Because she wasn't Ponyboy.

Ponyboy, his ten year old brother who had just started magick classes; Ponyboy, who loved to read and watch the sun set and rise; Ponyboy, his baby brother; Ponyboy, whom he was bound to through their souls.

Though Darry's entire being knew that it was Ponyboy he loved above all else, he despised himself for it. His baby brother, whom he had nearly killed when he was three, was ten. Was this what the faerie at the spring had meant, or was this a joke it added on out of sheer amusement? Had he known this is what would've happened...

Had he known...

Would he have made the same choice?

Maybe it would have been better if...

No.

That thought was not welcome and would never be welcome. No matter how hard the bond they shared was on him, Darry truly did love Ponyboy. He was so proud of him, and he just knew that his baby brother would do great things. Being able to watch him grow and flourish was a privilege; he genuinely believed that. Nothing would ever change that.

But he wanted his own life!

Was that too much to ask? He had been a stupid, reckless kid that day seven years ago, but would he be paying the price for the remainder of his days? Darry knew the answer.

'Your souls would forever be entwined. There'd be no life outside of him for you.'

It took seven years for Darry to realize he had been cursed.

Seeing the hurr in Lianna's eyes when he pulled away from her made him feel like scum. He put some distance between them and gave her a sorrowful smile.

"I'm sorry, Lianna," he told her, remorse lacing his tone. "I just... I don't... like you like that."

It was a lie, a blatant lie, and he hated the tears it caused. Yet he couldn't force himself to be with her when his very soul rejected it.

He was still upset later that day while he, Soda, and Pony were walking home. The air was tense and stifled, and not even Sodapop could keep the conversation going. Darry couldn't look Ponyboy in the eye; actually, he couldn't look at him, period, which only compiled the hurt he already felt. As much as he tried to control his emotions and keep a cool head, it always seemed to result in someone getting hurt.

"I'm gonna go see Sandy!" Soda called as he flung his bag into the house, nearly knocking over a small table.

"Sodapop Curtis, you'd better watch yourself!" their mom called after him. She turned to Darry and Ponyboy and added, "Could you boys help your dad with the garden? He's having a tough time."

"Sure." "Okay."

The pair of them dropped off their bags before heading to the garden, where their dad was setting up a fence to keep out all sort of beasts. Deer, auroks, and indriks were among the plethora of creatures that saw the Curtis garden as a buffet, and every so often, they had to repair or outright replace the fencing.

"Hey, Darry," Pony began.

"Don't, Ponyboy," Darry ground out. "Just... don't."

"Sorry," was the last thing Pony said before their dad caught sight of them.

Replacing the fence wasn't hard per se, but it was time-consuming. Darry was able to reinforce what their dad had already done with earthworks while Pony brought over materials and held stuff in place. They finished up just before dinner. Soda had returned gome, their dad had gone inside to clean up, and Darry was cleaning up and putting the tools they'd used back. The sun was starting to set, and Darry noticed that Pony was sitting on a large boulder near the garden. Sighing, Darry shook his head, trying to disperse the thoughts in his head that were telling him how awful and cruel he was, and approached his baby brother. Ponyboy didn't even budge when he approached; he merely at there, his knees pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. Darry wanted to say something, but what? What could he say to properly convey what he had been feeling? Where were the words?

"I'm sorry that I've been causing you so much pain, Darry," Ponyboy told him at long last, never taking his gaze off of the sunset. "I should've died that day."

"Ponyboy, don't say that!" Darry nearly begged. Hearing such words come from his baby brother brought tears to his eyes.

"You've thought it too. I know you have," Ponyboy continued. He finally turned to Darry, a forlorn smile on his face. Never has he looked so sad. It broke Darry's heart.

"I'll find a way to break this bond we have," Ponyboy vowed. "I'll free you from this... from me."

"Pony..." Darry couldn't stop the tears. He had never thought he'd have a conversation like this now, and he hated that it was because of him.

"Don't hate yourself, Darry," Ponyboy said softly as he stood up. "I've never hated you, not even when you've hated me."

"Boys! Dinner is ready," their dad called out from the house.

Darry didn't follow Ponyboy inside. He was trying so hard to keep himself from bawling like a damn baby, but, much like many things in his life, he failed at that, too.

"Darry?" came Sodapop's voice, concern obvious in his voice.

"I... I gotta go," Darry croaked out before taking off.

The world around him gafed into a noiseless blur as he ran as hard and as fast as he could. Night was fast approaching; maybe he'd get lucky and accidently step on a death viper. Or maybe some other night creature would end his suffering. Alas, he didn't run into any such trouble. He did, however, find himself at a place he hadn't been to in seven years.

The faerie spring had changed little over the years. A few rocks had fallen and blocked the entrance, but they were easy enough for Darry to move. It felt nice to throw the rocks around as though they were nothing. Stepping into the cave, it was a tighter squeeze than he remembered, but he forged on ahead until he came to the spring. With a cry, he fell to his knees before the dried up spring, slamming his fists into the earth hard enough to break it, causing debris to scatter around him. Bowing his head, he cried his heart out, his tears watering the red earth.

"Why?!" he choked out through sobs. "Why did you...?!"

He slammed his fists again.

"I was a kid! He was a kid! We were just fucking kids!" Darry shouted, not caring if he caused a cave in. Actually, he'd prefer it.

No answer came. He was alone in the abandoned spring that smelled of dry earth and human body oder. His sweat mingled with his tears and snot in the dirt. Darry's body was wracked with sobs, and he couldn't help but inhale dirt with every pant and heave. Fingers gripped the dirt and dug into deep enough to leave gashes behind.

"Was this a joke to you?" he whispered, voice hoarse and his throat sore.

Darry was startled when the sound of laughter flowed through the cave, sounding much like the fae creature's laughter from seven years ago. Whipping his head back and forth, he couldn't see anything, not in the dark of the cave, but he felt the fae's magick in the air. A humorless laugh escaped him, and he sat up. Of course this had all been a joke. The fae folk were notorious for their jokes and pranks. Some were benevolent to mankind, while others... not so much. He had been a foolish kid, consumed by fear and guilt.

Not much had changed.

Feeling blissfully empty and numb, Darry stood up and began to leave the cave. Just before he rounded the bend that led toward the exit, he slammed his fists against the wall, creating cracks and causing rocks to tumble and fall. The cave shook around him as he continued toward the exit, the tunnel behind him closing with crumbling rock. After leaving the spring, Darry turned and watched the cave in, destroying the faerie spring within and ensuring that no one would be tricked ever again, not at that spring at least.

With his mind blank for once, he stumbled his way through the night towards home.

"Be sure to write to us," Mrs. Curtis told Darry as she straightened his jacket.

He had been accepted into an apprenticeship six hours away and was getting ready to board the train. Though part of him was sad to go, Darry was far too excited and relieved to let it linger. It would be the first time away from home, away from his family, away from Ponyboy. It felt like freedom at long last, and he was anxious for a taste of it. At eighteen, he was ready to put himself out there into the world and to the unlimited possibilities ahead of him.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, son," Mr. Curtis said after giving him a bear hug.

"Is my name Sodapop?" Darry countered with a smirk. Soda, with a mock look of shock, punch his arm playfully.

"At least I have fun. You should try it sometime," Soda shot back. "Kiss some pretty girls for me," he added with a wink.

"I don't kiss and tell, unlike you," Darry teased before ruffling Soda's hair.

Then he turned to Ponyboy, who had been distant and shy since that night two years ago. He had taken to leaning on Soda when he needed comfort and companionship when Johnny and Dally weren't around. Darry felt like he had no right to close that distance, so he hadn't. That didn't mean he loved Ponyboy less; he was bound to love him after all. Green-gray eyes met his blue-green ones.

"I'll miss you too, squirt," Darry told Ponyboy before he ruffled his hair, feeling the silken strands flow effortlessly through his fingers.

"Take care, Dare," Ponyboy said with a strained smile.

"I love you, guys," Darry told them before hopping on the train.

His apprenticeship was a stepping stone, a gateway to a better life, and he would be the first in the family to go beyond the confines of their small town, to attain greater heights. He would be on his own and able to live his own life for once. Darry waved goodbye as the train pulled away from the station, smiling to his family, with a lightness in his chest that he hadn't felt for a long time. Not even the sadness he felt could breach the elation coursing through his veins. Being away from Pony and Pony being away from him would be good for them both.

Despair and unyielding sorrow slice through him like a knife through butter. It was so potent, so palpable that it made his knees buckle. His eyes began to tear up, and he felt light-headed. Careful not to wake his roommate, Darry pulled on some pants and a shirt and made his way outside. Gray clouds rolled overhead, the telltale sign of an oncoming storm. The wind was whipping furiously around him, knocking over barrels, tools, and anything else unable to stand against it. That was when he heard it.

'Darry. Darry... come home. We need you.'

A whisper on the wind enveloped him, shrouding him for the briefest of moments before being carried away. That voice... that was Ponyboy. All of the blood drained from Darry's face. Everything that happened after that was a blur; packing his clothes, racing to the train station, and the wait. The six hour wait was, thankfully, a blank spot in his memory. It wasn't until the train pulled to a stop at the station did Darry come back to reality.

Dally was waiting for him, looking solemn and troubled.

"What's happened?" was the first thing out of Darry's mouth.

"Your parents are dead," Dally stated bluntly.

A cold chill came over him, and he stopped mid-step. There were times when Dally's brutal honesty was unnecessary, but Darry was glad to have it then. The shock would help him keep a level head for a while.

"Where are Soda and Ponyboy?" Darry inquired as he and Dally made their way to his friend's cart.

"At the house. Two-Bits and Johnny are with them," Dally explained as he sat down. Using his magick to manipulate the electricity in the humble vehicle, it started right up.

Neither of them spoke on the ride home, and Darry was grateful for the silence. Keeping his gaze focused ahead, the familiar landscape passed by, slowly being illuminated by the rising sun. When the family home came into view, Darry could make out a makeshift pyre out front, with two veiled bodies lying on top. Before the cart had even stopped, he had jumped off, running towards the front door. Sodapop and Ponyboy rushed outside, and the three brothers crashed into each other, falling onto the ground in one messy hug. Both of his younger brothers were crying, and Darry was trying to comfort both of them.

He got the story from Sodapop later, with the help of Two-Bits, speaking when the middle Curtis couldn't. Their parents had been in town when one of the buildings exploded in an attack caused by a roaming gang of bandits. They had been caught in the crossfire. The bandits hadn't made it out alive either, but there had been more casualties than the detention mages had accounted for. Compensation would be given to the families affected, but that wasn't much of a comfort.

Darry had just turned twenty. Sodapop would be turning seventeen this year. Ponyboy was thirteen. They needed someone to protect and take care of them. He wouldn't be leaving home any time soon. His apprenticeship was over, but that was far more preferable than having someone else take his brothers away just so he could return. Resolve and determination kept him stoic and strong for Soda and Pony, though even he had to admit that it had been a difficult countenance to maintain during the pyre burning. There have been too many ghoulcallers over the course of history on Avikko to bury the dead. Burning them was the only insurance to never having to see them risen from the grave.

It wasn't until later that night that Darry succumbed to his grief. Alone.

The distance between him and Ponyboy grew day by day.

Darry couldn't fathom how it would feel to just have only his pain to shoulder, but he could also feel Ponyboy's. He was acutely aware of how this bond was hurting them both and how his handling of it was making it worse. And now that he had to be both parent and brother, things between them only got harder. Though he would never admit it out loud, he felt lost and out of his depth. Supporting and providing for his brothers was difficult at the best of times, but watching his baby brother drift further and further away from him, and having it be due to his own fault, was torture. Never before had he felt so isolated.

Soda did his best to keep spirits up, and he rarely failed to make Darry laugh. He was also the one to comfort Ponyboy when the nightmares were too much. The days after their parents' funeral were strenuous for everyone. Darry was lucky enough to land a job working construction. It wasn't just the buildings that were destroyed during the bandit raid that needed restored; their small town was growing bigger every year. Was it ideal? No, but what choice did he have? While he worked, his brothers went to school or helped with the garden and other housework, which was a weight off his back.

As the days turned into months, the grief subsided, and a new normalcy settled on the Curtis homestead. Ponyboy buried himself in books, and when he wasn't reading, he was with Johnny, roaming the town. Soda, having never had a love for school or learning, quit going and got his own job to help Darry out. His good looks helped land him a job cleaning the trains that came and went through town. Two-Bits teased him about only getting the job to check out the pretty girls; Sodapop's lopsided grin at that was confirmation enough.

Life was tough, but manageable enough. Was Darry happy? Not really, no, but he didn't need to be, so long as he was able to see his brothers and friends smile. Ponyboy didn't smile as much anymore, but when he did, it gave off a light brighter than the sun. His baby brother was beautiful, and Darry wasn't the only one noticing.

Some of the richer kids in town took up the hobby of bullying and starting fights with the kids who weren't so fortunate in life. Granted, that division of rich and poor had always been a thing, but it had been getting worse over the past few years. That wasn't what worried Darry the most. Being told, and even sometimes seeing, Ponyboy being cat-called and harassed by those rich kids whenever he was in town kept him awake at night. Soda's told him about the things they've said to Ponyboy, things that made his blood boil. Every time he told Pony to be more careful, he was met with resistance.

"Ponyboy, you're just a kid. Don't walk alone."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Why didn't you have Two-Bits or Johnny with you?"

"I forgot. It's not a big deal."

"How many times have I told you not to walk alone?"

"I know, I know."

"If you know, then why don't you do it?"

"If you're so worried about it, why don't you be my escort then?"

"For someone so smart, you don't use your head."

"Sorry I can't be as smart as you, Darry."

"You need to think, Ponyboy! If those kids gang up on you alone, what will you do?"

"Uh, run?"

Ponyboy was utterly frustrating; frustrating, stubborn, sensitive, and beautiful.

So beautiful. Too beautiful.

The bond between them was, indeed, a curse because Darry found himself thinking too often how he'd love to hold Ponyboy like a lover would, to kiss those lips and see if they were as soft as they looked, and to touch him. Such thoughts came out of nowhere and startled him when they first began. Like a slap to the face, or a bucket of cold water being dumped on one's head, they'd rear up in his mind and leave as soon as they arrived, leaving him dumbstruck and confounded. Truthfully, he had his suspicions that this was the route the soul bond would go based on how the fae folk loved to tease and torment; he loathed that he was right in this circumstance. Resistance, he knew, was futile, but he still struggled and fought, further burdening both his and Pony's souls. He couldn't stop the compulsion, even knowing that it just made things worse. Any Curtis worth their salt would never surrender if they could help it, and as archaic as such a mindset was, it kept him grounded and level-headed.

Or so he thought.

All of the pain, despair, and frustration finally came to a head one night when Ponyboy had stayed out too late. He'd been with Johnny - the two of them were thicker than thieves most days - and had 'lost track of time'. Darry was exhausted from working so much, balancing being a parent and sibling, and from Ponyboy's attitude, and he lost control. Only for a second did his cool, collected facade falter, but in that second, he did something atrocious. Without even thinking about it, he slapped his baby brother across the face, leaving a red mark on his face. It was like he was a bystander watching the scene play in his head. Disgust, horror, and disbelief at himself surged through his veins like lightning.

But it was the look that Ponyboy gave him that shattered his already broken heart into miniscule pieces.

Betrayal, despair, confusion, and fear were among the mant emotions apparent in his green-gray eyes. It was the fear that struck Darry's heart and soul the most. While he had been in many fights back in the day, he had never raised a hand to his brothers. Wrestling? Sure. Ruffling hair? Absolutely. But he had never hit them until now. He could blame Ponyboy for running from the house. When Soda made to run after him, Darry found his voice.

"Let him go for now," Darry told him, his voice sounding hollow and foreign to his own ears. "He'll come back... I hope."

"Yeah, he just... he just needs time to cool off," Soda said. "You both do."

"Fuck..." Darry mumbled as he crumpled into their dad's chair - his chair now. He put his head in his hands and gazed down at the floor in shock.

"Darry, what's goin' on with you?" Sodapop asked, his voice gentle and kind. He crouched down beside him and waited patiently for his brother to speak.

"I never told you, did I?" Darry spoke. His hands were shaking and he felt as though he might puke.

"Tell me what?" Soda titled his head to the side, reminiscent of a hound. Without looking at his brother, Darry began to explain.

"Back when I took Ponyboy to that faerie spring, there was a price I had to pay. If I hadn't paid it, it wouldn't have cured him," Darry said. "My soul was bond to his, and ever since then, I've been able to feel everything he feels and vice versa. Their exact words were: 'Your souls would forever be entwined. There'd be no life outside of him for you.'"

"Damn, Darrel, why didn't you ever tell me, or Mom and Dad?" Soda inquired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I didn't know how, and I didn't know if the cure would be revoked if I said anything. Besides," Darry continued with a humorless laugh, "the fae's words imply that I'd never have a normal love life, that Ponyboy would be the center of my universe. And I've been having these thoughts about him... thoughts an older brother shouldn't have about his baby brother.

"I've been trying to fight it, but I just make things worse for him, for me, for everyone. It feels like I've got another soul living inside of me."

At his admission, the dam broke; tears began to fall from his green-blue eyes. His body was wracked with sobs that shook him so hard he nearly fell off the chair. Soda wrapped his arms around him to steady and comfort him.

"Even when I've tried to be with someone else, everything in me rejects it, like I'm disgusted it's someone else."

"That's why you've never dated or nothing," Soda stated. Darry nodded.

"And now, Pony's scared of me," Darry whimpered. "I never wanted that, ever."

"I know that, Darrel," Soda comforted him.

Before another word could be said by either of them, a pain Darry had never experienced before came over him. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and he couldn't breathe. He was suffocating, and it brought him to his knees on the floor, the chair flipping backward from the velocity of it. Then, the pain became excruciating; it was like he was being ripped apart body, heart, and soul. Screams tumbled out of his mouth, and he clutched his neck, still trying to breathe. Soda tried to touch him, but that only caused more pain to rattle his being. Darry fell to the floor and writhed in agony, his limbs contorting in ways they never had before. Joining the pain was an invisible fire that engulfed his body. While he was feeling all of this down to his soul, physically, he was in perfect health, not counting the contortions. Darkness began to creep around the edges of his vision; he could hardly see or feel Soda trying to snap him out of this episode. Any efforts to bring Darry back were for naught.

With his body still in pain and feeling as though it were on fire, darkness claimed him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

~...~

~...~

~..~

Somewhere on the distant plane of Arcavios, an unconscious Ponyboy materialized.

Part One End