Soul Bond Part 2

The pain had been excruciating and more intense than anything he had felt before. Not even the death viper's bite was as awful.

Ponyboy had never told his parents or brothers that he was being bullied at school. Johnny knew, but his lips were sealed after promising the younger boy to not say anything. Things were already rough, what with Darrel putting up a wall between them, a wall that never failed to hurt Pony. He understood the why well enough; his eldest brother had his own life, and he didn't want to be stuck with his kid brother, not anymore than he already was.

It was hard to wrap his head around it at first, but Pony eventually came to understand what he shared with Darry and the why. Had their roles been reversed, he probably would've done the same thing. Perhaps it was because of his young age that he had accepted their soul bond so much easier than the older boy. When describing it to Johnny, he had said it was like having a piece of his brother's soul inside of him. He could feel everything Darry felt, knew when he was hurt, and could even pick up on his thoughts. Plus, his own magick had awakened with Darry's. They were connected on a deeper level than they were with anyone else in their lives. For Ponyboy, it was a blessing.

For Darry, it was a burden.

So, when Darry began to distance himself, Pony didn't say anything about it, didn't try to convince him or talk him out of it. He just kept to himself, letting that yawning divide grow ever larger by the day. There had been plenty of times it brought him to tears, and he did his best to keep it to himself. How well he succeeded, he didn't know. Darry was still a part of him, but he was out of reach; his constant companion had transformed into the familiar stranger. As they drifted apart, Pony sought comfort and solace in Sodapop. While it wasn't the same comfort, warmth, and protection that Darry provided, it was good enough. Soda never told a soul about Ponyboy being bullied, though he was even more vigilant during school.

By the time their parents died, Ponyboy didn't even really know Darry anymore. His brother was stressed, overwhelmed, and working constantly; adding that to the wall between them, there was no way that Pony would tell him about the bullies. He even lied to Soda, saying that things had gotten better. In hindsight, he should have been honest.

After Darry slapped him, Pony ran from their house, ran to the small park that had a fountain, and an occupant. Johnny had been there, as he preferred to be anywhere other than home. Ever the quiet, supportive friend, he listened to Ponyboy as he explained what had happened. Then, their tormentors showed up. Kids who had been born into rich families and who loved to put down those with less. They didn't care for Johnny, but Ponyboy was their favorite target, having excelled at his magick more so than anyone else in his class. And being the youngest in their class meant that he was an easy target.

He and Johnny had no chance of winning in a fight or fleeing, as they had been quickly surrounded and were outnumbered. Bob, their leader, had dragged Ponyboy to the fountain and tried to drown him. While he was drowning and dying, he felt a blistering hot pain erupt throughout his body. It was inescapable as he could feel it outside and in. The heat of the pain was so intense that it felt like his skin was going to melt off of his bones. Pony wasn't sure what made him lose consciousness: being drowned or the pain. For the longest time, there was only darkness, pain, and sorrow, a sorrow so deep that it felt like a part of himself had truly died.

When he finally awoke, he was in a room he didn't recognize, with plants and decorations that were utterly foreign to him. His body felt stiff and heavy; he must have been out for a long time. Ponyboy tried to sit up, but pain shot through his body, a full body ache that burned and itched.

"You should rest," came a voice to the left of his bed. Looking over, he saw a woman in black, with her hair in a bun, and markings etched into her skin.

"Who are you?" he asked in a croaked voice.

"I could ask you the same, young one," she shot back.

"I'm Ponyboy Curtis."

"Such a curious name," she commented, looking bemused. "You may call me Professor Onyx."

"Professor... You're a teacher," he stated dumbly. She nodded. "So... I'm at a school?"

"Yes. Strixhaven, to be exact," Professor Onyx affirmed. "You've been here for three days. One of our students found you unconscious near the Witherbloom campus."

"Three days..."

"When one's spark ignites, it can often have traumatic effects on the body. The student who found you believes you were drowning when your spark ignited, given how wet you were," Professor Onyx explained. "Though, I don't think you've only suffered from nearly drowning."

"What makes you think that?" he inquired.

"I've seen souls torn apart during my time, so I know what they look like," she answered, giving him a firm stare.

"I..." he began but stopped.

Something was wrong, very wrong. He couldn't feel Darry anymore. Even when they were drifting apart, he could always feel his older brother. There had always been a part of Darry's soul dwelling inside of him since he was three. But now... that part was missing. Gone. Ponyboy felt empty at the loss, almost hollow. Tears started tumbling down his cheeks. Looking down his shirt, he saw that the scar over his heart, the one made of small, needle-like faerie teeth, was gone.

"I'll leave you be for now," Professor Onyx said as she left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

Ponyboy didn't want to be there; he wanted to be at home with his brothers and his friends. His body shook with the ferocity of his sobs, and he eventually threw up because of it. Exhausted and feeling more lost and alone than he ever had been before, he fell asleep.

Professor Onyx took pity on him. Once he had his strength back and was well enough, she explained to him what sparks and planeswalkers were, as well as the vastness that was the multiverse. He tried his best to keep up, but there were some things he just couldn't understand. It was all so strange and new. Until his own spark had awakened, he hadn't even known things like planeswalkers even existed. And to think that he was one...

"How many planeswalkers have you met?" Professor Onyx questioned one day.

"None," he replied.

"Hmmm..." she sounded. When she didn't elaborate further, Pony spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," she told him. "But you might be in for a surprise here soon."

"What'd you mean? Can you see the future or somethin'?" he inquired, his interest piqued. Though she had provided thorough explanations and answers to all of his questions, she never talked about her own experiences and past.

"No, but I've been alive long enough to be familiar with the threads that follow people around," she answered. As always, she was as cryptic and vague as she had been.

"Oh..."

Sure enough, after a week of being awake on Arcavios, the professor's prediction came to fruition. While walking outside by the Lorehold campus, a familiar voice called out his name.

"Ponyboy!"

Whipping his head around, Ponyboy gasped at the sight of Dalllas Winston stalking towards him. Relief flooded him, and he rushed forward towards his friend. Dally broke out in a sprint, nearly knocking the younger boy over when he hugged him tightly, lifting him off of the ground.

"Your brothers and the gang have been worried sick about you, kid," Dally said. Ponyboy was crying as he listened, clinging to Dally's jacket.

"I... I... I'm so-sorry, Dally. I didn't know," Ponyboy tried to explain. Dally cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, man. I've found you now."

"Dally, how... how did you even get here?"

"I can do it too, Pone," Dally replied. "I can planeswalk too."

"How come you didn't say anything?" Pony gasped.

"I told y'all I went to another town for a while," Dally said. "I didn't really know what I was myself at first. How d'you explain something like this?"

"You got a point there," Pony admitted.

"Damn right, I do. Now, let's you home, kid."

"How do we do that? I was unconscious when I did it the first time," the younger boy pointed out.

"Just think about home, concentrate real hard about it. Like, make it the only place you want to be right now," came Dally's instructions.

Closing his eyes, Ponyboy did as he was told, keeping the Curtis house at the forefront of his mind, letting memories of the place play behind his eyelids. Even if Darry truly hated him now, he wanted to be home so badly. Sodapop was still there, as was Johnny and Two-Bits. Everything familiar to him was there, so why would he want to be anywhere else? If the desire for adventure ever struck, then he'd leave again, but that time wasn't now. Now, all he wanted was to be home.

He felt the shift, the waver of his being, his essence, his soul. The feeling was foreign, odd, and slightly uncomfortable; it made his hands and feet tingle, much like a leg does when it falls asleep. A wave of nausea struck him, and his knees buckled slightly. Then, everything stopped, and it felt like he was on solid ground again. Slowly opening his eyes, Ponyboy found that he had appeared near the faerie spring that Darry had taken him eleven years prior. It was late evening. The sun hadn't started sinking beneath the horizon just yet, so there was plenty of light to see by. Looking around, he didn't see Dally, but the older boy had never said just where they'd materialize at.

Being on his home plane felt good and right. Ponyboy made his way across the desertscape towards his home, where his brothers were probably waiting. Soda would be happy to see him, but Darry was probably furious. Just thinking about him made Pony's heart ache. For a brief moment, he contemplated leaving, going to some other plane far, far away, where Darry couldn't reach him. That wouldn't solve anything though; the pain of losing the piece of Darry's soul would forever be with him mo matter where he went. And really, the issue was that he felt he had lost Darry altogether, even before their soul bond was shattered. It hadn't even been two full weeks, but it felt like a lifetime. He didn't like how it felt; he didn't like that Darry seemed even further away from him now than he had ever been.

But he missed his brothers, his friends, and his home, and leaving after returning would only cause the pain and ache he felt to grow worse. So, he started walking, taking his time just in case he wasn't quite adjusted from planeswalking. Dusk officially crept in during his journey, and when the house came into view, he felt a rush of relief that he hadn't been expecting. Everyone was waiting outside: Sodapop, Johnny, Two-Bits, Dally, and Darry. Even with the night encroaching upon them, Ponyboy met Darry's eyes from across the way. Immediately, the elder was on his feet and running towards him, with Soda close on his heels.

Emotion welled up inside of him, settling in his throat and causing tears to prick his eyes. Without thinking about it, he began to run towards his family. Darry reached him first, enveloping him in a bear hug and crying into his shirt. Soda crashed into them, causing all three brothers to tumble onto the ground, covering themselves in dirt and dust. They were all crying and desperate to hold onto one another, silently affirming that they were real and together again.

"Ponyboy, I... I'm so, so sorry," Darry sobbed into his neck. Ponyboy couldn't recall the last time he had seen his older brother shed tears, yet he was doing so now openly, letting the whole gang see them. "Please believe me; I didn't mean it. I... I never want to hurt you, not ever."

"I'm sorry too, Darry," Pony cried, clinging to his brother as though his very life depended on it. "I shouldn't have pushed you; I should've listened. I was being a real jerk."

"Nah, you both were bein' real jerks," Soda commented, smiling through his tears.

"It's so good to have ya back, Pone!" Two-Bits shouted as he jumped on off the brothers, laughing like a maniac while he hugged whoever he could reach.

"Don't scare me like that again, Ponyboy Curtis," came Johnny's voice. Looking up, the quiet teen was sitting beside him, crying, but happy to see him.

"Aw, c'mere, Johnnycakes!" Two-Bits hollered before he dragged Johnny down into the dog pile.

"Y'all are crazy," Dally said, though he was fitting to suppress a smile.

"You say that now, but you're about to join us," Two-Bits grinned up at him.

"And what makes you -" Before Dally could finish, Soda had grabbed his jacket and pulled him down, causing him to flail awkwardly on top of Johnny and Ponyboy. "Soda, you son of a-"

Dally's voice was drowned out by Two-Bits' and Soda's laughter. Being forcibly cuddled by his friends slowly broke the mean and tough persona he was trying to keep intact. Two-Bits and Soda began to wrestle each other in the dirt, kicking and flailing all over the ground. They nearly kicked Darry in the head and Dally in the groin. Ponyboy couldn't stop smiling, feeling lighter already. Warm breath tickled his neck, and he looked to see that Darry was nuzzling the exposed skin, laughing through his tears. Suddenly, the world around them, Soda and the gang, faded away, and they were the only two left in the whole world.

"I really am truly sorry, Ponyboy," Darry confessed, opening his eyes to look up at him.

Darry looked awful. There were deep, dark circles under his haunted eyes. He looked pale and much older than twenty, and it appeared as though he had lost some weight. Regret, despair, exhaustion, and love were plain to see on Darry's face. Seeing him look so broken and downtrodden tugged at Pony's heart.

"Darry, it's not your fault. I was being stupid, stubborn, and reckless," Pony told him. "But if it'll make you feel better, I accept your apology. And I'm sorry too."

"Don't ever leave me like that again," Darry pleaded desperately. "I don't think I could handle it again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Darry," Ponyboy promised.

After a while, their small gang went inside the house, leaving the dark of the night behind. Sodapop and Johnny started making dinner while Dally and Two-Bits talked and pickerel. Darry sat at the kitchen table, which was littered with newspapers and bills. Ponyboy made his way to the bathroom, ready to take a shower in his own home. The feel of the hot water raining down on him was euphoric. There was just something about being able to bathe in one's own home that was a pleasure unlike any other. Strixhaven had beautiful bathrooms and all of that, but they paled in comparison to the comfort and familiarity of his own.

Being home almost felt like a dream. Professor Onyx had been kind and had taught him some things, but Ponyboy wasn't confident he could've returned home had Dally not showed up. Having his friend there with him gave him something familiar to hold on to. Just thinking about being left to his own devices without any help or support, with no idea what to do, was terrifying. He didn't like it much. So, he was very grateful to be home, with his brothers and his friends. Sinking down into a seated position, Pony just let the water cleanse him, body, heart, and soul. Though he and Darry had lost their soul connection, he was feeling more whole now that he was home and his brother was close by. There was a sturdiness and strength to him now that he had returned home. On Arcavios, he had felt untethered, like he might fly away with the wind he could control. But now, he was on solid ground at long last, and he wasn't in danger of being carried away by a strong gust.

By the time he was ready to get out, the water had run cold. Dinner, that night, had never tasted so good.

Days passed by quickly. Things started going back to a new normal, a normal where Darry wasn't exerting so much pressure on Ponyboy and where Pony wasn't antagonizing and defiant. They weren't walking on eggshells perse, but they were dancing around each other, not openly acknowledging their severed soul bond. Soda was even more affectionate than normal, constantly cuddling Pony, ruffling his hair, kissing his forehead or temples, almost as though he was afraid that his baby brother would vanish before his eyes. It warmed his heart. Even Darry had taken to hugging him and telling him that he loved him more often. Hearing those words from Darry made his heart swell.

Johnny nearly wept as they walked to school on Ponyboy's first day back.

"You scared me to death, disappearing in that strange, sparkly light," Johnny told him. "I didn't know you was like Dally."

"I didn't even know Dally could do that," Ponyboy protested softly. "Or that I could."

"None of us did until I told Dally what I saw. Then he told the gang and set off lookin' for you," Johnny said. "Damn, Pone, I was scared they had killed you."

"So was I, Johnnycakes," Pony admitted. "But I didn't."

"Y'know, Darry was a wreck while you were missin'," Johnny continued.

"He was?"

"Yeah! He didn't really eat and he only slept when he passed out from exhaustion," Johnny replied. "I reckon he lost a few good years worrying about you."

"I was wondering why he looked so..." he trailed off.

"Rough?" Johnny offered.

"Yeah..." Pony trailed off quietly.

"I wish my parents cared about me like Darry cares about you," Johnny confessed, sounding small and meek.

"You don't need 'em," Ponyboy said resolutely. "You've got us, and we love you a whole heck of a lot."

"Thanks, Ponyboy," Johnny said with a small smile.

With a deep, steadying breath, Ponyboy knocked on the door as loudly as he dared, trying not to wake Sodapop.

"Come in," called Darry's voice. Trying to stifle his nerves, Ponyboy opened the door.

Upon seeing him, Darry started sitting up but stopped when the younger boy shook his head. Getting the message, he pulled up his blankets, and Ponyboy tucked himself in beside his brother. He laid his head on Darry's bare chest and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his arms wrap around him. Listening to his heartbeat, he finally felt complete, and he allowed his body to relax. Strong hands stroked his back and his sides, and though the fingers were rough with calluses, the touch itself was gentle, tender, and loving.

"I've missed you," Darry broke the silence first. Ponyboy smiled and nuzzled his chest affectionately.

"I feel the same, Dare," he answered.

"I... I never hated you or anything, Ponyboy," Darry told him. "I could never. I just... I felt... caged."

"I know you did. I'm sorry that I made it difficult for you," Pony apologized. "Just because I was fine with it doesn't mean that you had to be."
"I'd do it again, though. If it came down to it," Darry swore. "If it would save you, or keep you alive, I'd give anything."

"You give enough, Darrel," came his objection. "You should take for once."

"And what would you have me take?" Darry inquired quietly. His heart was beating just as fast as Ponyboy's.

"My first kiss, for one," Pony said, lifting his head to look up at his brother.

Blue-green eyes met green-gray ones. All of the words they wanted to say but failed to; all of the feelings they wanted to convey but just couldn't properly vocalize reflected vividly in their eyes. The world around them faded away, leaving just the two of them behind. Darry swallowed thickly.

"You'd... you'd be fine with me being your first kiss?" His voice was a whisper, soft, gentle, and full of awe and wonder, as though he were gazing upon a magnificent specter.

"I'm fine with you being my first for everything," Ponyboy said. "But a kiss is all I want for now.

"So, are you going to take it or not?"

"I... I'm gonna take it," Darry stated.

And he did.

"So you two are fuckin' now?" Dally asked nonchalantly, looking completely unphased. Johnny nearly choked on his drink.

"Dally! Don't say it like that," Johnny grumbled. "At least not while I'm drinking."

"Sorry, Johnny."

"We're all thinkin' it," Two-Bits added. "No hate or anything; we're just being nosy."

"Is it ever just curiosity with you, Two-Bits?" Darry exasperated, pinching the bridge of his nose all the while suppressing a smile.

"What, can't I ask? I love to learn," Two-Bits said. "And I, personally, wanna know what you're both like in bed."

"Two-Bits!" Ponyboy gasped, a fierce blush creeping up his neck.

"Keith!" Darry yelled, looking just as mortified as Pony.

"What? I just wanna know!" Two-Bits protested. "Is Darry big or not?"

"That's enough outta you!" cried Sodapop before tackling Two-Bits to the floor, causing the kitchen table to shift and knocking over two chairs.

"Stop it before you break something!" Darry roared, trying to be heard over the raucous laughter.

"You didn't answer the question," Dally pointed out, a smug smirk on his face.

"It's none of your business," Darry stated.

"You know I won't stop askin', Darrel," Dally countered.

"We haven't done it," Pony said before Darry could respond. "I wanted to wait, so we are."

"Thank you, Ponyboy," Dally said before turning an arched brow to Darry. "See? Was that so hard."

"Not yet, but it will be!" Two-Bits cackled before Soda got him in a chokehold.

"You're not the one who's gonna have to listen to it when they do!" Soda shouted.

Ponyboy watched as the two of them continued to wrestle and fight. Darry looked like he wanted to curl up and die from embarrassment. Not that he was embarrassed by Pony, but he had always been a bit of a prude compared to the rest of the gang, though the youngest Curtis did have that in common with him. Though he couldn't feel what Darry felt, Ponyboy did believe that their relationship was stronger now than ever. Love had bound them together as little kids, and love had brought them back from the brink of destruction.

Getting up from his seat, Ponyboy made his way out onto the front porch to watch the sunset. Lost in its beauty, he didn't notice when Darry came up behind him until he felt his arms wrap around his shoulders and his chin rest on his head.

Together, once more, they watched the sunset.