This is my first story on FanFiction. I am genuinely so excited about this. I have put a lot of time and work into this, and I am truly proud. It is a story about all of the characters, but most importantly a Damon & Elena story.

Prologue

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky - seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." - Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

...

Elena Gilbert considered herself a compassionate person. Priding herself in her warmth, she went out of her way to show kindness to those around her, always putting their needs above her own. So it baffled her mind that no one was ever truly happy in Mystic Falls. She tried her hardest to make sure everyone was okay, and nobody ever was.

The days after Alaric's passing particularly stood out as a period of time Elena never wanted to remember. She felt she'd been to way to way too many funerals for someone who was so young. The black dress she put aside for mourning was wearing out, as if it, too, was crying for the loved ones it had lost.

Now that she was a vampire - Elena cringed at the word - her heightened sense of feeling threatened to do her in once and for all. Her parents' and Jenna's funerals were heart-wrenching, but they were somewhat bearable; she was merely human then. Her vampiric self did not have the control her human self did, and she constantly found herself curled up in the fetal position, her hands muffling her sobs. She didn't know how Jeremy managed to live with her.

It was fitting, thought Elena, that she spent most of her time in a graveyard, sitting in front of her parents' grave with her diary.

Her newly sensitive ears perked up as she heard someone approaching, and she whipped her head around, only to see Matt walking toward her. Elena gave him a tentative smile; she hadn't talked to him alone since he'd let her drink from him.

"Hey," greeted Matt, plopping down beside her.

Elena's smile grew wider. "Hi."

The silence that followed put Elena at ease. Even when they were dating and she didn't know if he was what he wanted, Matt's presence had a calming effect on Elena. He had always been the most stable out of all of them. Maybe that was how he had escaped turning into one of the supernatural for this long.

"Do you want to go see Alaric?" asked Matt after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

As if on cue, they heard a mocking voice behind them that could only belong to one person.

"Somehow I don't think Alaric appreciates everyone being annoyingly sentimental over him," said Damon sarcastically, making his way toward them.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him, Elena took in the man standing in front of her. There was a time in which Damon Salvatore had been a mystery to her, someone who was always in motion and would never be figured out. She had caught him, though, in the months when Stefan had gone, when it had just been the two of them, and he had opened himself up to her in ways she suspected he'd never done to anyone else.

That was how Elena knew that Damon Salvatore was hurting.

She could see it in his eyes, in the way he slumped his shoulders, how he refused to meet anyone's eyes. Even his snark didn't bite as much anymore. Damon was in pain, and Elena suspected that she would have sensed this immediately even without her new vampire powers.

Matt furrowed his eyebrows. "You think Alaric wouldn't want us visiting his grave?"

"No. I think Alaric wouldn't want you weeping over him like a bunch of babies," Damon replied, glaring at Matt. Elena moved closer to Matt just in case Damon got any ideas. She was sure that he pretty much still wanted to rip Matt's head off.

"Is there a reason you're here?" asked Elena, crossing her arms. "Or are you just stalking me?"

She didn't mean to come off as a bitch, not really, but Stefan was still angry at her because of the whole 'drinking-from-Damon' situation, and she wasn't feeling very charitable toward Damon right now.

"Ooh," said Damon, smirking at her, "sassy."

"Damon."

"I'm going on a little road trip," he clarified, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Elena blinked, having not expected him to spring that on her. She had become so used to having him around constantly, she couldn't even imagine life without him. It was shocking how much her life had changed in the past year. She was actually disappointed that Damon was leaving town.

"Why?" she inquired, looking down at the ground.

Damon kicked a pebble away from him. "We need reinforcements if we're going to be able to take down this new vampire hunter. He's crafty."

"You mean Colin?" asked Matt.

"No," said Damon immediately, "the other deadly vampire hunter with vervain-soaked gloves who just came to town."

"What reinforcements?" Elena pushed, ignoring their argument.

Damon finally looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm going to find Katherine."

Caroline was sure that she'd never been this content in her entire life. Lying beside Tyler in bed was quite possibly her favorite place in the world. They were warm and comfy under the covers, and his deep breathing as he slept calmed her like nothing else could. She was embarrassed to admit that these days, she could not sleep without him next to her.

She'd read somewhere that everyone had a kindred spirit - a person who they could share anything and everything with, one who related to them more than anyone. She was sure she had found hers the night he plucked up the courage to kiss her in front of her front door.

Sighing, she moved to shake him awake, laughing a little as he scrunched up his nose.

"Tyler. You have to go." He didn't budge, only pulling her closer. "Tyler!" she squealed, beating against his bare chest.

He kissed the top of her head. "Five more minutes."

What she wouldn't give to be able to lie next to him for the rest of his life. It almost seemed as if the world was conspiring against them, always throwing a new obstacle in the way of their finally being together. She regularly felt like screaming and crying and throwing a tantrum at the unfairness of it all. She loved him, and he loved her; it should have been as simple as that.

"Tyler," she urged again. "Colin."

That one name was enough to make sure that he was wide awake. They'd known that this moment was coming, but they had held off on actually discussing it. Caroline had always been all about being positive and looking on the bright side, and her sunshiny outlook had passed on to the naturally cynical Tyler at some point during their relationship. She sometimes lamented that his realistic view had been tainted by her tendency to block out everything that was unpleasant.

"Colin," he breathed, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. "Right."

Being on the run from a vicious vampire hunter was not on his bucket list, she was sure. It felt like they were always on the run from something, always hiding and hoping that everything would turn out okay.

Nothing ever did. Not really.

"Do you really think that this will work?" he asked, his voice searching. "That Katherine'll be able to help?"

Scanning his face, she came to the conclusion that she was tired. She had been irreversibly sad for so long, and then she was angry, and now she was just plain tired. Tired of people dying. Tired of having the ones she loved being taken away from her. So extremely tired of never getting to be truly happy.

Optimism, she told herself, pasting a smile on her face.

"I believe in anything that will bring you back home to me." [1]

Stefan Salvatore had spent much of his life completely alone. Throughout his days as the Ripper and the more peaceful years that followed, he had never been surrounded by much other than his books. Returning to Mystic Falls had allowed to make bonds countless people, including his previously estranged brother. He had a family here.

Maybe it was better not to love people at all, if it meant you would lose them someday. The loneliness that had been his shadow for so many years seemed to be catching up with him again. He couldn't run fast enough to lose it completely.

Watching Damon and Tyler get ready to go on their road trip made him feel more lonely than he had felt in years. Once again, his brother was being taken away from him in the name of fighting the enemy. It didn't seem fair. His days as a human had been much simpler, with Damon always at his side, protecting him, making sure nothing bad happened to him. Stefan could not remember looking up to anyone more than he did to his older brother as a human.

How he wished to be able to convince the ones he needed to stay with him to not go away. To gently rise and softly call, he mused. [2]

He observed Damon climb into the car, Tyler on the other side. He saw as Elena waved to them, a sad smile on her face, her eyes burning into Damon's as if they were sharing a secret only they knew.

Elena. Yet another person he was losing.

Stefan Salvatore had spent much of his life alone, and he didn't want to do it anymore.

Mystic Falls, the year 1207

Candles floating around them, three witches stood facing each other. The cave they resided in gave the feel of a place to stay away far away from, what with its crumbling walls and dark corners. Run, it seemed to be saying, Run before I get you.

The witches - not so easily frightened by a mere cave - clasped hands and proceeded to chant in Latin. A passerby would not have had a clue what they were saying, but had he or she known, that person would have fled from the premises in a flash. One of the witches lowered her hood, revealing a surprisingly young, beautiful face. Her flowing dark hair appeared perfect, even after spending so long tucked into the hood.

"Sisters," she began, surveying the other two, "as we all know, our town has been under siege. We have contracted an epidemic, one so large, it may well cause the end of life as we know it."

The others nodded in agreement, motioning for her to go on. "So at this moment, I decree this: where there stands a creature of the night, there shall be a hunter!"

The candles went out, and the cackles of the witches were heard by none except for the small animals who dared to live in the cave.

[1] A slight rewording of a line from one of my favorite songs, "Signs" by Bloc Party. I highly recommend listening to it, especially while reading this story.

[2] I loved this part of the beautiful Irish folk song, "The Parting Glass." Really, really fantastic song.

Thank you for reading. Please review and tell me what you think!