A/N: can't believe it's been a year! med school has kept me very busy so that has led to this VERY long delay. I would like to thank everyone who messaged me over the past several months and asked when I would be finishing this. You guys kept me motivated and now that I'm on summer break, I'll finally be finishing this up! This chapter picks up right where the last one left off.


Elena stared, wondering if she had heard correctly. "You cast the curse?" She whirled around to look at Damon accusingly, "Why didn't you bring me to her before!?"

He didn't look the least bit apologetic. "Be thankful I've brought you now."

Her anger flared.

Bonnie held up a hand to Damon, her palm out. "Leave us."

This time, he did look offended. "I most certainly will not."

"Do you not trust your queen in my presence?" The corners of her lips curved. "Wise move. I wouldn't trust the company of someone I'd imprisoned for 10 years either."

Elena gaped, "You've been a prisoner for 10 years?"

Bonnie glanced at her, exasperation crossing her face. "You might not remember anything, my queen, but I trust you to recognize that we are in the dungeons."

The words came unbidden to her lips. "Tell me what I need to know and I'll work on getting you released."

Bonnie let out a short, unamused laugh. "Look at that, your majesty, she speaks like a queen already."

Elena felt heat rush to her cheeks. Damon was staring at her in undisguised surprise. "Where did that come from?"

"I…I don't know." She noticed his disbelieving expression. Her hands clenched into fists at her side, "I'm telling the truth."

"Let it go, Damon," Bonnie finally spoke, her tone callous. "The spell cannot truly take away who she was." She stopped, and amended. "Who she is."

Elena frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ignore her," Damon studiously examined the dungeon walls. "She's just in a bad mood."

"You try sitting down here with no one for company besides Caroline's incessant chatter," Bonnie shot back, "And see who's in a bad mood then."

Damon's mouth flattened in distaste.

"Was I not..." Elena's voice gave out. She tried again weakly, "Am I not a good person?"

Bonnie's eyes widened fractionally. When she spoke again, her voice was deceptively casual. "I didn't mean anything by it, my queen. Forgive me."

Elena pressed her lips together, wondering if she should point out that the witch wasn't being entirely honest. She glanced at Damon, but his face was hidden in shadow. She looked back at Bonnie, considering. "Please," she said finally, "It's driving me crazy, not knowing what everyone else does. Can you tell me about the curse?"

Bonnie hesitated. Elena didn't miss that the witch's eyes slid to Damon's, as though asking for permission.

"Tell her," he said, though for once his voice sounded uneven. "She deserves to know."

Bonnie pressed her fingertips together, looking contemplative. "I don't know how much you remember or how much you've managed to piece together since you arrived." She paused, "This is Mystic Falls. The real one."

"Where am I from, then?" Elena snapped, "The fake one?"

Bonnie's expression flickered. "You're from here." She shifted slightly, "Everyone's from here. Even the ones that aren't here."

"Will you be speaking in riddles for the rest of this little story? Because if so, I'll see myself out."

Damon's shadow fell across her as he suddenly moved to her side. She jumped as his hand brushed across her lower back. "Patience," he murmured, his breath caressing her ear. "Bonnie alone can answer your questions. Do not anger her."

Elena straightened, but (either consciously or subconsciously) didn't move out of his reach. His hand stayed on her back, something that Bonnie's sharp gaze didn't miss. "I'm not speaking in riddles," she said abruptly. "I was ordered to cast this curse 10 years ago. If I didn't do it, she threatened to burn the entire Bennett bloodline to the ground."

"Who?" Elena leaned forward in spite of herself, not noticing as Damon's hand dropped away. "Who ordered you?"

"Her name is Katerina," Bonnie was watching her closely now. "Does the name seem familiar to you?"

Elena shook her head.

"She sought to weaken the kingdom, to take it for her own. The curse split the kingdom, taking half the citizens and throwing them into another dimension. One that is equal but separate to our reality. A mirror image."

With those words, Bonnie picked up a silver water jug that was sitting on the floor next to her and spilled its contents. Elena watched silently, enthralled, as the puddle grew, the water nearly touching her feet. The witch waved a hand, and the water shimmered. Then Elena gasped, falling to her knees as she recognized her home. "Aunt Jenna!"

"She can't hear you," Bonnie waved her hand again, and the image disappeared. "Jenna doesn't remember. I suspect most people don't."

Elena's mind reeled, struggling to take in all this information. "I don't understand. Why make the curse at all? To what end?"

Bonnie didn't meet Elena's eyes. "To get rid of the rightful heir, of course."

Elena jabbed a finger in Damon's direction, "But he's still here!"

"I rule this kingdom," Damon stepped into her line of vision. He was staring at her intently, again waiting for her to figure something out.

She stared back, frustration clouding her vision. "Yes, that's what I said."

"Katerina owns a different kingdom, as I'm sure you've surmised," Bonnie cut in, "And she has slowly been conquering other territories for the past 10 years. Her people are strong, and she no doubt has other witches working for her now."

"You met one of her people," Damon spat out the word, making his disdain clear. "Earlier today, remember?"

So much had happened in the span of two days that it took Elena a moment to get her bearings. She closed her eyes, trying to think. Dark brown eyes flashed across her vision. Eyes that had known too much. "Elijah," she whispered, remembering. She opened her eyes to see Damon looking at her, his face carefully blank. "He works for her?"

"Works?" Bonnie's nose wrinkled, "I guess you could say that."

"The fool fancies himself in love with her," Damon corrected coldly. "And he deserves what he gets, whatever end that may be."

Elena's mouth dropped open. "But he seemed so..." Words failed her, however, and she let the sentence hang, unsure of what to say. It was clear Damon despised him, and she didn't want to have another argument with him. Not when answers were so close.

"Elijah is not a bad person," Bonnie's voice was reassuring, as though she wanted to make sure Elena didn't leave with a skewed idea of their enemies. "He is, as Damon so eloquently put it, a fool in love."

Elena shelved this information aside to be dealt with at a later time. "You said she wanted the curse cast to weaken this kingdom, but yet..." She glanced around, half expecting Katerina herself to materialize. "It doesn't seem she has succeeded in conquering this one."

"Not this one," Damon agreed darkly, and his eyes glimmered in the dim light. "Over my dead body."

Bonnie scowled at him, "Don't say that. You know she would be more than happy to take you up on that offer."

Damon's expression relaxed, but his teasing tone sounded forced. "Careful, I might start to think you care for me after all."

Elena very much wanted to strangle somebody. "You still haven't explained anything."

"I've explained quite a lot," Bonnie countered. A grin flitted across her face and she glanced at Damon. "She certainly has the Petrova fire."

Elena jerked back, the name resonating within her chest. Both Damon and Bonnie looked at her in surprise.

"Do you recognize the name?" Bonnie demanded, "What do you remember?"

"N-nothing," Elena stammered, rubbing a hand across her chest, trying to ease the stinging sensation. "It just sounded…familiar. Like I'd heard it before."

"Enough," Stefan appeared behind her, his shoulders tensed in anger. "You've told her far too much already. You will bring Katerina's wrath upon Mystic Falls, and I won't allow it."

Elena expected Damon to disagree, but he just stood there silently. When he noticed her staring, he shrugged. "Sometimes my brother is right."

Bonnie stood. "As you've no doubt surmised, there was a gag rule built into the curse. No one could speak to you of it directly and no one could force you to remember before you were ready. I made the curse, so she didn't know that I created a loophole for myself." She paused, glancing at Stefan who looked increasingly agitated. "Katerina threatened that she would kill anyone who found a way to break the rules." Bonnie took a deep breath, "She tied the curse to your 18th birthday, Elena. The curse could only be broken after you turned 18, which is why these two were so desperate to get you back."

Damon threw Bonnie a sharp glance, "We were all desperate to get her back."

For once, the witch glanced downwards in deference. "Yes," she agreed quickly, "I misspoke."

There were still a million questions Elena wanted to ask, but it was obvious Stefan would drag them out if they lingered any longer. She finally settled on the most important one, determination steeling her gaze. "Tell me how to break the curse."