Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, only my original characters; Violetta, Eiji and Johnathon

Edited by: Me

AN: Not sure I'm entirely happy with this chapter, it seems unfinished but I couldn't get the complete ending that I needed. Damon probably appears too soft in this chapter but oh well. Only three chapters left of the story now ~ Zyii

25

The dawn of the morning bought the acceptance of Stefan into the Court of Fourteen, Damon also wanted to join but his initiation would happen later as more preparation was needed for that. There was that 'age old prophesy' after all.

Stefan sat down after his acceptance, dressed in his Court of Fourteen apparel and began to talk to Vi about the hardest days of his life. His friendship with her had now grown to the level that he could comfortably talk to her about things that he feared telling most others.

'You had a hard time in becoming a vampire I am told' said Vi.

'I did' replied Stefan.

'You feel better now that the hunger no longer consumes you?' she asked.

'I do but I am still a vampire am I not? Klaus, Bekah and Caroline as still vampires aren't they?' he asked.

'Yes you are still vampires, I couldn't erase everything as it would have ended your existence, but I took away the bloodlust and gave you back your control. I suppose to some you would appear as feeble vampires without bite but in truth you are stronger than the most fowl vampires that now roam the land' said Vi.

'I am glad you have blessed us with those gifts for I have long fought with myself over who I am and many times I have lost that battle' said Stefan.

'Lexi mentioned you were a ripper' said Vi.

'Sometimes I think I was worse than a ripper. I didn't care who I killed or what I did as long as the taste of blood was constant. I lived for the kill, for the fun and games of it all and I willingly took innocent life so that I could live longer. I was an abomination and since Lexi found me and helped me return from the state of being a ripper I have pledged my life to making up for the mistakes I have made' said Stefan.

'That is a heavy burden to bear and one you have held onto for far too long' said Vi.

'I cannot stop the guilt from eating me up' said Stefan.

'But you can put the past behind you and move forward with your life' said Vi.

Stefan sighed at her remark and nodded.

'However, it is not just the memories of your ripper days that haunt you, there are others that cause you pain' said Vi.

'When you first came and broke the bond of the originals and Esther and then when Klaus and Bekah became members of the Court, it was like my brain was opened up to the things I had forgotten. I remembered my time in the nineteen twenties with Klaus and Bekah. I was Klaus's personal lap dog but it was Bekah that I fell in love with. She is happy now and I am with Elena but it is difficult to deal with the fact that two of the women I loved caught me through manipulation and spells. It makes me doubt my affections for Elena, what if she is like the others and has merely trapped me into a relationship. What if she is using me, I don't think I could stand losing my heart to another person' he said.

'You are a brave man Stefan, your fears are justified given your past but you cannot allow the past to hold you prisoner. If you look deep inside yourself you will see what Elena means to you and what you mean to her. It does not take a genius to see that her affection for you is real but I think perhaps this is a conversation that you need to have with her, or it will haunt you forever' said Vi.

'You are right I know, I think I just needed someone to tell me' said Stefan.

Elena struggles to cope with changes around her

ELENA P.O.V

Elena looked around herself and found that she didn't recognise a thing about her friends. However, she'd finally come to the conclusion that that was a good thing. She saw the changes in her friend's and realised that she'd been completely blind. Her earlier confrontation with Violetta where she'd told her she was done with everything had been a complete lie. She'd been bitter in her remarks, her mind had been twisted of late and she'd been struggling to remember that she was a good person. She'd been blinded by her own greed and selfishness but no more. Her friend's had changed for the better, they were happier now, their lives had changed and they were content, who was she to stop their happiness or cloud it with her own stupidity.

Enough of trying to play the victim, Violetta had done nothing wrong, in fact she had saved them all countless times and all Elena had done was sulk as she became the centre of attention no more. How stupid did the desire for attention seem now, when the group stood on the brink of a battle that would keep the earth pure or send it into darkness! It was time for her to step up to the destiny that she knew she wanted to be a part of. She would change herself for the better or her life would not be worth a thing. It was with that thought that Elena set out to right the wrongs that she had made in the last couple of months.

A WEEK AND A HALF LATER

For some people loyalty comes at a price, however Jenna and Lexi have never felt like they gave anything up for their loyalty towards Vi. It was a decision that they made with a hundred percent of their mind and their hearts. It was something they didn't take lightly and something they would stay true to until their dying breath.

Lexi had been a wandering soul until Vi found her, the life she now had, she owed to Vi and Vi's teaching. She couldn't have been half the person she now was without the help of Vi. Even now when the war was almost upon them, she wouldn't change a thing that had happened to her. She was a better person now than she ever was before and she would never give that up. Call her selfish but she would make sure she remained by Vi's side for as long as she could.

Jenna's life had been woefully disappointing up until the point where Vi entered. There was something about Vi that made everything better. She could bring you up from the deepest of despairs and make you feel like the most treasured person in the world. At the time when Jenna needed some guidance most, Vi was there to guide her. Jenna's childhood was spent feeling like the child that was underappreciated and less loved, when Vi appeared Jenna realised that she was worthy of love and appreciation and Vi had made sure to remind Jenna of those facts every day. Her loyalty towards Vi was unwavering and she would never betray her, she hadn't given much thought to her future, her main concern was to make sure that Vi remained safe and alive, but if she survived this battle, she hoped she could start a life with Alaric, if he'd let her that is.

Now their loyalty was called forward for a different reason, the only person whose initiation into the Court of Fourteen that was different from the others was Damon's. He was not just becoming a member but he was the soul mate of Vi. He had asked her to marry him and she would not be complete without him in her life. His initiation was their marriage to each other, for what better thing to have in a time of war but a wedding?

Wedding

There was an archway covered in flowers, a thin red carpet and thirteen chairs with thirteen occupants. A respected and trusted man stood just behind the arch, smoothing down his robes and making sure that no crease showed on them. Damon stood, nerves running through his body, hands trembling, heart thumping. Nothing in life was ever easy, if this was his initiation, he began thinking that it was the hardest of them all for what he was putting on the line wasn't something that he could live without, it was his heart.

There was no music as the doors opened and she glided through. She was a vision that was beyond words, he dared not blink as he watched her walk towards him. How could a dress make her look so innocently pure and so incandescently sexy at the same time? It was maddening, he wanted to take her away from this place very quickly and ravish her but he knew he could not. It was agonisingly slow watching her walk down the aisle and he wondered if the entire ceremony would be this long. However, as she finally came to stand by his side, he decided it didn't matter how long it took for he would be with this beauty for the rest of his existence and he would make sure she would always be happy and loved.

There have been ceremonies that have taken days and ceremonies that have taken hours yet the ceremony they had lasted no more than mere minutes. They had no delusions of what this was; they didn't need to proclaim their love for each other. Their love was pure and simple and everlasting.