A/N: For the purpose of this story, Alaric never goes on a killing spree due to his exposure to Esther on the Other Side.

Life Remade

Elena had just gotten home when things went wrong. One minute, everything was fine, then it wasn't. Out of nowhere, she felt more pain than she'd ever felt in her entire life coming from her head. She grabbed the sides of her head and started screaming. "Ah! Ric!"

Alaric came running downstairs moments later. He ran to Elena's side. "Elena! Are you okay?

"No. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the head over and over again!" Elena said as she crumbled to the ground. The pain was so bad that she couldn't even stand any longer. Then she started to get flashes. She saw images of people and places that seemed like they must be centuries old.

"Hang on. I'm going to call an ambulance," Alaric said.

"No! That's not going to help. Call Bonnie," Elena said. It was already clear to her that this was not a medical problem. Something magical was going on.

Alaric took out his phone and dialed Bonnie's number. The phone was answered after a couple of rings, but it wasn't Bonnie who answered.

"Ric?"

Alaric frowned as he heard Damon's voice. "Damon? Why are you answering Bonnie's phone? Where is she?"

"She's unconscious by my feet," Damon said.

"What? Is she alright? What happened?" Alaric asked.

"Let's just say that our plan to take out Klaus hit a snag," Damon said.

Just then, Elena screamed again as the pain and flashes intensified. She kept seeing different things and people. She saw little kids playing around her. She saw a little girl ripped out of her arms. She felt an extreme sense of pain from that memory, and she had no idea where it came from.

"Is that Elena? What the hell is going on?" Damon asked.

"That's why I'm calling. I need Bonnie. Something is happening to Elena. She grabbed her head in pain a minute ago and started screaming. Whatever is happening, she seems to think it's magical," Alaric explained.

"We're on our way," Damon said before the line went dead.

Alaric put his phone away and knelt down next to Elena. He grabbed a hold of her face. "It' going to be okay. Elena, look at me."

"That's a little hard right now. My head is killing me, and there are all these images in my head," Elena cried.

"What kind of images?" Alaric asked.

"I don't know. People I don't recognize, but I know them," Elena said. She knew that made no sense. She didn't know who any of these people were, but somewhere inside her, she did. The images kept coming, and she came to images of someone she did know. Mikael. He smiled at her in a few of them. In others, she saw him beating on a little boy.

Just then, Damon and Stefan arrived. Stefan was carrying Bonnie, who was still unconscious. Damon ran to Elena's side. "Elena, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Elena asked with a groan.

Damon looked at Ric. "What the hell is happening to her?"

"I don't know. She says she's seeing things in her mind, and her head is hurting a lot," Alaric told him.

Damon turned to Stefan, who was still holding Bonnie in his arms. "Wake her up so she can fix this!"

Stefan immediately brought Bonnie to the couch and laid her down. He shook her a few times. "Bonnie, wake up.

"The pain's getting a little better," Elena said. She still couldn't really focus on much. She was still getting flashes, but they were turning into memories, or at least what seemed like memories.

"Bonnie, come on," Stefan said he kept shaking the young witch.

Bonnie opened her eyes moments later. "Stefan? What's going on? Where's my mom?"

"She's fine. Bonnie, Elena needs your help," Stefan said.

Bonnie looked over and saw her best friend on the ground looking like she was in pain. She immediately jumped up and went to her side. "Elena? Are you okay?"

Elena didn't answer. She was a bit preoccupied as memory after memory settled into her mind. The flashes ended with images of Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and others. Something else seemed to settle inside her too, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was, at least not at first. Once everything was intact inside of her, she began to realize what happened.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked as she watched Elena slowly relax.

"Give me a minute to get my bearings," Elena said. She now realized what had happened to her, but it was still a very overwhelming experience.

"Elena, are you okay? Are you still in pain?" Alaric asked.

"Some," Elena said. Her head still hurt some, but it was subsiding. "Well, that wasn't pleasant."

"Elena?" Stefan asked. Something strange was happening. A minute ago, Elena was scared and in pain. Now, she seemed fine, at least for the most part. She did seem different though.

Elena pulled herself to her feet. "I'm still adjusting. I suppose that will take time."

"Elena, what the hell is going on?" Damon demanded to know.

"Elena, we're worried about you. Something really strange just happened to you," Bonnie said.

"Perhaps you should've worried before you opened a coffin without knowing the contents of it, you stupid little girl!" Elena snapped. She was a bit conflicted. Bonnie was her friend, she could feel that bond, even though a part o her hadn't been around when it formed. However, her actions had been stupid. She had never wanted that coffin opened. Bonnie's reasons for opening also angered her significantly.

Bonnie was taken aback by her friend's words and tone. "Elena?"

"Did it ever occur to you that you might be unleashing something that should've been kept exactly where it was?! That coffin was locked for a reason!" Elena snapped.

"My ancestors led me to the coffin. It was supposed to be a weapon to kill Klaus," Bonnie said.

"I have no doubt that they believed it would be," Elena said. She knew what the Bennett ancestors wanted. They'd made that painfully clear with their punishment for her. It was too bad it had the opposite effect on her.

"Wait, are you saying the coffin did this to you?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Damon. Your foolish actions led to this situation we now find ourselves in. I suppose a part of me should be grateful. You've given me a second chance, but the cost was not something I wanted to pay. Eternity in that damned coffin was better than upended that young woman's life," Elena said.

Damon stared at her for a minute before her words registered to him. She spoke as though she had been in that coffin herself. That would mean she wasn't Elena. "You're not Elena."

"Yes and no. It's complicated. I'm certainly her now. My mind has intertwined with hers. We are one. We have the same memories, same feelings behind those memories. Although, I believe that I have better judgment. It's to be expected with more life experience. For instance, she cares about you, which means I do as well, but I know enough about men like you to know that you would've been her undoing," Elena said.

"Excuse me?" Damon asked in an offended tone.

"Let her go! Get out of my friend's body!" Bonnie demanded.

Elena turned to her. "That's not possible, my dear. The way your ancestors cursed me has left me no say in the matter. I can't leave, and even if I did, I imagine it would destroy your friend's mind. And don't look at me as though I'm the devil. This was your doing."

"We didn't know this would happen. You were supposed to be a weapon we could use to destroy Klaus," Bonnie said.

Elena narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, that won't be happening. And while we're on the subject, your plots end now. Niklaus Mikaelson is off limits, as are his siblings. Do you understand me? You will not go after them again."

"And what if we do?" Damon asked with a pompous smirk.

Elena merely stared at him. Moments later, blood started to pour from his nose and mouth, causing him to yell out and grab his nose. "Any other questions, Damon?"

"You're a witch?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, and one you don't want to piss off," Elena warned.

"Who are you?" Alaric asked.

"I'm afraid there are others that are entitled to the answer to that question before you are. In fact, I believe it's time they have that answer. Excuse me," Elena said before turning around and heading for the door.

Damon flashed in front of her. "You're not going anywhere!"

"You don't have any braincells at all, do you boy?" She asked before making a gesture with her hand and twisting his neck to the side telekinetically. He dropped to the ground within seconds. She then stepped over his temporary dead body and walked out the door. She had somewhere to be. There were five people who were more deserving of her attention than this lot.