Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries. I just own the basic plot of this story.

Summary: "You probably think all cupids force people to be together, and you would be partially correct, but we do it for the good of the people...and for our own sanity."

Okay, here's the newest VD story from me. It will follow cannon to a point, and then change to AU completely. You'll understand where when it gets to that point. Now, compared to the actual story chapters, this chapter is kind of short. The first part of this chapter is basically Amora's journal entries of her trying to get Damon and Elena together while also explaining more about cupids. Plus, it also gives several reasons as to why Elena is fighting against what her soul wants.

The next chapter will be the actual story. It will take us back to the beginning, before Stefan and Elena got together, before Elena knew about vampires, before the tomb was opened...you get the idea.

Other than that, this chapter is in the point of view of the cupid, whose name is Amora.

Sanity And Reason

Cupid. God how I hate being called that, though that is what I am. I, Amora, am a cupid. Amora is my actual name, if you didn't realize. Anyways, I am a cupid

Now, I know what your probably thinking. You probably thing that cupids force people together, and you would be partially right, but we do it for the good of the people…and our own sanity.

Yeah, your probably confused at that last part. Most would be. See, as a cupid, it's our job to match people and vampires together. Now, most times we do this silently, invisible to those around while we do this, though, in some cases, it takes more. Plus, not everyone is matched with their better half before they make foolish decisions.

Now, before you ask, no, not every better match is a soul mate match. In all honestly, matching soul mates together is rare, rarer than anything I've ever known. See, soul mates are actually souls that were once together, but did something so terrible that they were ripped apart, forced to be unable to be together until they right the wrong they did. I think the only thing that ever allows soul mates to be together before they right the wrong is when one, or both, souls become vampires.

The whole live forever unless killed thing means that they are very likely to run into their soul mate, though it doesn't always happen, especially if the vampire pisses off the wrong people.

So, instead, we pair people up with their best matches. Normally, we pair humans with humans, and vampires with vampires, though we sometimes mix it. Of course, that doesn't mean that every pairing that is done is really the best for that person, especially if their actual soul mate is alive and if the people actually know each other.

In all truth, we don't know who the person's soul mate is until we try pairing them with someone when their soul's mate is known to then – basically when the person we are trying to find someone for has met the person who hold's the twin to their own soul. More often then not, we end up pairing them with someone else.

And that's were things get hectic. See, when we pair up someone with another person who isn't their soul mate when their soul mate is right there, we know when the pairing is wrong, though it's a gradual thing. In fact, it can be months before we realize it, since, most often then not, the person figures it out on their own, and usually falls and gets with their soul mate. It's when they don't do it themselves that a cupid's job gets difficult.

See, when soul mates don't automatically get together, and when one person refuses to listen to their soul – and, sequentially, their heart, since the heart always agrees with the soul – cupids know. They know because this high-pitched whistling sound that makes you want to cover your ears because of the shrillness, as well as makes you believe that your eardrums will burst, begins.

We cupids call it a soul's cry, since, to us, it's the sound souls make when their paired with someone other their soul mate. We only hear it when the soul mates are both near each other and that the people know each other. In all honestly, this is usually when a vampire human pairing occurs.

Now, it appears that I've completely screwed up, as I've been hearing the crying of a soul, one whose owner is trying to force it to be what it wants it to be. Which is why I'm on my way to Mystic Falls, Virginia. As my job tells me to do, I have to figure out who the soul belongs to, and try to fix what's going on.

Well, actually, I just have to fix what's going on, for I know whose soul is crying already. I sighed, already know that I would have to do something underhandedly in order to fix the problem because the owner of this soul that's crying, the owner is Elena Gilbert, someone whom I never matched with someone, but who is extremely stubborn.

I have my work cut out ahead of me. I can already tell, and I have to wonder why it's me who has to fix the mistake of another cupid, for I know that it was the work of another cupid that caused this soul cry. I knew that for a fact.

Damn. Not only is this getting ridiculous, but I'm beginning to wonder if there's something I'm missing here, if they're some kind of knowledge that I don't have that's keeping them apart. As much as I want the screaming to stop, I'm going to need to know what this missing knowledge is. I can't continue to try and put them together if I don't have all of the facts.

I just hope that, between trying to figure out what that other cupid had been thinking – for I haven't forgotten that it was their fault that Elena's soul is crying because of them; a good cupid doesn't just pair someone up and leave without making sure that the pairing is right – and finding my missing information, that something doesn't go wrong.

It would definitely count as a failure if I don't fix this mistake before the crying drives me insane.

–

I haven't figured out either answer to the questions I have, though I have my suspicions. I have noticed that Stefan's true soul mate, Katherine, has been ignored by him. I do not know why he is ignoring her, though I have a feeling that his want for Elena is the cause, but it has made her rather vengeful. Though she is trapped in the tomb that she was supposed to be trapped in before, it is only a matter of time before she is released. I have watched John Gilbert, Elena's biological father and the murderer of Jeremy's soul mate, go down to the tomb and talk to her, something that I can not fathom, especially for a vampire hater.

How can he want to help Katherine, a vampire who had planned on turning Elena in to Klaus out of jealousy – for though the others would deny such a fact, as a cupid, I could feel the truth behind her reasons for such an action – when he hates them? He had been planning on killing Elena's soul mate, had killed Jeremy's soul mate. Why would he help her?

However, it is not my place to find out those answers. My place is placing soul together with their mates. I could find out my answers if I didn't have to put Elena's soul with its match. So, until I get that task done, I will put it into the back of my mind. I have other things to worry about more than reasons why John Gilbert does what he does.

–

Still in the dark about Elena's reasoning for ignoring her soul – and I know that she feels that her soul is unhappy. I can see it in her eyes whenever she hugs Stefan, or is about to kiss him, or whenever she looks at Damon. I can see that she feels it's wrong when she hugs Stefan, that there is indecision in her eyes before they kiss, and that there is longing in her glance whenever she looks at Damon.

There have been times that I want to walk up to her and slap her whenever I notice this, that I want to shake her and ask why she won't listen to what her heart and soul obviously wants. It is idiotic when it takes a cupid's interference beyond the normal 'push' we give to people, whether the person is a soul mate or just the best match. Usually, just our very presence is enough to get people 'fix up', which is good because we are forbidden from actually interaction with our charges.

Which is also why I'm surprised she's lasted this long. The only thing that can cause people to ignore their souls is…well, is when a cupid breaks the no contact rule. Damn, it looks like I've unintentionally figured out part of the reason why she hasn't listened to her heart. There is a reason for the no contact rule – when a cupid does have actual contact with their charges, any 'pushing' they do is multiplied. It's almost like vampire compulsion in a way, only stronger, harder to break, and it doesn't leave a person with the feeling of being compelled if the person isn't told to forget things, not that a person would remember meeting a cupid.

Of course, even knowing this doesn't help me much. Obviously, there was something more than just a cupid's contact – I've been here long enough that any of the compulsion left over should have faded. No, she's fighting for another reason. I just have to figure out what that reason is.

–

Yes! I finally know! I've finally figured out the reason behind Elena's reluctance to listening to her soul. And just in time too. Between the fact that Katherine has been playing mind games with Damon, Stefan, and Elena and the fact that I'm just about to hit the end of my sanity from her soul's cries, well, I was afraid that I would never figure it out.

However, I have to admit that, upon finding out the reason behind it, I had to get away from Mystic Falls for a couple of days due to the fact that I just wanted to walk up to her and shake her until she realized how stupid she was being. Despite what she believes, moving on from one brother to another would not make her like Katherine. In truth, she would only be Katherine if she was with both of them, hiding it from the other and playing with them, promising to choose when she really wouldn't/ didn't plan to be with them much longer.

I knew that was what Katherine's original plan was, as I had always seen her do. In fact, the fact that she had even given either of them her blood was surprising, though I suspected that, while giving Damon her blood was a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, a cupid is responsible for her sudden need to make sure that Stefan had her blood as well. It's obvious that she sensed that he was important to her, even if she didn't know in what way.

Well, know knowing this, I know what I have to do now, and I have to admit that I am not going to like it all that much. Normally, I would find add an extra push in her direction, and figure out a way to get Stefan out of the picture without him dying, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't work as much as I wish it would. So, I'm going to have to do option two, which is the option others use when option one doesn't or won't work very well – if Stefan wasn't willing to leave Elena alone as he should of, I know that he won't just leave her without letting her know that he will eventually come back, which would defeat the purpose. Even if threatened not to, I have a feeling that he would find a way.

Katherine tried that anyways, and ended up having to follow through on her threat because they didn't take it seriously. I know that he's too selfish and an idiot to even believe anything I would say, plus he would most likely try to kill me if I did try to keep them apart. He's too deluded, and has too strong of a hold on her – if I'm honest, I'm partially afraid that he's subtly done compulsion on her. Not in an obvious way, but in a hardly noticeable way. Honestly, the minute Katherine threatened those Elena love should have responded in an immediate break up between them, not a half-ass attempt.

I know that it was Stefan who suggested that they only do a pretend break up, having heard it. Now, I realize that I should have interfered then, as it would have been the best time to help her realize the truth. Instead, I hoped that she would naturally drift away from Stefan to Damon on her own. It was an idiotic thought, I admit. I was even more of an idiot when I didn't take advantage of the fact that Stefan had gotten trapped in the tomb – if I was allowed to actually contact Elena, I would let her know that Stefan was hiding the fact that he wasn't exactly…unhappy when he was in the tomb. In fact, he was the opposite of unhappy at the time.

Anyways, knowing what I have to do. I just wish that there was another way besides this one.

Amora finished writing in her journal with a frown on her face, setting the pen down as she closed and locked it. She wasn't kidding when she wrote her wish for another way. Reorganizing time wasn't the easiest thing to do, nor was making sure that the things that needed to change did without causing those that didn't to stay the same. You had to be careful when doing so; if you did something wrong, it could cause worst consequences than anyone could dream of.

Sighing, she placed the journal into her bag, carefully looking around herself to make sure that she didn't attract attention before hurrying away towards her car. While she wished to do otherwise, she would have to get into contact with Marishka, her 'handler', for lack of better term. Marishka was the one who I not only reported to when I finished my 'job' properly, but who I was to go to if I needed to inform her about a problem or needed time to be turned backwards. And, unfortunately, I needed to do the latter two options.

I knew that Marishka wouldn't be bothered by my request for the time turning – it wasn't an uncommon request among cupids. The information of a cupid misusing their ability, however, wouldn't be treated in the same way. A cupid's abilities were supposed to be used for the good of the people, to help them find their soul's mate, or, if their soul's mate doesn't exist yet, to pair them with the closest match to their soul. To misuse and abuse that ability – to throw souls that don't belong together with each other for your own selfish want was a capitol offense for a cupid to do. I didn't really want to think about what Marishka would do when I told her what I'd learned while in Mystic Falls.

I stood just before the circle, taking a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was about to do. I had been right when I'd informed Marishka what I needed to tell her. She had given me her blessing to turn back time, and had been overly pissed at the fact that one of us had done something so horrible.

I cleared that out of my mind. Now wasn't the time to think about it. Instead, I should concentrate on the task ahead of me. I would need to be in the right mind frame. If I wasn't, I would end up causing problems. Taking deep breaths, I cleared my mind of everything but the date of where I wanted time to stop at.

When she was prepared, Amora stepped into the circle.

Okay, and that's it. The next chapter is what begins the real story. Now that I own season 1 of VD, I'll be able to incorporate what happens during that season into this fic. I'll also be updating my other stories as well.

As for why I've combined this chapter with what was the second one, well, I did that because it just made sense to combine them, since they were basically the same point of view, and having them separed didn't really seem to work for me all that well.

Anyway, I already have the next chapter for this story done - I have up until to chapter four done now - chapter five before I combined this and the second chapter.

Please review, I want to know what you think of this chapter.

Hearts In Strangeness