Chapter 2: When Two Hearts Intertwine...

As she heedlessly turned her head around in response to the word "Wanderer", a bright purple flame was sent towards her way and with no signs of holding back, it hit her back dead on with great accuracy. The impact of the darting flame in conjunction with its scorching heat left the young blonde hurling forward in a yelp of extreme pain. In a sudden flash, tears jolted out of her eyes without restraint and her legs were bent back mid-air as they eventually crashed into the filthy forest floor.

"You should be more careful you piece of scum. I don't tolerate those who try to resist my command but I will show you some mercy this time," The so - called Salamander derisively jeered, cackling at the sight of a semi-conscious blonde laying battered on the decaying foliage that was drenched in a mixture of blood and murky dew drops. "Fresh Wanderers like yourself will cost a great fortune but how about we have a little fun before I sell you off."

The awfully beaten blonde was now trapped in a state of helplessness. Her resolve to fight did not waver one bit but any ounce of energy in her muscles was completely dissipated and all she could do was moisten her lifeless chocolate orbs with hopeless tears. The 'monster' was coming for her and there was nothing she could do to prevent his unwanted advances.

Maybe she will forget what was going to happen to her just like how she had woken up with no memories of her past and just that thought gave her a little comfort. After all, memories are supposed to shape one's identity, but she is nothing but a girl with no recollection of her past. Lying on the cold, hard ground, she realizes that she had already lost the battle the moment it began. Accepting her fate, she calmly closed her eyes and allowed the tide of unconsciousness to slowly wash over her mind…

But just before her mind could slip into a pit of nothingness, she heard the sounds of a warm crackling flame and for some inexplicable reason, she knew that "All hope was not lost in that moment."

For some reason, she felt as if this fire was different from the purple ones she had previously encountered with the man who calls himself Salamander. There was something familiar about the warmth emitted from the flames, and suddenly, the fears that overpowered her heart began to fade, replacing it with hope.

Yet nevertheless, she knew deep inside that hope is a beautiful, but dangerous emotion not to be toyed with. She knew it was unsafe to hold on to even a speck of hope in this situation, because the light at the end of the tunnel may just be an illusion of some sorts. Her mind is sending out warnings, yet the heart consistently contradicts the mind. Somewhere in her, she felt as if the fire was sending a hidden message, telling her to stay strong. That everything was going to be alright, as long as she believes in herself and listen to the whispers of the heart. Perhaps not all illusions are dangerous, and maybe the illusion at the end of the tunnel is a form of hidden motivation, letting her know that this is not yet the end.

"Leave her alone!" a deep warm voice demanded in a serious yet threatening tone. The sound of this person's voice was like a comforting melody to the blonde's ear; one that eased her mind instantly as though she had listened to it many times before in times of strife and sadness. Her heartstrings were being pulled rapidly like a series of levers and pulleys and before a thought could cross her mind, her doe brown eyes had fluttered open to thoroughly take in the man who was saving her.

Her gaze was fixed on a young man who was very well - built and this was definitely not concealed by the black open vest that he wore so impeccably on his toned body. His skin gleamed a smooth sun - kissed tan but what really grabbed her attention was his distinctive tuft of spiky pink hair. The sight she was taking in was so majestic but at the same time it felt so close to her heart. She could feel her blood pulsing up a notch but the sensation was far from unpleasant; in fact it filled her with an indescribable warmth. Even though they had just met each other, she couldn't help but feel a connection with him. A connection so strong, that she's drawn to him in a way she's never experienced before. "Who is this man?" She thought deeply with a faint blush adorning her pale cheeks "Why do I feel like we were once really close?"

The questions were gnawing unrelentlessly at her mind but they were immediately suppressed when her vision was so captivated by the most beautiful onyx eyes that were slightly slanted and decorated with specks of emerald green. They held such intensity and what she could make out to be 'fierce protectiveness' but why her? wasn't she just some random stranger to him... but deep down this thought didn't feel right to her.

The blonde's trance-like state was however broken when the sound of brilliant flames clashing with one another had unsettled her eardrums. Before her eyes, the so-called Salamander was attempting to fend off a destructively scorching fire roar that spontaneously erupted from the pink - haired man's mouth. Despite his efforts, the purple flames were no match and the barrel of bright crimson and orange flames had directly impacted his chest like a deadly missile. The fight was clearly over and her torturer had fled the forest crawling and stumbling out of fear for his life.

The beaten blonde was still lying helplessly on a mound of decaying leaves but her rich chocolate orbs never lost eye contact with the onyx eyes that were studying her thoroughly but with evident concern. This man with such an odd yet mesmerising appearance began approaching her cautiously but his shoulders seemed to relax as he crept closer towards her. Although she could feel her survival instincts kicking in, that sliver of hope and the familiar warmth that was entrenched in heart began to resurface. Slowly, her mind and body became synchronised and her breathing had settled to a soft regular pattern. "You okay?"

The man's firm hands carefully slid under her barely covered waist as he pulled her towards his warm toned chest in bridal style. All the energy in her body was depleted and there was no way for her to speak or move her muscles to retaliate. Her entire life was now entrusted in the hands of this strange man but for some unknown reason, she knew that it was okay... that she should just recline comfortably in the confines of his strong yet abnormally warm arms.

For some strange reason, she felt a deep connection with the man that just saved her. Perhaps they've met before, in a different life, with a different story. Sometimes you meet someone, and feel an intense connection, one you can't describe with words. As his arms wrap around her body, she feels a sense of déjà vu, as a powerful sensation overwhelmed her once empty heart. Feeling the warmth radiate off his skin, suddenly everything seemed to belong. She couldn't help but feel as if this is how it's supposed to be, as if their souls had known each other all along.

In the form of a tender whisper, the blonde could hear the pleasantly deep voice tell her "Don't worry, you're safe with me now. Let's take you back to the Guild hey!" and unconsciously, tears had streamed down her cheeks and with all the energy she could muster, she squeezed her right hand with his left to convey her overwhelming sense of gratitude. But as emotions channelled from one body to another, a ripple of vivid sensations and blinding light spread from their sudden contact.

She gasped, unsure of what to make of this situation. Her heart began to beat rapidly, as she tried to shield herself from the blinding light. Yet for some reason, she didn't feel an ounce of pain. Her heart was telling her to relax, and she found herself trusting her gut more than usual. She felt herself getting silently drawn by the strange pull inside her heart, and found herself attracted to this mystery man who saved her life. He stared into her chocolate brown eyes, as she found herself unable to look away. Unconsciously, he pulled her closer to him, and they stared at one another, in a never ending trace.

Because in that moment, it was just him and her. It was as if nothing else mattered, and the world turned silent; as if the universe was created just for the two of them to finally meet. Yet she wondered why she felt this way. After all, they were just mere strangers who just happened to run into one another by chance. It's not as if they've met before, and if they did, she had no recollection of her memories to even reflect on her past. But staring into his eyes, she saw more than just a pair of onyx orbs staring back at her. She saw a story in his eyes, as if he was searching for pieces of a mosaic broken heart. As if he was searching for something, or someone, to fill an empty void in his heart. Golden sparks flickered in his eyes, and she found herself unable to look away. And in that moment, she didn't know how, but she knew she wasn't the only one who felt this way. Time seemed to have suddenly stopped, as the blinding light surrounded the two of them, creating a universe where no one and nothing ceased to exist, except the two of them.

A/N: Hi Guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while! Uni has really kept me busy and I am struggling to find the time to provide you guys with more regular updates. This chapter is a bit longer than the last two but I hope it makes up for leaving you hanging! I'd like to point out that this chapter barely had any dialogue because this is written from the perspective of the 'blonde - haired woman' who is only semi-conscious. Also, I hope you loved the NaLu in here because it was certainly fun to write :)

Thankyou so much CupcakeTiara for collaborating with me on this project! She is an amazing writer and has a knack for 'emotive and introspective writing'! She deserves a lot of credit and you guys MUST check out her FanFic 'Two Worlds Collide'! It is absolutely amazing and heart touching 3

Now onto the Reviews:

- BlackMaskedBeauty: The answer to your question is resolved in this chapter ^.^

- ClosetPotato: Thanks Girl :) Yes it's Bora ~

- Kenzypirateb: Thankyou so so much 3 I love your story Fairy Tail Retold: Down The Rabbit Hole (please check it out whoever is reading this)

- Checkmate13: Thankyou for reading & it will all make sense as we go along :)

- LadyChalcedony: Thanks for the constructive criticism and your excitement really motivates me :D

- 4-ever-afairy: Thanks so much munchkin and you are on the right track :D

- Fiery Keys: It'll all be explained in due time hehe ~ Thanks so much again for letting me work with you on 'Tomes of Enchantment'

- Sakshi K: Your compliments really flatter me :) You are an amazing writer yourself!

- EllieOptomistic: I appreciate this so much T_T

- demedichi: Your review is bringing me to tears of joy. Thanks so much for responding so warmly and showing how interested you are in this story! The Lucy in this story is just one person but I can't explain to you how the universes work (you'll have to find out as you read)!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its Characters... This is all Mashima's work but the plot here is mine :)