Just Another Star
by: Strike To Incinerate
Chapter One
Summary: After dragging himself from the depths of the Underworld (with the help of Sora and co.) Auron finds himself in a strange world called Traverse Town. He soon finds himself in the care of three strange women...
"Let your light shine through me,
Take this hate I can't release.
Help me make the blind see,
Misery loves its company.
When I dream, I see dawn turn into dusk, into dusk."
the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: 'Misery Loves It's Company'
Pairings: AuronLulu. Some others. Haven't really thought about it yet.
Dedication: Um... none, yet... but the next chapter will be dedicated to the first two people who have this on alerts. I still want reviews, though!
--
"Goodbye, Auron!" the brunette teenager had called at him, waving feverently. He had his keyblade set on his shoulder and a broad smile. Sora was a goofy kid, but he had a good heart, and if anyone could right the worlds, it was him.
Maybe Auron had known a kid like that once. He didn't remember.
Auron smiled behind the gray collar, one arm tucked into his sleeve and the other, at his side, his hand grazing the handle of the sword he carried. "Bye, kid," he said as the Gummi Ship took off.
This place was called Traverse Town. Sora had been smart enough to tell him the name and give him a rough lay of the land before dropping him off. It was a crossworld, a place where those who had lost their world to the Heartless could go. Sora had made many friends here, but almost none were left. He had explained the three districts to him, where the housing and stores were, and where the Heartless usually attacked (anywhere).
Auron strolled down a paved walkway, his boots tapping against the cobblestone. There were carts of food and a few tables and chairs, but overall, Traverse Town reeked of seedy. It was dimly light, and seemed to be eternally embroiled in sundown. The tops of the houses and buildings were black, slowly fading to brown, orange and tan hues, and small laterns hung from every available post.
Perhaps he would think of it as cozy when he was more comfortable here. He doubted his stay would be short. He could hardly remember the world he had come from.
He did remember a girl with light brown hair, and two different colored eyes. He remembered two men, one was scraggly and one was professional, but kind and understanding. He didn't remember much else. He shook his head. Once in a while, he could conjure up fuzzy images of a few more people; just outlines. One was very dark, two were light and one was orange and yellow. Lastly, one was very blue. It was like a pair of binoculars that were out of focus. No names, no faces, no voices.
He turned, heading down an alley way. This place was unfamiliar, yet he was still keen to explore. Later, he could impose upon one of the shopkeepers.
His head tilted up, and he pulled the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. The buildings were much taller than they seemed. Why would there be so many when this place seemed so empty? He hadn't seen a single person milling around.
He heard the whispers of Shadows against the ground as they slid towards him. The Heartless. He pulled out his sword, and held it at the ready, swinging experimentally.
It nearly slid out of his grasp.
'What...?' he thought.
His eyes began to refocus... only they didn't complete the task. Everything was fuzzy, and the more he tried to concentrate, the more out of focus everything got.
"Fire!"
He could see a dark outline, tall and womanly an familiar... in his mind, he lined that one against the one from his memory. He couldn't tell. He pulled off his glasses, and tried to get a better look.
Black.
--
"Has he awoken, Beatrix?" she asked.
The eyepatched brunette shook her head. "No."
Auron's eyes blinked open... well, one did. A lengthy scar prevented the other one. "I'm awake..." he mumbled, groping horizontally for his sunglasses.
"That's good," another female voice said. "Now I can treat you."
Auron leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed the first thing within reach, thinking it was his sword. He brandished it at the woman, and his eyes finally refocused.
She was slim, with a red dress and high brown boots. Long brown gloves covered her arms past the elbows. She had strawberry blond hair, pinned back with long bangs parted neatly to her cheeks. She also had glasses and honey brown eyes.
She chuckled, and the other two smiled at him.
Auron looked to his sword.
It was a doll. Something fluffy, slightly pink, with a huge, round red nose and little red wings.
"Here, let me take that," the one sitting beside the bed murmured, gently relieving him of the toy.
His mouth went dry.
The woman had long, ebony hair... just a shade darker than his own salt-and-pepper strands used to be. It was braided, then pulled up and made into a bun, held in place by bejeweled sticks, except for her bangs. Her eyes were a ruby color... or maybe garnet, lined with black and the upper lid rimmed with violet. Her lips were full and soft, and painted amethyst.
Her from her neck hung heavy strands of strang stones he'd never seen before, and they fell against her generous cleavage, which was barely concealed by the dress she wore. The collar, he supposed one could call it that, was rimmed with fur, and her shoulders were bare. They sleeves were long and flared at the bottom, lined with lace. The front of the skirt opened and revealed many belts woven together, but one could just get a peek of the fishnet stockings she wore.
"Good morning," she bid him. "I see you've met my moogle."
"That thing..." he licked his lips. "That thing's called a moogle?" he asked.
The eyepatched brunette laughed heartilly. "He catches on quick, Lulu," she said. Her hair was chestnut, long and full of body. The uncovered eye was a stormy gray, and she wore very light, fashionable silver armor over her bodice.
"My name is Quistis Trepe." His attention was brought back to the strawberry-blond. "The pretty one is Lulu and the mouthy one is Beatrix," she told him.
He grinned at her. This woman, he could like.
"Mouthy? Why, Quistis, I'm insulted," the brunette, Beatrix, replied.
"Hush, Trix..." Lulu said, slapping her arm playfully. "How are you feeling?" she asked, turning to look at him again.
He swallowed. His mouth was dry again. "I'm wondering why I'm in a room full of women, but other than that, I believe I'm fine..." he replied. Who was he to cause such a beautiful creature to worry?
"I think he's lying, Lu," Quistis said, folding her arms over her chest with a sigh.
Hn, perhaps he wouldn't like that one at all.
"Lulu found you in the alley outside the pub..." Beatrix told him. "She had us bring you here."
He glanced around the room for the first time. It was large, but empty. A large grandfather clocked stood against one wall, near a bookshelf. There was a single wardrobe and a desk, one door, and one window. And the bed he was sitting on.
"Where, exactly, is here?" he asked Lulu.
"This was the home of our friend Leon..." she said, fiddling with the moogle's red nose. "He and a few others left to go repair a different world. It's been empty for a while."
"You can stay here until you're fully healed," Quistis said.
He swung his feet around to the other side of the bed. "I'm fine," he intoned. He didn't want to be fauned over. If he had wanted that, he would've stayed on the Gummi Ship with Sora...
and eventually killed those rodents, Chip and Dale.
As he went to stand up, one of them said, "Catch him, Beatrix!"
He soon found himself in the arms of the brunette. While she wasn't much from faraway, she was just as lovely as her companions upclose. He hadn't even realized he was falling.
"I think you should stay in bed," she informed him, and with no trouble, lifted him up and set him on the bed again.
"I don't need--" he began.
Lulu gently pressed her hand to his chest, holding him down. "Sleep," she said, giving him a soft smile.
He caught her gaze, and the next thing he knew, he was sleeping.
--
Yup, that was chapter one.
I couldn't resist slipping Quistis and Beatrix in there with Lulu. Quistis and Beatrix rock.
This is Auron/Lulu, though.
Zell and Irvine are probably going to be in here. Any other FF character requests? Leave suggestions in a review, and I see that they'll at least make a cameo.
Revieeeew pleeeease! I would be so happy and want to continue this so much if you do!