Author's Note: This was originally intended to only be one part. However, I had so much fun writing the first part that I had to write another! I'm unsure if I'll add one more after this, or leave it as is, but I hope you enjoy either way!

Edit: I apologize for the weird bold print that's happened to this chapter. I honestly hadn't noticed it until now, but I believe it's been fixed.


Get Up, Get Down - Part 2

It had been about a week since AJ's previous encounter with the face-painted superstar, and she had seen hide nor hair of him since. While she had little idea of what Stardust was actually saying at the time, it was interesting to talk to someone as weird, if not weirder, than herself. Though she would never admit it out loud, being the resident "crazy chick" of the WWE had its drawbacks - loneliness being the most prominent. She couldn't really talk to the other divas, especially after all of the nasty things she said to them.

Even if she did think they were true.

No, speaking to the other women was definitely out of the question for AJ. Come to think of it, she didn't have the best track record with the male wrestlers either. The men avoided her like the plague, still questioning her sanity after what they witnessed her do to the likes of Daniel Bryan, Kane, and even John Cena. To this day, some still believed that she drove CM Punk to madness.

Who needed them anyway? The Divas Champion knew that she was better off. AJ was a loner, and she learned to be fine with it. The silver and pink championship belt was the only one that she needed in her life.

Prepping in the locker room for her upcoming match, AJ turned to the Divas Championship, marveling at its beauty - beauty that only she was worthy enough to be in the presence of. "Oh, my darling," AJ said sweetly, planting a kiss upon the belt. "You'll never leave me, will you?"

A triple threat match was what awaited the petite woman in the next hour. AJ had always believed that Stephanie McMahon had it out for her, and her upcoming bout with both Natalya and Summer Rae only served to cement the belief. Being weird, not being afraid to break the mold, only brought down the iron fist of The Authority. You either conformed to their likeness, or you suffered. Even still, AJ Lee was never one to conform, and being weird suited her just fine.

"Focus, AJ. You can do this. Natalya and Summer will be too busy arguing about some Total Divas scandal to worry about you, and then you SWOOP in with the pin." Psyching herself up, AJ smiled as a new-found confidence rose within her. All she needed to do was focus. Focus. Focus.

Suddenly, her vision went dark.

"Wha-"

"Gueeeess who?"

AJ let out a shrill scream, hoping that someone was within hearing range. However, after seconds of labored breathing and no response, she knew that all hope was lost. She really had to stop being alone backstage.

Luckily, the hands covering her eyes soon lifted themselves. AJ slowly turned towards the intruder, and was surprised at who she saw. "Stardust?"

Stardust gave an exaggerated bow, not bothering to reply verbally. The only sound escaping his mouth was a very light chuckle.

"What the heck are you doing here?!" AJ struggled not to yell again, trying not to strain her throat even moreso. "Do you not understand how genders work or something? This is the WOMEN'S locker room. For WOMEN. Not for MEN!"

AJ's words seemed to have little affect on him, as he continued to bounce around wildly. It was almost Joker-esque, AJ thought, what with the eccentric movements and creepy chuckling. Now wasn't the time for comic books though. Now was the time for a necessary scolding.

"Look, I'm trying to get ready for a match. So if you don't mind, or even if you do mind, I'd appreciate it if-"

"STARDUST STUMPER!"

Abruptly cutting her off mid-scolding, Stardust jumped onto a nearby bench and stood on top of it. The perplexed champion wondered if he had even heard a word that she had said.

"People look up to me, and just when they need me the most, I'm there to guide them! I am a GIANT, the alpha and omega of all the celestial bodies wandering in the great expanse of our solar system. Who am I?"

After finishing his 'riddle', Stardust immediately turned to AJ, as if the answer were so completely obvious. Though still freaked out from having her personal space invaded, AJ was always eager to capitalize on any opportunity to have some fun at the expense of another.

"You're..."

"Yeeesss."

"You're..."

"Go on!"

"A floating compass! That's it, isn't it? Geez, why do you even call these 'stumpers' anyway?"

Judging from the crestfallen look on his face, AJ was willing to bet that she had struck something in him. What that thing was, she had no idea.

Suddenly, Stardust's face turned to one of glee yet again. "No! When we crossed paths before, you showed me the error of my ways. Cygnus Cygnus CYGNUS! The swan won't get me the prize that I desire. The hunter, Orion, will."

"Oh, so the answer was Orion."

"It's ALWAYS been Orion! Don't you see it? The Cosmic Key longs for me to hunt it." Stardust pointed his gloved hand at the ceiling, as if all of the stars in space had suddenly manifested in that very locker room. Why AJ bothered to look up was a mystery to even herself. She wondered if she was humoring him or legitimately interested in what he had to say.

"They say the holder of the Key is a beast, but I am a hunter. What do hunters do? They hunt beasts, and they take their livelihoods away from them!"

"So this 'beast'," AJ started, "Has the Cosmic Key, and if you defeat them, you'll have it instead. Am I getting this right?"

The young man happily nodded his head, signifying she was on track. "I KNEW you would understand! You and I are cut from the same fabric of space."

"Fabric? Was that some kind of cloth pun?"

The man said nothing, and finally decided to sit down. Everything, every word and every phrase, that this man said was a riddle, not just his 'Stardust Stumpers.' AJ took the moment of silence to try and piece it all together. What did she have to lose at this point? She was sure her sanity was long gone the second the cosmic superstar stepped into the room. So, she pondered to herself, if the Cosmic Key was a championship belt, then what was the beast?

Like a switch, it all clicked in AJ's mind now.

"You want to beat Brock Lesnar and win the World championship?"

"YES!" Stardust exclaimed, practically jumping up from his previous sitting position. "It's written in the stars! Can't you read it? It says only one thing: StaaaaaarDUST!"

AJ was slightly proud of herself for figuring it all out. He wasn't that hard to understand. Though his mannerisms and speech patterns were odd, he knew what he was talking about. She wondered if anyone else was ever able to decipher what he was saying, or if he ever even went out of his way to speak to anyone else. Before she was able to pat herself on the back even more, AJ noticed Stardust was inches away from her face. Then, seemingly from out of thin air, Stardust pulled out his trademark glitter and blew it into the face of the Divas champion. The reaction was almost instantaneous.

"Yack! Pfft! Can you - Pfft! - not blow that so close to my mouth next time?!" A series of hoarse coughs escaped her throat as she fought to regain her breath. "Listen, I think it's cute that you want to 'glorify' yourself by winning a world title, but don't you think you're aiming a bit high? That swan idea doesn't seem so bad now."

Again, Stardust laughed. "It'll be a simple task for the hunter of the skies!"

"You're a train wreck. I don't even remember why I was looking for you to begin with."

"You were searching for me?" The question, albeit a simple one, caught AJ off guard. It seemed almost real, something that seemed out of the ordinary for him.

"Hey," she quickly countered, "Don't flatter yourself, weirdo. You're lucky I'm easily bored."

"Soon, no one will have to search for me, for once I take the golden star away from that BEAST, it'll be with me, and I'LL be the brightest star in the sky!"

AJ could only shake her head. Though doubtful of his ability to take on Brock Lesnar, she admired his special brand of determination. "Well in the meantime, if you want to see a real champion in action, keep your eyes on the screen."

AJ turned on her heels to leave, but not before giving Stardust a hiss of her own, leaving the man shocked and speechless. With her back now towards him, she walked onward to the ring. While she didn't reside in space, AJ Lee knew that she was a star in her own right, and she'd show Stardust just how brightly she could shine.

After all, if he wanted to defeat Brock Lesnar, someone had to give him some pointers.