Author's note: Wow, I am really surprised at the amount of support this story has received! I'd like to take the time to apologize for the short lengths of these chapters and the long wait it as been to have them published. As these come out I will try my best to have them be longer and longer. In the meantime I would like to thank everybody who commented, favorited, and followed this story, the support really means a lot to me. I love reading everybody's comments learning what they thought of the story and my writing. Without further ado, here is the second chapter of Chinese Food!

Steven stirred letting out a pained groan. His heart was racing, he was drenched in sweat, every muscle in his body seemed to be screaming in agony, and his head was pounding as if a thousand tiny miners were chipping away at the inside of his skull. He didn't know where he was. He wanted to open his eyes but he was afraid of what he would see, he wanted to move but he was afraid his muscles would cramp up and cause him to crunch into a ball. Steven's brain just kept listing things he wished he had. He wanted the Gems to tell him what happened; he wanted his father to be with him for parental support, he wanted Lion's soft pink fur and purring rumble to feel as he hugged him… He wanted Connie to tell him he would be okay and that she would be with him. Sadly, the Gems weren't there to explain anything, his dad wasn't there to support him, instead of Lion's purring only alien sounds filled his ears, and Connie wasn't with him and he didn't know if he would be okay. He had to be the one to take charge of the situation, but how could he do that if he didn't even have the courage to open his own eyes? The Gems would be so disappointed in him, lying curled up on the ground crying, sputtering, gasping, and whimpering.

After taking a deep breath and holding it in, he opened his eyes. It hurt, the light pierced into his skull like laser beams, frying his brain. He sharply exhaled the breath he was holding and tightly shut his eyes, this time, with more tears. His body was unwilling to do anything that his mind wanted it to.

Can I open my eyes again? No. Can I get up? No. Can I wipe the tears from my eyes? No. Can I move? No. What can I do? Sleep.

Steven whimpered in fear. He remembered what happened to the people who were in his situation in the "No Home Boys" novel. On the road, when people who couldn't move, were exhausted from the pain of their own muscles and just lay on the ground, panting, sweating, gasping and sniffling they wanted to go to sleep. Steven knew all too well that they didn't wake up after that. He didn't want to end up like Garter the Boxcar Hobo whose tired old bones just couldn't carry him anymore. He, of course, cried at that part of the book and imminently ran to Garnet for comfort. This time though, it wasn't a book, it was real, happening to him, and he was all alone.

He willed himself to open his eyes again, what he saw unnerved him. He was in a seemingly endless maze of bamboo. The height that the each chute grew intimidated him as they seemed to dwarf and surround him, the sheer number of them seemed to suffocate him. With careful motion and calculated motions he managed to get back on his feet, the soreness in his muscles and aching in his head were slowly but surely ebbing away. After taking more through examinations of his surroundings he noticed that the western side had more intense light seeping between the vegetation. Maybe it was a way out? He slowly began to hobble over to what he thought was the way out until his foot kicked a hollow wooden object. Looking down he saw the bright pink design of his ukulele lying on the ground completely undamaged, what luck! He carefully picked it up and wrapped the strap around his shoulder feeling a little less nervous about the situation.

After getting through the last of the chutes immensely thick bamboo forest Steven found himself at the top of a rather steep hill. Below, was a small little village bustling with life and noise; he couldn't see what the people in detail, only obscure outlines. Maybe he could ask for directions?

"Hey… kid!" A feminine voice called out interrupting his thoughts.

Steven looked around until he located the source of the voice and wasn't prepared for what he saw. A tall, well tall to him, bipedal lynx with sapphire eyes and a slender nearly whip-like tail stood before him. Her fur was dirty and unkempt and she wore several layers of material that looked like they were made for holding potatoes instead of covering up.

"H-hi…" Steven replied with a small wave trying his best to put on a friendly face despite how confused he was.

"Listen kid-"

"Steven."

"Huh?"

"My name's Steven, what's yours?" He asked with smile on his face looking directly into her eyes with pure sincerity.

She visibly shrunk back and her face tightened up, he sure wasn't making her job easier. She was about to open her mouth again before she noticed that he wasn't looking at her eyes anymore but a little higher up.

"W-what are you looking at?" Shem snarled with an irritated and slightly unsettled flick of her ear.

"Your ears, I've never seen anything like them, well I have but not… I like them they're pretty cool, I wish my ears were like that."

This wasn't even close to what she was supposed to be doing and she defiantly didn't want to make it last longer than it had to but she felt inclined to ask a single curious question.

"Why?"

"Your ears can turn and move, mine can't and they also have that really cool radar shape if I had your ears I could hear really well and look cool, I could be radar Steven!" He proceeded to spread his arms out straight and waddle around in a circle without bending his knees, letting out the occasional bing or beep.

Surprisingly, she had to cover her muzzle to hide a small smile creeping on her face. She wasn't entirely sure what a radar was but if he was using it with admiration than it couldn't be that bad. When she had come to… do her job with Steven, she sure hadn't expected an introduction, compliment, and a silly dance.

"Oh, sorry about that, so um, what's your name again?" He asked looking up at her again with an innocent and friendly smile.

She really didn't want to tell him her name. She looked at him again, she hadn't seen anybody who looked like him before aside from a monkey, which he obviously wasn't. Whatever he was, he hadn't shown the slightest amount of animosity towards her. He didn't make fun of her raggedy clothes, was polite and happy, even when she was curt and caustic with him. He even gave her a compliment, even if it was a weird one. Whatever he was, he was a sweet little guy that just radiated joy and fun. She couldn't bring herself to mug him, even if it would anger the bandits. She decided to use a fake name to protect both herself and Steven.

"My name is Ju," She lied beginning to bow.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Ju," Steven interrupted the bow as he took her paw and shook it in a firm handshake or in this case, pawshake.

This gesture confused her greatly.