Never Alone

Chapter 1: part 3

"B- BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR" Lu cried, "I wasn't going to hurt you!"

Gem rolled her eyes, "bull. Fucking. Shit."

"No, no, no! Please! This isn't fair! I only watch you because I'm lonely! I am just interested! Honest!"

"Really now? You just told me it was to protect me, now it's because you're lonely and interested? Make up your mind," Gem demanded. Lu blushed and looked around the area frantically. Gem looked at Lu blushing and gained a confused face, "the fuck are you blushing at?" She asked, then cut her cheek.

Lu flinched at the pain, "s-sorry, I can't help it-!" She pleaded.

Gem was growing annoyed with Lu, "this is getting old, and quite frankly, I was originally going to slowly carve into you for every mistake you've made, but I think I would prefer it if I just ended this situation now, rather than playing with you."

Lu continued to look up at Gem, keeping her back against the wall and breathing heavily, trying not to choke on her tears and have the sword slit her throat. Gem looked into the panda's big blue and green eyes filled with pure terror and panic, making her begin to grow hesitant. She began to have mixed emotions about Lu, not knowing if she was telling the truth or if she was only saying these things in the moment of panic. "You are ACTUALLY telling me the truth?" Gem asked.

Lu didn't speak and just gave a quick nod as a reply.

Gem narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but sighed and lowered her sword away from Lu to put it on the strap of her back. Lu was flooded with relief and slid down the wall to sit on the floor of the hall. Gem looked down at her, "so why are you REALLY stalking me, hm?" she asked.

Lu looked away with her knees to her chest and wiping away her tears, "It started 2 years ago... When I first saw you, you were returning from the surface with your group... But one day, news got around that you were missing... I did not expect you to ever come back, but you did... Most herbivores that are found after being missing are usually dead. But not you..." She looked up at Gem, who was still towering over her. "You were badly wounded, yet you went back to training almost right away. I guess you could say I was fascinated..?" Lu put her head down in embarrassment. "I- I don't know..."

Gem looked at Lu with bewilderment, but then knelt down at her. She gently tilted Lu's chin to make her look up. "Listen, Panda, next time, don't stalk me, just talk to me, alright?"

Lu nodded, "okay... I- I'm sorry..."

Gem wiped Lu's tears from her face, then helped her stand up, "it's okay, but don't keep watching me. Just come to me if you want, that way you don't cause something like this to happen again."

"Are you going to tell the commander...?" Lu asked nervously and fiddled with her braid.

"I said I wouldn't, didn't I?" Gem said as she began to walk down the hallway to return to the upper levels. As Lu walked with Gem, she felt a sense of security and found it better than watching from the shadows.

When they got back to Gem's dorm, Lu was sitting on the couch as Gem treated her wounds with the first aid kit. Gem wrapped Lu's shoulder with bandages, then as she cleaned the cut on her face, Lu began to lightly blush again. "She blushes a lot, doesn't she?" Gem thought to herself.

"Why do you do that?" Gem asked.

Lu made eye contact with her and tilted her head, "hm?"

"You blush a lot, I've noticed." Gem continued. "You were blushing during the whole fight, despite being on the edge of death and you are doing it right now. What's up?"

Being called out like that so suddenly only made Lu's face gain more shades of pink and red. "I- I'm just shy..! I can't help it! honest-!" She said in a slight panic.

"Hey, hey, calm down, panda. I'm not angry, I'm just curious. I don't want to get the wrong idea about you, ya know? So don't worry, alright?" Gem replied with a chuckle and applied one of the bandages on her face where her cheek was cut.

When Gem was finished treating Lu's wounds, she stood up and looked down at Lu, who was staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact with her. "I never got your name," Gem said.

"Oh... I am Lu Young..." Lu replied, but was still staring at the floor.

Gem looked off to the side, "I am starting to feel bad about what I did, it's no wonder she doesn't want to look at me. But, it's not my fault she didn't listen to my warnings!" Gem thought to herself. "I really don't know how I can make it up to her at this point. Gaining trust from a herbivore can be a tough job, even as a herbivore myself... Maybe it's best I bring her back to her dorm and just try forgetting this whole thing ever happened. I mean, she has been stalking me for WEEKS and even watching me shower. Then, I nearly cut open her neck while she begged for mercy, not to mention my eyes switching in front of her. There is no way I can POSSIBLY form a friendship with this panda, although I would not mind it..."

"Let's get you back to your dorm, hm?" Gem suggested.

Lu looked up at her and just gave a simple nod as a reply. When they got to Lu's dorm, Lu walked in and looked back at Gem, "I am really sorry for all the trouble I caused... I'll stay away from you from now on..." Lu said with a sad expression on her face.

"Yeah, she was thinking the same thing I was..." Gem thought.

"It's alright... I am just glad that it was you and not some creep or demon as I had thought. So, having you as my stalker was a relief." Gem chuckled.

Lu gave a light smile with a tad of blush, "yeah, I guess so."

Gem stretched, "anyways, I'm going to head back... You stay safe and out of trouble, okay?" Lu nodded in reply and slowly shut her dorm door. Gem stood there for a moment and sighed, unsure of what to feel; guilty or relieved?