Here's the next chapter. Sorry I took so long getting the last one up, school stuff eats away my life. Sigh, Summer was so good for writing…

I don't own Tales of Symphonia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day Yuan woke up feeling significantly happier than had in along time. His first thoughts were that of his alphabet, and he was glad to discover he could still recite all the ones he had learned. He recited them as he dressed himself in his simple slave clothes, as he hate his breakfast of a hard roll, and as he walked into the mansion and up to Kratos's room. Quietly he pushed the door open so not to disturb his sleeping teacher and entered the bathroom to prepare the bath. Still his mind was running through the alphabet making sure he didn't lose a single letter. Before leaving to go make Kratos lunch he rapped the human boy on the head with his knuckles.

Grinning to himself after leaving Kratos alone and confused as to what had awoken him, Yuan walked down the to the kitchen. Entering he kitchen he was met with many wonderful smells that distracted him from his studies for a moment. He looked around at what the cooks were making for the Aurion's breakfast. He found that human's needed different kinds of food for breakfast strange. They were always eating strange desserty things for their morning meal. Food they would never eat anytime of day. Kratos called them pancakes. Yuan decided that there was no way what they had for breakfast was healthy and was probably one of the reasons Kratos was such bad shape.

It was then he found an upside to making Kratos's first to meals. Before Yuan had just given Kratos what was easiest to make, or even find. For breakfast he grabbed some Mrs.Aurion's pancakes and bacon through them on a plate and put it on the dining table for Kratos to eat. Lunch was a similar thing he would grab whatever he found that looked good. Kratos had once said in a pathetic attempt to make conversation, that he rather liked the lunch's Yuan made. This was probably because the easiest things to grab were pre-made cookies, sticky buns, and other bread items. Also fruit and some juice. Yuan always through a lot into to make it look better. However, Yuan had now decided that he was going take a little more care in his job.

Carefully Yuan made Kratos a healthy breakfast. With the help of a kitchen slave he found something called cereal which was apparently dried corn or oats or something. Next he chopped up a banana on top and poured on some milk, which seemed odd to Yuan but was apparently considered normal. Looking at his creation he decide it was sort of like oatmeal and with no more thought to that prepared a healthy lunch. The lunch was a ham sandwich with cheese and lettuce, an apple, and juice all packed in a little bag. Yuan was quite pleased with himself, and if Kratos was mad then at least he wouldn't have to do this stupid job anymore.

Kratos had already finished breakfast when Yuan went to the entry hall swinging the lunch bag and running his incomplete alphabet through his head. The two set of in silence toward the entryway gate. Kratos looked concerned but it was awhile before he actually said anything.

" Um, Yuan. Why was breakfast so, um different? It wasn't as nice as pancakes."

" Kratos, you are my student now. I am your trainer. Your health and ability to fight are in my hands. If your going to get into shape you can't eat unhealthy stuff. It is my duty to see to it that you are healthy. Your lunch is also of improved healthiness. Just be thankful I have no control over your dinner." Yuan replied trying to sound dignified. Kratos just sighed and looked at the little bag solemnly. He wondered whether letting Yuan train him was the best of ideas.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

School passed quickly that day. Kratos enjoyed his lessons as he always did and Yuan ran through his alphabet all day. By the end of the day he was beginning to get bored with his letters, and wished that he could try writing them down. But he'd get caught if he did that, still he was worried he had forgotten what the letters looked like. The boys walked home as quickly as Kratos could go, both eager to get back to learning. Yuan waited in their hideout as Kratos went up to his room to get his teaching things. When Kratos returned he had bad news.

" Yuan I think we're going to have a problem. My mother and some of the slaves thought it was odd that I was going outside with all this stuff. It's odd enough that I'm going outside but if I bring this stuff outside everyday people will get suspicious. What are we going to do?" Kratos looked worried as he clutched his precious books to his chest. The two boys were silent for a long time. This whole plan was plagued with problems. Yuan still had no idea how to solve his own problem of basic exercise. Kratos wouldn't do anything without results he could see.

" Wait I've got it! You are going to build yourself a place to keep the books outside. It's perfect it will be your training. Yep, we need a shovel," Yuan said.

" What? A shovel!" Kratos whined his voice rather high pitched.

" Better yet a bigger hole. Yes, you are going to dig us a hole that we can hide in to practice my reading. That way no one will catch us. You can build us a hole that won't collapse can't you?"

" I guess if I can dig a hole I can make one that won't collapse. I'll draw up blue prints now," Yuan watched as Kratos took out his "learning supplies" and began to create a scale drawing of the whole. Yuan looked over his shoulders and judged by the size of the opening compared to the rest of the drawing that Kratos's plans were pretty extravagant. This probably meant he didn't know quite how grueling digging could be.

" We'll need wood to act as beams and something water tight to work as a door so it won't fill up if it rains. How about polycarbonate?" Kratos mumbled half to himself and half to Yuan.

" Isn't that over kill? That stuff is needed for the war isn't it. I mean you humans have to defend against elfin magic and stuff. Besides it's pretty hard to come by," Yuan said.

" Don't worry my father has some old round shields that would make excellent doors, besides I thought you wanted the half-elves to win," Kratos said.

" Never mind then," Yuan said a little shocked by Kratos' uncharacteristic comeback. He stayed quiet for a minute, watching Kratos fuss over his blueprints. Kratos looked very serious about his work, his brow was furrowed and he would shake his head every so often before violently erasing his work and starting over again. Finally he held the paper out in front of him and looked at it carefully. Then he broke into a grin and showed it to Yuan. To Yuan it didn't look like much. Just a really big hole with a tiny door. Although there were a lot of squiggles around the edges that we're probably letters or numbers.

" Yuan we're going to need to find some things before we get started. First of all we need a shovel, but we also need to find something we can put into the walls to use as ladder steps and a shield for our door. Also I think we're going to need something I saw in catalogue once," Kratos said while busily listing all the things they'd need.

" What's catalogue?" Yuan asked raising an eyebrow. Yuan received another look of amazement from Kratos.

" A catalogue is like a book with lots of pictures of stuff you can buy. People send them to your house if you buy stuff from them just once. The magitechnology games that I have came from a catalogue with lots of magitechnology in it. One was a little machine that produces fresh air. We're going to need it if we're going to be underground. Also we might want some magitechnology lights too," Kratos explained.

" Where are we going to get money for something like that. Its got to be more than you get in allowance." Yuan gaped at Kratos as he spoke. This was turning into quite a project. All he had wanted was a hole, but now there were machines involved. Hell, if Kratos got his way than their hole would be nicer than the slave quarters.

" Oh, I can save up my allowance. How long do think it will take to dig, two weeks?" Yuan couldn't help it he laughed. Kratos had no idea how hard digging could be. How heavy dirt could get. Judging by Kratos's current physical shape and the complexity and size of his plans it would take at least two months.

" Way longer than that Kratos. You've got plenty of time to save up your money. From now on I'll bring a shovel and you just bring one book a day. No more than we need. First you can dig for as long as you can hold up, and then in the extra time you can tech me some more letters. I don't know what we should do for the rest of the day, how about we just review what you taught me yesterday. Maybe I can practice writing them!" Yuan smiled as he spoke. This was fun. All the plans, all the ideas, he'd never done things like this before. The people he had hung out with back home just did things for immediate results. No one ever thought ahead to what might happen. As Kratos sat down next to him and opened the book, Yuan decided there was something wonderful about going to bed with something to look forward to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry it's so short! I just wanted to make sure I updated before the weekend was over. By the way I want to give the chapters names but I don't know what to call them, so if anyone has any ideas please share.

P.S.

Polycarbonate is that stuff Raine says talks about at the Triet ruins. The first time you really see her get excited about ancient stuff. It's what the door on the entryway is made out of. Yeah that stuff. I think my post script is longer than the actual message…