Hello again! It's spring break, so I should have more time to write. On the other hand I've got a project from almost every class. So don't know how that will work out. I don't really have anything else to say so I'll start writing. Oh, and I don't own Tales of Symphonia, I think I forgot to say that last time.

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

Kratos stood in front of the mirror adjusting his uniform and trying desperately to organize his hair. He sighed to himself, he looked really stupid. The uniform was a little too big for him and he looked like some little kid playing at soldier. It was very early in the morning and he couldn't sleep for all his nerves. In just the next couple of hours he would be on a buggy destined for the Swift Military Academy. He sighed again and stood on his tiptoes to try and fit the uniform better, he tripped and fell backward.

" Are you alright?" Yuan said popping his head into the bathroom. He had been sleeping until the sound of Kratos falling had woken him up.

" I'm fine," Kratos mumbled. Yuan reached down and helped him to his feet.

" Were you trying to get that thing to fit you again? I told you it's not going to happen. You're just to shrimpy," Yuan laughed. Kratos glared at him and went back to fixing his hair. Kratos had yet to hit a growth spurt and was thus very short for his age. Puberty seemed to be ignoring him, this was the main reason he didn't want to go to the academy. He was positive he'd be made fun of. Yuan on the other hand was the opposite. He had grown quite tall and his voice was dropping. Kratos was especially angry because Yuan's voice was going down steadily instead of cracking, so he couldn't be made fun of.

" What say we go to the kitchen and get breakfast?" Yuan asked leaning on Kratos's head and looking down at him.

" Fine, let's go," Kratos answered ducking out from Yuan's elbow and laughing as the half-elf lost his balance. Yuan soon caught up to his friend who had started down the hallway before Yuan had regained his balance. He watched his friend from corner of his eye. Kratos was visibly nervous and Yuan decided not to tease him anymore.

" I don't think breakfast will be ready yet. Let's go see the clubhouse one last time before we're shipped off," Kratos suggested when they reached the stairs. None of the slaves seemed to be up yet, and the house was deserted. The friends left the house passing by Kratos's luggage which had been set out the night before. They raced one another to the clearing and then hurried to open the clubhouse. Kratos went down first, the one advantage to his size was that he could get into the hole easily, where as Yuan had to struggle some.

" I'm going to miss this place," Kratos said sadly. " I wish I could bring it with me. I hate having to leave so much of my stuff at home."

" At least I get to come," Yuan pointed out when he finally got inside. Kratos smiled at him and nodded. Each student was allowed to bring one slave with them. Unlike a lot of the training camps, the academy was attended by rich boys destined for positions of power. The school was not eager to deny them of comforts such as slave labor. Kratos being the richest was even guaranteed a room of his own.

The boys sat in silence for awhile, relishing in the silence of their childhood play place. Kratos sighed yet again wishing desperately that he wouldn't have to leave. Yuan soon grew bored of sitting still and stood up.

" We should get going soon, you're mom'll wonder where we went," Yuan said stretching. Kratos nodded and scrambled up the ladder ahead of his friend. Breakfast was a quick meal, at which Kratos didn't eat much. He handed almost the entire meal to his friend who gulped it greedily. Kratos paced about the entry hall as they waited for the buggy to be prepared. Yuan was forced to help prepare it.

" You're chariot awaits," Yuan said gallantly retrieving Kratos after everything was ready. " And don't worry, no way those kids had training better than you."

Kratos smiled up at Yuan nervously. As strong as he'd probably gotten fighting with Yuan, building rafts and forts, and chasing after poor unfortunate rabbits, he couldn't imagine he could stand against his peers. They would probably have trained with fathers or actual trainers who knew real fighting moves. The closest Kratos had ever gotten to a sword was the sticks he and Yuan had used while playing at pirates.

Mrs. Aurion hurried out of the house to kiss her son goodbye. Yuan waited by the buggy watching his best friend and his mother. He smiled slightly for the first time all day Kratos seemed relaxed. The human boy was trying to show a brave face for his mother. Mrs. Aurion seemed genuinely sad as she said goodbye. She made one last attempt at fixing his hair before Kratos climbed into the buggy. Yuan followed him in and close the door; he was glad to catch sight of a tear on the human woman's face. At least she likes him a little, he thought to himself.

Together the boys looked out the back of the buggy at the house where they had both lived for so long. When the house was out of sight they both relaxed and sat down in their seats. They sat in silence for a long time, neither knew what to say. They couldn't talk too comfortably for fear the driver would hear.

" This is gonna be a long ride," Yuan sighed slouching in his seat. Kratos gave him a very tired look and nodded.

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

Yuan's eyes fluttered open at a shake from Kratos. The long ride had lulled him to sleep, but now Kratos was pointing at something with an astonished look on his face. Yuan leaned over to see how Kratos's window and became equally astonished. They were driving across a huge well cared for field towards a large extravagant building. It wasn't too much bigger than Kratos's house, but it there was something intimidating about it. The entire building was built of marble with impressive pillars out front that were about a story tall. The grounds around were covered in assorted training fields, all of which were well kept. Most impressive though was the large group of students assembling outside the building.

All of them were dressed in the same uniform as Kratos and they were all standing in order in front of General Everard . Boys exited from buggy's and immediately joined the group. Yuan glanced at Kratos who had gone quite pale. Finally their buggy reached the let off place. A man ushered Kratos out and told the driver to go on to where the baggage would be unloaded. The last glance Kratos got of Yuan was his friend making a face as he realized he counted as luggage.

Kratos went to join the ranks of students standing in the yard. Nervously he joined the back of the line. The boy in front of him turned around and looked at him.

" We're supposed to be in alphabetical order," The boy whispered. His whispering didn't work out to well.

" What's going on over there? I'm trying to see how much you boys know military procedure. You should all know to be in alphabetical order, and it shouldn't take any talking to read someone's name off their uniform. Who is it causing trouble," Everard shouted walking over to the Kratos.

" Sorry sir, I… I… didn't know. So I asked this boy. He didn't answer though," Kratos answered.

" Ahh, the Aurion boy. Don't go thinking that just because you're father and I are friends that I'm going to go easy on you. Now get I place," Kratos hurried to follow the orders. He ran to the front of the line trying not to blush.

" Just because you're the son of General Aurion doesn't mean you get to go first," Came a voice from behind him. Kratos turned around and was embarrassed to see the boy's name was Ark, and was ahead of him alphabetically.

" Sorry," Kratos mumbled moving behind him. Many of the boys laughed. Kratos was soon saved from his embarrassment by the passing out of dorms. The boys were all handed slips with their room numbers on them. Most of the boys began to check one another to look for roommates. Kratos already knew he was alone and was excused from this. After a minute of the boys breaking position, General Everard yelled.

" I will know take you around the school. I expect you to act like soldiers, not like children. We do not appreciate children here, if you're not soldiers now, you will be. Come!" General Everard ordered. The group of students hurried to obey. They were lead across the grounds to get a look at their training grounds. The students were first shown an obstacle course where they would first be whipped into shape. This field would also be well known to anyone who caused trouble. They would work their problems out through sweat. Next the students were lead to a field used for fighting practice with swords and other weapons. Their tour of the practice grounds ended with a vague gesture to a field used for training on horse back, something they needn't concern themselves with in their first year.

Kratos struggled to keep up with the boy in front of him as they returned across the grounds towards the school. He looked back over his shoulder at the students behind him, and was sad to discover he actually was the shortest one there. General Everard called the boys to attention and led them into the building. They were then given a tour of the classrooms, none of which were particularly interesting. Each separate room reminded Kratos of a clean and well cared for version of the school house back home. They were also shown a library. It was a humongous room near the center of the building. It divided the front of the building and it's classrooms from the back and the dorms. This way it could be accessed by students during and after school hours.

" Is there a gym," One boy piped up when he realized they were entering the dorm area.

" That's what the training fields are for," The general answered. It was obvious that he was enjoying the looks on his students faces when they realized no weather was going to keep them inside. " I think you can find your own dorms. Your possessions should be there already. If you should want your slaves to sleep else where, ask one of the slaves in the school work uniform. They should help you. Tomorrow your upper classmen will be arriving. Class schedules will be handed out tomorrow as well. Classes will start after that. At ease soldiers."

The students immediately began to mill about talking to one another, and going to search for their dorms. Kratos looked down at the paper with his dorm number written on it, and began to follow the numbers the doors. He had quite a long way to go. The other students gave him nasty looks, as it became obvious he wasn't in the freshmen dorms. In fact he soon discovered his dorm was closer to the teachers rooms then to the other freshmen. He wasn't sure whether being near the teachers and seniors would be a good thing or not. Although he was now quite sure he would look ridiculously small.

With a sigh he swung the door to his room open. Yuan lay on a cot in the corner reading a pamphlet describing different classes.

" Fascinating stuff, this," Yuan said looking up at him.

" I'm sure," Kratos answered flopping himself down on the bed and staring at the students.

" How was your tour?" Yuan asked kindly going over to join him.

" Fine, but I don't think I'm going to make any friends any time soon."

" You suck at making friends that's no surprise. But hey, you don't need any other friends right," Yuan was honestly trying to cheer him up so Kratos smiled at him.

" Yeah I guess. So what classes look interesting?"

" Well, personally I'm looking forward to your learning to defend yourself against half-elf magic. You'll probably be able to teach me to learn magic," Yuan grinned at him. " Now come on man we've gotta unpack. This place isn't as homey as The Hole yet."

When they were done unpacking they stood back and looked their handiwork.

" Maybe this place won't be so bad," Kratos said, and Yuan nodded.

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

So they're big boys now. Magic next chapter I promise. I bet you can't wait. I hope you enjoy.