Soara led Anakin to the area of the temple reserved for the Younglings, a large round room decorated heavily with plants and with around twenty children, all involved in a game of laserball. All looked about Anakin's age and dressed in the traditional Jedi uniform.
"I've asked one of the Younglings to show you around," Soara said turning around and leaving Anakin to watch the game on his own. The laserball bounced high over the heads of the players and a lanky black haired boy skidded over towards him to catch it. He missed and nearly crashed into Anakin.
"Sorry, sorry," he apologised before getting a look at his face, "Are you Anakin?"
"Yes," Anakin asked sullenly.
"I'm supposed to show you around. My name's Tru Veld," he introduced himself and then went straight back to questioning him, "Is it true that you've only just found out you are a Jedi,"
"Yes," Anakin said sullenly, irritated by the question.
"Oh, I've been here since I was two" the boy boasted.
"Oh really," Anakin said sarcastically.
"Come on," he said noticing the game of laserball had stopped and the Younglings were filing out of the room to their first lesson.
"Where are we going?" Anakin asked trying to keep up with the other.
The first lesson of the morning was meditation, the Younglings gathered into the meditation garden and sat cross legged on the floor. Master Yoda then hobbled to the front of the class and sat down. All the other students automatically knew what to do. They closed their eyes, breathed deeply and went into a trance. Anakin did not. He stared around at the class wondering what to do.
"Close your mind, young Skywalker and become more aware of your surroundings," Yoda told him noticing his confusion.
Anakin almost wondered aloud that if he wanted to become more aware of his surroundings he should probably keep his eyes open. So Anakin half dozed for two hours while the other students meditated and when the class was finished struggled to shake the cramp from his legs. As he staggered to his feet a young Twi'lek girl giggled.
The next class was lightsabre training led by Master Soara, who took aside two pupils at a time to duel with training sabres. Meanwhile, the rest of the class sat around the edge of the circular training room observing and whispering to one and another. Anakin found himself sat in-between the Twi'lek girl and a boy a little younger than himself. The boy grinned casually at him.
"Have you ever duelled before?" he asked, and after Anakin didn't answer he continued, "Excited?" Again Anakin didn't answer.
The Twi'lek next to him turned around and introduced herself, "My name's Aayla, don't worry the duelling, you won't get hurt,"
"I wasn't worried," Anakin said suddenly.
"Good, also no-one gets meditation to begin with. Ferus used to nap in meditation until he was eight years old,"
The boy, who was clearly Ferus, looked offended. "No I didn't,"
"Aayla, Ferus, Anakin, are you all paying attention," Soara called across the classroom as she instructed Tru and another student.
"Yes, of course Master Soara," Ferus exclaimed trying to sound hurt.
"Well then why don't you come up here with our new student and show him the ropes," she said.
Ferus was obviously quite experienced with a lightsabre, as they were handed the training sabres, he grinned confidently at Anakin.
Soara stood back and observed the young Jedi. Ferus began the duel by lunging towards Anakin. Anakin parried clumsily and Ferus's sabre brushed his forearm, Anakin yelped in shock, the training sabre didn't have the same effect as a normal one but still left quite a sting. The two began circling each other; the room was silent, everyone was eager to see the new boy fight. Anakin broke the circling pattern by copying a spinning sideways movement he had seen Obi-Wan do on Naboo. Although not as graceful as Obi-Wan it had the desired effect Ferus was knocked off balance and he struggled to avoid the move and his next movement was lacking in strength. However, he regained balance and came at Anakin with a deluge of blows which Anakin hastily attempted to dodge with limited success, the practice sabre grazed him repeatedly and eventually he lost his balance, falling to the floor. Ferus looked pleased with himself but offered a hand to his fallen opponent, which he refused.
"Now Anakin, after a duel the two opponents must bow to each other," Soara said firmly, sensing Anakin's humiliated anger. Anakin obeyed curtly and sat sullenly at the side of the room while the next pair began their duel.
Qui-Gon waited outside the training room and watched the line of Younglings file out. Anakin brought up the rear of the line, looking grim. The boy spotted his master but Qui-Gon motioned for him to stay with the group. Anakin looked crestfallen but followed the other students.
