Enemy Within: First Steps
The beginnings of the Black Lion

Note: I do not own Power Rangers Jungle Fury or its characters. I'm just playing with them.
Prompt: First Day of School (bigthingsinlife prompts)
Genre: General/Drama/Angst
Rating: K (as of now)

Dressed in a simple blue shirt and black pants, I join the fellow new students. Everyone refers to us as cubs, I do not mind, with the way some of the Masters and even other students, it comes off as endearing. It seemed strange at first that my instinct was to relish the kindness and affection in the tone as they refer to me as essentially a baby. But others, when they see me, they react with…fear…they didn't even know my name and I managed to bring fear. I didn't want to be feared, I just wanted…acceptance…just once in my life. I wanted to feel something other than the maddening loneliness. Then I saw some of the older students, some I could see straight through them and see the animal they possessed. If another lion saw me, they were drawn to stare, the others passed by, instinctively going to their own breed. More surprisingly the older male lions would glare, my stomach clenched, I've seen that look before. That usually meant I was going to be beaten, having been one of the smaller kids in school, I got beaten on a regular basis. Now here people seemed to not even want to get near me, I'm unsure if I should be relieved.

There were several cubs that were about my age, some were older but not by much, there was only one younger than me. I was 9, she was 7, I didn't know her name or how she came to be there but all I can remember is that her long blonde hair was blowing in the strong wind and she finally tied it back with a light blue ribbon, the color of our uniforms. Then she wore a smile of satisfaction after that, and returned to the position that we were all told to sit. Next to me, the resentful son of one of the Masters hadn't budged an inch, not even when his friend beside him began to poke and prod at him. His name is RJ and he is being as serious as I am, the others are getting fidgety, but this was the first day of my new life and I didn't want to mess it up.

"I'm RJ," the boy beside me says, I already knew his name but I didn't mind the introduction.

"Jarrod."

"Hello Jarrod. Apparently this bunch is the youngest in Academy history. Some, like you are accepted for your spirit strength. Others, like myself, it's our home situations."

"You heard about me?"

"Of course! Even if I didn't, I can feel your power. You don't know how to cloak your spirit yet but you will learn, we all will. It's pouring out of you and I've never seen anything like it and I've been around this place long enough." RJ had such a friendly smile. I wanted to believe he could possibly be a friend, but knowing me, I'd always be alone.

That's when Master Mao comes out, his warm eyes as always. Other Masters follow him, there are several. I wanted to stay with Mao, I trusted him, I didn't know the others or how they would react to me. The student's reactions gave me the impression that the Masters would be the same way.

"-Jarrod, you will be studying with Master Finn. RJ, with Master Swoop." I hear a sigh of relief from beside me. "Dominic, you are with me. Rise and go to your Master." We climb to our feet and go to our assigned Masters; the blonde girl who was beside me cross to the White haired man, later I would learn was Master Phant.

Master Finn looked down at me; his face set and stern, and his eyes gave nothing away. From his reaction from his own son, I'm scared.

"Come with me." His voice is as cold as his eyes and with shaking steps and one look back at the others, I followed him to his dojo, as we stepped inside he instructed me to sit and not to move. "I am Master Finn and I expect nothing but perfection out of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" my voice trembles and my hands are shaking.

"Good. I have high hopes for you Jarrod, I know you will not let me down."

"I will try not to Master." He smiled at me, one of the few smiles I would ever receive.

"Good. Now I will begin to teach you the Shark Technique."

"But I have a Lion…"

"The spirits do not limit us to the techniques we use. As I can predict, Swoop will teach my son to fight blind. I am aware of your spirit and the power you possess I will start your training helping you control it. Eventually as you gain your years, you will gain other Masters. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master." I told him, ever the obedient student. He still smiled at me, and from the slit of the cracked door I saw RJ's eyes peering in. I knew in that moment that he would hate me for the smiles I would gain from his Father, the relationship I had, he would resent. I never was able to tell him that I wasn't looking for a Father in his. It wouldn't matter though, when I left his dojo that night, RJ would act like he was fine when I got to our dorm but I knew it wasn't. I sat in the common room where our group was being housed; we all sat in silence, all overwhelmed by the day. I was the first to go to my room and I didn't look back this time. Curling on my bed, I clutched my pillow and wished for another life.