Playground Trouble
On a warm sunny afternoon in the Spring region of Zheng Island.
High above the crowded village streets of Blossom Falls -- one hundred steep stairs up a rocky mountain, hides a large temple-like orphanage. Located close to a massive, fascinating waterfall, along with a shallow pool beneath its end. The tall, rock-solid brick walls surround the temple, protecting its magnificent courtyard and surviving Zen garden but blocking out the outside world beyond its wooden gates.
Two teenage girls sat on the orphanage rooftop beside a flashing sign that read, 'Blossom Fall's Orphanage', observing the children below in the main village playing with their guardian spirits, whilst their parents disassembled the daily produce market stalls.
"Wonder why Sensei wouldn't allow us to venture outside the orphanage?" A teenage girl with black hair with purple highlights asked. Her name was Sophia Fury; she was dressed smartly in a lilac crop-top, designed with a baby Viper snake in the middle, white crop-jeggings and metallic trainers. Her hair was styled in a fabulous French braid, has bright green eyes and wore lilac lipstick.
"Duh, maybe because she's overprotective." Her blonde friend Erica Snow replied. She wore a plain white summer jumper with navy-blue jeggings and white trainers. She had long, blonde hair, pinned up in a long classic ponytail, has sparkling sapphire-blue eyes and lipstick. "Like I mean... she never grants us any freedom to roam around the village, which only leaves us with a strict limit of activities to do.
Sophia narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, that's disappointing, but I just, just want an answer to what the truth lies beyond the outside world."
"I think outside these confined walls. There might be a whole new world out there." Erica answered, she paused for a brief second then continued. "More villages to explore in every district, new people to strike a conversation with, experience new culture and taste new foods. Maybe, just maybe... we might bump into our inspirational heroes, The Guardians of Zheng Island.
Before they could complain on and on -- they heard voices in the courtyard.
"Tag, Colette's it!" screamed a young girl with silver glasses.
"Hey, no fair!" The girl named Colette cried miserably. Watching the girl who tagged her make her escape. "I'll get you back one day, Zoe!"
Sophia and Erica exchanged an unwary expression; without second thoughts, they leaped from their perch then rushed to the scene where they found Colette and another girl hugging her tightly as Colette cried on her shoulder under the garden's bulky cherry blossom tree.
Erica was the first on the scene.
"What's wrong?" Erica asked.
"What happened?" Sophia reacted, approaching Colette with ease, stroking her hair, soothing her until she calmed down a little bit. "We came as soon as we heard your screams."
Colette had wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. Wearing a pair of navy-blue jeggings and a pink long-sleeved casual t-shirt with a single lilac butterfly printed in the middle and white trainers.
The girl hugging Colette was her best friend, Petal. She had purple glasses, blue eyes and seaside-blonde hair in two braided pigtails. Wearing a lilac summer dress with a slick black belt around waist and wore white trainers.
"Zoe cheated again," Petal began, "she wasn't playing by the rules like she promised last time. She's isn't playing fair."
Before either Erica or Sophia could respond -- a stern voice spoke out of the blue.
"Who's not playing fair?" The stern voice asked.
The girls and Petal turned in the direction of the voice until they came face to face with a teenage boy. His name was Nathan Kowalski, he had spiky chestnut brown hair with blonde highlights at the tips of his hair and wore a flaming- red tracksuit.
"Well, look who decided to show up from his meditating lesson." Sophia teased, nickering.
"S-Shut up." Nathan moaned angrily, embarrassed. Still maintaining his best five star smile, he decided to join the girls, hiding underneath the cool shade of the tree, sitting next to Petal. He quickly went back on topic. "So, what is this about not playing fair?"
"It's Zoe again." Petal spoke for her friend then continued to explain part of the situation, Still waiting patiently for Colette to stop crying. "We were only playing an active game of tag with a small group of boys... then Zoe asked Johnathan if she can play with us and he told her she can, as long as she played fairly. After Riku explained the rules, we agreed that Zoe should be the tagger first but when Riku was counting down, she began the game thirty seconds earlier than we expected before Riku could say 'go'."
