Mermaid Heel's New Flare (Chapter 8)
Flare Corona and Risley Law spent almost an hour in the restaurant, eating in sweet silence, talking with each other about Flare's short time in Mermaid Heel, asking each other questions about their lives, and their opinions on other members of their guild. After collecting their leftovers, Flare and Risley left the restaurant hand in hand, and took a walk on the nearby beach, continuing to talk with each other as they looked at the star-covered sky, which reflected on the waters on the beach, bathing them in natural light.
"Flare, do you know how to swim?"
"Well…I've swum a couple of times in my life, but I don't think I'm good at it."
"Me and the other girls were planning a big beach trip at the end of the month, so maybe I can help you learn how to swim," Risley offered while running her hand up and down on Flare's back with a smile on her face. Before Flare could answer, a blonde woman in a purple dress came up to the two of them, with a very condescending smile on her face that was mostly directed at Risley. However, the woman also glared at Flare through her peripheral vision, and Flare looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering why this woman was staring holes through her.
"Hello Risley," the woman said with enough venom in her voice to kill a King Cobra. Flare looked over at Risley, and for the first time since she knew her, Risley glared at the woman in front of them with legitimate anger. Risley had glared from being annoyed, getting hurt, or even from being focused, but Flare had never seen Risley look angry before.
"What do you want, Charlotte?" Risley asked through grit teeth as the blonde woman, now known as Charlotte, put a hand on Risley's shoulder and laughed at her.
"Awww…can't I see how my ex is doing?" Charlotte said with an overdramatic amount of fake sadness, causing Flare to lightly gasp. Flare knew from talking with Beth and Arana that Risley had other relationships before her, but did not expect to meet one of her exes so soon after they had started dating.
"I was doing fine until you showed up. Come on Flare, let's go home," Risley responded before pulling Flare away from Charlotte, but Charlotte responded by running in front of them and blocking their way out.
"Oh don't be like that Risley. I've been looking for you for so long, and I think we should have a little talk. Without…her," Charlotte said, as she pointed at Flare, who was starting to get irritated at this unwanted presence on her date. Flare wanted to say something to the meddling woman, but Risley put her left arm in front of Flare, keeping her away from Charlotte as Risley walked closer to the blonde bombshell.
"I don't know or care what you want to talk about. I am over you and all your cheating, and sick of even thinking of you. I'm going home with Flare, and you can just go back home and away from me," Risley stated while glaring a hole through Charlotte, who responded by trembling with her fists clenched as Risley turned Flare around and headed home. However, before they could get out of the boardwalk, some runes appeared in front of them. Right before Risley or Flare could say anything, a force field appeared in front of them, with a rune message appearing on top of Flare and Risley.
"Charlotte, what the hell!?" Risley yelled as she tried to kick the force field down, but the force field didn't budge.
"I told you we were going to talk Risley, and that's what we were going to do," Charlotte responded as Risley attempted to go after Charlotte, but Charlotte was able to maneuver around Risley, put her arm behind her, and took her down with a Judo Toss. Flare was shocked at Charlotte's strength with the fact that she took Risley down as easily as she did but angrier that Charlotte was attacking her new girlfriend.
"Risley, Risley, Risley, you should know by now that when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, you have absolutely nothing on me," Charlotte gloated as she put both of Risley's arms behind her back, and mounted her stomach. However, before Charlotte could so much as lean in for the kiss that she was thinking about, Flare ran at her and kicked her right in the face, sending her flying off of Risley.
"Stay away from Risley!" Flare nearly screeched as she prepared for a fight by untying her hair and putting her fists up. Charlotte coughed and wiped the blood from her nearly broken nose before standing up and glaring at Flare.
"You're going to regret doing that, you anorexic homewrecker!" Charlotte yelled before writing runes on herself, causing her body to glow purple as she shot herself like a missile at Flare. However, Flare was able to dodge and get to the other side of the force field before launching some of her hair at Charlotte. Charlotte dodged the attacks, and in mid-air, attempted to shoot a beam of energy at Flare.
"Flare look out!" Risley exclaimed in worry as Flare was barely able to duck out of the way. Charlotte, noticing that Risley was trying to get back to her feet, kicked her in the back of her shin with enough force to send her falling back to the sandy floor of the beach face first. Risley grit her teeth in pain, not wanting Charlotte to get the satisfaction of hearing her yell of pain. Flare saw this happen and became even angrier than she already was, as her hair started to grow wild and move around in many different ways.
"Hair Shower: Thousand Birds!" Flare shouted as she shot several bundles of hair at Charlotte with the speed of a bullet. Charlotte was also able to dodge these attacks and ran at Flare to punch her in the gut with as much force as he could muster. Flare doubled over in pain, holding her stomach while coughing before Charlotte kicked Flare in the chest, sending her crashing back first into the force field.
"Come on, was that all you got!? Did I really hurt Risley that bad that she would stoop as low as to be with some weakling like you!?" Charlotte yelled at Flare before running at her with another punch right to the face. Flare crumpled to the floor as Charlotte grabbed Flare by the hair, and pulled a small blade out of her pocket. Charlotte then wrote runes on the knife, causing the actual blade of the weapon to turn into a longer, energy-made blade.
"You know…I could just kill you right now in front of Risley and show her why it was a mistake that she ever left me. I mean, what's a better lesson than giving them a physical lesson?" Charlotte asked as she put the blade dangerously close to Flare's throat. Risley tried to get back to her feet, but her ankle was still injured from Charlotte's attack. Charlotte smiled at an angry Risley before she threw Flare face first onto the ground and grabbed Flare's crimson locks in her fist.
"But you know what? I want you to really suffer for thinking that you would be a suitable replacement for me. So before I cut your throat, I'm going to cut your stupid magical hair all off," Charlotte said with a devilish grin on her face, causing a barely conscious Flare to try and pull herself out of Charlotte's grasp.
"Please…no…this was given to me by the Eternal Flame. It's my-" Flare tried to beg with the little energy she had left, but Charlotte countered by kneeing her in the face, sending Flare into unconsciousness. Charlotte then grabbed Flare's hair again and put her face right in front of Risley's with her knife over Flare's hair.
"Just remember Risley, none of this would have happened if you hadn't left. This is all your fault, and that this is the price for betraying me," Charlotte said as Risley continued to try and fight back against her, but it was too late as Charlotte sent the knife through Flare's hair, cutting off most of her hair until she only had three inches of hair left. Risley looked on in shock as the crimson hair that Flare had taken so much care of and valued more than almost anything, was gone with the simple swipe of a blade.
"And now that that's done, time for sweet little Flare to die early. And after I'm done with her, you're going to come back home with me and we will be together forever Risley!" Charlotte exclaimed as she put the blade back underneath Flare's throat, as Risley tried to rack her brain, thinking of something to do while trying to get the tears out of her eyes.