The mid-noon sun shone high over the city of Inkopolis on a bright and clear day; all was well for the Inkling and Octoling inhabitants of the inky metropolis, but today had quite some interesting events in store that nobody saw coming in a hundred years.

Rising Splatfest star Meggy Spletzer and Team B leader Alexsey Moskvin were down at Fort Catfish with Desti, undertaking some training exercises with their Splat weapons to hone their skills for the next Turf War and not just the next big Splatfest tournament. Today was a good day, it had been a week since they came back from their tropical Ocean Heaven vacation after a tough battle.

"How's your ammo?" Alexey asked Meggy as he fired on a fake target.

"My gun isn't even half-empty." Meggy replied.

"We're just getting started here." Desti quipped.

The trio chuckled and focused on their exercises, feeling the soft wind blow against their skin as a breeze floated through, causing the flags to ripple in their spots.

Meggy and the others shot down more targets and were about to go splat up another practice area when they heard a grunting sound and turned. Mona, Alexey's blue girlfriend and another member of Team B, was atop a wooden pillar next to them, doing a handstand with her legs wobbling in the air.

"Hey, Mona!" Alexsey called, "Isn't that platform a little unstable?"

"What are you even doing up there anyway?" Meggy asked.

"Ha, really, Meggy?" Desti chuckled, "Its obvious she's doing a handstand."

Mona grunted and climbed off the platform, her feet touching the ground as she stood. The blue Inkling rotated her shoulders and ran her fingers through her blue-colored hair before she turned her focus to Meggy, Desti and Alexsey.

"I was training, just like the rest of you..." She said, "However, that handstand isn't as easy at it would seem to be; especially when you had to comment on what I was doing."

Alexsey set down his gun and held his fellow team-member and loving girlfriend's soft hand. "My apologies to you, my blue dove..." The Russian Inkling told Mona, "We did not mean to distract you, I was just expressing my concern since that is a very narrow pillar and I was worried you were going to potentially hurt yourself."

"So, when you were doing that handstand, you were training for something?" Meggy asked.

"I'll be okay, Alexsey, it's fine." Mona told the green-haired Inkling, then she looked at the orange-tentacled Splatfest champion and her rival, "I was training my skills and I was practicing for the gymnastics contest."

"A gymnastics contest?" Desti inquired.

"Long story short, I got challenged by Octilia, a red-haired Octoling who's very flexible, and now I gotta brush up my acrobatics if I'm going to beat her in the contest."

"Don't let her get to you." Meggy pat Mona on the shoulder, "After all, this is an Octoling we're talking about and their species is known to have given us Inklings a load of grief in the past just like a certain someone over here."

Desti giggled. "You think you stand a chance?" She asked.

Alexsey rolled his eyes, he could see where the conversation was about to go. Very slowly, he backed away with his hands in the air. Whatever came next, he would rather stay out of it.

"Right from the mouth of another Octoling." Mona remarked, "With enough practice, I will own that stupid tentacled trouble-making acrobat of an octopus. Are you doubting my talents and trying to stop me from taking up the challenge, Desti?"

Meggy held up her hand, "C'mon, Mona? Desti was just teasing."

"Was she? Are you defending her, Spletzer?" Mona booped Meggy on the nose.

'Oh boy…' Alexsey thought.

"N-Not really…" Meggy defended, "But..."

"I'm doing the challenge and nothing is going to change that." Mona stated with a stern smile, "You have anything else to say or are you gonna mind your business?"

"What if we went with you and helped?" Desti offered, "Octilia won't stand a chance against us if we beat her together as a team?"

"Really now?" Mona did a cartwheel and crossed her arms, "Tell me, how good are you two at handstands and how flexible are you, girls?"

Desti gulped, realizing that it was too late. She and Meggy looked at each other, almost uncertain about what they were getting into. Mona looked at them with a smirk; it was as if she could read their minds. Both Desti and Meggy looked back at the blue-haired Inkling, then they looked at Alexsey, who shrugged and walked off, leaving the girls to handle it themselves.

"I like a challenge and all, but are you actually challenging us?" Meggy asked.

Mona put a hand on her hip, "I might as well be now."

Desti set aside her weapon. "Looks like there's no way we're getting out of this one just as there's no way Mona's getting out of that contest, Meggy." She told the Inkling.

Meggy shrugged with uncertainty, "Well, I do like a challenge and we are flexible after years of training and practicing for the Splatfests. So, maybe? What are you actually saying, Mona?"

"Alright, here's my... suggestion, a little wager..." Mona declared, "Why don't we have... a handstand contest, you and me? There's no special prize, just a nice and easy contest; whoever does the longest handstand will be the lucky handstand champion. Let's see how good you two are and if you two can beat my record, what do you say?"

The blue Inkling extended her hand.

"Um, Meggy? What should we do?" Desti asked nervously.

"I say..." Meggy said, she shook Mona's hand, "Challenge accepted, may the best girl win."

Desti reluctantly shook Mona's hand, accepting her challenge. The girls decided to get changed into something more form-fitting and prepare for the contest while Mona waited, the blue Inkling was already wearing her battle armor. Meggy and Desti soon returned, both wearing Octoling armor without the belts around their waists.

They followed Mona to a platform on the east side of the fort, their handstand contest stage. Mona looked at the girls with hands on her hips, Meggy and Desti looked at her and flexed their shoulders, there was no way they can lose.

"Alright, are you girls, ready?" Mona asked.

"Bring it!" Meggy whooped.

"Ah yeah!" Desti punched the air.

"On three…" Mona stretched her arms and flexed her leg, "GO!"

Meggy bent over and did a handstand with her legs positioned in the air while her tentacles dangled down, Desti made her move, performing a one-armed handstand right next to Meggy. Then it was Mona's turn, she did a backflip and landed on her hands while bending her legs in a flexible manner while she looked up to look at Meggy and Desti.

Desti glanced at Meggy and winked at her, the Octoling was feeling confident already.

A confident Meggy bent her leg and raised her right arm to flash a thumbs up, she was more determined than ever, especially when she could imagine Mario rooting for her right now.

Down in the lake nearby, a couple Salmonids emerged from the water and their jaws dropped, the fish-like creatures watched as the three girls stood on their hands with their legs in the air. The Salmonids watched for a while, then they vanished back underwater to parts unknown with the girls unaware of their brief audience.

On another platform, Alexsey was cleaning his gun and preparing to continue target practice, then he saw Meggy, Mona and Desti doing their handstands from a distance.

"Eh, not too bad." The Russian Inkling said.

Back with the girls, Mona's shoulders wobbled, but she maintained balance. Meggy didn't wobble, she was really good for an Inkling who hadn't done this in a while. Desti had done a couple cartwheels with her sister, she had plenty of practice.

Three minutes passed, the clock ticking away. Meggy started to sweat, her legs shaking in mid-air. However, she kept at it like a champ. Desti went to a two-handed handstand at one point, then she balanced on her left hand even while one of her tentacles dangled down from the handstand position.

Around four minutes later, it had been seven minutes since the girls started. Mona raised her arm to do a one-armed handstand, twirling around on one hand for a second before going back to her previous position. Both girls eyed each other, wondering how long they would do this; nothing could stop the Inkling-Octoling handstand showdown.

Perhaps Mona had a chance against Octilia, maybe Meggy and Desti could accompany her, to either support her or help in the contest as part of the team?

It depended on how well they did.

Mona's arms wobbled; her head sweated. Ten minutes had passed now, she got up on her feet and shook her arms. Meggy and Desti remained on their hands and grinned at each other, they were gonna beat her, the girls just had to stay up a little longer.

Mona watched the girls without a word, wondering how many more minutes they would stay up on their hands without breaking a sweat. Perhaps they could beat her record?

Desti firmly placed her arm back down and as the timer went to thirteen minutes, she'd been doing a handstand for quite a long time. The Octoling smiled, then she felt he shoulder wobble and raised her arm to shake it off. She went back into it. Meggy, however, was doing fine.

Mona looked at her watch, their contest had now started over fifteen minutes ago. She did her handstand for ten minutes. AND THE GIRLS WERE DOING THAT FOR FIFTEEN?

Eventually, Meggy's arms wobbled and she sweated, so did Desti. Their hands felt a little slippery, they had to call it quits. Very carefully, they lowered their legs and climbed back onto their legs, stretching their arms to get the shaky kinks out of themselves. Meggy and Desti looked at each other, then they looked at Mona, wondering what now.

Mona looked at her watch and at the girls, shocked by what was happening.

"Well?" Meggy asked.

"Fifteen minutes!" Mona exclaimed, "You two are the champions, new record, that was longer than my ten minutes!"

"Meggy, we did it!" Desti cried excitedly, she and Meggy shared a hug. Then Mona joined in.

"Congrats, you two!" The blue-haired Inkling said, "That was fun!"

Meggy shook Mona's hand and so did Desti, the two rivals/friends felt proud of themselves. They couldn't believe it; they'd defeated Mona in a handstand contest and outlasted her. The trio shared another hug, then they walked away, arm-in-arm, discussing the upcoming contest with Octilia with Meggy offering to join Mona as support in the contest.

"Y'know, Meggy?" Mona said, "I would like that. And, also, I'd love for you to come too, Desti."

"Oh yeah, gladly." Desti nodded.

The girls headed off, leaving the fort and heading to Inkopolis Plaza for a drink of coffee to wind down and cool off after an afternoon of training and engaging in a friendly-little competition...

The End