*In Jay's Workspace, instead of everyone getting ready to watch the next chapter of the story, we see RJ "Jay" Writing Ink and Eddy marching around wielding picket signs and worn-out clothes meant to symbolize their status as laborers. Janna's sitting in a lawn chair and munching on popcorn while Double Dee looks on in exasperation. Everyone else is just looking at the sight in confusion.*

Jay/Eddy: Hollywood's a jerk! Ain't gonna work! Hollywood's a jerk! Ain't gonna work! Hollywood's a jerk! Ain't gonna work!

Double Dee: Oh, dear. This is as embarrassing as it was the last time Eddy did this.

Janna: Come on, sockhead, lighten up a little. This is for a good cause, and you know it.

Omnitraxus Prime: And what would that be?

Freakazoid: Well, the writers and actors in Hollywood don't think they're getting paid enough for their work, and now they're freaking out about getting replaced by Skynet!

Spongebob Narrator: By which he means AI. They're worried that studios will use AI to replace them as writers and be used to digitally recreate their likenesses without paying them.

Jay: As they should be! While I am all for using cool new technology such as AI to better the lives of everyone, I will not overlook the potential abuse of power that they could provide, which could negatively impact mankind. If we start using AI to do things like writing, art, and even acting, humanity risks letting our collective imagination atrophy. New ideas that could solve significant issues will be no more. And what will we be left with when AI goes Skynet on us because we didn't program it with morals and ethics? A diet of innocuous, bland mush for entertainment will be our legacy! We'll all be dead or used as slave labor or living batteries.

Rex: Rex has never seen tiny man so passionate before.

DAU Kermit: I mean, he's right, though. Did you hear the news about Erica Lindbeck? She quit social media because many people trolled her for complaining about someone using her voice without permission. It made for a funny video, but still.

Eddy: Hey, less talking, more protesting! The bigger a nuisance we make out of ourselves, the sooner we can get what we want.

Double Dee: Can we please just start the story? For heaven's sake, we still have so much to cover today!

Jay: *Groan* fine, Double Dee. I mean, I wanted to do that, anyway. It'll take my mind off of not getting to go to SDCC this year. Again.

After the initial declaration that it was time to play Flags, all the House Dragonfly and Johansen members considered old enough began to make their way to the starting line, flags in hand and determined looks on their faces. Ideally, each family would try to ensure that one of their own made it to the top and planted their flag; that would mark a win for their House as a whole. Individually, though, everyone wanted to be the one who got there first. They would get the privilege of winning for their House and proving themselves better than everyone else present. From behind the starting line, Manfred had climbed onto an observation platform from which he could view the entirety of the game and provide commentary.

"The game will commence when all participants are ready," Manfred spoke into a golden, diamond-encrusted megaphone. "Here's to another splendid game of Flags. And please, for the love of the Gods, let's not have a repeat of what happened last year."

Unbeknownst to the adults, Comet and Marcia had managed to slip into the crowd and were lying on the ground to avoid detection. As the two popped out their heads near the starting line, Marcia couldn't help but get curious about what Manfred mentioned.

"Comet, I know I'm going to regret this," Marcia whispered, "but what happened last year?"

"Just before he reached the peak, my Uncle Lump got his head cut off. Or, it might be more accurate to say he got his body cut off."

Marcia's pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks. "What? He died?" That was already a major red flag for her!

"Relax, Mar-Mar," Comet said to reassure her. "My Dad got to him in time and managed to enchant his head to keep him alive magically."

"So, they reattached him to his body?"

"Nah. That was too far gone. So we replaced it with the body of a Warnicorn," he said as he pointed toward Uncle Lump. To Marcia's amazement, a creature had the body of a horse (a Warnicorn, she had to remind herself) attached to the head of a Johansen man carrying his family's flag in his mouth.

"Neigh, neigh!" Uncle Lump called out, weirding Marcia out further. Even Comet looked a little unnerved by it.

"I think he likes it better this way," Comet noted with a shudder. Wanting to talk about anything else, Marcia asked Comet something else.

"Wait, if both halves of your family are playing against each other, then whose side are we on?"

"Duh, Marcia. The three of us are on Team Comet's side. You, me, and our secret weapon." Bringing his arm up to his ear, Comet tapped on an earpiece that he used his Wand to create. "Coryn, you in position?"

In the sky above, Coryn the Noctowl flew over the field, unseen by everyone below, save for Comet and Marcia.

"Hoo-hoo!" the Owl Pokémon chirped in response to his friend/creator's call, a matching earpiece nestled in one of its ears as it affirmed that it was ready to go.

"Good job, Coryn. You act as our eyes in the sky and provide air support if things get dicey. Comet out," Comet finished before ending the call. While he didn't doubt his and Marcia's ability to make it to the top and beat both sides of his family, he didn't want to leave anything to chance. That's why he had used his Wand to magically summon his ever-loyal Pokémon from his bedroom back on Earth and instructed him to take to the skies. With his powers as a Pokémon at their disposal, it could give Team Comet the edge they needed to come out on top.

"Just remember, Marcia. In this game, it's us against everyone. So if someone tries to help us, don't buy it. Both sides will resort to any dirty tricks they can come up with to win."

"Sure. Got it, Comet," Marcia said, gulping nervously as she looked at the Mountain they were going to have to make their way up. At least I'll get my exercise in for the day, Marcia said in an attempt to stay positive.

"All participants at the ready," Manfred announced before holding a miniature cannon/pistol (again, gold-colored) into the air, the fuse powering it already close to going off. "Ready...set..."

Marcia and Comet each took a deep breath to center themselves as they prepared for what came next. Every nerve in Comet's body was crackling with energy in anticipation. At long last, he would finally compete in Flags against his family! Marcia silently prayed for God to help her and her hyperactive bestie through this.

*BANG* The shot rang out on the field.

"...Flags!"

And with that, the game began!

Marcia could barely comprehend what was going on. She couldn't even hear herself think. Everything else drowned amidst the thundering din of dozens of people shouting, cheering, and charging forward. For a brief moment, Marcia thought she ran the genuine risk of getting trampled underneath the stampede. Instead, she found herself being yanked to her feet by Comet as she vaguely heard him say something about "This is it, Marcy! YAHH!" Not knowing what else to do, Marcia allowed instinct to take over as she soon joined Comet in the surge toward the top of the hill.

"And both families are now entering the course. The Johansen's are using their superior physical strength to take an early lead. Still, the determined Dragonflies are already picking up the slack as both sides make their way to the bottom of the hill," Manfred commented through his megaphone and opera eyeglasses as he watched the game.

Behind Manfred, sitting underneath an open-aired, canopy tent, King Mune sat back in his chair, his boots off and laying haphazardly on the ground nearby. So what if it didn't project an image of regality? Considering how he had to deal with this bullshit every year at these picnics, he felt he had the right to put his feet up.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with doing this each year, Mune cynically thought to himself as he watched his family and in-laws scramble up that hill like a bunch of idiots.

"Why in the Seven Hells did I even think that this game was fun? The King asked himself as he watched with a bored expression before turning around to look behind him at the kid's table. Much to his relief, he saw his son and friend sitting there with the other kids.

At least you're smart enough not to get caught up in this idiocy, Mune thought with a smile. "That's my boy," he said to himself as he went back to observing the game, his mood already a little better. Just for that, he might let Comet eat at the grown-up table next year.

The Dragonflies, Johansen's, and their still-unknown third opponent reached the foot of the Mountain, all sides still cheering and emitting a cacophony of battle cries as they began to make their ascent. In their path stood rocks and boulders the size of people as they jutted out of the ground. If one wasn't careful, they could quickly lose their balance, or worse, make the ground give way and send earth and stone tumbling downward. Yet all parties in the game remained undeterred as they made their way up.

Comet, in particular, was in his element. Years of self-taught parkour had molded his body into an agile instrument of climbing, jumping, and rapid movement. He deftly hopped from rock to rock, not pausing as he used his momentum to propel even further. Not far behind him, Marcia started getting the hang of things. While she wasn't as agile as the hyperactive Comet proved to be, she did have years of martial arts training to draw upon. Her body had learned to react to external stimuli faster than most people could. Combined with her analytical and organized mind, she managed to plot the fastest path through the rocks, working to keep up with Comet. That is until she encountered a huge rock jutting out of the mountainside. When Comet managed to climb over it without any hassle, she tried to do the same, only to fall short. She barely managed to grab hold of the edge before toppling over.

"Comet? A little help, man?" She called out as she felt her grip slipping.

"Allow me to lend you a hand, my dear," came an unfamiliar voice. As Marcia looked up, she faced a man with light violet hair and poshly dressed attire, one of Comet's relatives on the Dragonfly side.

For a moment, Marcia instinctively began to reach out to grab the man's hand, but then she remembered what Comet had told her. Everyone would be out to get them, and whatever seemed like help was likely a trick.

Not letting herself stop for fear of arousing suspicion, Marcia feigned, reaching out for the Mewman's hand. As she did so, her eyes darted up to his face and caught the slight hint of a smirk, confirming her suspicions. At the last moment, though, she reached out past his hand and grabbed onto the sleeves of his shirt.

"Wait, what are you-?"

The man had no time to react. Letting her karate training kick in, Marcia pushed back on the rock, using the momentum to pull the member of House Dragonfly over her shoulder, sending him tumbling down onto the ground some few feet below.

"AH!" the poor man screamed as he hit the dirt with a thud, much to Marcia's satisfaction. "How dare you, you miscreant!"

"Ha! Nice try, jerkwad! Next time, give it your a-game!" Marcia shouted back at him as, much to her surprise, an entire manservant climbed out of his sleeve. It was an exaggerated version of the fake-arm gag!

"Ha ha! You just learned that Marcia Diaz ain't nobody's fool!" Comet shouted as he charged back down the hill to pull Marcia up, high-fiving her as she managed to get onto solid ground. "Good effort, though, Cousin Heartrude!" Comet added before motioning to Marcia to continue following him.

"Why did you just congratulate him? He tried to pull me down the hill," Marcia asked as she followed after Comet.

"Because that's Flags, Marcia. That's how you play. Now, come on. We've gotta catch up to the others!" Comet said as he proceeded to run further up the Mountain.

"I'm afraid you aren't going anywhere, my dear boy."

As Comet and Marcia ran up the Mountain, they were surprised to find someone standing in their way. He was unusually tall, standing about six feet tall, and dressed in the same familiar attire as the Dragonfly family. He looked in his mid-to-late twenties, had short brown hair, brown eyes, a thick beard covering his face and part of his neck, and was carrying an arming sword.

Comet stopped running as he looked at the man in front of them. "Cousin Alister," Comet hissed as he narrowed his eyes. Given his reaction, Marcia guessed that this man was one of the members of House Dragonfly that Comet didn't get along well with. "Step aside, Al. We're winning this thing!"

"I think not. When I thought I saw you amidst the rush of our families as this competition began, I feared my eyes might be playing tricks on me. An upstart child thinking he's big enough to play Flags with the adults? I simply had to see for myself if it was true!" he said with a condescending laugh. "And not only did you think that you're ready to compete with us, but you chose to accept help from an outsider. And a woman, no less! If you think that peasant girl will help you, you're even more foolish than I thought!"

Marcia bristled at the sexist insult as she felt her fists clench. Before she could say anything, though, Comet motioned for her to stay back.

"First off, Al," Alister grimaced at the shortening of his name, "Marcia's more than capable of beating any guy's face in, so I wouldn't mock her for her gender. Second, who said she's the only backup I brought?" Bringing his hands to his earpiece, the Prince yelled, "Coryn, use headbutt!"

"Hooo!" Like a streak of light, Coryn the Notcowl dove down from high, his wings glowing with energy. Before the Mewman could even react to what was happening, the Pokémon had slammed dead center in his back, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling to the ground, an expression of pain twisted onto his face.

"Oooh! That's gotta hurt," Marcia winced as she watched the Dragonfly go down. She knew first-hand how painful it could be to get the wind knocked out of you and couldn't help but feel sorry. But only a little since the guy insulted her.

"Thanks for the assist, Coryn!" Comet called out as the Noctowl took to the skies again, ready to provide support as they continued the game.

"Come on, Marcia! We're going to fall behind at this rate," Comet said as he grabbed Marcia's hand to pull her forward. Before long, the two teenagers were tailing the rest of the competition, but all was not well.

"Hurry up, Marcia. We're headed into the next zone of the Mountain!" Comet called out and urged Marcia to push forward as they remained in hot pursuit of his family.

The most exciting and unusual aspect of the Mountain that the Dragonflies and Johansen's used for Flags was that it was divided into several different environments. At the base of the Mountain, it was nothing but rock and grass, but the area everyone was currently headed into was separate. Even though it was a bright and sunny day, this part of the Mountain was covered by clouds that created a perpetual blanket of rain and thunder.

"Oh no," Marcia said as she stopped running just before entering the rain zone. "I can handle Monsters, Demons, and King of the Hill, but I cannot handle wet socks!" Marcia told Comet. "I'm not going in there," she adamantly refused. To her dismay, though, the already-soaked Comet either didn't hear her or, more likely, didn't care because he just pulled her by the shirt into the rain.

"Suck it up, Diaz!" Comet yelled as he looked Marcia in the eyes, even as the rain did its best to obscure their vision. "Flags doesn't care what you like!" Comet paused momentarily to pull them into the air as a Johansen rolled down the Mountain, narrowly missing them. "Now, do you want to win and make Leon, Eternia, and everyone else eat their words by being beaten by a girl?" Reluctantly, Marcia nodded. She did want to prove all those sexist jerks wrong.

That nod was all that Comet needed to see. Without warning or consideration, he pulled Marcia along as they continued their push toward the top of the Mountain.

While the first zone had been challenging to move through due to the rocks, the rain zone had another problem. Due to the constant downpour, the ground was in a perpetual quagmire. Everywhere they ran, the earth formed mud that clung to everyone's feet. Meanwhile, the rain made everyone's clothes cling to their bodies, soaking them to the bone. To make matters worse, Marcia found that the wind would occasionally blow the rain directly into their eyes, making it difficult to see. Every bad thing about storms rolled into one, making Marcia miserable. She was pretty sure even her underwear was soaked!

The weather also proved to be a hindrance for their eyes in the sky. Despite Coryn's best efforts, he couldn't find a safe opening in the clouds to get through and help them. Until they left this monsoon, they were on their own.

Despite the limited visibility, though, Marcia could make out a few of the people ahead of them. Right now, three primary groups of people are currently ahead of them. Near the back of the pack was a pair of Johansen's trailing behind everyone else. Ahead of them was a group of Dragonflies that consisted mainly of Eternia, Leon (and Tywin.)

At the front of the pack was another group of Johansen's. This one consisted of a massive, bald, and scarred man that wore nothing but a speedo and the pelt of a bear around his neck, while the other one was a burly man in a simple tunic, cape, and a long, dirty blonde beard that went to his pecs. Lastly, there was an equally giant woman with long, blonde hair whose clothing consisted of nothing but boots and a pelt made out of another bear, complete with gloves made of claws. It took Marcia a second to remember, but those three were Grunt, King Sten, and Queen Hon-bär. AKA, Queen Lake's brothers, and sister-in-law, making them all Comet's aunt and Uncle.

Up ahead, Leon, Tywin, and Eternia were hot on the heels of the King and Queen of House Johansen, but the Johansen's from behind were beginning to catch up.

"My Lord, we need to get past these savages now while we still have the chance!" Tywin shouted over the din of the rain and thunder.

"Not yet! They're still too far ahead of us and have the advantage in this weather!" Leon told his companion.

"But they're about to overtake us from behind!" Tywin pointed out.

"They aren't of any concern, Lord Doflamingo," Eternia called out over the rain. "Keep going and carry out our plan. I will handle our pursuers!"

"Yes, my lord/yes, grandfather," Leon and Tywin said obediently as they continued onward, leaving Eternia alone to face the enemy.

"Out of the way, old man! We're going to win this thing for the glory of House Johansen!" the two Johansen's shouted.

"As if you savages could ever understand what true glory means," Eternia snorted before pulling some seeds out of a bag on his belt. As Comet and Marcia watched afar, Eternia threw the seeds at his pursuers. The next thing the Human girl knew, those seeds sprouted into vines that ensnared the Johansen's. They barely had time to cry out before they were dragged underground, leaving only a pair of flowers indicating they were ever there.

"What the...?" Marcia mouthed, shocked at witnessing, from her perspective, two men dying! Comet, however, remained unfazed. He didn't even stop to mourn his relatives as he urged them forward.

"Eyes on the prize, Marcia," Comet told her.

"But aren't they dead?!"

"It's Flags. They'll be fine!" Comet shouted at her. "Now come on! Now's our chance to get past Eternia.

Further up the Mountain, Grunt saw what had become of his relatives and how Leon and Tywin were catching up to them. Stopping his ascent, Grunt yelled to his brother and sister-in-law, "Go, brother. I will handle Eternia and his grandson!" Nodding their heads, King and Queen Johansen continued running up the Mountain.

As Grunt stood atop a rock jutting out from the ground, he held his flag as high up into the air as he could. At that moment, a lightning bolt streaked down from the heavens to hit the metal pole, enveloping it and the man holding it in electricity. Yet Grunt didn't feel any pain. He merely let out a hearty bellow as he stabbed the pole into the ground, transferring all of the energy from himself to the earth. In seconds, the ground collapsed as dozens of rocks came loose, creating a rockslide that roared down the Mountain toward everyone else.

"INCOMING, INCOMING!" Marcia cried out in horror. "Comet, we gotta go back! Those things are going to crush us!"

"Marcia, we are never going back!" Comet said with a grin as he jumped into the air, using the same trick from before to dodge each of those boulders. On the other hand, Marcia had a much harder time due to the state of her attire and the mud slowing her movement. She barely dodged one of the rocks, ducking underneath as it barrelled right past where she'd been standing. Others were not so lucky, though. All around her, Marcia saw various Dragonflies and Johansen's falling victim to the rocks, getting crushed and sent flying down below. By the time the rockslide ceased, fewer people were standing in the rain.

"Comet, I think your family's seriously trying to hurt each other!" Marcia protested, but all Comet did was laugh.

"I know, Marcia! Isn't it awesome?" That answer alone was enough to draw Marcia's concern, but she never got to say anything. "Heads up, Eternia, at 12 o'clock!"

For a moment, Marcia forgot about her concerns as she remembered Comet's dirtbag of an Uncle and how badly she wanted to put him in his place. He was reaching into his bag to grab more of those strange seeds, leaving him wide open. Nodding to each other, Comet and Marcia acted in sync as they jumped into the air and proceeded to give Eternia a double drop-kick that sent the elder Dragonfly tumbling into the mud.

"Who's a failure now, Eternia?" Comet gloated as he and Marcia looked down at the still-stunned Eternia.

"Eat our dust, Uncle Jerkwad!" Marcia gloated before spitting in his face just to add insult to injury. With one of their biggest problems out of the way, the two teens continued up the Mountain. By the time Eternia came to his senses, he could only watch, stunned at the sight of his great-nephew and that arrogant peasant girl getting ahead of him. By the time he got to his feet, he could only growl in anger.

Get out of the way as the talking head of Lump Johansen came rolling down past him, shouting, "Not again, not again!"

"And there's the repeat of last year. Adieu, Lump Johansen. We hope that someone will find your head before the game ends. A reminder to anyone who bet on whether Lump would lose his body once more, please gather after the game to divide the winnings," Manfred said in a calm tone as he continued to comment on the game. "We are currently entering the next zone of the hill, and many on both sides have dropped out, but many still remain. Who shall take the hill? I am beside myself with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Mune indulged in some self-care by using his magic to give himself a foot massage.

At this point, the good news for Marcia was that the game had taken them out of the rain zone. The bad news was that they were now in the middle of the snow zone.

Usually, Marcia didn't mind the snow. It was so rare in her part of California that she enjoyed it to the full extent whenever she got to see it. This time, though, was different from a moment when she would've enjoyed it.

The sudden drop in the temperature hit Marcia like a ton of bricks. Worse, because she was still soaked from the rain, all that water on her body began to freeze, making her feel even worse. Yet despite dealing with the same issue, Comet didn't look like he was affected as he kept pushing forward. In the distance, the two could make out King and Queen Johansen, followed by Leon and Tywin, who were halfway through the snow zone while they were just getting started.

"Coryn, you there?" Comet talked into his earpiece. When he heard an affirmative hoot on the other side, Comet smiled. "Coryn, we're out of the rain. I need you to get down and here and stall Leon and Tywin. If we can get past them, then we should-"

"YAAAAAHHH!"

Comet's instructions were cut off when he and Marcia found themselves ambushed. Out of nowhere, a Johansen woman had jumped out from underneath the snow and used her flag to try and skewer them. Comet, however, managed to deftly block the attack with his own flagpole. As Marcia got ready to follow up with a counterattack, both of them realized that the person attacking them was-

"Queen Lake/Mom?" Both of them asked in astonishment, making the woman pause. Sure enough, it was Comet's mother, Queen Lake Dragonfly.

"Son?" Lake as she realized who she was fighting. "Son!" Lake said excitedly as she ceased all hostilities. "Look at you, my little man! You're playing Flags!

"Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your brother?" Comet asked in confusion.

"That. Pfft, don't worry about that. Sten and Hon-bär can handle themselves. I just decided to stay and hold off any other Dragonflies...like Eternia," she grimaced. She had never liked Mune's Uncle Eternia since he tried to convince her husband to divorce her, but after he berated her son in front of her, she hated him more than ever.

"That might be a while. We face-planted him into a pile of mud."

"HAHAHAHAHA! That's my boy! It's enough to bring a tear to a Mom's eyes!" Lake said as she proceeded to give her son a big hug. "You make me so proud, son. Even if you probably did this against your Dad's orders."

"Awww." After what she'd seen, this was the sweetest thing Marcia had witnessed all day.

"Thanks, Mom," Comet said as he returned his Mom's hug. "But we're still playing Flags, and Marcia and I can't afford to take any chances, so-"

Before Marcia or Lake could even react, Comet lifted his Mom over his head (which was impressive in and of itself) before tossing her down the Mountain.

"NOTHING PERSONAL, MOM!"

"GOOD JOB, SWEETIE!" Lake said as she proceeded to roll down the Mountain Marcia looked on, horrified.

"Comet, you just threw-"

"I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Lake continued to call out several times.

"Comet, you just threw your Mom down a Mountain!"

Comet looked at Marcia and then at the vanishing form of his Mom and shrugged. "Yeah, and what's the problem?"

"The problem? Do you even hear yourself right now?" Marcia asked in exasperation, to which Comet remained indifferent.

"Marcia, haven't you figured it out by now? You don't waste time on anybody in Flags!" Comet told her. Marcia didn't know why, but how he said it unnerved her. It sounded so cold, so uncaring. Nothing in life mattered to Comet beyond winning this game. Yet despite everything, Marcia didn't speak up as Comet motioned them onwards.

This will not end well, Marcia thought as he made her way through the snow.

Near the front of the pack, four people were neck and neck for the pole position in the race to the top. On one side was the husband-and-wife team of King Sten and Queen Hon-bär. On the other side were the likes of Leon Dragonfly and his companion, Lord Tywin Doflamingo. Thanks to his Grandfather, Leon, and Tywin had managed to catch up to the Johansen monarchs and were rapidly closing the gap. Meanwhile, despite their incredible strength and endurance, the Johansen's were beginning to tire out. They'd been going at this full throttle since the start of the game, and now fatigue was beginning to catch up to them. If this kept up, it wouldn't be long before Leon and Tywin overtook them.

"Get ready to admit defeat, old man! This year's victory will belong to the Dragonflies!" Tywin yelled in support of his lord as they got closer and closer to the King and Queen, something that Hon-bär took notice of before long. Seeing that they still had a way to go and wouldn't be able to stop the young men from getting past them, Hon-bär chose to seize the initiative. Getting down on all fours like a bear, she charged at the pair, ready to use her claws to tear into them. They wouldn't die, but they would probably get a scar or two for their troubles.

Leon, though, wasn't having any of this. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his secret weapon: treant seeds, the same kind his grandfather had used earlier. Charged with magic to grow immediately upon hitting the soil, they would ensnare the nearest living thing and trap them underground. The perfect means to non-lethally take down massive opponents like a Johansen. With skills akin to a professional baseball player, Leon threw the seeds at Queen Hon-bär at almost too fast speeds for the naked eye. The Queen didn't even realize what was happening before she felt the vines wrap around her arms and waist and drag her under.

"Hon-bär!" King Sten cried out as his wife began to sink beneath the ground. Without even thinking, he abandoned his attempts to reach the summit as he lunged for his wife, using his mighty strength to keep her from falling under.

"Pathetic," was all that Tywin and Leon said as they took the lead, with no one left to oppose them. They were going to claim the hill in the name of House Dragonfly. Glory would be theirs!

"Hoo! Hooo!"

As Leon and Tywin continued onward, they couldn't help but look back out of curiosity at that noise. When they did, they were surprised to find a giant, strange-looking owl flying down from the sky before beginning to attack the vines imprisoning the Queen. It grabbed them with its talons and pecked at them with its beak while King Sten tried to pull his wife out. While that was undoubtedly strange, what they saw next was an even bigger surprise.

Two figures began approaching the Johansen's as they made their way up the Mountain, but they weren't Johansen, nor did they dress like Dragonflies. No, even from this distance, Leon could tell they were dressed plainly for such a gathering. And only one person Leon knew would disregard proper dress etiquette at a royalty meeting.

"Comet..." Leon said, narrowing his eyes with a look of contempt. Even from this distance, he could make out his foolish younger cousin and that childish-looking hat of his as he continued sprinting up the Mountain toward them.

"Tywin, we may have a problem. It would seem the game has an unexpected competitor," Leon told the heir to House Doflamingo. When Tywin didn't understand immediately, Leon explained, "My cousin is playing."

"The fool? He dares to play even after his father orders him not to? His disregard for authority knows no bounds, it seems," Tywin snarled in contempt as he looked back. Sure enough, when he looked back, he saw Comet running towards them while his companion, that lowborn girl, stopped to help pull Queen Hon-bär out of the ground, much to the Prince's irritation.

"I say we deal with them now. Make sure they know their place!" Tywin suggested, to which Leon shook his head.

"Not here. If we waste time on them now, the others will catch up. We'll make for the next zone and deal with them there."

Understanding what Leon likely meant to do, Tywin got a wicked glint in his eyes. He was going to enjoy this.

"And the herd of participants has been further culled as they near the game's home stretch," Manfred commented as he monitored everything through his opera glasses. "Lord Leon and Tywin now seem to be leading the push to the top, while King Johansen has stopped to tend to his wife, currently ensnared by treant vines. Will he save her in time; ooh, how dreadfully exciting."

Mune, meanwhile, wasn't listening. He was just glad to be away from all of this nonsense.

"What's this? The King is receiving help," Manfred continued. "It would seem that he's now being aided by some sort of giant owl...now there is a young woman in a red shirt trying to save Queen Hon-bär."

Mune's ears perked up a little at this, but he waved it off as a coincidence.

"And now there's a third person that's stopped to look at them as they manage to free the Queen...no wait, scratch that. He just threw the King and Queen down the Mountain. And it would seem that most of the remaining family members are catching up to these latecomers, who appear to be...oh my." Manfred gasped as he did a double take in his opera glasses, ensuring he saw right. "Oh dear, it would seem the one leading the chase is...Prince Comet Dragonfly."

Mune shot up out of his chair at the mention of that name. "What? Did he just say...no, it couldn't be." Mune must have heard wrong. There was no way that it was his son. As he tried to convince himself of this, though, he couldn't help but look back at the kid's table with a look of apprehension.

Please let Manfred be wrong about this, Mune prayed to himself as he approached the table. As he got closer, he saw Comet and his human friend, Miss Marcia, sitting there while the other kids enjoyed themselves. It felt...wrong. Something was wrong. Comet never sat this still, ever!

"Comet?" Mune asked as he grabbed onto his son's shoulder...only to be shocked when he saw him crumble into a pile right in front of him. "What?" As Mune looked down with wide eyes, he realized that his "son" was actually an elaborately constructed decoy, made out of corn and dressed to look like Comet. The fact that one of the young Dragonfly children proceeded to reach over to "Marcia's" face and pulled out a chunk of corn that the hard truth came to life. These were both decoys! Which meant.

Oh, dear...Mune looked at the giant Mountain with apprehension, and worry etched all over his face. Making up his mind in a flash, Mune rushed over to Manfred.

"Manfred, I'm going up there," Mune told his servant. "And do not tell anyone about this," he sternly added.

Manfred gulped and simply said, "Yes, your grace."

Okay, this isn't fun anymore!

After pulling Queen Hon-bär out of the ground with help from Coryn, Marcia had been forced to watch as Comet proceeded to kick them halfway down the snow zone of the Mountain before criticizing her for wasting valuable time. Before Marcia could get a word in edgewise, he told her to just "shut up and follow me," which drew all sorts of red flags in her mind. Then, she saw what the final zone of the Mountain was made of: hot, freaking lava.

Yes, the final zone of the Mountain of Flags consisted of a crater filled with active lava. Steam rose from the bubbling, molten rocks while in the center. The only way across was through a series of rocky outcroppings jutting out from the lava, none of which looked like they would hold a person's total weight.

"Comet, wait, I don't think that we should-" Before Marcia could say anything to him, Comet was already jumping across the lava, not caring that if he fell in, he would die.

"Comet, wait! I'm serious!" Marcia shouted as she reluctantly made her way across the rock. "We should turn back now! This is getting too dangerous!"

"Dangerous?" Comet scoffed at this. "Marcia, have you seen what we've had to go through today? And what do we go through daily? This is nothing! And besides, what could hurt us here or make us fall off?"

"How about us?"

Before Comet and Marcia realized what was happening, a pair of unknown assailants hit them squarely in the back. They were sent careening towards the edge of the large, rocky outcropping at the center of the lava pool, stopping only inches from going over into the fiery lava below. Groan, as they both stood up and tried to get their bearings, the two best friends looked around, trying to figure out who attacked them. Surprisingly, they found themselves face to face with Leon Dragonfly and Tywin Doflamingo.

"Leon?"

"I always knew that you were a foolish knucklehead, Comet, but I never would've guessed that you would be stupid enough to try and beat me at Flags," Leon said in a tone so cold that it could've frozen the lava around them. "But only one of us is going to get to plant their flag at the top, and I have no intention of letting it be you."

With speeds that Marcia didn't think were possible from an average person, Leon charged at Comet, ready to use his flag pole to finish what he had started, only for Comet to block his attacks with his own flag pole. As the two cousins proceeded to fight an intense duel, Marcia almost failed to notice the punch aimed directly at her face until it was too late. Thanks to her fighting instincts, she managed to sidestep the rather sloppy attack from Tywin Doflamingo.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, peasant, or the slight you gave me in Dragontown," Tywin sneered as he looked at Marcia. "I've been waiting for the chance to repay you for the humiliation you gave me, and what better way than during Flags." Tywin then pulled out a dagger from his belt before rushing at Marcia and attempting to slash her open.

"Let's see how much the Prince wants to be friends with you when I'm done scarring your face!" Tywin said with a psychotic smirk, much to Marcia's exasperation.

"Are you kidding me? You're doing this because you're mad that I stood you up when I visited Mewni?" Marcia asked in incredulity as she continued to dodge his attacks. "Are you really that insecure about yourself?"

"Shut up! You don't even belong in this world!" Tywin yelled as he continued to swing recklessly at her.

Meanwhile, Comet and Leon continued their own battle. Leon was older, more significant, and slightly stronger than Comet, which translated into how fast he was with his attacks. He had been trained by the finest fighting instructors his grandfather could find and was well-versed in many forms of combat, giving him the advantage. In contrast, Comet's fighting style was more improvised, relying on his speed and creativity to keep one step ahead of his opponents. They were roughly evenly matched as they thrust, jabbed, parried, and swung at each other with their poles.

"I don't know which is more ludicrous, Comet: the fact that you thought you could beat me at Flags or that you're disobeying your father."

"Is that supposed to bother me? Because it honestly isn't," Comet admitted as they continued to trade strikes.

"And therein is the problem. Not only is he your father, but he is your King. When he tells you not to do something, then you shouldn't! That is how order is maintained, and people know their place in the world!"

"And there's your problem!" Comet shot back. "All you do is repeat everything that Eternia tells you and obey his orders without question, and for what? Because he says that you would make a better King than me?" Comet asked. "That's not a King, Leon; that's a puppet."

"Little brat! How dare you?"

"But I've never listened to anything my Dad's told me," Comet pointed out. "And no matter how many times it's gotten me in trouble, it's taught me something much more important: how to think for myself! I never let anyone tell me what to do, and I'm better for it!"

"Grr! You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, cousin!" Leon then lunged towards Comet, using his flag pole to hit the boy in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling onto the ground, inches away from the lava. "It's time for you to abdicate the throne."

As Leon swung his flag pole down, ready to send Comet into the lava, he found himself stopped by Marcia, who blocked it with the palms of her hands.

"Stay away from my friend, you jerk!" Marcia cried out as she tried to keep Leon from pushing Comet into the lava. Unfortunately, this left her vulnerable to attack from Tywin, who aimed his knife directly at her flanks. With Comet still recovering and focused on blocking Leon's attack, Marcia couldn't do anything to protect herself.

"HOOOO!"

Good thing Comet and Marcia had another ally in play.

At that moment, the faithful Noctowl Coryn came diving out of the sky, his wings glowing brightly with the power of the steel wing attack. He slammed directly into Tywin and Leon, knocking them onto the backs and the knife out of the former's hands. Before anyone could do anything, Coryn grabbed the knife in his talons and proceeded to drop it into the lava, prompting it to burst into flames as it dissolved into liquid metal.

"Coryn! Thanks for the save!" Comet said as he got to his feet. He was slightly banged up and sweaty but still in the fight.

"Why didn't we remember the bird before we attacked them?" Tywin asked as he clutched his stomach, clearly still in pain.

"Just shut up and deal with my cousin. I'll handle the peasant girl myself!" Leon ordered.

"With pleasure, sir," Tywin said with a wicked grin as he charged towards Comet.

"Let's switch dance partners!" Comet shouted, tossing Marcia his flag pole as she dueled with Leon Dragonfly. Comet assumed a defensive stance as he got ready to meet a defensive stance as the young noble tried his best to hit him.

Key emphasis on the word "try," as for all his bluster, and the training afforded him as a nobleman, Tywin lacked Comet's real-world experience. The Prince of Mewni was more than capable of blocking or dodging the Doflamingo boy's punches.

Meanwhile, Marcia found herself dueling against the likes of Leon. The older boy was skilled, as Marcia had already seen. He left her no openings in his stance as he tried to push her toward the edge of their refuge amidst a sea of molten rock. To her credit, though, Marcia refused to budge an inch. She wasn't going to let this jerk hurt her friend!

"Why are you even doing this for him, peasant girl?" Leon asked as the two crossed poles. "This has nothing to do with an outsider like you."

Hearing that disparaging remark about her being a girl once more only served to invigorate Marcia. "I may not belong here, but Comet chose to bring me, regardless. The least I can do is keep him out of harm's way!"

"You? Do you think a lowly girl from another dimension can protect him? No girl from a magicless dimension could hope to protect a Dragonfly! You should know your place, backwater trash!"

Marcia knew what Leon was trying to do. He was messing with her, hoping she would make a mistake. Little did he know that she had to deal with people like Brittney, Jeremy Birnbaum, and, Heaven help her, Jonah pushing her buttons for years. All of that had taught her when not to let her emotions get the better of her as she chose to power on through.

"That's the thing about people from Earth, Leon. We don't take kindly to people looking down on us," Marcia explained as she blocked another attack, this one a little bit slower. All the running, fighting, and intense heat started taking its toll on Leon. While beginning to feel fatigued, Marcia was handling things better thanks to her training and adventuring with Comet.

Choosing to press the attack, Marcia made a quick jab underneath Leon's feet, which he barely managed to block. "And another thing about us is that when people tell us we're not good enough to do something, that only encourages us to try even harder!" Suddenly, Marcia swept Leon's feet with a roundhouse kick, forcing him to block her attacks again. It wasn't until he saw the fist heading straight for his face that he realized, too late, that it was a feint.

Marcia punched Comet's older cousin square in the face, leaving him with quite the bruise mark as he fell flat on his back, dazed and unable to continue the fight.

"And for the record, a lot of times in nature, the girls are deadlier than the boys," Marcia said with a satisfied smirk as she stood tall over Leon's semi-conscious form. She may not have been that into this game, but she had to admit...it felt good to do that to Comet's snooty cousin. Just like it felt good to hit Eternia earlier.

That may be why Comet wanted to play this so badly. It's fun getting to fight people without getting in trouble. As Marcia continued down this way of thinking, she heard an audible *thwack* coming from behind her. She turned around to see Tywin Doflamingo on his knees, out cold, with a visible bump on his hand. The culprit was Comet's Wand in its Staff mode, while a victorious Comet stood over the young lord, grinning.

"You shouldn't have tried messing with me, man," Comet coldly told Tywin before looking at Marcia. "Knew you could handle Leon, Marcia," he told her with a knowing look. What he did, next, though, was something Marcia didn't expect. He proceeded to kick Tywin in the beginning so hard he came dangerously close to going into the lava. While he ultimately didn't, the boy didn't seem to care. He just looked at Marcia, said, "Let's go," and proceeded to hop his way off the rock onto the next one, ready to continue the race.

Marcia, though, barely heard what he had said; all sorts of alarm bells were going off in her head. Comet seemed to intend to leave Tywin and his cousin in the middle of this pool of lava on a rock that could give way at any given moment. With both of them out cold, that was as good as sentencing them to death.

Compounding this realization was the fact that, for a brief moment, Marcia had gotten some sort of dark pleasure over beating Leon. That wasn't what she was like at all! And as soon as she realized that, every fiber of her being was screaming at her one thing: STOP!

This is wrong. This isn't how Comet acts! Seeing that he was already making his way toward the pool's edge, Marcia called out to her best friend.

"COMET, STOP!"

Comet froze mid-run as he turned around to look at Marcia. "What?"

"Comet, you have to stop this! We can't just leave these guys here!"

"Sure we can. They were out for our blood, so it's only fair," he said matter-of-factly. "And besides, you don't look out for anyone but-"

"Oh, would you give it a rest already, Comet?!" Marcia snapped at him, fed up with his bull. "You've been saying that this entire time and acting like all this is normal. Well, guess what, Dragonfly? This. Isn't. Normal! This rivalry isn't normal, this game isn't normal, and your family trying to kill each other isn't normal!" she adamantly insisted, stomping her foot on the ground. "This game is changing you for the worse, Comet! Look at you! It's not about rivalries or who versus who; it's about winning no matter what it costs you, and that's not who you are!"

"B-but everyone else is-"

"Comet, I've been watching your family this whole time, and do you know what I've seen. They are people pretending to be adults when all they're doing is acting like spoiled brats. Is this really what you want to be like? The kind of person who doesn't think twice about abandoning those he should care about?" Marcia turned away from Comet at this as she added, "Some person."

Comet stood momentarily at the crater's edge, pondering what Marcia had just said. Then, he turned to look up the slope of the Mountain. By now, more of his relatives had caught up with them and were making one final push to the summit...is what they meant to be doing. Instead, the race had devolved into little more than an all-out brawl. King Johansen was throwing a live bomb into a trapdoor containing a Dragonfly. Grunt used his bear pelt like a puppet, animating it to slash at the Dragonflies. And Eternia had sharpened his own flagpole into that of a shiv and was trying to stab at the Johansen's.

Comet's eyes widened in realization as he, for the first time, saw what this game really was: a stupid rivalry that was making everyone hate each other. And that? That wasn't him.

Jumping back to where he'd left Marcia, Comet grabbed Tywin and threw him over his shoulders. "Grab Leon and his flag, Marcia, and follow me."

"Comet?"

"I know what I have to do."

Near the summit of the Mountain, the race for the top had devolved into an all-out brawl. Both Dragonflies and Johansen's were punching, kicking, clawing, and otherwise trying to tear each other apart, all in the name of Flags. It was like looking at the First World War, only dumber (and that's saying something!)

Then, the battlefield was suddenly blanketed in smoke out of nowhere, blinding all combatants and stopping the fighting. A blur came whooshing by as everyone coughed, sputtered, and tried to see through the haze. The figure swept past all of them, then disappeared just as quickly. By the time the smoke cleared, they were gone. And, much to everyone's bewilderment, so were their flags!

As everyone looked around in confusion, wondering where their flags had gone, they saw a lone figure running up the Mountain, making a beeline for the top. It was Comet Dragonfly, and in his hands were every last one of the Dragonfly and Johansen's flags!

"That little brat stole our flags!" Eternia screamed in anger as he charged toward his nephew.

"Get him!" King Johansen shouted as he chased after the boy. Pretty soon, everyone was after Comet.

Alas, for all his athletic prowess, Comet was no match for the combined speed of dozens of angry Mewmans with adrenaline pumping through their veins. As the boy continued to run for the top, he soon found himself pinned to the ground by Eternia, with the others soon to follow.

"GIVE. ME. MY. FLAG!" Eternia roared at his nephew, more angry than usual. The other Dragonflies and Johansen's, lost in the fervor of victory close at hand, began dogpiling on Comet, demanding their own flags.

"All right, all right, all right!" Comet finally shouted out. "Here, you can have your flags!" he said as he threw the flags at his relative's feet. All at once, they ceased their attempts to wrestle him and tried to get their flags ready to make one last push. However, after a few seconds, they all realized that something about their flags was...off. Instead of sporting the standards of their houses, each had a picture of a grinning skull and crossbones wearing a straw hat on top.

"Wha-what is this? What did you do with our flags, boy?" Eternia demanded. "Answer me!"

"Oh, those flags?" Comet asked, feigning innocence. "They should be right...up..there," he said as he pointed behind him. As the others followed his fingers, their bewilderment turned to shock when they saw what awaited them. Standing at the summit of the Mountain was Marcia Diaz, who stood proudly beside a mass of flag poles embedded into the ground, each containing the Houses Dragonfly and Johansen sigil. And the center of them all stood one more flag, bearing the images of a dragonfly, heart, and shooting start fused into one. The personal sigil of Comet Dragonfly.

"That's right. I made a bunch of decoys, stole the real flags, and distracted all of you while Marcia planted the real ones at the top of the Mountain. Which, by the way, means I win." Comet said with a satisfied smirk. "Who's not old enough to play Flags now, Eternia?"

At this point, Eternia Dragonfly was shaking with rage. To think that he had been outsmarted by a child like this! "You...YOU'RE DEAD FOR USING SUCH A LOWBORN TRICK LIKE THAT!" Eternia screamed as he pulled a knife out of his belt and rushed towards Comet.

"COMET, LOOK OUT!"

Before anyone could do anything, though, another voice called out.

"ENOUGH!"

All at once, everyone on the Mountain began to float in mid-air, frozen in place as they felt bathed in a blue, ethereal light coming from the summit. Out of the blinding glare of the light, a lone figure emerged, one with six arms, insectoid wings on his back, and clad in battle armor that Comet knew all too well.

"Dad?"

"THIS GAME HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!" Mune declared, his voice silencing everyone as he held them in place with his magic and the power of his words before setting them all down. Eternia's face broke out in a sweat the moment he did so.

"My dear nephew, I'm not sure what it was that you heard-"

"I heard enough, Uncle, and we will discuss it later," Mune sternly told Eternia, who wisely chose to shut up. With that settled, Mune then turned to Comet.

"Hello, son. You won't believe what I discovered at the children's table. It was your twin brother; he was made out of corn. I don't even remember your mother giving birth to him."

Comet held his hand up to stop his Dad. "Look, Dad, I know where this is going. And I'm sorry that I duped you with my decoy. But I only did that because you insisted on treating me like a baby. I thought that if I was old enough to use the Wand, I was old enough to play Flags. And I was totally right. I kicked everyone's ass!" he couldn't help but boast.

"Comet!" Marcia sharply addressed him, getting him back on track.

"Sorry. But while I was playing, I realized something: Flags...is dumb. Like, really dumb. Like, I've read about people going to war over things as dumb as this-"

"I think they get it, Comet!" Marcia commented.

"Look, the point is, I realized something out there. This day is about bringing our families together and recognizing our commonalities. But all we've ever done is argue over who's better, and this game only worsens things. Well, no more!" Comet proclaimed as he then turned towards everyone assembled on the Mountain.

"Listen up, everyone! I know you may not want to hear this right now, but no matter how much you want to deny it, everyone here's family. And before you ask how you could call yourselves family, ask yourself this: do we get on each other's nerves and annoy each other with our quirks? Yes, we do! Like, all the time. I know my Dad can get annoyed by some of what my Mom does-"

Mune wanted to object but ultimately chose not to undercut Comet's moment.

"-but despite being so different from one another, they both make things work in the end, side-by-side, as equals. Just like how I managed to become friends with Marcia," he said as he complimented his best friend, who waved shyly at everyone. "Yeah, we may not always get along, but that doesn't change that we're still family and have our own strengths. That's why, on this day, I chose to claim the Mountain. Not for myself, the Dragonflies, or the Johansen's, but for all of us together. As equals!"

As Comet finished his speech, (almost) everyone present started clapping and cheering at Comet, moved by his passionate speech. As for King Mune, he walked up to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, that might be the smartest thing I've heard all day," he said with pride. "I was wrong, Comet. You are ready to sit with the rest of us at the grown-up table."

"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it," Comet said as he hugged his old man.

"Comet, public displays of affection are not a Dragonfly-"

"Dad, you and I both know that you enjoy this, so why don't you just skip to the part where you hug me back?" Comet said with a knowing smirk on his face. Mune couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"And that's one of the reasons I married your mother," Mune admitted in a moment of weakness. "You really are the perfect blend of our families, aren't you?"

"What can I say? I'm one of a kind," Comet said with one of his cheeky grins.

"Okay, are we done here? Because I would very much like to get back to lunch," Marcia said as she walked over to Comet and Mune. "I'm pretty sure I burned through most of my breakfast doing all this."

Back down at the picnic, the Dragonflies and Johansen's had returned to feasting but now in a far better mood than before. Thanks to Comet's speech about family, both sides were starting to see each other in a better light. The Dragonflies didn't act as haughty as before, and the Johansens took care not to be too offensive with their table manners. As for Comet and Marcia managed to enjoy sitting with the rest of the teens and adults and eating all of the delicious food. Comet had even seen to it that Coryn got his own bowl, from which the Noctowl was happily eating corn.

As the two teenagers enjoyed their meal, they were interrupted by a familiar voice going "ahem," from behind them. Turning around, the pair were surprised to find Leon and Tywin standing behind them, both nursing a few bumps and bruises from their defeats.

"Leon? What are you-?" Comet began to say, but Leon held up his hand.

"Comet," he started. "It seems that I misjudged you earlier. You were more than capable of emerging victorious in today's events."

"Leon, I don't know if you heard, but-"

"I heard," Leon clarified. "I was conscious the entire time you and your friend carried me to safety." As he mentioned Marcia, his eyes quickly darted to look at her before turning back to look at Comet. "Not only did you spare me when you had no obligation to, but you managed to convince both Houses to make peace, something not even his majesty could do. And for that, I concede defeat." Leon then bowed his head in respect to Comet, much to Tywin's horror.

"My lord, you can't be."

"Be silent, lord Tywin," Leon coldly told his right-hand man. "Learn to show gratitude to those who have aided you. Your own feelings are secondary compared to the fact that Comet saved us when he didn't have to." Leon then turned to finish addressing Comet. "You were the better fighter and the better leader today. But this doesn't change anything," he clarified. "I still intend to prove myself you're better."

Comet couldn't help but smile at that. Sure, his cousin was still a bit condescending, but he knew he had no excuse to be rude to him right now. He owed him. So, instead, Comet accepted this challenge with a simple "May the better man win."

"Indeed," Leon said as he straightened himself out. "That is all I wished to say, cousin. Until we meet again." After that, Comet thought that Leon would leave them alone. But never in a million years did he expect him to do what he did next. Walking up to Marcia, Leon took her right hand in his, brought it up to his mouth, and gave it a soft kiss, stunning everyone there.

"Until we meet again, Lady Marcia," Leon said with a softness that Comet had never heard from him. "Let's go, Tywin," Leon said as he strode away without another word, with the heir to House Doflamingo following in silent shock.

It took a few moments for Comet and Marcia to react to what just happened, but Comet's mouth continued to hang open while Marcia's face was beet red.

"Wha-what the heck was that supposed to be?!" Marcia asked, taken off-guard by the whole experience. "Comet, is that a way of saying farewell to Mewni?"

"I-I don't know! I've never seen it before," Comet asked, upset and angry at what he saw.

As Marcia fought the urge to continue blushing, she shook her head back and forth, trying to calm herself down. "I-I'm sure he was just being polite since I carried him to safety. It probably means nothing! I'm pretty sure half your family doesn't want me here in the first place!" She tried to reassure herself.

But she was soon proven wrong. As the feast continued, several boys her age started trying to talk to Marcia. Most of them were Johansen's, and they all had similar things to say to her: how cool it was to see a girl fighting like she did, asking her if she could teach them how to fight like that. Complimenting her on how pretty she was.

It wasn't just the Johansen's, though. Several Dragonflies, who had once scorned her, attempted to make conversation. They tried to be aloof and act like she was beneath their notice, but a few couldn't help but admit that they were impressed by her prowess in battle and how she managed to help fool all of them.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind: they were all hitting on Marcia, something Comet was not okay with. He kept having to tell people that Marcia had a boyfriend back home whom she was very faithful to, but that did little to stop them. Eventually, Comet got so annoyed that he had to move himself and Marcia next to his parents. Marcia was grateful but also confused about why Comet was getting so worked up. Regardless, the feast continued much better, with everyone enjoying themselves.

That is, save for Eternia Dragonfly, who didn't say a word as he sat at his place. Outwardly, he remained calm, but on the inside, he was fuming. All of his plans for today had been ruined.

For the longest time now, Eternia had decided that Comet was an unworthy heir to the Dragonfly name and one who had no right to be the next King. He was wild, reckless, unpredictable, and flaunted his disdain for the rules and etiquette that all Mewman should live by. And it would seem that his time away had done nothing to curb his rebellious thinking. That was why Eternia had spent years grooming his grandson to be the next King.

Today was supposed to have been the next stage in his plan to put Leon on the throne. By having Leon win at Flags while Comet was confined to the kid's table where he belonged, his grandson would win prestige for himself and cast doubt on Comet's worthiness as heir. From there, Eternia planned to slowly make everyone see the truth: Leon was the better choice as King, and that wild child would bring them all to ruin. Once he had enough on his side, he could force his nephew to appoint Leon as his new successor and do away with that mistake of a son.

Instead, everything had backfired in the worst way possible. Not only had Comet proven foolish enough to participate in the game of Flags, but he had humiliated Eternia, Leon, and the heir to the Doflamingo family all at once. He had won everyone over with that ridiculous speech about how they were all family and equal. He had even made his nephew, Mune, take his side. And the worst part? That arrogant little peasant girl that had dared to strike him had managed to seduce several of the younger Dragonflies! Comet was winning them over to his side!

Eternia knew that he had to move fast. If he allowed things to move as they were, then more of his family would fall for the illusion of worthiness that Comet was projecting. He had no idea how to bounce back from today, but he knew things weren't over yet. One way or another, a proper king would be seated on the Dragonfly's throne, even if he had to force the issue.

*Back in Jay's Workspace*

Janna: Awwww, snap! Looks like Little Marcia's becoming popular with the boys!

Jay: It's more complicated than that, actually. Remember, this Universe's Mewni is rampant with the sexist ways of thinking that were common in Medieval Europe, especially amongst the members of House Dragonfly.

Janna: So all the big shots are sexist snobs, then?

Jay: Not necessarily. Some are more open-minded than others, like King Mune. He's never really cared about one's gender when it comes to roles in society, only that they're good at what they do. And Lake's family is pretty much egalitarian on the idea. The rest of the Royals and Great Houses vary, but it's the Dragonflies who are most conservative...for now.

Omnitraxus: So, all that flirting was more than just for drama, then?

Jay: Exactly. The Dragonflies just got their asses kicked by a girl, something that contradicts everything they thought they knew. As a result, many of the one's around Comet's age are intrigued by Marcia, and that's a good first step in the right direction. More on that will come later, though.

DAU Kermit: Well, you certainly went all out with the game, didn't you?

Jay: I couldn't resist. Game of Flags was one of my favorite episodes, so I wanted to make it as epic as possible, especially regarding the fight between Leon and Tywin against Comet and Marcia. That's going to have some lasting consequences down the line. Especially with Eternia, the old bat. I also wanted to use this to give more background about the members of the Dragonfly and Johansen families, as they may end up becoming returning characters once the story shifts to Mewni in the future.

Now, if there no further questions, then let's move on to

READER'S REVIEWS so I can get back to protesting.

LockAndKey989-I could have, but I didn't. I'm sorry.

Ted Glass-As you can see, it's about the same as Star. As for Mune, he took pole dancing classes like Queen Moon did. No, I'm not joking, she actually took pole dancing lessons. I think.

Guest-When I think of Jason Douglas, I think more of Lord Beerus, and he's a decent person.

TheMasterBlacksmith-What the heck are you talking about? I've never heard of that story.

NightAroma-No, you're right. That's how I imagined Leon, down to the theme and attitude. And you're also wrong about him pulling a Gary. He's just been taught by his Grandpa to think he's a better choice for the throne, and he's going to have to grow out of that. Eternia sucks.

Julayla-I hope you enjoyed the chapter, because I had fun writing it. I wound up finishing the whole thing in two days!

You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy)

See you for the next chapter! And I know it's Summer when I'm writing this, but you're going to want to bundle up. The weather might get a little colder.

And remember: ETERNIA STINKS!