//------------------------------//
// The challenges begin 
// Story: Rainbow over Griffany: RotE Episode 7 
// by Dream Volt 
//------------------------------//

	The beds had been comfortable, and I slept really well because I had no idea that Pinkie turned down any help from Twilight.  The riddles thing went really well.  Despite the judges deciding the king and his entire army could each ask one riddle as a single turn Pinkie managed to answer them all easily.  After the first two rounds the army was pretty much out of riddles, and Pinkie eventually stumped him and won.  Because it took so long the king only looked a little stupid.  Wish it could have been faster.

The baking contest on the other hand was a different matter.  He could have as many helpers as he wanted, but because the way Pinkie worded things he had to be participating the whole time.  It had been hours already, and I was full.  They had to keep passing out the food to make room, since otherwise it would just be a waste.  I then tapped Gilda on the shoulder, both of us leaning over the railing of the arena.

"Come on, this is going to take a long time to end.  Neither is going to give up.  Lets go do something fun until the tricky one comes up.  We all have to be here for that, but as you can see I'm not the only one that's bored."

"Whu?  Ah'm not asleep…"  Applejack and shot to her feet, hat falling off her head, her mane all messed where she had been sleeping on it.

"Dash, did you say something?"  Twilight looked up from her book.

"Hmm, I wonder if…"  Rarity briefly looked up from a page full of griffins in dresses to see what Pinkie was doing, then looked down.  "That might work."

"I see that.  Where is Fartooshy anyway?"

"Ever since the throne room and, well, whatever happened, she's been acting sort of odd.  Come on, I know just what we should do.  You promised after all."

"What?"

"That if we were ever in Griffany you'd take me to see a certain something."

Gilda laughed.  "Oh, sure Dash.  Didn't think you'd ever be here, and if you were I'd be willing to show my face, but you're right.  Come on."

Then Gilda flew off.  I followed, a few shouted sayings in Griffin following us.  I couldn’t hear them clearly enough but had no doubt they were insults.  Pinkie would win this, and then the next one, and we could bring Gilda back with us to Equestria.  I could keep my promises and everything would be fine.  I just wish I could do something other than just watch.  

We tried to get Pinkie to claim us as her army, but she refused, not wanting to put us in danger.  Then she asked Gilda why that would be putting us in danger.  The answer was obvious enough by that point though.  Your army could even be made to suffer individual different punishments.  I then tried to focus on what I was doing fully again, and course corrected so I was right behind Gilda again, instead of just sorta going in the same general direction.