//------------------------------//
// 2 - Training for the Contest 
// Story: The Ultimate Muffin-Eating Contest 
// by Blue Tiger 
//------------------------------//

	The next day, Derpy's phone rang. Derpy walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Congratulations, Derpy Hooves!" The pony on the other line said. "You've been chosen to join the Ultimate Muffin-Eating Contest! The contest will be taking place just outside of Sugar Cube Corner this Saturday at 6:00pm! Don't miss it!" The other pony on the other line hung up the phone, leaving Derpy frozen in place. She was so excited, she thought she was gonna explode! Then she remembered Rainbow Dash and she dialed her number.
"Hello?" Rainbow said.
"Rainbow! I've been chosen!" Derpy said.
"For what?"
"The Muffin-Eating Contest. Don't you remember?"
"Oh, yeah! I'll be there in just a second and we'll start training!" And with that, Rainbow hung up the phone.
**********
There was a knock on Derpy's door. Derpy opened it to reveal Rainbow Dash. She moved out of the way so Rainbow can come in.	"Alright, Derpy," Rainbow Dash said. "On contests like these, you have to try to eat as much as you can in 10 minutes."
"I haven't made the muffins yet," Derpy said. "I thought you'd like to help me."
"Oh, okay," Rainbow said. "I could try to help, but I don't know how to make muffins."
"They're easy to make," Derpy said. She went over to the cabinet and took out a muffin pan, but because of her clumsiness, she nearly dropped a skillet on her head. "Okay, not so easy when you're so clumsy," she added with a short laugh. She took out the rest of the ingredients and started mixing them. When she was done mixing, she put some in each of the holes in the muffin pan and put the pan in the oven.
Three and a half hours later (Derpy made over three dozen muffins), the muffins were ready to eat.
"Alright, Derpy," Rainbow said. "I'm putting the timer on ten minutes. You have to eat as many as you can. Ready. Set. GO!"
Almost instantly, Derpy started to eat the first muffin. Then the second. Third. Fifth. Tenth! Seventeenth! Twenty-ninth! Time's up!
"Wow, Derpy," Rainbow said. "Not bad! You ate twenty-nine muffins."
"That won't be enough to win the contest!" Derpy said. "I must make more!"
Two hours later, Derpy has made more muffins. At least one more dozen than last time.
"Are you sure you wanna try again?" Rainbow asked. "I mean, we can take a break."
"Yes I am sure!" Derpy said. "Start the clock again!"
Rainbow put the timer on ten minutes and said, "Ready. Set. GO!"
Derpy ate only one more muffin than last time.
"Thirty muffins!" Rainbow said.
"Not good enough!" Derpy said. She looked out her window and saw it was already dark. They have less than twenty-four hours to train. "Again!"
"But it's already dark out," Rainbow said. "And my little sister, Scootaloo, is all alone with my pet tortoise, Tank, at my house. They might be starving!" Her face went extremely white, as if she's imagining what could be happening to Scootaloo and Tank right now.
"Here," Derpy said as she gave Rainbow a couple muffins. "Take these."
"Thanks, Derpy," Rainbow said as she took them. "Look, I'd love to stay and continue to help you train, but I really need to go." Rainbow left Derpy's house, leaving Derpy alone with a huge mountain of muffins.
Derpy decided she should just give up training and forfeit the contest. But another idea came into her head. No, she is gonna keep training whether Rainbow Dash is here or not! She made more muffins and set the timer to ten minutes and started eating.
When the time ended, Derpy has eaten thirty-six muffins. She thought that was good enough, but she needed to get better.
She made more muffins and started the timer. Forty-one muffins. Way better. Derpy decided she should stop training and go to sleep. Yeah, she's gonna win the contest tomorrow!