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// Awesomeness Rises 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
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	"...as for the tenth prize winner—if he... or she... is not satisfied with such a... generous share, then—by all means—my client, Brick Lisneigh, will be more than willing to split the last share again..."  Svengallop yawned halfway through the tail-end of his proclamation.  With a lethargic grin, he finished:  "...assuming he isn't also responsible for carrying such ponies over the finishing line on his own shoulders.  Which he can do, by the way."

Out from the crowd, a voice cracked:  "Shoulders, shmoulders... here I am at the foundation of a marathon the only running I've seen so far is some stallion's big mouth!"

Svengallop's eyes bulged.  He looked every which way, his pink mane flouncing.  "Huh?  What?"  His teeth gnashed.  "Who dares insult the Sven?!"

"Pffft... you can't insult something that's already so lame."  A blue figure trotted through the crowd, approaching the stage.  "Is that why you cling to that mountain of a horse standing next to you?  Because, if so, tell him he can run you back to where you came from!"

Brick Lesneigh blinked.  He opened his massive jaws to speak—

"Whoah, there, Brick.  I know exactly what you're going to say."  Svengallop pivoted about, tilting his nose up at the sight of the petite pegasus.  "And I whole-heartedly agree!  If this is the kind of reception I can expect here in Ponyville, then you yokels are a whole lot ruder than I thought!"

"Rude?"  Rainbow squinted.  "You go on for half-an-hour instructing us how we can accept your client's winnings... as if we're a bunch of losers who expect to roll over for whatever athlete gallops our way?"  She rolled her eyes.  "Tch... dude, who are you, anyway?  This is Ponyville!  You don't have the right to say who's gonna be first, tenth, eleventh, or whateverth!  Especially in a town already chock full of winners!  Not that you'd know, of course."

Ponies murmured to one another, their voices rising in enthusiasm for the first time in minutes.

Svengallop's jaw hung agape.  "What... you... y-you can't be serious!"  The stallion pointed up at the girthy organism beside him.  "You infinitesimal little rain stain!  Do you even know who my client is?!"

"Nope.  And I don't care!"  Rainbow Dash smirked.  "Because as far as I'm concerned, the only winners of this marathon are those sickly unicorns over at the hospital that they're building.  And it just wouldn't be awesome if a local Ponyvillean didn't win the prizes for them!"

The crowd smiled and nodded some more.

"Hmmmff..."  Svengallop leaned back, folding his forelimbs.  "If that's the way you feel, how about you sign up and put your might where your muzzle is?!"

"I already did," Rainbow Dash said, waving a carbon copy of a paper in her grasp.

Svengallop blinked.

"Did it just a few minutes ago while you were still prattling away with your fat mouth." Rainbow squinted with a smirk.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  Was I supposed to be listening to you?  I'm afraid that none of these ponies here are quite so fluent in jerkeneses."

"Uhm..."  Caramel shuffled up, ears drooped.  "Rainbow?"  He patted her shoulder.  "M-maybe you should reconsider—"

"Grrrrrr..."  Svengallop shook an angry hoof from where he stood on the stage.  "Now listen here—!"

"No.  You listen!  Ponyville's an awesome place full of awesome ponies!  We don't need you to tell us how to win the day!  And to prove it... not only am I going to beat your client to first place... but I'm gonna make sure that all of Equestria knows just how badly he lost!"  She grinned devilishly.  "It'll be the news sensation of the century!"

Fumbling, the Mayor rushed forward and smiled into the crowd.  "All the more reason to donate generouslyyyyyyyy!"  The crowd chuckled and applauded as she glanced nervously at Rainbow.

"Right!  Let them pile it on!"  Rainbow smiled.  "Let's make a generous record here in Ponyville!  And when I win the proceeds... I'm gonna donate my fourth of the prize to my good friend Melody!  So you can take your totally lame pride and stick it where the flies don't puke!"

Caramel blinked, his muzzle agape.

In the meantime...

...the crowd broke into thunderous applause and cheers.

And the loudest of all:  "Wooohooo!"  I hovered in midair, my wings buzzing like they could never do before this month.  A bright grin reflected sunlight in a beam before me.  "You tell 'em, girl!  Yeah!  Awesome!"

Rainbow breathed.  Perhaps it was a passing cloud... or just a tactful flick of the ear that kept everypony from seeing the first of many bulbs of sweat...