I Just Want to Make You Proud

“So, what didja call me here for, AJ?” The cyan pegasus descended from her flight, landing right in front of Applejack.

”Err, Ah, uh, Ah wanted yer advice on somethin’…” Applejack looked away, pretending to focus her gaze on something else.

“And that would be?” Rainbow Dash pressed. She was worried with Applejack’s behavior; she never acted this way.

“Um…you were in a relationship once, r-right?” Applejack wanted to tread carefully. She knew Dash would get suspicious, but wouldn’t ask anything.

“Yeah, once, while I was in school. Why?”

“Err, Ah don’ really know how to say this, but…” Applejack was trying to find another way to say that she had her eye on someone, but couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“You like somepony, don’t you?” Rainbow Dash said, apparently having picked up the obvious signs.

The orange mare in response sighed. “Yeah, Ah guess…”

“So, who?” On other terms, Dash would pry and joke, but considering Applejack’s behavior, she held her teasing tongue.

“Ya know that knew colt in town that just moved, right?”

“Yeah, he was German’s son right?” It took Dash half a second after saying that to get the message. “Him?”

Applejack could only nod.

Dash sighed. “Alright, come with me. You’re acting too weird; you can’t even talk straight, much less look me in the eye.

***

Oh, gosh, did I just ask that? Ohhh, why did I just ask that?! She’s gonna look at me funny, and judge me, and laugh, oh dammit I just ruined any chance at a-

“Sometimes, yeah. Why do ya ask?” The orange mare replied with a simple smile on her face.

Oh. My. Gosh.

“Cuz, um… maybe…I could, uh, maybe, um, fly you around?” Yan said, instincts taking over.

Applejack stayed silent for a while, mulling over the question. “If ya don’ mind, I’d love to.

Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygooooosh!! She just said she’d like to!! Oh my gosh! Yes!!

Yan stood up. He gestured for Applejack to climb on his back.

“Will you be able to hold me?” Applejack asked, noticing Yan’s feminine build.

“I’m stronger than I look,” Yan lied. No I’m not, you stupid colt, I’m as weak as a kitten! I’ll probably collapse as soon as she lays on me!

“Okay then…” Applejack slowly ascends Yan’s back as he tries desperately to not show his exertion.

“Alright, get, um, get ready,” Yan stammered before his wings unfurled to their full length.

Applejack suppressed a gasp. Yan’s wings were not of a normal pegasus’s, but like an alicorn’s. Normally, pegasi’s wingspan is around 3 feet, but Yan’s hit around 5 ½ feet. The wings were thicker and fuller as well. As Yan flapped his wings and ascended into flight, Applejack had to cling to him to stay on. He soared high, much higher that Applejack thought he would dare, almost higher than the clouds. Maybe on purpose, Yan blasted through a cloud, causing the white fluff to explode, sending the particles to span out in a circle around the two. The orange mare dared to take a hoof off Yan to feel for her hat, which had blown off without her knowledge.

Yan caught sight of something brown whizzing down towards the ground. He flicked his head in the direction, and caught sight of Applejack’s hat flying off away. He leaned in the direction where the hat was falling, and he dived down. Flying at insane speeds, he squinted as his eyes watered from the force of the wind. He saw the hat getting closer, and he opened his jaws just a bit to be able to clamp down on the hat’s brim.

The tan-coated pegasus chomped on the hat after closing in on the dusty brown accessory. Yan slowed just long enough to hand the hat back to its rightful owner.

“Thanks, sugarcube,” She chuckled as Yan tossed the hat on Applejack’s head. She righted it before Yan blasted off yet again.

This continued for a while. This time, Yan flew slower so the previous wouldn’t happen again. He pleasantly glided about, flapping his alicorn-like wings occasionally. He tried to get his mind off the fact that Applejack was clinging to his back. His face was, and had been for a while, red as a beat. He didn’t know why he asked what he did, but it worked out in the end.

Yan felt his stamina fading, so he slowed down and searched for the spot they were at previously. He found it, and descended from flight, landing on the grass.

Yan sat on his haunches and tried to catch his breath. He’d never exerted himself so much in flight before; he rarely flew for recreational purposes.

“Thanks, that was really, fun. Nice lil’ burst of adrenaline. Ah never knew flyin’ could be so…well, interesting. The way my friend Rainbow Dash puts it, it sounds so hectic an’ scary.”

“N-not really. I mean, it can be, but only if you go too far and do things you know you probably couldn’t pull off…” Yan found that comment funny, considering that’s exactly what he just did.

The awkward conversation was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a strip of rainbow blasting through the sky. It seemed as if somepony took a paintbrush and swiped it across the sky. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that a pegasus was leading the spectrum. Suddenly, the pony rerouted, and headed straight towards the two.

A wave a rainbow spanned out from the hooves of the spectrum-maned cyan pegasus as she landed on the grass.

“Was that your flying?” She suddenly asked.

“Um, y-yeah...” Yan was frightened by the cyan pony’s sudden appearance.

“Rainbow, aren’t you gonna introduce yerself before you go pesterin’ him with questions?” Applejack suddenly scolded.

“Oh, heh, yeah, sorry about that, AJ.” The pegasus turned towards Yan. “Sorry, I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria,” She took a few seconds to gloat before returning to her introduction. “Aaand, soon to be Wonderbolt. I saw that flying you pulled off. Not bad. Do you fly often?”

Yan looked down, not daring to make eye contact to the cyan pony. “Um, n-not really, just this once…”

“You did that without standard practice? Yeesh, you must be pretty good.” A look contorted upon Dash’s face, signaling the arrival of an idea. “Heeeyy, how ‘bout a race?”

“W-what? A race?” Yan was frightened by the sudden socialization. He didn’t know this pony, and she was challenging him to a race. Apparently, Applejack knew her, but there were little introductions minus a name.

“Uh, yeah. You know, flying, see who can reach the finish line first. Have you ever casually raced before?” Rainbow Dash asked in a rhetoric tone.

“Um…not…really?” Yan spoke almost inaudibly.

In response, Rainbow Dash facehoofed.

“I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me…” Yan squeaked.

What does AJ see in this guy? Rainbow thought to herself as she sighed. “Well, now’s your first. C’mon, I’ll go easy on ya.

Yan took a moment to weigh his chances. If he refused, then he might look like a fool in front of Applejack. But if he accepted, and failed, then he would more like an idiot.

Do it, called a voice in his head. Remember what he said. You only live once, take all the chances you can!!

“…I…I’ll do it…” Yan muttered after a few seconds.

“Sweet!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, “Alright, um…” She glanced at the sky for a few seconds.

“Hmm… whoever reaches that cloud first,” She pointed to a white mass of fluff around 200 meters away, “wins. Alright? Alright!” The speedy pegasus blasted in the air, and then stopped to hover. “C’mon, Yan!”

“Um…” Yan took a deep breath before following Dash’s previous action.

The two hovered near each other, facing the appointed finish line.

“Ready…” Dash said slowly, “Set…GO!”

The pair blasted off, leaving nothing but wind in their wake.  Applejack held her hat to her with her hoof to keep it from flying off. She looked up, seeing a tan blur that was Yan keep up with the rainbow trail.

Yan put all of his focus on flying towards that cloud, not taking his eyes off at all, despite their watering.  He pumped his wings, taking notice to the adrenaline coursing through him. Yan took a half of a second to look at his opponent, who was keeping speed.

“I’m giving it all I got now!” She hollered before leaving Yan to eat her dust. Rainbow Dash laughed as she sped on past the newbie. But the laugh turned into a sound of shock as the said noob blasted past her, leaving Dash in his wake. In no time, Yan had passed Rainbow Dash, leaving her with her jaw wide open. She shook off the surprise and caught up with him. Soon, they were neck in neck yet again.

***

Puff. The cloud that was designated as the finish line dispersed as Yan flew past it. He slowed down and came to a stop, plopping to the ground with an expulsion of breath.

“You…you actually won…” Dash dropped to the grass. “You beat me…”

“Rainbow…” Applejack said in a warning tone.

“Wow!” She suddenly exclaimed. “That was awesome! You just outflew the fastest flyer in Equestria!”

“U-um…” Yan scraped the ground with his hoof.

“Don’t sit there and act all embarrassed! That was some awesome flying!!”

“Um…thank you…” Yan wasn’t used to such praise.

“Dude, we need to hang out more often. I’d love to race some more.” Dash ruffled Yan’s pink and gray mane. “Well, seeya later, I guess.” The cyan pegasus flew off, leaving a streak of rainbow in her wake.

“Well…that was…brief.”

“You betcha. That pegasus won’t stick around for long. That was some good flyin’ though.” Applejack sat down next to Yan. “She normally woulda got real miffed if someone beat her, but I guess since you didn’t look as fast as you are, she was more impressed than normal.

“Yeah, I guess…” Despite his embarrassment, Yan felt good. He was recognized positively for his flying. He was given praise. Something he was rarely given.