I Just Want to Make You Proud

“No! For the last time, you can’t! I won’t let you!”

“Please? C’mon buddy, if you won’t make a move on your own, then I need to force you!”

“Who says I won’t ask her out on my own?”

“Me.”

“W-why?”

“Cuz you’re Yan, that’s why. You can’t even socialize on your own; I doubt you’d be able to ask Applejack on your own.”

“B-but-“

“No buts, mister. If you don’t go and ask her out or something, I will embarrass you like you’ve never been embarrassed before,” A plate of cheese sandwiches sat in the middle of the table, which was being feasted upon by Desert and Yan.

Yan crossed his front legs and looked away. “Nu,” he protested.

“Yan…” Desert said in a warning tone. He quickly stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth so he could get to business.

“Nnnnnuuu.” he repeated.

“My Yan, I swear to great Celestia,

If thou do not confess thine love to the

Fair maiden, Applejack, I shall give thine

Message of love to her, for you, myself.

“What?” Yan’s voice was muffled due to the presence of a sandwich in his mouth.

“If you don’t tell Applejack you love her, I will!” he said as he stole a sandwich from Yan’s hooves.

“W-what!? Why!?” He shouted after he swallowed his sandwich.

“Cuz your sissy ass won’t! If you don’t, someone else will snatch her right up.” he said as he stole a sandwich from Yan’s hooves.

“B-but, I-“

“But me again, I dare you.”

***

Applejack had a look of confusion and worry on her face as she stood at Yan’s front door. She could distinctively hear sounds of struggle from the other side.

“Ah hope they’re alright…” She sighed before bringing a hoof to the door.

***

“No, dammit, I can’t!”

“Don’t make me, Yan! I’ll do it I swear!”

“Owwwowowowowow! No! Stop, that hurts! Ah!” Desert was pulling Yan by the tail with his telekinesis.

“Stop! Please!” He cried, feeling the pain.

“Not until you say you’re gonna tell App-“

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, Desert and Yan stopped all movement. After they dusted themselves off, Yan opened the door quickly to see Applejack standing at the doorway.

“Hey there, sugarcube…you, uh, alright?” Applejack was standing at the front door, a look of concern on her face.

“O-oh, Applejack, hi. Um, what’re you doing here?” Yan stuttered.

“Oh, Ah, uh, Ah just wanted to stop by. Was Ah, er, interruptin’?” She inquired, a slight tone of disappointment and sadness present in her voice.

“Um…OH, NO, nonononononono, it’s not what you think, we were just having a, er, a disagreement.”

“Excuse me, but may I have a word with Yan for a moment?” Desert interjected.

“Uh, I guess,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said before dragging Yan off to the side.

“Look, now is your chance. She’s here, and you’ve got nothing else to do today. Go do something with her, get her in the right mood, and tell her how you feel!” Desert said in a harsh whisper.

“B-but, you can’t rush things like this! It might, like, scare her off or something.”

Desert rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Look, Yan, let me tell you something. I’m trying my best to look out for you; I don’t want you to feel what I feel. I loved my ex-marefriend, you have no idea how much. When she left me, I…I didn’t know what to do. I lost the love of my life over a simple misunderstanding, and now, she won’t take me back.”

“Couldn’t you have just talked to her?”

“You don’t think I tried? I made a fool out of myself trying…but she won’t come back. All this has happened of a stupid mistake. I don’t want that to happen to you.” Desert’s eyes glistened with diligence, a determination that Yan never saw. “Please, you’re my best friend. Just…you only live once. Take all of the chances you can. You just might never get the chance again.”

Yan sat on his flank, surprised to hear Desert say that. Those last words, the words that were revolving around in his head for the past two weeks were spoken, just like that.

“I…I’ll do it. Thank you, Desert.” Yan stood on all fours, with newfound determination.

“Thattaboy. Now, go.”

Yan nodded before spinning around and walking back to the door.

“Eheh, sorry about that, just needed to discuss, um, something. It’s not really important. So, um, what were you here for?” Yan, for once in his life, spoke an entire sentence while still looking another pony straight in the eyes.

“Yeah,  Ah was jus’ wonderin’ if…if you wanted to go spend some time together somewhere. Ah mean, Ah haven’ seen you anywhere fer a while, and…Ah mahself been wantin’ to, uh, to see you again.” Applejack laughed nervously.

Yan looked back to Desert, who was sitting on the couch out of Applejack’s view. He gestured with his hoof to go along with the idea.

“Uhh…sure! I’d love to. Where did you have in mind?” Yan smiled.

“Nowhere in particular, really. Jus’…anywhere…” Applejack mumbled the rest of the sentence, making it hard for Yan to hear.

“What was that?” he asked innocently.

“Oh, uh, nuthin’. So, ah, if you’d like, may we…go right now?” she asked.

“I don’t see why not.”

Applejack’s expression instantly went from worried to relieved. “Thanks. So, let’s go?”

“Absolutely.” With that, the two headed off into town.

Desert sat on the couch with his legs hanging off the edge. “Ya done good, Desert. Ya done good…” He sighed contently with his hooves put behind his head.

***

Yan and Applejack’s hooves clopped against the cobblestone of the town square. A few ponies milled about talking amongst themselves and admiring the midday. The two walked around aimlessly. Applejack was walking a bit closer to Yan than usual.

“So, Applejack, um, how’s the farm going?” Yan asked.

“Oh, good, Ah guess. Nothin’ special. Big Mac hasn’t gotten hurt recently, which is nice, 'cus he always finds some way to get some kinda injury.”

“Well that’s good. I’m glad he’s alright. How’s your sister…er, what’s her name, Apple Bloom?”

“She’s just as rambunctious as ever. She’s been tryin’ to get into the apple buckin’ trade, but her bucks aren’t powerful enough.” Applejack started to say something, but stopped before any words could come out.

“Uh, what was that?” Yan asked.

“Nothin’ important…” she sighed.

“No offense, but you’ve been like this ever since we started. Are you alright? Is something bothering you?” He inquired, worried.

“No, A-Ah’m fine,” Applejack stuttered nervously.

“No, you’re not. Is it something I said? Why won’t you talk to me?”

Applejack stayed silent and would not make eye contact with Yan.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have acted that way.” Yan scratched the back of his neck with his hoof.

“Ah’m sorry, Ah gotta go,” her voice cracked before she began to gallop off.

“W-wait, Applejack!” Yan called out as he began to make chase. (

***

Yan’s hooves pounded the ground as he chased Applejack out of Ponyville and into the forested area that surrounded it.

“Applejack, wait! Where are you going?”Yan cried.

“Ah can’t, Yan, Ah’m sorry,” She said with a warbled voice as if she was crying.

Yan’s wings flew open as he took to the skies. He caught sight of Applejack again, and flew down towards her. I can definitely get to her now, he thought. He swooped and landed in front of her, making her skid to a stop.

“What’s wrong, Applejack? what’s going on? Why are you running away?” Yan took a step closer to her.

“Ah…Ah...”

“Please, Applejack, tell me! I’m worried about you! Why can’t you tell me?” Yan approached Applejack slowly, trying to not scare her off. “Please…”

“Ah’m afraid to tell you, you might not want to talk to me anymore,” she said.

“No, I promise I won’t, I won’t leave you.”

“Ah…” Applejack dried her eyes with a hoof.  “Ah…have feelings for you, Yan. Strong ones…ones that make me hurt to think you might…distance yerself from me if Ah tell ya…”

“Applejack, I…I didn’t know…” The tan pegasus was speechless. She feels the same? After all this time, we both felt the same? Is this luck or what?

“Yeah, Ah know, silly right? If you wanna run off, go ahead. Nothin’s stopping ya.”

Yan gulped as he set his mind on his next task. You only live once, take all the chances you can. He set a hoof forward, then another one. Step by step, he approached her, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. This always works in the movies and books…you can do this. Yan’s idea seemed simple in his head, but setting it in motion was harder. Just a quick one…it’s not that hard, if she feels the same as I do… He gulped as he neared her. She was still facing away from him.

OK…three…two…Yan stopped, hooves planted on the ground, about a foot away from Applejack. One.

“Applejack, I need to tell you something as well.” With those words, Applejack looked up, meeting Yan’s eyes. She quickly looked somewhere else, though, for Yan’s gaze was different. It wasn’t his normal shy, submissive look; Yan had determination he’d never felt before.

“You see, I-I,” Yan struggled to find the words that exactly fit what he felt.

“It’s a hard thing to say, it’s not exactly the most commonly spoken phrase…” Stop stalling, idiot! ”Applejack, I feel the same… I have for a long time, ever since I met you. It’s been eating away at me, and, I’ve wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t…”

“You ain’ kiddin’…are ya, Yan?” her voice cracked.

“No, I could never kid about something like this,” he responded.

Awkward silence followed, as the two ponies stood there, kicking at the dirt in embarrassment.

C’mon Yan, think of something…what would Desert say…ah, actually, scratch that, that would be too weird…agh, what should I say? Yan’s mind was working a million miles an hour.

“Have you ever had a marefriend, Yan?” she inquired.

“U-um, no?”

“Then, how ‘bout…Ah be yer first?” was all she could muster before hushing up again and looking elsewhere.

“I’d…” Yan started. This is it. Screw that being the cheesiest way ask out somepony, I woulda done worse; this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for!

“I’d be delighted.”