"Okay, Sandbar, stay calm. You can totally do this. I mean, you've already been to the Ball with her, right? So this should be no problem. It'll be easy! A total breeze, right? Right?"

"Sir?"

"GAH!!!" The young stallion practically leapt out of his chair at the unexpected voice, but soon saw that it was only the waiter, who gave him a naturally incredulous look.

"Um...I was wondering if you wanted to order yet?"

Sandbar, who soon realised that he was getting odd looks from everypony else in the café, quickly got himself back into his chair, brushing himself down slightly before trying to look as dignified as he could after that little display.

"Yes, er...I'll just have a hayburger."

The waiter wrote that down, raising his eyebrow to the youth before moving off. Sandbar offered a nervous grin to the other customers, most of whom just got back to their own meals, leaving him to blush severely after that.

"Geez! I'm messing this up and she isn't even here yet!"

"Sandbar?"

Sandbar's color drained from his cheeks when he heard that familiar voice, and he slowly turned his head to find that, yes, it was definitely Yona here now. She was smiling to him, as she so often did, but she nevertheless looked confused.

"Why friend Sandbar look worried?"

Realising that he was staring at her in what had to be a very creepy fashion at this point, Sandbar hurriedly put himself into a more normal-looking sitting position, complete with a forced calm tone.

"Oh, Yona, didn't see you there."

Yona too arched an eyebrow, getting over to her seat. Granted, this was somewhat difficult to do, given that these chairs were largely designed for ponies and not Yaks, but she nevertheless managed to get comfortable. Now opposite her date for the afternoon, she smiled to him.

"Has Sandbar been waiting long?"

Sandbar waved her off.

"Pfft! No! I barely just got here myself."

Yona stared at him, knowing already he was exaggerating about that, and after a moment of silence, the stallion began to crack.

"Well...maybe I got here a bit early. You know, just to make sure we had a good spot?"

More silence from Yona, and this time Sandbar just completely confessed.

"Okay, I've been here an hour already!" He planted his head square onto the table in front of him. "I'm sorry! I know I said I wasn't gonna let myself be nervous about this, but I couldn't help it!" But rather than having her be upset or annoyed by this behaviour, Sandbar simply felt a reassuring pat on his head from her, prompting him to look up into her smiling face.

"Sandbar no need to apologise. Yona gets nervous about stuff too. If Yona can make mess of Amity Ball, Sandbar can be silly here."

In spite of his still-lingering worries over this date, Sandbar still laughed to that, as did Yona, which did a great deal to help the two youngsters feel better about this whole thing. After a while, Sandbar sighed, looking to her with softness.

"It's moments like this that remind me why I like you, Yona. You're always so positive about these things."

Yona started to blush a little to that, glancing away.

"Oh, friend Sandbar just saying that. So many creatures more positive than Yona."

Sandbar chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Name two."

Yona gave a sly smirk to that.

"Silverstream and Pinkie Pie."

Sandbar, realising that he had just been put on the opposite end of an encounter the two had gone through not so long ago, looked somewhat sheepish for a moment, then regained his smile.

"Okay, yeah, those two are definitely more upbeat."

The two shared another laugh, and several of the patrons smiled to the sight of the them having fun together, but of course kept to themselves, lest they interrupt. After a time, the waiter returned and, thankful that Sandbar had calmed down from the last time, offered him the requested hayburger. Sandbar accepted, giving a grateful smile, before looking again to Yona and gesturing to the nearby menu. His Yak companion looked it over, and after probably the shortest choosing time of anycreature who'd ever come here, she nodded proudly to the waiter.

"Yona will have special! Specials are best!"

The waiter smiled to the enthusiasm she was showing, then headed off to collect the food. Now alone with her date, Yona started to look a bit more serious.

"Um...can Yona ask Sandbar a question?"

Sandbar nodded.

"Sure thing."

Yona nervously poked the ends of her hooves together, then came out and said what was on her mind.

"Does friend Sandbar think this will work? You and Yona?"

The stallion looked a touch confused at that.

"Sure. I don't see any reason why not."

A saddened look came to the young Yak.

"Yona knows ponies out there who not like Yaks. And not like Yaks being around ponies. Will this be...okay?"

Understanding her meaning, Sandbar frowned, reaching forward and gently placing his hoof upon hers.

"Hey, you don't need to worry about those types of ponies. No matter what they say about you, I still want to be with you, Yona." His frown deepened. "Ponies like them? They're not worth a second thought. Let them stew in whatever misery they've made for themselves."

Yona was appreciative of his support, as evidenced by the smile she now gave him. And Sandbar, seeing her look to him like that, softened in his own expression.

"Besides, ever since all the stuff that happened at the end of the school's first year, ponies like that haven't exactly been all that common, so I don't think you need to worry."

Yona, much to Sandbar's surprise, leaned over her side of the table to take him in a warm embrace. Though slightly taken aback, the young earth pony nevertheless reciprocated, returning the hug in a loving display between the two. It was definitely a dawww-worthy sight, as shown by many of the surrounding customers who made that very sound, only to hurriedly look away and pretend to be talking about something else when Yona and Sandbar looked over to them. After a quick moment of awkwardness, the two sat back down in their chairs, with Yona breaking the silence.

"Um...will Yona be meeting Sandbar's family...maybe?"

Now, it would have been fully expected for Sandbar's response to that to be looking worried, perhaps envisioning some terrible and overly-comedic encounter between his date and his family. Instead, he actually looked rather happy with the idea.

"That sounds like a great idea, Yona! We can go after we finish our date here!"

Yona's smile returned with a vengeance.

"R...really?!"

Sandbar nodded.

"Yep! I've been telling them all about you since I first met you, especially after the Amity Ball. They can't wait to meet you!" He chuckled. "My sister especially is excited to see you. You'd be the first Yak she's ever met!"

Yona beamed.

"Then Yona will make good first impression!"

Sandbar narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No pretending to me more like a pony to get them to like you?"

Yona rolled her eyes, then gigged.

"No, no pretending. Yona will just be Yona."

Sandbar smiled warmly to her.

"That's good, because I promise you, they'll love you as much as I do."

Here, silence returned, and Yona started to blush, looking right into Sandbar's eyes.

"Wha...what did Sandbar say?"

Her date, realising what he'd just uttered, looked completely stunned, as if some terrible dark secret had just escaped him.

"I...er...I think I...what I meant was..." He looked away, burying his face in his hooves, mumbling to himself. "Oh no! I've totally messed this up! Stupid Sandbar! Why'd you go and blurt out something like that?! You weren't thinking, that's what!" He fully predicted this to be a sour turning point in the date, but instead, he got something he did not foresee. Yona placing her hoof on his shoulder, gently coaxing him into looking at her. When he did, he saw her look to him with gentleness. Not a look of embarrassment, or thinking he was being silly, but an earnest look one would give to a friend they deeply cared for. And it was a feeling reflected further in the way she spoke.

"It's okay, friend Sandbar...we don't have to say things like that now. Things still in, how you say...early days?"

Sandbar was, understandably, immensely relieved to hear that from her, and so sighed deeply, placing his own hoof on the one Yona had on his shoulder.

"Th...thanks, Yona."

Another giggle from the Yak, and as she withdrew her hoof, she looked to him with curiosity.

"Sandbar? Will you want to come with Yona to Yakyakistan after we meet your parents? So you can meet Yona's parents?"

Sandbar, who was still recovering from that narrowly-avoided moment of embarrassment, took a few seconds to compose himself, then cleared his throat.

"Yona...it would be my pleasure." Acting the gentlecolt, he took her hoof and gave it a quick kiss, and the romantic gesture caused another blush and giggle on Yona's part. Moments afterwards, however, she started looking more serious.

"Okay, remember to dress warm. Ponies no do as well as Yaks in cold."

Sandbar nodded, pondering that.

"Okay...dress how warm, exactly?"

Smirking, Yona pointed to her shaggy coat.

"Start like this, then maybe we go from there."

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE YONABAR!!!