Now, Sandbar liked snow, it had to be said. Memories of playful winter days with his sister building snowstallions and throwing snowballs at his childhood friends was something he and every other pony his age had fondness for. Yet there was such a thing as too much of what you like, and right now the young stallion was definitely experiencing this sensation. Knee-deep in the snows of the far north, Sandbar was wrapped up several times over, yet still found himself shivering uncontrollably. His teeth were chattering and his knees were wobbling, and overall he just felt like this wasn't really the place he should be. Yet one look at the one beside him, with her friendly smile, was enough to warm his heart enough to carry on. And Yona too was glad to be here with him, particularly when she reached out and held his hoof in her own. "Well? What friend Sandbar think?"
Looking ahead, the fellow friendship student finally laid eyes on the ancient and proud home of Yona's people. Yakyakistan, and its high wooden walls. It was a sight, no question, and one that even he, chilled as he was, could smile at. "It looks great, Yona. I bet growing up here was pretty awesome."
Yona blushed as she undoubtedly thought back on her childhood in this place. "It was. Yak home is best home. Cold of snow, rocks of mountains, big hair of yaks. There no place better."
Sandbar rubbed his sides in an effort to keep warm. "Except maybe back at my house next to a roaring fire," he freely admitted.
Yona could see his discomfort, yet this knowledge did not deter her usual enthusiasm, as she brought her friend close into a warm embrace. "Sandbar no worry. We get to fire soon."
Feeling grateful to her, Sandbar returned the embrace, and when the two youths parted, he smiled to her with a more upbeat tone than before. "So...this is gonna be okay, right? I mean, you've never shown any of your friends to your family before."
A quick giggle from Yona. "Yona look forward to it! Yona know family love Sandbar as she does." Then, realising what she'd said, she blushed again, albeit more fiercely than before. "Um...like! Family like Sandbar as she does!"
Sandbar too blushed, and for a time the two just stood in silence together. Then, a sudden gust of cold wind blew, going right through the Equestrian and prompting another intense shiver on his part. "Okay, well, better get moving. Not sure how long I can last out here."
Yona took a moment to look rather smug about that comment. "Ha! Yaks no bothered by cold! We live for it!"
Sandbar smirked. "Yeah, I can guess. All well and good saying that with thick shaggy coats though, right?"
Yona shrugged. "Coat or no coat, Yaks strong against cold wind and snow!"
Sandbar glanced behind him, to the long path they'd just come down, before again regarding his friend. "Still, better get over there. Don't want to keep them waiting." So, onward they went, treading through the snow together, though it had to be said that Yona was more adept at this than Sandbar. With him, every step was a chore, and even ten steps forward was tiring for him. Yona, by contrast, was merrily skipping along, walking a path she'd likely walked a thousand times. It gave Sandbar pause, not to mention a brief twinge of jealousy that this was so easy for her. Still, after shaking his head to his own difficulties, she smiled to her, following her until the two of them were finally at the gates of Yakyakistan. Craning his neck upwards, Sandbar looked not only to the height of the walls, but also to the great Yak statues on either side of it. "Wow, it's...a lot bigger up close."
Again, Yona held him. "Sandbar no worry. Those big heroes. Give big welcome to all who come here!"
Sandbar stared at her, then up to the statues, before clearing his throat and giving a little wave to them. "Um...hi?" The statues were, of course, silent, but this did not put Sandbar off, as he too smiled as Yona proceeded ahead of him. With an almighty push, the young Yak opened the gates, dislodging some snow that had gathered at the top of them, which Sandbar had to step back to avoid. "Heh, one second longer and I'd have been a brand new snowstallion."
Yona giggled, then gave a grand gesture to the place they'd just entered. "Welcome to Yakyakistan, friend Sandbar!" She watched as Sandbar stood beside her, looking on with interest and awe at this new place. As for Yona, she smiled warmly at having returned to the place of her birth, and a long sigh escaped her. "Ah! Home sweet home!" Marching forward, Yona began their way in, with Sandbar close behind her. As they went further into the village, many other Yaks, whose size appeared to intimidate Sandbar somewhat, waved and smiled to Yona's return, which she was happy to give back. Then, after a while, the two reached the centre of the village, after which Yona started pointing out various spot around the place. "That there is great fire for festivals and holidays! That there is tavern! It have good yovidaphone songs every day! That there is home of Prince Rutherford! We no disturb unless we have too. He get cranky when awake too early."
Sandbar rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know the feeling." His ears perked up. "And your home, Yona?"
After a quick look-around, Yona's face lit up. "There home!" She took Sandbar's hoof, prompting a blush on his part, before pulling him gently along. "Yona family look forward to seeing you! I write to them every day about friends from school!"
Sandbar chuckled nervously. "Hehe, I'm glad, Yona, but..." He looked ahead, to the house. "I hope you haven't, you know, built me up as some big and impressive pony, right?"
Yona laughed heartily. "No! Nothing like that!"
Sandbar breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good."
Then his friend gave him a pat on the back. "I build you up as small and impressive pony!"
After a quick blank blink from Sandbar, her fellow student sighed. "Right, of course you did." Then, after looking to the aforementioned home of his larger friend, he gulped. "Um..is there anything I need to know before going in there? Any Yak customs I should know or stuff to avoid?"
Yona pondered that, tapping her chin for a moment or two before breaking out into a wide smile. "Nope! Just be self."
As encouraging as that was, Sandbar still felt uneasy, which was definitely understandable. His situation certainly wasn't helped by the sudden nudging forward that Yona was doing behind him, making him go forward. "Wa...Yona?!" Alas, it was too late, for with a great heave she had sent him forward, right through the fabric that made up the door of her home. As soon as he was in, he looked upon two much larger Yaks, both clearly adults, and ones who he had no choice but to assume were Yona's parents. Sweat started pouring down his forehead now, and he mustered up only enough energy for the weakest of smiles. "Um...hello?"
Before anycreature could say anything else though, Yona arrived onto the scene, charging forward. "Mama! Papa!"
The other Yaks smiled warmly, moving to her and embracing her. "Daughter! Welcome home!" Yona's mother declared.
"It good to have you back!" her father added.
Then, to Sandbar's surprise, even though he shouldn't have been surprised at all, they started headbutting, their horns clashing with such force that it caused the house to shake. Sandbar looked around, terrified the ceiling was about to come down on them. Thankfully, this was not the case, and as he looked on he watched as Yona spoke to her folks excitedly. "Yona can't wait to tell you of school and Equestria!" She then glanced around, curiosity in her voice as she spoke again. "Where rest of family?"
Her mother pointed to the side. "Out collecting firewood. Be back before dark."
Though clearly disappointed that her whole family wasn't going to be here for this, Yona perked up instantly, moving over and once more nudging Sandbar forward. "Mama, Papa, this friend Sandbar. He who I talk of in letters."
Again, Sandbar managed a small wave. "Er, hi. It's really good to meet you, Mr and Mrs...um...Yona's parents?"
Even Yona couldn't help but grimace at that, but her parents were instead focused on the young stallion, moving forward together and looking him over, causing yet further nervousness for Sandbar. After a while, Yona's father looked to her while pointing to her pony companion. "This friend who help you with tiny evil pony?"
Yona beamed. "Yes. Him and our other friends. We all tied up if not for him."
And that seemed to be all the father needed to hear, as a smile came to him and he reached forward, taking Sandbar and nearly crushing him in an embrace. "Family grateful to little pony for helping Yona!"
Of course, being hugged by somecreature who had the strength of as bear and then some had the expected effect of leaving poor Sandbar rather unable to respond properly. "Ack! You're...welcome...Sir!" he barely got out. After finally being let down, he fell to the ground, panting hard so as to catch his breath quickly. When he was finally able to stand up again, he looked to the smiling faces of the Yaks surrounding him, leading to him trying to put on a smile of his own. "Yona's been a good friend to me. I'm happy to have her in my life. There isn't a single person, pony or otherwise, down in Ponyville who hasn't loved her after meeting her."
Yona's mother bellowed laughter, taking hold of her daughter and giving her a similarly-tight hug. "Ha! Yona make family proud! Show ponies how good Yaks are!"
Yona's smile was big now, rivalling even the kind of grin that Pinkie Pie might have conjured. "Yona feel proud too! Make many friends there!" She looked to Sandbar. "Like friend Sandbar. He make me feel good and welcome at school like no other."
Again, the parents looked to him, and Sandbar scratched the back of his head. "It's no trouble, really. Yona's great."
Yona's father stepped forward. "We hear how you invite Yona to dance. This true?"
Instantly, a blush came to the youngster, and had he a collar he'd have likely been pulling on it right now. "Um...well...yes?"
As Sandbar had come to expect at this point, his declaration was met by another instance of physical affection, but thankfully his last experience with such things had given him enough preparation to endure this second outing, though he remained quiet as Yona's father again let it known how happy he was. "Friend to Yona is friend to family! To all Yaks!"
After he was let go, Sandbar again took a moment to get his breath back, then returned the smile. "Well, I would like to meet all the other Yaks before that happens."
Yona walked over to him, giving him a quick pat on the back. "Sandbar meet rest of family when they return. You can meet many Yaks after that!"
Her mother gave a firm nod. "Before then, we give guest proper welcome. We make stew!"
Sandbar licked his lips. "Sounds good."
Again, the mother nodded. "It is good! Old family recipe. Passed down to me by my mother, and her mother, and her mother, all way back to start of Yakyakistan!"
Sandbar looked to her, impressed. "I look forward to it." He watched as the mother nudged Yona's father, getting him in on the cooking too, and having been given this reprieve from them, he leaned over and whispered to Yona. "This is going pretty well so far."
To that, Yona blushed. "So...we tell family about...you and me?"
Getting her meaning, Sandbar's own blushed outdid even hers, and he kept his voice even quieter as a result. "Er...let's wait. Kinda don't wanna be crushed again."
Another pat on the back from Yona. "Smart. Happy hug from that would crush you!"
Sandbar gulped. "Right...good to know."
Author's Note
I'll be honest, having the show actively ship Sandbar and Yona was not something I expected. But I've got no complaints about it 
