As any vendor would always hope for, the Mall of Canterlot was absolutely packed today. From groups of teens spending the day there as a hang-out spot, to families coming en masse for their weekly shopping, there was no place within the sprawling complex that wasn't crowded right now. And among these, the busiest of all was undoubtedly the various cafés, restaurants and general food stalls that lined the main aisle of the place. In particular, the local milkshake bar saw more than its usual share of customers, most of which hailed from the local schools like Canterlot High or Crystal Prep, and those two groups seemed to be getting along far more amicably than they ever would have done in days gone by. That sense of camaraderie was present in the smiles of everybody there, and a grand old time was being had by all. Amidst all of this however, were two teens in particular. Micro Chips and Sandalwood, who were sitting at a small table of their own right now and downing their respective shakes. When Sandalwood had finished his, he let out a long sigh of contentment.

"Ah! Now that’s a good shake, eh, Micro?"

Though Micro was nowhere near as far along in finishing his drink as his colleague was, he nevertheless gave a nod of agreement, adjusting his glasses slightly before finally answering him.

"Indeed. Though I will admit that the flavours aren't quite as, shall we say, distinct as the ones down at the Sweet Snacks Café."

Sandalwood gave a chuckle to that.

"You're right there, bud! Pinkie makes the absolute best stuff down there! Milkshakes, ice creams, heck she even managed to make that one dessert with the pineapple in it taste good!"

The two boys laughed together, and for a time, they simply contented themselves with the upbeat atmosphere of the place, turning their gaze to all those who passed them by. Every once in a while, they'd look out to somebody else further away, and it was during that latter activity when they saw none other than Sunset Shimmer. The ex-unicorn was, at this very moment, heading to her job as the sushi restaurant, already decked out in her uniform for the place. The boys watched her, and eventually, saw her head into the restaurant.

"Dude...do you ever think about her?" Sandalwood asked.

Micro turned to him.

"Who, Sunset?"

Looking back to his friend, Sandalwood nodded.

"Yeah, man! I mean, she's awesome and stuff, but...do you ever stop and think about how she's you know...a unicorn?"

Leaning back into his chair, Micro considered that, tapping the end of his chin as he pondered that thought.

"Well, with everything we've seen over the past few years, it would be foolish of me to dismiss such a notion."

Sandalwood seemed surprised by that.

"Really? But you're always so big on science and logic and stuff."

Micro nodded.

"True enough. But, with all the visual evidence, I cannot help but accept the new reality of our situation at Canterlot High. Magic exists. An alternate world of talking equines exists. Monsters exist and come to our locale with alarming frequency. I suppose..."

He considered his next words carefully, eventually cracking a smirk.

"...it's just one of those things you get used to."

Raising his now-empty milkshake glass, Sandalwood chuckled to that.

"You'll get no argument on that from me, friend."

Turning back in the direction of the sushi place, Micro once more appeared deep in thought, then spoke aloud as he did so.

"Although...I suppose, from her perspective...our world must seem rather strange."

Leaning forward, Sandalwood nodded.

"Oh yeah! No magic, except for the stuff that comes over from her side. Lost of machines and, you know, no talking animals."

Micro looked to him.

"Besides Spike, you mean?"

Realising that, Sandalwood took on a somewhat embarrassed look.

"Oh, right, forgot about him."

He slapped his forehead.

"If you'd have come to me a few years ago and told me that I'd one day to go the same school as a girl who has a talking dog, I'd have called you nuts."

Micro raised an eyebrow.

"Quite. Though it would give some fascinating insight into canine psychology."

Sandalwood gave a chuckle, nodding slightly.

"Maybe you could ask Twilight to help you interview the little guy?"

Micro smiled to that.

"Oh, that sounds delightful. I always appreciate being able to converse with Miss Sparkle. So rare that I get the chance to speak to an intellect like hers."

Sandalwood, upon hearing that, folded his arms and looked to his friend with incredulity, which soon prompted Micro to raise his hands in a somewhat defensive manner.

"Oh! Not that I don't think you’re intelligent, Sandalwood! It's just..."

But, to his surprise, his friend simply broke out into another laugh.

"Hey, it's no biggie, Micro! I get it. Sometimes a brain just needs to talk to another brain, right?"

Micro blinked.

"Um...right?"

Then, Sandalwood leaned closer again.

"Although, I'd be careful about getting too chummy with her. You know, boyfriend and all that. Plus a whole bunch of magical BFF's to back her up."

Micro seemed aghast at such a notion.

"My dear fellow! I assure you, I have no such designs on Miss Sparkle! Besides, I'll have you know that I am happily dating Starlight!"

Again, Sandalwood laughed.

"Geez, you really need to get a handle on when people are yanking your chain, Micro!"

Micro, naturally, seemed just a touch irritated at his friend's jests, though the latter soon took on a thoughtful look of his own.

"But you know, now that I think about it...didn't Sunset hang out with another Starlight? Here in the Mall a while back?"

To that, Micro groaned.

"Oh, for the love of...for the last time, my girlfriend is not Starlight Glimmer! She's just...Starlight."

Sandalwood nodded to that, accepting that statement, but nevertheless appeared just as thoughtful.

"Yeah...but what if she's, like, the other Starlight's counter? You know, how everyone over here has some pony version over there?"

Micro, adjusting his glasses again, shook his head to that.

"Highly doubtful. Our Starlight and theirs bear no resemblance to one another, either in terms of appearance or personality. It's likely just a coincidence of names."

Leaning back into his chair, Sandalwood smiled again.

"Yeah, makes sense. And you know..."

A hearty chortle escaped him.

"...it's still pretty awesome, right? Us, here, talking about magic and different versions of us from other worlds?"

Micro dwelt on that thought.

"Perhaps...it does upend a lot of previously-established notions of how the world is supposed to work though. All those physicists and philosophers who have imagined other worlds or denounced the possibility of them...I imagine even they would get something of a headache if they were to truly take in everything that we've learned over the last few years."

In response, Sandalwood shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure..."

He broke out into another smile.

"...but it is more fun, right?"

Micro sat in silence, thinking on those words, before breaking out into a smile of his own.

"Well...I suppose one cannot argue with that, my friend."

Together, the two laughed, but it did not last long. For then, at that very moment, there was a commotion to be heard a short while away. Turning, both they and the other patrons of the milkshake bar saw that there was some sort of shoplifter trying to run away from wherever it was they'd just robbed. However, hot on the guy's heels was, of course, Sunset and her friends. They'd all used their power to assume their magical outfits and appearances, and were in the process of chasing down the criminal, in much the same way they had done with prior such incidents. Nobody said anything, merely watching as this group ran further and further away in search of their quarry. And when it was all done, Micro and Sandalwood turned to look at one another.

"So...just another day then?" Sandalwood asked.

Nodding, Micro sighed.

"Yes...it would appear so."

Then, he smiled yet again.

"And we wouldn't change it for the world."

Together, the two boys gave each other a fist-bump, with Sandalwood responding soon afterwards.

"Same here, friend, same here."