I pause for a moment as I take a lengthy sip of cider.

"… So."

"Mmm?" I grunt back.

"You chose Twilight Sparkle's offer, right? The portal's still open."

I let loose a bitter laugh. "You think I made a choice? Have you even been listening to my story? I'm no hero. I didn't have the stones to tell either one of them no."

"You mean you just walked away?"

"No, I never said that. In fact, while I was agonizing over what to do, I had a moment of epiphany which gave me my Mark. I chose …" I smile wryly. "To punt the decision."

"How'd you do that?"

"Remember the clerk mentioning Destiny smiling? That's a thing, with them. A pony doesn't 'choose' their Cutie Mark like we do. To them — and presumably, their magic — they get the Mark they're meant to have, because Destiny's a real force with real consequences." I drain the last of the cider from my bottle. "So I figured, if the lottery-winning gal could walk into Equestria and get a Mark that aligned her with the force of luck …"

"Wait. Wait … are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"

I glance around the restaurant, shift a bit in my seat, and pull the side of my pants down to reveal the flesh of one hip. There's an image of a pointing finger, the tip shining with light.

"I'm telling you," I say, "that for a month I've been searching Earth for the one who can walk in there, make the decision I didn't make, and satisfy both Twilight and Discord. Make things turn out right. And I know, as sure as I know my name, that Destiny has chosen you as the best hope of two worlds."

I set down the bottle, reach into my jacket, and toss onto the table a signed and stamped form with "Z-225" in block letters across the top. Then I reach across the table, clasp your hands, and stare earnestly into your eyes.

"What do you say?" I ask. "Are you in?"