Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up is the eleventh episode of My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, the fourth episode of the series' Chapter 4, and the eleventh episode overall.
In this episode, Sunny Starscout and Hitch Trailblazer celebrate the opening of Canterlove Studios by hosting a cooking show, and Opaline punishes Misty for continuously failing to obtain dragonfire for her.
==Summary==
===Misty is "grounded"===
At Opaline's castle, Opaline notices the Mane 5's cutie marks glowing in the photograph of them that Misty took from the Crystal Brighthouse in the previous episode. Believing that the ponies' cutie marks are the key to harnessing their unity magic, Opaline plots to steal them with the power Sparky Sparkeroni's dragonfire will give her. However, Misty had chosen not to bring Sparky to Opaline in the previous episode, and for failing yet again to complete her task, Opaline decides to punish her.
Opaline reminds Misty of her childhood growing up alongside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the realm of Skyros and being snubbed by them. Afterward, she administers her punishment upon Misty: using her magic to literally "ground" Misty and bind her to the floor of her bedroom by her hooves. With that, Opaline leaves her castle for the first time in a long while.
===Hitch in the limelight===
In Maretime Bay, the Mane 5 announce the grand opening of Canterlove Studios, but the townsponies quickly leave afterward. In order to spark public interest in the new space, Sunny Starscout suggests making a TV show to be broadcast directly from Canterlove Studios, and Pipp Petals decides on a cooking show hosted by Sunny and Hitch Trailblazer called "Sunny Side Up". Sunny agrees to the idea, but Hitch is nervous about being on camera.
During the inaugural installment of Sunny Side Up, Hitch is stricken with severe performance anxiety, babbling incoherently and tripping over himself. Despite Sunny's advice to follow her lead, his stage fright and awkwardness result in him making a mess of the show stage, even knocking Sunny over. Over time, however, he becomes more comfortable and starts a food fight with Sunny, and their comedic antics prove to be very popular with the viewers watching.
Back at Opaline's castle, Misty uses her unicorn magic to free herself from Opaline's binding, despite her belief that she could not use magic without a cutie mark. When she sees the Mane 5 streaming their new show on her phone, she realizes none of them are watching Sparky and goes to abduct him, but Opaline sealed her bedroom door with magic as well.
===Believe in yourself===
As viewers start to lose interest in Sunny Side Up, Pipp attempts to spice things up by introducing a slew of outlandish elements to the show, like having the hosts use mystery ingredients and cook while blindfolded. However, Sunny feels this chase after trends and quest for views betrays the intended purpose of Canterlove Studios. She speaks directly to the viewers and tells them to believe in themselves and do what they want to do or what they feel is right instead of what others tell them they should do.
Watching the Mane 5's stream and hearing Sunny's speech, Misty realizes she has been failing her missions for Opaline is because, deep down, she does not want to help Opaline take the ponies' magic away. She also recognizes that Opaline has been lying to her for her entire life and that the Mane 5 have treated her with nothing but kindness and warmth. However, she is unsure about betraying Opaline and leaving behind the only life she has ever known.
Meanwhile, somewhere away from her castle, Opaline travels through a forest in search of something that will help her harness dragonfire to her benefit. She eventually comes across a magical object called a Dragonstone sitting atop a pair of tall crystal spires. After considerable difficulty climbing up to it due to her weakened state, Opaline attempts to claim it from its resting place when it falls into a small fissure in the earth, rendering it unreachable.
===The real Sunny Side Up===
Before the Mane 5's livestream continues, Sunny pulls Hitch aside and apologizes for disregarding his nervousness and not encouraging him to do things his own way. Hitch confesses that, despite the day's chaos, he had a great time cooking and having food fights with Sunny and that doing so helped him overcome his stage fright. The two agree to compromise on a show format that celebrates both of their strengths.
The Sunny Side Up livestream continues, and Sunny and Hitch conduct the show in a manner that they are both comfortable with. Even though less viewers are watching than when they were goofing around earlier, it is a show that they are happy with and that their friends agree it should have been from the beginning. Sunny and Hitch announce to the viewers that this will be the only installment of Sunny Side Up, but they encourage the rest of Maretime Bay to come to Canterlove Studios and host their own shows.
Opaline returns to the castle, and Misty pretends to have never left the position Opaline left her in. Opaline "un-grounds" Misty, and Misty promises to never let her down again. After filling Misty in about the Dragonstone, Opaline notices the fake cutie mark that Misty has drawn on her flank.
==Quotes==
:Opaline: Sparks of fire! Explosions of annihilation! [laughs evilly, coughs]
:Opaline: First, I need to find a way to boost my power. Then, I'll cast a transformation spell to capture those cutie marks! Then...! [coughs] ...I'll book a throat detox.
:Misty: I kind of, um, maybe, uh, didn't get it. Again.
:[long pause]
:Misty: Wow, Opaline. You're taking this surprisingly well.
:Opaline: taking it well?!? i was building up my breath to yell at you!!!
:Opaline: When I was growing up in Skyros, they were the "golden ponies". The favorites. Everypony loved them, but I saw right through their act. They thought they were so great 'cause they had the whole "sun and moon" thing going. Please! I had something much better. I was an Alicorn of fire. Of power! Of strength!
:Izzy Moonbow: Maybe they realized they left their ovens on at home!
:Zipp Storm: All of them?
:Izzy Moonbow: You're right, too far-fetched. It was probably their microwave ovens.
:Pipp Petals: Yes, I've got it! The show will be called... "Sunny Side Up" featuring Hitch!
:Sunny Starscout: Welcome to Sunny Side Up! I'm Sunny, and this is Hitch, coming to you live from Canterlove Studios. And we're gonna tell you what's up with making delicious food from home! Isn't that right, Hitch?
:Hitch Trailblazer: [babbling]
:Sunny Starscout: Uh, yeah... You said it.
:Hitch Trailblazer: If you wanna sit this one out, Sunny, I'm happy to host solo.
:Sunny Starscout: But the show is called "Sunny Side Up".
:Sunny Starscout: Cooking is great to get you out of a rut. Like if you've lost your way. Or if you're stuck. Especially if the reason that you're stuck is because somepony's keeping you there against your will and pushing you to do something you don't think is right.
:Misty: The reason I've been failing my missions for Opaline lately is because I... I don't want to succeed. I... I don't want to take away the ponies' power.
:Opaline: Why does every magical thing have to be precariously perched on a hill with stuff in the way?! Here's an idea! Bury your magic things within hoof's reach!
:Opaline: But, Opaline, are you sure? Do you really want to seize the most powerful crystal in all of Equestria for your own selfishness? [cackles] Oh, that was a good one! Why am I so funny when nopony's around?
:Misty: And another thing! Other unicorns aren't trying to trick me! Though there was that one time where Izzy blindfolded me and forced me to hit a weird thing called a "pye-nya-tah".
:Misty: From this moment on, I make my own choices! From this moment on, I make my own friends!
==Gallery==
Young Opaline waving to Celestia and Luna C4E4.png
Hitch and Sunny facing the cameras C4E4.png
Opaline reaching for the Dragonstone C4E4.png