Ali-Conned

Ali-Conned is the fourth episode of My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, the fourth episode of the series' Chapter 2, and the fourth episode overall.
In this episode, Sunny Starscout becomes super-popular when her Alicorn magic comes out unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Pipp Petals borrows Sparky Sparkeroni for the day to boost her likes on social media.
==Summary==
===All hail the Alicorn===
The episode begins with Sunny Starscout voicing her concerns about Earth ponies eating too much junk food and promoting her idea of a community garden from the previous episode. At first, Sunny fails to draw public interest in another of her activist "lost causes". But when she speaks passionately about her project and transforms into an Alicorn, ponies are suddenly interested in what she has to say.
Zipp Storm and Pipp Petals quickly determine that Sunny's newfound popularity is because of her Alicorn form, with Pipp expressing a twinge of jealousy. Opaline learns of Sunny's transforming ability via spying mirror and entertains the idea of getting Sunny to embrace her powers and recruiting her to her side. She tasks Misty with infiltrating a group of ponies and getting close to Sunny while she herself prepares to exert some new magic on Sunny's mirror.
Meanwhile, Pipp's presence and popularity on social media has recently been waning, and she is looking for a way to bounce back. When she notices how popular Hitch Trailblazer's adopted dragon Sparky Sparkeroni has been, Pipp asks Hitch if she can borrow Sparky for the day, to which Hitch agrees.
===The Alicorn obsession===
The Earth ponies of Maretime Bay start to become obsessed with everything Alicorn-related: they desire only Alicorn-made smoothies, foals dress up in fake Alicorn horns and wings, and they get involved in Alicorn Sunny's activist causes. Before long, Sunny draws the attention of the "Filly Four", a four-mare group of popular social media influencers - one of whom is Misty. They invite Sunny to hang out with them to boost each other's popularity.
Sunny consults with Pipp, who believes she should hang out with the Filly Four, but Sunny is still unsure. Opaline, pretending to be Sunny's inner voice, contacts her through the compact mirror and encourages her to embrace her Alicorn status and all the recognition that comes with it. Wanting to realize her dream of a community garden, Sunny decides to follow her "inner voice"'s advice.
Elsewhere, Pipp tries to channel Sparky Sparkeroni's social media charm and regain popularity and relevance in the digital landscape, but her imitations of Sparky's videos fail to attract much attention. She is discouraged further when she sees the Filly Four getting more attention than her. As Pipp struggles to figure out what Sparky and the Filly Four have that she is lacking, Sparky uses her phone to record video of her getting smacked in the face with thrown objects.
===Anything for an Alicorn===
With the Filly Four's help, Sunny wishes to make a proper public announcement about her community garden project. However, her fans simply shower her with praise, and Misty continuously tries to plant the idea in her head that being an Alicorn makes her better than everyone else. Sunny becomes less and less comfortable with being treated like royalty, but Opaline - as Sunny's "inner voice" - preys on her insecurities and advises her to keep going on this path.
Sunny faces her adoring public as an Earth pony instead of as an Alicorn and immediately receives boos and jeers, and even the Filly Four admit they were only interested in her because of her Alicorn form and do not care about her causes. Sunny runs to the Crystal Brighthouse in tears. Izzy Moonbow and Zipp Storm tell her being an Alicorn does not make her different; she inspires others to be better just by being herself. To that end, Izzy and Zipp have a surprise for her.
After failing multiple times to trend on social media, Pipp decides to stop trying so hard and settle for fading into obscurity. However, when she sees the embarrassing video Sparky made of her, Pipp finds it hilarious and a relief to laugh at herself.
===Sunny's community garden===
Sunny's friends reveal that they have built the community garden she dreamed of building. Sunny is so moved by her friends' gesture that she turns into an Alicorn again, and she realizes that she only transforms when she is being her best self by helping others. The Mane 5 then share a laugh over Pipp's embarrassing video post, with Pipp learning to value being true to oneself over being perfect.
Meanwhile, Opaline loudly voices her frustration at failing to convince Sunny to embrace her Alicorn status, declaring her a "disgrace to her kind". To realize her goal of stealing all magic, including Sunny's, Opaline turns her sights to the Crystal Brighthouse and starts devising a new way to get in.
==Quotes==
:Sunny Starscout: Ponies of Maretime Bay, I have some alarming news... We eat too much junk food!
:Zipp Storm: To be fair, these flyers do have a giant "no" sign across a picture of French fries.
:Pipp Petals: You're an Alicorn! Soon, everypony will be watching your every move while breathing down your neck at every moment shouting, "Su-nny! Su-nny! Su-nny! [imitates cheering] We love you!"
:Misty: [slurping loudly]
:Opaline: What... is that?
:Misty: A smoothie! It's got jicama in it, which isn't my favorite but it still tastes like happiness. [slurps] Want some?
:Pipp Petals: This post has got thousands of hooftaps! My latest post only got three likes and one monkey. And I don't even know what a monkey means!
:Windy: I'll take the Alicorn Special!
:Sunny Starscout: Alicorn Special? Uh, we don't have anything like that.
:Windy: Oh, I don't really care what it is. I just want a smoothie that an Alicorn like yourself would drink.
:Sugar Moonlight: Sunny, we've been looking for you everywhere. It's so nice to finally meet.
:Sunny Starscout: We went to school together, Sugar. I sat next to you in—
:Sugar Moonlight: I'm Sugar. This is Rosedust, Lily, and, uh... what's that new unicorn's name?
:Lily: Minty? That slot is always on rotation, so we forget.
:Misty: Imagine what you could do with all that power.
:Sugar Moonlight: Exactly, Marcy.
:Misty: Misty.
:Sugar Moonlight: Whatever.
:Opaline: Alicorns are special. You are special. Haven't you noticed?
:Sunny Starscout: No, no. But I do feel... different?
:Opaline: Not different. Special. Better even. Why be a basic, boring Earth pony when you can be... an Alicorn?
:Pipp Petals: Why can't I get one thing to trend?! What is my skill set if not this?! What is my "Sparky's Spark"?!
:Opaline: You are an Alicorn. You should be praised, admired, feared.
:Sunny Starscout: But I don't want that.
:Opaline: Do you remember how horrible it was before? How nopony would listen to you? How small you felt?
:Sunny Starscout: Yes... I do.
:Izzy Moonbow: I carry the limitless knowledge of my unicorn ancestors!
:Pipp Petals: Sparky, you created this?
:Sparky Sparkeroni: [blows bubble, babbles]
:Pipp Petals: But... But... it's unflattering! It's embarrassing! It's... It's... hilarious!
:Izzy Moonbow: Okay, just two more steps to the left. Oh, one to the right. Take it back now, y'all!
:Hitch Trailblazer: You turned into an Alicorn again!
:Sunny Starscout: I know. But this time, it feels different. I think I can only transform into an Alicorn when I feel like I'm truly helping somepony. Because that's my best self.
==Gallery==
Filly Four fawning over Sunny Starscout C2E4.png
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