SUNNY SIDE UP

Written by Julia Mayfield

Executive producers: Olivier Dumont, Randi Yaffa, Cort Lane

Story editing by Gillian Berrow

Supervising direction by Will Lau

Directed by Randi Rodrigues

Transcribed by Alan Back (ajback@yahoo.com)

Prologue

(Opening shot: a solid wall of shimmering pale blue/violet fire, with enough detail visible beyond its upper edge to mark the setting as the throne room within Opaline’s castle.)

Opaline: (pushing through flames; they go out) Sparks of fire! Explosions of annihilation!

(She cranks off a full-throated maniacal laugh, only to trail off into a coughing fit as Misty watches from the side.)

Opaline: We’re finally steps away from our plan of total pony takedown! But we just need one more thing.

(On this second sentence, she waves a hoof and conjures up the photo of Misty and her friends that the unicorn swiped during “The Jinxie Games.” Close-up of this as she finishes, accompanied by a soft gasp from the o.s. Misty; cut to her.)

Misty: Oh! Where’d you get—I, uh, I can explain—

Opaline: It’s good I found your photo, because it brought my attention to something big.

(Close-up of it again, zooming in on the hovering Sunny Starscout with magic horn/wings on display, Pipp Petals, and Zipp Storm.)

[Continuity error: The three mares’ cutie marks are glowing and sparkling, where they had not done so when Misty found the photo in the previous episode.]

Opaline: (from o.s.) Their cutie marks. (Back to her; she slaps the photo across Misty’s eyes and begins pacing.) That is the evolved magic that’s powering their silly Pris-Beam! (Misty tucks it away.) That’s our ticket into taking over! If we can steal their cutie marks, then we’re not just powerful— (spreading wings) —we’re all-powerful!

(This shot reveals a cutie mark on her right haunch, but the camera angle prevents it from being seen in full detail. Here she goes with another wild laugh; it ends as the first one did and she folds her wings in.)

Opaline: But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I need to find a way to boost my power. (Cut to a cringing Misty on these words, then back.) Then I’ll cast a transformation spell to capture those cutie marks. Then… (Cough.) …I’ll book a throat detox. And after that, well…as they say, Misty, the rest is history.

Misty: But do we have to steal their cutie marks? They’re actually kind of…nice ponies. (Opaline’s horn flares.)

Opaline: (suddenly furious) NICE PONIES?!?!? (She composes herself and douses the magic.) Don’t tell me you really were having fun with those ponies.

Misty: (hastily) No! Not at all! I’m still just as bad as I’ve always been. When we were together, they complimented me on my mane and I did not compliment them back! Hah!

Opaline: Well, good. Because now that we have the dragon fire, there’s no going back. (Misty quails.)

Misty: Oh, uh, well, that’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. Um, I kind of um, maybe, uh, didn’t get it again.

(Dead silence fails over the room in time with a cut to Opaline’s stern visage and slow zoom in. After a couple of seconds that feel like a week, cut to Misty.)

Misty: Wow, Opaline, you’re taking this surprisingly well. (Back to Opaline on the following.)

Opaline: (at the top of her lungs) TAKING IT WELL?!?!? I was building up my breath to yell at you! You…

(And here comes coughing jag number three, which forces her to drop back to normal volume.)

Opaline: (hoarsely) See what you’ve done to me, Misty?

(By the time she lets off a snarling groan and stomps the floor, she has her voice fully under control again.)

Opaline: This is a failure worthy of my worst punishment yet.

(Cut to a close-up of Misty’s truly terrified face on this last, zooming in slowly. The underling forces down a swallow before the view snaps to black.)

OPENING THEME

Act One

(Cut from the title card directly to an overhead shot of the throne room. Zoom in slowly and shift to floor level on the next line.)

Opaline: And not only do I not have the dragon fire, but I wasted all my magic showing off my cool plan? (Sigh; her horn flickers.) I’ll just have to wait for my power to replenish. (Pivot toward Misty.) Need a little refresher on why this is so important, huh?

(The two step to the pool set into the floor; close-up of their reflections on the surface.)

Opaline: When I was growing up in Skyros…

(The images dissolve to those of Princesses Celestia and Luna as fillies, galloping cheerfully together against a blue backdrop. Celestia’s hooves are gold, Luna’s dark blue, and neither one wears any regalia. Manes/tails are composed of perfectly ordinary hair at this point in their lives—Celestia’s in her multicolored pastels, Luna’s short and lighter blue than her coat, as seen when Twilight Sparkle and company freed her from Nightmare Moon’s influence so long ago. The display becomes a screen-filling flashback in which the sisters hop playfully toward each other and clap hooves together.)

Opaline: (voice over) They were the golden ponies, the favorites. (Nuzzle.) Everypony loved them! (scornfully) But I saw right through their act.

(The sisters move aside, far enough to reveal a young Opaline waving hopefully from a distance.)

Opaline: (voice over) They thought they were so great— (Celestia and Luna turn disdainfully away and exit; Filly Opaline’s spirits fall.) —’cause they had the whole “sun and moon” thing going. Please. I had something much better.

(With a malicious grin, the lone youngster spreads her wings, kicks her horn into gear, and traces a circle of violet flames in the air with its tip.)

Opaline: (voice over) I was an alicorn of fire, of power, of strength!

(Dissolve to a close-up of her in the here and now and zoom in slowly, fire kindling in each widened pupil.)

Opaline: And because of that, I had to prove I was not to be underestimated.

(Dissolve to the flashback; Celestia and Luna again abandon the crestfallen filly.)

Opaline: (voice over) They’d learn I was not only the wrong pony to push around— (Power gathers in the horn above the scowling face.) —but I would be so much more.

(Flames wash up over the screen and subside to return the action to the present.)

Opaline: (spreading wings) I would live up to my elemental duty!

Misty: And you will, Opaline. (Who folds her wings in.) I’m sorry I failed you. I promise I won’t ever do that again.

Opaline: Oh, I know—because you won’t have a chance to. (igniting horn) I’m using my last bit of magic to make sure you really think about your failure. From this moment on, consider yourself grounded.

(Misty is propelled screaming backwards and out of the throne room due to fields surrounding all four hooves, and the imposing purple/gold doors slam shut. Down the hallway she goes at an insane velocity, through the open doorway of her bedroom, and to a hard stop in the middle of the floor. Madame Taffytail, the dummy unicorn she built in “Top Remodel,” stands at the foot of her bed. It takes Misty a second or two to catch her breath and get her brain resettled, but she gets an unpleasant surprise when she tries to take a step and finds every hoof magically glued to the floor. Back in the throne room, Opaline sighs with relief, her horn powered down.)

Opaline: How lovely. (walking o.s.) I’ve been dying to get out of the lair.

(Cut to a roof-level view of one stretch of Mane Street in Maretime Bay, with the Canterlove Studios building—formerly the Canterlogic factory as seen in “Top Remodel”—on its overlooking hill in the distance. The huge tree that Sunny and her friends grew at the end of “Growing Pains” still stands at the foot of the path leading up the slope. It is daytime, and a number of ponies have gathered just outside the facility’s front entrance. Zoom in slowly.)

Hitch Trailblazer: (voice over, amplified) Thanks, everypony!

(A closer shot of the entrance picks him out at a lectern, holding a giant pair of scissors and addressing the crowd through a microphone. A wide red ribbon has been strung across the doors, with bunches of balloons as accents, and Pipp and Zipp are visible to one side. The transparent glass doors seen in “Top Remodel” have been replaced with frosted ones.)

Hitch: (amplified) Big day in Maretime Bay. A day we’ll remember forever. A day where we all come together. A day where we all say—

Zipp: (under her breath, rolling eyes) —the same thing we said the last time we had a grand opening. (aloud) Hey, Hitch! Can we wrap it up, or… (Longer shot; Sunny and Izzy Moonbow are also present. She snickers.) …cut it up?

Hitch: (amplified, rapid fire) And for the first time in this building’s history, this will be a place for everypony. Welcome to Canterlove Studios! (Deep breath; normal cadence, off mic.) Okay, I’m done. Whoo!

(The ribbon is snipped in two, drawing cheers from the spectators—who proceed to bug out.)

Hitch: (puzzled) Wait. Where are they going? (Pipp circles behind him.) I just said this is for everypony.

Pipp: Maybe inspiration doesn’t come that quickly.

Zipp: (flying over, touching down) Maybe there was something confusing about your messaging?

Izzy: (hopping to him) Oh, oh! Maybe they realized they left their ovens on at home!

Zipp: All of them?

Izzy: You’re right. Too farfetched. It’s probably their microwave ovens.

Sunny: (crossing to them) Or maybe they just need an example of how to use the studio first. (An idea hits.) Oh! We should get a show up and running to show the possibilities! (Cut to Pipp/Zipp as she finishes.)

Pipp: (squealing, clapping, flaring wings) That’s a great idea, Sunny! I see my two stars now.

(Her perspective of a beaming Izzy and a caught-out Zipp on this last sentence, then pan to Sunny and Hitch.)

Pipp: You and Hitch… (Back to her.) …will be the co-hosts of a smoothie-making cooking show!

Sunny: Whaaaat? Uh, no thanks, Pipp. I-I didn’t mean me. (Dismissive laugh.)

Pipp: Hmm—actually, we need a show title first. (Hitch has now disposed of the scissors.)

Sunny: Thank you. I was hoping we could brainstorm it up—

Pipp: (half-jumping across lectern) Yes! I’ve got it! The show will be called Sunny Side Up, featuring Hitch. (She backs off.) Just two lifelong besties sharing their recipes for yummy food and friendship. (Tiny squeal.) I am loving this concept!

(“Loving” is delivered in a singsong tone. Cut to the two prospective stars.)

Hitch: I’m not really an “in the spotlight” po—

(They are both nearly blown off their hooves by a sudden strong gust of wind, and a cut to the doors reveals the cause—one pink Princess rocketing into the building amid a scatter of white feathers. Izzy is left spinning madly in place, balanced on one hind leg and toppling to the concrete with a woozy groan; she sits up with her eyes spinning crazily in their sockets.)

Hitch: Whoa. That was fast.

(Inside, Sunny and Hitch are sitting at the makeup mirrors tucked into a back corner as Zipp pushes a camera dolly across the floor. Sunny has shed her saddlebag and is getting her makeup fixed by Izzy, while Pipp—now wearing a headset microphone—checks a clipboard she holds.)

Pipp: (to Hitch) Nervous?

Hitch: Extremely. (Izzy finishes and steps away.)

Sunny: Not really.

Pipp: Don’t be! (All three start walking, Pipp tucking the board under a wing.) I’ll teach you everything you need to know. How to smile, how to stand, how to sit and smeyes when you can’t stand or smile.

(“Smeyes” is pronounced to rhyme with “rise.”)

Hitch: “Smeyes”? (He and Pipp stop; Sunny continues on.)

Pipp: (widening her eyes so reflections gleam in them) Smiling with your eyes. You try it.

(He makes several labored, grunting attempts to copy her expression, all of which land well short of the mark and leave her at a momentary loss for words.)

Pipp: Oh. (retrieving clipboard) Or maybe just try to work on standing still.

(One slightly forced laugh and wing-assisted jump later, she has led him to a set done up as a kitchen, in the style of a typical cooking show. Sunny is already behind the island countertop, which is already equipped with two blenders and a bowl of lemons; down the front is a banner that shows her smiling, food-spattered visage wearing a chef’s white toque amid a welter of ingredients, utensils, and stars.)

Pipp: Then you won’t look nervous. (Hitch takes his place next to Sunny.)

Sunny: (giggling) Me? Nervous? I’m a smoothie-making master. (Both prop forelegs on counter.) This is easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. (Hitch slips and upsets the bowl.)

Hitch: Oh!

(One lemon traces out a high, tight arc and bears down on Pipp, impaling itself neatly on the points of the feathers in her tiara as the camera pans to frame her.)

Hitch: (now o.s.) Sorry, Pipp. (Back to him and Sunny.) Maybe that’s a sign Sunny should just host the show by herself. (Pipp crosses to him…) I mean, remember how bad it was when I ran the smoothie cart? (…and plucks the wayward citrus loose to roll back onto the counter.) That was without anypony watching on TV.

(A reference to the events of “The Cutie Mark Mix-Up.” Pan slightly to frame Sunny on the next line.)

Sunny: Oh, pssssh! You’ll be great, Hitch. Just pretend you’re giving a Sheriff’s speech and follow my lead.

(The sight of Izzy snacking, Pipp watching, and Zipp working the camera fails to put him at ease.)

Hitch: Uh… (Weak chuckle.)

(This time when he slips, the bowl goes to the floor and he dives to recover the lemons, managing only to bounce them and himself around before thudding down out of sight.)

Hitch: (from behind counter) Ow.

(Cut to Misty’s bedroom; she strains to lift her hooves, but nothing doing.)

Misty: Worst punishment yet! This is nothing. I’ll get out of this!

(After another moment’s futile effort, she turns her attention to the rack of shelves and gasps upon spotting her cell phone on the topmost one. A soft sound of dawning comprehension wells up from her throat, and she pulls the straw from a smoothie cup with her teeth and stretches up toward the phone. The free end makes contact, but does not have enough mass or rigidity to do more than nudge it slightly; spitting the straw out, she decides to have a go with her horn but is unable to pull it over the edge.)

Misty: (groaning) If only I had my cutie mark, I could use unicorn powers. Right?

(She resumes her struggle against the arcane adhesion—but this time, her horn briefly lights with a flare of sparks that drifts down into her right foreleg and she is able to wrench it free.)

Misty: Heh. Well, better than nothing.

(Seized by a fresh desperation, she stretches the liberated limb up toward her phone.)

Act Two

(Cut to Opaline laboriously picking her way through a foggy tract of jungle. She stops after a few yards, noticeably winded. The sky here is an odd shade of pink, and hues of red and blue dominate the environment below it.)

Opaline: I must be getting close.

(She tries to lift off, but can manage only a couple of feet despite her best flapping and settles back to all fours.)

Opaline: All that sitting around and scheming in the castle has got me out of shape. (Chuckle.) I really must have Misty set up a home gym.

(Off she goes with a petulant little whine; a short distance later, she stops on a rocky outcrop overlooking a pond, blows out a breath, and ponders her rippling reflection.)

Opaline: No dragon fire yet? No problem. For now, I’ll just find the one item that will harness its powers even better. Sure, this plan has a high chance of wiping out all of the pony magic in Equestria forever, but as the fillies say today, “NMP.” (Jump down to dry land, past the pond.) “Not my problem.”

(She resumes her travels, cackling softly to herself as the camera pans away from her. Dissolve to Misty’s bedroom, the pan continuing and shifting the view away from the open door to frame her limbering up her free foreleg. Almost as soon as she starts trying to yank the other three loose, her horn flares up and finishes the job. A gasp, a sigh of relief, and she is snatching her phone down from the top shelf with an exultant laugh.)

Misty: (tossing it from hoof to hoof) Opaline thinks she’s so powerful and magical. But she’s no match for my hooves.

(An unearthly screech makes her drop the phone and leap onto her bed with a cry of fright. All she sees is a magic mouse scampering past her doorway outside, similar to the one Opaline sent to infiltrate the Crystal Brighthouse in “The Cutie Mark Mix-Up.” It stops, hisses at her, and darts away; she voices a small, relieved sigh.)

Misty: (climbing off bed, picking up phone) And speaking of magic, let’s see what those ponies are up to.

(A horn tap on the screen brings up a pan along the length of the Sunny Side Up banner, accompanied by a short peppy jingle. From here, cut to an overhead shot of the set, for which more details can now be seen. The island is L-shaped, with a stovetop at Hitch’s end; a refrigerator stands in a back corner, and the counters/shelves behind Sunny and Hitch are stocked with a variety of ingredients, cookbooks, and kitchen items. Zipp aims her camera at the pair, while Izzy levitates a clapper board. Zoom in slowly.)

Pipp: Three! Two! (Ground level.) One!

(This shot reveals that Izzy has decorated the board’s sticks with googly eyes, hair, and a pair of painted lips to resemble a very odd-looking monster. She snaps the top stick down, laughs, and whisks it and herself out of sight.)

Pipp: Aaaand… (Snap.) …we’re live!

(The jingle resumes as spotlights play across the banner and the camera tilts up to frame the two earth ponies—no credit for guessing which one swallows hard.)

Sunny: Welcome to Sunny Side Up! I’m Sunny, and this is Hitch— (He grins shakily.) —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?

(The music ends as the camera pans quickly from her end to his; now in the grip of a full-blown case of stage fright, he can do nothing but gibber and make goofy faces. Another such pan shifts the view back to a slightly flummoxed Sunny, the music resuming.)

Sunny: Uh, yeah, you said it. (rooting around behind counter) Today, we are going to be making… (She brings up a whole fruit.) …Pear-Nana Delights! (aside, under her breath; music stops) Remember what we talked about, Hitch? Just follow me.

(The pear-nana is shaped like a pear, its narrow end yellow and sporting irregular black spots like a banana peel, its wide end green. She places bowls of slices and ice cubes on the counter and holds up one more of the former.)

Sunny: First, we’re gonna grab as many chopped pear-nanas— (opening lid, dumping them in) —you believe are going to delight your morning— (She digs around again.)

Hitch: Wait. Is that one hoof-ful or two? The recipe says— (Up with a bowl of ice.)

Sunny: (dumping contents in) Then, add enough ice to your heart’s desire.

(Pan quickly to Hitch at his end, filling his blender with ice and fruit from the three bowls he is now balancing.)

Hitch: Wait, how much is that? (Back to Sunny.)

Sunny: (closing eyes) Then, swirl in a secret ingredient with your eyes closed— (She grabs a bowl of cookies.) —so it’s a surprise! (emptying them into blender) Especially to you. (Back to Hitch.)

Hitch: Whaaaat?

Sunny: (eyes open, cutting fruit, adding to blender) Now, chop up your favorite fruit.

Hitch: (picking up piles of slices) Sunny! Slow down!

(She does nothing of the sort, instead tossing in a whole apple as he yells and frantically juggles several of his own before stuffing most of them into his blender. A sliced mushroom goes into her mix, sight unseen, while he slings spices and fruit pieces into his at top speed.)

Hitch: Sunny, stop closing your eyes while you’re operating a blender!

(During this line, cut to a close-up of his hooves behind the counter. One of them comes down on a dropped apple, sparking a yelp of surprise; back to him, bobbling a bowl toward her.)

Hitch: Sunny! Watch out!

(His perspective of her on this last, skidding hopelessly out of control toward that end; she finally pops her eyes open and has time for one horrified gasp before the camera shifts to the countertop. Hitch slams face first into Sunny’s blender, sloshing its liquefied contents all over her, and he, Zipp, and Pipp gasp in turn.)

Izzy: Whoa. (Cut to Hitch, backing away carefully.)

Sunny: (from o.s.) Hitch… (To her.) …that pear-nana juice went right into my eye!

Hitch: Aw, Sunny, I’m so sor-REEEE!

(The change in tone is punctuated by a brief cut to floor level and the dropped shaker can that he steps on, causing him to lurch into her so that they both crash to the floor in a yelling heap.)

Pipp: (gasping) Guys! Get it together!

(But then she casts an eye toward her laptop, on which the broadcast is running, and sees a steady stream of emojis to indicate positive reactions from the viewers. A grunting Sunny and Hitch struggle to get up, but slip in the mess and wind up flat again, instantly brightening Pipp’s mood.)

Pipp: Keep up the great stuff!

(Cut to the set, where Sunny moans blearily but then snaps herself upright, dumping Hitch off her back.)

Sunny: Uh… (laughing) …that’s okay. (hopping behind counter) Um, falling is…a part of the recipe!

(She giggles as her co-host slips and falls anew while dragging himself back into place. He groans at both his own misfortune and the food littering the floor, sees her laughing, and engages his brain.)

Hitch: Hmmm…

(A taunting smile steals over his face as he gathers up all the sliced fruit within easy reach, and Sunny’s giggle dies on her lips as a terrible realization races through her mind.)

Sunny: You wouldn’t dare!

(Oh, yes, he would—in the form of a pear-nana fusillade that sends her screaming and diving for cover. Within seconds they are laughing, darting around the island, and pelting each other with whatever edibles they can grab—and Pipp is overjoyed to see the upvotes pouring in on her laptop. Hitch, meanwhile, finds a stray can of whipped cream and shakes it in preparation for a new offensive. Up and down Mane Street, and inside Mane Melody, ponies are having a grand time watching the burgeoning kitchen chaos on their phone and laughing fit to burst. The exchange of fruity fire ends when Sunny steps in a puddle of puree and skids yelling off the set to hit a wall face first and spreadeagle. Izzy and Pipp laugh themselves stupid as she slowly peels loose and tumbles to the floor.)

(The very end of this unintended physical comedy routine is displayed on Misty’s phone, and she laughs over it for a moment before cutting herself off with a sharp gasp.)

Misty: If they’re there, then that means they aren’t paying attention to Sparky and I can grab the dragon fire after all! And then Opaline won’t doubt my loyalty!

(A marker is scooped up from the floor beneath the shelves and briefly used to sketch the blue outline of a butterfly on her right haunch. Close-up of this.)

Misty: (from o.s.) Just in case I’m spotted.

(All of her again; laughing, she throws the marker aside.)

Misty: (hopping around room) Ooh, this is gonna be great!

(A few laughing steps bring her to the doorway, but she never gets through it; an invisible force field bounces her back toward the bed, purple ripples spreading outward from the point of contact. The unicorn moans groggily and shakes her head clear, now seeing that every inch of the doorway except the threshold has been lined with this same power—a backup measure set in place by Opaline, no doubt.)

Misty: (slumping against bed) Or it couldn’t possibly be that easy.

(She glances down at Madame Taffytail on the floor, who has no opinion on the matter. Cut to Opaline trekking through the jungle, her path blocked by a mass of broad leaves. Pushing these aside, she gasps elatedly upon spotting a not-too-distant mountain peak topped by formations of enormous, deep blue crystals.)

Opaline: Dragon Stone, just as I remembered.

(A closer shot of the peak picks out a small, reddish-glowing object floating between two of the translucent pillars. Zoom in slowly.)

Opaline: (from o.s.) And the magic’s return has begun to activate it, just as I hoped! (Back to her; zoom in slowly.) Once I add dragon fire to it, it will be unstoppable—and so will I.

(Her mad laughter rolls out over the jungle and mountain. Back in the studio, the camera pans slowly across the culinary devastation, from a thoroughly befouled Sunny and Hitch on the set to Izzy magically deploying a pushbroom to clean the floor. Sparky Sparkeroni is now here as well, casting an inquisitive eye over a fallen pear-nana slice and then scarfing it down. Izzy sings to herself while sweeping, but stops next to him in close-up.)

Izzy: Awww, found some floor food? Yum! (Both make to nip up a piece, but Hitch’s voice freezes them.)

Hitch: (from o.s., sternly) Sparky, don’t eat food off the floor!

Izzy: (crushed) Awww… (Sparky whimpers.)

(Things have now quieted down considerably on the set; with the two stars setting to the task of clearing away the colossal mess they have made. Pipp’s laptop screen shows barely a trickle of positive responses; she voices a horrified shriek.)

Pipp: We’re losing them! Let’s mix it up!

(In much less time than it takes to say “gonzo cooking,” she has whipped a large grocery bag onto the set.)

Pipp: (egging them on) Now do a recipe with these bags of mystery ingredients. (Gasp; she darts away and brings back a crown and scepter.) Oh, oh, and the winner becomes cooking royalty!

(Cut to the set as she finishes; the second item is thrown to Sunny and caught, the first to Hitch and bounced off his brain bucket to land on the counter.)

Pipp: (circling behind them) Hm. Or maybe—oh! Maybe Sunny instructs Hitch blindly as he cooks! Oh, I like it!

(She produces a sleep mask and slaps it over the hapless stallion’s eyes.)

Hitch: (blundering his way off the set) Huh? Um…

Sunny: What? I really don’t think this is a good idea. (Cut to Hitch on this last.)

Hitch: Well, I’m really starting to get a hang of this whole hosting thing, and I think it’s a great idea! (passing Sunny) But if you want to sit this one out, Sunny, I’m happy to host solo.

Sunny: What? The show is called Sunny Side Up.

Pipp: (shaking her) And pretty soon it’ll be called IT’S OVER!! Guys, we gotta recapture the magic and do it fast!

(Hitch, having walked the full length of the set, proceeds to fall off the edge and introduce his face to the floor.)

Hitch: Ow.

(Followed by an exasperated groan from the pink pegasus. Misty, now sitting on her bed, sighs forlornly as she watches on her phone. Cut to its screen on the start of the next line and zoom in slowly, the cracks in the glass fading away to mark a transition to the set itself; the show’s jingle has resumed.)

Sunny: Welcome back to Sunny Side Up— (Hitch hauls himself up, fumbling around the countertops.) —where my co-chef Hitch will be baking Cinnamon Raisin Fruity Cutie Cookies! (Laugh.) He’ll be cooking blindly— (Cut to Pipp, gesturing for her to keep up the energy; she continues o.s., losing steam) —while I instruct him?

(The set again; she drops the act entirely.)

Sunny: You know what? (sighing; music stops) I can’t.

(Uneasy glances pass between a snack-chomping Izzy and both royal sisters, and Hitch pushes his sleep mask away from one eye.)

Hitch: Sunny, what are you doing?

Sunny: I’ll tell you what we’re not doing—a cooking show. Look at this place. Look at us. (slumping over countertop, head in hooves) How did we become such a mess? Ever since we just started trying to follow likes, I totally lost track of what’s most important. You want to know what I love about being a chef? What I thought this show would be about?

(Cut to Misty, hanging on every word, and zoom in slowly.)

Voice of Sunny: It’s a way to let loose and break free of expectations.

(The blue mare begins to smile; back to the set.)

Sunny: (as Hitch removes/discards his sleep mask) Cooking is great to get you out of a rut, like if you’ve lost your way, or if you’re stuck— (To Misty, zooming in slowly, and back as she continues.) —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.

(Pipp giggles sheepishly, realizing that this last bit is aimed squarely at her.)

Sunny: Okay, maybe that was a little over-dramatic. But if you are going through something like that, well— (picking up a sprig of leaves from the counter) —cooking is a great way for you to reclaim your power. (adding it to a full smoothie cup) Quit doing things you don’t want to do just to make everypony else happy— (Lid goes on.) —and simply be yourself.

(Cut to Misty and zoom in slowly, her face gradually lighting up with new comprehension.)

Voice of Sunny: So to everypony watching, it’s time to start believing in yourself.

(The set; close-up of Sunny, zooming out slowly on the next line to frame a warmly smiling Hitch as she speaks.)

Sunny: And every dish, dessert, or Pear-Nana Delight you make, no matter if you followed the recipe or improvised your own, has the power to be delicious and unique— (winking, pointing at camera) —just like you. (She takes a slurp from the cup.)

Hitch: (suddenly panicked) Sunny, wait! No!

(Green eyes pop wide as the mouth beneath them declares mutiny, and the slug of liquid is spat out all over the side of his face.)

Sunny: (coughing, retching) Oh, my…except when it’s a cup full of sour ingredients your co-host threw at you earlier.

(The cracks of Misty’s phone screen fade into view, marking a shift back to her bedroom, and the camera zooms out as Hitch chuckles gently and passes a towel to Sunny.)

Misty: She…she’s right. (She sets her phone on the bed.) 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.

(The camera tracks slowly around her as conviction builds in her words.)

Misty: I focus so much on trying to please her, to try and follow her every order, that I never once asked myself what I wanted. I never once thought to believe in myself.

(She hops off the bed.)

Misty: I gotta find a way out of this!

Act Three

(Cut to a slow zoom in on the jungle mountain that houses the Dragon Stone Opaline spotted earlier, then to the winged unicorn making her way along one of its craggy ridges. Finding the path blocked by a large boulder, she snarls and fires a wide-angle beam from her horn that splits the thing neatly in halves and jars them enough to let her pass. A few steps later, she stumbles on a smaller rock.)

Opaline: (grunting, rolling it aside) This hike is atrocious!

(A particularly steep spot causes her to lose traction and nearly slide back down with a gasp, but she gets four on the rocky floor and presses on.)

Opaline: Why does every magical thing have to be precariously perched on a hill with stuff in the way?

(A fresh snarl wells up as she blasts away an obstructing rock fall. The shot leaves her somewhat drained, and she straightens up with some effort and taps each front hoof against the metal band on the opposing foreleg to dislodge accumulated dust.)

Opaline: (groaning) HERE’S AN IDEA! BURY YOUR MAGIC THINGS WITHIN HOOVES’ REACH!

(Misty’s bedroom, she paces a circle while vocalizing her thoughts.)

Misty: Opaline has been lying to me from the moment we met! I knew something was off when I discovered earth ponies didn’t have laser eyes!

(A small chest is brought out from the shelves, opened, and dumped out on the floor before being returned to its spot. Potted cactus, small gold top hat, feather, pair of sunglasses, and a fake unicorn horn that she picks up and regards for a moment. Next she lifts the photo of herself with Sunny and company.)

Misty: All they’ve ever treated me with is kindness—the kindness I deserve.

(A couple of steps bring her over to a saddlebag lying near the wall; she grabs this up, packs the items into it, and finally hefts Madame Taffytail for a heart-to-mug talk.)

Misty: But…is this really the right move, Madame Taffytail? This is the only life I’ve ever known.

(Her perspective: the head shifts forward a fraction, as if nodding.)

Misty: But— (Back to her, setting it down and standing with fresh resolve.) —maybe that’s even more reason to go outside and experience more of it.

Pipp: (voice over) And that’s a cut to commercial.

(On this line, cut to a head-on shot of Zipp sitting behind her camera and laughing. Izzy steps into view, using her field to set down her clapper board.)

Zipp: And maybe when we’re back, can we actually have you guys make some food?

(Cut to behind the two mares and zoom in slowly on the set. Sunny and Hitch have cleaned themselves up, but the area around them is still a wreck; she mulls something over as he stacks empty bowls. There is a beat of silence before she speaks.)

Sunny: Hitch, I think we really need to talk. (walking off set; he falls in alongside) All I wanted was to be a great chef and an inspiration, but everything just got out of control. When I made that big speech about needing to be myself, it made me realize that you need to be yourself too. You were so nervous, and instead of encouraging you to do things your own way, I let us both get caught up in all this chaos. (Cut briefly to his floored expression on this last, then back.) I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?

Hitch: Sunny, I’m shocked.

Sunny: (irked) Listen. I already said “sorry,” Hitch. You don’t have to rub it in.

Hitch: (chuckling, rolling eyes) No, no. Forgive you? (circling around her) Sunny, this has been an awesome day! Sure, I didn’t actually learn how to cook from “the master”— (nudging her; she giggles) —and I’m pretty sure nopony at home did either, but I had a great time. It actually reminded me of how we used to play as kids in Grandma Figgy’s kitchen. Our food fights were epic! (Cut to Sunny; he continues o.s.) Remember?

(“Epic” is delivered in a near-falsetto.)

Sunny: (laughing) How could I forget? (Both again; they laugh over the reminiscence.)

Hitch: (turning Pipp’s laptop to face them) And besides, you are a great chef— (Close-up of the device; he continues o.s. and taps a key.) —and an inspiration.

(The screen plays a portion of the food fight, with Sunny bailing out ahead of a lemon thrown by Hitch. Back to the pair.)

Hitch: You certainly inspired me to get over my stage fright. (Close-up of his hooves; he shakes a last glob loose and continues o.s.) The food fight helped with that too. (Both again as he continues.) Maybe if we met in the middle— (They pace a bit.) —we’d create a show we both wanted to make.

Sunny: One that celebrates both of our strengths!

(Cut to a long shot of the jungle mountain, the sky having darkened somewhat. Grunting with exertion, Opaline leaps from the uneven rock face toward the crystalline summit; in close-up, a few more scrabbling jumps put her within reaching distance of the Dragon Stone floating at the very top. Now its irregular horn shape can be discerned, with a large, weathered black spot at the heart of a pattern of swirls in this same color etched across the red/yellow surface. Opaline stretches a foreleg toward the thing, but draws back.)

Opaline: But, Opaline, are you sure? Do you really want to seize the most powerful crystal in all of Equestria for your own selfishness?

(She follows this bit of self-examination with a mocking cackle.)

Opaline: Oh, that was a good one! Why am I so funny when nopony’s around?

(The foreleg again extends up to claim the thing—but in the instant that hoof makes contact with stone in extreme close-up, the magic aura surrounding it winks off and it plummets out of sight.  A gobsmacked gasp from the o.s. Opaline floats up, and she can only watch and scream as the Dragon Stone tumbles into a crevasse and comes to rest on a ledge far below the surface.)

Opaline: Magic! Seize it!

(Try as she might, though, she can get her horn to produce no more than a few fitful sparks. Snarling with anger and contempt, she gazes past the clouds and toward the setting sun and settles down to a quiet sigh.)

Opaline: I’ll be back.

(She turns to start for home; cut to an animated Misty in her bedroom.)

Misty: And another thing! Other unicorns aren’t trying to trick me. (Laugh; she paces.) Well, there was that one time where Izzy blindfolded me and forced me to hit a weird thing called a “pine-yata.”

(Piñata, that is. She grumbles softly under her breath, then lets it blossom into an indecisive moan.)

Misty: (sitting on bed) I’m so confused! (tapping temples) Okay, think. Let’s focus on the facts. Opaline’s lied to me and I still don’t have a cutie mark. (glumly) Maybe I never will.

(The morose mood is broken by a firm smile.)

Misty: Okay, then, it’s settled. (She jumps off the bed.) I’m finally leaving Opaline for good. (deflating a bit) Now I just gotta figure out how.

(This last sentence is marked by a brief cut to a close-up of her packed saddlebag and Madame Taffytail being placed next to it. After she finishes, the camera zooms out into the hallway and past the force field.)

Zipp: (voice over) Three!

(Long shot of the set, zooming in slowly; the two stars are once again behind the counter, and the three crew members are back in their places. Sunny’s blender has been emptied and cleaned out, but Hitch’s is not on the counter.)

Zipp: Two!

(Head-on view of her and Izzy; the pinkish-violet mare is floating her clapper board in front of the white one’s face and holding it upside down.)

Zipp: One! (Snap it shut; sling it away.) Aaaand we’re back! (The show jingle plays; cut to Sunny and Hitch.)

Sunny: Welcome back to Sunny Side Up. I’m Sunny—

Hitch: —and I’m Hitch!

Sunny: (as Hitch retrieves his blender and sets it out) And we’re finally gonna tell you what’s up with today’s Pear-Nana Delights recipe.

(Cut to her end.)

Sunny: (pulling out a bowl of sliced fruit, removing lid from her blender) Now before, I mentioned grabbing as many chopped pear-nanas as you believe will delight your morning. (dropping some pieces in) But to be more specific, that’s about a cup and a half. (Pan to Hitch’s end on the next line.)

Hitch: (emptying bowls into his blender; both put a foreleg across each other’s shoulders; zoom out slowly) And before, I started slinging fruit when I got frustrated, when really I shoulda been more patient and clear with my follow-up questions.

(Pipp, watching on her laptop, sees only a trickle of good feedback and very nearly suffers a fit of apoplexy on the spot. The music stops.)

Pipp: Guys, our viewership is plummeting! You two getting along is not compelling television! What should we do?

Zipp: (smugly) Nothing at all, Pipp.

(Cut to Sunny and Hitch, sprinkling spices into the now-homogenized contents of their blenders.)

Zipp: (from o.s.) This is the real Sunny Side Up. (Back to her.) Sure, the numbers aren’t as high as when they were hurling whipped cream at each other…

(Right on cue, Izzy backs into view, spraying the sweet stuff into her mouth from a can gripped in her power.)

Izzy: (mouth full) But it’s sweeter! (Gasp, spit some onto Zipp’s cheek.) Simpler!

(The camera operator wipes herself clean as a bit of truth claps Pipp in the back of the head.)

Pipp: The way it should’ve been from the very beginning.

(On set, the two earth ponies are using straws to drink cups of the finished product; the music resumes.)

Hitch: (mouth full) Mmm…this is delicious.

Sunny: Thanks so much for tuning in, everypony.

(Cut from one small group of watchers to another, all voicing assorted reactions of surprise at what they hear next.)

Voice of Sunny: But before we go, we want to say something.

Voice of Hitch: This will be our first and last Sunny Side Up broadcast. Thank you all for tuning in today. The ups…

(Cut to the two on a screen.)

Hitch: …the downs…

Sunny: …the pear-nanas that we’ll be cleaning up for weeks…

(A whole one drops from the ceiling, hits the counter between them, and bounces down to the floor. They stare after it with mild consternation, but soon break into laughter; cut to them on the set and zoom out slowly.)

Hitch: But we hope it inspired everypony to come on down to Canterlove Studios and join in on the fun. (They tap their cups together as a toast and drink.)

Sunny: Ahhh!
Zipp: And, cut! (She and Izzy rush onto the set; the music ends.)

Izzy: That was brilliant!

Zipp: That was actually very educational. (Pipp has hung back.)

Pipp: That was… (smiling) …a great save, ponies! (flying to them, checking clipboard) Now are you sure you don’t want to do an encore? (Izzy steps away.) I’ve already got a-ma-zing ideas for merch. (Gasp.) Oh! Maybe we tie-dye shirts to look like they’re stained with pear-nanas?

(On this last word, cut to the unicorn checking her phone; hugely surprised at whatever she sees, she lets her magic hold it aloft.)

Izzy: Whoa, whoa! Hold everything! (sending it toward the set) Everypony in Maretime Bay just signed up!

(Cut to Sunny/Hitch as she finishes, the phone placing itself so they can easily see the screen. It is hauled back after a moment and the view shifts to a close-up of it on the next line, scrolling through one calendar month after another whose days are all marked with X’s.)

Izzy: (gasping, from o.s. and then from behind phone) Looks like the studio’s now fully booked for the next six months!

(This last is marked by a shift of the device to fully expose her toothy grin, and she takes it with her while trotting away.)

Zipp: Mmm—probably for the best. You two wouldn’t be able to top that episode anyway.

(As she speaks, cut to Sunny and Hitch, who trade relieved smiles. The next shot is of Misty, once again pacing in her bedroom.)

Misty: From this moment on, I make my own choices! From this moment on, I make my own friends! From this moment on, I…

(Her newfound bravado evaporates like water on a hot griddle when she hears Opaline’s not-too-distant cough. Pan quickly away from her room and to a bend in the hallway, around which the big boss advances while clearing her throat.)

Misty: …make sure Opaline doesn’t find out I just said all that!

(Thinking fast and moving faster, she hides Madame Taffytail under her pillow and slides the saddlebag onto a shelf. Opaline continues at her leisurely pace, clearing her throat again and letting off a cackle that deteriorates into a cough.)

Opaline: (reaching Misty’s door) Come on! My cackle used to be my greatest quality.

(Beyond the barrier, the blue flunky is now standing in the exact spot to which she was first rooted.)

Opaline: (chuckling) That’s a lie. Every quality is my greatest quality.

(She dispels it with a flick of her horn and enters.)

Opaline: Misty! Something’s different. (inspecting her reflection in the window) I’ve somehow become more enchanting in the last twelve hours.

(Cut to Misty on the end of this, sighing with quiet relief, then to Opaline pacing around her on the following.)

Opaline: I hope you’ve thought hard about your failure while I was gone?

Misty: (confidently) I have, and I will! (catching herself) I mean, I won’t fail you again!

Opaline: Okay, okay, easy. You don’t have to spit on me while you grovel. (gently, lifting Misty’s chin, stroking her mane) Misty, dear, I hope you know that I’m so hard on you because I believe in you. I see so much of the young pony I once was—strong, determined, destined for greatness. But that doesn’t come easy. You understand, right?

(Misty considers her next words carefully before speaking them.)

Misty: I do.

Opaline: Good.

(Another horn flick, and the young mare’s four hooves flash briefly with power. Opaline turns to leave.)

Misty: (moving them, feigning relief) Whoo! (laughing) Oh, thank you, Opaline! I am now free! (singsong, trotting out) Oh, it is great to be free!

(Her liege shows no sign of realizing that the floor bindings were already broken. Misty voices another laugh to reinforce the subterfuge, after which the camera cuts to the throne room, which she enters as Opaline conjures a vision at the pool—the Dragon Stone.)

Opaline: And I’ve been busy as well—very busy. (pointing to image) I’ve located it.

Misty: It’s beautiful.

Opaline: It’s immaculate! But also terribly stuck. (dispelling it) Get plenty of rest tonight— (spreading wings briefly) —because in the morning, we gallop. (Misty turns to exit…) But before we get started with all that… (…then stops.)

Misty: Anything you need.

Opaline: (angling head toward Misty’s drawn-on cutie mark) …mind telling me what that is?

(The would-be escapee can only manage a popeyed gasp as her body and mind freeze up in unadulterated shock—she has simply left a key piece of her escape plan in plain sight.)