Friendship is Magic Issue 42

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #42, titled A Pinkie Pie Story That Pinkie Pie Kinda Sorta Remembers, is the forty-second issue of IDW Publishing's. In the issue, Pinkie Pie recreates a storybook with Rarity's assistance and her own personal flavor.

Summary
The comic begins with Pinkie Pie bursting through Rarity's front door in a panic, crying out about an emergency. Rarity asks if Ponyville is under attack, but the only emergency is that Pinkie doesn't know what to give someone for a present.

Once Pinkie calms down, Rarity asks for more information about the gift and its recipient. Pinkie explains that she wants to give the recipient a copy of the children's storybook The Princess' New Dress. Rarity mentions that she loves that story and used to have a copy when she was little, but it was destroyed in one of Sweetie Belle's attempts to get a cutie mark.

Rarity suggests making the book from scratch instead of buying a copy to make the gift more meaningful. Pinkie agrees to this idea, but her skill with arts and crafts are primitive. Therefore, Rarity steps in to assist and supervise.

In the story, the two main characters are a kind yet naive princess and a shifty weaver of cloth; Pinkie draws herself as the princess and Rarity as the weaver. Throughout the comic, their story takes on various art styles, including crochet and claymation. The weaver visits the princess's kingdom and boasts about making the most beautiful cloth in Equestria in an attempt to con the princess out of her riches.

Worried about how the story would make her look being cast in such a role, Rarity takes several storytelling and artistic liberties to make the weaver character look more noble. The princess commissions the weaver to make fabric for a new gown, and the weaver insists her fabric can only be seen by the wisest of ponies. Not wanting anyone to know she could not see the fabric, the princess comments frequently on its beauty.

Throughout the bookmaking process, Pinkie and Rarity test each other's patience by constantly changing the story's art style, but they maintain a friendly camaraderie. As the princess shows off her new "dress", the weaver tells her advisors that only the wisest of ponies could see the dress, so they too pretended that they could see it.

By the end of the comic, Rarity has nearly reached her tolerance level for Pinkie's antics, but she endures because it is what makes Pinkie so endearing. With the storybook now finished, Pinkie gives the book to its intended recipient: Rarity. Pinkie explains it is the anniversary of when she and Rarity first met, and after remembering a previous conversation they had about Rarity's favorite book, she wanted to give her a new copy.

Rarity is beyond touched by Pinkie's gesture, and the two commemorate the occasion—as well as the day they just spent together—with "BFF smoothies".

Quotes

 * Pinkie Pie: I have an emergency!
 * Rarity: Pinkie Pie! Settle down! What is it? Is Twilight in trouble? Is Ponyville under attack? What?
 * Pinkie Pie: For the second time in my life, I don't know what to give somepony for a present! Me! Equestria's third-best gift-giver!


 * Sweetie Belle: Rarity's old room is the perfect place for me to see if I can get my cutie mark in thermodynamics!


 * Rarity: Well, now that that's settled, let's get this started.
 * Pinkie Pie: I thought we were already five pages in?


 * Rarity: I normally would never say this, but please stop having ideas. Just for... maybe 15 minutes.


 * Pinkie Pie: Ceramics? Nah, I'd just break it.
 * Rarity: Heh, well, you are a bit of a crack pot.
 * Pinkie Pie: Ha! Nice one!


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh! I have an idea!
 * Rarity: I told you to stop having those!


 * Pinkie Pie: I have another idea!
 * Rarity: What did I just say?


 * Rarity: I don't just love the book... I love the day we spent making it. Thank you.