Friends Forever Issue 7

My Little Pony: Friends Forever #7 is the seventh issue of IDW Publishing's My Little Pony: Friends Forever comic series. In the issue, Princess Luna seeks Pinkie Pie's help in making ponies laugh.

Summary
At the Golden Oak Library, Twilight Sparkle and Spike rearrange the books on the shelves when Princess Luna appears. She asks Twilight for help in making the ponies of Canterlot laugh. Luna explains that, after Nightmare Moon was banished, Princess Celestia established "Chuckle-lot", a banquet in Canterlot in which she would perform various acts of comedy and grow closer to her subjects by making them laugh. When Luna returned, Celestia invited her to take part, but ponies still fear her.

Twilight tries to teach Luna about the scientific side of comedy, but after a short while of reading and taking notes, Luna says she wants assistance from an expert in practical comedy. Twilight takes her to see Pinkie Pie, who Luna remembers as the troublemaker on Nightmare Night. Luna asks for Pinkie's expertise, and Pinkie happily obliges—but only after determining Luna's commitment to the task.

Pinkie takes Luna to her "Funny Farm", where she will learn the basics of comedy with the help of Pinkie's inanimate object friends. Luna fails to grasp the point of each prank set up before her, and Pinkie tells her that pulling pranks on others, however embarrassing, get them to laugh with you. Luna falls for several of the pranks herself, and when Pinkie starts laughing, Luna thinks Pinkie is laughing at her, not with her. Realizing that Luna is not used to being laughed at, Pinkie suggests they relocate to Canterlot where she is more comfortable.

At the castle, Pinkie and Luna spend the day pulling pranks on ponies and the royal guards and have fun. That evening, Luna tries coming up with a spectacular comedy act for Chuckle-lot in order to be funnier than Celestia. Pinkie suggests the prank combo from earlier, but Luna refuses to publicly humiliate herself. Pinkie realizes that Luna's only concern is not being funny, but being better than Celestia. Luna takes offense to the remark, and Pinkie says she should stop worrying about what she's supposed to be and just be herself. Both ponies fall silent, and Pinkie leaves.

Later, on the night of Chuckle-lot, Twilight and Pinkie enter the castle banquet hall and notice presents on a table addressed to various ponies. One present is for Pinkie, but she says she'll open it later. On stage, Princess Celestia welcomes ponies to Chuckle-lot and announces that Luna won't be joining them. Luna suddenly enters and interrupts Celestia's introduction. Stepping onto the stage, Luna tells the ponies that they should be ashamed for wanting to laugh at royalty. She then gives Celestia a present to remind her of her "true place in Equestria".

Celestia opens the present and receives a spring-loaded pie to the face. As the royal sisters share a laugh, Pinkie Pie opens her own present and also receives a pie to the face. Luna proceeds to make a fool of herself on stage by slipping on the icing-covered floor and crashing into Celestia. Though much of the crowd is in shock, Celestia and Luna continue to laugh. In the issue's closing narration, Luna says she has learned the importance of laughter; the more important you are, the more important it is to laugh at yourself.

Quotes

 * Princess Luna: Twilight Sparkle! Your princess requires your assistance! I mean... Ahem... I need your help, Twilight.


 * Pinkie Pie: Silence! Luna of Equestria, you come to me wishing to learn the art of comedy! Why do you seek this knowledge?!
 * Princess Luna: I... I... I think being funny will make me a better pony and put ponies at ease and—
 * Pinkie Pie: Lies! What is your true purpose?!
 * Princess Luna: I... Ummm... I... Everypony loves Celestia and they're just scared of me! I'm tired of ponies treating me like a monster! I want ponies to like me! Is that so wrong?


 * Princess Luna: My apologies, Pinkamena, Turnip, Rocky. I am just not used to being laughed at.
 * Pinkie Pie [as Mr. Turnip]: Seems like that's the sorta thing people do to somepony who's funny.
 * Princess Luna: You are wise, good Turnip.


 * Pinkie Pie: It's time for OJS! On the Job Silliness!


 * Pinkie Pie: You don't really want to learn about being funny. You just want to beat Celestia at something.
 * Princess Luna: Can you blame me?! She's so perfect and I'm so... not.