My Little Pony Annual 2017

My Little Pony Annual 2017 is an annual edition comic released by IDW Publishing. It is a tie-in with the Guardians of Harmony toy line, and it features six short stories about the series' heroes and villains.
Copies of the 2017 Annual have been displayed at the 2016 New York Comic Con. The first chapter was revealed by Kotaku on September 26, 2016.
==Summary==
===Chapter 1: Shadowbolts===
At Fluttershy's cottage, Tank spends time with Angel at Fluttershy's insistence while she and Rainbow Dash catch up. All of a sudden, Applejack bursts in and alerts the two of an emergency: Queen Chrysalis and the changelings are attacking the Crystal Empire. Excited to go to battle with her fellow Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash speeds out the cottage door.
On her way to regroup with the Wonderbolts in Canterlot, Rainbow runs into the Shadowbolts – originally illusions created by Nightmare Moon but now granted physical form. The Shadowbolts taunt Rainbow to chase after them and fly off into the Everfree Forest. Rainbow briefly wrestles with the choice of joining the Wonderbolts in quelling Chrysalis' invasion or stopping the Shadowbolts before they cause trouble in Ponyville, and she decides to follow the Shadowbolts.
The Shadowbolts challenge Rainbow Dash to a race; if she wins, they agree to share all of their secrets with her. If she loses, she has to join their team. After receiving some more taunting, Rainbow accepts their challenge. The three race across a canyon on the outskirts of the forest, and the Shadowbolts immediately engage in some foul play, like taking off early from the starting line and shoving Rainbow in mid-flight. Despite this, however, Rainbow eventually beats them by making them crash into each other and into a hollow tree.
Much to Rainbow's surprise, the Shadowbolts are revealed to be changelings in disguise. They were tasked with distracting Rainbow from making it to Canterlot in time to stop Chrysalis' invasion. However, believing she can still make it in time, Rainbow dismisses the two changelings and takes off toward Canterlot, leaving the changelings in their miserable state.
===Chapter 2: Pinkie Pie===
In Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle tasks Cheese Sandwich with planning a surprise birthaversary party for Pinkie Pie while Rainbow Dash keeps her busy elsewhere. A short while later, however, Pinkie Pie discovers Cheese in town, forcing him to come up with the excuse of planning a party for Sweetie Drops. As Pinkie admires Cheese's new party cannon, the changelings begin their invasion, and they abduct Cheese and replace him with a changeling while Pinkie is distracted.
Pinkie turns to the Cheese Sandwich changeling, and he shoves her to the ground. When she sees the real Cheese being dragged away by changelings, she realizes the Cheese in front of her isn't real, and she blasts them all away with Cheese's party cannon. More changelings arrive, and Pinkie and Cheese combine their efforts to drive them away. With the changelings in Ponyville dealt with, Cheese thanks Pinkie for saving him, and Pinkie learns that Cheese was recruited by Twilight to plan her birthaversary party. He asks if she wants to help plan her own party, and she accepts.
===Chapter 3: Shining Armor===
Meanwhile, other changelings attack the Crystal Empire, and Princess Cadance and Shining Armor shelter themselves inside the magically-protected palace. At Celestia's advice, Cadance suggests staying inside and waiting for help to arrive, but Shining Armor is unsatisfied doing nothing. He decides to follow his sister's example and research a solution.
In the palace library, Shining Armor learns that Princess Amore, the first Crystal Princess, created a number of spells and magic relics to protect the Empire from danger. The Crystal Heart is her most well-known, but her other magics are sealed away in the Crystal Caverns under the city. Venturing down into the caverns, Shining Armor searches for Amore's relics, hoping one of them will be able to drive back the invading changelings. During his search, Shining Armor encounters Fluttershy, who had stumbled into the caverns while tracking an injured bunny and become too hurt to walk.
Shining Armor and Fluttershy hear a loud buzzing and realize changelings have made their way into the caverns as well. Fluttershy tells Shining Armor to leave her behind and find Amore's magic relics, but Shining Armor refuses, stating that saving one pony is just as important as saving them all. Just then, Fluttershy vanishes, and Shining Armor hears the voice of Princess Amore. Amore had left behind an enchantment designed to test those who sought out her hidden spells. Due to Shining Armor's commitment to save just a single pony, he passes the test, and the enchantment reveals Amore's secret trove of spells and relics.
Many of Amore's artifacts have withered away with the passage of time, but Shining Armor finds one still intact: a potion in a glass vial with an engraving of a dragon.
===Chapter 4: Twilight Sparkle===
Back in Ponyville, the changelings continue to terrorize the ponies, and Sweetie Drops races to save Lyra Heartstrings. However, Lyra refuses to flee with her best friend, calling her a terrible friend and lashing insults at her. This Lyra turns out to be a changeling, and the real Lyra arrives with Twilight to save Sweetie Drops. She and Lyra have a warm reunion, and Twilight beckons them toward the castle to take shelter. On their way to the castle, Twilight wonders how to stop the changelings when Lyra alerts her to her glowing cutie mark. Realizing she is being summoned by the Cutie Map, Twilight races to the castle.
At the castle, Twilight and Spike look at the map and see that Twilight being called to the castle itself—more specifically, the top of the castle. On the castle's highest floor, Twilight finds a door she'd never seen before, with an inscription that calls for "friendship's princess" and "two friends whose relationship has been tested by the greatest of challenges". When Lyra and Sweetie Drops catch up with Twilight, the door opens, and Twilight realizes they are the "two friends" that the inscription refers to. Through the door, the ponies discover the "Armor of Friendship", an artifact that will allow Twilight to see through changelings' disguises.
With the Armor of Friendship, Twilight soars through town and gathers up the changelings disguised as ponies.
===Chapter 5: Wonderbolts===
In Canterlot, Princesses Celestia and Luna summon Spitfire and Soarin of the Wonderbolts. While the two royals protect Canterlot from the changelings, they task Spitfire and Soarin with providing support to the Crystal Empire, and Spitfire accepts their mission. Upon leaving the castle, Soarin asks Spitfire how they can get to the faraway Empire in time to help, and Spitfire says she has a plan.
While Spitfire goes to retrieve something from the Wonderbolt Academy, Soarin gathers the other Wonderbolts together. However, Rainbow Dash is nowhere to be found, having been preoccupied by changelings disguised as the Shadowbolts. When Soarin brings the Wonderbolts to Spitfire, Spitfire reveals a set of prototype sonic gliders that will help them reach the Crystal Empire within seconds. With the gliders, the Wonderbolts fly through the sky at supersonic speed, and they arrive at the Empire in time to combat the invading changelings.
===Chapter 6: Big Spike===
Back in Ponyville, the Mane Six and Spike regroup in town, and Spike receives a letter from Princess Celestia stating that Queen Chrysalis and the rest of her swarm have been spotted heading toward them. As they try to figure out how to protect the town, Shining Armor arrives with the potion he found in the crystal catacombs. Spike is the only one to notice the dragon-shaped engraving on the vial.
Having very few other options before Chrysalis arrives, Twilight drinks a small amount of the potion and uses the magic it gives her to grant extra suits of armor to her friends and brother. As Chrysalis and the changelings appear, Twilight and her friends prepare to fight, but Spike tells Twilight that the potion's spell is intended for him. Twilight disagrees and tells Spike to take cover. The battle between the Mane Six and the changelings begins, but the changelings quickly outnumber and overpower them.
Spike once again tells Twilight to use the potion's spell on him, and Twilight reluctantly agrees. She drinks the rest of the potion and casts its magic on Spike, transforming him into a gigantic, armored beast. With the immense power now granted to him, Spike drives Chrysalis and the changelings away with his dragon breath, and the ponies congratulate Spike for his heroism.
==Quotes==
===Chapter 1: Shadowbolts===
:Fluttershy: Usually you move so fast I only ever see you if there's an—
:Applejack: Emergency!
:Applejack: The changelings are back! Queen Chrysalis is attacking the Crystal Empire!
:Fluttershy: Of course she is.
:Rainbow Dash: Grrr! Sometimes loyalty is not the easiest element to have!
:"Nightingale": Look, Shady, she's afraid of us.
:"Descent": Must not be that big of a deal.
:Rainbow Dash: If I win, you two get lost.
:"Nightingale": And if we win—
:Rainbow Dash: Save your breath, Shady. You're gonna need it.
:Rainbow Dash: Later, losers.
:Changeling 1: Did she really have to call us losers? Words are so hurtful.
:Changeling 2: Yeah, I may not have chunks of my body, but I still have a heart.
===Chapter 2: Pinkie Pie===
:Cheese Sandwich: So many rubber chickens, so little time.
:Pinkie Pie: Are you ready Boneless II and II? Cuz you've got a party with some changelings.
:Cheese Sandwich: We've got two cannons and a pile of rubber chickens. Are you ready to do this?
:Pinkie Pie: I was born ready.
===Chapter 3: Shining Armor===
:Princess Cadance: There's no sign of Chrysalis yet and we don't know what her plan is.
:Shining Armor: So we just wait around to see if things do get worse?
:Princess Cadance: Precisely. For now the castle is protected by my magic and Celestia has asked us to stay put.
:Shining Armor: But I could—
:Princess Cadance: Go out there and get kidnapped and replaced by a changeling and I'd never know? I could end up raising our child with a changeling father?
:Shining Armor: Princess Amore? I thought you were—
:Princess Amore: Gone, yes. This is only an enchantment. One designed to test those who sought to use my strongest spells. A true ruler, one worthy of the power within, knows that the life of every pony is precious. If you had left your friend to search for the hidden chamber, you would have never found it. But I am happy to see that the Empire is being taken care of by such a kind and compassionate pony.
===Chapter 4: Twilight Sparkle===
:Sweetie Drops: You saved me!
:Lyra Heartstrings: Of course I did! You're not the only one that gets to do saving in this relationship!
:Twilight Sparkle: "When the enemies of friendship disguise their intent, friendship's princess must become its champion."
===Chapter 5: Wonderbolts===
:Spitfire: Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun.
:Spitfire: This right here is a prototype sonic glider. It's brand new. It's never been tested. It might blow up. It will help any Pegasus reach supersonic speeds, causing a sonic rainboom.
:Soarin: Sorry, did you say it might blow up?
:Spitfire: All right, Wonderbolts! Let's swat these bugs!
===Chapter 6: Big Spike===
:Rainbow Dash: Twilight!
:Applejack: The changelings!
:Fluttershy: Are back!
:Rarity: Where did you get that divine outfit?
:Twilight Sparkle: Spike! Why are you still here?
:Spike: You need to use that spell on me!
:Twilight Sparkle: No way! This is too dangerous for a little dragon like you.
:Spike: That statue of me in the Crystal Empire begs to differ.
:Queen Chrysalis: Take no prisoners! They are not stopping us this time!
:Applejack: Looks like Ponyville is safe!
:Twilight Sparkle: For now.
:Rainbow Dash: Thanks to our Spike!
:Twilight Sparkle: Yes, thanks to our Spike!
==References==
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