My Little Pony Holiday Special 2017

My Little Pony Holiday Special 2017 is a special-edition comic released by IDW Publishing. It is the fourth winter-holiday-themed IDW comic after, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special, and the 2015 My Little Pony Holiday Special.

Summary
The issue begins during Ponyville's winter season with Twilight Sparkle and Applejack shopping at a craft store. Although Hearth's Warming is still weeks away, several local businesses are already setting up for the upcoming holiday, and Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and Spike can barely contain their excitement about Hearth's Warming presents.

All of a sudden, Flim and Flam arrive in Ponyville wishing everyone a happy Hearth's Warming "season". The brothers have come up with the idea of extending Hearth's Warming throughout the entire winter season, and they capitalize on it by selling holiday-themed items like decorations, calendars, and cookies. Applejack reminds the ponies that Flim and Flam scam them every time they come to town, but their products seem completely harmless this time.

Flim and Flam even convince the ponies—through a musical number—that spreading kindness during the holiday season ensures that Windy, a friendly windigo, brings the snow each year. Despite Twilight and Applejack's efforts, the ponies of Ponyville get swept up by Flim and Flam's song and purchase dozens of Windy the Windigo merchandise from them.

The next day, almost everyone in Ponyville is clamoring for Windy the Windigo products, and Spike and Apple Bloom torment Twilight and Applejack with all the Windy merchandise they want for Hearth's Warming. Twilight tries going to a book store to cheer herself up, but thanks to Flim and Flam, their "Windy the Windigo" song is all that plays inside. Twilight and Applejack confront Flim and Flam for swindling everyone out of their bits and distracting them from what's truly important about Hearth's Warming. Unfortunately, when Flim and Flam give Princess Twilight credit for their "Hearth's Warming Season" idea, the ponies only want to buy more of their products.

Twilight then comes up with an idea to turn Flim and Flam's "princess endorsement" against them. In keeping with the spirit of kindness and generosity that the holidays foster, Twilight declares that all of Flim and Flam's merchandise will be given away for free from now on. The brothers realize such a business strategy would bankrupt them, and they quickly skip town, claiming to have just sold out.

The ponies complain to Twilight and Applejack about not being able to get the "Windy the Windigo" merchandise they want. Twilight and Applejack try to convince them that they were being scammed, but Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and Spike argue that they were at least having fun, and they accuse Twilight and Applejack of not letting them decide for themselves what makes them happy. As Pinkie, Apple Bloom, and Spike walk away, Twilight and Applejack are left alone as it starts to snow.

On Hearth's Warming Eve, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Apple Bloom, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith spend time together at Sweet Apple Acres while Applejack watches from outside. Twilight appears to keep her company so that neither of them feels lonely. Applejack realizes that, even though she and Twilight wanted to remind everyone of the true meaning of the holiday, they were pushing their own opinions upon them and that ponies should be allowed to believe what they want. As they consider apologizing to their loved ones, Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and Spike join them and apologize as well for getting carried away. The ponies all forgive one another, and Granny Smith urges them back inside where it's warm.

As Applejack and Apple Bloom watch the snow fall, Apple Bloom asks Applejack if Windy the Windigo truly exists. Applejack asks her what she thinks, and Apple Bloom believes Windy does exist. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash flies over Sweet Apple Acres bringing the snowy weather.

Quotes

 * Twilight Sparkle: Excuse me? Do you have any cotton balls?
 * Craft Store Pony: For a craft project?
 * Twilight Sparkle: For my ears. My dragon friend has started snoring again.


 * Pinkie Pie: Sweets! Treats! Tasty eats! And best of aaalll—
 * Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and Spike: Presents!


 * Flim and Flam: Happy Hearthswarming Season, everypony!
 * Applejack: Oh-no... The Flim-Flam Brothers?!
 * Twilight Sparkle: Hearthswarming "Season"?
 * Flam: Why—what's that you said, Princess Twilight? "Hearthswarming Season"?! Now that is a great idea!


 * Twilight Sparkle: Did they just... make up some character? To explain snow?!
 * Applejack: I think it was actually just t' sell stuff. But as Big Mac would say—"yyyup!"


 * Flam: Remind yourself of the true meaning of Hearthswarming—
 * Flim: —when you buy Windy's Holiday Special comic book!
 * Pinkie Pie: Oooh! A Holiday Special comic?!


 * Twilight Sparkle: They ruined a book store... Now they've gone too far!


 * Flam: Another satisfied pushover! -Eh- I mean customer!
 * Flim: If "Hearthswarming Season" is this profitable—
 * Flam: —maybe next year it should start the day after Nightmare Night!


 * Twilight Sparkle: All Windy items shall, from now on, be free of charge!
 * Flam: But even at our prices—
 * Flim: —the coins we already got are barely more than we spent to make this junk!


 * Twilight Sparkle: They're gone! Now we can start getting ready for our traditional celebration!
 * Apple Bloom: But we were havin' fun!
 * Applejack: You were gettin' robbed, Apple Bloom! You an' everypony else who got fooled by that meanin'less sideshow!
 * Spike: So. You think we're fools, huh? Did it ever occur to you that we might've just been enjoying ourselves? Or did you just think we weren't smart enough to make up our own minds?


 * Twilight Sparkle: I just wanted everypony to stay focused on the meaning of the holiday. Of what's important.
 * Applejack: Yeah... But when ya push yer own opinions as hard as we did, it kinda messes with that "comin' together" part.
 * Twilight Sparkle: So we shouldn't tell our friends when someone's taking advantage of them?
 * Applejack: No. I'm sayin'—folks believe what they wanna believe. An' maybe this just isn't the best time t' argue about it. The ponies I love are in there gathered an' happy. You think it makes a lick a' difference if they don't agree on everything?
 * Twilight Sparkle: You're right. We showed them we'd rather make a point than be together.


 * Twilight Sparkle: I just—
 * Spike: "—get carried away sometimes?"
 * Pinkie Pie: That's okay! So do we!
 * Apple Bloom: An' we wanted to apologize, too. But it was nice to hear you say it first!


 * Rainbow Dash: Are you kiddin' me?! Who always makes sure the weather works around here?! Pfff—ah, well!