Trixie Lulamoon, the personal student of Princess Luna, has finally, through a combination of reasoning, pleading, and whining, managed to convince the princess to invest some real responsibility in her, and give her a chance to show off everything she's been learning while under the alicorn's wing. Luna has appointed Trixie to be the official representative of her Night Court to the town of Ponyville, which this year will be hosting the Longest Night Celebration. Trixie is additionally tasked with overseeing the preparations for that festival.

At first, things seem to be going less than swimmingly. The catering is way too many kinds of apples, the weather patrol is far behind, the musical maestro is nowhere to be found, and the decorations could use significant toning down. To top it all off, Trixie can't help but feel that this was less an appointment to a position of real responsibility, and more an informal exile from the Night Court. Still, things could be worse: a mad alicorn goddess of fire and hate could escape from her millennial imprisonment on the sun and try and conquer Equestria.

But what are the chances of that?

A prequel to Boast Busted
Part of the Lunaverse
Now has a TVTropes Page!

Rarity's family name is in shambles, and her fortune is nonexistent. To return what her father squandered, she and her good friend Pinkie Pie turn to piracy, commandeering a magical airship and kidnapping the princess's personal student.

When Princess Celestia learns of Twilight and Applejack's abduction, she doesn't agree to pay the ransom. No, she hires the sky's greatest tactical mind, the Daring Swordspony Rainbow Dash, and her sidekick, Fluttershy. As the two groups engage in a game of cat and mouse, more dangerous threats hang on the horizon. Aztec Curses, angry gods, and a mysterious figure known only as the Derp Pirate Roberts.

Will the six Elements of Harmony be able to gather the seven pieces of eight, or will the world fall to utter chaos, and rise up as an empire of anarchy and piracy?

Now with its own TV Tropes page thanks to Cleverpun: TV Tropes

Siblings. Many of us have them, and those who don't have heard stories. Of the laughter, of the teasing, of the jokes played, and the battles won and lost. Celestia and Luna are no different. If anything, their friendly sibling rivalries are tempered by their positions and power. So, when Celestia plays one prank too many, Luna declares an ancient rite not seen by anypony in a thousand years.

A royal prank war.

With the newly-reformed Discord and Captain Shining Armor as judges, the two sisters swear to not stop for a full month, or until one sister surrenders.

The question is: will Equestria survive when its very ruling body is trying their best to prank the other into submission?

Awesome cover art used with permission by 1100Soulite

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.