Let's kick things off with an oldie, but a goodie.

While this story about an introverted Luna learning about the magic of friendship after her thousand year hiatus may not tread any new ground, the interactions between Luna and the story's OC, Sugar Heart, are heartwarming and humorous. Toss in some good-natured prank war between sisters, an extended take on the Return of Harmony episodes, and you have a tried-and-true formula that had me smiling through most of its twenty thousand words.

Hey! I'm not dead, I swear!

Anyway...

While I didn't get to read too many stories over the month of June there was one that has stood out for me. Not because I helped edit it, or because it was done by a good friend, but maniacal evil persona of mine gets the fuzzy feelings at seeing the number of people suffering from internet induced diabetes from reading...

Enjoy the adorableness of filly Twilight while I still cackle at people writhing from the cuteness.

I guess I should post a spotlight eh? Alrighty this was my pick of what I read this month. I read tons this month but I really liked this one. A very sweet take on Twilestia.

Human but very good!

This story is NSFW, so, unfortunately, I cannot link it here. However, if you are into dark, psychological stories, this is just what you want. The story can sometimes be uncomfortable to read, especially towards the end, but it's just the right type of uncomfortable. There's not much that I can say without spoiling other than that you should read it.

[Cover art is temporarily broken. Thanks, Knighty.]
Baking is War, Sister

This story is hilarious. It had me laughing pretty early on, and that kept up through most of the story. But this story isn't just silly. It also takes the time to explain why this absurd concept is taken so seriously. It's kind of touching, actually, and it ends on a really good note. It's not without its flaws (it is a two-year-old story), but this story has aged very well, and those flaws are pretty easy to look past. (If I can look past them, so can you. I'm normally very strict about this sort of thing.)

If you want something that will make you laugh and make you care about its characters, this is it. Go read it.

I might not have done a ton of reading this month, but that doesn’t mean that this fic is any less deserving of being spotlighted. Above all else, it does what it sets out to do—it makes the reader laugh. It’s short and sweet while still managing to pack in a handful of good jokes. If you’re looking for something silly and fun, be sure to add this one to your RL. You won’t regret it.

Late post is late. Sue me.

Conversations in a Canterlot Café by Goldfur

That's right! Yet another OC fic!

I've been on a bit of a kick with OCs lately. I'm not sure what it is, but I find it fun to read about them, especially when I can tell that a writer has put a lot of time and thought into their characters.

Enter Goldfur. Now, I've read the entire series for this one, and I have to say, you can see how he grew as a writer. The original fic in the verse started off a bit rough, but over time, he started really hitting it well on the pacing.

This, in my opinion, is the most well-paced, well-written fic. It delves into how some ponies might react to the sudden discovery that, not only do changelings exist, but there are several hives of them. And they've been hiding throughout pony society for millennia. Their relationship is less parasitic, more symbiotic: in exchange for feeding, the changelings of various hives have helped shape pony life for the better and acted in quite a few capacities to help on an individual level. The summation: happy ponies mean more love, more love means changelings don't go hungry.

Now, there are some bits that I wasn't too enthralled with, but they didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. Well done, Goldie!

4518918

Yeah, well, I'm even later than you. So ha. I win. (that's how this works, right?)

For the second time, Albinocorn takes the spotlight of the month.

As I've said before, Sunset Shimmer is a really fascinating character. She's versatile, she's enjoyable to watch in any well-written story, and in the hands of a capable writer can really shine above what we've seen from her so far in the Equestria Girls movies. Unlike the other Sunset Shimmer stories I've added, Albi tackled Sunset in this one before we really knew anything about her. There were a few teasers and leaked pictures from the first Equestria Girls movie, and he rolled with it to create this story.

What's this story about, you may be wondering? Well, in an Equestria 50 years into the future, the world is coming to an end. Princess Twilight Sparkle is defeated by some evil force, and with her last breaths she pleads for her faithful student Sunset Shimmer to travel back in time to when Twilight was first crowned a princess and stop whatever evil destroying the world from coming to any fruition.

What we get from this is really one of the best adventure stories that I've ever had the pleasure of reading here. It's gripping from the get-go and will keep you clicking that next chapter button until you find yourself at the epilogue (which is released now, so none of you have any excuses not to go read it!). It's full of brilliantly written action sequences, touching and tear jerking heart-to-heart moments between, well, all of the characters, a crazy villain with an even crazier plan, and lots of world-building.

Really, there's something here in this story for everyone. If you're a fan of Sunset Shimmer, adventure stories, or well-written stories period, I would highly recommend you this one.

I swear I'm getting later and later with this...
ANYWAY

The only question you have to answer to determine whether to read this story is this - do you like fairytales? Not the Disney kind - the grim kind, the Grimm kind. If you do, then you have to go read this. If you have no idea what I'm talking about on the other hand, I highly recommend that you check this out - it's a wonderful piece of storytelling that plays into the world of FiM brilliantly.