"And with your last defense gone we now take control of Canterlot!"
Luna moved her game piece to the center of the plastic replica of her home and claims victory. It had been a long and hard strategic battle with her sister and her friend Pipsqueak. Pipsqueak had won a contest a month ago for a chance to spend three days living in Canterlot castle with his family. The contest was a staple that happened each year, having originated long ago in Celestia's bid to gain common ground with her subjects. With Luna having returned she had a vote in what lucky contestant would be picked. When she had seen that her little admirer was entered this year she wholeheartedly suggested him. While it was Celestia that chose who in the end was picked, she knew how much Luna wanted to have the chance to meet with a favored fan and so went ahead and chose him. Of course, the young colt and his family were happy to get to spend some time living like royalty.
It was their second day in the castle. As soon as day court was over Luna, who had stayed up just for the occasion, invited Pipsqueak and Celestia for a game of "Canterlot Siege: Invasion". The game could be played with up to four players, two taking the place of the princesses and the other two as any of a selection of infamous Equestria villains. Celestia had taken the obvious choice of herself and sat on one side of the game board to set up the number of defense pieces her dice rolls had allowed her. While Luna had made peace with what happened all those years ago she still felt uncomfortable playing as Nightmare Moon, a position that Pipsqueak was all to happy to fill. Luna instead took on the persona of the Smooze, mainly for tactical reasons as his skill set paired quite well with Nightmares.
This was when the war began. Celestia and Luna as rulers had much experience in strategy and seemed to counter each other most of the time. It was with the help of the quick learning Pipsqueak and Nightmare Moons ability to corrupt and shift control of enemy units with a good roll that Luna was able to fell her sister once and for all.
"I have been over-powered by the combined forces of two of Equestria's most deadly forces, and so must consent defeat. Congratulations Luna, young Pipsqueak. You have managed to do what no other has done."
Pipsqueak ever the excitable colt jumped up from where he sat and hugged Luna's neck.
"I knew we'd be able to do it, Luna is the gaming princess after all!"
Luna had been helping Celestia clean up the broad but stopped and looked at her small friend baffled.
"The gaming princess? I admit that while I am quite adept at a good few games such as chess or jousting I am far from anything befitting a ruler of gaming young Pipsqueak."
Pipsqueak let go of Luna as she stood up.
"What are ya talking about? Of course you are! Everypony in Ponyville knows about how you destroyed every game last Nightmare Night! My friend Button Mash was so disappointed when he found out that I had won, he really wanted to meet the world's best gamer. Oh yeah, before I forget he asked me to get an autograph for him, do you mind?"
Luna was still confused about this "Princess of Gaming" thing but smiled down at him anyway.
"Of course little one, I am always happy to please any that would think so highly of me. Even if it's for misplaced reasons."
Luna looked back at Celestia who had already everything back in its box and was standing with it held in the air by her magic.
"Tia, I am going take Pipsqueak to my room so I can write his friend an autograph and then I will escort him back to his room as my night will be coming soon. As always call for me should you need help of any kind."
Celestia just smiled and nodded before walking off. Luna's devilish smirk when she noticed that jiggle in her sister's plot was lost on Pipsqueak, who was eager to get to his favorite princess's room. He began to hop around the tall mares legs.
"Come on come on come on! I want to see what your room looks like!"
"Calm thy self, we will be there soon."
Luna lifted the bouncing colt up for a second to stop him from bouncing before placing him back down and walking ahead through a set of doors. They had been in the staff Rec room, a good place to hide while they played one of the broad games stored there. Because who would look for princesses where the staff relaxed? Pipsqueak followed, still skipping along. Seeing as it would be a fairly decent walk to her room she decided to ask more about the whole gaming princess thing.
"So my excitable friend, how exactly did this title of mine begin?"
Pipsqueak stopped jumping after he heard Luna start talking and looked up at her.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Yes, that's why I was so confused before. It was the first time I had ever heard of it myself."
Pipsqueak looked forward again befuddled by this.
"Um...well I guess it started last Nightmare Night. After you brought it back you completely owned all those stall games, remember? Nopony could believe how you tore them up! By the time you had to go we knew that you were a major gamer!"
"Oh, those. I can see now how one might get mixed up. While the games themselves were very different from the games of my day, they held the same concepts as them. After spending some time getting used to them I was able to beat them with ease."
"That's what I'm talking about! I bet you could beat any game put in front of you!"
"Oh I'm not quite sure about that. Stall and board games are not the same as the "video" games of today. If I understand it correctly, being a gamer is to be one who plays those types of games. I for one have not ever even so much as touched one."
Luna was gonna go on but stopped when she realized that her tiny companion had stopped as well. Looking back she saw him standing a foot away staring at her with humongous bewildered eyes.
"YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED A VIDEOGAME BEFORE!?"
Pipsqueak's reaction made Luna flinch. He ran right up to her and grabbed her hoof, trying to pull her forward.
"Come on, I know just how to fix this!"
They were still in the same spot as Pipsqueak continued to try and move the much larger pony, his hooves just sliding across the ground as he pulled with all his little might. Luna was somewhere between laughing and hesitant. Not wanting to disappoint her young fan Luna finally let him pull her along towards his room. It wasn't long until Luna was leading again as Pipsqueak ended up taking them to the gardens due to his lacking familiarity with the castle. When they did reach his room he was quick to run in and grab one of the suitcases he had brought with him for the trip and start rummaging through it. Luna, not sure what to do with herself, found a seat on the carpet.
"Here it is!"
Pipsqueak came over to Luna with a strange little device in his mouth. It was shaped like a bent oval, with a strange protrusion coming out of the middle. It looked like a smaller version of an arcade machines screen except elevated from the main body and tilted. On its left side was another protrusion that looks like a small joystick with its head flattened, and on the right side two small buttons marked with an x and y respectively. He laid it down in front of Luna.
"It's the new gamecolt! It's like having an arcade machine on the go. The games are simpler, but they're just as fun! The one I have in there now's called Tetris. Go ahead and try it. You just lay it on the ground, use the joystick to move the blocks, and use the x and y buttons to flip them."
He flipped a switch on the top of the device and its screen flickered to life. A little tune played and the consoles logo popped up on the screen. Luna looked up at Pipsqueak.
"Are you sure about this? I have no experience in any way when it comes to these type of games."
"I'm absolutely sure! I bet you'll get these games just as easily as you did those other ones."
With his assurance and huge smile pressuring down on the princess, she went ahead and grasped the controls and started to mess around with it. Pipsqueak came to sit next to her so he could see the screen, remaining quiet the whole time. At first Luna felt terribly awkward as she tried to grasp how this block stacking game worked, but as she went on and failed repeatedly she made it further each time. She never got mad when she lost, she just felt a tightness in her chest before starting again. She got lost in this little world on a screen as she got better, a small thrill running through her each time she beat her old high score. It was when a knock at the door came that Luna was broken from her trance. Blinking a bit and rubbing her eyes she looked around. She was alarmed to see the sun setting low and Pipsqueak asleep snuggled up to her side. When the knock came again she gently got up and walked over to the door. Opening it she found Celestia looking at her.
"There you are Luna, it's two minute- Luna, are you okay?"
Luna blinked again and rubbed her eyes again before replying.
"Yes, Tia I am fine. I was just...distracted. I will go ahead and raise the moon."
With that Luna walked over to the balcony, stepping over Pipsqueak on the way, and quickly raised the moon, skipping all the fanfare and just putting the giant rock up. Turning around she found Celestia looking at Pipsqueak questioningly.
"And what exactly were you two doing this entire time?"
Luna went ahead and picked up the colt with her magic and started tucking him into bed.
"Pipsqueak had introduced me to a video game called "Tetris". I suppose it was much more gripping than I would have thought it would be. I was so engrossed I had forgotten nearly the whole world around me. A scary power these video games have."
Celestia grinned.
"It would seem you might be more deserving of that title of "Princess of Gaming" than you had originally thought, hmmm?"
Luna had finished tucking Pipsqueak in and gave Celestia a dubious look.
"Hardly dear sister. Just because one game is so entertaining does not mean that they all are. This was just a fluke that I am sure won't happen again."
Celestia just went on grinning as she walked out the door.
"I'm sure. I'm going to bed, be sure not to get "distracted" again okay?"
Celestia laughed at the un-amused look Luna gave her. After that, Celestia left.
"I should be going too, I need to get night court started."
Luna was headed out the door as well but stopped to give the funny little device laying on the ground still aglow with its screen one last look, flipping the power switch to off and closing the door behind her as she left.