"So…why is Princess Luna coming to Ponyville again?" Pinkie asked. The crisp November air blew a few fallen leaves around their hooves as she and Twilight walked from the Library to Sugar Cube Corner.
"After Nightmare Night last week, she wrote me a letter asking about friends. After the town stopped being afraid of her, she really had a great time. Did you know a colt told her she was his favorite princess?" Twilight smiled at the thought. "She wants me to show her how to make friends."
"Oh, I could show her. I'm friends with everyone." Pinkie grinned. "I could introduce her to Bon Bon, and Lyra, and Roseluck, and Colgate, and Doctor Whoves, and Noteworthy, and—"
"No, that won't work. She's a princess and ponies aren't going to treat her like a normal pony. They'll bow to her, and…" Twilight sighed. "This is hard. I need a way for her to make friends, without them knowing she's actually Princess Luna."
"So like video games."
Crinkling her brow, Twilight slowly shook her head. "No, I don't think she wants to look at characters on a screen all day. And those aren't real ponies anyway."
"Oh, Twilight. Have you never played over the Maginet?"
"Of course not," Twilight said with an almost offend look. "I don't play video games. They raise violence levels and—"
Pinkie giggled. "Don't be silly. You just make sure the Princess see me."
"…And that is how you work the system and controller. What'd'ya say we give it a try, huh?"
Princess Luna studied the controller held in her magic. "You say this is called a XCube? And we--I can talk to ponies and make friends with then by speaking into it?"
"First we need to set up a Cube account for you." Pinkie flipped through the menus with practiced hooves. Looking up at Luna, she asked, "So, what's your username going to be?"
"Username?"
"Yeah. It's the name you use when you're playing. It's what everyone will know you as."
Luna furrowed her brow in confusion. "Can I not just use Princess Luna?"
"Na, that names already taken. And a bunch of variations. I'm friends with at least three Princess Luna's."
"What? That is my moniker. We shall hunt these ponies and…” Noticing the wide-eyed looks from Twilight and Pinkie Luna stopped. "Ahem. What do you suggest?"
"Oh, how about Nightmare Moon?" Pinkie's smiled faded at Luna's deadpan look. "Or…not. I guess everlasting night is out too. Hmm…Starlit Glory. Falling Star. Swirling Stars. Pink Cupcakes. Oh, or chocolate cupcakes. With butter-rum frosting. And sprinkles!" Pinkie's eyes glazed over for a moment.
"Is the pink one okay?" Luna asked Twilight.
"She's fine," Twilight said. Clapping her hooves together in front of Pinkies face, the mare jumped.
"Oh, right, sorry. Usernames… I still totally think you should go with Nightmare Moon."
"Will ponies not be terrified?" Luna asked.
Pinkie giggled. "As if."
Luna paused, then nodded. "Very well."
"Aww," Pinkie sighed, "It's taken. Wait a second…'N1GH7M4R3 M00N' isn't though, is that okay?"
"Yes, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie clapped her hooves together. "This is totally great! Now come on, let's play. You gaming, Twi?" Pinkie held up two more controllers.
"I..suppose I could try it."
"SUCK IT YOU BAG OF GOAT TAILS. SUCK. IT." Luna and Pinkie watched, wide-eyed, as Twilight's character snuck around the corner of a building and blasted the unicorn she had been fighting in the head. "Oh yeah, head shot. Who's the mare, huh? That's right, I am."
"Um…Twi," Pinkie said. "I think it's time to stop now."
Twilight glared over at Pinkie, before shaking her head. "Sure." She slipped off the headset and levitated the controller and headset to Pinkie. She grinned, before looking at the Princess. "What do you think, Princess? Will you like it?"
Luna's eyes were still wide as she slowly nodded.
"Never playing again," Pinkie muttered as she hid the set from Twilight.
Nearly a month after Luna's visit to Ponyville, Celestia was walking through Canterlot Castle, humming a Hearth's Warming song to herself. She smiled as she thought of the festivities the Empire would engage in the next day, the merriment of it all, and the second Hearth's Warming with her sister since the defeat of—
"TAKE PLEASURE IN ETERNAL NIGHT, VAGABOND. FEEL THE WRATH OF NIGHTMARE MOON!"
Celestia burst into Luna's chambers, magic already charged up. She wouldn't send her sister to the moon again, but she could teleport Twilight and her friends here in an instant. This Hearth's Warming holiday was not going to be messed up because her sister decided she wanted eternal night again.
Instead of the towering foe she had expected, Luna was sitting in a swivel chair in front of a computer. Taking a sip of a soda, she grinned at Celestia. "Hello, sister. Have you come to game? We have finally defeated our enemy, Nix182. We have been battling for weeks."
"Yeah, yeah, Moony, rub it in," came a mare's voice from the headset. "You just wait. I'll get you back next time. Not even the Princesses could save your sorry flank. And hey, I didn't know you had a sister. Do you guys live together? It's like two in the morning."
"Yes, we share a residence. I was just asking my sister if she wanted to play." Celestia shook her head fervently. "Ah, no, she isn't in the mood to game."
Laugher came from Luna's comm. System. "Celestia, Moony. Like, seriously, who taught you how to speak. You sound like Princess Luna when she tries to make speeches." Both mares in the room froze. "I mean, geez, she's my favorite and all, what with me being nocturnal, but some one needs to give that mare some catch up lessons."
"Princess Luna has a valid excuse for her speech differences. She was—"
"Yeah, yeah, on the moon and whatev. Tch. Like I care. She's a cool Princess and the world didn't end so who cares. Dude, you are so touchy when I bring up the Princesses. Are you going to tell me you are one or something?"
The other mares laughter reverberated through the room. The Princesses looked at each other. "I must go." Luna reached up and turned off the headset. "How did she know?"
"It was a joke, Luna. She doesn't know. So…this is what Twilight Sparkle gave to you to help you make friends." Celestia sighed. "It worked, at least…so, would you like to play together?"
When the time came to raise the sun, Celestia and Luna were both sound asleep in front of the console.