//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: Once More with Feeling 
// Story: Lessons from Another Dimension 
// by HolyOrdersOtaku 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 12: Once More with Feeling



One more time! One more time we’re gonna celebrate, yeah, oh yeah, alright now start the dancin’! One more time we’re gonna celebrate, yeah, oh yeah! I’m just feelin’ a celebration tonight. Celebrate, and don’t wait too late. No, you don’t stop. You can’t stop. We’re gonna celebrate. One more time. Celebrate and dance so free.


The time for the party drew near. This would be the second party that Bass had attended since arriving in Equestria, and he started to believe that almost nopony had a job. He knew a farmer, a librarian, a weatherpony, and a seamstress. What the hell everypony else did still remained a mystery. Fluttershy was obviously a vet or a petsitter, but what he was unsure of, and Pinkie Pie…he didn’t want to think about Pinkie Pie. That mare hadn’t caused him a headache yet, and he liked her well enough, but he knew that any headache he got while in Ponyville could more likely than not be traced back to her. It was only a matter of time. Yet, here he was, pressing his luck by going to another party orchestrated by the pink pony herself.
“What can I expect?” Trixie asked. She was walking to his left, her ears drooping with nervousness.
Bass looked to his right where Twilight and Spike walked. Spike was riding Twilight, which didn’t seem to annoy the mare. He was hoping Twilight would answer, because he felt that he wouldn’t do the party pony justice. Twilight gave him a look that said, “Tell her yourself.”
Bass sighed. “Well, if it’s anything like my party, you’ll most likely enjoy it so long as nothing goes against you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, I was trying to act like I was a normal pony from Equestria, but that was shot to hell when Pinkie guessed my identity, and Twilight confirmed it in front of everyone without waiting for me to try to save the act.” 
Twilight laughed nervously. “I’m sorry about that. I really am.”
“But,” Bass continued. “Aside from that little mishap, everything was just peachy. You should enjoy it.”
Trixie sighed. “As long as the guests don’t try to rip me to shreds because of my misdeeds.”
Bass smiled. “Yup. As long as they don’t do that.” She gave him the stare of death. “Oh, you were serious. Well, I’ll be there for you, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.” He patted her head. “You’re uncle Bass will take good care of you.”
“Just how old are you?”
“Old enough. Besides, I already told you and Applejack how old I am. If you hadn’t accepted the hard cider, you would still remember.”
“What else don’t I remember?! It was only this morning when it happened!”
“Who knows? How’s the headache?”
“Better since Spike made the coffee,” She looked past Bass to address Spike. “Great coffee, by the way.”
“I’ve had practice since Twilight stays up so late,” the dragon replied.
Twilight cleared her throat. It was only now that Bass and Trixie noticed that they had stopped walking, and they were standing in front of Sugar Cube Corner. “We’re here.”
“All right, chums!” Bass exclaimed, ready to eat. Really, that was the main reason he agreed to come to the party to begin with. As stated earlier, college students never turn down free food. “Let’s do this!” He leapt through the doors to Sugar Cube Corner.
“Did-did he just run in?” Trixie asked.
“I think he’s started to act like his usual self now,” Twilight stated. “Spike, make a note of that on Bass’s personality in addition to the following; Foul mouthed, sarcastic, and now secretly energetic and excitable.”
Bass poked his head back out of the door. “I heard that. I happen to only be excited and energetic under the right circumstances.”
“You seem to make a lot of interesting comments to Trixie as well,” Twilight pointed out.
Bass tried to give a comeback, but found that even he didn’t know why he singled Trixie out among the ponies he had met. “Don’t you write a damn word down about that.” 
“Why do you tease me like that?” Trixie asked.
“Hell if I know. I just know what personalities will agree with mine when it comes to stuff like that. I do it all the time. I don’t know any other reasons. Like this one guy I met for, like, twelve minutes, and I already gave him a nickname. I couldn’t remember his real name, so I called him by his home state. He liked it, too.”
“What was his nickname?”
“Michigan! Now let’s get to eating! I mean, let’s get to making some friends for Trixie!”
“While we eat?” Spike asked, having a similar mindset to Bass on the matter.
“Of course! Let’s go!” He turned and went back into the building.
Twilight and Spike walked on in, and Trixie stood there nervously. Bass’s words echoed in her head. “I’m committed!” she told herself. She stepped through the doors.
And had the hell scared out of her. Pinkie Pie blew a confetti popper in her face, yelling, “Welcome, Trixie, to the ‘Welcome Potential Friend Trixie to Ponyville’ party!”
Trixie lay on the floor, feeling as though she was on the edge of panic. “Th-thank you, erm, what was your name again?”
“Pinkamina Diane Pie! Pinkie Pie for short! Go ahead and call me Pinkie, or Pie, or Pinkie Pie, or Stache the Stampede! Preferably just Pinkie or Pinkie Pie, though.” Every word that fell out of her mouth was accompanied by a smile.
Trixie gave a confused look. “Stache the Stampede?”
Pinkie nodded, turned around, and turned back around, now wearing a fake mustache. “Want one?” she asked.
“Uh, no, thank you,” Trixie said as she stood. Pinkie shrugged and removed the mustache.
“Well, howdy there, Trixie. How was your cart ride home?” asked a country accent that Trixie soon saw came from Applejack, who was approaching.
“My what?”
“Bass carried you home on a cart that Ah let him borrow.”
Trixie stared at Applejack wide eyed. “Seriously! What did I miss?”
“Ah told you that stuff was strong,” Applejack said with a smile.
“Thoundsf laik itsf too frong!” Bass said as he neared the mares. His mouth was stuffed with muffins and cupcakes.
“Bass, it’s rude to speak with your mouth full. You’re lucky Rarity didn’t hear you,” said Twiligth, who was still nearby.
Bass nodded and swallowed the food. “I said it sounds like it’s too strong. And for that, I am thankful. It was one of the most amusing things I’ve witnessed in quite some time.”
“For all I know you did things to me in my sleep!” Trixie exclaimed.
“How dare you insinuate that moi did anything distasteful to thee during thy slumber,” he replied mockingly. “Really, it’s a miracle I could concentrate on my bordom, what with your loud snoring.”
Trixie gasped. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not snore!” She put her own hoof over her mouth, looking around nervously. “I promised myself I would stop speaking in third person.”
“I dunno. If you drop the ‘great and powerful’ part, it’s almost kind of cute,” Bass said with a smile.
“Trixie is…I mean I am not…I mean…”
Rainbow Dash was hovering above and heard the whole conversation. “Shut up and take the compliment,” she said flatly, startling Trixie.
“Why do you ponies insist on giving me a heart attack!”
“Lucky for you, I’m not giving you more. Twilight says you want our help, and Applejack says your okay, so I can live with that…for now,” Rainbow said.
“Real supportive there, Skittles,” Bass said sarcastically.
“What did you call me?” Rainbow asked. “No, seriously, what did you call me? I have no idea what a skittle is.”
“That’s not important,” Bass said. “But, just so you know, it’s real insulting on my world.”
“You makin’ fun of me, purple head?”
“Hey, my mane is purple!” Twilight said. “And so is Rarity’s.”
“Sorry, I just don’t know how to make fun of him. He’s blue, but so am I. And his mane is purple, but so is yours and Rarity’s. What does that leave me with?”
“Leaves you with nothing, Skittles. Thou shalt not make fun of me!” Bass declared.
“You trying to pick a fight!”
Trixie watched in amazement as it finally clicked in her head. Having been with Bass all day, she knew he wouldn’t actually say anything insulting to Rainbow Dash. “He’s full of it. He’s not insulting you, Rainbow Dash.”
“Why should I believe you, fake out?”
“Hey now, Skittles. Let’s not get hostile with the guest of honor,” Bass warned.
“Then what the buck does skittles mean!?”
“It’s a rainbow colored candy on my world,” Bass said flatly. “You get too worked up, Rainbow. I’ll keep that in mind.” He flashed a mischievous smile.
Rainbow blinked a couple of times. Then, she smiled back. “Are you challenging me or something? Because I can do that!”
“Why should I, when I know I can win?”
“Oh, you are going down, bass player! Name your game. It. Is. On!”
I like being here right now, Bass thought. “Maybe some other time. Right now, we’re here for Trixie to make a few friends. What kind of friends is still up for debate. Could be a pony, could be a pet, or it could be Pinkie.”
“Why am I different?” Pinkie asked curiously.
“Because you’re Pinkie, my dear,” Bass replied. “I find it hard to describe you any other way.”
“Fair enough. So, Trixie,” she said, turning to the azure mare. “Have you made any friends yet?”
“N-no, I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“I think that is untrue,” Twilight chimed in. “I would like to consider myself a friend of yours, but you may feel differently. However, I know for a fact that you’ve made one good friend since you got here this morning.”
“Who?” Trixie asked.
“Bass, of course. You seem the most comfortable with him, and you’ve technically known him for the least amount of time out of the rest of us.”
“Really?”
“Well,” Bass said. “You don’t really argue that much when I tease you. Of course, no one really does, but that’s beside the point.”
“But I barely know you,” she replied.
“That’s how all friendships start out,” he said. “When I first went off to college, I knew three or four people there. That’s it. One was my roommate, and the others were people that I knew from my high school but barely knew, so I really couldn’t count them. Then, I started meeting people. First it, it was people who lived in my building, then it was the people I met while I was at the fitness center getting my weekly workout, and finally I started making friends with people in my classes. Friends always start out as strangers. Like The Doors sang: people are strange when you’re a stranger, and faces look ugly when you’re alone.”
“So, by merely being with you today we’ve become friends?”
“Well, as Twilight stated, out of everyone here you’re the most comfortable with me.”
Trixie thought about it for a moment. “I guess that’s true,” she finally said. She smiled, now understanding that she had already made at least one friend.
“Ah hate to break up Trixie touching moment of realization her, but where in tarnation are Rarity and Fluttershy?” Applejack interrupted.
“Good question,” Twilight agreed.
“There they are!” Pinkie exclaimed. She disappeared in one direction and came back from another, carrying Rarity and Fluttershy.
“Pinkie Pie, dear, I know we’re such good friends, but could you, per chance, out me down?” Rarity asked.
“Sure! Here, you remember Trixie, right? She’s the guest of the party!” Pinkie exclaimed in one breath as she gently dropped Rarity. 
Trixie immediately recognized her as the mare that she forced to make all those Trixie banners. “Oh, h-hello,” Trixie said nervously.
“Hello, dear,” Rarity replied. She looked Trixie over. “Are you okay, dear? You seem unwell.”
Bass said, “Aah,” as he understood what was going on. “Let me guess, you enslaved her to do some sort of embroidering or sewing or whatever.” Trixie nodded.
“I don’t harbor any hard feelings for you. Once We figured out what the Alicorn Amulet was doing to you we knew that you were mostly innocent.”
“Mostly?” Bass asked.
“Well, she did buy the amulet of her own free will. It is her fault that she got us all unto the mess to begin with. But, once things started going out of control there was nothing she could do.”
“All the same,” Trixie said finally. She held her head low. “I’m sorry for what I did to you.” She turned to Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, who was still in Pinkie’s grip. “I’m sorry for everything I did to all of you. I’m sorry for taking away your ability to speak, Pinkie. I’m sorry for messing with your wings, Rainbow. And I’m sorry for…actually, did I do anything to you, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy shook her head shyly. “Nothing to me specifically, but you did mistreat my friends and animals,” she whispered. 
“I see,” Trixie said sadly. “I’m sorry for that, too.”
Fluttershy nodded, “Apology accepted. Pinkie, will you let me down, please? If you don’t mind.”
Pinkie let go of Fluttershy and smiled brightly. “Of course I forgive you! You’re not a big ol’ meanie head anymore! Just like Discord!”
“Agreed,” Rarity said.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “It won’t be that easy with me, Trixie. I’ll forgive you for now, but you’ll have to impress me greatly before I call you my friend.”
Trixie nodded. “I understand.”
“Oh!” Bass exclaimed.
“What?” the mares all asked in unison.
“I’ve got it! The challenge for Rainbow Dash!”
“Oh, so you’re really going to go through with that?” Rainbow asked. “Good. I’d hate to think that you’d chickened out on me.”
“Do you have chess here?”
Rainbow’s face drooped with despair. “Y-yes,” she replied nervously.
“I challenge you to chess!” he declared. “If I win, you have to help Trixie with anything she needs for a full day!”
“No way! That’s not fair! I don’t know how chess works!”
“Okay, what other games do you have?”
“How about poker?” Trixie asked.
“I can play poker,” Rainbow said.
“I can too. Texas Hold ‘Em style!” Bass said.
“Texas Hold ‘Em?”
“It’s the same game with slightly different rules. If you can play poker, then you can play this version. I’ll explain in full details when we play. Same bet, though. If I win, you have to help Trixie with anything she needs. Best two out of three hands.”
“Fine, and if I win, you have to perform in the battle of the bands at the Canterlot Music Festival next month.”
Bass looked at her confused. “As a solo artist?”
She shook her head. “As a band!”
“Deal!” He held out his hoof. She spat in her hoof and shook his with it, much to his disgust. “I need to wash my hooves,” he said as he left for the bathroom.



“Okay, the rules are simple. The winning hands are all the same, but the play style is different. We each get two face down cards, and then three more cards are put in the middle; we share those three. That is our initial hand. Then, two more cards are set to the side. We can choose out hand from any of those cards, in addition to the two we already have. It is possible to ignore your two cards and use the five on the table, but be warned: if you do that, then I can do that, resulting in a tie. Got it?” Bass explained.
“Sure,” Rainbow said. “Twilight, deal ‘em for us!”
The eight of them were at Twilight’s library home sitting around the dining room table. Twilight nodded, having taken notes on the rules that Bass just went over. She also had a book entitled Winning Hands of Poker so she could judge properly. “Here it goes,” she said. She dealt the two face down cards per pony, and then the three on the table. 
Trixie watched with interest as she looked over the three table cards. There was a five of clubs, nine of diamonds, and a seven of spades. She looked at the two players and noticed their poker faces. She didn’t know what either pony had, but Bass’s lack of expression kept his chances of winning a dark secret, where as Rainbow immediately looked saddened. She must have a bad hand, Trixie thought.
“Next,” Twilight said as she dealt one of the two extra cards; an eight of clubs. Then the final card was a jack of hearts. “Cards on the table. Who will play first?”
Bass smiled. “Two pair,” he said smoothly. In his hand was a jack of clubs and a five of hearts.”
Rainbow immediately sunk low. “I can’t believe,” she started. “I can’t believe that you suck so bad!” She declared. “Straight!” Her two cards were a six of hearts and a seven of diamonds. Put with the table, she had a five, six, seven, eight, and a nine; a straight.
Bass’s jaw dropped. “Holy Jesus! What is that? What the buck is that!?”
“It’s a straight!”
“I can see that!” Bass said. “And here I was trying to help Trixie.” He frowned.
“Don’t be sad,” Pinkie said. “Now you get to go to Canterlot to be in the Battle of the Bands!” She held up a photograph of Canterlot.
“To Canterlot!” Rainbow declared, pointed at the photo.
“To Canterlot!” Rarity declared, pointing at the photo as well.
“To Canterlot!” Applejack declared, also pointing at the photo.
“It’s only a photograph,” Bass said flatly. “And I don’t know if I want to go to Canterlot. It sounds like a silly place.”
“You’re not talking your way out of the bet, Bass,” Rainbow said.
“It was worth a try, at least.”
“Wait, do you even have a band?” Trixie asked.
Bass looked at her, then looked at everyone else. “Anyone know where I can find some fellow musicians?”
“Lyra plays the lyre,” Pinkie pointed out.
“Not really good for rock or heavy metal,” Bass pointed out.
“Vinyl Scratch is a DJ,” Rainbow said.
“Do you even know what rock and heavy metal are?”
“What about Vinyl’s friend, Octavia? She plays a cello,” Rarity said.
“Oh, come on! Only one band could pull of the cello in heavy metal and I don’t play like they do!”
“I don’t know what you’re supposed to do,” Twilight chimed in. “What do you need?”
“I can play bass and, if worse comes to worse, I will sing. I need a guitarist and a drummer. That’s the bare minimum, but I can work with it. I think,” he replied.
They all shook their heads. I’m screwed, aren’t I? he thought.