Author's Note

Sorry this chapter is sooooo late but life, it has a way of getting in the way when you don't want it too. Anyway I hope you like and I'll see you all later

Reunions Part 1

~Back in the Forge One Week Later~

"Come on there has to be a clue here somewhere. All I need is something that can tell me where he went and I could trace him." Tonoe said to himself as he shifted through the rubble that once made up the prominent Nanocell Experimenting Lab. It's been about two weeks since Drake's disappearance but the Meancepan hadn't given up on trying to find his best friend unlike all those that had counted on him so much, believing him and Purgatory to be dead. Right now he was looking for something that Drake may have had on him before he had been sucked into the inter-dimensional rift.

Something that was unknown to all but Drake was that the Meancepan was a genius in all rights, and so was able to not only steal the plans for the prototype that was destroyed here in the labs, but recreate it as well. He also managed to add a few things to it, such as the ability to track anything that was in another dimension as long as he had something to track them with, something that may have had residue from the same rift that they had gone through. Though instead of using the machine to track down Drake and bring him back, Tonoe was planning on going to wherever Drake was as he wanted to be with him but didn't want Drake to have to feel obligated to have to retake the role of the hero. Tonoe had had enough of Drake having to protect those that had never appreciated him in the first but never said anything as he knew that Drake would keep doing it anyway, even now when Purge no longer is a threat to their home if he should come back.

"Aha, found it!" Tonoe yelled out excitedly as he found a piece of Black Streak's front end that seemed to be radiating with a strange energy. With it in hand Tonoe raced back to his transport and headed off to his and Drake's former hideout.

~Twelve hours later~

"Okay, just need to adjust this. . . . . input the coordinates. . . and presto!" Tonoe muttered to himself as he finished up the tracker and activated it. "Just a little bit longer and we'll be back together again." He said skittishly as he waited for the tracker to pinpoint Drake's location across the multiverse. He had already long since packed for the journey and was only waiting on the device to do it's job. After a few minutes, Tonoe was daydreaming of being married to Drake and such before a noise had knocked him out of it. When he looked towards the noise he smiled wider that what should be physically possible as the screen showed 'DRAKE ANGELO FOUND'. "I found you." He said in a low voice as he gathered up his things and gathered them in front of the portal machine. He shut down everything and activated the self destruct sequence so that none would be able to steal any of the tech they had used to pull of some the things that they have down. After it was set and down, Tonoe activated the machine and threw everything he had into it before jumping through himself. The portal itself was still unstable so as he went through, the pressure it put on him knocked him unconscious but he didn't care as could be seen by the smile on his face as he allowed himself to be taken to Drake.

~In Equestria a couple minutes later~

"Aaawwww, what a cute little stuffed dragon." Cadance squealed as she spotted red dragon toy with feathery wings that hung in one of the various game booths that was spread throughout the festival that they were attending in Ponyville. Drake, Cadance, and Gleaming were here on a date and were later planning on heading over to Twilight's and Spike's tree home for a sleepover with them and the rest of the Elements. In the week since their first date there has been plenty of controversy about the princess of love and captain of the royal guard dating the alien from another dimension and as you would expect, the nobles were in an uproar about it but a few words of 'encouragement' from Princess Celestia and a not so subtle threat from the two mare had silenced them almost immediately. Of course that didn't stop from making their displeasure about it known about the situation. Drake has received numerous kinds of threats ranging from blackmail to death threats, all of which were meant with a light chuckle from the elemental.

"Drake, can you get for me pleeeeeease?" Cadance asked with her puppy eyes. Gleaming just rolled her eyes at her antics as Drake simply said, "Hehehe, you know you don't got to use those eyes Cady, I would have done it for the asking." He looked to the game and saw that it was one of those ones where you got to knock down some stacked up bottles. He smirked at this and walked up to the booth's operator, "How much to play?"

"Five bits for three balls, you knock one down you can get one of the small prizes, two gets you a medium, and all three will get you a large one." The mare running the game said cheerfully. Drake handed the mare ten bits in exchange for six balls and looked back to his mares, smiling at them as they returned the gesture. With that he took three of the balls and stepped back a bit from the counter before throwing all there at once and all of them hit their targets. The mare's jaw dropped at what she just witnessed, and remained that way as she handed a happy Cadance her prize of one oversized stuffed dragon.

"So got anyway to make things a bit more interesting?" Drake asked as he picked up the other three balls that he had paid for.

"You can just go ahead and pick your second prize." The mare said after she regained her composure.

"Alright then, how about-"

"I would like that one as well." Gleaming butted in before Drake could finish. He looked at her somewhat amused, which caused her to blush. "What? It reminds me of you Drake." Gleam said as she held her own dragon against her body, much like what Cadance was doing.

"Oh, and how do you figure that?"

"Well, your name is Drake Angelo and you use red lightning, and this is a red toy dragon with feathered wings instead of scaly ones." Gleaming explained as they walked through the festival.

"Hahaha, I was expecting an answer like that. Don't worry about it Gleam, I was only teasing, though seeing you blush is a nice bonus too." He said as he winked at her as her blush got darker before slugging him in the arm.

"Shut up Drake." The captain said in a shy manner. Drake and Cadance smile at seeing this side of the normally tough Guard Captain, something they always loved seeing as it meant that she trusted them with this side of her, like she does her family, it especially meant a lot to Drake considering how long they had actually known each other.

Drake brought both mares into his arms and they looked at each other with loving eyes. The three of them had closed their eyes and leaning in for the kiss, when a tremendous *Boom* was heard throughout Ponyville and the shockwave knocked over most ponies along with various carts that were thankfully empty and some of the big tents that had been set up. Everybody looked towards the sky to see a swirling, violet vortex had appeared in the sky and is steadily growing bigger.

Drake, being the only one to have actually been in one though he was unconscious, had recognized it as a interdimensional portal and watched it with a keen eye, ready to attack whatever came out if necessary. After a few minutes with nothing of interest happening everybody went back to what they were doing but ready to act when necessary. Drake, Gleaming, Cadance, the Elements of Harmony, Spike, along with three fillies about the same age as Spike, had all gathered around the spot where the center of the portal seemed to be.

"What the hay is that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered above the group.

"It's an interdimensional portal, like the one that brought me here but that shouldn't be since the machine that had created that one was destroyed." Drake answered though there was an idea running through his head.

"You look like you may have a clue of how it's here despite that fact." Gleaming said as she looked at him for answers.

"I do but if that's the case then that means-" Drake grew wide-eyed and looked towards the vortex right as a ball of light came out of it and hurtling straight towards the ground. Many of the ponies that had been watching the anomaly gasped at the sight but it was Drake who acted before anything could be said or done as he turned into energy form and traveled at incredible speeds to intercept said object. He released it when he came into contact with it and grabbed a hold of the creature, as well as everything else with him, and smiled at it as he looked upon it's his face. "Tonoe, you crazy bastard." Drake chuckled a bit as he was free falling with his best friend, and his luggage, towards the ground where anxious ponies, and dragon, were waiting for them. When he was approximately five hundred feet from the ground, Drake turned once again and sped towards the ground with his passenger in tow.

"Drake are you alright?" Twilight asked as she and the others came running towards him and Tonoe.

"Yeah I'm fine but we should probably get Tonoe here to the hospital to make sure he didn't suffer any ill effects from traveling through dimensions." Drake answered back though his gaze never left Tonoe, nor did his smile leave his face. "I can't believe you risked so much just to find me but I knew if anyone could do it, it would be you."

"Drake?" Cadance called out to get his attention but he didn't seem to have acknowledged her presence. In fact it didn't seem he really remember that they were there. It wasn't until she laid a hand on his shoulder to he snap out of his revere.

"Hm, what?" Drake turned towards the hand that had snapped out of his thoughts and looked to Cadance who wore a curious expression. Drake gave her a smile before he looked at everyone else. "Hey everybody, it seems I'll be able to introduce you to my best friend after all." Drake said happily as the medics that had somehow been contacted arrived on the scene and loaded the Meancepan up into a cart before taking off towards Ponyville General with the two friends abroad. Everybody looked to each other before making their way to the hospital as well.

~Two Hours Later~

Drake sits next to the bed that they set Tonoe, not leaving his side since he's been taken in, waiting for his friend to wake up. The doctors said that nothing was wrong with but wanted to keep him overnight for observations, though Drake was going to get him checked out of here as soon as possible if Tonoe said nothing was wrong with him as he didn't trust the pony having seen a dangerous glint in his eyes. Cadance and Gleaming were here, as well as the rest of the gang, and sitting next to their boyfriend as they saw the gentle, caring smile he directed at the reptile, thinking that it looked a lot like the smile he would show to them when they would cuddle and hold each other. The silence in the room was awkward as no one knew what to say in this situation though Drake seemed oblivious of it.

"*Ahem* So Drake, do you have any idea how your friend got here?" Cadance asked as a way to break the silence, which everybody was thankful for.

"That would be something I think we all would like to know since you said that the device that brought you, and possibly Purgatory, here had been destroyed." Twilight said getting nods of agreement from around the room.

"Hehehehe, well I guess it's only natural that you're curious about that since none of you exactly know Tonoe here." He said gesturing towards his sleeping friend. "Tonoe here is something of a closet genius."

"A what?" Rainbow asked with a confused look that served to make her look cute.

"A closet genius, he's probably as smart as Twilight here but he doesn't really show it. It was something he's done since I've known him so others would have lower standards of him." Drake explained as he started petting his friend's head.

"And why would he do something like that?" Fluttershy asked with concern.

"There's less of chance of getting hurt, less of a chance of being used by those who care for nothing but themselves. The Forge may have been a peaceful place before and after the war, beside when Purge made an appearance, but as I've told you before there are still plenty of people out there that could care less about those 'below' them. It's a survival instinct born from orphans, or kids in general, who've either grown up with such people or seen it happened. Of course he got his chance to show it off without anyone knowing after I ended the war and became the Lightning Master. In fact he's the one that made most of my gear with me only really contributing my powers to the making of them so that they could remain strong and withstand my might." Drake said proudly, never once taking his eyes away from his best friend. The same best friend that smiled widely after hearing all of the praise that Drake gave him.

"Sounds, and looks, like the two of you have been through a lot together even before he became known as a hero." Applejack commented as looked at Drake, trying to take a glimpse into his eyes to see what they hold within them.

Chuckling bit Drake replies, "You have no idea AJ but I think I've said enough from my view but I'm sure Tonoe would be happy to fill you in a bit more, right buddy?" Drake smirked as Tonoe stiffened up a bit before letting out a sigh and blinking his eyes open.

"Hehe, should have known nothing could get past you Drake." Tonoe said as everybody else gasped in surprise.

Drake pulled him into a hug, feeling tears prickling at the edge of his eyes. "It's good to have you back buddy."

"Yeah, same here. After all I got a promise to live up to." Tonoe said as an evil gleam was seen in his eyes.

"What prom-" *Whack* Before he could finish he was on the ground with pain coming from the top of his head.

"I told you I was gonna hunt you down and make you if you didn't come back to me alright!" Tonoe yelled at the floored man. "Just be luck that you're alright otherwise I would fully live up to that promise."

"Sorry about that Tonoe, if I had a way of getting a hold of you I would have let you know that I was fine but you're here now and despite the punch to the head I'm glad you're here." Drake said as he got up off the floor, still smiling a wide smile at the Meancepan.

*Ahem* A light cough was heard interrupting whatever Tonoe was about to say and caused the two to turn towards the others in the room. The two smiled sheepishly as the amused faces of the room's other occupants can be seen. "So are you going to introduce us to your boyfriend Drake or should we leave the room to give you two some... private time?" Gleaming said with a shit-eating grin, none missing the dreamy look on Tonoe's face.

"Right, girls, and Spike, this is my best friend in the entirety of the multiverse, Tonoe." Drake said with an overly dramatic flare which earned strange looks from them.

"*Sigh* Never change Drake, never change." Tonoe shook his head at Drake's antics but knew better than to question it as it was a part of who he was and something that he wouldn't to change within him. It was this eccentricity that had allowed him to go through everything he has been throughout his campaign as the Lightning Master, and will continue to help him throughout his rather hectic life. "Okay, and. . . ." Tonoe left his statement open, hoping to remind Drake that he was supposed to be introducing them to each other.
"Oh right," Drake replied which had Tonoe, Cadance, and Gleaming face palming. "Tonoe these some of the friends I've made since I got here. This is Applejack," Drake said, gesturing to the golden-maned farmer.

"Howdy there Tonoe, nice to meet ya." She replied with a tip of her stetson.

"Nice to meet you as well."

"Rainbow Dash," Drake pointed towards the prismatic mare.

"Hi, were you the one to make this BlackStreak that Drake here says could beat me in a race?" Rainbow asked which got eye rolls from everyone who knew her.

"I designed it but Drake was the one to gather the parts and actually make it the way it was though now that you mention it, Drake where is BlackStreak?" Tonoe asked, hoping that the craft was alright.

"I honestly have no idea, she knocked me out when I got sucked into the portal and there was no sightings of anything else having came out with me, including Purge." Drake sadly explained as he missed his other partner. Alive or not BlackStreak has been through just as much as the two have since Purgatory's appearance. "But I believe she's out there somewhere, it's just the matter of where to look to find her, and now that you're here we may actually be able to track her down."

"Yeah, if we work together I'm sure we can find her and the gang will really be back together." Tonoe said excitedly at the prospect of being useful to his friend, and crush, once again.

"Seems we've found a way to keep ourselves busy for a bit but I should finish introducing to everyone and help you get settled in before we do that. So let me see, who was next. . . . ah yes. I'm sure you two will get along just fine considering you got one thing in common." Drake said as he stood in front of Rarity.

"Oh, and is that Drake?" Tonoe asked as he tried to see who was behind him.

"Well I'll let her tell you that, but none the less say hello to Rarity." Drake slid to the right as she presented the mare behind him. Rarity walked up to the reptile with an extended hand.

"Hello darling, I'm Rarity, Ponyville's resident Fashionista." An excited gleam appeared in Tonoe's eyes upon hearing this and he eagerly took her hand and shook it.

"Really, you too?" Tonoe asked as Rarity's smile grew as well.

"Why yes I am, so you delve into the fashion world as well darling?" Rarity replied enthusiastically.

"Oh man, not another one." Rainbow Dash groaned before promptly being zapped by Drake none too discretely as crimson energy could still be seen coming off of his finger, which of course earned a glare from the speedster.

"Tonoe," Drake interrupted before the two could get into their. . . .fashion talk. "Sorry to interrupt bud but I would like you to meet Pinkie Pie." Before Tonoe could say anything, said mare appeared in his face shooting off questions that were incomprehensible to any tongue. It didn't go on for long though as Twilight used her magic to seal Pinkie's mouth shut and save Tonoe's ears, if he had any.

"Oh cool, you can use magic here?" Tonoe asked as he saw the same glow that surrounded Pinkie's mouth surround Twilight's horn.

"Only unicorns and alicorns, with a few exceptions, can buddy so you can't become a wizard." Drake said jokingly as the Meancepan pouted. "Now as for the mare that saved your eardrums, that would Twilight Sparkle."

"Hi there Twilight, and thank you for, calming down, your friend there." Tonoe as he gave a slight bow in thanks.

"Nice to meet you too Tonoe, and sorry about Pinkie, she gets excited whenever she meets anypony new. I also look forward to hearing about the Forge from your point of view." Twilight said as she smiled at the reptile as Tonoe grew a sudden sense of dread.

"Good luck buddy." Drake whispered in his ear, or at least where his ear would be if he had any. "Now let me introduce to Fluttershy," Drake said interrupting whatever his best friend was about to say. "Come on Flutters, come say hi." He pulls her over to stand in front of Tonoe as the mare tries to hide behind her long pink mane. "Go on, he won't bite."

"Come on Drake, it's alright if she doesn't want to, I am another being from a different dimension. I'm sure someone here is going to be scared of me." Tonoe was trying to help get the poor mare out of his friend's grasp only to get a good-natured chuckle.

"I would agree if it wasn't for the fact that this mare jumps at damn near everything, but get her talking and you'll be friends in no time." Drake said as he gently pushed Fluttershy towards him a bit. The animal care taker fiddled with her hands a bit and looking everywhere but at him. "Though don't be surprised if things get a bit awkward at first." Drake patted Fluttershy on the back as the mare blushed a bit. "So how about you introduce yourself Flutters?"

"H-h-h-h-hi I-I-I'm F-F-Flut-t-tershy." Fluttershy muttered softly as she stayed behind her mane. Tonoe smiled at her, having heard her despite how softly it was said.

"Well hi Fluttershy, my name is Tonoe and I got to say your mane looks lovely, you must take very good care of it." Tonoe said, hoping to break the ice between them.

"T-t-thank you." Fluttershy spoke normally, with only a small stutter and a small blush, but she was smiling as well which had him smiling.

"Your welcome, so Drake who are the two mares sitting over there?" Tonoe asked as he turned his gaze over to Gleaming Shield and Princess Cadance who were standing just behind Drake.

"They are Gleaming Shield, captain of the royal guard, and her marefriend Princess Cadance, also known as the princess of love but they are more than just that to me." Drake had put his arms around them as he brought them forward and they waved happily at Tonoe.
"What do you mean? Did they become your best friends since you've been here?" Tonoe asked, which got a nervous chuckle from the elemental as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well if I tell you do you promise not to get mad?" Drake asked knowing the effect that this knowledge could have had on his friend.
"Oh come on Drake have some faith in me." Tonoe said as he gave him a jokingly serious face.

"Hahah, yeah, okay. Well then Tonoe, these two lovely mares are my marefriends, or girlfriends as we would normally say." Drake said nervously as Tonoe's expression saddened.

"Your girlfriends huh, how long have you three been together?"

"About two days after I disappeared from the Forge and came here." Drake told him as he took note of his best friend's slowly souring mood and moved closer to him.

"So you only knew them for two days before deciding to start dating, then I take it you've had sex by now?" Tonoe asked, his voice sounding broken to everyone else while Drake could hear the underlying anger.

"No, not yet, we all agreed that it was too early but Tonoe listen to me bud. I-" Drake began before taking a punch to the gut from the angry reptile. Having suspecting this reaction Drake decided the best of course was to stand there and take it which made Tonoe angrier seeing as he hadn't caused him enough physical harm to match his emotional pain and so he lashed out as he repeatedly punched Drake with all his might thrown into each punch, slap, and kick aimed at his best friend and crush. Everyone but the mares and dragon wanted to intervene but a hand from Drake stopped them from doing so. They watched as the man stood there, taking each and every strike from Tonoe as tears started streaming down his face and they understood why he was so angry. This lasted, to the surprise of many, a good 15 or so minutes before the intensity of the Meancepan's hit's started growing weaker and weaker until he brought both fist down in an overhead strike to Drake's chest and collapsing upon him crying softly as Drake held him close.

"Why? Why can't we be together Drake? I love you so much that it hurts and I'm not sure I have the strength to just sit by watching those live out my dream." Tonoe clung to Drake's chest as he could feel his heartache at what he thought were his only two options, continue to be Drake's friend as he tries to accept the fact that the man he loves is in a relationship, or leave and find his own way in this strange new world full of magic and many other unknowns. "Can't you give me, us, another chance, please. I don't care if I gotta share but please just one more chance." Tonoe pleaded as he buried his face into Drake's chest as the man wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm sorry Tonoe but you already know as well as I do that it'll end the same way." Drake said apologetically as he rested his chin upon the top of Tonoe's head.

"Why won't it work Drake, cause from I've seen you two almost like a marry couple anyway. Plus that look you're giving is the same one you give us whenever we're feeling down. It's the same look I see mine and Twilight's parents give to each other whenever one of them have had a bad day. A look filled with so much love, the love given to your special somepony, that has helped both of us so much after going through our stressful jobs that I've come to rely on so much. So I ask again, why won't things between you two work out?" Gleaming Shield asked sternly as she couldn't bare the sight in front of her. Drake sighed as he looked at Gleaming.

"Because of my homophobia." Drake replied tiredly. "While it isn't so bad as to make me want to avoid homosexuals in the slightest, it most certainly does prevent anything more than friendship form between Tonoe and I and I really do hate it so. As you've just heard, we've already tried once before but I could never so much as kiss Tonoe, let alone think about going any further. I know being intimate isn't a key component in any relationship it still ate at me that I couldn't show him any kind of affection other than for that of a friend." Drake pulled Tonoe closer as the Meancepan snuggled into him, drawn in from the warmth that Drake radiated.

"Have you tried looking into other options?" Cadance asked as she had a few ideas brewing around in her head as she gather the information from her boyfriend.

"I've tried seeing a psychiatrist and we've looked into the possibility of Tonoe getting a sex change when that didn't work but. . ." Drake went silent as his cheeks turned red, something that caused Tonoe to laugh a bit as he felt his body heat increase.

"But what?" Cadance inquired as her curiosity grew at seeing Drake blush.

"But I didn't want to go through with it unless it was possible that I could bare him children one day." Tonoe said from his position, shocking everyone in the room, well everyone except for Cadance who had a smile and an excited gleam in her eyes.

"Well if that's all then fret no longer Tonoe because I believe I can help with just that!" Cadance said excitedly with a wide grin and causing all eye's to turn to her.

"Really, how!" Tonoe said as he disappeared from Drake's embrace and appeared in front Cadance, confusing the hell out of the Lightning Master.

"There is a spell I created when I was younger and while I've only used it once I know it'll work."

"Really, what kind of spell?" Drake asked as he walked up next to his excitedly, and hopeful friend.

"It's a spell that can completely change somepony's gender, including a fully functional reproductive system." Tonoe started happily jumping around the room shouting 'yes' after hearing this though Drake wasn't as up for celebrating just yet.

"There's a 'but' in there Cadance, was is it?" Drake asked, causing Tonoe to stop at hearing this since he, just now, thought that it did sound a bit too convenient.

"Well in order for the spell to work, both ponies must truly love each other as it uses that love to make such a thing happen since while their are transformation spells that can change a pony's gender, none of the lower bits work in that sense. Great for a mare in the middle of heat who doesn't want to risk getting pregnant, but not so much so for those who do." Cadance explained a bit but Drake had a feeling she was withholding some more information but thought that there was a reason for that and so didn't say anything and soon was smiling just as Tonoe was as he scooped him up and start spinning around with him in his grasp, much to the delight of Tonoe.

Everybody was happy for the two, especially Gleaming Shield and Princess Cadance as they saw how happy their boyfriend was with the news, without any jealously in their hearts surprisingly. Their little celebration lasted only a minute or so before Drake put Tonoe down and kept his friend, soon to be girlfriend, from falling over until his dizzy spell subsided. They made their way to the front desk to have him checked out before going over to Twilight and Spike's home, everybody chatting adamantly amongst themselves as Drake and Tonoe spent some time catching up with each other since Drake's disappearance. As the tree house/ Library came into view a strange sound could be heard coming a device on Drake's left arm.

"Drake, is that?"

"It is but I thought it was too damaged to pick up the beacon." Drake said as he looked at the device on his arm that appeared to be flashing a red light.

"What are you two talking about?" Spike asked as the group gathered around them.

"This thing is my communicator. We used it whenever Tonoe had something to tell me, I was looking for any kind of distress signals, or should I somehow manage to lose Blackstreak and it's locator beacon was activated, but as I just said I thought this thing took a beating from my landing when I first came to Equestria and have doing what repairs I can to get it working. It shouldn't be anywhere near ready and yet it seems to be getting Blackstreak's signal." Drake said as the day seemed to be getting better with this new development.

"Guess the gang will be back together soon." Tonoe chirped as he too stared intensely at the light.