"All ready to go, are we?" The three had gone ahead and gathered at Rika's house before seven... Heh. Janyu, Mayumi, Rumiko, Seiko, and Yoshie were all there, too... Takehiro probably would be too, if not for the bakery being open.

Takato jumped up, Guilmon at his side. "Yes!"

Henry stood more slowly, while Rika simply pushed off of the wall she was leaning against. They too were ready.

I looked to their side, at the pile of packed bags. A whole bunch of stuff had been gathered for them... more than likely by their parents.

"We won't be gone for that long." I noted. "You certainly don't need... sleeping bags? My, my... You were prepared."

"We didn't know whether or not this was going to be an overnight thing." Henry noted.

"You could have tapped on that crystal I gave you and asked." I pointed out.

They paused.

I shook my head. "Ah, nevermind. That kind of preparedness is a good thing, really."

"How long are you taking them for, then?" Mayumi asked.

"They'll be back by tonight. As a start, today is mostly going to be a whole bunch of explanations and theory stuff to get the basics in their head. The introductions, more or less." I had a basic plan, but not much more than that. On these kinds of subjects, things would progress at their own pace, not according to any curriculum.

Takato slumped, though mostly for show. "Aww... boring stuff?"

Still, I played the part, and lightly bopped him on the head. "See what it is before you call it boring, brat."

Rika smirked at him, before turning to me. "So, what, are we teleporting?"

"Something like that." I said, holding my hand out to the side. With a snap of my fingers, space cracked and bent, a rush of white and black splitting the air. The Gate opened immediately, a whirling vortex of colour, a bright white at its center.

Gates were normally prepared by the Worlds, or summoned by Keyblades. They're a complicated Magic, though one which I can cheat at making.

Takato's eyes sparkled at seeing it. "That is so cool."

"Not boring now, huh?" I asked. I flicked my finger, and the packed bags promptly lifted, glowing slightly, before shooting into the Gate. "Anyway, head on through."

Takato and Guilmon immediately leapt through, the former letting out a whoop as they did. Rika and Renamon followed quickly, while Henry gave his parents a wave before running after them, Terriermon laughing on top of his head.

Ah, the eagerness of youth...

I turned to the gathered parents and offered a bow. "I would say not to be worried, but really, such a thing is a parent's prerogative, so instead, I will simply thank you for your trust. Have a good day, all of you."

I straightened up, and went in myself. The Gate closed behind me as I walked through it.

Gates, by nature, were short passages. Much like a Corridor of Darkness in terms of interior structure, really, though instead of symbols upon the walls, it was swirling lights and the void of stars...

The three had stopped at the exit, Takato and Guilmon having waited for the other four to catch up. A burst of speed took me right next to them, not... quite causing them to jump, but it was a near thing.

"I told you all, once, that there were things you were better off not knowing." I said, not looking at them.

"Right before the D-Reaper." Rika nodded. "And right after I made you promise to hold no more secrets."

"Indeed." I said. "I said back then that I would tell you things if they concerned you. At the time, anything related to what happened today would not have counted. Today, however, now that you've accepted my offer... is different. I'm going to spend a lot of time telling you things. Truths that very few other people are aware of."

I stepped forwards, passing through the exit. They followed immediately after me.

"Aah?" Takato's mouth dropped open. "Whoa!"

"Wow..." Rika couldn't contain her amazement. A surprisingly unrestrained reaction from her. "What is this place?"

"It's huge!" Henry said. "I've never seen a place like this."

I held my hands out in a wide gesture. "Welcome to Scala ad Caelum."

Ah, I like that reaction.

"Ooh..." Guilmon sniffed, his eyes wide in wonder. A moment later, he sniffed again, face contorting in confusion. "Huh? I can't smell the ocean..."

"Huh?" Takato looked at his partner, before taking a sniff himself. "Hey, you're right! We're in the middle of the sea but I can't smell the salt..."

"Scala ad Caelum is a very special place." I noted, beginning to walk off.

They immediately hurried after me, staying close. We'd appeared on the pier, providing a nearly perfect view of the city itself.

As intended.

"The water that surround this city are, aside from the city itself, the only thing in this entire World. Scala ad Caelum is not a planet, it is an endless plane of water and sky. Not matter how deep into the water you go, you'll never find any land- or, indeed, anything else. The skies above are the same; there are no planets or asteroids up there. Go as high as you want, you'll still only find air. The sun you see in the sky? It's not a real one." I noted, listing but a few of the quirks this this World had. "And, of course, you've already noticed the ocean. The water is quite pure, not saltwater. The air is much the same."

"Cool." Rika said, before frowning. "Capital-W World?"

"The term 'World' is the correct nomenclature to designate a reality or group of realities that are sustained and supported under a single aegis."

"Uhhh..."

"So, basically, we travelled to a different dimension?" Rika asked.

"Not... really. It is possible to travel to a different dimension without travelling to a different World." I said. "Your home World, for example, consists of over three million different realities and dimensions. Travelling to any of those dimensions would be interdimensional travel, but travelling to another World goes a step beyond that."

"So we didn't travel between dimensions, we travelled between... multiverses?" Henry asked.

"For the most part, yes. Not all Worlds are the same size, or shape. Worlds can be as small as a single town, and as large as a vast multiverse."

"Seems unnecessarily complex."

"That's because you don't have the full explanation yet."

"I've got another question." Takato said. "Where are all the people?"