"I kind of get the feeling you skipped over some things." Takato said.
"That's because I did. I explained all the salient points, not the small details that are not and probably never will be relevant." I said. "The Keyblade War, and all the events that lead up to it, were long and a more than a little complicated. There is, therefore, little reason to go into them while explaining history, especially because doing so would take a lot longer than we currently have."
Rika nodded. "That's- Not going to lie, I wasn't expecting that. When you said there were things we were better off not knowing, I didn't realize you meant... this."
"Nobody ever does." I said. "Funny, that."
The Keyblade War took a nearly infinite multiverse and reduced it to a number of fragments that was countable. People think they want to know.
They really don't.
"You did a pretty good job of explaining things." Takato said.
"I tried." I answered. "Things like that, obviously, are complicated subjects. Kingdom Hearts and The World, especially."
"Actually... I do have a question." Henry said, slowly. "You said you were alive at that time, and saw it from start to finish, but what did you do during it? And before it?"
"Hey, yeah..." Takato perked up. "What about you? What's your history?"
"Before the Keyblade War, I was a Mage of considerable power and knowledge." I explained. "I generally concerned my myself with matters of Magic, though I did have somewhat of a tendency to wander around and help out here and there. When the time came and the tensions started rising, I attempted to prevent the Keyblade War from starting. Obviously, I failed."
They grimaced. "And then?" Takato asked.
"When the War broke out, I took up a Keyblade and joined it in the defense of Kingdom Hearts and the χ-blade. Obviously, I failed at that, too." I answered. "There were so many enemies that I just couldn't hold them all off."
"And then the χ-blade broke." Takato nodded. "How did you get from there to here, though? Did you just... like, survive the shattering? Get dispersed and then pulled yourself back together?"
"Not really." I shook my head, before pausing. "Well, yes, but not in the way you're thinking."
"Huh?"
"Nothing survived the Keyblade War completely intact, Takato." I explained. "Not even me. Especially not me; I was right there at the final battle, and was more or less at ground zero of the flood of Darkness. I made a gamble, then, in order to survive and maybe make things right for the future. A gamble that only partially succeeded."
"Let me guess." Rika held a finger up. "You got turned into what you are now."
Henry raised a brow.
"Oh, come on, it's obvious. 'Person makes a bet and it succeeds in the wrong way' is a twist that anybody can see coming." Rika huffed.
"You're not wrong." I noted. "The aftermath of it turned me into what you see before you. Personally, having gotten used to it, I don't mind it, though. Can do a lot of useful things, these days."
"Like your weird shadow-stuff?" Terriermon asked. Henry flicked his ear.
"I could do about half my 'weird shadow-stuff' long before I became like this, Terriermon. Though yes, some of it was new." I noted.
I flicked my fingers. The curtains opened, again.
"You have all entered a rather special category." I noted. "Among all the Worlds in existence, knowledge of The World, and the events of it, is quite rare."
"Does it mean anything?" Rika asked.
"By itself? Not really. I told you that story so you would know and properly appreciate my history, and the history that you are about to get involved in." I tossed the book up in the air, and it floated back into its place. "I told you that I've been aiming to protect the multiverse. That's true; I am trying to protect the Worlds. However, that is not my only goal."
"You want to reunite the Worlds." Rika guessed. Her insight had always been quite keen.
"Yes." I agreed. "Not just for myself, though. I'm going to let you in on another secret. The Worlds? They're alive."
They paused.
"Alive how?" Henry asked.
"In quite the same way that you yourselves are. Worlds have Hearts and Souls, and think and feel. In every way that matters, Worlds are People. They can even talk, if you know how to listen."
"How does that work?" Rika asked. "Do they just... make noise, or..?"
"Worlds communicate through connecting their Hearts with the Hearts of others. It is, however, a bit difficult to initiate, and I did somewhat recently enable an easier, though far less capable, method."
"Huh?"
"I tell you about it in a bit." I waved my hand. "Worlds are People, and like all People, they want things. In their case, the thing the Worlds want the most is, quite simply, to be whole."
"To be whole... To reform The World?" Takato considered it. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me."
I nodded. "That is why... I want you to make a decision. Another one, that is. You agreed to help me before, but that was when you were thinking it was just protection I sought. Now that you know the full goals and the full history, I need to know whether or not you will choose to stay on. I won't begrudge you if you leave-"
"We're staying." The six said, simultaneously.
I paused for a moment, before shrugging. "Well, okay. I can see you're all quite certain about it."
"You want us to become... Keybladers, right?" Takato asked.
"Keybearers."
"Where do we start?" Rika continued.
"And when?" Henry finished.
"Should have known." I shook my head, smiling to myself. "I won't just be handing you a Keyblade and telling you to get going. That would be highly irresponsible. I've got to teach you the basics. And before that..."
I tossed their phones at them. One red, one purple, and one green, all the same shades as their Mega forms.
"... Phones?" Takato asked, voice faintly incredulous.
"Those phones are very special." I said. "They're made of a material known as Gummi Blocks, which are a materialized form of Dimensional Barriers. I call them Gummi Phones."
"Gummi Blocks?" Rika said, voice completely incredulous. "Dimensional Barriers? What?!"
"Some special stuff." I said. "Dimensional Barriers are dimensional walls that the Worlds create around themselves in order to guard against an easy incursion of Darkness. Potent things, but they make it difficult to communicate across and travel between Worlds. Those phones you've got there will let you call each other from damn near everywhere in the multiverse. They also have cameras, texting, never run out of energy, can magically access most networks in existence so you'll basically have unlimited data wherever you go, and lastly serve as a direct line of communication to the Worlds should you need to talk with them."
"Hold on." Henry held up a hand. "What."
I smiled.
"You're messing with us." Rika accused, her eyes narrowing.
"Just a little bit." I admitted. "It's all true, though."
"How's it work?" Henry asked, examining his phone.
"Magic. Weren't you listening?"
He shot a look at me. I smiled. "Just press that button. Instruction manual is on the first screen. It'll tell you all you need to know."
He nodded.
"Don't do it yet, though." I said, a moment before he pressed it. "I've got one thing to teach you. The very first lesson in your upcoming apprenticeship."
"... Magic?" Rika asked.
"That comes later." I pretended not to notice her pumping her arm in excitement. "No. Keyblades are things forged of Heart and Will, tied intimately with the Light and the Dark. The strongest Keybearers are those who are most certain of themselves, with powerful Wills and potent Hearts, who have forged many connections to many more Hearts, and whom are intimately aware of their own nature. So, really, the best way to make a strong Keybearer is to ensure they know themselves and their Hearts."
"It's going to be meditation, isn't it?" Takato asked, slumping.
"Well, sure, that works just fine. Some of the first Keybearers were wizened sages, who meditated upon themselves and the nature of the Heart until they could feel every aspect of their existence. A process that could take anywhere from long decades to mere hours." I looked over them. "Considering what you three get up to, and the bonds you have with your partners and each other, you'd probably be closer to the latter. If I was going to have you meditate, chances are you'd succeed soon enough."
"If?" Takato homed in the word like a bloodhound.
"Why take that long and boring method when there's an easy and immediate one that works just as well, if not even better?" I asked. "Hold still a second."
"Wait, wha-"
My palm slammed into Takato's chest. I reached deep, feeling for his Heart. I threaded my Darkness to it, around it, and then gave it a simple jolt. Takato's eyes glassed over as the musings of his Heart was brought forth from the subconscious into the immediate awareness of his mind.
Faster than anybody could even react, I immediately did the same to everybody else in the room, getting a bunch of glassy expressions for the effort.
In any other circumstance, I may have gone a slower route. Right now, the only time I'd be able to dedicate to them was some weekends. Slower routes weren't going to cut it.
Besides, these three were definitely the practical type. They'd learn better this way.
So I sat back, and smiled.
Such an important step...
But still, it was only the first.
They had so much further to go from here.