Takato startled out of his stupor, hand coming to his chest. He gasped, looking down, before looking back up at me.

The movement startled all the others out of their own stupor.

"This-" Henry took a moment to breath in and out, slowly and calmly. "This is my Heart?"

"Yep."

Takato sighed, shaking his head. "How... how didn't I notice?"

"A Heart is a powerful thing, but for the most part, it's a subconscious thing. The Heart, the Soul... you're born knowing these things, but time gets your mind used to it, and it falls outside of your conscious awareness. It's like breathing. You don't notice you're breathing, do you?"

"Well, I didn't until you mentioned it." Rika grouched. "Which... is exactly what you mean. You suck."

I smiled. "Still, you see my point. And now that you know it's there, we can begin with the next lesson; Listening to your Heart."

Their heads turned to the side.

"Literally..?" Renamon asked.

"Sort of." I shrugged. "Just close your eyes for a moment."

"Oh, so now it's meditation." Takato rolled his eyes, but closed them nonetheless. The other followed suit.

"This is not meditation, Takato. This is a much shorter exercise." I noted. "Just take a deep breath, and concentrate on your Hearts. You're aware of it now, so I just want you to consider it and tell me what you feel. Take your time."

Silence fell, again.

I leaned back, looking at their Hearts. They were all on the right track... Though the first one to get it was probably going to be Guilmon.

After a few seconds, I was proven right when Guilmon spoke up. "Takato."

"Yeah?" Takato opened his eyes.

Guilmon did the same, shaking his head. "No- I mean, I feel Takato."

Rika, Renamon, Henry, and Terriermon all opened their eyes. I nodded. "That is the bond that links you to him."

Guilmon nodded. "Feels like Takato."

Takato smiled. He closed his eyes for a moment, and I saw his Heart pulse. "I can feel you, too."

"I can feel Renamon." Rika noted, and Renamon nodded her head behind her.

"Same with me and Henry!" Terriermon said.

"And... More than Terriermon?" Henry asked, looking up at me. "Who..?"

"It's your Heart, Henry. You tell me."

His eyes widened a little, and he nodded.

After a few seconds, he spoke again. "Takato and Rika." He said, sounding certain. "Guilmon and Renamon, too. It... feels weaker than Terriermon, but it's still there."

"A bond of friendship is a potent thing. Not, perhaps, as strong as the bonds you have with your partners, but still powerful." I explained.

"Is this where we learn that the 'Power of Friendship' is truly a real thing?" Rika asked.

"You six are already aware it's a real thing." I pointed out. "Although, yes, the Power of Friendship is very real, and even comes in two types."

"Two?" Takato asked.

"The first is the more esoteric version, where a person draws upon the bonds between themselves and others in order to gain strength, and the second is more immediately useful; having a bunch of others around to help you beat people up."

Takato snorted, while Henry laughed. Rika just smirked.

"We're very familiar with both." Terriermon grinned.

I nodded. "Now, is that all?"

Henry shook his head. "My family." He supplied. "More distant, but... not weaker, if that makes sense?"

"Your family is currently in another World. They are, in almost every sense, literally more distant. The bond, however, remains, as no distance can sever it."

Henry nodded.

"There's a lot more than I thought there'd be." Takato said, after a moment. "You guys... My parents. Jeri. Leomon. Our other friends... Everybody I know, I can find a connection to them..."

"A wonderful thing, the Heart."

"One question." Rika said. "Where are you?"

The six went silent. And now that she'd pointed it out, they realized what was missing.

"We... Don't have a connection to you?" Takato put his hand over his chest, frowning. "I can feel everyone, so why can't I feel you?"

"Consequences." I said. "I told you that there are three parts to a being that truly exists. A Body, to serve as a vessel. A Soul, to serve as the source of Will, and a Heart, to serve as the source of emotion. There's a bit more to each, but what I did... The gamble I made... basically, I took my existence, my Body, my Heart, and my Soul, crushed them into a blob of me-stuff, and then shoved that into piece of pure Darkness."

They stared at me.

"You did what." Rika said, flatly. "How are you not dead?"

"Darkness is a hell of a thing." I answered. "Enough that it can act like a Heart and a Soul and a Body, despite not being one."

"Then, the reason we don't have a connection to you is because you literally don't have a Heart?!" Rika shouted. "That's- I don't even know what to say to that!"

I shrugged. "It is what it is. And, lack of metaphysical interaction aside, it doesn't matter much. You may not have a direct connection to me, but does that mean I'm somehow lesser, to you?"

She sat back, and breathed in. "No. You're still... you."

"That, you see, is the important part." I nodded. "Besides, for the moment, it actually quite useful. It means that I can, much more easily, teach you how to do more than just listen to your Heart."

"Huh?" Takato asked.

I smiled. "The Heart feels things, Takato. Not just emotion, but things more and greater. You can sense each other, through your bonds of friendship. Your family, too, through those bonds. What else do you think you can sense?"

"... Lots of things?" Takato asked.

I nodded. "And for the rest of the day, that's what we'll be doing. Because that? That's super useful. There is no point in time where this will not be helpful, somehow."

"Okay? How do we... start?"

"Simple. First, you need to..."