Why is that recorded in the Blue Card?
Why are things being recorded in the Blue Cards at all?
"What is it?" Takato asked again, a little more concerned.
Do I tell him?
No real point in hiding it now, is there?
"Warning: Digital Hazard."
Takato blinked. As did Henry, Terriermon, Rika, Renamon and Janyu.
"Okay, what does that mean?" Rika asked.
"That's not something to be discussed right at this particular moment." I paused. "Not without Guilmon, at any rate."
I turned to Janyu. "Do you mind hosting one more Digimon for a little while?"
He shook his head.
"I'll be back in a few moments, then." I looked over my shoulder. "You may as well make yourself known as well."
I vanished, appearing in Guilmon's shed. "Guilmon, I need you for a moment."
The Dinosaur's head turned in my direction, a vaguely confused expression on his face.
"I'm going to take you to Takato, but you have to be quiet when we get there, okay?"
He smiled, nodding.
I reached out, and we both vanished, appearing in Janyu's office.
Guilmon looked around, immediately wandering over to his partner and pressing his head into his partner's side. Then, he spotted Janyu, and waved. "Hello."
Janyu blinked, before waving back. "Uh, hello."
"This is Guilmon." Takato helpfully supplied. "Now, about that Digital Hazard thing?"
"Right." I sat down. "Might as well take a seat kids, this is going to be one of those conversations."
"You mean one of those ones where you tell us about things that are important and often really dangerous?" Rika asked. "Is this going to be like the D-Reaper conversation?"
I said nothing.
She winced. "It is, isn't it?"
"Not quite, but... yes." I slowly nodded.
She sighed, before taking a seat. Renamon, after a moment, took a seat directly behind and to the side of her, her expression telling me that she didn't fancy another one of these conversations.
"So, what's the Digital Hazard, and what does it have to do with me and Guilmon?" Takato asked, taking a seat on the carpeted floor. Guilmon immediately laid down next to him, his head in his partner's lap. Almost without thinking, Takato began to scratch behind Guilmon's ears.
"Now, the Digital Hazard is..." I paused.
How to explain...
"Okay, first off, minor lesson." I pointed at Guilmon. "Do you see that mark on Guilmon's chest?"
Guilmon helpfully twisted, rolling onto his back.
"That mark is known as the Digital Hazard symbol." I stated. "Effectively, it is a mark that signifies that a Digimon has the potential to become a Digital Hazard."
"So, what is a Digital Hazard?" Janyu asked.
"Effectively, a Digital Hazard is anything that can cause an immense amount of destruction and threaten the existence of the Digital World."
Rika looked over at Guilmon, and then back at me. "I have a hard time seeing him as a Digital Hazard. Look at him, he's like a severely oversized puppy."
"I didn't say that the mark represented a Digital Hazard, Rika. I said that the mark represents anything that can become a Digital Hazard." I noted. "Possessing that mark doesn't mean that Guilmon will become a Digital Hazard, only that Guilmon has the potential to become one."
Takato breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Besides, a Digital Hazard isn't immediately evil. They can be both good and bad, or neutral, or anything they want. To be a Digital Hazard is to have the capacity to cause immense destruction. Having the capacity does not automatically imply having the will or the want to do so. It is power that can be used for many purposes, good and evil alike."
Takato nodded.
Rika blinked. "Huh. That wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. This time it was just possible world-ending instead of impending apocalypse."
"How many world-ending threats does the Digital World have, anyway?" Takato asked.
"Too many." Megidramon, ChaosGallantmon, Lucemon, Milleniumon, Apocalymon, Armageddonmon, the D-Reaper.
And that's just off the top of my head- and doesn't even include all the other ways the Digital World can end.
"Thankfully, most of them aren't immediate problems- save for the D-Reaper."
"The D-Reaper is a Digital Hazard?" Henry asked.
"It could be considered one, yes, but not for the reasons you might be expecting." I noted. "By itself, the D-Reaper doesn't actually threaten the Digital World directly- however, what the D-Reaper can threaten directly is the infrastructure on this planet." I leaned back.
"The Digital World is reliant on us to exist?" Janyu asked.
I nodded. "To an extent, yes. The Digital World began existing when the first networks were created, and grew as the networks were expanded and made more complex. Should something happen to those networks, or the hardware that supported those networks -like, say, the D-Reaper-, there would a calamity in the Digital World." I looked up. "Quite possible on the level of destroying it entirely."
Janyu frowned, nodding. "I see." He shook his head. "That was an enlightening explanation. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Wait a moment." Henry began, frowning. "If that did happen, what would happen to all the Digimon in this world?"
"I have no idea." I said. "And honestly, I really don't want to find out from firsthand experience." I paused.
"I'm sure that none of us do." Janyu stated.
For a moment, there was silence.
"So, what are we going to do about the fourth Blue Card?" Takato asked. "We all already have one, and..."
"Keep it. Give it to someone else." I shrugged. "It doesn't particular matter what we do with it- for now, it's just a spare Blue Card."
"Do you mind if I keep it?" Janyu asked. "I'm rather interested in analysing Gorou's algorithm."
"May as well. It's not like we're going to be doing anything with it." Rika said.
Henry simply shrugged, handing the card to his father. "Tell us what you find, would you?"
"Oh, I will."