Digimon Sundial

Chapter 27: X-32

The sea still felt tranquil and serene, mirroring the sky with its white horizon.

Some voices were heard in the boat, most from Digimons working and chatting, but the loudest noise on the bow of the ship was the broom brushing the floor.

Aspen talked as he used the broom, looking down as he tried to properly express what happened to Elise, who was at his side with a mop.

"...It's been like one-and-a-half week since I last had any meaningful contact with Calizmon..." -Aspen said- "...It's strange, but now I don't feel I know him that well... I don't know what he's up to, I don't know what he thinks of all of this..."

"Yeah... I understand, he feels distant." -Elise replies, with Aspen nodding- "Must be because of Submarimon, both have a lot of time they want to recover."

"I know, it's a miracle his friend returned, both really make a point in covering each other backs... But that leads me to..." -Aspen stores what he collected in the garbage bag using the broom- "...Does that mean my place in his life has been... Reduced? I don't know how to properly put it, but I just feel left aside."

"Oh... Yes, you feel replaced." -Elise begins to brush with the mop, sighing- "It's hard to accept, but sometimes a person may represent more than a relationship to another person, it may be the source of something even bigger..."

Aspen raises an eyebrow. What could possibly be bigger than being able to trust and rely on someone in such a deep manner?

Elise notices Aspen's doubt, and stops for a moment to look at the floor.

"I can't get used to these labors, these hands are trained to make a beatiful mess, not to clean it up." -Elise looks at her hands- "...But at the same time, this is the only time they requested us to do this cleaning, right?"

"Oh, yes, from what I've heard, Miura insisted in doing it the first days, alongside other duties." -Aspen replies, then he looks at the broom he was holding- "...I don't know, I think I like this, it helps me to calm down and just... Feel like I'm helping, you know? Gives me something to do."

"Exactly, gives a sense of purpose, of contribution, as we aim for a bigger goal, everytime we clean, we work, we heal, we fight..." -Elise looks at the cabin of the ship high above.- "...It's not hard to understand Miura's motives for wanting to work this much."

"Huh?"

"...He wants to help, he wants to go the extra mile, and sure enough, he began to show a similar burning determination to the one people once knew you for, the one that may even become impulsive..." -Elise brushes with the mop again- "...But he lacks a tool, an element that allows him to help as much as he wanted to... Do you know what tool that is?"

"The Nervedex?" -Thoughful after hearing yet another characteristic of Aspen Leonard, the white haired boy replies.

"Yes, he can't help Ventomon the same way we can help our partners, he was always a bit silent, but it's more than clear he wants to compensate for that by doing other duties... He's resolved..."

"Yeah... Makes sense coming from him." -Aspen crosses his arms.- "He would be better than me if he could use the NerveDex... Wish it was him the one at the basement when that happened, now that the device is linked to me and Calizmon, he can't use it."

"That's where I feel Submarimon's similar: He's also very focused on what he does, I'd say even relentless..." -Elise looks down- "...Calizmon, on the other hand... Has he ever shown any sign of weakness or undecidedness?"

"Yeah... A few times, but they were notable, he normally acts when he has an objective to follow, but from time to time, he feels... Lost." -Aspen looks at the sky, some pity could be seen in his expression- "...I always wanted to help him, understand why... When he lost Submarimon, or when the portals stopped working, he just broke down."