Ash was exhausted. A Chroma's work was always hard, and today had been no exception. He could barely stand up by the end of it. There had been at least a dozen monsters, if not more. If it weren't for Haze and Jasmine, ash might not have made it at all. Ash was grateful for his friends, and he was always willing to help them with a job, but sometimes he wished he could get a break. Life now wasn't like it was before, where resting for a few hours meant no food, so shouldn't he be able to rest every now and then?

Luckily, Haze noticed that Ash wasn't feeling so well. "If you're tired, go rest up," he said as he opened the door to their house, "We'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

Ash felt relived, but he felt the need to confirm it before he went on his merry way. "Is that really okay?"

Haze nodded to Ash. "Sure. Everyone needs a break to recharge their batteries every now and then. You definitely earned it today, too, so go on."

With a sigh of relief Ash said, "Thanks, Haze."

Unfortunately, Ash found it difficult to fall asleep. It was mid-afternoon, after all. He was used to staying up far into the night, and his body just wouldn't let him fall asleep. He tossed and turned, slowly growing frustrated at his predicament. Finally he let out an irritated noise as he flopped back on his bed. "Aagh! I'll never fall asleep!"

There was a small knock at the door. Ash almost missed it, since it was so quiet and he was busy brooding, but he heard it and said, "Come in."

Marona carefully opened the door. It looked like she was a little scared of Ash's crankiness. Truthfully, Ash wasn't surprised. He remembered what it was like to be four; everything was scary then. He watched her expectantly, and she scampered into the room, carrying something in her hands. She stood there for a moment, and Ash realized that she wanted to give him something. Once his hand was open and in front of her, Marona placed an item into his hand: a double-A battery.

At first Ash was confused. Why would he need a battery? He didn't own any electronic items. He was about to question Marona when he remembered what Haze had said.

"Everyone needs a break to recharge their batteries every now and then."

Ash couldn't help but smile a little. The whole situation was just too funny. "Did you give me this to make me feel better," he asked, "Because I was tired?"

Marona nodded sagely, as if this was the most important thing in the world. Ash reached over and patted the top of Marona's head gently. "Thanks, Marona. I feel better already."