//------------------------------//
// Episode 6: Downtime 
// Story: EoH Evolution: Season 1 
// by Bahamut0 
//------------------------------//

Burst, Inferno, and Ace were sitting at Unityville's town square. The three were chatting about the recent events in this not-so-quiet town. "I decided to vacation here so I could escape the excitement." Inferno stated as he lounged around on his back. "But I guess monster-of-the-week attacks give me something to do besides sitting around with my headphones in my ears all day long."

"So it would appear." Ace added. "Judging by the past couple of weeks, I'd say that things aren't going to calm down anytime soon." Ace looked up to the clear sky, and smiled. "It kind of makes you appreciate these moments of calm, doesn't it?"

Burst nodded. "Yeah. Sure does." He then let out a happy sigh. "Gives you a bit of calm before the storm of action that our lives have become." Burst then diverted his gaze to Ace's necklace. "Hey, Ace? Where did you get that necklace anyway?"

"Oh. My grandpa gave it to me." Ace said with a smile. "And I bet you're wondering what the gem on this thing is. It's called a Dragon's Eye. Supposedly, it can allow a person to see past illusions and look out for hidden traps. But most interesting of all, is that it lets you see into a person's heart." Ace took off his necklace. "My grandpa studied dragons a lot. Especially their lost history. One thing he found of particular interest was the Legend of the Dragon Knights. A trio of powerful noble dragons who were allies with Unity in ancient times." Ace then pulled up his left sleeve to examine the mark symbolizing his awakening as an Element of Heroism. "Come to think of it, my mark bears a striking resemblance to the appearance of the Dragon Knights. Think there's a relation between the two?"

Inferno shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, my mark and Burst's resemble the monsters that our Duelist Arms are based on. Maybe it's a sign that you'll get your Duelist Arms soon." Inferno then sat up with an eager smile. "But in the meantime, how about we see if that Dragon's Eye really works? C'mon! I'll even be your first test subject!"

"Well, it shouldn't have any harmful effects if my grandpa's research is accurate." Ace said with a shrug. He then held the gem of his necklace between his thumb and index finger, and put it up to his eye while he looked at Inferno. The gem glowing bright green as it activated. Ace's eyes went wide as the gem let him peer into Inferno's heart! "Whoa!" Ace nearly stumbled back into the fountain before using his wings to right himself. "Your heart's filled with fire. It means you're a very passionate soul. And you give everything your maximum effort. Plus, you're always looking for how you can get better at what you do. Always trying to bring out your potential"

Inferno smirked. "You should try using that thing when I'm pulling off a sick guitar solo. My heart would look like a literal firestorm while I play."

"I'd say it would be more along the lines of your namesake." Ace said with a chuckle. "How about you Burst? Do you mind if I see what's in your heart?" Burst nodded, and Ace smiled as he once again raised the Dragon's Eye up to his own. "You're full of energy Burst. But at your center, you're pretty calm. Judging by all the sudden bursts of light within your heart, you're quick to jump into action and yet you stream along with the motions so smoothly. You're filled with power. It also looks like you acknowledge fear, but go on forward regardless. That would explain why you were so willing to risk your life in the last two battles."

Burst smiled. "That's pretty big of you to say. But then again, that's what Inferno and I gotta do. It's a part of our job. Plus, it's just what heroes do when people are in trouble. And that brings up an item in relation to that." Burst fished into one of his coat pockets, and pulled out an earpiece. "I was wrong to say that you couldn't be of help on the battlefield. What I should've said was that we couldn't have you getting involved physically. But that doesn't mean you can't serve as out eye in the sky and strategist. You can observe enemy movements, and communicate with us so we can find effective ways to counter them. But if you get grounded, I'd be more than happy to train you in some basic hand-to-hand should you have any close encounters."

"I think I'll take you up on that Burst." Ace said with a smile. However, the quiet moment was interrupted by his stomach grumbling. "But do you think we could train after lunch? Something tells me we'd all perform lousy on empty stomachs."

Burst chuckled. "Sounds like a plan to me. And could you tell Inferno and I more about your grandpa's dragon studies? They're pretty interesting. And there might be some connections to the dragons our Duelist Arms are based on."

"It'd be my pleasure." Ace said with a smile. "You know? I first thought you two would be a couple of hot-shots looking to impress everyone. But you're actually pretty cool." Ace looked at the ground. "I'm sorry if that assumption offended either of you." 

Inferno pat Ace on the back. "Hey. I've had plenty of people who assumed I was an out-of-control, girl-crazy punk who just wanted to party the rest of his life away. I had to watch almost every little thing I did when I was in the spotlight so the press wouldn't have a field day with me. Trust me. I'm no stranger to bad assumptions."

"It's good that you're telling us this Ace." Burst said with a smile. "Because it means you're willing to be open with us. Friends gotta be honest with each other. But not so much that they offend others. Plus, if it's any consolation, I thought by the look of your ice wings you'd be emotionally frozen iceman."

Ace burst into a fit of laughter! "Pfft! HA HA HA HA HA HA!" He clutched his ribs as he tried to compose himself. "You should've heard what my mom used to call me because of my ice wings. Yours is FAR better by comparison." And with that, the three set off for lunch. There they continued swapping stories about the exploits of their youth. Ironically, Ace got brain freeze from eating his dessert too fast.