Hello, my awesome readers!

I'm so sorry to say that I've got a bit of bad news. Unfortunately, I'm leaving to go on vacation in a few days and will have neither my laptop nor the time to write while I am gone, and I won't be back until the end of July. I hate to leave you guys like this, but here is as good a point as any to take a break as we have reached the end of the Akatsuki no Yona anime.

Don't worry! I do plan on continuing Ezra's story as she travels with Yona and the gang when I return. Thank you so much in advance for your patience; you guys are truly the greatest readers anyone could ever ask for.

To apologize and help make up for my future extended absence, I'll give you guys a bit of insight into one of Ezra's greatest irrational fears. I had a lot of fun writing this scene, so I hope you enjoy!

***

Ezra let out a ragged breath, feeling a bead of sweat trail its way down her temple. She sidestepped Hak's spear as he launched a slightly clumsy attack, sweeping her swords with less grace than she had commanded twenty minutes before. Both of them were tired from sparring for so long. Hak jumped back to avoid her strike, but he didn't move quickly enough.

One of her blades lay across his glaive, neutralizing the weapon, while the other was pointed at his throat. He let out a breath and stepped back.

"I yield," he muttered, frowning with displeasure. "When did you get so quick, Ezra?" She'd always been fast, but now her movements had taken on a lightning-like quality that made them nearly impossible to track.

She chuckled, panting to get her breath back. "Since I've been training with Shinah."

Hak shook his head in disbelief. "I don't like losing," he stated with a grumble.

"Of course you don't, Thunder Beast," Ezra laughed. "But you can still beat me three times out of five, so I'm not the true winner here."

They'd been keeping track of their sparring matches. Hak still had the advantage over Ezra in terms of strength and reach, and it showed in their record.

"That's true." Hak grinned, good mood restored. "Let's go see what Yun is cooking, shall we?"

Ezra placed a hand over her grumbling stomach. "Sounds perfect." Ezra sheathed her blades as they turned to make the short trek back to their camp.

"Hey guys!" Yun called as soon as he spotted them. He was kneeling on the ground next to a stranger; a thin, sickly-looking older man with graying hair and sagging skin. In Yun's hand was a syringe filled with a clear liquid.

Ezra immediately stopped in her tracks. "Uh, Yun?" she asked, refusing to come another step closer. "W-what are you holding?"

"Huh? This?" Yun asked, holding up the syringe. "This is just a drought I prepared to help this man quickly get some of the nutrients his body desperately needs."

"Ah. Okay. Got it. Cool." Ezra turned jerkily. "I'm just gonna go..." She mumbled something under her breath that nobody else could hear before making as if to leave.

"What's wrong, Ez?" Yona asked, appearing at the girl's side.

"N-nothing," Ezra stuttered. "I'm fine."

"Don't tell me," Jaeha drawled, thoroughly amused. He twirled a strand of his long green hair around his fingers nonchalantly. "Ezra dear is afraid of needles."

"Am not!" Ezra snapped defensively.

"Are you okay, miss?" Zeno asked, his blue eyes bright with concern. "You look pale."

"I said I'm fine," Ezra said harshly, and Zeno frowned at her with his puppy dog eyes. She sighed. "Sorry, Zeno. Didn't mean to be so short with you."

Zeno immediately broke out in a large smile. "It's alright, miss! Zeno is not offended!"

She had to smile a little at the Ouryuu's bright face. Zeno was like a ray of sunshine; wherever he went, warmth and happiness followed.

Yun finished injecting the man with the syringe before standing, holding the needle aloft in his hand. "Are you afraid of needles, Ezra?" he asked.

"Of course not!"

Yun took a step towards her, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Really?"

Ezra trembled even as she held her ground. "Really."

Hak let out a laugh. "She's shaking."

"Am not!" Ezra shouted, punching him squarely on the shoulder. Hak just smirked as he rubbed his aching arm.

Another step. Ezra trembled even harder, though she fought not to.

"Are you sure?" Yun asked, smiling wickedly. "Just admit you're scared and I'll stop."

Ezra clenched her fists. "I'm not afraid."

"So be it." Yun took another step, then another, then another.

Ezra grit her teeth as she watched the needle come closer and closer to to her, fighting to keep her shaking to a minimum.

"Yun, that's enough," Yona said firmly.

"Why?" Yun asked, grinning. "If she's truly unafraid, then this means nothing. And if she is, all she needs to do is admit it and I'll stop."

Yona frowned. "You're being mean."

"It's fine, Yona," Ezra said through clenched teeth. After all, what kind of warrior was she if she couldn't even stand being near a syringe?

Yona fell silent.

Finally, Yun was close enough to Ezra that if she reached out, she could grab his shoulder.

There, she reached her breaking point.

Ezra let out a shriek of pure fear as she sprinted away from Yun and his needle, darting around the camp to find Shinah at its edge. He'd been watching the entire scene with an impassive face, though his hands were clenched at his sides.

"Shinah!" Ezra yelled, dashing behind the tall dragon warrior to hide behind his back. "Help me!"

Shinah froze in surprise as she buried her face in the fur that flowed down his back.

In front of them, Hak let out a hearty laugh. "Who knew Ezra had a cute side?" he teased. 

"Shut it, Doe-Eye!" Ezra shouted.

Hak immediately fell silent, properly chastised. Ezra had taken to calling Hak "Doe-Eye" whenever he annoyed her in reference to the way she often caught him looking at Yona. She'd told him he looked like a "doe-eyed loverboy", a description which he had a hard time denying.

No matter how hard Yona had pushed, both Ezra and Hak refused to explain the nickname to her. Hak didn't want the princess to know about his feelings, and Ezra enjoyed holding the threat of revealing them over his head at whatever chance she could get.

They both enjoyed watching Yona get flustered with frustration every time she tried to coax, beg, or threaten the story out of them.

"But this really is a shock," Jaeha mused, flipping his bangs out of his eyes. "Our fearless Ezra is afraid of needles."

"I just don't like them, okay?" Ezra snapped defensively, standing on her tiptoes to peek out over Shinah's shoulder. She caught sight of the needle Yun still held and immediately hid her face once more.

"Sure," Kija drawled, sarcasm dripping from his tone. A wide evil grin was plastered across his face. He had always been on the receiving end of Ezra's teasing; now that he had something he could throw in her face, he was ecstatic.

"You can come out from behind your knight in shining armor, Ezra," Yun called. "The needle is gone."

"Is it really, Shinah?" Ezra asked quietly, keeping her face buried in his fur.

Shinah couldn't help but grin at the raw vulnerability in her voice. Something about her was just so... so cute in that moment. She was normally a snarling tigress, ready to take on the entire world. Now, he couldn't help seeing her as a harmless, adorable little kitten. Seeing this new side of her both mystified and amused him, even as it drew him to her even more. "Yes," he answered.

And so, with a red face and angry eyes, Ezra stepped out from behind Shinah to face the group. "I just want to say that, for the record, I am not afraid of needles. I just don't like them."

She was met with faces full of disbelief.

"Uh huh," Jaeha drawled.

"Sure thing, Ezra," Yun said with a wink.

Even Yona was trying and failing to hide a smile.

"Ezra's afraid of needles! Ezra's afraid of needles!" Kija sang happily, dancing around in a circle.

"Whatever," Ezra scoffed. "You look ridiculous, White Snake."

Kija was too distracted by this new revelation to care about being called the "White Snake".

"No, this really is amusing," Hak said, strolling up to her. He twirled his glaive over his head before slashing it down in a graceful arc. The blade sliced through the air not an inch from Ezra's nose, blowing her dark hair back off of her shoulders.

She didn't even flinch.

"A blade or a weapon doesn't even faze her," Hak observed. "But come near her with a very tiny needle..."

He stepped aside, and Yun came forward with a new syringe in his hand and an evil grin on his face.

Ezra was unable to stop the cry of fear that escaped her throat before she ducked back behind Shinah.

"And she shrieks like a little girl," Hak concluded.

"I hate you all." Ezra's voice, muffled by Shinah's fur, could be heard by the entire group. They all burst into laughter, and Ezra grit her teeth in frustration. She could feel the rumble throughout Shinah's body as even the normally stoic Seiryu laughed at her antics.

Somehow, Ezra couldn't stay angry.

***

I hope you enjoyed getting to see a different side of Ezra! I had a lot of fun exploring her more vulnerable side. 

So now I must take my leave. Again, I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging for so long, but it can't be helped. I'll miss you all! I hope you all have an awesome month, and I'll see you at the end of July!

--Veratia0011