Hate. With every breath he took, with every beat of his heart, Shu hated. He hated until his bones ached and his spine tingled. Hate greeted him in the morning and lulled him to sleep at night. It was his everything. It was as if he was the embodiment of hatred itself. He had no room for anything else, not anymore.

Hiding within a thin thicket of trees along a cliff side path, Shu stared out at the passersby, waiting. His every cell ached to move, to seek out the object of his revenge, but through a monumental effort he remained still and silent. Soon. The target of his revenge, his opportunity, it would come to him soon. All he had to do was wait.

Silently, patiently, the man waited, his anger gnawing restlessly at his insides. He stared out of his hiding place, watching many mysterious and monstrous beasts passed by, completely unaware of his presence thanks to the preparation of his benefactors. Happily and harmoniously they trotted by, unaware of the ominous man crouched within the woods, his dark eyes following them as they passed.

Such a strange place, the spirit world. He had seen things resembling men, animals, plants, and everything in-between since entering this foreign plane. Had it not been for his backers, to come here would have meant death, or far worse. Still, before his patrons had ever offered him their aid, he had been preparing for this trip, ready to throw away he life in pursuit of his revenge. It was that very determination, his unrelenting grudge, which drew his co-conspirators to his side, once their own plans had failed.

Suddenly, the man stiffened, his hand drifting down to the dagger at his waist. There, a sound! Like a chime, the sound of laughter drifted through the air, deep and confident, yet unmistakably feminine. The words were lost to the wind, but the familiar voice caused Shu to clench his teeth until they threatened to crack. Her! His enemy was approaching. The one who had taken everything from him: Avatar Korra!

From around a bend on the cliff side path, she came into view. Garbed in the blues of her tribe, she wore an azure sleeveless shirt with a high collar, her arms garbed in midnight sleeves, exposing only her muscled shoulders and fingers. A matching pair of pants, padded in the style of many modern benders, were tucked into a pair of leather boots. A rawhide waist wrap could be seen around her hips, trimmed with white fur.

As Shu’s eyes rested on his enemy’s boyish face, taking in her caramel complexion and chin-length chestnut hair, he nearly lost control. So close… The avatar was so close… Still, using every ounce of willpower he possessed, he waited. His benefactors had a plan. All he had to do was wait just a few more minutes and revenge would be his.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Another voice, light and feminine, drew Shu’s attention away from the avatar. Striding alongside his hated foe, her companion tilted her head, sending her cascading black hair tumbling to the side. Her ruby lips blossomed like a rose amidst pale-pink face, her thin eyebrows rising in shock, though amusement danced within her emerald eyes. The rough travel clothes dyed in crimson and ash failed to conceal the graceful sashay with which she walked, though Shu care little for her.

“Oh come on! It was a compliment.” Chuckling softly, Korra shrugged as she eyed her companion, a teasing smile twisting her lips.

“And how is comparing me to a warty toad spirit supposed to be a compliment?” Asami’s voice rose in mock anger, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Well, they did call her the village beauty...” Korra received a playful slap on her shoulder for her mischief, rubbing the spot with a giggle. Caressing the dagger by his side once more, Shu’s anger surged, seeing his hated enemy so filled with joy. He could feel his hatred taking over, his vision growing red despite his desperate efforts to remain calm. Suddenly, the sound of panicked voices could be heard from up ahead, granting Shu a surge of strength. Just a little longer…

“From up ahead!” At the avatar’s shout, a gaggle of spirits came running down the mountain path, their hurried steps signaling their panic. Four little misshapen things resembling multi-colored sweets came charging past Shu’s hiding place, their frightened calls growing hopeful as they noticed the avatar. With a stomp, the earth beneath Korra rose, catapulting her forward as she rushed to meet the fleeing spirits.

“What is-“ Korra’s question was cut off at the sound of crumbling rocks ahead, followed shortly after by an earth- shaking roar. Suddenly, a shadowy black figure came charging around the corner, vaguely ape shaped with horns sprouting from its head and back. Its four eyes glowed with a sickly orange light, focusing on the fleeing figures before it. With inhuman speed it darted forward, rapidly closing the dozens of feet between itself and the avatar so quickly as to blur in Shu’s sight.

“A dark spirit…” From where he waited, Shu could hear the avatar’s shocked whisper, his knuckles creaking as he clenched his fist. So close! If he wished to, he could have been on her in seconds. This was his chance! All it would take was a single scratch. Shu’s entire body ached for him to launch himself at his enemy, but still he managed to hold himself back.

Everything had gone exactly as the his benefactors had promised so far. The Avatar was in position and the dark spirit was present. If his benefactors were correct, then shortly…

The avatar held her ground as the multicolored spirits fled passed her. Taking a steadying breath, Korra faced the dark spirit before her, relaxing her body. With a practiced ease, she lowered her stance, her muscled legs spreading slightly. Slowly, calmly, she brought her arms before her, beginning to move her hands in the languid circles that characterized water bending.

Immediately, Shu noticed a difference in the dark spirit’s charge. As if in a trance the spirit slowed, gradually coming to a stop a dozen feet from the avatar, wobbling uncertainly. From the air, water began to condense, forming a double helix around the shadowy figure as it dazedly stood, transfixed. As a soft, golden light began to creep its way upwards along the water, Shu took his opportunity. Suppressing a cry of triumph, he leapt from the thicket.

“Korra!” Far behind, Asami’s cry of warning was too late. Distracted by her bending, Shu was able to close the distance between himself and Korra in just a few seconds. Hand on his waist, Shu drew the pinky sized dagger.

As the weapon left its sheath, the spirit worlds itself shuddered, the entire world growing dark and cold as an unearthly wail seemed to rend the air. A palpable evil descended, malevolent and filled with resentment. Trees began to twist, the sky grew cloudy, and the wind began to pick up as the spiritual reverberations held within the dagger began to transform the very fabric of the world. An seething cloud of pure malice shrouded the blade, angry and black. Shu thrust his dagger.

Caught unawares, Korra quickly abandoned her spirit bending and widened her stance. Sweeping her arms towards Shu, she began to shift her center of gravity with a familiar ease, preparing to redirect her assailant’s momentum and divert his attack. Moments later, Shu found himself skating passed the avatar, his stance broken as he was sent tumbling harmlessly into the dirt. Well almost harmlessly. Glancing back at the avatar, Shu noticed a trickle of blood oozing from her shoulder as well as the absence the dark presence that had only moments earlier being twisting the very world.

It was little more than a knick, barely enough to draw blood. It was by all standards one of the most ineffectual attacks to qualify for the label. Yet still, Shu knew it to be enough. Staring at the tiny dagger still clutched within his hand, a tiny bead of blood graced its tip, a drop of crimson on an ebony peak that even now seemed to wither away.

“Asami!” Turning her attention back to the dark spirit before her, Korra let out a sharp bellow, returning to her bending. In that single momentary clash, she had felt Shu’s inexperience, immediately judging the dark spirit to be the greater threat.

“I’ve got it!” From nearby, Shu heard the young woman’s voice. However, Shu hardly responded, merely turning on his side to better watch the avatar as his dagger did its work. Asami arrived to the baffling scene of her friend’s assailant lying leisurely on his side, making neither a move to resist nor escape, with a satisfied smile on his lips. Unsure what to do, Asami decided to stand nearby, keeping an eye on the prone man.

“What’s… Grr... Happening?!?!” Hearing Korra’s struggling groan, Asami’s focus soon matched Shu’s as she turned to find the avatar struggling. The pure light which had only moments ago encircled the dark spirit now crackled with malevolent energy as a sickness seemed to seep along the double helix, polluting its radiance. Her forehead drenched with sweat, Korra was forced to halt her spirit bending, taking a stumbling step backwards.

“Asami! Back away!” Having lost her containment of the spirit, Korra quickly motioned for her friend to retreat. Despite the feverish heat radiating through her body, the avatar took a ready stance, preparing to fend off the corrupted spirit and give her friend a chance to escape.

However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the spirit didn’t attack. With a quiet sniff, the corrupted being merely stared at the avatar, tilting its head in apparent confusion before letting out a low whine. Then, with a differential nod the beast left, darting back the way it had came. Frozen in disbelief and incomprehension, Korra kept her guard up until the creature left.

“What just happened?” From above Shu,, he heard Asami’s shocked voice, her face twisting in apprehension. However, the man paid it no heed, his attention solely upon the avatar.

“Ugh…” Finally realizing the danger had passed, Korra began to slump like a puppet with its strings cut, stumbling as she struggled to stand.

“Korra!” With a start, Asami took a step towards her friend, almost rushing to her aid before a low laugh reminded her of the man on the ground.

Lying on his side, Shu couldn’t suppress his laughter, his low chuckle rising in pitch as realization struck the man and for the first time in ages he felt something besides hatred: Satisfaction. Finally! After all this time, he had done it! Looking at the dagger in his hand, Shu noted that his limb had blackened from the corrosion, a small price to pay for his revenge. Moving his eyes to the blade, a marred and worn scrap of metal greeted his vision.

“What did you do!” Shrieking in anger, Asami’s foot met Shu’s blackened wrist as she kicked, his hand weakly relinquishing the remains of the dagger as it sailed through the air. Moments later, the woman’s grip wrapped around the outstretched arm, careful to avoid Shu’s corrupted flesh as she grabbed his sleeve and maneuvered the man onto his stomach. Before he knew what was happening, Shu found his arm wretched tightly behind him as Asami took a seat on the small of his back, pinning him in place.

“Justice.” Shu’s mad cackle was cut off as Asami drove a knee in to his ribs, causing the man to choke.

“Cut the crap!” Stumbling toward the duo, Korra’s voice growled with anger. However, her anger only made Shu laugh harder.

“You don’t look too good, avatar…” A smile split the young man’s face, hideous and malevolent. Korra grit her teeth, taking an angry step forward before losing her footing, dropping to a knee. All of a sudden, the avatar’s face grew ghostly pale, a looked of shocked realization dawning on her face.

 “Korra!?” Alarmed, Asami watch as Korra fell backwards onto her butt, bracing a hand against the ground as she landed.

“Raava…” In the deathly quiet of the cliff side path, Korra’s disbelieving voice echoed in the air, reaching her friend.

“What-” Concerned, Asami raised her voice, only to be cut off.

“I can’t feel Raava!” Korra’s voice rang with a note of hysterical disbelief. The sight of tears pooling in her eyes caused Shu to fall into another fit of laughter. Bringing her had up to clasp the back of her captive’s head, Asami drove the man’s face into the dirt, silencing him.

“I… I…” Stuttering, Korra looked lost and on the verge of panic.

“Korra!” Raising her voice, Asami shouted, catching her friend’s attention. Snapped from her downward spiral, Korra shook her head, mustering her will. Without a word, she forced herself to stand up, staggering over to stand beside the two as Asami rifled through their assailant’s pockets.

“Look…” After a few seconds of rummaging, Asami withdrew her hand from the inner pocket of Shu’s jacket, her palm outstretched with two small objects resting within. The first was a small patch in the shape of the Equalist symbol, designed to be sewn onto a piece of clothing. The second was a small wooden playing tile: A red lotus.

“You…” With a look of realization, the avatar’s expression twisted, her fear replaced with anger.

 “You’d better start talking before I break your arm.” Giving Shu’s arm a savage twist, Asami let out an angry groan, her face just as angry.

“What’s your relationship with the Red Lotus?” Shu felt a splash of warm breath against the back of his neck as the raven haired woman leaned in close, her voice low and menacing.

“They’re just some likeminded individuals who offered to help  me meet an old friend.”  At Shu’s flippant remark, Asami’s knee dug into his back, eliciting a sigh of pain.

“Don’t play games.” The woman put more weight onto her leg until Shu’s breaths came in ragged gasps before finally easing the pressure.

“What’s wrong? Can’t imagine that the great and perfect avatar isn’t loved by absolutely everyone?” However, Shu was undeterred. Pain meant little to him now.

“It seems those friends of your have abandoned you.” With a note of smug satisfaction, Korra attempted to taunt their prisoner, only to receive a mocking laugh in return.

“Of course! I’m a cat’s-paw, a disposable pawn.” Shu cast a mocking grin in the avatar’s direction, paying little heed to the seething brunette baring down on his back.

“You don’t seem upset…” Shocked confusion colored Korra’s voice at the unexpected response.

“And why should I be? I got what I wanted…” At Shu’s response, the girls grew silent, realizing the man in their possession wasn’t completely sane. Shu could sense the discomfort in his audience at his flippant disregard for his own wellbeing, relishing it. Yes! Wise men feared those with nothing left to lose. Of course, it was already too late…

“What’s with that dagger?” Picking up where her friend left off, Asami asked about the corroded scrap of metal lying in the dirt nearby. Already, the nearby grass was withering at a visible speed as the remnants of its powers leached out into the surrounding soil.

“A curse… I suppose.” Shu shrugged with disinterest.

“What kind of curse?” Asami continued her interrogation, a note of worry in her voice.

“I’m not quite sure.” With a twist, Asami yanked her captive’s arm upwards, eliciting a momentary gasp of pain.

“I didn’t ask for the specifics. All I know is that the more I hate you, the more it hurts you.” However, despite his rough treatment, there was laughter in his voice when he spoke.

“Then I guess lifting the curse just became a whole lot simpler…” Realizing that the man on the ground was one of the components of her curse, the avatar brought her fist into her palm, a dark look on her face. From his position pinned to the ground, he turned his eyes upwards, smiling without a word at his would-be assailant.

“Wait! Something’s not right.” Sensing something amiss, Asami gave Korra a meaningful look before turning her attention back to the man beneath her.

“Talk! How do we lift the curse?” Twisting Shu’s arm threatening, Asami continued her interrogation. However, at the woman’s words, Shu couldn’t hold back his a hysterical cackle.

“I have to… forgive you…” His body heaving with laughter, Shu’s barely forced out the words, erupting in a coughing fit at the end from his exertion.

“What did I ever do to you?” Exasperated, Kora threw her arms wide, leaning forward with an accusatory expression.

“You took everything from me!!!” As if it were a lie, Shu’s laughter evaporated as he shouted the words with venom. Fury and madness danced within his eyes as he glared at the object of his hatred. His hatred resurfaced. Letting out a cry of pain, Korra dropped to her knees.

“Korra!”Asami let out a cry of concern. Seeing his opportunity, Shu brought his head back, striking his captor in the face and sending her reeling. With a twist of his body, he sent the woman sprawling in the dirt, freeing his arm and scrambling to his feet. Running, it took only a few seconds before he found himself at the cliff’s edge.

“Good luck getting forgiveness from a dead man!” With a shout of sadistic glee, Shu threw himself from the cliff, hurtling towards the ground below.

Falling, one again Shu found himself experiencing another long forgotten emotion: Contentment. In the background, his anger still radiated like a blazing sun, but it was a setting sun now that his revenge had been achieved. Who knows, had his revenge not required him to end his own life and deny the avatar her only possible means of salvation, he might have even recovered other emotions given time. Shrugging at the thought, Shu closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind ripping passed as the trees below surged towards him until a sudden upward force slowed his descent.

Suddenly, the wind buffeting Shu grew stronger, and with an alarmed look on his face the man opened his eyes. He was still falling, only seconds from crashing into the mesh of branches beneath him, but with every passing moment he found himself slowing. Glancing over his shoulder, he soon discovered the reason.

Standing at the top of the cliff, staring down at him in hateful defiance, stood the avatar. Nothing more than a blue and brown blur from this distance, Shu could just barely recognize the familiar stance of a bender as they shaped the elements. It was then that Shu recognized the wind for what it was; the avatar’s cursed hand! With a surge of hatred, the figure at the top of the cliff collapsed with a distant cry of pain, but it was too late.

With a smack, Shu turned his attention to the ground below once more, just as the first tree branch buffeted him in the face. Shu brought his hands up to his face by instinct, tucking his body as wood and leaves assaulted his form, followed moments later by spongy flesh.

With a thud, Shu landed amidst a patch of mushrooms, glowing with an otherworldly blue luminescence and sending a cloud of vibrant spores drifting through the air. The mushrooms, each as large as the man’s torso, cushioned the blow with their springy tissue, saving Shu from death but driving the air from his lings. With a shuddering breath, Shu inhaled, bringing with it the floating spores.

A surge of agony infected the man’s lungs as he drew a tainted breath, feeling the luminous motes invade his body accompanied by the feeling of suffocation. Once more he cursed the avatar, his hatred surging as she denied him even a clean death. Instead of a swift fall, he found himself doomed to choke to death on these burning spores. Clutching at his throat, Shu turned on his side as the world around him began to twist and sway in his vision.

As oxygen deprivation burned through his body, Shu watched as his feverish mind began to conjure visions, his consciousness losing its tenuous grip on reality his brain was deprived of air. The motes of light, so brilliant in the darkness of the bog, began to grow bigger in his vision as his dying brain focused on their listless travels through the air. His skin began to tingle, his woolen clothes seeming to slide passed his skin, a mild annoyance that seemed to grow rougher and more intrusive with every passing moment. A cool sensation assaulted his feet, and he could have sworn he felt his boots pull free from his body, though that didn’t make any sense. Finally, darkness claimed him, almost like a sheet of cloth rising over him and covering his face.

“So this is it, huh? This is death?” Shu’s voice seemed odd in his own ears, as if muffled, though he doubted he was actually speaking. He’d heard stories of people experiencing brushes with death before, where everything seemed far away in their final waking moments. It seemed like that was true. In the distance, Shu heard a splash as something dropped into the bog.

“He landed near here.” Loud yet muffled, Shu could hear his hated enemy’s voice in the distance, seeming both close and far at the same time. However, she seemed a lot less important to him now in his final moments, now that everything was over. He’d already inhaled these glowing spores, whatever they were. His fate was sealed.

“What are these, lights?” Faraway, Asami’s words reached Shu in the dark.

“Spores! Don’t breathe them in. They can’t be anything good…” Korra’s response was cautious, an edge of pain in her voice.

“Where is he?” A note of confused concern colored the avatar’s tone.

“Over there! Are those his… clothes?” Her friend’s response was bewildered, caught off guard.

“But what happened to him? He can’t have gotten far!” A note of urgency filled Korra’s words, but it was too late. Smugly, Shu felt his surroundings growing colder, awaiting the sweet embrace of oblivion.

The sound of splashing water could be heard growing closer, the noise growing louder and louder until Shu felt as if the waves would crash over him at any moment. What was this? Was an elephant crashing through the bog? The wet squelch of the muddy bog clinging to booted feet grew nearer and nearer, until it was all he could hear. Who knew dying could be so loud?

Then, unexpectedly, Shu’s world began to shake. He felt the cloth around him heaving and shifting as it was lifted upwards, his body sliding between its surface and dropping free. Moments later, Shu felt himself falling once more, the cold air ripping at his naked body until he felt himself bounce against a springy surface below.

“Ouch!” You weren’t supposed to feel pain after you were dead, were you? Opening his eyes, Shu looked upwards.

Kneeling, yet still towering above him, was the avatar. Like a colossus, she loomed over him, her face filling his vision with its impossible scale. In her hands she held his shirt, massive beyond imagining. Despite the piece of cloth draped across her mouth and nose, Shu could still make out her twisted look of disbelief, her steely blue eyes focusing on the tiny man before her.

With a horrible sinking feeling, Shu realized he wasn’t dying! Once again, Shu was graced with another long forgotten emotion: dread. Scrambling to his feet, the man’s foot slipped against the slick surface of the mycelium beneath him as he desperately move to escape. The permanence of his revenge hinged upon his death. There was no knowing what sick and twisted ways the avatar might use to force him to grant her his forgiveness. However, as a shadow descended upon him, Shu realized escape was no longer an option.

As the avatar’s warm hand embraced Shu’s shrunken form, he let out a cry of anguish. The sweet and sour smell of his hated enemy’s body odor and sweat assailed his senses as he felt himself being lifted up in the air. No! He was supposed to die! Struggling to break free, Shu felt himself being hauled further and further away from his demise.

“Don’t touch me!” As the stench of his hated enemy violated his nasal passage, a white hot rage engulfed Shu, wiping away every other thought within the shrunken man’s head. Not only had the avatar destroyed every aspect of his life, but she’d also ruined his death.  Feeling her calloused palms caress the bottom of his pallid body caused the equalist’s skin to crawl with repulsion.

“Aaagh” As if she held a burning coal, Korra’s face contorted with pain, dropping her shrunken prize.

“Korra!” Asami’s startled cry coincided with the soft splash as Shu was dropped into the water below. Moments later, Shu listened as a colossal crash echoed through the bog, accompanied by a violent current as the avatar was brought to her knees in agony. Shocked by the chilly embrace of the water and tossed about by the current, it took several seconds for the shrunken man to break the surface once more.

“It’s him.” A weak voice choked by pain greeted Shu as he finally surfaced, gasping desperately for air. A quick turn of his head revealed the source.

Once again, Shu was stunned at the sheer scale of the avatar, as he found himself floating just beneath her face. Brought to her knees, Korra’s muscled arms were buried nearly elbow deep in the murky water to either side of Shu as she supported herself, her limbs trembling as she fought to keep herself from collapsing into the bog. Looming overhead, she appeared more like a mountain than a living being, her strangled gasps of pain sending out ripples through the water that threatened to submerge the shrunken man. Despite the piece of cloth covering the lower half of the avatar’s face, he could still make out her twisted grimace of agony.

“What?” A far off voice broke Shu from his fascination, reminding him of his circumstance. It wasn’t too late. He still had a chance to escape. Frantically, the man looked around, searching for a quick way to end his own existence.

“He’s… Tiny.” As Korra let out a choked whisper from above, Shu quickly realized that there were no easy ways to end his own life. In the dozen seconds it would take him to even swim to the nearest piece of land, the avatar’s companion would be upon him, judging by the faraway splashes rapidly making their way towards his location. He only had one option left.

 “What the…” As the wake from Asami’s footsteps splashed against the man and a low gasp of surprise reached his ear, Shu took a deep breath, plunging himself beneath the surface of the murky water.

This was his final chance. Shu wasn’t the greatest swimmer, but desperation lent the man strength as he kicked his way deeper into the boggy water. A bone-deep chill settled into the shrunken man as he paddled, robbing him of strength as he struggled away from the light above. If he only got far enough away from the surface, the murky waters would surely conceal his whereabouts, at least until the cold water finished its dirty work. However, the warm embrace of a soft hand shattered Shu’s final hope.

“You!” An angry, feminine growl greeted Shu as he surfaced once more. As the man was pulled from the icy embrace of the bog, Asami’s two jade irises burrowed into his struggling form. Like the avatar, a strip of cloth covered the lower half of her face, obscuring her ruby lips from view.

“Let me go!” With an angry shriek, Shu frantically struggled against his unwelcome savior’s grasp. All around him, soft flesh clung firmly to his bare body, driving away the deathly chill that had started to rob him of strength. Having had his suicide ruined once more, for the first time since he could remember, Shu found someone besides the avatar as the target of his hatred.

“I’ve got him.” As Asami called out to her companion, she brought her other hand up to meet the first, cupping her palms around her shrunken prize. Squirming within the brunette’s grip, Shu could just barely make out her strained frown through a gap in her fingers.

 “We need to get out of the spores.” However, Asami quickly suppressed her discomfort, schooling her expression as she gazed off to the side where her companion struggled to stand with a worried gaze. As Korra recovered, Asami carefully made her way out of the swamp and back towards the more stable ground near the base of the cliffs, cautiously navigating the treacherous footing beneath until both she and Korra found themselves on dry land once more. The entire time, Shu continued to struggle in her grasp, struggling to slip free.

“Are you alright?” Within his captor’s hand, Shu felt Asami’s voice vibrate through his body. Finally free of the choking spores and treacherous bog, the man felt the woman’s grip tighten around him for a moment, pinning him in place. Removing a hand from Shu’s thrashing body, Asami reached up and stripped the rough cloth from her lower face before resuming her grip once more. To the side, Korra did the same, letting out a relieved sigh as the damp cloth was pried from her boyish face.

“I’m fine. Just wet.” Looking down at herself in disgust, the avatar took in her current appearance. From nearly head to toe, she was soaked, stinking of fetid water and stagnant muck. A thick layer of slimy mud caked her forearms and legs from the knees down, clinging to her like a second skin.

With his hated enemy once again in sight, Shu felt his anger turn towards her once more, and causing Korra’s expression twisted in pain. However, without the sheer guttural repulsion of being held by the object of his hatred or speaking with her directly, Shu’s anger was merely enough to cause the avatar to grimace and flinch.

“Korra!” Glancing down at the man within her hands, Asami noticed the direction of his gaze and quickly shifted her grip, completely engulfing Shu within her hands and breaking his line of sight.

“I’m fine. The pain’s not that bad. I was just caught off guard before.” Outside of Shu’s line-of-sight, the avatar took a steadying breath before forcing herself to stand up straight. In what was clearly an effort to change the subject, the avatar turned her gaze towards the cliffs above, careful to avoid her companion’s worried gaze. Uncharacteristically, the skies were overcast, causing the ever-present daylight to dim.

 “We need to chase after that dark spirit before someone gets hurt.” Korra shaded her eyes as she looked above, pretending to judge the distance back up to the cliff as she gritted her teeth.

“Korra…” Letting out a low voice of concern, Asami recognized Korra’s demeanor for what it was: a front.

“Afterwards, we can ask that freak some questions. Maybe one of the spirits-“ The avatar pointedly ignored her friend’s words, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge her state. However, Asami didn’t relent.

“Korra!” This time, Asami raised her voice, cutting off Korra as she spoke. Startled, the avatar finally looked at her companion once more.

“You’re not fine.” Asami let out a firm voice of concern, her jade eyes finding Korra’s and forcing the latter to look away. She knew how much her friend hated feeling vulnerable, how much she hated admitting weakness. Asami took a step towards her companion, standing in front of her and forcing Korra to meet her gaze.

“You can barely stand.” Asami’s words were barely a whisper as she attempted to soothe her friend.

“But someone could get hurt. We have to-” Korra’s voice was weak. However, before she could even get started, Asami cut her off.

“Quit being stubborn. You can’t help anyone in the state you’re in.” There was a hard edge to Asami’s voice as she put some force into her words. Korra recognized it as the tone her friend took when she was being stubborn about something stupid.

 “Do you think you could still airbend us back to the top of the cliff?” Softening her voice once more, Asami turned her eyes upwards, pointedly ignoring Shu’s squirming within her palms. Listening to the avatar share such a tender moment was sickening, though the lingering cold of the bog and the vile caress of Asami’s hands distracted most of the man’s anger, muting the curse’s affects.

“Of cour-…  Probably… Not.” Asami’s pointed stare cause Korra’s confident response to wither on her tongue, digging out the truth. To Asami, her companion’s answer was about more than just her ability to bend, it was about her overall condition. She’d seen Korra take a beating that would have put most people out cold and keep on swinging, so the fact that she couldn’t even bring herself to perform a basic air-leap caused Asami’s heart to sink.

 “Listen, we’re not too far from that toad village. What do you say we head back that way and look for a safe place to climb back up as we go? We can ask for help if we happen to cross any spirits.” Finally having some grasp of her friend’s condition, Asami was careful to keep the worry out of her voice, putting on a strong front of her own. As worried as she was, she knew Korra was worse off and needed a pillar of support.

“Alright.” Korra’s defeated response only added to Asami’s worries.

“But before that,  we need to set up camp. We’re both exhausted and soaked. Besides, we’ve been walking for most of the day already. We both needed to rest anyways.” Both women knew Asami’s words to be an exaggeration, but neither pointed it out.

“Oh, come on. We’ve still got a few hours of sunlight.” Forcing a smile, Korra spoke in a lighter tone, seeking to brighten the mood. There was no night in the spirit world. It was an ongoing joke Korra liked to make whenever Asami harped on her to maintain a regular sleep cycle, much to her companion’s annoyance.

“You know, that joke wasn’t funny the first time.” Thankful for some levity, Asami responded with her regular retort, taking comfort in the familiar back-and-forth.

“How about the twentieth?” Korra’s voice was tight with pain as she forced out a playful chuckle, which Asami pointedly ignored. Still, she couldn’t help but let out a small sigh at her friend’s good-natured pestering, until Korra’s face crumpled in pain. The sound of the avatar’s laughter had ignited another wave of hatred within the shrunken man that passed after a few seconds.

“Come on. I think I see a hill at the bottom of the cliff face. Maybe we can find somewhere dry to rest.” Swallowing her worry, Asami led her companion along the cliff side,  seeking out a dry spot to make camp.

Unfortunately for the two women, the hill turned out to be little better than the nearby bog, spongy and saturated with fetid water. Unable to muster the strength to waterbend the soil dry or earthbend a depression into the mountainside, the women were forced to walk further in search of shelter. All the while, constant pangs of pain assaulted the avatar, causing them to stop from time to time as Korra endured the attacks and Asami was forced to watch helplessly. Between the wretched terrain and intermittent breaks, the pair were forced to walk for an hour further before they finally located a suitable spot to camp, a small cave carefully concealed from view behind a weathered bolder along the base of the cliff.

Although the entrance to the cave was barely large enough to crouch through, once inside, the two discovered a larger cavern, more than suitable to offer them shelter. The space was regular and round, too spherical to have been a naturally occurring formation, though judging by the dusty interior whatever creature or spirit had created the stone den had long since abandoned it.

Finding the cavern not too dissimilar to an igloo, the two spotted a finger of light trailing down from above, marking the location of a rough hole in the ceiling that both served to illuminate the space and act as a chimney. Unfortunately for the two, they had only planned on a day’s walk to and from the toad’s village, so neither woman had more than the clothes on their back, let alone any camping equipment. With her hands occupied with the captive held within her grasp, Asami was left to wait helplessly as Korra went out to gather what little fire wood was available in the boggy environment, just barely managing to start a fire with her firebending so they could dry their soggy clothing.

“So, what are we going to do with him?” Sitting beside her companion around the fire, Asami voiced her question, a note of concern in her voice.

“We take him with us.” As Korra responded, the woman began to pry off her boot, releasing the stench of soggy feet and bog water into the enclosed space.

“Of course! I mean-“ As the stench hit Asami, the fair complected woman felt herself grow pale as she couldn’t help but turn her head and cough, quickly scooting further away from her companion as her words were forgotten.

“A little warning!?” Asami chastised her companion in a wheezing voice as Korra recoiled in embarrassment.

“Sorry.” Blushing, the avatar sat her boots on the opposite side of the fire, close enough to dry yet far enough to mitigate some of the stench. Moments later, she stripped off the outer layers of her clothes as well, setting them on the stone floor by the fire to dry, leaving only a tight white sports bra and a pair of panties to cover her muscled form. Realizing that her companion had made no move to strip off her own soaked clothing, Korra approached Asami, holding out a hand.

“Do you need me to-” Korra had barely begun  to offer to hold the shrunken equalist in her hand when Asami shook her head.

“You remember what happened last time.” Asami gave a concerned look towards Korra, referring to the agony she had experienced when she had picked the shrunken man up earlier.

“Come on, you’re soaked. You can’t just sit there. You’ll get sick.” Despite her exhaustion and pain, Korra’s voice rang with concern.

“Besides, it’s not as if you can carry him in your hand forever…” Korra allowed her voice to trail off, leaving her implications to the imagination.

“Of course. But I mean, how do we deal with him? It’s not like I can set him down. He doesn’t seem exactly… right in the head.” Normally, Asami would have asked Korra to earthbend a hole in the ground or something, but in her current state Korra had struggled to even start the fire. Asami wasn’t sure whether it was due to the curse, exhaustion, the constant pain, or all three, but they couldn’t rely on Korra’s bending to provide an easy solution.

“What does it matter. He’s tiny now.  Why don’t we just drop the little creep in my boot or somethi-” Korra felt her legs go weak as the constant pain suddenly jumped from a dull ache to a searing burn.

“Korra!” Asami’s alarmed voice echoed within the cavern.

“I’m fine.” Swallowing, her cries of pain, Korra grit her teeth as she endured the new wave of agony.

Within Asami’s palm, Shu felt his anger boil over at the avatar’s words. Although he’d heard stories to the contrary, the crude little brute hadn’t changed a bit since he’d last seen her in Republic City. She was still the same vulgar thug who’d rampaged against the equalists, using brute strength to crush those who opposed her without a single consideration for their circumstances like so many of her filthy bending brethren. Even against a shrunken and helpless foe, she wouldn’t hesitate to show her barbarism!

Well, he’d show her! He wasn’t like her other victims. He wasn’t helpless anymore. Although he didn’t understand the specifics of this curse, he could still use it to inflict pain. All it required was a little focus. Envisioning in his mind the various wrongs he had endured and brutalities he had witnessed as a result of the avatar’s careless cruelty, Shu stoked his anger, listening as a stifled groan of pain eventually forced its way from the avatar’s mouth.

“Korra!” Focusing on his hatred, Shu resolutely ignored the cry of worry which rocked his body from above as well as the sense of satisfaction at his enemy’s suffering which threatened to distract from his anger. He was so focused on his hatred that he didn’t notice the hands around him moving until he felt a sharp blow against his ribs.

“Gah!” Caught unawares, Shu found the breath driven from his body as he fell to his side atop Asami’s sweaty palm. Shocked, the shrunken man turned his head upwards to find his captor’s other hand hovering above him menacingly, poised to send another thundering flick his way at a moment’s notice.

“It stopped?” Struggling to catch her breath, Korra managed to squeeze out the words between choking gasps, her voice tinged with surprise.

“I noticed it back when you collapsed after you tried to grab him. The second I picked him up and he focused on me, you got better…” Though Asami’s voice was still tight with concern, it also held notes of relief. Finally, the woman was no longer forced to watch helplessly as her friend suffered. Within her palm, Shu couldn’t help but feel his hatred directed towards his captor as he rubbed his bruised ribs.

“So that means all you have to do is give him a flick every now and then and-“ Korra’s threatening words were cut off by a wave of pain which itself was cut off by a soft thump of Asami’s finger. This time, the woman’s flick struck Shu in the temple, dazing the man and causing the world to spin.

“Stop antagonizing him!” Asami’s voice broke as she cried out, exasperated. As Korra slowly recovered from the new round of pain, her companion continued in a lower tone.

 “He said so himself, didn’t he? His hatred brings you pain.” At the woman’s words, the cave grew quiet.

“But can’t you just keep… distracting him?“ After a few moments Korra broke the silence, carefully phrasing her words in the least antagonistic way she could manage.

 “It’s not that simple…” However, at her companion’s question, Asami merely stretched out her hand, displaying their captive. Dazed, Shu laid helplessly in his captor’s tender palm, his naked body exposed as he grasped his temple. Already, a large black spot could be seen forming on the side of his ribcage as well as a giant knot on his head.

“I’m not sure how long he’d survive…” Asami’s quiet words echoed in the cavern. Seeing the havoc two simple flicks had caused the shrunken man, Korra audibly swallowed.

“Then what do we do?” This time, Korra’s voice wasn’t tight merely from pain.

“You are going to lie down and get some rest.” Korra didn’t miss Asami’s emphasis on the word “you.”

“What about you?” There was  note of worry in Korra’s voice.

“I’ll sit outside and keep him distracted. I figure keeping him as far away from you as possible is probably for the best.” Within Asami’s palms, Shu began to stir once more, as if punctuating her words.

“But don’t we need to interr-“ As Korra began to raise her voice in protest, Asami leaned in, placing her ruby lips against the avatar’s. The darker woman let out a murmur of surprise before her companion pulled away, standing up from the fire.

 “No buts. Rest.” Already, the fire was beginning to grow low as what little kindling they had managed to scavenge had long been reduced to fading embers. However, they had served their purpose. By now, Korra’s clothes should have mostly dried, allowing the woman to use them for bedding once she brushed away the dried mud, and Asami’s were barely damp. With a purposeful gait, Asami left the cave, carrying her charge with her.

Having mostly recovered within Asami’s palms, Shu began to stir once more, reaching a hand tenderly to his pounding temple. Despite the hour spent being carried aloft by his captor previously, he had yet to grown used to the disorienting sensation of being carried, and now that his head was spinning he felt as if he would be sick. However, thankfully, his journey was a short one. Crouching her way through the low entrance of the cave, Asami stepped out into the overcast sunlight.

Sitting beside the cave entrance, Asami leaned her back against the cliff, sinking to the ground. No longer in front of her companion, the young woman quickly relaxed, allowing her stoic and calm exterior to crumble, revealing fatigue and worry. Shifting the limp man into a single hand, Asami slipped her hand down to her boots, removing them one by one along with her socks and setting them on the stone beside her to air out.

Although the fire had dried her clothing, the woman’s socks and boots still remained soaked. Thankfully, the open air carried the scent of soiled boots away, sparing the pair. Settling into a comfortable position, Asami’s brought the hands holding the shrunken man to rest on her lap, her piercing gaze radiating hostility as her eyes bored into her captive.

For the first time since he had been shrunk, Shu was given a moment of peace and quiet, allowing him to contemplate his current circumstances. As Asami’s piercing glare bore into him, he couldn’t help but feel truly insignificant, his anger withering in awe at her overwhelming scale. She was like a titaness before him, his full size barely reaching the size of her pinky. A single squeeze of her hand, a flick of her wrist, and he’d be nothing more than a red smear. He didn’t even have the benefit of clothing to shield him from his captor’s emerald glare, not that it mattered. Compared to a little humiliation, his anger was-

As Shu’s thoughts returned once more to the avatar, a soft gasp of pain could be heard from the cave. Shortly after, a soft squeeze around his chest knocked the wind from the man’s lungs, breaking his train of thought.

“Don’t… While I’m still being nice.” There was a low growl of threat in Asami’s voice as her emerald gaze bore down into the shrunken man.

Alone with the avatar’s companion, Shu anticipated many things. He expected to be interrogated, accosted, or challenged. However, contrary to his expectations, Asami sat silently, resting her head against the cliff side as she tiredly stared down at the man. As the minutes passed by in silence, Shu began to grow restless, unnerved by the unflinching gaze directed towards him until a subtle sound drifted from the cave once more.

As her eyebrows furrowed, Asami’s hand tightened again, driving the air from Shu’s lungs and causing his rib cage to release an ominous creak. However, this time, the sound didn’t fade, despite her efforts to break the focus of the man in her hands. Narrowing her eyes, she relaxed her grip on Shu, tilting her head and focusing on the sound tickling her ears until she recognized it for what it was: sobbing.

Closing her eyes, Asami’s expression twisted in pain, her own heart aching as her friend suffered nearby. From down below, Shu could see beads of moisture beginning to pool at the edge of his captor’s thick lashes, feeling a sense of elation as he too recognized the sound. However, for the first time, a feeling besides hatred bloomed within the man as he thought of the avatar. Warmth bloomed within Shu’s chest.  That warmth soon crawled its way from his throat, erupting as twisted laughter.

Opening her eyes, two liquid trails dropped down from Asami’s jade-like eyes, racing down the curve of her pink cheeks as she glared down at the man in her hands. Disgust and anger contorted her delicate features into a grimace of hatred, one Shu had seen in his own reflection, causing the man to laugh even harder. A quick squeeze drove the air from his lungs, sending a surge of pain through the man. However, even when the pressure let up and Shu refilled his lungs, Korra’s distant sobs were like a symphony to the man, causing his laughter to resume.  Seeing the man’s unflinching joy, Asami glanced to the side, her eyes ablaze with fury.

It wasn’t until Shu felt himself being carried aloft, only to be dropped into the top of Asami’s soggy boot that the man’s laughter was cut off.

Letting out a choked gasp of panic, for the second time since he had shrunk, Shu felt the familiar sense of vertigo as he plummeted through the air. Accompanied by the whine of the wind surging passed his ears, the captive’s twisted laughter instantly transformed into a shriek of alarm as he fell backwards through the air. Flailing in an attempt to right himself, the man fell through the air for several terrifying seconds before the spongy surface of the sole of Asami’s boot rose up to crash into the man’s back, driving the air from his lungs.

His heart racing, Shu was dazed by the impact with the soggy leather beneath him, but otherwise unharmed. Due to his new size, the cushioned surface beneath him, and his landing posture, what had seemed like a twenty foot drop had merely left the man winded and a little startled. It would take a long time before he got used to his new, smaller perspective, not that he intended to live for that long. Struggling to regain his composure, Shu took a steadying breath, his lungs seizing at the tainted air which passed between his lips.

Before the man could even recognize the stench slithering its way through his sinuses, his body reacted in instinctive repulsion, his lungs squeezing tight to stop any further violation by the miasma all around him. It was like a palpable force had reached into his chest, squeezing his lungs with a fierce grip. A mixture of nausea and panicked asphyxia overcame the Shu as his body struggled between its need for oxygen and it’s absolute revulsion at the quality of air which was available until eventually his need to breathe won out. With a choked breath, the captive inhaled, taking in the fetid air around him.

Unsurprisingly, the boggy stench of marsh water suffused the boot, but Shu had long since grown used to the fetid stink of stagnant water. It was the other smells that caused the shrunken man to gag. The boots around him had seen miles of hard wear, as evidenced by the sour and salty stench of sweat that even the fetid waters couldn’t wash away. The familiar odors of worked leather and wax mingled with the musky aroma of foot in a juxtaposition that made the captive’s head spin. The cloying reek of soured socks and the faintly sweet smell of floral soaps entwined together to cap the disparate bouquet within the footwear.

The appalling stench clinging to the air was enough to make anyone gag. It brought to mind long treks on hot afternoons, many days spent roughing it through the wilds without access to bathes, and the insufficient laundering of socks. Despite the seemingly clean state of the avatar’s companion, the putrid state of her boot spoke of the hardships she had faced which no amount of washing could wipe away. Shu felt his nose begin to burn and his mouth water as rancid air poured into his lungs.

However, although the smell was enough to cause anyone to gag, Shu’s repulsion wasn’t purely physical. The former equalist was no stranger to the stench of filth, he had spent no small amount of time scrabbling around in the back alleys of Republic City, but still the stink of Asami’s boot assaulted him in a way that the back alley’s filled with rotting garbage could not. It was the organic notes that truly repulsed the man, dragging up memories he struggled every day to keep buried. Sweat, body odor, and leather mingled together with Asami’s residual body heat and feminine smell, filling Shu with a separate sense of revulsion unrelated to his current circumstances.

Violation, repulsion, and sheer guttural nausea overcame Shu, washing even his anger away with the baser intensity of his reaction. Before he even realized, the shrunken man found himself on his hands and knees, facing the soggy sole beneath him as he retched with such a painful intensity that it were as if his body were struggling to turn itself inside out. Only once the burning asphyxia within Shu’s lungs was too much to bare did the man’s body finally relax enough to permit his lungs to inhale once more, starting the process anew. For several minutes, the shrunken man suffered at the bottom of the boot before the painful seizing of his body finally subsided enough for the man to do anything other than puke.

Trembling, Shu wiped the vomit from his mouth as he struggled to stand. He had experienced far worse before, but that didn’t mean he was eager to suffer some new indignity or to endure the constant reminder of the past ones. A sheen of sweat coated his body as the urge to escape the phantoms of his prior traumas mingled with the physical repulsion at his surroundings, eating away at his composure. He needed to get away. Struggling to stand, Shu turned his attention towards the opening of the boot above, his vision filling with his captor’s face.

“Listen here you little…” As two watery green eyes bore down at Shu with undisguised hatred, Asami let out a low growl through gritted teeth, her voice seething with a hatred Shu was all too familiar with. Whatever restraint Asami had shown in front of the avatar was lifted now that she found herself alone with her captive, filling Shu with the faint hope that she might lose her composure and end him in her fury. However, Shu was not so lucky. Realizing she was tempted to do something reckless, Asami took a breath, quickly sweeping the tears from her eyes as she collected herself before returning her focus to the shrunken man beneath her once more.

“I don’t know your history, and I don’t care.” Asami’s green eyes seethed with barely restrained rage as she stared down at the shrunken man held within her boot. Unnerved by the miasmic stench all around him and the vile memories it unearthed, Shu couldn’t help but shiver at her gaze. He felt helpless and trapped, a feeling he’d sworn he’d never experience again.

“But Korra means a lot to me, and you don’t.” Asami’s voice grew lower as she spoke, her heated anger giving way to a cold malice that prickled at Shu’s spine. The man was familiar with that tone of voice, a cruel cold apathy that promised pain if one didn’t comply. Once again, Shu shivered as he repressed the memories of traumas past.

“So you’re going to play nice and keep your hatred in check until we find a way to undo whatever it is you did.” Even at the bottom of her boot, Shu felt Asami’s sweet breath wash over him as she leaned in menacingly, eclipsing the opening to the boot above. Her mouth as open in a silent snarl as she stared down at him, each of her porcelain-white teeth larger than his head.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll make whatever injustice you blame Korra for seem petty compared to what I’ll do to you.” Staring up into those emerald orbs, Shu felt transfixed, like a mouse before a snake. There was a note of determination in Asami’s voice and a tone of malice that had been absent while the Avatar was present.

Suddenly, Shu was confronted with the sheer precariousness of his situation. Between Asami’s looming snarl, the ease with which she had handled him, and his current location within her boots, the captive couldn’t help but contemplate his own frailty. Were it not for the fear that his death might bring the avatar some harm, Asami could have snuffed him out with a pinch. In fact, there were far crueler ways she could end his life. Shu couldn’t help but feel his eyes drawn once more to the ruby lips above, shuddering at the shadowy abyss that lurked beyond.

Surrounded by the sickly stench of body odor and sweat and confronted with the giantess’ cold voice, Shu couldn’t help but tremble. This feeling of oppression and helplessness was familiar: Too familiar. It brought him back to the days before the equalists had rescued him from his hell. He felt like a child again, small and helpless.

However, Shu’s moment of weakness was short lived. His hatred was not so shallow as to be washed away by mere reminders of his past, nor did the pathetic threats of this pampered rich kid even compare to the injustices and suffering he’d already endured. In fact, the filthy scents around him only served to harden his resolve, reminding him of everything he had already endured and everything the avatar had taken from him, kindling his hatred once more.

Nonetheless, Asami’s efforts weren’t fruitless. As much as Shu’s hatred was directed towards Korra, having some rich kid from Republic City dare to threaten him was enough to direct his anger towards herself. How could this rich brat even dream of the hardships he had endured as she grew up in her mansion? How could she even imagine what it was like to sleep on cold stone exposed to the elements when she’d only ever slept on the softest sheets? How could she know what it was like to suffer and struggle for what little you have, only to have everything taken away? Yet she dared to threaten him?  Shu screamed his profanities at the looming face above in response, and when his tiny voice failed to reach his captor, he made crude gestures instead.

Asami eyebrows lowered as her glare deepened, but she remained silent, instead letting her actions speak for her. All of a sudden, Shu felt the boot around him shudder as it tossed and turned, helplessly taking his feet out from under him. In a moment, the man found himself rolling across the sole of the boot, bouncing from wall to wall as the larger woman tilted the boot in various directions, sending her captive tumbling around inside her soiled boot. After a few seconds, Shu felt the boot contact the ground once more as the world around him suddenly became still once more.

Once again, Shu found himself on his hands and knees, though this time the world around him seemed to spin and twist with vertigo. His body heaved as motion sickness overwhelmed the man, and a guttural groan erupted from his throat, though this time only bile poured out. It took several minutes before Shu managed to recover enough to stand once more, turning to face the titaness above with defiant eyes.

“Consider this a warning.” Seeing him as defiant as before, Asami sneered at the shrunken man beneath her. Suddenly, the world around Shu began to shift once more as the leather sole beneath him began tilting towards the toe of Asami’s boot. Losing his balance, Shu was sent tumbling downward along the soggy leather slope, slamming into the pointed depth of the footwear. The world around him jostled as Asami shuffled around outside until the light with the boot was cut off.

The scratch of wet wool on leather and the sour stench of mildew was Shu’s only warning before Asami’s soggy sock pushed against his body, locking him in the deepest depths of her boot. The cool, wet cloth slithered against his bare skin before pulling away as his giant captor withdrew it a little, sparing the shrunken man some breathing room. Moments later, another wad of soured cloth was wedged behind the first, entombing Shu within.

Old memories struggled to resurface as Shu’s claustrophobic surroundings reminded him of his past suffering and imprisonment. Gritting his teeth, the shrunken man harnessed his hatred as a shield, his wrath directed entirely at the black-haired woman whose boot he now lay entombed within for making him experience captivity once more.

Holding his nose, Shu fought the urge to vomit as his odorous surroundings invaded his nose, his nausea more psychological than physical as his body began to acclimate to the filth. This was his chance. With any luck, his captor might assume the socks were enough to trap him in place and drop her guard, allowing him to escape. Groping around blindly in the dark, the captive reached out towards where he knew the woolen barrier to be.

As Shu’s palm made contact with the fetid sock, the man couldn’t help but shiver as the soggy cloth let out a sickening squelch beneath his touch. The smell was abhorrent, even when compared to the boot, like human filth and armpit. Trapped in the toe of the shoe, the stench of sour fabric only continue to build as Shu made his way to the edge of the fabric blockade.

Reaching the border between leather and wool, Shu feverishly worked at the divide, shoving his arm into the gap and ignoring the tainted water which oozed in response. He was eager, no desperate to get out, to see the light of the sky and take in the relatively fresh air he knew to wait just beyond his clothen prison. However, after several minutes of effort, it soon became apparent that the soured cloth was wedged too tightly for the him to squeeze passed. With a curse, the man smashed his fist against the soggy leather to his side, getting little more than a soft squelch for his efforts.

Resigning himself to his fate, Shu tucked himself in the corner of the boot, the radiant heat of Asami’s body on the other side warming the toe of the shoe. He had been through worse. He had suffered torments beyond this pampered brat’s imagination. In fact, the memories of his past were far worse than his current circumstances. He would not be broken.

Damp and reeking with the sour stench of wet feet, again the familiar heat of hatred suffused Shu’s soul, although this time it was directed towards Asami.  The woman might not have been responsible for his suffering, but her current actions were a constant reminder of the many abuses he had endured, and he couldn’t help but overlap the image of the black-haired woman with that of his previous tormentors within his mind. Cowering in anger, fatigue eventually overwhelmed the shrunken man, luring him into a deep slumber.

***

 “Enough of your excuses Kozu. Where’s our money?” Despite the heavy shroud which seemed to cloak his mind, Shu immediately recognized his surroundings for what it was, a dream. Shu was no stranger to dreams, especially nightmares, though he wished otherwise. In fact, it was a familiar dream, a haunting vision that often plagued his sleep though he had never dreamt it so clearly before.

Shu found himself peering at the squalid apartment he and his father had shared through the eyes of his eight-year-old self. It was a smaller flat, too small for most people, let alone the father and son who shared the space. Adorned with only single bed, a chest for clothes, and a stove, the room was a barely livable slum that hardly kept the winter air out, but it was home.

 “Please! I’ll have your money shortly. I just need a little more-“ Before him, his father kneeled upon the ground in front of three men. He was a giant of a man, six and a half feet tall with muscles shaped by years of manual labor. Yet, before the benders in front of him, his strength meant nothing. He was neither a martial artist nor a bender himself, just an honest man who did honest work, unlike the three towering over him.

“Time!?” The leader of the group, an earthbender by the name of Yutao, interrupted his father’s pleas for mercy. A year before, when Shu’s mother had grown sick, his father Kozu had been forced to take out a loan to purchase medicine; Medicine that had ultimately proved fruitless. In the span of a fortnight, the man had found himself a widow, a single father, and hopelessly in debt. Now, a year later, his lenders had grown tired of waiting to be repaid.

“That’s what you said the last time and the time before.” Yutao smashed his fist against the wall in anger, causing the neglected plastered surface to crack. Once his wife had died, Shu’s father had struggled to balance repaying his debt and making ends meet, failing at both. With only one income, the man struggled to feed himself and his son while keeping a roof over their head, let alone make any progress on the money he owned. Slowly, the interest had accrued until repaying his debts became hopeless.

“Please, I beg of you. One last chance.” Despite knowing it was a dream, Shu couldn’t help but feel like a child again, watching his father kneel and beg. He felt hopeless and powerless, his eyes watering in fear as he watched the benders lord over his father. Kozu had done nothing wrong, yet in order to try to save Shu’s mother, he had been forced to borrow money from the wrong people. And, for the simple fact that he hadn’t been born a bender, the larger man now found himself at the mercy of these three thugs.

“We told you, this was your final chance.” Yutao’s foot rose faster than Kozu could react, stomping against the kneeling man’s face and sending Shu’s father sprawling onto his back in a daze. Seeing his father struck, the boy flinched, cowering where he stood around the corner of the stove. However, rather than retaliate, his father merely pulled himself forward once more, kowtowing before his assailant.

“Please! Take whatever you want. Everything I have is yours.” His nose bleeding, Kozu pleaded with the thugs, his voice desperate. Although Shu didn’t know it at the time, the San-Tao gang had a reputation as both one of the fairest and one of the cruelest gangs in Republic City. They offered the most reasonable terms when lending money, but had one of the cruelest responses to those who failed to pay their debts. His father was one of the latter.

 “What? The pots and pans? Do you think we’re a pawn shop?” Yutao’s face twisted in disgust as he motioned around, gesturing at the nearly barren apartment Shu and his father lived in. As soon as Kozu had fallen into debt, he had sold everything in order to repay it as soon as possible, eventually moving from a humble but livable apartment to their current squalid shack, but it had proven fruitless. Besides the absolute bare minimum needed to live, the father and son owned nothing.

 “You’ve been late too many times. It’s sending a bad message. How are we supposed to do business if our lenders think they can put off repaying us as long as they like?” Yutao voice was cold and uncaring. If he felt any pity for the man at his feet, he didn’t show it.

“Please, I’ll do anything. I’ll sell everything. I’ll get your money.” Even as a child, Shu had realized that everything they owned still wouldn’t be enough. Yutao was no fool. Whether it be a month or a year, he knew Kozu couldn’t come up with the money. The only reason they had even permitted this farce to continue for so long was because their gang’s reputation demanded it; the same reputation which now demanded reparations.

“You should have done that after our last warning. It’s too late for that now. We want our money now, and if you don’t have it, we’ll just have to take something else as compensation.” Yutao coldly shook his head, his voice leaving no room for discussion. The money wasn’t important by this point. His gang’s reputation was at stake.

“You, boy! Come here.” In the dream, Shu felt his eight-year-old self jump in fear, feeling once more the helpless terror as if it were that very day. Seeing Yutao’s dark gaze falling upon himself, Shu’s younger self finally burst into tears, knowing little more than that the scary man had focused his attention on him.

“Please, no! Not my son!” Seeing the direction of Yutao’s attention, Kozu quickly clutched at the bender’s pants leg, begging for mercy. There was fear and desperation in his father’s voice that Shu didn’t understand at the time, though he would soon find out. As a child, he hadn’t known what it would mean to be taken by Yutao’s men. Not yet…

“Get off me you little…” In response to his father’s desperate begging, Yutao stomped his other foot. It was a subtle gesture that might have been insignificant, had the man not been an earthbender. From Yutao, it was enough to destroy Shu’s life.

Desperately, Shu wished to turn his head, to look away at his father’s final moments, but the dream didn’t allow that. Helplessly trapped within his younger self, he was forced to watch as the pointed spear of stone broke through floorboard, embedding itself within the bottom of his father’s skull and lightly protruding from the top. Only the briefest spray of blood escaped, splattering against the ceiling along with a few chunks of gray matter. Yet, despite the subtlety of the violence, the deed was done. Kozu let out a sudden twitch before his body grew slack and the light faded from his eyes. With but a simple gesture, Shu found himself an orphan.

Once more, Shu was forced to endure the shock, the dread, and the incomprehension of losing his father as if it were that very day. His eight-year-old self simply couldn’t make sense of the overwhelming sense of loss that assailed him, beyond anything he had ever experienced before, causing the child to freeze. Even to this day, Shu cursed himself for remaining. He cursed himself for not running away as fast as he could. Even if it was futile, even if his fate wouldn’t change, he cursed himself for meekly standing there as Yutao sauntered up to him, not so much as putting up a fight.

It wasn’t until Yutao’s hand grasped him by his shoulder that the grieving child snapped from his stupor, struggling to pull himself away from the adult whose iron grip locked him in place. However, by then it was too late. The far stronger man hardly even noticed the child squirming against his grasp.

“Take anything of value. With any luck, we’ll break even.” As Yutao’s cold, dispassionate voice echoed in the smaller room, despair and terror warred within the child, a mere shadow of what was to come. Struggling and struggling, the child fought to escape, kicking and screaming…

Choking back a sob, Shu found himself screaming as he jolted awake, his head bouncing off of the leather ceiling above as he jolted up in terror. For a moment, he was his eight-year-old self, waking up in the dark, mourning the loss of his father.

“Korra!” Asami’s cry of alarm brought the man back to reality. His days at the mercy of Yutao were long behind him. The man was long dead. Grasping his head in the dark, Shu had almost regained his composure until a soft, weak voice reached his ears, sending a chill down his spine.

“No! Let me go! Dad!” Far away, muffled by leather and cloth, Shu could just make out the voice of Korra as she screamed in the cave. His stomach grew cold at the anguished cries that echoed the ones from his dream. Hearing the words from his darkest nightmares spoken aloud once more caused a surge of emotions beyond description to well within the shrunken man.

Without warning, Shu felt the world around him tilt as the boot he was in was knocked over. Feeling the shoe around him crash to the side, he couldn’t help but retch once more, spitting up bile as emotions, disorientation, and the stench overwhelmed him. Dully, the far off sound of bare feet on stone could be heard as Asami rushed into the cave.

It took four hours of relentless trekking through the marsh and a further two by road before Korra and Asami finally managed to return to the toad spirit’s village, much to the exhausted pair’s relief. The soggy ground and clinging mud had pulled at their every step, sapping their strength and leaving their feet scraped and raw. Yet, despite their shared burden and Korra’s curse, by the time they arrived at Elder Toad’s home once more, it was Asami who could barely stand.

                Caught unprepared and with a palm-sized captive in tow, the women had been forced to improvise, ultimately settling on using Asami’s sock as a makeshift bag, leaving her barefoot within her boots. It had served to both blind and distract their captive, sparing Korra the added burden of her curse flaring up at the expense of Asami’s feet. However, after dropping their captive off in the guest house and explaining the situation to Elder Toad in her tea room, the spirit’s words caused the two women to forget the aches of their journey.

“Married?” With an expression as if she had seen a ghost, Korra couldn’t suppress a surprised outburst at Elder Toad’s words, sinking back into her wooden chair. They had expected the curse to be something ancient and sinister, not a marriage ritual! In a chair to the side, Asami paused as she bandaged her feet, nearly dropping the gauze in her hand.

“Well, that’s what the ritual was designed for. It’s actually quite romantic! Two lovers swearing an blood oath to each other by the same dagger…” Elder Toad’s voice took on a wistful note as the frog spirit’s eyes gazed off into the distance. From their last visit, the women had experienced the elderly spirits obsession with romance first hand, much to their embarrassment. However, haggard and road-weary as the women were, they had a lot less patience for the capricious toad.

“How is that romantic?” Recovering from her shock, Korra couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice, despite her efforts to remain polite. Turning her gaze towards Asami, she found her companion’s expression sharp and cold.

“It binds the two lovers’ minds, body, and souls. Surely, you’ve felt some awareness of your… err…” Breaking from her revelry, Elder Toad’s expression became serious as she remember her guest’s circumstances. Regardless of its origin, the ritual was as good as a curse under the current situation.

“Attacker.” Asami’s voice was cold as she chimed in, disgust coating her words.

“All I’ve felt is pain.” Korra’s voice wasn’t much different as she remembered her assailant, the thought of being married to him giving her goose bumps. It was a violation! Shivering in disgust, the woman turned her attention back to the spirit before her.

“What better way to push couples to sort out their disagreements than a touch of discomfort?” The toad spirit’s words was weaker as she spoke, her voice hesitant as her face twisted in a mixture of disbelief and betrayal. For a romantic old soul such as herself, speaking of a marriage ritual with anything other than wistful longing felt wrong.

“It’s torture!” Korra couldn’t keep her voice from rising, despite her best efforts to remain polite. Although by now the pain had mostly faded to a dull ache, the initial searing agony of the curse still lingered in the woman’s mind. It wasn’t the worst pain she had ever felt, but it was certainly up there. To think they would subject lovers to this sort of…

“Like I said, it wasn’t designed to be used by enemies. The discomfort is proportional to the displeasure. A small disagreement might yield a dull itch, pushing the couples to talk things out and hopefully resolve their differences. In happy couples, it would even convey a comforting sensation, not too dissimilar from the bond you share with Raava…” Elder Toad’s voice trailed off as she wanted to defend the ritual, but couldn’t in the face of its misuse.

“Is that why I can’t feel her?” With a look of realization, Korra pressed the old toad spirit, leaning forward over the wooden table separating them. The intensity of the woman’s gaze caused the old spirit to lean away in surprise.

“I don’t know.” Raising her knobby hands, Elder Toad motioned for the avatar to settle down before continuing.

“It may be that the bonds are interfering with one another. This is the first time the marriage ritual has been… abused… like this.” Saying the words aloud, the elder spirit’s mouth pulled wide in an inhuman grimace as her own anger began to boil over.

“This is a travesty! That ritual was designed for love, not hate. To turn it into a weapon is… is…” Elder Toad spat with disgust as she spoke, her lips pressing together as her words trailed off into an amphibious hiss.

 “What about the dreams?” After allowing several seconds for their host to calm down, Korra continued, her voice quiet.

“Another… feature. Imagine two lovers reliving their memories with one another, learning about each other, seeing how the other views them through their own eyes, or experience their concerns firsthand….” The toad spirit’s fist clenched audibly as she spoke, her outrage growing as she contemplated each new perversion of the once wholesome spell.

“We’re getting distracted. How do we undo it?” Seeing that the old spirit was losing herself to anger once more, Asami interjected, her voice sharp and cold.

“That’s simple. You both just have to agree to a divorce.” Recollecting herself, Elder Toad took a deep breath before releasing it in a calming sigh.

“That’s it? No magic words? No rituals or artifacts?” Korra’s voice took on a note of hope at the seemingly simple fix.

“That’s it. Any spoken wish to sever the bond to the other should suffice.” Elder Toad voice also grew calmer as she realized a solution was readily available. The spell was designed to be consensual in the first place, so thankfully removing it was a simple affair.

“What if they’re unwilling…” However, Asami’s words doused the kindling optimism, her implication dark. Their assailant was consumed by the desire for revenge to the point of throwing his life away.

“Both parties need to agree to sever the bond…” The toad spirit’s voice grew quiet and sad as realization dawned on her.

“What happens if he… you know? Before we can undo this… ritual.” Remembering her attacker’s mad attempts to fling himself to his death, Korra voice was fragile as she spoke.

“It persists… Indefinitely. A blessing to help a grieving widow through dark times…” Elder Toad’s voice was little more than a sad whisper. The room grew quiet as Korra and Asami contemplated what could have happened had they failed to rescue their assailant the day before.

“However, not all hope is lost.” Clearing her throat, Elder Toad forced herself to take a more optimistic tone before addressing her guests once more.

“The ritual works in both directions, seeking to bring harmony between the two of you through the mixing of energies. Humans are fickle creatures, and a hatred as strong as your assailant’s cannot be maintained for long. Your own compassion will drown it out. Eventually, he will become more reasonable, whether he wants to or not.” However, despite the forced note of optimism, the spirit couldn’t keep an edge of uncertainty out of her voice.

“What’s the catch.” Having picked up on the nervous undertone in Elder Toad’s words, there was a tension in Asami’s voice as she spoke. The old spirit hesitated for a second before continuing.

“His hatred may dye you as well.” A note of defeat hung in the spirit’s voice as she spoke, her snout drooping.

“Would this change be permanent?” Asami’s voice was tight with alarm, her fist clenching the gauze in her hand until her knuckles grew white.

“You’re human. Nothing’s permanent…” However, despite her words, the elder spirit’s voice was grim. An ominous silence hung in the air for several seconds until, with a grim determination Asami reached for her boots, slipping them over her bandaged feet before standing abruptly. Moments later, she was out the door.

“Asami!” Alarmed by her companion’s sudden departure, Korra hurriedly rushed after Asami.

Meanwhile in a guest house at the edge of the spirit village, Shu was frantically trying to escape from his putrid prison. However, his desperation wasn’t born from any discomfort. His nose had long ago grown numb to the earthy stench of Asami’s feet after his stay in her boot and the subsequent travel via her sock, and he had already gotten used to the slimy touch of moist cloth. No, his anxiousness was born from another source. However, no matter how hard Shu worked at the tight knot tied at the top of the sock, it wouldn’t budge.

The dreams! The Red Lotus hadn’t told him anything about dreams. Having relived the death of his father, Shu was shaken to his core. Even the raging furnace of hatred within his heart seemed to wither at the thought of reliving his past. Although his hatred for Korra was bone-deep, his dread of what memories might be drudged up rivaled it.

The day his father died his innocence had died with him. What had followed was a hellish life as a slave under Yutao, being forced from one miserable job to the next with barely enough to eat and a whip as his only reward. However, even that had been peaceful compared to the day he met her… As long repressed memories threatened to resurface, Shu barely suppressed a sob, his hands shaking violently as he continued to work at the knot before him.

Suddenly, the rough rattle of a door handle being turned filled the room, followed moments later by the sound of angry footsteps approaching the bed. Shu had only moments to brace himself before the damp sock he was trapped within was hoisted skyward, sending him tumbling down into the toe. It took only a few aggressive tugs for the knot he had been struggling with to be undone.

Before the shrunken man could even realize what was happening, his world upended once more, and he found himself tumbling out onto the pinkish skin of an all too familiar palm. With a savage grip, Asami’s fingers wrapped around Shu, squeezing the air from his lungs as her other hand rose to seize his arm, her sock discarded. Trapped in Asami’s clenched fist and with an arm seized painfully between her fingers, the woman lifted Shu up before her blazing gaze.

“Repeat after me. I sever my bond with the Avatar.” There was no preamble. As Asami’s damp breath washed over him and her teeth gleamed below, Shu couldn’t help but be reminded of the ease with which his captor could end his life. However, that was exactly what he was hoping for.  Gritting his teeth, Shu kept his mouth closed, until with an irresistible force the fingers seizing his arm began to twist.

“Say it!” Her teeth gritted in a savage grimace, her eye glittering with barely contained rage, Asami’s voice rattled Shu’s bones as she let out a vicious snarl. The shrunken man could recognize the hatred within Asami threatening to boil over as something very precious to her was threatened. She was close to losing control, close to doing something she might regret. Sensing an opportunity, Shu spat, watching with morbid satisfaction as his saliva passed between her ruby lips.

Asami’s reaction was immediate. Recoiling in disgust, the woman spat to the side, her face crumpling in outrage as the grip around Shu’s chest and arm tightened painfully. Gritting his teeth, the shrunken man prepared himself for the pain he knew would come. It was so easy to lose control when in the throes of rage, and at his size, even a single mistake from the larger woman might mean his death.

 “Don’t think for a second I won’t break every bone in your miserable body.” Asami’s snarl shook Shu’s tiny form as the fingers gripping his arm began to twist. The man couldn’t help but let out a cry of pain as he felt the tension building in his shoulder joint, his tendons creaking ominously.

“Asami!” However, before Shu felt the shattering pop of his arm, a familiar voice called out, causing his captor to pause.

“Stay out of this Korra!” At Asami’s growl, Shu turned his head toward the doorway, finding the familiar figure of the avatar standing at the edge of the room. Once again his anger roused, though rather than a blazing inferno, his lingering fear reduced it to a steady blaze. Korra’s alarmed expression crumpled in pain as Shu’s attention fell upon her.

“No! I won’t let you do this.” However, despite the sudden of pain, Korra took a step towards her companion, her eyes never leaving Asami’s.

“So, what? I’m supposed to let him change you?” Asami was keen to avoid Korra’s gaze as she spoke. However, Shu could see the anger melt from her eyes, giving way to fear as tears began to pool in the corner of Asami’s eyes.

“And I’m supposed to sit by and watch him change you?” With a wave of her hand, Korra motioned towards the shrunken man in her companion’s hands as well as the arm still held in Asami’s grip.

“Look at what you’re doing! This isn’t you.” Korra’s voice broke as she shouted. Asami could be savage and ruthless when something important was on the line, but never so cruel as this! Korra had witnessed tyrants and madmen in the past. She knew there were some lines that, once crossed, changed a person forever. Seeing her lover threatening to shatter their captive’s arm, someone incapable of resisting, truly terrified her.

“I’m doing what I have to. For you.” Asami’s voice was low and calm, but her trembling hands belied her fear.

 “But at what cost?” At Korra’s words, the room grew silent.

Shu could feel the hands around him shaking uncertainly until a pained expression flashed across Asami’s face. Hesitantly, the woman relaxed her grip on Shu, allowing his arm to slip free from her grasp as she dropped her hand to her side. With a defeated expression, Asami closed her eyes.

“I don’t want to lose you.” Asami’s words were barely a whisper s as the tears at the corners of her eyes finally broke free, rolling down her cheeks as they headed towards her chin.

“And I don’t want to lose you.” Seeing her companion relax, Korra gently walked up to Asami, hugging her from the side. Feeling the taller woman’s resistance grow weak, Korra carefully snaked her hand along Asami’s arm until, with a delicate touch, the shorter woman plucked Shu from her grasp.

“The curse…” Asami’s concerned gasp was cut off as Korra gently shushed her.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. It’s not as intense as before.” Although Korra’s expression was still stiff from discomfort, she felt nowhere near the debilitating agony from before.

Within her palm, Shu bristled at his enemy’s touch, but could bring forth the sheer hatred he had been able to summon even the day prior. He didn’t know whether he was still shaken from reliving his father’s death or from the overwhelming pressure of facing down a titanic Asami, but every time he sought to wield his rage to cause the avatar pain, it felt muted.

 “Then what are we supposed to do?” Turning her gaze towards her girlfriend, Asami wrapped an arm around Korra’s waist, pulling her closer before leaning her chin on the shorter woman’s shoulder as she sought the comfort of her girlfriend’s touch.

“I don’t know, but we’ll get through this.” Returning the hug, Korra snaked her arm around Asami, gently rubbing her back.

“But what if we’re too late? What if you change?” Asami’s words were soft and weak as she hugged Korra tighter, her tears continuing to fall unabated.

“Would you leave me if I did?” Korra’s voice was confident, but a note of uncertainty still colored her words.

“Of course not!” However, Asami’s incredulous outburst brought a smile to the tanner woman’s face.

“Then everything will be alright.” A note of warmth entered Korra’s voice as she lifted her face towards Asami’s, planting a light peck upon her lips. For several seconds, the two simply enjoyed each other’s company, ignoring the wriggling prisoner held within Korra’s grasp until they finally pulled apart. Taking a calming breath, Korra turned her full attention to the shrunken man before her.

Concentrating, Korra’s piercing blue eyes focused on the man in her palm, not so much looking at him as looking through him. With Elder Toad’s words guiding her, she was now aware of some vague tether connecting her to her assailant, similar to her bond with Raava, yet different. She could sense hatred, indignity, but also sorrow and fear coming from the tiny man.

However, none of that excused what he had done to her or Asami. As her own anger surged, Korra felt the bond react, sending pulses of discomfort in the other direction for a change. Now that she was aware of the bond’s nature, her experience with Raava allowed her to sense it better and to control it to some extent. If she wanted to, she could probably use it to send some pain back at her assailant, to give him a little payback. Korra felt a surge of cruel intent well within her heart, but pushed it aside, choosing instead to take a calming breath.

“I forswear my bond with Shu.” Taking a deep breath, Korra delivered the words with a solemn air before turning to address her captive.

“Shu.” Korra’s voice was calm yet firm as she restrained her emotions. Although she found the man before her revolting, she had learned through past experience that anger could not overcome anger. She needed to be diplomatic.

“I don’t know what your problem with me is, and I don’t care. If, right now, you forswear your bond with me, I swear in Raava’s name that I will bear no grudge towards you. I will make all efforts to restore you to your proper size, I will listen to your story, and I will use all of my powers as the avatar to right any injustices that you may have suffered in your past, so long as I judge them to be injustices.” Continuing her solemn tone, Korra looked down at Shu with a neutral gaze. However, after several seconds without a response, the woman shrugged unsurprised.

“The curse you afflicted me with. It’s a marriage ritual. We’re married.” Korra felt a pang of surprise and then disgust register from bond, giving her an odd sense of relief. He hadn’t known! For some reason the knowledge that their marriage hadn’t been intentional made her feel better.

“The ritual goes both ways, and even now is changing us both to get along. Over time, your hatred of me will be replaced by familiarity, maybe even fondness.” Korra wasn’t sure that was how the ritual really worked, and she didn’t really care. The waves of fear and repulsion radiating through the bond let her know that her words had been effective. She could sense Shu’s uncertainty as his will wavered, almost as if he could read his thoughts. His hatred and desire for revenge was all he had left. Now that that was threatened…

“In your dream, I saw your father…” A note of compassion crept into Korra’s voice as she spoke, only to be suddenly cut off by a pained yelp. Hearing his father mentioned by his enemy was too much for Shu, causing the burning hatred within him to blaze to life once more. To have his father’s name uttered by the filthy mouth of the one who had prevented his vengeance!

“Korra!” Asami’s face twisted as she stepped towards her companion, but Korra waved her away.

“I’m alright. I’m fine. It’s not as intense as before.” Honestly, that outburst had been as bad as the first, but due to her newfound familiarity with the bond connecting them, she was able to mute the pain coming her way. Shaking her head, Korra turned her attention to Shu once more.

“You said you wanted justice. I can help you.” However, sensing the simmering outrage boiling through the bond, Korra realized that she had made a mistake by mentioning Shu’s father. Her words were met with a silent glare and a rude hand gesture.

“Fine.” Unsurprised, Korra let out a small sigh before moving over towards the bed in the guest house. She had never expected her negotiations to work on the first try. Diplomacy was a slow process. Unfortunately, time was the one thing Korra lacked. Sitting down, the road-weary woman brought her foot up to rest on her knee, tugging at her boot strings with her free hand.  

 “What are you…” Uncertain, Asami looked at her companion as she unlaced her footwear.

“You said so yourself, we’re on a time limit. So, I thought I might give Shu here a little incentive.” With the soft grating of cloth on leather, Korra’s boots popped free from her feet for the first time since they’d left the cave. All at once, the pungent reek of six hours worth of hiking through rough marsh was unleashed. The stench of feet, sweat, bog water, and something rotten filled the small guest house, causing Asami to cover her mouth and retch.

“We have to sleep in here!” Shrieking in outrage, Asami tossed a dirty glare Korra’s direction as she quickly distanced herself from her companion with a look of horror upon her face. However, moments later her eyes lit up with realization as she processed her companion’s words.

“Wait, you aren’t… That’s repulsive!” As the stench grew stronger, Asami let out a choking retch before taking another step away from Korra. Despite that, a coughing fit overtook her as the fetid air forced its way into her lungs.

“You did it.” Wincing in embarrassment and at the smell of her own boots, Korra shrugged, motioning towards Asami’s sock where it even now rested atop the bed.

“Yeah, but we didn’t have any better way to carry him. Also, even on my worst day, my feet don’t smell like that!” Torn between wanting to flee from the reek of Korra’s boots and wanting to remain nearby for support, Asami hovered at the edge of the room, her face contorted in disgust. Placing her boot upon the floor, Korra dangled Shu above the opening at the top, watching as the shrunken man quickly covered his face with his hands.

Although Korra was trying to remain neutral, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying the surge of disgust pouring in from Shu via their bond. After all he’d put them through over the last day, a little stink was more than fair. Well, maybe more than a little. This was simply a little payback. Struggling to keep a neutral expression, Korra looked down at the captive dangling between her fingers.

“It’s not too late. I don’t have to do this.” At the avatar’s words, Shu hesitated, not because of the unholy smell wafting up from below him, but because of Korra’s earlier promise. Justice. All he had ever wanted was justice for the death of his father and the hell he had been forced to endure. However, the avatar’s words rung hollow. The justice he sought had already been within his grasp until Korra’s actions had snatched it away. Now, not even the avatar could reclaim it.

 “You will foreswear your bond with me eventually. The only question is how unpleasant I’ll have to get before you do.” Seeing Shu’s continued silence, Korra let out a sigh once more before relaxing her grip and sending her captive into the putrid abyss below.