“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.