So here we are again, at the beginning of a new adventure. For anyone who's not already aware (though if you've glanced at the summary, you should be), this story is the sequel to Citadel, and it won't make much sense unless you've already read that. It continues Azula and Katara's relationship after the events of Citadel, with Azula out of the asylum and trying to readjust to normal life, not to mention carve out a new place in the world; I'd say it begins a month or so after she's come home. No more than a month, anyway. Maybe more like three weeks.

Just a few things, before we get started here: if you in fact did not read the summary, or my note at the end of Citadel, this is an Azutara fic. As in, they were friends before; at some point in this story, they're going to end up as more. How that'll happen, we'll find out. Whether it'll last or not, we'll find out. The story's rated T for a reason – on the one hand, the people we're dealing with are young and horny and I'm not just going to have them pecking chastely with closed lips. On the other hand, this story isn't about sex, and I'm not writing smut scenes. So when the romance rolls around, you can expect some good old-fashioned makin' out, plus a few non-explicit references if I'm feeling particularly scandalous, but don't be following this expecting lemons. Of those, there will be none.

Also, if you're not brain-dead, you'll notice that in this first chapter, Azula mentions reuniting with her mother. Her relationship with Ursa will be a plot point, as the story goes on, but the logistics of Ursa's return won't be; I figure how she ended up back at the palace isn't really Azula's concern, so much as what's going to happen now that she's there. In other words, I'm pretty much assuming that Zuko & Co. went on the whole searching-for-Ursa journey awhile back, and it's basically old news now.

Finally, like Citadel, this story is named for an Anna Nalick song (on Youtube as /watch?v=E0w3kOIpIsY). A lonely song of freedom rings in hope of someone listening…

1. Azula Integrates

"I hate this. I just—I really hate this."

I prowled the room like a caged beast, swiping at invisible bars. I was meant to be getting ready, but couldn't seem to sit still; hair half-combed, I'd quit my vanity, in favor of stalking back and forth across the rug. "Calm down," she said, annoyingly cavalier. "It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal. You don't know." I frowned at her, perched cross-legged on my bed. Cheerful as ever. She wasn't the one who had to face them. "Maybe we should just postpone it. Tell them—I don't know, tell them I'm sick."

"Yeah, sick with a case of chicken."

"I am not chicken," I snapped. She raised an eyebrow, and I pushed my hands through my hair. "It's just—what if they're mad at me?"

"I already told you they're not."

"Well, you'd better be right. Because if they're expecting me to come in there groveling, if—if they think I'm going to apologize—"

She rolled her eyes. "Azula, they've known you since you were three. I doubt they expect you to apologize."

I sniffed. "Good. Because I'm not going to."

"All right, then."

"Fine."

Of everything I'd had to do to integrate, reunions were the worst. They were awkward and stilted and unpleasant. So far, my dealings with Zuko had been brief, mostly in passing; we'd barely exchanged two words. I'd had to endure him more initially, while Katara argued my case – and technically, I was now living in his palace – but otherwise we kept our distance. And Father was out of the picture. But seeing Mother again—it was horrific. Her with her arms around me, tight enough to crack bone. Her tears in my hair, her voice in my ear, telling me how sorry she was, how much she loved me still, how glad she was that I was better now, as if I'd been sick. Her scent like poison in the air. And me just standing there, still and stick-straight, eyes made of glass and mouth full of cotton. I didn't hug her back. I didn't say a word. I didn't even ask why are you here, though I'd have liked to know. All I did was stand there, like a block of wood, and try not to think about the woman with yellow eyes.

And now I was supposed to see Mai, and Ty Lee, and it was for closure, and it would be healing, and there was nothing in the world I wanted less. I despised the whole business, reunions, integration—that was what Katara called it, integration, this process by which I would return to the world less terrifying than before. I played along just because it beat the alternative. And because it meant I got to be around her – this maddening, mystifying person who had somehow become my only friend, and the only one who even came close to getting me.

I sighed and sat back down at my vanity, staring myself in the face. I looked tired. "Are you sure they want to see me?" I asked her, when she came up behind me.

"If they didn't, they wouldn't be here." She took an enamel comb from the dressing table. "Mai and Ty Lee are your friends, Azula," she said gently, combing out the last of the tousles in my hair. "And the past is behind us now. It'll only be weird if you make it weird." Pulling my hair up into a knot, she tied it with a ribbon and opened a hand for my hairpin, glistening on the table next to my combs. I gave it to her, and she slid it into place. "There. Now you look like yourself."

"Wonderful." I couldn't keep the edge from my voice. Hauling myself to reluctant feet, I headed towards the door. "Let's get this over with."

For the most part, I kept to my bedroom, plus the suite of rooms surrounding it. I had everything I needed here – a washroom, a study, a balcony that looked out on the garden – and a mind to avoid my brother, so I didn't spend much time anywhere else. I was used to small spaces, anyway. And I enjoyed having a domain, a little kingdom all my own; it may not have been much, but it was mine, and no one came in unless I said so. Or—unless Katara showed them in, to a parlor off the bedroom, and sat them down with a plate of cookies and tea. Ugh. I was pathetic.

"Azula!" The second I showed my face, Ty Lee flung herself at me, like nothing had happened and not a day had passed. Caught me in a spine-snapping hug. I saw shades of Mother, for a second, and did my best to hug back; it was clumsy and stiff, but I tried. "It's been so long!" she cried, taking me by the shoulders, pulling back to catch my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine, Ty Lee. They let her out of the nuthouse, right?" Beautiful. So that's how it's going to be. "I'd hate to think they did shoddy work."

"Well yeah, but you don't have to be so mean about it," Ty Lee said, and grabbed my hand, and tugged me over to the sofa across from theirs. "Don't pay any attention to her. You want some tea?"

She didn't wait for an answer. Before I could speak, she'd bounced back onto the cushion beside Mai, and poured me a cup of tea; she passed it to me and I took it, for lack of anything else to do. Already, I felt at loose ends. Restless, nervous, and yet insensibly still—not only on edge but frozen there, staring at them with doll's eyes. Almost unsure they were real. They seemed so much the same, though everything was different – though I was different, they were the same as I'd left them on the platform, the same friends I'd known so long and lost so fast. Were they my friends? I hadn't thought so, not anymore at least, but here they were and it was like a memory come to life. Like nothing had ever changed.

I was surprised to find myself still somewhat angry at them, if only in a subconscious, visceral sense. Less surprised to see them looking strangely at me, after some time had passed and I'd said nothing. Whatever, I thought snidely to myself. I just got out of the nuthouse. I have a right to be weird.

"So," I said at last, when the silence was too loud even for me. "This is awkward."

Mai snorted. "You're telling me."

"Oh, come on, guys! It's not so bad as all that." Ty Lee's glance flicked between the both of us. "We're still friends, aren't we?"

"Are we?" Mai asked.

I shrugged. "She has a point."

"Of course we are. What happened—it was ages ago, and it's water under the bridge now. And besides…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at me, wearing a hopeful half-smile. "You're different now. Right?"

I couldn't help but scowl at that. I knew it was true, to an extent, but I still resented being told that I'd so needed to change – that what I was before was just that bad. "Maybe. Different how?"

She sort of shrugged. "I don't know. Less scary?"

Mai made a weak attempt to hold back laughter. I might've laughed myself, if the whole thing hadn't been so desperately stupid. So this is what my life's been reduced to, I thought with no small amount of distaste, eyes rolling towards the ceiling. Being less scary than before. "Sure," I conceded, albeit grudgingly, mouth flattened into a frown. "Less scary. If you want to think of it that way."

"Great!" Ty Lee chirped, and then became suddenly serious, amending, "I mean, really. It's great. You know, in spite of everything, we—we've always been your friends, Azula. We've always wanted what's best for you. And we've been so worried about you, all this time – I wanted to come see you at the asylum, really I did, but Katara wouldn't let me. She kept saying you weren't ready, and I just—"

"Yes, we know, Ty Lee, we know," Mai cut in, a merciful gesture at that point. "You love Azula to pieces, and you're just heartbroken that you couldn't go to gawk at her in a straitjacket." She rolled her eyes, and I cast her as grateful a glance as I could muster. "Wasn't there something you wanted to ask her, too?"

"Oh!" Just like that, Ty Lee brightened, clapping her hands. "That's right! I wanted to ask you to come to the ball!"

"The what?"

"The ball!" she enthused. "You know, like a dance! It's here at the palace, in a week, and we think it would be just wonderful if you would come. It's going to be so much fun!"

Somewhere between confused and vaguely nauseated, I furrowed my brow. "Why would there be a ball at the palace?"

"Um—well, it's to celebrate something—decolonization, I think. Yeah! We just got rid of the last of the Fire Nation colonies, and it's a big step and all, so we're going to have a great big party in honor of it. Zuko said we could!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Zuko's throwing a ball?"

"No, Ty Lee and the Makeup Brigade are throwing a ball. Zuko's just being a good sport." A wry smile slid across Mai's face. "You should come with us, Azula. Like Ty Lee said – it'll be fun."

"Super fun," Ty Lee added. "Besides, we already asked Katara, and she said—"

"You asked her?" Without thinking, I cut her off, slightly incredulous. "What do you mean, you asked her? It's not like she's my keeper."

Ty Lee cocked her head. "It's not?"

"No!"

They exchanged a glance. Again, one corner of Mai's mouth twitched upward, as if she were trying to suppress a chuckle; Ty Lee just looked confused. "Anyway," she plowed on, regardless, "she said you would go with us."

"Did she?" I answered, narrowing my eyes, in a tone unmistakably sour with dismay.

"Yeah!"

Well. If it was unmistakable, count on Ty Lee to mistake it. She fixed wide eyes on me, innocent, expectant, all sugar and sunshine; Mai, smirking silently beside her, was of no help. If there were ever a moment for sighing, this was it. "Great."