A/N

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Green Lantern: the Animated Series, or any other part of the Green Lantern franchise. All rights go to DC, Warner Bros and other respective owners.

It says OC under the character descriptions, but that's just because I couldn't find Drusa's name under the characters listed. That's a worse crime than anything Aya's ever done, IMO.

It's been six years. I've been itching to write another Drusaya fanfic, and I've posted a few attempts, but I was never happy with the results. This is my last attempt to find the right "angle" that I've been looking for. This also takes place after my first Drusaya fanfic, The Puppet Master's Experiment, and it'll occasionally reference it, but given that it's really more like a one-shot, reading that first is optional.

Feel free to correct me if something isn't accurate to canon. If you'd like to leave plot suggestions in the reviews, or ways I can add canon lore to this story, feel free to do so!

And one last thing: the first few chapters have some non-linear narration. Bear with it, details from both present-day and flashbacks become important later!

I think I've gotten everything I need to out of the way. Hopefully you enjoy the story!

Aya sometimes found it a shame she could not eat like Razer could. Her sense of smell was nowhere near as strong as that of an organic being, but the steaks that she had learned to cook for Razer - which according to him were never less than perfect - were enough to make anyone desire to eat.

Looking up, she thought she heard something. It was coming from outside, but she could not discern what it was. Carefully tuning her range of hearing, she thought she could pick up Razer, yelling her name. Was he injured? He was only going outside to attend to his sundew garden... but why could he not just come inside the dwelling if he needed her? Pulling her mask up and setting the hot tray down on top of the stove, she decided she should go outside and see what was going on. While throwing the hood to her robe over her head, she noted the discarded Blue Lantern ring next to the battery on the dining area table. That was right, he was going to charge it the moment he got back inside. But he did not need his powers to heal if he was hurt, she could easily do that for him.

Aya saw what was wrong the second she stepped out the door: Razer was thrashing around, ringless and struggling to break free from Red Lantern Skallox's hold. She barely processed a long, bent piece of metal pointed threateningly at her face a moment later.

"If you care about him, you'll do as we say."

Dread filled her as she scanned the feminine figure next to her. While her face was not in her database, she could recognize the glare of Red Lantern Bleez. How had the Red Lanterns found her? She thought she had been so careful... perhaps not careful enough. She even supposed it made sense they were using crude weapons instead of red energy constructs that could easily been destroyed. It would have no effect on her.

"Aya! Get back inside! Don't listen to he-"

"Shut up!" Skallox squeezed Razer harder as he tried to fight him.

Aya couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with either of their attackers. "... I know why you are here."

"Do you?" Bleez snarled.

Tears welled up in her blue eyes. "My central processing unit is within my chest. You can access it via a panel between my shoulder blades. You could easily destroy it from there."

"Aya, no!" Razer's winded protests continued.

"... Good to know, but I'm not here to kill you."

"What?" Aya looked up.

"Oh, believe me. If it were up to me, I would just kill you and just be done with it. But it's not."

"Then... why are you here?"

"Because my colleagues have bigger plans for you."

"What? But-" Aya shook her head. "If it is me you want, then put Razer down!"

"In good time. We just thought it'd be wise to get some reassurance that you'll cooperate."

Skallox squeezed tighter against his captive's abdomen, and Razer could barely even vocalize, it seemed he was struggling just to breathe.

"Fine!" Aya said quickly. "Fine. I will do whatever you desire. Just... stop hurting him... please."

"Good," Bleez lowered her weapon. "Follow me."

-Odym: Several Months Before-

Rays from the oncoming sunrise began to pour through the window. Stirring from sleep mode, Aya could feel her partner shift in bed. Before he could sit up, she turned over, throwing her bare arm around his chest.

"If I hold you here, could I convince you to stay?"

She had gotten a sleepy chuckle in response, followed by a hand bigger than hers wrapping lightly around it. It was not necessary for her to sleep next to her fiancée, but she deliberately chose to activate her sleep mode at the same time he did, just to be close to him.

They laid that way for about three minutes before Razer spoke: "I wish I could."

Dressing was more difficult without the Interceptor to help her. Whenever she manually removed her armor, she had to put it back on herself.

"I never asked you," Razer started. "What is it like being made of blue energy?"

As she began to construct a blue energy ribbon for her hair, Aya glanced over at her reflection the mirror on the other side of the room. Seeing her body blue instead of green was certainly a change she was still getting used to. "Different than green energy. I am unsure whether or not I am able to describe it properly, but everything feels much more peaceful," she said, tying her hair back. "It is Hope powering me now more than Will."

"That is true." Razer slid his own ring on, his Blue Lantern uniform taking shape over the clothes he was wearing.

"Are you truly required to be there?" she tucked loose strands of blue hair back into a bun before sliding the white robe over her body.

"Unfortunately, yes. I am going with Saint Walker and Brother Warth. But it is only a meeting between the Green and Blue Lanterns, and it should not take more than a few days."

"What may be a few days on Oa could be weeks for me," she reminded him.

"Either way, I will be home as soon as I can." He stood up and kissed her on the forehead.

Aya sighed. "May I at least see you leave?"

"Always."

During this quiet time for the galaxy, Aya filled her days with meditation, chores around the base and training with the other Blue Lanterns, though they were still a new Corps and few in numbers. She did whatever she could to keep herself occupied with Razer gone, but with her Interceptor family far out of reach while she remained in hiding on Odym, she still felt alone. Even among her new friends, she kept her face hidden behind a mask and under a hood to make her less recognizable. Only a select few knew that she was once Aya, the former Manhunter Queen. To most others, she was Sister Kilodan, a recruit from planet Bolarth: a secretive society that existed far outside of the Forgotten Zone at the very edge of the galaxy, and it was considered basic modesty for men and women to only show their faces around family and very close friends and the planet itself was very difficult for outsiders to access.

She was once the fastest starship in the galaxy, free to roam the stars wherever her adventures with the Interceptor Crew would take her. Now she was confined to one planet to live in secrecy, perhaps even for the rest of her life. It was fortunate for her that she had followed Hal Jordan back while she had initially woken up with no memory of what happened before, and that she was secured before anyone else who wanted her dead could access her. Her memories had managed to be restored with blue energy, but there were some days she wished it had not.

It would be pleasant not to know that she pitted the battle that killed the Zamaronian princess, hijacked the deadliest robot soldiers in the universe, vaporized countless - though uninhabited - planets, and perhaps worst of all, destroyed populated Red Lantern ships, while they had been allied in the fight against the Manhunters. All of her crimes had led her to hide away from the Guardians of the Universe who would deem her too dangerous to live, the Green Lantern Corps that would simply carry out their orders (with the exception of Hal Jordan and Kilowog, who did their best to come and visit her when they could), the Star Sapphires to avenge the queen's niece, and the Red Lantern Corps, who had the strongest reasons out of anyone to desire her destroyed.

She did feel at peace most of the time, her body shedding the initial green energy it carried and trading it for a new one made of blue energy finding a home with Razer and found acceptance from people who valued her for who she was, even if they hadn't a slightest idea what she looked like, she still looked longingly at the night sky each night.

"It is lovely out tonight, is it not, Sister Kilodan?" Ganthet joined her on the hill she sat upon.

"It is. I especially enjoy clear nights such as this one. It reminds me a bit of home." At least that she could state truthfully. Ganthet may have been one of the few that knew who she was, but Aya always took caution revealing too much about herself or her thought processes, lest anyone else be listening in.

"Before he left, Brother Razer has told me that you have been feeling lonely and home sick lately. Is this true?"

".. I am afraid so. Truly I am grateful for the community I am now a part of, but it would be dishonest to say I do not miss my family or the way my life used to be."

"I understand. Change can be hard for anyone. The last six months since you have arrived have been quite an adjustment, is that right?"

"I still feel that it continues to be an adjustment, unfortunately."

"Be patient with yourself, sister. You have given up so much to be here with all of us. There are some days that I still miss my home planet as well. I am sure if you talked with some of your neighbors that have decided to stay here on Odym, they would tell you the same." Turning slightly away as if to leave, he asked, "would you like to join our group meditation tonight? We are beginning soon."

"Thank you for the offer, Brother Ganthet, but I think I will just stay here for now."

"All right. As per usual, you can join us at any time, if you feel compelled to do so."

Aya nodded, and he left. Leaning back on her hands, she studied the infinite blackness above her, littered with glittering stars. It was unfortunate planets plagued with pollution did not have the same view of their sky as the people here on Odym did. Still, if she could fly up and see it more closely, more personally, even just once without putting herself at risk, she would.

She sighed, listening to the breeze behind her, taking a moment to close her eyes and picture herself floating just outside the planet, peacefully looking around at all of her surroundings, for a moment, it felt real. There was something else she thought she heard, too: a faint, indistinct whisper. Confused, she looked around, but she was completely alone. It was probably just one of the various species of nighttime bugs that occupied this area, active at night.

At least... that was what she hoped it was.