Green Lantern: The Animated Series and its characters do not belong to me. All rights go to their respective owners.

Warnings: Spoilers and the inherent problems with having a main character be a violent Red Lantern.

Diplomacy was tricky business. After the fiasco with the Manhunters, that fact was no less true. In attempt to maintain and repair relations, a summit was being held on what neutral ground was found. It had been the idea of one of the Star Sapphires, presented to the Guardians in a business like manner and backed by Green Lanterns' Hal Jordan and Kilowog, along with the entirety of the small Blue Lantern Corp. The reactions had been positive enough, seeing as the idea had been given a green light.

Not all the reactions were as positive from those that realized they had to go.

On the planet Betrassus, Green Lantern Iolande prepared for the meeting in unpleasant anticipation.

"Queen," Kothak approached to cautiously, "You are to depart. Will you need anything?" Iolande sighed, pushing off the balcony.

"No. I'm am only...wary is all. I do not trust the Red Lanterns," the queen admitted, "Not, not after Ragnar."

"Completely understandable, my sovereign," the warrior replied, moving as she did into the palace.

"What is their game?" Bleez snapped, pacing back and forth in front of a weary Skallox, who was no one's ideal choice for a conversation partner except one who planned to monologue.

"We let one of their envoy's come to Ysmault and we all know how that turned out! They saw our numbers and Shard itself fall, what more do they want?"

Bleez was angry. That was a given, being who she was. Regardless of that inherent attitude, the news of this summit and Zilius requirement of her presence was doing nothing to calm her down. This would be a disaster, whether because of the meeting itself or how she would handle it.

Iolande entered the open roofed seating area with her usual grace. There were many long rectangular tables and she saw that different groups were already mingling together. At one table Green Lantern Hal Jordan sat talking with the Star Sapphire that had arranged this meeting (and who Iolande had not met yet but could tell had removed any possibility of romance with the flirtatious human lantern), Kilowog, Blue Lantern Razer and Guardian Appa Ali Apsa. At another was Queen Aga'po and the rest of her ladies, along with a few brave men. Among the rest of the crowd Iolande caught sight the Ganthet and the other Blue Lantern Corp members, a large amount of Green Lanterns everywhere and then those that she was dreading seeing. Unlike the others, the Red Lantern's were not mingling but were staying at their tables and staring warily at the rest. Catching brief sight of her traitorous brother, Iolande stopped looking their direction and chose a table. There she spent the time before any official speeches sitting with some Green Lantern's she had already met; Feska, Guy Gardner, R'amey Holl (who seemed to only be there because of Guy), a few Star Sapphires and one outgoing Blue Lantern named Sercy. Then the talks of the summit began, discussions starting with the destruction caused by the Anti-Monitor and moving onward to how new alliances would progress.

The now rather famous Razer pitched an offer to all those present to join the rest of his corp on their planet for the meditation and lessons practiced there. He talked about the Blue Lantern Corps calming properties for anyone, even those outside the group, and the strength found in hope. From her understanding, he had gone to them while he was still a Red Lantern. That was a worthy action, but Iolande doubted it would be one that most of the other hateful corp members would follow. A quick glance their way seemed to confirm her doubt.

The moment the proceedings were over and the mingling began again, Iolande stood to find refreshments. She brought a plate of horderves for the others and then made her way through the thick crowd to the drinks. Iolande finally managed to push her way to the table and scoop up some punch, only to spill the red liquid when she bumped into someone on her way back. A quick glance identified the unfortunate as a winged Red Lantern that had fought her on Betrassus.

"Watch it!" Bleez snarled, spinning around to find who had touched her, "I'll burn your face off!"

The conversations of the room quieted at the threat.

"I apologize," the Betrassusian tried to resolve, her time as royalty keeping her own surprise and temper reigned in. Both pairs of monochromatic black eyes stared each other down before Bleez curled down the corner of her mouth and made her way back to the table full of Red Lantern's she had been sitting at before, rubbing the skin of her arm where she had been touched. The summit shared the same sigh of relief the Betrassusian queen let out at the avoidance of a fight. Returning to fill up her cup once more, she returned to her own table and rejoined its lively conversation. Iolande cast one last glance back at the winged woman sitting stonily with the others as if she wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else. It was a sharp contrast to the atmosphere of her own companions.

One just wasn't satisfying enough. No, there had to be a follow up meeting to the last summit. And Bleez had to go to this one as well.

It was a disaster in the making, the Havanian could tell. It was a wonder she had resisted the urge to burn the last disgustingly cheerful one down to cinders. But self control was not a strong suit of hers (most of those strong suits had to do with her strength in the opposite actually). It was annoying enough having to sit and listen to the people responsible for the disaster with the Anti-Monitor, and through that Shard's destruction. And it was infuriating to listen to that traitor Razer whenever he would talk in his new steely blue armor about some soft sentiment. Not to mention the presence of the Blue Lanterns was unpleasant for any Red Lanterns, what with it inhibiting the ability of their rings. Bleez resigned herself to another evening spent stuck at her table in a stupid diplomatic setting surrounded by enemies and powerless to burn them all to cinders.

Apparently fate had other plans. It came in the form of the tall Betrassusian queen that had once engaged in aerial battle with Bleez and, more recently, bumped into her during the last summit. Had it not been for the nullifying presence of the Blue Lanterns, the Havanian had been ready to rip whoever had touched her to shreds before even finding out who they were. Too many would use the cover of a large crowd to try to get away with unasked for physical contact.

"Greetings," the woman offered her a bow, putting a good effort into ignoring the seething looks from the other Red Lanterns watching what the intruder to their territory was planning. "I am Iolande."

Far down at the other end of the table, that upstart Ragnar was raging hatefully. Bleez ignored him.

"I understand you are Zilius Zox's second in command, Bleez," the Green Lantern continued, "I would like to extend an invitation to you to join me."

Part of Bleez expected this to be some aspect of 'diplomacy'. As was made abundantly clear when the bald Guardian envoy had visited Ysmault, Bleez did not do diplomacy.

"What? Why can't I sit here? What issue do you have with where I'm at?" she snapped. (Such a response had been predicted by Iolande, who was still trying to figure out why she herself was attempting this insane offer of peacemaking)

In truth, it wasn't the mere ever-present anger she felt that kept her from wanting to follow the Green Lantern. It was how obvious and attention drawing such an action would be. Her corpmates made up almost as small of a population at the summit as the Star Sapphires and thus far none of them had gone to sit with any of their tenuous allies. Despite the apprehension, Bleez found herself following other woman to her table. It was quite awful, which didn't surprise her. What the Betrassusian expected or hoped for, Bleez had no idea. In fact the only ideas she had were painful imaginary images of destroying every annoying enemy...wait they were all allies now, however irritating that was, that she was being forced to mingle with. Twenty minutes into the excruciating venture in self-control, the other human Green Lantern returned to the table from whatever socializing he had been enjoying and sat down across from her. The redhead crossed a line when he broke whatever invisible barrier the others seemed to have found placed around Bleez by asking a few minutes after sitting down, "Can I follow you home? My parents always told me to follow my dreams." The Red Lantern stiffened as his foot bumped chastely against hers under the table. The action and cheesy flirting together saw Bleez snap her head his way. Memories of dozens of suitors and their pickup lines, of her mother's pressure on Havania, of the events the drew the Red Lantern ring to her stormed through her mind. They demanded retribution for his actions. They demanded slaughter.

They had to be satisfied with the punch she threw at the human that knocked him to the ground instead. After all, destroying the unsteady peace would be disastrous with Shard gone and the Red Lanterns so outnumbered. Never let it be said she couldn't think big picture.

Bleez registered the sound of a laugh through the blood rage in her head. Beside her, Iolande had lifted a hand to cover her mouth politely even as her eyes showed light mirth.

"I'm sorry," the queen said plainly to the others, "But he does bring it out of people." While the butterfly-like woman looked scandalized at her words and another Star Sapphire laughed as well, Bleez looked at the Betrassusian and decided that, for a weak Green Lantern, she wasn't so bad.

Apparently, peacekeeping summits were not enough. Not when someone like Jordan was allowed to pitch ideas.

"A party?" Bleez was screeching in a manner to make Zox envious, "This idea is even worse than the last-" and she devolved into angry gibberish and fiery destruction in front of a bored Skallox once more.

"Well, Kothak," Iolande smiled at the once resistance leader, "this is going to be a spectacular disaster but I find I am actually looking forward to it."

It was a worthy prediction and to the woman's pleasure the event went better than her (admittingly low) expectations.

The queen enjoyed the night and sat back as Jordan decided that dancing would be an entertaining way to pass time. The hero had spent the time since that announcement on the floor with Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, who Iolande had finally introduced herself to. Others found their way onto the floor, most providing their observers with the entertainment of watching their embarrassing actions. Iolande wasn't likely to forget how Saint Walker looked free styling, and was even rather impressed with Blue Lantern Warth's dancing when the rotund alien had asked her to the floor. Still, the queen realized that certain party members weren't quite getting into the atmosphere and events. She had once again started the night with the group of people from the table of the first and second summit. To her surprise, as someone who had every reason to despise the Red Lantern Corp, Iolande found herself tiring of their jokes about how anti social their tenuous allies were. Making jokes and humiliating could not be the way to solidifying the unstable peace.

Bleez was not dancing. In fact, she was currently seething as she watched Razer participate in the embarrassing activity so openly. He was nothing like the young Red Lantern of before. For one, he was happy. There was a two and a three, etc, but reason one was enough to make Bleez mad. So caught up was she in her open glaring that she almost missed when Iolande approached. Bleez hadn't seen the Green Lantern since the last summit, but the queen seemed to still be attempting to extend a diplomatic hand.

"Do you want to go dance with me?" Iolande asked her politely, "I completely understand if you chose not to."

The Red Lantern remembered how the polite, upright, uptight woman had laughed at that stupid redheads expense.

And when the music changed next Bleez was dancing.

It hadn't seemed like that big of a success. But the lack of destruction and murder must have made it seem like a victory. Enough of one to warrant another 'party' a few months later. This time, both one Green Lantern and one Red Lantern were looking forward to the event.

"Will you be spending all night fraternizing with the enemy, my sister?" Ragnar sneered at the Havinian as they entered the party hall.

"Shut up, dunce," Bleez ordered with a growl, pushing him aside. She stood by the wall near the other Red Lantern's until she saw Iolande approach. By now the face paints, black eyes, and dark lips curving into a hesitant smile were familiar.

"Hello Bleez," the queen greeted calmly.

"Prasine," Bleez scoffed, using the nickname she had dubbed the Green Lantern with. Compared to her usual greetings (ie raging fire to your face), it seemed downright friendly. Compared to what Iolande was normally greeted with, it seemed downright rude. Somehow both understood that it was actually in a middle ground. Just as they were.

It was, once again, Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris's fault. They had gotten the idea from 'exchange students', some ritual they had on their homeworld. So they had pitched another alliance building idea. To visit the planets and see the livelihoods of a member of another corp. Somewhat unfairly considering their already established relationship, Jordan and Ferris had chosen each other. Green Lantern Kilowog left Oa to spend a month on Odym with Saint Walker. The prodigy Ch'p went to Zamaron. And so the precedent was set. Other hands of invitation were extended or requested.

Bleez was in no way comfortable on Betrassus. She had been wary when the invitation from Iolande had arrived but no matter how much her instincts screamed to deny it, the Red Lantern had accepted.

"Thank you for coming!" Iolande had said when she arrived, seemingly forgetting they stood on the very ground that they had once fought each other on. "I believe we are making ample steps in solidifying an alliance and I thank you for everything you've put into this."

Bleez was putting quite a bit into the peacekeeping. For instance, she managed to avoid burning anyone the entire tour of Iolande's city. She even managed to avoid carnage the remainder of the month. For the most part. That one incident hadn't really been her fault for misunderstanding.

"Bleez! Calm down, please!" Iolande had reached for her, although the Green Lantern stopped before making contact (she always did. The Red Lantern wondered if the queen suspected she was against contact that she did not initiate). Bleez aborted the flame building up in her throat and turned from the large armored commander to the queen.

"Bleez," the Betrassusian's expression had changed from urgent to unimpressed incredulity, "Kothak was only challenging you to a friendly duel, not a fight to the death."

Once again, she had put in quite the effort. What you do for the sake of diplomacy. That was definitely all there was to it. Nothing to do with impressing anyone else. Nothing to do with living up to unexpected expectations.

It was only fair that the places were exchanged. Even if that meant Iolande had to go to Ysmault. The Green Lantern landed with body on the ready for any sort of attack, Bleez at her side. The winged woman led her out into the (frankly ugly and awful looking) streets, giving a subpar tour compared to the one Iolande had offered the Red Lantern the month prior. Iolande did not like Ysmault. She did not like Red Lanterns. Bleez may be an exception to that rule, but the others that she passed by were not. Especially not ones that carried bad history.

"Sister," Rangar sneered, trying to approach them and his sister steeled herself, green aura growing around her in preparation, "How good of you to-"

Iolande gasped when her tour guide lunged at her murderous brother and the two Red Lanterns tumbled into the air. She waited patiently for Bleez to return, which was how the queen had a fascinating conversation with a abnormally calm Red Lantern calling himself Cleric Loran. Finally, Bleez landed again with a smug smile and assured Iolande that her brother would not be bothering her.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" she couldn't help but ask in shock. She had meant it when she told her brother how much she wished he had never became a killer, never started the feud against her-

"No," the Havanian waved her off and Iolande sighed in relief. They continued on again.

It was a strange month for Iolande. She didn't go outside her guest room much, not when there were violent Red Lantern Corpsmen everywhere. Instead she only left when Bleez came to take her around, which the hot-tempered woman did with unexpected frequency.

"I don't feel very popular out here," Iolande once admitted to the other with a laugh, casting a glance at the helmeted faces of the common soldiers.

"Oh no, you aren't," the Red Lantern replied nonchalantly, "But we tend to hate guests no matter who they are."

"I see," the queen responded.

"I wanted to kill the science minister when she came here as an envoy," Bleez admitted casually, "I would've dug the hole and all."

Iolande tried not to respond too negatively to the Red Lantern's natural murderous attitude.

"Not many of the Green Lantern's liked her either," she said instead as neutrally as she could.

"Guess you aren't all completely stupid," the other smirked, "Anyway, if anyone wants to kill you, don't worry about it. I'll tear them apart first."

How reassuring, Iolande shuddered even as she was weirdly touched by the promise.

The peace building paid off in the end, when all three Lantern Corps and the Star Sapphires found themselves teaming up. The logistics behind the teams needed work, but when the newly created Sinestro Corp led their attack there hadn't been much time to thoroughly prepare. One such slight logistic problem being the presence of Red and Blue Lanterns on the same battlefields.

It was a problem Bleez and Iolande realized when the Havanian tried to create a fiery whip and couldn't.

"Bleez!" Iolande cried, shooting her a concerned stare as the Red Lantern stood in the open staring at the offending hand. With missiles raining around them, the queen threw up a large shield construct for her squad. Sercy, Isamot, and Bleez took solace in the temporary cover.

"Get out of here," the Red Lantern hissed at Sercy. The Blue Lantern looked ready to retort but Iolande interrupted.

"Move out, all of you. I can't maintain this while you argue."

The three Lanterns flew to the next nearest cover and Iolande walked backwards, keeping her green rectangular wall up in front of her. It would have worked against the missiles alone, but the success wore off when three Sinestro Corp members flew down at the queen. Iolande dropped the shield and rolled away from the projectiles landing where the construct had been. She created a green blade and swung it at her attackers, but two avoided her defense and struck her down. From cover, powerless in the presence of her Blue Lantern teammate, Bleez roared at them. To the others surprise, her murderous red aura returned and the Red Lantern streaked out of cover to tear the two Yellow Lanterns apart.

"You know," a panting voice said from behind her and Bleez turned to see Iolande had once again formed a protective shield in front of them. "I heard the story Razer tells everyone. About how when he was a Red Lantern still he once was able to use his ring's power on Odym even with the other Blue Lanterns around. How it was a different kind of anger fueling the ring."

"I'm not about to follow his path and exchange this ring for a blue one, or pink or green," Bleez replied, crouching by the queen as their other two teammates approached.

"I'm wasn't suggesting you do," the Green Lantern said, "Just...merely pointing out what it means that you were able to defend me like that with Sercy nearby."

"Hmf," the Red Lantern turned her head away in an effort to look aloof and hide her embarrassment. Hate, anger, rage, all of those were normal to her. Embarrassment, friendship, empathy, those were alien emotions. Ones she had rarely felt even as a child, even before-before-...everything that made her what she was now.

"We're such opposites," Iolande laughed from the ground, "Red and green, anger and will. Ours is a weird friendship."

Friendship was a less tricky business than diplomacy on the bright side. At least, when it was between them.

AN- No idea where this came from :|

Thank you for reading!