Father and Son

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what you see within this one shot. RIP to Maseo Yamashiro, may you be resting well with Akio now. Apologies in advance if there's any tears.


Darkness had blocked off Maseo Yamashiro's sight as he went into the afterlife. That same darkness was all around him until a white light appeared headed towards him, its brightness made him want to shield his eyes, but he seemed unable to do so. Perhaps this was what would bring him to whatever Hell in the afterlife that awaited him for all that he'd done as Sarab under Ra's Al Ghul's orders. Would be a fitting punishment for him as well he considered. A man like him didn't deserve to be amongst the light. And when the light enveloped him fully, only to vanish seconds later. He was confused as he opened his eyes and saw that it didn't seem to be Hell that he had arrived in, but something that felt welcoming, a place that he could spend his days in now that he'd passed on.

Was this merely a ruse meant to torture him with falseness? If so, he'd rather it be Hellfire that was before him then what he saw before him. It was then that a women with blonde hair and a certain aged beauty about her in a red dress walked up to him. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place why that was. Perhaps one of the ones who's life he'd taken for Ra's? Here to begin his deserved torment? "Hello there Maseo and welcome." She told him warmly and with a smile on her face.

"My name is not... I mean... My apologies." He'd become so used to the name of Sarab and always telling anyone who knew him that he wasn't Maseo anymore that it was just about second nature. But the woman before him didn't seem to mind if the warmth and kindess she was giving off were any indication.

"Quite alright dear, quite alright." She told him kindly and gestured for him to come closer.

And he did so, though he was nervous for he wasn't sure what torment she may bring about upon him any moment. "If you're worried I'm going to start torturing you or some such, then you have nothing to worry about. This is not that kind of place." Her words shocked him and he guessed that she must have figured out what he was possibly thinking.

"Its... Its not?"

"No dear, nowhere near it." She told him reassuringly, something that made him breathe a sigh of relief. Which considering the fact he's dead was weird, but he wasn't going to put a lot of thought into it.

"How... How can I even be here considering all I've done?" He truly wanted to know that, as it just didn't seem right to him.

The woman continued to look on at him with kindness exuding from her. "That's something I can't answer, only the Creator can, for He or She works in mysterious ways. Even if you or me for example don't necessarily believe or have a different belief."

He looked down to consider the woman's words, which did make sense as he himself believed diferently about this sort of thing. Though he had to ask one question that was persistently dogging him as the woman before him looked too familiar to him. "If you do not mind my asking, could you tell me who you are?"

The woman gave off a laugh at his words. "Not at all Maseo, not at all! I am Moira Queen." His eyes widened at that as he now finally realized who she was after the name drop.

Moira chose that moment however to start walking and gestured for him to come with, which he did as he was curious as to where they were going. "Meeting the mother of Oliver Queen is an honor ma'am." And for him it really was.

She looked back at him and smiled again. "Why thank you, I do appreciate that. As meeting one of the few who helped my son to become the man he is today is an honor for me as well." She stated seriously, causing him to feel some shock over her words.

He grew silent after that and continued to follow his guide, as he did so he took notice of his surroundings and those that were in them. One of those being Sara Lance, who gave him a nod of respect as he passed by her. And it was a nod he returned as well as the two had faught together in battle before. Her death had truly been a loss to the League and Nyssa in particular. She was about the only one he even recognized, but he had a feeling that in time he would come to know them as well. And soon he and his guide arrived at a door that seemed oddly familiar to him. Moira gestured for him to wait a moment as she opened the door and put half her body inside to tell someone to come out.

The sight of his little boy as he came out of there brought tears to his eyes and he fell to his knees. The sight of his father for Akio was a great thing indeed for he had missed his father so. Though part of him wished his mother could be there, but he understood that it just wasn't her time yet. "Father!" He called out in joy, and ran to his father who wrapped him up in one of the tightest hugs he'd felt in a long time.

Moira looked on with happiness written all over her face and didn't even so much as feel startled when Robert Queen himself wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked at the sight before them. And hoped that when the time came with his kids, it would be just as wonderful in their re-uniting. "It is wonderful to see you again my son." Maseo told his boy with more heartfelt meaning in his words then had been heard from him in a long time.

He pulled back a bit to get a good look at his son, the young boy doing the same and both smiled. "Its gonna be hǎo father. Its all gonna be hǎo."

"Is that so?"

Akio nodded. "Of course! Uncle Oliver even said so!" His words that he was so sure of caused Maseo to start laughing like he hadn't done in a long, long time.

Hǎo indeed!


Author's Notes: I tried to get the hao bit as close as I could to what Akio translated for Oliver when it was just them two on the run, but I seemed to keep coming up short. But hopefully what I used here and found on Google Translate will be pretty good in its place. And this is likely one of the more touching things I've written. Look forward to your thoughts!