Summary: Oliver's view of the events of the Arrow 3x15 episode "Nanda Parbat", written by Erik Oleson and Ben Sokolowski, with some allowances for exploration of ideas not expressed in the original episode. Written in first person, so it's different from my other stories.

AN: The story arc with Ra's continues to fascinate me. I've had most of this written for a while now, debating what to do with it. Still not completely sure, but I really wanted to share what I got. This was one of my favorite episodes of season 3...so I wanted to explore Oliver's thoughts during it. Also, to put my own spin on the reasons for Ra's' offer and the entire NP mythology, which I felt the show could've better addressed. So here is my version of the events in the episode. Please enjoy!

Diggle and I worked as the well-oiled machine we've become, after the years of partnership, to gain entry into the castle of Ra's al Ghul. The thought crossed my mind, in the middle of battling the dozens of warriors without difficulty, whether it was all a trick, for it seemed a little too easy, in taking down the guards on the estate of the great Ra's al Ghul. Without too much effort, we gained entry into the Fortress.

Once inside the castle, we were met with six separate corridors, and five more assassins, who we took care of just as easily as their comrades. When we were done Diggle looked at me.

"This place is humongous. How do we find Merlyn in all of this?" Diggle asked.

I pulled out my phone and pulled up a menu. "We'll find him with this. The nanites I tagged him four months ago." I held up my phone. "My phone can track them."

I led Diggle down one hallway, and then another, as indicated by my phone. We entered into a room with a high ceiling. The smell of burning coals and flesh met our nostrils as we entered, but it was the sight in front of us which was truly frightening. We had indeed found the man we were searching for. Merlyn was suspended above a bright glowing pile of coals, his feet barely touching them, his arms stretched painfully spread-eagled above him. I wasn't too sure he was still alive, being so broken and bruised. I hardly recognized him.

"Help me get him down," I said to Diggle.

However, before we could take a step, Malcolm mumbled something. I asked him to repeat it, and he said it slightly louder. "Trap. A…trap."

Before we could react, I heard a pulley clanging, and we suddenly found ourselves behind a barred gate. I exchanged a look with Diggle then slowly turned and watched as the greatest feared man in the world approached us, followed by six men dressed in the black garb of the Assassins, bows drawn, arrows nocked.

"Mr. Queen. Welcome to Nanda Parbat."

My stomach in my throat, I suddenly felt dizzy. Darkness quickly descended upon me, and I barely was aware of falling to the ground, Diggle landing next to me. My last thought was wondering how Ra's was able to gas us without affecting anyone else in the room. Sometime later, I slowly became aware of lying on my side, on a cold stone surface.

"Oliver, Oliver!" I heard Digg say "About time you woke up."

I pushed my weary body into a sitting position and then observed manacles around my wrists and ankles. I yanked on the chain, testing it for any possible weakness.

Diggle laughed and said, "Yeah, I tried that already. Nothing's happening."

"We need to get out of here now," I said, anger underscoring my words.

"Yeah, save your strength. I have a feeling we'll going to need it," my companion said in his usual light manner while attempting to hide his concern.

"I'm not going to let you die down here," I muttered, as I tried unsuccessfully to pull the chains out of the floor.

"I don't think it's up to you."

I sighed and looked at my best friend with regret. "I shouldn't have let you come."

"Also not up to you."

I stopped my efforts and looked at my good friend, who met my gaze with sympathetic eyes. I said softly, "You don't understand."

Diggle said, "I think I do. You forget I know you sometimes better than you know yourself."

Yes, his statement was correct. Diggle never failed to surprise me with his nuggets of wisdom he had offered me over the past two years. I looked at my friend, shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Maybe you could've told me I wasn't doing this for Thea before we left."

Diggle shrugged. "You are doing it for Thea, but yeah you're right. It's not just about her."

I took a deep breath, ready to share a part of my soul with the man I considered to be more of a brother to me. "You know every time I close my eyes all I can see, all I can hear. Feel." I took a breath. "is just the fall. I couldn't live like that." I looked down at my chained hands. "I couldn't live knowing there was someone out there who beat me."

"Yeah that makes sense."

I looked at Diggle with disgust. "No, it's egotistical and insane."

"So is putting on a mask and jumping off of rooftops, Oliver. To do that you have to be in a certain mindset. Every soldier on the battlefield, man, has to believe he's coming home. Otherwise he's paralyzed." Diggle met my eyes and nodded knowingly. "Ra's got in your head."

Silently acknowledging my friend's wisdom and affirmation of my feelings I looked around the room, then back at him. We needed a little lightheartedness, I decided. "What's the favor you wanted to ask me?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. At least for the moment. To think beyond this room, this mess I had gotten us into.

Diggle shook his head. "I don't think now's the right time."

"We're not dead yet. Now might be the only time." I prayed with all my strength I was wrong.

Diggle looked at me. I could see the internal debate happening behind those dark brown eyes. I know he disagreed with me, but he decided to go ahead. "I always assumed, if I got married again, Andy would be by my side." He paused, then continued in a quieter voice. "When I lost my brother I never thought I'd get another one." Straightening up, pulling on the chains slightly, Diggle breathed out. "So, pretending for a moment we aren't two dead men chained to the floor, how you feel about being my best man?" he asked me with a smile.

"I feel pretty good about it," I said with quiet confidence, with the hope I would indeed be able to get us out of Nanda Parbat and keep that promise. Even if it looked a little shaky at the moment.

We shared a look, then I heard a sound that brought dread to my bones. Boots marching on the floor, bouncing off the walls and echoing down the hallways. The cell door was unlocked and opened to reveal Maseo. I watched as he walked into our cell, accompanied by two other LOA guards.

"Oliver, it's time," Maseo said softly. I heard the unspoken apology in his tone.

Maseo removed the manacles from my wrists and ankles, and gestured me to stand up. The other two guards pointed their guns at me and Diggle. I got the message. If I tried anything, Digg was dead. I stood up without incident and put my hands behind my back when asked. Maseo put handcuffs on my wrists. I gave Diggle one last look, and he nodded. I nodded back and turned to walk out of the room, the guards behind me.

We walked along several corridors, then entered a room with a high ceiling, rugs on the walls, and a throne at the far end. Ra's was waiting there for me. I was led to him. Standing in front of him, I was forced onto my knees. I then felt a sword's tip against my throat. I looked up into the eyes of Ra's, holding the sword without a single waver.

"You tasted death, and you wanted more, but the truth is everyone and everything must come to an end. Even for one such as me."

I didn't catch the ambiguous meaning of his last sentence. I instead was focusing on the realization I wasn't going to survive the day. Calling upon all the strength I could, I said in a deceptively calm voice, "Kill me, but spare John Diggle's life." I prayed he would. John deserved that. I continued, "Let him go." Reminding myself of what I owed John, I added, "I will beg for it."

I looked at the man who had beat me in combat, who had successfully shaken my belief in myself, and wondered if he would indeed be the one to kill me. Instead he surprised me with his next actions and words.

"You have shown tremendous strength, fortitude, power. No, Mr. Queen, I do not want to kill you." He removed the sword from my throat and sheathed it. "I want you take my place. I want you to become the next Ra's al Ghul."

I looked at the man in front of me, allowing my confusion to show on my face. I attempted to school my features into a bland expression, but wasn't successful, I'm afraid. "Say again?"

At Ra's gesture, one of the guards walked to me and took off the handcuffs and assisted me to my feet. Ra's walked down the two steps to meet me. "Walk with me." He then turned to walk out into the hallway.

I followed. I almost felt as if I were living in some kind of dream. Perhaps I never did survive the fall off the mountain two months ago. Perhaps I was indeed dead and now existed in some kind of weird afterlife.

"You see, Mr. Queen, I finally have contracted a terminal illness which my Lazarus Pit cannot cure. I have had to take more frequent soakings in the pit, which lead to increased…confusion, shall we say. I want to have my heir in place before I die."

Lazarus Pit? I had heard of it, but had assumed it was mythical. Then again, those same reports made Ra's al Ghul out to be just as mythical, and here I was standing in front of the man.

By this time we had reached a small dining room, comfortably furnished with seemingly down-to-earth wooden table and chairs. However, I wasn't misled by the apparent low-key appearance. Ra's went over to one of the chairs and sat down. Once settled, he looked up and gestured to the chair across from him. I sat down and tried to settle my still-racing heart.

"There has been a legend which has existed even before my time. It states the man who survives Ra's' blade will become the next Ra's al Ghul."

"What happens to you?"

"Like I have said, Mr. Queen. I am dying. My body can no longer completely rejuvenate itself, even with the Lazarus Pit." The man paused for effect, then said, "I am not certain how long I have." A servant brought two plates filled with thick slices of bread, cheese, and grapes and placed one in front of each of us. Ra's picked up a grape, looked up at me, and popped the grape in his mouth. "You weren't supposed to have survived our duel. No ordinary man would have."

I didn't know how to respond. It had been a surprise for me as well. I fully expected to see the pearly gates when I opened my eyes. Instead, I had met the gaze of Tatsu, my Hong Kong mentor's ex-wife. Who saved me, under the most austere circumstances, in a mountain cabin. When you think about it, it had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Tatsu's miraculous healing powers. However, I couldn't reveal her involvement in this. It would endanger both Maseo and Tatsu. I owed them my life, so I had to make sure they weren't implicated in any way.

Instead I met Ra's' gaze, giving a shrug, and waited for him to continue. I still had no idea what his game plan was.

"I was happy having Nyssa be my heir. Until I met you, and you fulfilled the prophecy."

Nyssa. Not too many things scare me, but her reaction to all of this? I was almost afraid to find out.

"Are you crazy, Ra's? Why should I take away Nyssa's birthright? Just because I happened to have survived your silly duel?"

Ra's quirked an eyebrow at me. Perhaps I was acting a little too flippant. I attempted to back-track. "All I'm saying is that Nyssa has been preparing to succeed you all her life. Who am I to take it away from her?"

"Who are you indeed? Only the one the prophets have talked about."

I didn't like the sound of that. "I've never been a religious type myself," slipped out before I could stop myself. Sometimes my teenage smart-mouth still showed up occasionally to cause me trouble.

Ra's fixed what I would call a death glare upon me. I met it headlong, daring him to make an issue of my reply. He did not. Instead he popped another grape in his mouth.

"So what happens if I say no?" I asked, figuring I had nothing to lose by getting directly to the point.

Suddenly, my stomach was in my throat as I waited for his reply.

AN: Well, leaving it there, for now. I haven't decided yet if I want to continue this, and how. I probably will, so we shall see. Perhaps this story will be closer to canon than my other stories and show Oliver's reasoning for some of his bad decisions in season three. So stay tuned, and thanks for reading!