Honoring Akio

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what you see here, and honestly this could go several ways. And I may explore those too at some point. This will take place a few days after Damaged from season 1.

Summary: Oliver brings out the crate he brought home with him, intending to properly honor Akio.

The nightmare he had last night over the events of Hong Kong is what led to a bout of inspiration for Oliver to do what he was about to currently do. Which was him bringing the crate he brought back with him from the island to his home from the Foundry. As there was a particularly special item he had inside that he felt belonged in his home so that the memory it was associated with could be properly honored. Even if nobody else but him even knew the significance of it. Heading into the front room and seeing that thankfully no one is in there, he removed several items off the coffee table and placed his crate on it. Opening it and moving the cover up to reveal the contents within, the first thing he does is pull out the bow that once belonged to Yao Fei. Examining it and just generally showing it respect in his own way.

He then props it against the couch he's on to his left, so as to keep a good side eye on it as a just in case kind of thing. The next thing he pulled out was the small bag of herbs given to him by Yao Fei that first year on the island. Those herbs had served him well and he knew they would continue to do so for years to come. Placing it carefully next to the bow, he began to pull out other various things he had inside the crate, such as the bottle of vodka he'd been given and told to drink only during when the time called for it. Until finally when he came across what he was looking for. Which was a specially made black box designed to keep a certain special item inside it and prevent any accidents to it. What's inside you ask? Well none other then the urn Tatsu Yamashiro had given to him, filled with the ashes of her and Maseo's son Akio.

A young boy who lost his life too soon thanks to the mechinations of General Shrieve, a man he himself had tortured a good long while as payback for all he'd done. He likely would have left the man alive to rot in prison for his actions if Maseo hadn't of shot the man and ended his life. Holding the box with one hand as he put the other that wasn't all that steady, he pulled off the top and placed it to the side with the other crate items and looked at the urn for several minutes. Carefully pulling it out of its place and setting the other half of the box down, he holds the urn in his hands and continues to stare on at it. Primarily at Akio's name which was in traditional Chinese and English, something he had asked Tatsu if he could have done before they went their separate ways. And she had surprisingly agreed to the request as well.

So engrossed he was in staring at the urn that he never noticed the bow being picked up by someone else. Someone who was admiring its beauty and simplicity while wondering how he even had such a thing to begin with. This person was also rather curious about all the other items Oliver had as well. "Wow Ollie, this bow is beautiful. Where'd you get it? And don't you think the timing is kind of bad considering what happened with the false charges a few days ago?"

Never before had this person seen Oliver stand up so quickly and then turn around so suddenly to see who'd been talking. The startled look on his face clued the newcomer in on the fact he honestly hadn't been expecting anyone to walk in on him. The thing in his hands was pretty curious as well. "What!? Thea!?" He asked in surprise, making the girl shake her head at him.

"Yup, that's my name but be sure not to wear it out!" She replied back jokingly while keeping a good grasp on the bow in her hands.

Sure she might not have as much of an interest in archery as she used too, but respecting a bow as far as she's concerned is an important thing. "What, what are you doing here?"

"Uhh... Aside from living here you mean?" She asked back a bit snarkily.

Oliver sighed over the snarkiness from his sister. "You know what I meant Speedy."

She smirked at him as she definitely did know what he meant. "Well I originally came down to get me a snack, then I saw this vision of beauty showing part of itself on the couch and couldn't help but be drawn to it."

Her admiration for the bow reminded Oliver of how much of an interest his baby sister had in archery back before he was thought dead. And could only figure that his and their father's loss is why she likely had less to do with it now a days. But seeing the bow might be what could get her back into it. Heck, maybe even do some archery tournaments or something together out in the back yard. Of course he'd likely have to explain himself, but he could always mix the truth with a lie when the time came. Thea walked around the couch to stand near her brother, still wondering where he got the bow and wondering why he seemed to have an urn in his hands after she finally realized what it was. She honestly didn't think it could be their dad's ashes considering he drowned at sea.

"So you gonna answer my questions or what?" Oliver sighed again while rolling his eyes a little at her.

Placing the urn gently down on to the table, he extended a hand to Thea, signifying for her to hand it over to him. Though she did so reluctantly while really hoping he would tell her about it. He looked down at the bow in his hands for a short time, and to Thea, it looked a bit like he was maybe lost in thought. She thought that maybe he was trying to think of something she might believe rather then the truth. Course there was no way she was going to buy it as she wasn't that dumb! She was about to say something when her brother surprised her by speaking with his attention fully on the bow. "This... This is something I more or less inherited on the island. It originally belonged to two others." Her eyes widened in surprise at that, as she honestly wasn't expecting him to tell her that. The soft but serious way he was speaking clearly told her he wasn't telling her a bunch of bull.

I knew he wasn't alone on that island like he claimed! Not with those scars I saw! Why he bothered to lie she didn't know, but maybe it was because it was just too painful for him to talk about. Despite her belief that if he did, he could start to heal from it all.

"It first belonged to a man named Yao Fei. He was a good man and was the first to teach me how to survive on the island despite a mis-understanding we had at first." He laughed at that, though there wasn't much joy to be heard in the laugh. She guessed that maybe there was possibly more then just one mis-understanding between the two.

"He taught me Shengcun, which is Mandarin for survival. I later met his daughter named Shado, and she continued my training in the ways of the bow. Even going so far as to have me slapping a bowl of water to improve my grasp on firing an arrow." Here he looked up at her with a sad smile on his face, and she could see tears welling up in his eyes and was starting to get a horrible idea of what happened to those two.

"I loved her, I loved her in a way I realized I never did with Laurel. Shado helped me to grow and change, she was among several who helped change me from the spoiled jackass I was. She... She and her father met similar fates months apart from one another courtesy of mad men and their guns. Both of those men are long dead and are the reason I hate guns with a passion." He took a deep shaky breath after that and she wondered if maybe, just maybe her own brother had killed those two men for taking away two important people from his life. But it was something she would never ask as some secrets shouldn't be asked about and only given freely if one wishes too.

Something she's only now realizing herself as her brother's story was starting to make her tear up as well. She gently took the bow from him and placed it on the couch and then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Something she felt her brother honestly needed thanks to dredging up memories he likely didn't even want to think on. To her surprise he hugged her back tightly. "I'm sorry Ollie." She told him sincerely as they hugged.

"For what?" He wondered as he pulled away a bit to look her in the eye.

"For bringing up painful memories." She got a sad smile in response to that as well as a shake of the head.

"Don't be Speedy, it only means now that someone else knows of them and their memory can live on even further." She was honestly amazed how deep her brother just sounded with that and realized just how much he really did change despite the way he acted to the contrary with his attempts at resurecting his playboy persona.

"Can I ask you something Ollie?" The young Queen asked hesitantly.

Oliver had a feeling what she was about to ask him next but nodded for her to go ahead. Pulling completely out of his grasp and leaning down to grab the urn carefully, she stood back to full height while looking at the urn and wondering just who Akio Yamashiro is. "I know this can't be dad's Ollie, so why would you even have this urn of someone else?" Her tone wasn't disgusting sounded or accusing, but simply really curious.

Her brother took another deep breath over that one and gently pried the urn from her hands. "I have this because it was given to me by Akio's mother despite my not feeling I even should have it. Akio was... Akio was a young boy around at least 10 years old when he died thanks to another mad lunatic's ways. I honestly think you two would have gotten along well despite the age difference." He walked away from her and headed towards the fire place.

Leaving her to wonder a bit worriedly just how many nut jobs he came across while he was gone. And feeling even more of a pang of loss for yet another person she apparently wouldn't ever have a chance of getting to know. She watched from where she was as he moved things around a bit atop the fire place in order to put Akio's urn in a good position. She walked up to him to get a better view and saw that the urn had been placed in the very center. Something she truly felt was fitting, though she knew he was going to have to explain himself and likely several times when anybody saw it and asked. Though if she happened to be around, she'd give the explanation herself if he wasn't around to do so himself as it was the least she could do since he was wiling to share something so personal. That and to prevent something happening to it.

She smiled sadly at it and placed an arm around her brother in support. "It... Its a fitting place for it Ollie."

He turned his head to her and she saw a smile and guessed she must have said the right thing. "Yeah, I think so too. Thanks Speedy." And gave her a one armed hug.

The two would be left there observing the urn in respectful silence for quite awhile until their mother showed up sometime later. Her appearance put Oliver in a rush to re-place the crate's items before she could really get a good look at any of it and when she saw the urn and asked on it. He told her why it was there and respectfully stated he would like for it to stay there as well. Seeing how serious her son was being about it and the nature of the story that honestly broke her heart a bit, she conceded in his request. Something that got her a warm smile in return and felt like she had truly done a good thing right then and there.

This experience would serve to bring Oliver and Thea closer together in their sibling bond, and one or the other would always explain the origin of the urn despite Thea not knowing everything and leaving for more questions that either never were asked or were ignored for whatever reason. Thea would even get out her old archery equipment thanks to seeing her brother's bow and after an introduction to Shado's water bowl lesson she started to gradually get back to where she was in her skill level before she had stopped. Though she had to admit that she hated the lesson as it took forever to do. But as at least thankful for her big brother in wanting to pass it on. The two would even have competitions from time to time that would amaze many who saw them. Of course when Lance found out he got suspicious all over again but this time stayed quiet about it.

Laurel would even call Oliver out on something he once told her during the whole mess of him being suspected as the Hood once she saw him using Yao Fei's bow. Something he happily told her that water bowl slapping helped get him back into it. Earning a laugh from Thea who happened to be in the area at the time and confusion from Laurel. Tommy would even try his hand at it but the interest didn't last too long much to the disappointment of his father who found the training technique to be handy and would have loved to thank the one who came up with it. And as all this happened, Akio looked on from where he was in the afterlife with a smile on his face along side Robert Queen, Shado, and her father Yao Fei. Each all felt that this was a turning point for Oliver to begin his path to healing from the trauma of his five years of Hell. Felicity entering into his life was another thing in their eyes that they found was a truly good thing and looked forward to the day they met her.

Author's Notes: And here we go folks! I haven't seen anything like this done by anyone else and I think its a perfect way to honor that boy's memory due to the seriously raw deal he got on the show. Look forward to your thoughts!