Alright, so this is my first fan-fic writing. I am also writing this on the day I had to take an exam for school.. so I might have not written to my full potential and therefore might change things later..
But basically this will be a series of a couple one-shot's, some long some short just depending I guess. These are the rules:
1. Turn music on random and whatever song comes up is what is to be used for inspiration for a one-shot for the topic I have chosen (Assassin's Creed)
2. Write the song title so the audience knows what song this fic is supposed to be inspired from
3. The audience leaves a review with comments/thoughts and what they think about how I related the fic to the song.
Oh and Author's note: It may or may not seem like a Malik/Altair pairing.. I am not saying that was my intent, I am letting you guys interpret it however you wish, as I will not say whether or not I meant it as a shipping or just good friends or anything else.. If that makes sense.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YELLOWCARD OR ANY OF THEIR MUSIC OR LYRICS OR ANYTHING.
I DO NOT OWN ASSASSIN'S CREED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM AND I AM NOT WRITING THIS FOR ANY TYPE OF PROFIT- JUST FOR FUN.
Light Up the Sky by Yellowcard (Again, I DO NOT OWN anything that belong's to Yellowcard, like their song Light Up the Sky)
Don't misunderstand me- I chose this life, I know this to be true.
Who I am resides in the inconspicuous areas that light fails to reach and provide warmth for. I am the silent masked marauder as some would call me. Adorned with robes pure white as snow I tread quietly through the night.
But then..
"There is he is! The murderer! Do not allow him to escape again!" boomed a man with piercing red eyes- ones that hunger for blood, "He cannot evade our forces for an eternity!" His clothing wielded a blood-red cross, the same color to match his eyes that could slice daggers through a man's soul with a glance. This obviously signified that the man was a Templar; a high ranked leader of some sort.
Altair had been through this type of chase before. The only difference now being the fact that he now currently had over thirty-two or so Templars charging him at once; and those were just the ones he was able to count while bounding off each rooftop, beam and wall with incredible agility and swiftness. At the turn of his heel Altair met face to face around a corner with an archer. Even with his swiftness Altair could not completely dodge the small dagger the archer had at hand's ready unscathed. The attack left him with a long shallow gash down his left arm, all the way from his shoulder down to the inside of his elbow. The assassin spun around on his heel, jutting his leg out at the last second to kick the archer's legs out from underneath his torso and fall with a thud on the rooftop. The assassin clad in white, now progressively being stained dark red, let out a cry of pain at the motion of launching himself to the next rooftop. He hadn't had the energy to launch himself far enough it seemed; as now he dangled from the roof of a building by his right arm- the left had let go for a split second due to the pain crawling down the gouge.
Putting all the strength he could into his right arm he yanked himself up onto the roof completely, and rolled over so he was laying on his back looking at the sky. And for a few short moments he caught his breath, as the pain seared through his arm. At the sound of more archers approaching on the rooftop, Altair quickly stumbled up quickly and looked for an escape route..
I can't face more archers now, I need a way out of here! he began to panic. The loss of blood began to disorient him.. What direction is the Bureau? he shook his head back and forth as it started to spin, as if this motion would cease the spinning. An arrow whizzing past the back of his head caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up and for him to listen to his conscious and snap back to reality. He hesitated, looking back over his left shoulder. What a mistake. The assassin forgot his injured arm momentarily, and an arrow lodged itself in his shoulder blade. Searing pain added to searing pain caused him to lose his footing slightly, and he stumbled backwards.
All around him Altair could hear screaming and the familiar sound of pursuing guards and Templars. But at this point Altair did not hear them or see them. All he saw was his fellow assassins in his mind. He had already let Malik down once. He would not do it again. He had to be certain Malik was safe before he could allow himself to give up. Altair knew that the Templars would soon be searching the entire city to find him and Malik.. This was something he knew for certain.
In response his body automatically found an escape route; one that he deathly did not wish to take. He saw a glimmer of light from one side edge of the building he was standing on. Knowing what would soon be reality he cursed inwardly. And so he made for the edge and launched off.
To his dismay he saw nothing to land on or grab onto but liquid water. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was about to happen. The river rushed up to his face quicker than he had anticipated. He plunged into the water. When his head broke the surface of the river he gasped in as much air as his lungs could hold. He thrashed unsuccessfully through the water for anything he could use to escape a watery grave- for he could not swim.. Archers continued spraying arrows towards the assassin, and Altair became terror-stricken and scrambled to pry himself up onto a peg jutting out from the bottom of the river. When he had propped himself up steadily enough he made to jump for another peg a meter or so away. As he left the first peg an arrow buried itself deep in the assassin's leg.
His entire body ached, willing to give up at any time. Altair would not allow this. Though the assassin looked down of all things in the ensuing chaos. Water lapped around the peg Altair was perched on. Fear struck across his face as he struggled to force himself to make the last jump to ground on the opposite side of the river from which he had entered. With all his strength he had left Altair scaled the side of a building and heaved himself up onto the roof and leaped with all the might he had left for a nearby rooftop garden. He knew the hiding spot would not last long. Eventually the guards would come for him and deliver him to the Templars. He was going to die.
All the same he crashed into it, landing on his stomach, causing more pain to flare up in his side- he was certain that he cracked a few ribs. At the realization there was no real escape, he leaned himself up against the wall of the garden and sucked in abruptly when his shoulder made contact with the wall. He had forgotten about the arrows! He broke off the ends and left the arrowheads lodged in his skin, slowly ripping parts of his skin to pieces. He was bruised all over and his body ached, trying to force him to give up. A single drop of blood trickled down from a scrape on his forehead and splatted quietly onto his leg. He then turned his attention to his arm, as he ripped a piece of cloth from his robe -what was not shredded from attackers with swords- to wrap tightly around the cut down his arm. Wincing he pulled the cloth tight in a knot with his teeth. He dared not move his left arm out of pain, and held it with his right, grasping tightly due to pain. Gritting his teeth he pulled out a throwing knife, ready to fight for his life for when the guards found him.
Altair didn't care about how his mission had gone- he didn't care that he wasn't supposed to be seen due to the overpopulation now in the city. He didn't care that he was being chased by guard after guard. Malik would tell me this to be my own fault and that I was ill-prepared for such a mission.. Altair thought gravely.
All he cared about was Malik's safety. The assassin would not let himself be the cause of more hurt and pain towards Malik. He had already cost the man his brother and own arm due to his recklessness. And at one point Altair and Malik had been friends. After Solomon's temple Malik seemed to hate Altair, with reason of course. Altair understood. He also understood that he would do anything he possibly could to keep Malik safe and try and regain his trust. He turned his head down, hidden inside of his hood. He wanted more than anything to win the Rafiq's trust again.
At that moment Altair heard a soft step outside the rooftop garden, and perked his attention to his surroundings once again. For some odd reason the footstep had sounded familiar.. Dare he peer outside and put himself in danger in hopes that an ally had come? No.. It would be foolish and could end his life with one strike of a sword or shot of an arrow to his chest. No ally had come for him; this was his mission and his alone. No one would be there to assist him.
Readying his hidden blade Altair made to leap out of the garden and assassinate the unknown being by surprise. The assassin had less energy than he ever thought he could have. He barely leapt far enough to completely clear the rooftop garden wall, and so fell into the unknown being forcing them to slightly stumble back. Altair clenched his eyes shut, he knew it was over before it began.
"Altair?" asked the being in a shocked voice as it caught the assassin in it's arms, "Altair!"
Altair slit his eyes open upon hearing the voice. He had barely the energy to force out the Rafiq's name, "Ma-lik..?" At this point Altair saw the light that shone from the Bureau from behind Malik. The light seemed to create an aura around Malik- one that shown of safety. Altair knew he was safe now- safe with Malik.
"Yes brother, I am here!" the Rafiq reconfirmed for the assassin.
"Are you s-safe?"
"Yes, yes I am safe! But you appear not, what has happened?"
"Safe..-ty and pe-eace," he winced with uncontrollable pain, "broth-er.. augh!"
"It will be alright, Altair." Malik spoke frantic and worried.
"N-no brother, I do n-not believe I will m-make it out this t-time..," whispered Altair, still being clutched by Malik as the latter began pulling the assassin towards the netted roof of the Bureau.
"Do not say such things, novice!" Malik attempted to say in a voice of authority, but his voice cracks betrayed him as his eyes welled up. Malik hated Altair for being the cause of his brother's death at Solomon's Temple, but he hardly wished death upon the man. In fact, he did not desire to hate Altair at all! He wanted everything to be the way it was- but Malik realized his brother could not be brought back. His arm could not be brought back. Time could not be reversed. And because Malik knew this, he desired more than anything for everything to be okay. He never wished to hate Altair. He still could not forgive him for what he had caused to happen- but he wanted to more than anything forgive him so they could be okay again. But because of what happened Malik had always continued to be hateful towards Altair when they spoke- though it also hurt him to do so. He did think Altair deserved some of it for what he had done.. But he didn't want to hurt Altair either.. Because he knew Altair was already hurting. He knew that Altair wanted the same thing as Malik- for everything to be alright. Malik felt broken inside- he didn't know what do do anymore about anything and he didn't know if he knew who he was anymore. All he knew was that he hurt for his lost brother, he hurt for what happened in Solomon's Temple, and he hurt for Altair. He could not just forgive Altair because of what the assassin had done. But Malik didn't want either of them to hurt anymore. He wanted everything to be fixed. If only things could be that simple. Could they? Could they both try and be alright again, together, could they do it?
"A l-ife for a liFE-," Altair let out a pained gasp, "for Kad-ar, am I c-correct Malik?"
"No, I do not wish death upon you, Altair!" Malik responded hysterically, trying to explain to Altair how he felt about everything that had happened between them, with all the emotion crammed into one sentence.
Altair seemed to blink trying to comprehend and understand, with a face slightly showing shock- which was a feat in itself since assassin's are taught to withhold expression and emotion. The message behind the emotion in Malik's words seemed to register at the very least somewhat, as Altair looked up into Malik's eyes, seemingly searching for all the meaning they held about the Rafiq's words.
The shouting and screaming from the streets and other rooftops surrounding them coming closer reminded them of where they were, as they both started again for the entrance to the Bureau. As Malik reached the entrance, he successfully pulled a stumbling Altair down into the temporary safety that the Bureau currently held for them. Shouting could be heard outside, and so Malik quickly closed the entry to the Bureau with one swift motion while also holding up Altair with his one arm. Even though he had lost his arm he was still stronger than many, many men.
"Is th-that why you w-were out waiting f-for my return?"
"Yes, brother," Malik answered carrying Altair with his one arm further inside the Bureau, "always."
Upon hearing the Rafiq's words, Altair's mind began to slip into unconsciousness after learning Malik was safe for the moment. He just hoped the guards would not be able to find the Bureau.
Malik was already tending to Altair's wounds, and trying to keep him awake.
"Altair, why would you go to such lengths to return to the Bureau? You were ordered to leave Jerusalem after the mission and not to be seen!"
"T-hey could.. could have c-come for you.. n-needed to k-keep you s-safe.. If I d-do not make it, l-live on for b-both of us," Altair huffed out with the last reserve of energy he could access.
"Altair? Altair! You must stay awake!" Malik's words were beginning to fade in and out as Altair slipped into unconsciousness more and more, "You must... stay awake... Altair.."
Altair's last memory before losing all consciousness completely was Malik there with him in the Bureau. Must keep.. Malik, safe..
(Author's note: If liked enough, I have a whole idea to continue this into a full length story .. I mean, I like my idea. But it will have to be a surprise. Also I might change a few things here and there on just this one-shot also, like I might add a few things maybe..? I have an idea but am tired for the moment so I will do that later if I choose to.)