Chapter 1: New Days Dawn
Fanfiction by TerinAngel and FlameStar66
Chapter by TerinAngel
Disclaimer:
Neither FlameStar66 nor TerinAngel own Assassin's Creed. This fanfiction has been made strictly for entertainment purposes, not for profit.
Authors Notes:
Hello all! Just a heads up that this story is a collaborative work between Krystal (FlameStar66) and me (TerinAngel). Each of us will be writing different chapters, so we'll let you know which of us wrote a particular chapter just under the chapter name and before the disclaimer (also, the author who wrote a chapter will be answering any questions you may have had).
Thank you to all who read and/or review! Enjoy!
'What the fuck happened to me this time,' Desmond thought as he watched the start of the brawl between Ezio and Vieri.
And when he said watched, he meant actually watching, not tagging along in his ancestor's body and thoughts. For once, he and Ezio were separated. And while he normally would be thrilled with the idea of not hitchhiking in his Florentine ancestor's mind, the disturbing level of reality he felt, coupled with the distinct lack of a certain snarky Brit's voice echoing from the sky, filled him with an absolute dread. "Rebecca, Shaun, Lucy… if this is a sick joke, you can totally call it quits now," he begged, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes still transfixed on the unfolding street fight. The lack of response, of any indication that none of this was real, made his grip on the edge of the building he was seated on tense further. He was nuts, part of his brain wailed in despair. He had officially lost it. He seriously thought he was in Florence, Italy, during the Renaissance.
The part of his brain that wasn't busy having a panic attack couldn't help but notice that Ezio wasn't doing so well.
The rock that had met the Florentine's head earlier in the fight must have done more damage than simply cutting his lip – Desmond hadn't been able to accurately gauge what damage his ancestor took, and at the time had attributed Ezio's slowed movements to a poor sync rate and his own inexperience. Now though… He flinched as one of the Pazzi thugs got a decent shot in at the soon-to-be Assassin's back. He should help – the man was kind of important, least of all to his continued existence. But if his worst fears were true – if the Animus had really thrown his sorry ass back into Renaissance Italy with no way back – was that even true anymore?
A cheerful voice and cries of much joy and relief from Ezio's companions shook him from his spiraling thoughts. It would appear that while he had been arguing with himself over the sanity of his situation, Frederico had arrived. He couldn't help it as a choked laugh escaped him. The Pazzi scattered as the eldest Auditore waded into the fray, sending the thugs surrounding his younger brother flying – both figuratively and literally. With his older brother's presence at his side, Ezio doubled his efforts, a new, wild gleam in his eyes as Frederico tossed out a playful challenge. Desmond felt a sharp pang of jealousy in his chest as he watched the brothers fight together, encouraging each other to fight harder, move faster…
He couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different for him, if he had had on the Farm what they had now.
Vieri called for the last remaining thugs to fall back, his features contorted in rage at being defeated by the Auditore brothers. Ezio made to chase after the stragglers, only to have Frederico grab his shoulder. Desmond didn't even have to recall Ezio's memories to know why – the younger's condition was fairly obvious, at least to everyone but him. As Ezio raised a hand to check on the cut on his lip, Desmond couldn't help but mimic the action, a scowl forcing its way onto his face at all the memories the little mark brought up. "It's just a scratch…" he murmured, even as he watched Ezio's lips form the same words. Desmond shook his head, willing the unpleasant ache in his chest to go away. As Frederico and Ezio went about raiding the persons of the fallen Pazzi thugs, Desmond stood, stretching out the kinks in his spine that had formed due to his position. He knew this part – Frederico was about to drag Ezio to the Doctor, then up to the church roof. Another sharp pain hit his chest, this time sorrow. Their conversation flitting threw his mind as though he were living it all over again.
"We lead a good life, brother."
"May it never change."
"Si. (1) And may it never change us."
If only they knew…
The roofs were, thankfully, deserted as Desmond raced across. He was likely going faster than he should, considering his recollection of Florence was sketchy at best. But he couldn't help it. If he ran fast enough, if his legs throbbed hard enough and his lungs burned enough, then he could escape the pain of what he knew was going to happen to the all too happy and oblivious brothers. As he leapt across an alleyway, a flash of something at the edge of his vision caught his attention, bringing him to a rather unsteady stop. Resting innocently on a beam just below him in the alley was a feather. He had dropped to the beam and had it in hand before he realized he had moved. "Petruccio…"
He had been meticulous in his collection of Petruccio's feathers, much to Shaun's annoyance. But the other man didn't get it. Desmond had been the youngest at the Farm – he hadn't really interacted with anyone younger than him until after he had left. He couldn't help but feel an impulsive desire to shield the most innocent member of the Auditore family – and to fulfill his last request, even if it was indirect.
Desmond blinked sharply to relieve the burning sensation behind his eyes, only to realize that he had subconsciously made his way to the roof of the Palazzo de Auditore. A quick, if frantic glance around him, and he let out a sigh of relief. He remembered that there were almost no rooftop guards for now, but they were lower on his list of concerns. What he was truly worried about was Frederico or Ezio, or even worse their Father, spotting him on their roof. Thankfully karma seemed to be trying to make up for the cluster fuck of dropping him in this position in the first place, and the roofs were silent, without a trace of the paranoia that signaled he was being watched. Still, without knowing exactly when Frederico was going to finally make his way back, it was better to be safe than sorry. Desmond carefully eased his way down, pausing briefly at an open window to survey the streets below. As expected, there were very few people out at this hour, though he scowled when he noticed a group of Pazzi prowling the streets. "Bold little –"
"Fratello? (2) … Is that you?"
Desmond jerked in shock at the soft, innocent question, nearly falling out of the window. As it was, he barely managed to catch himself and half turn at the same time. Who knew that innocent little Petruccio would be able to sneak up on someone like that? They stared at each other for a tense second, Petruccio's expression confused and questioning, Desmond's blank as he wondered if it would be worth the pain to just jump to the street below and possibly make an escape. Finally, Desmond managed to find his voice. "M-mi dispiace veramente,(3) I – I'm just… I mean, I'm –"
"Did you come from the roofs?"
Desmond blinked, his jaw dropping at the innocence of the question. He just nodded dumbly, and a knot in his chest eased when Petruccio's expression lit up. "Are you a friend of Frederico's then? Or Ezio? They're always on the roofs with their friends." The youngest Auditore pouted, and Desmond couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Madre (4) won't let me go with them though... she doesn't really like it that they go up there so often…"
Desmond sighed as his instinct to make the other feel better won out over common sense. "You could say that we're friends, but it's… more complicated than that. I'm… not from around here, and I just got to Florencetoday. I did see your brothers earlier. But –" he cut off Petruccio before the boy could begin questioning him, "-they… don't really know I'm here. Not yet." He bit his lip, frowning before continuing. "Petruccio?" The youngest Auditore was obviously surprised that a complete stranger knew his name, and Desmond resolved to kick himself for that little slip later. "Can I… ask you to do something for me? It's very important." That got the younger to perk up, and Desmond grinned, knowing all too well how Petruccio felt now, being told he was entrusted with an important task.
"If you get the chance, tell your Padre that Desmond Miles is in Florence. And when you do," he held up his left hand, holding his ring finger down, "show him this. He'll know what it means. No one else but him though, ok?" He felt a wave of fondness rise in his chest as Petruccio practiced the sign a few times before nodding with a determination that made Desmond want to shake his head. He could sort of understand Maria's desire to keep her youngest child safe, but Petruccio was already showing all the signs of being a true Auditore. He glanced down at his right hand, which still held the precious feather, and he smiled, his mind made up.
Petruccio could be an eagle, just like his Father and Brothers.
"Here," Desmond handed over the smooth feather to Petruccio, who lightly stroked his fingers over it. "This? This is a promise. I'll come back to visit you, soon. And when I do, I'll bring more of these with me. And," he waited until the other had locked eyes with him, "when you can get to the roofs on your own, and bring me one that you've found, I'll help you learn how to run just like your Brothers, ok?"
The smile he got from Petruccio was well worth everything he had been through that day. He had barely managed to slip out the window before he heard the door to the youngest Auditore's room open. "Petruccio," came Annetta's voice, slightly exasperated at finding Petruccio awake at this hour. "What are you – hm? What is that you have there?" A soft rustle, and Desmond squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that his good luck hadn't run out yet. "Where did this come from," he heard the Auditore maid question, and he thought he heard a trace of awe and confusion in her voice. The last thing he heard before he made it back to the roofs and out of earshot was Petruccio's innocent declaration.
"It came in through the window."
Translations:
Si – yes
Fratello – brother
mi dispiace veramente – I'm truly sorry
Madre – Mother
