"I heard about your fight with Vieri."
Ezio had no real qualms with accompanying his mother on whichever errand she had to run. But as she found the opportunity to force her son to own up to what they both knew to be the truth, he began to silently regret agreeing to help her in the first place. Still, he behaved, and followed her obediently. He was not about to spur on her wrath. That was nothing to experience.
"He spoke ill of us," he said, making that his only defense.
Thankfully, the conversation went down another path, and Ezio was no longer at its center. As he engaged with his mother, speaking of the Pazzi and all else of relevance, he watched Pidgeotto's shadow as it slid across the roads ahead of them. The bird darted from one rooftop to the next, marking their progress and slowing down to keep close. Its keen eyes and speedy reflexes ensured it would never stay out of Ezio's sight for too long. They were close, understood each other remarkably well, and were both young and brimming with vitality. An impressive, impetuous pair.
No sooner had they set off on their task did they eventually arrive at their destination—as indicated by Maria with a "Here we are."
The building was nothing outstanding, but then again Ezio hadn't expected it to be. He was intrigued, however, by the business she had there. So far she hadn't elaborated. As his mother announced herself with a knock on the door, Pidgeotto fluttered down right from the roof above, using Ezio's outstretched arm as a perch. It glanced at him, indicating curiosity, and he shrugged lightly in his reply.
The door opened almost immediately, and a bright-eyed fellow emerged from behind.
"Hello, Leonardo."
"Ma donna Maria!"
They greeted, Maria receiving friendly kisses from the so called Leonardo, and she proceeded to introduce her young man to the other.
"This is my son, Ezio."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Leonardo greeted with a bow and a smile, yet one respectfully subdued compared to his greeting of Maria Auditore.
"The honor is mine," her son replied most curtly, adding a bow of his own for this figure he could so far not come to grips with. He could not place the man, could not understand why his mother had anything to do with him in the first place.
Before business could continue, Leonardo turned an impressed eye at the Pokémon adorning Ezio's person, and he could not find it in him to resist the enthusiasm which promptly burst forth. Wide-eyed, he admired the specimen, and praised, "Ah, remarkable!"
"Pidgeotto?" Ezio wondered, taking offense at first.
"Yes! Is it yours? It's lovely, very healthy. I have not seen one so up close until today! How I would love to make some sketches!"
Pidgeotto and Ezio both grew uncomfortable the more this new acquaintance looked the Pokémon over, seemingly taking in every detail at an almost obsessive level.
"This city is crowded with Pidgey, yet I've not seen any of their evolved forms in person. I should love to—"
"Leonardo," Maria gently interrupted, reminding him to get back on track.
Embarrassed, a blush rose to his face, and he excused himself to the Auditore for being so flighty. He bowed to Maria, smiling excessively in spite of his folly, and quickly said, "Let me go and fetch the paintings. I'll be right back," thus retreating into his workshop.
He could hear the mother and son's voices right outside, and he only guessed they were talking about his behavior. He lightly reprimanded himself as he bent over to collect the parcel he had prepared for Maria, but took notice of a beige, biped canine sitting close by, minding its own business while it quietly looked through a collection of papers. A bright idea came to Leonardo.
"Smeargle!" he called. "Smeargle, why not come with me to deliver to these? The fresh air would do you good, and there are some people you should meet."
The Pokémon looked at him innocently, almost vaguely, and did not debate nor agree outright. It thought about what he'd said, weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately set the papers aside as it padded forward. Smeargle could not really deny that happy face or disappoint the pure heart that anchored it. Besides, there was a good chance of its human companion nagging it later if it decided to stay behind. Truth be told, the workshop was getting stuffy.
So Smeargle joined its friend, and followed the pleased Leonardo out as he found new strength to carry away the box of paintings with ease. He breezed right outside, a smile on his face as ever, and stepped between mother and son.
"Back to your house, then?"
"Yes, yes," Maria replied, half startled by his sudden appearance. "Ezio, help Leonardo, will you?"
Her son obediently took the box, acting as the carrier now instead of Leonardo. So this was why she wanted him to come. But he did not complain, did not let out a syllable of protest or reluctance. His Pidgeotto had been standing behind him, encouraged to drop to ground level since, understandably, he could no longer support its whole weight. Pidgeotto watched him, but marked out of its peripheral vision the newcomer to the scene.
Ezio held the box safely in his arms, and caught a thankful glint in Leonardo's eye. Neither of them spoke. Maria began to lead the way back to the Palazzo, and Leonardo walked beside her with his Smeargle keeping good pace. Pidgeotto took to the skies once more, and Ezio brought up the rear of the party.
"Leonardo—and who is this you've brought with you?" Maria asked, more out of politeness than genuine curiosity.
"Ah, yes! Ma donna, and Ezio," he explained, "this is Smeargle, my very good friend. I thought this would be a good opportunity to bring it out of doors. That, and I should introduce it to some new friends."
"So it is rather isolated?"
"In a manner of speaking. But it enjoys its life as it is."
Smeargle hardly paid attention to the new faces, but glanced at Maria as she addressed it. It said nothing, showing no alteration in expression, but walked on. Smeargle was by no means indifferent, but did not treat every introduction with the same zeal Leonardo had. The Pokémon was reserved, out of the way, and mindful. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto was back to hopping rooftops, going back the way it had come; and just far ahead enough for Leonardo to observe it.
Watching the Flying-type reminded Leonardo of Ezio, and without delay he put his better manners into practice before he forgot them again.
"So, Ezio, what do you do?"
The young man would have answered, were it not for the haste of his mother, who found it necessary to speak on his behalf. Perhaps she felt he would have answered disparagingly. She replied for him: "He's been working for his father."
"Ah! You're to be a banker?" Leonardo wondered.
"For now," Ezio himself replied. There was nothing better than a blunt, short answer. Ezio would have probably ended the discourse there, but in the presence of his mother—and knowing he was raised with more tact—he knew it best to ask Leonardo the same as he'd been. "And you? Art, was it?"
Leonardo grew mildly bashful at having to answer the question himself. He didn't really have an answer, or at least a satisfactory one. And what would they think of him if he said what he felt of himself?
Yet, he said, "Truth be told, it's been difficult for me to settle. Painting is nice, but I often feel like my work lacks, I don't know, purpose. Does that make sense? I'd rather contribute more practically. More directly; architecture, perhaps, or anatomy. I'm not content to merely to capture the world. I want to change it."
When he was finished, he hardly believed his own words. And they did sound ridiculous, really. Change the world? He reprimanded himself again for sounding so pretentious, like he was worth something. And in front of Maria's son, no less! But she was apparently in awe over Leonardo's aspirations, and gave him hope in the form of praise.
"Oh, Leonardo! I have no doubt you will go on to do great things!"
"I thank you, ma donna," he replied graciously, but kept his tone and words in check. "That's kind of you." What more could he possibly add?
Ezio, to be sure, was not so expressive about the whole thing, and really cared less about the end result of Leonardo's many career choices. All he knew was that he found himself at the back of the group, following, and carrying a box of paintings that he really had no business to carry—and all the while listening to the exaltations of a man he thought least of all to be such a huge influence as to make a mark in the world.
Mercifully, their journey was brought to an end as they reached the Palazzo Auditore. Home at long last. Pidgeotto swooped in low and took its proud place beside Ezio, who set down the box at the doorstep as his mother and Leonardo began to exchange goodbyes.
The two faced Ezio, who turned, more ready to say goodbye to Leonardo than he showed. His mother thanked him for his help, and he only nodded at her as Leonardo began to express the usual.
"It was nice to meet you, Ezio. I hope our paths cross again." And he said so with his characteristic smile and good nature.
Ezio felt forced to smile back, and he managed to pull off a realistic one as he replied, "Me too." He was not so fond of this man—at least not at the level his mother was—and did not know enough about him to give authenticity to his expressions. Still, he didn't think Leonardo was a bad person, so there was that.
Thus, they parted ways, their business conducted and each going back to their own lives. Smeargle had waved at the two humans who were new to it, and even to Pidgeotto, and followed Leonardo out of the Palazzo. Too bad Pidgeotto's attitude left much for the older Pokémon to be desired; it was cold toward Smeargle, and mimicked its human in more ways than one. Leonardo wasn't aware, but Smeargle observed closely. Hopefully, if their paths did cross again, Ezio and Pidgeotto would have done some growing up by that point.