As Ezio lay in bed that night, thoughts ran through his mind, thoughts of how things could be this way, of how this world was so different. Perhaps Leonardo had lied and Giovanni wasn't a Templar – but the evidence that the artist had given after those words pointed only toward Ezio's father being part of the enemy. And after that had been explained, Ezio had retorted with how he remembered his father being an assassin, and how he himself became an assassin. The silence that had ensued after those words had made the young man nervous, but only until the response was given.
And that response as well, was troubling. Not as troubling as a loved one being a Templar, no, but something that Ezio never thought would happen.
Leonardo was an assassin. So was Petruccio. Or, at least, Petruccio was going to be one. The younger Auditore had explained to his older brother that he'd run away because he didn't want to be a part of the Templars like Giovanni and Federico were. He told of some stories he'd heard of Templars from other boys around the area, ones that made even Ezio shudder. Why was his father – the kind, loving man that he remembered, a Templar?
He'd figure this out in the morning.
As things happened to turn out, Ezio's morning was very rushed. He'd tumbled out of bed around noon and headed to have some late breakfast – which was composed of some bread and fruit. Nothing too complicated, he knew, but enough. After he'd scarfed that down, Ezio was about to head outside and head back to Leonardo's, but was stopped by his father.
"Ezio," Giovanni said, hand on his son's shoulder, "There's something we have to take care of today. I want you to clean yourself up and look nice. This is important."
The curiosity on Ezio's face was genuine. "What's going on today? Someone getting married?" He grinned for a moment, but it faded at Giovanni's cold facial expression. No wedding, then.
"No, we're going to take care of some business about half a year early." Giovanni let go of Ezio's shoulder, "Be back home before three, you hear me?"
Three hours. That was enough. Ezio nodded.
"And then you took his robes - You're telling me Giovanni was an assassin, then?" Back at Leonardo's workshop, Ezio was explaining in detail the story of his world. The one where Giovanni was kinder, and an assassin. The one where Ezio lost his family due to the Templars' lust for power.
"Yes. But, you see, just having the robes, it – it wasn't enough to stop the things from happening. My father still died, alongside Federico and..." He looked to Petruccio, whose eyes had widened at the turn the story took.
"Me? Why me?" Petruccio asked, adjusting himself on his stool. Ezio could only shrug his shoulders, the answer truly unknown to him.
"But you see, after this happened, Mario took me in. He trained me to be an assassin, like my father was. And his father before him, and so forth." Ezio paused a moment, looking to his friend. "And Leonardo, you weren't... You were neutral. At least, you said you were. Something along the lines of needing to have your own path, not influenced by others. But it was influenced, let me tell you." Ezio gave a slight laugh, recalling all the times with his world's Leonardo. Yes, best friends indeed.
This conversation went on for ages, until Ezio heard the bells toll for the third hour of the afternoon and rushed out, already knowing he'd be chastised for being late. Hopefully his father wasn't too hard on punishment here.
Several hours later and the sun was setting, with Ezio dressed in reds and whites alongside his father. It was strange for him to be wearing these clothes, with the Templar's cross so plainly on the front and the perfumes that practically choked him. God, Ezio hated how strong these scents were. Why would anyone wear something so horrid smelling?
The thoughts were wiped from his mind as Giovanni lead him to the fireplace, which, as Ezio remembered, held his secret tunnels and room where many things were stored – important things. In Ezio's memory, there were documents and the robes that he so adored, but when the fireplace was gone from view and Giovanni lead his son inside, it was barren. No chest, no robes, no plans and maps and documents.
Instead the room was barren and lead into a hallway. A dark hallway at that, but a hallway. Giovanni took a torch from the wall and lit it with the lantern that had been sitting in the room outside the fireplace, and began down the tunnel. Ezio followed, but only after a moment's consideration. This was going to be a long evening.
Ezio expected something more hostile, of course. From the Templars, that was all he could ever expect – but the initiation of his was far from hostile. In fact, it was more a celebration than anything. But the idea of it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"And so, we bring you into our Order, Ezio Auditore, and may the Father of Understanding guide you to your greatness." Giovanni's words resounded through the ornate chapel as he said them, slipping a ring onto Ezio's index finger. Ezio wouldn't lie he could probably get a hefty sum of florins for this ring, but it would more than likely arouse suspicion if it vanished.
"Grazie, father." Ezio nodded at Giovanni, who only grinned silently. Then, from the depths of the crowd, Mario came striding up, arms wide for his nephew.
"Ezio, I'm so proud of you! You are now one of us, you know. Oh, how I long to see your skill with the blades, our swords! You will be getting one, you know, once you prove you can fight." The words were punctuated by pats on the back, causing Ezio to lurch forward.
"Yes, I – thank you for the information, Uncle."
"Come on, then, nipote. We have a celebration to have you attend, don't you know? Look around you – wine and women. All a young man like you could want, right?" Mario's grin was rather intimidating.
Yes, a celebration. But, as he recalled, weren't there usually assassins at Templar parties? Ezio looked around, Eagle Vision activated as he searched for some hint of light. And one was revealed, over in a small group, a flash of white, a traveller's hood pulled up over the stranger's face. This wasn't too surprising, but the person under the hood was. As the darkness around him faded and the colours in the world returned to normal, Ezio caught a glimpse of fair skin and what seemed to be a sandy-blonde bit of hair. That couldn't be...?
"Yes – let me go talk to someone, alright, Uncle?" Ezio pushed away from his family members, ignoring the way that Giovanni and Mario looked from him to eachother, and headed in the way of the hooded stranger.
"Might I offer you a glass of wine, friend?" Ezio kept his voice low as he spoke, met with a gasp.
"Ezio!" Leonardo's voice was hushed, "I should have figured you'd be here. This was your ceremony, was it not? Oh, please don't tell me your father has persuaded you to truly switch sides..."
"No, no. I'd never side with the Templars, no matter who was in their ranks." Ezio said. "Why are you here?"
"It may seem uncharacteristic to you based on how you told me of myself in your world, but I'm here on an assassination contract." Leonardo said, one hand finding Ezio's arm. "A high-profile person, by the way. Not you, though." He smiled beneath the hood.
"Who?" Ezio asked, not bothering to move his friend's hand. "And what way?"
"Giuliano de Medici," Leonardo breathed, "And if I can, poison. I don't like hurting people physically, but it has come down to it on a few occasions."
"Remind me not to get on your bad side, then." Ezio chuckled, and Leonardo followed suit with a soft laugh of his own.
"Excuse me, my target is moving."
It took only a few minutes until Giuliano was lying on the ground, breathing his last, and several women shrieked. Ezio sat and sipped his wine nonchalantly, unphased. He knew that ranks had changed in this world – Lorenzo was, according to Giovanni's lectures, the head of the Templar community in Florence.
Good riddance, Ezio thought, and retreated out of the area. He didn't feel like dealing with the aftermath of an assassination.
"You saw his eyes, didn't you, Mario?" Giovanni whispered the night after the ceremony, eyeing his brother carefully. Mario could only nod with a frown on his face, disappointed.
"I was very much hoping that it wasn't true. That he wasn't the Prophet that we were warned of." Mario ran a hand through his hair, grumbling something to himself. "There's nothing we can do but try and get him to stay on our side."
"What if he's already on their side?"
Silence took the brothers as grim thoughts passed through their minds.
Several days passed from Ezio's initiation, filled with nonstop studies of Templar work and history. These bored Ezio, yes, but he'd decided after a quick talk with Leonardo that if he had the information, it would help in overthrowing the Templars, ultimately. Having the information of where they kept their most important artefacts and books and who their high-ranking people were would help Ezio in having the upper hand.
Sitting in Leonardo's workshop with the fire going one evening, Ezio had to admit – it was rather exciting working from the inside of the enemy's lair. He had information that he'd never imagined would be his to own before.
"Ezio Auditore! What are you doing?" Claudia's voice shrieked in Monteriggioni, her eyes watching as her brother – who'd been in battle with Rodrigo the day before, sat at the small-scale model of the town, knocking buildings over and acting altogether childish. Truly, a man of his age should be mature by now!
"Claudia, when did I get here?" Ezio asked, his hand holding his chin up as he watched another small building fall from his seemingly innocent game.
"What do you mean? We got you from where Rodrigo left you and patched you up – it took at least a fortnight for you to wake. We were all so worried about you." Claudia's gaze softened as she recalled her brother being passed out for so long, being hurt so badly.
"Where's father?"
There was a long silence before Claudia opened her mouth. "I do hope you are not serious, Ezio." The look on her brother's face told her that he was. He was utterly clueless. "Did you lose your memory when you got hurt? Father – Father passed on many years ago. Murdered. By the Templars, remember? That is what got you started here. Being an assassin."
"An assassin." The words on Ezio's lips sounded foreign to him, and it was becoming clear to Claudia that her brother was not himself.
"Last I recall, I was going to receive training to become a Templar, like Father was. However, I have the feeling that something happened here. I'm not where I'm supposed to be."