"Ezio per piacere, I really don't think this is a good ide-"
"Leonardo!" The hooded Assassin turned to his dearest friend and most trusted ally, a fierce fire burning in his deep brown eyes.
"This is something I need to do. It already been two years since I defeated Borgia"
He said the Templar's name with disgust. Although he knows it was the right decision to let him live, Ezio could not help regretting it at some points for the Templars had become an even more annoying and persistent thorn at his side.
"-two years since I recovered the Apple and the Staff, two years since I have opened the Vault, but still I am no closer to understanding what Minerva had said!"
Ezio sighed and pushed his hood back, allowing Leonardo watch as the assassin's angered expression dissolved into one of sadness
"It has been 25 years since my father and my brothers died, and I still feel that I have not done them justice."
Leonardo opened his mouth to protest, to remind that there was nothing he could have done for his family, that what's done is done. In his mind, he was sure that the deceased assassin would be very proud of his son.
Ezio would have none of this however and raised his hand to prevent the genius of repeating words that he had heard many times before, words he felt he did not truly deserve and could therefore never truly accept them.
"Mio amico per piacere, spare me the lecture. I know I was ignorant then, naïve, and stupid but-"
"But the skilled assassino that stands before me in no longer any of those things… well perhaps still a bit stupid" Leonardo said, a small smile gracing his lips.
"there is nothing you could have done to change their fate, but I assure you mio caro amico," Leonardo placed a comforting hand on Ezio's caped shoulder "if Signore Giovanni could see how much his son has grown, he would be bursting with pride…"
On a slightly sadder note he added, "… I believe the same could be said about Signore Mario as well…"
To this, Ezio had no reply. Both were quiet as they remembered the manner in which the boisterous assassin met his end.
It was not long after the Ezio's acquisition of the two Pieces of Eden that the Templar tried to take them back when Ezio had returned to Monteriggioni to store them there. They were well prepared for this and had fought valiantly to protect their home... unfortunately he had not done enough.
The Templars had snuck up upon the villa while they had all been asleep... well most of them anyways. Ezio and Caterina Sforza were … err... preoccupied...

In the end, not only did they lose the Apple to Cesare Borgia, Rodrigo's pezzo di merda son, Caterina had been taken hostage and Mario...
Ezio tried to reach his uncle, one of his few remaining family members, in time but he and Mario were both shot.

Mario lay dead and Ezio lay broken and defeated.

But not for long, Ezio has been carefully regrouping the Assassins preparing them for the battles that were sure to come, with Cesare at the forefront of his mind.
Ezio was broken from his reverie when Leonardo broke the silence to continue his previous statement.
"But I do not believe they would approve of you meddling with the Pieces of Eden! Even Altair knew of the dangers those relics possessed and this is not even the one he possessed!"
Ezio merely frowned and shifted his eyes towards the end of the circular room they were standing in to gaze upon the statue of the legendary ancestor, his lively dark eyes meeting lifeless grey ones. His gaze travelled downwards towards the base of the statue. Where Altair's armor had once lay several years prior now rested both the Staff, secured safely behind the metal grille.
Ezio had Leonardo modify the locking mechanism after he decided to keep the Pieces here. Now, along with the six other seals, a seventh was now required to access Altair's statue.
Ezio and Leonardo stood in the middle of the room where a small circular impression could be seen on the stone floor beneath their feet.
In his hand, Ezio held the seventh seal. As all the others did, this seal bore a symbol.
Ezio looked it over quietly, tracing the engraved tresses of the feather inlaid on the seal. He felt this to would be an appropriate symbol, one that made reference to both his and Altair's names but more importantly, he felt it gave more significance to the feathers that his younger brother had so dearly cherished.
He turned to his friend once more, a serious look in his eyes.
"I know how you feel Leonardo but I am afraid this is something I must do."
He took a step towards the statue, letting the arm Leonardo had on his shoulder fall to the floor.
"I do not understand any of this talk of Prophets and temples and- and Those Who Came Before-"
He did not look back at Leonardo but at the Piece of Eden, which seemed to be calling out to him, as he continued.
"-but perhaps these will fix that."
Leonardo was silent for a minute before giving a small breathy laugh.
Ezio turned around to give his friend a peculiar look but instead found himself in one of the man's warm embraces. Although he was surprised at first, he soon returned the kind artist's hug.
When they pulled away from each other, Leonardo gave Ezio a warm but sad smile.
With a small shrug of defeat Leonardo sighed "I see you will not be swayed my stubborn friend. Well should you become mad as many others have before you, I will be right here to knock some sense back into you…"
At this Ezio could not help but smile, not only because he found the pacifist's threat amusing but also because Leonardo was truly the only person who understood him most. His friend- no his brother- was always there for him through every trial and tribulation.
"… but should you remain sane… well then those old relics could not be that dangerous if they could not corrupt your little brain"
"Hey!"
Soon the laughter of both men could be echoing of the walls of the tomb. As there laughter subsided, Ezio pulled his friend into his strong embrace once more.
"Grazie mio amico"
Leonardo smiled at him before turning to walk out of the tomb, his red cape swishing slightly behind him. As he began to ascend the stairs his smile slowly turned into a frown.
He truly hoped that he would not have to bludgeon the assassin in the head when he saw him again

Ezio rubbed his beard in thoughtful frustration, his other hand gripping one of his knees.
The Master Assassin sat in the center of the circular tomb, glaring at the statue of his ancestor. The torches that illuminated the room cast an eerie shadow over Altair's marble face, giving the impression that Altair was glaring back at his descendent.
Ezio, who was always left with more questions than answers when he had the Apple, was completely dumbfounded without it. Without it, he could barely hope to ascertain the abilities of the second Piece of Eden, besides what he had seen it accomplish at the Vatican. He had been messing with the golden rod for hours, had even swung it around in the air a few times for the hell of it and he still couldn't figure out how the hell to work the damned things! The Staff lay several feet in front of him, gleaming in the torchlight as if to mock him.
With a frustrated sigh he gave up. He stood up, various joints popping in disagreement with the action. He pushed one foot underneath the shaft of the Staff. With a flick of his ankle, the Staff was momentarily airborne before landing softly into Ezio's outstretched hand.
Humming softly, he strutted up to the statue of Altair, spinning the Piece of Eden fluently in his hand as he did so. With one last twist he placed the relic at the base of his statue, bowing in respect to his ancestor before proceeding to secure the Piece of Eden behind the metal bars.

Ezio tiredly trudged up the stone staircase
He had contemplated many times before on taking the artifact with him at all times but he had always decided against it.

He walked slowly into Mario's study... or what was left of it anyways... Cesare's attack had left the villa in disrepair...

Rubbing his eyes with a sigh, Ezio glanced at Altair's Codex that still stood on the crumbling wall to his right.
Even Altair struggled with dealing with the temptations of the Apple and, even though the Apple was no longer under his possesion, the Staff had just as much an attraction for him.

Ezio hoped that Leonardo's fears would not turn into reality.
He dismissed these thoughts with a shake of his head before sealing the hidden tomb, the bookcase that hid the entrance leaving none the wiser. The hidden tomb that Ezio left in his wake always brought back the memory of when he had first donned the hood, when he had first found the hidden doorway in his father's study, the first time he had ever used his Eagle Vision.
A melancholy atmosphere overcame Ezio as he climbed the ladder to his room in the attic.

Even with the gapping wholes in the walls caused by the cannon fire from the Borgia attack, Ezio like his room as it was

besides... the damaged walls gave the room more... err... mystic...?
With a gentle sigh he began to undress and disarm himself. Ezio was left standing in his leggings, his left hidden blade the only weapon still on his person, as always. His battle scarred skin and toned muscles reflected the dim moonlight, as did his beaded necklace, which shone through the damaged walls.
As he sunk gratefully into the cushions within his room, one last thought crossed his mind as he faded into darkness,
"Perhaps some sleep will be more informative than those infernal artifacts"