"It's about goddamn time!" Rosa growled as she spotted the thief barreling towards her. It was already sunset and she didn't look forward to wandering Venice at night in Ezio's body.

"Messer Ezio!" the breathless novice saluted, "Antonio has requested your presence!"

Rosa nodded impatiently, "Yes, tell him I'm on my way."

She all but followed the thief back to Seta, eager to get home.

"Ah, Ezio, good to see you!" Antonio greeted her warmly at the gates of the thieves' new palace, but Rosa immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Antonio?" She asked, puzzled, "What's going on?"

"Come up to my office, I have much to discuss with you." Was all he answered, turning his back and motioning for her to follow him up the stairs. As the two made their way to the small room, Rosa did everything she could to catch his eye and form a question. However he never gave her the opportunity…

When they reached the office, Antonio pulled open the door and allowed Rosa to enter first. She frowned in confusion upon seeing herself tied to a chair in the center of the room, opposite Antonio's desk.

She continued inside, leaning against the desk casually as Antonio made his way to its opposite side. Rosa watched in bewilderment as Ezio struggled in his seat, sending her a wary look.

"This woman has been impersonating Rosa all day," Antonio explained to the white-hooded Assassin, "I just found her out a few minutes ago."

"Antonio, listen!" Ezio protested, forcing the chair to wobble a bit, "I'm not impersonating anyone! It's me, Ezio!"

"What I can't understand is why she won't tell me who she is," Antonio continued, ignoring Ezio's outburst.

Rosa paled a bit, looking nervously between Ezio's pleading glances and Antonio's cold calculations. She didn't know whether to play along or tell the truth.

"She could easily be a spy," Antonio reasoned, tapping his fingers on the wood nonchalantly, "Yes, the council would love to get their hands on my little operation, wouldn't they?"

"Antonio," Rosa cleared her throat, summoning her courage, "…She's not a spy."

"Oh, really?" The master thief turned, studying Rosa intently, "Do you know her?"

"She's…" Rosa stuttered, "…She's not even a woman."

Antonio's gaze hardened.

"Ezio, what are you saying?" He asked calmly.

"I'm not Ezio!" Rosa blurted, looking up at her mentor sheepishly, "It's me, Rosa!"

"And I'M Ezio!" The bound thief growled, irritably struggling against her bonds.

Antonio was silent for a moment as he processed this new and surprising information. Then he started up again, directing his questions at who he thought was the Assassin.

"Is this some sort of a joke?" He asked, glaring.

"I swear, this is no joke!" Rosa shook her head quickly, and then sighed in exasperation.

"Look, ask me anything- ask me something only Rosa would know." She suggested- the figure in the chair nodded enthusiastically.

"I think I'll start with this young woman," Antonio said, turning to Ezio. "Because I sincerely doubt you are who you say you are."

"Fine then," Ezio retorted, snorting.

Antonio cleared his throat and the trivia began.

"What is your uncle's favorite brand of wine?" He asked coolly.

Ezio thought for a moment- Mario usually drank anything he could find, he related solemnly…which meant an impersonator would probably give an exact answer. Instead-

"What isn't?" He rolled his green eyes, "Mario would drink rain-water if he thought it tasted like wine."

If Antonio was satisfied with the answer, he didn't show it. He then turned to Rosa, eyeing her suspiciously.

"And you," he began slowly, "What did I give you for your seventeenth birthday?"

Rosa paused, her eyes flitting around the room nervously. She knew the answer of course, but…

"Do I have to answer in front of that bastardo?" She gulped, blushing. Antonio raised his eyebrows, surprised to see the Assassino Bianco turn such a marvelous shade of pink, but nodded firmly.

She looked away, "…A notebook. To practice my alphabet in."

At Ezio's shocked expression, she quickly added, "And I've made fine progress! I could probably write as neat as a banker now!"

Antonio looked at her for a long time. There was an unsteady silence in the office, and both Assassin and thief were nearly afraid to breathe. Then, finally, Antonio pressed his hand against Rosa's arm and looked up to her.

"…Rosa?" He asked quietly, black eyes shining with tears.

"It's me, Antonio," She assured him, "Just believe us."

He embraced her suddenly, and Rosa felt odd noticing just how short her master really was. She'd always looked up to him…But being in Ezio's much taller body was beginning to take effect on her. She hugged back happily.

"I was very worried for a moment there!" Antonio laughed, pulling away, "I had no idea what had happened to you…and my mind played tricks with me, imagining things I knew couldn't be true."

"It's fine," Rosa smiled, "You are not to blame."

"Well, now that we've had our happy little reunion," Ezio grunted, kicking his legs indignantly, "May someone please untie me?"

Antonio turned to Ezio quizzically for a moment, as though he'd completely forgotten he was there. Then grabbed a dagger from inside his desk and set to cutting the Assassin free.

"Ugh, grazie a Dio!" He muttered, standing and stretching his locked arms, "I was wondering when you two would get around to it!"

There was another moment as everyone waited for the Assassin to gather himself before continuing.

"So, now we have an interesting problem," Antonio related amusedly, "If I'm understanding correctly, Ezio is stuck in the body of a female thief, and Rosa is stuck in the body of a male Assassin."

"Indeed," Rosa gritted. Ezio nodded curtly.

"So," Antonio rubbed his temples, "Do you have any idea how this could have happened?"

"Not a single clue," Ezio replied quickly, scowling, "In fact we don't even know why this is happening!"

"I don't want to live the rest of my life as Ezio!" Rosa complained loudly.

"Alright!" Antonio silenced Ezio before he could snap back, "Let's try backtracking. What did you do last night?"

Both were silent, apparently thinking hard. "Wasn't there…a…party, last night?"

Antonio nodded.

"There was a lot of drinking though," Ezio rubbed his chin, "I…I'm afraid I don't remember much of it."

"Were we talking?" Rosa turned to Ezio curiously, "Is it something we did, perhaps?"

Ezio shook his head, then turned to the master thief, "Antonio, do you remember what happened last night?"

Antonio smiled weakly, "Mi despiaci, amici…but…I don't remember a thing. I was as drunk as a perdigiorno last night."

There was a collective sigh of disappointment and the three stood in silence, each contemplating the situation seriously. Suddenly, Ezio lit up, his eyes widening.

"What?" Rosa asked, tilting her head slightly.

"There is one person who could tell us what happened last night!" He exclaimed happily, straightening from his position leaning against the chair.

Antonio frowned, his thin eyebrows creasing together, "Who?"

Ugo's dark eyes darted around nervously as he closed the door to Antonio's office.

"Antonio?" He asked uncertainly, "Did you want me for something?"

"Indeed, figiolio," Antonio smiled widely, "We have quite an interesting situation on our hands."

"Interesting how?" Ugo frowned, approaching slowly.

"We need you to tell us what happened last night," Ezio blurted, "As you were the only one sober."

"Rosa, what do you-" Ugo began, but Rosa cut him off.

"He's not Rosa," She said loudly, "I'm Rosa."

Ugo stared at the white-robed man incredulously, "What is this?"

"Ugo," Antonio sighed, clapping a hand on the curly-haired thief's shoulder, "This is the problem I mentioned. See, somehow during the night, Ezio and Rosa switched consciousnesses."

"You expect me to believe-" he began with a shaky laugh.

"Ugo you figlio di una cagna, chiuda la bocca cazzo and listen!" Rosa snapped, giving the thief the evil eye.

Ugo was silent a moment, staring at the Assassin who had just insulted him with a dropped jaw.

"I am convinced." He said quietly.

"Yes," Antonio continued, "So we need to recount, as the two don't remember: what happened to them last night?"

"Last night…" he rubbed his chin, frowning, "We were drinking after the assassination of Emilio Barbarigo. You, Antonio, said you were very drunk and went off to your room. Then it was just Ezio and Rosa alone…" he swallowed.

Rosa and Ezio exchanged glances but said nothing.

"Rosa told me to go upstairs, so I did…But I stayed behind to listen."

"Then what happened?" Ezio asked anxiously.

"You…" Ugo's scowl softened, "You started arguing…Ezio said the thieves' guild didn't take its work seriously enough, and Rosa basically called him an arrogant asshole and…"

All leaned in intently.

"In the end," Ugo shrugged, "I think Ezio accused Rosa of not understanding because of her sex."

"Ah-hah!" Antonio exclaimed triumphantly, "And there is our problem!"

"I don't understand," Ezio stated flatly.

"Someone, may it be angels or demons, heard you that night!" Antonio explained cheerfully, "And thought it would be funny to switch you around!"

"That's not fair!" Rosa cried out, "I haven't done anything wrong!"

"If that's the case," Ezio began quickly, "then how do we get back?"

"If I had to guess…" Antonio paused a moment, then shrugged, "I would say you need to apologize. I'd bet that argument is what got you into this."

"Apologize?" Rosa snorted, "I don't think so."

"I have done nothing I regret." Ezio said, scowling.

Antonio sighed, "Maybe that is how you feel now, but in the end…It's your only way back. Perhaps time will convince you otherwise."

And with that the meeting was officially over, and each went their separate ways. An extremely confused Ugo wandered out, Antonio stayed behind, and Ezio and Rosa filed out to the courtyard. Since the situation had now been explained, Rosa (in Ezio's body) would be allowed to stay at her room in the guild with no questions asked. Ezio stayed as well, but only because he didn't dare attempt assassination in Rosa's body.

As the stars began to creep into the horizon of the city of canals, each was left with despair as a constant companion.

AN- ugh! i hate how keeps destroying my grammar! All my indentations and breaks are missing! I HATE IT! I am literate people, even though this website hates me!