A/N: Are you ready to have everything figured out? Ready to meet Minerva? ONWARD! Chapter 42: Uncovered Truths

I slumped with exhaustion as I trudged behind Ekhram, feet dragging in the dirt and bringing up clouds of the stuff. I knew this was important. This lady, whoever she was, no doubt had a connection to the device that had caused so much harm, but all I really wanted to do was lie down. It had been nearly 36 hours since I last slept, and the whole world swayed in and out of focus as I walked. I sighed.

Ekhram looked back at me and frowned. "Are you...alright?"

I smiled at him weakly. "Yes, Ekhram, just very tired. Thank you for asking, though."

He grinned at me cheekily. "Anything for Al-Mu-alijjah." I swatted at him playfully, and he danced away laughing. We continued on the long path to the castle's courtyard, pausing every so often to greet a fellow brother, or to help some poor, confused civilian.

The city was chaotic, swathes of people searching desperately for friends or family members, the occasional cry of joy or howl of grief echoing through the streets. Wow, this is...depressing. And I was stuck in an asylum. I wondered how the assassins were going to figure everything out, how they were going to explain the events that had just occurred. It was a difficult position, to be sure, and I hated the idea of all the guilt and blame that would be passed around in the years to come.

The crowded pathway continued on, and Ekhram remained silent as we watched the scene unfold. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I knew he was eager to get where we were going.

"So…" I began, watching Ekhram's head turn toward me, "What exactly happened?"

He sighed. "Al Mualim was using the Apple to control people. He wanted the power for himself, I think, and believed it was the only way to maintain his hold on both the artifact and Masyaf." I nearly laughed aloud. How is mind control maintainable?

"How is mind control maintainable? I mean, that's like...the opposite of that."

He looked at my amused expression and grinned, apparently sharing my dark sense of humor. "No idea, really." I snorted.

"Kay-lin! Ekhram!" Malik called once we reached the castle, "Your brother is already in the courtyard, talking to...her." He frowned as he said the last word. Dang, what's so odd about 'her'? I nodded, and followed his slouched figure. He looked just as exhausted as I felt.

The two of them led me up the winding steps and through the main part of the fortress, barely sparing a glance at each other. Ekhram kept looking about anxiously, like he expected Al Mualim to come back to life and jump out of the wall or something, not that I could blame him; having everyone in the entire town enslaved to his will didn't exactly make me feel safe either.

The courtyard was dark and shaded when we arrived, but something glowed in the corner. It was a floating orb, a map of the earth, a golden hologram floating in the sky. I stopped in my tracks and gaped. The projection gleamed and flickered like a candle in the wind, completely out of place in the backdrop of the 1100's. Is...is that you?

He didn't answer.

"Whoa…" Ekhram breathed behind me, eyes sparkling in awe. It must've been even more amazing for him than for me.

"Is it…" I paused, looking at Malik curiously. "Is the Apple doing that?"

He nodded solemnly, then pointed to a bench on the opposite side. "There she is," He said, "You ought to find out what she wants."

Sitting there peacefully, almost casually, was the most magnificent woman I'd ever seen, so much so that I wondered how I'd missed her, even with the brilliant contraption gleaming in front of us. She had long, black hair tied neatly in a braid, flawless and silky, stretching to the middle of her back. She wore embroidered robes of gold and red, and her skin almost seemed to...glow. She looked unnatural, like a being from another world. She smiled when she saw me, eyes gleaming and gold.

"Ah, hello, Kay-lin," She spoke softly, voice like silk, "Come, talk with me. Your brother is already here." I blinked, just noticing the tense form next to her. Ryan looked like he couldn't even breathe properly, like her presence robbed him of all his oxygen. Pretty much how I feel, then. Who the hell is she?

"Home."

I coughed, trying to cover my surprise. The woman laughed. "He speaks to you, doesn't he? Don't worry, he speaks to me too."

Behind me, Malik made a noise of confusion, and I could practically feel the emotion radiating from his body. "I...yes," I said meekly, moving closer. "He...helped me, when I was in a lot of trouble."

She nodded knowingly. "He was meant to. That was always meant to happen; our kind made sure of it, at least in this timeline."

Uhhhh, what?! I felt my mouth fall open. "I don't, I don't understand, what-"

"Of course you don't understand. That's why I'm here. Now please, sit." She gestured to the empty space next to her and I sat, trembling. She had some sort of energy about her, energy that seeped into the air and into my lungs, filling me with warmth.

Silence. Then-

"Yes, you should," The woman stated firmly, gaze fixed on Malik.

He started, staring at her. "What-"

"You should get him. That way he doesn't have to be told. He is the leader now, after all."

Malik gaped. "How...how did you-"

"You were thinking about it. I just listened. Now go get him."

The only sound I heard was a squeak from Ekhram before the older assassin nodded and scurried off. Minerva seemed to have an aura of authority that made her order more essential, and less of a suggestion. She sat in a relaxed position, like she wasn't a complete enigma, like her presence didn't matter at all. I stared at her. Who are you? What are you? I saw her smile, and realized she was listening.

"Those are not the questions that are relevant right now. I will explain it, of course, but we have some time for...clarifications, before the three assassins come back." Three? I thought, confused, but Minerva continued. "The first thing we will have to do is to tell them where you're from."

I froze. Beside me, Ryan choked and stared at her incredulously. "W-what?" He stuttered, "But-"

"I see my little memory fix worked," She interrupted him gracefully, putting up a hand. "That is good. It will make things easier." Then the woman turned to me to explain. "Your brother was having trouble remembering your life before. Not uncommon in Time Travellers."

Ekhram squinted, perplexed, at our pale faces. "What does she mean? What are Time Travellers?"

I gazed back at him, feeling all the color drain from my cheeks. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I was terrified, terrified at what would happen once everyone knew. Will we be burnt at the stake? I knew about the beliefs of this time, and couldn't help but feel that letting anyone know we were from the future would put us in terrible danger. Ekhram looked very alarmed, and reached out a hand to touch my shoulder.

"Are you alright? You seem very...frightened." His voice was soft and concerned, and I forced myself to smile at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous, that's all. I guess...I guess you'll find out why soon enough."

He frowned, but I said no more. I couldn't say more.

"Ah, here they come," Minerva said. Not a second later, Malik and Altair came from the castle, walking down the path toward them. But where… she said there were three. The two came closer, stopping just shy of the semicircle we sat in.

"I brought him here," Malik said, rather awkwardly. The new Grandmaster stepped forward then, a glint in his eye.

"So, what is it that you want? You appear from the Apple, ask for two children unrelated to our struggle and then you refuse to explain until everyone is present. What do you have to say that is so important?"

She gazed at him calmly, then let out a puff of laughter. "You know, I've always wanted to meet you in person. Watching and interacting are two very different things." Altair glared and opened his mouth to start in again, but Minerva raised her hand patiently. "Now, now. If you want me to explain, you must give me a chance to. There are many things that you...all of you, must know."

"First of all, it may interest you to know where these two strange children actually come from."

I flinched, bracing myself, and saw Ryan pale. Malik squinted at us curiously, and Altair had confusion etched on his features.

"But...they told us where they're from," Ekhram spoke up shakily, obviously taken aback by this statement. "They crossed the English Channel when their parents died, and…" He trailed off, staring.

Oh god, please let them not hate us for this.

"They won't. They can't."

The woman continued casually, as though she were addressing a simple change in weather rather than the alteration of space and time. "They said that, but it is not true. Neither of them have been to England, though Kaylyn wants to visit, I believe." She turned and gave me an indulgent smile. I tried to return it, but all my muscles were frozen in fear.

"Then where-" Malik started. He looked very disturbed, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword, feet unconsciously moving into a ready stance. I wondered what it was he was preparing to fight.

"Then where are they from?" The woman finished his question before he could ask it. She had on a sort of tired aura, like she already knew everything that was about to occur. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she did.

"They are from the future." Silence struck like a lightning bolt. Nobody moved.

...well, nothing's imploded...I opened my eyes slowly, looking around at the faces. All assassins wore identical expressions, something between disbelief and soul-sucking shock, gaping at my brother and I like fish out of water. Heh, I know the feeling. The Grandmaster looked between the two of us, trying to find any hint of a lie in our faces. There was none. Obviously.

Ryan gulped, and grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it tightly. I don't even think he realized what he was doing, he just really needed the comfort. I couldn't blame him.

Finally, Ekhram said, "So, when you said they were Time Travellers, you meant...literal time travellers? As in, people who travel through time?"

"Do you see now why I might be interested? Why they and the Apple might be connected?" Slowly, the three of them nodded. Altair had a very calculating expression, stepping forward until he and I stood face to face.

"Stand up," He ordered sharply.

I blinked and stuttered, "W-what-"

He drew his sword, the hissing metal making me flinch away, terrified. "I said stand up!"

Malik reached toward him. "Altair-" Altair shook him off angrily. I stood, quaking in front of those golden eyes, and that weapon I knew all too well how he could use. I kept my emotions from my face, looking at him calmly.

"What is it?" I spoke softly, meeting his gaze with equal intensity. I wanted him to feel my determination, and the lack of malevolence I held. I promise you, I'm on your side!

He stared me down. "Did you know this would happen?" Ohhh...

I shook my head earnestly. "No, I had no idea. Ryan and I…we didn't choose this…" I glanced back at my brother and saw him wide-eyed, frozen in his seat like a statue.

Then Minerva spoke. "She tells the truth, Eagle. Put away your talons."

Altair paused for second, glancing up and down, judging me. He's using his vision, I realized, the one he used before. Then the assassin stepped back, sheathing his sword with a sigh. "Very well. Continue."

I thought I saw a flash of annoyance in the woman's eyes at his command, but she shoved it aside, apparently deciding there were more important things at hand. "As I said, neither of them chose to be Time Travellers. They were sent back, by Tinia. You would call him Jupiter, I suppose, though…" She paused, "I'm not sure if even that name has stood against the test of time and space. It is an unfortunate side effect of your short lives."

"Who...who are you?" I asked, "I mean, what are you? You and...Tinia?"

But my brother was frowning, and spoke up before Minerva could answer. "Wait. Jupiter like the Roman god?"

The woman nodded, and Ryan tensed. "Yes. He was….we were...somewhat known in the past."

"So, you're gods?"

"No," Minerva said firmly, so much so that my brother flinched. "We are not gods, and never were. It was simply the only way humanity could understand us. We are the isu; the ones who came before."

"Before…" It was Malik this time, eyes shining in light of this knowledge. His voice was strained. "Before what?"

"Before you. Before humanity. We created you, in our image." Minerva spoke plainly now, as though she were trying to get as much out as possible.

They created us….humanity...all those religions. I felt I could barely process everything going on. They sent us back...these...isu… My head spun, and I sat down with a thump. Even Altair was swaying where he stood.

"God…" Ekhram looked a bit nauseous.

"So, ummm…you're isu. Like precursor people, who created humanity."

The woman nodded. "Yes."

"And you...one of you, Tinia, also known as the roman god Jupiter, sent me and my brother back in time to 1100's Arabia."

"Yes."

"Okay, just...just making sure I heard that right." I have no fucking idea how to handle this.

"There is not much to handle right now, but you will figure it out. I promise." Minerva looked at me kindly, but there was a serious glint in her eyes. "Though, it is absolutely imperative that you understand everything I tell you."

And why should we believe you?" Altair asked. He looked at her piercingly, like he could see through any lie she told if he just tried hard enough. The woman sighed.

"You wish to see proof of my words? Some sort of measure of truth? Very well, I will indulge you."

Minerva rose from her sitting position, spreading her arms outward, closing her eyes as she tilted her head to the heavens. A spark, a crackle, of golden light began at her fingertips. It spread like a lightning bolt being painted across her veins, weaving up her arms, across her neck, and down to the very tips of her toes. She opened her eyes and they were gold, and then her body shattered, and she was nothing but glowing pieces hovering in the shape of her physical form. The image from the Apple disappeared, and it hummed expectantly.

Those eyes, there were stinging me, piercing into the very depths of my soul, and from them, one feeling emerged.

I KNOW YOU.

Fuck. I felt myself fall backward, registering the hard earth beneath. Someone cried out, and when I opened my eyes, golden ones stared back. Altair had fallen beside me, and Ryan lay completely prone on his bench next to her, shaking. I think Ekhram had fallen too, but I couldn't be sure. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her. I can't move. Why can't I move?!

Then her pieces merged, and suddenly she was normal again. The humming stopped, and the chokehold she had on my mind faded.

Minerva smiled. "Do you see?"

Do I...do I see... I saw. I felt. I coughed a little.

Slowly, I got to my feet and looked around. There was another figure behind us, someone who most definitely wasn't invited. "...Abbas?"

He looked incredibly disoriented, and let out a huff of assent, eyes unfocused. I turned back to Minerva and saw she was smiling knowingly.

"You might as well come here. They all know you're here now."

He stepped forward, swaying slightly. "And you…" He muttered, "You knew I was there?"

"Of course. In fact, I have something very specific to show you, once this discussion is concluded."

"...Oh." I've never seen anyone look quite like that. He was, in that moment, the human equivalent of waking up in the middle of a hurricane. Even Altair seemed unsteady on his feet, and Ekhram sat on the floor, not bothering to climb back onto the bench he'd occupied before. They all pretty much embodied how I felt.

"So, uhh…" My brother began from his prone position, not even sitting up like Ekhram had. "Why...why'd you send Kaylyn and me here?" His eyes were dull, as though he were thinking, yeah, this might as well happen.

The primordial being in front of us nodded at him appreciatively. "Yes, I suppose that is the point of this venture. Do either of you know the Butterfly Effect?"

I frowned. "It's the idea that one small change in the past leads to huge changes in the future. Or...something like that." Oh God, what's gonna happen? Are we all gonna implode into some...huge paradox, or something?

"Precisely. You and your brother, to be concise, are the butterflies."

So… we were the ones to change things, to change...time. Suddenly, everything made more sense, my brother and I being sent, and why we were sent, though I still wondered if I was dreaming.

Then I shook my head. No. My brain wasn't clever enough to imagine something like this.

"You...needed to change something? Something big, that's going to happen...and for that, you needed...us?"

"Correct."

"But...what would've happened?" I instantly began thinking of worst case scenarios, like zombies, or another world war, or...I shuddered...a global pandemic.

"Two things, two apocalyptic, unavoidable events. Each would happen if the other didn't, so we needed to change the timeline somehow, make it so both eventualities were no longer inevitable." She paused, then continued before anyone could interrupt her. "Firstly, the sun would let out a solar flare that would consume the world, killing 90% of the people on Earth. In order to prevent this reality, an assassin named Desmond would sacrifice his own life to activate one of our artifacts, successfully creating a barrier around the world to protect us from the sun. However, this action would release Juno. She is an isu who believes that the only purpose of humans should be servitude, and seeks to control your minds. Both fates would inevitably lead to humanity's destruction; one through near extinction and the other through the sort of absolute control you witnessed today."

"So, you needed two people in the past that would change it enough to also change the future? So we wouldn't all, like, die horribly or become mindless slaves?" Fuck, my head hurts.

Minerva nodded and smiled at me.

No one else said a word. They probably have no idea what to say. Then I sighed, realizing.

"We...have to go back, don't we? To the future, to our normal lives and everything?" My brother voiced his thoughts before I could. I'd never heard him sound that crushed.

But then the isu laughed, and shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not. In fact, Tinia and I need you two to stay here, to complete the timeline properly."

"...forever? I mean..."

"Your purpose is not over, not until your bodies lie cold." Well, that's...disturbing. But oddly reassuring, I guess.

Then she moved, walking toward the corner where the Apple lay. I jumped hurriedly out of her way, and I heard Malik give a hum of surprise. She raised the device gently, cradling it in her hand, and I felt him let out a purr of contentment. "Home…"

"Hello, old friend," She spoke to it softly, brushing the surface with her thumb, "Are you willing to help her? Just a little bit further."

"I like this one. She is kind." The Apple squirmed his assent, consciousness reaching toward mine.

"Very well." Minerva moved toward me with her flawless grace, a small smile on her lips. She stopped in front of me. "Kaylyn, you must take care of him. Do you understand? No one is to use him, not even Altair. At least, not until his wings are clipped and his need is clear."

Abbas gaped at the woman and exclaimed, "Her?! The Apple is going to-" A single glare from the isu silenced him, and he lowered his head.

"I understand," I said quietly. My brother tensed, and beside me, I felt Malik and Altair's gaze.

"Then bring up your hand. I will give him to you properly."

I didn't really know what she meant by that, but I reached out anyway, palm upward to receive this...being. I still couldn't tell whether he was alive or not, but I supposed that was part of the isu's technology; it blurred the lines.

The cool metal dropped into my hand, and then suddenly it was hot.

Then the world broke apart, and we fell into darkness.

A/N: Incorporating the Isu and Assassin's Creed lore was super difficult, and writing in the big reveal of Kaylyn and Ryan's origins. I really hope I did it all justice, this was probably the hardest chapter to write out of all them! Only two more, my wonderful readers, stay tuned!