Sometimes, Desmond really hated being the descendant of the leader of the Assassin Brotherhood. You know, if the fact that he had become a prisoner of an ancient war he hadn't known existed and put in a machine that forced him to relive the memories of his ancestors that were slowly driving him insane hadn't tipped anyone off just yet.

His head throbbed painfully again, clashing with the nausea that still writhed in his stomach. Groaning, he rolled onto his back and laid his hand over his forehead. It still burned with a fever that wasn't his. Pain from wounds that weren't there kept him conscious against his will, the poisonous effects of infection racing through his blood. Fatigue, despair, pain, humiliation, all built upon one another in his mind, bringing frustrated tears to his eyes.

For the next lifetime, he stared fixedly at the ceiling. Exhaustion eventually won out over the burn of phantom wounds, eyes sliding shut at long last.


When his eyes opened again, he stood in a place that resembled the purgatory-like landscape he could see in the Animus as another memory loaded from . . . wherever. The air pulsed with a pale crimson color, the same shade that appeared whenever he desynchronized. Though this time, he could hear a heartbeat each time the color flared again.

'Geez, even my dreams are beyond fucked at this point,' He thought bleakly, startling a bit as the words echoed back into his ears. 'Oh, wait. This is my head, so of course I can hear my thoughts.'

Footsteps, boots of some kind from the sound of it, started just over his shoulder. Desmond whipped around, scanning the bleak landscape around him, only to discover nothing. Still, he didn't relax completely, even as another wave of exhaustion swept through his mind.

'Of course I'm still tired, my mind is still awake.' Yawning, he folded his legs underneath him before lying on his side, not questioning the warm, cushioned feeling that had manifested around him. 'Almost like a bed of clouds.' He hummed drowsily, yawning hugely again. Snuggling closer to the warmth, he allowed his breathing to slow as his mind drew closer to deep sleep.

'Desmond.'

Goddammit.

With a groan of irritation and confusion, the young assassin hauled himself into a cross-legged position, vision blurry with the promise of sleep that had just been stolen away.

'If Shaun just tried to wake me up, I will stab him in the dick.' Thoughts of vengeance upon the British computer snob vanished the moment he focused in on the thing - or rather, the person - seated in front of him.

'Greetings.'


The boy in front of him blinked owlishly, obviously still rousing himself from the momentary haze of sleep. After a few moments, his eyes widened in recognition, and he made an odd sound somewhere between a yelp and a squeak.

'What the hell?!' Altair's lips twitched upwards slightly at the flustered tone.

'I do apologize for startling you.' The youth kept muttering a string of curses in his native tongue, exhaustion rapidly becoming shock. After several more moments, the younger calmed down a bit, confused awe now taking the place of the surprise.

'Did I truly surprise you that much?' Desmond jumped a bit at the sound of his voice.

'Well, kinda-" He paused when Altair tilted his head at his birth tongue. 'I-I mean, kinda. How . . . why are you . . ?'

'Here? In your time, within your mind?' Desmond nodded.

'Well, unfortunately, its much less extravagant than you are probably imagining. The Apple brought me here. It is just that simple.' Desmond blinked again, drowsiness finally clearing away.

'What . . . exactly . . . does that mean? I mean, I understand the artifacts have weird powers, but how did it bring you here?'

'That, I am not sure. There is still much about the Apple that is unknown. All I can really do at this moment is speculate.' His ancestor moved so their sitting postures were mirrored, a slight frown flickering across his face.

'Is the Apple . . . doing this . . . too?' Desmond motioned between himself and Altair, who only shrugged in response.

'I'm assuming so, yes. But the Apple is not the reason I wished to speak to you. It is another matter entirely.' His tone had shifted, eyes darkening.

'The Apple brought me here of its own fruition, but it did have a purpose. As you may have already assumed, I am currently suffering from a sickness that will assuredly kill me if nothing is done to alleviate it.' Desmond could do nothing but blink at that statement. He of all people knew Altair could be blunt about things, but this . . . jeezus.

'And . . . the Apple sent you here to get help for the, uh, 'sickness?'

'To put it very simply, yes. Though, the Apple sent me here without my consent. I believe Malik is to blame for using the Artifact. Still, I believe his intentions were not to do any harm.' Suddenly, he winced, pressing the heel of his hand down towards the dull burn he felt beginning to blossom there.

'It appears I can only appear in this state for so long, so this place will dissolve soon.' Even as he spoke, the limbo-like setting began to evaporate into oblivion, and his outline grew dimmer with each passing moment.

'Though, there is one thing I wish to do before I am forced from this place back into my own body.' In the next instant, before Desmond the Master Assassin leaned forward and pressed his lips against those of the youth. He pulled away after only a few heartbeats, the same stoic expression still in place, before his form flickered and vanished.

For several moments afterwards, Desmond sat there, hand covering his lips, still processions what had just happened.

'What the fuck?'


for the love of everything that is sacred to me and everything else! I need to learn what soon means. It's been sooooooo long since I updated this, and all y'all probably thought I'd been stabbed or something. But no! I was just being lazy, and forgot to update. That, and I was just drawing a blank as to where to go from the last chapter. I swear, I will try to get out updates quicker from now on, but there's no guarantees, so don't hold me to that.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed, none of that screaming into a void thing.

(I love you all plz don't hate me)