Oh im bored: Thank you so much :) Personally, I think there's far too many light and fluffy stories about this game. It's rated M, for goodness sake! Make something out of it :3

Also, big thank yous to:
-Alyc for adding this story to their favourites
-thetrueking for the author alert
-and edd-ot for adding this story and myself to their favourites, and for the author alert
Thanks guys :)

We can never turn back the pages of time, though we may wish to relive a happy moment, or say goodbye just one last time, we never can, because the sands of time continue to fall, and we can't turn the hourglass over.
-Anonymous

"I will tell you la verità," the star-sized, blazing light had said. Despite how different it was, Desmond wasn't sure if he could believe it. There was no reason for any of the lights to be helping him with anything that didn't involve murder.

That's why he suspected a trap. Something laid out, some kind of mental test that would drive him insane.

"They said.." Desmond began hesitantly. "They said Ezio hid it. Here. Somewhere in this Villa." He gestured to the walls around him.

Lucy furrowed her brow and began pacing, leaving Desmond to unstrap himself from the Animus. He stood slowly, Rebecca's reminders ringing in his mind.

"That doesn't make sense..." Lucy said, stopping and turning toward the other Assassin. "Ezio wouldn't hide it here, would he? He knew that anyone could come here and start snooping around."

Desmond nodded. The more he heard, the more it made sense that the light was lying. And yet still...

"Shouldn't we check, just to be sure?" he asked. "You know, like just look around the property."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you hated these things."

Desmond shook his head. "I don't know. It said it would tell me la verità—it sounded truthful."

"So because it can speak Italian now means it's not still trying to kill me?" the blonde fired back, sudden venom in her voice—and fear in her eyes.

"Lucy..." Desmond stepped toward her. "I'm sorry. I know you're scared—I am too. But I just want to check."

Lucy sighed. "All right—I can't stop you, I guess. Just be careful, okay?" She turned her blue eyes toward him, then lowered them and stepped around him to fiddle with the Animus.

Desmond had been hopeful that Lucy might've gone with him to look, but obviously she was still too wary. So without another word, he jogged out into the open air.

All the doors were locked. Every single wooden door was barred shut and impenetrable, which surprised Desmond because they were, well... wood. The fibers should've long disintegrated.

Desmond touched the hard door again. It felt like oak—extremely solid and dense. He gave it an experimental push. Nothing; it didn't even budge.

Frustrated now - why had they said inside the Villa when it's all locked? - Desmond shoved his shoulder against the wood. Still no movement. Fed up, he backed up a step and looked at the door, pondering what to do. He couldn't exactly kick the door down with his leg, and he'd put his sling back on. He stood there for a while and thought, then gave up. There was probably nothing in the building anyway.

Lucy heard Desmond's footsteps receding, and exhaled, visibly deflating. She didn't know what to do, didn't even know if going after the Apple was the right thing to do anymore. Two Assassins, two friends, were dead! And Lucy couldn't help thinking it was Desmond's fault. Of course the lights and what they did to people were real - she'd seen it for herself - but somehow, in the back of her mind, she knew that if Desmond was just a little different, if he'd changed just a bit, none of this could've happened. It didn't make much sense, but hey, neither did the situation they were in.

"Lucy..." A female voice echoed behind her. The blonde's head shot up. She knew that voice!

It was Rebecca... and yet it couldn't be. She was dead. And when Lucy looked, she knew she was right.

A broken up corpse of a person stood in front of her, caked in dried blood and dirt. Wounds were open everywhere on her body, and her skin had already turned a grayish colour, even after only a few hours. But to Lucy, it was the thing that she wanted to see most.

"Rebecca?" she breathed, taking a step forward. The corpse stood normally, despite being... well, dead. The strange thing was it wasn't breathing at all, just stood there, eerily still and silent.

Lucy didn't care, though. She had her friend back. She saw past the flesh wounds, the blood, and the already-decomposing skin. All she saw was Rebecca's kind green eyes, the small smile on her face that looked just like it always did.

"Oh..." Lucy whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. All thoughts of Abstergo, the Assassins, even Desmond, flew from her mind and disappeared into oblivion.

"I'm back." Rebecca's smile grew wider. There was something off about it, and an unusual glint gleamed in her emerald eyes, but Lucy didn't notice. She practically jumped forward to embrace her friend, blind to her differences.

The corpse returned the hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's all right," she murmured.

Lucy had started crying, sobbing into the cold gray flesh. "I don't know what to do," she breathed into the brunette's ear.

Rebecca broke the hug first, but didn't let go. She held Lucy half a foot away from her face, looking into her watery blue eyes with calm green ones. The cold hands were on the other woman's waist, Lucy's on her shoulders. They looked like they were... dancing, without movement.

Lucy stared into her best friend's eyes, radiating happiness. "I was so scared.."

A clammy finger was placed on her lips. It tasted like earth.

"Shhh," Rebecca whispered soothingly, then removed her hand and placed it on the back of the blonde hair.

Lucy felt herself leaning forward - why was she leaning forward? - until her lips found Rebecca's pale ones.

"Hey, Lucy, I-" Desmond stopped like he'd been punched in the stomach as he rounded the corner into the Sanctuary.

There, six feet in front of him, Lucy was passionately kissing... another woman?

Desmond stood there and gaped, his mouth open like a fish, left arm hanging limply by his side. The other woman had unusually pale skin, stained brown in some places and red in others. All Desmond could see from his angle was the side of her face, which didn't help him much. But he recognized the familiar shaded jumpsuit.

"What the—what the fuck!" Desmond gasped. Lucy whirled toward him, earth and blood matted around her lips. The brunette saw him and hissed - literally hissed, like a cat - her eyes blazing furiously.

Lucy just stared, speechless like he'd been earlier, cheeks dusted red.

Seeing her face now, there was no doubt the pale, bloody woman was Rebecca, somehow back from the dead.

"See what he does," Rebecca growled menacingly, voice lowered an octave from rage. "He's trying to take you away from me. From your best friend."

"Lucy! She's dead." Desmond gasped desperately. "Can't you see the blood?"

Lucy looked back and forth from both Assassins, then took a step back, away from Desmond. "Shut up," she whispered.

"It's obviously the lights that are doing-"

"SHUT UP!" Lucy screeched, looking confused and fearful. "I'm sick and tired of your stupid lights! Now leave us alone!"

Now it was Desmond's turn to be speechless. He stared, hurt and afraid, as Lucy took another step away from him. Rebecca wrapped a comforting arm around her friend, burning through Desmond with her intense gaze as she glared at him.

"What the.. This is just ridiculous!" Desmond spat. "Don't you remember? Five-" He checked his watch. 6:58. "-no, six hours ago, she was dying! We buried her!"

Lucy was still ignoring him, purposely turning her face away from him, into Rebecca.

"She doesn't need you any more," Rebecca hissed.

Two beeps issued from Desmond's watch, letting him know that it was a new hour—7 am. The corpse perked up at this. Her eyes flashed.

"I have to go," she whispered to Lucy. The blonde looked up, startled.

Rebecca gently detached herself and slowly began walking toward the door. Desmond wasted no time in stepping out of her way, glad to have her gone.

"What..." Lucy's eyes were filling with tears. "Becca, no! Don't leave me..."

Rebecca stopped and turned, extending an arm to her friend. "Come with me," she breathed. That meant only one thing.

"No!" Desmond roared, stepping between the two woman, facing the corpse. "You won't take her!"

Green eyes blazed as Rebecca glared at him. "And what are you going to do about it?" she mocked, obviously referring to his handicaps.

Desmond darted forward, surprisingly fast despite his injured leg, and swiped his hidden blade across Rebecca's throat, slicing deep. He wasn't sure if it would actually do anything - she was dead, after all. Could he kill her? - but the corpse clutched at her throat, blood welling up from under the cut.

Burning so good,
Sing me this song

Desmond heard Lucy's gasp from behind him, and turned just in time to catch her with his arm and drag her back. Lucy fought against him, screaming bloody murder as Rebecca's eyes grew wide and a gurgling noise escaped her gaping mouth.

"Let me go!" Lucy shrieked, struggling furiously. Desmond clenched his teeth and tightened his grip around her—it was hard keeping her restrained with only one arm.

As Rebecca fell to her knees, slumping to the side, Lucy's screams echoed harshly against the stone walls. She struggled further, then half turned around and slammed her fist into Desmond's right thigh.

Pain shot like lightning through Desmond's body, and he cried out, involuntarily loosening his grip. Lucy took her chance and darted out from under his arms, catching Rebecca before the corpse fell over.

Blinded by pain, Desmond gasped like a fish, his heart pounding erratically. He fell forward to land on his knees, head spinning.

"No, no, no," Lucy moaned, seeing the wound on her friend's neck. Rebecca was cradled in the blonde's arms on the hard stone floor, blood spurting from her throat.

"Join... me," the corpse choked out, reaching her hand up weakly.

"Join you? Join you how?" Lucy asked desperately. But Rebecca's body began to seize as she went into her death throes.

"Becca, no!" the blonde sobbed as the green eyes lost their light. Then, suddenly it clicked.

Lucy's head shot up and whipped around to Desmond. "Join..." she breathed. The man was on his knees, supporting himself with his left hand, head down and breathing hard. His right arm was still slung up.

Gently lowering Rebecca's body, Lucy strode over to Desmond, yanking his left hand up by the wrist. He was still dazed, and looked confused.

Lucy fingered the blade on Desmond's wrist, and pushed his hand back so it slid out of its sheath.

Desmond stared up at Lucy with foggy eyes. He just couldn't understand why she had his wrist, why she was pulling his hand back..

Then he saw it. The blade, rising from its housing like some demonic angel. Lucy pulled it closer to her neck, tilting her head back to expose her throat.

No...

Desmond roared his protest, then yanked his hand back. Lucy obviously wasn't expecting him to react, so his wrist slid easily out of her grasp.

"No!" Lucy screamed, grasping desperately for his arm.

"Behind you! Look," Desmond shouted desperately. Lucy fell for it and turned around.

There was nothing left of Rebecca but ash. This was apparently too much for Lucy; she moaned and sank to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Desmond could hear her sobbing. He sat there for a bit, stunned and hurting, trying to comprehend what had just happened, until Lucy raised her head.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I remember everything that happened now. I just wanted her back so much.."

"It's okay," was all Desmond could say, still in shock.

"It was the lights, wasn't it?"

Desmond nodded. "Only they could do that. And I think they're trying a different strategy—forcing you to kill yourself."

Lucy took a shaky breath. "It just seemed like the only thing to do... she asked me to join her."

Desmond tried pressing again. "Lucy, we need to get out of here. You will die eventually if we stay, either from yourself or because of me."

"But... but what about the Apple?" Lucy looked over at the Animus, standing forebodingly in the centre of the room.

"Two Assassins are dead!" Desmond was shocked she still cared about the Apple. "Do you really think that matters any more?"

"We only have eighty-one days, Desmond!" Lucy spat, suddenly venomous. "Eighty-one days until Abstergo controls everything! We can't just throw all that away!"

"You don't understand," Desmond growled, frustrated by her stubbornness. "You are going to die if we don't move!"

"I don't care!" Lucy yelled, the tears still fresh on her face. "I just don't care any more. The only thing that's familiar in my life since any of this started happening is the Animus. If that's taken away from me, I won't be me any more."

"You've got to be kidding me." Desmond's voice rose. "So this isn't about staying alive, it's some fucking self-righteous quest to keep your personality? How about you try holding on to your sanity by a thread, and you're this close to slipping into madness, and every day you're getting closer and closer to killing people!" He stopped, aware of how loud he was speaking. Lucy was staring at him like he'd grown another head; surprised, horrified, and... afraid.

"Okay," she whispered, eyes wide. "We'll go."

Often while I'm writing this, I like to think what people who look at the last chapter without reading any other parts of the story think. Right about now, they'd probably be thinking "WTF is this? No reading for me ." On a related note, Desmond's probably not going to want to kiss Lucy again :3

Okay seriously, I looked and looked and I couldn't find a good picture that shows Rebecca's eye colour. I THINK I saw one where it was green, so I went with it. Just correct me if I'm wrong.