Author's Note: GARG! I am so sorry I'm late posting this chapter! I meant to post it days ago, then me and my brother started playing RE 5 on the hardest difficulty imaginable and I got so distracted! We did it though; we beat the game using our awesome team work tactical skills! But any who….

This will be the first chapter of Shadowed History that has been written here and now. So, it should be considerably better than the others since they were both just edits. I have also found out I made a slip up on some of Leo's info, he never lived with his father, he lived most of his young live in Tuscany. I just read that on Wiki, so my bad to the history fans out there!

Another thing; to clear up any confusion: Ezio is 11 in 1470 and Leo is 20. Also, yes, Alonzo will meet 11 year old Ezio. Remember though, Skyler is 18 already, not much younger than Leo. Federico, if my source is correct, is also almost 18.

Now I'd like to send a special thank you to: SaYue-San; who really inspired me with her review! And Fox Mew Brittany; who's always there for me! I GIVE THEM COOKIES! INTERNET COOKIES! These cookies may be traded in for requests on this fan-fiction. ^_^

Okay, enough of my craziness! Enjoy!

Edited Notes: Once again my beta was Fox Mew Brittany; she pointed out all of my horrible mistakes! -_-' I'm so sorry, I've been in such a hurry lately.

-X-

"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."-Leonardo da Vinci

"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of." -Giovanni Auditore

-X-

"Shadowed History"

Chapter 3: "Usignolo"

December 20th, 1471. Florence, Italy. Midnight.

The night was bracing. It was dark and cold, with snow flurries everywhere. The scenery was like a painting; a black canvas with little white dots here and there. Wind would whip through my cloak like a knife, chilling me to the bone. I couldn't stop shaking, the heat leaving my body as fast as I could produce it. The Italian winter was so damn cold, much worse than New York ever was. It felt like my bones were about to shake right out of my body. No matter how much I bundled up I was still cold. It was almost as if the rest of my body didn't believe I was in the middle of Renaissance Italy freezing alive. So, therefore, I could not adapt to the weather. My body was basically calling my brain a liar, damn.

Actually, though, I was staring up at the stars as snow landed on me. A hobby I had started and quickly became addicted to. The clouds were just thin enough to where I could see the North Star shining brilliantly. It glowed a beautiful blue color and radiated white. Snow landed on my nose and eye lashes, coloring me white, my cheeks a bright red. White wisps came from my lips as I breathed out into the dark winter sky. I don't know if it was just me or not, but night always seemed darker in the winter.

My boots crunched against the snow below my feet. The sound echoed through the silence of the dark. I felt like taking flight in the darkness, my wings itching to get out. My legs felt restless underneath me as snow just fell and fell around me. The blanket of white innocence covered Italy at this time, all of the trespassers of that innocence hiding in their warm shells. Let the dogs sleep in their warmth, as they lay dormant, for while they do the snow birds will fly free.

I smiled, my hood covering my green eyes. My hair had grown longer in the past year, but so too did I grow. I felt like Italy was changing me, my cold icy heart melting at Giovanni's teachings. I was becoming sentimental and soft. I felt….good. Everything felt right, warm in its simplicity. The world had grown because I had grown, and with that growth, my skills had changed. While a year ago my talents had been running, hiding away from the real danger, and never sticking my neck out for others. Now my talents were opposites; now I would do anything to protect Leo and Giovanni. They had become my family, and I gladly fought beside them. Being with them made me feel warm, being with Giovanni made me feel safe.

I wasn't Skyler Ash anymore; I was one hundred percent Alonzo now. I was a changed person, and for the better. When one's mind set changes, so does the world around them. Italy had grown more beautiful and amazing as each day passed. Now, a year later; she was the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. She shined at night like no other city, like no other place in time. During the spring she was in full bloom, during the winter she was full of everything. Lights that lined the streets of Florence were not lite during the winter, due to the extreme cold, everyone stayed inside during the night.

So to a Nightingale like me, that had snow bird feathers, this was perfect. The winter nights in Florence; they were my nights. They were the nights when everything was completely dark and devoid of life. Not a sound was made; the only thing you could hear was the echo of my feet on the ground and my breath towards the sky. These were my nights, when Florence belonged to me and me alone. These were my nights to train in stealth, the perfect moments to test how little noise I could make with my movements. These were my nights to meditate under the moon's glow and the sky's caress of snowy cold fingers.

The snow melted from my eyelashes, the cold water streamed its way down my cheek and dripped onto the streets. I felt so warm in the cold, so ready to move, so ready to do my part as an Assassin. Nights like these were perfect for Nightingales with snowy feathers, perfect to sneak up on rabid dogs while they sleep, and take the blade to them, so that they wake no more. These were my nights to shine, to show my skills, to prove Giovanni's rigorous training was not going to waste.

These Florentine winter nights belonged to me; the Nightingale with snowy feathers.

"I will wander 'till the end of time; torn away from you." I sang in English as my feet went flying, letting my feathers out. I raced my way down the streets, the crunching of snow under my boots echoing throughout the endless night. The darkness was perfect, my eyes adjusting to where I could see everything. Here in this time the darkness was so clean, where I came from the darkness is soured by the smell of death and drugs. There was never silence in the darkness where I came from, but here the darkness was innocent.

I ran and ran and ran, until my hands scrambled up the side of the building, climbing. One hand after another, grabs, holds, and jumps. Then I was on the snow covered rooftops, that metal and snow under my feet now, my boots crunching. But even though the snow should make me slip, I do not falter. An Assassin with a true heart never falters, for with my wings, I can fly.

"I pulled away to brace the pain; I closed my eyes and drift away." I whispered the song with my voice; I whispered it into the ear of the night. The Night graced me with no echo and remained silent as she listened to my voice. "Over the fear; that I will never find a way to heal my soul. And I will wander 'till the end of time, torn away from you!" The darkness stretched on forever as I flexed my wings, soaring from rooftop to rooftop. The feel of cold cold air heating my cheeks as I flew, the burn felt good, the sting kept me from closing my eyes in bliss.

When I reached a tall building, more like a tower, I scaled it. It was a very small tower compared to the others in Florence, but this was good enough for me. One hand after another, the holds tricky, making me jump from side to side, but finally I made it. I found myself at the top, looking up into the moon brightened midnight sky. The North Star shined and glowed, showing travelers the way home at such a cold night. It made me feel longful, to see that star. My father was the first one to ever show me that star.

"If you ever get lost, look up. That's the North Star Skyler, see it? It shines brighter than any other star in the sky. It shines that way for travelers, wanderers, helping them to always find their way back home."

If only I had seen the North Star that night I had left Denver. Maybe I would be home right now, with my father. But then I would have never met Giovanni or Leonardo, I have truly began to care for them, and I am heartbroken at the thought of never seeing them again. I am heartbroken at the idea of never seeing such a peaceful perfect night. So maybe, just maybe, I was meant to be here. It was my destiny to screw up, be an idiot, and end up here. I gripped my heart tenderly, the black cloak ruffled in my hand as I sniffled. One day I'd see my father again, and when that time came, I would be a daughter he could be proud of. Redemption was a hard and long road, but beyond worth it for a sinner's heart.

"My heart is broken; sweet sleep, my dark angel. Deliver us from sorrow's hold; over my heart." I twirled around and danced on that tower's roof. As I did the snow began to fall heavier. It blanketed the rooftop and my shoulders. I looked up to that North Star again and my face was covered in snow, it melted off and felt like tears were falling down my face. "I can't go on living this way; but I can't go back the way I came." The snow just kept falling, and where I should have felt cold I was warm. My icy heart had melted in the year I had spent here, surrounded by incredible people, and by a beautiful city. "Chained to the fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul; and I will wander 'till the end of time, half alive without you."

This melody, those words, had become my song after I left Denver. The longer I stayed away the worst things got. I had sold and delivered weapons to teenagers half my age. I had handed over their death sealed warm. An ugly blackness had curled up inside of me, getting bigger and bigger, the more death I sold. Hundreds of kids were killed on the streets by the guns I hand delivered, and when the shooting started, I had hid away and counted my money. I had used my training for such evil things. But now that blackness was gone, I had my wings again, and this time no one would clip them.

I was a Nightingale with snowy feathers, and this was my song. How strange that that song makes me feel so remorseful now, so wrong. Yet, I sing it anyway, even though I had come to hate how it made me feel. The melody was a reminder of who I was, the words a reminder of what I had done. It was still my song, chained to me for forever. So I sang it, I sang it into the darkness of the night, so that its meaning might echo. So that I never forget my mistakes and so that I remember how long the road of my redemption really is.

But now; now this Nightingale had a job to do.

I leaned over the side of the tower and looked down. There was a hay bale down below the tower; it was covered in snow, and some of its pieces frozen. But I smiled anyway; this was really when I could fly. When I jumped from that tower, letting my arms out like wings, and dived into the Pit; that was when I could truly use my feathers. The movement was so graceful as my hood was pulled back by the wind and my hair was tousled. Everything swooshed past me in a blur, snowflakes seemed so slow as they fell from the sky beside me. Too many people were terrified by falling, but I wonder why these people didn't realize that falling was as close to flying as humans would ever get. They should let go of their fears and feel the rush.

I landed in the hay with a bit of a bounce, than shot up through it onto my feet. I brushed myself off silently before making my way to my target. The man's name was Hugo Montreal; Captain of the guard. He was not captain of the city guard though; he was captain of the Templar guards, which were run by an unknown man. Giovanni had been looking into it; he did not know who the Maestro of the Templar Order was yet. I do, but, butterfly effect. So I had to keep my mouth shut.

My mission was to interrogate this Guard Captain and see what he knows. This was not my first lone mission, so I know what I'm doing. Along the year Giovanni had been giving me small missions here and there, and he took me along with him on some of his larger missions. It had been a challenge to keep up with the man. Originally I had thought this would be easy, since I was an already trained Assassin, but clearly the Assassins of this era are much more skilled than the ones of the future. Assassins in the future depend upon guns more than anything else; this has made us slow and sloppy. Guns are ungraceful and untactful. They make you lazy and lower your senses considerably. So when Giovanni raised his blade to me and we began to train, I saw a grand difference between his skills and my father's.

Here if I had relied on the skills I had been originally taught at home; I'd be dead the moment I sat foot in a real fight against the guards. Giovanni had already saved me many times, and at that alone I owe him my life. But after the year of training I had went through, I was considerably better, but still nowhere near Giovanni's level. I looked forward to the day that I can look Giovanni in the eyes as equals. That day will be a great one!

My boots made quick crunching noises as I made my way down an alleyway. I climbed up the side of the building quickly and stealth-fully. The next house over was actually a guard station. There were many guard stations lining Florence, the way you could tell was by the banners on the walls of the housing. Each guard station had two levels; the first level was regularly used as a Mess Hall and meeting area for the garrison of that housing. The second story was used for sleep and bunk beds. The Captain of the Guard would usually take the best bed in the housing, which was located next to the outer most windows to the right of the second story.

I stood on the building across the way of the guard station. I eyed the inside of it, picking out detail after detail. Night was not the best for analyzing a target, I knew that, so what I had done was dress as a beggar and infiltrated the guard housing during the day. Citizens were allowed in the guard housing if they were lodging a complaint or reporting a crime. As a crazy beggar I reported that many other guards had been brutally murdered a few streets away. Well, that got everyone of the guard up and running out of the station. After that I analyzed the building then got the Hell out of Dodge. I'm sure they would have been pissed at me had I been there when they got back; since I made the whole thing up. I suppose I could have killed some guards along the way, but it was too much extra trouble.

This was the way the Informants of my time did the job. Sneak in, take a few pictures, get a blue print, and sneak out. In the future there were no courtesans, thieves, or mercenaries. There were four classifications of Assassins in the future. Historians; they did historical research about area's and people. They were really the teachers of the Assassin Brotherhood. Then there were the Techies. The name explains it; they dealt with all the tech and mechanics of any base. Then there were the Informants; the spies of The Order, they gathered info for any Assassin about to make a kill. Usually Informants are partnered with Assassins, so each Assassin has their own Informant. Lastly; it's the Assassins of the Assassin Order. You already know what they do. This system was started in order to keep, well, order. Some couldn't kill but knew computers, some couldn't kill, didn't know computers, but could eavesdrop like there was no tomorrow.

But in this day and age, an Assassin has to get their own info, or get it from the thieves. Since thieves hate the cold and I don't know where their guild is here in Florence, I had to get the information myself. It wasn't too much of a hassle. I had been taught the basics of Informants by a friend of mine back in Denver; Bailey. He ended up being one of the best students of Information Gathering there was that year at the Denver base. I knew all along he had it in him. He's another person I miss though, one of the only really close friends I had in Denver. Bailey had grown up to be a looker too; I knew this because he found me in New York once. He gave chase, I ran. I didn't think about it then, since I didn't think about anything back then, but I bet all he wanted to do was talk. I had thought for sure he was there to kill me. But the past was the past; there was nothing I could do about it now. If anything, I could do what I needed to, and hope one day I could apologize to him.

For now though, I had a job to do.

I leapt, flying over the abyss between buildings, and landed on top of the guard station roof. I walked over to the edge, the right side of the building, and gently slid down. I grabbed the tops of the widow seal and looked in. All the dogs were asleep, snoring peacefully in their warm beds. There, closest to the window I was hanging from, was Hugo; the Guard Captain. Now to begin my plan! I let go of the window seal and fell, landing gracefully on my feet on the street below. The snow had stopped falling and the snow on the streets was getting thinner by the minute. The crunching noise under my boots was considerably lessened as I made my way around the housing.

'Sneaky, sneaky.' I silently laughed at my own thoughts as I made my way up to the first floor door, which led inside the guard station. I put my hand on the handle of the oak door and jiggled it. I then, slowly and gently, turned the knob. I didn't know if locks existed yet, but if they did, this door did not have one. I made my way inside the dark room, the wind pushing the door in further. I closed the door behind me, there was resistance behind the movement thanks to said wind, but I was able to close it silently.

Inside the dark room of the first floor was a table, a large long table. It was covered in dirty dishes and silver ware, the rest of the room was in just as much of a mess. I 'tsked' with the click of my tongue, nodding my head back and forth. 'This place needs a woman's touch.' I walked over layers of trash and gunk, finding bones of dead things here and there. That's when the smell hit me, and I nearly recoiled at how strong it was. 'It's a good thing I'm here.' I smirked, holding my nose. God, the smell was horrible! But I waded through the smell and trash of the first story room so that I could get to the fireplace at the far side. It was pretty damn disgusting in there though. I wanted to gag.

After sliding through all of the garbage, I made my way to the fireplace. It was the type of fireplace you'd expect in an Italian home. It had expensive looking designs carved into the base above the fire, but its expensive design was not what I cared about. What was inside was what I cared about. The fire inside the fireplace was burning brightly, logs of firewood mounted on top of each other, burning. This was what I cared about, the fire. All it took to set a wooden house like this one on fire was one spark. So that's what I did, I took a stick from my pocket, and held it over the fire. When the stick was also covered in fire I threw it onto the wooden table, it was merely a minute before the entire table also caught on fire.

This was the moment I opened the window on the first floor and made my exit. I ran around the corner of the housing and back into the alleyway underneath the right side window of the second floor. I watched as the first story of the building went up in flames, it took five to ten minutes before the whole of the first floor was on fire, but when it was I began to hear screams coming from the guards in the station. They all began to panic, trying to put out the fire.

'Burn, baby, burn.' I smiled evilly, it almost ending up a sneer. But as I waited in the shadow of the alleyway, my plans came to fruition. I knew the mind set of greedy men; them first, everyone else in far second. So when the Captain of the Guard came scrambling out his window, leaving his underlings in the fire to die, I can safely admit that that had been my plan all along. I found myself waiting for the guard captain, as he scurried his cowardice ass right to me. It was like creating a maze; I knew exactly where the mouse was going to come out at.

The man; Hugo, tripped over himself in escape. He wore no shirt and very thin pants, his uniform nowhere on him. Most likely he had heard the screams, smelled the smoke, and jumped out the window before he even had time to get dressed. Now his bare feet slid into the snow, slowly getting hypothermia. How like men with greed in their heart and barely any soul, so quick to leave everything behind to save their own skin. I was like that once, but no more. The guard captain was shivering and trembling so heavily, fear in his eyes that he might have been burned alive, that he didn't notice me, hiding in the dark. As he walked, or trudged really, he just kept getting closer to me; until he stopped and turned to behold the guard housing. He was inches away from me and within my grasp now. Just like a little lamb led to the slaughter.

I reached out and grabbed his shoulder; I didn't even give him time to jump, before pulling him back and planting him firmly into the snow. My rapier touched his nose and he gulped, his body now trembling due to more than just the cold. He looked like he was about to piss himself, not being used to being on this side of the sword. A little trickle of blood left the tip of his nose as I looked down at him like a predator playing with prey. I was the Nightingale, he was the mouse.

"If you value your life," I moved the tip of the sword, scraping his skin in the process, before making the tip meet his heart. His eyes widened in terror, his skin slick due to sweat. I made my voice as low and intimidating as possible, I think I did a good job. "You will tell me all about your Maestro, Templar dog." I spat on him, my words full of venom. He tried to scramble away, but the more he moved the more I pushed down on the sword. He winced at the pain, blood bloomed from the small cut, but he knew I could go much much deeper.

"H-his…..n-name….-"He paused to gulp down air. His mouth most likely dry from the tension. His brown eyes looked up to me, calling and begging for mercy. I had no mercy to give to the likes of him. His skin was tan from days in the sun; his physique was like that of a board, no muscle. It meant he was lazy, let his subordinates do all of the work. His hair was a mop. He was just like the rest of the rabid dogs, bark no bite. "I-is…Rod-rodrigo….Bor-borgia." He stuttered, not doing well under pressure, as he tried to get the name out. "He-he's stationed in Roma! That's all I know, I swear!" His voice was pleading, he betrayed his master so that he might live. How pathetic, why live the life of a traitor, I know I couldn't stand it.

"Buon cane." I mocked, that evil smile on my face again. In one swift motion my blade went through his heart, leaving the man gasping for breath through the blood over flowing his mouth. It was seconds before he died, blood spreading and soaking into the innocent snow. Snow soaked in blood; it is dark and red, far from innocent. The darkness was like a disease, it spread and spread, corrupting even the innocent. It was just a matter of time.

I watched the blood pool below the man, deep in thought. I have seen so much blood in my life, the blood shed never ends in this war. My father once believed that the war between the Assassins and Templars would end, that we would win, and that when that happened there would be peace. Now that I stare into the power the Templars possess I am not so sure. All I'd ever seen was darkness and non-stop fighting throughout my life. I want to believe that somewhere along the line there will be peace, but it's just so hard to believe. Then there was the fact I knew Giovanni's fate, I knew in six more years Rodrigo Borgia would come and have Uberto hang Giovanni. I fisted my hands; I didn't want that to happen. Six years though, six years was a long time. Maybe, maybe just this once I could butterfly effect history. Maybe.

I had made the snow lose its innocence, I looked up to the sky, and now the darkness was no longer silent. Screams from burning men filled the air, smoke climbing up to pollute the sky. I had destroyed the perfect winter night, even after singing and the echo being silenced. I could no longer see the North Star, but I still wandered. This night I would not find my way home.

I was a Nightingale with snowy feathers; whose wings had always been speckled with blood.

-X-

November 18th, 1470. Florence, Italy.

Fall in Florence was refreshing. All of the trees near the river lost their leafs; oranges and reds attacking the ground in a flurry of motions. The afternoons were full of cool breezes and fresh scents. The days were no longer humid but a mild temperature. It rained every once in a while and the ground stayed moist and cool. The night skies were usually clear and the days were calm and relaxing. That is; unless you're an Assassin in training.

While I was able to notice these wonderful things about Italy and my surroundings, I did not get time to indulge in them. November was Leo's busy season, after being awarded the title of Maestro by the Guild of Saint Luke he had been receiving request after request for commissions by the people of Florence. One of these commotion requests came directly from the House of Auditore, I was very surprised to see this, but had to keep a blank face when surprised. I couldn't let Leo know what I was doing during the night. What do you think the artist's reaction would be if he knew his precious innocent Alonzo was training to be a killer for the greater good? He'd scold me like a child.

"Alonzo!" Leonardo called, his voice drifting in through the arch way leading to what I had designated the kitchen. I had been washing dishes in the closest thing I could call a sink. Leonardo was working on another piece of commission work across the hall in his work shop. I stopped and felt a shiver up my spine, one of the windows having been left opened. But just as Leo called me; a leaf, red in tint and color, dropped in through the window.

Suddenly, I forgot Leo had called me, and I watched the leaf dance in awe. It weaved and waved in and out of the wind as it slowly fell toward me. I felt hypnotized by its mystic motions. My green eyes followed its every move. Then it landed perfectly, gently, on the tip of my nose. I stood completely still, entranced by the fact something so mysterious and unspeakable had just happened. The leaf stood stalk still on the tip of my nose, not moving. I just watched it, curious. I felt something so peaceful inside of me at this sight, like a fuzzy warmness, I couldn't help but smile.

"Alo-" Leo showed up the arch way then, my gaze drifted toward him, but I did not move. He stood there, surprise written onto his features as he leaned one arm against the wall. "Perfecto!" Suddenly Leo's face lit up with a huge smile, his voice high pitch in tone. His eyes glittered with excitement. "Stay completely still Ash, uno momento!" He then ran right back out of the arch way. I could hear him rummaging around in his work shop, as things were crashing and falling. His work shop was always such a mess.

Moments later he was back with a chair, the closest thing to a pencil that existed in this era, and a sketch pad. He started sketching then, his thumb up as he analyzed my posture. My eyebrows furrowed, having told him a hundred times I didn't want to be sketched. But before I could say anything he caught me off guard.

"Please, signorina Ash. Stay still, and look at the leaf like you did before I came in." Leo stated, he slightly pleaded, looking up at me with his blue puppy dog eyes. I opened my mouth to say something again but he interrupted me. "I have never seen such a beautiful smile before." I paused, a breath caught in my throat.

"Hey Skyler, you should smile more often. I think your smile is beautiful."

Tears threatened to fall as I heard the light voice in the back of my memory. But as I saw Leo's big blue eyes, that smile came back to me. He could be such a child some times. So I did, I looked back up at the leaf with that relaxed contented smile on my face. "Perfecto! Grazie signorina Ash." Leo yelled before he started to sketch me out. I listened to his chalk meet paper and the lines he carved out. To think the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci was drawing me. I wondered how it would look, if maybe I should have tried to look better this morning. But this was Leo, everything he painted was incredible.

It just so happened that today I wasn't wearing my cap. My short auburn hair was just at my shoulders now and my face had yet to take any scaring to it. So I guess I looked okay, mirrors were hard to come by here, so I had no idea. I stood there and thought about many different things as Leo sketched me. It was a while before he was done and got up from his stool, holding the sketch book in his hands, analyzing the drawing with bright eyes. Since I thought he was done I picked up the leaf from my nose and walked over to him. Before I could see the drawing he hid it behind his back.

"Ah-uh, signorina Ash, you can't see it until it is complete!" He 'tsked' me, waving his finger back and forth in front of my face. I pouted, crossing my arms as I glared at him. He just smiled and left the room before I could say anything. I just sighed and shrugged, I guessed I'd just have to wait.

After that I finished the dishes and put my cap on. I had had it sitting on the table beside me the whole time, thinking I didn't need it while doing dishes. I stepped out through the arch way, my hands in my pockets, as I walked into Leo's work shop. I found him putting up the sketch in his chest beside his desk. That chest held all of the sketches he did every day, and trust me when I say, he at least sketched one thing every day. The man was a morning person; he rose with the birds and sketched the first one he saw every morning. Then if we went into town he'd sketch people, places, and things. I'd always have to sit and wait for him to finish. But as they say, practice makes perfect.

"Signorina!" Leo called as I seemed to be stalled in thought at the entry way. I shook my head and walked down the steps into his work shop. The man was at his desk, writing something down on a piece of paper. I walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. He was writing down an address, the Auditore House's address. That shiver went up my spine again. What would Giovanni think of his apprentice delivering his wife art? I sighed. There was no pleasing every one. "Here." Leo handed me the address and got up. I moved out of his way as he went to pick up a box of paintings.

"I finally finished all of Signorina Maria Auditore's requests! She had quite a few!" Leo announced in explanation. He brought the box of paintings over to his desk, sitting the box down; he took a deep breath. The box seemed to be heavy to him; I furrowed my brows again at the man. To which he shrugged and embarrassedly rubbed the back of his head. I had spoken to him before about getting stronger, but he just wasn't the macho man type. It didn't matter, Leo would always be Leo. I liked him the way he was. "So, could you take these to her? I still have quite a few other things to finish here." He then sat back down at his desk and took out a quill. It seemed it was time for him to write down his schedule, he did that every once in a while, just so it was easier to stay organized.

I nodded. "No problem." There, I did it again, spoke in English. I reprimanded myself, slapping my palm to my forehead and shaking it. Leonardo raised a brow at me, confused. I sighed in exasperation and shook my head some more. "I'll take care of it Maestro." I finally said as I picked up the box, Leo shrugged and nodded his head. He then started diligently writing things down, going over other things in his head. So, I speculated it was time for me to leave.

While delivering things I was finally able to really see the scenery of Florence in fall. It was a beautiful sight and would forever remind me of the leaf that landed on my nose that morning. That same leaf was carefully stashed away in my pocket at this very moment. I thought it would make a good memento, the first day I smiled. Well, the first day I smiled again, without that smile being full of pain or sadness, hollow and wordless. It had been a very long time since I felt good enough to smile like that.

People passed by me along the street and said good afternoon, in Italian obviously. People here were so much friendlier in cooler weather. It was not extremely warm like it usually was around here, but I had also heard that it got extremely cold during the winter. I looked forward to it; the idea of seeing snow. Snow always reminded me of my home; Denver. It was almost always snowing in Denver, high in the mountains. The Denver Assassin Base was located on a peak too, and if you didn't know where to look for it you couldn't find it. That was the secret of hiding a base from Templars; without Assassin know-how, you can't find it.

Things had calmed down considerably since my first week here, it had been two months now, and I finally felt like I was settling in. I had gotten my own room in the work shop; it used to be a storage room but now it had a cot, some drawers, and a place for a bowl of water to sit. The room was on the second story of the work shop, like Leo's own room, and I had my very own window too! Said window was the one I would usually sneak out of to escape to the training I had at night. The drawers in the room were now full of clothes I had bought with the money Leo paid me weekly. It was not much, but I wasn't interested in expensive clothes anyway. I had the necessities now, I did however, miss my tooth brush. If there was anything I was considering inventing ahead of schedule it was a tooth brush. But for my hygienic needs I had to get a little creative and just use what I could find. Things could have been worse; I could have ended up in an era that didn't know what the word hygiene meant.

It was a few minutes before I ended up at the Auditore's palazzo. It was a huge and grand house, far bigger than one of my time would imagine. Bigger than a house, a little smaller than a mansion, but it resembled a castle. This was the house of a nobleman, and with built in bathrooms to-boot! I would give my left arm to live in a place with a bathroom right now. Leo's small two story work shop was the housing of a humble under-paid artist. I think later, when he becomes better known, he'll get a better place to live. Or I'd move in with Giovanni, whichever came first.

I found myself in front of his door now, unsure whether to knock or not. What would he think about my day job? Wasn't he a banker during the day? How much difference could there be between me being an assistant and him a banker? However, I didn't get the chance to make that decision. The door was opened before I could knock, my fisted hand still in the air. Little golden chocolate eyes greeted me from within the shadow of the doorway. It was a boy, a little boy half my height. His hair was brown and long but not long enough for a ponytail and he wore expensive clothes. His face though, he was basically like a little teddy bear. He was just so cute! A future heartbreaker and trouble maker if I ever did see one.

"Who are you?" The little boy tilted his head, his hair swooshing with the movement. His eyes glistened, he was a curious one. His hands stayed on the door knob of the door, ready to slam it in my face if he didn't deem me worthy.

I bowed my head to the boy; he was after all, an Auditore, a son to my teacher. Respect was a very important aspect of being an Assassin. We respected each other, the dead, and we especially respected our enemies. If you did not respect your enemies than surely they would see right through your arrogance. We Assassins are not an arrogant lot; history has taught us a great many things. Like if you're an asshole you're gonna die, and die bloody.

"My name is Alonzo." I answered, greeting the boy lightly. "I have some paintings for Signorina Auditore. Is she in?" I tried to sound polite but my fake masculine Italian accent did not come with such a setting. Luckily I didn't sound rude either. It was about even.

The boy eyed me where I stood, then he looked at the paintings in the box I was holding, then he looked up at me again. But as he did this I noticed something odd. The boy's eyes had gone from brown to pure gold, and they were lightly glowing. I raised my brow at this; did this kid actually have some hidden Assassin abilities? I heard about them once. There are two different bloodlines that held two different abilities. I only knew about Eagle Vision though, because Lucas knew and Lucas had told me. Lucas told me a lot of things actually. He was the main Historian at the Denver Base, he taught all of the young Novices different things. But he bugged me especially because my father was the Master of the Denver Base.

The boy narrowed his eyes at me, and then turned to look over his shoulder. "Madre! There's some strange ragazzo here to see you!" Apparently the boy hadn't paid attention to the fact I was just delivering paintings to Maria. There was no reason to yell about my appearance, it's not like I was here to rob the place! I fisted my one loose hand and glared at the boy while he wasn't looking.

'Stupid monello!' I thought as Maria came to the door, smiling at her son. He looked at her with sparkling eyes and an innocent disposition. Even though he had just analyzed me with a killer's ability and called me strange for no reason! 'Stupid stupid stupid monello! I am not strange!' I felt my anger go through me like a flame.

"Oh! Thank you Ezio, now how about you go play with you bambino sister? Uh?" Maria prompted the boy, pushing him lightly aside from the door as she smiled. The boy nodded and ran back into the house, running past where I could see him. That flame of anger was put out by a giant cold down pour of rain called realization.

That little monello was THE Ezio Auditore? The ruggish good looking guy in the painting above Lucas' desk that I had seen every day for sixteen years straight? Oh boy, I was so screwed. I felt light headed and like I was about to fall over. 'How could….? What? But….? WHAT?' I was so very confused.

"Oh! Alonzo! How nice to see you!" Maria regarded me with a knowing smile as she greeted me. "Why don't you come in, I am sure Giovanni would be happy to see you." She opened the door wider and allowed me to come in. This was not the first time I had been inside the Auditore Manor, the first time was a few weeks ago, when Giovanni asked an old friend of his to size me for my Assassin robes. At first I argued about this, my cloak was good enough, or so I had thought. But Giovanni said his first apprentice deserved the best. Soon his first born son, Federico, would be old enough to train in the Assassin ways as well and would by my partner in training. So I was surprised to hear him put up such a fuss for me instead of his son. I welcomed the idea of having someone to spare with though.

"Here, Alonzo, put that box over here." Maria pointed to a corner beside the large twin staircases in the middle of the room. I did so and stood, straitening my back and popping my shoulders. I stood straight and looked around in awe of the room. That's when I heard young voices. I turned my head a little bit and saw that little boy; Ezio and a very young, a baby matter of fact, girl with him beyond the arch way. Ezio was playing gently with what I believe to be his baby sister. I smiled warmly at the sight; I knew one day he would be very protective of that sister of his. No, it wasn't in the history books; I could just see it in his eyes.

"Oh, Alonzo!" Maria called to me again and I turned around quickly to meet her gaze. Maria knew who Giovanni was and was a very proud wife of an Assassin. She was blunt, tough, and smart. I admired her greatly, she was a great woman. So, obviously she knew who I was and treated me accordingly. "Why don't you stay for dinner? It is almost ready." She smiled at me drying her hands with the apron tied around her waist.

I felt my face contort in panic. My brows rose and a shiver rose up my spine. I pointed a finger at myself and looked at her disbelievingly. "Who? Me?" My voice had rose a few octaves as my entire body quivered. Me? At the same dinner table as not only my teacher but that monello I would most likely one day have to bow to? I don't think so. One little slip up and I'd never hear the end of it.

"Yes you." Maria nodded and laughed lightly, thinking I was joking. I was not. "Matter of fact, I will not take no for an answer! You look like a starved cat, you're far too skinny!" She pointed out, sounding like your stereotypical Italian mother. "Stay here, dinner is almost finished." She ordered as she went back into what you could call the kitchen of this era.

I visibly paled, letting out a long drawn out sigh. 'Well, fuck me.'

-X-

Author's Note (More like apology): I'm so sorry! This sucked, didn't it! OH I'M SO SORRY! There wasn't even a training session on here! AAAAAHHHHH! CRAP! But I promise there will be next chapter! I just really wanted to point out the skill difference that will occur over the years. I really wasn't successful in that was I? SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I'll make it all better next chapter! Promise!

So R&R? Tell me how horrible this was. Any request for certain character appearances?

I will tell you next chapter, other than a really embarrassing dinner scene, there will be training with the thieves. Alonzo/Skyler will meet La Volpe for the first time and he'll even go by a different name. Not too different though. La Volpe will be about 20, 'cause there is no birth info for him on Wiki so I'm making him around 30 when he meets Ezio for the first time and 40 or so when he goes back to Rome. Sound good?

Translations:

Monello- brat

Signorina- Miss

Buon cane- Good dog

Usignolo- Nightingale

Madre- mother

Ragazzo- boy

Grazie- thank you

Bambino- baby

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