Ezio vs Harmony

"It's settled then." said Twilight. "Ezio will sneak in and do his job. Is the letter ready?"

"It is, Twilight." replied Celestia, rolling a paper up with her magic. "If all goes well, we will never have to worry about the Templars ever again."

The Princess sent the letter away with her magic. It didn't take long for a reply.

"...All right. This is going with plan so far." said Luna, reading the new letter. "Ezio, are you sure you are up to this in your condition?"

"It has to be done, now or never." he replied.

"All right, Ezio, if you say so. Now, I'm going to cast a spell to conceal your presence from the guards. It should last long enough for you to get in and do your job, but getting out, you will no longer be concealed. Be careful."

"Got it. Try to buy me as much time as possible if you can."

"We'll do our best.' said Celestia."I'm going to teleport us to the location."

Her horn glowed bright yellow and the four were teleported to the front steps of the Sistine Chapel. Ezio was shocked by the number of guards that stood nearby. He subconsciously wanted to run, but he knew he was safe under Luna's spell.

"Tell your master we're here to speak terms on the new agreement." Celestia told the guards.

"Very well. He is waiting for you in the Chapel's sanctuary. I suggest you do not waste his time."

The princesses walked at a leisurely pace, and Ezio rushed ahead. His job was simple: take the staff and the Apple to the Vault and open it. Then, take whatever is inside and bring it back to Equestria. Ezio knew that the Vault held no power to destroy the enemy, but that didn't mean it held something useless. Why would it be locked if there was no purpose to it?

He rushed by the guards and the Cardinals inside the Chapel. He rushed into the room where had previously tried to kill Rodrigo a long time ago. He hoped that the staff would be there. It was not.

He ran out of the room, searching every place he passed by for the relic. He searched high and low, every room scoured and that's when he heard them.

"Ah, there you are! I received your letter stating you wanted to join our powerful nation."

*tink*

"That is true, but we want something in return."

*tink*

"I see, I see. Tell me what you want and you will have it."

*tink*

That noise... Ezio knew what it was. He looked to the sound's origin, and there it was. The staff. Right in Rodrigo's hoof. It made sense that the Pope would keep his most... "divine" power with him when consulting with these princesses. Perhaps it was because he feared them, or perhaps make the princesses fearful of what he might do with it. Either way, Ezio had to get it out of Rodrigo's hooves and into his own so that he could open the Vault.

"Well, let's start with some simple things." said Luna. "How about some respect?"

*tink*

"Was I really being that disrespectful?"

*tink*

"Yes, I should think so."

*tink*

"Ugh! Could you just put that thing somewhere else?" asked Twilight, angrily.

"What are you talking about?"

"That annoying staff! With all the 'tink'-ing! Could you just put it down somewhere so I won't have to hear that sound? It's really irritating."

"Very well. Servant!"

"Yes, sir?" replied a weak voice.

"Take the staff and put it back where it belongs."

"Of course."

Ezio was confused. Why would he let go of his only defense if something went wrong? He shook the question away. It didn't matter. The staff was now available to him, and that was that.

He listened as the princesses and Rodrigo went one way, and the servant a different way. Ezio followed the lone servant, waiting for his chance to take the staff. The servant, however, didn't put the staff down anywhere.

Well, Ezio thought, some things you just have to do yourself.

He snuck up behind the servant and put him into a death grip, with his hidden blade infront of the servant's neck.

"Say anything and you die. Try to run and you die. Now, put down the staff. Over there." Ezio gestured to the corner. The servant did as he was told. "Good. Now, we're going to take a little walk."

Ezio walked down the empty halls. Not that it made any sense that they were empty, but that was the case.

"Look, sir, I don't know who you are, but I beg you to spare me." said the servant.

"I'll consider it... if you can give me something in return."

"What do you want?"

"Information. Tell me, is that the real staff back there?"

They turned a corner.

"I'll be honest: It's not the real one."

"And you know where the true one is kept?"

"No."

It figures that Rodrigo would keep that information to himself.

"Do you know where it could be?"

"He has a stash of many riches nearby here. Perhaps it is there?"

"Take me to the place."

Ezio let the servant guide him to the room. He followed him for about 15 minutes when they suddenly stopped.

"Well, this is it."

"Couldn't thank you more." Ezio then slit the throat of the servant. Nopony would miss him, and this looked like the place for the staff anyway.

Ezio looked around the room. It was filled with gold and silver "divine implements". He looked at all of them. A sword, a set of stones...

Why did he feel that these items were related?

He kept searching the room, up, down, all around. He finally found the staff in the back of the room. He wrapped his hooves around it...

"Well, well. Look who we have here."

Ezio's ear twitched at the sound. "This was planned wasn't it?" he asked.

"You bet, Ezio. Can't just let you get away scot-free. I mean, you've already given us enough trouble as is." replied the voice.

"Patzi." growled Ezio

"Auditore." responded the voice.

"Why can't you just stay dead?" Ezio asked, turning to face the colt he knew was standing behind him.

"And why can't you die just once?" the colt shot back.

"Because then there would be nopony to put you in your place."

"Ah, but I have put you in yours. Quite literally. Look around you. These are all pieces of Eden, Ezio."

So they were related, by being those pieces...

"Why has he done this? Why has he collected all these?"

"He was trying to open that Vault through other means, of course. He used every piece of Eden he could think of. None would work. Now you have brought the one that does to us. Hand it over, and I won't have to kill you."

"Who's killing who here?"

"I believe you mean 'Who's killing whom here?'"

"Are you challenging me?"

"Possibly. Will you turn me down, Auditore?"

"Never. In fact, I'll even give you the honor of dealing the first blow."

He fell for it and swung out his sword. Ezio dodged the attack, then jumped forward with his hidden blade primed to kill. The colt jumped to the side, evading enough for the attack not to kill. However, it made a deep gash in his side.

"What is with this eagerness? You've never been so prompted to kill before."

"I ask you the same thing, Auditore."

The colt jumped forward again, swinging from below. Ezio blocked the sword and was thrown back against the wall from the brute strike. He appeared out of breath, and the Pazzi let his guard down. Ezio saw his bluff work, and threw a knife from his belt. It sank into the neck of the colt and he fell to the ground.

"God dammit." said Ezio, brushing the dust off of his clothes. Dust... when was the last time somebody was in this room? It seemed impossible that it could be this untouched... unless the staff was put in here a long time ago and never taken out...

But why...?

Ezio realized the fact that would have to be true. The one, sole factor that hinged on all this... he knew it. The reason that this room was so untouched... was because Rodrigo... gave up. Nothing was working, not for the Vault. The Pazzi... he must have revived their leaders if there was this one alive only a few moments before. The way he did it? The false Apple... therefore...

Those revived... they think he should open the Vault! They think he has the Apple and is able, willing, even... but no, they are wrong. Rodrigo seeks never to open it... ever.

Then why would he keep all this? This wealth, this power... wasting away in a dusty old room. He could've given it to his inferiors... perhaps he was just selfish? No, he always did what he could to help them... not selfish. So why, then, did he keep them?

The answer: to remind him of a time where he failed. Where he was running at full speed, world flying by him... and he tripped up, and fell face first into what he feared most.

Ezio saw the truth now. The reason he's accepting the help of these Princesses, almighty and powerful... must be to open the Vault!

He picked up the sword, the one claimed to be a piece of Eden. It didn't glow anymore... its power seemed... lost... in fact, that's how they all looked. Empty. Powerless.

Merda, he thought. Picking up the staff, he quickly secured it to his pack and rushed out of the room. He had to get to the Vault... before it was too late.

********************************************************************************************

"So you need all that if I am to persuade you to join me...." Rodrigo thought aloud. "Very well. It is yours."

"Wondrous!" shouted Luna in glee. She had asked for... well, it probably it isn't worth saying it, but it was something very peculiar.

"However, I've let you think you run the show here a little too long."

"What?" Twilight asked. "What do you mean?"

"I will give you what you want..." he turned to a window. "... if you do something for me."

"We are doing something for you: joining your group!"

"No, no. Joining is free of charge, nothing is required from me or you on that one. If that is the case, you get nothing."

"Nonono..." said Luna sternly. "That is not happening. Let's just hear what you want us to do."

Rodrigo smiled and continued to gaze out the window. There was a moment of silence.

He turned his head back to the princesses. "Follow me."

"Luna!" Twilight whispered at her. "What are you doing? We're not actually going to join these idiots, we're just buying time!"

"That deal I will not pass up. We may not join them, but if we just have to do one thing for them to get all that, we won't need to."

Twilight threw her a look, but Luna really wanted that... item...

He turned his head towards the end of the hall and walked down it.

He opened the twin doorway to a huge room. It was empty. Some banners were hung on the wall. The design on them was a cross.

"I have only shown what you are about to see to one other person. Tell nopony of what you see here."

"Understood." replied Celestia.

He went to the back of the room and pressed in a segment of the wall. The stone from the back center of the room fell to reveal that they were really stairs.

The princesses followed as he lead them into the room. "Now, don't be alarmed by what you might see. Never know what kind of reaction we'll get with you alicorns in the room, due to your magic."

That's when he looked ahead and immediately stopped in his tracks.

"I-Is something the matter?"

"YOU!"

The princesses looked ahead to see Ezio, placing the staff in the center of the room, then put the appple on the staff. Ezio looked away and his eyes found the four staring at him.  A look of shock appeared on his face.

"Ummm... long time, no see, eh, Rodrigo?"

"I'm... going... to KILL YOU EZIO!" shouted Rodrigo.