"Catch the bastardo! Don't let him get away!"
Ezio rushed across the rooftops. These guards sure were resilient. Even when they lost his trail, they soon found it again without any trouble. Perhaps it was because of the bag he carried with him.
"Stop! Thief!"
Ezio grit his teeth. There was no escaping them. At this point, he may as well be run out of Italia altogether. He needed to switch out.
"Marco!" Ezio called out.
"Polo!" A voice from across the way shouted. Another Assassin popped up nearby. Ezio tossed the bag to his ally, who ran off in another direction as soon as he caught it.
Half the guards ran off after the other Assassin. Ezio smiled. There were only four left. He flipped around and slid to a stop.
"Surrender now and you will not be harmed!" one of the guards shouted. Ezio drew his sword, and the guards took out their weapons.
"Then why don't you come over here and not harm me already?" Ezio asked.
Aggravated, the first swung with his mace, making such a wide and predictable arc, Ezio countered it. The guard was thrown off his balance. Ezio grabbed him and threw him off the edge of the building. The body landed in a hay bale below. One down.
The next came at him with a large knife. Ezio was too slow to react, but the dagger hit and bounced off of his armor. The guard lunged again, but this time Ezio dodged him and slashed his neck. Two down.
Ezio took the offensive, swinging his sword quickly at the third guard, who was armed with a sword like his. The guard blocked and kicked Ezio, getting one good hit in. The guard was foolish enough to stop and make a taunt. Ezio grabbed him and slit his throat. Three down.
The last guard had no constitution. He tried to flee from the fight. Ezio sheathed his sword and ran after the last guard before he could get reinforcements. Ezio was fast enough to catch the fearful guard. He lept up and his hidden blade extended. He brought his hoof down onto the back of the guard's neck, the blade going straight through. Ezio paused for a second before pulling his blade out.
He heard the blood-curdling scream of his fellow Assassin. Quickly, he rushed towards the sound, hoping it was not too late. He got to the source, but there was nopony in sight. Quickly, he searched around. He hoped not to find anything. Unfortunately, he did. Another note... just like the one from the last killing. He ripped it open.
Assassins,
Your struggle is for naught. You will fail your task, and Italia will be ours. We have retrieved what you had stolen, and the guards will be informed to add extra security to defend it. This is the seventh Assassin today. Don't make it eight.
--The Black Plague
Ezio crumpled the note. There they go again, ruining the plan he set in motion... and they didn't even leave the body. Again. This was the highest disrespect to any dead pony, as they don't even let them get a proper burial. They killed seven more today? The scout squads probably got caught and killed on the spot. This brought him great anger. He couldn't curse them for killing, as that would be hypocritical. However, he could curse them for being impossibly unstoppable.
If only he had help...
Suddenly, a letter was teleported to him. He unrolled it to see what it was about.
Ezio,
The brothers and I know we are losing control of Venezia. We fear for our lives and the lives of our families. This cannot go on any longer; we at the guild would like to discuss leaving this place. Venezia is a lost cause. An order came in today that any remaining Assassins regroup in Roma for our final stand.
Ezio, we know you don't give up. We know you won't just let go of this place, but do not worry. Venezia will find its own way through the Borgia rule. We need to leave now. I hope you understand.
-- Aldo Vertici
Ezio couldn't believe his eyes. Leaving Venezia? But there was still so much to do here! The fight was not lost! He cursed himself for thinking these thoughts; even his father would tell him that it was time to let go. He made his way back to the guild, where the Assassins had gathered.
Aldo galloped up to him with a worried look on his face. His red mane and and orange coat were covered by the Assassin gear he wore.
"Ezio, are you coming with us? You know you can't stay here, right?"
"It seems I will have to leave. I will continue to honor the Creed." Ezio replied solemnly.
"We're ready to leave, as soon as you'd like."
Ezio hesitated for a moment. "We're leaving now. I trust that you have what you need for the move?"
"Of course. There are boats at the dock we can take to Roma. Everpony, saddle up! We're going!"
Ezio and Aldo lead the rest of the group through the alleyways to the docks, being as inconspicuous as possible. They reached the docks not before three in the afternoon. The Assassins tossed their belongings onto the small ships and hosted the sails. Ezio was surprised at how well they did this. It was like they were a real crew.
The boats took off for Roma, and everything seemed calm. Until Ezio spotted ponies gathering at the docks.
"What are they doing over there?" Long asked him.
"I have no idea..." Ezio replied. They were all lined up, like an army. But an army doesn't charge into water...
"Everyone! Take cover!" Ezio shouted. He saw the glint of bolts being loaded into crossbows. "NOW!"
The message got to the nearest boats fast enough for them to be safe, but not to all of them. He heard as the bolts flew through the air, striking his allies and killing a few of them on the spot. The others shouted out in agony after being hit. Ezio couldn't bear it. They were defenseless out here...
Another volley of bolts flew out, cutting through the sails. At this rate, the entire fleet would be lost if they didn't do something...
"We have to get out of their range! We need to move faster!" Aldo shouted to Ezio. "What do we do?"
"We're too heavy to go any faster! We'll have to drop our cargo!" Ezio announced as loud as he could to the other boats. "DROP YOUR BELONGINGS IF YOU WISH TO LIVE!"
All the heavy bags and chests were thrown overboard, and they could feel the sloops start to move faster. However, they weren't moving fast enough, and Assassins were still getting hit.
"What now? We've done all we could!" Aldo shouted to him, his face betraying every bit of worry he had.
Ezio thought for a moment. If the cargo was gone, that left only one thing that could be weighing them down...
"Drop the bodies." he ordered.
"What?" Aldo asked.
"Drop the bodies into the sea, now!" Ezio shouted at him.
"Ezio, that's insane! We never leave our brothers behind, even in death! They will receive proper burials, just as they should!" Aldo argued.
"There is no time for this! We have to get going or we'll all die out here!"
They stared at each other for a few seconds, completely angry. Then, a crossbow bolt landed between them, breaking their gaze, giving Aldo a sudden change of heart.
Long turned to the rest of the boats. "You heard the stallion! Start tossing the dead!"
There was a murmur amongst the boats before another wave of bolts swept over them. Another two fell. Sobbing, one of the brothers of the recently deceased tossed the first body overboard, then the other. The rest slowly started to follow suit. What they were doing was beyond wrong, but it had to be done. The Assassins must survive.
They made it out of the crossbow fire after another few minutes. Only twenty of them remained out of more than the hundred that had started the voyage. In time, they reached Roma. The docks here were no less guarded, but there were also no crossbow archers. For this, they were thankful. They docked the boats and left them. They would probably burn them later on, just to forget what had happened. One cannot carry too much grief with them, as it is unhealthy to do so.
Ezio and the small group continued on. They followed a map, provided by the letter and attached to the order to regroup. It led them to a very, very small pavilion.
"This is a guild?" Ezio asked, confused by the small building. When he entered it, it led directly to stairs. Going down into the depths of the underground of Roma, Ezio began to understand why this was a good place to regroup. It was a secluded place that nopony would ever check unless they really knew what was down here.
When he got close to the bottom of the stairs, he saw four ponies arguing. He recognized all the voices: Bartolomeo, the soldier; Machiavelli, the Assassin informant; La Volpe, the thieves' leader; and last, Derpy, the newly-instated leader of the courtesans.
"You cannot be serious!" Bartolomeo shouted. "My men are working harder than ever to throw these damned Borgia men off us! They just have too many more resources than we do! It's the theives' fault we're losing this war!"
"Honestly, you blame it all on us?" La Volpe asked. "Our thieves have been raiding the supplies for the Borgia army for months now! We'd be able to work a lot faster if somepony could just draw the guards away!"
"Hey!" Derpy shouted. "The courtesans are great distractions! They've saved more lives than any of you have! If you ask me, the Borgia leaders are too strong, and they're not being taken out!"
"Are you accusing the Assassins of being incompetent and unworthy?" Machiavelli growled. "We've been taking out their leaders one by one! I'll have you know that the Assassins are suffering great losses because of how many guards there are about the place, spotting us before we can strike! The soldiers are supposed to be able to reduce the cannon fodder!"
And so, the cycle repeated again, each group blaming the other until Bartolomeo finally lost it.
"That's it! I'm done with all of you! This alliance is over! My men need me, and our fight will be focused on the Griffon Empire invasion from here on out!" Bartolomeo shouted at them.
"Me too! All of you can do what you want, but I'm done trying to work with you... you... idiot stallions!" Derpy shouted.
La Volpe sighed, and Ezio could hear him flip his hood up as he walked away, saying, "I guess I'll follow the rest and leave, too... just as a thief, I shall be another face in the crowd..."
"That's what Assassins do! Don't take credit for that!" Machiavelli scolded. As Ezio entered the room, he noticed La Volpe disappear behind a corner.
"Machiavelli, what did you just do?" Ezio asked him.
The stallion in turned to face him, his face as red as his clothes. "Ezio, you heard as they disrespected the Creed, right? It's unforgivable!"
"I heard what I heard, but it sure wasn't that. I heard you splitting up the group. The Assassins cannot handle everything alone. You tore the fabric of the Creed apart, Machiavelli. That is what's unforgivable."
He didn't reply. Ezio stared at him for two whole seconds before ordering, "Everypony, start making yourselves at home. Machiavelli and I have much to discuss."
The rest of the group dispersed and Ezio followed Machiavelli to his office.
"What were you thinking? Those three groups are what make the Assassins more than just killers! The mercenaries and soldiers for defending against the armies of our enemies, the courtesans to draw out information and create the crowds in which we hide in, the thieves to bring in profit and steal vital pieces of documents and writings--"
"None of which were doing these things!" Machiavelli argued, cutting Ezio off. "This group is falling apart at the seams, and its downfall is almost inevitable! If they leave now, they are only following the natural order of things!"
Ezio thought for a second about what to say. "Perhaps... but like a flesh wound, it only gets worse if it is left untreated. I'm going to piece together this group again, no matter what it takes." Ezio said, taking upon the role of a sage for a few moments.
"How? You couldn't even balance out your own relationship! How do you expect to--"
"Stop right there, Machiavelli!" Ezio shouted. "If you say one more word, I won't be held responsible for what I will do to you!"
"Seems I struck a nerve." Machiavelli said. "Just as I thought. Are you going to talk about it, Ezio?"
Ezio sat down on the nearest chair and heaved a sigh. Machiavelli was only testing a theory, as usual. He didn't know the half of what happened.
"No." he replied flatly.
"Well, in other business, you cannot bring the four groups back together again. You don't know how to make friends! You don't know how to create any form of... well, harmony, for lack of a better term!"
These words made Ezio's ears perk up. "Wait, that's it!"
"What? The fact that you're a giant failure, incapable of having casual social interactions?"
"No, not that," Ezio said, clearing off the table. "I may not be able to bring the groups together, but..."
He made a quick sketch of a strange pony, the likes of which Machiavelli had never seen.
"Ezio, what are you getting at?"
"You remember the Princesses, don't you? The ones in Equestria?"
"Equestria? You don't mean..." Machiavelli was in disbelief. "You wouldn't."
"I would." Ezio said, smiling. "All I need to do is send one little letter."
***
The defeat of Tirek was quite a struggle, but somehow, the ponies of the land of Equestria had returned to their daily lives without any problems. Sugarcube Corner sold its treats, the boutique was open with yet another new fashion line, and the library was in pieces, and a giant castle had sprung up in the middle of town.
Okay, so relatively there were no problems. Some ponies had a hard time adjusting to the whole thing. Change was something so rare in Ponyville. Nothing ever changed... or at least, it hadn't until Twilight Sparkle came along. Some blamed her for the entire fiasco with Tirek, while others revered her as their savior. Some thought the castle was an eyesore and unnecessary, while others saw it as the best thing that could happen to Ponyville.
Twilight cared very much about what her new "subjects" (although she hated to call them that) thought of her. She felt the need to be the best Princess there ever was, and abandoning her ponies at this point in time would make her look irresponsible. And thus, she had a problem.
The letter she received today made her worry more than ever about what she should do. It read:
Princess Twilight Sparkle,
I would like to say on behalf of all the Assassins that we are grateful for your help during the trials, both in and out of the courtroom, during my stay in Equestria. However, we come asking another favor. We are falling apart here in Italia. The Borgia, you know them as the Templars, have taken over quickly and have reduced our numbers significantly. Our group has split, and our power is weak.
I know that you are the Princess of Friendship, or at least the magic of it. I implore you, please come to Italia and help us regroup and fight off this common enemy.
Perhaps you still seek a reason to help us other then out of the purity of your own heart. I can understand this if it is the case. If the Templars defeat the Assassins here in Italia, they will surely set their sights on Equestria after we're gone. I know your land is one of peace, and that you do not want another war after over a thousand years since the last one.
Please, we urge you to come to Italia. You do not have to go alone, so bring your friends if you wish. We will await your arrival in Roma should you choose to help. Please send a response as soon as you possibly can.
--Ezio Auditore
There was a map attached, marking the spot in which they should meet at.
Twilight was torn. This was a big decision to make, and she couldn't make it alone. That's why her five friends were gathered before her. They had each read the letter, and they understood the situation.
"The way I see it, that Ezio guy is can't be trusted. What if all he's doin' is leadin' us into a trap?" Applejack asked.
"Yes, there's that. There's also the fact that he still hasn't paid you back for the last time you saved his life, and now he's asking for more help on top of that." Rarity added. "At least, that's what you've told us."
"This guy doesn't sound like he has enough fun. He's probably feeling down in the dumps right now. I mean, honestly, the only letter that should be sent around here are party invites!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We should at least go cheer him up!"
"I dunno, guys. It sounds more like he's just trying to help his group get back on their hooves. Maybe he's just staying loyal to them. Ya know, with his Creed or whatever..." Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Those are all possible..." Twilight said hesitantly. "Fluttershy, you've met Ezio before. You're the only one who had a normal conversation with him. What do you think about all this?"
The shy pony took a few seconds to think before saying, "I think he's just scared. He's like a frightened animal, cornered, with his entire species relying on him... it's daunting."
Applejack stamped her hoof down. "I can't believe you stand up for a murderer! This guy's bad news! What if he went and killed one of us?"
Twilight grit her teeth at the sound of that. She really wished she hadn't wiped their memories now... but it was an order from Celestia to have everypony forget that they died and got magically reincarnated. She was just following orders.
"That won't happen, AJ." Rainbow said. "Even if this is just a trap, we can just hightail it out of the place if Twilight teleports us out."
"What if her magic doesn't work? What if we don't know when we're in danger?" Applejack asked, clearly miffed. "I'm not letting anypony get caught by one of them Assassins and... Well, you know the rest!"
"Applejack, the question isn't what will happen when we get there, it's whether we should go help or not." Twilight explained. "I'm sure Ezio or the other Assassins won't hurt us. I'm sure of it."
Applejack sighed. "Well, if you say so. But don't you expect me to get all friendly with 'em."
"That's kind of the point of going there..." Twilight mumbled.
"But what about how they will repay us?" Rarity asked. "Aren't they in your debt?"
"We'll worry about that later." Twilight told her. Technically, Ezio had already repaid her by helping her create the life-giving Apple. She still had no idea what he really meant by that word "Apple", as it wasn't in any of her books, and all of her books were ashes now, anyway. Her friends couldn't know this, because if they realized they had been brought back to life, she'd have to wipe their memories again. She didn't want to create a vicious cycle of remind and wipe by constantly mentioning this fact. It was easier to say Ezio didn't deserve the help.
"I think I've made up my mind." Applejack said. "And I think the rest of you have as well. So, let's put it to a vote. Majority rules."
Twilight nodded. "Very well. All in favor?"
Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy raised their hooves.
"All opposed?"
Rarity and Applejack raised their hooves.
"Then it's settled. We're going."
"No, we haven't decided yet!"
Twilight looked over her should to see Spike's claw high in the air. She'd forgotten he was part of all this as well.
"Well, that make you the tie-breaker, Twi." Applejack said. "So... should we stay or should we go?"
This meeting hadn't helped her at all! With an equal number of votes, she was still left as the last deciding factor. She thought of how much easier it would be to stay and just live life as it was, but on the other hand, she could prevent a future problem from ever happening, and that would bode very well with her schedule. Very, very well.
She sighed. "Girls... Spike... we're going to Italia!"