Hello, there!
This is my Assassin's Creed 2 fanfic, Blossoming Flower (and don't worry, the story isn't as girly and prissy as the title! There IS action)
I hope you enjoy this and also, there is some Italian in this. I used Google Translate, so forgive me if the translation's rubbish. Enjoy!

The Animus is a machine invented by the Templars. It is able to examine a subject's genetic memory. But what if the memories were altered?
Grief is a powerful emotion. What if something happened, so terrible that it just made you want to forget?
Ezio Auditorie's mind was shattered by the loss of his love. His mind erased her, and created new memories around the old ones, as though his love had never existed.
Desmond and the Assassins relived a false version of Ezio's life. It made no difference to them.

But this is what really happened.

Maria Auditorie's screams filled the room. The two midwives urged her onwards.

"Spingi (push)! Spingi!" One urged.

Maria let out another pain-wracked scream.

"Di nuovo(again)!" The midwife exclaimed. "Si,(yes) si! Brava! (good)"

And with one last almighty push, Maria forced the child inside her out into the world.

"It is a boy!" A midwife exclaimed, cradling the child in her arms. She looked down at the child, and with an unspoken signal the other midwife approached her worriedly. The child did not breathe.

Suddenly, a man bust through the door; Giovanni Auditorie, the boy's father and Maria's husband.

"Oh, my love! I'm sorry! I was at the bank when they told me! Did I miss it? Am I too late?" Giovanni asked hurriedly, rushing to his wife. He looked over at his son and his expression turned serious. With dead eyes, he held his arms out for his son. "Give him here..." He said quietly.

"Giovanni?" Maria asked, her stomach twisting with unease.

"Shh, my love. It will be alright." Giovanni replied. He held the baby boy close to his heart. "You are an Auditorie. You are a fighter. So fight!" He exclaimed quietly, his eyes gleaming.

The child's legs moved. Then his arms, and finally his head, as though some sort of unknown power was travelling up his body. Then he let out an exceptionally loud cry.

"Listen to him! I fine set of lungs!" Giovanni exclaimed happily.

"And what shall we call him, my love?" Maria asked.

Without hesitation, her husband replied. "Ezio!" He exclaimed. "Ezio Auditore da Firenze!"

He held the child up to the sky, proud and grand. Ezio's loud cries filled the large house.

Yet elsewhere in Firenze, another child was born. This child was not rich, and it was not born in a grand house. The child's father wasn't even there.

The mother, Donna Cupelli, pushed with all her might for the final time, and out came the child.

"It is a girl!" Donna's sister, Elena, exclaimed.

She picked up the child and handed it to her mother. Donna's eyes shone at the small but beautiful baby.

"What will you call her?" Elena asked gently.

Donna drew a long, laboured breath. "Natalia. Natalia Cupelli." She said softly.

Elena nodded, and took her sister's hand. Tears ran down both the girl's faces. Donna drew a long, shuddering breath, and then her eyes glossed over. Elena took the child from her mother's arms and ran off, into the alleyways of Firenze, tears streaming down her face.

14 YEARS LATER

I run over the rooftops of Firenze, glancing over my shoulder at the idiota(idiot) guards that chase me. I leap onto a balcony and run up the wall it protrudes from.

I see a bale of hay next to a store. I throw another glance behind me, and I think I have enough time to hide in it before the guards catch up to me. I leap inside, and the guards bumble past without even checking the hay bale.

I wait a second before exiting the hay bale, taking the ribbon from my hair, letting the dark locks flow down my back. I walk along the streets, pulling out the apple I stole, savouring the sweet juice that flows down my throat, the crunchy flesh that is crushed in my mouth. When I finish the apple, I drop the core to the ground and head back to my home; the brothel.

Aunt Elena works there, as did my mother. And so will I, after my sixteenth birthday. That was how my mother came to bear me; a bastard child.

I enter the brothel to the usual sight of courtesans. A few of them give me a smile behind the backs of the men they work with, while some are too wrapped up in their work.

The leader of our organization, Paola, approaches me looking irritated.

"Natalia, what did you do today?" She asks testily.

"Nothing much. Why do you ask?" I say innocently.

"It might have something to do with that cut on your cheek." Paola says.

I'd forgotten about that. A guard's sword nicked me just before I escaped from them.

"Natalia, what will men think when it is your time to work here? Scars are not attractive!" She exclaims.

"Is that why you wear long sleeves?" I ask, quieter.

Paola glares at me.

"It is. Which is why I do not wish the same upon you." She says. Her eyes soften. "Natalia, you are like a sister to me. To all of us here. We are sisters in a cruel world. You must be sensible, at least some of the time. Now, go put on a dress, hmm?" Paola says gently.

"Si, Paola." I say. I turn around and head upstairs, to my bedroom. I open the door, and stare at my reflection for a moment.

My dark brown hair, which is tangled and wild from my chase, is long and it flows down my back. My eyes are also dark, and large too. My lashes are long and thick. My lips are full, and the corners of them tilt up slightly, giving me a confident, and cheerful appearance.

Lots of men mistake me for the women they intend to bed. I am more advanced – physically – than most girls my age. It's now night time, and I don't plan to go downstairs again. I stay in the clothes I was wearing earlier today – a white shirt and black tight pants, with black boots. I hate wearing dresses; you can't climb or run in them.

I sit down on my bed, knowing I won't be getting any sleep very soon. I look out the window, then climb up onto the ledge. From there I make my way to the roof of the brothel, and I sit on the rooftop, staring at the moon and the stars.

Even when I was a small child, I always found solace in them. Safety. When I look at them, I feel untouchable. I extend a hand to them, almost as if I could touch them. I want to be up there so badly. I want to fly among the stars, not a care in the world.

But that is impossible, so I content myself with just observing them. I can imagine my mother waving at me from behind a star, waiting for me to one day join her up there, that we might fly together.

I watch the stars for a while more, seeing them move, change position slightly, and the moon casts long shadows on the ground. After a while, I become tired, and I head back down to my bedroom. The warm summer air blows gently through the light curtains. I change into my nightgown and slip underneath the covers of my small bed, waiting for sleep to take me. At last, with the warm air caressing my face, I fall into a world of dreams, peaceful and happy.

~!~

I lie on my bed, naked, as a man kisses me among other things. He says he has a wife and children back home, but he has needs. He wouldn't usually resort to such measures.

I pretend to agree with him. I am sympathetic; he'll pay me better when he's done. When the man is finished, he collects his things and leaves my room.

It's been one year since I turned sixteen, almost to the day. Since men were allowed to touch me, to bed me.

Since I became an Assassin.

Paola and Giovanni told me all about the Assassins and the Templars. About my father – an evil Templar himself; Rodrigo Borgia. I refused to take his surname when I learned what he truly was.

I work as a courtesan only because of my gift. I can wean information from even the most controlled men, and I have benefitted the Brotherhood greatly since I joined. The uniform and weapons are stashed deep in my closet; used only once or twice.

I dress in a white shirt, tight black leggings and black boots. The same thing I wore when I was a child, only a larger size. I enjoy climbing, and wearing a dress makes that impossible. I then open my window, which leads out to a narrow alleyway next to the brothel. I crouch on the ledge, holding the frame for support. My eyes look downwards, and I step off the ledge, falling down and rolling to absorb the impact as I land.

When I'm standing upright, I walk along the alleyway. I walk around Firenze for a while, and then I hear talk of an impending fight.

"The Auditorie boy; Ezio. He's gone to the bride. He and the Pazzi boy are at it again." One man says.

I have to see this.

It's been a long while since I was in a good fight. Ezio and the Pazzi boy, Vieri, have been enemies since the day they were born; a family feud passed on by their fathers. I think it's sciocco (foolish), but I've never been one to pass up a fight. I head in the direction that several groups of men my age are headed. The hard ground thuds beneath my feet, and I reach a wall. I gather my speed and push off the wall with one foot, forcing myself up and grabbing the wall. I pull myself up with little effort, and continue along the rooftops.

From there, I follow the groups of young men that run to join the fight. As I leap over an alleyway, I think of Ezio.

His father, Giovanni, is the man who inducted me into the Brotherhood after Paola told him of my heritage and... certain skills for getting into trouble; and escaping it without a scratch. Giovanni is an honourable man. Ezio, on the other hand, is one word; womanizer.

There are hardly any girls left who haven't fallen for his charms and good looks, myself included. He can be a kind men, when he isn't scoping the crowd for his next conquest, but generally he uses his money on women and wine and little else. The boy is amusing, and wherever he goes a good fight is sure to follow. But I still find him irritating and arrogant.

I arrive at the bridge, where a small crowd has gathered at each end of the construction. On one side stands the Pazzi boy and his supporters; on the other side, Ezio and his friends. Ezio steps out of his crowd and turns to face them. I lightly and quickly jump down from the building, slipping into the Auditorie crowd. Ezio raises his fist.

"We stand together!" He roars into the crowd.

"Together!" A few of them shout back, raising their fists.

"Silenzio (silence), my friends. Silenzio." Ezio says loudly. As the men quieten down, he continues. "Grazie (thank you). Do you know what brings us here tonight? Honor!" He exclaims. "Vieri De Pazzi slanders my family's name, and forces his own miseries upon us. If w-"

Suddenly, a rock is thrown out of nowhere. It bounces to a stop at Ezio's feet.

"Enough of your nonsense, idiot!" Vieri shouts, he and his group slowly walking towards Ezio. They stop as they reach the bridge.

"Vieri!" Ezio exclaims, as if greeting an old friend. "We were just talking about you." His voice turns mocking. "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought the Pazzi hired others to do their dirty work!"

"It's your family that calls for guards when there's trouble, coward! Afraid to handle things yourself?" Vieri calls mockingly.

"Your sister seemed quite satisfied with the 'handling' I gave her last night!" Ezio calls back.

I, along with Ezio's crowd, laugh. A few of the men notice me, and they stare for a moment before turning away.

Vieri looks furious. "Kill him!" He exclaims. He and his followers pick up rocks from the ground and start to pummel Ezio and his friends with them. One soars through the air and hits Ezio in the mouth, creating a nasty cut there. Ezio touches a hand to his lip and feels the blood. His lip curls angrily.

And the fight breaks out.

Each group runs toward each other much like armies on a battlefield. The two groups clash, and suddenly the bridge is filled with the pained grunts of young men. A Pazzi sees me, a woman, standing there, and hesitates before me. I take the opportunity to grab his hair and slam his head into my knee. He falls to the ground, unconscious. I smile fiercely.

Man after man, Pazzi and Auditorie alike, the young men fall until the numbers are almost halved. That's when Ezio notices a woman fighting aside him.

"What are you doing?" He asks incredulously while breaking a man's nose.

"What does it look like, idiota?" I ask sarcastically as I kick a Pazzi between his legs. He falls to the ground, moaning, and I stamp on his nose. Blood spurts out from it.

Ezio still looks disbelieving. "But you're a woman!" He exclaims.

"What was your first clue?" I ask.

I notice a Pazzi get to his feet behind Ezio. I walk towards Ezio, and he looks, among other things, confused. The Pazzi is about to grab Ezio from behind, so I wait until he's almost got him and then I grab the Pazzi by the hair, over Ezio's shoulder, and I pull him around so we're facing. Then I punch him in the face.

Ezio stares at me, shocked and impressed. I smile charmingly at him, as I've learned to over the years.

"Hey! Behind you!" A man shouts. I look over Ezio's shoulder and see his brother, Federico, standing behind him.

"Federico! What are you doing here?" Ezio exclaims.

"I wanted to see if baby brother had finally learned to fight." Federico replies.

"And?" Ezio asks, gesturing around him and headbutting a Pazzi as the Pazzi runs at him.

"You have style, but endurance is what counts. And who is this?" Federico asks, looking at me.

"She, uh," Ezio stumbles over his words.

"My name is Natalia." I say. I hear movement behind me, so I look over my shoulder and back-kick the Pazzi that tries to tackle me.

"You fight well." Federico compliments. He looks at Ezio. "Come. Let's see how many of them you can ruin before they get the best of you."

He and Ezio turn to the Pazzi, and I do too. I should leave, but I haven't had this much fun in a while. Together, we take down most of the other Pazzi before Vieri calls his men to retreat. Ezio tries to follow them, but Federico puts a hand out to stop him.

"Hold on..." He says, humour in his throat.

"What? We've almost won this!" Ezio exclaims angrily.

"Your lip." Federico says.

Ezio raises a hand to it. "Just a scratch." He says dismissively.

"Let the doctor decide." Federico insists.

"It's not necessary. Besides, I've no money for this doctor of yours." Ezio replies, holding up his hands.

Federico lets out a chuckle. "Wasted it on women and wine, huh?" He laughs.

"I'd hardly call it wasted." Ezio laughs. His lips spread into a cheeky grin before it falters. His eyes dart towards me, slightly embarrassed. "No offense." He adds.

"None taken." I laugh.

He turns back to Federico. "Lend me some florins, then..." He says. "Or have you done the same?"

The two brothers laugh.

"Search them. There's bound to be something in their pockets." Federico says, casting a hand about the bridge which is half covered in groaning men.

I see my time to leave, and Ezio sees me turn away.

"Wait!" He calls.

I turn around. "What is it?" I ask.

"Where are you going?"

"Home." I reply.

"So soon?" Ezio asks, acting heartbroken.

"Si. Grazie for the fight, Ezio." I say, smiling.

"Where is home for you, bella (beautiful)?" Ezio asks.

I sigh, smiling. "If you must know... La Rosa Colta."

The two brother's eyes widen simultaneously.

"Buonasera (good evening), Ezio, Federico." I say, turning around again. I can feel the two brother's eyes on me as I run up the wall, onto the rooftop and out of sight.

I head back to the brothel, suddenly realizing I've spent the entire day out in the streets. Paola and Elena will be wondering where I am; not worried, because they know I can take care of myself. But they will very possibly be angry, especially when they hear what I've done.

I arrive at La Rosa Colta, and as I enter I quickly scan the room to see if Paola or Elena are in there. They are not to be seen, so I quickly dart upstairs and into my room. I think back on the day, the fight with the Pazzi, and Ezio.

I haven't had such fun in a long time.

That was a LONG chapter!
Almost 3000 words! Anyway, the chapters will be shorter after this one. Let me know if you want me to use more Italian, or if you want me to put the translations somewhere else. If you're Italian, then I apologise for the translations if they're wrong! Again, I used Google Translate, because I can't speak a word of Italian.
So let me know if this was a good read in the reviews. I'll see you guys (maybe, depending on if you like it!) after 5 reviews! Thanks!