The sun's heat was oppressive. Ezio had been walking for miles now, he was exhausted. Each step more difficult than the last one. He spotted a clump of buildings in the distance. It was a city of some kind. He trudged forward, not giving up. His equipment weighed him down, making him move slower. His vision was fading, darkness overcame him and he fell on the ground.
Ezio's vision came back, he was a little dizzy. Looking around, he saw he was in a room. His bag was beside him, seemingly untouched. He wasn't alone, “Ah, you're finally awake.” a stallion said. “Where am I?” the assassin asked, “You are in the city of Fillydelphia. We found you at the outskirts of the city, passed out from exhaustion. My name is Lightning Flash, what's yours?”he said. He was a blue pegasus, his mane and tail were brown and his cutie mark was a lightning bolt.
“It is best that you do not know...” Ezio replied
Raising an eyebrow, confused Lightning Flash said “Okay...” Ezio looked the his bag, turning to the pony he said, “You did not touch my bag did you?” the pegasus shook his head, “Aside from picking it up, no, I did not touch anything.” he replied. Nodding, Ezio stood up and started for the door, “Grazie (thank you) for your kindness Lightning Flash, but I must go.” the assassin said. “By the way, you might need this,” the pegasus tossed a pouch full of coins to Ezio, “it's a hard life out there.”
“Grazie (thank you).”
He stepped out of the building and into the city.
The city was much like Rome, the streets were filled with crowds going about on their business. The market was the same noisy place Ezio remembered and the shops were filled with customers taking their orders and leaving. As he walked through the streets, he stayed alert. Pickpockets could come from anywhere, at anytime. He heard crying inside an alley, stepping inside, he saw a stallion sobbing over a broken body of a mare. “What happened?” the assassin asked. The stallion turned to him, “That bastard Quick Hooves killed my wife!”
“Describe him to me.”
The stallion gave Ezio a description of the killer. “Stay here until I come back.” the assassin said and left the alley. He climbed up one of the buildings. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he searched for the murderer. Finally, he found him walking at a brisk pace. The stallion was surrounded by a crowd, making it easy to assassinate him.
Blending in with the crowd, Ezio walked towards Quick Hooves. Timing had to be precise. All things would have to be done accurately. The supposed killer was now beside Ezio, oblivious to the assassin walking beside him. They passed by an alley. As fast as lightning, Ezio grabbed Quick Hooves and dragged him towards the alley. He threw him onto the ground. “Tell me, did you kill that stallion's wife? Lying will just shorten your time.” the assassin growled.
Quick Hooves sneered, “What are you gonna do about it? Yes I killed her. I told him that stallion would have to pay sooner or later. My employers didn't want to be kept waiting.” he said. A blade shot out of Ezio's wrist, putting it near the throat of the killer, he asked, “Who are your employers?”
Fear showed in the stallion's eyes, gulping, he replied, “I don't know them personally, but they meet in the old factory in the outskirts of the city! Please don't kill me!” he was cowering in fear now. “No, I won't kill you.” the assassin replied. Ezio grabbed the stallion and started climbing up a building, carrying the scrawny weakling.
Minutes later, Quick Hooves was dangling from the ledge of a building, crying out for help while passersby would look up at him in shock. Ezio watched the crowd look at the dangling stallion. He turned and walked back towards the alley where he first found the sobbing stallion. As the stallion promised, he stayed there, by the body of his dead wife. “Quick Hooves has been taken care of.” Ezio said, and threw down the dagger which the killer had used. “Y-you killed him?” the stallion asked.
“No, but he won't be bothering you anymore.”
The assassin left the alley, and started for the old, abandoned factory. It was already dusk. It would be dark soon, which was an advantage for the assassin. He needed the help of the shadows for this mission.
The factory was quiet. There were two brutes stationed at the door. It seemed like Quick Hooves was telling the truth. As he watched from the shadows, Ezio saw a pony approach the guards. The stallions let the pony pass. There was nothing else now but the two guards. Taking care of them would be easy. He aimed his crossbow. The first guard went down, surprising his companion, the other guard turned towards the shadows. Only to have a crossbow bolt to his throat. With the guards dispatched, Ezio entered the factory.
He watched the meeting go by, the gangsters were discussing their plans for their next operation. Watching from the shadows above, the assassin decided their operations would have to end right here, right now. “Of course we would have to-” one of the gangsters fell down, dead. The others noticed a throwing knife stuck on his back. Quickly drawing their daggers, they split up, looking for the intruder.
“Fools...” Ezio whispered. One by one, the gangsters fell, some having throwing knives into their eyes, chest and neck. Others had been shot down by a crossbow. Leaving the leader alive, cowering behind a table, Ezio leaped off from his hiding place up above, and landed behind the survivor. The leader turned, the assassin's hidden blade was at his throat. “Requiescat in Pace, bastardo.”
The bodies of each gang member were found hanging from the ledge of the factory the following morning. Many came to the building and saw the dead bodies, the leader was hanging on his neck. He had a wound that looked like a symbol of some sort. He did not die from the wound, but rather from the hanging. Ezio watched the crowd gather at the building. Turning, he left and started for the train station.