“I’m sorry, Ezio, but we can’t,” Leonardo gently picked the boy up. The hopeful expression faded, and the artist felt a pang of guilt. He wanted nothing more than to let Ezio go out, but the chance that someone would see him in his altered state was too great a risk. Leonardo walked back into the workshop and carefully set Ezio down onto one of the workbenches. Alcina curled briefly around Leonardo’s legs before leaping up onto the table to curl at Ezio’s side. Her purring was loud and the boy stroked the contented cat’s fur.
“I know you don’t like to, but I’d like to try something with the Apple again,” Leonardo started, smiling slightly at the grimace the child-assassin gave him. He quickly walked to the corner where he had hidden the Piece of Eden, and with a bit of rearranging, pulled the artifact from its place among his supplies. Leonardo had covered it with a soft rag, and he couldn’t help but wonder what its creators would have thought about him hiding it the way he was. It was a tool, a very powerful tool, and keeping it hidden among his paint supplies and covered by a stained rag seemed wrong somehow.
“Do we have to? It makes my head itch.”
The Apple glittered in the light and Leonardo set it down on the table next to the pouting boy. Ezio’s ears were flat against his head, and the tail lashed behind him, scattering the few papers that were on the table. Alcina was now curled in the boy’s lap, and Leonardo wondered briefly if she still considered Ezio to be her kitten. The young brunette was petting her nervously, and Leonardo pulled up a chair to the workbench.
“Ezio,” Leonardo began, picking up the Apple and holding it between them, catching those golden eyes with his own blue ones. “This is the reason that you’re like this. I’ve been studying it, and I hope to use it to change you back. I know you’re tired of it, and I know that it makes you uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Please, it will only be a little longer, then you can be back to normal.”
Ezio’s gaze flickered to the Apple he held and back up, eyebrows scrunched in thought. The boy was silent for a few moments more, frowning as he pulled Alcina to his chest.
“It’ll change me back?”
“That’s what I hope, Ezio.”
The frown deepened, but Ezio stretched a hand out to the Apple and laid his hand it. The Piece of Eden flickered briefly, before going dark again. Leonardo sighed; this was the usual reaction out of the Apple whenever Ezio happened to touch it. It was frustrating that the Piece of Eden was willing to show him those strange images, but the moment Ezio came into the picture, it was a pretty golden ball that occasionally would light up.
“What are we supposed to do?” Ezio sighed and scowled at the orb, the expression that was always intimidating on the adult form nearly cute on the young one. Leonardo sighed as he contemplated the boy, and watched as Ezio pulled Alcina up to cuddle deeper into his one arm.
Alcina mewed and squirmed out of Ezio’s hold, her own eyes intent on the golden orb they still held between them. She leaned forward slowly and before Leonardo could draw the Apple away, the mother cat lifted a paw and batted at the Piece of Eden. Both Ezio and Leonardo jerked as light filled the workshop, blinding the two. Leonardo could hear a strange, loud whine in his ears, could dimly hear Ezio shouting through it, before everything went dark. The Apple hit the table with a crack.
Adopted 16b/??
“I know you don’t like to, but I’d like to try something with the Apple again,” Leonardo started, smiling slightly at the grimace the child-assassin gave him. He quickly walked to the corner where he had hidden the Piece of Eden, and with a bit of rearranging, pulled the artifact from its place among his supplies. Leonardo had covered it with a soft rag, and he couldn’t help but wonder what its creators would have thought about him hiding it the way he was. It was a tool, a very powerful tool, and keeping it hidden among his paint supplies and covered by a stained rag seemed wrong somehow.
“Do we have to? It makes my head itch.”
The Apple glittered in the light and Leonardo set it down on the table next to the pouting boy. Ezio’s ears were flat against his head, and the tail lashed behind him, scattering the few papers that were on the table. Alcina was now curled in the boy’s lap, and Leonardo wondered briefly if she still considered Ezio to be her kitten. The young brunette was petting her nervously, and Leonardo pulled up a chair to the workbench.
“Ezio,” Leonardo began, picking up the Apple and holding it between them, catching those golden eyes with his own blue ones. “This is the reason that you’re like this. I’ve been studying it, and I hope to use it to change you back. I know you’re tired of it, and I know that it makes you uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Please, it will only be a little longer, then you can be back to normal.”
Ezio’s gaze flickered to the Apple he held and back up, eyebrows scrunched in thought. The boy was silent for a few moments more, frowning as he pulled Alcina to his chest.
“It’ll change me back?”
“That’s what I hope, Ezio.”
The frown deepened, but Ezio stretched a hand out to the Apple and laid his hand it. The Piece of Eden flickered briefly, before going dark again. Leonardo sighed; this was the usual reaction out of the Apple whenever Ezio happened to touch it. It was frustrating that the Piece of Eden was willing to show him those strange images, but the moment Ezio came into the picture, it was a pretty golden ball that occasionally would light up.
“What are we supposed to do?” Ezio sighed and scowled at the orb, the expression that was always intimidating on the adult form nearly cute on the young one. Leonardo sighed as he contemplated the boy, and watched as Ezio pulled Alcina up to cuddle deeper into his one arm.
Alcina mewed and squirmed out of Ezio’s hold, her own eyes intent on the golden orb they still held between them. She leaned forward slowly and before Leonardo could draw the Apple away, the mother cat lifted a paw and batted at the Piece of Eden. Both Ezio and Leonardo jerked as light filled the workshop, blinding the two. Leonardo could hear a strange, loud whine in his ears, could dimly hear Ezio shouting through it, before everything went dark. The Apple hit the table with a crack.