That's it, I've got too many games on my plate to let this linger. To the endgame, my fellow assassins, and make it snappy.
Sorry, outlying countryside, I don't have time to defend all of you from Templars anymore. Time to abuse my assassin signals and plow headlong to the final confrontation. Make it rain, my brethren. Make it rain... arrows. When we left off, we had another Altair memory sequence to run through (still haven't figured out how Ezio is seeing these without... an Animus, or something). Altair is now 62 (isn't that terribly ancient for back then?) and methodically stirring a rebellion against the same man who usurped him nearly 40 years ago now. Altair has really learned patience, but is this really the time for it? This dude ruined the order with 40 years of poor rule, and Altair only just now decides to do something about it? Well, whatever his motives, he just marches in and all the real assassins recognize his awesomeness and flock to his cause. Also, it's become clear that the Order has fallen from glory under crap leadership, so it's time for mutiny. Altair is so old, you can't do much aside from walk implacably through Masayaf while your new converts destroy everything in your path. I lost 100% synch for "not killing anyone" because I didn't realize that using the assassin signals counted as ME killing someone. Ah well. Altair walks straight up to the traitor (I forget how to spell his name) and reveals that the Apple he's been studying so intently has basically told him all about the past and future, and punctuates this point by pulling out the hidden pistol and murdering his enemy at twenty paces. Nice shot, Altair. Nice anachronism, too.
Back in Ezio's timeline, I'm looking for a way to set sail for Manuel's hidden city, where he's supposedly raising an army against the sultan. But the law enforcement in Constantinople has blocked off all water routes out of the city, by simple expedient of raising a massive chain across the mouth of the port. Sorry, dudes, but this does not deter Ezio Auditore. I roll up to the base of the chain and blow it to high hell with a massive bomb, provided by Yusuf. And then I parkour myself through the flaming wreckage of every boat in the harbor to casually hop onto mine as it saunters out of port. Do boats saunter? Ezio's does. Anyway. Manual has created an entire underground city for his rebellion force, and they're busily amassing guns - my not-quite-traitor friend (the one I mostly accidentally killed before) was providing them with fake weapons, but the gunpower, a spy inside the city tells me, is plenty real enough. That's all I need to hear, lady spy. I'm Ezio. I also blow this city to bloody smithereens, and then kill Manuel as he tries to flee. Prince Ahmet reveals himself as a Templar leader, and makes threats against Sofia (my bookkeeping lady friend!) as he sails back to Constantinople. I give chase, taking a look at the final Masayaf key memory as we sail.
The memory is of an ancient Altair (92!) who is now the venerable leader of the assassins, sending off Marco Polo with a bit of casual murder in the streets of Masayaf. I don't know, either, it's not explained very well. I guess some pirate raiders were trying to start something? I couldn't tell you. All I know is, Altair is way too old to fight, so he just uses the powers of the Apple to obliterate everything in his path and then affably sees off Marco Polo and his family on their way back to Venice via Constantinople. Before Marco leaves, Altair hands him the Masayaf keys to hide.
Back in Ezio's Constantinople, I have all the keys, but Ahmet has Sofia. During the course of the game, Ubisoft has made a solid 180 from it's view on women in the last game (different writers, I suppose) and now Ezio is "a strong admirer" of Sofia's "strong will and noble character". Trust me, if you played the last two, this is a very different Ezio. I guess old age has brought him a modicum of respect for women? It seems so unlikely. Anyway. Ezio exchanged the keys for Sofia's life, and we get into another chariot fight, as with the one at the beginning of the game. You had to figure you wouldn't get out without another. This time, to spice it up, Ezio pulls his parachute and does some parasailing/stabbing, which should be the next Olympic sport.
To wrap things up, Sofia and Ezio travel to Masayaf and open that fateful door, which turns out to hold the very last memory key, of Altair seeing off his son, hiding the apple in the tomb, and putting himself in his final resting place. Ezio looks right at the apple, and then speaks into the silence. "I don't know how you are hearing this, Desmond, but I know that you are listening," he says. He understands that he's merely a conduit for some kind of message to someone named Desmond, and he also knows that his part in this story is over. It's time for Ezio to settle down and do that family stuff that he's rightfully earned. He seals the apple back up, and Desmond sees another part of that 'message' we've been talking about - the ancient civilization we've been getting hints of realizes the approach of a world-ending calamity and creates six secret research facilities dedicated to the survival of the two races, but nothing really works. Desmond wakes up after this and announces that he knows where his group needs to go next. As usual, nothing is explained, and the incredibly long credits roll. Sorry, I guess, if you thought something was going to be "Revealed". You were misled by the title.
