Editing Ezio Auditore da Firenze (section)

===Later life ===

====Settling down ==== 

:''"I knew I would not have enough time to do everything. Now I worry I do not have enough time to do anything."''
:―Ezio Auditore during his later years.<sup>[src]</sup>

Ezio and Sofia married in Venice. In late 1512, the pair returned to Rome, with Claudia congratulating them on their union. She also informed Ezio that Giovanni Lorenzo de' Medici, son of the late Lorenzo de' Medici, had close ties to the Papacy, which she considered good news.

Ezio, having decided to resign from the Brotherhood, chose Lodovico Ariosto as his successor, against which Claudia protested, citing Ariosto's relation to Alfonso d'Este and his wife Lucrezia Borgia.Ezio and Sofia later retired to a villa in the Tuscan countryside and had two children together, Flavia and Marcello. At his new residence, Ezio tended to a vineyard, and often spent time in his study, writing his memoirs.

Despite his retirement from active service, the former Mentor continued to be involved with the Brotherhood affairs for some time after resigning. By 1515, Ezio was supervising the training of two young apprentices, Hiram Stoddard and Giovanni Borgia, the son of Lucrezia Borgia and the Assassin Perotto Calderon. While being impressed with the skills and spirit of Stoddard, Ezio tried to share his wisdom with the prideful and envious Borgia.

That same year, Ezio received a letter from his friend Michelangelo, informing him of a new Templar plot in the city. The old master then sent his two apprentices, under the leadership of Stoddard, to meet with Michelangelo and to deal with the Templars but they failed to recover the artifact in possession of Dei Petrucci.

====Final visits to Leonardo====

:''"I’ll tell you a secret. All my life—while I thought I was learning to live, I have simply been learning how to die."''
:―Leonardo's words on dying.<sup>[src]</sup>

By 1519, Ezio had suffered a chest infection, and as a result developed a serious cough. A visit from Machiavelli revealed that their mutual friend Leonardo was dying. The pair travelled to Amboise in France to the manor Clos Luce, where Leonardo was staying.

Upon their arrival, Ezio snuck into Leonardo's room and met the old master. To entertain his bedridden friend, Ezio recounted his meeting and short fling with Lisa del Giocondo. During their other talks, Ezio learned that his friend wished to travel outside of the manor to places like England or even back to Venice where he hoped to sell his submarine idea, seeing as he was disappointed with his patron's last creation, a giant mechanical lion.

The pair stayed in France for another week, and visited Leonardo often. They were with him the moment he died. Upon their departure, rumors began to spread that King Francis was with Leonardo until he died, and had cradled his head. Ezio was disgusted by this rumor and believed that anyone, even a king, would do anything for publicity.

====Teaching Shao Jun====

Ezio spent his final years at his countryside villa, mostly tending to his garden, raising his children, with his wife Sofia taking care of him. One day in 1524, Sofia left with Marcello to visit Claudia, leaving Ezio to watch over Flavia. As Ezio started harvesting the crops, he called for Flavia to stay where he could see her. However, as he worked, he saw a mysterious cloaked figure approach Flavia. Panicking, he sprinted over to them, seizing the stranger by the collar, but pausing as he noticed the Assassin insignia on the necklace she wore.

Afterwards, the Assassin introduced herself as Shao Jun, a Chinese Assassin, who had travelled to Italy with her Mentor to learn of methods to unite the Assassins of her homeland. However, Ezio refused to be involved, though he allowed her to stay in the villa for the night on Sofia's insistence.

The following day, Ezio found Jun sitting in his private study, reading a letter he had been writing. Infuriated, he ordered her out of the room, and insisted that she leave the villa.

However, Jun thoughtfully recited to him the words that he had written, wishing to understand their meaning. Ezio finally consented and invited her to accompany him into Florence while he ran errands. On the journey there and back, he finally spoke to her of the importance of love in the Assassin Order, saying that if she could support that which inspired hope in her people, she would succeed.

However, the two of them were ambushed by a Chinese Imperial soldier in Florence. Jun explained that she was a concubine who had escaped by joining the Assassin Order, and the soldier who attacked the two worked for the Chinese Emperor. Correctly expecting another attack at the villa, Ezio had his family evacuate to Niccolò Machiavelli's home, while he and Jun stayed behind.

During this time, Ezio taught Shao Jun various combat and stealth techniques that she would later use in exacting her revenge on the Templar eunuchs known as the Eight Tigers.

Ezio and Jun were able to defend against the attack later that night, and in the morning, Ezio gave Jun a small chest before her departure, telling her only to open it if she lost her way. He had known from the start that the chest – which happened to be of Precursor origin – was always empty, to teach Jun to accept the responsibility that only she could decide which path to follow, the same path of blood that Ezio had taken. Although he had seen the rage and anger behind her eyes and tears, he could not encourage Jun to seek revenge, for it was her that would fulfill her own destiny.

====Death====

:''"I am home."''
:―Ezio to Sofia in Florence.<sup>[src]</sup>

In his final hours, Ezio chose to go to Florence with Sofia and Flavia while they went shopping. Ezio sat down on a bench, feeling ill, and shrugging off Sofia's concerns that he should have stayed home, stating "I am home."

While Sofia and Flavia went to buy groceries, a young man approached Ezio, thoughtfully berating the women of Florence. Ezio wearily responded by implying the man was the problem, not the city. Immediately afterward, Ezio began panting and holding his chest in pain.

The young man quickly grabbed Ezio's hand and told Ezio to have courage. He told Ezio to "get some rest", and then left. Ezio looked back at him angrily but calmed down just as quickly. Breathing heavily, Ezio looked over at Sofia and Flavia, smiling, before resting his head against the back of the bench, and passing away peacefully.