Author's Note: Yay! Finished in time to upload today - in celebration of Sleepy Hollow returning tonight :DDD IM SO EXCITED OMG.

"Our plan failed."

Gerhard muttered under his breath and opened his door wider, allowing Connor and Shay entry. He led them to a table where they took their seats. Gerhard didn't join them at the table, instead he rummaged through a cupboard until he found what he was looking for; a bottle of rum.

He held it out to the visitors in offering. Both declined. Gerhard shrugged, popped open the cap and chugged straight from the bottle. Finally, he leaned against the counter and said, "You gonna tell me what happened?"

"He crushed the skull."

Gerhard spit rum all over the floor, nearly choking. Connor stood immediately to assist him, but Gerhard waved him off, "I'm fine. You're telling me the Arschloch just up and destroyed his own damn head?"

Connor's face scrunched up in confusion, "Arschloch? I do not know what that means."

Shay interrupted before Gerhard could answer, "He did. So we need a new plan."

"What the hell do you think I can do? I've already shown you where the battlefield is!"

"The horseman's axe had carvings in it similar to these... precursor artifacts. Extremely dangerous objects capable of wiping out entire cities. We think his axe is one of them."

Connor eyed Shay quizzically. What artifact was Shay referring to and why hadn't he known about such an artifact?

"Look, I don't know anything about that stuff." Gerhard said, taking another swig of rum.

"We just needto know if there was anything else you remember from the battle that seamed... strange. A person. A ghost. Anything out of the ordinary."

Gerhard closed his eyes and thought hard for a minute. Forsaking the bottle of rum on the counter, he finaly took a seat at the table with his guests, clasping his hands together.

"Even before his death, the horseman was a... a strange man. He claimed to be a 'sage' and often called people by the wrong name. The man had a problem distinguishing reality from fantasy, that's for damn sure. That's all I know."

"A sage? What did he mean by that?" Connor asked.

Gerhard shrugged, "Nobody knows. Most of the things that man said were nonsense."

"If we can find another precursor artifact, it would even our odds. Maybe we could strike him then." Shay pondered aloud, then turned to Connor.

Lost to the conversation, Gerhard stood and returned to his rum.

"Thank you for the information, Gerhard." Shay said, gesturing towards Connor to follow him out the door. Gerhard nodded and watched them leave without a word.

Once outside, Shay sighed, "Where will we-"

"I know where one is." Connor cut him off.

Shay's head snapped towards him, brows furrowed, "Well? Where is it?"

Connor eyed him and fidgeted. Ally or not, Shay was a Templar. Could he really trust him enough not to take the artifact? Could he trust him with the location of his village and his people?

As if reading the Assassin's mind, Shay sighed, "All I care about is defeating the horseman. I won't take the artifact unless you use it for ill."

"You would trust me like that? An Assassin? How can I be sure your words are sincere?"

"My only quarrel is with those who harm innocents. Despite our rough introduction... I've seen the truth of you. I trust you wholeheartedly and I'm asking you to do the same. I'm a man of my word, Connor."

He seemed honest enough. During their alliance, Connor too had a change of heart about the Templar. Shay was unlike the others, Shay was... dare he say, just like himself. Shay gave him no reason for distrust.

Giving in, Connor agreed to take him to the artifact.

Kanathséton

"Shay Cormac! It's been years."

Shay smiled warmly at the clan mother and nodded, "It has."

"You know each other?" Connor asked, bewildered.

The Clan Mother responded, "Shay is an old friend. He protected us during the Seven Years' War."

Wow. Yet another surprise to the Assassin. A good one, even.

"I'm afraid we come for important business, Clan Mother. Perhaps we'll catch up another time?"

"Oh? What is it?"

Connor said, "The artifact. We intend to use it against the headless horseman, stop him from slaughtering the residents of Sleepy Hollow."

"So it's true then – the rumors?"

"Yes. His axe is a precursor artifact. We suspect that is what gives him his...power."

"I see. Come with me."

She led them into one of the longhouses and retrieved a small chest. This she handed to Connor and said, "You two were destined for greatness. More so together." Without explanation, she took her leave.

Connor opened the chest, carefully picking up the Apple of Eden. Shay looked at it curiously. The other Templars spoke often of these 'apples', but never had he seen one for himself. It seemed to radiate power, purposely tempting anyone around it. Even more so than the artifact he'd encountered in Lisbon. Which artifact was more dangerous?

Sleepy Hollow

The third time Shay and Connor found themselves in Sleepy Hollow,they waited in the open at the Old Dutch church rather than hiding. Connor held the Apple close as they scanned the treeline, waiting for the Horseman to make his appearance. They'd managed to arrive right at the beginning of sunset, and now nightfall was quickly turning the sky dark.

"Remember;get him to drop his axe. He should be vulnerable then." Shay said, not tearing his eyes from the treeline.

Only moments later the far-off neigh of a horse caught their attention, and both men braced to run. As thought, the headless horseman came out of the forest on a large, black horse, its eyes glowing scarlet.

In seconds the horseman closed the distance between himself and the pair, axe raised.

They barely managed to jump out of the way as the axe was brought down, missing Shay's head by mere inches. The Horseman pulled on the reigns of his horse, turning around to strike again.

"Now, Connor!"

The Assassin raised the Apple and a pulse of energy seemed to blast out of it, powerful enough to send Shay stumbling and the Horseman's horse falling along with its rider.

Shay quickly scrambled over to the mercenary's side, grabbing for the axe. When he wrapped his fingers around it, he hissed and quickly pulled them back, however. Each finger was red and painfully blistered, bombarding him with the sickening scent of burnt flesh.

The horseman struggled back to his feet and drew up the axe again

Though Connor could not explain how or why, he was able to use the apple through sheer willpower it seemed. Wave after wave of energy pulsed outward, forcing the horseman backwards again. Finally he fell, axe dropping only a couple feet away from him, precursor engravings along its handle brightly glowing.

The Assassin and Templar both hurried over to the fallen horseman, Shay withdrawing his pistols. The horseman stilled, defenseless, poised as if he were looking up at them.

"The Axe is too hot to touch without getting burned."

"You deal with the horseman, I'll deal with the axe." Connor said before making his way to the axe.

The weapon seemed to grow even brighter as he neared it, surely triggered by the Apple's presence. He looked upon it a moment, considering his options before utilizing the apple again.

Meanwhile, Shay stood over the horseman, both pistols aimed at his chest. After a few moments, Shay turned to see what Connor was up to, and in his distraction failed to see the Horseman stand. He was shoved to the ground as the mercanary pushed past him, heading quickly towards Connor and the axe.

The Templar muttered obscenely, sending bullet after bullet into the horseman's back as he neared the Assassin. Connor tore his gaze from the axe at the sound of gunfire, only to see the horseman nearing him with unnatural speed.

In one swift movement, heart racing, Connor slammed the apple against the axe, resulting in a metallic bang and explosion that sent him to the ground, the apple flying from his grasp.

For a moment the world spun before him, everything a blur. The horseman finally reached him, still barraged by Shay's bullets as he knelt and grabbed Connor by his throat, lifting him well into the air. The Assassin kicked and struggled, unable to catch a single breath.

It didn't take long for Connor's strength to fade and he was forced to accept the fact that they had failed, that this was the end of the line for him. He'd never get to marry, never get to raise children, never get to see his brotherhood rise to what it was destined to be. Everything he'd fought for would be lost now, all because he failed to kill this mercanary.

He closed his eyes and prepared for death to claim him.

The pressure around his throat released suddenly and he fell, gasping and heaving. Confused, he looked around, wondering if he'd died. The surroundings were the same, even Shay was still there. Then he saw the headless horseman.

Motionless.

The dead mercanary lay in the dirt, blood pouring from the bullet wounds in his chest.

Shay was suddenly at Connor's side, "Are you hurt? Connor, talk to me!"

"I am... alright."

Shay sighed, then took a seat beside the Assassin, "Looks like we got him."

Connor nodded, "He must have gotten his power from the axe. The explosion..."

Both turned to where the weapon lay, confused to see it was still glowing.

Connor stood and walked over to it. He lightly grazed a finger over it, surprised to find it was now cold. He picked it up and everything around him seemed to disappear, fading to black. Just like the first time he'd touched the apple.

A woman appeared before him, a familiar precursor spirit, Juno. Angrily, she turned to Connor.

"Was this your doing, then?" Connor growled, a finger pointed accusingly at her.

"I will bring the human race back to its former purpose, in service to me!"

"You will not succeed!"

Juno laughed, "There will be others to do my bidding! Even after you're long gone. You cannot stop all of them."

"What do you mean 'others'?"

Juno did not answer, instead smirked and turned away.

"Wait!" Connor shouted, but found himself back in the cemetery once again, Shay at his side, watching him with both concern and curiosity.

"Juno. She was trying to use the horseman to instill fear in the people, to control them. She wishes to make slaves of humanity." he turned to Shay, "She said there will be others."

Shay thought this over a minute before nodding and smiling, "Then we will just have to destroy them too."

We.

"And after we are gone?"

Shay sighed, "There will be others to take our place. Relax, Connor. We won today. Whatever else she has in store, we will win every time. Alright?"

Connor nodded, fighting a small smile. An Assassin mentor and master Templar allied against the precursor race, for the greater good of the people. Haytham was wrong.

Unity was possible.

Author's Note: For anyone interested: I will be doing Sleepy Hollow fanfiction soon as well. MAYBE another assassin's creed/sleepy hollow crossover? But definitely longer fics for SH alone :D