melodiesoflife | Feeling down? Putting your life in danger helps.

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Feeling down? Putting your life in danger helps.

Who: Ales Mansay and OPEN
Where: The tall buildings around Aqures Ixen
When: March 2nd, all day
Summary: After two months of work, Ales finally completes his minicopter and flies everywhere.
Warnings: Possible Teensie falling on you.

It had been a difficult month. There were few Heroes Ales could say he trusted after the vision of the future, and he holed himself up in his lab for a month for that very reason, working on redesigning the personal portable minicopter when he wasn't flying. His Moogle was getting worried that he never spoke to anyone that didn't come see him at the lab, but he assured her that it was for a good cause.

Meeting Ganondorf was a welcome reprieve. That man knew that improving the world meant making difficult choices, and he had a lot of grand plans that brought life back into Ales' eyes. Then he was gone, and so was one of the few Heroes Ales could call an ally. But who cared about being upset? All the more reason to complete his project and test it out!

The lightweight machine didn't have much to it: handlebars with a rubber coating for an easy grip, a crystal-powered motor and its housing, and retractable propeller blades. It felt different than the Lum-powered one he based it off of, but worked just the same in a lab setting. To check if he could reasonable use it while traveling, he ran outside, stood in front of a single story store, and turned it on.

The motor whirred to life, and the Teensie was lifted into the air. Above the heads of confused onlookers, then high enough to peer over the rooftop. There was a limited time that he could turn it on, and the copter was reaching its limit. He was high enough to grab the ledge with a hand, but he had to wait. Then high enough to roll onto it. The engine slowed down just as his feet when over the ledge and he jumped onto the rooftop.

"Success!" He cheered from up top. The shopkeeper yelled something, but Ales didn't care enough to pay attention. "Now to hop over to the next one!"

Throughout the whole day, he gently jumped off of rooftops, slowly climbed his way higher, resting while waiting for the engine to cool down.

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It had helped him escape from the group of do-gooders that attacked his air fortress. They may have destroyed it all in the end, but at the least it gave him a head start. All that was missing were better lackeys and plans, which Ellie and her contacts provided more than enough. Things would be better in Crystallis.

"Building it from my old blueprints was easy. Remodeling the engine to run on crystals took far longer." The extra time he spent away from his associates quickened the process, but much time was lost on fiddling with the machinery for no reason other than to drive his trust insecurities out of his mind. Ellie was right in that regard.

His smile lessened at the offer. Was it another mission? A trap? A vacation? Ellie wasn't displaying any disdain for him, but things might be different in private. If her goal really was to talk change into him...he wasn't in immediate danger, was he?

"How soon do you need to show me?" He had an airship flight scheduled the next day.

All right, enough was enough. Ellie could only give the benefit of the doubt for so long, no more beating around the bush. There was a definite shift in attitude and demeanor that she wasn't sure she liked. Did he mean to throw Ellie and her plans to the wolves?

"You've been acting strangely," she bluntly remarked, tipping her head to the side with a small frown. "As far as I am aware, I haven't done anything to directly offend you. So what is it?" If she'd made some sort of faux pas, then she'd rather he be upfront about it and tell her why he was suddenly so reclusive and eager to avoid her. He'd done a good job of finding a way to recruit those alchemists, so he was definitely someone she wanted on her side. If that wasn't the case, she wouldn't bother pestering him right now.

Ales looked down at the contraption in his hand instead of answering. He had an answer, but it wasn't something that was meant to be shouted from a rooftop. Two minutes passed. Not enough to fully recharge the minicopeter, but enough to get him down safely. He held the device above his head, slipped his thumb over the release button, and the propellers slowly turned. He stepped off the roof and floated onto the street.

"You remember," he said first at the ground, then looking at Ellie. "How am I supposed to know what your intentions are after that vision?"

That was a long time to wait for silence. Ellie was patient, but by the time he spoke, she was wondering if he planned to just ignore her entirely, or run away. Just a short time ago they'd made a great team infiltrating the prison. So what drastic event would have changed his reactions so intensely?

...Ah, the damned vision. Ellie heaved a heavy sigh, allowing her face to show her frustration. "To be perfectly honest? I remember nothing. I have thought to ask others as to what happened, but given the dejection and drama, I decided against it." She folded her arms across her chest, looking up at him once more.

"But if it will settle your reservations, I will ask you plainly. What was this vision about that has you so concerned about my intentions?" Did she raze the land with dragon's fire? Marry Garland? This was ridiculous.

Either Ellie was a fantastic actor in regards to hiding her true nature, or she genuinely forgot everything. Which was impossible. The others remembered what happened, and it should have been the same for her.

"I would figure someone would tell you and those that didn't participate, but it seems that's not the case." Then it fell to him to explain. "Remember what the Sage said about giving us all the answers? Well, he gave us a vision of the future where some of us learned the truth of the world and some did not, which put us in opposition to each other. I was one of the former, and you were the latter. Now, I was heading an invasion of Mysidia to gain my faction more control. Naturally, you set up some traps, fought against the ground troops, nothing too surprising so far."

Ellie was clever, something he already knew. He watched her expression carefully before he continued.

"The strange part was when you managed to contact me via radio. You sounded...like an entirely different person. You called yourself Elsa of all things! And you were trying to appeal to this whole 'inner goodness' of me to call off the invasion."

There was also her insistence that he was being used. As if! He brought up the attack plan if not only to satisfy his need to have direct control over an area.

There was one major doubt he had to address. It may put her faith in the Teensie in danger, but without an answer, he didn't know if he could ever work with her again. "Ellie, are you certain you're not putting on this mask of a brigand leader just to lull us into a false sense of security?"

Ellie's expression soured as she shot him a harsh look. "I would ask you not to speak such things aloud, especially in a large city," she frowned. She leaned back against the wall, taking a moment to quickly survey those around them to see if anyone had shown any adverse reactions. None. They hadn't been overheard, then, but she wasn't ready to relax just yet.

"I do not know why I would call myself this name 'Elsa,' but perhaps it is not improbable. 'Ellie' could be a nickname." She tipped her head back, mulling it over. Elsa, Elsa... It didn't ring a single bell. If anything, it was an incredibly easy name to forget.

She looked at Ales, eyeing him skeptically. Was he sure this Elsa person was truly her? Asking about inner goodness didn't sound like something she'd do, except perhaps as a ruse to manipulate someone who was gullible and pure. Ales was neither of those things. "It seems far-fetched, but I do not think you are lying. What you are suggesting, however, makes no sense. A false sense of security? For what purpose would I do this?" She waved her hand. "Such a thing would have the exact opposite effect, I would think! I am also the one at risk choosing to confide this to you. I am not sure how this puts you in any danger, save for the nature of our missions. And there is nothing I would send you to do that I would not do myself."

He let her check around for eavesdroppers. Everyone within sight had already forgotten about the Teensie jumping off the roof and went back to their daily routine. Not the best place to discuss this topic, Ales realized, so he beckoned her to a narrow passageway between buildings to move the conversation to.

As he looked for a suitable shadowy spot, he mulled over Ellie's words. It was true that appearing to have hope in the pure hearted only worded on those gullible and stupid enough to believe that everyone was as they appeared. He couldn't trick his henchmen with the same tactics he used to trick Rayman, and acting as a double - no, triple agent was too risky for someone like Ellie.

But there was something she tossed out that got him curious. "Just one question. You said that 'Ellie' could be a nickname. Wouldn't Elsa be you given if that were the case?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. You're better than that. How could you change so much in two years?"

"Who can say?" she shrugged with a frown. "This is the only name I have known. You are certain this was me, and no other?" Because she really doubted she would have pleaded with anyone to be good. Demanded, maybe, as she did have some moral standards, and she didn't think Ales would cross those lines.

She bowed her head, mulling it over. "It is possible that it was one of this world's doppelgangers. I have heard that there are many in this world who resemble the current Heroes of Light, but live as if they were born here."

This was frustrating, and it was starting to show on her face, something that rarely occurred. "The only other guess I can make is that the vision was false. For what reason, I do not know, but I am beginning to think we cannot trust those in this world who hold power. Are there any of them who have not abused that power against us?"

"It's true that there are a handful of doppelgangers that resemble people here, but it that was true, wouldn't your doppelganger have fallen asleep? You had to be in that dream somewhere."

This was turning into a nightmare. There was no way someone could act like two people at the same time, yet there was Ellie and Elsa. Theories fled through Ale's mind: split personalities, magic, extreme brainwashing by the other side. Yes, the last one made sense.

"Well, either those that were defending the city forced you into believing in all this nonsense, or this is an elaborate ploy by the Sage, which I'm sure about. I acted exactly the way I did in my world. Would he knows something like that?"

"Maybe she did," Ellie shrugged. "Not everyone who reported being part of that vision was present at the Temple. And yet I know I fell asleep. So why do I retain none of the memories?"

Maybe there was some clue in her file, but all the information about her past had been corrupted. There was no way for her to access that data. At least Ales seemed to believe her. At the very least he wasn't trying to shy away from her, nor was he threatening to expose her to the other Heroes.

"He may. Palitutu knew a great deal about us, did she not? And there are those who are able to project their voices into the minds of others, as Ashe did. I do not think it unlikely that they could read thoughts as well, if they are particularly talented." Her arms uncrossed to rest at her sides as she looked at him. "Whatever that 'vision' was, it will not change my plans. What about you?"

"Not at all. There's some heroes I learned not to trust to my secrets, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop the Calamity from consuming the world." And while Ellie didn't trust any of the authority figures, Ales found that Cid was a reliable ally. They worked together on the Enterprise, and his cynical attitude was what some of the Heroes needed.

"I've had some time to think it over, and I'm ready to go back to work." Elsa didn't have any memory of the dream, but she wasn't condemning his current actions or his future ones. She knew nearly everything about him and put all their efforts into good use. Leaving her would do no good.

He leaned foward and turned his head to check both sides of the passageway for pedestrians. He was clear. "Just a few days ago, I was discussing a plan to invade Downopolis with a Mysidian Hero. He didn't make it, but he gave me an outline of the cult's hideout. It's up to the rest of us to strike first before they do something drastic."

Ellie didn't smile all that often, but when Ales said he was ready to get to work, she made an exception. She was relieved that his suspicions had been laid to rest. There were still questions to be sure, questions to which she wanted answers as well. But it could wait. The Calamity was still moving, and they couldn't afford to kick back their heels and waste time chasing after matters that didn't merit much importance.

Upon seeing that he wished to discuss something a little more private, Ellie went to one knee, putting herself more closely to his level so he could speak in hushed tones.

"Downopolis, hm? Yes, I've heard we've met with trouble there. There seem to be slavers in there as well. A nasty combination. But perhaps they may be of use to us." She furrowed her brow in thought. "Supposing we were to go undercover. What do you think of our chances of infiltrating the cult, and discovering what they know? They may have access to great secrets about the Calamity. If we kill them, that knowledge is lost."

He crossed his arms, deep in thought. Destroying them would makes things easier, but Ellie's plan had its merits. "The problem is making ourselves inconspicuous. Ganondorf is gone, and I don't know which of the remaining Mysidian Heroes would be keen to our plan."

If only he had thought to ask for more details, but little can be planned in a few days when the two parties involved love the thought of taking over an area through brute force. It can get addicting.

"It's a long trip through the caves, so we'll need Chocobos if we want to get anywhere."

Ellie shook her head. "That would give us away immediately. Chocobos are not native to Mysidia. There may be another way to get inside that doesn't involve the caves. Otherwise it would be a very long trek, and I would assume they get their food and supplies far more expediently than that."

The problem was the timing. She was just starting to get her brigand forces in play, and if she went to Downapolis to infiltrate, they'd be left without a leader. Ales would never blend in there, so sending him was out of the question. It was also unwise to put him in charge of the brigands, lest she appear too trusting too soon. There was also the matter of Palitutu's expedition to find the Diamond Weapon. She'd had to send out a new spy just yesterday once the other failed to report on time. The scout had probably been discovered and killed, which meant they were on the right track.

Ellie bowed her head thoughtfully. "I will look into this. It may take some time to come up with an appropriate plan, but I am confident I will think of something that will work to our advantage."

"So we'll have to find how just how they get in there first. We might need to ask for outside help for this."

Jade and Sephiroth seemed trustworthy for this kind of mission, while Mary Read was still in the "maybe" zone. Ellie had her lackeys, but other than those, Ales wasn't sure who to trust.

"Let's come up with an idea and meet later. If we're serious about this, we need to put a lot of thought into it."

Ellie considered the notion, then inclined her head. "True. It is the sort of thing no one would protest. But we must make our requests privately in person. I would not trust such sensitive matters to Mognet, given that our furry friends are often inclined to read our mail as a source of gossip."

It seemed they were in agreement. Mary was certainly capable, but she was too suspicious by half, even after the success of the prison break. For what reasons, Ellie didn't know, but she wasn't inclined to work herself silly trying to earn her trust if it would not be given freely. It needed to be someone skilled in subterfuge, but trusting. Jade was a good pick, should Ales suggest him.

Splitting up to pursue leads sounded good to her. "Agreed. When you are ready, come find me. There is still something I would like to show you." Ellie smiled. "I think you will be quite pleased."

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