It was finally time. A new dawn spread, and the group was together. Minfilia, Bolormaa, Alisaie, Y’shtola, and Fordola. Phae and K’pandolu, alas, had been called back to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn - there was something else that needed to be looked into, according to Papalymo. More important then fighting Titan? Or perhaps they had to, well, keep Minfilias’ methods secret.

“Thus,” Y’shtola finished explaining, “we earned the trust of the Company of Heroes. Bolormaa, will you…?”

Bolormaa was already walking off, and Alisaie peered at the large Au Ra. “Will she what?”

“Whistle,” Y’shtola explained. “In order to keep the method to fight Titan secret, we need to do this convoluted method.” Minfilia nodded, listening, as she watched Bolormaa. She was so… wiggly. But she then rushed back to everybody, offering out her hand.

Without words, the group followed. Alisaie the quietest, anxiety entering her eyes. Minfilia put a hand to her - it’ll be fine. “I’ve done this twice before, Alisaie. Please - trust in me.”

Of course, the last two times, it was a little different. And Minfilia was beginning to get an idea. A quite silly idea, mind you. She would need to at least make sure Bolormaa was okay with it. The group, however, was soon speaking with a man named Riol. Minfilia kept looking him over, trying to interrupt - to join in - but Y’shtola and Riol were getting into quite deep discussions about aetherytes and travel.

And then, Minfilia felt a pain in her head again - as the earth began to quake violently, a roar coming from deep beneath. This time, though, she could feel her feet falling, she could feel the world falling - she was having an Echo vision— but of what? What could she be seeing? Minfilia tried to refuse it, but nobody could refuse a vision - even if she feared Titan was breaking free, from the sounds of it.

Minfilia had no idea where she was - all she knew is that it was a city, larger then she had ever seen. She was inside a warm office, a cup of tea in her hands. A masked person sat with her, at a desk - it was covered in paper. The masked person had such a warm smile. It reminded her of somebody - but Minfilia couldn’t say who.

“First Ifrita, and now the Golem? Why, you’ve grown far too used to fighting concepts,” the figure said, leaning back with a soft laugh. It also reminded Minfilia of Ramuh, in a way. “Still, you know you’ll need to inform the others. Later.”

A voice came out of Minfilias’ mouth, and she noticed the large black robes she wore - they were oddly cozy. “I had to. Damn the consequences.”

The other figure continued to lean back, sipping at their own drink. Alcololic, it seemed. “Teenage rebellions usually happen in your teenage years. You… do know this, yes?”

Minfilia gripped her fists. “I wouldn’t call this rebellion.”

“Even if you’re disobeying both your parents?”

Standing, Minfilia moved to the window, looking out at the city outside. It was magnificent - larger then even stories of Ala Mhigo at its height. It was near indescribable - high towers and lights that did not seem like flames. Trees that towered high into the sky - even the clouds seemed to curve around them. Down below, there were masked cloaked figures everywhere. She still did not control what she did in this vision. “I believe that it’s not wrong to aid those outside our home, Uncle Hythlodaeus. For those we can still save, that is. And if I must borrow concepts such as the Golem, I shall.”

Hythlodaeus - that was his name, it seemed - did not move, but instead frowned. Minfilia was trying to analyze what she was seeing, where she was seeing. “Next time, at least, come to the front desk to get it out. I don’t need more paper work - that distracts from my true job. Our shared friend needs somebody to distract him, hm?”

Minfilia felt herself nod, and look back at the other. A fear had entered his voice, and Minfilia could feel a dread in her heart. “Distraction will not aid him right now. We need to be serious - for those out there, and those here. We still have no answers for where the stars are vanishing. I did not find anything after Golem calmed the quaking earth.” Her tea shuddered in her hand, as she sipped at it. Bitter, just as she liked it outside her visions.

“I believe, however,” Minfilia then said, looking back outside, “that it has something to do with those visitors. If we track them down, then we may have answers.”

A soft sigh escaped Hythlodaeus’ lips, and he stood next to Minfilia. “And because they were insulted by our customs, you’re going to look for them, aren’t you?”

Uncertainly, Minfilia smiled at the other masked fellow. “I shall try. However, I know I must return to the others. In case… in case things get worse.”

Hythlodaeus held a crystal, and offered it to Minfilia. It looked like the ones Hydaelyn gifted Her. Minfilia smiled at the other, taking it. “Another concept…? Thank you, but you know I don’t need this right now.”

“Actually,” Hythlodaeus said, “I heard there’s a rather nasty thunderstorm building to the north, which could wipe out the electricity if not tended to in your paticular way. Rhamih might be able to calm it. And, of course, we keep this a secret.” Hythlodaeus raised a finger to his lips, and Minfilia wrapped her arms around him, tightly hugging the other masked friend. Giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, Uncle Hythlodaeus.”

As Minfilia felt herself waking, though, Hythlodaeus let go slightly - pushing away, to look beyond her eyes. Staring deep at Minfilia, bemusement in his eyes under his mask. His dark brown eyes then narrowed, putting a hand forward. “…so that’s what this is,” he mused—

—before pushing Minfilia, pushing though her body, forcing her back out of the vision. As everything faded, Minfilia tried to speak, tried to ask why.

Nothing came out.

Minfilia awoke to being carried by Bolormaa, the group sitting by a beastman aetheryte. Stirring slightly, Minfilia knew she had to be alert right away. Alisaie noticed her wake, and gave a few clicks.

“We’ve located Titan. That earthquake was from it - you doing okay? Didn’t know it’d knock you out.”

There was no time to talk about her vision, Minfilia decided, and got to her feet. Y’shtola stood by the crystal, hand ready. “In its present state, this aetheryte’s signal will not be strong enough for our purposes. I may, however, be able to use my own energies to amplify it,” she explained, looking to the group of four - Fordola poking her head out. “Alas, the task will monopolize my attention for the duration.”

Fordola then tsked. “I don’t think I should go. You know, two Eikon together might be even more fucked up and dangerous then just one?” Before the others could protest, Fordola wiggled behind Y’shtola, hissing slightly. “Besides, some Kobold might try an’fight here!”

“I doubt it,” Minfilia said proudly. “My negotiations went well. I— we can discuss such after Titan is quelled.”

Smiling, Bolormaa gave Minfilia a bit of a pet - stroking though her hair with her own large hands. “I’d love to hear. But… we’ll end Titan. Or, well, seal it. In your way. Any plans?”

Minfilia nodded. And then got out her pickaxe. “Titan is made of stones, is it not? Bolormaa, Alisaie, focus on its’ arms. I’ll work on the legs, to disable it.” She only hoped it would work.

The group nodded to Y’shtola, and Y’shtola began to focus. “I have located another beacon─one far below the mountain. I can only speculate as to what you will find there, so stint not in your preparation.”

As she spoke, the three focused - and teleported. Stumbling deep under the mountains, the only light burning from the bones of Kobold. Titan stood, letting out a long loud cry - unfocused on them for now, picking up bones which crumbled to dust. The area around them had broken apart, unstable. The earthquake must have caused this.

Titan turned. Titan let out a cry, and placed their arm behind their back for a moment, before stumbling forward. “Overdweller…art thou deaf to their weeping? The lands are infertile - my blessing hath faded from the land. We war, we war…

No. You war,” Titan snarled, looking down, hand falling to their side.

“Godless overdweller! Thy myriad heresies shall not go unpunished! Upon thee shall I wreak a terrible vengeance!”

With that, the battle started. Bolormaa rushed forward, provoking the large rocky beast - Alisaie drawing her bow and aiming at breaks among the beasts’ flesh. But Minfilia - Minfilia felt her head aching. Not in the way a vision would give her, but there was something wrong with this.

And yet, she had to take out Titan. Seal them. Save Eorzea. Her pickaxe arm did not miss - she could see nodes on the creature, which fell apart to show the nothing behind it. As if she could forget that these creatures had strange anatomy. Every swing, Titan let out a cry. Oddly, it wasn’t fighting back much.

Perhaps it was because Bolormaa kept moving around, being unable to get caught? Perhaps it was because Alisaie seemed to glide around, shooting oddly water-based arrows at the beast?

Either way, Titan was incapatated. Minfilia began to trace the pattern, swiftly, and Bolormaa forced Alisaie to stand back. “We need to let her do this,” Bolormaa explained. “It’ll keep all that aether trapped. And then we’ll—”

“—Wait.”

Alisaie raised a claw. Titan seemed to be groaning, but Alisaies’ feathered ears twitched. She could hear words. “Can you understand that?”

Bolormaas’ tail twitched. It must be quiet, if she couldn’t hear it from here. Quietly, she began to climb - keeping an eye on Minfilia, of course. Titan tried to knock the Au Ra off, but without limbs, it was fruitless.

“It’s speaking,” Bolormaa whispered. “Ssh..”

Titan continued to groan and speak, and Bolormaa could finally place the accent. Her eyes widened a little. But she continued to listen. Titan looked to the Au Ra - eyes meeting - and the beast snarled. “But that’s… that’s not a Kobold thing to say,” Bolormaa mumbled, before looking down to Alisaie.

Minfilia was nearly done, and so, Bolormaa climbed off the mountain of a golem. As gold dust was scattered in the gaps, Bolormaa lowered her head. “I think the Kobold kidnapped a La Noscean. And they were screaming that the sea would swallow us. I think we’ll be made to check outside for who’s been taken.”

It seemed to horrify Alisaie more then Bolormaa expected - the light-tainted lady letting out a gasp mixed with a snarl. “So— that’s how they do it here. Fuck. We need to take out the summoners as well, stop them from sharing this—”

Bolormaa gripped Alisaie, tightly. “Don’t worry! These bones probably connect to the summoners! So they’re already dead!” Bolormaa, honestly, didn’t mean to sound so cheerful. Alisaie tensed, her lips curling into a snarl. And yet, Bolormaa simply smiled over towards Minfilia—

—before the light of sealing overcame them. Alisaie, for her part, tensed further noticing how similar this was to her world. She had seen that level of brightness before, and it only meant bad things. And Minfilia was exposing herself to it? Thinking swiftly, Alisaie suddenly whipped Bolormaa in the groin - kicking her in the stomach. Bolormaa fell over, more shocked then anything, as Alisaie darted into the light - just as it began to fade. Within a moment, she was holding the tiny Titan close. The sealed Titan did not struggle or fight back, as Alisaie fled - faster then Bolormaa could stand up.

Bolormaa, instead, decided she would tend to her follow Warrior. She approached Minfilia, cautiously… Minfilia was knocked out in the middle, the stilled ground around her. But something had changed, and Bolormaa wasn’t quite sure what - not just because Minfilia was passed out. Bundling Minfilia up in her big, thick arms, she teleported back out, focusing on Y’shtola.

None of them noticed the shadow of Nero tol Scaeva watching from afar, clicking off his recording. Now he had all he needed… but, even so, he stretched out and closed his eyes. He could take a little break before taking this data to his dear Ultima Weapon.

After all, the Scions would soon be eliminated, and so would the runaway Garlean.