The Enterprise took off, with only a bit of trouble. But from the distance, Estinien and his yellow wyvern watched, quietly. Crossing his arms.

Until a familiar figure stood behind him. “You’ve met her, then.” He turned on his heels, to face Lightning. Expression growing dark. But Lightning gave a little nod, a little smirk. “What do you think?”

“I think,” he said gruffly, “she is inexperienced.”

“Of course you do, Kain,” Lightning said - pointedly looking past his stolen armour. For he was never Estinien, and they both knew it. Still, Kain glanced around - good. It was just them, in the snow-covered cliffs. “You’d protect her if you could.”

Kain adjusted his helm to cover his face further, ignoring her comment with a slight tsk. “You’re on the move. Find Prishe?” Lightning nodded. “I’ve still got an eye on the wyrm. He’s still mindless.”

“You’ve grown soft. What happened to the man who’d work alone?” Lightning half-teased, her voice growing metallic. She grew serious again, glancing back at the ascending airship. “The Eidolon are moving, as well. Both the Twelve, and the ones those Ancients made.”

Kain tsked. “She’s…?”

Lightning nodded. “Likely. She’s survived becoming a l’Cie. I doubt anybody but a fragment of Azem could come back from that.”

“She could be one of yours.” Kain replied, half-joking.

Lightning shook her head. “She already seems to be regaining her strength. But he might awaken soon - and if he does, we’ll need to hope we’ve awoken enough of our people.”

Looking up to the sky, Kain sighed. “With Prishe on the move, she’ll find him. We might not have time.

And you know my answer.”

Prickling, Lightning turned away. “You’d let him die.”

“I’m letting him live,” Kain replied, bitterly. “The man I knew died when our home died.” And yet, Lightning clung to her family. Perhaps it was because they had become a monster, had all merged into one. It wasn’t like their souls were free. Kain had watched his closest friend and his lover get reborn again and again… and had decided to let them go. Or so he claimed.

And yet, he had stolen the identity of his best friends’ friend, himself. But it was not by choice. The man known as Estinien had fallen, right in front of him. He had been overpowered.

Kain would not let his friends’ heart break. He would find a way to restore Estinien from dragon to man. He gave a little glance to the land below. His hand went to his wyvern. “Lightning. Who are you looking for?”

Lightning crossed her arms. “Prishe or Squall. There’s time manipulation happening. So either we stop him from waking up, or we find what’s happening. Minfilia - her name is Minfilia - got lost for five years.”

As she spoke, Kain was preparing to leave. However, his lips curled into a frustrated snarl. “I think I saw the source of your manipulation.

Alexander is awake.” Kain stated firmly, as he got comfortable. “They’re mind controlling somebody close to her.” Of course, Kain could tell when another was mind controlled. He’d spent a lot of time researching it. He saw enthrallment as similar - but sometimes, it was not as obvious.

Lightning let out a curse, before moving to leave as well. “I’ll keep my ears open. These people are sick of gods - so am I.”

Days passed, with Minfilia unable to comprehend what was going on. All she could think of was the burning pain, and the treatments - healers coming back and forth. She had not even realised that Y’shtola was one of them, until she was finally able to breathe without a sharp prickling though her whole body.

The first thing she did when she saw her, when she could think, was grip to her. Was weep ever so gently. “I— Y’shtola, the Path of the Twelve—”

“I know,” Y’shtola replied gently, as she rubbed cooling curative salves into her back. “It’s a tragedy. If not for Garuda, I am certain we would…” They would have time to truly mourn. But both of them knew they had to keep going. “I was not there when it happened. I was still looking into my theories…”

“What were those?” Minfilia mumbled, barely remembering that time - it had been a rush, between feeling betrayed by Alisaie, her horror at her form, and going to aid Lightning.

Y’shtola idly stroked Minfilias fluffy ears as she thought. As she gently purred, to try and comfort them both - though she’d never admit it. “I was investigating the original Warrior of Light. As you remember, written records were not altered. Thus, I went to the Grand Companies, to get access to their ledgers.

I believe we’ve found their name, cross-checking our records. Cordis.” Pride swelled in her voice. “Alphinaud contacted us soon after, asking for aid in sourcing a corrupted crystal.”

“A corrupted crystal? For… the airship?” Minfilia asked, finally beginning to relax - even as she continued to sob. Y’shtola nodded.

“In order to get to Garuda, we must needs dispel their barrier - thus, us three… K’pandolu, Phae, and myself - gathered what was needed.” Y’shtola sighed, as she let her hands slow. “It has recently been installed.”

Minfilia tried to stand. Her body still ached, and she fell back into bed. “I need to go, then.”

Shaking her head, Y’shtola glared. “You will let yourself heal. You will be well enough to go in a few days - and then we shall stop the Primal. If the situation gets worse, we will re-evaluate your progress.”

“But—!!” Minfilia complained, once again trying to stand. Were they truly going to let Garuda— let that poor Elezen suffer? “Garuda has been summoned like Fordola was. And like Titan. If we don’t save him, he might lose his mind!”

Y’shtola stilled her hands, and gave a soft tsk, voice dropping. “Minfilia. If we were not using the best of the best supplies, you would still be unable to sit up. We are going as fast as we can.

You will need to rest after this, but for now, you will be able to fight within the next few days. We will not be destroying Garuda - this is a compromise.”

Grumbling, Minfilia slipped back into bed, laying on her stomach. “Is the glyph…?”

“Still there. Is that how this happened?”

Minfilia began to explain, before Y’shtola shushed her. “Wait. I will gather the others, and we will all learn of it.

…Bolormaa finally returned,” Y’shtola then commented. “She won’t tell me why she took so long - but perhaps it was for the best. She would have been slaughtered in the Waking Sands, if she’d not been…”

A Dotharl, from what Minfilia understood, would have died and died happily there, fighting until the very end. Her heart sank, but her face shifted into a smile.

“Bring them in, then, please.”

Now that they were in the room, Minfilia couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. She was not wearing a top, and her crystal scars were fully visible. The burn was still having salves applied, after all, as Y’shtola sat in a way to shield Alphinaud from seeing the half-naked Minfilia. Fordola sat now at Minfilias’ head, giving her little snorts. Alphinaud sat firmly, sitting at attention - Marques slumped.

Minfilia, however, was glad to see the others. Phae was working on some form of garment as they spoke, as K’pandolu slightly waved her tail. Bolormaa, though, sat on the ground. Gently vibrating, warmth in her eyes.

And as they all watched, Minfilia explained. Meeting Nabriales, and summoning Belias. The fact that Belias was using the ambient aether to power himself up.

“Does that make him a Primal?” Alphinaud asked, innocently, but Minfilia glared at him - before going back to a relaxed gaze as Fordola nibbled one of her fluffy ears.

“When certain disciples use their attacks, they change aether around them. A creature like Belias is like that, simply— larger.” Minfilia could not show that she wondered the same. If a Primal did not cause worship, would it still be a Primal? Besides. “I have met other non-Primal deity. You heard Halone, Alphinaud.”

“Halone—?” Phae asked, ears perking up. Right. Minfilia shifted slightly, smiling awkwardly. She hadn’t told them about those adventures.

And thus, she began to explain. How she’d been turned to crystal for a bit, and then Ramuh had saved her. And then revealed that they were also Rhalgr, from another world.

As she explained, Y’shtola stopped her. “It is not the common Sharlayan theory. That would be that there is only one version of our reality. However, with meeting with one who claims to be Rhalgr - with indisputable evidence - is quite… interesting.”

Minfilia couldn’t help but say the next part. “Rhalgr claimed there were four. And I’ve met people from two other.”

“What’s the third, then?” Alphinaud asked, and Minfilia felt herself growing uneasy.

She had promised. But she would not need to name who she met, would she? “During my travels, I met an adventurer from a world plagued by Primal much worse then those here. They have ravaged the landscape, and left it uninhabitable for many. This adventurer came here to seek a solution for their home.”

Y’shtola tilted her head. “How interesting. Once we save those who’ve survived, we will need to discuss these discoveries.” Her tone was filled with disbelief, and Minfilia understood it.

“Alphinaud - and Marques - witnessed Halone. I was the only one who saw her, but they heard her voice.”

Nodding, Alphinaud crossed his arms. “And while I’m not sure, Halone… well, she sounded a lot like I’d expect her to have. She didn’t speak our modern Eorzean, but I understood it.” His eyes darted to the side, embarrassed. Not just because of the topless Minfilia, but because he’d truly heard a God. The Twelve were real.

“Are you all better from being crystal, though?” K’pandolu asked, concerned. Minfilia lifted an arm, to show the crystal cracks. Concerned, the Miqo’te half-reached a hand out before pulling it back. “That— will it get any better?”

“No,” Minfilia said quietly. “No… it won’t. It’s like my other changes.” The mood in the room darkened, and the question everybody was thinking was not said. How would she change next? Why did she need to do this?

Would she continue to torture herself, for the others?

Minfilia then looked to Bolormaa. “You— how did your trip go?”

Bolormaa perked up. She nodded to herself. “I met some new friends! We did not win, and my tail was nearly cut off, but it went very well! Except Yul still was not there.”

A pause, as the others waited for Bolormaa to continue. It took her a moment to do so, realising they wanted to know more. “Yul… Yul is my soulmate. Yul was always reborn with me, but he is not there anymore. I was hoping he would be, but… well. Maybe he was one of the sickly ones who was not born properly.” Even as she talked about sick children, Bolormaa sounded hopeful. Her tail began to wag. “I got to see my Yol, however! Um, a Yol is a big bird. We earn them as we become warriors.”

As Bolormaa spoke now, she got out a few long, pink feathers. She’d turned them into earrings. “I missed my Yol a lot - but it is not common to see them here, and it would make her a target for poachers.” (Not that poachers could kill anything close to Bolormaa.) “Anyway, I made sure she was well taken care of, and then I was going to come home, but I met a new friend.”

“Do you think you’ll see them again?” Minfilia asked - more concerned with that then the identity.

Excited, Bolormaa bounced more. “He said he’s coming to Eorzea over this next year! I think, well, it’ll be a while. He had a good sense of direction, but liked taking his time.” A beat. “Um, me and him travelled for a bit - he was hurt, and he needed to go back to a nearby Garlean settlement—”

“—Why would he go there, and not to the Ruby Sea?” Y’shtola asked.

“Well, his boyfriend was there. His weird sick boyfriend.” A beat, as Bolormaas’ tail swished. “It was a strange Garlean settlement, anyway. It was cut off from Garlemald, and more… not interested in it? But it was run by a Garlean with the eye and everything.

Anyway, I helped him get back, and then had to come back.” Bolormaa babbled, so excited. She was leaving out a lot of details, but she then went a little quiet. “…I missed helping before. But I’ll help this time.

I’ll help you seal Garuda.”