Before Minfilia could move to the Rising Stones - before she could go to Belias and make her report - she had one last stop. A small broken shrine, a little outside Ul’dah - no longer maintained.

“Might I finally ask… what’s goin’ on?” Fordola said, leaning against a nearby cliff. Minfilia shushed her, as she got out gil. Not too much, but it looked old. Minfilia looked back to her, eyes soft.

Before looking back to the shrine. “While those of Ul’dah worship Nald’thal, and have marks to them within - there are smaller places such as this, constructed before the rise of Ul’dah as a nation.” Her head lowered. “And I would rather not leave tribute inside.”

It was not because she did not wish for the desperate to steal the money. Hells, she wished she could give more. But instead, Minfilia wished to make sure it went to who she was trying to summon. Because… “I was thinking about what Prishe said. And I think that I… well, I should be proactive in meeting them.

Perhaps they can aid against the Ascian threat.”

Or perhaps they can aid both Ala Mhigans and those of Mor Dhona. Shakily, Minfilia put the old gil on the side of the shrine - before snapping it in half. A few moments passed, before - fwoom! White flames began to bubble from the shrine, and turned to black ash. In the dark blue sunset, like oil slicks stretched across the sky, the smoke almost seemed to gleam the same gold as the gil. And as the two Ala Mhigans watched, it began to curl around and turn into a rather… cute shape. Almost like a ghost doll, limp and as black as death itself. It wore a cloak, black with golden marks adorning it. Wealth and death as one.

Minfilia had to stand tall. Had to stop herself from hesitating. “Pardon me, but might you be—”

“The Lord of the Underworld? Not exactly,” the cute little creature replied, gazing up at Minfilia - its’ tiny hood shifting slightly. Deep pink eyes stared back, ones Minfilia almost swore she knew. “That’d be Hades. But he’s not around right now, and there’s not much of a need for a Lord, but I’m still taking care of it. As always~”

A pause.

“No, I wished to ask if you were truly Nald’Thal - or which of the two you were? I apologize if that is rude.”

The creature nodded, with a hum. “I’m both. They’re so often worshipped as one, after all.” A beat, as a tendril extended. “So! What did you summon me for? It’s often desperate people who try this.”

“Do they succeed?” Fordola asked, gazing over slightly. Her gaze was full of judgement, as always. The small creature - she could smell it now. Maybe it was part of being fused with Ifrit - but she could smell that it was full of aether. More full then even a Primal.

Nald’thal bowed a little. “No, not always. Only if I’m interested. And you two - you’re really interesting.”

“How so?” Fordola asked, interrupting Minfilia - who, thankfully, was going to ask the same thing.

With a chuckle, Nald’thal hovered closer. “Well, because I didn’t think I’d see your souls! I can’t say too much - I promised Thaliak and Althyk - but I… remember you.”

Minfilia knelt - so that Nald’thal did not need to float so much - and gave a soft frown. “We’ve met three of your kind already. Halone recognized me, and saved my life. Rhalgr and Byregot have come with me, to a nation I am aiding - the land of the Gigas.

I have come if not to petition your aid, then to let you know. I aim to find all of you - to reach out to you.”

Nald’thal had but one question. “Why?”

Why… Minfilia closed her eyes. “Meeting Rhalgr was not my intention. Neither was meeting Halone. But— if we are to keep this star safe, then I need to make more allies. I know I’ve not the strength to protect those people myself.

And since the Twelve are real, I wish only to make sure they are not my enemy - or the enemy of the people of our home.” She was crying. Minfilia did not realise she was crying until a slimy tentacle brushed at her eyes. Nald’thal was staring up at her. Eyes wide. (They looked like Lalafell eyes?) Minfilia wiped her own eyes, and smiled warmly. “My apologies. I… I care so much for this realm. I may simply be an emissary for Lord Belias, but I want peace.”

“…You’re so sweet,” Nald’thal replied, trying not to choke up. “Just like when I used to know you— well, not you. But… how much do you know?”

“I know,” Minfilia said, holding back her shivers, “that you and the other Twelve came from another reality. One similar to ours. Rhalgr told me that you were once Spoken, who lost your forms and came here due to trying to save the star in your own way.

Halone also said she knew a woman like me, who they… murdered, in pursuit of their ideals.”

But, gods, she knew so little. Her shoulders slumped, her body slumped. Nald’thal hovered, deep in thought. Before they gave a little smile. “It’s— it’s okay. I can imagine they’d either want to not hurt you or would just… not remember much. Or both!” A giggle, one too familiar. Minfilia tried not to shudder, as Nald’thal eyed her up. “It’s true. We knew somebody just like you. Because… well!

As you probably know, different worlds which are so close - well, we have similar people. And you were well-respected, as the leader of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.”

The leader, instead of an emissary who worked close to them. It made sense. She could see herself taking such a role… if she’d not vanished. “But you awoke as one of the Gods, as well. She awoke as the avatar of Hydaelyn.

And then - the Ascian came to us.”

The Paragon— Minfilia suddenly tensed. “What did they want?”

“One of theirs had awoken as their God, Zodiark. But the others had lost their powers - they were weaker then Garleans,” Nald’thal recalled. “They… we didn’t trust them. But Hydaelyn and Zodiark met up.

And then, they tried to become one.”

Silence. Nald’thal closed their eyes. “I think the other of the Twelve blame themselves, in their own way. We could have stopped them.” The tiny God were beginning to shudder, and Minfilia put a hand to them. That is, before Fordola spoke up, and they both looked to her.

“How?” A beat, and Fordolas’ expression was fixed in a slight smirk, anger burning behind her eyes. “Sure, you were made into the Twelve. But, like… how does that stop two Gods from choosin’ to do something unpredictable?” She sneered. “This is why Lord Solus and Lord Gaius said we shouldn’t fucking… believe in all that bullshit.

Still. It’s all done now.” Fordola tried to backpedal verbally. “And I don’t think it’s all bullshit anymore. Two powerful things deciding to mess with something we don’t know the results of… did they test it out? Did they consider if it went wrong?”

Minfilia was about to scold Fordola, before Nald’thal floated up to her. “They didn’t. In fact, Hydaelyn barely told us she was going out! But we’d been talking about why the Twelve - and other creatures were waking up, and she got super upset, so we thought she was going to just get some fresh air.”

“And then she ended up killing everybody,” Fordola replied, sighing.

Nald’thal shook their entire body. “I don’t think she meant to!”

“But she did!”

Minfilia then cleared her throat. They both looked to her. “…I believe that she did not mean to destroy your home, Nald’thal. But she did act quite rashly, Fordola, and caused this. I cannot claim to understand Hydaelyn - the one who inherited her wills’ - reasoning. But if I may?

She may have seen a chance to stop Zodiark, and the spread of darkness. Even if I cannot see myself working with Ascian - if there was a chance to weaken them, and stop all of— this conflict, in a single motion? I cannot say I would not do similar.” Perhaps she would do worse. Minfilia didn’t know. And that scared her. 

Thank the gods that she had calmed the tension between Nald’Thal and Fordola… Minfilia had to get them back on topic. “Nald’thal. I will not ask you to come with me, nor will I even ask for your aid.

No, I simply wished to let you know that there is a place for you and yours, if you wish to visit. We are close to Silvertear Lake.” Minfilia had another thought on her mind, and she had to voice it. “That, and I hope that you are watching the threat of the Paragon. If you and yours have come that close to the Paragon, you must know the proper path forward.”

Quietly, Nald’thal looked over Minfilia. Was that… pity in their face, as they pulled their tiny hood over their eyes once more? “…I am aware of what might be a path forward. And I also know that you need to find your path, Minfilia.

We’ll meet again. We will.”

And with that, Nald’thal was gone. Silence, across the Thanalan warmth.

“What the fuck was that?!” Fordola finally said, breaking the silence. “Ominous piece of shit!”

Minfilia chuckled, her eyes warm as she looked to Fordola. “That was ominous, yes. But we’ve a new ally, Fordola.

Now, we can return to Mor Dhona.”

Thankfully, the trip back to Mor Dhona was quiet. Calm. Lutia the Chocobo barely got spooked though North Thanalan, and Minfilia looked upon the now-reclaimed Castrum in the territory of Mor Dhona. She recalled that they’d not yet chosen what to do with it - Belias and her. They had enough room for the current citizens, but they also could not let room go to waste - especially with the Corpse Brigade now living and working as guards. As they approached the Toll, one stopped them - Minfilia stepping off the bird, and giving an Ala Mhigan salute.

“Emissary Warde.”

“Fulke. I’m back - my apologies for the delays,” Minfilia replied, as she let the soldier look over her. And then look over Fordola, who gave Minfilia a look. As they finished up, Minfilia began to stroll towards the mountains which Belias called his castle.

“You remember his name?” Fordola asked.

Minfilia nodded. “It’s part of aiding them. Don’t you remember the names of your soldiers?”

With that, Fordola went quiet. Sad. Before whispering. “Do you think they think I abandoned them?”

Thinking, Minfilias’ steps slowed. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” she said quietly, “but Garlemald has likely declared you dead.” And such was more painful, in a way. Minfilia knew that well. From her own situation, to how she just learned her adoptive mother lived, she had seen how that grief changes people.

So, as they walked, Minfilia looked upwards. “Perhaps someday, we will find them. And—”

“—and they’ll think I’m a monster and go after me,” Fordola dismissively said, shrugging. Her warm tail flicking. “I just hope they don’t do anything stupid without me.”

They both went quiet. And soon, Lutia was left outside as Minfilia went to make her report. Fordola, for her part, didn’t want to go see their sheep-like gigas ruler - she’d rather be outside, taking in the sights. Mor Dhona was a beautiful place, truly. Even if she’d heard it was where Lord Gaius had failed quite spectacularly. Her eyes went up to the coiled dragon corpse, and she chuckled. “Not so tough now, are you?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” a familiar-to-her voice said - as the brown and pink fluffy dragon who was once Elezen, Chlodebaimt, landed next to her. “I still hear something from him.”

Fordola looked over at the cursed Elezen - makeshift armour placed over his chest. Huffing. “He’s a skeleton.”

“But there’s still something in there,” Chlodebaimt said. “It’s like tales of Nidhogg, where their flesh can be regrown. Until their very souls are purified and destroyed, dragons cannot die.”

Another religious thing? Chlodebaimt continued, now sitting as he stared up at the skeleton. “When Midgardsormr finally cries, that’s when the War shall escalate and one side will fall. Or so the stars and the Holy See say.”

“Are you gonna keep fighting?” Fordola then asked. “Even if you’re a dragon, you seem to be yourself. I mean, I didn’t know you before, but you’re a good guy.”

That got a chuckle out of Chlodebaimt. “They shot me for flying over their territory. I think I’d die if I tried to help my Ishgardian brothers and sisters… oh. Have I ever told you about my family?”

Fordola shook her head, and Chlodebaimt began to talk…

Belias had been slumbering, as his doors burst open violently. His eyes snapped open, under his mask - as Minfilia rushed towards him, before punching his knee. With a little frown, Belias held out a claw to her. “Little Minfilia, what—”

“You should have told me!” Minfilia said, glaring up at him - anger in her face. “About— about everything!”

“Did you not wish to not be a ruler, Minfilia?” Belias’ voice echoed, though the empty chamber. “But… you are right.”

Pulling Minfilia onto his lap, Belias sighed. “If my allies had decided to move close to me, I would have wished to know.” His touch was kind, caring. A hug, though not as personal. And in that moment, Minfilia wondered: how many people had Belias loved like this? How many had he cared for? Her head dipped, and Minfilia tried to calm herself. Belias continued, gently. “I felt it suitable that all was prepared for your return.

Tell me, have you made new allies?”

Oh! Right! Minfilia remembered her true purpose for having been away for those months. “Yes. Actually, it’s better then I imagined! I’ve— there’s a whole group I’ve become allied with - of the major tribes of this region of Eorzea. I know I should have reported as soon as we had forged our allyship, but I had some more work to do - I’ve decided not to pursue the Siren as allies.”

As Minfilia rambled on, about the politics of the land, Belias couldn’t help but smile. She was coming into her own, and she was… happy. Even if he’d been a little rude to her, this is what he had hoped. With a low rumble, Belias began to pat her back.

Until Minfilia stopped, quietly. “You’ve let people explore the Crystal Tower?”

“Aye. I do not have the heart to tell the Gigas the truth of the matter - but it is not a tower to the Gods. I know this already.” And yet, Belias sounded so soft, even to this rejection of their faith. “Dear little Minfilia, I believe that within it is something dangerous. And when there is danger, then heroes must be able to enter.

I believe your friend, Bolormaa, is one of them.” Minfilia nodded at this, finally relaxing. His reasoning was just, and yet…

“I will not let them defile the tower, nor what it stands for. Worry not. I cherish them, little Minfilia.”

His reassurance relaxing, Minfilia began to drift off into sleep. She was so tired, and hadn’t even realised it. “Rest well, Little Minfilia,” Belias whispered.

“The air feels strange…”

Even as Belias sat, unable to move as Minfilia slept, he could feel something wrong in the air. A terrifyingly foreboding feeling.