“You’re back from Esthar?” Minfilia asked, almost out of breath, surprised as the Hyur-like woman leaned against the wall. “Did you find what you—”
Behind the group of them, suddenly, there was a blur. And Lightning was suddenly being clung to by Bartz. “How’s Squall?!”
Barely prickling, Lightning looked down at Bartz with a tiny frown. “He’s a little better, but not well enough to come out of the city. Seems it’s beginning to clear up.”
Minfilia had never seen Bartz look so relieved, his eyes sparkling like never before. “So he’s—” Bartz sniffled a little, gripping to Lightning even tighter as if to not slip onto the ground. “I’ll need to find Zidane and let him know! But, uh, not until the old man mentions what’s going on.”
At that, Lightning snorted a little. “It’s not like we have forever, Bartz. Not with the threats. But—” Lightning paused, gently forcing Bartz off of her, “—until then, this is a good enough place to stay.”
Minfilia gently sighed. “Belias is away right now. But— if I may ask for some advice? You two are aware of Noctis, correct? Prince Noctis?”
Again, Lightning snorted. But Bartz got a funny look on his face. “Yeah, I know him. Not as well as others, though.” Taking a step, he began to glance around the corridor, until he had to kneel down and get out some paper, and a pencil. He began to scribble out three circles. “So, right,” Bartz said quietly. “Lightning and me come from this first one. That’s the first Conflict, Cosmos versus Materia.” Hastily, he connected the first and second circles. “Lightning and the others of the twelfth cycle died between that and the thirteenth, so we call them two different things. But that was meant to be the end of it?”
As he explained, Minfilia swore she saw a sadness in Bartz’ eyes. “So, we stopped the Conflict, and that was that. We said our goodbyes, and went back home. But then me and everybody else got called back, by the new Gods.” The third circle. Bartz tapped it. “This is where Noctis and some others first appeared. So they were new to this. And we were going to end it again, but then…”
“Well. That’s where our friend betrayed us,” Lightning said curtly. “The one who works with the Worldeater.” A glance to Minfilia. “That’s what we call the force we’re fighting. The one Prishe and her ilk are working with.”
“Right,” Bartz nodded, keeping focused on the piece of paper. “The one of us closest to— wait, first. In these first two circles, in the first cycles, we had Lady Cosmos. She’s sort of like Hydaelyn,” Bartz said, trying to simplify how he explained it. “And then for the new time we were summoned, there was another one. Materia, who was still young. Anyway, the guy closest to Cosmos was— well, wait. Did we ever get his name, Lightning?”
A shake of her head. “No. Never asked. Titles are good enough.”
“If you say so,” Bartz said. “Anyway, so the Warrior of Light decided to go off and give himself to the Worldeater, to Shinryu. And that started everything. So… I guess there’s different tiers of immortal? It goes my group, to Noctis’ group, to those Ascian.” A beat. “But as for Noctis, he’s never really adapted. He’d keep an eye out for his reborn friends— oh, right. That can happen too.”
Minfilia was already lost, and her face showed it all. Lightning looked to her, no longer leaning. A half-step forward. “Sometimes, souls come back together. Might be the gods meddling, might not be. Not all of them were trapped like my friends.” Even as Lightning said it, Minfilia felt the weight on her very heart. “They’re not always the same, mind you. They don’t have the memories—”
“—Like Bolormaa, then?” Minfilia whispered. “Like her beliefs, but you people have likely tracked it.” You people. She didn’t mean to say it that way, but—
“—so that’s it.” Lightning looked right at Minfilia. “You see it like we’re different then you.” Minfilia went deathly silent, for Lightnings’ piercing glare could shatter glass. Before her expression relaxed. “It’s one way to see it. You weren’t chosen by the Gods to fight an endless war, but you’ve been caught up in it.” While she still spoke harshly, there was a kindness deep inside her voice. She stepped over Bartz, and was face-to-face with Minfilia. “You’ve been branded, and been unable to figure out your part in this.”
Minfilia stared, before she felt herself trembling slightly. “Before I got wrapped up in this, I wanted to help others. But my hands still tremble when I think of the bloodshed I’ve caused. We both know that victory cannot come without it, yet—”
“You’re not the one who should be fighting, you think.” Lightning said. “Not when there’s so much left you don’t understand.
…You want to know about Noctis, then?”
She usually didn’t talk this much, but Lightning was back to business. Her comfort done. “Noctis is a strange case. Usually, the Worldeater simply devours a star once it has drained the power it needs from it. But his star and mine appeared around the same time.” Now, Lightning had begun to pace. Thinking back. “At least, that’s what I learned. Twin lands, split by some unknown force. When we were in the other world, we traveled together. Me, him, and that traitor – at least, for a time. He’s a good kid. Nothing like the other royals.”
“Because,” Bartz said, giving a little smile, “he had a lot of stuff grounding him. Like his friends! His world is pretty weird, but it sounds like he just got to be a normal guy.”
“…It’s not too strange,” Lightning replied. “It has a technological level less then mine, but higher then Garlemald. But Bartz is right. He had good friends, and a good heart.”
“Which is why he doesn’t talk about being royalty too much,” Bartz added, stretching out. “Which I get.” Especially seeing how fragile Minfilia was. “You working with him or something?”
A sigh. Minfilia looked to the other room, to the crystals. The two were still devouring them. She’d never seen Alisaie eat so viciously, and the cloaked man was wiggling his Miqo’te tail happily. “I suppose I should tell you.
We aim to hunt Leviathan. Before anything goes wrong.”
“Oof. That’d be hard on him,” Bartz said, frowning and packing up his illustration. “Leviathan took his fiancee, you know. And some traumas just don’t heal. It’s sort of the curse of us immortals. We’ve got forever to mourn, so some of us just take forever on it?”
“Right,” Lightning said quietly. “To hold onto who we were, we need to remember.” Perhaps, Lightning thought for a moment, it made them similar to the Ascian.
“Anyway,” Bartz said as he stretched up. “So, he’s probably stuck between a rock and a hard place. We can survive Primal attacks, but… man. We care about you people. And I care about you, Minfilia. Otherwise I would have kept wandering.”
“You care too much, Minfilia,” Lightning added. “You don’t need to do everything.” With that, Lightning turned to leave. Before giving a glance over. “As for dealing with Leviathan – you’ve got your allies.”
“Right,” Bartz said with a nod. “And unlike us guys, and gals, and anything in-between – well, you’ve got a lot on us. We have age, but you have your companions.”
“And who’s to say I’ll keep them?” Minfilia blurted out. Lightning stopped mid-step. Minfilia felt a rush of anger fill her again. “They’ve all forgotten me once before, because of a Primal. I couldn’t stop it before— I still can’t see them like I did before.”
“…And that’s why you try and take this all on,” Lightning said, looking Minfilia over. “Fear.
The Gods of this world meddle in cruel ways. But.” An odd confidence entered Lightnings’ voice. “You can tell we’re strong, right?”
Minfilia nodded quietly.
“If the Gods dare to meddle like that again, I will personally kill them. Even if they attempt to rob us of what makes us us.” Unlike her calm demeanor, Lightning sounded like the very storm she was named after. Minfilia couldn’t help but feel intimidated. “I have fought the gods before,” Lightning explained, “and we have no reason to put up with them.”
“…Alexander. The Primal Alexander did it. By mistake.”
Lightning looked away a little. “I see. I’ve known them before. But… my offer stands. Trust in us, Minfilia.” A beat. “It’s hard. I know.
At least, give it a thought. Sounds like your guests are done.”
Just like Lightning said, the cloaked man was standing – as was Alisaie, who shook herself a little, before staring at Minfilia. Her eyes shining, even if they looked wrong.
Alisaie bounded over and gripped to Minfilia, as Lightning walked away – Bartz following, further into the cavernous palace. Their voices slightly echoing, Bartz talking about Hope. But that didn’t matter! Alisaie was gripping to Minfilia, whimpering the tiniest bit. Staring up at her. (Alisaies’ flesh felt like a doll. She felt inhuman. But she was still Alisaie.) As Alisaie spoke gently, her teeth – far too pointed, with more of them now – seemed to shine slightly. “Minfilia— Minfilia, you’re okay as well!”
For once, Minfilia let herself relax. She smiled warmly. “You are too, Alisaie. I was so worried… your companion – who is clearly not your father in any way – has been tending to you.” Minfilia felt cheerful adding some snark, and Alisaie snorted. “My apologies for worrying you.”
“Hey, I worried you too,” Alisaie replied, beaming. “Thanks for the aether. It… well, you know I need to stay balanced. But why? And how’d you get… snrk… dearest father to go along with it?” Her face showed such relief. “He’s been trying to avoid you.”
Minfilia shook her head. “I gave him an offer none could refuse. Such as medical care for you.”
“And all you asked for in exchange was… feeding me?”
Minfilia began to chuckle, as she noticed the hooded figure leaving the room as well, nodding sharply to Chlodebaimt. “There are many situations that require corrupted crystals, especially when it comes to countering Primal. And if it prevents you stealing another sealed one…”
Suddenly, a thought. And Minfilia froze. “…Titan is devoured, yes?” Alisaie nodded a little, and Minfilia let out a quiet swear. “Then stopping Leviathan is even more important. If the Kobold are too afraid, they could summon Titan – and two Primal warring is far too dangerous.”
The hooded man walked up to them, looking between Alisaie and Minfilia. “Then you have your crystals. Let’s go, Alisaie—”
“—because I shouldn’t bond with her, right?” Alisaie replied, letting go of Minfilia. “Believe it or not, I’m not like you. I can’t just not see them like our old friends.”
With a very Miqo’te hiss, the hooded man turned and began to walk off. “They’re not them, Alisaie. And they never will be. Come. You need to rest if you’re going to continue your quest, are you not?”
Alisaie paused for a moment, looked between Minfilia and the hooded man. Frowned. “This isn’t over!” she said, as she rushed after him— stopping as Minfilia reached out an arm. “Hm?”
“Alisaie— once I’m done with Leviathan, we need to talk,” Minfilia said firmly – and Alisaie gave a curt nod, before vanishing behind her companion.
And once again, it was just Minfilia and Chlodebaimt. Minfilia looked to her former-Ishgardian ally, and gave a little sigh. “It’s a lot, Chlodebaimt. Do you think I made the right choice?”
Chlodebaimt looked back, before moving to give her one of the leather sacks, to place the crystal clusters in. “If I may – I shall make sure an eye is kept on that Miqo’te. But you have a good heart, Minfilia. You don’t need to harden it. A harder heart would have left me to die, or slaughtered me right there.” If he still had an Elezen face, his look of affection would have been far more visible. Respect.
Gently, carefully, Minfilia began to collect the crystals. They were dangerous, sure, but they were help. And she knew how to handle them. “I believe only an Ishgardian heart would have. Chlodebaimt… I’ll be back anon. Before Belias returns, I promise.” For a moment, Minfilia nearly said more. For a moment, Minfilia nearly mentioned that she was truly beginning to rule, in some ways. (Her fears, coming true.)


The return to Limsa Lominsa was a lot easier then last time – even if Minfilia now had to carry bags of corrupted crystals, the hair on the back of her neck standing on edge. Not only that, she nearly dropped them when a voice shouted across the Aetheryte plaza – Arenvald waving to her, concern crossing his face. “‘Filia! You just ran off—?”
From near him, Fordola tsked. “He wouldn’t move until he knew you were back,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Both of you have hearts bigger then your brains.” But her gaze was unfocusing as she looked at the bags. Something in her brain was telling her something was wrong. Her tail curling around her legs, she tsked again. “You got them, then.”
“Yeah— hey, it’s okay.” Minfilia smiled warmly, walking over. “I just forgot to listen to your advice, Arenvald. Needed it beat into me a little more.
Anyway, I fufilled my part of the deal. Corrupted crystals. Pray let me go get things ready.”