[SPOILERS] Minfillia' Fate in 3.2

[Darkstride]

Yes, but Minfilia didn't need to be 'swept up'. She was with the WoL right up until she was called away. The WoL would have very likely protected her and taken her to safety.

Right, but my response was to the suggestion that Minfilia was "consumed" by Hydaelyn.

It's not as though she was violently kidnapped by Hydaelyn. She exclaimed "NO", but we have no idea what that was in reference to. Hydaelyn could have just been like "by the way, you're friends are all dead". She had time to tell us to save the world and then run off into the tunnel, so I don't think Hydaelyn was taking her against her will to "consume" her.

Given what we are told, she harkened to Hydaelyn's word and was guided to Y'Shtola and Thancred in hopes that she would be swept up in the Aether with them (maybe to save them). But Hydaelyn is hardly infinite in power, in fact she seems weak. Minfilia became lost in the aetherflow, and she later prayed and offered herself to Hydaelyn to save her friends and save Eorzea.

[Berethos]

At the end of 2.0 she was contacted by Hydaelyn and initially exclaimed 'NO!' before reluctantly taking her leave. We don't see her again until 3.2...and when she speaks whenever she is seemingly Minifilia she is hesitating and seems very reluctant about the entire thing.

Could be her reluctance showing through. Could also be her having trouble reconciling the merging of two entities.

Possible that Hydaelyn is no longer fully Hydaelyn just as Minfilia is no longer Minfilia.

[Chie_Rushii]

Minifilia's fate has me conflicted.

On one hand I understand that Minifilia offered herself to Hydaelyn but on the other I hate the notion of having to give up one's "self" so to speak, especially during a time of great duress (such as literally being in the midst of a pursuit). Would Hydaelyn have made that request if Y'sh didn't open a way into the aether flow? Is Hydaelyn SO weak that she has to absorb Minifilia? What sort of deity asks that a normal person sacrifice themselves to ascend? WHO is Hyadelyn really to ask that? How is this justified over a Primal doing it or Zodiark? Regardless I'm starting to question my allegiance.

Or maybe Minifilia did it for the hair extensions?

[Cilia]

Abridged version of what I want to say:

I don't see why it was even necessary. Minfilia was in no danger, and by that point our Blessing (likely the main siphon of Hydaelyn's aether behind primals) was sealed. Short of gaining a mouthpiece this wasn't necessary... and I don't see how or why projecting Minfilia's image to communicate with us could be any more efficient than doing so directly.

Even as an act of seeming desperation, I can't really condone this - but it happened. We shouldn't just accept it as a tragic necessity given the circumstances surrounding it.

[Alisa180]

I don't see why it was even necessary. Minfilia was in no danger, and by that point our Blessing (likely the main siphon of Hydaelyn's aether behind primals) was sealed. Short of gaining a mouthpiece this wasn't necessary... and I don't see how or why projecting Minfilia's image to communicate with us could be any more efficient than doing so directly.

The implication is that Hydaelyn is currently so weak that even communicating directly with us is a strain on her resources. Remember, it was something of a plot point that neither us nor Minfilia had heard Hydaelyn's voice since the Ultima Weapon's defeat. Presumably, communicating through Minfilia helps conserve the Mothercrystal's dwindling energy.

[MagiusNecros]

Hydaelyn used Minfilia's flesh to conserve her petty strength and serve as her mouthpiece and now that too has faded likely killing off Minfilia in the process with the cost of her very lifeforce. And it's very likely Thancred has come to that very conclusion with how he stormed off.

[SecretCrowds]

3.2 changed how I viewed the cutscene of the Scion's escape from Ul'dah and also Hydaelyn herself.

Previously, I thought that Hydaelyn was trying to save the Scions by asking Minfilia to go do something. However, it turns out that it had nothing to do with saving the Scions but rather all for her own personal benefit. When Minfilia was on the verge of escaping with the WoL, she asked Minfilia to run back into danger so that she could use Y'shtola's Flow to transport Minfilia to herself. All her servants were in danger and were about to escape and she chose to do that?

This makes it seem that Hydaelyn is not the benevolent goddess I thought her to be before. She doesn't want the best for her servants. She helps them, only so that she can benefit from it herself. And she is willing to sacrifice them if she can benefit from it. She is not a selfless being and her actions seems much more for personal gain.

[myahele]

"What s/he giveth, s/he taketh" This is an old saying, but I can't help but wonder if this hold true for Hydaelyn as well regarding those she gave the echo to.

We have the "Word of the Mother" ... could Krile end up being the "Eyes of the Mother" we're already Her warrior. For a few months I speculated that those she gave her echo to would then be reabsorbed back into Hydaelyn upon their death or otherwise.

In 1.0 it wassaid that echo users went on a journey and discovered something "terrible" Or maybe they found out that Hydaelyn is on her last breath?

[MagiusNecros]

As Hydaelyn gets weaker...Zodiark gets stronger. Therefore Hydaelyn and Zodiark are but different faces of the same coin. Meaning that they are one and the same and the dialogue presented seems to imply they were both one being but eventually split off. One cannot exist without the other.

This is mirrored with the Scions/Ascians and WoL/WoD.

[Khalithar]

It seems to me that she absorbed Minfilia entirely and is merely using her body as a way to communicate with us. I believe this is what the Ascian meant by saying Hydaelyn is not as good as we think as apparently as she grows weaker she will not hesitate to demand her loyal servants give themselves to her entirely. I wonder if Minfilia was aware of it though? Did she know what kind of sacrifice she had to make or did Hydaelyn keep it a secret? I'm not sure.

I don't think we'll get her back unless we do some major turnaround that makes Hydaelyn stronger and thus convinces her to return Minfilia. But even then, it makes me wonder if Minfilia will be similar to one of the Tempered hiding in the ranks of Ul'dah's citizens and military, secretly spying for their true masters?