Or a third option, that she intended for Minfilia to carry a message and had to get her to the aetherial sea to give her the full message and then couldn't do that due to being so weak, much less send her back. Or a fourth, where the being guided/called is actually Minfilia's interpretation of something as simple and short as a call for help.

The point is there are ways it could have played out that didn't require the kind of manipulation or coercion to sacrifice oneself, yet that seems to be the only conclusion anyone uses and treats it like it's the truth. I'd rather see more discussion about other possibilities.

I also have thoughts related to the idea of free will, agency, and duty, but typing that out on a phone isn't something I feel like doing right now so I'll come back to the thread later with it.