Quote Originally Posted by Anonymoose View Post
If I'm reading it correctly, an imbalance in the shard worlds leads to the aether being out-and-out destroyed, whereas keeping equilibrium until the Ardor ensures that the aether will be transferred (rejoined) rather than lost.

My question is ... why does the Ardor empower Zodiark now and leave Hydaelyn weak now?
Indeed. Something is off here, but I can't quite put a finger on it. It just seems odd that an entity that's actively working towards undermining Light on the one hand is also working hard, on the other hand, to maintain a delicate balance of Light and Dark. Thematically, it doesn't gel.

It's also somewhat difficult, I feel, to wrap my head around the idea that a balance of polarities somehow produces the greatest amount of raw aether. I mean, intuitively, one would imagine full Light to be maximum positivity, while full Dark gives you maximum negativity. Light and Dark in perfect balance gives you... er... net zero?

Ah well, I suppose I am over-thinking this as well. Maybe it'll be easier to recall how over-aspected aether in Eorzea leads to highly unstable crystals that aren't just dangerous to life, but also practically useless.

So, maybe what matters it isn't the amount of raw aether per se, but rather the maximum amount of usable aether that Zodiark can get from a Rejoining.

In any case, I'll put my speculation to rest for now. But I still strongly suspect that whatever comes out of a full Rejoining wouldn't be a full-blown Zodiark, but a return to an original state that's something else altogether. Not a Zodiark-Hydaelyn hybrid, but another completely different concept that transcends Light and Dark, and in which mortal life has no place.