[SPOILERS] No one seems to be talking about that OTHER huge event

[Iscah]

Honestly I'm surprised he was able to go back into his original body at all. I would have thought it's still 'dead' and only still moving under Elidibus's control, but evidently it's actually healed and alive again.

[kidalutz]

What can I say? Emet's plot was far more interesting than "Generic Evil Anime Swordsman seeks to sate his fight boner with WoL(D)". Though that to be fair wouldn't be so bad if the guy in question had more personality than wet cardboard.

hey hey hey!!!! how dare you take away wet cardboard I mean Ilberds I mean wet cardboards signifigance...At least wet cardboard had the tremerity to die when they needed to instead of becoming wannabe Sephiroth.

[Lium]

When we face Zenos again, I’d like to be able to say to him, “You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

[EdwinLi]

When we face Zenos again, I’d like to be able to say to him, “You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

Well we can't say much since he is going full Kefka now.

Next time we meet him he may probably be a God that kills both Zodiark and Hydaelyn, absorbs both of their powers, and have us fight him so he does not destroy the world because he is so insane at this point with the power of both Zodiark and Hydaelyn now inside him, he just want a slaughter then thus the long Zodiark vs Hydaelyn story arc finally ends with Zenos' death with WoL finally goin on a new Adventurebut the ending tease for a Season 2 Storyline where we will meet new friends that will replace the Scions and a new Enemy that threaten this new world built by both the power of Zodiark and Hydaelyn despite both of them are now gone but their final actions created this new World for everyone to live in with even the people who died to summon Zodiark and Hydaelyn back alive with the current living people.

[Dualblade]

When we face Zenos again, I’d like to be able to say to him, “You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

Wouldn't really work since he doesn't consider you beating him to be a failure, in fact he considered it such a resounding success that nothing could match it and thus his life was complete...then woke up in a different body most likely very confused.

Personally I'd like to think he killed himself a few more times trying to make it take before going "well I wasn't expecting this, but I guess I'll make the most of it. Now where's my body?"

[KageTokage]

I could see Zenos taking the throne simply as a means to an end, because I doubt he'd get very far trying to fly solo with little to no support...though considering that the circumstances of his ascension would just fuel the rumors that had been spread about him, it's unlikely he'll get much either way.

The thing I'm confused about is why Elidibus elected to entrust a loon like him with key information about Hydaelyn and Zodiark. I'm hoping he intends to just sit back and watch how things play out, then step in if/when the chance presents itself because I'd honestly much prefer him being our final antagonist while Zenos simply ends up being a distraction in the meantime.

[dragoelete]

i think zenos will prolly take the throne if only to make sure no one else does only to end up getting in his way again.

[Daralii]

At this point I think it is safe to say the story may go in a completely different direction away from Zodiark considering how out of hand this are now.

No one has control and no one knows where things will ended up. The only thing Elidibus can do now is send "Warriors of Light" to kill or prevent the Scions from returning to the Source since Zenos is going for Kefka now and he may become someone so threatening he threatens both Zodiark and Hydaelyn's existence due to how crazy he is.

As for Garlean Empire, i can see the storyline falling into a Civil War story arc in Garlemald for 6.0.

Of course there is the question of who will be our new Allies for this Civil War and who will be our newly introduced enemies.

I definitely expect Garlemald to be our destination just because they modeled so much of the city with so many new assets, which wouldn't make sense if it was just used in the one scene.

As far as actual Garlean allies go, since I'm sure the Eorzean Alliance, Hrothgar, Dalmascans, and Domans would be eager to join in, I'm honestly not sure. Maxima and Gaius are the only real candidates I see-Maxima likely wouldn't have the support of the people needed to reforge the Populares, let alone take the throne or rebuild the Garlean Republic, and Gaius remains a wildcard both because of his actions(the XIVth having become a rogue legion by ARR) and because of his continued mindset geared toward conquest and his attitude of might making right.

As far as enemies, any legatus that stands in opposition. Chief among them I'd expect to be Noah van Gabranth.

[Sonikku]

But all of this happened on it's own without any interference from us or the Scions. If Zenos stopped Black Lotus, then how did the dark timeline that lead to Gra'ha Tia becoming the Exarch materialize?

[TankHunter678]

But all of this happened on it's own without any interference from us or the Scions. If Zenos stopped Black Lotus, then how did the dark timeline that lead to Gra'ha Tia becoming the Exarch materialize?

Because who used Black Rose did not matter, only that it was and that the First was in position for a rejoining and was leaking Light Aether into the Source to empower Black Rose.

Considering that Zenos pretty clearly does not care for ruling the Empire at all and is willing to throw it off to go sort itself out in a civil war it would not be surprising if some Garlean Legatus saw the civil war breaking out as the Alliance was mounting an invasion as an untenable situation and deployed Black Rose to get rid of at least one enemy.