Uh, why did the flood of light happen, again?

[Ilenya]

What I do wonder the whole time: Would the shard be another failure for the Ascians if Minfilia had not stopped the flood of Light or would the world still be ready to rejoin because unlike the void the aether itself was still there just not flowing?

Discussions elsewhere have led me to believe that they had messed up, or rather, Ardbert didn't do what they expected. Hydaelyn-fillia going to the first was by all appearances part of Elidibus's plan to save the First until the time for the Rejoining was right. I think the whole thing with Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness was just part of a plan to maybe get lucky and score a kill on the WoL, which would almost certainly have caused some major issues as a whole, but I imagine he was doing some planning to set up Urianger to get Hydaelyn to stop the flood...Potentially killing two birds with one stone (Stop the Flood from the early trigger, force Hydaelyn's attention elsewhere).

[Alleo]

Discussions elsewhere have led me to believe that they had messed up, or rather, Ardbert didn't do what they expected. Hydaelyn-fillia going to the first was by all appearances part of Elidibus's plan to save the First until the time for the Rejoining was right. I think the whole thing with Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness was just part of a plan to maybe get lucky and score a kill on the WoL, which would almost certainly have caused some major issues as a whole, but I imagine he was doing some planning to set up Urianger to get Hydaelyn to stop the flood...Potentially killing two birds with one stone (Stop the Flood from the early trigger, force Hydaelyn's attention elsewhere).

Well the Elidibus really got lucky that Urianger was there at the fight and that everyone reacted that way too otherwise sending Minfilia or someone else later might have been too late to stop the flood, especially since they had a time difference until we got there.

[Ilenya]

Well the Elidibus really got lucky that Urianger was there at the fight and that everyone reacted that way too otherwise sending Minfilia or someone else later might have been too late to stop the flood, especially since they had a time difference until we got there.

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if Elidibus expected it (Until recently with Zenos, nothing seemed to surprise them) but letting Urianger do Urianger things would have been the backup to "Just let the WoD kill the WoL to hurry the Calamity." main goal.