Questions about the Thirteenth shard [Spoilers]

[Anonymoose]

This question has been coming up a lot since we first heard his plan given voice that way in-game.
"Shouldn't the plan have been possible from the start?"

We've been told the aether on the Thirteenth was annihilated. How can anyone ever be whole again?

We have a few avenues of speculation, but on the surface it seems strange nothing has addressed this head-on.

Perhaps the Ascians have faith Zodiark has the power to "undo" something. Recall that Nabriales says during the Chrysalis that time itself bows before Zodiark. Or perhaps we've been misled (or the team has retconned something and we've been "mistaken" until now). The First's aether wasn't annihilated, we're "fixing" it right now. Or was that only because the Flood was incomplete? Would it have been annihilated if that last circle around Norvrandt had closed? Perhaps Elidibus air-lifted the "Shard of Darkness" from that dimension when he got Unukalhai and Cylva. (Sure would have been my priority if I were him.) (...Sabik?)

Who knows! I have to assume the story will address it at some point. The team has done so well polishing the world lore when needed.