I'm thinking that, while this is pretty much in 'highdea' territory, what if we have actually *already* lost this war, in a way? The Ascians keep mentioning about how things 'once were'. What if that actually meant Hydaelyn as we know her is already gone? Maybe she had already started the process of becoming something else during the time that we didn't hear anything of her, until she called Minfillia away. Who, in her eagerness to no longer be a burden on the WoL and the other Scions, likely didn't even stop to think that something horribly wrong may have already happened with Hydaelyn?

Note the name of the patch. Maybe Hydaelyn was always destined to change. It's just a matter of exactly how she is supposed to. The Ascians have always been trying to influence things their own way. What if the reason why Hydaelyn invested so much into the WoL is because she knew that thanks to the Ascians, she would inevitably no longer be able to exist as is, and needed the WoL to steer the 'gears of change' towards a world free from the influence of the Ascians? Indeed, we now have a permanent means to destroy the Ascians. They can't change the world in their favor if they're GONE.

(Sure, when we regained the Blessing of Light, we may have heard Hydaelyn's voice again. But that could have just been us imagining Hydaelyn as we knew her. As far as I'm aware, we still haven't really heard anything of her status, nor has she directly intervened in our affairs since.)

But what of Minfillia? Well, she definitely looks like some sort of vessel. But I think that if Hydaelyn had begun the process of changing, she needed Minfillia to hide that fact from the Ascians until she can get the message to the WoL first. And what a clear message it'd be, especially if it turns out that she IS the new Hydaelyn. So that while we might have lost this war, we'd have a head start over the Ascians on the next, though very brief. Whatever the next war may be. What happens to her after? Who knows.