Two things bugging me with the ending...

[Fatestorm]

Second, Bahamut destroyed a big part of the world and just settled down in a labyrinth? Really? Apparently, in ARR, the city of Gridania is even more beautiful and lively than it ever was, and the people don't seem the least bothered. It's like:

Bahamut: "Hey guys! It's me! I'm back. I'm still a bit mad at you humans for sealing me in a moon for so long, so I'll just vent out a little on you guys and destroy your homes, then I guess I'll build myself a maze and chill out and not bother you anymore, you OK with that?"
People: "Sure. 's cool, bro. We totally understand. Tell us when you're done and we'll start rebuilding. We could REALLY do some home improvement. You know, it's time we made new decorations and put a little colour in our city again. Shouldn't take more than 5 years or so. So long and thanks for the kickstart!"
Bahamut: "K, K. See ya. WOOOOSHFF-MEGAFLARE-".

Kind of makes you wonder why they had to seal it the first time. They could have just let it build its labyrinth, sheesh.

This is hilarious, and accurate.

Bahamut: "Hey Eorzea, I'm going to build a labyrinth in Minecraft, here's the server info if you want to SMP."

Eorzea: "That's awesome Bahamut, we'll log on and build some towns."

[Duuude007]

I always sort of thought that Atomos came to absorb/save the Aether from being decimated by Bahamut, then reappears to spread it again. Kind of like FFVII where the Lifestream was collected and evacuated somewhere to start a new life, you know, self-evactuating system !

Technically, lifestream willed itself to collect around the Jenova crater, to try to heal the planet. As far as VII explains, the planet is alive, and it was trying to scab over the wound, heh.

[Rex]

You, my friend, have just been sigged

Funny to see your sig in the same post XD

[Yukagama]

Am sure we get more information as time comes.^-^

[Akujin]

Who knows what happened after the megaflare at the end?

Perhaps after the devestation of that blast and Mor Dhona is basically ruined..again..Bahamut goes against the Empire directly, a battle that lasts several years until they eventually deal a grevious wound to Bahamut causing him to draw back into his own sancturary. If Bahamut went after the Empire and preoccupied them, it would give reason for the 3 city states to focus on rebuilding their own homes and making new fortifications, while preparing for the eventual return of the war against the Empire that's likely to happen.

Bahamut's Labyrinth could infact be his own domain, somewhere up in Draconia that hasnt been mentioned before, where the original Dalamud was erected around him and cast up into the skies. So we return to the world, five years later, just to come back as the last touches to the 3 city states has come to completion, marking annivesary to the Meteori crisis (which I'm sure they probably would do some sort of grand event in game to commemorate this affair..if not yet planned SHOULD BE) and also in time to start repelling the Empire's assaults as they attempt to take seige over Eorzea again.

Its reasonable. Bahamut is being portrayed as a King of Primals essentially and the Empire despises and wants to eradicate the Primals completely, so them going head to head is to be expected. It would also make sense if they did it this way and make the Imperial controlled lands inaccessible at time of launch because now They need to rebuild while we return to that timeline and start attacking the Primals and Bahamut himself.

[Kallera]

Here what's bugging me... wasn't Dalamud the HOUND of Mephina, or one of the Twelve? I was expecting a big red dog...

[Hebrilith]

Here what's bugging me... wasn't Dalamud the HOUND of Mephina, or one of the Twelve? I was expecting a big red dog...

I think this means hound figuratively, as Dalamud was one that "follows behind" Mephina in the sky. The initial position of Dalamud was behind the larger moon until the Empire started the process of bringing it down

[Skuld]

Second, Bahamut destroyed a big part of the world and just settled down in a labyrinth? Really? Apparently, in ARR, the city of Gridania is even more beautiful and lively than it ever was, and the people don't seem the least bothered. It's like:

Bahamut: "Hey guys! It's me! I'm back. I'm still a bit mad at you humans for sealing me in a moon for so long, so I'll just vent out a little on you guys and destroy your homes, then I guess I'll build myself a maze and chill out and not bother you anymore, you OK with that?"
People: "Sure. 's cool, bro. We totally understand. Tell us when you're done and we'll start rebuilding. We could REALLY do some home improvement. You know, it's time we made new decorations and put a little colour in our city again. Shouldn't take more than 5 years or so. So long and thanks for the kickstart!"
Bahamut: "K, K. See ya. WOOOOSHFF-MEGAFLARE-".

Kind of makes you wonder why they had to seal it the first time. They could have just let it build its labyrinth, sheesh.

Yeahh, thats why i thought it will be better that we were sent to the past rather than to the future to kill Bahamut before it destroys Eorzea

[Atoli]

First, about Atomos:
I think Atomos is something actually GOOD for us.
Remember how nobody actually asked us to kill Atomos? Different from the primals like Ifrit, different from the Garleans everywhere, especially Darnus?
And how Atomos is native to the Void, a place not bound by time or space?
Also, remember what happened to us adventurers who were saved by Louisoix? We were "sent beyond the reach of time" to wait until the time was ready to come back to Eorzea. Pretty obvious similarity.
I think Atomos was called as a portal to the Void where we were sent. Or at least to make it possible in some way for Louisoix to send us there.

About Bahamut:
He's a primal. Even if we don't do ANYTHING he will vanish after a while because he ate up all the aether around and will have to rest until new energy is available. We know that much from Ifrit and Garuda.
The maze doesn't have to be a place where he sits around all day. It could just be the place where he WILL appear when he has enough energy/aether gathered. Other summons had their special places too (like Garuda's Howling Eye).

The reason why Eorzea isn't totally shriveled up, dead and empty for all eternity is probably because large amounts of aether were evacuated the same way we were - sent into the Void after Atomos took it.
Shortly before the end of 1.0 pretty much all aetherytes were eaten up by him.
Without his energy source Bahamut couldn't go on, vanished, the other Archons called everything back from the Void and everyone started to rebuild our land.
But now (ARR) that aether is back in this world, Bahamut can gather it again and could go on another rampage after he gathered enough. That's why alliances of adventurers go into his maze to stop that from happening by finally sealing him again (which would be the reason why the keys that dropped from Dalamud will be needed in the maze, as explained in the liveletter).

A lot of speculation, sure, but I think the pieces fit neatly together
Few other explanations make sense if you don't go the "alternate universe/timeline" way.

Yeahh, thats why i thought it will be better that we were sent to the past rather than to the future to kill Bahamut before it destroys Eorzea

That's not making any sense. We already WERE in the past and failed to stop it from destroying Eorzea.
Sending us to the past to fail again and again would be pointless.

[Kallera]

Does this mean not everyone in he gc army was sent forward?(yes, I know Louisoux didn't, I meant the gc army proper) Who was watching the cities while the empire had their airships?