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Something I have been thinking about a lot is the scene with Minfilia and Thancred from the SHB trailer, where Thancred fights the lion. Up to that point, all the generations of Minfilias had been under Eulmorian care, raised by Ran’jit, to essentially fight and then die on the battlefield. So the Minfilia we see in SHB is obviously the one who was saved by Thancred. 

But here is where things get interesting, as I previously mention in THIS DRABBLE, in addition to hinting it in some ic responds here and there, I doubt Minfilia went with Thancred willingly at first. She is a child, a particular child but still a child, basically being ripped apart from everything she knows and also her parental figure ( aka Ran’jit, I am still not over some of the things he said to Thancred when they battled each other in that duty calls. ) So naturally she would be hesitant, when this gunblade-wielding dude she’s never met wants to take her away from there. 

A headcanon of mine is that Minifilia does remember bits and pieces of her previous lives, but to actually understand what these bits and pieces are is something she has to learn; One could argue it’s her version of the ECHO in the first. I can imagine it would feel like a distant dream, or some kind of déjà-vu. I do believe that these distant memories would be limited to what she experienced in the FIRST ( meaning what happened to the generations of her before her ) and would thus not recall anything of her ‘predecessor’, aka the original Minfilia. 

This however changes when Thancred comes into the picture. When he pulls her from Eulmores claws and Minfilia does not want to go with him, I headcanon that the original Minfilia ‘possessed her’ for the first time, to ensure she would actually go with him. Then again, I do believe that the original Minfilia basically ‘died’ as soon as she discovered her echo and has been corrupted more and more by Hydaelyn since then, and what is possessing the child in this scenario is the Word of the Mother, BUT that is a discussion for another time...  

So anyway, the original Minfilia possesses child Minfilia to make sure she would go with Thancred and does not try to flee from him, so she makes this body run along with him, and when she senses child Minfilia’s body is too tired to escape from him, she releases her gripe. This first possession and taste of her old self, included with seeing Thancred again, stirred something up in SHB Minfilia. I do headcanon that this event triggered recollections of the original Minfilia into Mini-filia.

Again, it would not be the ‘ooooh so THAT is who I was’ type of thing, it would rather be fragments here and there revealing themselves that she would have to interpret. I believe it would be rather frightening at first, and she would struggle greatly with comprehending what she actually experiences. This would naturally also add to her whole ‘who am I?’ inner conflict going on. I have written a few IC responses where such a memory strikes, and I tend to write Minfilia’s inner monologue more chaotic than usual, especially when influences from the Word of the Mother strikes as well. 

So to summarize; Prior to meeting Thancred, SHB Minfilia recalls nothing of the Source, only bits and pieces from the First of what happened to the generations of Minfilias before her. When he barges in to where she is held and she does not want to go with him, the original Minfilia possesses her mind in order to get her out of there, and does not leave until ensuring her successor’s body is too tired to run away from him. Meeting Thancred and being possessed triggers old memories to resurface in SHB Minfilia’s mind, and she is struggling to comprehend what it means. 

                                  ᴍᴇᴍᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ 1000 ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɢᴏ ; @garuvusu

Whispers, thorns, shackles ; A certain sentiment of being PULLED AWAY washed over scion leader in secluded imprisonment, turbulence, SCREAMS from the inside. A voice getting louder and louder, telling tales of a broken past into the mind of HER EMISSARY, bright, bright gaze staring into fractured husk ( HE IS DARKNESS, CHILD! ) The attack on SCION’S HEADQUARTERS surprising more than anything, a strong sense of worry blending in with MOTHER’S SCREAMS, worry towards what might be awaiting when all this was over ; Recall heavy boots slamming against cold ground with a force akin to thunder, metallic sound of drawn blades, doors torn asunder, wooden crates smashed to bits… Light eclipsed in the eye of the Empire, leaving space for TRUE EVIL to take root ; Is that why you brought me here, Mother?  

“I can tell,” Scion spat back, glaring at the large male with sheer detest painting pale features ; Seems like the EMPEROR’S LAPDOG gave up on failed attempts to force cooperation, resulting in this unfortunate meeting with leader himself — Resulting in a certain sense of CAUTION lacing into voice and demeanor ; One was determined to STAY HER GROUND, but deemed unnecessary provoking not the right approach to go. Nevertheless, SCION LEADER was well aware of why she was brought to the encampment, and had no intention of making their work easier ; HER ECHO unlike any other, more akin to a warning, a call from above.

Oh, but was this not a HABIT by now — Routine hammered into child’s skull, being tossed, torn and twisted between one guardian to the next, confronted with the same look of disdain etched into their faces. THANCRED ( your saviour! ) cold akin to stone and Y’SHTOLA hard like a rock, forcing one to become small, oh so small, URIANGER warm and kind, but yet, his gaze more oft than not heavy with grief and regret. Little girl nearly panicked when GUNBREAKER would on occasion leave camp, for she felt he was the only one left who, despite all, desired to keep one alive, while it mattered little to the others. The girl wondered and wondered what one could have done to cause such PAIN within cherished companions one would have loved to call family ( and perhaps once even did ) for no act of kindness seemed to repair broken bonds even the slightest. 

Maybe she should die and be REBORN in a simpler place — Look around, LOOK AROUND  new bodies are everywhere.  

WARRIOR OF LIGHT / DARKNESS different in more ways than one ( you awaited her arrival, did you not? ) and more... Tolerating of own presence. Hence why little one searched for HER while others were missing — Oh, tell me, warrior, is your path too littered with gravestones carrying your name? Tell me about the light you carry, about adventures in the SOURCE! Reassuring squeeze triggered a petite smile across pale features ; That kind of WARMTH had been missing for quite some time ( hush, child, MOTHER is always within you, engulfing you with light unlike any other ), confirming little girl’s assumptions about it being a good idea to seek her out. Truth be told, one knew Y’shtola was in her HUT, and the last thing GUARDIAN had said before leaving was to go to her HER — But the girl knew one would be nothing but a NUISANCE for the other, and wished to spare sorceress of the trouble. 

“Mhm!” the girl hummed in response, offering the other an enthusiastic nod. ( Oh little one, you need a moment to flee from PITIFUL EXISTENCE, do you not? ) Fingers clasped around her chin as she pondered, followed by eyelid’s playful flutter towards the other when something came to mind — Not too long ago, Urianger had taken her for a walk in the forest, teaching her about the local fauna and flora, one had found the BIRDS most intriguing.  

                            MEME FROM 1000 YEARS AGO ; @sanguince   ____________________________________________________________________ 

Ah yes... Listen to the utter disappointment laced into his voice, one, a little girl knew was coming whenever his gaze turned sharp and eyebrows furrowed. Strong arms folded, head bowed down — One had learnt to read the signs, despite only being in the company of the other for a mere few days. This lost sheep tossed aside from former body by MOTHER’S HAND ( some NEVER won one for the reaper ; some were stolen and only half returned ) silver hood framing innocent face, turquoise eyes locking with its counterpart as if searching for an answer to where gunblader’s hatred came from. 

Akin to crystalline thorns wrapping tighter and tighter around child’s neck, pulling, pulling, PULLING, his words cut into tender flesh, little girl not yet comprehending the extent of OWN USELESSNESS. 

Whispers of suppressed past RESURFACED in his presence ; One recalled when HE first showed up at old home ( what before was deemed as NORMAL now seemed like distant dream ), blasting apart the door to her room / CELL, fighting, fighting, ever fighting with little one held tightly locked within his grip. Ah... But that was not you / HER ? right? ( No. ) HER / Minfilia taking over when own mind only wished to STAY, releasing firm grip when the body of this NEW ONE became too tired to run, waking up in the cradle of new patron ; WHY OH WHY would he go to such great lengths to retrieve what one could believe was the remnants of childhood friend and LEADER, only to show her the true meaning of bitterness and despite? 

Mouth opened as if to respond but seemed glued shut, head offering the other a small nod in agreement. What could one do except APOLOGIZE? Fall on her knees and beg for absolution, attempt to redeem what futile self could not accomplish? 

‘ WHY RUN? ‘ little girl had questioned, rather wishing to alert the guards to cut down this strange man wielding a gunblade, barging in shortly before supper. Resistant, at first one had BEGGED AND PLEADED to be taken back to her master, crying she would be trouble when Ran’jit found out this disobedience, disregarding given schedule and LEAVING FATHER’S SIDE when promising never to. There had been an image looming in the back of puzzled mind ; An image of a young woman clad in purest white with arms reaching out, face framed by long, blonde hair wrapped around pink, silken threads, engulfed by a light beaming so bright it became impossible to see her face nor distinguish any types of features. She whispered of a past where one had been cut down like a diamond, sacrificed by those a FORMER SELF had deemed family, leaving one alone to repair herself. ( ‘ FOLLOW HIM ‘ ) woman had whispered, fingertips reaching out to brush own palm followed by locking hand in a firm grip, own mind drawing a blank as feet steered her out of the building. 

There was a sudden warmth followed by awful cold, PANICKED SENTIMENTS washing over sacred being while former self TOOK OVER — Scared, frozen ( this lost sheep of HYDAELYN ) , reborn self spat out when legs had given up; pushed back into reality, carefully placed onto a soft spot of grass when NEW PATRON had deemed their environment save enough to stop running, tucking silver coat over stale limbs and torso. Pale-blue eyes peeked through half-opened, half-shut eyelids, blurry gaze focusing on hunched man rubbing two stones together over a pile of sticks, attempting to ignite a spark, pleased grunt escaping his lips as dried sticks caught on fire. ( ‘YOU KNOW HIM!‘ ) Do I? ( ‘YES!’ ) Gaze flits around searching for something FAMILIAR, fingertips wrapping around silver hood to pull it tighter around her face. Scent of something wild ( fish, perhaps? ) filled her nostrils, reminding the girl of forgotten hunger. Ah, recall scenarios so similar to this one, ROASTING MEAT she had hunt down with Eulmorian soldier over an open fire. Remember how MAKESHIFT FATHER had denied little girl food until until a certain quota of sin eaters had been killed, or a certain battle technique had been masted — Despite learning it over and over before ; MASTER THOUGHT she forgot with each passing, but oh, certain abilities were carried over from one body to the next. 

Tentatively, one sat up, daring to lock gazes with the man one was sure to have met before, without recalling when or where ; Akin to looking at a blurred photograph or shattered pieces of  mirror glass, the picture never seemed quite clear. He looked battleworn, white coat with black buttons draped across his shoulders, hands clad in leather gloves, hair as silver has his weapon. ( ‘HEAR, CHILD!’ ) He was close to HER, no? ( ‘WHO?’ )  MINFILIA!  ( ‘FEEL, CHILD!’ ) One knew, ONE KNEW — PATRON OF FORMER SELF ? ( ‘THINK CHILD, RECALL WHAT HE DID! ) I don’t want to ; But why did he look so sad? ( ‘RECALL THE DAY YOU FLED FROM LIFE AGAIN!’ )