FFX1.1

Summary: Here you learn my version of what caused Bevelle to start the machina war with Zanarkand: Greedy Aliens bent on exploring the Farplane energy. (For a discussion on Farplane Energy and it's uses n FFX see the Appendix)

---1,010 years ago - The abandoned Pyrefly Research Lab

Digging through long lost Galaxy League ruins Tar-Sec discovers Spira's h-pyrefly records. Astonished he reads about a planet where it's people release small spheres of pure magic energy when they die, energy that can be harnessed and used to create powerful magic weapons or to concoct powerful magic potions. Unconvinced that such a thing would exist and remain hidden for 3,000 years he almost throws the records away but he stumbles on a locked box. When he opens the locked box several tiny spheres of light float away. Tar Sec sees a vial of amber fluid and a strange gun inside the box.

He picks up the gun curiously. It looks just like a large shotgun like the ones at the Galaxy's museums but has a strange colorful circle with carved rune inscriptions surrounding the muzzle of the gun. Cautiously, he aims it at the opposing wall and pulls the trigger slowly. A sphere of light forms in front of the gun and seems to suck all that is around it, except him and everything behind him and his gun. The light sphere starts growing and getting blue, forming large blue sphere of light which gets larger and brighter until it suddenly explodes pulverizing all that was around it, again sparing only the gun and the stuff behind it.

- "Holy Shit! This thing looks like a supernova on a bullet!" he thinks to himself. He tries to shoot again but now the gun won't work. Frantic he looks for a place to load it, and digs the bottom of the box for bullets. But all that is there is the vial of amber liquid. That must be it, he thinks and looks at the gun again, finally spotting a little latch that releases a spout to drop liquid, the spout still moist with some amber liquid, similar to the one in the vial. The spout has the world "pyreflies" written above it. "Holly Guacamole! This is the name that the records gave for the planet's energy balls. Does this means this planet is for real ? This will be worth tons of Gil!" he thinks amazed. He gathers all the records, the gun and the vial of liquid and reloads the gun. Aiming at the place the records were found he shoots another "supernova" bullet and obliterates all remaining clues to his treasure. Now he is the only one who will ever know about it, Tar-Sec thinks smugly.

Six months later Tar-Sec is sitting on a large battle cruiser's bridge, being fussed on by two gorgeous females.

- "Where to ?" asks the ship's captain

- "I will enter the coordinates myself, if you don't mind" says Tar-Sec. This is his my discovery, I get to do the important decisions" he says smugly

After a week of hyper-jumps and refueling stops Tar-Sec's spaceship arrives at the outskirts of Spira's solar system. It was the first time in 3,000 years that any spaceship had crossed that remote region of space. It looked like it too, with no defense shields, no space stations to dock their ship to and no hyperlight transmissions in the vicinity…

The ship entered in a large orbit around Spira, while Tar-Sec and his team discussed their approach at the ship's briefing room. Despite the ship's captains wishes they couldn't just kill all in Spira.

- "The records are quite clear: only Spira's humanoid species can create the pyreflies we need. If we kill all now there will be no more pyreflies after the ones we harvest today" said the ship's science officer

- "Yes meth breather. You have to control yourselves here. Kill them today and you will have no money left eventually. Is that what you want ? Is that what your emperor will want in 5 years ?" said Tar-Sec to the bloodthirsty captain

- "No, we want a steady supply of Spira pyreflies. But who is going to harvest them ? Do you want to live in this hell hole ? Our species can not" answered the ship's captain

- "Hell no! We need to find some local who is willing to work for us. Someone who can tend the pyrefly producing beings" said Tar-Sec

- "Well, the only intelligent species there are the humanoid themselves. Would a humanoid agree to betray his fellow humanoids ?" asks the ship's science officer. He was fascinated! He had heard humanoid ethics were quite different than his species "Survival of the fittest" ethics. Tar-Sec's ethics didn't seem much different from his own. . He wondered how different the humanoids really were.

- "Oh, we can find a way to persuade them" said the captain smiling cruelly

- "Precisely! I will tell the strongest clans we will kill them if they don't agree to supply us with their weakest and I'm sure we will get a great ally down there" said Tar-Sec smiling

Tar Sec asked the ship's transport officer to beam him close to a large city by the shore, on the largest continent. In there Tar-Sec found out that the people of Spira spoke an old form of Galaxy Standard so he didn't need to bother with translators. Luck was with him! He didn't want to have to spend too much time in the hell hole. No lifts, no shuttles, no grav beds, few bars and very primitive drugs. The whole planet was a dump!

Tar-Sec quickly found out from the trusting people in the city that Spira's strongest clans were the mages of Zanarkand - who apparently could do some impressive feats for someone so backwards - and the technologically inclined people from Bevelle. None of the Spira clans could compete with a fully armed battle cruiser. The poor saps didn't even know what a spaceship was! Intimidating them into compliance would be easy, he thought smugly. He contacted the rulers of both clans, surprising them almost into panic by tele-transporting himself into their inner sanctum and then bringing them by force to see his ship. After such a trip the people fom Bevelle and Zanarkand could not deny how much they were outmatched by Tar-Sec's ship.

Bevelle's rulers accepted the role Tar-Sec forced on them. The main council in Zanarkand refused. "I'll get them next time" thought Tar-Sec eager to leave that primitive place and get back to the luxury that waited him at his return. The meth breathers had managed to duplicate the supernova guns - that's why he partnered with them - and told him it was not hard for their industries to produce thousands of those, but they could not duplicate the magic fluid that made it work. No one could. It was priceless. And he had a ship's hull full to the brim with it. That was going to be some commission credit sheet he would get from the meth breathers. And the best part was that they needed Tar -Sec for any other shipment. They could not breathe the air in Spira. The meth breathers could not even approach the planet past it's grav line, something on the planet irradiated a pulse field that made them deadly ill. Perfect for his plans!

--- 1,010 years ago - Bevelle's First Betrayal

The Bevellians gave Tar-Sec's ship a fluid imbued with all the energy that they had gathered in the Farplane so far and the ship departed to take it's precious cargo to the meth breathers home world. Unbeknown to most in Spira, now Bevelle would use the process that they had been doing for the last 3,500 years to fuel Spira's machines to give the energy to Tar-Sec's people. .

Bevelle would no longer use the harnessed energy to benefit all in Spira. The h-pyreflies released by Spira's natural deaths and harnessed by Bevelle's huge machines would now be mixed with water and stored in vast underground lakes, to give to Tar-Sec when (if?) he returned. The Zanarkand rulers did know about Bevelle's theft but there was nothing they could do short of starting a war with Bevelle. They hoped that the alien ship would never return for if it did return there would be trouble for sure.

The Guado started noticing some curious depleting of the energy of the Farplane realm, the place where they had stored Spira's h-pyreflies for the last 3,500 years but they could not pinpoint the source of the disturbance. They send word to Bevelle about it, asking if the energy harnessing machines there were having some trouble. Bevelle denied any problems. "Our machines are in perfect order" they told the Guado.

--- 1,000 years ago - Bevelle's Second Betrayal

Unfortunately the aliens and Tar-Sec eventually ran out of money, the fortune made with the cargo spent in lavish luxury for all involved, so ten years later he was back with a larger ship, demanding a much larger load of pyrefly loaded water from the Bevelle Maester.

- "But, but we can't ! We have nowhere to take it from! There haven't been enough natural deaths in Spira on the last 10 years to produce that much h-fluid!" said the Bevelle Maester distressed

- "Who said you have to wait for natural deaths ? Just kill all in one or two cities and you have enough. Why didn't you start by killing those bastards at Zanarkand ? The ones who refused to deal with us last time " said a ruthless Tar-Sec, by now too used to his money and power to even think twice about killing thousands of intelligent beings

- "But, but.. Sir! We couldn't possibly…" said the Maester

- "You want me to do the killing for you ? My ship will start it's killing in Bevelle if I have to do it. " said Tar-Sec coldly

- "No Sir, that won't be necessary. Give me some time and I will deliver the h-fluid to you as requested." said the Maester

- "Make sure you destroy those disrespectful Zanarkand Mages and their prideful city and you can have an year said Tar-Sec icily and beamed out of Bevelle's tower

Seeing no choice but to yield or fight Tar-Sec, a fight he was unwilling to risk, the Maester decided to commission his techs to build the deadlier weapons they could muster and to declare war against Zanarkand.

The Maester told the news to the his 2 praetors, his colleagues and subordinates in the Bevelle council. They were the only ones in Bevelle who knew the terrible secret, who knew what Bevelle had been doing with the pyreflies energy harvested from the Guado Farplane. They and the Zanarkand rulers had been the only ones to know 10 years ago, and the Maester had decided to keep it this way, hoping Tar-Sec's cursed ship never returned. Fortunately the Zanarkand Council had decided to keep it under wraps also. No one in Spira needed to know Bevelle's betrayal now if I kill their Council the Bevelle Maester thought unhappily, trying to find a positive thing about the brutal massacre his people would be forced to impinge on the people from Zanarkand, their own kin in a way.

Bevelle has just 1 year to deliver millions of pyreflies to the alien Tar-Sec, who also demanded that they destroy Zanarkand. In a meeting with his two aides the Bevelle Maester tells them about his decision to start a war against Zanarkand: The Bevelle / Zanarkand War, as it will be known for the next 1,000 years. The same war that is mentioned in FFX and FFX2 (the game doesn't tell us how or why the war started )

The Bevelle Maester and the praetors concluded that their soldiers had to kill almost all Zanarkand people to get the millions of pyreflies they needed. Besides, they also had to appease the crazed alien Tar Sec's lust for vengeance against the Zanarkand mages refusal to help him 10 years ago. So the Bevelle Maester issued a standing order: "Take no Prisoners. Kill them all". The 3 Bevelle Council members had to weave many, many lies to justify that absurd order, but they got the murderous force they wanted. Bevelle's mages were ordered to cast Berserk spells in all troops before each battle and the Bevelle Commanders were told to spare no man, keep on pressing ahead regardless of how many casualties their own troops sustained.

But the Bevelle Maester did think about opposing the murderous scheme, at least once. He had high hopes for his city techs. If they worked hard at building the deadlier weapons they could , perhaps, build a weapon strong enough to defeat the murderous alien! And he would be rid of the cursed ship he thought wistfully. But that tiny spark of rebellion didn't last for long in the Bevelle's Maester's cold calculating heart. He had made this mistake once, having the naivete to think Tar-Sec's customers would be satisfied with just one shipment. They would not. If they killed Tar-Sec the greedy green aliens would just send another puppet head to deal with Spira, perhaps even worse than Tar-Sec.

--- 1,000 years ago - The Machina War starts

Soon a ship from Zanarkand was cowardly attacked without warning by troops and machina from Bevelle. Zanarkand sent an envoy to the Bevelle Council demanding an explanation. Upon receiving news that their envoy was killed and other ships and caravans were attacked by uniformed Bevelle soldiers the Zanarkand Council had no choice but to go to war against Bevelle.

The war was the worst Spira had seen. Bevelle troops were clearly aiming to inflict the most casualties they could and had no concern for their own troops survival either. The troops took no prisoners, killing survivors and even their own wounded on the spot, as if bewitched into an insane blood lust by a berserk spell. And the Bevelle machina were even worse. Zanarkand sent emissaries non-stop to talk some sense into the Bevelle's Maester and it's command people, to plead with them to stop attacking, end the brutal carnage and attack the real enemy: the alien ship. But the Bevelle Maester and his 2 praetors had secluded themselves in Bevelle's Via Infinito underground bunker, protected by 100 floors of fearsome monsters and kept issuing orders for their troops to march on to Zanarkand, killing all that stood in their path. And no one else in Bevelle seemed to know anything about an alien ship. The war was simply unstopable.

Seeing no alternatives, the Zanarkand Council members decided to fight to the death but never yield to the aliens murderous scheme. They had stayed out of Bevelle's business 10 years ago, because it only involved giving away some pre-existent energy from the Farplane, and they knew Bevelle didn't have that much choice at the time. Ten years ago Zanarkand itself had only two choices: look away from Bevelle's theft of Spira's riches or be killed by Bevelle's partner Tar-Sec. But this time it was different. This time it was not only theft. This time the lives of the people from Zanarkand were at stake. Bevelle's insane masters must be demanding more pyreflies, as Bevelle was clearly aiming to inflict the most casualties it could. Their goal was clearly mass murder to get the valuable h-pyreflies of Spira's sentient beings. How Bevelle was still aiding the insane murderer Tar-Sec was beyond belief!

The war raged on, a dirty, cruel and violent war. Soon Tar-Sec's year was almost up and the stock of h-fluid was nowhere near where it needed to be to appease him. The Bevelle Maester and his 2 praetors were frantic. They had to find a way to spare Bevelle (and their own arse) from Tar-Sec's ire. They needed thousands of people in Spira to die and soon but how ? Zanarkand defenses were proving very hard to overcome. Aided by their Remien allies in the prairie before the mountains and by the Ronso on Gagazet the mages had managed to stop Bevelle's troops advance for months.

That is when the Bevelle techs had come up with a killing machine that used h-pyrefly energy to power a large plasma cannon capable of killing millions. Alerted by his spies on Bevelle councilman Shuyin decided to send people to try to sabotage the machine and failed. Unfortunately, this alerted Bevelle about his spying. In their fear of any additional Zanarkand spies the techs went too far. They made the huge machina so advanced that it could gather energy independently from the Farplane, could sense the mood of anyone nearby and could even move itself or defend itself if it sensed a threat nearby. Because of that feature, the huge machina - called Vegnagun - proved to be too hard to control: upon sensing any fear nearby or even some slightly negative thoughts about itself Vegnagun switched to defense mode. And who would not fear such a huge mechanic monster ? Worse, on defense mode the crazed machina went on a deadly rampage against anything that feared it or disliked it. Hence the Bevelle troops could not use Vegnagun as it could just as well kill people in Bevelle as it would kill any others.. Even more unfortunate, embarrassed at his failure, councilman Shuyin decided to keep Vegnagun's existence and his failed attempt to sabotage it a secret. No one else in Zanarkand would learn about it all until he could destroy Vegnagun for good, Shuyin thought to himself.…

Meanwhile Yu Yevon, Zanarkand's most powerful Summoner, was sent as an envoy to Bevelle's Via Infinito to plead once again with the 3 council members to stop that mad war and join Zanarkand in fighting the aliens. Yu Yevon was probably the only one in Spira to able to pass the 100 floors of monsters of Via Infinito by himself. He did so with ease, but while he battled the fiends of each floor he thought about what he was about to do. He had no illusions about his ability to persuade the Maester and his praetors to change course. Yu Yevon was fully aware that Zanarkand was losing the battle. Besides ,Yu Yevon was no fool, just like the Bevelle Maester he also knew that killing Tar-Sec wouldn't solve anything. Tar-Sec was just the tail of a very long furious snake . Cutting him would only annoy the snake into being even more ruthless. Irrelevant! Yu Yevon thought and sighed. It's not like Zanarkand had any chance in hell of winning the battle against the alien ship. Not by itself without help from any other Spirans!

At the bottom of the Via Infinito cloister Yu Yevon found Bevelle's Maester and his 2 praetors cowering with fear and remorse from the madness they had unleashed. Fully aware that his guards didn't stand a chance against Zanarkand's top Summoner, the Bevelle Maester decided to give Yu Yevon the explanations he demanded. The Maester told Yu Yevon of their predicament: Bevelle has just 1 year to deliver millions of pyreflies to the alien Tar-Sec, who also demanded that they destroy Zanarkand. That is the reason they started the Bevelle / Zanarkand War.

- "You must destroy my city ?" asked You Yevon alarmed. The thought of destroying the city where his family had lived and ruled for generations disturbed him a lot

- "Unfortunately the alien Tar-Sec didn't take Zanarkand's refusal to help ten years ago kindly. His last words before disappearing out were "Make sure you destroy those disrespectful Zanarkand Mages and their prideful city" said the Maester adding that Tar-Sec had offered to do the killing himself, indiscriminately

- "I see.. This means Zanarkand's days are numbered anyway. It is either now or in a year" said Yu Yevon evaluating his alternatives and seeing no way to spare Zanarkand from the aliens or their willing servants in Bevelle.

- "Yes. But the year is already half gone and we don't have enough pyreflies. I fear we will both be destroyed by their ship anyway if we don't manage to find a solution to this problem soon" said one of the praetors

- "I have no sympathy for your troubles in stealing Spira's life force to give to your alien master! For the last time I plead, won't you join us and battle the alien, Spira's true enemy ?" asked Yu Yevon, already knowing the answer he would get form Bevelle

- "I am sorry High Summoner but we must decline. Even our most powerful weapon, a machina colossus called Vegnagun, is but a mere insect to Tar-Sec's ship." said the Maester

- "Sometimes you have to dance with the Devil to survive, and Bevelle will survive no matter who we need to ally ourselves with" continued the Maester coldly

- "Very well then. I need to go back to the Zanarkand Council with this news ASAP so I will let you keep your miserable, treacherous lives" said Yu Yevon and disappeared into thin air using a teleporting spell he had recently discovered

- "Wow! How did he do that ? Perhaps those Zanarkand mages can be stronger than Tar Sec after all.." said one of the praetors

- "Perhaps. But will they be stronger than the new guy the aliens send after Tar Sec's does not return home ?" asked the Maester intently

The Maester proceeded to explain to his praetors his thoughts about he futility of destroying Tar Sec's ship to end their problems. Both Praetors where forced to agree. Meanwhile Yu Yevon was approaching the Prairie Lands on foot, his magic points depleted after all his battles to get to the bottom of Bevelle's Cloister and after teleporting himself to the High Bridge. His spell points were so low that he was only able to summon a weak small flying Aeon, a beginners Aeon - Valefor -to take him over the prairie were Bevelle's and Zanarkand's troops were battling. After dispensing Valefor at the foot of mount Gagazet Yu Yevon went to look for Keelane the leader of the Ronso, to discuss the news and to get some magic potions to replenish his magic energy.

---- 1,000 BG – An Impenetrable Shield for Zanarkand ?

Back in Zanarkand Yu Yevon assembled the council and told them of Tar-Sec's demand that Bevelle destroy the city and it's mages, lest both cities be destroyed by his spaceship.

- "The people in Bevelle feel they have no choice, it is either destroy Zanarkand or get destroyed by the alien ship in a year, with Zanarkand destroyed also" said Yu Yevon

- "If Bevelle would only join us! We might have a chance against the alien ship!" said Lord Yokum desolated at Bevelle's cowardice

- " Ha! Those machina freaks ? Fat chance! Didn't you hear Yu Yevon ? After they saw how powerful the alien ship's machina was, the Bevelle's cowardly rulers simply lost their last remains of a backbone. They won't even try to outmatch the alien's gizmos.." said Lord O'akka sniffing in contempt

- "Well they do have a point, the alien's machina is extremely powerful. Bevelle is convinced their machina can't beat it and I'm not sure our magic can" said Lady Rahla

- "The aliens are coming here for our magic, aren't them ? With all their gizmos they want our pyreflies and the magic in them. Doesn't this mean OUR pyreflies can yield even more power than the aliens machina ?" asked Lord Kyouyu, provokingly

- "Why yes… That's right!" a couple of council member said interested

Yu Yevon puzzled at Lord Kyouyu's words. The old sage had a point. If the aliens coveted their magic that meant there was some way to use it that outmatched their precious alien machina.

- "There must be a way to convert pyreflies into a weapon, or at least a shield!" Yu Yevon said

- "Haven't you heard of the ancient legend ? Legend said that a formidable weapon could be built with the Spirans pyreflies and that was why the Farplane and Bevelle's machina were built" answered Lord Kyouyu

- "Really ? Perhaps we can find a way to defeat those crazy Bevelle rulers and bring our Spira back to normal" said Lord Yokum excited at the idea

"We could if we had more time. Bevelle's troops are being held by our loyal allies in Remien City but in just a matter of weeks until they break through and reach Mt. Gagazet. After that Zanarkand has 2 days at the most" said Lord Kyouyu

- "Not weeks, days" said Shuyin, Zanarkand's youngest council member, finally telling the Council what he had heard about Vegnagun from his spies in Bevelle

- "But we must keep holding the Bevelle troops at Remien City!" cried Lord O'akka

- "I will personally make sure that we all we can do is being done" said Shuyin to the Council, and asked to be excused

- "The young Councilman is excused then. But a word of caution: Don't let your feelings for the leader of our battle mages interfere with your duty to Zanarkand" said Lord Yokum

- "Yes Sir, understood" said Shuyin and left.

Shuyin was frantic: As Lord Yokum had said, High Summoner Lenne, the love of his life was battling Bevelle in the front lines. She was the leader of Zanarkand's battle mages. He must protect her from Vegnagun, he promised her he would take care of her! he thought. He had lied to the Council, at this point he didn't care about Bevelle, Zanarkand or the war. Shuyin just wanted to see Lenne, to save her, to be with her and protect her from harm.. He couldn't imagine being able to live without Lenne, particularly after all his silence about Vegnagun. She could be facing Vegnagun right now, oblivious to it's danger just because he decided to keep it's existence to himself!

Shuyin had heard about Vegnagun weeks ago but kept it secret even from Lenne, after his spies failed to destroy it. The details he got recently got him even more worried than before. He now wondered how wise was his decision to keep Lenne and the Council completely in the dark. He had told the Zanarkand Council about Vegnagun today, but Shuyin had not told the Council about Vegnagun's ability to sense threats around it. He was going back to the meeting to tell the Council all he knew about the huge weapon but he had an inspiration: "Wait a minute! What if there is no Vegnagun ? What if I take Vegnagun away from Bevelle?" Shuyin mused… It would protect Lenne from harm and it could stop the cruel war.. That settles it, I'm doing it! Thought Shuyin while he hiked up Mt. Gagazet's trails.

On the Council Chambers the discussion continued:

- "Getting back to the idea of using our pyreflies in a weapon, I have some concerns" said Lord Kyouyu

- "Yes, we have already discussed there is no time for developing a weapon." said Lord O'akka smiling.. Was the elder sage starting to become forgetful ?

- "Even if there was time, it might not be a good idea" said Lord Kyouyu

- "What do you mean ?" asked Yu Yevon

- "We can not even control our most powerful creation! As you may recall, a final Aeon Summoning is the most powerful summoning one can do, but it is deadly for those who perform it: The Final Aeon gets uncontrollable and kills all around it including his Summoner. If we try to create something even more powerful than a Final Aeon we may get something even deadlier than a Final Aeon" said Lord Kyouyu wisely.

- "Nonsense old man, a lot has changed since you were the lead Summoner. I assure you I can find a way to control a Final Aeon or even something mightier ." said Yu Yevon arrogantly

- "Considering the alternatives we have, pretty much none, we should at least try! Let Yu Yevon work on a super Aeon. All in favor say Aye" said Lady Rahla

- "The ayes win. That settles it. We will give Yu Yevon until tomorrow to devise a way to Summon a powerful weapon" said Lord Yokum

- "A weapon or an impenetrable shield that could protect our doomed city… I'll see you all tomorrow, if you excuse me I have some Summoner research to do" said Yu Yevon and left

Yu Yevon spent the remainder of the day and the whole night puzzling over the issue, pouring over his immense library of Magic and Summoner Lore. He found his answer on the Forbidden Tomes section: A summoning had it's power multiplied manifold by using a fayth, i.e., the help of a person who had given his / her life willingly to serve the Magic community and agreed to have it's own pyreflies encased in a pyrefly stone, a body of water and light congealed in place by a gravity spell. It followed that two fayths having their pyreflies encased in the same fayth stone would be even more powerful. Sure enough, a century ago a summoner in Remien's Temple had succeeded in creating a team of 3 Aeons when 3 sisters agreed to be turned into Fayth. But such exercises were extremely tricky and no one was able to do another multiple people fayth stone until the entire procedure was forbidden twenty years ago. The ruling Zanarkand mages at that time said that they must block all new attempts after an entire city was lost in Bikanel due to an accident with a Summoner. An accident that, according to the ruling mages, had happened while the Summoner was attempting to build a fayth stone with 2 people. The hapless Summoner and his entire town had almost been blown out of the map.

- "Ha! I bet the old guys at the Zanarkand Magic Academy lied or exaggerated the story to keep Summoners from experimenting with multiple fayth, lest the student Summoners become more powerful than their teachers" snorted Yu Yevon.

He knew the type. All his life they had tried to hold him back, to refrain him from using his exceptional magic powers! Tradition, Caution ? That was all that Lord Kyouyu and others managed to say when they needed to justify their cowardice on trying new spells. Not this time! he thought. This year, after many years having to submit to his elders and magic teachers Yu Yevon had finally been chosen to be Zanarkand's Master Summoner. No one could say no to him now! Yu Yevon thought. Things would change a lot in Zanarkand and in the Summoning community he thought smugly, and kept on researching the Forbidden Tome for ways to expand the 2 fayth concept and ways to build powerful shields.

In the following morning Yu Yevon told the council of his findings: If he was granted volunteers willing to turn themselves into Fayth he could create the fantastic Weapon / Shield they had discussed.

- "I have my doubts you will be able to control such a huge Summoning" said Lord Kyouyu

- "You would, wouldn't you ?" answered Yu Yevon looking angrily at his old teacher who was again threatening to hold him back

- "Gentleman! We have a dire situation in our hands. Now is not the time to rekindle old battles. We will take Master Summoner Yu Yevon at his words" said Lord Yokum

- "Please proceed Master Summoner" said Lady Rahla

---- 1,000 years ago - Dreaming about peaceful Zanarkand

Yu Yevon proceeded to tell them about his theory that the more fayth he could encase in a single fayth stone, the more powerful Aeon it would be

- "Yes but how will you be able to prevent it from killing you ? You know what the Final Aeon summoning entails, don't you ?" said Lord Kyouyu

- "I found a very strong shield spell by the an old Black Mage called Sin. It uses pyreflies and gravity spells to weave a strong armor around a small target, in his case his prized Black Lore book of spells. It is a very strong shield, it took me months to break it." said Yu Yevon

- "I remember Sin's shielded book! It was one of the magical challenges at the Zanarkand Summoner Arts School, wasn't it Lord Kyouyu ?" asked Lord Yokum

- "Yes. Master Summoner Yevon was the first student to break the book's shield so he got the book as a prize… But the shield spell was for small objects, not for a city. Is it possible to expand it to encompass all Zanarkand ?" asked Lord Kyouyu

- "Unfortunately it takes millions of pyreflies just to build a strong shield in a size big enough to protect something as big as a child. But not all is lost" said Yu Yevon

- "I can alter his technique to weave an impenetrable shield out of billions of pyreflies to protect one adult person. I thought about using it to protect me from the Final Aeon. This way the Aeon can not kill me and I will be able to keep control of the Summoning" answered Yu Yevon with a satisfied grin.

- "Hmm.. It seems you found a solution to the Final Aeon Paradox. But where would you find all those pyreflies ?" said Lord Yokum

- "In Bevelle's stash of pyreflies that they are gathering to deliver to the alien" said Yu Yevon smugly. He had that brilliant insight last night. It was a flawless plan, he doubted even Lord Kyouyu could poke holes into it

- "Brilliant!" said Lord Yokum impressed at Yu Yevon's well thought out plan

- "Sir I beg you caution when using the Summoning arts in such an untested way. Yu Yevon wouldn't be the first over confident mage to court disaster" said Lord Kyouyu

"Please Lord Kyouyu, we discussed this already. We have little choice but to be bold here. Our city and our way of life is at stake. Surely preserving that is worth any sacrifice" said Lord Yokum

All council members with the exception of Lord Kyouyu agreed with him, unaware that those last sentences would haunt them for the next 1,000 years. "Our city and our way of life is at stake. Surely preserving that is worth any sacrifice" In the next millennium Yokum and his colleagues would find out that some sacrifices were just too much to ask of any living being.

Their council meeting was interrupted at this moment, when they got word that High Summoner Lenne and Councilman Shuyin have been seen in Bevelle, under pursuit from the Bevelle's troops, while the Zanarkand troops and their allies at Remien City and the prairies surrounding it were being decimated, apparently attacked by a huge machina. It seems their fate was closer than they thought

- "We have no time for arguing, we must proceed. How many fayth would you need ?" asked Lady Rahla to Yu Yevon

- "All of them. This city is doomed. Bevelle troops are under orders to take no prisoners. Why die at the hands of Bevelle's giant machina if you can become a fayth that aids us in protecting our way of life and our city ?" said Yu Yevon excited at his own brilliant plan

- "But how would we preserve our way of life and our city if all our people turn into fayth ?" asked Lord O'akka

- "I will use all the fayth to summon a city. Our City. The city of our dreams and hopes, untouched by war or enemies. It would be Zanarkand as much as this city is now, with people living their lives and going about their business, but a city indestructible and peerless, apart from the greed and violence from our world" said Yu Yevon passionately

- "But this Dream Zanarkand wouldn't have Summoners and would have very little magic, would it not ?" asked Lord Kyouyu, immediately zeroing in on the inherent limitation of a Dream City as Yu Yevon described: A Summoned city couldn't have it's summoned people summoning or casting magic or it would get unstable and dissolve into pyreflies

"Correct, no Summoners, very little magic. But also no war, no monsters and no enemies. A city at peace forever" said Yu Yevon

- "I want to see this city. I want to live in this dream of peace and harmony instead of spending the rest of my short life running away from Bevelle's troops. Yevon you have done it! I myself volunteer to be a fayth in your summoning" said Lady Rahla captivated by the idea

- "I think we can all agree Yu Yevon's plan is the most hopeful and bright we can have on such short time. Bevelle's attack is imminent, we have nary a moment to loose. I propose we put it for a vote" said Lord Yokum

- "Councilman if I may propose something slightly different ? Instead of a council vote why not make it a citizen vote? Let each citizen from Zanarkand volunteer to be part in this dream." said Lady Rahla

- "How about it fellows ?" said Lord Yokum and got answered by a chorus of "Aye' and "Long Live Zanarkand"

Like Lady Rahla most in Zanarkand were enthusiastic volunteers to be fayth, as soon as the Council gathered them all in the Zanarkand Dome and presented the situation. Pretty much all of the surviving people from Zanarkand decided to turn themselves into fayth, for a final, gigantic Summoning. Their Aeon would be an image of all that Zanarkand was in the past and what it could have been without Bevelle's war. The few reluctant ones were quickly convinced when they heard Bevelle's war horns sounding at the distance. Bevelle's troops had arrived at the foot of Mt. Gagazet and were being held by the brave Ronso but that would not last for long. In the end only Lord Kyouyu and the Zanarkand warrior mages who were struggling to contain the Bevelle troops did not join Yu Yevon. Most Zanarkand citizens agreed to be part of the massive fayth stone to be built at the spring in Zanarkand side of Mt. Gagazet's base.

Yu Yevon's only small regret was that his own daughter, Lady Yunalesca and her husband Lord Zaeon were not there to witness his magical prowess nor to join the massive fayth stone, as they had been aiding High Summoner Lenne at the front. No matter, he would be able to enjoy their company later and tell them all about it, as soon as he managed to complete the Summoning, Yu Yevon thought confidently…

---- He called it Sin

The people of Zanarkand started singing a hymn that described their defiance of Bevelle. Their Summoners would keep on dreaming in spite of Bevelle's attempts to destroy the city. The Zanarkand citizens kept on singing the hymn while Yu Yevon set up to work: He started by crafting the fayth stone, using the Mt. Gagazet spring waters to coalesce a giant gel like column with the pyreflies and souls of the volunteers from Zanarkand, still singing in their dreamlike trance state while being transformed into fayth. He then used a gravity spell to make the fayth stone solidify. Imbued with the raw power of hundreds of fayth Yu Yevon used all his skill to prepare to summon the dream version of his beloved Zanarkand. He set up a magic trap for himself, to make him Summon the dream of Zanarkand as soon as his impenetrable Sin shield was complete. This way, if he was stopped, even killed before hand by any Bevelle soldier he would still be able to complete his task, as long as his soul was intact. And after his Sin shield was complete it would keep him alive and / or his soul intact forever. No one would stop the creation of his Dream Zanarkand not even death itself.

After his preparations large drops of sweat rolled from Yu Yevon's brow. He was tired after all the effort of building the giant Zanarkand Fayth Stone and of setting up his strong magic trap. But he was not done so he took a MegaElixir and toiled on. Now Yu Yevon had to weave an impenetrable shield and armor with millions of pyreflies. He knew just where to find those millions of pyreflies: In Bevelle's subterranean water channels, by now saturated with the energy of the war dead. His people's pyreflies that had been collected by Bevelle to appease Tar-Sec. Poetic justice, he smiled as he tele-ported himself to their underground to collect the pyreflies. Bevelle had killed many from Zanarkand in that war, just to appease their master and now the many that were killed would still protect Zanarkand after their passing. His people's pyreflies would now be woven in an impenetrable shield and armor that would keep Dream Zanarkand safe forever. Immersed in such thoughts, Yu Yevon never wondered about the wisdom of using pyreflies from unsent war victims. He never considered how angry and lustful for revenge those distressed souls would be. And how dangerous it would be to give enormous power to angry, vengeful, distressed souls…

Instead, Yu Yevon congratulated himself again for having thought of that spell and that large cache of pyreflies. In his view, that incantation by the ancient Black Mage Sin was the perfect starting point for his armor and Bevelle's stash of pyreflies was the perfect energy source to expand the shield spell's powers. He decided to call his armor "Sin", in honor of the mage, and proceeded his weaving. The strain of controlling that much magical power was almost unbearable but Yu Yevon held on… He was almost done… Now! he thought and his magic trap activated, making him summon the Dream Zanarkand city as expected.

But at this precise moment Yu Yevon lost all ability to think coherently…The Summoning and the armor powers combined overwhelmed his brain, his magical energy and even his body. He stood motionless in front of the massive pillar with the faith, congealed in place like he had been turned into stone himself. Yet Yu Yevon was still alive, but barely. All that remained from him now was the link between his congealed physical body and his soul, which was somehow attached to his last spell and incantation. As long as he had this anchor to bind him to Spira Yu Yevon would summon Dream Zanarkand and cast Sin for the next 1,000 years, stopping only to gather more pyreflies when his Sin Armor was pierced by a High Summoner… His old magic trap made him keep summoning and rebuilding Sin as if the Bevelle troops were almost at Yu Yevon's feet in the Zanarkand spring, bent on killing him.

But after that day there were no enemy troops left to threaten Yu Yevon and no Zanarkand city left to defend. As soon as Yu Yevon lost conscience his impenetrable armor turned around and started pelting Zanarkand with deadly magic blasts, turning the city into rubble in a matter of minutes. Sin, the physical incarnation of despair, violence, anger and war, a mass murdering monster that hated the living and yearned for a revenge that would never come, was born that day. Sin would haunt Spira for the next 1,000 years, while Yu Yevon remained locked in his magic trap, summoning and rebuilding Sin, completely blind to the enormous harm his magic had caused and utterly incapable of controlling the monster he had created.

--- 1,000 years later – Game scene. Talk to Maechen at Mt. Gagazet's gate, after being to Zanarkand

1,000 years later Spira's resident scholar Maechen would describe the events that took place on that fateful day:

Maechen:

- "There is a legend, you know."

- "Just before the horrible Sin appeared..."

- "a terrible war raged between Bevelle and Zanarkand."

- "When the armies of Bevelle attacked Mount Gagazet, they heard a song echoing across the snowy slopes."

- ""'Tis a song from an otherworld," they said. The soldiers panicked and ran."

- "And then, as if to pursue the retreating armies, Sin appeared!"

- "Some time later, scouts from Bevelle braved the mountain."

- "On the other side, they witnessed the ruins that had been Zanarkand."

- "The city destroyed. Not a single soul left standing. Gone!"

- "In its place, a multitude of the fayth had gathered on Gagazet."

- "They were singing a song."

- "It's the song we now call the "Hymn of the Fayth.""

- "And that, as they say, is that."

- "Well...maybe not all of it."

Maechen proceeds to tell Tidus more about Yunalesca and her quest to save Spira (and, Maechen suspects, keep her father's name honorable?)

--- Footnote

(1) The details of how / why I chose this particular plot line – aliens - to justify Spira's war and Sin's Spiral of Death are in the first chapter of my fan fiction piece titled "FFX3 – A Possible Sequel for FFX and FFX2" The short version of it is that it allowed me to write a better sequel. Read it and see if you agree that I managed to make it fit well with the both FFX and FFX2 story lines!