Sin
By: Jasin Cunth
January 25, 2006
Introduction
In every planet, an energy source is always present in order for the planet to function. This power is called Lifestream. The substance is pure energy, taking the forms of solids and liquids. Lifestream makes everything on the planet, oceans, lands, mountains. A planet often uses Lifestream to keep itself from crashing into other planets, which would cause a giant celestial explosion that has a great possibility to destroy a thousand galactic bodies due to an overload of Lifestream. The essence is a savior and killer. However, planets have never collided because Lifestream controls the planet and, therefore, everything.
Out of the numerous planets in the universe, only one is known to contain life. This planet is Gaia. However, scientists on Gaia are making vain efforts to discover life on other planets and have been studying one that looks to have living beings on it, naming it Luna. Gaia is a well-developed planet with a vast population and hundreds of cities. As with everything, there is constant conflict which leads to wars, but this usually ends quickly and never impedes Gaia's people from advancing.
Gaia is mainly divided into four sections, craggy mountains, breezy grasslands, humid forests, and a glacier area. The planet is also filled with water. No set government is established in any of these areas, but there is a grand ruler of all Gaia. Even though they are separated, each geographical kingdom depends on each other. For example, the fields of Gaia produce the people's crops, such as rice, corn, wheat, and sugar. These products are then transformed into various foods to ship out to supply those throughout Gaia.
Mankind on the planet has very complex philosophies. Their main religion is the Teachings of Yevon. It forbids any use of machina, or machines. Although this makes life more difficult, the people manage. There are those who do not believe in Yevon and call themselves Al Bhed. This people have their own unique language. In the eyes of society, Al Bhed are seen to be kidnappers and killers.
Yevon is believed to have made everything, including Lifestream. It had two children, a girl named Yunalesca and a boy named Zaon. They were said to have created Gaia and its features. As the two grew older, they began to dispute with each other about who would rule Gaia and turned to violence. They called forth heavenly beings under their control to combat. These beings were known as aeons. Dueling with these new found creatures, neither one had the advantage since Yevon created all aeons, although their purpose was to protect, not fight. Yevon watched them fight and never shed a tear as it sealed both of them into the ruins of a city as unsents. Unsents were people who had died and not been given a Sending, which guides them to the Farplane where they can rest in piece. If not, their envy of the living turns to hate and morphs them back on to Gaia as grotesque fiends. Yevon allowed Yunalesca and Zaon to keep their original forms.
After dispelling its sinful offspring, Yevon worked to right their wrongs. The aeons were imprisoned in stone statues in temples all over Gaia. Nobody, unless on of great need, could ever draw an aeon from its prison. Secondly, Yevon created other humans to take the places of Yunalesca and Zaon. The people flourished under its eyes, learning new things like farming, fighting, and forging. Years passed, and more evolutions came to the people until present day, 1593 AB (After the Banishing). Each year consists of four hundred days. Ten days make a week. Four weeks make a month. Ten months make a year.
In 189 an occurrence changed the world forever. Out of space, a meteor-like object collided into Gaia. It was said that anywhere near it was as cold as winter year round. At first, nobody would touch it because they thought the meteor would cause the explosion. However, after a month passed and nothing happened, archaeologists studied the sphere. They were able to determine that the outside was a protection layer, thus showing that something was inside. With the help of many others, these people extracted an otherworldly being, naming it JENOVA. The alien was placed in a case filled with liquid Lifestream. Scientists made constant studies on JENOVA with great interest. It was determined that JENOVA was a female, but her intricate origin was out of their league.
One night, JENOVA made a mysterious disappearance. Her capsule remained untouched, but she herself had evaporated into thin air. The final conclusion was that JENOVA had decided not to remain on Gaia.
A year following the departure of JENOVA, the disease known as Geostigma surfaced among Gaia's people. This sickness is spread all over Gaia. Fortunately, the ratio of those with Geostigma and those without is one to twenty. Geostigma is an epidemic that leaves the infected with a dark brown scar somewhere on their body. It has been hypothesized that it has something to do with Lifestream and mana.
Every human on Gaia has a flow in the body, just like Lifestream. Inside everybody is a tiny bit of Lifestream, as how Yevon made it. The little piece controls everything to keep humans living and produces a liquid called mana. Mana releases blood and other liquids and products for the proper functioning of the body. Another use of mana is to fight disease. Clerics and healers believe that Geostigma is a virus in the Lifestream in the body and mana combats the disease. However, the scar, origin of Geostigma, and pain from the plague were unable to be explained.
A scientist by the name of Dr. Odine discovered the truth of Geostigma. JENOVA had been gathering her power for a year and managed to "dig" into Gaia's Lifestream. Her cells worked furiously to enslave Gaia, but Lifestream was fighting to exorcise itself. When JENOVA entered Gaia's Lifestream, it was poisoned by her cells, thus creating Geostigma in the people. Mana always battles Geostigma, but on certain occasions, Geostigma absorbs the mana to make more Geostigma cells. This would cause the person infected much pain. The scar is the main source of this activity.
Dr. Odine also searched for a cure for Geostigma. JENOVA split her soul in half, maintaining her mental form in the Lifestream while her physical form on Gaia. Her physical form was a monstrous flying behemoth with the vague shape of a mixture of a shark and a whale. It was named Sin. Sin terrorized the people, killing off many and turning the whole planet around. However, Sin was defeated by a young man named Cid and his two companions, Auron and Jasin. Right before he left his hometown, Cid left his two year old son, also named Cid, in the care of an old couple. With the help of the aeons, Cid managed to weaken Sin greatly. He used the Final Aeon to lay the killing blow on Sin, but he had to choose one of his friends to sacrifice for the Lifestream to support the Final Aeon. As Sin was destroyed, a round object of mixed colors exited the body of Sin and implanted itself into Jasin, the Final Aeon's sacrifice. Sin was vanquished, but JENOVA took over the Final Aeon. Not only did JENOVA kill Jasin, but she also killed Cid as well. Auron received a great deal of wounds before managing to find safe haven. Every year, there is one person who will defeat Sin using the Final Aeon. Sin is always reborn because JENOVA takes over the Final Aeon, who becomes another Sin in time. After the defeat of Sin, however, there is a time of peace where there is no JENOVA on Gaia. The interim is called the Calm.
Even though the Final Aeon required two lives, there were those willing to pay the price to see the people of Gaia happy. Among those was Jasin's daughter, Sara.
