[quote author=ForceStealer link=topic=17.msg220#msg220 date=1227938082]
[quote author=Makoeyes987 link=topic=17.msg188#msg188 date=1227907608]The "life" that spawns from this corrupted lifestream is usually "dark" like the Black Mages of FFIX, and Chaos. It's essentially a corrupt anti-thesis of the normal, healthy spirit energy. [/quote]
Not to take this discussion in an entirely different direction, but I'm just musing about how this compares to the black Lifestream in Advent Children. Don't misunderstand, I know it's not the same thing, the black Lifestream was simply the spirit energy created by those who died of Geostigma. But it did conjure images (and words on the board) as an anti-Lifestream. Or Deathstream, if you like, lol. But if stagnant lifestream is also the antithesis of Lifestream...
I don't really have anywhere to go with this, it's just interesting that the Compilation has yielded two different anti-Lifestreams.
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I believe that the difference between AC's Negative Lifestream and DOC's Stagnant Lifestream is that the Stagnant Lifestream is spirit energy that became, er...stagnant and separates from the pure Lifestream. It's a natural process in the cycle and after being separated, it doesn't intervene with the normal Lifestream anymore.
The Negative Lifestream, however, it's normal spirit energy that was corrupted and taken away from the normal cycle, being an unnatural event. But while the Stagnant lifestream doesn't interfere with the normal Lifestream, the Negative Lifestream was corrupting the normal Lifestream and subjecting it to Sephiroth's will.
Another point is that, while the Stagnant Lifestream is not linked to anything or anyone, the Negative Lifestream was linked to Sephiroth, as a part of his being, an extension of himself. In a sense, it's Sephiroth's own Lifestream.