#aquaria posting

[rhyme-rambles]

(spoilers for Aquaria, video game by Bit Blot, 2007)

sometimes I think about Naija's life before her memories were stolen.

Was she happy? Was she curious about the world? How did Mia raise her? Did she love her mother, or hate her? Was Mia as controlling then as we see her later? Did Naija ever feel alone in her own home?

Was Mithalas already in ruins when Naija and Mia lived there? If so, what was it like to grow up in the ruins of a civilization? If not, what was it like to survive its fall?

Was she ever told of the Creator? Was she taught of her future purpose, before her memories were erased? Had she refused it, or tried to escape Mia, before Mia erased her memories? Or was she compliant?

How different was she in her former life? How much of her is echoed in the Naija we see in the game? If the present Naija got those memories back, would they even feel like her own?

Did that old Naija dream of a different life with someone who loved her by her side? Did she dream of freedom, the ability to explore the waters of Aquaria on her own terms? Did she ever dream of power, the ability to defend herself and control her own life? Did she ever want to burn the whole world down around her? Was she also afraid of herself?

I wonder how they would feel if these two versions of Naija, separated by time, lost memories, changed selfhood, could meet and compare their lives.

[meeravandaseera]

Earliest Memories on Aquaria, the Videogame

This was one of the first videogames I got to witness and took a liking in. I had seen a close relative play it and took glimpses of gameplay from them. I had already elaborated on the game in a previous entry of an Aquaria fanart piece I had made and published. However, at first, I had a very different idea of what the story was about. Both me and my relative got mixed up, perhaps because English was not our native language and back then I, at least, was not fluent enough and the game itself did not come in our language. I do not know if there were subtitles at least, for I do not recall it properly.

My relative told me about how Naija actually, supposedly, once was a human before, but got turned into a watermaid. In the intro cutscene I thought that she fell from the sky fortress city and then ended up being trapped in the crystal underwater which can be seen in the starting screen, freeing herself somehow later on and that is when we begin the game and she seeks to return back to the shore, which is her mission. Basically, the entire story for me was mixed up and when I revisited it to play it, I was very perplexed. I thought her mission was to return back ashore on land and turn back into a human. *There actually exists a mod for Aquaria with a very similar narrative called Lights of the Deep or Lichter der Tiefe on the Open Source Edition of the game which can be found on the rehosted Aquaria forum. There a mortal human girl falls down a dock and is capable of breathing underwater or became a watermaid. She wants to return ashore and has to complete a mission in order to do so. I thought that the crystal that Naija was previously trapped in was the Song Cave's crystal where actually the Erulian messenger was trapped in. Along the tides she encounters enemies and friends such as her lover Li, the scared diver. My relative did not manage to get to the last two parts of the game and thought that the jellyfish enemy from the Abyss was the final one. According to them, that is when Naija could return back ashore if that jellyfish is fought and she may swim pass through a tunnel. For some reason, the Veil was not the shore already and she could not return from there.

Spoilers alert in this sea-ction.

The actual story is much different. Naija was a watermaid since her creation and in the intro the person who fell from the sky is actually the creator god of the Aquaria world who once was a mortal human boy. My assumptions were not all that much in the wrong current. He fell from the sky into the ocean and turned into an aquatic god by fusing with a said ancient spirit. Later on he created the world of Aquaria. Naija just explores the world clueless in the beginning, encountering remains of dead civilizations and their surviving respective deities who she fights and gains their power from until she has to fight the creator god himself to free the world from his evil since he destroyed all previous civilizations due to jealousy of their independence, for he created all of their deities and demands Naija, for example, to worship him. Naija, she goes on with life together with her lover Li after the endgame until her mother captures her one day and wipes her memory again to conquer civilizations above water. This is over-shrimplified, but it captures the most fin-portant aspects in one fishing net.

Honestly, that what my mind made-up would be a nice alternative to the actual story. What the mind creates upon only seeing glimpses of something sea-rtain is truly shell-tacular. Our minds know no boundaries and our imaginations can create so many worlds outside of our own. Deep inside some of us can be creators and deities ourselves who possess tremendous power to create, if we have the imaginations to do so and the motivation alongside. Then we can make some of such imaginations reality, hopefully for good.

Back then I also had ideas to replace Naija with other characters I liked from other media. Upon start, one sees an image of her in the crystal of the Erulian messenger in the Song Cave and atop of that a menu with different characters is presented that can be scrolled to the right and left sides. All characters are shown in a similar fashion to her portrait from the beginning of the game where she has her eyes closed and appears in a melancholic state from which one may choose what character one may want to play as.

I suggest one to dive into the Aquaria videogame, for it is truly a masterpiece. The creator god at the end of the game does not have to complete it for it to be a "masterpiece". I have done a reference. One shall sea for oneself, if fin-terested.

Marked sea-ction with * was later added to this entry after publication.

~

Thanks for diving into me and my sea!

[rhyme-rambles]

Aquaria Transcript

A couple months ago I replayed Aquaria, and went looking around for a transcript online so i could reference it while making fanworks. I couldn't find an existing one, so I decided to make one myself by combing through a lets play series on youtube and paused on every line of narration I found to write it down. (here's a link to that!)

This was mostly made for own reference, but I thought other people could find it helpful so I've cleaned it up and am posting it here as well.

This is the first time I've ever made a transcript, so there may be mistakes, bits of narration I missed, or things I could've formatted / described better. Please let me know if you notice a way I could improve this in any way!

Feel free to copy, repost, and make edits to this transcript! That's encouraged even, I'd love for more people to be able to find and use it. Up to you if you want to credit me, I don't feel strongly about it.

The full transcript is below the cut, it's around 4,500 words long in total. It goes through the game's narration zone by zone; then at the end I've included pictures of the hidden memories, and lyrics for the songs "Lost to the Waves" and "Fear the Dark".

START

Intro

[close up on Naija’s face] Naija: The Verse flows throughout Aquaria…  Through each ripple and wave…  Through every living being…  The Verse binds us all as one. 

The Verse binds us, narrator and explorer.  My story will become your own, and yours will become mine. 

You will live my life through my eyes… … And you will learn the truth.

[panning across the starting cave, Naija sits on a rock] Naija: As far back as I can remember, I came to this place to think. This cave was my sanctuary. Here, the Verse was so focused that I could feel it humming in the stones around me. If I called out in song, the cave and its creatures would dance to my tune.

If I had stayed there, I might have found peace… But eventually, loneliness… and restlessness… drove me away.

Movement Tutorial

[while swimming through cave with armored fish] When confronted with a dangerous situation, I was wise to use the full range of my physical abilities to avoid it. With a powerful thrust of my legs, my webbed feet would propel me forward… … Leaving my pursuers in my wake.

Shield Song Tutorial

Naija: As I sang, I could feel the Verse flowing through me… Certain songs stirred the Verse deeply, causing changes in the surrounding waters.

The first song I had discovered would wrap the verse around me… … Protecting me from environmental dangers.

Shrouded Figure Appears

[World darkens, shrouded figure appears] Naija: In all my memory, every day had been like every other. If she had not appeared before me in that moment… … I might have stayed in those watters for the rest of my days … … Living as a simple creature … … But I was compelled to follow.

[phantom lady touches Naija’s forhead]

[flashes of song cave and energy temple]

[vision of Naija in energy form, navigating past monsters in the dark]

[Phantom lady disappears] The strange form faded before my eyes… …Perhaps I’d only dreamed her. But I was no longer the same. That vision…

I’d lived as a feral creature, not thinking beyond the simplest desires… … Until now.

As if from a dream, I awoke to the reality of my existence. To the fact that I was… alone.

I knew that this world was called Aquaria, and that my name was Naija… … But I could recall nothing else.

Was I the only one of my kind left? Was I destined to live out the rest of my days in solitude?

My heart ached for answers… … in time … … I would discover far more than I wished to learn …

Entering Home Cave

I was enveloped by warm light, as familiarity overwhelmed me. …I had come home…

Cooking Tutorial

There were many strange ingredients to be found in the waters of Aquaria. By cooking them together with the verse, I could create new foods. Some of my recipes proved to be very useful.

THE SONG CAVE

Entering The Song Cave

In these ancient ruins, lay the untold histories of Aquaria.  With exploration and preserverence, I would rediscover long lost knowledge.

Finding the Ancient Door

The ancient door stood tall and resolute. It was ornately decorated with swirling patterns. But did not provide an obvious means for opening. I would have to search these waters to find its secret.

Discovering the Crystal

The crystal was not like the others I had encountered. In its depths, I could sense the presence of something… Alive. I was compelled to move closer.

[touches crystal, spirit appears] In a brilliant flash, an odd creature had emerged from the crystal.

Her gaze penetrated my soul, and though she did not speak…  I could hear her words echoing inside my head, as clear as the waters around me… … It was beautiful.

Glimpses of her memories flashed in my mind, and threatened to overwhelm me… I closed my eyes, and felt for one brief moment… …That I was connected to all of history.

When I opened them again, the creature was gone.

[learned the bind song] From the imprisoned soul, I inherited a new song. By binding the verse around physical objects… … I would be able to move them through the waters with ease.

ENERGY TEMPLE

Entering Energy Temple

Pulling the obstruction aside, I glided forward…  … Peering into the cavernous depths.

No matter my hesitations, I would have to continue into this darkness.

Gained Energy Form

Where blood had flowed through me, now ran a stream of pure power. A new passion enthralled me. My mind reeled at the dark gift I was granted.

If I sang the song of this deceased god… I would become… a being of pure energy.

In this form I could sense the lines of energy that flowed throughout the waters.

Using my mind as a flint, I could spark a projectile… … That would leap towards anything that dared impede my progress.

Form Changing Tutorial

I discovered that in the Energy Form, I could not call out in song.

To return, I would have to focus my energy inward…

Krotite Vision

[After defeating the beast at the end of the Energy Temple]

As the creature fell, I sensed a presence reach into my mind… …Another vision began.

A race, known as the Krotites, had built this temple to worship this fallen god. They’d honored raw power above anything else.

Unlike the spirit I’d encountered in the crystal, these people had no interest in creation. They reveled in destruction. Their lust for power led not only to the downfall of their civilization… … But also the destruction of another. Now… this destructive power simmered within me.

OPEN WATERS

Entering Open Waters

The rush of new waves greeted my ears as I glided into undiscovered waters.

Though a chapter of my life had ended, my journey was far from over.

Discovering Fallen Statue

I discovered a fallen statue of a race that resembled my own. Though it had collapsed from many years of decay, it still marked the way to those that had built it. Perhaps if I followed, I would find more of my kind.

MITHALAS

Reading Entrance Tablet

A fractured tablet lay nearby - I stared at it… …and though I didn’t understand how, I could read what it said. This had been a city called Mithalas.

An entire city, in ruin… … were there no survivors?

Entering Throne Room

I had glided into the chambers of a former ruler… From what I could gather from a nearby portrait, this room belonged to a young prince of Mithalas.

Were these people my ancestors? Or did I merely wish - desperately - to be one of them.

Entering Princess’s Room

The princess of Mithalas had lived here. I wondered if I’d been here once upon a time. I fancied myself ruling here in ages past - with a faithful prince at my side.

Entering First Flesh Tunnel

The twisted, disgusting creatures swam ungainly towards me. In their shallow eyes I saw only a hunger for flesh.

With horror, I realized the resembled the fallen statue that had led me here.

Entering Corrupted Cathedral

Sickly red veins ran throughout this ancient cathedral. Where hopeful believers had once come to rejoice,  foul monsters now thrived.

Killed Final Core

I killed the final rotted core of this wretched cathedral, And tears welled up in my eyes.

With every creature I destroyed - every ancient being I put to rest, I felt a part of myself slip away. It was not only that I had caused the destruction… … but that i had …

… enjoyed it.

I feared this nightmare would never end, and I would be drawn into a spiral of dementia.

Perhaps I would never find my family, but there had to be someone… …Someone to keep me from the darkness.

Mithalan Vision

[After Defeating Mithala]

Mithalas… As it once was… A grand city built by a noble people, and watched over by a royal family. They were all children of a god named Mithala.

The Mithalans immortalized their god’s noble visage in stone, and built many statues honoring him throughout Aquaria.

For hundreds of years, the city of Mithalas stood strong… …Providing its inhabitants with long, fulfilling lives.

If only the vision had ended there… If only every mithalan had been noble…

With the comforts and safety of the city, came a new calling… eternal life. The Mithalan Priests, who acted as Mithala’s mouthpiece,  saw the coming of a greater god.

A creator, who had designed and given life to each of the gods. A creator that would eventually destroy their entire race, as he had many others.

The priests delved deeper into the hidden secrets of the verse to escape the bonds of mortality. But the powerful magic they discovered came with a high cost.

They bound Mithala in chains. And began drawing out his life force to power their song.

They executed “heretics” one by one. Forcing Mithala to feast… upon his own children.

Mithala began to change. His mind sank into the simple, dull anger of a beast. Eventually, he stopped shedding tears as he ate. The hunger had consumed him.

The rot inside of Mithala’s heart grew. His body became bloated and deformed. His flesh began to spread throughout the city, polluting the waters.

Drask, the Prince of the Mithalans had seen his family die at the hands of the priests and their mutated disciples. He confronted the priests, and though he could not prevent their escape, he did discover their secrets.

I wondered if he still lived somewhere… beyond this world.

Talking to Mithala

The vision began to fade, Mithala’s spirit was departing. For the first time I tried to reach out… to communicate…

Naija: Oh great Mithala! I need your help…

Mithala: Naija… I am dying now… It is my time to rest…

Naija: You have suffered so much, but I must ask a favor of you.

Mithala: Speak quickly, little one… For I do not have much longer…

Naija: Wh-who am I?

Mithala: You are the child of the thirteenth. You are the one who will unite the waters of aquaria. You will restore the balance of nature. And you will find love, Naija. You have so much to see, and you will become so much. There will be great pain… … But I have faith that you will triumph in the end. Take heart, little one.

Naija: …Thank you…

Mithala: It is growing cold, now… You have freed my spirit at last… …Now… Little Naija… take my form… …And journey… To the land of the light…

Gained Beast Form

In beast form, my strong animal legs allowed me passage through powerful currents. And my sharp, jagged teeth, provided invaluable for devouring my prey.

Gained Spirit Form

[After defeating the priests] After singing the song of the spirit form,  I would detach from my mortal frame - and enter a land between the living and the dead. Thankfully, I could only hold this form for brief distances - I did not wish to linger in that cold world long.

THE VEIL

Entering the Veil

These bright waters were warm and terrifying. The thought occured to me that I’d reached the end of the world. What if all that awaited me was a blazing inferno?

Though my mind was terrified… …my heart longed to venture further.

Crossing The Veil

The first taste of air, the warm embrace of the sun on my back… …The wind flowing beneath me… … I’d crossed through the veil.

For too many years I’d been smothered beneath the surface, blind to the beauty of Terra.

Meeting Li

I’d finally cornered the strange looking creature... He tried to flee from me again, but my curiosity was too great to allow his escape.

…

[Naija moves closer] He seemed to be trapped in this odd looking shell… …Perhaps if I removed it…

[Naija sings to remove Li’s helmet, he clutches at his throat and starts to drown] I was surprised to find that underneath this boy’s shell… He had a face not unlike my own. A face that seemed… familiar…

Without knowing what I was doing, I floated forward, pressing my lips against his.

A tune lept to my throat - one embedded deep within my memory. The verse flowed through me… …And bound itself around us.

Hours, days… perhaps seconds passed. I’d lost all concept of time. There was only the verse… and…

Li. His name rang in my head. This creature was called Li. We were so similar, and yet - not. I was intrigued.

The Verse waned slowly… …And we drifted apart until there was nothing but water between us.

Li gazed at me through half closed eyes. He seemed at peace… My mind faded…

[Naija awakes on the floor of Li’s cave] Slowly, I awoke… For a moment I had no idea where I was. Li returned, and I remembered…

It was odd to think that I was the only person left alive. I was aware of every flaw in my appearance - I felt exposed. Color rose to my cheeks and I struggled to hid my shame.

My connection to Li allowed him to exist within the waters without his awkward shell. It had also given him a new appetite for the creatures of the water. 

[Li offers Naija a fish. they go to eat fish together on beds of moss] As he ate, I could tell he was excited with his new abilities. We realized that we’d both ventured out to find answers…

We left that place knowing that together, We would be able to explore further than either of us could on our own.

For the first time in all my memory… … I was not alone.

Lumerian Vision

[After beating the boss at the end of the Sun Temple]

The Lumerians had left the waters of their birth… …For the bright, warm currents of the Veil.

Awed by their new surroundings, Many of them came to worship the great sphere of light, known as “Sun” With their adventurous spirit, came new ingenuity.

They learned to design elaborate mechanisms… …To survive in the foreign environment.

The god who bore them grew jealous of this sacrilege… …And in a blind rage… …destroyed them all.

Gaining Sun Form

In the sun form, I gained the ability to focus the verse into rays of light… …bringing clarity to shadowed depth.

KELP FOREST

Entering Kelp Forest

Never before had I encountered such a lush environment. Countless diverse creatures flowed between the tall stalks of kelp. I could not help but be awed by the infinite beauty of the natural world.

Gaining Fish Form

By entering the fish form, I became one with the simple creatures of Aquaria. I could swim past some of my enemies without detection, And navigate small passageways with ease.

Druniad Vision

The druniads lived in peace for many years, living in harmony with nature… …Until one day, without warning,  they experienced true fear for the first time.

A greater god, one with immense power, was ashamed of his creations. Through anguished tears, he screamed out, tearing the druniads apart in his turmoil.

Though he slaughtered their entire race, he could not bear to kill their mother… …And so, I had come to inherit her power.

Gaining Nature Form

Bark encased my skin, and moss sprouted from my back and head. In this form, the natural world whispered to me… …And I could feel the promise of creation stirring within.

Forest Sprite Cave

The forest nymphs rested, for their mother had imparted her gift to me. Now they sang a sweet melancholic verse. “Summer’s passion fades to Fall, and with Fall comes the hope of Winter.”

At the time I had no idea what it meant.

THE ABYSS

Entering the Abyss

Many deadly creatures lay waiting in the darkness of the Abyss. It would take a great deal of courage to proceed without a source of light.

Entering Sunken Ruins

Li was particularly excited by these ruins… …It was as if he recognized them.

They did not look like the work of Aquarians. I suspected that they were from beyond the Veil. Perhaps Li’s world was destroyed as well…

Following Ghost Child

[They find a ghost child crying, and then follow him through the ruins]

[The child enters a dark cave]

The ghostly child slipped away from me into the shadows. I felt that he must have known the path to the heart of these ruins… …but he was afraid.

I would have to lead him out of the darkness.

[Naija uses her Light Form to lead the ghost boy out. a ghostly form of his mother is on the other side, and begins to sing]

[The ghost child cries at the base of a dead tree. A ghost girl stands nearby in a patch of flowers. Naija uses her Nature Form to create a trail of flowers, leading the girl to the boy. She strokes his head, and he runs off again]

[Ghosts of other children are throwing rocks at the ghost child. A deep laugh is heard, and the other children turn into monsters. Naija defeats them with her energy form.]

[Naija sings the mother’s song to open a door further into the ruins]

[Naija drops rocks at the boy’s feet and he turns them into a statue of a woman with fins for ears. then two monsters appear]

Defeating the Monsters

From the fallen body of the monsters rose two spirits: A father… and a mother…

It was then that ---

[A portal appears, along with that same deep laughter. a tentacle emerges from it and wraps around Li, pulling him in. Naija calls after him]

Just like that… After so much… I was alone again. I felt empty… hopeless… For a moment - I considered giving up. What was the use?

But that feeling gave way to a boiling anger. Though it scared me to have such thoughts, I knew that I would hunt down that dark creature… …And kill it.

I would not be alone again.

[The ghost child follows Naija to the end of the ruins, and points the way forward into The Body]

THE BODY

[Li is imprisoned in a chamber inside the body]

Gathering Spirits

[Prince crystal] The spirit of the Prince of Mithalas…

[Krotite crystal] The spirit of a Krotite warrior…

[Erulian Crystal] The spirit of an Erulian Messenger…

[Druniad Crystal] The spirit of a Druniad from the Kelp Forest…

[After gathering the spirits, they help Naija shatter Li’s prison]

Gained Dual Form

In Dual Form, Li and I would bond together to become one new being. Our combined form had two sides, and by using each side properly- We could unleash a devastating attack.

Meeting The Creator

He spoke… …And his voice was forever burned into my memory… …In perfect… …Detail…

Creator: Your darkness is mine, little one. Your life is mine. I created all that you have witnessed… …And though you have struggled and fought… …It is all for nothing.

This world is my canvas. I will paint upon it whatever I see fit, Until I have completed my… masterpiece.

You, little Naija, are flawed. But you come from one who is - Perfection.

You will be my companion for the rest of eternity. You will have the honor of witnessing my final masterpiece.

Naija: But I am a conscious being, with my own hopes and desires… …I do not belong to you.

Creator: Yet it all sprang from my mind - my efforts! Ungrateful one! Bow before me and worship your creator!

Naija: No, I will not. I have lived free… I’ve explored beyond -

Creator: You have been allowed to play in my world. Now your turn is over. You will love me, and nothing else.

Naija: But have you ever truly loved? Has anyone ever willfully loved you?

Creator: YOU LOVE AN ABERRATION! A FOUL SYMBOL OF CHAOS!

Naija: Why does such a small creature frighten you so? Perhaps you’re not as powerful as you claim.

Perhaps… You can only control what lies in the water.

Creator: FOOL! I am a… GOD!

Naija: Perhaps you dream to be… …But I will never worship you.

Creator: Then… You must die.

Defeated The Creator

Child: On that day… …Everything changed… Everyone I ever loved was taken away in an instant… I should have died with them… Instead I was brought back.

The spirit that gave me life stayed inside me. It became a part of me

I had so much power… I could create anything I desired. I was so lonely… so I tried to make friends… …But they had minds of their own… …It made me jealous… …I wanted to feel loved again…

I remembered the time I felt the happiest… My mother’s song… So simple.. So beautiful… I could never remember the chorus… Only the Verse…

…It haunted me… I tried to get rid of the song… But it only spread through everything I made.

So I tried to make her… She was so beautiful in my mind… …But the ones I brought back were never the same. …Until I made Mia… …But she was too perfect… …She left me… and she made you…

There are still many things you don’t know Naija… …You may still be able to find her…

There’s been so much anger… so much beauty… …For hundreds of years… …But it all feels like a dream… …I think it’s time to stop dreaming now… …Sing me to sleep… …Sing to me like she did…

[Naija and Li pick themselves off the floor and leave The Body.] [Life returns to different parts of Aquaria]

THE END

As the waters flowed past me, I could feel my mind sinking away from adventure… …to a husband… …to a family…

Though my long journey was complete, and the world restored to the balance of nature… …I could not help but be drawn back, time and again… …To the vivid memories of my adventures.

The strange and marvelous places I had visited… …The fantastic creatures I had encountered… …And the spirits I had freed.

Perhaps a part of me still lingered in the past… …Floating amongst the shadows of forgotten ages.

I longed for the feeling of discovering new waters… …Striving for a destination that lay just beyond the next wave.

It would never come again.

MEMORIES

[Note: none of the memories have narration, so I've included descriptions & images of them instead since they're important to the story]

1, Mithalas

In a room in Mithalas, Naija and her mother sit at a kitchen table together.

2, The Veil

Li stands in a boat. Naija swims up to him and waves, then laughs and swims away. He stares after her in amazement.

3, The Abyss

Baby Naija in a cradle in a dark cave. Her mother kneels by her side.

SECRET ENDING

[Mia appears as the shrouded figure, then aside the shroud and reveals herself]

Mia: Naija… you’ve finally arrived.

Naija: Finally? Who are you? M-mother?

Mia: I have a name you know. Mia, he used to call me. His perfect little creation.

Naija: Mother… I…

Mia: Shhh… Come here…

[Mia and Naija hug]

Mia: Quiet now. All is well. He’s dead.

Naija: I-I killed him. But he was just a little boy!

Mia: Little boys are trouble, Naija.

Naija: I searched so long to find you… …Why didn’t you tell me who you were?

Mia: Oh Naija you silly girl. I always knew where you were. I was the one that wiped your memory.

Naija:  What… why?

Mia: It’s quite simple. You never would have become what you are now if I hadn’t.

Naija: What I am now… I’m a mother. A mother with a family!

Mia: Hmmhmm… Naija Naija… You’re in love with a human… One could hardly call a human a real person. No, no… you and I are meant for greater things my child. A mother… hah.

Naija: Let me go.

Mia: Oh no my dear… What would you do? Spend the rest of your life underwater? Burping babies and changing diapers? It’s time we rose above it all, my child. There are much greater worlds above ripe for the taking. With our power combined… We’ll be unstoppable.

Naija: Mia, I’m done. I’m done with fighting, I’m done with killing… I just want to go back to my family!

Mia: Heheheh… Silly girl.  You crave adventure. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have ended up here. Constantly searching, seeking out answers and killing… It’s what you do my dear.

Naija: No. Let me go back… Let me go!

Mia: Oh… there, there. It’ll probably be easier for me if I remove your conciousness for a time. Ah, there we are. We wouldn’t want anyone tracing any more of your memories now… …would we… There’s a good girl…

[Naija’s child views her memories via a crystal, and sets off in a flying ship to find her]

SONG LYRICS

Note: I tried to write down the lyrics to the songs Lost to the Waves, which plays in the end credits; and Fear the Dark, which is included in the official soundtrack but does not play in the game itself.

I've done my best, but I don't have a lot practice with this. It was difficult to understand some parts of the lyrics, especially parts where words overlap, and there may be a few mistakes.

Lost to the Waves

Lost at the heart of sea  Memories drift away  The past but a shade  Lost to the waves 

My journey here  A lifetime ago  And all that I was  Is lost to the waves 

Lost at the heart of sea (lost to the sea)  Memories drift away (they sit there [?])  The past but a shade (past but a shade)  Lost to the waves (lost to the waves) 

My journey here (my journey)  A lifetime ago (lifetime ago)  And all that I was (all that I was) Is lost to the waves

Fear The Dark

[Note: This song is not in the game, but is a part of the official soundtrack]

[Also while I'm here I want to share this AMV I found for it cause I'm really happy it exists]

Lost to the memory  Of a perfect soul  Deep in the shadows  Of unrelenting wounds  Can't disappear  Inside a dream  When pain opens up your heart 

You can fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud and pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love 

You can't remember  Who you are  When you wake up  Alone in the dark  The love you felt  So far away  Fled from the darkness of your soul 

You can fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud  And pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love  Love, love 

We were always meant to be  So you believed  Love would never ever end  Only a fool would watch as the stars  Faded into winter snow  Touched by the tears  Of falling angels screaming out  For one more chance  To feel first love again  Cursed with the memory of her breath 

In the dark In the light  In the cold heart beating out  To find  True love

In the cold  In the heat  In the fear that tomorrow never holds  True love 

In the dark (Lost at the heart of sea)  In the light (Memories drift away)  In the memories loving her in dreams (The past a shade)  Of true love (Lost to the waves) 

You're a fool (My journey here)  You're a saint  You are everything and nothing we lost (Lifetime ago)  True love (Lost to the Waves)  (All that I know) 

Every time you Keep on crying Hope is dead

Yes we had love once  Yes we had joy once  Yes we had light once  And we were one once  Yes we were young once  Yes we were fools once  Yes we had love once You were my whole world  You were my true friend  You were my light and dark  You were my everything 

You took from me my life  You took from me my worth  You took from me my death  Now I am nothing but 

An empty soul  In darkness crawling out  An empty soul  That once felt love 

An empty soul  In darkness spiraled out  The lies and dreams we shared  The key was in ourselves 

If I can trust myself  If I can heal our world  If I can free the bonds of love

Then we can kill the ghost  That haunts us everywhere  The ghost of love that never loved  The ghost of love that never loved 

Fear the dark  And hope for the light  When you feel the pain inside  You can cry out loud  And pray for the dawn  You'll find yourself in newborn eyes  And burn away the foolish lies  Of love  Of love  Of love

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i thought about this on the bus and couldn't get it out of my head

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spoilers for Aquaria (video game, released 2007)

I think Li Aquaria-game is kind of underdeveloped & underutilized but I love him with my entire heart anyways.

He's so Love Interest. He meets an aquarian woman and she gives him the ability to breathe underwater so he follows her to the ends of the earth (to be fair I would too). You can put his divers helmet back on him so he stops following you around and he'll just sadly swim-pace back and forth. He gets captured twice in a row by the same guy.

He's so funny to me and I become irrationally fonder of him the longer I think about him.

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Aquaria (video game, 2007) was released two years before Homestuck, and it's perfectly playable on laptop, which means Rose Lalonde absolutely could have played it.

That's my new headcanon now. Rose Lalonde would love Aquaria, she'd love the sort of dramatic tone to the writing, she'd love the "i must not succumb to these dark powers within me" bits, she loves dark gods and things with tentacles...

Wait I just realized she and Naija even have basically the same haircut. That's hilariously perfect

The more I think about this, the only way it could get more Rose-coded is if there were also wizards

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Why did Bit Blot have to name their game something so very unsearchable?? Every time I talk about Aquaria (video game, 2007) I need to add a disambiguation to it

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I saw that you also like Aquaria! It's one of my favorite games.

For one, I loved your posts about the game. They made me very happy! It's also incredible for me that there are also people who like the game. I had known it for a long time, yet I did not really know the name until I rediscovered it around this year and played it by myself. It was also one of the first videogames I ever got to see. I watched one of my relatives play it back then with the footage still engraved into my head until I finally found the game again.

Your drawing of Naija's forms was so pretty and it captured them so well. Now, I wondered what your favorite form/s from all of them are? I really like her armor of the Dark- something sea-dog-like soldiers (I forgot the name, darkonites?) with the blue cape. I play with it all the time because she matches with Li's dark blue suit!

Oh thank you very much!! The upside about liking something not a lot of people know about, is it feels special to find other people who do. i get pretty excited whenever i find another person who knows about Aquaria :D

I think the armor is called "Kronite armor", if I remember correctly? It's pretty cool looking, I like wearing it when going through dangerous areas ^^

It's hard to pick a favorite form since I quite like all of them, maybe the Nature Form? I really like the leaf cape and how Naija's fin ears look in that form, she's very pretty. (I also really like the Beast Form, I think it's very cool)

One of my favorite outfits is the Jellyfish outfit, I really like its design, particularly the cape! Unfortunately it's pretty hard to get & quite late in the game T-T

I also really like Naija's default outfit, it ends up being the one I wear most while doing story progression cause it feels the most "canon" to me. I like the blue-pink gradient on her cape, and how the orange/gold parts of it help her stand out against blue backgrounds.