Letting the Water Flow

Personal Commentary

I'll be honest; I'm a latecomer to the Kingdom Hearts franchise. I wasn't really interested for many years, until I heard about the recent outcry over the E3 trailer, which spread throughout the internet. The whole "Aqua got norted!" reception threw my head into loops, since I didn't know anything about the series up to that point.

So I decided to finally indulge in the series, and especially about the mysterious rabble-rouser Aqua. My research into articles, wiki pages, and online videos on Kingdom Hearts, has allowed me to understand the story, kind of ... maybe. While I wasn't able to directly play any of the games yet, I could grasp the characters, their personalities, beliefs, and relationships with each other. But what has truly drawn out my attention for the series was Aqua. Birth by Sleep wholly garnered my sympathy for the heroine, and even so, that sympathy grew into something much more potent, after I watched that opening.

I'll never forget the opening of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter. That single cinematic, combined with her testimony, which I bore witness to, spoke more words to me than any article or any other introduction that I've ever watched so far in my life. And now, I know why her submission to darkness warranted such a response. I crashed into pure emotion and Weltschmerz, from knowing of such a tragedy that never should've been left alone to fester for so many years.

I have never before experienced such a feeling in my life. In the days that followed, my entire mind became preoccupied on her story, to the point where meals lost their taste, and my sleep became checkered with concerns over her plight. Every sentiment that lingered within my very soul was urging me to not just leave her be, but to relieve her agony. To put my sentiments to rest, I started writing this story, attempting to understand and convey what could've been going through her mind, before falling to darkness. And I sought to help her the only way I know how to, giving her a chance to laugh without restraint and to confide her feelings and emotions to a trustworthy friend, granting her aching heart a long-awaited respite.

I don't know why I had such a reaction to a completely fictional character. Perhaps my reaction was directed at the illogical and unjust inaction by her comrades, leaving her trapped in utter solitude for so many years. Or, I simply grew so attached to Aqua, knowing the pain she must've been suppressing throughout her body and spirit as she grew more and more distraught, that I wished to comfort her, with my heart and soul.

Regardless, I appreciate you taking the time to read my fanfiction and this commentary. I hope you all also have someone to confide your emotions with; give your confidants a thanks the next time you see them. May your days be eternally bright!