NPTK Story Theory
I want to propose a very important idea that I’ve been analyzing and validating for the past few days.
NPTK plays during the Loveless play, but has various verse’s and lyrics omitted from it.
Initially I just thought this was for the sake of time and shortening down the song (it could be still).
But once you look at the verse’s and lyrics removed and start to line it up with the story at that point and time, some of them seem like they might not make sense given our Aerith’s knowledge of event at that point time. (Mainly cause she lost her memories of the future)
However, if you look at the context of those Lyrics being from OG/Omni-Aerith it starts to make sense, and the full version of NPTK only plays once during this entire game, during the final shot when Aerith says goodbye.
My idea is that the end of the game promotes that OG Aerith and Remake Aerith have become one within the Lifestream after her death, and that the full version of NPTK plays because the song is expanded given the context of the events OG Aerith knows.
One particular line that struck me is about how she says
If only I'd never known All the burdens I was born to bear “LIVED” a life without a care in the world save for you But that won't do.
This Line seems as if it is from an Aerith who knows of future and past events and directly acts in ways often going against what she personally wants in order to help the party. Examples:
Remake: Aerith telling cloud you can’t fall in love with me. (Even though she wants to him too)
Rebirth:
Chapter 14 date:
1) Thing is cloud, I really like you, but like can mean a lot of different things.
2) Whatever Happens, don’t blame yourself.
3) He has to be stopped by a cetra, and I’m the last.
——-
1) OG Aerith is vague here because she knows what’s going to happen. So even though she wants to tell him genuinely how she feels, she backtracks herself knowing what is going to happen.
2) accepting that she’s going to die, even though she wants to be by his side, in order to protect him.
3) she looks away from cloud sad when she says this line, implying she doesn’t want to go, but she’s the only one left who can, so she sacrifices what she wants, to help cloud and the party.
In conclusion, all these line of dialogue from OG Aerith line up with the Lyrics that are omitted from the Loveless plays version of NPTK, but are only included during the final shot while Aerith says goodbye.
If you’ve read this far I really appreciate it, it’ my first post so I wanted to really explain the best I could!
I’ve left all of the omitted Lyrics from GS below.
[Verse 2]
If only I'd never known All the burdens I was born to bear Lived a life without a care in the world save for you But that won't do
[Chorus 2]
Till the day that we meet again On our street, I want to believe In the chance that we'll share a glance Promises to keep, we won't ever need
[Outro/Final Verse]
Walking city streets with worn cobblestones Struggling against the crowds and finding ourselves all alone Fate and destiny are no guarantee Still I hope someday you'll come and find me Still I know someday you'll come and find me