#the moonfam deserve to be reunited again

[1lovepeace]

@hoothalcyon, I know, right. Like, what has Ethari been doing for those last two years? How has he been coping and dealing with not only the loss of his family but the unspeakable guilt and unbearable regret for ghosting Rayla? No doubt it's left him severely hurt, scarred, distraught, and completely heartbroken ever since. Consumed by nothing but regrets, remorse, despair, and sorrow. Or to make it even angstier, him dealing with some self-loathing and self blaming. All alone with nothing but memories and probably left wondering how and why everything went wrong.

Poor guy, let Ethari be reunited with his daughter. Let him pour all his heart and soul into every single apology to Rayla. Acknowledging how horribly he failed her as a father and vowing to her that he's never leaving her side again. Please give me all the soft dad hugs between Ethari and Rayla in S5. Give them the reunion and reconciliation that they deserve. They've been through too much hurt and heartbreak already. 😢

so either ethari isn't in s5 or they're just gonna have him show up with no warning or story beforehand LMAO

[1lovepeace]

Moonfam's Unresolved Conflict and Trauma

With Season 5: Ocean of The Dragon Prince expected to be released this year, I'm really looking forward to it, mainly because of the huge potential for the possible moonfam plot with Rayla and how they will address the conflict and trauma with her and her family. I'm strongly confident that Ethari will be in S5 and beyond.

I highly theorize that the reason for this is that while I'm excited about the long-awaited Moonfam Reunion and Reconciliation, this is where all the struggles, conflicts, and trauma with the Moonfam could become very intense and super heavy, especially with all the distance and fragmentation in their family.

A few years ago, during an interview with the writers Devon and Iain, it was confirmed that Ethari 100% regrets doing the ghosting spell on Rayla, suffering from all the guilt, regret and sorrow that he's carried for the last two years. Once he is reunited with Rayla, I can absolutely envision him having a massive, heartbreaking, overwhelming, emotional breakdown. There will definitely be many tears and humongous apologies, but both Rayla and Ethari will have the hardest, emotional yet honest, truthful, and sincerest conversations with each other about the last two years.

I think Rayla will definitely have a hard time forgiving Ethari and have different levels of mixed emotions, such as anger, resentment, and doubt, rightfully so, because Runaan and Ethari technically abandoned, failed, and wronged her, unintentionally, of course. But I think she will in the end. Being confronted by this and having to acknowledge it is gonna be extremely hurtful and deeply painful for both of them.

This'll be very hard on Rayla and Ethari. The same goes for Runaan, but they are necessary in order for them to begin healing and repairing their family. During these conversations, Ethari will finally be able to express how incredibly remorseful and deeply apologetic he is for what he did, showing Rayla how much he truly regrets it and how much he wants her in his life again, unpacking and liberating a monumental load of emotional baggage. This is why I wanna see both of them just embracing each other in a long, silent, wordless, and emotional hug.

All of this will be crucial and critical for Rayla to have these discussions and conversations with all of her family, especially with Runaan. They both are gonna have an enormous, profound, fair share of guilt, regret, and sorrow, specifically from Runaan, for what happened on the mission. From realizing the truth about Rayla's parents and having nothing but his thoughts to reflect and contemplate on, it has, undoubtedly, devastated and scarred him, thinking about those last heartbreaking interactions between him and Rayla on the mission. For he has humongous apologies to make, enormous repairing his relationships with his family, clarifying his behaviors, explaining his actions, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I adore them, but I don't want the show to let Runaan off the hook for how he wronged Rayla in S1 or let Ethari off the hook for unfairly ghosting Rayla, they deserve to be held accountable for their actions. I also feel that Callum is gonna have a humongous earful to say to Runaan and Ethari, not holding back the anger and disdain towards both of them, feeling they betrayed and wronged Rayla, and that because of them she lost everything she had left. They will have a lot of repairing to do with their daughter and not only working towards earning her trust again but, more importantly, her forgiveness.

There will be so much crying and such heavy emotions in these conversations, where both Ethari and Runaan admit to Rayla how horribly and miserably they failed, disappointed wronged her as her fathers, that she deserves better from them, that they have enormous guilt and tremendous regrets for what they've done, pouring out all their heart and soul into every apology, telling her how much they truly and deeply love her and that they sincerely want her in their lives again. How much it has been hurting and torturing them ever since. All the monumental load of emotional baggages and trauma must be acknowledged and resolved for all three of them, but this will be crucial for them to reconcile, heal, and repair their family together.

The conflict and angst with Callum, Rayla, Ethari, Runaan, and her parents are gonna be really interesting. The bad blood between Callum, Ezran, and Runaan for killing their father, King Harrow, is gonna be heavy. There are so many things left unsaid and unresolved, and I can't wait to see how they will address all these issues. I wanna see the moonfam reconciliation so much, and I have confidence that they will do it justice. It'll absolutely be worth the wait. I'm super nervous yet optimistic and excited for the next upcoming seasons. Let's Go Season 5.

[1lovepeace]

Yes. More Ethari moments with Rayla and Callum. 🥰🥹🥺😭❤️💜💙🙏🙌👏👏

I have so many questions after watching the recent star gazing clip

If they have a Shadowpaw, that means they likely went back to the Silvergrove, right?

Ergo, Rayla-still-a-ghost angst?! Mayhaps hand holding for moral support? 👉👈

Do they need to dance to get back in? How long does the key spell work?!

Ethari?!?!

Does Rayla leave the coins with him for safe keeping or bring them in the hopes they can find a way to free her family on their trip?

Do we finally get the "take care of her" moment between Ethari and Callum?!

[1lovepeace]

You have an incredible and amazing perspective on this. I know that you can never have all your expectations addressed or expect everything to be resolved by the end of every season. For me, I have no doubt that there are so many infinite possibilities and scenarios regarding the reunion of the moonfam that can play in a lot of ways. Especially since there are a lot of mysteries about the past two years in regard to what these characters were up to. But I will that so much has happened and changed for these characters.

I'm genuinely a big believer in forgiveness, growth, acceptance, second chances, and commitment to changing in ways that you never believed you could before. It's true that we really don't know what to expect or know what's going to happen from what we're getting, but I will always love and appreciate what the writers work on, and I'm excited to see what will happen.

As far as the moonfam goes, I truly believe that they have the biggest chance of reconciling, reuniting, and learning from everything that has happened to them. Rayla may have her own conflicts with her family, but there are second chances and opportunities of having more and even deeper genuine resolutions with all of her family. I believe both her dads and herself have the familial capability of overcoming and resolving a lot of their conflicts and enduring trauma together.

As you stated, we can only expect so much. I also believe that everyone in the moonfam will want to resolve all their conflicts and grievances, and if it leads to Ethari and Runaan extending their hands to Rayla, expressing and showing Rayla that they want to be in her life, to be by her side and to be a family with her again, I believe she would want that without question. The moonfam deserves to reconcile and reunite after all they've been through and endured. And I believe it will happen. I just want to see them wrapping each other up in a long, wordless, and silent hug. I have faith in them.

Appreciate your time. Always love reading your perspective. Much love, fam. ❤️

One thing I've noticed is how some people are always villainizing and demonizing Runaan and Ethari, seeing them as nothing but the worst, most awful parents in the show. Saying things like "they don't deserve Rayla or her forgiveness at all." They don't love her or even care about her at all," "she was never important to them." "She deserves better parents who actually love, appreciate, and defend her." While I admit, in all honesty, that I've enormously condemned both of them for the choices and decisions, how they contributed to Rayla's losses, sorrow, and heartbreak, but I feel that it's way too extreme and way too harsh.

But I also believe that they've been obviously hurting and suffocating from the brutality of their horrendous punishments for their own failures. Because I feel that Rayla will be incredibly unforgiving towards them because at some point, she'll have to deeply process and sincerely express all her harsh, angering, heavy, resentful feelings towards Runaan and Ethari. Maybe during these two years, Rayla has probably convinced herself so deeply that they never loved her nor cared about her, and even if they're effortlessly apologizing to her, pouring all heart and soul into every single apology, her mind tells her things such as "disregard every apology they made, do not believe them nor trust them." "Why should she believe them if they never believed her?" Something along those lines.

Just wanted to give my own speculation because, yes, Rayla's had her mistakes, but Runaan and Ethari had even greater failures and bigger wrongdoings. Because I know that the show will address Rayla, not only confronting her own true sentiments towards both of them, but Ethari and Runaan being hit where it really hurts them them the most: with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

This is in no way me hating on them. I adore Runaan and Ethari, but I don't want the show to let them off the hook for how they technically abandoned Rayla because they need to be held accountable and responsible for what happened.

In your honest perspective, BTQ, how do they even go about reconciling and repairing their relationship with Rayla? I genuinely hope that there can love, acceptance and forgiveness again, especially from Rayla. It'll be very hard for her, but I believe all 3 of them will overcome this. I have faith in them.

Apologies for the long post. Much love, fam.

Hey, thanks for your honest thoughts. I think we might have different perspectives on the idea of atonement/forgiveness/redemption, but that's okay. Since you were kind enough to share your thoughts, let me return the favor!

At the heart of my perspective is simply this: the more catholic we are in trying to shame and guilt people into admitting they messed up, the less likely they are to ever admit out loud that they were wrong (even if they want to). And that fear of rejection, of being shamed, keeps real change from getting started.

We get to be mad when we are hurt. We get to advocate for ourselves, to defend ourselves. And Rayla might have some feelings about her dads that she wants to yell at them about. But maybe she doesn't. Maybe she's not even looking back, or maybe it's been resolved and we'll see it in a flashback with Ethari or something. We don't know yet. She hasn't really spoken on the topic, and it might take her a while to do so.

The issue of intent should matter, too. TDP is a hopepunk story, and that carries certain themes that I'd love for more people to look for and enjoy:

resilience - as forgiveness or growth

imperfection - familiar to everyone, messier options and solutions

earnestness - folks are just folks, no evil masterminds

good and evil - not a state of mind but a series of choices

community - everyone still cares for their group/others

As we wait for S5 (and the rest of the series) to drop, it feels a little risky to me to pin so much personal expectation on it to deliver extremely specific emotional rewards like this. S5 was written, gosh, maybe a couple years ago? I don't know exactly, but it's been a minute, and we just got S4 - and its expectations - last November. Animation is a really really long process!

I'm content to wait and see what happens next. TDP doesn't work for me, and they don't have to do what I want, and it's too late to make any S5 changes now anyway, so I will take what I am given and appreciate it for the story it is, actually. I love this show, and I respect the people who work hard to create it. And there's really nothing more I feel I need to add to that, so that's where I'll stop.

Okay, I lied, one last thought! Bahaha.

Rayla already knows what it's like to be mistrusted by her dads. She did get angry at them about it.

For about 10 seconds.

Ethari confessed, and Rayla forgave them and had tea with them, snuggled up safe and sound, at home where she was loved.

It wasn't a big deal. They talked about it, they were honest, and they found a way to move forward together as a family. It took 3 panels - a single page - of BH to address it.

If there is a next time for confrontation, it will probably go at least a bit differently, if for no other reason than Rayla is several years older and has matured as a person. But this is her precedent for conflict resolution with Runaan and Ethari, specifically.

If everyone wants it to work out, it'll probably work out. If someone wants to be Right, or to be a Victim, or to make Drama, then that'll probably happen instead. But I covered my expectations up in the hopepunk stuff, so that's what I'm expecting from anything similar: everyone will at least want to resolve their grievances.

[1lovepeace]

@ladyandherbooks Same here. Because not only is it bad enough that Rayla has gone through some of the most unfathomable hardships of her life on top of that after two years of having no answers about what happened to her family, but also dealing with the aftermath of not knowing if Viren was alive or dead. Leading to her nearly losing her relationship with Callum.

Thankfully, she still has him along with Ezran and Soren. Even though it's complicated and conflicted, Callum still very much loves and cares about her. Now, she has a chance to get her family back. To see these theories about the possibility of freeing them only for them to actually be dead and pass on to the afterlife is something that I really don't ever wanna see happen. Imagine how heartbreaking and devastating this would be for Rayla and Ethari. They would never recover from this.

Especially with all the unspoken and unresolved moments, and the fallout that transpired on the mission between Runaan and Rayla, which has undoubtedly weighed so heavily on their hearts as well as their guilty conscious. The trauma and emotional baggage are very much strong and present with the moonfam. For there are a lot of things to unpack.

After all they've been through, Ethari and Rayla deserve to not only have their family back but also deserve to truly and sincerely heal, mend, and reconcile with each other and their family. The moonfam healing and reconciliation is very much promising. Let this beautiful family be reunited again. Reunite The Moonfam. 🙏❤

The worst thing about Rayla getting all of her families' coins back is seeing that "Rayla's family is actually dead and freeing them is only going to allow them to finally pass on" theory rear it's head again because I despise it with every fibre of my being.

[1lovepeace]

When you look at this entire situation overall, there's blame and failures on all sides when it comes to Rayla's losses and hurt. Viren is definitely part of that, but what TDP does incredibly well is that it's not one-sided. How every layer of every event that happened leads to the main events of what we see now.

It's true that Rayla never asked for any of this. IMO, she was left in this predicament, not just by Viren but wronged, failed and disappointed by all four of her parental figures who wanted to do right by her and who I believe never meant to cause Rayla any hurt or pain but they did and they have to live with that forever. Because this has left them to bear the hurtful, scarring burdens and left to suffer the punishing consequences of their actions, choices, failures, wrongdoings, and negligence of what they've done and for the hurt and abandonment they put Rayla through. This would undeniably never once stop weighing so heavily on their hearts and massively on their guilty consciousness for those last two years. Also because their respective punishments have forced them to relive every second and every moment of what they've done. No doubt that this has left them completely hurt, devastated, heartbroken, and scarred.

However, there is hope and faith again. The moonfam has a chance for an enormous and vital atonement/redemption arc with Rayla. After everything they've been through, they genuinely deserve this more than anything. All in favor of Reuniting The Moonfam. ❤️

Do you think that Rayla is wrong to blame Viren for everything wrong that happened in her life when her parents and father figures were the real ones who failed her?

The fun thing about TDP is that there is always another inciting incident behind the one you're looking at!

Well. I say "fun".

For instance, Rayla let Marcos live, so he was able to raise the alarm. As a result, the whole team died and she was ghosted.

But she insisted on going on the mission because her family honor had been questioned.

And her family honor was questioned because Viren trapped her parents in coins instead of killing them cleanly and leaving their bodies lying around, so people assumed they'd fled the scene as cowards.

And Viren was up there because he realized Avizandum was about to hatch his egg and he worried that Katolis would suffer repercussions for the vengeance killing he and Harrow had just finished doing.

And they killed Avizandum because he killed Sarai.

And Avizandum killed Sarai because she was invading his land and breaching the "peace".

And she was sneaking into Xadia because there was a massive famine and her husband was insistent on a shortcut solution.

And there's something before that, and something before that, and something before that.

This is just one thread, too... whatever is going on with Kim'dael and the history of the Moonshadow assassins, whatever Karim and Janai are up to that ties back to Aditi and her disappearance, those are other tangled threads that interweave and knot up also.

Everything touches everything else. It's impossible to look at any single character or event and say "this one thing is solely responsible." Life is messy! TDP reflects that with amazing depth, considering how few episodes they have to work with.

But to get back to your question: Rayla thought Viren had killed Lain, Tiadrin, and Runaan, and she was angry and sad about that. She didn't get a second chance with her village, or with Runaan, so she really wanted a second chance to make sure Viren was dead dead and got what was coming to him.

She probably carried a lot more on her mind and in her heart than we'll ever know, during those two years. A lot of guilt and motivation and regret and anger, from a lifetime of hurts she never asked for, given by people who wanted the best for her and had to make hard choices.

And I bet it wasn't all aimed at Viren - we've seen how she struggles with self-worth issues. Hunting Viren could've partly been a way to stop feeling so guilty, by passing blame to him. A way to avoid dealing with her feelings until she had some good ones to feel, or so she told herself...

And there's some more threads, huh.

[1lovepeace]

@hoothalcyon This was my absolute favorite scene from Episode 8. You have no idea how much this scene broke my heart. I can feel the words hit my soul with the beautiful music. To make this even sadder, it basically confirmed, in some way, that Rayla hasn't seen Ethari in 2 years. So much sadness and pain. My heart can't take it. 💔

But in the end, Rayla has hope again because she finally has a chance to free her family. Which means she can see Ethari again. Please Give me Ethari and Rayla in an emotional giant hug. But one that is silent and wordless. They deserve this so much after all they've been through. Reunite the moonfam. ❤️

"I offer you my butterfly blades. They are crafted of pure moonsilver, the only two of their kind. They were made just for me by an expert metalsmith. I was trained to use them by a master assassin. Those two elves were like fathers to me, but I don't think I'll ever see them again. These blades are all I have to remember them by." -Rayla, S4 E8

[1lovepeace]

@ladyandherbooks This will absolutely and solely be Rayla's main priority in Season 5. Finding a way to free her family. Ethari definitely has to be part of this rescue in freeing their family. We can also get some very much needed moments of reconciliation, solidarity and healing with Ethari and Rayla. Which is why I want nothing more than for them wrapping each other up in a long silent, wordless hug. They both need and deserve this so much after being separated for 2 long years. Reunite the moonfam. Bring this beautiful family together again. ❤️

So Rayla in season 5 is going to be solely dedicated to getting her family back. I think the rest of her friends will focus more on Aaravos but will also help her out when they can.

Rayla will get Ethari and they'll team up to free their family.