#ynn isabella

The promised neverland

During the first face-off between Krone and Isabella, the theme that plays is a piano version of Ray’s Theme, which plays pretty soon after during Ray and Norman’s standoff

I like that the anime subtly hints at how similar mother and son are just with the musical motifs. No matter how much Ray despised Isabella, ultimately, he is her son, and everything he learnt was at her knee. It’s no wonder that manipulation comes effortlessly to him - it’s what Isabella had been doing to him for years after all.

The Amnesic Ghost: Part 2 (But the roles are flipped)

If it weren’t for his years of being on the run, Ray wouldn’t have realized he was being watched.

Normally, he wouldn’t be at the woods this late. But Nigel was firm that a forest-side town might be their answer, so here he was, on the eve of her 14th birthday. Instinctively, his hands reached for a rock on the ground. There was not much damage a pebble could do, but it would catch his pursuer off guard. Hearing the tell-tale signs of someone shifting their weight, Ray whirled around and threw the stone - right at a 7-year-old girl’s forehead.

The rock passed neatly through her. Standing in front of him, looking more jubilant than fazed, was the very girl they had been looking for - only, she was 7 years younger than she was supposed to be. Also, she wasn’t corporeal.

“Ray!” she exclaimed gleefully, as if young men who looked like older versions of her brother frequently appeared in her backyard. She launched herself at him, and borne of the instinct of having 40-something siblings, he crouched down, arms outstretched just enough to receive her small frame. But the duo clearly hadn’t learned a thing from the slingshot because Emma merely stepped through him, stumbling slightly.

“Why are you glowing? Why can’t I hug you? Why are you so old? You’re even taller than Mama! Are you here for my birthday? Where’s your uniform? Do you want to play tag with us? Everyone’s it except for me but I guess you already found me - do you want to play again?” she said this all in one breath, arms flapping animatedly. For his part, Ray merely gaped, his eyes creating that same prickling sensation he had felt when he first realized she was missing.

I found you, I found you, I found…you!

But his overwhelming relief was momentary. A skeptical voice, which sounded strangely like Isabella, began to whisper in his mind. “Is she really here? Or do you just want her to be?”

His smile slid off his face. His mother always did have a knack for crushing his dreams. How pathetic, he thought wryly, crying in front of a hallucination of your 7-year-old sister. Slowly, he turned away, willing her to disappear. He tried to walk away but found, quickly, that he couldn’t. He was bound here, to a vision of the world he had cursed, bound to her memory.

He felt the ghost of a small hand reach for his own. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice much quieter, her eyes round. Damn it. Pushing his bangs to the front of his face, he bent slightly. If he was stuck in this world, to her, then it wouldn’t hurt to talk - an artificial consolation for his years of searching.

“I’m fine,” he said gruffly. “How are you?”

She beamed, “I’m seven! Just as old as you! But not right now - why are you so old?” she asked again, quite unwilling to give up. Typical.

“I don’t know, how did you get so young?”

“I’mseven,”she repeated. “Did you get adopted? Is that why you’re a geezer?” Ouch.

“I didn’t get adopted. But I’m with our family.”

“Is everyone happy? Is Mamahappy?”

“Everyone’s happy. We’re all missing…someone though.”

“Are they from our family?”

“Yes.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Every day.”

“Are they okay?”

“I really hope so.”

“Is that why you’re here? Were you looking for them?”

You always were perceptive. If I had been more like you, would I have known you were lying to us then?

“Yes.”

“Well…” began Emma, “I think they’ll be okay!”

“You think so?”, he asked, feeling the corners of his mouth begin to twitch.

“I know so. Everyone in our family’s smart, right? They’re probably…playing a game of tag! And we’re all great at tag - you’ll find them, for sure.”

Against himself, a laugh bubbled from his throat. Maybe it was her childish, almost obstinate confidence. Or maybe, he was just hysterical. Somehow, I always feel like there’s hope when Emma says it, Norman had once said to him. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, he grinned broadly, “Yeah, you’re right, we’ll find them, for sure,” echoing her words.

“You know, you’re a lot more cheerful than myRay.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said, smiling. “Am I giving you a hard time there?”

“You never give me a hard time,” she said sincerely.

Idon’t believe that.

Frowning, he crouched, until her eyes were slightly higher than her own. “Yeah, well, if I do, give him - me - a kick from me, won’t you?”

Laughing, she nodded, allowing his hand to gently brush (or ghost, really) over her head, as he had done in their youth.

Suddenly, her already-spirit-looking figure became almost blindingly illuminated, and he knew he would leave her world soon.

Perhaps she realized it too, because she immediately reached for him, “Do you think you can visit me again next year? I’ll bring Norman, and you and Mama and - you look sad,” she remarked, her face falling.

Fighting to swallow the lump in his throat, he placed his hand on her translucent shoulder, “Can you forgive me” he whispered, “for being away so long?” I’m sorry. We were supposed to go there together. I miss you.

How silly, she thought, we play with each other every day, don’t we? She nodded.

“Promise me,” he said gravely, “you won’t try to do everything on your own.”

“Inever do that. You’re always by yourself, though,” she said, a tone of accusation creeping into her voice, as if to call him a hypocrite.

Liar. I miss you.

“I do, don’t I?” he said fondly, “it’s a good thing I have you then.” Thank you for showing me this world. I miss you. Come home.

“I’m sorry I keep forcing you to play tag,” she said, “I don’t like you ignoring us.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.” I never have. I miss you.

She was growing less and less corporeal by the second.

“Hey - Ray! Did I ride a giraffe there yet?”

“Not yet, but you will.”

“Really?”

“Really.”I promise.

She was completely transparent now.

“Bye, Ray! Say hi to me, for me!”

“I will, happy birthday, by the way.” I hope you have a wonderful 14th, Emma. I’m sorry I’m not there to celebrate.

“I’ll meet you there, someday!”

“I’ll see you soon,” he said, ignoring the sinking disappointment of returning to an Emma-less world. I miss you. I’ll find you.

“Take care!” I’ll try, thank you for seeing me. It’s been so long. Take care.

And with that, she was gone, returning him to his world.

***

“Yo.”

“Ray!” exclaimed Emma, tearing her eyes away from the spot the older Ray had been.

“You’re it.” That’s right, we were playing tag.

“I avoided everyone for really long, though,” she said, mildly annoyed he had caught her. And I was nice to you too, even though you were old.

“Sure.”What do you mean, sure?

“I did! Even Norman didn’t catch me!” she protested, following him back to their home.

He gave a short, mocking laugh.

“Ray!” she yelled indignantly. “That was a new record - and I didn’t even try to hide! What took you so-”

“Surprise!” all around her, her family sprouted from among the bushes leading into the forest.

“Happy Birthday, dummy,” said Ray, helping Norman heave their present into her arms.

“It was all Ray’s idea!” said Nat, “he knew you’d be distracted for a while if we played tag.”

See, Ray? You always knew everyone in our family so well - you’re going to find that person, I know it.

***

I’m going to find you, swore Ray, walking back through the woods, back to his family.