"Fine, I'll do it myself."
In honor of my 5 year OTP, I have finally done it. After I have faded out and come back into the fandom stronger than ever, I have finally done it. After years of imagining and reflecting and analyzing and relentless dayd...
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Wow. Just... wow. I'm at a loss for words.
One thousand views guys. One. Thousand. I can't even begin to explain how astounded and grateful I am to each and every one of you. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day or night to read my works, and give them a chance.
The Steve Saga has been with me through thick and thin, throughout all the toughest points in my life where I felt like giving up. It may not have directly saved me in those moments of pain, but it became my rock, my hope, something to bring me joy when nothing else seemed to.
I started actually shipping NightBow when I was in 5th grade. I had just moved to a completely new place and was nervous about this new, unfamiliar environment and the culture that came with it. This, being my anchor, getting me through, you better believe that I did not shut up about NightBow the entirety of 5th and 6th grade. And guess what? Those same people whose ears I talked off, we are best friends to this day. In fact, I've finally convinced them to binge watch it with me soon 🥳
NightBow is... special to me. Out of every fandom I have ever been in, ever ship I have ever shipped, NightBow has stuck, and in the best way possible. I love it dearly for quite a few different reasons, but for the sake of time, I'll just write the general points. (This is me from the future. I did not just write the general points. You may skip to the overall if you don't wanna read all this.)
1) The unbridled passion of mortal enemies to lovers has a kind of purity that any and all other tropes cannot even begin to compete with
2) Rainbow Steve was legitimately, 1000%, canonically, no joke, created for the sole purpose of defeating Nightmare Steve. I mean how much more mortal enemies can you get? And the more they hate/ are supposed to hate each other, the more intense the passion gets.
3) Nightmare Steve had every. Single. Opportunity. To kill. Rainbow.
Every. One. He had the power to do it, that's for sure, but he always either whisked him away, captured him, hurt him just enough, or stalled.
4) If they were to begin a relationship in cannon, it would be hella forbidden. That's freaking awesome.
5) Their situation is so extremely perfect, that you can branch off from cannon at any point in the series and make it into NightBow and it would still make perfect sense.
6) The line between Love and Hate is so thin it's basically blurred over by now.
7) Fate. Keeps them tied together for eternity. Don't believe me? Ahem: Nightmare was the second person for Rainbow to ever meet. Everywhere Rainbow went in Origins, every foe he fought, it was all somehow connected to Nightmare. The prophecy, just the whole of it. After Rainbow came back from hibernation and throughout hibernation, it was confirmed that Nightmare had been looking for him. They cross paths once more. They dance around each other for the entirety of the Rainbow Town Era. The trio just so happen to come across Nightmare's tomb, which conveniently has a portal that conveniently leads them right to where Nightmare is??? Like hello, Universe??? Nightmare Steve's redemption, in which Rainbow believes in Yellow first out of everyone, and the two have maybe two minutes of complete alone time. Yellow was stalking them throughout the Void Era, so it seemed. Rainbow turned on them, and Yellow could've very likely approached him and talked him out of it had Sabre and the team implemented that in. And not really last, but certainly not least... they are with each other in the Spirit Ream for the rest of eternity. Together. No other yellow Steve for Rainbow, no other Steve for Nightmare, just them two.
8) From start to finish, these two were quite literally made for each other. A relationship of fear hurt and hatred, yet of reconciliation, compassion, love, and most importantly... Hope. Hope for change, hope for something new, the hope that goodness lies in everyone, even those who are broken seemingly beyond repair. That's what a Rainbow symbolizes. And Nightmare always saw him for who he is: hope incarnate. Which is the reason that the Nightmare King wanted to crush him, to crush the hope of the Steves; the reason that Nightmare Steve was hesitating to kill him, he wanted hope too; and finally, the reason that Yellow Steve turned. He finally allowed himself to hope that someday, somebody, somehow, would give him a chance. And Hope himself did.
Overall (sorry for writing so much, I got carried away 😅):
They are the most beautiful love story that never was. It breaks my heart that it will never be cannon, but I've come to terms with that fact. But I dream anyways. That's why I write. That's why I draw. To bring what could never be to life. There's something breathtaking about that, bringing something to life. I pray that the fruits of 5 years of my imagination have not just entertained you, but inspired you to hope for a new day as well. Because we all need a little NightBow in our lives.
Thank you Sabre, for teaching me how to dream. Thank you past selves, for your dedication to doing so.
And thank you, dear reader, for making my dreams come true. ♥️
