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The wall.
The wall he built.
The wall he built, to keep his friends and fellow citizens safe.
He watched as it was taken down.
Brick after brick, the wall that protected his friends, and once fellow people, was shrinking, parts collapsing in on itself.
"Fundy!"
Eret turned, surprised by Niki's cry.
"Fundy, what are you doing?!" Niki stumbled forward, hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide as she watched the destruction of her home.
Eret turned back to the wall, watching as Fundy swung his pick, bricks breaking and clattering to the ground.
Fundy...
"Fundy, tell me why—" Said man turned to face Niki, his face scrunched up into a frown.
"I'm doing this for us, Niki! For all of us!" He stepped down from the pile of bricks he had been standing on, marching his way over to Niki.
Eret could only which as his two friends tore themselves away from each other, yelling and ridiculing the other, as if they never onced laughed together. As if they never once considered each other friends— never once considered each other family.
"This isn't what I want, Fundy! I want L'manberg back! I want to go back to how it was before the election! I want Wilbur and Tommy—"
"Don't say their names!" Fundy growled. He stepped closer to Niki, making her back up. "They're banished, they lost!"
Niki's eyes were wide with fear, hands trembling by her sides.
Eret was frozen.
He couldn't do anything
He watched as Niki shook herself from her trance, standing tall as she marched up to Fundy.
"How could you say that," Eret felt shivers down his spine. He had never heard Niki so mad before.
"How could you say that, to your own family—"
"We're not family—" Eret noticed the flash of hurt that crossed Niki's face. He noticed how she clenched her hands into fists, scrunching her face up in anger.
"Maybe we were not," She gestured her hand, pointing to the houses that lined up around their empire. "But what about Wilbur?!" She poked at Fundy's chest. "You're father?!" Fundy took a step back, Niki taking one forward. "Does he mean nothing to you?!" Fundy flinched at her harsh words.
Silence took over the air.
Fundy turned, picking up his pick he had dropped onto the ground.
"I have a job to do,"
Eret watched as family was ripped apart.
He watched as Niki stormed off tears shimmering in her eyes, threatening to slip.
He watched as Fundy trudged to the wall.
He didn't miss the hurt look that crossed his face before breaking down the wall once again.
And if he heard the anthem of L'manberg being sung from a distance, he did not question it.
Eret made his way to the path at the front of the L'manberg walls.
He held onto the pain he felt.
He walked up the wooden stairs, making his way back to his castle.
He needed to help.
He had to help.