A Splash Of Paint (MCYT Oneshots)

[R] Out of Tyranny (Niki-centric)

(A/N: peachmacarons: can you do a niki-centric story? maybe hurt/comfort for when she escapes manburg?
in this au wilbur is not cray-cray and being a j.d kinnie, so you get some lovely bonding times!!)

She was out of Manburg. She had managed to run away. She was now with her friends. She was free.

So why was she still sad?

Niki sat on the stairs of Pogtopia, swinging her legs back and forth. She wasn't exactly sure why she was just sitting here and doing nothing; Tommy and Tubbo were both having a chance to be the kids that they were, Technoblade was farming his potatoes, and Wilbur was working on some sort of plan.

She sighed, clutching Wilbur's cloak closer to her. On her first day in Pogtopia, she had gotten Wilbur's cloak to keep herself warm, since they needed to take some time to get actual blankets for her. She shared a bed with Wilbur, and laid in it alone, since Wilbur had been staying up all night to work on a plan.

Sometimes, she worried about her friend. But what could she do? She hadn't been here from the beginning, she had no way of knowing how or why he was doing that.

But she was alone, so her thoughts quickly drifted from that train of thought. Despite knowing that Schlatt was bad, and the brutality she faced under his rule was most definitely not good, she couldn't help but miss it.

More specifically, she missed L'manburg.

Despite everything, despite all the hardships she had faced there — in Manburg — and despite all of the pain and sorrow she had felt there, it had still been her home, once upon a time. And to see it being crushed and torn apart like this, to see the home she once knew slowly disappearing? It hurt.

She didn't miss being with Schlatt. She didn't miss having to labour everyday to pay her ever-increasing taxes. She didn't miss the paranoia and fear the followed her like a shadow everytime she so much as stepped out fo her house. And she most definitely didn't miss being kept out of the loop.

But she missed her home. She missed seeing the sight of L'manburg's flag flying high and true. She missed feeling at peace and happy while in the walls of L'manburg. She missed the sight of all of her friends happy and free from stress and pain.

Niki missed a lot of things.

"Hey."

Niki jerked her head up to stare at Wilbur. He offered a tiny smile to her, before sitting next to her. "You look worried, Niki. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," she assured. "Just... just some bad emotions, I guess. They'll pass soon."

"Oh," Wilbur frowned. "Is there- is there any way I could help with them? I could help you do some baking, if you'd like. Or just sing to you until you take your mind off of it. Only if you want me to, though."

Niki smiled gently. "Thanks, but I think I won't be needing them."

"Oh," Wilbur repeated. "...well, do you want to tell me about it?"

"I... I guess so," Niki murmured. "I just- it's been a long month, Wilbur. There was a lot to do under Schlatt's rule, and while I don't regret joining you, I kind of... I kind of miss it."

"Being under Schlatt's dictatorship?"

"No, not that, I'm happy I'm out," Niki hastily rectified. "But I miss the land. I miss being in- being in L'manburg and all. It may have been renamed or whatever, but it's still L'manburg to me."

Wilbur stayed silent throughout her talking, and she was kind of glad for that.

"Even if it's been overtaken by Schlatt, even if it's lost a lot of its original sights and meanings under Schlatt's tyranny and rule," Niki bit her lip. "It's still L'manburg. And I miss it."

Niki startled a little as she felt Wilbur wrap an arm around her body, and bring her closer to him.

"We'll get it back together," Wilbur swore, and she could hear the sincerity and truth behind his words. "We'll take Schlatt down, and we'll raise the flag of L'manburg high again. And most importantly, we'll live to see another dawn."

Niki looked up at Wilbur, who smiled. She sighed softly, and leaned to his embrace.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah, we will."