Chapter 3: The human side in war
Sato woke up in the morning, yawning and stretching himself.
He heard hoof steps. “Good morning, Sato.” Flute brought him breakfast, a bowl of Rice held by her magic.
“Thanks.” He ate it with great pleasure. “Did you make it by yourself?”
The filly blushed. “Well, as my mother’s best friend is a baker, I learned a thing or two from her.”
“And you did well.” He patted her which she enjoyed with a smile.
While enjoying his breakfast, his friend joined him to discuss what to do next.
“The situation is getting tough. If they break through here, we have to retreat to the HQ of General Kuribayashi. But we have to hold them here, or everything is lost.”
“Do you think we can get out alive of this one too?” Suzuki asked.
“Hard to say, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to a safer place, Flute.” He smiled at her.
“Thank you all for helping me.” She was a little bit embarrassed.
“We only to our duty.” She remembered so much of his daughter. He putted his family photo out and kissed it. I hope I get to see you again.
While the unicorn had a happy conversation with Suzuki who told her of his days when he jumped out of a plane, Sato patrolled with Osaka through the caves.
Another soldier walked under a hole, as suddenly, a jet of flame came through it, setting him on fire.
Sato and his friend raised their hands out of reflex to protect themselves from the heat. They tried to put the fire with a blanket out, but it was too late.
The soldier was dead. A grenade was dropped through the hole. “Grenade!” They got away in time.
“What happened?” Chiba asked as his soldiers returned.
“Flamethrower through the sealing,” the young father replied.
Tootsie Flute noticed how a soldier was staring into the direction where the other soldier had died. The empty stare made her nervous, she let out a nervous little whine.
The Japanese slowly turned into her direction. “Are you…scared…COWARD?!” He started to slash out, she backed up.
Another soldier joined him, an angry expression on his face. Fear took over. “S-stop! What did I do wrong?” She asked frantically over and over again as they came closer.
There was the sound of angry screams. “HELP!” Flute screamed at the top of her lungs.
Alerted, Sato and his comrades sprinted to her and were shocked.
A few Japanese soldiers were very angry at the loss of their comrades and wanted to the anger out at her.
She struggled but to no avail as they threw her into a corner to beat her up.
“HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Sato yelled enraged.
Chiba drew his Katana. “By the honor of the Emperor, you will not harm her!” He stepped between the soldiers and the foal. “She is under my protection, if you only harm on hair on her, I will personally punish you!” His sword was raised in a defensive position.
The foal was trembling, crying, hooves covering her face as protection.
The soldier’s anger faded as they saw what they had almost done. “By our honor, we deeply apologize.” They bowed before her.
Sato had to rock with her for a few minutes to calm her down.
“If you’re angry, let it out fighting the enemy, not on a child, got it?” the officer asked.
“Got it.”
Chiba putted his cap on Flute’s head, causing her to giggle.
The radio turned on.
“For General Kuribayashi, and his troops who are fighting bravely four our country. A song will be sung by the children of Nagano, which is Kuribayashi’s home town.” The announcer announced and the song started.
Flute couldn’t help but to sing along it.
“On the waves of the Pacific,
Down south from the Imperial city
a small lonely islands floats.
The fate of our imperial country
Lies in the hands of this island,
Iwo Jima.
As long as we stand,
We shall feel safe,
As the imperial land shall forever be at peace.
We shall fight with pride
and honor at any price,
Our proud island, Iwo Jima.”
Sato’s eyes watered, it remaindered him of his family. His comrades also had a sad expression, Chiba took his glasses of to wipe his tears out of his eyes.
The song was beautiful yet sad.
As Flute had finished, she noticed how Sato had his head lowered sobbing.
“What’s wrong?” She asked before she got it. “It reminds you of your family, right?” She hugged him.
“Thank you.”
The moment was short as the alarm sounded. “Enemies at the entrance! All man on their posts!” a loudspeaker warned.
While Flute stayed here, the soldiers quickly manned their posts.
Osaka deployed the bipod for easier handling and fired at a squad of Marines.
A young Gl was cowering behind a rock as cover. He fired a shot, his rifle made the distinctive metallic ping sound as the empty clip was ejected.
Sato used this to fire, he hit the Gl in the chest. He collapsed but was still alive.
“He’s still alive!” Sato exclaimed.
“Sato, Suzuki, get him into the cave!” Chiba ordered and gave covering fire with the rest of the squad, as they ran to the wounded soldier to get him into the cave.
Flute saw this and carried some bandages and medical supplies to the American, as Sato and the paratrooper patched him up as good as they could.
Sometime later, Chiba asked, “How is the prisoner doing?”
“He is awake, sir,” the SMG gunner replied.
Chiba asked the soldier in English, “Where are you from, Soldier?” The marine looked like he was 18.
“I’m a marine. Baker Company.”
“I meant, what is your home town?” the marine gave no answer. “I am letting care for you. I know a lot about your culture. My teacher was of American descent. He taught me and my friends a lot about it. Tell me, do you like hot dogs?”
The marine smiled. “Who doesn’t? Dallas. That’s where I’m from.”
“Ah, yes, Spicy and hot food, desert, and Wild West. My teacher told me, his father used to live in Texas before he got to Japan. Chiba.” He gave the young man his hand.
“Tom.”
“Nice to meet you. Those are my soldiers and friends, Sato, Suzuki, Osaka and Hiroto.” He introduced them.
“Go to the Gym often?” Tom asked the muscular LMG gunner.
He laughed. “You got to be strong if you want to carry such a heavy weapon.”
The American shook his head once he spotted Flute. “What did you gave me? I see a unicorn.”
“That’s right,” Flute replied, much to Tom’s shock.
“She can talk!?”
“Yep.” She told him about her and they all had a happy conversation about culture and how much they had in common about their likes in it. Flute talked with him about music which he liked too.
The next day, Flute checked Tom. “Tom?”
He didn’t reply. Tootsie shook him, but it showed no effect.
She checked his pulse.
There was none.
No…” she started to cry as he had died.
Sato comforted her while Chiba putted the blanket over the dead body and pulled a letter out of the marine’s pocket.
“A letter. It’s from his mother.” He cleared his throat and read it aloud.
“Tom…I have mailed you a couple of books to read. I hope you like them. Yesterday…our cat ran away to find you. By the time we found her…she had searched everywhere for you. Don’t worry about us. Just take care of yourself and come back safely.
“Remember what I said to you…always do what you believe is right…because it is right. I pray for a speedy ending of the war…and your safe return. Love, mom.”
Flute sobbed. “It’s so sad! He was still so young!”
“Unfortunately Flute, War makes no difference how young or old soldiers are.” Sato stroked her mane, he was sad too.
“The Americans! They have broken through!” a soldier joined them, out of breath.
“Damn, now we have no choice but to retreat! Let’s go!” Chiba ordered.
As they moved out, a part of the celling fell down, knocking Flute out before anyone could react.
She awoke with a light headache. Rubbing her head, she tried to remember.
The retreat…Sato…SATO! Once it hit her, she got up as she was luckily unharmed but the celling was collapsed, trapping her. They do not seem to have noticed it. She thought as neither Sato nor his friends were nearby.
“Miller, clear the cave!” a man shouted.
In panic, Flute tried to dig her way free but it didn’t work.
She heard the sound of a flamethrower coming closer.
No, no, no, no, no. no, anything but that! Her mind raced in fear and panic, as she was trapped and the marines moved in.