Chapter 5: Flak tower
“Sweetheart, we’re here.”
She yawned. “We’re here?” She saw the flak tower. “Wow. Never saw such a huge building. Apart from the facility.”
“It is huge but it offers protection against air raids. And I am sure you find some friends of your age.” Tiara giggled as she heard this.
“Thanks for cheering me up and making me hope.” She gave his cap back.
The soldiers at the entrance greeted both.
Josef took her to the accommodations. It was surprising that they were almost empty.
Only a young woman with black hair and green eyes with her two children, a boy and a girl was there. The boy had brown hair and blue eyes, the girl black hair with blue eyes.
“Hello, can we come in?”
“Of course,” The woman replied to Josef. The Children looked confused at Tiara.
“Hello, I am Diamond Tiara.”
“She can talk?” The girl was surprised.
“It’s a costume my dear sister.” The boy said to her.
“Actually, it’s not. She’s not from this world.
“For real?” both asked eyes widened.
“Yes. I am from a country called Equestria. What’s your names?” Diamond asked politely and with joy.
“I am Erwin and this is my sister Dora. This is our mother Elsa. Our Daddy died in the battle of Stalingrad.”
"Sorry to hear that. At least you still have your caring mother. My mother isn’t so caring.” Tiara lowered her ears.
“That’s just rode. But you have a caring father?”
“Yes I have.”
For the rest of the evening, the three children had a happy conversation. The rich filly told her new friends about her life, family and Equestria. Elsa and Josef smiled.
“May I ask how your husband was?”
Elsa sobbed. “Great. He cared about me and our kids above everything else.”
“He was a good husband. I am Josef by the way.”
“Yes he was.” This remembered Josef of his wife. He showed Elsa the picture.
“This is my wife Jenny. She’s everything I have left. I hope she made it out of Berlin.”
They were interrupted by Diamond Tiara. She was laughing as Dora and Erwin tickled her. As she was lying on the ground trying to catch her breath, Josef remembered that she hadn’t told him how exactly she landed in Berlin.
“I don’t want to upset you, but how did you end up here in the first place?”
The filly took a deep breath. “Well, after I changed, a unicorn colt named Night Star became the new bully. He said that I am a freak to be friends with the CMC. Enraged, I said to him he should learn how to use magic probably and not for bulling other foals.
What I didn’t expect was that he said to me that his magic was working fine. As proof, he fired a spell on me and… here am I. I am able to understand your language, as the magic in Equestria makes this possible. For me it sounds like my native language, while for you it sounds like I speak German or in Karl’s case English.”
“This idiot! I hope his parents are punishing him very hard!” Erwin was angry.
“I am sure they will, brother.” Dora calmed him down.
A German Elite Soldier walked in. “Josef, I have a message for you.”
“Message? What message?”
The soldier cleared his throat. “I am sorry to tell you, that your wife…did not make it out of Berlin. She was in Prenlau when the Reds attacked. There were no survivors.” As proof, the soldier gave Josef Jenny’s wedding ring. Josef looked him into the eyes. He could tell that the Soldier was honest and sorry.
As he left, Josef broke out in tears. “Jenny… no. She was everything I had left.” He collapsed on the ground.
“Josef?” Tiara felt sorry for him.
His sadness became anger. “Screw this war, screw the Russians, screw the Führer, screw everything! If he had surrendered, my wife would be still alive, but no instead he says: ‘No retreat, no surrender defend this city until the last men and bullet!’”
He shouted, throwing his cap on the ground. “JOSEF!” Tiara cried out. She, Dora and Erwin hugged him tightly. “My condolences for your loss, but you still have me.”
Josef smiled at her and was running his hand through her mane. “That’s right. Sorry about my outburst. I am a calm man but sometimes, the fury must be released.”
“That’s okay. Maybe a walk should feel you better.”
“Yeah, would not hurt.” He let go, putted his cap up and walked to the entrance. Before leaving the room, Josef turned around.
Diamond Tiara was playing with her friends. Elsa smiled at him and the kids.
Downstairs, an Elite soldier asked him, “Did you hear about what happened in Prenlau?”
“Yeah, no survivors.” “I hope our Glorious Leaders have a plan, I don’t know much longer we can hold out.”
This made Josef thinking. Diamond Tiara was like a daughter for him. And he would get her home safe and sound or die.
Worried about her safety, he checked her.
His heart melted. Tiara, Erwin and Dora were asleep on the ground. A picture was in her hoofs. Elsa looked at it with Josef. Their hearts melted.
She had drawn a picture of her family and Silver Spoon.
Her father had blue eyes, a grey mane that looked similar to black and brown coat. His Cutie Mark was three sacks of money.
Her mother had opal eyes, a magenta mane and a pale pink coat. Her Cutie Mark was a Diamond ring.
Silver Spoon had a grey coat and mane, glasses and violet eyes. As her name suggests, she had a spoon as Cutie Mark. The spoon was adorned with a heart.
Above them were the words “I miss you.”
“She really misses her family and her friend.”
“Yeah.” Josef kissed her on the forehead and tucked her in. “Goodnight, sweetheart. I promise I will get you out of this warzone.” He putted the picture in his pocket. Elsa tucked her children in.
“Goodnight,” Josef said before he walked upstairs to the roof.
“Bombers coming from the north. Redirect all guns.” The commanding officer ordered.
The guns were deafening but Josef was used to it. The night was here.
Josef leaned on the railing as he looked into the city. Berlin was burning but still had some beauty. Even the night maintained his beauty. A plane was shot down. It crashed burning into the woods.
Walking down stairs, the young “father” spotted something strange on the wall.
“Kilroy was here.”
“What?” Before his mind was able to process this, an alarm ringed.
The Russians! Wasting no time, he ran down to the accommodations.
“What’s wrong, are the Reds coming for us?” Dora was scared.
“I don’t know. Anyway, I think it is better if we get you to safety!”
“Agreed, let’s move!”
They all got into the truck that Josef used to get here.
Josef drove as fast as he could. However, he didn’t’ came far as Russian troops stopped them.
“Out of the truck, now!” The Squad leader ordered in German with a strong accent. They all got out with raised hands. “On the ground!” They obeyed, hands/hoofs behind their heads.
“Sir, those are civilians! We can’t take them prisoner!”
“Shut up private. Bring them to our command post in Karlshorst. The Commissar should decide what happens to them.”
With that, the private took them into a truck with the destination Karlshorst Command Post. He felt sorry for the Children.
“Daddy, I am scared!” Tiara trembled in Josef’s arms. Erwin and Dora in their mother’s arms.
“Shh, don’t worry, nothing, bad will happen to you. The Russians will not harm you.” Josef and Elsa tried to make their children hope. Both prayed and hoped that the Russians would spare their children but still they prepared for the worst.