//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 A happy Christmas and Hearts Warming Eve // Story: Stalingrad Hell on Earth // by Bronycommander //------------------------------// Chapter 7: A happy Christmas and Hearts Warming Eve? There is nothing but the rhythm of explosions, more or less distant, more or less violent… there are the cries of the wounded, or the agonizingly dying, shrieking as they stare at a part of their body reduced to pulp… There are tragic, unbelievable visions, which carry from one moment of nausea to another: guts splattered across the rubble and sprayed from one dying man into another… This is how we took part in the German advance… Unknown soldier, 6th army Frank had a wonderful dream. He dreamed that he was sitting with his wife, daughter and Ruby at the fireplace, enjoying the heat of the fireplace. Jana was playing with Ruby, they both enjoyed cookies and gingerbread Wafers. Carmen, Frank’s wife, always made them to advent and Christmas. “I’m so proud if you. Without your help, Ruby had never survived. You’re honestly earned the iron cross.” She kissed him. “I’m just glad it’s over and I’m reunited with you.” He smiled as Jana tickled Ruby who broke out in laughter. “And I’m happy to enjoy another Christmas with you.” The young man smiled in his sleep, knowing that he could soon be home. But in reality, it wasn’t so. He woke up in the morning, the body heat of the filly against his, sleeping peacefully. Frank got up carefully to let her sleep and got to the other to breakfast. “Morning, guys.” “Morning. Coffee?” Manfred asked, fully recovered. Yes. Remember how much Hans’s coffee sucked? I won't miss his coffee after he got sent to France.” “I do remember and I won't miss it too.” Frank took a sip and breakfasted then looked after Ruby. She yawned and blinked her eyes open. “Good morning, Frank.” “Morning, sweetheart. Slept well?” “Of course! I dreamed that I was enjoying the heat of the fireplace at your home, playing with your daughter and enjoying cookies and gingerbread Wafers!” She smiled. Frank chuckled. “I had the same dream. Now, let’s get you some breakfast. The most important meal of the day.” “That’s right!” she exclaimed. The others greeted her. Nick had made her some hot chocolate. “Thanks.” The young foal enjoyed it with a grin.” Warm and refreshing!” “Glad to hear it. The day was quiet, Ruby was building a snowpony which earned her the soldiers' compliments. They even had a snowball battle. It warmed and melted the German’s hearts as the unicorn made a snow angel with a wide smile. But little they did knew, that their dream to return home, was foiled by the Russians. A few weeks passed, it was December and the 6th army was surrounded by the soviets. While the food supply was bad, Frank and his squad mates could still find enough to keep themselves and Ruby from starving. Frank got a letter. Ruby saw that he was shocked once he had read it. “What’s wrong?” She asked with worry. “M-my w-wife and daughter…they died in a bombing raid…” He sobbed and Ruby hugged him tightly. “Sorry for your loss, but you’re still having me.” Frank patted her. “Indeed, I still have you.” And I will do anything to get you out of here! For now, his only goal was to keep her alive, even if it meant to sacrifice his own life. In the evening, they all warmed themselves at a campfire. “Looks like we won’t enjoy a warm Christmas after all.” Manfred was sad, looking into the sky, sighing. He thought of being at home, warming himself at his fireplace. “My mother told me much about humanity. In Equestria, we have a holiday similar to Christmas. It’s called Hearth's Warming Eve. This holiday celebrates the founding of Equestria. We have 2 songs if it, want to hear it?” “Yes please.” The soldiers smiled at her. Ruby cleared her throat. “Ponies' voices fill the night. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Happy hearts so full and bright. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Oh, what a sight! Look at the light! All for tonight! Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again! Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again.” By that point, it felt natural by the Germans to sing along, adding a deeper bass to the foal’s higher voice. “Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding! Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding! We're so busy making merry. Windigos should all be wary.” Ruby singed as the soldiers sang, “As our mighty voices carry!” “Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again! Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again. Hearth's Warming Eve is here once a— Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve! Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve! Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!” Everyone had a happy look on his smile, arms around each other’s shoulders as Ruby cleared her throat again to start the second song. “The fire of friendship lives in our hearts As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through) We are a circle of pony friends A circle of friends we'll be to the very end!” Everyone smiled as the song ended. “That was beautiful!” Frank exclaimed happy, his comrades too. “Glad to hear it.” Ruby blushed light. “Hauptmann, General Paulus has a task for you.” Nick walked with an officer away to talk. “I wonder what he wants,” Ruby commented surprised and curious. “He will tell us soon,” Klaus replied feared what it could be. After a few minutes, they got order to report together with other soldiers. Before he could say anything, the soldiers complained about having enough and being used as Cannon fodder. “Quiet!” Nick ordered. “Listen. Yesterday, the Russians tried all day to capture our post at a strategic important position. With heavily casualties, we managed to hold it. I’m sure they will try it again when it becomes light. We have to hold the line with little we have – and you are it men. Without your help, we can’t make it. Why is this position so important? It’s the best position were an outbreak and Union with the Armor group of General Hoth. She’s just only a few kilometers away from here. And you all know that we must get out of here. I ask you: Do you want to starve, die of exposure? Do you want to be responsible for the doom of 3100 comrades? Think about it.” “We will fight to protect her ad as long as you lead us.” The Osttruppen leader said to him. “Okay. You are all what we have – sorry, men, but this has to be done. We have no choice…” “What about Ruby? We can’t put her into danger,” Klaus pointed out. “I’m sorry to say this, but as we need all of you, we have to take her with us. Her safety rest on your determination – so don’t let the deaths of your comrades be in Vain!” They prepared everything. The leader spoke to Nick, “We have no chance. Why don’t you surrender?” “You know exactly what awaits us then. Do you want that Ruby has this fate?” “No. But we deserve nothing else but that.” They all waited the next morning for the Russian attack. An Anti-tank gun and several foxholes. Ruby was with Frank and Klaus in a foxhole. “T-tanks.” Lars managed to say as multiple T34s moved in with Infantry sitting on top of them. “Ruby, get Limpet mines,” Frank ordered. “Yes.” She didn’t like it but it was the only way to survive. “Lars, Limpet mine!” “Have fun.” He gave her a mine, which she carried with her magic back to Frank. Nick commanded the Anti-tank gun. “Fire!” the first shot missed. “Fire!” The second shot also missed. “Where’s our artillery?” a soldier exclaimed. “You are the artillery!” his comrade replied. The tanks stopped and the infantry jumped down. They overrun the first foxhole with the two soldiers. As Klaus fired his LMG, Ruby covered her ears at is was very loud. “Out! Out! Lars yelled at a young soldier who fired with his MP40 at a T34, only to be buried alive by the tank. One soldier lost his nerves and tried to flee, only to be grabbed by his comrades. “Let me go! I want to go home!” “Fire! Nick ordered at the Anti-tank gun destroyed a T-34, the one who had buried the young soldier fire at the gun but missed. It putted Ruby into shellshock for a moment, blurring her vision and deafening her hearing. As it stopped, she heard a scream. She peeked out of the foxhole and regretted it immediately. The screaming came from Lars, his abdomen was blown off. He still screamed in pain for a few seconds before he fell silent. An Osttruppen soldier died as he threw a Molotov Cocktail at a T-34. Ruby was shocked as she saw how the crew climbed out and screamed in pain as she rolled around to put the fire out. Suddenly, Frank pulled her down as one of the remaining T-34 as above them and placed a mine on the back. It exploded and destroyed the tank. The MG jammed, Klaus and Frank tried to fix it. “Come on, man!” Frank tried desperately to fix it. As two Russian soldiers passed them, they managed to fix it and fired. The weapon crew destroyed another tank. “Frank, Klaus, out!” Nick screamed as the one of the 2 remaining tanks closed in on the foxhole. They jumped out as the tank came closer but Ruby tripped. “Hilfswilliger doing it!” the Osttruppen leader shouted as he rushed over to Ruby, grabbed her and rolled out of the tanks way as it got destroyed by a Molotov Cocktail. The last tank got destroyed by the field gun. “Thank you for saving me.” Ruby thanked her savior. “It’s my duty.” They walked over to Nick, making a silent prayer for Lars. “Damn it! Why does that keep happening to me?” Nick complained, he was holding his right arm for a second. “You all right, Hauptmann?” Frank asked. “The Russians can only hit my right side! I was lucky.” He laughed and gave Ruby his chocolate. “My Last. You were very brave.” “Thank you.” “Back to camp, men. Now we wait for Hoth’s army. We’ll bring the gun with us.” “Where are the horses?” Manfred asked. Ruby wasn’t offended, they told her once that they used horses to pull it sometimes. “We are the horses,” Klaus replied, letting out a laugh. “Ready as we’ll ever be.” The Osttruppen leader helped them, dragging the gun with his men. As Ruby’s mother was an earth pony, she had inherited her mother’s strength although the filly was a unicorn. While not as strong as a grown up earth pony or unicorn, she still had some strength in her to drag the gun. Now we wait, until they’ll free us. And then, Frank can get me to a safer place. She thought relieved that it was over. They got to a Village and took shelter in a house. A Waffen-SS soldier opened the door. “Get out, quickly!” he ordered with a strictly voice. “Close the door, it’s getting cold, Klaus replied calm. “Out, I won’t tell you again! Furlough cancelled, we all stay here!” “Are you insane?” the Manfred asked. “How often did you wet your pants before the Russians, huh?” The SS-soldier asked offending. “YES, I’M SCARED!” Manfred exclaimed in rage, his friends were grabbing him to hold him back. “THIS SUCKS SO MUCH! I go home…by foot.” He calmed down. “Calm down. We’ll be home soon,” Frank calmed him down. Outside, Waffen-SS soldiers rounded up the villagers, bringing them out of the village to a backyard, burning the houses. Ruby got lost in the crowd, nobody noticed it. She got to a house where she heard voices. “What have you found?” “Only cheap junk, which would remind them of their homeland. Let’s get out of here.” Ruby backed up as another 2 soldiers of the Waffen-SS came out and pumped into a third who knocked her out with his MP40 before she had a chance to scream. Frank, Manfred and Klaus got rewarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by General Paulus. They all got the iron cross earlier, their first Iron cross before they got here, back on leave in Italy and the EK II for their actions at the Factory. “Where’s Ruby?” Frank wondered. “With Nick I guess. He said he still had something to do.” General Amsel walked towards them. “Follow me.” They followed him into a backyard where several civilians lined up against the wall. “Frank, they can’t do this!” Manfred was shocked. “Listen up, everyone! These men and women are saboteurs. They are to be shot immediately. Execution.” “They’re no Saboteurs. They got only shot because we run out of food,” Klaus whispered. “I refuse.” Manfred didn’t want to do this. “If you refuse, you standing against the wall too,” the Russian leader replied to Manfred. “Frank.” Manfred spotted Ruby along the “Saboteurs.” She trembled heavily in fear. “Herr General, I know this girl, she belongs to me, for her I pledge myself,” Frank explained. “Ah, you’re the one who said she is the daughter if a high-ranking General. Nice try, but I looked through it upon first hearing it. She worked for the Ivan and you know the punishment for it.” “Spare the child.” Frank tried to bring the General to good sense. “If you miss even once, you will be standing next to her. We aren’t on the market. Now back in line.” “I kill this sow! Klaus whispered as Frank got back. This can’t be happening! Ruby thought scared that her nightmare would become true. “Take aim!” General Amsel ordered. Ruby trembled harder, tears leaving her eyes, Frank and his friends hands were shaking. She closed her eyes. “Fire!”