TCB: The Last Performance
February 13th, 1975
1968... a year nobody would ever forget.
From the onset of the year, things were rather normal. The ongoing US "intervention" in Vietnam was still dragging on, China was in political turmoil once again with its "Cultural Revolution", Greece had recently saw a military government be put in place, and the rest Europe well... Europe was still the same. Divided.
It had been over 2 decades since the curtain had fallen and East and West carved up the war torn remains of mainland Europe, but life went on. Those in both the east and west saw tensions rise and fall, fears nearly turning into declarations of war. But it was just a simple routine... a routine which probably would've continued if it hadn't been for what happened that year.
The beginning of the year was nothing special, just the same sort of thing going over and over and over again until they came. In march of that year, a new land form popped up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It was not large enough to be its own continent but only slightly larger than Australia.
Almost immediately, the Soviets and Americans sent their ships to make contact with whatever was on the island as satellites on both sides had shown images of sprawling urban centers. And then it happened.
Ponies... Of all sentient life to meet, it was a bunch of ponies with magic. I was quite dumbfounded at first when the news hit home, but the proof was right there in front of me. It just took me longer to believe it all.
Around that time, I was fresh out of the Bundeswehr officer school and was a newly commissioned Lieutenant in Hamburg. If it hadn't been for one of the treaties from back in 1945, I probably would've been stationed in Berlin but there was nothing wrong with it all. At least I did not have to deal with the rush of Frankfurt or the politics of Bonn. Stuttgart or Munich would've been a nice posting though.
But anyways, the ponies soon began to travel and preach peace and harmony, a thing a few of my American colleagues would compare to their "hippies" back in the United States. But it seemed to have a profound effect on the world itself.
Tensions within the world began to cool down quite drastically. Somehow by mid 1968, both Germanys managed to come to an agreement for a slow but substantial merger into a unified and neutral German state, even though both Warsaw Pact and NATO member states were both taken back by it. Still though, mediation from the ponies managed to cool things off and by late October, both the Bundeswehr and the National Volksarmie managed to merge, albeit equipment differences still persisted. Things were actually looking quite good.
But then it all came crashing down...
It all started with mounting opposition from humans against mediation by ponies in world affairs, many of these people taking a pro-human stance. I would admit, I despised them originally, but I found myself aligned with them all after it had started...
A new terrorist force had formed up, calling itself the HLF or Human Liberation Front. It sounded like some sort of communist terrorist organization from the name but they were anything but communist terrorists. They called themselves the "defenders of the human race" and at first, every single world government condemned them and raids began to be launched against them. But that didn't stop them.
Bombings similar to that of the Irish Republican Army (which at this point had actually come to an agreement with the British surprisingly) began to occur at Equestrian embassies and attacks began to be inflicted on Equestrian cities. It had gotten so bad that they had to evict all humans from their island and place a barrier. Many of us saw it as reasonable considering the circumstances but we did not know what went on behind the curtain.
The months that came after all of that... the first conversion bureau, the fall of rapid collapse of China and the Soviet Union... all the way to that night in Berlin... I never want to think about it again. The honor and the sacrifice that took place there... and the lights. The lights that shined on within the darkness...
God have mercy upon me when my twilight is upon me...
*** *** ***
April 28th, 1969
This is an NBC Special Broadcast Report
Good evening everyone, this is the Huntley-Brinkley Report, I am David Brinkley. Unfortunately, Chet Huntley could not be here tonight considering the current circumstances. All our prayers are with him and his family as they are currently stuck in London.
For tonight's news, I am afraid that nothing has been heard of yet from the Joint NATO and Warsaw Pact Command Center in the Hague today surrounding the current Siege of Berlin. However, unconfirmed reports and leaks from within the besieged city report that food stocks are dwindling and the main electrical grid has been shut down throughout the city due to a shortage in energy. There are also unconfirmed reports that the recently restored former Parliament building, the Reichstag, has been converted into a concert hall. What does this mean for the city as a whole?
I am afraid we do not have the answers for that. In a recent report done by our friends over at CBS, it appears that the Air Force is unwilling to send in aircraft to supply Berlin like they had done during the famous Berlin airlift back in 1948. The reason for this apparently simply being due to the fact that they do not want to lose any more pilots to the ponification conversion gases. This statement was heavily criticized and President Nixon has offered no comment towards the subject.
To those trapped within the confines of Berlin, our hearts and prayers go out to all of you. No longer are we divided. As we stand united, we shall defeat this menace once and for all... for the good of all humanity...
*** *** ***
May 1st, 1969
Never had the Palace of Fountainebleau been so busy and overcrowded before. The command center for NATO's Central European Defensive Front was nearly overrun by the influx of officers and military personnel in anticipation for one of the largest military operations in the world. Though the Palace was vacated after the French had left the NATO command structure in 1967, the collapse of the east saw them eager to rejoin and thus the center of command was moved back to the historic palace.
Within the great halls, chaos had taken over every single corner of the headquarters. However, one office remained silent. That office, was that of the CIC of Central European Command, Jürgen Bennecke.
Within his office, he sat at his desk in silence, waiting for news of forces that were organizing on the front. The push was to be something of epic proportions, but one key factor needed to be certain... Berlin. The plan centered all around Berlin as being the both the bait and the keystone at the same time. What went down in Berlin, would decide the fate of the entire offensive, and victory as a whole...
Sitting back in his chair, he remembered his own time on the Eastern Front, a thought he never truly cherished. But he had gotten true experience in that hell. He had-
A knock came from the door and entered an aide with the paperwork to sum it all up.
Götterdämmerung was to begin.
*** *** ***
8:00 P.M. CET
May 2nd, 1969
Berlin, a city once divided, lay silent in the cold dark night. For weeks, the lights of the once powerful city had gone dark. The streets of the city long since abandoned to make way for military check points and roadblocks. Things that could only delay the inevitable. But even now, everything was abandoned, as if the city itself had simply... died.
But that was not to be the case... no. Within the darkness, there was a light that was shining brightly through the cloud of despair and fear. And it came from the Reichstag.
One would find it ironic that the building that once symbolized the power and hatred of the 3rd Reich was now the shining light of hope for a city cut off and encircled, but there it was. The repaired classical dome and exterior facade were lit up brightly by exterior lights as if the power situation from within Berlin was not even an issue. But that was not all that was present...
People... people had showed up from all sorts of backgrounds. Former citizens of both East and West had come for one final moment of unity. The whole mass of humanity knew that their time would be nearing soon, but it was not going to stop them from enjoying it one last time.
As the Reichstag had reached its maximum capacity, those who could not find seats inside resorted to simply sitting in the former Königsplatz on the outside of the Reichstag bordering the famous Tiergarten park. Large speakers were set up around every corner of not only the area surrounding the city, but also that of the entire city. The whole arrangement was eerily similar to that of Leningrad, but there was a statement to be made with it, not in the sense of simple resistance... but something more.
And it was going to get the attention of a certain few princesses.
*** *** ***
"Your majesties, the reports surrounding the apparent abandonment of the forward defenses of Berlin are true... it is like they have abandoned their apparent line." The general reported to both Celestia and Luna.
"But what of their air defenses general? This would not make any sort of sense. Why would they abandon their posts?" Luna asked, clearly doubting the report.
"That is the thing Princesses, the scouts that we sent above the city have reported that their air defenses have been abandoned as well... almost if they are either luring us into a trap or are about to surrender soon." The general stated.
"This is... most interesting general. Now, what of the lights reported from within the city center. Those spotlights have been shining through the air for hours." Celestia asked.
"That brings me onto the second point of the report... it appears that almost every human within the city has gathered here." He said point towards the map. "Right in the area in and around the Reichstag."
"Interesting..."
For a while, the two Princesses would not speak as they were both deep in thought, as if the whole situation was a probe... something to lure them in. However, the prospect of mass conversion without a single casualty would definitely help both moral at home and allow for more troops to be diverted to the broad front. But a decision had to be made, and therefore without hesitation, the order came.
Move the entire army into Berlin, but I want them to stop when they reach Tiergarten. Do not have them start conversions until our order to do so. I'd like to see what these humans have planned." Celestia said.
"It shall be done!" The general said before saluting sharply and exiting the room.
*** *** ***
"Sir, they are beginning to move into the city. Shall we tell them to start?" The aide asked.
Major General Robert Fergusson sat in one of the public viewing spaces in the former parliament building turned concert hall when the news of the Equestrian advance had reached him. They had taken the bait... Now it was time to put on the show.
"Tell the cameras and Karajan to start, we need them to move in further." He ordered the aide.
"Understood Sir... May God have mercy on us all." The aide said before moving through the mass of humanity to reach the main producer and the Maestro himself.
His duty was near complete. All that was left was to sit and wait...
*** *** ***
It was quiet... Dead quiet. But it did not deter the proud Equestrian army from marching onwards.
Each building they passed was once the home of a family... A human family. It would still be their home after the conversion process was complete, but there would be no hate or suffering or political division as there was before. No... There would be unity under the Equestrian flag and the sun and moon of the Princesses. At least, that was what they were marching towards doing.
Berlin was that block in the road towards finally succeeding. The pacification of the city would mean the end of humanity's last bastion of hope before Europe would be reborn under the leadership of the Princesses. But they would never try to resort to violence, hence why the siege was put in place. To make them simply surrender without bloodshed. And right now, it seemed like today was the day.
Suddenly though, all around the city, the sound of hundreds of speakers being turned on at once nearly deafened the soldiers as they marched through. What followed next... It was... Odd, yet beautiful...
Music.
*** *** ***
The Maestro had begun his performance. All around him, the crowds of malnourished civilians and soldiers sat and listened for the performance to begin. With one fell swoop from his baton, the Berlin Philharmonic began to play one of the most fitting pieces for the occasion, Shostakovich's 7th... Leningrad.
If poor Dimitri Shostakovich had decided to evacuate Leningrad before the ponies had matched straight through, he would've probably found himself in Berlin, watching the performance of one of his greatest and most heartfelt symphonies be played by the best of the best. But alas, during the chaos of the evacuation, any trace of Dimitri Shostakovich was lost to the panicked crowds of Soviet citizens. Rumor had it that he had donned his old fireman's uniform and helped put out fires near the conservatory like he had done during the Siege in 1941, but they were all unconfirmed. No news came from Leningrad after it fell in early January.
But that didn't matter, not matter how sentimental the thought was. What did matter, was the fulfillment of Götterdämmerung. The success of it all, was based around what happened in the Reichstag and Berlin. And with that, Karajan was once again free of any thoughts that would had permeated his ability to conduct.
*** *** ***
Music... Music filled the empty streets of Berlin and it was... Haunting to day the least.
Aiming to set an example to their own troops, the Princesses opted to lead the march to the Reichstag themselves but even they had a sense of uneasiness.
How could the humans resign themselves to their fate in such a way?
From what they had witnessed in China and in Russia, humanity would've given it their all in one final charge in an effort to not only try to get something decisive out of it, but to die instead of being converted. But here... They resigned themselves to simply listen to one final performance.
As they began to near Tiergarten though, the tone of the music changed. Gone was the somber introduction of the piece and now... It was as if a march had begun. At first, it was quiet and miniscule, but it began to increase and volume and tempo, albeit slowly.
Finally though... It climaxed into a theme only fitting for some war film that the humans enjoyed to make. But instead of a war film, it was almost as if a battle was truly being fought and it... It was beautiful.
*** *** ***
"Mr President, the Invasion theme is nearing a close." Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said, who happened to be listening to the radio along with President Nixon.
"I think I can tell Henry..." Nixon dryly responded.
"I don't understand it though... Why didn't we just drop a few nuclear bombs on them when we had the chance..." Kissinger asked.
"Henry, you should know... I made you secretary of state because you should know that answer. We will not stoop down to the level that they portray us to stoop down towards. I am not going to order a tactical nuclear strike on those Equestrians. We will do this by the books. Besides, I don't want to think of them expanding that barrier of theirs any time soon." Nixon snapped out.
"I know... But if Berlin falls, well... Europe will fall. Everyone knows that." Kissinger replied.
"I know that... I know... But Berlin will not fall. So shut up, listen, and pray..."
*** *** ***
40 Minutes Later
"He'rr General, it seems that they are nearing the 4th movement of the piece. Shall we send orders for the fighters to launch?" A recently promoted Major had asked.
"No, do not launch them just yet. I want them in the air just before the piece ends and before Götterdämmerung begins. Karajan is running the show right now. We need to follow him, not the other way around. God can only hope that those Equines have taken the bait." Bennecke stated, not even so much as flinching as he stared down at the map below him, silently praying.
*** *** ***
To say that the whole situation had been harrowing, it was a mere overstatement. When the Equestrians made it to Tiergarten, they were greeted by what looked like millions upon millions of humans sitting wherever they could just so that they could hear the music. None of them even batted an eye towards the fully armed and battle ready Equestrians and simply ignored them, even though they did have the conversion serum.
"Princesses, now is our chance. Do I have permission to unless the conversion gas upon the humans?" The general had asked. For moment, it looked as if Luna was to answer for her sister but before she could do so, Celestia stepped in.
"Absolutely not General. We shall do it afterwards... For now, I would honestly like to see if I can get any closer." Celestia said.
"C-closer? Your majesty, it would be a great danger for you and Princess Luna to even dare move any closer to the humans. For all we know this may be a trap!" The general exclaimed.
"Look around you General, these humans are here because they accept their defeat and welcome pontification if it means food. I highly doubt they would jeopardize that for some cheap potshot towards me or Princess Luna." Celestia stated, finally putting her hoof down. For a quick moment, the general did have a hint of defiance in his eyes but immediately afterwards, he relented.
"As you wish Princesses..." He coldly said.
*** *** ***
"General, those two Celestial bitches are moving up closer. I think they have taken the bait." The aide observed from a window within the packed Reichstag.
"Good, I presume the VIP seats are ready then." Fergusson asked.
"Yes Sir... I think you are gonna like what else we have in store for them." The aide answered with a childish grin creeping up his face.
"Good. Alert everyone man that we have in the city and tell them to keep their radios on and wait for the signal. Let's get this show on the road." Fergusson replied, swiftly getting out of his seat and following the Aide towards one of the rear exits which was still packed with people.
*** *** ***
It was shocking. The performance had ended with a glorious and triumphant finale and nobody had taken notice to the two leaders of the invasion force making their way through a crowd towards their apparent seats.
From the two seats that were reserved for them, the Diarchs of Equestria could see what was before them. There, was the Berlin Philharmonic in all of its glory and in the center, Herbert Von Karajan stood taking a bow for the crowd as the cheering went on. Luna had noticed that his face seemed almost entirely blank and emotionless, as if he was without feelings. But having heard of how he conducted before the invasion, she knew that it was simply not the case. Karajan was simply one at greatly hiding his emotions from his face during a concert. Instead, all of his emotions were shown through his conducting. But even that... Was not present.
The ovation went on for minutes and in that time, the final performance was about to begin.
*** *** ***
Chaos reigned supreme on every single airbase in Western Europe. All around, aircraft scrambled to take off for their respective waves while main air fleet control centers were all around drowning in confusion and anxiousness. When the 7th finally ended, Götterdämmerung was to begin and with it, the fate of the world was held on a thread. Slowly, the clock ticked further towards midnight for either humanity or ponies.
*** *** ***
Silenced once again reigned supreme within the Reichstag as Götterdämmerung was to finally begin. All around, everyone waited for the inevitable, whether it was the citizens in the fields, the soldiers hidden in the city, or the electricians in the power plants. And all of that rested on Karajan's shoulders.
The last hoorah of humanity was to begin on his mark, and the thought of it nearly made him sick. But he was the best of his trade, one who did not show emotion at all... One who was the god on the concert hall floor. And now, he was truly god himself, waiting to signal the end of one race or another.
But either way now... He had to clear his mind. He was no god, he was simply a man. A man with a duty and the power to do good. And so, he lifted his baton up, and began the final performance.
Götterdämmerung had begun.
*** *** ***
The sound of Siegfried's Funeral March had signified the beginning of Götterdämmerung. Deep within the city of Berlin, namely the power stations, their crews waited for the first climax to begin. Many were nervous but it all died away when the first chords played by the strings began to play over the speakers. And with the blaring of the horns, the breakers for the spotlights went up.
*** *** ***
The sounds of Wagner filled the streets of Berlin as suddenly and miraculously, every single spotlight within the city turned on and lit up the night sky with thousands of rays of light from each individual spotlight. Even the near complete Berlin Television Tower was lit up like New York in the 30s.
All around, every being in the city stood or sat in amazement as the city seemingly came back to light. No damage to the infrastructure was done during the siege so Berlin was completely intact from the ground up.
As the funeral March continued on, the soldiers of Equestria simply stood in silence, unaware of the enemy that waited for the final signal to come forth.
*** *** ***
The skies over Central Europe were filled to the brim with aircraft of all types from any and every nation in the area. Whether they were Soviet, French, American, British... It did not matter. They had one common goal, to save humanity.
As the Funeral March hit it's second major climax, the aircraft began to dive in order to bomb or strafe their unsuspecting targets as the ground forces waited for the next climax to begin their own attacks on the ponies. Within minutes, it was as if Ragnorak was upon Germany as the Berlin Philharmonic played on.
*** *** ***
With each climax, a lighting system in Berlin was switched on and slowly, the whole city began to be lit up with light. The former dead city was being reborn.
Inside the Reichstag, the Berlin Philharmonic played on and their with each climax, a gear was set in motion for Götterdämmerung. But it was still a performance, and the thought of it all was drowned by the sound of professionals playing with everything they could give into the music.
Karajan, as Celestia observed, almost looked as if he himself had turned into a mighty figure. All around, the room was entranced by the man conducting with everything in his heart. He commanded the audience, but there was something else to it.
She was thinking of what that something was when the final climax had literally shook the building as if God himself was playing the cymbals. But everyone was unphased by it all. But soon, the building shook again, followed by the sound of... Gunfire.
Gunfire and explosions were ringing throughout the city in tandem with the masterful performance. Both sisters noticed this.
They probably would've teleported out of the Reichstag and ordered conversion gasses to be dropped on the city but they were both electrocuted in the seats they sat on. It wasn't enough to kill them, but the two 50 cal. Bullets that flew through their respective brains did.
But the philharmonic played on, like true musicians.
*** *** ***
Berlin was alive again, and with it, Götterdämmerung was in full swing. All around the city, ponies were cut down in mass by ambushes by hiding human forces whether they came from the U-Bahn or even the alleyways of Berlin. The most carnage seen was in Tiergarten Park where a large contingent was destroyed by a few jet bombers that had now reached the city. But even as the battle raged on, the music continued and the lights stayed on triumphantly towards the end.
As the clock struck midnight, Götterdämmerung truly succeeded and the Funeral March had concluded with a thunderous applause all across the globe from those who listened to it from at home, at work, or on the battlefield in Berlin. But from the flames and devastation of war, the gods had died and soon, the home of the gods in Canterlot would burn with the fire that had saw them defeated on the day of their reckoning.
*** *** ***
May 2nd, 1989
May 2nd was the day that humanity had dropped it's quarrels and sought to fight together for the good of everybody. Political ideologies were thrown out the door as man had come together for the first time in history.
That was 20 years ago when we had first accomplished that goal, right in Berlin. And right here, right after such an event, humanity had gathered 20 years later to hear what some would say would be the final hoorah of the Maestro himself.
Karajan was sadly on his last legs at the age of 81, but the man had an eternal fire within him, one that had withstood the pain brought upon him with age. But he was fragile physically, and many thought it would be his last performance.
When he had gotten on stage though, it was as if all worry had disappeared. The man was not in his prime, but as he conducted in the Reichstag concert hall, he never faltered from his famous composure. Only when the performance was done... Did one finally see a trace of emotion from his face. A single year had fallen from his eyes, followed by even more. And with that, the memory of Götterdämmerung was put back into the minds of everyone in the world that had been alive on that day and as the standing ovation had finally ended, the world stood together in silence, for remembrance to everyone lost in the conflict that had started... In 1968.
Author's Note
Hello everybody, I hope that you have all enjoyed this story. This story is the product of an idea that I have had whenever I have listened to certain pieces of music. During the invasion theme for Shostakovich's 7th, I always had that thought of a city shining brightly at night as an army came to resist the invaders as the city tried to hold onto it's life (power supply) until the end. The thought stuck with me and well, here it the result.
Now granted... I also did have an idea for Karajan in Equestria story but I could not bring myself to stoop down to that level. Karajan garners my respect above almost every other historical figure and well... I could not think of a way of including him within this story so... I came up with this. A serious take on a TCB story withe elements taken from my own thoughts, the Siege of Leningrad, a bit of historical context of events during the time period, and well... Karajan, the master of conducting himself.
As always, comments and criticism are welcome as long as it is kept respectful. If not for my sake, for the memory of Karajan.
Links for the music (courtesy of BronyofMeddlers for telling me to do it):
Shostakovich 7th:
https://youtu.be/GB3zR_X25UU
Siegfried's Funeral Music:
https://youtu.be/nkOiKy6sXfM
