heli-pone made me sad

>You are Anon
>You are an aircraft technician
>You spend pretty much all your time making sure all the plones are fit to fly
>It's a tough job, but you love it
>Most days
>Today isn't one of those days.
>It's a cold morning, you can see your breath in the air
>Shivering, you put your hands in your pockets and walk to the smallest hangar, somewhat out of the way of the other facilities
>It's more of a large-ish garage really, but there's room enough to fit three or four plones in there comfortably, but you know there's only one inside right now
>You sigh and step inside and closing the side door behind you
>"Hey Anon!"
>JESUS FUCKING CHRIST
>You jump, noticeably, you hadn't been expecting anyone else to be in here
>Clutching your heart, you turn to look at your would-be assailant
>It's one of the other technicians, a Griffon. You forget his name
>"I was just finishing up the tool check, you're just in time to sign it off."
>You follow him out onto the hangar floor and over to the tool chests. He's talking but you're not really paying attention
>You quickly sign his paperwork off to get him out of your hair, and he finally leaves
>Hearing the door close, you sigh again and turn to face the reason you're in here in the first place
>In the middle of the floor, wrapped up in a blanket and fast asleep is a vibrant yellow helicopter
>Technically, a Westland Sea King HAR3
>But her name is Sunny
>She's a search and rescue helicopter, everybody's friend, one of the most pleasant plones, ponies, or really, anything-s, you've ever met
>One of your only real friends in this quite frankly ridiculous place
>Which made the whole thing so much more difficult
>Sunny has just been retired
>You have been assigned to decommission her

>You take a deep breath and walk over to her
>You really don't want to wake her up
>More than anything right now you just want to walk away and leave her be
>But you can't go against orders like that
>Reluctantly you reach a hand out and shake her awake
"Hey Sunny, time to get up."
>She scrunches up her face and mumbles something incoherently before her eyes flutter open
>"Oh, good morning Anon."
>You can't think of anything good about it
>But despite everything you manage to crack a smile
"Hi Sunny."
>She stretches herself out and feathers her blades before sitting down on the blanket
>"So, today is the day I suppose."
>Your smile drops instantly
"Yeah, yeah it is..."
>Silence takes over
>"Oh come now, none of that. You know I can't stand to see anyplony sad!"
>She pulls you into a tight hug
>Honestly, you needed that
>You also really don't want to let go
>But eventually she pulls back, breaking the embrace
>"Feeling better, honey?"
>Even in the midst of everything that is happening, she's more concerned about you than herself
>You always admired that part of her
"A little. Thanks, Sunny."
>"Always happy to help!"
>She's wearing the cutest little smile
>Stay strong, Anon. For Sunny.
>"So, what happens now?"
"Well, I guess if you're sure you're ready, we can...we can start the process."
>You hope she isn't ready. You really hope she isn't ready.
>"No point putting it off any longer I suppose" She says, standing up "I don't want to cause a problem for anyone else."
>You can't do this.

"A-are you sure?"
>"Hm?"
>She looks at you as she makes her way over to the side for something or other
"I said are you sure? That you're ready, that is..."
>You were desperately trying to come up with anything you could use to put this off
>Or stop it all together
>Think brain, think!
>"Oh, I should think so."
>Dammit
>"Would you care for some tea, Anon?"
>Convenient, you could use the time she was making tea to come up with some excuse
"Uh, sure, please."
>You can hear her humming to herself over the clanging of mugs
>Okay, use this time well, what can you do to stop this?
>Can't blame the tools, you signed off on them so that would just come back to you
>Say she was unwilling?
>No, that would be a lie, and they'd just try again later, probably with someone else on the job
>Preservation?
>No, if she was going to be kept they would've decided that a while ago
>Unless...
>Unless you decided to preserve her
>Sure, you didn't have the space, or money, or time to do it, but you could find a way, right?
>"Anon?"
>Maybe the admin guys would let you bring her here and you could do the work in your spare time
>"Anon?"
>You'd probably have to rent one of the Tee Hangars to keep her in, but it'd be possible to-
>"Anon, are you okay?"
>Sunny is gently shaking your shoulders in her hooves
"Huhwhat?"
>She lets go and gives you an amused smile
>"You kind of zoned out a bit there, honey. Oh, here's your tea!"
"Thanks."
>You don't even like tea
>Not only that, but you haven't come up with anything either
>Maybe you can make some small talk to distract from the situation for some extra time
"So, no tea for you?"
>"Oh, no, I was told that not drinking anything before this whole business would make it easier."
>It would make the whole thing quicker, maybe
>You didn't like 'quicker'

"You seem awfully...nonchalant about this."
>Or rather she seemed to be dealing with it a lot better than you were
>"Oh, I've known this has been coming for a long time now, Anon. To tell you the truth, I'm absolutely terrified. I've never been more scared in my entire life."
>She sits down again, looking oddly bashful
>You don't get it
>"I've had long enough to accept that this was going to happen at some point no matter what I or anyplony else did about it. Even what you're thinking about doing right now."
>How did she...
"I wasn't-"
>"Anon, I can read you like a book. I know you, and I know that right now you're trying to think of any possible thing you can do to stop this happening. Am I right?"
>You nod
>It's true, you've been working with Sunny for the entire time you've been here. You can both read each other just like that.
"But what if I take you out and do the work myself?! It'll take a while, but I know I could keep you going-"
>You feel a weight on your shoulders and look up
>Sunny is standing in front of you on her hind legs, using you as support
>A weary smile adorns her face
>"Anon, honey, it means the world to me that you'd even consider doing something like that."
>Her expression changes ever so slightly. A sad smile, an expression you've only rarely seen on her
>"But lets not beat around the bush, flying is a young plone's game, and I'm certainly anything but young anymore."

>You hated to admit it, but she was right. You could see the chipped and tarnished paint, the age old skin repairs, the tell tale signs that corrosion was forming on some of the tertiary panels around her body
>"They've revoked my certification, Anon. I can't fly any more. Can you imagaine living your life not being able to do the very thing you exist for?"
>That sounded truly, truly awful, But...
"But I could fix you up! You could fly again!"
>"Sure, I could fly again. I could fly right now if I wanted to. But who knows how long I could do that for? I'm not safe anymore, honey, and I don't want to be putting anyone else in danger like that."
>You couldn't meet her eyes anymore
>You could feel desperation building up inside you
>You know that everything she just said was true, but it didn't mean you felt any better about shutting her down for good
>"Anon..."
>You look up, she's staring at you with big, watery eyes
>"It's time for me to go."
>That was the straw that broke the camels back
>You pulled her into the tightest hug you could manage, sobbing and spluttering
>You don't want her to go
>She can't go

>You don't want her to go
>She's your best friend
>She can't go
>You hold onto her like your life depended on it
>You don't want to let go
>You can't let go
>You can feel her shuddering and hear sniffing, she's crying too
>Not to the degree you are, but the feeling is there
"I-I-I d-don't want you to g-go, Sunny."
>"I d-don't want to go, honey."
>You feel her grip on you tighten
>"B-but I know it's the only way."
>No
>No no no no no
"Y-you could be a t-t-training aid for the n-new techs!"
>Please
"Y-you could help them out and we'd see each other e-every day, just like normal!"
>Please
>"Anon..."
>She pushes herself back from you so you are face to face
>There are slow tears streaming down her face, the same sad smile as earlier
>"That's no life for me, stuck on the ground like that, having all the newbies poking around, being stuck in the same place all the time. Do you really think I'd want that?"
>Of course not, it'd be a living hell for her
>But it'd mean she'd still be here
>You know there's no way she'd do that
>But you really wish she would
>You start up sobbing again and she pulls you back into a hug, rubbing your back
"P-p-please don't go."

>You bury your head into the inside of her neck
>"Shhhh, shhh, it's okay, Anon."
>It's not okay
>But coming from her, it does make you feel a little bit better
>Sunny always knows what to do
>You stay like this for you guess about ten minutes before she speaks again
>"Anon, do you remember what I told you when I first met you?
>Of course you did
>She'd found you after you broke your leg on the beach and took you to the hospital
>You've been inseparable since
>You tried to thank her afterwards and she told you
>"I live to help."
"You live to help."
>You both answer at the same time
>"That's right, honey. Now, look at it like this, I've been around a long time now, and I've been really lucky to be able to help as many ponies, griffons, well, help as many beings as I have."
>You nod, still nestled in her neck
>"And now I've done my part. I loved doing it, but it's done, it's time for someploney else to pick where I've left off. Someploney else who lives to help."
>You nod again
>"I really loved working with you Anon. You've been a great friend, and we've had a hell of a time together, haven't we?"
>You mumble in acknowledgment
>"But you know what they say, all good things must come to an end."
>You sniff
>"And that's okay, Anon. I've done what I love doing all my life, and now it's time for me to take my leave."
>You take a deep breath
>Dammit Sunny, you always know just what to say
>You pull yourself away from her and look her in the eyes
>She's smiling
>"Do you understand now, Anon?"
>You nod

>You think you get it now
>You're not happy, but you understand
>You sniff one last time and let out a deep breath
>You stand up and dry your face with the back of your sleeve
>"Feel a little better now?"
>She gives you a look of gentle concern
"Y-yeah...I guess I do, at least a bit. Thanks."
>"You know I'm always happy to help, Anon."
>It still feels wrong to you
>Shes done so much to help you, and you can't help her now
>But, everything she's said was true
>You'd started to accept that there wasn't anthing you could do about it
>It didn't make it hurt any less
>You needed to clear out your mind
"I'm sorry Sunny, I just need a minute."
>"Oh, you take all the time you need honey, you know where I'll be."
>You head back over to the side door and step outside
>It's pretty much the same temperature
>Stupid unheated hangars
>There is, however, a cold breeze that was starting to sting your eyes
>You didn't care
>Nothing else mattered right now
>You lean against the wall and hold your head in your hands
>It's all real, and there isn't anthing you can do about it
>This may well be the first time you truly resented your job
>Theres nothing else you can do now
>Except make the process as comfortable as possible for Sunny
>At the very least she deserved that
>Another deep breath, and you step back into the hangar

>Sunny is curled up on the floor again, humming to herself
"Ah, all good now?"
>No
"Yeah."
>She sits up and you walk over to her
>You crouch to meet her eyes and put your hands on her neck
"I think...I think if you're ready, then I'm ready."
>She hesitates, looking away for a split second
>She breathes in deeply and holds it, closing her eyes
>After a few seconds she lets it all out through her nose
>"Okay, I'm ready, Honey."
>Your heart sinks
>She opens her eyes and looks up at you
>"So, what happens now?"
"W-well, you just sight tight for a moment and I'll go and grab some tools."
>You walk over to the chest a grab a torque wrench and the appropriate head, giving the tool a few idle spins in your hand
"First off, I'm going to have to take off your blades, you'll probably want to lie down."
>"Ugh, I always feel so naked with my blades off!"
>Despite everything, you manage to crack a smile
>You make your way back and crouch down next to her
>You lean her towards you slightly to get better access to the main rotor hub, and you start removing the bolts holding her blades in place
>"Hehehe, that tickles."
>That reminds you...
"Hey, remember that time that...oh, what's his name? The Kiowa..."
>"Tex?"
"Yeah, Tex. Remember the time he struck that tree and had to have a blade off?"
>"Pffft, yeah, he was so ticklish he kicked one of the other techs in the face!"
"Yeah, don't do that please."
>"Very funny, honey, I'm not that bad."
"Oh, I'll be the judge of that."
>You pull the bolts out and put everything into a FOD container
>One blade off, just ten left to go

>You could tell Sunny was uncomfortable
>She never liked anyone messing about with her tail rotor, it was just one of those things
>The 5 main blades came off without any incidents, and now you were taking off her sixth and final tail blade
>One last twist and the last fixing came loose, allowing the blade to slide out
"There, that's the last one."
>Sunny sighs quietly
>"I always feel so weird when my blades are off. It's like I'm missing a limb. Know what I mean?"
"Mmmhmm."
>You had no clue
>She gets up and stretches her legs, flexing them one by one
>"So, what next?"
>This wasn't going to be good
"Well, you're probably going to want to lie down again. I have to bleed the hydraulics."
>"O-oh..."
>This always freaks the plones out a little
>"Well, lets get it over with then."
>She trots around in a circle and lies back down
>You grab a screwdriver and a bucket
>You undo the fasteners from around her engine cowling and take of the covering, revealing the inner workings of the plone
>You find the reservoir and attach a hose to the return flow
>The thick red liquid begins to fill up the bucket
>"I don't feel so great, honey."
>This process usually makes the plones a little woozy
>She wont be able to stand up unassisted by the end of this
>You reach a hand out and rest it on her neck
>"Don't worry Sunny, I'm here."
>You'll always be there for her

>The last of the fluid drains out, the bucket is full
"Hey, I'm gonna get up, okay?"
>"Mmmhphkay."
>You stand and hold up a little make sure she doesn't tip over
>She yawns, but stays put
>You grab the bucket of Aeroshell and move it over to the side
>You put the bucket down and wipe your hands on your overalls
>Hydraulic fluid always smells funny, and it always seems to cling to you
>You turn back to Sunny
>You hate seeing her like this
>It looks...wrong seeing her without blades
>Her head is swaying a little, and she looks tired
>You know she can't even get up anymore, not without the hydraulic fluid
>It was only going to get worse
>You close your eyes, slowly let out a deep breath, and walk back over to her
>You get down on your knees in front of her
"How're you holding up?"
>"I-I've been better..."
>Her and you both
"I'm sorry."
>"S'not your fault, honey."
>You're pretty sure it is
>"What now?"
>The part you were really dreading
>The last part before she gets processed somewhere else
>The part that would end it all
>You can feel your eyes getting watery again
"W-well, the next part is to t-take out your engines."
>"O-oh."
>She knows
"I'm going to connect you to the ground power."
>You weren't ready for her to go yet

>You walk over to the weird magical generator they had in all the hangers
>You grab the cable and walk over to her, fitting it into a little hatch just below her engine cowlings
>The generator starts working automatically after being plugged in, some kind of enchantment, you had been told
>Sunny seems to perk up from the extra power into her system, if only a little bit
>You walk back over to the tool chest and grab what you need for this last part of the process
>You stifle a shuddering breath and make you way back to Sunny, to the side with the cowling already open
"I'm going to start on engine one now, okay?"
>"Okay."
>You set about disconnecting everything, fuel lines, bleed air lines, wiring...
>Deliberately working slowly
>Neither of you speak
>The silence is oppressive
>One of you has to say something
"I've always admired you, you know?"
>"Mmm?"
"Putting yourself out on the line every day, going into danger."
>she really was amazing
>She really IS amazing
>"Oh, stop it you, You're making an old mare blush! I just do what needs to be done."
>Always humble about her work
>'Oh, it was nothing' or 'Just doing my job'
>Or 'I live to help'
"That doesn't make it any less impressive."
>It was inspiring, even
>She made you strive to do better
>You don't know if you can keep that up if she's not there
>You sigh
"You might feel a little bit of a tug here."
>You'd disconnected the engine completely, but it was stuck on a snug-fitting flange
>You pull with both your hands
>With a slight screech of metal on metal, the engine comes free
>One down, one to go

>You begin undoing the camloc fasteners on the other cowling
>It comes free, revealing engine number two
>Unlike engine one, which was mainly used for powering the rotors, engine two was mainly used for electrical power, so the process would be a little different
"Hey, this one might take me a bit longer, alright?"
>"You take all the time you need, honey."
>The reply was croaky
>She was definitely getting weaker through the whole thing
>Not surprising, really
>You can only imagine how she feels
>You start disconnecting the various lines and connections to the engine and the turbine attached to the power shaft behind
>You pull away the fuel line to get better access to-
"Ow!"
>"You okay back there, Anon?"
>You'd cut you palm on one of the corners of the cowling
"Yeah, just a little cut."
>"You're hurt? Let me have a look."
>She tries to get up, but only manages to shift her balance a little
"I'm fine Sunny, really."
>"Nuh-uh, not buying it honey, now let me have a look."
>You give in and walk over to give her a better look
>You really were fine, but you didn't want to argue with her, especially considering...
>"Mmm, you'll want to clean that out, there's a first aid kit by the door."
>You do as she says and grab the kit
>It stings a little when you clean the wound
>You put a plaster over it and give your hand a few quick stretches to check it's stuck
>"See, good as new!"
>She's smiling
>A weak smile, but it's still there
>She's still helping
>Dammit, you were really going to miss her...

>That was it
>Blades off, fluid bled, engines out, all the other little tasks, all taken care of
>There was nothing left to do
>No more time to waste
>You're putting your tools away, very methodically
>Using the time to steel yourself up for what comes next
>Deep breaths, Anon
>You need to be strong
>You need to be strong for Sunny
>You turn back around to face her
>Still in that same position, resting her head on the floor
>Her eyes are half closed, she's really tired running only on ground power
>"Anon?"
"Y-yeah?"
>"Is that everything?"
"Y-yeah, yeah, that's everything."
>Tears are welling up in your eyes again
>"Oh...s-so, I guess it's time?"
>You can barely even nod
>You're totally numb
>This wonderful being
>Your best friend
>Only hanging on by a thread, and about to enter the big black
>Try as you might, you can't hold in the tears any longer
"I-I'm r-r-really gonna miss you, S-Sunny."
>"I'll miss you, honey."
>Her eyes are watering too
>You sit down on the floor and cradle her in your arms, desperately trying to protect her from the inevitable

>"A-Anon."
>You barely manage a mumble, still holding her close
>"I-I think I'm ready."
>You pull her tighter, letting out a shuddering breath
"Y-you know, Sunny...you always...y-you always made me want to do better. T-to be more like you."
>It was true, she affected you more than she'd ever know
>"Y-you make sure you k-keep doing better, honey. For me?"
>You will
>You'll do anything for Sunny
"I w-will."
>She lightly nuzzles your neck
>You know it's time now
"S-Sunny?"
>"Mmm?"
"I'm g-g-gonna take out the g-ground power now..."
>She takes a deep breath
>"Okay."
>You move your hand to the plug
>You don't want to do it
>You grab it
>You don't want to do it
>You pull out the plug
>You immediate hear the sound of Sunny's gyros start to spool down
>The analogue circuits in her system begin to power down
>A tear leaves her eye
>And she starts humming
>The song she always hums, her favourite song
>She looks up at you in a kind of unspoken agreement
>You both start singing
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"
>"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"
"You make me happy, when skies are grey"
>"You make me happy, when skies are grey"
"You'll never know dear, how much I love you"
>"You'll never know dear, how much I love you"
"Please don't take my sunshine away"
>She doesn't join in the last verse
>The sound of whine of the gyros is gone completely
>Her eyes are closed
>She's gone
>You hold her close and weep

>You are Anon
>Job time: 6 hours 13 minutes
>All work finished and signed for
>You are broken and hollow
>You have work again tomorrow as usual
>But you're going to do better from now on
>You promised

Fin