Iowa lost track of time, holding onto the quivering figure underneath her and offering soft reassurances until eventually Oregon began to shift beneath her, slowly and unsteadily, prompting Iowa to relearn her battered sister and sit back, allowing her sister to turn around, her dirty salt and tear stained face still full of disbelief, but with an undertone of relief.
"It is you." Oregon muttered slightly as if to reassure herself.
Iowa laughed, "it is." She answered, wiping a tear away.
"But. How?"
Iowa shrugged, looking for words, "no one seems to know."
Oregon pondered this, nervously fidgeting, "are the others-." She quietly asked, a spark of hope appearing in her eyes.
Iowa shook her head, slowly, avoiding the disappointed look in her sister's gaze. "No. I was the first to come back and, to be honest I had thought I might be the only one who would return." She placed her hands atop her sister's. "But if you've come back, it's only a matter of time before the others do!" Iowa declared, grinning brightly.
Oregon nodded, still clearly let down by the news, pulling her knees against her chest.
"Hey I can't be all that bad of company." Iowa teased "and once big sis Indy gets back it'll be just like the old times. Except with less Spanish to pick on."
Iowa swore that her sister's mouth twinged slightly upwards at the comment. "Come one sis," she declared, standing up and brushing off her skirt in a childlike manner, before offering her hand out the still seated Oregon. "Let's go home."
"Home?" Oregon asked, with hesitation in her voice.
"You're right near your old prowling ground in the Asiatic Fleet." Iowa explained, "there's a US Navy post in Japan that's got some cozy beds and great food waiting for you, and let me tell you-"
"No!" Oregon yelled, pushing herself further into the corner, shaking slightly.
Iowa was taken aback, setting her hand down from it's proferred position as the reaction echoed in her ears. offering a sad smile of realization, she crouched low to her sister's level. "I know there was a war with the Japanese, though I dont know the details or what happened to you there, but it's over. We won, the Japanese are our allies again and are wonderful people, you'll probably make some great friends with them."
Oregon shook her head sadly before offering a resigned, "I know."
Iowa did little to hide her surprise and unease at the older Battleship's response.
"They were talking to the limey's and now the limey's were talking to you." Oregon muttered quietly, "I know that means the war is over."
"Then why?" Was all Iowa could mumble.
Her older sister hestiated, looking in the dark waters to avoid Iowa's gaze. "I can't loose you again", Oregon choked out in a tone made it clear she was on the cusp of breaking down again. "Not a second time."
"I'm here Oregon, I'm not going anywhere." Iowa reassured.
"That's what you said last time," Oregon stated, attempting to recover her composure, "and then they took you away." She choked down again failing in her efforts as tears flowed freely, "they took you away, they took Indiana away, they took Texas away. By the end, everyone was gone."
Iowa sat herself down next to her sister again, placing an arm gingerly over her shoulder, pulling her close.
"They made into a museum and it felt like every day another one of my sisters and friends were towed down to the scrap yard or sunk as a target." She muttered, shaking slightly, "and- and then they came for me. They told me I was important, that I was safe and would be 'preserved'. But in the end they came for me anyways. I was so scared Iowa. I'm sorry."
Iowa reassuringly rubbed her sister's far shoulder, "It's okay, sis. I was scared too, like you wouldn't believe. But it's over now. I'm back, you're back. The others will come back too. The Navy needs us, we're important again, we're here to stay."
"But what happens when they come back." Oregon choked, "what happens when the dreadnaughts come back and it all happens again."
Iowa paused. A nervous lump of doubt forming in her own throat, glancing over at her sister's distraught and tear stained face, she sighed, abandoning her unease and hugging her sister closer she offered a disarming smile, "we'll have to do it right this time and make ourselves useful. I've got a modernization plan in the works for me that should help, I bet you can have one too!"
Oregon appeared unconvinced, staring nervously at the faint light coming from the cavern entrance. "But then they'll be modernized too." She protested weakly.
"You know, I've read up on it." Iowa began, "the same thing happened to them after the war. They were no longer the best ships available and were bombed, scrapped, and abandoned the same as us, I bet when the first of them comes back she'll be just as scared and overwhelmed as I was."
Oregon said nothing, gazing towards the entranceway in thought.
"This time around we're all a bunch of previously outdated ships with a new lease on life." Iowa suggested "If we treat them right, I bet we can be great friends. No one is getting scrapped or used as a target. I promise."
Noticing her sister's contemplation Iowa broke the silence again, "We won't have any success, sitting here and waiting until we burn through all our coal and rust away," she offered, through her reassuring smile. "If nothing else let's go get some food and rest for you and we'll talk things through after a warm bath, okay?" Iowa offered, giving her sister a reassuring squeeze.
After several long seconds of silence, Oregon offered a weak nod.
"Have you eaten anything since you got back?" Iowa asked sympathetically, standing again and brushing herself off.
Oregon, shook her head, "I couldn't find anything." she muttered quietly.
Iowa offered a hand again, this time, after several long seconds, her sister took it, allowing Iowa to hoist the battleship into a standing position, albeit briefly, Oregon began to collapse before the stronger battleship caught her with a surprised gasp, placing a steadying hand on her sister's shoulder.
"My coal bunkers have not been resupplied," Oregon muttered with a twinge of embarrassment.
Iowa laughed, "that's okay, I can bring you in and get you something to eat. Because let me tell you. Food is great."
Oregon's nervous look faded slightly as her sister carried her uneasily down the concrete stairs. Her eyes averting from the overwhelming light that Iowa steadily brought her closer to.
"I think you'll like Pancakes, they're sweeter than I expected. Also I understand pie now. It's also great," Iowa excitedly chattered, finally talking to her sister without the burden of deliberately attempting to calm her, "coke is also sweet, did you know that?" She asked, adjusting her hold on her sister up with a smile, "because I always expected it to be a coffee or something, which is not sweet by the way."
Oregon finally smiled skightly as they reached the cave entranceway. Iowa's excited chatter and relaxed attitude calming her better than any other assurances could.