Long Shadow knew they were screwed the minute she felt herself slipping backwards. The sun was setting but not quick enough.

"How much time?" Britannia called beside her.

"Not enough." Long Shadow replied.

Britannia swore again. Long Shadow looked at her mentor to see how quickly she was tiring. Despite her agelessness, Britannia was an old ship, period. She was due for an overhaul back in England as much of her planking was seeing the end of its days. Plus she needed a new design to match the times as well.

"Hold on Britannia." Long Shadow begged.

"I-I'm trying, Dutchman." Britannia panted, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She had a bigger set of canvas than her apprentice but still couldn't hold her ground. The pair were slipping backwards at an increasing rate.

At last Britannia furled her sails and said "hold on to me. There's no choice now, we have to go over."

"Are you sure? What's the best way?" Long Shadow asked.

"Diagonally, that way we won't tip over as easily." Britannia replied.

"Britannia, I-I'm scared." Long Shadow whimpered.

"I know, Shadow." Britannia replied, holding her tighter at this. "I am too."

Both could hear the roar of the falls now. "Hold on tight and don't let go, whatever happens." Britannia ordered.

Long Shadow nodded, burying her bow into her mentor's side as she entwined their rigging lines. The force of the current began to swing them around broadside and it was a struggle for Britannia to hold her ground against it.

"Hold on!" She shouted as the pair began to go over, stern first.

"Whoa!" Long Shadow cried, clinging tight to Britannia.

"It's okay, it's okay." The older ship assured her.

Then everything became a freakish whiteout after that. The pair tumbled down the series of ledges that Britannia had said were there. Though they came close to separating a few times, Long Shadow clung tight and it wasn't until the last ledge where they struck hard enough to be separated. Long Shadow thought she heard Britannia gasp in pain but she wasn't sure for the next instant they struck the ocean at the bottom.

Long Shadow, with her underwater sailing abilities, found her keel quickly and sailed up to the surface. Coughing up several mouthfuls of salt water, she looked around for Britannia. No sign of her mentor. Next she tried the bond but that wasn't working either. Britannia obviously had her mental shields up and it turned out to be for good reason.

Long Shadow caught a glimpse of her mentor, bobbing up and down at the base of the falls. She was trapped there, unable to surface due to the weight of the water and the low buoyancy of the water due to all that air in the white foam.

"BRITANNIA!" Long Shadow screamed and diving beneath the surface she raced in to catch her mentor before she drowned.

Britannia struggled for a bit before she went still, slowly sinking towards the ocean floor. Long Shadow caught her and carried her back to the surface. Lying her down on her side, Long Shadow could see that she'd clearly hit something on her way down. Her whole side was torn wide open. The skin was folded back and her ribcage was fully exposed. She wasn't breathing.

Quickly, Long Shadow set to work, pounding her weight against the older ship's lungs. She was trying to be careful of the fragile looking bones that were exposed.

"Come on Britannia, don't leave me." She begged.

Britannia convulsed under her and coughed up mouthfuls of bloody water before lying there, panting. "S-Shadow..." She croaked.

"Here. Right here." Long Shadow replied.

"How bad is it?" Britannia groaned.

"Bad." Long Shadow replied.

"Can you be more specific than that?" Britannia asked.

"You're whole side is cut open. I can see your ribcage rising and falling as your breathe." Long Shadow replied.

"D-damn." Britannia shivered.

"I have to do something about that wound." Long Shadow said.

"Do what you can." Britannia rasped.

"I'm so sorry about this, Britannia." Long Shadow said as she used some of her own planking to start a brief fire to heat up a knife. She pulled the skin back to where it was supposed to be, then placed the glowing hot blade up close to the gap.

Britannia winced as Long Shadow began to cataract the wound. "Shh, shh. You're okay." She whispered, holding her mentor down.

Britannia kept still for her as she worked. "There, sealed up tight." Long Shadow said and helped her mentor upright.

"Gah!" Britannia gasped, stumbling against her.

"Easy now, I've got you." Long Shadow whispered to her.

"It hurts, Shadow. It hurts." Britannia whimpered.

"I know, just take it easy." Long Shadow replied.

Britannia snuggled into her side. "We can't stay here." She rasped.

"No, try and sail as much as you can. I'll help you home." Long Shadow replied.

Her gaze locked on the rising sun. Could she use it to travel somewhere within the locker? She never tried it before but decided it was their best bet. Concentrating hard, Long Shadow gathered up her strength and holding Britannia close to her side, fired up the green flash. It was difficult to focus but when Long Shadow opened her eyes next, she found herself right in her berth at home, Britannia still snuggled into her side.

"You-you did it, Shadow..." She murmured.

Long Shadow licked her. "You wait here, I'll be right back with some medicine." She replied.

She returned with a few herb leaves that she set down in front of Britannia. Britannia was reluctant to eat them but at some insistence from Long Shadow, she did.

Once finished, she rolled on her side in her berth. Long Shadow remained beside her. "Rest now my love." She murmured. Britannia offered her a gentle smile in reply and closed her eyes.

Her mental barriers down as she rested, Britannia's dreams were open to Long Shadow's mind. If need be, the younger ship could redirect them someplace happier and more peaceful to guarantee Britannia didn't have nightmares.

Though she was tired herself, Long Shadow refused to close her eyes and rest, keeping faithful watch over her mate throughout the night.