Years later...
The Azur Lane base was bigger than ever. With the Siren empress having been destroyed 6 years prior, the majority of the remnants were in hiding, no longer capable of doing much by themselves but yet still hoping for reinforcements.
A few of the last surviving elite humanoid Sirens realized the futility of their plight and wisely surrendered to the Azur Lane. To their surprise they were given a second chance and allowed to join the Azur Lane society.
"Has it really been 10 years since Oregon first remarked about how pretty this base was? It seems longer than that..." a melancholic Hornet mused.
"He was correct then, and he would be even more impressed now." Wales agreed.
They were right. The base had been expanded quite a bit since then, and was likely twice its former size, if not even more.
No longer was its culture and appearance drawn only from the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, and to a lesser extent the Iris Libre, Dragon Empery, and Northern Parliament.
Now it had access to all the factions of the world, and was truly a diverse city.
Each faction had their own dedicated area in the base that was made in their own specific styles, but the city center was where they all melded together to be experienced in one concise location.
Gone were the ever-present tensions of wartime. Peace had been achieved, and the founders intended for it to stay that way, particularly since they had paid dearly for it.
As Wales and Hornet strolled by the docks, they marveled at the countless different ships they saw.
Each faction had kept their own design style even outside of war, so that ended up with, for instance, the Iron Bloods looking as menacing as ever. No one really minded, though.
One ship was missing, however, and those who had known it missed their presence greatly, while the newcomers only knew of the ship as a legend.
A young girl ran up to Hornet and Wales, addressing the former. Her little riggings, composed of two comically large double-barreled turrets on one side and a small flight deck on the other, bounced and shook from her running.
"Mama, mama!" she happily cried.
Her hair was an even mixture of blond and a contrasting steel-brown that somehow managed to suit her. Her eyes were for the most part green, but the right bore a hint of orange from time to time, as did the left with blue.
Hornet scooped her into her arms. "I was looking for you, you little minx," she said as she ruffled her daughter's hair.
BBCV-38 giggled playfully. After all, she was only 5 years old in human years.
"We're going to visit someone special today. Want to see who it is?" Hornet asked.
"Yeah!" the little semicarrier replied.
Wales chuckled. "She's a handful, isn't she?"
"Yeah, she can be. But sometimes she can be surprisingly serious and mature for her age. Those moments never last long, though."
"I think we both know where she got that particular quirk from."
Hornet fell silent, remembering the person in question.
"He would be proud to see what you decided to do with his cube. I know it."
"I sure hope so. And after 6 years we're finally dedicating his memorial."
Indeed. It had taken way too long to find land and money sufficient to obtain an appropriate area to build the memorial for Oregon.
His ship, repaired since its final battle, would be placed whole and entire in the memorial, namely a long channel constructed from the ocean and filled both by it and a nearby river. The ship would rest in this channel, able to be moved in and out if necessary.
It was more than a memorial, it was the size of a park.
Oregon's ship would be the centerpiece, at long last what he had always wanted to be: a museum ship.
Many signboards and display cases had been arranged in various locations around it, each one containing some special piece of history from the legacy of the old bulldog.
Only now the official dedication ceremony would take place, and those who had known Oregon the most would be giving speeches about their relationships with him. This would also be the perfect opportunity for the newcomers to learn about the legend from personal accounts.
The ceremony took place at noon, with all factions present. Primary was of course the Eagle Union, of which Oregon had been considered one of their own.
A special guest from the Eagle Union homeland arrived, a legend of extreme age and experience. She was an older lady wearing a uniform usually only seen in museums. And the ship she arrived on was erroneously thought to be long gone.
Naturally USS Constitution had known Oregon, and in fact had come to know him quite well during his stay in the Boston Harbor.
Hearing about his demise had greatly saddened her, especially when she recalled that even back in the early 1900s he had shown early signs of instability.
It had taken her quite some time to fully recall what they had discussed so long ago, but by the time she had arrived at the base she was prepared to share her memories of him.
"We are gathered here today, on the 14th day of February, to dedicate this memorial park to a ship who, quite frankly, settled the Siren war for us. They paid the ultimate price for this deed, but their legacy will be honored forever in this park.
"We have several shipgirls here who have known the ship in question better than the majority of us did at the time, and they wish to share their relationships with him."
Wales took the stage first. "When I first met Oregon, I remember being absolutely surprised to discover he was a boy. Little did I know he was much more than that."
She described her impression of him: a bitter veteran, despised by his own, thrown away and left to rot. Yet he also had a deep-set purpose that never left him. It was only at the very end that she discovered what that purpose had been.
"Words cannot express how grateful I am for what he did for us, insignificant as he always thought himself to be. I cannot be sorry enough for not realizing his situation sooner. Maybe...if we had found out earlier, we could've helped more. Alas, what's done is done."
Cleveland was next. "Oregon showed me that even elders can still put up a fight. He displayed skills and abilities we had never seen and likely will never see again.
"Perhaps I was a little too surprised when he said that he had never been awarded any battle stars. Even though he was built decades before their creation, I'd expected him to receive some anyway. But then he described that battle stars would not have prevented his fate, and even now I'm still haunted by that."
Enterprise took over. "From the way Oregon would describe his past experiences, he had went through more than the vast majority of us combined."
A couple of others from the other factions went next, similarly describing their interactions with Oregon. Mikasa still couldn't help shuddering when she recalled the way Oregon's "other" face had shocked her. Everyone else was chilled at the picture she created.
Finally, Hornet went last. Her sisters and close friends already knew they were in for a long story.
"My relationship with Oregon was...complicated to say the least. He first saved my life back when we were enemies with the Sakura Empire."
Zuikaku winced slightly, a certain portion of her face and jaw suddenly sparking in pain momentarily.
"After Oregon joined us at this very base, he told us his entire life story, or what we initially thought was his life story. Much later we were to discover that wasn't all to it.
"I will admit Oregon and I had an odd relationship. While he always seemed cold and standoffish to others, he always treated me warmly, like I was important to him.
"He put his trust in me, and I am grateful he could, because he told me many personal things I could never ever repeat here.
"I will never regret knowing Oregon for the rest of my life, because he taught me many things. One of which is how easily the human mind can be corrupted and ruined by itself.
"I hope Oregon is at peace now, reunited with his sisters who he had been separated from for decades. He promised he'd still be with us, so I hope that seeing all we have done to keep his memory alive will make him happy."
Hornet began tearing up a little. "I'll m-miss him. He was a close friend, and not having him around still makes me sad."
After a few sniffles she continued. "I just have to stay strong for him. He never liked being worried about, and besides, there's no real reason to be sad for him now."
Hornet produced a sheet of paper from one of her coat's pockets. "I did some research into Oregon and his namestate, and I found a very touching song that's also his state's anthem. I think a fitting way to formalize this memorial's dedication is to sing this song, aptly named 'My Oregon'."
A choir began singing. Those who wore hats removed them, even Hornet herself.
*********
"Oregon, My Oregon"
Written by John Andrew Buchanan
Composed by Henry Bernard Murtagh
Written in 1920, officialized in 1927
Land of the Empire Builders,
Land of the Golden West;
Conquered and held by free men,
Fairest and the best!
Onward and upward ever,
Forward and on, and on;
Hail to thee, land of heroes,
My Oregon.
Land of the rose and sunshine
Land of the summer's breeze;
Laden with health and vigor,
Fresh from the Western seas.
Blessed by the blood of martyrs,
Land of the setting sun;
Hail to thee, Land of Promise,
My Oregon!
*********
Everyone was tearing up slightly at the end of the poem, with Hornet trying her best to not genuinely cry. Thankfully Enty, Yorktown, and Wasp were there to comfort her.
With the poem concluded, the memorial was offically dedicated.
It was agreed that no charges of any kind should be demanded to enter the park.
Instead, a voluntary donation system was set up, with the funds to help care for aging ships no longer capable of fighting.
Hornet requested that she have some time to herself, and wandered through Oregon's ship to calm herself.
At first dark and empty, to her surprise lights flickered on along the way. They didn't stay on for long, as they shut back off after only a few seconds of Hornet passing.
As she entered the bridge she was reminded of Oregon's first Christmas at the old base, and when she snuck aboard his ship to leave her gift hat for Oregon.
She remembered seeing a small but very well-decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the bridge, with a large box at its base.
Out of respect for both Oregon and the mystery gifter she had left her hat hanging from the top of the tree where it could be plainly seen.
"So many memories...so little time..." An echoey but familiar voice suddenly spoke.
Paper Mario: The Origami King - Bob-omb's Encouragement
Hornet was jolted from her wistfulness to see a glowing translucent figure standing before the ship's wheel. It turned, revealing a face she hadn't seen for years.
Oregon smiled, and it was a genuine smile of contentment and happiness.
"You've done well with your time. And what you did with my old Wisdom Cube is very fitting, too. Take good care of her, alright? Give her the love and care I was never able to receive in my life, and will never be able to give her myself.
"Thankfully I am home now, and my sisters and I have had plenty of time to catch up with what we all missed."
Two other figures appeared, one on each side of Oregon. Both were female, and wore similar uniforms to his.
The oldest one had blue eyes and a bold "BB-1" enscribed on her uniform. The younger had orange-tinted eyes, with her number being BB-2. Together the three of them genuinely looked like a family.
"Thank you...for helping our little brother." Indiana said.
"We couldn't be there for him when he most needed us," Massachusetts added. "But you were. And you helped him more than we ever could."
"I love the setup you made here. My old ship as a museum ship, very like how I was some 70 or more years ago.
"The location, too, with everything in the middle of a forest. I always loved nature, and knowing that this old hulk will have such a comfortable and quiet spot for itself is reassuring.
"I don't have much else to say, honestly. I already promised that I would always be with you, and thanks to this memorial, I can be with everyone."
He gestured to the rope that was connected to the ship's bell.
"If you ever need me, ring this bell and I will come. But keep it minimal, alright? We who sail the eternal seas have our own afterlives to live, you know?"
The trio began to fade, with his sisters disappearing first, but not without one last wave to Hornet.
Oregon was left, and he was fading too. "Thank you, Hornet, for preserving my legacy. I can finally rest easy knowing that what I've done will be revered."
He gave one last nod. "And remember: Fly with your own wings."
With that, he was gone.
*********
In the months following the dedication of Oregon's memorial, it was discovered that various species of plants and animals had appeared which had never been seen on the island before.
Western meadowlarks fluttered and made their nests in the quaking aspen trees of the park. The latters' leaves would whisper and rustle with even the slightest breezes.
Bright yellow swallowtail butterflies danced among the Oregon grape bushes that had suddenly grown.
Even more legends arose since the memorial's opening. Some say the pre-dreadnought vanishes on certain days of the year, then reappears in its park like nothing had happened.
Patrol ships have reported seeing the pre-dread at sea, slowly steaming in a random direction. Hailing the ship produces no answer other than some greeting blasts from its steam whistle.
And once a year, on October 26, all possible guns would fire a 3-volley salute at high noon, aimed toward the northwest.
It seems that indeed a bulldog's legacy was preserved, and he is happy.
The End