Izuku sneezed.

"Are you all right?" Yamato asked.

"I'm okay!" he called back, cuffing at his nose. "Guess someone's talking about me."

Yamato tilted her head until Izuku could see her clearly, one brow hiking up her forehead..

"Talking about you?"

"Oh, it's a saying we have back home," replied Izuku, smiling. "If you sneeze for no reason, then it means someone's talking about you."

Yamato thought about it, then let out a chuckle. Izuku grinned, then turned his eyes back to the sky ahead.

She looked down, and around. Around them was the blue sky, and below them was the blue ocean. Just as it had been all day long. There were no islands and no ships; nothing else to see.

And nowhere to land.

"Are you all right, Izuku?" she asked. "Do you need to rest?"

"I can't say I'd mind," Izuku called back, letting out a yawn. "We've been going all night and all day. Bet you're cold up there."

"It's not too bad," replied Yamato, with a companionable grin. "But I wouldn't mind either.."

"Well, it shouldn't be too much longer." Izuku glanced down at the Log Pose. "We've been following this thing since we left."

Yamato looked down over his shoulder. The Log Pose's needle was aimed straight ahead, North-Northeast, just as it had been before. There should have been an island, at least.

Unless it had gone wrong, somehow.

Yamato began to look around again, straining her eyes for any sight of land. Izuku was tiring ever so slowly, and they had been lucky with such gentle skies. One bad storm could be the end of them; and after a lifetime on Onigashima, Yamato knew a thing or two about storms.

Then she saw it. A tiny shape in the near distance, just coming into view. She blinked, and focussed her eyes on it, fearing she was just seeing things.

No, she wasn't. It was there; something solid, and getting bigger.

"Over there!" She pointed towards it. "Can you see it, Izuku?"

"Uh…" Izuku followed her pointed finger. "Yeah! I see it!"

He banked slightly, aiming them towards the object. It grew bigger and bigger, slowly forming into the shape of an island.

An island…that was floating in the sky, resting atop of clouds.

"A flying island?" Izuku sounded amazed.

"A Sky Island!" exclaimed Yamato, her heart leaping at the sight. "Kozuki Oden saw one once, when he sailed with Roger!"

"Is it safe?"

"It should be! Fly down!"

Izuku hesitated, and then began to descend; dropping gently towards the island. As they drew closer, Yamato could see grass, and some rocks in the middle; with a small pond.

All at once they were down, Izuku's feet settling onto the soft earth. Yamato set her own feet down, the grass and soil soft under her sandals. It made a change from wood, sand, and rock.

"You sure it's okay?" Izuku asked, releasing his Black Whip. He pressed his feet down on the grass, looking down with a dubious expression; as if he expected it to give way at any moment.

"There's no reason why it shouldn't be." Yamato did likewise, but the ground seemed stable. "They don't have these in your world right?"

"No, or at least not naturally-occurring ones. UA was made into one, when I came to fight All for One…" Izuku paused, looking away a bit. The white haired woman felt down bringing up a recent wound.

Yamato supposed she couldn't blame him for being nervous. Oden had been nervous too, when he first encountered a Sky Island. Certainly he had never seen such a thing before.

"Anyway, if you think it's safe, then that's enough for me," declared Izuku, setting down his backpack, hoping for a change of atmosphere. admitted Yamato, grinning as she stretched out her arms a bit. "But what about this pond?"

She stepped over to the rocks, and peered over. There was indeed a pond, sitting right in the middle of the rocks. It was remarkably clear, and the rocks were bare of moss. She reached in a finger, then tasted it.

"Fresh water," she said, as Izuku joined her. "It must be rainwater caught in the rocks."

"Right…" Izuku stared down at it, clearly amazed. There was something quite charming about it; the wonder he found in such things.

Yamato had a thought, and turned to check in the backpacks.

"I should fill these up. We did drink during our flight after all." She brought the waterskins to the pond, and filled them up. "And now we can have a bath."

"Great idea!" declared Izuku, rubbing at his shoulder. "I could use a…"

Then he paused, and blushed.

"Uh…you go first, and I'll sit behind this rock," he said, pointing at one of the rocks that surrounded the pond. "I…I wouldn't want to…pry."

Yamato paused, momentarily confused.

"Thank you, but…" She looked down at the pond again, gauging the depth.

"Izuku…can I ask a favor?"

"Uh…yes?" Now it was Izuku's turn to look confused.

"I…ate a Devil Fruit, if you remember," she said, awkwardly. "If my body goes more than half underwater, then I go straight down, and I can't get out. Could you…hold me up?"

Izuku's face went bright red, his eyes bulging, his hair sticking out on end.

"H-h-h-h-h-h-hold you up!?" he babbled. "I…I couldn't! I couldn't do something like…!"

Yamato blinked. Could she possibly be so pure-hearted as that?

"Couldn't you use your Black Whip?" she asked. "From behind the rock?

Izuku froze, and then thought for a moment.

"Oh, yeah, that could work."

(X)

Izuku's face was still burning hot as he cowered behind the rock.

"Ready!" Yamato called out.

"Okay!"

He activated his Black Whip, and reached it slowly around the rock.

"Got it?"

"Got it! Thank you! Oh! It's latching onto my arms. Splendid!"

He heard the water lap against the rocks, and felt the pressure on his Black Whip, as Yamato eased herself in, least on the sandbank to wash herself.

Just stay calm. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was being helpful, and he couldn't see anything! He wasn't Mineta! He wasn't looking!

"You know she wouldn't mind," Daigoro commented, with what Izuku knew was a cheeky grin.

"Yes she would!" snapped Nana. Izuku could have sworn he could hear a punch, and a shout of pain. He hadn't known that the Vestiges could get into fights.

"Ummm… How is it in there?" he asked, hoping to take his mind off things.

"Very nice," replied Yamato. "The water's remarkably warm. The island must be heating it somehow."

"You don't say. It's almost like a hot spring."

"They occur in your country?"

"Oh yes! Lots of them!"

When was the last time he'd visited a hot spring? When was the last time he'd had a hot bath of any kind? It felt so long, like a lifetime ago.

"I'm ready to come out now," said Yamato.

"You sure?" Izuku asked, taken aback. "You can stay longer."

"It's your turn," Yamato insisted as he heard her wade through the water. Izuku paused, and then complied; raising the Black Whip so that Yamato could climb out. Once she was on dry land, he deactivated his quirk, and sat where he was.

"You can go now."

"Thanks!"

Izuku stood up, and looked around. Satisfied that nobody was watching, he peeled his costume off, folded it neatly, and laid it on a flat rock next to the pond. He finished stripping off, and then slid into the water, sitting down with his head and shoulders just above the shoulders.

It felt good, very good. Not as hot as a proper hot spring, but pleasant and relaxing all the same. It was like a lukewarm bath.

He yawned. He was tired, so very, very tired. He hadn't expected to have to fly for that long; at least, not without coming across some substantial land. Land where they could have found food and water, and shelter; maybe even people. Then they could ask for directions; maybe even find a ship to take them somewhere. Even a wooden bunk on an old-style sailing ship would be easier going than this; though nothing like as fun.

But they hadn't. They were all alone, with only a Sky Island to shelter on. It was better than nothing, but he was starting to worry all the same. If he had underestimated the distance, or somehow not understood the Log Pose, then they could be in trouble.

He sighed. There was no point in worrying about it now.

"I'm coming out," he said, clambering out of the water and climbing back behind the rock. Having no towel, he could only crouch where he was; letting the wind blow the water off him as he shivered lightly. Fortunately it did not take long, and he was able to pull his clothes back on, and stepped around the pond to join Yamato. She was fully clothed, had the backpacks open, and had gotten out the salves and bandages; which they had fortunately thought to bring with them.

"You feeling any better?" Izuku asked, sitting down beside her.

"A lot better," replied Yamato. She was rubbing salve onto her still-bruised arms. "It looks a lot worse than it is. Our kind heals quickly, and we heal back tougher."

"Really?" Izuku was impressed. He knew that bones healed back stronger than before they were broken, but only if they were set properly and didn't splinter. There were people in his world with rapid-healing Quirks, or Quirks that made their bodies stronger after getting hurt. But for most people, permanent injury was still a real thing; short of Recovery Girl and similar Quirks, anyway.

"Yes." Yamato grinned with pride, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "Oni are famed for it. That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

Izuku watched her as she finished her ministrations, wondering what she had meant. Was she proud of what she was? Or was it a source of pain? Was it both?

"That's me done," she said cheerfully. "Now it's your turn. Off with that suit, Izuku!"

Izuku hesitated. There was something slightly off-putting about her manner; like a stern but cheerful nurse, only twice his height and probably many times his normal strength.

All the same he unzipped the green suit, and pulled it down to his waist. He felt Yamato's hands on his back, rubbing the salve into the wounds Spytand Malice had given him. Her touch didn't unsettle him.

"That medicine," he said. "I can't get over how good it is. The pharma companies back home would kill to get their hands on it."

"My father and his pirates did far worse to possess these medicines," Yamato replied. "They are one of Wano's wonders, and by no means the greatest."

That pain again, in her voice this time. Izuku felt his heart sink a little. She was free at last, but still her father's shadow hung over her. He wondered what it would take to lift it?

"And we're done," Yamato said, as she finished. "You'll be all healed up in a day or two. And what's a pharma company?"

"Thanks, and it's a company that makes medicines basically." Izuku grinned as he pulled his costume back on. "Still, that wasn't the worst fight I've had, but that Malice guy wasn't weak. Back home he'd have been a real terror."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. He was stronger than a lot of the League's guys, and about as messed up."

He sighed, as old, bad memories arose unbidden, and unwanted. Memories of old battles, old pains, and old failures.

"Yes, he sounds like the type," Yamato agreed. "You and your friends were brave to fight them."

Izuku blushed at the compliment, but could not feel much pleasure at it.

"Others were braver than me," he said, and meant it. "We were…well, we were Heroes, all of us. We walked our own paths, and passed our own tests, but we passed through the gate together." Part of him wondered… if Uraraka and Todoroki were okay. They were engaged in battle with dangerous foes like Toga and Dabi… and now that sense of closure will never quite fade.

"Believe in them. That's the only consolation I can offer." Yoichi said in his head.

"It isn't much, but don't fret over what you cannot control Midoriya." The Second User added.

"You were comrades," Yamato said, approvingly. "Like Kozuki Oden and his retainers, or Whitebeard's pirates. When you told me about them, I knew it."

"Yeah, we were." Izuku smiled sadly. "Knowing them, learning with them…those were the best days of my life. Days I never thought I would never know."

"I wish I could have shared them with you," Yamato said softly, lying on her side as she rested her chin on her hand. "It could have been better even than Oden's adventures. Not to mention exploring your world too, and all of its wonders…"

Izuku looked at her in surprise. But her eyes were bright, and he knew she meant it.

"I doubt that," he said. "From what you told me, Oden was quite a guy, even if he became a Pirate. I wish I had known him."

"All the same, if I could have been born again, I would have gladly been reborn in your world," Yamato insisted. "I would have liked to see the places you told me of, and to fight at your side against evildoers. To have been…a hero."

She trailed off, and there was that pain again.

"Could I have been…a hero, Izuku?"

Izuku paused, blinking, as he processed what she had said.

Then his heart jumped, as a vision of Yamato in the UA girls PE uniform filled his mind's eye. It was…by no means unpleasant.

"Yes!" he declared, and meant it. "You would've made a great hero, Yamato!"

"You think so?"

"Of course!"

And it was true. She had the heart of a hero; Izuku was certain. Give it time to shine through, and she would have found her place.

"When you say it, I believe it," Yamato replied with a smile, resting on her back as she looked up at the blue sky, clouds passing over head as the sun rained down upon them. "And I know Oden would have wanted you at his side, Izuku." She looked back at him, and her smile was warm and filled with confidence. "Instead of the Akazaya Nine, I imagine legends would have heralded of the Akazaya Ten…"

Izuku blushed as he grinned, and rubbed the back of his neck. This was getting corny, but he couldn't feel bad about it.

And then he yawned.

"I…am…beat," he admitted, blinking with heavy eyelids.

"Then why not take a nap?" suggested Yamato. "I'll keep watch while you sleep."

"You sure? Not like there's anything that can, well, get to us."

"Positive. And never helps to be vigilant! Oden came across giant flying seagulls in his adventures with Whitebeard and Roger! Remember?"

"Ummm, vaguely… but you make a good point. You…" Izuku yawned again. "Take the first watch, Yamato."

Izuku saw her smile, and his heart felt light. He laid down on the soft grass, his eyes on Yamato.

"Wake me when it's my turn," he said. Yamato nodded, and he closed his eyes.

It did not take him long to fall into a much needed sleep.

(X)

The hours passed in peace, until the sun began to fall.

Yamato lay on the grass, gazing up at the sky. It had been a curiously pleasant way to spend an afternoon, now that she could actually do so. To be able to lie on soft grass and watch the clouds drift overhead, without worries or responsibilities, or looming threats. From time to time she had stirred, staring at the horizon, half-expecting to see a ship on the sea, or King in his pteranodon form.

But nothing had appeared. Not so much as a bird.

There was some rather quick thunderstorms that occurred but only far in the distance, and not approaching the Sky Island they were on.

Had they really managed it? Had they actually managed to get away unnoticed? Was no one pursuing them?

She supposed not. Even if her absence had been noticed, and that was at least possible, her father and his followers had no way of knowing that Izuku could fly. And even if they figured it out, they had no indication of what direction they were going in, let alone their destination. Even to catch them by accident, they would have to spread their ships out thin. Would her father take that risk, with the Marines, Red Hair, Big Mom and Whitebeard on the prowl?

Maybe. Maybe he would be just that angry. So angry that he didn't care who he provoked, or what he squandered. Or who he destroyed.

Izuku murmured something, drawing Yamato from her reverie. She looked over, and saw him stirring.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked, as he sat up. She smiled to hide her worries, but that was not hard with Izuku around.

"Mmm…yeah, I did." Izuku smiled, and she immediately felt better. "Looks like it's getting dark."

"Why don't we eat then?" Yamato suggested. Izuku nodded cheerfully, and they opened their backpacks; setting out the food between them.

"Did you see anything while I was asleep, Yamato?" Izuku asked, as he ate.

"Just a few storms in the distance. Oden did mention that the weather outside of Wano tended to be very spontaneous and dangerous at times on the sea," Yamato replied, doing likewise. "I was afraid we might be pursued, but there's no sign of anything or anyone."

"Well that's good." Izuku beamed. "But…we should think about a plan all the same."

"Good idea," agreed Yamato. There had been little time, and no real way, to come up with a plan on Onigashima. Now was as good a chance as they were likely to get.

"Well…obviously we need to keep moving," Izuku went on. "We're in no shape to challenge Kaido now…"

Yamato nodded, and for the first time it didn't frustrate her. It was an acceptance in itself.

"So…for now we need to get some money. With money we can buy food, shelter, and transport. I like flying, but it's heavy going and we can't carry much stuff."

Yamato nodded again. So far, so reasonable.

"So…money." Izuku paused, chewing on his beef jerky. "We could just jump some pirates, but we might draw too much attention; from somebody powerful I mean. An Emperor's crew, or even tied to one of the Warlords. We should avoid making enemies we don't need."

"Agreed. The Seven Warlords aren't as powerful as the Emperors, but they're not to be taken lightly. A few are rumored to be as strong as the admirals themselves."

"In that case…" Izuku paused again. "I thought…we could always capture some pirates and collect their bounties. If we're careful, we can avoid making bad enemies."

Yamato gave it a thought.

"Bounty Hunters then…" she mused. "That could work. But we should be careful all the same. Pirates with high bounties tend to stick together for protection, and follow more powerful pirates than themselves."

"Birds of a feather flock together, I guess."

Izuku ate in silence for a while. He seemed to be thinking hard.

"Izuku?" she asked.

"I just had a thought," he said, his brow furrowed. "Even if we could take Kaido down together, that's not all we have to deal with. He's got some strong people backing him, and a whole army. By the time we get back there, half of them could be Gifters, or more. To say nothing of any normal Devil Fruit users or strong fighters that would fight under his flag."

Yamato closed her eyes for a moment.

"You're right," she said, mournfully. "You defeated Malice, but the Flying Six are all at least as strong as him if not stronger; and will probably be even stronger than that when we return. And the All-Stars are considerably stronger. We will need allies in order to take them down."

"What about the rest? The Waiters and the Pleasures?" asked Izuku. "They seem like normal people, mostly, but they're a lot of them, and they've got those weird guns."

"Don't underestimate them, Izuku," warned Yamato. "The samurai of Wano made that mistake, and paid with their lives. They aren't that strong, but they are many, and they are brave; at least when their masters are watching. The All-Stars and the Flying Six all have their own elite crews who will fight and die for them. If we are to win, we must at the very least take them down, and to fight so many will be draining."

"So…we're gonna need an army," said Izuku darkly. "I guess we could join the Marines, but…"

He paused, a strange look in his eyes.

"That guy Malice…he implied the Marines and the World Government are corrupt; that their justice was false. I guess he could be lying, but it didn't seem like it, somehow. He seemed…haunted."

Yamato closed her eyes, choosing her words.

"The Marines are strong and brave, and will die for one-another," she said. "But from what I heard their strongest warriors, the three Admirals, are cruel and ruthless. I don't know for certain why Malice hates the Government so much, but you saw what they turned him into."

"Yeah, it was hard not to," Izuku agreed, that dark look in his eyes again. "And he reminds me of someone I met once." Yes, Lady Nagant and Malice were of a similar situation, yet has different outcomes. Malice defected and made off like a bandit in siding with his former enemies, while Nagant refused to be an assassin for the Safety Commission to clean up undesirables, rebelled, and was thrown in prison for it.

"Oden spoke of such things too," Yamato went on. "When he was with Whitebeard and Roger. They were pirates, but they had their own code of honor, and they rarely if ever attacked island communities or innocents. All the same, the World Government accused them of things they did not do, portraying them as the worst kind of monsters. So the Marines may be no good either…" she pondered.

Then it hit her, standing straight up.

"I know! We should go to Edward Newgate! Whitebeard!" she exclaimed.

Izuku blinked.

"What?"

"He's one of the Four Emperors, just like Kaido! They call him the world's strongest man, and for good reason! And he and Oden were good comrades!"

Izuku looked dubious, and her heart sank a little.

"Good point," Izuku sighed. "He might be strong enough to take on Kaido, but he's still a pirate. And…well, I've met pirates."

Yamato flinched as she saw the pain in his eyes. Onigashima had frightened him, more so than she had realized. His cheerfulness and optimism had been so infectious, she hadn't really noticed.

"I know he's a pirate, but he's not like my father!" she insisted. "Whitebeard only wanted to create a family! He only took treasure from ruins or other pirates! He's done a lot of good!"

"Then why is he an Emperor?" demanded Izuku. "Why did he let the World Government give him that title? What he do to warrant it?"

Yamato shivered. Izuku was glowering at her, his eyes bitter. Then he faltered, and his eyes softened.

"I'm sorry," he said, awkwardly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just…well…none of this makes sense to me."

He sighed, and lowered his head.

"You say Whitebeard's a good guy, but he's still a pirate. And he's an Emperor because the World Government gave him that title. From what you've told me, the World Government only named the Emperors because of their power; because they're too strong to be challenged. The only one I've ever seen is Kaido."

He looked her in the eyes.

"Yamato, what I want to know is…how is he any different? If Kaido is the kind of person who gets to be an Emperor, what kind of person is this Whitebeard really?"

Yamato's heart ached as she cringed. She understood why he was so suspicious. But what words would convince him?

"He's a man who doesn't have a choice," she said, recounting everything from what Oden said of him in his journal. "Before he was an Emperor, he was a simple pirate; with a ship and a crew, all alone on the sea. The Marines hunted him for being a pirate, and other pirates hated him because he preyed on them for treasure. The only way he could survive, and protect those he loved, was to attain power. He had to gather ships and crews to him, and build a domain of his own. And to keep those ships and crews, he needs treasure to pay them."

She paused, her heart aching at the pain in his eyes. He was still having a hard time accepting the reality of this world.

"Izuku…I understand if you don't trust a man like that. You've seen what it is to have power in this world. But the situation he's in right now…is the same situation we're in. We can't stand alone in this world, any more than he can. We must attain a power of our own, one way or another. And I want to believe we can do that without staining our hands too badly, or joining someone we don't know that may turn out bad for us. If Whitebeard can do it, then so can we."

Izuku let out a long, mournful sigh.

"The only person in this world I believe in is you, Yamato," he said, looking up. "If you believe in Whitebeard… that's good enough for me."

His smile was back, though tinged with pain and weariness.

"Thank you, Izuku!" Yamato's heart was leaping in her chest. "Whitebeard won't let us down, I promise you! Not with the gift we have for him!"

"Gift?"

"Information!" Yamato beamed. "About the SMILE fruits!" The boy's face lit up.

"Oh yeah!" Izuku thought for a moment. "He'll want to know about that. I know more too, like where they came from!"

"Even better!"

They finished their food, and packed up their belongings. Night had fallen, and the wind was growing cold.

"We should get some sleep, then fly away come the dawn," Yamato said.

"Sounds good. Too bad we don't have anything to make a fire with."

And they didn't. The Sky Island was devoid of trees; indeed, of any foliage besides the grass. Even if they had gathered up a pile of grass, it wouldn't have burned for long.

"Well then." Yamato laid down on the grass. "Come and sleep by me. We'll keep each other warm."

(X)

Izuku paused, his face heating up. Sleep…next to Yamato?

He cursed himself. Now was not the time for bashfulness. It was getting cold, and they needed to keep warm.

Besides, it wasn't as if this hadn't happened before. He had spent so many nights in Yamato's room, wounded and helpless. There was no reason to be embarrassed, not after he had told her he trusted her.

Izuku sighed, and laid down next to her, his arm against her's. Yamato lay where she was, staring up at the night sky, a smile on her face. He was glad of that smile. It was comforting to see.

Even so, he could not relax. He could not put aside what they had decided to do. To seek out the man known as Edward Newgate, the pirate known as Whitebeard.

He stared up at the night sky, looking for a sign that wasn't there. How could he do it? How could he, a Hero, join forces with a pirate? Yes, he had been a good man in Oden's time. But twenty years was a long time; time enough for a good man to go bad.

This was not his world. In his world, in his country anyway, there was law and order, and criminals were criminals. A man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family was still a criminal; even if he deserved compassion and understanding. Heroes were basically police officers, but legally empowered to use their Quirks. Their job was to protect the people and enforce the law, as defined by duly-appointed authority; just like they had taught him at UA.

Going on that, his path was clear. He had to seek out the World Government and offer his services. As a licensed Hero, he could only use his Quirk, let alone do any kind of Hero work, by its leave. And he should most definitely not make common cause with pirates, let alone join them. He's seen what a powerful crew is comprised and capable of. And an entire country is paying for it in blood and tears.

But could he? What if Yamato and Malice were telling the truth? What if the World Government was a pack of abominable lying tyrants? Could he serve such a government? A government that allowed the existence of Kaido and his ilk? Was he under any obligation to do so?

Moral courage. UA had taught him that too. Aizawa-sensei had been quite stern about it. Yes, it was their duty as Heroes to obey duly-appointed authority, but also their duty to refuse an order that was illegal, illogical, and dishonorable; and to actively prevent their fellow Heroes from engaging in such activities.

It wasn't just theory or a boring afternoon in a classroom; not to him. He had faced it, in all its horror and ambiguity.

He had faced it when Ida Tenya had gone after Stain without authorisation, and nearly gotten himself killed.

He had faced it again when they had gone to rescue Kacchan from All for One, despite being ordered not to even think about it.

So which was it? The duty to obey legitimate authority? Or the duty of moral courage? Was the World Government legitimate just because it was a government to challenge the Great Pirate Era? Were they the reason so many people turned to piracy to invoke such an Era after the death of Roger? Or was he duty-bound to oppose it because it did bad things?

He hadn't actually met any of them yet. Malice could have been lying…but the look on his face…

Had Lady Nagant been right all along?

"Duty, honor, moral courage," grumbled Daigoro. "Nice words, but they won't keep you warm at night or your stomach fed. Follow the woman's advice Midoriya. The rest will take care of itself."

"All for One made laws and governments his playthings when he ascended to power in the Dark Age of Quirks. It's how he became Japan's king from the shadows," whispered Yoichi. "People are what really matter. Judge for yourself."

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter," mused En. "Same as always."

"You can only work with the info you have," Nana cut in. "Trust your friend, and decide for yourself."

Izuku felt better for their words. They had, between them, been around a lot longer than him, and seen a great deal more than him. Their wisdom was invaluable.

"Izuku?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you."

He glanced at Yamato. She was staring up at the sky, and smiling.

"Thank you, for helping me escape…." She turned, and he can see her beautiful amber orbs gazing at him with her grateful smile. "Thank you, for giving me the chance to see this sky full of stars. Thank you… for being my hero…"

In spite of everything, Izuku felt himself smile, his body feeling as warm and fulfilled as it was earlier this morning on Onigashima's beach. Yes, there were hard choices ahead of them. But for now there was nothing he could do about any of it. Here was here, and now was now.

"I'm just glad I can see it with you, Yamato. And you're welcome."

And that, for now, was all that mattered.

(X)

Yamato glanced down at Izuku. His eyes were closed, his breathing soft and slow.

He was asleep, and she was glad of it. It must have been hard work, flying off the island with her on his back, covering who knows how many leagues. He needed his rest, while there was darkness and this Sky Island to protect them.

She lay back, letting herself relax. In the near distance, she could hear the thunder rumble. Good thing the storm was far from them.

She thought of Oden's logbook, safely stowed in her backpack, and a thought popped into her head. She needed a logbook of her own, a journal in which she could record her journey as he had done. She would record the places she went to, and the people she met, and all the things that happened. All the battles, and adventures, the victories and defeats, as they worked towards defeating her father.

Yamato looked to the side again, at the sleeping Izuku beside her. Yes, her dearest friend would be there. They would share in it all, and she would record it all.

Her journey. And Izuku's too.

And there we have it. A big thanks to Juubi-K 's writing and IKnowNothing 's edits and counsel on this one.

We have a plan of attack, albeit one Izuku is hesitant on. Will it be the one he undertakes? Or will he choose a differing path? We will soon see.

Hope you all enjoyed!