"What?" He wants to date me? Tell him no!" Aqua was pretty pissed.

"I don't see the problem. It's only one date with a rich man..."

"Oh so now I'm a gold digger?"

"No. But it's for a good cause. If you say yes then we have two alliagnces. He's a nice guy. I met him."

Aqua took a deep breth and paused for a while, "Fine. I already have a boyfriend, though. But I'll do it."

"Great. Aqua you rule."

"Only if Terra never finds out. It's between you and me."

"Fine. He'll never know."

"Okay, so give me the details."

Mickey pulled out some ice cream an he, Terra, and I sat at the table inside me dad's gummi ship.

"So like I was saying," Mickey was telling an interseting story about how he was a magician a few years back, "Donald was really jealous that I got the gig at the Wlat Theater. He wanted to impress Daisy. So while I was doing me card trick, he spays seltzer in my face. So I," Mickey was giggling by this time, "I Put my hat by his face and two dozen dove fly out on top of him." We all cracked.

"You had a pretty interesting life." I said. "What made you go and become king?" I took a bite of ice cream.

Mickey looked up into the sky in a daze, "I didn't leave it. Did Riku ever tell you how we escaped enermal darkness?"

"No."

"Well, it's quite the tale."

"C'mon, your highness, tell us." said Terra.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afaid I can't."

"Why not?"

Mickey's grin was slowly going away, "We saw what the darkness can do to a man. It's not pretty. Unfortunately, a man can never utter what it is. You must see for yourself."

"How would Riku telling us be any different then?" asked Terra.

"Riku can manipulate darkness. He always has. That's why he avoids it so well."

Wow. Riku can manipulate darkness. I'll have to talk with him about that.

Aqua had on a revaeling red dress with white fur trim which made her look incredibly sexy.

"Stop staring." she said, "It's bad enough I have to go an a date with this centry old pervert, but it's worse to have you gawking at me." I couldn't tell if she sounded seductive or mad.

"Well, it's only one night. And remeber, I'm right behind you if you need help."

That's good. So how do I look?"

"Amazing, but why do you care. You hardly know this guy."

"I know... I just like to look nice."

"Years of fighting hasn't taken your feminism away, has it?"

She giggled and blushed a little. "Ya know, Riku, I... I"

She stopped for a little, "What is it?"

"I just want you to know that when Mickey told us that Terra was dead, I was considering you."

I was speechless. "I.. uhh."

"Well, I don't want to be late. Bye." She kissed me on the cheek and ran off.

Even though temperature was 12 degrees, her kiss made my cheek heat up intensly. She was beautiful. I wonder what a girl like her would do with a fugutive like me. I guess she's one of those girls who constantly needs a boyfriend to feel complamented and keep her self-esteem up. I wonder how thier date was going. Then I remembered. I was supposed to be right behind her. Oh crap, where'd she go?

"Okay, so there I was, it was me and Pete. One last battle for Minnie. I only had my spirits and a broken sword. Maybe one swing left in it...."

Mickey's storys were so amazing. Terra and I just listened as we worked on my dad's old gummi. It was called th "Kair". He was a good man.

"Haha. Great ending, Mickey." said Terra.

"Thanks Terra."

"Mickey, did you know anything about my father."

Mickey's face turned form gleeful to stoic. "Why?"

"Well, cause he raised me."

"Kairi........ He wasn't your real father."

"What," those words stung, "What do you mean?"

Mickey looked down, "Your biological father left you after you mom gave birth to you, she couldn't handle the prssures of a kid just yet so she gave you to her dad. He was a great father."

"He couldn't have been that great if he left me on those crappy islands."

"Crappy? Isn't that your home. Isn't that where you met Sora and Riku."

"Well, All I ever wanted was to see the worlds..."

"You and your grandfather saw many worlds. He took you on research expeditions with him when you were younger." Mickey was sounding angry.

"Well that's no excuse. Why wasn't he there for me."

"It's not that simple, Kairi."

"Fine, your the story guy. You tell it."

Mickey changed from angry, to stoic. "Okay. It begins during you birth...

(Flashback) A woman is giving birth to a bay girl. Her, the doctor, Mickey, and Kairi's grandfather are the only ones in the room.

"Keep going. I can see it. Your almost thourgh." the doctor was guiding her thourgh."

The woman was screaming in pain.

"It's out." said the doctor

She was repedialy panting. "Oh God. What the Hell. Let me hold her!" She demanded.

Mickey and Kairi's grandfather were forced to leave to give the doctor and the woman some privacy. They walked to the lobby to see Kairi's dad sitting there.

"Where were you. You missed the birth." said Mickey

"I didn't plan on seeing it."

"What do you mean?" asked Kairi's grandfather.

"I'm leaving them."

Mickey and Kairi's grandfather stood speachless. "But why?" asked Mickey.

"Look at me," He had on ragged clothes, which were the best he could afford since he was unemployed, "I'm a mess. How can I possibaly raise a child."

Kairi's grandfather spoke up, "Raising a child is not about you. It's about her. That's what being a man is. You must step up and answer your callof destiny. Right now the little girl in there needs you to be a father and if you walk away from that... I used to respect you. You had no job, but you still hung around for this girl. If you leave now, I'll lose every ounce of respect I had for you."

Kairi's dad looked disappointed in himself, "I'm sorry. I just can't." With that, he left.

(Present)

"Then what?" asked Terra.

"It's time for bed. I'll continue in the morning." He walked back to his cabin.

How could I have a different father than the one I knew?

The sun rose out of the clouds the next morning. I hadn't realized I fell asleep. I was supposed to be looking for Aqua, but she could hold her own. I fell asleep against a lamp post, but an elderly woman took me in and set me in a warm bed. People were nice here. I haven't heard of a single bad thing yet. This wasn't my kind of place. I walked out and decided to continue my search for Aqua.

I walked down to Noel Plaza, where most of the commotion was, and decided to start there. I couldn't find her. I went back to Santa's house to see if everything went okay. The door was open so I let myself in. I walked around for a little in the living room. I could hear faint snoring. I followed the noise back to his bedroom. I opened the door. I still am not sure if what I saw was true. Santa and Aqua were cuddling naked?

"Wha ah!" I woke both of them and Aqua screamed. She got up and ran out while covering herself with the blanket. "What the Hell? I thought it was just a date."

"Well..." he fumbled with his words, "It was until... I put my charm on. No girl can resist my charm."

"Aren't you being a little cocky?"

"No, I'm serious. I was givin a gift to find a wife that no girl can resist sleeping with me if I asked them to."

"That's a little creepy. Anyway, we have an alliance, right?"

"Oh yeah. I could say no when she..."

"Okay that's all I need."

I grabbed her clothes and ran out and found Aqua crying in a phone booth.

"Aqua, what's wrong?"

She sobbed for a bit longer and said: "I can't believe I slept with that pervert. I mean... he was charming, but Terra's the only man I'll need."

"Oh, Aqua, it's gonna be alright."

"No it's not. I didn't even tell you why I slept with him."

"Aqua, why?"

"Riku, I... I'm pregnant."