• The loud chimes of the castle continued to echo around Terra as he stood at the banister overlooking the foyer of the castle. He watched as Cinderella fled, knowing as she did that she didn’t have much time until her enchantment would come undone. With the Duke chasing her further out of the castle, he almost didn’t notice that his friend was also present.
    “Aqua!”
    At the mention her name, the girl looked around before finally looking and replying in surprise,
    “Terra!”
    He quickly descended the stairs with an excited look on his face, but that was quickly erased with the news he would receive when he reached the bottom.
    “Ven has left on a journey.”
    “He has?”
    “He seemed to have been following you. Have you seen him?”
    “No…”
    Terra was a little worried when a thought occurred to him.
    “Actually, it seemed like he was trying to tell me something as I was trying to leave.”
    He started to walk away before slowly coming to a stop and saying,
    “I should have listened to him…”
    “Oh. I see…”
    A moment of strained silence passed before Aqua asked,
    “By the way, have you found Master Xehanort yet?”
    “It seems he’s looking into the Princesses of Pure Heart.”
    “Princesses of Pure Heart?”
    “It doesn’t appear as if Master Xehanort is in this world.” Terra said as he walked away once more.
    “Oh. Well I’m going to investigate this world some more.”
    “Then try speaking to the Prince in the main hall.”
    “Got it.”
    Terra stopped once more before leaving and turned to his friend.
    “Aqua! Do you remember our dream?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I met a girl in this world named Cinderella who taught me the strength of a heart that believes in dreams. We all have to keep believing in our dreams. They’ll become our strength to destroy the darkness.”
    “Yeah.”
    “If you she Cinderella, thank her for me.”
    “I will.”
    Finished with his messaged, Terra turned round once more and continued his trek outside. Aqua watched him go while his words still echoed through her mind.
    “A heart that believes in dreams…”
    The thought circulated within her mind, its profound message washing over her like waves breaking over rocks. She had one lingering dream that she had put off in favor of the shared dream she and her friends shared and if she didn’t take this opportunity, she didn’t know if she’d ever get another chance.
    She ran through the large double doors and out onto the sprawling staircase that led into the courtyard below. All was tranquil as the full moon bathed everything in its pale glow. Aqua ignored the Duke as he walked past with a worried look on his face and scanned the courtyard for Terra. He was in the process of opening a corridor and she ran full speed to catch him before he left.
    Aqua’s grip on his right arm before he could summon his armor surprised Terra. He ignored the portal’s closing as he turned to her.
    “Aqua, what is it?”
    “Terra, I… I want to ask a favor of you before you leave…”
    “Anything Aqua.”
    Aqua heard the waltz music drifting lazily through the air. The soft breeze and the flow of the fountains at the corners of the reflecting pool helped to create a tender mood in tandem with the moonlight that when coupled with her request, left her face flushed a soft pink hue.
    “Would you please have just one dance with me?”
    Terra was taken aback by the request. He didn’t think that Aqua would come to find him just for this, but with the setting of the evening, he didn’t question that it happened at all.
    He looked into her eyes, the sparkling blue irises of them both increasing the attraction between them both. He brushed a stray lock away from her face for a closer look which caused him to smile brightly and her blush to deepen.
    “I’d be honored to dance with you.”
    The speed with which he brought her into the embrace of the waltz stunned Aqua. She hadn’t expected to be swept up in such a way and was even more surprised at how well her partner danced. She snuck an embarrassed glance at him once she regained herself, but the look Terra returned nearly melt as she blushed even more furiously.
    As the tempo of the music slowly wound down, so too did the footsteps of the moonlit dancers as they continued their own private ball in the courtyard. Aqua was enthralled at how Terra had granted one of her deepest desires and held him closely before they parted.
    She saw Terra off as he left the world and clasped her left hand over her chest in happiness as she closed her eyes. She took in the world around her through all her senses before exhaling deeply. Aqua opened her eyes with a satisfied look on her face before firming her resolve and heading back for the Prince in the entrance hall.
    “Just as I thought, there’s no way Terra will fall to darkness.”
    Stopping once more in the foyer, she pulled her blue connection charm from her pocket and held it lovingly as she gazed at it.
    “Terra… I love you…”
    And with that final thought she proceeded to the main hall.