This chapter is pretty tame in comparison to the last one. But I can assure you, it won't stay that way for long.

When they got to the next world, it became painfully clear that Aqua was in fact, not there.
Terra managed to get Ven to follow him into the castle, and they were greated at the door by the now princess that resided there. Since the small blonde was not quite ready to talk to anyone yet, Terra apologized for him, and asked if Cinderella had seen their friend.
She shook her head sadly, and asked if they would like to stay for a while anyways, as there was to be another ball held that night.
Terra looked at Ven, a questioning look in his eyes.
He was gazed back at with tired eyes, but Ven smiled softly.
"Alright."
The brunette smiled down at him, and reached for his hand, squeezing it.

After about an hour of getting primped and prepped, Terra and Ven stepped out from either side of the changing screens, in occasion-appropriate wear...for Terra at least.
Ven stared over at the taller boy with a look that screamed 'heeellllpppp'.
Cinderella wandered into the room, her hair tied on top of her head in the neat bun it was in the last time she attended an event like this.
"Are the two of you ready?" She smiled at them, waiting for a response.
Terra nodded, but Ven shuffled over to her, looking disgruntled.
"Why do I have to wear a dress?"
The princess just leaned forward, patting him on the head.
"Because every prince needs his princess."
"But I'm not a gi-!"
Cinderella bent down, so that she was eye level with him.
"I know how to use a broom in the worst ways possible. You're wearing that dress."
And with that, she stood up again, smiling, and swept out of the room.
Ven stared after her with wide eyes.
"Terra...princesses are scary creatures..."
The brunette could only nod in agreement.

They met her out in the hallway, Ven hiding slightly behind Terra, now a bit scared by the blonde princess that drifted across the floor in front of them.
She guided them to the entrance of the ballroom, directing them on the proper way to enter, Ven holding on to Terra's arm, both of them with heads held high. Three of the servants came toward them, each holding a cushion with an elaborately detailed mask on it. They sank to their knees, holding them out to their princess, who took them individually and handed one to Terra and one to Ven.
They stared down at them in confusion and then looked back up at her.
"It's a masquerade ball" she said, smiling. "I picked the two masks I thought would suit the two of you best."
Ven slipped the gold-detailed mask on, tracing the smooth whiteness of the rest of it with his fingers, feeling the emeralds that dotted under the left eye. He turned to look at Terra and saw that he was wearing a similar one, but in colors that suited him, muted reds and greys, a soft dusting of light brown across it. Cinderella slipped on her own, a delicate blue with a dark blue wash sweeping diagonally across it, diamond-like sparkles mixed in. Her prince stepped up beside her, offering his arm for her to take, and Terra copied the gesture, Ven sliding his arm around the brunette's and smiling up at him, his eyes shining.
The door was opened for both couples and they stepped into the room, the warmth and happiness from the crowded room and the upbeat music flowing over them. Terra lead Ven off to near the middle of the ballroom, and they stood in front of each other slightly awkwardly, for a few moments.
"Uh...Ter...I don't really know how to dance like this..."
Ven's hands were taken and arranged so they rested on the right spots, Terra holding on to him in the customary dance position.
"Just follow my lead."
The orchestra in the corner struck up another song, slower this time, and Terra drew Ven in closer.
They swayed together, each holding gently to the other, soft smiles on both their faces.
"Ven...are you doing okay? From earlier, I mean."
At that, the blonde's gaze hardened, and he pushed away from the taller keybearer. Before either of them could say anything else, there was a light cough from beside them.
A boy stood there in formal garb, just like them, his black hair slightly mussed, and the top half of his face obscured with a black and blood-red mask.
"Mind if I cut in?"
He held a hand out to Ventus, and a smirk crossed his face for just a fraction of a second as the blonde slid his own hand into the other's.
The black-haired boy turned to Terra.
"I'll have him back to you after this dance."
Terra glared over at Ven.
"Don't bother. I'm going to step outside for a bit. I think some fresh air would do me some good."
Ven moved over to the boy that was closer to his height, allowing himself to be pulled into the other's arms.
Terra turned on his heel and stormed out of the ballroom, his teeth and fists clenched.
Ven was lead off to a more secluded area of the room, and pulled flush against the other. He stumbled slightly as he was pulled, and stared up at the other, hands on his chest. Golden eyes bored into him, holding his gaze, making him shiver. It was like they could see straight into his soul, and that made the blonde shiver uneasily.
"Come on, princess, let's dance."
Ven pouted slightly.
"I'm not a princess."
A hand slid up his side, running along the satin of the dress bodice.
"You're a princess to me."
And right then the music started up again, building to a crescendo, and Ven found himself twirling around the room, his dress flaring out spectacularly. And the music went faster and faster and the blonde started to get dizzy, clutching onto the other's shoulders.
And then.
In a moment.
It was over.
He tipped backwards, and lay there, panting heavily, staring up at the ceiling, which was obscured almost immediately by his mysterious dance partner.
The other boy leaned down, pulling Ven slightly out of the dip, and pressed their lips together.
As Ven slid his eyes closed instinctively, Vanitas dissolved his mask, golden eyes blazing, and he mentally summoned the Unversed, directing them out beyond the castle.

Terra sat on a log near the edge of the woods, hunched over, running his hands through his hair.
Things were going just fine...why did I have to go and screw it up like that...
He looked up, staring in the direction of the castle's towers.
Ven...I'm so sorry...
Terra stood up, sighing, and made as if to head back, but stopped, hearing something whooshing towards him. A swarm of Unversed rushed him, and he tried to run, succeeding in getting pretty far before they swarmed on top of him, disappearing who knows where with him, leaving behind only a lingering scream.

Back at the ball, Ven shot to his feet, having heard the faint scream in the distance, and he ran for the doors, bursting outside, calling Terra's name. He ran and ran, finally stopping in the spot where there looked to have been a struggle. Ven crawled around on his hands and knees, trying to find something, anything, that would tell him where Terra went. Something glinted at him from the base of one of the bushes and he moved closer to it.
He closed his fingers around it and pulled it out, but didn't want to look, already knowing what it would be.
Terra's wayfinder...

Ven sat back, biting his lip.
"Ter..."
He stood up, looking around frantically.
"TERRA! COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE!"
his yell echoed through the trees, letting him know he really was the only one there. Ven sighed heavily, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill out.

He trudged back to the castle, dress tearing on some of the bushes along the way, but it didn't matter.
All Ven wanted to do was get there, get changed, and leave.

The guards let him back in, choosing to stay silent about his disheveled appearance, and he slowly brushed across the dance floor, head down, avoiding everyone's gaze, finally reaching the bottom of the staircase.
He slid his hand along the banister, intent on just going up and getting out.

An almost magnetic pull tugged on him, and he looked around, reluctantly.
His gaze met with the person he'd been dancing with earlier, and he blinked in confusion.
The mask the boy was wearing seemed both transparent and fully formed at the exact same time. But that face. The face under the mask.
No...
It couldn't be...
It COULDN'T be.

Golden eyes narrowed, accompanying a smirk, as though able to fully tell how confused Ventus was.

'Go'
He mouthed up at him.

And Ven bolted up the stairs, almost falling flat on his face several times, trying to escape the deep feeling of dread that coursed through him.

When he had changed and was flying, hellbent on getting to the next world as quick as he could, that was when he finally let his tears of confusion and sadness and rage and loneliness pour from him. He wanted Terra and Aqua back.
And he would do whatever it would take.

Poor,poor confused Ven-Ven.

And oh geez. Need to actually think now, 'cause I haven't planned the next chapters out very much and I write them the day I post them XD

PLEASE REVIEW, IT MAKES ME A HAPPY AUTHOR 8D

(And I'm open to suggestions)

((Except for Destiny Islands, that place is fully written))