<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/323/9/a/beatrix_final_fantasy_ix_by_b03di-d3378ux.jpg)</div></div><br/>Reassuring Sora that he wouldn't disappear again on him, Riku left Rosen and his best friend to explore elsewhere, having not been here long enough to really get an idea of where everything was.  Still, he managed to find his way to the training halls relatively without trouble, and watched as two men he'd learn were named Tidus and Cloud, (one of which he had met as a kid back on Destiny Islands or at least someone that looked just like the older copy here anyway,) spar for a time before spying someone that was quietly observing the fight.  Zidane he glanced at but it was the woman in the corner he was more interested in by quite a bit.  She saw him looking her way and nodded in acknowledgement before starting to move towards the young keyblader, her every movement practically screaming seasoned warrior of countless battles.  She was here at her queen's behest, just as Zidane was in a sense, and the general of Alexandria's knights held out her right armored hand as Riku held out his left, shaking hands firmly between them before the Rose of May introduced herself.  "You must be Riku of Destiny Islands.  Your coming was greatly anticipated from what I have heard spoken about the castle when news reached the rest of us.  Allow me to introduce myself.  I am General Beatrix of Alexandria, protector to Queen Garnet, and loyal soldier and paladin to her lands.  It is an honor to meet you."<br/><br/>"The honor is mine Beatrix.  As you guessed, I'm Riku, a keyblade master.  I haven't heard of you before now, but if that handshake was anything to go by, you're a lot tougher than you appear."  Riku replied, earning a respectful nod in agreement since she was the strongest warrior back home besides perhaps Albert Steiner, but they were....involved with each other and rarely ever fought against each other.  Such a fight would have leveled more than a few buildings most likely if they ever went all out when they did train together.  Luckily there were plenty of wild monsters about even without the Mist to foul things up.<br/><br/>"That's our Beatrix, cool and controlled as ever."  Tidus shouted cheerfully from the ring he occupied with Cloud, flipping backward like a cat before going in for another attack, making Beatrix chuckle lightly at the jest.  "Careful should you agree to spar with her though.  She's as tough as they come!"  Riku chuckled but he was curious if she was as strong as was seemingly rumored around here, but he didn't get to say anything else as he felt a very powerful wave of darkness crash over the entire area.  Even those without the power to sense such evil magic as clearly as he could would feel every hair on the back of their neck stand up at once.<br/><br/>"Something's coming."  Riku said before seeming to disappear into a corridor of darkness, popping up outside the castle gates and on the edge of the island the castle rested upon, just in time to see the sky go completely black.  This didn't feel like the darkness he knew, but it was still powerful all the same as he tried to see where it was coming from, but even his night empowered eyes couldn't pinpoint the source.  It was too far from them, but they had other things to worry about as the sky started to crackle and roil with purple flashes of lightning.  He immediately thought of Malificient but this wasn't her type of storm.  Squall would know though, as would his old allies who had fought the witch at the farthest reaches of time itself.  Ultimecia was currently standing on a mountain range that was a fair distance away from the lake that protected the castle from a ground attack, but the air and water were still viable options, and not all creatures that she could summon needed to be alive to be a threat to the heroes that had gathered together.  Whatever was coming, it was big, and it was not going to be easy to put down, even altogether as they were or would be anyway.  Ultimecia meanwhile continued to chant and prepare her summoned creature, letting her spell ripple across the planes of existence to bring it here, having read of the powerful beast in Chaos's immense and foreboding library.  While she did that, a small army of various and somewhat powerful winged fiends and creatures would descend upon the castle, in an attempt to soften up the defenders for the big one that was due to come as a giant summoning circle which glowed a blood red appeared on the surface of the lake.  Riku grimaced but stood ready, his keyblade already out and ready as the first wave descended....<br/><br/>((Any winged foes from any KH or FF game you can think of, (and it doesn't have to be KH or FF if you don't want them to be lol,) are welcome here, but the big guy is mine to control.  I've been on a Castlevania kick lately, let's just say that lol.))<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://www.bogleech.com/halloween/cv-legion.gif)</div></div><br/>((And just for added atmosphere lol.))<br/><br/>Final Fantasy VIII OST - Succession of Witches ~ Ultimecia's Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfxGM5R14Rc#)