Riku meets Shadow and Rouge at an ancient castle and then is confronted by Dr. Eggman, who attempts to retrieve his stolen property. Eggman's robots swoop down to attack, and in the heat of the battle, the Scepter of Darkness is completely shattered. With the seal destroyed, Mephiles is freed. Resurrected in the likeness of Shadow through his shade, Mephiles the Dark introduces himself and hints at past history that the two shared. Mephiles, using a time warp similar to Chaos Control, flings Riku, Shadow, and Rouge to a future on the brink of collapse. When they arrive, they are first perplexed, but before long, they find some disturbing answers.