Luxor chuckled and stepped back as Shadow was forced to choose whom to trust, 'Yes my son! Choose! Either way you will die, but I will let you choose how!'

Shadow's red eyes continued to jump from Lara to Sperk and back again, 'Just once I would like my life to have a simple choice. Sperk is clearly the better fighter, but he has kept his intentions hidden and Rouge is generally a good judge of people. Lara has been nothing but open and honest, but this could have all been a trap.'

Sperk's cobalt eyes narrowed as he watched Shadow struggle to choose, "Idiot! It isn't that hard to pick!" He summoned an orb of green energy, "I really don't care anymore. Die for all I care!" He tossed the orb at Leda and she vanished in a burst of green light. He then vanished himself.

Shadow turned around and saw Lara's eyes glowing purple, "Damn it!"

Sperk knelt on the ground as he waited for Leda to awaken. She was just as he remembered her. Her body lean and her face strong. The only thing different was that the ponytail that she tied her dreadlocks into went only to her waist. In his time, it was near her ankles. He shuttered when her violet eyes opened, but he remained where he was. Leda rubbed her head and sat up, "What hit me?" She looked down and looked at the black bodysuit Luxor had made her wear, "What have I done?"

"Nothing that you can be blamed for! Luxor made you do it."

Leda turned and looked at the rust colored hedgehog, "Who are you?" She looked around the cave, "Where am I?"

Sperk bowed his head, "I am Sperk, your son. I have come back in time to insure your safety."

"My safety!"

"Inside you is the last hope for the world. A few years from now, the world will be ripped apart by the war between Robotnik and Luxor. The planet will be turned into one large battlefield. Only one small area will be spared." Sperk sighed, "I need to get you to Speed now!"

Leda stood up, "Why? Will Speed be free?"

"No! But right now a barrier of berserker energy is forming. None can enter the barrier except you and me. Robotnik tired to blow it up with a nuclear bomb, but all it did was clear the surrounding landscape. Soon the plants in side the barrier will grow and you'll never have to leave. It is sanctuary!"

"What happens to the others?"

"Their fate is sealed! Those not killed will be forced to choose a side. Only I stand to fight the evil."

"But I can't just abandon them! We must help them!"

"It is too late. I must get you to safety."

"It is never to late. Speed wouldn't leave them! So I won't either."

Sperk smiled, "I'm glad to hear your voice with so much passion again!"

"What happens to me?"

"There were complications with the birth! And sense there was no one left to help you, your condition worsened. But you held on for eight years. The night you died, your voice was so weak. I remember the night so clearly."

Flashback or Flash forward?

Sperk rolled over in his sleep and sat up. He yawned and looked at the sky, "I'm tired of looking at the sky through that crimson energy." He looked over to his mother and his jaw nearly dropped, "DAD!"

The hedgehog that had been like a statute for his entire life had finally moved. Speed held Leda in his arms and he gently rubbed her cheek, "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you all this time."

Leda smiled weakly, "And I am sorry for condemning you to this fate. Thank you for marrying me."

"It is I that must thank you. Your are the only source of good in my life." They shared a kiss and stayed still for several minutes. Speed then burst into tears, "I will never forget you." He looked past her to the ground and it exploded into a large hole. He gently laid her down, "Son!"

The eight-year-old quickly ran up to the glowing hedgehog, "Yes sir!"

Speed waved his hand and dirt filled up the hole, "You're alone now! My time is short." He snapped off the gauntlet from his arm and ripped out the gem. He gave it to the boy, "With this and the power within you, you and you alone will be able to fight." Speed's body sparked with crimson energy, "This place will be your place of healing and rest. Never forget you're the son of a proud mother and a strong father. I'm sorry I won't be able to help you, but I trust you'll be able to handle this. Good luck!" Speed's body erupted with crimson light and he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

Present

Sperk slammed his fist into the ground, "My father is fighting something with in himself. It took all his will just to hold you in your final moments."

Leda walked over and hugged her son, "I'm sorry! But we must save the others. Maybe we can change your future."

Sperk stood up, "I will go!" He pulled out the black orb and opened a portal, "Go to the island and wait. I will bring the others!"

Lara nodded, "Good luck!" She stepped through and the portal closed.

Sperk summoned his halberd, "A different future? Sounds nice. I guess it is worth a shot."

Shadow rolled across the ground and laid on his back. Both Lara and the lizards had taken turns beating him down. Luxor just stayed back and clapped his hands, "Good! Very Good!" He snapped his fingers and the lizards helped Shadow to his feet. The black and red hedgehog was covered in bruises and cuts. Luxor smiled, "Now Shadow! I am willing to give you one last chance to join me. Your brother resisted me and now he is a living statue."

"I'd rather..!" Shadow spat some blood from his mouth, "I'd rather be a statue than to serve you."

Luxor sighed, "As you wish!" He turned his back, "Kill him!"

Lara frowned, "Yes Master!" She turned to Shadow and purple energy whipped around her fist, "Sorry!" She brought her fist back and slammed it into Shadow's chest. He cried out in pain as energy coursed through his body. His body went limp as Lara backed off to recharge her fist. Shadow bit down and kept his eyes open. Lara readied her fist, but a bolt of energy blasted her back. The lizards dropped Shadow and turned to the source of the attack. With one slice with his weapon, Sperk sliced both of their heads off effortlessly. Lara stood up as Sperk stood in front of Shadow, "I thought you left!"

Sperk ripped off his mask, "The future is not set in stone! I will fight to change it. Shadow! Get to the others and smash their gauntlets. That will free them." He tossed him his portal orb, "Get them to safety."

Shadow picked himself up, "No problem!" He limped off.

Sperk spun his halberd around, "Get out of the way Lara! I don't want to hurt you!"

Lara glanced at Luxor, who was watching them, and back to Sperk, "I can't! I've been serving him ever since I was a child."

Sperk smiled, "Unlock my powers and I will free you from his service. Or at least, we will die together."

The echidna bit her lip, "It's been so long!" She saw Luxor becoming annoyed. She launched herself at Sperk as if to attack, "My life is in your hands!" She erupted in red light and transformed into an emerald.

Sperk absorbed it and transformed into his crimson super form. He tightened his fist and fire and energy erupted around him, "Your time has come, Luxor! With the powers of fire and thunder at my command, you're done for."

Luxor yawned, "I really do hate getting my hands dirty, but if you insist." He snapped his fingers and his robes turned into silver knight armor. He held his staff out and it transformed into a silver long sword, "Your move!"

Shadow used a rock to smash apart Knuckles's gauntlet and the armor dissolved into a black powder. Knuckles stood up and stretched his arms as Shadow freed Rouge, "I can't believe Luxor laid a trap so far in advance."

Shadow shrugged, "I guess the orbs were used against him, so he made sure who ever used them next, would be in for a surprise."

Rouge looked at the sight of Sperk surrounded by a growing pillar of fire and lightning, "What is going on there?"

Shadow clenched his fists, "Sperk came back with the powers of Speed and Leda. He seemed to just want to save his mother, but I guess he had a change of heart." He slammed his fists together, "He is fighting the fight I was too weak to fight."

Knuckles sat down, "We must have faith in him! Lets hope he can do it."

Luxor chuckled at the sight of the hedgehog continuing to flaunt his power, "Summon all the power you want, but you will ultimately fail." Luxor point his sword at him, "But if you join me, I promise you power and wealth beyond your imagination."

"Shut up!" He held his halberd high do the point of it was pointed upward, "I'm going to make you pay for all the suffering you caused." A sphere of fire formed around the halberd and grew to the size of about thirty feet in diameter, "Thunder Inferno Blast!" Sperk slammed the halberd and sphere into the ground and it erupted forward. It impacted Luxor and exploded into a huge ball of fire and lightning. Everyone had to cover their eyes as the ball grew. It finally let out a final explosion that sent everyone to the ground and singed the grass all around. Sperk pushed himself up and watched the pillar of smoke where Luxor had stood. A silver blade shot out from the smoke and impaled Sperk in the left shoulder. The sword floated up, taking Sperk with it.

Luxor walked out of the smoke, "You missed!" Luxor laughed, "Now Die!" He threw out his hand and black energy formed around Sperk. It flashed with red light and smashed into him.

"A new future? I hope I get to see it!" Sperk exploded in a flash of crimson light.

Shadow opened the portal and everyone jumped through. Without their knowledge, a small crimson light had flown through the portal as it closed and shot into the sky. The black hedgehog fell to his knees and slammed his fists into the ground, "Damn it! I failed him!"

Rouge sat on the ground and hugged him, "There was nothing you could do!"

"That is why I am mad! I couldn't do anything. And I call myself the world's ultimate life form."

Knuckles patted his shoulder, "At least nothing else can go wrong!"

The light shot into the statue like Speed and small arches of energy shot around his glowing body. Speed's eye suddenly shot open, glowing a deep crimson.