Yet another story even I have others to attend to. Somebody stop me... Anyway, welcome to Sonic the Hedgehog: Divide and Conquer. This is a story I have been waiting to write about for a long time, so I'm glad to finally get around to it. Thanks go to my beta reader PaulAsaran of DeviantArt.

Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog is copyrighted to Yuji Naka, Sonic Team, and Sega. The only thing(s) I claim ownership to are my OC/fancharacters to appear in this story.

Chapter 1: Newcomers

Between two towering grey mountains, the blades of grass danced in the breeze. This spring green valley was peaceful, resplendent, and filled with wildlife. The budding shrubs located here and there provided shelter for birds in their nests, bees in their colonies, and moles in their holes. The cloudless sky allowed the sun to cast a veil of luminosity onto the valley, and the mountains provided a slight silver sheen to accentuate the environment's beauty even more. Undoubtedly, the current appearance of the valley would be ideal for resting.

And a certain cobalt-blue hedgehog thought exactly that. Sonic the Hedgehog was laying on his back in the grass, soaking in the sun with a content smile on his muzzle. "Life doesn't get any better than this," Sonic thought, his arms behind his head to act as makeshift pillows, "Feels great to relax from off-the-wall adventures like an intergalactic amusement park and a being of darkness trying to take over everything."

Just then, Sonic felt the sun being blocked, signaled by the sudden disappearance of the heat. "Huh?" Sonic opened his right eye halfway to see a giant, floating object hovering in the sky. It generally featured an arrow-shaped design with two sets of draconic wings stretching out from each side. The underside, which was the only thing visible from Sonic's position, was pitch-black.

"Tch. Must be Eggman again," Sonic groaned in disdain before jumping to his feet. Yet another battleship in need of trouncing courtesy of himself. "Man, oh, man. You would think that after all this time he would retire or something. Then again, Eggman wouldn't be Eggman without his persistence. Oh well. I'll kick his round butt quickly so I can go back to catching some Z's."

Sonic then dashed toward the southward mountain, where the ship was nearest, and the wind that he brewed brought many blades of grass with him. He quickly accelerated, his legs moving with such velocity that they began to visibly blur into something resembling a rotating blade, his red shoes forming a bright circle. As he started running up the face of the mountain, his swiftness became so great that he surpassed such speeds as the mortal eye could conceive.

To the casual bystander, only a rocketing azure blur could be seen, zipping up the mountain like a comet, a trail of dust and grass floating in his extensive wake. As he darted into the jagged bare region near the mountain's peak he began to swerve and dodge amongst jagged rocks and ledges, a delicate and precise game of maneuvering which he had mastered long ago. His blue trail zigged and zagged up the mountain's face, every obstacle circumvented, every sharp danger skirted, all while maintaining a speed to make other mortals stagger in wonder.

As he came closer to the peak of the mountain, Sonic realized he would need an extra boost to make sure he could actually board the giant battleship. He spotted a great place near the peak perfect for what he needed to do. He stopped himself suddenly by rooting his feet into the ground as he made his body stiffen to prevent the intense momentum from causing him to slide, his body twanging as a consequence for a brief two seconds.

He then planted his foot onto one of the slightly larger rocks before him. He curled up into a ball. Sonic, in his ball form, maintained this stationary position and began charging up speed, gradually gaining more and more. Only eight seconds passed before Sonic finally performed his Spin Dash and blasted off. With increased force and resistance to friction, Sonic was able to roll right through the jagged stones. Dust and gravel permeated the air. And, finally, he had enough speed to jettison off the peak of the mountain, launch himself in the direction of the battleship, and land on the deck.

"OK, this is starting to seem un-Eggman-like," Sonic commented, warily gazing at the construction of the battleship.

The deck and everything beyond did have a semblance of the Egg Carrier or perhaps any of Sonic's old nemesis' contraptions, but the atmosphere and color was of something more sinister. The deck sentinels were silver, resembling the large turrets the government used to safeguard high-maintenance areas , and the way they were arranged made it seem like a miniature version of an area of city buildings. Shadows lined the areas between these sentinels, and their stationary cannons gleamed in the sunlight. Apparently, Sonic was on the one-way street that cut through them, and, to an unaccustomed person, one false move would make these cannons point at said person and unleash tons of hot plasma blasts.

In the distance was the bridge, where a tower stood out from the rest. Four sections of the tower possessed the battlements of a castle. A symbol could be seen at the very apex of the bridge: a greatsword and a nodachi crossed to form an X.

"Definitely un-Eggman-like." Sonic placed his knuckles on his hips, "Baldy McNosehair must be stepping up his game."

The inside of the vast ship's bridge was cold, dark, and still. Dim light shimmered lightly on mechanical-looking corridors, the lack of windows adding an unnatural feel to the bridge as if the owner wanted to exclude the world. The main control room was small octagon with a giant supercomputer situated in the very middle. The cold light of its four screen reflected off the metal floors, tables, and a glass of wine near a large cushion chair.

"Five minutes until arrival at destination," the mother-computer announced with a deep, droning baritone. Then, the image of a stony, Greco-Roman temple appeared on the computer screen. From what the faraway depiction of the screen gave, the structure was ancient indeed – the color was splotched in a variety of places, the stone manufacturing was glaring in comparison to the modern mechanical structures seen today, and there was a heavy emphasis on columns and pillars.

Tipped off by the mother-computer, a gentleman sitting in the chair closed his encyclopedia, set it down near his unfinished wine glass, and approached the console, entering the light emitted by its monitors.

His eyes scanned the contents, the reflection of which showing in his deep red sclera. He spent time thoroughly examining the temple, using his own intelligence to see if this were truly his target. He tapped the keyboard several times, getting several different angles and projections of the Greco-Roman temple. He unconsciously ran a hand through his layered but short, dark slate grey hair, still focused on what was displayed and looking for anything that might compromise the temple's authenticity.

He did not. This was indeed their destination. A subdued twinkle shone his white eyes, one that readiness and sinister intent, one that expressed his desire to finally initiate his plan and become one step closer to his ultimate goal. "It is time for this world to realize its own flaws… and for us to fix them." He thought as he reached to the side, snatched his long coat off the nearby rack, and slipped it on. Its crimson color practically glowed in the computer's light, matching the man's distinct sclera. He turned back around with purposeful footfalls, his dark brown combat boots creating hollow echoes as his black pants blended into the shadows of the room.

When he reached for someone beside his chair, he heard the automatic doors open up. "We've arrived, Negative. Prepare yourself." The gentlemen announced, not facing his entering partner.

The shorter but muscular man released a brief grunt as he trudged over to the computer screen to confirm the statement for himself, his black boots stomping along the floor. His purple eyes, outlined by a broad black rim, studied the temple. He took considerably took less time than his thorough friend; the instant he realized this was the Greco-Roman temple they were looking for, a manic grin slowly stretched across his pale face.

"It's about time, Ryu." Negative remarked with a light chuckle as he extended his arm and retrieved his ragged black blazer from the same coat rack Ryu got his long coat from. He practically threw it over his body. As he did, his large, bat-like wings stretched out from the back so suddenly and with so much that a brisk wind was generated, causing his own dark gray hair to dance wildly in the breeze. "I cannot wait to finally begin this so-called 'game.' Myself and my Nega Machines have craved for the fields of battle since we began." Negative stated, turning away as he brushed off the dust that decided to settle on his gray pants due to his wing-beat.

Just then, the screen turned red as the word 'warning' in white flashed on it repeatedly. "Threat detected! Threat detected! Threat detected!"

Negative instantly whipped back around, his teeth gnashing against one another as he bellowed out, "What threat?"

The screen shifted again, displaying what the surveillance cameras on the deck saw. A blue blur sliced through the turrets and sentinels ceaselessly firing at it. They were instantly destroyed in a series of violent explosions that filled up the monitor.

"That speed…" Negative mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the sight. He didn't quite catch the color of the blur, but he had seen something similar before. The thought made his blood boil as he clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to break his first guess in half with them, "Could it be him?"

"Even if it is not," Ryu spoke, crossing his arms as he looked at the screen from over his shoulder. His calm tone and unreadable face never wavered as he watched the intruder continue its tirade, "Anyone that acts like him is subject to destruction in my book."

Outside, unaware that he was being watched, Sonic let out a thrilled holler. "YAHOO!" He outran the plethora of laser cannons aimed at him, their flurries of laser fire continually missed their mark and trailing right behind him. Sonic deprived excitement from knowing that these supposedly destructive machines could not even hit a little hedgehog like himself. "Whoever here's in charge is just as fun to mess with as Eggman!" The blue hedgehog ran in front of a section of turrets and jumped up so that laser cannon shots would destroy them inadvertently. "WHOO!" He hollered once again as the explosion sent him high into the air. Of course that only magnified his ecstasy.

"Wasn't that a blast?" Sonic said mockingly to no one in particular as he landed on the ground and skidded to a stop.

Just then, a slot opened on the deck and was followed by a series of heavy, mechanical thuds. Sonic whirled to the direction of the sounds as the metallic stomping became louder and louder. Throughout his many battles, the blue hedgehog could recognize the sound of a machine that was deadlier than lower class ones. And, right now, whatever this construction was, it would either be more fun to play with than the sentinels or be more destructive and serious.

Several black appendages spewed out from the opening, a hollow clang being the resultant sound, as the creature leapt completely out of the slot. When it landed, Sonic was able to see a mechanical spider. It was fairly large, but not like the sentinels Sonic just trumped. Its legs were like blades, and in place of the usual eight eyes there was the symbol seen on the tower. Oddly enough, Sonic noted, despite the arachnid being a machine, it had an organic appearance. Another thing that bothered him was that odd, purple energy surged through its legs. It was not like most energy he encountered throughout his many journeys.

Nonetheless, a fight was a fight, and he was going to oblige. "Oh look, a bug that needs squashing!" Sonic smirked as he got in a battle stance, putting up his fists in the style of a boxer.

"Greetings, blue hedgehog," a voice greeted eerily from atop of the robotic entity. Then, Ryu jumped off the spider with eyes leering malignantly at Sonic.

"Well, hi there!" he replied casually, "You seem new to town. Name's Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"I am Ryu Amakuni…and I'm afraid you're making quite the mess of my Imperial Skyline battleship."

"That's because it looked evil. I'm a hero, and I stop evil," Sonic said while stretching, "They go hand-in-hand. Get what I'm saying?"

Suddenly, Negative appear behind Sonic, wielding a massive silver and black greatsword. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were mocking us." He swung at the hedgehog, an electric purple trail marking the arc of his swing. To his surprise, the large blade fazed through the hedgehog who disappeared in a blue gust.

"What the-?! An afterimage?!" Negative exclaimed.

"Nice try on the sneak attack," Sonic commented, standing on top of a pile of metallic rubble, "though next time, don't speak; that gives me a clue you're coming for me. Trust me, I'm fast enough to dodge as you can tell."

Negative glared at the hedgehog as he stabbed his massive sword into the surface he stood upon, making dents and cracks as the tip pierced through the metallic material. It was then Sonic got a good look at Negative's weapon of choice. Its size was interesting to behold—it was just as big as Negative himself with considerable width to it as well. On the front side, extending from its decorative hilt guard, was a long, clear capsule that resembled a meter. "Dang. If I had actually gotten hit by that thing, I'd have a heck of a hospital bill."

"So be it," Ryu snarled in a low, menacing tone. He was carrying a unique, golden sheathe whose end possessed thick dark red wrapping, and he unsheathed a nodaichi with a dark gold hilt – the tsuba curled to resemble an Egyptian eye – and a fine black blade.

"Nega Arachne, have at that hedgehog!" Negative commanded. The Nega Arachne hissed before crawling towards Sonic, who jumped out of the way of the mechanical menace's slashes. Ryu and Negative rushed for Sonic after he landed and swung their swords simultaneously. "Whoa!" Sonic jumped over the swings, and the swords clashed, "You two sure know how to triple team a guy."

Ryu and Negative shifted themselves so that they could both kick Sonic away while he was still in the air. "GUH!" Sonic groaned as he went flying before landing on the ground. Then, the Nega Arachne jumped up and tried to slam itself on the blue hedgehog. "Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed as he dashed away to avoid being crushed to death.

After landing, a number of gun barrels appeared on the Nega Arachne's two front legs and unleashed rivulets of that same purple energy at Sonic, who again dodged. Sonic jumped, curled into a ball again, and performed a Spin Dash once more. He rammed himself into the "face" of the Nega Arachne, its frozen and awkward position symbolizing its stunned state. He landed on the ground, only to jump up and perform Spin Dash again to try and deal a heavy blow while it was stunned; however, Negative put himself in the way.

"Don't think so, hedgehog," Negative said. Light purple, glowing liquid appeared inside the meter on his sword and stopped on the first line vaguely visible on it like the mercury inside a thermometer. His greatsword flashed purple as small crackles of electricity appeared on it. Unleashing a guttural roar, Negative swung the flat side of his weapon towards Sonic.

Upon impact, Sonic was immediately knocked out of his Spin Dash state "AH!" He exclaimed in pain as he was sent flying into some of the mechanical rubble on the battlefield. Negative laughed vindictively, "You underestimate my powers, hedgehog. This isn't your average sword you are dealing with!"

Sonic glared at Negative as he got himself out of the rubble, "Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious," he replied sarcastically. He loathed the fact that, while in his Spin Dash state, he was left vulnerable.

"Why you miserable little ant!" the bat-winged swordsman snarled as he stretched his black wings and flew for the hedgehog. Apparently, Negative did not learn from his failed sneak attack, for when he swung, he swung at another blue afterimage.

"One - I'm not that slow, buddy. Two - I'm a hedgehog, not an ant." After that declaration, Sonic kicked Negative in the back of the head and sent him flying into a sentinel, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Ryu, meanwhile, had been spectating Negative and Sonic's tussle from a distance in order to try to gauge Sonic's capabilities. For a being who was simply centered on speed, he was quite strong.

He stabbed his nodaichi into the mechanical surface and covered his body with his cape. Muttering something underneath his breath, he reopened his cape and unleashed a ray of cloudy, inky darkness from the air before him towards Sonic. The blue hedgehog saw it coming and quickly sidestepped to the left to avoid the dark magic attack. Inadvertently, Dark Hall struck the sentinel that Negative was previously knocked into, and he screamed in pain during the resultant explosion.

"Ouch, that hurt," Sonic said mockingly, placing his knuckles on his hips. He turned to Ryu and jested, "Nice aim you got there, buddy." Ryu sneered; that was just an unfortunate case of misfire.

He swung his nodaichi again. The longer-than-usual blade suddenly released a quick air wave that caused a minor explosion where Sonic was. "OUCH!" Sonic yelled as he skidded across the mechanical surface. He gritted his teeth and forced himself on his feet, "Playing dirty now, huh? Fine then!" Sonic then heard the sounds of discharges and quickly Spin Dashed away to avoid more laser shots from the Nega Arachne.

"Ugh. Wish I had a can of bug spray," Sonic groaned in disdain after reverting to his normal form. Ryu was now attacking from the air, diving for the hedgehog with his sword ready. Naturally, because Sonic was faster, he evaded the strike as Ryu's swing, amazingly, reduced a malfunctioning sentinel into segments.

"Whoa! This guy means a lot more business than his buddy." Sonic thought, noting the difference in strength between Ryu and Negative. Twinkles of black light appeared around Ryu. When he swung his sword, these twinkles were fired at Sonic who promptly evaded all of them. Each impact created a violent explosion of smoke and thermal energy.

"Is dodging all you can do, hedgehog?" Ryu asked. His voice was so calm that it was hard to distinguish if he was taunting or asking an honest question.

Sonic smirked as he tapped the surface with the toe of his shoe in trademark style, "Not at all, Ryu! I'm about to show you; just don't blink—"

"RAH!" Sonic was suddenly slammed to the ground by an extremely powerful force, a force strong enough that it knocked the wind out of him. "Well, hedgehog, I took your advice," Negative said condescendingly. Obviously, he survived the explosion, but the damages done to his body were just as obvious. His body and clothing were charred in a good number of places, and he was suffering a couple of bleeding wounds.

"It is like you said, Sonic the Hedgehog," Ryu stated, gesturing to the Nega Arachne, "We certainly know how to triple team someone." The Nega Archane summoned its weapons again and charged up energy in them.

Sonic released a violent cough as he regained normal breathing, "No thank you for the compliment?" he retorted.

"Here is your thanks," Ryu responded with an evil smirk, "A one-way ticket to oblivion…"

"Man, ya'll havin' a party and didn't invite me?!"

Out of nowhere, a black blur flashed across the area, and the Nega Arachne seemed to spontaneously explode. This definitely caught Ryu and Negative off-guard, allowing Sonic to brutally and quickly knock away the latter.

Negative skidded across the surface from the impact, "What's this-YOU!" Ryu looked up and growled angrily at the sight of his arch-nemesis… and Sonic's savior.

"You know it!" the alacritous man said as he smirked. Just like Negative and Ryu, he was human. He had brown hair, onyx eyes, a black shirt with white ribbings, white gloves, and black baggy pants with a black belt, and white shoes with silver buckles.

"Shelton Shallow…" Negative said in a low, sarcastic voice, "How conveniently timed your arrival is."

Shelton straightened himself with a proud grin, "'Ey, you two should know how I roll." He looked over his shoulder at Sonic and added, "Yo, you did pretty good against these two! Looked like you were havin' a ball!"

Sonic smirked before jumping back to his feet, "You could say that. I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog."

Shelton gestured his head toward Negative and said, "Tall, dark, and ugly over there already said my name: Shelton Shallow."

Ryu turned to Negative and told him, "Conveniently timed is what we wanted, Negative. Let's go; we're falling back for now…"

Negative narrowed his eyes defiantly and snarled in response, "Fall back after what they just did? No way in Hell, Ryu! Let's at least send them packing with a couple of broken bones before we ship off!"

Ryu silenced his partner by suddenly positioning the tip of his nodaichi at the middle of his larynx. "Did you not hear what I just said? This is what we wanted," he stated menacingly. A wide-eyed Negative nodded slightly so that the sword could not pierce his throat.

Sonic could only look at them in disbelief, "Uhh…Aren't they supposed to be buddies?"

Shelton was equally confused, "They are…This is the first time I've seen this." It was also apparent they did not hear Negative and Ryu's short conversation.

Ryu removed his sword as he pressed something on the collar of his shirt. Instantly, a warp-hole materialized in front of the Imperial Skyline.

"Uhp! Time to bounce, Sonic!" Shelton announced.

"Right behind you!" Sonic replied.

The two dashed off at the same time side-by-side with trails of obsidian and azure in their wake. As the two heroes jumped off the battleship in the nick of time, they could hear Ryu's vengeful threat, "Mark my words, Sonic the Hedgehog…crossing me is the equivalent of a death wish!"