A/N: In case you didn't notice, My Own Worst Enemy now has a brand-new cover art! Special thanks to MontyTH for completing another commission of mine! (He was also the one I asked for the new image of Revengeful Resistance.)

I also apologize for the long wait. I've been updating New Brotherhood lately, and I wanted to crank out another chapter of both my WIPs before I leave for vacation this weekend. I still appreciate your patience and ongoing support for this story. We're almost to the end, so let's keep going!

Disclaimer: The Sonic characters and franchise are owned by SEGA.

Chapter 17: Fighting with Thyself (Part 2)

Time seemed to stop for Tails as he was getting completely pummeled by his antagonist. As Infinite dug his hand into his amber fur, the fox felt numbness in his skull, a major migraine pounding in his head. He felt very doomed, unable to escape the agonizing pain. It continued until his eyes shot wide open, a bright light taking over his vision.

"The servers are the seven Chaos... Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos."

He heard the familiar statement ring into his ears. Tails perceived Knuckles reciting the ritual whenever they needed to summon power from the Chaos Emeralds. But why would he be chanting those words in the first place? Unless...

"We need all the help we can get. Master Emerald, bring our friend out of limbo, give him the strength he so desperately needs, and cease the essence of the Phantom Ruby!"

The next thing he knew, Tails found himself standing in another blank expanse. However, there was a different feel to this empty environment – something less ominous and more invigorating. Why did he feel this way? Not even he had an answer for it. Regardless, he was shocked to find himself back in this state.

Infinite was nowhere to be found, but there was no one else around him either. Not even Knuckles was nearby. Tikal was absent as well. All of his friends, especially Sonic, were not within his peripheral view. He was once again alone. It didn't last for long though.

"Tails..."

Her voice quickly caught his attention, circling to his left and right to find her. "Tikal? Is that you?"

A few seconds elapsed before the peach echidna's soul re-emerged in the air. Tails was happy to see a friendly face nearby. However, he still wasn't aware of what was happening in the background.

"Tikal! There you are! I was wondering where you have been this whole time!"

She nodded sadly, expressing her sympathy. "I know, and I'm really sorry for being unable to assist you earlier. The Phantom Ruby is reacting again, and it is very clear the chaos has been released from your body."

"Yeah, no kidding. But... am I back inside the Master Emerald? Where's Infinite? And where's Sonic? Where is everyone else?"

"Tails, Tails, easy now," Tikal held her hands up to calm his nerves. "There is a reason why I brought you here. More importantly, there is a reason about how I was able to do that."

"What do you mean?"

"Your friends searched endlessly to collect the seven Chaos Emeralds. Their goal was to recover your body and bring you back to life with some help from the Master Emerald. In fact, I was able to communicate with Knuckles when you were stuck in Null Space."

"So... I'm technically still trapped in there?"

"As confusing as it sounds, yes, you are. But I was able to temporarily bring you out of that phase to inform you of the good news. Knuckles, Sonic, and everyone from the Resistance rushed over to the shrine with the Emeralds. Now, it's time for you to fight back."

"Huh?" Tails raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The power of the Chaos Emeralds... Use them to your advantage. Do not show any aversion and overcome your demons. Overcome your persona and defeat Infinite."

"So, what you're telling me is... I need to become Super?"

Tikal smiled, shaking her head gently. "You don't need to become Super, Tails. You will become Super."

"Wait a minute, what are you-"

Tails suddenly felt a surge of power around his physique. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, but he was able to make out the image of a Chaos Emerald in front of him. Although it wasn't physically there, the colorless article started to revolve around his head. Then, another Emerald of a similar form appeared. As it trailed behind the first gem, the last five also materialized until all seven spun around him slowly in a circle.

Later, they all stopped in midair, befuddling Tails for a moment. Before he could even question anything, the clear stone directly in front of him shined in red. To his right, he saw the next Chaos Emerald sport a coat of yellow. Right behind was a gem with a white glow. The rest of the circle was eventually completed as the others glowed in cyan, purple, blue, and green. Once all seven shined bright in color, the mystical objects resumed whirling around the fox but at a progressively faster pace.

Tails froze in awe as the Chaos Emeralds revolved as fast as Sonic dashing across the globe in a single revolution. Although he was getting somewhat dizzy from the motion, he closed his eyes and stretched out his arms. From his senses, Tails could feel the Emeralds tremor and react like an earthquake. However, he wasn't falling into a chasm, nor was he falling into a dream or a Virtual Reality nightmare. Instead, he began to ascend without the use of his famous twin namesakes. The Chaos Emeralds guided him up while Tikal stayed still from her position, eyeing the kitsune as a dim shade of gold arose.

Then, during the silence, Tails heard some familiar people from afar.

"We need you back, Tails. Please be okay."

"Amy," he thought to himself, recognizing her instantly.

'Tails, we don't want you to go. You mean everything to us, including Mr. Sonic."

"Chao, chao!"

The fox blinked twice. "Cream... Cheese..."

Two more people spoke up; one had a deep voice while the latter was higher-pitched. "You can fight this off, pal. Don't give up!"

"We believe in you, Tails! You can do this!"

He realized it was the Wolf brothers – the strong, brotherly duo who matched Sonic and Tails' combined strength. More of his friends' thoughts transferred to the Chaos Emeralds. With their powers, everybody was engaging in positive reinforcement and sending their wishes to show how much they supported the fox in an effort to wake him up.

"Come on, Tails. You're stronger than you think. I know so for a fact. Please... come back. I need you. We all need you."

"Sonic..." the fox whispered. Hearing his older brother's encouragement, he was determined to not let him down. Tails curled his fingers from both of his hands, brought them close to his chest, and slowly felt the flowing energy run into his veins. "I'll be okay, Sonic. I promise."

Tails made the seven Chaos Emeralds vanish into his body, counteracting the Phantom Ruby's essence deep inside. The second after he absorbed their energy, the light aura surrounding him became more vibrant. His heart was burning with passion and pumping with adrenaline. Then all of his amber fur turned into a valiant hue of gold. With a burst of newfound hope and potency, Tails screamed loudly and thrust his fists outward beside his hips as the golden sheen illuminated the blank atmosphere.

Tikal, proud of his accomplishment, disappeared from the light. "It's now up to you, Tails. Finish your objective, and achieve your destiny."

~Null Space

Although Tails was initially begging for Sonic's name, Infinite was unaware of the scene before him. He acted cocky, thinking his counterpart was going to submit sooner than later.

"There's no use to call out his name! That rodent won't be a part of your life anymore, not when I have something to do with- Huh?"

Once the jackal perceived a dim light near Tails' head, he tried to take a closer glance at the source. Before he could even figure out what it was, Tails abruptly swung his fist behind him, striking Infinite in the mask.

"ARGH!"

Through his lonely eyehole, Infinite groaned as he fell on his back and saw nothing but white that nearly deprived him of sight. Null Space returned to normal with the light gone, but there was still something illuminating in front of him. Or rather, someone instead of something.

"No... It can't be..." Infinite snarled to himself.

Tails was now floating above him, his golden fur shimmering in the purple chasm. His clear eyes of blue were replaced with a crimson glare that almost shook Infinite. With his Super state, Tails was putting himself in Sonic's shoes – to use the power of the Chaos Emeralds and prevent the world from falling to a dangerous foe.

That foe being his own worst enemy.

"You... Y-You can't be real! This makes no sense at all!"

"Really? You're unable to fathom the scene before you? Well, Infinite, you may think I'm a weakling, but both you and I know that I'm much stronger than I appear to be. And I'm going to prove my worth once and for all," Tails clenched his fists.

Straightening his mask, Infinite huffed out, "Alright then, you annoying freak. If that's how you want to play, get ready for a game of cat and mouse. I'm definitely not going to yield to you."

"Neither am I," the Super-powered kitsune maintained his glower.

The imaginary bell rang, and right off the bat, Tails and Infinite clashed. Both fighters lunged forward, extending their legs at one another. It resulted in a mighty kick between their shoes, nearly damaging their toes. Luckily for Tails, he didn't feel much pain, let alone a dent in his foot. He traded fists with the jackal, whipping his head to and fro as he evaded Infinite's punches.

Black and white gloves met with one another, yet it wasn't for a friendly fist bump. Tails slightly winced at his hand burning from the blow. The punch wasn't as harmful as Knuckles' brawny bump, allowing him to take a breather and resume his match.

Tails flew back a few feet before wheeling forward with both hands out in front. Infinite hovered up to avoid his trajectory and then zoomed downward to trounce the fox. Tails felt the force from above with gravity sending them toward the ground. The nine-year-old was currently at a disadvantage. However, it hardly lasted a second as Tails made use of his namesakes to wrap them around Infinite's neck. Locking him in a chokehold, the fox whirled his enemy high into the air and flung him like a frisbee. Infinite soared over thirty feet before he also fell onto the cold surface.

"Tails, stay strong. You can fight through this."

"We know you're more than capable! Don't let the Phantom Ruby obstruct you!"

"You're more than just a bystander or even a sidekick... You're just as robust as Faker."

"Even I know you're resilient and independent to handle these things, little fox."

Quotes from Blaze, Silver, Shadow, and Rouge reached out to Tails, boosting his confidence. Twirling his tails once more, the Super kitsune charged at his adversary before duping him at the last second. Infinite thought he was going for an ordinary punch, but Tails instead went in a loop-de-loop to throw him off. Once he was out of the jackal's peripheral sight, he utilized his super speed to whack Infinite with a massive strike from his double weapons.

"HI-YAH!" Tails screamed with fury.

"Whatever is going on, we hope you're okay, Tails," invoked Charmy.

"Things aren't the same without you, and they won't be the same if you don't wake up," Espio mumbled.

"Come on, Tails! Fight through the phantom nightmares! Show 'em who's boss!" cheered Vector.

"This isn't really a nightmare, but it definitely feels like one. I'm not going to give in though, and that's what matters," Tails told himself.

"Argh..." Infinite shook his head, holding a hand over his right temple. "You're a persistent yet annoying little cretin. If you think your Super ability is strong enough to take me down, I might as well remind you of what I can do."

The jackal didn't hold back from his word. Holding his hands close to his torso, he lit up the Phantom Ruby. He immediately conjured up an ominous cloud of red and pink glitches. Without hesitation, he propelled the cloud at Tails. The fox was quick enough to dodge it, but he wasn't expecting an enormous wave following from behind. He gasped as a series of glitches spread across Null Space, inching closer to his body. Tails either flew high, ducked below, or sidestepped away from the obstacles until he accidentally ran into one. He felt a tingling burn on his fingertips, stunning the fox momentarily as he got caught in a Virtual Reality scare.

Even with the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Tails managed to suffer from the aftereffects of the Phantom Ruby. In fact, he wasn't even Super from where he stood. He found himself at the bottom of a hill, searching around until he spotted a familiar building: his home. Suddenly, a missile launched out of nowhere, heading straight for his hideout.

"NO!" he yelled, spinning his tails as fast as he could.

It was already too late as he watched the missile crash into the house. Shrapnel, bricks, and debris exploded in many directions, forcing Tails to cower and stay away from the impact. When he opened his eyes, he froze at the sight before him. His shared home with Sonic was blasted into smithereens with small fires burning up the remnants. What's worse was that he also saw something within the smoke. He saw a patch of blue concealed by dust and ashes.

"Sonic!"

He ran over and removed the wreckage over him. It was another incident where Sonic got hurt... and Tails was unable to save him. He didn't even see his friend move a muscle. Tails attempted to lay him down on his back, yet he was met with a bloody mess as Sonic was covered in small blotches and bruises all over him.

"N-No... S-Sonic, please... I'm sorry..."

"Tails!"

He gasped. The voice he just heard... it was definitely coming from him. But how could he hear him when-

"Don't fall for it! Don't let the Phantom Ruby get to you!"

The realization just hit him. Of course, it was all an illusion. He should've known better. Infinite just attacked him earlier, and he was implementing the evil presence of the Phantom Ruby to haunt his mind.

Tails took his time to meditate. "Come on, Tails. Wake up... Wake up from this nonsense! It's not real! It's not..."

~Angel Island

Back at the altar, Sonic was locked in his standing spot between Shadow and Knuckles as everyone drew their sentiments to the Master Emerald and the seven Chaos Emeralds. Hoping to communicate with Tails telepathically, the Blue Blur felt his brotherly instincts kick in. Somehow, he could tell Tails was fighting deep in Null Space, working his way to return to the main world. However, his mission was far from being completed. The only reason why he was feeling anxious was because the Chaos Emeralds were trying to tell him something important.

The Phantom Ruby was tormenting his buddy again.

He didn't know what exactly was going on, but Sonic vicariously understood what kind of torture Tails was undergoing. He had to snap him back to the true reality of where he was at.

"Tails! Don't fall for it! Don't let the Phantom Ruby get to you!" warned Sonic.

Peeking with right eyelid open, he was a little surprised to see the Chaos Emeralds react to Tails' limp body. His fur remained amber, but the hedgehog perceived a tint of gold around him.

Sonic was nowhere close to yielding. He was going to remain put until his little brother came back to life. Reclosing his eyes, he scrunched his brow and focused heavily on the Chaos Emerald warming up in his palm. Sonic didn't think twice to stop in the middle of his thoughts. He had to get him back.

"You got this, Tails! I believe in you!"

The second Tails snapped out of his funk, he was met with a brutal jab to the chest. Despite this, he didn't suffer from the attack as much as he dreaded because of his Super form.

No longer in the virtual world of the Mystic Ruins, Tails hissed as he watched Infinite shoot a dagger his way. With him lowly chuckling, the kit retaliated with a punch of his own. However, Infinite swiftly reacted by holding onto his wrist, narrowly dodging his right knuckle. The jackal also got a grip on his left fist, forcing the fox to struggle for control.

"Don't fight it off. All you have to do is simply yield."

"Never!"

"Alright then, if you want to be so infuriating..."

Infinite didn't hesitate to spin the fox around while clasping his hands tighter than before. He followed suit by hurling his opponent away, but he proceeded to hover faster and caught up to the screaming fox. In the middle of the flight, the Ultimate Mercenary smashed him into the ground again.

A massive crash from Tails caused the surface beneath him to crack. He tried to get up before Infinite could unleash another ambush, but it was no use.

"You're weak!"

Tails flinched, being his normal self. Glancing from side to side, he didn't see anyone nearby. He eventually realized he was trapped inside a dark prison cell with no lighting or windows. All of a sudden, he turned a hundred-eighty degrees only to come face-to-face with the Blue Blur. The younger brother didn't get a chance to react with ardor or distress.

"You do this to me?! After everything I've done to help you?!"

The fox gulped. There stood an irate Sonic, referring to the cuts and marks all over his body. It brought Tails back to the Death Egg when he watched his friend get harrowed under Eggman's command. The poignant memories traumatized him, the guilt settling back in his blood.

"It's just a dream. It's just a bad dream," Tails told himself.

"Some brother you are! How about you make yourself useful for a change and do what you're supposed to do?! And by that, I mean, how about you not work for the enemy?!" Sonic berated him.

"Son-" Tails gasped before he felt his windpipe clogged up by the hero's hand. He was then shoved against the wall as Sonic constricted his grip.

"How does it feel, Tails? How does it feel to be betrayed?! I bet you don't know since you forced yourself into an act of manipulation!"

Struggling to escape, Tails reminded himself that this was only Virtual Reality. The real Sonic would not say those mean, cruel things to him. It was what he told him earlier, and that's what the kit believed in. He was not going to submit to the faker in front of him because this was Infinite's ploy – to get into his head and mess with it. But Tails was still trapped like he was drowning in the water tank.

"You got this, Tails! I believe in you!"

Those words... the voice was the same, yet it was coming from the real deal. Overwriting the duplicate, Sonic's genuine holler motivated him to get out of the copy's hold.

With his remaining strength, he pushed the fake hedgehog away and broke free. What he did next was unprecedented; with Sonic hobbling backward, Tails hurried over and shoved his hands against his chest, pushing him down without a morsel of regret. Once he hit the cold, metal floor, Tails gave him a heavy whack with his namesakes until he saw red sparks coming from his peach stomach. A few more hits on him made Sonic wince and fall unconscious. Soon, his entire body disintegrated into pink and red cubes. Once he was gone, Tails' surroundings reverted.

Super Tails not only returned to Null Space but he also noticed Infinite groaning five feet in front of him. He wasn't exactly sure why or how the jackal ended up in this position after the preceding events, but the fox didn't want to take this opportunity for granted.

"Alright, Tails... Gotta go fast..."

He crouched into a ball, sped toward the jackal, and rolled straight into his chest. A familiar-sounding crack resonated across the purple expanse, one that made him remember a similar scenario. He felt the Phantom Ruby being struck after Sonic and Savage teamed up for a double boost. Their combined move had enough force to escape Null Space. If true, Tails hypothesized that his superpowers could help him break out as well.

Only one way to find out.

Tails flew up high, stared down at Infinite, gritted his teeth, and repeated his spin-dash technique while free-falling. Infinite moaned in pain as he opened his eye, catching a late glimpse of the Super fox above him.

"Take this, Infinite!"

"NOOOOO!"

The mercenary could not dodge him in time as Tails pulverized him with a massive blow to the chest. Red and purple sparks glinted from the collision before they became brighter and larger like a wildfire spreading throughout a dry desert.

"You messed with the wrong fox! Only one of us is making it out alive, and even though it's technically gonna be me, it's really gonna be me!" Tails shouted while maintaining his form. The Phantom Ruby cracked, and the whole place was shrouded in light. A sonic boom echoed in the distance.

"Tails," Tikal's voice whispered. "You're almost there. Don't stop now."

"Please, Tails, please... You gotta be okay," Sonic deeply prayed. Neither he nor his friends moved from their places as the power of the Chaos Emeralds became enhanced. Moments later, something sparked in front of the Revengeful Resistance.

The circle of gems floated out of their hands, catching the Mobians' attention. Everyone was amazed that they reacted to their wishes but were curious to figure out what was happening. The Master Emerald was gleaming in green, also responding to the Chaos Emeralds. By then, all seven floated above Tails' sleeping figure until they started revolving around in the real world. They inched closer toward the center, directly above the fox's white-furred chest. But as they were about to merge into his body, a loud thump came from his heart, emitting a small wave of red. Then, cubes started to fall to his sides and quickly disappeared as they dropped onto the altar. An ominous, red cloud enclosed Tails from within.

"Uh, Knuckles?" Amy stammered.

"Guys, move back. Now," he demanded. Everybody listened and took several steps behind, watching the scene unfold.

Sonic was getting concerned. What exactly were the Chaos Emeralds doing? Was the Master Emerald helping as well? Or was the Phantom Ruby beginning to flare up? Too many questions were stuck in his brain, and all of them dissipated in a matter of seconds.

A crimson beam shined through the thick fog, reaching the peak of the mesosphere. Unexpectedly, the entirety of Angel Island started trembling, not just the Master Emerald or the shrine. Everyone was losing their balance and nearly fell down as the upheaval wouldn't cease.

"What the heck is going on, Knuckles?!" Silver screamed.

"I don't know!" the Commander shouted back.

"What's gonna happen to Tails?!" Savage worried, holding onto his glasses.

"I... I don't know!" the echidna reiterated.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?! What exactly did you bring us into?!" scowled Shadow.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"Guys, seriously! Calm down!" Raff extended his arms out. "Maybe we should run away for safety before something really bad happens to all of us!"

"I second with the little wolf!" Vector concurred. "Ain't no way I'm losing my life to an earthquake after surviving the Phantom Ruby War for so long!"

"Absolutely not! There is no way I'm leaving my little buddy behind!" Sonic retorted.

"Sonic, this is getting dangerous! We need to seek shelter or any kind of safe place!" Amy tried to persuade him. However, the cobalt hero refused to budge.

"No, Amy! I told you already, I'm not leaving Tails- WHOA!"

He landed on his backside as an immense roar arose from the smoke. The others kept their distance away from the cloud until something popped out and flew high into the air. No one expected him to show up again...

"What the... Infinite?!" Sonic's jaw dropped.

The jackal groaned as he held onto his head, numbing the headache he received. His body glitched out like a computer virus from cyberspace.

Meanwhile, also from within the cloud was a yellow sheen. Before the fog went away, another individual soared up to the mercenary, delivering an incredible uppercut that made contact with Infinite's chin.

"YAAAAH!"

Sonic gasped. From his perspective, he spotted a two-tailed fox with gold fur and red pupils. The moment he watched his brother knock out his evil twin, an enthusiastic grin stretched out on his muzzle. He got up on his feet, raised a fist in the air, and cheered for him.

"TAILS! Let's go, buddy!"

The Super fox took a moment to peer down from his current position. Far below were all of his friends from the Resistance. Of course, the one who stood out over the rest was his supportive, big brother. Tails winked at him, presenting a thumbs-up. Sonic mirrored his gesture, extremely proud that he escaped Null Space and possessed the Chaos Emeralds' energy to become Super – a very familiar aspect that he had experienced multiple times.

"Tails, watch out!" Savage bellowed.

Washing his grin away, the kitsune shifted his gaze at Infinite who flew straight at him. Both of them tumbled in the sky before Tails shook off the minimal damage. His teeth chattered angrily as he squared off once again, exchanging kicks and prods with the duplicate. The Resistance resumed their chants, enticing the fox to keep going. Tails' heart raced as fast as his current speed, timing his kick properly as his foot whacked Infinite's helmet from the side. He continued the barrage with a nasty sucker punch to the gut, just barely below the splintered ruby. With a backflip, he narrowly avoided Infinite's hands, almost getting banged in the face. But when he returned right-side up, the jackal faked him out with a pretend kick to the shin and used his other leg to smack him on his left hip.

"UGH!"

The fox was then walloped when Infinite tried to smash him into the ground again, this time above the Master Emerald's shrine.

"Tails!" Sonic saw them plummet.

"Evacuate!" Amy shrieked.

Almost everyone listened to her, but not Sonic. He hurried over to the exact spot where Tails was about to fall. Holding his arms out, he leaped high and caught his friend before he hit the stony steps. Sonic felt Super Tails squirm a little, but the two quickly locked eyes with each other.

"Sonic..."

"It's okay, Tails. I'm right here," the hedgehog smiled while carefully putting him down.

"Man, I'm so glad you saved me there," he appreciated, giving him a fist bump.

"Forget about me for a sec. I mean, look at you! You're Super now, and you were showing Infinite who was boss!"

"I have you guys to thank. If you didn't bring the Chaos Emeralds to me, they wouldn't have reacted nor reached me in Null Space. I'm indebted to you, Sonic, as well as everyone else."

"Anytime, pal!" he chuckled, giving his golden brother a noogie.

"Heh heh, hey, stop it!"

"Indeed... stop it."

The brothers paused from their affectionate moment only to scowl at the jackal appearing in front of them. Infinite held a hand over his mask, scoffing at their reunion.

"I've had enough of you, lolling around with your goody-good friends. You think you're tough enough to handle any kind of obstacle that stands in your way. Well, I think it's time to end that notion. I'll start with the one who should've died under my reign."

Sonic was about to riposte at the enemy, but instead, Tails protectively held his arm in front of him, surprised by his initiative.

"You're not laying a damn finger on my brother."

"And who says that I can't?"

"You. But technically, you know who I'm talking about."

"Actually, I don't... because I don't listen to weaklings like you. I don't follow orders from a wimpy fox who can't defend himself from the doctor. I don't obey commands from someone who has gone through treason to backstab others."

"You're wrong, Infinite. I transformed into you because I wanted to keep Sonic alive. I'm already aware of what I've done to him and the world, but the point was to ensure that he was still breathing to prevent Mobius from being controlled by Eggman and other evil people like you. We've already accomplished that, and I'm not letting it happen again."

"Very well then," Infinite muttered, crossing his arms. "If you don't want me to kill your friend, I'll keep my claws off of him."

Tails kept his eyes narrowed, raising an eyebrow. He suspected a catch in his phrasing. On the other hand, Sonic wasn't prepared for the unexpected.

"I'll just return to my previous objective: obliterating you."

Infinite swooped down and thumped his knuckle directly on his nose. Tails couldn't block it and was sent flying down the shrine.

"AHHHH!"

"TAILS!" Sonic panicked, rushing over to his aid again. He scurried down the incline to catch up to him, but he realized Tails was soaring further than he anticipated. Grunting, Sonic put his legs to the test, rushing in a figure-eight. When he saw Tails falling toward the shrine's base, he was petrified to think he was too slow to rescue him.

An abrupt clunk made Sonic decrease his speed. At the bottom of the steps was Omega who originally ran off with the Resistance. Thankfully, he managed to catch Tails.

A deep sigh escaped the hedgehog's lips before he walked up to the giant robot. "I owe you one, Omega."

"Do not worry about repayment at this time. You must refocus on the main goal: eliminate the jackal," he articulated.

"Right..." Sonic carefully took Tails from Omega's arms. When he heard some rustling from behind, he got into a fighting position despite holding his friend. However, he was relieved to see Amy, Knuckles, and the wolves.

"Oh, Chaos... Is he okay?" asked Raff.

"We saw him flying as well, and not in a good way!" Savage panted.

"Ugh, S-Sonic?" Tails struggled to open his eyes.

"Yeah, it's me, bud. You're okay though," the hedgehog assured him. "Are you guys alright?"

"We pretty much ran in different directions when Infinite attacked Tails. Everyone's hiding in the forest, but we wanted to check up on you two," explained Amy.

"I'm alright, but Tails might be hurt."

"No, I'm fine, Sonic. Just shaken up is all, I promise. You mind putting me down again?"

The blue hero obliged and set him on the grass. He inspected his body for any bruises or marks. Tails seemed to be clear of injuries aside from maybe a slightly dented nose. After all, he was still Super, but the power was slowly deteriorating.

"I'll be honest," Tails started, "I think I'm gonna need some assistance. I may have held my own for a while, but still... I've been told that friends help others get out of tough situations. I know that from the best."

Sonic smiled at him. "And I said I'll be there for you all the way, pal."

"Ahem, just to remember, I was the one who reminded you back at the HQ," Knuckles coughed.

"Either way, I don't think I can finish the job alone. Sonic, can you do me a favor?" he kindly entreated.

"You don't even need to ask me twice, little bro!"

Tails returned his smirk as he held out his hand for him. Sonic accepted it and felt the Chaos Energy from his palm before it slowly transferred to his body. Shutting his eyes for a moment, he shined brightly before his blue fur turned golden. His pupils were also crimson, and his quills stood up from the alteration. Both brothers stood strong and Super, ready to take action.

"Man, seeing you like this after hearing all about your adventures... It's pretty surreal," marveled Raff.

"We have total faith that you two will take him down. But please be careful," said Savage.

"Thanks, buddy. You all set to go, Tails?"

"Ready than ever, Sonic!"

"Alright! Let's do it to it, bro!"

"Yeah!"

Knuckles, Amy, Savage, Raff, and Omega watched the fox and hedgehog ascend to the skies. Even the other Resistance members taking cover caught a glimpse of the heroes. The Inseparable Duo was stronger than ever, joining forces with the power of the Chaos Emeralds flowing through their souls and bursting with tons of Chaos Energy. They saw Infinite slowly approach them, cackling softly to himself.

"So, you're too weak to face me alone? Should've known you always mooch your so-called buddy to get you out of trouble," pestered the jackal.

"You're wrong again, Infinite. I don't have to face my problems alone all the time. Although it makes me feel independent and strong, I can afford some extra support when it comes to my friends. And with Sonic, we are unstoppable together," Tails growled at his equivalent.

Sonic crossed his arms with a smirk on his face. "He couldn't have explained it any better. Just so you know, Infinite, you're really just a shell of a Mobian. A fake shell, to be exact. Deep down, the person from within knows the difference between right and wrong, and he's smart to figure out what's best for us to keep our home safe. He's more than just my sidekick; he's a hero in his own right. More importantly, he's my best bud, and I can't think of a better guy to team up with!"

"UGH! Enough with the sappy talk and amicable compliments!" Infinite howled as his body became glitchier. "This ends now... I will not surrender nor lose to you buffoons!"

Sonic and Tails peeped at each other before simultaneously nodding. They spread out in different directions to trick the jackal who was speeding right at them. Super Sonic curved to his left before circling back to spin-dash the jackal's back. Super Tails followed his brother by whirling to the right, continuing the chain reaction by whacking him in the head.

Infinite released clouds of Virtual Reality cubes as a defensive maneuver. They missed both of them by a landslide as their speed proved to be advantageous in their favor. He then tried to use his lonely tail to retaliate against the fox. Going at it with Super Tails, the copies clashed with each other once more in the sky. They each earned several knocks on the shoulders and obliques. Tails attempted to crush the Phantom Ruby even more, but Infinite blocked his power source. He then kicked his right foot upward, sending the fox back as he landed a hit on his muzzle.

"HA HA! Take that, you mutant kitsune!"

"Hey! Paws off my friend, you devious canine!"

"Bah! I didn't even use my hands. Think before you speak nonsense, rodent," Infinite teased, evading his spin-dash.

"You're just like all the other ignorant villains out there... Rodent, rat, anything other than hedgehog. Call me by the right species for once, bozo!" Sonic clenched his hands.

Infinite shifted his attention to the speedster, getting up close to knock him out. Sonic, however, kept his cool by flying left and right, up and down, even diagonally to stay away from the opponent. His dodges only made him furious and impatient.

"If you're gonna keep playing chicken, then how about you peck on this?!"

Another wave of Virtual Reality caught Sonic off-guard. He was affected by the cubes and began screaming in pain before freezing in a trance. From afar, Tails was stunned to see his brother in trouble, likely frozen from a nightmare.

"Yes... Suffer, suffer like you have done in the past. Let the visions show you the reality you will succumb to..."

"Not on my watch!" Tails raged, zooming down at the jackal.

Infinite turned around in time only to get thumped in the chest as the Phantom Ruby cracked again. The fox added a few kicks and whips to push the jackal away from Sonic. When the coast was temporarily clear, he tried to shake his surrogate sibling out of the nightmare.

"Sonic! Sonic!" he shook his shoulders.

The Golden Blur did a hypnic jerk, nearly startling the fox as he snapped out of Virtual Reality. His face looked frightened for a moment but it went away when he faced the yellow kitsune.

"Tails! Oh, Chaos, I thought you-"

"Save your sentence for later! We gotta trounce on the Phantom Ruby like you and the wolves did to me!"

"But... the ruby, and your life..."

"I'll be fine, Sonic. Trust me," Tails solemnly promised with determination.

Sonic blinked for a second, unmoving at the same time. Eventually, he made a serious face and nodded. The two stared at the jackal who was planning to throw another wave of Virtual Reality at them. From there, Tails offered his hand again, which Sonic tightly held onto tightly. Sharing the energy, they used their speed to soar at Infinite like a bowling ball waiting to knock some pins down.

"Hey! What are you-"

A massive blow to the torso made Infinite's body shake irregularly. Their second homing attack caused a few edges to fly out. Then their third strike made Infinite seethe as he felt his body burn up.

"I told you, Infinite!" Tails shouted from their rolling combo form. "I don't need to hide or solve my problems while isolated! I have my friends to back me up, especially when I'm with my older brother!"

"That's right! And when we're working together, anything is possible for the two of us! That includes defeating you after coming back alive and torturing my little buddy!" Sonic badgered.

"GAH! Get off of me!" Infinite couldn't handle the heat.

"Time to face your reality, Infinite!" Tails condemned.

Their strength and tempo increased twofold as their collaborative spin-dash drilled the Phantom Ruby. Infinite couldn't escape as the downward momentum forced him to freefall into the island's forest. Then, a huge explosion released an earthquake, swaying the trees, bushes, and shrubs with crazy winds.

After hearing the boom, the Revengeful Resistance hurried over to the landing spot. A small crater formed in the grass with a ton of smoke floating above. A few coughs and murmurs had the members holding their breaths, hoping their friends survived. Squinting their eyes, they made out the figures of Super Tails and Super Sonic within the smoke. In between them, lying helpless on the ground, was the glitching body of the Ultimate Mercenary. He didn't make much sound as his arms and legs were contorted with graphical spasms.

"I... I am n-not... w-we... -eak... I am... not-"

Infinite's slurred words were not too difficult to discern, but his lack of concentration made it hard for him to form a cohesive sentence. Suddenly, the fractured Phantom Ruby glowed in pink. Before Tails or Sonic could examine the object, it burst out and shattered into pieces. Infinite let out a weak groan as his body began to fade. Glitches and cubes spewed out sporadically until he was no longer lying in front of the duo.

Meanwhile, Tails remained standing next to Sonic. When the fox cautiously gandered at his brother's face, he couldn't tell what Sonic's expression was. Eventually, the hedgehog curiously checked on his pal, too.

"Sonic? Are you..."

He slowly lifted his hand and hugged it around his shoulder. "I'm okay, buddy. How about you though?"

Holding a hand over his heart, he replied, "I'm okay, too. We did it, Sonic."

"We sure did, Tails."

By then, the Chaos Emeralds left their bodies, bringing them back in blue and amber fur respectively. They soon watched all seven disperse across the land with no idea where they would end up. But what they truly cared about was where they ended up currently. They were victorious. The duo had faced all odds to get rid of the Phantom Ruby and Infinite once again. Yet both of them were more grateful for the fact they had reunited after another intense separation. Nothing could tear them apart this time.

END OF CHAPTER

Man, I needed to get this chapter done, and I sure hope it was worth the wait. At least I don't have to worry about it once I leave for vacation soon, but I plan to finish this story sometime before the end of the year.

I had a fun time writing out the fight with Super Tails and Infinite, and let's not forget about Sonic! With the jackal defeated and gone, what will become of Tails? Is the Phantom Ruby's essence officially erased? And will he be able to fully recover and move from his past? I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and I'll see you in the finale of My Own Worst Enemy! This is TGN, signing off.