Tattered Ashes

**"I warned you..."**

This article contains **SPOILERS**!
It is **HIGHLY RECOMMENDED** that you catch up with the comic or comic dubs in order to understand what is happening!

 **"Something feels very wrong..."**

This article may contain **violent or triggering content.** Read at your own risk!

## Production Staff

### Writer

Gigi Dutreix

**Tattered Ashes** is a side story in *The Murder of Me*. It begins with Antoine D'Coolette's letter to Bunnie D'Coolette before he goes on his mission back in Issue 10: The First Mission. The story then shows Antoine's mission and what he was doing during issues 11, 12, and 13. It also shows a first person perspective before and during his transition into a Bloodthroat. It takes place before and during his reveal in Issue 14: In The Depths Of God.

## The Story

*My D'Coolette…*

*I spent many, many nights holding you as I would shake in fear...for I am but a powerless coyote against the abyss of our threats.*

*A long time ago-- I used to be a coward. But you changed me. Did you know that?*

*Do you remember our home? When we had our own Sonic, and our team? Ah oui..*

*I miss them.*

*...But it was torn apart and our enemy murdered our families. Our friends. They fought as hard as they could...but alas--they fell. Another dimension to fall victim to the boredom of something much bigger than I ever could be.*

*If it were not for Chaos and Sol...I am very sure we would have fallen just as our beloved Freedom Fighters did. I wish with all my heart that I was stronger then.*

*I wish I was strong now…I wish I--*

The coyote stopped writing his letter, running into a writing block. What should come after that? He always, always wrote letters to his dearest wife before he departed a mission. He knew fully the risk of his missions. He was never guaranteed to return.

There were many moments where he thought that his missions were his last.

He grimaced, nearly face palming himself. He should have left Paradise already! But...he needed to finish this for her. He wasn’t going to break tradition. Even though he always returned...he had to do this. Always.

*..I always seem to be in a rush when writing these. I promise my next letter will be more well thought out.*

Antoine rolled his eyes at himself. He said that every time he wrote one of these!

*I love you so much. With all my heart. Please look after the children of Heephis-- I worry that Sonic especially does not take this seriously. I am terrified that that will come to bite him one day. I worry that Silver has not mentioned his own problems, and only insists on putting himself last over his soul brothers. And...I worry that Shadow forgets that he is still a child...I want him to open up to the other two. They may be our only hope, but that does not mean they should not be kids once in a while.*

Great, now he was wasting time talking about the Sons of Heephis again. He couldn’t help it...they were children! They were his beacons of hope recently, and it’s driven him to want to fight even more.

The Sons of Heephis made all the bad things in his life feel... better. They will change everything, he knew they would. He was about to end the letter when he realized that he nearly forgot to write a favorite thing about Bunnie! It was his tradition to compliment her every time he wrote something like this.

*One last thing before I end this. My favorite thing about you today, my Bunnie, is your cute little nose.*

*Mon coeur bat la chamade pour toi,*

*Antoine D'Coolette*

The coyote sighed as he finally finished his annual letter. He left it within Bunnie’s cubby, in hopes that she would actually look at it this time. The work room wasn’t her favorite area though... she probably will take a while to read his letter. As she always does. Bunnie always told him that she preferred to see him first, and then they read his letters together.

Antoine smiled at himself... before closing his eyes.

He placed his fingers on his mission statement for its destination-- and then found it. Human territory village closest to the north. He tapped into the tiny coating of energy on his soul-- and a portal opened behind him. Drawing his sword-- the empowered coyote went through.

\*\*\*

Upon entering the village, Antoine could tell something was off about this place. Of course--that was a common feeling as of late. Ever since the Dark God’s game had started, everything felt so...strained. And everyone could feel that they were near an ending of something. It was like existence itself was dreading all that was in it.

It was hard to think over as Antoine stormed into the village. First thing to do: Evacuate the refugees. He would start with the first home-- knocking on their door.

No answer.

He knocked on another’s door, to no answer. He knocked on more doors-- hopes of at least one person answering. If all inside were sleeping, he would have to break into their homes and evacuate.

Wait...

Antoine paused his knocking as he looked around. Where were the soulless that his mission described? Rising with concern, Antoine took a serious glance back at his mission statement: he was in the right place, correct?

Reading over his statement once more...no he was in the right place. The mission read “the village is currently being stormed by soulless”. Gods, was he too late again?!

He had to be sure.

Antoine took it upon himself to finally break into one of the homes (secretly whispering apologies as he did), and inspected a home’s interior. No one was here.

He was too late.

He hated this. Even though Mogul tries his best to send out these missions as fast as possible, they were never fast enough.

Antoine took a deep sad sigh, and walked out of the home he inspected..

...and spotted God in the middle of the courtyard.

Oh no.

Antoine took his sword out in defiance. Now this was something he did not expect. Was The Dark God going to ask for the amulets back after he gave them to Antoine? He couldn’t think of any other reason for the God to be here.

“What are you doing here?!” Antoine roared, his sword pointed out in a threatening manner to the towering mobian.

Tainted, cyan corrupted eyes followed the coyote in a way that made Antoine feel tiny. It was as if the whole universe was staring at him--no, not just staring. Preying on him.

Zielo said nothing as he gently squinted at the coyote. Not a second later-- Antoine was forced onto the ground in a forced bowing position. The ground itself cracked at the sheer gravity pulling him. It was as if the center of the earth grew invisible hands, and was trying to pull him down.

Shoot! He had heard warnings of this. One day God will just grow bored of you, and end you out of nowhere. Zielo had come to end the coyote, he was sure of it. Still--Antoine fought the control as much as he could, glaring at the cyan eyes that looked down at him.

The dark gray God floated over the coyote. A hand was raised suddenly from the grey deity. And then...the God spoke.

***“I have a gift for you.”***

God had suddenly let out a wicked smile.

***“One game ended, and another began. Have you forgotten?”***

What did that have to do with...him? He was the weakest of the demi gods! None of this made sense. Why was Zielo even talking to him?

***”My game must have tools in it. Do you agree?”***

Cold set into his soul as a realization dawned on Antoine.

“NO!” Antoine shouted angrily-- utilizing the tiny bit of his own energy, he shattered Zielo’s forceful hold on him--Zielo expected that. But even so--he couldn’t let Zielo do this. If he were to -- Bunnie would be in danger. He would be become a--

*"You can not use that which is BROKEN!"*

Blood splattered everywhere as Antoine shoved his own sword into his chest. Sanguine fluids spilled out of his mouth as the entire world felt cold. It was like ice inside his chest...which was unexpected. He expected such a fatal blow to hurt, or burn. But it didn’t. He choked, as he suddenly felt a force and pain akin to skin peeling. His throat burned...

***“I am God. Did you forget that as well?”***

Antoine was still alive. He should be dead-- he SHOULD BE DEAD! His mind panicked. There was no escape, was there?

***“All creations..***

***..Are MINE.”***

..

Pain. Where is he? Who was he? Blood. So much blood. No no, he was trying to stop something. What was it? What was he trying to stop?

There is so much... He was missing... Half of himself. He screamed as he gripped onto memories that were starting to fade. No, he would NOT forget!

Where was he? What was..

..Silver? Shadow? What were they doing here?

Wait?

What was he doing here? In this city? This place?

No no--ǹ̶̝̼̝̳̠̖̬̳͍͓͒̀̂̀̃̈́͗̄͂̓́̽ͅȍ̴̢̢͎̩̖̮͎̖̯̺͚̫͎̺͗̆̆̌̐͊͝ͅ ̵̨̙̼̤͔͂̏̾͗̊͝n̴͇̣̜̮̝̳̗̦͒̋̾̃̃̓͛̓́̀̾ͅo̴̞͆̋͐̈́̃̀̏͒͘n̷̮̉̓̔̽̇̅ȯ̵͉̰̮̊̂͂̌̋͂́ñ̷̡̬̩͔͉̠ń̴̹͎̂̕͠o̵͎̮̲̰̔͂́͌͐ȏ̵̖͙̭̩͍̮̓n̴̡̨̨̬̘̭̙̱̦̘̲̹̝͚̱̥͐̽̆͊́̇̈̐o̵̧̊ṉ̸̟̠͓͙̾́̃̇̌́̈́̀o--

Stop-- I need to free me! I can’t forget! I won’t let myself forget! I will GRIP onto this--

I will not forget them. They are my only hope. Silver. Shadow. Sonic!

Can you hear me?

You need

To e̷s̵c̴a̶p̸e̴̶

M̸͓̈́ ̸̯̈ ̵͍͌ ̸̬̓ ̶̨̓ ̵͇̏ ̴̯̽ ̵̲̈ ̷͕̓ ̷̬̂ ̶̲̆e̶̺͒ ̷͚̿ ̶͍͘

̷͎̔

̷͙͛H̵̝͋à̴̳v̶̲̒ ̴͍̿ ̴̬̎ ̵̢̀ ̷̮̔ ̴̳̓ ̵͖̄ ̸̥͂ ̶͕͝ ̷͎̅ ̷̱̃ ̸̖̐ ̵̲̎ ̵́ͅ ̴̉ͅ ̶͈͝ ̷̰̋ ̴̨͐ ̴̾ͅ ̴̺̕è̶͖

̴̖͛

̴̦̍

T o

..

….

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