Original Story
This is the story that the comic is based on.
Once upon a time, there was an angel.
Once upon a time, he was an angel.
Once upon a time, there lived a Royal Celestial Warrior.
Once upon a time, someone ruined his world.
.
.
.
Once upon a time, there lived Dust. All day long, he would defend a giant pumpkin laboratory from enchanted marionettes, tomato-headed sacks of flour and tree-top whales with his ethereal swordsmanship.
But why?
Inside the vegetative facility a wizard (who was technically not a wizard, but say that and he will get very angry) would conduct spells and concoct "potions." One of his many "enchantments" was Dust. He was developed so that he could keep away the many rabbit-headed porcupines and other hungry demons that ate his laboratory. One day, he was approached with quite a formidable foe, one he would not defeat easily.
"Excuse me, kind sir" said the fair lady. "Is this the abode of the Old Wizard of these woods?"
"...yeah," Dust answered.
"May I see him?"
Her voice reeked of bird's song.
Dust knew that he was not allowed to let anyone enter his laboratory.
Solitary creatures have no need for the outside world. But this maiden, maybe she had some significance.
Her lifeless eyes sparked new emotion in him and he allowed her passage.
"Thank you, kind sir," she said and continued up to the laboratory.
He turned around to see those gray eyes just once more, to behold their lacklustre sparkle.
But they were full of mockery.
A ring-a-ring of rosies
A pocket full of
Posies
Ashes
Ashes
.
We all fall down
**********
The comforting warmth of the morning sun blanketed the vibrant land. Dust lay on a cobblestone road, basking in the rays of indolence.
"Oi!! Peasant Boy! How many times do I have to tell you commoners not to sleep in the middle of the damn road? Get up!"
"..Just five more minutes...."
.
.
"You're no ordinary peasant...what the hell are you?"
"...a human? I suppose I'm not entirely sure."
"...well. What are you doing? Do you know where you are?"
"No but I am quite enjoying these cobblestones though..."
"Oh yeah?! Well these cobblestones are mine! Not yours, mine! And if you don't get off them right now, I'm gonna kick you squah in the nuts!"
She readied her leg for an attack.
Dust grasped her frail limb.
"I'll break your leg, fairy."
Apathetic threat.
***
"This is, like, the Fairy Woodland. Did you get transported out here? Someone poof you here or do you inhabitants of the Demon Forest have other methods of transportation?"
"I don't know how I got here. I don't know how to get back."
"Well..then.. you're like hella useless then! You hit your head?"
"No,"
"Ahh, okay. So then, you need to get back to Freaky-Forest now right? Take this seal and present it to the Woodland Prince. He'll give you a Forest Guardian so you can find your way back to demon-land."
.
"It's not a demon land"
"Hell yeah it is, you Demon-Peasant."
"...I'm gonna go now. 'kay?"
.
".. .'kay."
.
"AAAHHHH wait. Don't leave yet."
"Why not?"
"I'll give you something to, like, help you find your way."
The Fairy waved her wand, drawing shapes of stars and ornamental symbols in crisp morning air, fairy dust falling in asymmetrical patterns. She recited an incantation, half forgetting the ancient language of eloquent spells. Weak light transmutes into a petite toadstool, which happily leaps onto Dust's shoulder.
"This enchanted toadstool will show you the way to the Prince."
And with that, she waves her wand and disappears in rose petals.
"So, you know where to go?"
"Muu!!"
***
The afternoon sun veiled Dust in an unnecessary warmth. The Toadstool played happily in Dust's scarf, singing unintelligible songs and pointing Dust in directions that seemed accurate.
There was a point of their journey in which a rustling of emerald foliage was heard by the Toadstool. It cried and cried to Dust that something was behind him, but Dust paid no attention to its weeping. Something ominous and artificial appeared for second but was gone as quickly as it came.
The little toadstool became frightened and buried itself deep beneath Dust's luxurious, heavy scarf until sunset, when they reached a reached a cosy but magnificent little palace. The Toadstool sang as they beheld the sight of the royal abode. They spied the Prince and his two maidens enjoying a stroll far in their whimsical garden.
"HEY! You, guy! Are you the Prince?"
Dust yelled into the courtyard, his voice carried by sunset breezes.
The Prince beckoned, and another fair maiden took Dust into the Palace to wait. Soon enough the Prince came to him but was very disappointed with his visitor.
'I hear you are a demon. Why have you come here? Are you to take my maiden's away like the last one?"
"...Demons take your maidens away?"
"Why, yes they do! Just the other day a nasty fellow abducted my poor Meredith. But of course, I got her back. She's still a little shocked from the whole ideal, so I took pity on the fair lady and let her attend my chamber"
"..Um, okay. I was given a seal so I could get a forest guardian"
"Oh, I see."
"So...can I have a guardian?"
"That depends. Can I have the seal?"
Dust buried his hand deep into his pockets to find the embellished pink seal the Fairy had given him. He searched his pants, his jacket and the depths of his scarf but for naught. It was not there.
"...Oh hell. I've lost it"
"Well that's too bad, Demon!"
"...oh come on. Please? I want to go back home,"
"Look, Demon, since I'm feeling generous I will allow you a forest guardian if you do something for me,"
"Like...what...?"
"I wish to have more attendants in my chamber tonight, however, that means there will be no one to attend the farm animals in the morn. Millie will give you a list of the chores that need to be done at dawn,"
"...yeah...alright,"
"Cassie will take your Toadstool and put him outside. Come, we must get ready for the banquet. Oh Amy! Escort Mr. Demon to the guest chamber"
**
Dust's Toadstool sang quietly in the garden, blanketing itself against the soft palatial grasses. There were other Toadstools in the garden, each with glorious markings and vibrant complexions. They gossiped and sang to one another, their soft voices filling the early eve with vivacity.
"Oh, dear. Is that another Toadstool in the garden?"
"Oh my, it seems so! Hello, uh, Mr. Toadstool?"
"Muu!!! Muu!"
"Oh dear it seems as if the thing can't talk,"
"Can't talk? Oh Margaret. There is no such thing as a Toadstool that can't talk, that's absolutely preposterous."
"Muu muu muuu,"
"Oh my, Margaret! You're right! I say, is he an...idiot?"
"No, no, no! He's more like an imbecile!"
"A dumbfounded moron?"
"Oh...and look at his cap!"
" muu...muu?"
"It's atrocious! It's not even symmetrical!"
"I hear he's been around someone from the other side of the forest!"
"Goodness no!"
"He's probably cursed! Stay away from him!"
"..muu..?"
The poor little Toadstool hopped away and sat with the Pansies, singing something melancholy.
He felt an ominous presence approaching, but he was lost in rejection and feared not.
"My Goodness gracious me! What is THAT thing?"
***
Dawn approached too soon, delivering the sun those who wish to wake.
And those who have to Forest Guardians to obtain.
1. Milk the cows
2. Feed the Pigs
3. Get the eggs from the chickens
Dust greeted the morning with a lazy, anguished groan. He found the list of bothersome chores by his bedside table, along with breakfast of elvan bread and sugary water. Half-asleep, he ate his food and stumbled to the paddock, quickly learning that 'Dust' and 'Animals' do not go well together.
1. "Eekk!! A demon! Don't let him touch me! He's not getting my milk!!!"
2. "Demon tasty!!!! *Chomp*"
3. "No!!! My babies! Don't take my babies! MINE"
The tormented soul returned to the Prince empty-handed.
"...so where are the fruits of your labour?"
"What?! It doesn't say to get fruit!"
"It also doesn't say to return with nothing!"
Dumbstruck, Dust quitted his presence. He ambled around the palatial garden, searching for his Toadstool companion. His wasted effort plagued him with weariness so he lay on the grass, watching the clouds as their wispy tendons laced the sky.
"Oh, Demon? Have you seen the Garden Toadstools? Those noisy ladies are always awake at ridiculous times gossiping but now they're as quiet as gumdrops!"
Toadstools? He wondered where his went. The handsome Prince stretched his mouth slightly, as if to continue the conversation.
But his speech was silenced by:
A ring-a-ring of rosies
A pocket full of
Posies
Ashes
Ashes
.
He remembered the melody. Stricken with unwanted awe, he rose to his feet.
Adrenaline.
Adrenaline ran.
Adrenaline ran through him,
pumping vigour into his celestial being
it was all he could feel.
.
.
We all fall down
He turned.
It was all gone.
**
The Toadstool popped up from under Dust's scarf, who had crawled there when Dust was resting. They sighed. The beautiful forest was unburdened with life. The cows grazing in the paddock, the Prince calling to him and his beautiful palace had been turned into thin air.
Dust beheld the desolation, everything felt surreal, dreamlike. Sleep-spell of misty yesterdays, entered his eyes to manufacture dreams.
**
"Dust?"
"Yes, My Lord,"
"Come here for a moment,"
Dust approached the benevolent old wizard, his footsteps ringing as he stepped closer.
"Do you wish for anything?"
"My Lord?"
"Do you wish for something more?"
He turned to face his angel.
**
Dust awoke once more, however his surroundings were not of coloured fields like his previous awakening, but of something more familiar. The sombre trees dropped their leaves low, hoping for life to greet their somnolent existence.
"What a mess. Dude, I told you to go to the Forest Prince, present that seal I worked so hard to make, and get a guardian so you can go home! I even gave a guide for pete's sake!"
"It's not my fault, I lost the seal!"
"You lost MY seal? You lost the seal I worked ever so hard to make?"
"...yeah sorry,"
"Muu muu!"
"Ugh. What is that thing?"
"...the guide you gave me,"
"...this stupid thing? Are you trying to insult my superior craftsmanship?"
.
"Ain't this your home? You know where you're going now right?"
He had never left the laboratory steps.
"You're hella useless thing. Look, go to Nymph Hollow. One of those nymphs will help you. I'm not staying another minute in this forsaken forest,"
The Toadstool was granted with knowledge of the place but he feared it sorely.
Nymphs are devilish creatures. Their life-giving springs and extravagant lakes ran dry when the forest lost part of its life. They are now only shadows of their previous life, ashamed of their other selves. They wear bells around their neck to ward off strangers who dare to taunt their meaningless existence and make a mockery of their misfortune.
**
"You venture to this forsaken place in search of our wisdom? We do not care for the frail and fragile,"
"I only want to go to the Laboratory,"
"The Forest Laboratory is no more,"
"What happened to the wizard?"
"There was an enchantress in the Forest,"
.
.
His bell made an otherworldly shrill as he continued his story. The echoes clouded the nymph's speech and Dust lost the colour in his ashen complexion.
"Is something wrong?"
.
"She is here,"
.
"Shouldn't you pursue her?"
Pursue who?
The sound of a deafening bang followed by a stream of crimson stained the memory of this place. The nymph's glittering life spilled out of the synthetic void, dying the grey dirt in shades of red. Dust turned to see a shuffling in the arid foliage. He began his pursuit, but his bitter day of loss drained his stamina.
All there was left were questions, but no one to answer them.
The pursued turned to behold her pursuer. Her glass eyes were filled with scorn and ridicule.
It is no fun to kill those who wish to die.
.
.
.
Once upon a time, an angel tried to find his happily ever after.