For those interested: The Old Saint Nicholas Coal Breaker is a real place. I've personally had a fascination with urban exploring and abandoned places for years- though not so much of one as to get me to go risking life and limb.

Some bad news here- expect this story to be updated REALLY slowly. I mean, at a pace that might make Crossed Paths seem more like Danielle Steel's typical speed. As much as I enjoy writing, there's times I approach burnout if I don't switch between projects.

Besides, I just bought Dishonored, and making a Let's Play of a game can get a little time-consuming in itself. [/shameless plug]

Two things:

1) How the hell did Canterlot end up abandoned without warranting a dark tag?

2) YOU DO LETS PLAYS?!?!? GIMMEGIMMEGIMME!

You have my attention.

Lets see where this epic takes us! ALLONS-Y!

I'm normally quite wary of "modern day humans stumble upon portal to equestria" plots, but based on Crossed Paths, I think you can pull it off.

Avoid the sun, huh? You're not gonna go all Digital Devil Saga on us, are you?

Can't wait to read this. I'm sure it'll be as good as if not better then Crossed Paths, which blew my mind.

Man, up one day and Written in Dust is on the Popular Stories list. I feel so special!

>>14876571487657 Your wish is my command. Just be warned- my voice is not the most wonderful.

I'm liking this so far. Faving and watching commence in 3...2...1!

Really interesting, i am lookig foward to the next chapter.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I'd really, really like some SPF 32,000 sunscreen right now. And maybe a lead-lined parasol.

Your unexpected visitor,

Jacob"

ok, so you're not going DDS on us. Solar beam sun isn't much better than petrification sun though.

They're not gonna ponify him are they? Not that I hate ponification or anything, but you've kept him human so far, and I'm really enjoying that.

I must say that the story have caught my attention, and the fic itself is very well written.

Aww man did they ponify him?

Oh god, it's Haestrom all over again.

I find it odd there isn't a tragedy tag, that usually goes hand in hand with mysterious mysteries.

Well anyway if I didn't know better I'd say you wrote this about me. I'm a Jacob and I can't help but see myself acting the same as this character so far if I were in this situation.

Also there doesn't seem to be anything about this story so far I don't love.

You have my attention...

Also, Friendship is Fashion? Could it be Rarity's shop? Curious...

A little Point Insertion, perhaps? "The right stallion in the wrong place can make all the difference... in the world." [/gamegeeking]

Yes, I ponified Jacob. And yes, this is a major theme shift. But trust me- this all ties together. Despite all appearances, I do have a plan!

I need more!! It's a shame that you won't work on this as much as I would like, but, this update was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Anyway, I was thrown off a little by the ponification. I was really hoping for Jacob exploring post-apocalyptic Equestria and engaging in Q&A sessions with any survivors. But I did read your other story Crossed Paths so I trust you know what you're doing.

Now what I hope for is Jacob attending the ceremony and recognizing the Princesses' voices as that of the sisters'. Wouldn't that be quite a shock?

I wonder how he'll get their attention. Does the ceremony happen to be the reason Canterlot turns into a wasteland? Sabotage by Discord or some other villain to overthrow the Princesses? Are the effects immediate or delayed?

I'll just wait until the next chapter before getting ahead of myself.

Just making a wild guess here, but Story Seeker is a real pony who's body he's inhabiting in the past. His human body is still in the present fast asleep. When he goes to sleep as Story, he'll end up back in his human body and when he goes back to sleep again, he'll pop up in Story's body again.

Wolf, at this point, I trust you to know what the hell you're doing with your stories and I doubt there is anything you could do to botch them honestly.... I on the other hand... could use some help figuring out wth to do with my only published story so far, Wandering Wood. I know what I want to do long term, but I'm having trouble getting short term to flow. Any advice you could give me in that regard?

>>15582111558211 I'm working as fast as I can! But things are a little rough over here in Casa del Lupo. Sometimes the words don't flow as easily as I'd like.

>>15590831559083 It's late in the day for me, and I typically avoid giving advice (because I have the tendency to want to get people to write like I do... this is not necessarily a good thing), but I've put your story on my "read later" list and I'll give it a looksee tomorrow.

As for the conjecture... carry on!

>>15591671559167 hahah, Awesome, Thanks for giving it a look later. Wasn't quite expecting that. Until then, I hope you rest well

>>15591671559167

I know what you mean by the words just not flowing.

>>15591671559167 Just take your time. Forcing the writing doesn't usually result in good reading material.

Awesome job, man. I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

Dun dun dun!

I know the pace may seem plodding to some, but there's a payoff to all this.

Interesting.... I have several (contradictory) theories on that last incident. I wonder if any of them are correct? Good stuff, in any case.

. . . Somethings watching from the shades of time. . .

I have the distinct impression that Jacob/Story is going to end up saving Equestria, and preventing the apocalypse.

Either that, or he's in an interactive memory.

Why was it targeting Dinky, I wonder?Was she just a victim of opportunity or is there more to it?  I guess we'll find out if it continues to try to go after her.

Very interesting, I'm looking forward to see what happens. This story has caught my interest.

The story is moving at a good pace. I like

This... is getting weird. I'm having trouble making heads or tails of what's going on now.

Was Story Seeker just part of a memory? Or was he Jacob's past life?

>>16191141619114  Maybe they just sent him back in time in a new form.  So I imagine when he goes back to being a pony it'll be the next morning.

In the mean time he can go around broken Canterlot, see if he can find clues.

You know what they say, no such thing as a coincidence . . .

This is not good

I find a good fan fiction... and then there is only 5 chapters so far..... I hope to see more chapters and this is sure one interesting fan fiction.

Sweet!

Woo, strangeness abound and greatness shall thrive.

Nice, you have us wandering around with a limited vision field, I cannot tell where you're going with this but I don't care. The interactions between the characters is great and the pacing seems to fit. I sense the action is just around the corner, love it!

wait, back to human form? Ok, this got a lot more interesting...

You can tell I was exhausted when I published this chapter because I didn't even remember to put a comment on it beforehand.

I AM SO ASHAMED

This is getting really interesting. It looks like he's popping back and forth through time. I first thought that it was some form mental time travel but it looks like he actually went there.

Yay!

He gets to be shanghai'd into saving the ponies at very high risk to himself.

Not that it's bad, just that he should pop the sisters in the nose afterwards.

And get a reward.

A big one.

Sometimes we do dumb things because we have to! Or at least feel that we do. Or because they seem like smart things at the time. I've been in enough situations to where I can sometimes sympathize with the "idiots" in horror movies.

But still, I at least know not to go down into the dark creepy basement. Ever.

"I thought I was just walking around in a faked body with a cover story, not hijacking some innocent guy's life!"

Called it!

>>16357201635720 Unless, of course, armed to the teeth with weapons and gadgets.

>>16357951635795  It's still possible that Story is a made up pony the Princesses shoved into existence.

Unlikely though, I have to admit.

So is he really changing things?

>>16361261636126

but whenever you have a weapon, you ALWAYS have a shitty aim. Hollywood logic.

>>16532941653294

Ahh ahh ahh. Depends on if you're the main character or not. Then you get improbable aiming skills.

>>16537851653785

AND your bullets can punch through a foot of solid steel. If your the antagonists though, they can't go through a wooden desk.

>>16538231653823

Mhm. Ohh yah, obligatory unlimited ammo of course. Untill they need to up the drama factor and the gun jams or suddenly runs out of bullets.

>>16540791654079

They always hit the bad guys in a vital area that results in instant death, but if they're hit it's in the legs or arms.

>>16543541654354

Even if that area happens to be the Pinky Toe.

>>16544381654438

...i think I've run out of gunfight tropes...

The only one I can think about is that they almost always have a scene where there is a helicopter in the background, so when it goes all matrix slow-mo shit, you can see the blades spinning realllly slowly to emphasize the speed of something, right before time speeds up and the helicopter explodes for no good reason.

>>16547921654792

Ohh yah. Bullet Time. Not to mention Moar Dakka.

You know, you always remember your first kiss with that special someone. Especially when that first kiss is entirely accidental, caught on film and caused by the misplaced hoof of an overenthusiastic pink pony.

Well, that's the case for me, anyway. I can't speak for anyone else.

Future chapters may be a bit slower in coming, because, well, Planetside 2 happened.

Excellent chapter. Great to see the EoH making an appearance. Ending scene was cute.

I was getting some Matrix vibes from the 'if one body dies, the other dies as well' scene.

Also: Vanu Sovereignty - Connery.

>>16609331660933

and when the first kiss is also while in possession of an alien body and with a creature that is only technically the same species as you?

no but seriously, the conversation with not!Luna/Celestia to Story waking up was a bit too abrupt. Not even so much as a "Oh, back to pony form? ok then." from Jacob. Other than that, I like where this is going.

>>16611451661145 These newfangled relationships are complimicated!

I sort of meant for that effect in that scene (though I may have mishandled it a bit). I wanted to show Jacob being in a hurry to get back to Story, as well as the overwhelming effect the sadness he felt from them had on him. You may notice that our dear boy is becoming emotionally invested in these multicolored little creatures.

I still remember my first kiss, it was pretty damn awkward

>>16614161661416  Kinda gotta feel sorry for Story/Jacob at this point though.

He's trying to save a civilization he doesn't know about, has no idea what sort of hazards are out there, seems to be a target for assassination in one world and lunch meat in the other, has to keep up appearances while pretending to be someone who's body he's unwillingly hijacked, sent on an errand by two princesses when their memories of the event are useless, stumbling around two time periods to find scraps of clues to put together a puzzle that will kill all ponies without even a good starting point!

And to think, a lot of humans only need to deal with which pony they want to make out with.

I am not a songwriter by any stretch of the imagination. But the celebration almost demanded a musical number, so I turned my paltry lyrical talents towards providing one. May history be kind in its judgment of my attempt.

In one of my earlier comments, I stated that this story wasn't going to be getting too much of my attention. For this chapter, at least, that turned out to be a complete lie. (Sorry, Applejack. ) I'd be watching videos on YouTube, or playing a game, or sitting at work, and it wouldn't be long before I felt a need to come back and work more on this chapter. I even copied it onto my laptop and brought it to the laundromat so I could work on it there- sitting in my car, in the 33-degree weather with snow falling on the windshield, just me and the light of the screen as I tapped away on the keyboard.

Just for the record, when the scene with Dinky in the movie theater materialized in my mind, I got a little choked up. I hope it has the same effect on you.

must have more!!

That is all.

“I haven't got clue one.”

er, what?

“Don't you even think that,”

Shouldn't "think" be the italicized word here?

anyway. nice exposition in this chapter. I don't really care for songs in stories, so that didn't do much for me, but oh well. Still eager to see where this all goes!

>>16843801684380 "I haven't got clue one" is a phrase I've used sometimes. It basically means "I don't have a clue". Clue one, clue two, so on. As for the other thing you mentioned, that was just how I envisioned her speaking, stressing the word "even" instead of "think".

I appreciate the criticism and the good words both!

I love this story so much I'm actually dreading the ending.

Good evening, and welcome to "Exposition Theatre". I am your host, The Rogue Wolf. Tonight we'll be exploring the plot of "Written in Dust", with slightly over five and a half thousand words containing almost nothing but exposition and plot revelations!

--

...but seriously. We approach the endgame, everyone. How long can I hold the suspense?

To be honest, I'm not sure. Suspense is really heavy. I hope I don't drop this on my foot.

Trixie?  Whhooooo boy, what did you do girl?

And yeah, this IS getting suspenseful.

Decisions, decisions. Fight a mutant wolf or run like hell?

In this chapter, we learn that the word Personnel doesn't translate very well into pony.

Dammit, I want more!!!

I really want to see what happens

>>17167891716789 I so hard.

Anyway, I had a feeling it was Trixie.

And him without a boomstick. This'll be interesting.

My Eldritch Abomination detector is going nuts right now! Also, the throw down between a demon wolf and a human should be epic.

Great story so far! I simply love your descriptive work. It makes it so easy to picture everything in my mind. I'm also a sucker for time travel, and this story just scratches all the right itches for me. Keep up the great work.

WARNING: The Surgeon General strongly discourages fighting against shadowy horrors inside of abandoned buildings. This is a dangerous situation and can lead to death, impalement, horrible death, broken bones, painful death, infection, hideous death, loss of limbs, deadly death, and scrapes or bruises.

Jacob WINS!  Flawless Victory!

FATALITY!!!

well ok, some action and some closure on First is nice and all, but I want to get back to Story so we can see the big reveal already!

the big reveal is my favorite part!

>>17490371749037

Unless of course, one rigs the building to the foundation with traps and tricks.

The game is nearing it's end. This will be bittersweet, seeing as this is such a good fic.

Story is going to be in pain when he wakes up, seeing as he and Jacob are connected, thanks to that link.

I await the final chapters with baited breath.

Really original story, like it.

Great chapter. I feel kind of bad for the darkness-infested timberwolf. Being subsumed by an evil entity is a pretty raw deal. Good believable fight scene though!

I'm both excited and saddened by the fact this story seems close to the end. I want to know how it ends! But... I don't want it to end! Ah good fiction, you are so bittersweet.

Isn't that always the way? You think you know someone, you get close to them, and then it turns out that they're actually some sort of extra-dimensional alien hitch-hiking in the body of a member of your species, bearing warnings about the end of your kind as a whole. If I had a nickel for every time I've had that happen to me....

Speeding towards the end here! We have to keep the plot above 55 MPH or it'll explode!

I have a bad feeling about then Twilight , but it may be that i didn't sleep in last 24 hours, and didn't read carefully to see something hidden but i stand with the feeling that the real shitstorm coming. So keep going we need to be faster than 55 MPH.

>>17710521771052 Ah'm givin' it all she's got, Cap'n! If we try any harder, the suspense levels will break!

Seriously, though, excellent chapter, and I look forward to the next!

Q: Is this going to be finished before the end of the world (Dec 21, no I am not a doomsayer nor do I believe it)? Just bringing it up for irony's sake. Also, another explosive chapter, definitely speeding here, but the good kind of speeding! Love it!

oh freaking cliffhangers I must have more, I must, I must!!

>>17710521771052

Quick! Inject the Turbo-Nitrus! We still have a half a tank of it left and it'll explode if we don't use it!

Ahh yes, the old "I'm an Alien not of your world who's going to save you from a disaster that wiped out nearly everything in the future." routine. Honestly, you'd think that they'd think of something original for once. . .

In all honesty, a bloody awesome chapter! I assume theres only the chapter after this left then?

If so, its been one wild ride, and I loved every second of it! Cheers mate!

~With regards, the Current Student of the Second True Magic.

>>17710521771052

Just make sure to give everyone you meet an exorcism, they'll take care of it.

On another note, that last sentence for some reason makes me think of this:

-Or this maybe-

starting to play.

Damnit, yet another chapter to wait before the big reveal!

I'm gone for a few weeks and this happens? I thought you said this was going to be slow going! Not that I'm complaining, mind you

But this is getting good! I like the pace and how Jacob/Story is slowly assimilating pony life.

He's human! Yay!

But this just got so much more interesting to read! I should have expected something like this from you

So I'm leaning towards Story being an interactive memory and once Jacob figures out what went wrong with the Renewal he'll go back in time in reality to stop things. But it sounds a little weak, so I'm ready to change it when something in the story contradicts it.

What confuses me some is the dream Story had. Was it a memory sent to him by the Princesses? Also, there's this one line that bothers me, it sounds like someone tampered with the ceremony with good intentions and ended destroying everything instead. I'm guessing whatever has that weird "rotting" power manipulated said pony into messing things up.

As to why the villain wanted Dinky dead, I think Dinky was being used in a plan to kill Jacob/Story.

You'll be happy to know that scene with Dinky got to me too

I almost wish this were an epic like Crossed Paths, but considering the situation I feel this story would be packed with word fodder instead of character and plot development.

Anyway, is Trixie possessed by Discord or something? A completely off his rocker Discord? Or is it King Sombra? I'm running of fumes here; none of the MLP villains wanted to eradicate ponykind because they'd be left with no one to lord over.

This was awesome. The evil demonic timber wolf was a nice touch

<= That is how I feel right now.  Why must cliffhangers be so tortuous?!

I really want to know how First is going to react to the truth. I mean, she's fallen for an alien that in reality doesn't even resemble a quadruped! That makes for an awkward relationship, and without this ponification I would be rather disturbed that Jacob has developed feelings for her in return.

Also, I love the epic fight and Jacob's distraction methods. Oh, and I really like how Twilight used Jacob's real name. That is some good stuff.