The end?

...That's it?

Well that was anticlimatic. The ending, I mean.

5400429
They're only ten. You can't expect much more than friendshipping after all the awkwardness that's been going on. Really, you could consider this an epilogue more than the ending, but the previous chapter was too abrupt for that.
5400427
Yes. There's more sequels coming to the original that aren't related to this one, so expect more Rumbleloo and changeling shenanigans.

I'm okay with this, and I look forward to more sequels.

What I believe was disappointing about this is that Scoots and Rumble haven't yet confessed in real life, are still stuck in the hospital and we haven't seen even if the town-wide quarantine has been lifted. A better ending would have been to add a time-skip and for Rumble and Scoots to be on the sidelines of that Junior Racers event, having a hushed discussion about how Scoots can change herself to fly better.

5400930
I know it has issues. This is how it's turned out, this is how it's been for two years. I can't add or edit anything without clashing continuity with the other story. I'm done with this, and I hope the other stories planned, the ones involving bat ponies and, to an extent, adoption-ish issues, will be better received.

Edit: actually, originally they did kiss for real and say they were in love , but I scrapped it because it was too close to foalcon, and at the time I had some unsavoury characters accuse me of some nasty tendencies. Besides which, it clashed with the still mostly innocent tone of the fic. Scootaloo is uncertain, and I thought it'd be better if she remained uncertain, but not about everything.

5400973
It certainly sucks when you have to give a lukewarm, open-looped ending in order to respect continuity, but that's life.
I'll go and look for those other stories.

5401023
It's not Moonfire's fault, it's mine. This story just took too damn long, and it shows. The next ones have been mentioned in blog posts, and the first drafts are finished, but they're not ready for publication yet. I need to go back in sometime and add more of a certain OC to it, because he's in the title, and... yeah, this thing just sapped a lot of motivation, and I published it mainly so people could read it and move on. My next publication is likely going to be my entry for the Balloon Pony Holiday Contest (Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get inflated, and learn a holiday lesson in the process), and after that maybe another oneshot or the Flight Camp sequel, depending on how smoothly that goes.

But yeah, this story... I'm just done with it. Just... done.

...the end? THE END!? HOW COULD IT BE THE END, NIGGA!? ME DEMANDZ MOAR!

5401658
I'm pretty sure Duellum Telum continues past this point in time, but I can't say for sure. Also, as I've stated before, there are two other stories coming that are both sequels to Quorum Sensing, but have nothing to do with this one. So more is coming, but not right away.

5401672 I just want to see the love in bloom...

It still says Its incomplete, but it mat be an error, ill be keeping it in my tracking folder.

5402098
I marked it as complete yesterday, probably a lag issue.

5403782 yeah, brobably, but i will put it in my favorites folder.

kool story can't wait for the sequel , well if there is one

also u just got urself a new follow

5413951
Not to this story, but the original Quorum Sensing will have two more sequels not set in this story's canon.

This was a good story, interesting all the way through, and you even made the info dumps engaging, which not a lot of worldbuilding fics can do. For putting everyone in a very different situation, they managed to stay in character. It was very clever how you dealt wit the expanded universe. I'm always a big fan of when people interpret changelings as something different than ponies, neither strictly positive nor negative. However, there are some serious problems with this fic that I have to point out. The moonfire parts were completley terrible and pointless. It does not matter if I had read that story and thought it was best thing ever. In this story it added nothing, was distracting, and actively hurt the story. The pattern of the story was basically: something happens -> scootaloo tries to find out something based on her experience through twilight and talking to adults -> she tries something with varying degrees of success. Moonfire was a great opportunity to try and find out the truth through someling's else lived experience. He was obviously biased (paranoid, untrusting), but that would have been a great opportunity for Scootaloo to compare what the books suggest with what someone else has lived with and come up with her own solutions. Instead, we're introduced to moonfire, she doesn't like him, doesn't talk to him or think he has anything to offer (even though the cmc thinks he might iirc), and ignores him. It's a complete waste of our time and I don't think this part of my review is subjective. There's no interpretation in which this isn't a waste of our time. It also bugs me that the other story is incomplete. In what order am I supposed to read this to get the most out of both fics and how was I supposed to know that order?

More minor things: 1) How did they know DT had warts? Her getting her comeuppance at the end feels forced and a little weird considering she's right about scoots being a changeling and still reasonably thinks they're dangerous.
2) Luna was weird, didn't do much for rumble. And rather than providing an actual resolution at the end, she lowers the stakes by giving scootaloo a practice go on rumble and scootaloo doesn't even resolve to do the same once she wakes up?

I'm glad to hear you're working on other AU sequels, since you can execute on a good changeling story and seem to know what went wrong here.

I'm glad to hear you're

5434527
The answers, in order:
-Moonfire was added early on, and originally the stories would update at the same time. Moonfire (the author) decided recently to upload the chapters he already had as a motivator to keep writing. Hence the time difference.

-Moonfire isn't in this fic much partly because he's not my character: I can't just write plot and dialogue for him. I also do not know how much of the backstory provided to me is still being edited.

-The story predates Season 3, and as such Luna wasn't in this at all at the the concept stage. But with canon evolving the way it did, I had to include her somehow. But with Rumble's too early puberty and wet dreams already being kind of an awkward topic to broach, I needed an excuse for her not to be in his head at all.

-the CMC didn't know Diamond had warts. They suspected, though, that Diamond Tiara had her own little dirty secret that got sympathy from the adults, so they had Scootaloo impersonate DT and trick Cheerilee into talking about it.

-as for the ending, the Chiltan lore is a really old idea, based on Pakistani shaman myths, that was included here because Moonfire is using them in his fic.

You can probably tell which scenes were planned at the concept stage and which ones weren't: the confrontation was, the final scene was not. But again, I finished sooner, so if I went back and edited, I'd be messing up continuity and delaying publication even more.

The real lesson to take away, though, is this: don't sit on fics. Finish them, edit them, then let them go. Originally they were going to have a proper love scene in the dream, but they ended up getting more of the personalities they have in the other sequels after it took so long to publish. Then there's the foalcon thing, which I'm still not sure what to make of. Guess I should just bite the bullet and ignore the whole thing.

So, yeah. I had the concept for this story, Moonfire got involved at the concept stage, and the end result is this. I don't know what would have happened if I'd just said 'No' to a collab, but I don't regret it. I'm just adding collabs to the same list as requests: "Things I Did Once Only"

Your post got cut off, btw.

5436637
Figures, just as I was finishing the compliment sandwich, fimfictiion turned it into a dropped upside down compliment nacho. To finish, I was just saying that I'm glad to hear you're working on sequels and that you are keenly aware of what did and did not work in this fic.

5436776
Yeah, but the other sequels have their own issues right now. Needs more editing for consistency right now, even if the first drafts are finished. Expect more focus on Rumble and bat ponies rousettes. But first, the Balloon Pony Holiday fic. And I need to fix my NaNoWriMo novel so it doesn't suck as much, and give Edward some hair (doing that as I'm writing this).

I think Quorum Sensing sequels are just always going to be the black sheep of my fics, really. Oh, and for the record, the other sequels will be canon, it's this story that's the AU. I can't use this story's canon, since it contains a character I don't own and has sequels planned by a different author.

5436808 SO this story will have squeals but someone else will be posting them? Or are they just being written by someone else? Why do I feel like I am asking a stupid question?

5439727
Duellum Telum will have sequels written by Moonfire. Quorum Sensing, the prequel to this story where Scoots changes, will have two sequels, Blue Moon Bloom and Keep On Truckin', written by me. These two will have some similarities to this story, but they'll be independent from it. They'll have bat ponies, for one thing.

5440917 But this story itself will not have any squeals...oh well.

Scootaloo chuckled softly. “Figured she might. Maybe now she’ll start being more careful. I hope she’s not taking it too hard, though. She’s done pretty awful stuff, but this… this was still an accident.”

Nevermind that she got a dressing down for something that was true.

Actually, isn't it funny? It's a very similar situation to the one Twilight found herself in right before the wedding. Nopony believed her either, and they all turned on her when she was 100% right. False!Cadance was evil, and Scootaloo really is a Changeling.

5581146
You know, I hadn't considered the similarity to Twilight while reading this, but I had considered the sympathy for Diamond. She is right in thinking Scoots is a changeling, but she's wrong in thinking Scoots is evil. The point to keeping it a secret is to let Scootaloo grow up normally (as normally as she can), and learn to use her powers right before she makes this public. It's a fuzzy area, morally.

I like to think Scootaloo apologises for the deception when she makes it public, and that Diamond accepts with a smile.

5582604
That sounds quite good. You are indeed a Wide Cracker.

5583324
It's the ab exercises. Building muscle pushes the belly forward. I will be trying to lose some weight, though, for health and confidence reasons.

Seriously, though, if anything, the idea of a 'wise' person in contrast to a smart person is nothing more than a difference in where they get information. A smart person can read a book and draw exact information from it. A wise person takes information from many smaller, more subtle cues and approaches things from lesser-known angles.

What I'm trying to say is: coming off as wise is a nice gimmick, but it's not that hard to do. Slip in a little moral grey area, acknowledge that even villains, somewhere in their reasoning, have a point, and you can achieve the same effect. So thanks for the compliment, but remember that it's not exclusive.

5583354
Will do!
And yeah, I messed up the comment up there. In my defence, I'm currently down with the flu XD

5583388
No worries. Take care, and sleep well.

5674241
That was sort of the plan, but the plan fell through. No plans to fix it as is, spent too much time with this thing in storage as is and the new Quorum Sensing stories have been in storage for ages, too. One final round of editing and cover art, I think.

Edit: you'll be pleased to know the first one of the next round is on FimFiction already, just not sure about cover art yet, and want to avoid backtracking if I change anything in part 3.

tl;dr: I would, but I'm not sure about it myself. If it had been up to me, it wouldn't even be published right now.

Woo! This totaly need a sequel, people. Who's with me?

5725056
I've explained repeatedly why this story will not get any more sequels, but there is a separate continuity of sequels to Quorum Sensing that focuses more on Rumble and how he fits into the bigger picture, which has two stories. They're sort of finished, but I keep going back and fixing continuity errors and thematic stuff and might need to add more scenes, so can't say when they'll be released.

You did remind me that I need to dedicate a blog to that topic and link it in the description, so thanks for that.

Edit: Oh, wait, I already do have a blog post about it linked in the description. Never mind.

6440955
The last 2 weeks is basic practice, to work out any kinks in their routine, most likely.

6455507
I like the idea that Rainbow Dash is, at first, mostly a stranger to Scootaloo. Or rather, the other way around. They're not blood relatives, they don't do that much together, but Rainbow acknowledges that Scootaloo needs help. More to the point, Rainbow Dash aspires to be a Wonderbolt, which includes being a good role model. I guess it's closer to mutual understanding and respect than any kind of love, but it's close enough to be a grey area.

6455750
The word 'discipline' here is meant to mean a certain school of magic, not the bare bones discipline of continuing a habit. Like how you have different disciplines in the Olympics, or in martial arts.

6458077
I prefer to use the old chaosstar system for colours of magic. Purple magic is sexual magic. I also use that term for it in Rainbow Dash Discovers.

He’s going to need peace and quiet to get back his old self

Correction:He’s going to need peace and quiet to get back to his old self

Rumble leaned forward and and closed his lips over the apple chunks.

Correction:Rumble leaned forward and closed his lips over the apple chunks.

Nothing had come up, not even little apple slice.

Correction:Nothing had come up, not even a little apple slice.

Starting to get tired of doing this course it could be the fact it's nearly 10pm.

I didn’t want you think I was a monster, so I kept it to myself.

Correction:I didn’t want you to think I was a monster, so I kept it to myself.

6500164
To be totally honest, I don't see why you'd bother. The way this thing turned out, I'm surprised it even got read at all. All the last-minute edits because of the rushed publication really hurt it. But hey, thanks for pointing it out, at least it's a little cleaner now.

6555030
Well, there was the whole 'invasion of privacy' thing, slander, poisoning a teacher and sibling. Then there's Scootaloo speeding and getting dust/dirt on other ponies when she races. Apple Bloom does even worse things in Changeling Blood, but this line of reasoning of their supposed crimes is expanded in the other Quorum Sensing canon.

There's plenty of possible things one can just make up, too, like what eventually happened when they got a cannon in Cutie Mark Chronicles.

Try the story Permanent Record by Estee. They destroyed a bowling alley, disrupted a funeral, let Discord loose, destroyed the Harvest Festival Parade & almost killed Bab Seed & in general were 3 of the 4 horses of the Ponyocalypse

6869174
You may want to add a reply tag to that post, or send a PM, if you're trying to respond to the partners in crime remark.

7250359 ...
...

sounds about right.
and noise? wonder vinals record on that one.

7278123
Actually, the OP is simply wrong. Ponies on the show are already slightly anthropomorphic, in the sense that they can stand on hind legs. And if you honestly translate all instances of the word 'girl', I invite you to watch 'Stare Master' again.

Aside from that, even feral horses are referred to as having arms and legs, if memory serves.

7278453 the basic use of 'girl' is used to simply say 'female'. that term can be used to fit any gender based race. even non-gendered/unknown things often get called girl. *cars* cough...

but you do have a point on the show.

7650948
Ah...............

What's the point of this being linked to Duellum Telum if I can't even read that story? It has a password on it.

8793199
Well, dear reader, it's a bit of a complicated story, and part of the reason I went and wrote two more unrelated sequels to Quorum Sensing.

See, when QS came out, the author of Duellum Telum approached me to make a side story to it, with his own pony-turned-changeling OC. He then asked if it could be a collab project. Having never done this, I agreed. I shan't bore you with the details, but suffice to say this was a stressful experience at times, as both stories were supposed to be linked to a degree that events in one would carry over to the other. Now, my end of it was finished long before his (case in point: his still isn't), but I delayed publishing because, hey, if anything changes in one story, that means the other one needs editing again. On the other hand, if one of us decided to publish a chapter, that meant the other kind of had to follow along, to avoid spoilers or confusion.

He decided he wanted to publish what he had before he was done, while still pitching new ideas in the middle of his already published story. So, naturally, I published my entire thing, and I washed my hands off the whole thing. To the best of my knowledge, he still hasn't finished the story, but has gone on to write other, longer stories. I wasn't even aware he'd removed Duellum Telum. This is his responsibility as a writer, you need to talk to him about your complaints, not me.

This was the first and only collaboration I've done with another writer, and I don't intend to repeat that experience. Blue Moon Bloom and My Big Batty Not-Wedding are the 'official' sequels to Quorum Sensing. This one... I don't know what this is anymore. If I change it now, I might as well delete it and start over, and that's not worth it right now.

But yeah, Duellum Telum is not mine. Direct your remarks to Moonfire, not me.

8995011
Given how old that comment is I got no idea where that came from. just thought he sounded a bit think in the head ya know. plus there's always French kissing.

9444121
Had leave this and then come back to allow time for my words to form more clearly rather than less. NOT anger, just I have trouble wording things sometimes.

Yeah, a bit of a tweak about how "neutralise" was handled would have covered it for me. I can see where you might feel that it would be too hard to do without weakening the joke maybe? Especially given how much of a misequithrope(?) the doctor is?

Sticking to my guns on the story, but it is good to know more about your reasoning.