Minor spoilers contained below.
Equestria Ministry of Families, Foals and Mental Health
Comprehensive Assessment
Client Demographic Information
Client: ‘Bruce’
Age: UNK, apparent 8-10
Gender: Male
Race: Pony
Tribe: Earth Pony
Parents: UNK
Siblings: Two sisters, 'two years older and three years younger' as reported by client.
Reason for Assessment
Bruce was hospitalized at Ponyville General Hospital on June 29th 1003 CR after being discovered on the edge of Whitetail Wood by a group of young foals. He was treated for dehydration but no other cause for his comatose state was discovered. Initial assessment was taken by Spring Meadows, EMFFMH, at this date found possible signs of abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and enslavement. Comprehensive assessment was requested to determine what services – if any – were required. Contact was made at Sugarcube Corner, the foster home found for him by Meadows until his family could be identified.
Sources of Information
Bruce, Client
Cup Cake, Temporary Placement
Carrot Cake, Temporary Placement
Pinkie Pie, Boarder at Placement, Potential Babysitter
Spring Meadows, Counselor
Pound and Pumpkin Cake, other children in home
History
Social History
Bruce presents a ‘rough’ appearance of a young Earth Pony colt foal, approximately 8 to 10. His coat is light blue and his mane a darker blue. His eyes are golden. No known relatives exist but due to the actions and reactions of the client and staff at the hospital, he was deemed a potential abuse victim and placed in temporary custody of the Ministry. Bruce states his family was monogamist and reacts with confusion at the common polygamous nature of the average Equestrian family. Of note: 'Hell' is defined as a place where 'bad ponies' go that consists of what appears to be some sort of mining operation with 'large bipedal demons' holding 'sharp pointy sticks' and never-ending torment very similar to Diamond Dog enslavement hives.
Health History
Bruce presents no known health history at this time.
Sexual History
Bruce declares he is ‘married’ to a filly or mare named ‘Lisa.’ He also has presented both overt and covert sexual signals. Bruce reports incestuous relationship with little sister. Seems uncomfortable discussing details. Also states younger sister has foals, unknown how truthful that is.
Mental Health History
Bruce presents signs of being touch-shy at times and overly submissive behaviors to authority figures which rapidly switches to highly aggressive. Bruce also claims to be ‘human’ and in greater age than his apparent one. Bruce denies all pony heritage and seems to dislike Unicorns and magic. Bruce has delusions of great detail, human-centric. Bruce's world is constructed from a highly modified Equestria that seems to have failed in protecting and providing for the young. A utopic ideal was reported vis-a-vis technology but sociocultural aspects are almost turned on their heads (monogamy the norm, sexualized behavior 'not bad' and the like). No record of mental health has been found to date.
Substance Exposure History
Bruce self-claims addiction to cigarettes and presents usage of alcohol. No other drugs known at present time.
Abuse History
Bruce was found in an apparent intoxicated state. In addition to this and his other behaviors above, neglect is almost assured. His sexualized behaviors and his fear of authority figures seems to confirm this. Bruce reports physical abuse history between elder sister and father as well as incestuous relationship between self and younger sister.
Family History
Bruce describes his family as non-pony, ‘human.’ This is patently impossible. His true family whereabouts are unknown and their actions and behaviors are currently unable to be determined. Bruce reports family was monogamist and expressed confusion and almost disgust when presented with normal polygamous herd family structure. Reports mother left father for another mare. Reports unstable housing throughout life. Reports time-spans exceeding current age.
Cultural History
Bruce acts in ways unbecoming of a young colt. It is reported he has a foul mouth though that has not been observed during this assessment. Bruce is wary of adults in general but can become confrontational and aggressive for no apparent reason. Seems to dislike both natural covering and natural family life. A full analysis was not possible due to his family's unknown whereabouts.
Situational Analysis
Interview with Spring Meadows
Spring Meadows is the Counselor in charge of the Town of Ponyville. This is the first assessment requested by this counselor in her four years serving this area. Spring Meadows stated she feels ‘overwhelmed’ by this case and that it is outside of her normal work though not outside her purview. She states that due to the rarity of foals needing assistance, she had to place Bruce in what she felt was a sub-optimal placement but that it might not be as potentially harmful as she feared. She stated Bruce needed a stable and disciplined environment to break bad habits.
Interview with the Cakes
The Cakes (Cup, Carrot) are an Earth Pony family that live and work in Ponyville. They own their own bakery and run it efficiently with help from a boarder and employee. They state they feel ‘overwhelmed’ by this case as well and expressed nervousness about how Bruce’s behavior might impact their children. They were adamant that they want what is best for Bruce but are unsure if their home is the place for that. Their interaction with the client has been limited and they expressed nervousness about how that ‘fell apart’ so quickly. They are willing to ‘try’ but their unease is evident.
Interview with Pinkie Pie
Pinkie Pie is an Earth Pony boarder and employee of Sugarcube corner. Pinkie stated she is a ‘party-holic’ and appears to be suffering from hyperactivity or attention-deficit disorder. She required multiple redirects to the task at hoof. However, when the reason for this assessor’s visit became clear, she calmed down significantly. Pinkie stated she met Bruce as a courtesy at the hospital. She states that his language caused her to attempt to punish him but his reaction was unlike anything she had seen. She expressed severe regret at her actions. She stated that Bruce seems ‘super smart’ but that he has emotional difficulties related to interaction and family matters. She stated that his actions ‘made her feel super bad and sad’ but that firmed her desire to help him. She seemed nervous about being a caregiver for him, stating that she is inexperienced at dealing with such a complex and difficult child. She expressed willingness to try given a support network that can react quickly in emergencies.
Interview with the other children
Pound and Pumpkin Cake are the three year old children of the Cakes, a pegasus and a unicorn respectively. They are vocal but of limited ability. They expressed nervousness about Bruce and stated ‘he’s weird’ several times. They state they would like to be his friends but are unsure of his actions and his behavior. They state ‘he seems too old’ to be friends with them though their age difference does not make Bruce outside their age range.
Interview with Client
Bruce presents a sarcastic and slightly flippant attitude to the assessor. While he seemed to speak truthfully about his past history, he also seemed unable to comprehend the severity of his previous life and given the nature of some of his claims, the truthfulness of many of his statements can be called into question. His knowledge of sexuality and other mature matters, however, is real and must be taken into account. His behavior was not like a colt his age in some respects and very much like a colt his age in others. A great deal of information was gained, detailed in Assessor's Notes.
Assessment
Relationship Analysis
Parental relationship unknown. Current placement relationship strained due to client’s behavioral problems and apparent severity of case. Training would be required for the caregivers to maintain this placement as well as counseling on a continuing basis for client.
Observations of Client
Observation in the Foster Home
Client was observed in the foster home during a ‘Welcome to Ponyville/Home’ party given by Pinkie Pie. Client was injured due to falling at the outset and lost bladder control. Client was effectively cared for by Mr. Cake. Client appeared unwilling to interact with others, fearful of being touched and expressed crude semi-sexual language to Counselor Meadows. Client’s interactions quickly became aggressive and confrontational. Client and guest were removed and client withdrew under a table. When client reappeared with guest he was previously aggressive to, client appeared well mannered and apologized. Interactions with foals of near-age observed and quickly deteriorated due to aggressiveness from both sides. Counselor and Assessor both had to physically restrain both foals. Redirection unsuccessful in both cases.
Observation Alone
Client able to accept responsibility for actions and seems to redirect well in some areas. Areas of note are impulse control (poor) and age-appropriate sexuality (very poor). Enslavement/Abuse at Caregivers Hooves with some sexualization aspects. Molestation possible but Sex Exposure is most probable given client's self-reported child-on-child sexual contact. Potential for Lack of Oversight while Engaged. Also of note, extremist monogamists known for attempting to redirect natural impulse through over-exposure to single mare. Given his 'marriage' status and surprise at average Equestrian lifestyle, potential for being an escapee from some monogamist cult high.
Summary
Bruce appears to be an extremely intelligent Earth Pony colt of about 9 in a Temporary/Permanent Foster Home. His intellect and creativity are astounding. His prior home and family are unknown at this time. He appears to be unable to deal with changes in his environment well and reacts with aggression and fear when changes occur too quickly. If he is given enough time to calm himself, he is able to effectively manage interactions on a friendly but distant level. A ‘wait and see’ stance has been taken in this setting. Bruce is currently undergoing no therapeutic mental health care and no permanent placement has been identified but these must be sorted with all due haste.
Diagnosis
Withheld pending further assessment and information.
Recommendations
Proper recommendations withheld pending proper diagnosis. A permanent placement and home is required due to his reactions to changing environments. Individual therapy is recommended to deal with his delusions. Group therapy is recommended to deal with his unwanted behaviors. A full psychosocial assessment is requested. A full medical evaluation is requested. A full and detailed psychological assessment is requested.
ASSESSOR NOTES:
This could be nothing or it could be the worst case of child abuse ever seen in Equestria. We need to be very cautious about this and very careful about him. If all of this is due to lies, we will have spent some time unnecessarily. If this is due to true trauma, we will have spent it very well. I lean toward spending time where it is unneeded rather than withholding it where it is. Notes as follows:
[REDACTED DUE TO LENGTH, SEE FULL CASE NOTE DETAIL FOR NOTES]
Well, it's not the best but I'm not an actual social worker so it's hard for me to fake it. But here be the last paperwork for a while. Alternate Views will come though, from lots of places. I'm going to be avoiding the Main 6's POV if I can help it. The, uhm, story is about Bruce and giving the view to one of the Main 6 might lessen that. I dunno, maybe when he gets to one of their houses.
OH! And this has some spoilers for next chapter in it. I thought that was a good way to hint without hinting ... or something.
"He also has presented both overt and overt sexual signals."
Uh, redundant, much?
YAY MOAR
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yesyesyesyesyesyesyes
ThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYou!
I know what's about to happen~~!
(If you really want to know, look at my comments in chapters 15 and 16.)
Eh, hands, what?
I like these paperwork chapters, and I look forward to seeing more of them, even if they aren't as formal.
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Fix'd both.
oh god, TWO updates in one day!?!
Christmas has come early!
The thing that I think you need to emphasize more is how much Bruce's pony body is changing the what that he thinks and reacts to things, he's taking several things way too calmly.
That being said, keep up the good work!
yesyesyesyesyes!
Is it wrong to hope you bring in a pony-fied Special Victims Unit character?
So... What kind of time-frame can we expect for the next chapter? Darned if I don't find myself craving more as I read this.
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:P Actually, Fluttershy is about the closest you'd find in the Home Guard. But I've never watched ANY L&O after three episodes because I always find myself rooting for the bad guy. Those cops and lawyers are jerks and I don't like them.
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Uhm, if I don't burn myself out, uhm ... late week? I might get it out earlier but one a week is good.
Can't wait for more! Want the story to move forward if possible =D
poor bruce...when will his torment at the hands of stupid ponies end?...to bad for him i only see it getting worse...much worse before it gets any better
This story is pretty awesome, but one thing's bothering me;
Why is everyone acting like monogamy is appalling when the Cakes are monogamous?
A few typos to be corrected.
- outside her p
re[r]vue- presented both [c]overt and overt sexual signals
- [p]resents a sarcastic and slightly flippant attitude
An interesting analysis. So he's thought to be a sexually traumatized colt threatened with diamond dog enslavement for any missteps. Might need a few additions about probable isolation punishments and bondage which might be cause for his obviously sub-par motor skill development. His high creativity, imagination, and intelligence might be a counter-impulse enhanced by disallowing normal physical pursuits. Perhaps enrolling him in herd based athletic training events or games will help.
Normal colt-based activities like ballet, gymnastics, or softball!
These write-ups are a fun addition to the story.
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I didn't mean for that to be the feeling portrayed. It's ... weird in this Equestria. Not bad, just weird. However, there are some cases of strange Monogamy Cults (think that Texan Polygamy Cult of a few years back mixed with Waco) that tend to be really bad.
In a world where magic, genuine, bonified magic is a common part of society and an integral part of life itself...
why is Bruce's story so hard to believe? I smell conspiracy and government cover-ups...
Dude this seems creepily official
bruce keeps digging his grave deeper and deeper
This story reminds me of the first time i ate ice cream two words legend dairy
I really cannot wait until they see just how smart he is, 30 something in a 9 year old body. Yea, he will freak some people out when they notice.
mother left father for another mare. father not mother
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Uh, no. His mother left his father for another woman i.e. mom was a lesbian.
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It's just hard for me to imagine having to be FORCED to marry only one partner, I guess.
I'm not a horse, though, so I wouldn't know.
Oh damn, this will certainly take a long while. Maybe he can convince them he's an adult with his extensive knowlege in some subject? Like, economics maybe or something?
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Black helicopters and FEMA deathcamps incoming!
1076827 Works for me.
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... All I could think of on seeing your comment is the counselors coming to the conclusion that not only was he in some sort of sexually abusive scenario with completely messed up values, he was also forced to do his guardian/owner's TAXES.
I probably shouldn't be laughing out loud at the brain-hurt they'll be going through trying to wrap their heads around a genius actuary who is roughly 9 years old, from an abusive family.
put him on meds or shock therapy images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120128225642/smuff/images/2/25/Derpy_and_some_lightning.gif
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Oh, he was forced to read from that dread tome, that eldricht book of horrors, that artifact more sanity-shattering than the Necronomicron itself...
THE UNITED STATES TAX CODE!
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Fixed.
You should introduce another human character suffering the same problem as Bruce and wants to help him
God I'm a sadist. I get excited thinking about what new torment poor Bruce is going to go through next. I'm a bad, bad person, but at least I'm no so bad as to write this kind of story. Shame on you Minalkra.
1076892 For the same reason why people in the "Real" World would have a similar reaction to an inverse situation.
Honestly, If you take your everyday artifacts and send em back in time, or else to an alternate dimension with a lower tech level, I have no double that it would be considered magic, at least until a proper study, with experimentation and so on would be done. Same as future tech being sent back in time.
The main difference here is that in the MLP Universe, Magic is not the modern, "Illusion, Trickery, or slight of hand", or else "I use the term magic to explain something I can't explain", but rather as a field of science, likely having to do with biological doubtless a field of science. Heck, call it Psionics, Telekinesis, or any other Sci-fi Pseudo-science term, and its still the same thing. And science is great and all, but it also has known limitations. After all, you can't move faster than the speed of light. Magic doubtless has similar limitations. I haven't seen Twlight teleport all the way from Ponyville to Canterlot before, and uses other transportation. (And not because she wants to be with her friends, First episode, why not teleport instead of taking a private chariot?) It could be unstable over long distances, or else have a finite range. I have no doubt there are plenty of other limitations, albiet only a limited number of them are canon-based, and are instead required to be defined by the fanfiction in question.
While we know time travel is possible, (assuming all canon MLPFIM is canon here), I have seen no evidence of cross dimensional travel.
So yea, when someone shows up (doubtless naked), and claims to be a pony, I highly double most people would believe them, but instead assuming they are delusional, lying, or w.e, and would probably disregard the obviously "Impossible" parts of the story. Oh, and this goes double when you consider the "Wasn't even that good of a TV Series", which you could just copy-paste to make a story, even with alterations (which is what this is in reverse)
So sorry, but I don't agree. I think this is totally plausible.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicByAnyOtherName
___________________
Off topic, I have to wonder, on the topic of magic limitations, If force-fields are impossible to cooperatively produce and maintain. Additionally, assuming that the sun and moon are significantly smaller and closer, it is fully possible that the Special talent amplification (yes, I just made that up) effect allow alicorns, which are actually not insanely more powerful than other ponies, to be able to control said celestial objects, it is easily possible that the supposed plot hole with Shining armor generating the shield single-hoofidly while the princesses did nothing to help could be because, even if somewhat weaker than the princesses in "Power level" (which may or may not be the case, after all, his special talent is probably protection magic, while theirs is clearly sun/moon affinity), that he was in fact literally far more powerful due to amplification for said task. If shields can't be cooperatively produced, that also means that since he would make the strongest shield, he obviously would be the one for the job.
Interesting matriarchal spin.
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I really want to go and discuss this with you right now (it's interesting and actually has a bit to do with this Equestria) but I have to get up in 6 hours for work. I'll try to get back to you on this tomorrow.
Sorry ...
Interesting read. Only thing that bothers me is how polygamy is apparently the norm in Equestria? I mean I don't want to question your head cannon, but hasn't the show always portrayed the pony family to be more "human" and less "horse", heck there was even a wedding episode with vows and everything. Even in your story, Spring puts Bruce with the Cakes (I assume monogamous) , since they seem the most stable. I dunno, just seems weird to me, which I guess is to help me relate to Bruce's jarring reaction.
While I am glad that there were two updates in one night, I am extremely interested in the full length notes that the psychiatrist wrote during his interview. Of course, the length indicated would be...draining for you.
will there be any ponified humans Bruce will meet?
If this is what i think it is... i need a time machine to take me next week.
You torture us you magnificent bastard.
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I think there may be some cross-pollination of ideas. Basically, Ponyville has a severely skewed mare-to-stallion ratio, even by Equestrian standards. So, while monogamy isn't evil per-se, but it's considered greedy and 'hogging-a-stallion-all-to-yourself' behavior.
So:
One stallion, four mares in a loving herd: Normal.
One stallion, one mare: Somewhat unusual, mildly-disapproved of.
One stallion, no mare, foals sexing each other, 6-year-old mothers and large quantities of abuse: Really unusual and more than mildly-disapproved.
That said, I'm surprised the good doctor hasn't made a comparison between his previous self-stated living conditions (a monogamous pair with siblings) and his current ones (a monogamous pair with fostersiblings).
It's the aura, the Cake Twins can pick-up on Bruce's Aura of Maturity.
Great chapter, I'm really loving this story.
Anyone pick up that the baby Cakes are the ones who got closest to the truth?
When he meets Diamond Tiara, I will expect a full shitstorm.
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i.qkme.me/3ohoqg.jpg
Shit this got dark fast.... When's the next chapter? I find myself wanting to read this more and more as time progresses.
Very awesome paperwork chapter. I think my favorite part was with the diamond dog slave hive comparison to Hell, a place for bad ponies to go that's some kind of mining operation overseen by bipedal creatures. That's just... wow, too funny man.
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Agreed, it's a different cultural approach to a society that both reflects the animals they are related too while also presenting a skewed projection on relationship mechanics that are the norm for ourselves. As much as folks rally on about multiple partners being a dream (harems etc.), I'd think it'd be a pain to keep up with them all, time wise (activities) and emotionally.
I was thinking of the similarities as well between the two families. That could be either: GOOD as it gives him some semblance of normality he needs, or BAD as it would further enforce those anti-polygamous societal norms he harbors. So it could be a good reason for him to end up elsewhere eventually, so they can start normalizing/acclimating his social expectations to what's considered the standard.
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Aura of maturity? Have you been reading the same story as the rest of us?
I wonder what kind of schooling Bruce had, Like college wise. If I were in his position I'd try to prove I know way more than any child possibly could by turning the world of science in Equestria on it's head. Since it seems they are just getting electricity, why not build a tesla coil, or re-invent the airplane ... too bad most people have no conceivable idea how either works. Me being one of them
I'm working towards a degree in astrophysics but i have some serious doubts physics as we know them have any real worth in Equestria seeing as the sun and moon are moved manually, but dammit i'd try.
I should stop, i'm rambling and i'm sure it isn't really something anyone is interested in reading. At any rate, can't wait the next chapter, these are well worth the wait
1077561...Good point. Maybe mature compared to them? I don't really know, it's late and I should be asleep (but I'm going to continue reading for a little bit longer).
Two chapters in one day? You're on a roll, man. Keep it up!
Also, great job, Bruce. Explaining "Hell" and talking about abuse. You've confirmed their worst fears, and just put off the chance of people believing you even further into oblivion.