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Description
"I should give you a short description of my country, so you will understand better. Cloud is not my real name. In my country we do not have a legal name until we get our cutie mark, though I understand that is not so here. When I was young, my parents were killed in a terrible fire that destroyed our house. I did not have a normal life, as you might have guessed. I worked for our government.

Our government is not like yours. We do not have a royal family, or Princesses. We have the Parliament Leader, the Parliament, and the Judges. The Parliament Leader drafts the new laws, and controls the majority of the military. The Parliament votes on new laws and other matters. They work closely together, and the Parliament Leader is often an old Parliament member.

The Judges, however, are seperate, and operate differently. They are charged with guarding our lands from the gravest of threats, both foreign and domestic. They operate outside the law most often, and are not made of elected officials, like the Parliament Leader and Parliament are. The only way to become part of the Judges or their forces is to be invited. They keep a close eye on our military, and if they see a pony who is exceptional, they will invite him. Should he accept, he will become an Einheit, or "Agent" in this language.

Very few choose to become an Agent. It is very risky, and very dangerous. There are only a maximum of two hundred Agents at a time, and only twenty Judges. The reason there are so few is simple: The more ponies know about us, the harder it is to keep what we do quiet. That is a secret, you see. Most do not know exactly what we do until they join. If they deny, we send them on their way without telling them anything. If they accept, they are spirited away to the facility and allowed very little contact with our families, and none with anypony else. I did not have a family, so it was not so bad for me.

As an Agent, we were not referred to with names, but with numbers. Easier on the files. Officially, I was known as Agent Eighteen. I had only one good friend, and he was also an Agent. Number Seventeen, better known as Stein, which means Stone. He was an earth pony, which is rare for an Agent. Earth ponies do not have magic, and cannot fly, which gives them a disadvantage. Stein made up for his lack with immense size and strength. I once saw him buck a large tree so hard, it broke in half.

Now I have told you the background, let me start at the beginning. Almost twenty years ago, I was just a young, markless pegasus joining the military.  At the time, I did not know, but they were keeping their eye on me. Before entering, I had been given several tests. I never got the results of the test, but I later learned I had done better on the tests than any pony in the past fifty years. I did know that I was doing better in training than most of the ponies around me. I kept getting moved from program to program, each one getting tougher, but still I made it through.

Then one morning, I was approached by a pegasus I did not know, and he told me he had a proposal for me. He said it was the opportunity to serve my country at the highest level, as an Agent. I had heard the rumors of what they do, as had everypony, but I never truly believed them. I told him I would be honoured. He told me I would not be able to talk to anypony outside family, and would not be allowed to tell them what I was doing. I told him I did not have a family, and no good friends. We talked for a further few minutes, and I agreed to everything he proposed. He then told me to pack my bags, we were going to my new home.

I trained there for three years.The training was unlike any other I had ever done. It was during some of the stealth training I got my mark, and got to choose my name.  I had the remarkable ability to go unnoticed when I wanted to. I could sneak past even the most alert of guards, and even incapacitate them with almost no noise. I chose to be named Schatten Des Todes, which means Shadow of Death. At the time, I was proud of my name.

The Judges realized my special talents, and started using me when more obtuse methods failed. To put it shortly, I was a silent assassin. Only the worst of terrorists, traitors, and  criminals were my targets. I got paid good, and protected my country. This went well for a few more years.

Then, fifteen years ago, the government started to change. The laws started getting more and more strict, and I found myself tracking down criminals that would have barely registered to us before, but they were now labeled terrorists. There was growing dissent among the citizens, and I found myself wondering what the motives to some of my orders were.

The only pony I told about this was Stein, who was closer to me than any other. We could talk about anything, including work, because we were both Agents. He agreed with me about the governments new policies, and was more vehement about it than I. Then one day, he simply dissappeared. No pony knew what had happened to him. Three weeks later, I got another assignment. There was a growing group of anarchists who had started opposing the government, organizing riots and protests against the ever tightening policies. I was told to eleminate the leader, bringing the group down. I asked if I should bring him in alive, as killing him seemed harsh. The Judge giving me the order got extremely upset, and almost accused me of being a sympathizer and traitor. I was still very loyal to the government, even if I did not agree with  some of their decisions, so I accepted my orders to kill him.

So I went out to find the anonymous leader. It took me a while, but I finally cornered him in a three story building on the edge of the capital city. I eliminated his guards as silently as I could, but he somehow knew I was coming and set the building on fire. I made it to the hallway he was in, but a falling beam hit me on the head and knocked me unconscious me for about a minute. When I woke up, the blaze was all around and the hallway was blocked. As I was leaving, I happened to find the leader, trapped under a part of the ceiling that had collapsed. I could not believe who it was. The leader, who I had never seen personally, the pony I was to kill, was Stein.

I should have realized I was on the wrong side then. But I did not. I escaped, and left Stein to die in the fire, believing he was a traitor, still naive enough to think I was bringing justice to the world. But I never told the Judges who it was I had found, simply saying he was killed in the fire before I could identify him. They gave me medals and a promotion. But the unexplainable assignments kept coming.

The last assignment I was given was for a mare and two foals. I was shocked and disgusted when I was told to kill young ones. When I demanded to know why, I was told they were the family of anarchist leaders, and were to be killed to send a message to the leaders. I could not do this. I knew what I had to do. I told the Judges I would do it, and collected the details of the victims. That night, I left.

I went to the house of the family I was supposed to kill. I went into the bedroom of the mare, and woke her up, and began to explain who I was and why I was here. I told her I was given orders to kill her and her children, but I would not. Instead, I gave her directions to leave the city. Before I could finish explaining why, I heard noises from downstairs, and I immediately knew who it was. The Judges had sent soldiers to the house to finish the job they knew I would not do.  They killed the foals before rushing into the room and killed the mare before my eyes, and tackled me to the ground. There was at least thirty soldiers, and the only reason I was still alive was that one recognized me. His hesitation proved just enough for me to free myself from the grip of the soldiers holding me down. I jumped out of the window and flew away. I hid in the forests, stealing newspapers for any scrap of news.

That was the day I realized the government was corrupt. The Parliment no longer cared for the citizens, only caring about power and wealth. They were slowly taking complete control over the country. Less than a month after I went into hiding, the Parliment Leader gave an announcement that our government was changing. He was going to rule with absolute power, with the Parliament backing him, and the Judges and military enforcing his will. Ponies tried to resist, but they simply could not succeed. Within a year, the entire country was subdued. I saw on many newspapers that I was the most wanted pony in the country for my betrayal and allegedly killing many civilians. I knew I had to leave, for there was nothing I could do. Every pony believed I was a monster.

I felt incredible shame. Stein had been right. He had been my only friend, and I left him to die because I was too blind to see what was right until it was too late. So I left. I travelled from town to town, doing small tasks and manual labor in return for the supplies to keep travelling, trying to get as far from my failures as possible. The new government had even spread the news outside their borders that I was a dangerous and wanted criminal, so I had to disguise myself. It was hard, and took much time, but I eventually travelled far enough that I was unknown.

And now here I am. I thought my luck had run out, that I was going to die in the rain and mud, but you saved me. I still do not know if I was worth saving, though. I think I wanted to die, that I deserved to after what I had done and let happen."

Description
"I should give you a short description of my country, so you will understand better. Cloud is not my real name. In my country we do not have a legal name until we get our cutie mark, though I understand that is not so here. When I was young, my parents were killed in a terrible fire that destroyed our house. I did not have a normal life, as you might have guessed. I worked for our government.

Our government is not like yours. We do not have a royal family, or Princesses. We have the Parliament Leader, the Parliament, and the Judges. The Parliament Leader drafts the new laws, and controls the majority of the military. The Parliament votes on new laws and other matters. They work closely together, and the Parliament Leader is often an old Parliament member.

The Judges, however, are seperate, and operate differently. They are charged with guarding our lands from the gravest of threats, both foreign and domestic. They operate outside the law most often, and are not made of elected officials, like the Parliament Leader and Parliament are. The only way to become part of the Judges or their forces is to be invited. They keep a close eye on our military, and if they see a pony who is exceptional, they will invite him. Should he accept, he will become an Einheit, or "Agent" in this language.

Very few choose to become an Agent. It is very risky, and very dangerous. There are only a maximum of two hundred Agents at a time, and only twenty Judges. The reason there are so few is simple: The more ponies know about us, the harder it is to keep what we do quiet. That is a secret, you see. Most do not know exactly what we do until they join. If they deny, we send them on their way without telling them anything. If they accept, they are spirited away to the facility and allowed very little contact with our families, and none with anypony else. I did not have a family, so it was not so bad for me.

As an Agent, we were not referred to with names, but with numbers. Easier on the files. Officially, I was known as Agent Eighteen. I had only one good friend, and he was also an Agent. Number Seventeen, better known as Stein, which means Stone. He was an earth pony, which is rare for an Agent. Earth ponies do not have magic, and cannot fly, which gives them a disadvantage. Stein made up for his lack with immense size and strength. I once saw him buck a large tree so hard, it broke in half.

Now I have told you the background, let me start at the beginning. Almost twenty years ago, I was just a young, markless pegasus joining the military.  At the time, I did not know, but they were keeping their eye on me. Before entering, I had been given several tests. I never got the results of the test, but I later learned I had done better on the tests than any pony in the past fifty years. I did know that I was doing better in training than most of the ponies around me. I kept getting moved from program to program, each one getting tougher, but still I made it through.

Then one morning, I was approached by a pegasus I did not know, and he told me he had a proposal for me. He said it was the opportunity to serve my country at the highest level, as an Agent. I had heard the rumors of what they do, as had everypony, but I never truly believed them. I told him I would be honoured. He told me I would not be able to talk to anypony outside family, and would not be allowed to tell them what I was doing. I told him I did not have a family, and no good friends. We talked for a further few minutes, and I agreed to everything he proposed. He then told me to pack my bags, we were going to my new home.

I trained there for three years.The training was unlike any other I had ever done. It was during some of the stealth training I got my mark, and got to choose my name.  I had the remarkable ability to go unnoticed when I wanted to. I could sneak past even the most alert of guards, and even incapacitate them with almost no noise. I chose to be named Schatten Des Todes, which means Shadow of Death. At the time, I was proud of my name.

The Judges realized my special talents, and started using me when more obtuse methods failed. To put it shortly, I was a silent assassin. Only the worst of terrorists, traitors, and  criminals were my targets. I got paid good, and protected my country. This went well for a few more years.

Then, fifteen years ago, the government started to change. The laws started getting more and more strict, and I found myself tracking down criminals that would have barely registered to us before, but they were now labeled terrorists. There was growing dissent among the citizens, and I found myself wondering what the motives to some of my orders were.

The only pony I told about this was Stein, who was closer to me than any other. We could talk about anything, including work, because we were both Agents. He agreed with me about the governments new policies, and was more vehement about it than I. Then one day, he simply dissappeared. No pony knew what had happened to him. Three weeks later, I got another assignment. There was a growing group of anarchists who had started opposing the government, organizing riots and protests against the ever tightening policies. I was told to eleminate the leader, bringing the group down. I asked if I should bring him in alive, as killing him seemed harsh. The Judge giving me the order got extremely upset, and almost accused me of being a sympathizer and traitor. I was still very loyal to the government, even if I did not agree with  some of their decisions, so I accepted my orders to kill him.

So I went out to find the anonymous leader. It took me a while, but I finally cornered him in a three story building on the edge of the capital city. I eliminated his guards as silently as I could, but he somehow knew I was coming and set the building on fire. I made it to the hallway he was in, but a falling beam hit me on the head and knocked me unconscious me for about a minute. When I woke up, the blaze was all around and the hallway was blocked. As I was leaving, I happened to find the leader, trapped under a part of the ceiling that had collapsed. I could not believe who it was. The leader, who I had never seen personally, the pony I was to kill, was Stein.

I should have realized I was on the wrong side then. But I did not. I escaped, and left Stein to die in the fire, believing he was a traitor, still naive enough to think I was bringing justice to the world. But I never told the Judges who it was I had found, simply saying he was killed in the fire before I could identify him. They gave me medals and a promotion. But the unexplainable assignments kept coming.

The last assignment I was given was for a mare and two foals. I was shocked and disgusted when I was told to kill young ones. When I demanded to know why, I was told they were the family of anarchist leaders, and were to be killed to send a message to the leaders. I could not do this. I knew what I had to do. I told the Judges I would do it, and collected the details of the victims. That night, I left.

I went to the house of the family I was supposed to kill. I went into the bedroom of the mare, and woke her up, and began to explain who I was and why I was here. I told her I was given orders to kill her and her children, but I would not. Instead, I gave her directions to leave the city. Before I could finish explaining why, I heard noises from downstairs, and I immediately knew who it was. The Judges had sent soldiers to the house to finish the job they knew I would not do.  They killed the foals before rushing into the room and killed the mare before my eyes, and tackled me to the ground. There was at least thirty soldiers, and the only reason I was still alive was that one recognized me. His hesitation proved just enough for me to free myself from the grip of the soldiers holding me down. I jumped out of the window and flew away. I hid in the forests, stealing newspapers for any scrap of news.

That was the day I realized the government was corrupt. The Parliment no longer cared for the citizens, only caring about power and wealth. They were slowly taking complete control over the country. Less than a month after I went into hiding, the Parliment Leader gave an announcement that our government was changing. He was going to rule with absolute power, with the Parliament backing him, and the Judges and military enforcing his will. Ponies tried to resist, but they simply could not succeed. Within a year, the entire country was subdued. I saw on many newspapers that I was the most wanted pony in the country for my betrayal and allegedly killing many civilians. I knew I had to leave, for there was nothing I could do. Every pony believed I was a monster.

I felt incredible shame. Stein had been right. He had been my only friend, and I left him to die because I was too blind to see what was right until it was too late. So I left. I travelled from town to town, doing small tasks and manual labor in return for the supplies to keep travelling, trying to get as far from my failures as possible. The new government had even spread the news outside their borders that I was a dangerous and wanted criminal, so I had to disguise myself. It was hard, and took much time, but I eventually travelled far enough that I was unknown.

And now here I am. I thought my luck had run out, that I was going to die in the rain and mud, but you saved me. I still do not know if I was worth saving, though. I think I wanted to die, that I deserved to after what I had done and let happen."