Guard The Art!

Aster stood slumped against the wall at an Art Gallery. He was supposed to be guarding a painting, but he was so tired... the slender pegaus blinked suddenly. Did I just hear a noise..? He thought he saw a flash of movement... but no, he must be imagining things. He snuggled up against the wall, and looked up, and his eyes widened. The painting was gone! The very one he was supposed to be guarding. Suddenly he saw a hooded figure flee the scene, and he gasped.

" WAIT! PLEASE GIVE THAT BACK!" he hollered, and started to fly after the mysterious thief, only to ram into the wall. he anxiously bit his lip. What in Equestria was he going to do? Other ponies started to run around in a panicked frenxy, while the confused guard merely sat there in a daze, unsure of what to do.

Erika Darknight was carefully sharpening her daggers when the parchment arrived, sealed with the royal insignia of the crown. She observed the letter, still sealed, at her hooves for a good five minutes, the scrape of metal on the whetting stone the only sound in her room. Finally, she sheathed the weapon, picking up the parchment and unrolling it.

When she was finished, she tossed it into the fire to her left and got to her hooves. A normal guard wouldn't have been so candid about an assignment so dire, but Erika dealt with the like on an almost daily basis. A stolen painting was no big deal compared to other crimes she had stopped with a bit of persuasion and a dagger at a throat. it always helped to have a bow and fifty arrows at hoof, too. What luck it was that the Gallery was only a block away.

She trotted out the door, a smile spreading on her face as she imagined the ways she could catch her criminal. Would she resort to breaking bones? Slashing hooves? Whatever it took, she was going to administer justice, and it was going to be violent.

Aster suddenly saw a pony with a long mane tied into a braid calmly walk through the doors of the gallery, and his eyes widened with hope. Is that-? " Erika Darknight!" he blurted out. He had heard of the pony, but he typically didn't see her around. The young pegasus was typically left to the less scary things, though on rare occasions he was sent to go to the dungeons, just to give the others a nice laugh.

"ThankgoodnessyourhereyouhavenoideahowscaredIamwellyourtheexpertwhatddowedoI'msoscaredwowyousurearetoughlookingmaybeyoucanhelpmeout?" he said frantically, all in one breath, then gave her a hopeful look.

Erika blinked, staring at the guard with distaste.

"First off, you need to clam down," she said, boredom apparent on her face. "Secondly, do try to separate your sentences. No one can understand you."

She bent down and examined the hoofprints running from the podium, the sweep of a cloak marring the clear tracks. She looked towards the path that the perpetrator had taken.

"Well, if you want to make yourself useful, then try and keep up," she snapped at the guard, mentally rolling her eyes. Ponies who met her, especially other guards, tended to fall all over her, showering her with compliments she didn't want, until they spent ten minutes in the company of the violent, sadistic mare. She shook her head before galloping after her con, certain she'd catch up at one point or another.

Ah, there he was. The swish of a cloak swirled as the thief made off, and she grinned.

(Wait a bit, I want to see if Butters is interested in having May be the thief)

Aster gave the mare a slightly hurt look, and gave himself a weak smile. " Keep up, yeah I can... do that.." his voice trailed off, as he watched Erika seemingly glide after the thief, a mere blur.

" Hey! Uh- wait for me!" he cried out, nervously looking around him. Panting, he caught up with her. " Do you want me to- OW!" he let out a cry of pain, as he tripped over a brick on the sidewalk. Giving her a sheepish grin, he slowly got up.

" My bad! I didn't scare him off, did I?"

Erika groaned as the suspect bolted, but she did not relent in her chase. She only slowed when it was evident that the guard trailing behind her had clearly given the thief the upper hoof.

She forced a smile at the insolent stallion.

"Not at all," she said sarcastically. "Try to stay on your hooves. Follow basic training, soldier. Tripping over yourself is not going to get you anywhere in this occupation. Next time... you know... don't say anything, okay?"

She took off before he could respond, her annoyance clear as she hunted down her criminal.

He nodded eagerly, and carefully hovered after the mare. Aster looked longingly behind him at a cart of flowers, as he trailed after Erika. He wished he could own that pretty little cart... They smell heavenly... the guard instantly snapped back into reality. Keep your eyes on the prize. You're with Erika Darknight! The pther guards will be so jealous, do this right, and you can get a place amoung them! Excited by this happy thought, he watched Erika as she kept her eyes locked ahead of her.

" Uh... where are we going?" the slender pegasus asked.

(Ah, sh*t, forgot about this one, sorry!)

Erika rolled her eyes and continued on her way.

"We're following the thief, that's what," she said irritably. A dark shape moved slightly in her peripheral vision, and, without much thought, Erika ripped the bow from her shoulder and shot at the pony. The arrow pinned the pony to the wall behind him, and the stallion let out a groan as he tried to rip himself free.

"There you go," she said, nodding expectantly at her fellow guard. "Go get him."

(It's alright, but sorry for short post!)

Aster gulped.

" Um, are you sure? I mean, I don't want to, you know... uh... " he glance nervously as the squirming thief, who was now glaring at the two of them viciously. The pegasus backed away, peeking out behind the mare.

" He's a little... angry, don't you think?" he said nervously, then adjusted his lopsided helmet while shaking terribly.

Erika looked apprehensively at her partner, slowly blinking her blood-red eyes.

"Angry, hmm?" she said softly. "Oh, no, that won't do at all... fear is more what I'm looking for, dear. Let me handle the first part of this."

She teleported herself to the thief with a flash, holding her dagger at his throat and staring him with immense intensity. The stallion immediately shrank back at her stare, trying to cover his eyes and block out her terrifying irises.

"I'm Erika," she said, smiling sadistically. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Aster watched with wide eyes as the mare approached the thief. He suddenly felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He had heard awful rumors about the mare. Is she going to chop off his head? Beat him to a pulp? Eat him?! The guard let out a small squeak of terror at the thought of what she may do to the poor stallion, and shrunk back towards a small barrel.

" I'm just going... to hide in here..." he whispered, giving a weak smile to the intimidating mare.

Erika's grin widened, causing the formerly feral con to slink back away from her evil-seeming gaze.

"I asked you a question, and when I do, you need to reply, Vous comprende? "

(I apologize for the mini post, I just assumed you would do the stallion's speech :/)

Wow sorry for late reply,and if you want I can do his speech, sorry about that!)

The thief's determind look faltered, and he shook his head. Aster peeped out of the barrel, and stared at Erika with wide, terrified eyes. This was really his first encounter with her, but he hadn't thought she would be so... heartless. The guard suddenly noticed the con had something shiny... and pointy with him, which he now held pointing at Erika, though he was shaking terribly.

" KNIFE!" shrieked Aster, and desperatly tried to escape the barrel, only to make it fall, with him along in it. Then the barrel began to roll, faster, and faster, and faster. Oh, please no! No no no!

The guard let out a terrified cry as he wailed " HEEEELLPP!"