Love Bites

chapter 17: we were built to fall apart

chapter photo creds: @artistotel on tumblr
title from out of the woods by taylor swift

a/n: happy holidays! enjoy some angst :)

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December 1941

Although Applejack's body refused to change as the years went by, time did not stop for her. The 30s flew by before she could even become comfortable with the new clothing styles of the time (something that Rarity had no trouble at all with), and suddenly she was thrust into the beginning of an entirely new decade. Her work mostly stayed the same though. Every day it felt like more and more vampires were appearing across Atlanta.

The great thing was that her and Rarity were truly a force to be reckoned with. Rarity's vampire abilities with Applejack's heightened senses made for a deadly combination.

Tonight's mission shouldn't have been any different. Their instructions were simple: take out the small group of vampires who were hiding out behind a local school building. Normally, vampires liked to spread out and move around, but this group of vamps were clearly up to something different. At the first sight of Applejack's face, the vampires fled in multiple directions, so Applejack went left and Rarity ran right.

They were fast like all vampires were, but Applejack had an inkling that they were newly turned, which made them all significantly easier to take down. Tonight, Applejack was testing out a new crossbow, and once both of the vampires were right where she wanted them, Applejack shot them down with painful accuracy.

After retrieving her stakes, Applejack rushes in the direction of where Rarity went, fully expecting her to have finished her part of the mission already. What she didn't expect is to hear the sounds of whimpering and pleading. Applejack peeks around the corner of a wall to find Rarity closing in on the final vampire.

"Please," the vampire cried. "I'll learn to control it, just please let me go."

For the first time in all of their missions, Rarity actually hesitates. It wasn't uncommon for vampires to use manipulation tactics like these, but Applejack didn't think Rarity would actually be affected by them. She lifts her crossbow slowly then, and the moment that the vampire dares to take a step closer to Rarity, Applejack pulls the trigger.

In one swift motion, the stake pierces through the chest of the vampire, who Applejack realizes only looks about 16 years old. Rarity turns quickly towards her, a look on her face that Applejack cannot place.

It's not until they both make it behind the safe walls of their apartment that Applejack finally asks if Rarity is okay. She knows it might be a stupid question, especially since Rarity had been mostly silent the whole way home, but she asks anyway.

"Perfectly fine," Rarity says as they're getting ready for bed. "Just a little shaken up after tonight is all."

Her answer only worries Applejack more. They'd been hunting vampires together for nearly two decades. They were rarely shaken up anymore. "I know that can't be all"

Rarity is silent for a few moments, before sighing and shaking her head. "I feel like they're getting younger, these vampires. Lately I can't help but... be reminded of myself when I first turned."

"You're nothing like them," Applejack reassures. "You wouldn't hurt people."

"I wouldn't," Rarity agrees with a sad smile. "But I'm still a vampire. I am them."

Applejack frowns, "Rarity–"

"Can we just," Rarity interrupts, "Not talk about this right now?"

Applejack nods and makes sure not to bring the conversation up a second time. Years later, decades later even, she will wonder if maybe she should have brought it up again. Maybe if she'd tried to confront the issue sooner rather than later, things would have ended up different.