The city lights shined so brightly it made the nightlife look like daytime to the walking blonde. As his boots crunched against the pavement he couldn't help but to look around at the bustling crowd of people walking up and down the same pavement as he. He had driven into the city about an hour ago and even though he felt tired from the long drive he couldn't help but to feel a sense of awe at staring at the lively city. He then adjusted the Stetson atop his head and grinned happily as he walked on.

He reached into the front pocket of his red plaid shirt and took out a business card with the name "Sweet Elite suites" emblazoned across the card in a gold elegant font, the name of the hotel he'd be staying in. His living arrangements were made by the matriarch of his family, and he couldn't help but to smile a bit more at remembering his grandmother's words:

"Applejack, m'boy, ya never take it easy enough! Now Ah arranged for yer stay over in Manehatten and set ya up with a pretty good place to lay yer head. Ah know them contract renewals won't take too long to do but Ah'm puttin' m'foot down on this. You got a week to stay over there in the city, so take that time to unwind some! Ya ain't young forever, so take advantage while ya can, m'boy. And don'tcha worry none 'bout us here. Ah got Mac and Bloom to hold the fort while yer gone. Now git!"

He shook his head and slid the card back into his breast pocket, giving it a pat and chuckling to himself. "Ah read you loud and clear, gran."

The young farmer Applejack meandered through the endless stream of people with no clue how to go about finding Sweet Elite suites, so he gave up the chase for the time being and became adventurous. He crossed a few lights, turned a few corners and did some window shopping around the display shops, muttering a few "Pardon me's" as some people brushed or bumped into him. He didn't pay the irritated scowls no mind as he went on; he was a bit on the tall side after all. Not as big as his brother but still a bit bigger then most of the guys he saw around town. Even Blitz joked about his height from time to time, though he'd pretty much turn anything into a joke so that was no surprise.

His feet moved in casual strides as he neared a park, much to his surprise. "Well, Ah'll be. This place has some greens growin' here after all!"

The rim of his Stetson shielded his eyes from the bright fluorescents of the lamp posts overhead. All the while he's been here, Applejack has been met with nothing more than stone cold cement and even colder steel. Seeing some trees and having the smell of fresh cut grass hit his nose was a refresher for the farmer. He then stuffed his hands into his denim pockets and took in the sights, letting the cool night breeze course over him.

So lost in the tranquil feelings of being among an organic environment, Applejack failed to see someone else walking in his direction and the two bodies collided with an audible "OOF!" from both sides. Applejack merely stumbled back a bit, the force not nearly enough to actually make him lose balance.

The other person ,however, wasn't so lucky and fell backwards onto their rear with a loud squeal of alarm. Luckily enough, they fell onto the grass rather then the pavement.

"Oh, man! Ah'm so sorry 'bout that! Uh, lemme help you there, pardner." Without waiting for any prompting from the other person Applejack reached out and carefully took them by a pale hand. He noted how small and dainty it looked, soft porcelain against rough callouses. He lifted his head up and saw that he had bumped into a woman! She was rubbing her backside with her other hand as she let out a small groan.

Her long, violet hair was curled with an elegance befitting royalty. The woman had pale skin that rivaled the very glow of the moon itself. Ruby red lips and a touch of blue eye shadow adorned her face, while she wore gold loop earrings and a thin silver chain necklace, with a pendant of a single blue gemstone hanging from her neck and disappearing beneath the collar of her blouse. She was clad in a frilly white dress top and what looked to be a tight black skirt, with a black shawl draped around her shoulders and wearing simple red stiletto pumps.

"U-Um, excuse me, sir, but...well....aren't you going to um, help me up?"

The soft tone of a woman's' voice snapped the farmer out of his trance (Had he been staring at her all this time? With his mouth open and everything?!) and he shook his head to come to his senses. "Oh! M-My apologies, ma'am!" Applying a gentle hold onto her hand as it was still in his, Applejack hoisted the woman up with no effort at all.

She then slid her hand out of his grip and dusted the bits of grass and tree leaves off of her person, fretting a bit and muttering about grass stains setting in. She stood to his chest level, raising deep blue eyes up to meet his green ones. Applejack took his hat off and held to his chest as he held eye contact with her. "Ah'm truly sorry 'bout that, ma'am. Ah wasn't lookin' where Ah was goin'. Are you alright?"

The young woman stifled a giggle behind her well-done fingertips at seeing the farmer look her over in genuine concern.

"I'm fine, dear! Just got a bit of a surprise from that little spill. No harm done, my dear."

Applejack drummed his fingers along the rim of his Stetson and nodded, still with a look that was akin to a child waiting for reprimand. This time she did giggle and gave his arm a sure pat.

"Really, darling, I'm fine! Take a look for yourself!" She then held out her arms to the side as she turned around in front of him. She could feel his eyes on her. Hell, she could feel the flush rise in his freckled cheeks from where she was and it only made her smile. She ended the turning and was now

facing him once again. "See? Not a stitch out of place."

He gave a sheepish chuckle before spotting a couple of leaves caught in a curled strand close to her face. "Oop! Missed some."

Without thinking, Applejack reached out with both hands toward the woman's' face. One hand tilted her chin to the side as his other hand untangled the leaves from her silken locks. His hands moved with such gentleness that she unconsciously gave out a quiet gasp at the contact.

"There! Now everythin's right as rain. Again, Ah apologize for bumping into you like that, ma'am."

"Rarity."

The simple word made him cock his head in confusion. "Beg yer pardon?"

"It's my name, dear. I'm Rarity Belle."

He blinked in surprise as she introduced herself and his mouth split into a genuine smile at hearing it again. "Well, its a right pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Rarity!" He then took her hand in his once again and gave it a light shake while he used his other hand to tip his hat to her. "The name's Applejack Apple of Sweet Apple Acres over in Ponyville."

Rarity gave a polite little curtsy, dipping briefly at the knees and bowing her head before coming up again. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, my dear. Prey tell, what brings you to Manehatten?"

Applejack released his hold on Rarity's hand and casually slipped his hands into his pockets again. "Ah'm just doin' business for my family's farm. Contracts and the like."

"Contracts with your clientele? Wouldn't it be better and easier if you did those online or via telephone?"

Neither one knew who made the move first but before either of them knew it, the two were lazily walking along the pathway side by side as they conversed. "That's what my little sister said too. We Apples like to get to know who it is we're dealing with, so we meet with our clients face to face and do business. It also shows proper etiquette, y'know? An' my granny raised us right proper, so doin' business personally instead of doin' so through quicker means, convenient as they are, shows both parties that they're in this together. You get what Ah'm sayin', Miss Belle?"

The woman walking alongside him gave a little titter and raised her eyes up to look at him once more. "Just Rarity will do, darling. And I do in fact get where you're coming from. It's quite admirable actually. Everything is done electronically nowadays, but to see that some people still go the extra mile to actually make human contact with others is a refreshing thing to see! It shows you have resolve, which is something I can relate to."

The pointed clacks of heels against the pavement resounded next to the crunch of boots, being the only things making noise, besides their conversation.

The two fell into an easy silence as another breeze gusted by, raising the edges of Rarity's shawl a bit while nearly tipping Applejack's hat over his head.

Both gave a little laugh at the play of the winds around them and continued to walk along the parks' path way. Although he was oblivious to what was silently going on, Rarity found herself edging closer to his side as they kept up an easy-going pace.

"M-Miss Rarity! Get away from that unhygienic thing!" a shrill voice rang out from behind them. Both Rarity and Applejack whirled around and found the source of the voice belonging to a young woman clad in an expensive cocktail dress and mink stole with a man holding onto her arm on one side while a bodyguard stood on the other. Rarity groaned inwardly while a confused Applejack cocked his head again in confusion, looking around but finding nothing offensive. "There ain't no garbage cans 'round here, ma'am."

The woman beside him brought a delicate hand up to massage her left temple as the signs of a headache began to rise. "She's talking about you, darling. Bluebelle, you're being rude to my companion here, dear."

At that, Applejack's brow bent in a light scowl as the young woman approached them, not acknowledging Rarity's further comment. "Indeed I 'am addressing you, cur! What's a country bumpkin like yourself doing taking up the lady's space with your uncouth presence?"

"Now hold on there a sec. Ah ain't hurtin' no one an' Rarity-"

"That's 'Miss Belle' to you, you uneducated creature!"

Rarity and the young escort watched the spectacle as it went on, not quite knowing how to put a stop to it. Applejack let out a tense breath through his nose, remembering everything Granny Smith taught him and Mac about reacting to rotten treatment. Shaking his head Applejack put on a small smile and tipped his hat towards the smaller blonde woman. "Then y'all should excuse us. We'll just be on our way."

Before he could turn around, the bodyguard that was at Bluebelle's side moved to stand in front of him and Rarity, the bald mans' expression hidden beneath dark lenses. "How dare you try and blatantly kidnap Miss Belle! Knuckles! Defend our compatriot!"

The suited man, called "Knuckles", unclasped his hands from behind his back and adjusted the set of bronze knuckles he wore beneath a gloved hand. Rarity's eyes flew towards Bluebelle in an incredulous expression. "Bluebelle, are you mad?! Applejack wasn't-"

Her words were interrupted when Knuckles dove at Applejack, the two men tumbling backward onto the grass as Rarity let out a cry of alarm and darted to the side. In the tussle, Applejack was unaware that he had lost his beloved Stetson as he struggled against the shorter but burly suited man.

Applejack raised his legs and kicked off the man trying to overtake him. Both scrambled to their feet and ran at each other. Knuckles raised his left for hook, only to meet air as Applejack ducked to the side and evaded the blow. Seeing a slight opening Applejack grabbed hold of the mans' arm and threw him over his shoulder with little to no effort, making Knuckles hit the ground with earth shaking force.

His advantage didn't last long as Knuckles swept a leg out beneath the farmer and kicked Applejacks legs out from under him, making him fall to the ground just as hard. Knuckles got up, grabbed the farmer by his shirt front and hoisted the man roughly onto his feet. Knuckles raised his right arm and brought his fist down onto Applejacks' jaw, striking him once, twice and then one final time over his nose before pausing, making the farmer groan in pain. He saw Applejacks' head bow forward and sway and thought he was becoming unconscious. However, the next thing that happened caught everyone present by complete surprise.

Applejack......was laughing. He swayed his head as his laughter became louder, his shoulders quaking at the force of his laughing. A confused Rarity and Bluebelle raised curious brows as a now angered Knuckles shook the laughing Applejack. "What the hell are you laughing at, you backwater nothing?!"

Applejack shook his head as his laughs died down to giggles. Smiling, he then narrowed his green eyes at Knuckles. "Y'all are callin' me all sorts a names, and yet you throw punches like girls throw pillows! If'n you gotta use force....." The blonde farmer reared his head back and gave a monstrous head-butt to Knuckles' bald head. The man grunted and stumbled back holding his now split forehead, releasing Applejack and clutching his bleeding head while spewing out curses.

"......Use it right!" He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, shaking the blood from his own split cranium, and dragged up a groaning Knuckles. Applejack raised his fist just like Knuckles had done, balled it so that his knuckles turned white and gave his face a good strike, making a mix of blood, saliva and three teeth fly out of his flailing lips. His shades broke on impact and the shards of the expensive material flew out in every which way.

Both Rarity and Bluebelle gasped out loudly at the ferocity of the blow. With just one primed strike, Applejack broke out three of the mans' teeth at once. It was clear that this was going to go from bad to worse at seeing a glimpse of the farmers' strength, more so when Rarity saw Knuckles free hand reach to his back where he was no doubt packing his standard issue 9.mm. A small spike of animalistic fear shot up her spine and her eyes widened while her pupils shrank.

"ENOUGH!!"

Rarity roared out the word so loud that a nearby car alarm went off, the sharp echo of it rattling the treetops around them. Applejack looked at her with wide eyes, the corner of his mouth split and his nose bleeding. He could see the slight pleading in her eyes. "Please unhand him, darling."

Sniffing back a bit of blood that threatened to leak out Applejack silently obeyed her and let go of the lapels of Knuckles' suit, raising onto his feet and wiping at his nose with the back of his arm. Knuckles scurried backwards and settled onto his rear while an angered Bluebelle chastised him for breaking so easily against a country bumpkin.

"Ah apologize lettin' you see that, Rares. Ah just...reacted." He looked to the woman in front of him, his green eyes downcast in shame as he scratched the back of his head.

Rarity shook her head, making her curls sway at the movement, and giggled once more. "Even after all this time, you still call me 'Rares'. Just like before..."

He had caught the whimsical tone of her voice as she whispered to the wind, making him raise a brow. "'Before'? You mean we've met already?"

Applejack laid an inquisitive hand on her shoulder as if to tell her to go on. However, when Rarity picked her head up to look up at him, her eyes were now glowing a bright blue hue, the middle of her eyes now slits. The air around her felt cold all of a sudden and Applejack withdrew his hand from her shoulder.

"I do apologize for this, Applejack darling, but be a dear and look into my eyes please."

Rarity's voice now resounded with an otherworldly echo to it, sounding haunted but still with its refined beauty. Applejack's eyes flew to her glowing ones and his eyes stilled, shifting so that the sclera became a light blue instead of their natural white.

"Go and get some rest at your place of residence here. From here, you exit the park and walk to the left down Poison Joke Avenue for six blocks until you reach a four-way cross. Turn right and proceed down Wyvern boulevard until you reach Sweet elite suites. Mention my name to the front desk and they'll set you up from there. " She raised a hand to cup his stubbled cheek, running her thumb over the split skin of his mouth. "And please relax, darling. Unwind for a while as your lovely grandmother wanted you to do. I'll be sure to make this up to you, somehow."

Applejack slowly nodded his head as he remained in her spell. "Ah'll go an' unwind a bit then." He then tried to blink his eyes as the color shifted between blue and white. "Whuhh....What about you? Can't....leave..."

'Even now, you still fight my control over you. Just as you did back then. Out of everyone I ever met, you were the only one to ever fight back against my mind-control. Is that what drew me to you?'

"I will be fine, Applejack. Now go. Please." Her voice was a tad more gentler as she spoke, giving his cheek a gentle caress before letting her hand slip away.

"Ah will go,", he muttered in a dazed tone and turned around to walk back down the stone walk way.

Once he was out of sight Rarity turned to the three that were still around, her eyes now blazing with a blue fire. "Fools!!"

Bluebelle, Knuckles and the male escort at Bluebelles' side all cringed and shrank back as the furious woman whirled on them. Rarity brought up a hand and curled her long fingers, extending her well manicured nails into well manicured claws. She let out a breathy sigh as she opened her mouth to let the fangs hidden beneath her luscious lips extend to their full pointed lengths.

Her shawl was blown away as a gust of wind picked up around her, allowing her shoulder blades to give way to two leathery wings as they sprouted from her back, ripping through the white frilled blouse she wore.

A low hiss rose from her throat as Rarity let her true self be shown, the moon glowing ominously at her back as the three tried to shrink away even further at seeing the seriousness of their situation.

"Now....." she sighed out, sounding bored already, "...what to do with you three...."

TBC!

Author's Note

Once again wading through uncharted waters here. Another dream I had 'bout a night ago, and yes it involves R63 human Applejack once again, as well as mentioning's of Blitz and maybe a couple of others later on. Maybe. This time, trying my hand at Vamparity!! Er, Rarivamp? Meh, forget it, I'ma stick to Vampire Rarity. Intrigued? Repulsed? Amused? Bring on the flames!

Also, I've always imagined R63 human Applejack to look something akin to a country version of Ken Masters, while human Big Mac resembles Alex from the same game. Just saying.

And just so we're clear, the reference pic(s) used in this fic ARE NOT MINE! If anyone sees one that they recognize, please send me the link so credit can go to where credit is due. Thanks!