Rarity woke with a start.
‘The wraiths…’
She reflexively took in a deep breath and almost choked at the sharp pain that sparked in her chest.
“Ah…”
Her body ached and she felt cold.
But she was alive.
Rarity struggled against what felt like a pillow, so that she could see properly. It was dark, but she had opened her eyes to what seemed like ceiling tiles, so she must have been on her back.
Not buried in mud.
The wraiths and their leering grins haunted her as she shifted and panted, driven by the urge to know just what had happened when she pushed their cursed bones down into the earth. Down, where she should have been, too; her body pinned by the weight of the gloopy mud until her lungs were filled and her consciousness darkened.
“Hnf…”
She was shivering harder than ever, but finally, she was propped up against a wooden headboard.
And there…
And there were her friends.
Spread out over the room, slumbering peacefully: Pinkie Pie sprawled across a chair with her legs twitching, Applejack in another chair in the corner with her hat tipped over her eyes, Twilight sitting up against the wall with Spike curled up in her forelegs, Rainbow Dash snoring into the foot of Rarity’s bed, and Sweetie Belle and her friends cuddled up to one another in a spot near Applejack.
Rarity looked at her friends, realizing that they hadn’t forgotten her, and felt a strong pressure building behind her eyes.
“Finally awake, hm?”
She turned to the side and saw Discord sitting beside her bed; his tail was stretched out, and Fluttershy was sleeping on top of it, her lithe body rising and falling evenly.
“It’s been three days, you know,” He said with a charming grin unlike the ones he usually gave, and she came to associate with trouble. “But seeing as you saved everyone, I think I’ll hold off on the jokes. For now.”
Rarity felt warmth running down her cheeks. “Th-the wraiths…”
“Put down for good. They won’t be messing with anyone else now,” He chuckled and stood up as his tail detached with a pop, leaving Fluttershy undisturbed. He casually dusted himself off. “Rather ingenious how you dealt with them, I must say. A little too martyr-y for my tastes, but still ingenious.”
He stepped to the side a little, mindful not to step on anyone.
“Once the wraiths were gone, everypony came back through the fog. Frightened, obviously, but still alive. Some are still reeling from remembering how many times they had seen the wraiths around town, but they’ll recover. Even you. Fortunately, I got there in time before you spent buried for too long.”
He shrugged and rubbed his claws against his chest.
“You’re welcome, by the way.”
Rarity smiled, beamed happily, and buried her face in her hooves to weep.
“You ponies are so emotional,” He sighed without any real venom. “It’s almost enough to get me teary-eyed. Almost.”
Her crying woke the others, who blinked and stared sleepily for a moment before rushing over and gathering Rarity in a tight embrace.
“… It was a close call,” Discord said, his expression turning serene and content. “But thanks to you, at least we won’t forget it.”