The water felt thick and heavy to the terrorized prince as he struggled to keep his head above water. It was a horribly helpless feeling, and Frey felt as if he actually did die and he was in the belly of a monster. It felt like black blood, that stained his clothes and tried to corrode his skin. He screamed at the top of his lungs, blood ripping out of his mouth in a horrific display of fear and despair. The dirty pond water stung his few cuts. Though he had been wearing woolly socks, they had done little to protect the tender bottom of his feet. There were so many thorns, but Frey barely noticed his tattered sleepwear and fatigued body. There was just so much blood. He continued to scream and cry and cough up blood. The rain only made the situation worse, making him feel like the wind froze around him. His teeth chattered. 

"Stop it... Stop it..." He begged aloud, wanting the bleeding and the shadows to stop. His hair was matted and wet and his eyes were crazed and yet sleepy at the same time. This was the second time such a thing had happened to him. Before, it wasn't as bad; he had just woken with a scratchy throat. This time, he was putting his life in danger. He could die, especially since he spread his arms and legs. "I feel so cold..." He murmured absently before letting himself go and sinking in the water. It was too hard to want to stay alive when you were in so much pain. It was numbing, and it felt like he was being crushed from the inside out. It was dark and cold and quiet, but the pain didn't stop. Angrily, the prince curled up into a ball. "Stop it, stop it, stop it.." He muttered, not caring water was going into his lungs. 

Then... there was light. In the darkness of the cold, cold, water, Frey opened his eyes and saw a dim glow. To him, though, it was a beacon of light. He didn't recognize Asbel, and chances were he wasn't very recognizable either. Frey felt so weak, but maybe if he clung to this... this star, it would dispel his nightmare. Desperately, the prince flailed his arms and tried to reach for the phoenix but found his arms weren't strong enough. Asbel was farther than he seemed. Coughing up a few more droplets of cherry-red blood, the young man closed his eyes. The next he knew, he was gasping for air and getting the water from his lungs. Frey was waking up. 

In the next few moments, Frey clung to Asbel and teared up,sobbing into the phoenix's shoulder, still unaware it was his archenemy. it took him a few minutes to get his orange eyes open. They were clear but still held an unguarded fear. Slowly, Frey realized his savior was glowing softly. Pulling away slowly, the cursed prince of Vallance looked into Asbel's eyes. His expression was unreadable. He moved, as if to get up, but instead just sat against the grimy, muddy bank next to Asbel to get off of him. Frey's skin was being relentlessly stabbed by the cold rain, and his skin also hurt from the small cuts on his body. 

He then crouched over Asbel, in an attempt to shelter him from the rain. What was this strange feeling? He felt like crying all over again, but he wasn't sad. The prince could have only been thinking one thing- and it was something he never would have even dreamed of. 

[i]He came after me. Why?[/i]

Frey could ask about this later. Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the pond, making the prince glad he was out of the water. With one final bloody cough, the young man cradled Asbel gently. What could he say? He wasn't in an angry mood, but he wasn't elated. It was a strange foreign emotion. Frey shook his head, causing droplets of water to come out of his hair. The seventeen-year-old then bit his lip nervously. "Th-" It was difficult saying something like this, to someone like that. Someone he had called a tool and a bird countless times. "Thank you." He said gently, but was audible over the thunder.