Chapter 7: A Hell Hound's Betrayal

"Damn you Vermouth, you are nothing but a traitor!" Riserva yelled. "Shall we boys?" Guinness asked. "Yes, let's." Red-Eye hissed. The Hound Plates were still nearby the Lucky Ciel while the Angel Frames were watching from their position. "What is about to happen?" Ranpha asked. "I don't know but it's between those guys." Forte answered. "Hounds! Fire!" Riserva yelled. Vermouth didn't move, he just stood there in his plate getting hit. "No, get out of there!" Mint yelled. The Hound Plate that held Vermouth started to fall to the ground. Smoke came out of it as it crashed. The Hell Hounds cackled and flew away. "What should we do now?" Normad asked. "Retrieve him of course." Vanilla answered. "Do you think he will try to kill us?" Mint asked. "I don't know, let's just go down there and see if he is okay." Forte answered. They all flew down to the crash site and got out of their frames and walked over to the crash area. The Hound Plate was in pieces and smoke was still coming from it. Some flames came from one part of the plate. They walked around the outside perimeter. "Where could he be?" Mint asked Her dog ears perked up and said, "Eh?" She walked a little bit further and saw lying in the snow an injured Vermouth. He had burns, cuts, and bruises and his clothing was torn and a little burnt. Mint gasped and yelled, "Forte, Ranpha, Vanilla, Normad, over here!" "What is it?" Ranpha asked as she and the others ran over to where she was. Ranpha gasped at the sight of Vermouth. Forte ran over and felt his pulse and said, "It's a little faint but he's alive, we need to get him back to the ship!" "Forte, Ranpha, Vanilla, Normad, Mint, do you hear me?" they heard one of their communicators that Volcott made for them say. "Yes, we are here captain!" Ranpha answered. "Is everything okay? What happened out there?" Takuto asked. "One of the hounds almost got killed, we are bringing him back to base." Ranpha answered. "What!?" Takuto asked. "We will back on the ship." Forte reported and turned her communicator off while the others did the same thing with theirs. "Is it okay to do this?" Mint asked. "Yeah, that guy may come after us when he regains consciousness." Normad reminded them. "Whatever he is going through it maybe due to Milfeulle, you know she affected all of us in that special way, probably she did that to him. There is something about her luck which is to really light up everyone's hearts, now let's get out of here, I think a blizzard may blow in." Forte said. They nodded. Forte lifted Vermouth up and they all got back to their frames and flew back to the Lucky Ciel where they took him to the sick bay.

The girls and Normad returned to the main control room where they reported to Takuto about what happened. "So you're saying that the Hell Hounds shot their own down?" Takuto asked. "Yes, we saw it happen." Mint answered. "Not onluy that, we watched a frame take both the Cross Caliber and Lucky Star in some kind of cages." Ranpha said. "How can this happen?" Lester asked. "It's all because of what the princess possesses, the only way of saving her is head to where they took them both." Volcott answered. "Where is that?" Lester asked. "By the waves both frames are giving off, they are at the northern pole of this planet where they are planning to activate the lights in the magnetosphere." Volcott answered. "Well, let's get going and hurry, we don't have much time! Major Mary!" Takuto ordered. "Yes?" she asked. "Set the Lucky Ciel's course to the northern pole and speed her up!" he told her. "What?" Major Mary asked. "You heard me." He said. "If you say so!" she exclaimed. The Lucky Ciel's boosters came on and it launched heading for the northern pole. We're coming princess, hold on. Takuto thought to himself.

What is this? Is this death? No it isn't, I feel like I am still alive. Vermouth thought to himself. Why am I still alive when I got shot down by my own comrades? I still remember when we all started. Cerberus was a beautiful planet then. In the fields of Cerberus, a young Guinness, Camus, Vermouth, Riserva, and Red-Eye were playing. "Hey, Camus is it!" Vermouth exclaimed. "Aw, no fair, why can't you be it for once Vermouth!?" Camus asked. "Because I said so and I am the leader!" he exclaimed. "Who died and made you leader huh?" Guinness asked. "No one and when I say Camus is it he's it!" Vermouth answered. They started chasing each other playing tag. We were so young and innocent then and until the comet hit, some of our families died and then Eonia took us in under his wing. "I can't believe it, we are now working for royalty." Vermouth said. "Yes, all thanks to the power of the dark star, we are going into a very cold era." Red-Eye said. "And also an era of new beginning." Guinness said. "Boys, from this day forth we are known as the Hell Hounds, we bring hell and torment to anyone who comes in our way and if any of us will betray each other, they will be punished with death!" Vermouth exclaimed. "Death? Isn't that a little harsh?" Riserva asked. "It's not, it shows that the Hell Hounds will not take the ones that betray them lightly and live on without them, do you understand?" he answered. Riserva nodded. A year or so later, our Hound Plates were given to us and all of us went through piloting lessons and flew our plates like pros and the citizens of Cerberus looked up to us like heroes until the day we learned about the Lucky Star Kingdom, never knew a new light would appear in our lives and that is when I saw her the princess and realized that the light inside of her heart warmed mine. Is this really worth to take someone people love away from them?

Vermouth woke up and noticed his surroundings and said, "I'm not dead…" "Good, you're awake." He heard Mint say. He turned and asked, "Where's the princess?" "Unfortunately, she's been taken to the northern pole which we're heading there right now." She answered. "We need to hrry, who knows what Sherry's invention might do to her and her sister." Vermouth said. "Invention?" Mint asked. "Something to extract the light out of them forcefully." He answered. Mint gasped. "We better get there soon or it will be too late for them." He told her. In the northern pole, Sherry's assistants were connecting the rods and cables to both of the cages that held both the Cross Caliber and Lucky Star. "The cables are in place!" one of them exclaimed. "Good, now to incert the plugs." Sherry said. Two of the assistants went inside both of the frames and started placing the plugs on both Apricot's and Milfeulle's bodies. Both princesses were still unconscious. Both of their stars started to glow when one two of the plugs were touching the star charms. "Now to send them into the magnetosphere!" Sherry exclaimed as she pushed a button and both of the platforms went up and a hatch in the ceiling opened and the platforms went above the planet where they met the invisible magnetic waves that surrounded the planet. The waves hit both of the frames and the light started to radiate out of the cables and into the sphere which went all over the planet. The Lucky Ciel was still on course when they noticed what was going on. "What the hell?" Lester asked. "No way, it can't be." Forte said. "Yes, that's the princesses' light." Ranpha said. "We better get there and quick! Major Mary, how long until we get there!?" Takuto asked. "In one hour sir!" she answered. "Damn, we don't have much time!" Takuto exclaimed. "Can we take the frames instead sir?" Vanilla asked. "Vanilla, are you crazy?" Forte asked. "No, I am not, we need to save them after all." She answered. "You sure? It may be dangerous!" Takuto answered. "We can handle it and besides the frames are a lot faster than this vessel." Ranpha answered. "Very well, girls move out!" Takuto ordered. The four girls and Normad headed towards the hangar when Vermouth came from the sick bay wearing his torn and burnt jacket and said, "I am coming with you." "What? You're in no condition to fight!" Forte yelled. "I know but I can't let Eonia and Sherry hurt the princesses especially Milfeulle." He told them. "Very well, come on, you're riding in Happy Trigger." Forte told him. He nodded and they all boarded the frames and launched into the lightened planet heading towards the northern pole. At the northern pole, the radar picked up the Angel Frames' presence. "So, they're coming after all, Hell Hounds prepare to launch! We can't let them get in our way!" Sherry ordered. "Yes ma'am!" they all exclaimed. "So, it begins, the fight for the light, this will be interesting." Eonia said playfully.