Chapter 8 "Save Me... Wait, Don't Save me."

They were lucky enough to encounter Stacy in a rather... unusually awkward way. Stacy didn't mind though as she's pretty close with Candace's brothers and they're just little kids, but she demanded an explanation as to why it was urgent enough to barge inside her room while she's changing clothes. They were able to come up with a reason, which was a bunch of bullies chasing after them. This incident happened about a fifteen minutes before they sat down on a quarter of a circular bench, where an indoor tree stood on the middle.

"Who knew that the sugar rush would actually be at your advantage?" Stated Isabella.

What she said was entirely true, if it weren't for the extra energy they wouldn't have been able to fight off the bullies and get out of there still standing. Now they just have enough energy to complete all the other remaining patches. But they just decided to take a short break to calm down their nerves and regain focus.

Phineas was busy surfing and giggling at the pictures ARChie has taken this day. There were several shots taken from the Harlem Shake like a shot that revealed the start of their dance, then several shots of the people who joined the party, then a shot that revealed him shaking Isabella like a doll, and their final pose at the top of the fountain. Their last shoot was a video of Isabella wrestling Ricky, but it also revealed the part where Phineas was being pushed into the toilet and him fighting back to stay dry. Finally there was that shot where Isabella hugged Phineas and he sat there stiff, but there was also a shot where they were both hugging. Phineas just looked at it with awe.

"Aww, that's a really cute shot Phineas!" Complemented Isabella.

Phineas jumped to see Isabella next to him over his shoulder. Isabella failed to notice though and continued adoring the picture.

"Wait, have you been looking at my pictures this whole time?"

"No, I just saw this last one. Can I take a good look at it please?"

Phineas offered the camera gladly and observed carefully Isabella's reaction. Isabella's eyes and smile were filled with awe and it kinda drove him crazy that she was looking at their picture like that.

"We look so cute together!"

Phineas blushed.

"... I-I mean, i-in this picture, not the we-thing that we are together-together and we look cute because I meant... this picture." She toothily grinned.

"Why would it look like that we're together-together? I mean, sure it's a boy and girl picture but..."

What he said earlier rung a bell, and that bell made him nervous. What if people actually thought that they were a couple? He shuddered at the thought of it.

"We're just best friends! Sure I had to go on a date with her, and sure I volunteered to be the one to kiss her, but it was only for that patch. There's nothing more beyond that, nothing special! Nothing!"

His thumb was on the delete button and all it took was will to press it, but no traces of that will was in him. It felt really wrong to erase it, not to see it again. Deleting that photo, to him, felt like abandoning his long-lasted friendship with her, and it also felt like not only was he going to hurt Isabella but himself too. Isabella had her watery eyes glued on his thumb and looking at her like this made him feel really guilty. Finally he just couldn't take it anymore. He placed his thumb away from the button, and handed it to Isabella.

"Here, you can have it."

Isabella looked at him in surprise.

"R-really?"

"Yeah, I mean, you'll need it to show proof of our adventures."

Isabella was becoming disappointed. "Oh."

"Also... to keep the memories safe. I mean, I wouldn't want those photos to suddenly go missing, like all my other inventions that disappear by the end of the day. At least it's gonna disappear with you, and I will only know where it went."

Isabella gaped and slowly took the camera from his hand. The photo of them hugging each other was still on display. She smiled and looked at it in awe again. Phineas was happy, a little nervous, but happy of what he did. Though, shortly after, she pressed the delete button.

"Are you sure you want to delete this photo?" Asked ARChie with his computerized voice.

Isabella took a deep breath. "Yes!"

Then the photo displayed an animation of crumpling the photo into a ball and throwing itself into the trash bin. The whole time, Phineas was watching this in shock.

Isabella smiled at him. "Wouldn't want other people to get the wrong idea, would we?"

"B-but... I thought that meant something."

"Aww, don't worry. You can hug me again later when this is all over and let ARChie take a shot of it. I like moonlight shots. Okay?"

For a moment Phineas was confused, but then he realized that Isabella had the same mindset as he did. He thought it was funny though, and he felt excited that the both of them were having a secret... or even more exciting, they were doing something forbidden.

"Hey! I could've done it you know." He said playfully.

"I know, but it's mine... and I just wanted to be the one to do it."

"Oh really, you so wanted that photo framed."

Isabella paused. "Not a bad idea. I could've sent you a copy once I printed it."

"What... so you could've hung yours in your room?"

"Well... if you would've hung yours."

Phineas gave a moment of thought. "I probably would've just kept it under my mattress."

Isabella giggled. "So you can look at it at night when Ferb's asleep?"

"Okay, now you're making me sound like a stalker."

They both ended the conversation with a little more giggling. They were interrupted however by a sobbing woman on the bench next to them. She had long fingernails colored in pink, almost like claws, a sort of cylindrical head, white hair, and a pink dress like Isabella's. Colors of her make-up, which were a mixture of pink, violet, beige and white were dripping from her face into her dress.

"Are you okay?" Asked Isabella.

The woman sobbed a bit more. "I'm fine... go away."

The two kids were startled to get that reaction from her.

The woman sighed. "Forgive me. My day has not gone as fabulously as expected."

The two kids then felt sorry for her. They sat on the bench with her and Isabella, being the closest to her, patted her back.

"What happened?" Asked Isabella.

The woman sobbed a little more. "...Rejection... and Imperfection."

"Oh, that's okay. People mess up all the time!" Said Phineas lightly.

The woman wailed in agony much to his surprise.

Isabella elbowed him. "Take ARChie from my pocket. We're gonna have a little girl talk."

Phineas understood and walked to the bench they were on earlier. He decided to think about a way to restore permanently deleted photos. In the meantime, Isabella took the job as the woman's counselor. She first offered a tissue from her satchel, which the woman accepted and blew her nose at.

"Okay. Now tell me from the beginning."

The woman did her final composure but did not reveal her face. "It was an excellent, fabulous, beautiful day and I never felt so beautiful in my life. Well, I'm supposed to be feeling that way because today was the day I were to impress "Flawless Girl" company with my innovative cosmetic products: Youthful foundations, Starlight lip gloss, Charming eyelashes, and the lot. They were supposed to be wowed, impressed, blown off their seats... well not literally. The CEO of the company was here today and I presented myself and my products to her, convincing them that my products will be the next generation of cosmetics and make-up, that I will take over the world as the queen of beauty! But... alas... they were nothing more than fantasies I harbored from my beauty sleep. I mean... just... just look at me."

She finally puts down her hands and revealed her face. Isabella shrieked in shock and disgust. Her skin on her face was flaking, there were missing eyelashes, her eyes were red due to crying, her lips were really dry, and she had lots of wrinkles.

"Oh dear!"

"I know... I look hideous!" She wailed and continued to cry again.

Isabella allowed her to cry on her right shoulder as she patted her back.

"The dream of world domination is nothing but a farce!"

"Hey! Now, now, there, there, just let it all out."

The woman continued to sob, to the point that it actually soaked her shoulder so much. She had to endure it though since she's being nice. Finally she stopped after a few moments of crying.

"Now, first of all, don't give up on your dreams. Never ever give up on your dreams, okay? Phineas, my best friend over there, taught me to stand up and just go for it, no matter what it takes! Even the sliverest of chances are worth taking so long as you believe in yourself!"

"Oh. Will that help me become queen?"

"Well, it's a start. You'll find a way to become one eventually. But for now, you just have to believe."

"... Hmmm, well that was helpful. Thank you." She said a little sarcastically.

"Okay, first, I'm gonna fix you up. You can't go out there looking like that."

Isabella rummaged through her satchel in search of her make-up. She was able to find her foundation powder. After grabbing more tissue from her satchel, she proceeded to wipe off all the make up that was on her face until there was no trace. She no longer looked like a colored blob anymore, but there were still those flakes and wrinkles.

"You're very kind darling but I don't think this is-!"

Although not intentional on interrupting her, she excitedly dabbed the foundation on her face. She applied more where there the skin flakes and wrinkles are evident... which is practically prominent on the woman's entire face.

"Just a bit of this, and that, and there! Just put on your signature lipstick and voila! Almost as if nothing ever happened to you!"

The woman borrowed her mirror and brought it up to her face.

She gasped. "That's amazing!"

"Why, thank you! I'm not an amazing makeup artist but-!"

"You're not!"

Isabella was a little hurt to hear that. "Oh..."

"You're masterful!"

Isabella blushed. "W-why thank you!"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Esmeralda Poofenplotz, but you can call me Professor Poofenplotz. Tell me all your secrets!"

"Well, you just have to dab at the spots where it needs make-up! You don't want those blemishes exposed so you hide them with make-up!"

"But there has to be more to it than that! Surely you must be an expert at your craft, and certainly at a very young age!"

Isabella blushed some more. "That's very kind of you professor but I'm afraid I don't really have the time now. "

"Oh! So soon? Well, I do have just one question that cannot wait. But we have to speak privately, I cannot allow these secrets to leak. Shall we talk in the bathroom?"

Isabella became a little suspicious. "Uhh, we can just whisper to each other."

"No! I cannot risk that. There are ears everywhere, we must be in a secure location."

Isabella was hesitating. She wanted to help the woman but her desperation and eagerness for learning how to become a cosmetics expert was a bit of a social turn off for her. Furthermore, her methods of privacy was either suspicious or eccentric. But she can't make a conclusion outright, that would make her look judgemental.

Isabella sighed. "Okay, but it has to be quick."

"Splendid! Follow me."

Isabella would've just followed Professor Poofenplotz to the restroom like normal, but the woman grabbed her arm instead. She looked at Phineas, who was smiling at the different pictures that they took, and smiled as well. Then she remembered.

"Wait! I have to tell Phineas!"

"Darling, do not fret. This will only be quick." Poofenplotz insisted.

Isabella was trying to tug her arm away from her grip, but it's a little too tight. She turned to Phineas and tried to reach out to him.

"Ph-Phineas!" She shouted.

He was able to catch her attention, though he was surprised why she was suddenly heading towards the restroom.

"I'm just gonna be in the restroom a minute! Don't move!"

"Oh! Okay! See ya later!" Shouted Phineas back.

With Phineas up to date, Isabella didn't need to worry about him being worried. She looked at the professor and she seemed to be mumbling something angrily.

"Is everything okay professor?" She asked innocently.

"Oh, nothing darling."

They entered the restroom, which was empty, fortunately for the professor. She double checked the cubicles for any signs of a person, and there was nothing. Professor Poofenplotz released Isabella's arm.

"Okay professor! What do you need to know?"

Poofenplotz pulls out a perfume bottle from her purse and aimed it at her face.

"Tell me, do you like the smell of this?"

She sprayed the perfume on Isabella, and she coughed.

"It's a little... wait... this is-!"

Isabella started to cough violently for several seconds and Professor Poofenplotz was enjoying every second of it. She tried to make her way to the door but she eventually collapsed upon reaching the doorknob.

"Sleep well my darling."

Phineas kept giggling at the photos despite his 3rd round of the slide show he's had while waiting, nothing much he could do anyway. He kinda missed that last photo of him and Isabella because it was arguably a cute, tender moment between them. But he felt happy about Isabella's decision to delete it nonetheless. He looked at his watch, and it was already about five minutes since she entered the restroom.

"Remember Phineas, never talk to strangers." Linda said ever since he was a toddler.

The professor, or so Isabella calls her, was definitely a stranger. There's nothing wrong to be cautious once in a while and Phineas had this gut instinct that something was not right about that woman. He turned ARChie into sleep mode and made his way to the restrooms. It would be wrong to barge inside the ladies' room, heck it would be awkward and embarassing, but he needed to check on Isabella. He was about to enter the ladies' room until Professor Poofenplotz opened the door.

"Oh! Hello darling. Your friend is just right inside."

"Oh! Thank you... uhh Professor was it?"

"Poofenplotz darling. Professor Poofenplotz. She's a splendid little darling isn't she? Well tata, I have to go home... and work on my cosmetics."

"Okay, see you!"

Only now did he notice that she was carrying a sack behind her. He looked at it suspiciously but he shrugged off the thought of Isabella being kidnapped... but just to be sure he went inside the ladies' room. He inhaled something that made him cough a bit.

"What is that smell?" He cleared his throat. "Isabella? Isabella?"

He called out twice, and there was no response. It looked empty. He was about to take a step forward when he noticed that there was a pink bow lying on the ground.

He picked up the bow "Wait, isn't this-?! Isabella!"

He rushed outside the restroom to chase after Professor Poofenplotz who was just exiting the mall. He began to sprint to catch up to her but he bumped into someone.

"Ow!"

Phineas gasped. "Irving?!"

"Hey Phineas! I've been following you the entire day, and I was wondering, are you and Isabella a couple?"

"Not now Irving!"

He got up and resumed his sprint and made it outside. The sudden brightness of the sun bleached his eyes so he wasn't able to see anything clearly after a few seconds. Those few seconds, however, were enough to delay him long enough for Professor Poofenplotz to ride Isabella shotgun in her vehicle, which is a spider design with a giant version of her head as the body and white metal spider-like legs.

"No! Stop! Stop! Kidnapper! Kidnapper!"

He yelled and ran to the vehicle where Isabella was to try and stop it. The vehicle leapt into the air, turned itself upside-down and propelled it's legs rapidly like helicopter blades, practically transforming the vehicle into a helicopter sending gusty winds towards Phineas, slowing him down and blowing him away.

"Noo! Isabella! Noo!"

He tried to combat the powerful wind but eventually he was blown off his feet and he fell sitting on the road. He was helpless, there was no one in the parking lot to witness, and all he could do was watch his best friend ride in the sky unconcious with his kidnapper. He reached out for his phone and prompted to dial 911 but a familiar bark distracted him. Below him was Pinky looking at him gleefully while resting his forepaws on his right shoe, or at least trying to keep still.

"Pinky!"

He picked him up and embraced him a little too much that it made him yelp in terror. He quickly carries him away from himself.

"Oh! Whoops! Sorry, I guess you're not as enduring as Perry is."

Pinky took advantage of them being nose to nose level and bit his nose for revenge.

"Ow ow ow ow!"

Phineas tried to yank his nose from Pinky a few times but his bite was pretty solid that it didn't budge. It kinda looked like he was trying to stretch his nose several times. Finally for the fifth time he yanked his nose he was able to relieve it from Pinky's mouth.

"Boy, you're pretty feisty when you're threatened aren't you?"

Pinky barked at him in annoyance.

"Hey, okay I'm sorry little guy. Come here, come here. Good doggy."

Phineas began scratching his chin and, out of habit, made him turn over allowing the boy to scratch the dog's stomach. He chuckled while doing so, but his happiness was only momentary when he thought about Isabella. From his pocket he pulled out Isabella's pink bow. He still couldn't believe what just happened. Pinky suddenly began to bark repeatedly at Phineas.

"Wh-what is it boy?"

Pinky barked and barked but Phineas couldn't quite understand what the dog was trying to say due to his lack of experience with interactive pets. Pinky then tried to claw the air above him, falling on the ground ocassionally because of his uncontrollable shaking, but it was also as if he was trying to reach for something, though he wasn't really sure.

"Pinky, I'm sorry... I'm not really good with-!"

Then in an instant he saw a different dog, a jack russell terrier to be exact, and it almost made him cry.

"Bucky... wait, I do have experience with dogs! Okay Pinky, let's try that again."

Pinky kept barking and this time trying to bite his hand, and that's when he understood. Of course, Isabella's bow! Pinky could find Isabella with her scent! Phineas quickly set the bow on the floor allowing Pinky to sniff the bow shakily. Quickly Phineas picked up his phone again to dial 911. Once he picked up the scent, Pinky turned towards a certain direction and growled as if about to attack, causing Phineas to get distracted once again. Out of the blue Pinky just ran to that direction.

"Whoa! Pinky! Slow down boy! Pinky! Pinky!"

Phineas was shouting at the dog while chasing after him, but on one aspect of his thoughts he was emotional that his canine nostalgia resurfaced his mind.

"Isabella? Isabella?"

She heard the call of her dream boy somewhere in the dark distance, dark because her eyes were closed. She wanted to respond but her body was such in a sleepy state that she just couldn't. Eager to greet him, she tried to stretch her arms to awaken her body. For some reason though, she just couldn't, she tried to move her arms and legs but she felt that they were restrained by some metal cuffs. Alert, and confused, she forced herself to open her eyes only to see that she has been indeed imprisoned in a metal rectangular bed with his arms and legs cuffed to it. She was in a different place now, a modernly furnished spherical room with the walls being partly glass and partly black marble in a stripe pattern of biggest to smallest and revolving towards the tilted pole on the ceiling. On her left was a giant spider-like vehicle with the body resembling the professor's head sitting on a big elevator platform.

"Had a nice beauty sleep my darling?"

Poofenplotz was brushing the right side of her white hair with her right hand by means of a golden brush with the initals P.P. embedded in pink on the back of it while the other hand held the hand mirror.

"Y-you?!" Exclaimed Isabella.

Poofenplotz chuckled sinisterly. She put the hand mirror down and the brush down on the glass table behind her.

"I won't lie my darling, your skills of applying those foundations on my face was fantastic, and so were those tips of how to apply them on my face."

Isabella didn't know what to say. Professor Poofenplotz already said something similar earlier at the mall, but she didn't think thanking her was the correct reply for this situation that she's brought her to.

"I just... learned it from the internet, and from my friends."

"Oh? You have friends that know make up too? That's fabulous darling!"

Isabella was not liking this conversation. "Wh-what do you mean?!"

Professor Poofenplotz walked towards a control panel located across her. As soon as she flicked a switch, she could hear sound of a machine powering up. Poofenplotz flicked more switches turning on several other machines she does not know.

"It means, my darling... that you know a lot more than I do, and so do your friends!"

There was a helmet above her a few feet away and it was lighting up.

"Wait... what are you doing?! Wh-why are you doing this to me?!"

"Well, you see darling, asking you all those questions about cosmetics would've been a simpler method, but the problem was that I won't be able to grasp the entire concept in just a conversation. Furthermore, I could make mistakes because of either mishearing or misinformation, and that will foil all my plans for becoming queen of the world, forcing me to start all over again."

The helmet then started to emit electricity and inch towards her, causing her to be scared.

"So if you don't mind... I will be sucking all of that information out of your brain. And once I'm done with you, I'll be having a little... chat, with your friends as well. Do not worry, you won't remember anything after this."

Now it all became clear, she was going to lose her memory of today, most importantly she's not gonna remember in time to fulfill her dream, even more importantly she's gonna forget her adventures with Phineas. She tried to force any of the restraints to bend or give in but they were solid metal, nothing she could do to open them.

"Darling, stop squirming! You might ruin the process!"

"Good! Because you're not taking any of my precious memories! Let go of me! Please! Please!"

The helmet was nearing, and it looks like there was no one to help her.

"Phineas! Phineas! Somebody! Save me please! I don't want my dream stolen from me!"

Tears welled up on her eyes, the thought of being so close to achieving something only to be thrown away was unbearable for her. Truth is, it's gonna happen, she's going to lose.

Despite Pinky being ahead of Phineas, he was able to keep up with the dashing Chihuahua. They eventually made it to an odd building that had a long pole that served as its foundation and, at the pole's tip, an architecture that resembled the planet Satern, with its rings designed with emerald and its tilted sphere designed in a glass and marble stripe pattern. Somewhere in the base of the pole there was a door large enough to fit that spiderlike vehicle they saw earlier.

"This must be the place. No other vehicle we know that's similar exists in the city." He said.

Pinky found the elevator that's fit for passengers and barked at Phineas to call his attention.

"I dunno Pinky, wouldn't she be expecting us? Shouldn't we be taking a stealthy approach?"

Pinky just got on the elevator without hesitation. Although he wasn't comfortable, he just followed and pushed the elevator button to the top floor. The elevator was cylindrical but it had no roof. The elevator button was placed across the doors and it was built into that single spot that it did not follow them when the elevator moved. He could see that the part behind him was made up of glass, coated in black cellophane to match the building. He had a feeling though that facing the glass would be the wrong direction. Sounds of electricity could be heard as they approached halfway to the top and of someone's distant screaming.

"That's Isabella!" He exclaimed.

He could've called 911 when they had the chance, but based on how he approached this, which isn't the best, there's no way to turn back now. Facing the kidnapper was their only choice. Phineas tried to think positive, that he can save Isabella somehow. He's done it once, and it was by himself, without the beak suit... but it was from falling off the ledge, not from hostage. He's also saved her from a giant mechanical spider by swinging to her by a yarn.

"We can do this Pinky! We can do this!"

Pinky barked softly, knowing that they're approaching the floor. For a dog, he sure is intelligent enough to be on cue.

As soon as they reached the top floor, the platform camouflaged with it. Now they were inside the planet saturn that Phineas saw earlier, and right in front of him two feet away was Isabella, restrained on a metal rectangle screaming, crying, and calling for help.

Phineas gasped. "Let's hide."

They sneakily walked behind the modern yellow sofa but Pinky, the one being ahead, trigerred a lasso trap that hung your leg in the air as soon as you stepped on it. Phineas was lucky not be revealed.

"Ah! About time, Pinky the Chihuahua!"

Phineas widened his eyes in confusion. Apparently, the kidnapper knows Pinky.

Isabella gasped. "Pinky! W-wait, you know him?!"

"Of course I know him! He's my nemesis!"

Surely, Isabella is as confused as she is. A woman is enemies with a pet dog!

"You fight my pet Chihuahua?!"

"Pet?! Oh no no my darling. He's not a pet he's a-! Wait! You're not him!"

Phineas was peeking the whole time. As soon as Professor Poofenplotz turned around to see the helpless shivering Pinky hanging by his leg she did a reality check. Pinky just barked continuously at the professor, which irritated her so much that she covered her ears.

"What is a Chihuahua doing here?! I set that trap specifically for Pinky the Chihuahua, not... this mutt!"

"Hey! Don't call my baby Pinky like that! He's really sweet dog! Now let go of him!"

"Pinky?! This Chihuahua is named Pinky?!"

Isabella paused. "What're you deaf?! Yes his name is Pinky!"

Now it was Poofenplotz's turn to pause. "Is every Chihuahua named Pinky?"

"Well, in a perfect world, yes! Now let go of him, don't involve him in any of this! It's just you and me!"

Poofenplotz groaned irritably. "Very well, I will throw him out."

Isabella gasped. "The window?! You can't do that he won't survive the fall!"

"Relax, I am not going to kill him! I am simply just going to cut off the rope and throw him out when I'm down."

She found a pair of scissors from her coffee table drawer and proceeded to cut the rope Pinky was suspended in. The smell of the dog enveloped her nose that she reacted in disgust.

"Do you ever give your dog a bath?"

"Uhh yes? What, you can't stand the natural smell of a dog?!"

"I never was good with dogs anyway."

Poofenplotz pinched her nose and extended her right arm to cut the rope while she kept her entire body away from Pinky. Snip went the rope when it was cut and then Pinky pounced on her face and bit her nose.

Poofenplotz yelped in pain. "Bad doggy! Bad doggy! Bad doggy!"

"Good boy Pinky! That's it, get her nose and make it big like Phineas!"

"Hey! My nose may be big, but it is flexible." Whispered Phineas.

Isabella didn't notice that Phineas snuck all the way to her side. Either way how he got here, she was super relieved to see him, even more relieving is that her dream boy is going to save her. Poofenplotz was able to get a hold of Pinky with both of her hands but his shivering was able to wiggle him out of them and rage war with her hair.

"No! Ow my hair ow! No! No! Not my beautiful ow!"

Phineas silently chuckled. "She does indeed have a beautiful ow."

Isabella giggled "That is so sadistic Phineas."

She watched him rush to the control panel, but he was so short that she could only see his eyes and hair when he got behind it. Wishing that he was taller, Phineas studies the controls quickly and hopes that there are no switches that are too high from him. He then looks at the electrostatic helmet which was closing in on Isabella fast.

"Phineas! Hurry!"

Somewhere in the bottom right of the panel there's a wheel with black bars of increasing size going clockwise. He rotates it counter clockwise until the wheel could not rotate anymore. Immediately the static electricity on the helmet fades, leaving it just as just a complex designed headwear. He flicked down the four switches from right to left in the middle of the panel, causing the helmet to slow down. In a few seconds the helmet stops for a while and then moves back towards the ceiling. Phineas sighs in relief.

"Pinky!" Yelled Isabella.

Poofenplotz was able to grab hold of Pinky once again and tossed him towards the tall glass potted plant breaking it and bruising Pinky.

"My plant!" Poofenplotz growled in anger. "That dog is a menace! Argh! Reminds of a certain nemesis-! No! My machine! That's it! And Who are-! Never mind I've just about had enough!"

She pulls out a hairdryer from her purse and fired at Phineas a blue ray that freezes the control panel in place of Phineas, who tumbled out of the line of fire. Phineas gulped at the thought of being frozen. While dodging the shots, Phineas sprinted for cover under the glass table, which was thankfully about tall enough for cover. While hiding under it, he spots the mirror on top of the table reflecting his image. Quickly he snatches it before the freeze ray hits the table, and an idea strikes his mind. He jumps out into the open, perfect for Poofenplotz to shoot him.

"Ha! You're mine boy!"

"Phineas! No!"

She fires her last shot of the freeze ray and Phineas, with quick analysis and calculation, kneeled with one leg and faced the hand mirror towards her and positioned it slightly above his head. The beam was redirected towards her legs freezing them and then tilting the mirror slowly so that the ice would envelope her entire body. The weapon stopped firing as soon as it was frozen by its own backfire. She was lucky that the beam did not hit her head, else she'd be completely frozen.

"Wh-what?! I-I don't understand!"

"Game's over Poofenplotz!" Yelled Phineas.

He put the mirror back on the frozen table and rushed to Isabella's side.

"You okay?" Asked Phineas.

"That was cool! Literally!" Cheered Isabella.

"How do we get you out? The control panel was the only way to access these cuffs."

Isabella gives a little moment of thought, then brightens with an idea on her mind.

"Okay, don't do anything until I say go okay?"

"Okay!"

"Now first, get my lotion from my bag and put it on my mouth. Second, turn on ARChie. Here's where I'm gonna accomplish my Break from Hostage patch and I will need evidence. Lastly, check if Pinky's okay, my baby was thrown to the glass vase by that wretched woman! You got that?"

"Okay, lotion, ARChie, and Pinky. Okay!"

"Okay go!"

Phineas rummages from her satchel for a bottle of lotion. Something like a plastic bottle he touched, brought it out, and showed it to Isabella to check. She nodded, confirming that it was the correct white bottle. He brings it to her mouth, and she bites the body of it. Next, Phineas activates ARChie from his pocket and tells it shoot, meaning to take a video. ARChie makes a delightful beeping sound and floats in the air like a helicopter. Finally, Phineas rushes to Pinky, who was shivering on the floor resting from his bruise, he squeaks because of the pain.

"Pinky! Don't worry, I'm here."

Suddenly right in front of him, Pinky transformed into the jack russell terrier he saw earlier, squeaking in pain and laying down. He checks for his the terrier's pulse and checks for any external injuries or cuts. He sticks his ear to his body checking for his heartbeat, still functional and going well. The terrier's collar read Pinky, but deep down he knows that that is not his real name. The terrier's squeaks got louder, and Phineas started to panic.

"Isabella! W-what do I do?!"

"Try giving him a drink! I'll be with you just a sec, after I slide my left arm and legs out of here!"

There was a sink nearby and he grabbed a yellow breakfast bowl, filled it with water and set it in front of the terrier. But the terrier wasn't moving from his posture, despite it noticing the bowl.

"C'mon boy, drink! Please! Get up! Get up! Please! Get up!"

Tears started to drop from his eyes as he repeatedly shook the unmoving yet shivering terrier.

"Please..."

"I'm here!... Wait, Phineas? Are you okay? Are you... crying?"

Phineas looked at Isabella, who was deeply concerned about him. He looked back at the dog, which was Pinky this time, and then back at Isabella.

"I... I just don't know what's wrong with him."

Isabella immediately paid attention to Pinky. She picked him up and cupped him on her arms like a baby then used her hand closest to him to scratch his favorite spot under his skin. Pinky's squeaking was quickly replaced with breathing and he seemed to like that spot very much that he closed his eyes. Pinky then reached for Isabella's face and began to lick her uncontrollably, as if nothing had happened.

Isabella giggled. "You are such a drama dog Pinky! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You are! You are! My canine hero!"

Phineas just watched them happily together. Pinky kept on licking her entire face while Isabella was busy fighting over his licks by scratching his tummy. Yet, Phineas just couldn't help but feel lonely.

"Isabella?"

Isabella looked at Phineas gleefully, stopping her scratching while Pinky continued licking.

"C-could I just hold Pinky for a moment?"

Isabella smiled and gladly handed Pinky like a baby in her arms. Phineas caressed him gently but Pinky wasn't licking intensively anymore, in fact the dog felt a little cautious. Gently, he scratched that bottom part of his jaw and the dog responded in a relaxing satisfaction.

"You like that boy? Huh? Good boy. Good boy."

Every word was soft, every word was slow, and spoken carefully. He meant every word like a promise. Slowly, Pinky started to lick his left cheek, much like how a painter would use one stroke which such passion and Phineas responded by bringing his head close enough that Pinky's fur brushed on his skin... back... and forth.

"Good boy. Good boy. Good boy..."

Every time he felt the fur brush on his skin, it's almost as if he could feel that of the jack russell terrier he saw earlier. It didn't matter if Pinky was way smaller than the terrier's size, but it was enough for him to believe that his long lost friend was finally home, safe in his arms.

"Bucky... you're a good boy."

-End of Chapter 8-

Before you read the next chapter I want you to experience something. You ready? Okay.

Imagine yourself as Phineas holding Pinky in your arms. Now imagine that you were rubbing gently and ever so slowly your cheek against that dog's fur with the thought of your own dog as Pinky. Finally play this on Youtube:

Toshiro Masuda - Grief and Sorrow