By this time, Phyllis had returned to Mario, Princess Toadstool, Toad, and Franky, and told them about what happened.
"And after I got my wits back," she said, "I saw those awful Beezos flying away, and then I couldn't find Luigi or Puffball anywhere! They took them to Koopa, I just know they did!"
Phyllis then buried her face in her hands, and burst into tears. The Princess put her hands on the blonde's shoulders, reassuringly.
"Don't cry, Phyllis," she said. "It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah," Mario said. "And we're gonna rescue Luigi and Puffball. Everything's gonna be okay, you'll see."
"But how?" Toad asked. "We don't know what Koopa's gonna do with them. Much less where he's keeping them locked up."
"If he's keeping them in the mansion, we've got our work cut out for us," Franky said. "It'll take us weeks if we manage to get in and search room by room!"
"How many rooms does your dad's mansion have?" Toad asked.
"I don't know, I lost count after twenty-five," Franky said, shrugging.
"Well, the first thing we'd better do is head to town," Mario said. "We'll search there first, and then head toward searching the mansion."
The others agreed, and they began to make their way back to town.
"I've got to admit, Franky," Phyllis said. "You're taking this awfully well."
"I am not speaking to you!" Franky shouted, glaring at his sister. "If anything happens to Puffball, I'll never speak to you again!"
Franky then stormed up ahead, in order to put some distance between him and his sister.
"He's kind of upset, huh?" the Princess asked.
"Oh yeah," Phyllis said, nodding. "But he really is taking it better than I thought he'd take it."
"Not speaking to his own sister is taking it better than you thought?" Toad asked. "What did you think he'd be doing?"
"I thought he'd be throwing a tantrum worthy of a two-year-old," Phyllis said. "You'll have to forgive him if he appears more worried about Puffball than he is about Luigi. He's just very attached to her."
"So we've noticed," Mario said. "Why is he so attached to his cat, anyway?"
"He's had her for eleven years now," Phyllis said. "Since she was just a little kitten. When he was five, and I was ten, our mother got sick. The doctors tried everything, but there wasn't anything they could do for her. Franky was too young to understand that she was dying. Father, Mother and I kept telling him, trying to prepare him, but I don't think he truly understood."
"Were Franky and your mother close?" the Princess asked.
"Very," Phyllis said. "Mother gave Franky a kitten one day, trying to provide a distraction from everything. She didn't want him to see her deteriorating, she felt he was too young for that. Puffball was a great source of comfort to Franky after Mother died. They've been inseparable ever since. I think Franky thinks Mother is somehow still with him, through Puffball. I know that sounds corny, but I really do believe it."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Mario said. "After all, Puffball was a present from his mother. That makes her extra special to him."
"Enough of this sentimental jazz, already," Toad said. "It's making me wanna throw up!"
Mario, the Princess, and Phyllis groaned, and they continued to walk toward town. As they were walking, they saw something running up the path towards them, but they couldn't make out exactly what it was.
"Uh oh," Mario said. "That might be one of Koopa's henchmen! We'd better hide!"
"Maybe we should fight it," Franky said. "After all, we have him outnumbered!"
"Yeah!" Toad shouted. "And if we catch him, he might tell us where Luigi is!"
"And Puffball," Franky said, glaring at the mushroom.
"Okay, okay, Luigi and your dumb ol' cat," Toad said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey!" Franky shouted.
"Stop it, you two!" the Princess shouted. "Whatever it is on the path is getting closer!"
The group ducked behind the trees on either side of the road, and waited for Koopa's minion to get closer.
"Now!" Mario shouted, just as the minion approached.
Mario and Toad lept out from behind the trees, in an attempt to jump the minion, but they only wound up smashing into each other head first, because the minion was smaller than either of them had anticipated.
"Ooof!" Mario shouted.
"Ow!" Toad yelled, and he and Mario crashed to the ground, seeing stars.
"Mario! Toad! Are you all right?" the Princess asked.
"Anybody get the license number of that pizza truck?" Mario asked, dazedly.
"Meow?" the minion asked. As it turned out, it wasn't one of Koopa's minions at all.
"It's Puffball!" Franky shouted happily, as he scooped up his feline friend. Immediately, Puffball began purring.
"But where's Luigi?" Mario asked.
Puffball jumped out of Franky's arms, and began pointing down the pathway to town, meowing.
"Something tells me we'd better follow Puffball," Mario said. "She's gotta know where Luigi is."
"Meow!" Puffball cried, as she jumped into Mario's arms, and began rubbing her face against his. Then she jumped down, and led the way.
Puffball led the group into town, but hid around the corner from the jailhouse, mainly because it was being guarded by two Shy Guys.
"I should have known Koopa would throw Luigi in the town jail," Mario said. "That's what he did to Luigi, Toad, and me when we were in the wild west that one time. He doesn't have an original bone in his body!"
"How are we gonna get in with those dudes guarding the door?" Toad asked.
"I could probably take 'em," Franky said. "There's only two of them, and I got a killer right hook! Plus I know karate. Hi-yah!"
"Subtle much?" Toad asked, sarcastically.
"Toad's right," the Princess said. "You might end up attracting attention that way, Franky. We'll have to come up with another idea to get those Shy Guys out of the way."
"Leave it to Puffball," Phyllis said. "She'll distract them, and then we'll go in and bust Luigi out."
Franky put Puffball down, and she ran over to the two Shy Guys. Then she sat up on her hind legs, put her paws to her ears, waved them at the Shy Guys, blew them a raspberry, and took off running.
"Hey, how'd she get loose?" one of the Shy Guys asked.
"I dunno, but we'd better get after her, or else King Koopa's gonna give it to us!" the other shouted, and the two of them took off after Puffball.
Once Puffball led the Shy Guys away, our heroes ran to the jailhouse and slipped inside.
"Hiya, Luigi!" Mario called out as the group approached the cell.
"Boy, am I glad to see you guys!" Luigi shouted.
"Don't worry, Luigi," the Princess said. "We'll get you out of there."
"Uh oh," Mario said. "We forgot one vital element of this rescue. The keys to the cell. Where are they?"
"You're not gonna like the answer," Luigi said.
"Don't tell me Koopa's got 'em," Mario said.
"Koopa's got 'em," Luigi said.
"I told you not to tell me that!" Mario groaned.
Franky immediately began studying the lock on the cell door. After giving it some thought, he snapped his fingers.
"I got it!" he shouted. "Anybody got a bobby pin?"
"Right here," the Princess said, pulling a bobby pin out of her hair. "But what do you need it for?"
"I'm gonna pick the lock," Franky said, taking the pin and sticking it into the lock.
"Pick the lock with a bobby pin?" Mario asked, incredulously. "I admire your spirit, paisano, but that trick is never gonna work! It only works on TV or in the movies, and . . . . ."
Suddenly, Mario heard a click, and Franky pulled the cell door open. Nobody could believe that old trick actually worked.
"You were saying?" Franky asked, handing the bobby pin back to the Princess.
"Where'd you learn how to pick locks?" Toad asked.
"A friend of mine taught me," Franky said. "He's got an older sister who keeps her diary locked."
"Makes sense to me," Toad said, shrugging.
Phyllis shook her head, and ran over to Luigi, giving him a big hug.
"Oh, Luigi, I'm so glad you're okay!" she shouted. "I was afraid Koopa would do something horrible to you!"
"So did I," Luigi said, wrapping his arms around Phyllis. "But I'm glad he didn't get his claws on you, Phyllis. I think that knowing he had you as his prisoner would've been ten times worse than spending who knows how long in this cell!"
"Oh great," Toad groaned. "More mushy stuff!"
"I hate to break your romantic reunion up, lovebirds," Mario said, "but dontcha think we should start with the escaping before we're spotted?"
"Yeah, good idea," Franky said. "Let's get Puffball and split!"
Mario opened the door to the jailhouse, and peeked outside. He looked around both corners, and then turned to the others.
"The coast is clear," he said. "Let's move!"
Mario took one step outside, but the minute he did, several lights came on, surrounding him, and the others, and sirens began blaring.
"Uh oh . . . ." he said.
"We'd better split before somebody sees us!" Franky shouted.
"Bad news, dude," Toad said. "It's too late for that."
The group looked, and found they had been surrounded by Snifits. Leading the pack was Mouser.
"Make one false move, and you've had it!" Mouser shouted.
"You gotta be kidding me," he said. "These Shy Guys are pushovers! Outta my way, creeps!"
"Franky, don't!" Mario shouted.
Unfortunately, Franky wasn't going to listen. He took one step forward, and the Snifits began shooting at him. He ducked and dodged them, and wound up tripping over his own feet while doing so, and crashing to the ground.
"Like I was trying to tell you, paisano," Mario said, helping the teenager to his feet. "Those aren't Shy Guys. Those are Snifits. And they're loaded!"
"Now you tell me!" Franky shouted. "But wait a minute, what happened to Puffball?"
"Right here, little boy!" Mouser shouted, pulling Puffball out from behind his back, holding her by the back of her collar. He also held her at arm's length so she couldn't bit or scratch him. Immediately, he threw the cat at our heroes. Luckily, the Franky caught her in midair before she could get hurt.
"Poor little Puffball," he said, stroking his cat gently.
"Mouser, you're terrible!" the Princess shouted. "Just plain terrible!"
"So glad you noticed, Princess," Mouser said. Then he turned to the Snifits. "Take them to King Koopa! And I vould suggest you all comply, unless you vant to end up like Sviss cheese!"
"What do we do now, Mario?" Luigi asked.
"Unfortunately," Mario said, "we go see King Koopa. We're up the pipe without a plunger!"
Within seconds, our heroes were marched into the mansion, and found themselves standing before King Koopa.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Koopa said.
"I should have known we'd wind up face to face with you sooner or later, Koopa," the Princess said.
"Yes, we always do, don't we?" Koopa asked. "We've really got to stop meeting like this."
"I can go along with that," Mario said. "Arrevederci, Koopa!"
And with that, Mario started to leave, but he was blocked off by the Koopa Troopas, weilding spears. Nervously, he returned to the others.
"Or maybe not," he said.
"I thought you'd see it my way," Koopa said. "And with you all out of the way, I can take over the Mushroom Kingdom without interruption!"
"There's just one thing I don't get," Franky said. "How did you catch us so quickly? Nobody saw us go into the jailhouse, and Puffball was distracting the only two guards!"
"Oh, it was simple," Koopa said. "The whole thing was prearranged. After all, you've had one of my spies with you the entire time!"
"What?!" Toad shouted.
"One of your spies?" the Princess asked.
"You gotta be kidding!" Franky shouted.
"Oh, but I'm not kidding," Koopa said. He chuckled a bit, and then grabbed Phyllis by the arm, pulling her away from the group.
"Hey!" Franky shouted. "Get your dirty, slimy, scaly mitts off my sister!"
Franky was about to give Koopa a punch in the nose, but he was held back by the Troopas.
"No need to get hysterical, kid," Koopa said. "After all, she's my spy!"
"What?!" our heroes shouted in unison.
"That's not true!" Luigi shouted. "Phyllis, tell me it's not true!"
"It most certainly is not true!" Phyllis shouted, glaring at Koopa. "I'd never be on his side!"
"There's no need to pretend anymore, my dear Miss Portobello," Koopa said. "You and I planned this whole thing, just in case those pinhead plumbers arrived here. The whole thing was fixed, you know."
"Are you for real?" Franky asked. "Phyllis and I tell each other everything! And she would've told me if she was joining your side!"
"That's the beauty of a double cross, kid," Koopa said, then he turned to Phyllis. "Go ahead, my dear. Tell them all about how I planned to capture one of the Mario Brothers, and how you were supposed to lure the others here in order to capture you all. Go ahead, don't be shy."
"I can't believe this," Luigi said.
"Well, I don't believe it!" Franky shouted. "My sister is not a liar, or a traitor! And she'd never work for a big, fat, ugly, pompous, digusting tub of lard like you, Koopa!"
"Flattery will get you nowhere, little boy," Koopa said.
"Don't you call me a little boy, you . . . . you overgrown suitcase!"
"Shut up, runt!"
Koopa then smacked Franky across the face so hard, the teenager's head jolted backward, and he let out a yelp from pain. Puffball bristled her fur, arched her back, flattened her ears and hissed loudly at Koopa, baring her fangs. She was about to pounce on him, when Koopa stooped down to get face to face with her, and growled at her, showing off his fangs.
"You wanna piece of this, flea bag?!" he shouted, raising his big foot over the cat, as if he were about to step on her. "Keep that up, and you're gonna be a little fuzzy pancake!"
"Me-yipe!" Puffball cried, and she raced from the room as fast as she could.
"Scaredy cat!" Toad called after her. "A fat lotta help you turned out to be!"
"Go and bring her back, you twits!" Koopa demanded, and two of his Troopas ran off after Puffball.
"Wait a minute," Luigi said. "You got mad at the Beezos for bringing me and Puffball here instead of Phyllis! You're lying, Koopa!"
"That was just to throw you off, pipe-squeak!" Koopa shouted. "I couldn't reveal that she's working for me then and there, now could I?"
"Phyllis, is this true?" Luigi asked.
"No, it isn't!" Phyllis shouted. "Really, Luigi, it isn't!"
"Don't believe a word she says," Koopa said. "If she's one of my minions, you know she's lying."
"But why?" Luigi asked. "Why would you want to work with a scumbag like Koopa?"
"But Luigi . . . ." Phyllis began.
"To keep up her life of being rich, of course!" Koopa shouted. "A governor has to be elected, and the term only lasts four years, and her daddy's term is up next year."
"Dad's been governor of Portobello Port since before either of us were born, Dragon Breath!" Franky shouted. "That adds up to more than four years!"
"Yeah, but he's only been governor for so long because the people keep re-electing him, squirt!" Koopa continued. "Since your daddy's gone missing, he can't be re-elected, and there goes your cushy lifestyle! Your sister didn't want to give up living in a big fancy mansion, and having lots of fancy clothes, and having servants wait on her hand and foot! So I made a deal with her. I told her to get one of you wrench jockeys to fall for her, so that when I captured one of you, she'd lead you all right into my clutches!"
"I knew it!" Mario shouted. "I knew there was something I didn't like about her making goo-goo eyes at Luigi all the time! Never trust a blonde, I always say!"
"Since when?" Luigi asked.
"Since now!" Mario shouted.
"I think you're lying, Koopa!" the Princess shouted.
"If I'm lying," Koopa said, "may that suit of armor fall on me, and crush me flatter than a pancake!"
As if that were a cue, the suit of armor fell to the floor, making a horrible noise. However, Koopa was still standing when the dust cleared.
"See? It missed!" he shouted. "Therefore, I'm not lying about Miss Portobello being one of my henchmen . . . errr, henchwomen."
"I can't believe it," Luigi said. "I just can't believe it!"
"Luigi, it's not true!" Phyllis shouted. "I swear, I'm not working for Koopa, and I never was!"
"Stay away from my brother, you . . . . you femme fatale!" Mario shouted. "You . . . . you vamp! You . . . . you Jezebel, you!"
"But Mario . . . ." Phyllis began.
"Forget it, sister!" Mario shouted. "No way in the world am I gonna let you hurt my little brother!"
"Mario, I can't believe you!" the Princess shouted. "How can you believe Koopa?! After all he's done to us, and said to us, how can you choose to believe him now?!"
"I don't know," Mario said, shrugging. "I guess I was convinced when the suit of armor didn't flatten him. Besides, she could be trying to trick us!"
"Oh brother!" Franky shouted, slapping his hand over his eyes.
"Okay, enough of this," Koopa said. "You Troopas take the two sink stains, the meddling mushroom, and the governor's little brat to the jailhouse, and leave the princess here with me! And hop to it!"
With that, the Troopas began to march the boys out of the room. Phyllis started to run after them.
"Luigi!" she shouted. "None of what he's said is true! Please believe me, Luigi! I'd never do anything to hurt you! You know I wouldn't! You have to believe me, please!"
Luigi didn't respond. He didn't even turn to look at Phyllis. He wasn't sure who to believe at this point. He knew he couldn't believe Koopa, but he also couldn't be sure Phyllis was telling the truth, either. She could have been trying to trick him.
"I'm sorry, Phyllis," he said, finally, keeping his back toward her. "But I just can't."
Phyllis stood there in shock, watching the Troopas lead the boys out of the room, and out of the mansion. Once they were out of sight, she broke down in tears, burying her face in her hands.
"Don't worry, Phyllis," the Princess said. "I believe you! I wouldn't take anything Koopa says with a grain of salt!"
"You know, she's right," Koopa said. "I do so love lying!"
"You monster!" the Princess shouted. "Why did you lie about Phyllis working for you, anyway?!"
"Because I'm a mean old snake in the grass and I love causing pain and misery!"
"There's a big surprise."
Koopa was about to respond, when two Troopas ran into the throne room, covered with scratches and teeth marks.
"Bad news, boss," he said. "The cat got away from us."
"You morons!" Koopa shouted. "Oh well. Forget about her, anyway. After all, what can she do? She's just a puny little pussycat. And she's afraid of me anyway! I've got bigger things to take care of. Mouser, get in here!"
"Yes, your rotten-ness?" Mouser asked, coming into the room.
"Escort the ladies to the attic for the time being," Koopa said.
"Right avay, your Koopa-ness!" Mouser shouted. "All right, ladies. Move it!"
"You won't get away with this, Koopa!" the Princess shouted, as Mouser led her and Phyllis out of the room.
"That's where you're wrong, my pretty princess!" Koopa shouted. "I already have! Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaaaa!"