"Now, you're at MY mercy!" Kefka cackled as Thailog nudged Aerith with his gun. Tears were pouring down her cheeks.
"Let her go, Kefka!" Sora shouted at the clown.
"Oh, I fully intend to," he said, "Just as long as you do EXACTLY as I say!"
Sora nodded his head in defeat.
"Now," Kefka started, "Release hothead and his bimbo."
The Restoration Committee parted their circle. Maleficent and Hades quickly walked out, as if embarrassed by this whole situation. They soon rejoined Kefka and Thailog.
"Now, I want you to send Merlin to retrieve our three other idiots. No trick, you old goat. There ain't no magic that I won't sense coming and no force in the universe faster than Thailog's trigger finger."
Merlin scowled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. A few seconds later, he reappear with Seifer, Pete, and the Sentinel, all badly beat up but slowly recovering. They then hobbled over to join the rest of their group.
"Good boy, Sora. You passed the obedience test. The little flower girl here will be back in your hands in no time! Now, you'll understand that we need some security to ensure that you little 'heroes' don't knock us out of the sky as we fly away so we're holding on to the flower girl until we leave Radiant Garden's atmosphere."
"No way!" Sora shouted, "How do we know you won't just kill her when you don't need her anymore?"
"You don't," Maleficent sneered, "But you're not really in a position to bargain, now are you?"
Sora groaned and again hung his head in defeat. Hades and Kefka beamed with joy. Maleficent waved her arms in the air and a Gummi ship shaped like a dragon's head appeared. The boarding ramp came down and all but Kefka and Thailog boarded. Thailog slowly back up into the ship, still holding his gun to Aerith's head. Kefka strutted up the ramp and when he got to the top, turned around to face the committee.
"Arrividerci!" Kefka shouted back and he blew them a mocking kiss as the boarding plank closed back up into the ship.
The villainous Gummi ship then took off into the atmosphere. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked up at it from below, helpless.
Aerith was sobbing up in the ship. Thailog had put down his gun, but was still holding onto her. Kefka walked up to Aerith and put his hand under her chin.
"You are a pretty young thing," Kefka laughed, "I was engaged to a pretty girl like you once too. You see, back when I was a king, against my mentor's wishes, I married a woman whom I had found at a neighboring castle. We were wed at once! But, little did I suspect that my darling wife was adulterous! She was getting it on with one of my finest knights! I banished the knight from the kingdom and sentenced my wife to death. He showed up, rescued her, and carried her off to his castle. My men and I pursued and killed them both. However, we I returned to my kingdom, I discovered that my son had taken my throne! I battled against him and slew him, but not before he cleaved my skull. I was then sent to the mystical island of Avalon to heal my wounds. I did indeed heal them but the magic also drove me to insanity. So you see, that's why I-"
But Kefka was interrupt by the sound of a ship's canon firing. The ship shook violently as the blast hit the engine. In the shaking, Aerith has slipped free of Thailog's grasp. Kefka lunged to catch her but she leaped from the ship and landed right in the open cockpit of Sora, Donald, and Goofy's Gummi ship.
Kefka was dumbfounded. His hostage had quite literally slipped through his fingers. He cried out in rage and hurled an immense orb of dark energy at the Gummi ship. The Gummi ship swerved and easily avoided it. Sora saluted to Kefka and turned the Gummi ship around.
Kefka collapsed and just stared at where the ship had been. He'd been outsmarted, by a pack of children, no less!
Sora looked back to see the Dragon shaped gummi ship fly away. They might have gotten away, but he had saved Aerith! He had been the one flying, and without the left rocket or the luxury of a computer. Donald and Goofy talked to Aerith to make sure she was alright as Sora landed the ship in the town square. The four raced out of the gummi ship to the thunderous applause of the Restoration Committee.
"I knew you could do it, my lads!" Merlin beamed.
"That was one heck of a rescue," Leon added.
"And with a damaged ship, no less!" Cid said, "That was some ace flying there. Now since you returned Aerith safely, I'll make the repairs to your ship personally, for FREE!"
All Sora could do was smile. He felt incredible!
"Gawrsh Sora, you know them Final Words are still out there!" Goofy said.
"And next time, we'll be ready for them," Sora said beaming.
Across the vast reaches of space, the villain gummi ship landed in the square of Traverse Town. Hades was furious! He'd been made to look like a rookie and a fool. Not only had they failed to kill the hated boy, but they had also lost their hostage. Hades was a bright shade of red and his hair was bright yellow.
"I TOLD YOU IDIOTS NOT TO LET HIM GET REINFORCEMENTS!" Hades shouted at the group.
"You did no better, pathetic user," the Sentinel replied.
"It doesn't matter," Kefka said in an irate voice, "None of it does. For you see, this was all just a game. And you played your parts!"
Kefka then stomped into an alley way and waved his arms. In an instant, a portal to a Hellish dimension appeared. Kefka walked through and bowed to a shadowy, horned figure sitting on a throne.
"The pieces are in place, my lord"