Editing Chapter 26: Follow Your Heart

{{Game|Real}}
{{cleanup|Fill in sections; add Yen Press information to infobox}}
{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''{{c|Kingdom Hearts II|manga}}'' Chapter 26
|prev=Let the Games Begin! The Hades Cup
|next=Castle of Thorns
|image=KHII Manga 26a.png
|caption=
|publisher={{w|Yen Press}}
|date=August 2013
|coverdate=2013
|written by={{w|Shiro Amano}}
|art by=
|colors by=
|letters by=
|edits by=
|continuity=[[Kingdom Hearts (manga)|Manga continuity]]
|chronology={{c|Kingdom Hearts|manga}}
}}
==Synopsis==
Now released from the [[Auron's Statue|doll's]] powers, Auron stops, his sword resting just above Hercules's and Meg's heads. After watching the event unfold, Hades turns against Pete, the two now arguing amongst themselves. Lost in their argument, the two are unaware of Auron's now standing behind them. Auron accuses the two of lying to him, to which he sees reason to attack.

As Auron and Hades fight, Pete tries to retrieve the now-separated doll's head in order to regain control of Auron. Donald intervenes, running away with the doll's head. Still holding off Auron, Hades proposes that Pete turns the weakened Hercules into a Heartless. Pete's plans are foiled again, this time by Sora. Pete counters by summoning a horde of Heartless. Occupied with the Heartless threat, Sora, Donald, and Goofy are unable to stop Pete from using his powers to turn Hercules into a Heartless. Despite Pete's attempts, he is unsuccessful at transforming Hercules into a Heartless. Thinking it is due to the hero being asleep, Pete wakes Hercules up, still to no avail. Thinking Hercules needs more darkness in his heart in order to transform him, Pete throws the tied-up Meg off the edge of the arena. Although enraged and distressed, Pete's attempts at turning Hercules into a Heartless again fail. Instead, Hercules jumps off the arena floor after Meg.

Worried about what Maleficent will do to him should she hear of his failure, Pete considers turning Sora, Donald, and Goofy into Heartless. Hades wards off Auron's attacks long enough to reveal that the area Hercules and Meg are in is a continuous whirlpool housing the souls of the dead. He continues, explaining how if someone currently living falls into the whirlpool, that person will become one of the dead. Claiming that one cannot play with other people's lives, Sora attacks Pete. Pete retaliates, claiming he will instead turn the trio into Heartless.

As Auron and Hades continue their fight, Auron asks if Hades has the power to bring someone back from the dead. Hades claims he cannot, also revealing that the previous deal of bringing Auron back to life was also a lie. Nearby, the trio continues their separate battle against Pete. Eventually, Pete and Hades team up, prompting Sora and Auron to do the same. 

Auron and Sora successfully defeat Hades and Pete, tying the two up. Sora orders Hades to bring Hercules and Meg back, only to learn from Auron that Hades was previously lying about his powers. Suddenly, Hercules appears, holding an unconscious Meg. Hercules orders Hades to bring both Meg and Auron back to life. Hades complies, only after being punched by Hercules. Hades and Pete resume arguing amongst themselves, this time unaware how close they are to the edge of the arena. Eventually, the two fall into the pool of the undead.

Using Pegasus, the group safely leaves the Underdrome and returns to the coliseum. At the coliseum, Hercules informs Pain and Panic of the demise of Hades and the Underdrome. With renewed energy, Hercules also promises to fill the coliseum's stands. Auron bids the group farewell, saying he will think of them whenever he looks at the stars. Looking at the stars, the group sees three constellations in the shapes of Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Back in Hollow Bastion, Pete returns to Maleficent's castle empty-handed. Frustrated, he snaps at Maleficent, only to have the witch begin to gather magic in her staff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;[[Olympus Coliseum]]
* [[Hades]] (1)
* [[Pete]] (2)
* [[Auron]] (3)
* [[Hercules]] (4)
* [[Megara]] (5)
* [[Sora]] (6)
* [[Donald Duck]] (7)
* [[Goofy]] (8)
* [[Pegasus]] (12)
* [[Philoctetes]] (13)
* [[Pain and Panic|Pain]] (14)
* [[Pain and Panic|Panic]] (15)
; [[Hollow Bastion]]
* [[Maleficent]] (16)
* [[Maleficent's Raven]] (17)
|c2=
* {{c|Trick Ghost|KHII}}s (9)
* [[Hook Bat]]s (10)
* [[Soldier]]s (11)
}}
==Errors==
===Continuity errors===
* None yet identified.
===Artistic errors===
* None yet identified.
==Items of note==
===Dubbing changes===
===''Kingdom Hearts'' references===
===Real-world references===
===Miscellaneous trivia===
==Collections==
*2013 - ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Volume 2]]''
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[[Category:Yen Press manga chapters]]