Hi people! How's all your lives going? I hope awesome! I just want to take the moment now to thank every single person who has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed.

And I want to give a SPECIAL thank you to TheLonelyMonstersCompanion, who favorited me AND my story, and followed me AND my story. So thank you!

Okay. Up next, I'm going to go over a VERY IMPORTANT NOTE.

I've recently gotten quite a few PMs and comments asking why this is not a Jim/Ariel fic. I CAN see how it would appear that way, because of Eric's breakup with Ariel. But this breakup really had no significant meaning, other than to show that Eric speaks his mind, and to let you readers know that Ariel has a lot on her plate right now. Next, if you check out my profile, you'll see that I have already written a few Treasure Planet/Little Mermaid fanfics. I made The Crystal Thief a Jim/Wendy because I wanted to experiment, try something new.

Next up: People are confused about the characters. I understand what you mean. I might not have written this clearly, or maybe it's just confusing in general. I'm here right now to explain it to you. Gaston is meant to be a villain to Wendy, because he bullies her. But to Jim, it's a totally different story. Because they have been friends—the backstory!—since fifth grade and he thinks of Gaston differently than Wendy. I think this quote should give you a better picture: "Gaston isn't that bad—once you get to know him. And if he still feels bad to you, you still don't know him."

None of this was a scheme meant to confuse any readers, and I'm truly sorry if it did.

If you have any questions or anything, PM me. I'll be happy to explain; I understand this story can be a little confusing.

Reply to Comments:

OkamiEyes: I sent you a reply to your review through a PM. Hope you got it. In this chapter, the whole Jim/Ariel/dad thing will be covered, I promise.

THANKS FOR REVIEWING, YOU GUYS!

You Know Who

A Thousand Miles

Lucky Friday

Sultal

TheLonelyMonstersCompanion

Enough rambling. Let's get on with the chapter! ENJOY, my awesome readers!

People point fingers at Jim and say, "He did it." They don't know him like I do.

-Wendy

School was canceled, because the Agents were searching through the premises in an attempt to try and find evidence. Apparently, they had a main suspect, and they were trying to figure out evidence that they could use to pin the blame on him or her.

Praying to God it wasn't Dani or Jim or anyone she knew, Wendy woke Jim up with a kiss.

"School's canceled," she said to the sleepy-eyed boy lying next to her. "How do you want to spend our day?"

They spent the entire day at Heidi Cogsworth Park, across the street from the Benbow. Jim and Wendy laughed over Dani drawing Jim and the crooked B and Wendy hitting Gaston in the head with her purse the night of the party, and how Jim "kidnapped" Wendy in order to drive her home.

In other words, they laughed about worthless things just to keep their minds off the searching Agents and how they might deliver a verdict soon.

Wendy sat in Jim's lap, her lips drifting over his, kissing him softly like butterfly wings on his lips. Jim smiled. "You can do better than that."

Wendy smiled, too. "I can, but I don't want to hurt you, weakling."
Jim fake-gasped and pushed her down into the grass, lying over her, pinning her down. Wendy struggled for a moment, then giggled, breathless. "Let me up!"

"Not until you apologize for calling me a weakling. And then say you love me."
Wendy's eyes laughed. "I love you. But I won't apologize!"
Jim tickled her, and she began to laugh so hard, tears ran out of the corners of her eyes.

"Hey, isn't that Mr. Sexy Waiter?"

That was a familiar voice. Jim turned around abruptly, rolling off of Wendy.

"What's he doing with that little girl?"
Jim got onto his knees. Wendy shielded her eyes from the sun, glaring at the group of girls hovering by the entrance of the park. One of the girls, with brown hair piled on top of her head and fixed with neon orange oversize sunglasses, was walking a little white chihuahua wearing a diamond collar. The girl with black hair in a ponytail leaned over to whisper something into a blonde one's ear. That girl giggled.

"The Triton girls?" asked Wendy.

Jim nodded and sat back, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his elbows on them, rolling up the sleeves of his adorable checkered shirt.

The girl with the black ponytail pushed her purple glasses up over her hair and strode confidently into the park. She waved frantically. "Hey, Mr. Sexy Waiter!" She turned to the only redhead in the group, who was wearing her hair loose and wavy, with a seashell shaped clip holding back her bangs from her gorgeous face. "Ariel," she called. "What's this kid's name?"
"Jim." Ariel looked at the two of them.

Alana started forward, and suddenly Ariel reached out and grabbed Alana's arm tightly. "Don't," Wendy heard her hiss. "They want to be alone, obviously."
"Why would he want her when he could have me?" Alana pursed her lips.

Wendy bristled, narrowing her eyes. Jim must have sensed her discomfort, because he scooted over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders casually to prove to Alana what was happening.

Alana stepped back, but Ariel walked up to them. She smiled at Wendy, but not cruelly. A kind smile. "Hi, Wendy. Hi, Jim."
Wendy gave Ariel a tiny smile. "Hey, Ariel."
Jim jumped to his feet though, grabbing Ariel's arm. "Ariel, I'm so sorry about last night. With my dad and all."
Ariel forced a smile and hiked up her tiny white shorts. "It's fine. He was drunk, obviously."

Jim nodded. "It won't happen again."
Wendy frowned. "Wait, your dad came back?"
Jim held up a hand to silence her. "I read your note, and gave it to my mom last night before she slept. She read it and agreed to the pay raise. She understands what you're in right now."
Ariel let out a sigh of relief and beamed at the pair of them. "That's a huuuuge relief. Tell her thanks!" She started to walk out of the park and turned slowly. "You two enjoy yourselves," she said, and waggled her fingers in that Triton Girls way.

Jim smiled and sat next to Wendy again.

Wendy nudged him. "What happened yesterday?"
Jim shrugged. "My dad came home. Just to visit."
"He's gone now? He didn't even stay overnight?"
"Nah," said Jim, shrugging it off again and lying in the grass, arms behind his head. "He's always been a traveler. He was born to move around, not to stay in one place."
"Are you like that?"
Jim hated Wendy's probing questions, but it showed her intelligence and her curious mind. He looked at her. "I won't leave you," he said seriously. "I won't walk out on you like he did. I promise."

Wendy smiled and laid down next to him. Her life was just perfect now. Wendy rolled over onto her stomach and twirled Jim's ponytail between her fingers. "But what if you had to leave. For some reason. Say, the army."
Jim raised his eyebrows.

Wendy rolled her eyes innocently. "Just a scenario, Jim. Say you were forced to leave."

Jim looked seriously at Wendy. "I'd just want you to stay safe—no matter what happened to me."
Wendy just smiled and laid back down. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For being you."
Jim laughed. "Okay, you're welcome." He was silent for a while, then he grabbed Wendy's hand tightly, interlocking their fingers. "Just think—tomorrow we'll know who stole the Crystal. Who caused all the commotion, who stole the princess's jewel just to give a bunch of cops a scare."
Wendy nodded. "I know. I'd like to whack them with my waterbottle."
Jim and Wendy both burst out laughing again, but it was nervous laughter this time, like they hid secrets in the parts of their brains where the nightmares and bad thoughts hid.

I can't think anymore. I can't feel. It's like my body is here and my mind and soul elsewhere.

-Kida

Kida lay in bed, her white hair spread like a cloud around here. Mr. Clayton paced outside her bedroom door. Roseanne, one of her maids, built up a fire. Another maid, Julisa, wrapped her in another fleecy blanket supplied by Mr. Clayton's funds.

Kida reached up with her icy hand to feel the bare patch of neck where her Crystal once lay. And now it was gone.

Suddenly, Kida's body convulsed. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and her skin grew paler.

"Princess, princess!" Roseanne, Julisa, and many of her other maids tried to revive her. They ran out to alert King Kashekim, Mr. Clayton, and the physician, Dr. Joshua Sweet, but Kida was about half-dead and in a coma; she wouldn't wake.

Kashekim let out a great cry an collapsed into a chair, tears coming out of his eyes. Mr. Clayton stood, awestruck. The maids stood like statues, hands over their mouths. Dr. Sweet tried CPR. Kida would not wake.

The door banged open. The small crowd turned quickly to see a man, almost seven feet tall, filling the doorway entirely. He wore a long black garment that swirled around him, almost like acrid smoke, filling the entire room with a pungent smell. His skin had a bluish tint, and his face was long, with a dimpled chin. But the most extraordinary fact about this man, was that he had blue flames for hair. Dancing along the baldness of his bluish head.

"Excuse me," demanded Dr. Sweet. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The man smiled, showing off pointy teeth. "Please, forgive me for intruding. But I see there is someone dying."

Mr. Clayton frowned. "Strangers are not invited into the Princess's room today. Please leave. How did you get in? Did Eudora Baker let you in?"
"I entered by myself, Clayton," said the man, sweeping in. "If I may introduce myself. I'm pretty sure some of you know me. Right?"
Nobody uttered a single word.

"But, yes, some of you do." The man swept to a shaking Roseanne and touched her arm with his spindly fingers. "You used to have dreams about me. When you were a little girl. Remember? Hell man?"
Roseanne let out a little cry and backed away.

The man smiled. "I still invoke fear in you after all these years, Roseanne."
"Get away from her!" Mr. Clayton yelled. "How do you know Roseanne? And my name, for that matter? Who are you?"
The man crossed his arms over his substantial chest. "I'm Hades. Lord of the Dead. Really nice to meet all of you. And I know when someone is dying. Because when someone is dying, I'm there. Automatically. It just makes my day when someone dies."
"Kidagakash is not dying," snapped King Kashekim. "Don't you dare saying she is. She is weakened by—"

"The loss of her Crystal. I know." Hades nodded calmly. "And they found the Crystal. In a minor's house. Behind his chest of drawers."
Mr. Clayton gasped. "No!"
"Yes!" Hades laughed. "And they're bringing it back to her. But unfortunately, it's that time of year. Where her soul goes to me."
King Kashekim shook his head. "Take me instead."
"It doesn't work that way," Hades said. "I can't. She's pretty much already dead. She can't spend time away from her Crystal. It was gone for too long."
"So she's dead?" whispered Dr. Sweet.

Hades shrugged. "She belongs to me. Unless someone—other than her father—decides to willingly sacrifice their life to bring her back to the Real World."
King Kashekim began to cry, as did some of the maids.

Hades looked sympathetic. "Don't be sad, guys," Hades said. "She'll have a blast down in the Underworld with me. It's about time anyway. I mean, her hair is white, for heaven's sake! Am right? What is she, ninety? It's her time to go."
"She's twenty-one!" howled the king.

But Hades had reached out and touched Kida's arm. And just like that, she began to fade.

Kida was gone. King Kashekim just stared at the doorway where Hades had just stood moments ago and thought of his loving daughter who insisted on helping these ungrateful Palefaces.

He just stood there and stared in shock around the room.

Mr. Clayton touched his arm. "If there's anything I can do—"

"Get Rhimes in here."
Moments later, Officer Rhimes stood in front of King Kashekim.

"You failed to bring me the Crystal in time," the King said finally.

Rhimes bowed his head sincerely. "My apologies. Forgive me."
"Kidagakash is dead."
Rhimes blinked, unable to hide his utter surprise. "Pardon?"
"She's—dead."
Rhimes bowed low to the floor. "I have failed you."
"You have."
Rhimes was a hard man, but he felt sorry for what he had done. "If there's anything I can do, please tell me, King. I will do anything you ask."
King Kashekim's eyes were hard. "I have a task for you."
"Yes, King."
"If you fail me this time, it will be your neck that's being chopped."
Rhimes swallowed. "Yes, King. What do you want me to do?"
"Did you find who had stolen the Crystal?"
"Yes, King."
"I want him dead. In a matter of days. I want his soul to go to Hades. I want him dead. Do you understand me?"
"We were going to hold off on the death until we found solid evidence. There's still the matter of another individual framing that minor—"

"It doesn't matter about the damn evidence." King Kashekim hissed. "Where did you find the Crystal?"
"In a minor's room. He's the main suspect."
King Kashekim leaned forward. "He's guilty now. He's no longer a suspect. He killed my daughter. He's the reason Atlantis now has lost their only heir."
Rhimes nodded. "Yes, King."
"He is to die. The boy in whose room the Crystal was found. I don't care about the evidence, do you understand?"
Rhimes nodded rapidly again. "Yes, King." He turned to go.

"I want it to be humiliating. I want his loved ones to see. I want him to die in the middle of the square. With the people of the city watching. He must suffer, do you understand?"
"Yes." Rhimes turned and left abruptly. He felt sorry for the boy named Jim Hawkins.

New guy!

-Hades

"Pain, Panic!" Hades yelled.

The two little monsters rushed to Hades's feet. "Yes, my lord?" they asked in unison.

Hades jerked his chin at a floating ball of light. "Look, see that boy?"
They saw a boy lying in grass with a pretty girl his age, their fingers locked together. "Yes, my lord," they said, curious to know why Hades was targeting the boy.

Hades smiled. "We're getting a new member of our Dead Society."
"Is it him?"
Hades smiled cruelly again. "Oh, yes. It's him. Our rebel, our precious, precious boy. James Hawkins is coming home."

I was actually able to sneak in another update this Monday! So yay! That last line gave me the creeps when I typed it in. Again, thanks to all that reviewed, and read. Every favorite/follow or review in my email makes my day! See you guys...hopefully next weekend...or maybe before that if I can. Have an awesome week! :)