Sands of Time

by Assistant

The Sands hold the power to change the past. Carmelita now seeks them out to undo a mistake, and save Sly's life. But Beware, the Guardian is always watching!

1. Slip Up

Sands of Time

Chapter 1

Slip Up

Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox of Interpol, France Division, took a sip of her coffee. She and several other officers were standing outside an innocent looking house on the outskirts of Paris. It was two stories tall with seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a dinning room, a game room, and a living room. It was Victorian in style, and had a deck going all the way around the first floor of the house. It had been supposedly abandoned for years, but Carmelita knew better.

As she and the rest of Interpol waited silently outside, Carmelita thought about why she was there that night. It had been an average day at the office. Sly Cooper had just escaped arrest again, and she had just returned to her office after getting her butt chewed by Chief Barkley. She had been working on some paperwork when a knock came at her office door. She shouted it was open, and was surprised when a UPS zebra walked in carrying a package.

Carmelita signed for the package, and once the zebra left quickly went about opening the package. Once she got the cardboard flaps open, she saw there were two things resting gently within the box. The first was a small bouquet of blue roses, baby's breath, and a little green to fill in for color. It was all wrapped in a clear plastic, and had a blue and white ribbon. The other item in the box was card, but more importantly it was Sly's calling card.

Carmelita grabbed the card, gently flipping it open as she read,

To Carmelita

This time I stole a diamond, but like always you have taken my breath away.

Better luck next time.

From: Sly Cooper

Carmelita looked at the flowers, growling a bit as she tossed them across the room and into the garbage. She then grabbed the card, and placed it in a drawer of her desk. She kept each card, and planned to add harassment to the long list of charges against the ringtail. Carmelita then went to throw the box away when something caught her eye.

The label on the box had been hand written, and after examining the writing for a few minutes Carmelita guessed it had been written by the purple hippo in Sly's gang, Murray. Still, that was not what caught Carmelita's attention. On the label there was the address of her office, the necessary postage, and one more thing, a return address. Carmelita didn't know if it was real or not, but on anything else she had gotten from Sly the return address had been missing. Then again, it had always been either Sly himself who delivered the package or Bentley that typed up the shipping label. This was the first time she had ever seen Murray's sloppy, child like hand writing on a package.

Carmelita began to smile, he had finally done it. After all the years of chasing after him, Sly had finally slipped up. Carmelita guessed that Murray was sent into town to deliver the package. When he got to the UPS store, they asked him for a return address. Recently, UPS began requiring a return address. Sly probably didn't know about the new policy, and sent Murray to the store with only the address for her office. That meant, when Murray was asked for a required return address, he gave them the address of their hideout, their real address.

At that moment Carmelita stood up from her desk, walking over to her office door as she grabbed her coat. In ten minutes she was out to her car, and roaring out to her house. After an hour of searching, she found her old surveillance equipment. She had gotten it for the short time she spent on Interpol's surveillance team. It had been years since the telescope and other materials had seen the light of day. Still, they were all in perfect working order.

That night Carmelita found out where the address was. The old house was up on a hill, and could be seen from almost any rooftop in Paris. Carmelita selected a building that put her almost level with the house, and was close enough for her to get a good view of everything in and around the house. Earlier that day, she had gotten a tip Sly would be stealing something that night. This time, she would wait and let her pray come to her, like a fly into a spider web.

At roughly one in the morning, Carmelita saw a van pulling up to the house. She quickly leapt up, focusing her telescope and turning on the night vision. She saw seven figures step out of the van, one of which was in a wheel chair. She then focused her telescope on one of them, and saw he was carrying a very identifiable cane. It was the ringtail all right.

It had been around six months after the incident with Dr. M. Carmelita and everyone else really thought that Sly had lost his memory. That all changed when one day, Bentley and Penelope were caught using a hacking protocol to steal money from E-Bay. They were arrested, and brought to Sly and Carmelita's division. The next morning Bentley, Penelope, and Sly were gone. The only thing left of any of them was one of Sly's calling cards resting in the center of the cell.

The card explained everything, and Carmelita became the laughing stock of Interpol. She quickly regained her reputation by bringing in the worst crime boss in Paris, but still she would not forgive Sly for betraying her. Still, those six months had been some of the happiest in Carmelita's life.

Carmelita stared through her telescope, watching as the gang members, each of which she could identify, moved their latest prize into the house. Carmelita smiled, packing up her equipment. That had been a few nights before. Now, in the calm of the night, a huge force of Interpol officers had been assembled outside the house. The best hackers in Interpol International had disabled Bentley's electronic security, and all other hazards had been scoped out and disarmed over the few nights. Now, it was the big of moment.

Carmelita's phone vibrated in her pocket. She quickly set her coffee on a nearby car roof, and pulled it out. She put it up to the ear, and heard Chief Barkley say, "Start Operation Legend Slayers."

Carmelita nodded her head, flipping the phone shut before she threw it on her car seat, and pulled out her shock pistol. Several other officers began to follow Carmelita as she crept up to the house. They all moved about carefully, avoiding all of the non-electronic traps that filled the yard. The night fell deathly silent, and a single sound might alert someone inside the house to their presence. Still, the officers of Interpol continued to creep closer.

Carmelita was the first to reach the house, climbing up a set of steps until she reached the deck around the house. She stepped carefully on the deck, avoiding every squeaky board until she reached the door. Carmelita's left hand slipped into her coat pocket, pulling out a small key. The night before a locksmith had snuck up to the house, and created a copy of the key. Carmelita pulled out the key, smiling gently as she slipped it into the lock. Behind her, several other officers caught up with the Spanish vixen, and waited anxiously as she gently pushed the door open.

Carmelita took a tentative step into the house, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pulled out her sunglasses, setting them on her head before pressing a button on the frames. Thanks to the Interpol tech department, Carmelita's sun glasses had been outfitted with night vision. All the other officers quickly followed Carmelita's lead, and the small army of police officers stepped into the living room of the Cooper gang.

Carmelita turned, motioning silently to the other officers as she directed eight of them down a hall that led to Murray and Panda King's bedrooms. The officers nodded their heads, making their way silently as Carmelita led the rest up to the second floor.

Creeping like burglars in the night, the officers of Interpol moved up to the second floor. There, they saw six doors. From what they knew from city records, one of the doors was a bathroom. The other five were bedrooms. Carmelita pointed at two operatives, and pointed to the first door on the right, the one that belonged to Penelope. She then sent two officers to Bentley's room, five to Guru's room, and one to Dimitri's room. The final door, the last door on the left side of the hall, Carmelita moved up to herself. That was Sly's room, and she would be the one to slap the cuffs around his thieving hands.

Everyone was in position, and time seemed to come to a halt. Adrenaline hit its peak, and everyone held their breath. Then, Carmelita gently tapped her foot on the ground three times. The hallway with Panda King and Murray's rooms was just below, and it allowed every officer to hear a signal. The next second, doors were broken down and yells filled the house. Lights came on, and panic ensued. Carmelita broke down Sly's door, flipping on the light as she bellowed in a commanding voice, "Freeze Cooper."

As Carmelita looked about the room, Sly was no where to be seen. There was, however, a gently flutter to the drapes on the window. Carmelita rushed over, and stuck her head out into the night air as she searched the area around the house. She was afraid Sly had escaped again when she heard a board creak behind her. Before she even saw where she was shooting, Carmelita spun around and let off a shock pistol blast.

Sly froze, his eyes widening just a bit before he got struck with the shock pistol blast. He dropped to the ground, the burst of electricity rendering his body useless for a few second. In the next instant, Carmelita had out a pair of handcuffs and had put her knee into Sly's back. Sly groaned a bit, smiling as he said, "Well, good evening Carmelita. It is nice to see you are back to normal."

Carmelita smiled, placing the very special handcuffs around Sly's wrists as she said, "This time, I'll say it. It is nice to see you too Ringtail and it will be even nicer to see you behind bars. You slipped up Cooper, and now you are going to jail for it."

Sly sighed, "Well, at least you will finally be able to enjoy that bottle of wine you have been saving."

Carmelita nodded her head, "I may even share a glass with you Cooper, but only if you decided to go quietly."

Sly flashed a very charming smile as he said, "For that opportunity, I would go without handcuffs."

Carmelita shook her head, hauling Sly up by the wrists, "Nice try, but you forget I know your tricks. You aren't getting away Cooper, not this time." The smile on Sly's face quickly disappeared as the seriousness of the matter sunk in. He had been caught, and had not intended it this time.

As Carmelita led Sly down the hallway, he could see Bentley, Dimitri, Penelope, and Guru's rooms were all empty. When they got down stairs, he saw why. Every other member of the Cooper gang were cuffed, standing in the living room waiting for him. The others looked up, but their hearts sank when they saw Sly had not escaped. Murray and Panda King had even been pumped full of tranquilizer, ruining the gang's chance that their strength might free them. Guru was also left helpless, the shards of his Moon Stone left scattered on the floor of his room. Carmelita motioned towards the other officers, and they all began to lead the Cooper Gang out of the house, and into the waiting police vehicles.

The next morning, the front of every newspaper was covered in the story. Carmelita's favorite headline was, "Master Thief Slips Up." Carmelita gave several interviews over the course of the morning, to both paper and TV reporters. It was noon before she got some private time in her office. After lunch, the chief came in and formally thanked Carmelita for all her work on the case. He also hinted to a promotion from Inspector to Captain, which would include a very hefty bonus from the higher ups.

Carmelita, however, got her biggest surprise around four in the afternoon. She was finishing the final paperwork on the Cooper case, preparing it to be sent to the prosecutors when she heard a knock on the door. A few seconds later, the door slowly swung open the reveal a tall male fox with a wide smile on his face.

Carmelita smiled, standing up from her seat, "Keith, what are you doing here?"

The male fox smiled, stepping farther into the room, "I heard the news last night, and hopped the first flight here." Carmelita rushed up, hugging the male fox tightly. Keith was her older brother, by adoption. Her parents had tried to have kids before, but her mother just couldn't seem to get pregnant. That is why they had adopted Keith, and then a few months later Mrs. Fox became pregnant with Carmelita.

Keith was taller then Carmelita, standing about six feet tall. While Carmelita had gone into law enforcement, Keith had found his calling in archeology. He was now the leading authority in an ancient race called the Kronosians. They were a race that had been said to hold a mastery of time, and could control a substance called the sands of time.

Though Keith was an archeologist, he also had a passion for the wild west of North America. With the money he gained from his field he bought a ranch in Colorado, and now had a small horse operation. Keith was dressed in his usual ranch wear, not having a chance to change before he got on the plane. His wardrobe consisted of cowboy boots, blue jeans, a denim button down shirt, and a tan cowboy hat that sat forward on his head.

Carmelita stepped back from Keith, smiling as she said, "How long as it been since you have been in Paris?"

Keith lifted his hand, holding up two fingers, "Two years, since Aunt Flores's wedding. Still, it isn't every day my younger sister finally arrests the Sly Cooper. So, to celebrate, I am taking you out on the town. Anywhere you want to go, you just name it. It is my treat."

Carmelita shook her head, "No, today has been busy enough. Besides, Sly and the rest of his gang goes on trial tomorrow. I have to be rested so I can give my testimony."

Keith sighed, "Very well, but can I at least offer my services tonight, and make you dinner. It can be at your house."

Carmelita crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Let me guess, you also need a place to stay while you are in town."

Keith bowed, but then looked up at his sister and smiled, "You know me to well Carmelita, you know me to well." With that, Keith convinced Carmelita to call it day. The pair drove across town, Carmelita in her red convertible and Keith in a rented pickup truck, to Carmelita's apartment.

Carmelita shared a duplex with a kind old owl by the name of Mrs. Hoot. She was a grandmother, and would sometimes have her grandkids over to visit. The sweet old woman spent most of her days cooking, and on more then one occasion Carmelita came home to find a pan or pot of food sitting on her doorstep. It always seemed Mrs. Hoot knew when Carmelita had endured a bad day, and her food always lifted her spirits.

While Carmelita's apartment was on the top of the duplex, Mrs. Hoot lived in the bottom. Both had a small deck area, and their apartments were laid out exactly the same. The difference came to the furnishing in each house. Stepping into Mrs. Hoot's house made you think you were stepping back a good forty years into the past. Carmelita's apartment, however, was a little bit more modern.

When Carmelita and Keith rolled up, Mrs. Hoot was sitting in the rocking chair on her deck, her feathered wings gently working a pair of knitting needles. She looked up at the pair, smiling as she said, "Well congratulations are in order Carmelita. I just heard the news. You did a wonderful job capturing that Sly Cooper fella. Oh, and who is this strapping young man who is with you, a boyfriend perhaps."

Carmelita shook her head, "No Mrs. Hoot, this is my brother Keith. Keith, this is Dorothy Hoot, my neighbor."

The old owl set down her knitting needles, stretching out a hand as she said, "Please, everybody just called me Mrs. Hoot."

Keith took Mrs. Hoot's hand, gently lifting it up as he kissed the back of her hand. He then stood up, smiling as he said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet the kind woman that has helped my Carmelita through the tougher parts of her life."

Mrs. Hoot blushed a bit, looking over at Carmelita, 'My dear it is a shame he is your brother. He is so charming, and I can tell he is such a nice boy."

Carmelita laughed, "I am sorry Mrs. Hoot, but Keith and I need to be going."

Mrs. Hoot smiled, returning to her knitting, "All right dear, I'll leave you two to catch up."

Carmelita nodded her head before quickly climbing up the stairs to her apartment, Keith following a few steps behind. Carmelita pulled out her keys, opening the door before flipping on the light. Carmelita's house was broken into three parts. There was the living room, from which you could go into the combined kitchen/dinning room or bedroom. The bathroom was attached to the bedroom, but it could also be accessed from a door in the kitchen/dinning room.

The living room was decorated with several pictures frames, most containing newspaper clipping that featured some of Carmelita's greatest achievements. There was also a medium sized TV that was held up by an entertainment center. Across the room from the TV was a simple grey couch, in front of which stood a coffee table. On another side of the coffee table, turned only slightly towards the TV, was a recliner. Against the back wall of the room was a desk with a computer, work lamp, and a few stray papers lying across its polished wooden surface.

Carmelita looked back at Keith, setting her keys on a nearby coffee table as she said, "You remember your way around?"

Keith nodded his head, "I do seem to recall."

Carmelita nodded her head, "Good, you can start cooking that dinner you promised me, and I am in the mood for Italian."

Keith raised an eyebrow, but then smiled, "You know what, then it Italian is what I will cook." Carmelita smiled, watching as Keith disappeared into the kitchen before she went to her bedroom. Carmelita's bedroom was much simpler then her living room. She had a queen sized bed that was covered with deep red blankets and pillows. Against the left wall was a green chair with a blanket setting over its back and an end table setting beside it. It was Carmelita's favorite place to read when she was at home, and it accounted for the large pile of books that accumulated around the end table. As Carmelita slipped out of her work books she realized that with Sly Cooper behind bars she would have time to catch up on her reading.

Carmelita walked back into the kitchen about thirty minutes later, having showered and changed into a simple T-shirt and pajama bottom. Usually, she would not be so casual around a guest, but Keith would never let her stay so up tight. When ever he visited her, he insisted that she relax. After all, Carmelita didn't realize how stressful her line of work was.

Carmelita scratched her head, lifting her nose as she smelled the thick aroma of pasta sauce in the air. The kitchen and dinning room each took up half of the room. The kitchen was up against the right wall, and consisted of a stove, sink, refrigerator, and an island counter that all stood on a white, tiled, floor. The other half of the room was carpeted, and consisted of a table and four chairs. Just enough should Carmelita's mother, father, and Keith all came over to visit at the same time.

At the stove, Keith stood stirring a pot of sauce, gently tasting it before he reached for a nearby salt shaker. Carmelita took a seat at the dinner table, relaxing as she stretched her arms above her head, "So, Keith, how is your work going. Find any leads on the Kronosians."

Keith nodded his head, adding a bit of pepper to the sauce pan, "Actually, I did make a discovery just a few days before I flew out here. I have it with me." Keith bent over, tasting the sauce one last time before he smiled. He picked up the pan and a nearby plate of pasta and carried it over to the table. He had already set out plates, silverware, and glasses of water.

After Keith filled Carmelita's plate, he put some food on his own and took a seat. Then, before starting his own food, he reached down the front of his shirt and pulled out a medallion. He pulled the chain off of his head, and handed to Carmelita as he said, "Take a look at this."

Carmelita took hold of the medallion, and began to turn it over in her hand. It was about half the size of a CD, and made of a mixture of glass and metal. Several designs covered the medallion, and they were focused around the nine small glass chambers around the rim. In the center was another two glass chambers, one in the shape of a diamond while the other was in a crescent shape, boarding the top edge of the diamond.

As Carmelita handed the medallion back Keith said, "We have just hit a treasure trove of Kronosian artifacts. Most of them broken pots and the usual stuff, but there were two things that gave us a huge new lead. It was this medallion and an ancient piece of text. The text said,

The power of time

The force to control past, present, and future

The power contained within the sands

The sands are formed by the altars

The sands are contained by the hourglass

From the hourglass the weapons gain their might

Time can be changed, the past rewritten.

But beware

The guardian of the timeline is always watching

Carmelita shook her head, "You don't really believe all that, do you?"

Keith shrugged his shoulders, slipping the medallion back over his neck, "I can't really say Carmelita. There is evidence the Kronosians held some kind of power, but we can't be sure if it was really the ability to control time."

Carmelita and Keith ate the rest of their dinner in calm conversation. Then, after Carmelita stomped Keith in a game of chess, they both decided to hit the sack early. Keith was still working against the massive Jetlag his flight had induced, and Carmelita needed to be at the court house early the next morning.