Hey everyone,
I have some good news – though I cannot say for sure – but I might be able to borrow someone's INCREDIBLE character for one of my stories soon enough, though that won't be until the April update. This character is named Drake Lupus and he is created by ConnorDavidson who makes an incredible comic on DeviantArt.
However, even if I do get to use character, it won't be for this story, I plan to have him play a Protagonist role in the story called Cooper and Wizards and quite frankly, I really hope that Connor will give me permission as I already have a brilliant story line planned around the character and what he can do in the story.
Let's hope, shall we,

Venquine1990

Two days later
Carmelita's POV

After getting permission from both Barkley and my dad, did it take Bentley only a bit of work with the pc on his wheelchair before he managed to create an alias for himself and through this he contacted a late night writer for several publishing networks and brought out the news of how the Cooper Gang and Interpol took out Akudo.
The turtle had even added what the henchmen of Akudo had been doing to keep him and the others sustained in their holding cells and while this had definitely increased my worry for them and my care for them and their cause grow, had Bentley made sure to add a contract to it all that made sure the press would only print their story.
After this we had just used the rest of the day to keep calm and get over the emotions all of this brought up. I had also used the rest of the day to care for Sly and by the end of the day did the Raccoon definitely look a lot better than before and did he even feel good enough to share dinner with us back in the kitchen.

By now the Raccoon definitely feels a lot better, yet a new problem has reared its head as Dimitri has become more and more fidgety and, stupidly enough, has it taken us the last few days to realize why this is. Dimitri, having been a real Ladies Man and Dance Lover, must be feeling as he is back in a cell while underground for this long.
And because of that, especially so close after having actually been kept prisoner for a good week, does he now behave very fidgety, has his English become even worse and just last night did he actually start an argument with both Penelope and Bentley as to why it was stupid of Penelope to pick Bentley as boyfriend over him.
At first Penelope had just ignored his advances, but then the Iguana had made a bad comment about Bentley and this had set off the temper of the protective, caring rodent and Bentley, being the kind caring turtle that he is, had gone up to help his girlfriend and defend both their prides and from this a bad argument had sprouted.
In the end Sly had swung his cane in several quick circles above his head before slamming the tip of it on the ground with tremendous force, shocking the three of them silent and the furious look on the Raccoon's face had said more than any words he could have said, the three arguers silently moving away from each other.

Sly had not been happy with this and had, afterwards, sagged down in his chair and mumbled something that sounded a lot like We need to get out of here, making me worried about why he would suddenly want to leave the Hide Out he had almost lost forever just a few days ago, but upon asking further had he explained.
And so we had come up with an idea, had Murray left for the apparent garage that is actually attached to the upper floors of this Hide out so he could go and see if the Cooper Van was ready for travel or if it needed some work and did we all decide to leave for some little closed off park that was close to the Hide Out the next day.
Part of me worries for Sly as he must still be feeling slight hints of his illness, yet I do agree that getting some fresh air might do the Raccoon as well as his team some good and while part of me wonders where this park is and whether or not I could have ever caught them there, do I just decide to tag along with them.

By now I am actually in yet another location I probably would have never expected me to be if it were not for the events of the previous weeks; in the back of the Cooper van with the back of my chair mirroring the back of Sly's own chair at the passenger's side at the front of van, while Bentley is near Penelope in the back.
Murray had definitely had to do some work as he had to add a few seats into the back of the Van, yet he also had to do it in such a way that Bentley could keep his mobile electronic devices such as a computer that is build into the left wall of the van and which has an expansion arm build into the back for easy moving around the van.
Because of this building seats for Dimitri and Panda King had been a little difficult for the Hippo, yet in the end, he had put a large seat against the left wall of the van right behind his own seat and build in a chair made of metal and a few pieces of cloth at the far back against the left of the wall and then given Dimitri a bit of pain.
However, before allowing the Iguana the chance to let his artistic side loose, he had given him a very severe warning not to paint anything other than his own seat and the look on the Hippo's face had been so threatening the Iguana had not even said a word in response or argument and just gotten to work on his chair instead.

And while I can't exactly understand how the Lizard can appreciate the combo of colors he used to paint his seat, do I also feel very amazed by how much Murray apparently cares for his van and Bentley had told me of how they had lost the Van when going after Neyla and had retrieved it when helping Panda King in China.
I personally can't believe how long the team have managed to go without their van and this makes my admiration of the driving Hippo increase even more. Yet then suddenly my thoughts are interrupted as the van stops and when I look around, do I see Bentley jumping out of the side of the van before helping out Penelope.

Dimitri has already practically rushed out of the van and Panda King helps me out, yet when I have gotten out myself, do I see that Sly has actually stopped Dimitri from rushing off with his cane, to which Dimitri moans and says: "Oh come on Crackerbox. Please let Dimitri groove, let me slide, let me be me."
And while I personally feel amazed that being outdoors has already helped improve his vocabulary a little bit, does Sly say: "You can be you and groove all you want, Dimitri, as long as you make sure to stay between that green rod and that set of apple trees all the time. Stay between it and be whoever you want. Can I get your word on that?"
The Iguana nods, the golden bent tip of the cane still around his neck and the small fin on his chin actually slapping against the cane itself and when Sly seems to believe the nods enough to prove that Dimitri will keep to his word, does he pull back the cane – only for Dimitri to practically vanish into the park only the next minute.
"What do you think, Sly? Is Dimitri going to groove or is he going to climb?" Murray asks and Sly smirks as he says: "He's going to climb. I saw his eyes light up when I mentioned the apple trees, so we'll probably be able to find him there when we go back." This makes me giggle and then Murray intrigues me as he asks:

"You going there?" To this Sly takes a deep breath in, making me look between the two and answers: "Keep an eye on them." Which to me is indeed confirmation that Sly plans to go somewhere that apparently even Murray doesn't know the location of and then, only a second later, is the Raccoon suddenly gone from my sight.
I look around, shocked that someone who had been badly ill only two days ago can still move so incredibly quickly and then Murray snickers and says: "Yeah, that's Sly for you. That's also the reason we never found out where this place was in the 1st place. He feels so closely attached to it, it increases all of his abilities."
This shocks me as I can't think of any location in Paris that Sly could feel closer connected to than his own Hideout and while, at first I try to just enjoy the time I have with Guru, Murray, Penelope and Bentley out in the open, can I not help but continue to feel worried and curious about Sly, making me look around at random times.

"Carmelita." Bentley suddenly says, half an hour after we arrived and while he has moved out of his wheelchair and over to a blanket he shares with Penelope and when I look at him, does he move a thumb over to a small patch of trees that, while at first look like a very small bit of forest, lengthen out further than the eye can see.
This silent gesture makes me smile at the gentle turtle and I move off my own blanket and roll it up, lying it against the wall that is located around the park we are in and near the actual van and then move into the forest itself, shocked that, the further I travel, the forest doesn't just lengthen, the amount of trees around me also multiply.
I look around me, amazed that this deep looking forest is actually located in a far end of a park that is actually located at the south center of a very famous city and while this proves to me that I would have never caught Cooper if I hunted him here, do I then, after ten minutes of scouring, find the Ringtail I am looking for.

However, the location I find him in shocks me as I had been a little startled to find mist approaching me a few rows of trees away and when I moved thicker into the knee-high layer of mist, did I find myself at a pond that is just about just as deep as the mist itself and which has said Cooper drifting in the center of its watery surface.
Sly's whole body is just floating across the watery surface and whether it is this connection Murray told me about or even the coloring of his skin reflected to the watery surface, but the whole area around the Ringtail's body actually has water that looks brighter and almost aglow with an unnatural form of light surrounding it.
Yet it is mostly the look on his face that catches my attention as it's one of much stronger serenity than I have ever seen on his face, even more than when we cuddle together or when I helped him feel better a few days ago and this not only makes me feel even more amazed about where I am, but also sets my heart at ease over his condition.

"Want to join?" Sly then suddenly asks, shocking me as I can't imagine how he knew that I was here while he seemed in a world of his own in the center of the pond and while I suppress a startled yelp, do I see a hint of humor be added to Sly's serene smile before he opens one lazy eye to look at me and softly tells me:
"One of my actual ancestors made this place when he felt it was his time to pass onto the next great adventure. He passed on in the center of this very pond and since then has his soul helped several generations of Coopers feel better in all ways available; mental, physical, emotional – even in spirit when necessary."
This amazes and slightly saddens me and then Sly smiles at me as he moves his head a little bit out of the water and says: "You could try and join me, you know? Murray and Bentley are definitely close, yet they have never found this place. The fact that you did, you might just be cut from exactly the kind of wood needed to join me here."

This whole talk of joining the Raccoon in the water would have definitely made me blush, were it not for the fact that, even from here, I can see that the Raccoon is still wearing the baggy pair of pants and the tight fitting blue shirt with yellow turtleneck trim and then I smile at him and decide to just take him up on his offer.
Seeing that the Raccoon has only taken off his Cane, which leans against an oak tree near me and his boots, do I take off my own heeled boots and pull off the belt on which I still hold my shock pistol before, just to do Ringtail a little favor, pulling off my jacket and lying all the items near his cane before I approach the pond.
Sly smiles as he sees me do this, yet while I try to freely move through the water, can I not deny that upon my foot first reaching the water I felt something that could almost be compared to an invisible field of magic trying to resist me, yet after the first push of my paw, did I feel the same magic come to surround my form.
And after that, with every step I take to further cross the water, do I feel more and more of this magic covering me, the sensation itself feeling similar to when a part of my body is asleep and tingles as a sign that I need to move and get the blood flowing again, yet while I do not resist this feeling, do I still push on.

Sly himself smiles as he sees me, his eyes making me wonder if he knows what I am going through and then moves his head back, his eyes again closed in the same intense bliss as before and this makes me smile in relieved happiness, yet this emotion seems to be what the magic had been looking for as suddenly – it vanishes.
Wondering if I passed some sort of test – the same that Bentley and Murray apparently failed whenever they couldn't find this place – and when I reach where the Ringtail is lying, has he actually moved a slight bit, making a bit of room in the exact core of the pond and I happily let myself lie down and drift next to him.

Moving my body in such a way that the water almost carries me, do I again feel the same magic – which I now suspect is the soul of the passed away ancestor – pass over me and suddenly all the worries I felt over Ringtail's sickness, all my fear over Akudo's actions and all my anxiety for my job – seem light years away.
This feeling, this sensation, as if the water is flowing over me and, as it flows away, takes all of my downtrodden and negative emotions with me, makes me sigh in a sense of relief I didn't even know I was missing and then a soft, warm voice sounds from my right as it says: "I know, right?" Making me smile even wider.
Then, as I close my eyes, do I feel nothing but the sensation the water and the soul of Sly's ancestor as well as the ripples in the water that indicate just how close Sly is floating across the surface near me and with the knowledge that I am this close to my leader as well as in a realm as calm and serene as this makes me feel at peace.

Like this the two of us just float, neither of us saying a word and neither of us even feeling like we need to say anything as we are both just too busy relaxing, letting the water move us across the small area that is this pond and letting the soul of the ancient Cooper ancestor flow over us as it takes all of our emotional baggage.
The two of us do, at random times, feel our forms coming close enough to each other to touch, but other than one of us taking the hand of the other and giving it a loving squeeze, do we just focus on how incredible it feels to be here, how brilliant the water feels to our touch and how relaxing it feels to let go off our worries.
More often than not do I just feel like sighing out and I can definitely hear Sly do this a few times, my body responding by doing the same after he does, yet other than these signs of action that come from both of us, do I feel as if time has just stopped all around us, bar the rippling of the water, and the best thing is, I don't even care.

Yes, I know that I work for Interpol and that the chief is probably still busy getting all the crimes out of Akudo and his men to make sure he can put him down for life – not that he can't already. Yes, I know that I am in the presence of the biggest pain in Interpol's back as well as the silent help to us catching criminals.
Yes, I know that the team is currently without leader somewhere outside the forest that surrounds this incredible, mystical pond. Yes, I know that they too have their own emotional baggage regarding everything that happened just last week. Yet, just lying here, letting the spirit help me and floating in the water – takes away my care.
It takes away my care for catching criminals and helping Interpol keep the streets clean all over the globe. It takes away all of my care for how Cooper has been evading the law and justice for many of his crimes over the years. It takes away my worries that the others might get in danger when without the presence of their leader.
It practically takes away all the worry, pain and concerns I have been feeling ever since I started considering myself an adult, graduating from the Police Academy and moving into my own apartment and replaces it with the tranquility that comes from the soft flowing motion of the water as well as the soul that guards over this place.

Yet suddenly a ripple touches my form that doesn't feel like all the others, that feels bigger, stronger and actually troubled and this makes me feel as if I just woke from a month long dream and makes me move up with the question: "What was that?" My eyes open and instantly finding my shock pistol before a grunt distracts me.
I look at where the grunt comes from and instantly feel worried cause, like with how I felt after feeling the ripple touch me, does Sly seem to have lost all of the calm, serene tranquility it showed earlier and then he mutters: "The rest is in trouble." And while I wonder how he knows this, does he open his eyes – which are alert and angry.

Wow, what a place!
Okay, so I have been believing that Sly would have a place like this for the longest time and sometimes I came up with the idea that Carmelita, on a day off, would actually find Sly here and would get affected by the environment in such a way it would help them get closer – yet this felt just as right, so yeah.
For anyone wondering, just imagine one of the Sinnoh lakes from Pokémon, but then on a much smaller scale. I think the first lake shown in the Sinnoh region is the best way to describe the pond and how it looks and feels to be there. However, I DO NOT OWN THIS LAKE NOR DO I MAKE ANY PROFIT OF THIS STORY!
To put it in DZ2's words, all credit to the original owner – especially, because I didn't realize that the descriptions fit until I wrote this AN. Now next chapter might just have a Boss Battle and it will actually involve a very fatal mistake made by Carmelita. Just take a close look at the starter chapter and you will get what I mean.
Have fun, guys,

Venquine1990