Epilogue: A Universe of Possibilities
As I sit here on my golden throne I laugh, and laugh, and laugh like it's my swan song.
It would be a fitting end for me, whether if I'd be on my way to be put behind bars or executed—surrounded by mountainous stacks of bills, glimmering gemstones, and other fabulous antiquated treasures that've made their way…to me!
But I'm glad to say it's not the end. Nada. It's a little too soon for that.
No, I'm going to be at this grind until my fur turns gray. I'll stay at it as long as my new husband does.
Yes, I wound up marrying the ringtail right when we were done with that Fiendish Five bullshit. There was no ceremony, no invitations, no legality involved. But we made the agreement on the spot, right in that damn volcano, and that's good enough for us both. We each have a half of our 'wedding broach', rather, that ruby gem that we'd picked up in Italy some time ago. That replaces and is better than any stupid ring. Besides, I already have seven hundred rings and wear eight to ten of them at one time.
I keep my half of the ruby tied to a gold chain and wear it underneath my suit. Sly carries his the same way—out of sight, but definitely not mind. We try to keep the affection levels down low when we're on active missions or around the other boys; speaking of which, at first, Murray found our union to be a little weird, but by then he'd fully grown to having me on the team.
Bentley was a little harder to sway. But I did my part in helping them track down and take care of the goons holding the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus hostage, and that took a little edge off our relationship. If he and I don't bicker with each other by the day, though. That's okay. At least I have someone who can help me fuss at Sly and/or Murray when they do something idiotic or reckless, so there's our common ground: common sense.
So yeah. I guess you can say their cozy little team of three is…a not as cozy team of four, admittedly, but we're getting there. I mean, I find myself perfectly content now being apart of the Cooper Gang. I never thought I'd say that, but here I am—with my own glamorous seat installed in the van, surrounded by several hundred pounds of riches! Then again that was because we just haven't stopped to sort all of this shit out. When your team moves around as much as ours, there's really no specific place to 'settle down'. Paris is the closest thing to a home base, but we aren't going back there for awhile.
Right now we're going where the news calls us. Sly has gotten an even bigger confidence boost after restoring his family tome and learning from what's within. He's got the gang hopping from opportunity to opportunity worldwide, and we're rolling right along with him. Slipping in quickly, quietly, and leaving like ghosts. Well—that's my specialty, but I'll let the boys have their credit, too.
What's awesome is my presence has definitely been noticed after that night in Paris. The news was quick to blare out that Sly Cooper and his gang had a fourth, 'mysterious' and 'lady' member no one had known about before. We-hel-heeell, look at my brand new title, propagated by the speakers of propaganda themselves!
You know, before I described what kind of shame my family would feel if my criminal activities were exposed. With that aside, I actually wouldn't mind keeping my name out of people's minds. It adds another layer of uniquity that other well-known criminals don't have. Being faceless, and not having any identity assigned to yourself keeps people up at night—especially if you're in law enforcement.
It'll take anyone, whether they have one brain cell or a college degree, more effort to find out who I really am, now. I think I'll create an alias when I'm out on a mission with the Gang. That way communication between us won't be compromised and my real name won't ever be spoken unless it's by me. I'll wear this figurative mask with pride and really, this is where I begin making my mark on the world.
My thoughts are always on the run, like a wildfire burning through a forest. Where are we going next? What will we be after? What asshole, murderer, or shithead will be the next victim? Thoughts like that. They don't stop. I need to learn how to control them before they control me; I love being spoiled with the things we take, but it's not just about what I want. Giving to the less fortunate gives me a pure sense of satisfaction. That satisfaction is another strong driving force within me, right next to my avarice.
I'm not saying that good and bad mix well. They really, truly don't. But, you can compartmentalize. If you learn how to compartmentalize, then your thoughts and desires can be addressed with more clarity. Or in my case, allow you to step back and reassess what good you can bring to the world, even while swimming in a sea that's morally gray. Before I met the Cooper Gang I was more self-centered, even if my main targets were the scum of the earth.
Hm. That makes me ponder more about the future. I obviously still have room to grow. Why, when looking into the Thievius Raccoonus with Sly, I was humbled beyond expression. You can think you're good at something, or the best, or have an inflated ego...like I may've had, ahem.
But my point is, there's always room for growth even up to the moment you're on your death bed. That's what I think. So that's what I'm going to believe. Being apart of the Cooper Gang is going to take me places I never considered before and the thought excites and terrifies me.
Oh, there might be pain and tears, wah-wah-wah, but I'm not afraid of adversary. I'm afraid of limiting myself with misplaced overconfidence.
That's why, thinking of the endless possibilities that await us in the future doesn't sway me. Besides, I have Sly at my side, and his boys who're quickly getting to the point of backing me up with their lives. We're a team of four ready to kick ass, take names, and take the estates of the cruel and elite.
There's no second guessing on my part, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way.