Author Note: This chapter has been long awaited, and I feel so much better that I finally sat down and figured out how I wanted to end The Sands of Time. For those who have been waiting, I'm sorry it took so long. My dearest appologies, and hope that this ending was at least worth the wait.

Chapter 15

To Defy Fate

The manor was huge, a tall fence encompassing the grand mansion and its garden. Carmelita quickly hopped the fence, glancing about for only a moment before slinking across the grass. Carmelita noticed that the house had security, but most of it had been turned off. The cameras around the house's exterior were dark, and the front door was unlocked.

Carmelita began to get an uneasy feeling as she stepped through the door. "It shouldn't be this easy." The fox thought to herself as she began to climb a grand staircase up to the houses second floor. Following her visions, Carmelita quickly made her way to the manor's library. The huge study was lit by a fire that glowed in the fireplace. Above the mantel, hanging against the wall, a long Persian sword hung.

"I was expecting you." A voice muttered, making Carmelita jump back into a defensive position. Sitting in the corner of the room was a very old panther. He was dressed in green night gown, and he was blind in his right eye. Carmelita relaxed, looking over at the old panther with confusion."

"The funny thing about defying fate, it's never easy." The panther muttered, his legs trembling as he stood up from his chair. "First, I just had the dagger, and with it I released the sands of time from that ancient hourglass. Then, after I finally managed to undo my mistake, it seems fate was not satisfied. Fate sent its attack dog, the Dahaka, after me, and I continued to defy fate by trying to ensure the sands of time were never created. I tried every thing, did every task, and in the end it was always the same. I was always the architect of my own destruction."

"Who are you?" Carmelita asked, staring at the panther in disbelief as the aged cat limped over to the fireplace, and lifted the sword off the wall.

"I am the Prince of Persia, the one who defied fate, and lived to tell the tale."

"How can that be… you would have to be centuries old."

"The thing about the sands of time, they aren't just for going back. I used the sands to launch myself forward in time, to a point where all the actions I had done in the past carried no more consequence. That is what makes the sands of time so addicting. There is always the opportunity with the sands to undo a mistake, to defy fate."

The old panther, the Prince of Persia, turned to Carmelita and offered her the sword that had been hanging above his fireplace. "This sword has tasted the Dahaka's blood. It was the weapon that once slew that terrible beast. Still, once killed the Dahaka is reborn stronger then before. The weapons of water are no longer able to kill the Dahaka."

"What do you mean?" Carmelita asked, holding her hands out as the old man handed her the sword, its metal surface rippling as if formed of water.

"The sword in your hands plus the trident and spear are all weapons of water, meant to purify evil. The Dahaka I slew in my ancient world was a force of evil for it had haunted the world for centuries. It had killed those who defied fate, but also anyone that stood in his way. The Dahaka of old was a monster, but the Dahaka you face has yet to commit such a sin. He, himself, is still an innocent, and in can only be injured by water, not killed."

Carmelita looked down at the shimmering sword of water, the third part of the three weapons of water. Anger began to build in Carmelita's chest, her grip tightening on the sword. It was all for nothing. Everything she tried ended up the same way. Sly would be dead. The rage became too much, and without even thinking Carmelita grabbed the sword and chucked it across the room.

"Just like me, you have become lost in the dessert." The Prince of Persia muttered, setting his hand on Carmelita's shoulder. "Once the Dahaka began hunting me, I set out to find the Island of Time, the birthplace of the sands. There, I fought and slew the queen of the land, knowing that she had been the one to create the Sands of Time. Still, it was only later that I realized it was in death the queen created the sands, that when I slew her I assured that the sands would come into existence. It was chance I came across the very same mask you are wearing, and it was because of that mask I had a second chance to change my fate."

"But how does this mask work? All I have seen is that it makes me a walking weapon, a living creature that uses the sands just like the dagger or sword."

"It is a chance to take the place of your past self. That mask comes off when your previous incarnation dies. You then have the knowledge of the future to try and change the past. What knowledge did you gain from the fight with the Dahaka?"

"That the spear and trident together were not enough to kill that cursed beast. That the shadowy stranger that fought the figure was wearing this mask and was killed by the Dahaka. The Sly died trying to protect me from the Dahaka."

"How did the stranger die?" The Prince asked, his voice kind and grandfatherly.

"He died saving…" Carmelita started, her voice starting out in a furious yell before quickly dying away to a whisper. "He died trying to save me."

"And there is where you can change the past. By letting your past self die, you can remove the mask. Then, you will know how the fight will go and what you can do to change it."

Carmelita shook her head, turning to face the elderly Prince, "but how am I to kill the Dahaka if both the weapons of time and water are both useless."

"Neither is useless young Sand Wraith. Allow me to share with you something I learned from a very special woman. On our way back to my kingdom, the queen of time told me an ancient legend of her land. It was on the final destruction of the Dahaka. The queen told me that the four weapons of time and the three blades of water were forged in the same moment. The weapons themselves were made by mortal hands, but the power they contain could not be made in this world. The seven weapons were all once apart of a single weapon, a mighty sword. "

The Prince coughed a bit, his body quivering. Carmelita quickly turned, helping the aged Panther into a seat. For a moment the prince had to stop and catch his breath, but soon his voice had returned and he continued. "A piece of history never recorded in any book was the fact that during the great war between the Grecian gods and the Titans, who looked to Kronos as their leader, that the final battle was decided by a single duel. When all the other titans and gods lay on the battle field, their powers and immortality pressed to their very limits, Zeus and Kronos remained as the last two capable of fighting."

"Zeus, before the battle, had forged a powerful weapon by his own hand. Carrying a little strength from every one of the Grecian Gods, the Sword of Olympus was the mightiest blade to ever be created. Kronos, seeing Zeus's sword, knew he would not be able to face his son without a weapon of his own. In the last dire moment Kronos drew up all the remaining strength from the titans to try and forge his own weapon. However, before Kronos could produce the blade, Zeus intervened by driving the Sword of Olympus straight through Kronos's stomach."

"The result of Zeus's actions caused the power from the Sword of Olympus to be dispersed. The energy Zeus took from the other gods returned to their owners, and at the same time Kronos's power and what remained of the titan's strength were drawn into the Sword of Olympus. It sealed away their power and allowed the Grecian gods to lock the titans away in the darkest depths of the underworld."

"Zeus, however, was concerned about the power of his own sword. He feared that if the Sword of Olympus were to ever fall into another god or titans hands, they would try to overthrow his new rule. So, in an act of preserving the power of Olympus, Zeus drew most of the sword's power into his own body. The energy, however, he could not absorb was that of his father, Kronos, and the massive power of the ocean itself. So, the power of Kronos and at that time Oceanus was left in the sword, and the blade was cast down to earth."

"The Island of Time," Carmelita finished, her mind figuring out where the prince's story was leading.

"Yes, the sword fell on the land that would eventually become the island of time. When the first people came across the sword, they saw the great power it held. Still, merely touching the sword was enough to kill someone. The power was just too great for a mortal to wield. So, in an act of trying to control even a fraction of the ancient power, the original Kronosians used the ancient rituals and lingering power of the titans to contact Kronos."

"The ancient god of time saw the Kronosians as the last of his worshipers, the last people that could give him strength. In hopes of assuring his freedom, Kronos blessed the first Kronosians with both his name and a bone gray mask. The Mask of Wrath, the mask that is currently on your face."

Carmelita reached up, touching the ancient and weather beaten mask, "But, what does the mask have to do with the weapons?"

"The Mask of Wrath allowed the wearer to hold the Sword of Olympus. With the mask and the sword, the ancient warriors of the Kronosians began using the power to right the wrongs of their society. To catch thieves before they had stolen, murders before they had killed, to save the lives of those who didn't deserve to die. Still, soon the power began to corrupt the Kronosians, and they used it to go to war."

"In a few short years the Kronosians managed to seize control of the entire world, a part of the earth's history that has been erased from the minds of man. Even Kronos saw that the people who he hoped could free him from his prison in the underworld had forgotten that it was his blessing that let them use the Sword of Olympus. Finally, the situation reached such a point that Zeus himself intervened. With a single powerful bolt of lightning Zeus shattered the Sword of Olympus into seven pieces and with the aid of the other Olympians pushed the Kronosians back to their capitol."

"With the gods at their gates the Kronosians begged and pleaded with Kronos to grant them the power to save themselves. Kronos, however, refused and actually put a curse upon the Mask of Wrath, so that its wearer could not remove the mask until he had killed himself. At the time Kronos placed the curse on the mask, a single brave warrior was wearing it. The curse fell upon him, and in that moment that warrior became the first Dahaka and the Mask of Wrath was lost beneath the thunder of battle. The war ended, the Kronosians were defeated, and with the power of Poseidon and Oceanus the capitol was broken away from the main land, turning it into the Island of Time."

The Prince coughed again, a few drops of blood escaping his throat, "Years later, a disciple of Zeus discovered the mask and brought it to his temple. Zeus saw the mask, and remembered the curse Kronos had put on it. Knowing that, in time, someone would choose to use the mask for good, Zeus place his blessing on the mask. The mask gained the power to send its wearer back in time. It would let the wearer change the past and then, when their alternate life died, they could remove the mask and continue to live their new life."

"Kronos saw Zeus's blessing as a new rebellion to try and subdue the last of his remaining influence on the world. In his final act, Kronos brought the Dahaka under his control and gave it the task of guarding the timeline, to search out and kill anyone who defied fate. Such, the seven weapons, the Dahaka, and the mask of wrath came into existence. It was, however, only after the creation of the sands of time that the weapons of time gained their true power, allowing their history to be hidden away and lost in the crumbling libraries of the Kronosians."

"I don't understand. What difference does any of that make right now?" Carmelita asked, a tone of confusion in her voice.

"Knowledge makes all the difference, especially in matters such as this. It is the knowledge of the past that lets us decided how we can change the future. Remember what I have told you, and when you fight the Dahaka look for a sign. At the right moment, when the night is the darkest and the storm at its worse, when you've lost all hope, have faith that, for even one moment, destiny is on your side."

Carmelita remained still, looking down at the withered form of the Prince. Even with his feeble body, Carmelita could still see part of the ancient warrior shining through. It was the warrior that refused to submit to fate, that he could choose his future. The prince's actions were one final defiance of fate, that when another should die he could show them the way to defy destiny and live to see the next sunrise.

"You must go quickly, find your past self and intervene in the final fight with the Dahaka. Go quickly before you are too late."

Carmelita nodded, turning quickly and running across the room. With a single fluid motion she snatched up the Water Blade and sprinted out the door. The Prince watched Carmelita leave, her body still lost in the darkness of the Shadow Wraith. Another weak cough escaped the prince's throat before he leaned back in his chair, the light beginning to fade from his eyes.

"Though we hate to believe it, we are the toys of the gods. The gods, be them the Olympians of ancient Greece or the single God of Christianity, they each gain power by the people who worship them. Kronos and Zeus have fallen into history, and now possess no power. Their last claim in the mortal world are the weapons, the Dahaka, and the Mask of Wrath. The Dahaka is Kronos's emissary and he seeks to destroy those that would defy the timeline, the last monument to Kronos's power. Zeus, however, is one who believes someone should have a chance to change their destiny. His will and power reside in the weapons and the mask. This fight stands not only between Carmelita and the Dahaka, but also Zeus and Kronos. A fight that will decide for future generations whether someone must resign to their fate or if they can choose to defy it, and forge their own path into the future."

Bentley landed the helicopter down beside the Eiffel Tower, Keith hopping, bent down to guard his head from the helicopter's turning blades. . Sly and Carmelita smiled, running up to meet Keith as he asked, "Where's the Dahaka?"

Sly ran up, holding tightly to his hat while Bentley worked to shut the helicopter down, "We don't know. Last time we saw it was on the far side of the river." Before Keith could respond, a loud crash filled the air. Carmelita, Sly, and Keith looked back to see a single, black tentacle breaking the tail of the helicopter apart. The helicopter lurched, starting to spin around as Bentley held on for dear life. Eventually, the helicopter slowed, but Bentley had blacked out from the centrifugal force.

In the distance, the Dahaka slowly rounded the corner of a building and began to walk towards Carmelita and Keith. The white points of lights, the Dahaka's eyes, narrowed and dark tentacles began to spread out farther. Keith growled under his breath, rushing over to the helicopter. Quickly, he grabbed up the weapons of time and water, passing the Sword of Time and Spear of Oceanus to Sly while Carmelita got the dagger and trident. Keith held onto the medallion and staff of time, turning with Sly and Carmelita to face the Dahaka.

In the distance, watching for behind the street corner, the Sand Wraith watched with her blue piercing eyes. Carmelita still couldn't get over how strange it was to see herself fighting. Still, she held tightly to Water Blade, watching the fight unfold. Keith was doing his best to distract the Dahaka, allowing Carmelita's past self and Sly attack the dark creature with the spear and trident. Still, the weapons only injured the beast, and each time one of them struck it seemed to be having a smaller effect.

Finally, Carmelita saw the opening in the battle. Keith had muttered something, and now all three of them were lunging at the Dahaka. The great black creature took a step back, a single huge arm backhanding all three of his attackers. Keith and Sly were sent sprawling in one direction while Carmelita's past self landed hard on the ground, the trident and dagger slipping from her fingertips.

That was the moment she needed, and Carmelita called on the sands as she raced forward. The Dahaka lunged out its tentacles, but unlike the first time they struck their target and took hold of Carmelita's past self. Sly and Keith jumped up, lunging forward to try and save her, but it was that moment Carmelita appeared. To Sly and Keith, she was merely the Sand Wraith, a black figure with a bone gray mask and blue, piecing eyes.

"Get out of the way!" Sly shouted, trying to get past the Sand Wraith. Still, with the help of the sands of time Carmelita kept between Sly and the Dahaka, and soon it was too late. Carmelita's past self was lifted off the ground, pulled into the dark body of the Dahaka. Sly and Keith cried out, but Carmelita knew it was already over. The mask had become loose on her face, her past self had just died.

Sly and Keith turned, their eyes burning with anger towards the Sand Wraith. For a moment the Dahaka seemed to disappear, and in that time of piece Sly reared back and landed a firm punch against the Sand Wraith's jaw

"WHY DID YOU STOP US? WHY DID YOU LET HER DIE!?" Sly shouted, an immeasurable amount of rage and sorrow burning in his eyes. Carmelita just stood back up, knowing that if she took the mask off now it would all be over. It was then Carmelita began to notice her mouth was feeling dry. The sands of time were beginning to dehydrate her, and mindlessly she lifted up the Water Blade and actually began to drink from the sword's edge.

"Who are you?" Keith asked, recognizing the Mask of Wrath. "And how did you come about the mask. Carmelita was the one carrying it, and she was just devoured by the Dahaka. So, how did you get it?"

Carmelita remained silent, her head turning as she heard a loud crash. The Dahaka was returning. Quickly the prince's words rang through Carmelita's mind, and after quickly disguising her voice she asked, "You, do you know of the sands of time?"

"Yes," Keith answered quickly, surprised to be asked such a question by a Sand Wraith.

"Do you know of the Sword of Olympus?"

"Yes, it's mentioned several times in Kronosian legends as a great source of power."

"What if I told you the four weapons of time and three weapons of water were all made from the remains of the Sword of Olympus. Would you know a way to put them back together?"

Keith paused a second, his mind flipping through the pages upon pages of information he had read over the course of his lifetime. "There is something, a ritual mentioned in an ancient story from a Grecian Philosopher. It mentions the seven weapons of an ancient power, but the only semblance it carries to the Kronosian legends is what kind of weapons are used. It never specifically mentions the weapons of time."

"Did the story tell you of a way to contact Zeus?"

"What… Zeus… that is absurd. The weapons of time gain their power from Kronos, not his son Zeus. Why would you seek to contact him, even if it were possible?"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW TO OR NOT?" Carmelita shouted, the Dahaka growing close enough to attack.

"Yes, I remember what the text mentioned."

"Then do what you remember, try to call Zeus. I will distract the Dahaka." With that Carmelita turned, her grip on the Water Blade tightening as she raced forward. The Dahaka roared, its tentacles racing out. Carmelita called on the sands of time, the ancient power leaking out from her skin as time slowed. She struck out with the Water Blade, cutting at the Dahaka's tentacles.

The Guardian off the Time line howled in pain, his attack becoming even more fierce as he tried to kill Carmelita. In the background Keith worked quickly, trying to organize the weapons of time and water as they were described in the ritual. Sly stood nearby, pushing down his anger and sorrow to help Keith with the ritual.

Even with the sands of time aiding her, and the Water Blade, Carmelita soon found herself fighting to just stay alive. The Dahaka lunged at her, and was eventually able to cut her across the side. Carmelita cringed in pain, backing up as she held the wound. The Dahaka stood over her like a mountain, its burning white eyes fixed on her as it began to mutter something, the words coming out backwards.

"Doolb rouy htiw devreserp eb enilemit eht."

Carmelita cringed a moment, watching as the Dahaka reared back to deliver the final blow. It was at that moment, however, Carmelita felt something hit her nose. A rain drop. What had been a clear night sky suddenly turned into a violent storm. A heavy rain began to pour down, and the Dahaka screamed as the water began to burn his flesh. Carmelita slowly forced herself up, looking back to see Keith and Sly had backed away from the weapons of time and water, which had been laid out on the ground in a precise order.

The weapons were glowing, and through the rain Carmelita could hear a powerful, commanding voice say, "Place the blade among its brothers and receive my blessing."

Carmelita took the words, slowly limping forward. The pain in her side was excruciating, the rainwater mixing with the sands of time and causing the wound to burn. Still, Carmelita kept moving forward. The Dahaka saw all of this, lashing out his tentacles and striking Carmelita in the back before dropping to the ground, the rain water burning him too greatly.

Carmelita struggled, trying to get to her feet, but found she had lost all her strength. Then, two pairs of hands grabbed her up of the ground, and Carmelita felt herself being carried forward towards the weapons. It was Keith and Sly, they were carrying her to the weapons of time and water.

"We don't know who you are, or why you are fighting the Dahaka? Still, if you can kill that thing we will do whatever we can to help. For Carmelita's sake." Sly said as the trio got within a few steps of the weapons. Carmelita found her own strength returning, Sly's voice driving away the pain and fatigue in her body. It was enough, and Carmelita was able to stand up on her own power. With a final burst of strength she raised the Water Blade up, gently holding it above the other weapons of time and water.

For a moment nothing happened, and then with a thunderous roar a bolt of lighting cut down from the sky and struck the Water Blade. Keith and Sly were blown backward, the pair crashing to the ground as Carmelita, in her Sand Wraith form, was enveloped in light. The bright flash held out for a few seconds before slowly fading away, the rainstorm stopping as the last of the light disappeared.

Carmelita had never felt so good in her life. Her injuries were gone, her muscles were rested. The Sword of Olympus felt so light, like a feather resting in her hand. The weapon was a brilliant silver in color with a glass chamber in the core, contained within was a surging bolt of lightning.

Carmelita turned, letting her arm drop to one side as looked over at the Dahaka. With the rain gone the ancient beast had regained strength, and a single mighty roar broke out from his throat. Carmelita, however, did not make a single move, her eyes fixed on the Dahaka. Without even realizing it she raced forward, the Sword of Olympus held securely in her hand.

The Dahaka lunged out his tentacles, trying to strike Carmelita and stop her attack. Still, each tentacle seemed to break away into a dark mist whenever it drew close to Carmelita. Finally, Carmelita stood within inches of the Dahaka, and before the creature could even react she had driven the Sword of Olympus through his chest, piercing his black heart.

With a painful, high pitched cry the Dahaka began to break apart, becoming nothing more then mist on the wind. The Sword of Olympus slowly clattered to the ground, the metal rusting over quickly before the whole weapon broke into dust. Beside the sword was the motionless body of Carmelita's passed life.

Sly rushed forward, pushing the Sand Wraith out of the way before dropping to his knees. He grabbed up Carmelita's cold body, hugging it tightly as if his presence could bring her back to life. Keith stood back, watching the whole scene from afar. He knew Sly would need sometime alone, but still the Sand Wraith remained.

"Go away," Sly finally spat, glaring up at the Sand Wraith once he realized it was still there. "before I make you pay for letting her die. You stopped me from saving her, its your fault she's dead. You killed her!"

The sand wraith sighed, slowly lifting up his hand and taking hold of the mask. Slowly, he pulled the bone grey mask away, the blackness covering his body disappearing into the air. At the same moment, Sly found that Carmelita's body was fading. That it slowly disappeared, like a mist.

"But why would I want to kill myself."

Sly turned his head so quickly it cracked, a smile spreading on his face as he saw Carmelita standing nearby. Keith, smiled, watching as the two quickly went from a loving embrace to a tender kiss. "I think I need to find a new subject to focus on, the Kronosians and their time travel is all to confusing."

Epilogue

Several years later, in the mountains of Europe, a single country house sat on the hillside. On its deck, sitting on the porch swing, was a slightly older Carmelita fox. She sat, gently rocking as she looked out over the beautiful mountain scenery.

As soon as the ordeal with the Dahaka was over, Carmelita went back to the police force and Sly to his thieving. Still, things were never the same. Within a year Sly turned himself in, and like the first time was sentenced to six months of house arrest and 500 hours of community service. Carmelita was sure, however, that this time Muggshot was behind bars the entire time. At the end, Sly and the Cooper Gang was released.

However, instead of going back to stealing for the pleasure of it, Carmelita gave Sly a simple idea. The Cooper Gang began working with the police. If there was crime lord or someone the police couldn't quiet pin down, they would call the Cooper Gang in to get them the evidence they needed. The Cooper Gang also began making a lot of money on the side. Museums, Art Galleries, they all wanted to test their security systems against the best of the best, and were willing to pay a fortune to have Sly and Cooper Gang get through the security system, steal something. Then, they could show their employers where the weakness was and it could be fixed. The thieves hired and sanctioned by the law to steal with no threat of being arrested. It took a little of the thrill out of it, but Sly soon found something else to fill the void.

Carmelita smiled as she thought back, her eyes drifting down the diamond ring that glistened on her ring finger. At that same moment the nearby screen door opened, and Sly stepped out. Carmelita smiled at him, the ex-master thief quickly moving forward and planting a loving kiss on the lips of his wife. At that moment a third set of footsteps began to echo from the door, and a small fox girl with black rings on her tail stepped out onto the porch.

It was then that Carmelita glanced to her right, seeing a strange blackness out of the corner of her eye. Even though she hadn't seen who the figure was, or where they had disappeared to so suddenly, she already knew. She had been wondering when that figure would appear, even for the briefest moment, since the day she married Sly and they bought their summer home in the mountains. She had been waiting for the day to see the Sand Wraith, and smile to know that the past was going to change. That she had truly changed her fate, and that she was living the future she had seen so many years ago.

The End