Two days later sounds of a party permeated through the air of the silent town. By the harbor, if anyone looked they would see the ship, a fantastic display of lighting and shadows. It looked almost like it was only a hallucination its reflection shimmering in the water among the stars in the sky and their rippling reflections. Serena and Mac were standing in a very dark area of the harbor. The girl tucking the last golden strand of hair neatly into her small cap. She smudged more dirt upon her smooth cheeks. She had tried to make herself as ungirlish as possible for the daring plan she had come up with in order to find some information on her father.
"Well?" she asked Mac who was staring at the pants that cut off at her knees and the large baggy shirt that hid a specific part of her anatomy rather nicely.
"If I hadn't seen ya tuck in yer hair, I'd say yer were a rather grubby urchin of a boy." Mac grinned, showing off his chipped and yellowish teeth. Serena grinned happily.
"Perfect.. now don't forget.. you have to distract the two guards so that I can get onto that ship." She said quietly. Mac shook his head slowly.
"I dun likes it Sere.. it's a mite bit risky if ya were to go askin' me. I gots a bad feelin' in these old bones of mine." He mumbled. Serena waved off his worries with a flick of her wrist.
"None shall recognize me! Don't forget.." she murmured as she disappeared into the shadows. Mac sighed and slowly walked towards the two sailors who had been stationed as guards at the ramp of the ship. He began to sway and weave around the dock careful not to bump into anything. He could almost feel Serena following him silently in the shadows.
"'Ay mate!" he cried in what he hoped sounded like a drunken stupor. The two sailors stared at him in amusement as he continued to wobble around. Out of his eyes he saw Serena look at them for a moment, dashed through the lit area and soon disappeared back into the shadows.
"Good luck ter ye girl." He sent silently.
The party to the eye of the guests was perfect, the music was wonderful, the boat's interior was nicer than the exterior if that was at all possible, and the two hosts were nothing but charm. Professor Shields was cordial and polite to his guests but his eyes kept darting everywhere as if searching for something and having no luck in finding it. What ever it was… it appeared to be extremely important to the teacher.
Darien mentally screamed in agony to himself. He needed to get out of his mass of full skirts, fake giggles and battling eyes. His eyes glanced around in panic before he found himself staring as a filthy boy snuck from behind a plant to the area that had been marked off limits to the guests. His eyes gleamed in mischief, and he heard himself excuse himself as he started on the trail of his pray. He seemed to be a predator, his actions and face were wolfish and he looked as if he were ready to set in for the kill. He quietly walked down the hallway and saw as the boy slipped silently into his father's study.
"Oh no you don't." Darien growled in annoyance under his breath before storming towards the closed door.
Serena was searching furiously though the plethora of books and papers. Her eyes skimmed over yet another map of the South America Continent and quickly dug through more papers. She was grumbling to herself in annoyance. She was an IDIOT. This was so frustrating! She didn't even know what she was searching for! Did she just expect a large white sign to be placed some where on the boat saying "For information on Captain Tuskino look here"
"ARRRRRRRGH!!!!!" she shouted in annoyance just as the door flew open. She froze like a deer caught and stared blankly at the shadowed form in the doorway. The man made a dive for her and she quickly dodged, racing out of the room. Darien spun around and tore after her like a mad man. Serena was running blindly in any direction she could go. A left here, right there.. she was lucking out in not finding a dead end yet. Darien smiled in triumph to himself as he recognized that obviously the filthy thief in front of him did not know the way around the boat. He was gaining slowly but surely and finally, in one last spurt of speed he lunged at the thief grabbing him around the waist.
Serena nearly shrieked as his hands came around her waist before she stomped her shoe onto his foot as hard as she could. Quickly she swung back her elbow jabbing him right in the gut. Darien let out a grunt of pain and his vice like grip on her loosened just enough for her to get away again. Darien swore under his breath before restarting the chase.
She found her way to the upper deck, on the outside by the railing and smiled with glee. Now that she knew the exit.. there was no way that crazed idiot could catch her now! She cocked her head back to see him raging after her like a mad bull and let out a small shout of triumph before she rammed into a soft wall which grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her back. She found herself glaring into a pair of light blue eyes set in a wise and gentle face.
"It appears you gave Darien quite a run for his money" the man exclaimed with a grin thrown at the boy who was panting and leaning against his knees. His chest was heaving and his lungs were burning. Damn.. this was not the time for running, especially not in a nice suit. Serena squirmed in the mans arms.
"leggo of me!" she demanded, "I'm not a thief!" she growled in anger thrashing wildly. The man's grip on her arm remained firm as he led her back to his study. Darien following closely, a smirk on his face. Serena wanted to wipe that smirk off with a good right hooked punch to the jaw..
"Stay outside Darien.. in case our special guest tries to run again.." Professor Shields commanded softly as he pushed Serena into the study, let go of her arms and sat behind his desk calmly.
"Sit." He ordered, Serena knew it was futile to disobey so she sat tensely in the chair.
"Now.. why were you stealing from us?" the man asked calmly.
"I wasn't stealing halfwit. I was merely searching for information I know you have."
"Oh?" the man inquired, "what would you like to know? You could have just asked me in the first place."
"Why are you here? And don't you dare give me the polite dishonest reason you've been feeding all of your 'honored' guests tonight." She demanded before flinching at the somewhat childish way that sounded. Theodore looked a the filthy boy closely, his glasses lowered and she got the feeling he could tap right into her very soul and it was very nerve wracking. She was relieved when he looked down at his desk.
"I'm searching for a girl who live around here.. perhaps you can help me.. she'd be about you age.. maybe a mite bit younger.. fourteen or so.." he trailed off. Serena's head shot up in curiosity. Girl?
"Who?"
"Her name is Serena Tuskino." He replied. Serena promptly fell out of her chair and landed not so gracefully on her face.
"It is a familier name??" he asked politely, unphased by the fact that his guest was no longer in site and was becoming rather intimate with the floor. Serena stood slowly, a fire burning in her glorious blue eyes.
"You are mistaken sir," she said softly, " she's not fourteen but sixteen."
"Ahh.. you do know her?" Serena straightened and stood gracefully as she pulled off her cap, letting her golden tresses tumble to her knees. It glistened softly in the timid light of the room.
"I am she." Serena said staring at the man intently before placing her palms on the desk and leaning foreword.
"How do you know my father? Is he alive? Who are you?" she demanded urgently. The professor smiled in victory. His assumptions had proven once again to be correct.
"My dear, you had best sit down, this information may shock you quite a bit." Serena obliged and sat down stiffly as the man pulled out a beautifully carved wooden chest from a drawer of his desk.
"My name is Theodore Shields, I was happily teaching at the local university when, one day while lounging about at the beach I came across this most unique of objects. It was an ordinary glass bottle, but inside there was a parchment, having read the numerous stories of a message in a bottle I let my curiosity get the better of me and looked inside to see what the parchment said. As I had suspected it was a plea for help from a man named Kenji Tuskino. " Serena made a small start but made no move to interrupt. "I was a bit doubtful of the truth behind the bottle, as being a teacher I have dealt with quite a few pranksters in my time..but it was true there WAS a man named Kenji Tuskino and he was a captain of a ship. Having found the information I needed, I could not pass up the chance or idea of a daring rescue. I felt it was destiny for me to help this man." The professor said quietly. Serena paused for a moment to soak up all of this information.
"Wha does this have to do with me? I cannot offer you any information on my father." Serena said in a frustrated voice, mentally kicking herself incessantly for her lack of knowledge to the whereabouts of her beloved parent.
"Why my dear I would think you would want to join in this adventure? He is your father after all.."
"Well of course, but-" Serena started as Professor Shields held up his hand.
"miss, I never make a move without thoroughly examining it from each viewpoint. You have been on boats for almost your entire life, I was hoping your expertise could help us Serena, I've never sailed a boat before in my life and Darien my son.. well he likes to pretend that he knows everything. Plus it'd be a wonderful thing to do for your father, if you, the thing he loves most, was one of the first things he saw as part of his rescue." Theodore said. Serena stared at her hands for a few moments, thinking out the situation.
"Sir.." she finally said, looking up at him. "I believe the only response I could give to your generous offer is a full and hearty YES!!!" she squealed out the last word, her eyes dancing merrily.
Little did Serena know the true consequences and giant hardships that she would soon face in the company of her new companions.
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