Chapter Six:
"The Ship Must Not Set Sail"
Port Toadstool was crowded, rows of Toads and friendly Koopas had all gathered to watch the RMS Sun Shroom set sail on its maiden voyage with its passengers all on board. It was time for the annual Sun Shroom Cruise. With the relative peace that followed after Bowser's last defeat, the people were ready to finally see the Mushroom Kingdom's newest ship set sail.
Today was a momentous day. Trumpets blared and Toads were hollering with glee. From the side of the ship, Toads were waving back happily. The ship sounded its horn and steam rose from the smokestacks, indicating that it was time to set sail.
It would be at sea for a week and would return to port by the end of the cruise. Cannons roared, fired off by an honor guard, and fireworks exploded across the orange sky. It was sundown, and the time was 4:30 P.M.
"I can't wait to see the stars during the cruise." A pink Toad named Annet said with optimism.
"Me too, dear." Frungo remarked, he was a Toad with a gold-red color scheme.
Frungo and Annet waved to their friends on the shore alongside the other Toads, who were wishing their loved ones the best of luck while they were off. The ship slowly began to move and the excitement continued on, more cannons exploded and several Toads cried; "HAVE A GOOD CRUISE OUT THERE!"
Anchors away, the RMS Sun Shroom set sail, gleaming gorgeously in the sunset, slowly leaving port with its passengers still waving to the excited crowd on the shore. But despite the buzz, one individual did not share in the excitement; a squat robed figure with gray-ish eyes. He was human, but he was also a special one.
'They are fools.' The man thought, 'To set sail is a death sentence for these people.'
He moved away from the edge, weaving his way through the crowd, and the fortune teller approached a podium right as a speaker, a green Toad in a suit, was handed the microphone by a Koopa dressed in black. Mike feedback echoed across the port and all eyes turned to him. Cruzeman, one of the lead people charged with launching the cruise, coughed lightly.
"People..." He announced, "Today, we..."
The fortune teller stepped onto the stage behind the Toad and tapped him on the shoulder, interrupting his speech even before he could go further than the first few words. The fortune teller looked Cruzeman in the eye and held out his hand, silently telling him to hand over the microphone.
"Y-You have something to say, sir?" Cruzeman asked nervously.
The fortune teller took the microphone and stared out at everyone in the area. "This is a mistake!" The man announced, causing an eerie murmur to break out amongst the Toads, "You know nothing of the error you are making. That ship must not set sail, you must call it back to port and delay the cruise at once!"
"IT JUST LEFT PORT!" A Goomba shouted.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" A red Toad called out.
"Danger is out there." The fortune teller said, "Your loved ones on that ship are in peril. Bring it back to port, if you want them to live. The Mushroom Kingdom is in danger. At this hour, in the depths of the ocean, a living weapon of mass destruction is waiting for the time to strike..."
"HE'S MAD!" A Toad screamed.
"SOMEONE SHUT HIM UP!" Another one begged.
"But make no mistake." The fortune teller went on, "I've seen the future and know all. The God of Destruction is coming, your land will soon be ravaged, but your loved ones will be among the first to perish when the beast rises. By sending out that ship, you have sent those people on board to the slaughterhouse."
"Who's this God of Destruction?!" Someone demanded.
"It is a creature from an ancient time in another world, a creature that was strengthened by man's folly, by the power of nuclear weaponry. The creature has thrived for eons and it will stop at nothing until your world is ravaged. Bring the ship back, cancel the cruise. The ship must not set sail."
A pair of Toads came forward, taking the fortune teller by the arm, and led him off the stage while people protested and some expressed confusion. And yet, others were curious about the fortune teller's warning, and they wondered if he was telling the truth. The world was no stranger to monsters, but did a monster capable of mass destruction exist out there, and were they all doomed?