Chapter 9
Come on, just a little more!, Mikey thought.
Mikey’s body shook violently as he grabbed the next ledge. His broken and cut fingertips only holding on due to mana assistance. Then, with a roar of exertion, he moved.
The mage in training shot past the ledge and landed on top of the Cheitain’s Cliff that overlooked Cahokia with a soft thud. His exhausted legs gave way to the rock, forcing Mikey toward the ground. Every breath he took felt like fire, and he felt unimaginable pain in his lower body.
Turning his head over just in time to not spit his breakfast up onto himself. He learned his lesson after the first four times. Using strings of mana to puppet his unwilling limbs Mikey pulled out a gray pill, before tossing it into his mouth.
Mikey managed to swallow it before he gave up on moving and just focused on getting some precious oxygen into his lungs.
The noon sun had decided to go to war with Mikey, shining down its burning rays even after the last armistice. Mikey would have withstand the barrage as he could feel the muscle fibers he had torn during his workout begin to repair themselves. The pill was fast acting, so it should only take 3 minutes at most.
With one final muscle spasm, his muscles were completely healed, receiving a small boost to their strength in the process. Lacking any energy, Mikey lay there not wanting to upset the newly healed muscles. The one downside of this particular pill is its inability to remove the soreness that came with the workout, something relating to the concepts of pain and growth. The fact that Mikey was unwilling to waste any of his premium stock on himself also played a role.
"Ishtasa? Are you there?" the crying Mage School Student called out to his best (only) friend.
He managed to tilt his head to the side to where she was laying underneath an umbrella. The small rabbit was still unresponsive from the time she had collapsed 40 laps ago, her breath was the only indication that she was still alive.
Mikey was not the kind of guy that would hit the gym on the regular or really at all. Physical work and Mikey got along like a house on fire. It was a disastrous circumstance but with the possibility he caused the mutations in the Hunting Ground, the number one most likely place to start a war with Cahokia despite the rising tensions between the other Mage cities in other countries, there was no other choice.
Mikey got up and got back to work.
After several hours and some bunny assistance returning home, the pint sized Mage finally rested.
Having thrown himself into his training with the same fanaticism that fueled his greed for money. He devised a new training regimen (with Marcus's help), began a custom diet centered on strengthening his body, and practically lived in the library researching different subjects that could potentially increase his chances of surviving the mess he’d made.
He had just run 200 laps on the top City-State's outer wall. The five mile track that was open to civilians and prospective mages had become Mikey's new hell. He’d start at dawn every morning, using some of his lesser stock to push himself further and further. The new wind running technique had allowed him to leap further with every step, causing him to put more practice into that one spell than any other and despite that he still couldn’t pull off the level of three dimensional movement that was required to even survive in a fight with Third-Level Mages.
Every time he was close to quitting or slowing down, he imagined the forest bears and people who demanded discounts behind him to work up the motivation to take another step. He would have collapsed a long time ago if it weren't for all of those pills and elixirs he consumed every day.
The results may have been worth it but the lack of time he had to work on his products had taken its toll on mikey. After all making MMM and inventing new products was one of mikey's favorite pastimes in this new life.
“Three more days. Three more days until the graduation test then we’ll be set ishtasa. If I can't pass after this than I never will.” Mikey said while trying to block the suns incoming assault upon his eyes.
A few minutes later and Mikey was finally able to move without feeling like someone was stabbing him with a hundred knives, now it only felt like their was only fifty.
With great care he worked his way to his feet like the people from that one movie that had the trash collecting robot that chased another robot into space. Taking those stumbling steps to his partner to put her on top of his head.
He looked around his mostly empty room, having packed everything into storage rings. The only thing still outside was his shrine to the sky spirit, may she forever blass him with talismans and eternal wealth.
He collapsed on the bed, placing Ishtasa on a separate pillow beside him. Taking out a stone brick, he used his remaining mana to strengthen it three times, then he felt his eyes begin to close by themselves.
While Mikey slept the Seventh Chieftain was having a day he sadly called average.
The Seventh Chieftain walked down the long stone corridor of an underground facility. A guard that was blocking a large metal door saluted him, "Lord Chieftain, Good day sir!"
"No need for that, I didn't use formalities in my first rule and I don't see why I should start now." Bearden said amiably to the mage, "In a more fortunate timeline I would just be another old mage right now but that is neither here nor there. Is there anything I should know?”
The guard looked pensive, almost as if he was unsure of how to politely phrase what he should say before finally deciding to give up, "I should warn you that the researchers have been getting rather frantic as of late."
Raising a snow white eyebrow, he asked, "Frantic?"
Deciding he had already meesed up he said,"it would be better if you see it yourself?"
Chaos.
Chaos summed up the scene that greeted the aged mage. First it was the sound, screaming insults and mockery mixed with ramblings of madmen. Then, it was the smell, not even when his many children had been teens had their stench ever been this foul, body odor mixed with countless rotting pilws of takeout dishes. Finally, he saw, he was forced to see the best and brightest minds that the City-State had to offer reduced to simple brutes as the shouting matches had turned into an all out brawl
"Enough." The man, who was far too old for this mess, said.
With a simple word and a pulse of his mana, the animals remembered they were men of dignity and respect, leaving an awkward silence behind.
"Nakai, Explain.” A command had been given.
The researchers tried to clean the unspeakable substances in a way that preserved what little dignity they had left before quickly leaving when they realized it wouldn't be enough to clean the mess they had created.
The head researcher, an old man with a clean-shaven head and a mustache that was only second to the Seventh Chieftain's wiped the spittle from his glasses and greeted the Chieftain with a smile filled with blood.
"My Chieftain, there has been a small discourse over the results of our calculations pertaining to the demon bears." the old man, who was barely half the age of the seventh, said as he bowed low
"Please Nakai, you know of my distaste for formalities." The Chieftain said with a heavy sigh.
"Procedure must be followed Professor, hiwever hipocritical it may be for me to say that, especially after this mess."
Looking around the laboratory the Seventh gestured to all the remaining scientists that hadn’t left due to uncleanliness, "How long?"
"A week, it's been a week since most of these guys have returned home," the aged Mage said as he looked toward the sleeping bags cluster against one of the walls and the overflowing trash cans.
That caused the Seventh to pause momentarily, "Why?"
Shaking his head, the researcher replied to his former teacher come friend, "The strange tools, then the pills, and finally the bears, those freaking bears."
"Forgive me, old friend, but it was rather urgent. Speaking of which, what have you found so far?" the Third gave a friendly chuckle at the reasoning.
Nakai punched some buttons on the keyboard connected to the large computer monitor. Data began to fill the screen, showing different graphs and diagrams.
"Its as we feared. The bears are indeed demon beasts but they are manufactured rather than born, Subject 1 and 2. Diagnostic spell confirm that the cause for they were roughly stitched together and mutated using that strange dust. The demons who performed the experiments left markings that match those made by the head scientists of the last demon war. They seem to be copying Nibillian family traits to enhance wild animals and send them into a frenzy as potential foot soldiers but thats just conjecture at this point.” the aged scientists spoke
"What of the wildlife?" the Third asked, remembering the last major calamity that befell Cahokia and its remnants effect on the once peaceful Hunting Grounds.
“We did soil samples all along the river bed leading to the Hunting grounds. Trace amounts of some foreign substance was found mixed into the dirt and plants. We believe there have been more altered specimens released to intermix with the current forest inhabitants," he explained before bring up different before and after pictures of plants. "This new dust-like substance has also been used as the catalyst for these changes. Most of Subject 2 was damaged when it was brought in, but luckily Subject 1 was left in pristine conditions, besides the missing heart, and that strange foam-like substance covering most of its head. By the way, some of the others have asked if you could provide a better sample of that growing-foam if possible."
"I'll see what I can do, but I fear that the inventor would be rather reluctant to part with it?" Bearden said.
"A shame," the bald scientist commented, as he switched to another diagram showing an overhead map of the Hunting Ground, with part of it highlighted in red, "anyways, from the samples we were able to extract from those beasts, we noticed that the bones were 4 times denser than the norm, the muscles were 5 times stronger as well, and even the organs were harder to damage. These far outstrip those used in the last war. We could find out more if we had access to those crystals that were in the report. Any chance that the mage that took them would be willing to hand them over for study?"
A Totem hidden in the ceiling let out an involuntary snort at that, having observed the boy's greed first hand.
The Seventh decided to note down Buffalo’s need of remedial training before answering, "I wouldn't get my hopes up, the person who took them is known to be rather selfish. I'd sooner expect the First to come back from the dead."
Shaking his head, the bald man got back on track, "Right. Right. Anyways, we sent in a couple of field agents to report back on the ecosystem… it wasn't pretty".
Video footage of different exotic animals filled the screen. There was a white snake that had blue crystals growing out of its head that shot out ice spears from its mouth. A mammoth with red skin spreading fire with every step. A green bird that was able to launch razor sharp winds capable of cutting full grown trees in half. "These are all the results caused by the released experiments intermixing with the previous mutations, we've been able to capture a few of them to study, but they seem to have some innate ability to sense us making it harder. Right now, the whole ecosystem is in chaos, the entire food chain is being written with every new addition, and territory lines are being drawn as we speak. I firmly believe we should cordon off the hunting ground and prepare for a potential invasion if not from the forest then by the demons causing it."
"I will take your opinion under advisement, are we in immediate danger?," the Chieftain said grim-faced, knowing his head scientists tendency to overreact.
"No my lord. It would seem that the forest creatures are content fighting themselves, theyre almost feudalistic in nature claiming prime territory near the river for access to the dust that helps further empower them. Their increased intelligence is worrisome, my lord," the aged man told his friend, remembering that large goldfish covered iron scales they kept in a water tank in the lower levels. He swore it was watching them when it thought they weren't looking.
"How much of the forest was affected?" The Chieftain asked.
"I'd say anywhere between 45% to 55% and spreading like wildfire between the water and the experiments.” The scientist responded.
"And what can you tell me about these so-called Machinations that I sent here a while ago. Are you any closer to finding out how they work?" The Chieftain asked.
"We’ve found some luck there with the earliwr iterations. It seems to be a permanant mana enhancement technique that draws upon the history of the item. We’ve been able to replicate a few items at great cost." The Scientist responded.
"Good work.” the chieftain said before turning to leave. As he was exiting the facility, he called to his Totem in charge of watching Mikey, "Groundhog, you heard. What is your analysis of Mikail Anderson?"
Knowing what he was really asking, the professional mage spoke honestly, "He is a child, my lord. I believe his part in the river pollution to be accidental."
"Ho now, are you that certain?" The Chieftain asked, prompting the Totem to speak more.
"Mag I speak feely, Chieftain?" The Totem requested.
"You may." The Chieftain answered, humoring the formality.
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"During the two months I have observed Mikail Anderson, I have never seen him act with malicious intent. While we can all agree that he is perhaps the most black-hearted salesman that we've ever had the displeasure of meeting-"
"I wouldn't go that far Groundhog" the Chieftain said, coughing into his fist.
"- I can not imagine him causing anyone any harm. He doesn’t fit the profile of someone trying to cause this level of devastation.” The Totem spoke to Mikey’s defense before coughing at her slip-up, and continuing to say, "I've watched the same boy that's taken hundreds of dollars from his customer, pick up food off the ground and eat it with a smile. I watched, how he dived head first into a sewer because he saw someone accidentally drop a 10 Dollar bill down the drain," Yugito said seriously.
"Right. No need to get any further." the Seventh said with a sweat drop at the examples before issuing his orders, “I want you and your squad to pull back. He's been careful to hide most of his abilities but that won’t be possible during the exam. I need you to stand by incase any issues occur with our VIP’s. "
The next morning, Mikey was getting ready for the exam in the best way he knew how, by gathering materials.
"Over there! To the left. Now to the right! There! You can drop it," a man, who could be described as being built ile a brick outhouse, shouted.
Mikey being the ever so helpful person he was, set down the 4000 pound silo of soup stock.
"Alright, that should be all for the day. Thanks for the help kid even though you’re bunny looks angrier than my wife when I forgot our anniversary," the man said in a jovial tone as looked at enraged Ishtasa.
She’s a very expressive bunny.
"Don't mention it Mister, I was just happened to be close by and I got to learn some cool stuff," Mikey said ignoring the lazarbeams Ishtasa was staring into his head.
The very manly man almost cried at the standard answer Mikey fed everyone, "You're such a good kid, unlike that lazy brat I call a son."
The man's teenage son that was in the same cellar room looked up from his position and flipped him the bird.
"I don't have much to give you, but why don't you take a couple barrels of my soup broth as my thanks," the man said as they walked toward the above section of the soup factory, where self statues of Mikey were moving around like it was black friday at the mall. They were trying to help but they were failing at the same time. It was sad.
Looking to the side, the small teen saw one of the large fermenting tanks that had been left discarded to the side. It was about 9 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter, with the outside being made to look like a wooden barrel and the inside being metal. With a glimmer in his eye Mikey made his move by saying, "Are you going to throw that one out?"
"Huh? Yeah, it was getting kinda old and it was easier to just get a new one instead of always fixing it again. Why? You want it?" The unaware brothmaster responded.
"I'll take it, if you have no more use for it?" The devious teen said, hiding his grin at achieving his objective.
"Sure kid. Maybe you can give it a new purpose." The kind hearted brothmaster saw it as a fitting reward for all the hard work Mikey had done.
Mikey walked away grinning like a thiefthief in the night for getting the fermentation tank and some soup broth as a bonus.
He had made it a habit to stop and help those in need, much to Ishtasa's anger. With just a bit of hardwork and goodwill he’d get some great stories from retired war mages or some great materials for strengthening, truly the depths of his deviousness knew no bounds and Ishtasa just doesn’t understand the value of free goods.
On top of that he could learn skills that pay the bills, or when he’s not trying to be cool just skills from a whole bunch of different professions and lifestyles. There’s no useless skill after all.
Mikey took that particular lesson to heart. Plus the more skills he learned, the more diverse he could make his shop. Perhaps he would even give soup making a try in the future.
Ishtasa, the little freeloader, was chewing on his ear with a vengeance from how many times he’s stopped just while walking through the village.
"Alright alright what were you trying to tell me?" the once rotund teen asked his companion.
The small rabbit still couldn't talk, but she huffed in exasperation and made movement similar to rolling her eyes before signaling to him they were not being watched anymore. She was a very expressive rabbit.
"Ho now might as well make good use of the gift we’ve been given. I guess we could practice some of those techniques we came up with and then we can go for ice-cream." Mikey knew that he was being watched, since Ishtasa would always alert him when she would sense someone nearby.
Ishtasa jumped excitedly at the thought of that rare creamy luxury.
Quickly making their way to a practicing ground
Mikey sat in a lotus position in the middle of the forest, Ishtasa was also sitting facing him.
Mikey had decided that if the Wolffreind family can connect with their partners then mikey can too. After many different trys that usuqally ended with Ishtasa biting him, he decided the best way was to mesh mana with Ishtasa. Closing his eyes, Mikey took a deep breath and blocked everything out, only Ishtasa was still there.
After three entire months of practice, the small Mage School student was finally able to release mana from his entire body. By pushing his mana from his veins in measured amounts he could coat himself in an aura of pure mana that his textbooks said would be impossible. Suck on that School.
Carefully he tried to connect his mana with Ishtasa's. His mana clashed with her own. When they first started the friction between the two auras would shoot out bolts of electricity causing Mikey to lose a chunk of his arm when Ishtasa saw what the lightning did to her fur. She was super puffy for the next two days and angry for the next week.
Now Mikey had learned and changed his strategy from fitting the aura’s together like a puzzle to intermixing like creating a new color paint to now just accepting, all and the entirety of Ishtasa.
They duo lost track of time, as they were too busy sensing the mixing of their mana.
Mikey could feel a final block a step that needed to be taken. In this new world Mikey had tried his best training and selling allin hopes to survive all to make it another day allways trying to do more so he could eventually do more. Then the thought hit hin like a lightning bolt. He was still holding on so he took the leap.
Mikey let go.
Letting Ishtasa's feelings flow into him uncensored. He almost lost the connection, from the sudden torrent of emotions that appeared in his mind. He could feel her surprise at their sudden connection.
Without a word needing to be said there was a certainty that they would be connected to never be misunderstood because their intention were conveyed in their entirety. Curiosity was soon followed by Joy. Joy was followed by mischievousness. Mischeviousness followed by the sensation of wet fur. Mikey laughed and returned with the feeling on grass in his palm.
Back and forth they went enjoyhing this little game. Mikey smiled as he felt Ishtasa’s newly formed mana crystal pump her mana into an ever quick tight spiral, ready to be used.
Hours passed as the boy and his rabbit simply sat there, deepening their bond. Finally, Mikey opened his eyes and looked at Ishtasa.
"Well that was fun?" He said giddy, almost intoxicated by the mana of the world around him.
“Ice….cream,”a voice sounded out Mikey didn’t have to look to see Ishtasa figuring out how to speak from feeling how Mikey did so.
"Well, I did promise," Mikey said as he stood up wobbly.
“Smiling” Ishtasa said getting used to the mouth feel of speaking like a human would.
"I am?" the boy replied in confusion until he touched his face and found that it was stuck in a grin before laughing at the world around him and it’s joke, “You learn how to speak after we don’t need to speak. This world is truly great.”
Together the duo made their way back to the City-State, going slow so that Mikey fall over due to being intoxicated by his new and changi9ng surroundings. Ther guards just assumed he was onm some good drugs.
It was already nightfall, and many floating lights lit up the city nightlife.
Feeling even more lightheaded, they accidentally bumbled their way into the red-light district of Cahokia.
He passed by gambling dens guarded by mafia looking men, courtesans waving at passersby outside of brightly colored bars, shady men talking to others in alleyways.
Mikey was actually very familiar with the red-light district. Most of his walks would lead him through this area and people down here uncaring of societal norms would ask him for help as a server or a dishwasher in exchange for a few antiques that they were gonna throw away anyway.
He was also well known for coming down here to practice his medical spells and products which helped remove any diseases the workers may have encountered. As it turned out diseases were pretty expensive to have cured at the hospital and there were a lot more people that needed medical help here than anywhere else for whatever reason.
As he stumbled down the street, many of the regular street walkers that knew him called to him in concern. He waved off their worries, saying that he was testing a new product which they would ask if they could try said product.
Mikey’s new sight had always been weird but with his mana oit of control from the connection emotions began filtering through his eyes like passing clouds of joy and concern until he saw a dark cloud. It was heavy and ready to rain despair down on its owner
Looking below the cloud he saw her mana veins first, small and unused but an aspect of hardwork and clarity shown through the vibrant red that matched her hair. Wearing a dress she didn't look comfortable in she stood in line with some other women waiting.
Acting on impulse he moved toward the sad girl, just as man was getting ready to talk to the red haired girl.
"So how much?" the stranger said to the girl. From his sluggish movements and the alcohol in his breath you could tell he was drunk but Mikey was more drunk and grabbed the back of his shirt
"Umm…100 Dollars…" she said looking down at the floor in shame before noticing mikey. The two looked at him.
"Hic. What do you want kid?" the man said turning around with unsteady legs.
"I'm sorry, but I saw her first," Mikey said before flinging the man into the road after seeing the man's cloud grow angry.
"Whoops! Sorry, I can't control my strength right now?" the small boy confessed in a pleasant tone as if he hadn't caused a man four times his age to fly for long enough that he had the chance to reconsider his life choices.
"Yeah, sure kid!" the man said as he scurried out of there, leaving Mikey and the red haired girl alone.
She looked nervous, but also relieved.
Tilting his head to the side, Mikey looked at her up and down before asking, "Your name wouldn't happen to be Ranma would it?"
Taking aback, the girl looked confused before answering in a small voice, "No."
"How about Ranko?"
"No."
“Merida?”
“No”
“Ariel?”
“No”
“Fiona?”
“No”
“Jean?”
“No”
“Erza?”
“No”
“M.J.?”
“No”
"Is your last name Uzumaki?"
"No."
“Griffin?”
“No”
“Weasley?”
“No”
“Flynn?”
“No”
“Rabbit?”
“No, and that’s not even a name.”
"It is, It definitely is. I must be more out of it than I thought," Mikey said as he was starting to see double.
"…Why did you do that?" the girl asked gesturing to the situation he created.
"Do what?" Mikey replied, unsure which of two girls in front of him he should answer.
Her cloud lightened and filled with trembling uncertain anger, "I need the money okay? I'm not doing this because I want to!"
Patiently, Mikey closed his eyes and leaned against a nearby wall, "Of course you are. I doubt you would be doing this at such a young age if you didn't have your reasons."
"…Aren't you going to ask what they are?" she said in a bitter tone.
"Hmmm? Alright. 100?" Mikey asked, taking out a 100 Dollars bill from his ring and tossing it toward the girl.
The redhead girl looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"
"You said it was 100 Dollars for your services right. So know I want you to tell me a story?" the small Mage School student said as he gave a big yawn.
"A story?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yep. But not just any story. I want to hear your story. What made you come here today?" Mikey said, as he sat against the wall to make himself more comfortable, petting Ishtasa who had fallen asleep during their walk. He normal wouldn't ask some to tell him something so personal. He knew that everyone had their reasons, and most liked to keep those reasons to themselves, but he was feeling rather strange right now, and the whirlwind of emotions coming from the girl weren't helping.
"Fine," with a bitter smile, the girl took a seat next to him and began her tale.
Mikey was only half listening, as he was too busy gawking at the strange colors and shapes that had invaded his vision.The world was awake and it was asking if he had a spare five bucks for gas.
He tried to tune them out, trying to focus sole on the girl, and succeeded in forming some type of connection. Even as inebriated as he was, he did manage to get the jist of it.
Her name was Aiko, something something lost the family something something lost the farm to parents loans something something childhood sweetheart turned her down something something my dog stepped on a bee something something sold to a local rich snob something something escape but still needed to pay back loans. Overall, it was an A-grade sob story, and the emotions he felt during her retelling added to her credibility. See Mikey can emphasize with real people who are not rabbits.
During the middle of the story she had began to openly sob, and Mikey began to pet her head in a consoling manner. At that point he was already half-asleep and couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn't. The world came back to ask him for money again not realising he was the samed person from earlier. He needed to stop being such a giving person
"You’re silly," Mikey said.
"What are you doing," she asked as she wiped her eyes.
"Hush now silly girl, I have the solution to your problems," the younger boy said quickly fishing out a suitcase. He stood up unsteadily on two feet and opened the lid showing it to the girl and watched her eyes grow in astonishment as it was filled with stacks of 100 Dollar bills.
"Shhh. Take it and use it to fix your problems," Mikey explained as he shoved the breifcase full of money to the girl while pretending he hadn’t just shown it off to half the people in the district with his method of handing it over. Feeling a little guilt at the amount of jealous clouds surrounding her.
He took out THE HAIRPIN OF DESTINY, an ornamental hairpin made of ivory with a wing carved on the end that Mikey had transferred enough good luck charms on that it was a miracle it hadn’t turned to mana dust, and placed it firmly in her hands to feel all the colkouds vanish as thety were distracted by something seeminglky more important than a briefcase filled with money.
"Why are you giving me this? In fact why are you helping me at all!?" she shouted in the middle of the street in the redlight district, unable to believe what was happening, the jealousy clouds tried coming back only to be blown away and THE HAIRPIN OF DESTINY started sweating at all the hard work.
Mikey looked up toward the moon that blushed and flirted with him. Making him wonder if the moon could be considered another person Mikey could relate with.
"…I don't know? I might even regret it in the morning, but right now… right now I would feel pretty bad if I didn't help you out," Mikey confessed.
Indeed, when he woke up the next day, he would curse himself to the high heavens for giving away such a valuable MMM as well as all that money.
Gritting her teeth at the generosity, she asked, “What is you name?”
"Me? I'm Mikey Anderson, and I will become king of the salesmen… believe it!" Mikey dropped to the ground clutching his stomach, laugh his ass off at the stupid reference he just made.
Aiko looked at him weirdly, no doubt thinking he had finally gone insane.
After a while, Mikey finally stopped laughing and stood up before beginning to walk away without a word.
"Hey, wait. Where are you going?" the petit girl called to him.
Now it was her turn to receive a strange look, "I'm going home obviously. It is late, and the streets are no place for someone as defenseless and cute as me. You never know what kind of crazy people roam the streets after all. …Goodbye you silly girl."
The small boy flashed her a smile and waved at her one last time before disappearing in a whirlwind of leaves.
"Mikey Anderson huh?" Aiko muttered as she gripped the hairpin and the rbreifcase tightly in her hands. With renewed hope in her eyes, she began to walk away from the red-light district, making a promise to herself that she would one day come back to repay the favor.
In the night a new player put his pieces on the board.
"I better get paid for all the overtime the professor is gonna give me," a large man with long spiky white hair said as he entered the City-State.
Mikey meanwhile was back in his apartment sleeping soundly, unaware of the approaching events that were about to take place. Instead, he was getting ready to have a very interesting dream curtesy of a certain sky spirit.