"So did you get all the flames yet?" The old woman asked, "I paused at the second one since that was going on." Nika said while pointing at the door to the sealed grounds, "Good to know Angel informed you." The old woman smiled, "Yeah, I can't imagine what would have happened if that thing managed to get here..." Groose sighed before continuing "By the way... What do we do about this?" He asked, pointing at the still flooded sealed grounds, "Ehh... I think it's fine." Nika dismissed, "Yeah, in that form that thing shouldn't be able to swim at all." The old woman agreed, "Anyways, I got a flame left to get!" Nika exclaimed as she rushed at a loftwing statue, "Wait a moment you!" Groose exclaimed, "What now?" Nika lamented, "You need to control your Mantra! Primary or Secondary, I don't care you need to control it!" Groose ordered.
This made Nika groan a bit, "Alright, and who's gonna help me? You?" She questioned sarcastically, "No, you know precisely who you need to ask!" Groose reprimended, but this made Nika change from annoyed to downright angry, "No, absolutely not." She refused, "You need to! She's the only one with enough experience on the subject to be able to help you!" Groose countered, "I'm sorry, but who is this you're talking about?" The old woman asked, "Toyosatomimi Mo Miko, or just Miko for short, she's a Taoist Priest back on Skyloft." Groose explained to which the old woman responded "I see, in that case she would indeed be the best person to ask for tutoring in controlling this power.", but Nika was having none of it "The answer is still no! I'm not talking to her!" She kept refusing.
Groose facepalmed at Nika's stubbornes, "Alright, can I ask exactly what you have against her? Because I'm sure that whatever fude you two got going on, is a lot less stressing than saving your CHILDHOOD FRIEND!", this comment made Nikalook at Groose with a very annoyed look in her eyes, "Look, you don't know what happened between us, and I'm not going to explain it, I don't want to think about it." She summarized, "It would be ill advised not to seek help, your power has been growing restless and without controlling it, you might tear yourself apart before this quest is over." Angel warned, Nika blinked and looked at her arms still wrapped in bandages, "I don't promise anything..." Nika stated as she went to the loftwing statue.
At Skyloft.
Due to not having been to Skyloft for quite sometime, everyone was pretty surprised to see Nika, especially since she was asleep for three days, and also due to the horns and black eyes she got from Farore's Trial, no one asked anything because very weird stuff was happening, and so Nika made her way to the academy to talk to Gaepora, she knocked on the door to the office, and entered, "Good mo- Oh! Nika! ...What happened to you?" Gaepora asked, "Long story, look, I need to talk to... Miko..." Nika requested with a lot of hesitation, this surprised the Headmaster since he was aware that Nika had a bit of history with the Taoist, "What brought this up?" He asked, "I need to control my Mantras." Nika explained, "There's a lot to unpack here... I'll just take you to Miko and... You sort it out yourselves." Gaepora offered, much to Nika's annoyance.
At the Taoist Temple.
"Why is it on another island again?" Nika asked, "So there can be peace and quiet." Gaepora explained, "Well, I guess I should leave you to deal with whatever you're gonna go through." Gaepora excused himself as he literally jumped off the island, not wanting to deal with what was going to happen, and Nika was now left alone to have to face some problems, "Alright Nika, come on, you can do this, just knock, go inside, talk to Miko, and practice, nothing less, nothing more." Nika muttered to herself as she walked to the door and knocked, "Who is it?" A voice called out from inside, "I-" Not even the time to make a sentence that the door was quickly opened by a girl with green hair, wearing a green dress and her legs looking like radishes, "You-! What happened to you?" She quickly stopped at seeing Nika's horns, "Long story, look, I need to talk to Miko." Nika requested.
The girl wasn't thrilled with this request so she place her hand on Nika's face and pushed her out, "She's not here right now." The girl said, "Tojiko! this is not the time! I don't want to be here, but I got little choice!" Nika explained, "Then how about you explain it?" Tojiko offered, clearly skeptical. After the Explanation. "And that's about it." Nika said to finish, "...Now I know you've gone crazy, how do you expect me to believe-" Tojiko was saying, but another voice interrupted, "No, she's telling the truth...".
Both Nika and Tojiko turned to the voice and saw Miko standing there, the cat ear looking blonde hair, the amber eyes, the slim figure, the cloak and the somewhat modern shirt, all things Nika remembered and didn't want to remember, "But-" Tojiko was about to rebuttle, but Miko stopped "Can you go make us tea? l'll handle this." Miko instructed, "...Alright." Tojiko responded unsure and went to make the tea, "...Nika." Miko greeted as enthusiastically as she could, "...Miko." Nika creeted with just as much enthusiasm, "...Why are you here? I thought you said you wouldn't be coming back?" Miko questioned, "I... Need help..." Nika finally relented.
At the Table.
"Judging from those clothes I guess that thing started?" Miko asked, "About five days ago..." Nika responded, "Is that why you were missing for three days?" Miko questioned further, "Now you care?" Nika questioned back, "Nika-" Miko was about to talk, but Nika interrupted, "No, no! You need to answer me!" Nika requested, "...Alright... Just because I refused, it doesn't mean that I want to see you dead, or anything like that." Miko explained, "Why? So you wouldn't have me on your conscience?' Nika asked, "What- No! That's not it! I care about you! But at that time I couldn't... Just..." Miko started trailing off, causing Nika to sigh "Just as painful as I remember..." She stated, "Look, we can just skip straight to the reason I'm here, and maybe try to put that behind us." Nika suggested, not wanting to reminisce anymore than she had to, "Very well..." Miko accepted.
Miko lead Nika to the practice room, the 'most tranquil' room in the temple, "Alright, so you already know what you Mantras are right?" Miko asked, "Yes, Wrath and Darkness." Nika replied, "Ironic." Miko commented, "I know." Nika responded and then asked "Where do I start?", Miko pointed her to a part of the room which was completely void of light, "The best we can do is train your control over your Secondary Mantra for now, you'd have to get extremely mad to control your primary." She instructed, "You think I'm not?" Nika asked, "Angry-er" Miko corrected herself.
Five Hours of Sitting Still Later.
"Exactly how long am I supposed to stay here?" Nika asked,"Just another half hour." Miko responded, now the two were talking, but there was clearly a tension in the room so thick you could see it, "I've been meaning to ask something." Miko started, "What?" Nika said, "That time... Was there any actual meaning behind it?" Miko asked, "That time? You mean the time I-" Nika was asking, but Miko interrupted "Yes that time, don't beat around the bush, I just want to know!" Miko demanded, "Of course there was! You think I'd just try to kiss you without meaning it!?" Nika lamented, "That's not the problem! What I'm asking is why? Some kind of satsfaction? Just to say you did it? Or was it actually..." Miko questioned, "Yes, yes it was, I love you you lynx." Nika replied.
Miko just looked at Nika kind of conflicted, "Honestly I dont know what I was thinking at the time when you did that..." Miko admitted, making Nika let out a confused noise, "I never really thought about having a relationship with someone... Love never even crossed my mind..." Miko explained, "So you just broke." Nika summarized, "Yeah... Honestly I'm not sure what I should be feeling even now." Miko said, "Speaking for myself, I also kind of messed up there, I've basically just forced myself on you without any explanation..." Nika remembered, "You've never been great with social cues." Miko smirked, "Heh, Yeah." Nika giggled.
They sat there for a minute or two before Miko spoke again "I forgive you.", Nika looked at Miko and raised an eyebrow "I didn't even say sorry." she pointed out, "You say that as if it's a requirement to forgive someone." Miko smiled, "Wow, I'm worse with social cues than I thought!" Nika exclaimed getting a laugh out of Miko, who just shook the heroine's hand, and said heroine responded in kind, "Say, I also thought about it and I decided something." Miko said, "What is it?" Nika asked, "I'll take that advance into consideration." the Taoist stated, and just that caused Nika to right there and then blush so much she got a fever and fell to the ground in a daze, prompting Miko to quickly call for aid.