"What happened after that?" I asked.
"Well, Aisleen and Natalie were nowhere to be found," Coco replied, "though I assume that they went to search for Cortex. Speaking of which, do you remember what they revealed to us on the airship?"
"Sorry. Still can't remember much."
"Natalie...is Aisleen's daughter."
"W-What? Then...who's her father?"
"No idea. All we know is that he is trapped in another dimension."
I turned to my guardian to ask him a very important question. "I thought you told me that you had no idea how I lost my voice, yet you just explained that Lyra had stolen it."
"I do apologize," said Aku Aku. "I refused to reveal anything until it was time for you to know. There is still so little you know about the organization, and such things must be kept secret."
"What are you talking about?"
"I will explain eventually, child. For now, you should relax. You had quite the stressful journey."
***
Aisleen and Natalie found themselves in the Tenth Dimension. Along the way, Natalie asked, "Are you sure he is here?"
"I am positive," Aisleen replied. "Both your father and Dr. Cortex are nearby. I can sense it. We must remain vigilant, for Lyra may be present as well."
"I will keep that in mind."
Unbeknownst to the duo, someone was lurking in the shadows, watching their every move intently. They chuckled quietly and thought, They are fools for choosing to come to a place like this. I must warn Master immediately.
"What are we going to do after this?" Natalie asked her mother.
"I plan on rebuilding the castle," Aisleen replied. "Then I am going to search for Cortex's minions, particularly the ones that Lyra attempted to manipulate."
"Where do you suppose they could be?"
"I am uncertain, but I am determined to find them."
***
I tossed and turned in my bed, eventually jolting up and screaming from the tops of my lungs. That nightmare - I knew it was a dream, yet it felt so real. A felt my cheeks redden from embarrassment as Coco barged into my room.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "What happened?"
"Just a nightmare," I responded. "Don't worry about it."
"Well...if you say so."
My sister left the room, prompting me to heave a sigh and lie back down. Something told me that the MoDs would return, but perhaps I was just being paranoid. Still, you can't be too careful.