Alison's Point of View

Ienzo was guiding me to the castle. "Are you going back to the Prisms' to help with Mrs. Prism after this?" I wondered.

"I think I'll stick around the castle for a while. Some of the others may not be too keen on you being there. They trust me, so I'll ensure that no harm will come to you before returning," Ienzo replied.

"You don't have to do that. You should be helping out with Mrs. Prism. They might need you," I commented.

"I can assure you, Even can handle the situation just fine. I'm more of his assistant to him anyways. My presence there won't make a difference," Ienzo mentioned.

"You helped with Clarissa, though. That's huge," I pointed out.

"They'll be fine, Aly. You are my main concern at the moment. Besides, I have a feeling that Lucy will be coming over more frequently, so Braig can focus more of his attention on Clarissa," Ienzo stated. We approached the main gate where Dilan and Aeleus stood guard.

"Alison," Aeleus began. I tensed. "Welcome."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and followed Ienzo inside. We passed through a hall when I saw Ansem the Wise talking with Isa. I hadn't known Isa would be around, and I quickly became excited. "Isa!" I exclaimed happily.

Isa smiled when he saw me. "Well, look who it is."

Ansem the Wise seemed slightly uncomfortable. "You must be Alison."

"Yes, that's Aly. Sora and Kairi worked hard to raise her as their own, and it paid off," Ienzo declared. It seemed he was trying to remind Ansem that I was not a cold-blooded killer like my parents. I was immediately grateful that Ienzo stayed with me instead of at the Prisms' place.

"Yes. Nice to meet you. I've heard good things about you from Ienzo. I'm Ansem, but I'm sure you already knew that," Ansem said.

"Come, Aly. Let's get you settled into your new room. I took the liberty of bringing in some things from your home," Ienzo urged. He ushered me out of the hall and to my room.

"Is Ansem the person who doesn't want me here?" I asked.

Ienzo paused before answering. "I wouldn't put it like that. He's apprehensive. Since you're here, you should know that Dilan isn't quite on board with this either."

I began to realize how much of a mistake this was. "I shouldn't be here. No one wants me around."

"I want you here," Ienzo insisted.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Silly Goose. Because you're like family of course. I'm glad you're here. I know where you are and that you're safe. Though the circumstances were quite undesirable, I was overjoyed when I found you at the Prisms' place," Ienzo explained.

I looked around the room and noticed some of my belongings inside. A few necklaces, some trinkets, my drawings, and other things. "Is that why you brought my things? Because you care about me?"

"Well, I didn't bring them just for kicks. I know that Sora and Kairi have left you alone because they're letting Xehanort make decisions on your life, but you deserve better than being left behind by everyone else. I'm never going to let any of you get deserted. You should know that by now," Ienzo replied.

Aeleus stepped in the doorway. "You have a visitor, Alison," He said before stepping aside to reveal Lucy. Aeleus walked away.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see my friend.

"I came to visit. You said I could, remember?" Lucy remarked.

"I just got here," I pointed out.

"So?" Lucy smirked.

"I'll let you girls catch up. I'm sure much has happened in the last twenty minutes," Ienzo said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

Before Ienzo could leave, I wrapped my arms around him. "One more hug."

Ienzo hugged me back. "One more hug," He repeated. When I released him, he left the room.

"This room looks pretty personal for someone who just moved in," Lucy commented.

"Ienzo brought my things here from my first home," I explained.

"Wow. That was really nice of him. What kind of history do you have with Mr. Ienzo?" Lucy wondered.

"Oh, my dad, or rather, my adoptive father- who is not the person your dad works for- is a friend of his. Whenever my dad came home, he always brought Ienzo with him. I know my parents never saw it that way, but to me, he was pretty much part of the family," I answered.

"Lucky. I didn't get to meet him until Mom got sick and I went to the castle for help. Dad always told me to stay away from the castle, but it was an emergency. Mr. Dilan told me that I wasn't welcome near the castle. I was in tears as I turned around to go home, but Mr. Ienzo saw me and asked what had happened. When I explained to him about my mom, he just about lost it with Mr. Dilan. He was the one who convinced Mr. Even to check out my mom, and he always made sure Clarissa and I were taken care of enough to at least get by. He and Mr. Even weren't around every day, but at least once a week. When Mom was doing especially bad, I would go to the castle and ask Mr. Even to come down. Eventually, the people at the castle got used to me and let their guard down. Mr. Dilan even apologized to me," Lucy mentioned.

"What about Ansem? Did he ever feel comfortable around you?" I inquired.

"Ansem the Wise? He hasn't been back that long, and I haven't had any need to go to the castle until recently. I haven't met him. Have you? What's he like?" Lucy pressed.

"I don't think he likes me. My dad is sort of the reason he went missing, so I can tell he's being extra cautious with me. Lucy, what if he's mean to me? He hasn't been so far, but for all I know, that's only because Ienzo is here," I shuddered.

"Alison, hey, I'm sure Ansem the Wise isn't like that at all. Besides, I don't think Mr. Ienzo would leave you unless he knew you were safe. I would know," Lucy assured me.

"Thanks, Lu," I smiled.

"No problem, Aly," Lucy replied.