Notes: So, this is of course based off a prompt from inxblot's latest list of 30 plot bunnies. Number 23: Sora is mentally scarred after KH2, though he tries to appear cheerful. Kairi decides to get help for him after he attacks a poor gardener that happened to look like Marluxia.

I'm not sure how well this turned out. I don't think I have too good of a grasp on the characters, but hopefully it's okay! Cross posted to khrantbunnies.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts Two and all related things belong to Square Enix and Disney. Prompt by inxblot

"Now Sora, tell me where it all began." the psychologist, a spooky woman named Lulu, said. Sora dimly remembered his friend Wakka mentioning her, and how his cheeks would redden whenever he did.

Sora sat across from her, Riku on one side, Kairi on the other. He smiled dimly. Their Trinity. Riku originally didn't want to come along, but Kairi persuaded him, insisting that this would be good for all of them.

Thinking of it now, Sora realized that maybe he wasn't the only one who hadn't yet come to terms with the events of last year. On the mornings after night storms, Riku seemed utterly drained, as if he hadn't gotten any sleep. Sometimes, Kairi's smile would fade, a far away look in her eyes.

So, here they were. In the office of a psychologist in an overly bright city where the ocean seemed far away. On a Saturday, while their friends goofed off on the play island.

And it was all the gardener's fault.

Taking a deep breath, it seemed best to start over, all the way at the start. "It all began a few years ago, when I started having weird dreams…" Sora began.

Kairi squeezed his hand, giving him an encouraging smile. Since him and Riku's return to the island, they had spent as much time together as possible (which included the missions King Mickey would give them, often on weekends, securing the peace in the Worlds).

It wasn't easy. There were odd moments, when Sora or Kairi would say something out of the blue, speaking of a memory from Roxas or Naminé. Sometimes Riku would be recalling something, only to suddenly stop talking, lips pressed lightly together, and they'd realize what happened next wasn't something that should be recalled.

But still, those awkward pauses would stop, or another story would begin being told. After all, their hearts were still connected, and nothing had changed that. If you asked her, Kairi would say she knew them as well as they knew themselves.

She was proven wrong, when the incident happened.

A week ago, the school had taken them on a trip to a historic castle, in a far away town. The architecture was stunning, reminiscent of Hallow Bastion.

During the tour, they broke off from the group to explore the castle a bit better. They walked along the long hallways, looking out the stained glass windows. Inside, the air was stuffy, and Riku suggested they go outside.

The gardens belonging to the castle were spread out, covering many acres. There were mazes, tall arches made of flowers, rose bushes… Winding through them, Sora and Riku would race, as Kairi surprised them by winning, once or twice.

Riku almost won the final race, but Kairi darted ahead, only to come to a dead stop. Sora nearly tripped over her.

"Look." She had said, pointing up ahead to a gardener, dressed in a simple khaki uniform, who was clipping a plant statue which seemed to be of a rose. "Doesn't he look like Marluxia?" Inside her Other, Naminé shivered at the Nobody's name.

A moment of shocked silence, for the man did look to be the same size and body type as the former head of Castle Oblivion. His hair was a bit shorter, and was browner with only the slightest of pink tinges.

Then, something sounding like a strangled scream came from Sora's throat, and he ran at the person, Oblivion in hand. The man turned, and dropped his hedge clippers, completely defenseless.

After the second blow, Riku realize that Sora was actually attacking the gardener, and tried to pull him off. But Sora continued, saying incoherent things which seemed to generally be along the lines of "my memories" and "Naminé" repeated over and over again.

Kairi latched onto his other arm, begging him to let go and stop it. Naminé was safe, and the Organization was gone.

Finally, he turned to her, dropped his bloody key blade, and fell to his knees. Crouching, Kairi hugged him tightly, talking over his shoulder to Riku, telling him to get help for the poor beaten man on the ground.

Pulling back, Kairi used a handkerchief to wipe the blood splatter from Sora's cheeks, murmuring comforting words as he shook, his eyes still far away.

The medics came to take the man away. And then the police came to take Sora away.

Sora's breakdown as labeled as a psychological breakdown. He was only let off when his parents promised to get him therapy.

Of course, they couldn't tell Lulu their whole story, or she would think they were all insane. The best they could do was to tell her a censored version of the story, the 'normal' version.

"And then I thought it was over, I met a man in a black long coat with a hood hiding his face and---" Sora's voice failed him, and he stopped talking. After taking a moment to swallow, he shook his head. "I can't--- I mean--- Is that all for today?"

Lips pursed, Lulu nodded, and walked them to the door, reminding them to come back next Saturday, same time, same place.

"Sora…Where you stopped…" Kairi began saying, and then realized she was still holding his hand. Moreover, Riku was holding his other hand. She smiled slightly.

"That happened before Castle Oblivion. I know what you've told me Riku, and Roxas told me what he knew, but I still don't know what happened to me." Sora sighed, a sound which contrasted his normally cheerful self. "I don't know what to tell her."

"I think this is pointless!" Riku said suddenly. Puzzled, Kairi and Sora looked at him. In the psychologist's office, he hadn't said a word, and seemed to be preoccupied with dealing with his own troubled memories of that time. "You can't tell her everything, and it probably won't help much. It'd be better off talking to someone else. Queen Minnie, or anyone who you could tell everything to."

After considering this, Sora smiled brightly. "Plus I'd get to go see Goofy and Donald, and make sure they're keeping up with their training!"

"I'll get more time to learn about the Princesses of Heart in the library." Kairi added in.

"Okay, it's decided! We'll go there on Friday, before we come here." He was still smiling, they all were by now.

Who knows, maybe that would help them – spending more time with their friends who loved them. Maybe, in the end, it'd help heal their hearts and soothe their memories.

"Now, let's go get some sea salt ice cream!" Sora said.

And they did. And Riku paid.

end (sort of)