The Assassin's smile…

Oh, how Illya wished she could wipe it off his face. This smug, self-important bastard who decided to barge in and sow seeds of discord between her and Sakura just because he could. It could've looked as if the situation was salvaged afterward, as Sakura was quick to accept any explanation that Illya gave her, but in reality, it was not as simple. Sakura would not show her distrust or disappointment outright, too well-mannered for that, but it would still show. She would grow quieter, become less engaged, avoid eye contact sometimes…All of this happened towards the end of their walk. The more Illya thought about Sasaki's arrogant tone, the more she wanted to punch him in the face. Of course, this wasn't an option, but there were other outlets for her anger…

"FIGHT!"

Illya clung to her controller as the robotic voice announced that the battle was starting. Mortal Kombat might not have been a very complex game, but it was perfect for blowing off steam…And something Taiga enjoyed, as well. When she was put into a competitive setting, she immediately unleashed her inner child.

"Hah, think you can beat me?" Fuji-née said proudly as she held her own controller. Scorpion vs Sub-Zero was a battle between two long-standing rivals, yet it couldn't even hold a candle to the rivalry between Taiga and Illya when it came to video games.

"Try me!" The white-haired girl smiled, taking control of Sub-Zero and ready to strike at her enemy. As expected, Taiga went on the offensive almost immediately, unleashing Scorpion's fiery abilities; Illya knew that she always played the same way and decided to undercut her attempts at the very beginning. She created an icy shield, giving her a bit of time, and then counter-attacked with impeccable speed and precision. It wasn't a long battle. Taiga tried valiantly, but Illya was always one step ahead of her. One ice attack after another, eventually she finally lowered her opponent's health bar.

"How do you…" Taiga spoke with fury. "You're cheating!"

"Fatality!" Illya said with excitement as her character performed a finishing blow. "Hah, that's a winning streak on my part!" The girl smiled playfully, remembering her fun days with Berserker. She didn't need a screen of a TV to perform such glorious finishing touches.

"I'm getting you next time, you hear me?!" Taiga said in a fit of primal rage. "I'm telling you, you're gonna beg for mercy!"

"Already shaking in my boots!"

At least this kind of 'exercise' allowed Illya to calm down and have some fun after the unfortunate encounter, though it wasn't enough to remove it from her mind completely. As the girl prepared for dinner, she couldn't help but think of her own naivety. She had Berserker fight Assassin during the War, and she managed to learn that he was both an incredibly skilled warrior and unlike other servants. He wasn't at all like the Assassin class that her masters warned her about, and he never left Ryuudou Temple's surroundings. He was different from other servants; it shouldn't be too surprising that he found a way to persist.

Soon, Illya was eating the rice Taiga made, getting her fill before going to bed. Her guardian sat in front of her with unbridled annoyance in her eyes, still fuming.

"How can I even lose to you…I played it for much longer!"

"Come on, don't sulk, this isn't the last time you lose, anyway…"

"Why, you little…"

"Hey, don't be rude to your adopted kid. They could take me to an orphanage if you do that, and I can't think of anything more depressing than an orphanage."

"Yeah, you're right…" Taiga sighed. "How was your day? Is Sakura doing alright? It has been a while since we got a chance to talk."

"Sakura is fine as always, a bit on the gloomier side today but I think that's pretty normal for her." Illya thought to herself, wondering if Taiga could shed more light on Sakura's behavior. She was the only one who always spent time with her and Shirou; she should know if anything had changed since then. "Hey, Fuji-née…I've been thinking you came to the Emiya household almost as often as Sakura did, right?"

"Yeah, and why does it matter now?"

"Just wanted to know how Sakura was back then. You say she really liked spending time around Shirou. Why do you think that is?" Illya had an idea of what the truth was, but she was curious to hear Taiga's assessment.

"Oh, she was an absolute delight to have around the house. It still boggles my mind that Shirou didn't realize she had a crush, but I didn't want to intervene."

"Did she smile a lot?" Illya wondered.

"Yes…Not outwardly, she was always shy with things like this, but I noticed it nonetheless."

"She doesn't seem like this nowadays…Maybe sometimes when we play together, but not to that extent." Illya said, wondering how it was possible for Shirou to have such a profound effect on both her and Sakura. So many people would've found him naive or simple-minded, but it was his kindness that spoke to Illya in the first place. His belief in humans and dedication to this perfect vision of the future where everyone is happy and saved…It was a beautiful dream for Illya to entertain, no matter how unattainable it was. With him going off to pursue this dream, people who once shared it with him were now left behind by this inevitable reality, something much duller than what Shirou envisioned. "Thanks, Fuji-nee."

"You're welcome. I love talking about our time with Shirou; I have so many good memories!"

Illya didn't doubt it; every time she heard a story about Shirou, she couldn't help but regret not being able to spend more time with him…Still, she tried to be grateful for their meeting. In such a short time, Shirou taught her a lot, and perhaps those teachings would be the key to getting Sakura out of the darkness.

…

Why couldn't she cling to obliviousness?

Sakura never wanted the curse of knowledge, never wanted to see where it leads. Ever since her first descent into the worm pit, she realized that there was nothing but despair and agony to find. The world of the Magi was a cruel, horrible place…No one understood this better than her. Perhaps Illya…

"Go now; it is time for your lesson."

Zouken's raspy voice echoed in Sakura's ears as she descended into the pit. It will be the same routine she got used to, again and again. The same ritual that would suck any life and hope from her would turn her into a broken puppet, all so he could make her into a vessel…Perhaps she would become like Illya on that night. Sakura thought back to her walk with her friend; after Sasaki's words, they couldn't focus on anything else but the revelations.

"You mean…Shirou saved you?"

"Yep. Charged in with his servant, challenged Kotomine…And won! I should be surprised, but I'm not; it's Shirou; his resolve is just that strong."

"I see…Senpai would never leave a friend behind; I never doubted him."

Yet he left her behind. Shirou never came to save Sakura.

Sakura descended, cursing herself for her own weakness and cowardice, for her indecision and fear. Even now, she could not fully trust Illya despite many times she has proven herself, all because she was too scared to ask a simple question.

Were you a master?

She was going to spend an entire night with those questions. Sakura lay down, feeling Zouken's shadow towering over her.

"Now." He gave his command.

The worms swarmed her.

Sakura clenched her teeth as she felt them crawling on her skin, plunging their teeth into her flesh, poisoning her blood with their vile taint. Every time she was forced into the worm pit, she felt empty. Those creatures drained her of what little energy she had left; they were the cruelest, most horrifying magic spell there could be. She grew resilient was able to maintain her sanity somehow, but it came at a cost. A cost of seeing all hope and color torn from any memories she had. Her cooking with Shirou, her swinging around with Illya…All became meaningless in the face of unbridled despair. All that was left were the monotone days of suffering and darkness, the moments of fear and watching the War unfold. She thought back to every time Shinji hurt or raped her, humiliated her, and how she forgave him every time, how she smiled at him hoping that one day he would change…For the horrible things he did to her, at least he was human. Looking at Shinji reminded Sakura of the world beyond the walls of this pit, but now this reminder was gone.

Only his shadow remained.

The monster that chained and leeched her. Sakura felt him ripping into her flesh. Each of those worms was a part of him. Zouken wasn't human. He was a creature feasting on her soul. He wriggled in her heart, taking joy in absorbing her blood and essence. He took everything to preserve himself.

And this left Sakura in the darkness.