This takes place just when Asuna jumps in front of Heathcliff's blade to save Kirito. Now, I put it in two ways and combined them. In the anime when Asuna died in the game, she shattered, but in the light novels, Asuna glowed into golden feathers.

Thanks to reviewer, Midorima Kazunari for pointing out some errors.

This is written for the Hostile Takeover Themed Writing Challenge Survival event!
The link to the wonderful forum is on my profile, go check it out! ;)

Enjoy! Please review!

What was I doing?

Nothing. I was doing absolutely nothing. I was just standing there, watching as something precious, something loved just broke in front of me.

There was a flash of a red, white uniform, chestnut-colored hair that flowed in front of me and then...

Shattered.

Like sharp fragile glass of a mirror, shattering as the pieces danced by me, twisting as they twinkled into dust and nothing.

They were shards of data created from our real bodies that were laying emotionless in the real world.

Feathers, symbols of what was once caged, now freed.

But, it didn't matter. Broken was broken. Gone was gone. Shattered was shattered. Dead was dead.

When I was young, I knocked a picture of me and my sister off of my desk, and as I watched it fall, I felt a number of emotions. The guilt, pain, fear that passed through me, as something that had always belonged in my life broke into a million pieces.

The pain was a thousand times worse, because this was a life that was gone, this was you, my wife. This was something I had waited for, survived for, and it just broke.

I grabbed uselessly, I cried silently.

Did I survive for nothing.

Weren't we going to be together?

Didn't I do everything to make sure you were safe?

I didn't care in the beginning, others died trying to escape, while I just stood by because I was selfish, because I knew I wouldn't be the one to save everyone.

It hurt.

I saw more of my friends die the same helpless way.

Then, you came along and gave me something to live for, something to survive for.

Now that you shattered and flew away..

What is there to fight for?

I see past reflections in the shards, in the flowing feathers, as they glow and evaporate.

When I lift her rapier and I see my reflection, all I see are dark eyes, and a broken expression, I think to myself, 'Why..'

There are more people I care for, I can still end this.

But...

I don't need to survive anymore.