On the Edge of Forever
by SMYGO4EVA
Being thrust into the Holy Grail War had been bad enough. The countless, too familiar deaths. The endless suffering. Shirou had been able to push most of that aside because he'd had someone to fight for, to protect; Sakura Matou.
Sakura was always so kind to him, all while she was suffering. She shouldered a burden she wouldn't wish upon anyone; all the while she kept the smile on her face. Even with tears in her eyes, she still reached out to him. She had given him a purpose, and the courage and determination he needed to wear down the already weary conflict. But then, she was gone, she was lost to the darkness. Everything came tumbling, crashing down. If he couldn't protect her, what was left for him?
It seemed that after all the carnage he had witnessed and been put through, Shirou could only fall all the way down, down, down as low as it could, and yet it wasn't over.
He had hit rock bottom, and the only good thing about that was the only way to go is back up. He had taken all the thrashings and having had his heart shattered and shattered again, with moments of black despair that threatened to undo everything. But then he looked around him, and there was still an unconditional light surrounding him.
He'd tried so hard to hate everyone and everything, but he couldn't.
For Sakura, Shirou had something, an unconditional love, on the edge of forever.