EDIT: As of chapter 8, this collection contains sex. There will be no PWP ficlets, only sex with plot. All warning are posted at the beginning of each chapter, so if you're too young, don't want, or don't like to read sex, then skip those chapters containing sex in them. Thank you, and enjoy!

A/N: So I have a number of stories like in the 'The Epic Tales' that fall under the 'M' rating. I don't want to bump the rating of my collection, but I do want to put them out on the internet for people to see. So here I am with a mature collection. These ficlets/short stories/drabbles all hit the 'M' rating for graphic violence, graphic depictions of death, suicide, attempted suicide, strong language, rape, and sexual themes—though probably not full blown sex, since that's actually against Fanfiction's rules (Oops for Retribution.). I may also add some of my incomplete works here (the ones that are partial plots that I may still write). In fact, most of these will be incomplete works. Warnings will be posted for every addition, and you all are free to tell me I am a messed up human being for some of the crap I write. Now, time to start off strong!

Warnings: Blood, death, suicide.
Genre: Tragedy

Natalie shuddered on the ground and let out a weak moan of pain as she was rolled over by strong, but gentle hands. She tried to focus on the blurry figure above her and could just make out Matt's bright hair. "It… h-hurts…" she whimpered before coughing on something wet in her throat.

"It- It's going to be… to be okay, Natz…" Matt whispered in a choked voice with tears streaming down his cheeks. He stroked her cheek with one thumb, brushing a tear off her soft skin. He forced his voice to be as steady as possible for the dying mage. "Just… just go to sleep, and Anna'll have you as good as new in no time…" It was a complete lie, and he knew it. Anna was nowhere nearby, and there was no way the ranger could have helped, even if she had been there. But his words seemed to comfort Natalie, and that was all he could offer in her final moments.

Natalie cracked the weakest of smiles as her eyes closed. She couldn't feel the hot drops of water hitting her face, or feel the way Matt was shaking. She let out a final breath before slumping still. Matt carefully drew her body up to press an impossibly gentle kiss to her forehead before setting her down with equal care as though she could wake up at any moment. His eyes squeezed shut, forcing even more tears out as his hands curled into fists. And then he threw his head back and let out a howl of loss. His scream was inhuman in its agony as it echoed down the empty halls, and was followed by broken sobs as he curled into a ball, gripping his shoulders, his hair a curtain about his hunched form.

Matt wasn't sure how long he stayed there, sobbing in sorrow and loss. Natalie had long since grown cold, and her spilled blood had dried. But the swordsman's sobs did, eventually, slowly wind down to hoarse coughs. His knuckles grew white as his fingers curled and dug into his shoulders through his jacket. He brought his head up and his eyes were glowing an icy blue. His face was a hardened mask of fury with not one trace of his usual carefree smile. He slowly uncurled and stood up, every motion smooth, calculated, deadly grace. He left Heaven's Gate where it lay beside Natalie and withdrew Devil's Sunrise. His eyes lingered on Natalie's pale face for several, long moments, tracing her beautiful features.

"I promise that I'll see you soon. Wait for me, Natz," was all Matt finally murmured.

And then the swordsman turned away. His mana sparked in a fiery aura as he strode onwards, and his very shadow seemed to writhe behind him. Before long, he could hear the muffled sounds of battle from up ahead, but maintained the same pace. A single slash was all it took to take down the double doors of black wood that loomed over him. The massive barrier fell inwards, slamming to the floor with a resounding boom. The battle inside stuttered to a halt, and Matt's footsteps echoed overloud in the sudden silence. The fallen door cracked and shattered upon his stepping on it, but he didn't so much as twitch.

Matt didn't acknowledge Lance or Anna who were gaping at him. His still-glowing eyes were fixed on the powerful demon lord whom they had been battling. His expression was stonily blank, and his eyes icy and dead. But despite the lack of expression, not one person in the room thought he was calm.

Lance stared at his long-time friend with a shiver of true fear. There was blood staining the swordsman's clothes, hands, and face. Heaven's Gate was gone in favor of Devil's sunrise. There was an ominous aura flickering around him. And he hadn't acknowledged either of his friends. He gulped as he glanced past the swordsman, already having a sinking suspicion of what had happened.

Anna subconsciously gripped her bow tighter, and slid to stand beside Lance. She watched with wide eyes as Matt walked straight up to the demon, and stared up at it. The demon hadn't moved, either, frozen by a sense of fear: fear caused by staring its own death in the eyes. All of its previous mockery, confidence, and boasting had vanished, and even though it stood twice as tall as the human staring at it with dead eyes, it felt small and pathetic. Something had changed drastically in the fighter before it, and that change spelled its doom.

The demon tried to flee by spreading its wings to fly away. Matt didn't move, but twin glowing swords appeared from nowhere on either side of him, stabbing into the bat-like wings and into the floor, pinning the demon, which let out a howling-screech of pain. Matt stared down at the demon lord, and stepped forwards as it began scrambling back, tearing its wings through the glowing blades pinning it to the floor, despite the agony that caused, trying to get away from him. Four more Holy Swords appeared to pin the monster's limbs. Matt raised his sword arm, spun the weapon in his hand so that the blade was pointed at the demon, and thrust it down on the demon's neck, barely nicking its throat. The blade slid into the monster's flesh, at once damaging and healing it through the weapon's dark enchantment. Black blood bubbled up from the wound and began to trickle out of the choking demon's mouth. Matt stepped back, and watched with impassive eyes as the demon struggled.

Anna and Lance cringed at the ugly choking sounds made by the dying demon. But neither one dared to risk ending the creature's suffering. They were, for once, terrified of what Matt might do to them if they interfered. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Natalie had been killed in Matt's arms: nothing else could have caused such a drastic shift. The swordsman had taken a dark turn for the worse, and they doubted that they could pull him back.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the demon's twitching and choking stopped, and it slumped still. Matt finally turned to his friends, but they couldn't see his face in the shadow it was cast under. His hair glinted in the fading red moonlight, the curse of night finally broken.

"I'm bringing this place down. You have five minutes to get out," Matt said tonelessly.

"Matt-" Anna tried, taking a step forwards.

"Go."

Lance scowled and snapped, "Do you really think she would have wanted to kill yourself over her?"

"Four minutes left."

"Screw that," Lance spat, storming forwards. He jerked to a halt a split second later when an invisible force sliced past his cheek. His eyes flew wide as blood began to trickle down his cheek. Still, he swallowed, and said in a pleading voice, "Matt, please… Please don't do this."

A crack began to form in the floor, starting from where Matt was standing. Anna let out a choked sob, but still darted forwards to snag Lance's wrist and begin tugging him for the door. The gunner resisted for a brief moment before cursing Matt as he turned with tears in his eyes to dash after Anna and vanish from sight down a side passage. Neither one looked back as they fled the collapsing castle.

Matt stared after them as chunks of ceiling began to fall down around him. He stepped forwards, heedless of the danger, and left the way he had come. All around him, the stone groaned as more and more support was lost. Windows shattered, tapestries thudded down, sconces toppled over, sending flaming wood and embers across the floor, and stone and dust cascaded down on all sides.

But Matt didn't look at the devastation. His eyes were once again fixed on Natalie's broken body. He moved the last few steps and sank to his knees to gather her up to his chest. Tears streamed down his face as he held her, aching with loss. There was sharp cracking sound, and then everything went dark. And Matt no longer hurt.

OOOOOO

Matt's face scrunched up against a light behind his eyelids. He rolled his head to the side to try and escape the unwelcome light. And the warmth brushing over his skin. He wanted to go back to the darkness where he couldn't feel. But try as he might, he couldn't escape the light and warmth. Or the gentle brushing through his hair. He finally let out a defeated sigh and opened his eyes, expecting to see some healer tending him with Anna or Lance standing not far away, scowling at him. Instead, he saw blades of shimmering grass, and a familiar red dress. Matt sucked in a shuddering breath and rolled his head to look up. Natalie's face smiled down at him, though he could see disapproval and sadness in her blue eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that," Natalie murmured, holding Matt's gaze as he sat up. "You had so much time left."

Matt swallowed a few times, trying to clear the lump in his throat. "I don't want time if you aren't with me," he finally replied in a voice thick with emotion.

Natalie blew out a sigh and shook her head. She spread her arms, and breathed, "Well, there's nothing but time with me, now. Until Lance and Anna eventually show up, anyway. And just so you know: I'm not helping you when they smack you. But hopefully that won't be for many years."

Matt's lips spread in a wobbly smile as he threw himself into the offered embrace. His own arms wrapped around Natalie's waist, and he buried his face in her soft hair. He relished in the gentle pressure of her arms hugging him back as she pressed her face into his neck, and the warmth coming from her, even if he knew it no longer meant life. And a gentle peace settled in Matt's heart: he had Natalie, and that was all that mattered to him.

A/N: I've finally done it. I've killed one (or, rather, two) of the main characters. I once said I would never be able to do a tragedy, but I worked at it until finally succeeding in it (and I cried a lot)—though the ending is still sort of bittersweet. Leave me a review, and I'll be back as soon as I polish (by which I mean actually edit) some of my other stories!