He skimmed back unto the snowy path, with every step he strode, rather than of melting to liquid due to the possible compressed pressure, it seemed to recognize his ominous presence, the meaning of his existence ever so shivering, it froze gloom winter dry, cushioning the soles of his black leather laced boots. He sighed, followed by puffs of cold air out of his deep exhale as he halted to stop right in a good distance between a yard of the first black-wooded pine trees, and the lustrous golden gate of Lux.

His ever so bright white pinpricks strolled its gaze across and towards the said gate in reminisce.

He remembered it clear as day, the moment those gates closed at him shut, away from his brother, the only thing he knew as his purpose.

________________________________

"SANS! WAKE UP YOU, LAZY BONEHEADED SKELETON! I NEED YOU TO FETCH SOMETHING FOR ME." Papyrus was at the kitchen, preparing their lunch, which was as expected, spaghetti.

"naww, paps. can't a skeleton get another 20 minute-shut-eye... socket?" he casually smirked, one of his pinpricks peering from his de-activated eye sockets, to see the taller skeleton squeal in annoyance.

"NOT A SINGLE SECOND, SANS! NOW GET YOUR NUMBSKULLED BUTT OFF THE COUCH AND GET ME A CHUNK OF CHEESE, NOW!"

'yikes, looks like he isn't in the mood', "yessir." He hopped off his spot and headed for the door, but not without saying one last infamous pun, "take it easy, bro. ya don't wanna look exsauceted in front of the Royal Guard, do ya now?"

Closing the door shut behind him, his whistles masked his brother's bloody screams of frustration, chuckling to himself for a job well done. Spending the next five minutes to buy what they needed, he hummed a little tune as he walked towards their home.

Usually, being the lazybone he is, he'd simply take all the shortcuts he could grasp upon and arrive in no time, but today, it was a completely different case. He was busy staring at the glistening crystal jewels above them in admiration, the black pines swaying gently in a synchronized beat only nature could conduct.

It wasn't long before he noticed strangely unsettling silence. Snowdin was never this quiet before, the air was usually filled with the sound of monsters individually doing their thing.

Everything was dead silent, you could barely hear a pin drop, a slab of cheese sliced, or in this case, a dagger whizz by, which he fortunately dodged, nearly scraping his cheek. His left eye was ablazed with flames of blue, green, and yellow, ready to turn the fricker who did such a dirty trick. He was surprised, however, to see it was a fellow monster, only then he realized the black soulless irises he had on, staring back at him in a dark eerie way. It took Sans a moment to realize, he was consumed by the darkness, a follower of King Asgore.

Not just that, there were five of them, surrounding the provoked skeleton.

"i warn ya, ya're probably gonna have a bad time." as much as he would never be willing to kill a monster, he'd prefer to preserve his 1hp life instead.

"Oh, we would never harm you, Sans."

"We were only trying to convince you."

"Come. Join us to the truth!"

'what the frick is wrong with these guys?' he thought, sweatdropping a little. That was, until he watched as beyond them, towards the direction of Waterfalls, he could see the  echo flowers losing their light. The darkness was after them, the sight made his eye sockets empty in fear. 'papyrus..'

'i need to get out here fast!' he internally screamed, turning about to face where the location of the Ruins should be, and sprinted as fast as he can, the dark-driven monsters chasing right after him. Before him, were also other Snowdin citizens, running in hopes of making it to the Ruins' gates, the entrance to bright salvation and sanctuary, before it locks up forever. It seemed no one wants to be stuck in eternal darkness forever, so they prayed they weren't too late.

He cursed under his breath for the low level stamina he was born with, losing so much energy, he couldn't teleport himself to get there. 'papyrus must've already left.' he hoped, staring at the open door of their house as he ran.

He breathed heavily at the Ruins' gate closing in, causing for him to run faster than before. His efforts, however, were unfortunately wasted, as the gates were shut close. He was too late.

He heard a click from the other side of the humungous golden gate, the monsters inside locking him out, which made him bang his hands at the door-like gate, "open the frick up, it's me, sans!" he yelled at the top of his non-existent lungs. But they wouldn't budge.

"We don't care, stay out you revenge-happy monster!" one of them fearfully shrieked, but this only made the skeleton desperate.

"i'm not consumed by the darkness, i'm not one of them, please let me in!" he cried, sensing shadows looming over.

"We can't let you!"

"SANS??"

"papyrus!" he exclaimed, relieved to hear his beloved brother made it to the other side. Knowing Papyrus would be safe was what matters, it's enough for him to gladly accept his fate.

"SANS!! BROTHER!" he could hear his younger brother panic, shuffling against the massive door, "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"i am now, bro." he ironically chuckled, ignoring the incoming blackness around him.

"DON'T SAY THAT, YOU'RE OUTSIDE!" Sans heard movements, and the taller skeleton's pleas, "OPEN THE DOOR, PLEASE LET MY BROTHER IN!"

But no matter how much he tried to convince the other monsters, they were too frightened, not wanting to risk any dangers that may come from the other side. The Ruins was fully occupied for the first time in centuries, yet not a single sound came from their lips, except quivering murmurs, disheartened sobs, and dazed mutters.

No one was prepared for such a scenario, as obvious at it looks, they did not expect their own king to turn his back on his people, and spread an eternal blackout throughout the majority of the Underground.

The only word that popped out of their heads, was run.

"it's okay, pap. everything's going to be fine." he grinned wider, although Papyrus felt like shattering, as he started to sob.

"BROTHER, NO... IT'S NOT OKAY, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME." he begged in turn, whimpering a panicked trance.

"i'm right here, bro." he reassured, not bothering to notice a tingling feeling in his soul, desperate on creeping slowly around it. It was, at this point, dark, only enough for him to barely see his own hands as he slid down the door to sit. "i ain't leaving ya."

"BUT YOU'RE NOT IN HERE, AND-"

"i will always be with ya, papyrus. i promise."

"I WANT YOU HERE!"

"i'll be there soon."

'soon? heh. it's been ten years, yet i'm still livin' in this shit hole.' he thought at present, snorting at his old self.

"YOU SHOULD BE. TOMORROW."

"heh. yessir." his soul ached either at the sound of that or the fact that he swore he felt something weird piercing to his soul as to how his pinpricks were actually the only source of light left. Papyrus seemed to depend on Sans too much, it hurts the two of them to one day, lose each other. Like today.

As you can see... He never did.

For the past decade, he spent his life serving the malignant king, showering him with flowering words, and was disgusted with himself for showing loyalty, respect, and obedience to such tyranny. It made him extremely excited and grateful to fate, when the moment has come, as he was given the royal command of assigning him as the first Guardian of Snowdin, leaving all his past positions of being a judge and an advisor to his father, whose intents are barely unclear.

He tugged a small smile upon seeing the winter surrounding around him, as he recalled the scent of fresh old pine trees, and solitary, back when Snowdin was supposed to be a completely abandoned landscape. He wished for fate to at least turn all things back when he was all alone, away from Asgore's so-called defensive edicts, with the whole region all to himself, but nay.

He was no longer unaccompanied. Not a month later after he was sent out, the King sent a second Guardian, whose role was to ensure that Sans does his best to do his work, instead of lazing around, and risking any light to pass through.

It surprised him at first, to see the cruel King send him out, with none other than a Luxian Guardian in tow. He guessed it could be one of the two kingdoms' propaganda of showing 'peace'.

What he could not understand, however, was how the supposed 'enlightened' Guardian didn't seem enlightened at all. They were stubborn, violent, and competitive who seeks nothing else than to please the King, when they're supposed to side with the Queen.

Their behavior worried Sans, however, for he could not help but think of hopelessness. As a Luxian, he expected a respectful and noble monster, but instead, it's as if the skeleton was the Luxian in this game.

What happened? Will Lux fall and fail to defend themselves? Is Tori alright?, he frowned in thought. It would pain him to see the Queen suffering along with her obviously smaller and unstable kingdom, when all she really wanted was to set everyone free, fallen or not.

"You're thinking of her, aren't you?" someone from behind him chimed, surprising the hell out of him. He turned to see his Guardian partner, her legs wrapped around a branch of the tree beside him, and so she appeared to hung upside-down as she faced him.

"Ena, what the hell?!" he slightly shrieked, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Which you couldn't." she grinned, sitting up with ease, "'Cause you're a skeleton. But that's not the point. I asked if you were daydreaming about her again."

"Who? Freya?" Sans scoffed mockingly.

"I meant, Queen Tori." Ena paused, deep in thought, "Who's this Freya?"

The skeleton couldn't help but turn blue in embarassment. He didn't know which of the two reasons he's blushing for, but all he thought is that he's flustered by how things are going worse for him.

"Tsk, tsk, that's the problem with you, Orph. You're such a flirt."

Orpheus.

How ironically insuitable for a name given to him, at least, that's what he thought. New names were bestowed upon each and every citizen of the Underground, in reminder of the presence of two kingdoms under one mere pit of damned castigation. Even today, he wondered why the hell Fate would call him that.

He does not act or live like the said Greek hero, nor was he the opposite at all. He didn't even have an Eurydice in his story to begin with, knowing she and her fate was the main factor the musical hero Orpheus was famous with. Orpheus and Sans is an unlikely combination, that one could say.

And yet Fate had it all in store for him.

It has already chosen. He was Orpheus, and that is final.

The sound of how his name has came to be was dark and bland, one would assume he knocked at Hades' doors to play a sweet tune. As how the legend flowed, even Hades was in a deep trance under Orpheus' talented fingers, strumming on his golden lyre.

And what did Sans have in return? What did he receive out of foolish and selfish mooch? Rather than his beloved Eurydice back in his grasp, all he claimed was even more obscurity. That would've been a more realistic alternative in this what-if basis, assuming lessons all learned, expect that from the Greek lord of the Underworld.

Darker than darkness.

Like I said yet again... He didn't even have an Eurydice to begin with.

Yet.