:):

Thank you so much for the awesome reviews!

I absolutely LOVE the idea of giving Sans the title of "Guardian of the Angels"

It's beautiful! :3

...

This chapter's going to be pretty tense.

I hope you're ready for it. :)

xxx

Determination

xxx

On her hands and knees, Frisk quickly leaned over her friend, protecting him as best she could from the falling rocks cascading from above. Wincing, she tried to ignore the pain as her back was pelted with tiny fragments of the ceiling. This room was becoming increasingly unstable and there was really no telling when a larger chunk of ceiling might fall.

Even though the main body of the giant amalgamation was still lying there motionless on the rocky floor, the blackened vines still attached to it were now actively creeping throughout the area, seemingly of their own free will. It appeared that whatever consciousness this monster previously had, all that remained now was The Bane. Whether the host had died or not, she simply didn't know, but it was obvious that it was no longer the one in control.

Once the last few pebbles had finished falling, Frisk cautiously lifted her weight, her back stinging and aching as she did. Looking down at her friend, she brought an urgent hand to his skull. Tapping him lightly, she tried in vain to wake the unconscious skeleton. It was no use. Ever since that large burst of magic, he had been completely unresponsive. That had been nearly ten minutes ago! Not only that, but Fearia's Soul had disappeared as well.

Frisk was at a total loss as she stared down at her friend. Without Sans, she honestly had no idea what to do now. What could she do? Her list of options had become woefully limited and she could feel her magic waning with each passing minute. In the back of her mind, though, she knew she still had one solid option.

A total reset...

It could take her back to the beginning of this day. Back before everything had gotten so out of hand. Unfortunately, in doing so, she'd be throwing away all of their hard work. But, was there really any other option?

With a slight frown, Frisk absentmindedly glided her hand over the smooth, undamaged portion of her friend's skull. His eye sockets were closed and his grin was relaxed, making it appear as if he were only sleeping. Since he was a skeleton, though, it was truly difficult to tell. He wasn't even breathing and it was impossible for her to check his pulse. The only telltale sign that he was even still alive was the fact that he hadn't yet turned to dust.

Knowing this, she couldn't bring herself to give up quite yet. Even if it was just the faintest flicker, she wanted to hold on to the hope that somehow everything would turn out for the better. Despite the ever increasing improbability, she just had to have faith. If miracles did exist, she was certainly praying for one.

With her mother's Sunstone held close to her chest, Frisk concentrated on regulating her magical output in order to conserve as much magic as she could. Sustaining the light at the lowest possible level, she wagered she probably had at least five to ten more minutes until she dipped into the red. If and when that occurred, she already knew what would happened, and wouldn't be at all pleasant. Hopefully, she would be able to avoid that scenario.

Shattering her concentration, a loud crack broke the silence from above. With a startled gasp, Frisk quickly turned her focus towards the ceiling. Not able to see through the inky blackness, she felt her panic begin to rise as the sound of a deep rumble started from overhead. It continued for a few more seconds before a series of smaller cracks could be heard. Then, as if she were looking up through the ice from the bottom of a frozen lake, sharp fractures streaked their way through the darkness like a tangled web. Bright light poured through the newly formed cracks, and with it, utter chaos ensued.

Startled by the sudden intrusion of sunlight, the blackened vines lashed out in a mad frenzy. Instinctively trying to protect themselves from the deadly light, The Bane infected tendrils began to hastily rip away from the walls and ceiling, causing even more damage in the process. Once again, small rocks started to fall from overhead, before long, however, much larger ones were quick to follow as they plummeted towards the ground.

In a moment of sheer terror, Frisk did the only thing she could think of. Flinging her upper body over the unconscious skeleton, she tried her damnedest to give him as much cover as she could. Wrapping her arms around his skull, she pressed his face into her chest as she halfway curled around him. Holding on for dear life, Frisk squeezed her eyes shut as the sounds of heavy rocks came crashing down all around them.

As the ground shook beneath her, Frisk's hair was tousled by sharp gusts of wind that seemed to explode all around her from every direction. Pelted by pebbles and sharp rocks, the mute girl winced in pain as she tried to hide her face against smooth bone. The Sunstone, as if imitating her distressed state, flared out with a blinding light.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the rumbling slowly tapered off and the room became quiet again. Trembling, Frisk timidly opened her eyes to view the damage. Pools of crimson sunlight now dotted the area as clouds of dust wafted through the air. Lifting her face, she looked around, awestruck, at the strangely foreign room now littered with piles of rocks and large boulders. As she viewed the aftermath, a strange mixture of both immense relief and grim amazement rose up inside of her. Somehow, against all odds, they had actually managed to survive this disaster.

Amongst all of the new bruises that were now scattered across her back, an unpleasant heat quickly captured Frisk's attention. With a small hiss, she hastily began to withdraw her energy from the Sunstone. What little magic she still had left had unfortunately been depleted within the span of only a few seconds. She was now officially in the red. No longer could she maintain the runestone's light without consequence.

Feeling the darkness begin to edge its way closer to them, Frisk felt a shiver run down her spine. Uncurling herself from around her friend, she quickly sat up. Scanning their new surroundings, her eyes locked onto a rather large splotch of light not too far away. If she couldn't use her Sunstone anymore, then that was the next safest place to be.

Thinking fast, Frisk quickly got back to her feet. Shoving the dim stone into her pocket, she then bent over and carefully hooked her hands underneath the unconscious monster's sleeve covered arms. Once she had a good grasp on him, the mute girl then began the arduous process of dragging her friend towards the safety of the light. Straining against the unexpected weight, Frisk was honestly a little surprised. For a skeleton, Sans was deceptively heavy.

Luckily no vines had bothered to take notice of them as they slowly entered into the pool of crimson sunlight. Above them, on the Surface, Frisk could easily imagine the sky bleeding red as the sun gradually sunk over the horizon. It would be getting dark soon, so they needed to take advantage of this light while it lasted.

Gently lowering her friend back to the rocky ground, Frisk released her hold and knelt down beside him once again. After yet another unsuccessful attempt to awaken him, she resigned herself to simply sit quietly by his side. Her whole body hurt right now and fatigue was steadily seeping into her as she fought to stay alert. This was no place to give in to sleep. Even though she couldn't see too many now, she knew that those vines were still lingering about the area. If she let her guard down, even for a moment, it could end up costing them both dearly.

Focusing a little too hard on the task of actually staying focused, Frisk visibly flinched when something moved in her peripheral. Turning to look, she felt herself instantly tense up as she spotted a small vine creeping its way into the light. In an unconscious attempt to fend off the intruding plant, the injured human quickly flared her magic. However, since she was no longer holding the Sunstone, the only result was a burning pain in her side. Ceasing her magic with haste, Frisk could only watch in horror as the vine continued to creep closer.

This wasn't right. Frisk thought as she watched the plant, warily. The sunlight should be repelling it, but this vine didn't seem at all affected. Quite the opposite really, with its green leaves turning towards the light, it actually seemed to be flourishing in the late afternoon glow. How was that even possible...?

Wait...

It was green!

Possessing a healthy amount of chlorophyll, this tiny tendril was somehow completely devoid of the parasitic Bane. Instead, it looked just like a ordinary vine should. Expect it wasn't an ordinary vine. That much was obvious.

Undeterred by the effects of the light, the thorny little intruder boldly crept deeper into their small sunlit sanctuary. Its movements, unlike its Bane infected counterparts, weren't mindless or meandering. No, this vine was clearly searching for something, and there was an obvious level of intelligence behind its actions.

Feeling the panic steadily rise up inside of her, Frisk kept her eyes locked onto the creeping plant as she quietly gathered her friend a little closer. What could she do about this? Mind racing to try and come up with a solution to their current predicament, the mute girl was caught very much by surprise when another vine lashed out and seized her by her left forearm.

Gasping, Frisk ripped her arm away in a blind panic, the vine's sharp thorns leaving behind a series of deep lacerations in their wake. Before the pain even had time to sink in, though, two more vines shot out, one grabbing her by her right wrist and the other wrapping around her neck. With a quick jerk, she felt her back slam into the ground. Beyond rational thought, Frisk reached up with a bleeding arm and attempted to curl her fingers underneath the thorny vine that was currently constricting her air flow.

Black dots flooded the injured human's vision as the vicious plant tightened its vicelike grip. As her consciousness began to waver, a sense of hopelessness welled up inside of Frisk. Even though she desperately wanted to hold on for a little while longer, that choice was being stolen from her. As much as she hated to do it, rewinding the day was quickly becoming the only option she had left.

But maybe...

Maybe there was still one last thing she could try. Since these vines were no longer infected with The Bane, then perhaps she could dissuade them by normal means. There was, after all, one thing that all plants hated.

Abandoning the futile effort of freeing her neck, Frisk dizzily fumbled her fingers into the front of her silky tunic. Grabbing the soft leather pouch, she wasted no time as she tore it free from its woven cord. Ignoring the fact that the stone was still in its protective case, Frisk proceeded to pour her magic into the Firestone.

Igniting into flames, the soft leather pouch turned to ashes in her grasp as the surrounding area quickly heated up. With the last dredges of her consciousness still intact, Frisk slammed the stone into the vine constricting her neck. Catching fire almost immediately, the plant began to hastily uncoil itself, its sharp thorns causing even more damage as they retracted.

Finally able to breathe again, Frisk drew in a painful breath, her throat scratchy and raw. Overcome with a wave of dizziness, the wounded girl curled into herself on the rocky ground as she tried to recover. Pain rippled through her body as her new injuries began to throb and sting.

Still gripping the Firestone firmly in her hand, Frisk grimaced as the pain radiating from her side finally began to drown out all of her other injuries. Dropping the runic stone like a hot potato, the mute girl released a silent moan as she pressed her hand to the angry seal that was currently searing her flesh. If she kept overdrawing her magic like that, she might end up causing herself irreparable damage. But... what other choice did she have?

Right now, she only had two options. Reset or Fight.

The Bane was pure death, there was no denying that, but these new vines might be just as dangerous if she wasn't careful. This was looking really bad, and it was bound to get worse before it was over. Still, she couldn't just give up. If there was even an iota of hope left, she had to give it her all. For her little sister and also for her new friend, Frisk knew that she had to try.

Choosing to fight, the wounded human took hold of the Firestone once more. On contact, the smooth surface of the stone quickly began to reignite with magical heat. Forcing herself back to her feet, Frisk stood defiantly in front of her friend. She didn't know how long she could last, but she vowed to last as long as she needed to.

Hazel eyes now filled with determination, Frisk glared at the gathering vines as she prepared to stand her ground.

...

Eye sockets still closed, Sans felt his grin go flat as waves of heat washed over him. Did he fall asleep in Hot Land again? Uh... this was the worst place to take a nap... Wait. Why was he laying on the ground?

Feeling very much like his metaphorical brains had just been scrambled, cooked for a little too long, and then tossed into the trash like garbage, Sans was in pure agony right now. This was either one hell of a hangover or his skull had a huge freakin' crack in it. heh, he already knew the answer.

Wincing, Sans' grin turned slightly sarcastic as he placed a boney hand tenderly to his damaged skull. Forcing an eye socket open, he stared dazedly up at what appeared to be a floating golden blob hovering a few inches above his face. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, the blob finally took shape.

Glittering with magical energy, the golden heart pulsed with agitation as if waiting impatiently for him to wake up.

Recognizing Fearia's Soul immediately, Sans finally snapped out of whatever stupor he was currently in. Coming to his senses, he quietly lifted a hand. Cautiously, as if trying hard not to inadvertently startle the stressed out Soul, Sans reached out with his magic and gently took hold of it. The golden heart gave a flicker of surprise but was otherwise unbothered by his actions.

Relief filled the exhausted skeleton as he carefully wrapped another layer of his magic around the Soul for extra security. Finally... Sans thought as he released a slow breath. After every hellish thing that they had gone through today, they had finally gotten the kid's Soul back.

Propping himself up with his free arm, Sans felt his grin, along with that new feeling of levity fade almost instantly by what he saw. With her back facing him and her arms outstretched, Frisk was quite literally shimmering with magical flames. Hair and clothes flowing gently in the blaze, she painted a rather impressive picture. As artificial sunlight poured from one hand, the other hand flared with artificial fire. Combined, the two effects made her whole body appear to glow with light.

As stunning as this scene was, all Sans could feel right now was a deep sense of panic as he watched a red flame creeping slowly up the side of her back, consuming her silky clothes as it went. That wasn't magic... That was real fire!

"oh god- Frisk!"

Flinching in surprise, Frisk quickly turned to look over her shoulder. Seeing her friend's concerned face, relief simply flooded the mute girl's system as even more tears streaked down her cheeks. Sans was awake! He was finally awake. And... And he had Fearia's Soul with him!

Through the haze of agonizing pain, a warm, heartfelt smile filled with so many unspoken words of gratitude lit up Frisk's tear-streaked face. Far surpassing her limit, it was through pure determination alone that she had managed to hold on for so long. Now, though, as if the wind had officially left her sails, the runestones began to flicker weakly before slowly dimming.

Seeing the injured girl begin to sway precariously on her feet, Sans acted as fast as he could. Not wasting any time, he quickly lifted his hand in an attempt to remotely catch her as she fell. Unfortunately, before he even had that chance, something else beat him to it.

Taking full advantage of the human's weakened state, a thin green vine lashed out with such speed and precision, it could have easily been mistaken for a bullwhip. Wrapping its thorny coils around her waist, the plant effortlessly lifted the girl off of her feet. Then, in a snap, she was gone.

Hand still raised, the skeleton's eye lights went out completely as time seemed to slow to a snail's pace. In a moment of surreal clarity, Sans numbly watched as the two runestones clattered noisily to the cavern floor in Frisk's absence. Louder than they probably should have been, the sound seemed to echo sharply until finally becoming silent.

Shocked, and not fully able to comprehend what he had just witnessed, Sans felt a torrent of mixed emotions churn inside of him as his magic began to steadily rise. Through the disbelief, fear, and regret, one emotion rose above the rest. Turning his skull, Sans peered into the darkness as a blue flame filled with cold fury began to slowly flow from his left eye socket.

That weed was about to learn the true meaning of pain.

xxx

This is the very last full chapter inside the Ruins!

...

In the next chapter, this nightmare will finally come to an end.

also...

Sans may have accidentally created something super duper dangerous!

xxx

Thanks for reading!

If you are enjoying this story, why not take the time to leave me a friendly review?

Sheii Bae~