AN: Uploading old stuff~ Though this one I just :D I really like from a world-building aspect and it's just a one-shot but i may do other one shots in this same world? Anyway Helios was originally named Icarus let's go~

Mood Music: Icarus by Bastille ((finding this song got me onto Bastille, and this album of theirs got me out of my writer's block for Cardinal King arc 2 xD I love this album? Like so much. And trying to find a song to match this Icarus idea started all that so I super love this. ANYWAY I tried to use the same feel for the song opening as the opening paragraph AND THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE IS HUGE NOW FOR A WORK THAT'S OVER A YEAR OLD THE END GOODBYE.

...

The battle spread out beneath him, an army as far as the eye could see, writhing and raging, pushing forward through the darkness, lunging closer by leaps and bounds towards the precipice upon which he perched. Twisted faces screamed and groaned their cries of challenge as they scrambled to meet him, to tear him limb from limb, to rip him to shreds for being the forward scout. Heart hammering in his chest, their cries reverberating through him like hundreds of hammers striking hundreds of gongs, he pressed himself to kept control of his breathing, waiting until they reached the exact line in the black, rocky surface - and then stood proud against them. He quickly pressed his horn to his lips and blew, the pure tone cutting through the air above the gluttorial cries like a laser light cutting through the dark and then, on queue, the first rays of dawn crested the horizon behind him.

Warm light flooded the barren scape behind him - he could see it reflecting off their shining eyes and matte-black bodies as they renewed their screams in rage, climbing up his cliff to seek revenge before the true battle again, but he was prepared for that. Slipping his goggles into place and dropping the trumpet to hang on the string against his shoulders, he took in a deep breath, ran, and jumped from the ledge, spreading his arms wide. As he left the ground beneath his feet and fell towards the writhing hoarde beneath him, a shiver traveled from his shoulders to the small of his back as the tattoo of wings shimmered in gold and then freed itself from his body, becoming appendages as real as his own arms and legs, twitching once in the sudden freedom from his skin. His mouth a grim line of determination, he locked his wings in place and glided down to gain speed, then angled up, staying just out of reach of their cruel claws. He tilted, turning a tight circle to head back towards the cliff face, soaring above it to bask in the glow of the brilliant sunrise. Peace overtook him and he smiled, relaxing as he coasted back towards the source of that sunlight - the source of all light in his life:

Sol Apollo.

The young ruler rode forth to meet him, his sun-kissed skin glowing in the light of the dawn he brought with him, his Stars riding their own steeds at his side; the sight was enough to bring tears to the eyes of poets, to stop mortals in their steps for sheer awe of the heavenly sight, and yet the guardians themselves never seemed to notice or give it any mind as they raced forward to fight the forces of the Night and bring peace to their budding Star System.

Venus was brightest among them, the long blonde hair whipping out behind her nearly as bright as her eyes and the grin of challenge as she rode into battle, her whip held at the ready, sunlight setting afire her tresses and making the golden laurel wreath upon her brow glow. Mars, beside her, looked on dispassionately as her steed raced forward, her own hair dark as night, the golden laurel the only shining thing about her other than the tip of her arrow, alight with literal fire as she aimed and loosed a shot into the horde of creatures behind him. Mercury rode on his other side, bright blue eyes searching the line with determination, her fingers racing along the strings of her lyre nearly as quickly as the thrumming beat of their horses' hooves across the carbon rock beneath their pounding feet. The last of them - Jupiter - urged her horse forward, sparks of electricity arcing along her crown until she pointed a graceful finger and lightning shot away from her to crash into the enemy's flank.

These were the guardians of this new Solar System, the senshi that would win it for the Light and allow life to flourish within its borders, led by their King, the guardian of the life-giving Star itself, the very man who looked up at him now with those golden eyes and gave him a cocky smile. "Icarus!" he called, and the white-winged scout dove to meet him, as able to resist the call as rocks were able to resist the pull of gravity. Sol Apollo reached up and Icarus reached down, his heart racing for more than just the adrenaline of the upcoming standoff as his hero gripped his forearm and pulled him down to ride behind him on his white steed. As his wings disappeared in another ripple of sensation across his back, he wound one arm around golden-clad torso of the would-be King and raised the horn to his lips with the other and blew once more, the brassy command joined by the whooping call of the Guardian of the Sun as he braced before him, leaning low over the equine creature with his long spear pointed forward. Icarus braced as they crashed into enemy lines with the sun at their backs, tearing through forces as easily as parting waves.

On his left Venus stood upon her steed and whipped her chain around her, the steel slicing through anything it touched, the wound burning with light even as the creatures fell. Mars's arrows flew into enemies both far and near, the arrows sinking into the ground far into the distance exploding in an inferno as the Guardian of War picked her next target. The music Mercury played emboldened him in a way that his horn could never hope to imagine, and somehow her cold words were heard easily above the din as she pointed out weaknesses in their defensive lines - weaknesses Jupiter immediately sought to take advantage of, grinning madly as lighting sprung from her fingers to turn the creatures back to black dust.

When the first creature survived their leading line Icarus turned back, only for a second, to see the warriors made of golden sunlight quickly engage them, following their creator's whims as surely as the beings of darkness were driven by their own orders.

How lucky was he to be chosen to be here? To serve any part in this war to claim the territories hitherto left to chaos was an honor, but to be chosen to serve them directly? To be given wings and the ability to call them forth, to ride with them into battle, to witness their acts from a position directly behind him… behind Apollo…

As though able to read his very thoughts, the tall rider turned back, the shining sun-pointed earcuff sparkling in the light of the risen sun behind them, his golden eye-makeup somehow still perfect against his dusky skin despite the battle raging around him. He smiled, at him, and Icarus's heart seemed to stop. "Isn't this fun?" he asked, and Icarus could not answer, his tongue somewhere between swallowed and paralyzed. Sol Apollo laughed, and it was like colors came back into the world, his head growing lighter to the point that he wondered if he was breathing. Apollo twisted and ruffled Icarus's white hair with a golden-cuffed hand, his spear balanced on the back of the horse's neck as he joyously proclaimed, "Don't worry, Icarus, we'll make a Helios of you yet."

'If it was for him,' Icarus thought, his breath and heartbeat returning as the king turned back around and Venus's blue gaze met with his to deliver a knowing wink that made him blush. He held tighter to the man in front of him - as tight as he dared - and swallowed, knowing, if nothing else, that this was true. 'If it was for him, I would be Helios for eternity.'