A week before he was stripped of his position, Midnight had said, "Precious Helios, Lux will consume you." She did not say much more that week; after that, it was common for her to remain silent for longer. Helios had gotten used to her indifference. She was but a dream after all, his midnight.
Helios spent that week contemplating what she meant at first, but soon realised that the only other being that could be called Lux was Apollo, the God of the Light. What hurt him more, he thought, was the fact that those he gave up his life for would do this to him. Apollo is strong enough to protect his sister, Selene. Eos also knew of Apollo's power and, in many ways, respected him. The issue, therefore, was not that he felt that Apollo was not deserving of taking his place, but that he was so easily replaceable. It only took one day and one night to prepare himself, waiting for the news of when he would be made to step down. He did not know exactly when, but judging by the behaviour of the gods, who once smiled at him whenever he would provide them with light to guide their way, the time was soon approaching. His chariot or winged horses, when needed, turned into a tattoo on his chest whenever he would utter Hyperion. The gods could not simply take his powers away, for he had broken no divine or earthly law. Helios saw no point in returning to his golden palace; it made him dismayed to think of returning to such riches and luxuries. To him, the idea of staying in such a home felt like he would be roleplaying a titan.
What was his plan, you may be wondering, if he refused to go back to his own home? Helios, though not the most powerful titan, had a tremendous amount of power. He had so much power that even Zeus and Odin feared that if he turned like Cronus, he too could do a great deal of harm. Both would often seek the guidance of Gaea, who was born of chaos.
"Gaia," Zeus commanded. "Tell us how to make the sun obey!"
"Though I am the mother of all, Phaethon is no child of mine. He is of his own creation." She replied, angered by the presence of Zeus, the god who betrayed her.
Odin finally speaks, also tired of Zeus and his behaviour: “Though I consider myself wise, I still seek your advice. You are the only one free from his flames.”
“If advice is what you seek, mighty Odin, then advice is what you shall receive.”
“The price?” Zeus asks with an air of arrogance around him.
“Nothing is what I want from you, Zeus, God of poison. A day of your life, Odin, is what I seek. Just one of your precious days.”
To a god who had lived almost as long as she had, it was no problem to give up; it was but a day in his eternity, and so Odin agreed. Neither Gods knew what Gaea was planning, but they had come to her expecting to give up something great.
“To the god who does not die and can never die, rid him of his followers and replace his stories with the triumphs of another hero.” Gaea advised.
“Must you speak in riddles?” Zeus retorts.
“She speaks of no riddles, Zeus, but has shared great wisdom.” Replies Odin
So, the scheme was concocted. Zeus would spread tales of Apollo through the human world through whispers of the wind, and Odin would manipulate the minds of all things living in the universe to believe that Helios was too weak. The scheme they both decided was bound to work as the humans were malleable. A god with no followers was easy to remove from power; a god with no followers cannot claim any glory.
Months later, the gods called a meeting of the titans at dawn, knowing that his sisters would not be present to defend him. As the titans gathered, Zeus and Odin presented their evidence of Apollo's strengths and followers. The other gods murmured in agreement, swayed by the whispers of the wind and the manipulation of Odin. Helios stood alone, feeling the weight of his isolation and the power of the scheme against him. With a heavy heart, he realised that his time as a god was coming to an end, all because of the cunning plans of Zeus and Odin. He stood his ground and showed no emotion. A god must keep his pride, he repeated to himself countless times.
