Phanes feels his brother go limp and exhales a sigh of relief. As he rolls Erebus off of him he looks up to see Pontus and Aether. Pontus, a wicked grin on his face, continues to drain the life out of Aether.

“Pontus, that’s enough. We’ve won,” said Phanes, as he dragged Erebus towards him.

“Who’s laughing now, eh Aether? Who’s second fiddle now?” snarled Pontus maniacally. 

“Pontus, stop this now! You’ll kill her!” called Phanes as he let go of Erebus and raced towards Pontus.

Ignoring Phanes, Pontus continues to drain the life out of her. “With you twins out the way I can finally rule!” he whispered into her ear.

Phanes, finally reaching Pontus, grabs him, twists his arms, releasing Aether from his deadly grasp, and throws him across the room. Pontus rolls once, twice, and then lands on all fours. His head whips up, looking at Phanes with a crazed intensity, through gritted teeth he says, “I was going to wait until they were dealt with before I turned on you, but now is as good a time as any. I was always going to betray you. Erebus was right, you really are a fool.”

Propelling himself forwards, Pontus rushed at Phanes. Phanes stood up and turned to face the oncoming assault. Phanes was relaxed. The calmness radiating from him confused Pontus, but Pontus shrugged it off. “Is he not even going to fight back? At least the fool can accept when he has been bested,” thought Pontus.

Pontus, less than a second away from Phanes raised his hands to batter him to the floor. Just as he reached Phanes, he stopped, frozen. Pontus couldn’t move a muscle. Statuesque, directly in front of Phanes, Pontus could move nothing but his eyes as they darted back and forth in panic and confusion.

“That’s quite enough from you, Pontus,” said Chronos. Standing at the entrance to the Palace, with Moros to his left and me on his right, he had his hand raised in the direction of Pontus. Using his dominion over time, Chronos had frozen Pontus. Looking to the side of the hall, where Gaia and Eros had fled to during the battle, Chronos said “Eros, I think it’s best for you to take care of your son. We don’t want him causing any more damage to himself or others.”

Nodding, Eros ran to her son and threw herself at him, embracing him with tears streaming down his face. “It’s ok, you don’t have to fight any more. It’s ok. I’m so sorry your father poisoned your mind with his longing to be the ruler,” she whispered to him, as he himself began to cry. “You’re perfect as you are.” At this moment, Chronos released his hold on Pontus. Immediately Pontus turned to hold his mother in a deep embrace. “‘I’m sorry,” he said between sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

[Later]

Erebus and Aether, now awake, were bound tight. At first they’d screamed and raged against Phanes and the rest of the Protogenoi, but now they simply sat there, heads bowed, defeated.

Phanes addressed the room, “as all here know, since the imprisonment of The Three, Celestia has been falling into disarray. The life and beauty of the land has been fading. I thought that to be due to the failings of my brother as a ruler.” Erebus raised his head and stared daggers at Phanes. “But,” continued Phanes, “I was wrong.”

“Chaos, in his infinite wisdom, created Celestia as a paradise for us Protogenoi. He sought a moment of refuge from the eternal duty that is bestowed upon us. However, that moment has long since passed. Without the Protogenoi to guide the universe and it’s inhabitants, it is all slowly crumbling. Civilisations have fallen. Entire populations wiped out. Beings all across the universe starve as their planet fails to provide for them.”

The room was entirely silent. Erebus and Aether were now looking at Phanes, no longer angry, but aghast at the news they’d just heard.

“Chaos saw this before any of us. He knew the universe was deteriorating without the Protogenoi to guide it. But rather than help, he hid. He wrapped Celestia in a void, hiding the truth to all but Moirai, who’s dominion over destiny and fate allowed her to see through the void.”

Turning to face Erebus and Aether, Phanes said, “The Three must be freed, for without them the void cannot be removed and we cannot save the universe. You see, brother, no one should rule. The time has come for the Protogenoi to leave Celestia.”