The story of the titanomachy, is the marvelous tale well known and often told in fandom of course to young demigods and mortals alike in worship. Of the younger generations of gods rise to power. And of course Zeus and his allies gaining full control of the cosmos from older Titans. A war that ravaged the lands and realms for ten years. Short, but one of the most powerful wars ever fought. Its ending, brought the titans into imprisonment, most into the Tartarus Prison. Except for two titans, Cronos, King of the Titans, and Father to Zeus was sent to the Isle of the Blessed. A sort of a joke, Zeus made Cronos rule over the island, watching the many heroes and favored mortals gain access to Elysium. As Cronos himself would never see it. Then, of course, was the second in command. Atlas; God of Endurance. His punishment was seen as the worst of all. Given the task of holding up the very heavens all by himself. Originally, the four titans, Krios, Koios, Iapetus and Hyperion the four pillars of the four cosmic pillars held up the heavens. But in his cruelty Zeus made Atlas to the task. For he knew the god of endurance would never faulter.
As time moved on, the titans were all released from Tartartus. And went back to living their lives while under new rule. And while Cronos was still exiled to the isle of the blessed, his punishment wasn't really all that bad in its own right and became more of a content life for him. Yet Atlas, remained stuck to his prison holding the heavens on his shoulders. He watched as his brothers and sisters roamed free, he watched everything. He watched Zeus ruin the world, kill his daughters out of spite. His lovers taken. Atlas became nothing but an old tale forged in the stones. But why? It was simple really. While yes, Cronos was King of the Titans, he was far from any kind of real leader. His claim to the throne was stolen much like anything else. Atlas was a true leader, during the war, when the Olympians sought the Cyclopes for help. And thus created the first weapons for the gods, Zeus thunderbolt, Posiden's trident, Hades helmet of darkness. With this power they battled the titans back and sought victory. But Atlas rallied the titans and resisted. The final showdown was between Zeus and Atlas. A battle that Zeus would try to forget, for he was never beaten and battered in his whole existience then or since Atlas got a hold of him. It took, multiple gods, and the final help of the Hecatoncheires (the hundreded handed ones) raining misslies upon the titans on end, that Atlas dropped to surrender. Zeus feared that if Atlas ever was freed, he would become the leader he always was and come for his throne all over again.
But then something happened, that perhaps was never dared imagine..
His soft blue eyes lightly opened for the first time in centuries. It wasn't that he was sleeping or anything, just certain points in time Atlas would grow tired of watching the world, tired of what he was seeing, sick of the place it had become so he would simply close eyes and think of easier times to pass years by. But suddenly he felt a bit more interested. Perhaps he could take the time to observe some things. He typically gaze at other stars and systems or sometimes nature for he found it the most pure. He stopped people watching some time ago, stopped observing the other gods and the like. For it only fueled a rage within him. To watch the other titans now free of their prison, seemingly without care of what happened to their leader. To see his Uncle be banished to an isle of literal paradise. Perhaps it was a pain in of itself. But the thoughts in his head only grew louder. "you can end everything....the world is in your hands...you can let it all burn" -it was something that rained in his head for the last few hundred years, but being the god of endurance he could not go against his own strength. He still had few loved ones left that he did care about. Thought did they still care about him? This was his true test of might, the weight of the heavens while MOST certainly HEAVY. Had become a second nature to him. His body didn't struggle the least like it did so long ago. It was the suicidal tendencies, the continued loneliness and continued damage to the gods psyche that was brutalizing him on the inside.
-Atlas decided he would take a gander at Olympus, the beatitful land of gods. Course its beauty stopped the moment he saw Zeus atop. Even after all this time, Atlas couldn't stand the sight of him. And just as he imagined, his reign had seemingly only gotten worse. From chaining Prometheus to a rock and having his insides constantly eaten out by an eagle, to the continued cheating and illegitimate children he was having behind Hera's back to the awful punishments he would cast upon others if he found out any male would try to dare sleep with Hera. And, his newest amusement as forcing the gods to mettle in the current Trojan and Greek war. Something that Zeus himself proclaimed to never mettle in mortal affairs yet here he was once again breaking that law for his own gain. Atlas had seen enough and shut his eyes once more. The feeling of despair crawling into him more and more. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in eternity the god let his mouth open. A massive roar heard across the heavens, every inch of the universe shaken. As the titans arms let go to his sides. And the skies crashed down on him sending him into the nyx
-Zeus laid within his chambers ready to mouth his wife Hera for the first time in ages for she finally agreed to such. As she waited on all fours she waited. But Zeus's eyes was stuck to the sky ahead. She finally looked back at him; "you been begging for years...please hurry this up darling I haven't all da..." -Hera looked across as the sunset was falling; "I thought it was morning? why is it already showing the sun setting dear?" -Zeus stood up fixing himself and dashed through the halls of Olympus as the other gods and consorts where all gathering in confusion; "impossible...Atlas...I cant sense him!" -Zeus knew what had happened and acted with haste, summoning all gods and demigods he could gather.
It was said that it took the power of 8 gods, in tandem with a slew of titans and demigods and armies raised of the many gods that allied with Zeus since. With enough energy that were able to raise the skies up just long enough for the original pillars. Krios, Koios, Iapetus and Hyperion to assume their old duties. The death toll was staggering, countless perished under the weight and power of the heavens itself, armies fell and demigods even. And the gods were weathered too. All worked together but all were thinking the same thing. What happened to Atlas. As Iapetus took his corner of the universe, Zeus stood near him; "Iapetus...I thought the God of Endurance was all enduring..." -Iapetus, felt a rage rush through him but knew better to take a stand. He simply grabbed the sky and took a breath; "My son didn't tire out...Zeus...he gave up" -Zeus laughed and went on, but unfortunately something a still off, it had been a long time even for the old titan pillars and even the four of them together struggled to sustain. In a last ditch effort Zeus did the only move he had left. He instilled the aid of the Hecatoncheires once gain, their hundreds of hands raised up and with the use of the gorgon eye and turned them into stones. And finally the skies were in placed once again at a heavy cost.
-Zeus laid upon his throne, his servants treating him as many of the gods were wore down in such attempt to stop the world from ending. It was then he could hear the light footsteps as he gazed up to see his daughter Athena. Her long flowing white dress was tattered and burned and ends revealing her virgin goddess curves that were extraordinary as she pulled her helmet off and let her long raven hair down. Dropping the massive shield, she let servants disrobe her and care to her. But she looked to her father. "my heart hurts father..." -Zeus took a breath; "many had fallen my dear...but you were strong and powerful out there..and I couldn't be more proud.." -Athena looked away almost ashamed; "what troubles you?" -Athena sighed; "my heart is hurting for Atlas...and I do not understand why..." -Zeus flinched, and stood up as he moved to take his daughters hand; "its never easy to see one of our own perish..no matter how horrible or fiendish that become...its natural my dear...you care too much is all.." -Athena looked to her father; "mother said he was a leader...they looked ..the older titans looked to as him a hero...and that he nearly defeated you.." -Zeus laughed; "your mother ..likes to speak of lies...she would have have made a wonderful politician...Atlas was the end of us all dear, i kept him under the heavens to protect us...and even then it seemed he would try to end us all again...he will rot in the deepest darkest depths of Tartarus. Good riddance.."
