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When your brother is born a god and deformed:Ares was nearly fifteen years old when Hephaestus was born. He had, until that point, been the oldest son of Zeus, and the oldest child of Hera. His only full blood sibling was his twin sister, Enyo, but, being a minor goddess, he didn't get to see her much, as he was his father's heir, golden prince, and was a member of the Olympian Council. Despite being named his father's heir, he knew inheriting the crown of King of Olympus would likely never happen. They were all immortal. Zeus would never die and would never, ever, ever step down for Ares. Anyway, Ares had several half-sisters, from his father's second marriage, and no siblings from his father's first marriage, to a Titaness named Metis. Zeus didn't speak of his previous marriages before Hera, and Ares didn't want to anger his father by bringing them up.But now Hephaestus had been born. Ares, while still technically young in mortal years, was basically a grown adult by the deity way of aging, and so was very eager to be able to help his mother with raising Hephaestus. Remembering his own upbringing, Ares was more interested in giving his younger brother a more reliable male role model than Zeus, than he was in letting Zeus treat Hephaestus the way he'd been treated growing up.Even when Ares had been a true child by divine aging, a few months old at most, he'd been expected to be a perfect child. Hera had once argued with Zeus over it, but the goddess of marriage had mostly given up and merely did her best to reassure a younger Ares of his worth when Zeus tried to claim otherwise.Ares would not allow the same to happen to his little brother.When Ares went to visit his mother after hearing from Demeter, his aunt who had assisted with the birthing process, that Hera was now resting, he was surprised to see his father already leaving Hera's room."Father?" Ares called uncertainly. "I didn't know you were visiting so soon. I would have come with you, had I known. And I would have brought Enyo."Zeus, already scowling when exiting the room, turned to Ares with a sharp retort. "It is unneeded. Visit Hera if you must, but don't bother me."Zeus stormed off, leaving Ares very confused. The young god of war merely brushed it off, wanting to see his mother and the baby she'd named Hephaestus since the moment she'd learned the gender.He knocked politely, knowing Zeus never did and wanting to give his mother, at the very least, respect as she deserved. He heard a hoarse, "come in" and allowed his mother a second before entering."Mo-" Ares cuts himself off when he sees there is no child sleeping in Hera's arms the way there should be and when he notices the bitter look on her face. "Mom? Is something the matter?"Hera purses her lips. "No, dear."He glances around the room, noting the lack of a baby in the crib beside his parents' bed, and the angry tears in Hera's eyes. Ares turns back to Hera. He pauses a moment, noticing the open widow a few feet from the bed, that his mother preferred to keep closed, due to a draft. Had Hera grown too warm while in labor? Did she want it closed now?"Where is Hephaestus? Father did not take him. I saw him in the hall with no babe in his arms."Hera's face falls completely, her lips pressing together tightly. She drops eye contact and Ares sees the way she shudders, as if holding back a sob. She takes a moment to collect herself before answering."I don't know where he landed." She finally says."Landed?" Ares repeats, glancing at the over at the still open window with dawning realization and accompanying horror."He's been thrown out the window." Hera replies simply, though her eyes shine with unshed tears.Ares nearly chokes on his breath at the confirmation of his horror filled thought. "Thrown out the window? What for? He's a baby!"Hera sniffles, and Ares winces at how sharp his words were to his own mother. She was clearly upset and Ares knew being angry would not assist her, especially so soon after giving birth."Sorry, I'm just alarmed. Why was he thrown out the window?" Ares forces himself to say despite his growing worry and panic."He was born with a damaged leg somehow. I had failed at a task I was born for." Hera answers simply, her words shaking slightly."You did not fail childbirth, Mom." Ares tries to tell her. "But the damaged leg would have healed soon enough, give a month or so, after all he was a godling. What in the name of the Fates was he thrown from the window for?"Hera's angered, bitter expression returns and Ares takes half a step back in surprise at the switch."Your father did not want him. He plucked Hephaestus from my arms and threw him out the window, off Olympus." Hera is nothing short of a livid, heart-broken mother now.Ares gasps softly. His father, Zeus, had thrown the baby from Olympus over something that would have healed in a month?"But why?""He was ashamed. He claimed no son of his would ever be crippled. So he threw Hephaestus off the mountain. And-And I don't know-I don't know where he landed."The last sentence finally breaks the dam of tears and Hera begins to sob openly. Ares does not hesitate to gather his exhausted mother into his arms and try to soothe her. His brother is gone.Ares does not learn until many years later, when Hephaestus is almost twenty in mortal years, that his little brother survived. But Hephaestus has been crippled for good, both legs forever damaged. Zeus' pride had cost the future of his second son. And Hephaestus had to live with the repercussions. Hephaestus would never be a golden prince of Olympus. Always the so called "freak" of the family instead.When your sister is born from your father's head:Ares and Hephaestus would both likely argue that they lived a pretty good life for immortal, divine beings. They had their jobs, Ares as the god of war, Hephaestus as the god of the forge, and both as members of the Olympian council, but life was still easy for the young immortals.Though Hephaestus lives a life as a cripple, for all eternity, due to the...unfortunate circumstances surrounding his birth, the younger son of Zeus is able to make himself valuable enough to his father, that he is allowed to be an Olympian.It is during a council meeting that things begin to change again, for the first time in at least a century or two. Zeus is behaving oddly, and usually this is when they would all assume he was arguing with Hera again, or perhaps simply planning something. Zeus often cheated, apparently throughout his entire marriage to Hera, though it had yet to truly amount to anything or produce offspring, as he insisted the only woman he ever wanted to bear his children was his wife. And now that he'd had three children with her for quite some time, he was attempting to pressure her into sharing a bed once more, especially now that their three children had been full fledged gods for over two centuries.Zeus enters the throne room, looking like he'd been dragged through Tartarus. Hades comments on it with a dulled tone that everyone had learned to associate with thinly veiled concern."Are you alright, Zeus? You look terrible, like you've been down in the pit.""Sod off, Hades. I don't need your comments today. It is a mere headache, that's all." Zeus snarls in return.If Hades is taken off guard by the hostility, he doesn't appear so. The eldest child of Kronos merely sneers back at his brother. "Oh forgive me, my liege, I forget myself. I forgot I wasn't allowed to be worried about my little brother."Zeus scowls at him, but seems to soften slightly, in a way that Hephaestus wishes would be directed at him for once, in a way that Ares knew would never be directed at him for all of his long, long life."I apologize, Hades. It's a....rough... migraine. I'm simply tired. I do not mean to snap."Hades nods slightly, leaning back in his throne.The six children of Kronos and Rhea, plus Zeus and Hera's two sons make up the entirety of the council, though Zeus insisted they needed more. Hera dismissed him, saying simply that unless he was willing to give Enyo a seat on the council, to fulfill their family, they didn't need more.The meeting continues, and for a while, it seems they will manage to complete all of their tasks. Then, halfway through their meeting, Zeus all but collapses in his throne, eyes wide and face pale. Hera is on her feet instantly, as are Hades and Hestia, the eldest two siblings. Demeter and Poseidon, worried, step over to Ares and Hephaestus, both frozen in surprise.For several minutes, nobody can decide what to do. Then Zeus gives a command."Hephaestus, smash my skull open, now."The youngest god on the council looks taken off guard. "But Fath-""Now!"Hephaestus lifts his anvil, uncertainly approaching his father. There is a slight clinking noise, as his metal leg braces stiffen when he stops before Zeus. The room is silent as he swings the hammer. Upon contact with Zeus' head, Hephaestus flinches, and Ares pulls his brother away, watching in surprise as a bright light flashes through the room. When it clears, a young woman is before them all, sitting on her knees on the floor, eyes blown wide.Ares studies her for a moment, noticing her curly brown hair and sharp, terrified, gray eyes. She wears a gray dress and is dressed in golden war armor, though it is only the breastplate. She looks scared. But she also looks similar to Zeus.Ares looks at his own brother, his long curly dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. Ares knows he looks similar, with curly, short black hair the same shade as Zeus', but the same eyes he shares with his brother and mother.Despite the fact that she looks very different from them, her small resemblance to Zeus is uncanny. Ares knows instantly. She is their half-sister.Zeus seems to see it too. His eyes widen, and despite his healing wound, he rises to his feet in a rush. Ares knows why. The woman does not look like Hera. She is of another woman's womb. His father had finally messed up after so many centuries of cheating.For several seconds, nobody speaks. Hera looks upon the girl, surprise coloring her features. Hephaestus is surprised as well, unsure of where this will lead. Ares doesn't know what to feel or to think. He gazes instead at his two aunts and uncles. Hestia and Demeter look as though they feel bad for his mother, where Poseidon and Hades simply look insulted on Hera's behalf. And Zeus...Zeus is losing his surprise. He doesn't look apologetic.The girl finally speaks, rising unsteadily to her feet, and looking terrified. "I'm...I'm out! Stay away from me!"She scrambles backwards, hitting her back against a marble pillar in the room and reaching behind herself to grasp it. She stares right at Zeus as she speaks."Mother warned me! Her voice in the abyss! She said not to trust you! She told me her prophecy! That the first son of Zeus to be a descendant of Metis would overthrow you and take the throne of Olympus! That's why you stopped her when she was pregnant with me! To avoid the possibility of her son!" The girl cries out.Zeus' face contorts with horror and rage. He must recognize the girl for her mother now. The woman screams when he comes near her. So he backs away.Hera, however, looks at Zeus with hurt. "Metis' daughter? You said you never had any kids with her. You lied?""I did not have kids with her. She was pregnant. She'd vanished days after telling me of it. I didn't know what happened to her or to the baby. Apparently the child had within me all this time. Had I known, I would have said something, my love." Zeus tells her.He turns to the girl next. "My dear, your mother was very unstable before she left. I do not know how you wound up within my head, nor what she told you, but you must believe me. Now, what is your name?"The girl swallows and glances around nervously before answering. "I don't have one."Zeus gives her a kind smile that he does not give normally give to his sons. That he never gives to his sons. "Then I shall give you one. I name you, Athena."The girl, Athena, nods slowly. "Thank you, Father. But what about my mother?"Zeus sighs softly. "Metis was the first woman I ever loved. It hurt terribly to see her go. I miss her daily. I doubt I ever will get over her. But I see her in you, daughter. I'd like to ask you to join the Olympian Council. Take your rightful place as the second princess of Olympus. It is your right."Hera gasps sharply, and promptly leaves the room in a flash. Her sisters follow her, hurrying to comfort her and giving Zeus an angry look as they leave. Poseidon and Hades stay for a bit longer, waiting to hear Athena's answer."I don't want to cause problems, Father." Athena murmurs.Zeus assure her that she won't. She takes the offer. Ares watches his uncles leave, with a disapproving glare at Zeus as they do so.The minute only his children are left in the room, Zeus' expression changes. He grows angry. Athena takes a step back."Your mother is not going to ruin a third marriage with her prophecy. I've already lost two to it!" Zeus snarls at her.Her gray eyes widen. She doesn't have time to react before she is thrown to the ground and promptly seared by their father's lightning. Hephaestus flinches, and Ares is quick to step in front of him."Give me one good reason why I shouldn't fade you now, child." Zeus rumbles.Athena gasps desperately, gripping her wrist that took the brunt of the lightning when she'd shielded her face from it. "I'll do anything, Father, please! I have my mother's skills! I'll take her domain! Be your advisor! Please, Father, anything!"Zeus considers her pleas, before slowly backing away from her, the lightning flashing in the room dying out. "Very well. An Olympian you shall be. Goddess of wisdom. But one last... precaution. To prevent me from... risking anything. From forgetting myself."Athena, still gasping, agrees quickly."Swear upon the River Styx and to the lady Sisters of Fate to be an eternal maiden. You shall never lose your maidenhood, marry, nor have a child. You shall forever be a virgin goddess." Zeus pressures.Athena hesitates only a second before choosing her life over her future. "I swear upon the River Styx and to the lady Sisters of Fate that I shall be an eternal maiden for my life, forever a virgin goddess, never to lose my maidenhood, never to marry and never to have a child."When Zeus is satisfied, lets up on his attacks and, after hearing the resounding thunder clap far out in the distance from the oath, leaves, Ares and Hephaestus sadly look down upon their newest sister.Zeus had found his newest child to break.The Archer Twins, The Prankster, The Midwife, and The Cup Bearer:After the "birth" of Athena, Zeus must've convinced Hera to bed with him again, probably in an attempt to save his third marriage, despite the fact that Hera could not leave him, even if she wanted to, as the goddess of marriage. However, regardless of this, Ares, Enyo and Hephaestus are given a younger full blood sister, Eilythea, the goddess of child birth and patron of midwives. She received a minor domain, was left a minor goddess, like Enyo. Zeus did not offer her a seat on the council.As a result of the "birth" of Athena, Zeus also grows uncaring of the feelings his wife had towards him. The cheating grows worse. It begins to have true results. He begins to father children.Ares goes to bed sometimes hearing his mother's heartbroken sobs from across the hall where she had taken refuge, refusing to share a room with her husband any longer.The first children Zeus fathers unfaithfully are Artemis and Apollo, twins born by the Titaness Leto. The twins' mother is cursed by Hera to be unable to give birth in any place in the land or sea, nor among the gods of Olympus in the sky.Leto finds a safe haven on a floating island, and it only becomes severed to the ground after she births her twins. Zeus brings them to Olympus a week after their birth.He presents Artemis, the elder by nine days, who had helped her mother give birth to her brother, serving as a midwife in place of the nymphs who had helped birth her, since they had all run away after learning who Leto was, mere hours after Artemis' birth. Zeus named Artemis the goddess of the hunt and of the moon. She takes a vow of chastity like Athena's, though the younger goddess does so of her own free will. She also takes the role of the goddess of maidenhood, Athena gladly accepting Artemis getting the title, if only so she is maiden goddess in name and oath alone, not in title itself.Zeus presents Apollo next, the younger, who had slain the wicked snake, Python, days after birth, to free his mother of the hunting from Hera's curse. Zeus declares Apollo the god of healing, archery, the sun, music, poetry and prophecy. More titles than Ares and Hephaestus hold combined. Ares knows instantly that Apollo has become the favorite son. Ares may be the heir, but he is no longer the golden prince. He is no longer the favorite. He wonders if he ever had been, truly, or if Zeus had been waiting for someone better, for hundreds of years.Both Artemis and Apollo are brought on as members of the Olympian Council. Not long after, Hades and Zeus get into an argument, resulting in all of the younger deities being sent out of the room, Hera storming from the throne room, angry tears in her eyes, and Hades leaving the council completely. None except the six eldest gods know if Zeus kicked Hades off the council, or if Hades resigned. The children of Kronos and Rhea don't ever mention it, and Zeus' children are too afraid to ask.A few decades later is when the next Olympian is added to the council. Hermes is born to the Pleiade, Maia. She tries to hide away from Hera's wrath, though she is eventually discovered. The woman suffers greatly, banished from Olympus and scorned heavily by the queen and her ladies, though her son is well known and highly praised.Zeus names him the god of travels, messengers, thieves and trickery. Hermes calls himself the god of mischief, though most ignore him on it, as it is not an official title. His siblings quietly agree with him when nobody is listening.Hermes is given a seat on the council. Hera storms out once more from that meeting.Zeus sweet talks her later, and Ares soon hears of a fourth sibling being on the way. Another girl, whom Hera decides to name Hebe. When Hebe is born, it is clear she captures Zeus' heart, though it does not last long. Hebe looks identical to Hera, and within hours of her birth, Zeus names her only the goddess of youth. The single domain is an insult to Hera and to her children, all of whom hold at least two titles. Even her other two daughters hold two titles each, Enyo as minor goddess of war and strength, Eilythea as minor goddess of childbirth and of midwivery. Zeus merely adds on an unofficial title to appease Hera, though it only serves to enrage her. The youngest and final child of Zeus and Hera is Hebe, minor goddess of youth, cup bearer to the gods of Olympus.Ares watches his mother grow bitter and angry. The warmth she had raised Ares and Enyo with, that she tried to show to Hephaestus when he arrived upon the mountain, was gone completely. Ares and Hephaestus do their best to step up for Eilythea and Hebe instead, being completely supportive brothers and wishing they could get Enyo more involved, but the eldest daughter had left Olympus nearly completely, only ever visiting when it was demanded of her.Hera does not show any love or emotion at all any more. She is only bitter and cold. She cares only for maintaining the image of a perfect family. Ares secretly believes she has lost sight of what that truly was.He also sees his youngest siblings begin to turn out like him, at least the ones of the council. They learn quickly that despite Zeus appearing like a loving father, he is anything but.Athena flinches at the sound of thunder, whether it be directed at her or not. Artemis cringes at every glance she receives from her father, as if afraid this one will commend her to Tartarus, or worse, take her vow away. Apollo shrinks under his father's stare, withering under the demand of his father's expectations as the favored son. Hermes droops under his father's harsh scoldings, quickly understanding he will never gain Zeus' favor.They all quickly learn to be afraid of lightning as Hephaestus had and Ares had long before. Lightning means Zeus. Lightning means abuse.Lightning means painful punishments. That is all it ever will mean.Beauty Arrives:Zeus lusts after Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, that much is obvious. Hera is enraged and bitter and jealous. Ares misses the loving mother she once was. Hera quickly demands that Aphrodite be married off, claiming it is to avoid war. Everyone knows it is so that Zeus will not cheat. Nobody knows if it will work. Especially not when Zeus offers Aphrodite a seat on the council before the idea of marriage is even brought up.Ares and Aphrodite are together for three decades before she is married. They have four boys in that time. Eros, their first born, takes after his mother, practically the male version of her in domain and in looks. Anterous, their second, appears more like a blend of Ares and Aphrodite, though he has more of the goddess in him, and follows in her footsteps as well. Deimos and Phobos, twin boys look much more like Ares than Aphrodite, and become the twin gods of Fear and Panic, war lords as well.Ares tries to get her hand in marriage. They already have a family. They are in love already. His mother must surely see that, must surely at least grant him marriage to his goddess. Surely if she does, Zeus will allow Ares this one thing. Just this once, he could be happy.But no. Hera does not love her son enough for it. And Zeus does not ever want Ares to be happy. He wants Ares to be fearful and angry. He can control that better.Aphrodite is married to Hephaestus, despite her and Ares' several decade standing relationship, since her very first arrival on Olympus. Ares knows it is to spite him. His father hates his happiness more than most things. Ares tries to stand up for his love. He is severely burned for his efforts, until both he and Hephaestus agree to the marriage, despite both their anger at the prospect.In secret, the three plan. Ares and Aphrodite are welcomed to continue their relationship, though they now will never get to marry. Hephaestus will play the role of an angered husband. He does not mind. He did not want the marriage either, as beauty Aphrodite may posses, but he cannot marry simply for beauty, and he will not come between his brother's love.When the wedding rolls around, Hera blesses the union, locking it in place until she herself lifts the blessing. Ares knows it will never happen, he can see the lightning scorches across her palms enough to know she has been scared into submission once more. She will not stand up for her son anymore than he can for himself.If it hurts, Ares pretends it does not.Athena, who has lately become a fierce rival of his due to her newest domain, goddess of war, puts aside their differences for the night, and helps him hide from their father's angry state. Ares wonders if he has somehow caught wind of the plan he had made with Hephaestus and Aphrodite or if he just is angry and finds it easiest to take it out on the child with the most experience of hiding the punishing burns that Zeus will give.Athena, who has somehow managed to become Zeus' favorite child, despite the rough start to her immortal life, protected him. Ares was many things, but he was not a coward, nor was he forgetful. He was war. War remembered the good and the bad. Ares would remember Athena protecting him for the rest of his divine existence. Ares would return the favor. (Neither would know at the time, but this would start a long history of looking out for the other, despite both always claiming to hate each other.)Ares lets himself smile at his brother and his new sister-in-law. They both send pained smiled back. He sees lightning burns across Hephaestus' arms and feels anger. He sees more across Aphrodite's flawless pale skin, hidden by the flows of her dress. He feels pure hatred bubble up in a way he'd not yet felt, even when he'd worried for the lives of his siblings and mother.Zeus had seared Aphrodite. He'd lashed out at Aphrodite.The abuse carried over to one who was not a member of their family. It was no longer domestic. It reached the entire Council now.Zeus would harm them all. Ares wondered if Zeus ever attacked Hestia, Poseidon or Demeter. If he'd ever harmed Hades.Ares hoped not."How are you doing?" It's Apollo's voice, soft and careful.Ares glances over, unable to help the way his voice become snappish. "The woman I love is marrying my brother, neither are willing and there is nothing I can do about it. How do you think I'm doing?"Apollo cringes and Ares sighs, feeling guilty for snapping at his younger brother despite himself. "Sorry, 'Poll, I'm not mad at you, just....angry. Father's forcing a lot. He's hurt a lot of us...All of us, really."Apollo nods. "I know. Athena sent me over, said Father was looking for you. She told me to tell you to get over by Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Pretend nothing was wrong. He's not gonna make a scene."Ares stands quickly, thanking his brother and hurrying over to where his lover and little brother were seated together. He sees the way both of their faces light up, and then proceed to fall at the sight of his expression."What's wrong?""Father's pissed, we've gotta act happy before he sees us. He'll all but condemn us to the pit if we look upset." Ares said in a hurry.It takes the rest of the wedding for Zeus to calm and even after that, when Aphrodite and Hephaestus are away in their marital home, forced to consummate their marriage, Zeus orders Ares to the throne room.When Ares enters, he sees his other Olympian siblings, all with their gazes downcast. He knows instantly that Zeus was not satisfied with any of their performances. They did not act perfectly enough, did not behave divine enough, did not appear to overlord the other deities there enough. They were not good enough for him again.The lightning that follows only proves it more.A Council of Twelve:Hundreds of years passing has found the Olympic council in a rhythm. Hephaestus knows how to act like an angry husband, bittered by his brother and his wife's constant betrayals. Aphrodite has learned how to act airy and daft to avoid blame. Ares learned how to shoulder the angry stares of his mother, well aware that he will not get a reaction from his father, for he appears as his father's son, and knows how much Hera despises her eldest for it.Athena learned how to play the favorite child, learning the ins and outs of Zeus' temper and mind, to protect herself and her siblings to the best of her ability. Artemis discovered how best to make herself scarce upon Olympus, for her time there fluctuates between her father's second favorite, and one of his least's for being a prize forever denied to him and every other male, unable to please him nor to be a ticket to an alliance through marriage. Apollo knows how to be the golden prince, illegitimate he may be, and knows to do his best to remain away from Zeus' ire, for he was always punished too harshly, as the son with the highest pedestal to fall from. Hermes kept himself busy, away from Zeus, always with some task or another, his only way to protect himself from the king's constant anger.It was a routine, a constant in their long lives. They knew how to avoid the lightning for as long as possible, and had learned how best to patch each other up when it inevitably failed.So when the routine began to change, Ares began to panic. Hephaestus' anger became more and more real, less and less fake. Ares discovered his brother had fallen for Aphrodite, having finally learned to love her, after learning about her for who she was. Ares cannot blame him, for he'd fallen for her many centuries earlier. But now there was a wedge between the two where there was not before and both silently blamed Zeus for it, for it was Zeus' fault Hephaestus had been chosen to wed Aphrodite, and without his choice, Ares would have been happy and Hephaestus would never have grown to love her.The brothers, once forever allies, do not speak often, and avoid the other as much as possible. Ares pretends it does not drive a knife into his heart every time he sees his little brother avoid him and every time he does the same.And then Zeus brings one of his halfblood children, his demigods before the council. Heracles, the famed hero, and even more famed womanizer. Hera's least favorite of all Zeus' bastard children.Zeus makes the hero a god, names him the god of heroes, a noble title (minor though it may be) and marries the bastard to his youngest daughter of Hera, Hebe.Hera protests, throws a fit, kicks the former hero from the throne room, and rages, screaming bitterly at Zeus for what felt like hours. Hestia and Demeter attempt to soothe her, Poseidon tries to quell her anger, but Zeus dismisses them, claiming he will fix things with his wife. The council meeting is over, the king and queen's siblings leave, Ares watching as the only people who could prevent the lightning vanish, and then the lightning starts.Hera's screams of anger die and become screams of pain before she finally backs down. She allows herself to lose the argument. Ares later treats her burns, she will not allow Apollo near her and so he is not allowed to heal the wounds.Only a single year later, Zeus brings the second halfblood to the council, Dionysus. Another brave hero, another dead one to be made a god. He is named the god of wine, madness, and theater. And then he is declared an Olympian.Hera, formerly subdued, now rages again. "We already have twelve! We cannot have more!"Hestia however nods. "We can, if one steps down."Ares knows that she is volunteering herself. Hestia does not wish to be an Olympian any longer. She had grown tired of it. But Ares mourns the protection her presence in the throne room provided."I shall back down, leave the council. Dionysus can take my throne."The demigod looks stunned and, quite frankly, horrified at the prospect but Zeus agrees quickly, despite Hera's wails of denial.Ares sees the eagerness to be rid of another elder sibling who would have supported Hera written across his father's face. He notes how Demeter and Poseidon both look away, withdrawn, and don't argue.Zeus had scared them into submission long before, he realizes. Hestia was the last one to stand strong and true. The last one Zeus had to be rid of to be entirely in charge. She had stepped down now, allowed herself to be a minor goddess for Dionysus to take her place. Zeus was in control now.Ares is quick to bring Dionysus to the others, knowing Hera will be punished for her complaints and protests, and not wanting to subject the young god to it so soon. The elders bring the practical child from the room without a word, hearing the sound of the lightning crackles start, and Hera's cries begin. Ares knows he will treat her wounds later, and knows now that neither Demeter nor Poseidon will protect them. He is the sole protector of himself, his lover and his six siblings now.They are alone.Punishments Begin To Grow:For so many centuries, things were a routine once more. The siblings were cautious around Zeus. They did their best to remain within his lines.Hera shunned them all, she was of no help. Ares had long since been denied even the ability to treat her burns when Zeus lashed out. He knew it was because of many things, but the most important in both his and Hera's eyes was that he was too much like his father, in looks and in actions, at least to the public.The days of old were over. World War II had nearly destroyed their pantheon. An oath of the Big 3 had been taken, though everyone knew Zeus would never last. Hades had grown more secluded, completely banished from Olympus, officially now, unlike the unofficial ban he'd had since he'd left the council. He only came up during the winter Solstice meeting, to give a short explanation of the state of the Underworld that everyone knew Zeus did not actually listen to, before leaving once more, his bride with him the entire time.Persephone, another one of Ares' many, many siblings, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, and the wife of Hades, was the only way any of the Olympian siblings heard of what was happening in the Underworld. Zeus had long ago stopped Hermes from travelling down there, paranoid that his elder brother would turn the messenger god against him. Zeus' paranoia ruled the council now anyway.Dionysus is punished for flirting with a nymph that Zeus had declared off limits, not for the nymph declaring herself an eternal maiden but because Zeus wanted to have her for himself. Ares finds it a stupid reason to punish Dio, but he knows that it wasn't truly the reason. Zeus had wanted the nymph for himself, and when Dionysus spoke with her, Zeus had found another opportunity to install fear in his children, another way to control them. That was the real reason. Control and fear.Dionysus is put on a decade long probation. The youngest Olympian learns his lesson quickly. He goes to apologize to the nymph, seeing as he is a nature god and the nymph falls under his domain. Ares watches the interaction from Olympus, having a terrible feeling about it. Dio tells her that he had not intended to upset her and that he was sorry if he had.Zeus punished Dionysus for it anyway. Dionysus was forced to stay at Camp Halfblood for a century, deprived of his main domain, wine, the entirety of the time. He was only allowed on Olympus for Solstice meetings and when directly summoned.Zeus forces the council apart, driving wedges between each of them, leaving only small alliances between two deities safe. Ares knows he only has one, Aphrodite, on his side. Hera was isolated, as was Hephaestus. Demeter and Poseidon had a shaky alliance, where they would support each other from time to time, but not much more than a few verbal agreements here or there. Hermes and Apollo were in near constant agreement, while Athena and Artemis stuck together often enough. Zeus, as always, stood alone, over lording the others instead.Dio was alone as well, left at Camp to watch as countless demigods, including his own, grew and perished. It was a cruel punishment to give, especially to a god who had once been a demigod himself, watching as hundreds of children suffered the same way he did. If not worse.Zeus drove apart the council. Ares wonders if it was ever truly together to begin with. Wonders if he ever should have fought so hard for a family that, in the end, was hardly a family anymore.Ares mourns for the family he once knew them to be. He regrets it though, because when they were once a family, they were without almost all of them. When they were once a family, a proper one, "they" were only himself, his parents, Enyo, and his aunts and uncles.He would not have Hephaestus or Athena. Eilythea or Hebe. Artemis, Apollo or Hermes. Aphrodite or Dionysus.He would be missing almost his entire family. Would he really be happy without all of them?Of course not.Ares forces himself to stop thinking about it. It's not worth it, throwing himself in mental circles. He decides he misses the love, not the absence of the others.He misses the love he will never be able to find again.Ares visits one of his children when he claims her, so he can see Dionysus, and check up on him. His brother is doing well enough. However, Ares finds himself leaning more towards his children. Half a dozen kids he'd brought into a world of death, destruction and constant fighting. Regret erupts within him. Guilt.He is war, he shouldn't feel guilt. That was what Zeus said when he was ordered to kill thousands of nameless mortals. Ares always felt the guilt anyway.He gives the newly claimed daughter a spear. Teaches her how to use it as quickly as he can. Promises to visit again when he can."Clarisse La Rue?"She turns back to him, a girl no older than ten. "Yes, Father?"He cringes internally at the title but continues. "Don't forget that I am proud of you."She beams and nods. "Thank you, Father!"He knows already that she will feel as though she must make him proud of her over and over again. Perhaps for the rest of her life.Sometimes he regrets having demigods. Mortal children never get to see how much he loves them. Never.Control:Ares didn't remember what exactly happened. He was aware of what he was doing, technically, but it felt like he was watching himself from far away or while under water, more than it felt like he was actually doing anything.The spell he must be under breaks when the child of Poseidon stabs his heel. He gasps sharply, though with the roaring ocean, he knows the demigod did not hear him. He feels his Ichor running down his foot.The words that leave his mouth must be what's left of the spell because he would never curse a literal child for beating him in a duel that he had initiated. He would never curse a literal child period. That wasn't war. That was wicked.He lets himself disappear and appears again in a random room in Olympus. He slips and crumbles to the ground, Ichor still staining the ground by his feet.He gasps sharply. Ares doesn't know how long he stays there. He simply tries to catch his breath.He hears Artemis enter the room, gasping softly at the sight of him."Ares?" She calls softly.He brushes it off."Ares, it's been a week. Father's had his bolt back for days, he's calling a council meeting. You have to go to it." That's Athena, voice sharp but worried.He pushes himself up and sways. His sisters, lightly gripping his arms, help him to righten himself before they all walk to the throne room. Ares dreads the end of the meeting. He knows what will come.His father will punish him. He did not get the bolt back when he had the chance. He will be brutally punished for it. The bolt will likely sear his skin to the point of permanent marks. They will not be noticed among the other battle scars, but Ares will always know where they were from, and it will just be another reminder of how far their family had fallen since the old days. Since they were a family to begin with. If they ever were one.The end of the meeting comes too quickly. Poseidon, eager to leave and escape Zeus' probably anger towards him for breaking the oath (the hypocrite that the sky god may be) and Demeter, more interested in being with Persephone during the spring and summer than with the council, vanish instantly.There goes what little protection Ares may have had. As afraid of Zeus as she might have been, Demeter did not like violence and Zeus would not risk greatly upsetting her and causing another damaging winter to come. Poseidon and Zeus had been at odds all year, the sea god would possibly have defended Ares if only to annoy Zeus. But now they were gone and Ares was undefended."Ares, come here." Zeus thunders.Ares feels his Ichor run cold but does as his father demands. He lifts his gaze to his father, anxiously waiting for the king to speak. Zeus glowers down at him, very thinly veiled anger rising to his expression."I want you to explain what in the name of the Fates you were doing with my Bolt." Zeus hisses.Ares away for a second before answering. "I did not intend to do anything, Father. I was not in control of my actions. The Crooked One-"That is as far as Ares gets before he is cut off."THE CROOKED ONE SLEEPS STILL! HE IS NOT AWAKE! HE IS NOT ALIVE ANY LONGER! DO NOT USE A FORMER KING AS AN EXCUSE FOR TREASON AGAINST ME!" Zeus booms.Ares flinches back and he knows he is not the only one. Hermes all but shrinks in his throne. Dionysus grips his armrests so hard the vines along the edges of his throne crack. Athena shifts back from the center of her seat until her back is pressed against the backing of her throne. Apollo and Artemis do the same, both reaching for the others' hand. Hephaestus cringes, doing his best to inch away. Aphrodite flinches, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her skirt nervously.Hera does not move. She merely tilts back in her throne, her expression remaining completely passive. She does not care.She long since stopped loving Ares. And Ares has long since accepted that he would never have his mother back. There was no point in trying to deny it."Father-" Ares tries, knowing now that anything he says could risk a burn."Silence, Ares. I do not wish to hear any of your excuses any further." Zeus growls and Ares falls silent. "Does anyone else wish to lie to me?"Ares sees his siblings silently lift their gazes, apology already in their eyes. It is fine. He does not wish to risk them anyway. Zeus would never listen to reason.Aphrodite looks as though she wants to speak up, but a single knowing look from Ares silences her attempts before they begin. Ares will not allow Zeus to sear her on his behalf. He will not allow Zeus to harm anyone for him.When the remaining council remains silent, Zeus turns his attention back to his eldest son. He rises from his throne, and Ares has to fight the instinctive step he wants to take back, away from the danger he knows is coming.The room is quiet as the deities there all see Zeus take his Master bolt into his hand. Ares sucks in a sharp breath and braces himself for the familiar burn of lightning that is to come. But it does not arrive when he expects it to.Instead, Zeus rotates his wrist slightly. The bolt changes from it's ordinary, blue-glowing form into a sword that crackles with electricity.Ares does not understand but he knows to be wary. His father is crafty and dangerous. His father knows how to harm."Father, what are you doing?" Athena's voice is as meek as she can make it without drawing her father's ire for the weakness of a war goddess' voice."Silence, Athena, lest you receive the same." Zeus rumbles in response, and focuses his electric blue gaze on Ares. "Have you anything to say for yourself, Ares?"Ares swallows past a growing lump in his throat. "Father, I swear no harm was meant. I apologize for harm done."It is a familiar answer. It never works but it is expected of him regardless.Zeus regards him coldly. Ares fights the urge to back up. His instincts are screaming that there is danger. That war has no place here. That fighting is needed to survive.The sword swings. Ares cannot help the sharp gasp that escapes him, surprise coloring his expression no doubt, as the sword slips through his stomach. He stumbles.Zeus, his expression never changing, pulls the blade free. Ares crumbles to his hands and knees, gaze locked on his father. The master bolt, still a sword, is coated in his golden blood."Ares!" Aphrodite cries.Zeus looks down upon him with disinterest. "I hope that is a lesson you will not soon forget, Ares. Do not steal from me, nor blame it on a sorry excuse of a former king."The king of Olympus vanishes with a clap of thunder. His absence allows the other council members to move. Apollo scrambles to get ambrosia and nectar from compartments on his throne, Artemis rushing for bandages. Hermes and Dionysus hurry to stabilize him, so that he is able to be treated. Athena rises from her throne with surprising speed, rushing to reach him. Aphrodite, tears in her eyes, does the same.More surprising than anything, is the fact that Hephaestus gets there first. Ares is unsure of why. The god of blacksmiths has not cared for him in several centuries. He has not spoken to him in a few more. And his legs must have protested the demand of them, why Hephaestus would cause himself pain for Ares, the war god does not know.Hephaestus is beside him within seconds, regardless of how and why, gripping Ares' shoulders with gentle firmness, and lightning turning him so that he lies on his back, head in the younger god's lap. Aphrodite is beside him a minute later, fingers curling around her husband's shoulder, and the other hand running through Ares' hair.Athena stumbles to his other side, pressing her hands against his wound, ignoring his hiss of pain, trying to stop the flow of Ichor leaking from his midsection. Hermes and Dionysus pin his arms to the ground, despite the fact that his attempts to shift Athena's hands from his stomach were too weak to do anything.Throughout it all, Ares' gaze finds it's way to his mother. Hera has not left her throne. She peers down at him and watches but does not move and Ares doesn't know what to think.He knew she did not care. That she did not love him. But he'd been impaled by his father, stabbed through the stomach. Did she truly not love him at all?Hera leaves and Ares is eventually healed. And he knows now. He and his siblings stand alone. And Zeus will go to great lengths to protect a throne he no longer deserves.Ares' loyalty is no longer to his father and Olympus. It is to his siblings, Aphrodite, his children and by extension theirs. When war comes, he will fight for them. Not for his father or mother.Titan War:Ares helps fight the giant Typhoon with his family while their children run about around Manhattan, defending Olympus from the enemy army. He looks out for his siblings and disregards the safety of both his parents. Poseidon is not there, busy defending his own kingdom from the titan, Oceanus.There is only ten of them, there is not enough. Typhoon is stronger.Dionysus is smacked from the sky, his chariot taking a rather extreme hit and sending him into a building that was quickly reduced to rubble. Ares curses Zeus in his mind as he scans the wreckage for any sight of his little brother, but Dio is covered in the rubble thoroughly. Zeus never should have ordered Dionysus to fight Typhoon, the god of wine hadn't been involved in such godly affairs in several years, he'd hardly used any of his powers in over a decade.Zeus orders them to continue. As much as Ares wants to ignore the demand, wants to continue searching for Dionysus, he does not wish to taste his father's fury and get shot by the bolt. He couldn't risk leaving his other siblings and Aphrodite to the monster and the tyrant king both. So with a heavy heart, he and the others follow after Typhoon and the older gods.Not long later, in fact they're still in the same city, Hephaestus is knocked out of the air as well, thrown through an entire sky scrapper that quickly falls atop him.Ares knows they are gods and cannot die from such a minor thing, but his heart tightens regardless. Two of his younger siblings have been hit from the sky, and he has done nothing to save them.They manage to subdue the beast days later, when Poseidon returns from the sea and brings an army with him. Zeus does not let them all return to Olympus as quickly as everyone wants though. Despite all of them having felt the tugs and prayers of their kids, (and many having felt the life force leaving their demigods, feeling their souls arrive in the underworld, forever apart from their devastated parents), Zeus demands that they allow the prophecy to take its course on its own.Besides, Zeus had sneered, Hades is helping his brat and their children already, along with Persephone and Demeter.Though it leaves a sour taste in his mouth and a bitter feeling in his chest, Ares does not argue. He will not risk his father's ire after so much battle, not when there could still be some to come. Instead, with the help of his other siblings, they finish digging Dionysus and Hephaestus out of the rubble several cities back.Ares grips his younger brothers, holding them tightly, and warily eyeing Zeus. The king does not turn to them, instead muttering angrily to Hera. Ares opens his mind's eye, and sees that Zeus has finally noticed how Thalia Grace (yet another bastard child of his, and Artemis' new lieutenant) has been trapped beneath a statue of Hera on Olympus, one of her legs broken.He fights the urge to roll his eyes, and instead pulls his little brothers closer. They all silently await Zeus' order to head back to Olympus. Ares seethes. Of course Zeus is upset about a slight against him done by harm to his daughter, but not concerned in the slightest about the injuries actually inflicted on any of his kids. Ares almost feels bad for Thalia Grace. But then he remembers that when she does one day die, she will be rid of Zeus' abuse. Ares and his siblings, the ones he truly considers his blood, they will not.Giant War:Zeus locks them all in Olympus and tries to prevent them from leaving. None of them are exactly willing to listen, per say, too busy trying to help their children stop the Earth Mother and defeat the giants. Hera's meddling makes them nervous, they cannot really risk reuniting the camps. And honestly, what was she thinking? Zeus will be furious.He punishes each of them, every time they leave Olympus. They return to taste his bolt.Eventually, Artemis and Apollo flee to Delos, the island they had been born on, a safe haven that Zeus can no longer arrive to, thanks to a blessing cast by some primordial or another at Leto's begging and pleading. Athena, driven half-mad by the demotion and pain caused by the Romans, should have been sent with them, but Zeus demands her counsel. She is in no state to give it, and in turn, is severely burned several times. Dionysus, trapped in Olympus, but forced into sobriety, does not speak much or leave his throne, unless he is sneaking down to the mortal world, and even then, does not speak even when burned by the master bolt.Aphrodite, elusive though she is, is weakened by the constant fighting, for love does not flourish in such an environment. She leaves Olympus only twice and does not make the mistake again. Hephaestus, careful not to interact with the mortals much, only leaves to get materials for war prep and for helping Athena. He is caught several times, but uses the excuse of trying to help Athena to get out of trouble more than not.Ares leaves as little as possible. He helps his son, Frank Zhang, in his Roman form, but is mostly on his throne, warily watching over his siblings. Hermes especially, since even in lock down, Zeus makes him run about like a headless chicken. Ares keeps a watchful eye over Athena as well, noting the many times the wisdom goddess looks about to lose her main domain. He eventually forces Athena into her throne, and when that fails, conjures a couch and sits them both on it, until she falls asleep.Athena always was the most heavily affected by the changes caused by the Romans. She lost the most, especially when she'd already had very little to start with, no matter how respected she'd been by the Greeks. After all, with no mother, an unloving father, forced maidenhood, no true lovers, and occasionally rocky relationships with her (many) half-siblings, the denial of the right to have children, even in her own unique way, and the loss of most of her domains and respect truly left Athena with almost nothing.When the camps are united, and the aching headaches subside, they leave Olympus to defend the Acropolis with the seven, the seven heroes in the Great Prophecy. Ares is eager to be given the chance to defend his son.He knows this is the first time Jason Grace, Thalia Grace's little brother and Juno's champion, Jupiter's son, meets his father. He is surprised the child is not severely burned by the bolt for simply existing, but then catches his own bitterness and focuses instead on his own child.When the battle ends, and Zeus promptly removed Apollo from the equation, Ares knows that Apollo is blamed for the war, despite being literally blameless. Ares diverts his gaze, the hand on his son's shoulder pulling the teenager a little closer, if only to shield the boy from Zeus' ire should it turn to the children.He is not allowed to help end the battle with the Earth Mother. Instead the seven are sent there alone. He watches from Olympus, his siblings clustered around him, Artemis' eyes full of tears, and if they all watch out for Apollo's kids more than they normally would, well, Zeus doesn't notice, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?Trials of Apollo:Apollo's punishment is severe for someone so entirely blameless, at least, in the terms of the actual reason he was punished for. While Apollo is not perfect, none of them are, he is not to blame for the Giant War. But that is why he is punished. Apollo is turned mortal, and forced to save five oracles, all under his domain, that have suspiciously been muted over the course of the months leading up to the war against Gaea.The Olympians are gathered on Olympus and forced to watch as Apollo suffers. Demeter cares more for her daughter, Meg McCaffery, than for Apollo. Hera does not care much at all. Poseidon seems to feel bad but watches in silence. And Zeus obviously does not care.Ares, his siblings and Aphrodite sit in silence, but it is a horrified one. They watch him nearly die a number of times. He is beaten bloody by two mortal thieves his first ten minutes in New York, his first ten minutes as a mortal. He is nearly killed by plague spirits with the help of Percy fricking Jackson himself.He is betrayed by Demeter's girl for her step-father, Nero, after saving a ridiculous amount of their kids (Ares feels a pang of guilt when he remembers that his son was one of them and then a surge of anger at being denied the right to save his own damned kid) and the groove of Dodona. (Zeus should have saved it himself, it was Rhea's own sacred grave, his own damn mother, but Zeus never cared, now did he?)Hephaestus' relief at the sight of his living son, Leo Valdez, brings some happiness to the table. However, not long later, there is horror again, as several people die before Apollo is able to save his second oracle, and "defeat" one of the three evil Roman Emperors who should have been dead, and damn it, Ares wanted to help but was denied again.Jason Grace is killed in the burning maze. When Ares sees his mother mourning him, he does not know what to say. She continues, well after Apollo returns to Olympus. Ares knew, if he were mortal, or any of the other Olympians, and they died, she would not have cared.Apollo is poisoned and nearly killed in New Rome. Artemis, finally, is given the chance to save him. She goes to help him in the form of Diana, and both heals then defends him. Ares greets her when she returns, and with a tight hug, returns her to the throne room to finish watching his quest.He nearly dies fighting Python, and when he falls into Chaos, they are all convinced he is dead. He appears, bloodied, bruised, but bleeding Ichor, in the throne room a few minutes later, and they all breathe sighs of relief.Dio is still at camp, so Ares messages him later, informing him of Apollo's survival. Dionysus is utterly relieved as well.Apollo returned to divinity. And for a while, things seemed good.Goodbye Heroes:Ares remembers Clarisse La Rue's wedding to Chris Rodriguez, son of Hermes. She'd looked beautiful in that wedding gown. He'd been given the chance to walk her down the aisle, rare permission from Zeus after his ego had been stroked by the two demigods giving him rather plentiful offerings in exchange for their parents' presence at the wedding. He'd taken it eagerly, and remembers that day with such pride and love for his daughter. Clarisse had a daughter, Silena, and a son, Alex, and Ares adored the two, though he didn't see them often.Frank Zhang married Hazel Levesque not long after Clarisse and Chris got married. Ares had also gotten to attend that wedding, and remembers it with the same level of pride and love as his daughter's. The Zhang's had a daughter named Emily. Ares loved her as well, and wished he was able to spend more time with his grandchildren.He knows that the other demigods of the wars moved on with their lives. Percy Jackson married Annabeth Chase (much to the amusement of most of the pantheon) and they had several children together. Leo Valdez married Calypso, much to Hephaestus' surprise, and they had a son together. Calypso had even become fully mortal for him. Nico diAngelo, son of Hades, married Will Solace, son of Apollo, and they'd adopted a little girl who'd been, surprisingly, named after Nico's late sister Bianca (Ares was sure it was the girl reincarnated, if Hades' fond smile was anything to go by). Travis Stoll, son of Hermes, married Katie Gardener, daughter of Demeter. Katie's sister Miranda married Ares' son Sherman.Overall, the demigods found peace. They grew up, and left the days of questing and fighting behind them, to raise their children and live their lives.Even Thalia Grace and Reyna Rameriz-Arellano, two huntresses of Artemis, found peace, living their lives, still fighting, but running free with the other Hunters and with Artemis herself. Ares learns that Piper McLean, Jason Grace's former girlfriend and Aphrodite's daughter, embraces her bisexuality and ends up dating a mortal girl named Shell, though Piper eventually decides to remain unmarried, but remained close friends (and likely with benefits) with the Shell girl.Meg McCaffery finds peace in her late father's old greenhouse and home, and teaches any demigods and legacies who come to visit her how to garden.They are all happy.And Zeus is not. He hates that the strongest demigods of the age have turned their backs against the gods, which they technically have not, but Zeus sees it as a slight regardless.It happens the same day, seconds apart between each one. Between one second and the next, hundreds of shots are fired. Freak storms appear.Ares is with his siblings and Aphrodite, calmly speaking with each other when they feel it. The desperate prayers of their children.In unison, they stand up, desperately sending protective wards down to them, unable to fully know what is happening until it is too late. They cannot save their children.Hades arrives before them not long later. He informs them that their kids have been sent to Elysium quickly. They do not have to be evaluated. They are sent straight to Elysium.All of the war heroes, all of their kids, are dead. Their houses are wrecked, their belongings destroyed, their own kids, the innocent little legacies, dead as well, all for no damned reason.Zeus had murdered them all in cold blood.Whispers of war arise. Athena and Ares, war deities to a fault, do not let such a crime go unpunished. Apollo is the first to join in, anger coursing through his veins at the deaths of his children, grandchildren and friends. Artemis follows, grieving her two huntresses and angry on the dead's behalf. Aphrodite and Hephaestus join in next, Hermes right behind them. Dionysus joins in as well, eyes full of dead grief, as if he'd both accepted the losses and rejected them. Hades and Persephone give their support as well, angered by the deaths of their own grandchildren, Nico and Hazel. Demeter and Poseidon pledge their loyalty next.Nobody is surprised when Hera does not. At least, not Ares. He knows she will not support Zeus, but she also will not support them for she will not support any children of Zeus, not even her own. Instead she hides herself away somewhere else. Nobody bothers her.The minor gods pledge loyalty one by one, willing to fight on behalf of the demigods now dead, and eager to overthrow the tyrant king. Not even Hercules remains at Zeus' side, either unwilling to fight for him, or aware that it would be a losing battle.The demigods are hidden away, brought undersea where Zeus cannot harm them. They are guarded carefully by Poseidon's army and the many minor sea deities living there, including Triton and Kymopoletia, both of whom mourned Percy Jackson's death angrily. Poseidon's head general, Tyson the cyclopes, is left in charge of their safety.The fight is short, quick and brutal. Zeus' master bolt is strong but it cannot defeat the entire pantheon. Ares and Athena, a deadly team when together, topple his throne with ease, the entirety of the pantheon supporting and assisting them."My mother's prophecy finally came into fruition." Athena muses, bitterly staring down at her father. "But she was wrong about the heritage. Your son overthrew you, yes, but not one. Many, all born of many different women. And your many daughters did too. In fact, none of the pantheon stand with you, Father."Ares takes the master bolt, feeling the familiar burn of the lightning, but for once, not being pained by it. "We've won, Zeus. Your reign of terror is over."Zeus snarls and curses and shouts and snaps, but his yells all fall on deaf ears."This is quite the unfortunate family tradition, isn't it?" Artemis questions. "Overthrowing and murdering?""It ends with us." Hermes promises. "We will raise our children properly now.""Goodbye, Zeus." Dionysus says simply.He hands Hephaestus the bolt, and with a single glance at Athena, nods, and both raise their swords. In twin arches, the swords swing down. There is a single clap of thunder, Zeus' final protest, but no lightning follows.It's over.There is a beat of silence, as Ares and his siblings look down at the dust where their father stood seconds before, golden and gathered in a small pile, with grim satisfaction.Then the spell is broken.With a sharp laugh, Aphrodite flings herself into Ares' arms, the war god quickly shifting to catch her, and letting his blade drop to the floor for the first time in centuries. Athena starts to smile, a real one, for the first time since she'd become Zeus' favorite daughter. Apollo and Artemis hug, both laughing with ease they hadn't shown since their early days on Olympus. Hermes smiles and laughs as well, the mischievousness that Ares thought Zeus killed returning to his face with child-like speed. Dionysus' powers return and for the first time in fifteen years, Ares sees the baby of the family again for real. Hephaestus turns to Ares and Aphrodite, a small, bittersweet smile on his face. Without hesitation, they both open their arms, and allow Hephaestus to join them in their tight familial, loving embrace.The Aftermath:They don't ever tell any of the younger demigods the truth about the horror they'd experienced. Yes, they explain that the former king had followed in his predecessor's footsteps and had been an abusive father and a poor king since the start. But they don't share how deep it ran, whom it affected, how it affected them, or how he'd done it. Nor do they share what made them finally break, at least not fully. They share that Zeus had stepped too far, had murdered hundreds of people over the years, and finally they could not take the abuse. But they don't mention that it was the deaths of their children that finally made them break.No, they would not let anyone have such a leverage over them like that again. Instead, they opt to ensure their newer demigods know that they are loved. They are all armed as soon as possible, monster warded off as often as they can be, and interactions with the gods are a constant. The ancient laws no longer apply. There is no lightning to force it.Ares was crowned the new king of the pantheon. He was the eldest son, and had the most legitimate claim to the throne, as the eldest child of the former king and most recent former queen. He takes Aphrodite as his queen, and appoints Athena to be his right hand advisor, fairly listening to the two most important women in his life, his queen and his favorite sister.Hephaestus and Aphrodite, through many weeks of long conversations both with and without Ares, decide not to annul their marriage. No, both have grown to love the other, though Aphrodite's heart belonged to Ares. Instead, Aphrodite marries Ares as well, and has two husbands, both of whom love her dearly. The brothers make up, and, despite having no romantic interest in the other (there is more than enough of that in their family as it is), are more than willing to share Aphrodite and teasingly call the other "husband" as often as possible.Athena is technically freed from her maidenhood vow, given her the freedom to chose her life how she pleases. She does not end up finding any appeal in more intimate relationships, going truly no further than hugs and kisses (some more passionate than Ares had any interest in seeing his little sister in), but finds herself enjoying romance as far as she is willing to go. She continues to bear children in her own unique way, and Ares finds his nieces and nephews from Athena to be some of the most loyal demigods to him, other than his own children. He keeps a special eye on Athena's kids, having a special place in his heart for wisdom and her offspring.Hermes no longer struggles under the weight of his domain, and instead gets to enjoy spending time with Dionysus and Apollo. Hermes is not forced to run about delivering mail and messages all the time anymore, after all, he has other domains and should not have to worry about doing what Ares can do himself. With Apollo, he gets up to a fair share of mischief, and Ares finds himself smiling at every single prank they pull.Dionysus is freed from his punishment, but he still spends time with the demigods at camp. Now that he has his domains once more, and the choice to leave, as well as the assurance that they children will not be in constant danger like they once were, he finds no problem in residing at camp and assisting Chiron with all the children at camp. Ares makes a habit to visit his little brother and all the children at camp as often as he can.Artemis remains as she was, free to do as she pleased but able to come to Olympus without nearly as much tension in her body as she once bore. There is no danger of their father any longer. She does not have to guard her huntresses or herself from a certain man to protect their vows any longer. Olympus is a safe haven for her and her girls, Ares promises as much. He would rather drown in the Styx than allow Artemis and the closest things she has to daughter to be in danger of any sort.Hera steps off the council, not long after Ares is crowned. Her explanation is stiff and a little cold, but she says she wants Ares to have complete control as king. She warms a little, and murmurs that he is much better than any of his predecessors. It warms Ares' heart and he means it when he thanks her, and draws her in for a quick, small hug. She blesses the union between Ares and Aphrodite, stays for Aphrodite's own coronation, then leaves the council and finds herself peace somewhere. Ares does not see her often, but she comes to eat with him and the rest of the council once a month and every solstice, after the council meetings end.Demeter steps off the council as well, a few months after Hera. She smiles at Ares, saying she no longer felt she had to remain, since he was a much better king than the previous and that she no longer felt obligated to stay to protect anyone. She'd rather be the goddess of the harvest and of agriculture alone, than be an Olympian on top of it. Ares watches his aunt spend more time in the mortal world, and when he sees how happy she is, he knows it was right to let her leave.Poseidon leaves the council a few years later, deciding that he did not wish to be the last first generation god on the council anymore. He wanted to be with his family under the sea more and Ares would not separate him from his family. He knew the pain of it too well. Poseidon thanks him, and declares that the ocean would always support him, before leaving the throne room for the last time as an Olympian.There are four spots to fill on the council now. The four original council members, from the last several thousand years have left. After some discussion with the other council members, they make four decisions.To replace Poseidon, they nominate Enyo. Both temperamental, but both loyal to their family. Poseidon's throne, is replaced by Enyo's. In place of Demeter, they ask Persephone to join them. They would have asked Hades to reclaim his spot on the council, but decided Persephone would be better suited for Demeter's old role, as she was so much like her mother, and Hades was very busy, and had a role as an unofficial council member that he was happy with already. To replace Hera, they decide on Eilythea, who's maternal love and kindness represented the same that Hera once brought to council, this one sure to never die. And finally, to replace Zeus, they chose Hebe, who was so strongly different from the former king, with her innocence, kindness and love, that she would properly bring balance to the council, harmony rather than pain.The changes were major, yes, but they were needed. Ares looks over the throne room, gaze warm and happy as he watches the calm, civilized manner they speak in as they wait for their children to arrive for a visit during the winter solstice, fifty years later, from his seat at the top of the Olympian U. He smiles, glancing to his right at Aphrodite, who's laughing as she speaks with Hephaestus, giving him a gentle kiss, before allowing him to adjust her crown. Athena is to his left, smiling as she and Enyo talk. Artemis, Apollo, Dio and Hermes are gossiping from their thrones, Dionysus giving them many details that Ares was sure he would receive later when the children leave all about their lives. Persephone is murmuring with Hades, who's throne has appeared beside hers, as it always does when he comes to visit, the couple happily speaking together. Hebe and Eiylthea calmly speak as the elder braids Hebe's hair.Yes, they were major changes, but as Ares looks over at the happiness his family emits, he knows they were needed. And that he'd done well.The doors open then, and everyone turns to the young campers, most visiting Olympus for the first time ever, and gazing with wonder. Ares smiles and stands."Welcome, demigods, to Olympus."