"This is madness, Ares, and you know it. What good could possibly come about from this?"
The Throne Room of the Gods shook with the irritated shouts of its divine inhabitants. The clouds that provided the god's privacy trembled at their cores, and stood as far away from the action as they could afford.
Inside, the twelve thrones rested inside a room of flawless marble. The seats were arranged in a circle, so as to give the illusion of equality throughout the palace and to hide the ever-prominent hierarchy, and every one of them was filled with the presence of its celestial host. Every one of them, except for two.
"Sister, please. You're not thinking rationally. I thought you of all would leap at the opportunities that my proposition presents to you," Ares said, gesturing towards the spear and shield resting on his sister's throne.
"Well, you were wrong, God of War. I see no wisdom in your words. Only trickery, bloodlust, and a desperation for that which you hold so dear."
"Athena...dear sister, have you forgotten that you, too, are a god of war? That you yourself take joy out of the conflict of war just as I do?"
"No, I most certainly have not forgotten my role as the goddess of warfare. But, shall I remind you that I am also the goddess of things such as wisdom, courage, inspiration, law, justice, and civilization? Are these all not things that would suffer and possibly even die if your plan came to be?"
Ares let out a sigh and glanced around the ring. The faces of his family, from the hyper and gay Hermes, to the preoccupied Demeter with little Persephone, to head strong Hera, and even to the almighty Zeus, all possessed either a scowl or a smile, and it was clear that they were all deep in thought.
"Do not try and fool me, sister. You and I have trained together, and competed against each other since our conception. You enjoy the thrill, the rush, and the clash of conflict as much as I do. And besides, this is not the point I am trying to make."
"You are right, and yet wrong, Ares. You are wrong in that, despite my title, I only fight on the side of those who are right. Those who only fight out of defense, or to end the life of an evil ruler or people. I would much prefer never having to act on this aspect of my powers, as that would mean the weak were safe and evil was gone. What you're doing by nature would bring about more of that which I loathe. So I am sorry, Brother, but you will not gain my support through appealing to the golden armor underneath this garb. However, you are right in that this is not the true point of this discussion. Tell me, what is the point, for I believe we all can agree you have not made it clear."
"The point is punishing these spiteful humans that Prometheus has raised against us. Our glorious father has already given the deceitful titan a punishment worthy of his crime. But are the works of the titan's spiteful doings not just as evil as he is? Were the monsters that Gaea created and commanded not just as evil as she was? Did they not deserve punishment? Our father, mother, aunts and uncles believed so when they buried they buried Typhon under a mountain. Why would now be any different?"
"The monsters that Gaea commanded were evil in their own right, Ares. They voluntarily carried out her malicious orders. These humans did not become a part of Prometheus's wrongdoing on their own accord. If a king were to hand a peasant his crown, would that make the peasant king?"
"Now you are forgetting, sister, that while I submit their gaining a spark of the Flame of Olympus was not truly their doing, they were just as responsible for making a fool out of our father - your father - as Prometheus was!"
