Ares shows up at Eve's trial for her murder of Augustus and Xena isn't too pleased that he is there, still bitter over his involvement in Eve's development and untrusting that he'd really want to help her.
Xena questions Eve on her early childhood and Eve explains the details of her life growing up in Rome, not by Augustus but by a family close to the senate. She was always cut off but found comfort and friendship in a boy whom she called brother. This boy, named Larus, meant everything to Livia and she and him enjoyed reading together. He got very interested in the Elijian's teachings at one point and she knew that it was a danger for Roman's to believe in such things. Because of his interest in the Elijian scrolls he had stashed away, she found him dead one day and was torn by it.
Xena comforts her after hearing this story and then questions Ares on his involvement in Eve's life at that point. When she finds out that he had watched her at that time, it makes her upset that he was influence her at such a young age (she was only about 15). He explains the story of how he came to her after her brother's death, feeding on her grief and her despair and anger at whoever it was that did this. He told her that she must get back at the Elijians for what has happened to Larus because, ultimately, they are the ones that caused this indirectly. He pulls her in and she believes what he says--as smooth as he ever was.
Xena is furious by this information, that he would use her pain to further his own plans. He tells her that it wasn't his idea and that he was pushed into it, too, by Michael of all people. Michael had come to him when he was still grieving over Xena's death and told him about the Twilight, that it is only by having the Elijian's killed will the Twilight not happen for the rest of the Olympians. Ares buys this plan and in turn uses Livia to do his work for him.
Xena is furious to find out that Michael had a hand in all of this, that he's not as "good" as an archangel should be. Eve explains that he did it because he wanted to create martyrs of the Elijans, that the more that died for the cause, the more would rise up and follow it. He wanted to make the God of Love supreme by doing it in a very underhanded way.
Michael appears during the trial and Eve, Xena, Gabrielle, Virgil and Ares fight him until he finally leaves. The emperor realizes that Eve wasn't solely responsible for the crimes she did so as punishment, instead of death, he banishes her from Rome and it's provinces for 10 years.
Eve safe from her problems, she, Xena, Gabrielle and Virgil plan on heading off. Xena thanks Ares for his help, too.
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