(Just pretend they all know what's going on, I'm lazy.
"I can't believe I'm doing this to myself, but I'm bored, so it's Ant Mama time."
"I'm sorry, what?" Artemis said.
"You'll see. And I apologize in advance."
Her Majesty snapped at us - a warning shot, telling us to back off. A few feet closer and my head would have rolled in the dirt.
I burst into song - or rather I did the best I could with the raspy voice that remained. I began to rap. I started with the rhythm boom chicka chicka. I busted out some footwork the Nine Muses and I had been working on before the war with Gaia.
"Now I'm curious. What 'footwork'?" Artemis asked. All eyes (Idk who's there, you decide how many) turned to Apollo expectantly.
"I can't right now. I just can't." The god said.
"Can't what?" Someone (Meg? Idk) asked.
"I don't know, just can't." Apollo said, and Artemis slung her arm around him.
"Okay." She said as he lay his head on her shoulder.
The queen arched her back. I don't think she had expected to be rapped to today.
I gave Meg a look that clearly meant Help me out!
She shook her head. Give a girl two swords and she was a manjac. Ask her to lay down a simple beat and she suddenly got stage fright.
"You were rapping to an ant, I wasn't getting involved in that." Meg said.
"That's fair." Apollo said as Artemis ran her fingers through his hair.
Fine, I thought. I'll do it by myself.
I launched into 'Dance' by Nas, which I have to say was one of the most moving odes to mothers that I ever inspired and artist to write. (You're welcome, Nas.) I took some liberties with the lyrics. I may have changed angel to brood, mother and woman to insect. But the sentiment remained.
I serenaded the pregnant queen, channelling my love for my own dear mother, Leto. When I sang that I could only wish to marry a woman (or insect) so fine some day, my heartbreak was real. I would never have such a partner. It was not in my destiny.
"In my defense," Aphrodite said (okay, she's there apparently). "I don't have that much sway over godly relationships. I can start them and end them but I can't destine them never to be." (Yes this is my headcanon, yes I just came up with it, I should be sleeping right now so I don't care.)
"You could have at least done something for me." Apollo complained.
"For the last time, I cannot control Eros!"
"I don't care!"
Artemis rolled her eyes, still running her fingers through her brother's hair.
The queen's antennae quivered. Her head see-sawed back and forth. Eggs kept extruding from her abdomen, which made it difficult for me to concentrate, but I persevered.
When I was done, I dropped to one knee and held up my arms in tribute, waiting for the queen's verdict. Either she would kill me or she would not. I was spent. I had poured everything into that song and could not rap another line.
Next to me, Meg stood very still, gripping her swords.
Her majesty shuddered. She three back her head and wailed - a sound more broken-hearted than angry.
She leaned down and gently nudged my chest, pushing me in the direction of the tunnel we needed.
'Thank you,' I croaked. 'I - I'm sorry about the ants I killed.'
The queen purred and clicked, extruding a few more eggs as if to say, Don't worry; I can always make more.
I stroked the queen ant's forehead. 'May I call you Mama?'
"Okay, what the actually fuck?" Artemis said.
"To be fair, I was mortal and very stressed, so I wasn't really thinking straight." Apollo defended.
"Still, that's weird, 'Pollo."
"Fair."
And that's everything for now. Readers, if you have any requests, feel free to comment them.
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Reacting to Trials of Apollo...but with a twist
FanfictionI literally just created this because there are very specific parts I want to see get reacted to that I've never seen a fic do because they're late in the book/series. These will be very random and will obviously contain spoilers for Trials of Apoll...
