“Tarsus, what’s this about?”
Canthus and his older brother huddle together in a quiet corner of the School of Friendship library. Classes just ended for the day, so while the halls are filled with bustling, excited students, the library is mostly empty. Still, a few stray students are seated at individual tables or looking through the countless bookshelves, likely preparing for all sorts of homework.
“First of all, keep your voice down.” Tarsus’s voice is a whisper, though he speaks firmly and with a slight aggressive demeanor in an attempt to replicate his mother’s commanding nature. “Second of all, do you have any classes with Ocellus?”
“Miss Ocellus? Isn’t she a student teacher this semester?”
“I’ll take that as a no.” Tarsus clicks his tongue and glances to the side in annoyance. “Dang it. I thought you might be able to help me out here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“She hates us, Canthus.”
“Sh-she does?”
“Yeah. Ever since the semester started, she’s been looking down on me. Every time I start paying attention, she’s glaring at me or calling on me when she knows damn well I don’t know the answer.”
“Probably because you don’t pay attention in class.”
“No!” Tarsus winces at his own accidentally raised voice. “I-I mean… no. She hates all of us. You, me, and the girls. Probably our whole family.”
“I thought she and dad talked a lot, especially when he’s a substitute.”
“Okay, fine. Our whole family except dad.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Haven’t you heard the story about how she and mom butted heads back in the day? Ocellus still resents her for everything back at the hive.”
“Well, can you blame her?”
“I can absolutely blame her for taking it out on us! We didn’t do anything wrong!”
“I don't think she's done anything wrong, either.”
“That’s why we’re having this conversation, Cant. She has done something.”
“W-wait, what?”
“Earlier today, she failed me on my botany exam. For no reason!”
“...Are you sure you didn’t just–”
“No, Cant. She’s trying to make us look bad.”
“What would she have to gain from–”
“Look, are you going to help me or not?”
“Help you with what?”
“Fixing the grade! Duh!”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Sneak into the classroom and find Ocellus’s gradebook. How else would I do it?”
“Actually studying for your next exam.”
“That wouldn’t mean a thing if Ocellus is still being a bitch!”
“Don’t call her that,” Canthus mumbles.
Tarsus groans and lightly stomps a hoof onto the carpet below.
“Fine. Be that way.” Tarsus begins to walk away, doing his best to hide a growing sneer. “But don’t be mad at me when our report cards come in and mom sees that my grades are better than yours.”
“Y-you…!” After taking a moment to contain his growing frustration, Canthus takes a deep breath. “Fine. Let's get this over with.”
“Tarsus, this was a horrible idea.”
“Get over it, dweeb. We’re in too deep now.”
Canthus shivers with anxiety. He and his older brother sit hunched together in a tiny closet. Said closet wasn’t made for much more than a few shelves, and since neither has yet to master shapeshifting, they’re crammed together in a very small space not made for two changeling boys.
Tarsus detailed the plan before they left the library. Ocellus has been teaching botany in Classroom #7. Since classes had already ended, no students would be present. However, the same could not be said for Ocellus herself, who usually stays late to take care of some assignments of her own. They have to strike before she leaves, otherwise there will be no gradebook to change.
The plan was simple. Have Tarsus, who is at least good enough at shapeshifting to replicate voices, call Ocellus out of the room while pretending to be Headmare Starlight. Then, while she goes to investigate, Canthus sneaks into the room, changes their grades, and sneaks back out before she returns. Easy.
What Tarsus failed to account for was Ocellus realizing not long after leaving the room that Headmare Starlight is off for the day, causing her to return to the classroom with a heightened sense of suspicion. Knowing he needed to warn Canthus, he was able to book it to the classroom while taking the long way around, just barely making it inside before Ocellus turned the corner. That left the two boys with no way out.
Now, they’re crammed together in a closet whispering to each other as they watch Ocellus through the tiny cracks in the door. The plan was a bust, and their new priority is to get out without being caught.
The tension in the air is palpable as the boys try to remain as quiet as possible. The only sounds are their own muffled breathing and the faint scratching of Ocellus writing something down. Every now and then, she lightly hums to herself with a smile on her face. It’d be pleasant if they weren’t in so much danger.
Finally, after literal eons (seven minutes) of waiting, Ocellus nods to herself. Tarsus and Canthus look on with newfound hope as she stands from her desk, tosses her belongings into her saddlebag, and trots towards the exit. While they can’t quite see that far, they do hear the door open and close. After hearing nothing at all for a few seconds, they nod to each other.
With a sigh of relief, both children press on the door and stumble forward. Tarsus catches himself, but Canthus falls to the floor with shaky legs. After taking a moment to stretch, they both begin to giggle.
“Well, that was an awful idea.”
“Yeah, your awful idea.” Canthus slowly gets back on his hooves. “Ugh, I don’t know why I bother listening to you. Miss Ocellus has been nothing but nice to me since the semester started.”
“Then she’s faking it. She hates all of us, and me most of all. You’ll see.”
“I think I’ll just stick to studying. Gosh, this was stupid.”
“You’d better not tell anyone about it.”
“Or what?” Both of them suddenly freeze as their eyes go wide. “Really, I’m interested to hear what you’ll do to poor Canthus.”
With a slow turn of their heads, they find themselves face-to-face with Ocellus herself. A strangely intimidating smile is spread across her face as she stands next to the door.
“Wh-when did you come back?”
“I never left.” She lets out a quiet chuckle before continuing. “I knew you two were in there the whole time. You’re really, really bad at whispering. Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t notice me standing here before I spoke up.”
“M-Miss Ocellus, is it true?”
“Hm? Is what true, Canthus?”
“Do you hate our family?”
“...” Ocellus stares at Canthus in silence for a long, tense moment. Her gaze slowly shifts to Tarsus, then back to Canthus again. Finally, she lets out a long sigh. “No, Canthus. I do not hate your family.”
“B-but Mom–”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I hold no love for Chrysalis.” Her voice is firm and serious, but beneath her stern demeanor, there’s a warmth that both boys can feel. “That said, you children have never done anything wrong. I’m not going to judge you for who your mother is.”
“Erm…”
Canthus fiddles awkwardly as his gaze falls to the floor, coaxing another chuckle out of Ocellus. With a kind smile, she reaches out a hoof and pats him on the head.
“I’m sorry if my history with your mother makes you boys uncomfortable. It was never my intention to make you feel unwanted.”
“N-no, I never said that! Miss Ocellus, you’re really nice!”
“Haha! Thank you, Canthus, but you’re not even in my class!”
“I sure don’t feel wanted,” Tarsus grumbles.
“Tarsus, it’s not my fault you fall asleep during my lectures and don't study for your exams.”
“N-no! There’s no way that grade was correct!”
“You do know it’s called ‘foal’s breath’ and not ‘fool’s breath,’ right?”
“It… is?” Tarsus’s golden face quickly turns beet red as he looks down at the floor. “Uhh… hehe. Oops?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Ocellus. We shouldn’t have made assumptions about you, and we shouldn’t have tried to cheat!”
“It’s alright, Canthus. I think there was a lesson to be learned here.”
“To not believe a word that comes out of my brother’s mouth?”
“Hah! Not quite what I was going for, but that seems like a good lesson to learn!” With a sly grin, she turns back to Tarsus. “Now, then. Tarsus.” Her voice lowers, and the air in the room suddenly seems to grow cold. “You knew full well that I care about you children, didn’t you?” Sweat begins to form on Tarsus’s brow, and he does everything in his power to avoid looking at his teacher. “You tried to trick your brother into helping you cheat.”
“Uhh…”
“I’ll be seeing you in detention tomorrow.”
“...” Tarsus lets out a very, very deep breath. “Damn it.”
“Make that the next two days.”
Canthus snickers at his brother’s misfortune as he hastily makes his way to the door.
“See you tomorrow, Miss Ocellus!”
“Goodbye, Canthus!” With a cold smile, she wordlessly manages to coax Tarsus out of the room as well. “Goodbye, Tarsus!”
Once the door shuts behind them, she chuckles to herself one last time.
“I think they’re gonna be alright.”