Before the Friendship Games: Principal Cinch

by CapNTilfy

Terror

Abacus opened her eyes and found herself in the void once again. She grit her teeth as the cycle began.

"Any... zz?"

Damn this accursed dream!

"S... Abby... I... You..."

Damn this static!

The gunshot echoed through the void.

Damn that gunshot!

"Any... words?" The voice became clearer, and Abacus' eyes widened in shock. She recognized that voice! Suddenly, a memory flowed through her...

---

A young Abacus Cinch sat in her father's office. There was a feeling of tension in the air as Sombra paced back and forth in front of his window, his hands folded behind his back.

"Father?"

Sombra stopped pacing. "Yes, my child?"

"Why did mother leave?"

Sombra took a deep breath, then sighed. "There are times in one's life when one does not know what is good for them. Much like how a child loathes eating vegetables, even though they have nutritional benefits. Your mother left because she does not understand that I am good for her."

Abacus blinked in confusion.

Sombra walked up to Abacus and pat her on the head. "Perhaps you will understand one day, my child. Life tends to get complicated the older one gets."

"I suppose so."

Without warning, footsteps rapidly approached Sombra's office.

"Abacus, behind me!"

Abacus ran and hid behind her father as he drew a pistol from his holster.

The door burst open to admit a dark green young man with orange hair and bushy eyebrows. His tan vest was stained with some blood which had dripped from a scar over his eye. "Bossman," he shouted excitedly. "We've got her! She's in the parlor!"

The alertness on Sombra's face faded, and a wide grin slowly formed.

Abacus peered out from behind her father. "Got who?"

"Your mother," Sombra said as he holstered his pistol.

"Can I see her?"

Sombra gave Abacus a meaningful look. "I would advise against it."

"Why?"

"Because she is likely going to be in a rather... unpleasant state."

Abacus scoffed. "Rogue has a gash that is bleeding over his eye and I am just fine," she said, gesturing to her father's henchman. "I believe I can handle 'unpleasant'."

Rogue gasped. "I was so excited that I completely forgot about my wound!" He dashed off in search of medical attention.

Sombra folded his arms. "Your mother is likely to have worse than a gash. You know how rough my henchmen can be."

"Yes, yes," Cinch said as she rolled her eyes. "I have seen broken bones, lacerations and bloody noses."

Sombra sighed heavily. "You will more than likely be emotionally compromised upon seeing her."

"I still wish to see her."

Sombra give Abacus a look of uncertainty.

"My mind is made up, father."

Sombra sighed again, then relented. "Very well. Follow me... but if you do change your mind, I will not think any lesser of you. Sometimes in life, retreat is the wiser option."

Abacus raised an eyebrow. "Are you testing my will again, father," she asked as she and Sombra walked out of the office.

"No, my child," Sombra responded plainly. "I am not."

As Sombra and Cinch reached to parlor door, Sombra held out an arm in front of his daughter. "I am giving you one last chance to reconsider, my child. There are some things that no child should see, no matter how strong-willed they may be."

Abacus scoffed. "You still doubt me?"

"I am simply worried about you, Abacus. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Abacus glared at Sombra in frustration.

Sombra paused for a moment. "So be it," he said finally. "But do not say I did not warn you, my child." He opened the door, and the two entered.

The parlor contained off-white walls with grey carpet. Portraits of Sombra and Abacus the wall facing them, while bookcases stood to the left and right of them. A folding table rested in a corner of the room, and several chairs sat in various places. In the center of the room was a woman bound to a chair with two of Sombra's henchmen keeping a close eye on her.

"...Mother?"

The woman in the chair started. Her light blue skin was untarnished, and her stocky body type required multiple restraints. Her wavy black hair bounced as her head rose, and her purple eyes twinkled momentarily as she noticed Abacus.

"...Abby?"

Abacus stood still, transfixed by her mother's soothing voice.

"Shining Beacon, my love," Sombra said as he walked toward the woman.

Beacon glared at Sombra. "Don't you 'my love' me, you delusional psychopath," she barked as she struggled to break free.

"Come now," Sombra said softly. "Is that any way to talk to the one who loves you?"

"'The one who loves' me? 'The one who loves' me," Beacon shouted incredulously. "The one who loves me would have left me well enough alone. The one who loves me would have wanted me to be happy. The one who loves me wouldn't have kidnapped me!"

Sombra frowned. "I am just showing you the lengths that I would be willing to go to prove my love for you."

Beacon scoffed. "There are only two people that you love. Yourself and our daughter."

"And you," Sombra said as he put a hand on Beacon's thigh.

Beacon spat on Sombra's hand.

"Mother... why did you leave?"

Beacon looked to Abacus. "Because I abhor everything your father stands for. I tried to stay with him in the hopes that he would change, but I found that I wasn't fooling anyone but myself."

"Indeed, you were." Sombra said after he cleaned his hand. "I had given you some time in the hopes that you would come back to your senses, but I had to take matters into my own hands."

"Your 'own hands' being your cronies," Beacon snapped.

"Watch your tone, love."

"Mother," Abacus said. "Can't we be a family again?"

Beacon face fell for a moment, then slowly contorted into an expression of anger. "Sombra... did you bring Abby here to emotionally manipulate me?"

"I assure you Abacus came here of her own accord."

Abacus nodded. "I did."

Beacon fell silent and lowered her head. "Abby," she said quietly. "You mean the world to me..." she raised her head, revealing teary eyes. "...but I simply couldn't live with myself if I stayed with this monster," she shouted, gesturing to Sombra with her head.

"You leave your lover and daughter without so much as a word, and you call me a monster," Sombra said as he gestured to himself.

"How dare you," Beacon shouted. "How dare you compare your blood-stained empire to what you've put me through!"

"I only did what I did because you belong with me!"

"I do not belong with or to you," Beacon snarled. "I would rather die!"

Sombra's face fell. "I... I see." He reached for his holster.

"F-Father?"

Sombra drew his pistol and aimed at Beacon's head.

"Go ahead," Beacon said. "Do it."

Tears streamed down Sombra's face. "...Any last words?"

Beacon sniffled. "Yes. Abby... I love you."

Sombra pulled the trigger, and a gunshot rang out through the parlor.

Shining Beacon's lifeless body slumped in the chair, and Abacus Cinch shrieked in horror.

---

Abacus woke up screaming, then ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach.

Comments

[Raith021]

I feel a "you truly are your father's child." is coming Cinch's way, probably from Cadence, most likly at the climax of the games, and it'll break her.

[Frankie2]

So, now Cinch finally finds out the meaning of her nightmares. Now what?

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Abacus raised an eyebrow. "Are you testing my will again , father," she asked as she and Sombra walked of the office.

walked out of the office."*

The parlor contained off-white walls with grey carpet. Portraits of Sombra and Abacus the wall facing them, while bookcases stood to the left and right of them. A folding table rested in a corner of the room, and several chairs sat in various places. In the center of the room was a woman bound to a chair with two of Sombra's henchmen keeping a close eye on her.

on the wall facing them,*

"'The one who loves' me? 'The one who loves ' me," Beacon shouted incredulously. "The one who loves me would have left me well enough alone. The one who loves me would have wanted me to be happy. The one who loves me wouldn't have kidnapped me!"

Wait what!?!?

"You leave your lover and daughter without so much as a word, and you call me a monster," Sombra said as he gestured to himself.

You kinda deserve it.

Sombra pulled the trigger, and a gunshot rang out through the parlor.

...
I... I honestly don't know what to say about this... at all.

[CapNTilfy]

11524410

Wait what!?!?

Shining Beacon is speaking metaphorically. She's basically saying "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have put me through all this!"