Before the Friendship Games: Principal Cinch

by CapNTilfy

Dearly Departed

"Good morning, father," Abacus said as she adjusted her glasses. "I trust everything is... well, wherever you are." The Headmistress could not help but roll her eyes. She had promised herself that when visiting her father's grave, she'd speak to it as though it was him, still alive.

Truth be told, Abacus didn't believe in a Heaven or a Hell. To her, those both sounded as fantastical as immortality! Wherever he was, indeed!

"The Friendship Games are upon us, and I have no doubt that we will be victorious. Crystal Prep always wins, after all." The Headmistress smiled confidently. "Even if Canterlot High has been improving, it will not be enough. Crystal Prep will simply put them back in their place." She nodded, folding her arms.

Abacus stood still for a moment, then sighed. "I still miss you, father. Even after all these years." She remained silent as a memory manifested...

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Abacus Cinch wandered the halls of the Retirement Village, where her father resided. The halls were off white, containing black and white photos of times long past. Perhaps to make the residents here feel a bit more comfortable, she thought. The scent of sterility hung in the air, a scent the Headmistress had mixed feelings about. Cleanliness was admirable, but she also associated that smell with hospitals. It was rather unfortunate, since she associated hospitals with death.

She pressed on despite her discomfort and within moments, she reached the visitor's room.

The visitor's room was lined with the same wallpaper in the halls, covered by movie posters of a bygone era. A simpler time, when one wouldn't go through life being coddled from day to day. Windows were open, allowing sunlight to shine through as a television played an old movie.

"Abacus, my child!"

Abacus turned her head in the direction of the voice, and smiled. A few feet before her was an haggard and bald elderly dark gray man in a wheelchair. His red eyes gazed at her affectionately as he outstretched his arms.

"Father," Cinch exclaimed as she ran to hug him. Dementia had begun to take its toll on him, and the Headmistress didn't know whether or not she'd be recognized.

The two hugged for a moment, then broke it. "Come, sit with me," Sombra said with a rasp in his voice as he gestured to a nearby table. He and Cinch made their way to it and sat down together. The two sat in companionable silence until the elderly man sighed deeply.

"Abacus, my child," Sombra said as he tented his hands together on the table. "I... I do not know how much longer my mind will last." He looked away for a moment, as though he was ashamed of himself. "Time and time again, I have seen the residents here pass away," he said as he turned his gaze back to his daughter. "Constant reminders that someday, I, too, shall perish."

Abacus frowned. This wasn't like her father.

Sombra barked a laugh. "I see that look in your eyes, my child. Do not worry. I'm not going to start spouting off inane things like 'Oh, I have so many regrets,'" he said, finishing with a tone of mockery as he clasped his hands together and rested them on his cheek. "I am still me, you can rest assured about that. However, all of the death I've seen lately has caused me to become... introspective."

Abacus put her hand on top of her father's, smiling. "That's the father I know."

Sombra chuckled. "And don't you forget it."

The two stared at each other, valuing their time together until Sombra's expression became serious again. "Speaking of time running out..."

Abacus blanched. She was hoping her father would have forgotten to bring up the one thing they never saw eye to eye on...

"Have you gotten around to finding an heir?"

The Headmistress took a deep breath, then exhaled. She and her father had been through this discussion more times than she cared to admit, and each time it was brought up, the exchanges would only get more and more heated.

Sombra grinned. "You were hoping I'd forget? I suppose that means you haven't," he said as he folded his arms.

Abacus pinched the bridge of her nose. "How many times do I have to tell you, father? I want my legacy to be my own!"

"My legacy was my own, even after you were born. When I die, my legacy will become your legacy!"

"You're only proving my point. When I die, I want to keep my legacy as my own!"

"Then who's going to continue our work?"

The Headmistress leaned into her father and whispered. "What work?! Killing people and making the general public fear us?" She got back into her chair. "My personal interests are at Crystal Prep Academy, father, and that's where they'll stay!"

Sombra's expression darkened as he snarled. He wheeled over to his daughter and whispered back. "Oh, please," he said mockingly. "Crystal Prep Academy was always a front for our misdeeds. Are you seriously saying that after all this time, all these years, that you still have no interest in carrying on our legacy?"

Something inside of Abacus snapped. "Our legacy?" She got up off of her seat. "Our legacy? You just said it yourself. When you die, your legacy becomes mine, and from the sound of things that just may not be too far off!"

"How dare you," Sombra shouted. "After everything I've done for you! Get out of my sight!"

"Gladly!" Abacus Cinch stormed off until she reached the entrance, then slammed the door shut. Her temper began to recede as she got into her car. She shut the driver's side seat and stared out the window as her argument with her father replayed in her mind.

The Headmistress sniffled, then buried her head in her hands and broke.

She would later learn that that was the last time she'd see her father lucid.

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Abacus shed a tear at the memory, as it was one of her few regrets in life. With a sigh, she checked her phone for the time, then pocketed it.

"I... I have to go," she said, then began her walk back to her car.

Comments

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"The Friendship Games are upon us, and I have no doubt that we will be victorious. Crystal Prep always wins, after all." The Headmistress smiled confidently. "Even if Canterlot High has been improving, it will not be enough. Crystal Prep will simply put them back in their place." She nodded, folding her arms.

Well your gonna be in for one hell of a surprise this time Cinch.

The visitor's room was lined with the same wallpaper in the halls, covered by movie posters of a bygone era. A simpler time, when one wouldn't go through life being coddled from day to day. Windows were open, allowing sunlight the shine through as a television played an old movie.

sunlight to shrine through*

The Headmistress leaned into her father and whispered. " What work?! Killing people and making the general public fear us?" She got back into her chair. "My personal interests are at Crystal Prep Academy, father, and that's where they'll stay!"

Please don't tell me she's being serious on the killing people part is she?