As was so often the case, her office was not as well lit as other rooms in the Academy, save for whatever light was coming in through the blinds of her window. Aside from her own breathing, the only real sound here right now was that of the clock on the wall. But, it had to be said, Abacus Cinch was not looking like she was in a particularly talkative mood anyway. She wasn't working, as every scrap of paperwork on her desk had already been signed and placed in a neat little pile on one side. Instead, she sat quietly, her fingers together, appearing deep in thought over something. After a while, however, she sighed, getting herself out of her chair, her hands clasped behind her back, and she started to walk over to one of the nearby walls to her side. The whole thing was adorned with certificates and shelves lined with trophies, and every one of them spoke of success and achievement. For just a brief moment, the Principal gave a small smile of pride.
But her attention was soon diverted from all of this, as she then heard the distinct sound of somebody clearing their throat. Turning, she found that it was none other than the Academy's Dean, Cadence. The younger woman, with her hands clasped together in front of her skirt, gave a moment of silence, allowing Abacus all the time she needed to actually respond. The moment came sooner than expected, as the latter, with her expression now softening, gave a short nod before finally speaking up.
"Well...I suppose if I was ever going to be happy with somebody taking my place here, it was always going to be you, Dea..."
She paused, chuckling briefly before starting up again.
"...though...I imagine I should call you Principal Cadence now."
The other woman took a step further into the office, looking around briefly before regarding her employer once more.
"You know...you could always just call me Cadence."
A smile crept onto Abacus' face after that.
"Yes...I suppose I could."
There was silence between the two women for quite some time, until, finally, it was broken when the former Principal elected to pick up one of the aforementioned trophies, reading the inscription before glancing at her reflection within it.
"You know...I probably should have retired a lot sooner than this."
Cadence raised an eyebrow.
"Then why didn't you?"
A sigh escaped Abacus.
"When you spend as long as I have trying to make your school as successful as it can be...there comes a time when...well...that goal becomes everything to you."
Placing her trophy back upon the shelf, she turned, now making her way back to what was soon to be Cadence's desk. There, she stopped, looking at a photo frame that stood upon it. Within the frame was an image of her daughter, Sunny, smiling back to her. She regarded it carefully, and when she was finished, she looked up once more to her impending replacement.
"May I offer some advice, Cadence?"
Walking further into the office, the younger woman nodded, prompting Abacus to continue.
"I know that, like me, you will give everything you have to make this place as good as it can be. You'll try to give your students all the drive they need to make them want to be better than they are."
Her eyes narrowed.
"But be careful. For if there's one thing my career has taught me, it's that you must not allow those goals to consume you. Don't let the pursuit of success blind you to others in your life. Don't let this job be..."
Again, her eyes drifted back to the picture of Sunny.
"...don't let it be an obsession."
Cadence considered that for a time, then offered a small smile to her predecessor.
"You know...the image of the career-obsessed harsh teacher is not the only way people have come to think of you, Abacus."
The ex-Principal gave a snort.
"Oh? My actions have hardly inspired confidence in recent years."
Cadence nodded.
"Perhaps. But...there's a reason why so many parents wanted to send their children to this place. Why so many students would go on to achieve their dream job...and that's you."
Abacus looked to her with some confusion, leading to Cadence carrying on.
"Your drive, your need to make this the best school it possibly could be...that wasn't in vain. There's never been a single boy or girl who passed through these halls under your time here that didn't go on to do something great with their lives."
She paused for a moment.
"Yes...there might have been a few...stumbling blocks along the way...but all things considered..."
A small but genuine smile came to her.
"...you were a good Principal."
As before, silence fell between them, and during that time, Abacus once more turned her gaze to the wall beside her, to all those certificates and marks of achievement. After a time though, she gave a dry chortle.
"So...a time that ultimately helped students be all they could be."
She smiled.
"I suppose...if I had to have some kind of legacy in this place...I could definitely think of worse."
Slowly, she reached up, placing her hand upon one of the trophies in front of her, giving it one final glance before, at last, starting to walk away from it. She made one final stop at her desk, making sure to pick up her daughter's picture, smiling to it before, ultimately, moving away. It took little time for her to reach Cadence, wherein she once more clasped her hands behind her back.
"I really should get going. Sunny will be waiting for me. We have a long weekend of things we plan to do together. It'll be...nice."
Cadence looked to her with some curiosity.
"Are you sure you don't want to give some final speech to the students?"
Abacus shook her head.
"No. I think the students have had more than enough of me over the years. Besides, I don't really want any fanfare over this."
Slowly, she looked behind her, to the office she was now about to leave. Her bookshelves, her furniture, and especially her desk. She stared hard at all of them, knowing it would probably be the last time she would ever do so, before yet again looking Cadence right in the eye.
"Remember, Principal Cadence...don't let this job be all you live for. Because if you do...you may find that chair somewhat...uncomfortable."
Cadence nodded, still smiling as she did so.
"Thank you, Principal Cinch...I'll certainly try."
Abacus gave an approving nod to that, adjusting her glasses slightly before taking a step forward. She stopped, looking down at the dividing line in the floor between her office and the hallway outside, and for just a moment, she hesitated. Then, after taking a deep breath, she looked onwards with a determined expression, before finally making that final step over the line.
"So...the Rubicon is crossed."
But, mere seconds after those words, a smile came to her lips.
"And about damn time too."
"Abacus!"
Cadence's voice caused her to look over her shoulder to her, prompting the former to place her hands upon her hips and give her predecessor a somewhat disapproving frown.
"I hope you remember that such language isn't really accepted here."
While taken aback somewhat, the moment passed as both women gave each other a knowing smirk, leading to Abacus speaking her final words to her one-time employee.
"Yes...I think you'll do just fine."
