Dance Till I Die (gxg) ✓

"Pineapple And Broccoli"

ACE

     Isla squirmed under Ace, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

     "Ace, I said that's cheating!" 

     "Use your sword."

      "I can't―when you're―tickling―me!"

      "Look past that," Ace commanded. "Focus on fighting me off."

       "Tickling―isn't―fair!"

       Ace had the good sense to think twice about saying, It is better than torture. 

       Her father had tortured her. Had strapped a collar full of electricity to her neck.

       Fight, lapochka! Fight through it!

       In the beginning, she hadn't been able to. Her fingers would twitch, but the sensation was all-consuming. The volts of electricity, thundering through her, bleeding white-hot against her closed eyelids.

       But it had been a week of swordfighting, and just like Ace had, Isla was learning to see past this.

       Now, Isla's fingers did more than twitch. 

       With renewed strength, she latched onto the sword. And with a small, fierce battle cry, she swung her blade against Ace's chest.

        Ace sprang back. Right where she was standing, the sword cleaved the air.

       "A killshot," Ace said approvingly.

       Ace had not wasted time with wooden swords. The weight of steel was something it took time to get used to, and wasting this precious time they had now―while they were safe―would be unwise.

       As soon as Isla grinned, slackening her grip, Ace dove again. Tickling her.

       "Mom!"  she shrieked between gasps of laughter. "I just won―fair―and―square!"

       Ace did not let that word―Mom―distract her.

      "You're―cheating―again!"

       Ace did not know why, but she glanced up. Towards the woods. Was that Mavis, crackling in the bushes?

      A second later, Ace looked back down. Isla had the sword in her hand again, and she was aiming it with ruthless efficiency.

       Ace moved aside again. The sword scraped into the grass so deeply it drew dirt.

       "I did it!" Isla crowed.

        Ace was still fixed on that spot at the clearing. But Mavis did not appear. Did not push aside the leaves and tease, "Training without me again, huh?"

       No, Ace had imagined it.

       "Malen'kiy nindzya, it is getting dark. One more round of training and then we must go inside."

       "Two!"

       "Okay, two," Ace relented.

      "So I was thinking, and guess what I came up with?"

      "The function for quantum physics."

      "No! Even better."

      "The theory of relativity?"

      "No!  I made a ship name for you."