Melody Nocturne wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm as she and the rest of her squad landed on the pitch.  It was Sunday and the first day of practice of the semester for the young HoverHoops team.  Intermural sports were a favorite pastime for many of the Academy’s students, meaning that there were usually at least five teams vying for the annual championship in their age group.  Melody was in the fourteen and under group and had recently been voted Captain of the squad, a position she was quite suited to.  This first day of practice was to help Melody determine each of her team mates skills, and who was best suited to which position.  Unsurprisingly, it was one of the newest additions to the Academy who was emerging as the star player, Rhapsody Nocturne.

Mel smiled as Rhap chatted easily with some of the other players.  She was glad that her sister had managed to find something about the Academy that she truly enjoyed.

“All right everyone,” called Melody. “Let’s see a little one on one.”  She picked up one of the practice balls.  “Mike,” she tossed him the ball, “you’re aiming for that goal.”  She pointed to one of the goals on the far end of the field.  “Rhap, you’re defending it.”  Mel paused a bit while everyone was looking at her.  “Go.”

Mike and Rhap activated their boot thrusters with their wrist-mounted controls and leapt into the air.  Mel followed soon after to monitor the one on one bout.  Mike had been one of their best players last semester and he sped towards the goal with confidence.  Rhapsody was just ahead of them and as they got closer, she spun about to face Mike, flying backwards.

Mel was impressed.

For the next minute or so Mike and Rhapsody wove in an intricately elegant dance, each trying to gain the advantage over the other.  Mel hovered to one side and watched while the others cheered them on nearly thirty feet below.  Suddenly, Mike feinted to the left and Rhapsody bought it.  He spun to the right and was about to pass her when Rhap’s boot flailed out, striking Mike’s.  His thrusters faltered and he dropped several feet.  The gasp of fear from the other players was audible.

Immediately, the two Nocturne girls dived after him, each grabbing an arm just as his thrusters came back on.  Mike was breathing hard.

“Mike?” said Mel.  “Mike, are you all right?”

He nodded and swallowed hard.  “Yeah.”

On his other side, Rhap smiled and slapped his shoulder.  “Sorry about that.  I didn’t mean to kick you.”

Mike chuckled weakly.  “No problem.”

“I’ll be speaking to the equipment manager about this,” said Melody firmly.  “That sort of malfunction can be dangerous.”

Slowly, the three of them lowered to the ground to the audible sighs of everyone.

“Okay,” said Mel, “that’s all for today.  We’ll meet again next weekend.”

~*~

“Turn around a second... lemme see... no, not that one.”

Symphony puffed loudly and took off yet another dress under Harmony’s inspecting gaze. “But it’s pretty.”

“Yes, if you’re going to an expo. Not for a night out.”

The girl shrugged. Perked up on a stool, Harm was chewing on one of Rhapsody’s SugarSucker™ bars and choosing the right clothing for her sister’s ‘date’. It was the first time any of them was asked out by a boy, and she didn’t want to lose a second of it. Too bad that Symph had decided to keep this hidden from Melody for fear of her disagreement.

“Well then *how* am I supposed to dress?”

“Dunno. Cutely. Stimulating but not exposed. Suggesting but not slutty. Gotta find a measure, you know.”

Symphony bit her lower lip and nodded, rummaging in her bedroom closet for a few more minutes. She insisted on not using the automatic catalogues that everyone had, and instead did most things manually. Finally she picked a skin-tight black-and-green bodysuit with lovely golden embroidery. It enhanced those few curves she had, and was cute as a button.

“Now, that’s better. Put it on?” Symphony did, and it fitted her body perfectly. “Wonderful!” Harm exclaimed. “A sex bomb in the making.”

“Harm! You’re so gross! It’s just a date!” Symph blushed.

Her sister laughed. “Was just kidding. And by the way, since it’s just a date, you really, really, really should tell Melody.”

Symph’s face suddenly darkened, and she looked away. “Not wanna,” she mumbled in a little girl’s voice.

“Aww but why?”

“‘tis something mine and no one else’s.”

“But...”

“I telled you but not her, okay??”

Symphony was scowling and reverting to some minor baby-talk like she sometimes did, so Harmony understood it was time to stop.

“Okay, whatever, but Mel wouldn’t tell you off now... okay, she’d spank you for lying, but... maybe not.”

“I won’t take the risk. And nothing’s going to happen.” Her face softened and she hugged her sister. “Thanks, though. I promise I’ll talk to her... later... if this thing goes alright.”

~*~

Freshly showered, Melody and Rhapsody walked back to their apartment chatting animatedly about the practice.  It had been a couple of days since Mel had spanked her and Rhap was finding that she was able to be comfortable around her sister.  It was odd to her.  Mel had hit her pretty good and that should have made Rhap hate her, but...

They passed through the hallway painted neutral colors with large windows on one wall showing the blue sky and the busy cityscape.  When they arrived at their door, Melody swiped her key card and the door swooshed open.  Symphony was puttering around in the kitchen and Harmony was leaning idly against the wall, both of them naked.  A bit unusual for Symph but sometimes she was inclined to go along with whatever those around her were doing.  The two of them were engaged in light conversation and both looked up as their sisters entered.

“How’d practice go?” asked Symphony brightly.

“Excellent,” replied Rhapsody enthusiastically.

The two of them began to talk and Mel was going to join in but suddenly she looked at Harm, who was looking at the floor.  Melody approached her and said quietly, “Harm, don’t you have a test tomorrow?”

Harmony nodded, without saying anything.

“Have you studied for it?”

Harmony shook her head slightly.

Melody sighed.  She took Harm by the arm and led her to the short hallway off the living room.

“I thought you said this was going to be a difficult test,” Melody scolded quietly, under the conversation of Rhap and Symph.

“I guess,” replied Harm, shrugging a bit.

“You said you absolutely had to study for it all day,” said Mel.

“It’s boring,” whined Harmony.  “I had tests all last week too.”

Melody took Harmony by the arm again, turned her around and slapped her naked bum sharply.  Harm jumped and sniffled.  Then Melody led Harmony to her room and closed the door. Five crisp spanks later Harm was squeaking in pain.

“Mel, come on!” pleaded Harmony.  “I’ll do it now.”

Melody let go of Harmony’s arm and the young math genius clapped her hands to her bottom, a few tears working their way down her cheeks.

“You’re the one who said how important this test was,” Melody reminded her sister.

“I know.  I just... It’s such boring work.”

“I don’t need to remind you how we need to work at a pace the Academy sets, do I?”

Harmony shrugged and removed her hands from her bum to embrace Melody.  “I guess not.  But I don’t have to like it.”

Melody returned the hug and kissed Harm’s cheek.  “Gnothi sauton, sister.”

Harmony sighed.  “Gnothi sauton.”

With a pillow between her and her chair, Harmony set to work studying her formulas, music playing in the background.

~*~

Rhap had fallen silent from the sound of the first smack, allowing Symph to chatter on for a while.  Soon though, Symph realized Rhap’s discomfiture.  She reached out and rubbed Rhap’s shoulder.

“You okay?”

Rhapsody shrugged.  “What’s Harm getting smacked for?”

Symphony sighed.  “I’m not sure.  Probably shirking her work.  Does it really bother you so much?”

Again, Rhapsody shrugged.

A few moments later, Melody returned with a small sigh.  Symphony returned to whatever it was she was doing in the kitchen and Rhap sank onto the couch and turned the Sky Sports channel.

Mel went to the sink and poured herself a glass of cold water, enduring a glare from Symph as she did so.

“It’s just water, I can get myself a drink, can’t I?”

“That has yet to be seen,” replied Symphony sternly.

Mel couldn’t help but roll her eyes but was careful to make certain that Symph didn’t see her do so.  “So what are you putting together anyway?”

“Oh, uh... just something for a study group.  I’m supposed to meet them in the library soon.”

“Cool.”  Melody sat down next to Rhap on the couch.  “When will you be back?”

Symph shrugged.  “Sometime this evening.”

~*~

Soon Melody had lost interest in the game, and was dozing off more and more often on her sister’s shoulder. Finally Rhapsody pushed her back, gently but firmly, and said: “I’m not a pillow you know?”

Mel found it in her to grin for a second, before kissing Rhap’s cheek and mumble that she was going to get a nap. Rhapsody nodded and kept watching the game, wondering why the kiss. Melody was so not the expansive kind. She guessed it must have been the state of sleepiness, and shrugged.

But soon, the game lost its appeal for Rhapsody as well, and the black-haired Nocturne pushed herself up from the couch and headed for Harmony’s bedroom. She knocked.

“Come in.”

Rhapsody walked in, to find an almost naked Harmony sitting on a pillow in front of her desk, calculators and papers and pencils scattered all over the desktop.

“Having fun?”

Harmony shrugged. “Pretty much... not. I hate this stuff, it’s too... too...”

“Messy?”

“Err, I was about to say ‘easy’, but... never mind.” She grinned at her sister, who rolled her eyes and sat on the bed.

“I... well...” she started, clearing her throat. “Just wanted to say I...”

“You heard the spanking huh?”

Rhapsody nodded.

“If you call *that* a spanking,” Harm retorted, turning around to face the bed. “It was just a few swats for encouragement. I needed those.”

“Then why the pillow?” Rhapsody asked with a sassy tone.

Her sister giggled. “Because Melody’s encouragements tend to leave an impression for several minutes.”

Rhapsody nodded again, and looked away. There she was, talking of something she hadn’t even ever considered until the month before. And this girl could talk about it so nonchalantly it made her angry. It actually was the envy to make her angry: she looked forward to the moment she would be able to consider spankings such a common part of her life, too. She just wasn’t sure if it would ever happen.

“It’s...” Rhapsody tried to word what she felt, but she’d never been good at it. She swore out of frustration. “Damn it. It seems so simple, and yet I don’t get it.”

Harmony sighed, stood and went to sit with her sister. As soon as she got there, though, Rhap stood and started pacing the room, suddenly afraid of closeness.

“You don’t need to rush it,” Harmony still said. “It’ll come natural. You’ve been spanked, too, and you lived through it. I hope you also *understand* it, one day... trust me, Melody is patient, and so are we.”

Rhapsody nodded as she gazed out of the window. It had started to rain, and the colours were beautiful. “I guess.”

“Yep, trust me. It’s mathematical.”

With another giggle, Harmony returned to her homework.

~*~

Symphony tapped her foot nervously as she sped through the city utilizing one of the public transport tubes.  On her lap she carried a bag containing the lunch she had just prepared.  She had felt bad about lying to Mel about it.  In fact she knew she shouldn’t have done it but... Well there was no good reason, but she had done it and now she would have to live with it, but that all would come later.  For now, she was on her way to her first date ever.

A couple of minutes later she was exiting the transportation pod and entering the StarGate Mall.  In an area of the city less crowded with cloud-touching skyscrapers, the smaller, historic building created a feeling of quaintness.  Trees and lawns were scattered throughout the open air shopping center. 

David Honshu was reclining on an old style wooden bench.  His wavy, light brown hair was a bit tousled while his blue eyes scanned the shoppers.  Symphony felt her cheeks redden when she spotted him and hesitated.  She might have stood there for hours just staring at him, unable to move if he hadn’t spotted her.  He smiled and she smiled back, then he stood and walked towards her.

“Symphony,” he greeted, “It’s good to see you.”  He was taller than she remembered.

“Hello David,” she replied.

David reached out and plucked a small flower from a nearby flowerbed and tucked it into Symphony’s hair, just behind her ear.  She blushed again and he chuckled.

“What have you got in the bag?”

“Lunch,” said Symph, “I thought we might have a picnic.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” agreed David, “and I think I know just the place.”

StarGate Mall was so named for their main attraction, a three hour experience in space.  When it had first been implemented it was a new and exciting trip but with interplanetary space travel now a commercial affair the ‘Sojourn into Space’ was now considered a bit old fashioned.  Symphony still found it romantic.

The two of them were weighed and measured, Symph’s prepared lunch was packed carefully and half an hour later they were in their own little private space shuttle sixty miles above the surface, looking at the giant blue sphere that was Earth.  Symphony had made a simple lunch; deli-style sandwiches, potato salad, sliced apples and a bottle of sparkling cider.  For dessert there were chocolate chip cookies and milk.  A zero-gravity picnic all while viewing the majesty of the Earth and the vastness of Space.

By the time the shuttle touched down on the strip just outside StarGate Mall evening was settling over the city.  Hand in hand, Symph and David wandered around the shopping center, not buying anything, but having fun looking.  In a clothes shop specializing in out of date clothes, the two took turns modeling some of the wares for each other, giggling at the fashions people used to wear.

Finally, at eight o’clock, Symphony decided it was time for her to go home.  Together they walked to the transport tube station.

“Are you sure?” asked David, “I could treat you to dinner.  Your lunch was so good, it’d only be fair.”

Symph smiled, but shook her head.  “I’m sorry David.  I had a really good time and I whish I could stay longer, but...”

“I understand,” he assured her.

“You’re going back to Neptune tomorrow?”

“Yup.”

“When will you be back?”

David shrugged.  “It’s hard to say.”

Symphony sighed and looked down at her hands.

“But you can be sure I’ll let you know when I am.”

She smiled.  “I’m looking forward to it.”

He took her chin in his hand and lifted it so that they were looking at each other.  Then he leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the lips.

~*~

“Hello, I’m looking for my sister. Symphony Nocturne.”

The LibRobot behind the desk buzzed in acknowledgement. It moved its skeleton-like metallic arms and tapped on a touch-screen to activate it. Melody looked on as information regarding every student in the Susan Sontag Library was accessed.

 “That – name – is not – featured – in – the – list,” the LibRobot spoke mechanically.

Melody sighed. “The ID is 114-004-SMN.”

The LibRobot checked again. “According – to – the – internal – sensor – net – that – ID – is not – currently – anywhere – within – the – Academy – boundaries.”

The girl’s eyes went wide with shock. “I... that’s...” She took a deep breath and clutched her fists, trying not to roar her disappointment. “Never mind,” and she walked away.

“If – you – wish – I – could – get – to – the – bottom – of – this – by – connecting – to...”

“No thanks, I’ll get to the VERY bottom of this my own sound way!”

“... unable – to – comply... – please – repeat – your – request...”

~*~

The door to the Nocturnes apartment swished open, and Symphony crept in. She looked behind her back to see if someone she knew could spot her, and didn’t see anyone. She definitely would have not wanted her sisters, but mostly Melody, to know she was seen sneaking back home at eight in the evening when she was supposed to be at the library all along...

... also because there was no need for telltales, since Symphony was occasionally good at getting in trouble by herself. True enough, as soon as the doors closed and the purple-haired girl was inside, she was confronted with the erect figure of her blond-haired, muscular sister standing right before her nose.

“Ah! Whoa... you scared the crap outta me!”

Melody didn’t even wince. “Had a fun time?”

“Y-yes...” Symphony said, instinctively backing up against the door. “Well, as much fun as one can have at the library anyw...”

“Symphony Maria Nocturne, it’s time you STOP lying to us and tell the truth!” Melody yelled.

Symph literally jumped, and brought her small hands to her mouth. The bag where she’d packed the picnic leftovers fell to the floor, and it opened, revealing its content. Melody averted her eyes from her sister long enough to behold crumbles, used plates, and an half-empty bottle of cider.

“M-Mel, I...” stuttered Symphony.

“You weren’t at the library,” said Melody in a firm tone. “I’ve been there.”

Symphony gulped and looked away, her back still to the wall.

“I... I’m sorry... that’s true... it’s just that I...”

But she couldn’t continue, for Melody grabbed her slender wrist and dragged her to the living room. Symph skipped to keep up, not trying to get free, but still struggling some. She surveyed the room and was glad that at least the others weren’t there to witness what was looking like a very sound spanking coming. She shivered.

Melody sat down heavily on an armless chair, and flung her sister across her fit thighs. She easily kept her in place, and her hand descended with a sound SLAP! across the girl’s bottom cheeks, perfectly outlined by the decorated bodysuit she was wearing.

“Meeeel noooo wait!” Symphony wailed, and reached back to protect herself.

Melody slapped her hand away. “You weren’t anywhere within Academy grounds, Symph!”

“Noo, I... w-why... how do you know that?... It takes a teacher’s authorization to scan for chips...” She rubbed at the back of her left hand where a ChirpChip™ had been implanted seconds after her birth.

“That, or an overzealous LibRobot,” Melody stated, not without a certain satisfaction. Her hand found its target again, and Symph yelped in discomfort.

“Where have you been?” Melody asked sternly. She spanked both cheeks twice more as she waited.

“Ow ow! Mel, please...”  Two more stingers, and tears welled up in Symphony’s eyes.  “Owww... okay... Mel, but... you wouldn’t have let me.”

Melody raised an eyebrow, and calmed down some. She kept her hand on her sister’s bottom, though, as a sign that she shouldn’t dare try and get up. “Since when do you need my permission to do things, Symph?”

“N-not permission... but you wouldn’t have liked it...”

“But WHAT I wouldn’t have liked?”

Symphony took in a few shuddery breaths, and Melody felt her body relax over her lap before she confessed. “I’ve... I’ve been out on a d-date... with David...”

“Who?”

And so Symphony had to explain everything, from the calls she and the boy had exchanged over the past few days, to his visit to Earth. She did so in short sentences, and by the time she was through, tears were rolling down her cheeks as the girl wept silently to herself.

Melody sighed, and she stood her sister up. “Symph, I... sorry if I snapped at you.”

Symphony pouted like a child and looked away, rubbing her smarting bottom.

“I... don’t *like* that guy...” Melody bit her tongue to avoid saying more, “but it’s okay, really.”

“Huh?” Symphony perked up.

“Yeah I mean, it’s your business what you do, but you MUST tell us where you are!”

“H-Harmony knew.”

Melody frowned. “Oh she did, didn’t she.” Symphony looked down, afraid she’d just got another sister in trouble with her big mouth. “I’m more concerned about you now. Really, Symph! Do whatever you want with your free time, but don’t keep things hidden! It’s for everyone’s safety, you know??” She heated up again.

“Yes Melody...” Symphony cried, still looking at the carpet. And her cries went up a notch when her sister’s hands slipped in the waistband of her skin-tight pants, and pulled them down to her knees along with her underwear. The girl kicked herself for her lack of thought as she was propelled back over Melody’s lap.

~*~

Rhapsody winced as she heard the spanking begin out in the living room.  True, Rhap had been worried and not a little irritated with Symph for disappearing as she had, but when Mel had come home angry, Rhapsody had found herself retreating to the balcony to avoid an argument.  It was Mel’s decision.  Mel’s and Symph’s, and Rhapsody was not going to interfere.  It was only her most sensitive of sisters getting her bare bottom smacked.

It was a harder, longer spanking than had been Harmony’s earlier that day, and Symphony’s wails were loud, as was the sound of Mel’s palm smacking her bare bottom for what seemed like forever.

The balcony overlooked the nightscape of the city.  The faint hum of vehicles and transport tubes and conversation became nothing but white noise by the time it reached her ears.  She wondered if anyone else sitting on their balcony could hear Symphony’s spanking like she could.  What would they think?  Spanking had pretty much been phased out of the culture for decades now.  Would they understand?

The girls liked to keep plants on the balcony.  Long vines, leafy plants that added a sense of nature to their flat.  Rhapsody found herself stroking one of the leaves gently with one hand, and her thigh with the other.  She shivered as a gust of cold wind blew over her.  She pulled her light robe closer.  Partially to bother Melody and partly because she liked to, Rhapsody had begun to adopt a similar clothing practice as Harm, but not as extreme.  So tonight she was clad in only her robe.

Suddenly, Rhap realised that Symph’s spanking had ended.  Taking a deep breath, she stood and walked back inside.  Melody was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands.  She looked up as Rhap entered.

“You heard it all I suppose?”

Rhap nodded and plopped down on the couch next to her sister. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”  Rhapsody reached for the remote and turned on the holovision.

Melody and Rhapsody settled back on the couch as the Academy-run station ran their news program.  After a few minutes the tension between the two eased somewhat.  By the time the sports report came on they were snuggled together.  The two watched the results of some of the Old Football games and some more personal stories about the possible use of performance enhancing drugs.  The report capped off with a report of the major HoverHoops game.

“Gibson was ejected from the game for intentionally kicking the thruster of Uther,” the young reporter said as footage showed the incident.  “Gibson claimed it was an accident, but the officials disagreed.  The rivalry between the two players is now at an all time high.”

The report moved on to other subjects but Rhap wasn’t paying attention.  The incident reminded her of what had happened earlier that day during practice.  She felt a faint tightening in her chest and unconsciously rubbed her bottom.

“Good move,” Rhapsody commented. 

Mel gave her a look, but she ignored it. 

“Wish mine had been that good.” 

Mel’s look turned angry.  “You don’t mean to say that... that you kicked him on purpose?”

Rhap shrugged causing Mel to stand up angrily, turning off the holo.

“How could you?” Melody said, raising her voice. “It’s dangerous, he could’ve died!”

Rhapsody looked at her sister, not defiantly like before, but not exactly respectfully either. “What are you saying, he was fine. Look, I’ve been playing this game since I was a kid, and...”

“And I don’t think you should play it again,” stated Melody.

“WHAT? The hell I won’t.”

Melody shook her head. “You don’t realise, do you?” she asked in a more controlled voice. Rhapsody looked away. “You... yeah, I don’t think you realise yet the importance of certain rules. What’s wrong with the three of you?!” she yelled, louder, sure that both Symphony and Harmony could hear from within their rooms. “I never had to give three spankings in one day,” she added then, more to herself than anything.

At that, Rhapsody’s eyes went wide. “Oh you won’t...”

Melody didn’t even reply; she just grabbed her sister’s wrist and pulled her up to a standing position, then seated herself. It happened so quick Rhapsody couldn’t even fight it. When she realised that she was being stripped of her bathrobe, she was already standing bare naked in front of her sister.

“Wait a sec...!” she hissed, keeping her voice low and watching Melody fling the robe across the room. For some reason it still mattered to her that her other sisters wouldn’t know she was being spanked.

But yet again, no response from Melody, who simply tripped the girl’s feet so that she fell in place across her lap. The second later, Mel’s arm was restraining Rhap’s nude frame from every movement as her other hand crashed down across the unblemished bottom cheeks at a furious rate.

“Heyyyyyy!!” Rhapsody squealed in surprise and anger.

Melody took no notice, and continued her severe assault on her sister’s derriere.

For the following two minutes, and perhaps a little bit more, Rhapsody squirmed, fought, tried to struggle free of Melody’s grasp around her slim waist, all to no avail. She had always thought she was fit, and she was if compared to any other girl, but there was just no escaping Mel when she wanted you to stay somewhere.

Rhapsody’s bottom took on a glowing shade long before Melody was done spanking it, and by the time the girl’s hand was starting to sting, it was red as a ripe tomato. On her behalf, Rhapsody was once again trying to keep everything in: once realised she couldn’t avoid the spanking, she lay there and took it, gritting her teeth.

Melody spanked hard, though, and more than a few yelps escaped Rhap’s lips... “oww! hey! ouch!...” but other than that, she just took it.

Almost three minutes later, Melody realised she wasn’t getting anywhere. She stopped. Her own forehead was hot and sweaty, and she was breathing harder than after a training session.

“Do... do you at least *understand* what was wrong with you, Rhap?” she asked, a little out of breath.

“Yeah...” came the girl’s muffled reply. “He was looking for it big time, but... oh come on... you know...”

Rhapsody was confused. Melody was too, and she shook her head as she grabbed her sister’s bare shoulders, spinning her around a bit so she could look in her eyes.

“Can’t you even say ‘I’m sorry’, Rhapsody??” she asked, desperate now. Rhap averted her eyes, she too breathing heavily. “What does it *take* to make you sorry?”

Melody’s wasn’t much of a threat, but it was received that way... and for the first time since their meeting, Rhapsody’s eyes showed some genuine worry. If for the state of her bottom or what she had done, Melody didn’t know, but it was still surprising.

She realised she couldn’t stop now, though, and that if she was going to make some sense out of her sister’s behaviour she needed to show a firmness and a clarity of intents that Rhapsody evidently didn’t have.

Suddenly Melody realised she was wearing slippers, and that while not exactly a traditional spanking implement (in her mind, anyway, since she’d never spanked or been spanked with anything but a bare hand), they’d still serve the purpose to make this a harder spanking.

One slipper came off, was brandished by her hand, and cracked down with a loud THWACK! across both of Rhapsody’s quavering bottom cheeks.

“Eeeeek!!”

If Harmony and Symphony still weren’t listening, they sure were now. Impressed by the quick and sound result, Melody repeated the smack on the same spot, deepening the red imprint there. Rhapsody yelped loud again and resumed her wriggling... and, for the first time, she begged to be let off.

“No... Mel wait...!”

Melody picked up a pace, spanking the black-haired girl harder than she’d ever spanked any of her sisters. The slipper rose and fell with unforgiving rhythm, delivering terribly stinging lashes to an already sore behind.

“Owwww!! Mel noo! It hurts! It hurrrrts!”

All of Rhapsody’s self-promises to bear a spanking with dignity flew right out of the window with the fifth swat or so, and soon the floodgates opened and she was crying in earnest.

Just like she’d heard Symphony do a few minutes earlier. Just like any girl who’s being soundly, but fairly, spanked would. That was music to Melody’s ears. Bittersweet music, perhaps, but still very welcome. Only when Rhapsody’s bottom and sit-spots were an even crimson, and the girl was sobbing loudly, she did stop.

Rhapsody, on the other hand, did not stop.  She continued to wail and sob, lying draped over Melody’s lap.  Her face, hidden by her black hair, was damp from tears.  Gently, Melody helped her sister to her feet.  She gave the crying girl a quick, firm hug and was about to pull away... when Rhapsody squeezed her back hard.  Quite a bit harder than was strictly necessary so far as Melody was concerned.  Rhapsody rested her forehead on Melody’s shoulder and continued to cry, holding on to her sister all the while.

Melody rubbed Rhapsody’s back gently.  “It’s okay now,” she tried to soothe her.  “It’s all over.”

“I’m sorry Mel, sorry for everything…” Rhapsody managed, through the sobs.

Melody pulled back in order to look at her face.  “What do you mean?”

“Just,” she took a deep shuddering breath, “I’m happy to have found you all.”

“And we’re happy to have found you, too,” Melody assured her.

For a few moments, the two sisters stood looking at each other in silence.  Rhap was sniffling occasionally and constantly rubbing at her battered buns.

“It’s getting late,” Melody said eventually, “We should get to bed.”

Rhapsody shrugged, but did not resist as Melody steered her to her room,  fetching her robe along the way.  At Rhap’s door, Mel gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and was surprised when it as returned.

 “Good night, sis,” said Melody.

“Good night,” Rhapsody replied.

Before going to her own room, Melody opened Symph’s door a crack.  Symphony was sitting at her easel, a fat pillow between her bottom and the stool, painting away.  It was of two boys playing in a park, their parents watching in the background.  Probably a piece for Mr. Casillani.

Not wanting to bother the painter, Melody closed the door and turned to Harmony’s only to find the math wizard leaning against the doorframe, smiling at her.

“Seems you got through to her tonight,” commented Harmony quietly.

Melody nodded.  “I hope so.  Are you turning in your paper?”

Harmony shrugged.  “Yeah, in a few minutes.  It’s boring, but fine.”

“Good.  Harm, next time you know Symph is keeping a secret, will you please tell?”

The girl looked away and blushed a little. “Y-yeah... sorry about that.”

“Alright. I’m going to bed.  Good night, Harm.”

“Good night, Mel.”

~*~

When Melody came back exhausted from her morning jogging session, she found her sisters up and about. Symphony was talking soothingly to the FoodMat™ as though that might help it make better food. Harmony was out of the shower and switching idly through holovision channels, loosely wrapped in a huge towel. Rhapsody was bumping her head to the rhythm of some loud Martian music, all the while cleaning her jet boots.

“Hey Mel,” said Harm. “Good morning.”

Rhapsody quickly looked up, tensed up even, but soon relaxed and gave her sister a tiny smile.

“‘morning all,” said Melody, hands on her knees and recuperating.

“Good morning Meeeel!” Symph yelled from the kitchen.

As soon as she was breathing okay again, Melody made her way to the couch and plopped down on it besides Harm. The girl moved a couple of inches away, earning herself a puzzled look from her sister.

Harmony grimaced. “What? You stink.”

“Well duh, I just...”

“Go take a shower.”

“Alright.”

In the background, Rhapsody snickered. Mel forced herself up and playfully smacked Harmony’s head, eliciting a yelp and a giggle. “By the way, did you...”

“Yes, I turned it in last evening.”

“And did they...”

“Yes, they returned the scores overnight.”

“And how...”

“87 percent.”

Mel raised an eyebrow, then sneered. “Alright... but a math wiz like you... JUST eighty-seven...”

Harmony didn’t reply, but sank in the sofa a little deeper. “Well, I...”

“Just teasing,” Mel cried from the bathroom, where she was running the shower. “Keep it up, sis.”

~*~

Harmony knew that Melody was just trying to stimulate her, but nonetheless, it worked. That morning, in her Biology class, for the first time she felt that even though she didn’t exactly fancy certain things, she should still try and do them justice. A genius like her could score 100% on every test that a normal 13-year-old couldn’t even read... so it was time to actually do that, and in every subject. Plain and simple.

Also the thought of the very sore bottom that Melody could give her was a good motivator!

The class wasn’t that appealing in itself, but Harm focused on it anyway. Having to screen, map and report about an entire chromosome didn’t look all that hard, until she found out just how *much* DNA there was there: even with last-generation computers, it’d take them all week.

The teacher, the curvaceous Ms. Allen that all boys slobbered for, had assigned working stations. Once at the desk, Harmony started getting ready for the preliminary analysis, but she rightfully complained that their microscopes weren’t loaded with the specimen...

“Well,” said a grinning Ms. Allen. “That’s for you guys to provide.”

And, not without a groan, Harmony took a hair from her own head (“ow!”), isolated the follicle and placed it on the transparent mylar sampler.

As soon as the computer pre-scanned the chromosomes, she isolated one at random and could get started. The computer flashed the words “possible DNA anomaly: subject is not human” on the view screen, and it kept doing so every time Harm would try and run the same analysis. Even though she was no expert, it didn’t take much for her to figure out that there was actually something wrong with that chromosome.

‘Subject is not human’... she kept repeating in her mind. She gulped. She ran double-checks, triple-checks even. Always the same outcome. She didn’t tell anyone, and looked around to see if anyone had the same problem as she. Everyone seemed absorbed in calculus.

Harmony saved her work on an optic disc and slipped away from the classroom as soon as she could, faking a headache. She was given an Infirmary pass and sent off, but never got there. Instead, she took out her MagiCall™ and dialled each of her sisters, telling them to meet her at the apartment right away.

What she thought she’d just discovered couldn’t wait.

– The End –

This story does not necessarily represent the authors’ point of view about anything. It is simply a work of fiction. The characters herein portrayed are invented and do not resemble reality to the best of the authors’ knowledge. This account is entirely fictitious. Any similarities to other persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

This story is written for the sane amusement of adult readers. It does not intend harm and does not promote violence of any kind, including spanking. No offence is meant to any group, ethnicity or individuals.

The authors do not necessarily endorse the non-consensual disciplinary spanking of actual children and/or teenagers.

Copyright © 2004 Haley Brimley, Lawrence Kinden. Contact for information and/or feedback.