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The Master's Pride.

Book one of 'Emerald Dawn'.

A Jade Palace story,

contains parental spanking, M/f incest , f/solo cub, rape Characters and setting (c) KennyW AKA Kaon 2012

Every society has days of celebration. Throughout countless ages, cultures and peoples rejoice and revel in the fantastic accomplishments of others and the inhabitants of the Master's Jade Palace were no different. The vast, crystalline citadel was abuzz with excitement and preparation for one of the most anticipated days of the year. The feast of Citizen's Ascendant was a hallowed event where the brave, the accomplished, the beloved of the Master were exalted for their service and loyalty to his entire Palace.

This year was even more special for one small puppy girl. Nikki, adopted child of Master Kaon was due to formally receive her collar. It was a really big deal as not every ordinary member of Kaon's household wore a collar. It was a prestigious honor that had to be earned. Common collars of quartz were given to those who had attracted the notice of the Master. The thin bands of milky white were presented to adults who had shown selfless, hard working devotion to the Master's Palace or to children who were well behaved and diligent in their studies and duties. If a fur earned the trust of the Master and was inducted into the military or security forces, they were given a sapphire collar as a badge of officer whilst ruby collars were gifted to talented physicians and medical personnel.

Most special of all were the perfect emerald collars worn by the Master's own family. There were only seven of these collars and at this time, only the owners of six of them had been found. A female who earned the right to wear one of these collars had Master Kaon's devotion, his eternal love and his heart. Nikki's own collar was, to her, even more precious. It's like had never been seen in the palace before, a gorgeous band of beautiful pink diamond, crafted by the Master's own paw especially for his beloved puppy girl. Although this collar did not give her the same special status as one of the Master's own, it did nonetheless speak of a deep affection far beyond the mere bond between father and daughter...

Nikki had been shocked and delighted to receive her collar from Master Kaon, though the timing was a trifle convenient. Shana, the master's natural daughter and the whole reason Nikki had been adopted in the first place had recently fallen from favor for a time. The orange furred vixen cub had clashed with her daddy in spectacular fashion and Nikki suspected that receiving her collar right at that particular time had been intended as much as a jab at Shana as it had been a reward for the huskie pup.

Still, cub and father had swiftly reconciled and Nikki still had her collar, so it had all come good in the end. Now, the puppy was due to be formally recognized along with a select special few as having made the Master proud. Yes, Nikki had had a few.. ..problems the past year, but she'd risen above them in grandiose fashion and made leaps and bound in her development, character and learning. These were achievements that could not go unrecognized and would be justly rewarded at one of the biggest celebrations of the year.

The ceremony itself was a truly grandiose affair. Held in a vast auditorium with seating for and attended by every member of the Masters Palace, rewards, recognitions and collars were handed out by Master Kaon himself. Intricate ceremony, music and festivities heralded the event for weeks prior whilst meticulous preparations were made to ensure everything ran smoothly. Afterwards a banquet was held that could last days with people coming and going, reveling and celebrating in the grand dining hall at whim.

This year.. all this ceremony, all this pomp and circumstance , all the celebrations the decorations, the food the drink.... it was all for Nikki. Yes there would be others who were recognized and honored, but the eleven year old huskie pup knew the truth of the matter. Just for today, the Master's entire palace lived and breathed especially for her. The exited puppy knew it in her heart; she could see it in her Father's eyes, in the expressions of all her friends and family, today was her day to shine amongst a universe of bright stars.

Currently, the slightly pudgy eleven year old pup was squirming on her seat, wriggling about with nervous energy as her short locks of golden brown hair were gently brushed out by one of her guardians. Nikki stared happily into her vanity mirror as the ebon furred paws of Mrs. Cindy stroked and worked at the pup's hair, brushing till it shone like the rest of her fluffy grey fur.

Nikki could see it in the skunkette's blue eyes, the pride there that she'd seen everywhere the last few weeks. Everyone understood the great honor that was being given to the puppy girl and were justifiably proud of how she'd come such a long way from the timid, withdrawn little girl that had first been adopted as Master Kaon's second daughter. Mrs. Cindy knew better than most.

The skunkette had been there from the very beginning. Right from the first day Nikki had left her orphanage and walked into her new home, the monochrome mephitis female had stood by her side, a smile on her lips, with strong, loving arms ready to cuddle or discipline as the puppy girl had needed it. The two of them had always been close, but recently, they had grown even more attached.

The dreamy grin faded from Nikki's muzzle as the memory of the event that had been the catalyst in their relationship came flooding back. Three months ago, Nikki and Cindy had had a... disagreement and the puppy had been angry beyond words, so angry and upset and her temper had gotten the best of her. Like every time the pup had let her temper rule unchecked, Nikki had done something she regretted so very much, she'd bitten Cindy to the point of drawing blood.

Cindy had forgiven her immediately and unconditionally, even going as far as trying to lessen the puppy's inevitably harsh discipline. Even though Nikki had paid dearly for her outburst, receiving the first real thrashing of her life from an upset Master Kaon, the pup still felt oh so guilty about it. Nikki's dark brown eyes sought out Cindy's in the mirror's crystal clear reflection, suddenly feeling the need for security and reassurance and Cindy's warm, loving smile provided everything the huskie girl's heart wanted and more.

Since that incident, over the past months, huskie girl and matronly skunk had bonded so closely that it could not be undone. No longer had Nikki's duties in the kitchens under Mrs. Cindy's supervision been an unwelcome chore, the puppy looked forwards to spending time with her monochrome guardian. For her part, everyone had noticed how Cindy, the palace head chef, in charge of a kitchen the size of a football stadium had become a little airheaded of late. Normally so efficient and thorough, Cindy had taken to making excuses to work in close proximity to where Nikki had been stationed, even to the detriment of her own duties.

Last night, however, things had come to a head. Nikki could still remember what had transpired between them, something neither female had expected, but it was something that they could no longer ignore as the truth. All her life, since the horrific motor accident that had ripped her family away from her, Nikki had been prone to nightmares. During times of stress or over excitement, those memories would come flooding back, haunting her dreams with tortured visions of twisted metal and bloody flesh amidst an ocean of searing flame...

Normally, Nikki would seek out her sister, or her father.... even Miss Yasmin, palace counselor for the comfort she needed... but.. last night... last night there had only been one person in the whole palace with enough love to sooth the puppy's broken heart. For a moment, the memories of last night came flooding back to the puppy girl, as they had a dozen times since she'd woken up that morning in Mrs. Cindy's arms....

************* Nikki sat bolt upright in her queen sized bed, her laid back puppy ears ringing with the shriek of tearing metal and her own agonized scream of grief and loss, tears streaming down fuzzy puppy cheeks as hideous memories wracked her consciousness with raw, bleeding edge intensity.. Heart hammering in her chest, the miserable puppy stared wildly around the familiar confines of her own neat, orderly room in mute shock for a moment, before burying her head in her paws and sobbing brokenly.

Why now?

Why, on today of all days would she have a nightmare and not just any old nightmare, but an almost perfect recollection of that horrifying accident?! Her father, driving his tired family home after the happy day they'd spent at the fair together, and then being t-boned by a four wheel drive at an intersection. Shouts and screams of pain and fear, the sound of crumpled metal, the smell of leaking gasoline. Her mommy, carrying the bawling six year old puppy girl to the curb and telling her to be brave... mommy will be right back... her mommy going back to help Nikki's brother free their trapped father from the wreckage..

Then... the road train... a speeding, fully laden semi, barreling through the intersection... the heat blast and shockwave from a massive explosion and.... and...... the burning....

Another agonized howl rent the quiet night air and Nikki threw herself off her bed, plagued by sickening visions of her family's violent demise. The shuddering, bawling puppy fled her room, blinded by tears and misery, her little feet instinctually pounded a path to the one person she wanted right now, the only person. Although her sister Shana was just in the next room, by the time the vixen cub knocked on the adjoining door to see if her sister was ok, the huskie was long gone. Even though Master Kaon's personal quarters were just down the hall, the fox deity meditated on, unawares of his adopted daughter's anguish.... and despite the fact that Mrs. Cindy's quarters were on the kitchen level, countless floors down and away from the family residence....

A frantic, pounding thump on the skunkette's door shocked Cindy from her peaceful doze to full alertness. Was that someone knocking, or trying to bash her door down? Puzzled and a little irritated by the sudden rude awakening, the plump, busty skunkette quickly climbed from her bed and pulled a fuzzy pink dressing gown over her full figured monochrome furred form. Blinking away the sleep from her blue eyes and stifling a yawn, the skunkette edged open her door to see who would be so inconsiderate as to make such a racket at this time of the morning.

As heavy set and sturdy as she was, Cindy was almost knocked on her tail by a bawling, sobbing fuzzy grey cannonball of misery as Nikki hurled herself into the skunkette's arms, throwing her arms around Cindy's ample waist and howling at the top of her lungs! As surprised as she was by the sudden emotional assault, Cindy's motherly instincts kicked in immediately and the matronly skunk wrapped her strong arms around the wailing puppy girl in a loving embrace, murmuring gentle, shushing whispers into one tightly laid back husky ear. It didn't take a genius to work out why Nikki was so upset, especially when you knew her as well as Cindy did.

It took awhile for the sobbing and shaking to stop. All that time, Cindy simply cradled the distraught puppy and gave her the comfort and attention she was craving. Sometime later, an hour maybe, after Nikki's near constant crying had finally faded into sniffles, the huskie pup looked up at her guardian with reddened eyes, and her voice was cracked and hushed... Nikki couldn't stand the thought of being alone.

"Can... Can I sleep here with you tonight? Please?"

Cindy compressed her lips. It was ... unusual to be sure, but not entirely unwelcome. Although the skunkette was a loner by choice, living apart from the other family members, especially Master Kaon, she had developed a deep fondness for the puppy, her mothering instincts taking over from her natural desire for privacy and solitude... It couldn't hurt, surely?

"Alright, sweetheart. Just for tonight."

It was worth her misgivings, just to see that sad little puppy face light up with a happy smile. Soon enough, Cindy found herself back in bed, with Nikki snuggled up against her in the darkness. The buxom skunkette wrapped her thick, bushy tail around the shivering huskie as the small pup cuddled with her, the quietude broken only by the odd sniffle from Nikki. It was warm and comforting, to hold the girl pup in her arms like this, evoking memories of happier times... the times when Cindy had her own child. Reflecting now on her own past, Cindy could see how closely her life paralleled the small puppy's who was dozing against her breast.

Nikki had lost her parents and family in an awful motor accident. Cindy had lost her child, her brother and in a roundabout way, her own relationship with her husband, Master Kaon to a sickening, senseless drive-by shooting. Nikki had been left by herself in an orphanage, miserable and lonely until Kaon adopted her, yet the fox simply couldn't devote himself to the huskie girl in the way Nikki needed...

Cindy had been lonely and depressed, the ugly girl in her college till Kaon had romanced and married her, yet now the big, handsome fox that Cindy had wed only ever invoked feelings of loss and grief in the withdrawn skunkette, painful memories of the bliss she had once enjoyed, but due to her own selfish foolishness had thrown away.

Her greatest regret was that from the moment she had first laid eyes on Kaon... all the time they were married and in the eighteen million years of her life in the Palace.... after everything he had sacrificed for her... after everything he had done and the wonders he had shown her...Cindy had never once been able to tell Kaon she loved him...

So much guilt...

Looking down at the sleepy puppy, tucked up in the crook of her black furred arm, Cindy could see why the two of them had all but latched onto each other. In truth, the chemistry had always been there, but it had taken a major event for it to finally come to the fore and now, the duo of skunk and pup were nigh on inseparable. Maybe.... maybe Cindy could even bring herself to move back into the family quarters, overcome her own guilt ridden grief for Nikki's sake, even if That would bring the skunkette back into frequent contact with Master Kaon...

Cindy finally found herself able to relax, feeling more at peace then at any time in the past few millennia. Maybe it was true... maybe what Kaon had said and what Yasmin, palace counselor had tried to drill into her thick skull was actually the truth. All Cindy had ever wanted was another chance, a chance to be a good mother, even perhaps... a real wife instead of a self absorbed, selfish bitch. Her self-imposed penitence for her perceived sins had been her work, slaving away like a servant in the kitchens for countless millennia without thought of recognition or reward, trying to prove to herself that she was a different person from that other female that had caused her friends and family... her husband so much pain.

It hadn't been enough. No amount of work, sore arms or blistered paws could suffice to heal the skunkette's fractured soul or relieve one iota of the crippling guilt that weighed heavy on her heart... In Nikki however, Cindy saw redemption. in three months the small pup had managed to sooth away more hurt than millions of years of devoted servitude. Cindy had walled herself of from Kaon, from her friends in an attempt to deal with her issues, wearing a fake smile, day in day out whilst her night were filled with lonely tears and regret. It had been that way for as long as Cindy had lived in the palace, until Nikki had come along and had lit a tiny light in the cold depths of the skunkette's heart.

"..........love you... mommy..."

It was a half heard, mumbled line from the dozing pup in her arms. Cindy 's cookie shaped, skunkie ears twitched in shock, a sharp intake of breath accompanied by a delicious, shuddering shiver, rippling through her body. Even if... it was just the product of Nikki's dreams, even if the puppy didn't remember calling her that tomorrow.. it was still the most wonderful, meaningful thing that anyone had said to the skunkette in an age. Mommy... being Nikki's mom.... if only... if only that were true...

"Love you too... sweetheart..."

Cindy closed her eyes, feeling tears beginning to well up and that peculiar lump developing in her throat. She needed sleep, rest up for the big day tomorrow. Within moments , the matronly skunk was fast asleep, lulled into slumber by a happiness she had thought lost to her forever. She didn't actually see the happy smile etched on nikki's face as the puppy nestled in a little closer to the big skunkette that the lonely huskie had come to love in a very special way....

********************

A soft pat to Nikki's derriere brought the puppy out of her dreamy reverie. The happy huskie girl turned her head to flash a dazzling smile at her guardian and Cindy returned that warm expression, bringing up one ebon furred paw to gently stroke Nikki's cheek. They had only a few more minutes before the Auditorium would open up to begin admitting guests, and the skunkette lifted Nikki off the seat, smoothed out the girl's cream blouse, and consciously patted down her own blue outfit and made sure her short, neck length white hair was straight and orderly. An idle thought occurred to the skunkette as she reached out and tenderly ruffled Nikki's golden brown locks, making the puppy squirm and giggle....the two of them even had a nearly identical hairstyle...

"We need to head to the auditorium, Nikki. We don't want to be late for the big event!"

Nikki nodded enthusiastically and both furs quickly headed out of Mrs. Cindy's room and started their walk up to the promenade. Cindy watched on with a quiet fondness as Nikki skipped happily down the corridor in front of her. It had been so long since the palace had felt this way, full of love and happiness. The huskies' joy and excitement was infectious, and the skunkette found her own smile virtually etched on her black and white muzzle. Today was going to be so special, she could feel it...

The walk, such as it was, to the auditorium was brisk and hurried. Nikki was full of energy; virtually bouncing from foot to foot as she strode towards what she was sure would be the greatest day of her young life! As the duo neared their destination, the number of residents in the corridors increased exponentially. Thousands of Servants, citizens, male and female of all ages were hanging out in a loose queue, slowly filing in to the auditorium. There was no hurry; the ceremony wouldn't start till everyone was seated.

At first, Nikki baulked at the tremendous length of the queue, excitement turning to frustration as she realized it would be hours before they managed to get to their seats, before simply deciding she didn't need to wait in line! Just for today, the puppy girl was a Very Important Person... maybe the most important little huskie in the whole universe!! Confidently and perhaps even a touch rudely pushing her way through the milling throng, the excited little puppy waltzed up to the family entrance, then paused to wait for Mrs. Cindy to catch up, fidgeting with renewed impatience all the while.

As the skunkette finally caught up to her enthusiastic charge, the diminutive puppy looked up at her monochrome guardian, her friend and comfort, Nikki slipped a paw into Mr.'s Cindy's own dark furred hand. After a few moments contemplation, Cindy decided to let Nikki's lapse of courtesy pass and the motherly skunkette smiled and nodded reassuringly at her small huskie charge. Nikki couldn't help the massive grin that split her muzzle from ear to pointy canine ear. This was it! With no more delay, both female furs, one big, one small but both in the same happy frame of mind, entered the Jade palace grand Auditorium.

It was like entering the biggest opera house in the universe. The auditorium was a massive structure, a vast, ornately worked crystalline edifice a hundred stories high and capable of swallowing a small town in its cavernous interior. There was seating enough here for almost one million people, each having their own comfy recliner and side table. Like a roman amphitheatre, the center stage was a huge circle in the very heart of the structure, big enough for plays, circuses, orchestras, or one single singer to step into the limelight in front of countless thousands.

High above, like a multitude of stars suspended in stasis hung hundreds of elephant sized crystal chandeliers, perfect in their construction, crafted from delicate resonance crystal to give off a subtle, warm light. Each cut crystal wall was angled just right to resonate, modulate and channel sound waves; the entire auditorium was acoustic perfection. No microphones or audio equipment were needed here, it didn't matter if you had a front row seat or were snuggled up at the far back, every word, every note could be heard with perfect, exquisite clarity.

The duo of Skunk and pup were met at the door by a haggard, nervous wreck of a bunny. Miss Debbie, palace musician and director of the ceremonies greeted her friends with an almost manic grin. The bi-polar bunny was twitchy and hyperactive, her white blouse was ruffled and wrinkled, and her long pink hair was mussed and a tad unkempt. Her blue eyes sparkled with an intense, nervous energy, reflected in the glittering of the precious emerald collar she wore, an almost exact replica of Cindy's. It was plain to see the rabbit female was under an intense amount of strain. This was her show after all, it was her responsibility and the bunny was determined to see everything went off without a hitch.

"Ah!! AH!! Nikki, Cindy, Welcome! You have your places assigned to you.. do you know where your seats are? Of course you don't, what am i saying?! Silly bunny! Here, follow me and I'll see you seated!"

Nikki was nigh on astounded by the verbal assault, a near nonstop flow of chatter from the southern belle bunny and before either herself or Cindy had time to reply, Debbie had torn off at top speed, rebounding from seat to seat down the aisles towards the front rows. Then after realizing she wasn't immediately being followed, the bouncy bunny almost ran full sprint back up the ramp to where her guests of honor were standing.

"Come on come on come on! Don't take all day, sugar! Time's a 'wasting!!"

The best way to deal with one of Debbie's hyper manic moods was to simply go with it till it wore itself out, it was exhausting, but harmless.. It would peter out once the celebrations were over and the stress was gone, then the rabbit would sleep for days. Bludgeoned into submission by the bunny's boundless energy and enthusiasm, both Nikki and Cindy meekly followed their friend to the assigned seats. Even though Skunk and huskie chose to make use of one of the travelators that criss-crossed the carpeted floor, Debbie simply ran the whole way, an astounding feat of athleticism in of itself was made even more astonishing by the fact she'd been making repeat trips like this hundreds of times a day for over a month.

A few minutes later, once the long journey from the entrance hall to the front row had been completed and both furs were seated, Debbie nodded enthusiastically, her long bunny ears waving back and forth with the brisk motion. The rabbit seemed satisfied that this part of her meticulous plan had, at least, gone off without a hitch.

"There, now! All seated and comfy! Good, good! Going to be a while before everyone is seated , so hard to find help that knows how to stick to a plan and keep to schedule!..... No, no NO! What ARE they doing?! Do I have to do everything around here?!"

With little explanation, the rabbit sped off at maximum velocity towards the far end of the auditorium where one of the massive, multicolored banners that served as decoration had been hung off center. Nikki watched her friend dash off, a look of slack jawed amazement on her huskie features. It never ceased to astonish her , how the rabbit could maintain such energy for days and days, barely sleeping, rarely eating, always running everywhere....it was damn near unnatural.

Then again this WAS Debbie 'Dee' Brightwater that they were talking about. The young bunny who had survived a bloody war on her home planet, witnessed the murder of her sister, the horror and brutality of a genocidal slaughter, the naive, headstrong rabbit girl whom Kaon had taken under his wing, the stubborn teenager whom he had protected against overwhelming odds for no greater reason than a promise to a stranger. The innocent bunny girl who had kept him warm with her own body as he laid dying... and spending many hours in contact with the deities' tainted blood...

Still, at least that ...overabundant enthusiasm.... was being put to good use...

Time slowly wore on as Nikki fidgeted on her seat. bit by bit, the auditorium began to fill up. A four man jazz band soon made an appearance in the center of the podium, to keep the already seated citizens entertained with jaunty tunes. It wasn't long before a soft thump to Nikki's right drew her attention. Her sister Shana had taken a seat right next to her.

Slim and supple, yet with none of the gangly awkwardness of a typical twelve year old, the raven haired, orange furred vixen cub was the proverbial apple of her daddy's eye. Wearing little more than faded, torn jeans and a pink t-shirt, Shana was a mischievous tomboy who loved her father more than anything in the whole world. It was easy to see that Master Kaon adored her as well, as evidenced by the emerald collar that little cub displayed around her neck with obvious pride. Shana was the only one of Kaon's seven who had earned her collar by simple virtue of who she was. No deliberate tests had been given, no designated trials had been suffered and whilst Shana was grateful for that small mercy, the Master had also decided not to claim her body yet and that was the one big sticking point in the relationship between father and child.

Inclining her head just a little, Shana shot her sister a warm, knowing smile. Nikki returned the expression, but couldn't help but feel her sister's expression might have been a tad forced. This was one of the few years where Shana wouldn't be recognized. After the recent confrontation the raven haired cub had had with Master Kaon and due to how serious and damaging the incident had been, Kaon had deemed it inappropriate to honor his daughter in such a public fashion. Even two months after the incident, Shana was still paying a heavy price for her defiance of the Master's will.

Of course, as compensation for her troubles, Shana and Kaon had been spending more time together.... a lot more. Although... almost all of that time HAD been Shana lying over her Father's lap. Once the jeans clad vixen tomboy had learned of her father's true love, the simmering sexual tension between daddy and daughter had all but exploded, with Shana actively seeking ways to seduce her father and Kaon stalwartly refusing those advances. The resulting series of minor misadventures had kept Shana's bottom warm and Kaon's punitive paw very busy. Nikki had a sneaking suspicion that neither cub nor father really minded in the least.

The seat To Mrs. Cindy's left was soon occupied by another individual, Nikki's actual mother, Fern. The big vixen was tall and athletic, flame furred and sporting her traditional, well groomed crew cut. Clad in typical jeans and tank top as well as designer sunglasses and a hand stitched, black leather jacket Fern looked like a pinup straight out of a biker magazine. There was no question of the vixen receiving honors this year, Fern had made leaps and bounds over the last couple of years once she had been reformed by Master Kaon from a selfish, violent individual into a vision more befitting the Master's first mate.

Even though Fern was a different person now from the sadistic, cruel female that had lashed Nikki bloody on more than one occasion; the damage in their relationship had already been done. Fern had tormented and abused the huskie pup for centuries and no amount of kisses and cuddles would make up for it. In Nikki's eyes, Fern was her mother in name only. The female who had truly earned that honor... was sitting right next to her.

Mrs. Cindy was smiling dreamily, humming a nameless little tune as she always did. Nikki's paw sought out her guardians and squeezed it gently. The monochrome furred skunkette inclined her head and graced her pup with a loving smile. Nikki wondered if Cindy would be honored this year.... the matronly skunk worked so hard in her position as head chef, harder than anyone else Nikki knew, yet not once had her devotion to duty been recognized.

The auditorium had finally filled to capacity. The very last person to take her seat was a satisfied and finally tired looking Debbie. The rabbit almost slumped in her armchair with an audible sigh. Her part in this affair was almost done, she'd been on the go for months now and at last she could start to relax. The rest of this ceremony was up to Master Kaon. The jazz band finished up their last piece to a smattering of applause and beat a hasty exit. And for a minute or two, there was the absolute silence of breathless anticipation...

Then it began. A low orchestral hum filled the auditorium, reverberating off the walls, moments later, the soft, hymnal chanting of an unseen choir, drums joining in, timing out a beat in an almost militaristic anthem, the ballad of the Jade Palace heralded the beginning of the ceremony. Everyone rose to their feet in respect as the music played on, filling hearts with pride to know they were part of Master Kaon's own household.

Slowly as the music ramped up in intensity, the floor of the podium opened up and from the shadowed depths, the Master arose to view. A vulpine morph of unparalleled power and wisdom was he, with fur of deep russet, long, back length spiked hair and dark as midnight save for s slight green tinge, his eyes were of luminous emerald, his left eye was encircled by a geometric symbol of metallic blue. Clad in his ceremonial armor of green crystal plate, this gemmed armor both reflected and absorbed light from its smooth, perfectly cut fractal surface and with his personal, sentient blade, Shrike hanging at his hip, Kaon, Lord of Emerald, and ruler of the Jade palace took his place as Master of ceremonies, Master of all present, their Judge, their King, their god.

A wave rippled around the whole auditorium as the anthem reached it's crescendo and one by one, all who were present, knelt in reverent submission. From the lowest of the low to Nikki herself, every fur, countless thousands of individuals irrespective of status or position within the palace bowed their knee in humble worship of the fox male who had taken each one of them from their own hell and given them heaven in return. The Master had their adoration, their respect, their love, now and for always for whom he was, and the deeds he had wrought.

Finally though, the Master's anthem finished, and as the last few notes echoed around the auditorium, Kaon raised one armored paw and graced his audience with a pleased smile. Even those seated behind him, who could not see the expression could feel its intensity, could feel his power. It was a palpable thing, washing over those kneeling like the toll from an enormous bell. When he finally spoke, his voice was rich and smooth, like warm, melted chocolate, so happy , so full of pride it fell upon the ears of the assembled multitude like the most intimate of caresses.

"Rise, my friends and family, be seated and attend to me now, as I call upon those whom have been found worthy of the greatest honor and respect..."

As one, the crowds regained their feet and were seated. Immediately the regal, formal atmosphere lightened immensely, with quiet chatter beginning to spring up all about and refreshments magically appearing on everyone's personal side table. Nikki snatched up a tall frosty glass of grape juice and sucked on the straw furiously, gulping down the refreshing, fruity liquid and trying to calm her twitchy nerves. Everyone hated this part, the waiting.

Soon enough Kaon snapped his fingers and a small table appeared next to him, with a neat pile of envelopes on it. Each of these envelopes contained a letter of commendation, upon which was writ large the name of a person who had earned their honors this year, and they were ordered in terms of achievement and personal importance to the Master. Nikki grimaced in frustration, there were almost twenty envelopes there, it seemed a small amount compared to the vast number of furs who dwelled in the Jade Palace, but these honors were amongst the highest that could be obtained. They were not given lightly or frivolously.

It was up to Kaon to decide how and when each envelope was opened though,. It could be minutes or an hour before he was prepared to proceed. Nikki squirmed on her seat some more, it was a mean little game the Master liked to play. Not all of those due to receive their collar or be recognized knew they would be receiving honors and everyone hoped, wished, dreamed of the day their names were called. He liked keeping people in suspense, he said it made it all the more sweet to see the happiness on their faces.

Then, an indeterminable length of time later, Kaon reached out and plucked up the first of the envelopes... Instantaneous silence reigned. Every eye was fixated on the Master as he tore open that parcel of white and pulled out the little sheet of gold edged paper contained within. Hearts began to beat faster, breathing quickened, anticipation reached fever pitch as the Master slowly, silently read the name contained therein... Then, Kaon looked up from the written commendation and his eyes found those of the fur whose name was listed in emerald ink upon that paper. Even before his name was spoken, the misty-eyed, elderly bobcat knew his time had arrived.

"Gregory, Samuel, Ashcroft!"

No regrets, no disappointment from the many whose name had not been called. Nothing but a collective cheer and rousing applause as the old gardener rose unsteadily from his seat and began to trek down to where the Master awaited him. Gregory had served in the palace as a minor gardener for as long as Nikki had been there, caring for lawns and flowers. Recently though, he had taken it upon himself, despite his age, to tend to gardens outside his own district and instruct many younger furs in the care and growth of the crystalline plants. this selfless dedication to the improvement and knowledge of the palace and it's residents was just the kind of thing that pleased the master. Such devotion and effort now reaped the highest of rewards, the greatest of honors.

Slowly, Gregory made his way to the podium. No one assisted him, despite his age. This was the greatest journey of his life and one that he needed to make by himself, as all did who were called. Yet the close the grey furred feline drew to the podium, to his Master, the stronger he felt. Warmth and energy returned to his old bones. Despite the fact Gregory had locked his own age at sixty eight, feeling most comfortable at that time of life, it did feel good to have youth and power return to his body, if only for a short while.

At long last, Gregory Ashcroft stood upon the podium, face to face with the Lord and Master. He did not need to kneel or abase himself, which was not what this ceremony was about. Now, it was his turn to be honored, not only by the Master, but by all present. Kaon smiled and Gregory felt his heart swell with pride and affection, he could feel, in intimate detail how his efforts, his work had pleased the Master... and it was glorious!

"Well done, Gregory. Hard work and devotion to duty attain their reward."

Kaon lifted one long index finger and inscribed a circle in the air. The trace of light left behind by the passage of his claw tip solidified into a thin band of milky quartz, the collar of true citizenship. That much coveted badge of honor and privilege that the old cat proudly accepted without hesitation. Taking the smooth band of crystal from its place in the air, Gregory rubbed his paw pads over it for a moment, just to convince his own senses that it was real, then, with no more ceremony needed, clipped it around his own neck, accepting and taking his place amongst the honored few. It was done.

To another round of applause, Gregory executed a stiff bow to Master Kaon and the general assembly, before proudly leaving the podium and heading back to his seat. The uphill walk was no effort at all for the elderly feline, the Master's power still infused him with vigor and he's sleep easy and free that night, a lifetimes dream fulfilled. In the back of his mind, Gregory determined he's work harder than ever, once the feat was concluded...

There was almost no wait as Kaon quickly secured the second envelope and tore it open. Once more, that quiet anticipatory hush fell across the assembled throng. This time it was a nervous, edgy little girl who felt the Master's pride as his gaze fell upon the recipient of the next reward, the next collar, the next right of citizenship.

"Tamika - Roberts!"

In amidst all the applause and cheering, there was an excited, happy squeal as a small, demure red squirrel girl who couldn't be more than seven jumped from her seat and scurried down the aisle, her thick bushy tail waving behind her like a big fuzzy ribbon. Nikki looked on with something approaching disgust as the little squirrel girl mounted the podium and ran up to Master Kaon for a brief hug.

"Tamika! Your grades and clean record speak for themselves, well done."

The huskie pup wasn't the only was viewing the scene with distaste. Several other young furs in Nikki and Tamika's class were also angered by the decision. Tamika was notoriously bad news. Yes, the squirrel kit's grades were spectacular, yes, on the surface she appeared respectful and diligent, but underneath that facade lurked a spiteful, malicious little witch of a girl who loved nothing more than teasing and bullying other cubs till they got themselves into serious, painful trouble.

Shana was so repulsed by the sight of the sadistic little troublemaker hugging her beloved daddy that the angry cub flicked the glass off her side table with a hard swat of her paw, sending it tumbling to the carpet. It shattered and spilled orange juice everywhere, drawing several puzzled looks from nearby furs that dismissed it as nothing more than an accident. It was easy to understand the sentiment, though.

To see Tamika honored like this, to see her clip that quartz collar around her red furred neck was a slap in the face to every cub she'd targeted. It would serve to only bloat her overinflated ego and sense of entitlement to all new heights. Nikki suspected that the adults knew of her bullying, but there was no evidence to support the suspicions and most cubs were too scared of Tamika's 'friends' to speak out against her. However, as the little squirrel kit stared haughtily at the other member of the palace with an attitude that could only be described as snide contempt; the Master dropped a seemingly offhand, friendly and nondescript warning that froze the blood in Nikki's veins.

"Remember now, Tamika. That collar is special in more ways that just denoting you as a citizen. It's a symbol of everything i hold dear, of upstanding behavior and outstanding achievement. Should you be caught breaking any rules or being a naughty girl, the consequences are likely to be more severe for you than most..."

That voice made Nikki shiver. It was one hell of a warning, just by the inflection in his tone it was clear that Master Kaon would be exceedingly ... upset if Tamika should ever be exposed as the cowardly, spiteful little bully most cubs new her as. Kaon knew it, and so did Tamika as the squirrel girl seemed to cringe beneath the master's suddenly withering gaze. It continued for but a moment however and soon, a final round of applause had bolstered her flagging spirit and Tamika was running back to her family to proudly show off her new collar. It's did occur to Nikki that the Master's warning also applied to herself...

So it went on. Minute by Minute, hour by hour, envelopes were opened, collars given and received whilst Nikki fidgeted continually in her seat, becoming more and more impatient as time ticked by, till only four commendations remained. By now it was obvious that all the quartz collars had been given out, these last envelopes were special. They represented achievements and rewards to be given to the Master's own, to his family, to the ones he truly loved. A two hour break in proceedings was called, before the second part of the ceremony. More than time enough for those assembled to stretch their legs, have a proper meal or catch a nap, have a cigarette in the smoking area if they were so inclined and visit the restrooms.

Fern and Shana disappeared almost as soon as Master Kaon left the podium. Fern wanted a smoke and Shana needed the restroom. Nikki quickly became aware that, she too could use a visit to the ladies. Despite wanting to stay in her seat out of a silly fear of missing something, the squirming huskie nonetheless stood up and made a quick exit towards the restrooms. No fear of not finding a cubicle, there were hundreds of bathrooms here just to accommodate large events such as this.

Finishing quickly, scrubbing her paws clean, Nikki moved to return to her seat posthaste. However, passing by a side door to a dressing room, something caught her attention. Her quick huskie ears picked up a familiar, muffled sigh coming from behind the door. Curiosity getting the better of her, ignoring the red 'no entry' light above the doorjamb the puppy girl waited a second till a loud group of laughing , joking furs passed by, then used the noise and commotion to silently slip into the cozy confines of the back room.

it was a store room. Miscellaneous junk and scenery used in plays and shows was stacked everywhere. Masks, furniture, costumes, dozens of theatre and circus props were piled atop each other awaiting their next use. Now that she was in the room proper, Nikki could hear even more familiar sounds, a soft, rhythmic slapping noise with accompanying breathy whimpers.

Peeking around a large fake marble column, Nikki's eyes lit upon an expected sight. There was Shana, jeans and panties around her ankles and over her father's lap whilst Kaon's restless paw slapped against his girl's fuzzy, heart shaped bottom. The Master was no longer wearing his armor, but rather a loose, fluffy robe adorned his slim, muscular figure so that his daughter had something more comfy to lie on that hard crystal plate. Nikki was puzzled at first as to why Kaon would decide to give Shana a spanking, before remembering the incident with the glass. It figured that Papa Kaon would have seen that and decided to respond, giving his girl a few minutes of time out rather than see her make a real error of judgment that would likely result in something far more severe than just his paw.

However, as the slapping continued, Nikki realized she was witnessing no ordinary spanking. Shana was very red faced, teary and breathing hard, far more emotional than the slight reddish pink tinge to her bottom would suggest. The vixen cub had her bushy tail up and over her back like any good girl, but not straight over, rather held off to the side in a peculiar fashion and Shana's shapely legs were trembling, thighs rubbing back and forth in a slow grind with each stinging slap to the soft curves of her rump.

Shana also had what looked to be a leather bit in her mouth, to help muffle squeals and whimpers and...moans? Nikki blinked and shivered softly, realizing she was witness to a very special moment between father and child. This was a spanking, yes but it was also how Kaon consented to be intimate with his twelve year old daughter.

Even though he flatly refused to let Shana share his bed, if she was a little naughty, just bad enough to warrant his paw, then he'd put her over his lap like this. The vixen cub had long since trained her body to receive pleasure as well as pain from such a spanking. Although it had once been her secret and her shame, now Shana exalted it it's delights, reveled it it's intimacy, her father a willing partner in the exploration of her blossoming sexuality.

Almost every day after Shana's speedy recovery from the sickening physical and emotional damage Kaon had inflicted on her during their clash, the needy vixen cub had found some method or excuse to be put over her father's lap, sometimes two or three times a day and invariably it was almost always this kind of spanking.

It was as much out of necessity as love, however. Shana had been desperate for reassurance, for attention, for her father's love even before Kaon had put his child through a cruel disciplinary hell. Almost broken in two by a nigh on unforgivable, sickening set of acts that amounted to little more than emotional rape , Shana and her father had escaped being irrevocably ripped apart by the merest fraction...

Crippled with guilt, terrified of losing one of his seven due to his own overbearing, oblivious arrogance, Kaon had joined his mind, his heart and soul to hers, bonding them together, linking the very essence of his being to that of his child's in a desperate attempt to save her gentle heart from shattering into tiny fragments that could not be mended.

It had worked in ways neither of them could have possibly imagined. Shana had seen her father's heart, it was revealed to her , it's depths and secrets, longings and desires even kaon would not admit to himself.... along with a burden of guilt and self loathing that had eclipsed even her own misery at the time .... she had understood... and she had forgiven him, even though she had only observed the tip of the iceberg, as it were....

For his part, Kaon had always known that Shana loved him greatly, but the true power of her feelings had managed to astonish even him, absolute devotion, perfect, unconditional love. Only once before in uncounted millennia of existence had the fox deity encountered such an all consuming fire of the heart ... one that he had thought forever lost.

In just two minutes, father and child had learned more about each other than in the entirety of Shana's one million, two hundred thousand years of life. It seemed as if they had truly found each other, realized for the first time in their lives the depth of the love they shared. One week later... Shana had gone to Kaon... lain over his lap without a single word and received her first sensual spanking that was mutually consented to. Then she went back to him three hours later... one hour after that and so it had been for two months.

Simply put, daddy and his little girl cub were constantly making love, over and over and over again...

Though that begged the question, why now? Why in such a fairly public area with the risk of being caught by someone other than Nikki? Sure, the no entry light was on but...it seemed so unusual. Then it occurred to the puzzled pup just why they were doing this now. Shana was so needy for her father's love, so emotionally dependant on him and for the last few hours she'd had to sit there and watch him congratulate and be.... well... intimate in a way, with all these different strange furs and knowing all the while she herself wouldn't be commended this year.

That didn't mean, however that Kaon wouldn't want to reward her for just being his little angel and learning a lot over the past two months since they had fought, as well as reaffirming the intense bond they shared. Seeing Tamika hug her beloved father had probably been the last straw for Shana and her 'temper tantrum' with the glass was the perfect excuse for both father and child to both take some time out from the stress of the proceedings and relax in each other's company. Besides... it had been almost a whole day since the two of them had done this.

As Nikki looked on Her suspicions were confirmed. Kaon stopped spanking for a moment, halted the fluid rain of slaps of his paw to rub out a bit of the sting. Shana shivered with arousal, whimpered as she felt daddy's paw stroke and caress the rounded swell of her bottom, massaging out the fire he'd caused. Then once again, a sound spank impacted the furthest curve of the cub's lightly welted rear, making Shana yip out around the bit in her maw. It was obvious that little Shana was more than a little into this by the way she was trembling all over and her nipples showed up as very visible bumps, stiff and teased beneath the velvety fabric of her tight pink t-shirt.

Nikki nibbled her bottom lip, feeling her own pulse quicken and a soft throbbing start between her own legs. Shana had begun to actively push forward with each slap to her butt, using the soft , tickly tuft of robe cradling her crotch to stimulate her clitoris, ramping up the pleasure she felt even as Kaon's spanking picked up in pace and power. No question, the vixen girl would have a nicely sore butt after they were done, but in the meantime.....

Spank after spank, Kaon's paw danced a timeless rhythm across his daughter's pert little bottom. Shana's eyes were squeezed shut, tears dribbling down her cheeks and a soft, genuine sob escaped her gritted teeth as her bottom began to welt from pink to red , the sting and burn from these hard slaps reaching new heights whilst pleasure from the vibrations each impact caused teased the swollen feminine flower secreted between her trembling thighs. It was a slow build up, a slow burn, beautiful in its simplicity and intimacy.

As the Master's paw once more began to stroke the welted curves of Shana's sore little bottom and a soft whimpered cry of bliss reached the puppy's ears , Nikki could no longer help herself. One paw slipped beneath her skirt and into her panties to cup her own warmed sex and, as her Father resumed slapping his paw against his daughter's rear, the hidden huskie began to rub in time to each hard spank, masturbating to the sight of her sister's special spanking.

Nikki honestly couldn't help it. The pup was a bit embarrassed to admit it even to herself, but she was an extremely avid masturbator. Even though she never managed to cum very hard due to her tender age, the pubescent puppy still found it very difficult to keep her paws out of her panties. Indulging at minimum twice daily and usually three times that, Nikki took great emotional comfort in the pleasure and release of endorphins. It was soothing and relaxing and it felt good, so why not? With a sexy show like this going on right in front of her involving both furs who featured in nearly every one of her fantasies, it was impossible for the aroused puppy to stop herself and Nikki realized she was hurtling towards her climax at fairly respectable rate!

Bliss however, was not so easily obtained. Shana had been under her father's stimulation for far longer than Nikki had been rubbing and the vixen cub was already 'in extremis'. Her face was flushed bright red, she was gripping hard to her father's robe, jerking spasmodically with every hard spank to a bottom slowly darkening to crimson and finally, Nikki saw her sisters legs lock up. With a few more slaps that were half way between a caress and a spank, Shana arched her back and let out a throaty, growling moan as she climaxed over daddy's lap.

It was a long, powerful climax that lasted almost twenty seconds, reducing Shana to a whimpering, shuddering mess. In its wake, the little cub slumped over her father's lab and stated up with a proper bawl as the fire in her bottom took over from the pleasure between her legs as the primary sensation in her body. Nikki cursed silently, she wouldn't get to finish at this rate, by how she felt, the pup was just under half way to an orgasm of her own.. it was horribly frustrating. Then Kaon did something the huskie hadn't expected to see that re-ignited both girl's desires in a big way..

The big fox pulled a thick, freshly cleaned and washed silky handkerchief from the pocked of his robe and, folding it around his fingers, slipped them into the darkness between Shana's legs to wipe her dry, almost in the same gentle, loving manner that a parent would clean a baby. Nikki resumed her by now desperate masturbation as Shana hit a second orgasm instantly under such tender ministrations, such an intimate touch too much for the cub's fluttering emotions.

Shana wailed with bliss when her second climax exploded between her damp thighs, twice as hard as her first, a loud cry of ecstasy barely muffled by the bit clamped between her teeth sounded loud in Nikki's ears as the enraptured vixen cub's back arched again and her feet drummed wildly against the storeroom floor. The girls slender hips were repeatedly pushing down and back against her daddy's silk covered fingers in a shuddering, instinctual motion as Kaon stroked and massaged his baby girl's vulva, helping to prolong and intensify Shana's runaway multiple orgasm.

Cupping Shana's chest with his free arm, cuddling her tightly to him , Kaon's unoccupied paw sought out one of his girl's tiny, budding breasts caressing the slight swelling through the fabric of her t-shirt... and... as his precious, special, perfect little angel's orgasm reached its incredible, devastatingly powerful zenith, The big fox bent down to take his child's scruff between his teeth in a show of dominance and ownership as the truest of his seven, his mate.... his daughter lay over his lap and howled her father's love to the heavens.

Nikki knew why her sister had had such an extreme reaction, for centuries; all the cub had wanted was to be truly intimate with her father and such a touch, silken handkerchief or not, was the closest she'd ever been to feeling his skin on her feminine flesh. If it had been his actual fingers rather than the handkerchief, the resultant emotional and sensual tsunami would likely have rendered Shana insensible.

Moments after his girl had stopped sobbing and writhing, Kaon helped a wobbly legged Shana off his lap to her feet and assisted her in making herself decent, the vixen girl wincing slightly as panties and jeans were pulled over a fairly sore little bottom, before the cub scrubbed a paw across her tear stained cheeks, sniffled and looked up at her father from behind two beautiful emerald eyes.

Nikki watched with a sudden strange flush of jealousy as father and daughter kissed deeply and sensuously.. and she was also pissed off that she'd missed her chance. The show was over and the now desperate pup still hadn't managed a climax of her own. Then frustration gave way to fear as both her father and sister separated and headed for the door!!

Nikki shrank back into the cover provided by the pillar as best she could, but it wasn't enough to conceal her completely. Though they'd walk by without seeing her, if either of them turned round they'd get an eyeful of the supposed girl of the moment red faced and with a paw buried between her legs! Holding her breath as the happy duo of father and daughter passed by, seeing their casual, relaxed attitude and the slight wag of their foxy tails made the pup even more jealous. Nikki head Shana pipe up as both furs reached the door...

"That special hankie drying me will dull my scent, right? I don't... don't want to go back out there smelling all hot and bothered..."

Kaon nodded once and wrapped an arm around Shana's shoulder, pulling her close to him. As usual, the big male had thought of pretty much everything. Shana giggled happily, despite the lingering burn around her bottom. Her daddy was her world and despite the pain, she loved him for it. Sex and discipline... it was a very, very blurred line between the two, but it was the only way, for now, that her foxy father would consent to being anything remotely close to intimate with her.

Even after two hundred thousand years of begging, He'd never once touched her directly, never done anything that she could see as being true lovemaking all due to the fact he said she was too young. Instead, he indulged her desires and his own by allowing his child these secret pleasures. It honestly wasn't quite enough to satisfy the needy girl, she wanted more, Shana wanted all of him, but until she could think of a way to convince her father she really was ready, it would have to suffice.

"Alright, Shana, honey. Go get a drink, have something to eat and I'll see you later. I need to stay back here for awhile and clear up. Off you run, now. I love you."

Shana's face lit up once more with a happy, beatific smile. Enraptured and enthralled by her daddy's charismatic presence, the small cub blushed and shuffled her feet a bit and Kaon couldn't resist bending down to kiss his child on her lips once again, for the simple pleasure of knowing it brought peace to her heart.

"I ...Love you too...daddy..."

Then Shana skipped off, happy and very satisfied, a big silly grin etched on her young fox cub features. Kaon watched his eldest daughter disappear around the corner, heading straight for the buffet tables, before letting out a quiet sigh and turning on his heel so that he could deal with his adopted child. To Nikki's horror, her daddy looked straight at her, lifted a paw and made a distinct 'come hither' motion with one long index finger.

Sheepishly, Nikki left the safely of her hiding spot and shuffled out into the open. No point in denying what she'd been doing. There was probably a good chance her father had known she was there all along. Hanging her huskie head in shame, the puppy scuffed the floor with one foot and awaited the expected verbal storm. It never came.

Instead the big fox knelt down in front of her and lifted his daughter's lowly gaze from the floor to meet his own eyes. The way he was looking at her sent delicious shivers down the puppy's spine. Her father's eyes, so gentle, so caring, so full of love and acceptance.... and his voice, so soft and sure... he asked a question that had the pup's huskie ears burning with embarrassment.

"You seem like you are a bit nervous and uptight, princess... is there something i can do to help you?"

Nikki bit her bottom lip gently, a fresh blush extending clear down her muzzle. She'd never in a million years expected her papa to give her an opening like that... it was probable that he wasn't referring to anything overly naughty, full of fatherly concern as he was, but... this was a chance the puppy wasn't sure she wanted to pass up. Dropping her eyes once more, the huskie girl felt her tail curl as she wrestled with an embarrassing and awkward truth.

After all... she did have an awful crush on Master Kaon... and had had one for a month now.

It wasn't surprising. Kaon was the most masculine authority figure in her young life so far and after the first few twinges of puberty began to hit the puppy girl, she'd had more than one dream about her father's embrace. Especially since he was the only male she'd ever seen naked, having sprung him making love to Miss Yasmin, Miss Debbie and even Fern on various occasions. Each time she'd chanced upon one of his seven writhing with bliss beneath him, the puppy had begun to wish it was her. Nikki was becoming jealous of the attention. Yes she had her diamond collar, but wished to the heavens it had been emerald.

Was it a silly little girl's immature infatuation, or something more? Nikki wanted to know. No, more than that, she needed to know. There was still time before the ceremony was due to begin... an hour at least, more than time enough to find out the truth. Raising her eyes to see a concerned look on her daddy's face, the nervous puppy took a deep breath..

"I... umm.... c-can.... umm.... can you give me what you just gave Shana?? P... please, daddy!"

Nikki flinched at the look of genuine shocked surprise of her father's face, but the expected instantaneous refusal never materialized. Instead, Master Kaon closed his eyes as if deep in thought whilst Nikki silently begged him to indulge her curiosity and her fantasy, just this once. And eventually... his voice reached her ear, little more than a hushed whisper.

"Alright, Nikki, but only because it is your special day and only this once... and i suppose you do need a 'spanking' for being a naughty little voyeur."

Taking his adopted puppy girl by the paw, Master Kaon led her into the warmth and closeness of the storeroom back, to the bed where Shana had just so recently lain over his lap. This...was it. Nikki was under no allusions that this was no small thing that was going to happen. Her daddy never slept or fooled around with anyone who didn't wear his emerald collar. Never ever! It was a big, big rule that he had set for himself out of respect to his seven, a rule he was essentially bending in every direction to accommodate his little huskie.

That in of itself made Nikki feel very, very special. Kaon took his time being seated; it was like watching an elderly man, a careful, hesitant motion. It was clear the fox deity was wrestling with his conscience over the matter and the troubled look on his face made the puppy bite her lip till she tasted blood. Yes, Nikki wanted this, but...she wanted her daddy to want it too. If he did this under duress, then it was pointless...and worse than that it would be meaningless.

"Daddy... I don't... want to upset you... I... I'm sorry. I just wanted...."

Her father's paw shot up with surprising speed, yet came to rest gently against her muzzle, index finger pressed against her black huskie lips with a feather light touch. Nikki's lower lip began to quiver... Then... he smiled and Nikki's heart almost burst with love inside her chest. That... smile... oh sweet Creator....She'd seen it before. That look, that beautiful smile. When Kaon looked upon one of his seven, Fern, Debbie... even Shana he wore that oh so special smile...but he'd never looked at her in that way before.

Love.... warmth... pride... joy... desire... his smile spoke of all these things and promised so much more. Then gently, tenderly, Kaon guided his blushing, trembling puppy girl over his lap. It was like some dream...some fantasy... an indescribable wave of emotion washing through her young canine body. Nikki stared at the far wall, a mural depicting a countryside scene. Filled with a quiet, childlike sense of security as her father shifted her skirt up over her back, her huskie tail lifted instinctually up and out of the way as she very well knew how... Looking out from behind two moist, beautiful puppy dog eyes was a happy little girl pup as Nikki felt her father rip the velcro tab of her white cotton panties just above her tail , sliding the soft material over the curve of her fuzzy rump and down to her thighs.

When her father's wide paw came into gentle contact with the curve of Nikki's fuzzy butt, the small pup bit her lip again with nervous anticipation. Like it or not this was still a spanking and no matter the intentions, it was going to hurt a little. However, as that big paw left her bottom and almost immediately fell back down, Nikki realized she didn't have to worry. It was less of a smack and more of a pat, a light slap that left behind a miniscule amount of tickling sting and it left in its wake, comforting warmth spreading through the pup's skin.

Three more of these special spanks followed in quick succession. It did build up the small pains into a slight burn, just enough to make Nikki wiggle her hips a little with discomfort. This inadvertently allowed the pup's mound and still erect pleasure nub to be teased by the soft fluff of her daddy's fuzzy robe and Nikki couldn't stop a cute, breathy gasp of surprise leaving her maw at the sudden spurt of pleasure.

Almost immediately, Kaon's paw began to caress her bottom, gentle but firm strokes that helped soothe the discomfort he'd caused whilst actively encouraging his puppy to push her mound against the giving swell of his thigh and the tickly robe that covered it. Even greater than this, was the sense of intimacy such a touch invoked, it went straight to Nikki's heart in a way nothing previously had ever managed to do.

Relaxing completely and deciding to give in to her still fairly intense arousal and need for a climax, the blushing huskie pup fell into a sensual rhythm of push and thrust, keeping up the stimulation even as Kaon's paw resumed spanking. Slowly, the pup's curled huskie tail began to jerk off to one side into the traditional canine mating position...

Time passed over long, slow languid minutes as the spanking continued. Nikki soon realized the method behind the intensity. It was like being constantly edged, over and over again. Every time the pressure and pleasure of her clitoral massage was just getting to her, Kaon would deliver a series of increasingly firm spanks to her puppy butt making her yelp and whine , just enough to take the trembling huskie's mind off the building bliss between her legs. Then, when the discomfort from being smacked started to become more than a little uncomfortable, his paw would resume it's caressing, rubbing out all that sting and letting Nikki focus on her masturbation once again.

Unlike Shana, who hadn't been playing with herself for a couple of minutes prior, Nikki was already well on her way to an orgasm. It was just so unique and so good, the puppy couldn't help but writhe on her father's lap with delight, even as slaps to her now pink tinged bottom began to milk a few leaking tears from her squeezed eyes. Soon enough, the panting puppy felt her body begin to tense up in an all too familiar way, but even then it seemed to take forever. It was an almost painfully slow build up of tension that began to push both Nikki's limits and her patience

The shuddering girl decided she wanted her orgasm. Knowing the harder her springs were tightened before she blew was a big indicator of how hard she'd eventually cum, Nikki was delighted and excited to find that daddy had managed to wind her more tightly that she'd ever managed to do for herself. This was going to be a really good climax and there was no way the needy girl was prepared to wait for it any longer!!

It would have only taken a minute more for Nikki to achieve the release she wanted had she been patient, but the pup was too excited to remain submissive. So Nikki broke the rules. It wasn't her fault, really, the innocent huskie wasn't even aware there were any special rules. Shana and her daddy had never discussed them, there was nothing written down, but the rules were there nonetheless. The biggest rule of all was never separate your legs.

Mid spank, the pup lurched forwards at least a foot forwards over her dad's lap as her thighs whispered open, splaying her legs as wide as she could. Nikki wanted her daddy, wanted him to touch her, she needed it more than anything in the world! So, the huskie girl obeyed her instincts and presented, little bottom high in the air , tail held seductively to one side and silently begged to be mated with unmistakable body language.

Down came that next, fateful spank. Nikki's movement had been so sudden, Kaon had no time to adjust his aim and his huskie girl let out an ecstatic, pained yelping yowl as his foxy fingers smacked hard right against her pouting puppy sex. That did it. Nikki let out a series of short gasps that gradually increased to whimpers as she started to cum, arching her back and waiting for that next smack from her father that would seal the deal. She needed to feel it... he just had to do it! Please, daddy, please! Touch me!

Kaon had been shocked into disbelief at what he'd just done. Never had he imagined that his quiet little puppy would pull a stunt like that! It wasn't her fault, she was acting on need and instinct but it didn't make the fact he'd just felt up his adopted child any better. The big fox didn't object to relationships like this in his Palace... though he did insist that they were vetted by counselor Yasmin to make sure it was genuine love rather than one party simply using the other. He himself used to take Yasmin to his bed on a regular basis when she was only ten. This however, was different.

Yasmin wore his emerald collar and had openly insisted on sharing his bed. Nikki had done neither of these things. Whilst Shana also qualified in this way, Kaon's reasons for denying her his bed were far deeper and more personal than his weak excuse of her age would lead anyone to believe and so it was similar with Nikki. If the dog fox indulged his child further, he'd be setting a dangerous precedent. On the other hand, his girl was going to climax anyway and denying her his touch would seriously cheapen the experience for her both physically and emotionally. It might even hurt her.

And in Kaon's mind, to leave a female, any female let alone someone he cared about in that state after he'd let it happen and caused it, it would be the act of a male without style, manners, compassion or love.... and it was her special day...

Seconds later, Nikki felt the touch she'd been craving. It wasn't a spank, nor was it silken fabric but rather firm direct strokes against her sex from her Father's paw. The pups' jaw dropped in delighted shock as she felt his fingers slide up and down through her puffy slit to rub briskly at her little pleasure nub. It was everything Nikki had ever wanted and more and the jerking huskie pup went into spasms of rapture!

Cumming harder than she ever had in her life, Nikki's hips instinctually pushed back as Shana's had in a rhythmic humping motion as Kaon expertly massaged his puppy girl's twitching sex. Even as her back began to arch, Nikki felt a sharp sting on the back of her scruff as her father bit her there almost hard enough to draw blood, dominating and claiming her as he had with his vixen cub. His free paw ran hurriedly up her belly and on to her flat chest, lifting her t-shirt to firmly squeeze one erect little nipple between his index finger and thumb. It was all too much for the writhing, sobbing pup and Nikki let out a bliss stricken wail as she experienced her first adult strength orgasm, cumming right against her daddy's questing paw.

The aftermath was a quiet affair. Nikki slumped over her daddy's lap crying softly with sheer joy. The pup had always suspected her papa loved her that way, but now she knew it for certain. There was no way he'd have touched her like that if he didn't. It would probably take a little convincing, but eventually she'd win the Master around to holding his eager , grey furred huskie girl like this again. Nikki simply couldn't wait. Even though wearing Kaon's collar of emerald might have been little more than a distant, longed for fantasy, with luck, she'd be allowed to share his bed anyway. Now that It had happened once, why not again?

Father and child continued to cuddle quietly and Nikki closed her eyes happily as she felt that silken handkerchief began to stroke her damp little puppy sex, cleaning her gently and dulling the mating scent that lingered on her body. Unlike Shana, the resting huskie was spent after her climax; there was no instant, orgasmic rush and no hope of having one without considerably more stimulation than the rest of the intermission's time frame allowed for. This didn't mean that her daddy's touch wasn't very special to his girl... It was tender and intimate, calming her down and bringing peace and closure to her heart. If Nikki had loved her father before, she utterly adored him now.

Soon enough, the duo needed to make their way back to the auditorium and Kaon helped his canine child back to her feet, assisting in getting her sorted out and respectable. Nikki couldn't help but blush a little more a little as her daddy knelt down in front of her and slid her panties back up her pudgy thighs. It was not by accident that his black foxy nose was mere millimeters from her groin, close enough to tickle the soft, almost transparent fur there, or that his thumb trailed the entire length of her sex as he tugged the cotton over her hips. There was no doubt left in her mind that her father wanted her as much as she desired him.

Now more than anything, Nikki wished the break had been a half hour... maybe even an hour longer. No question, she'd need quite a bit of alone time later tonight to deal with her fantasies. For right now though, the huskie girl was satisfied with finding out what she'd needed to know and there was the rest of the ceremony to attend, including her own award.

Paw in paw, huskie and fox headed to the storeroom door, both their tails wagging lazily. This was just how Nikki had wanted it to be and when Kaon bent down to peck her on the forehead or cheek, the pup threw caution to the wind and met him muzzle to muzzle , lips to lips in a deep lovers kiss. There was a moments surprised hesitation from the Master when her lips met his... then he kissed her back.

When they parted, Nikki was once more on the verge of tears. Her daddy had already made this one of the best days of her life simply by being there for her and there was still so much more planned for later! Throwing her arms around his waist one last time the loving girl gave her red furred daddy a hard squeeze, loving the way his arms tightened around her in reply. Although Nikki could have stayed there all day, Kaon's gentle voice soon reached her triangular huskie ears.

"Head back to your seat, princess. I still need to clean up back here. Daddy loves you very much."

Nikki scrubbed a paw across her eyes and flashed her daddy a dazzling smile. This had already been one of the best moments of her life and the Master had yet more in store for her! Creator's heart, but she loved him so much....more now than ever before and by the time this day was done, the blushing puppy realized she would be as tightly bound to him as any of his true seven... perhaps... even more so.

"I love you too, daddy!!"

With Nikki's happy voice ringing in his ears, Kaon watched his puppy skip off down the hall and away, heading back to her seat posthaste. As that cute huskie tail vanished into the thinning crowd, the Master ran a paw through his dark, spiky hair. What in Creator's name had he been thinking, going that far with Nikki? Whilst the dog fox wanted to believe he'd been thinking with his heart, it was plainly obvious it had been his dick in control of his actions. By the looks of it, he now had both his daughters lusting after him. Whilst he always thought it was bound to happen sooner or later, he still shouldn't have encouraged it like that!

Well, he'd simply need to deal with it. No matter. Still, Kaon decided he couldn't afford his hormones overriding his common sense any longer. Even though he was technically a god and divine, he was still a red blooded male with a male's needs and desires. In short, he needed to get laid. With that in mind, the eager, crimson furred fox turned his attentions to the next letters of commendation. One certain letter would let him honor an old promise, make someone very happy and give them both a good time.

With no further concern for the future and a snap of his fingers, the Master sorted out the storeroom, cleaned himself up and donned his armor once more. A second loud snap and the storeroom stood empty as Kaon teleported away. Silence reigned. This quiet back room had just been witness to the start of a chain of events that would threaten to rip the entire palace apart, piece by piece...

Nikki made it back to her seat just in time, red faced and panting, whilst sorting through a list of plausible excuses for her extended absence. She needn't have worried. Curiously enough, the puppy girl was the first one of her Family who'd made it back. Even Mrs. Cindy seemed to have vanished. The relieved pup took her seat and was soon joined by the others. Fern, Shana and Cindy all resumed their seats. Debbie was still snoozing away in her chair; the bunny could sleep through anything when tired.

As Nikki relaxed into her seat to wait for her honors, her young mind dwelled on the moments she'd spent with her daddy. Why had she not seen the truth before now? So much wasted time to make up for! Still... they had all the time in the universe... Gradually, the auditorium filled up to capacity once more as furs finished their tasks and settled down for the second half of the proceedings. Good humor and lively chatter were abundant as the assembled multitude waited patiently for the Master's return. Their patience was soon rewarded.

Once again, the anthem of the Master began to play, heralding the second half of the ceremony. It was a shortened version, merely a single chorus, but it was more than enough to quiet the general conversation and draw everyone's attentions as Kaon once more made an appearance. The Master was again adorned in his armor, the green crystal plate glittering brightly beneath the warm glow of the chandeliers hanging high above.

As Nikki looked on with rising anticipation, the heard a soft scrabble to her left, in the gap between her own Chair and Cindy's, the sound of claws on fabric. Sneaking a look to the side, the pup was delighted to see the small form of another of her friends and guardians squeezing in between the recliners, The demure , white furred little mouse girl Yasmin.

Yasmin was a seemingly quiet, unassuming female. Although considered of age, she was barely taller than Nikki herself, yet with a very ample, full feminine figure, long blond hair and sky blue eyes. The mouse girl served a dual role within the palace. On one paw, she served as Palace counselor. An extremely powerful empath, the mousemaid used her talents to tend to the emotional needs of the Master's domain and Kaon trusted her judgment in such matters, even going so far as to give her limited power to countermand his orders if she felt they were truly detrimental to a person's psychological or emotional wellbeing. These special powers had been given her after the recent damaging debacle with the Master's daughter...

Despite the fact this seemed to give her nigh on unprecedented control over the master's Palace, Yasmin was eminently suited to such a role. Though palace counselor was her job, her life was Master Kaon's pleasure. The gentle, loving mouse was a trained pleasure slave. She, and only she was the master's personal girl, his property, her body and heart belonged to him and him alone. It was devotion bordering on obsession, but it had earned the white furred rodent girl her emerald collar.

The little mouse didn't seem dressed for the momentous occasion though. Clad in a grubby grey turtleneck sweater and light tracksuit pants, Yasmin was watching the proceedings with avid interest and a peculiar expression on her face, part way between a smile and a grimace. Nikki leant over to give her friend a peck on the cheek; she really did like the small mouse. Yasmin's smile relaxed into something a little more genuine.

"Hello, Nikki! I came to see how things were... how... you were."

Whilst it seemed to the others as if it was genuine concern for how Nikki's special day was affecting the puppy so far, No doubt that Yasmin was actually referring to the little assignation that Nikki had had with Master Kaon a short while ago. It was unsurprising the empathic mouse had felt the emotions generated by the encounter and had figured out what had happened. Yasmin's concern was part curiosity and partly due to her own obsessive nature. The huskie girl moved quickly to reassure her mousey companion.

"I'm fine, Yasmin! Just excited, that's all."

Yasmin let out a tiny, girlish giggle. The mouse seemed to take some amusement in that statement. In closer proximity to Nikki, the empathic mouse could feel that the pup had benefited greatly from the slightly more intimate encounter with the Master. Perhaps even a little too much. Still what was done was done and with no apparent negative impact on the huskie girl, Yasmin was, for the moment, content to let it rest at that. That didn't mean however, that her sharp mind couldn't see a way to take advantage of this development. Quickly devising a plan immediate implementation, Yasmin decided she'd file away this... interesting little tidbit of information for.... future reference.....

The family group exchanged brief pleasantries and greetings, but it was Fern who just had to voice what the others had been thinking. No surprise there, the duo of mouse and vixen considered the other her rival for Kaon's affections and vied for positions of importance beneath his gaze. Although the two of them were slightly more amicable nowadays, their relationship had oftentimes bordered on outright open hostility.

"Soo... just where the heck have you been? I would have thought you'd have been in the thick of all of this, lapping it up and doting on our Lord and master. What gives?"

Yasmin turned up her nose at the half tease, half sneer in Fern's tone. It was an adorable little pout, one that Nikki had been hard at work trying to copy. The small mouse seemed to deflate after a moment, brushed an errant lock of yellow hair from her face, and then let out an irritated sigh.

"The Master and I had a... disagreement over a judgment call I made as palace counselor."

Fern lifted a long index finger and waved it at Yasmin, copying one of the mouse girls peculiarities whenever she was analyzing or counseling someone, much to the white furred rodent's annoyance. Clearing her throat, the snarky vixen then adopted Yasmin's own patient counselor tone, laced with just a little sarcasm typical of the red furred female fox.

"You mean you used it as an excuse to be a brat and the Master forbade you from attending the ceremonies as discipline. If that's the case, what exactly are you doing here....?"

Yasmin let out an even more irritated huff. Not simply due to the fact that Fern was being mean, it was more to the point that the vixen was right. The empathic mouse girl had a history of abusing her power and privilege within the palace, using her psychic abilities for personal gain. Some of the most damaging incidents in palace history were due to her vicious emotional manipulations. Kaon tended to take an exceedingly dim view of any behavior that hinted at a lapse into Yasmin's old habits.

"The Master may have forbidden me to attend the ceremony, but I'm here in my official capacity as counselor."

Fern shook her head at that bitchy, almost arrogant tone. Yasmin was treading a fine line between devotion to duty and outright defiance of the Master's wishes. A line that was becoming more blurred as time went on. In truth, Yasmin was under the same obsessive compulsion the Shana suffered from, to be close to the Master, to be near him and make sure that he wasn't giving anyone more affection than her, as well as an intense need to control her environment, Making sure the Master was 'happy', happiness defined for him by Yasmin.

It was unacceptable to Yasmin that fern should be the Master's 'first mate' when it was clear to the jealous mouse that she was more deserving of that coveted title. Many times in the past, Yasmin had tried to usurp that honor from the flame furred vixen and the lengths she had gone to had delved into near insanity. Kaon loved her, Fern loathed her... Debbie pitied her, Cindy ignored her and Anya kept a close watch on the little rodent troublemaker. Unfortunately, both Shana and Nikki were a little too eager to listen to the nosey mouse girl's gossip. At length, Fern let out a long suffering sigh, having seen and heard all of Yasmin's shit before.

"Yasmin... that kind of attitude is gonna get you into a metric fuckton of trouble one day."

The immediate rebuttal that was almost spat from Yasmin's maw was drowned out by an explosion of light and sound from the podium. Master Kaon was putting on a pyrotechnic show for the entertainment of his friends and family. It continued for a short while, but long enough for the mouse to formulate a more pertinent reply than her initial, instinctual verbal snap. Closing her eyes, with a knowing smirk etched on her face, little Yasmin placed a paw on her heart.

"I love the Master with every fiber of my being. He is my world, my all. I worship him just as you do, Fern, but he's not perfect, far from it. In some ways, he's older and wiser than any of us could ever hope to be, able to give a person exactly what they need, tell them just what they have to hear and in others, he's a naive, oblivious little cub who really doesn't know what's best for himself or anyone else."

Whilst such a statement seemed grossly disrespectful towards the Lord of the Jade Palace, to Nikki surprise, she heard a gruff mutter of agreement from Fern. The big vixen was Kaon's oldest companion, the first of his seven. If Yasmin knew him well through her empathic powers, then Fern knew the Master's every quirk by virtue of experience.

"That's for sure. That fox needs us as much as we need him. He's like some... egotistical child who's too clever for his own good and needs to be watched all the time! All his clever words and insights, the way he can manipulate you to love him all the more even though he's just ripped your world apart. He's gonna get it wrong one day and it's gonna bite him right in the ass. Despite how I keep thinking he needs to be taken down a peg or two... I'm not sure I wanna be around to see it..."

Nikki physically leant around her seat to stare past Cindy at the vixen whom Kaon had designated as her mother, gaping at Fern in openmouthed astonishment. That was nigh on the most shocking thing she'd ever heard anyone say about the Master! In Nikki's brown huskie eyes, her Father was perfection and she doubted her opinion of him would ever change! Yasmin was also looking Fern's way, with a small, hard smirk on her short mousey muzzle. Despite the fact she agreed with her erstwhile rival, the miniature manipulator couldn't help but take typical advantage of the situation.

"Mmmm... I'll be sure to convey your sentiments to Master Kaon in bed later tonight. You can keep your commendations and applause... that's all the reward I'll ever need.... not like you'd actually know, of course. Remind me, Fern, how long has it been since he bedded you?"

This multi-pronged jab at the vixen drew a disgusted 'tch' from Fern, and left even Cindy shaking her head in distaste. It was the skunkette's obvious disapproval that was all that kept Nikki from snickering at the thorny verbal barb. That and the vixen's white knuckled fury. Fern was gritting her teeth now and trying to ignore the supercilious grin on Yasmin's face. Only the proximity of Master Kaon and the importance of the day kept the fuming, flame furred female from starting some serious shit.

There was no real fear of the maliciously minded mouse being a pillow talking tattle tale and the rest of it was simply an attempt to bait Fern into a fight in the hopes of jeopardizing her long awaited commendation. It was an iron effort of will for the fiery female vulpine to swallow her pride and not bite in the face of what amounted to nothing more than schoolyard bully tactics. Luckily, Master kaon himself managed to diffuse the potentially explosive situation.

As his light show came to an end, Kaon lifted one armored paw and the entire assembled throng held their collective breaths... For a few moments, the big fox flicked his emerald gaze around the vast room, not merely requesting attention, but rather demanding it. Then Nikki felt her heart skip a beat as he calmly reached out and secured the first special envelope. It had begun.

With something approaching eager delight, Master Kaon tore open the envelope and pulled out the fist special commendation. His emerald eyes lit upon the expected Name written there. It was the name of one of his seven, a loyal, loving companion who devoted her time to the security and stability of his palace. Once a murderer and killer, a professional assassin who butchered the innocent all for personal profit but who now used her skills for law and order. Head of Palace security, Chief Justice of the Master's laws and Magnus Prefect...

"Lady Anya, 'Mishka', Vanrovich!"

A thunderous cheer erupted around the auditorium as the clarion call went out! if ever there was a fur who commanded respect in the palace, it was Lady Anya. Not merely for her impressive martial skills as one of the most accomplished combatants beneath the Master's command , but for her wisdom, her impariality and fairness in dealing with those who broke Palace Law.

The familiar form of the black clad, ebon furred Russian malamute brought both dread and hope to anyone involved in a crime. Although Anya was hard, uncompromising and direct, her sense of justice and capacity for forgiveness were nigh on unmatched within the crystal walls of the Master's palace. The guilty would be punished according to their misdeeds, exactly as they deserved and no more.

As the applause and cheering continued, however, quiet murmurs of confusion began to drift through the air. Where exactly was Lady Anya? Nikki glanced around, expecting to see the dark, velvet wrapped canine form of her physical fitness teacher appear at any moment, strolling confidently down one aisle with that practiced, surefooted tread. No such sight presented itself.

Then, a single spotlight flashed its bright illumination upwards. Hundreds of pairs of eyed tracked the powerful beam's skyward path and at its apex, a miniscule, dark figure clung to the smooth, domed auditorium roof, thousands of feet above the ground.. Lady Anya allowed herself a tiny smile... and let go.

Gasps and even screams echoed through the dark as the canine plunged towards the hard, unforgiving crystal floor in a perfect swan dive. Skilled as Anya was, there was no hope for her to survive such a fall, yet beneath her plummeting body stood a completely unconcerned Kaon, looking up at his falling love with an amused grin on his foxy muzzle.

Less than one hundred meters from the floor, Anya rolled her body, executing an acrobatic series of aerial twists and flips... before being neatly caught by her mate and master, Landing safe and secure in Kaon's arms. There was stunned silence from the assembled throng for but a single moment... before the auditorium all but exploded in a cacophony of cheers and applause!!

Kaon slowly let his coal furred mate to the floor, both furs looking exceedingly pleased with the little stunt. He didn't let her go right away though and kept his hand on her lithe, athletic waist just long enough to pull Lady Anya in for a kiss. As the two lovers embraced in a very public and almost unseen display of affection, Nikki suddenly released the breath she realized she'd been holding.

At length, both kaon and his mate separated. Anya looked the same as she always did, cool, controlled and detached, though the malamute's demeanor was far more relaxed and casual than her usual stiff formality. Her slim figure was clad in its traditional one piece dark velvet bodysuit, her fur was gold tinged ebony as were the long tresses of hair that framed her canine head, all save one single snow white lock that fell over her scarred left eye, a tragic counterpart to her other burning orb of liquid gold.

Kaon gazed at his mate with that same fervent pride and joy that Nikki had been seeing all day. No question, he loved his big, dark assassin puppy. They had had their differences, Anya's claiming had been a long, long anguish ridden road but now she wore her emerald collar as a badge of honor. It was a constant reminder that she was loved, loved in a way she had never imagined was even possible. Soon enough her master's powerful voice reached the ears of all assembled and with it the praise she so richly deserved.

"Lady Anya. You demonstrate, year after year your love of honor and justice. You have upheld and maintained my laws by virtue of tireless zeal and compassionate wisdom. There is not one fur here who does not already respect you, not one who would question your judgments."

Slowly, the center podium began to rise into the air, elevating the duo of fox and malamute, Master and Mate above the assembled multitude. One by one, the lights began to go out. The chandeliers, the spotlights, even the guide lights on the floors till Kaon and Anya were illuminated by one single bright shaft of light.

"You are the Captain of my guard, the Judge of my people, and the keeper of my laws. Yet for all your accomplishments, my sweet Anya, you remain modest. You desire not medals, nor wealth and your greatest wish; the honor of wearing my collar is already bestowed upon you. What more, then, can I give you? What triumphant fanfare heralds your achievements? Just this..."

So saying, Master Kaon lifted one gauntleted paw to the ceiling... and light once more illuminated the entire auditorium, revealing a spectacular sight. High above, standing upon ethereal platforms maintained by the Master's own power... A full military and judicial turn out. Furs in the audience blinked in shock as they realized their mates, partners and friends were no longer sitting next to them. During those few moments of darkness, the master had engineered this.

Heralding this procession were the stalwart forms of Kaon's Royal Guard. Powerful furs all well built and exquisitely trained. Their armor was green plate much like the Masters own, interlocking bands of crystal that provided near perfect protection and now polished till it shone, gleaming in the light like a glittering sea of emerald. Full Helmets bore a great roman plume and the Master's crest seared into the crystal, an intricate design of fluid white gold. Their weaponry was truly monstrous, gigantic ebony halberds that coursed with the same crackling particle energy than ran through the Master's own veins.

Standing in second was the Prefecture. These furs were handpicked by Anya for their love of justice and high moral standing. Uncompromising and incorruptible, their fervor tempered by wisdom and kindness, the Prefects served as the Jade palace law enforcement agency. Administering fines, reprimands and much needed reality checks to adult offenders as well as on the spot switchings to misbehaving cubs, the sight of that double tailed white uniform that peaked cap and blue collar was enough to send shivers down any miscreant's spine.

The Judicial Commission served as the vanguard of this great parade. Those who represented and studied the law, advising Lady Anya on complex legal matters and helping to preside over rare cases of serious misconduct, these grey suited furs were wise and learned. Their wise council was highly valued and they studied law tirelessly to answer any legal queries put to them, also dealing with minor disputes of the law so that Anya's considerable burden was not made onerous by trivialities.

Nearly two hundred and fifty thousand souls, all under Anya's jurisdiction, all ready and awaiting the Master's command. There was only one spot missing, Anya's own customary position at the head of the Royal guard... a place that was soon filled by Master Kaon himself. Walking to that position, the master spun on his heel with a flourish of his cape, standing easy and proud at the forefront of those who served him, for the honor of one who loved him.

"Company, Attention!"

As one, the full might of the Jade palace military and justice divisions came to attention, their movements timed to perfection, the noise of their step in was one short, snapping crack. Their form was perfection, their timing, flawless, the Master's voice, his command to honor their Captain was the only concern. Anya stood at ease, tall and proud, acutely conscious of the significance and symbolism of this gesture. Whilst the dark furred malamute knew full well she had the love, respect and adoration of those she commanded, it meant allot to have the Master himself acknowledge her and her efforts.

Sometimes...a girl just likes to be told.

Kaon drew shrike from its sheath. The sentient vorpal blade left its home with an audible whispered sigh, though plain in construction, looking like nothing more than a basic long sword, Shrike was the equal of any martial weapon forged in the realms. Flourishing his blade in a figure eight pattern, the master raised its lethal point skywards...

"Company... Present ARMS! Salute!"

Every halberd, every baton, every paw was raised upwards in perfect synchronization, mirroring the Master's own salute. Then, the martial tones of the Master's anthem began to play once more and every fur in the auditorium not involved in the parade of arms rose to their feet as one, standing tall and proud in contemplative respect of the killer turned lawgiver, the murderous assassin who changed her very nature to become a true paragon of justice.

As the solemn display of military might and steadfast loyalty continued for the length of the anthem, Yasmin regarded the display of extravagance with a forced smile on her rodent features and an agitated twitch of her long mousey tail. Noticing the happy grin on Nikki's face and the pride the pup felt for her physical education teacher ,little Yasmin turned to murmur in Nikki's perked huskie ear, low enough so that she wouldn't be overheard by the others sitting nearby, her conspiratorial whisper drowned out by the booming Palace anthem.

"It's no surprise the Master chose Anya as head of security. She's trained to be cold and detached, impartial and merciless. Anya makes a perfect judge, jury and.... executioner. With a conscience as broken as hers, that assassin has no qualms with doing what she thinks needs to be done."

Nikki's canine head snapped round in surprise, her little maw hanging open in shock. Hearing such a frank assessment of Anya that was so contrary to everything people said about the calm, quiet malamute was unnerving to the small puppy girl. Still it didn't pay to disregard the rodent's commentary, after all, Yasmin was palace counselor, there was no-one who knew the residents of the palace as well as she. The smirking, snowy furred mouse could see Nikki's surprise, was please by the reaction and wasn't done with her derogatory tirade, using calculated words to drive the point across.

"Anya is nothing short of dangerous. You know what they say, once a snake, always a snake. The ends always justify the means... and all that crap. Don't ever cross her, Nikki, you'll end up hurting and Kaon is so blind he'll just end up patting her on the back for a job well done."

Yasmin had tactfully neglected to mention that she had been instrumental in guiding the malamute to Kaon's arms, her council and advice had been a driving force in Anya receiving her collar. Of course, the crafty mouse had had an ulterior motive at the time, hooking Kaon up with some fresh pussy had gone a long way to putting her back into favor after her spectacular miscalculation in the affair involving her son, the most damaging incident in Palace history.

Turning her head back to the display of honor and respect, Nikki watched on quietly, now lacking the energy and enthusiasm she had recently possessed for the proceedings. Eventually, as the last notes of the anthem thundered through the auditorium, the lights went out once more. When illumination resumed seconds later, the assembled parade had vanished and the participating furs were back in their normal clothes and back in their seats. Lady Anya had also mysteriously made her exit, leaving Kaon alone on the podium once more.

Loud applause and cheering erupted in the auditorium, but Nikki felt herself unable to join in the revelry. What Yasmin had said genuinely unnerved the puppy, but the small huskie was grateful for the 'advice' It was true in a way, Anya had always been quick with her rawhide switch and even quicker to report misconduct to Master Kaon whenever she had caught Nikki misbehaving. It didn't do any harm to be more cautious around the sinister black malamute.

Further Proceedings were to follow on immediately as Kaon quickly secured the second envelope. Riding the precious high of seeing those he loved enjoy themselves, the dog fox was eager to continue the trend. Ripping open the white envelope, he didn't even need to read the letter to know whose name was on it, the slight scent of rose perfume gave the owner away immediately.

"Debbie, 'Dee',Brightwater!!"

there was an explosion of movement from a couple of seats down where the dozing bunny had been resting quietly. Debbie was worn out, but had enough nervous energy left to receive these final congratulations for a job well done. As the by now customary applause filled the air, no fur needed to question why the rabbit was being honored, this entire ceremony wouldn't have been possible without her efforts. Bounding up the steps to the podium, Debbie assaulted master kaon with a rapid fire verbal onslaught in that delightful southern belle accent.

"Ohmigosh!! Look at me, look at me!! I'm such a mess, hair all over the place, my dress is all ruffled, I wish I'd had a few minutes to spruce up!! What MUST you think of me?!"

A gentle, soothing smile graced the master's relaxed features. One paw lifted from its position at his side to caress the bunny's cheek. Debbie closed her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled into his loving embrace. As they kissed, green spirals of energy enveloped her voluptuous figure, they slid up her legs, over her hips and bust and as they travelled, the rabbit's wrinkled, ruffled dress was transformed into a gorgeous, satin and gold braid ball gown. Debbie's long pink hair seemed brushed and ever so slight curled at the shoulder length tips , held back by an exquisite diamond tiara and a world away from the disorganized , slapdash hairdo she'd worn for weeks now.

Nikki looked upon her form with envy.... the tired, disheveled rabbit had been transformed into a vision of regal beauty. Debbie simply gazed up at her lover with a sparkle in her gorgeous eyes, her master, the male who had saved her life countless times, freed her planet from oppression and won her heart with a promise of eternal love. Kaon met her eyes... the promise he had made to a total stranger to care for her... the promise he had made to never hurt her... so many promises he had made... all broken save for one.... And on the strength of just that one promise after so many others lay shattered in his wake..

The room lighting dimmed to a gentle glow, all save for a single warm spotlight that illuminated the couple. Her Master extended one paw, wrapping the other around Debbie's' waist. As the bunny clasped her mate's extended paw with her own, her free arm came to rest on his shoulder and as a slow, gentle waltz began to flow through the still air, the two star struck lovers began to dance.

it was a thing of gorgeous intricacy and precision, yet full of more sensual passion than Nikki had ever seen. The Master led, Debbie followed, it was a delicate, delightful exhibition of intimate dance. Both furs remained in full body contact with the other, the bunny's body molded to her lover's even though their steps were brisk and sweeping. Spinning and twirling around the podium, Debbie rested her head upon the Masters shoulder, her eyes closed, trusting in his lead, his guiding hand to see her through this wonderful moment, just as she had relied upon his strength to see her safe in the past.

Around and around they spun, the master's plate creating a sparkling trail of moonlight, Debbie's exquisite gown gave off a blazing trace of sunlight, both pale silver and burning gold spiraling together into a single column of pure white light that surrounded the couple as a glowing, spherical nimbus of liquid crystal.

Down the podium went, receding into the depths but still they danced on. Buoyed above the heads of the awestruck crowd the pair waltzed on, surefooted and free upon a shifting platform of energy that exploded with flashes of rainbow color with each perfectly timed step, the armored fox and bejeweled bunny danced together, a regal King and his beloved Queen. Debbie's dreamy smile spoke of an ease of heart, of love unbridled and joy unbound. In her lovers arms she was safe...happy... and at rest. Kaon held Debbie in his arms and, for a few moments... allowed all his cares to drift away with the gentle rhythm of the dance.

This was their time, their moment and none dared to interfere.

Slowly, the duo floated gently downwards as the podium rose once more to meet them. The last few notes of the waltz faded into the still air as fox and bunny touched down, the crowd slowly came out of its enthralled rapture. For a moment there was utter silence and then... a triumphant roar of approval echoed from the auditorium walls and every member of the audience, young and old surged to their feet cheering and clapping, exalting in the glow of the radiant light shining from Master and lover like the burning heart of a stellar supernova.....

Debbie was blushing like a newlywed bride; Kaon looked supremely pleased with himself. The accolades continued unabated till the smirking fox lifted a paw for silence and turned to his suddenly shy bunny girl. Although the southern belle bunny was riding a buoyant wave of bliss, energized by a final burst of adrenaline, the fox had noticed the slight tremor in her long, well manicured fingers, the miniscule droop of those usually perky, well preened rabbit ears. With her manic mood rapidly fading away, Kaon finally, gently put his foot down.

"Go and rest, honey. You've done plenty. I can take it from here..."

Debbie nodded slowly and tried to make her way off the podium, teetering rather unsteadily. As the wobbly bunny reached the steps, she stumbled and would have gone crashing to the floor had the Master not been ready. It wouldn't be the first time he had caught her before she'd fallen.... Almost limp in his embrace, the grey furred female could barely keep her eyes open...there was a sudden snap of air, a crackle of ozone... and Kaon and Debbie were gone. The caring fox had teleported himself and his bunny away to her quarters where he'd see her tucked up in bed and fast asleep before he would even consider continuing with the ceremony.

A break of 'indeterminate length' was called. It was expected that the Master wouldn't be long in his almost paternal duties, just long enough to make sure Debbie had had something to eat and taken her medication before helping her crawl into her comfy double bed. With a limited time window for the break, there was an organized scramble towards the buffet, the rest cubicles and the smoking area.

Fern made a hasty exit towards the smoking area, a still peckish Shana made a beeline for the buffet tables whilst Mrs. Cindy stood up, smoothed out her blouse and headed in the vague direction of the restrooms. Nikki was quite comfortable where she was thank you very much and the quiet puppy was still partially under the dreamy spell of the Master's dance number. He was so handsome, hopefully... maybe one day he'd dance with her like that... Debbie was so lucky.

Yasmin, on the other paw, did not seem quite so impressed. The rodent girl shot the daydreaming pup a shifty, sideways glance. Of course, the palace counselor had her own paricular insights and opinions of the palace musician and had decided to share said 'facts' with Nikki. Whilst the dance number had been too quiet and personal to risk speaking her mind over, now that the others had conveniently decided they had certain irresistible urges to take care of... and Nikki had, coincidentally decided to stay put, the powerful empath mouse could speak freely and she did so with a long suffering sigh.

"I really don't know what the Master sees in Debbie. The only person she cares about apart from herself is the Master and she only gives him the time of day for what she can get out of it. Though it's not really her fault, you know..., thanks to her early years the poor thing has a serious mental illness."

Nikki's huskie ears perked with interest. Nobody really spoke about their pasts in the palace, even when the curious pup had made discreet enquiries. Always wanting to learn more about her friends, it never occurred to the eager girl that Debbie, or even Anya had their reasons to put the past behind them and that it wasn't Yasmin's place to dredge up dirt long since thought washed away...

"The war in her homeland hit her so hard, you know. Seeing her sister die in front of her, her people, her entire species pushed to the brink of extinction. Debbie developed bi polar disorder due to the trauma...And then Kaon comes along, big and handsome, strong and powerful, influential and wealthy, the savior of her race... it's no wonder she hooked on to him like a ravenous leech."

That was not what Nikki had expected to hear. The astonished puppy had no idea that the happy go lucky bunny was so tormented by her past! Not only that, but Yasmin made it sound like Debbie was just using the Master for her own personal gain. That couldn't be true, could it? Surely they loved each other; the way they had danced proved that much! Yasmin was slowly shaking her mousey head, looking almost upset as she continued to ponder the Master's relationship with his honey bunny.

"Kaon is so kind... and so oblivious. He looks past the selfishness, the possessiveness, the ugly mood swings and borderline schizophrenia. Debbie has just enough smarts to understand that a little song and dance and occasionally spreading her legs keeps the Master happy and content. In return, she has her beloved golden pedestal."

Nikki was absolutely aghast! That was horrible! How could Debbie use Kaon like that? The big fox loved her and all she wanted was to further indulge her own ambition? It was just so... despicable and manipulative. The Master... her daddy deserved better than that.

Yasmin allowed herself another languid, satisfied smile at the mortified expression on Nikki's face... The puppy was far too naive for her own good; she needed to know the truth. Of course, Yasmin's selective 'truth' didn't include the fact that the jealous mouse had demanded Debbie's banishment from the palace and that once the mouse girl had fallen and the rabbit had returned, the kind bunny had seen the lonely little slave's misery and had both forgiven and befriended her long before anyone else in the palace could stand to even look her way, to the point that the two of them were regarded as lovers as well as friends. Not that you could tell at this moment in time.

It was soon after Yasmin and Nikki had returned to their silent and now slightly troubled contemplation that the Palace anthem blared out its chorus once more, a sure signal that the ceremony was due to resume. Furs filed back to their seats, Shana, Fern and Cindy took their places once more. Nikki took a deep breath and forced a silly grin back to her face. In her heart though, she was troubled.

A sudden bursting flash of light from the podium pulled Nikki from her melancholy slide. Master kaon had returned, ready and eager to resume proceedings. The small pup looked up at her father's armored form, her heart almost ruptured in her chest with the love she felt for her beloved daddy. He was beautiful... proud.... as well as honorable and kind. She owed him.... so much....no, more than that, Nikki owed that handsome fox everything.

Once the auditorium was once more full to capacity, Kaon graced his friends and family with a broad, loving smile. Two more envelopes to go, one more before the big finale he'd been looking forwards to all day. He couldn't wait to see his huskie puppy girl smile. First though, there was the small matter of special thanks to be given and a long awaited promise fulfilled. The Master flashed his gaze around the room before choosing his next words with care.

"I would like to take a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to one special person. This person works hard to benefit my palace and it's people, harder than most of us present here. Yet due to her own modesty, this person wishes no reward and desires anonymity...".

It was quite obvious that the Master was referring to Cindy. Everyone could see that much. The head chef was one of the most beloved personalities in the entire Palace and not simply for her culinary prowess. Her kindness, diligence and motherly ways had earned her the respect and friendship of countless thousands, even if the quiet skunkette had a hard time believing it.

"Please, my friends put your paws together and let's have a round of applause! Although she wishes no great honor, such devotion to duty, such hard work and caring love will not go unrecognized!"

It took only four claps from the Master's own paws for the Auditorium to explode with spontaneous applause! A minute passed then two and three and still the ruckus continued! Meanwhile, Cindy just stared at the floor, her expression unreadable, till Nikki leaned over and slipped her little paw into the skunkette's. That finally brought a smile to Cindy's short skunkie muzzle, a blush to her cheeks and a single nod of acceptance... and then a look of surprise as Yasmin spoke up in a casual manner, flashing the skunkette a dazzling smile.

"You really shouldn't be so embarrassed, Cindy. Since you and Nikki here started looking after each other, your progress has been remarkable and not only that, you've helped Nikki as well. I think the two of you are perfect for each other. That's my opinion as palace counselor as well as my personal feelings."

Nikki was elated by this news! Should Cindy decide she wanted to formally take the pup under her wing, Yasmin would back them! This was fantastic! A wave of genuine gratitude towards the small mouse flooded the excited huskie. Although Nikki was well versed as to the rumors and warnings surrounding Yasmin and her past behavior, this seemed so unlike the selfish, self serving, manipulative misanthrope that Fern had repeatedly accused the white furred, whip tailed girl of being. If Fern herself had heard Yasmin's comment, she gave no sign....

Despite how quickly Nikki would be to accept Yasmin's assistance, Cindy wasn't so easily swayed. Yes, the offer was appreciated, but the wise skunkette had seen the damage little Yasmin had caused almost from the first moment Kaon purchased her from the slave blocks. All her scheming had ever caused was pain and it was difficult to believe that the crafty mouse would do anything out of the goodness of her heart and without an ulterior motive. In the depths of Cindy's heart also lurked an old, old hurt that Yasmin had caused.

When that tiny, skinny, pathetic, beat up eight year old little girl had been introduced to her, Cindy had tried to become the mother that Yasmin never had. The maternal skunk had tried so hard to raise the cute little squeaker as a good girl, but Yasmin threw all her kindness, all the things Cindy had tried to teach back in her face when she'd abused the gifts Kaon had given her and manipulated him to her own advantage. It had earned Yasmin her collar, but lost her a mother. The worst thing was that.... arrogant mouse honestly didn't care... her eyes were for the master only and everyone else was irrelevant....

Eventually, the applause died out. It took quite some time. Master kaon took a deep breath and tried to hide his slight disappointment, he'd been hoping that his skunkette would have decided to come on stage. That was perhaps, too great a step right now. One bit at a time, moment by moment, day by day, Kaon was working to heal her wounds, making his wife see the truth about her own self, as he did with all his seven.

It was not easy, having to sit by and watch them struggling with themselves and hurting so much over things so easily fixed, when with just a wave of his paw he could make it all better. They needed to find out for themselves the key to their happiness. Kaon would show them the things they needed and point out the path for them, but he would not force them to walk it. There was no victory in that. Now at least he had a chance to reward one who had begun to understand. It had taken her... nearly twenty three million years....

Plucking the second to last envelope from its resting place, the Master shook off his melancholy mood and allowed himself a toothy grin. This one was as much for himself as the recipient and just thinking about the next couple of days sent a shiver down his spine. Kaon had to admit, he was ... excited by the possibilities. With no further ado, he extracted the gilded note of commendation from its hiding place.

"Fern Dawnstar!"

There was significantly less jubilation at this announcement, no cheering, only a smattering of applause. It was to be expected. Till recently, the vixen had been a bone idle tyrant. She had worn Laziness and arrogance like a shroud with cruelty and intolerance for a black veil. Fern's sadistic temper had earned her much enmity from those she was supposed to lead. Even the big vixen had to admit, in her supposed role as Kaon's first mate, head of his household and mother to Nikki and Shana, she had failed miserably.

Then, the long awaited reformation. An awakening, a realization, a lesson engineered by the Master and well learned. Fern was still by no means a perfect person, but there had been such improvement in her attitude and sense of responsibility that Kaon had finally felt his first mate had redeemed herself and was worthy of her title.

Fern wasn't concerned with the less than enthusiastic response from the crowd, her hazel eyes were for the Master only. The very thought of what was to come made her mouth water. If her hunch was right, Kaon intended to make good on an old promise... and if that was the case it was the one thing, the only thing she'd wanted for the entire last year.

As part of Fern's reformation, Kaon had taken her to his bed as an example of the rewards that awaited her for submission, obedience, diligence and hard work, four concepts that a skeptical Fern was highly unaccustomed too. The Master made his vixen cum so hard that she'd passed out from pleasure overload, the first time he'd ever managed to do so and he'd left her with a special promise...

When she'd proved herself he'd take her to bed again... and this time there would be no blacking out.

Ascending the podium steps, Fern deliberately swayed her tight, jeans clad butt back and forth, following through with her tail in a fluid swishing motion. Looking aloof and refined, her black leather jacket hanging loose from her athletic shoulders, the proud, fiery vixen fronted up to her Mate and rested one paw on her hip at a rakish angle. Kaon just stood there, trying to look severe, but the big stupid grin plastered all over his face gave away his intent. Desperately trying to conceal her mounting excitement, Fern slowly pulled her shades down the length of her muzzle, peering over the designer eyewear with a sparkle in her hazel eyed gaze.

"You want somethin'?"

That tone was typical of Fern, confident, arrogant, and even perhaps a little insolent. Kaon's smile vanished, but it was not replaced with anger, rather the look behind those emerald eyes made his vixen weak at the knees. Fern swallowed hard, found herself incapable of stopping her tongue running around her muzzle lips as her mate slid in next to her and pressed his mouth to one triangular vixen ear.

"Yes...I want you."

It was a sensual whisper that was nonetheless, clearly audible around the entirety of the auditorium. So saying, Kaon nigh on crushed his vixen to him, pulling her into a tight embrace, all but ravishing her lips with his own in a passionate almost desperate kiss. Fern responded instantly, throwing her arms around his neck, and wrapping her legs around his waist as her mates paws hooked in beneath her thighs for support.

Lifting fern up a little higher, kaon propped his eager vixen on the desktop and leant forwards over her body. Now that his paws were free, they began to roam. Stroking and caressing, his fingers running over her rounded curves and along supple, muscular limbs. Muzzles remaining locked together, Master and mate indulged in a very public display of barely restrained passion that was almost verging on heavy petting. Nikki's eyes seemed to grow wider and wider still at this blunt announcement of future intent from her parents.

Their embrace went on an almost uncomfortably long time till Fern nipped Kaon's lower lip hard enough to draw a bead of blood to the surface. Licking his lips, the dog fox backed off from this teasing display of pseudo aggression, knowing full well that his vixen's fur and temper weren't the only things fiery about her. The next couple of days were going to be most interesting.

Fern virtually strutted back to her seat, pleased as punch with the outcome. Was it elaborate? Not really. Did it bestow great honor and respect upon her? Not particularly. However, it did allow the smug vixen to casually flip Yasmin the bird as she swaggered past the seething, white furred mouse girl.

Yasmin was more than livid. Her blue eyes were almost glowing with rage, chisel teeth gritted so tightly the ivory incisors almost cracked under the strain. It took all her self control and the intimidating close proximity of Master Kaon to simply not explode with an outburst of empathically charged wrath. This was a sickeningly insulting slap in the face. Yasmin had known of the Master's restraint over the last month and after so long without release, Kaon would be eager, frisky and extremely passionate.

The next female he slept with would have her world well and truly rocked and Yasmin believed that she and only she was worthy of such a special treat. Giving the absolute best of himself to Fern like this was something that would grate the mouse girl's nerves red raw with jealous loathing for her rival.

Suddenly, Yasmin's outward demeanor changed from enraged fury to casual indifference. Though the white mouse had seemingly chosen to accept the Master's wishes, nothing could be further from the truth. Although there was little that could be done to alter the decision, the empathic girl could sure as hell make sure Nikki understood how grossly unfair and outright wrong it was... naturally by giving her strong opinions on the very vixen who was to receive the Masters favor, as covertly as possible of course.

If Nikki was surprised to feel the mouse's fingertip gently caress her neck and linger there, then the puzzled puppy was stunned to hear Yasmin's voice actually inside her head! Though the huskie girl wasn't aware of it, Kaon considered what his little empathic mouse was doing to be a gross breach of conduct! Essentially invading someone's mind, anyone's mind, let alone a child's, against their will was a vile abuse of her powers! It was quite apparent though, that at this moment, Yasmin could care less what her Master thought

"That bitch! Who does Fern think she is?! What is the Master thinking, rewarding her like this? You know what she's like! You know all too well! She's cruel, vicious and sadistic, her attitude was only tempered out of necessity - to save her skin rather than any desire to change her ways! Only a fool would trust anything she says or does!"

The level of boiling, poisonous hate in Yasmin's voice shocked Nikki cold. It was blistering and caustic, dripping venom and malice. The sheer volume of negative emotion prickled at the back of Nikki's mind like pins and needles. The shivering, grey furred pup knew that Yasmin and her vixen mama didn't get along but... not this badly. Then again, Nikki didn't like Fern much either... in fact, the pup suddenly decided she actually resented her! Everything her mama... Fern... that bitch had done to her! It was unforgivable! Yasmin's quiet voice in her head changed to being smooth and sultry, warm and rich with truth.

"Fern hated you from the day you were adopted. That vicious bitch abused and tormented you for centuries! She made it quite clear that you were less than nothing to her and do you really think that after her so called change of heart, she's any different? Fern is quick to beat you, even quicker to reprimand and punish your every mistake, but does she cuddle you? Praise you? No, she doesn't. Fern never loved you and she never will."

It almost hurt, to be told everything Nikki had always suspected her mother to be guilty of was the absolute truth. Looking up at her father standing on the podium, waving and laughing the puppy felt a strange mix of love and loathing fill her heart... Daddy... Master....Kaon... He deserved better than this... better than all these maggots that fed of his love and grew fat off his kindness and tolerance. He deserved someone like her. A girl, who really loved him, understood what he wanted and was willing to become his every fantasy if only he'd look her way! That quiet voice in Nikki's head was virtually purring.

"Yes... Daddy... the Master, he is everything to me. Nothing in this universe comes close to His splendor.... His... perfection.... He needs to be cared for... served and worshipped by those who can recognize him for the god He is..... Everyone else... is not worthy to even be in his presence."

Yasmin's finger left the puppy's neck with a caress; leaving Nikki trembling and whimpering with need and love for her father. It was in that moment of acute desire and unfathomable longing that Kaon chose to lift his paw and almost casually reach out and take hold of that last special envelope...

For a moment, nothing save for quiet, hushed expectation. Nikki's huskie eyes were virtually shining as she gazed down at her daddy standing on the amphitheatre center podium. The big fox took his time, slowly opening that last envelope, his eyes meeting hers, attention fixed on his adopted daughter and a warm and loving yet cheeky smile etched on his foxy feature. His red furred, fluffy tail began to wag. Slowly, oh so slowly he pulled the notice of achievement and recognition from its paper hiding spot, unfolded it, flicked his proud emerald eyed gaze to it for just a brief moment.... then...

"Nikki, Catherine, Donahue!!"

A thunderous cheer erupted around the auditorium as Nikki threw herself out of her seat and scrambled wildly down the aisle and up the steps to the podium where her Father, her Master was waiting with open arms! Hurling herself into his embrace, the small pup felt herself lifted up and spun gently about in a very public display of love and affection whilst the applause and exuberance of the assembled multitude rang loud in her ears!

There was standing ovation, every fur in the entire auditorium, servant, citizens, dignitaries, they were all on their feet, whooping with exultation at the honor given to the Master's adopted child, at last not simply a member of Kaon's mortal family, but now elevated into a fully fledged citizen of the immortal Jade palace by virtue of the collar she wore!

Shana was jumping up and down, clapping her paws and hollering at the top of her young lugs, shouting encouragement to her adopted sister, now bound to her by ties far older and more powerful than mere blood.

Fern was nodding approval... Although huskie pup and big vixen had their differences, the vulpine female had to admit, this honor was not only well deserved, but had been a long time coming.

Cindy was just smiling happily, tears glistening in those blue eyes, full of fierce pride and love for the girl she quietly considered her daughter.

Nikki couldn't help but cry as she snuggled in her father's arms. Only once in her life had she felt such overwhelming happiness like this and that had been the moment she realized she had been adopted. When she had walked into her own room, back at the old Donahue mansion and heard her new father say '....welcome home...' Back then Kaon had flooded her heart with joy, giving a sad, lonely little puppy everything she had wanted and more and now... he'd done it again. He'd given her everything she'd wanted, given her his all, shared so much with her out of the purest, unbridled love for a girl who wasn't his blood, wasn't even one of his own yet This day, this hour, this minute had been crafted by his paws just for her, just so he could see her smile and it was so very beautiful!

At length, the master popped his adopted pup back on her own feet and held up one paw for silence. Almost immediately there was quiet. Slowly, he extended one paw , his fingers brushing beneath Nikki's quivering chin as the emotional puppy blushed and shuffled her feet, scrubbing a paw across her eyes, embarrassed and delighted by all the attention. The best, however, was yet to come as Master kaon ran a finger around the diamond collar that sat at his girl's neck.

"Well, now, I was going to present you with that collar today, but it seems some silly old focks just couldn't wait to see the smile on your face and had to go ruin the surprise..."

Nikki looked on in curious anticipation as her daddy released her from his warm embrace and retreated a few paces backwards. Kaon closed his eyes for a moment... and then when he opened them again...

Oh... Sweet Creator's mercy.....

Those eyes... It was everything she'd seen when he'd looked at her in the intimate privacy of the storeroom earlier... it was love, pride, joy and more than that, there was passion, determination, authority and an essence of ancient power so incredible it was all the puppy could do not to roll on her back in submission and beg for tummy rubs. When... he spoke... a voice mirrored in her subconscious, like liquid warmth...

"So... my sweet, precious little Princess Nikki... I'll have to find some other way to reward you..."

As a trembling Nikki looked on in wonder, the Master, slowly placed one foot before the other, each arm held out, paws about two feet from his hips. Closing his eyes, the Master lifted his head and smiled gently, a soft, languid expression. Slowly, the master's plated crystalline armor was absorbed back into his body. The pauldrons and gauntlets went first, revealing his rounded shoulders and well muscled arms. The chest plate was next, baring Kaon's slender, red furred chest and torso to his daughters view. When the heavyset belt and leg plates that protected her father's modesty also began to fade, Nikki began to shiver... and finally... the sabatons covering his lower legs disappeared from view and the small puppy girl gazed upon her father's naked form.

Yet it was not obscene. Kaon had chosen to appear completely genderless, a tall, muscular figure yet slender and feminine as he always was. Androgynous, ageless and beautiful and somehow Nikki could see every single strand of dark crimson fur on his handsome features, every single ebon green hair on his head. Muscle tone, so perfect, his body seemed chiseled from stone.

Slowly Kaon began to rise up. His feet leaving the podium floor, Nikki watched as her daddy levitated towards the ceiling. At the height of exactly seven stories, about half way between ground and roof, his upwards drift stopped. Then...nothing, time seemed to have frozen and Nikki became acutely aware of things she would never have noticed otherwise. A musical symphony of ordinary sounds blended together into a beautiful harmony.

The soft whisper of breathing from the thousands present, the quiet hum of power emanating from the crystal walls, the faint swishing of her puppy tail that had somehow begun to wag wildly without her even noticing. These blended together to form a timeless melody of joy, love and anticipation. Nikki slowly came to hear an underlying rhythm present in the song of the palace. It was a feeling as much as a sound, warm and comforting, gentle and loving and the emotional puppy felt fresh tears beginning to trickle down her fuzzy cheeks as she realized what it was.

It was a heartbeat, the Master's heart. Then... stunning, indescribable beauty, a true vision of heaven was revealed as Kaon unfurled his wings. These were the pinions of god, six vast, crystal wings of emerald that flowed from his back like liquid streams of verdant energy...each feather was a single, perfectly cut gem that radiated the breath of life itself. Yet they were part of the Master's body, as tangible as and infinitely more wondrous than any white feathered swan's. hidden from view at all times but the most special of moments, these massive wings spanned not simply the width of the auditorium, but the spread out from there till the entire universe seemed encompassed by their shadow.

Only Nikki had the clarity of though... or the master's permission to gaze upon this sight. to all others save for Shana, Fern, Yasmin and Cindy , Kaon was obscured by a crystal nimbus, a shimmering sea of light that blurred his form and filled the eyes with tears born of rapture. Only Kaon's own four understood the truth of what was taking place, each had seen the Master like this, but it was rare for even they to be gifted with such a wondrous sight.

Every other form the Master had was nothing more than illusion. They were cloaks, shadows and reflections of the absolute truth. Nikki was witness to the face of god, this was Kaon's apotheosis and none but those who held the keys to his heart could bear to gaze upon such beauty. If nothing further had happened, this would have been the greatest moment of the puppy's young life, a memory to cherish, that would be comfort and joy to her for the rest of eternity.... however... the Master was not yet content with the blessing he had bestowed upon his trembling little puppy girl. There was more he wished to show her, so much more.

Looking down on the tiny, insignificant little girl before him, a child that had no power... no divine influence or association.... no great skills he could make use of and in the eyes of any other immortal, she would have been worthless. A mortal with no purpose, not even fit for use as a tool. Yet now... for just a few moments, this sobbing little puppy was the one thing, the only thing in all the realities that occupied his focus. For a precious few seconds, extended into infinity, Nikki was the sole reason he existed.

If Nikki had thought she loved her daddy, if she had wanted or desired him, those pitiful emotions were drowned beneath a tidal wave of longing so intense it nearly broke her. It was like seeing a long lost friend, a twin she never knew she had, it was like meeting her father for the first time even though she had known him her entire life...

Her father's emotions seemed to have been given physical form, a palpable sensation. Nikki felt the invigorating heat of his fierce, blazing pride, warming her small body and soothing her shivering. His boundless joy streamed into her soul, uplifting her timid spirit and filling her with strength. Above all this... Nikki's heart was flooded with an overwhelming surge of pure, unconditional love. nothing could stand before this blazing light, all her doubts, her fears her sorrow were vaporized by a searing column of white flame that engulfed her whole being...

Then, Kaon looked down as his puppy girl, smiled and slowly extended one paw...

"Come to me..."

A squealing scream of utter need burst from Nikki's maw and the enraptured, tear blind puppy girl began a frantic scramble towards her beloved daddy! There was no fear the earthbound huskie couldn't reach her levitating father, her running footpaws were buoyed upon a shimmering stair of light and moments later, a bawling, shuddering Nikki threw her arms around Kaon's neck and howled with bliss as those strong arms encircled her back and held her close.

Blinding, agonizing ecstasy exploded within Nikki as she fell into her father-god's loving embrace. It was as if someone had just flipped every pleasure switch in her body to the on position and jammed it there. Feasting upon ambrosia could not ever be as satisfying as this. The sheer delight it invoked was vastly superior than indulging in your most beloved hobby. It was far more beautiful than the quiet happiness to be found in holding the love of your life and infinitely more pleasurable than most devastating multiple orgasms could ever hope to be...yet it was not sexual in any way. It was simply pleasure for pleasures sake and, wailing with euphoria, Nikki experienced a physical rapture so extreme it would have broken her mind had kaon himself not been controlling the flow of sensation that saturated every cell in her young body.

It happened almost without the bliss stricken huskie girls notice, but even the overwhelming delight surging inside could not blind her gorgeous eyes to the reality of those massive emerald wings slowly circling round to enfold and envelop her. Then.. molded to his body, shrouded beneath His wings in an absolute blackness, total sensory deprivation save for the continuing wracking spasms of excruciating delight and the blistering heat wave of her father's love, kaon stripped away the very layers of creation for his precious child.

Nikki saw... such.... things. One tiny seed growing into a vast, continent spanning forest... A volcanic eruption forming a new island chain.... the beauty of a nightblossom orchid flowering beneath twin moons.... a vast migration of herd animals upon an infinite plain of grass and trees... the furthest depths of an ocean chasm, teeming with fantastic, luminous sea life... an alien atmosphere with great flying beasts whirling in perfect formation... and further still...

Stars and planets orbiting in delicate synchronization... spiral galaxies floating within the dark void... the beauty of multicolored nebulae slowly expanding and shifting in complex patterns ...the power of a red supergiant star going nova, scattering liquid starfire though the universe before sucking it all back into itself in flowing streams as the core collapsed into a black hole... and further still..

The forces of power binding all life together... the stream of souls that encircled creation... a small blue box spinning within the endless time vortex, the mysteries of the infinity paradox, the woven skein of fate and destiny, the very concept of thought given physical form... all this and so much more... the wonders of time and space, of life and creation itself all viewed through the eyes of a child safe in her father's arms.

Then, something occurred that Kaon did not intend. A special moment given only to one his seven at the most intimate of sensual encounters that by all rights, should not have happened to the pup. It was a spontaneous, instinctual reaction the fox could not control or even sense happening, triggered automatically by the lingering feelings within him from their earlier lovemaking...

As Nikki reveled in a whirling, kaleidoscopic paradise of wonder and sensation, one bright light in particular caught her eye amidst a multitude of others. This light was different, it was... special. It didn't come from any outside source but rather originated from within her father. Instantly, her attention was riveted upon that seemingly tiny spark... and what followed was arousal so extreme her entire body seemed to ignite with passion!

Despite the constant, still innocent delight pulsing through her shuddering huskie form and the beautiful sights that repeatedly flashed into her consciousness, this light drew her focus like a magnet and she couldn't look away, even had she wanted to. It grew brighter and brighter... till it could have eclipsed the light of heaven itself....and It took form. A spiral helix of crystal, ever changing , twisting and folding , nine separate columns bridged by countless billions of hair thin, web like strands, heartbreakingly gorgeous in it's intricacy.

All she had seen... everything Nikki had felt and experienced...the mysteries explained, the wonders revealed unto the very fabric of creation... Compared to this one moment, this single perfect construct, it was all... garbage. This was more than beauty, the mere sight of this exquisite crystalline formation would have utterly incinerated the mind of any observer not shielded by the Masters power and even then, its absolute perfection reduced the puppy to a shaking, sobbing mess of desire and need.

It spun in place for a fraction of a second.... then floated forwards and caressed her. Even if that contact lasted less than a millisecond and was an instinctual response on Kaon's part towards someone he loved, the results were no less spectacular... or devastating for it.

Pleasure and euphoria, Pain and torment, no words ever devised could possibly describe the sensation that flowed through Nikki with that touch... One tiny, insignificant orphaned huskie, not even one of the Master's own suddenly felt something so special, so intimate that only those who wore Kaon's collar had ever experienced it and only Fern had ever felt it in a more personal way than Nikki did at that moment.

Never had the phrase 'the agony of the ecstasy' been more apt as all the simple physical pleasure Nikki had been experiencing suddenly fused with an immeasurable pulse of sensual lust. It teased, It tormented, It stroked and caressed not simply between her splayed thighs, but her whole body instantly succumbed to the Master's ultimate benediction, an explosion of excruciating sexual pleasure so intense, so uncontrollable and devastating that the puppy was all but paralyzed by it.

Whimpers turned to whines, then whines to yelps, to screams then on to ever louder howls till the puppy's voice gave out and all Nikki could do was cling like a limpet to her father and tremble. Tears of bliss spurted from her eyes and her canine maw stretched wide in a soundless screaming wail as her young, inexperienced little body was repeatedly assaulted by violent bursts of sensation that went on and on over several long , lovely minutes.

Calling these feelings 'orgasms' was both inadequate and quite frankly, insulting. No normal sexual encounter was capable of this... yet every living person fantasizes and dreams about the exact same thing that was happening to Nikki right now. The young pup was being forced to cum as hard as it was physically possible for her to do without snapping her mind in half from the sensation. Any mortal would have passed out instantly from the merest fraction of this pleasure but with an oblivious Kaon making sure his girl remained awake and able to enjoy her reward to the fullest, not even the sanctuary of unconsciousness was an escape.

Unable to speak or even move a fraction to let her father know what was happening, barely even capable of rational thought anymore, all Nikki could do was ride the wave to its completion and scream a silent, endless begging plea in her papa's foxy ear.

Daddy....don't.... stop... please don't.....don't ....stop.... please.... daddy....please.... don't stop....

Kaon himself was unaware of what had transpired. To him, his daughter's enraptured bliss was a natural thing, an intended part of the reward he had devised for his little princess. So intent, so focused was he on his girl, so wrapped up in in the single minded task of maintaining and controlling her seemingly infinite pleasure that the god-fox hadn't realized the enormity of the secret unintentionally revealed to his child...

Gradually... oh so slowly... those wings receded from the mortal plane and into Kaon's body once more as he gently shut off Nikki's connection to him. It had to be done over a long period and with extreme care... simply severing such perfection would send Nikki into shock, traumatized by the sudden loss. It would break her mind, her body and her heart...

Nor was this a matter of moments... or minutes... days... or even weeks. Kaon had halted the passage of time in order to make sure his puppy was properly weaned from the flow of sensation. Even then... once Nikki had recovered and understood that her reward had concluded she refused to let her daddy go. So broken by the love she'd experienced, She simply could not do so. No words were spoken as the two sat unmoving on that podium, surrounded by the frozen forms of thousands. Nikki straddled her father' lap, arms about his neck and huskie head resting on his shoulder whilst a never-ending stream of joyous tears dripped off her chin. They would wait till she was ready to leave his embrace and until then, her daddy would provide his baby girl with all the comfort, love and security she would need.

Four hundred and thirty thousand timeless, ageless years passed by.... little more than the blink of an eye.....

Eventually, father and Child separated from their eon's long cuddle and after both furs had composed themselves and Kaon had once more donned his ceremonial armor, the smiling fox lifted a paw and snapped his fingers, resuming the flow of natural time. Silence for but a few moments, then the Auditorium exploded with thunderous applause, cheering, yelling and the stamping of feet. Of course, those present , most family members included, hadn't the faintest clue about what had really transpired and Nikki had no plans to tell. All the assembled multitude knew was that the Master's adopted child had been granted the privilege to see His wings.

The only other person who understood, who felt exactly what had happened to nikki and knew what it meant for the future allowed herself a supercilious smirk. Yasmin mentally patted herself on the back for a job very well done. With luck, the pleasure and love the pup had experienced had settled in the back of her impressionable mind and would work its magic. It wasn't easy, implanting a suggestion in the Master's subconscious, to have him connect with Nikki like that and then overlook the signs, but Yasmin's focused rage at being snubbed; his repressed sexual desire and the intimacy of the earlier encounter had swung things in her favor.

Yasmin reminded herself to lay low for awhile should things come to light. The Master would be... most displeased to learn of her role in the day's proceedings. Should everything go to plan however, Soon enough, Master Kaon would learn to appreciate her in the manner the mouse thought she deserved. Then they'd all see who the Master's true 'first mate' was! Leaving one final subconscious impulse in Nikki's mind, the confident, sneaky mouse beat a hasty retreat from the auditorium. No one was any the wiser to her empathic manipulations....

Hoisting his puppy girl to his shoulders, Master Kaon finally raised a paw for silence. Soon enough the ruckus from the audience died down to tolerable levels , though it did take a little longer than before. Everyfur present knew what came next. It was the really fun part. Seven days of feasting and revelry. No one, not one person would lift a finger over the next week. Not one iota of work would be done by anyone and both the Prefecture and medical corps were considered to be on 'relaxed duties' for the duration... this was in essence, the 'consolation prize' for everyone not commended this year and a further reward for those that were.

The entire week was provided for by the Master. Sumptuous food and drink would appear on tables and the dog fox's power would replenish it once consumed. Trash would also clear itself away, keeping the entire Palace clean and free from grime. If a fur wished to amuse other guests with song or dance they could freely do so... when the entertainments weren't provided by the palace itself that is. Decadence normally frowned upon was encouraged and everyone fell into a routine of simple self indulgence.

Nikki planned to do what she did every year at this time. Sleep in late, wake up and masturbate repeatedly until hunger pangs grew too powerful to ignore, head to the dining hall and gorge till replete, head back to her room and play video games till the evening meal.... head back to the dining hall for another feast... then head to bed and masturbate till she fell asleep from exhaustion. Continue like this for seven whole days. If Shana felt like joining in on any of these activities, the small vixen cub was most welcome... after all the two siblings had a nigh on identical routine, as did most everyone else in the Palace.

Yet it would not commence without the Master's say so. Everyone waited and watched with mounting anticipation and excitement as kaon kept them all in suspense. Then, the crimson furred fox, ruler of the Jade palace, the Lord of emerald threw back his shaggy head and roared out a command that was echoed by a cheer that almost blew the roof off the auditorium!

"To the Grand dining hall, my friends, let the revelry begin!!"

There was an orderly scramble out of the auditorium and off to the dining hall as citizens eagerly began to file out and start the biggest party of the year! Kaon and the family group made their exit by a small side door reserved just for them, walking casually through the crystalline hallways, all of them were in good humor and looking forwards to the week of rest and relaxation. Laughing and joking, filled with joy and high spirits, the Master and his girls made their way towards the dining hall and the delights it contained. .

By the time the Master's family reached the dining hall, the massive structure was almost full to bursting with partygoers! The Main hall was an incredible, feat of architecture. Rows upon rows of intricately decorated jade pillars separated each section of the hall, designating seating numbers and priorities. A gigantic tribute to feasting halls of old, this vast, columned space held thousands upon thousands of carved terabinth tables and benches, seating for millions beneath a high domed roof.

At the top of the hall on a raised dais sat the family dining area. Reserved for the Master's own, this golden banquet table and gilded armchairs were the highest place of honor amongst the seating. Kaon's emerald throne sat at the head of this table, a gigantic, high backed seat of carved crystal. To his direct left was Fern's place and but one seat down was where Yasmin would sit. Forcing the two rivals into close proximity in this fashion was a fairly obvious attempt by the Master to breed tolerance for each other should they wish to remain at his table. Next to Yasmin was where Debbie would have sat if the bunny had been present.

Upon the Master's right hand sat Shana, his beloved Natural Daughter and one further step down from that was Nikki's place. Next to the huskie girl was an almost always empty space, reserved for Cindy, yet so rarely occupied Nikki could count the number of times the quiet skunk had sat there during the last two hundred years on one paw. One place further was where Anya sometimes chose to sit by her lonesome, which suited the quiet malamute just fine.

Soon enough, all took their places, including Cindy and Anya. Debbie was noticeable by her absence, but no one could blame the bunny for wanting to sleep off the last month's efforts. In a couple of days Nikki expected to see the palace musician and music teacher bounce into the hall for a good feed, just as bright and bubbly as ever.

Nikki had to admit, it was a heartwarming scene... seeing her daddy and Cindy, Fern and Yasmin... Shana, herself and Anya put aside all their differences just for a few hours and look like a real family, her family. It was... moments like this that made everything worthwhile. The Palace might have been home, but it was no heaven. Just like any family there were difficulties and conflicts, even though Nikki hated the confrontation. Now at least, for a short time... no one was arguing or debating, no sneering or jeering, no manipulations or scheming... just a collective desire to peace out and enjoy themselves!

At the moment there was no food present on the table, no drink, nor even plates or cutlery. Everyone was waiting for the Master to provide. Kaon walked casually to his gemmed throne, sat down and , with an almost absentminded wave of his paw, signaled the start of the seven day feast. There was a snapping crackle of energy that raced through the dining hall, rebounding from tables to table and in its wake...

So much food... Sizzling, succulent steaks... perfectly roasted poultry... Dozens of varieties of grilled and steamed fish, Mounds of fresh, crisp garden salad. Roasted and steamed vegetables and rice, earthly and alien varieties. Pasta salads, coleslaw and egg salad sat beside Spaghetti bolognaise tuna mornay and avocado chicken pasta. Hamburgers, pizza, chicken nuggets and french fries shared tables with lobster, pate de foie gras and garlic bread sticks.

Drinks began to flow in abundance. Whiskies, beers, vodka, wines and ciders and for those too young or teetotal, there was every kind of nectar squeezed from ripe tropical fruits, orange, mango, pear apple... Every soda ever devised by man could be summoned at will and should all that fail to quench your thirst, there were teas and coffee or even just plain old iced spring water.

The sweet treats were no less impressive! Ice creams of every flavor, chocolates both rich and crisp, black forest gateau, strawberry cheesecake, lamingtons, sponge cake, pound cake and everything in between, jam buns and éclairs, Strudels and doughnuts, pasties and tarts, mousse, yoghurt and cream! Everything to please the pallet was present, something to tantalize the taste buds of the most jaded food critic and as soon as one plate of delectable morsels was consumed, a fresh one appeared ready to be gorged upon by the ravenous. A feast of perfection and flavor that would make even the most seasoned gourmet weep with rapture!

This food was created from the kitchens by the Master's power and little did most present know, it was all copied from Cindy's own cookbook. It was a testament to the skunkette's culinary prowess that, even after tasting the divine food of the gods themselves, Master Kaon considered her home cooking to be infinitely superior.

Within seconds of the sumptuous bounties' appearance, there was a raucous cheering from the hungry masses; a cheer that grew muffled fairly quickly as vast quantities of foodstuffs began to be crammed into hungry maws. Nikki was quick to follow suit. Grabbing a gigantic slice of pepperoni pizza, the starving pup joined in the feast!

Time and trouble, cares and woes dissolved beneath mountains of glorious food, lively music, crystalline light shows, laughter, companionship and family love. Forgetting her cares for awhile, Nikki began to munch her way through as much delicious food as possible. Of course, being a little girl with a big sweet tooth, it didn't take long for the dessert loving huskie to start on the sugar coated confectionaries.

A slice of jam filled sponge cake joined a bowl of ice cream, followed by a sticky chocolate éclair. No one minded at first, her family was caught up in their own little worlds of culinary bliss. The Master was consuming a massive plate of spaghetti bolognaise with absolute relish. Both Fern and Shana were chowing down on thick, juicy rare steaks. Yasmin had a gigantic bowl of crisp, fresh salad to pick at as well as an expansive cheese platter whilst Cindy had a huge lobster all to herself. Even Anya was enjoying the bounty, indulging in a peculiar mix of sushi, rice balls and borsht and it was the observant, ebon furred malamute who was first to notice that Nikki was perhaps going a little too hard on the sweet treats. That rich Russian accent soon reached unwilling puppy ears.

"Nikki, too much sugar is less than healthy. Please eat some vegetables or salad now.'

Nikki wrinkled her muzzle in disgust at that quiet but firm command. As a junk food loving carnivore, few things were as noxious to the pup as vegetables or salad. Still...it was best to at least try to obey. Loading up on a couple of spoons of steamed veggies, the reluctant huskie tried to hold her nose and dig in. It didn't work. After tasting those delectable desserts, the mushy texture and earthy flavor of these vegetables was revolting! Unable to stomach the horrible taste of broccoli and beans, Nikki refreshed her palette with a whole glass of soda and a sticky jam bun. At least she'd tried... besides... Anya was a known fitness freak. She could keep her stinky raw fish and that repulsive beet soup as well as all those yucky vegetables!

Delving back into the sweets, it wasn't long before Nikki forgot all about the order to lay off. After gulping down a couple of glazed doughnuts and a slice of black forest gateau, the slightly twitchy pup continued her sugar coated culinary orgy with a huge ice cream, fudge and caramel topped sundae! Half way through this bowl of warm and cold bliss, Nikki heard her mother speak up. Fern had also seen her daughter's addiction to the treats and decided she'd had enough.

"That's enough dessert, Nikki. Have some more pizza or a burger if you are still hungry, but no more sweets."

It was like water off a ducks back to Nikki. Completely ignoring her mom's order, another doughnut soon followed its sugar coated brethren into the pup's seemingly bottomless belly. This was her special day! Why couldn't she just eat what she wanted? Oblivious to the sudden hard look in her mom's hazel eyes at the blatant disobedience, the slightly hyper huskie tucked into her favorite dessert of all, Cheesecake! Fern compressed her lips and held her peace for the moment, but the way her serrated knife stabbed viciously into her steak betrayed the fuming vixen's true feelings.

Barley noticing or caring about those obvious warning signs, Nikki continued to party hard. Music filled her ears, sweet flavor filled her muzzle and love filled her heart. Bobbing her head in time to the lively tunes, the distracted huskie turned her diminishing attention span to a fire breather who was wrapping gouts of multicolored flames around his body, laughing out loud even as yet another slice of cheesecake found its way into her mouth.

Shana had taken notice of her sibling's ever increasing hyperactivity and decided to try and ease the pup off of her chain of desserts and the gradual slide into disobedience... Without asking, the crafty vixen yanked the next jam bun off Nikki's plate and dumped a sizeable portion of spicy chicken nuggets there in its place. Before the startled huskie had time to react, Shana blindsided her with a stream of happy, energetic conversation.

"Try these nuggets, Nikki! They're so good! Hey! How was it, seeing daddy's wings? Aren't they beautiful? Isn't it awesome!!

It worked, to a degree. Nikki was immediately focused on her sister, but not on the nuggets that had appeared on her plate. After firmly retrieving her bun from a reluctant Shana's grasp, the huskie girl nodded agreement... she'd never forget what had happened between her and her daddy in those private, intimate moments. Although.... Nikki decided that Shana didn't really need to know the whole truth.

"I'll remember it for the rest on my life! It was ...wonderful!"

Both girls had seen their father's wings now, and both knew how special and precious an experience it was. Seeing Nikki's dreamy smile and glazed eyes, the slight pink about her ears and cheeks, Shana flashed her sibling a happy grin. Out of all of Kaon's family, the needy vixen cub knew full well just how incredible her father's love could be, though it was a light hearted teasing joke that really caused Nikki to blush.

"You be careful, Nikki! Only daddy's seven usually get to see his wings! Maybe he's thinking of taking you to bed!"

Nikki slapped a paw to her mouth in mock horror. Whilst she decided it was best to act shocked by the suggestion, privately, the trembling huskie would have jumped at the chance to sleep with her daddy! Nikki looked back down at her plate for a moment, feeling slightly mortified to hear her Shana giggle at the embarrassment and discomfiture she'd caused. Recovering swiftly, the red faced pup turned back to her smirking sister

"Oh, don't tease me like that!"

Nikki grinned and threw a friendly, but hard punch at Shana's upper arm and was shocked to hear her vixen sister let out a pained yelp! Shana grit her teeth and clutched at the spot just below her shoulder that her younger sibling had struck, rubbing gently to sooth the ache Nikki had caused by her blow. The bemused huskie pup looked on in surprise, she'd never been able to hurt Shana before by her rough play and couldn't understand why her elder sister seemed so upset. Shana was quick to voice her discontent with a plaintive whine.

"Oww!! Nikki, be more careful! Papa made your collar special, he designed it so that we're on a...'even playing field' he said. I can't hurt you badly if I... forget myself, but you can hurt me now like a normal girl."

That made sense. With Shana's powers and her temper being a volatile mix, Kaon wasn't prepared to see Nikki hurt or worse, killed should the vixen cub and huskie pup have a 'heated argument.' Nikki nodded slowly, still absentmindedly munching on her cream bun, processing the information and the interesting ways it changed up the sibling's relationship. However, the sudden loud bang of a party popper and cascade of glittering steamers ripped the pup's already shortened attention span away from her sister's hurt expression and back to the party in full swing around her, leaving a somewhat teary Shana glaring balefully in her direction.

Neither cub noticed the less than pleasant expression that flitted across master Kaon's vulpine features. The big fox had seen the punch and wasn't too pleased by Nikki's roughhousing, not to mention her continued disobedience when it came to the sweets. Cindy saw it too and knew all too well that her husband was beginning to lost patience with his puppy girl. Yes, it might be Nikki's special day and he might be predisposed to leniency, but if the hyperactive huskie kept it up, she'd find herself over his lap regardless, if it hadn't reached that point already.

Nikki was in absolute heaven! This party was so wonderful! Fun and games, music and laughter and all the sweets she could eat! How could things possibly get any better than this?! The huskie didn't notice the tired expression on her father's face, didn't see that her mother Fern was looking more and more irritated with every confectionary the puppy consumed, nor did she see the pleading looks Cindy was shooting her way. Nikki was caught up in her own little world of candy and color.

Still stuffing cakes and buns into her maw in complete disregard of her parent's wishes, Nikki reveled in a sugar coated tsunami of light and sound, a delicious, delightful feast of extravagance to please every single one of her senses. Her little body was just about tingling with bliss, so many things to see and experience, her huskie tail almost hurt from wagging so much!! Colored lights continued to flash and glow off the multitude of happy faces, jaunty, happy tunes entertained the revelers, food and drink were being consumed in abundance... and time ticked on.

It seemed as though scant minutes had passed when Nikki heard her mother speak up. Fern had seen enough of her daughter's fun in the face of such disobedience. Even though the athletic, flame furred vixen suspected that Nikki saw Mrs. Cindy as a higher figure of feminine authority, she was still technically the pup's mother, dammit! Her words and wishes should still carry weight! Besides... it was two in the morning.

"Bed time you two! It's very late.. or early as the case may be. Little cubs need their rest. There's plenty of time for more partying tomorrow after you have gotten some sleep."

Shana stood from her seat immediately. Unlike her sister, she had seen the changing expressions and moods of the adults around the table, her father's especially. The nervous vixen cub had no wish to upset her daddy right now or give him cause to put her over his lap for a serious spanking, which he would surely do if she decided to disobey. Besides... she hadn't consumed nearly as many sweets as Nikki and was decidedly tired from her emotional day. Pausing only to kiss her father and mother goodnight, the sensible orange furred cub headed straight for her room, though thought it prudent to offer her sister an easy way out of the trouble she saw brewing, even if Nikki hadn't apologized for earlier.

"Goodnight papa, night mama, Mrs. Cindy, Miss Debbie, Miss Yasmin, Lady Anya. C'mon, Nikki! Let's go."

Nikki looked at her sister with incredulous disbelief. Why in the world would she want to leave now?! The distracted, hyperactive puppy had foolishly decided her mother's order had in fact been a request or even an offhand suggestion and was determined to stay up as long as the flow of cream buns lasted. Even as Shana made a hasty exit from the dining hall, the tired cub shook her head a little at the idiot grin plastered on her sibling's face and the babbled refusal that accompanied it.

"Nahh... I'm fine right here! Imma stay up all night with daddy an' Cindy an' everyone!"

So saying, Nikki jammed yet another sticky jam bun into her maw and before she had even finished chewing, stuffed a chocolate éclair in after it! The pup was sitting there, cream and chocolate plastered about her muzzle and down her pretty dress. It was a wonder the huskie girl hadn't been sick, gorging on sweets the way she was, it was gluttonous and mildly disgusting and as the pup snatched up a custard tart right from under Fern's paw it became apparent to all that the boundaries of common decency and courtesy were being stretched to their limits. It was what the commands to go easy on the confectionaries had tried to prevent, Nikki was jacked up on far too much sugar, hyperactive and forgetting herself. Kaon had finally seen and heard enough.

"Bedtime, Nikki. Now, please. "

To everyone's astonishment, Kaon's anger and Mrs.' Cindy's horror, Nikki refused even that direct order. Even as the Master's emerald eyes narrowed into slits, his ears starting to lay flay against his dark hair, red fur beginning to bristle, Nikki grabbed a massive slice of cheese cake and not even bothering to use a spoon, simply cramming it in an already overfull maw. Mumbling an excuse, talking with her mouth full and spitting crumbs across the table, still wearing that blissfully ignorant grin in the face of what should have been obvious warning signs from her irate father, an oblivious Nikki started to tread the slippery slope of open defiance.

"I'm fine, papa! Not tired, don't need to go to bed! See?"

Hopping up on her seat, Nikki started dancing a silly jig, jumping up and down on her chair, giggling and laughing, remnants of cake in one paw, jam bun in the other. Luckily for her, Kaon was ever observant and on the ball and even as her chair tipped backwards he moved as fast as a shot, the big fox was ready to catch his hyperactive puppy before she came crashing down to the hard floor in a big way.

If Nikki was surprised by the ruckus of her chair clattering to the crystal floor, or suddenly being held in her daddy's arms, she gave no sign. Instead, the elated, overexcited huskie girl threw her arms around her father's neck, laughing with enraptured glee and squishing cake into the back of his shirt.

"Daddy! Daddy, thank you, daddy! I love you! I love you, daddy!!"

This whole wonderful, awesome, fantastic day was his doing, and he'd done it just for her!! Nikki clung to her papa, nuzzling into his neck, getting his fur sticky with chocolate and wallowing in the perfect bliss of her own personal paradise realized. How could she see the world weary, sorry expression etched on his face? Even his quiet, contemplative tone of voice, a sure sign that Master Kaon was upset went unnoticed.

"I... love you too, princess. Here, let's head to your room..."

This did not look good. Cindy watched with nervous apprehension as Kaon began to carry his giggling, squirming daughter from the room. It was obvious to everyone save the pup that the Master intended to give his girl a sound spanking, special day or not. That would ruin everything. Not so much the fact that Nikki was going to get a spanking, but rather that Kaon would be delivering it. Nikki idolized him right now; he was, in her eyes, solely responsible for the best day of her life. Even though she needed the time out, if he paddled her bottom now, it would bring her back down to earth with such a crunch it could potentially spoil the entire day! That couldn't be allowed to happen! So Cindy bit her lip and made a decision.

The surrounding family members and guests were so fixed on the mini drama unfolding between father and daughter, no one noticed Yasmin's intense stare focused on the flustered skunk's pudgy form, or that the small mouse made a hasty exit from the dining hall once the big skunkette began to move....

Standing from her seat and rounding the table with a lot more athletic speed than her plump frame might suggest, Cindy headed off father and daughter about half way across the floor. With Nikki clinging to her father's neck, head over his shoulder and preoccupied with licking cream and chocolate off her fingers, the huskie missed the meaningful look both adults shared and only noticed Cindy was there when the skunkette spoke up.

"It's alright, Kaon honey, I'll put her to bed."

Master Kaon's face showed no expression, save for arcing one eyebrow. He was obviously skeptical of the skunkette's intentions. Cindy washed mouths out or slapped paws and bottoms a couple of times with a wooden spoon, but Cindy didn't spank. Not properly, anyways and the big fox was quite determined that Nikki was going to go to bed with a very sore bottom indeed and this time there would be no horseplay. Still, his skunkie seemed full of confident surety that she was up to the challenge and perhaps he needed to trust her judgment.

"Are you quite sure about this, Cindy?"

Cindy almost flinched at that quiet tone of voice, at what Kaon expected her to do if he let her take charge. Reaching out her pudgy arms, the skunkette gathered Nikki into her embrace from the pup's obviously reluctant father. For her part, the still oblivious huskie girl let out a cheer as a troop of jugglers tumbled into the room from a side entrance, she was still too enthralled by the ongoing party to notice the quiet emotional battle taking place right in front of her. It was only after a gentle poke in her very round, full belly from one ebon furred finger than Nikki took notice of the change of plan.

"What about it, Nikki? Shall I tuck you in tonight? Make you warm milk and read you a bedtime story?"

The even more massive grin that split Nikki's face was all the confirmation anyone needed. Whilst being put to bed by daddy was a slightly better alternative, the huskie assumed that Cindy's offer was in simple recognition of the fact that the Master was eager to go to bed with his similarly horny vixen. So to Nikki, being kissed goodnight by Mrs. Cindy was the nigh on perfect end to a perfect day, everything she had ever wanted and more than the elated eleven year old had dared dream possible! Throwing her arms and sticky fingers around her guardian's neck, the enraptured little huskie let out a whoop of joy!

"Yes! Yes please, mo... Mrs. Cindy!!"

Cindy locked eyes with Kaon. Both adults had heard Nikki's slip of the tongue there and the skunk could see that Kaon finally understood the reasoning behind her uncharacteristic decision. If...Cindy was actually thinking about taking a greater role in Nikki's upbringing than ever before, she needed to prove she could discipline as well as comfort on top of supporting Kaon's decisions, no matter how unpleasant they might be. A few swats with a wooden spoon and a short lecture just wouldn't cut it anymore. Besides... the big fox was always forced to play the bad guy, even when he didn't want to. He deserved to end up being the hero for a change. It was better this way for everyone involved.

"You're tired, honey and probably want to head to bed after being on the go all day, so leave this up to me. Don't worry; I know what to do..."

Kaon understood. The big dog fox knew this was a huge step on Cindy's part and he was intensely relieved someone he could trust and more importantly, that Nikki trusted and respected had decided to shoulder the burden of seeing the pup to bed with a fairly sore little bottom. The Master said nothing, merely nodding his foxy head a little in agreement and approval. After giving his huskie daughter and his mephitis wife each a peck on the cheek, the tired looking dog fox returned to his seat at the table. As Nikki waved and yelled her goodbyes to the rest of her family, Cindy carried the still bouncy pup out of the Grand Dining hall, striding quickly and with determination towards Nikki's room in the family quarters.

Yet part way to the family quarters, Cindy paused momentarily and had a quick think. It would be a little unfair on Shana if Nikki received her well earned spanking in her own room. The girls two rooms were right next to each other and the dividing wall would go little way towards muting the puppy's eventual howls. The small vixen cub had looked exhausted and her sibling bawling and wailing in the next room would not be conducive to restful sleep.

That left only one solution. It made the skunkette a little uncomfortable as it meant , for the first time in countless millennia, she really would be sleeping in her own room in the family quarters, rather than her traditional place down on the servants level. Maybe... maybe though it was time to face up to things, to herself, confront her guilt and deal with it so that this lonely skunkette could embrace the life she wanted. This was a small first step, taking her place as a member of Kaon's family once more rather than an indentured servant. It wouldn't be easy... but then, Cindy reminded herself, she was about to give Nikki a serious spanking and there was very little in the world that could be more difficult than that for the gentle, kind hearted skunk.

Nikki was clinging to Cindy's neck, humming a silly tune and bobbing her head to the rhythm. Cindy could tell she was still so happy, so satisfied and pleased and having no clue about the swatting to come. It seemed an awful shame to need to burst her bubble, but misbehavior was misbehavior and discipline would follow. The pup seemed oblivious to the coming storm, but still noticed when the duo passed by her room without entering.

"Ummm... Cindy? My room's back there, we passed it."

Compressing her lips, glad that Nikki couldn't see the worried grimace on her short skunkie muzzle, Cindy continued towards her own room. Taking a quick breath and steadying her jittery nerves, the skunkette tried to keep her voice light hearted and level.

"I thought you might like to sleep with me in my room tonight, Nikki, after such a big day and all."

The only answer from her young canine charge was a soft murmur and even tighter cuddle, Nikki nuzzling into her neck and resting her little head on the mephitis females shoulder. Now Cindy was feeling guilty for a whole different reason. Being a proper parent could be a thankless and emotionally damaging role at times, she didn't relish the thought of being the 'bad guy', but it wasn't fair to always let Kaon shoulder that burden... and Fern was no help at all.

That vixen was useless when it came to Nikki. Yes she could discipline and cuddle as well as any of the pup's guardians, but there was no maternal love present. After Fern's reformation, relations between Nikki and the big vixen were amicable, but flat and emotionless. It was plain to see that Fern's true attentions were focused on her natural daughter Shana and Nikki had been left out in the cold. Cindy aimed to change that, if at all possible by giving the puppy the affection she'd been pining for. Kaon had done a superb job as her father, but just occasionally a mother's love and guidance was needed as well.

Pausing by the door to her own room, Cindy took a deep, deep breath, gave Nikki a loving squeeze as much for her own comfort as the pups and pressed her palm to the wall plate that would unlock her sealed room and permit egress. There was a chime, a pause and then a soft voice signaled success... but it wasn't the usual androgynous matrix voice that greeted Cindy's cookie ears... it was Kaon's.

"Welcome home... Cindy.."

Back in the dining hall, a happy, tired smile suddenly flitted across the Master's foxy features for no apparent reason.... For Cindy herself it was a miracle in of itself that she managed to swallow the lump in her throat and not burst into tears. Just like that crazy, insufferable, wonderful, beautiful fox, to put a message like that on her door that had probably been waiting for her for untold millennia... waiting for her to come home.

Cindy's room wasn't like her quarters on the servant level. Whereas that room was spartan and bereft of any personal warmth, this room was a cross between Cindy's innocent childhood room and the special confines of the bedroom she and kaon had shared during their marriage. Though small and cozy, like the abode of her youth, filled with subtle pink and white tones, it sported a luxurious king sized bed obviously meant for two. A small window overlooked a park, just as her old room had whilst a nightstand by her side of the bed displayed a photograph of the skunkette's wedding day. Off to one side was the convenience of an ensuite bathroom and detached kitchen and dining area completed this modest dwelling.

As soon as Cindy shut the door behind her and put Nikki, down, the pup was off and bouncing. Though the hyper huskie had been sort of calm whilst being carried, it soon became quite clear that all that sugar wasn't going anywhere in a hurry! Dashing from one corner of the room to another, Nikki was babbling questions and requests at sonic speed whilst Cindy watched the young puppy virtually leaping off the furniture with overexcitement.

"Can I have a soda?! Would you read me a story or maybe can I get my videogames from my room?? Not tired at ALL do I really have to go to bed?!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Cindy decided trying to discipline Nikki right now would be fruitless. The pup was too worked up and flighty to respond favorable to anything punitive. So, first things first, calm the hyperactive girl down a bit or at least get her to relax. Considering the huskie's gorgeous, fluffy grey fur was matted and sticky from chocolate, a shower seemed like the perfect solution.

"First things First, Nikki, go and have a nice hot shower. Been a long day and you could use one. Take as long as you want, sweetie. I have a couple of things I need to do out here."

The quiet skunkette watched a gigantic grin split her pup's muzzle and shook her head just a little as the eleven year old nearly threw herself into the bathroom. Nikki was a pretty fastidious girl, enjoying neatness and cleanliness, unlike Shana who almost had to be forced to bathe or clean her room. Besides, the huskies enjoyment of... self exploration was well known amongst her family and Cindy suspected a little time out to indulge and release pent up tension after a day like this would be both appreciated and swiftly taken advantage of. It was a harmless pastime that would, co-incidentally, help Nikki work off some of that seemingly boundless energy.

Cindy waited till she was alone before seating herself down her bed, adjusted her thick, bushy, white striped tail and let the deep frown that had been threatening to disrupt her happy countenance finally crease her pretty features. This would need to be handled with extreme care and not simply due to the fact that Nikki would not be expecting to receive a spanking on what was supposed to be 'her' day. Having never before needed to inflict pain in the manner that she was now expected to, Cindy was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of needing to put Nikki over her lap. If, however, the maternal skunk wanted to prove to Kaon, to Nikki and to herself that she had what it took to be a real mother to the huskie girl, this was a test that the nervous mephitis simply couldn't afford to fail...

In the privacy of the bathroom, Nikki virtually ripped off her clothes and fidgeted with the taps until the flow of water was just the right temperature for the shower loving puppy. Stepping beneath that warm wash was nothing short of heavenly! Nikki just loved the feeling of the drops hitting her face and chest, streams of water running down her body and over her young curves. It was pleasurable as well as relaxing, to wash out all the grime and soothe away the aches in her muscles.

Not to mention certain.... other things. It hadn't escaped the puppy's notice that this shower had a detachable head. Nikki's own shower didn't have one of these convenient little cleanliness devices, though the curious huskie girl had always wanted to try one. It drew her lusty eyed gaze like a magnet and made her bite her lip a little. Cindy DID say that the pup could take as long in the shower as she wanted... and there was a lot of lingering desire that would be best worked out if Nikki wanted to sleep easy tonight, Heck, she was virtually required to masturbate at least once just so she wouldn't keep Cindy up all night by fidgeting about!

With no more justification needed, Nikki plucked the shower head from its wall mount and tucked it in between her pudgy thighs. Immediately, a dreamy, happy smile graced the huskie's features. That felt really, really nice... it was like a wet, tickly massage all over her sensitive girlie puppy bits! It probably wouldn't take her long to cum under constant stimulation like this. Nikki decided quickly to ask her daddy for one of these as soon as she could, tomorrow if possible! Daddy... her daddy... how she loved him...

The almost instinctual fantasy about Kaon that took hold of Nikki's mind as she played with herself brought a shocking result! A startled yelp ripped from her maw as an intense spurt of pleasurable sensation burst between her legs, causing her to yank the shower head away from its sensual task. Clamping a paw to her muzzle in disbelief, Nikki took a deep breath and calmed her suddenly racing heart. What had just happened...?

Always eager to experiment with new methods of self pleasure, Nikki gingerly directed the firm, pulsing flow of water back over her groin. It immediately began to feel good, but nothing like the blissful delight of a moment ago. It took no time at all for the lusty girl to lose herself in the sensual pleasure of the spraying water washing gently against her fuzzy puppy vulva and this time, her fertile imagination drifted back to being held over her father's lap and his fingers between her legs, stroking and teasing...

There was an instantaneous response, another incredible jolt of ecstasy that left Nikki panting and whimpering, instinctually thrusting down onto the warm, sensual flow as if it were her father's firm maleness. A few moments later, the desperate pup grabbed hold of a wooden back scrubber and sank her little teeth into the handle in a frantic effort to muffle the wails of delight rising in her throat and help cope with a rising tide of exquisite sensation. The more she thought about her daddy, the more sensual and intimate the encounter pictured in her mind's eye, the better and better it felt!

Holding her pouting netherlips apart to allow the pulsing wet massage access to her most sensitive, intimate areas, Nikki shook and shuddered, in the grip of more pleasure than she'd ever given herself before! Her imagination ricocheted wildly from one lewd fantasy to the next, each one more sensual and depraved than the last, things Nikki hadn't even knew were possible before now!

Daddy... her daddy....spanking her bottom... touching her with his fingers, stroking her... his hot tongue lapping between her legs... pushing her down... loving her... fucking her... making her yield her virgin body to him as he pinned her down and slave raped her....!

In her constant state of near orgasmic bliss, it didn't occur to Nikki that she'd never fantasized about this before, or that she'd even want her daddy to do this. It was almost as if someone else had imprinted their own fantasy onto the desperate lovestruck puppy... yet all the bucking, jerking, moaning huskie knew was that having her daddy pin her down and just ram that thick erection into her over and over was the one thing, the only thing she wanted right now! It was an almost tangible physical sensation of being mated...instead of the shower jet, it was her daddy's maleness touching her... opening and entering...

Suddenly Nikki found herself on her back in the bathtub, thrusting her hips up against that pulsing water! No longer was the shuddering girl in Mrs. Cindy's bathroom, she was in a four poster bed, Kaon looming over her, holding her down and fucking her , just as she'd always wanted! Nikki could feel her inner passage being stroked and caressed by her Master's maleness as he took her, claimed her... raped her, and it was exquisite! More and more, on and on, harder and harder!!

Suddenly, in her mind's eye, Nikki felt her phantom father push something huge inside her, a thick bulging lump at the base of his erection. It hurt so much, but at the same time it touched a delicious, sweet spot deep inside the puppy that she'd never known existed.... so....good.....daddy... please... don't... stop....

It took mere seconds under this kind of extreme sensation for Nikki to have an absolutely massive climax and as the enraptured pup curled up on her side in the tub, jerking and twitching, thighs clamped firmly around the shower head, she dived headfirst into the arms of utter euphoria as yet another of those special, adult strength orgasms exploded between her hot, writhing legs! It seemed to go on forever, better and better till multicolored stars whirled before Nikki's tightly clenched eyes and her vision tunneled to a mere pinpoint of light.

Though Nikki would never know for sure, the puppy girl was experiencing the agonizing bliss of her first multiple orgasm. Down the hall, in Yasmin's quarters, a panting shuddering mouse slave pulled the replica of her Master's cock free from her still clenching pussy with a wet slurp and severed her link with the screaming , flailing huskie child a few doors down. It wasn't as good as the real thing by any stretch of the imagination, but it would get the point across. How fortunate too, that Cindy had decided to pop out to Nikki's room to fetch the pup's pajamas and missed all the noisy fun! Exhausted and satisfied Yasmin rolled over in her bed and yawned, finally ready for sleep. The fact that what she'd done to Nikki was technically classed as rape didn't bother her for an instant. After that much pleasure and love all given to her seemingly by Kaon's design, the puppy would be emotionally addicted to the handsome fox... so ... it was all.... going according.... to plan... moments later, Yasmin was sleeping the sleep of the soulless self assured...

All Nikki knew was cumming this hard and so fast really was the perfect end to a perfect day...

At length, Nikki somehow managed to summon the strength and willpower to pull the shower head from between her legs and stand upright. That happy, special smile now seemed permanently etched on her canine face. It was blatantly obvious what had happened to the infatuated girl. It was her daddy's final gift. Now, anytime she thought about him whilst masturbating would bring her so much more pleasure than she'd ever thought possible! It was the final piece of the puzzle, Nikki was now utterly convinced that her father wanted her in his bed and she couldn't have been more eager to comply with his wish. Why else give her all this pleasure and all these gifts if this wasn't the case??

Pleased and content, Nikki slowly toweled herself dry. The soft, fuzzy fabric did an excellent job of absorbing all the water drops lingering on her fur. It soon became apparent though, that the small huskie had no nightwear! Very fond of her silky pajamas, the puppy girl headed back into the bedroom area, towel around her midriff, to ask if her skunkie guardian had something for her to wear.

"Mrs. Cindy? I don't have any pajamas and i can't sleep naked! Do you have....... any........... ..........."

The huskie's exuberant mood vaporized as she caught sight of Cindy. There was the skunkette, facing her, sitting on the edge of the double bed. There was a very familiar, stern expression on her guardians face and she seemed tense and formal. Even if these signs weren't enough to make Nikki very nervous and upset, the dead giveaway of future punitive action came in the form of an unmistakable pat of the skunk's open lap. This was a surefire indicator of where the astonished huskie was expected to lay. it took a moment for the awful truth to fully sink in but.. Nikki suddenly realized she was going to get a spanking.

"But... b..But WHY..? I don't understand why you'd do this! It's not fair!! It's not, it's NOT!!"

Why would Cindy be so mean?! Nikki couldn't think of a single thing she'd done to deserve a sore bottom! This wasn't right, today was supposed to be her special day! It was supposed to end with her dozing off in Cindy's arms, not crying herself to sleep!! What was the point of her daddy even giving her such a wonderful day if this dumb skunk decided she wanted to be a bitch and spank Nikki's puppy butt for no reason!! This wasn't fair!! Instantly coloring and tearing up, an angry, red faced Nikki launched into a monumental, sugar fuelled tantrum!

"NOT FAIR!! NOT FAIR!! NOT FAIR!!"

Screaming at the top of her lungs, the enraged huskie hurled her towel to the floor and stomped repeatedly on in! With flailing arms and kicking feet, a fuming Nikki began to literally jump up and down, yelling and shrieking, swearing and spitting in a truly vile display of childish temper! Face screwed up with rage, lips pulled back over her teeth in a wrathful snarl and her huskie tail held stiff and straight, Nikki thrashed and yelled, descending into one of the worst explosive tantrums that Cindy had ever seen the pup produce!

This was what Cindy had truly feared. If Nikki had blown up like this in front of her father, the big fox would have seriously burned the pup's bottom for it. A spanking that severe would have utterly and completely ruined the girl's entire day. At least with Cindy ready to discipline the screaming, stamping girl, she could cut Nikki a bit of slack. Firstly though, the emotional, oblivious huskie was lost in her furious indignation and needed to calm down enough to listen. So, the suddenly determined skunkette took a deep breath... and used a voice she hadn't had to utilize in a very long time.

"Nikki, Catherine , DONAHUE! How dare you behave like this, after everything your father and family have done for you today! When you are ready to stop acting like an ungrateful, spoiled brat, I'll tell you exactly why you are getting a very well deserved spanking!

The flailing, naked puppy froze mid stomp. That tone of voice had shocked her right out of her tantrum, literally making her cringe! Nikki was no stranger to being yelled at; Fern was notorious for shrieking at the top of her lungs when she was angry. But there was a big difference between being shouted at and having someone in authority put real power in their voice as Cindy had just done. Only Master Kaon had so far been able to speak like that, to put so much focus and force into his tone that is was the verbal equivalent of being physically slapped in the mouth. It was a horrible, frightening thing for a child to hear, knowing that your guardian was angry enough, yet so in control of themselves to speak that way!

Slowly, Nikki's foot descended to the floor as she stared in wide eyed astonishment at the normally quiet reserved skunkette. Moments later, with her lower lip starting to tremble uncontrollably, triangular huskie ears laying back against her gold brown hair and little puppy tail curled firmly between her legs, poor Nikki burst into genuine tears of despairing misery.

No longer was the small puppy the happy, carefree huskie who'd been the center of attention all day, or the beloved princess dreaming of the day the Master took her into his embrace. Now Nikki was nothing more a very upset little girl facing down the frightening prospect of imminent and painful maternal wrath.

Cindy was trying hard to be stern, but her kind heart couldn't stand to see Nikki, standing there, head in her paws and sobbing brokenly. There was a time for discipline and a time for cuddles and the trembling, crying puppy definitely needed a hug right now. Quickly standing and making her way over the floor, the motherly skunkette knelt down and enfolded Nikki into her warm embrace and ample bosom.

It didn't take long for Nikki to calm down and as soon as the grey furred girl's sobbing had died away to sniveling whimpers, Cindy held the puppy out at arm's length and made purposeful eye contact. Nikki could see all those awful things in Cindy's eyes that no child likes to see in the gaze of someone they love and respect, disappointment and regret, grief and resignation plus a solid determination to see this through. It seemed inevitable now that Nikki was due for a spanking and the still miserable pup just couldn't look her guardian in the eyes anymore, though it didn't stop her from asking the question that had been plaguing her troubled mind. That small, scared, trembling little voice made Cindy's ears twitch.

"Why, mommy?"

The plump skunk's muzzle curled downwards. Nikki wasn't making this easy on either of them. it was the first time the huskie had called her that directly to her face.....more than anything Cindy wished it could have been under better circumstances. It did show the deepening relationship between puppy and skunkette, however and it simply made the mephitis female even more determined to succeed in this vital test of her maternal abilities. Keeping her voice calm, firm and just a little upset, Cindy told her huskie daughter exactly how she'd misbehaved.

"You were told twice to stop eating so many sweets, first by Lady Anya and then by Fern. Did you obey them?"

Nikki flinched visibly. Now that she thought about it, there was no denying her mommy was right. Twice, she'd been told by her guardians to stop eating sweets and twice she'd disobeyed that order. Shuffling her feet and nibbling her bottom lip, completely unable to speak out of sudden shame at her own oblivious stupidity, all the miserable huskie pup could do was give a miniscule shake of her canine head. A satisfied Cindy quickly moved on to the second issue.

"Have you forgotten that you also punched your sister? I heard Shana yelp even over the noise of that party! Do you honestly think that's how a good girl acts? Hurting someone so close to you?"

This brought immediate protestations from Nikki. No matter what, the upset puppy couldn't stand to think that Cindy would believe her capable of such callousness. Not only that, but violence like that was a big no-no and very much frowned upon. She really hadn't meant to hurt Shana! It was enough to help the upset pup find her voice again and there was even a slight bit of indignation beneath the pleading whine.

"That's not fair, mommy! I didn't know what the collar would do; I didn't mean to hurt her! Please!"

Letting go of her pup for a moment, Cindy crossed her arms, looking just a little more severe. Knowing all too well that the particular line of 'Not Fair' was a usual precursor to an outburst of temper, the monochrome skunk decided to nip possible rebellion in the bud. Staring intently down her short skunkie muzzle at Nikki for just long enough to make the huskie squirm and wish the crystal floor would open up and swallow her, a determined Cindy asked a very insightful question.

"I see. In that case, I assume you promptly apologized. Well, Nikki? Did you?"

That tremor of the lip started up again. Nikki was more than bit upset now. Never would she have imagined her mommy would be capable of such observation. Such calculating intelligence wasn't what the pup had expected from the seemingly muddleheaded skunk. What was worse than that, not only was the accusation a very clever move, it was also one that Nikki couldn't refute without lying to Cindy's face. Despite her increasingly tenuous, position that was a line the diminutive huskie was not foolish enough to cross.

"....no..."

That single word had more emotion packed into it than most hour long speeches. It was high pitched and wavering, rife with misery and apology. Nikki was on the verge of tears again, she simply couldn't take anymore of her mommy being this upset with her. However, Cindy wasn't prepared to let the huskie pup off lightly and preceded on to her daughter's final misdeed after impressing on her a little more that this was a fairly serious matter by the disapproval in her tone.

"No, you didn't apologize and don't you dare try and tell me otherwise. Not to mention after being told twice to head to bed, once by Master kaon himself no less, your father still needed to physically remove you from the table! Even if this is your special day, it doesn't entitle you to be disobedient and disrespectful! You know better and I expect better of you, Nikki. "

With her face buried in her paws once more, Nikki started weeping piteously. It was obvious that the pup was very ashamed of herself. Cindy had already achieved a great deal of penitence in her daughter not through cruel emotional manipulation or a vicious physical beating, but the simple, determined application of the truth.

Satisfied now that Nikki was not going to be difficult and would accept a spanking as just consequence for her misdeeds, Cindy stood and brushed off her skirt before heading back to the convenient seat provided by her comfy double bed. Seating herself once more and providing a clear open lap for her huskie daughter, the patient skunkette waited for a miserable Nikki to compose herself. Eventually, a highly emotional puppy managed to find the courage to address her mom with a voice only one step above a whimper.

"S....should ...I.... fetch a switch, mommy?"

Immediately, Cindy's face relaxed into something far more comforting. If there was any sign that Nikki was upset and feeling guilty about what she'd done, it was asking if she needed a switching. The loathing that Nikki had for the switch was well known and for that reason, it was used on her only when the misbehaving puppy had been a very bad girl indeed. Although the list of misdeeds was extensive enough to warrant it's use under normal circumstances, Cindy had no intentions of lashing her daughter's bottom crimson on today of all days.

"Switches are used on rebellious, insolent girls who willfully defy her family's wishes. Not on silly, happy puppies who are high on life, love and a bit too much sugar so they forget themselves. I think a long go with my paw will be sufficient for this. Come here, sweetheart, let's get it done."

Letting out a high pitched, wavering squeal, Nikki ran over to her mom, and virtually threw herself into Cindy's arms. The big skunkette gave her daughter a loving squeeze, before helping the trembling pup into her lap. As Nikki took her place over Cindy's broad lap, a very strange kind of quiet peace settled over her heart. It was that soothing sensation of knowing you were in the arms of someone who cared about you, who wanted the best for you, someone who loved you so much, enough to tell you that you had done wrong and was prepared to take it upon themselves to correct that behavior even when they didn't want to, yet temper that disciplinary need with kindness and understanding..

What the small huskie had been feeling in her subconscious for weeks now finally took form as a conscious though. It hit Nikki with a burst of revelation that was at once both beautiful and scary, a realization that, in both their hearts, Cindy was truly her mom in every way save for formal recognition... and mommy was about to give her naughty daughter her first real spanking. It might be going to hurt... but... in a way, this really was the perfect end to Nikki's day.

Settling herself over Cindy's beskirted lap, Nikki wiggled around till she felt comfy. Her mommy's broad thighs beneath her puppy pelvis were warm and comforting, as intimate as laying over her father's lap yet, with not even the slightest hint of sexuality. So recently, with the lines between sex and discipline becoming so blurred, this was perhaps what the huskie girl needed, a good , old fashioned swatting with no excess emotional baggage attached.

Knowing full well what was expected of her and wanting to make this as easy on her mommy as possible, Nikki raised her tucked tail without being asked and held it out of the line of fire. Slowly, she felt Cindy's broad paw gently cup the curve of her pudgy, grey furred, heart shaped puppy bottom. When the skunkette's free paw took gentle hold of Nikki's little tail, it was enough to make the puppy girl nibble her lip in nervous anticipation. That was as good as saying this was going to be a fairly painful ordeal and one Nikki couldn't be expected to cope with all by herself. It was also very comforting, knowing that Cindy was looking out for and supporting her that way.

As Nikki lifted her tail Cindy was surprised to see the faintest hint of pink about the pup's bottom cheeks. Had the girl been spanked today once already? It certainly seemed that way, though it didn't look like it had been particularly hard or long. Perhaps Kaon had given his daughter a gentle 'patting down' to avoid her becoming overexcited on her special day and making difficulties for herself later on. If that was the case, that preemptive measure hadn't worked.

A slightly more determined glint flashed in Cindy's blue eyes and the skunkette mentally added a few extra swats to her daughter's total. If her huskie girl was expecting a similar lightweight time out to the one she'd had earlier, she'd be horribly disappointed. It was time to put all the parenting knowledge that the experienced, motherly female had acquired to very good use. Nikki was going to find out the hard way that, just because Cindy was reluctant to spank didn't mean she didn't know how to spank....

in the few remaining seconds of quietude before her discipline commenced, Nikki became acutely aware of several things. it was similar to the moment she'd had before witnessing her father's transformation. Cindy's calm, steady breathing in contrast to her own, slightly nervous whimpering pants, the ticking of an old cuckoo clock on the far wall and slight lavender scent about the room that the huskie had always associated with Mrs. Cindy, but now meant 'mommy' to the small pup..

And finally... her eyes lit on an old pictograph of a younger , smiling Cindy standing next to a very happy Master Kaon, presumably having been taken a couple of weeks after their marriage. All Nikki could think was there needed to be a new, modern family photo taken of the two of them... one that had the addition of a small, cute little huskie puppy. That chain of though resolved itself into one final truth as the last pieces of the pup's life clicked into place. Nikki finally had... everything she'd ever wanted, everything she'd ever dreamt of since the day Kaon and Shana had walked into the orphanage and adopted her.

Without realizing it, the emotional huskie girl had started to cry again, but now these were tears of happiness... She had a loving father who was also... dare she say it ...her boyfriend, a sister who loved her and was her closest confidant friend and lover, other friends, all of them who cared about her and wished her well. Now at last...Nikki also had a real mother. After so long with that last bit of the puzzle missing, Cindy had come along and filled a void the pup had thought would remain empty forever. These people were her family; this place was her home... Nikki wasn't alone anymore.

All at once, Cindy's big paw vanished from Nikki's little bottom with a slight uprush of air. Knowing what happened next, the puppy girl braced for inevitable impact. Maybe this wasn't so bad, in a way, this was the final thing left undone, the last seal on the bond of motherhood that had slowly developed between skunk and pup over time. A spanking wasn't something that Nikki wanted per- se, but she could accept that it was something that needed to happen. Besides, it was Cindy! The kind hearted skunk didn't spank and would probably only give her new daughter a dozen light slaps. How bad could it be?

Moments later there was a dull snap of sound that echoed through the room as Cindy brought her paw down onto Nikki's puppy butt. The impact was far harder than the waiting huskie had ever imagined it would be, it was a deep, firm spank that left a little sting, but a whole lot of ache and burn and one fairly large red mark in its wake. It was more than enough to bring a shocked, whimpered wince from the miscreant pup.

It was so bad that for a second Nikki though that her mom had reneged on the promise to only use her paw and had actually struck with a wooden spoon or small paddle! As the next spank descended, Nikki turned her head a little to see... no, it was definitely Cindy's paw striking beneath her tail but as the second hard impact drove a lot more of that ache right down into the muscle of her bottom all that the nervous pup could do was grip tight to the bedsheets, wince and hope that Cindy wouldn't be at this for long... oh.. man... that hurt.

Nikki was used to being pawspanked, both by Fern and by her father. Fern's paw was slim and it stung horribly, but there was very little lingering ache to deal with. The Master's paw was balanced, delivering burn, sting and ache in equal amounts. Cindy however, was pure blunt force trauma. A heavy, crushing sort of spank from a big, solid paw that really was more like a paddle swat! It suddenly occurred to the increasingly anxious puppy that the round girth of Cindy's pudgy arms weren't due to the ebon furred skunkette's love of food, as everyone assumed. Several millennia of long work hours in the kitchens had bulked up her limbs with a lot of brawn. What everyone thought was fat was actually solid, iron hard muscle.

It wasn't just the raw power behind each hard pawspank that was making Nikki more and more worried, it was the rhythm her mommy was using. Every single slap drove an ever increasing amount of burn into her daughter's bottom right as the lingering pain from the previous smack was at its worst. It was what the girl's father termed as 'perfect rhythm', putting out a lot of rapidly multiplying pains without a single moment of recovery time and Cindy had it down pat. Nikki swallowed hard and gritted her teeth against the rising torment, trying to remain submissive and willing. If her mommy kept this up for long though, the stressed pup knew her little rear was in for a whole world of hurt.

A little time passed as Cindy delivered smack after smack to her daughter's bottom. That rock hard paw rose and fell with what the trembling puppy assumed was most of the skunkettes prestigious strength backing it up, left to right and back again, patterning both grey furred cheeks with a patchwork of sharp red pawprints. As those harsh slaps welted the rounded curve of her rump into a light pink, A constant stream of leaking tears dribbled from Nikki's squeezed shut eyes and her winces turned to audible whimpers as the miserable huskie girl started on a gentle cry.

Continuing to administer firm spanks and steady discipline, Cindy closed her ears to her huskie daughters ever louder and more pitiable whines. Hardening her heart was something the maternal skunkie hated to do, but what would happen if she was ever called upon to give Nikki a real paddling, one that would be far more painful than just a few dozen smacks by paw? Though the reluctant skunk hoped with all her heart that it would never come to that, the possibility still lurked in the back of her mind. Both mother and daughter needed to be ready... just in case...

As the spanking continued, Nikki was having a hard time staying still and calm. Each smack had enough force powering it to jolt her whole canine body forwards a centimeter or two. The sobbing huskie was beginning to think a small paddle or hairbrush would actually be more preferable to her mommy's paw. This sharp smacking had just as much hot sting and lingering burn as either of those wooden implements, but Cindy's broad paw had both a wider surface and rough, hard pads that were able to drive the ache far deeper than either impromptu disciplinary tool was capable of without severe force.

At three minutes in, Nikki's bottom was beginning to color up to a fairly fiery and painful shade of red. Each paw swat left behind an awful burning imprint, a building sharp sting as well as that horrible, nasty aching. A sudden hard slap directed at the reddest, sorest point of welted puppy bottom finally forced a real yelp of intense discomfort through Nikki's clenched teeth, accompanied by an instinctual kick of her right foot against the mattress!

If Nikki had thought that hurt, it was nothing compared to what happened next. Cindy compressed her lips, leaned a little more weight down on her pup's back, and started spanking with more than half her strength. It was an old tactic, make sure the miscreant was nice and sore, and then go in for the real lesson. One yelp became two, then three and finally dissolved into an actual wail of anguish as Nikki felt her mom's heavy paw pound out a searing rhythm of very hard smacks against her sore little bottom.

Even only at three quarters of what Cindy's brawny arm was capable of, the pawspanking had become indistinguishable from an extended, light paddling! It was more than enough to start Nikki kicking against the bedsheets, drumming her little footpaws against the mattress as that hard paw smacked over and over against her now bright red backside.

Now almost as colored up in her face as she was in her butt, Nikki started on a proper, open mawed bawl. Tears streamed down her cheeks to dampen the sheets beneath her chin as more solid slaps rocked her little body and spread that harsh, burning ache over her entire welted bottom from the base of her frantically twitching tail to the tops of her quivering thighs.

At six minutes, Cindy finally judged she'd inflicted enough pain on her huskie girl and finished up with a half dozen deliberately targeted, full power spanks against the crimson shaded center of Nikki's rump that made the bawling pup jerk in her mommy's arms, arching her back a little. As that hard paw blasted a final searing agony into Nikki's blazing bottom, her accompanying long, sobbing wail was finally drawn out just enough to be considered an actual howl of anguish.

Then it was over. Nikki slumped over Cindy's lap, sobbing with relief as she felt the skunkette's restraining paw let go of her huskie tail. That tail immediately snapped down in a tight curl over Nikki's crimson bottom whilst the pup buried her face in her arms and cried aloud, this having been her first real spanking in almost two months.

For a simple paw swatting, it had been the longest, hardest and most painful that Nikki had ever received. Not even Master Kaon had ever spanked her that much with his paw and that was saying something! It also let the sobbing pup know, in no uncertain terms, that Cindy wasn't prepared to put up with any nonsense from her daughter in future and was quite ready to deal out harsh, punitive action if required.

Then Nikki felt herself gently scooped up into her mommy's loving, warm embrace. t was a gentle, tender snuggle and the sad little girl wasted no time in burying her muzzle into Cindy's soft, black shoulderfur and having a good cry. It took about ten minutes for the pup's bawling to die away into hiccupping sobs and finally, pained whimpers. All that time, Cindy held her close, stroking Nikki's furry back and her mussed brown hair, soothing and comforting her daughters misery, letting the child know that she was still very much loved, As any good parent will do.

Not long after, Nikki let loose with a massive yawn. The emotion and excitement of the long day coupled with her inevitable sugar crash had just hit her hard. Cindy quickly helped her daughter stumble to the bathroom for a quick pee, then into the warm, silky pajamas the thoughtful skunk had fetched whilst Nikki had been showering.

Cindy had also retrieved something else for her daughter from the pup's room. As Nikki crawled into bed and snuggled down under the covers, the exhausted and sore puppy felt a familiar fuzzy form press into her arms. It was her favorite toy. The last, special present her old family had given her before she'd lost them, her dark, stripy plush skunk, Cleveland.

As Cindy gazed down at her dozing huskie girl, the tired skunkette quietly determined to confront Kaon about formally adopting Nikki once the week of feasting was done. Ever since she'd seen this miserable, lonely girl walk into the Master's old house, clinging to that plush toy as if it was her only friend, Cindy had wanted this. Her heart had ached, cried out with distress to see one so young, so innocent going through so much emotional pain. Well, now Nikki had a real family, a real skunk, a mommy to cuddle with rather than that lifeless toy.

Not only had Nikki's dreams come true this day, Cindy also had something she'd needed for so long, a child of her own. Twice now she'd failed in her maternal duties and it would not happen again, this was the skunkette's vow as she placed a paw on her heart, that same paw that still ached from its punitive duties. Mother, guardian, teacher and friend, she'd be all this and more and just let anyone dare to try and interfere!

Unwilling to be parted from her puppy any longer, Cindy swiftly changed into her nightie and flicked off the room light before slipping carefully into bed next to Nikki, her daughter now in all but name. That would change soon enough. looking now into that angelic little huskie face, Cindy realized that she was at peace for the first time in what seemed like eternity. No more guilt... no self loathing, only a fierce determination and burning love for the small girl slumbering beside her.

".. Sleep well... Little princess, daughter of my husband... my daughter...mommy's here, now and forever. You'll never be lonely again..."

Cuddling her toy and with her mommy stroking her hair, Nikki was fast asleep, dreaming of friends and family, her mother's love and her father's touch...and in a few minutes more, Cindy had joined her in peaceful, content repose.

Neither skunk nor pup were awake to see the sudden crackling charge of emerald energy that flickered across Nikki's diamond collar for a moment, before fading away into the warm dark...

Fin