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Angel's Fall A Jade Palace Story Characters (c) KennyW aka Kaon 2011

*warning, contains extreme parental spanking*

Brooding darkness swept over the lands as a great evil flourished unchecked. Deep within the bowels of the great Plague Fortress Kulramman , the duel to decide the fates of billions had begun. Inside it's deepest depths , High Lady Templar Shana Brightflame crossed swords with one of the Four Lords of the Netherdark, Lord Vilespur Darkrot.

His minions slain, his sanctum breached , Vilespur Darkrot fought with all the ferocity of a wounded bear, his jagged blade , sheathed with black fire clashed with the beautiful rapier of his small, lithe opponent. For all his noxious power and festering might, the Lord of Plague was no match for his beauteous foe and soon , his blighted armor crumpled beneath the rain of skilled attacks and perfect form of the Templar he faced.

Slowly, he fell, cursing her name , withering, dying. ...

Grinning all over her foxy muzzle, little Shana Donahue watched her holographic opponent collapse on the floor of his well rendered throneroom. This joker wasn't even a challenge anymore! Waiting a few moments to allow her experience meter to crawl towards her next level, Shana sifted through the loot the 'boss' had dropped.

Lords of the Netherdark... a fully holographic role playing game Shana had received for her birthday last year and damn but it was fun! Stepping into her Avatar's shoes as Templar Brightflame had become the twelve year old's favorite past time. It had taken many months to get this far but now three of the four evil Lords had fallen to her sword, Shana had been farming them for their loot drops for weeks now, all in the name of beating the fourth Lord , Lord Excrucius , who had bested her on every occasion she'd fought him so far.

To her delight , Lord Vilespur dropped his sabatons of the Blazing Heart, the last piece of Loot she needed for what would hopefully be her final, epic clash with Lord Excrucius. Although tempting to load up the Spire of Pain level and finish her game , Shana knew she was already badly late for her school class and painful retribution would surely follow. Still, a few swats from her Mothers paddle were a small price to pay for getting those boots!

"Computer, save and end program."

The dark halls she stood in and her silvery armor vanished in to the ether , leaving Shana standing in the middle of the crystal holodeck clothed in casual jeans and pink t-shirt. The mischevious, orange furred cub stretched once , smoothed out the long , ebony hair that cascaded partway down her back and blinked her bright emerald eyes at her electronic crystal wristwatch. A touch of nerves made the cub bite her bottom lip, she was late for class alright , two hours late. Heck, the standard schoolday was actually over by now , she'd missed her entire final school period.

Another toothy grin split her foxy muzzle , it was still worth it! It wouldn't do to ignore her responsibilities altogether , however, or her Father might have a few things to say about it and that was something the diminutive vixen cub would rather avoid if at all possible.. Taking off at a brisk sprint , Shana ran for her schoolroom as fast as her bluejeans clad legs would carry her , her fuzzy foxcub tail trailing behind like a bushy, orange streamer and the foxcub was little more than an discolored motion blur as she ran headlong towards her destination.

Lucky for the cub, her Father's godlike genetic legacy had left her with great power of her own, enhanced resistance to pain, supernatural strength and a camoflage technique amongst other things and it was her superior speed the girl now relied on to carry her quickly through the several miles of corridor towards her destination and in truth, Shana could run there in less time than queuing to use the palace civilian transport system.

The Jade Palace where Shana lived was a vast crystalline complex. A multilayered , labyrinthine structure designed and maintained by the cub's Father, Kaon. Thousands of miles of corridor , countless various rooms all carved from beautiful , bright living crystal and tailored to the express whim of the occupants. Shana knew the whole Palace like the back of her paw, she was the Master's child after all and a princess in her own right. Though at the moment, she was a naughty truant who looked set for a swatting.

A little out of breath after her long sprint from the holodecks in the Jade Palace recreational zone, up several levels to the Halls of Learning, Shana took a couple of deep breaths and composed herself for the discipline that would surely follow in the wake of her tardiness. Not that it should have honestly mattered, mid-term exams were done , this was the last day of school before mid-term holidays. An entire month of free time to look forwards too with little to do except play her Lords of the Netherdark.

As she had expected, the schoolhall was empty of students, all the other cubs who studied here having long since gone home for their holidays. The rows of desk sat unoccupied , books and teaching suppliments were packed neatly away along with archaic stationary and high tech datapads. However, a sobering sight still greeted Shana's young eyes. Sitting behind the teachers desk at the front of the classroom was the familiar figure of the cub's mother Fern , head of Master Kaon's household and sometime class tutor.

Tall and athletic , clad in tanktop and jeans , sporting an expensive band of emerald crystal about her neck, the big flame furred vixen watched her nervous daughter peek her nose into the schoolhall. Narrowing her hazel eyes into slits, Fern lifted her paw and made a distinct come hither motion with her index finger. Shana swallowed hard, she could tell by the way her mother's black tipped foxy ears lay flat on either side of her well trimmed crew cut that the older vixen was extremely displeased by her child's late appearance.

Not needing to be told, Shana quickly took a seat at her customary place behind her victorian style oaken desk, waiting for the scathing criticism of the lecture she knew was coming. To her surprise , Fern simply gathered up several sheets of paper , shuffling them into a neat bundle. From the looks of it, they were the results of Shana's midterm exams. Locking eyes with her child for just long enough to make Shana squirm a little, Fern finally decided to let the truant cub have a piece of her mind.

"Where the hell have you been, girl? Do you even know how late you are? This may be the last day of school but that's no excuse to play tardy!"

Shana winced slightly at the angry tone and aggressive stance her mother took. It was plain to see that Fern was less than impressed with her slack attitude and Shana's tail would probably pay for it. Letting out a soft sigh , the little cub silently begged her mom to just read out the exam results, paddle her backside and let her get back to the game but the adult vixen seemed intent on heaping further scorn on her daughter's head.

"Since you've finally decided to grace us with your presence, let's see how well you did on your midterm exams!"

Fern strode up to Shana's desk, papers clutched in one paw, an unlit cigarette held loosely in the other. Pausing only to light her smoke and jam the carcinogenic mood stabilizer between her teeth, the irate vulpine adult took to reading out her child's exam scores with unnerving relish and the results were not what Shana wanted to hear.

"Let's see here... Applied Mathematics.... Fail. Universal History... Fail. Interspecies social studies.... Fail......"

A nervous shudder ran down Shana's spine. There was no way she could have failed all those exams! It had to be a bad joke, a little mental payback on her mother's part for being so late to class. However as Fern continued to read out the seemingly endless litany of failure, the noise of the schoolhall door opening caught the cubs attention. A quick glance to the side sent a lump to her throat and a rock to her belly, Shana's father Kaon , Lord and Master of the Jade Palace had made a suspiciously co-incidental entrance. He did not look happy.

In fact, the lean, muscular dog fox looked downright furious. Although he was clad in a ceremonial , flowing robe of silver, Shana could still make out the bulge of his muscles beneath the gossamer threads. With his dark crimson fur almost bristling with anger, those deep emerald eyes of his flashing with rage and the curl of his lip revealing long canine teeth, it was more than enough to make his little daughter very apprehensive indeed. Still.. just the sight of her beloved daddy brought a special flutter to Shana's heart.... she'd seen so little of him lately.

Master Kaon said nothing however as his Mate continued to read out their child's continued failure of every single exam she'd taken. Rather , he simply ran a paw absentmindedly through his long, dark spiked headfur and seemed content to listen. Until at least, Shana dared to protest the impossible truth of her results with what she hoped was a tactful untruth.

"Mama... Papa, please! That can't be right! I studied so hard for these exams, I couldn't possibly have failed all of them."

The cub's desperate excuse was treated with the contempt it deserved, the girl's father not willing to hear a single second of his cub's dishonesty and it was plainly displayed in his dominant , aggressive stance and readily identifiable by the angry determination laced thick throughout his tone.

"How dare you! How... dare you sit there and lie to my face!"

Kaon's immediately harsh, snapped response made both vixens flinch but Shana most of all.. He wasn't in the mood to entertain his daughter's falsehoods and it showed in his voice. This was starting to look bad. Real bad.

Shrinking back into her chair as Kaon stormed up to her, Shana's glanced desperately from one parent to the other, neither adult seemed inclined to give her an inch. Both of them knew all too well what had taken the lion's share of the cub's attentions the past few months and seeing her fib so brazenly in an effort to wriggle out of the situation only garnered further ire from both parents, her Father especially.

"Do you take me for an idiot? You didn't spend one minute studying for these exams. You were too busy wasting time on that game of yours. Well guess what? I'm withdrawing your holodeck privileges until you clean up your act. You are banned from playing that frivolous game until I am satisfied you are taking your responsibilities seriously."

Shana wrinkled her muzzle with aggravated disdain, whilst not completely unexpected, her father's response still left a sour taste in her mouth. Now she might have to wait weeks to finish her game! Despite how foolish any sort of protest at the decision might have been, Shana still let a whiny little ' Awww...' escape her muzzle. Kaon was back on her case immediately, the dog fox was in no mood to endure even the most insignificant bit of lip from his daughter.

"That's it. Your holidays are rescinded. You are going to study every day for the next month and you had better not fail your exams a second time round."

Ignoring the furious expression on his child's face, Kaon leant down nose to nose with his daughter, locking eyes with her till the twelve year old shrank back in her seat, mouth curling down, lower lip beginning to tremble, simply unable to take the full force of her Father's frightening, withering gaze.

"Your absolute failure is nothing short of gross disrespect towards your classmates and sister who studied long and hard , towards your mother, who spends valuable time trying to teach you and towards me. You are my eldest child, what kind of example are you setting to the rest of my Palace with your slack , lazy attitude?"

Shana squeezed her eyes shut as understanding dawned on her. Her monumental failure had damaged her Fathers pride and that was a dangerous thing to do. A rippling shudder of dread ran down the girl's back making her foxy tail curl with misery. It was a wonder Kaon hadn't already escorted his girl cub into the confines of his study for a disciplinary 'chat'.

"This weekend is going to be thoroughly unpleasant for you, Shana. You do not want to disappoint me further."

Reaching out with one paw, Kaon tapped a black padded finger against the beautiful emerald collar his child wore. It was not only the dog-fox's eternal symbol of love and family, it also served a secondary purpose , allowing him to restrict Shana's abilities down to the level of an ordinary little girl and there was a splash of greenish-blue sparks as Shana felt her power slowly drain away, leaving her trembling with dismay.

Having said his piece, Kaon turned and stalked angrily from the room, much to his daughter's surprise. Shana had been sure she was in for a hard swatting right there and then. However , it was her mother that confirmed the fear that her tail was in for some pain.

"Your father is very upset with you right now, Shana. He's left your discipline weekend in my paws until he can calmly deal with you himself. Let's get this started, shall we?"

Letting out a soft groan of despair, foxy ears laying flat against her raven hair and bushy cub tail curling even further between her legs, Shana hung her head.. Those words were what she'd desperately not wanted to hear. A 'discipline weekend' was an extended period of various punishments over the course of two or three days. It was reserved for times when Shana had been exceptionally naughty, designed to make her feel very sorry for herself and was usually a precursor to a major 'attitude adjustment' - an extremely long , hard spanking delivered at weekend's close..

To Shana's mounting misery, Fern wasted no time in starting the painful festivities, walking back behind the teachers desk to remove a junior school cane from the wall cabinet.. The sight of the long, willow implement made the little vixen squirm uncomfortably, no doubt it would soon see vigorous and enthusiastic use. Exhibiting typical submissive foxy behavior , Shana made a last ditch attempt to appeal to her Mother's heart by looking as cute and adorable as possible. Throwing caution to the wind , Shana decided to try a last ditch attempt to reason with her mom , any spanking she could weasel her way out of was worth the effort.

"Mama... can't I just take the tests again? I'm sure I can do better!"

Fern let out a contemptuous 'tch' from the side of her muzzle as she walked back to Shana'a desk.. The big vixen was well used to her child's ways, this sort of pseudo-submissiveness and sneaky proposal was a standard Shana tactic. Anything to avoid having her tail tanned now that the girl lacked her protective powers. Unmoved by her child's appeal, Fern began to tap the cane against the top of Shana's oaken desk, a not so subtle indicator for her daughter to assume the position.

"That's not the point, Shana as you very well know! Those tests were little more than basic revision, there was nothing difficult about any of them! Failing them so completely shows unforgivable disrespect and disregard for everything your Father and I have been trying to teach you. Now , enough fooling about. You're on an incredibly short leash as of now and you are going to do exactly what you are told, when you are told for the rest of this weekend."

Realising she wasn't getting out of her caning , a suddenly teary Shana stood abruptly , stomping her right foot on the floor in a childish display of temper, curling her lip and looking quite the rebellious miscreant. Her mother wasted no time in snapping right back, pointing the tip of the cane at the school hall door.

"Don't you dare give me attitude, Shana! If you like, I can call your Father right back in here and let him take over. Well, is that what you want?"

Shana seemed to shrink into the floor at that threat, cringing at the thought of what would happen if Kaon was called back. Meekly , the cub shook her head, her pretty black hair wafting back and forth , moist emerald eyes fixed on the long cane in her Mother's paws. Fern saw where her child's gaze was , and made a show of flexing the length of willow , letting her child know in no uncertain terms what was going to happen.

"Then drop those jeans and bend over your desk."

Angry, but unable to find a suitable way to protest without bringing worse retribution down on her head, Shana slowly did as ordered, unsnapping the button on her jeans just above her tail and letting the blue denim slide down her shapely legs. Stepping out of her pants, Shana could see that this would probably be a 'six of the best' , little more than a mood setter for the rest of her awful weekend .

With her lower lip trembling uncontrollably , Shana leaned over the hard wood of her desk, holding tight to the edges. She had to stifle a sob when Fern casually yanked her pink panties down to her thighs, stripping the girl of her last line of meager defence against the willow's bite as well as her dignity.

"Tail up, Shana."

Obeying such an order was not only to admit defeat, it was an admission that Shana accepted she deserved the spanking she was going to get. Gritting her teeth, tears beginning to bead at the corners of her emerald eyes, Shana lifted her tail up and over her back, exposing her pert, well rounded little bottom to the willow's fiery caress.

"Six of the best, Shana, now hold still for me."

Fern's statement left the cub whimpering with deep anticipatory dread. A six of the best was a term for six cane or switch strokes delivered with maximum force, designed for a hard, sharp shock of pain and make sure she was nice and tender for further discipline later on. The request to stay still was also sage advice, if Shana squirmed out of place and Fern crossed over welts by accident, the little vixen cub would be screaming , not crying. The only bright light was that her Mother didn't quite have the powerful arm that Kaon did and couldn't swing quite as hard. It was cold comfort, though as Fern reached behind her, willow tip pointing at the back wall , then brought the cane round in a vicious, whistling semi-circle.

The explosive 'thwack' from the cane's impact echoed around the schoolroom and Shana jolted and shuddered as a long, blisteringly painful welt was seared just below her tail. Hissing with discomfort, gritting her little teeth against the pain, the orange furred cub braced herself more firmly against the desk. The first stroke was always the worst, the unexpected blast of harsh pain, made doubly more shocking by the lack of her powers. Still, she'd endured it without protest or shameful yelp, that was a balm to her fierce pride.

Again Fern swung her length of willow, the second welt drawn just a couple of centimeters lower than the first. Shana felt herself start to tear up at the sharp, cutting pain caused by the rapid caning. Blinking away those droplets of beading moisture, the cub set her jaw and was determined not to cry out, despite Fern's best effort to make her yowl.

So it went on for the next four strokes. Shana stubbornly refusing to cry audibly, though the vixen girl was utterly helpless to stop her leaking , rebellious tears whilst her mother lashed her bottom with speed and precision. Fern was in no mood to spare her child pain, or drag this out unnecessarily, doing her painful duty with as much economy of movement and arm power as she could muster..

Fern could also see just how damn angry her little orange furred cub was. Despite her jerking and shuddering each time the cane bit deep, not even a whimper reached the adults ears. That did not bode well, it meant Shana was going to be a real handfull over the next two days or so, if the cub thought herself treated unfairly then everyone would know about it. Not with an outburst of juvenile temper, as Shana's younger sister was likely to do, but with a display of stubborn arrogance.

As if to confirm the adult's suspicions, the instant the last stroke fell , Shana stood upright and yanked her panties and jeans back up her legs all without being given permission , as if her discipline had meant absolutely nothing to her. Shana was showing both disrespect and disdain for her Mother and the cane she wielded all without saying a single word. Turning back to face her, Fern could see the set of Shana's jaw , the slightly contemptuous curl of her lip and there were no more tears once the girl had scrubbed a paw across her emerald eyes.

Despite the sudden urge to put her girl back over the desk, Fern sighed and moved to place the cane back in it's cabinet. Unwilling to beat her head against the brick wall of Shana's formidable, rebellious willpower, the adult vixen pointed a finger towards the door. She'd learn soon enough.

"Get out of my sight and down to the kitchens. You aren't getting a single second of lesure time this weekend. When you aren't studying, you're working your tail off under Miss Cindy's supervision. "

Shana grit her teeth together even more tightly. This was absolute horseshit! Sure, she'd forgotten to study, maybe been a bit lax in her educational responsibilities so just give her the stupid tests and a few textbooks and she'd fix it! C'mon, she'd gotten her last piece of equipment, damn it all! Ultimate victory was hers to grasp, all she needed was an hour to herself and she'd beat her game, but if she was going to be so closely supervised there was no way she could sneak off for long enough to do so!

Turning on her heel, the little cub stormed out, uncaring of the friction of her jeans on fresh cane welts, also unbothered that her current vile attitude was likely to earn her nothing more than further pain. Fern watched her daughter rip the schoolroom door open , then deliberately slam it shut after her.

Slowly sitting on one of the side chairs, Fern hung her head in her paws. This was bad.. really bad. Shana was heading for a massive fall from grace. That attitude of hers, supercilious, disdainful and utterly arrogant was an old, old fault. It was something her Father had tried to correct in the past and all it would take was one act of temper or willfull defiance to bring his precious little angel crashing down to earth. It wasn't the fall that really killed you, it was that sudden stop at the end.... Fern looked up at the door her child had recently exited through, blinking away sudden moisture that beaded in her hazel eyes.....

Stamping her feet with every pounding step towards the kitchens, little Shana hated what she'd gotten herself into. Yeah, it might have been her fault, but that didn't give anyone the right to be so mean! Now, instead of finishing her game like she'd been looking forward to, all the cub could expect was work , work and more work. Not to mention more painful discipline for every tiny little mistake.

It was so horrible of her Father to do this! He'd created the damn game for her after all so this was partially his fault! Always quick with the harsh words, even faster to spank when he thought she needed it.. Yet... when exactly was the last time Kaon had praised something she'd done, or even held her in his arms without spanking her butt? Shana growled to herself and shook off the depressing train of thought.

Taking a deep breath, Shana paused outside the entrance to the Palace kitchen level. No point in barging in and acting like a bitch. The kitchens were the strict domain of one of her guardians, a no nonsense teacher who would take a dim view of any disrespect or attitude. Already in so much trouble, there was no sense in looking for hornet nests to poke. With that thought in mind and determined to make the best of a truly foul situation, Shana stepped through the large , double doors that heralded the entrance to the Jade Palace kitchen level.

Occupying an area nearly the size of a football stadium , the Palace Kitchens were a scene of constant, organized mayhem. From early mornings till late evenings it was full of many cooks, chefs and other talented furs working tirelessly at one of the ovens, cooking benches, tabletops or replicators to create delectable morsels for the hungry. Despite the seemingly vast interior of the kitchens, space was in truth, quite cramped due to the vast number of cooking and cleaning stations crammed together in various, disorganised rows.

Despite the seeming chaos of so many egos all clashing within confined quarters, the kitchens ran like a well oiled, albeit sometimes creaky machine. Disagreements were quickly sorted, food created and stored in the vast magical pantry as there was no time to waste on silly arguments when so much work needed to be done. Besides, minor wars over personal cooking technique were nigh on irrelevant as none of the toiling furs present could come close to the culinary prowess of the much loved and respected head Chef.

Immediately upon entering the spacious, bustling kitchens, Shana knew the task she had to perform. A large pile of dirty dishes , cutlery, pots and pans greeted her eyes, stacked up at her regular chores station and obviously having been left out for her. Still, it was best to confirm the task. Shana might have been feeling a tad more co-operative, but that didn't mean she was going to do a second's more work than needed. Weaving her way in between cooks, maids and servants, the irritated cub sought out the Palace Head chef, one of her Father's true loves and Shana's cookery teacher. Cindy Mulstripe was always to be found here.

With the best qualities of both master chef and family cook, the rotund, food loving skunkette was eminently suited to her job. An absolute master of the culinary arts and uncompromising mistress of her kitchen domain , Cindy had earned her special place by the Master's side through hard working diligence, a quality the skunk tried , but had as yet failed to impart to little Shana.

It was easy enough to find the Skunkette. Soon, Shana espied the pudgy, busty, beskirted mephitis cook directing the creation of a large quantity of pasties. Every aspect of food preparation was her interest, from the first sprinkle of flour down to the storage of the finished produce and Cindy had a remarkable talent to pop up just where she was needed in her Kitchens , just in time to save a delicious, juicy steak from being overcooked to charcoaled boot leather or to stop an overenthusiastic cook from adding too much salt to his assigned dish. Should you be lucky enough to have your meal created personally by her own black furred paws you were in for a real treat, though it was usually only Master Kaon who received that particular privilege.

Shana's little eyes flicked momentarily to Cindy's own emerald collar. Only the most special of the Master's family had the highest honor of wearing one. Like Fern before hand and Shana herself, Cindy's wore it with obvious pride. It always sent an odd, indescribable feeling through the cub, to see someone else gifted with one of her Father's collars. Shana had always believed than no one else, apart from herself, had any right to wear one.

Coughing politely to attract her teachers attentions, Shana waited by the dark furred, white striped mephitis side. Soon enough, Cindy wiped her flour speckled paws on her grey apron and turned to her orange furred charge, gracing her with a friendly, though tired sort of smile. Usually so full of vibrant energy, exhaustion was not the cause of such a world weary expression. The cause for the skunkette's countenance was obvious with but a little thought, as one of Shana's guardians, Cindy was fully aware of any strictures or discipline the cub was subject to.

"Who else knows?"

Shana spoke in as respectful a tone as she was able to muster, needing to know just how many people were aware of her failings. Cindy cocked her head a little and the faintest wince ghosted across her short skunk muzzle, even she could hear just how bitter the cub sounded, despite the child's best attempt at hiding it. Letting out a quiet sigh, knowing full well that they were both in for a rough time if Shana's obviously appalling attitude didn't improve, the skunkette composed herself.

"Everyone who needs too, sweetie. Now, you saw the dishes that need to be done, I presume? Hop to it."

Supressing a groan, Shana folded her little foxy ears back against her raven hair. Just great, if what Cindy had said was true , then all her teachers and guardians knew that Master Kaon was exceedingly pissed off with her right now. He'd also probably given them permission to be as hard on her as they wished should the cub be caught breaking any rules. A second thought suddenly struck her, causing her to pipe up once more.

"Ummm.... Mrs. Cindy? Where's my sister, Nikki? Isn't she gonna help me?"

Nikki was Shana's adopted sister. The status quo for their dish cleaning chore was Shana washed whilst Nikki dried. Right now, the huskie pup was no where to been seen, conspicuous by her absence. Cindy shook her head a little then offered the explanation.

"Since that.. incident last month, Your sister has been your Father's golden girl. Her behaviour has been so good, your Father decided to reward her by giving her a break from chores and helping her win that game of yours... what's it called again? Lords of... something.... anyway, I believe the two of them are on the holodeck right now. You'll be doing all Nikki's tasks till the pair of you go back to school."

Shana was utterly aghast. This.. wasn't happening! Not only did the orange little vixen now have what was essentially double kitchen duty for her entire holidays but... ever since she'd gotten her game all Shana had wanted was to play it with her Father. To slay monsters and complete quests in his company was a dream of hers, a little loving, personal father-daughter time that she'd been missing out on for ages now. Now though , it was Nikki who had gotten that special reward. There was even a danger that, with their Father's help, the huskie pup might stop sucking at the game long enough to finish it before Shana and that was something the vixen girl would never live down. How could Kaon do this to her?!

Cindy almost instantly regretted opening her mouth when she saw little Shana's reaction. That curl of her lip, laid back foxy ears.. paws balling into fists... If the cub had been a bit annoyed before, she was downright furious now. This was a less than opportune outlook on the rest of the girl's kitchen period. Lifting one ebon furred arm, Cindy pointed back towards the sink area, hoping a bit of firm direction and a task to set her mind on would ease Shana's attitude.

"Dishes now, sweetie."

For the briefest second, Cindy was sure that Shana was going to tell her exactly what the skunkette could do with her chore, it was almost a Mexican standoff, Shana shaking with barely controlled rage, staring daggers at her guardian whilst Cindy calmly waited for the girl's obedience. Eventually, common sense won over wrath and the fuming little foxcub spun on her heel and stamped back towards her assigned sink. Cindy expelled the breath she'd been holding. At least the girl was cooperating for now and the relieved skunk wasn't about to push the issue.

Shana slowly washed up the small mountain of dishes, gritting her teeth all the while. Keeping a clamp on her temper was becoming more of a chore than her dishwashing duty, all the girl wanted to do was vent her rage out loud despite the fact that would invite swift retribution. Without Nikki to dry and pack away the dishes, the far side of the sink soon filled up and Shana had to take frequent breaks to fill in for her sibling's assigned task. How could the girl's father do this to his eldest child?

Shana was one of his special loves! The vixen cub wore his collar, something she was sure that Nikki would never have the privilege of doing, yet Kaon had chosen to favor his adopted huskie pup instead of his natural daughter. That thought grated on Shana's nerves till they were raw. With her mind so distracted by rage and jealousy, disaster lurked just round the corner.

"Don't carry such large stacks, sweetie! You'll have an accident."

Growling with irritation, Shana placed the high stack of plates she'd been carrying away in the scullery. Cindy might be happy to muck around with a half dozen of the large, cut crystal circles at a time but Shana had better things to do! Ignoring her guardian's wishes, the brash girl layered the next load of plates almost twenty high, just barely able to carry it and set off to put them away. She didn't see that someone had pulled one of the benches a little out of position since her last visit..

With an almighty crash, Shana tripped over the protruding leg of a solid wooden seat sending almost all the plates flying out of her grasp! The ruckus was incredible as crystal shattered, smashed and cracked as her over stacked load was obliterated by the fall. Shana herself ended up laying on her white furred belly, nursing a sore footpaw and scuffed elbow whilst half the kitchen stared at her in openmouthed shock at the appalling racket... and the vile stream of expletives that followed.

It was the last straw for the upset little foxcub. Shana's mouth could have stripped paint off a wall at forty paces as the girl leapt back to her feet, sorted out a list of her favorite vulgarities and chained them together in the most inventive way imaginable, ignoring the large number of stunned and offended kitchen staff that had gathered round. The extended, disgusting tirade of obscenities only came to an abrupt end when Mrs. Cindy stepped up and neatly clipped Shana under her jaw, snapping her muzzle shut and nearly causing the rude cub to bite her own tongue.

"Watch your mouth, girl! I will not have such filthy language in my kitchens! Creator's mercy what a mess, someone sweep this lot up, I have something else to attend to."

Seizing Shana by one foxy ear, Cindy frogmarched the angry girl into one of the kitchen's back rooms where they wouldn't be interrupted, whilst the cub danced around, distressed by how harshly the older female had grabbed her sensitive little ear. Once the two reached their destination, a small side room filed to the brim with spices and seasonings, the furious skunkette released Shana and cut loose with an angry verbal explosion of her own.

"What do you think you're doing?! I told you, small stacks of plates! I do not appreciate being ignored in my own kitchens , especially by a lazy, know it all brat like you. And that language! What would your Father say if he heard you speak like that? I've half a mind to send for him right this instant and let him deal with you, little miss!"

As intended, the threat of paternal interference worked wonders on Shana's attitude. Cindy could see the cub change from vile mannered rebel into a very scared little girl indeed as the thought of what her father would do to her if the already irritated dog fox suddenly found his daily routine interrupted by an unwelcome summons in order to deal with his miscreant child. The very notion made her little fox tail curl against her thigh and her ears droop miserably.. Both furs knew that a disciplinary meeting with her father was something Shana desperately wanted to avoid, especially over an incident like this.

"P...please don't Mrs. Cindy! I'm sorry I was rude."

Cindy let out a huff, not totally convinced of the cubs repentance and moved over to the large rack containing various table condiments. Shana winced when the skunkette turned back around, in one paw she held the large, heavy wooden spoon she always carried with her for just this sort of occasion and in her other hand a bottle of what looked to be chilli sauce. Of course... there was no way the vixen cub was getting away with anything right now, let alone a dual offence of disobedience and vulgar language. Cindy lifted up the bottle of chilli sauce so that Shana could have a better look.

"This is my special blend of habanero chilli peppers , spices and a little dash of ghost chilli for extra kick. Perfect for those who like their food extra spicy and also just right for cleaning potty mouths."

Shana whimpered softly, she'd tasted this stuff before on a dare and it had nearly blown her head clean off. That was just a drop and this looked like it was going to be an entire spoonful. It was just like Cindy. Hot or soapy mouthwashes were her preferred means of discipline and she knew how to wield a wooden spoon with the best of them.

"Once I've dosed you, you are going to hold out your left paw whilst I exercise my wooden spoon on your palm and you will keep that sauce in your mouth till I'm done or I'll dose you a second time. Any protest or defiance and I will send for your Father. Now, open up and take your medicine."

Defeated yet again, Shana saw no other choice but to obey. With her lower lip just beginning a minute tremble, the reluctant cub opened her maw and Cindy wasted no time in slathering the girls pink tongue with a generous dollop of the blisteringly hot chilli relish. Instant waterworks were the result as Shana felt like someone had just poured petrol in her mouth then applied a lit match!

It burned like fire in her maw. An intensely potent , scorching wave of heat that made her almost want to scream. Shana wanted to cough, to spit, to flee to the fridge and chug back an entire carton of milk and the chilli had only been on her tongue for the space of a few seconds!

The super hot chilli mix seared her little mouth making her cringe and groan as her own saliva spread the incredible burn around, into each corner and crevice of her muzzle and seeping back down her throat, yet under threat of a second dose, Shana just had to endure the harsh blazing sting. Cindy was far from done however and quickly reminded the miserable girl there was also a spanking incoming.

"Hold out your paw, sweetie. Quick now. The less you dawdle , the less time you have that chilli in your mouth."

Wasting no time in obedience, Shana swiftly offered her left palm to the spoon's bite, trying to cope with the cappucin napalm in her maw as best as she was able. Raising her hand, the shivering foxcub hoped Cindy would be done quick.. and have the mercy to let her drink some milk after it was over.

Cindy took her time. Lifting the spoon, taking careful aim whilst Shana stamped her foot not out of temper, but rather the appalling ,searing inferno between her lips. With a resounding 'whap' the heavy spoon smacked solidly across the center of Shana's black padded paw. A teary whimper escaped the cub's clenched muzzle at the sudden, stinging slap. Of course, a single swat would be going easy and the skunkette quickly lined up her second blow.

Again the spoon fell, slapping harshly in the almost exact place, leaving behind a reddening little paw pad. It was minor discomfort however, compared to the continued molten sting that was rapidly numbing up the cub's quivering muzzle. It was almost a blessing, something to take her mind off the blistering chilli mouthwash.

It continued at an agonizingly slow pace. Cindy building up the fire in Shana's paw bit by bit, slap by slap, whilst the increasingly miserable foxcub suffered the dual burn in both paw and maw. Thankfully, the skunkette was fairly soft hearted, not liking seeing any young child in so much continued torment and finished her lesson with a single, harder swat to Shana's by now bright red pawpad that made the girl stamp her foot one last time, a high pitched, muffled squeal of real pain bubbling from between her clenched teeth.

"Done! Now, go get yourself a drink of milk."

Almost exploding from her shrinking, cringing position of submission, Shana threw herself past Cindy and into the main kitchens, her desperate, panicky scramble for the cold room provoking embarrassing mirth from the cooks and maids she was forced to dash past. Soon however, a full gallon bottle of milk provided blessed relief, quenching the volcanic furnace that was the foxcub's maw.

Shana was subdued and quiet for the rest of her kitchen duties, performing her tasks with diligence. Though it wasn't repentance that bade the girl keep silent and still, or even the lingering burn still present on her tongue. In truth, Shana was still fuming with anger at everything that had happened but common sense dictated that further rebellion would garner her nothing more than unwelcome, extra pain, on top of any planned discipline she had coming.

So, Shana grit her teeth and washed, dried and packed away a seemingly never-ending stream of dirty plates ,pots and cutlery whilst Cindy kept a close eye on everything she did. Time slowly dragged on as afternoon turned into evening and still the little cub worked at her assigned duty. Maids, cooks and cleaners gradually began to filter away from the kitchens as their daily tasks were completed, that fact and the grumbling pain in the pit of Shana's belly told the foxcub it was past time for the evening meal and fast approaching her bedtime.

Soon enough it was only Shana and Mrs. Cindy within the confines of the kitchen. It was late , Shana was tired , hungry and miserable and the mammoth mountain of dirty kitchen utensils seemed no smaller than when she'd begun her task six hours ago! The Skunkette's soft , musical voice caught the small cub's attentions and Shana turned to see the mephitis cook place a crystal plate of pie and chips on a nearby bench.

"Your father wanted you sent to bed without any supper but that's not how I do things. You're still under my care at the moment, Shana and despite your earlier...lapse you've worked hard this afternoon. Come and have something to eat sweetie, just be quick about it."

Wasting no time, a grateful Shana tore into the meal laid out for her and munched away as speedily as possible, knowing that Cindy was essentially breaking the rules to see her fed. The kind mephitis cleared away the plate the instant Shana gulped down her last bite of pie, then turned back to the satisfied looking little girl cub, who was licking that last remnants of gravy from her fingers.

"Head to your room now, sweetie and no dawdling! You don't want to get into any more trouble."

On impulse, Shana gave her white striped teacher a quick hug, her way of saying thank you for being so nice. Cindy returned the gesture then watched as her fuzzy orange charge made her exit. Shana's quick ears picked up the skunk female's parting words and it made the almost content cub stop dead in her tracks , warping her mild joy into a far less pleasant emotion.

"Say goodnight to your mother for me, Shana.."

There was but one single reason that Shana would see her Mother again before bedtime and it made the small cub feel quite sick as nervous anticipation settled in her belly to mix unpleasantly with her hastily consumed meal. It should have been obvious that this would happen but that fact didn't make the prospect of a probable impending thrashing any more appealing. Still, forewarned is forearmed and Shana gave yet another silent thanks to the kindly skunkette for the info..

Taking her guardian's advice, Shana hurried for the safety of her room at top speed. At least then the foxcub couldn't get into any more disciplinary difficulties other than the spanking to come. Still , the nervous girl had a nasty suspicion that the planned punishment session was going to be a big one and what's worse, it had been intended as a very unpleasant surprise. Though thanks to her tutor's kindness, Shana had at least an inkling that her little foxy tail was due for some pain.

Shana's room was that of a typical twelve year old girl's. Or rather, a twelve year old tomboy's. No pink frills or lace to be found here, rather miscellaneous junk cluttered the floor , toys , clothes and magazines were scattered about on the lush, white carpet. In amidst the sea of randomly dumped articles sat the vixen cub's queen sized bed , unmade as usual and strewn with a collection of Shana's favorite plushies. In one corner of the spacious room sat a gigantic, holo-screen projector and next to it , a cabinet containing almost every games system known to mankind and the rest of the universe. Naturally, Shana's collection of video games hardware and software was complete, fully functional and much loved.

The only exception to this mundane visage of a young girl's abode were the posters. Whereas a typical child might hang pictures of favorite singers or actors on the wall, every blank surface of the vixen cub's room not covered by drawers, wardrobe, TV or cabinets sported a painting or pictograph of Shana's beloved Daddy. No matter whether the big fox was showing his increasingly rare love or inflicting customary disciplinary pain on his daughter, Kaon was undeniably the major factor and biggest influence in Shana's young life.

Taking in the sight of her room for a moment, Shana reluctantly began to dress for bed. Stripping off her jeans , t-shirt and panties, the orange furred girl paused for the briefest second to regard her nude reflection presented in the long wall mirror. Anyone would admit that she was a gorgeous girl. Despite having developed that gangly 'tween' look as she slowly aged, Shana was well muscled and well fed enough to still have a supple roundness to her limbs.

Spinning slowly in front of her mirror, the slightly narcissistic foxcub couldn't help but admire herself. Her legs were well toned, strong and limber whilst her butt still maintained it's cute , firm heart shape. Shana's torso was lithe with the slightest attractive curve and the foxcub was justifiably proud of her small bosom. Not quite big enough to warrant a bra, yet definitely noticeable beneath her tight t-shirts the sight was still enough to make the fox girl flush a soft shade of pink.

Shana growled suddenly and shook her head to clear away the fuzzy fog that had begun to cloud her mind. Turning herself on right now was a stupid idea. Despite how much her body and mind would appreciate the comfort and endorphin release of a heated bout of self-gratification, with the threat of a maternal appearance still lingering over her head, it didn't seem prudent to indulge right now. Although without that prior knowledge Shana was certain she would have blissfully pleasured herself and been caught in the act when her mom had made the surprise visit. Yet another reason to thank Mrs. Cindy's kindness.

Putting her body's needs on hold for the moment, the slightly frustrated cub let out a long suffering sigh and began to pull on her silky pajamas. All too soon, just as Shana began to button up her top, her sharp foxy ears picked up the dreaded sound, a firm rapping against her door. Taking a deep breath, offering up a silent prayer that her Mom wouldn't take all night about it, Shana spoke up with just the merest hint of tremor in her voice.

"C...come in."

As expected , it was Fern who entered the cozy confines of her daughters room. Even if Shana hadn't been warned by Cindy this was going to happen, the thick, black leather belt the big vixen held loosely in one paw and the adult's stiff, formal posture gave away her intent. For her part, Fern could see her child had been expecting this visit by the way Shana didn't express her shock or try to protest the inevitability of what was going to happen, though the adult vulpine female was oblivious to the reason why.

"Guess you were expecting me..."

Shana stared at her mother for a few moments, fresh misery welling up in her chest, then nodded once. Knowing what was expected of her, the small cub pulled a sturdy wooden seat from its resting place in the corner of her room. The stool was the perfect height for the girl to bend over and lean on and had been chosen specifically for that purpose. Unable to meet her mother's soft gaze, Shana stood by and waited for the inevitable order to drop her pajama pants and assume the position, simply wanting to get this done as quickly as possible.

Fern surprised the little cub by taking a seat on Shana's bed and patting the ruffled sheets next to her. Hesitating briefly, trying to discern her mother's intent, the nervous, shivering girl took the offered seat, planting her pajama clad tail end next to her parent. Seeing her daughter's distress, Fern wrapped an arm around her cub in a gentle, loving cuddle , trying to reassure her girl that all would be well, even as the adult vixen prepared herself to inflict Shana's bedtime discipline.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I don't really want to belt you but this is a direct order from your Father. He wants you crying yourself to sleep..."

Hanging her head in despair, unwilling to meet her Mother's gentle eyes, Shana simply stared at the cluttered floor of her bedroom. Her Father... Master Kaon.. wanted this? Wanted her so sore and sorry that He would issue a direct order to that effect, yet didn't feel it necessary - or worth his time - to deal with his child himself?

It was ruthlessly callous. A cold , calculated decision designed to hurt her heart and pride as much as the spanking would hurt her bottom. Why would he do this? Had Kaon been so offended by Shana's failure that he now wanted so little to do with her? It was the same as always, as it had been for months now, always leaving his daughters care up to another, rarely even speaking to her save to give an order, no loving touches , only pain was caused by his paws. At least if he had visited her with a paddle in his hand, rather than sending Fern to do the deed, Shana would have known he still cared for her. Yet as it stood now...... and as if to confirm her dark suspicions even further were her mother's next sorrowful words.

"Master Kaon directed me to take the large, heavy oak paddle to you but you might not be able to sleep at all after such harshness... so the belt was my decision. It should be a little ....easier on you."

In truth, Shana couldn't help but be grateful for her mother's mercies. Yes, the belt would hurt. The thick welts would burn and sting, but compared to the solid, heavy paddle it was minor discomfort. Of course, Shana wasn't so naive as to believe this would be another short 'six of the best' style spanking. Fern was visibly upset and reluctant about what she had been ordered to do and that did not bode well. Belt or paddle , it made little difference in the end. Shana knew she was going to be a very sore little girl cub by the time it was over.

Swallowing hard, composing herself for what Shana knew would be a serious, severe session under her mother's belt, the small cub slowly made ready. Standing to her feet once more, Shana slid her pajamas past her fuzzy foxy tail, over her rounded, orange furred little bottom and down her well toned legs, leaving the silky fabric in a puddle around her footpaws.

Not wishing to make what her Father had ordered be any harder on herself or her mother by obstinate stubbornness, Shana followed disciplinary procedure as she very well knew how. As Fern watched on , the reluctant girl approached her seat and took up her position. Laying her white furred belly down over the solid, wooden stool , Shana braced herself against the sturdy oak, lifting her tail, exposing her fuzzy bottom and thighs to the snapping black leather.

Such a display of willing obedience made the corners of Fern's muzzle curl downwards. The flame furred vixen wouldn't have expected Shana to be so submissive. Clearly, the little cub knew that this was her Father's command and Fern had little choice but to obey ,making a scene with a display of temper wouldn't help either of them. All that both parent and child wanted was to see this done in as short a time as necessary.

Shana had failed in her responsibilities and the small cub had to pay the penalty as dictated by her father, the Lord of the Jade Palace. Kaon was the Master. His word was law and had to be obeyed. Fern had her own duty to perform and right now, it was to make her little child cry. Not that it made the adult vixen feel any better and her daughters small, quiet voice made the vulpine female's triangular, black tipped foxy ears twitch.

"Can we do this quickly, please Mom?"

Fern silently nodded agreement, stood and took her own place beside her daughter in the optimal belt wielding position, a foot or so back and ready to swing her right arm. The dark leather felt as heavy as iron in the adult's reluctant paws. This was not a task the big vixen was eager to perform by any stretch of the imagination but the faster it was done, the sooner Shana could get to bed and sleep it off. Her quiet tone soon reached her child's laid back foxy ears.

"Ready, Shana? This is going to be fast and hard. Here we go.... be good for me."

In less than the time it took little Shana to draw in one anticipatory breath, the heavy, black belt snapped across both cheeks of her orange furred little bottom with a thunderous crack of sound and sudden burning shock of pain! It seared a harsh , thick welt just below her upraised tail and the breath the small cub had been holding exploded from her in a strangled whoosh and squeal of discomfort.

No kidding this was a hard spanking! Well versed as to the various levels of swatting power exerted by her Family, Shana knew immediately she was receiving every ounce of power that her mother could exert and with the belt slamming into the residual welts left by her earlier caning , the effect was nothing short of agonizing. Seconds later, a second belt lash whipped home into her rump and Shana grit her little teeth together, with the pace that Fern had chosen to set, the initial blast of pain from each belt stroke had no time to fade before a new one was burned into her flesh!

This was a spanking designed to simply break Shana down as quickly and completely as possible, a harsh , hard thrashing of a kind the small cub hadn't received for a very long time. That in of it 'self spoke volumes about just how angry her Father was. The dark train of thought was soon lost amidst a swimming sea of anguish as Fern's belt lashed repeatedly against Shana's pert little backside with rapid, precise strokes.

Thirty seconds under such a solid, blistering pace was enough to break Shana into leaking tears and soft whimpering as the burn in her rear increased exponentially with each fast, successive lash. Fern neither altered her speed or power and for that, the squirming girl was just a little grateful, at least she knew exactly what each stroke would bring and could mentally prepare for it.

However, more quick strokes fell in such short order that Shana began to dread receiving this sort of attention for more than a couple of minutes. It was extremely painful to the unready girl as each hard, explosive impact left behind a dark red imprint on her rump, shifting her fur in various directions from the sheer directed force behind each snapping hit and her mother showed no sign of stopping any time soon...

As a minute passed and the spanking continued, belt now lashing against a bottom that was a rosy shade of pink, Shana fought to retain her dignity under an ever increasing tide of torment. Each time the belt licked it's fiery caress into her quivering flesh, the twelve year old vixen would utter a sharp, high pitched squealing yelp through her locked jaws. It was humiliating in a way, that a simple belting could be causing her such discomfort, she'd had much worse before but it was an unwelcome truth that Shana had gone so long without a lengthy, hard spanking and she was unused to such harsh severity.

As time and the hard belting slowly droned on, that truth turned into a damning fact. Shana's tears slowly began to drip off her muzzle onto the carpeted floor as her crying became harder and open mawed, she was near to bawling now as the belt layered welt upon harsh , blazing welt onto a bottom that had seen a lot of fast placed hurt. Shana had forgotten just how severe her discipline could be and now the vixen cub was paying for it in an awful way.

Still it went on , now three minutes in and with her bottom slowly reddening to a bright, strawberry shade of crimson Shana sobbed more tearfully that ever. Now leaning fully over her stool for support, no longer able to effectively brace herself , each continued belt lash blasted a searing wave of pain through her shuddering body making her bark out in pain. Her tail base had begun to ache with the strain of remaining up over her back and submissive to her Mother's discipline.

Fern's face remained carefully neutral as the spanking continued. It was clear to the adult that her child wasn't handling this well, her anguished sobbing and the rebellious twitch of her tail told the big vixen that much. For the first time in a good long while, Fern considered she might have to take hold of Shana's tail to prevent an excruciating accident, but wanted to spare her daughter that indignity as long as possible.

On and on it went. As minutes slowly passed four and crawled closer to five, Shana abandoned her dignity and simply tried to cope with her belting as best she could. Bawling hard, open mawed wails at the continued agony being lashed into the dark crimson flesh of her bottom, copious tears streaming down her cheeks, the despairing cub could only beg that her mother would be done soon. Shana didn't know how much more her body would let her take before breaking completely , each blistering belt stroke was making her tail twitch and jump almost uncontrollably.

Then it happened, Shana fell completely quiet for a few moments , shocked into stunned silence as she felt her mother take firm grip on her tail just as the fluffy appendage began to curl and hold it back for her. It was the ultimate humiliation, being treated like a little kit again as if the spanking was simply too much for her to be expected to handle. It had been centuries since anyone had had to hold her tail! Now, something that the small cub took so much pride in , her perfect record was gone. It was this fact, rather that the time she'd spent over the stool or the consistent agony in her bottom that finally broke little Shana's will.

It also meant that Shana didn't have to fight anymore. Anguished canine howls began to echo around the room as the spanking passed six long, excruciating minutes. Shana bucked and jerked for a few more seconds, feet drumming violently against the floor. With her tail now fighting her mother's grasp each time the belt hammered agonizingly hard , cracking strokes into a rump slowly taking on a purple spotted tinge, Shana finally collapsed, completely limp over her stool. Screaming and sobbing her anguish into the tear dampened carpet, Shana rode out the last dozen lashes of a belting the child would not soon forget..

When it was finally done and over, neither cub nor parent said a word. There was nothing Fern could say that would sooth away the physical and emotional hurt Shana was feeling right now and Shana was too busy bawling to form a coherent sentence. Helping support her girl to put on her pajama bottoms and then collapse into bed, Shana being unable to stand on her own, Fern couldn't help but feel a little guilty about what she'd just done.

Shana's backside was a mess. Her fur was swished every which way, her bottom was a deep, angry crimson with a few small purple spots in places and there was even a tiny blister on her left butt cheek. The girl would be sleeping on her belly and probably standing at mealtimes for at least two to three days. The really sobering fact was that Fern knew her child faced an even harder, longer spanking in her not too distant future...

Once Shana was into bed, her sobbing soon petered away into nothingness, replaced by labored, heavy breathing. Fern tried to lean down and kiss her cub goodnight, but Shana deliberately turned to face away from her parent. With the corners of her mouth curled into a seemingly perpetual frown , feeling a dampness spring to her own eyes, all Fern could do was wish her child goodnight.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, sweetheart. I love you."

Shana remained silent long after her mother had departed. Her crying might have stopped, the tears had not. Her bottom throbbed with a blistering heat and raging ache that Shana knew would be with her for days, but worse than that was a nagging feeling of abandonment. It was as if her Father simply wanted to see her hurt, didn't care who inflicted that pain and didn't personally care one jot about her anymore...

"daddy..."

Why wouldn't her tears stop? Shana had thought herself stronger than this. Just another lingering pain to add to a growing list of personal agonies. As her father had intended, Shana eventually cried herself to restless sleep.. In the end, she knew tomorrow might bring a new day, but there was no bright morning to look forwards to.. only another day of anguish beneath her Father's cold, iron hard will....

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

Everyone loves that peaceful, serene moment of half sleep as you awaken to the new day, no cares, no worries , no pain. Shana murmured contentedly to herself, eyelids heavy and head full of fuzzy cotton clouds, relishing the moment. That is, until the dozing girl rolled over heavily onto her back and what felt like an angry mule kicked her beneath the tail.

A shocked yelp tore from her muzzle and Shana flopped violently back onto her belly, then gingerly extended an arm to rub at her aching, pajama clad butt. Damn, but she was sore! Unpleasant memories of the previous night's belting came flooding back , along with all the fears and doubts about her Father. A rude awakening to be sure.

Slowly gathering her thoughts, Shana carefully climbed out of bed and headed over to her vanity table. Staring at her young foxy reflection for a moment , not even bothering to try and sit on her chair, the self conscious girl soon began to brush out the long tresses of her ebony hair. Something to concentrate on and take her mind off the unwelcome , lingering ache in her bottom until she was able to block it out effectively. Shana had almost succeeded when a familiar knocking on her bedroom door froze the blood in her veins.

Not saying a word, unable to answer for fear of who might be lurking outside the portal to her room, Shana simply stared at the reflection of the door in her mirror. After another sharp knock went unanswered, the door creaked open to reveal the familiar form of the cub's mother, Fern. The adult vixen looked a trifle haggard , as if she hadn't slept well and was seemingly clad in the same tanktop and jeans she had worn yesterday. As the big vixen drew closer, Shana's sensitive foxy nose picked up the faint scent of alcohol and on closer inspection, Fern's hazel eyes seemed a little bloodshot, though her voice was soft, kind and full of concern.

"I came to see if you were ok, sweetheart."

Shana graced her parent with a weak smile and slight nod. At least this didn't look as bad as the cub had feared. Fern just seemed to be suffering from a leaden conscience, she always drank when upset. Shana didn't blame her mother for last night's thrashing, Fern had nothing to feel guilty for. It was the Master's order and his responsibility, no-one else's.

"I'm still kinda sore Mom, but it's not too bad. Don't worry about it.

Fern simply stared at her daughter, the expression on her face looked as if the adult vixen was feeling slightly ill and for a few moments Shana considered her mother was somewhat hungover. However , Fern finally ran a paw up to rub the grit out of her eyes and let out a long, drawn out sigh of distaste, her tone now laden with apologetic regret.

"I'm sorry , honey, but please hand me your hairbrush."

A hot wave of frustration boiled through the small cub and Shana slammed the antique hairbrush she was holding against the lacquered top of her vanity table before turning her head to stare at her parent through tear moistened eyes.. It was blatantly obvious that Fern intended to inflict another round of pain upon the foxcub's already sore behind. There couldn't be a more rotten way to start her day than with yet another spanking, one that little Shana did not believe she deserved and the whiny, upset note in her voice made that fact plain for any who were willing to listen.

"Mom, please! I don't need another spanking! I'm going to be good all day, I promise. Please don't!"

Slowly shaking her vulpine head, looking more apologetic than ever, Fern relieved her fuzzy child of the solid, wooden hairbrush and put a little pressure on Shana's back, urging her to lean over her vanity table for support and not make any undue fuss. Now Shana understood what her mother had meant by 'see you tomorrow morning'. It had been intended as a warning and Shana hadn't managed to pick up on the inflection. Yet another example of just how much the twelve year old had let herself go over the past few months. Even if the morning swatting had come as a surprise, the reasoning behind it did not.

"Your Father's orders again, sweetheart. Don't fret too much, I'll be quick about it."

Knowing that making a big scene wouldn't help her cause and might in fact piss off her mom, who only seemed intent on makings easier for her orange furred cub, Shana still made her feelings quite clear with a single , upset stomp of her right foot. This was one spanking the sore girl did not want at all, even her hairbrush was likely to hurt like hell when applied to a backside as welted as hers.

It was going to happen however and a miserable, teary eyed Shana could only do as directed. Bracing herself against her heavy vanity table, trying and failing to control the sudden trembling of her lower lip, the despondent foxcub felt her Mother hook a finger into the waistband of her Pj's and slide them down past the girl's fuzzy tail and over her bruised rump. A gentle pat to the base of Shana's tail soon followed and the customary command to raise the fluffy appendage and keep it up till the spanking was done had never been so hard to obey.

It was sheer force of will that moved Shana's tail up and out of the way, baring her sore little bottom to the hairbrush's assault. As Fern had promised, she was quick and thorough. All that Shana could do was whimper and whine as the hard , flat back of the impromptu paddle slammed into her aching rear with a resounding 'whap'! One , two, three fast, solid swats onto her left butt cheek left the small cub sniveling in distress at the sudden painful re-ignition of last night's blazing fire. A second speedy triumvirate of blows hammered the right side of Shana's rump caused a shameful yelp of intense discomfort to burst from her maw.

Fern began to alternate the hard swats between left and right, spanking very quickly and even only using moderate power it was still more than enough to milk tears from her daughters eyes. Although the swatting lasted less than twenty seconds , Shana felt like her backside had been under the paddle for ten times that long. It was a simple yet effective reminder that the small cub was still under her Father's disciplinary law , she had failed him and the continued consequences were going to be both lengthy and intensely unpleasant.

It was also a way to ensure that Shana started her day sore as heck and perfectly tuned for further painful discipline at a later juncture. It was just like her Father to order something this unfair. Why did it always have to be like this? Once her mother was done, Shana simply stared at her own foxy reflection in the vanity mirror, watching those leaking, rebellious tears drip from emerald eyes and down her cheeks. How many of those tears were due to her renewed pain and how many were caused by her emotional anguish, the upset, despondent little foxcub simply could not tell.....

Fern tried to make her cub feel better with a comforting cuddle , but Shana was as unresponsive as lead in her arms. It was clear that this entire discipline weekend was hitting the twelve year old vixen far harder than the Master had anticipated, although Fern couldn't possibly fathom the true depths of emotional distress that lurked behind Shana's saddened countenance. All the big vixen could do was assist her girl to finish brushing and dressing , then send her off to the grand dining hall for the morning meal...

It was a long , slow walk to the cub's destination. Shana dragged her feet with every step, unable to shake the lingering feeling that she'd be seeing her Father later today in the most painful of personal reunions. The morning spanking simply reeked of being a precursor to her big 'attitude adjustment'. She was so tender and sensitive now that even a light paddling would be agony, let alone the kind of severe swatting her Dad would inflict. Her Father wanted to be capable of breaking her the instant that harsh spanking began and deliver a hard, excruciating lesson that would not be soon forgotten.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, slow her heart rate and deal with the dual fact that not only was master Kaon likely to be present at the family table for his own breakfast , he would also expect her to sit down for her own meal , Shana entered the vast columned interior of the Jade palace Grand dining hall and glanced about at the familiar sights of the populated dining area.

Any newcomer would have been stunned speechless by the magnificence. It was a massive, high vaulted hall, designed to entertain and accommodate up to two hundred thousand hungry citizens , denizens and guests of the Master's Palace. Countless intricately carved jade columns formed orderly rows and designated seating priority for the many inhabitants that sat to eat at one of several hundred long , oaken dining tables. Crystal plates, pitchers and cutlery were set out ready to be used by any hungry member of the Palace. Every surface was spotless , clean , neat and organized as were the hundreds of serving maids and butlers whose sole duty it was to convey delectable morsels to the waiting plates of the ravenous.

Dominating this vision was a raised dais upon which sat the family banquet table and at the head of this most honored of tables was the Master's own gilded emerald armchair. It was currently occupied. Shana felt a wave of conflicting emotions at the sight of her Papa. .... love... longing... regret... grief. Making her way up to the family area, the small cub bowed deferentially to her Father and Master , an unusual show of respect, but one she felt was warranted and one she hoped would be welcomed. When he didn't immediately bite her head off as she'd expected, Shana felt her spirits lift just a little...

Sitting at her customary place near the head of the family table , just on her Father's right hand , might have been considerably more uncomfortable than usual, due to the renewed fire in Shana's tail end but at least breakfast looked to be good. Master Kaon was tucking into a large plate of bacon, sausages and fried bread with considerable gusto, although he did not speak to , or even acknowledge that his little foxcub was present. 'He's still pissed off', Shana thought to herself. Not that that was surprising. Maybe she could win him round if she worked hard enough .. after a good feed of course.

To the cubs chagrin, her breakfast was not the mountain of fried goodies she had been expecting. Instead , the serving maid plonked a large bowl of noxious looking gray gunk in front of the hungry cub. Shana almost immediately lost her appetite. Porridge, it just had to be porridge! Shana detested the stuff, hated it with a passion, and it looked to have been made just the way she loathed it, thick, lukewarm tasteless trash and she only ever received this muck for breakfast as another kind of discipline. It was yet another reminder she was in the doghouse and was likely to remain there for quite some time. It was going to be one of those days.

"Eat your breakfast, Shana."

Wincing a little at her Fathers tone of voice, Shana was not quite foolish enough to protest her meal, although she was sorely tempted to do so. Staring unhappily at her breakfast , the cub toyed with the lumpy contents of her bowl until a sneak glance at her Father showed he had put down his fork and was watching her intently. Disobedience at this point would earn her nothing more than an increasingly sore tail and gritting her teeth, Shana angrily began to chow down on the vile sludge.

Spooning the flavorless muck into her muzzle was a task in of it 'self, such was her revulsion at eating the stuff. It was horrible, the texture, the taste , everything about it simply made Shana want to retch but to do so would be to invite her Father's immediate displeasure. With the big dog fox watching so closely, there wasn't even a chance of skipping out on half the bowl and just heading to class. It was pointless to waste time playing with it in the hopes it would simply vanish, all Shana could do was stuff her maw with the mushy goop and hope her stomach didn't rebel too violently.

It was nothing short of an utterly vile culinary experience. The lumpy , rapidly cooling porridge stuck to the inside of Shana's mouth , it's bland, unsweetened flavor and slimy texture made each mawfull a real struggle to swallow. Every spoonful of the thick , clammy sludge made her little tummy churn and heave , the unhappy foxcub shuddered each time she forced the next load of gunk to her unwilling lips.

Unfortunately, Master Kaon seemed content to watch and wait for his girl to finish her meal. Leisurely consuming his own vastly superior breakfast, never taking his eyes off his daughter, Shana could see that the big fox was going to make sure she ate every single loathsome bite. Spoon after spoon, her bowl slowly emptied. Bite after bite, the repulsive slime oozed down her throat. Shana wrinkled her muzzle in ever increasing disgust , fuzzy foxy tail firmly curled to her thigh , belly twisted and knotted up with nausea until the revolted cub could simply stand no more.

With less than a quarter of her bowl left, Shana no longer had the willpower to lift spoon to muzzle. Taking another bite of that porridge had become less appealing than being hit by a runaway starship. Her stomach lurched unpleasantly at the very thought of having to consume another morsel of the horrible stuff. Even as the sick girl stared with revulsion at the nearly solid remainder of her breakfast, a firm voice cut through the wave of disgust clouding her senses.

"Finish your meal , Shana."

A sideways glance at her father showed the dog fox had folded his arms and was waiting, glaring at her, expecting his daughter to consume those last loathsome remnants. Shana's gaze moved from father to food and back again with increasingly tear blurred vision. Slowly, there came a tiny, miniscule shake of her head. There was no way, just no way Shana could possibly finish her hated breakfast without being physically sick , yet Kaon was utterly pitiless.

"Either finish eating your breakfast or come here and lay over my lap. Your choice."

Shana's head spun round to stare angrily at her father, those threatening tears finally beginning to dribble down her fuzzy cheeks. That was possibly the most unfair choice he'd ever given her, throw up or subject her already aching butt to yet another spanking. It took an absolutely monumental effort simply not to snap back in his face at what Shana could now see as being a set up all along.

Despite her fear of further disciplinary anguish , Shana held every young child's terror of throwing up and so her decision could only have one viable answer. Standing upright with an angry stomp of her foot at the injustice of the situation she'd been placed in, Shana grit her teeth together in an effort to control the suicidal temptation to badmouth her Father and took a few wooden steps over to his seat. However, rage soon gave way to cold dread ... and fluttering, nervous anticipation as the thought of what another spanking could do to a bottom as sore as hers shuddered through the miserable foxcub.

There was a momentary standoff between father and child as Kaon patted his lap expectantly whilst Shana gave him her most submissive, pleading look in an honest, desperate appeal not to go through with this. It was all for naught as her father lost patience and took his girl by one laid back ear and half pulled , half guided her over his lap.

At first Shana was just a little relieved, Kaon seemed to be content with inflicting a mere paw spanking on his child. Yes it would probably hurt a darn sight more than usual but with the padding afforded by her clothes it should be far more tolerable than if he decided to use a paddle.. or one of the large wooden spoons close at paw. However, the instant her father's fingers hooked into the top of her loose jeans, the shocked girl couldn't help but protest.

"D... daddy! Please.... not in front of... everyone!"

Seconds later , Shana let out a despairing whimper as both her jeans and her panties were swiftly stripped down to her thighs, leaving the humiliated foxgirl fully exposed to everyone in the dining hall! A deep, burning shame caused the self conscious child's face to flush scarlet as all her assets were put on display in such a disgraceful fashion, with Kaon holding her tail up the only way she could keep half the palace from ogling her most private feminine area was to stretch out her legs and tightly clench her thighs together... and the side effect of that was....

The first open palmed slap from her father hurt like absolute murder. Shana let out a high pitched squeal at the harsh spank that clapped fully across both her squeezed cheeks. Far, far worse than any pain was the crippling embarrassment at being stripped and disciplined in front of everyone! Servants, guests , other cubs she went to school with , all of them were getting a free to air show of something Shana considered intensely personal and private. Kaon was deliberately making a public spectacle of this to purposely rip her pride into tatters.

More quick slaps fell in short order but nowhere near as hard as the first. Had Shana's bottom not been pre tenderized, this would have been little more than a token swatting. It was only hurting about the same as any standard pawnspanking would have, yet the squirming foxgirl couldn't stand to be treated this way even for a couple of minutes. Underneath the awful humiliation, Shana had a welling fear boiling up in her belly along with certain other feelings...

Shana had never been satisfied with the innocent attentions given to her by her daddy. The twelve year old vixen had longed for centuries to be taken to the soft sheets of her fathers bed and had developed a special game she liked to play. Over time, the needy vixen cub had trained herself to enjoy a simple paw spanking from her father in an intensely sexual way. It was her dirty little secret and now it was coming back to literally bite her in the ass.

So long had Shana been without the physical touch of her beloved Father , her young body had instinctively begun to react to the paw spanking in it's traditional way. Each light, quick palmed slap was impacting on the furthest curve of her bottom and in response came an awful, delicious shivering twinge of pleasurable sensation...

Soon , just a dozen soft slaps later Shana was silently pleading, if not outright begging her father to either finish up, or swat harder. A lot harder. The almost gentle spanking had been intended more as a mental discipline rather than a physical one but it had swiftly degenerated into an emotional torture for the desperate girl cub as real, unwanted arousal began to creep over and through her trembling body.

And the slapping went on. Shana was blushing a deep shade of cherry red as pleasurable twitches and twinges began to make their presence felt in a big way. No matter how the foxcub fought the delicious sensations down, begged them go away or how much she hated what was happening, her attention starved body was going to do exactly as it wished... and it was going to do it in front of everyone in the dining hall.

Shana bit her bottom lip, suppressing any sound that could be discerned as a pleasurable moan or sigh, enduring her personal agony in stoic silence. What was worse, that rippling undercurrent of humiliation seemed to now be adding fuel to the fires and it was becoming much, much more difficult to remain still over his lap.. Shana knew without a doubt that if her father was to continue then she'd soon be faced with the awful possibility of climaxing right there , over his lap and in public, she could almost feel dozens of pairs of eyes gazing right at her butt ... what would they be able to see if.... if she... couldn't hold out....

It was a truly nightmare scenario for the desperate child and Shana sorted through a list of excuses, something... anything to get her father to stop without revealing her secret shame and to keep her mind off the rapidly building delight between her trembling thighs. However, a series of very quick, feather light slaps over the most sensitive areas of her bottom right above the girl's feminine crease brought her plight right back to the forefront of her attentions as the little tremors running through her belly became long, rhythmic shudders. It was sickeningly shameful, yet it now seemed inevitable.. please... no.... not like this... anything but this!

This was meant for her special time alone with daddy! Not... a peep show for dozens of people to perve on! Yet what could she say? How could Shana possibly tell her father what he was doing was an intense turn on , or reveal that for centuries now she'd enjoyed orgasm after secret, pleasurable orgasm during what was meant to be solid discipline and nothing more? In short, she couldn't and the realization she was utterly helpless finally broke Shana into a misery wracked bawl of humiliated despair as very familiar muscle contractions began to ripple outwards from just below her navel..

Hearing his child break into open mawed sobs was what Kaon had seemingly been waiting for. Oblivious to his daughters intense emotional plight, the big fox stopped with the swatting and swiftly pulled Shana's underwear and jeans back up her legs, before letting his curiously red faced cub wobble back to her feet. Even though her Father was probably going to address her, a lecture perhaps or a further order, the sudden sensuous stroking of the foxcub's tight, silky panties across her enflamed treasure was simply too much for the trembling girl.

Despite the fact that it would be seen as yet more disrespect, Shana mumbled a garbled line about really needing to pee, and bolted for the nearest rest cubicle. Thankfully, mercifully it was unoccupied. Rebounding from the wall, the shuddering cub barely had time to lock the door and yank down her panties before what had been started by her father was finished with a single touch of her paw to the most sensitive tip of her flower.

The direct stimulation was all her body needed and Shana came on the spot. After fighting the pleasure for so long , her orgasm was naturally very long and extremely hard yet the emotionally shredded girl found little satisfaction with the intense sensation. Biting down on her arm to muffle her shameful whines and whimpers of delight, Shana still couldn't stop her questing fingers from milking every single drop of pleasure from the act. Yet the humiliating truth was never far from her mind, the fact that she was essentially masturbating in a public toilet...

When it was done, Shana simply collapsed. Curling up, head buried in her knees the despondent girl simply wept silently with heaving , tormented sobs, feeling so ashamed and so very dirty. It had been meant as a thorny barb to her personal pride but her father's plan had turned into the worst kind of emotional torture all without his knowledge. The only consolation was that she'd avoided the worst case scenario by the skin of her little canine teeth. It was cold comfort though and Shana could do little but wrap her arms around her body and shudder...

Time passed, minutes, maybe an hour, Shana didn't care. However, it soon came to the foxgirl's mind that she had to pull herself together. Kaon would be waiting for her. Taking a deep , long series of breaths, trying to regain her shattered composure, Shana stood to her feet and wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, arranged her clothes and thoughtfully flushed the loo as a plausible excuse. Scrubbing away the tears that dampened her reddened eyes , the small cub unlocked the door and meekly stepped back out in public. It was one of the hardest things little Shana had ever had to do...

Instantly, a strong paw grabbed hold of one drooping fox cub ear. Letting out a plaintitive yip at the rough treatment, Shana found herself being nigh on dragged away from the dining room area and towards the halls of learning by her extremely irate father. It was almost too much. Shana didn't care if he was unaware of the suffering he had unintentionally caused , Kaon was her father, her beloved Papa! Surely he could see, had noticed the pain she was in! Her face, her posture, her beautiful, sad eyes all screamed of a deep seated hurt that wasn't just going to go away on it's own. Didn't he care at all about her anymore?!

Yet Shana now entertained a horrible suspicion that all protests or complaints would earn her was a yet another swift punishment. Biting her lip, gritting her teeth, the increasingly angry cub swallowed her harsh words and simply tagged along behind her dad. Keeping her muzzle shut was becoming a nigh on impossible task, Shana felt she'd explode if she didn't let it all out soon... and Creator help her if Kaon was around when she did.

The duo of fox and cub swiftly marched through the long corridors of the Jade palace till they reached the schoolhall. This was obviously going to be her Father's big opener to what would culminate in Shana's 'attitude adjustment' and that realization quelled the foxgirl's temper somewhat , replacing it with a bout of jittery nerves.

Fern was already there waiting for them , the flame furred vixen looked almost as apprehensive as Shana felt and the small cub soon found herself unceremoniously dumped at her desk, sending an unwelcome shock of pain through her very sore backside. The nervous girl cub tentatively rubbed her sore ear and aching butt , watching quietly as her Father paced the room yet he said nothing for a moment... till his voice thundered through the schoolhall, rife with anger, spiced with scorn and seasoned with just a little contempt.

" I am not willing to overlook your vile behavior any longer, Shana. You are obviously in desperate need of the strictest discipline I can meet out and I am loath to let your appalling attitude degenerate any further!"

This was stupid! Even after being as submissive and accepting of her discipline as she possibly could, Master Kaon still wasn't satisfied?! Shana had already been through far more than she wanted in the space of two days and now her Father had decided his cub needed an even more severe lesson? It may not have been unexpected but it was still ridiculous! He never seemed to care anymore, not even one little bit. Every word was a lecture or order, every time he touched her it was to cause pain. No whispers of love, no cuddles or kisses, just curt demands or a hard open paw.

Now holodeck privileges withdrawn and banned from her precious Lords of the Netherdark, made to study over her holidays, being dosed with chilli sauce, spanked thrice yesterday and twice more that day, humiliated, shamed and hurting so much.. what right did anyone have to treat her this way?! Shana could feel her temper writhing afresh in her chest. It was a very familiar feeling, a mixture of supercilious disdain and arrogant willfulness and the little cub simply couldn't hold her tongue.

The gnawing ache in her bottom, the knowledge that her Father was so very angry with her right now, the warning signs were there and sadly, Shana chose not to heed them. Any kind of backchat right now was the absolute height of folly, but it was nothing short of sheer reckless stupidity to let that old insolent attitude bleed into her words, but for just those few seconds, Shana no longer cared.

" I'm always being treated like this! It's Not fair..!"

Kaon stopped dead and Shana suddenly bit her lip. So stupid! For so many years, centuries even, Kaon had tried to to stem his child's particular breed of arrogance. It had been the cause of so much trouble over the years, causing herself and others great pain and in no uncertain terms she had been told, time and time again that it would not be tolerated , words reinforced with harsh, agonizing spankings when necessary. Speaking to any member of their extended Family in such a manner would have brought immediate retribution but Shana had just spat the proverbial dummy at the worst possible target imaginable!

Shana watched nervously as her Fathers paws balled into fists, she could almost feel anger radiating from him like the heat from a supernova. A quick glance at her mother showed Fern slowly shaking her head in both sympathy and disbelief. Then, in the space of one long, calm breath all his tension seemed to wash away like an oak leaf carried downstream by the gentle current. When he turned to face her , he was smiling just slightly , almost tenderly. Relaxed and calm, Shana's Father made his way back over to where his child was sitting, and casually took a seat opposite her.

To the outside viewer , Kaon seemed unconcerned by his daughters willful , blatant disrespect, even though it was one of the worst offences his children could commit. To the casual observer, he appeared uncaring of her insolent tone , her unrepentant arrogance. Yet all Shana had to do was look her Father in the eye to know for certain, she was in desperate trouble.

Those eyes were dead. Almost blank, empty and cold as the void between the stars.. It told her that her Father had moved beyond anger , beyond rage and into a cold , calculating, determined state of mind. Others spoke of this blackest of moods in hushed tones , those who had witnessed or felt it's power whispered warnings of the Masters true wrath , his iron will and the most fearful of personal torment.

Although Shana had often made her Father angry , felt his displeasure in many ways, by paw , cane or paddle and seen incredible rage and silent determination in his eyes, she had only once before seen him look at her in the manner he was now and as if to reaffirm her fearful suspicion that she had really blown it bigtime , he let out a deep , resigned sigh.

"Shana... you are such a disappointment."

Wincing at that terrifyingly neutral tone of voice, folding her foxy ears back , Shana couldn't help but swallow hard , trying unsuccessfully to keep the tremor out of her voice as she attempted to placate her Father. Or at the very least, divert the torrential flow of icy wrath she knew was headed her way. Respect and obedience, that's what he wanted from her right now , maybe giving him what he demanded would blunt his ire... and help save her tail.

"I'm s..sorry Father. I spoke out of turn. I'll be good.. I promise."

Kaon laced his fingers together , peering over the top of them at his girl. A crooked, half smile split his features, but there was no good humor in that expression, if anything , the sight made Shana feel vaguely ill. His next offhand comments only served to twist her stomach into even greater knots.

"At the moment , Shana , I'm more interested in hearing exactly what you think isn't 'fair'. My methods of discipline , perhaps? No they may not be what you consider 'fair' but they are what I consider reasonable. So.... does that mean you think my restricting your playtime and making you study because you failed every exam I set you is... unreasonable?"

Shana shrunk back into her chair as her Father leant forwards , this was going someplace she didn't want, very quickly. Kaon propped up his foxy head on one arm, looking supremely bored. His free paw tapped at the surface of Shana's desk , seemingly waiting for her to answer but as the increasingly nervous cub opened her mouth to speak, he abruptly cut her off.

"Or perhaps it's my treatment of you that you are dissatisfied with? The constant love and attention, giving you anything you want , everything you want , when you want it. Looking after your every whim and need , putting your happiness before my own and asking only for a little respect and a little obedience in return. Two things, I might add , that I have received a negligible quantity of in recent weeks!"

As Kaon's voice and his temper rose anew and he stood up abruptly, his daughter cringed down in her seat. Lower lip beginning to tremble uncontrollably as the situation rapidly spiraled out of her control, Shana shot her mother a wild glare , begging for support. Neither female was stupid , both were wise enough to the ways of their Master to see that Kaon was becoming more than a little pissed off. In fact, he was beginning to break through his own self imposed calm and into an entirely new level of seething anger. It was a vicious cycle , the more times he broke his own meditational calm and had to re-establish control , the worse the final retribution would be.

Even still, Shana found her own temper beginning to match her Fathers. Constant love and attention? Chance would have been a fine thing! The near hypocrisy of Kaon's words had finally managed to genuinely hurt the small cub and despite the danger of his temper, the little vixen just had to let her Father know her feelings. Unable to keep the misery out of her thick voice, Shana simply couldn't remain silent any longer.

"What Love? When was the last time you did anything for me that didn't hurt?! Always yelling at me, beating me, do you even remember how to do anything else?!"

Shana lurched to her feet, screaming into her stunned Father's face. Her words her actions, it was a direct challenge to his unquestionable authority. Even though Shana knew she'd pay for it in the worst kind of way, the upset, angry little girl cub couldn't keep the festering hurt she'd been feeling for weeks bottled inside her any more.

"If this is the only 'attention' I'm going to get from you, I don't care if I ever see you again! I hate you, I HATE YOU! "

His face contorted into a rictus of utter wrath, Kaon's arm flew up readying it 'self for a vicious, backhanded punch that would have knocked Shana's teeth out and laid her flat out on the floor. The crushing strike never fell as the big fox struggled with himself, despite the unforgivable disrespect in his child's voice, all that Master Kaon could see were the welling tears in her beautiful emerald eyes. Surely.... she couldn't mean what she'd said?

Fern had read the danger signs and hastened to calm her mate, moving to his side and gently placing a paw on his shoulder , rubbing and stroking even as his ready paw quivered with the blow he was about to unleash on his precious daughter. It was meant to be a calming massage , working the tension out and helping him relax, but it's only visible effect was a slight curl of Kaon's lip.

"Now isn't the best time, Fern."

The Master's voice was strained and hoarse as he fought the damning impulse to put his child back in her place at any cost. Fern could see this and continued with her massage, leaning up a little to whisper soft words into her mate's ear. They rung true and good advice both, she knew him and the way he thought better than anyone else in the Palace.

"Go take a break, honey. You don't want to discipline Shana when you're so angry. I know you, if you aren't in complete control you'll end up feeling indecisive about what you need to do and that's not good for you or her. You might even hurt her. Look at yourself right now."

After a few tense moments, Kaon relaxed almost visibly. Shoulders drooping as he took a deep breath, the fox male looked calmer already. That arm dropped from its ready position to hang by his side. A short while later , once Kaon had fully composed himself he spoke and his voice was deadpan, emotionless and cold as tundra snow.

" Go to your room, Shana. Rest there. Play with your toys. Scream , rant and swear. Anything you like, I don't care, but I will expect you in my study one hour from now...."

He inclined his head to give his trembling child one final glance. For just one brief moment, those deep emerald eyes of his reflected every emotion Shana had never wanted to see in his gaze. Crippling grief. Resigned despair. Heartbroken pain. It was a real and terrifying possibility that Shana's stupid, hasty , hurtful words had severed the last, fragile tether of love between Father and Child.

"..... be ready..."

Then he was gone. Before Shana had a chance to speak, to beg with her Father, to plead or round the desk, throw her arms around his waist and bawl like the frightened, miserable child she was, he disappeared. Simply phased himself away with a snap of air and a shimmer of heat. It was a final act of separation, a brutal, aching fact that her Father simply couldn't stand to be with her for a single second longer.

Shana simple sat where she was, staring at the space her father had occupied with tear blurred vision. It took the despondent , numb foxcub a moment to realize her mother had said something. Turning her head in an almost mechanical fashion, Shana transferred her blank gaze to her other parent. Fern had said something about..... trying to be good? Doing what the Master had said and just waiting in her room?

Dumbly nodding her head , unable to deal with the hideous liquid dark creeping over her heart and soul, Shana slipped from her desk and slowly walked out. Wandering almost mindlessly , the despairing girl headed in the vague direction of her room trying to come to terms with the searing ache in her heart. Why so much pain? Why was her Father hurting her like this? Didn't he know, couldn't he see the anguish she was suffering? A more prudent question to ask might have been... Did he even care?

So wrapped in her own ebon despair was she that Shana didn't see her sister till the grey furred huskie pup was almost on top of her. It was a shock to suddenly be enveloped in a lively hug from the eleven year old canine girl and feel a quick, sneaky kiss brush against her lips. For a brief few seconds, Shana felt her heavy heart lifted by her sibling's love but lifting her lowly gaze from the crystal floor to Nikki's face showed little Shana the most heart wrenching sight the shocked cub had ever seen.

Sitting snug around her sister's neck... was one of Master Kaon's collars.

"Lookit, Shana! Look what dad gave me!"

Nikki was nearly beside herself with joy at the special, precious gift she'd been given. It was a collar all her own , not of emerald like the other members of the Master's personal family, but uniquely crafted just for her. It was a thin band of pink diamond , beautiful , radiant and exquisite in its construction, It's like had never been seen in the Palace before. Shana was stunned into silence by the revelation, it was a blatant , deliberate action obviously designed to hurt her. If the big fox had openly driven his fist into his cub's face, such an act of violence would have caused his child less pain than seeing such favor given to Nikki.

"Papa said I earned this, said that he'd been planning this for ages! There's going to be a huge banquet in my honor! Isn't this awesome?!"

Shana stared blankly at her sibling. Nikki was fairly bouncing off the walls with excitement and euphoria... and the trembling foxcub had to fight an urge to throw herself in a flurry of fists and feet at her overjoyed sister. This was not Nikki's doing, Shana reminded herself. This was her father's design and no other. Forcing a sick looking smile to her features, the shuddering cub tried to look pleased.

"I'm.. very happy for you, Nikki.... "

Nikki didn't pick up on the misery in her sister's voice. Already the pup was prancing half way down the corridor, so full of life , love and energy that she couldn't stand still for even a single second. That was the effect the master's love and pride could have on a person... and it seemed like a lifetime ago since Shana had felt that way...

"Gonna go tell Mom and everyone! See you later, Shana!"

Shana watched her happy huskie sister skip away down the hall, a strange kind of black despair welling in her chest. It was all so clear now, so very clear. It was Nikki that their Father took pride in now. It was the huskie that Kaon fawned over, that he tucked into bed at night, that he praised and rewarded. Little miss perfect.

Unable to stop herself beginning to tear up, Shana continued to stare down the corridor till Nikki's fluffy tail had vanished around the corner. It was so much more than just that... it was a truth she could no longer deny. The very thought of what she could now see as cold hard reality tore Shana's little heart in half.... There wasn't room in Kaon's life for both girls and Shana had somehow lost her special place , lost her way.... lost his love... lost everything she had ever held dear. It was over. Her fragile emotional supports finally breaking under the crushing weight of her own childlike fears and insecurities, Shana dropped to her knees and wept bitter, heartbroken tears...

Her misery didn't last long, soon replaced with rebellious rage. Fine, If Shana was destined to live the rest of her life as nothing more than a footnote in the annals of her Father's Jade palace then so be it. The small vixen estimated she still had the better part of an hour to herself. It was time enough for a trip to the holodeck....

Without her powers to aid her and with all the civilian personnel transporters under constant supervision, Shana took one of the rarely used Palace cargo transporters direct to the entertainment district. It was a complex teleportation system reserved for heavy or bulky loads where it wasn't practical to manually haul goods from level to level. Amongst the palace cubs, it was a favorite game to play 'transporter tag' with the system even though being caught by Palace security meant an immediate whipping. Shana didn't care.

The entertainment district it 'self was a massive complex full of delights and whimsy. A hundred thousand frivolous ways to idle away any spare time a person might have in between rigorous duties. Amusement arcades, a three ring circus , sporting facilities and an ice stadium with shows put on daily. Countless other strange and mystifying magical and alien entertainments to boggle and enthrall the mind , everything from coin-op pacman machines to numerous holosuite simulators were present and ready to please, relax and refresh the work weary minds and bodies of the Master's Palace.

Luckily, despite the heavy traffic this sector often saw, the clandestine cub was able to sneak into the holodeck without being spotted. No one else knew all the palace nooks, crannies and hiding spots as well as she did and that knowledge served her well. As Shana booted up the final level of Lords of the Underdark, the nervous girl found herself trembling. It was that special, delicious shaking that every child knows comes from doing a secret something that you know is very wrong.. Shana also knew that her actions were openly defiant of her father's commands and if she was caught...

The thought of the massive retribution that would come crashing down on her head should she be discovered almost gave Shana pause for concern... almost. Hardening her resolve, the willfully rebellious foxcub stepped into the holodeck as the 'Spire of Pain' took form around her. She would finish her game , father's wishes be damned and only then would she go see him. Then the bastard could do what he liked.

The Spire of Pain. An hideous, vertical column of ebonstone corrupted by Lord Excrucius and his necromantic black light. Within its vile , warped walls was perpetrated all manner of twisted experiments and horrific tortures, the sickly sweet stench of corruption was thick upon the air.. The minions of this ultimate evil that patrolled it's blackened, gore slicked halls were as numerous as they were deadly , requiring time, strategy and forwards planning to have any chance of survival.... It would take an intrepid adventurer a goodly amount of time to climb it's many levels and face each of the four great aspects of pain that awaited them before being admitted into evil's ultimate sanctum. Shana decided to simply skip all that bullshit and use a conveniently placed warp point. She didn't have the time for a full clear, dammit!

Transported to the antechamber just outside Lord Excrucius's throneroom, Shana, now in her aspect of High Lady Templar Shana Brightflame and clad in her beautiful silver inlaid ivory armor , made final preparations. All her buffs were up. Her equipment was at maximum durability with the best available enchantments. A generous supply of health and mana potions hung at her belt, all that was left was to beat this sucker down as quickly as possible. Shana took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy, darkened doors to the Bloody Throne.

"....all right... let's do this..."

There was her Nemesis. Lord Excrucius sat on his throne of skulls as he always did, looking bored and amused by her appearance. The spiked, deep green plate armor that bedecked his muscular frame radiated an aura of dark torment, whilst the heavy, horned helm that obscured his features sent out almost palpable waves of power. His weapons were a corrupted skull shield, and jagged edged , sickly green longsword. Standing from his seat, Lord Excrucius took up his arms and began what should have been a two and a half minute speech on how she was going to die and the whole world would suffer.... Shana had heard it many times before and cutting straight to the chase, charged up the small flight of steps to the battle platform, starting the epic final confrontation.

Phase one was a simple clash of arms. No tricks, her skills versus his. Problem with this was, her father had programmed this bastard with reactive AI. It had been observing and learning from how Shana fought since her first encounter with the cellar rats at level one. Thus, Excrucius was always going to be a significant test of her swordplay, no matter her equipment or level.

Round and round the duo twirled, in a deadly dance of blades. Shana relied on her speed and skill to dodge nimbly over and around the heavy strikes of her more cumbersome opponent, flipping back and forth to score telling strikes on his heavily armored form. Ducking under a sweeping cross cut that would have 'decapitated' her avatar , stabbing the tip of her rapier into the thinner plate at his abdomen, the relentless girl cub began to wear her opponent down.

Lord Excrucius's life meter fell quickly , but almost into phase two he did something totally unexpected. As Shana ducked once more beneath his standard cross sword stroke, the boss's previously unused shield suddenly hammered forwards into Shana's sternum sending the unready foxcub tumbling back down the steps to land on her butt in a most undignified and painful manner. The encounter swiftly reset, classing Shana as 'dead' and the small cub simply stared up with mounting rage at the boss who had just, for all intents and purposes, cheated to kill her.

"You... you cheating fuck! You don't use shield bash until phase two!"

Scrambling to her feet, Shana launched herself at her opponent once more. Her attack was full of strength and vigorous energy, yet doomed to failure. Having let anger take over from reason for a moment, Shana had forgotten to re-apply her buffs or even heal herself properly. Excrucius seemed to enjoy toying with her , whilst the foxcub suddenly found herself struggling to fend him off and get herself back into combat ready status, the armored abomination took relish in picking her apart and ironically , finished the uneven battle with the same early shield bash he had used previously.

Ending back on her butt at the foot of the stairs, Shana fought the urge to snap right back into action and instead , took the time necessary to heal up, buff up and make proper preparations. This was embarrassing! She'd never had this problem making it to phase two before! Plus, the time period before her father came looking for his errant daughter was rapidly wasting away. Shana knew she had two... maybe three attempts left before an irritated Kaon came looking for his oh so clever little girl and when the master found his child on the holodeck and playing her game in defiance of a direct order there would be little Shana could say or do to stop her dad slowly blistering the fur off her already sore bottom.

Once more launching herself into the fray, Shana put forth what was undoubtedly her greatest effort to date. Taking negligible damage to her own life bar, the skilled cub ducked and weaved , stabbed and slashed until Lord Excrucius's life bar drained to the point where phase two came into play. Shivering with mounting excitement as the evil Lord of Pain teleported to a raised skull dais tantalizingly just out of sword reach, Shana prepped herself for the phase of combat that had so far kicked her tail on every attempt. The elated cub could feel it, she'd never been in a better position to finish this off!

This second phase was to put it bluntly , a complete and utter bitch. Firstly , Lord Excrucius would summon 'dead zones' at Shana's feet , forcing the small cub to be constantly on the move. This was where her new boots would come into play, they gave her a much needed ten percent speed bonus. Other than that, the Dark Lord would throw orbs of power at his foe and Shana had to use her blade to 'bat' the projectiles back. Once Excrucius had taken enough hits, he would fall to the black marbled floor and be vulnerable to the foxcub's sword. Easier said than done with dead zones constantly spawning beneath her feet..

Following her standard evasive pattern, Shana moved from left to right across the blood spattered floor and back again. She'd learned early on that avoiding damage was more essential than dealing it here. This phase was all about survival and with the bonuses grated by her new boots, the increasingly excited girl cub found it wasn't anywhere near as hard as on other attempts. Dodge left, dodge left , dodge right... bat the projectile back , dodge right , bat the projectile back..... run up , stab, stab, stab, jump back to avoid the shield bash... get some distance... repeat.

Like a mantra in her head, Shana repeated each step as it was needed. it was perfect, utterly flawless. Leaping over and around the floor dead zones, twirling and flipping , sending each orb back to strike the boss head on. Victory..or at least the long awaited phase three, was so close that Shana could almost taste it! However, Excrucius seemed to have other plans as once again, the boss's artificial intelligence pulled a fast one.

As Shana ran up to deal what she hoped would be the final three stabs, Excrucius recovered from his stun so quickly that it gave no time for the eager cub to react. After but a single stab from Shana's blessed rapier, Excrucius straightened up and deliberately shield slammed his foe straight back into a dead zone!

The encounter swiftly reset. Shana gaped up at the now full strength boss with mounting fury. The small cub had been playing games for centuries, she knew when the computer was giving her the fat middle finger. Three stabs, that was the rule! That was how this encounter played out every single time! The only reason to change it up now... was another deliberate cheat to kill her. Coloring up and tearing up, Shana gave vent to her anger with typical gamer's rage.

"Stop cheating you bastard arsehole! If my stupid , retarded fuck of a father hadn't taken my powers you'd be fertilizer by now!!"

Shana didn't have time for this crap! The small cub spent a few seconds stamping her feet and screaming at the uncaring AI at the top of her lungs, but swiftly got control back of her volatile temper. Her own words had given the furious child an idea. Shana hated to do this before she finished her game in legit fashion, but it was now or never and after her rebellious antics the angry girl knew she'd be lucky to see the inside of the holodeck for the rest of this century. The fuming girl cub turned back to her waiting opponent.

"You aren't the only one who can cheat! Computer, activate program hack 'Dieos twelve' , authorization code ' F . U . N.O.O.B' "

There was a moment's silence before a mechanical chime sounded throughout the holodeck. Shana swiftly checked her status page. Yep, every one of her stats had been multiplied by one hundred thousand at least, she'd gained the power of sonic speed and in-combat flight as well as the capability to launch energy spheres. In short, the elated girl had essentially given herself her demi god status back. As if to confirm her newfound power, the computers voice sounded in her ear.

"Cheats activated, mistress Shana. Enjoy your free loot."

With a wicked little grin playing about her foxy muzzle, ears and tail erect and challenging and brimming with confidence , Shana launched what she knew would be her final attempt. Come hell or high water she was finishing this now! Phase one was a massacre of epic proportions, the AI didn't know what had hit it! It took the overpowered cub mere seconds to hammer past Excrucius's feeble defenses and straight into phase two.

Phase two itself was a joke. Ignoring the strategy and mechanics of the fight, Shana simply sauntered up to the dais that Excrucius was vainly flinging energy orbs from, walking straight through the now ineffectual dead zones, levitated herself to his height and with an almighty empowered swing , cleaved the evil lord clean off his pedestal! Excrucius catapulted across the room , smashed clean through a spiked, black marble column and skidded to a halt almost thirty meters away, grinding sparks from his encrusted metal armor and gouging out deep furrows in the hard rock floor.

Shana let out a slightly crazed giggle at the sight of her once proud opponent picking himself up out of the dust and debris. Power... intoxicating power! Even if this was only a game it still felt good. Flying up as high as the domed tower ceiling would allow, Shana prepared for the final strike. This was the much anticipated phase three and the suddenly anxious girl didn't want the boss to pull any more tricks! Master Kaon was had undoubtedly begun his search for her and after first checking Shana's room , the holodeck was the next obvious target for the vengeful adult vulpine.

Lifting her blade in a last salute, Shana gazed down at her helpless prey one final time before plummeting from the sky like a ballistic missile! A silver and orange streak of light, lethal sword raised for the final strike , swooping down from above with a vertical slash that would have cleft solid obsidian in two... and to the foxcub's disbelieving shock, that awesome blow was effortlessly caught and parried by Excrucius's own jagged blade!

"What the f...!"

Shana's exclamation was abruptly cut off, Excrucius seemed to explode with power, the devastating blast wave hurling the small girl back across the marbled arena! Staring with mounting incredularity at the boss's power up, Shana barely got her blade into the ready position before the armored evil was on her! Virtually teleporting on top of her, a downwards cut that would have shattered granite smashed the foxcub from her levitated position sending her hurtling earthward!

Recovering quickly, using her momentum to rebound from the floor, Shana skipped at right angles to her foe, flip bounced from a nearby column and spiraled in up from below with a whistling rising slash. When Excrucius seemed to literally phase out of harm's way at the last second whilst replying with a diagonal blade cut that nearly jarred Shana's own sword out of her hands, the foxcub finally realized what she'd done.

Excrucius used reactive AI. Her father had programmed this joker to ALWAYS provide the cub with a challenge and if that meant compensating for the cheat program Shana had used...

"Shit."

Then there was no more time for words, regrets or other thoughts. Final battle was joined with a blur of steel and a shower of sparks! Explosions of light and sound echoed around the room as the unstoppable force met the immovable object! Flickering colors, ribbons of destructive energy wreaked havoc on the spire's interior , walls crumbled , columns shattered and windows blew out as Shana threw everything she had at Excrucius!

Rebounding from one column to the next , the warring demigods would meet in the center of the arena, weapons clashing with a scream of tortured metal only to have their momentum tear them apart to gain leverage from the next devastated pillar!. Stray blasts of energy , wayward arching blade beams and metaphysical spears began to rip the spire asunder, punching clean through the magical walls and off into the distance to obliterate vast tracts of virtual land!

Phasing back and forth, Shana changed tactics, warping in and out of reality in a multi- angled teleport rush. Phasing behind her foe, slashing downwards, then to the side, blinking in and out of existence in an instant to appear to Excrucius's right with a whickering cross cut. Quickly to the front in a shadow of movement, a forwards thrust accompanying the maneuver, then down from above... up from below.. faster.. and faster still!

Soon the cub was phasing so rapidly it appeared as if six identical armored cubs were raining blow after blow down on Excrucius from all sides! Yet the dark knight didn't move, with his own blade flickering so rapidly it couldn't be seen by mortal eyes, only a splash of black flame sparks marked each flawless three hundred and sixty degree parry and counter!

Shana's blistering assault came to a violent stop as an explosion wave from her nemesis blew the foxcub back against the far wall with enough force to smash her clean through twenty feet of solid black marble and out over the blighted landscape! Recovering with a speed born of pure rage, the wrathfull cub bounced off a chunk of stone by her feet and hurled herself bodily back into the fray!

Meeting again in the center, Shana's blade was a fantastic blur of mirrored steel, faster that the eye could see , jabbing, thrusting , probing for any weakness in her foe's defense and Excrucius countered with empowered swordplay of his own! His life meter was slowly going down, but so was Shana's. Frustration boiled and seethed through the small cub, this was nothing short of ridiculously stupid! It was taking too long, how was she supposed to beat someone like this?!

"Just DIE you piece of shit!!"

Her angry words went unheeded, Excrucius remained standing no matter what Shana threw at him. Knowing her timelimit to discovery was down to mere minutes now, the upset, enraged twelve year old threw caution to the wind! Blowing all her offensive and defensive cooldowns Shana launched a final assault , fueled by rage and desperation she exploded into a temper tantrum of truly epic proportions!

Expending all her remaining energy, Shana launched a gigantic , emerald green particle sphere straight into Excrucius's ugly, leering visage! The massive, resultant explosion vaporized the Spire roof and sent the Evil lord hurtling backwards, bouncing from walls to columns and back again like a deranged metallic pinball. Such was the awesome power and wholescale devastation of the attack that the entire spire warped and twisted around it 'self, holograph emitters struggling to keep up with the outrageous visual demand. Seeing Excrucius was having a little trouble standing, Shana threw herself bodily at her weakened foe! Her sword whistled down to smash into his, time and again without form or finesse, simply trying to beat her enemy into submission!

"I hate you! HATE you! I HATE YOU!!"

No longer able to distinguish the twisted helm of her foe from her own father's face, Shana released all the anger, the fear and grief she'd felt for so long now! Pummeling and pounding , wanting only to see his armored form lying face down in the dirt , the girl cub shrieked and spat a nonsensical stream of curses, her pretty face twisted into a rictus of bloody hatred, lips curled in a savage snarl and eyes flashing with blazing wrath, hammering her sword down against her opponent's over and over and over.... until a hard backhanded slap from Excrucius blasted her head onto one side and sent the child bouncing and tumbling down the steps to crash into a crumpled heap at the bottom.

The encounter reset.

Shaking with the adrenaline aftermath, Shana simply lay where she was. Angry, leaking tears of helpless frustration streamed down her cheeks. How the hell was it possible to beat a boss like that? Excrucius had outfought and outplayed her at every turn and now Shana was out of time... there was no way in hell that she could finish another attempt before someone discovered her. Not to mention her muzzle smarted from where the douchebag had slapped her!

It took another few seconds for that terrifying thought to penetrate the hate induced fog that had settled over the foxcub's mind. The holodeck safety's were on. That slap shouldn't have hurt. Shana's blood froze into liquid ice at the ghastly realization. When she'd hurt her sore butt in the fall earlier, the holodeck safety systems couldn't prevent that as it was caused by a bodily reaction rather than a holographic action. It should have been impossible for a hologram to hurt her by it's own actions.... So ....The only way that slap could have hurt was if.... if....

Slowly , as if in a horrible , awful dream , Shana turned her head to look up at Lord Excrucius. There he stood , looking down at her. There was an all too familiar resigned sigh.... he reached up... took hold of his helmet and pulled it off..... and the small foxcub began to quake as abject terror, fueled by the last few dregs of adrenaline coursing through her system , sank it's frozen talons into her heart.

Gazing down at his child with a weary, sorrowful expression was Shana's father and Master, Lord Kaon.

"Hello....Shana."

Unable to tear her emerald eyes from the impossible visage of her own Father in the boss's armor, Shana could only shudder as Lord Kaon began to walk towards her. This was her Father, it was no hologram. Of this , the trembling child had no doubts. All this time, Kaon had known exactly what his daughter had been planning and had prepared accordingly. Shana had been outfoxed in every possible way and the sickening reality of the disobedient little fox girl's suddenly compromised situation sent a rock to her throat and a brick to her belly..

His voice... so quiet. So controlled. His eyes, his expression, terrifyingly neutral. His posture, relaxed and calm. That miniscule tilt of his head as the big vulpine regarded his child. Shana knew these signs and they scared the living hell out of her.

Shana could deal with her father being angry. His rage hurt, but it was bearable. No, this was something else entirely, something.. different. She could see it in his eyes . Kaon wasn't angry. He wasn't upset or emotional in any way. The truth was far, far worse that that, it was something every child knew instinctively , the one thing no boy or girl ever wants to see in their parent's gaze.

Master Kaon wasn't angry. He was simply... disappointed.

Kaon knew, in intimate detail , every single offence that Shana had committed. Disrespect of his will. Defiance of his explicit commands. Open rebellion. Even things that Shana had thought safely hidden had come to light, like hacking her Father's computer matrix to implement the cheat programs.. And.... she had called him a... a.... fucking retard..... to his face no less... Worst of all, her Father knew that his daughter's temper had fuelled her actions, letting her emotions rule her power was something he would never tolerate and even if her powers had only been simulated, Shana had still used them in anger in an attempt not simply to win.. but to kill......

.... and That was the worst personal offence that Shana could possibly commit.

A massive, crippling tidal wave of guilt , shame and fear sucked the warmth from the trembling cub's small frame with chilling ripples of mounting dread as Kaon drew level with her. The adult fox had his child dead to rights and there was nothing that could be done or said that would change that. Sickened to the point of physical nausea, Shana swiftly dropped her gaze to the dirty floor of the spire, frightened tears dripping freely from her emerald eyes as the adult fox stopped by her cringing form.

Lying on the black marbled floor, unable to look her father in the eye and with bushy orange tail tucked firmly between her legs, little foxy ears flat against her raven hair in true submissive vulpine fashion, Shana tried to speak, to say something... say anything in her defense. Groveling and mumbling into the dirt, the only thing the misery wracked little girl could think to say... was a desperate, hushed begging plea for mercy to a Father whom she was sure was no longer capable of that emotion...

"Daddy.... please... I swear I didn't know it was you...."

Nothing, no response. Kaon gave no sign he had heard his girl. The big fox simply stood there, staring down at his child with a thoughtful expression on his face. The only sign he gave of his feelings was in the instinctive, dominant position of his handsome, dog fox tail. Total obedience, absolute submission, he was demanding it from her without saying a single word and nothing else would suffice. Right now , the adult fox was sizing her up, challenging and testing her , seeing if his rebellious daughter would dare to defy him further.

Shana knew that everything hinged on her attitude. There was no denying her Father was going to come down on her like the proverbial ton of bricks, whether the terrified girl would be able to pick herself up after he was done was another matter. Any lip from her, the merest hint of continued disobedience , even her typical attempts to manipulate or downplay the situation and she'd instantly be whipped back into line as many times as her father deemed necessary.

There was only one way the despondent cub knew to get away with a single spanking for her transgressions and that was to unconditionally accept it was going to happen.. and that it was really , really going to hurt. After a few moments, Kaon seemed satisfied his rebellious cub wasn't going to be difficult and decided a change of scenery was in order. His soft voice did not promote confidence in the miserable fox girl.

"Computer, run program 'Penitence alpha'. Authorization, Kaon-omega forty-two' "

There was a few seconds of electronic humming, then the dark spire halls faded out of existance to be replaced by.. a beach. No longer did Shana feel the rough, hard marble beneath her prone body but rather, soft, warm sands. Her silvery armor had vanished, the small cub was clad once more in her t-shirt and jeans and as a gentle tropical breeze wafted through her orange fur, Shana looked up at her new surrounds.

It was nighttime. Countless bright, beautiful stars and the biggest full moon the small cub had ever seen shone their silvery light upon a gorgeous island paradise. A vast , shimmering blue ocean murmured with the song of the tides whilst from the depths of a jungle rainforest came the beautiful music of exotic night birds. Palm trees lined the white sanded waterfront , fronds waving in the warm air and there was even the faintest scent of spice and deep forest to complete the stunningly beautiful scene. This had been crafted by her Father's paw especially for the two of them... All this time.. he had known.

Kaon took a seat on a large, silken beach blanket and patted the space next to him. Shana complied, moving to plant her tail next to her parent, hugging her knees to her chest and finally summoned up the courage to let her frightened gaze come to rest on his muscular , crimson furred form. Her father simply stared out over the vast , deep blue , his breathing calm and regular.

"I do so love the ocean. I find it's ancient rhythm to be soothing."

Then, Kaon did the most frightening thing Shana had ever seen. The big dog fox lifted his crystal flute from it's hiding place between a fold in the blanket, put it to his lips and began to play... As the sad, haunting melody filled her laid back foxy ears, Shana buried her face against her knees once more, knowing all to well what it meant to hear that music.

To hear the Master's flute was a prelude to terror. Rarely did he play, and only when he needed to keep his raging emotions under check did he resort to his final option, the calming influence and melancholy music of his hand crafted crystalline flute. Those who had heard this sorrowful tune knew of the misery and grief within the Master's heart when he played... and told hushed tales of the torment and humiliation he inflicted soon after.

The Master had played for so many around his palace when his laws or his heart had been broken. Shana knew that even Fern , Kaon's own first mate had heard that music and suffered.... and now the Master played his flute for his eldest child. At length, Kaon paused in his musical efforts and addressed his daughter without so much as a glance in her direction.

"Tell me what you've done wrong, Shana."

That was just like her Father, wanting to know if his cub understood why she would soon be howling in pain.... but was he really going to make her say it? Did he honestly expect Shana to list all her faults back to him when he was intimately acquainted with each and every one of them? It would make little difference, the number and types of the miserable cub's transgressions were so numerous it would take an hour for Shana to reel off all of them. So there was one simple answer that fit her situation perfectly.

".....Everything...."

It was about more than just breaking her Father's rules. The only reason that Shana could bring to mind for the loss of her special place in the Master's heart was that for the longest time she hadn't managed to do anything right. Every one of her actions , all her words had done nothing but drive a massive wedge between child and parent. Shana couldn't stop a a heaving sob of misery bursting from her chest, how could she have been so blind , not to see the damage she was doing to their relationship every time she opened her mouth? So stupid.

Now she was nothing but a disappointment. A failure. An embarrassment and after the Master was done reprimanding her, Shana surmised she would see very little of him in future. He had more important things to deal with than waste his precious time on her. The greatest joy in her life, the love of her father was nothing more than a distant memory. What was worse, Shana had no one else to blame but herself...

Kaon resumed playing his flute, seemingly content with his daughter's answer. The Master noted just how small and sorry his child seemed to be and to his mind it was simply guilt and nervous anticipation of the retribution to come. Little did he know his cub's true feelings, her emotional anguish and mental suffering. The heart of one of his True Loves hung by the merest thread...

After a few more moments of serenading his trembling child with the sweet, sorrowful music of his crystal flute, Kaon stood. Still not directing his gaze to his daughter, preferring instead to stare out over the rolling waves, the Master said the words Shana had been dreading.

"It's time."

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Shana stood to her feet and meekly followed her Father. Keeping her head down and with her own tail firmly tucked against her thigh, Shana couldn't help but take note of the light swing of her Father's handsome, lush dog fox tail. Even now... even though her feelings would only make this harder on both of them... she loved him still.

Step after long, lonely step she followed. Paws kept submissively in front of her, head bowed and shoulders slumped Shana tasted a despair like she had never known. More than the simple fear of coming pain, it was the awful knowledge that this was likely to be the last time she would lay over her father's lap. After he was done beating her, it was likely she would be placed exclusively in her mother's care. It would be the last time to feel his touch , to be in his company. All Shana had left would be to watch on from afar whilst Kaon and Nikki dwelled in paradise together and reflect on what might have been had she not been so worthless. That thought alone was enough to rend the foxcub's heart into ragged shreds.

Kaon led her up a flight of stone steps to a secluded beachhouse. It was crafted from wooden lattice with palm fronds for a roof. Plain and simple, it would serve it's purpose. Shana paused once by the door , knowing that only agony awaited her across the threshold, then summed up what little courage she had left in her tormented soul and stepped after her Father into the spartan interior.

All the beachouse had in the way of furnishings was a bare single mattress on a sturdy steel frame , a sidetable next to that and a comfy armchair a few feet away from the pillow end of the bed. Shana's sharp eyes also made out the ominous, heavy leather restraints attached to both ends of the bed frame..

Master Kaon moved over to the side table, picked up something laying on it then turned to his daughter. Shana could only bury her face in her paws at the terrifying sight of what her Father held. The implement that the big fox held in his strong hands and had chosen to use on his disobedient daughter was the most severe in his disciplinary arsenal, the custom designed heavy blister paddle. Most frighteningly of all, this was a modified design the shuddering girl hadn't seen before...

It was a long, thick sheet of metal alloy, yet not as broad as older models for a far more direct, localized impact zone. Sturdy in construction and sporting numerous small blister holes, it's metal surface was clad in a thin layer of dark, stitched leather and slightly raised areas could be seen on the wide surface as small, irregularly placed studs caused the leather to bulge outwards. The handle was crafted to perfectly fit Kaon's grip and designed to give him increased leverage and control of each crushing stroke.

Shana had only felt it's horrible, sickening bite twice before in her life. The metal core gave it far more direct impact than a regular wooden paddle, building up the ache and burn to intolerable levels almost immediately. The leather cover and concealed studs simulated being lashed by the buckle end of a belt whilst the blister holes allowed the paddle to cut the air with minimal effort to deliver a maximum force blow with the same whipping blast of pain a cane would have and with so many more of those small holes than before, it would be able to raise microblisters in record time..

Despite her despair, Shana recovered quickly, wiping a paw across her eyes to clear her tear blurred vision. No point in fighting anymore , making a scene or even just opening her maw to protest would only result in ever increasing torment. Better to accept the inevitable.

As Kaon sat down on the mattress and made ready, his girl simply followed disciplinary procedure and undressed. Shana's sneakers and socks went first, followed quickly by her faded jeans. After pulling her pink t-shirt up over her muzzle and slipping her panties past her tail and down her shapely legs, leaving her fur naked and shivering despite the tropical warmth, Shana walked slowly to where her Father was seated.

The moment Shana came within reach, Kaon took her by the arm and swiftly pulled his cub over his lap, her only response to the rough treatment was a sharp intake of breath. Shana unsuccessfully fought her mounting anxiety and the trembling in her body as she felt her father secure the restraints around her ankles that would stop her kicking and interrupting his rhythm.

It was obvious that this was going to be no mere paddling and with the horrible reality of the situation sinking in, Shana fought the almost overwhelming urge to beg her Father not to do this to her. Sickening memories of her older encounters with the blister paddle came flooding back and it left the twelve year old almost numb with anticipatory dread of the agony to come.

Once properly positioned, Kaon gave his cub the customary pat to the base of her tail, his order to raise it for him. It was the final insult. After all the calculated, hurtful abuse Shana had suffered, her Father still expected her to submissively and obediently yield to his will and accept she deserved the spanking he was going to give.

Wordlessly, Shana battled her instincts to comply with the command , jerkily lifting her tail away from her pert, orange furred rump leaving her exposed and vulnerable to her Father's wrath. Almost immediately her fuzzy tail was taken in a firm grasp by Kaons free paw and an uncontrollable shudders of gut wrenching terror began to ripple through the small cub as she felt the thick, hard surface of the frightening paddle press up against her sore, tender little bottom as Kaon readied his first stroke.

"One hundred and fifty swats, Shana. This has been a very long time coming."

That was it, then. It would take her Father more than five minutes to deliver a paddling like that. It would be an eternity of anguish for the trembling girl cub. What was the point in protesting the decision, it would make no difference. It was obvious that Kaon only wanted to hear her cry one last time before she was cast aside in favor of her sister... and it was all her fault. That was the constant thought that hurt more than anything. Shana's tears began to fall even before the first blow was struck and this time , there was no stopping them. The happy life she once knew... was over.

Kaon lifted the awful blister paddle up, pointing it's thick length at the ceiling.... then stopped. Shana was crying. He could see it by the way her body trembled, could feel her shaking with grief against his lap. Yet the only sound he could hear was the soft roll of the holographic ocean outside and the whisper of the winds. As any parent knows, a young child only cries so hard yet so silently when they simply can't stop.

The disciplinarian in him said it was nothing but pre spanking jitters , fear of the hideous pain she'd soon be feeling, that Kaon needed to harden his heart and give the defiant child exactly what she deserved, what she'd been promised. The Father in him begged the fox to find out what the hell was really wrong with his precious little girl cub. It was no contest.

Shana couldn't help herself. Leaking rivulets of abject misery steamed down her cheeks. She felt so small, so alone, secured over her Father's lap, awaiting the first pounding swat of that horrible paddle with nothing to look forwards to save for hours of agonizing pain. Dejected and heartbroken , Shana simply rested her heavy head on the mattress and let it's rough fabric drink her tears. So caught up in her own grief was she that it took the child a while to realize that not only had the spanking not begun, she was no longer restrained!

For a long moment, Shana remained still, a clash of warring emotions churning through her belly. It took all the courage she had to turn her head and look back over her shoulder, up at her Fathers face. He was simply looking at her, a mix of concern and curiosity on his features. Slowly, his strong arm curled under her chest and scooped her up, helping her into an upright, kneeling position right next to him. Kaon put an gentle hand beneath his girl's fuzzy chin, lifting her gaze ,keeping his eyes firmly fixed on hers.

"What's wrong, Angel?"

That gentle touch.. his quiet voice. It was what Shana had been longing for , what she'd needed. Yet.. it wasn't enough. Not anymore. It was hopeless... Nikki held her Father's heart now. There was no point in pretending otherwise. Better just to accept their relationship had run its course and not make a scene. All that was likely to do was earn her more licks...

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Let's just do this...please?"

It was a white lie, both to her father.. and to herself. Shana tried to lean forwards, to lay across her Father's lap once more, but his arm stopped her. It wrapped around her chest whilst his other arm encircled her back, he was cuddling her now with all the tender love she remembered and all Shana could to was shake against his chest. Please... Daddy... don't make this harder than it already is...

"Shana... Angel.. please don't lie to me. I know you.. something has upset you deeply, you're miserable to the point of anguish and it's not just about getting a spanking. Now.. what's wrong?"

Shana hung her head, her heart almost torn in half by his tone of voice and the loving touch of his arms around her. I love you. That's what he was telling her without even saying it. Was there still a chance? A way for things to go back to how they used to be? The twelve year old simply didn't know if she believed in her Father anymore.. Creator give her courage.. she had to know the truth even if it ripped her apart. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze.

"Do you still love me?"

Kaon's child would have caused him less pain by throwing a glass of acid into his eyes. He could see it so plainly now, in her face, the uncontrollable tremble of her lower lip, those little ears laid back with grief, her voice so small and scared, those beautiful emerald eyes and the heartbreaking, emotional suffering behind them.

Her actions made such perfect sense now, all those hours spent playing that game , not simply because she enjoyed it, but that it reminded her of happier times spent with her Father... and her recent misbehavior wasn't just a cry for attention, it had been a scream. Shana had lost her light, lost her way , lost her faith in him. The big fox had no one to blame for his child's emotional torment but himself.

Even as a small child Shana had exhibited severe separation anxiety when he had to leave on his duties to the Council. The first time he had been away for merely a couple of weeks and his daughter had been inconsolable. Thinking herself abandoned by her beloved Father , the then six year old had spent fourteen days crying in her room and when he had returned , Shana didn't leave his side for almost a full week.

Even though she was older now, more sensible, knowing he couldn't spend every minute with her, Shana's emotional dependence on her Father had only ever grown more fierce with each passing day. To believe that he was indifferent to her now, that his love for her had vanished like dew in the morning sun, such a thing was the easiest and surest way to rip her gentle heart into ragged shreds and the big vulpine male had done nothing to disabuse her of the notion..

Creator's mercy , but Kaon felt so very guilty right now......It pierced his conscience with a hundred white hot points of light and the adult fox shuddered to think what might have become of their relationship had he listened to his a head a few moments ago rather than his heart. No amount of reasoning could possibly justify treating his child, his daughter , the youngest and most precious of his true Loves in the manner he had.

Yes he still had duties, so much occupied his time that someone usually missed out... for months now it had been his eldest child. Shana had stood by, watching him give love to everyone...save her. How deeply had that hurt.. seeing him romance his other true loves, laugh and play with Nikki... all the while wanting a single kind word, just one loving touch that had never come. Only another reason to believe he no longer cared. How long had she been lost in the darkness of her own misery, thinking herself unloved and unwanted? It was all so clear...

His little angel was falling and all she wanted ... was for Daddy to catch her.

Kaon took a deep breath, leaning in close to his child, closer and closer till his forehead almost touched hers. Mere words were no longer enough. His most sincere eloquence, the most loving, gentle touch would be insufficient to heal the suppurating wound in Shana's heart. Only once had he opened himself to another in the way he would now... only once before had he felt so much desperate, needy love that he could no longer stand by, silent sentinel to the suffering of one of his True loves.

For the first time in the entirety of Shana's one hundred , twenty thousand years of life , Kaon kissed his child , the truest of his loves on her lips, muzzle to muzzle , not simply as his daughter but as his lover. In doing so, he opened a direct conduit to the depths of his heart, letting Shana feel how much she was loved, an overwhelming tsunami of searing emotion , flooding his little cub with a blazing wave of pride, joy and affection, banishing all her dark fears with a single moment of rapturous bliss.

It was a two way door... Whilst Shana shuddered and trembled against his chest with emotion and desire, Kaon was hit with an hideous, wracking shockwave of despair and misery. His little girl... how could he have let this degenerate so badly? She was so needy, so dependent on his love that his seeming indifference to her had been more than enough to shatter her heart into a million jagged shards of icy glass. It also showed him just why she hadn't protested or even seemingly cared when he had moved to blister her. That agony was better than the anguish that mired her sweet heart. So deeply did she long for his touch that Shana would rather feel pain inflicted by her father's beloved paw than nothing at all.

For a seeming eternity the pair of father and daughter embraced, quiet waves of emotion flowing between them. Neither adult nor child had secrets anymore, not from the other. Kaon knew , could feel just how much his baby girl wanted him. Just how deeply Shana desired, had always wanted to share his bed , had needed to be claimed as one of his own and the red hot hurt his stalwart , willfully ignorant rejection of that love had caused her. Shana could sense the deep , fatherly love that Kaon held for her and knew, despite everything he had said and done, that her Master also wanted her heart and body as deeply as she wanted him to claim her.

Shana also knew that without a doubt, there was almost nothing that would ever tempt him to take her to the silken sheets and heated embrace of his bed. Yet, for all that he would allow her to keep the peace of mind, special intimacy and no longer secret pleasure she sometimes found over his lap. It was a final gift to her, a small concession in their relationship. Even if he never actively participated, It would have to do.

There were other things... motives long concealed and mysterious, that Shana had only ever partially understood. The reason why, even now, the cub knew Kaon was still going to put her over his lap. Even after all they had shared, the little vixen would soon feel the paddle's vicious bite.

"I understand, Daddy.. I know why you're going to blister me now.."

There had been a part of her Fathers soul that the fox had done his best to hide from her... it was dark, ugly, but a mere shadow of what it once was. Shana had seen it only from the outside, fragments of memory like an observer reading a newspaper over someone else's shoulder.

It spoke of her Fathers past, when there had been only hunger ,only cruel, perverse desire and soulless, pitiless rage, the torment and lamentation of untold billions. Then... something. An awakening, a realization of the suffering he had caused..

That was the reason, what had driven him to blister her when she was only nine , after she'd nearly killed someone in a blind rage and what had urged him, one month ago, to switch Nikki till the pup could no longer stand after she had willfully bitten Miss Cindy in a fit of temper... and the reason when they had fought on the holodeck and Shana had tried every method at her disposal, not simply to defeat but to hurt, to maim.... to kill her opponent....

For that one moment in both their lives, he'd seen his own reflection in his children..... and it had terrified him.

"I promise, Daddy , I'll never scare you again.."

Truth be told, Shana wanted this. All those times she'd behaved arrogantly or callously towards her Father, the fact she had even for a moment doubted her Father's love, all that had hit her in a rupturing burst of self-imposed guilt. It was a cold feeling, sad, laden with misery that for so long and especially recently, everything the small vixen had done and said had let her Father down, let herself down... as her father has said, this had been a long time coming... For one of the rare times in her life, Shana wanted to be punished for everything she'd done, but there was something else the little girl cub needed more than just that...

"Papa... I know why you're going to spank me now, I know I deserve every swat but can we do without restraints?"

Kaon lifted an eyebrow at the surprising request. The big fox was skeptical, Shana's pain tolerance was one of the highest he'd ever seen, almost as high as his own but he was doubtful his girl cub could withstand the harsh spanking he was going to deliver in a calm, rational way with her backside already as sore as it was. With her father's hesitation an obvious sign of his misgivings, Shana persisted with her desire, he just had to understand!

"Ever since you first put me over your lap you've needed to hold me down. Each time you took a new impliment to me you had to hold my tail , even pin my arm back when it all got too much for me. Slowly though, I was able to accept your discipline no matter how bad it hurt.. because underneath all that pain I knew in my heart you were spanking me because you loved me and wanted me to be a better person.."

His eyes closing, listening quietly to his daughter's passionate speech, Kaon reflected quietly on just what his baby girl was asking of him. If he allowed this then he would need to be so very careful, yet Shana was showing implicit trust in him, her faith was once more unshakeable. Now... she was asking him to trust her in kind. When his eyes opened, Shana was holding the heavy blister paddle, offering it to him.

"The only paddle you still need to hold me down for is this one. I want..... I need you to spank me as hard as you can and just let me endure it by myself.... Please?"

The motives for Shana's request were not quite as clear cut as the small cub had made out. Ever since last nights belting , her pride had been hurting even more than her fuzzy behind. Having Fern need to hold her tail for what should have been a straightforwards spanking had been intensely humiliating for the normally strong willed girl and now, her pride and will demanded nothing less than absolute redemption under the most severe discipline imaginable.

Shana entertained no illusions that this would be anything less than an herculean feat of endurance and submission, yet still her father seemed reluctant to acquiesce to her wish.. Out of options, little Shana resorted to one last tactic. Something so old and powerfull that Kaon would not, could not ignore...

Closing her gorgeous green jade eyes, transferring one paw to the emerald collar at her neck, Shana recited the Invocation of Promise. An ancient, special , perfect phrase known only to those so dear to the Master that he trusted them with the deepest secrets of his heart. Rarely were these words spoken, for they carried great consequence and once uttered, they could not be taken back. Then... the promise she wanted from him...

"... daddy... please.... give me everything you have, the worst you can do... and let me prove how much I love you..."

When the foxcub's misty eyes opened once more, her father was gazing at her with a mixture of surprise, love and just a little trepidation. The vulpine deity had been shocked into mute silence at hearing the invocation come from his child... especially when she was begging him for the most suffering he could inflict on her. Yet now he knew how much Shana desired this, not lightly was the Invocation made.. or taken. Should he agree , Kaon would be bound by a geas older than time , more potent than blood and transcending the very elemental forces of creation. Slowly came the soft question that he needed answered...

"You really wish this, my love? Think carefully before you answer me, once taken.. this promise and it's consequence cannot be undone.."

Her only reply... a small nod of her head and a single solitary tear trickling it's lonely way down one white furred cheek. For a moment, breathless silence, then Kaon leaned forwards, grasping his child with both paws and planting his lips on hers with tender affection and infinite love. A promise.. sealed with a kiss. An infinity passed between father and child, one perfect moment till the adult fox broke contact...

".....Then so be it..."

Kaon took the paddle his daughter had offered him and held it in his paws for a moment. The big fox had always hated this thing, it's weight, its feel and the torment it was capable of inflicting. Yet he had promised Shana a session beneath it's punitive might, the very worst he could do to her absolute physical limit and that was exactly what the disobedient girl would receive. All things considered, it was well deserved.

"Over my lap, Shana."

Hastening to obey her father's snapped order, Shana quickly positioned herself. Lying face down over her Father's lap, her pelvis pressed against the swell of his thigh , not stretching her legs out across the mattress but rather having them dangle parrallel to her Father's, the tips of her toes just touching the rough wood floor. The small cub didn't even wait for the traditional command before willingly raising her tail , exposing her backside to a spanking she knew was going to hurt and hurt badly. Shana wiggled around for a few seconds more, getting as comfortable as she could under the circumstances.

Lying there now, waiting submissively for her spanking to begin, Shana couldn't help but feel happy. Even though this would be an agonizing ordeal, the foxcub had learned her Father's true feelings, she'd seen in such tender, intimate detail the depths of his heart and the power of his love for her. Shana could hear his deep, controlled breathing, could feel the warmth from his thighs , radiating up into her groin and fluttering belly. Felt his big paw tenderly stroke down her back and come to rest at the base of her tail , also feeling the sudden hard press of the heavy blistering paddle on her sore little bottom reminding the nervous girl just what was about to happen.

Quietly watching from behind two moist, emerald eyes, head down ready to yield to her beloved Father's will, his voice soon reached the fox girls waiting ears as Kaon passed judgment on his precious baby daughter for all her disobedience, disrespect and defiance.

"As my eldest daughter, all the other children in my palace look up to you , most envy your privileged position and it is safe to say you are something of a role model for them. What kind of message has your recent attitude been sending? You know how much I hate needing to blister you, but you are twelve years old now , almost thirteen. Such behavior from you is simply not acceptable."

Shana winced slightly at his new tone of voice, gone was the gentle love , the hushed affection. In it's place, only firm direction and unquestionable conviction. The trembling girl cub had a sneaking suspicion that Kaon wasn't merely addressing her as her father but also in his capacity as Master of the Jade Palace.....

"The way you have been acting is unforgivable and deserving of the harshest retribution. Your display of... temper when we fought genuinely concerns me, Shana. What would have happened if say... your little sister Nikki had been the target of such mindless wrath?"

It was a rhetorical question, Shana wasn't expected to answer. Only listen. Master Kaon was so right. Shana knew now how she had truly let her father down and why he was so upset, he had every right to be. The very thought of what he had said... if it had been Nikki... that quiet, confident voice filled the foxcub's drooping little ears and Shana had to blink away new beading drops of moisture from her emerald eyes.

"So, I feel constrained to meet out the most severe discipline I can in response to your deliberate, consistent disregard of my authority. If nothing else, you are old enough to know better."

Fresh, creeping shame nibbled at Shana's heart at the slight bit of disappointment still present in her father's tone. He was so , so very right. That was the truth of the matter, not simply about her behavior but every single aspect of their relationship and her attitude to date. Shana should have known better. Now the young foxcub had put herself and her daddy in a situation neither of them wanted and this really was her fault. Shana had never been more ready to accept the harsh discipline she knew was deserved. All that remained was to find out how bad she was going to cop it...

"Standard forty swats, my beautiful Angel, Increasing in speed and with as much power as I can muster, as you desired and as I promised. Nor will I hold or restrain you in any way so... please..be good for me. Now, are you ready?"

This was it, the moment of truth. Shana knew by the description her father had given that this would be a paddling she'd remember for a long, long time, yet the small cub was determined to endure for the sake of her pride and out of love for her Master. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, preparing herself for the anguish to come , Shana gave the most miniscule nod of her head and just as she uttered the emotional heartfelt words...

... "I love you, daddy"..

...the flat of the paddle disappeared from her backside with a tangible uprush of air and Shana prepped her entire body , steeled her nerves, waiting, bracing for the inevitable impact. Scant seconds later, the paddle slammed home into her bottom with the full power of Kaon's prestigious strength behind it to devastating effect! Shana snapped almost vertical, arching her back as the heavy ,leather clad metal board smashed her pert, rounded little bottom flat with sickening concussive force and the cracking sound of a thunderclap.

Exploding full across both cheeks of her rump, the paddle blow was nothing short of excruciating! With each tiny blister hole sending jabbing knives of sting into her flesh and each small stud packing a deep punch, rippling shockwaves of molten anguish radiated out from ground zero like the heat blast from an atomic bomb! Crushing, electric spasms of pain blasted effortlessly through skin, soft tissue and muscle down to shuddering foxcub's pelvic bone and shooting up into her lower back, multiplied by the tenderness already in the foxcub's pre-welted behind, the resulting agony was extreme. Shana's mouth flopped open and after a second a high pitched, anguish stricken squeal erupted from her maw as tears immediately began to stream from the corners of tightly squeezed eyes.

Instantly, Shana felt her tail want to curl under such an excruciating punitive blow and it was sheer bloody minded force of will that kept the orange fluffed appendage locked over her back and submissive to her Father's discipline. As Kaon pulled the nightmarish impliment back from that initial swat, it left in it's wake a massive, thick crimson welt and a searing incendiary heat along with a pounding, deep seated lingering ache, not to mention a stabbing, pins and needles sensation caused by the many small blister holes. As he had promised, Shana was receiving the hardest swatting Kaon could safely deliver.. and boy, did she know it.

Slumping forwards over her Fathers lap during her few seconds of respite, Shana gasped for air, sobbed for breath. That first swat had been nothing short of horrificaly painful , it had taken so much out of her it was incredible and there was still another thirty nine to come! If her Father had been striking with any kind of speed or quick rhythm, all the prideful intentions and staunch willpower in the galaxy wouldn't have been enough under such a harsh spanking . Yet knowing this, Kaon had opted to give his daughter breathing room between each swat, time enough to prepare and ready herself for the next hammerforce blow.

With an awful sound more like a crunch than a swat, the second blow descended onto Shana's quivering flesh. Shooting forwards as far as the restraining paw on her back would allow as a fresh dose of anguish blossomed beneath her tail like the detonation of a shrapnel grenade, Shana cut loose with an agonized shriek, then started up with a helpless, tormented sobbing. With her backside already so sore from last night's belting, with the power her father was using, there was no way she could keep her tail raised under her own willpower unless she focused all her concentration on it... easier said than done under such severe circumstances... Creator help her but this hurt...

*swat*

*swat*

*swat*

All it took was three more harsh spanks to start the small cub on a hard, baby like bawl. Already, Shana could feel the rounded curve of her bottom welting up so very severely, only to be crushed and compacted by each successive swat then swell just a fraction more in time for her Father's next forceful blow. Never in her life had Shana been spanked this hard , yet the solid, unwavering set of her foxy tail spoke volumes about her willpower and determination in the face of the worst her Father could deliver.

Constantly reminding herself just why Kaon was doing this, the fact that she had brought this on herself by her consistent disobedience, that it was a fair, just consequence to her rebellion, Shana fought back a swelling tide of sickening pain as the severe spanking went on. This was her penitence, her due and both her Father and her pride demanded she see this through to the end for any chance at redemption. Though that didn't change the damning fact that this was the most painful experience of Shana's young life and it was set to get much, much worse.

Ten swats in and Kaon sped up his rhythm. Now with the added torment of speed and the cumulative , ever increasing inferno that came with it , all that Shana could do was grip hard to the mattress and bawl louder with each successive blow. Her toes and fingers flexing and curling as each pounding swat slammed into a backside already a wrathful shade of crimson, shuddering and jerking as that hard paddle mashed flat the swollen round of her buttocks time and again.

Short yelping screams began to rip from her throat to punctuate her bawling wails as the swat count passed fifteen and the anguish increased exponentially with the constant, rhythmic spanking. Scything, white hot agony exploded beneath her cramped tail every time that awful paddle struck home. Shana couldn't differentiate between one kind of pain from the next anymore as her swat count hit twenty, it had all flowed and melded together into a single solid wave of pure excruciation.

"Half way done, Angel..."

Kaon was quite surprised and just a little proud of his daughter's resilience as he continued to administer steady discipline. Shana was calmly accepting what even he had to admit was one of the harshest spankings he'd ever delivered, even if she was crying a fit by now. She was so strong, stronger than even he had thought. Still, they were only twenty swats in and her poor bottom was already darkening to a very nasty shade of purple spotted crimson. Time would tell if her heart and pride could withstand this trial to it's finish.

Shana couldn't even see the rough mattress fabric a few centimeters from her dribbling, black foxy nose anymore. Blinded by tears and agony, the twelve year old vixen cub wailed, shuddered and trembled helplessly beneath the unceasing, searing rain of swats. For a few seconds, the despairing child had thought her tail had to curl, must curl against such awful constant anguish, yet the quite pride and gentle love Shana had heard in her Fathers voice marking out half way had bolstered her quivering heart and flagging spirits.

Twenty five swats in, fifteen left to go and Shana's entire backside took on an awful, off white discoloration to it beneath her swished, mussed orange fur, the dreaded precursor to a major blistering. Kaon decided it was time to finish his daughter's penitence, increasing the speed of the spanking yet again, giving his child exactly what she'd begged for, the hardest spanking he could possibly deliver. Now, the rest of Shana's request... was up to her.

Twenty seven... twenty eight... twenty nine..

Feral vulpine screams echoed through the simulated night as searing, bright points of light flared to life on Shana's bottom as numerous blisters were burned into her skin only to be further punished by each harsh cumulated swat. Blow after blow, Kaon deliberately directed each spank to spread around each set of the new, fluid filled spots of hell, making sure his girl was patterned in searing, stinging blisters from tail base to her thigh tops.

thirty one .... thirty two .... thirty three...

Shana's face had a bright red flush, dark hair hanging raggedly over her tightly clenched eyes. Streams of tears, drool and mucous dripped off the underside of her constantly howling maw, little footpaws pounding against the hard floor and clawed fingers tearing rents in the coarse mattress fabric as the small cub was given her final thrashing. Muscles now completely limp and offering no resistance to the clubbing blows ,her tail felt like it was going to fracture under the strain as the blister paddle pounded mercilessly against her rump for those last few swats..

Howling, bawling, wailing , screaming, spank after spank, tail beginning to shudder uncontrollably, Shana fought, battled every instinct inside her to hold out for the few seconds more.. Until a crushing blow hammered into the underside of her rump just where thigh met buttock, blasting kinetic ripples of unfathomable, white hot excruciation deep into the very tenderest part of the foxcub's feminine anatomy.

With little pause she was struck in the same place, the bruised, battered curl of her bottom offered no protection for that most delicate part of her body and the hideous, upwards driving strike sent it's vicious, javelin like spear of torment straight through that most sensitive flesh. Shana lurched helplessly in the grip of more excruciation than she'd imagined possible, she was being deliberately spanked on her sex and her tail jerked and spasmed violently in the face of such all consuming agony... please... daddy... please.....hurry....

With her maw stretched wide in a soundless scream, all the breath gone from her small frame Shana clung to the last shreds of resolve left inside her. Bright lights, stars and colors flashed before her eyes, as her father finished off this final spanking, a lesson , a statement ...and one that his precious child had expressly asked for. Despite the pain, this... horrible hurt... Shana had always known this was coming and her pride would accept nothing less. She'd prepared herself for this one moment, when her father gave her his all, delivered the worst he could do as she'd made him promise under the invocation and now.... now.... just.. a little longer....

Yet again did that horrible paddle descend. It was another purposeful strike, directed straight against her most fragile feminine area but with more force and power than ever before... and this time there was no stopping it. It bit deep into the crease of Shana's thighs and barely slowed , continuing on with it's ferocity unabated by the feeble muscular resistance offered... to smack a tiny crop of stinging blisters along the very center crease of Shana's delicate feminine flower.......

............pain..................

It would have been beyond anyone's power to fight against suffering of that magnitude and Shana's tail snapped down over her bottom , accompanied by an undulating, screaming howl not merely of physical excruciation but of crippling emotional anguish that she'd held on for so long only to fail with the goal so tantalizingly close she could have tasted it. That harsh, raw primal noise increased in pitch and volume for fifteen, twenty, twenty five seconds till Shana ran out of air and a new , deeper blackness began to creep over the normal dark of her clenched eyes... Then her Father's soothing voice, so full of pride and love reached her tightly laid back little foxy ears..

"That was a full forty, my precious little Angel. Everything I had, just as I promised. You did it..."

Folding her trembling arms and burying her face against them, Shana sucked in a deliberate breath as the realization hit her ,choking for air, gasping and drooling against the mattress , before a second piercing, raspy scream slashed through the quietude of the holographic south sea air. It spoke of sickening personal anguish, nerve tearing pain and yet there was an element of triumph to it , of victory... She'd done it! Survived the worst, harshest single spanking she'd ever had under her own steam. The aching shame that had been gnawing on her pride since last night had completely vanished.... but in it's place...

Completely limp, slumped helplessly over her Father's lap, the little foxcub started up with a breathless, agonized baby bawl. Kaon's expression remained carefully neutral in the face of his daughters anguish, yet both his paws massaged and stroked up and down her back, caress her mussed dark hair in a soothing, gentle rhythm. It was done , his promise fulfilled. In truth, the adult fox was as exhausted as his daughter... and he was content to rest here , cuddling and comforting her for as long as she wished...

Five minutes slowly passed... then ten and Shana's wailing sobs showed no sign of stopping. Not that it was surprising... the brutal, lingering burn and ache would be kicking in full force as her endorphin level slowly dropped and it would be almost as bad as the paddling it 'self once it set in properly. Shana had even moved her tail away from her bottom and off to the side it was so tender and painful.

With a backside settling in to a dark, ugly shade of reddish purple, almost like the colour of a ripe plum and spotted with nearly two dozen white stinging blisters of varying sizes not to mention the damage done to her swollen feminine sex, Shana was going to be a very sore little cub for a good while to come. If Kaon hadn't planned to let his girl have her powers back soon enough, a paddling that harsh would have left her bed ridden for over a week and severely handicapped for some time afterwards.

It took almost half an hour, but gradually , Shana came to terms with the aftermath of her discipline and her bawling died away into hiccupping sobs, her shuddering reduced to the odd tremor as the occasional lance of muscular pain shot through her system.. Now that his child was no longer so consumed by anguish, Kaon decided to ask a prudent question of his little cub.

"How do you feel, Shana?"

Knowing an answer was expected of her, Shana screwed up her face and painfully propped herself up on her arms. Gathering her thoughts and her breath, the foxcub decided a simple answer would best convey her feelings... not to mention conserve her energy. Her voice was, nonetheless hoarse, strained and very small.

"It... hurts..."

The first real smile of the whole affair flickered to life across Kaon's muzzle. It was a hard expression , but not cruel and his voice held no small amount of satisfaction when he replied, although it still had the merest hint of regret laced through the confident tone.

"Good, perhaps in future you will be less quick to defy me.... and please... my beautiful, precious little Angel, never ask me to hurt you like that again..."

That statement... hurt... on so many different levels it was nigh on as painful as another paddle swat. Shana grit her little teeth and turned to look up at her father. She didn't want to be here anymore and longed for the familiar comfort of her own room. Even if she had remained silent, the teary, pleading look in her eyes told the adult dogfox everything he needed to know but the miserable whimper in Shana's voice confirmed the situation for him. He'd finally gotten through to her and despite her personal triumph his girl was a very sorry little cub indeed..

"..... I..... wanna go to my room now... "

Nodding agreement, Kaon carefully stood from his sitting position, lifting his daughter up and over his shoulder. Even though he took great care , Shana's pained yelps and whimpers at the simple change of position told the adult vulpine that his newly designed paddle had done it's work with devastating efficiency. Compressing his lips as his baby girl started up with a fresh bout of heaving sobs, Kaon vowed that he would think twice before needing to employ such extreme methods in the future, even if it was requested of him. The blistering paddle was called his final sanction for a very good reason.

Letting out a deep sigh as he made for the holodeck door, his precious daughter sniveling and bawling helplessly over his shoulder, Kaon came to the firm conclusion that , in this case, such severity was completely justified, though he might have been less harsh on the girl had she not made that damnable request. Still, the killing rage Shana had displayed during their battle was far, far too dangerous to be left unchecked. With luck, he wouldn't need to put Shana over his lap again for months. It would be a welcome break and a chance to concentrate on devoting himself to repairing their fragmented relationship with as much loving, father-daughter time as he could squeeze in. However there was more to do before then.

As the duo of parent and child slowly made their way back to the family quarters, Shana kept her eyes closed. The small girl could hear faint sounds from various palace members, even thinking she heard Nikki's shocked voice at one point, yet the tiny cub was far to busy trying to block out the agonizing , hammering torment from her pulverized backside to take more than a passing notice of anything else.

Each step her father took sent fresh bolts of agony lancing through Shana's abused rear. The slight jarring created by his heavy tread caused a similar level of pain that a standard paddling could cause. Over and over, like the heavy, rhythmic swats of that particular oaken impliment , the shivering girl endured what she soon came to realize was a second, simulated spanking.

Kaon could simply have phased them both straight to Shana's room, yet he had chosen to walk. With only a little thought, her father's reasoning behind this was obvious. Originally Kaon had promised his daughter one hundred and fifty swats, to date she had accepted only forty so that left one hundred and ten unaccounted for... and Kaon always kept his promises...

So Shana sobbed, whimpered and lamented the rest of her earned discipline, bawling against her father's neck as he cuddled her close and took step after hard, determined step. This was a final reminder and statement to his child. Kaon was the Master here and he would tolerate no further contest to his position. In her heart , Shana knew she had challenged and lost to her father on the holodeck and now.. the results were plain for any to see.

Such a spanking would undoubtedly become a Palace 'watercooler moment' for some time to come. It would send a clear message and a warning to everyone who served under Master Kaon's rule, if the Master was willing to inflict such severe discipline on his own beloved child when she openly flaunted his commands , how much more would his wrath descend on those not of his blood should they ever break palace law...

Exactly one hundred and ten steps after the pair had left the holodeck, they simply vanished. Phased away with a snap of ozone... as Kaon had promised. Soon after , Shana found herself gently being laid out on her belly in the familiar surrounds of her own room. Instantly, the shuddering cub burried her face into a silken pillow and continued to cry hard, albeit silently now. Her only comfort against the searing pain was the gentle loving touch of her Father as he sat next to her and massaged the constant cramp out of her tired little tail base. In other circumstances, such a gentle touch from her daddy to one of her vulpine erogenous zones would have made the infatuated girl giddy with bliss, but now it simply served as a sweet, soothing balm to both body and heart...

Kaon watched his child lament her pains for a few minutes more, then decided he had to lift her spirits a little. Although unwilling to simply terminate her still ongoing discipline so casually, the satisfied adult fox determined it had nearly run it's course. It was unbearably hard having to watch his beautiful foxcub suffering such anguish but at least now, the point had been made. A little longer on her belly should suffice to ensure the lesson stuck.

"Tell you what... I'll restore your powers to you in say...an hours time? Then, once you can walk on your own feet, we'll head to the holodeck and try and get Nikki leveled up a bit."

Despite her pain and tears, Shana's face lit up like a sunrise over dark waters, radiant and vibrant. Getting her powers back would end her pain nigh on instantaneously and then being able to play her game with both her daddy and Nikki? That was better than she'd even expected. Kaon sighed happily at the sight of his child's fleeting ear to ear grin, but continued in slightly firmer tones.

"And tomorrow, I'll be taking you for your study period , any slacking or tomfoolery and I'll paddle your tail. Deal?"

Shana nodded enthusiastically. Anything was worth spending all those precious hours with her Dad, even if they were on slightly more formal tones. But for right now... Shana swallowed and gathered her sheets together, stuffed them in her maw and bit down hard.... whilst her beloved Daddy sat next to her, slowly stroking her back...

End..