“Yes but why did he leave her??” Symphony blew her nose and cried in a tissue.

Melody rolled her eyes as the two of them filed out of the holo-theatre along with hundreds of people. Some were sniffling like her sister, but for the most part they weren’t – as they should, in her mind.

“Oh please, it’s just a movie.”

“Yeah but... it’s so cruel. He promised he’d be back to get her and then what? He leaves her there, starving to death in the desert.”

“He was being held prisoner.”

“No good reason.” The purple-haired girl got her sniffles down a notch but still blew her nose as they stepped in a Tube which would take them back to the Academy complex. “Men are all alike, they don’t keep promises.”

Melody giggled. “And what do you know? I don’t remember you ever dating.”

“I’ve seen movies,” protested Symph.

“Yeah but this movie is one century old.”

“So what. Things can’t have changed that much.”

Symphony sulked in her seat as the two-seats transparent pod sped along the Tube, blurring the city around and below. Melody couldn’t but be amused: when she suggested that they went to the movies she’d been kinda glad that only Symphony had accepted her offer; after being days with Harmony, she found it pleasant to spend some time alone with her other sister. She should’ve remembered Symph’s reaction to 20th century tear-jerking movies, though.

“You’re such a sap,” she teased, tickling her belly. Symph doubled over trying to escape her, and a giggle surfaced among the sniffles.

It had been exactly the afternoon Symphony had been waiting for – apart from the crying part. She had missed her sisters more than she would say during their end-of-term mission, and now they were on holiday for a few weeks, this was the best way to relax. And then she wasn’t at all fond at the prospect of leaving Earth for Neptune the following morning.

True, the offer from this Sandro Casillani guy to paint a few canvases for the offices of his Family Health enterprise was stimulating, and more or less what she’d been waiting for... but she wasn’t at all at ease with it. She couldn’t bring herself to think about why or share the details of her discomfort, not even with Melody. Nevertheless, it was all settled, and they would be boarding a large interplanetary transport heading for the outer Solar system in less than 12 hours.

On her behalf, Melody couldn’t wait to get started. Not only she didn’t want her sister to miss such a great opportunity, but visiting the large floating cities in Neptune’s atmosphere, the Great Ice Rifts and the Snowy Sea on the surface was something she wouldn’t miss for all the tea in China.

“I’m just saying they shouldn’t make movies that make you cry, is all.”

“You who chose this one, hey!” Melody reminded her as she opened the door to their quarters, at the Academy.

“Yeah well I’m weird, big news,” Symph admitted as she blushed, her eyes downcast.

Before Melody could reply, a naked Harmony darted towards them, her messy dark-red hair sticking to her sweaty face. “Guess what? The Rosenberg enigma on fractal distribution in non-linear systems! I solved it!”

Melody raised an eyebrow, then turned to Symphony. “And you think you are weird?”

“Oh come on!” Harmony stomped her foot as Symph had a good laugh. “It’s important, I...” She sighed when she saw her sisters weren’t showing the littlest interest. “Hmph, alms to the poor.”

“Yeah, yeah we’re both stupid,” Melody conceded, not wanting to get into another fight. “If anything, are you ready?”

Harmony sighed. “The bags are, yes. Ooh I forgot to tell! While you two take care of little Picasso’s sketches,” she annoyed Symphony by twisting her ear, which elicited a squeal, “I’m gonna have the best fun. I’ve checked the Neptune Network ^TM and found out there’s a lovely marketplace with this store selling old calculators, algebra books of real paper and other antiques. So, bye bye girls, see you at the hotel for dinner,” she winked.

“Whatever floats your boat, Harm,” said Mel, smiling. “But don’t get in trouble, and be back by dusk: those cities may be dangerous at night and...”

“Hello? I’m thirteen, not three.”

“Alright, alright...” Melody rolled her eyes, then turned to Symphony. “You ready, sis?”

The girl sighed and again looked away. “Nope. Dun wanna go.”

“Again?... Oh come on, it’s going to be fun, and good for your career.”

“Sure Symph,” said Harm. “You need to be out in the open, make yourself known.”

“Well I don’t want to,” Symphony mumbled. “And you can’t make me.”

“But I can,” said Melody raising an eyebrow, “so go pack and no more fuss.”

Symphony seemed to ponder her sister’s words for a while; while she could tell Melody was only half serious, she also knew her threats were rarely void of meaning after all. She really didn’t want to go, and would’ve given anything to stay home... but at the thought of the stinging bottom her sister could give her, she took a deep breath, then exhaled and eventually decided it was in her best interest to just co-operate.

“Alright then but I’m gonna be moody all the way there and it’s you girls’ fault for that,” she said as she walked away, sticking her tongue out.

While Harmony did the same, Melody reached over and landed a quick, playful smack on Symphony’s lean bottom. “Get going!” she said, half-smiling.

“Ow! Meanie.” Symphony muttered something under her breath all the way to her room.

“Gonna be a long trip,” Harmony shrugged. “Sure you can handle her?”

“Oh, it’s going to be alright. It’s too important for her to miss. She’ll be there and talk with this Casillani guy, whatever it takes.”

The next afternoon found the sisters aboard a commercial space cruiser. The mellow sound of a classical piano piece by Frederic Chopin drifted over a set of small speakers. Melody watched the stars through the window in the small suite she shared with her sisters. She would never get tired of looking out at the vastness of space. Her explorer instinct was drawn to the question of what was out there beyond the stars. Someday, Melody knew, she would be exploring those stars and the planets that orbited them.

Melody’s attention was drawn away from the dark vista by Symphony coming in from the small bedroom the three were sharing. She was still wearing her nightgown after a nap and hadn’t bothered to comb her purple hair. She was pouting heavily.

Before Symphony could so much as say ‘good afternoon’, Harmony leapt to her feet from where she’d been lounging on the couch, idly performing calculations on a datapad. Affectionately she tweaked Symphony’s nose.

“Don’t be so glum, sis,” Harmony said cheerfully.

Symphony frowned. “I’m not feeling good. I’m going back to bed.” She turned around without waiting for a response and went back into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her. Harmony and Melody looked at each other. Harmony shrugged and flopped back down on the couch.

“Typical moody artist,” Harm commented.

Melody frowned as she sat on the couch next to her sister. “I’m not so sure Harm,” she replied quietly, “I think something is really bugging her about this.”

Harmony rolled her eyes. “What the hell could be bothering her? This is a chance of a life time.”

“I don’t know. But until we find out, let’s not harp on the subject. No need to make her more upset.”

“Sure,” replied Harmony.

“And watch your language,” Melody added a moment later. “I don’t want to have this trip marred with a spanking.”

Harmony smirked as she turned her attention back to her datapad. “Whatever you say, sister dear.”

Melody sighed and allowed the music to relax her.

Two hours after dinner, which Symphony had eaten while in bed, the captain announced that they would be landing in twenty minutes. Melody and Harmony were busy making sure that their stuff was all packed up. Melody, being the naturally neater of the two, was finished first. While Harmony continued stuffing clothing into her bags, Mel started for the bedroom.

Harm has been going about the suite nude as usual, how did she manage to unpack so many clothes? Melody wondered idly as she quietly entered the small room.

Symphony was a girl-shaped lump lying on her tummy beneath the sheet, only a lock of purple hair escaping.

“Symph,” said Melody quietly. There was no response. “Symph, we’re almost there.” Still, Symphony did not move.

Melody sat on the bed and shook her sister’s shoulder gently. “Come on, Symph, quit pouting. It’s time to get out of bed. We’ll be landing soon and we’ve got to check into the hotel.

“I’m not pouting,” came the muffled reply.

The military mind of Melody knew when words were useless and action needed. She swatted her sister’s rump mildly. Symphony quickly flipped onto her back and pulled the covers down from her face showing that the girl was indeed still pouting.

“What was that for?” she whined.

“Wake up call,” replied Melody. “We’re landing soon. You ready to go?”

Symphony shrugged.

“All your stuff is packed?” Melody restated the question.

Symphony nodded a little.

Melody sighed.

By the time the space faring craft had landed the three girls were dressed, some more neatly than others, had their overnight bags slung across their backs, and were staring in excitement at the largest cloud city of Neptune. The excitement quickly passed for Symphony, however. Instead it was replaced with a faint feeling of dread.

Melody began to lead them to the transportation tube which would take them to the Academy run hotel where the rest of their luggage would be waiting for them.

Symphony didn’t want to be on this strange planet in this strange city. She didn’t want to do what she knew Mr. Casillani was going to ask her to do. But Melody was already leading the way. Symphony tried not to think about it. About the memories that this trip had invoked and the sadness that followed.

“Hey Symph!” Harmony shouted. “Whatcha waitin’ for? Let’s go!”

Symphony realized that she had fallen behind, caught as she was in her thoughts. She shook herself and hurried to join her sisters.

~*~

The hotel was a vast, lance-shaped building with a 360° view on Neptune’s crystalline grey sky. From their three-room suite, the Nocturnes could see the large city immersed in the distant Sun’s algid light, and people walking under the transparent dome protecting them from the planet’s nasty atmosphere. They’d spent the morning getting acquainted with the hotel (and its extensive recreational facilities...) before Harmony had taken off for the Kudara Market where she would find her math antiques. Only an hour separated Symphony from her appointment, and Melody walked in her part of the suite to make sure she was ready...

... but she wouldn’t have expected to see a bag half-filled with clothes on her bed. Still, there it was, and her sister, again dressed in her night-gown, was stuffing as many things as possible into it.

“Hey. Are you...” she said; Symphony bit her lower lip and let out a sigh. “... ready? Looks like you are. Ready to leave, that is. Where do you think you are going, Symphony Maria Nocturne?”

“Look, I’ve had enough of this place,” said Symph in a small voice as she packed a purple top.

“You didn’t even get started...”

“And I don’t want to. Mel, you don’t know what it means to me to be here.”

Melody was puzzled now. She sat on the bed, grabbed her sister’s elbow and pulled her to sit at her side. “Then tell me. I think it’s a great opportunity.”

There was so much more to it than just that, but how could Symphony ever explain that? She felt her stomach tie in tight knots and tears well up in her eyes, and part of her was screaming to just spill it all out... but she couldn’t bring herself to. It was just too weird, sad and embarrassing. The thought itself made her want to cry and she twisted the bed sheets in her hands.

“Hey Symph, don’t be so nervous... you can tell me. Harm and I will help whatever it is, but you need to stay and face it.”

“I don’t want to,” was the girl’s meek, pouted reply.

At that point, Melody understood what was needed to shock her sister awake; it had worked on the starship – not to mention countless times before – so why not now. With a quick snap of her wrist, she grabbed Symphony’s arm and draped her across her lap. Symph was too surprised to do or say anything, but an involuntary gasp escaped her lips when she felt her night-gown raised up to mid-back and her underwear lowered to mid-thigh.

“Nooo...” she squeaked softly.

“I’m just holding you here, Symph. I won’t spank you,” Melody said in a soothing voice, “not if you tell me what’s wrong and promise you’ll stay.”

She ran a hand over her sister’s quivering bum cheeks softly, giving them small pats from time to time as she waited. With the other hand she rubbed Symphony’s back until she felt her breathing slow down. And indeed, the purple-haired Nocturne was relaxing; she had forgotten how being over someone’s lap could be peaceful and safe instead of just something to dread. After a few minutes, she closed her eyes and breathed slowly, but still, talking wasn’t something she looked forward to.

“I... Mel, I don’t... you know... please, just let it goooowww! Ouch!” A solid spank had impacted her right cheek, now stinging.

“You were saying? I’m listening.” Melody said as she placed her hand on Symph’s left cheek.

“Mel, no, it hurts too much...” Whack!, went another swat. “Ouch! Not the spanks... yeah well those too... I mean... I don’t want to talk about it and please, just please, let me go back to Earth...”

Melody shook her head and took a deep breath. This girl needs to let go, she decided, and she applied a dozen crisp smacks to her rosy cheeks. Symphony couldn’t but writhe some, and felt so vulnerable and exposed and misunderstood. Anger rushed over her because she was feeling sad and was being spanked on top of it, so she ignored Melody’s renewed question... which earned her another flurry of moderate spanks to a backside which was definitely stinging by now.

“No-no-no-no Mel c’mon... oww,” she whined pitifully as she started to cry. She reached back, wanting to rub, but Melody pinned her wrist out of the way.

“Symphony, honey... I can go on all afternoon. You know I can spank you, and hard. Just tell me what’s troubling you and I won’t do this.”

She landed a harder one to get her point across, and that had Symphony really cry out. Her tears started flowing freely, but only partly from the sting. They were coming from a much deeper place, and she almost didn’t realise when she started to speak.

“It’s just that this guy wants paintings of family stuff, you know like couples with babies and fathers and mothers and daughters and I don’t want to, it’s not fair, he thinks I can do them just ‘cause he saw that picture of our family I did but that was the only one and I don’t wanna do them ever again ‘cause mum and dad are GONE and I don’t want to have to remember them...”

And after that words failed her and there was only one long, long cry. Melody had rested her hand on Symph’s pink bottom the whole time, but had now withdrawn and was on the verge of tears, herself. She gathered her weeping sister in her arms and hugged her, kissing her forehead.

“I’m sorry Symph... so sorry... why didn’t you just say?”

“It... it m-makes me look like a wimp...” she whimpered.

“Oh no it doesn’t... I feel the same... I mean, I don’t want to have to remember them either, it’s very hard to keep going with that memory.”

Symphony nodded and dried her tears with her sleeve, then tapped her chest. “It hurts. All that I paint comes from what I feel and I don’t want to feel that.”

“I understand, but, why don’t you think of it as a chance to free yourself of some hurt? I mean, Harmony and I don’t have this chance, but you do. You can pour your sad thoughts in what you paint and perhaps that’s a good thing... don’t you think?” It was the first time in months they were talking of their parents, and Melody hoped that her heartfelt speech would be useful to her sister.

And Symph did indeed feel reassured. She just hadn’t thought of it that way, and was glad for the insight. Not that it was making her stay any more, let alone meeting this Casillani guy... but she felt some more vigour in her and she was thankful to Melody for that.

“Alright,” she mumbled as she dried off the last of her tears, while a hand gently kneaded her still slightly sore bottom. “But only if you walk me there,” she offered.

A smile curved Melody’s lips and she kissed her sister’s cheek. “Sounds like a deal.”

~*~

“I think I’ve changed my mind.” Symphony sniffled and rubbed her bottom absently as Melody walked her through the streets of Downtown Poseidon City. The residence of Mr. Casillani was only a few blocks away so there was no need to take the high-speed transportation tubes. Symphony sniffled again.

Melody shot the petulant Nocturne a stern look. Now she knew what had been bothering her most sensitive of sisters, and of course she deeply sympathized. But that was still no excuse for ruining such a great opportunity. “If you don’t shape up Symph, you’re gonna get another spanking,” Melody said quietly.

Symphony looked hopefully at Melody. “Does that mean you’ll take me back to the hotel?”

Melody’s sharp look turned into a glare.

“Okay, okay,” Symphony hurried her step. “I just... I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it.”

“That’s fine Symph, but this is what you do. You’ll regret it if you don’t at least hear what Mr. Casillani has to say,” Melody remind her.

“You’re right. I know you’re right.”

The two girls entered the building that was the city residence of Mr. Sandro Casillani as well as housing the offices of his Family Health business. A young man was sitting behind a desk in the lobby and he looked up as they came in. Nice-looking and with wavy hazel hair, he was perhaps not even twenty.

“Good morning, ladies,” he said as he smiled. “What can I do for you?”

The two of them stood there for a moment before Melody nudged Symphony.

“Uh... I have an appointment,” Symphony said.

The young man nodded. “With who?”

“Sandro Casillani.”

He raised an eyebrow in what seemed to Melody to be a condescending manner. “Oh really?”

“Yes,” said Melody firmly, “really.” The glare she gave the receptionist caused him to swallow nervously.

“And... uh, what’s your name please?”

“Symphony Nocturne.”

He turned his attention to the monitor in front of him and tapped at his keyboard. A moment later he looked up at them. “Mr. Casillani is waiting for you Miss Nocturne. Level 35.”

“Thank you,” Symphony smiled at the young man causing him to smile back. As Symphony turned to the elevators Melody glared at the receptionist. Turning his smile into a wide eyed nervous look.

The girls rode the elevator in silence. Once at the indicated door they walked down a long hallway and followed it as it made a right turn. Once in sight of the door, Melody stopped.

“This is where I leave you Symphony.”

Symphony turned to her sister with frightened eyes. “Come with me, Mel. Please?”

Melody shook her head. “No Symph, this is something you gotta do on your own.”

“I don’t think...” Symphony started, but Melody turned her purple haired sister towards the door and gave her a hefty swat to get her moving.

“Oh!” Symphony gasped as she took several steps in the right direction. She looked back for her sister but Melody was gone. Taking a deep breath and wiping her hands on her pants, Symphony walked the rest of the way to the door and knocked.

Melody peeked around the corner when she heard Symphony knock. She smiled as the door was opened and Symphony disappeared on the other side.

Leaving the building, Melody threw the receptionist one final glare before making her way back to the hotel. The day was starting off good. Symphony would paint Sandro Casillani an incredible piece, Melody was certain of that. Now, so long as Harmony didn’t get into any trouble during her little shopping foray, the day would be perfect.

Meanwhile, Symphony entered the opulent sitting quarters of Mr. Casillani. The tall, dark skinned man smiled at her showing off his very white teeth. “Miss Nocturne, it’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful young lady as yourself.” He held out his hand and Symphony took it timidly. Mr. Casillani kissed the back of her hand lightly.

Symphony blushed.

“A predictable move perhaps, but one I’m fond of.” He gestured Symphony towards one of the chairs. “So, let us discuss what sort of painting I want you to do for me.”

“A family portrait,” said Symphony, the words coming out raucous as she gritted her teeth.

Sandro nodded. “Precisely...”

~*~

The Kudara Market had to be the weirdest place Harmony had ever seen. People of all ages, breeds and colours wandered about in every direction, checking out the many stands built overnight by sleepy-looking sellers who would dismantle them at dusk, only to return the following morning. Goods of every kind was on display, but it was a regular shop that the dark red-haired Nocturne girl was looking for – or so she had been told.

Again she checked her notes on the mini-computer tied to her wrist: “Drowning by Numbers”: 27, Kudara Marketplace, Poseidon City, Neptune. The irony of yet another water reference didn’t strike her at the moment, busy as she was checking out the banners and signs dangling off rungs or engraved in the rusty walls and glimmering in neon lights. The planet’s Trident-shaped symbol was shown pretty much everywhere.

She was almost starting to regret coming all the way to Neptune just to check out an antiquary supposedly specialising in math-related memorabilia, when she spotted it: the insignia was half-dishevelled, but it was there, and it did read Drowning by Numbers. Smiling, Harmony walked in that direction, making her way across the noisy, swarming and occasionally smelly crowd.

Soon she was in sight of the shop’s front door, and beyond a glass, for everyone to see, was an original, wood-and-steel Pascal’s machine, the first real mechanical calculator ever built. Her eyes shone with delight and she reached for the door... when she was almost knocked over by someone.

“Hey, watch it!” she said as she steadied herself somehow.

“You watch it,” came the grumbled reply.

Harmony cocked her head up to see who it was but the person had moved away already. It was a girl, her hair of a dark, corvine black with a few green straws. Of strong build, she wore a worn dark blue suit and a black ankle-length coat. Harmony kept looking at her until she walked past a corner; she noticed her black sunglasses and the slightly tanned skin. But what caught her eye was her face outline: she might have looked like one of her sisters... hadn’t it been for the hair... the sunglasses... the clothing... the stronger build... the plumper face... definitely not one of her sisters.

She saw the stranger turn her head towards her for just a moment – her eyes surely tearing into hers from behind the glasses – before disappearing past the corner. Harmony dwelled on it for just a second, then that terrific Pascal’s machine distracted her again and she finally entered the shop.

~*~

Melody sat at the table in the hotel suite she shared with her sisters working on a Literary Classics essay that had been assigned to her for the break. She was about to start on her conclusion to the piece when Harmony burst in. Melody looked up and nodded to her sister then turned back to the datapad.

“How was the bazaar?”

“Good,” replied Harm, “I got some really great stuff. Professor Hart is gonna flip when she sees it. Well, not really, she’ll probably smile and by her standards that’s showing a lot.”

Harmony sat on the edge of a chair and looked out at the stunning panoramic view.

Symphony looked up at the silence and gave her sister a worried look. “You all right, Harm?”

“Huh?”

“Well, my non response when you expound the virtue of numbers has never stopped you from telling me before. And you’re still dressed. Something bothering you?”

Harmony shrugged. “Well, I’m not sure. You haven’t taken to wearing long coats and sunglasses, have you?” Melody raised an eyebrow. “No, I thought not. I saw someone who looked kinda like one of us. It sorta threw me off, ya know?”

“Some one who looked like us. You sure?”

Harmony shook her head. “No. But at the time I could have sworn she had the same face. But it definitely wasn’t you or Symph ‘cause she had black hair.” Harmony took a deep breath. “Anyway, I’m just being silly. What are you working on?”

Melody was about to answer when Symphony came in looking more like her usual self.

“How’d it go, Symph?” Melody asked.

She beamed. “Dave asked me to go to dinner with him tonight.”

Melody and Harmony exchanged a look.

“Who’s Dave?” asked Harmony.

“The boy who works at the front desk of Mr. Casillani’s building. He’s really cute.”

Melody frowned. “He’d have to be.”

Symphony looked perplexed, but Harm swatted Melody’s shoulder and grinned at Symph. “Way to go, sis! Where are you guys going?”

“Oh, I’m not going,” Symphony said as though the idea were ludicrous. “I’ve got work to do.”

“Thank goodness,” muttered Melody. Before Harmony could swat at her again, Mel stood up. “So you’re going to do the painting?”

Symphony nodded. “Yeah. And Mr. Casillani said that if the first one turns out as good as he expects, he’ll commission more.”

“That’s great news, sis,” said Harmony pinching Symphony’s cheek playfully. “And to think, you didn’t even want to come.”

Symphony batted Harmony’s hand away and smiled. “Well, with the proper motivation...” she blushed and looked at Melody.

Melody stretched then and ran a hand through her hair. “Well, now that you two are back and safe, I’m going to go take a shower. I didn’t get to this morning because someone took so long...” she looked at Harmony meaningfully before heading to the bathroom.

“What?” Harmony frowned as Mel closed the door. “I like to be clean.”

As if to show the world that she actually was, she started removing her clothes. Symphony could not help but giggle even though it was an usual sight.

“So it was okay in the end?” Harmony asked casually.

“Not on this end,” Symphony sighed as she ran a hand over her backside.

“Uh-oh,” Harm bit her lower lip. “Got a warm bottom, sis? Why?”

“‘Cause I didn’t wanna go.”

Harmony smiled and ruffled Symph’s hair affectionately. “Then you deserved it, since you ended up going and now you’ve got a paid assignment.”

Despite the embarrassment of being told she deserved it, Symphony nodded. She knew it was true. “Yeah but still... oh well. I hate being spanked.”

Harmony rolled her eyes. “Duh, and Mel may be a goody-two-shoes,” she lowered her voice even though her sister was in the shower, “but she loves us and wants our good, ya know.”

It was Symphony’s turn to say: “Duh!” and the sisters playfully pushed each other.

It wasn’t uncommon for them to get into fights, and on more than one occasion Melody had to settle them down before they came to fists – and she tended to do so with her open hand on their bare bottoms. But all in all, the two Nocturnes got along with each other, and with their sister.

“So what’s this close encounter of yours that Mel was mumbling about?” Symphony asked. She curled up on the couch, snuggling up close to her now nude sister.

Harmony let out a sigh. “Weird-o-rama, very very weird. There was this girl and she was kinda similar to us, but not really. Black clothes and sunglasses... eww.”

“What’s wrong with black clothes?” Symph giggled as she helped herself to a granola bar. “I like the colour.”

“Not surprising.” Harmony snatched the bar and took a bite. “Still, it was weird. I’m worried.”

“Oh come on,” Symphony took the candy back. “Let’s try to have a fun holiday now, alright?...”

“Alright...”

“... well, I need to work on my painting, but you and Mel can relax and go see things and be together and stuff.” Her face suddenly darkened. “As long as you don’t leave me alone too much.”

Harmony rolled her eyes before taking the granola bar from Symph again. Soon they were wrestling over the candy, laughing and playfully hitting each other. From the bathroom door, wrapped in a towel and unseen by her sisters, Melody couldn’t but smile at their luck: how many girls would resist such a tragic loss as their parents’ accident and still make a family? Not many, she knew that.

~*~

It was a week and a half later. Symphony had created a masterpiece in a night of inspiration. Mr. Casillani had loved it and asked for three more in the next three months. Symphony was ecstatic. The rest of the vacation had gone well with nothing but a few swats to mark any acts of naughtiness. Once the piece was completed, the girls took a tour of Great Ice Rifts and the Snowy Sea. Finally, the girls were headed back to Earth to prepare for the next semester.

Melody lay sleepily in bed staring at the ceiling thinking about Symphony’s portrait. It had been of a mother playing with her daughter. The little girl was quite young and had black hair and dark eyes with skin the colour of dark chocolate. The girl looked so very happy. It was a beautiful painting and would go well with Mr. Casillani’s business. But that meant little to Melody. She was happier with Symphony’s success and with her ability to come to get past the tragedy their family had endured.

Finally Melody sat up and left the bedroom aboard the craft that was returning them to Earth. To her surprise she was the last one up.

Walking into the sitting room she found Symphony doodling on a sketch pad and Harmony playing with one of her newly acquired antique calculators.

“Morning girls,” she said.

“Morning sleepy head,” Harmony shot back. Symphony made a sad little sound.

“What’s with you Symph?” asked Melody.

Symphony shrugged. “You’ll laugh.”

“No I won’t,” replied Melody gently.

“I might,” Harmony said quietly.

Symphony stuck her tongue out at Harmony and Melody shot the math wiz a frown.

“Come on Symph,” encouraged Melody as she sat next to her, “What’s up?”

Symphony sighed. “I... I don’t want to go back.”

Harmony burst into laughter and Melody found herself trying not to laugh herself. “Are you serious?”

Symphony threw a pillow at Harmony inciting a small spate that Melody found herself stepping between before serious harm could be done. She was just about to threaten spankings when there was a knock at the door. The three girls all turned their heads to look.

“I wonder who that could be,” Symphony mused.

“Harm, put on a robe or something,” Melody ordered. “I’ll answer the door.”

Harmony disappeared into the bedroom and emerged a moment later with her bathrobe on.

The knock came again, more insistent this time. Melody felt her military instincts taking hold at the nature of that knock. She made herself ready to act and gestured her sisters to back away from the door. They looked at her oddly before complying.

Melody opened the door ready to fight. She was confronted with something that shocked her so bad that her training was forgotten and she could have been defeated with a shove.

It was a girl. A girl probably about thirteen years old with jet black hair held back with a pair of expensive looking sunglasses. The girl was dressed in black clothes underneath a black full length coat. Her features were at match for every other girl in the room.

“Hiya, Melody Angel Nocturne. I’m your sister.”

– The End –

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

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

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

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