Diamond lounged in a deep chair in his living room, one leg lazily thrown over its arm, with his long muzzle resting on his knuckles. His brother, Spot, sat across from him in on another, while their sister, Jewel, sprawled on a leather couch between them. Her fluffy socked feet were thrown up on one side of the leather furniture as she poured over one of her manga comics.

            The t.v. buzzed away in the hazy background, but Diamond’s mind was already on autopilot, to the point where he wasn’t even sure what the programme was anymore. All of them, with the possible exception of Jewel with her comic, were bored witless. At 18, there was very little for them to do around the house. The front door swinging open barely stirred Diamond’s sluggish thoughts, just enough for him to glance towards it as their father, Pongo, walked into the front room.

            “Right!” he called, clapping his hands together to a businesslike way. The sound was loud enough to make all three of his children jerk away and Pongo beamed at their startled expressions.

            “It’s time” he continued excitedly, “To see just how good my kids are at popping balloons! It’s already past time to see if you guys have the spirit of true looners in you”.

            Spot and Jewel exchanged an excited glance, both of them shifting in their seats to sit up straighter, while Diamond smirked; now this sounded like fun. They’d already had their fill of boredom for the day and their father seemed just as excited as his children to unveil whatever he had planned. Their sister even closed her manga and set it aside, which was a rare sight.

            “I’ve been preparing for this day for a while” Pongo grinned broadly, “And I just can’t wait to show you guys what I prepared for you”.

            He excitedly waved for them to follow him and strode across the living room to a narrow door set into one wall, secreted beneath the stairs. Spot and Jewel bolted to their feet, eager to follow, while Diamond slid languidly from his own chair to pad after them. Pongo opened the door and led the way down a steep staircase into the darkness of their basement, with his three children close behind.

            “Wait here” he told them as they neared the bottom of the stairs and Diamond strained his senses in the inky blackness.

He picked up the soft rustle of what could only be balloons as his father brushed his way through them and then the solid click of the light switch as it was flicked on. The basement’s bulb flickered into life overhead, illuminating the large, sparsely furnished room.

A couch was pressed against one wall, with another two chairs flanking it, set on a thick, blue carpet. These weren’t out of the ordinary, but they weren’t what the teenager’s spotted first anyway. The entire basement was filled to the brim with balloons, the light shining across the surfaces of a multitude of different colours in dozens of sizes and shapes.

The three children gasped, giggled and laughed excitedly at the sight of them arranged before them, eyes shining at the prospect of what they were about to get stuck into. They were all smiling from ear to ear at the surprise their father had prepared for them.

 “It wasn’t easy to get them all” Pongo told them from his place to one side, “Or keep them hidden down here until today. You wouldn’t believe how long it took to blow them all up. I’m sure all the effort was worth it though. I want to see if my kids have the spirit of true poppers in them and this seemed like the best way to do it”. He gestured towards the balloons, smiling just as brightly as his children.

“Don’t be shy!” he told them, “Dive right in!”

They wasted no time racing down the last of the steps and into the sea of balloons. The first few burst with a series of sharp snaps under their feet, before an explosive, ear piercing boom rang out as Spot jumped on a larger orb. The small twenty four inch stood no chance under his full weight and split the air with the sound of its destruction, blasting back all other balloons surrounding it. Jewel pounced into their midst, sweeping her long legs through them with the soft rustle of taut latex spheres bobbing against each other.

Her excited smile turned into a malicious grin as she brought her own foot sweeping down on a larger, thirty six inch balloon. Her bare foot thumped into its surface and indented its thick, purple skin deeply, making its neck lengthen to one side for a split second. When it didn’t explode, she smoothly hooked her foot under it and flicked the sphere into the air. It reached its apex, twisting and turning in the air before her for a long second, but as it began its descent, Jewel brought her hands clamping in on either side of its bulbous body.

The balloon squealed as she dug her fingers into it hard, dragging them across its sleek, curved surface roughly. Then, arms trembling with the pressure, Jewel held the balloon out in front of her, angled her claws to dimple its skin and dug them deep. It squealed softly, but only for a second. The balloon exploded with a huge bang, making her yelp and leap backwards with a fanged smirk of surprise. Her expression only lasted as long as the balloon’s final squeal had, though, before she jumped on the next toy in line.

Spot rampaged through more to one side, stomping bodily on any that got in his way, filling the basement with the varied sound of balloons being destroyed, the thundering booms of larger orbs almost enough to drown  out the snap and crack of smaller ones. Jewel spared him a glance before turning her green eyes back to the other targets gathered around her feet.

Diamond, meanwhile, grabbed a balloon of his own; a deep maroon, light bulb shaped toy and hugged it close to his broad chest. Its neck bulged downwards with a tight creak and the Dalmatian squeezed his arms around its body hard, making it distort in his merciless grip. He spread his fingers across its skin and dragged his claws across the latex with a screech of protest from the material, their tips leaving brief furrows in their wake. Laughing at the sound, he jabbed one of his claws into its taut surface and his laugh turned into a squeak as it popped in his grip, showering him with latex shreds.

Plucking a piece of popped balloon out of his fur, he tossed it aside and then viciously stomped on another, much smaller one. The yellow latex bulged under the sudden pressure but didn’t pop, instead simply bouncing his foot back into the air. The canine snatched it up off the floor in one hand and squeezed it in his grip, grimacing in preparation for its explosion as his fingers sank into its skin, distending its body with a loud, lengthy squeak. He growled, muscles already aching from the minimal effort, but it still held strong even under his claws.

Diamond opened his fingers and brought his other hand clapping in on it from the other side with a hollow ‘thud!’ Growling playfully, his whip thin tail wagging behind him excitedly, he mauled it between his fingers, prodding and poking with his fingers until he found a weak spot in the latex. One of his claws sliced through the material and the balloon disappeared between his hands with a pathetic snap.

Standing to one side, apart from their activities, Pongo watched them all with a critical eye, pride blossoming as he watched his children at work. He focused first on Spot as his son plucked up a large, orange balloon off the carpet, its gleaming skin already stretched tight around the air within its body. The teenage Dalmatian deftly twisted it in his grip until its neck was pointing up towards his chiselled muzzle and closed his arms around it, interlocking his hands securely behind its bulbous body. Its neck bulged upwards, elongating and thickening as his muscles bulged, making it grow visibly hard against his muscled chest.

Without hesitating, Spot viciously snapped at its neck, his jaws snapping shut on the vinyl with a loud, wet squeal. His fangs indented its surface for a long second as he drove them deep, muzzle scrunching up with the force of his bite. Growling loudly, he jerked his head hard to one side, bursting the balloon with ease, spraying shards of latex in every direction.

Hooking a foot under another balloon just as large as the first, this one luminous pink, he bopped it nimbly into the air and swiped at it with his claws. They raked across its sleek, curved surface, sending the sphere spiralling to one side. It had just bumped against another latex orb resting on the ground when Spot threw himself onto it. Balloons billowed around him as he landed on his chosen target with a tortured squeal, pinning it firmly against the floor. Its neck snapped taut, bobbing and creaking ominously as Spot shifted his weight over it, settling his rump over its body.

Planting his hands on its neck for balance and leaning over it, Spot quickly worked up a hard, solid rhythm on it, making it pulse and throb under his considerable weight. Bouncing on it, he let his tongue loll as he bounced up and down, ears flopping with his motions. It came as no surprise when the balloon exploded under his focused attention with a colossal bang.

Pongo smirked at the show; Spot was ferocious in his treatment of the balloons, using his considerable strength and added weight to his advantage. He held nothing back, showed no qualms about using everything at his disposal to destroy them in any way him could and seeing him in action was impressive, even for a seasoned popper like Pongo. Next, he turned his attention to his daughter, studying her closely.

Jewel was bent over, her petite rump cocked in the air with her thin, slender tail sweeping in lazy circles behind her. Her right foot was planted on a small, purple balloon, her heel stabbing into its small, plump body to pin it mercilessly in place. The long fingers of her right hand closed around its tight neck and she squeezed hard, bursting the balloon with a resounding snap, her entire body jerking as her foot came crashing down through the now empty space.

Grinning brightly, Jewel lifted her hand, a single finger extended with a claw gleaming at its tip and poked another nearby balloon with a sharp dart of her hand. The lethally curved claw indented its surface for the briefest heartbeat before it exploded in her face. Still bent over, she stabbed another three balloons in quick succession, angling each stab to pin them between her merciless claw and the floor, ending each of them in turn with negligent ease.

Languidly swaying upright, Jewel slid a foot under another large, emerald balloon and swept it into the air. Her left hand darted out, nimbly catching its knot and dragging it into a firm embrace. It squeaked softly against her chest, hardening in her grip, claws already deeply dimpling its taut surface. With practiced ease, she slid them across the latex, drawing sharp furrows in its skin, smirking as she sadistically teased it. She slid her hand down across its neck with a long squeal and suddenly jabbed a claw into the soft latex. It exploded in her arms with a concussive snap, raining latex down around her.

Lazily leaning down, Jewel scooped another into her arms, making sure to spin it so that its neck faced upwards and hugged it to her slender chest again. This time, though, she closed her longs arms around it and squeezed tight, the latex moulding around her lithe body until its neck bobbed upwards with the pressure, bobbing against her narrow muzzle. Opening her lips, she snapped at its thick, rubbery length, her fangs squealing across its taut skin.

Pongo watched as they sank into the vinyl, drawing wet furrows in their wake as they ground across its thick neck. Jewel’s jaws worked away on it, munching almost playfully as she nibbled and nipped at the latex between her lips. Jewel slid up to its knot, caught it between her teeth and arched her own neck backwards, mercilessly stretching the vinyl to its break with a tortured squeal.

Jewel let it snap firmly back into place with a hollow ‘thud’, sending spit flying, before snapping at it one final time. It exploded with a thunderous bang in her face, but his daughter barely blinked at its destruction. She spat out a shred of latex and quickly turned to pick her next target, flexing her fingers at her side, claws gleaming.

Where Spot was a combination of brute force and boundless ferocity, his sister was all precision and grace, wielding her lethally sharp claws with pinpoint accuracy. Neither of them flinched or cringed, even when balloons exploded in their faces, which only made Pongo’s smirk broaden. He saw his daughter’s eyes flicker to one side, towards the rhythmic ‘creak-creak-creak’ sound of strained latex. He followed her gaze to see Spot bouncing on a taut, thirty six inch orange balloon, its neck snapping in and out between his legs.

A balloon exploded as Jewel took a measured step towards her brother, stabbing her heel down into a much smaller toy without ever needing to look down at it. Her brother looked up as she approached and smirked encouragingly. Without waiting to be asked, Jewel smoothly moved behind him and swung her leg over the bulbous balloon Spot had chosen. He shifted squeakily forward to give his sister as much room as he could and, a second later, her weight thumped down into it hard. The force almost bounced Spot clean off the balloon and the motion made him laugh loudly.

Jewel set her hands on his shoulders for stability and began to bounce in opposition to him without missing a heartbeat. The siblings began to seesaw up and down on the balloon, making it squeak, creak and bulge under their combined assault, its sides bulging anytime either of their asses sank deep into its skin.

Spot and Jewel laughed together as they bounced on the throbbing balloon and Pongo had to smirk at the sight of them having so much fun with their popping. He watched the latex neck sliding in and out between Spot’s legs with each weighty bounce, bulging and creaking ominously, even before his son slapped his hand into its side, letting his fingertips screech across the tight latex. The orange sphere throbbed under them for another long second before it finally gave in with a massive room that filled the entire basement, blasting back every latex sphere surrounding them as it sent shreds of tattered latex spraying in every direction.

Jewel hopped nimbly back to her feet and held out a hand to haul her brother up alongside her, both laughing in the aftermath of the balloons destruction. With the briefest glance over her shoulder, she nudged a large, purple balloon into position behind her and dropped onto it with a solid, hollow thump, her slim ass sinking deep into the latex for a long second before bouncing her playfully back into the air. She let her momentum drain away into the latex, bobbing gently up and down on it.

Following her lead, Spot found a second balloon, this one crimson, and swung a leg over it opposite his sister. He dropped onto it hard, bracing his feet to keep himself steady as it threatened to throw him to one side. Reaching out his hands, he smiled invitingly across at Jewel. Catching on, she reached out and gripped his wrists, holding both of them stable as they began bouncing on their individual balloons. Jewel’s sinuous body moved up and down in fluid, smooth bounces, her rump scarcely leaving its surface, while Spot pushed off from the floor, letting the entirety of his weight come crashing back down into the red latex under him. Seeing their two approaches, side by side, only highlighted their strengths, especially when they were combining their efforts.

They worked up a quick rhythm together, their wrists locked together to help keep their balance over the bulging balloons, pulling this way and that as they tried to keep each other centred over their chosen targets. Jewel’s long tail curled behind her in pleasure, clearly enjoying the entire experience, while Spot hammered his firm, chiselled ass down into his own air filled sphere with a surprising amount of strength and speed.

The necks of their balloons bulged, creaked and squealed as they snapped in and out, practically touching beneath their gripped wrists. Despite their different approaches, the latex spheres under their asses looked like they were in equal distress each. Pongo watched with bated breath, counting down the seconds until Jewel’s balloon burst with an explosive bang and she fell onto the carpeted ground with a startled yelp. Spot let go of her hands, quickly reached down and slapped his hands into the sides of his own balloon with a deep thump. He dragged his fingers across its surface with a deep, rumbling squeal.

From her place on the floor, Jewel drew back one of her legs with a quirky grin. As the balloons neck snapped taut, she suddenly plunged the heel of her foot into the latex. It creaked for a split second before it exploded beneath her brother with an ear splitting roar.

She rolled smoothly back to her feet and Spot was quick behind, already clutching a sizable, gold balloon. His fingers dug into its thick skin with a series of creaks and he grit his fangs with the effort. Before he could get through its slick surface though, Jewel playfully slapped a hand into its surface, raking her claws across the latex. When that wasn’t enough to burst it, she threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders without hesitation and pulled him into a tight embrace, catching the golden orb between their bodies. It squealed pitifully under the sudden pressure; Spot had wrapped his arms around the latex as he’d been dragged into his sister’s hug, so that she was only adding pressure to his already crushing grip. It creaked as he mauled it with his fingers, their bodies pressed close.

Pongo watched Spot’s vicious claws slice down the balloons metallic side and hook under its neck, needling and poking at the latex, stretched thin around its knot. It crinkled and rustled as he worked, claws jabbing and hooking at the material as Jewel grunted, hugging him tight as she could. It was still another second before Spot’s claws did their work and the balloon exploded in their grip with a surprisingly loud snap.

Laughing loudly, they broke their hug and Jewel stooped to snatch up another balloon, this one transparent and already sporting a long, prominent neck. Squeezing it firmly in one hand, she held its bulging body up in front of her. Lifting her free hand, she jabbed it hard with a finger. The claw indented its surface deeper than even Pongo had expected possible, but the balloon remained whole in her grip. Jewel raised her eyebrows in surprise as it simply bounced her finger back.

Spot’s hands suddenly clamped in on either side of the latex orbs body she held with a resounding ‘THUD!’ Grinning triumphantly, he arched his fingers into its sleek surface and the balloon bulged between them as it squealed achingly. Jewel clamped her fingers around its neck, making it tighten to the point of breaking as her brother mauled it mercilessly, his arching claws clearly visible through the transparent material.

It lasted for another long second, before one of Spot’s claws punched through the latex and popped the toy with a loud crack, spraying both of them with shards of rubber. Again, Pongo appreciated their different styles; his daughter’s precision accentuated perfectly by Spot’s eager ferocity.

Lifting a foot, his son brought it slamming down on another balloon, filling the air with its throaty, bass ‘BOOM!’ Turning, he kicked a larger, silver balloon into the air between them, but before he could even turn his full attention on it, Jewel brought her hands clapping in on either side of its bulbous body, fingers arched into rigid claws. It burst between their glimmering points without putting up even the most passable resistance, making her exchange a surprised glance with her brother.

“Well” she giggled, “That one was useless”.

“You pick one then” Spot shrugged, nudging her playfully.

Jewel turned, humming to herself thoughtfully as she raked the balloons surrounding them with her keen, emerald eyes. Her muzzle broke into a fanged grin as her gaze came to rest on a large, marble print balloon resting nearby on the floor. Stooping, she picked it up with the very tips of her claws, arching them into its sleek, pliable skin just enough to grip it. Lifting it between them, she held it out to her brother, titling her body away from it expectantly.

Grinning, Spot threw his arms around the balloon and hugged it tight to his chest, Jewel’s claws still indenting its metallic surface. He grit his teeth as he squeezed it tight, his toned muscles hardening as he compressed the latex sphere against his body, making its neck bulge, stretching into Jewel’s palm with a squeal. She stroked the brightly coloured latex with one curved claw tantalisingly, making it creak ominously, before stabbing it into the balloon. It popped with a concussive bang loud enough to rock the rafters overhead.

As they turned away to find another toy to destroy, their father finally turned his attention towards Diamond, who’d remained apart from his siblings. Instead, he was working on a group of balloons gathered in one corner of the basement and, the second his eyes found his other son, Pongo felt his smile falter.

Diamond was in the middle of sit popping a large, splash printed, lime green balloon, while he clasped another in his hands. Even at the briefest glance, he could see that his sons bouncing rhythm was slow and lack lustre. The fingers digging into the balloon in his grip lacked any real strength or co-ordination to them, his claws barely marking the tight latex. He was panting heavily, despite the measly collection of destroyed balloons surrounding him on the carpet.

His movements were all wrong; Pongo had seem more poppers than he could remember at work and he’d learned that the best all possessed their own, unique styles and energy. Even with Spot and Jewel, who were just beginning to develop their own popping methods, he could see the habits of true poppers forming. With Diamond, though, all Pongo saw was his son’s lack of drive to put an end to the balloons surrounding him. His grip on the small latex sphere in his hands was strong, but clueless, while the second toy under him was withstanding his weak assault with ease. It was clear he was having a very hard time shredding either of them.

Despite himself, Pongo felt his disappointment in his son clearly; it was clear that Diamond lacked the natural excitement of a real popper. He paid particular attention to his misfit son throughout the finale of their balloon popping test, hoping to see some spark ignite in his son, but by the time Jewel and Spot sit popped the last of the toys he’d prepared for them, Diamond had yet to improve in any way. His children gathered in front of him, laughing and smiling after their fun.

“Well!” Spot called, voice still high with excitement, “What did you think?!”

“Better than I ever expected” Pongo told them with feeling, gesturing towards Spot and Jewel as he continued, “I mean, you guys just nailed it. Spot, your energy is just great. You never slowed down from start to finish and you showed a lot of creativity when it came to popping them”. Beaming brightly, his heart thumping with pride, he turned to Jewel as he went on.

“Jewel, you just slaughtered everything you went near. Those claws of yours are just lethal. You both put in some great work, even before you started team popping them. That was just something else”.

They beamed at his praise, basking in it.

 “What about me?” Diamond asked excitedly. “How did I do?”

“Eh...” Pongo drawled, stalling for time to think and settling on, “You did...fine. Keep up the good work, kiddo”. The words sounded hollow and lame, even to him, but if anyone noticed, they thankfully didn’t comment on it.

“Come on everyone” Pongo continued hurriedly, “I think you’ve all earned some pizza for this”.

Over the next few days, Pongo started giving Spot and Jewel private balloon popping lessons. He must have spent a small fortune on all the balloons used in these lessons, especially since they typically started to last more than an hour each, but he knew it would be worth it to further hone his son and daughter’s natural talents.

During their first session, though, Diamond had arrived home from his friends house a lot earlier than they’d expected and, when he’d heard balloons being popped down in the basement, he’d come bounding eagerly down the stairs to join them.

Not wanting his second son to spoil their fun, Pongo had made up an excuse to send him to the store, letting them finish up their lesson in peace, without distractions. Day by day, Spot and Jewel improved under his guidance, while their father did everything in his power to ensure Diamond was kept preoccupied during their lessons. This often meant sending his son on meaningless errands or waving off his requests to join in by promising to spend time with him later.

It became clearer with each passing day that Pongo’s two chosen children had the spirit of true poppers in them, tirelessly shredding rooms of balloons without ever breaking a sweat. Jewel had already been utterly merciless with her claws and fangs, but under Pongo’s tutelage, she quickly refined her technique, zeroing in on where best to stab each target with the greatest ease. Spot only continued to grow more ferocious as time passed, utilising every part of his body to pop every balloon placed in front of him.

Then there was their outstanding teamwork; already exceptional without his teachings, but he was determined to make it even better, to mould them into even more efficient and ruthless poppers. His children enjoyed every second of his lessons, always laughing and joking as they shredded whatever balloons Pongo could get his hands on.

Barely two weeks after their first lesson down in the basement, all three siblings were once again lounging around in their living room. Spot was idly flicking through the t.v.’s channels as he and Diamond argued over what to watch, while Jewel was sprawled across the couch between them, absorbed in the latest issue of her manga series. All three of them jolted upright as Pongo suddenly burst through their front door. He smiled breathlessly, eyes bright with excitement.

“The local balloon popping contest is in town” he practically yelled at them, “I signed you up for it! Come on, we better get going!”

All three teenagers cheered and whooped as they leapt to their feet, excitement and eagerness boiling over as they raced towards their father. Pongo quickly waved Spot and Jewel through the front door, but was taken aback when Diamond made to follow them. He held out an arm to block him from passing through the open doorway.

“Hold up” he said firmly, making his son pause and look up at him in confusion. “You can’t come with us”.

“Huh?” Diamond blurted, shocked, “Why not?” His father toyed with the idea of making up an excuse, but couldn’t think of any errand he could send Diamond on that would keep him busy throughout the entire contest. In the end, he settled on brutal honesty for an answer instead.

“You’re a disappointment son” Pongo told him bluntly, “I’ve been disappointed in you ever since our first popping session. You weren’t rough enough with them and, frankly, you just lack the spirit of a true popper. It was an embarrassment watching you trying to destroy those balloons. You couldn’t properly sit pop one to save your life and your claws are just pathetic. You don’t have it in you to be a hard-core popper”. He shrugged helplessly, finally letting all the disappointment he felt in his son show.

“It would be for the best if you just became a non popper” he finished, before turning and walking through the open doorway, leaving Diamond speechless in his wake.

He brushed past Jewel and Spot, who had been waiting on their porch. Diamond, wide eyed and jaw dropped, looked to them for support.

“Awh” Spot crooned with a cruel smirk, “The poor little baby is getting left behind”.

“You wouldn’t be” Jewel added, “If you didn’t suck at popping balloons. Dad’s right, I saw you struggling with them in the corner. It was embarrassing. He’s not the only one disappointed in you”. She turned, head held proudly high, and strode away, following in Pongo’s footsteps. She hopped into the car parked by the sidewalk, its engine rumbling into life as their father turned the key in its ignition, clearly eager to be gone.

“Are you gonna cry now?” Spot mocked, “You’re not much good for anything else, so you might as well”. Then he was gone, slipping into the car with the rest of his family.  Diamond could only gape after them as they pulled away from the house, the cold realisation of his father’s words only just beginning to sink in.

It was another two hours before Perdita arrived home from work. She shut the door behind her and paused, cocking her head to one side as she heard the sound of nearby crying. Peering into the living room, she saw Diamond sobbing quietly on the couch. Gasping, she darted to her son’s side and threw her arms around him, pulling him close. His crying intensified as he buried his head in her shoulder.

“Shhh” she told him in her soft, gentle voice, doing her best to comfort him. “Diamond, what happened? Where is everyone?”

“They’re all gone to the balloon popping contest” Diamond sniffled, regaining his composure after a long second, “Dad told me to stay behind because he said I was a disappointment as a popper! He said I wasn’t good enough at popping balloons, like Spot and Jewel”.

Perdita gasped in shock and anger at the news of what her mate had said to their son, disgusted by his behaviour.

 “Dad said I’m not cut out to be a popper” Diamond continued, “And that I should just live my life as a non popper”.

“The nerve of that dog!” Perdita growled angrily. “How dare he say something like that to his own son?”

She bit her lower lip thoughtfully, musing over possible ways to help her son feel better as he cried into her shoulder for another long minute. Eventually, he pushed her away and sat back in the couch, muttering that he was okay. Perdita’s eyes lit up as she suddenly thought of an idea. She’d seen posters advertising the looner balloon popping competition in the next town over from them and she also knew that it wouldn’t begin for another hour at least.

“Well” she said in a soft, reassuring voice, “There’s a balloon popping contest in the next town over from us that hasn’t started yet. Would you like to enter it with me as your partner?”

“W-What?” Diamond stuttered, looking up at her with wide eyes, clearly stunned by her offer. “Why?”

“So that you can prove your father wrong” Perdita smiled encouragingly, “Show everyone that you’re a real popper”.

“You sure you want me as your partner?” her son sniffled. When his mother only nodded firmly, Diamond rubbed his nose on his sleeve and his muzzle lifted slowly into a disbelieving, eager grin.

“I’d love to go with you” he managed.

“Good!” Perdita smiled, “Because I’d rather pop balloons with you than anyone else. C’mon, you better start getting ready. I’m pretty sure it will be televised, so you better go clean yourself up”. Diamond leapt up from the couch and raced away to do just that, leaving Perdita alone in the silent living room to mull over what had happened. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully as she heard her son thumping around upstairs, looking for something clean to wear. She was still seething at what her mate had done, but she knew better than to let her emotions show. Instead, Perdita knew she had to bolster Diamond’s confidence and the balloon popping contest seemed like just the way to do exactly that.

She couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at Pongo’s elitist popping attitude. She knew that you didn’t need special training sessions or some innate skill to enjoy popping balloons, and her mate’s stupid, egotistical talk about how he’d been born with the spirit of a true popper had been the reason Perdita had never shown any inclination to join him in popping sessions.

It took Diamond a long moment to get ready, before she quickly bundled him into her car and they set off for their neighbouring town, which had always been known to host the most popular balloon popping contests in the past. Truth be told, Perdita was interested to see what all the fuss was about firsthand.

It didn’t take them long to arrive at their destination, which was practically overflowing with both people and balloons of every description; everywhere she looked, Perdita saw the latex spheres, filled with helium and floating in bouquets above stalls or tied to storefronts and streetlights. She couldn’t help smirking at Diamond’s wide eyes, staring at them all with a look of barely concealed excitement. It was a riot of colour and, for such a small town, it was crammed to the brim with people from all over. Many, she guessed, had to be tourists come to watch the spectacle, while still more had to have come to participate in the balloon popping contest themselves.

With the help of the plentiful signs plastered all around the town, Perdita quickly found the town hall, where there was a stall for people to register for the event. She quickly found a place to park and practically jumped out of the car, dragging her son along behind as she strode towards the registration stall.

“Hi!” she said to the bright eyed panther behind it, “We’d like to register for the balloon popping contest, if there’s still space”.

“Of course” the feline replied, “Name’s, please?”

“I’m Perdita” she chirped, before pulling her son in front of her, “And this is Diamond!”

Back at the house, Pongo had just arrived home with Spot and Jewel. Closing the front door behind them, he wandered into his living room after them and flopped down onto the couch next to his daughter. All three of them were exhausted after the local contest, their ears still ringing with the sound of balloons detonating under their claws.

“Hey” Spot said as he slumped into a chair, “Isn’t the national balloon popping contest on channel eight?”

“Oh yeah” Pongo replied, snatching up the remote control. “I hope we haven’t missed it all”.

It was one of his favourite televised events and he couldn’t believe he’d almost forgotten it in the excitement of the day. He quickly switched on the t.v. and changed it to channel eight, which always covered the event.

A female, rabbit announcer appeared on screen wearing a neat, professional suit and one of the biggest smiles Pongo had ever seen in his life. The nametag on her jacket read ‘Harley’; one of the networks regular announcers chosen to cover the event.

“Hello everyone” she began in a strong, cultured voice, “And welcome back to the last round of our annual balloon popping contest. We’ve already seen some great teams perform today, with some fantastic performances from start to finish, but I have more good news for all you good folks watching at home. We’ve had an exciting last minute, mother and son entry into the event. It’s their first year joining us to participate in the contest, so we hope you’ll join us in making them feel welcome.  Everyone, please welcome Perdita and Diamond”.

Pongo sat bolt upright in his seat, gaping at the t.v. as the camera feed switched from the smiling announcer to a shot of his mate and son. Spot and Jewel stared, open mouthed and wide eyed in stunned amazement. This was the last thing any of them had expected to see, yet there it was, right in front of them.

Perdita and Diamond were standing in a large room, full to the brim with balloons of every shape, size and colour. They were surrounded by enough balloons to make even Pongo, fresh from his own contest, jealous.

“What the...” he muttered, voice a disbelieving whisper.

“Mom” he heard Spot say, stunned. “With Diamond? They partnered up?”

“Wow” Jewel added, shaking her head in disbelief, “I did not see this one coming. What the actual fuck?”

“Look at all those juicy looking balloons though” her brother breathed, “I’d love to get my hands on some of those”.

“It’s bad enough I ended up with a loser of a son” Pongo growled irritably, “Who can’t pop balloons to save his life, but they just had to go on t.v. to prove how worthless he is, didn’t they? They’re just going to make a show of themselves and embarrass all of us. How will I ever be able to show my face outside the house again after this?” He shook his head in disgust, frowning at the screen.

“Are you ready for this?” Perdita asked her son softly with an encouraging smile. Her words were quite enough that they both knew the t.v. crew wouldn’t have been able to pick them up and broadcast them. Diamond nodded, looking equal parts nervous and excited. All the same, though, he seemed ready and eager to prove himself.

“On your marks!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers, “Three! Two! One! Begin!”

The mother and son team jumped into the sea of balloons without hesitation. Perdita launched herself at a huge marble print sphere and landed on it with a hollow thud, making it bulge under her sudden weight. She threw her slender arms around it and pulled it close to her ample breasts, outlining them with the latex as she drove the points of her claws into its sleek sides. They screeched against the taut material as they sank deep, the Dalmatian turning her head to one side and pinning back her ears a split second before it exploded in her face.

She laughed as the latex shards rained down around them, the sound overshadowed by the thunderous bang of another latex orb shattering under Diamond’s rump. He’d dropped on it and the balloon had burst without putting up even the slightest fight, so he quickly grabbed a much smaller, crimson orb and stuffed it under his ass. He dropped onto it and the balloon hardened almost uncomfortably against his butt, holding his entire weight aloft as its neck bulged between his legs. Setting his feet on the ground, Diamond pushed off from it with them and dropped back onto the balloon with all his weight behind the motion, popping it under him with ease.

This time, he grabbed a larger, thirty six inch emerald green balloon and sat on it. Its sides rounded out as it bouncily took his weight, letting his hips sink into its pliable surface. Diamond started roughly bouncing on the balloon, pushing off from the floor to drop back into it, his rump sinking deep into its skin, which only made its bulbous neck throb. To help it along, he slapped a hand into its pulsing side and dragged his arched claws up its side with a deep squeal.

Perdita suddenly stepped up beside him, lifted a foot and brought her heel slamming down into the thick neck of his balloon. The combined pressure, alongside his claws, burst the latex orb with a bone rattling bang. Laughing, Diamond let her help him back to his feet and quickly jumped on the next balloon in line, squishing it between the soles of his shoes and the carpet. It squealed for a heartbeat before exploding, spraying shreds of latex in every direction. The blast of its destruction sent nearby balloons swirling in every direction and one was lifted into the air between them, it's orange surface gleaming in the light.

Perdita brought both hands thundering in on either side at once, her claws shredding through the taut latex with ease and bursting the balloon with an ear piercing boom. Even before the shards had finished raining down around them, she’d dropped backwards onto a huge, red, splash printed balloon. It bulged under her light weight, its thick neck blossoming outwards. Its skin was a deep red, but it turned almost transparent with her rump sinking into its pliable surface, the thin vinyl straining under the pressure. It creaked softly as she settled into position over its body and snatched another balloon, this one smaller and sapphire blue, out of the air. Grinning encouragingly, Perdita hugged it to her chest, drawing a loud squeak from it as her fingers dug deep.

Diamond snatched up his own balloon, a forest green one, and gripped it hard between his hands, making it bulge around his fingers with a tormented squeak. Its neck snapped out rigid and he lifted it to his muzzle with a vicious grin. Opening his mouth, he snapped her jaws shut around the tunnel of latex, the tips of his fangs scything through the material with ease at almost the exact same second Perdita popped her balloon. Their near simultaneous bangs echoed through the room, but neither of them paused to savour their victories.

Instead, Perdita leaned to one side and grabbed yet another balloon, this one a bright, luminous yellow, while Diamond pounced on a marble print, sandwiching it between his body and the floor. Digging his claws deep, he smiled as he dragged them across its sleek sides, their tips grinding into the latex with a deep rumble. It shuddered under him with the force of his scratching, but this just pushed him on to be rougher with it.

Shifting his weight over it, he turned the balloon until it's knot was pointing upwards and then dropped back onto it hard, making its neck bulge outwards. Its taut skin thudded against his neck and Diamond eagerly snapped at it, his fangs sliding across its surface without finding purchase to leave a trail of saliva behind. Planting his claws in its sides to anchor himself in place, the Dalmatian bit at its neck again and again, snapping and nibbling, quick and rough. He sank them into its base, around the balloons knot, where the latex was thinner and after a little work, finally popped the balloon with an explosive ‘SNAP!’

Growling playfully, he jumped back to his feet just as Perdita destroyed her own latex sphere with a resounding bang. This drew Diamond’s attention back to his mother and his eyes came to rest on the neck of the splash printed balloon throbbing between her legs. Grinning, he took a step forward and threateningly lifted his foot. When Perdita only smiled encouragingly, he brought his foot slamming down on the balloons thick, exposed neck. The thin latex gave way with ease, the latex sphere popping with a particularly pathetic snapping sound.

Back at the house, Pongo and his children were still watching the t.v. in dawning shock, each of them stunned by just how ruthless the team was proving to be. He hadn’t acted like that during his trial run down in the basement; he’d been timid, clumsy and lazy, where now he was ferocious to the point where even his stubborn father felt a spark of pride for his son. Then there was the mesmerising sight of his wife popping her way through her share of the latex targets.

“They’re actually doing pretty good” Jewel ventured uncertainly.

“You can say that again” Spot laughed, “They’re annihilating that room. Who’d have thought Diamond had it in him, eh?”

“Never mind Diamond, what about mom?” she shot back.

“Yeah” Pongo had to mutter, “I’ve never seen her pop a balloon in my life, but look at her go. She always said she had no interest in bursting them whenever I asked her to join me”. They paused, watching as Perdita snatched up a balloon in both hands, dug her claws into it with a feral smirk and destroyed it with an echoing explosion.

“No idea why” Jewel said, “She’s a beast”.

“Maybe we can convince them to join us down when they get back” Spot suggested hopefully.

Another pause, as his mother dropped onto a royal blue balloon ass first, the latex indenting and bulging under the new pressure, its neck standing rigid between her legs. Perdita started bouncing on it without wasting a second, making it pulse beneath her rump. As its throbbing neck bulged, she closed her tights around its taut skin with a squeal, adding even more pressure to the tortured balloon. At the same time, she raked her claws across its sleek curves, leaving brief furrows in their wake. It creaked as she twisted its neck between her slender thighs, a second before one of her claws sank through its skin and it disappeared beneath her rump with a thundering bang.

“She’s more likely to rip my throat out after what we did to Diamond” Pongo said, “But who could blame me? He sucked? I have no idea where he learned to be this good”.

His children said nothing as they watched their brother stomp pop a tough looking green balloon, before snatching up a long, thick skinned banner balloon. Its green surface shone in the light as he an end in either hand, claws already deeply dimpling its skin. Then, with the grin of a true popper, he bent the balloon in his grasp, bringing both end together with a squeal of protesting latex.

Its body was bent sharply upwards, forming an upside down ‘V’ that easily reached up to his muzzle and, just like Pongo hoped he’d do, Diamond opened his mouth wide, revealing his saliva specked fangs. With a loud growl, he bit down into the latex and viciously wrenched his head from side to side. The balloon put up a good fight, creaking and squeaking wetly under his fangs and tongue, but they all knew it couldn’t last long. Sinking his claws into its ends to grip it tighter, Diamond’s muzzle scrunched up under the pressure as he bit into the tight latex with all his strength. It burst in his hands with a deafening ‘SNAP!’

“He definitely wasn’t popping balloons like that down in the basement” Spot said unhelpfully. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Just look at what he did to that banner balloon! He totally destroyed it”.

“Probably the fact that we all made fun of him” Jewel snorted, “I just didn’t think they’d be doing as good as they are. I was sure I’d have to change my name and move schools after they embarrassed us all on live t.v.”

“Now he’s probably going to be too pissed at us to even let us be proud of him” Spot scoffed, rolling his eyes.

This, just as Perdita and her son started stomp popping their way through a cloud of smaller balloons with ease, their shoes thundering down into the latex spheres without mercy. Barely any of them got a chance to even squeak before they burst into a thousand pieces, littering the floor with latex in their wake.

“It’s probably a little late to say that I’m proud of him at this stage” Pongo admitted, “But just look at the two of them go. I don’t think I could do it better myself! Perdita’s stronger than she looks and those claws of hers are deadly. Diamond’s definitely woken up or something, because he’s murdering everything he can”.

As if on cue, Diamond kicked a larger balloon into the air and caught it between his arms, hugging it against his chest. Gritting his teeth with the strain of it, he squeezed it as hard as he could, sinking his claws deep into its stretchy skin. When it still didn’t pop, he bent almost double, clutching the balloon to him, putting even more pressure on it. Showing a ferocity he hadn’t even shown a hint of down in the basement, he snapped at it, his fangs slicing across the tight latex without finding purchase.

Perdita appeared beside him, watching and laughing as he struggled with the balloon, manhandling it as roughly as Pongo could ever have hoped to see. A second later, the latex sphere gave in with a thundering boom. Laughing, he threw his arms around the next balloon in line, this one bright yellow and offered by his mother. While he started working on the balloon, squeezing it tight to his body and arching his claws deep into its bulbous body, Perdita moved on to bring her heel stabbing down into another latex orb with pinpoint precision, popping it with ease.

Turning quickly, she dropped onto a large, marble print balloon, laughing as it promptly bounced her back into the air before her rump crashed back down into its thick skin. It indented under her weight, outlining her slim ass as it sank into the balloon, its neck barely stretching under the mild abuse. Planting her feet firmly on the floor, she started bouncing hard on the room, surprising her husband with just how rough her movements were. Showing more aggression than her husband had ever seen before, she bobbed up and down on the unfortunate latex toy, thumping down into it with all her strength.

Perdita dragged her claws across its sides, their tips squealing loudly against the latex. Just as she was building up enough momentum to make its neck start to extend and retract in time with her movements, a ‘BANG!’ split the air as Diamond finally shredded the latex sphere in his grip.

“If he’d have done that down in the basement” he said, “Then he’d have been invited to all our sessions!” Even just remembering his son's performance brought back a stab of embarrassment. Why hadn’t Diamond done more when he’d been tested?

Now, though, Pongo watched as he stepped up alongside his mother and leaned on the body of the balloon behind her. Smirking, he dug his claws into its skin, gripping it hard as he sank them as deep as he could. It squeaked loudly in time with Perdita’s bouncing and she slapped its side with a playful, hollow thud, tormenting the balloon even as Diamond wedged one of his knees into its body, driving it as deep as he could. Under both their attention, the marble printed balloon only lasted another second before bursting between them.  

Perdita bounced back to her feet after yet another balloon had exploded under her rump, a new one clutched in her hands, claws already deeply dimpling its sapphire surface.

“Diamond” she called to her son and when he looked around, fresh from stomping on a smaller latex sphere, Perdita held up her new toy with a grin. “Help me with this one, will you?”

He leapt at the opportunity, racing forward to throw his arms around the latex orb, crushing it between their two bodies. Diamond swept his arms around his mother’s waist, while hers encircled his neck and they pulled each other close, the balloon creaking against his chest. It perfectly outlined her large breasts, the latex moulding itself around them, as its neck bulged up between their faces. Without a word needing to be said, they both started snapping at the latex, their fangs drawing furrows across the balloons skin where they failed to pierce it. Diamond’s movements were rough and feral, while Perdita’s had an edge to them her mate back home had never seen before. They hugged each other close, putting as much pressure on the latex sphere as they possibly could.

She caught the balloons knot between her fangs and hauled it backwards, baring the curve of its neck for her son and Diamond instantly clamped his jaws in on it with a loud, wet squeal. He growled loudly and bit again. This time, the balloon exploded between them with an echoing roar, showering both of them with its shredded remains.

Without slowing down, Diamond spun and fluidly mounted one of the larger balloons in the room, trapping it between his rump and the floor of the room. The latex sphere took his entire weight with barely a squeak of protest, its neck hardly moving an inch as it indented under his butt. Setting his hands on its skin, he felt how soft it still was, with plenty of room for abuse before it would give in. He arched his claws into its thick skin, digging them deep enough to draw a tortured creak from the balloon. That was a second before Perdita landed on it though.

Her hands landed on his shoulders for stability, while her knees thundered into the body of the balloon behind him. Diamond felt it buck under her impact, tightening against his palms as her knees sank deep into its surface. She laughed brightly in his ear before she started moving up and down, letting the balloon take her momentum and bounce her back into the air. Diamond quickly followed her lead, bracing his feet on the ground to keep both of them steady as he began bouncing on the latex toy. This time, he could feel it pulsing beneath their combined assault.

His rump and her knees dug deep into the unfortunate balloon as they see-sawed up and down on it, one’s bounce propelling the other into the air. It began to squeak and creak, especially when Perdita’s knees ground into its skin, even before Diamond raked his claws across it's now taut sides. Grinning viciously, he reached down, caught its bobbing knot and dragged against its neck hard, making it elongate in his grip. Tugging on it with each bounce, he used his other hand to prick at its surface with the tips of his curved, razor sharp claws.

It creaked and squealed, pulsing and throbbing under the mother and son duo, but only for another long second. When it popped, the balloons demise split the air with a bone rattling ‘KABOOM!’ They’d both just bolted upright when the announcer’s voice cut stopped them dead in their tracks.

“And that’s time!” the bunny’s voice called over the speakers, “Congratulations Diamond and Perdita, you did really well!”

Diamond looked around the room to see very few balloons remaining,  before he turned back towards his mother, who was smiling proudly.

“You were amazing!” she told him excitedly.

“You too” Diamond grinned, throwing his arms around his mother and pulling her close, “Thank you so much for bringing me here”.

Pongo watched, wide eyed and with bathed breath, as the rabbit announcer gave a quick review of the best teams to have been featured throughout the day. All of the teams looked like they were giving it their all, and he saw the spirit of true poppers in many of them, but none even came close to what he’d witnessed his wife and son doing, in his opinion. He wasn’t even sure if any of his lessons would even benefit Diamond at this stage, after the performance he’d just seen.

Both Spot and Jewel had benefited from the practice and from the hundreds of tips he’d been able to give them, but he couldn’t think of one he would have given to his third child. Of course, that just meant that he definitely wanted to see more of Diamond in action, particularly in their basement.

“They finished up strong!” Jewel said, excitedly, “I wonder if they’ll get a prize”.

“They deserve first with a performance like that” Pongo told her.

“Some of these other guys are nothing to sniff at though” his daughter pointed out, as the roll of footage continued, with the announcer commenting on them throughout. Pongo had to admit that she was right; the competition looked genuinely tough.

“Shush!” Spot told them, “They’re about to announce the winner”.  

Sure enough, Harley, had returned to grace the screen, wearing her customary bright smile. She now stood on a stage, in front of a table laden with prizes ranging from trophies to ribbons.

 “The judge’s decision is in and from what I hear, it was a very easy choice for them this year” the perky rabbit said into the camera, “So it is with great pleasure that I announce that the winners of our annual balloon popping competition are...Perdita and her son Diamond!”

“Wow!” Spot exclaimed, smiling excitedly, “They did it! They won!”

“I can’t believe it” Jewel said, but she was laughing, “Way to go mom and Diamond! They really proved what they could do”.

            Pongo watched as his mate and son were ushered up onto the stage, amidst a cheering crowd, where the rabbit announcer happily shook both of their hands in turn, congratulating them warmly. Perdita was flushed with excitement, but smiling her brightest. Diamond looked uncomfortable with all the praise, but he couldn’t hide his own joy at the announcement, his tail sweeping behind him in a blur. He started smiling, unable to help himself as pride blossomed in him, briefly drowning out the shame of how he’d treated his son only hours before.

            “Of course they did” he said, “They were amazing. Did you guys even see how they destroyed that room of balloons?”

            “That’s some prize” Spot said with a low whistle, unnecessarily as Perdita was handed a sizable, gold trophy from the table.

            “Wonder what’s in that” Jewel mused as Diamond was handed a large box, again from the table.

            “I’m pretty sure it’s a bunch of balloons” Pongo replied, “Most contests give them out to the winners and they’re usually awesome. I won a box like that a few years back and it had some of the biggest and toughest balloons I’ve ever had in it”.

            Perdita and Diamond spent another minute on stage, basking in the glow of their applause, before stepping down to let the runner up positions receive their rewards as well. Pongo was left trying to process everything he’d seen but he just couldn’t make any sense of it. Who would have guessed that Diamond and his wife could have won the annual balloon popping contest? Especially when he’d never so much as seen Perdita holding a balloon since he’d known her, and the one chance he’d given his son had resulted in the most pathetic, lacklustre popping Pongo had ever seen. Together, though, they’d been an unstoppable popping machine.

It wasn’t long before Perdita and Diamond arrived back at the house. Pongo’s wife walked through the front door first, trophy clutched firmly in hand, while his son came traipsing slowly along behind, clearly nervous about returning home to face the rest of his family.

Perdita paused in the doorway leading into their living room as she spotted Pongo, Jewel and Spot. Setting one hand on her hip in a businesslike way, she raked the three of them with a disappointed glare. They looked ashamed and uncomfortable under her gaze, shifting uneasily where they sat, eyes downcast. Diamond stepped up beside her, showing none of the enthusiasm he’d experienced during the contest now that he was back home with the rest of his family.

“Well?” she prompted in a cold voice, hefting the trophy to show it off to them, “Isn’t there something you want to say to Diamond?”

Pongo stood up, which prompted Jewel and Spot to do the same, their ears laid back cautiously as they followed his lead.

            “I’m sorry son” his father said softly, “I never should have given up on as quick as I did. You definitely shouldn’t live your life as a non popper. We all saw your performance on the t.v. and it was nothing short of awesome”.

            “Sorry, Diamond” Spot muttered miserably.

            “Yeah, I’m sorry too” Jewel added.

            Diamond frowned as he stared across the room at his father and siblings, shifting from one foot to the next uncomfortably, clearly remembering the last time they had been face to face. Perdita could tell he was struggling to find an answer to their apologies, but in the end, his reply was simple and to the point.

            “You’re going to have to try harder than that” her son said with a shrug, “You guys didn’t let me train with you or take part in any of your lessons and then when there was a popping contest, you completely cut me out without giving me a chance to prove myself. You’re going to have to earn my trust back with more than this”.

            Perdita slid her free arm around Diamond’s shoulders protectively and fixed Pongo with a cold glare, smirking snidely.

            “In addition to that” she told her husband, “You might want to get comfortable on the couch tonight. You’re going to be there for a while”. Pongo hung his head, clearly upset with their responses, while Spot and Jewel looked just as ashamed of how they’d treated their brother, while Perdita just pulled him closer to her side protectively.

            “And” she added with a sadistic grin, “You can think about how to make this up to Diamond all day tomorrow while listening to the sound of these new balloons we won popping in the basement. We’re going to put them to some good use, without any of you”. That brought a smirk to her closest son’s lips. Clearly, the idea of enjoying their winnings, just the two of them, appealed to him.

            “That’s not fair!”Jewel piped up miserably, “We said we were sorry”.

            “It wasn’t fair to make fun of your little brother either” Perdita growled, “So maybe you’ll think twice about doing it again. Like I said, you’ll have plenty of time to think it over while we’re enjoying our exclusive lesson together”. Then, with the flash of one final smile, she turned and led her son up the stairs, away from Pongo, Spot and Jewel.