A Study in Power and Humanity
Disclaimer I don't own Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Chapter 1: Prologue
In the summer of 2093, the life of one Shiba Miyuki drastically change.
Early morning of June 22, 2093, a young woman possessing a transcendent beauty awaken from her slumber.
Said girl blink a few times before turning her gazed to her clock.
The clock read 5:30 AM.
Her clock was programmed to ring at exactly 6:00 am. She woke up 30 minutes early, just like yesterday, and the day before.
"Stupid biological clock." The young girl muttered as she resisted the urge to just lay down and return to her slumber.
It was unbecoming of a lady to laze around.
With a soft yet adorable yawn, she sat up from her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she swung her legs sidewards in order to sat on the right edge of her bed.
"Morning to me." The girl greeted sardonically to herself. Shifting her head, she gazed upon two picture frames on her night stand.
The first picture contained the image of an older woman that bore great resemblance towards her.
The girl's gazed soften with both sadness and joy.
"Morning mother." The girl wished that she could greet her mother in person, but that is growing to be more difficult by the day.
Her mother was unwell, plague by a sickness that has been slowly killing her since she was a child.
Any day now, she knew that she would lose her mother to the Grimm Reaper, and though she was bracing herself for that lost, she knew full well that her mother's inevitable death would devastate her nonetheless.
Fighting the wave of sadness and the urge to cry, the girl turned her attention to the second picture frame. This frame contained the image of her and a young teenage boy. In the picture, she and the teenage boy were embracing, with her having such pretty blush across her face and the boy having an amuse yet fond look upon his face. The look was solely focus on her.
Reaching for the frame, the girl spoke. "Morning Onii-sama." The girl said lovingly yet longingly as she lifted the picture from the stand before pulling it towards her and placing a kiss upon the image of her brother.
How she misses her brother. She wishes her brother was with her right now, but he is currently participating in a Training Exercise with the 101st Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion.
She desires to have him with her right now, but one of the few joys that her brother indulges in was his military career, and she dares not deprive him of the joys that he allows himself to experience.
Considering what he had already endured for her sake, she would sacrifice her selfish whims and desires for him to enjoy some of his youth.
"I miss you." The girl said sweetly as she eyed the image of her brother before placing the picture back to where it previously stood.
Jumping to her feet, she went to her bathroom to freshen up.
She has a long day ahead of her.
(Scene Change)
After an hour in the bath, the young girl descended from her room and was heading to the kitchen.
The girl was contemplating what she was going to have the HAR (Home Automation Robots) prepare for breakfast when suddenly, the sound and aroma of sizzling meat assaulted her senses.
The girl froze.
She was supposed to be alone in her house right noe.
Frowning, she was about to reach for a hidden compartment in the wall to retrieve a CAD, when a voice froze her in place.
"How many times must I tell you, you silly girl, you must always have your CAD with you at all times." A familiar voice, reserve yet gentle, chided her.
The girl's eyes widen before she sprinted towards the kitchen.
There, in the stove, cooking, was her brother.
Shiba Tatsuya, the strongest, most perfect being that she knew, was standing over the stove, cooking.
While still wearing his military uniform, Tatsuya was preparing breakfast.
Familiar blue eyes, deep and piercing looked at her with fondness yet with a hint of exasperation. "I will always protect you, Miyuki, but you really need to build good habits when it comes to your protection." Tatsuya advised with a smile.
The girl, Miyuki, stared at the image before her. She blinked, she rubbed her eyes, yet her eyes was not lying.
Her brother was here.
Her brother was within reach.
Before she could make a move, Miyuki found herself in an embrace.
Miyuki found herself where she knew she belonged, in her brother's arms.
"The training ended early. Sorry that I didn't call beforehand." Tatsuya apologized before planting a kiss to the crown of her sister, sending a jolt of pleasure throughout Miyuki's spine.
Since the day a year ago, her brother had become more affectionate towards her, which is something that she enjoyed greatly.
Excitedly, Miyuki wrapped her arms around the muscular frame of her brother. She noted, with a blush, that her brother's body had become more sturdy, more defined.
Miyuki was not complaining whatsoever.
The siblings embrace for a few seconds, it was an eternity and a half for Miyuki, before Tatsuya gently push Miyuki away, much to her chagrin and disappointment.
"I'll finish our breakfast. Could you set the table?" Tatsuya requested as he walked towards the stove where the meal that he was preparing was currently simmering.
"Onii-sama, let me." Miyuki tried to overtake her brother to finish the meal that he started. Miyuki deduced that her brother had just arrived considering that he still had his uniform on. Although she found her brother quite appealing in uniform, and said uniform had found itself in some of her lewder and more vivid dreams, her brother should really freshen up and leave this mundane task to her.
Tatsuya chuckled causing Miyuki to pause in surprise.
That was not the first time her brother express emotion in her presence, but it still surprises her considering how emotionless he was in the first 11 years of their lives.
"I insist." Tatsuya stated as he reached towards Miyuki and patted her on the head. "Shirakawa-san would be disappointed if some of the skills that she taught me atrophy due to misuse."
Miyuki frowned at the reminder of her brother's Guardian training but she swiftly banished those thoughts from her mind.
Her brother, the one that she loves the most, is here, within arm's reach.
Nothing else matter aside from that.
"Yes, Onii-sama." Miyuki acquiesced as she moves towards the dining table to prepare it for the meal that her brother was preparing.
As she moved, Miyuki looked at herself before cursing herself in utter disappointment.
She was wearing a plain blouse and pajama pants, a completely unappealing ensemble, and she allowed herself to be seen by her brother in such an unsightly garb.
Miyuki was tempted to return to her room and change into a much more eye-catching and mature attire but she decided against it.
It was more important to be with her Onii-sama right now, to basked in his presence. She would wow him later with that cute set that she was preparing just for him.
(Scene Change)
It took 15 minutes for Tatsuya to finish cooking breakfast.
Within that timeframe, Miyuki was able to set the table and prepare a passable cup of coffee for her dear brother.
The beverage wasn't up to par to her usual standards, with the beans being rush in its preparation, but that did not stop Miyuki from brewing a fresh cup of coffee for her brother.
Her brother prefers his breakfast with coffee, so come hell or high water, Miyuki would prepare coffee for him.
It was bad enough that her brother had to prepare breakfast for the two of them.
Tatsuya placed a healthy serving of burger steak, hash browns, pancakes, and assorted fruits upon the dining table. With the meal served, Tatsuya pulled the chair and gestured for Miyuki to sit.
Miyuki did so, offering Tatsuya a pleasant smile as he gently push the chair to the dining table, before he sat besides her.
"Shall we dig in?" Tatsuya asked, gesturing towards the food.
Miyuki nodded as the two siblings clapped their hands together.
"Itadakimasu." The two siblings exclaimed before grabbing their respective chops sticks and proceeding to partake upon the meal.
Biting into the burger steak, an explosion of flavor assaulted Miyuki's tongue.
"It's good." Miyuki complimented as she savors the taste of the meal.
"Thank you." Tatsuya replied as he himself took a bite from his own steak. "Shirakawa-san would be delighted that my training with her wasn't a complete waste."
Miyuki bit her tongue to prevent any negative emotions from surfacing.
"She should be." Miyuki grumbled, the taste of her meal souring a bit at the reminder on how her brother got his cooking skills.
A God like her brother should not be cooking for a lowly mortal like herself.
"How have you been this past two weeks? Anything interesting happened?" Tatsuya inquired, diverting his sister's thoughts from what she considers negative.
"Nothing interesting happened Onii-sama. It's just the same routine like always." Miyuki answered. She was not in the mood to have fun. With her brother out training and her mother confined in the hospital; she did not see the point of going out and having fun on her lonesome.
Tatsuya hummed. "And mother, how is she? Has there been any improvements on her health?" Tatsuya inquired with a control tone.
Miyuki smiled bittersweetly as her brother mentioned their mother. Miyuki did not know if her brother had noticed it himself, but she and her mother had. Ever since that fateful day in Okinawa, Tatsuya was slowly becoming more expressive with his limited emotions. He was still apathetic most of the time, and there are times in which he could care less about anything and everything not involving Miyuki, but when he was displaying emotions, i.e. being affectionate with his sister, it was more obvious and clearer.
This fact baffled Miya, but this merely brought Miyuki joy.
Maybe her brother can learn how to feel again.
And maybe, just maybe, he can learn to accept her feeling for him.
"Mother is still fighting." Miyuki told her brother, not wanting to say what was obvious between them.
Tatsuya sighed as he nodded. "Always the fighter that one." That was probably the sweetest compliment Tatsuya could give to his mother.
"So what is your plan for today?" Tatsuya asked, moving away from the sensitive topic.
"I am just going to go through my lesson's for today, Onii-sama." Miyuki answered, hope blossoming in her chest. "You?"
"I am just going to visit sensei and FLT. I need to make sure that our father and his whore did not run mother's legacy to the ground." Tatsuya frowned at the thought of their father and his mistress.
Miyuki, on the other hand, smiled in glee. It never fails to bring Miyuki bliss whenever her brother was displaying blatant protectiveness towards their mother in any form.
And she wholeheartedly agrees with her brother's language.
Furuha Sayuri is a whore.
Tatsuya wore a contemplative expression before giving Miyuki a pointed look. "Do you want to visit mother after our itineraries are completed?" Tatsuya invited his sister. "I do have to report to her that I have returned to your side."
Miyuki smiled prettily as she nodded. "That would be lovely." Their mother might not want to admit it, but Miyuki knew that she was happy whenever Tatsuya visited her.
Miyuki knew that it meant the world to her mother to see Tatsuya making an effort to be a son, her son, and she herself was enjoying watching him make such earnest attempts.
The siblings shared a smile before continuing with their meal.
In between bites, the two siblings continued with their light conversation.
Tatsuya told Miyuki about his training and the antics of his military colleagues during the training exercise that he participated in, while Miyuki told him about her lessons, both previous and up-and-coming.
Miyuki even earned herself a kiss on the cheek when she informed her beloved brother that she had learned that shield spell that he had created for her to an adequate level.
It was worth reiterating that Miyuki enjoyed her brother's new found willingness to shower her with affection.
The two siblings enjoyed each other's company to an abnormal degree.
As the last morsel of food was devour, Miyuki made an attempt to stand and clear the table, but a firm hand from Tatsuya kept her seated.
Tatsuya rose to his feet and, with a fluid motion and grace that only a train warrior could do, move behind Miyuki.
Miyuki felt her heart race when she felt her brother gently placing a small accessory around her delicate neck.
"A gift for my precious sister to compensate for my two weeks of absence." Tatsuya whispered adoringly at Miyuki.
Grabbing her CAD from her pocket, Miyuki entered a few keys to conjure a reflective surface in front of her.
Miyuki basically created a mirror by manipulating the light around.
A relatively simple magic.
There, fasten around her neck, was a necklace composed of a thin platinum chain with a white gold pendant shaped into angel wings, decorated with small diamonds.
It was a beautiful piece.
It moved Miyuki to tears.
"It's beautiful." Miyuki breathed out, moved by the gift and the gesture of her brother.
Tatsuya merely shook his head.
"It pales in comparison to you." Tatsuya stated, and not for the first time, Miyuki cursed the fact that they are siblings.
Her brother simply ruined all other boys for her.
(Scene Change)
Wave-Force armor is a defensive magic created by Tatsuya for Miyuki's exclusive use.
A boon for having a caring genius for a brother is that Miyuki would always have the best repertoire of magic at her disposal.
The magic that her brother creates would always be the greatest.
Most magic in Miyuki's magic library was created and bestowed to her by her dear brother.
Wave-Force Armor is merely one of the new toys that Tatsuya had bestowed her.
Essentially, this magic creates a dimensional fold topologically like the Klein bottle around her body or an area of her choosing. And whenever a direct attack touches the edge of this Klein field, the energy of the attack is siphoned in the dimensional fold, rendering the attack as useless.
Furthermore, Wave-Force armor is a defensive magic that can also be use in offence
While normally the Wave-Force armor and the Klein field it generates are used as a defense from various attacks, they can actually be used offensively too. The energy captured into the dimensional fold can be released in any arbitrary direction, thus allowing Miyuki to create shockwaves to push things around with blunt force.
That is what Miyuki was currently practicing.
Deep inside a facility owned by the Yotsuba Clan, Miyuki stood in the center of a training room. She was surrounded by drones mounted with high caliber, anti-magician rifles. The drones were firing at her in all direction.
Anti-magician rifles are guns capable of firing high speed rounds with extreme penetration to render defensive magics from Magicians ineffective.
Normal defensive magic would not be able to defend against such an onslaught, but Miyuki was able to manage with the use of her brother's Wave-Force Armor magic.
Miyuki was absorbing the attack from the rifles with the Wave-Force Armor, and when the barrier had reached its full capacity of energy that it could hold, she released the energy in the form of a shockwave. To further increase the difficulty of the training, instead of releasing the shockwave in an omnidirectional path, Miyuki was instead releasing the shockwave in a controlled blast to strike down the drones around her one at a time.
A display of her prowess as a magician is shown at the fact that whenever she releases the energy contained in the Wave-Force Armor, thus collapsing her shield, she was able to invoke another Wave-Force Armor to protect herself from the hail of bullets.
A display of her weakness was also shown considering that she misses her targets a third of the time.
Miyuki, as a magician, prefers Area of Effect or omni-directional offensive magic. She was acceptable in precision offensive magic.
Miyuki was able to specialized in Area of Effect and/or omni-directional offensive magic due to her exceptionally high psion count.
In fact, Miyuki's psion count was a step above Tatsuya's. Not by much, but a step nonetheless.
That being said, Miyuki wanted to emulate her brother, who was a combat magician specializing in all ranges. Close, long, mid, Tatsuya can fight in all ranges. Precision or area of effect, it doesn't matter, Tatsuya was capable of attacking effectively in any manner.
Miyuki desired to be like her brother in magic combat at the very least.
So, she persisted in this training regardless of the urge to just blast her attackers with just one shockwave.
Patient was a virtue after all.
After ten minutes of the exercise, Miyuki was able to shoot down the last drone, thus ending the session.
Miyuki took a deep breath as she frowned.
30 attack drones in 10 minutes. It was passable for a common combat magician.
But passable is not acceptable for a Yotsuba, especially for her.
Passable was not acceptable considering that she was utilizing the magic that her brother had painstakingly created for her.
She could do better.
She could wield her brother's gift better.
Checking on her clock, Miyuki noted that she has 40 minutes before her next lessons.
Enough time to redo the exercise and obtained a much more acceptable score.
"Again." Miyuki ordered as she deployed Wave-Force Armor.
In a matter of seconds, another 30 attack drones flew into the room and began peppering Miyuki with bullets, bullets that were being block by her Wave-Force Armor.
This time around, Miyuki was able to individually snipe all the drones in under 8 minutes.
Passable, but still disappointing.
(Scene Change)
Watching her brother fight is a delight in and of itself.
Tatsuya was not a showy fighter.
He is efficient, brutal, and uncaring in battle.
He is an animal in combat on the grounds that he had sharpen his killing ability to a fine edge.
And Miyuki loves watching him work. She considers watching her brother fight as a rare gift.
A gift that she was enjoying now.
With her lessons over and done with for the day, Miyuki had intentions to go to FLT to pick up Tatsuya so that they could visit their mother together as they had planned this morning.
But apparently, there was no need as Tatsuya was already outside the facility waiting for her, a car ready and waiting to transport them to the private hospital that the Yotsuba owns, the hospital where their mother was confined in.
Offering her brother a smile, Miyuki entered the cab, with Tatsuya following swiftly.
They did not speak as the cab took them to their destination. The two were taught never to speak about the Yotsuba in public unless they are within family property or using family vehicles.
Regardless, the siblings enjoyed the silent company of one another.
After a 30-minute ride, the Shiba siblings arrive at the entrance of the hospital, but before they could enter, Tatsuya frowned as he turned his gazed at the building across the hospital.
Miyuki seeing this, followed her brother's gazed. Before she could inquire, Tatsuya merely spoke a single word.
"Come." Tatsuya extended his hand to his sister expectantly.
Miyuki took it with glee.
With Decomposition, Tatsuya was capable of teleportation. It was simple really. Temporarily ripping space in order to distort the distance from point A to B, a trivial calculation, a simple trick.
An easy feat for a Born-Specialist like Tatsuya.
No one in the Yotsuba was aware of this particular application of Decomposition.
No one but her.
Tatsuya had made sure that Miyuki knew that no matter the distance and space between them, he would always be there whenever she needed him.
One moment, Miyuki was outside a familiar hospital, the next, she was inside an unfamiliar room filled with at least two dozen foreigners with unfamiliar facial features.
They were all armed with CADs and weapons.
Miyuki was able to see their faces for a split second before Tatsuya butcher them.
Tatsuya brought out his gun-shaped CAD with a speed that would make a professional gun slinger jealous.
Without hesitation, Tatsuya press the trigger of his CAD, invoking his magic to reduce at least half of his targets to dust.
This startled everyone in the room but the siblings.
Tatsuya utilized the distraction to his advantage as he began to simply erase everyone in the room mechanically.
A few were able to recover from their shock, and they made an attempt to kill the two children that appeared in the center of the room.
Tatsuya dealt with them with a bored grace.
Before they could be a threat, Tatsuya closed the distance between him and the threats before proceeding to cut them to pieces with his bare hands shrouded with his Decomposition magic.
"The security needs works if they allowed such drivel to get near mother." Tatsuya stated coldly as he stared at the corpse of the man whose life he had taken.
He had ended at least 20 people in a matter of seconds.
40 seconds to be precise.
Kicking the corpse so that he could see the features of his victims, Tatsuya noted that the victim possesses the facial characteristic of someone with middle-eastern heritage.
Studying the face of the corpse for a few more seconds, Tatsuya concluded that the man was from a country in the aegis of Indo-Persian Federation, probably Israel.
"Magnificent as ever, Onii-sama." Miyuki complimented as she watched her brother reduce to dust the eight corpses that were able to survive his initial attack.
Tatsuya turned his attention to Miyuki, specifically her eyes, before nodding.
"No discomfort this time. You are maturing." Tatsuya praised proudly.
This was not the first Tatsuya brought Miyuki to an active battle field. Since the hospitalization of their mother, whenever Tatsuya could get away with it, he would bring Miyuki to some of the missions that the Yotsuba sends him to.
Miyuki did not participate in said mission, but Tatsuya made her watch him as he work. Considering Maya often uses Tatsuya as her own personal executioner, most of said work involves mass slaughter.
At first, Miyuki was disturbed and somewhat sicken watching her brother kill, but she quickly developed a stomach for it.
Considering what her future would be, better to develop a tolerance before she receives her throne.
Miyuki was grateful that her brother trusted her enough to exposed her to this side of their family. She has yet to be given a single mission as a Yotsuba, and heaven knows if she would ever see the field.
(Considering her importance to Tatsuya, even Maya was not insane enough to send Miyuki out for missions.)
Moving to the window, Tatsuya frowned at the view that he was getting. "I think we should speak with mother, and tell her that she is being watch."
The window overlooking the hospital was giving the perfect view to one Shiba Miya's room.
(Scene Change)
"Good day Okaa-sama!" Miyuki greeted Miya enthusiastically yet politely as she entered a particularly luxurious hospital room.
This room was very familiar for Miyuki, and she hated it.
"Good day, Miyuki-san." Miya greeted her daughter back as she nodded and offered a fond look at her daughter.
Said look disappeared when she saw the person accompanying her daughter.
"Tatsuya…" Miya said curtly.
"Mother…" Tatsuya replied with equal curtness, though his voice was polite.
Miyuki sighed disappointedly at this. Miyuki knows that her brother loves their mother, and she was well aware of the fondness that their mother possesses towards her first born, but that does not change the fact that her two favorite people are very cold when interacting with one another.
"'Mother', you are still calling me that?" Miya inquired with a conflicted tone.
"Miyuki's orders." Tatsuya said simply as he walked towards the nearest window to Miya's bed. Reaching towards the curtains, Tatsuya gently pulled the curtain close. "Before we got here, Miyuki and I took care of a squad of Indo-Persian operatives that were spying on you. Please tell Oba-ue to improve your security."
Miya almost scoffed at that.
"As if you care." Miya said with a dismissive tone of voice, but there was a small hint of longing and regret that Miyuki was able to pick up.
"A small part of me does." Miya snapped her head at that sudden comment from Tatsuya, and Miyuki almost jumped for joy.
This might be it.
The day that her brother can express his love for their mother.
"…Miyuki would be sad if you perish…"
And that joy disappeared with that single sentence as that glimmer of surprised and hope was extinguished from Miya's eyes.
As much as Miyuki cherished being the center of her brother's world, this was one of the few times when she wished Tatsuya cares for someone else.
"As expected from you." Miya said, her tone cold and uncaring.
"You created me like this." Tatsuya countered before sparing her a look. "You are looking thin and pale, very emaciated. I can almost see your bones." Tatsuya said, with a blank tone.
The glare that he received from his mother did not terrify him whatsoever, although that look made Miyuki panic in the inside.
Miyuki was in the verge of interfering but Tatsuya uttered words that made the two woman in the room froze in utter shock.
"Yet, you still look divine." Tatsuya complimented suddenly, startling the Shiba girls.
Tatsuya, in a rare showing of affection towards someone that is not Miyuki, extended his hand and gently caress Miya's cheek, his eyes softening minutely.
For those who do not know Tatsuya, his eyes would still look cold, dull, and even frightening.
For Miya and Miyuki, that was the first look of affection that he had ever given his mother.
Quite frankly, that look alone made Miya question whether she had died right there and then.
Tatsuya's relatively soft look caught Miya by surprised.
His next statement completely caught him off guard.
"If I can find a way to save you, to extend your life, and if I offer that to you, would you take it?" Tatsuya asked in a voice that Miya had never heard from her son.
He almost sounded desperate.
The estrange mother and son looked at each other with varying expressions, before Tatsuya retracted his hand from his mother's cheek.
"On second thought, that will not be your call." Tatsuya stated as he moved away from his mother.
Within three steps, he was besides a shocked Miyuki. Leaning towards her ear, Tatsuya communicated with her. "I'll do a sweep around the hospital. I'll make sure that the area is safe. Go spend some time with mother." Tatsuya told her as he made his exit from the room.
Two set of eyes watch him leave.
For Miya, she was looking at him with startlement and unsurety.
For Miyuki, she was looking at him with hope and bliss.
It was shaky and clumsy, but that exchange was Tatsuya's version of screaming familial love from the rooftops.
(Scene Change)
Miyuki was standing over the stove in their family residence preparing dinner.
As she prepares dinner, her mind was recalling the conversation that she had with her mother.
"Since Okinawa, Tatsuya is becoming more human."
Her mother said those words with fear so thick, Miyuki could touch it.
Quite frankly, Miyuki did not know why that is a cause for concern.
Miyuki did not know why that development is inspiring fear upon her mother.
As far as Miyuki is concern, her brother becoming more human is a cause for celebration.
Aside from her conversation with her mother about Tatsuya's developing humanity, a statement was ringing into her ear.
A statement that her brother uttered to their mother.
"If I can find a way to save you, to extend your life, and if I offer that to you, would you take it?"
Her brother was never arrogant, never prideful. In fact, frustratingly, her brother seems to think very little of himself.
That being said, when and if her brother makes a statement, makes a promise, he always follows through.
No exceptions.
Her brother stated that he could save their mother from the sickness that has been slowly killing her since her childhood.
Countless doctors, countless magicians had failed to heal her mother.
Those doctors and magicians where in the payroll of the Yotsuba, and the Yotsuba does not accept subordinates that are below the minimum requirement of being excellent.
But none of those Doctors, none of those magicians, are her brother, and her brother is already above and beyond excellent.
A word has not yet been created to describe how remarkable her brother is.
'Maybe there is hope.' Miyuki thought as hope blossomed in her heart.
Maybe she doesn't have to bury her mother yet.
Maybe, she still has time with her mother.
(Scene Change)
After finishing cooking a lavish meal, Miyuki called her brother for dinner.
Like the way they ate breakfast, Tatsuya sat at the head of the table with Miyuki sitting closely besides him.
Before they could eat though, Miyuki ask the question that she needed an answer to.
"Could you save Okaa-sama?" Miyuki blurted out before Tatsuya could even touch his utensils.
Tatsuya looked at his sister, the one being that mattered the most to him. He stared at her for a long moment before answering.
"I should have a method."
That statement made Miyuki fall in love with her brother all over again.
"Would you like me to save her?" Tatsuya asked, reminding Miyuki of the second statement that her uttered to their mother.
Tatsuya offered their mother salvation before retracting it, saying that her salvation was no longer her choice.
It was hers.
The choice was Miyuki's.
And Miyuki's choice was clear as day.
"Yes." Miyuki breathed out with desperation evident in her voice.
"Then consider it done." Tatsuya said casually as if it was nothing more than a foregone conclusion.
Considering that it was her brother, it probably was.
With tears of joy in her eyes, Miyuki threw herself into her brother's arms and embraced him fiercely.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Miyuki shouted in absolute glee.
Tatsuya smiled as he gently placed his hands on Miyuki's shoulders and gently pushed her away.
The two siblings looked at each other eyes intensely, the love and bliss in Miyuki's eyes was making her beauty shine more than usual.
It was like looking at the rising sun, ironic considering Miyuki's preference in magic.
It shined so much that Tatsuya, for the first time in his life, reacted with his instinct and desire rather than logic.
Extending his hand to her face, Tatsuya gingerly trace the jaw line of his littler sister's face before cupping her cheeks.
This act froze Miyuki in place.
She did nothing as her brother leaned towards her and casually captured her lips.
Miyuki's eyes widen as her brother's lips touches hers.
Electricity courses through her spine as one of her dearests wished was fulfilled.
Her first kiss was with Tatsuya. Her brother took her first kiss.
This was paradise.
Miyuki was about to kiss back when her brother pulled back, much to her disappointment.
Said disappointment vanished when her brother wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flushed into his body until she was straddling his lap.
"You want me to save mother, right?" Tatsuya asked, voice hoarse and wanting.
Miyuki shuddered at the clear desire in her brother's voice. Not trusting herself to utter a word, Miyuki nodded.
Tatsuya smiled devilishly before leaning upwards and biting her lower lip.
Miyuki moaned at the teasing.
"Motivate me." Tatsuya commanded to the most important girl in his life.
Miyuki did not need to be told twice.
With urgency and desire, Miyuki wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and Tatsuya, in concert, wrapped his arms around her delicate waist.
In concert, both leaned towards each and partook upon a forbidden fruit with gusto and enthusiasm.
The second kiss between the siblings was awkward yet welcoming.
The third kiss was experimental yet eager.
The fourth kiss was loving yet intense.
The fifth kiss was hungry and passionate.
The dinner of the Shiba Siblings was forgotten as Tatsuya and Miyuki lost themselves in their first act of physical intimacy.
(Scene Change)
Five minutes ago, an alarm was raised, warning the residence of the Yotsuba estate that they were under attack.
Maya raised a brow, wondering who was suicidal enough to attack them.
A minute after the alarm was raised, the identity of the attacker was identified.
Tatsuya decided to drop by and visit his lonely mother.
Whatever urgency that Maya felt about repelling and punishing the attacker vanish after learning that it was Tatsuya waltzing into the Yotsuba estate.
It would have been pointless to act.
Tatsuya would merely eradicate everything sent his way.
A waste of resources.
Maya ordered for the alarm to be shut off, though she did not order her subordinates to stand down.
Maya enjoys watching her son decimate everything before him, and she did not want to deprive herself of the entertainment.
Five minutes later, and Tatsuya was now in her office, sitting languidly in front of her.
Maya's only thought was to wonder how long her subordinates would have truly hold him off if Tatsuya decided to kill instead of merely rendering them unconscious.
"I honestly expected a rebellion from Miyuki-chan in four years." Maya said airily, amusement clear in her voice. "I did not expect her to rebel this quickly."
"Miyuki is not rebelling." Tatsuya replied in assurance. "She does not even know that I am here."
A glimmer of interest flashed within Maya's eyes. "I see. Miyuki-chan should really keep you in a shorter leash." Maya remarked teasingly.
"Our relationship isn't that far yet, but when we are to reach that level of relations, I am not going to be the one who would be wearing the leash." Tatsuya stated with a smile that was identical to Maya's. "Miyuki can be quite agreeable with the right touch."
This caught Maya off guard. That single sentence contained more emotion and personality that Tatsuya ever displayed in his life.
She knew that Tatsuya has been developing some emotions since Okinawa a year ago. Her sister had been distressing that fact, but Maya was not.
Developing ego, attitude, and character with limited emotional range was something that Maya expected from her son.
She was just surprised that it took Tatsuya this long, but, Maya supposed, that was a credit to her twin sister's magical prowess.
Maya was so caught off guard that it allowed Tatsuya to retrieve a manila folder from his coat before sliding it across the table to Maya. "I am here to ask permission for this." Tatsuya informed his aunt, making a gesture to the manila envelope.
That statement brought Maya back to earth. Maya briefly looked at her 'son' before taking the manila enveloped that he slid towards her. Opening and extracting the contents of the envelope, which happens to be hundred pages worth of research papers.
Maya began reading the contents of the papers.
Tatsuya would never give her something that is less than impressive.
20 minutes later, Maya called for her most trusted confidant.
"Hayama-san..." Maya called her butler and confidant, all teasing and playfulness in her voice vanishing.
Swiftly, Hamaya appeared besides Maya.
"Yes, Toushu-sama?" Hayama answered dutifully, a look of curiosity on his face as he eyed Tatsuya wearily. Like Maya, Hayama was curious on why Tatsuya was acting out of character.
"Prepare some tea for me and coffee for Tatsuya-kun." Maya ordered simply. "It appears that we are going to have quite a long conversation."
Hayama bowed politely before exiting the study to obey his clan head.
"Are you capable of what you are proposing?" Maya asked seriously and urgently.
This… This could be her chance.
Tatsuya answered by merely snapping his fingers.
With flash of silver fire, a humanoid-figure manifested behind Tatsuya.
Maya looked at the 'thing' that manifested behind her 'son's' back before turning her full attention back to Tatsuya.
"You've been holding back on us." Maya stated simply, not showing a reaction towards this new development.
Maya did not dare show the excitement that she was feeling right now.
"A magician never reveals all of his tricks." Tatsuya answered with a casual shrugged. "You are the first person I showed this to. Not even Miyuki knows."
Maya did not bother suppressing the moan of pleasure that escape her lips at that confession. The exhilaration that she felt at that moment was immeasurable.
"Considering the hostility of the family towards you, I cannot exactly blame you." Maya conceded after recovering from her joy. "Still, why bother saving Nee-san? I figured that you don't care either way whether she lives or die." Maya inquired, genuinely interested.
Tatsuya raised his hand and snapped his finger again.
A silver flamed flashed into the room.
The silver flame unveiled a memory to Maya.
Tatsuya's offer to Miya of saving her.
Tatsuya assuring Miyuki of his ability to save her mother.
The siblings becoming lovers.
The siblings first intense petting session.
As the flash of silver flame disappeared, Maya could only stare at Tatsuya as the memory registered into her mind.
Taking a deep breath, Maya spoke. "Should I be expecting Miyuki-chan to be pregnant?" This was ahead of schedule, quite ahead, and Maya does not feel particularly thrill at that prospect of giving her son away to that naïve slut, but this development was still manageable, advantageous even.
"I would not take her to bed at 13." Tatsuya stated in assurance.
"From how Miyuki-chan was trying to 'motivate' you, I figured that she would have no problem spreading her legs for you." Maya said scornfully.
"Miyuki has more self-control than that." Tatsuya did not rise to Maya's insult towards his girlfriend. He will let that one slide. "And even if she did, I would not have fornicated with her while she is not fully bloomed."
Maya laughed at that.
"Quite the display of self-control." Maya teased. "So, when are you going to fuck her?"
"Two years from now." Tatsuya answered with a straight face.
This made Maya laugh even harder.
"Mayhap I should teach Miyuki-chan how to properly motivate her man. If a simple petting is enough to convince you to save someone you don't care about, I can have you dance in Miyuki-chan's palm after a few lessons." Maya pondered gleefully.
"That would be delightful." Tatsuya fired back at his aunt. "And I won't go so far as to say that I don't care."
Maya's laughter seized at that statement.
"She dies right now; I won't shed a tear." Tatsuya confessed easily. "But Miyuki would be devastated."
"Is that the only reason you want to save Nee-san?" Maya pressed, wanting to know how far develop Tatsuya's personality is.
That experiment conducted on Tatsuya crippled his emotional capacity. The Yotsuba Twins theorize that Tatsuya is not capable of developing a complex personality.
Apparently, they were wrong. Tatsuya was just a good actor, enough to fool her and everybody else.
How fascinating.
"You know my sire, and the whore that he dishonors Miyuki and my mother with." Genuine anger emerges in Tatsuya's eyes.
It was the same anger in Maya's.
"I am aware." Maya answered, also having very negative opinion towards the man that her sister was force to marry.
The relationship between the Yotsuba Twins is horrible, but even Maya would defend her sister in this matter.
"I do not want to live in a world where that pathetic man lives and reaps the benefits of being the husband of Shiba Miya! He had failed to be Miyuki's father! He had never attempted to be the wife of Shiba Miya! And what's worse, he is parading around a whore, a whore that Shiba Miya feeds, who is not even a tenth of his legal wife's worth!"
A surge of jealousy course through Maya's very being.
Her son should not be defending their creator that passionately.
That passion should be reserve to her and her alone.
Suppressing her jealousy and the urge to lash out, Maya continued the conversation.
"While I agree with the sentiment, that is not much of a reason." Maya stated, though she was merely trying to see if her son would express more of his personality to her.
Tatsuya nodded, agreeing with her, before resting his elbows on the table before him and resting his chin on his knuckles.
"I am going to marry Miyuki." Tatsuya said that particularly statement as if it was a guarantee. "You want to stop that from happening, send somebody decent to kill me. Barring that, just offer your congratulations right now."
Maya raised a delicate brow at that statement. She was about to speak, but Tatsuya raised a hand to signal her to let him continue.
Maya acquiesced.
"I thought that my feeling for Miyuki is strictly familial, yet, after Okinawa, I fell in love with her like a man would a woman. That headway fascinated me, and I began to wonder, if this new development is due to my newly awaken magic or if mother's magic over me is not as permanent as I once thought." Tatsuya spoke, voice filled with curios delight.
It was quite an adorable sight if Maya was being honest.
"I fell in love with Miyuki. I am curious if I am able to feel beyond what I am programmed to." Tatsuya's stared intently at Maya's crimson eyes. For the Queen of Night, her son's gazed was mesmerizing.
"I want to adore you." Maya's heart skipped a beat after hearing that confession. "I respect you. I fear you. I am truly impressed by you. But I don't feel any affection for you, and honestly, considering that you have supported me more than my actual mother throughout my life, I think you earn an iota of fondness from me."
Maya was taken aback. She did not expect her son to notice her support.
"I am surprised that you've noticed." Maya was quite fond of Tatsuya, and though she never treated him with kid gloves, she could have treated him worse considering the family's stance and opinion of him.
"You have a very unique voice, and I've heard you sing me a lullaby more times that I could count."
Maya blushed at that mentioned.
Tatsuya's Guardian training was brutal and merciless, and there were days in his youth when he had to drag his body to bed, and that he would collapse in unconsciousness the moment his body hit the bed.
Maya, unashamed, would sit in his bed and sing him a lullyby.
Those moments were one of Maya's fondness memories, and considering that Tatsuya recall those memory, she was giddy to know that it was also one of his.
Calming the storm of emotions that Maya was feeling, she spoke. "I am assuming that you feel the same way towards Nee-san."
"To a lesser degree, yes."
It took Maya every ounce of self-control that she had not to jump on Tatsuya.
Tatsuya loved her more than her incubator.
That fact was worth a celebration!
She never doubted her son's love, but a verbal confirmation meant the world for Maya.
Maya nirvana was interrupted when Hayama reentered her study.
For the first time in her life, Maya was tempted to put a hole between Hayama's eyes for interrupting this monumental moment between 'mother' and 'son'. Fortunately for him, good help was hard to find these days, and Hayama is a friend.
Maya and Tatsuya halted their conversation to allow Hayama to set up the refreshments.
When the task was completed, Hayama bowed at both Maya and Tatsuya before making his way to the exit.
Before Hayama exited the study though, Maya gave an order. "Lock the door, and cancel all my appointments tomorrow." Maya ordered calmly as she took a tea cup filled with hot tea to her lips. "This conversation might take longer than plan." Maya added as she sips some tea from her cup.
Hayama nodded before exiting the study, locking it as ordered.
This left the two incredibly powerful magician, with varying degrees of sanity, alone in the room.
"You offered two method in saving Nee-sana, why do you recommend one for Nee-san, and the other one for me?" Maya inquired as she browsed the researched papers once again.
"Because mother has at least four months to a year to live. I need to do this as soon as possible." Tatsuya answered simply.
"And the target that you are prosing." Maya extracted a profile of a particular magician from the envelop and pointed at the picture.
Tatsuya smiled at this.
"Shiba Miya lived her life as a transcendent beauty. I would be a poor son if do not procure a vessel of matching quality."
Maya giggled at this.
That is true.
"If I permit this…" And she was going to… "…we are opening ourselves to war."
"Then so be it." Tatsuya stated resolutely.
Maya's heart skipped a beat.
"You'll fight a war for Nee-san." Maya breathed.
"I'll win it for you." Tatsuya promised.
A damn break from within Maya very soul.
"Motivate me to give you permission." Maya commanded huskily. "Motivate me like the way Miyuki motivated you." Maya ordered hysterically and lustfully.
Tatsuya and Maya locked eyes.
Tatsuya sighed as he reached for his cup of coffee and with one motion, downed the entire drink with one gulp.
"I do need practice."
Maya could only smile triumphantly at those four words.
Maya watched in anticipation as her son rose to his feet. Her eyes followed him like a predator as he circled around her. Maya's body shuddered in excitement as she felt her son's overpowering presence behind her.
"Just so we are clear, what's going to happen between us will mean nothing to me." Tatsuya said as he placed his hands on Maya's shoulder.
"But it will mean the world to me."
She needed this. She needed this more than breathing right now.
"Very well." Tatsuya said as he gently slipped the sleeves of Maya's dress off her shoulders, exposing her tantalizing breasts to the world.
In a matter of minutes, Maya began moaning her son's name to the world.
After Tatsuya was through with her, the fearsome Queen Night was thoroughly and utterly devoted to her son.
Rewrite of Possession. Now that I am in a better headspace and starting to write again, I am rewriting a few of my works.
Second Chances is the only thing I am not rewriting.
Read. Enjoy. Review.