(A/N): Discrepancies between events/motives/characters in this fic and canon Mahouka are largely intended. Not too different generally, but not identical. Also please don't get too mad if the story doesn't go exactly as you want. NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT CANON MAHOUKA SOMETIMES ;-(

Chapter 1: Fractured

[A.D. 2085]

Lying upon a table, a young boy heard two voices conversing through a haze.

"...is necessary to keep him under control. His power cannot be left unchecked" a feminine voice stated matter-of-factly. Sounding unconvinced, the second voice responded in a pained voice, "Maya, he's already an outcast among the family. This will only distance him from us further…"

Her dark, luscious hair swaying as she shook her head, Maya interrupted "By limiting his emotions and focusing his mind on her, we can keep him close and behaved."

As Maya walked out of the room, a sinister smile crept upon her beautiful face. "And who knows? If you're successful, he might even become a legitimate member of the family. This operation is to the benefit of everyone involved."

Begrudgingly, the boy's mother Miya continued executing her magic. As she altered his mind, she began talking to him in a quiet yet urgent voice.

"...By the time you remember this, you won't need us anymore. But never forget that I always loved you." After finishing her message to him, she wept deeply at what was she was doing to her son.

As the haze enveloped his mind once more, the boy's entire world, his entire being, were centered around one person: his sister. And yet, he could feel something precious was being taken from him in return…

[A.D. 2092, Okinawa]

(Morning)

She could not understand her brother. Despite his having been her Guardian for about 6 years, Miyuki Shiba found her brother to be an enigma. His astounding fighting prowess, his impeccable housekeeping and yet he was utterly abysmal at the only thing that mattered in her family: magic.

She was never quite sure how to act around him. Although she spoke down to him as a matter of course, he was always so emotionless around her, and yet…

"He seemed to enjoy speaking with Fumiya and Ayako…" she thought aloud.

That small, cute smile he showed when speaking to his second cousins, the way his gaze seemed to soften at their acceptance of him… She wouldn't mind if she could elicit such a reaction in her Guardian.

As her cheeks took on a pink tinge and her eyes widened, she thought "Where did that come from?" She should not feel anything for him. It was hardly proper for her to acknowledge him as anything other than her Guardian. He should dutifully lay down his life to protect hers and she should not bat an eye.

"Why do I feel like this…", she questioned.

And yet she could not deny that she felt… something when he came to her mind, though she knew not what.

[A.D. Okinawa, 2092]

(Just before noon)

Tatsuya watched as Miyuki enjoyed the sea breeze on the rental boat their family was sailing on.

Tatsuya couldn't help but marvel at his sister's beauty. Her highly symmetrical features, dark hair boasting a healthy sheen and her enchanting icy-blue eyes…

Although Miyuki treated him no differently than the rest of his family, he had felt a powerful draw to her for a long time. Her happiness and her safety: these were non-negotiable. He almost smiled thinking about it.

Even still, his eyes hardened a bit and he his face returned to its usual expressionless state. It was hard not to feel a little bitter that she saw him no differently than his most of their relatives...

After roughly an hour into their voyage, his senses went into overdrive. Tatsuya and Honami quickly turned to face the threat they both sensed.

Two foam torpedoes were heading toward their boat at high speeds, having been fired from a nearby submerged submarine. Against the protests of his sister, Tatsuya raised his right hand in the direction of the oncoming attack.

Beginning to panic, Miyuki yelled "Honami-san, do something!" Honami, however, stood there and allowed Tatsuya to take charge. Her mother Miya likewise ceded to Tatsuya's initiative. What were they playing at in a time like this? Tatsuya was hardly a magician at all and certainly not enough to stop and attack like this!

And yet she felt an incredible change occur in the world. Suddenly the torpedoes vanished before her brother's outstretched hand as Psions flared around him.

"H-how did you do that?" she asked seriously. How could her brother invoke such a high-level spell? The missiles had been completely decomposed, erased. Wasn't he relegated to his position as a Guardian because he lacked talent at casting magic? If he could stop that enemy attack with such a high-level spell… just what was going on? Did she really know nothing about her own brother?

Rather than answering her, Honami and Tatsuya sprang into action and grabbed their respective charges, seeing to their safety as their boat turned back in the direction of Okinawa. The captain of the boat had reported their situation to the local authorities on the way back.

But before they got too far, they were questioned about what had just occurred by the local Coast Guard.

Several hours later at their hotel, they found themselves giving testimony of the attack to a certain Captain Kazama Hironobu of the Onna Airborne stationed in Okinawa.

Captain Kazama seemed rather interested in Tatsuya, impressed by his responses to the Captain's queries.

"Well Shiba-kun, if you're interested you can stop by the Onna Airborne base later today. I'm sure you'll find the visit of interest." Smiling, he excused himself from the room.

"Tatsuya, if you wish to go you may do so. The Captain was right, you'll find the visit informative." Though her words said it was optional, Miya's tone made it clear this wasn't optional.

"As you command," came his flat response.

Wanting to understand her brother a bit more, Miyuki requested that she be able to attend with her brother.

"That's fine Miyuki. Tatsuya, you are to draw no unwarranted attention to the two of you. Keep up the appearance that you are typical siblings. However, do not forget your place. This doesn't change your relationship with Miyuki."

"Understood."

Miyuki was surprised and a little upset. While her brother had been in several fights, what really upset her was her brother's behavior.

"So he really can show how he feels, at least a little bit", she muttered.

Her brother seemed more open around the some of the members of the Onna Airborne than he ever was around her.

When he was talking to Lieutenant Sanada about CADs, he Tatsuya seemed almost excited. He and the Sanada were conversing about the range of some CADs the Lieutenant had developed. She didn't even realize he had interests, much less ones that could draw genuine emotions from him.

"Then what does he think of me", she wondered. She recalled a number of instances where he would look at her and his gaze would harden almost imperceptibly.

She felt sick when she realized he probably detested her, even if he would never say it.

Miyuki forced herself to abandon her current line of thought, knowing it would do no good at present. But even still, she couldn't unsee the void his eyes occasionally became when he looked at her.

[A.D. 2092]

(The next day, midday)

As the Shiba family (Guardians in tow) were preparing to leave Okinawa via their private plane, sirens began blaring.

"An attack?" Miya asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "And just when we were about to leave…"

"Our ride will be here shortly, Miya-sama", Honami answered worriedly.

Having been observing all around them using his Elemental Sight, Tatsuya knew the attackers would be on them soon to prevent people from leaving. Rather than put his sister and Honami in danger and leave them with no way back to the mainland, Tatsuya made a choice.

"I'm going to head off the invaders." No hesitation entered his voice. Nor did his declaration surprise his mother. "Please keep Miyuki safe in my stead Honami-san. Depart as soon as the plane arrives."

"Tatsuya-kun, you can't just throw your life awa-" Honami caught herself. Given their station in life it was ridiculous to say such a thing. It pained her to see his resolve to rush into danger at his age. Pulling him into a strong hug, she said solemnly "Be careful, Tatsuya-kun."

Despite his usual stoicism, he felt at peace in her arms and returned her embrace.

Giving Honami the warm, genuine smile Miyuki had wanted herself, she heard her brother say reassuringly, "You know I can't be killed so easily, Honami-san."

Donning one of the family's black combat suits and helmet stored with their luggage, he stared at Miya, who seemed to struggle to say something before settling on nodding her head.

He briefly glanced at Miyuki and his eyes unconsciously hardened before he turned and left the airport to delay the invading force.

Though she wouldn't admit it, she was a little upset that he reacted that way to seeing her. She didn't understand how he could put himself in such danger if he seemed to think so poorly of her. Was he doing this out of a sense of duty as her Guardian or as her older brother?

Miyuki didn't see him much differently than before, but her view of him did begin to shift that day.

A small figure dressed in a black combat suit was decimating foes twice his age. Bullets fired his way disintegrated to dust, weakening the enemy's morale. Opting for close combat, several GAU soldiers went in to slash him with their combat knives.

Sidestepping an overhead slash from the first oncomer, Tatsuya raised his right hand and cleaved the first opponent in two from with a diagonal chop from shoulder to hip. Combat suit bloodied, he continued his slaughter, slicing through numerous limbs and torsos. Having surrounded him during his assault, the enemy's magicians then took aim at him with their spells.

"Take him down!", one shouted desperately as he and his comrades began to deploy their magic against their young foe.

"8 Magic Sequences..." he thought.

Tatsuya's "Elemental Sight" superpower allowed him to perceive the Information Dimension and glean information about what he wished to inspect. On the other hand, his "Decomposition" superpower allowed him to deconstruct Magic Sequences and physical objects. Together, they let him annihilate nearly anything, no matter how far away the target was. All he needed was to perceive the target and it's information.

Tatsuya immediately dispersed the enemy's magic sequences using his Counter Magic - "Gram Dispersion" - shocking all present. By removing portions of their magic sequences, the spells would fail to take effect.

"Even magic doesn't work? What the hell kind of monster is this?!", shouted one the magicians in a panic. Smiling wickedly behind his combat helmet, Tatsuya ensured those were the last words the man ever spoke.

As if to show just how tough he was, the remaining seven magicians were disposed of through Tatsuya's martial arts prowess alone, having their necks broken in seconds.

One of the surviving soldiers attempted to radio in the current situation to his superiors. "HQ, the Japanese dogs have unleashed some kind of monster!", he screamed in terror. "Firearms and magic have no effect on it, and it can revive its injured all-GAH". Tatsuya sliced his right hand through the man's throat without hesitation.

Picking up the nearest site of intense fighting with his "eyes", Tatsuya sped off to provide more support for the Japanese defense forces. Little did he know an interested party had their own set of eyes observing him from afar.

As a small drone relayed crisp video of a black-clad adolescent tearing through the ranks of the enemy, several Japanese soldiers of the Onna Airborne watched on in awe.

"It's as you said, Captain Kazama. The boy is exceptionally talented," stated an impressed Lieutenant Sanada. The figure destroyed several more activation sequences by blasting them with Psions.

"Indeed. His martial arts ability is excellent for one so young. And the supernatural powers he has shown are magnificent, far beyond what I expected." Kazama said in rapt fascination.

After numerous GAU forces surrounded Tatsuya, the boy snapped his fingers and instantly emitted a powerful blast of sound to knock out the opposition.

"His casting speed is on par with yours, Yanagi." Kazama had rarely seen such a talented youth.

Nodding in agreement, Yanagi quipped "When you said he cast Gram Demolition this afternoon I knew he was talented, but I never expected this level of ability. Whatever he directs his right hand at is vaporized."

Continuing the thought, Kyouko noted "And he's keeping our forces in the battle with his left hand's healing spell… though I'm not sure it can really be called healing magic. That aside, he's becoming quite the rallying point for the soldiers."

Turning to Kazama, she urged caution. "Sir, the likelihood that he is not from the 10 Master Clans or 18 Assistant Houses is slim to none."

Kazama nodded grimly. "Nevertheless, when we spoke today I could sense a level of dissatisfaction in him. A child should not have such blank and defeated eyes. There may be something there we can tap into to bring him on board."

Smiling as the boy again cast his restorative spell on the nearby Japanese forces, he said "And if nothing else we can give our thanks for the services he has rendered. We should assist him in his assault. Move out!"

"Yes sir!" the three responded with a salute.

(Okinawan Airspace)

The Yotsuba private plane featured the expected amenities of those in the upper-class to possess.

The sole focus of the plane's occupants were the video feed on several screens which had been linked to the camera in Tatsuya's combat visor. Though the Shiba family couldn't see every detail of the slaughter from their vantage point, the gore was unmistakable leading to Miyuki turning her screen off quickly.

Honami Sakurai couldn't tear her eyes away from her screen however. Though she knew it was futile for several reasons, she couldn't help but feel anxious for Tatsuya.

"Tatsuya-kun!"

Honami had actually shouted by mistake. Tatsuya had been subject to a flashbang grenade, followed by a number of explosives from the sound of it.

As the video feed cleared of the accompanying debris, Tatsuya was clearly moving and unharmed, so Honami calmed herself.

Turning towards her charge she apologized nervously. "Madam, I apologize for my unseemly display."

Nodding calmly, Miya returned her attention to the feed.

Although not her own child, Honami felt a strong kinship with Tatsuya as if he were hers. Because she was a Guardian of the Yotsuba family, she would never have children of her own unless allowed to. Neither of their lives were their own, they were to be human shields for Miya and Miyuki.

Focusing back on her video screen, she saw Tatsuya approach what appeared to be a number of Japanese military forces. A number of them carried CADs in addition to firearms.

As she was in no position to defend him herself, she breathed a sigh of relief that he would have reliable assistance in the form of combat magicians.

Honami knew Tatsuya in all likelihood required no help in this fight. But all the same, mothers can't help worrying about their kids.

A single infantry platoon drove the invading forces to the water's edge. Leading the platoon was a small figure in an obsidian combat suit. It was clearly a child.

Out of context, the scene was ridiculous, maybe even funny.

Laughter was the last thing on anyone's mind as Tatsuya continued to vaporize the GAU forces left and right. He was supported by a barrage of bullets and magic cast by the Onna Airborne forces behind him.

"This kid is no joke…"

"We're damn lucky he's on our side."

The platoon supporting him couldn't help but be awestruck and terrified at the boy's offensive.

Not long after donning the combat suit, Tatsuya made contact with Captain Kazama and agreed to work with the forces under Kazama's command. Tatsuya was mobilized as a Special Lieutenant, a designation created for conflicts in which civilians needed to be mobilized by the military.

Several GAU magicians attempted to stop Tatsuya with combined Cast Jamming via their antinite rings. They were attempting to stop his magic from affecting the Eidos by barraging him with meaningless Psion waves.

Tatsuya simply destroyed the Psion waves themselves, shocking the magicians present in the Onna Airborne. If the target had structure, Tatsuya could decompose it all the same.

"H-how can he use magic under Cast Jamming?!" shouted a GAU combatant before he was torn apart by a hailstorm of bullets, courtesy of Japanese forces.

After putting away his CADs, Tatsuya raised his now-empty right hand again, causing everyone around him to flinch. That hand had become associated with an almost demonic power, even by the Japanese armed forces. Tatsuya used this terror to exploit the invaders psychologically and allow the defense forces to take advantage of the weakness they showed.

Rather than target any of the forces still remaining at the edge of the beach, Tatsuya directed his right hand at the Great Asian Union battleship stationed out at sea.

"No fucking way!" shouted one of the enemy soldiers, realizing what Tatsuya was up to. Though he knew it was useless, the man charged Tatsuya from his front to try and stop the magic from targeting the ship.

"They never learn do they?" Tatsuya mused as the enemy soldier began firing bullets at him. Tatsuya decomposed the man's bullets and engaged him in close combat. Realizing the gun was ineffective, the GAU soldier tossed it away and began to throw punches and kicks at Tatsuya with an impressive level of speed.

However, Tatsuya was even faster. He blocked and avoided all of the man's strikes and closed in from the man's right side to end the fight. The man threw a punch with his left hand in desperation.

Though he blocked the man's final punch, Tatsuya was blown back several feet due to a spiraling force that accompanied the attack.

"Coiled Silk Force, eh? So you are a magician. I commend you for your skill." Closing the gap in a flash, Tatsuya stabbed through the man's chest with his right hand, ending the fight.

So he thought.

The soldier suddenly pulled Tatsuya into a death grip rather than trying to pull away. Several of the remaining GAU magicians were targeting Tatsuya with their magic.

"I knew I couldn't kill you, demon…" The man was gasping, blood spilling from his chest and the corners of his mouth, giving Tatsuya's combat suit a crimson coating. "I was… just giving my comrades time to cast their spells for insurance... I'll drag you to hell myself!"

The man used magic to engulf himself in flames. Tatsuya managed to escape by breaking apart the man's arms with Partial Mist Dispersion and pulled his right arm out of the man's chest. But this left him open to the enemy's spells.

Dozens of magics were directed at him. Tatsuya only managed to counter half of the sequences with Gram Dispersion before the rest fired compressed air at him. They were using an Ancient Magic version of the modern spell "Air Bullet". The activation speed was much slower, but the self-immolated soldier bought them the time to cast it.

"Too late for counter magic…" Tatsuya cursed internally. He avoided the several explosions of compressed air, but still fell victim to 4 of them. The explosions were intensely painful and sent him soaring away like a ragdoll until he landed on the ground in a heap.

"Kid!" shouted Yanagi, having finished off his own opponents. Tatsuya had clearly taken fatal blows and was facedown on the ground, bleeding profusely.

Before the enemy could cheer however, Tatsuya stood up without a scratch on him. Once again, he raised his right hand at the GAU warship in the distance. In an instant the massive warship vanished in a flash of dust and steam, leaving behind an empty horizon.

Having been struck with terror at the sight, the enemy radioed to the remaining GAU ships that were stationed a ways off from Okinawa.

"The Mahesvara can vaporize the battleships as well and he cannot be killed…"

He and his few remaining comrades then awaited their deaths at the hands of unstoppable force before them.

Rather than try and save a hopeless situation, the remaining GAU naval forces halted their invasion and retreated to GAU held territory.

Though no Strategic-Class Magic would be invoked that night, the Great Asian Union invaders and the Japanese National Defense Force would not soon forget the enigmatic magician who single-handedly turned the tide of the battle in Japan's favor.

The image of that dark figure - bathed in blood and projecting unmatched power - left all in awe as he stormed the battlefield. The name the GAU forces had cried out in fear became the rallying cry of the Japanese defense forces: "Mahesvara!"

[A.D. April 2095]

(First High School, ~3 years later)

"How could they? You scored so high in the exams, so could they make you a Course 2 student, Onii-san?!" Miyuki was quite upset.

"He can employ such high-level magic. He even made a perfect score on the Magic Theory and Magic Engineering exams…" she muttered bitterly.

"An emphasis is placed on the practical exams. Since I did so poorly on them, I was fortunate to be accepted at all, Miyuki." Tatsuya patted her head, hoping to calm her down.

She was mollified slightly, but continued, "Even normally, you have magic no one else can-"

"Miyuki!"

She caught herself due to his reprimand. "We both know what I can do, so it doesn't matter to me whether or not anyone else recognizes it. I will be fine." He gave her a small smile to help calm her down.

"You should go work on your speech. It would be a shame to miss it."

Nodding sadly, Miyuki began to walk off to prepare for the speech she was giving as the Freshman Representative. Tatsuya began to think over all the changes their relationship had undergone in the last couple of years.

A year after the Okinawa invasion, their mother Miya died from an ailment she had been suffering from for a number of years. Initially, Miyuki was furious and did everything short of dismissing her brother from the family to push him away.

But he could no more part from her than he could stop breathing. Honami became a surrogate mother to them, but there was only so much she could do given her status in the Yotsuba family. Miyuki could not yet see Honami as an equal due to her status as a Guardian. But Tatsuya was there for her to pick up the pieces from their mother's death. He was her shoulder to lean on, to cry into, to hold onto. Before long, she began to see him much differently than before.

They could talk more cordially, more openly, as siblings. He would do anything for her; that's just how he was made to be. He wasn't completely open to Miyuki emotionally just yet. Tatsuya was stoic at the best of times after all. But they had made significant headway.

As he walked around the campus of First High School, Tatsuya realized he had been reminiscing for some quite some time. Spotting an open bench beneath a tree, he sat down and began reading research material on cutting edge magic theory using his handheld terminal.

"Taurus Silver must solve the puzzle of Flying-Type Magic" he thought to himself. In Modern Magic, sustained flight was not yet possible to actualize. Ancient Magic was capable of realizing it, but it lacked the ease of use, mass reproduction and efficiency that was possible with Modern Magic. Hence it was known as one of the Three Puzzles of Weight-Type Magic.

This was a major reason he bothered attending High School in the first place. Much research material was only accessible if one attended an accredited Magic High School, University or research facility. Recognition held very little sway for Tatsuya, as he never expected to receive it.

Before he could get very deep into academic material, he turned to a presence he detected approaching. Soon after the person began talking to him, he felt he needed to leave in a hurry...

There had been an uproar of sorts among the Student Council of First High. It had been learned that a new student had aced both the Magic Theory and Magic Engineering entrance exams.

It was an unprecedented feat in the history of First High or any of the other Magic High Schools for that matter.

"Tatsuya Shiba eh…"

However, Mayumi Saegusa was flummoxed. Despite his apparent genius, Tatsuya had scored abysmally on the practical portion of the entrance exams. It was tragic to the point of comedy.

"That's quite a shame, he could been something else if his practical ability was even average". Suzune Ichihara said in as stoic an expression as Tatsuya had in his entrance photograph.

"Eh, I'd still like to meet him. He's bound to be phenomenal in his own way, don't you think!"

"A-chan, you seem a bit starstruck!" Mayumi teased. "If his photograph is anything to go by, you will have some competition with Rin-chan."

"Presideeeent..." Azusa was blushing deeply.

"Mayumi, I've told a before to stop with that ridiculous nickname. As for your insinuation about Shiba-kun and I, well, that's ridiculous. In the first place, I haven't even met the guy."

"But you haven't exactly refused to get to know him well, have you?"

Rin (Suzune) went silent. She had known Mayumi long enough to know there was no winning once she started teasing unless you returned fire. Rin doesn't tease people.

Deciding to give her friends a break, Mayumi said "Anyway, I think I'll make the round before the Freshman Representative gives her speech. She shares her surname with Tatsuya-kun, so I'm guessing they're siblings, maybe twins".

"President, you're trying to keep Shiba-kun to yourself, aren't you?" OK, Rin bent the rules and teased Mayumi.

"You have an overactive imagination Rin-chan!" Before anyone could respond she backed out of the Student Council's office.

As she patrolled First High's campus and directed new students to the auditorium, Mayumi overheard several new Course 1 students speaking.

"Awfully early for a Weed."

"Rather presumptive for a mere reserve…"

Mayumi was close to disciplining them for violating the code of conduct against using such an offensive term for Course 2 students, but there wasn't much time left before she had to give her own speech.

Noticing the student they were referring to sitting alone on a bench beneath a nearby tree, Mayumi approached him.

"You should get going to the auditorium. The speech by the incoming Freshman Representative is going to start soon!" She used her more playful tone, hoping it would be more persuasive to the young man.

She was shocked when he turned to face her.

"Oh, it's you Shiba-kun!"

He seemed surprised that she knew him.

"I don't believe we've met, Saegusa-san. And please, call me Tatsuya." As he stood, she realized she only came up to his shoulders. She was a little sensitive about her height.

"Hm, OK Tatsuya-kun but you have to refer to me as Mayumi", she replied teasingly. After he nodded in amusement, she continued "I just recognized you from your entrance photograph. 'Well done' doesn't quite cut it! You aced Magic Theory and Magic Engineering!"

Though she was a little embarrassed that she might be channeling A-chan, Tatsuya's reaction surprised her. He almost seemed put off by her praise, as if he took no pride in it. His eyes seemed to harden in self-loathing for a moment before becoming impassive again.

"No need to be shy, Tatsuya-kun. It's OK to be proud of such an accomplishment. It's never happened in the history of the school!"

Annoyingly, his face simply remained as stoic as his entry photograph. "How is he so unaffected by my teasing?" she thought.

"I must be going President. My sister is about to give her speech."

A bit stunned by how quickly he seemed to brush her off, she shouted as he left "I told you to call me Mayumi, Tatsuya-kun!"

"OK OK. I'll see you around, President Mayumi". She could practically hear his smile.

Why that wise-ass…

As she finished her rounds and headed to the auditorium, wondered why he seemed to think so little of himself.

After Miyuki had given her speech, which she personally thought had gone rather well, she set off to find her brother.

The President and Vice President of the Student Council were in tow. "I wonder what they want?" she thought to herself.

Upon spotting her brother, she found herself annoyed at her brother's company. One was a brunette girl with a rather large bust and… glasses? "Must be oversensitivity to Pushions" she thought.

The other was a pretty redhead with a lithe body. Though Tatsuya wore his usual, expressionless face, he seemed to be making an effort to make some friends.

"They better not be hanging on him like this all the time…"

Miyuki decided to take out her irritation on her brother.

"Onii-san, have you started dating already? Don't be such a heartbreaker." She sounded playful enough, but her brother knew her we enough to know she was bothered by something.

"Miyuki, insinuating such a thing to strangers can be considered rude."

"I apologize for my childish remark." Miyuki bowed along with her apology, showing the traits of a proper Mistress of her family.

"Eh, there's no need to be so formal. I'm Erika Chiba. It's nice to meet you!" Miyuki smiled at the redhead's straightforward and down-to-earth attitude.

Though blushing rather much, the brunette spoke up as well. "It's quite alright Miyuki-san."

Looking to Miyuki's side, her brother noticed her company.

"Fancy seeing you again, Tatsuya-kun." Mayumi added a wink to tease her brother.

"Indeed Mayumi. I'm starting to wonder if I'm being stalked." Tatsuya showed a slight smirk as he said this.

"Wha- Y-you can't say that after only meeting twice. Isn't that as rude as what you reprimanded Miyuki-chan for?" The Student Council President was puffing her cheeks in annoyance.

"Ah, you're right." Bowing slightly, he said "I apologize, President Mayumi". The wry smile on his face told Miyuki he was teasing the Student Council President.

Miyuki was somewhat surprised. Though he seemed more sociable and expressive as of late, her brother rarely engaged in such teasing.

Seemingly sensing Miyuki's growing annoyance, Tatsuya spoke to her. "Is the President done with you Miyuki-chan? If not I can come for you when she's done."

Miyuki hadn't thought about that. She had only been concerned about keeping her brother waiting.

Assuming a more formal demeanor, Mayumi responded "Oh it's fine, we can handle our business with Miyuki-chan another time." Then her playful side peaked out as she said "And you Tatsuya-kun. Let's have a nice, long talk sometime."

With that she left, leaving Tatsuya with an upturned eyebrow, and Miyuki a bit miffed.

"Let's head home Miyuki. I'm sure Honami will want to hear all about our day." His smile put her at ease, so she bade their new friends goodbye.

As they walked home, Miyuki thought about the emotions her brother had shown. While Tatsuya often showed the bare minimum of emotion to avoid coming off as robotic, she couldn't help but wonder how much she saw today was genuine. He seemed to be more human than in the past, if only a little.

UPDATE (16th September 2017): Fixed formatting. Since I write these using Google Docs for convenience, I didn't realize stripped away Docs's horizontal bars. Hopefully now it's easier to read, sorry!

(A/N):

This is my first time writing anything outside of school related stuff, so I'm probably making a bunch of errors. Thankfully, I had a few people on the Mahouka Wiki Discord sever look this over while I was writing it, so hopefully it didn't turn out too bad. I'd like to thank Immorel, Legate, Shutforever and Fross from the aforementioned Discord. Their responses and edit suggestions helped make my fic less shitty than it otherwise would have been.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this fic, let me know. And if you think there are areas I can improve, tell me exactly what the problem is so I can hopefully get better. I' sure if this is the average length I want each chapter to be yet, if I continue this. Probably will be somewhat flexible, but preferring to get to at least 2k - 3k words, just to make them somewhat meaty.