Authors Note:
WARNING! THIS WILL SPOIL Mistborn Era 1 and The Quintessential Quintuplets.
Although I written this so you can read this story without a single hint what Mistborn or the The Quintessential Quintuplets is, it will spoil some of the major plot lines. If you have no idea what Mistborn is, it's an epic fantasy by author Brandon Sanderson. It's a story where evil has ruled over the world for thousands of years, and each rebellion ended in failure. But a new rebellion is formed, their goal to rob the Lord Ruler and take over his capital city. The Quintessential Quintuplets is originally a Harem manga written by Negi Harbua, and follows a man named Uesugi Futaro. He is part of the bottom class of society and his family is very poor. So after taking a tutor job, he has to tutor five quintuplet sisters. The story is mainly his relationship between the quints and their relationships between each other.
Okay, now that's done and over with, here is a short message from the author: I'm new to writing so this story might be utter garbage. But I'll keep the edginess down and hopefully don't dig myself into holes. HOPEFULLY. I love Mistborn and I love The Quintessential Quintuplets, so I'll try not to disrespect the two of them. I'm worried about a couple things in the story (such as starting with third-person omniscient to third-person limited, and there being too much inner thoughts, but it is just a first draft). Enjoy the story anyways.
Edit 1: Changed one word to make the plot make more sense.
Prologue: The Five-Part Dreamer
Ash fell from the sky.
The angelic windows to the keep were shattered, glass littering the polished stone floor. The cries of the wounded and the injured echoed across the air; their despair mixing in with the crackle of fire and the thick smell of blood. And of course, the ash came in, layering upon the sullen battlefield.
A single man lay among the dead, who's white suit was stained red, and eyes once open was now closed. Peaceful. Harmonic. Dreaming.
A person was crawling towards him. She dragged herself bloody, breaking both nails and skin, as she slowly - painfully - arrived to her destination. It took many a heart beat to get to him, each pull a struggle, each breath a mountain to climb. Yet determination pushed her forward, and her tears only made her go faster.
And with one last mighty pull, she slid next to him, facing the man before her. Spotting the wound, she cursed softly. She looked for any supplies near her, found nothing. She tried to hold back the wound with her own bare hands. It didn't help. Nearly screaming in frustration, and terrified out of her wits, she began to beg.
"Please," she whispered. "Please…"
So it was not the cries of the dead and injured that awoken him, nor was it the smell of despair that made him wake. It was a single voice. One single desperate voice.
"Please wake up."
Futaro opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the falling ash. And the blurry face of somebody leaning over him. He didn't need to see her face. He already knew her voice, heard it thousands of times before. Recognised it so perfectly that it was permanently etched into his brain. He smiled, a grin that melted her heart; a smile so rare in the midst of a battle.
"I was having a dream," he said, quietly. "Of that dream like day when I met you..."
Futaro sat in the middle of a bustling party, books stacked like a massive wall around him. While the nobles danced to the stringed orchestra that House Venture supplied, he jotted down notes on his most recent book. Of the Southern Dominance, it was called, and it was an amazing read. He was surprised that the Lord Ruler allowed this book to exist, and it gave him many juicy tidbits about his rule.
"The skaa here are treated nicer than those in the Central Dominance," Futaro read. "In the further reaches, some of them can even earn property or be as rich as a noble. Actually, in the law books, skaa are not legally slaves but are treated as such in many areas across the empire. This massive deficiency can cause-"
A shadow passed by, blocking his reading light. Futaro groaned, and looked up. Another dancing couple. He swore these nobles make it a game to block his readings, taunting him with their fancy gowns and make up. Superficial people who could hardly think for themselves. What fools. Can't they understand what he's trying to do? He knew that his sister admires their clothing, but she was also young. He protected her from the street. She didn't understand the wealthy's naivety and pure stupidity.
The couple lingered for a while, Futaro's temper slowly growing, but he said nothing as they finally left. Shaking his head, he heard the fools around him giggle at his discomfort.
That's it! he thought, pilling his books and food on the table behind him. He's switching. Getting up, he was about to leave when he bumped into a maiden beside him.
"Sorry," he grumbled, sitting down on his new table. He knew he was being rude, but they couldn't do anything to him. Not while his noble house still supported him. Getting out his notes, he went back to writing. But he still felt the presence of the person he bumped into to and felt her gaze like a knife to his back.
"Excuse me!" she said.
Futaro glanced at her, exasperated. She had long reddish-pale hair, carved diamond stars entwining within her long curls. Her frilly red dress contrasted with her bright sapphire blue eyes, black lace trailing down her legs. A necklace hung around her neck, and she clutched it with a single silky black gloved hand. Her skin looked as smooth as milk, and perfect as all nobles look like.
"I was here first," she claimed, "you already had a table; please use that one instead."
"That one sucks," he said. "People keep on blocking my research. You should move instead."
"That doesn't matter," she replied curtly, "it's first come, first serve."
Futaro was not impressed. "Than I could sit here, can't I?"
Her face turned into multiple shades of red.
She looks like she wants to throw a chair at me, Futaro thought, analyzing her reaction. She either can't control her emotions very well or else she has the best acting I've ever seen.
She sat on a chair opposite of him. Futaro blinked his eyes once. Twice. Three times, unbelieving.
"I said…" he began when she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"My legs are at their limits after walking around the empire all afternoon."
Futaro nearly crushed his paper.
She must be playing with me right now, she has to be!
Cape Ventures ballroom was stupidly large. Long and narrow like a river, it has five floors, with enormous stained-glass windows. Bright lights shone from them, casting a cascade of colors across the hall. Huge pillars sat between the windows, ornate and well carved, before leading to a massive dining area. At the very back, his masters sat on a balcony overlooking the entire room. There was plenty of space here. Why sit here and embarrass herself silly? And as if on cue, he heard nobility nearby whispering about them.
"The skaa servant eating with the newbie…"
"What a joke."
"Idiots…"
They were purposely raising their voice so Futaro could hear them. He could just tell. Not that it infuriates him any less.
"Assholes," he muttered. He noticed the red-haired girl's reaction from the corner of his eye. Her face was red, looking downwards as she pouted.
If she didn't want to be embarrassed than why sit here? She must be acting. But what could she possibly want from him, his master didn't tell him anything. She would get zitch zero from him.
Futaro went back to writing, analyzing his book, as he ate from a small plate beside him. The food was small and not very filling, but it was food and it was free. Mine as well take advantage of it.
"That's poor manners, you know."
Futaro grimaced, teeth clenched. "Oh, is it? I didn't know that."
She smiled back, though her eyes were still hostile. "You still shouldn't do that. But really, a skaa that knows how to read and write? Very interesting. Let me see your work."
Grabbing his papers, she examined them carefully. Eyes wide, she read through his carefully crafted work.
"Amazing!" she said. "It's so professional! How do you know so much?"
"I actually care about learning," he snapped, reaching for his stolen papers. "And I take advantage of my elevated position, unlike you dirtbags." Snatching the research papers from her hands, he carefully placed it back to its original position. She looked even more furious, turning into a darker shade of red.
"You know it's so frustrating," she said slowly, "that you're so good at studying. I'm… not as good at school work. You're way smarter than me. It's kind of hard to believe, actually. An intelligent skaa."
At least you're not exploding on me, he thought bitterly. That was the last thing he wanted. More attention.
She seemed to be lost in thought after saying that, eyes distant, thinking; before she suddenly clapped her hands together. Futaro watched confused as her frown turned to a smile.
"I thought of a great idea!" she exclaimed, bright blue eyes gleaming.
And what 'great' idea do you have? He thought, feeling a little worried. What does she want with me? It better be good.
"Sharing this table must be some kind of fate!"
"And?" he asked.
"Please tutor me!"
Futaro froze, stunned at her remark. Stumbling for words, he tried to respond but failed. What the heck was she asking him for? And why? Finally finding some words, he raised an eyebrow.
"You know I'm skaa, right?"
"Of course," she said. "But you're so smart! And father doesn't really care what I do!"
"You realize the scandal this will cause?" he asked. Enough that his master might cut his budget. The image of his sister starving flashed through his mind.
No, I can't let that happen.
She merely shrugged in response, looking away for a second. "I don't care. I just want to pass my class."
He narrowed his eyes. There was something else here. Something he didn't like. And was that guilt he saw? The room around him was loud but all he could hear was his own breathing.
"What do you truly want with me?"
She waved her hands. "Nothing! I just want you to tutor me!"
He wasn't convinced.
Listen to me lady, what are you trying to do here?
A sensation snapped deep inside him, like a small spark.
She seemed to calm down, losing some of her emotions from before. It almost felt unnatural how droopy she suddenly became. "Fine. You got me."
So she does have an ulterior motive…
"Tell me," he demanded.
She bit her lip, before staring straight at Futaro. Her eyes looked dead for a second. "You were a controversy to begin with. A skaa who could join the balls, and be with us. Even dance with us. Perhaps even marry. My… father didn't trust you, and wanted to investigate your loyalties. He made a deal with your master, to tutor us, and examine your loyalties at the same time. Especially since the skaa has been acting up lately, with the survivor being back and all. We're not too sure where your loyalties lie."
Futaro tilted his head. He heard of the rumors. The Survivor of Hathsin, the man who defied the Lord Ruler, is back. And the rumors of skaa rebellions were slowly starting, though he noticed many of the nobility didn't seem to care.
"Couldn't you determine my loyalty in a different way? And why reach out to me like this? Couldn't you have told me in a different way?" he asked, phasing each question carefully. Now that he knew what she was after, spies might be listening to their conversation. His master was always watching.
"This is the most convenient since, well, as I told you my marks aren't very good. And I just wanted to see how well you were. As a tutor and a person. That's my way of doing things."
"By tricking people?" he asked.
"You can say so," she said carefully.
Then, as if a switch lit up within her, she suddenly grew angry. Her face red, she glared at him.
"How dare you!" she suddenly exclaimed.
"What did I do?" Futaro asked, scooching backwards.
"You used Allomancy on me, didn't you?"
Allomancy is a magical power that the Lord Ruler granted to the rich and nobility. The magic could be used to manipulate metals, and emotions. It's supposedly super powerful and can defeat an entire army in mere minutes. Allomancers in the stories were beings of destruction and importance. Many were called mistings, and they only control a smart part of allomancy, but some were called Mistborns; those beings have all the powers and could use them to destroy nations. He was certainly not one of them!
"I don't have any allomantic powers!" Futaro exclaimed. "I'm not even nobility! Allomancy can only be passed down by genetics, and I certainly do not have noble blood in me!"
She didn't seem to believe him, shaking her head. "Bull crap! You tried to soothe me into telling you information!"
Standing, she got up angrily. "I don't want to deal with you now."
"WAIT!" he cried, "what's your name?"
"Call me Itsuki," she said. "Part of the Nakano family. I'm new to Luthadel."
"Very well," he said. "My name is Uesugi Futaro. So when do you want to meet and at what time?"
She didn't say anything for a while, staring at him like he's a total idiot.
"Meet me at House Erikell. I'll see you there tomorrow morning at seven. Your master should tell you more about the job."
That's all the information you're giving me? He thought.
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
Itsuki's eyes filled with unbridled disgust. "Nothing, skaa."
She huffed, crossing her arms. And before he knew it, she left.
Ten minutes later and Futaro still couldn't study. His mind was still racing after that conversation and every thought involved that mysterious lady. He felt sweat slowly trickle down his head, while he wrote gibberish on his paper.
What she said made no sense. And what was going on made no sense. He was just a skaa, adopted from the streets. His master was the head of House Venture, but Futaro rarely saw him. Now his master was making a deal with some other nobility moving in? What was going on? And why does she claim that he's an allomancer?
It hurt his head just thinking about it!
Taking a deep breath, he got up.
He should stop studying for a while. Relax and explore the party.
Now that it was later into the ball, there were less people crowding up the space. But the orchestra was still playing and couples danced across the square. Slipping through a pair of servants, he crossed the tables, exiting the main area. He entered a small square, a huge water fountain sitting in the middle. It was carved to show the Lord Ruler standing above a group of bowing humans. Water extruded from the figure, slowly filling the stone pool. Four pillars sat at the corners of the fountain, holding a domed roof above the statue. Nobles talked in their little groups around the fountain, and he spotted more than a few glances at him.
He spotted an Obligator among the rich. The man was covered in intricate tattoos, reaching from the top to the bottom. He must be a full prelan, for he had many marks around his eyes. The man was staring right at him, with blank, evil eyes.
Futaro blinked. The Obligator was no longer there.
Shaking his head, he went back to examining the fountain.
He appreciated the small touches on it. Like how the Lord Ruler's platform had a carved map of the Central Dominance on it. Or how the stained-glass windows were made to reflect red light on the fountain, and how each bowing human had a symbol on each of their backs. The art piece itself was atrocious, but it also had a beauty to it. A weird beauty, but one nonetheless.
The Lord Ruler may be immortal and perhaps a God, but he certainly has the ego of a normal human.
"So you're the man who's after Itsuki."
Futaro jumped, facing backwards.
"Woah!" the lady said. "You're jumpy."
"And who are you?" he asked, getting a good look of her. She had piercing blue eyes which twinkled playfully, almost angelically. The word matched multiple things about her. With her perfectly white dress, not a single stain on it. And her hair which was a short pinkish-silver, that sparkled in the bright lighting. But there was something weird about her that Futaro couldn't put his finger on.
"You can call me Ichika," she purred, reaching a finger for him. "And yours?"
"Futaro," he said. "You should know that already. There's more than enough rumors going on about me."
"I don't care about that rubbish," Ichika said, "but I heard you were courting Itsuki. She's pretty, isn't she? Earnest too. Probably your type."
Did he need to say he was skaa again? She was already pissing him off but he felt no need to make her mad too.
"Why do you even care about her?" he asked.
She tilted her head. "I just do. Anyways, I can get Itsuki for you again. When you need her..." she giggled.
Futaro grabbed her arm. "I can take care of my own problems, lady. I don't need your help."
She glanced at his hand before smiling at him. "You sound so manly for someone who spent minutes just looking at some statue!"
She tried to pull away, but Futaro held strong. Unnaturally strong, Futaro didn't have to try to stop her from moving.
"You're not leaving me till you get me some answers," he hissed.
"Pushy, aren't we," she teased, ripping her hand away. Futaro nearly tripped but balanced himself carefully. "Don't do that again."
"I don't understand! What's going on with your friend?"
She looked confused. "You mean Itsuki? I have no idea what your talking about. But..." She spun around in a circle. "This city is so big compared to the ones in the Southern Dominance. It's nice to have so much room!"
"Uh-huh."
She placed her hands on her hips. "You don't sound very impressed."
That's only because you see the rich parts of town! Luthadel is a disaster for people like him. Many skaa live in the streets, starving to death. Corruption was high and thieving gangs plagued everything nice. It was a horrible place to live for nearly everyone but the rich.
"You city folks get it nice," she complained. "It's way cheaper here to get clothing! And things are just so much more convenient!"
Why are you avoiding the topic of Itsuki? Futaro thought, but he didn't let the question show on his face.
She approached, strolling next to him. "Cool down! You need to frown less! If you want to get Itsuki, then you should smile more."
He sighed. "I'm not going after her hand. I'm a skaa. I can't just marry the rich.'
"Well," she purred again, "there are secret brothel dens across the city. If you can't get anyone here, then maybe I can do something naughty with you."
Futaro opened his mouth in shock, stunned. Then he noticed the gleam in her eyes. "You piece of-"
She laughed him off. "Anyways, if you ever feel troubled, feel free to talk to big sis Ichika about it! This seems interesting after all."
"Big sister?" he asked, but she already strolled away.
Oh, you gotta be kidding me! He cursed, trying to go after her. But she quickly disappeared in the crowd, leaving him behind. Again.
What's with women leaving me behind like a sack of shit?
Feeling frustrated, he collapsed on a nearby bench.
This day was frustrating enough. It seems like he has to tutor this Itsuki lady who seems to hate him, and deal with Ichika who also has an agenda of her own. Not to mention that the logic Itsuki used to get him to tutor was weird. And was it just him, or did she suddenly get super pissed off for no good reason? She doesn't just want to test out his loyalties, she's looking for another thing. But what?
"Uesugi-san!"
He was no Allomancer. He can't use magic, and he certainly can't control emotions like Itsuki claimed. Allomancers were also associated with the mists, and he hated the mist. They were a powerful fog that came out only in the night, blocking all view and covering the world in its reaching tendrils. He hated them.
"Uesugi-san!"
Things just don't make that much sense anymore.
"Uesugi-san!"
Futaro looked up. A lady leaned next to him, her face only a breath away from his own.
"Hm?" he asked. She smiled. He jumped away. "The heck? Who are you?"
"Ah ha ha!" she said triumphantly. "You're finally looking my way."
The first thing Futaro noticed about her was the green ribbon tied on her head. It stuck out like a sore thumb, making her already eccentric appearance more weird. Her hair was short like Itchika's but was a soft pale. Her eyes were also a sharp blue, but it looked a little more softer than Ichika's. Her joy was radiating out of her like the sun, as if she was meeting an old friend. Her dress matched her joyfulness, a bright yellow empire waist dress, gems embedded around it.
"I am?" he asked. "And I asked for your name!"
"You didn't say 'please'," she pouted.
"And how do you even know my name?"
She giggled. "I'm glad you asked."
Futaro watched her warily. Please don't let it involve Itsuki or Itchika…
She piled all of the books he abandoned beside him. "Here they are! I saw you ditch these behind."
Futaro nodded his head grimly. Right. He left those at his table. They could've been stolen. Next time he wouldn't make that mistake again. "Thanks."
She frowned. "That's all I get? Those books were heavy, you know."
Futaro wanted to snap back at her, but he did realise the books were heavy even for him. Maybe he should be nicer.
"Okay, then. I thank you for your hospitality." He said it through gritted teeth but it seemed to be good enough for her.
"Good! Now you're less of a grump!"
"I am not a grump! And what does that even mean?"
"In my stories," she said, avoiding his question, "the skaa are always described as unhappy and mean. Always ready to deceive people. Is that true?"
Futaro said nothing in response, analyzing her. She seemed a lot more honest than both Itsuki and Ichika, and he could see genuine curiosity in her eyes. She wasn't just making fun of him, she actually wanted to know.
"Not really," he said. "Many… skaa are subjected and aren't treated the best. So many resort to criminal activities and other 'mean' ways to live. You could say that many of us are forced to be unhappy. That doesn't excuse some of the actions we take, but you get the general idea, right?"
She looked at him, surprised for a few seconds. "I never expected you to know so much."
"I've been told that a lot."
And it was getting just a bit annoying. Just a bit.
"Well you're lucky, you know so much," she pouted. She got out a sheet and showed it to him. "These are my marks."
Futaro glanced at the sheet. It was a history test and the questions looked relatively easy. But she seemed to score a 0 on it, not getting a single question right. How was that even possible? How could a noble get such a low mark? The nobility were trained since they were young to do good in school. How could this even happen?
"Impossible," he whispered.
She pulled back the sheets. "I know, right! This test was impossible!"
He blinked his eye. "I mean your score. Not the test. It was easy yet you did horrible."
"That's not very nice."
"Do I have to be nice?" he asked.
She wagged a finger at him. "You're not going to get a girl if you constantly act like that."
"Does it look like I'm trying to court someone?" he asked, losing his temper. This lady was getting on his nerves. Can't she tell he doesn't want to talk to her anymore?
"You seem lonely," she claimed. "Lonely men want women."
"Do you want to court me or what?" he asked, standing up. He kept his voice to an angry whisper but he wanted to scream.
"Of course not!" she responded, blushing.
Ready to respond, Futaro suddenly paused. He spotted Itsuki standing in the middle of the main tables, talking with two of her other friends. Or was he just imagining it? Squinting his eyes, his vision suddenly cleared up. Everything seemed to get louder for a second, but he could clearly see Itsuki talking with two other friends. Vision clearing again, information flooded through his head. And he made his decision. He turned to the noble he was talking too.
"Bye, I have to go," he said curtly. He has to deal with Itsuki and this person was annoying him. It's a win-win.
"What?" she asked, behind him. "You're leaving now?"
"I have a duty I must complete," he responded drly.
She tried to chase after him, but he quickly entered the crowd. Nearly pushing through the nobles, he dodged servants and furniture blocking the way. He heard curses fly after him, and angry stares. But determination launched him forward, ready to get some must needed answers. Answers. NOW.
About to head towards Itsuki's table, he was stopped when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.
"And what are you doing?'
Her voice was quiet. Deadly quiet. That was dangerous. More dangerous than being loud. With a warrior, you can see his attack coming from miles away. Yet an assassin is always unpredictable, slicing your neck while you least expect it.
"Nothing bad," he said carefully, slowly pushing her hand away. He examined the new threat, and took a deep breath. It wasn't an Obligator. It was… another problem. This problem was a long pale haired lady. Some of her hair covered her face, making sure he could only see a purplish blue that threatened daggers at him. She wore a black band around her neck, crystals and gems hanging from the sides. She also had a light-blue peplum dress, and dark leggings that stretched across her legs.
"It looks like you have business with us," she said.
"I do," he said honestly. Looks like she's one of Itsuki's friends. Itsuki said she was new here, so how did she make friends with someone already?
"You're walking on thin ice," she said. "But you already know that."
"I just want to talk with your friend. I want to confirm what she said to me."
She didn't look convinced. "So you're the man Itsuki was talking too. Futaro, right?"
Did he need to confirm his name again? He was getting a little tired of that. "Yes. That's what I'm called. And what is yours?"
She looked away. "You can visit her. I won't stop you anymore."
Futaro narrowed his eyes. Not telling me anything? No matter, I could just search through House Venture's logbooks. I will find her and her little friends soon.
Passing the stranger, he arrived at Itsuki's table.
"You," Itsuki said, eyes wide. "Why are you here?"
One of Itsuki's other friends stared daggers at him. She had long, wavy hair, with a hairpin on both sides of her head. The hairpins were of an exotic bug only heard in legends, a butterfly; it's so called 'wings' forming as the pins designs. It was of black, with green and blue strips at its edges. This design also carried onto her dress, which was quite different than the usual ball dressing. It was a black cocktail dress, with a large rectangular white stripe in the middle. At the edges, the same green and blue patterns formed, making her look even more exotic.
"What are doing with my sister, skaa?" the butterfly lady asked, getting up.
"Questioning your sister about what she said to me," he grumbled.
Sister?
"It looks like your trying to do something else," she said walking right next to him, "something not very gentlemanly."
She grinned, a nasty grin that made Futaro want to punch her in the face. It took almost all his will not to do so. And he felt like he was about to lose it.
"That's nice. I didn't know that."
Blood on the ground, stomping on her. People screaming. Laughing at her and her stupid little dress. It would feel so nice, but… he made a promise long ago. Both with his sister and that other one. His savior. He can't give that up now.
She strolled beside him, eyes darker than the mist at night. Futaro felt her breath against his neck and his eyes widened as she talked.
"Listen punk, don't you dare mess with me. Stay away from my family right now or else I will execute your little ass. I don't care that you have House Venture supporting you, I will find some way to kill you and your family." Backing away, Nino smiled.
"Do you understand now?"
Futaro nodded his head slowly. "I do."
"Good."
He watched her walk back to her table, before casually talking to Itsuki. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his hands.
Oh you little piece of shit! He thought. In the streets, doing an action like that will get her stabbed. In this world, he had no power. No power to do anything.
Why do I feel so useless? I can't do anything. Nothing at all.
"Hey!"
It was the same lady in white who teased him before. Slapping his back, he hardly reacted.
"You look down!" she said. "Did anything happen?"
"Nothing."
"Did she turn you down?" Ichika whispered. "I feel bad for you."
Futaro began to giggle. "Oh. Right. I got rejected. It's not like I told you that I didn't want to court your precious friend."
He was going insane wasn't he? He faced insults, teasing, and death threats. He was done for today. Couldn't she just leave him-
"Found you!"
Futaro groaned as he spotted the lady he ditched running towards them.
"I knew you would be here!"
"Did you really think that Yotsuba?" the girl who blocked Futaro said. He jumped, not noticing her approaching from behind.
The ribbon-haired girl called Yotsuba nodded her head. "I met him at the fountain. He lost his books so I gave them back to him! But then he ditched me! You better say sorry to me, you jerk!"
Futaro backed away from the wave of girls, hands raised in defeat. Calm… stay calm…
"I did nothing wrong," he said.
"Nothing wrong?" Itsuki claimed. "You insulted me multiple times, right Nino?"
The girl who threatened him spoke up. "Yeah! He was a massive jerk! Miku tried to stop him from talking to us but he charged in anyways!"
That MIKU you're talking about let me in, you cheeky cunt! Futaro wanted to say, but held back his tongue. Because he spotted a servant walking towards them. It was not any ordinary servant, it was his master's personal one.
And that meant business.
"I'm glad to see you all together," he said, bowing. The girls paused their ranting as he talked. They must've known he was important too. "My master wants you six to join me in a conference room. He has important information to tell you. Very important info, in fact."
His master was a man of many things. He had a strict, no-nonsense face that looked disgusted all the time. He wore that look while dealing with his only son Elend, while executing a servant he thought too ugly, or while going to the skaa brothels for his own pleasure. Rarely did Futaro ever see him smile, and he hopped that he never will again. Straff's clothing matched with his face, a sharp black suit, not a single crinkle on it. It goes well with the man who leads the biggest Noble House in all of Luthadel. His master, and his new 'father'.
Straff Venture.
The six of them sat crossed legged on the floor, as his master paced around the room. Turning to Futaro, he raised his voice.
"I trust that Ms. Itsuki told you what you needed to know?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Tell me her exact words," he said.
"She said that I'll be tutoring her," Futaro said carefully, "part of it is raising her grades, the other part is to show my true loyalty."
Straff stopped walking. "Is that all?"
"Yes sir."
He glanced at Itsuki. "You didn't tell him the rest of it?"
"No, sir," she said, slightly whimpering. He didn't blame her, his glare was enough to freeze anyone in place. Very few people he knew could withstand his glare, and some of them aren't even close to being human anymore. "I didn't want to intimidate him."
Straff nodded his head. "I see. I see. You told him a little more than your father said you would, but that's all fine and dandy." He turned towards Futaro. "Now, you. You're probably wondering why I brought these fine people along with us."
Futaro didn't dare glance away from his master's eyes, but he could tell that the rest of the crew (Miku, Nino, Yotsuba, and Ichika) were sweating hard. He could taste the despair in the air.
"I do wonder why, sir."
"This will shock you," he said, "but it should be said before you start your operations. These five girls are a miracle of our healthcare system, and are something that we never thought possible before. They are quintuplet sisters."
Futaro's mouth fell to the floor. Quintuplet sisters, almost unthinkable. In the streets, if a mother gave birth to two children, they will most likely die. Five would be unthinkable. And the chances of five being birthed at the same time was near impossible. There was not a single record of people being born as quintuplets. He knows that Straff lies as much as a baker bakes bread, but he could tell his master wasn't lying. Straff's eyes shone with cruel determination. No lies here. But still.. Quintuplets? It was like a scene out of a fantasy tale. But that can explain why they all kind of look the same, with the same sapphire blue eyes that pierced through his soul.
It all made some kind of sense now.
"They are a unique bunch," Straff said slowly, "each having quite a learning disability. I want you to show your loyalty by teaching them all at once."
He was too teach FIVE people at once? And each of them seems to hold a grudge against him now! He insulted Itsuki, he ditched Yotsuba, Nino wanted him dead, MIku doesn't trust him, and Ichika just teases him! And they had to take him seriously? What a joke!
"But that's not all," Straff said. "They all have a little secret. They are all Allomancers. Mistings, to be precise. They have been trained since they were little to use their abilities and they are experts beyond the vast majority of Allomancers out there. Which leads to you again. Remember that you are teaching them?"
Futaro nodded his head, confused.
"Well they're also going to have a teaching role too. It was not until a couple of days ago, when I spot it. But when an Obligator walked up to me, saying you were using Allomancy, I was quite surprised."
Futaro turned white. No. No. NO.
"Turns out, you're actually a Mistborn."
Straff smirked at Futaro's shock, his grin filled with hatred. Mistborn. Those who can fly across the sky, and use all the abilities of an Allomancer. Rarer than gold, and even more exclusive than Antium. A one in a million chance. It can't be!
"Congratulations, Futaro," Straff said, "You have quite a job to complete. Not only would you have to teach them, you would also have to convince them to teach you too!"
"I'm not a Mistborn," Futaro said. "It's just not possible.."
"Then why were you flaring pewter when you grabbed Ichika?" Straff asked calmly. "How did you manage to smooth Itsuki's emotions so she could tell you more information? She knew that you were using allomancy, because she felt its pull before. Or how did you spot her in that massive crowd while you were talking to Yotsuba? Was that your amazing eyesight? Or was it magic?"
Futaro knew he lost the game already. His master won. There was no way out. He was a Mistborn now, for sure. Maybe he was a Mistborn for a long time and he didn't even know. Fate seems to be laughing at him now, along with the Lord Ruler. Laughing at his pathetic life, while cursing him with this new power. Cursing him with the power of a Mistborn.
And in that one moment, Futaro gave up all hope of having a normal life.
Lost hope in everything.
So, he just stared at his master.
"I understand now, sir."
"Good. It will be a hard job, but one that will come with some perks. But with the bonus perks, there's something else that must be at stake. There must be something that motivates you! A certain condition that if you fail…"
The door to the room seemed to finish his sentence. It opened, and the first thing he saw was his sister Raiha. A man was gripping her mouth, a knife hanging at his side. His sister struggled at the man's grip, kicking and shoving. Then the man stuck a knife near her throat and she paused. Eyes landing on Futaro, she screamed.
Futaro leaped towards his sister, eyes wild. He was ready to choke his master to death, but Itsuki pulled on his side as he ran forward.
"Don't do it," her eyes seemed to say.
"But he will kill my sister!"
"DO YOU WANT TO DIE!?"
Futaro cursed loudly.
Raiha!
But he knew she Itsuki was right, and to the satisfied grin of his master, sat down.
But that wasn't the worst part. Another servant came in, hoisting a body. Throwing it on the ground beside Futaro, it landed with a splat. Blood pooled from the body, organs rupturing from its sides. It was hardly recognisable as human. But Futaro still saw who it was under that coat of blood and death. And he stared at it.
Stared at it.
Stared. At. It.
He didn't cry, only looked at it in pure despair, his rage fading away.
Oh father…
Straff spat on the dead body. "Useless little skaa. Had to fight him to get this little specimen."
"I see," Futaro said, staring at the body. So much blood…
"So. Skaa. What do you say. Do you agree to my little lesson?"
Futaro laughed bitterly. "What else can I do. Of course I agree!"
Straff approached Futaro leaning down next to him. Patting his head, the man smiled again. This one seemed more genuine, but he wasn't a genuine man to begin with. Futaro didn't trust his smile. And only Itsuki's concerned glance kept him from choking the man to his death.
"Your exact location of meeting is at House Erikell, room 243, at seven in the morning. Exactly at that location, and at that time. Don't disappoint me, Mistborn."
Getting up, Straff left the dead body to rot. Waving the rest of the grunts away, along with Futaro's sister, the man carefully exited the room. Closing the door, Futaro was left alone. All alone with people he didn't care for and a single dead body.
So Futaro did the most logical thing he could think of. Getting to his feet, he forced himself not to shake. Part of him was still laughing in shock but he also toned it down. This was not a time for weakness. He already showed enough of his.
"Can you help dispose of the body for me?" he said to the Quints. "We have work to do."
Lots of work indeed.
Ash fell from the sky.
As the young maiden cried, tears dripping on the dying man, ash began to cover everything. Even the mists joined the ash, long reaching tendrils curling along the open windows. Like they were trying to wipe away the death and violence, a clean slate for a new world. A new world they might not take part in.
Everything was falling apart, but Futaro's smile was everything to her.
Everything.
And so she cried. Until there were no more tears left, and the song of death and violence was the only thing the couple heard.
"Dream like day?" she asked, finally responding to Futaro. "You mean the day when we met each other? Itsuki, Ichika, Yotsuba, Miku, Nino… that's when you found out what was really going on. I don't see how that's dream-like."
She couldn't. Everything about that day was painful to Futaro. It was clear for everyone to see. His true father killed, and his sister a hostage. Forced to tutor and get tutored by mad nobles who were also quintuplets.
"I guess," Futaro began. "But that moment still appears in my dreams everyday; haunting me like a ghost. Like the mist themselves. A total nightmare. But I still remember parts of it fondly. Events that I keep deep inside my heart, that will last forever."
The sun began to rise, a gloomy red that brightened the maiden's eyes. At least they were going to die under sunlight. Futaro may control the night, but they were equal under the sunlight.
Equal and together.
I know you love me and I know I love you back.
And that's what really matters.
She closed her eyes, ready to die.