#fuzz mistborn

Leras' death in both Realms is so heartbreaking. RIP Leras, He did his best. He did what Ruin either could not or was no longer able to. He heard the thoughts of all humans. He listened to the hearts of men. Leras hoped and trusted in humanity and it paid off 😭😢💔

And I have theories on why he interacted the way he did with Kelsier and Elend. Also, reading these passages again makes me tear up.

Leras’ death in the Cognitive Realm. Leras didn’t know if the atium in the Pits of Hathsin would be burned off by the atium Mistings. He didn’t know if before the Well’s next cycle he would survive the mental decay or Ruin’s attempt to Splinter Preservation. He even disagrees with Rashek’s actions.

I theorize Leras knew three things needed to happen for the atium Mistings and The Hero of Ages to finally occur: 1) Rashek needed to die, 2) the atium in the Pits of Hathsin needed to be “destroyed,” and 3) The Shard needed to survive Ruin’s direct attacks and get to Vin. 1 is impossible without a proper rebellion (Kelsier’s persistence) and sufficient Allomantic power (Vin drawing the Mists). 2 is impossible without someone with the drive to accomplish such a ballsy move. 3 is tricky because Leras’ mind is so frayed, so he likely needed a middleman to pass the Shard onto Vin.

I think Leras saw into the future at some point, and came to the conclusion that Kelsier might be the person for the job. So in Kelsier’s darkest moment - on the night of Mare’s death - he Snapped Kelsier and commanded him to Survive. Maybe gave him metal reserves to burn. I think Leras deliberately bestowed the power of Allomancy to Kelsier and inspired him to escape the Pits; to become the Survivor of Hathsin and fulfill the next steps of the plan. Much like how Kelsier himself told Spook to Hope and keep moving, or commanded him to Survive, or brought him into a vision. Kelsier did all that to accomplish a precognitive plan to encourage Marsh to rip out Vin’s earring; thus allowing Vin to take up the Mists and Shard.

I think Leras pulled the same con on Kelsier, but on a grander scale.

Whatever the reason, Kelsier felt the end like a long, drawn-out sigh. It sent a chill up his spine, and he scrambled to find a thread of Preservation. They had been all over the ground earlier in his trip, but now he found nothing. “Fuzz!” he screamed. “Preservation!” Kelsier… The voice vibrated through him. Goodbye. “Hell, Fuzz,” Kelsier said, searching the sky. “I’m sorry. I…” He swallowed. Odd, the voice said. After all these years appearing for others as they died, I never expected… that my own passing would be so cold and lonely… “I’m here for you,” Kelsier said. No. You weren’t. Kelsier, he’s splitting my power. He’s breaking it apart. It will be gone… Splintered… He’ll destroy it. “Like hell he will,” Kelsier said, dropping his pack. He reached inside, gripping the glowing orb filled with liquid. It’s not for you, Kelsier, Preservation said. It’s not yours. It belongs to another. “I’ll get it to her,” Kelsier said, taking up the sphere. He drew in a deep breath, then used Nazh’s knife to smash the orb, spraying his arm and body with the glowing liquid. Lines like threads burst out from him. Glowing, effulgent. Like the “lines from burning steel or iron, except they pointed at everything. Kelsier! Preservation said, his voice strengthening. Do better than you have before! They called you their god, and you were casual with their faith! The hearts of men are NOT YOUR TOYS. “I…” Kelsier licked his lips. “I understand. My Lord.“ “Do better, Kelsier, Preservation commanded, his voice fading. If the end comes, get them below ground. It might help. And remember… remember what I told you, so long ago… Do what I cannot, Kelsier… SURVIVE. The word vibrated through him, and Kelsier gasped. He knew that feeling, remembered that exact command. He’d heard that voice in the Pits. Waking him, driving him forward. Saving him. Kelsier bowed his head as he felt Preservation fade, finally, and stretch into the darkness.

Preservation’s death in the Physical Realm. This is much simpler, I think.

I think he probably wanted to give Elend hints of his plan for the atium Mistings. I think he was pointing northeast to an area near Luthadel - the Pits of Hathsin and the Homeland. The waves he gave for the questions on the mists and the pointing to Elend’s metals… Leras was giving hints that the Mists were Snapping people into Allomancers.

His final, hesitant wave. The sign that beating Ruin and surviving is a tiny possibility.

The mist spirit evaporating… that’s the Survivor taking up the power to give to the Ascendant Warrior. Preventing the power from being Splintered. Freeing the god’s frayed mind from its timeless burden.

The creature fell still. It was getting harder and harder to see it in the mists. Elend flared his tin, but that didn’t make the creature any more distinct. It seemed to be… fading. “Where was it you wanted me to go?” Elend asked, more for himself than expecting an answer. “You pointed… east? Did you want me to go back to Luthadel?” It waved with half-enthusiasm again. “Do you want me to attack Fadrex City?” It stood still. “Do you not want me to attack Fadrex City?” It waved vigorously. Interesting, he thought. “The mists,” Elend said. “They’re connected to all this, aren’t they?” Waving. “They’re killing my men,” Elend said. It stepped forward, then stood still, somehow looking urgent. Elend frowned. “You reacted to that. You mean to say they aren’t killing my men?” It waved. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve seen the men fall dead.” It stepped forward, pointing at Elend. He glanced down at his sash. “The coins?” he asked, looking up. It pointed again. Elend reached into his sash. All that was there were his metal vials. He pulled one out. “Metals?” It waved vigorously. It just continued to wave and wave. Elend looked down at the vial. “I don’t understand.” The creature fell still. It was getting more and more vague, as if it were evaporating. “Wait!” Elend said, stepping forward. “I have another question. One more before you go!” It stared him in the eyes. “Can we beat it?” Elend asked softly. “Can we survive?” Stillness. Then, the creature waved just briefly. Not a vigorous wave—more of a hesitant one. An uncertain one. It evaporated, maintaining that same wave, the mists becoming indistinct and leaving no sign that the creature had been there. … I don’t know why Preservation decided to use his last bit of life appearing to Elend during his trek back to Fadrex. From what I understand, Elend didn’t really learn that much from the meeting. By then, of course, Preservation was but a shadow of himself—and that shadow was under immense destructive pressure from Ruin. Perhaps Preservation—or, the remnants of what he had been—wanted to get Elend alone. Or, perhaps he saw Elend kneeling in that field, and knew that the emperor of men was very close to just lying down in the ash, never to rise again. Either way, Preservation did appear, and in doing so exposed himself to Ruin’s attacks. Gone were the days when Preservation could turn away an Inquisitor with a bare gesture, gone—even—were the days when he could strike a man down to bleed and die. By the time Elend saw the “mist spirit,” Preservation must have been barely coherent. I wonder what Elend would have done, had he known that he was in the presence of a dying god—that on that night, he had been the last witness of Preservation’s passing. If Elend had waited just a few more minutes on that ashen field, he would have seen a body—short of stature, black hair, prominent nose—fall from the mists and slump dead into the ash. As it was, the corpse was left alone to be buried in ash. The world was dying. Its gods had to die with it.

However, putting these plans into motion isn’t the same as knowing they’ll come true. Leras probably didn’t know if Kelsier would succeed in destroying the Pits’ atium or in giving the Shard to Vin. He certainly didn’t know if Elend would succeed in leading the atium Mistings to the Homeland.

Futuresight in the Cosmere, or at least the Hail Marys and fragile distant possibilities in Leras’ plan, seem to be split into maybes because of free will. If the figures in The Plan made the “wrong” decisions, made different decisions, or lost hope in the world, Ruin would’ve easily won. Their “right” decisions required them to just… live their lives. If Rashek, Vin, and Sazed living different lives meant their Connections to the Shards might’ve been completely different from what we know. Different Connections meant they couldn't hold the powers Leras wanted them to.