Disclaimer:I do not own Final Fantasy Tactics, I wish I did. Such a great game. They should revamp it and add so many more things, even an online fighting mode. That would be awesome, like with new classes. So Now on with the story, "A Diamond Among Stones."

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"Stars: they define how we act, and what we do," the Professor began, "They guide our lives, from day to day. They influence everything around us. Our fate is dictated to us...," the Professor continued, but he noticed a boy's hand fly into the air. "What do you want, Integra?"

"I was just wondering, why do the stars have so much power, if they never interact with us, let alone themselves?" Integra asked.

"Blasphemy! You, child, are an imbecile. The Church has told you what to believe, and you will believe it. Now, let us get back to the lesson, before we are all made idiots by Integra's stupid comments. Now the Stars can be read, and we will begin to read them, as time passes...What is it now Integra?"

"Sir, with all respect, the Church is lying. The Stars can't affect our lives, we choose our own fate by the choices we make. The Church is lying to you all!" Integra shouted.

The Professor walked over to Integra and took him by the hem of the shirt. He dragged him all the way out of the classroom and threw him into the corridor.

"I will not let you lie to my students, and from this day forth, you are no longer my student. Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth if you don't want to lose your head. Once you have learned to accept the truth, then you can be my student. Now leave my sight," The Professor said, beginning to get red.

Integra picked up his books and stormed out of the school, planning his revenge. He would make them all see.

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"How could he say those things to me?" Integra asked Satoko. Integra was still fuming from today's events. "Who does he think he is?"

"Do not worry about it Integra," Satoko wimpered, "He's an idiot. You will be great someday, I just know it."

Satoko gave Integra a hug and handed him a flask of juice. She grabbed his hand and began to pat it, looking very concerned. Integra was known to be rash and think with his guts. She gazed at Integra and began to play with his brown spiked hair. He was wearing his blue jacket and black pants. Around his neck hung a feather which he had since he was a child. It was a yellow feather that was bound with a gold chain. It never held any special meaning except that it had sentimental value. He was a lean kid, but very strong and fast. Integra could jump very fast, and without interruption. He was very intelligent; crafting inventions as to further his thieving needs.

"Let's rob his office?" Integra asked Satoko, whispering into her ear.

He looked into her beautiful blue eyes. He whispered into her ear, behind her black hair. Satoko had the weirdest tone to her skin, it radiated with blue. Her elven ears were pointed at the end. She always wore a skirt, and had a gold trim robe on at all times. Satoko was working for her Time Mage license.

"Yeah, I can practice for my exam tomorrow," Satoko began to look excited, "Just like old times."

Integra grabbed her hand and they ran to his house to grab some of his little creations. They ran through the village, stomping in puddles and shooting water all over. When they got to the school, they looked upon the topmost sill. Integra sprang to the windowsill and pulled himself up to meet their new entrance. He threw down a rope to Satoko and pulled her to the window. He took out his little knife and shattered the glass. Satoko cast a Silence Song to make no noise.

"No turning back?" Satoko asked.

Integra grabbed her hand and thrust her into the room. She pulled books from the shelves and stopped them in midair, so as to walk on top of them. Satoko walked right over Integra and poked him in the head with her staff. Integra walked over to a large, old-fashioned cabinet, with a grand lock on it. Integra grabbed his knife, and jammed it into the keyhole of the lock. The knife melted and became a key, just for the lock. He opened the cabinet and saw nothing. He searched the entire thing and only found a small piece of paper. He opened the paper and read:

"Artimer, my old friend, it has been too long. I hear you are teaching now and you got that punk-kid of mine. Feel free to be hard on him, he needs to shape up. Can you still hear it? The screams of those people? It is still ringing in my ears. They never knew it was us, they regaled us as heroes. We burned their houses, and killed all of the townsfolk. The only bad part about it was that I got stuck with that piece of dead weight, Integra. His mother begged me to take him, she thought I loved her. I didn't love her so much when you took her head. That night was great, and no one will ever know the truth."

-Your Best Friend, Sir Galahad

Integra stared at the paper for what seemed like hours. Tears began to pour from his eyes and Satoko came down and held him close.

"What's wrong Integra?" Satoko kissed him gently.

"My entire life I looked up to my father and I find out that he is a ruthless murderer. How can anything be wrong?" Integra cried even more. "I hate him, he killed my mother and all of my family. All I was left with was him. He killed my past and now I have nothing."

"You're wrong Integra. We have each other," Satoko held him close, but heard footsteps coming. "Integra, we have to go." She pulled on his arm, but he refused to leave.

"I have to think, just leave me," Integra hugged her tightly, and shooed her away, just as the door opened.

"You pitiful imp," Integra's father was standing in the doorway. He walked over to him, and picked him off of the floor, and grabbed the note from his hand. Galahad looked at his son with utter disgust. "You besmirch the Church. You break into school. You get thrown out of school. What in all that is Holy is your problem?"

"You're my problem..." Integra began, through teary eyes. "You have ruined everything for me. You have no reason to live, you are a disgrace to all knights everywhere."

With that, his father punched him in the face and started to beat on him rather harshly. Integra fell unconcious and woke up several hours later in a cold black room. Integra cleaned up the blood from his eye and his mouth. He rubbed the rope-burn marks from his wrists and got up to his feet. Integra looked around the room, and saw a banner of a Black Lion.

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His father had spoken to him about the Lion Clans, fighting for dominion. He was headed off to war. His eye twitched and his mind began to race. Searching of his memeories, one stuck out most vibrantly. He was at school reading the newspaper. And read aloud about the war to Satoko. She and him began to speak about the war and how idiotic.

"Promise me, no matter what you do, you will not go into that stupid war," Satoko said to Integra, "Will you promise me?"

"No, I have no choice, I must enlist," Integra looked at his feet, "mandatory enlistment of all males. But, you must promise me, you wil not run after me, when I get shipped out. You must not involve yourself in this war, I don't want to lose you."

"I promise you Integra," Satoko kissed Integra, "but, only because I love you. I will not follow you into war."

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"Today shall be the first day of the rest of your lives," a General had shouted.

"Yes Sir," the hall echoed.

"What the hell am I doing here?" Integra whimpered.

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That is chapter one, hope you guys and gals like it. I would like to give thanks to Cheiri Blossom for all of her help with ideas for Chapter one, and her help with me in life. I would also like to thank Kate, my friend, who helped me out with some of the grammar problems in my first draft.