The First Grimoire: Final Fantasy Tactics A2

Prologue: "The Beginning of Summer"

It's summer, isn't it? The sun's burning hot, the sky is bright blue. And even night feels shorter. So...

"Why am I still here?!"

A young boy leaned back on his chair and glared at the ceiling. He took his hand back and brushed it through his messy brown hair, messy due to him constantly scratching his head or shaking his head as he tried to think of things to write in his notebook. In the end, he just slapped it closed angrily.

"Mr. Blaiiiir, why do I have to do this again?" He directed his anger at his teacher. Mr. Blair raised his head from the book he was reading and replied,

"Luso," He said, "If you need to know the reason, think back to how many times you have been late to school."

"Um..." Luso grabbed his hair again, trying to think. "T-two times?"

Mr. Blair shook his head, "You've been late to class for six times consecutively. Each time, you've interrupted class to yell out 'Sorry Mr. Blair! I'm late again!'"

"So this is your punishment. Write me about two pages worth of reflections on how you've been treating school lately."

Luso glanced down at his closed notebook. He had barely written in it at all. At most, he had written the date and a few simple sentences. Definitely not two pages.

Most definitely, he wouldn't be able to leave for home for a while.

Mr. Blair looked up at the clock, it was nearly two hours after school ended. At this rate, even he wouldn't be able to head home as well. It was his job to supervise any student that stays within school grounds after hours, after all. He kicked himself mentally for giving such a big assignment to one of the biggest slackers in class.

With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate and returned his attention to his book.

Clatter, thunk.

"Um...Mr. Blair?" A voice came from the doorway, "If you wouldn't mind, can I have a word?"

Mr. Blair looked up from his book again. There appears to be another teacher standing outside in the hallway. Luso lifted his head slightly and stared at the doorway as well. He couldn't see who was talking, the angle was obscuring the visitor.

"Oh, Mr. Randell." Mr. Blair said, "I'll be right there in a minute." He put his book down again and walked out into the hallway. Leaving Luso alone in the empty classroom.

"Aaagh..." Luso groaned. Placing his face against the cool desk, he stared out at the window. The voices of all the children who are out playing under the bright summer sky only intensified his depression.

What is there to do now? Should I even try to finish this? Thought the young boy. Nah, I'll be let out eventually anyway.

He placed his head back onto the desk and closed his eyes.

Man, this is boring. I wonder what I should do once I get home?

I think I'll just hang out with my friends, maybe we'll all go and play some video games or something, It's summer anyway, I have plenty of time. I can even oversleep again, how nice is that?...well, auntie might yell at me again, but I'm pretty much used to it.

I'll just tell her that I'll be better next year. Like, I'll be at school on time, and I'll stop letting the dog eat my work on 'accident.' Haha.

...hey, maybe I can write this as my reflections!

He hurriedly flipped open his notebook, tore out the first page and started scribbling down his thoughts.

...and I'll stop doodling on the margins of my books, and I'll stop secretly sticking gum underneath my chair, and...

Clatter, thunk.

Luso looked up from his notebook, which had nearly a page filled now. Mr. Blair had walked back into the classroom. He looked strangely happy, and relieved.

"Luso!" He said jubilantly, "Good news! You don't have to write that two page reflection anymore. I have a new job for you."

"Huh?" Luso almost dropped his pencil in surprise. What's the deal?

"Mr. Randell needs someone to clean up the library for him. If you can tidy up all the books and papers, I'll let you go without writing a thing."

"Really?" Luso stood up instantly. Although he had never been inside the library before, it didn't sound like a place that would be incredibly messy. If he finished it fast, then he could go home fast.

"Just pack up and head on over to the library. Mr. Randell should be in there."

"Alright, do you want the notebook?"

"It's fine, keep it."

Luso nodded and quickly tossed all his belongings into his bag haphazardly. In less than a minute, he was out of the classroom and into the hallways. Mr. Blair breathed a sigh of relief. He can finally go home now. Even teachers want their summer vacations as well.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap.

The sound of Luso's feet tapping on the floor as he ran in the hallways. An usual offense that would get him a scolding from the hall monitor or a teacher. Not that there are any right now.

Halting in front of a wooden door, Luso glanced at the metal plate hanging above it.

"This is it!" He said happily, "The library!"

He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door energetically. But as soon as he placed one foot inside the room, his happy smile had suddenly slid off his face like wet paint.

"N-no way!" The library was a mess. No, to call it a mess was an understatement. Paper was strewn all over the floor, bookshelves were missing their contents, and books were piled all over the place in small towers. It resembled a miniature cavern, a dungeon of books.

Luso leapt over a stack of books that was threatening to fall over. The desk where the librarian usually sits is vacant. Instead, a small note was left on the desk, held down by a small teddy bear that was probably left behind by some childish student.

He put the teddy beat aside and picked up the note. It was a letter from the librarian to Luso, written in slightly messy writing.

Dear Luso,

Mr. Blair told me that you'll be helping me clean up my messy library for me. Thanks in advance. Feel free to take home any books you think are interesting, I don't mind. Just remember to return them when school starts again after the summer. Be careful of the stacks, they might topple over and crush you. Some of the bookshelves are also broken, so be careful of those too, okay?

Thanks in advance

Mr. Randell

"This feels more like a warning than a thanks..." Luso mumbled. He crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the garbage bin.

Feeling as if he was ripped off, Luso sighed and leaned against one of the tall piles of books. Almost instantly, it began to wobble and toppled over. With Luso along with it.

"Agh!" He cried out as he flipped over the pile, landing roughly in the middle of a valley of literature. A few books fell over and thumped Luso over the head. Stars filled his vision as he grabbed the attacker and tossed it away. The book flew over the pile and landed on a wooden table, knocking a small box onto the ground. It flipped open and began to play a simple melody.

Luso crawled over to the box and picked it up. It was a small music box, the type that most people would buy for young children to help them sleep.

"This sounds kinda familiar..." Luso said. He rubbed the lump on his head and placed it back on the table. The box stopped playing as soon as it touched the surface. "Did it break? Oh well..."

Spotting a chair, Luso grabbed it and sat down. He drooped his head onto the table. It was almost nighttime, and he was still stuck in this library.

This is a great start for a summer, isn't it? Luso thought sarcastically. He banged his head against the wooden surface in frustration.


"Huh?" Luso lifted his head at the unknown sound. The book he threw had flipped on by itself. He glanced at the window behind him, it was all shut tightly.

"Wow! This book looks older than Mr. Blair!" He had picked up the book and laid it out in front of him. The pages were frayed and yellowing, some of the text was beginning to fade away. Luso flipped a few pages, several of the pages had illustrations of heroic looking humans that held beautiful swords, ancient old men that appeared to hold flames or lightning in their hands, monstrous creatures that had large horns that could probably tear the entire school down in one charge.

Entranced, Luso forgot about his depression momentarily as he eagerly flipped through the book. However...

"What's up with this page?" He hadn't even reached the middle of the entire book yet, but the pages had become entirely blank. Not even a hint of ink was left on any of the pages. Feeling desperate, Luso turned the book over and examined the very last page.

There was only one line written on the very back. In spiky black lettering, it read,

"Only one is fated to author these barren pages. Know you the name of the one?"

"Wow, what's with the strange backwards words?" Luso said, "I wonder who was the weirdo who wrote this?"

Luso stretched himself out and went back to examine the sentence. A mischievous thought crossed his mind. He reached inside his bag and took out his notebook and pen.

"I never pass up a chance to write in a library book before, why start now?" Luso said gleefully, he clicked his pen and bent over the pages. "I'll tell you his name!"

"His name is...Luso Clemens!" He punctuated his last line with an overly large period. Blot. "Ah...that felt fun."

"I guess I'm the author of this book now!" He laughed to himself. He began to put his pen and notebook away when...


"Hm?" The pages on the book had flipped over on it's own again.

Fwoosh, fwoosh, Fwoosh, fwoosh, Fwoosh, fwoosh, Fwoosh, fwoosh, Fwoosh, fwoosh!

As if a tornado had blown in, the pages on the book began to turn itself rapidly. Suddenly, a cold breeze had blown into the entire library. Luso dropped his notebook and stood up. The breeze had escalated into a full scale gale and began to lift up many of the fallen books around him. As if the table was the eye of the hurricane, books, paper and other paraphernalia were flying around him in a dizzying scene.

"What's going on?!" Luso cried, he could feel the wind buffeting him around as if he was a scarecrow. He grabbed onto the table in a desperate attempt to ride out the wind, but it was no use. He could feel his feet being pulled up by the powerful draft. One of his shoes had loosened and flew off his foot and joined the books in the tornado.

By now, only his hands were still on the ground. Desperately clutching onto the table leg, which was thankfully nailed down to the ground. His entire body was already floating into the air.

"I...can't...hold on!" He gritted his teeth, "Mr. Blair! Mr. Randell! Anyone! HELP!"

The pages stopped flipping.

Time stopped, just for an instant.

Summer had begun, summer had ended.