Daybreak

"Why do I get stuck with the whos-who of mental illnesses?"

- Tsuruko Sejren, lampshading the premise of Daybreak S1

Daybreak Chapter: A Change of Perspective (夜明け編・見通しの変更, Yoake-hen: Mitōshi no Henkō), often shortened to Daybreak (袮武麗句 (デイブレイク), Deibureiku lit. Embroidered War, Elegant Phrase) is a storyline written by Perchan; which is a prequel to one of most beloved storylines on the fanon, Fairy Tail: Dawn; which is written by Per and her partner, Darkrai. Unlike the main storyline, which focuses on Akatsuki and their rebellion against the, A Change of Perspective centers around Tsuruko Sejren, a character who is relatively unknown; Daybreak serves as a prologue to the series proper, explaining many things. Very much like Dawn, this story is set in an alternate timeline—but A Change of Perspective takes this further, having almost no relation with the guilds of nowadays; though some characters from Dawn may show up.

Daybreak ran from the Beginnings Arc to the Great Zodiacal Sign Battle Arc; around eight arcs, with the ending concluding Part I. The original Daybreak's tagline is "I am the last hope!" (私が最後の希望！, Watashi wa saigo no kibō!).

Of note is that a new chapter is released every Sunday, to what the author refers to as Showtime Sundays (ショータイム・サンデー, Shōtaimu Sandē); a term coined after the main protagonist's catchphrase.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is copyright Hiro Mashima. Also, I do not own a 1997 Chevy Impala, but that is completely irrelevant. 'Cides, if I did own Fairy Tail, Lucy and Erza would've hooked up by now. And I'd be richer than you. Anyway, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Synopsis
Daybreak is a direct prequel to Fairy Tail: Dawn set twenty years before the current time; and follows Tsuruko Sejren, a character mentioned by major players in the story; an unseen hero with a significant role in shaping the world of Dawn today. The story leads up to the introduction of Fairy Tail: Dawn, and also expands on the backstory of the main antagonist of Dawn, Crux Kouga. Many characters from Dawn play roles of various importance in the story. Since the story takes place years before Dawn, many places in Earth Land are either under construction or otherwise different from Dawn. For example, the city of Bevelle has not yet been completed, and the town of Hargeon is still filled with its original inhabitants. The story of Daybreak encompasses the events of the past, including Crux Kouga's descent into villainy, the Ragnarok Catalyst, the homunculi, and many more.

A mysterious ceremony held on the day of a solar eclipse released demons called symbiotes into the world. Tsuruko Sejren, a survivor of the ritual, obtains mystical powers and receives the Phoenix Driver and Super Soul Rings from the mysterious Phoenix Knight, so she may protect the hopes of the people, serving as a paragon of light.

Daybreak is formatted a little different than Dawn, as each arc covers one major event about each character. While the first three arcs are not written in chronological order- and they center on a single character as a focal point for the story. In short, there is no main character in Daybreak- however, Tsuruko does take up the role of the main POV when it is most desirable.

The plot's main driving element is Tsuruko's goal in making friends with everyone, even the villains. As such, many of the characters learn important life lessons from Tsuruko as she tries not only to fight monsters, but also to befriend them and save them from themselves. The villains themselves show parallels to the darker sides of humanity and with each one that appears, it becomes harder and harder to free them.

Beginnings Arc

 * Prologue: The Legend Begins
 * Paragon of Hope
 * Falling Into The Heart
 * Innocent Origins
 * La Pucelle
 * Breaking Day

Jorōgumo Deen

 * An Unusual Mission
 * Academy Infiltration
 * Floating Lilies
 * The Ruse Is Shattered
 * Blessed Wind
 * Twelve Stars

Oni Zanma

 * The Search Is On
 * Rise Legend
 * Fish Out Of Water
 * Jidai Geki
 * Chains of Commanding
 * Might Makes Right

Four Revival Arc

 * No Place Like Home
 * Friend or Foe
 * The Dangerous Drive
 * Released Power
 * Shining Victory
 * Showtime

Turncoat Sion

 * The Reason for Despair
 * No Resignations Accepted
 * Evolution
 * Discovery
 * Resolve
 * AGITΩ

Kaizorg Tsuruko

 * Secrets
 * True Nature
 * Maiden of Death
 * Sympathy
 * Kaizorg
 * A Hero From Zero

Eldritch Kirika

 * Glory to the Strong
 * Black and Scarlet
 * Seekers of Hell
 * Old Versus New
 * Commandant
 * An Encounter

Esper Excellen Part I

 * Old Wounds
 * Stress Relief
 * Closer
 * Saint
 * Mission

Great Zodiacal Sign Battle Arc (大宮合戦, Daikyūgassen)

 * By Your Side
 * The Trumping Friendship
 * The Wild Dance of Gaiki (凱輝の乱舞, Gaiki no Ranbu)
 * A Stellar Stand
 * Siblings Reunited
 * Nega End

One-Offs and Specials

 * Christmas of the Rising Sun - Team Daybreak celebrates the birth of Christ with senseless violence!

Similarities with Rising Phoenix
Both Daybreak and the author's previous series, Rising Phoenix, on The Bleach Fanon, have many similarities with one another; to the point that a fellow admin and friend of hers, Ashy said that it was "Rising Phoenix, done right". The author herself has said that Daybreak isn't "Rising Phoenix done right", it is more of a re-imagination of Rising Phoenix, with a different setting and vastly improved due to the author's experience and protection from editors.
 * In both Rising Phoenix and Daybreak, the main male protagonist and female protagonist often have similar yet distinct abilities and powers. Gai Nagareboshi and Nika Kazoraem are both phoenix-themed, less noticeably for the latter, and both are capable of utilizing Nox Cores. In Daybreak, Tsuruko Sejren and Gary Straights both use Magic Rings and derive their powers from symbiotes.
 * In both stories, the main protagonist often has numerous forms that he/she can cycle through and use on a whim, with each form having advantages and disadvantages over the other.
 * The second new form they obtain debuts in the penultimate chapter of the second arc, both mainly centered around the sky—Kōshinhōō and Hurricane Style for Gai and Tsuruko, respectively.
 * Both protagonists gain a penultimate form which combines all of their previous forms into one; Gaikaōtori and Survive Style, respectively. Both forms debut in the arc where the protagonist takes down the very first main antagonist who serves as right-hand-man to the main antagonist as well.
 * Lastly, the protagonist's "super form" is armour based upon a phoenix, debuting in the arc centered around the protagonist's partner, where said partner dies to save them. Both forms are a fusion of the partner and the protagonist as well, incorporating special abilities from both species of the mergers in order to bolster the power of the form.
 * Both protagonist and second-man of both series' have a special catchphrase they say before and after battle.
 * Both series features a character with a mysterious past that is linked to the main villains of the series; both are known to be the partner of the protagonist; and both characters are the main villain at some point in the series. They are all killed before their series ends while defending the main character, but come back to life some time later.
 * Both series primarily focus on the interpersonal relationships between the characters, which come before plot, resulting in well-crafted and many layered relationships.
 * Per brought the humor which made Rising Phoenix stand out on it's series; as well as many similar characters, particularly the zany mentor and hypercompetent sidekick, in addition to the story being similar to a "Slice of Life" series.
 * Additionally, both have unconventional antagonists; such as Masato who wants to turn time backwards and bring back his family, and the main antagonist of Daybreak, who wants to rule the universe once more, as E's revolution has caused her to lose power; over time, she warms up to Tsuruko as well, making her slightly anti-villainous.

Trivia

 * Unlike Dawn, Daybreak is relatively light-hearted- and it will stay that way.
 * Daybreak's theme is Nothing Helps, by One OK Rock.