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Alright, lets take the plunge. I'm going by the seat of my pants here. I've got some ideas floating around, nothing to concrete. This can be seen as a mild fusion now that I really think about it. Giant space shards are things these days. I've no beta, my timeline is kinda abstract, I'm not sure if it should be March or August for Annette, so I'm going with the latter for now. And I've not really written anything in years. Any typos and corrections would be appreciated, along with ideas and what have you. Nothing yet is set in stone, the end of this first thing kinda sets the point of that. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Additional Note: Some passing knowledge might be preferable when it comes to Final Fantasy 14. I name drop places and locations without thought as if they don't mean anything. Some things are being worked upon and being expanded upon as well as time progresses.

I hope you enjoy your time reading.

It all started when I was thirteen. All because of a cellphone. Mom went out one day in August and never came back. I blamed myself every second of every day for the longest time because she was on her cellphone in the car talking to me. I heard the crash, I heard her die, and it was my fault.

Dad didn't blame me for it but Mom's death broke him. He was listless for the longest time, even years later he still went some days as if he wasn't all there.

It broke me too but in a different way. It was easily the worst day of my life, and if it hadn't been for Emma, I'm not sure what would have happened. She was one reason I kept myself going after I cried for a week straight.

The only reprieve I had from blaming myself was when I slept. It didn't make sense back then but my dreams were the second reason I was still going along. They were vivid and fanciful, a whole different world where I was stronger, better, and able to help people instead just listening to someone I loved die.

Yet they were just dreams. My lively and colorful dreams were just that, dreams. They helped though and I pulled myself together with Emma's help. Turning fourteen without Mom there was horrible but I made it through the day because of my best friend.

Then I went to Summer Camp because Dad just couldn't take care of me and I couldn't keep foisting myself off on the Barnes'. I couldn't wait to talk to Emma after that. I had missed her so badly but I was on the mend. I was better, I was finally starting to smile again, to be happy in this world without Mom.

Then I got home and I met Sophia for the first time and Emma slammed the door in my face.

And my dreams became nightmares.

During the day I'd have to deal with whispered insults, being pushed around, my things taken and destroyed. My grades failing, my personality shifting as I became more sullen and withdrawn.

During the night, I'd deal with my comrades dying and a plot to end the world. Me and my comrades became desperate and then the dreams and nightmares stopped. The sky broke apart with fire and death. We couldn't do anything but watch as a dragon tore the the world apart.

Teraflare.

Then it all faded away before we died.

For five long months I did not dream and I went further and further down into depression. Dad didn't notice nor did I bother him with my own problems. He was finally starting to come around from Mom's death.

And the two of them became a Trio.

Finally, my dreams came back and I was once again in another world. Honestly, I preferred it there. As if there was my reality and Brockton Bay was just my never ending nightmare. After all, days passed there as I slept.

However, my dreams didn't stay just dreams but I had found my friends again, my comrades. I found myself. Then we had to deal with the exact same problems once again. It was as if nothing had changed. Those five months I did not dream, five years had seemingly passed.

I figured it was just my subconsciousness playing tricks on me. It was stupid but I went with it.

Nothing had been fixed there but I still struggled to make it better. I became stronger, I helped people when I could. I was a hero to so many when we stopped the march of the Empire once again. I was a hero to so many more when we stopped the Primals and King Thordan. I was a hero...

I was a killer. These people praised me for killing their families and I felt disgust with myself at first, just like before. There was no saving the Tempered. Just a quick merciful death.

I wasn't sure what I preferred in the end. Dealing with the Trio and having no one to really help me no matter what I tried. Or saving the world, with killing as the best solution.

I hated myself even as I soldiered on. I wouldn't stop because if I did it would just get worse. I wouldn't let them win, any of them.

Oh, there were small and minor victories on each side...saving even one Tempered meant we could save more. The Binding Coil had been a nightmare for certain but...well. They didn't really show it, but I knew the Twins felt relief over what had happened.

And so on and on things went for me. The Trio stepped up their bullying as I became more and more uncaring about it. They didn't matter to me after Papalymo died and Minfilia left.

Then the Locker happened and suddenly my dreams weren't just dreams anymore.

==========

I was face first in the locker, trapped, unable to move, covered in blood soaked tampons and other trash and refuse. I could barely move, I couldn't see with my glasses smashed across my face, blood pouring down my nose from being shoved hard into the small small space.

I was helpless to defend myself, just like I was helpless when listening to Mom die. After all that had happened, I felt like I was going to die in there. I was bleeding, shards of my glasses digging into my skin, maggots and other bugs crawling across my body as I tried to force myself out.

Everyone had seen it and no one had helped. They were trying to kill me.

And.

No.

One.

Helped.

It was at that point I lost it. I don't remember what happened beyond blackness and a giant shard of blue light. It was like Hydaelyn but different. A connection that was twisted, shaped, and at the same time, broken.

The next moment I felt an overwhelming strength I hadn't really felt except in my waking dreams. I could feel things change and shift and without a thought towards the matter I closed my eyes.

Breathe in through the nose.

Exhale through the mouth.

I pulled my body together, curling up what little I could and thrust my elbow backwards, the door to the locker slamming off of its hinges and crashing into the other side of the hallway, thankfully hitting no one. I wrenched myself out and brushed the fragments from my glasses off of my face and then ignoring the blood now on my hands. How long had I been in there that there had been no one else around? Classes had started back up, they ignored my screams, no one had come to unlock my locker.

They really had left me to die.

Well.

Fuck them.

I looked down at myself, idly noting I was wearing my Monk gear, a shudder as I caught sight of all the refuse in my locker. Screw it. I wasn't sticking around this hellhole any longer than I had to. A pause of thought as I swapped Jobs on the move, my clothes changing in a swirl of blue light. By time I got to the doors I already had enough MP to cast a couple of spells and healing myself up the little amount.

I had paused long enough to swap Jobs again that I noticed that I could see without my glasses, just like I could there. And that that damned Potion that Lyse dared me into drinking one day was also in effect.

I wasn't a human anymore. I hadn't been one there for years. After Lyse, Yda back then, somehow managed to get a hold of Potion of Fantasia and dared me to drink it after a bet that I had lost to her

How the hell was I going to explain to Dad that I wasn't human anymore? Oh sure I looked human but having the tail and cat ears of a Miqo'te was something that was a bit far fetched here on Earth-Bet.

Everything about my appearance was as it was just last night in my dreams. Even the new haircut and dye I'd gotten from Jandelaine just last week. I just knew that Dad was going to kill me...

At that point I started moving on auto-pilot. I didn't even think, I just moved and without realizing it I was in the air, astride my Magitek Armor, Maggie, that Cid had re-purposed a while back. It wasn't until I was flying high above Brockton Bay that I had realized I was in the air to just think, relaxing like I did back in Ishgard.

This situation...this was messed up and I had no idea what I was going to do.

How long I sat up there on my flying Magitek Armor, Maggie I reminded myself, I'm not quite sure. It was still early in the day yet after all. Dad would be at work so I had some time to think, though really, I was kind of out in the open despite how up I was. This hadn't been the best of ideas or best of plans for certain. Especially since it was so damn cold out.

Not that it bothered me anyway. I'd been in worse. Shiva was worse. Hell Coerthas was worse. Being an Adventurer, one of the Warriors of Light, had some perks, super magical powers not-withstanding.

That stray thought brought me up short. Did this mean I was a parahuman now, for real and not just in my dreams? Or was this the dream like I had thought before and I was really back on Eorzea? Or was it just someone screwing with me from on high?

It was probably someone or something screwing with me. But who or what? The Ascians? Zodiark? Hydaelyn herself? Some other giant floating crystal shard in space?

I shook my head to free myself from my reverie and looked down at Brockton Bay below me. My home was a cesspool of villains and heroes that were doing their very level best. Mr. Gladly mentioned back before the break that Brockton Bay had the highest per-capita of Capes this side of the Atlantic. The fact that the Protectorate ENE had their headquarters out here too was another fun fact I'd learned recently.

Brockton Bay was a study in contrasts really. It didn't help that we had honest to God Nazi's roaming our streets.

And there was a thought.

I could go punch a Nazi. Everyone liked punching Nazis didn't they? Mind you, I could run across one of their capes and that might not go over-well either. Probably be called a race traitor even though I was currently dressed up like I was mimicking Panacea. The joys of being a White Mage.

With another shimmer of blue light I swapped Jobs to Dragoon as that kept with the running theme of having my face covered by a mask here on Earth-Bet. Now I needed to come up with a name too.

I'd always just used used my real name, Taylor, over in Eorzea, now I actually had to come up with something new? Damn. I'd always been bad with names. Emma always came up with stuff...and there was no way in hell I'd be asking for her help with this.

And the urge to go back and punch her in her stupid smug face was overwhelming.

"No Taylor, bad Taylor," I muttered to myself. I was a self-respecting fifteen year old with several years of dream adventuring on my belt. Real adventuring? I was so much better at following orders: go there, grab this, kill that, bring this there. I was good at that.

Guess I'll just have to make my own quests and follow through with them that way.

First things first though, what do I do? Do I go tell Dad? Well, obviously I'll have to tell him something. I could just see how it was going. 'Oh hey Dad, how was work? I had fun today, flying on my giant mecha of destruction, oh can you pass me the salt?' Yeah. That'd go over real well. Yeah. Best rip that band-aid off as fast as possible. Before I get spotted by some ne'er do well or a cape that didn't think first.

With a sigh I pushed myself forward, adjusting the controls and flew back downwards. Only when I was about to land did I think about the fact that the sheer size of my Magitek Armor was kind of obtrusive. Yet at the same time, the fact that it just appeared like it normally would when I mounted up was a query that needed to be answered as well.

What about my other 'Mounts'? What about Coco? Or Midgardsormr? Yeah, best not summon a Dragon to Brockton Bay, Lung might take offense. Even if Midgardsormr would probably just eat the bastard. Though, there was an idea...especially if the dragon's abilities held true here.

Why yes, I do go off on tangents all the time, it keeps a mind occupied and I can multi-task like a Boss.

I probably should just walk honestly, deciding to land on a building instead of street level. I was probably already getting attention, no doubt someone having taken a picture to post on PHO or what have you. Would Bagrat have a post up by the end of the day? I stuck with Dragoon as my Magiktek Armor, Maggie dammit, disappeared whence it came, just like every other time and started to run and Jump from building to building on my way towards the Docks.

Best to talk to Dad as soon as possible, though odds are he'd push me towards the Wards. I'd have to really think it over and talk with him about it though I was already leaning towards not. I did most of my work solo and I wasn't adverse to teaming up, after all, one needed to team up to deal with serious problems.

And there I was, rambling in my own thoughts again.

It didn't take long to get towards the Docks even without a Mount, liberal use of my speed to bound from building top to building top before I finally touched down on street level. It was still early enough that people were more busy with work than going through town too.

Dad worked for the Union, he had his own office on the Northern side of the Docks, near the Boardwalk. He had insisted on it, being able to see the Graveyard while he was at work. It, to him, was a reminder of what he was working towards, working for. To clean up the city and to get people working. I knew my way there, had been there plenty of times, of course that was openly, not as a catgirl dressed in heavy armor.

Which, while fitting the theme of the Magitek Armor, wasn't exactly useful for sneaking around without getting caught before talking to Dad about this whole situation. Switching to Ninja, I got to moving around quickly and quietly.

I stuck mainly to the alleyways and the darker sides of the buildings as I made my way towards the building where Dad was normally at. It didn't take me to long before I managed to sneak my way into the right one and with some good timing and skill I made it all the way up to the floor where Dad's office was.

I swapped Jobs again, this time to something that kept my new bright blue hair and ears covered but still showed off my mostly human looking face. Of course once I opened my mouth and Dad saw how large my teeth were, or my tail...

Yeah. No point in covering up. Come on Taylor, you're stronger than this. I swapped again, firming my resolve and went with a Job that seemed harmless, what with a small book at my back. Of course I also made sure to unsummon Eos before knocking on the door.

"Just a second!" Dad's voice called from the other side of the door. I didn't wait. Instead I pushed the door open, stepped inside and closed it behind me. Dad was mid-stride towards the door before he stopped, frowned, looked at me, paused and then stared a moment. "Taylor? Why aren't you at school?" Huh, he didn't voice a question about what I was wearing either.

"Well, Dad. About that.." I trailed off, a little unsure on how to proceed. Well, the band-aid analogy worked best after all "See, something happened at school and well. Surprise?" I flicked my tail into view, forgetting for the moment that it was also a vivid blue just like my hair.

"What."

Ah, yes, I should've suspected that'd be his reaction.

Another short one. I'll be working on a much longer one after this which I'll hope to have up tomorrow. As I said earlier I post when I find a good stopping point. This would've been up earlier but D&D came first. I've also made some small edits and changes to chapter 2 to fix up some typos and change a few words around. Someone mentioned in a post that was quickly deleted about Danny and Shadowcub brought up the Wards, and well, yeah. Not yet at least.

Dad stared at me for a moment, eyes flickering down to my tail and then back to me as he walked forward and simply tugged me into a hug. "Oh, Taylor. Are you okay?" His voice was filled with concern and for the most part I couldn't actually answer that question. I settled for a shrug and tugged my hat off, letting my hair go free, and more importantly my ears. His hug got a little tighter at that. "...what happened to your hair?"

"Ah, I felt like a change?" That was certainly true to an extent, Jandelaine did what he wished after all.

"And the ears?" Dad's voice was a little higher when he saw those.

"A really big change?" I tried not to giggle at that but did manage to get a little serious. "They just kind of showed up not to long ago." Also technically true.

Dad sighed as he pulled back, looking at me fondly, even with a little more energy than he normally did have in him. "You're just like your Mother some days, you know that?" Well, that certainly wasn't something I was expecting. "Tell me the truth, please."

So I did. I left out names 'cause, frankly, after what they did to me they didn't deserve an ounce of thought in my head. I hadn't ever told Dad of the bullying because I didn't want to worry him. Stupid in hindsight but, well, 20/20 and all that.

"Well, seems like I need to go talk to Alan about getting a lawyer." Dad's fists went a rather pale white, all the blood rushing away in his clenched fists.

"It isn't worth it, Dad. Seriously." I leaned into him with another hug. Him and Mr. Barnes were still good friends, even if they hadn't seen each other in a while. "The school can go rot at the moment. I'd rather spend some time with you and figure out what to do."

Dad unclenched his fists slowly and he did nod after a moment before looking at me with another sigh. "Mm. And I don't suppose you'd like to go join up with the Wards?" I shook my head. I'd rather not deal with another set of teenagers, especially ones with super powers. "Alright. Your Mom didn't really trust the PRT or the Protectorate anyway, so that's my bit of token resistance to you not joining."

Seriously? I looked at Dad, stepping back with furrowed brows and repeated my thought. "Seriously? I thought you'd push for it."

Dad shot me a look and chuckled a little. "No," he said simply as he rounded his way back to his desk and in front of his paperwork once more. "I've seen plenty of Wards over the years here in Brockton Bay. Outside of a few, I don't think you'd fit well with them. The Protectorate being a different matter, but the Wards have PRT oversight and they'd certainly stifle you." He explained as he rubbed his nose under his glasses.

I nodded along with that, waving Dad to go on. I was curious as to see his response. I'd always thought that about the Wards, of course they were still teenagers and even with super powers, teenage parahumans did still need adult supervision. Mom and Dad were hands off with me growing up so I was used to making my own decisions growing up, and that just grew more hands off with Mom dying. This wasn't anything different but still...

"You're an independent person, you always have been, Taylor." Dad said with a small sigh. "And you've always wanted to be a hero. The fact that you're a parahuman doesn't change that, in fact, it's just made you more firm in that resolve, right?" I nodded again with a smile. "This city chews up and spits people out. Especially independents. So if you don't want to join the Wards, you'll need a good reason that'll convince me, just like everything else you do. Convince me."

I nodded again. "Well, you don't exactly trust the PRT. The Wards, at least here in Brockton Bay already see a lot of combat anyway, so its not like anything would change." I pointedly flicked my ears and tail. "Unless something changes, these are kind of permanent, so there goes any semblance of normality and secrecy anyway." I paused at that, pulling up my Grimoire and having it float over my hand, pages flicking through rapidly before a glow started from me and the book, Eos appearing in a flash and a flying flip, landing on my shoulder with a cute little sound of happiness. "And I've already got some pretty nifty powers and backup. I'm already my own team, and healer."

His eyes narrowed at my summon, still sitting at his desk before leaning forward and resting his hands right in front of his face. It was as if he was posing, though I couldn't quite place what it was from. "And New Wave?"

"Eh. I've heard to many rumors about Glory Girl to really be comfortable with that." Dad nodded a little, still leaning forward on his desk. "Its also not like I'm going out right away, I need to test stuff and all that. How strong am I, what all I can do. It just feels like I'm doing this automatically." I reached up and pointed at Eos lightly who gently lifted off of my shoulder and started flying through the air before she stopped and looked at Dad. "Eos?"

She nodded, more to herself than me before she twirled in the air and a wave of magic flew from her and towards Dad. Why would she cast Embrace? Dad was to stuck in his pose to react and avoid, mid startle as he did try to avoid it but stopped as the wave of healing magic hit him. "Wow." He said softly, looking down at his hands. He was so busy blinking and looking at himself that he didn't notice Eos casting Embrace again before she flickered back to me and giggled. "Taylor?" He looked up at me and Eos in askance.

"Right. As I was going to say, this is Eos, one of my support summons. I've got...a few of them." I said wryly. "When I'm dressed like this I'm a Scholar. and I have either Eos or Selene out."

"Automatic information?" Dad mused to himself, probably in thought to how I already knew all of this despite being not like this since the morning. "So you're some kind of Master and Blaster like that I see."

"Master and Blaster?" I asked. I really wasn't up to terminology, only half paying attention to the words that showed up on PHO beyond, you know, geeking out over Alexandria or Miss Militia.

"The types of powers that Parahumans can get, there's a dozen categories, right now. It's changed over the years since I first met Annette." Dad said with a smile, an honest to God smile. When was the last time I saw that? I glanced at Eos who shot me a thumbs up and a grin.

"What are they?" Dad gave me a quick rundown of all twelve at that point. Alphabetically at that. Then he went on about a few different types of capes. I'd of course known about the Alexandria Package, which Dad likened to a 'flying brick.' He used examples of some of the current Protectorate members to explain the different power types, and even used a few S-Class villains to explain them too. Then there were the Grab-Bag types, which were a fair bit rarer.

"Oh, that's me then." I said absently. And everyone else on Eorzea that was a Warrior of Light, which were a few hundred at very least, probably a lot more than that.

"Really?" Dad asked me and I nodded slightly. "Well, you don't need to show me everything that's for certain. But a bare example?"

"Well, Master and Blaster for my summons, as you said. They're not my only powers though. I can summon other things too and some of those would make me a minor Mover," not going to bring up teleporting to the Aetheryte yet either. "Again, they also can lend me Shaker powers too. Honestly, outside of Breaker, Thinker, and Changer I've pretty much got everything on lock down, though my Tinkering is a bit more medieval than futuristic so I'm not sure if that counts?" Of course I could make things easily and fast at that. And then there was the Echo which was technically a Thinker ability too...

"You being a catgirl is a being a Changer, Taylor." Dad remarked. "It has to do with your appearance as a whole. Oh. Well, never mind, guess I was a Changer with being able to...change my Jobs will. I face-palmed at that and shook my head.

"Stupid Taylor." I muttered to myself.

"Danny thinks Taylor shouldn't talk in third person." Dad remarked.

"Dad..." I whined plaintively. He just chuckled at me. There was a faint and pleasant pause at this. It'd been a long time since I'd felt like this.

Of course, then the phone had to go and ruin the moment by ringing.