Puyo Puyo 8
is a Pseudo-Canonical Fic meant to continue the main Puyo Puyo storyline that was left alone after Puyo Puyo 7, created by EvenBrighterMarle and CometZangoose and hosted on Archive of Our Own.
Two new characters who hail from Pwurp Island set out to Primp Town to find the legendary Moon Stone. Unfortunately, one (Jennifer) finds a book containing a villain who brainwashes her from within, leaving the other (Moon Snail) to save her with the help from the cast of Puyo Puyo.
The series also has a sequel called Tetris Returns, starring Jennifer. A week after the first story, she tries to make up to everyone after what she's done under the main villain's control, but finds herself mocked and harassed by everyone she meets, up until the S. S. Tetra crashes into Suzuran once again, now with a new villain in town who seeks to defeat Tee and take the title of Tetris King.
This fanfic contains examples of:
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Dapper Bones and Penglai, who are unrelated in the original and likely haven't even met, are implied to be this, with Dapper Bones nearly namedropping him as his long lost lover.
- Ascended Extra: Otomo was initially just a supporting NPC for Ocean Prince in Fever 2 and 20th Anniversary. In Puyo Puyo 8, he finally becomes a playable character, and is developed as a character beyond just being Ocean Prince's butler.
- Big Bad: Aya in 8, Ar Tate in Tetris Returns.
- Bittersweet Ending: Tetris Returns, while more sweet than bitter, has this. Ar is defeated, Jennifer gets together with Ess, becomes a member of the Tetra Crew, and gets some people to forgive her, and Ex is finally reunited with his wife after over a decade of her absence. However, not only does Jennifer still have some detractors, but she has to leave this dimension to join the Tetra Crew, leaving her brother behind. Plus, Ess has still not accepted Ex and Emma as her true parents, and the Tetra Crew has to leave again. Compared to the mostly happy ending the original fic had, it's quite a bit sad.
- Brick Joke: Lemres asks Moon Snail if he wants ice cream, as he interprets Moon's Love at First Sight feeling for something else. It's only at the very end of the story that he remembers his promise, and the two go out for ice cream.
- The Chew Toy: Schezo, who gets chased around by Cookie in one stage, and in another, Klug knocks him out.
- Demoted to Extra: The main protagonists in Puyo Puyo 8 all appear in Tetris Returns, but they have more minor roles in it. Moon Snail has the best presence out of them, but he’s still nowhere near as prominent.
- Foe Romance Subtext: Even though Ar and Ex broke up even before they became enemies, they’re still flirtatious towards each other to this very day. Mostly on Ar’s side, but Ex has a couple of instances. Ar even kisses Ex while brainwashing him in 14T - 10!
- Group Hug: Ringo, MS, and Jennifer have one at the end of 10-10.
- Heroic BSoD: Jennifer has one at the end of Act 11T, where Ar brainwashes Moon Snail, the only person who trusted her. She has two other ones in 12T-7 and 13T-5, when she fails to unbrainwash Moon Snail and he demeans her for it.
- I Fell for Hours: After Emma fell into a tear she unknowingly made, she fell for several hours. The only reason she survived was because she grabbed onto a branch a few minutes before impact, resetting her velocity.
- Love at First Sight:
- Moon Snail's VERY FIRST interaction with Lemres is failing to speak to him properly because of his crush on him.
- The exact same thing happens with Jennifer towards Ess. As soon as she greets her, she blurts out that she thinks she's cute.
- Malicious Misnaming: Jennifer got very nasty nicknames from parts of the cast in Tetris Returns, including “Mean kitty” from Amitie, “Crazy cat lady” from Klug, “Bugeater” from Sig, and “Fatebreaker” from Feli.
- Punny Name: Ar, whose name is a pun on the R pentamino.
- Reformed, but Rejected: Despite Jennifer's reformation, it's made very clear that most of Primp Town despises her, despite her actions being the result of being Brainwashed and Crazy.
- Shout-Out:
- When Dapper Bones makes fun of Moon Snail for wearing shorts, he responds by saying "They're comfy and easy to wear!"
- Ess mentions that the moon never had the cheese she wanted when Raffina threatens to kick her to the moon and back.
- Ringo suggests Moon Snail uses his tail like a propeller to fly, mistaking it for two tails.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Feli to Lemres, as per usual. This puts her on bad terms with Moon Snail on the offset, as he also has a crush on Lemres.
- The Stinger: The ending to the original fic features Ar talking about his plans he enacts in the sequel fic.
- The Bus Came Back: Several characters who have been absent from later games return in these games, including Panotty, Minotaur, Dapper Bones, and Baldanders.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Schezo hiding the Record of Sealing under a rock is what allows Aya the demon to kickstart the plot. Klug calls him out very hard for this.
