Line #164 Fanfic/TheAlternityParadox


1	-> ''"My name is Makoto Yuki. I want to tell you that first. Because that is the only constant by which my life has founded itself upon. The story I'm about to tell you is mine. Mine, in that I've witnessed every event you're about to read. Every single part of this story is a part of me. But it's...in a way, [[NightmareFuel cha]][[DarkerAndEdgier ot]][[DeconstructionFic ic]]."''
2	-->-- '''Makoto Yuki'''
3
4	[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9513507/1/Persona-3-The-Alternity-Paradox Persona 3: The Alternity Paradox]] is a ''VideoGame/Persona3'' fanfiction detailing the journey of the Protagonist in his quest to find out the truth behind the deaths of his parents and his sister, by returning to the city where they had died: his hometown, Iwatodai. That, and he experiences a twenty-fifth hour of the day where the sky turns green, all sources of liquid turn into blood, and people turn into coffins. It's pretty much an AU retelling of the original story which takes a ''ton'' of liberties to the plot, but not enough such that it deviates completely from the original themes and messages of the original game.
5
6	The author stated that the story is the first in a series of fanfics he dubs the Alternity Universe. The other fics in the series are:
7
8	* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'': [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10145685/1/Persona-4-Garden-of-Souls Garden of Souls]], written by the author's friend, [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5001474/Emiya-2004 Emiya2004]].
9	* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'': [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12503158/1/Persona-5-Better-to-Reign-in-Hell Better to Reign in Hell]]
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11	None of the fics have been completed as of this writing.
12
13	Because of length issues, each fic is categorized into different folders.
14
15	----
16	!!The ''Alternity'' Universe contains the following tropes.
17
18	[[folder: The Alternity Paradox]]
19	* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: To say the least...
20	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: InUniverse. Some characters' personalities are deconstructed while other characters have their backstories ''completely'' changed via {{ExternalRetCon}}s.
21	** The fic also pulls a ''huge'' ACI of [[spoiler: Hamuko, who is usually represented within the fandom as a bubbly, cheerful girl who serves as a great LivingEmotionalCrutch to the rest of the characters...and in this fic, actually ''goes insane'' and is indirectly responsible for all the events that have transpired in the story]].
22	** Of note especially is Yukari, who's role in the story has been changed from being a potential LoveInterest and the first person the MC meets in the dorm to being the actual Love Interest of the story and [[spoiler: [[FirstGirlAfterAll a childhood friend of Makoto's]] who had seen how horrifying he was firsthand at the age of seven]].
23	** Mitsuru has experienced some {{Flanderization}}, turning from a WiseBeyondTheirYears TeamMom into a hardened PragmaticHero willing to do whatever it takes to destroy the Shadows. [[spoiler: This is because her mom was killed by Shadows in this universe]].
24	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Shadows whose voices we don't hear are this.
25	* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Deconstructed. Makoto's constant desire to protect Yukari whenever she's in danger is presented as ''harrowing'' sometimes, and even a little obsessive. [[spoiler: The Umbra calls him out on this, implying that Makoto legitimately only sees Yukari as a StandardHeroReward]].
26	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: [[spoiler: Hamuko]] is this to [[spoiler: Makoto]]. This is pretty impressive, considering that [[spoiler:she’s]] ''[[spoiler: dead]]''. But they do have a pretty good relationship. [[spoiler: Then, [[ItMakesSenseInContext it turns out that she was fake all along...]]]]
27	* AntiNihilist: Makoto eventually starts growing up into this with shades of IronWoobie sprinkled around it. With all the horrible stuff he's endured at this point, he decides it's best to use his life to help others grow into better people.
28	* AnyoneCanDie: Part II's fourth chapter ends with [[spoiler:Hidetoshi and Elizabeth]] dead.
29	* AscendedExtra: [[spoiler:Pretty much the Social Links are shaping up to be this. They are getting Personas.]]
30	* TheAtoner: After [[spoiler: rendering Yuka comatose by throwing her into a lightning storm in a fit of rage, knowing she'd be forced to use her ForbiddenTechnique, Makoto ''desperately'' seeks atonement for his actions and fights the Shadows partly to account for his mistakes, deciding to forego his need for vengeance]].
31	* AuthorAppeal: The author loves ''{{Manga/Berserk}}''. [[DarkerAndEdgier It]] [[BloodierAndGorier really]], ''[[NightmareFuel really]]'' [[TearJerker shows]].
32	* AxCrazy: Makoto, for all his hatred of being labelled "insane," doesn't really do much to show sanity during his fights against the Shadows. He ''relishes'' killing them, to an unhealthy degree. [[spoiler: This proves to be his undoing at Shirakawa...]]
33	* BadLiar: Makoto's ''terrible''.
34	* BatmanGambit: A horrifying version. [[spoiler: During the battle with Arcana Hermit, Makoto has Oumitsunu pick Yuka up and charge her right into the boss itself, keeping himself out of harm's way and knowing she'd be forced to defend herself using the [[ForbiddenTechnique Demon's Eyes]] on it]]. It works. [[spoiler: Keep in mind, though, that she had to go through a ''[[ShockAndAwe lightning storm]]'' to do it]].
35	* BerserkButton: Makoto ''really'' doesn't like being called insane. However, he ''does'' tend to act like he is from time to time...
36	** Also, do not touch anyone he cares for. He will be all to willing to put you through several worlds of torture if you do.
37	* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: In the original timeline, it's heavily implied Hamuko brutally murdered all of S.E.E.S.' members to spare them from a FateWorseThanDeath]].
38	* BlackAndGrayMorality: Makoto is unquestioningly on the side of good, but there are multiple occasions wherein he becomes pretty morally grey, and it's especially shown in how ruthless he is in battle. Opposite him are the Shadows, [[EldritchAbomination EldritchAbominations]] that are either AlwaysChaoticEvil and FauxAffablyEvil.
39	* BloodKnight: Akihiko's love for battle is played up here.
40	** Makoto is kind of a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. He would much prefer living his life normally rather than fighting the Shadows, but whenever he [[AxCrazy has to fight]]...
41	* BloodierAndGorier: Yyyyep.
42	* {{Bowdlerise}}: Makoto's dialogue was originally more [[SirSwearsALot salty]]. The author toned it down a lot in later edits.
43	* CallForward: Check Rule 63 down below.
44	** Also, [[spoiler: the Midnight Channel is in the story]].
45	* CanonName: The Protagonist uses the name Makoto Yuki instead of the more popular Minato Arisato. It actually could be kind of a subversion, considering that the word on whether or not Makoto Yuki actually ''is'' the canon name is [[BrokenBase still under debate by lots of fans]].
46	* CerebusSyndrome: The fic, at first, seemed kind of standard Persona novelization fare. And then [[spoiler: Shirakawa happened.]] It turned a genuinely funny and awkward moment from the game into a horrifying ordeal for every character involved, and it firmly planted deep into readers' minds that ''nobody'' was safe from harm in this story.
47	* CharacterDevelopment: Like the game, ''everyone'' gets this. But in ''very'' [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation different]] ways.
48	* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: [[spoiler: It's implied that if S.E.E.S., in the original timeline, had taken the time to actually try to befriend Hamuko - and if Hamuko herself was willing to establish Social Links - things would have played to a more acceptable conclusion than they had]].
49	* TheChewToy: Makoto's life ''sucks''.
50	** Actually, [[DysfunctionJunction so does everyone else's]].
51	* ChildhoodFriends: It turns out [[spoiler: Makoto]] and [[spoiler: Yukari]] were this.
52	* ColdBloodedTorture: Sometimes, Makoto's attacks against the Shadows border on this. It can be downright unsettling, especially since he seems to [[AxCrazy enjoy doing it]].
53	* CosmicPlaything: Makoto, so, ''so'' much.
54	* CosmicHorrorStory: [[spoiler: Chapter 72 of Part I ''firmly'' steeps the story into this territory. Makoto (and by extension, everyone in S.E.E.S.) is revealed to be just a pawn of Philemon's whose role as MessianicArchetype can be replaced at ''any given time'', for ''any given reason''. Both Philemon and the Shadows take on the role of cosmically powerful beings who have the fate of the world in their hands, while Makoto and his friends are just treated like tools.]]
55	* CovertPervert: Makoto hides doujins underneath his bed.
56	* DarkerAndEdgier: Like you wouldn't believe.
57	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Makoto was maltreated and bullied by practically everyone he'd met before, and for reasons that aren't very clear. He was also called insane for asking about the Dark Hour to his classmates, and to this day, [[FreudianExcuse being called insane]] [[BerserkButton will just make him]] ''[[BerserkButton mad]]''. [[spoiler: And then it turns out that he's got FakeMemories implanted in him, so it's completely possible that his Dark and Troubled Past isn't nearly as Dark and Troubled as it may seem. In fact, most of the flashbacks in which we see what really happened shows ''him'' as the main perpetrator of all the horrible things in his past. Though not of his own accord...]]
58	* DeadpanSnarker: Makoto to practically all he meets.
59	* DeconstructionFic: To elaborate...
60	** The battles against the Shadows are [[BloodierAndGorier harsh, to say the least]] and can get downright chilling. The ways the protagonists get put through absolute hell several times over from these battles can just be nail-biting to read...and you wouldn't blame them if they ever asked to actually give up on their mission. For example, in the fight against Arcana Justice and Chariot, Makoto [[spoiler:gets a bullet run across the surface of his stomach: and it causes a scar so deep it actually ''spills out his guts onto the floor.'']] And need we mention what happened to [[spoiler: Yukari at Shirakawa]]? It shows that even a person with a power as awesome and powerful as the Wild Card would be completely at the mercy of the Shadows.
61	** The fic also details just how horrifying it'd be for everyone involved if you had a friend who [[spoiler:literally has Death holed up in his brain.]] While Makoto [[spoiler:has amazing powers that help ''immensely'' in his battles against the Shadows, the other characters are so terrified of his powers (since Death is pretty much treated as an EldritchAbomination in the fic) that they start hating him and distrusting him the moment he shows his ugly side to them. And ''that'' leads to Makoto getting so aggravated with the situation [[SanitySlippage that his mind starts going bonkers.]] ]]
62	** Not to mention, the fic details just how ''difficult'' it is to be a Wild Card, depicting how harsh the ramifications of being one can be to a person. The Shadows always go after Makoto ''first'', because he's the most powerful out of S.E.E.S.' members, and the fact that he [[spoiler: holds Death in his psyche]] doesn't help matters much. And if going after him doesn't work, [[IHaveYourWife they go after his friends and basically try to force him into submission by threatening them]].
63	* DestructiveSavior: Haha, ''Makoto''.
64	* {{Determinator}}: Makoto and the rest of S.E.E.S. ''breathe'' this trope.
65	* DidYouThinkICantFeel: In a ''stunning'' turn of events, [[spoiler:at Yakushima, Makoto ''lights Yukari up'' when she makes the mistake of saying that he knows nothing about what it feels to lose a loved one in a blind rage. He immediately regrets it upon seeing her facial expression after his outburst]].
66	* DoomMagnet: Makoto is a ''huge'' one. [[spoiler: Even in his past. When he was a kid, his mere presence made people commit suicide around him because of Death inhabiting his soul. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Seriously]]]].
67	* TheDreaded: Surprisingly, [[spoiler: Makoto]] was this to [[spoiler: Yukari]] for a time. And that's even before [[spoiler: Makoto]] becomes this to ''[[spoiler: everyone]]''.
68	** [[spoiler: The Umbra]] is this to Makoto.
69	* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler: Death]] is treated as such in the story. Every time [[spoiler: it]] reminds the characters of [[spoiler: its]] presence, [[spoiler: it]] strikes fear into whatever sees [[spoiler: it]]. This is made especially clear [[spoiler: after the events at Shirakawa]].
70	* EnemyWithin: [[spoiler: The Umbra]].
71	* EvilLaugh: Well, more Evil Chuckle, but Makoto gives these whenever he slaughters a Shadow. Sometimes.
72	* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: ''[[NiceGuy The]][[EnsembleDarkhorse od]][[TheDitz ore]]'' throws his lot in with a force that opposes Philemon]].
73	* FakeMemories: [[spoiler:Turns out Death implanted these into Makoto's head to prevent him from finding out the truth of the night everything began. So every {{Flashback}} Makoto's had of his past is now put into question]].
74	* FatalFlaw: Makoto's lived a life where everybody pretty much mistreated him after his family died, and he's now living a life where the beings responsible for his family's death torment him every chance they get. Makoto's [[{{Understatement}} not pleased at all with this]], but his rage in many a situation has led to some pretty deep divisions between him and his friends, who often get freaked out by how utterly '''angry''' he can become despite his stoic facade.
75	* FauxAffablyEvil: All the Shadows are this. At least those whose voices we hear.
76	* {{Foil}}: [[spoiler: Hamuko]] is Makoto's foil. While Makoto is a NiceGuy who tends to [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge go off the deep end]] when pushed too far, [[spoiler: Hamuko was practically ''[[AxCrazy always]]'' [[AxCrazy off the deep end]], but had a few moments where she [[PetTheDog was much nicer than she let on]]. For example, when Makoto was presented with the idea of Social Links, he was hesitant to establish them considering the rather manipulative undertones of it all, but took on the job out of necessity. Hamuko ''refused to establish any Social Links whatsoever'' because she didn't want to use others for power.]]
77	* FreudianExcuse: So...turns out the reason why Mitsuru's ''much'' more aggressive in her stance against the Shadows is that [[spoiler: her mom was killed by the Shadows in this timeline, as opposed to her "role" the original game, where we don't even know what happens to her.]]
78	* GoodIsNotNice: While Makoto is a NiceGuy, he can be quite blunt and harsh whenever he calls someone out on their wrongdoings. Not to mention, he's not exactly very merciful when it comes to the Shadows.
79	%%* {{Griefer}}: '''''THE SHADOWS.'''''
80	* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Theodore kills Elizabeth and Hidetoshi with Armageddon.]]
81	* HeroWithAnFInGood: Makoto doesn't really actively ''try'' to have heroic qualities about him, more or less focusing on preserving as much life as possible. The problem is that the Shadows end up pushing him to his breaking limit more than once, and he ends up committing ''very'' morally ambiguous acts in response.
82	* HeroicBSOD: Makoto gets a hefty number of them over the course of the story.
83	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Makoto. ''Makoto''. '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Makoto]]'''.
84	* HorrifyingHero – [[spoiler: Makoto turns into this after [[WhamEpisode Shirakawa]] ]], at least in the eyes of the S.E.E.S. members. [[spoiler: They get over it]].
85	* InSeriesNickname: Makoto is dubbed [[spoiler: The Incarcerator]] by [[spoiler: the Shadows]]. Due to the nature of the name, it's kind of spoiler-iffic in regards to the events in the original game.
86	* InvincibleHero: [[DefiedTrope Defied]], as stated by the author. Makoto gets pummeled in practically every encounter he has with the Shadows and he almost always manages to win by a hair's width. If not for [[spoiler: Death's powers]], he and the other members of S.E.E.S. would be ''dead''.
87	* {{Irony}}: Makoto is afraid of death and [[spoiler: holds the literal incarnation of it within his psyche. And uses its powers]].
88	* ISeeDeadPeople: [[spoiler: Makoto can talk to his dead little sister, [[DistaffCounterpart Hamuko.]], but only in his dreams. Although it turns out later she's not even real, so it's a subversion.]]
89	* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler:It's revealed, when The Umbra confronts Makoto for the third time, that Makoto's desires to protect his friends are not necessarily because he cares for them ''as people'', but rather because they both serve as a tether to his own humanity and are there to help him through a rough patch when he needs them.]]
90	* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Well, more like Put the Cutie Into a Coma]].
91	* KnightOfCerebus: [[spoiler: Arcana Lovers]]. Oh, man.
92	* LikesOlderWomen: Downplayed, but Makoto's LoveInterest, Yukari, is actually a few months older than he is. Her birthday is October 17, 1992, and his birthday is on December 31 of that same year.
93	* TheMasquerade: [[spoiler:The situation gets so bad and Makoto's mental stability gets spread so thin that everyone in S.E.E.S. ends up acting nice to him both out of concern for his well-being and out of fear that he'll break down and do something horrible]].
94	* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: Makoto's is ''forcibly throwing Yuka into a lighting storm and [[PutOnABus rendering her comatose indefinitely]]''.]]
95	* NiceGuy: As mentioned earlier, Makoto is a genuinely nice and kind guy...except when facing the Shadows, where he goes above and beyond to put the beasts through hell. But the fact that he's so kind and sociable to others is what attracted Yukari to him in the first place.
96	** [[OriginalCharacter Satoshi Himuro and Tomoya Kitamura]] are Nice Guys, too. [[spoiler: And then it turns out they're Time Gods...]]
97	* NotAfraidToDie: Subverted. Makoto ''is'' afraid to die. It's his biggest fear, but whenever the people he love are in danger, or even if innocents are in danger in general, he's willing to [[HeroicSacrifice throw his life away for their sake]].
98	** With [[spoiler: Hamuko]], this is played straight, to the point where [[spoiler:she ironically repeats the same lines Makoto used in the movie series: "Is dying all that scary to you?"]]
99	* NotSoAboveItAll: It's ''quite'' easy to get Makoto to stoop down really, ''really'' low depths. Just push one of his many, many [[BerserkButton buttons]].
100	* OfficialCoupleOrdealSyndrome: You ''really'' can't help but feel sorry for [[StoicWoobie Makoto]] and [[{{Tsundere}} Yukari]]...
101	* OmniscientMoralityLicense: ''Deconstructed''! [[spoiler: Philemon's [[IDidWhatIHadToDo pragmatic]] attitude ends up just making Makoto ''really'' mad, and it proves incredibly harmful to Makoto's mental state as he breaks down from all the harsh things Philemon does to him to protect the world. [[SufferingBuildsCharacter And that's the point]]]].
102	** The worst part is that [[spoiler:'''[[TheExtremistWasRight IT WORKS.]]''']]
103	* OurMonstersAreWeird: Some of the new Shadows introduced in the fic can be kind of...freaky, to say the least. Examples are the [[GiantSpider Mother Spider]], her [[SpiderSwarm children]], and the [[CatsAreMean Ice Behemoth]].
104	* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: Despite glimpses of her mental state showing her to clearly be a more insane and violent version of her character, Hamuko is also shown to have legitimately cared for S.E.E.S. in her timeline...in a [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled tragic]], [[MoralSociopathy twisted]] way. That, and the reason, according to Philemon, that she didn't want to establish Social Links is that she didn't like the idea of using others for power]].
105	* PragmaticHero: Makoto is willing to go above and beyond the limit to protect other people and his friends from the Shadows' clutches. While this does end up beneficial overall to the team's efforts, this also strains his relationships with the other characters primarily because of how surprisingly amoral he can be.
106	* RetGone: [[spoiler: Hamuko]]
107	* TheReveal: Hooo boy. [[spoiler: ''Hamuko'' was originally meant to survive the car accident that was the progenitor of all the events of the story, but because she went insane in her own journey and attempted to use the Abyss of Time to go back and save her brother, she put the universe itself at risk of a TemporalParadox. Philemon had to turn back time - with the help of Shiva and Mahakala - and he altered the ''whole'' timeline, switching the role of protagonist to her brother, Makoto]].
108	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Makoto gets ''really'' [[UnstoppableRage upset]] over what the Shadows do to him and his friends over the course of the story.
109	* {{Rule 63}}: Yuka Narukami. And she's a member of S.E.E.S.
110	* SanitySlippage – [[spoiler: This happens to Makoto from time to time, particularly after [[ItMakesSenseInContext everyone rejects him due to their fear of his powers]] ]]. As you can probably guess, ''this doesn't bode well for anyone involved''.
111	** Tragically, this also happened to [[spoiler: Hamuko, and it was MUCH more effective on her]].
112	* SignificantBirthDate: Makoto's is December 31, 1992. Which makes him younger than Yukari, whose birthday is October 17 of that same year.
113	* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: The reason Yukari grows attracted to Makoto is because of how sociable and trusting he is of others.
114	* SlasherSmile: '''Makoto''' gives this whenever he enjoys massacring Shadows.
115	* SociopathicHero: [[spoiler: Hamuko]] was pretty much this. [[spoiler: But despite this, she ''doesn't'' establish Social Links due to her feeling uneasy with the whole prospect of using others for power]].
116	* StandardHeroReward: [[spoiler: The Umbra accuses Makoto of only thinking of Yukari as a trophy to be won rather than an actual person he cares for, citing Makoto's outright obsessive need to [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl save her]] as evidence of this]]. Given that [[spoiler: this is [[EnemyWithin The Umbra]] talking]], there may be some truth to what he says...
117	* TheStoic: Makoto's lack of facial expression masks the fact that he actually does have emotions, and it also comes off as less of a quirk and is seen more as unnerving to other characters.
118	** NotSoStoic: While Makoto ''is'' written as stone-faced to the point of his friends being unsettled by his lack of emotion, he brings up his stoicism pretty casually, and his inner dialogues actually showcase him to be ''much'' more emotive than you'd think. That and despite being TheStoic, Makoto is an [[BadLiar awful liar]].
119	* StoryBreakerPower: [[spoiler: Makoto gets Death's powers]]. You'd think this would end the story right then and there. But [[TheHeartless the Shadows]] tend to prove otherwise.
120	** If anything, a lot of Makotos failures are [[FailureHero really of his own doing]]. Numerous confrontations he has with the Shadows ultimately end up so chaotic because he doesn’t go all-out on them. Even in situations where he does go all out, it doesn’t necessarily prove helpful in the long run. There are even times when his violent side ends up making the situation ''worse''.
121	* SufferingBuildsCharacter: [[spoiler: ''The reason'' Philemon gives Makoto TheReveal]].
122	* [[spoiler: TemporalParadox: Ironically enough, this never happens in the actual story, despite it being the namesake of the title. However, it is the ''risk'' of this that ultimately puts the events of the story into motion]].
123	* TheUnfettered: Deconstructed again. Makoto being this from time to time just serves to strain his relationships with the others more as they end up getting either freaked out by what he does to put the Shadows down or just plain mad.
124	* UnscrupulousHero: Makoto. He is unquestionably on the side of good, but the fact is that he is far too easily swayed to commit horrible deeds in order to countenance a perceived greater good. He can go from heroic and noble to villainous and horrific in a heartbeat, which is what strains his relationship with S.E.E.S. - they just don't know how to react to him.
125	* [[spoiler:UnreliableNarrator: As it turns out, Makoto's been filled with FakeMemories of his past, as a result of Death's influence on his mind. This puts every {{Flashback}} of his concerning his past life into heavy question.]]
126	* WeAREStrugglingTogether: S.E.E.S. gets into conflicts with each other kind of a lot.
127	* WhamEpisode – [[spoiler: Shirakawa]]. That is all. Poor [[spoiler: Yukari]]...
128	** Chapter 60. [[spoiler: Theodore makes a FaceHeelTurn]].
129	** Chapter 68. [[spoiler: Now we know why Yukari is so afraid of Makoto]]...kind of.
130	** Chapter 72. See TheReveal. It's quite a bombshell.
131	* WillTheyOrWontThey: It's '''ridiculous''', the amount of times ShipTease between Makoto and Yukari occurs yet the two end up pushed apart by all the horrible stuff that happens to them.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134
135	[[folder: Garden of Souls]]
136	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Instead of Yu Narukami being our main protagonist, here we have [[spoiler: his younger sister]] Yuka Narukami, who isn't a Wild Card, doesn't have a Persona of her own, but has both a SpellBook ''and'' a ForbiddenTechnique to compensate.
137	* AntiClimaxBoss: InUniverse - Chie, having witnessed Yosuke's Shadow going berserk on him, comes to terms with her own flaws and shortcomings when she confronts her Shadow, getting her Persona rather easily.
138	* BreakTheCutie: The previous fic did this to Yuka. Which is why she's so unhappy at the beginning.
139	* BrokenBird: [[TraumaCongaLine Given what]] ''[[TraumaCongaLine The Alternity Paradox]]'' [[{{Tearjerker}} was all about]], it's unsurprising to see that Yuka's become this.
140	* CharacterDevelopment: Yuka's gone from a [[PluckyGirl cheerful and snarky]] GenkiGirl whose antics manage to annoy even [[TheStoic Makoto Yuki]], to a rather downbeat and [[BrokenBird much less happy]] yet much more mature ActionGirl.
141	* ComingOfAgeStory: See ThePowerOfLove below.
142	* ForegoneConclusion: We all know things didn't end that well for Yuka in ''The Alternity Paradox'' because of how much less upbeat she is.
143	** [[spoiler: We also know that the coma Yuka ends up in by the end of Part I of ''The Alternity Paradox'' doesn't stick.]]
144	* FriendlessBackground: Yuka went through this ''twice''.
145	* GenreShift: While ''The Alternity Paradox'' is a cynical and harsh Deconstruction of the ''Persona'' series as a whole, ''Garden of Souls'' Reconstructs the universe by adding much more fantastical elements. If ''Alternity Paradox'' focused on the darker aspects of the ''SMT'' games, ''Garden of Souls'' certainly focuses on the more extravagant side.
146	* KnightInSourArmor: Yes, Yuka has a ''lot'' of baggage, but she's not gonna let that stop her from helping other people.
147	* LighterAndSofter: Like the original game, the fic is shaping up to be much more lighthearted than its predecessor. ''By a lot''.
148	* ThePowerOfLove: One of the major themes of the fic. This fic is much like a ComingOfAgeStory for Yuka, and how the love she holds for her friends (and [[LoveInterest Rise]]) is supposed to help her overcome the issues she has with her rather tragic past.
149	* {{Reconstruction}}: In strict opposition to the bleak and dour tone of the preceding story, ''Garden'' brings back the magic and the joy of the ''Persona'' series in full force while still being a story about personal growth and companionship.
150	* SeenItAll: Yuka pretty much has. Which is why she isn't really surprised at how she's able to stick her hand in a TV screen.
151	* SecretKeeper: [[spoiler: Turns out Dojima knows a ''lot'' more than he lets on...]]
152	* SpellBook: ''Grimoire Animus'', the Persona Compendium Yuka used in ''The Alternity Paradox'' comes back here.
153	* TheStoic: Downplayed, but Yuka's become less...cheery than how she was in the preceding fic.
154	* TakingUpTheMantle: Yuka's taken up the role as protagonist now...and she's not taking any prisoners.
155	* TookALevelInCynic: Yuka's not exactly ''too'' cynical, taking some time to actually crack a joke and even showing her softer side to people more, but it'd be a lie to say that she's as optimistic as she once was.
156	* UsedToBeASweetKid
157	* WeUsedToBeFriends: Yuka appears to have this "dynamic" with S.E.E.S.
158	[[/folder]]
159
160	[[folder:To Reign in Hell]]
161	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: [[spoiler: Akira is ''not'' the Wild Card this time around. [[IronLady Makoto]] is]].
162	* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to ''[[LighterAndSofter Garden of Souls]]'', it will most likely end up this way. ''By a lot''
163	* {{Deuteragonist}}: Makoto Niijima is the secondary POV character of the story; while it still maintains a first person POV centered largely around Akira himself, it shifts to third-person for Makoto.
164	* DownerBeginning
165	* NominalHero: Instead of being a suave AntiHero as in the original game, Akira's more or less a SociopathicHero whose goals more have to do with him deriving satisfaction from stealing the hearts of people worse than himself, rather than actually working to protect others.
166	* PettheDog: It's made clear that Akira has little to no sympathy or concern towards other people--outside those who've managed to worm their ways into his heart. His relationship with Kana establishes that yes, despite his stoic nature and his apathy to the world around him, he is capable of kindness and even love.
167	* PluckyGirl: Kana Kohaku. She is rather chipper in comparison to our [[TheStoic protagonist]] here.
168	* TheStoic: Akira doesn't emote that much in front of other people. Though Kana was able to elicit a reaction from him.
169	* {{Troll}}: Kana certainly acts like one; dropping Akira's books and kicking one of them away from him when he goes to pick them up. All with a smile on her face.
170	[[/folder]]
171

Context Fanfic / TheAlternityParadox