The Art of Drowning by Quiet is a Death Note AU in which Light isn't actually a Yagami, he was born a Layfield whose parents were murdered in some sort of conspiracy, he got put in an orphanage with his best friend, who dies. Years later he realizes said friend hasn't stayed dead. Too bad the L/Light reunion gets cut off by a very old conspiracy.
The Art of Drowning provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Light and the Original Character Professional Killer.
- Alternate Universe Fic: in this fic Light and L grew up together and are the same age.
- Ancient Conspiracy
- Angst
- Back Story: For Light and L.
- Big Bad: Roger Ruvie
- Childhood Friend Romance: between Light and L.
- Death Faked for You: L never knew that his trainers had told all his old friends that he was dead. Later Light conspires with the hitman he's befriended to convince Roger that he accidentally murdered L.
- Death Seeker: Light. Upon learning that Lawliet is L, to L's utter disbelief Light suddenly confesses to being Kira and begs L to execute him.
- Dead Fic: Hasn't been updated in 3 years.
- Fandom-Specific Plot The Yotsuba arc
- Forgotten Friend, New Foe: Light to L.
- Freudian Excuse
- Irony: Light becomes Kira because he wants to avenge his best friend Lawliet.
- The Mole: Chief Yagami
- Morality Pet: Lawliet to Light.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Light when he learns that Lawliet is L.
- Original Character: members of the Layfield family and Light's new friend, a killer for hire.
- Papa Wolf: Chief Yagami
- Professional Killer: an Original Character.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Light as Kira.
- Slash Fic: It's meant to be eventual L x Light
- Spy Speak:L: I would rather avoid Watari all together, but if there is a chance that he is not in league with Roger, then I would prefer him by my side. I'm just not looking forward to the interrogation.Light: Well, at least he'll bring tea and scones.L: What?Light: Erm, I told the boys to tell him to bring tea and scones? So he'd know it was really you? Because you tell him that a lot?L: You told him to come armed to the teeth and prepared to kill.Light: I – what? I did?
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Light is ret conned into being one—he becomes Kira because he wants to avenge his long lost childhood friend.
- You Are What You Hate: Kira himself is a murderer and Light discovers that many members of his biological family are criminals.