Death Note/For Want of a Nail Fics/Fanfic Recs

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Death Note For Want of a Nail fic, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own finding to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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4 0 s e c o n d s by calysto-antonsen

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Pairing(s): Light/Mikami
• Synopsis: AU / alternate ending, Kira wins and ascends to Godhood.
• Tags: Slash Fic, Dark Fic, God-Emperor, Half-Human Hybrid, The Empire, Rooting for the Empire, The Caligula, Mugging the Monster, Happiness in Slavery, Complete Monster, violence, sadism, character death.

Another Life by Roses of Sharon

• Recommended by User:Mew 24 ever
• Status:
• Synopis: In another world, in another life, maybe they could have been friends. A fic about L and Light.

Death and His Shadow by sugarswirls

• Recommended by User:Phoebe Murdivine, User:Ellamew
• Status: Dormant
• Pairings: Raito/L with some Mikami/Raito and Matt/Mello/Near
• Synopsis: Raito Yagami is your typical star student. That is, until one night when he catches a deadly fever and L, a bored god of death, phases through his bedroom window to take his soul away. But how can he steal the soul of someone who won't die?
• Tags: Slash Fic, Psychopomps, Not-So-Imaginary Friend, The Grim Reaper, illness, A God Am I

Death Eraser by Greyliliy

• Recommended by User:Rubber Lotus
• Status: Ongoing
• Pairings: Light/Misa
• Synopsis: Kira is dead. N has become L. The world is getting back up on its feet. But, Ryuk is bored again... and he decides to give Light a second chance.
• Tags: Back From the Dead, Het, Evil Is One Big Happy Family, Slap Slap Kiss

The End Is Near by Tierfal

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Light/L and Matt/Mello and one-sided Beyond/L
• Synopsis: When Near goes missing Mello and Matt enlist the help of the world's three greatest detectives and his chain buddy in order to find him.
• Tags: Slash Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, The Yotsuba arc, Good!Light, Deadpan Snarker, Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, kidnapping, Detective Drama, Serial Killer, Disguised in Drag, age-bumped!Mello and Matt, bar hopping, Gotta Catch Them All, violent protest

The Faceless by Disguise of Carnivorism

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: AU, Dark Fic. Before the events of the series, a journalist discovers the Death Note and the Shinigami and exposes it to the world, altering the course of history. Years later welcome to a world where everyone hides their name and face, a world of permanent war and where everything is dying and a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits are Fighting for Survival.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, War Fic, Crapsack World, Light Yagami, Naomi Misora, Matt, Original Character, Ryuk, prisoner!L, Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, Fighting for Survival, Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, horror, insanity, character death

Fever Dreams by Sashocirrione

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Light/L, L/Light
• Synopsis: AU, episode 25. After pulling the plug on the plan to kill L, Light (with the help of Rem) must scramble to cover his tracks, protect Misa, and keep clinching proof that he is Kira just out of reach...
• Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Slash Fic, Lemon, Alternate Universe Fic, The Atoner, Xanatos Speed Chess, obsession

Genius is a Curse by Bloodshot Eyes (AU)

• Recommended by User:Zashiki-Warashi
• Status:
• Synopsis: If Light had never touched the Death Note, would he ever have found an escape from the depression and boredom that plagued him? Would he have had a future at all?
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, depression

Justice and Vengeance by theonlyone101

• Recommended by Theweirdwarrior
• Status:
• Synopsis: An AU retelling of the first 3 manga volumes, only Naomi isn't killed by Light and gets to meet and work alongside L.It retells the early chapters (where L tries long-distance surveillance), but makes just enough small changes early on to create a major ripple effect that ultimately leads to a very different climax and ending. Vaguely has some shipping-type moments between Naomi and L, but not enough for it to be a shipping fic.

Low Light by Dragonrider4000

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Apparently Dead
• Pairings: L/Light, hints of Mello/Matt, Ryuk/Rem and one-sided Matsuda/Light.
• Synopsis: AU, After L uses the notebook to save his life, Light invites him to join him in his cause.
• Tags: Slash Fic, The Yotsuba arc, Evil!L, Out of Character, L and Kira Take Over the World, Rooting for the Empire, bondage, S&M

Markings Of The Mind by Ratt9

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Rather than leaving there unscathed, Light completely loses his grip over his sanity in solitary confinement and finds himself losing his mind. This is what totally should have happened after Light was confined for fifty days. (Shades of The Yellow Wallpaper.)
• Tags: boredom, insanity, Go Mad From the Isolation

The Monsters Who Always Lie by Rubygirl283

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Synopis: A dramatic alternate ending to the series. Whole series spoilers and Dark.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, Rooting for the Empire, Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, violence, character death

New World Without End by CameoAmalthea

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Ongoing
• Pairing(s): Light/Mikami
• Synopsis: AU, Mikami works to atone for his mistakes and Light says good-bye to his old life at the dawning of the New World.
• Tags: Slash Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, WAFF, Lemon

Paladin by PlannedbyReaperLight

• Recommended by Darkfire359
• Status: Ongoing
• Pairings: Main L/Light, also some Light/Mikami, Light/Naomi, and Light/Matsuda
• Synopsis: AU, Light's gambit to kill the FBI agents fails because of Beyond Birthday, allowing L to move in sooner, but also allowing Light to make Naomi Misora a new ally of Kira.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Crack Fic, Slash Fic, Half-Human Hybrid, Role Reversal, Easy Amnesia, dark!Naomi, Unwanted Harem, Evil Versus Evil, Character Death

The Prince by Neverending Odyssey

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Apparently dead
• Synopsis: AU Light is kidnapped by the Yakuza when he's eleven years old. Which results in him becoming a fettered Noble Demon when he adopts his Kira persona; who wishes L best of luck in catching and executing him.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Foe Yay, Yakuza, Death Seeker, Career Killers, Freudian Excuse, Online Personas, child abuse and molestation.

Reflect Fail by XxHeartlessKissxX

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: implied L/Light
• Synopsis: Light has kept his secret throughout the Kira case, as Near arrives to unravel it he finds himself all to willing to let it spill from his lips, because he made a promise, all that time ago.
• Tags: Tragedy, Angst, Alternate Ending, Alternate Character Interpretation, Anti-Villain, Affably Evil, Chronic Villainy, Did Not Get The Guy, Evil Virtues, Noble Demon, Wouldn't Hurt a Child, Honor Before Reason, Graceful Loser, character death

Shadow of the Valley by Disguise of Carnivorism

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: background Light/Misa; and Light/L if you squint.
• Synopsis: AU, an aging Light Yagami trains his heir to take over for him as Kira.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, Next Gen Fic, Kid Fic, Het, Knight Templar Parent, Succession Crisis, Daddy's Little Villain, Tough Love, The Corrupter, Bastard Understudy, Training From Hell, Foe Yay, Antagonist in Mourning, The Aloner, The Vamp, Squick, Parental Incest, that crazy guy in the graveyard

Shattered By Tori-Color-Baastia

• Recommended by Color Lawliet
• Status: Ongoing, updates sort of weekly
• Pairings: L x Light, yaoi OCxOC
• Synopsis: A boy named Khol goes to Winchester on vacation and is possessed by "Light" and "Kira". He is sucked into the world of the paranormal and has a lot of trouble coping.

Speechless by [Sjezza]

• Recommended by Shimmer712
• Synopsis: Light loses his voice in an incident that alters his views regarding criminals. He discovers a strange notebook one day but it soon goes missing. Light is now plagued by shivers whenever the serial killer named "Kira" strikes.
• Comments: This troper higher recommends this fic.

Spira Mirabilis by Nilah Dante

• Recommended by Envie, feral
• Status: Apparently dead
• Synopsis: Sayu, worried about her brother, decides to sneak into his room to steal his diary, triggering the explosion that causes her death and Light's serious injury. With a scar and no memories of the Death Note, how will Yagami Light's life unfold?
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, The Atoner, Detective Drama

This Black Lamb by User:Chance XIII

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Apparently dead
• Synopsis: An AU in which there ARE therapists... and so Light's mental issues develop earlier on.
• Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Mental issues, The Sociopath, Pride, pet Shinigamis, juggling, Family Drama, hostage situation, runaways, Good!Light

To Break a Path by NightOfAThousandDreams

• Recommended by IndigoWendigo
• Status: Under reconstruction (though author is notorious for her lack of endings )
• Pairing: Naomi x L
• Synopsis: AU in which Naomi dumps Raye for asking her to be a housewife and teams up with L to solve the Kira case.
• Tags: Het Action Girl You Go, Girl! Fix Fic Back From the Dead They Fight Crime

War Without End by lyrainthedark

• Recommended by feral
• Status: Ongoing
• Pairing(s): Light/Misa
• Synopsis: AU alternate ending / Continuation Fic Ryuk is bored again, so he brings Light back to life with the death eraser, Light goes public as Kira to claim his kingdom. Kira has the will of the people, what could possibly stop us now!
• Tags: Het, Back From the Dead, "Glad to Be Alive" Sex, Roaring Rampage of Revenge, Rooting for the Empire, God-Emperor, Religion of Evil

Xanatos by CelticKawaii

• Recommended by Stoogebie
• Status: Ongoing
• Characters: L, Light, Mello, Near, Matt, Linda
• Synopsis: AU, episode 24; L fakes his death, and sets in motion a plan to catch Kira; but when Mello and Near don't cooperate, he enlists Matt, in hopes that the latter can convince Mello and Near to get along.
• Comments: Definitely worth reading, with moments of both intensity and hilarity. Quite a few Plot Twists even with only twelve chapters, and some minor characters are greatly expanded upon.