Author's Note : Hello Hello Hello. My name is Enelle. This fic is being written just because I couldn't find a fic with L and Raito in high school. I do not like adults and I try not to read too much about them. For some reason, I don't mind Deathnote even though everyone are adults. So our subjects are in high school dealing with harsh reality. The main paring is Raito and L. Other pairings are Mello, Matt, and Near. At first, it is Raito and Misa. Misa will be annoying, but she will grow up some as the story progresses. I'm hoping she comes out to be a more likable person, but we'll see how the story goes. This is an alternate reality, obviously. The Deathnotes do not exist, Raito is not Kira nor wants to play God. There is some boy love. There is also scary situations that comes up in reality; murder, rape, and abusive authority. Also, I have read the manga, seen the movies, but I have not seen the dubbed version of the Deathnote anime. I have seen the first few episodes of the original unsubbed of Deathnote in Japanese. So please keep in mind that I will not be using any information or whatever from the English Deathnote. So please do not get confused if something does not makes sense, I am using other resources. Just message me if you need an explanation or you truly think I am off my rocker.

Disclaimer : I don't see a point to a disclaimer as I am obviously not the creator. That in it's self was a disclaimer.

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Conspicuous Doctrine

The Apple Of My Eye Is An Intriguing One

Chapter 01

What May Be, May Become

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The winds were a pleasant feeling to any child who went outside for some fun. The sunshine was warming, the grass was as lush as always. Children were laughing and playing. They played together or were quietly studying alone. These particular children at Wammy's Orphanage were gifted. There were all sorts of talents to be found around the yard as well as inside. There were artists, mathematicians, athletes, inventors, and any other great profession you could think of, only, they were children.

Quillsh Wammy is the founder of such an orphanage, but please do not be confused. He didn't only harbor young geniuses, no he helped shelter many children all over the world. Quillsh Wammy is an inventor who used the abundance of fortune he gained to building several orphanages over the world. This one in particular, is located in Winchester, England. It is well known because it is one of the few that particularly gathers incredibly talented children. The orphanage is known as Wammy's House.

But at the moment, four children were not playing outside in the lovely weather. They were inside Wammy's House and one in question could not be found when he was be searched for.

"Rodger, I can't find him anywhere. I've checked his room, outside, the kitchens, the roof, the library, but I can not find him!"

Rodger, an old man, second in command from Quillsh Wammy, took the bridge of his nose in his index finger and thumb. He was trying hard to fend off a headache. He strongly disliked children, but none the less, took care of them all. It was his job after all, to gather and nurture young geniuses. He finally looked up from his office's desk to see the young caretaker before him. "Danny, the thing you need to know about Mello, is that he is where ever Matt is."

"I'm sorry, I do not quite remember a Matt."

"No need to apologize, you are a new worker here. It will take you some time to know all the children. Matt is the red headed boy whom you confiscated his violent game two days ago," Rodger suppressed his smile.

"Ah, yes, now I remember. And Mello kicked me right below the shin for that." Danny seemed to be also suppressing his own smile while also looking defeated.

"Yes, yes. I remember. Now, where do you think Matt is?"

"Oh!" Danny clamped his hands together in realization, "He's in the gaming room!" Danny immediately turned to take his leave when Rodger spoke again.

"Mello is smart, I'm quite sure he knows we are looking for him. He will be hiding, so please look carefully."

"Yes Sir."

"Did you find L and Near?"

"Yes, they are outside your door at the moment."

"Very well, please send them in." Danny nodded and left the office.

As he stepped out and into the hallway, he found L, a boy with jet black hair that stuck up in all different angles. His inky black eyes were wide and staring with profound bags beneath his eyes. His skin was pale from lack of sunlight and the confines of shelter. He wore a white cotton long sleeved shirt with baggy jeans and no shoes or socks. Danny hadn't seen this teenage before since he was always absent from the orphanage. L was crouching on the floor staring at whom was close to him with a weary eye as well as curious. The form beside him was a younger boy sitting right down on the floor with his feet beneath himself. This child had the same eyes as L, but less wide and did not have the misfortune of lacking sleep. He clearly had a form of albinism with his light colored hair and skin. He wore stark white pajamas and was currently fiddling with the jaws of an action figure dinosaur that Danny could not name.

L spoke without looking at Danny, "Rodger said we could come in."

Danny noted that this was not a question but a statement. None the less, he nodded, then realizing neither boys noticed his nodding of affirmation said, "Yes, you may go in and wait while I bring along Mello as well."

Both L and Near stood up from their positions, L taking more of a slouching posture. They ventured slowly into Rodger's office with L in the Lead and Near following close behind. Danny made his way down the halls in the direction of the gaming room.

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The sounds of a handheld videogame could be heard. Though the volume was low, it's persistent beeping began to grind on Mello's nerves.

"Matt! Shut that thing off!"

"No, if I do, I'll get anxious while we're waiting!"

"I know, but we're not waiting. He won't find us."

"Mello, this hiding place used to work for you when you were at your parent's house…but these people aren't the same. They'll think to get on their hands and feet." Mello switched off his game and pocketed it. Mello felt a little guilty as he saw Matt's determination as he peered out from beneath their confines. Mello gathered up his confidence which was wavering since their hiding place was quite obvious.

"They won't think of it. They're all lazy idiots." Matt only grumbled in response and placed the goggles that hung around his neck and put them over his eyes.

Footsteps could be heard outside the corridor and both teenagers fell silent. Mello could tell the footsteps belonged to a man by the sound of it's weight. The man walked into the room and was conducting his search in silence. After a minute or two, he called out for Mello. The boys could hear him moving furniture around to find the young blonde.

Mello's heart seemed to jump into his throat as the man got down on his hands and knees right before the bed that was placed in the gaming room, particularly for Matt when he fell asleep playing games.

Matt, deprived from gaming at the moment, let his anxiousness get to him and lashed his hand out towards the man's face.

"Arrhhh!" The man was hit right on the nose by the back of Matt's hand. Matt, being the thin and young teenage that he was, didn't have much force behind the hit, but a swift look of panic crossed Matt's face. That was the last drop for Mello.

Mello swiftly slid out from underneath the bed and crashed himself into the man. As the man fell to his side, Mello climbed on top of him and pressed his hands to the chest. "Don't do that to him!"

"Do what?!" The caretaker yelled back in surprise of the events.

"You'll make him panic!"

Matt's voice interrupted, "Mello, I'm fine." Mello looked up to peer beneath the bed and saw that Matt's face was lit up by his DS screen. The screen could be seen reflected through Matt's goggles, but his eyes were hidden. The beeping of the game could be heard. The beeping was all that could be heard for a long moment of seconds.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke Mello's silent thinking. He looked down at the caretaker and noticed the trial of blood from the man's nose. It was trickling down the top of his lip, to the corner of his lips and down the side of his chin and neck. Mello got off the man and brushed off his black shirt and pants.

"Mello, your presence is acquired at Rodger's office. Would you accompany me?" The man took a hanky out from his suit pants and began to clear his face of blood. He then held hard onto his nose to stop the flow.

"I don't care."

"You must come." The caretaker's voice sounded funny since he was holding his nose.

Mello thought for a while, "Not without Matt." Both the teenager and young adult looked down at the bed. Matt was not is view but they could hear the videogame from where Matt was currently at.

"Mello, I don't quite understand it. You've never before had a need to always be with Matt. Why now." Mello thought of how to phrase his next words, then faced the caretaker.

"I am pretty sure I know why you need me. If I am right, I'm not letting Matt leave my side. I won't like the offer I think will be presented."

Danny sighed. So Mello already knew? "He can wait outside the office. He will be near." Mello looked back to the bed which hid Matt from view. Mello listened to the beeping sounds then answered, "Alright."

The caretaker made his way to the door after Mello called out Matt. Both teenagers now walked quietly behind the caretaker with Matt's game turned off. The silence made the man feel awkward, so he tried to start up a conversation. "L's here, did you know?"

Mello remembered seeing the other teenager in the Kitchen, raiding the fridge of all it's sweets. "I noticed. I was surprised at first, but then it helped me realize what I think you want with us. Is Watari here?"

"Not that I know of, why would he be?"

"I forget your new here. L is always with Watari, so he is rarely seen at the orphanage."

"Is that so? Where does Watari go?"

"To do whatever L needs to have done, and other important matters."

They all reached Rodger's office. "Matt, could you wait here for a while?" Matt nodded his approval and the caretaker and Mello walked into the office after shutting the door.

The room was silent. Rodger sat at his desk, with his hands laced together in front of his mouth. L and Near were already at the desk. L was hunched with his thumb between his lips while Near was on the floor taking apart a toy dinosaur Mello knew to be a Diplodocoidea. Mello went to stand with a straight posture beside Near.

"Do any of you know why I have you gathered here?", Rodger lifted his hands from his mouth and placed them atop his desk.

Mello rolled his eyes, "It's obvious. Us three are the top kids here. You want to discuss something that will deal with your top prizes."

"Mello, I do not see you all as prizes, though you all are extraordinary and I hope you realize that in time.

"Yeah, whatever."

Rodger sighed, and decided to just dive into the point. "Three scholarships have been offered from the Hishou Gakuen. Wammy's House would like the three of you to attend the private academy." It was silent for a few seconds.

"No." Mello crossed his arms in a defiant posture.

"I also have to decline." Near spoke with his head still bowed, putting back together the toy.

"Boys, please. With your attendance at the school, one of the most brilliant schools in perhaps the world, you could really help to represent the orphanage."

"So, that you can get all the regular kids adopted out so you can use what's good of your funds towards the smarter ones?"

"No, Mello! That is not our intention. You must learn to trust us a little more." Rodger's eyes were hard but Mello only scoffed.

"Near, why are you declining?"

Near held his toy with his left hand while is right fingers found locks of his white curls. "I don't want to be out. I don't want to be around other people. I'm fine here. I turned 15 already and I don't understand why I haven't been let go. Mello and Matt haven't been let go either, why is that? I can work on cases, alone or with a small group of people. But not a school, I can't go to a school. I shouldn't even be here."

"Near, Watari and I discussed this. We want to make the leaving age 18 instead of 15. We havn't decided for sure, but we are planning it. Also, Lester, the only person you seem to trust when you leave your confines, has agreed to accompany you to Japan. He will always be with you. If you feel that a situation gets to be too much, he has full permission from the school to be able to remove you for a while. He will act as he thinks he should for your protection. Would you please attend the school if you can have Lester with you?"

"Is it that important for you?"

"Near, it would help tremendously. If it seems it doesn't work out at all, we will take you away immediately."

Near remained expressionless, staring at his toy. "Then I concur."

Mello felt like he was loosing. Near agreed to go. L hadn't commented yet.

"Mello, how about you? Do you like the conditions. I don't believe you would need a bodyguard, do you?"

"No, I'm fine on my own."

"Then what could I say to get you to agree."

"Nothing, I'm not going. What could they possible teach us, that we can't learn on our own. We even get teachers from all around the world to learn many things, and often times, we end up surpassing them. What is a measly high school going to do for us!"

Rodger looked pensive, "That is something we hope you three will learn on your own. Why exactly do you not want to go? I understand your mistrust of so many of us, but you'll be around more teenagers like yourselves than adults, why not agree to go. You can get away from us for a while."

"If I were to go, it would just be a different location, it's still like this place."

"Mello, I don't think so. I think you will like school much more than this orphanage. Please accept the scholarship."

Mello couldn't bring up an argument. He was going to have to say it. "I can't go 'cause I can't leave Matt."

The office felt silent. Suddenly, the sound of a Gameboy being turned on was heard outside the office.

"Mello? You never seemed to always have a need to be with Matt. Why now?"

"You never made to separate us. As long as we are near, then it's fine. But you are trying to send me across to Japan. How could I agree to this!?"

Rodger sighed, "Mello, there are only three scholarships presented to us. Matt is the fourth top student here, but I am afraid he can't go."

"Then I'm not going!"

"Why do you need Matt so much!"

"I'm not the only one to need someone! He needs me too! We work better together!"

Rodger stood up quickly while he banged his fists upon his desk. Mello, in a moment of surprise, flinched and took a step back. Near eyed Rodger wearily while L stared wide eyed as ever. Danny made a move to step forward but the sound of a door opening stopped him. Everyone turned to see Watari enter the office, gently guiding Matt in front of him. They walked into the office together, Matt's face couldn't be read by anyone except Mello. Matt didn't quite know how to act.

"Rodger, please calm yourself," Watari walked till he was beside Mello. "Mello would like Matt to go with him to Japan. It is true, they both work better together. To separate them, especially at their age and after what they have been together would be unforgivable."

Rodger looked crestfallen and let his hands drop to his sides. "Watari, it can't be done. There are only three scholarships. If it could be done, I wouldn't disagree."

"Then it is on me. Do not worry, I will sort it all out. I will take my leave now as I acquire six plane tickets to Japan. One for L, Near, Lester, Mello, and Matt, and I." Rodger nodded his approval. Watari turned to L, "L, please remain here for a few hours. Stay with the boys, Lester will come for you all when it is time to go. I have your things packed already, the rest of you boys need to pack what you will need and want. Danny will help. L, I need to speak with you before you boys go off and about." L nodded and the other boys, sensing their dismissal, walked out the room, followed by Danny.

"Rodger, my good friend, please take care of Wammy's House while I am gone."

"Naturally." Rodger shook his friend's hand. Watari and L began their trip down the hall. A few seconds passed till Watari spoke up, "What is it ,L?"

"I don't see your logic in sending us to school. Mello is right, we won't learn anything new there." Watari smiled gently to his young charge.

"I am not hoping for the teachers to be teaching you. I do hope the students can, although." L looked up at his guardian, he tried to see if there was a hidden answer to his confusion. "L, I am afraid for you. I am afraid for your successors as well."

"Why?"

Watari sighed heavily, "After A's incident, I could not fathom what went wrong. And then B, the poor child. He is now in the asylum, locked for life with blood on his hands. It finally dawned on me, what I was doing wrong. I think I have been putting too much pressure on you all. A must have felt overwhelmed and took his own life. B ran away because of it and was so immersed to beat and become you, that he acted like you and tried to make a case you could not solve. In doing so, he lost himself and murdered. And not just a simple murder, he tortured the poor victims. His sick game, happened because of all the pressure we put you children into." Watari looked down at L, and L saw Watari truly looked sad. His age was more pronounced than ever.

"Watari, it is not your fault. You are only trying to make successors. "

"L, my dear child, being smart is not everything. Solving cases should not be your entire life, nor anybody else's. You should have more. You should have friends, be able to play, go places without having to because of a case. "

"I like to solve cases. I like to solve them beside you." Watari smiled sadly with glazed eyes.

"L, I am so proud of you. And I'm glad you like to solve cases, and with me. And you can do it as you please, but I'm saying that you should also do other things. I don't want you to become like A and B. Nor do I want your successors to fall the same way. Such bright children, and I can't believe how much I've been hurting you all." Small tears were now running down Watari's cheeks, "Mello has such a huge distrust towards adults, that I am afraid it will hurt him and further his assumptions that he is right. It will bring him down with a terrible fate. Matt is a fine lad, but he too is insecure. His panic disorder discourages him from many things and he keeps himself locked from everyone else besides Mello. If he can only confine in one person, I'm afraid what would happen to him if anything were ever to happen to Mello. And Near, he is incapable in living in society. I admit, throwing him into school will be like throwing him to the wolves. He has never been out and about in public, I truly hope he can stay strong. He may never be able to engage fully in society, but I want him to be able to come to your level. You are able to be in society, even though it is awkward for you and the others who work with you, you are still able to function, though you prefer to be on your own. I hope they will learn to overcome their fears while in high school. I hope they learn many things. L, please help me watch over the three?"

"Of course, Watari. I may not understand why I should go as well, but I fully trust your intentions and will go as you wish. "

Watari gifted the strange teenage with a fond smile, "You won't understand now, but you will later. Go along and be with the other boys. Help them if they should need any and make sure Near packs necessities and not only toys, alright?"

"Alright." L started to walk the opposite direction to the dorms he knew Mello, Matt and Near were stationed at. He stopped and said aloud, "Watari, I never blamed you for what happened to my brother."

Watari too stopped. "L, I appreciate your words. None the less, I will be making changes to how the children are brought up."

"I understand, Watari. Just know, I never blamed you."

"L, I hope you know just how much I am fond of you."

"And I, you."

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Author's Note : Ok, that was the first chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. Raito will more then likely be making an appearance in the next chapter, depending on how much I should fit into the next one. I know L wasn't in here much and it was more about Matt and Mello, but L is still my main character here as well as Raito. Near will also be getting his time. Mello, Matt, and Near will be the second main characters.

Now, I should explain some stuff. I have pages of notes on this story, so it should be really good if all goes well. For the characters, Mello has a strong distrust of adults, which is inspired by my own distrust of them. It's already hard for me to write with these characters as old as they are now, but I just keep in mind that they are still teenagers. Matt, I gave him my panic disorder. He does not have this condition in the manga, but I wanted him to have something to overcome in the future. Panic attacks isn't something that can be cured and no medicines help (at least they don't help me). But I want him to find something that does. For now, he uses his concentration in playing games to distract him. For me, I listen to others talk and concentrate on what they are saying. Matt will eventually have to put those panics aside to do what he needs to do. In the future, Mello will be overcoming his distrust and that will be my challenge to write because I do not agree with it. I will be a liar. Near, I have kept him just as he is. In How to Read 13, and based on the manga, it is obvious Near is even worse in society than L. Near never socializes and when he plans to take a plane to Japan to be near Kira, Near tells Lester to fly to Japan to do what he has to do, then to fly back to SPK so that he could get Near and together they could fly to Japan. Near makes this decision because he says he has never taken a plane alone. Near just can't get over this problem, because I know for my self that this way of living just can't be helped. So Near will always be this way, but in the future, I am hoping to get him to a social level as L. It's not the best, but it works.

Now, the biggest decision I have made is B, aka Beyond birthday. I have made my decision, after long consideration, so please understand me if you do not agree with it. For this story, L says, "Watari, I never blamed you for what happened to my brother." In this story, B will be L's brother. Now, I am a strong believer that B is in no way related to L. I believe that B only made himself to look and act like L because of his strange superiority complex and the twisted sense to be like L but to be better than him. If Ohba suddenly states that L and B are brothers, I will be embarrassed but accepting of it none the less. However, as it has not been confirmed nor denied, I truly believe L and B are not related at all. But in this story, they will be to add more of an effect and to explain the last blow on Watari's decisions and guilt.

This is probably the longest Author's Note you have ever seen, but this story has a lot of thought behind it and I feel I need to explain a bit. If you read the story and the reasons behind my decisions, thank you very much. Future artworks may be done for the story. Please see my art at enelle. deviantart. com/ please remove the spaces.