Come in, come in - yes, you! Don't be shy, you're just on time! Take a seat wherever you'd like. We were just about to begin! For those of you who are here for the first time, let me give you a warning. Please keep your eyes wide open if you choose to come close to the ring - unless you wish to become a volunteer, of course. In that case, who am I to stop you? They say that life is a stage, but have you wondered where does this saying come from? I'd say it's time you began, because this is the Royal Circus of God, and every night we will put on the most realistic show you've ever seen! Tonight, you are in luck, for this is the first episode of many, part of a series inspired by the biblical stories of the great flood and the apocalypse that will come. I would tell you not to fear, but I am only the presenter! Not even I know what the scriptwriter had prepared for you!

What I do know though is what a show this will become - a tragic story of passion, love, betrayal, and dark secrets revealed at the last moment! As always, we have prepared another secular war between the forces of Darkness and those of the divine Light. This time, those who swear to save as many souls as they can are called the Black Order, while the ones you should fear call themselves the Noah family. They are all trying to find the Innocence of this world - the first so they can save it, the latter so they can destroy it. That being said, please welcome a few of our favorite artists here, at the Royal Circus of God!

Entering the scene at once, getting along like fire and gasoline, bringing out the worst in each other, the Clown and the Swordsman! With his immaculate cape of white, a cursed child who can see the tortured souls stolen by the Dark Lord will stumble his way through tears and laughter! He swore to always keep walking, juggling with anything you might throw at him. Ladies and gentlemen, the Clown of God! But before I lose my head, let me introduce to you our most talented Swordsmen, returned from the land of the dead with inhuman endurance and accuracy! Cursed to rise again from the mud and make the world a better place, he swore his heart to a ghost and chained his soul to the past! Battling his own demons at night and the Dark Lord's creations by day, the never-tiring Swordsman!

But what is that, taking shape behind me? Is it an archer, or a knight? The Grim Ripper, some might say! Blessed or cursed with the blue blood of noble roots and with a foreign heart beating in her chest, she changes her weapon right under your eyes! Keep looking at her hands as she will melt the bow into a scythe, mold it into a knife or stretch it into a whip, only to wrap it up into the nightmare of anyone going up against her. Full of surprises and always pulling out another ace from her sleeve, please welcome the Clown's most loyal partner - the Innocent Illusionist! In order to meet the pair of our rather intimidating Swordsman, please look up as she swings between the Black Order and the Noah family! With no sense of danger or any safety net beside her partner's arms, our Harlequin will make you hold your breath and cover your eyes - a puppet pulling the strings!

From the elder generation, prepare to be amazed by the rather controversial couple! With the face of an angel, she dictates nature and brings back the ice age in under a minute, while he rolls every rule of the Order and every trick of the Dark Lord into a cigarette and puffs out his own masterpieces. An Inventor of our days with a library on his shoulders and the Ice Queen by his side, the masters of magic and controversy! With a snap of her whip, our lovely Beastmaster can turn the most adorable little monkey into a raging storm of claws and teeth, tearing through the apocalyptic creations of the Dark Lord. Then, prepare yourself to rediscover the beauty of the world through the eyes of our Artist, opening the gates of heavens before us all.

Now, before we can start the show, please welcome the Dark Lord and his impressive family. The only one who dares steal from him, little Miss Fortune sitting on the floating umbrella. This young lady will orchestrate your nightmares and bring to life your every fear with the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve! The incredible Strongman will bring down lightning from the land of the gods and smash the table for candy, while the two of a kind Chemical Bromance will blow you away just for the look on your face! Depending on his mood, Sir Prize might reach out and steal your heart, give you a couple butterflies in your stomach, or just flash you a killer grin and go after our cursed Clown - who could ever tell? But please, try to stay away from the tiny Black Cat if you get to see her. This little kitty has a habit of whipping her tail a little more than others!

And I would know - there are many others! So many, you would fall asleep listening to me if I kept going on and on about the Watchers, the Telepath, or the Acrobat with the black heels! We have a Puppeteer, a Madman, an Emperor losing his power slowly and steadily, a living Doll, a couple of dark angels, a Scene Director, a handful of Pirates and enough characters blurring the already thin line between good and evil, all charming in their own way and hoping to steal you a tear, a smile, your very soul! So grab your popcorn and cotton candy, make yourself comfortable in your seat and keep coming back every evening for the next act of this beautiful, tragic, dramatic story what we are going to play for you here, on the life-like stage of the Royal Circus of God! For tonight, I am leaving you in the company of the Inventor, the Clown and the Harlequin, splitting roads in India.

I - Smoke

There was a strange feel about the air tonight, she could feel it in the exhaled smoke as they both took long draws from their pipes. For the past five years, the girl had followed the man who effortlessly laid her nightmares to sleep.

In her earliest memory of him, he was different. The man was much taller and perhaps a little scary, mostly because she couldn't see half of his face, though he looked more like a god through the eyes of a scared child. She had come from a wealthy family who owned perhaps the best restaurant in the area. It was only natural that many people crossed their doorstep every day, some of them politicians, others priests, noblemen, even some exorcists from time to time. When she was eleven, the girl remembered how strange his clothes had seemed, trimmed in gold instead of silver. Ignoring her mother's warning not to disturb the man, she'd ran up to his table, sat down and began questioning him. Her childish mind had seen nothing wrong with it.

Opening her eyes, she returned to the present moment. Pursing her lips, she sucked the smoke from her pipe and held it in her lungs for a moment. "Are we going to leave India?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"Yes," he replied with a sigh, his eyes following the patterns from which the smoke swirled and spread above them. He remembered how the girl had jumped from her hiding spot, throwing cutlery at a Noah – it was madness, but it offered him a nice distraction.

"Is that all…?" she asked after a moment of silence. "Aren't you going to tell me where we'll be going from here?" It was a sort of unspoken agreement between them to be civil around each other. He only seemed to act that way with women – which he had everywhere. Though the girl didn't mind it. They weren't lovers, why would she even bother?

"You should quit," he answered instead. It seemed unrelated, but in a way, it answered her question.

"Where are you going then…?" the girl changed her question. They both knew this moment would come, so there was no reason to make a tragedy out of it. They both hated tragedies and exaggerated reactions. The calm of the evening was delightful, it would be a shame to waste it on useless conflict.

"I will be staying here, but not for long. I want you two to head to the Order's headquarters." He didn't seem too happy about it, though he surely had his reasons to make this decision.

Ignoring the numerous questions she had, the girl sighed deeply. "Alright… But we will meet again, right?"

Both of them knew it was only something she needed to hear. The man nodded in agreement, though neither of them actually believe it. There was nothing certain, but it would be a shame if his two apprentices couldn't even make it to the Black Order in one piece. As much as he despised the thought, the General had to admit that it was a possibility.

"Have you told him yet?" she asked, setting down the pipe without even looking at it again. If her master wanted her to quit, she would. He was the reason she started smoking two years ago after all, simply because it made the scent easier to tolerate.

"I will, tomorrow," the man answered her. "I want you to leave as soon as he wakes up." The General was aware that his younger apprentice wouldn't take the news as lightly. The boy feared being left alone. That much hasn't changed yet, even if he had tried leaving him alone for short periods of time. The boy depended on them way too much.

"Alright…" she said with a weak nod. "Will you tell the Order about us? You don't keep in touch, they could track you down if you do."

With a small smirk, the man answered in an amused tone. "I'll be long gone before the letter reaches them. They'll know about you in time, unless that stupid irresponsible director loses the letter before opening it…"

The girl chuckled bitterly. "We'll find a way then. Timcanpy should be proof enough."

He nodded. "Go to bed," he said in a gentle tone. The man didn't usually explain his orders, but it was obvious why he would tell her to sleep. It was already early morning and she had a long way to go. It would be best for them both to be well rested before they began their separate journeys. At least, no one had to worry about Allen getting enough sleep – the boy could sleep as much as twelve hours at a time.

Standing up a little reluctantly, the girl put on a small smile. "Good night, master." They both knew it was goodbye, though she decided to say what she had said every night before that one. In a way, it seemed less dramatic than a real goodbye – it left place for 'Good morning', some day.

Because she stayed up late that night, once she fell asleep, she didn't wake until late morning. When she did, her master was gone – but his things were still in his room, like he said. She went and bathed quickly, then dressed herself and caught up her hair. Before that, she looked at her hair pins – her beautiful weapon, crafted by her master and with a small cross at the thicker end of each. It was a pair that he said she would eventually learn how to unite as one, though for now she could only use the two pins individually.

Her Innocence had been that of a puppet that her family had used to attract people into their restaurant. Being invited in by a little dancing puppet, jumping and spinning around like a talented acrobat was certainly unusual – it was probably the reason the General had stopped at their restaurant in the first place. It was probably also why that little girl with dark skin had attacked them – a Noah, as she later found out.

Pinning her hair in place, she went looking for her younger… friend, she guessed? The first place where she expected to find him was the nearest restaurant. When nobody there seemed to have any idea about the white-haired boy, Amara went to knock on his door. Perhaps he was still asleep – he had an appetite for sleep and food that shocked most people. Chefs would usually look at him like he was nuts. With a smirk, the girl knocked again.

"Allen? Wake up already, will you?" she called through the door. When he didn't answer, she opened the door. "Allen?"

The boy was in a corner, in a not very comfortable position and with his back hunched. Once she neared him, she saw a big bump on his head. Sighing, Amara shook her head. Timcanpy flew up to her.

"What happened here, Timmy?" she asked the golden golem as it created a hologram showing their master saying his 'goodbyes' in a very… predictable way, she thought.

For a moment, the girl thought she should splash some cold water on him, but the boy had already had a rough start that day. Instead, she bent down and shook his shoulder. "Allen? Come on, wake up. We need to go to the Black Order."

Twitching his right hand, the boy opened his eyes in a panic attempting to stand, only to fall on his butt before he could do so. "Wha-? Uh… The Black Order… Did Master send you?" he asked, fearful of the girl's habits of playing pranks on him. Some were quite painful or humiliating… though it didn't even came close to his teacher's punches.

"I'm going with you, rice bean. Get ready, we need to move." Nearing his ear, the girl whispered something sure to make him pack up instantly. "Our dear Master won't be very pleased to find you still around when he comes back."

Jumping on his feet and widening his eyes, Allen felt a cold chill running down his spine. "A moment! I don't even have that much to pack, I'll be done in a second."

The boy couldn't believe it though. Was his master really considering him an exorcist? Was his training complete? He was too afraid to ask. And… well, he had left him alone before, but why did he tell Amara to go with him? As far as he knew, Amara was usually traveling either alone or with the general… Mostly with their master, though. Before this, the two of them had never been paired together.

Packing the few clothes he had, Allen took one last glance behind as he was closing the door. He had some rather painful memories about India… The boy had lost a friend there. Timcanpy noticed and leaned on his shoulder.

"You're right, I'm not alone," the boy smiled weakly as he pet the golem.

"No, but you will be," Amara said from the front door. "Timmy?" she called, but the golem stayed with Allen. "Fine then, golden little backstabber. I guess I'll eat lunch alone today," she shrugged with a half smirk on her face as she turned around to leave. Even so, her pace was slow.

It didn't take Allen more than a few seconds to catch up, but Timcanpy was already flying beside her. "You didn't really mean that… did you?"

Chuckling, Amara took advantage of her height and pet Allen on the head as if he was a small child or dog. "If you don't come along, I'll be left with no choice. Though I'd rather see another chef marvel at your appetite." She wasn't much taller than him, but considering they both still had time to grow a little taller, Amara was taking advantage of the difference.

Allen removed her hand from his head and sighed. "Why'd you always have to do that…?" Being shorter than other boys his age was embarrassing enough for him, Allen didn't want to be made fun of because of it – especially not in public, and especially not by a girl.

"Aw, is the little rice bean upset…? What is the cute little baby going to do about it?" the girl chuckled in a teasing voice. Instead of giving her an answer, Allen looked away in silence. "Come on, now. What kind of siblings would we be without moments like these…?"

"I guess…" Allen answered with a short smile. "Which one is our train?"

The boy didn't even have time to ask before Amara was already running after one that was just about to leave. "That one!" she yelled over her shoulder. Dodging other people easily, the girl jumped and caught the train, then held out her hand for Allen. Once he was on board as well, the girl began scolding him. "Why do we always have to be late? Why can't you be responsible for once and wake up at a reasonable hour?"

"But I did…! But our Master knocked me out and-!" he began defending himself.

"Excuses, excuses… Go, find a nice compartment." Sending Allen ahead, the girl took a few moments to glance back. She wanted to smoke, to fill her lungs with warmth and numb that feeling of emptiness in her chest… Sighing, she turned and followed Allen. A promise was a promise – not out of fear of punishment, but out of a sense of responsibility. Or perhaps she simply wanted her master to look at her with pride the next time they'd meet.

Authors' Notes:

This story is a collaboration between NightOwlCC and Anne-Marrie95 as authors and HardSonadowFanGirl as our beta reader. It is our second attempt at writing something together and hopefully, worth the effort. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated, so please, review, favorite, follow, or even PM us.

We as authors do not claim rights over the D Gray Man official plot line, manga, anime, or any other official content, the official characters or the official dialogues. The scenes and dialogues reproduced in this story do not bring us any profit and we are using them for free-shared entertainment purposes only. However, we do take credit for our original characters, for our added twists and newly inserted scenes, secondary plots and romantic pairs. We also take credit for our interpretation of the D Gray Man characters and plot. The story aims to be a slightly Alter-Universe rewrite.

The lyrics in the description are from the song "If I Told You Once" by Circus Contraption.

The first original character introduced, Amara / Amaranta Salvatore was created by and belongs to NightOwlCC entirely. Other OCs will be introduced further on, claimed by their respective author here, in the Authors' Notes section.

For the cover of this story, we are using "The Carnival" by Shippw on DeviantArt. The picture was found on Google Images, cropped and edited. It had no visible signature.

Edit: The text in Italics at the top serves as a presentation of the story. As you have probably guessed already, the story adopts a circus theme and makes it an analogy to the everyday life of the exorcists. There are three OCs presented so far, but for the next few chapters, Amara will be the only one present. The canon characters will be introduced gradually, as well as the remaining OCs. I did edit the top section and made it longer after receiving some feedback saying it did not focus enough on the canon characters, so hopefully it is better now.