For new readers: Hi! This fic is currently being rewritten so it doesn't suck as bad. It still updates though. Bear in mind that I started this some two years ago and two years ago I was a huge idiot. Sorry about that.

For old readers: Welcome back. *touched into tears* I'll continue the updates after I'm done with chapters three and four, ok? Sorry about that.

D. Gray-man and its characters do not belong to me.

Chimera:

A fanciful mental illusion or fabrication.

Arrival

Beta-ed by aKiy0z

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.

-Dalai Lama

Allen Walker was highly unusual in many ways. His head of white hair at the still tender age of fifteen; his startlingly large appetite; his atypical personality never failed to raise stares.

And then there was his scar, long and deliberate, snaking down from his forehead through his left eye and ending on his cheek.

This highly unusual, snow-haired protagonist of the story had found himself in the care of one man just as strange, following his adoption.

Marian Cross was a truly peculiar man.

Allen had thought so all along, but now, he knew for sure, that he had finally grasped the magnitude of Cross's weirdness.

He was just crazy.

For why else would he even bring up sending Allen to a boarding school, an actual institute of education, after so many years of subjecting him to nothing but the rough equivalent of slavery? How did he even rack up debts that fast?

Not that he wouldn't be happy to get away from that guy, obviously. The only things that amazed him about the man were his ability to rack up debts so fast that it would be considered a talent, and the fact that Allen felt more like a slave rather than an actual adopted child after so many years. Cross didn't need to know how diligently he prayed to be free from the grasp of his heartless adopter every night.

It had been a perfectly normal evening. Allen had been engaging in a heated, although one-sided discussion with the cupboard glass over some trivial matter when Cross decided it was time to finally go all out and proclaim the exact level of his insanity to the world.

'Idiot.'

The young man had unwisely decided to ignore Cross.

'Idiot.'

Still no response.

BAM.

'AAAARRRGGGG WHAT THE FU-'

'-I signed you up for school.'

'THAT REALLY HUR- huh?' Allen stopped clutching his head and looked at Cross.

D-Did my ears just pick up the words 'school'? Did Cross actually decide that I needed wholesome education instead of the shit he's been putting me through? No that's not possible. Absolutely not. I mean like c'mon, he's Marian frickin' Cross for fu-

'Follow this map tomorrow.' A sheet of paper and a train ticket delicately flitted this way and that, before finally landing on the head of one very stunned boy. Who promptly knocked over a bottle of wine in his haste to stand up and check Cross's brain for maggots.

Ah, Romanée-Conti, considered to be one of the finest and most expensive red wines in the world. Cross's preferred indulgent drink.

And the bloody thing is now flooding the ants on the floor. Oh no.

Allen attempted a sheepish grin at Cross. 'Oops?'

Cross hit his head spot-on, and the boy went falling into the realms of unconsciousness.

.

.

.

Allen woke up the next day and realized that he was late for the train. Cursing silently, he rushed to prepare his belongings at record speed. Thankfully there wasn't much, mostly because Cross never gave him much to begin with. He choked down some stale bread before bolting out of the shack.

He was almost there! Almost – why did they have to build this school all the way up there? Allen continued to climb up the cliff.

The entire Disciplinary Committee was feeling highly restless. After all, it was breakfast time and the cafeteria was serving the highly anticipated Wednesday's specials, which meant limited portions of sausages today. However, all 28 members stood rooted to the ground, crowding around the monitor screens, two of which were beaming back live footage of a certain boy's progress on the cliff. Yet, even as they pushed and shoved each other, each prefect made sure that a wide gap remained between them and the Head Prefect.

The Head Prefect happened to be another anomaly. He was merciless, picky to the point where it drove people insane, had an uncanny knack for giving the most offensive insults and nicknames, and possessed hair so long and silky he could probably do hair commercials without the extra lighting.

Yu Kanda was yet another abnormally large crease in the blankets of life.

The only person who had gained some degree of understanding behind how this oddity walked and talked and ticked was the Vice Prefect. She was also the only one who actually attempted to do so, though.

Lenalee Lee did not like to give up.

The aforementioned girl pointed to one of the screens everyone was gaping at.

"Kanda, shouldn't you go and help that boy up?"

Kanda glanced at prefect Chaoji, who immediately scampered off and reappeared in screen four soon after.

Allen looked over at the edge of the cliff. It seemed so devoid of human life, so isolated. Yet never had the wind seemed so alive as here, dancing its lithe fingers lightly over the leaves, the grass, his hair and his clothes, making them flutter and ripple. He felt a strong, almost magnetic force pull him towards the strangest structure - a delicate arch constructed of some unknown material, with a highly detailed, richly patterned curtain of sorts hanging over it, never moving with the breeze, instead slowly swinging to a rather hypothesizing rhythm. Unable to help himself, Allen approached the arch slowly, and took note of these words etched onto it:

Black Order Private Boarding Academy

Once you step forward, never look back.

He stepped back and looked for another entrance, but entire area was surrounded by a wall, as far as he would walk.

Well, at least I know that's the correct place.

The curtain was now swinging back and forth in a relaxing fashion, as though beckoning Allen to step through it.

And the boy followed the wind, parting the curtain at last and stepping through the arch.

.

.

.

Allen found himself following a boy who had hurriedly introduced himself as Chaoji. The later had stammered out a hello and was currently in the process of leading Allen to the Prefect's lounge. Oh, here it is, he thought. The lounge. Sure sounds inviting.

Allen opened the door and stepped in to find a sword pointed directly at the bridge of his nose. Chaoji seemed to have melted entirely into the shadows, so he gingerly stepped back.

'Beansprout, what were you doing?' A sharp voice broke the silence. Boy, it sure didn't sound happy.

'I-I was uh, you know, getting my morning exercise– c-can you put down that sword first?"

'You were defiling our school grounds and showing total disregard for your conduct.'

'Why would that - Put down that sword!'

The source of the Allen's current crisis then stepped out into the light and revealed himself. He had this ridiculously long girly black hair and was still somehow looking extremely menacing.

Hang on – long black hair? Allen vaguely remembered 'long black hair' from his orphanage days.

Could it be-?

"K-Kanda? Is that you?"

Kanda's eyes widened for a moment. "Who the hell are you?"

Allen stared. Yes, it has to be him. No other boy would keep that hair that way. Who knew Ba-Kanda had grown into such a pretty-boy? And he had always been somewhat grumpy. And-

"Cut out that grin, Beansprout." Kanda scowled, preparing to slice Allen into a million pieces and-

'KANDA! STOP!' A girl with twin pigtails appeared next to the Head Prefect.

'Why are you always so violent?'

'How is that any of your business?'

He was returned with multiple hits with the clipboard in the girl's hands.

Halting the attempt to end Allen's life then and there, Kanda rubbed his head and began to emit a deadly aura that could ensure Earth's absolute defense against extraterrestrial attacks, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

Who ignored the probably-life-threatening-concentrated-Kanda-radiation-waves and smiled at Allen. "Nice to meet you," She glanced at her clipboard, "Allen. My name is Lenalee."

'…Hi.' Said Allen weakly.

"You know, we have elevators for that."

Lenalee's voice echoed around the needlessly large corridor. 'Eh? You really know Kanda?'

Allen scratched his head awkwardly. 'It seems unbelievable, but we were in the same orphanage a while back. I would say that I'm glad to see him again, but…'

Lenalee patted his shoulder condolingly. 'Don't worry, he's not like this every day. I think. Besides, do you know someone named Lavi? He said the same thing.'

'Lavi? You mean, uh, red hair, eyepatch, kind of weird?'

'That's right.'

'Ah.'

Weird people were meeting up with each other at a truly alarming rate as of late.

White Class Headmaster Komui Lee was getting highly excited. He had always wanted to do this. It would be like achieving a major milestone in life. Almost there – almost –

Lenalee and Allen walked into the office. Komui swung around in his chair to face them, mouth set in a straight line in all seriousness and the upper half of his face darkened by deliberate lighting.

"I've been waiting for you."

.

.

.

"Lenalee~! Your brother missed you! Did that Kanda do anything funny to you? Lavi? Or," Komui's eyes found a dumbstruck Allen, "this suspicious looking boy?"

Lenalee seemed bored by this. She chanted, "No, Brother, Kanda, Lavi, and Allen here didn't do anything to me."

After Lenalee's insistence that no one came within one meter of her, Komui finally calmed down and sat back on his armchair. He glanced at the clipboard.

"Allen Walker, is it? Mr. Cross Marian has enrolled you in this school and paid your full school fee-"

Allen promptly fell off his chair.

"He actually paid my school fee? My full-"

Komui pushed up his spectacles. "Yes, he did. You will be penalized, as seeing your little stunt-"Allen fidgeted uncomfortably, "-and please note that as with all schools, we have school rules, and by enrolling in this school you are to abide by all of these rules. "

Allen nodded profusely, privately thinking that Komui probably did not abide by any rules.

"Ah, since you have half the day left, you can get yourself a uniform. Also, you can take a look at your room, which you're sharing with another student. Here's the school map, and list of things to do." Komui handed Allen two pieces of ridiculously tattered paper. "And, one last thing." He said sternly. Allen sat up straight.

"Don't touch my LENALEEEE!"

After collecting his uniform and enjoying a snack, Allen felt so tired that he could just drop on the floor and sleep - nah, I wouldn't.

.

.

He fell asleep on the floor.

.

And the next thing he knew, someone was prodding him awake.

"Dunn dissurbb."Allen muttered, his voice thick from sleeping. As the poking continued, Allen lazily reached out to swat the disturber, only to have his hand meet with thin air and a muffled laugh. He forced one eye open. A rather tall person was standing over him together with a girl - Lenalee? - and a small crowd of students.

"Mmm? Who are you?" Allen struggled to sit up.

The stranger laughed again. His laugh was so, familiar? Where did Allen hear it before?...

"Lavi?"

The stranger, now identified as Lavi, blinked at him. He had flaming red hair, along with the lone emerald eye that had always stood out. Lavi's exposed eye widened in recognition.

"Beansprout? He really is," Lavi now turned to Lenalee, " He's really the beansprout I-"

Allen smacked Lavi, enraged, causing him to crouch down in pain.

"Oww," Lavi rubbed his head gingerly, " what d'ya do that for?"

Allen rubbed his palm. "What did you call me 'beansprout' for?"

Lavi stood there with a thoughtful look on his face.

" Cause... Yu calls you that too?"

Lenalee let out a giggle, which she tactfully turned into a cough.

After assuring Lenalee that it was really because of tiredness that he had fallen asleep in the corridor, Allen handed Lavi his map. Out of the great kindness in his heart (as he claimed), Lavi had decided to guide Allen to where he would be sleeping. Allen gratefully followed.

"There you go, room 27." Lavi said cheerfully.

"Thanks." Allen opened the door and started carrying his belongings into the room, which consisted of two master beds, two desks and a wardrobe. It was simple but elegant. Until -

Lavi rushed into the room and jumped up and down on one of the beds. Allen gaped. 'L-Lavi, what are you doing? That bed belongs to someone else, you can't-"

"Not if that someone happens to be me." Lavi said happily, reaching into his half of the wardrobe and emerging with a book.

"What? I have to share a room with you?" The idea of it hit Allen so hard, he plopped down on his bed and stared at Lavi, now comfortably lying in bed and reading.

In his orphanage days, Lavi was the messiest child ever. Honestly, ever. His room was so filled with newspaper clippings and papers that you had to plough your way through. Allen could have personally sworn that in some parts, the paper came above his waist.

Though, he was also a brilliant child who would devise ways to ensure that Allen would always clean up his room for him just before spot-checks. So he was never caught. And Allen was scarred forever. He still has nightmares about it sometimes.

"T-Then, why is it so clean?" Allen asked. The simplest logic dictated that if Lavi slept here, it would never be this neat. Never.

"Because Lenalee got Yu to come here and force me to clean it up just before you came. You know, leave a good impression."

Allen lay down on his bed, defeated.

Well, at least I still get the education part, right?

He would soon learn how wrong he was.

A/N: And there goes the rewritten Chimera chapter 1. Tell me what you think! (Review for the needy author please?)