The first real chapter of the story. This will not be a story for the weak of heart. Please read and review, thanks!

The Darkest Night

The crescent moon hung mournfully in the sky, illuminating the ground with a blue light. Somewhere, a wolf bayed into the quiet, shattering a silence that seemed to grip the earth. Lowing muttered from an old barn leaning against a giant sacred fig tree. Its branches reached to the sky as though it prayed to the heavens for rain. Drought had plagued the area for several months now and the heat was driving several people to insane rationale.

It was hard to sleep in the sweltering heat. She had already had to comfort Tai when the baby woke up crying from the heat. He had finally fallen into a restless sleep, tiny fists clenched around a bear as old as time. Now that she was awake, she might as well see why the buffalo were crying out at night.

Ambika lit the only lantern in the house, keeping the flame low as to not wake her children. With as many nights as they had been up from the heat, she was thankful for the quiet.

Barefoot, she stepped out into the night. The earth welcomed her as its child even though she had no talent whatsoever. Coolness greeted her soles as the women padded to the old barn, bowing once to the giant tree. If she wasn't so occupied with the cattle she might've noticed the eerie silence that clung to the atmosphere, suffocating it. The dozens of night birds that sang to the moon were silent. Even the cicadas refused to hum. She ignored it as the fatigue plagued her mind, wondering if she would be able to sleep tonight.

The buffalo lowed softly as she pushed the doors open. Blowing strands of dark hair out of her eyes, she hooked the lantern on its peg and turned to examine the barn. A soft glow invaded the darkness, hushing the animals as they turned to stare at her. None of them seemed frightened and, in fact, the entire herd continued to lie in their pen. Dull eyes stared at her as though asking what had kept her so long. She blinked and did a quick glance around the building, wondering what had upset the buffalo.

Something rustled and she whirled, eyes locking on the corner of the barn. The hay piled high there did look different and it seemed to have collapsed on one side. Ambika stiffened and tried to find any kind of weapon. It better not be elephant rats again, she thought. She had finally driven those pests out just a couple of weeks ago. Deciding she could deal with this on her own, she pushed forward, hoping to chase the vermin off before they ate everything she had stored for winter.

She had to be too tired to hear the heavy breathing and, even when she pushed the hay to the side, she stumbled back and stared down at the child. He didn't react as the hay was shoved away, didn't blink. Mud was splattered all over his white face and smeared on his clothes, making his eyes appear whiter than normal. He trembled, arms wrapped around his body as he stared into nothing.

Creaking echoed above her head and she turned her attention up to the rafters. Even in the dim light, she could see shapes wrapped around the wooden beams. Pairs of eyes stared down at her. She could feel the fear in the air as they watched her, huddling near the back of the barn. Not one of the spoke and many had seemed to stop breathing as she gazed at the mass.

"Mom!"

Ambika started, jumping. The shadows flinched back, trying to escape her. She took another glance at the shapes before slowly backing out of the barn.

The boy huddled on the ground began to mutter incoherently, rocking back and forth.

"Mom!"

The silent night greeted her again as the woman emerged from the barn. Something was pounding in her ears although she wasn't entirely sure if that was her heart or if that had stopped. There were kids hiding in her barn and she knew that they looked familiar.

She faced her eldest daughter and, even though she had left the lantern in the barn, she could see how pale she looked. The silence was thick in the air and the wolf from earlier had moved on. The girl glanced back at the barn, confusion spreading across her features. She worried her lower lip, shifting from foot to foot as though she was trying to resist asking the question.

"What is it, Cho?" she asked, drawing her daughter's concentration away from the barn.

The eyes darted to her once again before settling back on the small bit of light. The question remained unasked as she took in a steadying breath. "Someone's at the door."

Ambika brushed past the girl, taking her by the shoulders briefly. "Who?"

Cho's attention remained riveted on the barn as she answered. "Men from town." She turned to face her mother, the question spilling out. "What's going on? Who's in the barn?"

Her daughter was sometimes too smart for her own good. She too glanced at the small building before steadying herself. The fear of this had come true although she would never believe it. "Cho, listen to me. Take Lien and Cam to my room and don't come out until I say so."

"Cam's at the door. What's wrong, Mom?"

"Just do it," she evaded swiftly, forcing herself to calm down. Voices drifted from the front door, harsh words cut through the silence. Something in her recognized her baby crying out as the voices rose.

Even at the age of twelve, her son was taller than her. He glanced back as she approached, more than likely feeling the vibrations of her walk. He stood his ground against the dozen or so men standing at her door, only stepping back to let her through.

"Go to back to bed, Cam," she whispered to him, gently shooing him away. He merely nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the men as he backed off. The kid was as stubborn as a mule but he would never disobey his mother. She stood squarely in the doorframe, giving the men a long look to ease her anxiety. Several faces she recognized from the town although the features were twisted. Hands clung to swords and knifes, some stained red. Fireflies made up their lanterns, a strange concept for this small town.

But the realization was sinking in. She faced the leader of this group, wondering how advanced his abilities were. "What do you need from me, Guntur? It's the middle of the night."

The town's elder had a strange smile on his face as he peered over her into the house. It wasn't too hard; she was at least four heads smaller than him. Ambika didn't need any kind of talent to know her son was behind her still, albeit watching from the shadows.

"Looking for some pests that might've escaped here, Ambika," he grunted out, his tone dark. A blackness lit up his eyes as he stared down at her. "Seen any around in your barn? We heard your cattle crying."

"I took care of those elephant rats months ago. Thanks for the offer," she muttered dismissively. The door started to swing shut before he caught it; the smile vanished from his face.

"The day has come, Ambika. Those vermin don't belong here and never have." Guntur pressed closer and she could see the knife he held glint red in the natural light. "You've been in your barn. If you're hiding any of those insects…"

"A wolf's been nearby," she said sharply. "It's gone now, thanks to the lot of you." Rocks seemed to fill her as she stepped back, hoping it would click in their heads to leave her be. Her baby continued to scream shrilly. "If you'll excuse me, I have to put my baby back to bed."

Guntur merely snarled but waved the men off. A few stared long and hard at her before they shuffled off back in the direction of the town. Her own glance to the town only proved her suspicions. Light bathed the area in what looked to be an inferno, flames rocketing higher and higher into the night sky.

"What's going on, Mom?" Cam asked quietly as she shut the door. His mother was pale and her hands shook. His bare feet pounded on the earth floor, fear licking at his voice. "What did they mean?"

She steadied herself, leaning against the door for support. The fear in her son's voice scared her more than anything. Strength filled her, more for her children's sake than anything else. She had to stay steady for them.

"Cam," she said softly. "Fill the buckets up with water and take them to the barn." Ambika stood on steady feet now, giving her son a push to the back door. "Don't go inside."

He moved without a word, nearly sprinting out the door.

Cho emerged from the back, cradling a crying Tai. Lien, still half-asleep, clutched the older girl's hand, rubbing her eyes. She remained silent, handing the baby over. The mother rocked him, hushing the child effectively. Four kids before him had made her somewhat of an expert on children. Tai wrapped tiny fingers in her hair, shuddering as he fell back to sleep. He seemed to sigh softly, head resting on her shoulder.

"Cho, Lien, get the leftover guotie and onigiri and take them to the barn. Don't go inside."

Even as she laid the baby back to bed, she prayed this was all a dream and when she walked outside, there would be no one but her family.

The lone lantern still hung in the barn, casting a soft glow around the barn. Her children had listened to her and had waited, albeit impatiently, by the doors. Cam glanced up, his feet planted firmly on the ground. His eyes seemed to glow as his mind worked out the situation they were now in. The rebel in him stirred, waking. Ambika held a finger to her lips before pushing the doors open as quietly as possible.

Eyes stared down at them, smaller figures huddling closer to the larger ones. She heard her daughters gasp and held an arm out to keep the two girls still. The boy was still sitting motionlessly on the ground. The eyes watched her closely as she approached the boy, listening as he mumbled. She settled next to him, brushing the black hair out of his face. The mud splattered over him reeked of metal. He took in a shuddering breath, head snapping to face her. His eyes stared and he shivered, sucking in air.

"They're dead," he murmured, as though in a fog. "Dead, dead."

"Who?" she asked softly, although she already knew the answer.

"Dead," he repeated. Tears ran down his cheeks, splattering over the ground. "Mom, Dad, Daisuke. Dead. All dead." The boy broke, wrapping his arms around himself and sobbing. Ambika drew him in, instincts taking over. He curled into her as he shook and cried.

Around them, the shadows wept as the inferno died in the town.