POV: Asarina Rohana.

Pop.

In an instant, my vision shifted from Ameno's former classroom to a black sky with countless star.

... Oh, there is a light blue planet nearby. Is it what human called "Neptune"?

It should be true. There are only nine planet in the solar system, so I cannot get it wrong. Moreover, consider the distance from this planet to the edge of my barrier, I can make sure that this planet is "Neptune".

... Yes. I'm not so foolish to let human have any chance to get out of my barrier, otherwise the barrier itself will lost its meaning. Therefore, I has extended my barrier to bypass the orbit of this planet - a distance that human technology cannot cover with an astronaut in more than a hundred years from now.

The only artifical object which has bypass this barrier - no, these are several of it - has been confiscated by some hot-blooded residing alien, who is very annoyed about the stupid decision of human to "reveal themself to the universe". Thank to them, I need to modify the barrier a bit, so that fake signal will be sent back to Earth to mimic these lost device.

Good thing is, it will be not long before these "confiscated device" reach their theoretical limit, and will no longer be able to send signal back. At that time, the barrier will be released from its additional duty.

... I should not let my though straying around like that. Let's focus on my job right now.

A short distance from the barrier, these is a big oval-shaped spaceship, with a one-pieced shiny sliver surface - even though there is very little light in this place. There are two big white rings attached to the spaceship's front and back.

... I see. It is a magic powered warp drive. 

As magic power can be used to mimic the behavior of negative mass, it is a crucial component in traditional warp drive - the kind that bend space into a "warp bubble" in order to move faster than light. Thank to that, if magic power suddenly disappear, the drive will stop working immediately. Because the ship is stationery inside the bubble, inertia will not force it to move forward if the drive stopped working, so it is still staying there.

... But, the question is, who would use this kind of oudated device in this age? This kind of warp drive will be heavily influenced by magic power field fluctuations, so it has been universally deemed not up to the standard when travelling in space. Then why did these traveller come here on it?

Museum thieves? No. They will not be able to made it here with this ship if that is the case. It will be caught in no time.

Collector? Then why did they need to ride this ship? There are a lot of model for the rich that are faster and more efficiency than this one.

... Then who?

Suddenly, four cylinder-shaped device slowly pop out from the ship's outer shell, in up, down, left and right position, like metal tubes move out of mercury surface. Each of them is about one third of the ship's width, lay parallel to the ship's direction.

... Backup engine. Seem like whoever design this ship also design a backup system in order to have it operated even when the magic power source is cut off. They revert to the non-magic engine: plasma jet.

But I allow them to move no further than this. With telekinesis, I look up the ship's movement, right when these four engine release a stream of white plasma toward its back. 

Good thing is, these machine's power cannot win again mine. The ship still stay at its place, even when all engine is pushing it forward.

... Well, I bet that anyone inside that ship is very confused now. Their warp drive suddenly stopped working, magic suddenly couldn't be used, and even now, the plasma jet also cannot push their ship forward even an inch. If it was me, I would also very scared. Thank to that, I guess I need to show myself now...

Wait! These are psychic power signal from inside the ship! Two of them!

... Not as powerful as mine. They cannot pose any problem. But, why... I can feel some uneasiness. I also feel that these signal is very familiar... but whose?

... No. It is not important right now. I only need to show myself, then I will know who are they, and what is their purpose to come here.

Using telepathy, I send toward them a psychic message - in this form, their mind will automatically translate my message's meaning in their mother tounge, so that I don't need to care about the language barrier, or unit difference between civilization:

"You are illegally trespassing the Planet Earth's sovereign space. Please disable all weapon systems and present your reason within one hour. If you do not follow order, present false information or perform other hostile action, we will regard you as invader, and handle according to the Intergalactic Law. "

... This is the sentences that an retired alien lawyer teach me to greet these "guess". And, the part of "handle invader according to the Intergalactic Law" can be roughly translated as "kill first, report afterward".

Now, the message has been transmitted, what will these alien reach?

It would be the best if they turn out to be good people, and follow my order correctly. Then, I only need to introduce them with some authorized aliens, and let them deal with the rest. Even if they are not willing to stay quietly on Earth, I can also escort them outside the barrier. Of course, if they wanted to make trouble, then there would be people who are ready to dispose of them.

... Just after several second, there are already a psychic message from them to me - and its content is so different from I've anticipated.

To be precise, that is not a psychic message. It is like a piece of memory that contain a voice:

"Rohana? Is it... really you?"

... Not only the language is so familiar with me, as it is the mother tounge of my homeworld, but its voice also is a familiar voice to me. I swear that I know the owner of this voice, but cannot recall he or she.

Anyway, I need to reply first:

"Who are you?"

And, this time, their message is in standard psychic form - like the one I send, unlike the memory form earlier:

"You cannot recall us?"

There are also other message - from the remaining psychic:

"What, are you Rohana? Rohana the only Knowledge Preserver of the Tal'darim? "

... What is that embarrassing tittle? It is true that people from my homeworld injected a lot of knowledge inside my brain when I was small, but was that enough to be called "Knowledge Preserver"?

When I am losing in though, the former psychic continue:

"I am Mallac. Does...."

... But, I cannot process the remaining information anymore.

That name... Mallac... it trigger something inside me. Something too old to be recalled. Something that has been buried deep inside my mind...

No. I has buried these memory myself. I has actively seal them away, in order to forget about my homeworld... 

I recalled it.

I was an "orphanage". No, to be precise, "guinea pig", thank to my natural psychic power. And, these friend is the same as me - also "guinea pig" from biological experiments.

We suffered a lot in the hand of these devil under the shell of "scientist". They tortured us. They tested various thing on us. And, the most painful and inhuman test which was conducted on me is the "Knowledge Preserver Project."

They want to inject the entire specie's knowledge inside one individual, for whatever reason that I do not understand, even now. Thank to that "brilliance" idea, various young psychic had died due to information overload. And, no matter how much I prayed, eventually, my turn came. 

It was a nightmare. I can now remember the tremendous amount of pain I have to go through at that time, so much that I used to wish for death all along the experiment in order to end my suffering. It feel like hell. A hell that last forever. But, in the end, I survived, while keeping all of these knowledge.

... Now, I do not remember exactly what did the other experienced, but, one thing for sure is that it would not be any bearable than mine. After all, unlike me, they had their body modified up to these mad scientist's crazy idea. Thing that they had suffered is unimaginable.

... That is the past. But, past is always past. No matter how horrible these experience is, I would not seal it away just because of that. But, why did I do so?

... I cannot recall it. Seem like the real reason was buried deeper than I though.

"Hey, ambassador of Planet Earth. If you are really Rohana, then you should know the name Sora. If not, then allow us to apologize. It is just that your psychic energy signal closely resembles one of our long lost friend, so we mistook you for it."

... Sora?

... Sora?

... Doctor Sora?

... I recalled it. The reason why I buried almost all of my memory about my homeworld. It is because of her, Doctor Sora.

She was the one who rescued us from the hell called "biological laboratory"

She was the one who assembled "guinea pig" like us into one place, and showed us the warm of a family.

To me, she was like a mother. She was the one I respect the most.

And... she was the one who abandoned me.

She trick me and my friend into several one-slotted spaceships, with the promise "I will come to fetch you home when everything subsided." And then, I was launched through space.

Maybe, because of curiosity, I has accidentally setup my destination into this planet - Earth. Due to that, I was seperated from the rest.

I landed on a snowfield. And stayed these for a long time, because of her promise.

... I can remember it too. Out of the time I spent on practicing psychic power, I ususally talked. To trees. To bushes. To the animal corpse that I've killed in order to eat. Even to snow. I talked about Sora. I talked about my circumstance. That is how I keeped myself occupied, in order to tricking myself into believing her promise. Believe that, one day, she would come and bring me home.

And hundreds years passed by. Sona did not appear. Not even once.

I did not grow physically. Psychic power slowed my grow so much that I am still a child, despite several thousands years have passed. But, at that time, I has growed one thing.

I growed to accept. Accept the fact that she would never come to fetch me. Accept the fact that I was abandoned in a strange planet.

That is why I sealed all of my memory, left only some basic information out of respect for my own origin.

Only after a long time, I learned about the war between my homeworld and the Gods. People of my homeworld won, but then, the cosmic entity World Devourer intervened, and ate them alive. I used to be so sad at that time, but, I hadn't connect it with my memory yet - I hadn't recalled it then.

Now, I realized why didn't she come. She couldn't. The whole planet, the whole specie was wiped out, so no one can ever get us anymore. Yet, I blamed her for not coming. How stupid I was...

I look at the spaceship, where my former friends is staying. I can know that it is them, because their psychic energy signature completely match with one in my deep memory.

... No. They are not only friends. They are also my fellow guinea pig, my family, my brother and sister. And, finally, my last surviving kin. They did not have to meet their end in the hand of a God, or inside the endless stomatch of the World Devourer.

... What am I feeling toward them?

Am I glad that they are alive, and have came to meet me?

Or I feel annoyed that they took so long to find me?

... Both.

... I can feel something. Something so familiar. Something that I've lost a long time ago. Something that my daughter can only bring back about half of it.

Emotion.

My vision suddenly get blurred. But I know. I know that I am crying. 

Crying for the tragedy of my homeworld.

Crying, for the death of my most loved person.

Crying, for the stupidness of my past self, to blame my most loved person for something that was not even her fault.

And... Crying, for the joy of knowing that my friends is still alive.

Under the intense pressure of the vacuum space, my tears evaporated instantly, instead of roll down my cheek. But, I ignore it.

I locate these two's psychic energy signal, and instantly teleport next to them.

... I know that sudden teleportation have a large chance to get stucked into nearby solid matter. But I do not care. I only want to express all of this bottled up emotion.

And, now, people who can truthly relieve my emotion is finally here.

***

"Well, well, Rohana is still Rohana. You do not change even a bit since that time. But, you no longer need to cry anymore, since we are here now."

Currently, I'm sitting in Mallac's lap, while letting him pat my head and listening to his comforting word - of course, by our mother tounge, the language of Tal'darim.

When I've just teleported into the ship, I immediately jump toward the closest person, and cry aloud. They was so confused at first, and when realized it was me, all of us hug each other while crying for a while.

And then, we settled down like this.

... This really remind me of our childhood. I used to be a crybaby then, and it is always Mallac, or Doctor Sora, who let me sit in their lap while patting my head like that. Of course, I always did not allow Mallac to pat me... but, today is special. I will allow him to do as he please... only today.

I can still recall Mallac in my memory. He used to a very energetic and naughty boy when he was small, with brown ruffled hair, deep green eyes, and an average face. Yet, still, with a pair of bunny ears in the top of his head and a small round tail at his butt, he can be considered "cute".

But... he is the one who has experienced one of the most inhumane experiment among us.

He was not born with bunny ears amd tail like this. It was the result of these scientists tampered with his DNA.

And that is only the transformation in the outer look. I haven't said about the change in his muscle, bone and internal organ, also caused by massive DNA alteration.

Imagine your body disintegrate its own flesh, organs and bone for hours, while regrow it in a new way. That is the pain he needed to suffer with each experiment, not even including the amount of effort to got used to his new body.

And these scientists repeated that process, before he could even stand up propely. They did it for years and years, before moved to testing phase - in other word, torture phase.

... I did not know about the exact thing that they did on him, but I guessed that it would not be less inhumane than me. I got electrocuted for days, by a current that is just enough to caused tremendous pain, but not enough for death, just to test my psychic reaction to electrical current. 

... I don't want to recall that anymore.

Also, that is the past. Even though the current Mallac still resemble a lot with the naughty boy in my memory, as he look like a boy that is in the early stage of puberty now, his action is different now. He caress me with gentle and care, use warm word that make me feel relieved, unlike the naughty boy of the past. Seem like thousands of years had changed him into a better man.

"Hey, I know this is your long waited reunion, but please share Rohana with us too."

Ah, I forget that these are three more people here.

Sitting opposite to me, there are the pair of twin Neo and Leena, with Neo is the younger brother and Leena is bigger sister. And, next to Mallac is Werlin, another female friends of me. She is also the other psychic in this ship. All of them are extending their arm toward me, so I left Mallac's lap to sit between the twin

Neo and Leera is pretty similar to each other. Both of them have sliver hair and eyes, white skin that is as smooth as porcelain, V-shaped face with pretty facial feature, just like an work of art - except that their lip is white instead of red. And, like Mallac, they are also wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt and black bloomer, which reveal their white, slender and smooth limb.

There is only one notable different between these two. Neo's hair is very short, and was neatly brushed into two side, while his sister left her sliver hair naturally toward her hip. And, even as a female, Leena's chest is still as flat as a board - like me.

Moreover, even under the broad light inside this spaceship, their bodies is emitting a faint white light...

I understand it. The reason why do their bodies only have variant of white color, why does they shine even under broad light, in an environment devoid of magic. Their body have been remodelled into silicon-based from carbon-based.

I do not know how these scientists did that to them, since psychics and non-psychics were in different facility. But, I can already imagine how much suffering did they have then... no, I don't want to imagine that now.

These scientists' reason?

Since compound of silicon have better magic properties than compound of carbon, a silicon- based body will have better magic capabilities than a carbon-based one. That is why these mad scientist forced these twin to suffer that inhumane transformation.

And, it is a real success. These twin's magic power capacity is hundreds times higher than normal people- of course, Sora was still way more powerful than them.

... Well, inside my barrier, magician will be rendered useless anyway. 

And the last of them is sitting next to Mallac, and extending her hand toward me:

"Can I pick ya up too, Knowledge P..." She immediately change her tone when I glare at her unhappily: "Rohana."

She is Werlin. 

She is the one who liked to tease me the most, but allowed no one else to tease me. And, for some reason, she usually get into fight with Mallac.

She used to be the cutest among us when we was small, anyway. But now, grown into splendid adult, her beauty shine much more than the past. With pitch black hair, sky blue eye, oval - shaped face with high and sharp nose, thin red lip, ivory white skin, all was arranged perfectly according to golden ratio, she is a symbol of beauty in both Earth and my homeworld's standard.

And, even her body is also a work of art, with slender and smooth limb extend outside her sleeveless light blue shirt and black bloomer...

According to what I know, since inside any model of spaeship nowaday would have an stable environment, there is no need for an spacesuit whatsoever. But... wearing this kind of clothes in the space, I can feel something not right...

No. It is human movie's fault that my sense is twisted a bit like that. They like useless flashy thing, so I cannot imagine any alien life that I know, without a space armor.

... She look beautiful, true, but these is a pair of black sheep horn ,which is as big as a child's palm, in the side of her head. It is an biological psychic power amplifier, make her psychic power potiental far beyond Mallac - but, still, she is weaker than the weakened me now.

... It is not important now. Contradict toward one may suspect, we do not have much to talk with each other. Since we used to be childhood friends, a group hug is enough to replace all emotional talk, and we have done it earlier.

... Well, actually, there are several more member among us to, but seem like there is only these four coming here.

And, all of us know that non-emotional talk about our private life can be left for our future. They are currently, according to my word, "illegally trespassing Earth's sovereign space", and need to present a reason.

I left the spot between the twin, and stand at the middle whule speaking:

"I know that our reunion is a happy event, but any story that I need to be filled, you can always fill me after this. Now, can you please present the reason why did you come here?"

... My attitude is still as serious as ever. Seem like when the emotional phase pass out, my mind automatically switch back to the normal calm state.

The atmosphere inside the spaceship suddenly tensed up. All of them look at me, but there are no trace of the warm welcome earlier, only seriousness. And, finally, Mallac retort:

"If we do not have a reason, what will happen?"

"Normally, I will execute any uncooperated individual, but... well, you guy are not one that I would do so, then... I can still pretend that nothing has happen, and you can still choose berween leave and stay without making trouble. Don't worry about the intergalactic rule, Earthling do not even know that these exist life outside their planet, so the rule is only for decoration."

Thank to my answer, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Both Neo, Leena and Mallac laugh happily, and Werlin smile at me:

"So it mean that there are noooo trouble even if ya overlook us, right?"

"Yes, as long as your purpose is not waging war."

Then, all of us fall into silence. Their face suddenly turn dead serious.

... I have a bad feeling about this.

After a while, Neo stated, with a tone so serious that I'd never seen before:

"We... do not want to wage any war, but, actually... ehh... there are someone else..."

"Who? Does the one who are not here with you really want to start an war?"

Neo immediately shock both his head and hand:

"No, no, they are not with us now. We had a huge quarrel, and already parted way long ago. This situation have nothing to do with them anymore. It is just... well, a mad scie... biologist is chasing after us. And, he is pretty strong..."

... What? They have parted way with each other long ago? Just how huge a quarrel can be for them to act like that?

And, moreover, biologist?

... I think that he wanted to refer him as "scientist", but, maybe he though that I am still allergic toward it, so he decided to use "biologist" instead. Well, it is true that that word alone has made me have a goosebump, but it is not so serious. I can still pretend that I'm completely fine.

Still... I alternate my glance between all of them:

"You'd better fill me with the quarrel afterwards. Now, tell me about the scientist... I mean, biologist."

And, the one who answer me is Werlin - with a sad voice:

"Well... Ya'd better not involved with this. The biologist's power is far beyond imagination... Actually, it would be better if we'd never been to this planet at the first place."

... Even though my mind is still as clear as ever, I can feel a bit angry about that.

"Shut up." I glance toward her. "Say no more. After a warm welcome, how can you regret meeting me immediately afterward? Am I so disgusting for you now?"

"No, it's for ya safety..."

"Thousands years may transform you and me into completely different people, but it cannot change the fact that we used to be friend. Maybe, you find me untrustworthy, maybe you find me not worth knowing something, maybe you find me dragging you down, but I shall not turn a blind eye to you. At the very least, not now."

I approach Merlin, and grind my teeth:

"You know that I hate being keeped in the dark. Now, choose. I will know the truth through your word, or I shall search it inside your mind..."

She stand up, and cut of my word:

"Omega class Psychic."

"Then?"

"That biologist is an Omega-class psychic! Additionally, he is known to be the strongest psychic in the universe!"

"Then?"

"C'mon, ya're the Knowledge Keeper! How could'nt ya know what does Omega class imply? It mean that he can reshape the structure of reality into whatever he want! No power can stand again that!"

... She look very angry now. As she finish her sentence, she press her forehead into mine, and look at me with provoking eye. Neo and Leena has retreat to a safe distance, while Mallac look at us puzzlingly.

But, I cannot back off here, even when I kind of understand how big of a problem they get themselves into. I continue with my casual monotone:

"Then what?"

... Werlin immediately hung her head and fall back to her bottom. She exhale a long breath, and speak with a low voice:

"I can't understand what the hell happened in this damned Earth that 's made ya so fearless."

She look up at me, and shout:

"I'll know immediately if ya was pretending to be brave, while still trembling with terror! But not! Ya expression tell me that ya actually treat this like nothing! Even though ya's only a bit stronger than me! How can ya be so foolish! If I know this beforehand, I'd rather not meet ya anymore! Not let ya know our trouble anymore!"

... It hurt being called a fool. But... she do have a point. It is completely impossible for me to challenge an Omega-class psychic in this state. Only by withdraw the barrier, I can gather enough power to stand again that thing - which mean, magic power will be temporary exposed to the Earth.

... I can delete all of Earthling's memory about the short moment magic power no longer be restricted to them, but, why do I feel like I've forget something far more important?

... Well, forget it. I can warp reality to fix up any problem following this event. I should focus on the matter in front of me.

Werlin... She is in the verge of crying. But, I can see in her teary eye and firm, unshakable determination.

She want me to stay out of this trouble, no matter it cost her.

Mallac have to come between us, seperate me and Werlin. Then, he speak firmly toward me:

"Like her said, we should not meet you from the beginning. My apologize, Rohana, but I want you to get out of this ship, and return home right this instant. And, treat it like you have never meet us today. No, forget us completely. You'll live better without us fool."

... Liar. I can read in his eye that he clearly do not want us to part. But, he still choose the path that seperate us, only because he think that I would be safe then.

It is true. If I do not have enough power, I will be eliminated in an instant again such opponent. But... I am not.

I have power. Power much more than they can imagine, power enough to stop anyone who want to harm thing that are precious to me.

... I forget that they don't know.

Actually, I intended to hide this from them, to give them a nice surprise when the time come. But... seem like I would need to reveal it much more sooner, and not so dramatic like I've planned.

... Well, but I still want to make it as cool as possible.

I talk back with a serious voice:

"Can you use magic now?"

... Werlin retort immediately:

"You think that magic have any meaning again a reality warper? Seriously, where is your past intelligence now? Or you have been this foolish from the beginning?"

... Sorry, Werlin. I know that you do not mean what you said, but it is annoying now. Very annoying.

I glare toward her:

"I do not want to do this, but can you go without your mouth for a while, Werlin?"

Both Mallac and Werlin reach immediately when they realize that I'm using my psychic power. But, nothing happen.

... I guess they tried to cast some magic, but inside my barrier, the concept of "magic" did not exist. Therefore, as long as you are inside it, magic could not be used.

And, before they can realize that their magic has failed, Werlin's mount has disappeared. Literally. The place that previously her lip stay in, now has become a seamless area of white skin, without the hole that people called "mouth" anymore.

Werlin seem so shocked. She try to move her jaw, but failed. Then, she seem like want to talk something, but all sound she can produce is a series of meaningless muffed moan. And, finally, she try to touch the seamless skin where her mouth used to, but there stay nothing. The remaining three just stare at her during the whole process, without moving even a bit.

And then, all of them look back at me, and the three with their mouth intact shout loudly:

"What the f*ck have you done?"

... Oh my. Watch your language, please. And there is no need to get so angry like that, she only lost her mouth, it is not life-threatening anyway... 

I reply with no hesitation:

"You've just seen what I've done. She talk so much, so I try to keep her silenced for a while. Don't worry, I will return it afterward, 'cause she still owe me an apologize for all the "dumb" and "fool" thing."

... I can feel in their eye that they has been less hostile than before, but, still very hostile. Seem like my action has gone overboard so much.

I turn to Mallac and the muted Werlin:

"You tried to use magic, but failed, right?"

They nod. I continue, while glance toward Neo and Leena:

"You cannot feel any magic power inside your body now, right? And, there is no sign that natural magic power is refilling your magic core even a tiny bit, right? Yet, do you think how strange it is that you are still conscious, even with an empty magic power pool?"

And they nod, too. I continue:

"Guess why?"

"There are a huge magic power fluctuations around this area..." - Mallac speak, but he realized his mistake and stop in the middle. But, I point it out anyway:

"And you know that there exist no geometrical model of magic power fluctuation that have a point with zero density. Moreover, even if magic power density is really zero, which is completely impossible, there is no chance that magic power inside your body suddenly depleted without you faint instantly. So we can place aside that hypothesis."

Mallac reply while trembling, with voice full of disbelief - seem like he has recognized something:

"But... if so... there is only one hypothesis left..."

I cut off his word once more:

"The law of nature has been violated... no, to be precise, altered."

... Good. All of them has recognize what I mean. Neo, Leena and Mallac is opening their mouth wide in disbelief, and Werlin still look at me with widely open eye - I guess if her mouth was still there, she would open it as wide as the remaining three.

... I guess I should drop the last bomb now.

"The only being who can oppose a Reality Warper, is another Reality Warper. And we got another one right here."