"Each of us wrote you a letter. Please keep them safe and please stay safe. They recorded all of your classmate and teachers’ wishes, 23 of them... Open these letters whenever you are needed, you will be reminded with something. Everything will be okay...”

"Definitely!" Anang responded to her best friend, Aquarius. Under the beautiful afterglow, they glanced at each other as if it was their last. It was the time for her to say farewell to her best friend, reluctantly...?

As the school year ended, many of the students were moving away. Their departure was not for any other reasons, but all for the fear of that impeding “alien invasion” catastrophe. A safe shelter to hide was the only thing they wanted, and school was not one of the trusted options.

Anang was an excellent student and a talented artist. Just like how she was passionate about knowing the world, she was also fond in visual arts and music.? From jealousy to understanding, Aquarius, one of her classmates, became into her best friend through connections built by the media of colors and melodies. However, talking about where these friends came from, no words can define. They were speaking a beautiful language that has a name only their society understood. Talking about their “society”, not saying the term of “nation”, even the basic unit’s name of “city” wasn’t being defined in any ways.

As Anang stepped on her way back home, Aquarius couldn’t stop concerning her best friend’s wellness. Softly, even quieter than the gentle flow of water, she followed Anang all the way back to her cottage. Under the starry night sky and the glimmering moonlight, this was night that sank into a deep silence. On muddy road they walked, as if it was impossible to find the end of the road and the direction to come.?

The loneliness of them was melancholic and rare. This was probably the longest silence those girls had experienced as friends.

The night remained its own tranquility, but Aquarius became impetuous and flustered as the destination was near. By the time she got to Anang’s house, it was already very late. Just as Aquarius was about to open her flashlight, a loud noise of dissonance shocked her. It was Anang having a serious quarrel with her family. This was very usual for her under a demanding father and ambitious mother. However, nothing was known for Aquarius before this conflict happened.

“Anang, you need to start enhancing your Eunician in this vacation as soon as possible. Dad and I take you to this school just for this purpose. Being an elite who reads, speaks, and writes Euncian well helps you become more powerful, more successful.”

Eunician is a simpler, but much more powerful language Anang and her classmates used. It was unknown how people in their community were mastering it, but it was obvious that any parents who had a high expectation on their kids offer them with Eunician classes, even a bilingual education of Eunician and their own language.

“But... I don’t want to be an “elite” elite. Art and music are universal language which will make everyone understand, and they are a major part of me. Also, isn’t that great if I can investigate our language? If Eunician becomes a SUBJECT which I have to perfect, perfect, and PERFECT every day, I would rather let it be and just be who I am.”

“Well, you only think about what you LIKE not what you NEED!” Anang’s dad stood up and yelled furiously. “Our language and your artistic language are not your priority now. As mom and I suffered as poor Eunician speakers, we don’t want you to be like us. As you can see from the news, aliens might invade our land anytime. Studying this language might help you defeat them as you become a scientist, if that is even possible...”

“Then why did you still teach me your language and inspired me with music and art when I was little...” Anang sank into a desperate whimper.

“You are not a little girl anymore, ANANG! Those skills can’t save a thing in real life. Dad and I were too late when realizing the importance of Eunician. We all wanted you to be a victor with it. History is written by the victors, not by the losers like dad and I.”

“Be the losers as you believe! Well, I’d rather be KILLED by those aliens than becoming SUCCESSFUL as you wished. I CAN BE MY OWN HERO WITHOUT YOU!”

Anang ran out of her home and slammed the door, having a hardship breathing with tears covering her face. Tripped off by a twig after a distance of running, she hit the ground hardly and sank into a coma...

After Anang opened her eyes, she was in Aquarius’s home, laying in her warm embracement. It was Aquarius who picked her up after Anang felt over. However, this house was even more quiet and bleak.

“I’m so sorry about your family’s argument. I can’t tell how heartbreaking I was when seeing you falling over... Here, I already cleaned your wounds. They will be okay soon.”

“Aquarius... How did you end up finding me? Where am I right now?”?

“It has been a long story. This is my home. But listen, this is what about my what happened here. As I came back, my parents were gone and did not have a signal for return, but their belongings are still left here in this house.”

“Was that... alien attack?” Anang whispered. “As what my parents told me, aliens usually invade at night. Since now it’s in the morning, are we safe?”

“Well, first of all, I don’t think the aliens are real. Do you still remember our teacher’s words? ‘In our culture, everything will be okay if we walked and expressed in our unique ways.’ That means...”

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

As Anang screamed loudly, an alien face timidly reached out from a corner of the wall.

“Oh hi... This is... Daren. It’s... Nice to see... you.”?

He was nothing different than Anang and Aquarius beside from their gender and language spoken. In fact, the language he spoke was the exact one the two girls are learning, Eunician!?

“You speak... Eunician?”

“Long story short, I’m forced to get in the troop of conquering all cultures around the world, assimilating them in to our “advanced”, “powerful”, and “dominating” culture. Those people around me are just so proud of themselves. Indeed, they took had taken two adults away last night.?

“Are them my parents?”

“Don’t worry, my troop is not evil as you might think. They will never kill or hurt your parents, or anyone they captured. They are just... Overambitious in assimilating others to strengthen their power. I strongly disagree with their ideology. That’s why I escaped them and hid here, for my fifth time. I just need to spend more time and understand some new cultures right there in front of me!”

“So, you are not an... Alien?” Anang asked.

“Well, this is a word I’ve never heard of. However, fear and misunderstanding are what I can feel from this term. As what I saw here, you seem to be a talented artist. Maybe if we work together, something will help.”

“You mean we create something artistic together?”

“What else can I mean? But here’s a thing, I don’t know your names yet. Let me guess, you are like the embodiment of water... You must be Aquarius! You are a true original... You must be Anang!”

“Wow! How is that possible for you to guess our names so accurately?”

“That’s a secret! Even I don’t know the exact answer... Time is ticking now. Using your way, or our way, let’s paint with all the colors of the world, sing off our friendship!”

A week had passed with memorable moments these three friends enjoyed. Every day, they spent a lot of time drawing, painting, crafting, and singing. Regardless of their cultural gap, music and art built a strong connection among them. As they sensed every detail of their life, even some trivial matters, all the fears faded away as understanding was enhanced.

The time of happiness and union is always short and fleeting. In one stormy night, seven days after their first encounter, Aquarius went missing! As the chaotic noise outside awakened Anang and Daren, they furiously ran outside. It was indeed the “aliens” coming, taking Aquarius along with them and attempting to reshape her mind.

“Please, STOP NOW! I know we are basically the same, so let go of my friend!”

The “aliens” stopped immediately, realizing something was different. Among the “alien” crowd, Aquarius was visible along four adult figures. However, the brightness in their eyes fainted.

“Listen, this is not how expanding community works!?

“You don’t understand. We are not forcing anything, and we are not a military troop. This is just how things work. We are powerful, and this is the reason we attract people, not robbing them, and we dominate. I’m so sorry to say, your language and culture is just not standardized enough for a better progress,” an “alien” stepped out to explain.

“A... An... My dear daughter, we are very sorry about the harsh way treating you...” Anang’s parents ran toward their daughter and Daren, attempted to yell loudly. However, what came out of their mouth was only Eunician. Their daughter’s name was no longer being remembered. Besides them, there was the family of Aquarius whimpering in their new identity.

“Mom? Dad? Aquarius? Do you still remember me? No, I should repeat this again in Eunician...”

It was obviously seen, whoever loved Anang remembered...

“Hey friends, this is Daren. You guys probably treat me as an outsider but let me tell you what I’ve learned when being with my friends, including the girl you just took away. During our time together, they taught me that there are some better ways to unite each other. It should be something like music; it should be all those colors of the world blending in one another! Sharing all the range of chances, we are meant to be unique. Though we are powerful, unifying thoughts is not the way! With fearful words, they called us as aliens, meaning we are coming from unfamiliar places and presenting potential harms. Didn’t you just see how terrible this is? Why is the expansion of our community based on the penetration of fear?”

In his backpack, Daren picked out the artworks his new friends completed with him one after another. There were drawings, paintings, sculptures, craftworks... As Daren presented to those shocked “aliens”, Anang started to sing the song written with her precious friendship.

“All the works we read, the works of art

Tells and told us who we are

No matter what before impedes?

Now is time for us to shine our sparks!?

Even history does not allow

But remembrance driven record?

Fought for thousand times?

However, things all have two sides...”

She stopped her singing and sank into tears. No further words could be remembered, as her whimper prevented her from continuing. At the same time, all the “aliens” were dumbfounded. Especially her parents and the family of Aquarius, glittering light were shining in their watery eyes. However, no words were able to pop out.

“Well, young lady, even we couldn’t shake your mind,” an elder “alien” sighed with reluctance. “Also, Daren, you will regret very soon when submerging into more and more cultures like this. We already knew what you’ve done before. However, preventing you from doing them again is out of our control. You are too young and na?ve when thinking about how we are surviving and developing as a whole. We respect your choice, but time doesn’t wait.”

The light in Daren’s eyes gradually faded away. Although a strong man doesn’t usually cry, he couldn’t stop his tears from flowing. Thinking about the precious friendship he had to give up, thinking about the cruelty of life he was facing, Daren joined the group he was defined to belong to. He dropped off all the artwork he held in his hands, decided to start of a more “rational” and “wise” journey.

On the other hand, no matter how heartbreaking Anang felt about her friends, her family, she still left them walking together and left her alone. She believed that it was her responsibility to keep her culture alive, even if her parents and friends are already dead, culturally...

As the “aliens” walked away, only three figures were lagging behind, looking out for Anang as long as possible. As if she was reminded by something, Anang fetched the letters hidden in her pockets and backpack.?

“They recorded all of your classmate and teachers’ wishes, 23 of them... Open these letters whenever you are needed, you will be reminded with something. Everything will be okay...”

After reading countless lines of the beautiful language they wrote, Anang was being reminded with all the beautiful and special memories she had with all those people she valued. As she pulled out those letters one after another, there dropped off a piece of paper with some missing words of her song. It was the last sentence Aquarius wrote to her, and it was the last sentence Aquarius wrote in their songs.

“Diversified words, balance of the world

Happens when you put yourselves in their shoes...”

As Anang unfolded the paper and sang aloud the words, her lonely and sad melody was the only sound lingering under the sunset... The “aliens” might never visit her again, but who will be the next one receiving her messages?