A/N: I don't own Alice Gakuen.

Epilogue

(play Fleurie's Love Has No Limits while reading this...)

Youichi Hyuuga was 67 years old. At this age, his biggest concern was his stiff lower back. The dull ache was an everyday occurrence, some days worse than others. His wife, Mahrya, had suggested he take up something called yoga. He did not care for it. Age had made him stubborn and unwilling to try new things.

Making himself a cup of tea in their woodsy kitchen, he watched his wife from the window; she was outside in their small garden, tending her flowers on this gentle spring afternoon. The sunlight was soft, lighting up the house in a lovely yellow hue.

They were both old now. His hair had always been very light, but now, his wife's hair matched his. It used to be black as midnight, but age had streaked it a starlight grey. They had spend much of their youth together, got through the trials of middle-age, and now, they journeyed the golden year side by side.

The television murmured. With his hot cup of tea, Youichi returned to the living room, straight to his favourite seat. He sat down, placed the tea on the small side-table, before taking the remote to turn the volume up.

The news was on. Reports of the war in Middle-West continued, accompanied by footage of men in uniforms, tanks in an unfamiliar sand-strewn, hot and dry environment, stone cities crumbling.

"Same old story in a new setting," Youichi grumbled at the television disapprovingly, but he continued to watch the news segment anyway.

Youichi and Mahrya lived very comfortably in their two-story house. With no children of their own, some may think that this married couple were lacking company to fill the space and silence in the house, but this was not the case at all. They enjoyed each other's company, even after all their years together, and to make things more exciting, their family and friends often dropped in for a visit. Their living room was filled with photos of their many adventures. The walls were also covered in framed newspaper clippings—the biggest one hung on top of the fireplace, framed in gold.

Ren Hyuuga, Alicea-Z Astronaut lands on the Moon

This frontline headline was over thirty years old, but it looked as good as yesterday's, preserved carefully in the frame. Under the headline, there was a large picture printed of a smiling young man with brown hair and kind rust-coloured eyes, donned in an astronaut suit, holding the two flags of Alicea and Z in his hands.

Most of the newspaper clippings on the wall revolved around this event, one the biggest events in recent history—one of space adventure, scientific progress and true potential: the hallmark of humankind's achievements.

Youichi had many photos of this man dotted around his house; many of them featuring Youichi, often with their arms around each other. Ren Hyuuga was Youichi's little brother. There was an age difference of nearly ten years between them, and they were not related by blood but these circumstances were inconsequential to their relationship, for they were very, very close. Ren was Youichi's best friend, just as Youichi was Ren's. They were true brothers to one another, having also been each other's best man at their respective weddings, all those years ago.

Youichi immensely proud of his little brother's groundbreaking accomplishments. Not everyone's little brother was the first man on the moon. And as the article on the wall proves, not every little brother credits their success to their older brother.

"I would like to say thank you to my brother, Youichi," Ren Hyuuga had said over thirty years ago, to all the glittering cameras and keen reporters in the press conference upon his return to Earth, "He has been the biggest source of support during these times. Without him, without our talks, I would not be here today."

Ren had always adored his older brother. At the age of seven, he had asked what Youichi wanted to be. Youichi was a young teenager when Ren had asked him this, but he remembered what it was like to be a child, and how talks of the moon had once inspired him. So, that day, he told his seven-year old brother that he wanted to travel to the moon. And that day, seven-year old Ren decided that he wanted the same dream as Youichi's-a dream that he fulfilled, after many, many years of dedicated studying and hard work.

Their parents were so proud—but such feelings were not limited to Ren's momentous achievements, for these feelings extended to Youichi too. They had thought the world of their two sons. Ren's space adventures never minimized Youichi's job as a philosophy teacher in their eyes. His mother, especially, had always been so excited and humbled that Youichi took after her in profession.

Still, it was not always easy. Growing up, transitioning from child to teenagehood, despite having been adopted by two loving parents, Youichi sometimes felt that he was that same little boy in the orphanage, desperate to be loved, terrified of abandonment. Sometimes, Youichi felt that he was an imposter in the Hyuuga household. And no matter how much he loved Ren, when he was younger, he couldn't help but feel second best to Ren, especially to their parents, for Ren was of their blood, and he was not. But his father had always told him otherwise.

"You're my son, Youichi," he used to always say, "you're ours."

These fears did dissipate once he moved from teenagehood into adulthood. They did sometimes creep up on him, especially in the middle of the night, but as an adult, he learned to keep the ghosts at bay. His family was very good at helping too, keeping the doors locked and the windows shut, so these ghosts would not seep in. Youichi had more ghosts than most, for as a child, he had experienced the true horrors of war firsthand.

He did not like to think about the Great War. He did not like to talk about it either. As a child, he did not quite understand it—all he knew was that it was responsible for his missing arm. But as he grew up in Alicea, as a young teenager, he started to see things for what they were: the war had torn apart so much. Friends and families had been separated and scattered, and even after five years, the country was still so divided, the air still pungent with the desire for revenge and vindication.

Youichi often witnessed this bloodthirst directed at his family: the way his mother's friends treated his father; the way the people in town spoke about his father; the way the boys in school jeered about his mother; the way other mothers spoke about little Ren, calling him unnatural. It angered him: none of you know my family, go away! he used to snarl. But what terrified him most was that somewhere deep in his heart he knew that if he had not accepted to be adopted, he would be just the same. If he had not been adopted, he would never know the depth of his parents' love towards him, nor would he know of their transcendental sincerity towards one another.

At the beginning, when he first accepted to move in with Mikan and Natsume, just shy of a year after the war's conclusion, things were hard. Mikan and Natsume told him that they were now his parents, and that Ren was his little brother. He told them that he did not want Natsume or Ren, just Mikan.

"It's not Mikan, Youichi," Natsume had gently said to him in reply, "it's mother. Or mum. Whichever you prefer."

"I don't want you!" He had screamed to Natsume, "You're a Z!"

Then, as a child, he had only accepted because he wanted to be close to his precious Mikan. He was jealous of the baby, and he did not want to Natsume the Z to touch him. But not three months later, Youichi was calling Mikan "mum", as if she always had been his mother, and calling Natsume "dad", as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Three months later, he was completely in love with his mum and dad, and even his little brother, Ren.

It pained him now, even at the 67, to think how his words and actions as a child during those three months must have upset his father. His father never blamed him; in fact, he always seemed to blame himself.

His father's kindness absolved all the fears and distrust Youichi had harboured towards Z. And as he grew into a teenager, and witnessed the prejudice Ren faced as a half-Alicean half-Z child, Youichi grew stronger and intolerant to prejudice.

When Ren was a child, things were hard. Animosity was often directed at him; in the classroom, he became Z's scapegoat. His father's nationality stained his own identity. But Ren continued to flourish in school, despite the unkindness that was sometimes thrown his way. The continual loving support of his parents and older brother always encouraged him, and Ren never resorted to the base actions of some of his cruel peers. And besides, not everyone was cruel. Midori-chan, the pretty girl from Class 2B, was really nice to him and often shared her sweets with him. (Many years later, Ren would marry the very same Midori)

Youichi watched Ren grow. Ren was proud of his heritage; he was a proud Aliceam and a proud Z, loving both of countries and both cultures. Ren would spend his summer and winter holidays in Z with their grandparents and Aunt Aoi. Sometimes, (a few years later) Youichi joined too, but these trips seemed to mean a whole lot more to Ren, quite like a pilgrimage of sorts. As a young man, Ren told Youichi that he wanted to represent both Alicea and Z.

"'Cos that's what I am," he had told his older brother on his nineteenth birthday, "I'm both. Together, they make one in me. I'm just as much Alicean as I am Z. I can't choose one or the other. I'm Alicean-Z! Or Zalicean! Two countries make one person in me!"

And so, years later, when he landed on the moon, Ren Hyuuga did just that. He was an astronaut that represented to two countries of Alicea and Z. This had caused much excitement in the press at the time; by then, Alicea and Z were on politically amicable terms—allies, even—and Ren Hyuuga's statements about his two cultures was favourable for the two countries. Both the Alicean Prime Minister and the President of Z were proud to call and claim Ren Hyuuga as one of their own.

With Ren's space fame, investigative journalists scourged Ren Hyuuga's family history, writing how the mother was Alicean and the father was from Z, and how the Great War could not stop their love from blossoming. Their relationship, which had once been debased as grotesque and treacherous by friends, family and neighbours alike, was now compared to other famous star-crossed love stories dotted throughout history, hailed as the great romance of the modern times.

Like this, time really has the power to change perspectives and narratives.

Many of his mother's friends changed their minds about his father too, with the passing of time.

"Life is strange like that," his father liked to say.

It certainly was strange. All the decades that had passed since the Great War had their ups and downs. Moon landings, talks of space; riots, talks of peace; disco music, talks of disease; teenage rebellion, talks of technology... time passed, and people came and people left.

And now, this new war in the Middle-West. A fight for democracy, the politicians say... but sceptics say it's just a fight for oil and money.

Youichi continued watching the news, commenting out loud from time to time, disgruntled at all the unnecessary destruction.

"What they don't understand is that peace is easy," he grumbled at the television, shaking his head.

At that moment the doorbell rang.

Inhaling deeply, Youichi stood up from his couch. He grumbled—this time about his lower back—but he excitedly made his way to the door. He knew exactly who it was.

He opened the door to his lovely niece, Junna.

Junna was Ren's second child. Tall and slim, with black long hair and enigmatic eyes, she was the spitting image of his father. Except that smile. That smile was all his mother's. She really was a sight to behold.

"Hey uncle!" she greeted, pulling Youichi into a crushing hug. She kissed him on the cheek, smiling brightly.

"What are you wearing?" was Youichi's hello.

Junna rolled her eyes as she entered the house, "It's the latest fashion!"

"I can see your belly button!" Youichi continued to admonish, following his niece into the kitchen. "And your jeans are far too low!"

"It's called a crop top and low-rise jeans," Junna easily explained, popping open the tin of biscuits, helping herself to one. She held one out for her uncle, who took it, still disapproving of her choice of clothes. She then knocked on the window to get her aunt's attention. Mahrya looked up and waved at her niece from the garden. Junna opened the window and said her hello.

"Well, I don't like it." Youichi told her, once she closed the window. "It's indecent!"

"It's cute," Junna insisted, shrugging with complete ease, "Lighten up, uncle. I bet if auntie wore this back in the day you would have loved it."

Youichi spluttered. Giggling, Junna took his hand.

"Come, let's sit and watch some telly."

Hand in hand, she lead the way to the living room.

"How's everyone?" Youichi asked. He had already spoken to Ren earlier this morning on the telephone, but he wanted to hear what his niece had to say.

"Fine," Junna answered lightly. "Romi wanted to come too, but he's finishing some things up. He said he'll pop over for dinner."

Romi was Junna's older brother. Youichi loved his nephew and niece very much. They often came to visit, much to his delight.

"And your father?"

Junna smiled kindly in her uncle's direction. She squeezed his hand and said, "Better. But I can tell that he's still sad... and I know that you are too."

"You don't need to check up on me," Youichi rebuffed, trying to act strong and brave in front of his niece, "I'm alright."

"I know how much you loved him," Junna softly sympathised, thinking of her grandfather, "and how hard it's been for you these past few weeks. But he's with grandma now. They're together again," she then stretched out her hands, and said in a grand voice, "together again in the golden realms of heaven!"

Youichi braved a smile, enjoying his niece's enthusiastic antics.

It was hard when he lost his mother a few years back. It was hard again, now that his father was gone too. Thinking of them made him feel like a young, lost boy again. And Junna could see this—her uncle wore the same expression as the one her father had recently been sporting.

She could see grief. But perhaps, she could also detect a glimmer of hope—hope in the belief that Mikan and Natsume Hyuuga were finally reunited again, for the last time and forever this time, in the golden fields of heaven above.

"Dad said he would come see you on Saturday," Junna supplied, hoping this would cheer up her uncle.

"Yes. He told me," Youichi nodded, then smiled at her. He could see how hard she was trying to make him happy. It was his time to squeeze her hand and comfort her. "I'm sorry that we're being such babies. I know that you must be sad too, so don't waste all your time in comforting us."

"I do miss him." Junna admitted. The way her uncle was looking at her nearly made her cry, but she did her best to hold back her tears. She then glanced to the television, trying to distract herself. The images of the new war in the Middle-West caught her attention.

This war was all anyone spoke of recently.

"Disgusting," she too spoke at the television, "they're slaughtering thousands for nothing!" She turned to her uncle. "It's crazy, right? How can they do this!"

Youichi made a scathing noise, "Bah! It's nothing new. All wars are like this."

Junna's fierce expression melted as she looked at her grumpy uncle.

"You sound just like grandpa," she giggled in her hand. Then, rather sadly, she added, "He really was an amazing person."

"Yes." Youichi agreed, the hard lines on his face softening too. "He was. They both were."

"Mmm," she was looking at the television, but her eyes were looking past the footage of war, desperately in search of a greater truth. Her grandparents were often on her mind these days. "You know how we've been clearing up their house? Well, last week, Romi and I found some letters. They were written by grandpa to grandma during the war. Grandma kept them safe all her life, and after she passed, grandpa held onto them. Romi and I read a few... and well, they were pretty soppy."

Youichi chuckled with his niece.

"Yes. He was a sop, if anything." Youichi recalled the way his father used to hug his mother every morning, and how he did everything for his wife and children. "They were each other's soulmates, in every sense of the word. They stood by each other always, and so effortlessly, even though there were times when things weren't so easy."

"Because of the war?"

"Yes. They had to fight for each other... even after the war ended." Youichi sighed heavily, thinking of his parents and the challenges that they faced and overcame together. "It was a different time. But everything worked out. In the end, they were right, for they chose love."

Junna grinned. She had heard this family tale ever since she was a young girl, many times now. And in that smile of hers, Youichi saw his mother.

"You're a sop too," she teased, "we're a family of sops!"

"I prefer the term pacifist," Youichi replied, smiling at his niece.

"Oh, speaking of pacifism—I'm also going to the peace march tomorrow! The Imai's are going to give Romi and me a lift there."

Anti-war protests were happening across many cities in Alicea tomorrow, to demonstrate solidarity and a plea for peace. Nearly everyone he knew, his old family friends were going. Youichi thought he might join with Mahrya too, in the later afternoon.

"Good," Youichi approved, proud of his niece and nephew. "You must always resist and stand up against injustices."

"Yes," Junna concurred.

"And love too."

"Yes. Resist against evil and welcome love." She saluted her uncle.

"That's a good girl. Come," Youichi stood from his seat and turned off the television. "Let's make something to eat. I'm sure Romi will be hungry. I will call Mahrya in too."

Junna stood too, and with her uncle, on this golden afternoon, they gently spoke and laughed in the comfort of his home.

But many miles away, war ravaged faraway lands.

Things were never perfect in this world. History always repeated itself, with cycle of violence continuously ebbing and flowing. But moments like these, with family and loved ones, so delicate and so true, proved to Youichi what his father and mother had always said, time and time again: that love really was all that mattered in the end, and if one chose it over hate, it had the power to transform hearts and bring true peace into one's life.

And the beauty of it? Love has no limits, transcending time and space, and even the illusion of death.

For even after death, one can be loved, and just the thought of them could inspire love in the living too.

A/N: Et voila! That's the end of Resistance.

If the general "Resistance" story with Mikan and Natsume is set in 1944-45 (in a parallel universe, far far away), this epilogue is set in the early 2000s (when another terrible war was taking place, one that I think a lot of us may remember from our early childhood—and also when low-rise jeans were in fashion lol). And yes, Ren Hyuuga became an astronaut in the late 60s/early 70s! In the earlier chapters, Mikan talked about travelling to the moon to Youichi, and so this fanciful conjecture came to fruition with Ren. I know it's farfetched, but hey, it's fan fiction! The moon was an important motif to Mikan and Natsume in the manga, so that's a little shoutout to that.

I know there's nearly a 60 year gap between the main story and this epilogue. As for what happened to all the characters during this time gap, let your imaginations run wild and free. Feel free to share if you want to!

It's quite fun to imagine how these characters would react to large world events. Even interesting to think about yourself too- like, how would you have reacted at the news of the moon landing if you had watched the broadcast firsthand? The scary thing is, we are all living in a historical moment now. So, if it sounds appealing to you, keep a diary to remember how this all felt, detailing the good, the bad, your fears and your hopes.

So, my dear readers, my time on FF has come to a definitive end! Thank you all SO MUCH for reading my stories. Before uploading this, I actually read all the reviews I received for this story, during its five years. Honestly, I took you guys on a rough roller-coaster ride, haha. I'm sorry about that. But I hope you forgive all the angst I created, and I hope that the happy ending made up for it. Thank you to EVERY single one of you who reviewed and continued to show support to Resistance. It has been a pleasure to write for you! If you feel like it, please review one last time :)

Stay safe, stay inside, and even after this virus is gone, let's continue to make healthy choices!