Hey, everybody! Here is my next songfic! This one's to Christina Aguilera's song "Reflection", also from Disney's "Mulan". I'm sure that many other people have done fics exactly like this, but I had to add mine anyway. If it's too cliche, please tell me! And yet another big thanx to everyone who's ever reviewed ANY of my stories, you guys are great! And now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the song "Reflection", pure and simple. The former belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, etc. and the latter belongs to Christina Aguilera.

Reflection

By Angel of Death

18 year-old Relena Peacecraft sat in her pink limousine, watching the countryside fly past her window. She sighed, her face showing exhaustion and something else that her butler and old friend, Pagan, couldn't quite figure out.

"What's wrong, Miss Relena?" he asked as they approached the Peacecraft mansion.

"What? Oh, nothing, Pagan." Relena replied absently as she climbed out of the car and headed toward the house. Pagan watched her diminishing form, understanding dawning on him.

"Miss Relena . . ." he said sadly, feeling her pain.

* * *

Relena ascended the stairs to her room, her heart heavy. 'Why?' she thought. 'I want to promote peace and I will continue to do so but why? Why must it be this way? It shouldn't be like this.' As she sat down at the window in her room, she watched the gray clouds rolling in. 'Looks like rain . . .'

*FLASHBACK*

"Look at me

You may think you see who I really am

But you'll never know me

Every day it's as if I play a part . . .

Now I see

If I wear a mask I can fool the world

But I cannot fool my heart . . ."

Relena stood at the podium in the political conference room on the L3 colony. She looked at the faces around her, gave an inward sigh, and began her speech. Funny thing was, she couldn't hear herself. She was thinking, not about her speech but about what was happening to her. Here she was, making an "important" speech and she was thinking at the same time. 'What going on? I'm talking and yet I'm not even concentrating on what I'm saying!' As realization hit her, a tear escaped unnoticed out of the corner of her eye. 'My speeches are so rehearsed nowadays that I don't even have to think about them. I used to work so hard on what I was doing, but I guess I've changed since then. But I couldn't show the people hoe much I've changed, so I guess a mask automatically fell into place. But . . .' Her thoughts were interrupted when the attendees broke into applause. Relena plastered on a fake smile and walked out of the conference room to her waiting limousine, shaking hands as she went. As she sat down in the car, she put a hand over her eyes and let her tears pour out.

"Is something wrong, Miss Relena?" she heard Pagan ask.

"No, nothing's wrong. Have you heard from Noin yet?" she asked, smoothly changing the topic. But a second later she had drifted back into her thoughts. 'What am I going to do? What in the world am I going to do . . .'

*END FLASHBACK*

"Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

When will my reflection show who I am inside . . ."

Relena was still sitting at her window an hour later, watching the rain fall. It was something between a storm and a drizzle, and it did nothing to improve Relena's mood. Worse, it was supposed to rain like that for the rest of the week, according to the weatherman she heard on the TV that her brother and his wife, Noin, were watching downstairs. Relena started at a knock on the door but resumed her composure with practiced ease.

"Come in." she called and smiled slightly as Noin entered, carrying a tray of food and a cup of ice tea.

"Pagan told me that you haven't eaten all day so I brought something up for you." Noin said, setting the tray down on Relena's desk and handing her the tea.

"Thank you, Noin. I'll be sure to eat it soon." Relena said, turning back to the window in time to see a lighting bolt flash across the gray sky. Noin watched her for a moment before pulling out Relena's desk chair and sitting in it, holding her own cup of tea.

"What's wrong Relena?" she asked, concern evident on her face as she appraised the young girl in front of her.

"Nothing's wrong, Noin. What did you and Milliardo do today?" Relena asked, referring to her older brother. Noin frowned.

"Don't try to change the subject, Relena. Now tell me, what's wrong?" Noin asked again, more insistent. Relena sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fool Noin. She turned her sad gaze back to the window.

"Me . . ."

"I am now in a world where I have to hide my heart

And what I believe in

But somehow I will show the world what is inside my heart

And be loved for who I am . . ."

As she finished telling Noin her problems, she examined Noin's face for a reaction. Noin thought for a moment before speaking.

"You don't mean that you don't believe in pacifism anymore, do you?" she asked. Relena shook her head.

"I don't mean that. I guess I just don't believe in total pacifism anymore. It seems like an impossible dream that will never come true. I mean, I will always hope for it, but I don't believe it anymore. I've been trying to bring people together as "one", but it seems that we can't be "one". I still think we can live in peace, but I don't know about the rest . . ." Relena trailed off hopelessly. Noin looked out the widow for a minute before returning to the conversation.

"Well, I can see where you're coming from but-" But Noin was cut off when Milliardo a.k.a. Zechs' voice drifted up the stairs.

"Noin, we have to get down to the Preventers Headquarters ASAP!" he yelled. Noin got up and turned to Relena.

"We can talk some more when I get back, okay?" she asked. Relena nodded.

"Okay." Noin smiled at her sister-in-law and walked out of the room. Relena sighed and returned to watching the world outside the window. What she was watching for, she didn't know . . .

"Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

Why is my reflection someone I don't know?

Must I pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time?

When will my reflection show who I am inside . . ."

Noin ascended the stairs to Relena's room in hopes of picking up the conversation that they had been in the middle of three hours ago. She walked over to the door to Relena's room to find it closed, which was slightly rare. Frowning slightly, she raised her hand and knocked softly on the polished oak door.

"Relena?" she said softly. When she received no response, she tried again, louder this time.

"Relena!" She knew it was impossible for Relena not to have heard her so she opened the door and walked in to be met by a cold blast of air from the open window. "Relena!?" she called loudly, walking over to the window. Looking to the left of the window, she saw a piece of paper, tattered by the increasing wind.

'Dear Noin,

Yes, I know that's you. I've decided to go away for a while until I can sort these complications out. I promise I won't be away long, I still do have my duty to the people and it would be selfish of me to just leave them without even telling them why. But I find it necessary that I be alone for a short period of time until I can figure out exactly what has changed in me and whether I should keep being Vice-Foreign Minister. Please tell Milliardo not to worry and not to send anyone out to look for me, I'll be back soon. Thank you, sister.

Love,

Relena'

Noin looked up from the note and out at the rain.

"I will respect your wishes, Relena. I understand, but please come back soon. I won't be able to stop Zechs from worrying, no matter what I say." she whispered with a small smile, thinking how much Relena had grown up over the past two years.

* * *

Relena ran through the rain and moderate wind, her soaking hair blowing across her face. She had been sitting at the window when she suddenly felt she had to go away. There was no way she could've stayed and continued to live like she always had when she didn't know what was going on in her heart. So she had desperately climbed out of her two-story window leaving a note to Noin beside the window. She was now thankful that her brother had made her exercise every day. As she dashed through the wet and cold toward her friend Hilde Schbeiker's house, she felt the need to know why grow larger and much more persistent . . .

"There's a heart that must be freed

To fly

That burns with a need

To know the reason why

Oh, why must we all conceal

What we think, how we feel?

Must there be a secret me

I'm forced to hide . . ."

*ONE WEEK LATER*

Relena sat at the kitchen table in her best friend Hilde's house eating scrambled eggs and toast. Hilde sat across from her chattering about a joke she got through e-mail while Relena's face gradually got sadder and sadder. Hilde looked at her friend and stopped talking when she noticed Relena's face.

"Hey, girl, somethin' wrong?" she asked kindly, moving to sit next to Relena. Relena sighed.

"It's just that, well, you know that I came here to figure some things out, right?" Hilde nodded.

"Yeah, you told me that you weren't sure who you were anymore and you came here for some time to think." Relena nodded slowly.

"The thing is, I'm still not sure who I am and I need to go back today. But there is one good thing." Relena smiled slightly."I'm ready to tell the people what's happened. They can decide for themselves whether they still want me." Hilde patted her friend's back.

"Good! Go get 'em!" she said as Relena got up and headed for the door. Hilde followed.

"Why don't you let me drive you home?" she asked, getting her car keys. Relena's smile widened.

"Sure, Hilde. Thank you for everything." she replied and got into the car with her friend. As they drove to the Sank (or Sanq or Cinq or the other hundred and something ways to spell that annoying name) Kingdom, Relena looked at the sky and thought about the speech she would give to the public. 'But this time,' she thought happily, 'This time I'm really writing it.'

"I won't pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time

When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

* * *

Relena finished speaking and looked around at the people expectantly. In the front row, her adoptive grandfather, Marquise Wayridge, stood up and applauded. Slowly, everyone else in the auditorium followed suit. This puzzled Relena until Marquise Wayridge came up and shook her hand.

"That was wonderful, Relena. Of course we want you to stay Vice-Foreign Minister! We want that more than ever, now!" he said, smiling kindly.

"Are you sure? I told you that I'm not completely sure what I believe anymore." she reminded him. Wayridge nodded.

"We're positive! You've just proved that you have the interests of the people foremost in your mind and that you're honest enough to tell the truth even though it meant risking your position. Yes, Relena, we want you to stay. Without a doubt!" The audience applauded as he finished and Relena smiled at him, silently thanking him. As she went to meet the press, she thought, 'Okay, now all I've got to do is find out who I am . . .'

"When will my reflection show who I am inside . . ."