If You Only Knew Me by Tomorrow

AN: This is kind of a sad little story, but it leaves you with a happy feeling inside. Tell me what you think of my one-shot fic. Thanks!

It was a lonely winter's night, and Relena was sitting at her vanity with the mirror tilted at an angle to which she could not see her reflection. She sat there completely still, just seeming to stare and her hands that were clasping her rose hued nightgown. Her hair was done in a simple braid that was accented with a pastel ribbon that curled in at the edges, the same way she tied her hair every night, but her tresses seemed to take on a whimsical essence in the moonlight. If someone would happen to look up to her balcony and glance at the stoic figure finding relief in her own fancy of dreams, they would have mistaken her for some kind of sprite or fairy that was using its translucent wings to ascend from the mortal earth. A lone tear slid down her flushed cheek as she tried to tear herself from her present thoughts.

"Why... why must it be this way? I want to stay here and be with... him. How could I possibly have fallen in love? Why can't this all be a dream that vanishes once I open my eyes? Why did I have to come here... I want this to be my reality now," she whispered to the snowflakes that had begun to fall outside and intertwine themselves with the lace curtains that overshadowed her balcony.
She had never noticed the beauty which the flurries held before. Each one was like the spirit of a person who was or had once dwelt upon the Earth and left a special mark on its surface. Every flake was different, each with its own luster and memory to reveal. It was told to her as a young child that the raindrops were the happy moments and fantasies that people held in their lives. They were a liquid because water spread and could touch so many things through just one drop. Just the same as one person's joy can put that same contentment in the hearts of the many people they cherish. On the other hand, the white powder which was now slowly but steadily falling to the ground were the fears and regrets that people kept hidden in the depths of their hearts. It takes time for someone to let go and let be forgiven someone or something that hurt them. That is why snow falls at such a tedious pace, and why these fine sparkles are so delicate. If you take away a hardship from someone, part of who they are melts away, for that instant in time has contributed to the creation of their personality and passion for others and for life. As this powder builds itself into great mounds on the grasses and shrubbery, it kills all it touches. In the same way, the bitter fatalities people keep kill the innocence and hope that shines and beams from the people they hold dear. These heaps of white ash can then be molded into the shape that people find pleasing, instead of what was originally laid out in a solid blanket before them. Once all of a person's tenderness is gone, they loose their sense of integrity and do nothing more than what they are called by society. They are no longer a human being, but an empty shadow of what had once been.

As she saw the glitter blow into her chamber, she was snapped from her trance and began to twirl in the snow. All of the sorrowful remembrances of the poor souls that were encased in these shimmering pendants were at once summoned to her mind, and she began to feel the people's agony. She saw the mother wrench in sadness as she held her lifeless infant close to her breast. She saw the father's tears as he watched his son be thrown to the hands of his merciless peers. She saw the heaving of the breasts of a young girl who had just lost her one love to the cruel bosom of lust. All of these pains and more she could sense around her as she danced in the unique petals.

*Relena...* a ginger voice called to her. *You must come home now. Please, come home*

Relena immediately ceased her waltzing when she heard the voice. She began to shake violently and collapsed onto her sheets screaming, "NO! No I can't come back! Not now, not yet! Please, oh please!" That cold eve she cried herself to sleep, never wanting to leave the warm security that the down covers of her bed clothed her in.

Her friends seemed to notice the melancholic change in her poise and expression. When she greeted them for breakfast in the dining hall in the morning, she always had a smile that lit up the hearts of those who were caught in its radiance. But today, she merely sat down at the table without a word. They all studied her with concern, but Heero sensed something more from her gestures than the rest. He couldn't quite place it, but he felt some brilliance coursing from her that seemed to touch his soul, and his soul alone. The others soon brushed it off as she was having a bad morning and went back to their breakfast. Heero, on the contrary, was "finished" with his meal once he saw her walk into the hall. She ate nothing, and only stared at Heero in silence, trying to communicate something to him she wanted him to know and not another soul in the room.

When Relena began to clear the dishes from the table, Hilde spoke up saying, "Oh Relena! I almost forgot, but I've got a surprise for you!" Hilde then rushed up to her bedroom and came back with a big box that was wrapped in red ribbon. Relena just stared at the box and held it in her hands until Hilde screamed at her, "Well... aren't you going to open it?"

Relena slowly undid the paper, almost as if she was afraid of what the box contained. As she slipped the ribbon off she took a deep breath and her hands began to tremble in uneasiness. When she lifted the lid, inside was a gorgeous half-length mirror.

"I think that goes with your vanity much better than the old one does. I saw it in a store and just had to get it for you. Think of it as an early birthday gift," Hilde said with a smile.

Relena began to breathe heavily, and her chest began to ache with fear. The mirror did match her dresser perfectly. The looking glass had a solid gold outline that was embroidered with thin vines made from crystal. All along the vines were buds and bloomed deep hued roses that resembled the same scarlet blush on Relena's face at the moment. At the top was an angel that was nothing more than a little babe that stared at the crowd in the room with its innocent sapphire eyes. But more importantly, its welded irises pierced into Relena's being and seemed to mock her with its smile that looked to widen by the second. She quickly turned her face away from the mirror and muttered, "Oh Hilde... it's wonderful."

"Come on Miss Relena, let's set it up and see how it looks," Dorothy said in eagerness.

"No, no I don't think so, not right now anyway. Maybe later," Relena mumbled, staring off into the distance.

"Come on 'Lena! Let's see if your reflection does you justice," Duo said jokingly.

At Duo's words she rashly bolted up from her chair and threw the mirror to the ground in hatred. It shattered all about her feet, seeming to encircle her in a sphere of truth... truth to who she really was. The glass made deep cuts along her legs, but she seemed to care not of the blood that began to cry tears of crimson down her limbs. Everyone just looked at her with shock, not understanding the motive behind her action and wondering why she would do such a thing. Without even looking up from the ground she began to sob hysterically and ran out of the room into the garden behind the estate. She kept running until she reached the stone bench in the midst of the angel tears' bed. Once she saw it come into view, she collapsed and buried her head into its rough surface and began to utter broken phrases of heartache.

The part of the garden which she carried herself to, as stated before, was filled with angel tears. To the reader, this flower may not be known to exist, but it is indeed a flower of majestic and delicate beauty-much like the young woman who lost herself in it. This little flower has a bright golden center whose radiance is only magnified as the sun sheds its warmth on this tiny flower. White petals that resembled the wings of a heavenly angel surrounded this brilliant body of the flora. The reason for this is because the petals shoot out from two sides of the flower and overlap each other, much like feathers do. These "wings" looked always to be sprinkled in the morning's dew because of the tiny droplets that can be found dotting the petals. They were Relena's favorite flower, and she many times tended this section of the garden on her own.

The only person that was compelled to join Relena in her somber moment in the entangled fauna was Heero. He sat down on the bench next to the place where her head lay.

"What's wrong?" He asked bluntly.

"Why did it have to be that?"

"Be what?"

"It doesn't matter anyway. I just... I just don't want to be reminded of, of..." and Relena buried her head into Heero's lap.

He jumped back startled at first, but then instantly relaxed and began to stroke her hair, "It's all right Relena. Whatever it is, we'll help you deal with it. Although, I do believe you should apologize to Hilde though. She saved up a lot of money to buy that for you, and she thought you'd like it. What is it about that mirror that makes you uncomfortable?"

"Oh Heero, it's not the mirror. It's, it's..." just then she looked down into the brook that ran across the path. It was as clear as glass, and fish could be seen floating through the water in satisfaction. Little pebbles were placed around its banks to make it look more authentic, and the whole scene truly looked like it was taking place beside a forest stream. As she looked at the water, she quickly jumped out of his embrace and sprinted back into the house with all her might. Something about that mirror... something about that brook bothered her. But they were completely unrelated, so why should she break down and run in fear every time she beheld one of these two items? This question will be answered soon enough.

It had been a few days since the incident and most everyone had forgotten about it... except for Heero that is. He slowly watched her as she deteriorated from the sweet vision of womanhood into a meek little girl that couldn't take another step without holding "mommy" or "daddy's" hand. She hadn't eaten or slept since that day, and once in a while, Heero would walk in unnoticed and watch as her knees buckled under her and she fell to the floor in exhaustion. She would lie on the ground for a few moments, and, only after catching her breath, did she attempt to regain her balance on foot. Heero knew he needed to find out what was bothering her, but didn't want to do it with the others around, so he waited until an opportunity arose. And one such opportunity did arise on the day which I am speaking of.

The boys, excluding Heero, were going to take the girls to a movie. They had been pestering the boys for a long time, and they could tell Heero wanted them out of the house. Once they left, Heero made his way up to Relena's bedroom and walked in, trying not to disturb her.

"I know it's you Heero," she whispered, her back facing him. She again was sitting at her vanity, the mirror having been turned as not to face her. She looked absolutely pitiful sitting there. She looked like nothing but a harsh outline of who she used to be. Her beauty seemed to have faded with her loving outlook, and it was apparent that she did not have the strength needed to even turn around to face him. "What do you want of me now?"

"Relena, tell me... what's wrong? Why have you changed so drastically in a matter of days? You look so sickly I can't even bear to look at you anymore. I can't bear to look at your face and not see that vibrant smile of yours that can put an end to war and warm the coldest of hearts," Heero murmured, choking on his words.

"Heero stop! Oh Heero please stop!" After a few minutes of holding her head in her hands and shrieking these words, she slowly raised her head to a level at which their eyes could meet. A tiny lake seemed to flow from her eyes and she looked passed them and into his soul. As she did this, he felt his chest burn with fire and quickly clutched his heart, trying to cease the pain. "Heero, I know you won't understand, but I must leave you now. You see, I don't, I don't belong here. I can never be truly at home here, no matter how invigorated I feel when I'm with you. I just can't be with you now," she sobbed, new tears beginning to threaten her eyes. "Here, let me show you," She then placed her hand on the mirror and let it engulf her in its sight. When Heero went to look at her reflection, he didn't see her, but the translucent imprint of a young lady. It was a blinding white the shimmered as the light echoed of the glass, and looked to be nothing more than a beautiful apparition that was revealing itself to the person it had been haunting for years. He quickly turned to face Relena, but as he beheld her, she was completely different than before. She wore a plain white dress that was embroidered with doves in flight and shoes that were made of the finest glass. Around her neck lay a necklace whose charm was but a tiny grain of sand that was taken from the Garden of Eden itself. It glowed with an unearthly light, and seemed to retell the story of paradise in its gleam. Her golden locks were intertwined with the tears of the saints and the light that shown from her eyes. They dazzled with wisdom and compassion, seeming to surpass the eyes of the most hallow person known. Her head was crowned with a ring of exuberance that offered a perfect accent to her wings. Each feather was rimmed with slivers of diamonds and seemed to swallow her in their greatness. Heero could do nothing but gaze at this splendor as she told him of her tale.

"Heero, I was sent here about three years ago. I was told that I was to use my gifts and influence to help a young boy reclaim his humanity, for he had lost it long ago, and this became more apparent as he aged. As doctor J told me that night my 'father' died, you are a kind boy Heero, and I know that you now have the righteousness in your heart needed to transform yourself completely. You've saved me and you've saved the universe. If you didn't have purity in your heart somewhere, that task would have been impossible for you. Now, my work here is finished, and I have no need to stay on Earth anymore," she said, and again began to sob. "But something that is forbidden I have done... I have fallen in love with you. How can I, an angel, be together with a mortal? It just cannot be. Oh Heero... why did you have to be so wonderful?"

A tear slid down his cheek as everything that was happening finally sank in. She was sent to save him? She would rather be with him than in heaven? His heart couldn't bear such a trauma as for her to leave him.

"No Relena... you can't leave me."

"Heero, it is true that we cannot be together now, but that isn't true forever. One day, your soul will meet with mine and we can be in each other's arms for eternity. But until that day, we must remain apart. I will see you again Heero, in heaven. Do not forget me, and please, wait for me... I will be waiting for you."

Then a hard wind blew through the room and Heero turned his head away. When the wind had died down, his angel was gone, and he was left there alone. He walked over to the window, wishing this were all just a dream so that he would wake up and find out everything was as it should be. He brought his knees up to his chest as a single snowflake fell to his feet and melted on the sill.

AN: well, there's my one-shotter. I don't know if it came out very well, but I just got the idea in my head and wanted to write it before I forgot it. Thanks to all of you who read my series and all of you reading this. BYE!!!