Yes, it's another chapter. And in the same day even! I guess that's what I get for listening to How Far We've Come by Matchbox 20 while writing both chapters. I was just to lazy to upload it yesterday. XP Any way...

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Mia had gone from a slow walk to a fast pace, her feet making little to no sound on the stone floor. She had covered her head with the hood of the black robes that the Volturi were given. Perhaps it would dissuade anyone from talking to her. But at that point, she wouldn't have cared if anyone passed by her down the hall, or if they had even talked to her, save for Aro. She stood outside the door to her room and was about to turn the handle to open it when she heard her name being called from down the hall.

"Mia!"

"Ha ha, look at that, it didn't 'dissuade' anyone."

She glanced down the hall to see her older brother, Malvolio, walking towards her.

"Just please go away."

"What is it Mally?" She normally called him that. Maybe it would tell him nothing was wrong. She had to force herself to sound as calm as she could; but of course, she knew that Malvolio could tell the difference.

"Can't you tell me what's wrong?" His expression looked pained and worried, and his tone sounded pleading. She couldn't help herself from feeling a little sorry.

"No. He wouldn't understand at all. He hates him anyway."

"Nothing's wrong, Mally," she answered the question.

"Mia, don't lie to me please," he pleaded.

"Can't he just stop worrying about you? For once in his life?"

"I'm not lying-" She was cut off by him.

"Yes you are! You're lying to me, and you're lying to Aro!" His tone turned from worried to angry in just 10 seconds. His words had cut at her a bit. She has already known that some of the other members knew that she hadn't been her "idiotic, happy, optimistic self" she had been a couple of weeks ago. But truly, what could she tell him?

"Malvolio, I... Please, it's nothing you need to worry about," she muttered quietly.

"He should just leave you alone."

"Mia, I'm worried about you. Aro's worried about you." His tone changed from being angry to being hurt. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. "If you're not going to talk to me, at least talk to him..." She looked away and opened the door to her room. She walked inside and silently closed it behind her.

"You're actually sorry for him, aren't you?"

She walked to her bed and sat down on it. She always felt that it was rather elaborate for just one person, but she was a Volturi wife. They were given only the best. She sighed quietly.

"Just going to continue to sulk around, hm? Just like Marcus? You could've done that at the church. "

She quickly took a red Nintendo DS off of a nightstand that was standing next to her bed, and laid back.

"You think that's going to help anything?"

She flipped it open and turned it on, and started to play a Castlevania game. She didn't much care to look at the titles of the games anymore, at least, not since she started to worry about Aro.

"You've tried reading books. You've tried going on the internet. You've already tried drinking alcohol and getting drunk more than once and that didn't even help. Now you think some silly game is going to help you?"

It was characteristic of her to start yelling at her DS if something was killing her in a game. Maybe it would distract the other members away from this.

"But you already know it won't."

She focused on the game again to see that she's already died. She sighed, but didn't have the will to be angry or to yell. At least, not at something as trivial as that. She turned it off and set it aside. She heard a knock at the door.

"Oh God, please, PLEASE, don't be Aro."

She stood up quickly and walked to the door. She opened it to find that Caius was standing there, his long white hair framing his 'eternal scowl' that seemed to always be present on his face. She looked up at him warily.

"Thank god it's not Aro..."

"Yes Caius?" Mia asked in a calm tone.

He stayed silent for a moment, studying her expression. She felt her depression slowly turning into nervousness. She didn't need this. Not after she shoved Malvolio away. Who knew what Caius was going to say? You could never exactly tell with him... "I know something's wrong with you," he said in a serious tone, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes, everyone just seems to know that, don't they Caius?"

"There's nothing wrong," she replied to him. It seemed to be quickly becoming her new catchphrase.

He narrowed his eyes a bit. "Don't try lying to me, I'm not your brother who's just going to buy it and leave. Everyone knows there is something wrong."

"EVERYONE actually does know? Just what are you going to do NOW?"

Mia had to force herself to remain calm, or at least appear that way. "I told you Caius, there's nothing wrong," she replied again. It reminded her of a broken record.

Caius mumbled under his breath. "Aro's worried about you. He won't stop talking about it and it's been driving me mad."

"Aro… maybe if you tried something else?"

Mia growled at him, although it was very quiet. "I said that there is nothing wrong!"

Caius looked at her with a somewhat confused expression on his face. "But..."

"There you go. Convince him with your anger that nothing is wrong."

"Can't you just leave me alone? I mean really, no one throws a fit over Marcus or Jane if they're off sulking in some corner apathetically!" She finally felt the rage she had missed when she 'died' in the game, but this was going so much farther. But really, she'd seen Caius do it at times too; but then again, she couldn't handle dealing with his anger as well along with her own 'issues'. Caius seemed shocked for a moment, but the expression had passed as quickly as it came. He stared down at her and Mia glowered up at him.

"I guess if you're having a fit now, you must be alright..." He mumbled again. With that, he turned on his heel and walked down the hall. She stared after him, having felt slightly relieved that she had gotten some of her emotion out. But... If everyone knew, how long could she keep it up for?

"Not for too long, you know that don't you?"

But, it'd have to be long enough, right?

"It'd never be long enough for you."

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And Malvolio is being a kind, caring brother while Caius is being a brat as usual. Nothing strange about that. And just so you all know, I don't know what she's playing. The game Castlevania just came into my head while I was typing this out, so...

Edit: Changed a few things. 08/24/09

Edit: Changed more things. 10/31/09