The Forgotten Child-Twilight

Chapter 35 - Part 2

More Questions Get Answered

Although Arvil had answered some of Carlisle's questions, he was still filled with more questions. Hopefully this was finally the time to get answers to all of his questions.

Carlisle looked beseechingly at Arvil and asked, "Where did the Minstrels and vampires come from? How did we both get here?" asked Carlisle.

Arvil took a deep breath and said, "Well..it all started eons ago...before humans were alive...they were more like proto-humans."

Arvil's Story:

"There once was a race called 'Therans'... that race has been extinct for ever so long. They were reptilian...huge and lumbering beasts...but they were intelligent. They came to this world just as humans were beginning to develop. The Therans took human DNA back to their world, Therys, and began to develop and mutate the DNA in order to produce servants. One race was the musical "Minstrels" who had the power to sing and produce instrumental music with their minds. There were many human-like races produced by the Therans. Another race was the Drakuns, which were a type of guard. The Drakun race was immortal....their skin as hard as granite...and they subsisted on the life essence of their prey.

After thousands of eons of war and strife...only one race was left...and that was the race of peaceful Minstrels. We lived happily on Therys for millennia. Then our blue colored star began to die, and unfortunately we couldn't restore the star to life again. We knew that our DNA originally came from this world...so we returned to our homeworld, Earth. Unfortunately for us, the Therans had altered our DNA so drastically that we found it almost impossible to survive on this world...hence why we tried to interbreed with normal humans. You're kind is here because Minstrels have the latent DNA of Drakuns within our cells. That's why we call Drakuns and Vampires our 'Shadow Brothers.' All the races were inter-related...somehow some Drakuns were born to a few Minstrels. They looked like Minstrels at birth...but when they reached their sexual maturity...they metamorphatized and changed into Drakuns. We believe that a virus, produced within the saliva (or venom) allows the Drakuns to reproduce by a bite. The original Drakuns did NOT reproduce in this way. They had an estrus cycle just like us and reproduced sexually as all the races did. But the Minstrels never intended for your vampire race to come here. It was pure serendipity.

Carlisle stopped Arvil speaking by raising his hand in order to interrupt.

"Tell me about souls? Do they really exist?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes," answered Arvil. "That's how we knew that Christopher had passed on. His soul quickly passed through our small colony. Once we saw it, we knew he was gone."

"But what you really want to know is: who possesses them and where do they eventually go? Am I correct?" asked Arvil.

"Yes, said Carlisle, "I want to know if I'll ever see Helena or Christopher again."

Arvil actually had a sad look in his violet eyes.

"From what we know... all humans and human like races possess a soul. Once the soul leaves its body...it returns to the Creator of this universe and becomes a part of Him again. So, if it makes you feel any better Christopher and Helena are together again," confessed Arvil.

"But what about vampires?...do we have souls?....will we be reunited with this Creator as well?" Carlisle asked.

Arvil said, "This Creator has a great fondness for these humans here. He created them...whether by 'magic' or 'scientifically' they are His creation. Although Minstrels were created by Therans, we still retain our basic humanity, thus we also retain a soul."

"Does that help you undersand?" Asked Arvil.

"In a way," said Carlisle, "But you've not mentioned vampires or Drakuns. Do we possess a soul that will eventually return to the Creator?"

Arvil gently looked at Carlisle with his violet eyes and said, "I'm sorry Carlisle, but no. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you will never be among Christopher or Helena again."

Carlisle hung his head in sorrow.

Arvil actually reached out to Carlisle and patted him on the back and then said, "Don't worry about it too much, Carlisle, I'll be sure to tell them how upset you were on learning you'd never see them again."

"You'll see them then?" asked Carlisle.

"But of course...Minstrels are NOT immortal. I'll die some day," said Arvil.

"But then what will happen to me...and my family when our time comes?" asked Carlisle.

"You'll just be dead as far as I know," answered Arvil.

Arvil noticed the stricken look on Carlisle face.

"Listen," Arvil began, "Souls aren't everything...even Hitler had a soul...of sorts anyway. You need to think of it is as a trade-off and go with that. You'll live forever, Carlisle...I mean you have the capacity to live beyond the sun's existence. You have the potential to live until the destruction of the universe. You can live billions if not trillions of years."

Despite this knowledge, Carlisle hung his head and began sobbing.

"Don't do that," said Arvil, "That's why Christopher always tried to protect you...why he sent you to America...so you wouldn't be bothered by the Volturi. Christopher wanted you to live forever...since you don't have the capacity to return to the Creator."

Carlisle asked, "Will Helena and Christopher live forever? Will they live past the destruction of our universe?"

"Yes," replied Arvil, "All the souls that reunite with the Creator will live beyond the life of this universe because...frankly...the Creator doesn't 'live' in this universe. Christopher will live to infinity. It's actually mind-boggling if you think about it too hard."

Why do you appear so young? You're supposed to be even older than Christopher. He should have been an old man by now...How can you be so young?" asked Carlisle.

Arvil said with a twinkle of his violet eyes, "Because I mainly stay in slow-time using my time-shift gift. When I do this...I age much slower. I've chosen to do this in order to defend my people against the Volturi...as well as Bynjin, Rachel, and a few other Minstrels."

Carlisle thought of another question and asked, "I've been curious about another thing...and so has Edward...Why was Edward able to see Christopher's thoughts when he first met him in the cavern on his hunt? Edward said that he saw himself clearly as a monster through Christopher's eyes."

Arvil just grinned and laughed, "Edward NEVER read Christopher's mind until the very end of Christopher's life. Edward had terrified Christopher so much that he spontaneously sent his thoughts in picture to Edward."

Arvil smiled to Carlilse and said, "I hope I've answered all your questions. I also hope that you'll look upon yourself as a new person. A person who is kind and generous...but also happens to be a vampire," Arvil finished with a chuckle.

Bynjin stepped forward with a gift-wrapped box and presented it to Carlisle.

Bynjin only smiled while his green eyes shone radiantly in his face.

"What is this?" Carlisle asked

"Just a gift...from Christopher and all Minstrels," Arvil said with a twinkle of his violet eyes.

Arvil and Bynjin began walking away towards the forest.

Before they could leave, Carlisle quickly asked, "Is there anything I can do? Anything I can say to the Volturi for you?"

"Yes," said Arvil with a smirk, "You can tell them to go straight to hell!"

Then both Arvil and Bynjin vanished in front of Carlisle's eyes.