Introduction
This intro is a bit long but please read it as I did spend time writing this story for you. :I
"Return" aims to be one of the best and most complete Chaos Walking fanfictions available. Discovering the fandom after finishing the books was a great thing, as it helped me connect with other people who had been moved by the books as much as I have. But, after such an unsatisfying ending (in my opinion) of Monsters of Men, I found a surprising lack of good fanfics online. So, I decided to make my own.
I will update this pretty consistently and any reviews are greatly appreciated, as this is my very first fanfic ever and I would love some feedback to help get me off the ground. I also promise not to leave too many of those annoying Author's Notes on my chapters as that does interrupt the reading ;)
"Return" is set after the events of Monsters of Men and may contain a few spoilers, although you shouldn't read the fanfic until after finishing the series itself. Any words formatted with italics represent the characters' Noise.
Enjoy, from a true Patrick Ness fan:
sauceadmiral
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, terms, locations, etc. in this fanfiction. The writing is my own content but all things mentioned above belong to Patrick Ness and affiliates. If citing my work please credit both me and Patrick Ness.
Chapter One
(Todd)
"say 'ain't' all you like, Todd, I promise not to correct you…"
"I wish yer pa were here to see you, Todd…"
"Yer calling for me, and I will answer…"
"my son, my beautiful son…"
I hear it almost all the time now. Words. Answers. Callings. Calling for Todd. Who is Todd?
It's me, somewhere deep inside me thinks. I'm Todd.
Yes, Todd. You are Todd.
Who is that? I think, wondering. A voice. Another voice. A friendly voice.
It's me, the voice says. Do you remember me?
Sometimes the voice speaks to me. Sometimes it reads those words… about a son… about a winter… about a town… about a Mayor…
A Mayor, the voice says. A Mayor and a Circle.
And then I realize it. This voice isn't the friendly voice that reads to me and comforts me in this endless dream of memories, of a world, a forest world, full of life and creachers and something about some Spackle… But no. This isn't that loving, caring voice. It's a cold voice, cold and sharp and calculating… Cold… a cold winter… a town… a Mayor…
Yes, says the cold voice. A cold winter, a cold town, and a cold Mayor. And…
And what? I think, fearing the voice. A Circle?
The voice hesitates. Then it says, Yes, Todd, a Circle. You are the Circle.
I am the Circle… I think. What is this new voice trying to teach me?
And the Circle is you.
What?
You are the Circle, and the Circle is you.
The voice is starting to fade. It is leaving, maybe the kind and warm voice will come back. But before it leaves, I think. I think about the Circle.
I am the Circle… I try again. And the Circle is me?
Yes, Todd. The cold voice is almost gone now. You'll do good to remember that.
I'll do good to remember that… I repeat, in a trance. Then, I remember something else. Another town, another winter, but the same son and the same Mayor…
Not the Mayor, The voice whispers, into my head, my soul, the core of my being.
Not the Mayor, the President now. You'll do good to remember that, Todd.
The voice leaves me. I'm alone. What did that mean? What did the voice mean? I try to picture the other town, the other winter, but the same son, and not the Mayor the President…
And there's someone else.
A swish of hair.
A glint of sunlight off a beautiful face.
I'm trying to remember her face…
Whose face? Who is it?
Viola.
Who?
Viola.
I rack my head for an answer, my cold, noisy head…
Noisy.
Noise.
Viola.
Todd.
A town.
A Mayor.
Viola.
A Circle.
A winter.
Viola.
A face.
Viola.
Viola.
Viola.
I am so lost. I am so alone. I need the voice back, the warm and loving and caring and comforting and kind voice… the beautiful voice…
Beautful.
Viola.
The voice is Viola? It has a name?
"Hello, Todd."
It's the voice. It's Viola. I try to remember her face, to see it while she talks to me…
"my son, my beautiful son…"
Beautiful.
Viola.
Viola.
Viola.
"Todd."
And then I see it, her face, Viola, I don't remember it but I see it, with my eyes…
My eyes?
My eyes. They're open. I'm awake. Awake? So I was sleeping? But I'm not, not anymore, I'm here, awake, and I'm not alone, I'm here, with Viola…
Viola.
"Viola?"