Chapter Text
"What happened?" Against his better judgement Munkustrap allowed himself to hope that the answer would be as simple as the question.
"I really don't know." Alonzo replied. "One minute we were training and the next he was trying to rip my head off."
"Was there something that triggered it?"
"I don't think so." Alonzo rubbed the bandages on his arm. "When I tackled him he was down for a minute. After that was when he started getting really aggressive."
"This isn't the first time you two have practiced fighting and inadvertently injured each other." Munk pointed out.
"It isn't." Alonzo agreed. "Things weren't any different. At least I wasn't any different. You should have seen the look in his eyes, it was like looking at a stranger."
Now that seemed a little dramatic. At least it would have been if Alonzo didn't sound completely serious.
"I’ll talk to him.” Munk said. “For now it might be best if you keep your distance until we can figure out what's going on."
"I'm not afraid of him." Alonzo sniffed. "He may be strong but he still has a lot to learn about intimidation."
"I'm not doubting your skills.” Munk clarified. “I'm more worried about not aggravating Plato while he has an altered mental state."
"Fine. I’ll take over Plato’s patrol for the afternoon, since he obviously isn’t going anywhere any time soon." Alonzo left with a final glance over his shoulder.
With one line of questioning over it was time for Munk to turn his attention to the next tom. Carefully he poked his head into the back room, eyes immediately widening at the sight.
Jennyanydots had returned to Plato's side with a couple of damp washcloths and was draping them on his forehead and neck. The tom was silent and still as she worked, either asleep or unconscious, it was difficult to tell. Occasionally he twitched at the cold water but made no other movements.
To top off the alarming turn of events Jemima was sitting at Plato's side, gently petting his arm and murmuring reassurances that fell on deaf ears. Immediately Munk moved in. Jemima gave him a slightly apologetic look but didn’t move from her spot.
"What happened?" Munk asked again, this time directing his question to Jenny.
"He's suddenly come down with a high fever." Jenny explained as she placed another washcloth under an arm. "Just a moment ago he was fine but now it's like his fur is on fire."
“Is this related to his fight with Alonzo?” Munk placed a paw on Plato's cheek, astonished to feel the heat emanating from his skin.
“I can’t imagine how it would be. Unless he suddenly has an infection caused by the scratches, which is unlikely given how thoroughly I cleaned them.” Jenny shook her head. “I’m inclined to think that he was sick before this but was too stubborn to admit it.”
Jemima made a quiet, distressed noise, barely audible over Jenny’s explanation.
“I’ve been around him recently and he gave no indication of feeling unwell.” Munk paused. “Well, actually, he has seemed rather… unfocused lately. But I thought that was due to him being tired from the night watch.”
“He will not be fit for any watch any time soon.” Jenny’s statement was punctuated with a stern look.
“I will not be assigning him any sort of duty until we sort this out.”
“I will hold you to that. He’s not going anywhere until we can bring this fever down.”
Jemima pawed at Plato’s arm. “Can I do anything to help?”
“You can keep an eye on him while I get some more water.” Jenny told her before leaving.
“Jemima.” Munk moved closer to her. “He’ll be alright. A fever can be serious but Jenny has plenty of experience treating them.”
“I know.”
“Do you know if Plato has been feeling unwell lately?” He watched her carefully as she stared down at Plato.
“Um.” Her eyes remained fixed on Plato’s arm. “Kinda.”
“Kind of?”
“He’s… tired.”
“I can see that. Has he mentioned anything else?”
“No.” Her refusal to look him in the eye was telling.
“Jemima.” Munk gently said her name. “You can trust me with anything, you know that. If you know something that will help Plato I need to hear it.”
The queen stared at Plato for a long moment before finally looking Munk in the eye.
“He’s… forgetting things.” She slowly said. “Like names. He calls me Sillabub sometimes.”
“How long has this been happening?”
“Since the other night. But I don’t mind, I know my name.”
“Has he mentioned feeling unwell besides being tired?”
“Um… he doesn’t want to be alone while he sleeps. He doesn’t want to be lost.”
“Lost?” Munk repeated. “What did he mean by that?”
Jemima flicked her ears back and forth but remained silent, keeping her words to herself. It was an unusual thing for the normally friendly queen.
“Is there anything you would like to tell me?” Munk tried.
“Not… not really, no. I’m just worried about him.” Once more she pawed at his arm. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“I promise you he will recover.” Munk hugged her.
“Thanks Munk.” She took a moment to hide her face in his fur. When she pulled away she was smiling once more. “Maybe he just needs to sleep and he’ll be all better.”
“Maybe. If anything it’s a good place to start.” Munk made himself comfortable and resigned himself to keeping watch. He wanted to be at Plato’s side as soon as he woke up.
Plato slept for several hours, long enough for Jemima herself to fall asleep. Jenny moved her to a more comfortable spot in the front room, leaving Munk to sit by Plato’s side and continue the watch alone.
Eventually the wait paid off. Plato mumbled a little and began to stir, pawing at the washcloth on his head. Munk moved it and felt his forehead, pleased to find him much cooler than before. Not quite a normal temperature but a clear improvement.
Plato's eyes slowly opened.
"Plato?" The blank stare Munk received sent a shiver down his spine.
Plato did not move.
"Plato, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"
A sharp intake of breath was his answer. One ear twitched, then the other, and clarity returned to his gaze.
"Whuh… Munk? Am I at Jenny's?" Plato blinked. “How’d I get here?”
"What do you last remember?" Munk watched him carefully as he sat up and stretched his long limbs.
"Uh, I was training with Alonzo. We just got started when…." He trailed off.
"When?" Munk prompted.
"Don't remember."
"You attacked Alonzo."
"Well yeah, we were training-'
"No. You actually attacked him. You were trying to seriously Injure him."
"What?"
"Do you remember why you did that?"
"No. Why would I…." Plato trailed off, eyes drifting down towards his paws. Once more his eyes went unfocused.
"Plato?" Munk touched his arm, frowning at the heat suddenly emanating from his fur.
Slowly Plato blinked and flexed his claws. When he looked back up at Munk there was a completely different air about him, as if a new cat had suddenly taken Plato's place. Of course, that was impossible, since Plato obviously hadn't gone anywhere, but his posture and expression shifted into something different than before.
Slowly Plato's mouth turned upwards into a grin. A grin that did not meet his eyes. He reached out, the tips of his claws reaching for Munk's cheek-
A blink and suddenly Plato was frowning and bringing his paws back into this lap. The change was so abrupt Munk briefly wondered if the grin had even happened.
"That tom… he was trying to hurt me." Plato's words were quiet. "He was trying to hurt the others. I did what you trained me to do, I don't understand why you're so upset."
"I'm not upset, I'm concerned. You're acting very odd."
“I’m just doing what you trained me to do when there’s an intruder in the junkyard.” The words made no sense but they were sincere. “Why am I in trouble?”
“There was no intruder. You were attacking Alonzo.”
“That was not Alonzo.” Plato stared at him.
“It was. Did you not recognize him?”
“The tom that attacked me was black and white. Alonzo’s gold and brown.” His eyes narrowed. “Monk, are you feeling alright?”
“I am feeling just fine.” Alarm bells were going off in his head. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
The same unsettling feeling he had experienced before was making the fur rise on the back of his neck. This had happened last night when they were out on patrol, when Plato was asking strange questions about Macavity. Plato had also referred to him as ‘Monk’ then.
“Monk?” It was not Plato who was looking at him, that Munk knew. It looked like Plato, even sounded like him, but despite what he was seeing with his own eyes he could not believe that he was looking at the same tom.
“Plato, I need you to-”
"Stop calling me that!"
"Excuse me?" Munk blinked.
"I can't- It's so hard to stay focused when you call me the wrong name." The tom held his head in his paws.
"And what should I call you?"
"Monk, please." His apprentice pleaded. "Don't play games with me. It's not funny."
"I am not playing games.” Munk frowned. “If we are discussing names then I must remind you that my name is Munkustrap, not Monk."
"Munk… Munkustrap." The name was slowly processed with obvious confusion. "That’s your name?"
"Yes, it is my name." Munk stared at him. “If your name isn’t Plato, what is it?”
“Admetus.” There was no hesitation or confusion in his answer.
"Your name is Admetus."
"Yes."
"What about Plato?" Munk asked.
"Who is Plato?"
"I thought it was you until you said you were Admetus." This conversation was growing more absurd by the minute.
"Like how you say you’rere Munkustrap instead of Monksistapp."
“Admetus.” The name was wrong in Munk’s ears, yet the tom in front of him visibly settled. “How long have you been having trouble with names?”
“A couple of days.” ‘Admetus’ stared back down at his paws. “I’m so tired, Monk. Nothing’s right. Everything’s so confusing, so wrong, and just when I think I’ve come into focus I start to… start to drift away.”
The tom’s eyes started to flutter shut. Stubbornly he kept them open.
“If your body is telling you to rest you should rest.” Munk very much wanted to continue his line of questioning but he couldn’t bring himself to force an obviously sick cat to stay awake.
"No." Admetus rubbed his eyes. "If I go to sleep I don’t know wh… where I’ll be.”
“You need to sleep.” Munk insisted. “You’re very ill.”
“I am not!” Ademtus’s ears pinned back against his head. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“You have a fever.” Munk reached out to him, mildly surprised that the tom allowed his touch and even more surprised to find that his fur was no longer hot. "Well, you had a fever. You need to rest."
"I need to… to…." Admetus trailed off and stared into space.
"You need to settle down and listen to Munkustrap." Jenny interrupted.
"Jenny?" Admetus frowned at her as she entered the room. There was recognition in his eyes but also a guarded wariness.
"Yes, dear. How are you feeling?" She felt his forehead. "Your fever has gone down-"
"I don't have a fever. I'm not sick." Admetus was not bold enough to smack her paw away but he gave her a sullen look.
"Now there will be none of that." She warned. "You will stay here for the rest of the afternoon and tonight. If you have a normal temperature in the morning we can then talk about you returning to your duties."
"Yes." Munk agreed. "You have been doing a great job on the night watch but you need a break. I will take over for tonight."
"If you're doing that then you need to get some rest." Jenny turned her attention to the tabby. "Don't try to tell me no. It won't work."
Munk glanced over at Admetus, who had unwillingly laid down again on the bed, his eyes barely open. The sudden onset of fatigue further proved how much he needed a break.
"I will get some rest, I assure you." Munk said. "Plato will stay here."
The tom didn't try to protest or correct the name. He was already asleep.
"I think a good night's sleep will do him a world of wonder." Jenny kept her voice low. "Munk, I know he's eager to learn everything he can from you, but you're pushing him too hard."
"I never got that impression from him." Munk muttered. "He's insisted this whole time he was fine."
*Of course he would. He doesn't want to disappoint you."
"I would never be disappointed if he needed to slow down his training."
"Does he know that?"
"Perhaps not in so many words."
"Munk, dear, I am sure he knows how much you care for him, but you know how shy he can be."
"I can handle him being shy." Munk stared down at the sleeping tom. "It's the sudden aggression and memory loss that I'm worried about. He attacked Alonzo because he didn't recognize him, and now he's insisting I call him 'Admetus'."
"Well, as you know, a cat must have three different names." Jenny replied. "Perhaps he's trying something new?"
"Plato has never given any indication of wanting to be called a different name. Jenny, I'm worried."
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think Plato is feeling very vulnerable. He's trying to impress you and Alonzo with the training and the night watches, Victoria is away from the Junkyard for who knows how long, and he's having to find his place in the tribe. Any tom his age would feel unbalanced."
"That's not the word I'd use."
"Give him a chance to rest and calm himself." Jenny said. "I think he'll settle and go back to his usual self in no time."
"I hope so."
"I know so. Remember, I helped raise you and Tugger. I've seen it all." Jenny patted his paw. "Now, go get some sleep. You have a long night ahead of you."
It was difficult to argue with that. Munk gave Plato one last look before leaving Jenny's den, noting that Jemima had already left. He would have to catch up with her later.
******
He was on fire. There was no other way to describe the unimaginable heat that boiled under his fur. It was enough to force away the fog in his mind and send him back to the conscious world.
"Have to- have to get out." Plato panted, resisting the urge to tear his way through the blankets Jenny had covered him with.
No one was there to stop him as he stumbled outside, pawing and clawing at his fur for any kind of relief. Unfortunately there was no escape from the fire, not when it was emanating from within.
“Help me, make it stop.” His throat was so dry he could hardly speak above a whisper.
Thankfully his feet were operating independently of his brain, carrying him far into the junkyard, away from anyone who could see him, who could hear him, it was too dangerous to be seen like this, somehow he knew it would be.
It burned, it was too much, it felt too intense, the sensation was- it was-
Exquisite. The sensation of being burned was turning into a pleasant heat that rolled through his fur, igniting his nerves with a fire he had never felt before. This was how he was supposed to feel, why had he fought against it, there was no reason not to give in and let the fire out-
A cold, calming touch brought his chaotic thoughts to a halt. Plato blinked back into focus, noting that he was standing in the moonlight.
Slowly he turned his face up towards the moon, basking in the feel of the cool light in his fur. This was where he needed to be.
“What’s going on? What’s happening to my head?” Plato asked the moon, knowing that he wasn’t going to get a response.
This whole time he had been speaking to the moon knowing that he was only speaking to himself, so why was he expecting an answer now? Night after night he had these conversations alone with the intention of having no one else to judge his thoughts.
Now he found himself wishing that he had been talking to someone. At least then he’d have someone to sort this out with.
Plato blinked. Suddenly he felt… occupied. As if he wasn't alone anymore. But he was alone. Wasn't he?
Wasn't he?
The question echoed back to him but it didn't quite come from himself. There was something new in his head, something much more prevalent than the weird fog that had been recently occupying his mind.
This something was… someone. And they had a name.
Along with the name came the disturbing knowledge that Plato had not been alone for the past couple of days. This being hadn't just suddenly arrived, he had been there all along, faint but present, waiting until he could muddle his way through the fog.
Plato took a steadying breath and stared up at the moon again.
"Hello, Admetus." Plato said.
The mention of the name stirred the mental fog he had been recently plagued with. Someone came forward, using his body to speak aloud.
"Hello, Plato." Admetus replied, using Plato's mouth to voice his words. It was a peculiar sensation that left Plato feeling disoriented.
"Nice night." There was no doubt that this was strange but there wasn't really any other way he could think to talk to the person that was apparently living inside his head. It never hurt to be polite.
"Yes."
"So."
"So."
"Um….” Plato fidgeted a bit and looked around to ensure he was alone. So far as he could tell it was just himself in the clearing. Well, physically he was alone. Mentally was a whole different story. “You’re… here, aren’t you? I'm not going crazy?”
“I guess? I've always been here I think. I don't feel like I'm a figment of your imagination." Admetus said, sounding just as confused as Plato felt.
"I don't feel like you're made up. You're too complicated for me to make you up, even though I can't help but feel like I know you."
"That's because we're the same person. That's why I'm in your mind and not on the outside."
"We're the same person?"
"Kind of. Don't you feel it?"
Plato pondered the question. Yes, now that Admetus asked, he did feel a sense of familiarity about him that could only come from himself. Whoever this Admetus was he was, strangely enough, the most familiar being he had ever known.
"I feel it." Plato said. "It’s kinda weird."
"Tell me about it." Admetus said. "I've been drifting in and out for a while. Not sure when I'd actually wake up."
"Well are you awake now?"
"I don't know, am I?"
"Dunno. This doesn't feel like a dream but it kind of seems like it should." Plato looked around again, very much aware that if anyone came by they would see him talking to himself.
"I don't see anyone." Admetus told him.
"Can you see?"
"What you see, yes. I don't think I have any conscious control over your body though."
"You're talking through me, moving my mouth and all that.” Plato pointed out. “That counts."
"Oh. I guess it does." Admetus sounded surprised. "Mind if I try something?"
"Sure, I guess."
Suddenly Plato felt like he had been pushed backwards off his feet. He reeled and tried to hold on but he was falling, falling through the fog and into the darkness.
Just as quickly as it happened it was over and Plato was back in control of himself.
"What the hell was that?" Plato gasped. "Admetus, what was that? What did you do?"
It was a moment before Admetus spoke through him again. "Sorry. I took over for a minute. But I couldn't hold on for long."
"Did you- did you do anything?"
"No. I stumbled around in a circle."
"Everlasting Cat, you possessed me."
"I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to see if I can do it."
"Well you can." Plato shuddered. "I didn't like that at all."
"Did it feel foggy and disorienting?"
"Yeah."
"That's where I've been for the past couple of days." Admetus sighed. “I’ve managed to… uh… surface a couple of times but it hasn’t been easy.”
“That was you who attacked Alonzo!” Plato realized. “Munk thinks I’m crazy because of you.”
“I didn’t know what was going on. My Alonzo isn’t black and white, I thought he was some stray cat trying to hurt me.”
“What do you mean your Alonzo?” Plato scrunched his nose.
“Plato, do you know what’s happening?”
“Besides the fact that I’m losing my mind?”
“No.” Admetus shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain this because I barely know what’s going on.”
“Well when did this start? When did you… uh… show up in my head?”
“I think it started when I started doing the night watch. I spent a lot of time talking to the moon-”
“Hey, I do that too!” Plato interrupted.
“I know. We’re the same being, remember?” Admetus smiled a little. “Makes sense for us to have the same habits. Anyways, the more I talked, the more… disconnected I started to feel. My memory started getting a little weird, especially with names. I don’t remember what happened after that but suddenly I wake up and I’m… well, I’m here. In your head.”
"You're the reason why I suddenly can't remember stuff!" Plato accused. "You make me think Jemi's name is Sillabub or that Munk is Monk."
"I’m sorry, I think that gets passed on to you since we’re sharing a mental space.” Admetus apologized. “I forgot who I was until recently. I thought I was you. That’s why I didn’t say anything at first, I didn’t realize that you existed."
"This is a lot to take in."
"Yes."
“My head hurts.” The longer Plato tried to talk with Admetus the more he felt a strain on his mind that hadn't been there before.
"I feel it too." Admetus said. "I'm surprised we could talk at all, let alone this long."
"What's going to happen when you go away again?"
"I don't know. I just… will slip back into the fog, I guess."
"That's kind of scary."
"It's not too bad. It's almost like taking a nap." Admetus assured him. "Maybe since we got to talk this long we can do it again sooner."
"Maybe.” Plato paused. “Uh… you think Munk should know about this?"
"Monk?"
"Yeah. Why do you call him that?"
"Because his name is Monksistapp."
"But it's Munkustrap."
"Huh." Admetus pondered the name. "What about Sillabub?"
"Jemima."
"Oh." Admetus sighed. “Ever since I started talking to the moon and having memory problems the names have been… I don’t know how to explain it, they’re all… jumbled in my head. I know they’re there but the right one never seems to come out when I say it.”
“And now because you’re in my head I’m having trouble.” Plato groaned. “That is you, right? When I’m feeling all fuzzy in the head, that’s you trying to take over?”
“I’m not trying to take over, I barely know what’s going on as it is. I’ve just been trying to wake up. I didn’t know I was in your mind.”
“Huh.”
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble for you, I swear. Now that I know I’m not in my own body I’m not keen on taking over again.”
“Where is your body anyways?” Plato looked around as if he could find it.
“Not here.”
“Well yeah-”
“I mean… not in this world.”
“What?”
“I don’t know, I just feel it. I don’t belong here. I live in a junkyard but it’s not this junkyard. My mentor is Monk but it’s not this Monk.”
“None of this is making sense.” Yet the more he talked to Admetus the more he felt it was true. It was difficult to lie to someone who was occupying the same space in his head.
“I know. I don’t get it either.”
“So what do we do?” Plato pawed at an ear. “What if I get sick again? Are you making me sick somehow?”
“You aren’t sick.”
“Uh, I beg to differ. I felt I was on fire. And I know you felt it too.”
Admetus remained silent but Plato could feel the apprehension.
“Admetus, do you know something about this?”
“Plato, there’s a lot we need to talk about but-” Suddenly he froze.
“What?” Plato looked around. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end.
“We can’t talk out here.” Admetus whispered. “We have to… to….”
“Admetus?” Plato could feel Admetus’s presence start to fade. “What’s happening?”
“Can’t focus anymore.” Admetus groaned. “Out of time.”
“Are you going to come back or what?” Plato asked. “Are you going away?”
“Still here… just… need a break.” And just like that Admetus was gone.
No, not gone. Plato could still feel his presence. If he closed his eyes he could easily imagine that Admetus was sitting next to him.
“This isn’t good.” Plato said, this time actually speaking to himself.
“Uh, you okay there Plato?” This voice came from a speaker that did not live in Plato’s head.
“H-hey Pounce.” Plato nervously greeted the tom, trying not to look like he was a minute away from a mental breakdown.
Pouncival stared at him from his perch up in the junk. How long he had been hidden up there was a mystery but he was looking at Plato like he had grown an extra head.
“What’s going on?” Pounce asked. “Who’re you talking to?”
“No one.” Plato automatically said.
“Uh, you were talking to someone. I heard a whole conversation.”
“Just myself.”
“Yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m… uh, practicing.”
“For what?”
“Um.” Plato flicked his ears. “Just… conversations. In case I need to talk to someone.”
“Weird.” Pounce peered down at him. “You still sick?”
“What?”
“Jemi told me you were sick. Is that why you tried to beat up Alonzo? Or were you mad at him?”
“I didn’t try to beat him up.” Plato frowned. “I was… confused.”
“Uh huh.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” As Plato said the words he felt a shiver go through his fur. That was a lie. He had wanted to hurt Alonzo, to feel his claws ripping through the tom’s fur, to unleash the fire that was barely contained within-
“Plato?” Pounce was staring at him.
“What was that?” The feeling passed, leaving him exhausted and cold.
“Hey, you don’t look so good.”
“I’m… going through some stuff.” Plato admitted. “I think I need to sleep.”
“Yeah, how about we go back to Jenny’s?” Pounce jumped down from his perch and grabbed Plato’s elbow. “Normally I wouldn’t care where you go but you probably don’t need Jenny mad at you right now.”
“You’re right.” Plato allowed himself to be steered back towards the Gumbie Cat’s den.
“Wow, you are sick aren’t you?” Pounce frowned. “Your fur’s all hot.”
“Not sick.” The protest was an echo from Admetus’s sentiments.
“Yeah, sure, okay. Come on.”
Plato followed Pounce back to Jenny’s somewhat reluctantly. He didn’t want to go back inside, he wanted to stay out in the moonlight, but his feet weren’t obeying his mind again. It was too much to think about. Even with just himself in his brain things were awkward, and now sharing with Admetus made him feel doubly so.
With a heavy sigh Plato fell back into bed, vaguely aware of Pounce saying something to an upset Jenny. Whatever happened next he would face in the morning.