Found

(A/N: I don't own the Secret Of NIMH! Just Little Cinnamon/Lost. This is dedicated to The Guest Calypso for inspiring me to write a continuation. Hope you all enjoy!)

Life.

It was the thing that Lost had tried to escape. It was the one thing that Lost tried to fight for once. It was the one thing Lost decided that he would no longer stand for. But…as fate would have it…life fought back. Apparently, the Creator wasn't finished with him yet.

Lost had found himself able to awake from his "sleep" a few days after his suicide attempt. He was in a lying down position, his back on a cot. His eyes, still heavy and weary, blinked open. What? How was that possible? He should've been dead and into the afterlife! Unless… He reached his hand slowly to his muzzle, and when his hand was close enough to his mouth, he delivered a chomp on his fingers. Pain instantly seared up his arm, and he winced.

"Oh, please…don't do that…" said a voice gently.

A she-mouse, with brown fur and soft blue eyes, took Lost's hand from his mouth, and started dabbing up the blood that started seeping from the bites. Lost craned his head back and saw the mouse.

"Who…are you?" whispered Lost in a soft voice. He sat up, but soon felt tired again. He slumped back onto his back.

"Please…stay still…" said the mouse.

"How did I get here?" asked Lost, looking up at her with half-closed eyes.

"My children and I carried you here," replied the she-mouse. "I found you near one of the forest trees. You…you were dead."

"What!?" Lost shot back up again, but immediately regretted it when a searing pain entered his body. "Ahh!"

"Lie down!" the mouse cried, pushing Lost gently back on the cot. "You must rest until you are strong enough to get up."

"But…but how? How could I have been dead, but now be alive?"

The mouse hesitated. Lost knew that there was something she was trying to keep secret. He looked at her with gentle eyes, begging her to tell him. But, the mouse was not reassured by his kind gaze.

"I…I shouldn't say…" said the she-mouse finally. Her revival power was something the rat shouldn't know about. Then, she'd slip out precious information.

"Well…" sighed the cinnamon colored rat. "If you can't, then…that's fine…Although…I kind of wish you'd left me there to die. That's why I was dead. I was trying to take my life…and you gave it back to me."

"Why on Earth would you do something like that?" cried the mouse in dismay.

"I have…nothing to live for anymore," Lost explained. "I have no family to go to…I have no friends to be with…all I have is the curse that man has bestowed upon me: intelligence."

"Intelligence…" the she-mouse repeated, but with wide eyes, and a surprised expression.

Lost didn't notice the mouse' expression at first. He wrapped his long, pink tail around his legs, and cradled it tenderly. His eyes shimmered with tears that threatened to flow.

"I thank you, ma'am, for your sympathy…but…I just want to embrace death. Send me out. Let me be killed by nature. I want nothing to do with this damn world anymore."

"Don't think that way," the mouse said, patting his hand comfortingly. "You seem like a really nice rat. Surely you have something to live for?"

"No," Lost whimpered, curling himself up into a ball, and letting the tears flow. "I have nothing. Honestly. I have no place in this world."

"Then…you should make a place for yourself," suggested the little mouse. "Life is what you make of it…at least, my husband usually said that. But what I as a simple mouse has to say is that suicide is a permanent answer to a temporary problem. You shouldn't let the past hold you down."

Lost's tears flowed on silently, but he still listened to her words.

"You…you speak wisely, ma'am," Lost admitted. "But…you just don't know how bad life's been for me."

"Would you tell me?"

"Well…I used to be a pet to a woman…a woman I loved ever so much….she…she met a man, and he took her from me. He ruined our bond with his very presence, and I was demoted to nothing but another simple mouth to feed. And that wasn't even the worst part…no, the man who took my dear Juliet was a scientist who worked at a place I'd like to remember as Hell on Earth: NIMH."

"NIMH…" gasped the mouse in realization. This rat was from NIMH! That's what he meant by intelligence being the curse bestowed on him! He suffered the same fate as those rats from the rosebush!

"Yes," Lost continued. "They conducted horrid experiments on me and many other animals. Luckily I, the rats, and two mice managed to escape. But the pain is still strong in me. It's all I seem to think about now. That is why I wish to die. So that I may be free of the memories, and will be able to live a pleasant afterlife. I can have all I want there."

"Sir," said the mouse. "I understand a bit of your pain. You see, while I was never at NIMH, my husband was. He was Jonathan. Jonathan Brisby."

"Brisby?" sniffled Lost. He looked back up at the she-mouse with red eyes and a wet face. "You're Mrs. Jonathan Brisby?"

"Yes, sir," said Mrs. Brisby. "And I have met others from NIMH as well, and they have helped me and my family once before. I am in their debt."

"Have…have you met…Justin? What about Nicodemus? And Mr. Ages? Where are they?"

"I've met them all," replied the widow. "They used to live in the rosebush, near Farmer Fitzgibbon's house. But they left for a place called Thorn Valley when NIMH came to recapture the rats. Don't worry, they've long since gone," she added when Lost began to panic.

"Oh…that's good…" whispered Lost gently. He then realized that he hadn't told Mrs. Brisby his name.

"I'm Lost, by the way, ma'am," he introduced himself. "Thank you for taking the time to heal me…even though I'm positive that I have absolutely nothing to live for."

"I'm sure you'll find something that will make life worthwhile for you," said Mrs. Brisby with a hopeful smile. "Right now, you must eat something. I've been force-feeding you healing medicines. Now that you're awake, you can eat real food and water. I've only been doing what Mr. Ages taught me before he left with the rats."

"You've seem to have done a decent job," said Lost politely.

"Well, that was mostly the amulet's job."

"Amulet?"

"…Well, since you're a rat from NIMH…I can technically talk to you about it…I think…Do you promise to keep the rats of NIMH a secret?"

"Of course. I don't want anything getting me back in NIMH."

"Alright, I can explain to you now with a bit more confidence. The amulet is-"

"Mother! I've got the dead rat's food!"

A young he-mouse appeared into the room with a small bowl of vegetable soup. She looked like Jonathan a bit; a young child version of him.

"Martin!" Mrs. Brisby said gently but sternly. "This rat is not dead. His name is Lost, but you shall call him Mr. Lost, yes?"

"Yes, mom," murmured Martin. He shuffled his way to the cot, and gave Lost the soup. "Here you are, Mr. Lost."

"Thank you, Martin," replied Lost with a grateful nod. Lost turned back to the widow with a nod.

"Yes, thank you, dear," she said to Martin. Mrs. Brisby turned to Lost, and gestured to the golden chain around her neck. Separating part of her red cloak, she revealed to lovely amulet, shimmering gold and ruby red. Lost looked at it with wide eyes.

"Who…gave it to you?" he asked in awe.

"Nicodemus himself…before his death…"

"Nicodemus is…dead!?"

"Yes…" said the widow with sadness in her eyes. "He died by murder. Jenner…took his life."

"Jenner…? No…Jenner was a good rat. I knew him….he was a friend of us all. He…no…forget it…I guess…my fellow escapees have changed over the years. Aw well, it wasn't like I was going to visit anyway."

"Don't let Jenner's actions change your point of view of the other rats," instructed Mrs. Brisby. "There are many good rats still in the group. Justin is their leader now. I trust he was a good leader then as he was now?"

Lost only nodded. He still couldn't believe a once good friend like Jenner had murdered such a good rat like Nicodemus.

"I should remain on topic," Mrs. Brisby said softly after a few awkward moments of silence. She went on as Lost took small sips of his soup. "Nicodemus told me that its power was only revealed by courage of the heart. I…I used it to bring you back to life. I thought. I there was any way I could help you…I would. I couldn't just leave you out there. Dragon would've eaten you…like he did with…Jonathan."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Brisby," said Lost sympathetically. "You do know how I feel…to lose someone dear to you…I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Lost." replied Mrs. Brisby, giving him a small smile. "Will you rest for me now?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lost was helping the Brisby boys to make a small wooden carousel outside of the Brisby house for the kids to play on. Nearby the Brisby girls were playing with little handmade dolls. Mrs. Brisby watched her children and guest from a chair near the home entrance. She had a gentle smile on her face. Lost had healed up well the past month and a half, and during his time there, the rat had gathered a bit of a bond with the Brisby family. He was like an elder child of the widow, and the Brisby children were like his younger siblings. Lost had really warmed up to them. He didn't really see much of a reason for suicide now. The Brisby's were very nice to him, and he did his best to repay them for their services by helping out. After healing completely, Lost had made a small hut outside the Brisby house, as to not take up their space anymore.

"All done, Mr. Lost!" said Martin proudly.

"We did well, you two, we did well," Lost agreed with a nod. He wiped his arm against his brow, removing his sweat. "Get on. I'll spin you."

Martin and Timothy quickly scrambled onto the carousel, and Lost used his muscular arms to push the carousel. It began to spin gently, before picking up speed. The young mice chuckled loudly in excitement, hanging onto the handles.

"Faster! Faster!" they cried, and Lost obeyed them. A small smile appeared on his lips. He was actually having a good time. Yes…he was feeling happy once again. God…it had been years since he had felt such glee. He dared to let out a gentle chuckle. Before too long, the young mice's trip on the carousel was over, and they wobbled off with dizzy laughs. Lost hadn't noticed Mrs. Brisby come to his side.

"You're happy?" she asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Yeah…" replied Lost. "I am happy."

"You're finding something to live for?"

"You could say…You and your family have really brought a spark back into my life. You were right, Mrs. Brisby. Suicide…really isn't the answer. I feel better now."

"You may stay with us, if you'd like," offered the widow.

"Oh, I couldn't," said Lost awkwardly. "I've taken residence here long enough."

"It's quite alright, Lost. Your company is enjoyed by us all. You've really helped to handle my children, and in turn, we've helped you. If it'll make you happy, I think you should. But…it is your decision."

"…Yes, ma'am."

Lost had walked off to think for a moment. He really liked living at the Fitzgibbon's farm, and he really loved the Brisby family. But he felt like a bit of an intrusion. Part of him still couldn't shake off the past, and the bad feelings he felt inside. His hand rested on his heart. He wouldn't choose death. Not anymore. He figured the Brisby's were his best bet at happiness. Yes, he'd stay.

No longer was he lost. He was now…found.

(A/N: So that was my continuation! Hope you liked it! This was for you, The Guest Calypso, and I hope it's what you wanted!)