Mr. Ages led the three mice to go and see Nicodemus through the tunnels towards the rat's chambers. "Now don't tire him out." Mr. Ages told them. "No." Mrs. Brisby replied. "Be brief." Mr. Ages said. "Yes." Maika replied. "Say what you want and leave." Mr. Ages said. "Yes, sir." Ema nodded. "We won't be a bother." Mrs. Brisby added. "Justin bothers him enough with all his silly nonsense." Mr. Ages commented before coming to a stop. "Here we are." "Thank you, Mr. Ages." Mrs. Brisby, Maika, and Ema replied. "I don't know what Nicodemus sees in that boy..." Mr. Ages said under his breath before looking to them again as he went to walk away. "I'll come back for you. Brief!" he reminded quickly. "He sure likes to remind us." Ema said. "He's pretty persistent, huh?" Maika replied. "Mm..." Ema said. The three mice went to the door. Mrs. Brisby reached for the handle which depressed itself before she could touch it. The door opened, and a flood of light and force streamed out of it for several seconds. Mrs. Brisby braced herself against it as it tried to push them back. Then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. The three mice cautiously peered out to the door while getting back up. "Come closer, my children," A voice called to them. "Don't be frightened." "Yes, sir." Maika said. "Must be Nicodemus..." Ema commented. "Either that or someone changed their voice."
Mrs. Brisby, Maika, and Ema approached the figure known as Nicodemus who was sitting on an ornate throne in the center of the room. "Sir... The, uh... The Great Owl sent us to you." Mrs. Brisby said nervously. "Oh, did he? He is a dear comrade..." Nicodemus replied. "Closer." Mrs. Brisby gulped, but obeyed the order with the girls, going right up to the throne. "Ah, Mrs. Jonathan Brisby," Nicodemus recognized the widowed mouse. "What an honor this is." "You know about Mrs. Brisby?" Ema asked. "I guess Mr. Brisby was very popular and important, huh?" Maika commented. "How... How is it that everyone kn-knows Jonathan?" Mrs. Brisby soon asked. "He was a great friend to the Rats of NIMH," Nicodemus stated. "He himself came from NIMH." "NIMH... There's that word again..." Maika commented. "Your Majesty, my family is-" Mrs. Brisby began. "I know of your needs." Nicodemus interrupted until he gestured to a book sitting on a desk against the wall. "There is a book there. Read the words." "Um, okay." Maika said. "Mrs. Brisby, you can read, right?" Ema asked the widowed mouse. "I can read, a little. Jonathan taught me." Mrs. Brisby replied. "The children are better." The book raised from the desk, and opened itself with light streaming from the pages, much to the shock of the three mice. "Than... Than I am..." Mrs. Brisby's voice trailed off nervously. "Read." Nicodemus told her. Mrs. Brisby went to read with Maika and Ema, though it was tough to get to the part of the widow's late husband. "'Jonathan Brisby made possible the rats' escape from the terrible cruelty of NIMH. He was killed today while drugging the farmer's cat, Dragon'." they began, revealing how exactly Jonathan had died. "Oh." Maika frowned. "Gosh... I-I'm so sorry, Mrs. Brisby..." Ema said softly. "Oh, I... I never knew... Just what happened." Mrs. Brisby grew emotional. "Why did he never tell me about any of you? Why?" "To answer that, I must tell you about NIMH, and our Plan. Go! Look there!" Nicodemus replied before pointing to a device in the corner.
Maika and Ema took a look as they saw what looked like a rough globe set in an ornate flame before it began to spin faster and faster. "Is this a crystal ball?" Maika asked. "Something like that... You both have a right to know this too..." Nicodemus said to the duo. The globe began to show a scene. The three mice went to take a look into the globe, seeing many images appear as Nicodemus told them a story. "In the beginning, we were ordinary street rats, stealing our daily bread and living off the efforts of man's work. We were captured, put in cages, and sent to a place called NIMH. There were many animals there in cages," Nicodemus began. "They were put through the most unspeakable tortures to satisfy some scientific curiosity. Often at night I would hear them, crying out in anguish. 20 rats and eleven mice were given injections... Our world began changing..." The three mice saw nightmarish images of rats writhing in pain as their DNA twisted and exploded. The trio looked horrified. "Then one night I looked upon the words under the cage door, and understood them," Nicodemus continued. "We had become intelligent. We could read." Then the trio saw a sign that reads "TO OPEN DOOR LIFT LATCH." A rat's hand reached out of the cage and lifted it. The door swung open with a creak. Soon, all the rats and mice began escaping from their cages. "The miracle was kept secret from the scientists, and in the quiet of the night, we escaped through the ventilation system," Nicodemus continued as a brave brown mouse was shown which was quite familiar to Mrs. Brisby. "The mice were blown away, sucked down dark air-shafts to their deaths. All except two; Jonathan and Mr. Ages. We were trapped by a locked door on the roof. It was Jonathan who made possible the unlocking of the door." "Mr. Brisby." Ema realized. Jonathan wriggled through a wire cover over the end of the air duct. The cover fell free and we see Jonathan sitting on top of the vent, looking very pleased with himself. Mrs. Brisby sighed as the image of her dead husband soon faded.
"I have a gift. Come." Nicodemus told Mrs. Brisby. "Jonathan meant it for you." Maika and Ema followed behind to see what he had. Nicodemus opened up a box and opened it as it contained an amulet and lifted it out and the box soon floated away. "Oh... It's so beautiful!" Mrs. Brisby beamed. "It sleeps." Nicodemus informed. "Sleeps?" Ema, Maika, and Mrs. Brisby repeated curiously. "Yes. When worn by one with a courageous heart, the Stone glows red," Nicodemus explained. "It becomes a blinding radiance. Courage of the heart is very rare. The Stone has a power when it's there." "We have courage, don't we, Maika?" Ema asked. "Absolutely" Maika replied. "We've been through so much together as Honey Cat and we've always given each other courage. That's what makes us friends." "She is correct, young one." Nicodemus told her. "Heh... Might be easier said than done." Ema commented. "Look! An inscription." Mrs. Brisby said before reading it aloud from the amulet. "'You can unlock any door if you only have the key'." "Oh, thank you," Mrs. Brisby told Nicodemus. "I will treasure it always." "Jonathan never told you about NIMH because the injections slowed the aging process," Nicodemus told Mrs. Brisby, putting the amulet on around her neck. "You see, you would have grown old while he remained young."
Then there was a knock on the door before everyone saw Justin stick his head in. "Nicodemus? The boats are ready and waiting," Justin told the elderly and wise rat. "We can leave any time." "Good..." Nicodemus nodded before standing and held out his hand which made his staff float over to him. "My child, shall we journey to your home?" he asked Mrs. Brisby. "Sir?" Mrs. Brisby asked. "Tonight we shall move your house to the protected side of the stone." Nicodemus told the widowed mouse. "The lee in the stone?" Ema guessed. "Yes." Nicodemus nodded. "Thought so." Ema replied. As the three mice and Nicodemus left his chamber, Jenner was watching from around a corner. "I don't get it, Jenner." Sullivan spoke up. "With Nicodemus out of the way, what's to stop us from taking over?" Jenner replied wickedly. "Jenner, you can't kill Nicodemus!" Sullivan gasped to him. "No taste for blood, eh?" Jenner replied. "They've taken the animal out of you." "What if we're discovered?" Sullivan asked. "Ach, listen. The Brisby house is a large cement block," Jenner explained. "In the moving, what if it should fall?" "An accident?" Sullivan asked. "Of course!" Jenner grinned eagerly, rubbing his paws together fiendishly. "Cut the lines, and the weight of it will crush his bones! It's just a shame old Basil and Dawson couldn't be here for that..." Then he sighed in slight dismay. "It's risky..." Sullivan said, a bit squeamishly. "Once rid of Nicodemus, the Plan will die." Jenner replied. "We can stay here as long as we like!" "What... What about Justin?" Sullivan asked. "Leave him to me..." Jenner smirked a bit. This spelled trouble for everybody, but they were unaware of it right now.
On an underground lake, Nicodemus, Maika, Ema, and Mrs. Brisby were riding in a gondola being poled along by Justin. "Sometimes, when we have a large project that takes us into the open, Mr. Ages makes up a sleeping powder to give to Dragon." Justin informed. "How do you get him to take it?" Ema wondered. "Someone must go into the farmhouse kitchen and put it in his dish," Justin informed. "The only way into the kitchen is through a tiny hole in the floor. Ages tried it yesterday. That's how he-" "Broke his leg?" Maika guessed. "Right." Justin nodded. "Ouch" the two mice winced. A large chunk of rock suddenly fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing the boat, making it rock wildly for a second. "That was close." Justin said in relief. "What the heck was that?!" Maika asked a little nervously. "The mill. It's falling apart," Justin replied. "Hope it stays up there, at least until we've done with the Plan." "The Plan? What is the plan?" Ema asked. "To live without stealing, of course." Nicodemus replied. "It's wrong to take electricity from the farmer." Justin added. "Sounds fair enough." Maika replied. "My children, we can no longer live as rats," Nicodemus told the group. "We know too much." "We're almost there." Justin said as he poled the boat to shore, and got out to tie it off. The cavern ended behind a waterfall. "And where we have help to make sure the plan succeeds." Justin said. "Well, you know we're here to help, Justin." Maika said, trying to sound strong and brave. "That's very good of you." Justin approved. "Um, Your Majesty?" Mrs. Brisby spoke up a bit nervously. "I should go prepare the children, for tonight." "We shall wait here until dark..." Nicodemus told her. "So who's going to drug Dragon?" Maika asked. "I volunteer! For Dragon." Mrs. Brisby said. "Uh... Ma'am?" Ema asked out of concern. "Are you sure?" "I must." Mrs. Brisby replied. "Oh, no, Mrs. Brisby!" Justin sounded just as concerned. "Nicodemus, this is no job for her!" "If this is her decision, then we have to respect it." Maika said. "Please." Mrs. Brisby said. "As you wish." Nicodemus allowed to the widowed mouse. Justin heaved a heavy sigh. "All right. I'll meet you at the west side of the farmhouse at dusk." he told her. "Thank you," Mrs. Brisby said before walking away, speaking under her breath. "I must be crazy. Goodbye!... I must be crazy..." "One of us should go with her." Maika said. Ema looked at her in deep thought. "I'll go." she said. "Ema, are you sure?" Maika asked. "Maika...You showed me how brave you are by stopping that tractor. Now it's my turn to show you how brave I can be." Ema volunteered herself. "But I need to go with you if you want to show me." Maika said. "Oh yeah." Ema chuckled sheepishly. So they followed Mrs. Brisby to the farmhouse.
Running home along a pond, Mrs. Brisby's eye was caught by a water lily drifting a little faster than it ought to be. It bumped into the shore near her, and a small pipe sticking out from underneath went astray. A second later, a certain crow emerged from underneath the lily, coughing. "Jeremy, what are you doing here?! And why do you have a water lily?" Ema asked. "Shh! I'm being followed!" Jeremy warned. "Followed?" Mrs. Brisby asked. "Shhh-hhh! There's a crazy lady with a hat! She's got big teeth! She tied me up!" Jeremy replied in a panic before his eye was caught by the amulet around Mrs. Brisby's neck. "And then I-Oh! Ooh... A sparkly!" "A sparkly?" Maika asked. "You're wearing a sparkly!" Jeremy beamed to Mrs. Brisby. "Can I hold? Oh, please, can I?" "No, Jeremy, you can't have it; this is Mrs. Brisby's." Ema said. "Jeremy, listen," Mrs. Brisby told the crow as he looked entranced by the amulet. "We need lots and lots of string to move the block!" "Move... The block..." Jeremy said before snapping out of it. "Hey! I got string! I've been saving 'em!" "Really?" Maika smiled. "Oh, sure, red ones, blue ones, green, yellow-" Jeremy replied. "Pay attention!" Mrs. Brisby told him. Jeremy's head snapped back down to the sparkly amulet. "Go get all the string you can." Ema told the clumsy crow. "Okay..." Jeremy said before he suddenly realized what he just agreed to. "But that'll take all day!" "Good! Get going!" Maika urged, clapping her paws together. "Yeah, because we'll need all the string you have." Ema said. "I just thought I'd mention in passing," Jeremy said as they were about to go. "I've always wanted a sparkly of my very own." "Will you get going?" Maika asked, impatiently. "Sure! Uh... Excuse me. Pardon me. Bye!" Jeremy replied before disappearing under the lily again, wandering off, though hitting every rock in his path which was enough to make even Mrs. Brisby roll her eyes. "He's really starting to annoy me." Maika rolled her eyes. "Hey, he helped us out the first couple of times." Ema pointed out. "I'd like a restraining order." Mrs. Brisby muttered about Jeremy.
Later, the three mice went under the farmhouse, preparing to drug the cat. "It won't be long now," Justin told them. "She's washing the dishes. Here's the powder. Nervous?" "Very./Petrified." the trio replied. Don't be." Justin reassured them. "You'll all be alright.""Hopefully." Maika said. "I hope I haven't upset your plans." Mrs. Brisby frowned. "Nonsense! What makes you say that?" Justin replied. "I think she thinks she caused an argument." Ema said which made Mrs. Brisby nod. "Oh, you mean Jenner," Justin replied. "No problem." "Justin? I sincerely hope you make it to Thorn Valley." Mrs. Brisby said. "We will," Justin reassured until he heard something before shushing both of them as it was almost time. "Shh! Listen. Mrs. Fitzgibbons is filling Dragon's bowl. Get ready." "Right." Maika and Ema nodded. Mrs. Brisby, Maika, and Ema crawled up through the hole into the kitchen. "Oh, my..." Mrs. Brisby said in concern. "Better leave that cap.," Justin suggested. "Could get caught on something." Mrs. Brisby sighed, but then dropped her cape through the hole, followed a moment later by the Stone. Justin hung them up nearby and passed the envelope with the powder up to them. "Here's the powder." he told them.
From outside, Dragon was heard yowling to his humans to be let in. "I don't think I can do this!" Mrs. Brisby cried out. "Yes, you can!" Justin coached her. Mrs. Brisby shook her head desperately. "Mrs. Brisby, we got to do this to help your home and your family." Maika tried to help the widowed mouse. Dragon kept yowling to his humans so he would be let in. "Okay, Dragon, I'm coming," Mrs. Fitzgibbons said as she came to her cat. "There we go." "Steady... Now!" Justin signaled. Mrs. Brisby hesitated. "Mrs. Brisby!" Maika and Ema yelped as they went to do her part, trying not to let her fear consume her as she came toward Dragon's bowl to drug the cat. Mrs. Brisby soon came to help out before running for her life, taking Cherry with her to make sure the younger mouse would get out okay. As they kept going, they got the drug into the food before going back to Justin. The cat food scattered all around other directions during their escape. "Get back!" Justin warned. The three mice ran the hole under the cabinet, but just before they could reach it, a colander came down over them. "Mom! Don't let the cat in yet, I've caught some mice!" A young boy beamed. "Mice?" Mrs. Fitzgibbons asked in concern. "As in more than one?" "Can I keep them?" The boy begged. "Can I?" "No, Billy, put them outside." Mrs. Fitzgibbons told her son. Ema began to try to get herself, Maika, and Mrs. Brisby out by scratching at the colander, acting like an animal that would want out. Justin overheard what happened and cursed under his breath. "Damn!" "Aw, Mom, please?" Billy begged his mother about keeping Maika, Ema, and Mrs. Brisby as pets. "I can keep them in Porgy's old cage." "Oh... All right," Mrs. Fitzgibbons sighed in defeat. "Come on, Dragon." "I'll have to come back for you later." Justin promised the two before running out of the farmhouse.
It was raining while Mrs. Brisby, Maika, and Ema were trapped in the Fitzgibbons' household. "There has to be someway out of here." Ema said. Mrs. Brisby let out a small yelp as the telephone rang. "It's okay, Mrs. Brisby, it was just the telephone." Maika soothed the widowed mouse. Mrs. Brisby nodded as she tried to keep calm. Farmer Fitzgibbons went to answer the phone. "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses," he answered it, letting the two mice listen in a bit. "Hello?... Who?... NIMH. Oh! Oh yeah, NIMH! Yes, yes, I know, you called about the rats," he then talked on the phone for a while. "Well, I don't know nothing about any special behavior, but the traps sure don't work... In the morning? Suits me fine... Oh, no, no, you can bulldoze that rosebush right outta there, I want those rats exterminated! Uh, well, there's no... Charge...? Good. Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then... Uh-huh... Bye-Bye." he then hung up. "NIMH's coming tomorrow," Maika said out of fear. "We have to warn your kids, Mrs. Brisby." "Hurry, child." Mrs. Brisby nodded. The three mice jumped to the door of their cage and started rattling it desperately.