View source for Crimson Flower (Quote)

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2014/09/25
|Location=Sand Zone - Flying Island
|Synopsis=The Doctor finds what he is looking for, bare minutes ahead of the heroes trying to stop him. He decides to test out his new-found source of power.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=
|Tinyplot=Cave Story
}}
"Great Doctor." says the witch Misery, her eyes lowered humbly. "All the red flower seeds have been harvested."

The Doctor, towering over the witch, chortles malevolently. He's almost a comic figure, what with the discord of his lab coat, glasses and tie combined with the huge red eye on the towering demon crown. The only thing saving him from cartoon supervillainy is the undeniable aura of power and malevolence he radiates. "Good." he says. "By the way... the flowers still blooming over there. Are they the same demon flowers? Such an innocent-seeming thing to be so ominous."

"My Great Doctor..." Misery replies, the very picture of humility and meek servitude. "Would you like to eat one?" she asks, only allowing the barest hint of eagerness to show in her tone. She'd squash even that, but some things are beyond even her power.

"... No, that won't be necessary." replies the Doctor, amused at both the offer and at Misery's show of humility. To control even one so willful, so powerful, THAT is true power. "Why don't we sample it by using a Mimiga instead?"

This seems to cheer Misery up immensely. The witch's mouth opens up into a broad, manic smile. "Yes, I agree!" she says eagerly, waving her staff. A bubble appears, pops, and Toroko is revealed within it. Weak, possibly ill, Toroko moans helplessly. Then she lifts her head, looking around in puzzled confusion. "Huh? Here? Waaaaah!" she cries out, abruptly taking off in a run.

It's Toroko's greatest ability. She can evade King. She can avoid almost anyone when she gets up to speed. Any Mimiga can run, but Toroko takes it to the level of art. The door of the warehouse looms ahead, and there's nothing between her and freedom. She looks back, trying to judge any pursuit, but there's none. The Doctor and his loyal minion just stand there... not surprised, not distressed, just amused.

Suddenly Toroko runs into something that wasn't there a moment ago. "Hey! Where are you going?" cries Balrog, grinning fiercely. Toroko bounces off his armored flank, the sudden appearance of the massive robot denying her the bid for freedom. His smile's matched only by Misery's, still grinning cruelly. "Balrog. Make her eat a red flower." she says in a grim voice, entirely different from that manic grin.

Toroko's desperate struggle counts for little more than her protests. Balrog is just too overwhelming for the likes of the little Mimiga. "You got it!" he says, grabbing the little creature and dragging her towards the blooms. "Eat it! EAT IT!!!" he insists. Toroko has no chance, not against this, not against these enemies...

"Stop now!!" calls a single voice, harsh and furious. Seemingly out of nowhere, King leaps at Balrog's back, sword raised high. The blade comes down in a flash. It's almost comical. The Mimiga leader strikes a dramatic pose, robes flying, sword blurring, but that little blade's nowhere near as thick as Balrog's armor. King shouldn't stand a chance.... and yet he does. Metal shrieks and tears, shearing open the broad armor plating, exposing Balrog's vulnerable interior. In a panic, Balrog rockets off in a hasty retreat. One down.

King glares at the other two enemies, but takes a moment first. "Toroko, are you all right?" he asks, holding the little sword ready. "K... King...?" comes Toroko's weak voice. She's ... she's all right, isn't she? She's speaking...

Toroko turns her eyes up to look at King, desperate and terrified. Red eyes. The deep crimson color of the red flowers, of full corruption. Not her normal color of course. Not even the orange of King's own eyes which would show a potentially-survivable dose. Red, the color of hate and of blood. "Ooooh... my head..."

"No!!" King cries in denial. He knows what this means, of course. He doesn't want to believe it, but he knows. He was too late. All his efforts, slipping through the Sand Zone, trying desperately to intercept the enemy, only to miss his chance by moment. Yet the knowledge doesn't send him into despair. It only rouses his anger. Narrowing his eyes to the point where they almost shine red themselves, he glares upwards. He barely even sees Misery in the depths of rage and hate. "You're that Doctor!"

The Doctor seems amused, and not at all threatened by the Mimiga who just carved through an all but indestructible minion. "Indeed. I am the Doctor." he replies, making a mocking bow. "And your new leader. I should say it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Tell me, is there something you'd like to do with that sword of yours?"

"I'm going to kill you!!!" cries King, leaping to attack with all the power at his command, leading with that sword, focussed solely on his nemesis. Only to be caught by a blast of lightning striking down from clear air. Flying in the opposite direction, King hits a distant wall and crumples into a heap.

"Are they really so fragile without the crimson rage?" smirks the Doctor, unaffected by Misery's nearby lightning strike. Misery herself is nowhere to be seen, now, having risen into the air as she made her strike. She couldn't have allowed the attack to succeed. Obedient as she must be, she had no difficulty in striking down the Mimiga leader... nor any qualms in doing so. King was nothing to her. There are others... others with more possibility, others far more interesting and potentially useful.

King, lying broken by the warehouse entrance, hears a loud pounding noise. His heart? No... not that. Footsteps. Running footsteps. Too late once again, it seems. Just a few moments too late. Is it time now? Time... to finally rest? He did what he could. He defeated one of the enemies, and another's nowhere to be seen.  All he can do now is to hope the outsiders can finish what he began, to avenge him and save his people.