Chapter Eleven: Polarity Shift

The trees were a hard reminder of just how arrogance without substance would lead a man to his death. He should have remembered that from his master, but maybe getting hit on the head so much rattled his brain a little. It was also possible that he had not expected the attack in the least, making the shock even greater and scrambling his thoughts like cobblestones in the sea. He had only spiraling moments and a path of only broken trees to consider in his flight. Where the brawler now lay, there was only a cabin of wood that marked his grave.

Watching her rival thrown through the trees was enough to stun her, but Haruka was too shocked to react. At the other end of the trail Senso stood, though Haruka could barely believe what she was seeing. She, along with Michiru, was speechless as the Priest laughed at the fate of his other half. It was surreal.

Senso appeared extremely pleased with the situation. "He had such passion the last time!" he roared with his heavy hood dropped low across his back. Now he stood as a reflection of Kage; the same wild hair arranged a bit neater; his eyes lightly dulled by an otherside; that same smirk on his face that just hissed that he was better. He truly was Kage's copy.

Haruka's eyes were wide in recognition but short on answers. She and Michiru searched for explanation for it all while the three other Priests stepped out behind Senso, each uncovered and each showing the same likeness with their Scion counterpart. By that time Suteki and Kurai had also gathered, staring at the Priests with an unlocked loathing. Haruka and Michiru were looking between them and their copies, still shocked at the revelation and quickly seeing the significance of it all. It was disheartening.

Kiga stepped out past Senso and looked at the fallen trees, smiling with a buried satisfaction at seeing the brawler put in his place among the fallen trees. "How predictable. You all are," he snarled to the others and looked back with a smirk in his polished eyes. Kurai and Suteki recoiled slightly, both showing uncharacteristically angry faces.

The four Priests had come out of nowhere and ruined their complacency, taking them all completely by surprise. Kage was now basking in the results of that since Senso took his cheap shot in the middle of his fight with Haruka.

The others had to take a moment to register but Kiga looked around a moment and suddenly seemed flushed with anger. He looked sharply at Kurai and Suteki, his voice showing wrath and fury, "Where is Yamito? Why isn't he here?"

Haruka was quickly getting her wits about her again and scowled at him with a glare that dwarfed any she had given Yamito so far. An inkling of understanding burst in her and the finer details would have to wait until she had time to sort through them. For right now, she was very annoyed, especially at being ignored. "You four must be the Priests. I'm sure there's a good reason why you look exactly like the Scion, but I guess you didn't come here to talk," she called loudly and stepped forward to block Kiga's glare at the Scion. The four dark figures looked to her in a moment of oblivion, but soon realized what she was. This made things all the more interesting for them.

Kiga canted his head lightly and quickly forgot about the missing Scion. Unlike most others, the perverse connection with their counterparts allowed them to instantly recognize her as not only a senshi, but also as one of the more powerful fighters and worth taking into full consideration. Yet Kiga still smirked. "You're a soldier as well, I see," he said and a hot wind picked up through the park, spreading Kiga's cloak and revealing just how much he and Yamito were alike, "In that case, you can die as well. We do not pay social visits. Our knocking is the cold sound of hell's door!"

He was just about to incinerate them all when two other powers pierced the air, stalling the Priests long enough to allow Kurai and Suteki to transform into their Scion selves and they quickly stood between the Priests and the two humans. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Reel it in a little, precious," called a humorless Suteki, his usual smile deferred due to the fact that they were outnumbered by their equals, "The only knocking going on around here will be us knocking your pasty heads together." Although he was standing firm with his quiet companion, it was obvious he was greatly worried about the situation by the way he kept shifting his eyes towards the piles of timber, hoping to double their chances with the return of Kage.

Upon seeing this, Kiga grinned, fire exposing itself in the back of his eyes. It was times like these that he was thankful about being torn from his counterpart and released. There was one very good reason he was the most powerful of the four Priests and he was eager to share that reason with anyone that stood before him.

Suddenly, a hand of fire reached out from the ground and went clawing towards the two Scion; his face was barely able to hold the maniacal smile. The flaming limb reached scorching fingers out to grab any it could get a hold of, threatening to bring pain and destruction to any a soul that was careless or slow. It was just a mere breath of the power that had been given to him. The two Scion scattered quickly to avoid being scorched and he laughed wildly, for he had forgotten how it was to truly reach into his power. However, he was shaken from his laughter.

"World Shaking!" yelled a voice and the air leapt in the presence of a new power.

The ripping attack tore the ground up in front of him before it impacted, sending his sprawling body back through the others and into the same line of trees that Kage had traversed. Another tree's back was broken and Kiga sat groggily against it, looking up at Super Sailor Uranus and Neptune with an extremely foul look seething on his face. "You bitch! You have no idea what you've done. For that, I'm going to char your heart on a stake!" he roared and stumbled to his feet in order to really use his power.

However, the other Priests seemed to be a bit put off about him taking all the shots and suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his vantage point to the senshi and attending to their own needs. Kiga was stricken, "W-what? What are you three doing?" he roared though still felt the effects of the attack.

Shibo, along with the others, didn't seem too concerned about his pain and the grinning Priest waggled a finger at him, as if he were lecturing a spoiled child. "Tsk tsk, you big drama queen. You think we're just gonna stand around the whole time? I want some action! This is like…birthday time!" he replied and cast his eyes lustfully on Sailor Neptune, not at all hiding the fact that he also reveled in Suteki's lust for beautiful women. She wasn't put off at all and stood ready for any kind of attack he could think of and Uranus was glaring angrily at the four.

But behind the others, Kiga seethed. He wasn't used to being bullied by the others and it sent rage pinging through him. With a voice that almost cracked in indignation, he called out, "I wasn't finished! Get out of the way or I'll…"

However, another voice interrupted him again, "Dead Scream." Kiga shuddered as the powerful whisper settled down around him. The differences between him and Yamito became more defined as his face showed every thought he was floating on. The trees behind him burned with a violet light and Kiga was enveloped without a sound by a terrible power that laid him to waste.

In the dust and smoke that remained, another figure appeared with a stern glance to where the Priest was now lost in the haze. "A puppet with no real likeness. The world is thankful for that," Sailor Pluto said. The other senshi and Scion were glad to see her but the remaining Priests were in shock seeing as she had removed Kiga with a single attack. The time senshi manipulated the staff in her hand and eyed the remaining three with powerful eyes. "Your leader has been taken. Your master will not be released into this world. You have lost," she warned with a glare. Her appearance quickly evened the odds even more – tipping them back in opposite.

However, with enemies all around them, the three Priests regained their composure and hid their concerns. "Hell, you think flooring Kiga will end it? Unlike those two Scion chumps, we don't obey our shadow of Mars. We obey our Master!" Senso replied and stepped out to the front of the others, grinning wildly in a face that truly mirrored Kage. The other two seemed equally eager to go on despite losing Kiga, setting the field for battle once more. Senso brought pale hands out of his robe and held at opposition with each other.

Then the electricity arced. The other Priests quickly disappeared at the first sign of the energy and left the Scion and senshi only a moment to look before arms of thick lightning lunged out from Senso and started thrashing about the area, tearing up ground, trees and anyone careless enough to linger. The grass was burning and trees began to splinter. Suteki was struck bluntly by a bolt and sent skidding across the ground. Sailor Pluto had to use her staff to block a bolt that would have struck her directly. The others were evading this attack when the other Priests attacked.

Sailor Neptune's attentions had nearly been monopolized by the lightning, but she did see Byoki coming. There was barely enough time for her to twist in flight before he lined up in front of her for his assault. The following flash of energy sent a wave of coldness over her that numbed her limbs and dulled her response. It cast a thin shell of ice across her. Rolling across the ground from the force, she soon came to a stop on her side and curled up slightly. Highlights of ice adorned her body and exposed a spectrum of colors on her skin; blues where it was trapped by dying ice and reds where her skin reacted and everything else in between. By the time Byoki was ready to attack again, she could only lift her head slowly and clench her chattering teeth. In the face of this second wave, her recovery seemed to come too slowly. However, her rescue came in a strange package.

"Hang on, Sailor Neptune!" Suteki yelled and landed between the coiled Byoki and his target. The Priest attacked anyway and more frozen power flashed across his hands, but a surprise awaited him.

With a shimmer in his blue eyes, the Scion clenched his right hand slightly and signaled his intent with a grin. An orange glow consumed his arm before it began to grow into a long sliver of power. Byoki had only enough time to slow down before a huge extension of Suteki's arm had formed from the glow and moved about like a long tentacle. Then it was used to attack. The playful grin played across the Scion's features the entire time, from the swing to the impact to the Priest flying away like the flailing baseball he had become. Byoki skipped across the ground a few times before regaining his feet, but he was too far away to harm either Neptune or Suteki. As if thrilled to use his powers again, Suteki reared his head back and planted his arms on his hips, the orange energy fading from his arm. "Hah hah! The villain is sent into the void by the fabulous Scion of Venus! The beautiful Sailor Neptune was so thankful that she offered him a kiss in thanks…" he preached.

The speech was short lived. Suddenly, the exact same form of energy smashed into him and sent him sprawling into some bushes, mirroring the fate he laid upon Byoki. Shibo had a flat expression as the energy returned to him and it seemed the ranting of his better half set him off. "What a spaz. We may have split the power, but I think he took all of the hormones," he said dryly and looked in the direction of Sailor Neptune.

She was just getting to her feet when he looked and a smile widened his expression. It was a hard thing to tell who was who, when threads and light wasn't a factor. But one thing that was painfully different was that when Shibo smiled, it was a cruel, dark smile. "We may look alike, but we're hella different. I can wait until you're dying before I have my fun with you, pretty Penny," the Priest and the glow appeared on his arm once more.

Only a short distance away, Sailor Uranus was discovering the similarities between Senso and Kage. As a senshi, she found the playing field with this dark incarnation of her rival was fairly level. Their fighting style was nearly exact, but this Priest used the cloak he wore as a distraction to his attacks. So far, she was having a hard time getting any ground on him. "Tell me why you look like Kage!" she threatened and blocked one of his kicks. A moment was taken to field her question but his leg was still held against her arm with no failing in the push against her. She stood strong against him but he seemed particularly vicious as he could hold such a powerful leg against her and still maintain a defense. This made her wince at his abilities.

"Do you always talk this much when you fight? It's really annoying!" he replied with a smirk and pushed a bit harder. She countered by sweeping her leg at his only support to the ground but found him lighter on his feet than she predicted. He kicked up with that foot right into her side. A sharp pain ripped through her torso and she jumped away to regroup. It was one thing the two shared, an offense with his legs and an assumed defense with his arms. Unlike her rival, however, Senso's cloak obscured his form and hid his body placement, though it did make his movements a bit slower and more contained.

With a hand on her ribs, she clenched her teeth at his smug grin. This was purely pleasure for him. "I can see why you two hit it off, Sailor Uranus," Senso laughed and suddenly felt extremely amused at the situation, "That's pretty damned funny since he hates the Uranus Scion with every breath in his body." She stared incredulously. A hundred questions filled her mouth and she would have hissed them all had a wave of fire not suddenly filled the park like a tidal wave.

The mouth of this river of fire was the place where Kiga had been laid, but it had been rejected as a grave. The lick of flames consumed a staggering Kurai and he suddenly found himself in a tomb of fire; unable to escape with his own abilities. Trees above and ground below all hissed at him as the temperature soared. In a fiery rebirth, Kiga emerged from his grave with a red glow in his eyes, the obvious target for his rage standing before him. Sailor Pluto held a gloved hand across her brow to ward away some of the heat but she still stood before him with no intent of being intimidated. Unlike any of the others, she knew just how big of a gap there was between Kiga and the Scion he was copied from. Even with his impressive display of pyrotechnics, she had no fear.

"You are the senshi of time. You are Sailor Pluto," Kiga snarled and pulled his cloak around him. There wasn't a need for any answer as she lowered her hand away to grasp her staff. This Priest had felt her Dead Scream once and he would feel it again despite any knowledge he had.

Kiga's expression was furrowed and this new element eluded new options for the well-being of his master. "You could be the most dangerous senshi of all," he said though he was more interested in asking her question than taking revenge for her attack, "Does this mean the others are involved? Does this mean the Master will be restored?"

Her expression darkened as he spoke and her hand tightened around her staff. The things he spoke of were ancient and bitter, including the darkest parts of existence and touching on parts of her mysterious past. Her answer could not have been more definite. "You master is a plague. Exile for such a cruel being was too generous a punishment for the crimes he committed. If I could have convinced the rest of them, your master would have been sent into oblivion for all eternity," she hissed back at him. Kiga's face became angry and that flame came out in his eyes again. He didn't like anyone speaking badly of his master and especially one who knew everything about it.

Before he could defend his master, the stakes took a turn for the worse. There was a sudden flash of light in the trees nearby and the sky became alive. The lightning bolt which struck the ground was so large that it could have consumed everything, though it only seemed to make the trees dance and burn. It dwarfed Senso's earlier attack like a hill before a mountain. Everyone stopped when the arrival was marked. Scion, senshi and Priest looked to the path of broken trees and saw a figure walking out slowly amidst the power and light. Electricity jumped from him to anything which came near and fire recoiled away as he walked. All of them felt the power flowing through the air and it prickled their skin. It was an impressive, if not horrifying sight.

When Kage came closer, he did not look like himself. He was darker – more vicious. Even the way he walked seemed soiled. His voice came growing from the bottom of hell itself. "Senso…" he called in a growling voice and a bolt of lightning struck the ground before him. The light exposed his face. His brown hair was now a flat shade of black bled into him by his dark power. His elegant uniform was replaced a simple and functional replacement. It resembled a karate gi with a thick, green belt tied around his waist and fingerless gloves on his hands. It was a far more intimate outfit, with his arms and neck area bare to the wind. Perhaps on him it was most fitting; the cut of his form more revealed in this than the other. However, maybe the biggest change was in his face. Though he looked identical, his expression was darker and far more unbridled than before. It was in this form that Senso could have mimicked perfectly. Hispower had increased by a great amount and the aura which covered him was like nothing any of the Sailor senshi had seen. He was like a void in the night.

Somehow, it made him less of a soldier than more. "I've been waiting for a long time to see you again, Senso. I'm going to take you apart…piece by piece," he snarled with flashing eyes and lifted an extension of himself up in his hand.

In front of him was a vortex of lightning that seemed to hang in the air, inviting him to forcefully grip his hand around it. As he did, his whole arm began to shake and the energy quickly bled out into a long blade, forging itself in that power until it began a sword with a thick blade and lightning still coursing over its reflective surfaces. Grown from lightning and created for one alone, this sword was Jupiter's only way to exert control over this form of its Scion. In the same way, it was a literal lightning rod for him, it was also his biggest limiter with these new powers.

He sliced the blade through the air to get a feel for it, then slowly raised it so the tip aligned with Senso's throat. It seemed born for one purpose – sever anything it touched. Senso reacted with due fear and jealousy.

The others were in shock. They heard that the Scion had a second level to their powers but they never expected this kind of change. Just the air coming off of him reflected his bloodlust and the three soldiers, but also the two horrified Scion, watched in awe. "Is that Kage?" Sailor Uranus asked with widened eyes that reflected his electricity. Something about her rival's new form made her wince, filled with some emotion that she couldn't quite explain. She had fought him, beat him and lost against him. She thought that she knew enough about him to idly call him friend. However, just by sight alone, she suddenly saw nothing of Kage in him. It shook her.

Senso was petrified. "His Acrolyth form. He's now a threat to everyone," he replied and took a step back, his dull eyes wide in fear. She had no idea what he meant and didn't get another chance to ask.

On a spring of lightning, Kage moved almost desperately, arriving at Senso long before he could react and sending a solid, deafening punch into him. It echoed in the park and Sailor Uranus stared at him, finding his different fighting style a far cry from comforting. She couldn't even react to his presence before he had passed her and attacked.

Even though Senso was her enemy, she winced as Kage began to thrash him with hands, feet and the dull edges of the sword. The new Scion was silently enraged, his movements without mercy and no hesitation to his cause. He slapped the wide surface of the sword across Senso's body just to hear the crack of the blow. He bruised blood and bone for the pleasure of hearing the grunt and groan. It was a holocaust of passion and pain which had built up over a period of years.

With one solid kick, Senso skipped along the ground like a carelessly thrown stone until he stopped, bleeding and barely awake. Kage gave him little time to regroup and slung his sword over his shoulder. His eyes were void of any mercy. "Get up, you bastard!" he snarled. When the Priest was unwilling or unable to reply, Kage's eyes flashed.

The sword was slashed through the air and the energy laden on the blade was thrown out into a massive crescent of energy which tore open a canyon in the ground as it went along. When the attack came upon Senso, he barely had enough time to lessen the impact by twisting away from it. It clipped his shoulder, causing the Priest to yelp out in pain but survive the awesome attack. Cradling his wound, he coughed heavily and somehow looked up to his foe. Kage was still watching the energy wave rip through the park and held the sword aimlessly on his shoulder. The attack finally dispersed when it hit the body of water in the park, the electricity filtering out among the mass of water like was demanded of it. The Sailor senshi were appalled at seeing how his attack had barely grazed Senso but still took so much out of him and left the massive chasm in the ground. There was joy and fear in the fact that copies couldn't wield as much power as the original.

"This is his second power?" Sailor Uranus asked and looked from the injured Senso to the soldier who felt so different now. She could barely believe it was still him.

"Sempai! Some assistance please!" cried a voice suddenly, snaring the attention from flames to fire. Kurai was being cornered by overwhelming flames and could only see a silhouette through the fire. Even his powers were only enough to keep the flames from incinerating him and to keep the flame from scorching him required him to pull his cloak over his face.

When his friend came towards him, he saw that it was no friend at all. Kurai's eyes widened at the sight but there was no mistaking it. Acrolyth Kage walked effortlessly through the flames, the fire reflection in his sword and his eyes. The sight of a fellow Scion huddled in the fire made him scowl, then spit to the side in disgust. "Always asking for help. You're pathetic, Kurai," Kage snarled. While at times Kage had shown a cold shoulder to his friends, it was never as cruel as that.

Behind the subtle blue glow that sustained him, Kurai was struck with panic and let his eyes fall on someone he had not seen in a long time. The last time he had been loose had marked a dark day for the Earth and the memories of that came fresh on eyes filled with fear. "You mustn't, sempai! Remember the last time!" he called back and let his arms fall from his face to reveal just how concerned he was. As the flames licked his cheeks and singed his clothing, he watched Kage stand casually amidst the flames and shrug at his plight.

"I don't care about that. I wanna to cut and cut and see my enemies wasted away. Ryu is already dead. What's there to fear now?" he asked with a particularly wrathful grin.

Kurai winced. More than escape from the fire, he wanted to see the old Kage before him and not the apparition which was. The remarks about Ryu particularly made him sorrowful and he whispered Kage's name, though it was drown by the fire around them.

As time was drawing short, he could only long for another to step in. The displaced Scion before him had another idea, beckoning him with his free hand and saying, "There's only one way you'll survive this, Kurai. As weak as you are, the only place to find hope is that dark pool of power inside you. I'll only allow you to survive if you let it out."

The idea was fiercely rejected and the flames were more endearing to him. As elements of his uniform began to ignite, Kurai heard a soft laugh from his comrade and then suddenly one of Kage's attacks. At first, he thought the wave of energy was meant for him, but he soon saw Sailor Neptune being driven back by the massive wave of energy from his sword.

After warding away the meddling Sailor senshi, Kage slung the blade across his shoulder again and tilted his head. "Little bug," he snarled towards the others, but then looked back to Kurai, "No one will save you. Submit or die."

By now, the flames were searing his skin and he pressed his eyes, fighting the growing surge of fear and power in him. As much as he wished to suppress his darker self, his new life would have more to say. There was a library of books to read and a university to conquer. There was a single figure in his mind which forced him to betray himself. His eyes opened slowly and a cool blue glow existed in them. His lips parted and he spoke with a boiling tear running down his cheek, "Ami-chan…forgive me."

The flames were suddenly thrown away in a blast of aura as Kurai began to change. His uniform tore away in that explosion and blue light began to form a new one. Though he feared what would happen, he felt himself fail against his powers and gave up. With a similar black shade in his hair and a more superior expression, Acrolyth Kurai was born again with a uniform just like Kage's though blue in nature. The flames within an intermediate distance were extinguished by a chilling mist and he stood next to his fellow Scion, mimicking in sight and sound.

Despite some resentment to the cure, he seemed to harbor no anger any longer and just smiled a lewd smile unseen on Kurai's tender face. "Your techniques leave much to be desired, Kage, but the final destination was achieved. It's quite refreshing to be free again," he said solemnly and looked over his arm and hands.

As Sailor Uranus watched with a grimace, she felt an unnerving anger towards the both of them. They acted like they were completely different people and they did not act like the people she had come to know. "He was going to let him die. That isn't the Kage I know," she muttered under her breath and, suddenly, the battle field became a lot more elaborate.

Sailor Neptune found the attack on her to be very surprising and was slow to get up. Already, she had been worn down by the Priests and the powerful lightning attack had nearly ended her. A part of her didn't want to believe that Kage had attacked her but the pain she felt surging through her would not let her forget. So as she was sitting up, her senses were a bit dulled.

"Let me give you a hand," said a familiar voice that made a feeling relief wash over her and she reached out to take Suteki's hand. Then she was drowned in astonishment. His hand suddenly slipped up along her arm until it came to skin, invading her body ad making her chest seize. As fingers grazed across her skin softly, she looked up with breath caught in her throat. Acrolyth Suteki was crouched beside her with a bawdy look on his face. Even his appearance startled her; the new uniform and the untamed mop of black hair blowing wistfully in the hot breeze. At first, she was simply struck by his actions but she was taken to new levels of outrage and dismay. "Such soft skin. I could just run my hands all over this skin. Let me give you another hand!" he suggested with an obstinate smile and a fleeting giggle on his lips. His other hand was directed towards her chest and a gasp broke her lips.

Suddenly, he was smacked right back onto his buttocks and she covered herself, heaving in repulsion. But he seemed little more than delayed and annoyed. "Owwww, that wasn't very nice," he pouted. A hand was running over the welt on his cheek from her slap and air was sucked between his teeth as he touched it. Then he looked back to her with a snort and brushed his hair from his face. "Playing hard to get is fun but I'm not really into pain for pleasure. I know! We'll just tie those hands out of the way before we have some fun!" he suggested with a perverse grin – more perverse than standard. As if dense to the obvious, he jumped at her again with a lustful grin on his face. Had it not been for Sailor Uranus stepping in, things could have turned very dubious.

Sailor Uranus booted him viciously, sending him skidding to the ground next to the other Scion. Then she quickly helped her flustered partner up and glared a deep warning towards them all about such things. "We can't turn our backs on those three now. I don't know what happened to them but we can't trust them anymore. Pluto, do you know what's going on?" she asked and gave a dire glance to the approaching senshi.

Sailor Pluto walked up to them but was watching the four Priests regrouping on the other side of them. Kage was teasing Suteki about how easily he had taken his Acrolyth form and the three of them appeared to be in tune, despite the fact that their mortal enemies were regrouping with looks of terror in their eyes.

The three senshi had ended up in the middle of a battle where both sides were dangerous. There was no right or wrong. Their instincts told them that this battle would be wicked and quick and the winners would be the team which stayed alive. It was a three-sided sword.

However, their instincts were thrown through a blender as the four Priests quickly disappeared into the flames, leaving them alone against the Scion.

Now looking to them, Sailor Pluto's ageless eyes were weary for what was next. "It seems we have been maneuvered into fighting them. Be careful. They will not hold anything back against you," she warned and let out a slow breath in the one simple fact which relieved her.

"And be thankful the fourth Scion has not joined them in this dark power."