YOOOOHOOOOO! I actually MADE it to chapter 8! I NEVER can make it to Chapter 8. Not usually. Tho that might imply that I'm on something. Maybe I am, cuz I am on FIRE! Well, that's how I feel right now Hopefully I can keep this up and make it to the end. Reviews will of course urge me on for all u eager readers!

Plus, I have to say thank you for continuing to read. Thanks for waiting! It didn't take me as long as I thought it would to transfer files between computers. Thank GOD.

And so the beat goes on…….

--------------------------------Hidden Power: Chapter 8…Torrents of Trouble

"My name is Kotoko," the girl introduced herself before sending a torrent of vines into the air at Eriol and Syaoran. Both boys rolled away to dodge them.

"What do you want!" Syaoran yelled as a vine whizzed past his ear.

The girl grinned, "I've been sent to get the Guardians. You are those Guardians aren't you? You don't seem to freaked out to have vines thrown at you. So I'm assuming you're them," and a vine shot out at Syaoran as if to prove it.

Syaoran jerked his head a little and the vine was immediately reduced to a harmless pile of cinder, "Yeah I am," he admitted.

Meanwhile Eriol had started to make his way to Kotoko's captive. He had just about reached the wiggling mass when a vine lashed out.

Pyro called out, "ERIOL-SAMA! ABUNAI!"

Eriol gasped softly and stepped back. A powerful gust of wind immediately changed the vine's path so that it veered away. Not really believing himself to be out of trouble, Eriol stepped forward to help the unknown captive only to have the vines grip his wrists. Grunting Eriol struggled in its grasp desperately. It held firm and continued to wind itself around his body, and worst of all, his windpipe. For a moment he went limp and Gaia cried out, "ERIOL-SAMA!"

Syaoran looked towards the desperate cry and his eyes widened in fear, "Eriol!" A vine whipped past and struck him across the face, causing Syaoran to look back at Kotoko.

"Eyes on me!" she commanded. Syaoran grit his teeth and surged forward.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment and Syaoran feared the worst. Just how badly had Eriol gotten hurt? Suddenly, Eriol's eyes and he croaked, "Go".

An electric charge swept through the vines holding him captive and into its roots zapping Kotoko instantly who screamed in surprise. The vines went limp releasing Eriol and he immediately went back to setting the captured person free.

Kotoko gasped in pain and held her hand gingerly. "OWW!"

Eriol tugged at the vines twisted around the person in vain.

"PYRO!" Eriol cried at the sprite who immediately winked besides him.

"Hai."

"Burn the vines! Get rid of them! Do something," Eriol commanded the sprite, but this was something that the spirit of fire just couldn't afford to do.

Torching the vines would only serve to barbeque its victim and Pyro told Eriol this much. And besides, Syaoran was busy at the moment. But this person needed help NOW! The young man grit his teeth in frustration. He really did not know what else to do. Syaoran had the power of fire, and he Eriol had the power of sky. What could either of them possibly do that would not harm the person within that…that...cocoon thing? It seemed pathetically hopeless.

"Move," a voice told him. Eriol looked up. Their bab—okay okay Choo, (we'll call that him that for now) was looking at him, an ever-so-serious look on his face. If Eriol was surprised he didn't show it and immediately stepped aside, not knowing what to expect. It seemed as though all thought had left his mind. He was that freaked out.

The person who had once been the immature babysitter narrowed his eyes at the clump of leaves for a second and just stood there breathing deeply. Eriol was about to protest when the boy let out a cry. He spun a complete 360 degrees and lashed out at the bundle. Before Eriol knew it the Guardian had fallen into him and he fell backwards in shock.

"What…" he gasped.

Kotoko looked up suddenly and caught the flame of fire that Syaoran had thrown at her on her shoulder.

"NO!" she screamed in fury when she saw that her captor had been freed from his bonds. She grit her teeth in frustration.

"That's not SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! NO FAIR NO FAIR!" with a final scream she vanished into thin air. Syaoran fell to the ground in mid-tackle. Grumbling he got up and looked to the side where the so-called baby sitter stood watching silently, for once.

"YOU released the Guardian?" he said in surprise.

The young man grinned mischievously, his tail twitching interestingly. "You don't think the Prophet had his reasons for sending me? He did," he drawled in perfect Japanese. Gaia and Skye cocked their heads. The "baby sitter" wasn't as stupid as he made himself out to be. Shocker there.

Then Syaoran turned his head to the supposed Guardian crouched at Eriol's side, grimacing in pain and trying to rub the feeling back into his limbs.

"What the hell? Who are YOU! And why do you look like…?" he exclaimed completely floored.

It was a boy who looked to be around the age of 13 or 14. Neither Eriol or Syaoran knew what to make of it. Because it was no shock that they didn't know him. It was a big world. What WAS a shock was that the Guardian in question was a mini version of Hiiragizawa Eriol.

"Who are you?" Eriol asked the boy. "A-are you the Guardian of Water?"

The boy stared at Eriol, with the oddest look in his eye. For a moment he didn't say anything. Then he snapped out of it, "Guardi…? Ah, no."

Then he looked at Eriol specifically. "Um…actually my name is Gabriel. I'm…I'm your son."

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I made a big decision just now to end it here. Sorry for the humongous cliffhanger. I'll be sure to post up the next chapter for you all ASAP! I've already started the next chapter and I'm half way to the end so hopefully the next chapter will be out by next weekend. So it won't be too far off! Til then, ja ne!