"I play The Firey Card." Ezkiou placed her card on the outdoor table. "Now, I automatically capture The Jump Card." She slid the two cards onto her side of the table. Her friend and opponent, Hiiragi, sighed.

"You always win at these things..." She flipped over the next card on her Clow Spirit Pile and placed it face up. "The Windy Card. If I capture this card I might actually be able to win." She pulled a card from her deck. "I play Wind-Type Kero with a battle value of 5000."

Ezkiou laughed. "I play morph and change Windy to a Fire-type and I play Fire-type Madison with a 4000 battle value."

Hiiragi discarded her Kero since it was unusable and scanned her hand for a card. A grin pulled over her face. "I play Fire-Type Sakura and the Strategy: Double Boost making my battle value 10000." Ezkiou threw up her hands. "Then the Windy is mine!" They finished the battle and it turned out that Hiiragi had won by one clow card. "It's funny, because the Dream Card is my favorite!"

"My favorite card is the Firey Card. I think it's weird how in the card game that Firey is the Master Spirit of Fire but Wood isn't the Master Spirit of the Wood element." "I know... you'd think it would make more sense that way." They cleared the table and Hiiragi smiled and waved good-bye. "I'll see you at school tomorrow! Bye!" Ezkiou waved back and put her card in her backpack along with her plastic covered Clow Book and plastic wand.

"Man, I wish the Clow Cards were real. I would make an excellent Cardcaptor. Hiiragi and I would make cool costumes." She walked out of Danny Owl Park and went down her favorite street that was lined with antique shops. "I should buy something for Hiira before she moves next week..." She stopped at store she hadn't noticed before: Mage's Ancient Fortune Cards. "I wonder if they sell Card Captor packs? I could buy some for Hiira." She thought as she walked inside.

A young woman with deep red hair looked up from a dusty book and smiled. "Hello, anything I can help you with?"

Ezkiou nodded. "Do you sell any Cardcaptor booster packs?"

The woman frowned. "Sorry... I only sell rare, ancient, and Tarot cards." Her face brightened slightly. "I do have some mint condition cards." Ezkiou examined the cards displayed in the glass case. She saw a card that looked like a Clow Card except it didn't look like any she had in her book or from the card game. "I see you have spotted the Friendship Card. There's only two of these in the whole world. If you give the other to someone who you hold most dear, you two will never part."

"I'll take them." She handed over the money and the young woman handed her the two cards. Ezkiou walked out of the shop feeling happy that she could give Hiiragi a parting gift.

(Later that night)

Ezkiou was in her pajamas and she placed her plastic clow book and wand on her desk with her present. She pulled off her necklace that was a present from when Hiiragi and her had first met in second grade. The pendent was pentagram that had a key-like bottom. She placed it on her clow book before she climbed into bed and turned off the light. Ezkiou murmured in her sleep. "Key of Clow...make me and Hiira Cardcaptors..."

The clow book glowed and the pendant sank into the cover with the wand and the Friendship Cards.

(Hiiragi's moving day)

"Where did they go?" Ezkiou looked all around her desk for her Cardcaptor gear but all she could find is her clow book. "I gotta meet Hiira in the park before she moves..." She opened up her clow book and saw that the friendship cards were inside. "Found 'em!" Ezkiou slipped the cards into her backpack and ran off to the park where Hiiragi was waiting.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna show up at all!" Hiiragi said cheerfully as Ezkiou approached on her bike.

"I had to find my present for you...here." Ezkiou handed her friend one of the Friendship cards. "This new shop just opened and they lady inside said that if we each have one, we'll be friends forever."

"Wow! Thanks, they look just like Clow cards." Hiiragi slipped it into her bag. "I'll miss you Ezki....I promise I'll come back someday." She said as her mom pulled up in the moving van. "I promise I'll come back with Clow Cards of my own!" They hugged each other and Ezkiou waved good-bye as her friend drove out of the park, and out of her life.

Ezkiou walked her bike back home and noticed her front door was wide open. "Did I leave the door open?" She ran inside and saw that nothing was taken so she closed her door and went up to her room. Immediately she saw the Clow Book was laying open, the cards gone. "Where did they go!?" She tore her room apart but it wasn't until she lifted up the Clow Book a strong wind blew around her and a small silvery blue creature that looked like a wolf with dragon wings emerged from the book.

The creature looked up at her with lamp-like sapphire eyes. "Ezkiou, my name is Mercury, the guardian of your star."

"Wow this is amazing!" Ezkiou grinned. " I had dreamed and hoped for this moment for years! So I'm the new Cardcaptor? I get my own wand and everything right?"

Mercury nodded. "Yes, it is up to you to reclaim all the Clow Cards. Use this key," A small black key popped out in front of her. "to seal the cards and use them to capture more. Now, summon your Clow Wand."

Ezkiou nodded for she recited this moment everytime she played with her plastic wand. "Key of Clow. Power of Magic. Power of Light. Surrender the Wand the force ignite...RELEASE!" The key extended before her as a silver wand with black wings that matched Mercury's. Ezkiou grabbed the wand and held it up high. "Now let's capture those Clow Cards!"

Mercury grinned. "I like your enthusiasm. Let's head out...there should be a card or two that hasn't gotten far." Together they ran through the neighbor hood looking for anything suspicious but by the time they reached the park, Ezkiou was out of breath.

"I wish I was the Dash...then I'd be able to run faster..." She panted. Mercury turned around and looked in the direction of the trees. Ezkiou looked in the same direction. "A Clow Card...I can sense it." Ezkiou stood up. "Show yourself!" The trees rustled and a girl in a navy blue battle costume jumped onto the wooden jungle gym. "Hah." Ezkiou muttered. "This may be my favorite card but I know I can beat it. I practice jeet kune do after school every day."

"Be careful though." Mercury warned. "You shouldn't under estimate the power of the Fight Card." The card bowed in unison with Ezkiou before jumping off and slamming a hole into the ground where Ezkiou was standing only seconds before.

"I just wish I had a cool battle costume..." She thought as she dodged another blow and jumped up, kicking Fight in the stomach. It seemed fazed for only a few seconds before it was up and kicking and punching again. Everytime Ezkiou hit the card it would be back and fighting twice as hard and it wasn't long before Fight slammed it's fist into her jaw, sending her through the grass a few feet.

"Ezkiou!" Mercury rushed to her.

"I'm fine." She wiped blood from her lip. "That thing can pack quite a punch." Ezkiou rolled to escape the heel swinging into the ground. Ezkiou used this to turn and kick the card hard in the ribs. Finally the card was down and Ezkiou pulled out her wand. "Clow Card! Returned to your power confined! Fight Card!"

Fight went into it's card form and flew into her hand. "Yes! The Fight Card is mine!" She cheered. She looked at the card but noticed it didn't look like the original Fight Card that had a light blue costume. Her Fight Card still had near-white blue hair but the costume was a darker midnight blue.

Mercury flew over. "Congratulations! The Fight Card isn't exactly the easiest card to capture for a beginner."

"Yeah..." She said, writing her name on the card. "...but I'm just getting warmed up."

A/N-Check out the Cardcaptor Fanart section on animeadmirers.com to see this series' version of the clow cards. I made them myself. X) And don't forget to R&R!