Sakura and Yuki have tracked their objective to an ancient ruin. Yuki knows it's inside a statue, but neither has a clue how to get it out. Sakura figures it's best to try any extraction methods he can think of (such as smashing open the statue, which Yuki vetoes), finally kissing the statue as if it were Sleeping Beauty. Lo and behold, the Stone responds--though Yuki argues it was from holding their hands over it. "Topaz" emerges from the statue and enters Sakura. Unfortunately, the new Stone doesn't awaken any of his memories.

The Stones are the only clues they have to their past, to knowing who they are and why they have such powers. Determined that he'll be the one to absorb the next Stone, Yuki activates his one power, "Veszelyite," and uses it to pinpoint where they should journey to find it. Discouraged that it's so far away, he sets off walking. Refusing to be left behind, Sakura activates "Opal," which gives him wings, and takes Yuki in his arms so they'll make better progress.

They arrive at the home of a widower, Datou, and his daughter Lichia--accidentally surprising Lichia in her bedroom. Yuki convinces her that they're not there to harm her, they just have extra powers because they're sorcerers. When she hears they can do magic, she begs them to cure her father, but that's not among their abilities. Yuki explains that they're searching for Stones, and she offers to help them. Later that night, Yuki asks Sakura how he can be so relaxed not knowing who they are or why they have abnormal powers. Sakura says that their powers could be perfectly normal on the planet they come from, and he doesn't have any anxiety about it because he's not alone, he has Yuki with him. Yuki muses that as long as they keep searching, there's a chance they'll meet up with others like themselves.

In the morning, Lichia takes them out to look around, first showing them the spot where her mother is buried, along with the family pet, Toto. Meanwhile, the father reads through profiles of prospective husbands for Lichia, frantic to find someone to care for her after he's gone. Disturbed by a dream that night, Yuki goes out alone to look for the Stone. (Awakened by his movement, Sakura goes out separately.) He wonders why Topaz went to Sakura when it was Veszelyite that located it. Sakura's hypothesis is that the Stones have pre-ordained owners, and they'll find one that belongs to Yuki eventually.

Sakura gives up his search for the time being and chats with Lichia. She speculates that there might be a Stone with the power to heal her father, so she'll help them as much as she can. After he sends her off to bed, Yuki finds him and accuses him of making moves on the little girl, which Sakura of course denies--then says how thrilled he is that Yuki came looking for him and promises not to leave him alone. Yuki flashes back to how Sakura found him in the snow, and ever since has stuck with him. Sakura had waited a long time to meet someone like himself and considers Yuki to be what gives him strength. As long as they're together, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Realizing that their hunt for the Stone could take time, they sign on as servants so they don't have to keep hiding from Datou. At first they worry when Lichia shouts out that she's glad to see them and tells her father they're sorcerers. However, he's just happy that she has friends. They talk about Lichia wanting to heal him, and Datou's a little surprised that she knows how poor his condition is. A prospective husband arrives and bursts into Lichia's room before meeting with Datou, and she immediately goes running to her father's arms, demanding to know why she should get married, since she wants to stay together with him. He explains that it's his dream to see her as a bride.

Despite his assurance, she's afraid her father wants to get rid of her. Yuki gets charged up thinking that there's a chance the next Stone will have healing power and becomes even more intent on finding it. Surprisingly, Veszelyite responds to Lichia's presence, which he doesn't understand. Lichia takes the two boys to a pond on the grounds where the family used to visit, though her father has forbidden her ever to go there anymore. She confesses her sadness, that she's trying so hard to be the Lichia that Datou loves, and all she wants is to be with him--but he doesn't need her.

Datou hears that she's missing and goes to the pond to look for her. Startled, she falls in. Yuki dives in to save her, while the father has an attack, envisioning her drowning. While Sakura carries Datou back to the house, Yuki notices once again that Veszelyite responds to Lichia. Lichia goes to check on her father, and Yuki tells Sakura that he found the Stone--and it doesn't have healing power. Crying, he says that he doesn't know how to release it from where it's hiding, and even if he did, he doesn't know whether it's the right thing to do.

In the father's bedroom, Lichia says that she'll show him his dream, seeing her as a bride. Lichia had a secret dream of her own, one that she never told her parents, only their pet Toto. She wanted to be her father's bride. Activating the Stone, she takes on the appearance of a young woman in a gown and veil.

Flashing back to the time Lichia's mother died, Datou had said that if it weren't for Lichia, he would probably die as well. Lichia tells Toto that they have to stay with her father and make sure he cheers up, that together they'll promise to protect him. The father takes Toto out for a swim and expresses his gratitude for keeping his daughter company. They had to move out to the country because of his physical condition, taking Lichia away from all her friends, and he's glad that Toto could be a friend to her. He wants his daughter to be happy, because she's his one treasure.

They go out for a picnic by the pond. Lichia sits in a little rowboat to watch Toto play in the water while her father takes a nap. She leans over to pick Toto up and falls into the water. Datou wakes up and sees her, but he has a sudden attack and can't help her. By the time he manages to pull her out of the pond, she's already drowned. He buries her, saying that he'll soon go to be with her and her mother. Heartbroken, Toto goes to the pond and uses the Stone there to take on Lichia's appearance. When Datou wakes up, she's there beside him, and he thinks that everything had been a dream.

When he sees her transform into a bride, however, he understands what had happened. He tells her that she's beautiful. Smiling, he closes his eyes, knowing that now he can finally go to be with his family. Outside, Yuki explains to Sakura what he sensed, that if they take the Stone then Lichia will disappear. At that moment she comes out to say that her father won't wake up. Yuki confronts her with the truth about her identity. She doesn't want to admit it.

She runs out and buries Datou. When the boys come after her, she yells that it was the family's dream--always to be together, the three of them. It was what Toto had wanted as well, to stay with the family forever. It had been so happy and fun every day. But now they've all gone, leaving him behind. (I'm assuming the turtle is actually male, since he switches and uses "boku" once he stops pretending to be Lichia.) Toto begs the boys to do something, but they don't have any powers that will help, so he decides to kill himself to join the rest of the family. Sakura uses Topaz to save him with levitation. Yuki wonders what their powers are for if they can't make people happy and gets a brief flash of memory, someone with long hair saying "destroy."

Sad at not being able to die like the others, Toto releases the Stone and returns to being a turtle. The Stone gets absorbed into Sakura (much to Yuki's disgust). Yuki invites Toto to come with them, but he refuses. They decide that at least the stone allowed Toto and the father to be happy together for longer than they would have been otherwise. As they take off for their next adventure, they're watched by a mysterious robed stranger.

Preview for the next volume: Yuki is kidnapped! Will Sakura be able to save him?

End Volume 1