"So we're going to vote," Negi said, standing before his girls.

3-A stared at him, silent.

"Who are we voting to go? Surely all of us can't sneak into the camp." Makie said, glancing at Yuna for support.

Chisame, quiet until now, turned to Seras. "Didn't one of your knights say you've been spying on them for a few days now?"

"Yes," Seras said. "And we've figured out that a lot of them have been Bound. Yue-san?"

Yue explained to the group what Binding was. "I've been looking into it," Yue added. "It seems that it takes away your own will. It's not that you can't do the things you want to do, like fight the Binding, it's that there are no feelings like that anymore. You want nothing but what the Master wants. So if the Selven king wants to control the world, you want him to control the world as well."

"Takahata-sensei was Bound," Asuna said. "He just changed suddenly. His eyes lost all emotion. He didn't hesitate to attack his friends. It was horrible."

Seras nodded. "I think that is a part of the Binding. The Selvens we observed looked much the same. Their eyes...their eyes are just dead. And the soldiers don't fall like normal ones do. Unless they are completely killed, they keep coming. I was in Ostia when they attacked. I saw men with no legs crawling forward, no pain in their faces." She shuddered. "I have nightmares still."

"The Binding takes away their personal feelings." Yue said.

Chisame nodded. "So if we are to send someone in, they need to be able to look completely emotionless."

Negi glanced at his group, noting that nearly everyone turned to the same people he thought of.

"I guess that's me," Mana said. "Dead eyes, indeed." She didn't sound offended. Instead, she smiled.

"And me, Sensei?" Chachamaru said. "I believe I am equipped for this mission. Though I Hakase-san and my magic core have given me a wide range of emotions and emotive capabilities, I can still turn off the gears that run my eyes."

"I'll go too," Setsuna said.

"Hold on," Konoka said, touching Setsuna's arm. "You're not like you used to be, Setchan. Your eyes aren't dead at all!"

Negi caught Setsuna's glance. "Konoka-san, perhaps Setsuna-san has changed. But I believe it is part of her training to show no emotion, correct?"

"Yes, Sensei." Setsuna nodded. "I can lead the mission."

Negi agreed silently with a flick of his eyes, but he remained silent. He knew calling out his other picks might get him into hot water. It wasn't polite to tell a girl her eyes were dead.

Chisame, however, seemed to have no such reservations. "Well I think Kaede-san and Yue-san should go, also."

Negi glanced at Yue. She didn't seem surprised. Kaede either, but that was to be expected.

"I'll go," Yue said, rolling her staff between her hands.

On her other side, Negi noticed the blonde knight, Emily, give her a sharp glance that didn't look like support of the idea. Nodoka bit her lip, but said nothing.

Seras stepped forward. "I would like one of my other knights to go as well. Yue is a wonderful representative of Ariadne, but my other girls have been watching the Selvens."

"You mean, Beatrix," Collet said, looking to the black-haired girl at her side.

Beatrix nodded. "I will go."

"So Setsuna-san, Chachamaru-san, Yue-san, Kaede-san, Mana-san, and Beatrix-san." Negi said, trying to hide his smile. All of his initial choices were going.

"What about me?" Evangeline said. "I am dead, technically."

"You glare a lot," Asuna laughed. "Your eyes aren't even close to emotionless."

"Kagurazaka, I'm warning you-"

"So that's settled. Now we vote on whether or not to actually let you go," Negi jumped in, drawing Evangeline and Asuna's glares back to him. "I see all of you are willing. But like I said, everyone will get a say in this. All in favor, raise your hand."

Emily and Konoka were the only ones that didn't raise their hand. Nodoka was slow in doing so, but even she lifted a small hand.

"Emily-san? Konoka-san? Why do you say no?"

Konoka went into a rant about it not being safe for her Setchan and how Setsuna's eyes were not dead. When she ran out of stammering protests, she threw her arms around Setsuna and buried her face in the swordsman's shoulder. Setsuna spoke quietly to her as Negi looked at Emily.

The blonde glanced at Yue. "It isn't safe. I don't think we should be risking lives to get a little information. Most likely we won't find anything at this camp anyways. A frontline camp will be cavalry that are expendable. Soldiers sent out to be a buffer for the more valued ones. They are basically there to stall an attack long enough for the real army to get prepared."

"Frontline cavalry also serve another purpose. They watch and report back to the other ranks," Yue said. "If we can't find out something about Selva and their reasons behind this war, we may still be able to learn what they know of our side."

Emily's cheeks turned pink and she crossed her arms, glaring at the mage. "We are still sending a tiny group into a camp full of the enemy. All it will take is for one of you to slip up and you'll be surrounded by a bunch of mindless zombies!"

"Euripides once said, 'Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head'." Yue calmly replied, stepping toward Emily.

"And if one of you is Bound?" Emily countered, not backing down.

"We leave them behind," Mana said from behind her. "Yue said there is no cure. It will be the same as one of us falling in battle. Unless any of us has an objection to that."

Setsuna refused to meet Konoka's gaze. Chachamaru and Beatrix were silent. Kaede shared a glance with Ku, but said nothing. Yue stared Emily down.

Finally the blonde turned away, huffing. "Fine, do what you want. I still say this is stupid." She marched to the back of the group, placing the majority of the girls between herself and Yue.

Negi raised an eyebrow to Kotaro. The dog-boy lifted a shoulder, shaking his head. "All right," Negi said. "So it is decided. We will give you until dawn to gather as much information as you can. If you do not return, I will come after you myself."

"And if we are all Bound," Mana added, fixing her cool stare on him. "You will leave us. I won't ask you to kill us, because I know you can't. But that would be best. Just a thought."

Negi ignored her, feeling a chill run through his blood. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. He hadn't thought about if they were Bound, their power would be against him. He cleared his throat, turning away. "Asakura-san, can you give me the coordinates you collected? Haruna-san. If you would join me in the control room, we need to land. Seras-san, will you prepare the infiltration group?"

"I will."

Negi turned, following Haruna from the deck. As they passed through the door to the inside, Haruna glanced at him. "Well, that was an interesting debate, wasn't it?"

"It was," Negi agreed. "Yue-san's friend had a good point."

Haruna's smile widened. "Her friend, yes."

Negi knew better than to question that odd statement. Girls were still a mystery to him.

XXXXXXX

Yue gathered her satchel. She tugged at the laces of her new tunic, tightening it. All packed, she touched the little black pouch at her hip.

"You know, she was just worried about you." Asakura said, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Who?"

"Emily-san, of course."

Yue snorted. "Class rep isn't worried about me. She's still mad at me for not keeping in touch these last years. Not that I can blame her." She tucked her pactio card into her tunic. "Besides, it's Bea she's worried for. She'll mostly be disappointed I didn't uphold the name of Ariadne if something happens to me."

"I disagree," Asakura said. "She cares for you. Any fool can see that. And I pride myself on being a fool." She grinned.

"She has a funny way of showing it sometimes," Yue said, but she thought momentarily of the times Emily had been nice to her. Of Emily talking about making space for herself in Yue's house. She turned her face, pretending to check her satchel one more time, so Asakura wouldn't see her smile.

"You know, Euripides also said, 'Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness'." Asakura sagely said.

Yue threw a glance at her, raising an eyebrow. "Another magical spout of wisdom?"

"No, I had Chisame-san look that one up for me." Asakura stuck her tongue out. "I do, however, know one from the greatest philosopher of all time." She suddenly lifted her camera, snapping a picture of Yue. "He said, 'Of all our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language'. So I'll be passing this one on to your dear friend out there." Asakura winked.

"Who said that?" Yue asked as Asakura bounced past her.

"Walt Disney, of course." The redhead waved, gone down the hallway a second later.

Alone in the store room, Yue laughed.

XXXXXXX

Emily turned, noticing Collet's attention had turned to the kitchen door.

Yue entered, motioning something to Collet. The knight quickly caught on, making some excuse about needing to see if Beatrix was ready, and left.

Emily, now alone with Yue, sat at the newly returned table. "Here to debate some more about your mission?"

"No," Yue said, surprising her. "You're right. It's dangerous. And highly impulsive."

Emily nodded. "Go on."

Yue's half smile surprised her even more. Her eyes sure didn't look dead now, dancing with amusement. "Well, I was going to ask Nodoka to do something for me, but I think you should be the one I ask instead."

Emily crossed her arms, waiting.

Yue placed a small black pouch on the table. "I need someone to watch after Dallben for me. I don't want to take him, in case things get to crazy."

Emily blinked down at the little pouch, stunned. "Why me?"

That half smile flitted back across Yue's face and Emily felt her stomach flutter. "I just thought it fitting. After all, you've been looking out for me since I became a full knight. You were looking out for me today."

Emily felt her cheeks flush and again cursed herself. "I-it wasn't just you. Bea is going and all the others, too. It's just a stupid idea, is all. I-"

But Yue had already gotten up and moved to the door. In the hallway, Seras's voice called for her. She glanced back at Emily. "I'm saying thank you, Class rep. And, also, I'll see you at dawn."

For a moment the two just stared at each other while Emily fought to reply. Then the knight reached out and pulled the pouch to her chest. "You better be back at dawn, Yue. Or Negi-sama will have to beat me to that camp to drag you out."

Yue clapped a fist to her heart. "It's a promise."