He stared into the peerless mirror. All around him was dark, so dark he could not see anything save for his reflection. But even his reflection seemed alien, his dark brown eyes somehow sharper, almost red, and his face was too bony and too dark.

"You look confused," his reflection said smoothly, and Yuugi jumped back with a yelp, tripping over his own feet and falling down. He rubbed his sore tailbone, looking up to his reflection, which still stood over him, looking amused. "You don't know who I am, do you?" there was a pause. "I'm not surprised."

Yuugi watched the face, the too-full lips twitching up into a smirk, and Yuugi become aware that it was not a reflection he was staring at. The face was very different from his, and though there were similarities between them, it was someone else who stood before him.

"It's Atem," the other said, his smile disappearing as he held his hand out to help Yuugi to his feet. "And you must be Yuugi Mutou, the person who found my Harness."

Yuugi took his hand, marveling at how easily the other pulled him to his feet. "Harness?" he asked, looking around to find that the landscape (or lake thereof) was just as blank as it had been before.

He looked back to Atem just in time to find the other looking at him as if he'd lost his mind. "You honestly don't know what a Harness is? And here I thought that was common knowledge …" He trailed off, his strange, hard eyes losing momentary focus. "But … Perhaps not. I keep forgetting … I'm a very old man now."

Yuugi swallowed and shifted his weight to his other leg. "So … What is a Harness?" he felt bad about the look on Atem's face, and wanted to distract the other.

Atem's expression shifted, and he grinned wickedly. "A Harness is an item than helps you interface with your Mecha. It's something pilots use."

He stared at Atem in awe. "That's right … you're a pilot. What … What's that like?"

"It's …" Atem's smile morphed to one of almost childish excitement. "It's the most wonderful experience. I cannot really explain … It's almost something you'd have to experience yourself, but it is liberating."

The ground shook and Yuugi yelped, causing Atem to laugh. "It looks like you're finally waking up. Don't worry; I'll still be here, even if you can't hear me. You're not alone, Yuugi."

"W-wait!" Yuugi called, but the light around him grew to painful intensity and he found himself jerked from the blackness, his eyes opening to a world so white it burned his eyes.

"Wow, he's finally awake!" a voice cooed cheerfully. "I was starting to worry that the blast had jostled his brains to mush!"

"If it had, it would have been your fault, Crawford," a woman's voice said. "Thankfully, the Medbots were able to administer First Aid. Just think about what would have happened if you would have ruined him. The kid is just a civilian, after all."

Yuugi heard himself groan and tried to place a hand to his head, but found himself restrained. He felt faint and weak, and wondered at the voices.

"Helloooooooo little civilian!" the chipper voice sounded again. "Are you in there?"

Yuugi felt the urge to smack the owner bubble up within him. He wanted to return to sleep. He had been having such an interesting dream …

Relax, Yuugi. It will all turn out.

He decided it was best if he listened to himself.

"Don't put strain on him, Pegasus," said a third voice, softer than the others, but laced with the unmistakable assurance of the person in charge. "Mai is very right. He wasn't supposed to be in the blast and he wasn't supposed to have the Harness. It's our job as servants of the Empire to take care of him."

The person named Pegasus made no further argument.

"Yuugi?" the third voice asked, and Yuugi turned his head, the world finally coming into focus. "Oh, there you are!" the owner of the voice smiled, and though he couldn't be much older than Yuugi's own twenty-two there was something about him that made him seem much older. "Glad to see you're finally awake. I'm Colonel Ryou Bakura and these are my first and second Lieutenants Mai Kujaku and Pegasus Crawford. We're so sorry about what happened. There was a miscommunication on the grounds."

"I …" Yuugi croaked, but his voice was weak.

He felt a cup being held to his lips and he drank. Ryou continued to speak. "Don't worry about speaking just yet. You were in a pretty bad blast, so just take it easy for the time being."

"What … happened?" He finally managed to croak, and Colonel Ryou smiled.

"We were looking for a certain artifact of the Dissenter Kemet," Ryou explained calmly, placing a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "We had no idea you were back there. The blast was just to uncover the secret hiding spot under the home, and we had already removed the other resident of the occupancy …"

Yuugi blinked. An artifact?

His hand automatically flew to his neck, where the pendant – the harness? - still hung.

Don't worry, they can't take it away that easily.

"Yes, that's right. The Millennium Pendant," Ryou nodded, though there was sadness in his dark brown eyes that Yuugi wondered at. "We can't remove it from you anymore, unfortunately. It's a Harness, which means you're stuck with it. I'm afraid you'll have to come back with us to train as a Pilot."

Yuugi's pulse quickened and he gulped, frantic panic replacing numb confusion. Him? Go to the Capital? Train as a Pilot? But – But –

"What about … Grandpa?" Yuugi choked, searching the Colonel's face.

It was, however, the woman who responded. "Don't worry about the old man. He's getting to keep his shop and the Empire is compensating him for his loss."

You shouldn't believe them.

Yuugi chewed his bottom lip and nodded, but the suspicion was still there, eating at him. "Y-yes," he closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Good," he heard Colonel Ryou say, and he couldn't almost hear a smile form on his lips. "Sleep. We still have quite a flight before we get to the Capital," there was the sound of shuffling chairs as someone stood. "We'll send someone to get you when it's time to eat."

The red light behind Yuugi's closed eyes faded as the lights were shut off and the footsteps of his captors receded, leaving him in painful silence.

They are going to try to brainwash you, Yuugi.

It was then, in the silence, his head still pounding, his body aching, that he realized the voice was not his own. It startled him, the idea of an invader inside of his head, but … Again, his hand touched the Harness.

"Atem?" he asked quietly, tentatively.

Yes, but hush now. They are sure to be filming you. I hate to say it, but it's best if you listen to the good Colonel's advice. Get some rest. We can figure something out in the morning.

And though Yuugi was reluctant to follow the advice, he found his limbs were oddly heavy and he felt the great veil of sleep pass over him, covering him as he slipped into a deep and dreamless slumber.