Other Worlds

Observation is important. With a watchful eye, knowledge can be attained. Maintaining attention to one's surroundings, acquiring knowledge and importance of each aspect, knowing what exactly is around you, and what you can harness. With enough awareness and enough knowledge, one can be perceived as almost all powerful…

An eight-foot-tall black bear stalked the halls, lost in thought. He held his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth. As he paced, a few armored bears, bunnies, and other types of animals marched about, on patrol. The tall black bear bit his bottom lip as he thought, his ears suddenly jolting up as he heard his name being called.

"Shutai!" a rather raspy and almost tired sounding voice called. "C'mere, man!" Shutai looked to the source of the call, making his way toward that direction. The tall black bear then found his best friend, a deep cobalt blue bunny with atrociously messy hair named Rotar.

"There you are." Rotar said, grabbing Shutai's wrist, "Akumu was looking for you."

Shutai narrowed his eyes at hearing the name, "Ugh, what does he want?"

"Man, I dunno, he just told me to come and get you." Rotar replied with a shrug. "Pretty sure it was something about your father." Shutai fell silent, his scowl becoming a more sorrowful expression. The tall black bear shook his wrist from Rotar's grip, sighing once more. "Hey man, if I were you, I'd at least check and find out what your dad wants."

"I know, I know…" Shutai replied in a low tone, shaking his head before he began walking.

"Tell me what happens though, don't leave me out o' nothin'." Rotar added as he folded his arms. Shutai kept his head low as he made his way toward his father's throne room. A multitude of thoughts ran through the bear's mind, wondering what it could be that his father could want. Despite his curiosity, he had an idea what this sudden summon would be about.

The muscular black bear stopped as he became inches from the massive door to the throne room. He let out a sigh, expecting whatever discussion was about to occur to eventually become some argument. If he knew his father, it wasn't going to be pretty. Shutai placed his hand on the handle and pushed, opening the door. The large door opened with a soft creak, the illumination of the room inside casting over Shutai's figure. Shutai's eyes wandered up a small flight of stairs, finding his father sitting on the throne. Shutai's father looked just like him, with the exception of white markings cascading over his biceps and forearms. The King of Nightmares sat on his throne, leaning toward his right with a displeased expression on his face. Shutai felt a wave of intimidation and trepidation hit him, the amount of fear a single individual could cast was almost unbelievable. It was overwhelming.

Shutai made his way toward the throne, his eyes locked on the throne before him. His steps were slow and cautious, almost as if he didn't want to agitate his father by simply being there.

"Y-you… you called me, father?" Shutai spoke up, fear coating his voice. Shutai attempted to keep his calm, knowing full well that he couldn't let his father see how fearful he was. He had to be strong… or at least simulate it.

"Yes…" The King replied. His voice was deep and monstrous, confidence and pride could be heard in his tone. The King exuded such a powerful stature, it seemed foolish to even look at him wrong. "How are you doing today, my son?" Shutai furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion, he wasn't expecting that…

"I'm… fine. I was just hanging around… the castle. Wh-why?" The black bear replied, lowering his gaze minutely.

"I can be curious about how my own son is doing, can't I?" The King said, sitting up on his throne as a small smile went across his face. Shutai nodded slowly, clenching his fists a little. His palms were sweaty, the sheer intimidation factor that his father possessed still loomed over him.

"Is… that all you needed, father?" Shutai questioned, looking up and making eye contact with the King.

The King shook his head, "No, I'm afraid not. I need to talk to you about something, my son… something important." The King's voice lowered in tone, sounding more concerned than intimidating.

"Okay… what is it?" Shutai asked, gradually regaining his courage. The King held up a finger, his smile returning.

"Wait, my son. We're waiting for one other person." He said as he stood up. Shutai glanced back toward the doors, narrowing his eyes as he figured out who exactly they were waiting for.

"Speak of the devil." The King said softly as he walked down the steps from his throne. A deep brown bear walked into the throne room, coming up behind Shutai.

"Akumu…" Shutai snarled under his breath, making sure his father didn't hear him.

"Greetings, Prince." Akumu greeted Shutai, a nonchalant expression on his face.

"Him, father?" Shutai asked, turning to the King.

"Yes, Shutai. Akumu is my advisor, of course, he's involved." The King replied.

"A pretty lousy one…" Shutai mumbled, under his breath once more.

"Now, shall we get down to business, your Highness?" Akumu asked, clasping his hands together.

"Certainly." The King affirmed, now standing before Shutai and Akumu.

"Kiss-ass…" Shutai mused. The black bear never hated anyone. He felt that he was almost incapable of actually doing so. But Akumu… he was pretty damn close.

"Shutai, my son." The King said, "Tomorrow morning, we will be making a trip to the Shadow Realm." Shutai's expression quickly changed, becoming one of confusion and slight frustration.

"What? Why?" The young prince asked, looking up at his father.

"Shutai, our race has to realize it's potential one day, you know this." The King replied, "And that day is quickly approaching. We must be prepared for it."

"F-Father… what are you talking about? What do you mean?" Shutai continued to probe, speaking a little faster.

"My son, we've talked about this…" The King sighed, "The Shadow Realm is simply another extension of our realm waiting to be taken. And by removing the Light from that realm, we're getting closer and closer to that goal."

"Dad…" Shutai snarled, "We'd be killing them like that."

"Not all of them." The King replied, "Only some… the rest would go mad… and become just like us. Thereby strengthening our race."

"B-but, Dad-"

"Your father is simply trying to get you to understand, dear prince," Akumu interjected, stepping in front of the black bear, "Our race is superior. We always have been! And it's about time that the other realms realized that truth."

"Exactly." The King added.

"Dad! We can't do that!" Shutai returned, raising his voice, "We'd be killing innocent people! People that have nothing to do with any of this! I-it's not like our race is dying! It's the Shadows that are getting hurt out of this! What happened to the balance that the three realms are supposed to keep!?"

"There is no such balance, Shutai." The King spoke, holding his hands behind his back, "In this universe, it is either conquer or be conquered."

"But-"

"Shutai. We are Nightmares. We are the strongest race imaginable." The King continued, "In fact, we are the strongest race in existence. The other realms know so little of us… as if we don't exist. Especially the Earth Realm… their lack of knowledge will be their downfall. And the loss of the Shadows? A small price to pay for the true realization of our powerful race." Shutai was awestruck by what he heard, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He took a step back from his father, his mouth agape.

"D-Dad…" He murmured.

"And you, my son…" The King said, turning to Shutai, "You must also realize that. You are the Prince of Nightmares. You are my son. You have to fill your role in this as well. And one day, you will be King, and you will take my place. You will rule over the Nightmares… and the three realms. You will be my successor, Shutai. You will be the ruler of the universe."

"No… n-no…" Shutai muttered, shaking his head, stepping away from the two bears.

"No? No!? What do you mean, no!?" Akumu yelled angrily.

"I.. I-I… I w-wouldn't-"

"You are the Prince, Shutai! You HAVE to fill your role! You have no other choice!" Akumu growled, stomping toward the younger bear. "You can't be a wimp your entire life! You have shoes to fill and a persona to realize! Just as your father said, you are a Nightmare! You will rule! You need to stop being so trepidatious and grow a damn pair!"

"Akumu, that's enough." The King spoke, "However… he is right. You cannot be afraid, my son." Shutai was speechless, his face quivering in disbelief. The man he knew as the King of Nightmares, his father, seemed to all fade away. This wasn't his dad, not the one he had loved and found so powerful. Shutai shook his head, sprinting from the throne room and out the doors, panting as he ran.

"Come back you, you brat!" Akumu shouted as he prepared to run, but was stopped by the King.

"Let him go… he will learn, Akumu." The King said in a low tone, disappointment hinted in his voice. "He will learn…"

Shutai ran as quickly as he could, tears in the corners of his eyes. The black bear sprinted through the halls of the palace, gasping for air with every step.

"Sh-Shutai?" Rotar called his name as he noticed him running. Shutai sobbed as he ran, wiping his eyes. "Shutai, what's wrong!" The black bear ran right by his cobalt blue friend, leaving small tracks of tears behind him. Rotar looked at one of the water droplets, his expression was sorrowful. He needed to know what was wrong… but he knew Shutai needed time. The Prince panted as he made his way up the stairs and through several more halls, sliding his feet across the floor as he came to a halt, rushing into his room. Shutai slammed the door behind himself, panting heavily as he hit the back of his head against the door. Shutai's face quivered with sorrow, the tears continuing to fall. He looked at his hands, his vision was blurry and shaky. The black bear tightly closed his eyes as he slid to the floor, resting his head against the door as he continued to sob. He hid his face in his arms, resting them on his knees.

Aside from the Nightmare Realm was another, the Shadow Realm. This realm housed the race of Shadows as well as a mixture of some Nightmares and Phantoms. Like the Nightmare Realm, there was also a palace where royalty resided.

Harley hurried up to the palace doors, quickly knocking on it. The light brown bear stood there with his hands in his hoodie pockets, a small smile on his face. The door soon opened, revealing a purple bear.

The bear gasped and grinned, "Hey there, Harley! It's nice to see you again!"

Harley giggled softly, "Hey, Shaddy. It's been a little while."

"It certainly has! Come on in!" Shaddy replied, quickly pulling Harley inside and closing the door, "What brings you back?"

"I wanted to just come and check on things. I spent a lot of time in the Earth Realm… I wanted to make sure everything was okay." Harley said, his eyes wandering around the place.

"Aww, that's so sweet and considerate of you~." Shaddy cooed, his ears wiggling as he spoke as his cheeks began to flush a light red. "You were worried about little old us~?"

"Of course I was, Shaddy." Harley giggled. "Where's everyone else?"

"We were actually getting ready to eat! You should join us!" Shaddy said, taking Harley by the hand, "I'm sure you must be hungry, right?"

"I guess I can stay and eat." Harley replied with a warm smile.

"Yaay! Oh, everyone is going to be so excited to see you!" The purple shadow bear ushered Harley into the dining room, moving quickly, "Just wait 'till Shaffy hears about your return!" Harley giggled as he followed Shaddy.

"Go ahead and sit, I'll go get the others." Shaddy said as he lightly pushed Harley into the room, "The food will be out pretty soon too!"

"Thank you, Shaddy." Harley beamed.

"You're more than welcome, buddy!" Shaddy replied as he disappeared behind the corridor. Harley let out a quick sigh as he sat in one of the many seats. At the moment, the room was empty. The table was clean and set up with very specifically placed plates and utensils.

"Heh… Kai…" Harley murmured to himself, knowing who must have been the one to set the table. "Always so ordered…" A few moments passed, and Harley sat there patiently, looking around the room. It was brightly lit, it possessed a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The light brown bear felt at home. Harley's ears suddenly twitched when he heard indistinct movement. He looked toward the source of the noise as it grew louder. The faint noise became a clutter of voices. A smile went across his face as he heard the voices, recognizing them all as his family. The voices were then accompanied by faces, each of them possessing elated and excited expressions.

"Harley!" The group of Shadows and Phantoms yelled collectively, crowding around the bear.

"H-hehe… hi, guys~." Harley beamed, blushing lightly as he waved his hand. They all began to hug and kiss Harley, welcoming him back as if he were a war hero. Harley laughed and giggled as he was reunited with each of his family members, their excited voices filling Harley with joy.

Soon after all of the commotion died down, everyone was seated around the table.

"It's so good to see you again, Harley!" One voice said.

"Hehe, it's good to be back." Harley replied with a bashful grin.

"And you're as adorable as ever~!" Another added. Harley blushed brightly, giggling in response.

"Alright, alright, let the boy relax a little." A louder and more distinct voice said. Harley looked toward the source, his smile growing a little more. "How are you doing, Harley?"

"I'm doing well, Joshua~." Harley replied, wiggling his ears a little.

"Hmm, good." Joshua replied. Joshua was a massive bear, standing taller than everyone else in the room. He was quite muscular, but despite his somewhat intimidating stature, he had a very outgoing and kind personality. "How has the Earth Realm been treating you?"

"Pretty good, I actually made some new friends." Harley answered, smirking a little.

"Aside from your normal crew?" Shonnie, a lavender shadow bunny asked.

Harley nodded, "Yeah, like… five new people."

"Were they human?" Vallery, Joshua's wife, asked, tilting her head a little.

Harley shook his head, "No, they were all anthros."

"Ayy, more trustworthy." Shonnie chuckled. Nagara, a shadow bear, laughed softly.

"Well… they weren't very 'trustworthy' at first…" Harley murmured, rubbing the back of his head.

"What do you mean?" Asked Joshua.

"Um… uh, th-they kinda locked me up in prison first…" Harley admitted with a sheepish smile.

"What?! They locked you in prison!?" Vallery shouted.

"Aannd, much less trustworthy…" Shonnie murmured.

"W-well, not really. Because I was trying to get the Light Diamond, but he was held as a relic in a museum." Harley explained, "So… when I was trying to steal it, I became a target of theirs."

"I see…" Joshua murmured.

"But they let me out too." Harley added, "A-after the leader, Freddy, had a change of heart." The others fell silent, their eyes locked on Harley. "But don't worry! Everything else is fine!"

"Harley, you have to be more careful." Joshua spoke up again, "Yes, your mission is important, but you have to make sure you don't attract too much attention to yourself."

"I know, Joshua, I know…" Harley sighed softly.

"Well, we can talk about that later. Let's just relax and eat some yummy food." Shaddy said sweetly. The others agreed, their conversations dispersing as they enjoyed their food. After a while, the family finished their meal. Harley soon prepared to leave again to go back to the Earth Realm.

"We're going to miss you, Harley…" Shaddy said in a low tone.

Harley gave them all a warm smile, "I know… but I'll be back soon. Don't worry."

"Make sure you stay safe." Nagara warned, wrapping her arms around the light brown bear.

"Heh, I will, Nagara." Harley giggled softly in response.

"Come back soon, Harley." Joshua added. Harley smiled and nodded, turning toward the castle door. As Harley reached for the door, there was suddenly a rather loud yawn. Harley furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion, turning back around.

"Y-yes?" He murmured.

"That wasn't me." Shaddy said quickly.

Joshua chuckled, "Are you finally up, Shazzu?" There was a groan as a reply. Harley looked toward the sound, finding a golden bear walking down the stairs.

"Dad…" Harley murmured, a few tears appearing in the corners of his eyes. Shazzu rubbed his eyes as he came down the stairs, noticing Harley.

"Oh, hey." Shazzu murmured. Harley quickly sprinted up the stairs, throwing his arms around Shazzu. "Hey, kid." Harley was silent, keeping a tight grip around the older bear. Shazzu smiled minutely, rubbing Harley's back.

"I missed you, dad…" Harley murmured.

"I know." Shazzu replied, running a hand through Harley's hair. "You still doing well in the Earth Realm?" Harley pulled away and nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Good, keep doing it. I'm proud of you." Harley smiled, lowering his head a little. "I'll be waiting for you when you get back… If I'm not sleeping."

Harley nodded, "Okay… I'll see you later, dad." Shazzu nodded and lightly kissed Harley's cheek. The light brown bear smiled again, then hurried out the door, making his way back to the Earth Realm.

"That boy really needs you, Shazzu…" Joshua said softly. Shazzu was silent, his smile dropping.

"Yeah… I know."

A/N: Yeah, we know. It's been a while. But Grumpy and I have been pretty busy recently so it was pretty difficult to actually get a chapter out. However, we're back and ready to continue the story! We've got a lot of things planned and it's going to be a fun and exciting ride! We hope you guys enjoy! Until next time, live life like an Xplosion! JFlare and Grumpy out! :D