Diversion To Urasha

James stood up, mouth wide open as he watched the five creatures forming a circle in the sky up above him. They did not look like gershers. James was no expert, but the flying creatures looked different. They seemed slightly smaller and were much lighter in colour. Furthermore, neither Crystaline nor Crystos appeared remotely alarmed. Instead, the Urashan siblings stood alongside him, watching as the creatures began to lower themselves through the sky.

“They’re chuggas!” Crystaline whispered.

Chuggas? James had never seen an adult chugga before. He’d never seen the creature with its developed wings. He’d never seen a chugga fly. The only chugga James had ever seen was his little friend, Chugga-Chugga. James looked harder at the creatures. Two of them were navy blue, another beige. One was pink, and the fifth was baby blue, the same colour as Chugga-Chugga. Crystaline was right. “I don’t believe it,” he dreamily whispered. “Is it me or do they look like they’re going to land right by us?”

“I think they’re going to land right by us,” Crystaline answered.

James felt Zach and Phil walking up behind him, watching the chuggas with wide eyes themselves.

As the five creatures hovered only metres away from the grass speckled cliff, James felt the wafts of air from their wings caressing his face. He smiled the biggest smile he had managed in days, watching as the five chuggas finally landed right in front of him.

The baby blue chugga stepped forwards, with its shiny glittery wings retracting back into their non-flight position around its smooth rubbery body. The creature’s neck was slightly longer than the neck of a baby chugga, and its body was a heck of a lot bigger, large enough for a person to sit on, and ride on. Yet this chugga, although markedly different from baby Chugga-Chugga, this creature was also very similar. It had those same round shiny eyes, and that same warm, friendly indulgent expression on its face.

As the chugga took several more steps towards them, James began to wonder - could this really be?

The chugga slowly bent its head down, using its mouth to dip into Crystaline’s trouser pocket. When the baby blue creature raised its head, it carried something purple in its mouth - Chugga-chugga’s necklace!

Crystaline’s mouth gaped open, just as her eyes began to well up. “Chugga-Chugga,” she whispered, completely and utterly stunned.

The creature smiled, squeezing the necklace back around its neck.

James watched as Crystaline slowly proffered out her hand to the baby blue creature. The chugga slowly moved its head through the air, until its head met with Crystaline’s trembling hand. Crystaline’s lips curled up into a smile, just as her hand began to caress the chugga’s warm smooth head. The creature purred in delight, relishing Crystaline’s touch, just as it had done only days before. This was Chugga-Chugga, definitely! Because of some marvellous miracle, this animal was alive! Not only that, he had evolved too!

“Chugga-Chugga,” Crystaline repeated, her words more audible this time. “It’s really you, isn’t it?”

The creature nodded, then graooouuuled. Yes - he had returned, he was Chugga-Chugga!

Crystaline chuckled, stroking her creature friend more confidently. “I can’t believe it,” she went on. “I thought, we thought that you were dead? Chugga-Chugga, I’m so sorry, I should have never shouted at you...you saved me?”

Chugga-Chugga moved his head even closer to Crystaline, hugging her, before finally turning his attentions to James.

With his face brightly beaming, James enveloped his arms around the baby blue animal, relieved to see that the friend he thought he had lost, was in actual fact okay. Chugga-Chugga was alive! “Hey, lil buddy!” James laughed. “You’re okay! How? How did you?”

The chugga backed away from James, rejoining its fellow chuggas. The five of them appeared to be communicating with each other, until eventually, they stopped, separating out from each other. Then, without warning, Chugga-Chugga flung himself into the pink chugga, wrestling the poor creature to the ground.

“Wait!” James protested, “Chugga-Chugga, what are you...?”

James watched as the other three chuggas flew up into the air, and then his eyes returned to Chugga-Chugga, realising what the group of creatures were doing. “Oh wait. You’re showing us what happened back there?” James looked up at the other three chuggas. They had all clumped together, forming a sphere which floated in the sky. Then, only moments later, the three of them began to fall through the sky. The pink chugga ripped off Chugga-Chugga’s necklace, and then flung it to one side. Then Chugga-Chugga pushed himself free from the pink animal, just about managing to escape from his three friends who would crush him. The three chuggas landed on the pink one, whilst Chugga-Chugga scampered away to one side.

Before anyone had the time to worry about the welfare of the pink chugga, the three chuggas hovered free from her, landing next to the chirpy, and very much alive pink creature.

So that was how it had happened. It was not Chugga-Chugga’s blood which had seeped out from underneath that boulder, it was the gersher’s, the one who had attacked, and almost killed Crystaline. Chugga-Chugga had gotten away, but not without a cost, for the blue guy had lost his necklace, leaving it for James and Crystaline to retrieve. The two of them had wrongly assumed that Chugga-Chugga had died, when in reality, the little baby blue animal had escaped, and not only that, he had evolved too, into his winged adult self!

Crystaline walked over to the pink chugga, placing her palm on its smooth rubbery head. “You looked after Chugga-Chugga for me?”

The pink chugga nodded, and then gave Crystaline’s cheek a massive lick.

Crystaline laughed, regaining her composure to name her new chugga friend. “You’d suit the same Yullom,” she said.

“Why?” James asked her, stepping towards Chugga-Chugga. “Is it because of the lick?”

Crystaline nodded, “It’s because of the lick.”

“Nice!” James grinned. “So, what now?”

Crystaline shook her head, her face straightening as she searched James’ eyes. “What do you mean? Nothing’s changed.”

“Hasn’t it?” James whispered, looking intently into Crystaline’s eyes. “You said...you told me a story once. You told me that a relative of yours flew on the back of a chugga. Not once, but many times. Don’t you see, Crystaline, there are five of us, and five of them. What if they flew us to the stone?”

Crystaline was silent for a moment. Her eyes flitted briefly to her brother, and then back to James. “Okay, you might actually be onto something.” Crystaline turned to face the five chuggas. “Chugga-Chugga, Yullom, you three...I ask for your help. You see, my friends and I, we’re out here looking for a stone, yet the only path which I knew to the stone has been destroyed. Without your help, the stone is completely unattainable. With your help, we could all be back in the city today.”

James felt as if someone had just pinched his heart. Yes, as he had suggested, he wanted to obtain the healing stone. But this mission ending today? Being back in the city today, maybe potentially even leaving this planet tonight? The thought was beyond horrific. Nevertheless, James had no choice in the matter. He knew that this was the only option left, and not only that, it was the safest, too.

Crystaline continued, her eyes sincerely pleading with each of the five chuggas. “I’ve never rode on the back of a chugga before, but I would sure like to. If you’ll just help us?”

Yullom stepped towards Crystaline, giving her another sloppy lick. Then the female chugga bowed her head, inviting Crystaline to ride her.

Crystaline’s face beamed into a smile as she climbed onto the back of her only female companion.

Chugga-Chugga walked towards James, replicating Yullom’s movements. With enthusiasm, he climbed onto the back of his creature friend.

As James sat waiting for his three remaining companions to each hesitantly climb onto the backs of the three remaining chuggas, James’ eyes flickered over to Crystaline’s. Her eyes were like his, wild with elation, relief and excitement. James could not wait to have this ride.

“We’re all going to need to remember to hold on very tight!” Crystaline called out to her group, just as Yullom began to flap her pink sparkly wings.

James could feel Chugga-Chugga levitating free from the ground. He could feel and hear his little creature friend’s wings flapping into flight. James wrapped his arms even more tightly around Chugga-Chugga’s neck. He and the baby blue creature were airborne now, with the ground beneath them seeming further and further away with each nanosecond that passed.

As he felt himself continuing to rise through the air, James looked over to Phil and Zach, unable to prevent himself from smirking as he watched his human companions holding onto their chuggas for dear life. Unlike James’ fellow humans, Crystaline and her brother seemed completely at ease, enjoying their flights just as much as he was.

James looked back down at the land beneath him, realising that it was nothing more than a blur of purples now.

“Everyone,” Crystaline called out to her group, “follow mine and Yullom’s lead. It won’t take us long to reach the little island. And hold on, remember to hold on tight!”

Just as Crystaline finished her words, James felt his entire body jerking suddenly forwards. Chugga-Chugga had shot through the air, taking James with him! At first, it took James a while to gather his bearings, and to fathom what had just happened. But once he felt the adrenaline pouring feelings of joy and elation into his body, James let out a cathartic laugh! This ride, on the back of Chugga-Chugga, it was absolutely insane! James could feel the breeze rushing past his cheeks. He could feel his stomach lurching ravenously forwards, hungry for more speed, more fun! This ride was the best - ever!

As James began to get to grips with his flight, he began to look around for the others. Phil, Zach and Crystos were each behind him, but Crystaline was unsurprisingly soaring ahead of everyone.

“Chugga-Chugga,” James called out to his baby blue friend, fighting against the constant rushes of air to make his voice audible. “We need to catch up with the girls. What do you say, Buddy?”

Chugga-Chugga gave a determined graaaooouuul, before darting off into the air, endeavouring to catch up with Yullom and Crystaline.

James let out another laugh, watching as Crystaline and her pink chugga grew closer and closer. “Crystaline!” James called out to her, once he was only a matter of metres away.

Crystaline canted her head around, grinning at James. “I thought I told you to follow my lead?”

James beamed back at Crystaline. “Follow your lead? Why? When me and Chugga-Chugga can keep up? Or lead you even?”

Crystaline shook her head, still grinning. “That sounds like a challenge, Joyce?”

“Maybe it is!” James agreed. “I’m not following when I can go faster than you.”

Crystaline gave another little shake of her head, and then she muttered something to her pink chugga friend, before turning back around to face James. “Oh, it’s on!” she announced, just as her and Yullom began to pick up speed again.

James didn’t even have to tell Chugga-Chugga what to do, for the baby blue animal was already after Yullom and Crystaline, like a predator would be hunting down its prey. James felt the elation coursing through his body. He felt the little tingles of joy and excitement spreading through each and every little atom in his body. James was on cloud nine - literally. He was soaring through the sky on the back of his favourite creature friend, with a grin which reached both of his ears.

Chugga-Chugga had caught up with Crystaline and Yullom at last, and the two chuggas rose into the air, side by side, in perfect sync with one another.

As Yullom and Chugga-Chugga hovered in the air, side by side, soaking up the rays of silver sunlight, James’ eyes moved to Crystaline’s. Her face was glowing with happiness! The sun’s stunning scintillating rays sent glitters of gorgeous light glowing off the chugga’s wings, until the two chuggas, fluttered their wings into full flight once again.

James enveloped his arms around Chugga-Chugga, holding onto his creature friend, as they sailed through the purple sky.

As James looked beneath him, he noticed that there was blue in the distance. The blue reminded him of water, of the sea. Did Urasha have an ocean? “Hey, Crystaline?”

“What?” she answered.

“What’s that? That blue?”

“It’s water, a large pool of it. The Island we need isn’t far. The healing stone is practically beneath us.”

James felt Chugga-Chugga lowering through the sky, following Yullom and Crystaline as they headed straight for the water.

As James focused even harder on the pool beneath him, he noticed the little land mass which floated in the centre of the water. This must be the island which Crystaline was referring to? The one with the healing stone?

As James felt himself sinking further and further through the sky, he watched as the island grew bigger and bigger, until eventually, he and Chugga-Chugga landed softly on its purple sandy shores.