The Lion Guard: The Northern Crocodile

Chapter 12

"Talib, I suggest you get out of here, now!" Makuu hissed.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Talib said as he took flight.

Kiburi surged forward to try and knock Talib out of the sky, but Makuu managed to catch Kiburi off guard and pin him under the water just long enough for Talib to get away.

"Whoa! Thanks, Makuu! I owe you one!"

As he watched Talib fly away, Makuu could feel Kiburi beneath him, struggling to become free of his grip. Granted, the watering hole is big enough to support a small float of crocodiles, but it isn't big nor deep enough to hold two fighting crocodiles.

Despite the heat, Makuu decided it would be better to leave the water and take the fight to land. He released Kiburi and swam as fast as he could towards the water's edge. Kiburi immediately followed suit, and their battle began the moment both of them were on land.

The fighting continued for what seemed like hours, neither side backing down, but both sides were tiring out. With the sun high in the sky, the temperature continued to rise. The ground was hot and dry, and the crocodiles themselves felt like their scales were on fire. Both leaders knew that they and their floats couldn't go on like this for much longer. Makuu and Kiburi were panting hard, exhausted from fighting, and overheated from the rising temperature.

{If one of us doesn't give in soon, I think we all might as well die of heat stroke. I have to beat Kiburi so that he and his float can leave, but how? Oh, why can't Masika and Zaire be here right now? Wait a minute, that's it! If I can successfully pull off one of Masika's battle techniques, then maybe that will be enough to beat Kiburi and get him and his float to leave. It's worth a shot, especially considering I have no other ideas in mind.}

"Just give up, Makuu!" Kiburi yelled.

"I appreciate the suggestion, but I would much rather see you turn tail and head back to the Outlands with the rest of your float," Makuu responded.

"I am not going back to the Outlands since I will be becoming the leader of this float right here, right now!"

In his rage, Kiburi charged Makuu. The crocodile leader waited until Kiburi was within striking range, and copying to the best of his ability Masika's surprise tail sweep, managed to hit Kiburi.

{It worked! I can't believe it actually worked!}

Makuu rushed over to Kiburi and pinned him down before he could recover from the blow.

"As you were saying?" Makuu taunted.

"One of these days, Makuu, I will defeat you," Kiburi snarled. "You can't stay on top forever!"

"Yeah, keep dreaming!"

{He's right, though. Someday, someone will challenge me, and win.}

***Currently from Kiburi's perspective***

"Alright, you win!" Kiburi growled.

{This is absolutely ridiculous! Not even Makuu should have this much luck when it comes to winning.}

"Do you mind getting off of me so that I can go, again?"

"I'd say that's the best idea you've had since who knows when," Makuu commented.

When Makuu removed himself from his rival's body, Kiburi could feel the rays of the sun hit his back and quickly start to burn his scales.

{Attacking today probably wasn't such a good idea. Even with our cave located not too far away, today was way too hot of a day to fight. Might as well leave before the lion guard shows up.}

"Kiburi!"

Just as Kiburi stood to leave, an unmistakable voice called out. Unsurprisingly, it was Kion. The rest of the lion guard weren't beside their leader, as they normally would be, for they were preoccupied with keeping the two floats separated.

{And I spoke too soon.}

"Look, Kion, I was just about to leave, so..." Kiburi didn't even finish his sentence before Kion interrupted him.

"You're not going anywhere, Kiburi! Not until we get some answers."

"Answers to what, exactly? You should know why my float and I are here, so there's no reason for you annoying lot to waste my time with questions."

"Do you think we're stupid, Kiburi? We know that you scared the herds down by the watering hole to distract us so that you could come here and attack Makuu's float. Well, we won't let that happen!"

"What are you talking about? We didn't scare anyone! Do you honestly think that my crocs and I would have enough energy left to fight Makuu's float in heat like this after working to distract you lot? I'm not as stupid as you think I am, cub!"

"Don't lie, Kiburi! We know that you, or at least some of your crocodiles, did do it!"

"Kion," Makuu interjected, stepping between the lion cub and Kiburi. "I hate to say this, and I can't believe I am, but Kiburi is telling the truth."

{Is Makuu actually defending me? Wow. That's the first time he's ever done that in a long time.}

"Makuu, you can't be serious!?" Kion exclaimed.

"Look, Kion, I know you don't like it, but I'm afraid Kiburi didn't do whatever you say he did. There are just too many things that don't make any sense, and unless Kiburi added new editions to his float recently, the whole lot of them have been here pestering my float and I for who knows how long."

"Sorry, Kion, but I have to agree with Makuu," Ono spoke up. "No matter what way we look at it, there's no way Kiburi's float could have attacked the animals and reached Makuu's float in that amount of time, let alone would they be in any condition to fight in this heat."

"When you put it that way, it does sound like we were wrong and the crocs were right," Fuli added.

"...Fine, but it doesn't mean that we should even let our guard down when it comes to Kiburi and his float," Kion growled.

"Well, if both floats were fighting this whole time, then..." Beshte began.

"What crocodiles were attacking the animals at the watering hole?" Bunga finished.