The Lion Guard: The Northern Crocodile

Chapter 22

"Kiburi! Wake up! Come on, Kiburi, snap out of it!"

Everything vanished as soon as Kiburi burst wide awake, breathing heavily. He rapidly blinked his eyes, trying to get accustomed to finally being awake, or at least he hoped so.

Sensing someone behind him, Kiburi couldn't help reacting out of fear as he quickly got up and turned around to face whoever it was that had awoken him, only to see a pair of light blue eyes staring right at him.

"Zula?" Kiburi rasped.

"Kinda sorry about waking you and all, but I wanted to talk to you," Zula whispered. "I mean, if you're okay with talking, that is."

"Why do you think that I wouldn't be okay with talking?"

"For starters, you were doing some pretty weird stuff in your sleep. I would say that you were having one heck of a dream, or nightmare. Were you?"

"Why would that be any concern of yours?"

"Just wanting to know if you're okay is all. Is that a problem?"

"No, but isn't it strange that a crocodile, whom I barely know, cares about me?"

"Look, Kiburi, believe it or not, I'm not your enemy here."

"Yeah right! How can I trust you or anyone else that is a part of this float? You lot nearly killed my own float, as well as me! Why should I believe anything that you say?"

Despite her smaller size, Zula stood tall over Kiburi, her assertiveness unwavering.

"Alright, if that's what you want to think, then I'm done playing nice," Zula snarled, getting right in Kiburi's face. "Let's just get one thing straight here, Kiburi: my brothers and I, especially me, are different from the rest. Keyon told me everything that you told him the day you guys went to look for me, and I can tell you right now that we are the only ones who understand you."

"You can't possibly understand a thing that I went through!" Kiburi snapped. "Hell, you don't even really know who I am! In fact, nobody does! None of my life is your business or Keyon's business or anyone else's, so stay out of it! Just leave me alone!"

"I understand what you're going through, Kiburi. Both your parents left, and so did mine. No one trusted you because of who your parents were. The same can be said for my brothers and I. Most of what happened in your life, Kiburi, happened in our lives as well. Don't think you are the only one going through this kind of pain, because you're not. Okay? Kiburi? Did you hear everything that I said?"

"...Yeah, every word."

"Well, do you believe me or not?"

"I do, actually. Yes, I believe you. So, is this what you wanted to talk about?"

"No, but it's a start. And let's leave the cave behind, shall we? I want us to talk somewhere else."

***M.P.O.V.***

Makuu watched through narrowed eyes as Zula left the cave, Kiburi cautiously trailing after her. His scales itched in irritation as they made their way into the clearing and out of sight.

{I can't believe he actually trusts her enough to go along with this! They literally just met! Zula obviously knows just the right things to say to get others to listen to her.}

Makuu wanted to follow, just to see where they go, but something caught his eye first. After he slipped into the water, he spotted a glint of gold in the darkness of the cave's depths, but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

{What the? What was that? It could be another animal. Something that shines that bright in the darkness doesn't just disappear as soon as somebody looks at it.}