Kijani's tail swished back and forth as he lay under the acacia tree, Hawla beside him breathing slowly and enjoying the cool rainy season air. Hawla had arrived early in the morning from the misty pride to see the one she enjoyed the company of, and Kijani was more than thrilled to see her, even though he was really not supposed to love. But sometimes love can never stop and Kijani proved that as he continued to enjoy Hawla's company.

"What would happen if we ran away together and started a pride all our own?" asked Hawla.

"Then stories would cease to exist and the whole continent would fall apart without a story to tell," said Kijani.

"Hmm that does sound bad, but is there a law where you cannot spend time with me?" asked Hawla.

"I don't think there is, so we are safe," said Kijani.

"How would you know that you are doing something wrong?" asked Hawla as she lifted up a paw and licked it carefully.

"The first story teller would come to me in dreams and tell me and he would haunt me until I learned to do something right, so I don't want to cause any problems," said Kijani.

"Oh I'm not forcing you, I was just curious," said Hawla.

"There is no law for that, and besides…OUCH!" Kijani jumped with a start causing Hawla to jump up as well and look around to see what caused Kijani to suddenly jump in pain.

"I got him you guys, he won't get away from us now!" A young voice yelled from the direction of Kijani's injured tail region.

Hawla looked down to see Kali with her claws digging into Kijani's rump and the look of happiness on her face as if she had caught her first prey. Kijani only sat on the rock, not sure what to do.

"What are you doing here?" Hawla giggled at the sight.

"We came to bring Kijani back, we want to tell him a story, plus he is not supposed to kiss anyone, it's against the law for him to kiss anyone," said Asha who appeared out of the bushes with Zuri, Jelani and Layla close behind.

"Yeah so come back to the den, we want to tell you a story," said Jelani as he gave Hawla and angry stare.

Kijani only looked back at his listeners confused. "When did I say I was not allowed to kiss?"

"Uhhhh…….It was a while ago, so I can't remember but I know you said that," said Jelani.

"Are you sure, I just said I could not have a mate, kissing is not bad," said Kijani.

"But kissing brings babies," said Kali with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I thought your mother explained the birds and the bees to you guys," said Kijani.

"Only a little bit about it, she didn't go into great detail," said Asha with a grin.

"Ah I see," said Kijani who then looked over at Hawla with a bit of worry. Hawla only stared back, she was having such a nice time with Kijani and now the cubs had come to change all that.

"But we really want to tell you our story we made up just for you, can you please listen to it?" asked Jelani in the same kind of face his great-grandfather had when he wanted to do something very badly.

Kijani looked at Hawla, Hawla let out a warm smile, it was not every day a cub told a story. So why not listen for once.

"Why don't we Kijani, it will be entertaining and they can leave us alone afterwards," said Hawla.

"I guess so, perhaps one of them can take my place," he said with a silly grin.

"Do you think one of us will be your heir?" asked Layla.

"Ha! No I was only joking, the one who will take my place will not be born for years from now, I still have many years to go," said Kijani.

The cubs all looked down on the ground, a little upset that Kijani would say something like that. But Jelani was quickly unfazed because he remembered that he was going to be king in the future and being king sounded a lot more fun than moving all over the place to tell stories.

"But can we still tell it?" Jelani asked as he leapt onto Kijani's back and began to pull on his ears.

"Of course, I would not want to upset you children. As long as my ear does not fall off first," said Kijani who then shook his head causing Jelani to fall off him and roll off the rock. Hawla watched the young cub with nervous eyes, hoping he did not hurt himself from the fall. But Jelani was unfazed and jumped up with excitement ready to tell the tale.

"Is there any specific place where you might need me and Hawla?" asked Kijani.

"Nope, just stay there while we set up behind that bush," said Jelani.

Kijani lay where he was listening for the cubs. He knew they did not go far, he could hear them whispering behind a bush in front of them. He looked over at Hawla who let out a small giggle at the idea of the cubs telling the story teller a story. Kijani was fascinated and he did wonder how well they would do. Finally Jelani jumped out of the bushes looking very serious and ready to tell the tale.

"Once upon a time when it was dark and stormy night a lion paced back and forth on a rock," Jelani began with a very serious voice.

"It is wet and its cold and I wish I had a place to stay," Kali said as she walked out looking very depressed.

"But he didn't have a place to stay for he was no ordinary lion; instead he was a giant lion who was bigger than an elephant!" Jelani said excitedly as he jumped up and down.

"But how did he get bigger than an elephant?" asked Layla who was apparently the one who was asking questions because she now sat on a nearby rock waiting for her cue.

"Because when he was a cub, he met a hornbill who gave him some berries that would make him grow into a giant, but the bird did not tell him that and the bird was never seen again," said Jelani.

Asha then appeared out of the bushes and tried to act like a bird by moving her paws up and down as she sat there while Kali approached her. Asha then pretended she had a berry in her paw and Kali quickly grabbed it and ate it. Kali stood there for a moment before finally jumping up and down as if she was growing bigger.

"What is a poor giant lion to do when no one wants to talk to him?" Kali asked with a worried and sad face.

"Because of what happened, all the other lions shunned him, no one wanted to play with him because he would step on him and they would all die because of that and no one wanted to die. So they kicked him out," Jelani narrated while Zuri moved forward and tried to kick the "giant" Kali but Kali simply walked away.

"So I wander the savanna all alone," Kali said with a pout on her face.

"Ah so you are the giant lion everyone is talking about," Zuri said as she appeared as some kind of creature.

"It was the shaman of the lands and he had heard of him but he had never seen him but that was because he was blind," said Jelani.

"Whoa wait a minute!" Kijani interrupted.

"Yes Uncle Kijani?" Asked Jelani in a very annoyed voice.

"How did the shaman know it was him if he was blind?" asked Kijani.

"Because he heard him, lions have a different sound than an elephant so he knew it was him," said Jelani.

"Okay I guess that makes sense," said Kijani.

"Hush now, let them finish," said Hawla as she bumped him in the shoulder.

"Yeah Kijani, show some respect for the amateurs," said Layla.

Kijani rolled his eyes and let them continue. There was a long pause for a moment until Jelani growled at Kali. Kali quickly jumped up from the realization that it was her turn.

"Yes I am that lion," said Kali with a sad voice.

"And the shaman said, how did you get so big?" said Zuri trying to sound older like most of the shamans she had met besides Jabir.

"And the lion said, I ate a berry given to me by a hornbill, the berry made me big and I have not seen the hornbill since," said Kali.

"And the shaman said, I would help you with that but since I am blind I have not seen him either," said Zuri. Kijani slapped himself on the face for that remark.

"And the lion said, so there is nothing to help me become smaller?" Kali said with the look of hopelessness in her face.

"And the shaman said, not that I am aware of but that's because I am blind, I only know the medicines from the past shaman, I can't make up any new things," said Zuri.

"Hmmm interesting excuse," said Kijani said softly to Hawla. Hawla only bumped his shoulder again in annoyance.

"Then what is a poor giant lion to do?" said Kali as she moved her paws up and down as if she was about to give up.

"You must find the hornbill who made you into a giant, he probably has a berry that turns you back into your normal size but I don't know I'm a very bad shaman," said Zuri this time with her eyes closed.

"At least he admits it," Kijani commented yet again, Kali actually heard it.

"Do you mind, we are trying to tell you a story, we don't interrupt you when you are telling it!" she said.

"Yeah 'Jani show some respect," said Hawla as she cuffed him in the ear.

"Sorry," Kijani said sheepishly.

The cubs stared back at him for a moment before Layla continued looking a bit annoyed but still excited about what she was about to tell. "So the lion traveled through the savanna in search of the elusive hornbill. He searched high and low and stepped on quite a few when he thought he found the right one. But it was only the hornbill's cousin or sister and once it was the hornbill's father and he had a very bad back afterward and now he can't fly because of what the lion did. But the lion was willing to give him a lift so he could help him find the hornbill. It wasn't until five days later though when they ran into him, he had been looking for his father." While Layla told the story, Kali pretended to be the giant lion and stepped on different 'hornbills.' Asha then appeared in front of Kali, Kali then let out a gasp and hugged Asha tightly. Asha tried to push Kali out of the way because her sister was so strong.

"I have been searching all over for you, I've had enough of being so big," said Kali.

"Well you did try to eat me," said Asha angrily as she also checked herself over to make sure her bones were still intact.

"But making me bigger really did not make sense because then I could eat as many as ten hornbills which could then make you extinct," said Kali.

"Oh well I was not thinking that, I do have a berry to make you smaller but do you promise not to try and eat me again?" asked Asha who was now trying to sound like Conga and she was doing a very good job at it. Kijani and Hawla both laughed.

"I promise," said Kali as she lifted up her paw with a serious face.

"And so the hornbill gave the lion the berry that would make him small again and everything was back to normal," Layla said with a satisfied grin while Kali pretended to eat a berry. She then lay on the ground like she was smaller and grinned at Kijani.

"And that's our story for you Uncle Kijani, what did you think?" asked Jelani.

"Yes what does the reviewer think?" asked Hawla with a silly voice.

"Aww I can't be a critic?" asked Kijani.

"Well you can but…you can't kill a critic," said Layla in a matter of fact voice.

"Oh dear I guess I better give you a good one then," said Kijani nervously.

The cubs all bounced up in the air ready to hear what Kijani had to say about their little story to him. Well each one of them had a feeling about it. Layla waited patiently not caring what he would have to say but was still a bit optimistic because she knew she tried for someone so young, Kali tapped her paw ready to hear the response now, Asha was smiling from ear to ear knowing that they told the best story in the world. Jelani looked at his uncle nervously thinking that he would say something horrible about what he had just done. And Zuri, well she was biting her claws but ready to defend her story if Kijani said anything she did not like.

"Well let's see, what can I say about your little story to me," Kijani said slowly as he paced back and forth.

"Please hurry I want to know!" said Kali who was then shushed by Jelani.

"Okay calm down… well for first timers you did well, there still needs to be plot structures and things but you'll learn in time. But I am proud of you guys, you were brave enough to tell the story teller a story you all made up," said Kijani.

"So…?" Jelani said with his head tilted a little confused.

"I'm confused, are you saying it's good or bad?" asked Layla.

"It's good, there is no such thing as a bad story, there are those out there that don't like a certain story but that's because they have different tastes. A story must be worked out slowly and be told with great care so the reader can enjoy it. The teller can add more to enhance the characters…well character and over time they add more to create a well worked out plot. So I will say this, if you all try to tell it to me again in a year I bet that it will not be good but extraordinary," said Kijani.

As Kijani said this, the cub's eyes lit up with amazement of the thought of creating something better, Jelani looked at the triplets and Layla with great curiosity and they all nodded in agreement.

"Then we will tell it to you again in a year and I will bet it will be better than anything you have ever told us," said Jelani.

"Yeah so you better watch your back Storyteller!" said Layla with a sly grin.

And with that the cubs ran off into the bushes to play a game while Kijani watched them go with a grin on his face, while Hawla continued to giggle quietly. Kijani noticed this and looked at her curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh I think you have competition, but that was a very good speech you gave them at the end, it's very true," said Hawla.

"Yes, Rasul told me that and I will live by that rule because I know even my stories can be revamped and made even better, I just have to find someone to listen," Kijani said.

And with that both Kijani and Hawla lay back down under the acacia tree, enjoying the afternoon air together until the storms returned.

Important A/N: I think there is a moral to this ending, I'm not really sure though, I'm a lot like Jelani at the moment, often nervous about what others have to say. Sorry about the long wait, finally finished Love Thy Neighbor and that story taught me that I needed to slowly work on stories to make them stand out. And that one kind of did, I miss it now already and when I started on this chapter I just had so much trouble trying to start it, and I am still not happy with it, it just looks like lazy work or half assed crap, whichever way you want to put it. But I knew I needed to update plus bdlywrttn wanted it that way and you don't upset that woman believe me. Truthfully I feel that I am losing my connection with these characters and truthfully I don't know how long it's going to be before I just want to stop. So I want to ask you all if I should continue, you may answer me in the review you give me, or better yet the poll I will put up in my authors note. I know I told a few of you that this story is going to last a while but things change, and this change happened when I was working on my last story. So please let me know, I know it's terrible for me to say these things but it's the truth and telling the truth is a lot better than a lie.

So please review when you can, I will talk to you all later.