“I-it was an accident…I didn’t mean for it to happen…” the upset cub whimpered.

“Of course…of course you didn’t.” hushed the elder lion. His violet eyes turned towards the limp bodies nearby. “But the King and the crowned prince are dead. If it weren’t for you, they’d still be alive.” He gasped, a thought coming to mind. “What will your sister think?”

The young cub’s brown eyes opened wide, and he turned his head to look at the bodies of his family. His adoptive family. The ones that had taken him in when he was alone. The King…with his golden mane streaked with red and brown. And the young prince, with a tuft of hair similar to his father’s. His father, and brother. Dead by his own paws.

He shook his head and looked up at the silvery-blonde maned lion standing over him. “W-what do I do?”

The elder lion’s frown twisted into an evil grin. One that the younger cub didn’t pick up on. “Run. Run away, and never return.”

The cub stared at him, horrified, then with one last glance, he turned and ran, without looking back, leaving the life he once knew behind.

Marik sat patiently, watching him, then spoke to the shadow that had appeared behind him. “Kill him.”

The shadowed one nodded, then slunk off towards the rocky ledges to take chase from above.

---

The cub made his way through the canyon, not sure exactly where he was going. All he knew was he had to get there fast, and had to get far away from his homelands. It would take him awhile to get out of the maze-like gorge, he assumed, but that was ok. He had all the time in the world now.

Up above in the shadows, the shadowy minion of Marik was following him as quietly as possible, waiting for the opportune moment to finish the young cub off. It was just her luck that she noticed a pile of loose rocks nearby. A hard shove should dislodge them and send them toppling onto the cub.

A grin formed on her face, and she scampered over to them and waited until he walked under it, then she put all her body weight onto the main rock, and it fell over the side, the other rocks on top of it following.

The male cub blinked, ears twitching. What was that noise? He blinked when he noticed growing shadows on the ground before him and around him, and he looked up with wide eyes at the upcoming rocks. Knowing he didn’t have enough time to move, he covered his head with his paws and crouched down as they toppled over him.

Above, the shadow stepped into the light, glancing down towards the pile. The light revealed her to be a young cub, the same age as the one she had just exterminated. She was a light-pelted lioness with blonde bangs and tail-tuft. Her one visible blue eye scanned the floor below, then satisfied, she turned tail and headed back to find her master. Her work was done.

---

There was a clatter of rocks, followed by a cough and rising dust as the moon reached it’s peak that night. From under the rubble, squirmed the little cub, beaten, but not dead yet. He finally squeezed between the last rock and he flopped on the ground, sighing. After a few minutes of rest, he pulled himself to his feet and continued on. He had to keep going.