Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion King or any of the characters mentioned in this storey.
Zira woke with a shock. The last thing she remembered was falling down a cliff into a raging river. She looked around only to see nothing but miles and miles of open desert. There was nothing; no plant life, no water, no animals; nothing but scorching, dry, dusty sand.
The sun was scorching. Normally Zira was used to the heat of the desert, but this time it was burning through her like fire. Zira started to sweat from the heat and her mouth became filled with dust as she breathed; she became thirsty and set off in search of water.
Zira wandered around for what seemed like a lifetime, the scorching sand burning her feet with every step she took. She could find no food, water or shelter from the scorching sun. She began to wonder how she had ended up in the desert, and if she was anywhere near the pride lands.
Ziras paws began to sting; she sat down and looked at them; only to see they had gone red from the heat of the sand.
'Where am I?!!!!!!!' Zira shouted as she began to cry. 'Why am I here?!!!!!!!'
'You are paying for your sins.' A deep voice replied.
Zira looked around; no one was there. Then suddenly, Mufasas spirit materialised in front of her; Mufasa did not at all look happy to see her. 'I am Mufasa.' He said to her.
'Mufasa?!' Zira said in disbelief. 'But you're dead?!'
'I have been sent to tell you what Scar was told when he died.'
Zira was both shocked and frightened. 'What?! I...I...I'm dead?!'
'You didn't survive the fall.' Mufasa replied. 'And as punishment for your sins you will spend eternity in 'Le Jangwa Pa Kichaa'' (The Desert Of Madness). 'You may be dead; but that does not mean you are completely immortal; you still require food, water and rest; but there's none of that here; you can search for millennia, and still never find even a scrap of meat or a drop of water. You'll slowly waste away from hunger and thirst; but will never die; and eventually, you'll look like this.
Zira looked to the side of the lion to see herself staring back at her. She looked awful; she was so thin her bones were clearly visible. The figure then vanished.
'Where's Scar?' Zira asked with fear.
'He too has been sent to 'Le Jangwa Pa Kichaa', along with Nuka; but you will never find either of them. This desert is far bigger than you can even imagine; it contains the souls of countless evil lions such as yourself; they have searched for years, trying to find each other but never have and never will succeed. I don't know which is going to be the worst for you Zira; the heat, hunger, thirst or simply sheer loneliness.'
Mufasa disappeared. 'NO PLEASE!' Zira shouted. 'DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! I'LL GO MAD!!!!'
Zira collapsed in the sand and cried. She was now paying the price for all the crimes she had committed while she was alive. Like Mufasa had said, all she had to look forward to was hunger, dehydration, sun burn and worst of all, crushing loneliness for all eternity.
The End