Kion was the next of the royal lions to wake up in the morning, but noticed his dad wasn't there in his usual spot, and decided to go out and look for him. At last, he found his father and he could hear him sobbing quietly. "There you are, dad." said Kion.
The king perked his head up and sounded a little surprised, and turned back to reveal his teary-eyed face to him. "Oh. Good morning, Kion." he said, holding back some of his tears.
Kion frowned at seeing how sad he was. "What's wrong, dad?" he asked him, coming to approach him.
"Look for yourself, son." was all Simba could say.
The cub did just that, and he was shocked to see Zazu dead on his back, having left the mortal plain. His mouth was agape at what just happened to the poor bird. Tears escaped from Kion's own eyes.
"Dad... i'm sorry". said Kion tearfully.
"No. No. No need to apologize." said Simba. "He was just... so old. It was only natural causes."
Both father and son were silent for a few long minutes, and they were mourning him for this terrible loss. They hugged one another's faces to comfort one another. "I know it was gking to happen someday." Kion looked at Zazu again, "But not so soon."
"I know, Kion. But death is unpredictable." Simba said. "But yove a long life in yours and you gotta make the best of it."
Letting more tears escape his eyes, Kion said: "I know dad."
"I'll tell everyone about this, and we can arrange the funeral for him." Simba noted. "And... at least he can see my father again."
"True. Zazu will always be with us." Kion tried to cheer up his dad. What are we going to tell everyone though?"
"We just tell them the truth, Kion. And... at least he's no longer in pain."
"Very true, dad." Kion said, wiping his eyes. "We can honor him in his name."
"Right you are."
"Simba, Kion?" said a female voice. The pair turned to see Nala, Kiara, and Kovu looking for them."
"What's wrong?" said Kovu
"Zazu, he's..." Kion was having a hard time finding the proper words, but he finished by saying: "pushing up daisies."
Kiara, Nala, and Kovu gasped and were just as shocked as Simba and Kion first finding the now-dead hornbill. "Oh no." said Nala, coming up to see him.
Kiara and Kovu just hugged one another seeing Zazu like this, Nala hugged her mate as well.
Poor Kion couldn't help but walk in front of Zazu and nuzzle him gently with the right side of his head a few times, and laid next to him. "I still can't believe he's gone." he said while beginning to cry more.
Kiara walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Sssshhh. It's ok." she soothed her brother. "He's in a better place now."
"I know, sis."
Word had gotten out from many birds over the Pride Lands, and Back Lands alike, along with some parts of the Outlands, and the Rwenzori mountains.
As soon as the birds told more and more animals of Zazu's passing, a dark cloud rose over, causing a wave of sadness of slightly misery of hearing it from word of mouth.
A funeral was arranged and Rafiki was asked to help with making the perfect kind of grave or headstone for the poor majordomo.
Chris, Tara, Persephone, and Joel were all present in the funeral too. There was also Heri and his family of striped hyenas, Janja and his clan, Sokwe, and the gorillas, Imari, Chikelu, Kion's close friends, the Zorilla couple, the Emela-Ntouka herd with their leader: Adewale, and many more familiar faces that Kion and company had made friends with.
Everyone was seated in rows, with the lions sitting in front since they were the royal animals of these Lands.
Simba, Nala, and Rafiki were in front of the crowd, looking as sad and grim as everyone else. Kion was sitting with his closest friends, including Chris, Kifaru, Beshte, Bunga, Ono, and Fuli in a line.
As soon as most of the animals were sitting (there couldn't possibly be a way for every animal to come attend the funeral, because it would he ridiculous), Simba stepped up and cleared his throat, and he began:
"Hello Everyone. As you all know, we have suffered a terrible, terrible loss." he slightly bowed his head. Some of you might not have known him so much, and many of you have. But either way, Zazu was a kind, generous, humble, and a wonderful friend. If you are all wondering why this happened, then I will tell you: it was just natural causes."
It sounded quite relieving that Zazu just died peacefully in his sleep. It was better to die peacefully than die a painful death.
"He was a good friend to my father, Mufasa, and Sarabi my mother. He was around since me and Nala were kids, and we remembered all the things he did and all the good times we had together in that great run. But, the pain, the pain we all feel tells me that... we're not very different. Sure we're different animals and eat in different ways, but our hearts beat as one."
Kion and Rani let those words sink in and looked at one another with sad smiles, knowing about their true love for each other.
"Always remember the good times we had with Zazu, and you will remember that Zazu didn't die in vain. Zazu was a bird that always stood to his duties and did everything he could to make sure everyone was doing fine." Somba continued. "He might be gone in body, but his spirit will live on. A bird so kind, honest, noble, and loyal, right to the end."
As soon as the king stopped speaking, he and everyone else bowed their heads in mourning.
It went on for five minutes and then Simba said: "Rafiki here would like to show us a tribute to our friend Zazu to honor his memory."
The old mandrill stood in front of Simba and began chanting whimsical and musical phrases in Swahili, waving his staff around at the sky, and a bright light of colors were seen, and they were like stars low to the ground and everyone realized they were all fireflies glowing brighter than ever.
They all formed a pattern with a caricature of Zazu, then another grouped aligned themselves with words spilling out: "Goodbye Zazu".
More animals broke own into tears while others remained silent, still not believing that the king's most loyal bird ha just passed away like this. At least most of them knew him and got to spend time with him before his untimely passing. He will, indeed, be in everyone's hearts. "Farewell, Zazu." said Simba. "We'll all miss you." As soon as the fireflies stopped their little show, they all mourned for him once again, and many animals laid flowers on Zazu's grave, and Heri... he laid some kind of femur or bone for some unknown reason.
Nonetheless, it was a nice little tribute to the late hornbill. He was in peace and he had a good, long life. As soon as everyone was one laying their flowers and other tributes to him, Everyone began to talk to one another, and Kion was with his closest friends. "We're really sorry, Kion." said Kifaru. "I know how much of a good friend he was."
"Thanks guys." Kion smiled. "He did live a good life. And was a good servant to my dad, and his dad."
"I'm gonna really miss that old toucan." said Timon.
"Yeah, even though we didn't always get along." Pumbaa added
"I think it was mostly me he didn't get along with." the meerkat corrected. "But yeah."
