Across the nation, many households were sighing with relief. A new president was running the country now. There had been a lot of concerns along the way. The now ex-president had not been a graceful loser. From insisting the votes have been miscounted to trying to discredit mail-in vote, he had been doing all he could to convince everyone that he should still remain in power. This may make him indirectly responsible for the mob that stormed the Senate. But while some were injured and a few were killed, the attempt to overthrow the government failed. Now the ex-president was leaving in disgrace and a much more levelheaded man was leading the nation.
This was quite a day for celebration around the country for those who were most unhappy with the previous presidency. In fact, there was a small party in Animalia over this. It wasn't a particularly big one like the Christmas party at Fennec Manor. It mostly involved Mayor Clara, Deputy Mayor Robert, their spouses, and most of the administration and council members of Animalia. While current health codes limited things, sweet champagne and cider flowed freely that night.
Probably the most memorable part of the night was when Mayor Clara made a speech. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you all remembered what this was like four years ago," said Clara. There was a mumble of agreement around the room. "You know, we were lucky when Animalia first started, there was a wise man in office. When animals first became uplifted and humans became like us, it could have been easy for us to be ostracized and locked away for experimentation. But the president at the time knew better than to judge people just because they look different. He gave Animalia the chance it needed to start growing as a part of American society.
"And yet, his tenure did not last long. Only a few months after we were established, the next president was elected. A man who set himself up as the antithesis of everything his predecessor stood for. He won his election upon a platform of deceptions and hate-mongering. We feared for our future then. It seemed like any moment that our civil rights will be renounced and we would become government property. Only their inability to come to a consensus kept that from happening.
"And yet despite all of this Animalia has not only survived, it has prospered. Look at how much we've grown in four years. We have seven active colonies with more being slowly developed. We've made great leaps and bounds in advancing genetic science. We've become a haven for those who have been disenfranchised and ostracized by the world. Animalia has become the living embodiment of a second chance.
"And today, we have a new president. One who aims to undo the damage his predecessor has done and reunite our nation as it should be. If it weren't for the lockdown in Washington right now, I would be there myself to witness his being sworn in. The Senate has also been largely reformed, with new members who will be helping to rebuild the nation. And think of how well Animalia will be able to grow working with this new government. Yes, we still have a pandemic that's slowly being treated. But after that, things can only get better."
Clara's speech was well-received by the other people there. There were definitely ready for a better beginning. It'll take a while for Animalia to be back to its full glory, but there were steps being made in the right direction. The upcoming Lunar New Year festival will definitely be worth celebrating this year.