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Warning: This story, in no way, is meant to be pro-fascist/anti-democratic. This is in response to a deep philosophical question that has me thinking on societies and the people who lead them. If you want to create a mountain out of a molehill, reread the beginning of this warning VERY carefully and/or keep your fingers from typing when you read this.

Zrego, the capital city of the country Skeyrus and the only country in this world with a fascist regime. And contrary to all of the propaganda in the neighbouring countries, no fur in Skeyrus is oppressed.

The thousands of furs that populate Zrego have gathered outside their parliamentary building, and hundreds of thousands more listening in over the radios.

You may ask why...

Their Exarch was about to give a speech. Possibly his last.

Skeyrus has been in too many wars with its neighbours, most of them against their democratic ones and only once in history with their monarchic neighbour. The Skeyrusan Armed Forces were always on the defensive, the people constantly supplying them with the equipment necessary to help the Armed Forces defeat their attackers. Their neighbours always thought that their constant skirmishes, dogfights and air raids would break their spirit, when it only served to embolden it.

But this may be its last war in a long time.

From the parliamentary building, their Exarch walked out to the podium set up for him to give his speech. A male Siamese cat, his left eye severely scarred with an eyepatch, covering the hole that's left there from his time as a Captain in the Skeyrusan Armed Forces. He wore a long coat, his tail poking through the split between the tails of the coat. Blue lines rose from the bottom hems like flames to a log. The coat hid a pair of dark trousers. They could hear the boots hitting the stone ground that surrounded the parliamentary building.

He looked intimidating, but he was a kind fur at heart.

"People of Skeyrus...." He began, his voice amplified by the microphones on the podium and the silence that followed.

"... I know that this will be the final time that all of you will hear from me. But, fear not, the Skeyrusan spirit will stay strong within all of you."

The people cried out in pain, hearing words that they don't want to hear.

"The local regiments of the Skeyrusan Armed Forces will escort all of you to Eswesh, where their King has promised on his life to keep all of you safe. All I ask of you is to remain calm during all of this."

He stared over the crowd with his single eye.

"And for any spies listening to this, it is only me you want. All I ask is for you to tell your leaders to keep my people alive."

He looked over the crowd once more.

"Thank you."

He walked away from the podium, his paws clasped behind his back.

He cannot bear to look at the disappointed looks on the crowd's faces.

The Exarch was transported to his home, where his only family waits inside.

No doubt he listened in on the radio.

When he opened the door, and the Armed Forces escort he specifically requested stood by the doorway, he saw his son standing there. Another Siamese cat, but tears soaked the fur under his blue eyes that were his mother's, currently slits at the moment.

"Do you really have to die, father?" His son asked.

The Exarch sighed, ashamed of his new duty. His son, barely 13 years old, but having to witness both of his parents die. His mother had died during an air raid where a bomb blew up the building she was in when he was six.

The look on her dead face was scarred in both of their memories. Both cried deep into the night of her death and of her funeral

His son was given the necklace that was the wedding present to his mother as a personal memorabilia for her. He always kept it on him, even as he slept.

The Exarch came forwards and embraced his son, resting his son's head onto his shoulder. There, he cried even more, soaking the long coat that he wore with fresh tears. The Exarch didn't care, his son needed support at this moment. Absentmindedly, he began to stroke the back of his son's head, something that he used to constantly do when his mother died and he couldn't sleep because of the nightmares.

"It is the duty I have placed upon myself, son. Know that your life is more important than my own at this moment and in the future. This will stop the wars, but our great country will be no more. Eswesh is the best place for you now, not here anymore."

He released himself from his son's tight embrace, keeping him at arm's length. He stared with his one eye into his son's two.

"But promise me this, Ekon. Remain the pillar of strength that you always have been to your peers. Become a better leader than myself."

His son was still shedding tears, but took in a shaky breath. "I promise, father."

They shared one final embrace, but then his son was led to the truck that was used to transport the Exarch from place to place by the Armed Forces escort. When the truck began to drive away, the Exarch could see his son's face pressed against the glass, his face still stained with tears.

Ekon will cry himself to sleep for many nights.

Not that he could blame him for that.

A few days later:

Today was the day for the final fight.

The Democratic Alliance came down on Zrego like maggots to rotten meat.

The great structures of their city laid crumbled on the ground, buildings were gutted due to the bombs from the air raids over the last few days.

Those of the Skeyrusan Armed Forces that remained fought outside valiantly for their Exarch, their country and their regime, but they were of no match for the enemy.

The Exarch sat in the board room, looking towards the only door in or out. He still wore the long coat, dark trousers and boots from the day of the speech, his paws interlocked and resting on his stomach. He sat at the head of the table, at the furthest point away from the door.

He could hear the screams of the men and women dying for him. He could hear the propellers of the bombers above Zrego. He could hear the gunfire.

He's made peace with himself one day ago.

Suddenly, the gunfire and the screams stopped, but the bombs still fell, a whistle followed by a deep sounding explosion. Heavy footsteps began to fall towards the board room door. And by the pacing of them, it seems that they were running. The door was kicked open and many furs of different species stormed through the doorway, all aiming guns at him. He just stared back with his single eye, unfazed by the show of force.

And walking up to the other end of the table is the literal bitch that leads the Democratic Alliance.

Lilith Isselhardt, the democratic extremist (German) Shepard who has something of an extreme hatred for Skeyrus.

"Hello, Lilith. Nice to see you again." The Exarch said.

"You and your regime will die here, Exarch." Lilith responded, pulling out a pistol from behind the white dress that she wore.

"You may remove the poison from the snake, Lilith, but the snake still lives. I am the venom, and the country that my people hold dear is the snake."

She aimed the sights at his chest, smiling evilly. "Then I'll just cut the head off the snake after I remove the poison."

When she pulled the trigger, the sharp bang was followed by a grunt of pain. The Exarch was shot, crimson blood staining the long coat he wore. But he still hung on, despite clearly dying in front of them.

"Leave my people be, Lilith. It was only me you wanted.." He requested, before finally dying, a soft smile permanently etched on his face. One of his paws was placed onto the table, a scrap of white paper showing from between his fingers

Lilith walked away from the cold-blooded murder she just committed, completely unfazed by just such an action.

A soldier walked forwards and removed the piece of paper from the Exarch's paw, reading the contents.

Please, bury me next to my wife, in Zrego Cemetary.

The General among the ranks of soldiers ordered just such a thing to fulfil the Exarch's final request, and by the end of the afternoon, the Exarch was buried right next to his wife.