The truth... The truth of it is that I am not at all malcontent with my lot. I look around the room, seeing all the faces of my friends and the people that have acted on my behalf, and I realize how very much I love them all. And how very much I will miss them now when I have to go. To fade silently into the eternal night.

And the horror...the horror of it is that I also know that they will celebrate this, and speak openly about all my flaws and the mistakes done under my reign. And how very high this has risen their hopes for my predecessor. That part of it is what hurts. I remember so well when I first came around, perhaps not such a long time ago in their eyes, but an eternity in my eyes. All of my life in fact.

I am dying, you see, and I can feel and see the hungry countdown in their eyes as they wait for me to be lain to rest, and it saddens me. Almost as much as it gladdened me once upon a time how they welcomed me when at first I came to take the throne.

But that was a long time ago, so many days have passed since I was all that new sparkly and shiny, a novelty in their eyes and their hearts. Now...I am but something for them to forget as the look forward to another to take my throne.

I can see him approaching now. Glorious he is, tall and proud, and I can see that even those loving him most somewhat fear him for what changes he might bring to them and their lives.

And so the bell begins to toll and my powers fade even swifter...as the bells toll for the passing of the old year, and my predecessor slides into my place, gently replacing me and taking them all into the twenty-first century. The fireworks escorts me to my rest, and I just hope that someone will find it in their hearts to say that "1999 was a good year."