Chapter 12: Twelve:

Shu's POV:

We were on our way to the finish line, but first, we have to cross this river. "How do we cross it," asks Mao.

"Hey, Niu," I said, "wanna give us a ride?"

"Sure," says Niu.

. . .

We then rode Niu across the river.

"We might win," says Mao.

"I'm sure you'll understand," I said. I then pushed Mao into the river.

"What are you doing," asks Mao.

We then reached the shore, and I jumped off Niu's head and crossed the finish line first. Then Niu crossed second. Mu Laohu then crossed third. She had difficulty in the river because of the heavy currents pushing her downstream all the time. Next was Tuzi. He was hopping from one rock to another and almost lost, but he jumped onto a log that floated to shore. Next was Long. He had to stop to make it rain to help the people and the creatures. He's also the one who helped Tuzi. Ma was about to reach, but She was hiding on her hoof, scaring her, so She got sixth place and Ma had seventh. Yang, Hou, and Gongji helped each other get to shore. Yang got eighth, Hou had ninth, and Gongji had tenth. Next was Gou. He couldn't resist playing in the river and he needed a bath anyway. So, he got eleventh. Finally, was Zhu. She tried to fight her urge to eat and sleep... but she ended up eating and sleeping, but she still made it to twelfth place.

"Congratulations, Animals of the Zodiac," says the Jade Emperor.

"Wait," says Mao. He came.

"I'm sorry," says the Jade Emperor, "we now have all twelve!"

Mao then looks at me and then walked away, betrayed.

I... feel bad for what I did. "Mao..."

"Now, for your rewards," says the Jade Emperor.

"You mean having years named after us," asks Gou.

"Not just that," says the Jade Emperor, "I bestow upon you... powers!" We were all surprised. He then held up this magic orb. "Rat, you now have the power of motion to motionless! You can bring objects to life! Ox, you now have the power of strength! You are stronger than even your own kind! Tiger, you now have the power of Balance! Yin and Yang! And I don't mean the sheep. Rabbit, you now have the power of speed! You can run faster than any other creature alive! Dragon, you now have the power of Combustion! You can blow things up! Snake, you have the power of invisibility! You can hide yourself from anyone or anything! Horse, you now have the power of healing! You can heal any wounds and cure any disease! Sheep, you now have the power of Astral Projection! You can enter dreams as well! Monkey, you have the power of Shape-shifting! You can turn yourself and others into any animal! Rooster, you have the power of levitation! You can make anything you wish float! Dog, you have the power of immortality! You can never die! And Pig, you have the power of thermal vision! You can fire powerful blasts from your eyes! Now, as this is the start, I welcome you all to the year of the rat!"

. . .

"We get years named after us and we get powers," asks Tuzi, "best day ever!" Then he felt something pinch him and it turned out to be She, invisible.

"I feel bad for Mao," says Mu Laohu, "it's too bad he fell in the water."

"Yeah... I know..." I was sweating.

"You should be proud," says Long, "you were the first!"

"Yep... I totally deserve it," I said.

"Someone has stolen my orb," says the Jade Emperor.

We then looked and saw Mao. He was using it to give himself powers. "What are you doing," I asked.

"So, refuse me will you," Mao says to the Jade Emperor, "and you, choose a dragon when you could have been with me!"

"Wait, you liked me," asks Mu Laohu.

"Seriously," I asked.

"And you," says Mao, "Shu, you betrayed me!"

"I... have... no... idea... what... he's... talking... about..."

"You pushed me into the river," says Mao.

Everyone looks at me. "So... what are you going to do," I asked.

"I'm going to be the only one in the zodiac," says Mao, "by destroying all of you and the Jade Emperor, for I now have all of your powers!"

Mao then demonstrates all the powers we were given. The others tried to fight him. This was all my fault. He's my best friend and I took advantage of him. Not just that, but I was willing to do whatever it takes. They should use rat as a metaphor for dirty backstabber! I gotta make this right. I then ran. "Mao," I said, "you were right, I pushed you and I'm sorry! You're my best friend! All I want is your forgiveness!"

"It's too late for that," says Mao. He then levitates me.

"Mao, do what you want to me, but let the others go," I said, "they don't deserve it!"

"I'm going to kill them all and force you to watch," says Mao, "and even if I don't, may all cats hunt down all rodents! May my kind avenge me for what you did by taking it out on your kind!"

The Jade Emperor then contains Mao in a bubble. "Like I was really going to let some feline end me," says the Jade Emperor. He then takes Mao's powers. "That was dishonest of you... but you did just try to sacrifice yourself for the others."

"Sir, I don't deserve to be in the zodiac," I said, "give my spot to Mao! Up til now, he's been the honest one!"

"I cannot. He has too much hate in him. I'm sorry, but your friend is gone and there's literally no one else, so you're staying. But promise me not to betray your friends again."

"I promise," I said.

. . .

I may have lost my best friend, but now I have eleven new friends and this time, we're all going to treat each other equally.

The End