Sometimes we have to lose, To win

Try number 20

Sometimes in life choices are made and we have to live with them and there potential outcomes no matter what. Then there's the land of magic where everyday choices could be changed or manipulated by the single movement of a finger.

This land is our world. Magic is everywhere and those who know how to manipulate and control it have us normal people in the palms of their hands. Though sometimes, those with power, also hold others with power in the palm of their hands as well as Quentin and his friends at Brakebills were about to find out.

Quentin's eyes fluttered open as Alice gave him a kiss on his nose. Smiling at him, she runs her hand down his bare chest and into his pajama bottoms. He moaned as her hand fluttered over his hardening cock. Alice gave it a good squeeze, causing Quentin to moan deeply, just as Eliot and Margo walked in the door.

The two quickly jumped apart. "Don't stop on the account of us" Margo said with an evil smile. "What do you two want" Quentin said with almost a snarl. "Well Q boy, we thought we could all train. Penny's already outside being his most annoying self so get your lazy behinds out of bed and let's go" Eliot drawled.

Sighing, Quentin and Alice waited for the two annoyances to leave. Taking a hint from the deadly stares they were receiving, Margo and Eliot head outside. "I guess training wouldn't hurt any" Alice says groaning and putting a pillow over her face. Quentin smiled and removing the pillow, he gave Alice a deep, passionate kiss.

Begrudgingly, Quentin got up and started dressing and Alice followed suit.

When they got outside there wasn't much training going on. They both groaned and wanted to throttle both Eliot and Margo for bothering them for nothing since Penny was laying on the grass weaving a basic fire spell in the air while Eliot was sitting on a bench making out with some guy. Though, when he saw Quentin and Alice he motioned for them to come over.

"Q and A I would love you to meet my new boyfriend, Brian." Eliot said with a smile. Brian smiled and reached out a hand. "Nice to meet you both. I'm in the same year as Eliot and Margo. I thought I would help you guys get some training done for the trials" Brian said with a smile. Quentin and Alice shake his hand. "It's nice to finally meet someone who actually cares how we are going to do" Alice says throwing a dirty look at Margo and Eliot who sneer back at her with a laugh.

Collecting Penny and Margo, Brian starts showing them how to weave protective spells. They watched in amazement because at some points his fingers looked like they never even moved. Penny was the first to copy the spell. He learned things quicker than the others it seemed like. Alice was the next in line. She was smart but kPenny seemed to catch things easier. Quentin took a breath. He still hasn't mastered it by the time Eliot and Margo caught on as well. It was like he was always doomed to look stupid in front of Alice.

Alice smiles at him and holds him. "Some spells are beyond the use of some Magicians" she says softly. Quentin nods and kisses her softly. Margo watches smiling. She hoped that one day she would have someone who would make her happy. But for now she had Eliot, who was enough for her.

Dean Fogg watched from the window of his office. He never wanted this for his students but Fillory staid his hand. They didn't deserve the trials they were going to endure or the pain they would feel from the truths yet to be learned. He thought about Quentin and his cracked relationship with Julia and what was to come for them both. Taking a long swig of brandy, Fogg slumps back into his chair and closes his eyes knowing what was about to come.

They finish up their training and start heading inside when the moths started to flutter around them like butterflies to flowers. Alice looked at Quentin and they both knew what that meant. The beast was back.

Getting in a tight group they kept their eyes peeled on the spot that the moths had come from. Suddenly there he was. Face obscured by the moths surrounding it.

Quentin growled. "Fuck off asshole or face our wrath" Quentin said with authority. Everyone looked at him in amazement. He normally didn't get worked up but this time he was.

Laughing, the beast sent a fire spell hurling their way. Brian sets up a barrier spell that guards against magic. Working his fingers, Quentin hit the beast with a mixed fire and lightening spell, sending the beast hurdling backwards.

Standing up and laughing the beast grabs Penny by the neck. "You'll be the first to die again" he says cracking Penny's neck. Alice screams but is shocked when Penny is standing next to her. "How the hell Penny?" Alice asked almost yelling. "Time travel my dear. I figured since this thing was using it for us to fight it a bunch of times, I would use it for our advantage. I sat down with the headmaster and we went through the books and created a spell that anytime our hearts stop, time would bring us back to the time right before" Penny says with a cocky smile on his face.

Alice hugs him, not sure what he was talking about, and they go back to the fight. Penny had seen this on one of his "journeys". He had seen them fighting this beast before and he also saw them fighting it in the future which is what grounded him to find out more about time travel itself.

Alice sends a devastation ice blast straight into the head of the beast. They watch as a dozen moths fall to the ground frozen. "You brats don't know what your messing with. Soon you'll all find find out but not until it's too late" the beast says as it sends a blast of heat and light straight at them. Thankfully for them Brian's shield kept it from hurting them or their eyes.

Swearing in agitation the beast started weaving a spell none of our heroes had ever seen before. It was complex and definitely not going to be very good for them. Brian's eyes grew wide at what the beast was about to do.

"He is about to cast a spell that would wipe us all out of existence for good. Burn our stories right out of existence." Brian says and then looks at Eliot sadly. "It's been fun sweetie but the only way to counter the spell is for one of us to be hit by it. You all have a destiny. I was just here to be your guide this time around. You'll all understand soon enough" Brian says holding Eliot close.

With tears steaming down his face Eliot nodded and whispers, "no matter what I'll find a way to keep your memory alive even if I don't know who you might be".

Kissing one last time, Brian stands in front of the others, weaving a spell of his own. As the beast throws his spell, Brian does his own. A blinding light and the words "Eliot I love you" are the last things any of them say or heard before going unconscious.

Quentin jerked straight up in bed. Alice groaned and turned over. Kissing her cheek gently he slipped out of bed and headed for the common area. He was shocked when he got downstairs and Eliot was already down there, awake and sober.

"Hey Eliot" Quentin said grabbing a cup of coffee from the kitchen. "Hey Quent" Eliot said softly. They sat in silence for awhile.

After an hour had passed Quentin, who got easily bored, looked down at the table and asked "think we will ever find and destroy the beast"? Eliot stared into his his own cup of coffee that he had nursed the whole and said with more passion than Quentin had seen out of him before, "damn right we are. That thing has to go". Quentin smiled and as he got back up to go back to bed he notices the name Brian scribbled across Eliot's notebook. He wanted to ask but decided to leave it be.

As soon as the room was empty, Eliot laid down on the couch and sticking his middle finger into the air he says "that's for you, you Damned beast" and with a swift movement he kissed a weathered photograph and said "and that's for you Brian. May one day everyone remember the sacrifice you made for us all".

From the mirror across the room the beast smiled and laughed and disappeared silently back into the dark abyss it came from, for now.