The Beast and the iPad (#BattleTheBeast)

The Beast and the iPad

The air was fresh with the moist scent of the nature in the lush and legendary forests of Fillory. Griffins circled above, gliding effortlessly through the sunbeams of dawn. The five friends regarded the sprawling vista in awe.

"Its... beautiful..." Quentin gasped.

Margo pulled out her iPad and plugged in her earphones.

"You-- you brought an iPad to Fillory?" Quentin sputtered.

Margo didn't dignify him with a response, other than a not-so-subtle glower. If Quentin knew about the handgun in her purse, he'd probably flip out even more.

"You can't expect us to go on a journey with out entertainment," Elliot explained officiously. He turned to his dear friend. "Did you download the latest Dance to the Death: Toddler Edition? Some of those kid's moms are cutthroat." Margo smiled at her well-dressed partner in crime.

"Jesus," Penny folded his arms, "we've crossed into another world, we're marching to our deaths, and you want to watch reality television?"

Alice placed her hands on her hips, "Penny's right we should focus--"

Margo rolled her eyes. Ever since Penny and Alice did the dirty, Alice loved to back up Penny. For someone so irritatingly perfect, Alice was utterly spineless. Margo lost her train of thought. "Damn!" she shouted in rage.

"What's wrong?" Elliot asked.

"It didn't download!"

"Let me see that--" Elliot took the iPad from her and turned to Quentin. "Don't they have Wi-Fi in Fillory?"

Quentin's eyelids fluttered in frustration. "No."

Margo grabbed the iPad back from Elliot. "Ugh. I'm going to have to read for entertainment."

The five began their journey through the Darkwood. Dead trees, were overgrown with vines that seemed to move on their own. Iridescent butterflies fluttered between headstones marking the dead. A creature-- was it a unicorn?-- scampered away through the thick foliage. Margo paid it no mind; she was absorbed in her iPad.

"This is crazy," Margo said as she swiped the pad with her finger.

"Keep it to yourself," Elliot scoffed. "I am not reading fiction like some pre-technology pedestrian."

"No. You, really have to see this."

Quentin sighed, "I'll bite, Margo. What is it?"

"Well, it turns out my data plan is very slow in Fillory. I can only get Wattpad."

"I love Wattpad!" Quentin couldn't contain his excitement.

Penny rolled his eyes. "I have a feeling I'm going to hate Wattpad."

"What is it?" Alice asked.

"It's a site where people upload all kinds of fiction." Quentin explained, "Fanfiction mostly. Well sometimes at least."

Penny was aghast. "Fan fiction? Like when losers project their creepy sexual fantasies onto unsuspecting TV characters?"

"Exactly," Margo interrupted. "Except all the stories on here are about us. Well, you all at least. I'm not in them."

"Wait, what?" Quentin grabbed the iPad from her.

"She's right. There's a million of them..." Quentin began to flip through the stories. "Number 23, Thirteenth Time's the Charm... There's so many! But... we always die."