Chapter Text
Kylar was floating. And dying. And breathing. How was she breathing if she was dead?
CALM YOUSELF, CHILD. YOU ARE NOT DEAD. A voice said, booming through wherever Kylar was.
“Where am I?! What the fuck happened to me?!” She yelled back, panicking.
I CAN’T HELP YOU HERE. ALL YOU MUST KNOW IS THAT YOU ARE ALIVE. The voice said, and then the presence disappeared.
“Shit! Why the fuck did I do that?!” Kylar yelled, voice breaking. Until she was falling. But she still felt like she was dying.
“God!” She said as she hit the ground. Then she opened her eyes.
“Kylar! Wake up, short stack!!” Richie was yelling. “I think I killed it!” He looked back over his shoulder. “I did-!”
”Fuck, MOVE!” Kylar yelled and pushed Richie out of the way, as something pierced her stomach.
“Kylar-,” Richie said as his daughter was impaled. “Wait, NO!”
“I’m- shit,” Kylar whispered as she was thrown across the cavern. She could hear screaming, from her friends, her family, as she hit the ground.
They were all running towards her, but none as fast as Richie.
“Guys, we’ve got to get her out of here.” Richie said, voice breaking.
“How Richie?” Beverly asked. “We can’t get out with Pennywise still alive.”
“I-I almost killed it. While it was the leper.” Eddie said. “Strangled it.”
Mike gasped. “All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit, that’s it!”
“B-but guys...” Richies voice broke again. “We’ve got to get her out.”
“Dad.” Kylar said. “Kill the clown. T-then. Then you can get me out.”
Richie sighed. “Fine. But I’m not leaving you here.” He said as he picked her up.
“Guys!” Bill said from an opening. “This leads b-back to the cavern!”
Richie put Kylar down in front of a rock where she and the rest of the kids would be hidden. “Don’t-don’t stop breathing. Or-or talking.” He told her, and she nodded. He turned to Daniel. “Make sure she doesn’t, okay, Danny Boy?” He nodded too.
As Richie ran towards the Losers, Kylar turned to the rest of the kids. “He-he has feelings, y’know? For Eddie.” The twins nodded. “And-and you guys know I care about you right?” Her voice was getting softer. “Please-please make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, alright..?”
“Wait, Kylar. Kylar no! Don’t-,” Daniel started, but Kylar didn’t hear him finish. Cause she closed her eyes and listened to the screaming start again.
And, again, she was falling.
Kylar hit the ground again and opened her eyes to see Richie standing above her. Then everything repeated. Again and again. It wasn’t always her who died, though. Sometimes it would be Richie, and she’d be dragged out of Neibolt as it was coming down.
Other times, it would be Eddie. And then Richie, Evan, and Rachel would have to be dragged out.
And on one special occasion, it wasn’t any of the adults or Kylar. It was Daniel. And in that universe, all hell broke loose.
Then, for some reason, Kylar was in the white space again. She still heard screaming, and she still felt like she was dying, but the presence was back.
“Please,” Kylar begged. “How do I help them?!”
SOMEONE SHALL STILL GET HURT. The voice said, dodging her question. BUT NO ONE WILL DIE. I WILL MAKE SURE OF THAT.
“But why do we have to hurt?!” Kylar yelled. The voice didn’t answer her. “ANSWER ME!” She yelled at the voice.
TO KEEP THE BALANCE. It said simply.
“What even are you?!”
I AM MATURIN, CREATOR OF WORLDS. THE CREATURE KNOWN TO YOU AS PENNYWISE IS MY... FOIL, IF YOU WILL. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR FATHER AND HIS FRIENDS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. SINCE THE FIRST TIME THEY FOUGHT IT. I HAVE GROWN FOND OF THEM.
“So why don’t you just kill Pennywise? You seem plenty powerful!”
IT IS... HARD TO EXPLAIN. Maturin said. Suddenly, his presence started to fade. IT SEEMS OUR TIME IS UP. JUST LOOK FOR THE TURTLES.
And just then, Kylar heard “Beep fucking beep, asshole!” in her fathers voice, and she was falling for real this time.
When she hit the ground, Kylar realized something. Even though that felt like a hundred years, it was maybe only a minute. Then, she opened her eyes.
“Kylar! Wake up, short stack. I think I finally killed it!” Richie yelled, grinning. Kylar rolled to the side, knowing what was about to happen. When she did, she caught Richie’s legs in the process.
As soon as he tripped, Pennywise clawed Richie’s arm, ripping it clean off.
Kylar’s stomach dropped. “No. NO!” She yelled, as she saw blood start to come out of the place where Richie’s arm used to be. She heard the rest of the Losers, young and old, yelling.
“Shitshitshitshitshit-.” Kylar got up and quickly got to him. “Okay, come on, get up, we gotta move!” She said, helping Richie up by grabbing his arm that was still there. Eddie was soon beside them and helped her get him to a cave just to the side of the cavern.
“Fuck, uh, okay, Eds, jacket, now, please.” she said to Eddie, who handed it over quickly. The rest of the Losers were with them now, looking extremely worried. Beverly rushed to Richie to help him as Kylar turned to the rest of the Losers.
”I know how to kill it.”