A/N: SPOILER ALERT. This contained complete spoilers of the final scene in Episode 5 of Life is Strange.
The storm was in full swing, gusts of wind and rain smacked off Max and Chloe's faces as they stood on the cliff by the lighthouse, well what was left of the lighthouse since the storm destroyed the top of it. The rain felt like shards of glass, scratching against both the girls faces.
They hadn't long gotten to their feet. Chloe had helped Max up onto her feet after she had what felt like the realist nightmare she had ever experience. From hiding from Jefferson, to running and hiding from Nathan and Frank as well. It just felt so real.
Max turned to face the tornado, watching in silence for what felt like hours but was only a few seconds. The brunette's breath kept catching in her throat due to the wind being so strong.
"This is my storm. I caused this...I caused all of this." Max managed to almost shout out over the sound of the gale force winds. "I changed fate and destiny so much that...I actually did alter the course of everything."
Max turned to face her best friend, looking at her with so much guilt spreading across her features. The blue haired girl couldn't even tear her eyes away from the swirling mass of wind, water and debris.
"And all I really created was just death and destruction!" Max then exclaimed over the harsh whistling of the wind. Max had turned back towards the storm midway through her sentence, tears welling up in her eyes.
Chloe shook herself out of her trance after registering what Max was actually saying. She turned her head towards her brunette companion and stepped forward towards her, placing her hand onto her shoulder to get her attention. She turned Max towards her, placing both of her hands on either side of the smaller girl's body, on each of her arms.
"Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it...and you saved me." Chloe told her friend in a reassuring tone of voice to try and comfort the brunette.
They both turned their heads back towards the tornado, Chloe continuing to talk as they do. "Which had to happen, all of this did...except for what happened to Rachel."
Both girls turned and faced one another once again, looking straight towards each other.
"But without your power, we wouldn't have found her!" Chloe continued. "Okay, so you're not the goddamn Time Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield…" Chloe then paused for a second before continuing on. "...and you're amazing."
Max's heart beat was already racing but if it was even possible, it seemed to speed up when she heard those words coming out of Chloe's mouth. Chloe Price thought she was amazing? They both fell silent for a few seconds, Max looking down at her feet for a second before looking towards the tornado and then turned her head back towards her friend when she heard her begin to speak again.
Chloe's face had fallen even more just at this moment as she gathered all of her courage to even consider what she was just about to suggest.
"Max, this is the only way." Chloe started as she looked down while she slipped her hand into her jeans pocket, slipping the photograph of the blue butterfly that Max had taken on that day she saved her life for the first time. She handed the Polaroid photograph over to the smaller girl.
Max reached her hand out to take the photograph from Chloe. She had a look on her face of confusion at first, wondering what Chloe was meaning by this being the only way, but when she looked at the photo she frowned when she began to speak.
"I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago." Max explained as she lifted gaze up to look towards her best friend. She still didn't fully understand what Chloe was getting at when she handed her the photo. She turned back towards the storm, looking down at the photo as she held it in both of her hands.
Chloe moved closer to Max, looking down at the photo and then back up towards her small friend. "You...You could use that photo to change everything right back to when you took that picture…"
She then explained, struggling to get out what she needed to say next. "All that would take is for me to...to…"
Max had snapped her head up away from the photo in her hands to look towards the bluenette standing beside her, who had started to lower her head into her hands, clearly scared by what she was suggesting, which was understandable.
"Fuck that! No...No way! You are my number one priority now." Tears starting to well up in the small brunette's eyes as she finally realised what Chloe was suggesting. "You are all that matters to me." Max then confessed. She knew that she was basically admitting her feelings for the taller girl, albeit subtly but still admitting it.
Chloe lifted her head from her hands, trying to fight back the tears but they had already started to stream down her face. She lifted her head up slightly to look towards the dark grey coloured sky, letting out a slight sigh of exhaustion. Her mind was going crazy, several different thoughts of Arcadia Bay being destroyed currently by this storm, to the girl standing in front of her right this moment, and also about what she was suggesting that the smaller petite girl should do, in order to stop the storm.
"I know. You proved that over and over again…even though I don't deserve it." Chloe started, feeling guilty and selfish in her actions throughout her life in this moment. "I'm so selfish…not like my mom…Look what she had to give up and live through…" The bluenette continued, the tears continuing to roll down her cheeks. "And she did."
Max couldn't take her eyes off of the taller upset girl, her own face showing just how upset with the whole situation that was happening to both of them right now.
"She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner." Chloe continued on, lowering her head to look down at the rain soaked ground, the guilt pouring from her now through words and also her body language. She felt guilty about how she treated her mother, about how she rebelled against everything that her mother tried to keep her safe from, but she had to go and get herself into trouble all the time.
Max stayed quiet as Chloe turned towards her and continued to speak. Max couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her best friend was asking her to rewind time, back to when this all begin, so that she could stop herself from saving her best friend from being shot by Nathan Prescott in the girls bathroom. Max couldn't even let the thought cross her mind without feeling more tears start to steam down her face.
"Even my step…father deserves her alive." Chloe had paused before saying the word 'Father' because she had always called David Madsen 'Step-Douche'. Which now she realised wasn't actually a nice thing to call him, when all he was doing was trying to look out for her. Even if she was angry to begin with that her mother Joyce Price had remarried a while after they both lost her father William to a car accident, she now realised that her mother had to move on with her life, even if they both still missed her father and would always love him. They both had to continue on with their lives, but until now Chloe didn't realise that but now all she could think about was how it was too late to say sorry to her mother and David, because either she wasn't going to live to see this moment, or David and her mother would both die because of the storm.
Chloe turned back towards the frightening sight of the tornado, her next words being the least selfish thing she had ever said in her life.
"There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live…way more than me…" The taller girl admitted as she turned herself back towards Max.
Max then had to interject, this was all getting too much and she couldn't hear Chloe bringing herself down anymore. She couldn't allow Chloe to think that this was all going to go away if she sacrificed herself.
"Don't say that…I won't trade you." Max exclaimed over the now increasing sound of the storm going on around both girls. She wasn't willing to give up her best friend not for anything. Not again after not seeing her for 5 years.
"You're not trading me. Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny…" Chloe argued back, her tone sounding conceding and tired.
"Look at how many times I've almost died, or actually died around you." Chloe continued, knowing full well that she was completed petrified in case Max did choose to go back using the photo. "Look at what's happened in Arcadia Bay ever since you first saved me."
"I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate…our fate…" Chloe's voice was shaking with fear when she said this, she didn't want to die, but she knew that she had to give herself up to at least try and save everyone else in Arcadia Bay.
Both girls now faced each other, each of them crying and looking at one another with complete sadness and hurt in their eyes. Neither of them wanted this to be happening, they had just come back into each other's lives after 5 years and now this was happening to try and tear them apart again.
"Chloe…" Max started, her voice trembling.
"Max, you finally came back to me this week and…you did nothing but show me your love and friendship." Chloe had stopped Max from saying anything else after she heard the smaller girl say her name in protest to what she was suggesting. "You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years." Chloe threw her head up as she said this, as if to emphasis just how much it meant to her that Max actually made her happy for the first time in so long.
Max lowered her head, listening to Chloe's every word and remembering what Chloe's face looks like when she smiled. It was such a beautiful smile that the taller girl had and it made Max want to smile no matter how she felt.
"Wherever I end up after this…in whatever reality…all those moments between up were real, and they'll always be ours." Chloe admitted as she took hold of Max's shoulders, which made Max raise her gaze. Chloe locked her eyes onto Max's dark blue eyes, not wanting to look away from her but Max moved back slightly, still trying to take all of this is.
This can't be happening. Max thought as she turned her head and closed her eyes to try and stop the tears from falling.
"No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision." Chloe finished, turning her head to look towards the storm once again, her heart racing as she thought about what was possibly just about to happen to her.
Max took one step towards the taller female, the hurt and slight anger running through her showing in her body language at this moment. She was both hurt and slightly angry at the fact that Chloe was so willing to give up her life after everything they had gone through in the past week. She thought to herself that she was being a little selfish by being angry about it but she had literally twisted and bent time to keep Chloe in her life.
"Chloe…I can't make this choice…" Max practically shouted out to try and make sure that she was heard, to show how hurt she was by this whole situation but Chloe stepped forward and held onto Max's shoulders to stop her from moving about any longer. Holding the smaller female in position so that she had to look towards her.
"You're the only one who can." Chloe said in a soft gentle voice to try and calm the small brunette even though she was telling her that she really had to make the choice between her and Arcadia Bay.
Both girl's looked into each other eyes for what felt like a life time at this moment. Max was racking her brain to try and think of what choice she was going to make. She would feel guilty for saving her best friend instead of a town full of people, but on the other hand she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice the girl that she had gone through so much with and so much for just to keep her alive and with her.
Max lowered her head towards both hers and Chloe's hands as the bluenette took a hold of her hands and began to speak once again. "Max…It's time…" Were the only words that Chloe had to say.
Max lifted her head and let her gaze fall upon her best friend.
"Chloe…I don't want to do this." Max admitted, which probably wasn't giving away what her choice was going to be right at this moment in time but without hesitation Chloe reached forward and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, pulling her body close to hers as they both cried.
Max nestled her head against Chloe's shoulder, both their clothing sticking to their skin due to the rain lashing against them. They both broke the hug when Chloe started to speak again.
"I know Max. But we have to. Being together this week…" Chloe continued, holding her gaze with Max, but then lowering her head, deciding her own fate, even though Max hadn't told her what her decision was. "…It was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for…You're my Hero, Max."
Max heard those last few words and it made her heart break. Max knew Chloe thought that she was going to rewind time to save Arcadia Bay and that killed her inside.
Max didn't have any words for what she wanted to show and prove to Chloe, so instead she chose to use actions instead. Without hesitation the small brunette took a step towards the blue haired girl, enough just to close the gap between them before reaching both of her hands up, placing one hand on the back of Chloe's neck and the other onto the taller girl's cheek before she reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lip's softly to Chloe's.
Chloe didn't even think about what was happening she just went with it, closing her eyes and pressing herself into the kiss softly. She placed her hands onto Max's shoulders as they both kissed, everything else around them seemed to just disappear in this moment, this was perfect and felt like it lasted for hours. Max broken the kiss reluctantly, looking up into Chloe bright blue eyes, not sure where all her courage came from to actually properly kiss the taller girl. Chloe took a step back, tears still rolling down her cheeks as she looked towards Max.
"I will always love you…Now, get out of here, Please! Do it before I freak." Chloe exclaimed, still under the impression that Max was going to choose Arcadia Bay over her, thinking that the kiss was a farewell kiss. "And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me…" Chloe added, as she pointed her arm towards the smaller girl, still taking steps backwards.
Max watched her friend practically give up, watching her step back while saying what the other girl thought where going to be her final goodbyes. She then turned towards the edge of the cliff, took the photo of the butterfly into a firm grip between her thumb and index finger on both hands.
"Not anymore." She then confessed as she pulled both her hands in opposite directions, causing the photo to tear in half straight down the middle before she let both halves of the photo go from her grip and let the wind carry them away over the cliff edge.
Max kept herself turned away from Chloe, looking out towards the aggressive swirling tornado.
Chloe on the other hand was looking towards Max with a completely bewildered but surprised look spreading across her features. What just happened? Did Max really just choose to save her once again, over all of the people in Arcadia Bay. Chloe knew her Mother and Step-Father were both down in that storm somewhere, but she really hoped that somehow they could be safe and from harm's way, but she knew that would be a miracle. But right now, all that mattered was the fact that she was still alive and would be for the foreseeable future, with Max Caulfield by her side.
Chloe began to move herself towards Max, not fully near her but moved so that she was right by her side. "Max…I will always be with you."
"Forever…" Max finished both girls' keep their gazes on the tornado that was currently tearing the little town that they once called 'home' apart.
After a few more seconds of looking out at the storm from the cliff edge, Chloe, all while still not taking her gaze away from the storm, reached her hand out to her side and slowly slipped her hand into the small brunette's hand beside her, noticing just how well their hands fit together.
They both stood for a good few minutes, watching as the storm ripped the small town apart and with every second that they watched it Max just seemed to feel more and guiltier, her stomach cramping and turning as if she was going to be sick. At that though, she shook her head as she turned her whole body away from the storm, releasing Chloe's hand but only to bury herself close against Chloe's side, her head rested against the taller girl's shoulder with her left arm wrapped around Chloe's waist and her other arm hooked under Chloe's arm with her hand rested on the back of the taller girl's shoulder. At this Chloe wrapped her arm around Max's shoulder, to hold her close.
Chloe kept her eyes on the storm, holding Max close to her, letting the smaller girl cry against her shoulder, it was understandable that Max would be crying right now, she was sacrificing a town full of innocent people just to save her and although it was a sad and upsetting moment, Chloe was thankful that Max had chosen to save her once again, as selfish as that may have seemed.
A/N: I had watched a video on YouTube that someone had edited in the Kiss from Sacrifice Chloe ending into the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending and I loved it so I have decided that this first chapter was just going to be a complete written version of the final scene with the slight edit in the video I watched.