Notes:

I am a HUGE fan of Life is Strange 1 and its prequel, Before the Storm! If you played both games, we have seen the canon relationships between Max and Chloe as well as Rachel and Chloe. We have seen their stories, and according to the developers of the Life is Strange franchise, their stories have been completed. (Or are they?)

I have always wanted to create a story where Max and Rachel are the main characters while also revealing my theory about the true purpose of their powers: Max's time-rewinding powers and Rachel's powers of her controlling the wind and fire—or nature in general. In this fan fiction, I will also write about how all three girls who we know and love are connected in a supernatural way. With that said, I hope you all enjoy this story!

Chapter One

"NOBODY WOULD EVER EVEN MISS YOUR PUNK ASS, WOULD THEY?!"

"GET THAT GUN AWAY FROM ME, PSYCHO!"

BANG!

Max woke up with a jolt. Her eyes shot wide open, her breathing a bit labored. She felt her heart beating hard and fast. She looked around. She was still on the plane. She sat up on her seat and rubbed her neck. It was stiff and ached slightly.

"I... I was just dreaming," Max thought.

Max will never forget that terrible moment. She will always remember sitting on the floor of the girls' bathroom, hearing the anger in Nathan's voice, the panic in Chloe's, and the echoing sound of the gun that shot and killed her best friend five years ago. She remembered doing nothing about it… There was nothing she could do to save Chloe… because saving her was not meant to be…

Max held her breath, relieved that she was not at Blackwell Academy or at the moment of Chloe's death. Every time Max dreamt about her past, she panicked, worried that she had reversed time again, something she has not done in five years—and promised to never try to do ever again. Max wondered if she even still had her time-rewinding powers…

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm down. She looked out the window. Clouds floated below, slowly drifting away as the plane flew in the atmosphere. In between the clouds, she saw the many acres of the forests of Oregon below. The sun looked to be setting.

"The plane should be landing soon," she thought.

Max rubbed her eyes and yawned. She tried to stretch her arms and legs as best as she could. It was not easy to stretch while on an airplane. She ran her fingers through her short, brown hair that almost touched her shoulders. She took her cellphone out from her coat's pocket to check the time. She glanced at her phone's screen.

5:42 PM. Friday, October 5, 2018.

She looked at her phone's background photo. It was an old photo from about a decade ago. It was a scanned photo of two smiling tween girls in pirate costumes. One was wearing a pirate hat and the other was wearing an eyepatch. It was young Chloe and Max aka Captain Chloe Bluebeard and Max Longsilver. They looked happy.

Max smiled and traced her thumb over Chloe's hair on the screen of her phone.

"I miss you so much, Chloe," Max said to herself. "See you soon."

Max thought about how Chloe would react while on an airplane. Would she have been scared? Or would she be excited? Would she pretend that she was on a rocket ship launching into space? Max knew that Chloe's parents, Joyce and William, were planning to take Chloe to see the Grand Canyon years ago. She remembered seeing the plane tickets at Chloe's house, but they never went because William had died that same year…

The plane landed with the usual rumble and shaking, a feeling that Max has gotten used to. It saddened Max to know that Chloe had died so young, only nineteen years old, and never been on a plane, never traveled the world like she has, and never even left Arcadia Bay…

Max travels a lot. If she was not back in Los Angeles, California where she lived, she flew out to many areas in the U.S. and even out of the country for many photo shoots and photography projects. She was a 23-year-old well-known professional photographer who landed many gigs. She met and photographed many celebrities, musicians, models, politicians, and even photographed wild animals all around the world. But every year, around the time Chloe passed away five years ago, Max flies back home to Arcadia Bay in Oregon to visit Joyce and David, Chloe's step-father… and to visit Chloe too.

The plane taxied to the terminal.

Max grabbed her carry-on bags from the overhead compartment—which carried clothes to last her a few days and two cameras: an analog Polaroid camera and a Canon DSLR. Throughout the years, she had grown to enjoy digital photography. She laughed to herself realizing how silly and "hipster" she sounded for claiming that she only wanted to work with old school analog cameras and only took Polaroid photos or developed them herself. That was when she was much younger and inexperienced. Within the past years, she realized how much digital cameras were widely used and required for many of her projects.

"The future is now," Max thought. She smiled at how dorky that sounded.

Her friend Victoria Chase—someone she did not see herself befriending—gave Max her very first DSLR as a gift a few years ago. Victoria taught Max how to use a digital camera and which lens attachments were perfect for different distances and varied shots. In exchange, Max taught Victoria how to take Polaroids with better composition, lighting, utilizing foreground, and other techniques without digital editing. Both girls were talented professional photographers who often worked together. Max's Polaroid camera was what she used mainly for fun and to take photos for her keepsake.

"I always wonder what you would say if you found out that Victoria and I are friends now, Chloe," Max thought and chuckled to herself. "She's not as bitchy as before."

Max made her way out of the plane, out of the terminal, and toward the ride service pick-up area outside of the Seaside Municipal Airport. She hopped on an Uber and was taken to the Price household—now the Madsen household—in Arcadia Bay.

Max looked out the window of the car driving on Route 101. On her right, she could see the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, and on her left, she could see endless trees of the Oregon forests. The waves created a white, foamy line on the sandy beach, and the trees were so green. Some of the leaves on trees were orange and red, turning colors during this autumn season. Between the two beautiful views, Max saw a distinct lighthouse on top of a cliff indicating that she was approaching closer to Arcadia Bay. She was starting to feel the combination of sadness and happiness, the feelings she feels when she thinks about home and about Chloe.

After a half an hour, the car arrived on the driveway of the Madsen house. Max thanked the driver, exited the car, and slung her bag strap on her shoulder. She looked at the familiar light blue and off-white house where Chloe grew up. This was the house where Max spent a few days every year. Joyce and David never minded when Max stayed with them for a few days.

Max rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened. A middle-aged woman with light brown hair stood at the doorway. It was Joyce. She held her arms open and hugged Max tightly.

"Oh, Max!" Joyce exclaimed, slightly choking up. Tears of joy were forming in her eyes. "It's always so good to see you! Please come in!"

Max hugged Joyce, but not as tightly as Joyce did. She did not want to hurt Joyce… or the baby. Max glanced at Joyce's belly. Her belly was protruding and she looked very pregnant!

"Holy cow, Mrs. Price—uh, I mean, Mrs. Madsen!" Max said, slightly embarrassed but very politely. She chuckled. "Uh, I mean, I don't mean to call you a cow! You look amazing! You look ready to give birth!"

"Max! I told you that you can stop calling me 'Mrs.'" Joyce responded, gently patting her belly. "Call me 'Joyce.' And yes, I am ready to push this thing out! It's happening next week, as the doctor says!"

"You're going to be a big sister, Chloe!" Max thought. "I wonder if she will look like you…"

Max remembered receiving a copy of Joyce's ultrasound photo half a year ago in the mail. Joyce and David were extremely happy to announce that they were going to have a child together! Max had called Joyce immediately after she opened the envelope to see the ultrasound photo.

Max knew that Joyce wanted to wait sometime before trying to get pregnant. The death of Chloe, her first and only child at the time, really broke Joyce's heart. Joyce was not the same woman, but David took care of her and supported her through her struggle. But now, after Joyce became emotionally and psychologically healthy again, they were ready to start a family of their own "before it's too late for my old self to make a baby again," Max remembered Joyce saying while chuckling over the phone.

"—There she is!" a booming voice was heard from the hallway. A middle-aged man with black hair and a mustache made his way toward Max and Joyce. It was David.

"Hi, Mr. Madsen!" Max said. She stood straighter and shook David's hand, who then pulled her in a strong hug. No matter how many times she stayed over Chloe's house, she was always slightly nervous around David. Even though David has become less of a "dictator dickhead" as Chloe would say, Max always felt that she was near an Army drill sergeant and needed to stay out of his way or he would lecture her until her ears bled.

David kissed Joyce on the cheek and squat so that he was eye-level with Joyce's belly. He gently placed his hands on Joyce's protruding stomach.

"Hello, little lady! Say 'hi' to your Auntie Max!" David said, smiling. "She's here to visit you! Isn't that sweet of her?" His voice was slightly a higher pitch, something Max thought was very uncharacteristic of him. He started making baby noises and kissed Joyce's belly repetitively. Max couldn't help but snicker.

"Hey now! Get up and quit it!" Joyce chuckled, playfully messing David's hair. "The baby isn't even born yet and you're already embarrassing the hell out of her!"

Max thought how strange but wonderful it was that she had gotten so close to Joyce and David after Chloe's death, yet she never told them that she was in the bathroom at the time when Nathan shot Chloe. Max had hid in the far end of the bathroom. She heard their argument, the gunshot, the sound of David's worried voice trying to revive Chloe, and sound of David arresting Nathan while he struggled…

Max could not bring herself to tell Joyce and David that she had been there when Chloe died. They would have questioned if she even tried to call for help or tried to defend herself and Chloe from Nathan… or tried to save Chloe's life…

Max worried that Joyce would have disliked her for being the one who survived instead of her daughter… But Max figured Joyce would not be the type of person to guilt-trip Max by blaming Chloe's death on her.

Still, she could not and did not want to give any indication as to why she was in the bathroom in the first place… that she was actually there to save Chloe initially… but had used her time-rewind powers to let Chloe die to save Arcadia Bay from a destructive tornado… Max did not plan on telling anyone about her time-rewind powers anytime soon.

Max remembered sitting at the kitchen table with Joyce and David the day after Chloe died. She visited their house to give Joyce her condolences. It was the first time she had seen Joyce since she moved back to Arcadia Bay. She felt guilty having been in Arcadia Bay since the school year started and not even visiting the Price's house. The last time she saw Joyce, Joyce was crying over William's death. And then the next time she saw Joyce, she was crying over Chloe's death…

David, now remembering that Max was standing there, cleared his throat and lowered his voice, trying to act serious. He stood up and offered a hand to Max. "Ahem. Here! Let me get your things, Max!"

"Oh. No, thank you, Mr. Madsen. I don't have much with me to carry," Max kindly replied. "I'll be fine."

"You can make yourself at home as always, Max," Joyce smiled, motioning her hand up the stairs toward Chloe's room. "Get yourself settled and I'll be wrapping up in the kitchen. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes!"

"Shall I help you prep the table?" Max asked.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it," Joyce replied. "You're our guest! We'll be alright here."

"Just keep an eye out for raccoons," David said sternly, almost half-joking.

"Raccoons?" Max asked, confused and slightly smiling at the strange thought.

"Yeah, we don't always go inside… uh… Chloe's room," David said, feeling a bit awkward to say Chloe's name. "But we thought we heard some noises in there about an hour ago. Last week we heard the same noises. We found a raccoon on the roof right outside her window trying to climb through! It's not often that they visit our house."

"David, you're worrying the poor girl," Joyce said and smiled at Max. "None of them have actually gotten into our house, though, Max. Typical Oregon wildlife. You'll be fine up there, right?"

"Yes, thank you," Max replied. "I will."

Joyce and David walked back to the kitchen while Max made her way upstairs. Max could hear them singing together happily and the sound of the cooking pan sizzling whatever delicious meal Joyce was cooking.

No matter how many times she walked up and down those stairs in the last five years, Max could never stop feeling her heart sink. She traced the railing with her hand. She recalled the times when she and Chloe pretended to rock climb or pretended to be on a pirate ship on those stairs.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, she looked to her right where Chloe's bedroom door was. She placed her hand on the doorknob and held her breath. She closed her eyes shut from the sting of tears forming, and turned the doorknob.

"This never gets easy," Max thought. "It'll always be tough being in your room again… knowing you're not actually inside..."

She opened the door and entered Chloe's room. She exhaled.

It looked the same as always, for the most part. The floor was less cluttered and there lacked any old soda cans, clothes, or old food containers lying around—which was hard to miss in this room five years ago. But the same posters, photos, graffiti, and furniture were still in place. Max sighed a sad and happy sigh.

"Whether it's from the many cigarettes and weed that you smoked in here or not…" Max thought, laughing to herself. "Even after all these years… it still smells like you."

She felt a small tear roll down her eye. She quickly wiped it away and placed her bag and camera bag on the floor by her bed.

Max glanced around Chloe's room. She smiled painfully. She knew that Joyce and David rarely went in Chloe's room or touched her belongings. They wanted to preserve it as best as they could, but they always made sure everything in her room was dusted, that there were no pests if any, and that the bed sheets were washed whenever Max came to visit.

"There's the American flag at the window," Max thought. "And your photo collage, your shelves, your dresser, your desk, your closet... Your room is not as messy as you kept it, but it's like you never left, Chloe…"

Except, there was something different.

Max noticed several boxes on the floor by the door. She stepped closer to get a better look. There was a plain box of an unassembled wooden crib, more plain boxes of baby clothes, toys, diapers, and colorful decorations. She knew for several months now that Joyce and David were having a baby, but she never thought about where the baby would stay. She figured in their bedroom with them for now. The thought only occurred to her just then that they would make use of Chloe's room instead…

Max felt her heart shoot up in her throat. She quickly looked away from the baby items. She bit her lip. Tears rolled down her cheek. She let out a soft sob and buried her face in one hand while holding her aching chest with the other. She lowered herself and sat on Chloe's bed.

Max could not handle the thought of Chloe's room being rearranged. It saddened her imagining the room being empty… She recalled the way Chloe's room looked in the alternate universe where Chloe was in a wheelchair. Chloe's new room was in the garage and her old room was emptied and had boxes lying around. It was used mostly for storage. Max remembered leaving that alternate universe, saddened that Chloe was physically disabled… and knowing that Chloe's father was meant to die… just like Chloe was meant to die too…

Max looked around Chloe's bedroom again. Memories of her and Chloe playing in this room ran through her mind. She remembered doing homework in this room, drawing comic books about superheroes with each other, dancing and singing with the music on, when they played dress-up, when Chloe made a little stick of dynamite to blow up Chloe's old Barbie Doll toys… and even where Chloe dared Max to kiss her… something that happened in an alternate universe...

She ran her hands on Chloe's bed sheets. She remembered spending the night together, sleeping side by side on this bed… where Max took a selfie of her and Chloe in the morning moments after they woke up. All the memories in this room filled Max's heart with joy, but knowing that this room will never be the same anymore made Max's heart sting in pain and her whole body weak.

Tears dripped from Max's eyes. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was beating hard and achingly. She was trying to muffle her sobs.

"This room is the only place where my happiest memories are," Max thought. She wished Chloe was there to hold her. She wanted to embrace Chloe and feel her body pressed against hers in comfort. She wanted to hear Chloe's voice… to kiss her lips…

Max was now lying down curled up on Chloe's bed, sobbing. She clasped her hands over her mouth and shut her eyes. Tears fell onto the pillow, creating a small damp area.

"Oh Chloe… Being with you is the only place in this world where I am home…" Max said out loud.

"…Same here," a voice responded a moment after.

"What the fuck?!" Max exclaimed, her voice croaky.

Max heard the voice coming from inside Chloe's closet. It was a woman's voice. She immediately sat up and looked at the door of Chloe's closet. Her heart skipped a beat and she was terrified.

"Who the fuck is there?!" Max raised her voice, panicked. She wondered if Joyce and David heard her, but she heard the two of them still singing and laughing downstairs as they cooked.

Max stood up from the bed and grabbed an empty ashtray on the nightstand by the bed, the only "weapon" near her. She hoped that she did not have to use it. The door of Chloe's closet opened slowly.

A young woman walked out of Chloe's closet. She seemed to be as tall as Max. Max noticed that she looked to be about her age. The woman had been looking at the floor as she exited the closet. She looked up at Max and smiled nervously.

It was then that Max recognized who the woman was. Max knew where she had seen the woman before. She had seen her photo on "missing person" posters all around Arcadia Bay five years ago. The woman had the same long, dark blond hair and hazel eyes. She was as beautiful and stunning in person as she was in the posters.

"You're…" Max gasped softly in disbelief. "…Rachel Amber?!"

To be continued…