Note: Hey folks! I played Life is Strange a few weeks ago, and completely fell in love with the characters and the story. I've never been invested in a story like this, and as such this is my first time writing a fanfiction story. I'm starting with the last scene, and then going from there. I've played through the game multiple times, and am going to try to keep their characters as realistic as possible. That being said, they will change from the way they were in the game, simply because people change over time. I'm going to try and keep their speech accurate as well, and as such this is rated M for language, just a warning. Obviously spoilers for the entire game ahead! For this chapter/scene I'll be keeping mostly to the dialogue already in the game, but with a few changes. The most noticeable one is based off of a video I saw combining the two endings, and it felt much more satisfying. I also added in one line of cut dialogue that was in the audio files, and had to change a few others as they didn't quite fit with my interpretation. Over the course of the story I'll be switching between Max and Chloe's perspectives. Without further ado, let's jump right in!
Memories were rushing through her mind. The car. The lighthouse. American Rust. The school, the pool. The kiss. All seen, one by one, leaving tears in Max's eyes. "Oh, my Chloe..." Max thought, as she watched herself tackle Chloe in a hug from behind. She even felt the rush of joy as she saw her alive again, "It feels like we've lived a thousand lives this week... I'd do anything just to wake up next to you." Max glanced away from Chloe sobbing over Rachel's body, feeling the agony of her friend's pain just as sharply as before, and looked toward the lighthouse, "Maybe if I get there... This will all finally end."
Though her head was pounding, Max pushed herself up the hill, towards herself and Chloe. As she drew closer, she began to feel the storm battering at her, ripping at her clothes and skin, and she began to grow wet from the pouring rain, "C'mon Max, we're almost there," Max's heart ached at the concern in her best friend's voice, "Don't worry. We'll be okay," Max reached out to touch Chloe's shoulder, to tell her that she was here, it was okay, and suddenly she was falling to the ground, taking Chloe with her.
"Max? Max, can you hear me? Please, say something!" Max's head spun, and she tried to stand, but fell back on her heels. Her brain felt like a rubber band that had just been snapped. One second she was in the nightmare, seeing herself in the third person, and now...
"Chloe?" Max stammered, "I- I must have passed out. Sorry..." Her voice shook, as emotions, from love to joy to guilt to pain rushed through her.
Chloe moved closer to her, shaking her head, "Oh thank God. Don't you ever do that again okay?"
Max leaned heavily on Chloe as they helped each other to their feet, buffeted by the wind and rain, "I swear... But that nightmare was so real... So horrible..." Max took a few steps forward, and her nightmare faded to the back of her mind as she once again saw the nightmare in front of her. Her throat tightened as she took in the swirling tornado that roared over the water, heading straight towards Arcadia Bay, "This is my storm," Max shouted, "I caused this, I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much that I actually did alter the course of... Everything!" Max's voice broke as she looked at Chloe, hoping for some sort of reassurance. Her face was filled with pain, and Max turned away, "And all I really created was just death and destruction."
Max felt Chloe turn her and she was suddenly looking into intense blue eyes, "Fuck all of that, okay?" Chloe said forcefully, "You were given a power, you didn't ask for it. And you saved me." Every time Max looked back at the storm, Chloe's voice somehow kept her grounded, "This had to happen, all of this did, except for what happened to Rachel. But without your power, we wouldn't have found her! Okay, so you're not the goddamn Time Master," Max looked down, her cheeks flaming, "But you're Maxine Caulfield," at this, Chloe grabbed Max by the shoulders, and forced her to lock eyes, "And you're amazing."
A little warmth spread through Max at this, "After all of this... Chloe still thinks-" Then she looked back at the storm, and all warmth drained from her instantly. She couldn't take her eyes from it, the enormous twister nearly breaking her ears. "This... This is all my fault."
Chloe's voice, broken beyond belief, roused her from her reverie, "Max... This is the only way." Max turned to her, and saw her holding a photo of a blue butterfly.
Numbly, Max reached out, and took the picture from Chloe's shaking hand, "I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago..." To her, as she stared at the photo, everything almost seemed miles away. She heard faint voices, and knew that if she focused they would grow louder, and sweep her away from here.
"You... You could use that photo," Chloe's voice shook even more than her hands had, "to change everything back to when you took that picture," Understanding rushed through Max like a lightning bolt, but before she could protest Chloe continued, "All it would take is for me to... To..." Finally her voice broke, and she buried her head in her hands, shoulders shaking.
"Fuck that!" Max's heart broke seeing Chloe like this, but she pushed on, "No. No way. You are my number one priority now. You are all that matters to me." Max knew her words were rushed, blending together, but she didn't care. She wasn't losing Chloe, not again.
"I know," Chloe sobbed, the rain blending in with the tears on her face, "You've proved that over and over again, even though I don't deserve it." Chloe watched the storm draw nearer and nearer to Arcadia Bay, and her face became even more haunted, "I'm so selfish... Not like my mom." Chloe turned to Max, gesturing wildly, eyes sparkling with tears, "Look what she had to give up and live through. And she did. She deserves so much more than to be killed by a tornado in a fucking diner. Even my step d- My step father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live, way more than me."
Max couldn't take anymore, and advanced on Chloe, her vision now blurring with tears, "Don't say that, I won't trade you!"
Before she could get too close, Chloe backed away, cutting her off, "You're not trading me! Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny. Look at how many times I've almost died or actually died around you. Look at what's happened to Arcadia Bay ever since you first saved me," Unable to take the agony on Chloe's face any longer, Max turned toward the bay. The view didn't help.
She felt Chloe's gentle touch on her shoulder, and looked at her again, "I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate... Our fate..."
Desperate for her to listen, Max started, "Chloe-"
Once again, Chloe rushed over her, her words spilling out of her, "Max, you finally came back to me this week, and you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile... And laugh... Like I haven't done in years." As Chloe kept going, her voice started breaking more and more, until she held onto Max, as if trying to stay anchored to something, "Wherever I end up after this, in whatever reality, all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours."
Max tried to escape her grip, trying to fight any piece of this idea, "Chloe, I can't make this choice!"
Chloe's grip tightened on her shoulders, "No, Max. You're the only one who can."
Max stared at Chloe, her entire self screaming at her to fight back, to rewind, to tell Chloe that she was insane, to do something! Tears were pouring down her face, as she tried to imagine a world without her best friend, without her... Chloe. She just stared, trying to take in every detail of Chloe's beautiful face, how her soaking wet hair framed it, bringing out her eyes even more than usual. Max's throat choked up, "Chloe... I- I can't do this!"
Chloe wrapped the smaller girl in a tight hug, and Max buried her head into Chloe's chest, "I know, Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay?" Max just stood in the rain, with her best friend's arms around her, and desperately tried to think of a way out. Chloe seemed to already have chosen a path, and Max had no arguments left for her. Everything in her was screaming, roiling inside her with more strength than the storm, and Max had no idea how to release it.
Finally, the two girls broke apart, and Chloe forced Max to look into her eyes once more, "You'll make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel." Her voice grew soft again, but some of the pain was now etched with acceptance, which broke Max's heart even more, "Being together this week... It was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for. You- You're my hero, Max."
It all came to a peak. Seeing Chloe with everyone else, hearing the other Max throwing insults at her, watching all of those beautiful memories. All of Max's emotions came to a head, and before she could even think about what the hell she was doing, Max's hands were on Chloe's face and they were kissing again. Their tears mixed, mingled, and Max lost herself in Chloe. She forgot Jefferson, forgot the nightmare, even forgot the storm as she pressed herself against Chloe, trying to convey everything she was feeling into that one kiss.
After what seemed both instant and eternal, they broke apart, and the two girls stared at each other, tears pouring down both their faces. Though they had been quieted for a second, Max's emotions began to scream even louder, and she nearly broke down.
"I'll always love you..." Chloe sobbed, backing away "Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak." Max couldn't even bring herself to say a word, and just stared at her, unable to comprehend what was happening, "And Max Caulfield?" Chloe's voice was broken, but determined, "Don't you forget about me."
"If I do this... She'll never know any of this happened..." Max thought numbly, "She'll think she died alone... Unloved..." Her entire body began to shake, and she could barely hold the picture still enough to look at, "But she isn't. I love her. I won't let her die alone."
"Max?" Chloe's voice broke her concentration, "It's time."
One last moment of steel entered Max. No. She wouldn't lose Chloe. "Not anymore." Max turned toward the storm, and tore the photo in half. The shot that had started it all. She watched the pieces fly into the storm, whirl away where she would never find them again. Her focus moved to the tornado, her tornado. Bearing down on Arcadia. Max bit her bottom lip, and she began shaking even more.
"Max..." Chloe. Stubborn, rebellious, wonderful Chloe, spoke from behind her in disbelief, "I'll always be with you."
Max nodded quietly, "Forever." Chloe reached down, and took her hand, and together they watched. Watched as the storm raged ahead. Began to tear apart their home. Tears blotted Max's vision, and she buried her head in Chloe's shoulder, looking for any support. She felt Chloe's strong arms wrap around her, and Max closed her eyes, sobs racking her entire body.
Chloe could only watch for so long. For awhile, she just held Max as she cried, but eventually it was too much for her as well. Chloe gently led Max through the storm, towards what always was their salvation: the lighthouse. She shook the handle, and scowled when she found it locked. She considered trying to break it down, then decided against it, "Let's not risk anymore damage, to me or anything else."
Chloe glanced around, looking for any sort of cover, and finally saw the small shed. She gently pulled Max over to the door, and to her relief found it open. As she closed the door, the noise from the storm finally dulled. She could almost feel the little building shake, and hoped it would hold.
Chloe sunk to the ground, holding Max close to her as everything finally began to crash over her. One second she had been ready to finally be selfless, to sacrifice... everything. Now Max had taken that choice away from her, "Don't think like that, Price," Chloe scolded herself, "Don't blame her when you would have done the exact same thing in her place," Because that was the thing, wasn't it? If she had had to choose between Max and Arcadia Bay- Well, it wouldn't have been a choice.
Chloe absently stroked Max's hair, her mind a million miles away. Down in the diner, with her mom. In the police station with David. Who knew what they were going through down there. She felt Max wrap her arms around her body, pulling her close, and Chloe sighed, "They're going to have to take care of themselves for now. Max and I... We need to take care of each other," Chloe and Max held each other in silence, listening to the rain pound on the thin roof.
They both dozed intermittently, worn thin by the long day of emotions. They had been awake for nearly two days now, from the Dark Room, to finding Rachel, warning David about Jefferson, and now this.
At some point, hours later, Chloe woke to Max gently shaking her, "Chloe, wake up. I think... I think the storm's passed." Chloe groaned groggily, and sat up. Her head was still a little foggy from sleep, but she pushed herself up, then offered a hand to Max, who took it.
"C'mon then, Super Max. Let's go see..." Chloe broke off. What were they going to see? What was left?
Max seemed to understand what Chloe was thinking, and pulled her by the hand out the door. Clutching tightly at each others hands like lifelines, the two girls walked together to edge of the cliff. Chloe's breath caught in her throat as a great weight settled onto her chest.
Arcadia Bay had been devastated. Of course, Chloe had known it would be, but seeing it was a whole different matter, "Oh fuck. Shit, not like this." The buildings in the best state just had walls, with roofs ripped apart. The worst places had been wiped away, snatched from existance. While it was impossible to make out details from this far away, Chloe could tell it was bad. Horrible. Hell. There wasn't a word to describe it.
"Oh god," Max stuttered, "What... What have I done?"
Chloe swallowed hard, and squeezed her hand, "Don't do that, okay?" Her mind raced, trying to figure out some way to comfort her, but came up blank, "Look, I- I suck at the whole comforting bullshit." Chloe turned Max, and forced her to look her in the eye, "But this isn't your fault, got it?" Max's eyes glanced away, and Chloe shook her gently, "Got it?" Max sniffed and nodded, still not meeting Chloe's eyes. "Come on, Max. No use sitting on our asses up here, right?"
Chloe put her arm around Max's shoulder, and gently guided her down the hill, "Alright, now what?" Chloe glanced over at Max, who was staring straight ahead, a blank expression on her face, "Not gonna get any help there. Okay Chloe, what would Max do here?" She bit the inside of her cheek, and absently tapped on her leg, "No telling if the car is okay, but that's probably our best bet. I have to make sure Mom is okay."
Chloe and Max made their way slowly down the hill, having to avoid all sorts of debris. When they finally were at the bottom, Chloe steered Max toward the beach, "C'mon, we should check on the car. We can get to my house, check on my Mom."
Max shook her head, "She's not there, she was at the diner, with Frank and Warren." Chloe glanced at her in surprise, and Max shrugged, "I went by to get that photo Warren took. You know, at the party."
Chloe grimaced, "Oh yeah, that shitstorm. Well, I'm glad Super Max knows what to do." Chloe squeezed Max's shoulders, trying to forget last night. And yesterday. And everything, "For once, try to be in the goddamn moment, Price." Step by stumbling step, Chloe and Max continued up the beach, back towards Arcadia Bay. Back towards the destruction.
Note: Hey folks, thanks for reading! I'm going to start the next chapter right away, and I'm hoping to finish it sometime this weekend. Please leave reviews, and keep reading more! I really appreciate it, and I hope you like Overexposure. For those of you who are curious, I will have all sorts of Pricefield stuff coming, but it won't be for several chapters, given how much trauma both Max and Chloe have gone through. For now, we're in the aftermath portion of the story. For those of you who are curious, here's the link to the edited Life is Strange ending: watch?v=RVBwecPZTCs. Thanks again for reading, and hope to hear from you with some constructive criticism!
Edit: I already finished Chapter Two, so happy reading!