The world was being torn asunder.
The fury of the storm that raged before them could be brought to a halt by one small action. The small beat of a butterflies wings that could alter the course of destiny. A tear in a photo. The life of the blue haired girl.
The rain beats heavily against the soft fabric of her jacket, bleeding into the material with an ever growing haste as time bends around them. The sky a furious grey and black as the sound of the impending disaster moves ever closer to the bay, it was now or never. Max had to make that decision, Chloe or her friends. People she cared about, and people she never had the chance to meet. She'd like to think that she would be able to sacrifice the life of one person to spare the lives of many. But when it came down to it, she couldn't bring herself to do it, not when it meant she would be giving up the love of her life to do it. Max had given up on Chloe twice before, she sure as hell wasn't about to make the same mistake again.
Every action had lead to this. Every choice brought her to this very moment. Max had spent the last week tearing apart the very fabric of time and space for Chloe - saving her time and time again, putting herself in harms way to keep her blue haired girl safe. And now the biggest storm she had ever bore witness to was heading straight for Arcadia Bay and only Max held the power to stop it.
Tightening her grip on the photo that started all of this, she looked up into the blue eyes of her best friend. They swam with unshed tears, a storm of emotion raged in the colours as she begged Max to let her die. To convince her that maybe it's her destiny to die. To save the bay.
Breathe Max.
She had helped Chloe die before, she wouldn't help her again. Not this in this timeline but Chloe was right, Joyce deserved better. They all did.
"No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision"
Her voice is soft. Like she really believes Max will make the right decision.
"Chloe... I can't make this choice"
Max's voice breaks as the confession leaves her lips. Chloe reaches forward and takes Max's shoulders in her hands, her eyes searching, begging for her to understand.
"No Max. You are the only one who can."
It's in that moment when Max realises Chloe was right. She had to make this choice, she had to decide if she could live with the consequences of her power, or to use it one last time and give it up entirely along with the girl she so desperately wanted to save. Max knew the right one to make was to save the bay and all the people in it. But she wanted to be selfish. She wanted Chloe alive. Chloe was her only priority now.
"Max... It's time"
Looking down at the photo of the blue butterfly that reminded her so much of the girl standing before her, Max makes her choice.
"Not anymore" She tears the photo in two and cast it out into the storm as it descends onto the bay.
"Max... I'll always be with you" Chloe's confession is all that fills the silence.
"Forever" Max promises.
Chloe's hand slips into her own, fingers lacing as they gaze out into the chaos as it unravels before them.
Max cannot stop the sob that escapes from somewhere inside of her and she closes the gap between Chloe and herself, her arms snake around the punks shoulders. They're standing on the edge of the world as Max turns her head, her eyes flick towards Chloe's soft lips. In a split second she finds the courage to lean in an capture them between her own. This time Chloe doesn't pull away, her hands planted firmly on the brunettes hips. She pulls Max closer as the soft whisper of forever ghosts across their lips.