Without fire, the world would go cold. Without fire, thousands would die. Without fire, Dusk felt empty. Her inner phoenix had been there her whole life, it had protected her and her family from danger. But with a single flash, it was gone. All that was left was her mortal shell. She was vulnerable, unable to fight not only for herself but for her boyfriend, twin, and best friend. And if she were to be gravely injured, there was no going back. No rising from the ashes to begin anew, she'd be gone forever.

Behind all the shock at the loss of their powers, Dusk and the rest of the group were angry. Once again, Reginald had used them for his own insatiable needs. Their whole existence revolved entirely around getting what he craved. And now, he had no more use for them, disposing of them like trash. The group stumbled through the darkened streets, the only thing pointing them in their next direction. And as weeks ticked by, they were not even close to finding out where their "father" was or come up with a solution to get their powers back. 

With barely any money, they found themselves staying in abandoned buildings or run-down bed and breakfasts. The rooms were beyond disgusting with cockroaches skittering around on the ground at night and black mold growing in every corner. But it was either that or sleeping in alleyways with addicts and sex workers.

Dusk and Klaus lay in their separate bed, while Five and Victoria slept somewhat soundly wrapped in each other's arms. Five's light snoring provided some ease as the sounds of the cockroach's movements weren't nearly as bad. Dusk rested her head on Klaus's chest, feeling him stroke her hair in his unconscious state. Spending nights in gross places was just the beginning of Dusk's problems. Deep inside, everything was coming back to haunt her.

The clanging of weapons, screams of pain and anguish, and the images were just as haunting. Realizing Klaus hadn't made it through the tunnel into Oblivion, watching him cry as she had been stabbed by the guardians, Reginald's smirk as his plan to extract the Marigold from her siblings' bodies was going accordingly, one traumatic event after another. "Dusk!" an echoing voice called out, making her move her head as she tried to fight against it. But another image flashed before her, showing something glowing in her hand. Then another image of Reginald. It was too quick for her to tell what he was doing, but he appeared to be staring down at her with a wicked grin. "Please stop!" a voice cried out.

Dusk continued to whip her head around, desperately trying to escape. But it seemed like her brain was locked on torturing her. Finally, she shot up in the bed, clutching her chest as she looked around the room. Surprisingly, no one else besides Dusk could hear her panicked breathing. As she looked at Klaus, she could see he was still deep in sleep. She couldn't stand the darkness any longer, she had to get out and regain her composure. Dusk quietly crept out of the bed and tiptoed downstairs. She didn't care where her feet were taking her, as long as it was anywhere other than that room.

Little did she know that a slight creak in the floorboards woke up Klaus. Wiping the tiredness from his eyes, he looked to the empty side of the bed, surprised to see Dusk was no longer there. At first, he thought maybe she got up to go to the bathroom. But with no closed door or a sliver of light creeping in, his worries grew. There was only one other place she could have gone.

The run-down cottage they took refuge in was a fairly small two-level home with busted windows and overgrown ivy in the center of a shady neighborhood. Their room was situated on the top level, and the small spiral staircase led downstairs, to which Klaus had to bend as he walked, so he wouldn't hit his head. Passing the last step, he could see the front door had been left wide open, and as he peered out onto the front porch, there Dusk was. Staring off into the distance.

It wasn't until Klaus placed a hand on her shoulder that she finally snapped out of her daze. "What's bothering you?" He asked, his voice softer than silk. Dusk could feel tears form in her eyes as the nightmares flashed before her once again. "Everything," She sighed. "We're stuck in yet another timeline, but with no powers. Most of our family abandoned ship, and all I feel is... emptiness," Seeing her in such a vulnerable state broke Klaus's heart. He was so used to seeing her smile and radiant energy. But ever since Hotel Oblivion, that dark cloud kept looming over her head. "And it's not just that I've been thinking about," Dusk admitted. Klaus's curiosity stirred as they locked eyes. "Tell me..."

The raven hesitated, fearing that he might not take her seriously. Knowing him, he'd playfully poke at other people. But deep down she knew if there was anybody besides Victoria who would listen intently to her, it was Klaus. "I saw horrible things... from Oblivion and somewhere else," Dusk croaked. Klaus's eyebrows quirked with confusion. "Somewhere else?" he questioned. "I don't know where, but all I do remember is people screaming and something about dad,"

"What does he have to do with any of this?" Klaus looked confused. "Like I said, I don't know..." Dusk sighed. Klaus scooted closer to her, nuzzling his head into her neck. "You're not alone in this, Dusky. I feel empty too," he mumbled. "At least you're not being tortured by ghosts or flashbacks anymore," Dusk snaked an arm around the small of his back. Klaus smiled sadly, his eyes locking with her in the moonlit night. "True, but as terrifying as they were, they gave me a purpose, they made me who I was. I don't even know who I am anymore without them,"

"Klausy, I know who you are," Dusk took his hand in hers. "You're still the quirkiest, protective, and loving person I've ever met. And despite losing everything, I'm thankful we still have each other," A smile started to form at the corner of Klaus's lips, his eyes twinkling with just a glimmer of hope. "Me too," he said softly, leaning in to kiss the top of her head. "As long as we're together, we'll figure out how to adjust. We always do," Dusk slowly nodded, a smile of her own forming as she pressed a kiss to his lips. Klaus wasted no time in kissing back, the comforting warmth of being connected seemed to be the only thing keeping them rooted in reality.

"God, I love you," she whispered, her fingers running through strands of his hair. "I love you too," Klaus whispered back. As their lips collided again, all their problems had been left behind. The only things that remained were the two of them and their passionate love for one another. It didn't matter how much time went by, as long as they stuck together. They would survive.

~~~~~~~~

Six Years Later...

December 2025

To some, time feels like it goes by too quickly. Quicker than what you'd expect or prefer it to. But to Dusk, the six years since arriving in the reset timeline had slowed. And for once, she didn't feel rushed into doing anything. No deadlines she was being hassled about 24/7. No apocalypses, doomsdays, or kugelblitzes in sight. She could finally focus on the things important to her. And while she still had that aching void within her, begging to be made whole, she came to accept that maybe losing her powers was a good thing.

She sat in her dressing room, beaming with excitement at the anticipation of her greatest accomplishment. Her debut album, Ashes and Embers, after years of sleepless nights, and countless recording sessions, was finally out. And while she didn't receive immediate stardom and millions of dollars from the release, the small amount of fame and fans she gained from it meant just as much to her. And of course, she had the support of some of her siblings. No matter how far away they all were, they did try to keep in touch while they were off living their own lives.

"Mrs. Hargreeves? Can I come in?" a knock came from the closed door. "It's open," Dusk assured, applying another layer of mascara. As the door opened, a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing glasses with thick frames poked his head into the room, carrying a large bouquet, the stems covered in layers of bubble wrap. "Someone dropped this off at the front, he said it's for you," He handed her the bunch. "Thanks, Jake," Dusk smiled graciously, replacing the old and dying flowers with the fresh and colorful ones in the vase beside her mirror. "And he also told me to give you this," Jake added, handing her a white envelope with her name written in black ink.

With another smile and nod, Jake closed the door behind him and went back to work at the front of the bar. Dusk tore open the envelope, having a sneaking suspicion on who the bouquet was from. If the extensive amount of bubble wrap wasn't enough of a hint, the scribbled and uneven handwriting in the letter was. 

Wish I could make it, but I'm trying to avoid the crowds, too many germs.
But I hope these flowers will cheer you up. Go get 'em, songbird!

- Yours, Klaus

I should've known... Dusk bit back a sigh. Unlike his wife, Klaus did not take the loss of his powers very well. A year into their new lives, Klaus had slipped back into drug use, but unlike his previous relapses, he tried to be as cautious as possible with his mortality. Avoiding the heavier street drugs and settling for weed and pills that gave him a slight high. But it wasn't long until he finally gave in to his deeper temptations, which took a drastic toll on their relationship.

Dusk remembered that night all too well, coming home from a late-night show to find paramedics and EMTs inside the house, watching in shock as Five and Victoria screamed at Klaus to wake up, having found him in the bathtub, overdosing on heroin. But by some miracle, Klaus survived. And during his time in rehab, he realized just how fragile life really is. And upon his return, he made drastic changes to his life. Not just his life, but Dusk's too. She leaned in close, smelling the combination of roses and daisies, feeling Klaus's presence even if he wasn't physically there. 

"Two minutes, Mrs. Hargreeves," Jake knocked on the door again. And as Dusk smoothed out the creases in her netted black dress, she stood behind the curtains watching as a group of three women and two men finished performing the combo of what sounded like both jazz and indie pop. And while it wasn't Dusk's favorite musical combo, she smiled and cheered the group on as they sang the last note. Scattered applause echoed throughout the bar as they gathered their instruments and walked off.

Dusk stepped onto the small stage, her guitar in hand, and the crowd instantly burst with applause, some patrons even shouting how much they loved her and whistling in approval. Tuning her guitar, she talked with the crowd, thanking them for all the love and support on her album, especially on the lead single. With a slight smirk and the strum of her guitar, the crowd immediately knew which song she was referring to.

https://youtu.be/4vQH4azIu3Y

There's blood on the side of the mountain
There's writing all over the wall
Shadows of us are still dancing
In every room and every hall



There's snow falling over the city
You thought that it would wash away
The bitter taste of my fury
And all of the messes you made
Yeah, you think that you got away



But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze
My footsteps on the ground
You see my face in every place
But you can't catch me now



Through wading grass, the months will pass
You'll feel it all around
I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere
But you can't catch me now
No, you can't catch me now



Bet you thought I'd never do it
Thought it'd go over my head
I bet you figured I'd pass with the winter
Be something easy to forget
Oh, you think I'm gone 'cause I left



But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze
My footsteps on the ground
You see my face in every place
But you can't catch me now



Through wading grass, the months will pass
You'll feel it all around
I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere
But you can't catch me now
No, you can't catch me now



Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh



You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm coming like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down



You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm coming like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down



You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm coming like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
You can't, you can't, you can't



There's blood on the side of the mountain
It's turning a new shade of red
Yeah, sometimes the fire you founded
Don't burn the way you'd expect
Yeah, you thought that this was the end

The applause from earlier had tripled as the last note gracefully escaped Dusk's lips, and it felt like she was on top of the world. Nothing and nobody could catch up to her, not even her past. But after Dusk finished performing a few more popular songs and teased unreleased music, the phone behind the bar rang loudly, and Jake immediately went to answer it, his hands sticky from pouring a glass of spilled liquor. "Dusk, it's for you," He gestured her over, handing her the phone.

"Hello?" She questioned, bringing the phone to her ear. "Hey, Dusk. It's been a long time," She could hear Luther's smile from the other end of the phone. "How's it going?" "It's going good. Just wrapped up another show. How's everything going at the club?" Dusk answered. "As good as it can be for the morning shift," Luther held back a sigh. "But that's not why I was calling. I was wondering if you and Klaus are still going to that thing,"

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that, big guy," Dusk remarked. "Diego and Lila's thing, little Grace's birthday party," Luther clarified. "Of course! It's not every day you turn 6 years old! Are you going?" Dusk confirmed. "Yeah, I just gotta make a quick stop first, and I'll see you there," Luther nodded. After a quick 'goodbye' and 'see you soon,' Dusk hung up and turned back to where Jake was watching her. "Anything good?" He questioned. "It's my niece's birthday," Dusk replied, grabbing her winter coat from the nearby rack.

"Tell her I said Happy Birthday?" He asked. "Of course! I'll see you around, Jake," Dusk waved, walking out the back door towards her car.

A/n: While in the process of writing this chapter, I found out that From the Ashes has now reached over 100k reads! I truly don't know what to say right now, other than thank you! This is the first TUA story and my fourth story overall that has reached this milestone. I honestly never thought this story would gain so much attention, but I'm so thankful to every one of you! Whether you've been here since the first chapter, or just recently started reading, you guys being here means more to me than you'll ever know!

With love,

Dusk Marie ☔💖