A/N: Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I've been MIA a lot lately, and I'm so sorry for not uploading as much as I should. But I'm overjoyed to see that more people are loving Ignited Hearts!!!!! This means so much to me, and thank you all for the support and sweet comments <3 I don't know when I'll be able to reply or update next, but I'll try to be online more in the future. Until then, enjoy this next chapter! Chapter 4 will most likely be the last one. Onto the story!!!
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Mira's POV

"Mira! Thank goodness!" Cole exclaimed, running toward me with Twitch and Jace at his heels. Civilians were everywhere, confusion and shock evident on their faces. After the fires had died down, it was clear that almost half of the town had been destroyed. But none of that seemed to matter, as cries of relief rang through the streets and people were reunited with loved ones.

"Never do that ever again! We were so worried about you," Cole said, engulfing me in a suffocating hug. 

Twitch clapped me on the back, a smile lighting up his soot streaked face. Yet, despite the celebration, I couldn't look Jace in the eye. And when I eventually tried to meet his gaze, he turned away, and my heart fell to the pit of my stomach. I definitely screwed up this time.

"Mommy?" A little voice caught my attention. The blond child from before was still in his mother's arms, as both stood before the burned down remains of a large building. I recognized two charred wooden doors a few feet away, and realized that the building with the cellar they had escaped into must've been their home. "Does this mean we have to live somewhere else?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. But our home is gone, and it'll take too long to rebuild everything. We'll have no choice but to leave," his mother said softly, as she held the boy closer. 

Nostalgia and guilt broke my heart into little pieces. This family was about to leave everything they'd ever known, all because of me. I would be lying if I said the scene didn't remind me of losing my own family, all those years ago....

I looked back, and the boys and Liam were in deep conversation about our next move. Before I knew what was happening, I walked over and tapped the woman on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you." She turned, and gave me a weary smile that didn't quite reach her blue eyes.

"Not at all, can I help you?" She asked, as her son looked at me curiously.

"I just overheard what you said, about having to leave Middlebranch. There's really nothing we can do?" She sighed, and shook her head.

"All of our supplies burned down in the fire. Most of the townsfolk are planning on moving to the next town, since most of them lost their homes. It would take a miracle for us to rebuild the entire town; most of the people here have lost everything." 

Suddenly, the little boy interrupted our conversation. "Where's your wings?"

"Alex!" His mother scolded. 

"Oh no, it's alright. My wings?" I asked, confused. 

He nodded enthusiastically, and his mother looked just as confused as I did. "When that huge monster was chasing me. You stopped him, and then you flew up and landed on a rooftop! I was watching through the cellar window, and there was fire! It went fwooosh!" He gestured with his hands, mimicking an explosion with his hand. "And you even turned yourself blue!"

Realization dawned, and I laughed, smiling at him. "Well, technically I wasn't flying. It just looked like I did, but I actually used a special sword. It's magically designed to take me up to high places. See?" I slowly unsheathed the sword, and held it up for the boy to see. But instead of the charred metal I saw before, I was shocked to see blue light glowing around the metal. Slowly, the rust and burnt metal faded, and was replaced by glinting silver before my eyes. 

"Wow! You must be a really talented shaper!" Alex grinned, and it took me a few seconds to look away from my work and smile back. But an idea was starting to take shape in my mind.

His mother stood, just as amazed as I was. As Alex was studying the sword, she looked at me with newfound interest. By then, a tall man hurried over to us, who I assumed was Alex's father. 

"No one was hurt too badly from the fires. The doctors are making rounds, but they'll need more supplies soon." It was then the man noticed I was standing beside Alex's mother, with the boy's attention still remaining on my weapon. "Can I help you, miss? I don't think I've seen you around before." I turned to look at him, and was surprised by what I saw.

His jet black hair and green eyes were a stark contrast to his family's blond and blues. But a closer look revealed a kind look in his eyes, and a smile reflective of his son's. All of this made him look strangely familiar, yet I couldn't understand why. 

"Uh, I'm alright, thank you. My friends and I are actually from out of town, we just decided to stop here for the night. Well, before the fires and all that," I replied, suddenly becoming aware of the smoke curling up from the ground below me. "I'm so sorry that you'll have to leave your home behind, I can't imagine what that must feel like," I said, guilt creeping into my voice. 

But the man didn't seem to notice. He sighed, and nodded as he dusted the ash off his clothes. "I didn't want it to have to come to this, but we've been left with no choice. Oh, pardon my rudeness, I'm Mayor Matthew Grayfell. This is my wife, Melissa, and my son, Alex," the mayor introduced, gesturing to our two companions.

I smiled, and stuck my hand out in greeting. But my mind was reeling, remembering how most authority figures were connected to him. Until I determined his trustworthiness, I had to tread carefully. But still, he reminded me of someone.....

"I'm Mira. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." He took my hand and shook it, grip firm. 

"Call me Matthew, please. I apologize that you had to come visit our town in this state. If there's any way I could help you, just ask." Melissa nodded, and smiled in agreement. I couldn't believe how this family was still concerned about the welfare of others, even after losing everything. I wasn't nearly as strong when Mother sent us away. I had to make this right somehow. 

I was just about to respond when I heard footsteps pounding on the earth behind me. Turning, I was greeted with the sight of Liam and the boys, hands on their knees, panting in exhaustion.

"There you are! We've been looking for you," Liam said, then realized that I wasn't alone. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know we were interrupting."

"It's alright," Melissa smiled, completely unfazed. Introductions were made, and I could see how the guys became more serious when they found out it was the mayor's family. An unspoken warning of caution flew within the quick glances the five of us sent toward one another. But something in the way the Grayfells acted just didn't seem greedy, or cruel. If anything, I felt safer around them than I had since we left Skyport.

Of course, I couldn't convince the guys just based on my emotions. After all, they had gotten us into this mess. If I was going to make this right, I needed some kind of proof. Suddenly, battling a shaping monstrosity seemed like a piece of cake.

I partially listened to the group's conversation, which had changed topics from the fires to the recent events in the royal court. Liam was asking Mayor Grayfell about the rumors (which were actually true) regarding the High King's latest attack on a small city, despite his recently ailing powers. Of course, I knew it was just a ruse to decide whether or not the man was trustworthy or not, but it was awful hearing about what my father had done recently. Even after sixty years, he still loved being in the center of attention, and this time was no different.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a paper drop out of the mayor's pocket without him noticing.  It fluttered in front of Melissa's feet, as she was placing a squirming Alex onto the ground. Before she could reach for it, I picked it up off the ground for her, knowing that carrying her son had probably put some strain on her back. 

"Ah, thank you Mira. My back has been a bit sore from all the running and whatnot," Melissa laughed, nodding her head in gratitude. (See? Told you). I smiled as I dusted off what appeared to be an old photograph. It was slightly burnt on one corner, but otherwise it remained intact. 

"It's not a problem, Mrs. Grayfell. I should probably give this back to......" I trailed off as my gaze glanced at the picture, and I froze. 

'No way. Is......Is that who I think it is?' That couldn't be right. I blinked, and looked again. Nope, still the same.

"Are you alright, Mira?" Melissa's worried voice snapped me out of my short reverie. 

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. But could you look at this for a moment?" I asked, handing her the photograph. She nodded, confused, and looked at the picture before a soft smile lit up her face. 

"Well, it seems my husband managed to save something after all."

A slightly younger Matthew stood grinning, his arm around an older man with graying hair. In front of him, Melissa sat in a chair with a two year old Alex in her lap, head thrown back in laughter as the toddler made a silly face at the camera. 

"I remember when this was taken, about five years ago. So much has happened since then," she shook her head fondly. "This is the last complete picture we have of our family."

I pointed to the gray haired man, secretly nervous of how Melissa would answer my question. "Is this another relative of yours?" I asked, trying not to let my nervousness show. If I was right about who it was...... Well, let's just say that person never told me they had any family left.

She looked to whom I had pointed to, and sighed. Her nostalgic expression had turned into a sad smile. "That's Matthew's father. A few days after the picture was taken, he had to leave home, and we haven't heard from him since. But all I know is that he's off doing something that's truly making a difference in the world, and that makes me happy. I mean, who were we to stop him from doing what he felt was his life's purpose?"

I was silent for a moment, putting some of the pieces together. The timeline seemed right, and there's no way Melissa would be lying about something like this. But I needed to confirm it with the others first before doing anything rash. 

"Can I borrow this for one second, please?" I asked, looking over at where the guys were still conversing with the mayor. She nodded, slightly confused, and I thanked her before bringing the picture over to Liam as she followed me over with Alex in tow.

By now the townspeople had turned to their leader for guidance, and Liam was helping him formulate a plan of action on how to get the townspeople to safety. After Melissa had gone to stand by her husband's side, I pulled the boys aside and showed them the photo. 

"Look familiar to you?" I asked, pointing to the gray haired man.

Twitch looked confused as he tried to figure out what I was talking about. As soon as he saw me, Jace's face had changed to a blank expression; avoiding his gaze, I turned to Cole, already seeing the gears churning in his head. It took a minute, but eventually he gasped in realization. 

"Is Mayor Grayfell standing next to.....?" Shock prevented him from saying the name that had popped into our heads.

I nodded, and Twitch looked between the two of us bewilderedly. Jace's face didn't change, but I noticed a shot of surprise in his eyes before they resumed their blank expression. 

"I didn't think so at first, but judging by how you reacted I'd say I was right." I turned my head for a second to watch as the adults was talking to the crowd before us. "If that's the case, we owe this family our lives, Cole. And I know exactly how we can do it."

"Can someone please fill me in on what's going on?" Twitch pleaded, and I remembered how the other two hadn't been there with Cole and I on our last mission. Cole whispered as to not draw attention to ourselves, and it took a few minutes before they caught on. 

"Well, I wasn't expecting that answer. So what's the plan exactly?" Jace asked Cole, not looking at me.

It was the first time I had heard him speak since the argument, and it took a lot of willpower to hide how affected I was by it. There were bigger things to worry about right now. I sighed, and stepped in closer to the circle. 

"Your part isn't that difficult, guys. I just need you to keep the crowd a safe distance away while I work. Can you do that?" Twitch and Cole nodded, and I turned to my best friend/ex friend/whatever we were for his answer.

Sighing, Jace turned and looked straight at me. I was cautious off guard by, one, him making the first move by forcing eye contact between us. And two, the lack of anger in his eyes; or rather, how much guilt they held. 

"Do what you need to do," he replied, his voice quiet. Jace is NEVER quiet, and that made me more worried. After a delayed second I nodded silently, and he walked away toward the crowd, leaving me behind with Cole and Twitch. 

The latter sighed, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Just give him some space. You know how he is, a few hours to cool off and he'll be back to normal by tomorrow," Twitch assured me. 

Cole nodded in agreement, and smiled sympathetically. I knew they were doing their best to make me feel better. But considering how Jace always put up walls when he was upset, none of us were completely sure what was going through his head right now.

"Thanks, guys. I'll see you in a few minutes," I murmured, gently shaking off Twitch's hand and walked the opposite direction. The guilt was slowly eating away at my resolve, but I did my best to push it aside and focus on the task at hand. 

'Repairing some burnt trees was one thing, but an entire town? That's an entirely different story. Not to mention I've never tried shaping something so massive before,' I sighed. 'But I have to try.'

Somewhere from the crowd behind me, Matthew's voice rang out above the confusion. Despite only catching a few words, I figured that he was instructing the people to stand away from the ruins. A few feet away, what remained of the cellar doors were scattered beside the remains of the mayor's home. 

'The cellar doors look like a good place to start. Let's hope this works,'  I thought to myself, as I trudged through the destruction.

After reaching the cellar doors, I knelt down beside the charred wood and placed my hands on the blackened earth. The smoke had drifted away, and the ash ridden ground felt surprisingly cool despite being burned a few hours ago. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what the town looked like before, like I did with the tree. Ancient, oaken buildings that clustered around the town square, with cracked sidewalks crossing over to form an intricate maze of pathways. Walls of stone that rose up steadily in place of the older wood, silently guarding the outskirts of the town. Peaceful chatter echoing through the dusty streets, a constant bustle of activity that made Middlebranch come alive.

Blue light blossomed behind my eyelids, and I opened them to see sparks of power glowing below my fingertips. The familiar luminescence mimicked the fire in its severity, yet radiated a calming sensation that rivaled the burning flames. Before I could even blink, the sparks spread throughout the ashen ground and climbed up the charring stone walls. Slowly, the light surrounded the charred cellar doors and began mending them back together, the burned remains fading into robust oak. Char marks on the walls disappeared, with fallen slabs of smooth stone flying back into place as though they had a mind of their own. By the time the mayor's house had been completely repaired, any traces of the fire had been erased.

Exclaims of surprise arose from the crowd, and I turned to glance at the rest of the wreckage. Every ruin was bathed in a turquoise glow, with bricks and stone melding back together seamlessly. From a distance, the people stood awestruck as levitating ruins merged back together with surprising synchronicity. After the last stone clicked back into place, the luminescence shone brightly before fading completely from view. In its stead, the town of Middlebranch stood stronger than ever before.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, shocked confusion turning into shouts of excitement. I all but collapsed against the newly repaired walls, exhaustion seeping through my veins. 

"Note to self; destroy fewer buildings in the next battle," I muttered to myself. But I couldn't help but smile, as eager citizens ran toward their reconstructed homes with relief. For the first time, I saw how my powers could be used to bring the light back into my father's era of darkness. And if I'm going to be honest? It was the best feeling in the world.

A hand was extended out to me, and I glanced up from my view of the townspeople to see Mayor Grayfell with a kind smile on his face. 

"My wife mentioned that you had shaping power, but I didn't realize how skilled you were," he stated, as I gratefully accepted his help and stood from the wall. "I don't know how to thank you and your friends for saving my people. Twice, to be exact."

"It's really me who should be thanking you, sir," I replied, as we began walking toward the town square. I saw Melissa and Alex standing to the side, taking animatedly with Liam and the guys. "I'm a bit surprised myself, I've never attempted such a feat before now."

"Well, I'd say your first attempt was more than successful," Matthew laughed. "Though I have to admit, I'm curious. Your powers exceed even my best shapers, all of whom are three times your age. Yet I've never heard of you or your friends until today. How could fighters such as yourselves, with your magnitude of power and expertise, lack any sort of reputation amongst my people?" By now, we had reached the town square, and I sighed. 

"It's a long story. But you'd be surprised by what you already know." I pulled out the photograph, which was still safely nestled in my jacket pocket. 

"A few years ago, my mother sent a member of the Unseen rebellion to protect me. He was my bodyguard, if you will. I was wary of him at first, especially because the other bodyguards I had beforehand cared more about the mission than me as a person. But eventually, he became one of my closest confidants. He would always know what to do in any situation, and he wasn't afraid to put his life on the line for anyone in need. Not to mention that his shaping powers were astonishing, and he even trained me on how to control my own powers."

I smiled sadly, recalling all the good memories I had with my mentor. "He never really said much about his family, where he came from, or even his last name. Just that Sambria had always been his home. But now I know the truth." 

I pointed out the man standing beside Matthew in the picture, with the mayor's confused expression shifting into one of realization. "Melissa told me that man next to you was your father. That's the spitting image of Durny, my bodyguard."

Matthew turned to me, a look of realization in his eyes. "My father always told me his line of work was a means to an end. That leaving home was to protect someone vital to the rebellion, someone capable of ending King Stafford's tyranny," he said, taking the picture from my hand and analyzing it. "I didn't understand back then, but now..." he trailed off, eyes not straying away from the worn photo.

"Durny was one of the bravest people I ever knew," I said, and Matthew tore his gaze from the picture to look at me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves before I changed my mind. He deserved to know the truth. 

"My name is Miracle Pemberton, but you might know me as one of the lost princesses of the Five Kingdoms. Your father saved my life."