Development

`Walking through the passages in the cave system, Inari started feeling more nervous than he had ever been. Although he had succeeded in 'finding' his magic, he hadn't used it enough to be confident in it's power. He took time to bring it to the surface, although he could do it while moving. Ultimately, it was reassuring to have Erza with him, forgetting anything else that might be going on in his mind.

As they walked further in, Inari was able to ignite his magic, being surrounded with red flames and purple arcs of lightning wrapping it all up as they streaked through the fire. Erza looked worried at first, before he reassured her that this is what happens when he activates his magic. Before they could go further, though, a scuttling sound interrupted them.

"What was that!?" Erza

"Maybe it was the critters?" Inari

Erza tried to remember the sounds they made the last time she was here, but it wasn't something she took note of. Deciding, they once again move forward, cautiously this time.

"Be careful, something doesn't feel right. Always trust your instincts as a mage, they might save you." Erza

Inari nodded, also feeling some danger. However, this also made him ponder the nature of his own magic. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing something wrong when it came to controlling his magic. Trying to empty his mind, he wanted to activate his magic based on his body's instinct, to see if it would work better.

"Inari, look out!!!" Erza

At that moment, a spider as tall as he was and wider than his height by 3 times fell from the roof. On instinct alone, honed with the training he did with Erza, he rolled out of the way, while Erza jumped back. Looking at the spider, Erza was confused; spiders shouldn't exist in this cave. Inari, still lost in trying to empty his mind, didn't even notice his own movements. As he rolled back, he seemed to grab hold of an arc of lightning, which he then threw like a spear at the spider. Erza watched on in shock as the lightning instantly vaporized the spider, carrying on to the wall where it fizzled out of existence.

Inari jolted out of his trance, fear and confusion in equal measure on his face. While he wasn't sure what happened, he felt it. He knew he was a step closer to figuring out his magic. What confused him though, was the power in that bolt of lightning. He clearly felt that the flames were stronger, but the lightning was already so monstrous.

"Inari, what was that? Is that your magic?" Erza

"Ye...Yeah. I ... just moved. I don't know what happened..." Inari

As he looked at Erza, she gasped. Ignoring the flames, she ran towards him and grabbed his face, staring into his eyes.

"Wha ... wha ... what are y-y-you doing, Erza?!?" Inari

He tried to back away as he felt his face boiling due to her proximity. She just ignored him, staring deeply into his eyes. After and eternity of fidgeting, or so it felt, she released him and looked at him strangely.

"Your eyes, they were glowing. As if they caught fire. But the fire was purple. Do you know anything?" Erza

Inari thought about what Erza said. He had never seen or felt anything, but it was almost as if lightning had struck him. He felt as if another piece of the puzzle had clicked, one step closer to figuring out his magic. Now he just had to practice while looking for the other piece.

"No, I don't know what that was. But, it felt ... right? As if it was something that means something to me. When I know, I'll tell you. Anyway, what was that spider? Did it eat the critters, or are they further in?" Inari

Inari and Erza shared a look, deciding to explore further. Just as he said though, all the critters were missing. In the end, they decided to leave and report to Master Makarov.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the guild, Erza and Inari were training with their 'swords'. After waking his magic, Inari had started noticing differences. Whenever he swung his sword, there would be an urge. His magic wanted to erupt, but at the same time, it was as if the sword was restraining it. Therefore, with the small reward he got from the mission, he and Erza went to look for a sword for himself. Together they picked an iron short sword that was sturdy and sharp.

"Erza, the other people in the guild often form teams to do missions. Would you like to form one ... with me?" Inari

Inari glanced shyly at Erza after asking this, quickly returning to studying his sword when she glanced at him. She didn't bother thinking it through though.

"Of course I would. You're my best friend in the guild, who else would I choose?" Erza

Erza smiled warmly while Inari blushed so hard you could practically see the steam coming off his head. While he was blissfully in his own world, Erza was contemplating their team name.

"For our name, how about we call ourselves the 'Flaming Sword' because you're on fire when you use magic, and we both use swords?" Erza

"That sound great. To the formation of team Flaming Sword!!!" Inari

Inari held his new sword up, and after a moment, Erza unsheathed hers and crossed his in the air, forming an 'X' with the swords.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a blazing hell, streaks of lightning were flashing faster and faster. In the midst of it all, two purple, blazing eyes observed everything. With a low growl, a vague shadow of a fox started forming, immense, yet tiny at the same time. Within the purple eyes, a brief hint of gold flashed, as if a pupil formed, before everything went back to two eyes in an inferno filled with lightning.