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[New Notes:6/8/2021]: Oh jeez I totally forgot that I had posted this story on here. Please enjoy this really old chapter that I posted months ago on AO3. This chapter is split into two parts because it's really long. The other half will be posted soon. More notes at the end so please read those as well.

[Old Notes from 11/19/20-]: Yo, what's up! I don't have much to say except that this chapter is the story of Irene adopting Wendy. Uhh, hopefully, all you fine people out there will enjoy it.

Lol, I also wrote this while eating spicy ramen because I like it when my mouth is burning. Idk why :)

Chicken tenders with potato wedges

Welcome to the family, Wendy!

Irene crossed her shapely thighs while she rocked back and forth in her chair. She watched as Wendy searched her bookshelf. It was almost bedtime for dear little Wendy, so Irene had come to her room to read her a story. Irene thought Wendy looked absolutely adorable in her blue onesie with pink hearts.

Wendy had lots of bedtime books, so often it would be hard for the little girl to choose what she wanted to read. After going through what seemed like hundreds of books, Wendy excitedly clapped when she finally found the perfect one for tonight. Wendy ran back to her mom and presented the story.

It was a picture book called the Two Little Kittens. It revolved around two baby cats who journeyed their world while searching for their mother. It was quite a cute story, and Irene loved reading it to Wendy. The mother patted her lap, and Wendy climbed up and snuggled into her.

"Ok, Wendy. This book is called Two Little Kittens."

"Hehe, I like kitties!"

Irene smiled and softly pinched Wendy's cheek. She opened up the book and read.

Once upon a time, two kittens missed their mother very much. The brother and sister cat always became sad when their mom left for the day.

One day the brother cat decided that the two should look for their mom.

"Let's go find Mother Cat!" Said the Brother Cat.

"Ok!"

They left their cardboard box home and set off on their quest.

First, they passed by a bakery where the kind owner always gave them a piece of beard. The owner patted the kittens as the two ate their snacks.

"Have you seen our mother?" The Sister Cat asked.

"I'm sorry. I haven't."

The kittens were sad, but they thanked the owner for the bread and continued their search.

Next, they went to see their mother's close friend .

was an old but kind bloodhound who had been friends with their mother since before they were born.

" ? Have you seen our mother?" Asked the Brother Cat.

Mr. Dog's ears flapped as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry little ones. I have not."

The two sighed and continued their journey.

The final place they journeyed to was the town's park. They had heard from their mom that she had been going there for quite some time now.

The two little cats asked the nearby people and animals if they had seen their mother.

"No, Sorry," said

"Nope!" said a big fluffy dog.

"Haven't seen them," said a big gray cat.

The two kittens cried because they had looked everywhere, and they weren't able to find their mom. The two were very sad and decided to go home.

They walked past 's house and the bakery back to their cardboard box home in the alleyway. The two cried until suddenly!

The white-furred Mother Cat walked into their house! The two were very happy that their mom had finally returned! Mother Cat explained that she had found a kind human family who was willing to adopt their family.

The mother grabbed them by their necks' scruff and carried them three neighborhoods over to a big red house.

There the brother and sister experienced the warmth of love from something other than their mothers. The caring family adopted them.

The kittens were happy that Mother Cat never had to leave again during the day. From that day on, they lived happily ever after!

The End.

Irene closed the book and placed it on Wendy's nightstand. She was about to ask Wendy how she liked the story, but the little girl had already fallen asleep. Irene found it so cute because Wendy instinctually clung to her.

Irene wrapped her arms around Wendy and slowly got off the rocking chair to carry her to her bed. The Enchantress gently tucked Wendy in her fluffy pink blankets and kissed her forehead goodnight before laying down next to her. Her bed was large enough for the two to sleep comfortably. Since it was night was still young, Irene figured she could rest for a bit. That way, in case Wendy had a nightmare, Irene could be there for her.

Half an hour had passed, and Irene had just been watching over Wendy. The house was quiet, and Wendy's room was nice and warm. Irene laid on her side, propped up as she watched the little girl sleep.

Whenever Wendy had a nightmare, she would whimper and cry before waking up. But tonight, it seemed like she would peacefully slumber. Irene felt her heart melt when the little girl cuddled against her. But what followed up next made her want to squeal.

"Mama…" Wendy affectionately muttered as she nuzzled into Irene. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to avoid crying out tears of joy.

Irene honestly doesn't know how she would have lived her life if she never had her children. She probably would have been utterly miserable. She doesn't even want to imagine how lonely it would be.

But those what-if scenarios didn't matter because Irene felt like one of the happiest people in the world! She had six kind-hearted children and five well-behaved kittens. Though funny enough, Irene had tried to spoil her kids a bit when they were young, but it never worked out for her.

By the time Erza, Natsu and Gajeel were nine years old. The trio told Irene they were "too old to be spoiled by mom." Sting and Rogue didn't fare any better. At seven years old, the Twin Dragons said they didn't want to be "Mamas' boys."

The two significantly looked up to Natsu and Gajeel, so they decided to follow in their footsteps. Irene silently giggled as she recalled how she faked some tears to get Rogue to agree to some spoiling. She tried taking an afternoon nap together when she woke up; Rogue was already outside playing with Frosch.

But with Wendy, it was different from the start. She was super attached to Irene and had been since she was an infant. You could say that Irene spoiled her way too much. Wendy got extra hugs and kisses and took lots of afternoon naps together. They also played whatever she wanted, and whenever Irene baked, she would always give Wendy additional cookies. Despite all the spoiling, the little girl was still a cute shy child. She never acted like a brat or caused trouble for Irene.

Irene knew Wendy would leave the nest one day, but for now, she wanted to enjoy her "little baby."

She never said that phrase aloud, though, because Wendy would pout and try to convince her that she wasn't a baby. However, Wendy could never seem to persuade Irene.

Oh well!

Irene still remembered how she came to adopt Wendy. The story had its ups and downs, but it has a happy ending.

Wendy Belserion

Irene groaned in annoyance as she made her way through the thick forest of a mountainside. You see, she regularly traveled around the world in search of new ruins and breakthroughs for her enchantments.

She also couldn't help but feel worried about her family wherever she traveled. Irene always left Erza in charge of her four rowdy sons, but she couldn't help but cry at the thought of coming back to a destroyed house. But knowing Erza, she would keep the four under control...Right?

Anyways, she was seriously regretting taking the route through the woods. It was so dark that it looked like it was night time. It was also crawling with beasts. Irene knew she should have just flown straight to the top, but no. Her curiosity had to get the best of her. And now she was stuck walking the rest of the way. She had only herself to blame.

To top it all off, any of the beasts that could have proved to be some sort of entertainment for Irene just ran away when they sensed her intense aura. It was just her and the boring road up, which was also an odd sight. Irene believed that nobody lived on this side of the valley.

"Perhaps there's a secluded village at the top," muttered Irene to herself. If that were the case, she would make sure to avoid them. They probably didn't like outsiders, which was why they chose to live out here.

After walking for another ten minutes, Irene sighed in relief when she finally saw the light at the end of the forest. As Irene exited the woods, she immediately perked up as she sniffed the air. 'It smells of burnt wood and blood.' She climbed the hill and sighted the destroyed village. 'What happened here?'

Irene entered the small town to investigate. The smell of burnt wood and blood intensified tenfold. It seemed like something had burned the houses down and killed all of its residents. And judging by the lack of weapons, it was a total massacre. These people stood no chance. Irene would have to report this to the Magic Council.

She passed through the village after seeing enough, and just as she was about to fly away. Irene felt a mighty magical power radiating at the bottom of the mountain. "This presence…" Irene whispered. It had been two years since she had last felt this type of power. "Dragon!"

As Irene quickly floated down, she noticed that the dragon had cleared out a significant area of the forest. She landed in the middle of the patch and was surprised by the scenery. The location was warm and sunny, and the grass was lush green with beautiful flowers. Most dragons would have decimated the area.

Irene stood in the middle of the field. Her cape flapped with the wind as she tried to pinpoint the dragon's location. Suddenly Irene identified the source. She turned right and saw a white dragon emerge from the woods.

The dragon was large, and it's appearance differed considerably from a traditional Dragon. It had a white body, which appeared to be covered in tissue similar to bird feathers, rather than scales. Its feet resembled bird talons as well. It's head as well was covered in what appeared to be fur.

"Hello, human," greeted the dragon in a friendly female voice. "Hello there," waved Irene. This dragon seemed friendly and showed no signs of hostility. Most human-despising dragons would have tried to kill Irene. They wouldn't bother to say hello. However, it could also be an act.

The white-furred dragon chuckled as she watched Irene become briefly lost in her thoughts. The dragon couldn't help but notice this human woman carried a unique magic type.

"You're a dragon slayer, aren't you?" Asked the dragon. "Are you here to slay me?"

"No," Irene said as she shook her head. "I was just thinking about something?"

The female dragon giggled. "Well, I do suppose humans need 'lots' of time to think."

'Ehh?!' Irene thought as she comedically sweatdropped. 'Did she just call me stupid!?'

The dragon heartily laughed as Irene grumpily mumbled. Irene smirked as she put her hand on her hip and also began chuckling. This white dragon had quite a sense of humor. The dragon came to like Irene. She was a good sport and didn't become furious like a particular Fire Dragon King she knew.

"My name is Grandeeney. I am a Sky Dragon," she greeted. "What is your name, human?"

The High Enchantress titled her witch hat as she introduced herself. "I am Irene Belserion. I am known as Scarlet Despair." Grandeeney let out an amused chuckle. "That's quite a terrifying alias for a human."

Irene smiled. "I suppose it is. I don't know who gave that name to me, but I wish they had chosen something more cheerful." The two talked and told each other their stories.

After the war between the humans and the dragons ended, Grandeeney left the continent and traveled around Earthland for over four hundred years. Grandeeny also revealed she was great friends with Igneel, Weisslogia, Metalicana, and Skiadrum.

Grandeeney was delighted to know that her friends had lived when Irene also explained that she met them before and that she was now their foster children's mother.

While Irene was having a pleasant time, she also needed to ask Grandeeney if she knew anything about the village. "Do you perhaps know what happened to the village at the top?"

Grandeeny sadly nodded. "It seemed a group of dark wizards were responsible for the attack. It was early in the morning, and I had been resting here for two weeks now when I suddenly heard humans screaming. When I later checked the village, it appeared that they had killed almost everyone."

Irene's eyebrow raised in curiousness. "Almost everyone? Does that mean some villagers managed to escape?" Grandeeney shook her head. "I only found one survivor." The white feathered dragon gently lifted her wings.

Irene tilted her head and stepped a little closer to get a better look. Hidden under the dragon's wings was an infant who couldn't have been more than a couple of months old. It was a small baby girl with dark blue hair. The child peacefully slept on a makeshift nest of soft hay and grass.

"I found her crying under a pile of debris. It appeared that her parents had used themselves as shields to protect their daughter." Irene frowned. "I see…"

"Yes, it's quite a sad fate. It really reminds you of how cruel humans can be." Grandeeny shifted her position to create some distance between her and the child. "I have been watching over Wendy for days now, and I've been doing my best to keep her well-fed."

"Wendy?" asked Irene. How did Grandeeney know the girl's name? "Yes, I saw the child's name engraved on her crib."

Irene knelt to look at Wendy. She had to admit that Wendy was quite adorable. Wendy wore a slightly torn onesie that had little teddy bear designs. Grandeeny smiled as she watched Irene.

"Would you like to pick her up?" she asked. Irene nodded. For some strange reason, Irene felt the urge to hold this baby girl. With both arms, she carefully lifted Wendy and held her against her chest. The little girl whined but soon became comfortable enough before falling asleep again.

"I forgot to mention Wendy gets a little fussy when you pick her up." chuckled Grandeeney. Irene smiled as she held the sleeping girl. Irene for some odd reason felt an immediate connection with Wendy. It was quite strange. 'What is this feeling? I have never experienced such powerful emotions like this before.'

Grandeeney smiled at the heartwarming display of affection. It was one of the reasons why she liked humans. While they could be merciless, they could also be very loving. They could take in others' offspring and raise them as their own.

Dragons did not do that nor have a concept of family. If a hatchling's mother was killed, it would soon follow. They would either starve or fall prey to another dragon. It was the world she once knew—the survival of the fittest.

As Grandeeney watched Irene and Wendy, she realized now was her chance. In a short time, Irene Belserion had proven herself to be a sympathetic and kind-hearted woman. She was Dragon Slayer who had fought in the war and understood dragons. She also had adopted and raised her friends' children. She was a human who could be trusted.

"Irene…" Grandeeney softly called out. Irene looked up from the baby girl and at the white dragon. "Please take this child and care for it."

"But what about you?" Irene thought Grandeeney would raise Wendy. "My time has come. It is time for me to join the rest of the dragons."

Irene suddenly understood what Grandeeney was saying. The previous dragons she met had said the exact thing. They knew their era was over, so they have chosen to leave. Who knows where they had gone. The dragons disappeared off the face of Earthland.

"I understand…"

The dragon smiled. She was relieved and glad to have met such a great human. She could now peacefully depart, knowing the child would be loving hands. "Thank you, Irene."

Grandeeney spread her wings, ready to fly off. But she had one more task she needed to accomplish. The dragon extended her right talon and produced a ball of pure dragon magic. It would be her final gift to humans. She held her claw over Wendy. The baby slightly whimpered as the ball of magic power entered her small body.

"This power…" Irene spoke softly. "It's your dragon magic, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's my parting gift to little Wendy. So one day, she can protect her friends and family."

Irene gave Grandeeney a sad smile. The white dragon laughed. "Humans have always been an emotional species...But I suppose that's what also makes them very beautiful." With a flap of her wings, Grandeeney lifted off the ground and flew to the open sky.

"Goodbye, Irene, and Wendy. It was a pleasure to have met you."

Irene smiled as she waved goodbye. Grandeeney flew high into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. To Irene, it would always be a mystery where the five dragons had gone. But she prayed they were happy wherever they were now.

Irene looked down at Wendy. The baby girl was now wide awake and staring at her. Irene locked onto Wendy's little brown eyes. "Your eyes...They're so beautiful," cooed Irene

Wendy just curiously stared at her. The sun was setting, and it was getting chilly. All Wendy had on was a torn onesie. With one hand, Irene took her cape off and gently wrapped Wendy into a neat bundle. It wasn't much, but it would suffice until they got home.

Home! That's right! Hopefully, hers would still be intact when she returned.

Irene held on tightly to Wendy as she flew straight up into the air. The route she had taken would be quite the hassle now that she had Wendy with her. You see, Irene had gone north of Fiore past the snowy sacred Mountain of Zonia. The weather didn't affect Irene, but Wendy could freeze to death.

"Hehe, looks like we have a new problem now, Wendy."

The infant said nothing but stare. And how could she? Infants don't talk, you silly goose.

It was dusk when Irene and Wendy safely returned to Magnolia. Irene was relieved to find her house intact. Her family wasn't home, so she assumed they were still at their guild. Wendy would be a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. But Irene had to make sure to exercise extreme caution. She remembered when she first brought Gajeel home.

It seemed like the introduction was going well until suddenly Natsu and Gajeel lunged at each other. The two began fighting like feral beasts. They violently punched, kicked, and bit each other. What Irene witnessed that day reminded her of The War, how the dragons ripped each other apart.

After the whole ordeal, she separated the two and locked them in their rooms. Even though she was the creator of Dragon Slaying Magic, it was the first time she had ever seen this type of behavior. She spent that day studying them and reached many different theories.

The best and most plausible theory is that the two are reacting to each other out of instinct. Dragons were highly competitive creatures, so it wasn't uncommon for them to duel for mates or territory. Perhaps since they were both young children, they couldn't control their instincts, which led them to lash out. For now, she will keep them separate until they adjust to each other's smell and presence. The next day it seemed the two had calmed down and returned to their usual selves. Both had neither recollection of the events from the day before.

Time passed, and the two had become quick friends. But due to their dragon magic, it seemed that they always had the urge to one-up each other in everything, whether in playing or testing their strength. Though the two still lost when they went up against Erza. But Irene was happy that the three were getting along.

Irene reported the massacre to the Magic Council, but she left out two crucial details in her report. Grandeeney and Wendy. While Irene was the most feared enchantress in Ishgal, she also had her fair share of enemies. Fools who before had resorted to cowardly methods like assassination attempts or poison. As expected, every single pathetic attempt of theirs failed miserably. In her opinion, the lucky ones were those who got locked up.

When Erza, Natsu, and Gajeel were still young and decided to join their guild, she warned her little dragon slayers to register under different last names. It was for their safety and protection.

Irene also made damn sure to keep their identities secret from the Magic Council. She got along with them, but Irene knew there were moles hidden deep within who could sell that information off to dark guilds for a fortune. She especially didn't trust the "strongest" of the Four Emperors of Ishgal, God Serena. He may seem like an eccentric but he would definitely cut your throat to get ahead.

But present-day, they were older, so she didn't worry as much. She knew together, her children could overcome any obstacle that came their way. The only one who did concern Irene was Wendy. She was still a little girl, which is why Irene had enchanted Wendy's sigil. If Wendy were in mortal danger, she would either be teleported to her or Erza.

After Irene settled in, she sat down on her bed. But for some reason, her mattress felt stiff and uncomfortable. "What the hell…" Irene whispered under her breath. Damn. It felt like Irene was lying on a pile of broken bricks. And even worse, just sitting was so damn uncomfortable. 'Oh well. I'll sleep in the spare room and buy a new bed tomorrow.'

Irene leaned against the headboard as she cradled Wendy. The baby girl was could blame her? Wendy was probably tired from the three-hour trip back. It would be hard for anyone to sleep when it was snowing.

Irene began prepping for their new life together. There was just so much stuff that she needed to get done. She's going to need to buy baby clothes, feeding bottles, diapers, toys, a crib, and so much more.

It was a good thing she had a fortune; otherwise, it would have been a pain. She could bring Erza along with her. Her daughter was always happy to help her. And speaking of Erza, she heard her daughter shout for her downstairs.

"Mom, are you home!?"

Irene smiled. She couldn't wait to introduce Wendy. She smoothly raised herself off the bed and walked downstairs. Erza was enjoying a nice cup of tea in the living room when Irene greeted her.

"Oh, great! Your home! I wanted to ask yo-"

Erza fell silent when she saw what Irene was carrying in her arms. Irene sat down opposite of her and crossed her legs. Erza was so baffled that she didn't even know to approach the situation. "Uhh...mom?"

"Yes?" smiled Irene, not bothering to look up.

"Is that a baby?"

Irene beamed. "Yep! Her name is Wendy."

"Ok…."

What the heck was going on?! Whose baby was that, and why did her mom have it with her?! Erza's imagination ran wild. Her face turned bright red. Was it possible her mom saw someone nine months ago? Then she secretly gestated the baby? Or maybe she stole some young couple's child? The possibilities were endless in Erza's strange head.

Irene found her daughter's reaction amusing. Judging by Erza's facial expressions, it was clear she was thinking of some pretty wacky scenarios. She giggled and explained the entire story to Erza.

Erza let out a sigh as she leaned her head back against the sofa. That whole story was quite a bit to take in. She felt terrible for Wendy. The little girl's parents were dead, and her village burnt to the ground.

"So that's why I have decided to adopt Wendy," said Irene as she gently rocked the infant in her arms.

Erza straightened up and nodded at her mom. It seems like she has a little sister now. Perhaps, if another person were in her shoes, they would have to take some time to come to grips with the sudden adoption.

But not Erza. Her brothers were also adopted, and there was no issue with that at all. It didn't matter if they weren't blood-related because they shared a real family bond. And she was sure they would also accept Wendy.

"Would you like to hold her?" Irene asked. Erza excitedly nodded. This was a perfect opportunity for her to bond with her new little sister. Irene scooched over to let Erza sit down.

Irene calmly lowered Wendy into Erza's arms. Erza's shoulders stiffened when the little girl whined and shook in her arms. It's not like it was her first time holding an infant. She has held a baby before but with help from the mother.

Wendy's whining got louder and louder, and just when it seemed like she was about to start crying, she suddenly calmed down. Erza let out a relieved breath. She looked over at her mom, who seemed to be enjoying the show.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention Wendy is a bit fussy when you pick her up."

"Really?" Erza sarcastically replied. "Thank you for telling me that after I held her."

"You're welcome!" Irene laughed.

Erza looked down at the baby. She had to admit that Wendy was utterly adorable. From her dark blue hair and chubby cheeks down to her tiny hands and feet.

Upon a closer look, she noticed Wendy's clothes looked battered. It must have been when she was pinned under the debris. Well, no matter, her mom was buying clothes for her tomorrow.

Erza heard Wendy's tummy grumble. The baby began softly crying. "Oh my!" exclaimed Irene. "Poor Wendy must be starving. Time to feed her."

Erza gave her a confused stare. "But mom...We don't have any baby formula. What are we going to feed her?"

Irene's smile faded. Oh crap! Erza was right! What the hell were they going to feed Wendy?! It was late, and Irene was pretty sure most of the stores have closed already. Irene never had the need to purchase baby formula since she nursed Erza and the rest were already past the prime age when she adopted them.

Irene took Wendy back from Erza. The little girl cried as her tummy grumbled in hunger. The enchantress took a quick, estimated guess on Wendy's age. At most, Wendy had to be at least four months old so perhaps, Irene could feed her some chicken broth.

While it's highly recommended for infants to only drink their mother's milk for the first twelve months, Irene had no other option. She carefully gave Wendy back to Erza and headed to the kitchen to prepare the broth.

As Irene made the delicious substance, she could hear Wendy's cries from their living room. She had to hurry. One was to feed Wendy and the other was to have her in her arms before her sons returned.

Back in the living room, Erza was trying her best to comfort the baby. She lovingly rocked Wendy, but the baby kept on crying. 'Oh, please don't cry Wendy. I'm trying my best here."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open and heard loud laughing. It was Natsu, Sting, and Rogue along with Happy, Lector, and Frosch. The group seemed to be dying of laughter.

"Bwahaha! Please tell me you saw her face when Happy started talking!" laughed Natsu as he wiped a tear away. "Hahaha, we did!" Sting said as he held his stomach. "Oh, good times." chuckled Natsu. The group immediately fell silent when they heard crying and Erza standing in front of them.

"Yo, Erza!" Natsu cheerfully greeted, ignoring the loud crying. His eyes wandered down to her arms. 'Huh? Why is she carrying a pile of clothes?' That's when Natsu noticed a new smell. Natsu sniffed the air along with the other two. "What's wrong, Natsu?" asked Happy, noting the sudden shift in mood in all three of the Dragon Slayers. .

"I smell a dragon."

[New Notes 6/8/2021]: Yo readers of . No I have not abandoned this story. Like an idiot, I forgot I even had an account on this website. Now that I'm here again, I will be doing my best to catch up. I've been reading a lot of books lately so I could improve my atrocious writing skills. I'm still trying to find my writing style but it is taking a while. Hopefully someday I will be able to write semi decent fanfic :D

Also now that I had reread all my old chapters, I cringe at just how badly written they are. Each chapter contradicts itself(Like CHP2 Irene hiding their identities only for Makarov to toast them[Face Palm]

This is probably the result of writing at 2am while tired. *Sigh*

And then that awful formatting of everything. I don't know if it's just like that on mobile but seriously wtf? It so annoying to see dialogue mixed with the narration text.

I will be going back and to revise those chapters.

Also I hit a writer's block recently. I would like to keep writing short horribly written one shots but I'm all out of that creative brain juice.

If you got any ideas, feel free to tell me. I implore y'all. Not but for real send me some ideas

[Old Notes from 11/19/2020]: Let me know what you think. I was also thinking of adding Juliet and Heine, but I don't know, to be honest. I say it's like a 10-90% chance that I will. What do all of you think?

I feel like I've been writing too much about Wendy, so I'm going to focus on other characters. I'll write about Irene's first few months with Wendy some other time.

I also got a message asking if I would include Laxus, Cobra, or Acnologia. I decided not to add them to the family. Yes, sad face for those who wanted them in.

Sorry but it's kind of hard when you have 10 characters. Or maybe I'm just that stupid and awful at writing XD.

Laxus and Cobra are their canon characters in this story, and as for Acnologia. I'm not sure what I plan to do with him. Maybe I'll write him in as a threat if I get really bored. I write some epic (probably will be lame) chapter about Irene meeting Acnologia, and he threatens her and her family.

If you have any other exciting ideas, make sure to drop them down below in the comments. I'm starting to run out of things to write about, lol. I'm running out of creative juices.

Anyway, if you liked the story, make sure to leave a kudos and as always stay safe and until next time-FriedOrangeJuice