**3rd person pov:**
It was half and half throughout their entire stay. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months. Eventually it was hard to keep track. But (Y/n) kept track of every-day and every hour, keeping track of it helped him stay sane, though he could tell it was fall he couldn't tell which EXACT month it was.
The rest of the year was spent by (Y/n) trying to figure out why Zalga and Slenda, two strong beings and written about a lot, always used up their damn strongest moves at the start. Why would you reveal all your good cards to start in a fight. The answer he got?
'It's better to get the fight done quickly.' To which was a prompt facepalm from (Y/n). On one hand you can argue that is true, but also if the enemy is competent then they will be prepared. Likely to either avoid, shield against, or possibly turn it back.
As (Y/n) looked at the two of them, he noticed that they were staring intently at him, looking between them he was wondering why. Though as they looked at each-other they then looked at him again.
"...You've got to be fucking kidding me..."
**(Y/n)'s pov:**
"You still want me to join one of your groups." I said in a calm tone now as they both sat across from me, Zalga to my right and Slenda to my left. Both of them were looking to the ground and while both of them were still skeptical of if I would really go with them I sighed a bit.
"I thought I already told you people about my answer? I'm not joining one side." The both of them looked off to opposite sides, as if like guilty children. The rain was calmer than usual, pitter-pattering along the roof. A glance at Slenda as my thoughts went by, if I joined her then things would be possibly equal, but then was the problem of Zalga's power as well, I was able to face them and survive, but I'd need to be-careful about how often I threw my power out.
If I were to join Zalga however then things would also be one sided, I'd be pretty much stuck in the middle of this war and who knew if I would be keeping my mental capacity, just taking one look at her 'proxy's', slaves and zombies everyone of them and constantly wanting blood. As it was they could barely match me but if I were to join one of them? Then me becoming a proxy would smash all chances of any equal weight.
I also needed to still get my weapons and armor properly tested...fixed up.
And combining that on the fact that as it was I had barely explored my armor and weapons powers. I was a equalizer to this whole thing. A single figure whom did not want to disturb balance here. No matter how much they begged. Or how much they tried to bribe me...with that I stared at Zalga who noticed my stare and glanced to the side, whistling...
How the fuck she was whistling, I don't know, don't ask me. That's not my job, that's the Author's job.
[Son of a bitch...MARNELL!]
(Y/n): Not sorry...
[Shut the fuck up, or I kick your ass!]
(Y/n): As if!
[I will fucking erase you!]
(Y/n): NO!
[*After fixing that fourth-wall break*]
Slenda was first to speak up "W-well...you...did work hard to help me when I was injured through the training sessions." Slenda nervously stated, Zalga nodded a bit at that. "Even though we aggravated you, me most especially...you still went to care for my injuries." They both were thankful that I worked at helping to care for them, and despite the fact I cut off most of Slenda's tentacles one time, at least she wasn't entirely mad.
Then they looked to each other and then nodded before they both kept their heads bowed and spoke in unison "We want you to help us reconcile differences." Then that made me extremely surprised.
"So let me get this straight, the two of you who are the most powerful in this forest, bar none but me. You two...want ME, a random dragonkin...to be the ultimatum? You want me to go to the mansion of Slenda, the castle of Zalga and try to make things better? What makes you think they'll be in anyway wanting to see me? I kicked their asses several times, you REALLY think they want to see ME of all people!?" Slenda thought that over and so did Zalga as she thought over how I had recently fought off Angel and now had actually sparred with her and won on occasion.
Slenda wasn't entirely sure herself it seemed to me because of how I had injured Jane as well, I had no doubt that both parties had been healed up and probably didn't want to see me. I mean would anyone want to see, the very face that sent them into a comatose state? I mean...wait...what is that sound?
I stopped and slowly stood up, grabbing my great-sword from it's rest beside me, I heard multiple sets of steps outside and even if my blade was battered, it would have to suffice for now, both Zalga and Slenda followed behind me. When we stepped outside it seemed that there were mindless corpses around, as well as people from Slenda's mansion and Zalga's. I was able to count at least eight of them, four from both I assumed. I saw Jane, Eyeless Jackie, Jess from Slenda. And then Hoody, Masky, Angel, and Lazari with Scaria soon following over. With all of this it just made things...annoying.
Standing there with my battered blade in hand, and battered armor as well. It was going to be a long day, that much I knew. I looked back towards Slenda and Zalga who stood in my ruined house currently. I wanted to go and get the box soon, if I could at least get it I could forge a new suit of armor and a weapon for myself.
**3rd person pov:**
(Y/n) now stood there at the center of a half circle facing towards his house, sword in hand and just looking around at everyone. Each killer stood ready and you took this time of clear weather to look over all of them. (Y/n) had seen four of them thus far but now he has a clear look at them. Lazari, Jess, Hoody, Masky were the only ones (Y/n) had not gotten clear glances at.
Slowly he got into a stance and got ready, blade pointed towards them.
[The four he dispatches are four of the mindless thralls. 0:02 - 0:31]
(Y/n) stood amidst bodies of those who fell, one with their ribcage crushed, another missing their chest cavity, and another crushed into a fine past on the ground. The first who attacked you was sent flying against a wall, unmoving.
As the others approached, (Y/n) held his blade ready but Slenda was first to use her tentacles to impale those who got too close, then Zalga using a black flame to form a wall between (Y/n). The both of them quickly stood between the Dragonkin and the rest of the killers.
Disbelief. That was what was seen among those who now looked at the two leaders defending the one that attacked them, the one who defeated them. It was likely they all wanted to tear him apart, make him suffer.
But there Slenda and Zalga stood, Angel was the first to growl out a roar of anger, shouting at them. "Why are you defending him!?"
To this, a unified response from both. "We're not going to let you hurt him!" Voices ripe with courage, with defiance.
Such things made (Y/n) think back on old memories, reaching his right hand up to his chest, right on the center balled into a fist.
***Flashback 8 years ago***
**(Y/n) pov:**
A forest, I was running about through it happily, a time when I'm young, a time when the clan was at peace in many ways, and a time when me and my sister were happy with our mother. Father? Father never really cared for our happiness, all he wanted was power. Power and to grow stronger through fame and subordinates. He rarely if ever practices against real opponents
He rarely came home, and the times he did he never came to see us. In the middle of my rumbling thoughts, I heard familiar steps. I knew who it was so I crouched very low in the bushes, waiting. Once I heard the steps coming closer, and saw a woman who was like me, a dragonkin. She was taller though, more on the tone and fit side than anything. This was my friend, Thanatos.
The strongest warrior of our clan, I was behind her by a fair bit. About five places really, but it was something okay? She was a friend of the family.
I slowly snuck out of the bushes in a low crouch, then I got up and tackled her to the ground which sent both of us tumbling through the foliage, which got both of us laughing as I then sat up to the side of her "That's two to me and still four to you 'big sis', seems like I'm getting better than you, gradually, but I'm getting there." She sighed and smiled at me nodding her head slightly "Yeah, seems so. Hey...little (Y/n), I'm going to do something here soon and well...I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire of it, alright?"
That made me concerned because whenever she said that it meant she was about to do something really dangerous and she might not come back, but as she was the most skilled warrior of her family I didn't always worry about her. Then I sighed before nodding. "Okay, Thanatos...just...don't leave me behind, alright? I don't want to be left here when you go."
She nodded at me and even crossed her heart as she hugged me and held me close, slowly I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her, smiling widely. Though she was not the real hand of death as the humans portrayed. She was named after such because of her great skill. And I felt that she deserved ever bit of praise that name got her.
And I was willing to stand with her. Then we both parted and I looked up at her "Come on, lets go home. I just got some more wyvern meat for dinner and even got us some fresh juice from the market." That got me excited and I gleefully squealed "YES! You're the best!"
With that the both of us walked home. And you were slowly snapped back to reality as you heard someone calling your name.
***Back to present***
**3rd person pov:**
Slenda and Zalga stood in front of (Y/n) ready to fend the others off together now as you still stood there with a clawed hand grasping over your heart now. Zalga spoke up first "If any of you step forward I swear to hell I will burn you from the inside out!" Slenda kept her tentacles ready, it was thanks to you that they were healed and now she was using them to keep you protected.
The both of them stood there and looked over each of the others. Even if it was eight on two, they couldn't best the two working together that easily not to mention. What surprised them all the most was that this was ZALGA and SLENDA working together, two people who would normally fight each other, wanting to help someone who injured one person from both grounds.
Slowly, Slenda and Zalga looked back at (Y/n), eyes distant and seeming lost in thought, fist planted against his own chest. He seemed completely idle. Zalga spoke first. "(Y/n)?"
No answer.
Slenda spoke up next but louder. "(Y/n)!?"
He finally shifted his head and looked up at them, his eyes slowly focusing back into things. Then he rubbed his eyes, stepping forward. "I just...got lost in a memory. Sorry.." With that he looked out to the other killers who were more or less casual now as they had seen that and how concerned the two were for him. So now he simply looked to each of them and wondered how this was for them, he had after all, injured the fighters from both and 'captured' their leaders.
Though now they come and find that they had in fact been with him, and he cared for them as they cared for him.
So he just stood there and watched as Slenda and Zlaga sighed at the Dragonkin man, then they did one thing he wasn't expecting most of all, they hugged him, slowly he put his hand upon Slenda's arm and gripped gently, not wanting to harm her now, leaning into the hug and the others sighed in relief now.
As they walked over he saw Jane wasn't entirely over the way he had hurt her or even Angel as well who was skeptical of this, Jackie was somewhat skeptical as well while the others walked over and wanted to get to meet (Y/n), asking his name as Slenda and Zalga parted from him and he stood there, trying to get them to go easy on the questions until Slenda and Zalga managed to calm them both down.
Zalga, (Y/n) figured still wished he were hers alone but she'd have to work in sharing him, and Slenda, well he figured that she was probably happy with what this turned out to be. So (y/n) just decided to answer the first question. "My name, is (Y/n), (Y/n) (L/n)." At this they nodded at him and he couldn't help but still notice Jess eyeing the battered great-blade at his side, so he unsheathed it and stabbed it into the ground in front of himself, using it as a point of which he could lean against.
Though now the others were in awe of it as well as they noticed the design on it. Lazari looked over the massive aged hunk of steel as she walked up to it and placed a hand to it, and he noticed her tense up as if expecting something, so with a chuckle and spoke up "Don't worry, it doesn't attack people, well, unless I count the time I sparred with these two." He gestured at Slenda and Zalga.
Which got a chuckle out of them.
This...felt right. But this was still making (Y/n) cautious of them as he wasn't sure of how this would all turn out. Hell he survived this long by being alone and now, well how was he to find out a way to make the two sides come together as one? Now he had a way. This was a start.
They found common ground with (Y/n) and though he was powerful, he now had to figure out if all of them would comply to peace as well. But, how hard could that be?
-------------------------------
5th Chapter re-written. I will be late to re-write the next as I have a test coming up later today. Also if it only seems changed in some 'minor' ways, that's because there wasn't much else I wished to change, but from here the story WILL drastically deviate as I go.
I want to take the story in a SLOWER way, not rushing things forward chapter by chapter, as I want it to feel cohesive and connected properly, building things up.
So likely what's to happen is that I am condensing who goes with (Y/n) to a certain group. You'll know as things go.
Sorry for taking so long, and I'll try my best to keep up with these more.
Take care everyone!
[***Have a thing I worked on in my spare time. Yes. That is me, least, my persona.***]