Birthright: Gray Whirlpool (Storm)
By P.T. Piranha

Pre-Script A/N: This story is a continuation of Gray Whirlpool. It takes place after Chapter 5 of that story, and is an adaptation of the Birthright route.

Birthright Chapter 1: Turning Hoshidan

"I choose Hoshido!"

There they were, out in the field by Hoshido's borders. The Nohrian invaders and Hoshidan defenders were stunned by the declaration.

Corrin (Kamui, as her birth family called her) had wondered how events had led to this moment. Then, the last few weeks of her life flashed before her eyes.

...

Gunter – "Lady Corrin, train with Xander."
Xander – "You beat me, now you can live with us."
Camilla – "I love you Corrin!"
Elise – "I love you more!"
Garon – "Go kill the prisoners!"
Kaze – "I am a ninja."
Rinkah – "Fire puns!"
Leo – "I secretly spared the prisoners for you."
Garon – "Go to the border with Hans."
Hans – "ME KILL! KILL GUNTER!"
Gunter – "Wait wha-"
Mikoto – "Welcome to Hoshido! I'm your real mom!"
Ryoma – "Sister."
Hinoka – "Sister!"
Sakura – "Sister?"
Takumi – "Meh."
Azura – "I'm mysterious."
Mikoto – "Oops I died."
Kaze – "Oh, Kamui's a dragon now."
Ryoma – "Revenge!"
Yukimura – "Lady Kamui can wield Yato!"
Ryoma – "So… revenge?"
Xander – "Wait! Come back with us, Little Princess!"
Corrin - "Uhhh…"

...

"So, uh, yeah…" Corrin awkwardly started. "Xander, I think it'd be good if… Nohr kinda… didn't invade."

"Corrin… you're betraying us?!" asked Xander.

Corrin winced. "Uhh, I don't know if I'd call it that, it's just… I think… Hoshido might be… justifiably upset after all the Faceless attacks, and killing Mothe- Queen Mikoto. So… y'know…"

"So you're betraying us."

Corrin sighed.

"I guess I am…"

"I see how it is," Xander said with a scowl. "We're just not good enough for you. Look, we all knew you weren't our own blood, but we didn't care! We still loved you!"

"I-I know, but-"

"So you just run off with these guys, just because they're your blood family?! They've only known you for a week! Maybe two!"

Corrin glared. "I already told you, I have other reasons! Like unprovoked Faceless attacks! Or that attack on the festival that killed the queen! Or that time Hans started a fight at the canyon and killed Gunter, right before he tried to kill me!" It felt surprisingly good to vent about this, and Corrin was not even finished. "I met the Nohrian princess who'd gone missing all those years ago! Apparently Nohr's been like this for years! We can't just let it go on like that!"

Xander looked around nervously. "… Father wouldn't have tried to have you ki- Oh I can't say that with a straight face." He sighed. "Okay I get it, you're upset with Father. He's very rough. But betraying Nohr is a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?"

"Turning against that man because he tried to have me killed twice is overreacting?!"

"Well…" Xander fumbled, "you did kind of fail to kill those prisoners… Father's one of those begrudging types..."

"What?!"

The prince frowned. "Corrin, it's not too late. Come back with us, and I'll forget all of this. Come on, we can even make fun of Leo's collar together!"

At the mention of that, Leo quickly checked to make sure his collar was on correctly.

"I've made my choice, Xander!" She shut her eyes. "Hoshido has done nothing wrong, and Garon is a monster!"

"I see… In that case…" Xander took a deep breath. "You're dead to me." He prepared Siegfried and attacked with a crimson beam, knocking Corrin on her back.

"Aaah!" Corrin's scream made Xander wince, but he did not stop. He was about to attack again, but was then hit with lightning.

"AAAH!"

Ryoma ran up and prepared his sword for another strike. "How about you pick on someone your own size?"

"Fine. Let's go over there and fight," Xander suggested, pointing to the distance. Ryoma nodded.

"Good."

The two princes went off to fight, signaling to the rest of their respective armies that it was time to battle.

A downtrodden Elise was following behind Leo and Camilla, all on their respective mounts. "Does… Does Corrin not love us anymore?"

Camilla smiled, though she and Leo both knew it was fake. "Oh don't be silly, Elise. Corrin's just confused right now. We'll bring her to her senses."

"Yeah... Sure…" Leo was not willing to lie to himself.

Back with Corrin, Sakura was helping her back up from taking Xander's attack. Hinoka gritted her teeth from atop her Pegasus. "I won't let them take you again, Kamui!"

"Get your hands off her, only we may serve Lady Corrin!" called a familiar voice. Corrin and her sisters looked and saw who it was.

Running up to them were the tired, and ragged forms of both Jakob and Felicia. Corrin gasped, surprised to see her servants here, of all places, and in such condition. Hinoka, however, was feeling differently.

"Nohrian Scum! Trying to sneak up on us, eh?!" Hinoka glared.

"Wait Hinoka, stop! I can talk to them, they were my servants!" Corrin cried.

The princess finally got back up and walked over to Jakob and Felicia. "Jakob, I'm so happy you're safe! And Felicia, it's good to see you too! But… I'm sorry, guys. I left Nohr. I'm staying in Hoshido now."

"Ah. Understood," Jakob said with a nod. "But what are your orders?"

Corrin frowned. "Jakob… I'm not the Second Princess of Nohr anymore. I've left them to fight with Hoshido and my birth family."

"Ooh, you're from Hoshido?" asked Felicia. "So those villagers were right!"

"We heard you loud and clear, milady," Jakob said. "But do you remember what I told Gunter before? Wherever you go, I go. I will follow you to Hoshido if it means serving you, it does not matter to me."

Felicia nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Me too! Flora wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she didn't stop me."

"Flora…" Corrin thought about the maid, but then registered what Jakob and Felicia were saying. "So you're not mad at me for betraying Nohr? I'm technically not your boss anymore."

Jakob and Felicia both bowed for their lady. They spoke as one. "We live to serve."

Corrin smiled and immediately hugged them both, beginning to cry. "Thank you… Thank you so much! I couldn't bear it if I'd hurt you guys…"

"Aww, that's okay, milady!"

"Lady Corrin, you're getting tears on my shoulder."

Hinoka and Sakura had been watching this whole time, slightly confused. It was Sakura who had broken the silence. "S-so… are they with you?"

Corrin broke her hug and then nodded to her sisters. "Yeah… They're with us." A light went on in her head. "Wait, how did you both know where to find me?"

Felicia perked up. "Oh it's a weird story! You see- Aah!" Tree branches sprung from the earth, forcing Corrin and her servants to jump away in opposite directions. Everyone turned and saw Leo, glaring.

"I'm not going to spare anyone just to please Camilla and Elise. Not anymore." His glare deepened as he eyed Felicia and Jakob. "That includes you two, as well."

He was then hit with Hinoka's naginata. "Then I won't spare you, either!" cried Hinoka. "This is for stealing our sister in the first place!" She turned to Sakura. "Sister, tend to her wounds! New guys, get her somewhere safe while she recovers!"

"Y-yes!"

Sakura and the two servants did as instructed. Leo gritted his teeth as he stared Hinoka down. He thought aloud. "This would be easier if Niles were here to snipe her…"

Camilla and her wyvern were flying around, taking out any Hoshidans they saw, until an arrow whizzed past. Takumi groaned.

"How did I miss?!"

"Oh the little boy wants to play, how cute! Fair warning, I play rough."

Camilla swooped down to hit Takumi with her axe, but Kaze materialized from a puff of smoke, and blocked with his shuriken. "No, no roughhousing while I'm around. You'll have to think of something else."

"Hmph! You're only alive because I felt sorry for Corrin, Mr. Ninja. But if killing you will- Aaah!" Camilla ducked down to avoid one of Takumi's arrows. "That was close…"

With Camilla holding off against Takumi and Kaze, Elise found herself face to face with Rinkah. The troubadour frowned. "P-please! I just want to see my sister again!"

Rinkah raised her club to attack, but faltered. "… Aww drat. You're just a little flicker. I can't put you out yet."

At that point, Elise saw Camilla pulling back. She was wounded, with a shuriken sticking in her armor's shoulder. "Elise… we should… go…"

"Camilla!" cried the smaller princess. "I can heal you, don't worry!"

Leo then limped up to the two of them, on foot and clutching one of his arms. "… She took my horse! She. Took. My. Horse!" He spit some blood. "Who even does that, honestly?!"

Rinkah backed away slowly from the awkward sight of the defeated Nohrians.

Xander and Ryoma were still going at it.

"You fiend!"

"Your hair is stupid!"

"You've ravaged our lands!"

"You look like a lobster!"

"Would a lobster do this?"

Ryoma quickly attacked Xander five times in succession, the fifth knocking him off his horse. The horse whinnied and ran off. Xander slowly stood back up. He saw Corrin and Azura standing together some distance behind Ryoma. He glared. "… You're no sister of mine."

The crown prince turned to the troops. "NOHR! FALL BACK! WE MUST RETREAT!" Xander limped away, as more Nohrian forces began to evacuate. Before long, the invaders were mostly gone.

The Hoshidan troops began to mount their horses and Pegasi, then head back. Azura stopped and noticed Corrin and Ryoma standing together in an embrace. She was curious, but realized Corrin needed some space. Especially today.

Corrin had been crying into Ryoma's shoulder, and the samurai had waited patiently for her to let it out.

"… It couldn't have been easy. I don't blame you for feeling this way."

Silence.

"… I understand… if you don't think you can take it. I won't ask you to fight with us-"

"No…" Corrin finally spoke. Her voice was tired, but firm. "I should have known this would happen, when I decided to fight with Hoshido… But to actually hear Xander speak to me that way…" She finally separated herself from Ryoma. "No, I'm ready… Garon has to pay for his crimes. I still love Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise… But I want to be with my blood family too."

"Blood…" Ryoma repeated. "I see…"

"Lady Corrin!" a new voice cried. Corrin and Ryoma looked up and saw the tiny dragon, Lilith.

"Lilith!"

"Who?"

Lilith floated down to Corrin's eye level. "I saw what happened, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that. But I can help!"

"Kamui, who is this?" asked Ryoma. Corrin faced him and smiled for the first time in a long while.

"Ryoma, this is Lilith. She used to be a stable hand back at the fortress I was raised in. But now she's a dragon. Kind of like me, I guess."

"Corrin, I'll go with you! You and your allies can reside in the Astral Plane within my crystal ball!"

"Astral… Plane?" asked Ryoma. Corrin nodded.

"It's an empty fortress in a grassland inside her crystal ball." Corrin thought about it. "Hmm… I don't know, though. But… I wouldn't mind it if you wanted to stay with me." She turned to Ryoma. "If that's okay."

The samurai nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. Especially if you're friends with this dragon. A warm, familiar face might be what you need right now. But I… I have some business to attend to."

"… Thank you… Brother."

Ryoma smiled and walked off, passing Azura on the way. Azura decided to approach Corrin and Lilith.

"So… What's all this about?"

"There you are, Lady Corrin!" said Felicia, with Jakob following behind. "Ooh, pretty fish!"

"Fish cannot fly, Felicia." Jakob rolled his eyes. Kaze appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Is this being giving you trouble, Lady Kamui?"

Then finally, Rinkah walked up. "Time for some fried fish!"

"Whoa! Everyone, calm down!" Corrin called, waving her arms. "No, this is Lilith."

"Lilith?!" repeated Felicia and Jakob. The butler shook his head.

"This is our stable girl?!"

"Well… you lost a lot of weight, Lilith!"

"Um… thank you?"

Corrin sighed and went over what she and Lilith spoke of back at the Bottomless Canyon. Most of them seemed to accept the story easily. Azura herself was the one to comment.

"Well, you can turn into a dragon yourself, so it's not that weird."

"You can do what?!" asked Jakob.

Corrin smiled. She had indeed abandoned her family in Nohr and will be remembered as a traitor. But she knew that her blood family were right about everything. King Garon was not her father, he was a tyrant and needed to be stopped. And as much as it hurt Corrin for Xander to disown her, at least she could still rely on Felicia, Jakob and Lilith, as well as her new friends and family.

To be continued.

Post-Script A/N:

Hi. Hopefully if you're reading this, you've read the first five Chapters of Gray Whirlpool leading into this.

A lot of adaptations I see have chosen Revelation, or some modified version of the paths to allow for otherwise exclusive characters. But I felt like I couldn't very well ignore the moments in each path, and I felt ready for the challenge. So I am attempting to do both paths of the game, separately. The Conquest version of this chapter is going up very shortly after this one. And then I will take a week off. Meaning next Friday (the usual update day) will not have any new chapters. This is to give myself more time.

I am not doing Revelation right now. If I do go with that route, it would be after finishing Birthright and Conquest.

So, this is still meant to be a humorous story, and I did put in a few jokes. But this was meant to be a serious chapter overall. And of the two versions of this chapter, I feel like this one would probably hurt Corrin the most. I'm not trying to portray Corrin as a crybaby or anything, I just think my story's version of Corrin (the excitable puppy type) would run hot and cold, as she has been. On another note, tragic stories sometimes intrigue me, so please pardon me if I experiment a little in these stories. Rest assured that humor will take more of a front seat starting in the next chapter. We just had to get through this first.

I was very relieved when I played for the first time and Jakob came back to serve Corrin regardless. The game didn't make a big deal out of it, but I felt like it did need to be addressed, so I put in a scene for it. Also, Felicia's here! I've decided, while MyCastle does exist, it will not be heavily featured. As such, MyCastle characters will join after playing their story roles. (Except Yukimura- he's played his role already, but will join much later.)

During the game, it's easy to just end this chapter with Ryoma beating Xander, so I never fought the other siblings. But for the purposes of this fic, I wanted to give the others some attention, which also better mirrors the Conquest version of this chapter. That's another thing- I like narrative symmetry, so this chapter and the Conquest version have some similar (or even same) lines. I try to do that if I can.

Don't feel sad, Corrin. In the other continuity, Xander still loves you.

With that, that's the first chapter down. Look out for the Conquest version, it should be up shortly after this. And I will take a week off.