Conquest: Gray Whirlpool (Fire)
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 Conquest route.

Conquest Chapter 1: Hip to Be Scum

"I choose Nohr!"

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… Ryoma… I think it would be best if you and your guys surrendered… yeah."

"Kamui what are you saying?! You're siding with Nohr?! After all they've done?!"

"Well…" She winced. "I've grown up with these people. Okay so I'm not related by blood, but they were there for me! They laughed with me, they cried with me…"

"And what about the part where they kidnapped you in the first place? After killing our father? And what about Mother?!"

"Hey, that wasn't Xander or Leo or any of my siblings! That was King Garon! And we don't know for sure if Garon was behind the festival! I talk about it with him, and get his side of the story, maybe-"

"Our parents, Kamui!" Ryoma cried. Corrin glared.

"I hate it, Ryoma! But I don't think killing more people is the right answer!"

The samurai scowled. "They're the reason you couldn't live with us as our sister!"

"I know! But… Ryoma, I can't pretend the last sixteen years of my life were meaningless." She took a deep breath. "And… like I said, I can discuss this with King Garon and convince him that invading wouldn't be a good idea!"

Xander frowned. "I… don't think he'll listen."

"Xander, I'm trying to make a point!" She glared at him. "And when were you planning on telling me that we weren't blood-related?!"

He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Corrin. I didn't want you to feel unloved. I was going to tell you not long after you returned from the canyon."

"Do the others know?"

"Only our siblings and the castle staff. And… Gunter knew."

Corrin looked at the ground, remembering Gunter. She then turned back to Ryoma. "I have to know why King Garon is doing all this, Ryoma."

Ryoma waved his arm. "The man tried to kill you twice! You're taking it rather well, don't you think?!"

"I just think that there's more to this that we're not seeing!"

"Mother is rolling in her grave, Kamui! Or should I say 'Corrin'?" Ryoma drew his blade. "You're coming home, one way or another."

Ryoma ran up to attack Corrin, but Xander blocked with his sword, even from his horseback height. "Why don't you try someone your own size?"

The samurai glared. "… Fine. Over there. I will kill you."

"I'll bring my horse."

"Nobody cares about your horse!"

Xander and Ryoma went off to fight it out, signaling to their troops that it was time to fight.

In all the chaos, Rinkah had gone off to beat some soldiers, while Kaze disappeared elsewhere.

Corrin found herself before all her betrayed siblings. Sakura could not even look at her, and Hinoka was on the verge of tears. But Takumi…

"I knew it! I knew it! You weren't our sister after all!"

He was livid.

"Corrin!" called a familiar voice. Leo rode up on his horse, Brynhildr in hand. "Is your fake family giving you trouble?"

"Please don't call them that."

Then there were two more voices, calling in unison.

"Lady Corrin!"

"Oh now what?!" asked Takumi.

Jakob and Felicia, both equally ragged from travel, had found themselves before Corrin and Leo. They bowed.

"Jakob? Felicia?! What happened to you guys?!"

"Milady forgive me, I'd searched high and low for you," Jakob said. "I even ran into Felicia."

"I missed you, milady! And I heard you were missing, so I left Flora in charge and came to find you and Jakob and Gunter!" The maid paused for a moment. "Is it… Is it true that you're secretly a missing Hoshidan princess?"

"Not anymore!" Takumi cried. "Now get out of the way or I'll kill you and her!"

Leo glared. "I don't like your tone. In fact…" Leo waved his arm, and a tree branch unearthed itself, slapping Takumi away. "Why don't you take a nap?"

"Leo…! Can't we just retreat? I don't want to fight, I want to speak with Father!"

Leo shook his head. "What, and let them think we're just snatching you away? They have to know that you chose this. That, and we were literally ordered to fight."

Hinoka and her Pegasus came from nowhere, naginata at the ready. Leo gasped and moved his horse out of the way, just in time. Hinoka turned her Pegasus around. "I already think you're taking her away," she growled, "and I won't let you do it a second time!"

"It's no good, Hinoka!" yelled Takumi. "If we drag her back, she'll just come running back to Nohr! I'm killing her!" Takumi readied his bow, but Jakob and Felicia instantly ran up and cross-cut him with their daggers. "Aaaaaah!"

"TAKUMI! You monsters!" Hinoka twirled her weapon and swung again at Leo. The boy was able to keep dodging, but could not make any attack. He groaned.

"If only Niles were here, he could snipe her…" Leo muttered.

"Hold still!"

Ryoma was easily dodging all the blood-red beams from Siegfried, and managing to strike Xander with lightning all the while.

"Undo the brainwashing you performed on my sister, and we'll talk!"

"I didn't do anything!" Xander shot and missed again. "Corrin chose this on her own!" Another failed shot. "Oh come on!"

Camilla flew by and nicked Ryoma with her axe, but that only slowed him down. She frowned. "Drat, I was a little off."

One of Siegfried's beams shot Ryoma right in the face and Xander smiled. "Ha! Finally!"

Then Ryoma recovered, and let loose an inelegant roar. He ran up and swung his blade, knocking Xander off his horse. Sieghorse whinnied and ran away.

"For… crying out loud!"

With Xander defeated, Ryoma turned to Camilla. "You're next!"

"Uhh… Bye!" Camilla flew off, but Ryoma gave chase on foot.

Elise's horse came up to the scene. "Oh no! I'll save you, Xander!"

The young princess waved a Heal staff in the air over Xander, and the prince opened his eyes again.

"Ugh… Thank you… Elise… Let's go… find my horse…"

"Okay."

"Aaah! What magic is this?!" Hinoka cried. Her Pegasus was held down with branches, while Leo smugly grinned. With a flick of the wrist, the branches slammed Hinoka's horse against the ground, knocking the rider off. "I will... get you… for this…!"

"Lady Corrin!" Felicia called. "I saw Lord Xander get beaten, and now the angry samurai's headed right this way!"

Corrin hung her head. "I'll face him."

"We will go with you," Jakob said with a bow.

"No. I want you two to heal Xander. Ryoma's tough, he must've done a lot of damage."

"Oh don't worry, Elise has it covered," Camilla said, newly arriving.

"Yes… Don't trouble yourself. Traitor," Yukimura spat.

"Yukimura?!" Corrin turned and saw him. He was now sitting atop a mechanical lion of sorts. "How long were you there?!"

"Uh… I wasn't really paying attention. But that's not the point! You have to- Oh hello." The old man saw that Camilla's wyvern was right beside him. "Say, is this mechanical?"

"No, she's real," Camilla explained nonchalantly.

"Fascinating. You know, I've been meaning to look into mechanical dragons and-" The wyvern waved its tail and knocked Yukimura off his contraption. "Oof! Oww…" With another slap, the dragon's tail crushed his vehicle. "… I sort of walked into that one," Yukimura admitted, "but Lord Ryoma shall not fall!"

"Let's hurry!" Leo called. Corrin nodded.

"Jakob, Felicia, defend Elise!"

"Understood."

"We got it!"

As Jakob and Felicia went to find Elise and Xander, Corrin and her siblings made their way to Ryoma. But one last person stood in their way...

"N-no! I won't let you hurt Ryoma!"

Sakura stood before them, arms spread. Corrin was stunned, but managed to find words. "Sakura… I don't want to hurt you… Please move..."

"I-I-I won't! P-please…" she looked like she was about to cry. "Please don't hurt us again!"

"Sakura…"

Camilla turned to Corrin. "Corrin, she's so cute, but she's in our way. I'll take care of this."

"Camilla, don't!" Corrin yelled. "I… Can we really harm an innocent person?"

"Oh I won't kill her, I'll just knock her out! Easy! Be right back!" Camilla went off to attack Sakura, smiling the whole time. Sakura shook, but did not move. As she closed her eyes to brace for impact, and Camilla raised her axe, the maiden only heard screaming.

"Aaaaaah!"

Camilla was hit with lightning before she could attack Sakura. Everyone looked, and found Ryoma running up to them.

"You fiend! Stop hiding behind your siblings and fight me!" Ryoma ordered, pointing his blade at Corrin. Corrin shakily reached for Yato and prepared to fight, and Ryoma immediately sent lightning at her.

"Aaaah!" Corrin was knocked back, but remained on her feet. "Ahhh…"

"Idiot. You already forgot what Raijinto can do?"

"Yeah… I kind of have no excuse for that one…"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh for crying out loud already." He waved his arm and then more tree branches came from the earth. They all knocked Ryoma onto his back, while more began to grow and keep him pinned to the ground, as though they were wooden belts.

"There, no more crazy samurai. That'll hold him down for the kill."

"Leo… Let's just go. We've beaten their commanders, we can leave," Corrin pleaded, "Please…"

"Oh, fine. Let's go…" Leo rode off, and Camilla's wyvern tiredly followed along.

"That was fun! Except for the lightning."

"THIS ISN'T OVER! YOU WILL COME BACK TO US, KAMUI!" Ryoma roared. "I SWEAR ON IT!"

Corrin slowly followed Leo and Camilla, and pretended not to hear Sakura crying.

As Corrin left with her family, one last person spoke to her.

"So… That's it?" asked Azura.

Corrin could not look at her. "… Yeah. I really think it's the best way for this war to-"

"You already gave your reasons. Look…" Azura started, "I'm not too mad about this. We're kind of in the same position. So if you think you can help more people this way, then do it."

Corrin turned around, and nodded. "All right."

"Just do it."

"I… will."

"Don't let your dreams be dreams."

"O…kay?"

"Yesterday, you said 'tomorrow'."

Corrin began to feel weird. "All… all right. I'll just be going now. Bye, Azura. And… I don't deserve to ask, but…"

"I don't think they'll ever get over this. But I can ask if they understand once they've had time to rest," Azura said. Corrin opened her mouth, but got interrupted. "No I'm still not psychic."

Everyone prepared the carriages and horses. Jakob was inspecting Corrin for any wounds in a paranoid frenzy, while Felicia happily dusted parts of Corrin's armor.

"We're so happy you're safe, milady!" Felicia chirped.

"I'm glad you and Jakob are safe too." Corrin smiled. "I hope Flora doesn't have it too tough, all by herself in the fortress."

"She'll manage." Jakob said. "There are times where she even gives my domestic skills a run for their money."

Felicia's eyes lit up. "Oh, uh, she and I actually got to go to the castle! That's how I was able to get close enough to find Jakob!"

Out of nowhere, a little dragon descended to Corrin's eye level. "Lady Corrin!"

"Lilith!"

"Lilith?!" asked Jakob. "Our Lilith?"

"Aww, she got cute!" Felicia cooed.

"Um… thank you?"

Corrin smiled. "What brings you back, Lilith?"

"Well… I wanted to help you! Let me give you access to the Astral Plane. If you're going to fight for Nohr from now on, it could get rough. But if you stay in the Astral Plane, you'll be safe! You can take all the time you need to plan your next move, and almost no one can ambush you there!"

"Almost? That's not good enough," Jakob derided, already over the shock of seeing Lilith as a dragon.

Lilith had gotten used to Jakob's attitude long ago. "What do you say?"

Corrin put a finger to her chin. "Hmm… I can imagine strategic advantages with that. But… I think for now I'd like to spend some time with my family. But you can stay with us!"

A flash of sadness came over Lilith when Corrin said that, but she did not act on it. "All right, milady. I'll keep an eye out for you..."

With that, Lilith left, and Corrin rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, so… she's a dragon. And not just that, but I can turn into a dragon now too."

"What?!" Both Felicia and Jakob were stunned. Before they could say more, Elise arrived and hugged Corrin.

"Big Sister! I'm soooo happy to see you again! I was worried for a minute there, to be honest. I was worried you might've left us…"

Warmth reentered Corrin, as she ruffled Elise's hair. "Aw, how could I stay away from you? Come on, we should be heading back. We have a lot of catching up to do. Did you know I can turn into a dragon now?"

"Whoa! Really? I find that hard to believe…" Elise said. Jakob shuddered.

"I sense several broken vases. It'll be like having two of Felicia."

The maid frowned. "I'm right here!"

But then, Elise frowned. "Corrin… Are you going to be okay? Those Hoshidans seemed really upset with you."

Corrin sighed and hung her head. "Yeah… And maybe I deserve it. But I don't want any more pointless bloodshed. I need to know more about what's happening. And besides, I can't leave all of you behind."

That is what Corrin told herself. She believed it, too. The princess was not blind, she knew King Garon was up to no good, and missed Queen Mikoto dearly. But going on a vengeful warpath was not an option for Corrin. She vowed to prove her mettle to Garon, and earn his trust. And with a lot of perseverance, perhaps she could talk him out of this pointless war.

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 Birthright version of this chapter should've been put up very shortly before this one. Now 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.

This chapter leaned a little more on drama than humor, or at least that was my intention. Not that I didn't include any jokes. In fact, I feel like this is the lighter of the two versions of Chapter 6 I wrote, at least for Corrin. In the Birthright version, Xander more or less disowned her, and she had to deal with the weight of losing the family she'd known for years. Beating up the Hoshidan siblings is unpleasant, but even with restored memory, I don't think Corrin is as attached to them. Even so, things will lighten up in the next chapter.

The path of this chapter follows how I played it in the game. I beat Takumi, Hinoka, and Yukimura, and refused to fight Sakura. I just couldn't. I took my chances with the angry Samurai, and he beat Xander. He nearly beat me, but Leo took care of it. So that got translated to this chapter. And if I played it again, I'd do the same thing.

Felicia has joined at the same time as Jakob, because MyCastle is not in this story. It will exist, but will not be heavily featured. Due to the way I'm handling MyCastle, characters who join through that will automatically join in the plot. I'm wondering if this will be the more fun version to write. While Birthright is my favorite path, Conquest has better characters. Arthur, Odin, and Niles stick out in my mind. And of course, more appearances by Cowboy Garon. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, how often I'll favor one version of a chapter over the other.

Don't feel sad, Corrin. In the other continuity, you didn't wreck Sakura emotionally.

So there's the first chapter. If you haven't seen the Birthright one yet, it should be up. Now I'm going to take a week off to give myself a little extra time.