[STORY] Letty

Kabooooom!
...

Waaah! Letty did it again!
Mmm, what a lovely fragrance.
In the eastern kingdom of Lyon lived Letty, the precious baby girl of a wealthy merchant.
After nearly losing her to illness, Letty's parents ensured nothing would ever harm their precious daughter again... By locking her inside her enormous mansion home.
Despised for her wealth and mixed heritage, Letty longed for someone to call friend.
Dirty half-blood! We don't need people like you in Lyon!
Freak! Weirdo!
But no matter how nice she was, or how many gifts she shared with them, the other children rejected Letty every chance they got.
However, even though her parents saw her as a delicate porcelain doll, Letty was a clever schemer who never gave up.
I'll make them regret shoving me aside. I'll become their worst nightmare.
Letty gave up on making human friends, instead finding company among inanimate objects. Friends like Ms. Sulfur or Mr. Slingshot
Letty and her new friends enjoyed all kinds of thrilling games. "Snipe the Schoolboy", "Firestarter", and "Let's Make An Explosion", just to name a few.
Rich, spoiled, and wearing an angelic face that could convince even the smartest parent that she'd done no wrong...
Letty wanted for nothing.
Except for the fact that the gilded cage she lived in was just too small. One day, after being shot with one too many firecrackers, the leader of her bullies taunted her.
I hope you live happily ever after with your mommy and daddy in that little hole of yours. Us? We got bigger plans. We got a whole world to see!
"A whole world to see?"
Then, on the night of a victory celebration for the kingdom of Lyon...
Letty, provoked by her bullies, left home for the first time in her life. She ran for the city square, where a celebration ceremony was being held.
It was that ceremony that would change the course of her life forever. She watched as a uniformed man shouted to the crowd.
Behold the power of the Lyon Royal Navy! Witness the very embodiment of our fighting strength!
The whole world will tremble before the might of our cannons!
All hands! Ready, aim, fire!
Kaboom!
Beautiful flames spread across the night sky with a deafening roar.
The explosion's vibrations shook the ground, and the acrid smoke burned her nostrils.
I've never seen anything like this. This is amazing!
She was overwhelmed by a feeling that shook her from head to toe. It was nothing short of pure bliss.
I have to have one of those cannons! I want to make flames like that! I want to create explosions as big as those!
But to do that, I think I need to be one of those people in uniform.
And so, Letty, who had never seen the ocean, who hadn't even left home before, dreamed of joining the navy. All so she could be the one to make the explosions.
After that night, Letty dedicated herself to strengthening her body and mind. All while playing the perfect little angel to her parents, of course.
Finally her opportunity came.
Now Daddy, I highly encourage you to sign right here. Oh, and this recommendation letter too. I went ahead and wrote myself an appropriate review.
Oh, do you think any of your influential friends could help put in a good word, Daddy? Or do you think yours is enough?
With sugar-coated malice, Letty wore her parents down. Once she had their blessing, she departed her mansion home for the Lyon Navy Military Academy.

When she arrived on campus, Letty was enraptured by the glorious cannons. So much that she ignored the grumbling from other cadets about her mixed heritage.
When will I get to shoot one of those cannons? As she desperately sought her opportunity, the man from the ceremony re-entered her life. Admiral Blanco.
So, the girl I saw at the victory celebration now stands before me as one of our outstanding cadets.
I think I have a challenge worthy of your skills.
(Letty followed the admiral to the armory and ran right into a shock.) Admiral! Is that a--!
She stood face to face with a dazzling Heavy Cannon.
She was instantly captivated by the elegant weapon. An artisan's work of alchemy.
Show me your willingness to go above and beyond, Cadet Letty. If you can do that, you'll earn the right to wield this Heavy Cannon in my elite unit.
What do you think? Are you up to the challenge?
How many cadets actually get to have a one-on-one talk with the admiral?
If I can win that blathering show-off's approval, I'll finally have a cannon of my own.
Once she had that cannon, she would have full license to set off explosions legally.
Taking advantage of the fact that she already stood out, Letty worked to solidify her position as a leader among her peers.
However, even as she rose in status, Letty was still a spoiled princess sheltered by overprotective parents.
The pressure cooker of harsh training and a rigorous education didn't suit her at all.
To vent her stress, Letty snuck into the armory every night to spend time with her beloved Heavy Cannon.
It's awful isn't it? Being locked up in here every day. Always having to be so perfect. I know, I know.
But don't you fret. We'll be together soon. And when we are, we'll light up the battlefield.
Once she was able to ease the stress of her daily life, it seemed like everything was going to be smooth sailing.
That is, until he discovered her secret...

Um... You're Letty, right?
Oh, hello Kradie.
Despite his brawny build, Kradie had a reputation for being a gentle giant.
True to his reputation, he felt he owed her for something she didn't even care about. On the day she arrived, as she marveled at the cannons, some other cadets had insulted her behind her back.
What the others said about you was over the line. I should've been more proactive, but I wasn't and I'm sorry you had to hear that.
It's fine. But can you keep what you saw today between us?
Clever Letty had exploited his kind heart to keep his mouth shut. Problem solved.
Now everything should be back to normal.
But contrary to her expectations, Kradie and Letty grew closer after that day.
Little by little, Kradie learned of Letty's true nature, as well as her past.
Hahaha, I can't believe you came all the way here just so you can set off explosions legally. You're really something.
But that doesn't make you a freak, Letty.
I mean, if I think about it. I kind of get it.
You know, Letty. A gun carriage has a strong wedge that holds the cannon in place and helps it aim.
What if I became your wedge? Maybe with my help, you could shoot down the stars.
So this was friendship. It was a strange, tingly feeling. But not unpleasant.
She was the clever white rabbit and he was the sweet loyal bear.
Together they were an odd couple and yet, gave each other just what they needed to survive their life as cadets.
...
Many seasons passed, and the time for cadets to be commissioned on their first assignments arrived.
Letty's time to shine was finally here.
I would like to formally assign you to our escort on the Rodluvan trade route as a member of my elite unit.
This is an exceptional privilege for a cadet.
This mission would be critical to open arms trade with the westward nations.
Under the admiral's command, Letty and Kradie boarded his galleon and set sail for the west.
Letty couldn't wait to finally open fire on pirates, raiders or enemies that came their way.
Only to find herself dying of boredom as they sailed without trouble for several days. Letty desperately prayed that something, anything would happen.
Her prayers were answered.
As they neared the western continent, the crew heard a strange singing voice, and sailors began to fall asleep one after another.
Except for Kradie, who quickly thought to plug his ears with cannon wicks. He quickly went to wake Letty and gave her earplugs as well.
Together, they realized this was the work of the tentacled Siren Fomors in the ship graveyard.
My prayers have finally been answered!

Excited, Letty abandoned Kradie, grabbed a Heavy Cannon, and leapt into battle.
Boom! Kabooom!
Marvelous, crimson flames burst from the cannon's muzzle.
The sound almost burst her eardrums and the recoil rattled her bones.
Soaking in all these sensations, Letty loaded all her pent-up feelings into her cannon fire.
This was the thrilling, perfect moment she had dreamed of ever since she was a little girl.
Lost in her reverie, she realized she wanted Kradie by her side.
Wait...
Kradie!
She found him surrounded by snarling Fomors, fighting with a broken Heavy Cannon.
While she was running wild, he had saved the other sailors and now was fighting to protect the snoozing admiral.
This is why I hate normal people.
Up until now, she'd been experiencing the happiest moment in her life.
So why? Why did she have to feel this pain? Why was she worried for him. Why couldn't she just leave that idiot to die?
No. She knew he had done nothing wrong.
She was the one who had run out to make explosions and have fun.
He had focused on protecting the others, despite the danger.
He was the true sailor. And now...
Kradie? I've got a clear shot at them, but you're too close!
It's okay! Go ahead and fire!
But you might get hurt!
If I fall here, they'll just go after you and everyone else anyway.
You can't hesitate, Letty. There won't be another chance!
"Come on, Letty. This is your big chance! There won't be a next time!"
[item]"What if I became your wedge? Maybe with my help, you could shoot down the stars."[/item]
Alright. Let's do this.
After positioning herself, she carefully aimed at the enemy.
Then, shaking, she pulled the trigger.
...
Letty and Kradie rescued the crew and led the ship to safety.
However, Letty gave all the credit to Kradie and requested to be discharged just a few days before she was to be commissioned.
After such an all-consuming high, Letty felt hollow.
She couldn't spend another day in the navy, twiddling her thumbs and waiting to be excited like that again.
And then there was Kradie.
Or rather Kradie's face.

Kradie's face had gotten caught in the blast from Letty's shot and was badly burned as a result.
He was still as friendly as ever, but whenever Letty saw his scar, she felt her heart break.
She yearned for fire and flames. But he wasn't steel and gunpowder. He was a person. Staying by his side meant she would constantly be putting him in danger.
She could never let him get hurt like that again.
So she decided she would go far away. She heard talk of a place across the sea crawling with Fomors.
It'd be the perfect place to make explosions with her true friend, her Heavy Cannon, without concerns for rules or restrictions.
It'd be the best for her...
And Kradie too.

Hey, do you really have to go?
I just don't get along with normal people. I always knew that, I just forgot for a moment.
So my Heavy Cannon and I are going somewhere where we can get away from all these people.
Letty...
And from now on, my cannon's name is Kradie!
I will cross the seas and fight alongside the awesome, invulnerable Kradie! I'll take this Kradie wherever I go.
That way it'll be like we're still together.
With that, Letty shook his hand and then boarded a ship to the west.
...

Once a cadet, Letty now dreamed of a life across the sea in an unknown land with her only friend at her side.
A new life of flames, explosions, and pure bliss.
Letty didn't know what the future would bring, but she was determined to face whatever came her way.
Because her most precious friend was by her side.
The western continent, the forefront of the war with the Fomors. In that unknown land, the two would create...
The most beautiful of flames.