The Lovely Day was, as its name suggested, a day dedicated to love in all its forms, romantic, familial, and friendly. Everyone had their own little traditions, and no one was spared from the mushiness.
Jaune, however, was having none of it. He was moping. Normally, Lovely Day meant being surrounded by his huge family. Dozens of Arcs from all corners of the continent would gather for an epic family feast that lasted hours. But this year? His sister Saphron was hosting, and Jaune couldn't make the trip in a single day.
For the first time in his life, he would miss it. His team noticed his skulking, but Ren and Nora had already their own plans. Jaune had to actually convinced them to go ahead and not worry about him. Pyrrha, on the other hand, was pretty much in the same boat as Jaune and stuck with him. She didn't seem too torn up about missing the celebration. She had something else up her sleeve, anyway.
"You know, Pyrrha, we could've just trained in the regular training rooms. There are not much people using them on Lovely Day." Jaune said as they stepped onto the rooftop, where Pyrrha had once attempted to teach the newly arrived student a slightly less explosive fighting style.
She smiled, the kind of smile that made Jaune feel both confused and a little worried.
"Sure, but they don't have the same sentimental value as this place."
"Sentimental value?" Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
With a mysterious wave of her hand, Pyrrha motioned for him to sit next to her.
"When I came to Beacon, I was running from my fame. Everyone either worshipped me or wanted something from me. I felt alone. But here, at Beacon, I ran into a dork who had no clue who I was. My dream come true!" she said fondly. "Of course, he was a bit too obsessed with Dust, and I worked hard to make him a fighter who didn't just rely on one trick. I failed, though."
Jaune gave a sheepish grin. "Funny, I thought I was trying to help a headstrong redhead become less obsessed with throwing punches when bombs were available."
Pyrrha chuckled. "Yeah, I remember those arguments. 'Why throw a punch when you can throw a grenade?' I'll admit, that failure was... kind of refreshing. I was too used to winning."
"It took some time, but I eventually defeated the 'Invincible Girl,'" Jaune joked.
Pyrrha nodded. "Well, to be honest, you beat me a long time ago. I just didn't want to admit it."
Jaune blinked, confused, and then noticed the detonator in Pyrrha's hand. Before he could react, she clicked it, and suddenly the forest surrounding Beacon lit up with a series of controlled explosions. It took a moment for Jaune to realize what was happening, but then a smile crept onto his face.
"Wait... did you just rig bombs to play my favorite song?"
Pyrrha nodded proudly. "It was tricky, believe me! Wind Dust in specialized grenades did the job. But I'm glad it turned out well!"
Jaune's grin stretched from ear to ear as he listened to the explosions harmonizing into a recognizable tune. "This is amazing! Thanks, Pyrrha."
"I was originally planning it for your birthday," Pyrrha admitted, "but when you told me your family tradition involved fireworks on Lovely Day, I thought, why not continue the tradition for today?"
Jaune's eyes welled up. "You're the best, Pyrrha."
A slight blush crept across her cheeks. "So, what song do you want next?" she asked, holding up her Scroll with a list of options.
Jaune blinked again. "You mean... there's more?"
"Oh, You think I'd go through all that trouble just for one song?" Pyrrha smirked. "I spent days planting charges all over the Grimm nests. Penny even helped me write a program that translates music into detonation sequences. We've got a full hour of songs lined up!"
Jaune was speechless for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh. "Okay, seriously, you're the best."
Pyrrha beamed. "I know. So, what's next?"
Meanwhile, on the way to the training rooms...
"I can't believe someone booked the arena for the entire day!" Weiss grumbled.
"Maybe they just hate Lovely Day as much as we do," Blake replied dryly.
As they reached the entrance, strange moans and the sound of explosions echoed through the hallway. The two women exchanged a puzzled look. Blake cautiously pushed the door open, just enough to peek inside.
What they saw made them both freeze. On one side of the room, a shirtless Nora was pinned against the wall. On the other side, Ren holding StormFlower, unleashed a barrage of bullets onto her, and Nora let out another dramatic moan.
"You think... it's some kind of Aura training?" Weiss whispered, her face scrunched in confusion.
Blake squinted. "I mean, they're usually using live grenades, so... maybe?"
After emptying his magazines, Ren walked over to Nora, inspecting her. "Hmm... You're still tense. Good thing I brought extra ammo."
He sauntered over to the table, pulling off the cloth to reveal... Coco's minigun.
Weiss gasped. "Where did he even get that?"
With a wicked grin, Ren hefted the massive weapon. "It wasn't easy, but I think it'll be worth it."
Nora's grin widened into something downright predatory. "Bring it on, Renny!"
The minigun roared to life, sending a relentless stream of bullets peppering Nora with enough force to rattle the walls. To Weiss's horror, Nora seemed to be enjoying it.
"Shouldn't we... do something?" Weiss asked, horrified. "They could seriously hurt themselves!"
Blake, looking slightly flushed, waved her off. "No, I want to see how this plays out."
Nora, however, was in heaven. Then, Ren missed a few shots, and the bullets blew chunks out of the arena wall.
"Sorry! But a minigun isn't exactly built for precision. The recoil's a little tricky."
"Don't you dare stop, Renny!" Nora called, her voice full of delight. "My back's just starting to feel better!"
As he continued firing, Nora's blissful cries echoed in the room, leaving the two eavesdroppers utterly speechless.
"Is... is this their idea of a massage?" Blake muttered, intrigued.
Weiss gulped. "Does this mean Nora doesn't have her Aura up?"
They stared at the crumbling wall for a long moment.
"I don't even want to think about that," Weiss finally said, shaking her head.
Blake chuckled. "At least now we know why there was a Nora-shaped hole in the wall at JNPR's dorm yesterday. Who knew Ren could pack such a punch ?"
I want to thank all of you for the amazing welcome you gave to this fanfiction. It started as just a silly crack fic idea, and now... I'm writing actual character development!
I've also started another fanfic called Harry Potter and the Triwizard Roast, where Harry, in his fourth year, engages in an all-out insult war with Fleur Delacour. It has the same vibe as Pipe Bombs and Explosions by Jaune Arc. Since has been a bit glitchy lately, and the story keeps disappearing, I wanted to let you know here. If you can't find it, feel free to PM me for a direct link (which I hope will work). Give it a try and let me know what you think!