Artist: NDGD

Source: "NDGD MAGIC HANDS"

Author: TheBlackbirdCalls

Warnings: None

Notes: On the Archive Of Our Own Version of the last chapter with Neon, there's a bonus picture at the end that was too complicated to post here. It's annoying, but that's objectively the better version. This chapter has no benefits for AO3 readers, but others might depending on how posting works.

In addition, this story follows a plot line from the manga. Short version, Ruby spars against Cardin, gets a bit of stage fright, but wins in the end.

"I want to go home. I want to look up images of cute puppies on the net." Ruby's head continued to freak out as she faced off against Cardin in a sparring match. Again.

Remembering her first few weeks at Beacon, Ruby noted that she had ended up fighting Cardin thanks to defending Jaune when he had been bullied. She had won that match, but she couldn't for the life of her remember how; Cardin was far bigger than her, an excellent one on one fighter as far as she knew, and from the looks of it, held a grudge against her. She had been so nervous about being in the spotlight that she hadn't had a chance to think about what she did to counter his attacks. All she remembered was that she had wanted to run and hide so she could look at puppies. And now, she had been sent back to that first battle, stage fright included.

"BAHHH! He looks so angry!" Ruby thought, her eyes swapping from Cardin's custom made, titanium blade heavy mace ("With no mechanisms, must be Dust based!") to his growling face. "He also looks like he's ten years older than meeeee!" What annoyed her is that she knew she had done this analysis before during their first match, but no, it was just Zwei in a funny hat that came to her. "Teehee, you aren't a pirate, Zwei. Ah, no! Fighting!" Ruby readied herself, trying to ignore the crowd of dozens staring at her. Again. "Gosh, I'm so bad with crowds!" Even after all of her time at Beacon, she still hated being looked at, but she hadn't felt this nervous since she had first fought Cardin. Something about him was bringing back all sorts of memories.

"I've been lookin' forward to this, Red!" Cardin shouted from across the stage, a dark grin plastered over his face and his mace positioned on his shoulder. "You got lucky last time, pipsqueak!" He slammed his weapon to the ground, creating a shower of sparks. "Ready, Teach!" he declared, eying up Glynda.

"Ms. Rose, are you ready?" Glynda asked, trying to get Ruby's attention as the hooded girl cowered in her own mind.

"Well, you see... I, uh... You know..." Ruby said, fumbling.

"Kick his ass, sis!" Yang shouted from the stands, standing proud as she declared her allegiance.

"Ms. Xiao Long!" Glynda said in her familiar stern tone as she turned. "Mind your language."

"R-ready!" Ruby declared, her courage brought out only because of her sister. She was still terrified of messing up in front of everyone, but she had beat him before. She could do it again! She borrowed her sister's confidence and readied Crescent Rose.

"Very well," Glynda said, returning to the match. "Begin!"

Carding shot off before Ruby had a chance to move. She barely leaped away before the ground where she had been a second earlier exploded in a gout of destruction. The class watching heard a desperate cry of fear as Ruby landed, but she quickly took a more focused look.

"That's right!" Ruby thought as she noticed Cardin rising, slowly, from his massive swing. His face turned to face her, twisted with malice and laughter. "Powerful, but no speed! Of course!"

"What'sa matter, Red?" Cardin asked, chuckling darkly at Ruby's fearful outburst and lack of movement. "Don't tell me you got scared by little old me? Heh." He readied for another charge.

"Now to get the timing down..." Ruby didn't even realize Cardin had said something. All her thoughts were on his arms and his mace. She waited until Cardin made another assault and easily dodged a wide swing and backed off. She could do this.

"Stop running, small fry!"

"For being a leader, he doesn't seem very smart... One more time!" Ruby kicked in her Semblance, lied in wait, and held her hands tight on Crescent Rose.

"Step up and FIGHTTTTT!" Cardin roared as he threw his arms over his head, ready to smash everything in his path. His mace roared up in flames as he arched it down, completely missing as Ruby flashed to the side, invisible to every eye watching. A red flash came into focus at Cardin's side, a mass of crimson and black swinging in a devastating arc.

"TAKE THIS!" Ruby roared in her mind, firing Crescent Rose and using the momentum to swing the heavy, non bladed end straight into the side of Cardin's head.

"Wha–" Cardin said before sailing into the wall across the stage. A crash marking his Aura shattering prompted Ruby to gleefully twirl her weapon around.

"It appears Ruby is the winner," Glynda said very matter of factly. "Cardin," she said, waiting until the brown haired heap roused from his stupor. "You left yourself far too open and put far too much energy into your swings. You could learn a lot from Ms. Rose. Class dismissed."

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted, collapsing Crescent Rose and fist pumping the air. "All right, super ninja huntress Ruby Rose!" She high fived and hugged Yang as her teammates came to congratulate her.

Still barely conscious, Cardin seethed in humiliation and rage as he lay crumpled in the rubble of the wall. Not only had a runt like Ruby beaten him, but this was the second time, and with a single hit! To worsen the blow, he looked up to see the puny girl before him, lowering her hand.

"C'mon, let me help you up!" Ruby's voice was beyond annoying.

Cardin begrudgingly locked hands with Ruby, only to pull her down as he stood up, throwing her to the ground. "Like hell, Red." He disregarded Glynda's chiding about sportsmanship and got his bag.

"Owwwww..." Ruby said, holding her forehead as she sat up.

"I can't believe that guy," Blake said, eying the giant with scorn. All of RWBY held out their hands to lift up their leader.

"And he got dust and grime and filth all over you! That wretch!" Weiss shouted as her team all confusedly held their hands together to help up Ruby. All looked at her and noticed debris covering their leader's face, hair, and clothes.

"Should I go kick his ass or should you, seeing as your basically an expert now?" Yang said, clashing her fists together.

"Nah, leave him," Ruby said, brushing the wall remnants off of her outfit. She was glad she didn't have to fight in uniform, but now her favorite clothes were filthy. "I'm gonna go take a shower and wash my clothes up. Glynda will probably deal with Cardin." She pointed over at their teacher, currently chewing out Cardin for tossing Ruby to the ground.

"You're too lax, sis," Yang said, shrugging. "Ah, well, we'll head back to the room. Catch ya later, champ!" She picked a bit of wood out of Ruby's hair and started walking back to her dorm, Blake and Weiss following after their compliments.

Ruby brushed off as much refuse from her outfit as she could and left for the showers. Class had just ended, and she was the only one that had fought that day, so the locker room was entirely empty, just how she liked it. She'd normally never use the public showers, but her timing mixed with the fancy shampoos that smelt funny in a good way and made a bunch of bubbles persuaded her that it'd be worth it.

Ruby undressed, wrapped a towel over herself, and set her stuff down on the bench after putting Crescent Rose in her locker. She felt a bit nervous being naked in the locker room even if nobody was around, so she wasn't taking chances. She drew the curtain over her shower to let her have even more privacy, and started the water.

"~Ahhhhh!" Ruby mewled as the cold water started running down her face. After a long day of classes and a sparring match, it felt amazing it have a break. She broke from her daydream and remembered she was filthy; she blew a few bubbles before kneading her hair with shampoo, helping to rid it of wood, stone, dirt, and whatever else she had knocked loose when Cardin hit the wall. "Stupid meanie," she said, grumpily. She still couldn't believe that he had dragged her down into that mess.

Ruby started rubbing together soap until she heard a noise outside the showers. Instinctively, she covered her boobs and her, "naughty bits," and near screeched out an, "EEP!" She didn't want to be seen naked, even if it was another girl! She was still pure! Whatever that really meant! Yang still refused to answer any questions about sex, and Sex in Red City didn't exactly go into too much detail. Her fears were unfounded, as nothing else came from the noise. Maybe she had imagined it, but she very quickly rubbed her chest and legs anyway. She blushed as she went over her mound, trying to separate the need to be clean from any filthy thoughts she may have. The fight with Cardin had sent her back to when she was 15 and clueless, so she felt really red at the thought of how good it felt. She brushed those feelings aside and turned off the water.

Ruby spent little time drying her hair and body before wrapping herself in her towel and going back for her clothes. However, something felt off.

"Didn't I put my stuff on the bench...?" Ruby thought, noticing her outfit was on the floor. She swore she had (sorta) folded it and placed it gently on the bench, but her skirt and top were on the floor, collecting more dirt to wash off. She realized it probably would have been a good idea to wash her clothes before taking a shower, but it was a bit too late for that. Remembering the noise and the fact that other girls might come in, she hurriedly put on her bra and pulled her top over her head, using the towel as a skirt. Desperately hurrying to be fully clothed, she threw her skirt on and then reached for her panties. It was then that Ruby realized that her panties weren't there. It was then that she realized that her stockings were also gone. Saying she looked panicked was a gross understatement.

"WHATTTTT!?" Ruby screamed as she scanned around the bench for a sign of cute little roses. "THEYWERERIGHTHERETHEYWERERIGHTHERETHEYWERERIGHTHERE!" She got on the ground and grazed every last inch of the floor before her heart started deafening her. "WHERE DID THEY GO!?" Using her Semblance, she rushed around the locker room, scanning every corner for a sign of what kept her modesty under her skirt. After a few dozen revolutions, she defeatedly returned to her locker and tried to think of what to do.

"Someone must have taken my panties!" Ruby was mortified. She had nothing on under her skirt, and someone had to know that! Nobody had even seen past her knees, let alone what her skirt kept private! "What do I do what do I do what do I do!?"

Even with her mind racing through a hundred scenarios, Ruby could only think of one solution: she could act completely casual (or as casual as she could) and just go back to her dorm like nothing was wrong. That way, all she had to do was make a very quick trip back before she could get another pair of panties. She couldn't use her Semblance, as it would definitely lead to some unwanted peaks at her sensitive areas, but it would still only be a few halls. She felt a bit nervous, mainly because she was completely exposed under her skirt, but also because she had never gone out in public without tights.

"Well, I guess I'm a grown up now..." Ruby mumbled, remembering that she was now of age. "I guess showing off won't be the worst thing? Right?" As nervous as she felt, she was a little excited at the notion that her bare legs might be noticed and appreciated. She may have to swap out her stockings one day, but that'd have to be when she borrowed a pair of Yang's shorts rather than go out with nothing.

Very nervously, Ruby walked outside the locker room, taking great care to hold her hands over her skirt. Her cape helped her feel better about the back, but she wasn't about to take chances. As casually as she could, she started making her way to her room, breathing heavily. Her heart froze as she felt a strong breeze pass under her legs, which would have sent her skirt up to expose everything had she not quickly held it down. It occurred to her that she was indoors; there weren't supposed to be breezes inside!

"Better watch out, Red," the shockingly terrifying voice of Cardin said. "Unless you want to get blown away." Ruby turned to see him holding a green crystal of wind Dust, or more specifically, something that could create strong enough breezes to blow up her skirt with a small charge of Aura. His team members appeared from behind the corner, all cackling.

"WAH!" Ruby cried as Cardin sent another gust of wind towards the ground beneath her. "W-what are you doing!?" she asked, holding down the front of her skirt, forgetting to keep the back in check. She felt a breeze touch her rear as it became exposed to the world behind her. "WAH!" she repeated as she swiveled and covered herself. Luckily, no one was behind her, so nobody had just seen her bare butt. "Stop!" Her tone was beyond whiny.

"As if, pipsqueak. Not until you learn not to mess with me!" Cardin responded, flipping his Dust like a coin. "Dove, hold this." He handed his teammate the crystal and leaned forward, getting down to the already diminutive Ruby, shrunken into herself to hold her skirt. "Ya get it? Nobody makes a fool outta me!"

Ruby was terrified, but she was still defiant. "I won fair and square!" Dove sent a gust of wind under her skirt. She held her skirt down and pouted.

"Shut it, half pint!" Cardin roared back at Ruby, causing her to shrink back further. "Unless you don't want these back," he laughed, holding up the girl's panties between his fingers. They were adorably childish, fitting both Ruby's cutesy demeanor and her love of roses as they depicted dozens of cartoonish flowery swirls.

"AHH!" Ruby cried. "You took them! How could you!"

"Relax. I'm not some creepy freak who's gonna do any weird crap with them," Cardin said, rather unconvincingly. "Freaking perverts disgust me. I'm just making sure you know not to piss me off, got it?"

"Nghn..." Ruby vocalized, nodding weakly. Her knees started to buckle from embarrassment.

"Now you're starting to get it! Good job, Red," Cardin said in the most patronizing way he could have.

"Give it back!" Ruby still didn't sound like a strong, proud huntress.

"Calm down; I'll give them back," Cardin responded, still smiling at his superiority. "But first, you gotta–" He was interrupted by a loud crash and a stunted cry for help. "What the!?" he asked.

Ruby looked over Cardin's shoulder as both saw Dove get thrown violently into the wall. A flash of yellow shot back and forth, crashing into Russel and Sky, sending them into the opposite wall. All three slumped to the floor, their eyes dazed.

"YANG!" Ruby cried out, never happier to see her sister. The gold blur that had tossed aside most of CRDL solidified into Yang Xiao Long as she grabbed Cardin by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Weiss and Blake followed shortly behind, glaring at the tall man, who was now completely outclassed.

"Listen here, you limp dicked jackass!" Yang screamed at Cardin, her eyes blazing red. "You mess with my sister, my team, me, or anyone else I find appealing, and I will make sure you regret it! We clear!?" Cardin choked as he nodded, his feet dangling off the ground.

Ruby hurriedly grabbed her panties out of Cardin's hand and pulled them up, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Had Yang not been holding a man larger than herself off the ground, she would have hugged her with all her strength.

"Friggin' pervert creep," Yang said, tossing Cardin to the ground.

Cardin quickly got up and clambered away, attempting to abandon his team before hitting the ground again thanks to a burst of wind from Weiss using the Dust he had given to Dove. She called out, "You cur!" as he ran off, terrified.

"You okay, Ruby?" Blake asked, turning back and shifting her scorn to concern.

"No, I'm fine," Ruby said, giving Yang the hug she deserved before sharing her love with Weiss and Blake. "I think you guys taught him a lesson, but I'll definitely pay him back next time we fight!" She felt leagues better now that she had her panties back, but she looked down. "Umm... You haven't seen my stockings, have you?"

Yang, Weiss, and Blake exchanged looks and all shrugged. Yang piped up, "Oh, well. We can always rob these guys and get you a new pair. That sound cool?" She motioned to Dove, Russel, and Sky, still unconscious on the ground.

"Yang, I'm not letting you rob these guys, even if they are scum," Blake said.

"You're no fun. But I'm still doing this:" Yang pulled the limp bodies of most of CRDL and propped them up next to each other. Nobody protested as she positioned the unconscious bullies like they were cuddling with each other, holding one another in their arms and snuggling. "Better?"

"I am fine with this," Blake said. Ruby and Weiss nodded.

"Thanks, guys," Ruby said, back to her chipper self. "Now, I still need to wash my clothes, and now I really just want to lay in bed for a while. Let's go."

Team RWBY followed their leader back to their dorm, leaving three members of CRDL to spoon in a high traffic hallway until they woke up. Ruby closed the door and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Yep; never using those showers again."