Daughter of Blue Diamond (Reader insert)

Part 38

"Ruby!" Steven and (Y/n) said her name. "Oh boy... So she's all the way out here..." Amethyst spoke. "After what Sapphire said, she must be heartbroken." (Y/n) placed her hands over her chest. The three of them walked over to Ruby and Greg.
"Hey guys!" Steven greeted.
Ruby turned towards them. "Steven? (Y/n)? How'd you guys find me?" She asked. "We sensed you!" Amethyst jokes. (Y/n) smiled. " Actually we heard you ordered pizza."
"Ruby was just telling me about your mom." Greg said.
"Oh...Are you okay?" (Y/n) and Steven asked.
Greg smiles sadly. "Well... I fell in love with Rose Quartz... And she fell in love with Mr. Universe. Sure, she never told me she used to be Pink Diamond, but, heh, I never told her I used to be Gregory DeMayo."
(Y/n) walks up to Greg and sits next to him. "Does this mean I get to call you uncle Greg now?" She smiled at him. Greg returns the smile. "I guess it does. I always wanted to have a niece or nephew to be able to do fun things with Steven." He pulls her into a hug, which (Y/n) gladly accepts.
"So... How are you holding up, Ruby?" Steven looks at Ruby. "I'm okay!" Ruby picks up a box of pizza and moves it close to Steven. "Want a slice?"
Steven grabs a pizza slice. "Uh...Thank you... Wait, really? You seemed so sad before."
"Yeah, but me and Greg talked it out. I'm fine now." Ruby reinsures.
"Are you sure, Ruby, because things were pretty intense with that whole argument. "(Y/n) moves to Ruby.
Ruby started to explain how she started to think about herself. She told everyone how she was supposed to be made into a soldier with other Ruby guards. She was happy that she can do things by herself and how she doesn't have to asked what Sapphire thinks about it. With her excitement she jumps up on the roof of the van. "The rest of my life could be like this! I don't have to be Garnet... I can be on my own!"
Greg  smiles. "Sure." Amethyst shrugs her shoulders "I guess."
"WHAT!?" Steven and (Y/n) yelled. Steven runs up to Ruby. "B-But you guys love each her! You're my favorite couple! You're...You're like sugar and flour- I- I love eating them separately, but I still want cake! I'm sure Sapphire would want-." Ruby interrupts him. "I'm not fussed about what Sapphire wants! I've seen my own future now... And it's nothin' but Ruby!"
"But Ruby-!" Greg places him hands on Steven and (Y/n)'s shoulder. "Relax, kiddos. This could be what she needs."
"But, dad! What if they never form Garnet again?! We gotta get them back together!" Steven panics. "Woah... Tha-That's not our call to make! Ruby's gotta want that for herself! If that's not what Ruby wants, then it's not what Garnet wants, right?" Greg explains.
"Steven, uncle Greg might be right about this. Maybe she just needs some time away from Sapphire. Just until they're ready to talk again." (Y/n) stands next to her cousin. He smiled at her and nods. "So...Where you going after this, dude? You just gonna stay out here?" Amethyst asked Ruby.
"I wanna live...free! One with the wilderness! Facing danger in every turn... Not leaving nothin' or nobody to get me by, just like this guy!" She held up 'Dolphin Tail' comix book. "Hmm... Do you mean something like this?" Steven shows Ruby a 'Lonesome Lasso' comic. She gasps is delight. "That's even better! The open plains, that's where I wanna go!"
"I think I know just the place. I'll get ya there." Greg said. "Thank you!!" Ruby cheered as she was doing cartwheels.
Steven finally agrees to help Ruby feel better as a real life cowboy. Everyone watched in delight as Ruby was acting like a cowboy.

The next day Greg was driving everyone to a national park where Ruby can be a cowboy. He parks the van. "Y'all ready to wild west it up?" He asked.
Ruby kicks the back doors of the van open and jumps out. She takes the Lonesome Lasso comic from under her hat and begins to read. "Here I am, on the open range." She tunes the page. "At least you understand me, horsey."
"Oh, Ruby, you need a steed for your journey of being a cowboy!" (Y/n) exclaims.
"I'm always down for a little...horsin' around." Amethyst dramatically shape shifts into a horse and neighs. "Giddy up."
Ruby was hiding on Amethyst as she was in her own cowboy world.
"How's it goin', Ruby? Feel like a real cowboy now?" Greg questioned.
"Yep. I sure reckon I do." Ruby answers in a cowboy accent. "Sorry I gotta be a yellow-belly about this, but we don't even have a map." Steven worries. "I think we're just gonna get ourselves lost."
"I already am lost. That's why I came out here; to find myself." Ruby simply said.
Everyone comes to a hedge that was blocking their way. Amethyst stops. "It's a dead end." Ruby dismounts from Amethyst. "This is what I mean. What's behind this brush... I dunno! Sapphire ain't here to predict for me. It's my chance to find out for myself!" Ruby crawls into the bushes. Everyone heard her screams.
"Oh jiminy!" Steven yells. Everyone runs towards the bushes. "Ruby?! Are you hurt?!" (Y/n) panics. Everyone could see that Ruby was stands on a cliff ledge, looking down at a deep ravine. "Whoa!! I had no idea this ravine was here." She jumps up to the other side of the cliff. "I almost fell down there. And, it was all my choice! Yee-haw!! Independence!" With her excitement, she runs off laughing."

This ol' Ruby Rider is Ruby ridin' alone
She's a sturdy solitary stone
This ol' Ruby Rider, not a fusion no more
Now the dirt and the dust and the danger is my new home!

Ruby faced many challenges of being a cowboy. She dueled with a snake that was scaring Steven and (Y/n). She tried to lasso a bull, but it didn't really end well. Night had came and everyone was setting up camp.

I used to think I would always be by your side
But lately you've been rather cold
One look in your eye could make an honest gem cry
But Ruby Rider don't need no one to hold

"Wow. Ruby's really getting into this." Steven said.
"Seriously! I just taught her how to play guitar like, ten minutes ago!" Greg exclaims. "No, dad, I mean the whole 'cowboy-being-alone' thing. I've never seen her like this before... She seems really...happy." Steven explains his thoughts. "It is really amazing to see this fun, cowboy side of herself." (Y/n) said softly.

This ol' Ruby Rider is Ruby ridin' alone
She's a sturdy solitary stone
Yee-haw

Everyone, except for Ruby was sleeping in their sleeping bags. Both Steven and (Y/n) woke up and saw that Ruby was sitting on a rock looking up at the stars.
Steven spoke first. "Hey, Ruby. Y'know...I got really scared when you said you didn't want to fuse with Sapphire any more. I felt like I was losing someone I cared about." (Y/n) took over. "But we all saw how much fun you were having today. All this buckaroo-ing really suits you. We're sorry that we tried to push you back into being Garnet."
"It's not true..." Ruby whispers. Steven and (Y/n) looked at her confusedly. "That stuff I sang about... it's not true." She showed her upset face to them.
Steven and (Y/n) shot up from their sleeping bags. "W-What?!"
Ruby told them her real feeling. "I mean, I did have a lot of fun today. I loved it! But...the whole time, I... I kept thinkin' about how much more fun I'd have if I were with her.Sapphire was always there with me. I feel her smile just like it was mine. It's so lonely now...gaaah!"  She slides backwards down the rock with her arms crossed in annoyance. "That's lame, right? I came here to be my own gem, but I'm still thinkin' about what she'd like! What'd she want! All. The time. Turns out, I'm no good at not needin' nobody."
"Oh, Ruby. What you've done is not lame. You led us on a frontier adventure! You're still the same Ruby who did all that stuff, even if you're thinking of someone. Someone you care about." (Y/n) sat next to Ruby. Steven picks up the Lonesome Lasso comic book and walks to Ruby. "(Y/n)'s right. Look at our friend Lonesome Lasso. They call him that 'cause he's lonesome!" He reads the comic. "I miss Sally May!'" He then explains. "He's still a rootin'-tootin' cowboy, blazin' his own trails. But he loves someone, too."
"Well, if I'm making my own decisions...then, I'll decide I wanna be with Sapphire. I mean, I've gotta ask her first. I just don't want it to feel like we're going back to how things used to be. Back when someone else told us to be together. I want it to feel different..." Ruby told them.
"Wait a minute! Steven let me see that comic really quick." She grabs the comic book from Steven. She flips through the pages and shows an image to Ruby. She gasps and grins.

Steven and (Y/n) entered the Beach House as they Pearl and Sapphire sit on the couch. Sapphire runs up to them. "Steven! (Y/n)! Did you two find Ruby?"
Steven looks up to Sapphire. "She's outside. She's got something to say to you."
Everyone walks out to the porch. They could see in the sunset that Ruby and Amethyst were standing in the distance. "Ruby!" Sapphire runs to Ruby. "Ruby, I'm so sorry! I should have never said those awful things to you. That we didn't matter any more; I shouldn't have pushed you away like that. I was wrong."
Ruby spilts out the leaf out of her mouth. "Naw, you were right." Ruby jumps off of Amethyst's back and approaches Sapphire. "Someone else told us we were the answer. But...I don't believe that anymore. At least, not 'til I hear it from you." She holds out her left hand to Sapphire. Sapphire takes her hand, and Ruby kneels in front of her. "Sapphire... Will you marry me?"
Sapphire blushes. "What-? Marry you?"
"Yeah! This way we can be together, even when we're apart! This time, being Garnet will be our decision. What do you say?"
"Of course."
"Yee-haw!" Ruby hugs Sapphire tightly. "I've been waiting to kiss your cute face!" Sapphire kisses Ruby on the cheek. Laughing, Ruby picks up Sapphire and spins her around.
"Awwww!" Steven awes.
"How romantic!" (Y/n) tears up.
Pearl looks surprised when Amethyst approaches. "Psst, it's me. I'm a horse." Amethyst whispers. Pearl smiles and places her hand on Amethyst's cheek.
Ruby continues to throw Sapphire up and catches her. They could hear Sapphire giggling. (Y/n) wraps an arm around Steven's shoulders and gives him a small squeeze. They smiled at each other and look at the Lonesome Lasso book, which shows a wedding scene, and reads, 'To be continued...'