Berry fries?(Chapter 13)(World:Steven universe)

(First POV)(World: Steven Universe)

A few hours had passed since our unexpected meeting on the beach, and now I was sitting on a worn out chair inside the Fryman's Fry Shop. The late-afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting golden light on the glossy old floor. Ronaldo hovered nearby, basically bouncing in place with excitement while I ate my way through yet another basket of his family's famous fries.

"So," I said, swallowing a crispy fry, "this is our new 'base of operations'? Your family's fry shop?" 

(Insert The rock eyebrow meme here please)

Ronaldo grinned like he'd just unveiled a big secret. "Yeah, man! I mean, look around—it's got everything we need. Food,privacy, a perfect view of the boardwalk—and best of all, hardly anyone's around right now." 

I could not argue with that. The fries alone were enough to make me think this was an amazing idea. " I do have to say," I admitted, gesturing with one half-eaten fry, "these could beat anything in my home world—no question. Even Chick-fil-A's got nothing on these."

Ronaldo puffed his chest out a bit, obviously proud. "You'd better believe it! Fryman fries are legendary. People just don't realize it yet. Once the whole world catches on—boom! We'll be unstoppable."

A soft laugh escaped me as I set my fries aside. On the small table next to me rested my Thor hammer replica, which had been drawing more than a few stares from any customers peeking in. Some of them were openly gawking through the window outside, probably wondering why I was carrying around such a heavy-looking piece of metal. Fortunately, the Gravity Gauntlet—humming faintly on my right hand—took care of that small "worthy" problem by manipulating the hammer's weight. Without it, I'd be just as "unworthy" as anyone else.

The shop is not very "private" but..EH..anything for free fries that are also top 1 fries in the whole multiverse or omniverse.

I inhaled, savoring the combined smells of salty sea air and frying oil from the nearby fryers. The shop might've been small, but it was surprisingly cozy, not nearly as run-down as some rumors (or a certain TV show) would have you believe. After a moment, Ronaldo leaned forward, keeping his voice low.

"So, traveler… you've shown me that crazy hammer, your celestial spellbook, and Hamon. We've done some exploring around the boardwalk, but you said you came here for a real test of your abilities, right?"

I popped another fry into my mouth. "Yeah, that's right. This is my first real jump with the Celestial Spellbook, and I wanted somewhere easy before I decided to go and do bigger stuff." I paused, letting the salty flavor dissolve on my mouth. "You mentioned the Crystal Gems earlier…"

Ronaldo's eyes immediately lit up. "Oh yeah! You must've heard about them, right? They're kinda famous around here—or at least there are rumors. They show up occasionally, do weird stuff by the temple on the beach… I think they're guardians or something. Hard to say, because they keep to themselves a lot. But I've seen 'em a couple of times from a distance!"

I leaned in, intrigued. Back in our world, the Crystal Gems were the heroes of an entire series and well known. But this was before the series started.

"So they definitely count as aliens, right? Gems from outer space?"

Ronaldo shrugged, but I could see the excitement dancing behind his eyes. "That's the rumor! I've been trying to get actual proof for ages, but they're pretty secretive. You think you can… well…" He trailed off, then quickly recovered. "Since you're, y'know, an interdimensional traveler, maybe you can find a way to meet them."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "Universal Traveler and that's exactly what I'm hoping for. I want to see what they can do—and, more importantly, what we can learn from them."

Ronaldo nodded vigorously, looking as if he'd just chugged three energy drinks. "Dude, I want to learn from them too! Think about it: living proof of extraterrestrial life! I've had my theories for years, but no one ever believes me."

I arched an eyebrow. "Well, how about we gather some real data?"

Reaching into my bag, I went through many of my items until I found what I was looking for: the Omnitrix Scanner. Its sleek, dark casing glowed faintly with swirling alien glyphs. With a flourish, I placed it on the counter in front of Ronaldo.

"What's… that?" he asked, eyes widening.

"A little piece of tech I picked up from…somewhere. It's meant to scan and analyze alien species—give detailed readings on their biology and abilities. Perfect for, say… investigating Gem aliens."

Ronaldo's face went slack with awe. He handled the device like it was some priceless relic. "Dude. Duuude. You're letting me use it?"

I shrugged casually, but I was smiling on the inside. "I trust you, Ronaldo. Besides, I don't want to freak them out by waving alien tech in their faces the moment I meet them. You're from here. So You will have a better chance at getting close without causing any big questions or problems."

His eyes practically glowed with excitement. "Oh man, this is the best day of my life. Finally, tangible proof! I'm gonna scan those Gems so hard." 

…Pause

He pressed a button, and the device hummed quietly, lights flickering with energy.

I finished off my fries. "Just remember: we don't want a fight. If they get suspicious, you back off, okay? My goal is to learn, not start trouble."

Ronaldo gave a very serious nod, tucking the scanner into his jacket pocket. "Roger that, cosmic traveler. I'll be subtle. I promise."

"Universal..whatever" I wiped my hands on a napkin and slid off the stool, feeling the cool tile beneath my feet.

I stood, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. Mjolnir—or rather, its lesser replica—rested on the small table, still drawing the occasional curious look from the few remaining customers.

"All right. Let's go see what Beach City has to offer, then. Gems or no Gems, there's plenty to explore."

Ronaldo practically bounced on the balls of his feet as we stepped toward the door. The bell jingled overhead, and a gust of fresh ocean air swept in. Outside, a handful of customers lingered nearby, occasionally glancing at us and our strange items.

He practically bounced in place as we left the shop, the door's little bell jingling behind us.

"Oh, man, you're gonna love this place. Let me show you around."

Picking up Mjolnir we set off to our first destination which was the Big Donut, a local staple that boasted a giant donut perched on its roof—one of those iconic places that made Beach City into Beach City. As we entered, the bell above the door jingled. The sweet smell of sugar and coffee enveloped us, and behind the counter, two teens—Lars and Sadie—took notice.

Sadie gave a polite nod, while Lars arched an eyebrow at the sight of my hammer. "Uh, hey, welcome to the Big Donut…?" He let the greeting hang awkwardly, eyes flicking from me to the gleaming hammer.

I offered a small smile, setting Mjolnir down carefully on the counter while I fished out some money. "Just grabbing a donut, or maybe two." Yes, my money turned into this world's version of it.

"Sure, man." Lars pursed his lips, intrigued but trying to look nonchalant.(Weird guy here) Sadie quietly bagged the donuts—chocolate glaze with sprinkles for me, and a powdered one for Ronaldo.

Lars couldn't resist his curiosity any longer. He wiped his hands on his apron and reached for the hammer. "Dude, is this, like, real metal? It's gotta weigh a ton—"

Before Ronaldo or I could warn him, Lars gripped the handle and tried to hoist the hammer off the counter. He barely managed to budge it half an inch before he let out a frustrated huff.

"What the—?!" he sputtered, cheeks flushing. "Is this thing glued down?"

Sadie peeked over, being clearly amused. "I mean, it's not that big, Lars…"

I cleared my throat, trying to hold back a grin. "It's, uh, a special replica. Sort of a collector's item. Let's just say… it only lifts for certain people."

Lars shot me a half-skeptical, half-embarrassed glare. "Yeah… well… guess I'm not one of 'em." With a shrug, he gave up.

"Here you go," Sadie said, handing me the donut bag and taking my payment. She eyed the hammer one last time, then gave me a small, polite smile.

With our donuts in hand, we left the shop, Ronaldo throwing a mischievous grin over his shoulder. "I have to admit," he whispered once we were outside, "watching people try to pick the hammer will never get old."

As the evening light grew warmer, we strolled along the boardwalk. Faint music spilled out from some of the seaside stalls. The ocean breeze was carrying a pleasant chill, and the sky was awash in pink and orange hues.

Ronaldo, bouncing on the balls of his feet, gestured to various points of interest. "Over there's Fish Stew Pizza. You need to try their anchovy special sometime. And that arcade—there's a killer pinball machine that you gotta see."

I nodded, soaking it all in. "You're a pretty good tour guide, you know." 

Who the hell eats anchovy pizza?

He grinned. "Hey, I live for this stuff. Now, if we're talking about alien sightings, the beach near the temple is the hot spot, but apparently the Crystal Gems aren't around much right now. That's kinda weird, but I guess they might be on a mission or something."

We made a quick stop at the arcade, where the neon lights flickered lazily against the oncoming twilight. Ronaldo dragged me to a vintage pinball game, boasting he had the high score. I played a round—only to watch my ball drop into the hole in record time. He smirked, proud of himself, as we stepped back out onto the boardwalk.

Eventually, we made our way down to the beach itself. The sun was sinking faster now, its reflection stretching across the water like molten gold. Gulls wheeled overhead, squawking softly. A few families were still out on the sand, packing up their coolers and towels for the day.

I tucked the hammer under my arm again, feeling a gentle pull from the Gravity Gauntlet as it balanced out the weight. I could tell we were getting a few odd stares, but no one seemed alarmed and then they looked away, not paying attention to us anymore. 

In the glow of the sunset, it almost looked… natural.

Ronaldo stopped, planting his hands on his hips as he took in the view. "Man, you don't realize how awesome this place is until you show it off to someone new."

I watched the horizon, the sun's last rays turning the sky a vivid orange. "It's gorgeous," I admitted. "Makes me wonder what it'll look like once things really start happening in this world…"

He glanced at me. "You gonna stick around to find out?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I've tested enough for now. I'll be back, though, when the time is right."

Ronaldo nodded, though I could see a flicker of disappointment. "You gotta do what you gotta do, traveler." He paused, remembering something. "Oh, right—what about that fancy alien scanner you mentioned earlier? The Omnitrix thing?"

From my backpack, I pulled out the Omnitrix Scanner, its surface pulsing faintly with neon glyphs. I pressed it into his hands. "I'm leaving it with you. I know you'll put it to good use—maybe figure out something's about the Crystal Gems. They're out there, somewhere, and I have a feeling they'll be important." 

His eyes nearly popped out of his head, equal parts excitement and responsibility. "Dude… are actually sure?"

I nodded. "You're my guy on the ground here. If I'm gone and something huge goes down, you'll have the tools to record it. Besides, I basically promised you in the small shop to give it to you, right?"

Ronaldo's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I won't let you down. I promise! And when you come back, I'll have all sorts of data on them. Maybe even an interview if I can convince them I'm friendly…" 

I chuckled. "Just remember: you're not trying to trap or expose them. They're the good guys. Be careful."

He saluted me, a solemn gesture that actually made him look surprisingly serious. "Scout's honor." 

With the conversation fading, I looked down at the hammer in my hand—the lesser Mjolnir, a reflection of all the crazy powers and items I got from the system. Then, I pulled out the Celestial Spellbook, which floated up to hover near my shoulder. Its pages flipped of their own accord, shimmering runes dancing across the paper.

A faint wind kicked up, swirling grains of sand around us. Ronaldo shielded his face with one arm, still clutching the Omnitrix Scanner in the other.

"So, this is it?" he asked, voice tinged with wonder.

"For now," I replied, placing my free hand over the glowing symbols. "Time to go home."

"Aperire portas astrorum, transire fines temporis et spatii."

(Open the gates of the stars, cross the boundaries of time and space.)

The air in front of me tore open in a swirl of cosmic light—shades of violet, blue, and gold intermingling. The portal crackled with energy, bright sparks skipping across the sand. Lasting longer since It is closer to midnight.

Check around and no one noticed the open portal.

Ronaldo let out a low whistle. "Every time you do that, it's like watching reality itself bend. It's insane."

I shot him a grin, stepping closer to the shimmering gateway. "Thanks for everything, Ronaldo. Keep an eye on Beach City for me… and be safe."

He raised the scanner in a mock salute. "Will do. Safe travels, man. And hey—don't be a stranger, okay?"

I couldn't help smiling. "I'll see you around."

With that, I took a steadying breath and stepped forward.

Again colors exploded all around me, stretching into infinity. It was like moving through a living, breathing aurora borealis, each hue shifting and twisting in ways that defied logic. I felt weightless—no, I felt everything at once. Like I was being pulled in a million directions but also standing completely still.

Then the sounds hit. Again the strange, melodic melody filled the space, vibrating through my body like a song the universe itself was singing.…What was that melody?

I looked down—only to see that I had no physical form again. My hands were transparent, outlined in flickering light, as if I was becoming part of the portal itself. But before I could even panic, the sensation shifted again.

Suddenly, I felt gravity. My body solidified. The swirling colors around me stretched and blurred until—

THUD.

I hit the ground…again. Damn really need a helmet or something..

I was back to the graveyard and it looked like…a few hours passed since it was basically past sunset. I did learned that everything changes to fit the world even your body becomes cartoony and I mean everything yes even my dic-

Anyways Mission accomplished—for now. I had tested how the world changed me and even made a friend in the process who will help me. I consider that a win.

Time to plan the next universe I enter but I need to wait then roll my tickets to make sure I am ready for whatever world I choose next… 

I wonder just how much Beach City might change by the time I return…

______________________________________________________________________________

Writer here 

Yea sorry for the short update but I decided to do a quick write and publish it. I will try my best to post more but remember I am a collage student and this is a hobby that takes hours.

I will also do a rewrite when I reach 30 or 40 chapters that might be updated in this novel or just posted in another. Probably just updated.

Sorry if there are mistakes!

Have a good day everyone!