Once I got home, I headed upstairs with my new clothes, and got changed. It was a pleasure to get out of my ill-fitting clothes and into some clothes that fit my new body properly – but I felt both ashamed, a bit titillated and embarrassed at putting on ladies underthings... I mean, I knew I needed to wear them for clothes to fit, but it still felt wrong – like I was transgressing against some unspoken rule – boys don’t wear girls clothes. I mean, I wasn’t a boy any more – but I still felt like one inside, and it felt damn strange putting on granny panties and a sports bra!
I couldn’t deny the bra was helpful though – almost instantly, my new breasts stopped swinging like pendulums and just stayed squished down as flat as the bra could make them. Thank the gods for that, at least! It was almost like I could pretend I didn’t have boobs for a little bit. The jeans and the T-shirts just felt like normal clothes that fit well – even if the branding and the colors for the fabrics were different. I could live with them, which was good since I didn’t have a choice.
In the end, I ended up wearing a pair of hip-hugging jeans, my Mortar-Mage T-shirt, and my Miss Adventure Nike’s. It was decent clothing, and durable if I had to do any fighting – but loose enough that I could move and not be hampered. I had also bought a bunch of rubber hair ties at the store, and tied my golden hair into a ponytail to keep it out of my face. The last thing I needed was to get ambushed by the Krell, and have that glorious mop fall into my face!
I stowed the spare girls clothes – which I guess were MY clothes now – in my dresser, in case I needed a change when I returned to Earth, and tossed my dirty boy clothes in the laundry. Finally feeling sorted out a bit, I sat down on the bed and sighed.
“Hey Siri? How are we going to get to Asgard?” I asked.
*Well, there’s a few ways. In some places there are portals between worlds. In others you can make a sympathetic connection between an adult Ash tree and Yggdrasil, and actually climb all the way to Asgard – which is not without its own perils – or we can use magic and just teleport there. Basically I can show you how to summon the Bifrost and walk or ride it to Asgard.*
“That sounds freaking cool!”
*It is. I think you’ll have a blast.*
“Cool. I guess we should go and talk to my dad. You know, say goodbye for now?”
*I think that would be for the best, Jason. We need to get to Asgard as soon as possible, and now we have no reason to delay.*
“I gotcha.” I headed downstairs to look for dad, throwing my cell phone and a digital camera into my coat pockets. The light jacket I had bought had pockets – I was NOT ready for a freaking purse – and I stuffed a few other useful things in them, just because I could... A pocket knife my dad had given me when I was 16, a chapstick cause cracked lips sucked, a used wallet with 100 dollars, plus some change, two packs of chewing gum, and some spare SD cards for the camera and cell phone – for dad’s pics – along with extra batteries for the camera.
“Hey kiddo!” Dad called from the kitchen. “You clean up nice. Your clothes look good.”
“I know you mean well dad, but now’s not a good time to compliment me on my looks.”
“Fair enough. You look like you’re ready to leave. Is it time?”
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“Yeah. We’ve got to get going.” I said. “We’re going to take the Bifrost Bridge to Asgard.”
“Fucking sweet! Do you think Siri will mind if I watch?”
“I think it’ll be fine. Siri?” I asked
*It’s no problem, Jace.*
“It’s fine dad. Let’s go outside – I don’t want to accidentally tear the roof off or something.”
“Good idea, kiddo. I may be healed, but I don’t know squat about roofing.” Dad replied, laughing. It was good to see him up, and joking about.
“Okay dad.” I replied as we headed outdoors to the backyard. “You know, it might be a while before I can come home, dad.”
He turned to me, and nodded, wrapping me in a big hug. “I know, son... And when you come home, you might be different. War does that to people. I’ll still be here, waiting for you, okay, kiddo?”
“Better than okay, dad. And I hope I don’t get too much more different, I won’t be able to recognize myself!”
Dad released me from the hug, and looked at me seriously. “Honestly, Jason... Just come home safe and alive. We’ll deal with anything else afterwards. I’ll keep the hearth-fires burning.”
“Thanks dad. Siri, I think it’s time.”
*Okay. I’ll share the knowledge of how to initiate transport with you... it’s not hard, but I doubt you’d figure it out on your own.* Siri said. *First, reach for your source, and let it fill you – it’ll feel like you’re warm and maybe a bit feverish if you do it right – and then reach out with your mind towards the golden city – Asgard, the vision in your mind.*
“Then what?” I asked.
*When you’ve aligned your mind to Asgard, simply will yourself towards it – although for some reason the more recent Valkyries call out to Heimdall for a bridge, which is odd – Heimdall doesn’t control the Bifrost, he guards it. It’s not the same thing.*
I smirked, realizing where the reference came from – after all, The Avengers was the biggest comic movie of the last decade, and couldn’t help but laugh that other potential Valkyries and probably Einherjar too, had seen it. At least there’ll be a few fellow nerds there, I thought.
I cleared my thoughts, and did as Siri told me. Finding the source was simple, and letting it fill me was relatively easy – like filling a teacup from a raging river – the problem was to not take too much, rather than too little. I looked upwards, into the sky – and saw the golden city of Asgard. I saw heaven. I’m going to heaven. Holy shit! I focussed my thoughts, and tried to connect with Asgard – with what it meant to me, with what Siri had shown me of it – and all around me, rainbow light started to form, lifting me off the ground a little, and my hair as well, almost as if I was in zero-g.
“Goodbye, dad.” I said, looking into his face.
He waved back. “Kick their ass and come home safe, Son.”
“I will.” I said, smiling. “I will.”
I looked up – and as I willed myself to Asgard, I called out. “Heimdall! I need a bridge!”
There was a flash of rainbow light, and I was gone.
* * *
I was pulled into a tunnel of light – a wormhole of rainbow light that snaked left and right, up and down as we traversed uncountable distances while feeling like I was falling into a wind tunnel. It was exhilarating, and amazing, and magical – and it was over too damn soon! A few moments later – less than 10 seconds, it seemed – and the rainbow light disappeared, and I found myself standing on a bridge of rainbow crystal that extended out over an ocean, and stretched behind me as far as the eye could see – while before me, about a half mile ahead, lay the gates of the golden city of Asgard. I don’t feel ashamed even a little bit that I felt at once overwhelmed, amazed – and like a fanboy getting an early Christmas. I pulled out my camera and took a few pictures, and then packed it back away. Dad was never going to believe this!
*It’s beautiful, isn’t it? This is home for me – and I hope in time it will be home for you as well.*
“It is beautiful, Siri... but I’m not sure I’m ready to leave Earth forever, Siri – is there any chance once this war is over, I could get stationed on Earth until I’m ready to leave?”
*I don’t know, Jason. It can’t hurt to ask – but it won’t be possible until we win the war with the Krell.*
“Yeah, first things first, I guess. How do I identify myself to the guards so they don’t arrest me?”
*Announce yourself as Battle-Leader Sigrid and New Host. They’ll probably take you somewhere to be debriefed, and then we’ll get released to our quarters to rest and recuperate. I can introduce you to some of my friends – and I’m sure a lot is going to happen in a short time, so you’d better buckle up.*
“Awesome. Let’s go meet some gods and angels.”
*I hope I don’t have to tell you to be very respectful in the presence of any of the Lords or Ladies?*
“No – I’ll be very polite... Just identify them to me before I say or do something stupid, okay?”
*Works for me, Jason.*
At last, I thought. We’re here – and for the first time since this began, I feel like I’m actually a little bit in control of my life. I liked that feeling. It felt safe, and comfortable. Okay, so my body was female... It could still kick some serious ass, and once I learned more of my Valkyrie powers, I was probably going to be ridiculously tough. Maybe the feeling of wearing a mask or of not being myself would wear off over time? Aside from the dysphoria from my gender change, everything that had happened had been a blessing. Time to go see what happens next.
I looked towards Asgard, and began walking.