Homecoming A Valkyrian Short by Persephone “You still haven’t told me where we’re going! Lucy, wait!!” The tall, flustered teenage girl followed her friend through the airport, her carry-on bag slapping against her hip. “Aubrey. Relax,” Her friend Lucy stopped and turned, facing Aubrey with a look of mischief and giddy anticipation, “trust me, trust me, you’ll love it.” “Well okay, but… I don’t fly four hours on a mystery whim to Iceland for just anyone, you know. Hey! Baggage claim, downstairs. Lucy, wait up!” Aubrey raced through the terminal to a row of three luggage carousels just as the middle one churned to life. A message board overhead read, “OHare - Reykjavik, Flt 241, 7:23 pm.” “Oh god, I hope they didn’t lose my shit. I need my red bag. Neil will be livid if he doesn’t get his good shirt back.” Aubrey watched as bags and cases began their descent down to spin idly around until being claimed by harried travelers. She noticed a handful of girls - very, VERY pretty girls about her age, who apparently thought that the very notion of collecting luggage was hilarious. Aubrey found her bags - the red bag with Neil’s precious shirt, her brown carry-all and the old suede case her mother had given her - and stacked them up. The brown one had a pull-up handle and pop-out wheels, so she stacked the others on that, settled the balance, and resumed chasing after Lucy. “God damn, girlfriend, will you slow down? The door’s not going anywhere.” Lucy turned and winked, and grabbed Aubrey’s hand. “No, but beyond it, might be.” “Huh?” Up ahead she saw the airport exit, a row of five glass double-doors. Beyond them in the parking lot outside, she saw heavy clouds. Looked like rain. She must have had jet lag, it looked like the door on the far left had a shimmering rainbow light around it. And naturally that was the one Lucy was heading for. She followed Lucy - she was always following Lucy - through Sanngriðr Terminal, and through the rainbow doors. And stopped dead in her tracks. It was bright sun, there was a slight breeze, and she felt warm air and sea spray on her face. She turned to look back at the door, but all she saw was a shimmering line in midair where the door had been. Instead there was a paradise-worthy tropical lagoon. “Lucy!” she called out, “ what - no, scratch that, where, no, Jesus girl, *why* are you taking your clothes off? Where the fuck ARE we?” Aubrey could only stare as Lucy finished stripping nude. “Damn girl, there’s shaving and then there’s shaving. You HAVE any hair down there?” “Nope. Laws. Now it’s your turn.” “Huh? My - what?” Aubrey’s protests were cut short by three impossibly gorgeous girls, all teenagers and all completely naked, who carefully began undressing the new arrival. At first she tried to protest but she found herself enjoying the attention. “Now,” Lucy said, “Luggage chuck.” “You mean check?” Aubrey asked, “um we already left the airport? Speaking of which, what the actual fuck?” She pointed at a shimmering outline where an airport wall should be. “Dimension door. You’re in Valkyria now.” “Um, yeah. Valka-what? WHY IS EVERYONE NAKED?!” “Bring your luggage, girlfriend, follow the sound of the drums.” Aubrey listened and sure enough heard drums. She dragged her three bags and followed Lucy - again - toward the sound. She came to a circle of women, all naked, dancing around a bonfire on the beach. There was a stack of luggage near the bonfire and Aubrey immediately felt apprehensive. Nearby, a group of equally nude, equally gorgeous, ladies were drumming a complex, sensuous rhythm on a row of primitive-looking drums. “Luggage chuck!” Lucy exclaimed, grabbed one of Aubrey’s bags and threw it onto the fire, and some of the dancers cheered. “Wait, I NEED those! Dammit! Lucy! Neil’s gonna have a fit—” She paused when she felt a soft hand caress her bottom and slide under to softly caress her pussy. Despite herself she moaned and let the hand roam. She turned to see a black woman, achingly gorgeous and naked, caressing her body. “Noo, you don need none o that here,” she said in a soft Caribbean accent, “All that is, is excess baggage. T'ink about it, all they bags brought you nothin’ but trouble. You don’ need the bags, you don’t need the baggage. You sho’ don’ need no clothes coverin’ up dat beautiful pussy now.” The black girl - who Aubrey suddenly, desperately wanted to kiss - danced away, her slender body an erotic invitation. “T'is is where you are,” she said over her shoulder, “and t'is is all you need.” Aubrey looked at the tropical view, and at Lucy, who was making love to another gorgeous, totally naked girl, and she realized that she really, really did not want to go back to Neil. She picked up her red bag, carefully opened it and flung her clothes, her material possessions, her old life, onto the fire. And realized she had, in fact, come home. Back to the New Valkyria