I rubbed my nose. This… I had never really brought someone to meet the Creator Father before. Shigure and Homeward had always done it. I was not entirely certain how to go about it.
"Uhhh…" I hesitated. "There are a few ways we can go about this," I said. "I can give you the theory and you can go away to try to contact and talk to the Creator yourself. I can help you speak to the Creator. I can help you think up words and you can repeat them after me. I can try to carry you to meet the Creator. Also, I could ask the Creator to bestow the ability on you, but if you don't enter the protection of the blood covenant as well, you will likely become a target for all the demons and evil spirits that you may come across. They may even be attracted to you in the hopes of killing you before you can decide to enter the blood covenant. What would you like to do?"
"I'm not afraid of any demons or evil spirits," Bushy Brows muttered under his breath.
"What? Not scared of your nightmares and mental demons anymore?" the woman grinned at him. "Or what about that demonic monster you told me about from your childhood. That ghostly thing that tried to eat you and your family when you were a kid?"
"Shut up, Keiko-san," Bushy Brows snapped.
So that was the woman's name. Keiko. I would have to make sure I remembered the name this time.
"What's the fastest and most direct way?" Suzuki Sensei asked me.
"I guess it would be easiest for me to bring you to meet Him, but I'd have to ask Him first what is the best way," I hesitated again and asked the Creator what to do. The reply seemed to take some time returning and so I wasn't sure what I should do in the meantime.
"Tell me about the blood covenant first," Suzuki Sensei said. "I want to know what I'm getting myself into. Give me all the information and details you can think of. If it's a blood covenant, I'm guessing this is one of those once in a lifetime contracts that I can't back out of once I'm in. There would be big consequences."
I did my best to explain about the blood covenant and what the Creator Father had done for us, His people. Keiko and Bushy Brows listened as well but with disbelieving expressions. I ignored them while Suzuki Sensei appeared to genuinely be trying to learn and understand. I also shared with them my experience of entering the blood covenant.
When I was done, Suzuki Sensei took a sharp intake of breath in and nodded at me.
"I'm ready," he said, holding out his hand to me.
I took his hand and closed my eyes, engaging my spirit and attempting to take Suzuki Sensei with me over to the other place where the Creator Father usually was.
We didn't make it there. I was stopped by the Creator Father's spirit wind.
"Go back," I was told by the Creator Father's Spirit. "Wait for Me. I will come to you."
I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion.
"What happened?" Bushy Brows asked.
"Nothing happened, you idiot," snorted Keiko. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Did something go wrong?" Suzuki Sensei opened his eyes to look at me when I withdrew my hand. "I felt your spirit stir and you trying to open a gate into another realm. It made all the hairs on my arm stand up. What happened?"
"She tried to take you to another realm?" shrieked both Bushy Brows and Keiko.
"Is she an alien?" Bushy Brows asked, preparing to draw a weapon.
"There are really other realms?" Keiko asked with interest.
For someone who didn't like dealing with the paranormal, Keiko sure looked curious.
"Be quiet," Suzuki Sensei waved a hand at his friends, looking at me intensely.
"He said He would be coming to us," I replied with some confusion.
"Then what should we do?" Suzuki Sensei asked.
"I suppose we wait," I replied.
We waited until we got hungry. Bushy Brows and Keiko went to make dinner while Suzuki Sensei continued to wait with me. Suzuki Sensei didn't ask or say anything else. He just sat quietly by my side while I drowsed.
Come dinner time, my dinner had been brought to me on a tray and they were helping me sit up to eat when there was a knock on the door. All eyes turned to Suzuki Sensei who looked in the direction of the door with a frown.
"I don't sense anything," he said with confusion, looking at me.
"I locked the courtyard door," Keiko muttered. "How would anyone get in to knock on the house door?"
There was a knocking on the front door of the house again. It sounded quite polite to me.
"I'll go have a look," Bushy Brows said, getting up.
We heard the door open and Bushy Brows call out a greeting. There was no reply.
"There was no one there," Bushy Brows told us, returning to the room with a figure following behind him.
"Of course there was no one there," Keiko scoffed. "How did anyone get in through the courtyard door and all my traps in the yard without tripping any of them?"
Suzuki Sensei and I exchanged glances. He could obviously see the figure as well.
"Be quiet, you two," Suzuki Sensei told his friends. "Go sit over there by the wall. You're blocking the doorway for our guest."
"Guest? But no one came in," Bushy Brows and Keiko obeyed by looked at the empty doorway with confusion.
The figure glided into the room and knelt down on the floor, facing my bed.
"Ōjosama," said a whispery voice, "it is this small one's great reward to greet the high born daughter of the Most High. Please forgive the small one's belated welcome. This small one was not made aware of Ōjosama's presence in this small one's territory until it was made known that the Most High will be visiting. All the guardian spirits of the nearby regions have just received word and will be coming to bring Ōjosama greetings of welcome tonight."
The figure seemed to yawn and I guessed it hadn't noted my arrival because it had been sleeping.
"Good evening," I greeted and nodded. "What is your name?"
"This small one's name is Five Colours," said the figure with a bow. "This one was sent here many centuries ago to guard this place and await Ōjosama's arrival."
There were strange expressions on Bushy Brows and Keko's faces but they kept silence.
"How were you able to knock on the front door and enter the yard?" Suzuki Sensei asked.
"A predecessor of the seekers present had sensed my presence many years ago and erected a shrine, giving me permission to guard the grounds of the courtyard," the figure bowed again. "Another friend is arriving."
Another knock sounded, this time at the courtyard door outside. In fact, this knocking sounded more like pounding.
Bushy Brows and Keiko jumped, looking around.
"Go open the door," Suzuki Sensei told them.
"But - but…" Keiko stammered.
"If Ōjosama permits, this small one will go greet the guests and open the door with the seekers to protect them from harm," Five Colours looked up at me. There was a pale light about the face that prevented me from seeing it's features clearly.
"Go," I nodded.
The pale light around Five Colours pulsed brighter and a five coloured light flashed as if with joy.
"This small one obeys," Five Colours bowed again and stood up.
The courtyard door was pounded again and it shook.
"If Ōjosama will permit," Five Colours said, "not all the visitors tonight will be friendly spirits, but have been compelled to come. This small one would like to recommend Ōjousama relocate her seat to the yard in front of the house. That way evil visitors will not be permitted within the sanctuary."
Suzuki Sensei nodded at that and barked some orders to the scared duo still trembling by the wall. Keiko picked up a chair and a blanket, carrying them out. Bushy Brows walked out to prepare to open the doors for her, trembling as he did so. Suzuki Sensei helped me up and supported me to walk out of the house, carrying a cushion.