The Keeper's Hall led to the Gates of Hell. It could be said to be the "preparation room" before one stood before the Gates. Beyond the Hall, all the Gods and Goddesses along with their Priests and Priestesses were using their powers to stop the opening of the doors. Already, the latest reports said, the door was beginning to open a crack and the seal behind them was beginning to weaken.
Naoko, Sukina, and the girls had been taken away as soon as they arrived to 'prepare' for the ceremony. The boys were taken likewise, and they were shown to a bath, a full wardrobe, and a place for them to nap while waiting for the girls. "For," said the chamberlain, "If I know the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, they will be with her for the better part of a day," he said.
Hiei refused to bathe (seems like he was a little shy taking off his clothes ^_^ ) while the others plunged in. As they were splashing about, forgetting their cares for a moment, an old man came in. He didn't seem like he was one of the servants of the place, yet he carried himself with an air of subservience. He stopped by Hiei, who was sitting far away from the pool, next to Kurama's clothes, surprisingly.
"The Bath of Purification must go through, my friend. You must take a bath," he said to the short demon.
"Mind your business old man!" Hiei said, yet his heart was not in it. Something told him that this man would not harm him, ever.
"Ah, to be young again. You know, I thought that it was the young men who loved to show off," he snickered.
"What do you know, oyaji!" Hiei was losing patience with the man.
"Remember youth, your fires may be quenched, but not by these sacred waters. They are from the Styx," the old man said. "Time, waits for no one," he left Hiei.
Hiei moved towards the pool and decided to take a bath anyway. Mainly, because the guys had used Kurama to call him before splashing the koorime, getting him soaked. He took off his clothes and went after the culprits, Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara.
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Naoko came in sometime later looking for sanctuary. She pleaded silently with the boys not to give her whereabouts away and then hid in a large dresser. They were in the rooms where they were supposed to nap if they wanted to. Only Hiei and Shuura took the opportunity. The other three were too much on the edge.
Naoko was wearing a simple sleeveless short, pleated white Grecian with gold lace trimmings. Besides that, she wore no accessories and any other adornments, not even shoes. As soon as she was safely in the dresser, with Kurama leaving it half-opened as though he was perusing its contents, Alina came in.
"I'm looking for Karen. Have you guys seen her?" she asked them.
They all shook their head. Kurama glanced at her to shake his head, and then pulled out a long-sleeved tweed jacket, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Satisfied that the girl could not be hiding in there, Alina left.
"What was that about?" Yusuke asked as soon as she was out of earshot.
"Notice what I'm wearing? These things don't come without accessories and the proper shoes. I'm not wearing those. Too much of a hassle," she said.
"So, what do we do now?" Kuwabara asked.
"Once everyone is ready, we go beyond the Keeper's Hall. There, the girls and I will sit in a circle around the Gates and summon the Crystal Roses. It's going to take a while, as none of us have any Roses. Your job, when we look for the Roses, is to reinforce the Seals. Use whatever you want, plants, weapons, just reinforce it. The others will concentrate on the door. If the doors open even halfway, the seals begin to break. Once that happens…" Naoko did not need to finish.
Suddenly, there was a huge noise. Naoko jumped out of the dresser. What she said was a very unladylike curse, and she motioned for them to wake the sleeping youkai and follow her. "A demon got through. God help us," she said.