Wingless Bird

A collaboration between HateBecomesYou and BlueWater26.

Writers' Notes: BlueWater26 here! I'm sorry for the inexcusably late update, but you all know how school life is like, right? Utter chaos and all that….But I have a three-day weekend, so here goes.

Disclaimer: We don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, as much as we'd like to. You know the routine.

Chapter Three: Bloodstained Claws

"What the fuck?" Hiei cursed as his sister and the perky ferry girl filled him in on the emptiness of Spirit World. Yukina winced slightly at the profanity, while Botan shook it off as part of the Jaganshi's manner.

"It's true," the blue-haired woman said despondently. "The entire office was empty, like it was…deserted or abandoned. All of Koenma's paperwork was gone too."

"Hiei, do you know what might have happened to them?" Yukina asked her brother, thinking of all those who had so mysteriously disappeared.

The fire demon lifted his head. Looking at Botan, he asked, "Are you sure the baby brat didn't tell you anything about this 'mission'?"

Botan nodded. "All he said was for me to bring the three to his office. After I dropped them off, I left to help Hinageshi, Ayame, and the other ferry girls to help ferry souls. And…they left, with Koenma saying they had a top-secret important mission."

"Hn," Hiei muttered, swearing slightly: an indication he was not pleased.

"I hope they're okay," murmured the ice maiden worriedly. She didn't need to add the words "especially Kazuma."

"Kurama, Yusuke, Master Genkai, and Kuwabara are certainly capable of facing anything," Botan started. "Koenma, though…" Her voice drifted off in notes of concern.

Hiei, Botan, and Yukina stood in solemn silence as the chilly wind picked up to tones of ice. It rustled their hair and clothing; all three with their serious faces took the increasingly stormy weather as a bad omen.

-:-

Unbeknownst to the group gathered in the psychic Genkai's courtyard, a small, brown-feathered bird with a sharp, intelligent eye observed them with utmost patience. It remained oblivious to the whipping leaves and nippy wind surrounding it, gray eyes fixed on the three people below. Now and then, it rustled its down feathers.

"Eda," a soft, birdlike voice called to the winged creature perched comfortably on a thick branch of a tree. "Eda, where are you? Eda!" The last syllable, full of commanding and power, brought the little brown bird towards the source of the voice.

On another tree limb stood a tall man, fair in features and grand in power. Dark brown hair with amber eyes added an intimidating outlook to the stranger. A mud-brown cloak with gray and forest-green trim swept around him and clung to his lean form.

With a graceful swoop, the little bird landed on his arm and proceeded to let out a series of tiny, shrill chirps that seemed to echo along the lines of a deed of spying for the man.

"Thank you, Eda," whispered the man as the bird lifted its wings and took flight again, in its rightful place among the dreary skies.

-:-

"The only conclusion I can think of is that Koenma was possessed or a traitor to send the three to their doom," Botan said as she, Yukina, and Hiei were clustered in a room of Genkai's temple.

"Hn. Unlikely," Hiei muttered. "He always has us do the dirty work like we're another four of his ogres."

"Um, shouldn't we tell Shizuru and Keiko? They'll want to know where…where…"

"You're right, Yukina." Botan wiped her red-rimmed violet eyes with her pink sleeves. "Come on," she added, flicking her wrist and materializing her trusty oar. "Coming, Hiei?"

Hiei glanced with scorn at the oar. "Hn, I'll run."

-:-

"Shizuru, did you see Yusuke anywhere this morning?" a brunette by the name of Keiko Yukimura asked. Shizuru Kuwabara shook her head, cigarette smoke wafting about as she did so.

"Kazuma left with Botan his morning, but he didn't tell me where he went."

"Oh, I hope Yusuke's okay," Keiko murmured, worry in her voice.

"Don't worry, the boys are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves…except for my little bro."

"Keiko! Shizuru!" a familiar female voice sounded from behind the two companions.

The brunettes turned to see the perky ferry girl, a grumpy fire apparition, and a sad-looking ice maiden running towards them.

"Botan, Hiei, Yukina, what are you doing here?" Keiko inquired, perplexed.

"Hiei, aren't you supposed to be on the mission with the rest of the boys?" Shizuru questioned.

Botan cut into their inquiries, murmuring, "We have a lot to tell you about."

-:-

"That's horrible," Keiko gasped, her hands covering her mouth and eyes brimming with tears. "So…everyone's missing…and…and Yusuke…he might be…be…?" She was almost begging them not to say it.

"Dead," supplied Hiei dully.

Shizuru and Yukina were silent, both thinking of a certain orange-haired boy.

Botan bit her lip. "I guess…all we can do now…is hope for the best and that they'll pull through on their own."

Flitter, flitter, flitter, chirp. A small brown bird spiraled into the room dismally, wings drooping. It seemed unharmed, but Yukina picked it up and tried to comfort it.

Botan let out an audible gasp. Red eyes and brown flicked towards her, three pairs out of four edged with concern.

"One of the souls I ferried…from Russia…said that…he predicted the day of his death," Botan explained, hands twisted with worry. Although the others could see no relevance to the situation at hand, they remained silent. "He said that when a bird flies into a room, it is an omen…of death."

The words hung in the air, echoing in everyone's stunned ears.

Writers' Notes: Like I said, short and snappy. I'm sorry if you hated it, but I have writer's block.