The Yin-Yang Effect

It started out as any other night for the Reikai Tantei. That is, until the rain began to pour. Lightning flashed brilliantly across the sky. It was beautiful, for a storm. Kurama sat on the large windowsill in Genkai's dojo-like training room in the temple, gazing out as the precious water fell from the sky. His gorgeous acid-green eyes absorbed the wonderous darkness being lit up by the reflections in the droplets.

He sighed. In a way, storms were dangerous as well as necessary. Without rain, the earth would dry up, and the vegetation would die, the human race along with it. But the electrons that were drawn toward the ground, creating lightning, could kill, and many times, it did. That was the way it was with most things.

Hiei wandered into the room, seemingly amazed to see the red-haired boy looking almost longingly, wonderingly, at the spectacle outside.

"Shouldn't you be going to bed, now, Fox?" the apparition inquired, making Kurama, who was usually ever-alert, jump a little in surprise. He had been so spellbound by the phenomenon that he had failed to acknowledge Hiei's presence.

"Oh. Hello, Hiei," he greeted politely. "You startled me."

"Hn. That's unusual." Hiei strolled over behind his partner, his eyes also drinking in the sight. Strangely, rain always has a weird effect on people: It calms them down. Even the Dragon-master of the Jagan Eye found himself succumbing to its 'power.' "Everyone else has turned in. I would think you would have, too."

Kurama continued to stare out into the environment, hypnotized by the rhythm it pounded upon the roof. It was pretty late, he had to admit. Probably pretty close to morning. How long had his eyes been drawn into the vision? The room had already been dark and deserted when he had come in, so he really didn't know.

"No. I think I'll stay up...just a little longer." He never removed his gaze from the outside.

Hiei made no comment. He knew better than to argue with him. Besides, what did it matter to him if he stayed up? They both sat in silence a while, just watching it rain. The lightning had become less frequent, leaving it almost pitch black in the yard. Normally an eerie-looking kind of place, the rain gave the impression of a protecting presence. Very comforting.

Seconds ticked by, then minutes. Who knows how long they just stayed there? Neither said a word, almost afraid that one whisper would shatter the scene. Kurama finally broke the silence.

"It never ceases to amaze me," he said, still eyeing the storm.

"What?" Hiei responded, curious. He never felt inclined to ask about the thoughts of the other members of the team, but Kurama was different. One of those intellectual and social people who always had interesting musings that could weave a mesmerizing web of wonder with words, written or spoken. A true talent, admired by many.

"The importance of such a display. If not for rain, no one could survive. However, every time it cascades down to the planet, it becomes an annoyance, a threat. Many people die or are injured because of wet roads or lighting strikes. Lots lose out on work, losing money, because the rain makes it impossible to work. Yet, water...keeps us alive."

"Interesting," Hiei agreed, though sounding nonchalant.

It is a necessary and vital aspect of life, but so hated. Like the darkness. We see it as the enemy, something to despise, but without it, we cannot have light, just as without light, we cannot have darkness."

"You've thought about this," Hiei observed.

"Yes. It's the principle of Yin-Yang. It's the same with happiness. It can't exist without sorrow or pain. Similarly, they, too, cannot exist without happiness."

"I'm not following you, Kurama," Hiei admitted.

"Think of it this way: If you were perfectly happy, would you know that you were perfectly happy?" Kurama questioned him, receiving no answer. "No. You wouldn't, because you never knew what it was not to be happy. That is all you would know."

"I see..."

Again, the conversation slipped into silence.

"When you think about it, all things are that way," Kurama said to no one in particular. "Emotions, situations, decisions made upon those situations...life itself. Good and Evil...Right and Wrong...There are two positions on everything. How you interpret those positions, and how you apply them to your world...that is how life carries on."

(A/N: Whoa. This is deep.)

Kurama sighed again and rose. "I think I will turn in. Good-night, Hiei."

"Hn," Hiei gave his usual grunt, back to his normal self now that he was being left to his own thoughts, rather than those of others. Kurama turned around in the doorway.

"Hiei, remember what I said. Hiding your emotions may save you...or destroy you."

"Whatever."

"Then answer me this. What is love, Hiei? What is that which all humans feel at some point in their lives that you don't seem to believe in?" the rose-whip wielder challenged, facing the back of the black-clad koorime (Did I get that right?).

(A/N: Here it comes...)

"It's an exaggerated and over-rated feeling. Love is nothing more than a judgement in compatability which leads from suffering to even more pain." Hiei stayed in the same position, unmoving, not facing his teammate.

Kurama smiled that all-knowing smile. "That...is a matter of opinion."

Before Hiei could turn around, however, his target had disappeared without a sound or a trace that he had even been there. Hiei turned back to the window, Kurama's last words echoing inside his mind.

'That...is a matter of opinion...'

Without love, we cannot feel hurt, anger, sympathy, guilt...anything we feel. Hiei had known only pain and disappointment his entire life. Pity, hatred, anger, bloodlust...revenge. But he was starting to understand, with his friendship with Team Urameshi that he would never admit. Maybe...there was hope for him yet...to feel.

That...was the Yin-Yang Effect.

Authoress's Note: Amazing the things you think up sometimes. This was one of those 9:00at nite kinda things. Somehow, the whole time I typed it up, it seemed like a yaoi-type fic...not my style at all. Weird. It wasn't meant to be that way. Anyways, please tell me what you think. I feel like this was my best one yet, considering it was just one of those spontaneous wonders that you receive when you least expect it. Thank you.