Title: Lori's Friend II - THE FLUTE

Characters: Kwai Chang Caine

Warnings: None

Short Story: Reflections from Kwai Chang

Author: Alisa Joaquin

Disclaimer: All characters are borrowed except those created by me. All other characters (from KF:TLC and we know who they are) are property of Warner Brothers. I promise to give them back when I am done with them (of course I do not know how long that will be.) I give permission to archive.

Kwai Chang Caine watched Lori leave with Peter and Mary Margaret. He again held the old bamboo flute that Lori used to practice turning her psychic abilities off and on. Little had been known about the flute until now. Kwai Chang remembered the day the flute had been discovered. It had not been very long after he and his father, Matthew Caine arrived at the Temple in America. The flute had been sitting in a store room, its owner long forgotten. When Matthew saw the flut, It had reminded him of his father. When he asked about it, the other monks could not say much about it, only that it was quite old. When Kwai Chang saw the flute, he immediately fell in love with its beauty and tonality. He asked if he could have it and the monks agreed. It had no owner. They were pleased to know that the flute would once again make music.

Kwai Chang took the flute and tried to play it that night and discovered how easily he could. Though the flute was a little long for him, he struggled to fit his hands just right along the holes of its body. His father offered to cut the flute down so that Kwai Chang could play it better but he declined. For some reason, he felt it would be wrong to change such a beautiful instrument. As Kwai Chang's skills increased, Matthew was impressed by how his son naturally seemed to play the instrument. The notes that came from the flute brought tears to Matthew's eyes. It reminded him when his father would play. He had always felt comforted when his father was there and his father's flute would sound out its haunting tones while Matthew tried to go back to sleep from some disturbing dream. Matthew always wondered what had happened to his father's flute after their family had returned the China.

Kwai Chang looked down in his hands and marveled at just what he held. He had always cherished this instrument for its beauty and the tones that came from it. It had become a part of him. Now he would cherish it more and some day, it too would be passed to his son. For this instrument, for however long it waited, had belonged to his grandfather and, on that fateful day, had found its way to him. 'Thank you grandfather for finding this flute a safe place to be,' thought Kwai Chang. 'I now know why I loved this flute so much and understand why it felt so right. In some small way you were passing this flute onto me. I am honored.' And as he finished his thoughts, Kwai Chang brought the flute to his lips and played a song of joy and thankfullness in memory to the man for whom he had been named, Kwai Chang Caine.

End