28 Reunion

Raiden quickly looked around the house and saw that it was empty. He was about to turn around to go check the farm when he felt a pair of arms envelop him from behind.

"I missed you squirt," he heard a voice whisper behind him.

A huge smile breaking out on his face he turned around and hugged his sister back.

"I missed you too Alice," he muttered softly.

"At least you haven't changed much," Alice said with a laugh as they broke off the hug.

"Hey I'm still growing I've got time," replied Raiden while Alice ruffled his hair.

"So where are mom and dad?" he questioned.

"I think they're out on the farm, I only came back home because I forgot my lunch," she said gesturing to a cute pink lunchbox on the kitchen table.

"Came back?" Raiden muttered when he noticed what his sister was wearing. A blue skirt with a matching blue uniform. It was a school day. Of course, how could he forget, just because he didn't have to go didn't mean it was the same for everyone.

"Well I gotta run, we catch up after I get back home," said Alice as she ran and grabbed her lunch box. She gave a quick kiss on the cheek while Raiden tried to swat her away saying he was way too old for it.

After waving Alice goodbye Raiden walked towards the farm to see his parents. He could have just flown but he was enjoying taking in the familiar scenery of his home.

He walked across the property and was reminded just how large it was, it took him 10 minutes just to get across the fields when he finally saw his parents.

They were facing the fields and talking about something in hushed voices, but Raiden didn't care about that. He broke into a run when he saw his parents and when they turned around to see what was coming towards them, he jumped up and overwhelmed his mom in a hug.

Marie was of course startled when she saw a blur flying towards her but when she realized it was her baby she quickly hugged him back, tears threatening to breakout.

After a while, they broke off the hug and Raidens dad also leaned over to give him a quick hug.

"Someone was homesick," His dad couldn't help but tease Raiden. While Raiden felt his face go red at his father's words.

A quick slap to the shoulder shut from his mother was enough to silence his father while Marie fussed over her child.

Raiden began telling them everything thing he had been through. All of his training and his fighting in and eventually winning in the world martial arts tournament. Of course, he left out some minor details. He wasn't sure how his mother would feel if she found out he was just dropped off in the woods to fend for himself for several months. Especially with no survival skills whatsoever.

Also, he managed to say Chappa was the one who taught him how to use his ki and advance it. It was easier just to pin it on the martial arts master than say how he actually learned and taught it to Chappa and Yajirobe.

Raiden found out that his parents were talking about the upcoming harvest and finally realized the weather was starting to get colder and the days shorter. He had been focused on martial arts in the past year that he had started to become oblivious to the events around him.

After a huge breakfast with his parents where he found out that life for them had been much the same in his absence. It had just been another year of work on the farm and daily life in the quiet town. There weren't really any big changes.

He also made sure to give the money he made from the tournament. He really had no idea how to manage money and was sure they would do a better job hopefully growing it than him.

Also, Marie was quick to make sure that Raiden hadn't fallen behind in his studies. She quickly prepared another test for him that was made for his age group, while he grumbled about how great a homecoming it was. Which his mother ignored.

Finally, after he finished his work -which he aced much to the dismay of his mother, who still wanted him to go to school- did the family relax. They spent the rest of the day, along with Alice who had come home from school, in front of the tv watching a movie together under a warm blanket.

They sat in comfortable silence finally together as a family after a long year when his father had voiced the question his mother and sister had been holding back from asking.

"How long are you going to stay?" He asked, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness in it.