Dragon Ball: Rise of Nitrate [DBZ/DBS X Icejin OC]

Chapter Seventeen: A Tournament

[3rd POV]
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Nitrate stood in front of the Z Fighters with a wide smile on his paled face. He looked at the individual members - Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, etc - and felt his chest tighten at the sight of so many different people he had seen almost an entire decade ago. They seemed to feel the same, if not more so, as they looked at the Arcosian with jubilant expressions.

Nitrate: "Wow... Looking at your teary expressions, you'd think we were entering a pity party instead of a Budokai. Eh, whatever, I can't make demands at a time like this."

Chi-Chi: "N-Nitrate...."

Krillin: "Hahaha! Here he is! The man of the hour!"

Gohan: "This... T-This is really happening!"

Yamcha: "Yeah! The band is finally back together!"

The shared excitement of the Z Fighters earned a chuckle from Nitrate as he approached them. He looked around, taking them in, before noticed the unreadable expression that adorned Goku's face. The Saiyan was eyeing Nitrate with an unnerving calmness that made Gohan tense up. Chi-Chi was too emotional to notice her husband's look.

Nitrate opened his mouth to question Goku, only for the childish Saiyan to raise his right arm and begin waving at the Frost Demon with sudden vigour. He grinned at him with the most innocent, excited smile he had ever seen, and then casually approached him with an opened arm.

Goku slumped his left arm over Nitrate's shoulders and behind his scaled neck, which caused the latter to freeze up from the sudden contact. The actions of her husband proved too much for Chi-Chi, who rushed towards them both with tears flooding down her cheeks. With a pained wail, the woman latched onto them both and unleashed several years of anguish into the Arcosians' chestplate. 

Nitrate: "Chi-Chi... As enthusiastic as usual, I see."

Chi-Chi: "I... I-I didn't think--"

Nitrate: "That you'd ever see me again?"

Goku: "Yeah... I tried sensing your Ki and visiting you, but that was kinda difficult considering you were... uh... dead."

Nitrate: "Hahaha! Yeah, that tends to happen!"

Both Nitrate and Goku shared a hearty laugh, bringing the two of them back to mere years prior when they were two nameless acquaintances flying through space after Frieza destroyed planet Namek. The latter never expected that the elder brother of his greatest enemy would become a respected member of the Z Fighters, and a trusted friend.

Bulma: "Nitrate..."

Nitrate: "Hm? What is it, Bulma-- HRK!!"

The towering Arcosian was suddenly attacked on every front by a collective of Bulma, Goku, Chi-Chi and Gohan, laughing with excitement. Master Roshi, Piccolo, Vegeta, Yamcha and Tien were all content in remaining in place and watching the beautiful reunion unfold. The Prince of Saiyans did not even smile, of course, and his son stood beside him with a confused expression on his face.

[3rd POV]
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Another ten minutes of reuniting passed before the rest of the group managed to convince Chi-Chi and Bulma to let Nitrate go and continue to the Budokai fighting grounds. During the wait, as almost everyone was joining in for the chance to win the prize money, Chi-Chi tried to introduce her youngest child -Goten- to the Arcosian fighter. There was an undoubtable tension in the air as they locked eyes.