This chapter was completely unplanned, but I thought it would be fun to catch up and see what those Namekians are up to. Would have loved to include them more, but I couldn't find a way to fit them into the story.

Another peaceful day on Planet Namek had come and gone. A hard day of working in the fields ended, as the second sun rose over the horizon. Now was the time for rest and relaxation back in their villages before they turned in for their slumber. Hard work, to be certain, but rewarding work.

The farmers brought in their crops – the ripe fruit of the Ajisa. Traders would from other worlds and barter for them in exchange for technology, such as communication systems and spaceships. When the fruits were out of season, the fallen leaves of the Ajisa would be woven into fine clothes, sold to royalty all across the galaxy. Despite the increase in trade interest, Namek still kept to itself, not getting involved in other's affairs and rarely receiving visitors. Even after what happened with the Saiyans, that hadn't changed.

So, it was a surprise to all of the Namekians to see a ship landing in the middle of an open field.

Elder Moori's village was right outside of the landing spot. He and his brothers approached the vessel with caution, not knowing if this was friend or foe. With their involvement and alliance with the Saiyans, they had opened themselves to become a target. Luckily, word had not spread of the Dragon Balls, and no villains had come to claim them. Still, no one knew if this ship would be the one to break that streak.

The door opened, and a ramp extended from its entrance, a puff of smoke emitting from the entryway. A lone figure began to exit, shrouded in the fog. They stood on guard, waiting for something to happen.

Dende's eyes widened, and he smiled. "It's Miss Bulma!"

Bulma hopped down from the ramp, and looked up when she heard her name called. He came running down the hill to greet her, with his arms thrown behind him.

"Hey there, Dende!" She gasped. "You've gotten so big. Seems like yesterday, you barely came up to my knee." She knelt down and measured his old height. Dende blushed and looked away, sheepishly.

Moori came down to greet her next, with a smile on his face. "Bulma. It's been far too long. What brings you to Namek?"

"I was on my way back to Earth, so I thought I should stop by a visit. Sorry for the sudden intrusion."

"You know that you're always welcome here, my friend. It's no intrusion, at all." He gestured back to the village. "Please, come sit with us for a while. We just brought in fresh fruit from the Ajisa."

Bulma sat with the village Namekians, catching up. It had been so long since she had paid good old Planet Namek a visit. With her duties as an ambassador, it was hard to justify random vacations to other planets. When she did think to stop by Namek for a quick visit, it had been too late to turn around or change course. She was glad she finally remembered this time. Nothing has really changed, since the last time she visited. It gave her some comfort to know that there was a constant, in all of this mess.

"How have the Saiyans been," Moori asked. "We've been meaning to visit, but the time has always gotten away from us."

She sighed. She had hoped that the question wouldn't come up, but she shouldn't have been surprised, with how close they were. "There's been some trouble, and we haven't been able to solve it."

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"A lot of Saiyans have been found dead. We suspect they're all connected, and someone is just killing random Saiyans."

"Goodness. I am so, so sorry. What a painful waste. Do you have ideas of who it could be?"

"That's the problem: the trail's cold because the killer hasn't left us any leads. The only possible ones we have are a long shot. But I'm not giving up. We need to find this creep and bring him to justice!"

"Well, if there's anything at all that we can do for you, Bulma, all you have to do is ask."

"Thanks, Moori."

"Miss Bulma," Dende said. "Have you thought to ask the Grand Elder? He could help."

She waved her hand. "No, I don't want to burden him with this. He helped us once – I don't want to make him help us, again."

"Nonsense," Moori said, shaking his head. "You wouldn't burden him at all. He always has time to help those in need - especially our friends. We will always be willing to lend a hand to our Saiyan brothers."

"I just don't know how much he could help, to be honest."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe so, but that's no reason not to try."

She sighed. Namekians did drive a hard bargain: that was for sure. They were so optimistic and helpful that it was hard not to take up their advice. Even if she didn't get anything, she could at least say that she tried. Plus, she did want to go see Nail, again.

She shrugged. Why not?

Nail stood guard over the Grand Elder's home, keeping is usual vigil over the landscape. He had been alerted to a sudden and unexpected visitor. He did not want to take any chances, or risk someone coming for the Grand Elder, or the Dragon Balls. He couldn't sense any energy, but the Grand Elder had been certain that there was a visitor. If they decided to show up, Nail would be ready for them.

Off in the distance, he could see something speeding towards the small hut. It was flying right in the middle of the air, creating a cloud of smoke behind it. Nail got into a guarded position, ready for the worst. As he squinted, he could see it waving at him, to his confusion.

Then, he heard yelling. "Hey! Nail! Over here!"

His eyes narrowed. "Is that…," he muttered, thinking out loud.

Sure enough, it was Bulma, riding one of her hover bikes. Nail stood at ease, with his hands behind his back, waiting for her to get there. She zoomed up to the hut and jumped off of her bike, capsulating it, as well. Unfortunately, she landed on her face. She quickly stood up, and brushed off her clothes, looking up at Nail with a large grin on her face.

"Bulma," he greeted, formally. "It's good to see you well."

She bowed her head. "You as well, sir." They stared at each other before Bulma started laughing. She jumped up, tackling him in a hug. Nail stumbled backwards, before he caught her and returned the hug.

"It's been too long," she said. She jumped back down to the ground. "I missed you so much! How are you?"

"I've been well. You seem a lot lighter, than when we last met. Have you been slacking in your training?"

She scratched the back of her head, and shrugged. "You know, pushing papers and all of that stuff: keeps a girl from working out. I promise I'll get back to it, soon."

Nail chuckled, and shook his head. "I'll find a way to make sure you hold up that promise. For now, I believe the Grand Elder is expecting you. Enter, please."

She curtsied. "With pleasure." She walked right inside, and stood in the middle of the room. As Nail joined her, he spoke his command, and they ascended to the second floor, where the Elder was waiting for them.

The Grand Elder had not changed a bit, since she last saw him. He still sat in his chair, looming over the both of them, but his kind and warm aura was no different from when they first met. Bulma breathed in and out, as she approached him, bowing before him.

"Why, Bulma," the Grand Elder said. "Is that really you? My goodness, it's been so long."

"You can say that again. I've missed you all. I'm sorry if this was kind of sudden, for you all."

"A visit from an old friend is never sudden. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thank you, Grand Elder." Her smile faded, as she wondered what she was going to say next. "Grand Elder – you've done so much for us, and I don't want to be a burden. But… I need to ask you about something."

"And what is that?"

"Planet Vegeta's under attack – this time by a murderer. Saiyans have been murdered so quickly, it's hard to keep up to date. We've looked into every angle, but we haven't been able to find anything. Please, I don't mean to ask you to solve the problem for us, but do you think you know anything about it? At all?"

The Grand Elder paused. "I have sensed discontent, coming from your planet. Unfortunately, you are the first to tell me about this situation. I'm afraid that I know nothing that can point you in the right direction. And for that, I apologize."

She wasn't surprised. The Grand Elder was wise, but he wasn't omnipotent. "You don't have to apologize, Grand Elder. I knew it was kind of a long shot to come ask you. It's just... you know, with everything happening, I don't really know where to look."

"Would you mind if I suggested something?"

"Of course not. Anything would help, at this point."

"I heard from my children that you were on your way back to Earth. Is that correct?" She nodded. "My vision of Earth is unclear, but there may be something of use to you there. I can only see through the eyes of my brothers, but those on Earth are preparing for something, themselves. If you seek them out and seek their help, you may be able to stop this, yet."

She put her hands up. "Wait, what do you mean by something? What should I ask?"

"That, I'm afraid, I am not at liberty to tell. You must discover this, on your own."

She sighed. She should have figured he wouldn't just come out and say it. The guardians worked in mysterious ways, and all that jazz. But, she was going to take his advice. He might not have meant that she should look into the people who had tied with the Red Ribbon Army, but it was close enough for her. "Thank you for your help, Grand Elder. And thank you for your time."

"I always have time for you, Bulma. If you learn of anything that we can do, please ask."

She bowed her head. "I'll be sure of it."

Bulma and Nail left to sit together, after she has visited the Grand Elder, to properly catch up. They were on the edge of a cliff, with their feet dangling off the edge, overlooking the gentle seas of Planet Namek. The water glistened brilliantly, perfectly reflecting the green skies above. All was quiet, as they spoke.

"So," Bulma said. "What's been new with you? Moori said you were up to something."

"I've been attempting to rebuild our Warrior Clan. Our fight with Frieza made me realize how outclassed we had become. I hope the day never comes when we need one, but if we do, we must be prepared."

"That's awesome! The Grand Elder's cool with it?"

"He's been encouraging, to say the least. He hopes it can send me on a new path, for the future."

She narrowed her eyes. "New path. What do you mean?"

He paused, as the smile fell from his face. "We fear that the Grand Elder will not be with us much longer. Each day, I can feel his energy decreasing. It won't be much longer until he retires to Other World."

"Oh... I'm so sorry." The Grand Elder was called that for a reason, so she wasn't shocked. Still, he was such a kind and caring being: she didn't want to think of what the universe would be like without him. "What's going to happen, when he's gone?"

"He's mentoring his successor. Another Namekian will take his place, and continue his duties. If all goes as planned, it will be as if nothing has changed at all. This is why I am gathering warriors, together. We'll better protect our planet, and protecting the new elder will not fall upon one man."

She nodded. "That's really smart. Well, you all know if something comes up, you can always call on us for help."

"Of course. Are you still acting as an ambassador?"

"Yep. Still going back and forth between Planet Vegeta and Earth every few months. It's the best job I could have asked for."

"And Vegeta?"

"Still together. This bullshit has gotten us down a little bit, but we're still making it work. Once we get rid of this guy, everything's gonna go back to normal."

"I see."

She looked up at him. There was something off about his tone - as if he knew something she didn't. "What do you mean 'I see'?"

"Nothing, Bulma."

She raised an eyebrow, and shook her head. "Alright." Nail was a straight-forward guy - if he wanted to say something, he would have said it.

"Have the Colds bothered you, at all?"

"Not really. They've left us alone, and we leave them alone. The most we've gotten from them was a message saying they were aware of what happened with Frieza."

"Really? That's surprising. I thought they might try to make an example out of you."

"It's probably too risky. If they pretend like we're insignificant, then their colonies won't get any ideas about overthrowing them. At least, that's what Vegeta's told me." She sighed, and shrugged. "Well, if something does happen, at least Vegeta's a Super Saiyan, again."

"He has, has he?" She smiled up at him, nodding. "Fantastic."

"You can say that again. Now, I think we have some hope to finally put an end to the murders."

"Then good luck to you."

She hugged him, which he returned. "Thanks, Nail." She had really missed him. He was the first person who believed in her. He thought she was capable against Frieza, even when she didn't. He had always been patient and understanding, as well as a great listener. When this whole thing was over, she knew she had to start making trips to Planet Namek more often - Namekians were just great company. She had momentary relief, in such a dark and dire situation, where she could breathe and clear her head. Now refreshed, she could head back home and continue her searches.