OMGOMGGOGMG! I'm really sorry guys...it's been a year since i've updated this story. The reason why, of course, was because of this chapter. Originally when I had started writing it a year ago, I just wasn't happy with the way how it turned out. I re-wrote this chapter at least five times, and because of that, I just slowly started losing interest in writing this story. But fear not, (to those who hopefully will still read this story), I am back. And I plan to stick around this time until I finish this thing!

And thank you to the reviews I got during my extremely long absence!

Mitskuni15: I'm really glad you like it! And yes, I will be continuing it, I just have to stop being so freakin' lazy.

blueberry761: Thanks! And don't worry, here it is! (if you're still reading this story)

Anonymous: Dude, make an account on here already! (though if you're reading this, you probably already have) And i'm very glad you like my OC!

sweetchill: Sorry to keep you waiting!

Fruitlessberry: I really appreciate your critique and will definitely try to use better details from now on! And yes, she will eventually meet Katsura and Elizabeth. I've been thinking about it recently and they will most likely meet pretty soon.

a-whisper-to-a-riot: You're so sweet! And i'm really glad you like my story! Actually (if you're still reading this story), you will meet one of them very soon. Very soon.

Welp that's it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Though if you must know, I still don't like the way how I wrote it...

Hijikata glanced back at the mob of angry men wielding swords, guns, and other deadly equipment. "Looks like we'll have to use Plan R!"

"Whats Plan R?"

"Yamazaki! Why didn't you pay attention when we went over this!" Hijikata yelled.

"With everything thats been happening, I forgot!" Yamazaki blinked. "Ah no, now I remember!"

Plan R

Run. Like. Hell.

Attempt Twelve: The Insanity Never Stops!

Everything was black. Isa couldn't see anything, nor could she move. Her body felt heavy, almost as if something or someone was sitting on her, preventing her from moving. Another thing she noticed, was that she couldn't speak either. She tried to move, to speak, or to see something, but her body just wasn't cooperating with her. It was weird. She couldn't seem to remember anything either. Her thoughts were in a mess too.

Where is everyone?

Where am I?

Is this a dream?

Then she felt something push her forward, pulling her out of her current state. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up from her sitting position against a tree. But because she sat up so fast, her mind was in a frenzy. Her vision was blurry and her ears were ringing. Isa groaned and held her head in her hands. She felt someone knelt down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"-a."

Isa could hear them speaking, but her ears still weren't working properly. The voice sounded familiar, even though it was still slightly inaudible to her.

"-sa." Her vision started to clear up, and the annoying sound in her ears soon went away.

"Isa."

Finally realizing that her name was being called, she stared up at the owner of the voice and met with dull, reddish-brown eyes. Isa blinked, her brain eventually processing that she was just centimeters away from Okita's face. They sat there for at least thirty seconds just staring at each other, before Isa finally spoke up.

"Okita-kun..."

Isa's demon-like ears perked up as a grin slowly crept onto her face. Okita sighed and closed his eyes, bracing himself for her attack-I mean hug. But after a few seconds had passed and nothing happened, he became confused. So he slowly opened his eyes, and when he opened them completely, they widened at the sight in front of him. Isa was smiling, not the silly grin she always had plastered on her face, a real one. A real smile. Okita soon snapped out of his surprised form when Isa put one of her bandaged hands on top of his head and ruffled his short brown hair.

He just didn't get it, he understand her. It was weird. She was weird. Why was she smiling?

And why did his face feel slightly warm?

"Isa! You're awake!" A familiar black-haired man stalked towards them, maneuvering around the thick green bushes that covered the ground of the forest.

Turning their heads toward Yamazaki, Okita's expression returned back to its normal blank state and Isa grinned at the sight of her old shopping buddy.

"Are you feeling better?" Yamazaki asked, stopping in front of the two.

"Yep! Just a bit tired, my young one!" Isa declared, standing up from her spot on the ground, Okita soon joining her.

Yamazaki sweat-dropped. "'Young one'? I'm older than you-"

"Age is just a number, my young boy!"

...'My young boy'? Yamazaki sighed, while Okita just shook his head. Same old Isa...

Finally noticing that she was no longer trapped in the white, concrete walls of the Irre's hideout, Isa examined her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"We're in a forest roughly around 45 miles from Edo." Okita stuck his hands in his pockets. "After you fainted, those demon people started to catch up with us."

Yamazaki nodded. "We thought about fighting, but there were just too many of them, so we kept running. Those guys were pretty fast too." Yamazaki tiredly ran a hand through his hair. "Luckily though, when we made it out of their headquarters, we hid in the trees for several hours and somehow managed to lose them."

"Oh.." Isa didn't know what to say. Because of her, they got involved in her stupid family affairs and almost died. She looked down at her worn out pair of converse and frowned. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't apologize." Yamazaki smiled. "We all came to save you because we wanted to, not because it was our job." Except for maybe Hijikata...

Isa wiped away the silent tears that fell from her eyes and took Yamazaki and Okita's hands into hers. She smiled and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air the forest had to offer. She slowly reopened them and wore a large smile on her face.

"Thank you. Just the fact that you came for me really means a lot."

Yamazaki winked. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Isa grinned, "Of course!" She then put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment. "Was it just you guys who came?"

Okita shook his head. "We brought my squad with us." Noticing that she was scanning the area for them, he added, "They're with the Commander."

"Ah..."

"Oi! What are you three standing around for?" Hijikata called out to them, appearing behind a nearby tree. "If you're awake and can move around brat, then help us look for a way out of here," he said, walking towards them.

Isa gasped. "Don't call Yamazaki a brat, Hijikata-san!"

Hijikata twitched. "I need a cigarette..."

Yamazaki laughed nervously, "I think he meant you, Isa."

"Nope. He meant you, Yamazaki," Okita said casually.

"Me? I don't understan-"

"Don't smoke, you wench!"

The cigarette that sat between Hijikata's lips fell from his mouth. "Wench? What the hell!"

Isa pushed up the middle of her black-rimmed glasses and crossed her arms. "We're out in nature. Be respectful."

Okita pulled out a small notebook and a pen. "'Wench'...I'll have to keep that one in mind," he mumbled, scribbling on the paper.

"You two..." Hijikata gritted his teeth.

Noticing that the air around the Vice-Commander dropped several degrees, Yamazaki started to back up, not wanting to get involved in the situation. But Yamazaki being...well, Yamazaki, tripped on a rock while walking backwards and fell on his back with a large thud.

Okita loomed over him. "Useless..."

Hijikata joined him. "I almost feel bad for him..."

Yamazaki just lied on the ground with a depressed aura surrounding him. "I can hear you guys...and weren't you all just fighting a second ago?"

"Don't worry, my little boy!" Isa rushed to Yamazaki and knelt down beside him.

Yamazaki didn't even bother with the name she had given him this time and just stayed in his current position. But when she started undoing his Shinsengumi jacket, his choked on his own spit and quickly sat up from his position on the ground, pushing her hands away from him.

"I-Isa...what are you doing?" He asked nervously.

"I'm going to save you!" She pushed him roughly back down on his back and completely ripped his jacked open with her bandaged hands.

Yamazaki panicked from her action, feeling slightly exposed. "I don't understand!"

Isa gave Yamazaki a serious look. "Don't be scared. Its just CPR. You'll feel better in no time!"

Now Yamazaki was extremely confused. "I don't need CPR! Wait, do you even know what that is-"

"Shhhh," Isa silenced Yamazaki by putting her fingers on his mouth. "It'll be over soon! I promise! Just be strong until then!"

"What the-Ack-st-sto-p-!"

Isa pounded his chest with her hands hard, over and over again with great strength. Although she was supposedly trying to help him, Yamazaki looked like he was dying rather than being 'saved'.

"Should we help him?" Hijikata asked, staring at Isa pounding the crap out of Yamazaki.

Okita put his hands in his pockets and thought for a moment. "Hmmm...maybe when it gets boring."

Hijikata raised a brow. "Wait, if shes doing CPR, doesn't that mean that she's going to-"

Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! After doing thirty chest compressions, Isa mentally prepared herself. She read a book on First Aid when she was younger, so she remembered what to do in situations like these (even if it was completely unnecessary, like now). After you execute thirty chest compressions to a person, you have to give them two breaths, followed by another thirty compressions. Isa looked down at Yamazaki, who at this point looked he had been run over by a train more than once, and took a deep breath and started to lean down slowly.

But as soon as their noses were almost touching, a loud high-pitched scream stopped Isa from moving further.

Meanwhile, not far away from them, the other two were up to their usual antics. "Sougou! What are you doing!" Hijikata yelled while trying to pry Okita's left hand away from his right arm. His poor limb was currently being held in a death grip, and not only was he quickly loosing feeling in it, he thought he heard a few cracks. He was no doctor, but he knew that wasn't exactly a good sign...

Okita on the other hand, wasn't listening at all. He just stood there with a frown on his face, staring at the two idiots who were sitting on the grass. Well-one was sitting, the other was sprawled out unconcsious on the ground, looking very similar to someone who just got hit by a car and died.

Hijikata, tired of being ignored, started to get pissed. No matter what profanity he threw at Okita, he still wouldn't let go of him, or even respond to him at all. He groaned, beginning to think that cutting off his or Okita's arm was the only solution to being free from his iron grip. Lucky for him though, Okita soon released his arm when Isa had called out to them, seemingly waking him up.

"Hijikata-san! Okita-kun!" The men both directed their attention to her. "Come over here!"

Okita blinked and casually strolled over to Isa with his usual dead-pan expression, leaving Hijikata completely dumb-founded and angry. Wasn't he practically crushing his arm just moments ago?

The Vice-Commander rubbed his almost-broken arm softly. I need to go to the gym...badly... he grumbled.

"Did you hear that?"

Okita shook his head. "Hear what?"

Isa put a hand to her chin. "I thought I heard someone scream."

"I didn't hear anything." But then again, Okita wasn't exactly paying attention to anything a minute ago.

Then they heard it. It was the same high-pitched scream Isa had heard the first time. It was louder than the last, and also sounded strangely familiar.

"Oi," Hijikata came up from behind Isa and Okita, "Doesn't that sound kind of like-"

"Gorilla-chan!" Isa pointed to the direction in the woods where they heard the scream.

And sure enough, there Kondo was in all his monkey-like glory. He was sprinting towards them at full speed and didn't stop until he got in front of Hijikata, and tackled him to the ground.

Kondo whimpered. "Toshi! It was terrible!" He hugged Hijikata tightly.

"Gah! Get off of me!" Hijikata yelled.

"I wish I had my phone with me," Isa pouted. "Otherwise I could have taken a picture of this and used it to blackmail Hijikata-san in the future."

"Ah," Okita patted his pants pockets and sighed. "I forgot to bring mine." He looked Hijikata and Kondo rolling around on the ground. "Pity..."

A vein popped out of Hijikata's forehead. "I can hear you two!" He growled and looked at 'superior', who was currently latched onto his chest. "And would you let go of me already!"

Kondo sniffled. "Toshi! You don't understand!"

"Maybe I could if you would get off of me!"

"Don't yell at him Hijikata-san!" Isa bent down to Kondo's level and pat his head gently. "Tell Isa whats wrong, Gorilla-chan," she said softly.

"Well after Toshi left me to go back to check on you guys, I was going to take a leak-"

"Do we really need to hear this?" Okita cut in flatly.

"Yes! Its important!"

"Then get on with it!" Hijikata yelled, still being held down by Kondo.

"Well as I was saying, I was going to take a leak."

"We gathered."

Kondo ignored Okita's comment and continued, "And that's when it happened..."

Isa perked up. "Are we having a flash back?"

"Yes, my dear!"

Hijikata heaved a long sigh. "Great..."

A few minutes after Hijikata left, Kondo started hearing footsteps coming toward him. Kondo let out a loud laugh and yelled, 'Back so soon?', thinking it was Hijikata coming back from checking on the others. But when he didn't get a response, and stopped hearing the footsteps, he turned around and saw that nothing was there. Kondo ignored it the first time it happened, thinking his mind was just playing tricks on him. Or thought that the heat was causing him to hallucinate. But after it happened once more, he started to panic. He looked in every direction but didn't see the black-haired male he was hoping to.

"T-Toshi? If you're there, or whoever you are, c-come out!" Kondo stuttered out.

Kondo immediately stiffened after he heard the bushes behind him rustle. He slowly turned around to inspect them, and when he found nothing, he sighed in relief. But that moment was cut short when something jumped out of the bushes and landed right on his face. Kondo screamed of course, and soon stopped after he realized that it was just a small frog that attacked him.

The commander let out a deep breath and calmed himself down before plucking the small frog off his face and setting it on the ground in front of him.

"Ha-ha...you scared me there for a minute, little buddy," he muttered to the frog. Kondo sat on the ground and rubbed that back of his head, deciding that it was probably time for him to go back and find Okita's squad.

However, the second he turned around and started to get back on his feet again, his eyes met with dark beast-like orbs. Kondo instantly screamed and didn't even bother to look at the owner of the eyes, for he ran off into the opposite direction of the 'terrible beast'.

Okita's squad, who saw Kondo sprint past them, gave their Commander questioning looks before shrugging and going back to their posts assigned by Okita. Yup, their Commander was a weird one, alright.

"And that's what happened!" Kondo said, finally removing himself from Hijikata's torso.

"So you saw a monster?"

"Not just any monster, my darling!" Kondo grabbed Isa's shoulders and stared into her eyes. "It was a dragon!"

Okita and Hijikata only gave Kondo a blank stare and decided that it would be best if they didn't say anything to their deranged Commander. Even Isa had a 'wtf' look on her face. That's saying something. Seriously.

After a minute of silence, Okita decided to change the subject. "So...where is my squad?"

"They were eaten by the dragon!"

"..."

He was definitely on acid.

END OF CHAPTAAHHH.

Anyways, I felt like this chapter was really weird. But I think that I just need some time to get used to writing this again. Also, I just want you guys to know, the 'dragon' or whatever kooky kondo was going on about, will be in the next chapter. Because...its important.

;) Good day.