And we're back! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Another chapter of The Ones Left Behind because I love you guys! Enjoy! Btw, like I said last chapter, the actual story takes place three years after Lexia meets Ty. Don't want any confusion there! Also, sorry to say, but I suck at writing fight scenes. Without further ado, here's the first real chapter! Sorry if it's a bit short.

Chapter 1

~A goal is like the sun; you know it is there, but sometimes you lose sight of it. Take heart, for even the longest night is lit by stars beyond counting~

Lexia POV

Today was the day. Today, we escaped from this hellhole. I glanced over to the other side of the room where Ty slept. Over the past three years, he had been my best friend. He was the one person I could talk to. He made me smile. I kinda had a bit of a crush on him, but I'm pretty sure he didn't like me as any more than a friend. He was also perceptive enough to see that I didn't like to talk about my past, so he never pried. Now, we were ready to escape. Two years of planning went into this day. We wanted to cover every contingency, so we wouldn't have a repeat of our last attempt. I shuddered at the thought. I still bore scars from that day. Pushing aside those thoughts, I rolled off my cot and checked the secret stash under the floor of things we had gathered for our escape. Geez, that obsidian was heavy. My eyes looked over our scant supplies: an obsidian dagger, a roughly drawn map to the End portal, five purple gems for Seto to study once we made it back to Team Crafted, and a sword fashioned from three of the purple gems. I had already rigged some smuggled gunpowder to explode in my tunnel, creating an diversion and a roadblock so we could escape via the tower, which we had already carved a staircase into on the far side. Don't ask where I got the gunpowder. Let's just say that it required sneaking through some. . . unpleasant places to get to the armory of the End. The genius of the plan was that the Endermen all came to the caves when there was a riot. They wouldn't notice two people missing. That also left almost none of them to guard the portal. They would already have their hands full trying to keep prisoners under control. I had overheard a lot of the other prisoners planning a riot for today. I glanced over at Ty. He was now sitting up, awake. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" he said. I nodded.

"Just going over the plan one more time with myself," I explained. "You ready?"

Ty smiled. "I've been ready ever since I came here." I handed him the dagger and the map, and took the sword and gems for myself.

"Why do you get the sword?" he whined, half-jokingly.

I hesitated before answering. "I'm probably better than you with this. My father was a master swordsman, and I could handle a blade since I was three years old. I crafted the sword to the exact dimensions that would allow me to utilize it with ease." His visible eye widened. That was the first I had ever spoken to him of my past. I concealed the weapon under my baggy clothing, and Ty did the same.

It was time. The Enderman came to collect us from our cell. We were led to the mines, and we took off for my branch. From all reports, the riot would start very soon. I lit a long fuse with a flint and steel from the armory as soon as we got to the cave, then we continued on to the ladder. Sure enough, the sounds of fighting soon reached us. "Sounds like a big one," Ty commented.

"Yup. I think Alice was organizing this one," I replied. She was a well known insurgent ever since half her face got clawed off the day I met Ty. We waited a few minutes, then by a silent agreement, I began climbing the ladder to the top of the tower. Ty followed quickly. We got to the top, then Ty stopped me.

"If for some reason we get separated, I want you to take these." From his pocket he pulled a set of black and neon green headphones that I had seen him looking at wistfully sometimes when he thought nobody was looking. "If I don't make it out, find Sky. He might not believe you if you tell him that you knew me, so show him these. He'll help you."

"Ty, don't talk like that. Of course you'll make it out," I said reproachfully.

He was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Let's go." We began the treacherous descent down the tower wall, explosions echoing from down in the mines. We got to the bottom and Ty pulled out his map. "The portal should be. . . This way!" He pointed to his right. We looked cautiously around the corner. The coast was clear, and the portal should have been almost within sight. I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction. All the Endermen were in the mines, just as planned. We pulled out our weapons, though. Just in case. Ty walked first, while I watched behind us. We only made it about ten meters before the whole plan went to hell.

We caught sight of a huge hulking mass laying atop the portal. Crap. The Ender Dragon was lounging on our only way out of this place. This wasn't in our plans! Normally the dragon just stayed in its underground lair! Ty turned to me. "Give me the sword. I'll distract the dragon, you make a run for it."

"No. I won't leave you. I go with you, or I don't go at all." I wasn't about to do the same thing my sister did to me all those years ago.

"Listen, we can't–"

"No. I have a serious problem with leaving people behind. We can distract it together, then escape. Together."

He sighed. "Nothing I can say to change your mind?"

"Nope!"

He smiled his lopsided smile again. "Ok."

Unfortunately, we were louder than than we thought. A low growl told us that we had awoken the beast.

"Shit!" I exclaimed.

"You got that right!" answered Ty.

The newly awoken beast let out an enraged roar. It was time to focus on the task at hand. "Let's flay some dragon hide!" I shouted. We began running towards the dragon. It scorched the ground around the portal, making a wall of purple flame that we wouldn't be able to get through.

Ty swore. "Now we can't even GET to the portal!"

I grinned, adrenaline rushing through my veins. "Sure we can!"

"How?"

I pointed at the dragon, who was taking flight. "Hope you know how to fall accurately!"

He shook his head, muttering something about insanity. I laughed. I hadn't seen a good fight in years, and my muscles were aching for a good stretch. The dragon swooped down to spray us with fire, but we both jumped out of its way. I managed to grab its tail and hauled myself into a better position. It swung its tail in an attempt to dislodge me, but to no avail. I began climbing up its back. It spun in midair, and it took all my strength to hold on to one of its spikes. My head was left spinning, though. I glanced behind me. Ty had also gotten ahold of the great black beast's tail. It swung its head around and regarded us with violet eyes. I closed my eyes and waited for the blast of fire that would surely come. When it didn't, I continued climbing until I was atop its broad back, where I could stand. I pulled out my sword and the dragon's purple eyes narrowed. Deadlox came to stand behind me, his dagger drawn. We raised our weapons to strike the beast, but when I brought the sword down, it only glanced off the dragon's steely hide. Ty's luck was no better. I raised my purple sword for a second blow, but what happened next stopped me mid-strike.

First there was a low, echoing chuckle that shook me all the way down to my bones. A voice rang out across the barren landscape. It was not quite real, and yet I heard it clear as day in my head. "This one will do," it said. It was so immense, so deep, so rich, that I stood entranced for a few seconds. A hand on my shoulder shook me awake.

I said, "You heard it too." It wasn't a question.

Ty was silent for a moment. "Promise you'll come back for me," he said quietly.

"Wait, wha–"

"Promise me!" He sounded worried.

"Of course I'd come back for you! What are you–" I was cut off as he spun me around and crashed his lips into mine in a quick, frantic kiss. As soon as he broke away, he shoved me and I began to fall. In Ty's visible eye was a profound sadness. Only for that one instant, though. Then he blinked and collapsed, writhing and screaming.

"Get out of my head!" he screamed. That was the last thing I heard as I plunged into the darkness of the End portal.

Dun, Dun, DUUUUNNNNNN! What happens next? I guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter! Sorry, but i suck at fight scenes. Hahahaha, I feel so EVIL right now! Anyway, feel free to leave a follow, favorite, review, or whatever floats your boat! Constructive criticism is appreciated. Until next time, this has been Angel.