She told him "It's over, it's best if you leave,"

His absence a gift, a blessed reprieve.

He begged her forgiveness, and for her grace,

But away from his pleas she turned her face.

He took her hand and got down on one knee,

Said "When I return will you marry me?"

She pulled away and to his question replied

"For all of these years, you know I've tried

To struggle through hell and to stay by your side

Through pain, death, and fights, all while you lied.

But now for three years you ask me to stay,

To wait all alone while you go away

And travel alone to the ends of the earth

On the dangerous path you've followed since birth.

That's just too much to ask and that I can't do,

Just to sit here and wait for no one but you.

Especially since you may not come back

So why start myself down that painful track?

So feel free to return at the given time

But the love you'll be given will no longer be mine

I'm going away, to a new school,

And I'll find a man who's not such a fool.

Darn it, I love you but change that I must

Lest your antics turn my heart to dust.

The last thing that into your head should be drilled

Please, for God's sake, don't go and get yourself killed."

He flopped on the grass as her back retreated

And trying to speak his voice was defeated.

But he left anyway, it had to be done.

There was his father to find, a war to be won.

But back at home, where his girlfriend had stayed,

No matter her actions her, her heart never strayed.

She wasn't waiting. She tried to move on.

But try as she might, her love was all gone.

It had fled cross the world, echoing his steps,

And the hope he'd return was all she had left

Of the man—or the boy—she'd loved all her life.

She'd been so sure that she'd be his wife.

For a year and a half she waited and prayed;

By her own heart she'd been betrayed.

But he returned much sooner than planned,

Then he was called back for one final stand.

His boss was stuck in a terrible fix

And from three horrible buttons he had to pick.

All were unlabeled, red, yellow, blue.

One self-destruct, killing him too.

Two would do nothing, three detonates.

And by picking a button he was tempting the Fates.

But he chose right and saved millions of lives

And one little button helped many survive.

So he finally returned and saw her again

And at her words he held back a grin,

"So how long did it take you to choose the red?"

And after her question, nothing was said.

He neither denied nor affirmed her claim

But of the truth he still felt ashamed.

For through his choice he had shown he was weak;

Thousands of lives, but at drama's peak,

In the end his choice was arbitrary, at best,

But, in truth, he thought of one above all the rest.

When he was threatened by the end of the world

Around one, single girl all his thoughts had whirled.

He walked away, back through the sand;

At the edge of the water he chose to stand.

Then one of his friends, with him through it all,

Looked up at them, and her name he called.

"Without a doubt, I thought he'd pick red;

But when I asked 'The blue one,' he said."

Then he looked in her eyes, a most careful glance,

Then looked at her love, his casual stance.

"Isn't your favorite of all colors blue?"

His meaning was obvious, his statement was true,

And that meant one thing, but how could it be

That he'd risk millions of lives on the chance that she

Liked the one color that would save them all

But could just as easily let him take the fall?

She felt a few tears fall away from her face,

Then let her eyes his profile trace.

Across the sand, through the waves on the beach,

She ran toward the boy, just out of arms reach.

There'd been a transition from boy to this man filled with pride,

And she loved him, tackled him, and they fell into the tide.