Chapter Twelve: Just a Thought.
They travelled to Japan, spent two weeks travelling and visiting tourist attractions then returned to Kyoto. There they followed Murray's diary to two locations, they were the only two places he documented visiting while in Japan, the first was: Honnō-ji Temple in Kyoto.
"It's just an old wooden temple." Isaiah pointed out,
"Show some respect, this is a historical site!" Isadora snapped,
"Actually this temple isn't in the exact same spot, it was rebuilt after the incident." Farkle corrected,
"Incident, what incident?" Lucas asked as they all looked at Farkle intrigued,
"The Incident at Honnō-ji, during the Sengoku Period of Japan, it saw the death of one of the most powerful daimyos at the time Oda Nobunaga who was betrayed by one of his friends and loyal retainer Akechi Mitsuhide." Farkle explained,
"Why?" Maya asked trying to show as much interest in it as she could.
"Well that's the thing, no one knows why exactly." Farkle answered,
"What do you mean no one knows, aren't there like people who studied this stuff?" Isaiah insisted,
"Their called Historians Zay," Lucas stated almost robotically.
"They did study it, but Mitsuhide never told anyone why, he simply did it. It's still a topic of debate not just for Historians but also people across Japan. It altered their history; it's essentially a major part of why Japan is what it is today. Some say he did it for personal ambition, or that he had a personal grudge against Nobunaga, some think he might have been tricked or was protecting the Imperial court. But no one knows truly why he did it, there is only speculation." Farkle explained,
"So what happened?" Josh asked clearly intrigued,
"Well, at the time Nobunaga was one of if not the most powerful daimyo in central Japan, he was well on his way to conquering all of Japan. He was fighting on multiple fronts but was personally heading west to lead his troops there, on his way he stopped here in Kyoto at Honnō-ji. Mitsuhide lead his troops here and surrounded the Temple in the early hours of the morning, and all he said was: 'the enemy is at Honnō-ji'. It is widely believed that Nobunaga realising that it was lost commit suicide; the temple was set on fire so that no enemy would be able to claim Nobunaga's head." Farkle continued,
"Damn" Isaiah whispered,
"Yeah" Lucas agreed,
"Old guys were pretty serious" Maya commented,
"They sure do sound like it" Josh agreed. Isadora looked at Riley,
"Riley, does Murray's diary say anything about this place?" Isadora inquired, Riley looked down at the diary in search of an answer.
"Yes it does," Riley replied,
"Well go on Riles, read it too us" Maya instructed.
"The second bus of tourists just left, their guide said the same thing as the last. Mitsuhide did it for power, ambition, and revenge. I wonder what Japan would be like today, had Nobunaga unified it, part of me thinks that Mitsuhide should get more thanks. Nonetheless, what if the legend was true, what if Nobunaga had really asked Mitsuhide to strike him down if he became too ruthless, too evil, if he strayed from the path too much, and to continue on in his stead. What if the Incident at Honnō-ji was Mitsuhide keeping that promise, just a thought. When I look at the facts, Nobunaga rarely put a lot of trust in others, but in Mitsuhide he trusted, Mitsuhide was the first subordinate ever to be granted a castle from Nobunaga, sources also state that Mitsuhide wasn't just a loyal retainer and trusted advisor, but also a close friend of Nobunaga's. 'The enemy is at Honnō-ji' these words, such power they hold, I wonder, did he hesitate, was he slow, did he bit down on his teeth as he realised what had to be done, was his heart shattered, as he was about to keep his promise, not for power, ambition, or vengeance, not because of a trick, but for the memory of the man he called lord, but more importantly for the man he called friend. So, what if the story of Nobunaga, Mitsuhide and the Incident at Honnō-ji isn't a story of betrayal, power, ambition nor revenge. What if it's a story of friendship, of a promise made and a promise kept, would that be such a bad story to tell? I don't know, just a thought."
When Riley had finished reading what Murray had written they all in synced looked back at the temple.
"You know, now that I'm looking at it, this is a very nice old wooden temple" Isaiah stated,
"Very much so, out of all the wooden temples I've seen, this one is by far my favourite." Maya agreed,
"Alright you two, that's enough!" Josh insisted,
"We're being serious!" Isaiah assured him,
"Okay Riley, so where next?" Isadora asked,
"Well, in his diary Murray says that he went to a place called Sekigahara, and it has notes under it!" Riley answered,
"Well we can read them when we get there, let's go!" Lucas insisted and together the group walked off. They drove for an hour and a half; they were again amazed by the beautiful countryside of Japan, they found a nice grassy hill to sit on and watch the sunset. Once they were seated Lucas looked at Farkle who sat next to him on his left side. "So, this place, go Farkle." Lucas insisted giving him a encouraging nudge,
"The Battle of Sekigahara took place here, it was a decisive battle between the armies of Western and Eastern Japan, it was won by the Eastern Army, it preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate but it's widely considered unofficial beginning of the Tokugawa rule and reign as Shogun. If I remember my source correctly." Farkle explained,
"Huh, so a big important battle took place here?" Isaiah insisted,
"That is correct" Farkle stated.
"Man, why did old people always pick such nice places to kill each other on?" Maya wondered out loud,
"So Riley, what did Murray have to say?" Josh inquired; Riley opened the diary and looked at the page.
"Here I sit, on the hills and fields of Sekigahara. Oh how I adore the beautiful of this place, but I wonder, why do historical figures always pick such nice places to kill each other on? I did this entry a little differently, I wrote it after. I started it but I realised something, how many times am I going to have such a view, to be in such a place, and when was the last time I simply sat down and watched the sunset? Honestly I can't remember, I guess I get caught up in what ever comes next or that has to be done I forget to enjoy the moment, to stop, and simply do nothing and to see the beauty that is around me. On the fields of Sekigahara, I found myself in a moment of peace, and God I loved it. This isn't just a thought, it's more of a realisation I'd say."
Riley closed the diary and everyone sat for a moment in silence pondering Murray's words,
"I feel like we are meant to be learning something here but I just can't put my finger on it." Isaiah explained,
"That's because there is no one here to point it out for us." Lucas insisted,
"How about we just be in the moment, not worry about anything else and simply watch the sun set?" Riley asked,
"That sounds like a great idea Riles!" Maya stated and the group returned to silence turning their attention but to the bright warm orange sun as it set. When the sun had set and the night was upon them, they returned to their cars for the drive back to Kyoto.
"What if what Murray learnt was that we needed to live in the moment more and enjoy it for what it is, he realised that and now we are?" Isaiah asked as they sat together in their hotel room eating dinner,
"It is a valid lesson to learn, I mean how often do we simply take a moment to sit and be with our thoughts without having to go do something or be somewhere, always rushing around?" Josh agreed,
"Then what precisely would the lesson be from his entry on Mitsuhide and Nobunaga?" Isadora inquired, and the group took a moment to think about it.
"Murray theorised that Mitsuhide was keeping a promise to his friend, while he thought it was the best choice to make he is painted essentially as the villain, almost ignoring the man Nobunaga had become. The lesson one could take from it is that, perhaps there will be times in our lives where we must make a choice, that choice until made puts us between a rock and a hard place. Like Mitsuhide, does he keep his promise and honour the wish of his friend, thus striking down his lord essentially tarnishing his imagine, staining his name and honour. Or does he remain loyal to his lord, breaking the promise to a friend and thus letting down a friend." Farkle explained and the group took a minute to understand the lesson Farkle was pointing out to them,
"So, we're going to be faced with impossible or incredibly hard choices at different moments in our lives, and no matter what we decide there will always be someone upset, someone who looks at us as if we're villains?" Riley said,
"Probably so" Farkle stated,
"Well, I think that's enough for one night, Maya and I are going to head back to our room and finish packing, if we don't see you all again tonight, see you in the morning!" Josh stated and everyone said goodbye as they walked out of the room. Isaiah also decided to head back to his room and finish packing, after he closed the door behind himself Lucas turned to Riley to find a concerned look on her face.
"Riley, is everything alright?" Lucas asked curiously, drawing the attention of Farkle and Isadora, Riley looked at him and smiled,
"Yeah, I just have this feeling" Riley explained,
"Are you sick?" Lucas asked,
"No, I just have this…" Riley began,
"Bad feeling?" Farkle interrupted,
"Yeah, I just can't seem to shake it, it feels like something bad is going to happen." Riley continued,
"I have to admit, I have one as well" Farkle insisted, Lucas grabbed hold of Riley's hand tightly,
"Hey it's okay, we fly out tomorrow it's just your nerves getting the better of you, I'm right here, I won't let anything bad happen to you" Lucas assured her then looking at Farkle "We all take care of each other, and we're going to be fine!" Lucas comforted him.
Later that night Riley was up alone, sitting at a table with a small light on writing when Lucas walked out of the dark, put his arms around her and scared,
"Rah!" he whispered, Riley jumped a little from fright but giggled,
"That wasn't very nice" Riley claimed.
"That wasn't very nice? No what isn't very nice, is when I roll over in bed expecting to see the most beautiful girl in the world, only to find the other half of the bed empty, that isn't very nice."
"The world is a cruel place"
"So what are you doing?" Lucas inquired resting his head on Riley's right shoulder,
"I'm writing,"
"Oh a book?"
"Totally!"
"What's it called, wait let me guess, Girl Meets World?"
"Hey that isn't such a bad title, it's quick, simple, not cryptic and clearly explains what it is about."
"So, you're the main character?"
"Of course ha-ha!"
"So you're protected by plot armour?"
"Protected from what?"
"From the big bad monster!" Lucas insisted speaking in a very deep and monstrous tone before pretending to take bites out of Riley's shoulder and neck making chewing noises after each bite. Riley giggled trying not to laugh too loudly while also trying to fight Lucas off. "Oh well looks like you aren't protected" Lucas insisted in his normal voice chuckling and the two of them smiled at one another. Riley looked back down at her work and Lucas rested his head back on her shoulder. "So what is it exactly that you're writing?" Lucas inquired curiously,
"I'm recording our trip, you know in a diary, so that we can look back on it years from now,"
"With our children?"
"Oh we're going to have children are we?"
"Yeah, two or three I can't decide"
"Shouldn't it be a team decision?"
"Okay look how about this, I'll decide how many kids we have and in the future when I ask, you can decide whether or not you want to marry me, how does that sound?"
"Oh, and if I say no to marrying you?"
"Well then the big bad monster is going to get you" Lucas said again in the deep monstrous voice before kissing Riley on the top of the head and picking her up and putting her over his shoulder carrying her off to the bedroom.
"Lucas why are you doing this?" Riley struggled
"Because, I'm your boyfriend and I want a cuddle."
"Okay, but can we go back, I left the light on," Riley insisted and Lucas walked backwards returning to the table so Riley could turn off the light before walking back to the bedroom. They got into bed and put their arms around each other.
"You're still thinking about the diary and wanting to finish it" Lucas whispered,
"I was so close to finishing," Riley insisted,
"Okay, go on, I'll just cuddle a pillow" Lucas complained,
"Yay!" Riley jumped out of bed and hurried back to the table, turning the light back on and getting back to work. Lucas readjusted himself
"God you're adorable" Lucas whispered before drifting off to sleep. When Riley was done, she turned the light off and went back to bed, lying down next to Lucas, she watched him sleep for a little bit,
"How lucky am I?" She whispered smiling at him before kissing him on the forehead and putting her arm around him, Lucas again readjusted himself and put his arms around her, Riley quietly and quickly went to sleep in the warmth and protection of Lucas' embrace. The following day they were on the plane to their next destination, the Ancient land of the Dragon as Lucas called it, but for everyone else they called it China. They spent two weeks in China, and they saw the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, they walked along the Great Wall, except for Farkle; Lucas had to carry him for most of the walk, as it was too much for him. They saw the Terracotta Army and visited the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. They also saw the natural wonders and beauty of the Chinese countryside, which kept them in awe throughout the trip. Their visit was going great until Isaiah asked a single and incredibly difficult question,
"So far, which place has been your favourite?" Isaiah asked, and the group didn't like the question and chose to ignore it, not wanting it to ruin the last of their stay in China. "You know what, I agree, how do you choose a favourite. What we need to do is go somewhere terrible because then we can say we choose everywhere else except here!" Isaiah continued,
"And where would you recommend we go Zay?" Josh asked curiously and the group all looked at him,
"North Korea!" Isaiah answered with a smile dropping the jaws of his friends, "what, you don't like that idea? It's right across the border," Isaiah explained,
'Let's just walk away from that" Lucas insisted and the group walked off,
"Guys wait up, it was just a thought!" Isaiah called out before running after them.
Author's note: Hey guys sorry for the long wait, thank you for the messages of support and stuff, again feel free to message or leave a review always love to hear what you have to say. As of this point the stand alone story Girl Meets The World shall be taken down and all updates shall be here on Girl Meets Breaking Friendships. -Brayden L