Hanami – Chapter 20
Raphael wandered back through the living room. It was empty now except for the breakfast dishes and Shima's still form. "Where the fuck is everyone?" TwoSee and Cabbage weren't ninjas, and judging from TwoSee's reaction to open spaces this morning, they probably weren't outside. He stopped in his tracks and called himself twelve kinds of fool. There was a front porch too.
As soon as he opened the front door, he spotted her. She was sitting in the lower branches of an apple tree, just caddy-corner about 25 yards from the front of the house. "What the hell?" Then he saw his brother. Leo was digging a hole beneath the tree. As Raph approached he heard his brother talking.
"…What with the storm and all, this couldn't be done last night." Shovel. "Master Splinter seemed to think we should wait for Shima to wake before we committed them to the earth." Shovel. "But the tempurature's rising, and Shima's still sleeping, and it just doesn't feel right to leave them in the barn another night." Shovel.
Raphael saw the tiny coffin. He looked over at TwoSee. She stared back, but made no sound. Shovel.
"I think they'll like it here." Shovel. "In spring this whole row of trees bloom with thousands of tiny pink blossoms." Shovel. "It smells so nice, and the honeybees drone." Shovel. "It's one of my favorite places to meditate in the spring." Shovel. "It's nice in the summer, too." Shovel. "The leaves come in so thick and green; it stays cool and shady even when late July and August roll around." Shovel. Leo looked up, "Apple trees look as though they were made for climbing." He looked back at the earth. "I hope they enjoy it here." He set aside the shovel and turned to his brother. "Raphael, will you help me with the casket?"
Raphael nodded. They both knew it didn't require two of them to lay the tiny thing in the ground, but it felt better that way. TwoSee quietly stepped out of the tree. She took a handful of dirt and released it over the coffin. +"I'm sorry there are no flowers for you now, but Leonardo promised you flowers every spring, and spring is on its way."+
She knelt silently by the grave, Raphael standing beside her, while they watched Leonardo fill the hole.