Morning of

The First Day

~70 hours remain~

Back outside in the relatively underpopulated North Clock Town, Henry and Tatl left the Great Fairy Fountain and stepped out into the sunlight. They had to find the observatory, where an old man, presumably an astronomer or researcher, could give them better help at finding and locating the Skull Kid. Henry had the first idea of finding the observatory: ask Tatl about it.

"So, how do we get there?"

"What?"

"The observatory." Henry pressed. "How do we get there? It's outside of town, so where exactly?"

"The East..." Tatl explained curtly.

Henry did not notice the tone. "Well, let's get out of town and travel to the observatory from there." He moved to the nearby gate, and was confronted by the armored guard.

"Wait a moment, little Deku Scrub! Have you some errand in the mountains?"

"No." Henry tried to explain. "I need to go to the observatory."

"Even so," the guard said, "it is dangerous outside the town walls, so I cannot allow a child like you to go out alone."

"But I'm not a child!" Henry exclaimed.

"I'm sure that your parents think you are a very big boy, but they will still need to be by you if you wish to leave the safety of the town walls." The guard explained condescendingly.

"Hang on a minute, mister!" Tatl stated. "Just how dangerous could it be?"

"Bandits." The guard answered without missing a beat. "Not to mention Wolfos, Chu Chus, and other unpleasant creatures. A little Deku Scrub and his fairy friend stand no chance against such beasts.

"Until you are old enough to carry a weapon, you cannot pass through here without being accompanied by an adult." The guard's insistence was final, and Henry had to walk away from the North Gate, thoroughly disappointed.

"Damn..." He muttered. "I hate being stuck in his body! Why did that Skull brat have to curse me like this?"

"No point in whining now!" Tatl exclaimed. "We'll have to find some other way outside to the observatory."

"Sure, just find one of those Deku Flowers and hope it can let us fly high enough and long enough to go over fifty foot high walls..." Henry complained.

"Well, what about that magic the Great Fairy gave you? Do you think that will help?" Tatl asked.

"I... I don't know." In retrospect, Henry did not know the nature of his new magical abilities, assuming that they were even remotely consequential. "I guess we can try to find out what the magic does. With my luck, I'll do nothing except make sparkles out of thin like that Tingle guy."

"Don't remind me." Tatl cringed.

Next to the playground again, Henry wondered how he could draw out and use the mystical power now within him. He turned to Tatl again. "You use magic, right?"

"Kind of?" Tatl seemed unsure. "Fairies like myself are pretty tough compared to most things our size. We aren't that bothered by heat and cold, as long as it isn't too extreme. Fairies also don't need a lot of food or sleep."

"And you glow and fly around effortlessly."

Tatl sighed with resignation. "Yes. That too."

"I don't suppose you can help me use my magic, can you?"

"Don't ask me!" Tatl said. "The magic I have is more... innate. It's kind of like breathing; I and other fairies don't ever think about our abilities. It's all involuntary stuff, not like a magic trick you do with a flick of the wrist or something..."

"Well that's helpful." Henry groaned. "The Great Fairy gives me a gift that I never thought real and haven't the faintest idea of how to use."

"Wait, what do you mean you never thought magic was real?!" Tatl asked. "Do you not have Great Fairies where you come from?!"

Tatl's accusation was not only accurate, it only scratched the surface of the increasing number of distinctions between the world of Termina and the Earth that Henry knew. "It's just... I..." Henry sighed, for he knew truthfully explaining himself as a faraway traveler from what was almost certainly a different world altogether would cause more headaches than either he or Tatl needed. "I don't have time for this. I'll explain everything later. I need to figure out what my new power can do."

All that the young Deku Scrub could think to do was to close his eyes, relax, and focus, using what breathing exercises he could remember to meditate. What he had to focus on was more abstract than he hoped, but even a loose idea of drawing said power out was better than nothing. After a moment or two, Henry felt a tingle similar to how he felt when he first received Mahona's blessing. When he began to breath again, he felt some object expanding at the end of his cavernous, round mouth.

Henry opened his eyes to see a faint green bubble as big as his head being blown out, as if he were using a vast amount of chewing gum. Its surface was milky and snot-like in color and its texture was likely just as unpleasant, and Henry, improbably, had just produced it as easily as one might exhale their breath.

"Wha!?" Tatl exclaimed in surprise. "What is that?!"

When Henry tried to talk, his words were muted to a surprising degree. To add to the confusion, the bubble was unintentionally released. Almost like a cannonball that could both fly as well as twist slightly along its trajectory, the bubble flew off and struck a part of the playground's slide. It collided with a sharp *snap* and what was left was a viscous, sticky puddle that reacted to the surface it was on similarly to molasses.

"I think," Henry stated after a pause to examine his messy attack, "that is the magic power the Great Fairy gave to me."

"Seriously?!" Tatl yelled. "A bubble?! That's all your new abilities amount to?! Hacking up some snot bubble that makes a mess on whatever it hits?! No offense to the Great Fairy, but that blessing was wasted if you ask me!"

Henry sighed, but was not ready to outright dismiss the utility of the bubble. "Maybe I can use it to defend myself. It's not often someone can attack from afar, even if it's a bubble."

Tatl laughed in disbelief. "That's rich! I'm sure the Skull Kid would just be so inconvenienced by your bubble of doom. 'Ah! Bubbles, my one weakness! How did you know?!'"

"Well..." Henry struggled to find anything that he could use to demonstrate the bubble's power, as baffling as that thought sounded. Attacking the guard was a terrible idea, and in any case, he did not want to risk offending or assaulting anyone. Then, his eyes fell on the balloon still tied to the tree neighboring the playground. Although its owner would not appreciate Henry's intentions, it was a more suitable target than anything else he could think of.

"I'll pop that balloon!" He insisted.

"Oh, this is gonna be good. I'm sure making some poor kid's innocent balloon really messy will prove your point." Tatl remarked in a sassy manner. "Go ahead, Deku Boy. Show off the 'power' you claim to have! I'm sure it'll be hilarious..."

Ignoring the white fairy's scathing commentary, Henry aligned himself with the purple balloon and began to concentrate on his mouth again. With another inhale, the subsequent exhale produced another great bubble. It was slightly larger in circumference than last time, but now Henry knew how to release it. Double checking his aim, he blew out again, and the bubble loosed. It flew at a decently fast pace, and its path remained relatively steady and true when it struck the balloon's rubbery surface. There was a mighty *POP* and the balloon disappeared.

Both fairy and Deku flinched at the sound of the great toy bursting, but the result was undeniable. That sticky bubble had hit with enough force to cause it to rupture in spectacular fashion. It was no small feat, and Henry dared to feel a sense of pride in having learned such a skill so quickly.

"Well, well, well," Henry squeaked in a smug tone that was irritating to the ears, "how about that for making something a little 'mess?'"

Tatl was just about to respond, when the reaction to the destroyed balloon was interrupted.

"That was awesome!"

Henry and Tatl turned around and saw a group of five boys approaching them. They all looked to be around eight years old, and they all had a similar style: navy collared tops with white shirts and navy sleeves, blue shorts, most of which had faint grass stains, and plain, leather boots. At the front was their leader, a handsome yet severe looking boy with bright blue eyes and a single bang of reddish brown hair peaking under a red bandana.

The other boys had varying shades of brown hair under blue bandanas and blue or green eyes, but it was clear they were a united group. At least, that was the impression. One boy who was clearly impressed with the balloon popping display was staring at the space where it had once hung with bright, wonder-filled eyes. His enthusiasm was out of step with his friends, who all eyed him with mild degrees of incredulity. When he noticed the stares, he averted his gaze and pretended to kick at a non-existent stone.

"You guys thought it looked cool too..." He muttered under his breath.

The reddish haired leader rolled his eyes before looking at Henry and Tatl once again. His mouth was set in a thin line, and his eyes were still abnormally stern and critical. Then a corner of his mouth peaked up. "Not bad for a Deku Scrub..."

The other boys let go of their tough facades. "I didn't think Deku Scrubs could do something like that. With a bubble no less!" One of them complimented.

"That takes skill," The red-haired boy continued, "skills that we Bombers appreciate. Although I have to ask, why is she with you?"

Henry turned to Tatl, who had risen a bit in the air, putting a bit more distance between herself and the gang of youngsters. "Jim..."

"Tatl..." The newly named Jim was not in a reconciliatory mood. "Why are you back in town? Where's the Skull Kid?"

"It's uh... funny you should mention that. Deku Boy-"

"My name," said Deku interrupted, "is Henry."

"Henry and I are out looking for him. We had just gotten directions from the Great Fairy to head to the observatory. And what luck! You guys are here! So, do you mind letting us use that secret passageway to the observatory? It would just be for a single trip and-"

"Why should we do that?" Jim asked, his voice rising in anger. "Why should the Bombers help after you, your brother, and that jerk Skull Kid started pulling pranks on the townsfolk while as members of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice?"

"Look, I admit the Skull Kid went too far at times-"

"Too far, she says!" Exclaimed one boy to Jim's left. "You hear that, guys? Tatl thinks that stealing from stalls in the marketplace and trying to burn down postboxes is 'too far at times!'"

"Kent..." Tatl whined. Henry was not feeling very sympathetic, and was quite tempted to add to the list of injustices the Skull Kid had committed.

"He's got a point." Jim interrupted. "You guys hurt people, which is the opposite of what the Bombers are supposed to be! Tell us the truth. What are you doing with this Deku Scrub, and why do you need to go to the observatory to find the Skull Kid?"

"He stole my ocarina." Henry elaborated bluntly. "The Great Fairy, when we asked her, said that the old man in the observatory could help us find the Skull Kid. We're gonna find him, and make him give me my ocarina back."

Jim hummed at the explanation. "So, that's why you're searching for him? Can't blame you, given how much of a butt face that Skull Kid is, but Tatl hasn't answered us yet."

Tatl sighed heavily. "I'm trying to find Tael, just as much as I'm trying to find the Skull Kid. I'm worried about him, as a sister, you know? He left me behind with the Skull Kid and I... I need to get back to him."

"That's it?" Jim asked.

"That's it." Tatl insisted. "No tricks, no pranks, just a way to the observatory is all we ask for. Then you guys can ignore us or whatever else you wanna do."

"Do you guys really know how to get to the observatory without going through any of the gates?" Asked Henry. "The guard over here won't let me go through because of how young I apparently am, and I doubt the other guards are gonna react any differently. Do you know a way there?"

Jim stared at them for a long while, then cried out, "Bombers, meeting!" The five boys huddled around and began to discuss something in hushed voices. Whatever the impromptu conversation was about was not immediately clear, for Tatl knew better than to invite more distrust by eavesdropping. The meeting did not last longer than two minutes before the young boys concluded their conversation and turned to address the two partners.

"We Bombers have a hideout that leads to the observatory outside town." Jim explained. "You need a code to get in. Maybe... I'll tell you what it is."

Henry had a hopeful look in his eyes, but Tatl felt much more anxious about their chances of a straightforward answer.

"But don't think you're getting it that easily! I can't just tell you what the code is... You'll have to pass my test first. Bombers' rules of initiation, you know?"

"Umm, actually I don't know." Henry said dryly.

One of the boys snickered, but snapped back into a disciplined manner under Jim's leer.

"Look, you pass the test, and I'll give you the code. Oh, and Tatl? Don't even bother telling him the old code back when you and the Skull Kid became members. We changed it weeks ago." Jim approached Henry directly, extending a hand in greeting. "Are you ready to begin?"

"I guess I don't have a choice." With a young gentleman's shake, the challenge was agreed to.

"All right! Line up, guys!" The five Bombers lined up in front of the Deku Scrub and fairy. "The test is this: if you can find all five of us by nightfall, I'll teach you the code. We won't leave the town's limits and we won't hide indoors, so you better keep your eyes peeled! You got that?"

Henry nodded.

"Alright. Go stand at the back corner of the playground and count to fifty while we go hide around town."

Henry did as directed, though Jim had to direct Tatl to hide under Henry's large, Deku head so as to not give away the directions of the Bombers gang. A steady count of fifty later, and Henry was on the hunt.

"Grr. Why do we have to play these brats' stupid games?" Tatl hissed. "We have better things to do!"

"We need that code to get to the observatory. There's no other way, and I doubt that we can intimidate them into giving the code up." Henry reasoned. "If you have some mind reading powers I'm not aware of-"

"No," the fairy grumbled, "I can't read minds, stupid Deku Boy."

"Then suck it up and help me find these Bomber guys."

"Fine."

"Good, now your eyes peeled for them. Who knows where they might be hiding?"

"Don't order me around." Tatl growled. "Let's start around here in the north district. It's literally at our staring point, and its not that big as far as searching goes."

The two made a cursory search around the playground itself. When there was no one to be found, they searched the larger area. Fortunately, Tatl spotted a sleeve behind a second tree a few yards away from the slopping entrance to the Great Fairy Fountain. She flew in close to Henry's head and whispered. "Behind that tree ahead of us."

"Okay." Henry replied in a low warble. "Here's the plan..."

Young Kent was many things: the son of a carpenter, blessed with what he considered the best mom in all of Termina, and a very poor player of hide and seek. Whether this was a matter of foolishness or laziness, he had a reputation for doing the bare minimum when playing games that required him to be active. It was not to be wondered at when he was startled by an alarm-like tinkling above him before Henry surprised and tagged him.

"Whah!" He fell to the ground in fright, but soon realized what had happened. "Aww man! You got me first!? Lame!"

"We're just that good." Tatl remarked facetiously. "I don't suppose you know where the others went?"

"I'll never tell!" He cried in youthful defiance. "Bombers' Secret Society of Justice forever!"

Tatl scoffed. "It was worth a try. Let's go west next."

"Right."

The two partners made a slow approach through the highest point of West Clock Town. They were both looking for any sign of a hiding spot available. As they approached the covered walkways heading southwards, Tatl flew above the thatched roof on the slim possibility that one of the Bombers could have climbed atop them. Henry stayed looking around the pathway, until he found an object that seemed out of place.

It was a weather-beaten, old box. In an economically active area of the town, it would not be so unusual. There was a long list of goods that could be transported in a box as big as the one Henry was approaching. However, it was not at the corner of the Trading Post's porch when he and Tatl last passed by that area. Furthermore, by Henry's own estimation, it was just the right size to accommodate the frame of a young boy if they curled up inside of it.

Experimentally. Henry began to blow up another bubble. He effectively blew it up to the same size as the one that destroyed the balloon back in North Clock Town. Upon release, its short travel to the box ended with a burst of shattered planks that surprised even Henry himself. The sticky nature of the bubble meant much of the box that was facing Henry was glued together immediately upon impact. Lo and behold, sitting inside the space of the now decimated box was a very astonished Bomber member by the name of William, better known as Bomber Billy.

He generally put more effort into hiding than the likes of Kent, and was not so hesitant to get dirty and sweaty during games. Unfortunately, his skill with positioning was much to be desired.

"By the giants, you scared me!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry!" Henry apologized. "But on the bright side, I found you."

William paused for a moment before he groaned in embarrassment. "Dang it! Was I the first?"

"No. the first guy to lose was hiding behind a tree."

"Ah." William nodded. "Was it Kent?"

"I don't know." Henry replied.

"It was." Tatl clarified as she joined the two boys.

William laughed a little. He had an idea of how he was going to tease Kent about his "skills" as a hider in the game of hide-and-seek. "Oh well."

"Nice job." Tatl commented. "First a balloon, now a box; whatever will you defeat next?"

"Hey, less snarking, and more searching. Anything above the thatch covering?"

"Nope." Tatl replied. "I'm pretty certain this guy's the only one here."

"I have a name you know."

"I know, Billy." Tatl sighed. "Not important right now. Let's head South. That's gonna be a long one to search through."

Searching the marketplace of Clock Town's southern district was a bit faster than before. Several of the merchants seen earlier in the morning had packed up and left, many of them passing through the gate. There were however, still a few tradesmen dutifully standing by their goods. Likewise, the carpenters were still busy constructing the ceremonial tower.

Ignoring what activities were still going on, Tatl and Henry once again began a careful search over boxes and behind stalls. It was not so obvious where a box or other items were out of place, neither of them had an eye on any hiding places for a young boy when they needed to search for a Stray Fairy mere hours ago. Already it was taking them half an hour to be thorough with their hunt for any Bomber members when, by pure chance, Tatl saw a pair of blue eyes through a gap in some planks in a crate.

"Hey! Here's one!" She had called, before the occupant of the overturned crate removed his cover and went on a mad dash through the stalls nearby. The red bandana betrayed Jim's identity as he tried to lose his pursuers. "Hey, he's getting away!"

"Which way did he go?!" Henry called.

"West, I think!"

"Keep above and call out where he's going!" Henry pattered roughly in the direction she called out.

Jim continued to run with all of the sprightly energy of a young man. Yet his agility paled in comparison to the flight that Tatl possessed. She hovered well above the marketplace, keeping an eye on her quarry's retreating form. Immediately, she could infer the boy's strategy.

Jim was not going for the doorway to West Clock Town, likely because the incline would slow him down and drain his energy. On the flat ground in the marketplace, he could keep himself obstructed among the abandoned merchant stalls and empty and half used crates. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Henry heading in the general direction, but still much too far away to reach Jim.

'He needs to know where he is specifically...' the fairy thought. 'Wait, I got it!' Instinctively, she began to perform the coded tingling she agreed to use to gain Henry's attention down in the tunnel they had met in before reaching Clock Town.

Ting-ting!* *Ting-ting!* Came the distinct ringing above the usual noise of the district. Hearing this, Henry looked up and saw Tatl bobbing up in the air. She was repeating her coded signal again, indicating his attention was important.

"Is that where he is?" Henry breathed. He raced to Tatl's position, eager to tag Jim and be more than halfway through the hide-and-seek test.

Unfortunately, Jim could hear Tatl above him, and his gaze quickly looked around for Henry's approach and a possible escape route. Before Henry could get even halfway to Jim's position behind an abandoned piling of crates, Jim took off, leaving Henry well behind. The Deku Scrub groaned in a squeaky manner as he knew he could never catch Jim at this rate.

"Hey! Why'd you stop?!" Tatl interrogated as she rushed down to Henry's level. "You were so close!"

"That guy, huh, heard you above him and, hoo, probably figured out the plan." Henry explained as he was briefly out of breath. "I can't beat him in a straight up race. My legs are too short, and I don't think Deku Scrubs are known for their stamina." Privately, Henry did not want to admit that even accounting for his new physiology, he was out of shape and out of practice for rigorous physical activity.

Tatl growled. "I know his game now. He's trying to tire you out while wasting time. Even if we do tag him, he's betting on you needing rest and not succeeding on catching the rest of his friends."

"That makes sense." Henry agreed.

"I know." Tatl said. "We may have two of his friends down, but he must have a lot of confidence if he gave us till sundown to win this thing. Either way, we gotta catch him without burning away more daylight than necessary."

The two strategized in silence. Then Tatl perked up. "I got it! Both of you can hear my signal, so we'll trick him into reacting to my sounds while you outmaneuver him and tag him!"

"So," Henry thought aloud, "you'll look for him while I circle around?"

"Yeah. I'll make sure to funnel him your way. Don't let Jim see you."

"Got it."

Jim had hidden himself away behind an abandoned stall. He was counting his blessings since the town was surprisingly empty of business and tourism despite the holiday weekend. 'Tatl thought she was being smart, huh? Too bad she can't be quite when signaling her new Scrub friend. I just gotta hold out as long as I can... Gotta have faith that the others will hold out.'

Suddenly, he heard a familiar, rapid fire repetition of *Ti-ting!* above him. He saw Tatl again, only slightly off to the left of him. Jim groaned and kept an eye on the general direction that Tatl was hovering over. He failed to notice that a Deku Scrub had maneuvered behind him and was blowing up a bright green bubble. Henry charged the sticky projectile up to approximately half power before releasing it. When the sharp whistle of the bubble hurtling through the air reached Jim's ears, it was too late. His right arm was almost soaked in mucus, and he could only cry out in disgust as his limb was stuck to the wooden planks it was next too.

Without any struggle, Henry closed the distance and tapped the leader of the Bombers with a tap on the shoulder. "Gotcha!" He squeaked in triumph.

"Yeah..." Jim groaned. "You got me. Can you help me get this gunk off of me?"

Henry agreed to help, wanting a small chance to rest before moving on. As he worked to peel the goo off, he was surprised to see that his grip was not impeded by the mucus of his own bubble. He pulled it off as easily as wet chewing gum would in his human hands. Whether this was some Deku adaptation or a passive element to his magic power, Henry could not say, but he did successfully free Jim from his sticky situation.

"Thanks." Jim grunted. "That was kinda cool, you and Tatl tricking me like that. You're gonna need to be smart to catch all of us."

"We're three down," Tatl bragged as she joined the two boys, "I think we've got this in the bag."

"Hmph!" Jim turned up his nose. "Don't celebrate before you've won. I'll be back at North Clock Town, if you win, that is." The young man put his hands in his pockets and walked briskly off, leaving the two partners to continue the challenge.

"Wanna check out the Laundry Pool next?" Henry asked. "It's a small area. Not much to hide behind."

"Sounds like a plan, I guess."

The Laundry Pool was as abandoned as ever, aside from a few strings of clothes that were hanging to dry. The only obvious hiding places would be in the pool of water itself, a risky decision given the chance of drowning, and the tree which shaded part of the enclosed space. Tatl immediately did a fly by around the tree and over the channel running through the area.

"Nothing obvious." She commented.

Henry gave one more look about, and noticed two boxes besides the lone bench at the south corner of the Laundry Pool. He approached the one on the left side, which had a tarp atop it, and saw it was full of very plain bricks of soap. That left the other box, and he was not entirely surprised to feel its top lift easily.

Inside was the surprised face of the fourth Bomber: a quiet lad named David. On any other day, his hiding place would have been brilliant, but this time, he was simply unlucky. "Uh, hi."

"...Hi." Henry muttered. He then placed a reedy hand on David's head.

"Aww..."

"Hey! Four down, one to go!" Tatl was in a very good mood now that the endgame was approaching. The natural path was to go to East Clock Town, where the few hiding places anyone could see were a pair boxes near the maypole of the main plaza.

"This is too easy." Henry commented. Feeling quite confident, he checked one box, and then the other. He was quite flummoxed when he saw no Bomber inside other of them: just empty air.

"Dang." Tatl muttered. "Let's check out the rest of the area. Maybe he's on the roof of the Milk Bar? It's pretty easy to get up there." The two split off, Tatl approaching from the air while Henry plodded up the stairway and around the Milk Bar's north end. Yet again their efforts were for nothing as they quickly looked over the barren roof.

"Where could that brat be?!" Tatl asked. "We've looked nearly everywhere!"

"Did we miss a spot?" Henry asked. "Maybe in the other districts we passed through?"

"I doubt it." Tatl dismissed. "North Clock Town and West Clock Town were easy to check out. The Laundry Pool was even easier still. Even South Clock Town, as hard as it was, was restricted to the marketplace for good hiding areas. Besides, I know these brats. They never hide together in the same area."

"So the last guy is around here somewhere..." Henry gave the matter a quick thought. "Try a fly about high above the area. At least above the roofs of all the businesses. That should make sure there's no place to hide."

Tatl groaned at the order, but did as told. Henry remained atop the roof to await the fairy's return. As she made a clockwise motion around the district, Tatl stopped as she was about to pass over the Stock Pot Inn. Henry stared at her midair pause in wonder before she raced back to his position.

"He's on the Stock Pot Inn's balcony!" Tatl relayed with anticipation. "I don't know how, but he got up there. He must be one good climber."

"So how do we get up there?" Henry asked.

Tatl glanced from over the Milk Bar's roof, until her gaze fell on something to the west. "Look, a Deku Flower!" Henry was amazed to see that a Deku Flower exactly like the ones he used to traverse the underground passage to Clock Town. It was sitting, still and tranquil in a barren flower bed with only some grass to accompany it.

"Huh, that's convenient."

"Pfft. That's an understatement."

Henry did not need a refresher course on how to properly use the Deku Flower. He smoothly entered its stigma and was soon skyward bound again. Landing on the thatched, uneven roof of the Stock Pot Inn proved very easy, and Henry had no fear of somehow crashing through the woven material given his light weight.

"Okay." He whispered to Tatl. "The plan's easy. Just scare that kid out of the balcony there, and then I rush and tag him."

"Finally." Tatl said. "We can win this and never have to do this stupid game again."

The last of the Bombers, Arthur, was hiding behind a great, bronze bell that hung from a headstock over the Stock Pot Inn. Many decades ago, the building was an old barracks for the city guard. However, a stabilization of Clock Town's relations with most of the neighboring races and kingdoms meant a downsizing of its security force to simply maintain order and stop the occasional bandit or monster. The abandoned barracks were subsequently sold for cheap, and the ancestors of the current owners, the Beddosons, ultimately took ownership.

The bell was little more than an oversized decoration, but the building was roughly named for the headstock which it hung from and its vaguely pot-shaped form. Thus it became a quaint place of respite for travelers who wished to visit Clock Town.

Arthur thought he was very clever for hiding in such an inconspicuous place. He technically bent the rules to reach such a coveted hiding place, but the key point was that he did not violate the rules put out by Jim. That would have gotten him booted from the Bombers outright, given the insistence on honorable conduct in the games the boys played. Despite the dubious way he had reached the place he was going to hide, Arthur was confident that the Deku Scrub and Tatl would never find him.

What he failed to account for was that Deku Scrubs of almost all ages could use Deku Flowers to traverse great heights. One such flower was just yards away from him at ground level. He also underestimated Tatl's ability to fly.

TI-TING!* "I found you, brat!" Tatl growled next to his ear.

Poor Arthur screamed as his right ear rang from the sharp, point blank racket the fairy had unleashed upon him. He narrowly missed crashing into the old, bronze bell and ran for the thatched balcony out of panic. Just as he was moving past the perimeter of the courtyard's fencing, a Deku Scrub with dark leaves on his head and a simple brown kilt tackled him.

"I win!" Henry squealed. "I win, I win, I win!"

"Wh-what?!" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"That's right, we caught all five of you!" Tatl declared. "Even if we missed lunch to do so."

"Aww man." Arthur groaned. "I guess you earned that code."

"Yeah!" Henry bounced up and down in a dance of joy as Arthur got to his feet. "Actually, before we go back to North Clock Town, there's something I've gotta ask."

"What do you mean?" Asked Arthur.

"How'd you get up here? There's no ladder, and I got up here thanks to a Deku Flower. So, how did ya do it?"

"Actually, I'm kinda curious too." Tatl admitted. "Spill it, Arthur."

Arthur gave a sheepish look. He pointed towards a door at the far end of the balcony leading into the Stock Pot Inn's second floor. "I walked in the Stock Pot Inn and used that door to get here. The innkeeper never locks that door, so I knew I could get here and wait for you, he he..."

"Hang on, isn't that against the rules?" Henry asked with an accusatory glare that had no intimidation factor whatsoever.

"No it isn't!" Jim cried in defense. "Jim said that we could not hide indoors, and I didn't hide in the Stock Pot Inn. I was on the balcony. That way, it still keeps to the rule. Besides, if I ran inside to escape you guys, I would have forfeited."

Tatl growled. "Little brat, using a loophole against us..."

"Look, let's just head on back to North Clock Town." Henry said, trying to be the mediator as Arthur cowered momentarily under Tatl's glare. "Jim's waiting for us, and I can't wait to get that code so we can move on to the observatory. Let's just drop it and finish this thing. Okay?"

"S-sure!" Arthur said. "I'll lead the way!"

"Fine..." Tatl gave a final, acidic buzz at Arthur's face as the boy quickly led the way through the inn. "Jeez, how long were we seeking these guys?"

"I don't know." Henry admitted. "But, we passed the test before night fell. No point in complaining about wasted time when we're closer than ever to finding answers about that Skull Kid's whereabouts."

"Assuming the observatory's astronomer even has the answers..." Tatl murmured pessimistically.

The five Bombers were lined up on a pitch of grassy lawn in front of a section wall between the North Gate and the Great Fairy Fountain. Jim was momentarily disappointed that Arthur had failed to hold out, but he had a lot of respect for Henry and Tatl's skill in completing the challenge. Even with his distrust of anyone who called the Skull Kid a friend, he was a boy of his word, as were the rest of the Bombers.

"You're pretty good for a Deku Scrub!" He said in earnest. Truth be told, none of the boys had any experience with the youth of non-human persons, so Jim especially fell back on speaking as he felt. Henry was not entirely sure of what to think of the comment, but given that Jim had not said anything egregiously offensive, he simply nodded.

It should be noted that as with so much of the lore of Deku Scrubs, Henry was no more enlightened on what constituted as offensive to his current physical form than the Bombers gang.

"Yeah," said William, "they almost reminded me of when Skull Kid first joined us. At least, before he got that mask and started being a jerk to everyone."

Tatl fluttered self-consciously at the reminder of the Skull Kid's wrongdoing.

Jim said nothing to his peer's comment besides crossing his arms defensively. "It's just a shame you're not human... If that were the case, I could give you an original Bombers' Notebook and make you an official member."

He turned to his fellow Bombers. "What do you guys think?"

The others huddled loosely and whispered in each other's ears. After less than a minute, they resumed formation in line. Each of them answered negatively, David being the most vocal with a "No way! No Scrubs!"

"I guess not." Jim muttered. "Sorry, but the one time we let some kid who wasn't human join our group, we got the Skull Kid. Boy did we ever regret it... Sorry, Henry."

Henry had no idea of any unique benefits to being an official member, so he shrugged off the rejection. "It's okay."

"At the very least, I'll teach you the code, just like I promised." Jim continued. "I can only tell you once, though, so pay close attention!

"Are you ready?" In sequential order, starting with Jim and working down through David, William, Arthur, and Kent, the five boys turned around, revealing bold, black numbers in a row. 2, 4, 5, 3, and 1 were revealed in that order, and Henry took a mental note to repeat the code in his head.

"The code is 24531. The entrance to our hideout is in East Clock Town." Jim explained. "Tell my little brother the code, and he'll let you in."

"Thanks, Jim!" Henry immediately departed without a word. The afternoon was becoming late, and the observatory awaited.

The entrance was easy to find, as the six year old Tim was standing before the narrow alleyway between the sheriff's office and the guards' barracks. Although a bit suspicious of Henry's approach, he dutifully asked for the code to enter the passageway. It was given without any difficulty, and Tim relaxed as he heard the code in full.

"Um, that's right! If you know the code, then you're a member, right?"

Henry did not correct the youngster, instead nodding along.

"Okay, here you go!" Tim stepped to the side and beckoned Henry and Tatl in. "There's a bunch of cool stuff at the telescope guy's place! Oh yeah, uh... The Bombers' Secret Society of Justice forever!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night." Tatl said. "Let's head in."

"Alright then." With a quick wave, Henry rushed into the passageway and into the darkness they led to. Down, down they went, beneath Clock Town and the eastern wall.