“We’re under attack!” Finn gave the ship’s wheel a hard turn, throwing Cam off balance.

“What’s happening?” he shouted as he steadied himself. Just then a massive drop of water landed on the deck with a thud and washed over the edges. If it hit any closer to him, Cam could have been swept off into the sea.

“It’s some sort of aerial bombardment!” Finn answered. “Quick, take cover!”

Cam jumped down from his post and, with some difficulty, made his way underneath the platform amid boards and pipes and other odds and ends that were being stored there. The ship rocked back and forth as Finn tried his best to dodge the falling projectiles, the swaying made Cam sick to his stomach. Just then, another drop hit and Finn was caught in the splash.

“Meooowr!” he shouted in alarm.

“Captain!” Cam started to go out and check on him but Finn suddenly appeared next to him soaked and shivering, his thick fur plastered to his body. Cam couldn’t help but giggle at his less than fluffy appearance.

“Hey! Don’t laugh!” Finn gave him an annoyed look.

“Sorry.” Cam looked out from under the stairs while Finn worked on wringing out his hat but from where he was he could only see the stars. Between the splish, splash, sploosh of the drops Cam could hear something but he couldn’t quite make out what it was.

“Ugh it’s all salty. This is going to do a number on my coat,” Finn said, licking his fur.

“Where is it coming from?” Cam asked.

 “I don’t know, I didn’t see any other ships.”

Cam watched the drops fall for a moment before making a break for it. He ran for the mast, where he supposed he was safest, and stood with his back against it. From here he had a clear view of the ocean, but still saw nothing. I need to go higher, he thought. After the next drop fell he rushed to the netting that led to the top of the mast and started climbing. Cam was determined. Drops fell all around him as he climbed higher and higher, the net shaking whenever a drop passed through it. Finally he grasped the edge of the crow’s nest and pulled himself over the top. He held on tightly to the rail and looked out again but still couldn’t see anything. Not until he looked straight up. Standing on his tip toes he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted into the sky.

“Excuse me!”

High above the ship, up in the night sky, the moon was crying.

“Mr. Moon!” Cam shouted, waving his arms around.

“What? Who’s there?” the moon asked, startled.

“Down here!”

The moon stopped crying and looked down toward Cam, squinting. “Who’s that?” he asked. “I’m sorry but now’s not a good time.”

“What happened?” Cam asked.

“It’s not any of your concern,” the moon answered. “I don’t need assistance from someone so young. Be on your way.”

“It might help just to talk about it.”

The moon suddenly seemed annoyed. “Are you implying that I, King of the Night Sky, don’t know how to ask for help?”

Cam was confused. “That’s not…”

“Because I indeed know how to ask for help,” the moon interrupted.

“I didn’t mean to…”

“People come asking me for help all the time, they depend on me greatly.”

“That’s…”

“Oh dear, if they were to see me like this, blubbering like an infant, why, it would be disastrous. No one would feel comfortable asking me for help anymore. Eventually, they’d stop dropping by simply to visit. The tranquility of the entire night sky would be in peril!”

Cam stayed silent for a bit, just to make sure the moon was finished talking, before speaking again. “It probably wouldn’t be that bad.”

The moon gasped in surprise. “You’re still there! How much of that did you hear?”

Finn joined Cam in the crow’s nest. “Oh, every word,” he said.

“Look, calm down,” Cam said. “If they’re really your friends they won’t think any less of you.”

“Really?”

“Really! Now tell us what’s wrong.”

The moon sighed in defeat. “If you’d really like to know, I’ll show you.” the moon said as he turned around.

Cam was shocked, a huge chunk of the moon, nearly half of him, was completely gone. “How did this happen?” he asked.

“It was the Nightmare.”

“The Nightmare?” Finn said in alarm. “Listen, mate, we can’t cross swords with the Nightmare.”

“What’s the Nightmare?”

“How could you not know of the Nightmare?” Finn asked. “It’s a dark cloud of black and purple smoke that roams around the skies doing whatever it wants.”

“It snuck up on me,” the moon said. “By the time I realized what was happening it had already gotten this far. Oh the irony! I do what I can to protect the night sky from the Nightmare but I have become a victim of it!”

“So what happened to the missing piece?” Cam asked quickly, trying to keep the moon on track.

“It’s out of my reach,” he answered, “at the bottom of the sea.”

Cam looked out from the crow’s nest and sure enough, shining below them in the deep water, was the other half of the moon. “I see it,” he said. “Maybe we could get it out of there.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Finn asked.

“We have to try something,” Cam said as he climbed out of the crow’s nest, Finn followed him down. They leaned over the railing and looked again into the water. Cam thought hard, they needed something that could reach far enough down and somehow grab the piece and bring it back. His first thought was a fishing rod but, even if they had one, it’d have to have a giant reel and a giant hook and… “That’s it!” he shouted suddenly, “A giant fishing rod!”

Finn leaned back against the railing and laughed. “Cam, did you hit your head on the crow’s nest?”

“Nope, we can use the anchor as a fishing rod,” he said triumphantly.

Finn looked over his shoulder into the water. “I guess we could try it.”

“Come on,” Cam said, “you could be more enthusiastic.”

“I’ll be enthusiastic if it works,” Finn said as he returned to the wheel. “Standby at the anchor reel and when I give the signal just pull the lever.” Taking the wheel he steered the ship around to make a pass over the piece of moon. Satisfied, he shouted out, “Let it drop!”   

Cam gave a tug and the anchor dropped into the water with a splash. He watched more and more chain being pulled into the water, deeper and deeper. The spool had almost run out before it stopped abruptly.

“Oh, I think you’ve got it,” said the moon. “I still have some feeling in that half.”

“Great!” Cam said. “Let’s try to pull it up.” Cam took hold of the crank; it was indeed very much like a fishing rod but bigger, with a smooth peg that was meant to be gripped with your whole hand instead of just your fingers. He gave it a push, but it refused to budge.

“I knew this wouldn’t work,” Finn said.

“Could you try giving me a hand?” Cam asked him.

“Fine, fine.” Finn joined Cam at the reel and together, after they’d worked out a way to both hold the peg at the same time, they pushed as hard as they could on the crank. But still it wouldn’t budge. “So, what now?”

Cam looked down into the water again and thought. He remembered once when he was watching his dad change the tire on the car he’d tried to remove the nuts that held the wheels on, but he couldn’t turn the wrench. Back then his dad told him that sometimes you just need a bigger wrench. Cam ducked back under the stairs and started rummaging around. “What’s all this for anyway?” he asked.

“You know, spare parts,” Finn answered.

Cam continued searching until he found what he was looking for, a thick metal pipe almost as long as his leg. “Perfect!”

“What are you doing with that?” Finn asked.

“Making a bigger wrench,” Cam answered. “First we need to get rid of this peg.” He looked on the back side and found it was attached with a screw. Again he ducked under the stairs and this time emerged with what seemed to be tattered old fabric from the sails. “Can I borrow your sword?”

Finn seemed surprised. “I guess so.” He drew it and held the blade in his paw, offering Cam the handle.

“Thanks.” It wasn’t very sharp but Cam wrapped most of the blade in the old fabric for safety. He took the sword over to the crank and fit the edge into the screw, turning and loosening it enough for his fingers to finish the job.

“You’re pretty clever,” Finn said, taking his sword back, “but you could have just asked me for a screwdriver.”

Cam laughed. “I’ll remember for next time,” he said as he slipped the pipe on the crank. “Done!”

Finn studied the new handle. “So what’s that accomplish?”     

“You’ll see,” Cam said. “Come on, help me push.” Finn took his place next to him and together they easily held the elongated handle and put their weight against it.

“It’s working, it’s working!” the moon shouted, watching them from above.

Sure enough the crank was turning, slowly but surely. As they turned it started to get easier until Cam’s strength alone was enough.

Finn leaned over the railing and looked into the water. The piece of the moon looked bigger, much bigger, and it was getting bigger all the time. “It’s getting closer,” he said.

Cam found himself losing control of the crank, somehow it was turning faster on its own than with his help. “It’s reeling itself in!” he said as the pipe flew off the crank.

“Watch out!” the moon shouted. “I can feel it returning to me!”

Cam and Finn grabbed onto anything they could as the massive piece of moon surfaced, tilting the ship to the side as it came up underneath them. Stopping for nothing the chunk continued to rise and, with the anchor still lodged soundly in the surface, the ship was being carried up with it! They held on tightly as the ship was tossed around in the sky like a key chain, the piece of moon hurtling upward higher and higher. Occasionally Cam would catch a glimpse of the ocean beneath them, seemingly getting bigger and bigger the higher they went. The chunk slowed its ascent as it approached the moon and magically the two pieces were knit together from bottom to top.

“I’m full again.” The moon laughed as he again burst into tears. “I’m so happy!”

“Your Lunarness, can you relax?” Finn shouted. “We’re still hanging here!”

“Oh yes, of course. Sorry. Are you two unharmed?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Finn said, getting to his feet.

“You two have my eternal gratitude,” the moon said. “It’s good to be full again, my apologies for being so difficult before.”

“Yeah, yeah. Our pleasure,” Finn said, dusting himself off. “Cam, are you alright?”

Cam was in awe. All around him, as far as his eyes could see, were stars; he’d never been so close to them before. They twinkled brightly, leaving Cam completely mesmerized. “It’s so beautiful” he said.

The moon smiled. “Welcome to my domain.”