"This is the end of the line for us!"

After snapping a salute at the driver, Jay hopped off the back of the cart.

"You coming?" Though said jokingly, Cole could detect a hint of rushed irritation in his friend's tone. "Or are you gonna make me say it again?"

"Jay, only you can make you say it ag—"

"Master Wu won't find himself."

Biting down on his tongue was the only way to keep his own irritation at bay. "That doesn't make any sense, and you know it."

Jay just shrugged, jogging a little to keep up with the slow-moving cart. Despite Jay's previous declaration that this was where they were getting off, the driver hadn't seen fit to stop his horse.

That was just as well, Cole decided. Maybe Jay would get tired of following and hop back on. Then we can avoid it altogether. Yeah… That's it.

"Cole, come on! At this rate, by the time we make it to the docks, there won't be any ships left!"

Fine by me. The thought almost slipped out of his mouth and Cole had to bite harder on his tongue to keep it from escaping.

"Okay, I'm coming. Just… give me a minute."

Jay cocked an eyebrow. "To jump off the cart? Seriously, this thing is moving like two miles an hour! It shouldn't be that ha—Hey!"

With a smirk, Cole flung himself off their ride, tackling Jay in the process. "There. I'm off."

"Great," Jay wheezed. "Now, get off of me!"

Laughing, Cole got to his feet and helped Jay up in the process.

"Next time," Jay began as he dusted himself off, "just jump off the cart like a normal person, okay?"

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, you're starting to sound like Kai."

"Hey! I resent that!"

Cole just laughed again, waiting for Jay to catch up before starting down the road to the waterfront.

Every step seemed to increase his dread tenfold, so much so that he having trouble focusing on what Jay was saying. Something about finding a ship that looked like the Bounty, because how cool would that be? Whatever it was, Cole had lost track of the one-sided conversation long ago.

They were getting closer. Closer…

Come on, Cole, it's not that big of a deal. You're fine. Just suck it up. You faced worse things when you were a ghost.

But they were getting closer to the shoreline… and that was a lot of water.

It seemed to go on for miles.

It's all in your head.

No, it's not. It's all right there!

All fifteen billion miles of it—

A gate of fingers suddenly blocked the crashing ocean waves from Cole's view and he jerked to a stop.

"Earth to Cole," Jay was saying when Cole finally tuned back in to the world around him. "Do you read me?"

"Huh?" Cole blinked in a vain attempt to clear his head. "Yeah. Sorry, what were you saying?"

Looking entirely unconvinced, Jay replied, "We're here."

True to word, there was the waterfront, where a handful of ships were peacefully docked.

Bad idea. Bad idea! There's any number of ways things could go wrong.

We could get caught in a storm. A giant wave could wash over the side of the ship.

The hull could get ripped open by a bunch of rocks and we could all sink to the bottom of the ocean, or—

Hey! You're not a ghost anymore, remember? You can just swim!

Yeah, right…

"Cole!"

Jay's outburst pulled Cole back to the present with a start. "What?"

"Are you okay? You keep zoning out on me."

"I'm fine, just—" Cole forced what he hoped was a pacifying smile. "Thinking about Master Wu, that's all."

"Well, if anyone can find him, it's us," Jay said with a smirk.

"That's giving us a lot of credit." Cole's grin widened. "But I'll take it. However… something I don't think we need to take is one of those ships. I mean, where can it possibly take us that our legs can't?"

"Uh, I don't know, across the ocean? Come on, Cole, I thought we agreed that searching for Master Wu on the outskirts of Ninjago was the best way to start. Why the sudden change?"

Sudden. Right…

"No reason. But, we don't have a lot of cash on us. Don't you think passage abord one of those huge ships is gonna be expensive?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to pick one of the smaller ones, then."

"Right…"

"Now, come on!" Jay waved his arm. "Master Wu—"

"If you say Master Wu won't find himself one more time, I swear I'll—"

"Race you to the docks!"

A groan tore from Cole's throat. "Oh, not this again! Jay," he said when he caught up at last, "this isn't a game. This is serious! Master Wu is counting on us to—"

"And we will. On that ship!"

Following Jay's pointed finger, Cole sized up the large sea vessel docked in front of them and resisted the urge to dig the palm of his hand into his forehead. "What did I just say about big ships?"

"That was just a guess! We won't know for sure until we actually ask—Look! There's someone!"

Cole found himself running once more to keep up with Jay, who slowed to a halt just a few feet in front a middle-aged sailor.

"Good day, fine sir," he began in a cheery voice, his smile bright. "I'm guessing this is your ship?" When the man simply nodded in return, Jay pressed on, "Well, my friend and I seek adventure on distant shores. How much for passage on your magnificent ship?"

This time, Cole gave in to the facepalm.

"What kind of a ship d'ya think this is?" the sailor asked after a moment of stunned silence. "A pleasure cruise? We haul minerals and we just got into port after a six month round trip. Sorry, kid, but you're out of luck this time. There ain't no way the Sapphire's setting sail without unloading and getting her crew paid first. Go take your wanderlust somewhere else."

"So," Cole remarked as they headed over to the next ship, "that went really well, didn't it?"

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try to do better."

"Fine. I will. Hey, you over there!" This time, it was Jay's turn to keep up with Cole's sprint down the next pier. "Yeah, you! You're a sailor, aren't you? And this is your ship, right?"

"The captain's ship," the sailor corrected, his pinched lips making his irritation quite clear.

Here goes nothing.

"Well, aren't you in luck, then? There you are with a ship all ready to make sail, and here we are with pockets full of cash. How much for a trip to the islands?"

The sailor sniffed as if their mere presence was offensive to him, then proceeded to act as if he hadn't heard a word Cole said. "And where did you two come from? A costume extravaganza? What are you even supposed to be in those unseemly getups?"

At a loss for words, Cole exchanged a glance with Jay.

"And another thing, you can't just waltz around expecting to get a ride from a crew you don't even know. Now, if you don't mind terribly, I have things to do."

"Can you believe that guy?" Jay exclaimed after the sailor had disappeared into his ship. "He acted like he was too good to even be around us!"

"He probably is," Cole muttered. "Come on, let's just walk, or hitch ar ride on another horse and cart. Maybe someone even has a cool vehicle they'd be open to lending us."

"No!" Cole almost groaned again at the sight of Jay's determined face. "We're gonna find a ship if it kills us!"

More of the same followed the ninja for the better part of the afternoon.

"Look, son, this ain't a tourboat. We have a job to do, here."

"Don't you have somewhere better to be right now?"

"Gee, I wish I could, but this little lady's mast is in need of some tender loving care before she can get back out on the water."

To Cole, it all seemed like one of those bad movie montages. The only thing missing was a cheesy song and a few more supporting characters.

"Please! We're desperate! Just one little ride? That wouldn't hurt anybody, would it?"

"We'll pay you if you let us ride on your boat."

Nothing. Every lead turned out to be a dead end.

"Jay, this is pointless." With more force than necessary, Cole flung his rock into the ocean, then plopped back down on the sand beside Jay. "No one's ever going to let us sail with them."

"We just have to keep trying."

"Trying? We went to every ship in port! What else is there to try? I say we find someone to take us across those hills over there and give up on the sea entirely—gah!"

The wave snaked up to Cole's toes so quickly that he barely had time to register its existence, much less jump out of the way in time. Somewhere in the buzz of his anxiety, Jay was laughing, a bubbly sound that would've made Cole smile under different circumstances.

In that moment, however, he just needed to get away—get away!

As Cole scrambled backwards, trying desperately to get on his feet, Jay flicked at the foam with his hands. "It's just a little water, Cole. We'll dry off in this heat, no problem."

Just a little water. He resisted the urge to squeeze shut his eyes. It's just a little water…

"See?" And before he could stop it, a small spray of water was flying from Jay's cupped palms and onto Cole's arms.

"Jay!" It's just a little water. Just a little water. Come on, Cole, it's just a little—"Would you knock it off? Were you even paying attention to me earlier? This isn't a game!"

Jay's smile never faltered. If anything, it grew wider. "Oh, lighten up! Splashing around a little won't ruin our mission."

"Yeah, but it'll distract us—Didn't I say knock it off?"

"It's just water!" Jay scooped up another handfull of water when the next wave rolled in. "And it's the beach! This is what you're supposed to do—"

"I said, knock it off!" One well-aimed kick was enough to shower Jay with thick clumps of sand.

Far enough away from the incoming waves to feel safe, Cole gasped for air as Jay spluttered and choked on a mouthful of sand.

"Cole! What the heck? That wasn't fair! That's not how you play at the beach…"

It's just water. It's just water.

It can't hurt you anymore. Not like it used to. Do you hear me, Cole? It can't—

"Cole…?" It was the soft concern lacing Jay's tone that caught Cole's attention. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I fine." Inhale, exhale. Inhale— "I just… I'm fine. Sorry I kicked sand in your face."

"I don't believe you."

"Look, Jay, how many times do I have to apologize before—?"

"No," Jay interrupted, pushing himself off the ground. "I mean, I don't believe you're fine. If you were, you wouldn't have stuffed my face full of sand."

Jay's chuckle wasn't contagious, not this time.

"I just…" Inhale, exhale. "… need a minute."

"Okay." Though he didn't say anything more, Cole noticed the way Jay kept glancing at him, as if Cole were about to shatter into a million pieces.

I'm fine. It's just water. I just need… It's just… I…

"Cole…?" Jay's voice was a whisper now and Cole realized with a jolt that he was having a hard time catching his breath.

"I just…" Gulping, he shook his head. "The waves—the water—I can't—"

He felt Jay's hands on his shoulders mere seconds before his body began to move. Away from the water. Away from the waves and the ocean and the panic.

The further Jay ushered him away, the easier Cole found it was to breathe. It wasn't long until his lungs no longer screamed at him in anger and his heart toned down its destructive pounding.

"Cole…?"

"I'm fine." Jay just shot him a look. "Really, I'm fine now."

Breathing seemed to come easier to Jay then, too, and he heaved one of the most relieved sighs Cole had ever heard.

"What happened back there? You looked like you'd seen a—"

"Ghost?" Cole nodded, swallowing down the unwelcome lump that tried to lodge itself in his throat. "I guess I did."

"Uh… what?"

"I… I saw myself as a ghost for a minute and I couldn't… Well, you know what happens when… And I spent so long trying to make sure I never touched a drop of water that now… I don't know. It's just water, and I'm human now, so I'm safe, but…" An empty shrug was all he could manage, having run out of anything intelligible to say.

Jay's eyes were coated with understanding. "Some things just stick with you for a while." He shrugged before continuing, his gaze shifting toward the ocean. "You just… have to find a way to beat it."

"Right. How 'bout we beat it by taking another road, preferably one that doesn't involve the ocean or water of any kind?"

"You don't beat it by running away from it." Jay crossed his arms, a sly grin taking hold of his lips. "You have to face it head on!"

"Yeah… I don't think I'm ready for that."

"If you keep telling yourself that, you'll never be ready."

Inhale, exha—Jay was making too much sense and Cole wanted so badly for him to stop.

He's right. You know he's right.

But knowing and accepting have always been two very different concepts oftentimes hard to connect. Cole knew Jay was right, of course he did, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to accept this fact.

Despite the way his heart continued to hammer against his rib cage, Cole cleared his throat. "What, uh, did you have in mind?"

Jay's smile widened, if that was at all possible. "The best way to face your fear is by doing what we were before. Except, this time, we'll keep the sand throwing to a minimum. Or, better yet, nonexistent. What do you say?"

Inhale, exhale.

Inhale…

"Splashing around in the waves?" Ever so slightly, Cole nodded. "Let's get this over with."

… exhale.