The pounding of his hammer-shoe onto the heated metal held in place by his free hoof was Terra's medium. His focus. His sense of clarity through the effort of his work as a smith. It'd been a while since he'd settled into Ponyville after being knighted by his old friend, Blueblood, and been given the title of Royal Armorer by Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, with the duty of helping the Harmony Guard in the general upkeep of their armor and weapons.

He'd been given a forge next to the HG garrison, located on the edge of the field behind the Castle of Friendship. At least once a week, the Captain of the Harmony Guard and fellow knight, Firestorm, ran the members of the guard through some exercises to keep them in shape and disciplined. Terra himself had participated in guard training and found it invigorating, and was pleased with the results of helping him to bulk a little in muscle.

Still, nothing beat the hard work and breaking a sweat in his forge, as it was not only his passion and his purpose... but it was a welcome distraction.

"Terra!" The big golden earth pony looked up, pushing up his welding goggles (warded to protect his whole face, not just his eyes) and saw Firestorm and Midnight standing in the doorway of the forge.

Firestorm, as Terra learned, was actually in his sixties, but some unexpected magical incident had restored him to his physical prime as well as... dragonized him, as it were, giving him the horns, scales, tail, and claws of a dragon while mostly keeping his original pony form, and of course he was a young-again unicorn stallion. Midnight was an alicorn, standing tall, strong, and handsome, with only a large scar on his chest he received from battling a corrupt businessmane in magical armor. Firestorm wore only a sash with his captain badge pinned to it, and Midnight was naked.

If Terra wasn't already in a commited relationship (albeit one on hold at the moment) he'd be interested in these two studs, though he was imemdiately turned off by Firestorm's rough demeanor and Midnight was married.

I ain't no homewrecker, he thought to himself with a light chuckle. "Hey there, gentlecolts, what can I do for you?"

"I've been meaning to speak with you about the quality of HG armor," Firestorm started off, in a all-business type of mood, "Prince Midnight agrees with me that the armor for the Harmony Guard could do with some magical enhancements and protective measures, and seeing as you're Royal Armorer, this discussion concerns you as well."

"Er- What Captain Firestorm is getting at, Terra," Midnight interjected more kindly, "we'd like to speak with you in how to improve the HG armor with magical enhancements, like he said, but we also want your opinion. We're aware you studied magical theory with Blueblood."

Magical enhancements to the guard armor, huh... Terra thought as he began to put his tools away and snuffed out the fire in his forge, "Well, what kind of enhancements do you have in mind? Do the guards need to be stronger, faster, have better protection?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Firestorm immediately responded, "The HG and both its divisions need to be ready for whatever that witch Catrina is plotting, and there's no telling when, where, or how she'll strike when she makes her next move!"

"Ready for whatever, huh? Well, why don't you make a list of anything else that comes to mind and leave it here in the forge," Terra said with a sigh in his voice as he put his welding goggles on the little hook on the wall and set his hammershoe below it, "I'll go over it and see what I can do.

"I'm closing up shop for the day. I could really use a drink..."

"A drink?! Now listen here, you-" Firestorm started indignantly, only for Midnight to raise a hoof to him causing him to clam up.

"We can postpone the talk the next time before you come in for your work, Terra," Midnight said kindly, "Go ahead and get some you-time."

"Thank you very much," Terra gave the sapphire stallion a grateful smile before moseying along and leaving his forge.

The prince and captain watched Terra go, and Midnight sighed with a light worry, "Boy, he looks blue..."

"I'd say brownish-gold," Firestorm responded in a rather deadpan tone.

"No, no, no, I mean he's depressed," Midnight clarified.

"Oh..." Firestorm finally got it through his thick skull and realized he remembered where he'd seen this kind of behavior in Terra. In himself, after his wife passed away. "I'm guessing distance from his somepony has not made his heart grow fonder, or something."

"He just misses his special somepony," Midnight nodded, "Faust knows I did when I had to keep my distance from my wife and everyone else I loved..."

Saveur de Rose was perhaps one of the most popular places in Ponyville, as it was its newest tea shop. There had been a few tea shops in Ponyville before, but none had been so elegant and classy and enjoyable as the Rose.

It was owned, managed, and lived in by Golden Rose, a true gentlecolt of an earth pony, who just so happened to be of Prench descent. His coat was pale pink, like blossoms in bloom, his mane and tail like vibrant pink roses with streaks of gentle golden yellow that paled in comparison to his beautiful golden eyes, his cutie-mark was a stylized golden rose symbol, and he had some faint but noticeable heart-shaped spot-like markings on different parts of his body that were just a shade darker than his coat. He was tall, with long legs, a narrow but handsome face, and his unexpectedly bottom-heavy backside emphasized his good looks in all the right ways rather than mar them.

Maybe it was how Rose's passive way of speaking Prench. Maybe it was the delightful and refreshing tastes of his own personal mixes of teas as well as his scrumptious little cakes, or maybe it was his drop-dead good looks! Whatever it was, Rose was never in want of customers as his tea shop so very often had many of the local mares (and perhaps a few stallions) swing by to order a cup of tea with a cake to go with it, the mixtures he'd made himself that were secret recipes to die for. Many tried to shoot the breeze with Rose or invite him out to spend time together or to some little shindig or soiree.

However, they were always disappointed, as Rose never failed to politely decline, citing his responsibility to run his shop and serve his customers.

So it became somewhat obvious in how much more receptive Rose was to Terra, when the golden earth pony started visiting the Rose after meeting its proprietor and they immediately struck up a rapport.

It'd been shortly after Blueblood had brought Terra to Ponyville and helped him find housing to settle in. Terra had accepted Blueblood's offer of a tour of the town, during which he'd got his first glimpse of a perfectly plush and softly pink posterior, standing in front of a tea shop!

He hadn't meant to stare, it was just so darn beautiful... up until the pony had turned around to give him a look, how embarrassed he'd been. But then the pony had given him a flirty wink and beckoned him and Blueblood over.

Blueblood had introduced Terra to Golden Rose of the Saveur de Rose, knowing him through his wife, Rarity, one of Rose's most frequent customers (and perhaps one of the few whose company he actually enjoyed, since Rarity was able to determine Rose's... preferences).

Having easily seen Terra's interest in him, Rose had beckoned him over and welcomed the golden earth pony to enjoy a fresh cup on him, and it didn't take long for Terra to become a frequent customer. Every time he showed up, Rose gave him more attention than any other customer, especially the mares, which had the intended effect Rose had been going for... though he could not deny the interest Terra had in him became mutual, and one night, before closing shop, Rose had invited Terra to his bed, and since then they became more than just friends.

It was the middle of the afternoon though afternoon teatime had come and gone, so the Rose was mostly empty apart from Golden Rose himself along with a couple older mares gossiping in one of the corner booths while Terra sat at his usual bar seat.

He'd already poured Terra his usual cup and provided the little cake he enjoyed to go with it. It didn't escape Rose's notice that his favorite customer had hardly touched his tea and cake, though he kept it casual, before asking, "So, how's work going? Anything interesting happen at the forge, mon ami, or did you get to do more research on those geo crystals you told me about?"

"Nothing much really happened today," Terra shrugged in a 'what're you gonna do' manner as he gently swirled the contents of his teacup, "Aside from more work piling on to more work. It's nothing I can't handle but it can really wear a stallion out..."

"Well, if you're feeling worn out, my bed's fun-sized, as you very well know, "Rose flirted, raising his voice just a tad, enough for the mares in the corner booth table to hear him and gasp softly, one in a 'why, I never' sort of way, the other in a blushing 'oh my', causing them to leave the pay for their tea at their table and scurry out. Perfect, now it's just the two of us...

"Tempting as I find that, I'm just not in the mood today, Rose," Terra sighed as he rested his cheek onto his hoof, eyes downwards. "I'm just... not feeling my mojo lately."

"You miss Praetura," responded the understanding voice of Rose, and Terra gawked at the pale pink stallion, cleaning a teacup, for having hit the nail on the head. "Oh, don't be so surprised, I've seen that same yearning look on your face before on other ponies."

"Is it really that obvious?" asked Terra in a slightly doubtful way, only to get a raised brow from Rose in response. Taking a deep breath and pursing his lips in exhale, Terra conceded, "Alright, fine, yes... I miss Praetura, Rose! I understand why he had to go, but... I miss his holding me, how safe he makes me feel, how he... how he smells, how he riles me up!"

"I know, I know," Rose chuckled lightly before giving Terra and understanding smile, "Look, Terr, we have fun, and I've really enjoyed getting to know you, but... I know I'm no replacement for Praetura, given all you've told me about him."

"No, you're not Praetura," Terra nodded before he reached across the counter and took Rose's hoof into his own, "You're my Rose, and Prae will gladly call you his Rose too, when he... when he finally gets here..."

"Oh? Does this mean we should be expecting him anytime soon?" Rose asked, hopeful and curious.

Sighing, Terra sat back on his chair and shook his head, "No... I mean, we've stayed in touch with letters, and he said things are coming along nicely in Enterra-"

"Heh, very creative name," Rose teased.

"Oh hush you," Terra chuckled a bit before continuing, "But he hasn't mentioned or implied he'd be done anytime soon."

"Well, maybe you just need something to take your mind off your troubles," Rose offered with sultry smirk. "We don't have to get intimate, but... what do you say to just spending the rest of the day out together, mon ami? Maybe a walk in the park or something."

"...y'know what, Rose," Terra perked up a bit. "I think that's a great idea."

Both stallions gave each other a warm smile before they leaned forward and nuzzled sweetly... only for it to end when Terra was startled by a strange sensation in his flanks. It felt like a tickle and a spasm at the same time, and he jerked his head back to see what was going on.

"Oh my, Terra!" Rose marveled at the sight of Terra's anvil cutie-mark glowing a purple and gold light. "Am I so desirable that your gloriously golden glutes are lighting up in response?"

"Funny! But... no, I think this is something else," Terra wondered before remember something Blueblood had told him and he realized, "The map is calling me!"

"To... where?" Terra didn't recognize the location where his cutie-mark was circling above the map. It was a large area south of Baltimare and west of Horseshoe Bay.

"If I'm not mistaken," Terra looked to see Twilight, Spike, and Midnight coming as Twilight levitated a book in front of her before turning it around for Terra to see, "You're being summoned by the map to Hayseed Swamps!"

"A swamp?" Terra couldn't hide the disappointment. He'd been honored to be knighted by his friend Blueblood, and he had been hoping for his time to come to prove himself a true knight (mostly to himself), but...
"Wouldn't a place like Canterlot or the Crystal Empire, or maybe... the Macintosh Hills make more sense for a... what did you call these, Midnight?"

"A Knightly Mission," Midnight answered with an understanding smile, "Sometimes the Map calls upon someone to a location to solve a Friendship Problem, or it calls upon a knight for what we call a Knightly Mission. Friendship Problems are problems that can be solved with friendship, though the concept can apply to a lot of things, plus more than one pony is sent to solve Friendship Problems together. Whereas Knightly Missions are just for the knights and you always go solo to resolve a situation involving a wrong or some kind of injustice. That isn't to say, it's always some kind of harrowing and dangerous adventure however.

"My first Knightly Mission was to stop a pony from harassing a herd-family and helping them find peace with each other while also preventing this pony from trying to ban herds in her community."

"Well, Blueblood helped me and Praetura stand up for the Geo Ponies and help them finally become a part of Equestria," Terra recalled before giving the location on the map another look.
"Still, I wonder what could be out in some swamp that needs a knight for."

"Hayseed Swamp isn't just some swamp, Terra," Twilight assured while turning the page to an old illustration of a pony wearing some kind of mask, "It's known for having been the home of Mage Meadowbrooke, a renowned and celebrated healer and also an earth pony sorceress!"

"An earth pony sorceress?" Terra echoed in disbelief, "I thought only unicorns could be considered sorcerers and wizards and things like that."

"Not necessarily," Twilight explained, "Magic comes in all kinds of forms besides spellcasting like unicorns do. It can also come in the form of potions, alchemy, enchanting..."

"And though the art isn't as well known as it oughta be," Midnight added, "there's also Mana Wielding, which anypony can learn regardless of what kind of pony they are. Remember that you've been learning Mana Wielding too whenever the knights get together for a training session?"

"Oh yeah...!" Terra remembered as he looked at his hoof, "The Phantom Hands technique has really helped me with my work in the forge!"

"And there will be more skills and abilities to learn and master as you progress in your training," Midnight promised, "But I think it's about time you get ready for your mission."

"Oh! Right," Terra paused a moment to think, "Is there anything I should bring?"

"You have your sword with you?" asked Midnight, despite knowing the answer.

"Yeah, kinda hard to misplace it when I keep it inside of me," Terra chuckled as he raised the same hoof and summoned his sword to it. The blade was a deep metallic gold while the handle was colored a deep purple like amethyst crystal, yet the whole thing gave off a glow akin to that of metal heated up. Except it was quite cool to the touch, and felt perfectly balanced in his hoof's hold, giving it a light wave, before absorbing it back into his body.

"You might also need this," Twilight added while she lit up her horn and her magenta-colored magic washed over Terra, startling him a bit, but he felt a comforting sensation as it faded, and Twilight said, "Hayseed Swamp is lousy with mosquitos and flies and other buzzy little pests. This ward will keep them away from you, so you don't get bitten or stung or anything. But it only repels bugs, so be careful of anything else out there."

"Thanks, Twilight," Terra sighed on the inside, "anything else I should know?"

"As a matter of fact," Spike came forward as he took the book from Twilight and turned to a certain page and nodded before showing it, "I believe Hayseed Swamp is due to celebrate a special holiday they have, Swampi Gras!"

"Swampi Gras?" Terra echoed, "Don't think I've heard of it."

"Well, the locals of Hayseed Swamp are a tight-knit community and typically keep to themselves," Spike explained, "though they still welcome anypony who wouold like to participate in their special holiday of Swampi Gras! It's a cultural celebration that lasts three days and three nights, where they dance and sing and eat all kinds of foods, especially their local Cajun cuisine! They also put on special performances that honor their traditions and the founder of the Swampi Gras holiday, Swamp Gas, who lived in Hayseed Swamp a long time ago and was also the husband of Mage Meadowbrooke! Swamp Gas came up with the idea of a cultural celebration to honor their community while Meadowbrooke came up with the name for it, and called it Swampi Gras since her husband started the holiday."

"You can ask Blueblood to borrow the Slipstream," Midnight suggested, "I'm sure he'll be happy to lend it to you."

"Welp, I guess I'm off to Swampi Gras," Terra gave the map another look, seeing his cutie-mark floating over his destination, I just hope this doesn't turn out to be more than I can handle...

Terra and Golden Rose both belong to Secretly Yordle

Saveur de Rose - French "Rosy Flavor"

The title, "In Swamp Water" is derived from the expression 'in hot water' and 'Swampi Gras' is absolutely a pony version of the Louisiana holiday of Mardi Gras