The first thing Terra became aware was his aching head, causing him to regret leaving the painless oblivion of unconsciousness as his self-awareness returned to the waking world. He groaned in pain, but soon felt he was lying in a cozy bed, and he heard hoofsteps and somepony say, "Take it easy, you've got a nasty bump on your head, bud."

The voice was male, sounding gentle and kind, and then he heard the presence come closer and felt them sit on the edge of his bed before they leaned over, every so gingerly placed their hoof behind the non-aching side of his head, and carefully eased him up, "Take a sip o' this, it'll help with th' pain."

He felt something touch his lips, so he opened his mouth, and in poured an herbal-tasting warm liquid, which he swallowed and then smacked his lips from the subtly sweet aftertaste.

"There we are," the voice said kindly before he gently laid Terra back down. "Jus' lay there an' relax, little mane, the tea'll have ya back on yer hooves in no time."

"The.. the monster..." Terra groaned as he struggled to open his eyes but a wave of relaxation came over him, "what happened to it...?"

"Later, after you wake," the voice assured, but just before he slipped back into the comfort of sleep, Terra couldn't help but hear the heartache in the voice.

"...terrible!" "Whudda we gonna do?!" "Mah daddy's gone!" "So's muh brother!" "What if tha' monster comes back?"

"Urgh..." The racket, distant and muffled as it was, disturbed Terra's ears as he finally woke up, feeling better albeit still a tad sore where his head had hurt earlier.

Sitting up, he found himself in quaint yet cozy bedroom, the lack of personal touches indicating it was probably a guest room, and he slowly got out of bed and onto his hooves. He was a bit shaky at first, but found his hoofing and made his way out. He found himself in a large hallway and saw the frontdoor, but it was the windows siding it, with lots of foals and a few teenagers peering out to see what was going on.

"Um, hello?" Terra called to them, and some of the foals turned to regard him, one giving him a sharp 'SHHH' while one of the teenagers came over.

"Hey there, friend, feelin' better?" the teenage pony asked, no longer a filly but not yet a mare.

"Uh- Yeah, but," Terra gestured to the front door, "What's going on out there?"

"Th' townsfolk're worried sick about wha' happened an' demandin' answers," the pony explained, "Big Brother Jambalaya is out there tryna calm `em down, but..."

The young mare looked concerned as she looked to the window, and they heard the shouting continued.

"Jamba, wha' in Sam Hay're ya gonna do about this?!" somepony demanded.

"Um, I-" a meek yet baritone voice almost answered-

"Are we gon' hav' ta' leave Hayseed Swamp!?" cried out another voice, sounding more sad than scared.

"Ah'm not sor if'n it'll come ta'-" the same voice tried to speak again.

"Aw, who we kiddin'!? Papa Gumbo's th' only one who coulda taken care'o tha' monster an' it got him before he could!" wailed yet another interrupting voice.

"Why's everypony talking to this Jamba guy if they're not even gonna let him talk?" Terra said in a miffed way as he stepped up to peer out the window... and was surprised to see the pony standing in front of the locals was the same pony he'd seen just before he got conked out. The pony who looked like he was made of... gelatin?

Jamba was sweating bullets, looking to be on the verge of a panic attack... when one of the ponies behind him, an ample-bottomed earth pony mare, larger and pudgier than most mares but in a motherly way, stepped up and placed a comforting hoof on Jamba's withers, looking small next to him yet having an effect, on him and the ponies in front of them. She had a gravy brown coat, creamy white mane, her eyes the same warm shade of melted chocolate, and her cutie-mark was a whisk and mixing bowl. She nodded to Jamba, who looked relieved yet still ashamed as he stepped back and let her take the reins.

"Alright, y'all SHUT YER PIEHOLES!!!" she yelled in a scolding manner that got everyone to finally calm the heck down and almost suddenly things were quiet, as though a teacher had quelled a class of misbehaving foals.
"Ah know y'all are scared an' confused, but badgerin' wit' questions ya don' even give a chance t' be answered won't get anything done! Ah know wha' happened yesterday was terrifyin' an' awful! Wer' all scared an' worried for our loved ones who got taken by that monster! But we musn't loose our heads, we need t' keep a tight hold and figure out what wer' gonna do."

"But Mama Roux, Papa Gumbo has been our protector for Goddess knows how long!" said one of the ponies in the crowd. "Without him t' protect Hayseed Village... Ah jus' don' feel it's safe fer me or muh family here!"

"Now, now, we can't just give up! Hayseed is our home, and our home it's gonna stay!" Mama Roux declared firmly, "But still, y'all're right - This... Swamp Monster's gotta go! not t' mention there's still hope all th' ponies it took, includin' mah husband, Papa Gumbo, are still alive! Someone has got t' go an' face this monster an' take it out! Any soul here wit' th' grit and will to test themselves?!"

...

The silence returned, though more awkward and uncomfortable, as everypony present seemed to clam up, develop an interest in their hooves or the clouds above, some shifty-eyed, nervously peering at Mama Roux and her family before suddenly looking away.

Hearts of dragons these ponies... Terra thought to himself with a roll of his eyes.

Mama Roux sighed, "Look, everypony. Yesterday, perhaps th' worst an' scariest thing ever happened to our home! This- this... creature interrupted our Swampi Gras, scared us al outta our wits, stole our kin, an' left us shambled and teary-eyed.

"Ah know wer' all still reelin' from it. Ah know this is a lot t' ask! But someone has got to go an' face this monster an' say 'no more'. It's okay to be scared, so long as you do whatcha gotta do no matter how scared you are! Ya think Papa Gumbo's never been scared? Hoo-wee, he's been scared many times in his life! But what scared him most of all was letting down his family, his friends, an' his community, especially when they needed him most."

Terra was listening to every word Mama roux spoke, feeling something inside start to burn, not in a passionate or furious way, but more like... a 'go for it' way. A burning inclination that was revving him up to move forward.

"Findin' th' will to act, th' courage to do th' job, an' having th' strength to not let fear stop you," Mama Roux declared, "That is what it means... to be a hero!"

All eyes turned to the front door of the manor, where Terra stood, looking nervous yet determined all the same, as he said, "I'll go!"

And his words were met with... yet another awkward silence. The moment stretched to being uncomfortable enough that Terra was beginning to lose his nerve, when somepony asked, "Who the heck are you?"

"Oh, uh- My name is Terra-" Terra began, only to be interrupted.

"Argh, he's just some outsider!" "I bet he's just lookin' for some reward for 'valiant efforts'!" "An' look how laughably chubby he is! He's got nothin' on Papa Gumbo!" "Well, I don't see any o' you volunteerin' to go after that monster!" "He might not be th' biggest pony around but he's certainly got guts." "We should give him a chance, who knows? He just might succeed."

The voices saying yay compared to the voices saying nay soothed Terra's anxiety, and he furrowed his brows.
"Look, I understand you have no reason to have faith in me. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have faith in myself either. A lot has happened in my life recently, but somepony saw something in me, something that I'm still not sure whether I see in myself. But this somepony bestowed upon me a great honor, and now the time has come for me to prove myself not just worthy but deserving of it.

"Until recently, I was just a humble blacksmith," Terra said as he summoned his sword to his hoof and held it in front of him, blade down, his hooves on the handle, as he declared himself, "But now, for the first time, I must prove that I am Sir Terra, Knight of Harmony! And I will do that by vanquishing this monster... or die trying!"

Murmurs spread among the crowd, some still doubtful yet others were hopeful. but then somepony shouted, "Say, wait, are you one o' those knights that helped save Canterlot, the ones who stopped that jerk duke from overthrowin' the princesses?"

Whoever asked that sparked more intrigue, and some looked to Terra, who grimaced slightly, before admitting, "No, I'm not one of those knights. I only recently joined the Knights of Harmony. Even so, I am here because I feel I am meant to be here. Not just for myself, but for you. I won't lie to you though, I'm scared. I'm scared of that monster, I'm scared what'll happen if I find it, but... when I came here, i was just thinking about me! Thinking 'Am I good enough?' 'Can I do this?' 'Is this all just a mistake?' But after what happened, and hearing what all of you said, especially you, Mama Roux."

Mama Roux looked at Terra with an unreadable look, yet there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, so Terra continued.

"I realize now... it's not about me. It's about you! The people. As a knight, I swore an oath. The time has come for me to stand by that oath. I can't promise you all that I will succeed. But I owe it to you all to try my best! So that's what I'm gonna do."

The crowd was silent, but this time... they looked upon Terra with more hopeful eyes. Some still wavered with hints of doubt and fear, but now it felt like there was a real chance that this plight could be resolved by this unlikely hero before them.

Terra smiled a little, before taking a deep breath, "Alright, I'm going to prepare and then head out! But I'm gonna need somepony to be my guide through the swamp. Can I count on one of you to help me?"

And just like that, the uplifting feelings in the air deflated, as again the ponies in the crowd looked interested in anything else but him. Some examining the frogs of their hooves, others whistling awkwardly, and Terra thinking, Of course...

Without even dignifying that response with one of his own, Terra turned to step back into the manor-

"I'll go with you!"

A collection of gasps, not just from the crowd, but from several members of Papa Gumbo's family responded to those words, and all eyes, including Terra's, turned to Jamba, who had a look of 'what did I just do' on his face as he gulped. Knowing he couldn't take them back, Jamba took a deep breath to try and steady his thumping heart and grumbly gut, before he hesitantly spoke, "I... I'll be yer guide. I `preciate ya willin' ta' put yerself at risk to help us. But yer' liable t' get lost or in trouble if ya go out there on ya own.

"I know this swamp well, I've spent near me whole life explorin' it, with my dad an' with Papa Gumbo. You're willing t' put yer life on de' line t' help us, least I can do is guide you an' help you succeed."

The locals were in awe, before they started talking loudly, sounding more and more hopeful, and some were even giving Jamba proud and encouraging looks. Especially his Mama Roux, though in a gentler way.

Jamba gave Terra a look, and saw the knight, while certainly looking thankful, was regarding Jamba curiously.

He gulped again, thinking, I hope I didn't just make th' biggest mistake o' my life...!

The swamp was quiet as the two stallions rafted down the river that led deeper within. Too quiet. Same as it was between the two stallions, Terra riding and keeping watch up front while Jamba used a long pole to push them along. After Jamba had volunteered to guide Terra, Mama Roux had gotten them all geared up and supplied, since they didn't know how long their quest would take.

They had camping gear, rations, containers of drinking water, a first aid kit that included herbal remedies, the recipes of which were originally invented by Meadowbrooke herself, among other things. Jamba had to talk his mama down since they needed to travel light, which worked though Jamba had still been a little concerned what Roux had put together and put on their raft might be a little much. Especially with him on board.

Still, the raft held their combined weight just fine, and they were off with the best wishes and good lucks and 'come back safely's of the villagers. Terra and Jamba had tried engaging in small talk at first, but it was so awkward.

From their limited exchange, Terra had learned a few things about Jamba:
He was actually ten years older than Terra (which surprised him, because Terra had thought they were around the same age).
He was the oldest of Papa Gumbo's grandfoals.
He agreed the swamp seemed more scary than wondrous in light of all that had happened.
He agreed it was unusually muggy today.

In fact, it was so muggy that Terra wished he'd brought along a fan or something to keep cool.
I guess I could dunk my head in the water, but who knows what's in that swill...?

Terra turned, about to ask Jamba if they had an umbrella or something to make shade, when his eyes popped just a bit. Jamba continued to pole their raft along, but the sun bearing down on him reflected the sweat in his orange-brown coat, accentuating his muscles as well as his belly and flanks. Then Jamba made a big push with his raft pole, causing his belly to shake and his flanks to jiggle, beads of sweat either sliding down his body or flecking out into the air from the sudden shift of motion.

Sombra's burns, he's hot...! Terra thought, unable to resist ogling Jamba, only to flinch when he noticed Jamba about to look at him.

He immediately stood up (rocked the raft just a little), and turned forward while making a show of shielding his eyes from the sun as he called out, "Er- What was that? Did you see that... something on the swamp shore?"

Jamba didn't answer. Although the slight shaking of the raft startled him for a moment, he'd been immediately bewitched by the sight of Terra's backside. How golden they were, how glorious! How the sudden motion had caused those gloriously golden glutes to jiggle while the sun reflected off the sweaty fur coating that bodacious bottom! They were plush with the fat of a pony who enjoyed his snacks yet he could see an underlying firmness of muscle, indicating Terra was no stranger to physical labor.

Sweet Mother o' Swamp Gas, that ass! Jamba thought with a shudder as arousal loosened him up a little. Perhaps just a little too much.

Either way, the awkward silence returned for a long moment, but Terra took the initiative and cleared his throat, "Um, Jamba, I... I think we oughta make a plan or something.

"I mean, we have no idea where this Swamp Monster is or even what we'll do when and if we actually find it, so... !!!!" Terra had turned to face Jamba.

And found he could see right through him!

Jamba's body had become transparent, turning the color of amber orange, and looking as though he were a huge pony-sized mold of gelatin, except he was moving and had a definite facial expression of light swooning... that turned to alarm when he saw Terra looking at him, and he realized his goof!

"Whaaaaa....???" Terra uttered in whispered and confused awe at the sight of the pony made of gelatin when-

"WHOA!!!" The raft hit something, causing Terra to lose his balance.

"TERRA!!!" Jamba cried out, and just as Terra was about to fall into the swamp water...

...Jamba's form collapsed a little, his head maintaining its shape while his body became amorphous and part of it reached out to embrace Terra and prevent him from falling off the raft into the murky water.

Terra freaked out a little, feeling the living... slime? Muck? Whatever, envelop him, and shivered at how it felt! Cool but not cold, wet and gooey as it sank into his coat, and surprisingly firm and strong it was in how it restricted his movements, like being wrapped up in a heavy blanket.

"I- Thi- Wha...!?" Terra stuttered, a little panicky from being unable to move, but he felt the pressure holding him slacken a little, and he saw Jamba's face gain more detail and color until his head looked again to be made of flesh and blood though it transitioned back to his gelatin-body at his neck.

"Look, Terra! I can explain, I... i just need you to hear me out and not be scared, please?" Jamba asked, sounding nervous but still speaking as calmly as he could and giving Terra the sad eyes of a pleading colt, which somehow worked on the... unusual pony.

"I... I am willing to... hear you out," Terra took a deep breath and despite still being rattled, he managed a little smirk, "You're not exactly... the first unique pony I've met, though you are a little... more unique?"

The two ponies shared an awkward chuckle, before Jamba took a deep breath of his own before he took a moment to figure out what to say, "Alright... to start off, I am clearly a... unique pony, as you said."

"Clearly, in more ways than one," Terra cracked, looking through Jamba's transparent and amorphous body.

"Heheh, yeah... So, I'm an Earth Pony, like you," Jamba nodded, "and I am also... a Goo Pony."

Unbeknownst to the two of them, something watched from deeper within the bayou. Something sinister as it eyed the two ponies with embittered gluttony.

Next Chapter: 413. In Swamp Water - Part 4 Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 26 Minutes