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// Chapter 59: Kaelynn 
// Story: Forbidden Places 
// by Starscribe 
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Kaelynn swam endless circles around her prison. She searched the rock in every corner, checked every seal, and ran her hooves along every scratch and deformation in the carving. Finding her way out wouldn't be that different to getting into one of the places her group liked to film: even an attentive and responsible government body could only leave so much to defend a place. Static defenses were a monument to the hubris of man.

But the one who made these defenses wasn't a man by either definition. It seemed that Morningtide had done a pretty thorough job sealing things up. She had an unfair advantage here, since any large openings would have swiftly drained the aquarium. How could Kaelynn compete, particularly when she didn't have her songbook?

She hummed the song of illumination as she went, finding its emotional requirements came easily to her now. If ever a creature needed a little extra light, it was her.

Tellin followed her as she investigated. At first she wasn't sure what he was up to—whether gawking at her, or considering whether or not to report her desire to escape to their captor. It made no difference—the pony already knew that Kaelynn wasn't going to go quietly. She was no helpless child, complacent in their captivity.

My friends should know I'm gone by now. But how will Blake find me? Kaelynn didn't know their leader as well as she knew some of the others. But she knew one thing with confidence: Blake would not let one of them get kidnapped. He would look for her, using every tool they had.

The real problem was that her friends didn't have many tools. She would have to hope that Morningtide had made some mistake, large enough for them to follow. Either that, or she'd have to somehow lead them here.

Unless I can recite the song of transformation from memory and walk out on my own. She could no longer deny Ryan had been right about that form—she needed to take breaks from it, or else she grew weaker on land. But that initial burst of power would be more than enough to get her out of this place, and safely back to the Bright Hawk.

Her fruitless search was interrupted by a sound from behind her, one that drew her ears as swiftly as a pivoting spotlight might attract her eyes. Shortly after there was a light, and she turned to look.

Tellin sung along with her melody, and had conjured himself a little light. It was orange instead of green, matching his eyes. Or maybe singing the song just made a pony's eyes glow?

It didn't take him long to pick up on her little spell. Maybe an hour following her around? But the light song was one of the simplest in the entire songbook, so it made sense.

She slowed, spinning in the water to face him. "You learned that just by listening?"

He trailed off. The light didn't go out immediately, but lingered around him. Even so, she could see its strength fading. Like a glowstick, slowly dying as its chemicals mixed. "Sure. It's a nice song. Did you bring any more from the sea, before Morningtide rescued you?"

She winced at the question, and all it implied. Kid still didn't seem to realize that he was a captive. Telling him she was from another world hadn't really stuck either—he didn't even know one world. "I got one other to work for me, but that was the only one I memorized. I had a whole songbook from the hippogriffs. I think every single one did something useful."

It made sense, turning musical culture into the method for the preservation of knowledge. So long as the tunes were catchy enough, children could learn their spells without even needing to go to school.

"Can you try now? It feels so... feels like it's something I've been missing for a long time. I need something harder!"

"The other song let us walk around in the air, with other ponies. We can't practice it here—if we get it to work, we'll drown. I never managed to reverse it." Granted, I didn't try that hard. I might not be able to get my legs back if I lost them.

Something rang in the water, loud enough to attract Tellin's notice. She followed his gaze to the opposite side of their cell, and the tunnel leading away. Something was trying to get their attention.

"It's her," Tellin whispered, darting away from her in a flick of his tail. He cut a straight line to the tunnel, like a dog seeing its owner after weeks alone. The persistent bell did remind her a little of a dog whistle, though of course it sounded nothing alike with the water to mute it. 

Kaelynn did not rush to the call. Part of her wanted to find the darkest corner to curl up in and hide, even if that meant no food. But rationality prevailed—she needed information, and she needed to keep her strength up if she wanted to have the magical power to sing another spell when the time arrived. If her friends came to rescue her, they probably wouldn't be able to carefully wheel a tank around. She'd need to escape on her own four feet.

And probably take Tellin with us. We can't just leave him trapped here as a slave. Maybe I should practice that song with him.

By the time she reached the tunnel, Tellin emerged from the privacy cloth, clutching a box of food in his forelegs. Fresh fish fillets, by the smell it left in the water. Not much, though—that wasn't meant for her.

"She wants to see you, not me," he said, hesitating in the tunnel. "You should... talk to her. That's how we get her to feed us. We shouldn't share mine all the time, or we'll both be hungry."

Kaelynn nodded grimly. "I'm going. Don't worry about sharing, kid." The words were out before she knew what she was saying, and they instantly made her blush. Tellin wasn't actually younger. He'd just spent years trapped in a tank, so he acted stunted. If we can get him out, he might be able to heal from all this. Maybe the hippogriffs will take him.

She passed through the shade, then swam to the end, and the fishbowl waiting for her.

Well, it felt that way, even if it was only transparent on one side. There was the illuminated wall, the drains, and a little further away—several chairs. Strangely, Morningtide wasn't alone this time, but had the company of several ponies in the seats. Each of them were unicorns, with faces that bespoke the same wealth and privilege that Morningtide came from. Most were younger than she was.

They spoke in hushed voices, though that precaution was largely unnecessary. The barrier between water and air turned even loud conversations into a dull hum, words blending together to an indistinct mess.

At least until Morningtide lifted up the crystal on her side in a faint magical glow, and spoke into it. Her voice echoed through the water, perfectly clear. "How was your first night in my care, Kaelynn?"

There were half a dozen people here—should she make a scene? How much rebellion could she get away with, without provoking a violent response? I could cooperate, try to make her think I'm content to stay here. But that doesn't get me anything.

She swam up to the crystal mounted near the front. Speaking into it would require that she keep close to the front of the tank, where she was in clear spotlights. Not an accident of design—she was obviously meant for display. "Sleepless," Kaelynn answered honestly. "I have been stolen from the company of my lover, my friends, and my home. I am in a cage."

There was harsh muttering on the other side, but she caught very little. She thought she could make out a few words, like “another specimen” and “wasted opportunity”. Whatever it was, these creatures clearly weren't overly concerned about her kidnapping.

The reply took a few moments in coming. Finally, Morningtide said, "There is another seapony on that ship? I haven't heard of others."

"No, he's a—" But she stopped short, just in time. Admitting that the one most interested in finding her was a changeling probably wouldn't be good. Maybe Morningtide would think her previous threats were just desperate nonsense, so they wouldn't take precautions against changeling infiltration.

"You saw me outside this tank. I have the song to walk on four legs. We met on dry land."

Technically even that was a lie. She'd first met Ryan on a dive boat, when she was leading a tour for the exploration group vacationing together. But she wouldn’t lose sleep over lying to these people.

Morningtide said something to the others, though whether she was confirming Kaelynn's story or refuting it, she wouldn't know. 

Then something glowed, lifting off the desk. Kaelynn gasped—her songbook! "You have it!" She shouldn't be so surprised—this pony had all the time she wanted, alone on the Bright Hawk. She could've searched through all Kaelynn's possessions. 

The pony nodded, obviously satisfied with herself. "There are records of this spellcraft, from its time in prominence among seaponies. Very little of the specifics ever emerged above the water, until this." She flipped through it, holding the book vertically so there was no chance for Kaelynn to even get a glance inside it. "An interesting discipline. Some of this seems almost absurd, yet we know at least some of it must work. Can you demonstrate for us?"

She folded her forelegs, glaring out the tank at the assembled crowd. "Could you let me go?" she asked. "You have no idea what you've done kidnapping me. Whatever eyes-wide-shut illuminati bullshit this is, there's a reckoning coming."

She glared out the tank, as defiant as she could manage. Of course, referencing Earth movies probably wasn't the best way to get her message across. But the words were already out.

Morningtide took less time than she had before. "It's a simple arrangement, really. You can decide to act agreeable, and have a pleasant existence. You can have somewhere comfortable to live, plenty to eat, and knowledge that your children will want for nothing. Alternatively, you can resist. You may succeed at getting yourself killed. More likely, you will simply not be fed for a while. I'll let your water get stale and brackish, until you come to me begging for forgiveness."

She lowered her voice in a dangerous whisper, though it was just for effect. The crystal ensured everyone in the room would hear it. "Your friends left Canterlot this morning, seapony. The Bright Hawk sailed west for Los Pegasus, without you aboard. There is no rescue coming. There is no other life waiting for you."

Someone stood up—a stallion, taller and fitter-looking than Morningtide. Like most of them, he wore a formal suit. But Kaelynn couldn't find pony clothing adorable today. He gestured, and Morningtide offered him the crystal.

"Seapony Kaelynn—I'm terribly sorry for the roughness with which you were brought here. I'm sure everybody here wishes it could have been different. But in desperate times, all creatures can be called to sacrifice for the good of their kin. For your species, this is the most desperate of times. Every individual who survives is inside that tank. Would it be moral for us to let you go extinct? An entirely new school of magic, the history and traditions of an entire civilization, extinguished in a heartbeat. There is nothing outside this tank more important for you than what you can do in there."

The weight of those words settled on her like a flurry of blows, each one heavier than the last. As if the use of the word children wasn't illustration enough. They want me to get together with Tellin. It wouldn't exactly take much pressure to make him comply, trapped in a stupid aquarium alone, having never even seen another of his own kind before.

Will he let me wait? The horror of her confinement grew an entirely new dimension. Rationality failed her, plotting and planning had led to nothing. "I just met him," she said. "I'm with someone else. You can't just expect me to—"

"Not today, not right now," the stallion said. "But consider the importance of your mission. Also consider most of the burden will be his, not yours. What records survive of your species suggest that males incubate your young beyond their initial gestation period."

I'm not hearing this, I'm not hearing this, I'm not hearing this. Kaelynn wrapped her tail around herself, drifting to the bottom of the tank. That made it impossible for her to speak, but did nothing to let voices get in around her. She didn't watch anymore, but she could hear their muttering. Let them say what they wanted, she didn't care what they thought they could do.

I have to get out of here, way sooner than I thought.

"Kaelynn—you see I could be a much more demanding host. Cooperate with me, and I will allow the two of you to take as much time as you need. Resist me, and I will use spellcraft to compel you to act in your own best interest. Do we understand each other now?"

If she wasn't underwater, there would've been tears in Kaelynn's eyes. She nodded, fearful and desperate. Without going for the crystal, she started singing—and soon a light joined her in the water. It was faint, flickering with her emotional turmoil. But it was enough that several ponies outside gaped, some rushing close to the tank to study more closely.

Morningtide nodded her approval, then levitated something up towards the top of the tank—a little wooden box, filled with fish. She dropped it in through the opening, like a trainer throwing the dolphins a treat after performing.