//------------------------------//
// Six: Clarity 
// Story: Stereoheart 
// by FimFan14 
//------------------------------//

Stereo looked around, seeing his hometown in snow. The vision was much clearer than the others, but he still knew what it was. It could still be clearer.

"Gumala!" Stereo yelled. "Gumala, what happened? You said I would be hurt today!"

Gumala materialized in front of him. "Your teacher, she unwittingly prevented it. By moving your assignment forward to tomorrow, she caused you to go the opposite way you usually did, avoiding an ambush."

"Ambush?"

"Yes, Stereo." Gumala clarified. "Those colts who tried to harm you before ambushed you, planning to hurt you, but you avoided them. For the time being, you are very close to tour goal. Keep going, I shall reveal myself soon."

The dream didn't fade, it just turned off, causing Stereo to almost fly out of bed, high on energy for the day.

***

Stereo finished his musical performance, bowing to the applauding classroom.

"That was fantastic!" Miss Sky said. "Can you show us anything else?"

Stereo thought for a moment. "I would like a volunteer, somepony not embarrassed by anything."

Rainchaser stood up. "That's me!"

Rainchaser stood right next to Stereo, who's horn glowed. He searched Rainchaser's head, looking for something interesting.

"Aha!" Stereo exclaimed. "How shameless are you, Rainchaser?"

"I have nothing to hide. Do whatever you want."

"Well then," continued Stereo, "you wouldn't mind me asking how Muffy is."

Rainchaser stood rigid at that moment, before relaxing. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"You don't know Muffy?" Stereo said. "But you slept with her last night. Surely you remember your own dolly. Maybe that song your Mom sings to you at night will jog your memory. 'Hush, now...'"

"Stop!" Rainchaser yelled. "Don't reveal another thing!"

"Reveal?" Stereo said, looking shocked. "You mean, you actually do all these things?"

Rainchaser looked dejected, and sat down at his seat amongst laughing classmates.

"That, is the power of Unicorn magic." Stereo concluded. "I can read minds, levitate, and probably more things in the future."

His classmates all gave a polite applause, as he returned to his seat. Life gave him a few good things. He had free lessons doing what he loved, and he had just owned the colt that made fun of him for being a blank-flank.

***

Stereo enjoyed his music lessons. Frisky covered for him, saying that he had a half hour of detention every day. It was now Wednesday, his fourth lesson. Stereo was already a fluent reader in bass and treble clefs, and understood all the rhythmic notations. He primarily learned piano, getting better every day. He was permitted access to the music room every lunch break, and he used it. He was feeling fantastic, even if his home life was getting worse and worse. He was disturbed, though, that he hadn't heard from Gumala since before his presentation. He didn't dwell on this, however, focusing on his music.

"Now," the teacher, who Stereo had found out was named Mr. Noteshine, said. "I am interested to hear your progress with the new song you have been working on."

"I can play the whole song." Stereo replied. "It's a really good one, and fun to play.

"Well then," Noteshine said. "Let's hear it!"

Stereo manipulated the piano with his magic, each individual key glowing with a violet aura as it gets used, then released again. The song went for several seconds, before the door burst open.

"You better have a good explanation!" His Mom said.

"And if you don't," began his Father, "then you're going to get more than just bruises!"

For the first time in his life, Stereo defended himself, and he screamed.

"NO!"

"What did you say?" His Mom growled menacingly.

"I said no," Stereo said, surprised at the conviction and poise in his voice. Usually, he would cower away in fright. But not this time. "There are only two things I love. And you try to destroy both of them. Music is one of them." Stereo felt a tingling in his eyes. "You can never understand what music is like for me. Since I started, I've seen it everywhere! When I walk, my hooves make a beat to a song that only I can hear, when you hear loud annoying noises, for me, they turn into a symphony." Most of his body seemed to be tingling now. "You will not take this away from me. If I have to go the rest of my life without a cutie mark to keep music, I will. I love music, it's my special talent!"

With his speech over, his whole body felt as if aflame. An electric shock travelled throughout his whole body, and he fell to his knees. Still conscious, he saw everything so vividly. He was sitting, looking at his brother as a foal, then they were picked up by cloaked figures. There was a rough surface, covering them in every direction. They had cream rubbed on their horns, which disappeared. A spell was cast on them, then an excruciating pain on his back. 

Then he heard a voice, his Dad's, saying: "Nopony believes us! We can never sell them now! It was useless!" 

Another voice, Gumala's came about. "I am on my way," she said, "and now you know the truth."

Stereo stood up, his necklace morphing into an amethyst quaver, while his flank tingled, and a quaver inside a violet aura manifested itself.

"My cutie mark!" Stereo whispered, before remembering his parents. "You stole us from our parents!" He yelled, piecing together information. "And tried to sell us, but you couldn't for some reason."

"Ha!" His Dad laughed. "Your accusations have no ground."

"The pot of cream, to make horns disappear?" Stereo said, raising his voice. "The prescription, claiming that we have 'Fictus Infirmitate.' I thought it sounded familiar, but now I know. 'Fictus' sounds like the word 'fiction', and 'infirmitate' sounds like 'infirmary'. What does that make? Fake sickness?"

"You still have no grounds," Stereo's Mom said.

"They hath all they need!" Yelled a loud voice, before a blue Alicorn flew in through the window. "I am Gumala, Stereoheart. My real identity, is Princess Luna."