When I was little, I found an imaginary friend living in my head. It was a total accident. I had been tripped in the hallway by a bully and hid in the bathroom when class started. I didn't want the teachers to see me upset, didn't want to talk to them, they wouldn't make it stop, just make me feel a little better so I could get back to work.

In the bathroom, I could have sworn I heard a colt ask me for my name. The whole conversation was in my head, but it felt more than that, more than real. I'm gonna put what he says in parentheses.

"M-my name's Timber."

(I'm Aura. I'm in your head.)

"In my head?"

(Yeah, don't think about it, just talk to me. What's wrong?)

"Well, I'm in the bathroom crying..."

(Yeah, I know. I see everything you do.)

"Really?"

(Yeah!)

"So you know about the bullies?"

(Yes.)

"...Did you already know my name?"

(You're pretty clever. So wat are you doing in the bathroom?)

"I thought you saw everything I did?"

(But I can't feel what you feel.)

"What does that mean?"

(It means I want to know what you're feeling.)

"Well, I feel like crap."

(Oh, yeah... bullies always make you feel that way. But it only works if you let it.)

"Huh?"

(Whatever they do is mean, sure. But if you're strong it won't really hurt. And I know you pretty well, you’re very strong. You’re stronger than them, because you’re not like them. You know you’re the strong one when you’re the one they’re trying to weaken.)

For some reason I felt like I'd heard it before. Even now, writing, I'm getting a sense of déja vouz. From that moment on, he often spoke to me. Often when I least expected it, even when I happened to forget about him. He told me only exactly what I needed to hear, even if I didn't want to hear it. He always turned my mood around when I needed him to, and let me alone when we both knew nothing would work. He helped me feel better about my sexuality: he even helped me calm down when I lost my temper at those bullies, but like my mother was only glad that I finally showed strength, which at first seemed a little hypocritical, but we’ve spoken about it. I don’t remember at all how the conversation went, but it’s all said and done.

Over the years I found that his company was the only thing I could rely on, even though I never controlled when I heard from him. Oh, and he likes it when I talk out loud. We've gotten in fights about it. I don't like doing it in public, for fear of ponies thinking I'm crazy, but I like feeling like he's real. Which, he is, to me. Just not physically. He also doesn’t like it when I point stuff like that out to him. Like he always reminds me; he sees everything I do, knows all the same things. He shares my senses, yet not my emotions. The point is he doesn’t like being reminded he’s imaginary. Or something like that.

You can go ahead and think I'm crazy. When I saw Velvetine I stormed off. I faked a headache, but thinking about her, and Churner, and me, and Minty, and butter, and everything, I was actually getting one.

(Timber, try to calm down.)

How? How do you suggest I calm down? I shout at him in my mind.

(You have the will power.)

No, I don’t. I mouth the words but don't say them.

(Yes you do, come on. You're making this worse than it is.)

"How?" I demand, full-voice. "How can you not see that this is really bad?” Well... no, it's not bad but. “Can't you understand how I feel?" Tears well up, I blink hard a few times.

(I can, but you don't understand how you're supposed to feel.)

"I'm not supposed to be in love with my best friend's father!"

(Then don't be.)

"Like I can help it. You were there when Minty said we all have love for each other. So why do I have more love for her father than I do for her?"

(You were torn. You felt lied to, and that amplified your feelings toward him by stealing them from her. Besides, you can still feel love for him. You just don’t have to be in love with him.)

"How is that supposed to make sense...?"

(You tell me, I'm in your head.)

I hate it when he does that. "I thought you were real! Why do you go say stuff like that if you're supposed to be real?!"

(I'm as real as you are.)

"I'm done talking to you."

(Then listen.)

......

(I am in you, so as long as you think of me as real, I am. Your thoughts are the same as mine, I just help you think straight when your head is clouded. Now here's what I want you to do: when Churner comes out look at him. Make him stop talking and look at him like you looked at Velvetine. Learn every part of him you see and separate what you like with what you don’t. Find the flaws.)

Silence...

I take deep breaths and stop thinking as much. Then I start humming. I hum the banjo tune Churner was humming before. Music always slows my brain down, keeps me from thinking of too much at once. I think of one more thing, that Aura is trying to teach me something. I know what it is, that I have to look at all ponies the same. But I'm afraid that if I find all the flaws in Churner I'll fall out of love.

(And maybe that's a good thing.)

I hear somepony humming the song. Obviously it isn't me, it isn't Aura. But I don't need to turn around. I know it has to be Churner.