//------------------------------//
// The Meeting With Nothing 
// Story: Her Eyes Reflect The Stars 
// by Lynwood 
//------------------------------//

"How much further?" Rainbow Dash says with a groan. I roll my eyes.

"If I'm remembering correctly, and I am, then we're almost to her." We're ashshoeing through the burnt-out remnants of the Everfree Forest, now nothing more than countless spikes of blackened branches poking out from a gray sea. The remains of the trees stretch up two pony-heights high, at least, plenty to give us cover.

The Element snorts. "Who is this special somepony anyway?"

"Nothing," I say.

"Come on, dude," she says, an annoyed edge coloring her gravelly voice, "no need to be a jerk."

"No, you don't understand," I say back over my shoulder, "her name is literally the word 'nothing'."

"What?" Her disbelief fills the question.

"Don't ask me, I don't know why she chose it," I say as we come upon the half-buried hut, still sheltered by what's left of the trees. The windows are still covered and the door's latch is unharmed, and I feel my withers loosen.

"Pfft, whatever you say."

I roll my eyes again and shuffle up to the dug-out door to give it a few firm knocks in our old tap-tap, tap-taptap-tap pattern. Rainbow stands by my side as we listen to a clutter of thumps and off-pattern hoofsteps behind the door. It cracks, and we see one shock-blue eye before it swings all the way open.

She's okay. Her mane is mussed and lumpy, and she's got bags under her eyes, and her coat looks a little thin, but she's okay. Before I know it I'm pressing my neck against hers, breathing in the scent of her silver-blue mane. She's okay. 

She leans into the nuzzle before hobbling back a little and beckoning with a hoof. "What are you waiting for? Come in, come in!"

We hustle through into the hut, shivering at the transition from bitter cold to a soft, comforting warmth. I hear Nothing latch the door behind us and I turn at the sound of her beautiful voice.

"Membrane, of all the things to find and bring back, you chose an Element?"

I start to respond but Rainbow beats me to it. "Your name is Membrane? What kind of name is that?" she scoffs as she pulls off her mask.

"You never asked," I say with a shrug. "You just kept calling me 'dude'. I didn't have a–" I'm forced to stop and cough. "I didn't have a problem with it." 

"Okay, but Membrane? I don't—" Her voice cuts out as I tug off my goggles and pull my headwrap away. 

I give my head a shake and sigh. "Damn it feels good to finally let my frill out." I can't help but smile at Rainbow's expression as I wipe the last of the moisture from my muzzle's orange chitin.

"You're, uh..." Rainbow manages, "you're, um, a changeling."

Nothing takes an uneven step closer. "Is that a problem?"

Rainbow's eyes widen. "No! No, um, no that's not— that's not what I meant, I just—" She gapes for a moment and licks her lips. "I guess it's just not what I expected."

"No hard feelings," I say with a grin. "After all, you're gonna help me get Nothing to Vanhoover."  

Nothing limps to my side and gives me another nuzzle. "Well, only if that's what she chooses to do with the time she has left, sweetie."

"Wait," Rainbow says, ice in her voice, "what do you mean, the time I have left?"