Heart-Shaped Horseshoes

“And now for the great finale...the Lightning Streak!!”

Trixie lightened her horn, expelling a series of fireworks into the sky. Following the queue, a green and yellow streak crossed between them, kicking several rainclouds to expel lightnings and thunders.

The crowd in front of the caravan mildly applauded at the perform, barely stomping their hooves in the ground.

“Thank you, thank you! You have been a wonderful audience!” Trixie said, offering her hat to collect some bits from them.

Lightning Dust descended from the sky after pushing down all the rainclouds. “So, how did it go?” she asked.

Trixie showed her the hat and Lightning peeked inside. “What? Just twenty bits? We can barely buy a few tomatoes with this?”

“Every bit earned is worth spending,” Trixie replied, taking back the bits.

“What does that even means?”

“It means that Trixie is going to the market to fetch us some food. Would you like to accompany me?” Trixie asked.

“I´m tired. I´m gonna take a nap on the van,” she replied.

“Suit yourself,” Trixie said, taking the road down town.

Lightning Dust kicked all the rain clouds in the back of the van, closed the stage and checked the mailbox, grumbling when she realized it was empty. She entered the van and jumped into the hammock, her improvised bed that hanged next to Trixie´s much more comfortable bed.

Lighting Dust wasn´t really tired. Actually, she was restless and wanted to go out and fly around. But she couldn´t bring to move her wings. She had lost the joy of flying, the will to soar the skies and break her own records. She missed being up high but felt like she had weighs attached to her wings. She stayed in the hammock, trying to fell asleep but to no avail.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but actually was half an hour, Trixie returned to the van.

“Had a good nap?” Trixie asked, levitating a couple of paper bags into a little stool.

Lightning Dust didn´t answered her and rummaged through the paper bags, her rumbling stomach doing the talk for her. “What´s this? This is all you could buy with twenty bits?”

“To be honest, that only cost about eight bits. Trixie spent the rest in this wonderful cape she saw in the market. Isn´t it wonderful?” Trixie said, showing off a purple cape with blue stars.

“What? You spent almost all of our money into a cape for your stupid act?”

“First of all, it´s our stupida ct. And second, I wouldn´t use this wonderful piece for the act. This must be wear at Gala event.”

Lighting Dust face hoofed, losing all her patience with the boisterous mare. She stomped out of the van before she finally exploded.

“Aren´t you going to help with dinner?” Trixie asked.

“I´m not hungry.”

“Going to take a night flight?”

“No.”

“Wanna go to bed?”

“I´m sleeping in a cloud tonight!” Lightning yelled and flew off the van.

Trixie simply huffed and folded her cape, quite happy with her purchase.

Outside, Lighting Dust moved a few clouds to make an improvised bed and once more, lied in a restless position. She looked at the night sky, cursing Trixie for her selfishness. She wanted to yell at her or at least kick some clouds to vent her frustrations but once again, she lacked the motivation. She also found a little cruel to do so. After all, Trixie had offered her a roof and a job after she got kicked of the Wonderbolts.

Lighting remembered the day they met. She standing under a raining cloud, kicking it so it kept pouring over her head. It was silly but she didn't cared. She had lost everything, her uniform, her reputation and what could have been not just a partner but a friend. She initially blamed everything on rainbow Dash, placing all the fault on her uptight attitude and lack of guts. But once she found herself deprived of her medals and expelled from the Academy, the place where her dreams lied; Lighting Dust realized she had nopony to blame but herself.

It was then than she found her. She heard noises and looked down, finding an angry unicorn, blaming her for creating againt puddle that wasn't letting her move her carriage. The old Lighting Dust would have yelled at her but she was too distraught then to do nothing. She actually broke into tears, unable to hold back anymore, releasing all her frustrations. She also expected this pony to treat her like all the others, to kick her and shun her. But instead, this unicorn levitated her cape over Lighting, protecting her for the rain.

Lighting Dust kept looking at the stars and smiled when she noticed a pattern that resembled Trixie´s Cutie mark. She had been traveling with the eccentric mare for four months now and in that time they have grown close. Really close. Lighting blushed a little, remembering the first time they got more intimate. It started when a gentle nuzzle, Trixie congratulating her for a good performance. Lighting tried not to think much of that but she didn´t slept at all that night. She started to notice that despite her many quirks, trixie wa actually quite nice and also very pretty.

Lightning Dust shook her head and tried to get into a better position on her cloud. Being a tomboy, she had spent her entire life being teased for being interested on mares. Even her partners in the Academy made jokes at her for being assigned Rainbow Dash´s roommates. Lighting Dust made her best to ignore them. She wasn't interested in mares, at all. She wasn't much interest in colts either. She had only one thing to focus, becoming a Wonderbolt. And now that will never happen.

Day after day, she checked the mailbox hoping to find a letter from the Wonderbolts accepting her request for a second opportunity. They had to give her the chance. Lighting Dust was one of the best fliers in her run of the Academy. Hay, she was one of the best fliers in Equestria! And even if she was expelled once, wasn't Princess Celestia´s motto that everypony deserved a second chance? Or a even third as Trixie says...

Trixie. She had actually been the only pony to give Lighting a second chance. She offered her a role in her show. Lighting had no idea what she was going to do. She was a racer, she wasn't even good at handling weather. But Trixie take no for an answer and convinced her to move the clouds to add some special effects. It wasn't the best of shows, just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Quite literally at some performances.

Every town they went they got mid to none reception. Some towns even refused to accept them, recalling something that Trixie did in another town. Trixie never gave explanations but Lighting never asked either. She simply did her job and waited for the letter to arrive. Day after day, they kept the same routine. Getting up, eating, doing chores, moving the van, doing the show and going to bed.

Lighting Dust blushed again. Her bed was supposed to be the hamclock, Trixie made it for her so she wouldn't have to sleep outside anymore. Lighting was comfortable just sleeping in a cloud but it made sense since they lived together, that they actually slept in the same roof. And for many weeks, that's what they did. Until that night, when they arrived a pegasi town where it wa still winter. Lighting and Trixie shared a lamp that wasn´t  really providing much help so they have to stay close to each other, sharing a blanket. This was after the nuzzle incident and Lighting had began to check more and more on Trixie. She was feeling really uncomfortable being so close to her, their furs touching. Trixie leaned closer to her and asked if the letter had arrived. Lighting said not, blushing furiously. Trixie gently nuzzled her, telling her everything will be alright and she will get a second chance. Lighting asked her if she believed that and Trixie said yes, looking her straight into her eyes. They leaned closer...

Lighting Dust screamed and buried her face into the clouds, her coat turned completely red. Even after that night, even after all the time they spent together, Lighting Dust was still embarrassed. It wasn't so much the fact that Trixie was a mare, it was her kindness. it was her belief in second chances, that Lighting Dust could go back into the right rack. Lighting Dust didn't believed herself, she believed she wasn't worth of a second chance. But Trixie had apparently done worse, she had challenged a Princess for what Lighting Dust had heard! And yet, she was in peace. She was completely confident, that she was oing the right thing. That she was redeeming herself.

Trixie was living her second chance and Lighting Dust felt she needed to do so too.

She descended from her cloud, making a quick return to kick it and went back to the van. Trixie was having her dinner, not paying attention to the blushing pegasus that went back to her hammock. A few minutes of silence passed by before Trixie spoke

“Cold outside?”

“A little.”

“Funny. This is a summer town.”

“I didn't liked the cloud I made.”

“There´s more in the van.”

“I just wanted to sleep inside, okay?”

“No need to convicne me, darling.”

“Shut up,” Lighting Dust said and turned over, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Trixie finished her meal and moved to her bed, Lighting getting a very nice look of her rump, forcing her to turn over again.

“I was planning on taking down that hammock. It really doesn't fits my room.”

“What was she talking about?”, Lightning Dust thought. “Why bringing this after all these months?”

“But if you are so attached to it, we may as well keep it.”

“I can use some of the spare clouds,” she retorted.

“Those are for the show. Why waste them?”

“You just told me a second ago to take one! Why do you keep changing your mind?” Lighting roared and immediately regretted it.

Trixie was hurt, her eyes showed it.

Instead of saying anything, Trixie turned over, facing the wall. Lighting hung her head low, this was the last straw, it seemed. Trixie had finally stopped giving her chances.

“You can use one but every morning you put it back for the show.”

Lighting finally broke, her tears coming out.

“Why? Why do you keep doing this, trixie?”

Trixie turned over, looking now confused.

“Why do you keep giving me so many chances?”

Trixie simply smiled. “Everypony deserves one more chance.”

Lighting couldn't control her body. It was like when she was ascending in the sky, ready to perform a dive. She could feel her body moving, her wings flapping but she wasn't controlling it. She simply let her heart move her body. She jumped over Trixie and kissed her and caressed her. Trixie laughed, chastising Lighting for being so rude but Lighting didn't cared, she kept kissing her and thanking her. Trixie wiped her tears and returned the kisses.

She make sure to blow the lamp before plating a last kiss, sending the van into a comforting darkness.

*****

“And now the Grand Finale....the Lighting Streak!”

Trixie lightened her horn, causing a shower of fireworks to hit the sky. Right on queue, a green and yellow blur soared the skies, leaving a lightning shaped mark, making rain clouds explode with her movement. Lighting Dust made the lighting streak remain in the sky a little longer, a slight variation of the trick.

The ponies below loved it, stomping the ground with fierce.

“Thank you, thank you! You have been a wonderful audience!” Trixie said and was about to remove her heat when suddenly she was lifted into the air by Lighting.

Trixie looked confused but before she could ask anything, Lighting planted a fierce kiss on her. Trixie didn´t complained and returned it, fireworks and lighting still on the sky.

In the ground, all the ponies cheered and whistled at the show.