"I SAID ENOUGH!" Limestone Pie barked.



Lightning Dust gaped at the earth pony who'd had the gall to scream at her like that. The way she threw herself over Short Fuse and threatened Lightning by smashing her hooves into the dirt to show off her strength both enraged and terrified her.



"You sent him through a blazing inferno WITHOUT his helmet?!" Limestone continued as smoke poured out her ears. "Now he's probably half-blind due to your INCOMPETENCE!"



Lighting Dust had to force her wings to unfurl in the presence of the domineering pony. "He knew what he was signing up for. As do we all-"



"I thought I said ENOUGH," Limestone growled. "You don't even care about the well-being of your own team, do you? You'd happily see them DIE mid-performance just to shock the audience, maybe get your names in the paper ahead of the Wonderbolts!"



Lightning Dust seethed. "How DARE you-!"



"Don't even go there! You're the one who's so focused on the next big trick that you never stopped to consider the lives of the only two friends you have left! I hope the same kind of accident doesn't happen to Rolling Thunder! As for Short Fuse, he's DONE."



"You speak for him now?"



"When it comes to YOU? Yes. He's so adamant to make you proud, he'd kill himself! He almost did today! But I will not let the pony I LOVE throw away his life for your approval…"



From beneath her, Short Fuse stirred and she swallowed back whatever rage was left. She'd never used the "L-word" before and she hated that her declaration came out of anger.



Through the horrible pain on his eye, his skin still sizzling from the flame that had hurt him, Short Fuse managed to say a few words. "I'm sorry, Lime."



"I know," she answered. "Let's go home."