The door to the Wonderbolts locker room burst open as the flying elite trotted inside.

"Phew!" Rainbow Dash sighed as she pulled her goggles off and wiped the sweat off her brow, before partially opening the zipper of her flight suit; letting her floof breathe.

"Training was rough today, huh Dash?" Fleetfoot shimmied out of her own suit, letting it fall crumpled around her hooves before winging it into a laundry bin.

The other Wonderbolt mares did much the same as them, while the stallions filed in after, going to their side of the locker room.

"Hah! Are you kidding? I feel like I could go all day!" She reared up and hoofy kicked at the air. "How about another ten mile flight, or a hundred more wing-ups?"

"Sounds like I didn't push you hard enough, Crash." Spitfire said, looking displeased.

Rainbow blanched and straightened up as a cadet in reflex. "What!? Uh, actually, but, uh, I should probably give my wings rest; don't wanna over-do it and get them too big, you know?"

The other mares guffawed and heckled her.

"Yeah-yeah." Said Fleetfoot.
"Sure, Crash." Eyerolled Misty Fly.
"That's just a myth, right?" Vapor Trail said, sounding unsure herself.

"If you just wanna burn a little more energy, Crash, you should join up with the boys in the shower." Spitfire rasped.

Soarin came trotting into the locker room. "Sounds good to me, what do you say, Rainbow; want some help washing your withers?" He said with a relaxed, easy going smile.

Rainbow Dash looked at him in suspicious disbelief. "Uh, no thanks, Clipper; this pony can wash herself, by herself," she said in equal parts pride and arrogance.

Soarin deflated, looking sad. "Oh, okay, Dash."

Surprise got their attention. "Well maybe Dash would prefer a mare's touch instead?"

Rainbow exasperated. "I don't need anypony's help, you guys ask me after every practice, I'm not a little foal that needs help in the bath." She firmly shut her locker door to emphasis her annoyance.

The other mares all turned their attention on Rainbow Dash, who didn't notice the mood change as she went to clean up.

Fleetfoot, ever the most empathetic of the group, trotted over to him. "I'll help you out, Clips; that is, if it's now an open invite?"

Soarin's mood instantly improved. "Thanks, Flatfoot; want me to massage your back the way you like?" He turned to herd her towards the showers.

"Sounds like a deal!" Fleetfoot giggled, then turned and glanced between Spitfire and Rainbow, before gesturing with a nod at the latter.

Spitfire nodded, getting the message.

"Crash!" Spitfire pulled back the shower curtain and barked in her drill pony voice, making her stand to attention.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Rainbow saluted at attention with suds matting her mane to cover her face.

"I want you in my office in 10." She immediately made for the shower stall next to her.

"Yes, Ma'am; your office in 10!" Rainbow tried to swallow the knot in her throat. 'Oh buck, what'd I do; was showering with Soarin that big of a deal?'

Rainbow showered quickly, too lost in thought and worry to notice how the others were acting in the shower. The giggles and moans of the other mares fell on her deaf ears; before she bolted for Spitfire's office.

Rainbow stared at the old Wonderbolt-themed grandsire clock, counting the ticks and tocks with the swing of the pendulum inside its housing. Each sound was ticking down the time she had left to stay in the Wonderbolts.

She immediately stood and saluted when Spitfire came within sight, wordlessly cantering passed her to enter her office.

"Get in here, Crash." Ordered Spitfire.

Rainbow Dash presented herself in front of her captain.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to be honest with me, understand?" She stated.

Rainbow swallowed her nervousness. "Yes, Mam." Her voice cracked. She was already imagining getting kicked out of the bolts. For what? She didn't know, and 'not knowing' was the source of her anxiety; as a billion possibilities ran through her mind.

She didn't put enough salt in the food last time; and that was because she put too much the time before that. And there were budget cuts, so she watered down the detergent used in their uniforms; thinking she was helping. She was tardy to practice after a friendship map quest one time, it was only 10 seconds, so she didn't think anypony would notice.

But Rainbow could see it now, she wasn't doing enough. That's it! But what more could she do? Rainbow hadn't the faintest idea, she always gave 110% every practice.

Spitfire cleared her throat. "Has anypony now, or in the past, ever harassed you in any way, Rainbow Dash?" She asked, relaxing her voice. Spitfire using her normal voice and name made everything 10 times more off-putting.

Rainbow swallowed again. "I- N-no, mam, I mean, no more than the usual teasing from the team mam." Her voice cracked, seeing Spitfire's eyebrow raise. "B-but I can take it, I got a thick hide; it's really not a big deal, honest."

"What about sexually?"

"W-What?" Rainbow broke her attentive stance, caught off guard.

"Has anypony now, or in the past, sexually harassed you; have they pressured you into mating with them, touched or said anything inappropriate to you." Spitfire asked, watching her with a hawk's gaze.

"N-No, of course not!" Rainbow defended. "What's this all about? If I did something wrong, I promise, I'll do better, I'll-"

"At ease, Dash," Spitfire commanded, but softened her look, and lost all the bravado she used to speak normally at Rainbow. "You're not in trouble, I'm trying to figure out what's going on between you and the rest of the Bolts."

Rainbow was reeling at how soft and calm her captain was speaking with her. "What's going on?" She repeated. "Nothing! I don't even know what we're talking about."

"Have a seat, Rainbow, relax; right now I'm not your Captain, we're just two mares talking." Spitfire opened up her liquor cabinet and poured them both some vintage apple champagne.

Rainbow was already drooling at seeing the bottle alone. The stuff was really expensive. The kind only Princesses and lower royals, or Captains usually received as gifts from equally high ranking members of society.

Rainbow took a quick sip to calm her nerves. Spitfire did the same. "Listen Crash, you've been with the Bolts for some time now; you've already been promoted twice, much faster than any new recruit in the history of the Bolts; thanks a lot in the part you played fighting that 'League of villains."

Rainbow couldn't help but smirk, then took a bigger sip, her nervousness not allowing her to enjoy the praise or the drink, and prepared for whatever doom was going to drop.

Spitfire continued. "And in all that time, however short it's been, it's come to my attention that you aren't reciprocating any and all affection the other Bolts have offered you; so I want to know why you're giving the team nothing but cold withers." Spitfire took a bigger sip.

"What? No, I love my team, I love everypony in the Bolts; I know I don't show it, but I really do love all you guys!" Rainbow got up and defended, then calmed. "You guys are my dream, and I'm so grateful and privileged to be a part of it; and I'll do anything to stay, whatever I've done wrong, tell me what to do and I'll do it!"

Spitfire nodded. "Okay, good, start mating with the team." She returned to her desk and started on paperwork.

Rainbow stayed frozen and staring at the empty space where Spitfire used to be. "Uh what, what, whoa, whoa, WHOA!" She flourished her hooves. "What do you mean 'mate with the team'?"

Spitfire methodically unclicked her pen, and placed it back into it's holder before cupping her hooves below her chin. "It means mate with the team. Soarin and Thunderlane have both been making passes at you for weeks," she began counting on her hoof. "Misty wants to give you happy endings after a rub down, and I think Fleetfoot wants you to join in with her and the boys once in a while; and yet you never so much as give them a backrub; much less a hoofjob.

"I admire that you're always the first pony in the sky, but you're also the first on the ground too; which we can forgive, given your royal duties to Princess Twilight."

Rainbow looked shocked. "You're saying words I understand, but you're saying them in an order that I don't understand; you're insane; is this some kind of joke, rutting my team mates!" Rainbow shouted, letting her anger get the better of her.

"Stand down, Crash!" Spitfire barked at her.

Rainbow plopped down in a chair while puffing out her cheeks, and crossing her hooves. Her temper tantrum didn't last, and started sniffing. Her eyes sparking with tears. "I don't want to, please don't make me, I wanna stay in the Bolts, but I don't understand why this is happening!"

Spitfire reverted back to her gentle feminine voice, and went to comfort her with a hoof. "No pony makes anypony do anything around her, Rainbow, I'll talk to the other Bolts and tell them that you aren't interested in upholding our traditions."

Rainbow sniffed, looking confused. "Traditions, what Traditions?" She questioned.

"You mean, you don't know?" Spitfire cocked her head quizzically.

Rainbow hung her head. "No, please, I'm so confused and I don't know what's going on; I thought you were mad at me for not showering with Soarin, and now you're saying I should mate with the Bolts, I dont understand what's happening." She sniffed.

Spitfire looked at her in disbelief. "Rainbow, you really don't know about the Wonderbolt's mating culture?"

"Mating culture?" Rainbow repeated like she tasted something bad.

Spitfire chuffed and shook her head. "It's the worst kept secret about the Wonderbolts; you mean you've never heard anyone in public teasing us about how 'our stallions ride us mares as hard as they ride each other?'"

Rainbow made a disgusted face. "Yeah, I heard that one, it made me mad; but my friends Fluttershy and Rarity said I should ignore it, because there's always going to be fans that say nasty things that aren't true."

Spitfire paused at her, witnessing Rainbow come to the revelation on her own. "Oh buck, it is true isn't it!" She wailed, grasping her temples as her mind was blown. She knew the others were up to some weird stuff in the showers, but she always chose to ignore it as teasing and playfulness.

Spitfire leveled a look at her. "I refuse to believe that you never noticed anypony getting intimate in the showers."

Rainbow puffed up. "Well, like you said, I got royal Princess stuff after shows, photo-ops, signatures, and practice; and yeah I kind of noticed how, uh, 'friendly' everypony is with each other; but, you know, I thought they were just teasing!"

Spitfire pinched her eyes and sighed.

"I didn't know this was such a big deal, how was I supposed to know this was such a big deal!" Rainbow exasperated.

Spitfire held out her hooves. "It's not a big deal, Dash."

"I just don't look at them that way."

"So do you not think any of the Bolts are attractive?"

"No! I mean yes; I mean that, I think everypony on the team is objectively attractive; but..." She hesitated.

"Is okay, Dash, we're just friends figuring things out." Spitfire reassured.

Spitfire explained. "The traditions are so old now, we probably should consider abolishing it, or at least amending it for pony's not comfortable with the taboo."

"It's that old?"

"You should have figured it out on your own during the history if the wonderbolts exam."

"Yeah... I doubt my friends would've reenacted that part for me to study."

"When the Bolts were first established, all the members were derived from the very best, of the best among the Pegasi Legion, dating way back before recorded history, before the days of Commander Hurricane, before the Protective Pony Platoons were ever established.

"What many ponies today still tease us over, and our worst kept secret, is that we still practice the many millennia old tradition of mating for the purpose of camaraderie and trust building. Because according to some lost-to-time Legion Commander thousands of years ago, 'a army that sleeps together, wins together'.

"So it was allowed that members of a Legion would openly mate with one another. And that's a large part of why the Pegasi Legions were so successful in battle; everypony fought harder to protect each other and defeat the enemy; it was incredibly effective; that was before transmissible diseases from outside the Legion went rampant.

"It was later abolished and made redundantly illegal, given the PPP and EUP guard mostly dissolved the Legions, so most ponies served under Celestia. But there was a loop-hole left open in the treaties, which allowed the Wonderbolts to continue the practice."

"Whoa, so, it's like a team exercise, huh?" Rainbow suggested. "Like building trust together?"

Spitfire nodded along. "Yes, I know we don't get deployed to fight very often, but we fight harder than any Flock of Pegasi in the sky, and it's because of those strong bonds we create with each other that make us so effective in battle, just like our ancestors before us."

"Whoa, I didn't know it was such a big deal."

"It's not, a thousand years of peace will do that, but like I said before, it's probably time to end it; you won't be punished if you choose not to participate, but the squad will be pretty disappointed."

Rainbow remembered her cider and took a few good gulps. "Thanks Captain, I don't feel like I'm going to implode anymore." She chuffed. "I don't want to be the one that ends the tradition, and I really don't want to let the Bolts down, but I'm kinda nervous... You sure they won't hate me if I say no?"

"Of course not, Dashie, you're part of the team, we love having you here, and like I said, I'll talk to them, they'll understand and they won't pressure you anymore; not that you ever noticed the pressure to begin with." She added with a chuckle.

"Hey!" Rainbow smirked.

"But since we're still talking mare to mare, allow me to twist your hoof a bit and ask that you consider giving the tradition a chance?"

Rainbow fidgeted in her seat. "Does it have to be with the whole team; I've never done anything like this before?"

Spitfire blinked at her. "You mean, you're a maiden mare?"

Rainbow pinned her ears back in shame.

"Sorry, Rainbow, there's nothing to be ashamed of; generally recruits already have some experience given who we are and our career path; if you want my advice, you should make your first time special."

Rainbow fidgeted and made a big grin. "Well, I don't see how losing my maidenhood to the Wonderbolts wouldn't be the most special thing ever; I meant what I said, I love all you guys, but I've never really thought of the Bolts that way."

Spitfire looked surprised. "Really? That's like every colt's and filly's wet dream at one point or another."

"Well yeah!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I've clopped off more than a few times to Wind Rider's October photo of 974, you know, before all that mess at the Gala..." She sighed and winced in regret.

Spitfire sighed with her. "At least you didn't actually mate with him."

"YOU AND- oh, right, mating culture, sorry." Rainbow smiled sheepishly under Spitfire's deadpan glare.

"Yeah, that makes his betrayal hit all the harder." Spitfire leaned back in her chair. "Still, Rainbow, it's just one of the many reasons we've been looking forward to having you on the team."

"In what way?" Rainbow asked suspiciously.

"In every sense of the word, you're a catch Rainbow!"

Rainbow pumped a hoof in the air and did a little dance while singing. "Awe yeah, the Wonderbolts think I'm sexy, and they want me, oh yeah, uh-huh, they wanna buck me!" She stopped cold. "They wanna buck me, but I've never been bucked; what am I gonna do!"

"Want my advice, since you love us so much, just pick one." Spitfire suggested.

Rainbow searched her expression. "Just like that? Just pick one of our teamma-uh; I can't even say it!"

"Well, better get used to saying it," Spitfire sighed. "No, sorry, you're within your rights in feeling hesitant, but Rainbow, just know they were really looking forward to being with you."

"I don't know..." Rainbow gulped down the rest of her drink. "I think I can try a little harder when they ask, but I'm not sure what they want me to do?"

"That's completely up to you, and the pony, or ponies, you're with. Fast or slow, just keep in mind that whenever a Bolt offers, they're offering because they like you, and they want to get to know you better."

Rainbow Dash felt her cheeks heat. The idea of touching the Bolts, her team-muhs- comrades. She was okay with hugs, heck she gave them out like free candy to the ponies she was most comfortable with. But... this.

"Okay, I'll try. That's about all I can promise for right now, and I need time to process all this."

Spitfire finished her drink too. "Of course, you have permission to go home instead of staying in the barracks, if it'll help."

"That's okay, I said I'd start trying harder, I can't do that if I'm at home, can I?"

Spitfire smile. "That's the spirit, you're dismissed."

Rainbow made to leave, but hesitated. "Wait, when you said all of the Bolts was wanting to mate with me, does that mean you too?!"

Spitfire shot a wolfish grin, before putting her aviator glasses back on, frowning. "I said you're dismissed, Crash!" She said, going back to her drill sergeant voice.

Rainbow snapped to attention and left. "Yes, ma'am!"

Author's Note

Not happy with this first chapter, started strong and kind of blundered in thr middle. I wanted it to be more concise and comical, but ended up making RD cry. But I figure she'd be pretty upset given the situation. And I want to ease her into things, plus her character can't either be a horny jock type that wouldn't hesitate at mating, or she's just full of bluster. Which given how she gets cripplingly anxious in the show, I figure it's that latter over the former.

This is open to editing, if anyone wants to help improve it.