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The place was banging. It was a loud and raging party, a Saturday night to remember- or not, depending on how much you decided to drink.

But within the chaos of The Grasslands dance club there was one small bastion of calm, one tiny section that had been hastily roped off not with actual ropes but a barrier of empty beer bottles. It was one section at the end of the bar that seated a young filly, happily colouring in the smiling poptart in her book and occasionally taking sips of her fruit mocktail.

Banshee turned slightly in her seat towards her big sister, Shrill X, her voice somehow easily carrying over the loud music and asked, "What colour should I do the eyes?"

Shrill X was lining up shots and taking them down with grim determination, her gaze occasionally slipping sideways to the little girl that was totally not her daughter but definitely was even if they were pretending she wasn’t right now.

At the question she shuffled closer on her seat, peering down at the poptart with its goofy grin. "Red. Yeah, gotta be red. That’ll make him part cherry flavour." She patted Banshee awkwardly on the shoulder and threw down another shot. Good time out, that’s what they were going to have. Thriller was off at some sleepover, so it was girl time. Whatever the hell that meant.

"You gotta call."

Shrill X blinked at the phone the barman offered her and then accepted it gingerly, mouthing ‘I’ll be right back’ to Banshee before putting it to her ear. She was already off the seat and stepping over the beer barrier, her last words drifting back…

"Whaaaat, don’t be ridiculous, of course I didn’t bring Banshee to the club. Come on dad, I’m not- it’s just loud music, geez..."

After Shrill X had wandered off with the phone, Banshee had continuing on colouring, one pink tongue poking out the side of her mouth. It remained there as new Phony stumbled over with what she quickly decided to be a very cool ‘Bar Smack and Spin’ routine, one that she would definitely attempt to emulate in future. Her tongue disappeared back where it belonged.

"Hi," she squeaked. This lady was obviously very very cool with her big hair and her super moves. "I am pretty short but that’s because I’m a kid. My sis bought me." She moved her colouring book and pencils closer to her new friend. "Wanna colour stuff with me?"

Banshee was more than happy to spill all the beans to her new friend. "Yeah, she’s really cool. Sometimes she watches us sleeping through the window and we pretend we don’t know. I’m not supposed to be here today and pa is going to be really mad but she said I need to experience life early and see cool things… and also that she wanted a drink." As she spoke, she was giving the poptart green teeth. "Her name is Shrill X and mine is Banshee and it’s nice to meet you Miss. Riot. Wow, you’re really good at colouring."

There was the clatter of bottles as Shrill X returned, forgetting her own barrier existed and sending them rolling away into the crowd. "Woah, oh man, I don’t think he believed my bullshit," she said as she collided heavily with the bar at Banshee’s other side, in much the same way Riot had but without the ‘elegant spin’. She sent the phone sliding down the bar, as far away from her as possible.

"If he asks, don’t say anything. I mean, I know that’s hard for you but- woah, who is this?" She had finally noticed Riot. "Are you harassing my kiiiiid siiiister?" Oops, she’d nearly just said straight up kid and the words ended up coming out in a long, awkward hiss. Cover it in bravado, Shrill! "If you are I’ll mess you up! Even if you are cute!"

"She’s not harassing me," Banshee piped up.

"Oh, well, never mind then. You want a drink?"

There was a moment in which Banshee learnt that Roller Riot was some sort of pro colouring champion who had trained under a waterfall in the mountains just like in the movies and her eyes lit up. She was imagining the great colour battles, pencils in hoof as two combatants soared across the treetops and left their mark on paper.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Shrill X repeated, putting a hoof up that said ‘woah!’ just as much as her mouth did. "I did not swear. Did I?" She glanced at Banshee, who didn’t notice because she was still looking at Riot with big, sparkly eyes. "Bullshit isn’t swearing. I mean if I’d said fu- uuuudge I’d better not."

She squinted at Roller Riot’s obvious come on and then clambered up onto her seat and waved over the barman. "It’s on the table but it’s gotta wait for dessert. Ya know, after I drop the squirt back home. I’ll need somewhere to hide anyway, so we’re going to your place."

"TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE WATERFALL," Banshee practically exploded the words out, she was that excited.

Shrill X banged the counter top a couple of times. "Yo hey, just make us some drinks. On the tab. You know. Something fancy with fruit in it or something. That's my man."

"I yeah, totally not her mom, I mean, not even close." Shrill X’s laugh was perhaps slightly too forced but she covered it by jumping on to the next topic of conversation. "No badges, just my- our dad- damn it!" She ran a hoof through her hair and continued as if she hadn’t interrupted herself with more swearing. "Look, he’s just blah blah blah all the time, gotta be a good example, don’t take her to clubs, don’t get drunk, you know, boring stuff and it’s better if he has time to cool off before I see him next." It would probably surprise anyone that the mild-manner stallion was even capable of terrifying his daughter but Lullaby on the warpath was never fun.

"I-I won’t tell no one," Banshee breathed (loudly) out. "Not even my brother. Well, maybe my brother. Can I please tell my brother? Oh please!" Her eyes went wide and pleading. There was no secret in the world she would keep from her brother. They were like two egg yolks. Never to be parted! Until the egg was cracked and someone with a spatula cut through the white.

"Wait, what’s this about a waterfall?" Shrill X interjected and was immediately distracted by the arrival of their drinks. "Woah, thanks dude. Pina colada’s, good call. Awesome." She grabbed the little umbrella and tucked it behind Banshee’s ear. "There ya go."