Finding Your Family

Two tomahawks thunked hard into the wooden targets, embedding themselves a good few centimetres through. The third one rang loudly as it bounced off the back wall and was silenced as it came to rest on the floor.

"Edge alignment, Sweetie Belle!" called Apple Bloom from behind the chain-link fence. "Ya have ta keep the edge lined up proper; like choppin' down a cedar tree!"

"I don't cut down a lot of trees, Apple Bloom," snorted Sweetie Belle as she, Rainbow and Scootaloo collected their axes.

"Neither do I," admitted Scootaloo. "But I have spent a few months learning how to throw knives."

"Why in Equestria would you want a skill like that?" scoffed Rarity, having lost herself in her tequila sunset. After another sip, she remembered that she was supposed to be nice, and added, "I bet it would be a spectacular act."

"Oh, we offer knives," offered the attendant. "After this round, if you want to show them your skill, we can organize that for you."

"Count on it," smiled Rainbow. "Scoots has this in the bag!"

"Alright, last throw!" bounced Pinkie. "Let's go!"

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo nodded, and after clinking the butts of their axes together, pulled themselves to the ready position. Once Sweetie Belle was in position, the attendant counted down, and they threw once more.

This time, it was Rainbow and Sweetie Belle that stuck in the wood. Rainbow had scored three points, just outside of the center ring, and Sweetie had only just wedged her toe over the line. Normally, that wouldn't count as a point, but it was the first time she'd actually made her axe stick into the target, and was standing in last place with zero points. Even Rarity had scored three. It was a stick, so out of pity, she was awarded a single point.

It was Scootaloo's axe that brought the most attention, though. While it had not stuck, there was a very good reason for that. When it had wedged itself into the board, it had pushed enough wood out of the way that the remaining connections had snapped, and where her axe had connected, a large chunk with dozens of splinters rained down to the ground below, and with nothing holding up that side of the axe, it slipped right out of the hole it had made and clattered to the ground.

"That was right in the center," noted the attendant. "That'd have been five points if it hadn't collapsed." She went to pick up the ruined target to haul it out, but as she passed, she offered the chunk of shattered wood to Scootaloo. "Souvenir?"

Scootaloo accepted it, looking it over.

"Awesome job, Squirt," smiled Rainbow, wrapping a hoof around her shoulders. "Something to take with you to remember the night!"

"You think so?" asked Scootaloo. "I mean, you won that round."

"I win all kinds of stuff," waved Rainbow. "I hate losing, but you heard her; If you'd have landed that last hit, you'd have won by two points. But here's the thing." She tapped the piece of wood with her hoof. "I may have won, but you're going to be the one who walks out of here with a trophy."

Soon, the attendant came back with a brand new, untouched target. As swinging an axe into a piece of wood would always result in damage to the wood, having extra targets to replace them was always a good idea. And since they were made from pallet wood, something department stores would often throw out, they were easy enough to come by. Just pry out the nails and put them in different spots, and as long as the wood didn't split, it would hold up for quite some time.

"Alright, who's ready to see some knife-throwing?" asked Scootaloo, downing the remains of her old fashioned.

With cheers from the party, the attendant brought out a display of five flat knives with smooth wooden handles. "Here we are. Let's see what you've learned."

Scootaloo grabbed the first knife by the handle and twirled it in her claw until she was holding it by the tip, then tossed it into the air and caught it by the handle. "These are lighter than the ones we had in the dragon lands. I may not be quite as accurate as I claimed."

"Try anyway," urged Rainbow.

With a shrug, Scootaloo spun the knife in her claw until it was right where she wanted it, lined it up with the new target, and flung it as precisely as she could. It stuck in the center, but her rotation was off by just under a quarter turn, meaning the handle was almost touching the target, and the tip was sticking out, while most of the blade edge was embedded.

The second toss went better; still off a bit, but closer. It was the third one that finally found its way and went straight in.

It was about this time that a stallion that had been watching them, as this room was still open to the rest of the bar patrons, came over to the group. He and a few of his buddies had come in awhile ago and played a round, but the other two had left a few minutes ago.

"Hey there," he said, wrapping his hoof around Sweetie Belle. "You look like you could use some company."

"I have company, thanks," answered Sweetie, removing his hoof, which he put right back. She pushed it away again, but he persisted.

"Oy!" called Scootaloo, drawing his attention. "Watch this."

She tossed the fourth knife down the way, and embedded the tip into the handle of the third knife. She then held up the final knife by the blade, displaying the smooth, sleek handle.

"I know that was a bigger target that what's swingin' down between your thighs, but I bet I can hit it at fifty paces, anyway. You wanna see me try, or do you want to keep those hooves to yourself?"

He just snickered. "I don't take orders from wee dragons. You can't fight me, I'm an Equestrian citizen!"

"Then allow me!" shouted Rarity, slapping him hard across the face. "Keep your hooves off of my sister!"

He stood up to show he was taller and more muscular than Rarity, then grabbed her by the wrist. That's when Rainbow stepped in. "Hooves to yourself!" she shouted, bucking him hard in the gut.

"Don't forget your facepaint!" twittered Pinkie, slapping him with a sponge, leaving his face covered in clown makeup.

As he stumbled backward, Apple Bloom ducked under his hooves, and he tripped over her, landing flat on his back, out cold.

"I think it's time for a change of scenery," said Scootaloo.

"Alright everypony," called Rainbow. "Finish your glasses and back to the carriage!"

Scootaloo nodded, flipping the knife around in her claws, and then launching it at the wall target, embedding it in the center of the wood. "Twenty-five points!"