The Happiest Carousel in Equestria

by Rockstar_Raccoon

...around...

The next day, Applejack took another early break, heading over to the clubhouse once again, following the sounds of hammering.

In the clearing with the clubhouse, the Crusaders were just finishing the construction of a large, circular wooden platform, in the place where they’d been walking in a circle earlier in the day. It was thick and sturdy, made from planks of apple wood, the warm stain and shining laquer of which had just finish drying. It spun slowly with the breeze, sitting on a well oiled rotary mechanism.

Applejack slowed, eyes widening in awe, “Is that...”

“It’s a carousel deck!” Sweetiebelle cheered.

Applejack blinked, “Y’all built this in one morning?”

Applebloom grinned, nodding enthusiastically, “Yeah! We all worked together!”

“It was so natural,” Scootaloo added, “It’s like we all just knew where everything needed to be and we put it there!”

Sweetie Belle jumped on top of it, “Come on! Lemme show you something!”

Applebloom and Scootaloo quickly clamoured on, taking up positions around the platform, leaving a side for Applejack that would make them evenly spaced in the four positions. She glanced at the spot with a bit of hesitation... it was... strangely inviting... like, it was the place where she belonged, her home...

...a hole that was made for her...

Slowly, she brought herself to step onto the platform with them, and found that she enjoyed the feeling of the solid wood, the shiny veneer smooth beneath her hoof. Without needing any instruction, she stood in her spot, facing the right direction.

Sweetie Belle smiled as, wordlessly, she lit her horn. Gently, the platform began to rotate, just like a carousel would, picking up just enough speed for the airflow to rustle their manes, but not enough to feel dizzy.

Applejack let out a quiet sigh, her body settling into the position. It was just so natural for her... so right... as if this was where she truly belonged, not working the orchard, walking from tree to tree, lifting her hooves and bucking, but standing on this platform, going around, and around, and around, and around...

...and so they went around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around, and around....

Applejack was roused from the blissful peace of rotation by the distinct pain in her legs and on the skin of her back, which was all getting too strong to ignore. She grumbled, cursing the weakness of her flesh and bones as she was forced to move once again.

She wasn’t sure how much time they’d been standing like that, only that it had been enough for the sun to shift quite far in the sky, and for it to start burning their backs through their fur as their legs got cramped.

She looked up to see the others stirring as well.

“Aw shucks,” Applebloom groused, “Is that a sunburn?”

“My legs are starting to hurt!” Sootaloo added, bending them one at a time to get the blood flowing again.

“Having to move really breaks the fantasy of it,” Sweetiebelle thought aloud, “But it’s not done, and I bet we could keep working on it to help with that...”

Applebloom perked up at that, “Yeah, I bet I could build an awnin’ ta keep the sun off our backs!”

“And some sort of harness system, so we don’t have to stand!” Scootaloo added.

“And while you’re doing that,” Sweetie put in, “I’d like to paint it pretty colors, like pink and yellow!”

Applejack glanced around, their enthusiasm bringing a smile to her face, “That all sounds right fine. I sure did enjoy that just now.” She sighed as the feeling of moving her own legs started to wash away the peace of being on the carousel, “Ah guess ah gotta get a bit more harvestin’ done ‘fore the sun goes down. Y’all don’t stay out too late, ya hear?”

“Applejack, can we borrow some extra money?” Applebloom interjected.

“Y’all don’t got enough?”

“Well, we gotta get some more supplies from the store, but we already spent a lot of bits on the supplies to make this, and it’d be easier if you could chip in for it too.”

“Chip in for it too...” Applejack muttered, reaching for where she was keeping a bag of bits, but slowed as she thought about it... Should they really be doing this? Should they really be spending all this time and money on a carousel, just so they can pretend to be a carousel? Was this even normal? It felt so right, but wouldn't other ponies think this was crazy?

Finally, she reached an impasse, “Do... Y’all think this is a good idea? Ah mean, it was one thing to just walk around in a circle, but this is startin’ ta sound like a mighty big project.”

“Well, yeah, but we all enjoy it, don’t we?” Applebloom retorted.

“It’s not like we’re hurting anypony,” Sweetiebelle added, “We’re just doing our own little thing, because it makes us happy.”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo piped up, “Don’t you and the other girls say it’s ok to do things that make you happy, as long as you don’t hurt anyone?”

Applejack found no good argument, her hoof moving nearer to the bag of bits, yet again, she hesitated, “What about other ponies? Ah mean, what’ll other ponies think if they find out we’re spendin’ all these bits on a carousel?”

“Why does it matter what other ponies think?” Applebloom shook her head, “Applejack, yer the one always tellin’ us not to worry what other ponies think, as long as we’re bein’ honest with ourselves!”

“Yeah! Other ponies don’t have to live our lives!” Scootaloo added, “They don’t have any right to tell us not to be different!”

Sweetie nodded, frowning, “They don’t have to go through the sadness of this. If they did, they probably wouldn’t have any problem with it...”

Applebloom nodded along, “Yeah, if yer friends are really yer friends, they’ll be happy fer us, that we found somethin’ we like!”

Applejack pondered it a moment longer, but finally conceded, reaching behind her mane to pull out a small bag of bits she had tucked away, “Alright y’all, Ah can’t argue with that. Jus’ be responsible with it, ok?” She tossed the bag to her sister.

Applebloom grinned as she caught it with a hoof, “Don’t worry sis, we’ll make sure to do a real good job with it!”

With that, the three adolescent ponies ran off towards town, chattering happily about what they were going to do with the money.

And so, Applejack turned to get back to her work. She had a sense of unease about the whole thing, but strangely, she found that she had a spring in her step. Suddenly, work didn’t feel as daunting, not with the promise of getting back on the carousel in the near future. In fact, for the first time since Cosmos had attacked, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders...

...she would be back where she belonged...

Comments

[Rockstar_Raccoon]

11889396
11889559
Yeah, this is a weird story, but at the end of the day, it's just a really unique idea done seriously: a story about ponies trying to achieve a very unique desire. There's nothing in here I wouldn't show a kid who's old enough to be here

Also, music is coming. The track I've had in mind has been playing in my head for years...

[Rockstar_Raccoon]

11889404
I'm going to avoid reading this comment until I get to the chapter with the actual carousel, because I'm still proofreading it...

[owlicious]

In the first chapter, they said '“Whaa?” Appleloom looked over' - not sure if it's an intentional joke about looking over

Applebloom perked up at that, “Yeah, I bed I could build an awnin’ ta keep the sun off our backs!”

Is that the accent or should it be bet?

---

Looking forward to seeing how this will turn out. My headcanon is that it will spiral out of control and more ponies join the carousel and the places that are made for them.

[Joe Toon]

11889672
11889559
Ah, okay

[owlicious]

Also, music is coming. The track I've had in mind has been playing in my head for years...

Until then, songs I found somewhat appropriate:

"Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" - if it were about a carousel

---

https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/Fit_Right_In_(A_New_Generation)
Only somewhat funny because of the chorus of "You're gonna fit right in" and a few lines debating it (and fake additions to a pony's body)

[Rockstar_Raccoon]

11889704
It's a typo I missed when proofreading. Thanks for pointing it out!

[Rockstar_Raccoon]

11889704
That'll be a chapter a ways out, seeing as they haven't gotten to the actual carousel part yet.

11889904
Oh wow, that song is even more perfect than the one I had in mind! lol

[Plierow524]

11890512
What song do you have in mind?

[Rockstar_Raccoon]

11890538
You'll see.

[owlicious]

“And some sort of harness system, so we don’t have to stand!” Scootaloo added.

silly rhyme I thought of about the replacement for hoof-holes: ...and a (carousel) pole that was made for her...

[Plierow524]

When the next chapter come out?