Life Beyond the Big Top

A Step in the Right Direction

Aurora smiled as she took a deep breath, always enjoying the smell of salt water every time she was in Arlesburgh. Her golden hair whipped around her as she rode on top of BoCo before laying down on her back. BoCo chuckled softly as he felt her before slowing to a stop.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" BoCo asked with a smile.

"I am." Aurora purred happily as she stretched. "The smell of salt water, fish, and the bakeries is so relaxing and calming." She hummed before staring up at the bright blue sky. "But I am confused about something..."

"What's that, my dear?" BoCo asked, confused. He felt her moving around before she jumped onto his left buffer.

"Why are there a lot of stalls and stuff in the road?" Aurora asked, pointing to various vendors setting stuff up.

A familiar low beep echoed around them before Duck stopped next to them, the Slip Coaches coupled up to him.

"It's Arlesburgh's Summer Market." Duck smiled warmly as he looked at his niece. "People all over town set up stalls to sell various items."

"Like what?" Aurora asked curiously, adjusting her cloak and putting the hood over her head.

Duck tutted. Though he knew why Aurora wore her cloak, he was worried about her passing out from the heat and maybe getting heatstroke.

"Food, artwork and paintings, bags, a bit of everything." Jerry Smith, BoCo's driver, smiled as he poked his head out of an open window. "A lot of stuff the people made themselves. And they have live music performed here. Nothing fancy, but the vibe is always very welcoming."

"...Do they have sweets?" Aurora asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the vendors.

Both BoCo and Duck smiled warmly as they looked at her, knowing that she had developed a sweet tooth since arriving on Sodor.

"They might..." Duck grinned, "though there would only be one way to find out."

Aurora, grasping his meaning, shrunk back. "Never mind..."

Duck sighed.

"I'm sure she'll get there, love," BoCo mouthed to Duck.

Aurora glowered at them.

As fond as she was of her newfound family, they all seemed to try to 'encourage' her out of her comfort zone.

Skarloey had attempted to suggest Aurora reach out to one of their young volunteers, who also happened to be Geoffrey's daughter.

Now Duck was suggesting this??

"Look, we know you love us and want to be with us all the time," Duck continued. "As much as the feeling is... mutual, we just want you to broaden your horizons a little. Live the life you never got to lead. You'll need friends your own age, if only for someone to relate to. And if you get to a point where you're looking back and wishing you did more, that's when it's too late."

"Must you be so droll?" BoCo grumbled.

But Aurora could see a point in Duck's argument.

"OK... I just... I just feel scared if I step in and can't get out again, then..." she trailed off.

"So you need metaphorical stabilizers," Jerry mused. "Someone to support you till you get the hang of being in public."

Aurora remained silent by nodding her head a bit, the points of her ears disappearing under her hood as they flattened against her head. Looking at the vendors, she slowly climbed off of BoCo's buffer and stood on the brick road. Her tail wrapped around her leg as she walked in front of Duck before stopping. Aden Long, Duck's fireman, climbed out of Duck's cab and walked over to her.