Five years had passed in Neverland, and while everyone else had remained the same, little Marzi had grown and aged until she had reached the five year goal that Peter had set for her. By now, she could walk and talk fairly well, and was feeding herself from the same menu the Lost Children chose from.
Marzi played the same games the boys played, showing a fairly high degree of skill with a lot of them. She never really tried to win --she just had fun. Amy, Petra, and the boys loved to just play with Marzi, allowing her to do her own thing when they played.
Marzi spent most of her time with Peter and Amy, who had developed a sort of "pseudo-parental" relationship. Oh, they knew it was not for real, but with Peter as leader, and Amy as "mother", it was a natural pairing.
Today, Peter had a surprise for Marzi. He knew it was time for her to learn one of his favorite activities. He just had to be careful about how he went about it. She had to see what a wonderful feeling it gave the one doing it.
"Today's the day!" Peter grinned at breakfast that morning. He watched as Marzi ate her pancakes and sausage.
"For what?" Amy asked. She eyed the green-clad boy with intrest.
"For Marzi's first flying lesson," he answered. "It's about time she learned."
"I just hope you're not planning to do it the way you tried to teach Jane," Slightly commented. The fox-pelted boy remembered well that flying lesson.
"Don't worry," Peter smiled at him. "I'm going to take my time with Marzi, and be careful."
"Whoa! That's a big switch for you!" Nibs added his comment.
"Why?" Peter asked. "Marzi's not Wendy or John or even Jane. Why should her flying lesson be anything like theirs?"
"Good point," Slighty grinned.
"So, what time today are you going to start?" Amy asked.
"A little after breakfast," he answered. "I want an early start. The sooner we start, the sooner she'll learn to fly."
"Aren't you going to need something?" Amy asked. "Or, to be more precise, someone?"
"Of course," Peter grinned. He gave a shrill whistle, and was answered by a jingle of bells. Seconds later, Tinker Bell appeared, scattering golden pixie dust as she flew around the room.
"We're going to start teaching Marzi how to fly today, Tink," Peter answered the pixie's jingled question. Tink became excited about the upcoming lesson. Of course, they would need her pixie dust to help the child fly.
"Where are you going to give her the lesson?" Amy asked.
"The meadow where we had that picnic," Peter answered. "She doesn't need to jump of a rock or anything, and she shouldn't do that anyway. We'll try it from the ground."
"Sounds like a plan," Petra smiled.
"Whatdaya think, Marzi?" Peter asked the little girl. "Ready to learn to fly?"
"Uh, huh," the child nodded, stuffing another forkfull of pancake in her mouth.
"Well, finish your breakfast first," he said. "Then, we'll go somewhere and give you your first flying lesson."
"Okay," Marzi replied, taking a big drink of milk.
Peter, Amy, and Marzi stood out in the meadow, Tinker Bell ready to dust the child with her pixie dust. Petra and the Lost Boys were on the edge of the woods, watching the lesson.
"Ready?" Peter asked Marzi. He held her by one hand, her gentle teacher for this very important part of life in Neverland.
"Uh, huh," she nodded, looking up at him.
"Okay. Sprinkle her, Tink," Peter grinned. The tiny pixie showered Marzi with her dust, making her sparkle with gold.
"Now," Peter instructed, "you need to think of a wonderful thought. Anything that makes you happy."
Marzi screwed her little face up in an effort to think of something wonderful. Her face turned bright pink with all the squeezing, but after awhile, she finally came up with something.
"Peter!" she cried. As soon as the word was out of her mouth, up she went.
"Figures," Petra laughed.
"Yeah," Slightly agreed. "It's not like she's stuck to him like glue."
Peter rose with her, flattered that she would think of him as her "wonderful thought". With the eternal boy beside her, Marzi felt no fear of falling from the sky.
As soon as they were airborne, Peter began to show her how to keep aloft, and how to move any whatever direction she wanted to go. Marzi paid very close attention to what Peter told her, hanging on every word. He mentioned something about "Faith and trust and pixie dust" being the recipe for flight, but she focused more on keeping up in the air.
Amy watched them from her spot in the meadow. She wondered where the time had gone. Five years ago, she was the main source of income for her widowed father and herself. Now, she was "mother" to a group of eternal children. Of course, she had not always been poor. Long ago, when her mother lived, they had been just your typical, middle-class family. Both parents had worked, Amy went to school, played video games, listened to music, and all the other stuff that most girls her age did.
When her mother died suddenly and mysteriously, everything changed and went rapidly downhill. Amy's father --unable to cope with the loss of his wife-- stared drinking heavily and ended up on disability. They had to sell most of their stuff, but Amy retained a few things: A CD/Tape player, her video games, a DVD/Video tape player, and a television, among other things. When she came with Peter to Neverland, Amy brought the CD/Tape player with her, as well as several tapes and compact disks. Now, if she could just find an electrical outlet to plug them into...
Peter flew by, Marzi floating beside him. She was doing well in her first flying lesson. Pretty soon, the little girl would be just as skilled a flyer as Peter Pan, himself.
They kept up the flying lesson for about three hours, until finally, they came in for the mid-day meal.
"How'd she do?" Amy asked Peter.
"She's a little unsteady, especially on the turns," he answered. "But she's learning. Slowly, but definately learning."
"At least she is learning," Amy said. "Come on; time for lunch." She led the way to where she and the others set up a picnic.
The children sat and ate, talking about the flying lesson, and pretty much just enjoying themselves. Marzi's first flying lesson had went well, but she still had a long way to go before she could be considered on Peter's level.
After lunch, Marzi practiced with Peter, following his lead as she moved in the sky. By the end of the day, Marzi could fly short distances without holding Peter's hand. He estimated that the little girl would take about a week, maybe two, to get good enough to fly on her own.
"I hope you don't plan to allow her to fly unescourted," Amy commented, when Peter told her of his estimate.
"Of course not," he assured her. "I just mean that in a week, she'll be able to fly without help."
"Of course," Amy nodded. The family headed back home, ready for a rest. Tomorrow, there would be more practice, and soon, Marzi would be able to join Peter in one of his favorite games --Sky Tag.
Peter and Amy put a very sleepy Marzi to bed. In all the five years that Amy had been in Neverland, the sleeping arrangements had not changed. Peter still slept in his hammock, sleeping in the bed with Amy and Marzi only when necesary. He usually did so during storms, when the crash of thunder frieghtened the little girl.
"If we were her real parents," Amy smiled down at the sleeping child, "we'd be saying that she was growing-up to be a little lady, or something like that. Be we're not. And I know better than say something like that here."
"I should hope you'd know better," Peter smiled. "But she will always be a five-year old little girl. That was the age I agreed on, and that's how old she is now."
"Without knowing her real birthdate," Amy reminded him. "For all we know, she might have been two when you found her. True age is hard to tell."
"True. Who knows what my real age is. But I'll always be about twelve years old to anyone who sees me."
"Eternal youth," Amy smiled. "A boy forever."
"Right!" he grinned. He leaned over and kissed both Amy and Marzi on the cheek. "Good night," he whispered to them.
"Good night, Peter," Amy whispered back. She laid down with Marzi, while Peter climbed into his hammock. Before long, everyone was asleep.
Next: Chapter 9: Sick Days. What happens when everyone but Peter gets sick, and he has to act as nurse for not only Amy and Marzi, but Petra and all the Lost Boys, as well. Luckily, Peter has Tink and Dusty to help him.
