Raven stood by her daughter, watching the waves lap at the shore in the distance. The sun was burning overhead, but the island's temperature was cool. Hammer Bay stretched out before them, obscured only by the sun's reflective light on the windows across the city.
She turned to her daughter, a beautiful young woman who was the beginning & end to Raven's entire world. She looked out over the balcony like her mother had, but stayed several more feet away. Raven was actually standing on the railing, though that wasn't why Anna Marie's nerves were acting up. No, the dreaded occurance was to happen later, several minutes from now.
Raven flashed her beloved companion a cocky smile, & gave a small jump foward. She dropped through the air like a bird answering a false call, before soaring back into Anna's sight with newly acquired wings. She did a few slow, showy laps before landing back on the balcony.
Anna Marie said nothing as her mother balanced once more on the ledge. Slowly, she approached the blue woman, examining the bat-like wings. Paying no mind to her mothers new talons, she looked to the sea again with an even paler face than usual.
"Mama, Ah'm not sure Ah can do this. Ah barely have my recall under control, & it only works for powers, not memories 'n' skills."
"Don't worry about it! I'm right here for you. Just do what you saw me do. Take it slow, Rogue. You've seen Angel fly countless times, so I'm sure you'll know how once you get out there."
"But seeing it isn't the same as doing it! Every time before Ah've drain him. Wings, knowledge, & all. Ah can't fly if Ah don't remember doing it a thousand times before. It ain't... natural. It don't come easy, like walking."
"You're right, but that's why we're here. You can do this, & you'll always be able to once you do it yourself rather than try to remember someone else's experience. So trust me, I'll be with you the whole time."
Her mother's reassuring words calmed her. Anna closed her eyes & took a deep breath. Letting the breeze play with her white & dark locks, she let her mind go blank. She continued to breathe slowly, listenning only to the sound of the city below & the whispers much closer in her mind.
Warren? I could really use your help. There were no answers to this silent plea. Trying another angle, Anna attemped to at least get her old friend's attention. It's been awhile since we've last flown. I've missed the feeling. When it was both of us, all in one, I felt the same joy you did everytime you took off. Even though I only took your powers in emergancies, I was hoping you'd let me borrow your wings again. Warren, I want us... I want us to be okay again...
That did the trick. Warren's voice gave no answers, but a pair a dove-like wings stretched outwards from Rogue's back. She hoped this meant let's fly & not I hope you break something this time. Anna smiled her thanks & went to open her eyes when her previous zen-like state was torn from her. Alarmed, Rogue looked at her mother as she was hoisted up by the waist.
"Mama! W-what are ya doing!" Anna Marie's voice now shrill with fear. The sense of doom from before quickly took hold of her once more.
"Helping."
Anna hated it when her mother said that. It always ended with her not wanting any help. Looking straight down, way down to the base of the castle, Rogue was confident this was one of those times.
"Now see here, Mystique," she began with a less shrill, but still shaky voice. "Ah ain't ready yet. When Ah am, I'll jump myself. Plus, didn't ya promise never to drop your little angel?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Pumpkin," Raven began, clearly distraught by what she was about to do to her sweet child. "I didn't realize! I was just so... I didn't mean to rush you, sweetie. I'm so, so sorry!"
Mystique gently placed her daughter down on the floor & hopped down herself. She tried to express her remorse more, but Anna accepted the apology with a waze of her hand.
Holding to railing until she was sure her knuckles were white beneath her gloves, Rogue eventually climbed to railing & took more deep breaths. Using her wings to balance on the narrow platform & test the wind, she sighed. Getting her nerves up to jump off a building was harder than she thought.
"You okay, kitten?"
"Yeah. Just focusing, Mama."
Silence followed as Raven laid her hand gently on the other girl's back for moral support. After several more quiet pep talks with Rogue testing her wings, a change came in the form of a firm shove.
Rogue screeched as she fell, flapping her wings frantically. Her descent slowed enough to save her from free-falling, but she still wasn't flying. This was life or death, she was sure, & panic gnawed at her mind.
Her first breath after her scream ran out cleared her head. Just a little, but enough for her to put tought into her actions. Anna Marie synchronized her wing beats, righting herself in the process. Slowly, then gaining some speed, she ascended. Flying up close to the balcony, she made sure to express her rage.
Raven smirked at her daughter's indignation. Flying out to Anna, she managed to calm Rogue down enough not to drain her mid-flight.
"You said you'd never drop meh," came the venomous retort.
"Anna Marie," Raven exclained, sounding genuinely upset. "I would never, ever drop my little girl. I pushed you. There's a difference."
This earned the master of shape shifting a glare that would make the mythical Medusa back down, & Raven couldn't be happier that she's taught her protégé two knew things in one lesson.
Author's note: This could really be an Evolution story, but since I always think of the WATX version of Mystique when I write about her & it's set in Genosha, I put it under the latter.