Amber took a long look at herself in front of the mirror. There were dark circle under her eyes, circles that hadn't existed mere weeks ago, circles that had been slowly growing darker over the course of the last several weeks. Her lips had taken on a cold, slightly bluish tinge and her face looked gaunt as if she hadn't been eating properly. In fact, her entire appearance not only hinted of some unknown illness, but spoke of it in clear words. Even her normally paper white skin was looking unusual, having taken on a slightly yellowish tinge. Indeed, it was becoming hard to deny the fact that something very serious was wrong with her. Clearly she was sick.

The problem was that Amber didn't feel sick. While never the strongest of individuals, she didn't feel any weaker than usual. She didn't have a cough nor the barest hint of a stuffed nose. Her temperature was completely normal and she didn't have the faintest hint of an upset stomach and in fact she wasn't even any more tired than she usually was. In truth, the shadows under her eyes didn't bother her much and if that was all she wouldn't have thought twice about it. After all, she kept strange hours because of her skin condition and didn't sleep as much as she really should have. But if she really was sick, shouldn't she have actual symptoms of illness? But she didn't, not really, aside from the slow progression of appearing like a healthy, if rather pale, teenage girl to what she looked like now. And as far as she could tell, the progression wasn't about to stop.

Of course, being the tech savvy teenager that Amber was, the first thing she did upon realizing that she had a problem was to open up her laptop and do some research on the internet. What kind of horrible disease might she had that resulted in physical degeneration but no other symptoms? And of course she had found nothing. Every disease that included physical symptoms like she had also included some manner of detrimental health effects and she simply didn't have any of those. So, she was left exactly where she had started off, confused and getting more and more worried as they days went on and her physical degeneration continued.

The next logical step, Amber decided, was some good old fashioned library research. If the internet didn't have the answers she was looking for, then perhaps the library would. In truth, Amber was beginning to feel a little frightened and a little desperate. Surely she had caught something horrible and potentially life threatening and any day now her health would begin to be negatively effected and in years if not months she would become some crippled invalid unable to even rise out of bed. Either that or it was somehow related to her mutation and, truth be told, she wasn't certain which one she felt to be worse. It was hard enough having to worry about how people would react to her eyes, let alone the prospect of humans considering her to be a plague victim.

With horrible images of worst case scenarios running through her head, Amber reluctantly made her way to the biology section of the library. Hopefully she would find some answers in there. If not, she was at a loss as to what to do next.

Hurried footfalls echoed through the nearly deserted hallway of the boy’s residential wing at Xavier’s Sister School. The Asian mutant named, Lance, was hurriedly making his way towards the library of the mansion.

The day had started off good for Lance... this was the first weekend, since the start of the fall term, which he has found himself without any school work to do. He considered going-out to wander about downtown Manhattan, but thought better of it. There were a lot of things to do in the library following the Halloween mayhem.

The thought of Halloween brought back snippets of the events that took place that evening. Lance still experienced occasional nightmares about rabid cackling clowns and other costumed oddities that were in the Terror-Fest. But for the life of him, he cannot remember much of what happened that evening. He promised himself to have a talk with Mama T, but still hasn’t gotten around to doing so.

Breaking away from his thoughts, the teen glanced towards the clock sitting on his bedside table... the red lights glared 11:30 AM. This sent Lance scampering off his bed. He had already wasted a good part of his morning on idle thoughts while the books in the library were craving for attention.

A quick shower, a hurried change of clothes and Lance dashed for the library.

The teen stopped just outside the oaken door of the library for several seconds to compose himself and catch his breath. Stepping into the library, Lance glanced immediately towards the circulation desk, half expecting to see his boss glaring at him. Thankfully, yet surprisingly, Kealey was not in her usual post behind the desk.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the teen immediately set about to return the books he found atop the library cart to their rightful places in the forest of shelves that was Xavier’s library.

Having been working in the mansion’s library for more than a month, Lance now finds the job of returning the books to their proper places faster and less frustrating. He was getting more familiar with the lay-out of the library and the various sections it contained. The last book atop the cart, Student Study Guide for Biology by Neil A. Campbell, took the teen towards the biology section of the library.

Turning into one of the aisles between the shelves, Lance nearly bumped into another student scanning the through the selection of books. The veil covering the head of the student before him was a dead give-away. A smile found its way across his lips, ”Amber?”

Amber wasn't really certain where to begin beyond the fact that she was pretty certain it was in the biology section. Did she perhaps want a book on diseases? That idea had merit, after all that meant that she could compare her symptoms to those diseases listed. However, she had all ready attempted to do that through the internet and hadn't had the most success. There were plenty of illnesses that resulted in a gaunt and sickly appearance, but those diseases were also accompanied by, well, actual illness. Illness for which she had none.

The second option was, perhaps, a book on mutants and the x gene. In her experience, however, no two mutant powers or the traits that accompanied those powers, were exactly the same. Certainly she had yet to find anyone that could shift into dinosaurs, that was for sure, and those few shifters she had met hadn't had any of her other problems. Even with her doubts as to how much it could help, however, Amber decided that perhaps a book on mutants was the right place to start. If nothing else, perhaps she could find examples of those with similar problems to hers.

”Amber?”

Amber had been about to narrow her search when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned to find a familiar face in Lance. Though the two of them hadn't talked much in the past, he had been friendly enough and she actually liked him. For once, however, she was thankful for her veil that hid her slowly degrading appearance. It was one thing to have black eyes, that was something she could almost take pride in even if it did make her a freak, it was quite another thing to take on the look of a plague victim.

"Hello Lance. What b-brings you here?" Amber had been taking speech therapy lessons to try and eliminate her stutter but she was making rather slow progress.

“Hello Lance. What b-brings you here?”

”Work, actually...” Lance happily replied, throwing a quick glance to the book in his hand. ”I’ve been spending time here as a library assistant.” he added, beaming as the words flowed out. The teen can’t help it. He was proud to be working in the library.

”How about you? Working on an assignment for Biology class?” Lance asked curiously.

Since he was just about to return the last book on the library cart to its proper place, thereby completing his job of returning the borrowed books to their respective shelves, Lance has enough free time on his hands to go about and focus his attention on other matters.

”Maybe I can help you with it...” he offered. ”What is it exactly that you’re looking for?”

Amber actually liked the idea of being a library assistant. Outside of her violin playing, which would always be first in her heart, books were her passion. She couldn't possibly begin to count the number of hours she had spent while growing up with her nose planted firmly inside of a book. Many times it was only because of books and music that she had remained sane and grounded and without either one of them she had no idea what she would have done. For a certainly, life would not have been the same as it was now and it probably would have been a whole lot worse.

"D-do you like being a library assitant?" Amber asked. If she had more time she might have considered doing something similar. Then again, it wasn't as if she was lacking in money and time was the one thing that she really did not have a lot of. Her adopted father pretty much took care of everything she could possibly need or want.

”How about you? Working on an assignment for Biology class?”

Amber cringed, she didn't mean to but she really couldn't help it. If only it was a biology project that she was working on, then she wouldn't have to feel so worried or ashamed. It was one thing to be a mutant, that was something to be proud of, it was quite another to be a monster or, even worse, some kind of contageous disease victim. She wasn't sure what to say although she had never been very good at lying.

"I, um, I th-think I might be sick." Amber looked nervously down at her feet, not wanting to feel Lance's judgement of her condition. "Either that or I m-might be changing. I m-mean my mutation might. I d-don't know." Mutants had become her family and her friends. She no longer felt welcome among the human population, not that she ever really had, but she didn't know what she would do if she became outcast from her fellow mutants as well. As much as she might desire it, she just didn't think she could live a life of eternal loneliness.

“D-do you like being a library assistant?”

Amber’s question elicited an enthusiastic nod from the teen. ”Having been accepted as library assistant is one of the best things that has happened to me this semester.” Lance explained. That... Being accepted into Xavier’s and Faye...

“I, um, I th-think I might be sick.”

The grin on Lance’s lips disappeared. His brows furrowed and the happiness was quickly replaced by concern. ”Are you sure? What kind?” The teen asked, concern evident in his voice.

“Either that or I m-might be changing. I m-mean my mutation might. I d-don't know.”

Amber’s alternative to her condition lessened the seriousness in Lance’s expression. The thought of his friend not being sick at all but her ability evolving, brought some measure of relief to the teen.

An evolving mutation is definitely exciting though admittedly, quite scary as well.

”That’s great... I mean, about the evolving power and such... Not being sick...” Lance replied trying to bolster Amber’s confidence about her present situation.

Despite the fact that Lance knew zilch about mutants and evolving mutations, he wanted to be there for Amber. Regardless of whether she is really sick or that her powers are evolving, he felt that his friend will need a lot of support either way.

”So, where do you want to start?” the teen asked. The grin slowly made its way back to his lips.

Amber nodded her head, acknowledging Lance's enjoyment of his new job. If she ever had time to get herself real work, a library was at the top of her list of potential places of employment. although that was seeming less and less likely. After all, what place would possibly hire either a freak or a disease victim? Whichever fate awaited her she knew that it couldn't possibly be a good thing.

Amber tried to gauge Lance's reaction at both the idea that she might be sick or that her mutation might be changing her in some manner. Sick he reacted as expected, but she didn't understand why he might think it better that her mutation was in some way changing her. If she was sick there was at least the potential of getting better, but wasn't it worse if it was her mutation? Because if it was her mutation then chances were good that she'd never return to normal.

After a few moments of heavy deliberation, Amber removed her veil to show her face, dark circles and thin cheek bones plain to see. Lance seemed like a nice person, genuinely caring, and to be honest she kind of needed someone she might be able to confide in. Maybe if he saw what she was dealing with he might begin to understand a little bit more and maybe, just maybe, between the two of them they might find some way to deal with the situation.

"I look sick," Amber stated the obvious, her voice taking on a flat tone. "B-but I don't feel sick, not at all. Th-that's why I think it might be my mutation. I th-thought if I could find a book on mutants, maybe it would offer some insight." Like, for example, how to halt the changes so that she wouldn't look like a perpetual plague victim.

When Amber suddenly fell silent, Lance could not help but wonder if he had managed to offend her in some manner with what he had just said. Hopefully, he didn’t... but with his knack of saying the wrong things at the wrong time, who knows.

A few more moments of stressful silence passed between the two, before Amber removed her veil. The teen had not been expecting his friend’s reaction, thus it caught him off-guard. Lance’s surprise at the physical symptoms of Amber’s “illness” was quite evident. It took a few seconds before the initial surprise wore off.

”When did the symptoms first appeared?” he asked, concern and worry obvious in his tone of voice.

“I look sick. But I don’t feel sick, not at all. Th-that's why I think it might be my mutation. I th-thought if I could find a book on mutants, maybe it would offer some insight.”

Amber’s assurance that she was feeling fine did little to assuage Lance’s concern over her condition. ”Alright... Let’s start there,” Lance agreed. ”I think the section we’re looking for is further down in that direction.” he added, motioning deeper into the library.

”To be honest, I’d feel much better if you would let DocProf examine you. You know... get his professional opinion...” Lance suggested as he led Amber further into the library in search of any book that would help explain her condition.

Amber felt a keen sense of apprehension when she removed her veil, revealing her symptoms for Lance to see plainly. He stared for a few of the longest seconds of her life and she had to prevent herself from squirming under his gaze, even if she knew he was just trying to help. How could she not feel self conscious given her current problems? She had either become a plague victim or was in the process of becoming a monster, either of which were very much unpleasant.

”When did the symptoms first appeared?”

"I guess I noticed about a month ago but I think it started before that," Amber stated. She actually felt a little better recieving sympathy from Lance, rather than the disgust she expected. At least it showed that someone cared and that was something she had learned, through long experience, not to expect. Other people had those who cared about them, other people who were not her.

”Alright... Let’s start there,”

Amber followed Lance's directions, after all he was the library assistance and therefore the expert. Apparently there were all sorts of books on the mutant condition, books she had never thought to look up before. Although still unsure if any of them would actually be of much use, she picked up two of them, vowing that they would be read over the course of the next week. At the very least she'd learn a bit more about mutants and if she was very lucky she might even learn a bit more about her own situation.

"Thank you Lance, you're a good friend. And maybe you're right about my seeing Doc Prof. He'd probably know what was going on right?" The words were said with a little apprehension. As a child Amber had made many trips to the doctor and they always made her a little nervous, but it did seem like the best option, all things considered.

"I guess I noticed about a month ago but I think it started before that."

”And you’re sure that you are not feeling anything out of the ordinary? Dizziness, fever, muscle aches?” Lance inquired, enumerating the symptoms of illness that came to mind.

It took a few minutes of navigating through the rows of shelves that made-up the main floor of the library before the teen spotted the appropriate shelf where he remembers spotting the books on genetics and mutation, or at least he hoped that he correctly remembered where they were. Glancing back towards Amber, he motioned for her to follow as Lance ducked into a side aisle.

The five-level shelf was packed with books dealing on the subject of mutation and genetics.

”Well, here we are...” the teen quipped, looking at the collection on the shelf. ”From the basics of genetics up to modern researches on the subject matter and mutations, I believe.” Lance added, tilting his head in Amber’s direction.

"Thank you Lance, you're a good friend. And maybe you're right about my seeing Doc Prof. He'd probably know what was going on right?"

Amber’s reply was not what Lance was waiting for. The compliment brought a slight warm sensation to his cheeks, causing the teen reflexively look away to hide the flush.

”Uh... Don’t mention it.” Lance replied, a half-grin splitting his lips.

”Though I’m not sure if DocProf can determine if someone’s mutation is evolving, at least he can confirm that what you are going through is not an illness, as you feared.” he added trying his best to reassure Amber.

”Lemme just get the ladder, in case what we need is way up there...” the teen said, glancing towards the highest level of the shelf.

Lance left Amber to scan through the genetics collection as he went looking for the library’s ladder. The ladder expedition took about five minutes. And the teen found himself back in the Genetics section of the library in no time.

”Found anything of interest?” Lance asked, setting the ladder against the shelf.

”And you’re sure that you are not feeling anything out of the ordinary? Dizziness, fever, muscle aches?”

Amber shook her head. If she had been, scary as the prospect of some deadly disease was, then at least it would all be less confusing. Maybe if she had some real symptoms to go by then she'd be able to actually tell what was wrong with her instead of relying on books and intuition. Still, she would take what she could get and use whatever means were available to her to figure things out.

"I th-think I'll start with some of the more basic books on genetics," Amber stated. It felt good to finally be doing something, even if it didn't amount to much. Doing something sure as hell beat doing nothing. "I may b-be smart but I'm no scientist, not really." Although she was pretty sure she was smart enough to eventually pick up some of the more advanced genetics, she was fairly realistic about her mental capabilities. Starting simple was better and she'd work her way up from there if need be.

”Though I’m not sure if DocProf can determine if someone’s mutation is evolving, at least he can confirm that what you are going through is not an illness, as you feared.

"That's at least better than nothing," Amber stated thoughtfully. A confirmation that it was, in fact, her mutation at least gave her something to prepare for. Instead of an unfocused all encompassing dread, she'd have something particular to fear. Maybe not perfect, far from it in fact, but an improvement none the less.
\\
"Found anything of interest?”

Amber held up the two books she had found, 'The Art and Science of the Mutant Condition', and 'Mysterious Mutants'. "I'm hoping th-these will help."

"I'm hoping th-these will help."

Lance looked at the two books that Amber had in hand and nodded his approval. Well, those books are good starting points."

”Lemme just get another book that I remembered seeing somewhere around here...” the teen commented, stepping away from the shelf to better scan its contents.

A few moments of scanning and Lance finally found the book he was looking for, ”There it is.”

Climbing midway up the ladder, Lance reached into the topmost level of the shelf, taking out a thick volume entitled “The World of Mutants and Mutations”.

”Well, if we have all that we need, let’s go find a nice quiet nook.” the teen commented, leading the way towards the partially sunlit area of the library.

Amber greatfully accepted the third book to add to her pile. It was a lot to go through for sure and it was likely to take some time. Plus, once she finished with the current three there were countless other books to look through as well. Whether or not it would actually help her situation she wasn't sure, but it certainly couldn't hurt it any.

"Th-thank you so much for your help," Amber stated, following behind Lance to the indicated quiet nook. Sure she had all ready said as much earlier, but it was worth saying a second time. Especially considering the fact that she was increasingly aware of the fact that people were starting to avoid her. She should have been used to it by then, since that had been the story of her life. But the brief few months of happiness she had found after being adopted and discovering she was a mutant had made her used to the feeling of people actually caring and wanting to talk to her. It made the growing feelings of rejection and isolation all the worst.

"I think I'll g-go see DocProf later too. Maybe he can provide some insight." Amber would seek out all possible information on her condition and if she couldn't change her fate, the least she could do was to try and understand it.

"Th-thank you so much for your help."

”Don’t mention it... It’s was my pleasure to help.” Lance replied, as Amber thanked him for the second time.

Lance quickly found a quiet nook where they, or at least Amber, won’t be disturbed while doing research.

The teen had just pulled out the chair for Amber when he heard the faint bell, sitting atop the circulation counter, ring.

Lance tilted his head towards that direction for a few seconds before looking at Amber. ”Sorry. Duty calls.” he apologized. He really did want to help Amber with her research.

The bell rang again.

”Uhm... If you need anything, I’ll be in the circulation area.” Lance said, taking a step on his journey back towards the circulation desk.