Ok here's Chapter 5. I've already written most of my story so updates will be fast.

Disclaimer – I don't own +Anima

Chapter 5 (Origins)

"It all happened before I met you, Angela," said Amber. "Before I moved here, I used to live in New York City, as you know." I nodded impatiently, motioning her to go on. "I went on a trip to the Empire State Building and my older sister and I went all the way to the top. I was only 12 then, and when we got there, I was so excited. I leaned over the railing. I wasn't afraid of falling, there were bars in front of me to prevent that, but I could still stick my head through. It was amazing to see the city laid out like that making the cars look like ants. I leaned so far my shoulders slipped through the bars and before I knew it I was in a free fall. My heart was racing and I had left my stomach behind back at the top of the building. I felt a huge adrenaline rush and then I was floating. I looked to my side and sprouting out of my back were large brown wings. I went to a ledge of a building and pretended to be a gargoyle. I knew if someone saw me I'd be the new specimen in a zoo. Once night fell I went to Grand Central Station. There waiting were Taylor and Carmen." Amber finished. Taylor picked up and started talking "After Carmen and I changed we went out searching for others like us. We were hanging outside the Empire State Building when I saw Amber unfurl her wings. We followed her to Grand Central and we became a three-some." The pieces were beginning to fall together. "How did you two change?" I inquired. Carmen spoke first "We changed together actually. We were orphans living in the streets of New York and at the time we were 14. We're 19 now by the way. One day when walking at night we saw a group of figures following us. We darted down an alley and ran for the more populated part of town. But we were blocked. They came at us from both sides. A man in a large sweatshirt spoke to me first. He said that pretty girls shouldn't be walking the streets. Then he grabbed me by the waist and…" She choked with forgotten rage. A dangerous glint flashed in her green eyes. Taylor continued for her "His cronies held me back and I was pinned to the alley wall. I struggled but four grown men against me were impossible to deal with. I heard Carmen shriek and I was so angry that I screamed and hit one of the guys holding me down. He fell back swearing but when he got back up his anger was replaced by intense fear. The other three began backing away from me. I looked at a puddle at my feet and saw that my hands and mouth had turned lupine. I turned toward Carmen where her offenders were also backing away. She had a crocodilian tail and mouth so full of teeth that I was almost afraid of my own sister." Carmen had calmed back down and began to talk once more "You might not have known but there are actually 6 of us, 7 including you." I smiled glad to know I was accepted. "Who else is with you guys?" "Well there's Nikki a raccoon +Anima and Sam a gecko +Anima. They're a couple we found in Philadelphia on our route to Chicago. And they're the ones that are out at the moment." said Taylor. "Nikki had to change because of her abusive mother. And Sam was rock climbing in the mountains when a rock slide made him lose his grip but as a gecko he caught on the side of a cliff and survived." "But that leaves one left." I said. "That one would be me." Out of the shadows a tall boy with light brown hair and hazel eyes locked eyes with me. My breath caught. The intensity of his gaze knocked my breath away. I was entranced. Without breaking eye contact he said "I'm Aaron. A tiger +Anima." Tiger. Well he certainly had the size for it. "And who might you be?" he added. "Angela," I said, "I'm a snow leopard +Anima." His eyebrows were raised a fraction of an inch. "Snow Leopard? That's a new one." Interest was blazing in his eyes and I smiled. "So have you filled her in all the way?" Aaron asked Taylor. "Almost" he said. "We still haven't gotten to the part of what we do, although she knows we're always looking for new +Anima." "By the way," I said, "How do you know who's a +Anima when you haven't seen them transform before your eyes." "Well," said Aaron locking eyes with me again "Usually the kid looks anxious or is hiding something. And that something is usually the mark you get after you change." His eyes we trained on my arm where a beautiful tattoo like image laced up from my wrist to my shoulder. In between the swirls were leopard spots. I hadn't noticed. A lot of things were going over my head today but who could blame me? "What else do you do?" I asked Taylor though my eyes were still locked with Aaron's when he moved to stand next to me. I was intrigued with Aaron. He was so mysterious and my curiosity was killing me. A strange feeling of déjà vu swept over me when I looked at him. "This is the more dangerous part of our 'job,'" said Taylor "You see there's a gang of other +Anima that hate regular people. They were outcasts and were sometimes even hunted by normal people who were afraid. But it's not like these other +Anima tried to be discreet. They ran through the streets scaring the heck out of anyone there. But they're always picking fights with us and trying to extinguish the human race so there's only +Anima. We've been following them which led us here." Taylor looked tired and Amber picked up the story "I usually go to school wherever we go to try and find other kid +Anima." "That's another thing," I said, "Are all +Anima kids?" "People only can change in adolescent years for all we know. So far it's only been kids." This was Carmen now. God I was so exhausted but there was one last thing I needed to ask, "Where did Nikki and Sam go off to?" Aaron answered me, "They're our spies. Being a raccoon and a gecko are helpful for spying and they're small in general." "You look exhausted." He added, "Here I'll show you where to sleep." He motioned me toward the dark corner where he had entered the room. There was a doorway and I passed through into an almost cave-like room. In fact I told Aaron this and he laughed and said "Well yeah, it's my room and being a tiger I find it comfy. I figured you would too, since you're a leopard." It was true I was at ease in the dark. He showed me a pullout couch that I nearly collapsed on. I fell into a contented sleep.