Pouncing on a grasshopper she had just spotted, Echo unknowingly had just wandered into the Claiming Grounds. She looked about and saw mares standing around talking to stallions and others just sitting there with hope in their eyes. She had heard of this place before and once she had been told to go there. But she had never really had any interest in being claimed. Of course, she didn't have the attention span for anything. But this seemed to just stick out to her today.

So, checking the grass for grasshoppers as she did, she walked to a tree and sat down in its shade. Maybe she would have a home now. But she knew she would never be able to stay in one place all the time. She hoped the cat that claimed her would have plenty of room to run in his land. And, maybe, some shade so her eyes could have some relief from the sun after all these years of living in the socializing grounds.

Sorrow had been resting in a hole underneath a tree that had apparently been in the Claiming Grounds, though she hadn't noticed as her eyes hurt too much. She poked her nose out..

And popped out right through Echo. Not pushing her up- actually through her. Being a ghostlike panther got annoying at times like this.

Echo turned her head and was about to groom her fur when she saw Sorrow's head. "Hey Sorrow!" she said, and it wasn't clear if either she hadn't noticed the other cat's head going through her body or just didn't care. "What's up?" Of course, why should she care. She was a Flicker. Going through things was something she was used to, so things going through her barely bothered her at all.

Echo looked at Sorrow expectantly. Now, she had to admit that talking to someone whose head was going through her body was not normal. But being normal isn't fun!

"Hello," Sorrow mewed. Sorrow? she thought. Is that my name? She slithered aways from Echo with an apologetic look on her face.

She shivered slightly and laid down with her tail wrapped over her nose. Sorrow thought once more about her name. She had no idea what it was- and cats had started to call her that..?

Venom lashed his tail in slight frustration. The claiming grounds made him nervous, with so many species of animals and the bright glare of the sun was starting to make his eyes ache. He closed his acid-green eyes momentarily and sighed. When he opened them again he scanned the grounds one last time and noticed two female shadow cats at the edge of the clearing under the shade of a tree. He slwoly hauled himself to his paws and loped over to them, hoping that perhaps he could at least talk with them. He drew nearer and the shade of the tree's outstretched branches fell upon his dark pelt and made him sigh with relief that the sun was temporarily blocked out. He approached the shadow cats and dipped his head in greeting. "Hello," he meowed in a low rumbling voice. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Venom."

"Hello," she pronounced the word foreignly, like her tongue hadn't yet become used to saying it. Sorrow sat up and wrapped her tail neatly around her tiny paws.

Sorrow dipped her head, but since she still didn't know her name surely, she didn't introduce herself. The memory of her mother giving her name to her- it was so unclear..

Echo didn't bother replying to Sorrow's hello, she just went into La-La Land.

I'm an acorn, small and round,
Lying on the cold, cold ground,
People come and step on me,
That's why I'm so cracked you see.

I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut.

Called myself on the telephone,
Just to hear my golden tone,
Asked me out for a little date,
Picked me up 'bout half past eight.

I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut.

Took myself to the movie show,
Stayed too late and said "Let's go,"
Took my hand and led me out,
Drove me home and gave a shout!

I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut, I'm a nut,
I'm a nut.

Then she heard Venom say his name and she snapped out of it. "Venom?" she said. "My, me, me, that's a strange name right there! Why are you called that? Did your mommy think you were a snake? Oh, poor snake baby!" Echo's eyes teared up and she was bawling within a matter of seconds, talking in a high-pitched voice while she did. "Oh, poor Venom! Can't you see, he's a...." Echo broke off her sentence and her tears dried completely as she looked at Venom. "He's a shadow cat!" she screamed and jumped up and down. "Sorrow! Sorrow, he's a male shadow cat! And he's here! That means we're going to be claimed!" Echo started running around in circles. "WE'RE GONNA BE CLAIMED!"

(I'm A Nut lyrics not by me)

Venom could stop himself raise an eyebrow in Echo's direction, but he recovered quickly, responding, "If it is your wish to come with me to the lands I have claimed, you are very welcome to do so." He nodded to them both in turn and flicked his tail in undisguised excitment. If these two accepted, it would be the true start to a new life in the Underground Clearing. He only hoped he would be worthy enough to lead others and make the right decisions.

"Yes, we'd love to come to your grounds.." Sorrow still sounded like the words were unfamiliar to her, so much that the writer of this passage couldn't add an exclamation mark.

Her eyes gleamed with the feeling of excitement, clear and strong. She was going to get claimed, and she couldn't help but feel happy that Echo would be there too. Sorrow felt she was like an older sister, in a way.

Echo's eyes gleamed with excitement and she continued to jump up and down. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she said. Then she remembered that she had never introduced herself. "Oh, by the way, I'm Echo!" She paused for a moment and then made a sound like her name was echoing through a canyon.

Then she found her last thought again. "LET'S GO!!!!" She began dancing around like a little kid who couldn't wait to go in Disney World. "Come on.... Let's go...."

Venom gave an amused sigh. He cast his eyes around the grounds one last time, faintly hoping he would be back to recruit more cats to his clearing later on. He braced himself for the blazing sunlight, still burning strong in the sky, and stepped out from the shade of the tree. He blinked his eyes a few times until his eyes reluctlantly adjusted to the intesnsity of the glare and with a surge of new found energy, signaled with his tail for the others to follow as they started the journey home.

((Do you want me to make a new topic in the shadow cat lands?))