Chapter 7: The Pit
Warm.
Death was warm.
Those were my first thoughts as my entire head and upper torso were shoved into the giant gecko's mouth. Not that any of that mattered since I was going to be dead soon.
My laughter choked off as I got a whiff of its breath; It was staggering to say the least. Considering where this thing lived, though, I supposed it was to be expected. When you're about to die you never expect something like what the inside of your killers mouth smells like to be your last concerns before being eaten. Even if it did smell terrible.
And so, I waited to be eaten.
But, things were made all the more awkward and confusing for me when it just continued to hold me in its thick padded fingers and started making this odd... chewing motion around my upper body as it happily gurgled. It's lips were actually oddly soft and rubbery; not all the unpleasant in a terrifying - 'I'm being eaten, but at least its a gentle eating' - kind of way.
It was after perhaps a few minutes of the giant lizard continuing to use me like some sort of pony-sized chew toy that I came to two strange realizations: One, the giant beast had no teeth, and Two, that it was gumming me and not, in fact, actually eating me.
In fact, it almost felt like...
Is it... nomming me?
Indeed, it seemed to be nomming me, and judging by the pleased rumbles emanating from its throat, it was immensely enjoying doing so (Despite me being covered in grime and mud from my earlier fall).
If it wasn't for the powerful bone-crushing jawbones of it's mouth that I occasionally felt squeeze me tightly, I might have not actually minded it so much.
Suddenly, a blinding light entered my vision as with a wet saliva-covered "shlick" I was pulled from its mouth. I coughed as I blinked and sucked in a gulp of fresh sulpher-scented air, my eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden change from complete darkness to light. I wiggled my head, trying to blink gecko saliva from my eyes so I could see as I looked around through squinted eyes.
I was still in the massive mud-floored cavern, which bubbled below me. As I looked back towards the Giant Gecko still holding me I was met by a massive pink tongue as the Gecko started licked me enthusiastically. The tongue seemed to also have gentle barbs, sort of like a cats, that pulled the mud from my coat in powerful strokes; slowly revealing my red coat beneath the thick coat of sludge I'd amassed falling into the pit.
"Ah, hey! Stop that, Ew!" I protested as I squealed and wiggled with each massive licks.
The Giant Gecko just snorted at my complaints, and continued to lick at me, getting the mud off of me.
Now it's cleaning me? I thought it was going to eat me, maybe it wants me cleaner before it eats me? I wondered.
No. I doubted that a creature like this would really care whether I was covered in mud or not if it wanted to eat me judging by how it simply seemed to be enjoying the mud it was currently licking off me, and apparently eating. Besides, I doubted I'd even count for much of meal; it could just swallow me whole!
But, if that were the case, why was it taking care of me? I wasn't a lizard myself, and, technically (even if by accident), I'd invaded their home and even hurt one of them. Was it playing with me? Torturing me before it feasted upon my bones? Or perhaps it DID mind all the mud, and was cleaning me up to 'sanitize' me before it ate.
As it finished cleaning me, it gave a quiet rumble and tilted its head and turned me this way and that. I yelped as I was suddenly upside down, and then right-side up again only to be rolled sideways.
"Hey, stop that!" I yelled.
The Gecko did... and then seemed to pull me back up so it was cupping me in its massive hands, starring at my little head poking out from between its cupped leathery hands.
I gulped as I realized I was literally face to giant-face with it.
"Um, I mean, thanks for, you know, doing that... whatever it was," I said, trailing off as I tried to cower down further into its large hands to hide from its gaze anxiously.
The giant gecko just squeaked at me as I spoke, the curve of its lips making it seem to smile.
"Wait, can you understand me?"
It squeaked again.
"Really?" I said, sitting up a bit straighter in surprise.
It squeaked happily once more as I stopped talking.
"Oh my gosh, thank Luna and Celestia! I thought you were just some big stupid critter that lived in a mud pit and ate ponies. Whew, you really had me worried there."
The Giant Gecko stuck its tongue out, squeaking.
Wait... all it's done this entire conversation is squeak whenever I talk. Does it really understand what I'm telling it?
"... Squeak twice if you can understand what I'm saying," I said.
The Giant Gecko gave a rumble, and licked my face again. I shivered at the wet sensation.
I sighed. "Well... I guess it was too much to hope for intelligence. But, at least you don't seem as keen as the last Giant Gecko was to do me harm."
"Or would that last Giant Gecko actually be just a regular gecko? You seem to be the real deal when it comes to big," I mumbled, tilting my head as I examined the massive critter.
The Gecko tilted its head as well, almost as if it was...
Oh, no wonder! it's mimicking me and everything I'm doing.
But that gave me an idea. What if I could get the gecko to do what I wanted by making it mimic me? It was genius! now to just make my genius plan a reality...
I tilted my head the other way, and the Rock Gecko tilted its head as well as it mirrored me yet again.
I grinned. I could make this work!
I tried out some other tests after that; bobbing my head, rolling it in circles, making sharp little pokes with my nose in the air. The Rock Gecko copied it all, and I couldn't help but laugh as the Giant Lizard poked its nose forward like some sort of large freaky neck-less bird.
The Rock Gecko surprised me even more when after a few seconds of listening to me it opened it's mouth and gave a rumbling gurgle laugh of its own.
"Good! Very good!" I said. The Gecko seemed to pick up on my enthusiasm, and once more leaned forward to stick its mouth around my head.
I squealed in panic for a second as it once more nommed on my head.
"No, bad! Very bad! Let me out, no eating!" I shouted, worried voice muffled within its cavernous mouth.
Confused, it pulled me back out of its mouth. It didn't seem to understand why I'd gone from happy to panicked so quickly. My heart was racing from it suddenly biting around my head like that.
"no biting like that... okay? Bad. Very bad," I stuttered, trying to take deep calming breaths. I gagged as I inhaled some of its globby saliva through a nostril
The Giant Gecko crowed quietly and softly as it started nuzzling me. I grunted a bit as its muzzle rubbed against me, the large lizard being very careful to be gentle.
I was surprised to feel that the leathery-looking skin of its face was actually not as hard as it appeared around the tip of its nose, and actually very smooth. the scales were actually all quite small and pleasantly rounded. Of course, that didn't appear to be the case for all of its body. The thicker skin and rocky-looking scales of its upper brow, head, and back looked fairly jagged and pointed. Thankfully, it seemed to at least understand that rubbing those bits of itself against me would hurt me as it only ever touched me with the softer parts of its head, neck, and soft insides of its massive three-fingered hands.
It continued to rumble, almost apologetically for making me scared. That, or I just imagined that it was. It wasn't like I spoke 'giant-gecko-warbble-ease.'
I grumbled. "Okay, okay. I forgive you, you can stop doing that now."
The Giant Gecko pulled me back happily and squeaked in delight, moving its head in the same motions I'd made earlier as it bobbed its head, rolled it in a circle and then gave one single sharp poke before giving another happy squeal.
I just watched blankly as it came to a stop and looked at me expectantly. It repeated the gesture, continuing to look at me as if waiting for some sort of response.
Maybe it wants me to do it again too?
I hesitantly began to repeat the motion back. The Gecko rumbled, pleased with my slow head bobbing. With what I could only assume to be the lizards encouragement, I began to move a bit faster, rolling my head in a circle. And then I gave a sharp poke forward.
The Gecko gave a huff of approval, hugging me happily
"Y-yeah. See? We're friends, great friends. We even do the same... head-thingie now."
As I spoke, the giant Gecko suddenly rose the rest of the way out of the mud. It slipped me back up towards its mouth, and I squealed as I was once more moved back towards its face and jaws.
"No, no bite!" I said fearfully as it positioned me closer to its smelly mouth. But, this time, it tilted he around and simply wrapped its mouth around my middle. My hindlegs, forelegs, neck and head stuck out as it carried me, and I got the feeling I looked like a small kitten being carried by its big Mother.
With its thick forearms free, the Gecko shifted the rest of the way out of the mud. I'd known it was big, being up and close to it, but truely looking down and seeings it full mass slide out of the mud only helped to hammer home just how much larger it was. It began to plod slowly but surely deeper into the mud-filled chamber with me securely in tow; my legs danging over the empty space below. It moved slowly and kept its head steady so I wouldn't be thrown around.
Well... at least if I fall, I'll have a soft-ish landing. Better than simply falling on regular cavern floor.
After a ways, the Rock Gecko came to a large island of flat upraised rocks and dried mud that poked out of the mud in a sort of small hill.
It slid up atop it, and approached what appeared to be a circle of carefully stacked and smooth stones, some of them as small as my hoof and others as large as my entire body. Within I could actually see what appeared to be a thick bed of lichen within, what appeared to be some half-digested mushrooms, the broken pieces of what looked like long-hatched eggs. Perhaps more disturbingly, I could also see the yellowed bones of some smaller creature in a pile to the side. They didn't appear to be equine in shape, but then again, I wasn't exactly well versed in anatomy. Other little oddities were also spread throughout the nest. I could even see what looked like some gold coins and pieces of dulled-metal spaced around the nest among the odd trash that had been collected in it.
I hope that those coins didn't come from the last pony to be brought here... although it'd certainly be strange if it took all this time to take care of me only to suddenly eat me now. It doesn't seem malicious. It actually seems quite friendly, I thought. But, looking over at the aged meatless bones, I got the feeling that it might be a safe bet to assume that the geckos weren't entirely herbivores.
Perhaps Omnivores?
As I pondered this new revelation, and my possible fate, the massive gecko leaned its head down, and with deliberately careful motions, set me down gently upon the nest. As I wiggled up, stumbling a bit as I got my hooves back underneath myself, I felt the ground tremble as the massive gecko flopped down onto the ground heavily next to the nest. It laid down with a pleasant sigh, stretching out and yawning before looking back down at me.
I just sat in place for a while, wondering if it would get angry if I did anything or messed with the nest. But as I stood there, it used one of its thick fingers to poke the battered remains of a helmet over towards me. It made a quiet clattering noise as the dented helm and the ear-flaps rolled across the stone and bumped into one of my hooves. the Giant Gecko looking at me excitedly, looking between the helmet and myself.
"Uh... thanks?" I said uncertainly. I reached down, making very obvious motions as I picked up the helmet. The helmet gave a quiet squeal of protest as the rusted metal hinges on it moved.
The massive gecko chirped, and I immediately stopped. frozen once more. I didn't want to upset my new large 'friend,' and every noise it made I felt held crucial importance.
But as I just stood there, frozen, it seemed to grow confused. I tightened up as its massive hand reached out towards me, but was surprised when it plucked the helmet from my grip. It held it up before me, and wiggled it.
Now I was confused. What the heck is going on here?
It continued to wiggle it at me, trying to entice me with the jangling metal object, but soon stopped as I continued to do nothing in response.
"Sorry... I don't get it," I said, shaking my head, utterly befuddled by this odd display.
It shook the helmet a bit harder, seeming to still try to communicate something to me with it. When I continued to not do anything, it dropped the helmet back to the side of its nest, grunting as it rooted around for something else. It rumbled quietly as it dug through its nest, pulling out strange knick-knacks from the nest to either throw them to the side dismissively or demonstrating each one to me much as it had the first.
It brought forth an amazingly dry book that it would flip through with its thick fingers to making a papery-rustling sound, a tiny bell that it wiggled quickly too and fro to make a high-pitched flurry of dings, a bowl it clapped against the ground to make a hollow "clank" noise, and even the hilt of what have must been some massive two-hoofed sword that it put on the ground and spun like a top quickly before it clattered to the ground with a metallic clatter and clang.
The Rock Gecko looked at me excitedly the entire time, looking between me and each item as it showed them off.
I still didn't quite understand what it all meant, but as it began to more frantically pull out item after item while still looking at me, seeming to almost be worried I began to get the feeling that it was... perhaps trying to entertain me? It was a strange notion to be sure, but the more I watched it the more I felt that it was trying to do exactly that.
It picked up a pair of stubby brass pikes and began to clunk them together, the hollow poles "dinging" with each hit. The noise was obnoxious though, and I had to cover my ears against as I gritted my teeth, stepping away.
It stopped quickly when it saw me flinch away. glancing at the metal poles in its hands, it sighed as it dropped them back upon the lichen nest and stopped. I rubbed my ears as it picked at the rocks absently around us, flicking them around.
"Hey, watch where you're knocking those rocks around!" I yelped as one shot past me dangerously close. I scowled up at it, but stopped as I looked. It didn't look like it'd meant to be harmful, instead, it looked very sad. It ducked its head down from when I'd shouted at it, it seemed to have its head tilted down in a way that was only describable as 'defeated.'
I suddenly felt like I'd kicked a puppy.
"Like I, uh... c'mon. No need for that, you were... er," I fumbled, trying to soothe the big beast with my words as I tried to figure out a way to salvage the large geckos glee from before. "Hey, It wasn't all bad. You were just very, uh... enthusiastic?" I said, smiling awkwardly up to it.
It just gave a rumbling grumble, and wiggled around to face its back to me.
"dammit, c'mon Flash. You can do better than that," I breathed, scolding myself quietly.
I looked at it, and tried to walk up to reach out a tentative hoof to rub its rough back. The giant lizard just looked back at me, and wiggled further away, clearly still feeling like it'd done something wrong.
good lord, I'm trying to console a monstrous lizard. What is going on with my life anymore, I thought, rubbing my head.
I sat down, and immediately gave an uncomfortable grunt as one of the brass pipes poked me in the flank. I pulled it up, tapping it against the ground sullenly.
"Great job Flash, you're a real ponies-pony alright: total life of the party. No wonder none of the other fillies and colts liked you back in school," I grumbled as I tossed the pipe gently to the side of the nest, the hollow tube clattering over the stones.
The giant gecko seemed to tilt its head over, but when I looked up towards it it quickly looked.
So, I sat there in silence and regretted my thick headedness. Feeling stupid for feeling bad about upsetting a lizard I'd been worried, not even moments before, was going to make me its latest snack, but also feeling like I still needed to make it up to the massive creature.
Ugh, why does it even matter? Whispered a voice in my head. It's not like you cared when you were foal if you upset others. Why should it matter with this big dumb beast? continued on the ugly voice in my head.
But as those thoughts crossed my mind, I sat up straighter, resolved. Because, despite everything, it's been nice to me. And just because I did something in the past, doesn't mean that action defines me in the present. And more importantly... because I'm better than that. I thought. The ugly whisper in my head died down, quelled by my sudden fire.
I pushed myself up, and move over to retrieve the hollow pole. Examining it, It looked like it might have been part of some plumbing system at one time, but time and age had left the lightweight tube tarnished and dented: simply another strange recovered artifact of the tunnel. I wiggled the surprisingly light pole around, and I smiled a bit as I realized it almost looked like some comically over-sized drumstick for a drum kit, just like the snares and massive base drums I'd used to play back in my old Canterlot school's marching band.
I began to beat a simple beat against the ground with it, the light muffled "tings" of the metal ringing off the soft ground. As I did, I noticed the lizard perked up again, its head tilting towards the noise before realizing I was looking at it, once again quickly looking away.
I suddenly stopped... a new idea forming in my head.
Wait. It likes the noise, I realized, it loves sounds, and mimicking them, and making them. Everything it showed me made noises in some fun strange way. Maybe... maybe if I show it how to make some new cool noises, it'll be happy and forgive me!
I grinned. this could actually work!
I hopped up, running around the nest to collect the other massive copper tube. I deposited them to the side, and started running around the nest to collect everything else I'd need.
I grabbed the old rusty helmet, pieces of sheet metal, the massive sword handle, and every other manner of strange thing it had around its nest. I even grabbed a few rocks, grunting as I rolled them into place eventually and started to use them to make my insane plan come to life.
It certainly took a long while, and it didn't look nearly as pretty as it had in my thoughts, but I couldn't help but feel a bit proud as I finished. I smiled happily at my rag-tag creation: a drum set..
Now, granted, it was very simple, but I was quite pleased with the end result considering what I had to work with in creating the simple drum set. I'd taken the pieces of varying-sized sheet metal I'd found to the side and set them between and atop some of the boulders as ad-lib symbols, the rusty helmet was mounted on the end of the long sword-hilt that I'd stuck into the ground to help hold it up, acting as an impromptu snare. and I'd found another thick pipe, and wedged it between the boulders on either side make a sort of rack upon which I'd hung the large bell it'd rung at me earlier using some hardy twine I'd found in a knot off to the side of the nest. Using that same twine, I'd even managed to make some hanging symbols from the more rusted holey-bits of metal I'd found layring around. I'd even taken the book, and the bowl, and added it to the kit as another thing. I had no idea what I might use them for, but I got the feeling the gecko would.
But now, the real trick was to see if the drum kit actually worked, and more importantly, if it tickled the geckos fancy.
I took a deep breath as I settled down, looking over my creation one more time. I'd never been very good at percussion in school, and I'd quit band practice the first chance I'd had (much to my parents dismay). Now, I wished I'd taken my Mom's advice and stuck with it.
I cleared my throat nervously, setting the much larger hollow metal tubes to the side and instead pulling up a pair of bones, holding them up as my drumsticks. I wiggled them around, suddenly feeling a bit gittery with stage fright. It was almost like I was really back in band practice about to play in a concert for a bunch of parents. Except that my concert-hall was a mud pit reeking of sulpher and inhabited by massive pony-sized and larger geckos of questionable appetite ready to devour me if I sucked in my performance.
Yeah... sounds about the same alright, I thought.
I took another deep breath for good luck. I'd begun to notice that the longer I was down here, the less I noticed the sulpher smell. But, I ignored this new tract of though as I inhaled, and without further adieu, smacked my new drumsticks against one of the metal plates, making it give a resonating "spliishhhh" with the hard hit.
Before I could regret my decision, I clacked my drumsticks together in an awkward beat, and started playing full force.
(ignore the vid, its just about the sound)
As I finished, I rolled the drumsticks to an awkward pause. I was breathing lightly, face flushed with embarrassment.
Suddenly, I heard a squeak, and turning around, I saw that the massive gecko was sitting up, watching me intently. As I finished, it chirped and squeaked excitedly, jumping up and down in big "thumping" jumps of glee.
I laughed, "Yeah! Hey... you wanna play?"
It came to a stop, trotting over It began to lick me again. I suppressed my annoyance, and patted at its nose. "No, no, I don't need a bath or whatever you're doing, do you want to play," I said as I pushed it off, stressing the word 'play' to it.
It just looked at me dopily, and I went ahead and pulled up the large hollow tubes, offering them towards it. It looked at them, but as I continued to hold them out, hefting them up gently towards it, it slowly took them in its mouth.
I shrugged as it took them, "Well, I meant for you to hold them, but whatever, you'll figure it out."
I picked back up a drumstick, and smacked it against one of the sheet-metal plates, looking up at it. The Gecko watched very carefully.
"See? Now you try," I said, moving back. The Gecko watched me move away, still seemingly unsure if it should approach my creation.
"Go on, play it. It's for you!" I said, pointing at the kit. But as the lizard continued to stay, seemingly unsure if it should approach my creation, I rolled my eyes irritated.
"Ugh, look. You can play with it," I said, trotting over towards it. I pushed up one of the big hollow tubes in its mouth up, and tilted it towards the kit before dropping it on one of the metal plates, a hollow sound coming from the metal tube. The gecko gave a little jerk in surprise as the tube reverberated into its gums. It dropped the tubes, opening and closing its jaws.
I chuckled, but took the tube and dropped it on the symbol again. "See? It's fun!"
The gecko rubbed its jaw, but watched me as I dropped it on the symbol before slowly picking up the large pole. I quickly moved to the side to give it some room, and it looked at me as it hovered it over the kit. I nodded enthusiastically at it, and it frowned back at the drumkit before dropping it onto the kit by itself.
As the metal plates once more rang out, the gecko seemed to finally figure out what I'd been trying to do, and started just picking up and dropping the poles onto the kit. I once more ran over as it picked up the pole, and it stopped as I neared.
"Very good, very good!" I said encouragingly, "But try hanging onto them now, like this!" I said, directing its hand over towards the kit. I wasn't really lifting its massive fist so much as it was letting me simply guide it (thank Celestia, there was no way I could have lifted its meaty hand by my scrawny self), and as I tilted its hand, keeping my hooves wrapped around it so it wouldn't drop them, the Gecko gave a surprised grunt. I stepped back again, motioning at the kit.
"Now, you try," I called up. The gecko slowly started to tap the pole against one of the larger boulders I'd managed to roll over, giving pleased little crowing sounds as it started hitting the rock a bit harder with the pipe, the pipe bending. It wasn't going to last long it if kept doing that.
I Yelled out ot it. "Don't hit it that hard, try doing lighter taps!" As I moved over it, came to a stop, but I started once again directing its hand to tap against the metal, this time at a much more moderate pace. I continued to watch, sometimes intervening to once more control its tempo and beat. It seemed to learn as quickly as it had before, and soon was tapping out a good strong moderate beat.
"Haha! there you go, now you've got the beat!" I called out. The Gecko smiled at me and came to a stop.
"Hey... that's not such a bad name actually. Beat." I mused, the gecko seemed to be listening, and cocked its head at me.
I contemplated it, and the more I thought about it, the better it sounded. It just fit the big soft giant. "Beat. What do you think, do you like it?"
It tipped its head, and grunted. Clearly not understanding.
"You. Your name, you know... like, uh.... my name is Flash!" I said, tapping my chest. "Me Flash. Flaaaaaaash. Can you say Flash?"
It rumbled, making a strained noise. I repeated my name, drawing it out again for it to listen to. It continued to try and grunt out the sound.
"C'mon, you can do it. Flaaaaaaash," I said, pointing at myself.
It pursed its lips, and peeled its lips back as its tongue moved in a way unfamiliar to itself. "Rhhhaaaaaaasssssshh."
I blinked in surprise. "Wow, you actually.... I mean, you mispronounced it, but yeah! flash!"
"RASH!" it bellowed, smacking a bar into the drum kit happily to make a ting.
I chuckled as it happily tapped it. "Yes! Very good! And your name is Beat! Can you say that?"
The Big gecko pointed a finger at me, mouth open in a big lizardy-grin. "Rash!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I'm Rash. But YOU-" I said, grabbing its finger, and slowly moving it back to point at itself. "You, are Beat."
It seemed to be confused by this notion, furrowing its brow and scrunching up its nose. "Bh-eat?"
"Yes! Beat! You Beat!" I said, letting go of its hand.
I pointed at myself, smiling wider. I felt like I was really getting somewhere here. I pointed at myself, "Flash!" I then pointed at him, "Beat!"
The geckos massive tail started to thump against the dirt-island happily as it gave another gurgling laugh. "Rash, Beat!"
I wobbled to the side by the sudden mini-earthquake. "Y-yes! I'm Flash, and you're Beat."
"Beat, Beat, Beat, BEAT!"
Suddenly, the other pipe was in its other fist as its tail slapped against the soft ground, and it too was beating against the rocks again as it continued to yell its name to ceiling above. And before I could say anything, it was tapping everything on the drum kit. It played with the symbols, it tinkled the bell, it rattled the snare, and even played the sticks against the metal rack-bar, delivering a barrage of percussive sound as it explored every part of my creation.
I smiled as I sat down so as to not fall as it continued to shake the ground with its massive tail, the bowl I'd placed down by the kit forgotten at my hooves. And with a wider grin, picked up the bowl, and without thinking, began to clap a loud "snap" sound against the smooth rock nearby to me, tapping out a slow easy beat.
As I did, the gecko slowly came to a silent stop, listening to my beat as its face got suddenly very serious and it bobbed its head with my clapping rhythm. And, to my amazement, it began to tap along with it. And then the other hand joined in, adding in another beat. I started to get a bit more complicated in my beat and opened the book, rustling the page to add some more noise. the gecko echoed my own sounds with an increase of its own, and before I knew it we were jamming out.
My hooves slammed the bowl against the rock, and I started thumping the book against the ground while Beat played the drums, the hollow tubes ringing out a rhythmic storm of sounds as we played together. And then over our own playing, I suddenly heard another sound. The sound of a thumping tail.
To my surprise, there was a muddy gecko right by me, its large tail thumping to Beat's beat. I felt like I should have been more worried, but for some reason, I simply accepted it. It simply seemed right for it to join in with us.
All around Beat's island I could also see more muddy geckos were pulling themselves out of the sludge as they ran up excitedly towards the noise, and began to thump their tails along in unison. And what had started out as only a handful of the large geckos, suddenly turned into a wave of them crawling up to join us.
Suddenly where there had only been one gecko, there were two. And then four, and suddenly it seemed like the entire island was simply covered in the large critters as they thumped their tails and cried out to Beat and me. Some simply lay down, watching or quietly thumping along, not as enthusiastic to join in.
scardy-cats, I grunted to myself.
Some saw what Beat and I were doing, and tried banging objects together from around the nest, adding to the din. Others ran off and quickly came up, hauling up plastic barrels, metal hoops, pieces of rotten wood, or any other imaginable piece of little turned improve-instrument. But through it all, a powerful and tribal beat empowered the beat and kept the music focused, all the geckos playing together in a discordant harmony. And as we continued, some even rose up a chorus of squeaks and squeals to accompany the music in a discordant harmony of voices that oddly seemed to aid to the percussive music as they tried to mimic the sounds of the trash-can band around them.
I just beat along with the rest of them as I was swept right up into that soul-pounding rhythm. It almost felt like some silent energy had taken us all over, driving us on to drum like a mad-creatures. I found myself screaming and hollering with the rest of the lizards, suddenly feeling like lizards and ponies weren't all that different from each other as I let that energy surge inside my spirit.
And with a sudden slam, the entire improvised percussive war came to a halt, and as a few geckos clinked bottles, pans, and other oddities (I even saw what looked like a gecko using a comically large back-scratchier with a cheese-grader), we came to a thumping stop, panting.
A joyful screech came up from the geckos, and they all thumped their tails against the ground in what I imagined to be an applause, jumping around excitedly as Beat raised up his head and belched out a mighty roar, and began to beat his drumsticks together in a "tanging" countdown and just as I had when I first played the set.
I chuckled to myself, Guess Beat doesn't share my shyness when it comes to giving a live performance
We played until we could play no more. And Even as I lay down, exhausted amongst the lizards all around me, I couldn't help but smile widely as I fell asleep to the sound of powerful drums, clanging symbols, and the click of metal all around me.