I do not own Rango, its characters, or any part of the franchise. I only own Revelation.
Chapter 2: A Cajun in Mud
Rousing from a fog of sleep a lady rattlesnake stretched out her coils, determined to relieve herself from stiffness in her muscles and joints. As she stretched, the snake took note of her surroundings. She recognized that this was was her bedroom. The walls were covered with old, worn looking wood and she could see a thin veil of sunlight pouring in from a balcony window. Outside, the morning songs of crickets and cicadas seemed to echo through the humid air of her swampy home. Inside, the snake could hear the voices and music through the worn wooden door of her room. Just as she finished cracking her spine an all too familiar smooth, rich as honey, feminine cajun voice reached her ears.
"Luna," the voice called out, "Breakfast."
"Comin' mama," the snake replied.
Grabbing a white wide-brim hat and putting on a pair of yellow lensed goggles, the lady rattler looked herself over in a mirror and opened her bedroom door. All at once a blinding flash of white light streamed through the doorway, dazzling the young snake. Rubbing her eyes with her coils, Luna blinked away the haze of light. When the haze did clear, she found herself surrounded by darkness. For what seemed like miles, Luna could see nothing but darkness. The "ground" was like an onyx mirror and would ripple like water when she moved her body. Her scales seemed to glow and the sound of her heartbeat seemed to echo within the strange void. As she looked around, a bright light in the distance caught her gaze. She didn't know why, but something about the light called to her. Almost entranced, her body moved towards the light. For hours it seemed she tried to make her way towards the light. But then, the light disappeared!
Looking around, Luna desperately searched for the mysterious light. Then, she heard a hiss come from behind her. Turning around, an all too familiar serpentine figure greeted her eyes. A large, thin, older-looking male snake with dark-brown scales and wearing a tan wide-brim western-style hat had his back turned to her. She thought she'd never see him again! Memories of what happened started rushing back. Luna could see the gun, hear the shots, feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as glass broke and wood splintered. Even though she was there, and saw everything, she still couldn't believe it actually happened. Luna couldn't stop the words from spilling out…
"Jason… Is dat you" the young rattlesnake asked the other snake. The other snake gave a twitch, hearing her voice. Cocking his head to the side, Luna still couldn't see the other snakes face, but she just knew it was him. Then… he spoke.
"What're you doin here girly," the brown snake asked in a gravely voice.
"You know why I'm here, podna", Luna replied firmly, "I want answers Jason."
"Answers," the brown snake parroted back to her, "You expect me to believe, that you left home and traveled across thousands of miles of desert just for me to answer some questions? You got your wires crossed, girly."
"And you expect me to believe dat you shot up my home, for kicks," Luna snapped at him, "I know you Jason. I've known you since I was a kid. So don't you dare think I don't know when you been keepin something from me…"
"You know me?!," the brown snake shouted as he turned to face her, revealing a pair of blazing yellow eyes, "Don't make me laugh! You think that just cause I told you a little about my past, means that you know everything about me. Well here's a little secret for ya, girly…" as he paused, the large brown snake pulled out a shotgun and aimed it straight at Luna's heart. The next words he said, made the young rattlesnake's blood run cold, "You know nothing." There was a click. And then, everything went white…
A loud slamming sound suddenly jolted Luna from her dream. The jolt was so bad, that the lady rattler jumped up and hit her head against the ceiling. First a storm, then a nightmare, and now a throbbing headache. She was seriously thinking that someone cast a cunja on her.
"Oh ye yi," Luna shouted as she clutched her head with her coils, "Passe a slap, Jason. I swear to god, when I find you, passe a slap!"
All she could do now was shake off the throbbing in her head and get moving. Uncoiling herself, she began to stretch her muscles and crack all the joints in her body. Looking around, Luna started to take in the grandeur of the office. There were bookcases along both long sides of the room and a huge stained glass window on the far side made of colored bottles. There was a big window next to the door and another between one the bookcases but, because of the dusty and worn looking shutters, the room seemed a lot darker in the early morning light. Looking up, Luna was surprised that she even hit her head, considering how high the ceilings were. As she finished working out the last knot in her body, she noticed that there was a puddle of water spreading across the floor.
"Someone must have put the fire out when I was sleepin," Luna thought outloud, "Hope I didn't scare'em to bad. I don't need folks chasin' me around 'fore I get settled in."
With her body all limbered up, Luna gave herself a once over in a mirror above the fire mantle before putting on her goggles, hat and the rest of her gear. She knew needed to get moving and start gathering information if she was ever going to find Jason. Hopefully that lead her mama sent her, back in Arizona, panned out. But first, she needed to find a place to stay while she was here. This building may have worked for last night, but Luna wasn't so sure it would work again for the rest of her stay. As she made her way downstairs, a sudden rumbling from her gut reminded the lady rattler of another matter she needed to attend to. She hadn't eaten anything in almost a week and was in desperate need of some food. Opening the main door, the rattlesnake wondered where she could grab a bite to eat? As she slithered outside a light thud caught her attention.
Looking around Luna could see a lady vixen, a poncho wearing raven, a pygmy possum in a sailor dress and a spiky-looking lizard staring at her with their jaws hung open. You'd think they never saw a snake before, the way they were looking at her. But then, Luna heard a slight whimpering sound below her. Looking down the lady snake saw a skinny chameleon dressed in western-style clothing splayed out on the ground, almost gawking at her. Noticing the lizard was sporting a black-eye, the rattlesnake bent her head down to he lizards level.
"Sorry bout dat chere," Luna said with a smile, "You ain't hurt are ya?"
A little while earlier, the folks in the Sheriff's Office were having a relatively peaceful morning. Well, if you count Rango snoring like a train engine as peaceful. Wounded Bird was cleaning his gun, Priscilla was getting ready to head home and Waffles was sweeping up the office. Rango, on the other hand, was still fast asleep. So when Angelique burst into the office in a blind panic, Rango wound up falling off his jail cot right on his head. A little while later, after Wounded Bird managed to calm the panicked vixen down and Rango straightened himself up, Angelique told the group that a rattlesnake had broken into the Town Hall and was still inside. Rango was skeptical about there even being a snake in the building, considering the fact that the only rattlesnake in the general area was Rattlesnake Jake. But, the chameleon decided to humor Angelique and see this new rattler for himself. Now, as stared up at the very real rattlesnake, he was seriously regretting his decision. Remembering how his first meeting with Jake went, Rango braced himself for the worste. So when this unknown snake bent down to his level and asked him if he was hurt, needless to say, Rango was confused.
"Uh… no… I'm fine," the chameleon replied choppily, "And you miss-uh?"
"Luna. Luna Grimmore, mon ami," the snake replied in a thick cajun accent, "And, I'm fine. Why you askin?
This snake was definitely nothing Jake, that much was obvious. For one thing, this snake was a female and had a slimmer, but still muscular, body. She sported wheat/tan brown scales with a chocolate and black diamondback pattern, that tapered off into black and white rings with dark-brown speckling near her rattle. She was wearing a well-worn white hat and had, what looked like, yellow lensed aviator goggles over her eyes. On her back was some-kind-of saddle bag/rucksack and a gun scabbard made from, what looked like, gator skin. Whoever this "Luna" girl was, she definitely wasn't from around here. And that wasn't just because of her looks and the way she was dressed. The way she talked and acted was new to him, too. She spoke to Rango in such a warm and friendly way that anyone might think they were neighbors.
"Uh, the name's Rango. Sheriff Rango," the chameleon said as he stood up and brushed himself off, "Sooooo, may I be so bold to ask, as to why you broke into the Town Hall last night?"
At hearing this, the rattlesnake recoiled in shock. She certainly was not expecting him to say that.
"Broke in?! Oh n-n-n-no, iz nothin like dat," the snake exclaimed, "I was just lookin for a place to get out da rain. The door was opan so, I let maself in. I didn't mean ta cause any trouble."
"Oh, no trouble Miss Grimmore," Rango replied, putting his hands up to calm the serpent down, "Though you did give Miss Angelique, here, a real scare."
"Pardonnez-moi Mademoiselle," the snake said as she slithered over to the vixen, "Je ne voulais pas vous faire peur. Je cherchais juste un endroit pour rester jusqu'à ce que la dernière tempête. J'espère que vous pouvez pardonner mes bonnes manières."
"Oui, je te pardonne," the vixen replied in a, surprisingly, calm voice, "J'étais juste surpris de vous voir, c'est tout. Pas de mal pas de faute, mon cher…"
Before Rango knew it, Luna and Angelique were having a full blown conversation… in french! Just who was this snake and what the hell was she doing here? But before he could say anything, a loud rumbling sound reached his ears. The conversation between Angelique and Luna had stopped immediately and a light blush spread across the lady snakes face.
"Heh-heh, sorry about dat," Luna chuckled sheepishly, "Uh, none of youse would know where I could get some food, would ya?"
About an hour later… inside the Town Hall…
After the brief misunderstanding, and a little grocery shopping, Rango, Wounded Bird, and the rest of the gang were being treated to a hot meal, courtesy of Luna Grimmore. Judging from the heavenly aroma and humming coming from the kitchen, Luna was more than happy to be of service.
"Really, Miss Grimmore, ya don't have ta do this," Waffles said, even though his mouth was watering, "If anything, we're the ones who should be making you a meal."
"Eh, it's no biggie," Luna said as she poked her head out of the kitchen, "Besides I'm already done."
"Food smells good," Wounded Bird chimed in, "What did you make?"
"A cajun specialty called 'Dirty Rice'," Luna responed cheerfully, "Believe me, dis is the good stuff."
Saying that, Luna came out of the kitchen with a steaming skillet filled with rice, beans, vegetables and sausage. The smell was absolutely heaven! Best off all, it tasted just as good as it looked. All through the meal the various creatures talked about what was going on and what they were doing, all except Luna that it. After the meal, Priscilla headed home, Waffles went back to the Sheriffs Office and Angelique took her position outside, what used to be, the Mayors Office. Rango and Wounded bird on the other hand, needed to have a talk with their serpentine guest.
"Again Ms. Grimmore, we're sorry for the mix-up,"Rango said as he closed the doors of the Mayors Office, "It's just, most snakes round these parts aren't exactly… the most friendly of types."
"Sawl right, shérif," Luna replied, "And please, call me Luna. Miss Grimmore's my mamas name."
"OK then, Miss Luna," the chameleon paused, "If you don't mind me asking, what brought you to our sleepy little town?"
There was an awkward silence. Luna visibly shrunk back slightly and bowed her head. It was a stark contrast to the snake they were talking to before. It was obvious that Rango had brought up a very uncomfortable subject.
"Please Miss Grimmor-I mean-Miss Luna, here me out," Rango said trying to put the snake at ease, "I've just met you, but I can tell right away that you're not the type who'd cause trouble for no reason. But I can also tell that you've got a big chip on your shoulder. So, if you're in some kind of trouble then maybe we can help. But we can't do anything unless you tell us."
"Well, ya see," the snake stuttered, "It's…kind of a long story."
"We have time," Wounded Bird cut out as he grabbed a chair.
Luna's head hung even lower at the ravens words. She turned her back to the sheriff and his deputy and remained silent. She knew she wasn't going to get out of this and, even if she did, these two would keep badgering her until they got answers. Letting out a sigh, Luna removed her hat and turned back to the two lawmen.
"Where do ya want me to begin," Luna asked the sheriff and his deputy.
"For starters, what is a snake from the bayou doing all the way out in the middle of the Mojave Desert," Rango said calmly as he leaned against a wall.
"Alright," the lady snake said with a sigh, "If ya must know, I'm looking for someone. Well, looking for someone who can help me find someone else."
"Please elaborate," Wounded Bird cut out politely.
Another pause came over the room before Luna spoke again, "It was a few months ago, back in Tess-Louian(Tex-Louisan)... Jason McCreed, my oldest friend, ran off after causing some trouble at my momma's hotel. Next morning we went to his home to look for him only to find wife, Lily, beaten within an inch of her life and barely hanging on…" Luna stopped, tears starting to form in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, the rattlesnake collected herself and continued her story, "I'd known Jay for years, so I just couldn't believe dat he'd do something like dis for no reason."
"So you started looking for him," Rango asked calmly.
"Damn fucking straight, if you'll pardon my french," Luna cursed, "I put the word out dat I was looking for McCreed and I would pay top-dollar if the information was credible. After about three months a nothin dis gopher comes into my mama's hotel and says dat he not only saw Jay, but dat he talked to him too.. De gopher claimed dat Jay was headin to some town New Mexico for some kind of job and even showed me a locket, dat the guy claimed, Jay had dropped. It was the real deal, too. So, I got the name of the town Jay was headin to, paid the gopher and headed out."
"But he wasn't there, was he," Wounded Bird said as her rubbed his leg.
"No, he wasn't," Luna replied solemnly, "By the time I got to Las Cruces, Jason was gone again. I asked around but couldn't find anyone or anything dat could tell me where he went. Just as I was about to head home, something hit me. I remembered dat Jay said the Mojave was his old stompin grounds, before he settled in Tex-Louisan."
"But, you said you were 'looking for someone who could help you find someone'," Rango quoted in confusion, "What did you mean by that?"
"McCreed told me dat he ran with some outlaw snake, every-so-often, when he lived out here," Luna said, perking her head up a bit, "I thought if I could find dis outlaw friend of his…"
"Then you find Jason," Wounded Bird cut in, "Or, maybe find out where Jason might be hiding."
"Pretty much, podna," Luna said to the old raven.
"So who exactly is this 'friend' yer lookin for," Rango asked.
"I've never met'im face-to-face," Luna replied, "But I do know dat the guy goes byㅡ, 'BANG'!"
Cajun phrases and translations
Dis: This
Dat: That
Podna: Friend
Cunja: A curse
Oh ye yi: OUCH
Passe a slap: I'm going to slap you
Chere: A term of endearment
For French translations, See Google.
