A Rango fanfic written by QuiteALotOfSodaPop
. It is an Alternate Universe Fic in which the titular protagonist of Rango is a ball python rather than a chameleon. It can be read on fanfiction.net here and on Archive of Our Own here.
This fanfiction contains examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: In canon, Rango never stood a chance against Metalbeak. Here, being a ball python(and a quite large one at that), he nearly squeezes the life out of her during their first encounter. He's also willing to stick up for himself and be brave when he needs to.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: This version of Rango is much more honest with himself and the townspeople of Dirt, presumably as a result of his Adaptation Species Change and encountering the Spirit of the West way earlier than he does in the movie.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Rango never becomes romantically involved with Beans, who was his Love Interest in canon. He gets a lot of Ship Tease with Rattlesnake Jake instead, and after the end, they are implied to have gotten together.
- Adaptation Species Change: The canon Rango is a chameleon, whereas here, he is an exotic green ball python.
- Ascended Extra: Downplayed. While Rattlesnake Jake was one of the movie's major characters, he didn't get a lot of screen time. Here, he's practically the deuteragonist.
- Broken Pedestal: Averted. When Rango tells the Dirtonians the truth about himself after killing Metalbeak, they simply don't care because, as Priscilla puts it, he "gut busted the hawk".
- Disney Death: Near the climax, Rango is shot in the head by Bad Bill. A grief-stricken Jake takes him out of Dirt out into the desert, and is equal parts surprised and relieved to see him alive.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Jake would never kill anyone without at least getting some dirt on them, as he won't have his conscience smeared with innocent blood. Also, he "draws the line at the disrespect of a dead man".
- Fake a Fight: Rango and Jake stage a fight to distract the Mayor and his goons, buying time for Roadkill and the moles to bring back the water.
- Named by the Adaptation:
- The hawk is an odd case. "Metalbeak" was what some viewers had taken to calling her, but not her official name. In this story, it's the actual moniker for her.
- Inverted with Roadkill, who is simply referred to as "the armadillo".
- Shipper on Deck / Shipper with an Agenda: The Mayor sets Rango up with Jake in the hopes it would perfect his plan, but the two snakes end up getting too attached to each other and ultimately team up to take a wrecking ball to his rotten operation.
- Ship Tease: A lot, between Rango and Jake, beyond simple Homoerotic Subtext.
- During the campfire, Jake insists on sharing his kill with Rango, and the two have a private conversation (which was between Rango and Beans in canon, mind you.).
- During the posse's posing as a traveling troupe, Jake and Rango pose as a married couple, namely "Monsieur and Madame Lupone".
- After Rango's Disney Death at the hands of Bad Bill, Jake is devastated. During another encounter with the Spirit of the West, he is clearly relieved to see him still alive.
- After the water is brought back, the two snakes reunite and ride off together to stop Bad Bill from wreaking havoc in Dry Creek. The last line implies that they, indeed, share feelings.
Narration: It's probably best they keep each other. - Took a Level in Kindness: Jake, by the second half of the fic. He joins Rango's posse at the Mayor's insistence, and comes to genuinely care for the sheriff, and by extension, the town of Dirt while tracking down the lost water, even becoming his Implied Love Interest after the water is brought back.
