Title: Monster House
Rating: G (Will change to M eventually)
Pairing: Bunnymund/Jack; Future North/Tooth
Warnings: None

Summary: When Jack goes to rescue his friend from the town's local mythological threat, he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Now trapped under the servitude of the frightening Bunnymund, Jack has to figure out how to replay his debt to the creature as quickly as possible. But there is more to this legend than meets the eye. Modern Beauty and the Beast AU Jackrabbit. Rating will change.

Prologue: Distance

Jack Frost remembers a time when he was younger—maybe seven or eight or so—when his mother bought an old book full of even older fairy tales at a yard sale. It was large and worn and falling to pieces, and Jack remembers it because it was so heavy and nearly crushed his head when it fell on him once. But Jack also remembers when his mother use to read from that heavy tome of magic and myth, her lap warm when her laid on it, listening to her soft, tinkling voice as she told of damsels distressing and evildoers evil-ing. His sister (the tiny thing) was so small then, she's barely a presence in the memory, yet Jack remembers her gurgling laugh every time their mother's voice change pitch when differentiating between prince and princess, man and beast.

Jack doesn't remember all the stories by heart, and some of them fall apart and weave back together to make up new tales when he tries to recall them. But there is one that Jack could recite by memory alone, with every detail word playing out in his mind like his own personal cinema.

'Oh Jack! Read this one!'

'Again? Ugh, this is the fourth time this week! Couldn't I interest you in a tale about a lovesick mermaid instead?'

He'll always remember the pout his sister gave, bottom lip steadfast and small, round cheeks puffed out.

'You know which one I like, Jack! I wanna hear it again!'

Jack would roll his eyes and settle next to his sister, who would snuggle up to him in anticipation, lovely brown eyes wide as though she was about to hear the familiar tale for the very first time.

'Fine, fine. Let's see...The Beauty and The Beast. Chapter one...'

Jack remembers the tale well, just like he remembers his mother's voice and his sister's eyes. But he always believe their stories would be stuck in heavy, old books. He never thought he'd be finding parallels to myth of the blooming romance of woman and beast, of a man's quest for inner acceptance, while he stares tensely at the large estate that sprawls before him, impassable to any outsiders by the numerous imposing, towering black spikes that jut up from the ground, tendrils of plants and horizontal bars connecting them and creating a barricade of sorts. Next to Jack's head, a weathered bronze plaque reads 'The Warren' in formal print, though most of the 'e' and 'n' have disappeared.

Jack sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly, nerves everywhere tangling and squeezing as anxiety rushes over him in an unfamiliar wave. Jack Frost was not scared of many things, and would charge head first into situations to only figure out a solution in the midst of them (solutions that were often destructive, but fun. Can't forget to have some fun). Yet the prospect of entering the foreboding manor to find his best friend chills him, and not in any way he might have cared for.

(his folks didn't have a name like that for nothing, you know)

Resolve suddenly hitting him with full force, Jack squares his shoulders, exhales loudly, and with a still shaky hand, pushes the gate in front of him. The rusting metal groans and squeals unforgivably as the old latch unhooks, beckoning the young man forward with the frightening promise of adventure and peril.

"Mom, sis...if you guys could see me now."

Jack Frost hesitates for only a moment longer before he continues his trek to the dark manor.

Oh dear, this is nerve-wracking...

Hello everyone! This is one of the first stories on my new FF account, hopefully one of many more. I haven't written fanfiction in YEARS, but I'm hoping to get back into it now that I'm a bit more mature and have a little more time on my hands. I hope you all enjoy this prologue! I have a huge story arc planned for these characters, and hope you guys will stick with me through it all! Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

-ATWGB