A/N: Hello everyone. Here is the promised Rise of the Guardians/Frozen crossover story in the style of Haunted Mansion that people voted for. As it turned out that there was a perfect tie between this story and the Winter Reaper, I decided to publish this one first as I ended up writing myself into a difficult spot in the other story and still need to figure out where it's going. For this story, I made a new friend this final semester in my university who adores the Haunted Mansion and talking with her gave me tons of ideas of where to take this story. It will mostly follow closely to the film, however I will also be incorporating some of the originally intended elements from the rides that were never featured in the final attraction, and also some ideas from the actual rides themselves. I also hope to develop more of the lore, especially some elements that were left vague or ignored in the film.
I hope everyone had (or is still having) a happy Halloween!
P.S. The song in this chapter is the 'living' version of Grim Grinning Ghosts (the theme song for all the Haunted Mansion attractions), which I created for the party. I envisioned it as a playful, humorous bit of the wealthy patrons singing warnings about thieves and con-artists. it's meant to use the same upbeat melody as the normal version.
The Haunted Mansion
Chapter 1: The Haunted Mansion Begins
October 31, 1867
It was a windy Halloween evening which found a slightly hunched figure cloaked in dark clothes meandering its way up a foot path towards a large mansion. The weather was stormy and rain was falling, causing the figure to huddle in his cloak. Thunder rumbled far in the distance. Up ahead, the mansion beckoned, warm and inviting. There were lights in nearly every window and the sounds of festivities could already be heard rolling across the grounds from within. The figure stepped onto the porch and was illuminated by the lamp light, squinting against the brightness. He was an elderly man with a large. Along with his dark cloak, he wore a dark gray top coat under the cloak, a top hat, and carried a cylindrical box in his left hand and a cheap, poorly carved cane in his right. The man lifted his cane and rapped it on the large ornate mahogany doors. A few minutes later, one of the doors opened, and the man was assaulted by the sounds of an ongoing party and the brightness from the interior. Regaining his composure, the man saw that there was a very tall, very pale man with a gaunt face standing in the doorway. This man was dressed in a butler's outfit and was currently staring down at him over a large, slightly curved, nose.
"Ah, Master Yale. So good that you could join us." Said the butler, eyeing the man on the porch with cold eyes. "I trust you have the merchandise?"
"I have the medicine right here, as you asked." Said Yale, patting his box.
"Good, good." Said the butler. He pulled out a sizeable bag from his pocket and handed it to Yale. "Here is your payment as promised."
The older man felt the weight in the bag and gave it a slight shake, hearing the sound of metal clinking together.
"Ah, excellent." Yale pocketed the back, then opened the box, pulling out a vial the size of a salt shaker. Inside the transparent vile was a bright green liquid. The connection seemed innocent enough to the casual observer. Yale handed the butler the vile then raised his top hat in salutation, revealing the top of his head to be bald, through several long white wisps of hair flowed erratically from the sides of his head.
"Pleasure doing business with you." He said. As the butler moved to shut the door, Yale spoke up again, "Aren't you going to invite me into the festivities?" The butler huffed loudly, regarding Yale with obvious annoyance, but stepped aside regardless.
"Very well. Do come in and enjoy the food. And don't frighten the guests. There are over a thousand people present."
Yale stepped into the house and looked around. The house was beautifully decorated, obviously with much though and love. There were grand and expensive works of arts from statues to portraits and vases from all eras. Gorgeous flowers of all varieties decorated tables and the light of hundreds of candles glistened from a series of chandeliers, their light complimented by that from numerous candelabrums placed upon decorative stands. Yale didn't care for the decorations, but he did appreciate the expensive qualities of the furnishings. The guests were mostly gathered in the main ballroom, dancing and singing merrily. It was an odd, cheerful ditty that Yale had never heard before.
"When the conscripts seek and the dance floors break
Dukes come out for a swing n' shake;
Happy aunts now surmise
And begin to vocalize,
Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.
Now don't avert your eyes and don't try to be snide
Or a silly kook may come steal your bride
Clouded by bereft surprise
They pretend to compromise,
Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.
As the moon climbs high o'er the red oak tree
Crooks arrive for the midnight spree;
Creep n' peek with cheery eyes
Start to sneak and improvise,
Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.
When you hear the knell of a brand-new bell
Weird ol' smokes with a pungent smell;
Restless moans harmonize
Rise as crooks rob every dime.
Flimflams boast: it's time to aggrandize.
If you would like to join our jamboree
There's a simple rule that's compulsory:
Chortles are a token fee
Come in peace, the luncheon's free
So come on in, we would like your company!"
A handsome young man in his twenties stood out amidst the guests. He had brown hair and brown eyes which were full of joy and laughter. He was currently chatting with some guests, discussing a portrait of a beautiful blonde young woman with striking blue eyes. The butler noticed where Yale's attention was directed and stated,
"That is young Master Frost, owner of this entire estate."
"And I trust that is the bride to be?" Yale asked, indicating the woman in the painting.
"It is Master Frost's intention to propose tonight to Miss Elisa tonight, yes. That's why this party is being thrown." The butler pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be somewhere."
The butler made his way to the kitchen and picked up a gold tray and an ornate gold goblet. He grabbed several ingredients and set about to mixing a drink. Placing the goblet on the tray, he left the kitchen, carefully crossing the ballroom until he reached a grand double staircase. Taking one of the flights up, he proceeded through a long corridor before stopping at a large double door. Holding the tray in one hand, he opened one of the doors revealing the mansion's main study. Inside there were several bookshelves in the study, all filled with books, tomes, novels and almanacs. There was a large globe in one corner of the study and in it's rear, a large desk situated next to an elegantly carved fireplace. To one side, there was a smaller table in front of a small chaise longue. A beautiful young woman in a dazzling blue dress sat on the seat, scribbling away on a piece of parchment. She was the same woman from the painting Frost had been examining; Elisa.
"Here is your drink, madam." Said the butler, placing the goblet beside her on the desk
"Thank you." Said the young woman, glancing up at the butler with a kind, warm smile.
"May inquire as to what you are doing?"
"Writing a letter."
"To the young Master?" Elisa nodded.
"Yes. I figured out he's planning to propose to me tonight, but I'm pretending not to know about it. I'm writing down everything ahead of time. But please, don't let him know I found out about his plans."
"As you wish madam." The butler left the room, shutting the door behind him. He went back to his duties, making sure everything was in order with the food and drinks, relaying questions and request to Frost and placing things that had been knocked around by the partying guests back in place. After several long minutes he returned to the study. Opening the door, he noticed that Elisa was no longer at the sofa. He looked around, quickly spotting an arm lying on the ground, peeking out from behind the sofa. The goblet lay on the floor just inches from the person's fingertips. Closing the door, the butler went to the stairs and looked around for the master of the house. Spotting him with his mother, sister and some other guests, the butler quickly descended the stairs and made his way over.
"Master Frost, you are needed upstairs, immediately." Said the butler as he approached.
"I'll be back in a moment." He excused himself from his guests and followed the tall man upstairs.
"What's happened?" Frost asked.
"Something dreadful, I'm afraid." Said the butler. He stopped before the study door, a hand on the door knob and turned to regard the young man. "Brace yourself, young Master, it's terrible." The butler pushed opened the door, revealing the scene within. Frost's eyes widened in pure horror as he saw what lay inside.
"ELISA!" Frost rushed into the study and fell to his knees beside the young woman. He hugged her close and realized she didn't have a heartbeat. "How- why…" As Frost began to sob in anguish while holding his deceased beloved, the butler placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I found this next to her." He said, holding out a letter. Frost quickly snatched it away and read it in hopes of finding out why this had happened.
"No!" Frost let out a heartbroken, agonizing scream, crumpling up the letter. "Nooo!" He rose to his feet and staggered across the room, before grabbing onto the desk for support. "Aaaargh!" He screamed again knocking everything off the desk.
Downstairs in the grand ballroom, the party had fallen silent upon hearing Frost's screams and many guests now crowded around the foot of the staircase whispering amongst themselves in worry and curiosity. A sudden hush fell over the guests as the sound of footfalls echoed on the stairs. The guests watched in horror as Frost appeared from the darkness, descending the staircase, holding a limp figure in a blue dress in his arms. There was no doubt as to who he had in his arms. Slowly the crowed parted to let him through. Frost made his way over to the foyer and laid Elisa's body on a large couch. After a few minutes, Frost left the foyer and began to walk past the guests. Several tried to speak to him, but he merely replied with, "Leave me, I want to be alone."
"What's happened?" One of the servants, a tall silvery haired man with an Australian accent, asked the butler. Beside him was a shorter woman of mixed native American descent wearing a maid's outfit.
"It would seem that Miss Elisa felt trapped, unable to reciprocate the master's feelings but unwilling to let him down. In a desperate bid for escape, the young lady took her own life with poison." The butler replied solemnly.
"My God." Said the servant while the maid gasped in shock.
The weather had taken a turn for much worse, becoming a full blown. squall while lightning raged all around the mansion. Unbeknownst to all, Frost has made his way up to the rafters by the roof, a thick length of rope coiled round one arm. His face was blank, his once joyful eyes dead.
The sound of a wine glass shattering broke through chatter quickly followed by the piercing, bloodcurdling shriek of a woman's scream. Lightning flashed, revealing the body of the young man dangling from a taut rope. People began to panic as they stumbled and scrambled away. The butler, confused as to what was happening—for where he stood offered no vantage point to see the body—quickly moved through the crowd, towards where the first scream had emanated from. Passing through the panicked masses, he came upon the sight that had started the commotion and his face changed from one of confusion to shock than anger.
"Nooo!" Screamed the butler without a trace of anguish in his voice only anger as the guests began to yell, cry and scream as they ran for the doors. In the mad scramble for the exit, somebody knocked over a candelabrum, setting fire to the carpet. The flames quickly traversed up the wallpapers and curtains, spreading to the rafters and ceiling. The screams intensified as even the massive double doors weren't big enough to allow the mass through, resulting in a bottleneck. With the sound of cracking and splintering wood, parts of the flaming rafters collapsed onto the crowd, blocking the exit. The multitude of guests still inside panicked even more.
The butler moved through the crowd, jostling people as he tried to make his escape. A loud bang resounded above him as a flaming wooden beam broke from the ceiling and collapsed on him.
"The windows!" Someone shouted. "Break the windows!" People grabbed chairs, broke legs off tables, picked up candelabra and whatever they could to throw or bash against the windows. A couple of guests pulled out pistols and attempted to shoot out the glass. One shot ricocheted off one of the steel frames and struck a guest. Another shot ricocheted and struck the chain of a chandelier, sending it crashing to the ground. Another chandelier, aflame and with its chains weaken by the heat, likewise collapsed, sending glass and metal fragments everywhere.
"Move! Out of my way! Out of my way!" Shouted Yale as he shoved people aside. Unbeknownst to him, another chandelier had been heavily weakened nearby. It fell down the length of its chain then swung where it hung.
"Look out!" Someone yelled, but it was too late as the chandelier swung down across the room, catching the old man in the back of the head. His body fell to the ground, his decapitated head landing inside his box.
The few people fortunate enough to escape could only watch in horror and listen to the shrieks of terror and agony coming from those left inside as the entire mansion slowly burned, completely consumed in fires.
A/N2: I know this chapter ends in a bit of a downer, but I wanted go more in-depth to the event that leads up to the main plot, something that the movie just coasted over. The next chapter will be more cheerful and will come out probably Thursday or Friday. I meant to have more done, but there was an illness and death in my family, so I'm more backed up than intended. I hope to get to my other stories soon, and they will take precedence over this one, which I don't want to rush.
By the way, for Haunted Mansion fans, you may recognize Yale's name. He was named for Disney Imagineer Yale Gracey (who also had Master Gracey from the film named for him), who worked a lot on the original ride (as well as on Pirates of the Caribbean), designing many of the special effects, visual illusions and characters.