One thing I've definitely realized recently was how much I freaking love Bunnymund and Sophie. Like, with Bunny as Sophie's personal Guardian over the years but her not really realizing it. So I made Sophie a bit older in this little one-shot, and definitely more adult and a bit skeptical of Jamie's childhood beliefs. Because really, how old was Sophie in the movie? Three, four at most? People don't really remember what happens to them much when they're toddlers, which is why I'm not too keen on people thinking Sophie remembers her experience in the movie.

Also, Bunny hasn't seen Sophie since the events from the movie, which is why she just remembers the snippets that Sandy gives her.

Oh, and this one-shot was inspired by the song "Chocolate" by The 1975. I know it's a song about murder and crime, but hey, when inspiration hits, use it to your advantage.

Also, cover image is my art. Please use with permission (i.e., please ask before you use it).

"Chocolate"

"Hey now, think about what you do

Think about what they say

Think about how to think

Pause it, play it; pause it, play it; pause it…."

I'm wandering through some sort of… portal that seems to transport me to another world. The colors are more vivid, more lively and new. There's this fluttering feeling inside my stomach, like I'm having a lot of fun exploring this world… yet I don't understand why I'm so happy.

I remember being a bit scared, like I don't understand what's going on, but soon enough that warm, happy feeling fills me up again. I remember soft grass underneath my bare feet, a springtime warmth kissing my face and shoulders.

I remember feelings, much more than anything else in this dream—much more than sights, anyway. Everything I try to remember comes out blurred. That's the thing I hate about dreams… they're never crystal clear, much as I try to pinpoint all the details.

I hold an egg in my hands. It's colorful and sparkly, each color perfectly bright and perfectly melding into one another in something even more beautiful than a rainbow.

"Let's go paint some eggs…" The voice is comforting, deep and caring and… accented. I laugh and take the hand… no, paw, and follow eagerly.

But soon I feel heavy, like my weight is too much for me to handle. I stifle a yawn, but it's too late… I'm falling asleep, dozing, drifting…

A warm embrace lifts me up. I rest my cheek against it. It's kind of… fluffy, and furry. But I'm fading, fading, fading, dozing, drifting….

"Damn it…" Sophie Bennett knocked her head back against the headboard of her bed, a journal and pen in hand. She thought maybe, just maybe, this time she'd be able to remember more of it…

Flipping through previous pages of her journal, she realized that every time she tried to remember the dream and wrote about it, she remembered no more and no less than the last time. Ever since she could write she tried to chronicle that recurring dream down, just as Jamie had told her to do when she confessed to him just how often she had it.

However, she didn't believe his explanation as to why she had this recurring dream.

"Oh, that's easy," he'd chuckled, shrugging. "You keep having the same dream because the Sandman knows that's what makes you happy. You've been dreaming about making Easter eggs with the Easter Bunny."

Blinking, Sophie couldn't believe her ears. This make believe nonsense, coming from her fifteen-year-old brother. Even at eight years old Sophie knew that the Guardians Jamie kept rambling on about a few years ago—the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Santa, and so forth—were just myths, as there were so many forces that showed these were just childhood stories so parents could tell their children whimsical, fantastical tales. Sophie never said anything against Jamie's beliefs, though; she kind of admired that childish spirit he still harbored, even though he was presently a junior in college and away from home.

But the Easter Bunny and the Sandman—really? At thirteen, she definitely found these mythical beings too unbelievable to be the cause of her recurring dream. Maybe it was some past memory from when she was a child. That would be a perfectly good explanation as to why she kept dreaming it. But… what from her youth had so much to do with warmth and color? Maybe it happened when she was a baby or a toddler, back when she couldn't remember anything.

What could that be, though…? Sophie's entire life had been a bit dull and a bit melancholy, with her dad leaving right after she was born and having to live with a single mom who always had financial trouble but was somehow able to scrape by and give her kids a pretty normal life.

That didn't really note the extremely wonderful and warm feeling she felt during the dream. In fact, that was the only time Sophie felt so content and exuberant.

Something only a child could really experience, she supposed.

Sighing, Sophie placed her journal on her nightstand and looked outside the window. It was still dark out… She laid back down and closed her eyes. Maybe she'd just have the dream again. And this time, she'd try and figure out what it meant….

If anything, it just occurred more frequently around Easter, further backing up Jamie's assumption that the Easter Bunny and the Sandman were really the masterminds behind Sophie's recurring dream.

And it was driving her crazy.

All these years and she still had no idea what it meant or what it was about. She grew more frustrated as she tried to recreate the scene, her handwriting becoming more angry and short-tempered, her scribbles more and more frequent. If she didn't figure it out soon she might actually commit herself to an asylum.

Soon after she woke, she heard a knock at her bedroom door. "Soph?" Obviously her mother, her voice gentle and a bit tired. "Time to get up… We have to get ready for Easter Mass."

With a groan and a slight roll of her eyes, Sophie slowly sat up and ran a hand through her usual messy hair. She wasn't one for attending church, but it was only at Easter, and if she let her mind wander it was over faster. Not to mention Jamie was home for the week. Maybe she could get a straight answer from him now about the dream.

Putting on a loose-fitting pastel dress and combing her hair in a loose twist down her back, Sophie examined herself in the mirror and felt slightly more confident. She always felt more confident with a nice dress on, more pretty and girly. Not at all like her childish, tomboy self, the adventurous side she'd grown out of a few years ago.

Once ready, Jamie summoned her out of her room and swaggered down the stairs, a usual, casual slump in his step. In his sport jacket and slacks, his hair combed back, he definitely cleaned up well. And their mother, in her spring printed dress, looked much more formal than in her usual jeans and fitted flannel shirts. A smile gracing her face at the sight of her children, Ms. Bennett beckoned them over for a hug, praising their looks and how fast they were growing up.

Taking the keys, Sophie walked out the door, telling her mother she'd get the car ready while Ms. Bennett spritzed on some perfume. But, once she walked out the door, she noticed an Easter basket at the doorstep… addressed to her. Blinking, Sophie looked around a moment before picking it up and reading the note on the card.

"Sophie,

Please follow the trail of eggs. An Easter surprise awaits you at the end.

-E. Aster Bunnymund"

What a strange name… Sophie didn't see a basket for Jamie. Maybe this was her big brother's idea of an Easter present, this elaborate Easter egg hunt all for her. She noticed the trail of colorful eggs led into the forest right outside her house, and she realized now wasn't the time to do this. Before Jamie and Ms. Bennett came out, Sophie hid the basket behind a nearby bush, not letting on that she knew half the surprise her brother set up for her already.

One thing she couldn't help but notice… She felt hopeful that this trail would finally explain the dream, because she started to feel that same sensation she did when she fell asleep.

Maybe it would all finally be explained….

After Easter Mass, the Bennetts went out for lunch—a rare occurrence, since Ms. Bennett was rather keen on saving money by cooking at home instead. Since it was a special occasion, the family went out to a small, cozy café, where Sophie teased Jamie for his need for coffee (he'd become a java junkie once he became used to college life), and Jamie teased Sophie for her strange hatred of maple syrup (she didn't like it with her French toast). Ms. Bennett gleamed; family times like these were few and far-between nowadays, and Sophie could tell she really enjoyed these little moments with her children.

Once home, Ms. Bennett excused herself for a nap, and Jamie busied himself with entertaining the dog in the front yard. Seizing the opportunity, Sophie felt relieved to see the basket was still nestled behind the same bush she'd left it, and she picked it up and read the note again. Easter egg trail… Now, where was that first one again?

Picking up the first egg, just at the edge of her backyard, Sophie placed it in the basket and started to follow the trail, dusting off her knees after she knelt down in the dry dirt. Today was a slightly abnormally warm day; usually it'd be snowing, rainy, or windy at Easter. But Sophie could easily wander around in her dress and flats, the feeling of spring really sinking in.

As she picked up more eggs and followed the trail into the forest, Sophie recognized the colors that decorated the eggs as exact replicas from her dream. Eerily, exactly like her dream. Those colors, this feeling… it was like she was reliving the dream, and yet experiencing something new at the same time. She had that adventurous spirit again, yet here she was, trying not to trip or snag her dress on a branch at the same time. Sophie's smile just grew as she noticed the eggs piling up in the basket—she must be getting close to E. Aster Bunnymund's destination. The more she thought about it, the more she felt maybe this wasn't Jamie's doing. She wandered deeper in the forest, a bit isolated from the rest of the world. The sky was blanketed with a warm green, bits of sky blue and sunshine shining through every once in a while.

Finally, Sophie reached a clearing, where the last egg lay next to a small bunch of flowers planted in the ground. Sophie couldn't see the surprise—what was there? The satisfaction of finishing her own Easter egg hunt? A bit anticlimactic, to be perfectly honest… She wanted to know the identity of whoever sent her on this journey, and it was really bugging her.

"Jamie?" she called out, looking around to see if this really was her big brother's doing. After a minute, he didn't appear. And after she called for him again, he still didn't show up in the clearing.

Then, just as she thought nothing else would happen—and certainly nothing exciting, for that matter—the ground suddenly dropped beneath her, and she was traveling down a hole. With her basket clutched to her chest for dear life, Sophie glared wide-eyed down the hole and screamed loudly. But, after a bit, she realized that it was… fun. Really fun. The latter half of the slide Sophie laughed as opposed to screamed, and she realized it was all over in a matter of no more than a minute.

"Oof!" Sophie landed on her backside, her basket still safely clutched against her chest. Sitting up, she gasped—this was just like the dream. An exact replica. All the colors, all the warm, hopeful, happy feelings… this was the different world. These were those eggs that ominous, accented voice talked about. The ones she held in her hand over and over and over again in her subconscious, and again right now. Jamie couldn't have possibly been the mastermind behind this.

Sophie stood, swinging her basket gently as she wandered around the grassy area. Sunshine filtered through and warmed up her insides, much like the feeling she got after that first sip of hot chocolate. The air around her seemed fresh and flowery. Sophie picked a nearby purple flower that matched her lilac dress and tucked it behind her ear, grinning from ear to ear. She explored more, running about the grassy fields after discarding her flats, realizing just how perfect the grass felt under her bare feet. Kneeling beside the nearby ledge to a purple pool, she dipped a finger in and realized it was a sparkly dye—the same color as the eggs in her basket.

Never had Sophie been so adventurous—at least, not since she was a small child. After standing again, Sophie felt a breeze whir by her, and noticed a flash of gray. Tilting her head to the side, Sophie jogged to a nearby tree and hid behind it. She didn't know what that flash was, and suddenly she felt a bit scared because she wasn't sure what it was.

"H-hello…?" she asked timidly, peeking out from behind the tree slowly. "Who's there?"

The flash of gray passed by her a few more times, before dashing behind a large rock. "You won't run if I show myself, yeah?" That voice… the same exact deep, accented voice as in the dream.

Flashes of gray, a warm voice and big, strong arms… Sophie had a feeling she knew what she was dealing with, at least in the back of her mind. But, he wasn't real… was he? Jamie always talked about him… And maybe, deep down, Sophie really did believe him. It just took a bit for that belief and that hope to surface. "No, I won't," she assured in a strong voice, meaning it. Sophie stepped out from her spot.

Slowly the gray figure stood, towering above her. Sophie blinked in utter surprise; when she was a child she always had her own description of the Easter Bunny… but badass boomerang Aussie Pooka never crossed her mind at all. Even still, Sophie noticed he seemed rather warm and fluffy, despite the sharp angles in his shape and his armor. She somehow felt comfortable immediately.

And that's when it all clicked: the dream really was a memory. She hadn't known when she'd last been here, but she must have been a toddler at the time. She must have let the Easter Bunny—E. Aster Bunnymund (duh, that name should have clicked immediately but she just realized it)—carry her. He helped her decorate Easter eggs. He singled her out, which meant he really cared about her on a more personal level. Suddenly Sophie felt so much more hopeful and happy.

Bunnymund must have picked up on this, and he took a step closer to her. "It's been years, I know…" he started, seeming a bit shy, which really surprised Sophie. "You're really growing up… But I always thought you believed."

Sophie shrugged at that; she felt a bit bad for dismissing Jamie when he was really telling the truth. "I think, deep down… I always have," she explained. "But now I really see you. It's unreal." She grinned again, reaching out to lightly pet Bunnymund's arm. He really was soft… "But… why me? Why keep me from this place when I've been here before? Why the… why the recurring dream?"

Scratching behind his ear, Bunnymund tried to think of a proper answer. A part of Sophie still couldn't believe she was speaking to a six-foot tall rabbit. "Well…" he started, "That was kind of Sandy's doing; I have no say in what you should dream about." Sandy, Sophie assumed, was the Sandman Jamie had mentioned when she talked to him about the dream. "And… I guess I was a bit wary about whether you'd remember me or not. I mean, that Easter was so long ago, and I couldn't always be there for you other than leaving occasional gifts."

This touched Sophie, as no one other than her mother and Jamie had ever given her such care. She did remember the gifts… small little gifts she kept on her bureau that she thought were from Jamie. Gifts like snow globes, bunny figurines, plush toys, and the like. Without another word, Sophie impulsively reached out and embraced Bunnymund, definitely remembering that warm hold from the dream—er, memory.

"Thank you…" she whispered. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me… ever." And from now on, she wouldn't stop believing, since this was more than enough evidence that someone else, someone important nonetheless, really cared about her, over the millions of other children in the world. This feeling really made her feel so important, like she could do anything.

After pulling away from the hug, Sophie grinned up at Bunnymund. The rest of the afternoon lay ahead of them. "The dream I've been having all these years… it's so blurry to me," she murmured. "I know it's a memory, but when I have the dream and try to remember it, I can only remember what I feel, for the most part."

"Really? I remember it like it was yesterday." Bunnymund chuckled at that. "I could help you remember it as well."

Standing up on her toes, Sophie pecked Bunnymund's furry cheek and gave a slight blush as she fell back on her heels, clasping her hands behind her back. "I'd really like that," she replied, that grin just permanently plastered on her face. After all, it wasn't like she had much to do this Easter after Mass and lunch.

Taking her hand in his familiar paw, Bunnymund started to lead Sophie back to the dye pool. "Let's go paint some eggs, then, yeah…?"

Sophie couldn't be happier to agree.

A bit crappy at the end, but I wanted it to be kind of ambiguous but still really cheerful. This has been a plot bunny that's been stuck in my head for a few weeks but I just had to finally write it.

Reviews make me a better, more enthusiastic writer, remember that~

~Eliza