"Whoa," said Vash.

Knives leaned forward to peer closer at the tiny accessory, "How the heck?" Was there mistake in the packaging or something? Isn't this supposed to be, like, a health hazard?

His twin was wide-eyed and practically glowing with surprised curiosity, "I dunno. Is it edible?"

"It's plastic," Knives shook his head no. "Rem said that'll make you sick if you eat it." Vash shuddered. Last time he had swallowed something he wasn't supposed to... well, let's just say stomachaches quickly became one of his least favorite things in the world. Uh, worlds. Poor Rem, he thought, with a flash of guilt, he didn't mean to make her fuss so much.

He studied it more deeply when something about the thing sparked some memory. "It kind of looks like that pretty jewel that lady in cryosleep wears on her finger," he observed aloud, and Knives' luminescent blue eyes flashed with recognition.

"Hey, you're right!"

A warmly amused, welcome familiar voice drifted across the sterile kitchen to their ears, "That's because it's a ring. It's meant to be worn on your hand," light footsteps carried their surrogate mother to their sides, "Some cereals have prizes at the very bottom of their boxes," she explained, "Specifically put there for young boys like you to find."

Vash blinked, "For us?"

The reply was immediate and perhaps a bit sudden, "For all of us. No matter if we're different." Rem's answer was so absolute and certain, Vash couldn't possibly think of any more questions. Knives seemed to from the way his brows furrowed in the slightest, but it just didn't make it out his mouth in time. When Rem spoke, everything else felt moot. "Check the box. It says, 'Find your own magical ring inside!'"

That got Vash's attention. "Magic?"

Knives rolled his eyes dramatically, like he saw on old Earth comedy shows that Rem liked to show them, "You're nuts!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

Rem was having none of it, of course. So, with gentle smiles and maternal phrases of patience of tolerance, she silenced them. Moments later, they were deep in discussion about rings, their many uses, and above all, their symbolism.

"I want a marriage ring someday." Vash announced. The declaration hung in the air with a beat of silence trailing behind. Knives mimed barfing.

The hold the two boys held over Rem's heart, however, was magnificent in its strength, and she sat marveling over the two little men before her, whom would surely be taller than even she in less than three years (considering previously documented growth patterns, of which she would rather not dwell on). She watched their bright visages positively go alight with joy and silliness, observed their humanity, though some small part of her wondered whether that was a good enough term for it, anymore.

Regardless... she could scarcely imagine any life besides the one she lived, right here, right now, and that would perhaps be a problem, though not an urgent one, she knew—each and every last one of their tickets to even better times were still blank, and would long remain so.

Peals of laughter threatened to overflow Vash's youthful, innocent heart, and although Knives would rather go black-headed than be reminded of it, he was happy then, too.

Not a soul that resided in the entirety of Gunsmoke possessed any inkling of where commercial food companies (as commercial as they could get on this hellforsaken planet) got the idea of jamming hidden gifts within the confines of kids' treat containers, but whoever did come up with it, God knows, would be loved by the children of the windblown sands forevermore.

One in particular, Rem's Rings, is a favorite amongst the younger population...

A/N: The idea is, when human society was still building itself up after the Great Fall, Vash befriended some would-be goods tycoons and inspired them with tales from his childhood (which were, obviously, slightly edited from the truth)... and so, the popular cereal Rem's Rings came into being... they're, well, shaped like rings. Now that I think about it, that might have been a bit difficult, since he was with human-hater Knives all the time back then (I think), but hey, this is Vash we're talking about. He just... DOES the impossible. XP

What do you think? :)