Episode 11: Miracle at Rush Valley (2009 series)

The Elrics, realizing alchemy has yet to unlock the mysteries of creating life, feel powerless when a new friend goes into labor. Winry, however, jumps into action with a young thief named Paninya.

Synopsis
Arriving in Rush Valley with Ed and Al, Winry is overjoyed by all the automail engineers, shops and aficionados that line the streets. As they walk through town, numerous onlookers marvel en masse at Edward's impressive prostheses, but when he manages to drive them all away, he realizes that his State Alchemist's pocketwatch has been stolen. Hearing from some locals that it was likely done by the infamous town pickpocket Paninya and that she can usually be found out in the mountains at the home of an automail engineer named Dominic, the gang heads into the mountains just outside of Rush Valley to search for the thief. Spotting her with the watch, the boys give chase with the help of alchemy, but when it seems that they finally have the agile and elusive larcenist cornered, she reveals that her legs are not only both automail, but also each conceal a dangerous weapon, which she uses to escape. However, Paninya is finally caught by Winry, who refuses to let her go until she agrees to allow a close inspection of her admirable appendages.

Paninya takes the three to the LeCoulte home, where the ornery Dominic lives with his adult son Ridel and daughter-in-law Satella. Upon learning that Paninya's limbs were machined by Dominic himself, Winry asks him to inspect her work on Edward's arm and leg. The old man approves of her design, but notes that the limbs are too heavy for the young man and may be the reason he is so small for his age. Taking his expertise to heart, Winry requests a position as Dominic's apprentice, but he promptly refuses, citing his unwillingness to take apprentices.

A sudden rainstorm strands the trio at the LeCoulte house and the Elrics marvel at the fact that Satella is nine months pregnant while Winry asks how she ended up with automail in the first place. Paninya explains that, after she lost her legs and was orphaned in a train accident as a child, she fell into a deep depression. Shortly afterward, she met Dominic, who scolded her for her self-pitying glare and outfitted her with new automail legs for free. Wishing to pay back the man who had saved her from despair, she began picking pockets to gain enough to afford her limbs. Winry, disapproving of this method, advises Paninya to work hard for a living if she really wants to pay Dominic back. Taking her advice, Paninya decides to start her new path by returning Edward's pocketwatch, but when she takes it out to examine it, Winry realizes that Ed has sealed it alchemically. She pries it open with her handy tools, expecting to see something Ed consider embarrassing, but instead sees a message hand-etched into the inside of the cover: "Don't forget 3.Oct.11". Sobered by this esoteric note, Winry resolves once more to ask Dominic for an apprenticeship, but before she can do so, she is met by a panicking Edward who stammers out big news - Satella has gone into labor, causing Winry to scream. Dominic rides toward town to fetch the doctor, since the storm prevents Satella from traveling in her condition, but with the baby only minutes away. Getting over the initial shock, Winry decides that they will simply have to deliver the child themselves. Taking charge, she gives each person a job and steels her nerves to head up the procedure. Ridel asks Edward nervously if Winry knows what she's doing and Ed assures him that Winry comes from a family of doctors and grew up reading medical books instead of picture books; her knowledge may not be perfect, but it's the best they've got by far in this situation.

After a while, the baby is born healthy thanks to everyone's hard work and Edward displays his excitement at witnessing the creation of a human - a natural act that science has never been able to match. As he helps the exhausted Winry to a chair, she confesses that she broke open his watch and saw what was inside. Only slightly upset, Edward reveals that he hasn't even shown it to Alphonse and that the note is his own private memento of his resolve, of the day he burned down his family home so that there would be no turning back until he reaches his goal. Hearing this, Winry begins to cry, explaining that, since neither Ed nor Al ever cry for themselves, her tears are for them. Ed suggests that she head back to Resembool, but Winry refuses, stating that Ed's resolve has inspired her to commit wholly to something as well; she promises to hone her engineering skills so that she can help Edward reach his goal as soon as possible.

Dominic expresses his gratitude to Winry for her help when he returns with the doctor, but when Edward suggests that he repay her with an apprenticeship, the stubborn old man refuses yet again. However, he promises to refer her to a skilled engineer friend of his in town and grants her and Paninya the privilege of coming up to the house to visit his new grandson whenever they like. Returning to Rush Valley shortly afterward, Ed and Al rush to catch the next train to Dublith while Winry and Paninya bid them farewell.

Episode Notes

 * This episode is adapted from content in Chapter 17: The Boomtown of the Broken Down, Chapter 18: The Value of Sincerity and Chapter 19: I'll Do It for You Guys!.
 * In this episode, it is stated that Dominic lives in the mountains because of the high-quality ores that are out there, but in the corresponding manga chapter, it is implied that he simply dislikes people.
 * The incident involving the lightning-struck bridge and Edward's failure to repair it are left out of this episode, as well as Dominic's horror upon hearing Winry is related to his old, unpleasant acquaintance "The Pantheress of Resembool". Dominic's assistance in introducing Winry to Garfiel is more of a sign of thanks in the anime, whereas, as stated before, it was fear in the manga.
 * Ed's arm-wrestling match is also cut. This was how all the passersby came to marvel at his arm after seeing its prowess, but in the anime, they just spot it while he's walking, noting its unique design.
 * Near the end of the episode, as Ed and Al board the train to Dublith, they pass three wanted posters at the station - one depicting Scar, one depicting Yoki and one depicting Greed.