Episode 26 (2003 Anime)

Her Reasons
Japan airdate	2004 April 3
USA airdate	2005 May 7
Series Information
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 anime)
◄ Previous	Words of Farewell
Next ►	Teacher

Her Reasons is the 26th episode of the Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 anime series.

Synopsis

In Rush Valley, the auto-mail capital of the world, Winry encounters a street-wise girl who asks her a tough question: Why is Winry helping Ed if he doesn't even seem to care?

Full Synopsis

Colonel Mustang and Lt. Hawkeye meet with 2nd Lt. Ross at the hospital in Central. She gives them the bills the Elrics racked up during their stay. When Mustang demands to know where they went to, Ross stutters while Hawkeye notices the map the Elrics left marked. Just then, a mysterious couple bursts in and the woman demands to know where the Elrics are. Before a confrontation breaks out, her husband notices the map, so they take it and leave.

Arriving in Rush Valley with the Elrics, Winry is overjoyed by all the automail engineers, shops and aficionados that line the streets. Meanwhile at an automail shop, a girl named Paninya asks her master Dominic for a new automail arm, but he refuses, and also refuses the request of a rude customer since he only gives out automail to people who truly need it. The Elrics and Winry come across an automail arm wrestling competition and the Elrics instantly figure out why the challengers are losing. Paninya then comes out to prove the strength of her automail arm, having been mocked by the rude customer from earlier. Unaware that the fight promoter had been cheating through alchemy with a hidden transmutation circle underneath the table, Paninya loses as well and then runs away after being further mocked. When the promoter first insults Ed about his height, then his automail arm which also offends Winry, she demands that Ed win. He does of course--by tearing off part of the champion's right automail arm. Later when the two men confront the Elrics and Winry, demanding that Ed return their prize money for cheating through alchemy, Ed confesses about their own cheating back at the two men. Winry responds in pity and disgust by beating both men and the Elrics with her wrench before she walks away.

Meanwhile in Central, Mustang and Hawkeye meet with Major Armstrong to talk about Hughes' death. While Armstrong can't say anything other than it being the individuals from the Elrics' investigation, Mustang suspects that this ties in with the possibility of the state military trying to create a Philosopher's Stone, and someone with a rank higher than him ordered Armstrong to remain silent, combined with what Ross reported about Edward claiming to have giving up on searching for the Philosopher's Stone and not telling the military where he was going. Mustang declares to Hawkeye that they will stay in the dark for now.

Back in Rush Valley, the Elrics relax and observe the moon in the sky, as Al wonders where Winry went, pointing out that Ed shouldn't have cheated even though Ed admits he only did to get back at those con men. Winry encounters Paninya at a park. Noticing Paninya's legs are automail as well, Winry takes a look at her automail arm and could tell it is a high-performance design that needs slight repair. Winry asks how she ended up with automail in the first place. Paninya explains that a train wreck cost both of her legs and right arm and was an orphan on the street until Dominic found her and gave her automail. Paniya reveals that her dream is to make Dominic's skills well known. Winry decides to put Paniya's automail against Ed to help Paninya have confidence in her automail. That night at Dominic's shop, while Winry maintains Paninya's arm, Dominic shows up and is horrified when Winry formally introduces herself. Dominic remembers Winry's grandmother Pinako, whom he is afraid of but leaves Winry and Paninya to their business upon noticing what Winry is doing.

The next day, Winry and Paninya meet up with the Elrics. Winry tricks Ed to take out his State Alchemist pocket watch, allowing Paninya to steal it and run off. Winry demands Ed to go against Paninya in a challenge, declaring that if he can snatch his pocket watch back from her without cheating through alchemy before she makes it to the pawn shop then he wins. Ed heads off to pursue Paninya, while Winry stays behind with Al, whom she explains to that all she wants is for Ed to gain some appreciation for his automail. Ed gives Paninya great chase throughout Rush Valley's rooftops. Paninya seemingly gets trapped after jumping into an alley and Ed corners her, only for Paninya to reveal her right automail leg has a hidden cannon that she uses to fire directly at Ed, before fleeing back to the rooftop. As she worries about Ed's survival and safety, he surprisingly counterattacks, reclaiming his pocket watch from Paninya. However, her right automail leg breaks down, causing her to lose her balance and fall off of the rooftop. Ed saves Paninya by transmuting several stone hands from the building's side. Ed condemns her for trying to beat him, declaring his automail to be the best, satisfying Winry. Paninya and Al return to Dominic's shop. Dominic chides Paninya for her foolish quest and gets her to realize he was trying to teach her that automail is designed as a vital replacement for her lost limbs and not for show.

In Central, Sheska is dismayed when Mustang informs her that the investigation into Hughes' death has been suspended. General Hakuro arrives, accompanied by another man and harshly mentions on Mustang's transfer to Central, just as an upset Sheska leaves.

As he prepares to return to their hotel room, Al recognizes two familiar people, the same couple that Mustang recently met earlier. Back in their room, Winry mentions the possibility of Ed growing taller, but she wonders if he wanted automail and promises to study harder so he doesn't become handicapped. Despite this, Ed admits he still wants to get his original arm and leg back. Al comes back bringing bad news. Recognizing the man behind his brother, Ed faints in despair.

Episode Notes

• This episode is adapted from content in Chapter 17: The Boomtown of the Broken Down and Chapter 18: The Value of Sincerity.
• This is the first episode of the third season.
• Paniya's automail arm is exclusive to this anime series, likely due in part to the group needing to meet her in the arm wrestling tournament. In the manga and 2009 anime, Paninya only has automail legs.
• The man who accompanies Hakuro is Frank Archer, a character exclusive to this series who is properly introduced three episodes later.
• In the manga, only Ed was cheating when he competed in the automail arm wrestle match due to the fight promoter and audience insulting his height.
• In Edward's invoice at the beginning of this episode, it calls the state "Modern Britain."

See also

• Chapter 17: The Boomtown of the Broken Down
• Chapter 18: The Value of Sincerity
• Chapter 19: I'll Do It for You Guys!
• Episode 11: Miracle at Rush Valley (2009 series)