Arriving in Rush Valley with Ed and Al, Winry is thrilled by all the automail engineers, shops, and enthusiasts that line the streets. As they make their way through town, many onlookers en masse marvel at Edward’s impressive prosthetics, but when he manages to drive them all away, he realizes that his state alchemist’s pocket watch has been stolen. Hearing from some locals that it was probably done by the town’s infamous pickpocket, Paninya, and that she can usually be found in the mountains in the house of an automaton named Dominic, the gang head to the mountains just outside of Rush Valley to look for the thief. The boys spot her with the watch and chase her down using alchemy, but when they seem to finally have the nimble and elusive thief cornered, they discover that not only are both of her legs automail, but each one also hides a dangerous weapon. which he uses to escape. However, Paninya is eventually 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 house, where the crippled Dominic lives with his grown son Ridel and daughter-in-law Satella. Learning that Paninya’s limbs were worked by Dominic himself, Winry asks him to check her work on Edward’s arm and leg. The old man approves of her proposal, 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 asked to become Dominic’s apprentice, but he immediately refused, citing his reluctance to accept apprentices.
A sudden storm traps the trio in the LeCoulte house, and Elric wonders about the fact that Satella is nine months pregnant, while Winry questions how she ended up with the automatic mail. Paninya explains that after losing her legs as a child and being orphaned in a train accident, she fell into a deep depression. Shortly after, she met Dominik, who scolded her for her self-pitying look and fitted her with new car legs for free. Wanting to pay back the man who saved her from despair, she began picking pockets to get enough to afford her limbs. Winry, who does not approve of this method, advises Paninya to work hard for a living if she really wants to repay Dominic. On her advice, Paninya decides to start her new journey by returning Edward’s pocket watch, but when she takes it out to examine it, Winry realizes that Ed has alchemically sealed it. He prys it open with his nifty tools, expecting to see something Ed finds embarrassing, but instead sees a hand-etched message on the inside of the envelope: “Remember 3 Oct 11.” Winry, sobered by this esoteric note, decides to ask Dominic for an apprenticeship again, but before she does, she is met by a panicked Edward, who stammers out the big news – Satella has gone into labor and Winry has started screaming. Dominic drives towards the city for the doctor as the storm prevents Satelle from traveling in her condition but with the baby only a few minutes away. After the initial shock, Winry decides that they will just have to carry the baby alone. She takes charge, gives everyone a job and steels her nerves to lead the way. Ridel nervously asks Edward 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 have in this situation.
After some time, thanks to everyone’s hard work, the baby is born healthy, and Edward expresses his excitement at witnessing the creation of man—a natural act never matched by science. As she helps an exhausted Winry into a chair, she confesses that she broke his watch and saw what was inside. Edward, only mildly upset, reveals that he didn’t even show it to Alphonse and that the note is his private memento of his resolution, the day he burned down his family home so there would be no going back until he got his way. soccer goal. When Winry heard this, she began to cry, explaining that since neither Ed nor Al ever cried for themselves, her tears were for them. Ed suggests that she head back to Resembool, but Winry declines, saying that Ed’s determination has inspired her to fully commit to something as well; she promises to improve 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 repaying her with a teaching letter, the stubborn old man again refuses. However, he promises to refer her to an experienced engineer friend of his in town and give her and Paninya the privilege of coming to the house to visit his new grandson whenever they want. Ed and Al return to Rush Valley shortly after, rushing to catch the next train to Dublith, while Winry and Paninya bid them farewell.