Elementary Alchemy
Chapter 7: New life
By Vox Deruste
The Train ride was honestly an enjoyable experience for the whole group. Enjoying the countryside and watching the grassy plain turn to a rocky valley. Winry's barely contained excitement began to bubble as they came ever closer to their destination, Rush Valley. It was even infectious enough for Asami to become slightly excited for it.
What memories she had access to were of the joys of engineering and tinkering with machines. The train ride for her was an experience of seeing what she could apply to her own work. The memories did have a tinge of sadness, a rotund man that Korra informed her was her father. One that would later try to stop her and her friends from saving their city from a terrorist. The whiplash from her happy early memory was a...whiplash, safe to say.
Though she barely felt a connection from the version of herself in the memories than she was right now. A bit peppier and more lackadaisical than her current anxious and contemplative self. She wondered if her past self could handle the shock of another well as she was?
Korra was more talking with the Elric's, discussing the fighting techniques that their teacher taught them. Much to Winry's chagrin. Which Asami didn't really understand, nor agree with. She hoped for the best but there is a reason she held onto the electric glove to her side. One can hope for the best all they want, but the fool never prepares for the worst.
She never said as much out loud but she did think it. Especially given that their current situation won't really allow for a pacifistic route. Korra remembered more than Asami and yet they both knew that a fight was waiting for them at home. A terrible one that could not be avoided.
They confided in the Edward brothers about it, but like every time they tried to bring up the other world idea, they dismissed it as lingering memory problems. Asami didn't disagree with the assessment but she was frustrated by it all the same. She would be just as skeptical in their shoes.
Winry was the first out of the train with her tools. Gazing into the large town in front of her. The gate, from what she was told by Edward, Read in big letters. Rush Valley. Made to look like Auto mail hands were grasping each other, and as far as the eye could see that image was being played out by the citizens. Hundreds, maybe in the thousands were walking around with either prosthetics or what looked like the prototypes of prosthetics. As normal as wearing a hat.
Some with silver legs, iron arms, even parts of their heads. Asami wondered how people with so much metal on their bodies survive the heat of a rocky valley. Also the more uncomfortable question: how could so many amputate exist in one place?
Winry was immediately beaming with happiness. Gushing over every make and model in the store or on the people. Asami was engrossed but not obsessed in the same way she was. Asami felt more challenged, growing competitiveness. While her world did have an engineering boom after the great war, the craft in, her opinion, was still infant-like compared to what they were doing here with mechanical limbs and weapons. Apart from her wanting to ask as many questions that Winry was asking about how they were made, and another part was itching to outmatch it.
Her only real competition was her father from what Korra told her. Here, as she looked at Winry, she might have found a match.
Korra was slightly interested in the mechanical limbs but that was it, she liked seeing how new things worked and using them when needed, but the only airbending thing she kinda agreed with was the rejection of wanting such things. Or at least not feeling like she needed any stuff outside of food.
The Edwards were similarly disinterested and were more keeping an eye on Winry than on the machinery. Until an automail engineer saw the craftsmanship of his arm.
"I have never seen an automail like this."
"It's quite unique." Said two engineers as many more started to surround and inspect Edward's arm.
"Hey get off! Hands off the clothes!" Edward cried out. Winry laughed but Korra didn't quite share the feeling. Make a hard stomp on the ground, making a rolling wave of earth. Knocking all of the engineers down and leaving the peculiar sight of a dark-skinned girl reaching into Edward's pants.
Sure the pants were not on him, apparently, the engineers have no sense of boundaries. She was grasping what looked like a silver pocket watch, the one Korra remembered was basically the only symbol that Edward was a state alchemist.
Before the girl could run, Korra kicked with a sweeping movement and put the girl in a tailspin. She landed on the back of her head and Asami picked up what was going on and grabbed the pocket watch from her before she could get up.
"Thanks." Edward said as Asami was about to give the pocket watch, but a large explosion blew them away. Korra and Al looked back and saw it was the girl, a cannon built into her automail knee.
"Seriously, what is with this country!" Korra yelled. Seething with anger that someone tried to hurt her friends. She skipped trying to trip her by blasting an air blast to keep the girl from running and then using the confusion on her face to knock her back down with a bolder. She jumped forward and pinned underneath her knee on the chest. Making a quick jab of fire that shot to the side of the girl.
"Alright, Alright!" The girl cried out. "I'm sorry, I won't steal from you." Korra felt the girl tried to break free and barely trusted her. No innocent person just casually explodes a cannon in front of strangers.
"Please let her go, Korra." Winry asked as she seemed to be more interested in the automail legs than the thief it was attached to. "I need to get a better look at that Automail." Winry said in a gushy tone. Korra let her go reluctantly and gave the pocket watch back to Edward, he pocketed it quickly into a harder-to-reach pocket. "I need to see the engineer who made these beautiful legs."
Korra and Edward sighed but picked the girl up. Careful not to get close enough for her to grab their things. She scratched the back of her head.
"Guess I tried to take the wrong thing from the wrong people." She awkwardly tried to play off her attempted theft but Korra lifted a large boulder over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out in succession. "My name is Paniya, you don't need to hurt me." Korra still glared at her but thanks for some glaring from Winry herself. Korra put down the boulder.
"Show the girl the person who gave you the automail and we might, possibly, forgive you a smidge." Edward didn't contest the agreement as Paniya rapidly shook her head and let the group follow her to Dominic's.
The weight of the name was only visible when they arrived.
When Winry arrived she drooled over what looked like a dozen prototypes. Nearly swooning over the metal limbs. Asami looked over them with a more critical eye, but she did nearly kick herself for not thinking about applying her mechanic skills to prosthetics. And honestly with what Korra told her of her father and how she half-remembered that she basically had his company keep doing the same thing he admonished her father for. Making weapons and selling them to other nations. She confided herself with the fact that Amestris also used weapons in the prosthetics but it was a cold comfort of relativism.
Asami saw Winry trying to butter up the presumed engineer. But in the middle of her asking to be his apprentice an old man walked in. A gruff and stern man with stubble, a permanent frown on his face, and a hard-working demeanor. Dominic.
As soon as Winry heard that name from the man's son, she splurged information about him. How he was a near-legendary engineer in his day. She practically begged him to take a look at her automail. He was... straightforward in his critique.
"The metal and composition are sturdy but are heavy, probably stunting his growth." Usually, Edward would slug anyone who would point out his height but this time he changed his tune.
"Well, maybe you can take on my friend as an apprentice to enhance her automail technique." Edward tried to charm the old engineer.
"I don't take apprentice's, don't stop trying to butter me, you flea." He said with unflinching sternness and a cold glare on Edward. It was one of the only times that Korra saw him flinch. But then again he only seemed to do that with people that seem respectable to him.
Korra and Edward left Winry to continually beg Dominic for an apprenticeship and went toward Paniya.
"Look I'm sorry about-" Korra pointed to a picture of a young Paniya on the wall. A girl with no legs in a wheelchair.
"I'm guessing there's a story behind that." Korra asked as Paniya looked at her legs.
"My first family was killed in a train accident." Paniya recounted sadly. "I was alone, miserable, and living in the gutter of Rush valley. If it wasn't for mister Dominic I would have probably died on the street." A bit of sympathy began to grow in Edward and Korra.
"So he gave you the legs, no charge." Edward asked her. She nodded.
"He said I didn't owe him for the automail but he even repaired it and I don't have enough gratitude for him."
"Which is why you steal?" Korra asked with her arms crossed. "To pay him back." Paniya can feel the aura of judgment coming off Korra.
"He never takes it, but I need to pay him back somehow." Edward gave a strange look to his face and showed her the pocket watch.
"Do you know what this mean?" Edward asked her.
"It's a watch."
"A state alchemist pocket watch."
"You're a state alchemist?" Paniya questioned.
"Yeah, Yeah I heard it all before but pay attention. You're lucky it was me and not some other alchemist. They do have permission to seriously hurt people, you know that right?" Edward explained.
"Well, you-"
"It doesn't matter what I did- I'm considered 'the' nice alchemist." Edward explained which brought something into focus for her. Amestris was not a nice place. In the abstract at least. Parts of it reminded her of what she was told of the great war kingdoms. Especially Ba Sing Sei, a military rule with, at best, a shadowy government bogeyman. In this case, to some extent, the alchemists instead of Dai li.
"I don't get what your-"
"I think he means to say that a less nice alchemist would probably either kill you ro get very creative with how to ruin your life. Hell, I was this close to crushing your legs myself." Korra explained, making paniya turn pale. "If nothing else, stop stealing before a person who is nice enough to think twice before finding you." Korra explained plainly. She wanted the message to stick in the girl's mind unless you want to risk your life for trinkets, stop.
"I...guess. What about my debt to Dominic?" Paniya said.
"Get a job, see if he takes it." Edward said simply. "To be honest, he might not want you to pay him back." Paniya looked at him strangely. "Just a thought. Just use the legs he's given to you to stand tall. To walk of your own will, do you really want to waste that gift on theft?" Edward left after giving his piece, Korra followed after him.
"Quite the speech you gave, Korra complimented him. Edward had a slight smile on his face.
"It's something I said to someone already, but I think it's good advice all around." Edward said proudly.
Korra had a slight laugh as she and Edward turned the corner. They saw Al hovering over the pregnant wife of Dominic's son. Putting a hand over her pregnant belly. The careful, near overprotective awkwardness the brothers adopted when around the women amused Korra. She actually was taught healing with her Sifu Katara by helping with birth or two. It's partly a water tribe tradition.
"You're close to the day." Korra said as she got close to the women.
"You think-" The woman felt a liquid sensation and the trio saw a puddle of water-like substance under her. The Brother immediately started panicking but Korra took a breathe and looked toward them.
"Go get Winry and tell Dominic." Korra kept the instruction simple. "I have helped deliver births before but a doctor would be nice. After that water and towels." Korra took charge of the room and helped the woman to her side and went toward the nearest bedroom. "Don't just stand there. Go!" Korra ordered and with shaking legs the Elric's ran toward the rest of the people in the home. Korra carefully looked over her memories about births and prepared the techniques for water healing in her mind. As she swallowed her fear and laid her down she mentally prepared for a messy few hours.
Near East City.
In an Ishvalen slum, Scar was slowly recovering from his wounds. Among his people. In a scattered survivalist state, doing what they can to survive on the outskirt of Amestrian society. His pseudo-doctor trying to keep him from pushing himself.
He had just taken away a makeshift weight and made sure that Scar had not hidden any others
"Just learn to take it easy for now. Your muscle was torn and stitched, the fact your still moving is a medical miracle." The doctor Azuma and Scar don't really have a rapport. At least not a good one. Azuma was sure that Scar was going to ignore him and make more weight's and Scar himself didn't regard the doctor that much. Especially after the lecture that he recited to him and how he tried to dictate how scar how he should do his mission. He hadn't said anything directly, it's not the smartest decision to try to insult the doctor that is operating over you.
Azuma sighed over Scar's usual silence and walked away from the tent, lugging the weight. He placed it far from the tent and waited by a tree. Azuma stared at the tree.
It was a few days ago now where Azuma saw a letter addressed to him with instructions. A strange sight, given it, was a random tree and more importantly. His name would not be known. The name he gave for himself in the slum was Ahlu. That name, the name that was on the letter for him. That name died when Ishval was destroyed. So how could send a letter all the way to the slum, near a makeshift medical ward, with no idea that the person that found it was ever going to see it. Not to mention that they knew that Ahlu and Azuma were the same people.
Why know the secret identity of a very minor person? Was it something to do with Scar? The military?
But then why didn't they storm the slum? The Flame alchemist was searching the countryside for Scar, why would they let him rest up and heal. It couldn't be the military by that logic. Though why him?
He pulled out a cigarette and was about to smoke it. It stopped when he heard a voice.
"So you're the knowledgeable Azuma." A strange etheric voice called to him from the darkness of the trees.
Azuma took a step back and grabbed the knife hidden behind his back. He was very untrained in combat but stabbing is still stabbing whether you can do anything fancy with it or not.
"Who's there? Military?" Azuma shouted loud enough for Scar to hear in his tent. He disagreed with the man but that did not mean Azuma wanted him dead. Not by the Amestrian military at the least.
"Oh, I am the farthest thing from the military." The voice said with a strange casualness, mixed with joyful conceit. "There is no need to-"
"Leave me alone." Azuma said sternly. He started to walk away from the tree.
"No wait, please hear me out!" The voice was now panicked. Azuma took a few more steps away. "I can give you the power to retake Ishval!" He yelled out. The Ishvalen stared at the deeper parts of the forest. Where the dark of the leaves made a spot of darkness among the trees. Azuma got close to the dark spot and felt pressure in the air that strangely mixed with a sense of awkwardness and desperation.
"Explain or I'll get the self admitted murderer to attack you." He threatened, knowing full well that Scar could just ignore his cry and try to escape whoever was in the forest.
"The man only cares for his quarry. The men in blue, He cares more about killing his enemy than in saving his own people." The voice countered. Azuma didn't have any way to argue otherwise. He chastised Scar for that himself.
"And you?" Azuma asked the voice, he began to smell what seemed to be charcoal in the air. Ash mixed with incense in a scent that seemed to be both ruinous and almost holy. Like a desecrated shrine.
"I want to give you a choice. A choice your people had, and are still denied so many times. Self-determination." The voice said in a somber tone. It wasn't quite the pity that Azuma always hated getting from the Amestrian's that didn't hate or fear him.
"What are you trying to sell me?" The Ishvalan said with a careful edge. "Are you like that Isaac Mcdougal that tried to ice Central? Are you another Scar, a hunter of Amestrian veterans? Are you just a crackpot?" A ring of green flame became the medic's answer. Swirling in deep green color with flakes of black and red. A small tornado of flame that somehow didn't burn the trees or leaves.
"I am no crackpot, I know not of Mcdougal, and I am beyond anything you have known of." The flame packed itself together in a pastel colored robe that was in two pieces. A top chest hoodie and shoulder piece's, and a lower long skirt with various symbols stitched into them. All covering a body made of green fire. Black pits for eyes with red eyebrows. "Does this look like a trick of a meager alchemist?" Azuma was stunned by the display but kept a stone-like demeanor. The Ego of this being was too big, too inflated and he could definitely feel a power coming from him. Showing fear would be showing weakness, showing nothing would call his bluff.
He genuflected a courtesy to satisfy the being and he bowed in turn.
"What are you? What do you want? What do you want with me?" The strange being looked toward Azuma with a stare and mouthless face. A mouth split open, manifesting with a grotesque, ethereal manner. Opening with black smoke leaking out like an engine.
"I am the spirit Green Flame Sage." The spirit bowed again. I just want to offer something of worth and you're the only person I need right now." Azuma saw something strange in the movement of the spirit. A strange limb. Despite the fact that a fire being should lack a skeleton he had a strange stiffness with one of his arms and leg. He almost seemed to lean on the 'good' leg. Like he was staying off an injury.
"You were hurt. What can hurt a being of fire?" Azuma asked as he saw the expression of the spirit sift once more to hide his mouth. Leaving only the eyes and the voice.
"A very determined pursuer." The more Azuma listened to the Spirit the more he realized he heard the voice through his head, not his ears. The sound did not modulate like an audible voice nor seem to be different in tone or sound despite being in front of him now. "I need your assistance to heal this injury if you can?" It was, well, not a simple request in Azuma's mind and he sensed something else in the spirit's words.
"What's the full truth? Healing and what?" There is always more than just one request.
"It will not be a normal healing but in return for helping my recovery I will give you purpose and the power of your own determination." The spirit said with a kind of shallow generosity. It definitely felt to Azuma that the spirit was trying to scam him in some way.
"Describe it." Azuma demanded. The spirit went quiet looking around himself until seeing an animal climbing on one of the trees. A small squirrel with brown fur, eating a nut.
The spirit reached out, its hand separating from the main arm, and grazed the squirrel with a disembodied finger.
Azuma watched the squirrel change in shape and composition. Not quite like the alchemists do for chimera, which was bizarre and misshapen. But this seemed more like an infection, a part of the squirrel emanating a constant smoke and the eyes now looked like the pits that the spirit had. An infection on the left side of it and its face. The tip of the tail now has a green flame like a torch, with a putrid light and the fur of the tail disintegrating away. The animal scurried away.
"By Ishvala!"
"It's only an ugly sight when it's incomplete." The spirit explained. Azuma looked at the spirit with horror.
"Ugly!? That was grotesque."
"Perhaps to human minds but look closer." Azuma did as the spirit asked and saw the squirrel run into a field behind the trees, the smoke luring in a hawk. And before Azuma thought about closing his eyes for the evitable. He saw something stranger still.
When the hawk tried to grab the squirrel, it retaliated against the bird with a gout of green flame. Like a breath of flame from a mythic dragon. When the bird cried out in pain and fell upon the ground, even the squirrel noticed the power and used it again to render the hawk to ashes. All the way to the bones of the creature.
Azuma was frighten by such a perversion but a small part of him, the tiny part that supported Scar's actions grew envious. The powerless squirrel that lived in fear against the apex predator, the warish hawk won. Burning it down with newfound power. The meek overtook the strong.
"Is that the-"
"The power that you seek?" Green Flame finished. "That is what you gain from helping my healing process. As well as some of my knowledge, to use in your leisure, however, you wish. Pure self-determination in potent form." Azuma's doubt wavered in the demonstration of power. The display of it and the clear use of it could be applied towards.
"The homeland...My people's freedom and dignity…" Azuma dreamed all at once.
"Can be all yours with a simple deal. All I need is your help with my healing and you will get the power, no extra charge. From there the opportunity to do greater things than staying in a slum, hoping for the people of Amestris to grow conscious and empathic spines." The Spirit laid out the boy's thoughts in every detail, everything he despised in his life.
The only thing that made him hesitate was his faith, and what was that when shown results. He had faith when his homeland was invaded and Amesitris gave his people a crater and half of their brothers and sisters went in exchange. Scattered in the wind.
"How do I believe you?" Azuma said with a faltering voice. "Why would a spiritual being come to me for help? Why would a being as powerful as you even consider me as any sort of help?" The doubts were now focused on himself. Azuma saw no reason that a powerful spirit would see worth in him. Why not Scar? A strong monk and vicious fighter.
Why the knobby knee and scrawny, fail a medical student?
"It's not about things such as consideration or destiny, or any grand design." The spirit said graciously. "It's about what you can bring into the bigger picture. Wider perspective." Azuma stared at him. "You and your people lost their agency. I see it fit to give back some of it in exchange for providing a favor or so. Help me with a special event in the weeks or so and I'll grant your desire to crusade against the darkness under Amestris." The spirit offered.
"Under?" Azuma questioned.
"How do you feel about this deal?" Spirit held out his fiery hand. Azuma stared at and tried to piece together the information he was given. The power, the deal, the price he would pay for both. Mentally and physically. He saw what happened to the squirrel but what would happen to him?
And then he looked back to the camp. The family trying to make a living on the outskirt of a city. The remaining holy men are trying to keep hope alive. The ignorant children who knew not of the homeland or how their people used to live. And the tent where the living hatred of Ishval was recovering from his wounds.
The spirit was right. He did want the kind of power Scar had. He felt his own calling. He was not a crusader but his people needed a true defender. And did not need a wanton murderer. They need a hero of some kind. He did not see himself like that but he did see himself as the closet's thing.
He had his doubts about the spirit, and he may have been arrogant, but he shook the hand of the being all the same. He felt fire in his hands, going up the veins of his thin arms.
"I accept your first task. If you dare try to use me against my people-"
"Then you may rebel or fight me as furiously as that Scar." Green Flame said with a beguiling smile of smoke. "The healing requires that I enter your form. A semblance of my form will be a part of yours and as well as some knowledge." The fire in Azuma's veins glowed bright green as the spirit flowed into the skin of Azuma.
Azuma felt searing pain at first but gritted through it. He felt the heat, the dessert on his back and the rage of years living under Amestris come to the forefront of his mind.
"I will say we must do something about that quiet rage." Green Flame said as he went into the body of Azuma. The medic saw a whole new world. The history of a place he could never imagine. A world of Bender, elemental nations, and Avatars. The information surged in his mind, threatening to split his mind in two as he learned all Green Flame would show him of his world at once.
Azuma felt both of his arms ignite and burn as well as smoke coming out of his mouth. He burned and burned and yet he powered through it. Every time he thought he should give up he kicked himself, forcing the sense of pain in other parts of his body. Even if he felt the skin of his hands turn to ash.
The birth of a new union was taking place in the outskirts of East city, and soon the world will know them both.
Rush valley
It was a terrifying few hours in the Dominic household. The birth started during a horrible thunderstorm, Dominic himself went to get an actual doctor. The group, Paniya and Dominic's son, were left to deal with the birth. His daughter-in-law's pregnancy frightened the inexperienced group. All but two. Korra and Winry.
Korra applied the same nerves of steel she used in her fights to keep the others calm. Combining that with her water healing and her experiences helping her Sifu Katara deliver births. Winry helped with the technicals that Korra might have forgotten while Asami offered her assistance where she could along with Paniya.
The brothers themselves stayed outside. Partially because none of their alchemy could help here, partially because they were legitimately frightened and the girls needed steady, non-metal hands.
They stood behind the door, hearing every scream, every cry of agony. Every emergency the girls had to deal with as Asami and Paniya kept getting cleaning cloths and towels as needed and throwing what looked like blood separated from water. Edward could only look at how the girls handled the situation and how he felt as useless as a rock in a river.
All his alchemical power and knowledge and he could barely help with a birth. He stared at his metal hands while Alphonse looked at his own metal body.
"Brother…"
"I know Al...I wish I could help too." Edward said as he slumped against the floor. He stared at his pocket watch, the one that Paniya nearly stole and stared at it as he started to hear the screaming die down. He stared at his own reflection within it, and he saw the same thing he always saw, the kid that could help when it mattered. As he started to reminisce about the day he heard a knock on the door.
"Is everyone okay?" Al asked cautiously as he went into the room before Ed. A fresh washed but the reddish baby was swaddled in his mother's arms. Happy and healthy as Korra stood proud with somewhat bloody hands. Though she was fighting the stomach-turning effect it had on her. Winry was on her knees in exhaustion with Paniyah holding on to the walls. The adrenaline keeping them going has now stopped now that they could have a breath.
Edward was in awe of the sight. A beautiful new life in front of him and those hard-working people who could make sure that the birth with no big complications.
"Amazing." He said while looking at Korra and Winry.
"Yeah amazing, minus the terror and fear." Korra sighed as she finally let her shoulders slump. "Please help me help Winry." Korra asked the blond alchemist. Edward nodded and helped Korra remain on her feet while Korra did the same for Winry. The trio went out of the room while the remaining people fawned over the baby.
Korra saw that Edward's pocket watch was hanging from his pocket. She adjusted it and put it in his pocket after putting Winry on a chair in the hallway.
"You should be more cautious with that watch." Korra said. Edward looked crestfallen.
"Thanks."
"Thanks for what, all that. It was honestly nostalgic and just needed to be done." Korra looked at Winry. "And I need help remembering stuff anyway." Winry gave a faint smile as she saw that Edward was still holding Korra to stand her up. "I know that the watch is important for your position but you barely care about that, so why is it really important." Korra asked point-blank. Her tiredness made her a bit blunter than she already was.
Edward looked at the watch and the two young women. Albeit reluctantly he used alchemy to open it up.
"Why did you need your clappy magic to open it." Korra asked. Edward helped set her down on another chair and showed her the transmutation marks on the watch.
"I sealed it on that day." Korra saw a date on the bottom of the watch's lid.
"Never forget october 14, 1904?" Korra said out loud. The dates that Amestirs ran on always confused her but she did know that it was only a few years ago. Winry looked solemn as she heard the date out loud. Korra had a few guesses but she clasped the watch and gave it to Edward.
"It was the day we left….The day we burned our house down, me and Al." Edward explained. Korra remembered seeing the remains of it in Resembol. She didn't understand all of the reasons why they did it but he understood that they had them.
"So you would have no choice but to keep going forward." A tear or two welled up in Winry's face but Korra started to smile and then laugh. Confusing both Winry and Edward. "Sorry, sorry but that level of guts and dedication. That is something grand Mister Elric and I honestly wish more people had it." Korra continued her stifled laugh as Edward's crestfallen face lightened up a bit and Winry's tears started to rescind as fast as they came. "I honestly wished I had that kind of will all the time." Korra added. Edward started to actually laugh too.
"Really, You're one of the toughest people I know, and your saying I have a better will?" He said with a goofy grin. Korra punched his side avoiding the metal arm.
"Hey I said 'had that will all the time'." She had a devilish grin on her face. "I can still take you in a fight any day of the week blondie." Korra said playfully.
"Oh yeah muscle girl, How about another bout after you can actually stand on those legs." The three of them started to half a good nature laugh. Even Winry, despite rolling her eyes on the idea of a fight. But she also found a new sense of inspiration from the joyful, hopeful tone in the air.
"I'm going to ask Dominic to apprentice me again." Winry said triumphantly. "I won't take no for an answer." Korra and Edward gave a clap as Winry charged into the room with the baby as the sound of the door opening could be found in the background.