A/N: The title is in Japanese and it means "Brothers' Bonds" or "Bonds of Brothers". This is a slight AU, as Alfons Heidrich was never shot and is still alive, and this takes place after the movie. Alphonse Elric also has his long hair in this, mainly because he's cuter with his hair long. At least, I think so. But the plot-wise reason is stated in the story. This is also based off of the dub. This first part is written in Alphonse Elric's point of view.

WARNING: Please do NOT mistake this as Elricest or Yaoi, PLEASE! This is strictly friendly/brotherly love. Keep your dirty thoughts away from this story!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its brilliant characters. Hiromu Arakawa owns them I never will, sadly. Thank you, Arakawa-sensei, for making such awesome characters!

NOTES: I thought about this little story when I saw a fanart on DeviantArt. It's titled "Ed Al and Hei sketch" by lois4dead4. Thanks to lois4dead4! It is really awesome!

This is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic! Please be nice!

~FMA~FMA~FMA~FMA~

Kizuna no Kyoudai

Alphonse Elric

Alphonse Elric opened his gray eyes the next morning in a sleepy matter. He lightly groaned, an aching feeling in his heart. He knew what was coming. He just didn't want to believe it.

Al got dressed in this clothes that he got three months ago that his five-year-older brother Edward had so kindly let him have. He went to the bathroom last, wanting a mirror to put his light brunette hair up into a perfect ponytail. He was glad he didn't have short hair. It would've made him look more like Alfons Heidrich. No one knew or suspected that Al had anything against the older boy. Al just didn't seem like that kind of a person. But strangely enough, Al didn't have something against him. It started with something that happened three months ago when he decided to come to the other side with his brother, and it was still going on today.

The first month, Edward had paid attention to both Als. But as the first month had drawn to a close, Edward was paying more attention to Heidrich than to his own brother, and it ticked Alphonse off like hell. During the second month, it only got worse. Edward only had small talk with his little brother, and it was usually when Heidrich wasn't there with them, in short, only when Heidrich had to work late for some reason. The third month wasn't necessarily any better. In fact, it only got worse. Alphonse's anger and jealousy had turned to anger, jealousy, and utter sadness, because Ed, most likely, had been convinced that his little brother did not exist at all. Al had grown to hate Heidrich for the main purpose of stealing his brother, but he never told anyone this. He knew well enough that Heidrich was a very likeable person and had tons of friends. Al didn't want anyone to be mad at him or hate him just because he hated Heidrich.

Most of all, Al did not want to tell his older brother about this. He knew that his brother and Heidrich were best friends, and he didn't want to ruin his brother's happiness or ruin their friendship, but he didn't want the relationship that he had with his brother to disintegrate either. So poor little Alphonse Elric was torn between telling his brother and not telling anyone and being alone forever. He just couldn't stand what he was going through right now.

Al sighed. What had he done to make his brother hate him this much? What happened that made his brother so mad at him that he wouldn't talk to him anymore? It seemed like Al didn't have any reason to live. He was so depressed and sad that he didn't any hope that his brother would ever talk to him again, which went against his kind and hopeful nature all the way. But one person helped him through each and every day.

Once he entered the kitchen, he could see why he lived for only this person now. Noah always had a kind smile on her face. She always left Heidrich and Edward alone to themselves and went to talk to Al. Al could understand her pain somewhat. Heidrich and Ed were ignoring her now too. She had come to live with them for a while until she found where she truly belonged. However, her pain was nothing next to Al's.

"Good morning, Alphonse," Noah said politely. Al faked a smile at her, and she didn't notice his pain. At least to his thoughts, she didn't.

"Good morning, Noah," Al replied, sleepily. Boy was he tired. He had stayed awake, afraid that the nightmares would come back. But then he fell asleep eventually.

Another thing he never told anyone. Ever since he passed through the gate three months ago, he's been getting images about, what Al suspected, this world's future. He kept seeing a mushroom cloud, mass murder by poisonous gas, and burning flames not only in camps but everywhere as the world was succumbed to war and hate. Al never told anyone about this simply for the sake of their happiness. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, especially not his brother. In fact, Al thought that his brother didn't deserve to know.

But everything right now was a daily routine for him. He was used to it. He always knew what was coming, even if something new or special was happening that day, which was rare. It always happened. Al would try to get his brother's attention, but Heidrich would always interrupt and ruin it.

Noah expressed her natural concern for the young boy. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Noah. Everything is fine. No need to be so concerned," Al said, taking a sip of his freshly made hot chocolate. He sat at the table beside Noah and across from Heidrich, who was turned to Ed on his (Heidrich's) left. That way, Al could glare at the one who stole his brother without him noticing.

Noah left Al alone, who was lost deep in thought, and only awakened when his brother mad a sharp, loud, and happy laugh. Al kept listening. It was a joke made by Heidrich. There it was again. Edward's happiness was usually fueled by Heidrich's good nature, not Al's.

Even though this was a usual routine, Al couldn't help but feel that this one joke and laugh was crossing the line for Al. He tried not to accept it, but he tried not to deny it either. Al's light brown hair now covered his now cloudy eyes. His jealousy was brewing inside and his bottom lip was trembling. He was trying very hard not to cry.

But he couldn't help it. Somehow, his mind had fully accepted this was the breaking point and Al couldn't hold it in anymore. But he didn't want to seem weak in front of the others, especially Noah. He had to be strong for her, but Al couldn't help it. Inevitably, his tears were going to fall. They were going to be in public for everyone to see them.

In a desperate attempt to hide his tears, Al abruptly stood, actually and finally gaining the attention of Edward and Heidrich as well as Noah. Al could sense the awkwardness in the air. The silence was intense and no one dared to break it. No one except Al.

"I need some fresh air," was all the little thirteen-year-old said. Without any other word, Al walked over to the door, got his coat, put on his shoes, and opened the door and closed it after going through. Al put his trench coat on in the hallway. Again, he didn't want to be like Heidrich. He wanted to look like his brother, not his counter-part, who wore a short jacket.

As soon as Al stepped outside, he ran. He ran and ran. He didn't care that it was pouring rain outside. He kept running. No one was outside at the moment, so Al let his heavy tears fall down his face along with the rain.

'Dang, the angels must really be sad today,' Al thought subconsciously. His mother had told him and Ed that the raindrops were the tears of the angels. The harder it rained, the sadder the angels were. 'I'm guessing the angels are sad because I am too. Mom must be crying for me.'

Al only stopped when he tripped over a stone in the sidewalk. He felt his ankle twist upon impact. He made an attempt to use the foot he tripped over to catch himself, but it was a good idea at first. When he landed on his ankle, he heard it crack and felt the pain rush in like an ever-flowing water stream. Because of this, Al cried even harder. He limped over to an empty alley and took refuge there from the heavy rain that would be soaking through his clothes if it were not for the trench coat he had been wearing. Al thought that in a sense, Edward was protecting Al. His coat was shielding Al from the rain. Al's light brunette hair was already soaked, no doubt about that, as were his cloudy, gray eyes.

He heard a soft mew coming from the corner. He held out his hand and out came a little, brown and white kitten. The kitten came over to the boy and licked his hand with its warm tongue. Al smiled at it.

"I guess we're both the same, huh?" Al asked the kitty. "We're both cold, wet, and lonely." Al remembered that he left most of his hot, probably by now cold, chocolate on the kitchen table. "And I guess we're both hungry." Al smiled softly at the kitten as it snuggled under Al's coat for warmth. Al didn't mind. In fact, he liked the company. The smile was small, but it was real. Too bad no one saw it.

He let the cat stay inside his coat pocket, where it could stay warm and dry. Then a little boy came up and asked Alphonse if had seen his cat "Tacks". Al asked if it was the one inside his coat pocket. It turns out that the kitty already had an owner. Tacks, the cat inside Al's pocket, belonged to the little boy. Al received a big smile and a thank you from the boy before he left with his father and the cat in his arms.

After that, Al didn't know when he fell asleep. He was just lonely again after the cat left. Al really was starving right now. But no one was there to keep him company or buy him anything to eat. Al had no cash or marks. The money, or marks, was kept inside Ed's trench coat pocket. So, without any other way out, Alphonse Elric fell asleep in the wet, rainy alleyway.

He saw nothing but the images inside the gate. The mushroom cloud, death by poisonous air, and the flames that encircled the globe were all plaguing Al's mind. He had no way out. He could not see anything except for the images. No way out. He tried to run, but he didn't go forward. He kept going backwards. The light at the end of the tunnel was fading. It kept moving away from Alphonse. Al screamed, not knowing where to turn now.

Alphonse Elric finally woke up, still in the cold, rainy alleyway, but this time, he wasn't getting wet. His gray eyes looked up into Gracia Hughes's soft green eyes. Her husband, Officer Maes Hughes was standing a little ways behind her. They had most likely gone to get their regular weekly groceries.

"Are you okay, Alphonse?" Gracia asked.

He was now. A little bit. "Yeah," Al said, nodding, thankful that she was holding the umbrella over his head as well as hers. Gracia helped Al up and through her arm around his shoulders in an attempt to warm him up.

Al felt like crying now. He was even tearing up. No, not in a sad way. In a happy way. He thought that no one was going to come for him. No hope was left for him. But instead, Maes and Gracia Hughes had come to the rescue.

"What time is it?" Al asked.

"It is three in the afternoon, Alphonse," Maes said. Woah, holy smokes, he had been out here ever since seven in the morning. He had been in the rain for nearly eight hours!

"Could you take me to the university?" Al asked them. He took one step and he winced. He had forgotten about his ankle. "With your car too, please?"

The university was where the rocketry team worked now. Usually, Al and Noah would go with Ed and Heidrich. But since Al had run out earlier that morning, only Noah had gone with them.

"Sure," Maes said. "We're not going to take you by walking in the rain. Besides, your ankle looks pretty bad."

Al wasn't sure how he knew. It was probably because he winced when he stepped with it. Then again, Maes seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.

Al blinked when an apple was held in front of him. He looked at Gracia, who said, "Here. Have this."

Al nodded and managed a small, "Thank you," before taking it and taking a small bite from it, trying to savor the taste of the sweet apple. Gracia went on with the umbrella after she saw Al safely in the car.

In the car, Maes started up the engine and took out some bandages and handed them to all.

"Here. Wrap you ankle up in this," Maes said, as he started driving to the university. "You're in pain, aren't you?" Maes asked him as they were driving.

"Yeah, my ankle hurts a lot," Al said.

"I didn't mean that, Alphonse," Maes gently interrupted. "I meant something's going on between you and your brother, isn't it? And Heidrich too?"

Al figured that he really did have eyes in the back of his head. He merely nodded his slowly drying light brunette head. His gray eyes were cloudy and moist again.

"What is it?" Maes asked.

"I can't tell you that," Al said. "It's only between me and them."

"Does anyone else know about it?" Maes asked, trying to press him to tell.

"Yeah, just one. Noah knows. She lives with us," Al said, wanting to be at the university already.

"Don't you think that more people ought to know?" Maes asked him. "You know, so you have more friends on your side."

"That's the problem, Officer," Al interjected, a little more aggressive than he wanted to be. "I don't want anyone else to know about it!" Al felt a tear fall, but he didn't care. "All I want is my brother back!" Al softened his voice. "So if you have a plan to help me bring my brother back to his senses, then I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life."

The rest of the ride to the university was an intensely silent and awkward one. Neither one of them dared to speak. Al had said his part. He didn't need to say anything else. Maes, however, didn't find anything worth saying back to the young boy. He couldn't find any words that would convince Al to tell him what was going on. Al's mind was set and not about to change anytime soon.

At the university, Maes said a simple "Bye" after Al got out of the car and he left. He still couldn't find anything to say to Al that would change his mind. So, for now, he would leave it on that and not say anything at all.

At the university, Al knew which room to go to. It was a huge basement, so the rocket team would have enough room to build a full-size rocket. He had been here before many times. He never got lost.

He entered the big room and saw Noah standing off to the side. He muttered a polite hello and after walking over and standing next to her. He turned to him with a warm smile.

"Hello, Alphonse, it's nice to see you're still alive," she said.

"Alive, but cold," Alphonse said.

"Let me see if I can help," Noah putting her arm around him. Just like Mrs. Hughes, she was trying to warm him up. But only his brother could really and truly give him the warmth he desired so badly. But Noah took her arm away quickly.

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked.

"I saw…" Al was confused. What did she see? "I saw images. Are they from your world or this one?" What images? Then he remembered. He had forgotten about her power to see inside human hearts with a touch. She had seen the images from the gate.

"Probably from this world," Al said. "I'm not sure, but I've been seeing them for the past three months, ever since I came here from Amestris."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I didn't want anyone to worry abut me. I didn't want to stress anyone out with these images. They seem like the future or something. But I don't want to cause anyone pain just because of images that I saw."

"That's not the only thing I saw, Alphonse," Noah said gently. "Why do you hate Alfons Heidrich? He's not the kind of person you can hate for very long. He's impossible to dislike. So why do you hate him?"

Noah had evidently crossed some kind of line for Al. It was just like this morning. People seemed to be either ignorant or misinterpreting his feelings and then because of it, they cross a line of some kind. Even though it happened a lot, Al didn't really mind until today.

"Which side are you on, Noah?" Al asked, his voice being dangerously quiet. This made Noah back up a bit. Where was he going to go with this? "The reason I haven't given up yet is you. You may not know this, but you're the only reason I live now. Without you on my side…I can't see any hope left for me. Without you, all I can see is darkness. With you, I can see light. But it's not enough to give me the hope that my brother will come back for me." Al took a deep breath to keep even more tears from falling. "If you go, I would too. And I mean literally."

He would commit suicide and that would be the end of Alphonse Elric.

Long ago, his only reason for living was his brother, that was his reason for coming over to this side of the gate, but since his brother had gone away, he wasn't anything out there for him. But along came Noah. Noah was enough for him. For now anyways.

Al took yet another deep breath and softly said, "I'm sorry, Noah. But it's the truth."

The two didn't dare speak another word to each other after this. Four more hours dragged on after this and at seven in the afternoon, it was time to leave. This was usual time to pack up and go home. And this was the part Al was dreading the most. This was when he'd probably be faced with all these questions like "Where were you?" or "Why'd you run out like that?" or "Why didn't you come with the others?" or his dreaded least favorite right now "Are you feeling okay?" from the rocket team.

He knew his ankle hurt and he knew that it was showing. Not to mention, he was out in the rain for eight hours and he felt like he was going to be sick. He was dead tired even though he had a little nap outside in the cold wetness. All this pain was combined with his emotional pain that he was feeling and the images he was holding inside for three months now.

"Come on, Al! Let's go!" Al turned to his brother, with a smile, thinking he had come to his senses, finally, but his smile faded as quickly as it had come. His brother was still only talking to Heidrich.

'Damn that Heidrich. First he steals my name, then my looks, and then my brother. What's next? My dignity?' Al's anger only added to all of his pain. It didn't help.

"Come on, Alphonse." Al turned to Noah. "Let's go." Al smiled a little and nodded. She had said to him what he deserved to be told. It should've been by his brother, but Noah was good enough for now. He was grateful that she had chosen sides with him.

Noah walked toward the door, same as the rocket team. Alphonse followed, his light brunette head bowed in silence. Once again, he was lost deep in thought. He was seeing those images again.

What brought him out of his deep trance was the fact that he couldn't deny. It was definitely showing on the outside. He felt weird. How could he tell that it was showing?

"Hey, kid, you feeling okay?" Al jumped back to reality. Literally. The group was at the door and for some reason Al had stopped a little ways off. The guys from the rocket team always called him "kid", in order not to confuse Alfons with Alphonse, or the other way around. Either way, it was the same reason.

And for another odd reason that was way beneath him, Al actually told the truth this time. He shook his head, which resulted in a minor migraine. Noah walked slowly back to Al's side. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and Al could tell she could see the images. This was time was different for Al. This time, he couldn't make the images stop.

He felt the ground rushing up fast to meet him. He managed to slip one word out before fully blacking out.

"Brother…"

Up on Eckhart's rocket, standing next to General Mustang, was Alphonse Elric. His brother and himself had just defeated Eckhart and now the war was over. Now they were at a dead end. What do they do now?

Mustang and Al turned around to see Edward, standing in the entrance Mustang was guarding. He didn't look at them. He simply stared at the ground. He wasn't smiling. Something was troubling his mind.

"So what now?" Mustang asked.

Edward clapped his hands together and separated the rocket into two parts. The wing started drifting away from the main part of the ship.

"Brother? Brother, what are you doing?" Al tried to get closer, but Mustang held him back. Al knew what his brother was trying to do. He just didn't want to believe it. He was wishing that it wasn't true.

"That should be enough alchemic material to get yourselves down," Ed said, calmly, like nothing was wrong.

"What about you?" Mustang asked. "Where will you go?"

Alphonse was trembling and trying to hold back tears. He didn't want to lose his brother again after two years of searching for him. He was trying in all his power to keep his older brother here. In Amestris.

"I'm gonna take what's left of these soldiers back to their world," Ed continued.

"Why? You don't have to go with them!" Alphonse yelled.

He could hear his voice cracking a bit from tears welling up in his eyes. He sounded desperate. He was desperate.

"I have to break the gate on their side, and I need you to stay here, Al, and destroy it on this side too, so the portal can never be opened again," Edward said, turning away. But Al wouldn't give up.

"What about Winry? Don't you know she misses you too?"

Edward froze for a moment then turned to his little brother and held up his automail arm to him.

"Tell her thanks. She always made the best," he said, a small smile on his face.

Then he turned away, and he didn't look back.

"Wait! Brother, no! I just got you back! You can't go again!"

Al kept calling out to him, but Ed ignored him and disappeared back into the ship. The feeling of abandonment washed over Al. Al no longer held back the tears and he fought against Mustang to get out of his strong hold.

When was the last time he felt like this? Memories of the night of their mistake came flooding back into his mind. He remembered reaching out for his brother as the gate sucked him in. He had the same feeling as now.

The feeling of being left behind. The feeling of being abandoned…

When Al woke up next, it was sunny outside. Wherever he was, it was eerily quiet. He noticed peach-colored walls that belonged to a familiar place. He looked over to the side and saw Noah, who was wide awake.

"Noah?" Al croaked out. His throat felt like it was scratched up. It hurt to talk.

"Alphonse?" Her smile returned. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Al managed. He coughed.

"Do you need anything?" Noah asked.

Al nodded. "Yeah. Some water would be nice." Noah nodded and exited the room.

Al had so many questions to ask. But he was positive that Noah couldn't answer them all. After all, she was only person that he last remembered seeing. He remembered seeing the rocketry team including Heidrich.

But he remembered focusing on his brother. He was aware that the others were there, but he was only focusing on his older brother. Before Al passed out, he saw a strange look on his brother's face. What was it?

Noah returned not long after with a glass of water. Al took it and took a little sip before speaking.

"So where am I?" Al asked, his voice sounding and his throat feeling much better.

"In the apartment," Noah answered. "Are you feeling better?"

"Better than I was on that day. But I still feel awful. How long have I been out?" That was what Al needed to know the most.

"About five days. We've all been worried about you," Noah said gently.

"Oh. Wait…'we'?"

Noah nodded.

"Who is 'we'?" Al asked. He was confused. Who was worried about him besides Noah?

"Let's see…the rocketry team," Noah said. They would only be genuinely concerned because he was Ed's little brother. And any friend of Edward's was a friend of theirs. "Alfons Heidrich," Noah went on. Wait! That jerk? Why the hell was he worried about his counter-part? "Mr. and Mrs. Hughes," Noah said. Oh, that was nice. "And you're brother…" Oh.

Wait…

"My brother? He was worried about…me?" Al asked slowly, trying to comprehend Noah's words.

Noah nodded. "Yes. He would not leave your bedside. He was doing all in his power to make sure you were sleeping right. We had to threaten to beat him to death if he didn't get some sleep himself."

"When was that?" That just flew out of the young boy's mouth. He didn't mean to say it.

"A half an hour ago," Noah said. "I hope he is asleep. He was too scared to leave your side. At one time, you were very close to dying. Your brother can really be stubborn at times."

Al's eyes softened at the mention of this. "Yeah, you get used to it. And I was going to die?"

"Yes. Your fever got so high that we had to bring the doctor in. He gave you some medicine, though, to heal you. Edward would not do anything away from your side until the doctor was certain that you were going to survive."

Al's closed his eyes and tried to stop some little tears from coming. His brother still cared about him that much? Maybe Al should talk to his brother about his feelings…

Noah's soft voice broke Al's train of thoughts. "You were delirious."

Al looked at her with the famous 'deer-in-the-headlights' look.

"Ever since you passed out in the school basement until now, you've said things that you've been keeping inside for three years," Noah explained. "I will not repeat all that you said. Just some stuff."

"Name one," Al said, refusing to look her in the eyes. "Just one…" He just couldn't believe that he was actually delirious. He had actually said some stuff that was going to ever tell anyone. Like the fact that he hated Heidrich…

"You kept repeating the same line over and over. You said, 'Please, Brother. Don't leave me.' You kept saying that in various forms, but it all had the same message. I'm sorry, but needless to say, I was curious about it. And so I touched your shoulder and I saw you suspended in the air with a man holding you back and your brother walking away from you." She paused. "That was in your world, wasn't it? Three months ago, right?"

Al could only nod. His life was officially over.

~FMA~FMA~FMA~FMA~

A/N: Review, please! And this AlxNoah paring was simply friendship, okay?

So will the two brothers make up? And will Al release his hatred and anger for Heidrich? Or will little Al suffer more? Read the next chapter/Part 2 to find out!