It was early one morning when Carpet knocked on Genie's door. Carpet found it weird that Genie had a room now. Until recently Genie had been in the lamp and before that Genie had been a wandering spirit. This was the first time Genie had ever had a door to knock on.

Carpet had known Genie for countless years. With so much time together, they were as close as brothers. Yet it was in moments like these where Carpet thought about how much time had really passed and how different things were now. Carpet had escaped the Cave of Wonders and Genie was actually free.

Genie opened the door. "Hey Rugman, sup?"

Carpet nodded at Genie. Then he floated into the room. It was a nice room. Master Al spared no expense. Carpet headed out to the balcony. Genie hesitated and then followed him.

Once Genie was beside him, Carpet landed and stood. Then he pointed up at the Moon with one of his tassels.

Genie summoned up a telescope and looked at the white orb in the blue sky. "Yes, I see now. Cheese really does come from the sky."

Carpet put his tassels on his hips.

Genie looked over to him and said "What?"

Carpet glared at the Genie with every fiber of his being and thought at him. "Don't you take anything seriously?"

"Not if I can help it," Genie replied, "The world is filled with serious boring people, Rugman. I'm here to have fun."

Carpet shook his tassels. Genie was who he was, Carpet supposed. He decided to leave it be. He pointed at the Moon again and thought, "Let's go!"

Genie glanced between Carpet and the Moon. "Now? Just the two of us? What about Al and..."

But Carpet was already nodding. "You have all the time in the world to hang out with your favorite human," Carpet argued. "Come on, brother, let's go."

Genie was frowning. He'd become very attached to Master Al. Carpet liked Master Al too. He'd freed them both and was a good master, but Carpet wanted to have this adventure with just him and Genie.

"Please," Carpet thought. He put his tassels together. Carpet wasn't afraid to beg.

"Alright," Genie said hesitantly. "Just this once." Genie waggled his fingers. Sparks flooded out from them. "Let me just add some protective charms," he said, moving around Carpet as he spoke. "To be perfectly honest I've never been to the Moon before. Not a common wish, but there was this one guy who..."

Carpet was only half-listening. He was so excited. He liked flying with Master Al and doing his bidding but this was Carpet's dream. This was where Carpet wanted to go.

"We're all set," Genie announced.

Carpet didn't need to be told twice. He was off.

"Hey!" Genie called, "Wait for me."

Carpet rarely flew straight up. If he did his rider might fall off. But Carpet loved the feeling of it. He loved bursting through the clouds so straight and fast he barely left a ripple. He loved how slick and smooth he was when there were no riders on his back. It was like freedom itself.

"I forgot how fast you can move when you're being serious," Genie said flying up beside him, huffing and puffing.

Carpet waved his body in an approximation of a shrug.

The two of them kept flying in silence for a bit. Genie, who wasn't as powerful since using his magic to break his bindings, was actually struggling to keep up with him for once in his life. Carpet tried not to feel too smug. Well, he tried anyway.

Soon, the blue sky fell beneath them and they were in the darkness of space. Carpet did a flip.

Genie grinned and blew out a breath. It formed a cloud that said, "Pretty cool."

Carpet couldn't agree more.

The earth was behind them. They could see the glorious white sun before them, the stars and galaxies in the distance, and of course the Moon.

Carpet pointed at the Moon and thought "Race you." Then he was off again.

"Oh no, you don't," Genie cried. The two of them zipped through space and past the occasional floating rock. Each time a rock came close, Genie dawned a new sport outfit and knocked the rock out of the way while saying something silly.

Carpet buzzed with laughter. He was euphoric. Flying in space was intoxicating. It felt like nothing was in his way. He was lighter than air out here and anything was possible.

In no time they came upon the Moon. It seemed to glow faintly.

"Well pull me sideways and fly me to the Moon. It's huge!" Genie exclaimed.

It was. Carpet never imagine it would be so big. It seemed impossible.

They slowed down and circled the globe a couple of times before they floated down to the surface.

"Hey," Genie asked. "Are you alright?"

Carpet looked at Genie. For a while there in space he'd felt like a strong and powerful djinn. Now he felt like the carpet he was: Small and insignificant. Carpet was tempted to roll up and forget everything.

He hadn't expected the Moon to make him feel like this.

Genie put an arm around Carpet. "You know Rugman," he said, thoughtfully. "I've often wondered which one of us had it worse. I was trapped in that cursed lamp and forced to grant wishes, but they trapped you in this form."

Carpet shrugged. Sometimes he wondered as well. If he had been strong like Genie, he would have been magically bonded to a lamp or ring, but he had only been a minor djinn back then so he'd been transformed into a carpet instead. They thought they were so clever using minor djinn to make their magic artifacts. They had no idea what it meant to trap a shapeshifter into a single form.

Genie patted Carpet's back. "If I could undo it..."

Carpet shook his tassels. It'd be too dangerous and taxing for Genie to attempt to break the ancient and binding human magic at his current power level. And besides, Carpet liked being a magic carpet. He could fly and that almost made him feel free. It was only occasionally that Carpet missed being a spark of flame or a whisper on the wind. That small desire wasn't worth Genie wasting his magic or essence on.

Genie stopped patting Carpet's back and gripped him tightly.

"Look," Genie said, pointing up.

Carpet looked up. The earth was cresting over the horizon. Something in Carpet's heart broke and he felt born again.

"This is..." but for once, Genie didn't have words. There were no words. The earth was everything.

Carpet and Genie stared out at their home, feeling powerful and insignificant all at the same time. The two had been bonded together a long time ago and under the gaze of the earth, they were bound together again.

Carpet stood beside his brother and knew that he didn't need to be a djinn again because, in that moment, Carpet's dream had already come true.

A/N: So, I thought this up because I have Aladdin on the mind a lot right now.

If you liked this, leave a comment and check out my other Aladdin Fic, Rajah's Curse.