Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled the Series

So, inspired by a joke I made to a friend on how Eugene is actually the Genie from Aladdin, originally I placed this in the Tangled category only, when I realized since I am using Aladdin characters I should probs just put it in the crossover section. so..yeah enjoy.

Genies live for a very...very long time.

That was an understatement, all things considered. From the moment he came into existence, he knew his one purpose in life, and that was to serve a master. That's what genies did, they served people. Granting wishes left and right(albeit with a few catches. 1. They couldn't make anyone fall in love, 2. No wishing for more wishes, 3. they couldn't bring back the dead, and 4. they couldn't kill anyone. Which was great. It was amazing to have limitations quite frankly, since he certainly did not want to be going around forcing love on anyone or killing people. He wasn't for that. The whole bit about only three wishes limited his freedom sure, but it also limited his time with less than savory masters.

Not bringing people back from the dead though...that was one he had mixed feelings on.

He understood that people wanted their loved ones back. Except, nothing can bring back the dead, he can resurrect the body sure but to actually bring back the person it belonged to. With intact thoughts, hopes, feelings, memories...the things that made a person who they were? He couldn't do that. Usually his masters would react with anger, or sadness. The ones full of anger, would apologize, and explain that they only wanted to see their beloved again. The sad ones...those were the hardest, because they would look up at him like their whole world just collapsed.

Then came one master in particular, one who wanted to live forever. Well, there was nothing in the rules against that, except after his three wishes that master had refused to let him go, instead choosing to do what any sensible person would do and lock him in some hidden death cave in the desert. Because, clearly that was logical wasn't it? Ten thousand years, he was stuck in that cave. Ten thousand years, his world was limited to that itty-bitty living space inside the cave where one wrong move could result in his painful death. Then came another, someone who was a genuinely good person.

Bit of a trickster, and cunning sure but all Al wanted was to be a prince to woo this girl he'd fallen in love with. It even surprised him, when Al wondered what he wanted...because no one ever asked him that before.

Well, he wanted freedom. The freedom to explore the world, sure the phenomenal cosmic powers were fun and useful for his gags and wisecracks, or emphasizing his point, or heck inventing all those people for "Prince Ali's" parade. But that paled in comparison to being his own master. To not have to go, hey what do you need every five seconds when someone rubs his lamp.

Al loved Jasmine, and what they had was something he couldn't comprehend because he'd never really felt it before. He knew humans loved each other, he knew some if not most people shared a strong bond but what those two had...that was special. True love, it was called, and yeah it was founded on a lie but...it was a lie Al thought would not only impress her it was a law that she had to marry a prince. Boy he was glad later, that Corona didn't have that law...though by this point he figured it was kind of too late to do anything even if they wanted to. There was also the tiny point of Jafar, and frankly he'd rather take on Mother Gothel again than Jafar, because at least Mother Gothel didn't come included with creepy space invasiveness, plans for global domination, and general creepster vibes.

It took awhile, but the kid got there.

Learning his lesson that it was better to be himself, because Jasmine hadn't fallen in love with Prince Ali...she fell for Aladdin. She fell hard and fast, just as he had and honestly, that was what mattered. That they loved each other, not because of fancy titles or status, but because they saw something in one another, because they genuinely cared about each other, because they helped each other, and truly loved each other. That was what mattered. Simplistic sure, but well it was hard to describe True Love. He remembered when Al described it to him. After having been sultan for years, now looking more like his father, with a beard that was snow white, laying on his bed.

" I dreamed of being rich and living in a palace...and when I met Jasmine, she became my new dream."

Well being free had always been his dream, and he'd gotten it. He just chose to stay with Al, because they were friends and he'd grown fond of the guy and Jasmine, even Abu and the talking parrot he'd grown fond of.

Except Aladdin wasn't as young as he used to be.

The Sultan had moved on long ago, as had Rajah, Iago, and Abut...even Jasmine had moved on. Al was all he had left, and he'd be leaving him soon too.

" There'll be nothing left or you here soon, I set you free a long time ago old friend...now it's time to say goodbye." Al had said.

" But, Al buddy it-"

It's fine Genie. We knew this would happen eventually. You were trapped in a lamp for ten thousand years, you don't have to stay trapped with my family for the next ten thousand. " Said Aladdin, before coughing into his handkerchief. " I lived a good life, a life I never would have had if it weren't for you...so thank you Genie, thank you for being my friend. "

Oh that did it, the waterworks started coming, but Al just smiled and in that moment Genie felt something he'd only felt but a few times before. His heart was breaking.

" Al...you could always wish to be immortal." He'd said. Al just chuckled and shook his head.

" Thank you for the offer but, I think I've kept Jasmine waiting long enough. Go Genie, find your new dream." Had been his last words.

Carpet chose to stay with Aladdin's family, but he didn't...there were too many memories both sad and good there. He left Agrabah all together, and now all there was left to do was roam the world which now felt empty. He had never fully understood why people wanted loved ones back from the dead...until now. He wanted nothing more than to bring his friends back. For them to just pop out and go 'Hey sorry for that really cruel joke we just did, but surprise we're alive!' Except that didn't happen. Life began...it ran it''s course...and then people died.

That wasn't fair

His friends didn't deserve that. No one did.

Then he was found by that old master,

"Told you I'd come for you, once you and the boy had parted ways." He'd said...and oh that sent a chilling fear down his spine. The next years were spent in fear, running from that old man. Everywhere he turned the old man was there. How he found him? He didn't know, but he did. He couldn't go back to Al's family, after a few generations, they were just another royal family under no obligation to help him. He couldn't turn to any of the other friends he and Al had made. All of them were long gone by this point, even Eden...he wasn't going to put Eden in danger. So that's when an idea came to him, his old master wanted him as a genie...well...he was going to give it all up to be human. He was so glad, that Jafar kept a record of all his books and tomes because yes a genie could turn human. At the price of giving up their power and immortality which frankly at this point was a nuisance.

So he relinquished his powers...

Starting life on the human end was hard, with no family to call his own and living on the streets. He supposed fate or whatever, had a really..really dark sense of humor. Seriously, how did Al do this every day and make it look so easy? Constantly ducking palace guards, stealing to survive, and all without magic? Some days he'd even go hungry and it was always cold. It was all worth it, he'd tell himself...all to keep himself safe from that master. Soon Genie began to disappear and fade away, leaving only Eugene Fitzherbert. A young street rat living in Corona, a kingdom that was a good ways away from Agrabah...also much different than Agrabah. He couldn't control where he was born, he just...was. Sometimes he wished he could have his magic back, because this whole street rat thing would be much easier.

Then he'd heard the tales of Flynn Rider...and Flynn Rider, reminded him of an old friend he'd known long ago.

So Eugene faded and then came Flynn Rider.

He was a reknown thief, wanted posters dotted the land for him (though seriously was it that hard to get his nose right? He could only imagine, Iago laughing at him, from whatever bird afterlife there was) It was kind of fun actually. He didn't have phenominal cosmic powers anymore and yeah he was a wanted thief but...he had a dream. To live in a castle and be rich...but that was Al's dream. Was he trying to subconsciously live Al's dream because he missed the guy? He didn't know.

Then one day...something happened.

He met this girl.

Sheltered and locked away in a tower for eighteen years, trapped and used for her magic...oh he knew how that felt. He understood now more than ever what Al and Jasmine had. Why Jasmine was Al's dream...because Rapunzel was his Jasmine, she was his new dream. He had saved her from Gothel, had freed her from her shackles like Al had freed him all those centuries ago. They were free...she was home with her family, and dying was incredibly painful, but it was worth it. Not only had he come back to life, ( Rapunzel could actually bring back the dead...guess magical golden flower magic was more powerful than genie magic) he could stay with her.

And while genies lived a long time, humans didn't...he could stay with her.

Eugene and Rapunzel could grow old and happy, until they died (now that he knows he actually can die naturally)...but that was a long ways away.

" Eugene!"

" What?" He'd asked, as she giggled standing there at the stall with Varian and Cassandra while the kid was looking through his list.

" Are you ok? You've been staring into space all day." Said Rapunzel.

" Yeah, something you want to share with the rest?" Asked Cassandra sarcastically.

" Nah, just thinking about an old friend." Said Eugene, when he stopped before a stall at the sight of his old lamp. Brown eyes looked down at it, as he gengerly picked it up.

" What is it?" Asked Rapunzel, immediately going over to him.

" Looks like, a lamp. I heard that supposedly if you rubbed it, a genie would appear to grant you wishes. Silly right?" Asked Varian with a chuckle.

" Yeah, silly." Said Eugene, smiling fondly at it. It had been his prison for ten thousand years sure, but...it held some good memories. He looked up, at the merchant who was trying to sell a hookah to another person. " How much for it?"

" Eugene, you're actually going to buy it?" Asked Rapunzel.

" Of course blondie, lets just say...it has a story behind it." He replied, as he payed for it. The other three looked at him strangely, especially since to them it was just an ordinary lamp. " Why don't I tell you guys, along the way. It once changed the course of a young man's life."

" That old thing?" Asked Cassandra.

" Yup, this old thing." Said Eugene holding it up.

" Ooh, I want to hear the story." Said Rapunzel enthusiastically sitting on a nearby bench.

" Yeah, I have some time to kill." Said Varian sitting next to her, Cas rolled her eyes but...still seemed semi interested.

" It starts on a dark night, when a dark figure awaits...with a dark purpose." Said Eugene, before beginning his tale.