Disclaimer: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is the intellectual property of CLAMP

Author's Note: Well, I had so much fun with the Beauty and the Beast one, I decided to do one for Aladdin. I might even do other Disney movies. Speaking of Disney, did you know that the Disney name is on the book "Hero" by Perry Moore. It's a story about a gay superhero. Well, so far as I've read it, it's the story about a teenager whose gay and just discovering his own healing power whose father has a serious predudice against superpowered heroes and gay people. ANYWAY... sorry to get off topic, on to KuroxFai...

10th World: A Stable Hand and a Kitchen Cook in the Sultan's Palace

Kurogane had heard the clamor coming from the city streets clear through the palace's high outer wall - and that was saying something. All the noise was spooking the sultan's horses. He traversed the large stables in annoyed strides, trying to keep them calm.

Ever since the young princess had come of age, every ass with a servant to wipe it had been parading in and out of Agrabah trying to win her hand in marriage - in with their stuffed egos and out where they landed after she'd kicked them to the curb. He couldn't say he blamed her. The last pompous idiot who'd come through had managed to get on his nerves and he'd never even seen the man. His horse and his vassal had been more than enough for Kurogane to deal with.

The closer the procession got to the palace gates, the louder the noise became and Kurogane was forced to evacuate the building, lest the horses break the doors of their stables and stampede and there he was met by a terrific sight. Terrific or horrific, depending on one's point of view.

A great number of servants was leading a procession his way the likes of which he'd never seen. Animals of all sizes and shapes were paraded toward the stables and when they'd arrived, the head man, one of the sultan's guard, passed him the order that the lot should be stabled immediately.

Kurogane's jaw dropped as he surveyed the menagerie and the guard dropped a quick inventory into his hands before taking his leave with the many servants.

He tore his eyes away from the exotic animals to glance down at the list: 53 purple peacocks, 95 white Persian monkeys, 60 elephants, lamas, bears, lions, various birds…

It took a moment for it all to sink in.

"What the hell?!"

* * *

It took him three hours with all of his subordinate's help to move the animals into the stables and when it was all done, they barely had room to move around inside.

"Kurogane, sir," someone called to him from somewhere on the other side of an elephant where Kurogane couldn't see them "what do I feed the bears? I don't have any lama food here. Can we feed them hay?"

"Damned if I know!" Kurogane yelled back. "Shit! Does anyone know anything here!"

"What?" the other man called, obviously he hadn't heard Kurogane over the din being made by the various animal cries filling the air.

"I'm going to find out!" he roared, squeezing past elephants as he made his way toward the exit.

Kurogane, being a stable hand, didn't hear much of the palace gossip and often, situations were over before he ever heard they'd taken place but then, generally they didn't effect him. People came and went from the palace and he did his job the same weather they were there or not but this was just getting ridiculous.

Kurogane entered the palace through a servant's entrance and made his way to the kitchens. Even the palace servants were rushing hurriedly around him. And he thought he'd been the only one the circus got dumped on. The sooner the princess got rid of this one the better.

Inside the kitchen, a crowd of cooks and attendees were cleaning up after the evening meal. Scanning the room, it took him a moment to single out the individual he was looking for, not because he blended in, but just due to the sheer number of people. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, even given the needle was gold and the hay was black.

"Hey!" he yelled, trying to get one of the cook's attention. "Fai!"

A young blonde man looked his way and from the frustrated look in his blue eyes, Kurogane could tell the situation had been trying for him as well.

Fai slipped through the crowd and stepped out the door with him so they could talk.

"What the heck's going on around here?" Kurogane asked after Fai had closed the door behind them.

"That new suitor…" Fai said. He seemed lost. Fai wasn't used to complaining, Kurogane knew. The blonde hardly ever complained about anything. "He brought his own bakers with him and they…they took over and they wouldn't let me do anything. I tried to offer them some help with dinner, and they ignored me."

Kurogane gritted his teeth. Fai wasn't like the other servants. A slaver had brought Fai from a foreign land a few years ago and the sultan had freed him and given him work in the palace. Fai had been extremely grateful. Kurogane knew that Fai was worrying about his place in the palace should these new bakers remain in Agrabah.

"Don't worry." Kurogane said, blowing it all off with confidence. "The princess'll get rid of it all soon enough."

"I don't know…" Fai didn't sound so sure.

"What do you know?" Kurogane asked, finally getting to the information that had brought him to the kitchens in the first place.

"His name is Prince Ali Ababwa and he brought this magic flying carpet with him. The sultan's really taken with him. I heard the prince even let the sultan ride on his carpet. What if the sultan decides he should marry the princess? I heard that it may come down to one of the suitors or…the royal vizier."

Kurogane made a face. "That old creep?"

"Something's happening, Kuro-pon. I get this strange feeling from all of it. I don't like it."

"Look," Kurogane said, holding Fai's arms, trying to sound reassuring, "I give this bozo three days, tops. And there is no way the sultan would ever consent to marry his daughter to that old windbag vizier."

But Fai didn't seem to want to hear it. "Can we just…get out of here for a while?" he asked, pulling away. "The prince's servants have just about finished my job for the day anyway."

"Well I hope you don't think we're going to the stables." Kurogane groused, following Fai down the hallway. "Not unless you want to come back smelling like lama shit."

"I heard about that." Fai said, pityingly. "The sad part is that I don't think they'll miss you. I just overheard some of the prince's servants ordering other servants to tend the animals."

"They're taking MY job too?!" Kurogane shouted. "If this isn't over in three days, I'm giving Prince Abooboo's flunkies the boot myself."

Fai laughed. "Let's get some time off and rent a room at the inn in town. I'm sure it would be easy with all the extra help."

Kurogane blushed. "Idiot, if we do that everyone in town will be talking."

"They can listen too, if they want." Fai offered, laughing at the way the crimson spread to Kurogane's ears. "Nyaa!" he cried, taking off at a run ahead of Kurogane.

"Get…Get back here stupid!" Kurogane yelled, giving chase.

- Three Days Later -

When Kurogane returned to his stables, all of the prince's animals were gone. Everything was back to normal.

"Kurogane!" One of the stable boys came running to him. "I can't believe you're still alive!"

"What?"

"Well, after the palace flew away and we couldn't find you…"

"The palace what???"

"Where have you been, Kurogane?" the boy asked, disbelievingly. "Are you telling me you didn't even know about all the genie magic flying around these past few days? The whole freaking palace flew away! Whatever the heck you were doing must have been some distraction!"

Kurogane rubbed the back of his neck and grinned in spite of himself. "You could say that."

Post whatevers: As always, if you liked, please review. Ja!