Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I in any way associated with, Power Rangers.

Spoilers: Brother's Keeper (they're minor though, just one joke)

AN: Sorry to all everyone who got three alerts. On the upside, that means the story is totally posted the first time you read it. I just couldn't wait, it didn't feel complete unless it was all up.

Charity Magic Show

"That was the spare. I accidentally swallowed the original during my charity magic show last month."

~Ziggy, "Brother's Keeper"

Part 1

Ziggy stood on the sidewalk outside the small community theater, bouncing slightly on his heels to relieve the worried tension that was threatening to overwhelm him. He smiled and nodded at a group of people entering the theater, wishing they would just ignore him. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be backstage putting the final touches on his act. But instead he was outside, waiting for his assistant in the cold.

Who had decided it needed to be foggy and drizzly all day? Who? Ziggy planned on taking the matter up with Colonel Truman after he dropped his threadbare rental tux off at the costume shop. It was the only one they'd give him after the one he'd worn to Summer's wedding came back stained and slightly charred. He pulled the edges of his cape tightly around his shoulders to ward off the cold. He was thankful that Fresno Bob had had his magic supplies, including the cape, sent to him after that thing with the medical supplies blew over. Rangering didn't pay nearly well enough and this cape had always fit him just right.

"Finally!" he cried, seeing Brie at the bottom of the theater's steps. He raced down to her. "Where have you been? The show starts in less than ten minutes!"

Brie looked around uncomfortably and Ziggy realized she wasn't wearing her costume. In fact, if he was right, that was it in the plastic bag she was carrying.

"I can't do this," she said quickly, shoving the bag at him.

"What?" he asked, clutching it tightly to his chest. "But you're my assistant! A magician needs his beautiful assistant!" Ziggy couldn't believe this was happening, just like Summer said it would. But he'd tried to see the good in her ex-best friend. He could practically hear Summer gloating already.

"Yeah, well, you remember Chaz?" Brie asked.

"The idiot Summer's parents tried to make her marry?" Ziggy asked dryly.

Brie held out her left hand. "We're getting married!" she squealed.

Ziggy's eyes bugged out at the size of the diamond. He was surprised she could even lift that hand.

"And he doesn't want me prancing around in some trashy outfit just to help the homeless."

"Orphans," Ziggy said, "for the millionth time, it's orphans."

"Whatever. I can't help you." She turned and sauntered away.

Ziggy lunged after her and landed in a puddle. "But --"

"I only did it as a favor to Summer anyway," Brie muttered just before she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.

Ziggy moaned. Faintly, he could hear the usher at the theater calling the people in the lobby to their seats. As the doors closed he realized what the other sound he was hearing was: laughter. Familiar laughter, at that. He rolled over quickly to see Tenaya 7 sitting on one of the stone lions that guarded the doors to the theater. She was wearing the same outfit she'd worn the first time they met and laughing hysterically.

Ziggy was debating between running away in terror or yelling at her for enjoying his pain, when a thought occurred to him. He stumbled to his feet, grabbing Brie's fallen costume as he rushed up the steps to Tenaya. He looked her up and down as she tried to see through her tears of mirth.

"What did you expect?" she asked. "You showed up for your date in a cape."

"Date?" he asked, confused. "Oh, no! Brie was helping me out, and I think you're just her size."

"Just her size for what?" Tenaya asked, still laughing.

"Come on!" Ziggy said and grabbed her wrist. He didn't even make it a whole step towards the theater before he fell back. Tenaya hadn't moved an inch.

"It's the other one that comes off," she said mildly as he looked up at her.

He staggered to his feet, never letting to of her wrist. "I need your help," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Wow. I must have hit you harder than I thought during that last battle."

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I hate you, you hate all humans. It's not perfect, but it's the relationship we got. It works. But right now, I need you to help me. There are over a hundred people in there expecting a magic show by the great Zigini."

"Zigini?" she echoed incredulously.

He ignored her. "And the great Zigini can't perform without his beautiful assistant."

"The girl who dumped you."

"She didn't dump me! And yes. So please? I'm begging."

"What do I get out of this?"

"You get to make all the poor little orphans of Corinth slightly happier?"

"Try again."

He began pacing as far as he could while still holding her arm. "I'll … I'll give you Flynn's smoothie recipe!"

"Already have it. Too much strawberry, not enough grapefruit. Next."

"I'll give you a lock of Scott's hair!"

"Why would I want a lock of his hair?"

"Well, it's sproingy. And everyone says it's 'the best,'" he added less than enthusiastically.

Tenaya rolled her eyes. "I have no use for his hair. And it's far from the best."

"Really? Because I think mine's the best but no one --" He stopped, seeing her steely expression. "Just tell me what you want," he begged.

"The codes to access the city shields."

"No."

"How about you accidentally drop the shields at a given time?"

He shook his head. "No. When I try to do things on accident it's always really obvious for some reason. Now, if I wasn't trying to --"

"Your morpher."

"It's bonded to my DNA. I can't just give it to you. I'd have to die."

"I know."

Ziggy looked warily at her. "How about you help me now and later I'll make it up to you … somehow, please?"

Tenaya smiled evilly. "I think I can live with that." She slid off the lion and Ziggy hurried towards the doors, pulling her after him. He paused when they entered the lobby and turned to face her.

"You're not going to turn me into a cyborg, are you?"

"Hm, I hadn't considered that."

"Can we take that option off the table right now?"

"Fine," she said, sauntering past him to the door labeled "Back Stage." "You wouldn't be as humorous without your humanity anyway. Maybe Venjix will let me keep you as a pet once we destroy humanity."

Ziggy gulped, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.