Mind over Magic Read online

  “Green!” the Black Ranger said. “I set him up; you knock him down! Just like in practice!”

  “Certainly,” Bones said. But he thought, That’s not going to happen!

  Pretending to trip on the dropped sword, Bones kicked it right back into the Skeleton Warrior’s hands. It was all Bones could do to keep from smiling as the Black Ranger had to duck the warrior’s swing.

  “What was that?” Black called to him. “I’ve never seen you stumble that badly before!”

  Bones tapped his helmet, pretending he hadn’t heard, and continued his slow walk toward Goldar and the Red Ranger. Along the way, he put himself between the Yellow Ranger and a skeleton she was about to strike, ruining her aim.

  “Hey!” she said, but Bones ignored her.

  Meanwhile, Goldar slashed and jabbed. But even without the Green Ranger’s help, the Red Ranger was landing blow after blow. Rather than take Goldar down, though, the attacks only seemed to make the gorilla-monster even angrier.

  “I will not let a human defeat me!” Goldar howled.

  Swinging harder and harder, Goldar put Red on the defensive.

  But when the Green Ranger finally arrived, the Red Ranger rallied.

  “You mean again, don’t you?” he said to Goldar. “We won last time, and we’ll do it again, same as always, together!” Eyes on his foe, the Red Ranger spoke to Green, “I’ll go high, you go low! Now!”

  The Red Ranger went into a dazzling standing leap, kicking hard enough to knock Goldar’s helmet half off.

  Bones did go low, but not the way the Red Ranger expected. He went down on his hands and knees behind the Red Ranger.

  When Goldar slammed him with the flat of his blade, normally Red would have kept his balance. This time he fell over the kneeling Bones and crashed into the asphalt.

  “Ha!” a thrilled Goldar said. “If you’re a martial artist, I’m a pastry chef!”

  “What’s up with you?” Red asked, thinking the Green Ranger had made a mistake.

  “Maybe I’m coming down with something,” Bones said. “I’m just not feeling like myself today. In fact, I feel chilled to the bone.”

  From somewhere above, Bones heard Rita laughing.

  Chapter 9

  Back in his cell at the Moon Palace, Tommy struggled to control the skeleton he’d been trapped inside. His teammates were in danger, and he couldn’t just give up. No matter what he looked like, it wasn’t part of who he was.

  As long as I remember that, I’ll keep fighting! he told himself.

  Squirming and twitching, he worked to get each bone into roughly the right place.

  It’s not so hard, he thought. It’s like the old song. The head bone’s connected to the neck bone, the neck bone’s connected to the back bone.

  But even when the right parts were all next to one another, they wouldn’t connect at all.

  It’s natural for Bones, he was created this way, Tommy thought. But I just got here. I probably only managed those eye-blasts because of all my practice with the blade blaster. This is incredibly different. It’s all about putting something together.

  He thought about other things he’d fit together in the past: models he’d built from kits as a young boy.

  But those used glue or screws and nails, Tommy thought. This is more like an act of will.

  Tommy had plenty of willpower but no idea how to use it here other than to keep trying.

  What else has pieces? he thought. Checkers and chess, but those pieces don’t exactly fit together.

  Chess, though, reminded him of what Billy had said that morning: “Maybe you should give chess a try. After all, it can be useful to see things from another perspective.”

  Another perspective. Hmm. Maybe it would help to look at things as if I were Bones, he thought. But how do I imagine a point of view I’ve never experienced? After all, I’ve never been a piece of something before.

  Then it came to him. Wait . . . I have! The Power Rangers! I am a piece, a part of a team, and when we work together, we form something greater than any of us.

  Remembering their teamwork, honed by long hours of practice, Tommy tried to see the bones of his strange body as partners.

  “Partners don’t just command,” he said. “They listen to one another.”

  Rather than ordering his body parts, he tried to sense what they felt. The bones didn’t use words, but he could feel their urges and instincts, the way an empty stomach says it’s time to eat. The moment Tommy tried following those urges, suddenly the bones all clicked into place!

  As he stood, Bones’s sword appeared in his hands.

  Still feels weird to be a skeleton, Tommy thought. But at least now I’m a walking skeleton, and I’ve got a weapon. Time to get out of here!

  The hinges on the door were rusted and weak. He could kick it down or use eye-blasts again, but that would make noise. Eager as he was to fight back, Tommy still wasn’t in complete control of his body.

  Going straight into combat might not be the best idea, at least not yet, he reasoned. I should probably try not to attract attention.

  Planning to test the door, he stepped closer. When he did, his bony index finger seemed to have its own idea. Following the urge, he put it into the lock and turned. The door opened.

  “Well, what do you know?” Tommy said to himself. “It’s like an actual skeleton key!”

  As quietly as he could, he stepped into the hall and climbed the stairs. Reaching the next floor, he saw a long hallway. Billows of steam and loud noises poured from the only open door.

  With a final hiss, the steam stopped, and Tommy heard a familiar voice.

  “Excellent!” the voice said. “My Monster-Matic is in tip-top working shape!”

  It’s Finster, Tommy realized. That must be the workshop where he creates all those monsters we have to fight.

  Part of him wanted to destroy the foul machine, but his first concern was warning his friends about Bones. While Finster hummed to himself, Tommy tried to sneak by. He had nearly made it, when his bony feet made a loud scrape against the stone floor.

  Seeing Tommy, Finster howled, “The Green Ranger has escaped!”

  For a second, Tommy froze. He could fight off the little dog-faced alien easily, but Finster might alert the others or create a Putty Patrol. Tommy could fight them, too, but the longer it took to get back to Earth, the longer the Rangers were in danger.

  Remembering Billy’s advice about different perspectives, he asked himself, What would Bones do? Well, right now he’s pretending to be me. Why don’t I pretend to be him?

  “Green Ranger?” Tommy said. “No! I’m Bones, at your service!”

  He tried to doff his head the way he’d seen the monster do. Surprisingly, it worked!

  Finster’s eyes went wide. “What?” he asked. “Are you saying the mind swap wore off?”

  “Yes,” Tommy said. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. One minute I was in the Green Ranger’s body doing . . . you know . . . evil. The next, I was locked up in a cell!”

  Finster gave Tommy a closer look. Since it was Bones’s body, though, there was nothing for him to see. Finster furrowed his brow.

  “Can you prove who you are?” he asked.

  Tommy thought. “Well, would the Green Ranger even be able to keep my bony body together or doff my head?” he asked.

  Finster shook his head rapidly. “Of course he wouldn’t. It is you! I knew it! Baboo isn’t half the inventor I am. He must have done something wrong when he copied the Blue Ranger’s device. This is great! No, wait, it’s terrible! Oh dear.”

  It had worked! Finster believed Tommy really was Bones.

  The minion grabbed what looked like a communicator and spoke into the mouthpiece.

  “Goldar,” he said. “Something’s gone wrong with Baboo’s silly Mind-Swapper! That’s the
real Green Ranger you’re fighting, not Bones!”

  With Finster focused elsewhere, Tommy slipped back into the hallway.

  At least I’ve given the Rangers a fighting chance! Tommy thought. Now I’ve just got to find a way back to Earth!

  Chapter 10

  Back in the Youth Center parking lot, Goldar repeated Finster’s warning: “That’s the real Green Ranger?”

  He looked at the figure he’d thought was Bones. Whomever was in that body had his back to Goldar and was very vulnerable to an attack.

  It’s just as well, Goldar thought. Now I can prove I’m the best warrior there is by defeating both the Green and the Red Rangers!

  Growling, he leaned back and kicked the false Green Ranger from behind.

  As Bones flew, he hissed at Goldar, “What are you doing, fool?”

  “Kicking Green Ranger butt!” Goldar said.

  The Red Ranger grabbed the flying Bones by the shoulders and spun sideways.

  “You okay?” Red asked.

  Confused and angry, Bones grunted, “Yes, thank you.”

  He wondered, Whose side is Goldar on? It’s not as if I can ask aloud! Perhaps if I get close enough, I can whisper without anyone else hearing?

  But getting closer wasn’t possible with Goldar swinging his sword at them both!

  “Defend yourselves, Rangers!” Goldar said. “Better yet . . . don’t!”

  Bones was so surprised, he didn’t move. Rather than let him get hit, the Red Ranger pushed him out of the way.

  Steadying Bones with a friendly hand, the Red Ranger said, “You should have seen that one coming a mile away. That must be some cold!”

  “Oh, it is!” Bones answered. “Achoo!” he added, hoping it sounded like a real sneeze.

  “Everyone! It’s time to take our game up a notch!” the Red Ranger said. He raised his right hand and cried, “Power Sword!”

  In a flash, a great broadsword with a gold-and-red hilt appeared. As the Red Ranger sliced the air, the Power Sword gave off an energy wave that shoved Goldar onto his back.

  Following the Red Ranger’s lead, the Black Ranger called out, “Power Axe!”

  A quick thrust of his single-blade axe downed two Skeleton Warriors.

  The Blue Ranger cried, “Power Lance!”

  Spinning the tall double-bladed lance, Blue sent three Skeleton Warriors tumbling.

  “Power Daggers!” said Yellow. Throwing the two short-bladed daggers had four warriors dashing into one another to get out of the way.

  “Power Bow!” said the Pink Ranger.

  When the glowing bow appeared in her hands, the Pink Ranger leaped. In midair, she fired a pink arrow that landed smack in the middle of a group of five Skeleton Warriors. When it exploded, they flew this way and that.

  Not sure what to do, Bones stood motionless until Rita magically spoke to him.

  “Dragon Dagger, doofus!” she whispered.

  Nodding, Bones held up his hand and said, “Dragon Dagger, doofus!”

  With a flash, the weapon appeared in his hands.

  “Now make sure you use it against the Rangers!” Rita said.

  Before he could, Bones found himself facing a group of his own Skeleton Warriors!

  This is . . . ridiculous! he told himself.

  Seeing no choice, Bones blocked their blows and ducked their swords. Being in a Ranger’s body, he was shocked by how fast and strong he was.

  When Bones used the Dragon Dagger to parry a thrust, he was surprised at the powerful pulse of green energy that sent the warrior soaring skyward. He was even more surprised when the warrior landed . . .

  . . . right on top of Goldar!

  Thinking Bones had done it on purpose, the Red Ranger saluted his teammate. “Nice aim!” he said.

  The Red Ranger pressed forward with his Power Sword. When Goldar moved to counter, Red used a powerful circular parry that sent Goldar’s sword out of his hand.

  Bones gasped.

  Despite his villainous efforts, the Rangers were winning! The Skeleton Warriors scattered, and the Blue and Yellow Rangers were rushing up to help fight Goldar. Seeing how suddenly the odds had shifted, Goldar scooped up his sword and turned to run.

  Watching from above, Rita was completely furious.

  “Aghh! What are you doing, you gorilla brain?” she shouted.

  “Running!” Goldar explained. “Now that the mind swap has worn off, we’re outnumbered!”

  “What are you talking about?” Rita screeched. “The mind swap hasn’t worn off! Who told you that?”

  Still running, Goldar said, “Uh . . . Finster.”

  “Finster!” Rita howled.

  Chapter 11

  One of the things about being an evil intergalactic witch is that when you yell, your minions can hear you even if they’re as far away as the Moon Palace. So when Rita howled, back in Finster’s lab the screeching sound of his queen’s voice made the alien inventor jump in fear.

  “You dog-faced nincompoop!” she bayed. “Did you tell Goldar the mind swap wore off?”

  Finster wasn’t sure how to answer. Knowing Rita, it could be a trick question, but if so, what was the trick? Finally, he stammered, “Y-y-yes . . . yes, I did.”

  “Why?” she screeched, making him leap another foot.

  “Because Bones told me he was back in his body!” Finster explained.

  “He did, did he? And exactly why did that steam-baked brain of yours tell you it wasn’t really the Green Ranger pretending to be Bones?” she asked.

  “Because he had his body together and knew how to use it,” Finster said. “By my calculations, that would take years for a human mind to learn.”

  Rita’s voice grew louder. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe that ratty Ranger is smart for an idiot? Or that he’s pigheaded enough to do that sort of thing? Which is why I picked him to be my evil Ranger in the first place!”

  “Uh . . . no,” Finster said.

  “I’m getting a headache!” Rita shrieked. “Where is he now?”

  “Why, he’s right over . . .” Finster began. Then he realized Tommy was gone.

  “Oh my,” he said, quivering. “He was here a second ago, before you started screaming. He can’t have gotten very far.”

  Finster was right about one thing: Tommy wasn’t far. He was just down the hallway, hiding in the shadows. He’d been planning to search for a way back to Earth, but being in a monster body, Tommy could hear Rita, too.

  I should listen in, he realized. In case they reveal their plans or say something about how I can get out of here.

  But he couldn’t quite make out Finster’s fearful mumbling, so he had to get closer.

  Carefully, Tommy lifted his head from his shoulders and rolled it along the floor. By sticking out his jaw, he stopped the skull outside the workshop door. Now he could hear and see everything.

  “My headache is getting a headache!” Rita screamed.

  “Oh dear, oh dear,” Finster said, quaking.

  A rush of footsteps made Finster breathe a sigh of relief. “That must be Bones now . . . I hope,” he said.

  Tommy was the opposite of relieved. Two shadowy figures were running full tilt toward the workshop. They’d spot his skull at any moment. If he tried to move it out of the way, they’d see that, too.

  What do I do? I can’t just run off without my head!

  Then he remembered something else the Blue Ranger had said about Bones—he could turn invisible!

  Great, Tommy thought. Only how do I figure out how to turn invisible in one second?

  He tried imagining that no one could see him, hoping his body would understand. He couldn’t see himself disappear, but somehow he sensed that it had worked—he was invisible!

  The two runners certainly didn’t see his skull. They almost tripped over
it as they rushed into the workshop. But Tommy could see them. They were Squatt and Baboo.

  Finster sighed. “You’re not Bones or the Ranger!” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “We heard Rita screaming at you,” Baboo said. “And, well, we wanted to watch!”

  Finster’s face dropped. “Oh you did, did you?” he said. “Well none of this would have happened if I hadn’t suspected you of being a lousy inventor!”

  Tommy realized he should put himself back together, in case he had to move fast. He crept closer to the door. His skull was invisible but, feeling around where he’d left it, he was able to lift it and put it back on. Tommy was practically in the workshop again, but no one could see him.

  Not that the minions were paying attention to anything other than their bickering.

  Baboo put his hands on his hips. “Me?” he huffed. “A lousy inventor? My Mind-Swapper worked perfectly. I demand an apology!”

  “Grr,” Finster said. “I’m sorry you’re usually a lousy inventor!”

  “Well!” Baboo said, pointing to the Monster-Matic. “At least the Power Rangers haven’t defeated all my monsters!”

  Above them, Rita shouted, “Aghhhh! The headache you’re giving me is more powerful than anything either of you salad brains ever created!”

  “Must be pretty big then,” Squatt observed.

  “Yes, very big,” Finster said.

  “Indeed,” Baboo said.

  “Shut up!” Rita barked. “The Skeleton Warriors are in retreat, and Goldar’s teleporting back to the Moon Palace. But I’ve got an idea how to turn this to our advantage. We’ll let the Power Rangers think the attack was just a diversion, that I have some really big plan in the works.”

  Baboo frowned. “But the attack was just a diversion,” he said.

  “And you do have a really big plan,” Finster added.

  “Ha-ha! That’s why it’ll be so easy to convince them!” she said.

  Squatt frowned. “If you mean the big plan where Bones destroys them from the inside, didn’t that just fail?” he asked.