Mind over Magic Read online

  That gave him two things to worry about. The first was that he might be losing his identity. The second was that the more he acted like Bones, the harder it would be to convince his teammates who he really was.

  “We’ve got to destroy his head! It’s the only thing that worked the first time!” the Pink Ranger said. She went into a series of cartwheels, planning to kick off Tommy’s skull.

  Oh no, not Kimberly, too! Tommy thought.

  His body wanted to split apart again, to avoid getting kicked, but Tommy fought the urge. Instead, he somersaulted sideways.

  “I’m not Bones!” he shouted. “I’m the Green Ranger!”

  The Pink Ranger came out of her cartwheels, not sure she’d heard correctly.

  “What?” she said.

  The other Rangers also came to a halt, except the false Green Ranger, who held back, crossing his arms.

  “How is that possible?” the Red Ranger asked.

  “I don’t know, exactly,” Tommy said. “Rita hit me with some kind of ray gun. Finster said Baboo copied a mind-swapping machine that the Blue Ranger invented.”

  The Blue Ranger shook his head. “I did, but that doesn’t make sense,” he said. “My thought-transference device required that the subjects be inside the machine and touching each other.”

  Bones pointed at Tommy and said, “Don’t you see? He’s trying to fool us! If he were me, how could he split himself up and reassemble like that?”

  Tommy gritted his teeth. “Because I’m in your body!” he said. “And you’re in mine, Bones!”

  “Liar!” Bones said, lying.

  “You have been acting, well . . . odd,” the Pink Ranger said.

  “Because I have a cold!” Bones insisted.

  Chapter 15

  High above the tense scene, on the Youth Center roof, Rita was watching while perched on her bicycle. Lips curled in an angry snarl, she said to herself, “So, ol’ Tommy boy thinks he can talk his way out of this, eh? I don’t think so! Good thing Finster prepared that triple batch of Skeleton Warriors!”

  Raising her wand, she aimed the crescent moon tip down into the parking lot. With a lightning-like crack and a swirl of curling smoke, the Rangers found themselves surrounded by dozens of the skeletal footmen.

  “See that?” Bones said. “He summoned more Skeleton Warriors!”

  “I did not!” Tommy objected.

  “Then how did they get here?” Bones asked.

  “You must have called them!” Tommy said.

  But then several of the warriors aimed their swords at the false Green Ranger. Bones, confused that he was being attacked by his own minions, jumped backward, barely avoiding their attack.

  “Wait. What?” he said.

  Above, Rita cackled. “Sorry, bonehead, but I have to make it look good!” she said.

  Understanding, Bones shouted to the other Power Rangers, “If I’m supposed to be controlling them, then why are they attacking me?”

  With a rush of bony clicks, the skeleton horde swarmed forward, coming at everyone except Tommy.

  “And why aren’t they attacking him?” Bones said.

  “He’s right,” the Red Ranger said. He fired at the closest skeletons.

  The Blue and Black Rangers went back-to-back, dodging sword strikes and making counterblows.

  “There are too many!” the Black Ranger said.

  As Tommy watched his friends under attack, he thought, I can’t worry about who they think I am now; I’ve got to help! He rushed toward the fray.

  Seeing him, the Yellow Ranger said, “We’ve got to get to Bones. He’s at the center of this!”

  After blasting a group of warriors, the Pink Ranger had a clear shot at Bones.

  I could summon my Power Bow and hit him from here, she thought. But Tommy has been acting so strange. It seems crazy to believe they switched bodies, but could it be true?

  Before the Pink Ranger could decide what to believe, she was shoved out of the way by the false Green Ranger!

  “The rest of you deal with the warriors,” Bones said. “I’ll take care of that liar, Bones!”

  Meanwhile, Tommy spotted two skeletons sneaking up behind the Red Ranger. Tommy was about to stop them, but a powerful blast at his back hurled him high into the air and across the parking lot.

  As Tommy plummeted, he realized what had happened. Bones hit me with my own weapon, the Dragon Dagger! he thought.

  He tried to curl into a ball to lessen the impact, like he’d learned in his training. But his body disobeyed. Instead, when he hit the ground, it broke apart.

  Even faster than they had before, the parts reunited.

  Tommy spun back around. The Rangers were up against a mass of Skeleton Warriors, but they were holding their own against incredible odds.

  The false Green Ranger had left them behind, though. He was racing toward Tommy, the Dragon Dagger out, ready to fire again.

  It’s like some weird dream, seeing myself running at me, Tommy thought. But if another blast like that hits me, it’s not going to feel like any dream. It’s going to hurt.

  Tommy tried to plan a counter move, but his body had other ideas. His skull fired two eye-blasts that hit the false Green Ranger in the chest and threw him flat on his back.

  “That’s how you do it!” the little voice said.

  A moment later, though, Bones was standing again. He gave his fellow Rangers in the distance a thumbs-up to tell them he was all right, then turned back to Tommy and laughed.

  “Excellent,” Bones said. “The more they see you use my powers, the more they’ll be convinced I’m you!”

  Worse, the little voice in Tommy’s head was saying, “And soon, you’ll be convinced, too!”

  Chapter 16

  The Rangers fought valiantly against the skeleton mob.

  “Make a path!” the Red Ranger said. “We’ve got to help the Green Ranger take on Bones!”

  The Pink Ranger, though, wasn’t completely convinced what helping the Green Ranger meant. I’ll have to figure that out later, she thought. Whatever’s going on, first we have to get past this skeleton crew!

  Surrounding the heroes, each skeleton linked an arm. Forming a bony wall, they struck at the Rangers with a circle of blades. The attacks were coming from all directions. The Pink Ranger couldn’t see the Green Ranger or Bones anymore. It was all she could do to keep from being hit.

  Across the parking lot, Tommy and Bones squared off. Bones shifted around, the Dragon Dagger in his right hand.

  He’s not even holding it the right way, Tommy thought. But he’s so close that if a blast gets near me, it won’t matter much. I could send my arms flying at him from opposite directions, use eye-blasts, or turn invisible and take him by surprise. But I don’t want to do any of that. Bones was right. Using his powers would not only make it harder to convince the others who I am, but it makes it harder for me to stay in control.

  The very idea made a shiver run down Tommy’s spine. Sure, it was a good idea to see things from other perspectives, but only to a point. If he was going to fight against his own body, he would do it as Tommy!

  Hoping to take out Bones quickly, Tommy decided to try the most difficult karate strike he knew: the double flying kick. Concentrating, he readied himself, then waited for the right moment.

  As Bones lifted the Dragon Dagger to aim another blast, Tommy came at him head on. Getting in close, he kicked his right knee up into Bones’s abdomen. At the moment of contact, he pushed the knee down and used the force to bring himself into the air.

  Finally, Tommy kicked with his left foot, slamming Bones in the chin with a loud, resounding THWACK!

  Seeing this from the circle of Skeleton Warriors, the Red Ranger frowned and said, “Was that a double flying kick?” Before he could even think about what it meant, he was pushed back by the stabbing wal
l of warrior swords.

  As for Bones, the Power Ranger helmet protected him, but he was still terribly stunned. Trying to keep his balance, he threw his hands out to his sides. That left him open for another strike. Seeing his chance, Tommy went into a series of hammer-fist strikes, one after the other. Still punching, he stepped forward as the moaning Bones was forced to move back.

  “Aw!” the little voice said, disappointed. “You didn’t use any of our cool powers!”

  You got that right, Tommy answered.

  Thinking the flurry of blows would finish Bones, Tommy began to feel better about his chances. But as he kept punching, he noticed that his skeleton arms were no longer connected to his body.

  “Oh no! I’m using his powers without even realizing it!” Tommy said.

  “Ha-ha!” the little voice said.

  Tommy’s surprise gave the real Bones the time he needed to let loose another Dragon Dagger blast. As Tommy flew back, he felt his body trying to come apart, but used his willpower to stay in one piece.

  Not this time, Tommy told himself.

  Slamming into the ground, Tommy shook off the pain.

  “Ungh! Talk about other perspectives!” he said. “Now I know how my enemies feel when I use the Dragon Dagger against them!”

  “That’s not all you’re going to feel!” Bones said as he fired another blast.

  Still on the ground, Tommy rolled out of the way, but barely.

  Chapter 17

  Across the lot, trapped in the circle of Skeleton Warriors, the Pink Ranger had an idea.

  “If we can’t go through them, maybe we can go over them!” she called to the others.

  “How do you mean?” the Yellow Ranger asked.

  “Just give me a boost!” the Pink Ranger said.

  Getting the idea, the Yellow and Black Rangers bent and cupped their hands. Putting a foot in their palms, the Pink Ranger grabbed their shoulders.

  As her teammates lifted, she jumped!

  A high-flying somersault took the Pink Ranger well over the heads and blades of the Skeleton Warriors. She hoped at least one other Ranger would be able to follow her, but instead the warriors rushed inward, tightening the circle in a full-press attack.

  The Red Ranger kicked one in the chest while elbowing another behind him.

  “We’ve got this!” he said to the Pink Ranger. “You go now and help Green!”

  “On it!” the Pink Ranger said and she ran across the lot.

  As far as the Pink Ranger could tell, Bones was struggling to get to his feet. The Green Ranger was aiming the Dragon Dagger at him.

  If that is the Green Ranger, the Pink Ranger thought, it doesn’t look as if he needs my help.

  But as she neared, she heard the Green Ranger say, “You’re not only going to learn what the Dragon Dagger feels like, you’re going to learn what it’s like to lose!”

  And then she heard the Green Ranger . . . laugh?

  Bones barely made it to his feet. Wiping his skeletal chin, he took a shaky fighting stance. The stance looked strangely familiar to the Pink Ranger. She was even more familiar with what he said next:

  “It’s not about winning, it’s about the dignity and spirit with which you compete.”

  That stopped the Pink Ranger in her tracks.

  “You said that earlier today!” she said. “It is you in that body!”

  Tommy was thrilled. “Yes!” he shouted.

  The false Green Ranger only sneered. “So you’ve figured it out, eh?” he said. “It doesn’t matter. You see, I’ve figured out how to use this weapon’s full strength!”

  As he raised the Dragon Dagger to fire, the Pink Ranger leaped between them.

  “Look out!” she cried.

  “Pink, no!” Tommy said, but he was too late.

  The Dragon Dagger blast caught her in midair. With a cascade of cracked cinder block and plasterboard, the force pushed the helpless Pink Ranger right through the wall of the Youth Center!

  Chapter 18

  Inside the Youth Center, hearing the raging battle, Bulk and Skull were trying to find a place to hide when a big piece of the wall came down with a terrible crash.

  “Ahhh!” they both screamed.

  Bulk scooped up the pets and hurried for the exit. When the dust cleared, they slowed down enough to look back. Seeing a pink-clad arm sticking out from the pile of wreckage, they both recognized the uniform immediately.

  “It’s one of the Power Rangers!” Bulk said. Afraid to get any closer, he leaned this way and that for a better look. “Is she unconscious?” he asked.

  The Pink Ranger’s fingers wriggled, and her hand began to feel around the fallen cinder blocks.

  “Nope,” Skull said. “She’s just stuck. Should we help her?”

  Bulk nodded at the animals in his arms. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m holding our whole cast. You go help her.”

  A frowning Skull asked, “Me? Why me?”

  “Because . . . Ahhhhh!” Bulk said, his eyes growing wide.

  “Ahhh?” Skull repeated. “What kind of reason is ‘ahhh’?”

  Bulk pointed. A skeletal figure in a cape and hat was coming through the hole.

  “Oh!” Skull said, nodding. Then he screamed “ahhhhh!” as well.

  Before the two could run, the false Green Ranger also clambered in through the hole. “Where do you think you’re going?” he said.

  Thinking he was talking to them, the terrified bullies froze. But zeroing in on the skeleton, the false Green Ranger slammed his helmeted head into its belly, making it break into pieces.

  “G-g-guess he didn’t m-mean us,” Bulk stammered.

  “G-g-g-g-good!” Skull said.

  And they creeped toward the exit once more.

  Tommy’s body reassembled, but before he could move, Bones fired another Dragon Dagger blast that zapped him back into pieces.

  Outside, the other Rangers were still trapped by the scores of Skeleton Warriors. They hadn’t heard what Bones or the Green Ranger had said, but that didn’t stop them from seeing the Pink Ranger crash through the Youth Center wall. Concerned about their friends, they rallied.

  “Pink and Green need our help, fast! Special weapons!” the Red Ranger commanded.

  In turn, each raised their hands and called out their weapons’ names, grabbing them as they appeared.

  A downward swing from the Black Ranger’s Power Axe sundered the skeleton circle. The Blue Ranger’s thrusting Power Lance pushed the warriors farther apart, while the Red Ranger and the Yellow Ranger used their Power Sword and Power Daggers to batter the Skeleton Warriors repeatedly until they retreated.

  “They’ll be back,” the Red Ranger said. “The only way to stop them permanently is to destroy Bones.” He waved his arm toward the gaping hole in the Youth Center and cried, “This way!”

  Chapter 19

  From the roof, an excited Rita Repulsa watched them rush across the parking lot. When they climbed through the hole, though, she couldn’t see them anymore. Twisting her head, she grew more and more frustrated.

  “Oh, drat,” she said. “I can’t see what’s going on!”

  Inside, Bones saw the Power Rangers arrive. Rather than let Tommy tell them anything, he blasted him to pieces yet again.

  “It was him!” the false Green Ranger said. “Bones used some sort of explosive to send Pink through that wall!”

  “Odd,” the Blue Ranger said. “Bones didn’t use explosives during our previous encounter.”

  “Perhaps he used his amazing laser eyes?” Bones suggested.

  Seeing the moving hand of the Pink Ranger sticking up from the debris, the Red Ranger said, “We’ll figure that out later. Right now, Blue, you and the Black Ranger free the Pink Ranger. Yellow, we’ll help Green take down that monster!”

  “On it!” they al
l said.

  “Let’s all hit him at once,” the Red Ranger said, as he and Yellow stepped up beside the Green Ranger.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” the false Green Ranger said.

  When Tommy had put himself back together once more, he again felt stuck in a nightmare. The Power Sword, Dragon Dagger, and Power Daggers were all aimed straight at him!

  Outside, on the Youth Center roof, there was a flash as Rita and her bike teleported to a better spot.

  “Fantastic!” she said, gloating. “Now I’ve got the perfect view for the final defeat of the pip-squeak Power Rangers! The only thing missing is . . . popcorn! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

  The high-powered special weapons hurtled at Tommy, his Dragon Dagger among them. Adrenaline pounded through his system. It made everything seem to slow down, but that didn’t help; the strikes had been perfectly aimed. There was no place Tommy could duck, dive, or leap to, without being hit.

  Though he hated the idea of relying on Bones’s abilities, he had no choice. Just before the weapons reached him, Tommy willed himself to fall apart, and then he became invisible.

  “Yay!” the little voice inside him said.

  As her Power Daggers sliced through the air, the Yellow Ranger said, “Huh? Where’d he go?”

  “Don’t you remember? He has the ability to turn invisible at will,” the false Green Ranger said.

  “That’s pretty good,” the Red Ranger said, retrieving his Power Sword. “Considering you’ve never even fought him.”

  Having seen Bones execute a double flying kick, the Red Ranger was suspicious, but not convinced. Many martial artists knew that move, but it wasn’t Bones’s style. In fact, they’d yet to face any monster who fought like that.

  Bones worried he’d said too much until the Blue Ranger, while trying to uncover the half-buried Pink Ranger, spoke up. “I told him about Bones a few weeks ago,” he said. “I was trying to catch him up on all the monsters we fought before he joined.”

  “How is she?” the Yellow Ranger asked, nodding at the Pink Ranger.