Mind over Magic

by Stefan Petrucha

  PENGUIN YOUNG READERS LICENSES

  An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

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  ™ and © 2018 SCG Power Rangers LLC. Power Rangers and all related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are the exclusive property of SCG Power Rangers LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization. Published by Penguin Young Readers Licenses, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  Cover illustration by Patrick Spaziante.

  Ebook ISBN 9781524788995

  Version_1

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 1

  The Angel Grove Youth Center was a bright, warm, inviting place. It had plenty of room for all sorts of activities, from karate classes and competitions to food drives and costume parties. Naturally, it was a big draw for teens from all over the city. And the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were no exception. When they weren’t busy trying to save the planet Earth from the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa or attending school, they often gathered there.

  Right now, for instance, Tommy Oliver, secretly the Green Ranger, was standing on a practice mat and asking the Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston, to hit him.

  “Come on, hit me,” Tommy said. “You won’t hurt me. That’s why we’re dressed this way.”

  It was true. Aside from the traditional karate uniforms, they both wore safety pads to prevent injuries. Remembering the stance Tommy had taught him, Billy positioned his feet and let loose with a palm-fist strike. It landed squarely on Tommy’s padded arm. Tommy just waved Billy forward to try again.

  “Again, harder!” Tommy said.

  Billy, confused, looked at him. “I believe that was hard,” he said.

  Tommy shook his head. “I know you can do better,” he whispered. “Pretend I’m Goldar. I’m about to destroy an orphanage, and you have to stop me!”

  Billy frowned and said, “Goldar is Rita’s second-in-command, winged, clearly simian, wears golden armor, and has crimson eyes. There really isn’t any similarity.”

  The other rangers, all in their civilian clothes, watched from the sidelines.

  Kimberly Ann Hart, the Pink Ranger, called out, “Billy, just pretend. We’ve been in hundreds of practice sessions.”

  “I realize that,” Billy said. “It’s just different from the simpler moves, and I like to think about things. It’s not as if I’ve been doing it long enough to develop a body memory.”

  “Body memory?” Tommy asked.

  When the others also seemed confused, Trini Kwan, the Yellow Ranger, explained, “It’s when you practice something for so long, you can do it without thinking, as if your body remembers what to do.” She eyed Billy. “But we’re not here to talk, are we?”

  With a shrug, Billy closed his eyes and let loose with another punch. As he did, Trini and the Black Ranger, Zack Taylor, martial artists in their own rights, imitated his move. The fun-loving Zack was dressed in a dark T-shirt and jeans, while the popular Trini wore the latest bright outfit. They couldn’t be more different but when they moved, they did so in sync, with the same focus and accuracy. The hardworking Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger, was a karate instructor himself. With a backpack slung over one shoulder, Jason kept his eyes on Tommy.

  As Billy’s second blow was about to hit, Tommy put out his leg. Grabbing Billy’s arm, he used the momentum to pull Billy over his leg and onto the mat, where he landed with a thud.

  “Good!” Tommy said. He put out his hand, both to congratulate Billy and to help him up.

  Billy grabbed the hand and rose to his feet, half-smiling. “I wasn’t aware that winding up on the floor was considered a positive thing,” he said. “I just don’t know if I have the knack for this. You guys are the real martial artists, and Kimberly’s a gymnast.”

  Tommy shook his head and said, “No knack? Are you kidding? I’ve been practicing for years, and you’re already pushing me to my limits.” He patted Billy on the back. “Trust me, this was just as much a workout for me as it was for you. Besides, as Trini told me once, it’s not about winning, it’s about the dignity and spirit with which you compete.”

  “You remembered!” Trini said cheerfully.

  Tommy nodded and said, “I always try to remember good advice.”

  Jason stepped closer to the practice ring. As the leader of the Rangers, he was always quick to be supportive. “I couldn’t agree more. Billy’s not only doing great, but Tommy’s an excellent teacher,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Zack said. “I’m going to try to remember those moves you taught him.” He delivered a few quick chops to the air, but then spun into a cool dance move that made the others laugh.

  Kimberly raised an eyebrow. “For fighting monsters or for the dance floor?” she asked.

  “Both,” Zack said with a smile.

  “So what do you think the hardest move is?” Jason asked Tommy.

  Tommy thought about it. “For me? The double flying kick,” he said. “The timing has to be perfect.”

  “Same for me,” Jason said. “But it is a powerful strike.”

  Billy turned to Tommy. “I truly appreciate the assistance,” he said. “I only wish I had some way to return the favor.” His face brightened. “I know! I could instruct you in chess!”

  Tommy wanted to be polite, but it was clear he didn’t like the idea. “Uh . . . I don’t know if I’m a chess-playing kind of guy,” he said. “Besides, you already do plenty for me as a fellow Ranger.”

  “I used to feel the same way about any kind of fisticuffs, but being a Ranger made me realize that the mind and the body are equally important,” Billy said. “Maybe you should give chess a try. After all, it can be useful to see things from another perspective.”

  “I’ll . . . think about it,” Tommy said.

  As Tommy climbed out of the ring, Kimberly gave the white sleeve of his karate uniform a friendly tug.

  “Uh . . . so . . . ,” she said.

  “Yes?” Tommy answered, a befuddled look on his face.

  She’d been attra
cted to Tommy from the moment she saw him, not realizing at the time that he was fighting against them as the Green Ranger. When Kimberly found out Tommy was secretly their enemy, it had broken her heart. But he wasn’t evil, really. Rita Repulsa’s spells were forcing him to battle against the Rangers and his true nature. Since then, the Power Rangers had freed Tommy from Rita’s magic, and now they all fought together on the side of good.

  Still, between monster battles and schoolwork, there’d been little time for the two teens to socialize.

  But maybe now was the time to make up for that?

  A little flustered, Kimberly cleared her throat and said, “How about we get together later at the Juice Bar? All of us?”

  Tommy smiled. “Sounds like a great idea,” he answered. “I just want to head home first to shower and change.”

  Once he turned to leave, Kimberly leaned over to Trini and whispered in her ear, “That didn’t sound awkward or anything, did it?”

  Trini shook her head quickly. “No, no, not at all,” she said. Seeing two familiar figures enter the gym, she added, “But speaking of awkward . . .”

  Chapter 2

  Farkas “Bulk” Bulkmier and Eugene “Skull” Skullovitch were big fans of the Power Rangers, but they were also known for bullying. Whenever they ran into the Rangers in their civilian clothes, they unknowingly called their heroes losers . . . or worse.

  They didn’t seem to be there to make trouble, though. Instead, Bulk cradled a black lapdog while Skull gently carried a puffy white cat. Strangely, each animal was dressed in a little version of the traditional karate uniform.

  Surprised to see the two caring about anything other than themselves, the curious Rangers found themselves staring. Tommy even stopped on his way out to ask, “You have pets?”

  Bulk stiffened defensively. “No, if it’s any of your business,” he said. “We’re only taking care of them while my cousin’s on vacation.” He held out the dog and said, “This is Stinkerbell.”

  “This is Lady Fluff,” Skull said.

  “And before you ask,” Bulk added, “no, we didn’t name them.”

  Skull held out the cat for Kimberly to pet. As she did, she said, “Trust me, I wasn’t going to ask. But they are cute!”

  It wasn’t much of a secret that Skull had a crush on Kimberly. She was never mean about it, of course, but she also always made it clear that the feeling wasn’t mutual.

  When she turned to pet Stinkerbell, Bulk pulled the dog away. “I don’t want Stinkerbell distracted,” he said. “We need them both in top fighting form.”

  Trini’s face dropped. “You didn’t dress them up like that to make them fight, did you?” she asked.

  “No!” Bulk explained. “Not really. But we did spend the last hour training them to play-fight like martial artists.”

  Stifling a laugh, Tommy said, “A whole hour, huh?”

  “Now we’re going to record them as they engage in the rare art of Pet Fu,” Bulk said. “When we post the video online, we’ll become Internet millionaires!”

  “That’s not how it works,” Zack said, but the bullies weren’t listening. Instead, Bulk’s eyes got big and round.

  “Millionaires,” Bulk repeated. Then he sneered at the teens. “We’ve got the gym reserved, so, out.”

  “No problem,” Tommy said. “We were leaving, anyway.”

  Jason waved the others toward the exit, but not even their serious leader could resist pausing at the door for a look back. In fact, they all watched as Bulk sat Lady Fluff and Stinkerbell in the ring a few inches from each other.

  “Start recording,” Bulk told Skull.

  Skull aimed his phone and gave Bulk a thumbs-up.

  “This is going to be gold!” an excited Bulk said. “Lady Fluff, combat stance six! Stinkerbell, she’s coming for you! Defend yourself!”

  Lady Fluff didn’t move at all, but Stinkerbell took a step closer and licked the cat’s nose. Frustrated, Bulk lay down on the mat and put his head closer to the animals.

  “Where’s your fighting spirit?” he asked. “Your discipline?”

  In response, Stinkerbell licked Bulk’s nose.

  “Hey,” Skull said. “I got that on tape! Cute animal pictures get lots of hits. Should I upload it?”

  The thought horrified Bulk. “Just erase it.”

  “Okay,” Skull said. He stared at his phone. “One button deletes it, but the other puts it online. I’m not so sure which, but maybe it’s this . . . ?”

  Bulk scrambled to his feet. “Give me that!” he said, grabbing the phone. When he saw the screen, his face went white.

  “No, no,” he said. “It’s uploading!”

  Trying not to laugh, the Rangers looked at one another.

  “Juice Bar in an hour?” Tommy said.

  “Right,” Kimberly answered.

  Chapter 3

  Far from Angel Grove, in the observation tower of the ancient Moon Palace, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa had been listening in on her sworn enemies. Raising her head from her extreme long-range telescope, she swirled around, mocking the ideals the Power Rangers held dear.

  “It’s not about winning? Ha-ha-ha! Of course it is! It’s all about winning, and the cheating and lying you use to do it!” she howled.

  Just to make sure her minions were paying attention, she whirled toward them and asked, “Isn’t that right?”

  All Rita’s minions were cowardly, but some more than others. The biggest coward was probably Squatt, a wide-eyed, blue-skinned alien who looked like a hobgoblin stuffed into a helmet and armor. Terrified of Rita, he immediately nodded, even though he didn’t know what he was agreeing with.

  “Yes! Yes!” he squealed.

  The second-biggest coward was Baboo, a tall alien who looked sort of like a cross between a monkey and a vampire bat. Thoroughly evil, Baboo was also very creative. He was in charge of producing potions and other devices for Rita’s wicked plans.

  “Winning is the best!” he chimed in.

  Next came Finster, a brilliant inventor who resembled a Scottish terrier. He was Rita’s chief monster maker. “I agree!” he said. “If winning’s not important, why does everyone keep score?”

  Goldar was the least cowardly. Rita’s second-in-command, he resembled a manticore, a fierce mythological creature with an eagle’s wings and a lion’s head. In Goldar’s case, his sharp-toothed face looked more like a red-eyed gorilla. As a warrior, he fought the Power Rangers directly. His lack of cowardice didn’t mean he’d go out of his way to disagree with Rita, though.

  “I always rely on cheating and lying in my battles,” Goldar said.

  They all had lived in the Moon Palace ever since some visiting astronauts accidentally released them from a cramped space Dumpster. The wise sage Zordon had trapped them there over ten thousand years ago. Rather than learn any sort of lesson while being stuck, the moment they were free, Rita had gone right back to trying to dominate the galaxy, starting with Earth.

  Rita was usually either angry at her minions about something or amused with herself. Being amused at the moment, she went back to cackling.

  “Ha-ah-ha-ha!” she laughed.

  Seeing that the evil witch was in a good mood, Finster figured this might be the right time to give her some news.

  “My most dastardly queen,” Finster said. “I’ve finally managed to put a new head on the shoulders of one of my greatest monsters! Bones, reveal yourself!”

  In a flash, a terrifying figure was standing by Finster’s side—a skeletal monster who held a mighty sword and wore a matching red hat, string bow tie, and flowing cape.

  The creature bowed, took off his head, and tipped it like a hat. In a deep, hollow voice, he said, “I am Bones, at your service.”

  Rita twisted her brow at Finster and said, “Didn’t those pathetic Power Rangers already blow up this bone
head?”

  Wincing, Finster said, “True, but look! He’s perfectly restored: able to turn invisible, as you’ve seen, shoot eye-blasts, jump long distances, detach his pieces, use each as a weapon, and summon Skeleton Warriors! I’ve got a triple batch of them all ready to go! And, if I say so myself, his new head is even better than the one the Rangers destroyed when they, uh . . . utterly defeated him.”

  Eager to get back to some monstering, Bones bowed again.

  Finster waited for Rita to say something. When she didn’t, he realized she’d stopped listening. Easily bored, she was back at her telescope. There, a glimpse of the handsome, noble, dark-haired Tommy Oliver totally soured her mood.

  She shook her head so hard that her dual-horned hairdo wobbled.

  “Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!” she moaned, her voice thick with disappointment. “Once you were my very own evil Green Ranger. I even gave you the Dragon Dagger so you could summon the Dragonzord! Now look at you, believing all that goody-two-shoes junk like helping your teammates and standing up for what you believe is right, with courage and discipline. Where did you go so wrong?”

  Thinking he was being helpful, Baboo reminded her. “The Power Rangers broke your spells, your highness,” he said. “You know, the ones that made him evil?”

  Rita whirled toward him so quickly that Baboo and Squatt nearly fell over.

  “That’s not the point!” she screeched. “It was my Power Coin that gave the Green Ranger his powers in the first place, so he should be mine, too!”

  Disappointed that she wasn’t paying attention to his newly repaired monster, Finster again pointed at Bones. “It’s rather a shame they can’t just switch places, so you could give those powers to Bones here,” he said. “He’d make an excellent evil Ranger, thanks to my . . .”

  Rita raised a finger, warning Finster to quit talking. Her evil brain worked overtime. “What was that word you used? Switch? I think I’m having a great idea,” she said. “Wait, it could be a headache. No, no, it’s an idea! Didn’t that foolish Blue Ranger create a mind-switching thingamajig a while ago?”