Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Heather Ray (read an ebook week .txt) 📕

effect, though. The energy release isn't a pretty sight."

"So, where do I cast the spell of Disjunction?"

"I don't care! But do it somewhere down there! And make it snappy, too."

"But, if I cast the spell down here, Zordon will be able to find me!"

"Who cares? He can't teleport the rangers while they are under the power of this kind of spell! What can he do, send that tin-can of an assistant after you?"

"There still is the Black Ranger to deal with."

"So what?!" shrieked Rita's image, "The boy is blind! If you can defeat all four of the other rangers, you can take care of a blind Black Ranger. Now get to work! The spell will take about an hour to take affect, and I want to add those five coins to my collection!"

"I obey, my Empress!"
Chapter Ten

In the Command Center, Zack sits quietly and listens to the sounds emitted from the Viewing Globe. He was waken by the sound of Billy's communicator going off, and decided he shouldn't stay in Billy's garage alone while the Power Rangers were off fighting one of Rita's monsters. So he opted to stay in the Command Center with Alpha Five and Zordon. Golar's maniacal laughter chilled Zack to the bone, and he desperately wished he was able to see what had happened to his friends. But the sound of Goldar's laugh made it painfully obvious who the victor was.

"Aye yi yi!" shrieked Alpha Five, "Goldar and the rangers have vanished!"

"I heard, Alpha," said Zack, still sitting on the black table, "But he didn't take them to the Moon Palace yet. There still on Earth. Somewhere."

Zack leapt down from the table, and turned in the direction in which he knew Zordon's column was.

"Zordon," said Zack, "Is there any way you can track their teleport?"

"NOT DIRECTLY,"

said the wise sage, "HOWEVER THE SCANNERS WILL BE ABLE TO DETECT THE POWERFUL RELEASE OF MAGIC. THE SPELL OF DISJUNCTION IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SPELLS THERE IS."

"Can the Spell of Disjunction really make it possible for Goldar to just take the coins?"

"YES. THE SPELL THAT WAS CAST TO BOND THE POWER COINS TO THE POWER RANGERS IS OF THE KIND THAT CAN BE UNDONE WITH THE SPELL OF DISJUNCTION. BY ELIMINATING THAT BOND, THE COIN WILL NOT BE PROTECTED, AND GOLDAR WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT OFF THE MORPHER WITH LITTLE IF ANY DIFFICULTY."

"Then we have to find them, and stop this," said Zack, "Alpha?"

"Right here, Zack," said the little robot, stepping towards Zack.

"Could you please teleport my morpher to me? I left it in Billy's laboratory."

"Aye yi yi!" he yelled, "You're not thinking of going after Goldar!"

"Well, there's no one else to do it," said Zack, "We have less than an hour before Rita has total control of the Power Coins! I'm the only one left."

"I AGREE WITH YOU, ZACHARY, BUT YOU MUST USE EXTREME CAUTION. ALPHA FIVE AND I MUST PREPARE YOU."

"Right," said Zack.

The next few minutes was a time of preparation. Zordon scanned the city and the surrounding area for the energy signature of a powerful magical spell, while Alpha Five and Zack came up with a way to defeat Goldar, without using the sense of sight.

"Well," said Zack, clutching his morpher, "if I can't see, we'll have to even up the odds by stopping Goldar from seeing."

"But Goldar's species is very similar to canines! He doesn't rely on vision as much as humans do. He uses his sense of smell. He'll be able to hunt you down, whether he can see or not!"

"Then, let's knock out that sense also," said Zack, rubbing his chin, "Limit sight as well as smell... I've got it! How about a smoke screen?"

"The smoke would cloud the room, making it impossible to see, and the smoke will overpower Goldar's sensitive ole faction. It could work."

"Then prepare a couple smoke grenades," said Zack, "I've got my work cut out for me."

"ZACHARY,"

said Zordon, "I HAVE LOCATED GOLDAR AND THE OTHER FOUR POWER RANGERS. THEY ARE INSIDE A CAVE NOT FAR FROM HERE. I SHALL RECALIBRATE THE TELEPORTER FOR YOU."

"A cave?" asked Zack, "Good. There'll be limited ventilation, and the smoke screen will have an even better effect."

"YOU MUST DESTROY THE GEM OF DISJUNCTION IN ORDER TO STOP THE SPELL IN PROGRESS."

"But, how will I find it if I can't see?"

"THE GEM SHOULD EMIT A VERY SOFT HUM. IT IS USUALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM BACKGROUND NOISE, BUT SINCE YOUR VISION HAS BEEN COMPROMISED, YOU WILL PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE AUDITORY CUES. MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU, ZACHARY."

"Thanks," said Zack, taking a deep breath, "Its Morphin Time! MASTADON!!

"

Zack's body was bathed in an intense black light, and he was clothed in the form fitting armor of the Black Power Ranger. He touched his morpher, and vanished from the Command Center in a streak of light.

Chapter Eleven

Inside a cave not far from the Command Center, Goldar carefully places the black gemstone Rita sent him onto a stone pillar. He looks behind him, and checks to make sure the four Power Rangers were still unconscious. The ball of energy that Goldar cast on them was actually a small spell Goldar had learned, that induces sleep. The Rangers slept soundly, and they wouldn't wake up for at least an hour, if Goldar's calculations were correct. That was plenty of time for him to cast the Spell of Disjunction, and separate the Power Coins from the rangers.

"Soon," he rumbled, "you four will be the Powerless Rangers! Now, to cast the spell..."

As Goldar began to chant in an ancient alien language, a subtle streak of black light flashed just outside the cave. The Black Ranger appeared, and felt around carefully. He could hear Goldar's powerful voice clearly, and Zack leaned against the stone wall just outside the cave, and listened. He must be casting the spell!

he thought, I gotta act quickly, or the guys are doomed!

Zack clutched one of the two smoke grenades in his right hand. He then warily approached the voice. But before he could throw the grenade, he was suddenly thrown to the ground. He lost the grenade, and he could feel a heavy body crushing him.

"Goldar," he muttered. Goldar laughed. "What? You actually thought you could sneak up on me?! I smelled you the moment you teleported outside the cave! But, I needed to finish casting the spell before I crushed you."

"You're not going to get away with this!" Zack yelled, struggling against Goldar's grip. He quickly realized from the distance of Goldar's voice that the beast was actually pinning him to the ground with his feet. Zack then felt a sharp point through the cushion of the neck of his uniform.

"Who's going to stop me, Human?" he chuckled, pressing his blade harder into Zack's neck. It still didn't penetrate the armor. "Oh, what do we have here?"

Goldar leaned over and picked up the grenade Zack dropped. He touched it to his nose, and inhaled deeply.

"A smoke grenade," he observed, "Clever. Too bad you didn't get a chance to use it."

Goldar reached down and picked up the Black Ranger. He hefted the young man over his shoulder, and walked over to the line of stone beds, where the remaining Power Rangers lay. He lay Zack on the bed, and pointed his sword at Zack.

"Now, to put you to sleep," he declared, "just like your friends."

A flash of bright light shot forth, and Zack lay motionless on the bed. Goldar then turned around, and returned to the pillar. He didn't realize that Zack was still conscious.

I... I don't believe it! Whatever he tried to do, it didn't work! Now's my chance...

Zack slowly and quietly reached to his holster, where the remaining smoke grenade was attached. He pulled it off, and silently felt for the pin. He pulled the pin, and thew it in the direction he heard Goldar's footsteps.

"What?!" shrieked Goldar as a deep, dense black smokescreen surrounded him. He began coughing violently. Zack leapt off the cot, and followed the sound of the coughing.

"Times like this, I'm glad the Power Ranger helmets automatically purify the air we breathe!" he said, kicking Goldar to the ground. He continued to aim his attacks at the source of the coughing. Goldar was at a serious disadvantage-- not being able to see clearly, smell anything but foul smoke, and barely able to breath through the dense smoke. He crumpled under the Black Ranger's relentless attacks.

"No... fair..." Goldar wheezed between coughs, "Not... fair... fight!"

"Probably not," said Zack, delivering a powerful uppercut, "but it certainly wasn't fair for your Illuminator monster to play possum, and trick me into coming close! It sure as heck wasn't fair for him to blind me! WAS IT?!

"

Now, Zack was pounding Goldar mercilessly, his aggression fueled by the anger and frustration of his recent blindness. Goldar quickly realized he wasn't going to win this battle.

"We'll... finish this... some other time..." he wheezed, and vanished in a cloud of gold. Once he was gone, Zack fell to his knees, panting hard. "Now, to find that gemstone," he said, holding his breath. He listened carefully for the sound of a weak hum, which Zordon had described to him earlier. Zack soon perceived it, and slowly crawled across the cave towards it. He moves slowly enough that when he collided with a rock, it didn't hurt. Soon, Zack felt his way to the pillar, and touched the black stone with his gloved hand.

"Once I destroy you, the rangers will be free of this spell. Power Ax!"

The Power Ax appeared in Zack's hand, and with the other hand, he felt the gem. Then, he lifted the ax high, and let it drop. He hit the gemstone right in the center, and the gem exploded. Zack was thrown back by the energy release, but he wasn't