So I've had the idea of Nigel being turned into a dragon for a little bit, but this is a bit different. Rather than some magical shenanigans being the cause, I thought, "Hey, what if he just was a dragon but didn't know?" It seemed like a neat twist on an already fun idea, so I wanted to play with it. I've got some more written up, but I decided to cut up what I have written into chapters because I hit a snag at a later point in the story. I'll go ahead and say that past the second chapter, I'm unsure when this will update.
Also, this story is set in Disney's airing timeline as opposed to the intended timeline by the creators. To make it short: Supernatural Tuesday wasn't meant to air until after Homecoming, but Disney demanded otherwise, so it came out much earlier than intended (hence Nigel not even appearing in the background in episodes like Love Cruise and Homecoming despite them being school events he'd likely be at). I'll be going with this one so the story works.
Set directly after the Rotwood Files. Like, I mean right after Brock tries to expose Jake. Same day and everything.
Nigel peered around the stage's red curtains and grinned when he saw that the auditorium had cleared out. After Brock was dragged away by police, parents and newscasters alike dashed for the door, eager to watch the events play out. Plenty had also surrounded Jake and his friends briefly, many of which wanted to know if they were alright. Spud in particular was a cause for concern since he was the one that got covered in an unknown chemical cocktail. All of that meant the area had cleared out quickly, which was perfect for him.
He wanted to snag a sample of whatever was in that vial. He wasn't sure if the chemical actually did what Brock claimed, but he'd rather take some for study anyway. If it did work, then knowing what was in it could prove useful. And he had a sneaking suspicion it did work given how grave Jake's face had become when Brock pulled the concoction from his coat pocket.
With the coast clear, the sorcerer-in-training made his way over to the cage that was still sitting in the center of the stage. The bars were now gone and no teens were inside, but the strange blue liquid that Brock had doused Spud with was still gleaming on the floor inside. It seemed that a decent amount of it had dripped off of the boy and formed several puddles of varying sizes.
Bending down, Nigel produced a vial from his pocket. His hand began to glow violet as he focused his magic on the chemical. The same light appeared around the largest puddle of liquid and it began to rise as Nigel guided it into the open vial. Once all of it had been collected, he corked the flask and pocketed it.
With his sample collected, he glanced back down at the smaller pools that still dotted the metal floor. No way he'd be leaving that there. He already had a feeling Rotwood would come back to collect some for himself in the hopes that he could recreate it. With a snap of his fingers, a clothe appeared in Nigel's hand with a brief puff of purple smoke and he began to wipe up what remained of the concoction.
As soon as the rag ran over the puddles, the strange brew soaked into it and quickly bled through to the other side. Nigel didn't think twice when he felt the clothe become damp in his hand. At least, he didn't until he felt a sudden surge of magic beginning to run through his arm at an alarming rate. Panic rising with the sensation, he pulled his hand away from the rag like it was a hot iron. "Blast! Does it affect anything magical?" he muttered to himself, gripping his right hand as it trembled due to the sheer amount of energy being forced through it. The sensation reminded him of a basic energy blast except it was much more forceful and completely out of his control.
He willed the magic to bend to his commands, to calm it and reign it back in, but his efforts were futile. It was only building, climbing higher and higher until, all at once, it stopped. Purple-colored energy didn't shoot out of his hand and blast a hole in the wall like he had been expecting. Confused, Nigel lifted his hand only to find something more shocking. Ivory scales now covered his hand, black claws tipped his fingers, cream-colored webbing lined the insides of his fingers save for his thumb, and the general shape was now more dragon than human.
The teen blinked at it in utter bewilderment with questions flooding his mind. How was this even possible? That mixture Brock had made was supposed to force dragons into their true form, and last he checked, he was not a dragon. But he was a sorcerer…in training. Maybe the brew just reacted to anything magical? But that didn't explain why it had turned his hand into a dragon's paw… Nigel shook himself from his thoughts, glancing around to check that nobody had entered during his brief stint of panic. He'd forgotten he was still up on the stage and that someone could walk in at any time. Thankfully, the auditorium was as empty as before.
He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and steady his thoughts. It was pretty clear what he needed to do now. "Long better still be here. Maybe he'll have a clue as to what's happening." Casting one last glance at his scaly hand, he shoved it deep in his pocket and started for the exit door.
He wasn't entirely sure where Long and his friends had gone. He'd lost track of them in the crowd of concerned parents and the general chaos that ensued when Brock was dragged away. He really hoped they hadn't left the school yet. If they had, he'd be out of luck. Now that he thought about it, he really should swap numbers with Long. Magical emergencies could happen at any time, and they wouldn't always be in school.
Nigel wandered around the empty halls, glancing in every classroom he passed by. So far, every one of them was empty, which wasn't a surprise. Classes had been canceled for the day since their new principal was being arrested. Still, he hoped to find someone - anyone - so he could at least ask if they knew the trio's whereabouts.
He had just finished climbing the stairs to search the second floor when he heard a chorus of voices down the hall. Turning his attention that way, he spied a group of reporters camped outside a classroom. In front of the door to the room was none other than Sun Park. "C'mon! Just one question!" one woman pleaded.
"One each!" another one spoke up, sending a pointed look at the woman.
"Absolutely not," Ms. Park stood firm, arms crossed and a frown on her face. "These children have been through enough today. They shouldn't be bothered with questions right now."
The sorcerer felt some relief wash over him. Even if by some chance she wasn't talking and Long and his friends, she might have some idea of where they had gone. He cleared his throat as he approached her. "Good morning, Mrs. Park," he greeted, taking her attention away from the reporters.
"Oh, Nigel," she gave him a warm smile. "It's good to see you! But didn't you hear? Classes are canceled for today due to this morning's events."
"Yes, I've heard," he nodded. "However, I need to speak with Long for a moment. He wouldn't happen to be in there, would he?" the sorcerer pointed to the door that she was guarding.
Mrs. Park nodded and returned her sharp gaze to the group of journalists. "These pests wouldn't stop hounding them, so I offered to let them stay in my room until things cooled down."
"Would you mind letting me in?" he asked, eyeing the door. "The matter is rather important." He just hoped the woman wouldn't ask what it was.
Sun's gaze flicked to it briefly, and after a moment of consideration, she stepped aside so that he could entere. He didn't waste any time. He slipped in as quickly as he could, allowing Sun to retake her position in front of the door before the nosy reporters could take advantage of the opportunity.
Jake, Trixie, and Spud were sat at their normal table, chatting amongst each other about what had gone down not even an hour before. However, their conversation came to an immediate halt when they heard the door open. Looking that way, they found the sorcerer-in-training at the door.
"Nigel?" Jake swiveled around on his chair and raised a brow.
"The one and only," he replied with a cocky grin and puff of his chest.
"I guess you're here to talk about the whole thing with Brock, huh?" he rubbed the back of his neck, growing a bit somber at the thought of the man. Just his name was a reminder of how uncomfortably close he'd gotten to revealing the magical world, and Trixie had been nailing that in ever since they got privacy.
"Sort of," he came closer to the group, looking a little bit more serious now. After shooting a tertiary glance at the door, he withdrew his hand from his pocket and presented it to the group, who all stared at it with wide eyes.
"Cool!" Spud exclaimed, face lighting up. "I didn't know you had shapeshifting powers."
"I don't," the other boy replied swiftly. "I haven't even begun to study shapeshifting spells yet."
"Okay, let's back up," Jake said, breaking out of his stupor. "How did this happen?" he asked as he leaned forward to get a better look at the ivory-colored hand. The webbing between the fingers was something he hadn't seen before, but otherwise, it looked like a dragon paw. Despite being one himself, he wasn't sure if dragons could even have webbing between their fingers.
"Well, I thought I'd collect a sample of whatever Brock nearly used on you," he began, gesturing towards the dragon. "After all, if it works, having a sample to study could prove useful. I got some on my hand in the process, and the next thing I know, I've got scales," he lifted his hand for emphasis.
Trixie's face screwed up in thought. "Well, you ain't a dragon, but you are a sorcerer. Maybe that's got something to do with it?" she offered uncertainly.
"I've already considered that possibility myself," Nigel admitted. "But if that's the case, then I don't see why it would have the same effect on all magical creatures. If it forces a dragon into their true form, then, in theory, it should force a sorcerer's cloak to appear."
"And we know it doesn't just turn someone into a dragon since I got splashed with it and nothing happened," Spud added.
Jake frowned in thought, rubbing his chin as he mulled over the information. All the details he had at the moment were pointing towards the very obvious conclusion that Nigel was a dragon, but it didn't exactly make sense. After all, how could someone be a dragon and not have the slightest clue? Finally, it was Trixie who voiced Jake's thoughts. "Nigel, are you sure you aren't a dragon?" she raised a brow at him. "Because that's the only conclusion I'm seeing right now."
"Yes, I'm sure," he responded, sounding offended that she thought he'd be ignorant of something so obvious. "I think I'd know if there were dragons in my family, and I'd definitely know if I was one myself."
"Are you sure? Because that hand looks very… dragon-y," Spud pointed at the paw down by his side.
Nigel's gaze drifted down to the claw, and after a moment of consideration, he let out a sigh of defeat. "It certainly does look that way," he confessed with a frown. "But I can't imagine how I wouldn't know." His voice grew quieter with the last part, his own confusion evident.
Jake's face suddenly lit up with a realization. "Hey, maybe Fu can help!" he offered with a growing smile. "He knows all kinds of potions. There's gotta be one that can tell us if this is Brock's work or just your bloodline coming through."