Chapter Text
Alchemical chemistry was easily one of the most dynamic classes in all of Auradon Prep.
As strange as it might have seemed, Yzma had actually turned into an excellent teacher. She had such a peculiar way of explaining things that she managed to ignite—if only just a bit—the interest of almost any student in science. Between extravagant experiments, theatrical explanations, and a worrying amount of controlled explosions, very few of her classes ever turned out boring.
When the students walked into the laboratory that morning, they found the room set up differently. Several tables filled the space, each equipped with a copper cauldron, flasks of various sizes, test tubes, mortars, scales, and a bewildering variety of ingredients.
"Good morning, class," the professor greeted them.
"Good morning, Professor!" several students chimed in together.
"Today’s lesson will focus on brewing one of the most complex potions of the semester. If you prepare it correctly, you will obtain an elixir capable of temporarily revealing the true magical nature of any object."
An excited whisper rippled through the room.
"Will we get to test it?" Squirmy asked, raising his hand.
"On objects, young Mr. Smee," Yzma replied. "Not on people, animals, plants, ghosts, teachers, or yourselves."
A faint wave of laughter filled the laboratory until Yzma cleared her throat, instantly bringing the room back to silence.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted, you will be working in teams of three." Yzma pointed to a box on her desk. "Each of you will reach in and pull out a colored ball from here. That is how the teams will be formed."
The students began drawing balls one by one.
Luis drew a turquoise blue ball and went to sit at one of the tables, which was still empty.
Red had pulled out a mustard yellow one.
Chloe drew black.
Hazel pulled out a red one, and so did Max.
The Smee twins reached into the box at the exact same time, and by pure coincidence, each drew a turquoise blue ball.
Luis smiled; this would be his first time working in a group exclusively with the twins.
They waved, making their way over to join him at his desk.
"Brilliant," Squirmy exclaimed, peering at a test tube filled with a shimmering silver liquid.
"All right, everyone," Yzma clapped her hands once all the teams were set up. "If you have been paying attention in class, everything will be straightforward. Just follow the instructions printed on the sheets at each table."
Yzma began to pace between the desks.
"Do not substitute ingredients."
She walked past Red's table.
"Do not alter the amounts."
She kept walking.
"And above all, do not mix reagents that shouldn't be combined prematurely. Some compounds are perfectly safe on their own or when neutralized by another element... but they are utterly catastrophic when combined."
Silence fell over the laboratory.
"How catastrophic?" a student asked from the back.
Yzma smiled with unsettling calm.
"Enough for the infirmary to open a brand-new wing dedicated solely to alchemy class accidents."
Several students swallowed hard.
"Now then… you may begin."
The flames under the cauldrons ignited all at once with a green fire.
"Luis, you read the instructions," Squeaky said. "I didn't bring my glasses today, and Squirmy is much more efficient at getting things."
"Sounds good to me," Luis replied, picking up the instruction sheet to read. "First, the cauldron must be half-filled with water… Squirmy."
"On it!" The taller twin took the cauldron and headed to the sinks along the wall to fill it to that level. He returned to place the cauldron carefully over the flame.
"Let's see… first, four milliliters of moonflower essence."
"I'll do that," Squeaky said, picking up the dropper to measure out the exact amount.
"Then three pinches of enchanted quartz powder," Luis continued.
Squirmy was already rummaging through the jars until he spotted a pink one. "Found it."
"Squirmy, use the little spoon," Squeaky said as soon as he saw his twin reaching into the jar with his hand. "Ground quartz can sink into your skin."
"Oh…"
Squirmy carefully added the pinches to the mixture using the small measuring spoon. The grayish hue it had taken on from the moonflower essence began to blend with the pink.
"And stir with a golden spoon, three times clockwise," Luis instructed, and Squeaky followed the steps slowly.
"We make a great team," Squirmy smiled.
"Three grams of amethyst paste."
"Done."
"Two whispering rose thorns."
"I don't know why they're called that; they don't whisper at all."
"And three blue lily petals."
"One… two… three," Squeaky dropped them in one by one; upon hitting the hot mixture, they puffed out colorful smoke.
"And stir for two minutes."
"Right on it, chief," Squeaky picked up the ladle again, stirring everything with slow movements, watching as the entire potion turned a bright magenta shade.
Luis was still reviewing the instructions, while Squirmy decided to look at what they hadn't used yet, picking up the tube containing the shimmering silver substance.
"When do we use this shiny little thing?" he asked, swirling the tube slightly.
"That shiny little thing is called Liquid Moon, Squirmy. And we shouldn't use it until it's mixed with the Magnesium Pearls," Luis said, scanning the instructions carefully.
Squirmy looked down at the table and saw the tube of pearls. Then, he remembered Professor Yzma's words:
"Some compounds are perfectly safe on their own or when neutralized by another element."
His face lit up as he did some quick mental math.
Magnesium Pearls neutralize Liquid Moon.
If they neutralize it…
…then Liquid Moon must be dangerous on its own.
And if it's dangerous on its own… he could make it safe ahead of time.
Unnoticed by Luis and Squeaky, a huge grin spread across his face.
He didn't want to ruin the experiment, so to stay ahead of the game, he carefully picked up the tube of pearls.
Looking at both tubes in his hands, he slowly tilted his right hand over the other, letting the pearls roll out quickly and spill straight into the Liquid Moon.
He grinned as he watched the mixture react, bubbling up and turning the liquid pitch-black.
"Done," Squeaky said, lifting the ladle out of the cauldron.
"Great. Now," Luis read the instructions again, "before mixing the Liquid Moon with the Magnesium Pearls, you must neutralize the Moon by adding half a teaspoon of Abyssal Coral Dust."
Hearing that, the smile completely faded from Squirmy's face.
"What did you just say?" Squirmy asked, turning to look at them while holding the tube of black substance, which was rapidly heating up and puffing out foul-smelling smoke.
"Squirmy... what did you do?" Squeaky asked.
"I mixed... the Liquid Moon with the Magnesium Pearls."
Squeaky’s eyes widened. "Without the Abyssal Coral Dust?"
Squirmy finally began to grasp the magnitude of his mistake. "I thought the Pearls were what neutralized it!"
A low, dull thud echoed from inside the tube.
Gulp.
All three of them whipped their heads toward it. The black substance was no longer just bubbling; it seemed to be... breathing.
The glass heated up so quickly that it began to glow with a faint reddish tint.
Luis took a step back. "Don't hold on to it."
"What?" Squirmy asked.
The glass started to crack, catching the attention of the rest of the class.
"Squirmy, drop the tube!"
Panicked, the blonde boy dropped the test tube, which shattered straight onto the laboratory floor. But it was no use—the contents erupted into a massive cloud of black smoke.
"Cover your noses and evacuate the laboratory!" Professor Yzma yelled.
The students covered their faces and scrambled toward the doors.
However, the smoke cloud rose too fast, crashing directly into Luis and Squirmy's faces. Squeaky had managed to cover his nose with his hand and was already heading for the exit.
Luis and Squirmy, on the other hand, had inhaled a massive amount of the smoke that now enveloped their faces.
Luis stumbled backward, coughing violently, while Squirmy wobbled on his feet.
Outside, everyone was running to reach safety in the nearest courtyard.
"Who was the idiot?" Max asked, pulling his hat off his face.
"Is everyone all right?" Yzma asked, scanning the crowd of students.
A chorus of affirmative answers echoed through the crowd, but one blonde boy was frantically looking back and forth.
"Squirmy's missing," Squeaky said, scanning the area. "Squirmy isn't here!"
"Hey, where's Luis?" Robbie asked, noticing his friend was missing too.
Inside the classroom, still thick with black smoke, lay two boys. Amidst the chaos and the glass shards scattered across the floor, they were both unconscious.
Luis was sprawled flat on his back on the classroom floor, one arm outstretched and the other bent across his chest. His breathing was slow but steady. Traces of dark soot left by the smoke still coated his face, and his brows furrowed every now and then, as if trapped in a nightmare.
A few feet away from him, Squirmy remained slumped against one of the worktables. He had passed out sitting down, his back propped against one of the table legs and his head tilted to the side. The broken test tube rested near his feet, surrounded by a small puddle of that dark substance, which was slowly starting to evaporate into thin air.