Well, as some of you may have noticed, I tried to keep a schedule and update weekly… but I failed at that… and I thought that now, in the vacations I would finally have more time for stuff like this… but… life.

Ah, well. Thank you all for waiting (It's not like you had much of a choice) and thank you so much to my reviewers; Catapapalilar x3, The elf from Alagesia, SandraStar66, Guest, ShadowDragon357, Iblamepie, Invader Johnny, Oystardiom, and too enigmatic 2 b urs. You all are the best!

I actually wrote a different beginning to this chapter – I had Danny getting all mad and pissed and yelling at Tucker and everything… but then it wouldn't really work out for what's gunna happen next so I had to rewrite him going crazy and freaking out while Tucker feels guilty. Sort of.

Now, on with the story! This chapter will reveal some things. :)

DISCLAIMER: Danny Phantom and Candor do not belong to me.

Sacrifices

Chapter 10: Keep calm and panic

He wouldn't be surprised if he completely lost his mind. He was sure acting like it. Muttering a few choice words under his breath, talking to himself, while pacing around the room. Waving wild hand gestures in the air, occasionally glaring at Tucker, but really – mostly just muttering uncomprehendingly under his breath to himself.

Tucker shifted uncomfortably as he watched Danny burst into the stupor. The geek pushed his rimmed glasses up his nose, and watched as Danny grew from panicked, to hysterical. Maddie, who was also very surprised at the teen's sudden outburst, leaped on the lab table next to Tucker and watched Danny with mild interest.

It had been two minutes. Two whole minutes, of Danny acting like the whole world was ending.

It probably was, but if didn't help that fact that he was still doing it; pacing around the lab like his life depends on it and probably reciting his whole biography to himself.

He hadn't asked any questions. Danny Fenton was a weird kid, and Tucker doubt he would ever really fail to surprise him. But he did expect him to ask something by now, not pace around the room. Tucker shook his head. This was going to be challenging.

Tucker cleared his throat, probably to get the other teen's attention, but was only met with a stone glare from Danny.

Maddie rolled her eyes. Oh, now he was just being impossible.

Tucker raised an eyebrow, and questioned, "Look, I know you have a lot on your mind, but can you can at least sit down, so we can talk about it?"

All that pacing was making Tucker sweat even though he was just watching.

Danny stubbornly folded his arms and plopped on the near-by chair, all the while continuously muttering to himself. Tucker sighed and rubbed his temples. This, is just ridiculous. Head in his hands, Tucker strained his ears and listened.

"… Stupid… what was I thinking?… It was freaking' purple!… She could get hurt… stupid, stupid, stupid! What would I do if… no. Maybe… what if no one… gah, what about… the listening room…"

He was only getting snippets of his ramblings, but it was enough to discover that Danny had screwed up, pretty bad, ("Stupid!") and that whatever this listening room is, must be the consequence.

Bringing his head up from his palms, he clears his throat, pushes his glasses up his nose, and starts. "Look. Calm down. I don't know how bad the situation is -" Danny gives him a ludicrous look, which he ignores, "- but if you tell me what's so bad, we can figure something out,"

Danny stopped rambling, and just… stared. Yeah, he knew he should probably tell Tucker about the listening room; but shouldn't Tucker be the one talking right now? I mean, he is the one who brought this up! Gah! But it's mostly his own fault anyways. He did stuff without thinking. No, correction; he did reckless stuff without thinking.

Maddie shook her head in disapproval. If she could, Tucker wondered, would she tisk at him as well? Guess there's only one way to find out…

But, Tucker didn't get to test his theory, because, low behold; Danny spoke. "The listening room," He mumbled, "A place where there is music going on full-blast. You can't escape it. Everyone breaks in there. Even I would break in there. The messages take over,"

Danny looks up, and Tucker is surprised to see that his eyes are glazed with unshed tears.

"You don't remember anything. Anything. Who you are, what you were, family, friends… Nothing. All gone. They wipe away your memory and you become a perfect copy of the most perfect child. The side-effects are… god, Tucker the side-effects, nerve-damage; muscle failure; hypotonia; and in extreme cases – death."

Silence hung in the room, as the two boys just stared at each other. Tucker took a few moments for this information to sink in.

Maddie purred softly, as if trying to comfort them. It wasn't really working.

Danny stiffened as he felt the chill radiating from his core; makings its way, slithering up his spine and a mist forming out of his moth.

His ghost sense.

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "What was –"

He would have finished the sentence, if the click of the front door opening wasn't heard, and Vlads' call of; 'I'm home!' didn't echo in the hallways.

Sam walked into the room – not even caring if her boots were making a muddy mess on the floor – and stomped off in the direction if her bedroom. Well, technically, it wasn't her bedroom, per see; If it were her bedroom, there would be black wallpaper, purple and blood red décor, and a few posters on the wall. With the occasional mess of papers on the floor.

But, this wasn't her room; and this wasn't really her house; and this wasn't her city, heck, she didn't even want to step foot outside there in this freak of a town ever again.

She got to her room, closing the door softly. In a fit of range, she gave a cry and flung her backpack on the bed.

Breathing heavily, she leaned against the door; slid down, sitting; pulling her legs close to her chest, attempting to close in on herself.

This town was crazy. It was driving her mad. Why is everyone so perfect? Why is everyone so nice? Why is everyone so normal?

It made her feel left-out.

And for the first time in her life, Sam wanted to be the same. She never did when she was outside this town. She embraced her individuality.

But, now, she wants to let go. It's like a compelling thought hanging in the air. Go with the flow. Go on, Sam, do what everyone else is doing.

Outside of Amity, there were all sorts. The popular, the cheerleaders, the jocks, the geeks, the nerds, the bookworms, the weirdo's, the freaks. She, obviously fitted in the freaks, but that didn't matter. She liked it there, even though it was hectic and absurd, she really felt she was fighting for something over there.

Her individuality. Her strongest and most relied-upon feature.

And when she came here… form the very beginning, when she first thought of spray-painting some décor on the neighbor's porch – she felt like stopping.

Nothing ever stopped her like that before.

It's like there is another different presence in her mind. Just looming there, telling her to just let go of her individual thinking and join the others. There is nothing to fight for, here. So she should just let go of all this nonsense.

Why, though?

"Sammie!" He mother's shrill voice called. "We have arranged a play-date with a positive influence for you!"

Sam wanted to snap, tell her mother that she was too old for play-dates, tell her mother that she doesn't need an influence – but then it came.

Always obey your parents.

And before she could stop herself, before she could do anything, she said; "Okay!"

Her mother let out a shriek of pleasure, and Sam groaned as she bumped her head on the wooden door.

For the first time in Sam's life, she didn't want a change. She didn't want this change. She wanted to be back home, where she could be a freak and be happy about it.

She didn't want this. She doesn't want to change and become something she doesn't want to be. That little voice, command, whatever – it's eating her, it's telling her to stop being who she is and stop doing what she does.

For the first time in her life, Sam felt scared.

A sad smile is on her face as she slumps fully against the door.

At least, her parents are happy.

"No time to explain!" Danny hissed, grabbing Tucker by the arm and diving behind one of the huge cupboards conveniently at the far corner of the lab. It's a good thing he didn't turn on all the lights – the shadow the cupboard was emitting was enough to hide in.

Maddie quickly padded up the stairs, in order to go greet Vlad somewhere in the house.

"Do you think she'll buy us a few minutes?" Tucker asked, shuffling so that he can be flat against the wall.

"Doubt it," Danny whispered, trying to conceal himself as well. He prayed that Vlad won't enter the lab. He prayed – that even if Vlad did enter the lab – he won't turn the lights on.

But with his luck, Vlad probably will.

My chapters are getting sorter, aren't they? I'm really sorry about that.

I don't really like the summary I have for this story at the moment. If anyone would like to be a genius and write one for me I'll give you full credit and a digital cookie! THANK YOU!

Review, and write summaries so I may see who wrote the best one and use it! :)

~Mark the tiny Giraffe.