A/N: Here we go again! I need to warn you, in case my previous warnings were not enough. This is not going to go along with the Trigon arc at all anymore. Don't know if it matters, but this changes everything. But, with the fact that Danny Phantom and friends are involved, that kinda shoots any continuity right out the window anyway, right?

Anyway, here is where you finally get some answers. I hope you like it!

Now, enough from me...

Almost...

DISCLAIMER: Ok, don't own it, never will. Anybody who tells you I do, is lying and even if you sue, all your gonna get is my van, and the AC doesn't even work!

And, again, thank you all who review. It really means the world to me! Sad, maybe, but true :)

Chapter 8

"You know what's going on?" Danny questioned?

Clockwork changed into a baby, but retained the same vocal ability. "Yes. In a way, I am partially responsible for this situation."

"WHAT?" eight voices chorused.

Switching to a young man, he held up his hands in defense,"Please, calm down and I will explain. Please, sit." He indicated the couch.

The group sat down, waiting for the promised explanation.

"For some reason, Daniel, I have taken a liking to you. So, from time to time, I check to make sure all is well. The last time I checked, however, nothing was fine. What I am about to reveal may disturb you all greatly, and I probably should not reveal so much, but I do feel it is necessary." He took a deep breath, and released it slowly, making sure he had the attention of the eight young men and women in front of him.

He looked first to Danny, Sam and Tucker. "Pariah Dark was destined to rise again. He managed to gain control of the ghost zone again, unbeknownst to anyone outside. Any who tried to escape or gain help was immediately struck down." He turned his gaze to the Titans. "He somehow managed to get in touch with Trigon the Terrible, and they formed an alliance. Their plan was to join forces to take over both the ghost zone, and the human world, and from there, the whole dimension. They would then keep going until they ruled all dimensions." There was a collective gasp and visible paling among the group.

"You said 'was', does this mean it isn't going to happen?" Raven asked.

He looked each one of them in the eyes before continuing. "In that time line, the Titans no longer existed, and Danny and Tucker barely spoke to each other."

"What? Why?" Tucker asked, glancing at his best friend.

"What would make the Titans break up?" asked Beast Boy.

"And what about me?" Sam questioned.

Clockwork sighed. "Unfortunately, in that time line, Sam and Raven, were no longer alive."

The room was silent for a moment, before exploding in sound. And in Sam's case, furniture. The footstool joined the end table in orbit.

Clockwork stood quietly, waiting for everyone to calm down so he could explain.

"Enough!" Raven yelled. All eyes swung to her. "Look, if we don't shut up, he can't explain." Everyone calmed and sat down, staring expectantly at the robed figure.

"Thank you Raven." He addressed the group. "In a fight you were to have with Skulker, the ghost zone hunter, a stray shot would ricochet off a wall, hitting Sam. Before she could be treated, she would succumb to her injuries. Daniel and Tucker would fall into a deep depression, and slowly drift apart. Daniel even stopped fighting ghosts. So uninterested in life was he, that he missed the few signs there were of Pariah Dark's assent." At this, he turned to the Titans.

"As all this was happening, Trigon the Terrible would use the gem, Raven, to come to Earth and gain power. The Titans would manage to subdue him. But they would not even know of Pariah Dark's influence until it was to late. As Trigon fell, Pariah used the distraction to come through, and in the process, cut down Raven." Beast Boy took Raven's hand unconsciously. "He would gain power, until Daniel and Tucker found out and came to help. Together these two former teams would defeat him. But Sam and Raven would be dead. The loss was enough for the Titans to disband, also drifting apart. Starfire would return to Tamaran, " Robin took her hand. "Beast Boy to Africa, and so on." He again studied the people in front of him. They all looked shocked.

"I think you can see now why I felt I should intervene, even though you would come out triumphant. I found that, if you were together, you could draw upon each other for strength to overcome this horrible situation."

They all sat in silence for a bit, just digesting the information. Then Starfire spoke up.

"Please, if they only needed to be together for this, why then did they need each other's bodies?"

At this question, Clockwork looked a little angry. "This was never my intention. I could not directly interfere, so I needed help. I disguised myself and contacted a small time villain. I promised him a reward if he was able to find a way to get Daniel, Sam and Tucker from Amity Park before the attack from Skulker. Unfortunately, this Big Boom character decided to add his own little twist. When I spoke to him earlier, he said that since I had mentioned the girls would need to be strong, he thought he would help. He said that nothing makes you stronger than trauma, so he would create some. Being that you are healthy, somewhat normal teenage girls, the chances were good that you were in love, and probably hiding it. If you had switched bodies and were forced to face the boys you loved, it would help you become closer to each other, and stronger as well. And then, he said, if the boys happened to love you back, that would make you even stronger."

The girls were stunned. For about ten seconds.

Then they were pissed.

"WHAT?" They screamed in unison.

The fridge exploded, coating the kitchen in a strange, blue substance.

"So this whole body switching thing was an experiment?" Raven asked.

"I guess you could say that, yes. I am truly sorry for that." Clockwork replied.

"I'm going to kill him." Raven said quietly.

"Not if I get to him first." Sam replied, trying to calm down.

"He lied to us! He said he didn't know anything about it!" Beast Boy yelled, wiping blue stuff off his shirt.

"He is a villain." Clockwork supplied. "He steals and blows things up. You don't think it would be hard for him to lie?"

Beast Boy deflated at this.

"Well, I have been gone to long as it is." He started to fade out.

"Wait!" Danny yelled.

"Yes," Clockwork fazed back in. "What is it?"

"How do we fix this?" he asked, indicating the girls.

"Oh, that he did tell you. The only way to get them back into their own bodies, and I do suggest that happens before the fight, is for them to confess to the ones they love. And they have to do it within one hour of each other, or it won't work. Now, I really do have to go."

And with that, he was gone.