I don't know why, but this idea popped into my head earlier. I was thinking about all the angsty stories people write about Will for after he got back from Scandia. I wondered how Halt would deal with a traumatized apprentice, and decided he would send him to a counselor. But I myself think counselors are rather evil, so this idea was born. Don't read if you're a huge fan of counselors.

After being a slave in Scandia for some time, Will has been rescued by Halt, and brought back to Araluen. However, the recent memories stay in his mind. Will is now officially dealing with very serious problems of teenage angst. Giving up on trying to help Will by himself, Halt has decided to send Will to a counselor. And Halt has motives of his own. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Counselors Oath of Evil…

NOOOOOO! The cry echoed over Araluen. Men, woman, and children looked up in alarm. Birds flew squawking from trees. Animals raised there heads from where they were grazing in the fields.

"Deal with it, Will," Halt said irritably. "You're going to a counselor. And that's final."

His voice indeed hammered in the point that it was final, as did the powerful glare he was sending in Will's direction.

"NOOOO!" Will screamed again. "I don't need to go to a counselor! I'm fine! Absolutely fine!"

Halt looked at his apprentice, cowering feebly in a corner with his arms over his head. The old Ranger raised one eyebrow.

"Fine, are you?" he remarked.

Will raised his head slightly.

"Yes! Fine! It's not my fault I have nightmares all night long! I don't need counseling! I'm FINE!"

Halt pulled his unwilling apprentice to his feet.

"You're going. NOW."

Will never was quite sure how it happened. One moment he was trembling in the corner, the next he was standing in front of the door of a counselor's office. There was a sign on the door.

"Enter at your own risk. We accept no responsibility for dead, or permanently traumatized patients," Will read.

Halt opened the door. The little bell over the door rang. It sounded like someone screaming.

A man looked up from where he was hunched over a desk.

"Yessssss?" he hissed, raising his head.

Will hid behind Halt. He was sure the man had fangs. Halt pushed Will forward toward the counselor.

"This is Will," he said. "He recently returned from being a slave in Scandia. I think he's traumatized."

The man smiled.

"We love traumatizzzzed people here. Come right thisssss way. By the way, my name isssss…Jon."

Jon started walking down a hall. Halt followed, pulling a strongly protesting, struggling Will behind him by one wrist.

"What if he says there's nothing wrong with me?" Will whispered.

"Don't worry, he won't," Halt replied heartlessly.

Finally the three of them reached a room. Will looked around. The floor was white carpet, and the walls were painted a pleasant shade of green. It was quite nice actually. Except for the statue of a screaming person placed on the table, directly in the center.

Jon spoke again.

"What time would you like for your firssst appointment to be? Tuesssday, perhapssss?"

Will gulped.

"Tuesday will be fine," Halt replied, ignoring his apprentice.

Jon laughed softly. Will hid behind Halt again and trembled.

"Come to thissss room, Tuesssday afternoon at preccccisssely one o'clock."

Halt nodded.

An hour later all the arrangements were made and all the paperwork was filled out.

"I'm gonna die!" Will groaned. "After this I will be traumatized."

Halt glared at him.

"You'll be fine. By the way, could you tell me if you find anything about the, ummm….Counselors Oath of Evil?"

"The Counselors Oath of Evil? What's that?" Will asked.

Halt shrugged.

"It's an ancient oath, signed by all counselors. Written in the blood of their patients."

Will shuddered.

"Are they going to write an oath in MY blood?"

Halt almost smiled.

"Will, Will, Will, the Counselors Oath of Evil was written centuries ago. They don't refresh the writing on it THAT often. They mostly just use their patients blood to paint walls now."

Will shuddered. "The walls were green!"

Halt shrugged carelessly.

"Some people have strange blood. Anyway, tell me all you find about the Oath of Evil. I've been trying to find out about it for years, but they've hidden the information well. I believe that you will be the perfect spy."

Tuesday Afternoon

"I'll never talk! You can't make me!"

Jon sighed. Will had been acting like this for hours. He might have to resort to…harsher methods.

"We have our…ways…of making people talk," he replied.

Will remained curled on the couch in a fetal position. Jon sighed again. He would have to check the Counselors Handbook of Ways and Methods for this case.

"Please excuse me for a moment," he said, glancing at a small door in the corner. He stood and left the room.

The moment he was gone, Will leaped from the couch and ran to the little door. It was locked. Luckily Will had learned from Halt how to pick all locks, and this one was fairly simple. It was the work of a moment to get the door open. Will swung it back.

He gasped and stumbled backward in horror. Tools of torture filled the small room. Machines, axes, knives, poisons. Will slammed the door and ran back to the couch. He threw himself on it and huddled there, making himself as small as possible.

Soon Jon entered the room again. He had checked the Counselors Handbook of Ways and Methods. Harsher solutions would be required. Jon looked around. There was Will, collapsed on the couch, still in the same position as before. Will looked up, his face streaked with tears.

"I'll do anything! I'll say anything! Just don't hurt me! I confess! I was sad this morning! I'll try to do better! Don't touch me!"

Jon whipped out a notepad and wrote down Will's words. Whatever had caused this dramatic change in the patient must be found…

"By the way," Will said, "Is there actually a Counselors Oath of Evil?"

Jon sucked in his breath harshly.

"You know of the Oath of Evil?"

He grabbed Will and pulled him upright. Half dragging him he pulled him to the small door, not even noticing in his panic that it wasn't locked.

A few minutes later…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I hope you thought that was funny. I myself thought it was actually kind of scary. *Shudder* Anyway, you know the drill. REVIEW!