Bad Angels

“Jackpot.” A sweet, soothing voice said. “Jackpot.” It said again, a little louder.

“JACKPOT!!!!!” The pony did not stir. The voice sighed, then a bolt of lightning struck Jackpot, who shot up.

“Goooooood morning Equestria! The time is now 8 o’clock in da evenin’ and I am here to bring you some sweeeeeeeet, sweeeeet music!” He fell to the ground, and shook his head. Note to self, wake up when somepony asks you to. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, which was hard because everything around him was white. He blinked a few times, and shook his head. His vision cleared up, and he saw that everything was indeed, white. “Whe-where am I?” He said slowly.

“I’m sorry Jackpot, but you’re dead, and now you’re here in the realm of harmony.” Jackpot turned to see who was talking to him. It was an alicorn with milk white fur, and a simple brown mane. She had a motherly vibe coming off her, or at least from what Jackpot could guess was a motherly vibe. Wait, did she just say I’m dead?!

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I’m. Dead?” The pony nodded. “Celestia dammit!” *Zap* “Yee ow!” Jackpot jumped into the air, screaming his head off after lightning struck him.

He landed with a thud, “Pretty stars.”

“I do not appreciate swearing in my domain, especially when it’s my daughter’s name.” The pony said sternly, like scolding a child. Jackpot shook the stars away, and stood back up, then he acknowledged what he said.

“Wait a minute, are you saying you’re…”

“Indeed, I am Lauren Faust, but you may just call me Lauren. Welcome to paradise.” Jackpot could only sum up his reaction in two words, and he couldn’t even use one of them. The dead criminal looked around, and saw the beauty of it all. The grass was green, the sky was violet, in permanent twilight, the clouds had pegasi children playing on them. So this is paradise. I might like it here.

“So… this is it?” He said, looking at the goddess with sad, yet energetic eyes. Lauren said nothing, looking deep in thought. For a moment, Jackpot thought he was going to be sent to Tartarus, that this was all a joke, or a way of punishing him before sending him to his real final resting place, after all. He was a con pony, a gambler, a criminal, has he done some good sure, but his bad life outweighed his potential good. That’s what Father Solar taught him.

“Tell me Jackpot, did Father Solar teach you about the potential good, and committed evil?” Jackpot was about to ask how she knew that, but then remember who he was talking to.

“I do. Potential good is the measure of the goodness in your heart, which is graded based on the good you hope to do, have done, or will do. Committed evil is the same thing, only measured by the evil you’ve done.” Lauren nodded.

“He has taught you well.”

“But never raised me well.” Jackpot said sadly.

“I can offer you another chance.” Lauren said, Jackpot looked back up at her.

“Come again?”

“I can give you another chance, on one condition, you will become a guardian angel, a protector of all good.” Jackpot said nothing, then giggled, which grew into a huge laugh which forced him to the floor.

“Yeah, sure, me an angel!” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” *Zap* “Yee ow!” Jackpot looked at the burn on his flank. “That smarts ya know.”

“I’m being serious Jackpot, I know the good in you, you just need to trust yourself. Now, do you accept this responsibility?” Jackpot thought long and hard, more than he ever did in his life. After a minute of silence, he looked at Lauren with a face of pure confidence.

“I do.”

Lauren looked at him with great respect, then she grinned, her smile covering her whole face. “Great, have a great trip down, I’ll see you on Equis.”

“Wait what?” Jackpot felt the floor give out from under him, and he dropped straight down the the planet below, screaming at the top of his lungs. He was falling down at a million miles an hour. Did she really have no other way of dropping me off?! He slammed into the ground, leaving a pony shaped crater in the ground. A few seconds later Lauren landed softly next to the hole, and looked inside.

“Welcome back to the land of the living Jackpot.” He crawled out of the hole, covered in dirt, and trying to catch his breathe. He got out, and laid on his back. Lauren just watched with amusement.

“How… did that fall… not kill me again?” He barely said, still out of breathe.

“Technically, you’re still dead, at least, until you put this on.” She used her magic to summon a silver necklace with the piece being shaped like a bit. “This necklace will allow you to become alive, and only you. It’s a necklace that recognizes who wears it. You’ll still be able to see other angels with or without it on. So you’ll always see me while others won’t. I call them Miracles.”

“So these necklaces are miracles. Okay, I’ll believe anything at this point.” Jackpot laughed. He put it on. It started glowing a bright white. He felt a tingling sensation throughout his body. Kinda tickles. The necklace stopped glowing, and the sensation stopped.

“Congratulations Jackpot Star, you are now an angel.” Lauren said, with no hidden sense of pride in her voice. “Not only did you become an angel.” She disappeared in a white light. Seriously, what’s with all the white lights? She reappeared in a red dress, with a mic held in her magic. “You also get a brand new house! This house comes complete with six bedrooms, a video game lounge, an in home movie theater, an armory, and a shiny kitchen!” Jackpot couldn’t help but laugh. “With that out of the way, I’m also giving you 10,000 bits to pay for 4 months rent, but you will need to get a good paying job, no coning of any kind. Am I clear?”

Jackpot saluted, “Yes ma’am.”

“Great, I’ll contact you when I have a mission for you, until then, have fun.” With that, she jumped back into space, leaving a resurrected pony to watch from the ground.

“Huh, well… that just happened, better check out my new house.” He walked toward the door, and saw the newspaper on the ground. “Huh, wonder what’s in the news today?” He opened the paper, and what he saw made his jaw drop. The date on the newspaper was, “MAY 18TH, 1000!!!! I’M A THOUSAND YEARS IN THE PAST?!?!?!?!?!?!?!”