{HAZBIN¥HOTEL}

:Heaven Sent:

.oO I Oo.

The Beginning Part

The Hazbin Hotel was an absolute nightmare.

In hindsight, the idea of putting a bunch of dysfunctional, neurotic, psychotic people all under the same roof and expecting them all to play nice together would sound like a complete clusterfuck to anyone with half a brain.

No wonder they'd all laughed at her.

"WILL YA SHUT DA FUCK UP ALREADY?!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU CAN GET IT THROUGH YOUR STUPID FUCKING HEAD IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF HOTEL!"

"HEY, IT'S MY GODDAMN ROOM! I CAN DO WHATEVA' DA FUCK AND WHOEVA' DA FUCK I WANT IN DERE!"

Charlie groaned, listening to the screaming match going on out in the hallway, and reached up to rub tiredly at her temples. The Hotel had been open for a whole month now since a certain Radio Demon's arrival, and she'd long since lost count of all the fights that had broken out between Angel Dust and Vaggie. It was like dealing with a pairr of fucking children, sometimes.

Pushing down the irritated thoughts Charlie stood from her desk, then plastered a smile on her face and stepped out of her office - only to almost face-plant right into the floor when she tripped over Niffty, who dropped a bucket of filthy water all over the carpet..p.

mmm

"Oh, great!" Niffty cried furiously, throwing her hands in the air and whirling on Charlie with an absolutely withering glare. "Wow, thanks a lot, Charlie! Like I didn't just spend all morning cleaning this shit up!"

"I - I'm sorry," Charlie stammered, hurriedly backing away from the tiny demon, her insides twisting with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Niffty, I didn't see you there… I-I can help you clean this - "

"No thanks," Nifty snapped flatly, turning away from her with an irritated huff. "You've done enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I need more bleach."

"Um, okay...then, I'll just..." Charlie said in a small voice, edging past the fuming cyclops and the reeking mess on the carpet - vomit, 4 from the smell of it - and hurried away down the hall. She'd discovered very quickly that Niffty was very particular about things being clean, and being cleaned in the right way. If they weren't...well, things got nasty in a hurry. It was better to just leave her to it.

Stepping out into the main foyer, Charlie noticed Husk had fallen asleep at the front desk again, snoring loudly with his claws wrapped around a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. It didn't matter how many times she'd tried talking to him, he was clearly only interested in the free booze, and didn't give two shits about actually running the front desk properly. She had hoped she would be able to crack him in time, but he was one of the grumpiest, closed off, anti-social demons she'd ever met. And having grown up in Hell, a...that was saying something.

"Ah, Charlie!" said a cheerful voice, a clawed hand landing on her shoulder, and Charlie let aq'llqout a sharp yelp, nearly jumping right out of her skin. She whirled, already knowing who it was, to find Alastor standing directly behind her, a toothy smug-looking grin splitting his face wide open. "Good evening! Hope I didn't startle you too much, my dear?"

His smile widened, without a hint of apology, clearly having done it on purpose.

He's just trying to get a rise out of me, Charlie reminded herself, taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves.

"No, no, I'm fine," she replied, her smile strained but stubbornly in place. His eyes narrowed in amusement, head cocking to the side as he studied her for a discomfiting moment.

"Sounds like our effeminate degenerate has been breaking the Hotel's rules again," he noted, glancing in the direction of the continued shouting, which by now had devolved into a name-calling grudge match. His smile sharpened even more, if that was possible, and a faint laugh-track came through the subtle static in her ears. "Would you like me to...take care of the matter?"

"No!" Charlie said quickly, trying not to imagine the kind of 'punishment' Alastor might dream up. "No, you, uh...better let me handle it."

"Better hurry, then," Alastor leered, clearly enjoying the chaos. "I'm afraid Niffty's getting a little tired of cleaning up the blood!"

"Right…" Charlie sighed, running a hand through her hair and ignoring Alastor's amused smirk as she trudged past him and in the direction of the screaming.

There was the sound of a radio tuning from behind her, and she resisted the urge to groan as Alastor began speaking into his microphone, reporting the drama live for all of Hell to hear.

"Well, it's that time again folks!" he announced enthusiastically. "Vaggie and Angel Dust are at it again, with another rip-roaring, smack-down fight for the ages! This time, it seems our dear old pal Angel has been conducting his sordid affairs within the walls of this very Hotel! Oh, the scandal! Oh, the non-existent humanity! Luckily, our brave Vaggie won't let that slide without a fight! Let's listen in, shall we?"

"BITCH!"

"FUCK UP!"

"GUYS!" Charlie cried, stepping in between the two snarling demons and physically forcing them apart. No easy task, as Angel had grabbed several handfuls of Vaggie's hair, and Vaggie had both fists around his throat. "Guys! Calm down! Stoppit!"

"Den tell dis stupid cow I can do whateva' da fuck I want in my OWN FUCKIN' ROOM!" Angel shrieked, pointing accusingly at Vaggie with one hand, flipping her off with the other, while his lower extremities flailed wildly in impotent rage.

"The only reason you even have that room is because of US, you fucking slut!" Vaggie screamed back, trying to push past Charlie so she could keep strangling the spider-demon. "The LEAST you could do is NOT use it to support your FILTHY FUCKING LIFESTYLE!"

"At least I GOT a fuckin' lifestyle, bitch!" Angel retorted, flipping her off with all four hands now. "Why don'tcha pull dat stick outta yer ass and try it some time!"

"ENOUGH!" Charlie bellowed at the top of her lungs, her eyes flashing red and her horns spiking for an instant, making the other two jump and blink at her in surprise. "Now I have had it with you two fighting all the time! This is supposed to be a place of healing, remember? I know it's hard, but can't you guys at least try to get along? Angel, you - "

"Hey, I'm not da one with da problem here!" Angel snapped defensively.

"No, you're just the one constantly fucking everything up," Vaggie hissed venomously at him.

"Everyt'ing and everyone, sugartits!" Angel sneered, his long tongue snaking out between his sharpened teeth to curl lewdly in her direction. Vaggie lunged at him with an infuriated snarl, only to get dragged back by Charlie while the spider laughed mockingly.

"Vaggie, come on - " Charlie tried cajoling, but Vaggie jerked away from her.

"No!" she snapped, the red glow in her eye flaring like a stoked ember. "Don't you get it?! All he ever does is make us look like a goddamn joke! He doesn't want to change, he just wants to take advantage, and I'm fucking sick of his shit!"

"Hey, just say da word and I'm outta here!" Angel shouted. "Not like I got better shit to do den listen to you bitch at me all fuckin' day!"

"Like you're not dying to run back to your fucking sugar daddy, you stupid whore," Vaggie spat scathingly, smirking triumphantly at the unhinged rage that flashed through Angel's eyes. "Yeah, don't think I don't know where you're always sneaking off to. Everybody knows Val's got you wrapped around his nasty little dick. If you miss him so fucking much, then what the Hell are you hanging around here for?!"

"W- wait, that's where you've been going...?" Charlie asked, turning to look up at Angel in confusion, who flinched away from her like he'd been burned. "Back to the studio? But I thought...I thought you said you wanted to go clean? If that's not true, then why are you…?"

"Because he is using you!" Vaggie shouted in frustration before Angel could even open his mouth. "That's what sinners like him do! He is ruining us, and you're just letting him do it!"

"Ya know what, I don't have to take dis shit from you!" Angel snarled, shoving past both girls and storming off down the hallway. "You want me gone so badly, fine! Fuck dis place, fuck dis redemption bullshit, and FUCK YOU!"

"Good riddance!" Vaggie shouted after him.

Angel's only reply was to flip her off again as he walked away.

"N-no, wait, Angel…!" Charlie cried, her heart thundering in her ears and her whole body thrumming with shocked adrenaline.

What the Hell had just happened?

"Charlie, let him go," Vaggie huffed, rubbing angrily at her temples and giving her girlfriend an exasperated look. "Trust me, we are better off without that walking dumpster fire."

"Vaggie, he's our only patient!" Charlie pointed out shrilly.

"Yeah, and there's a reason for that!" Vaggie insisted. "Think about it! Anyone who wants to straighten themselves out is gonna be looking at our track record. And what are they gonna see? One drugged up porn star who can't stop running back to his pimp for a fix. Hun, if you want this thing to even get off the ground, then we need to focus our attention on demons we can actually help. Sinners who might have a chance. Angel Dust? I'm sorry, sweetie, but he is too far gone."

"You don't know that!" Charlie cried, frustrated tears tracking down her cheeks. "You never give him a chance, Vaggie! If you would just - "

"What, so this is my fault?!" Vaggie said angrily.

"No! That's not what I mean!" Charlie shook her head. "I just think - "

"You know what?" Vaggie cut her off, refusing to meet her eyes. "I can't talk about this right now. I need to...I need to blow off some steam, or something. I'll see you later."

"Vaggie, wait…!" Charlie begged, but Vaggie shook her head, then turned and walked away, shoulders tense and her hands curled into tight fists at her sides. Charlie wanted to go after her, wanted to explain herself, wanted to fix this somehow, but she didn't have the words. Maybe...maybe it would be better to give Vaggie space right now, get her head on right…

Charlie buried her face in her hands and let out a shuddering breath, tears burning behind her eyes.

"Well, that could have gone better!" said a cheerful voice, and now Charlie just wanted to sink through the floor. She peeked out from behind her fingers to find Alastor standing next to her, grinning down at her with all of his jagged teeth.

On any other day, she would have insisted things were okay, that they could work this out. That Vaggie and Angel just needed some time to cool off, and then things would go back to (relatively) normal. That this was just a pothole on the road to redemption.

But...she was just so tired...

"...Yeah," she said instead, just wanting to go up to her room and have a good cry - but she wouldn't. Not in front of Alastor. Tears were only seen as weakness down here.

"Cheer up, my dear!" Alastor smiled, throwing an arm around her shoulders and yanking her close. "No need to make such a face! Why, these little spats are the highlight of the day!"

"I'm so happy we could entertain you," Charlie deadpanned flatly.

"That's the spirit!" Alastor grinned, clapping her back cheerfully. "Of course, now that Angel Dust seems to have scarpered, I suppose we'll need some new

entertainment. Not to worry, my dear! Hell's full of desperate lowlifes, I'm sure I can find one or two foolish enough to actually buy into this farce!"

"...Thanks," Charlie frowned, too exhausted to even argue with him.

"Come now," Alastor smiled, chucking her gently under the chin, making her blink up at him in surprise. "Smile, darling. It wouldn't do to lose heart now, when you've only just started. Why don't you join me in the kitchen for a nice cup of tea? I'm sure that will lift your spirits in no time!"

"I...okay?" Charlie said, shaking her head at him in confusion, her heart clenching tight within her chest. She was still getting used to his antics - one minute he could be tearing her down, laughing at her failures, and the next he was trying to comfort her on those same failures. It gave her whiplash sometimes, kept her off-balance, and always a little anxious of what he might do next.

Alastor held out his arm, gesturing towards the kitchen with a gentlemanly little bow, and she hesitated. But...she could really use someone to talk to, and since Vaggie had walked away, maybe...maybe Alastor wouldn't mind. Tentatively, Charlie nodded and gingerly slid her hand around his elbow, and followed him down the hall.

But when she stepped through the door, the room she found herself in was not the kitchen of the Happy Hotel. Charlie stopped in her tracks, abruptly alone in a dark room, with no idea how she'd gotten there. What - ?

And then the light flicked on, making Charlie jump, and she immediately recognized her old bedroom from…back home…

"There's my cute li'l dumpling!"

Charlie whirled on her heel, heart jumping into her throat, and standing there in the doorway was her -

"Dad!" she squeaked.

Lucifer was as impeccably dressed as ever, in his wide brimmed top hat and white coat. A rictus grin curled up beneath his hooded gaze, and Charlie flailed just a bit under his scrutiny. Did her hair look alright? Was there anything in her teeth? Were her clothes wrinkled?

"Sugarpie, it's been too long!" Lucifer beamed, sweeping forward to wrap her in a tight hug. "Did you gain weight recently? My, you've just shot up like a weed, haven't you? You'll be as tall as your mother one of these days!"

"It's - it's good to see you, too…" Charlie stuttered, a wavering smile fixed firmly in place. "But, um - not that I don't love being home again, because I do - it's just… We talked about the summoning thing, remember? You know I don't like it…"

"I know, but I wanted to see my honey-bun, and I just couldn't wait a second longer!" Lucifer replied with an airy smile and a dismissive wave.

"I've been calling…" Charlie said hesitantly. "But you and Mom have been so busy lately…"

"So have you, from what I've heard!" Lucifer said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side. "Now. What's all this nonsense about a hotel to rehabilitate sinners?"

The claws on her shoulder dug in just a bit too hard.

Charlie swallowed nervously.

"It's...been open for over a month, y'know…" she said quietly, staring at the floor, trying not to be too hurt that he hadn't seemed to have even noticed until now.

"Now, baby-cakes, you know how busy Daddy gets right after an Extermination," Lucifer smiled sharply, his eyes glinting like knives in the dark. "There are territories to reassign, new Overlords to greet, goodbye parties to plan. I've had a lot on my plate lately, so I would appreciate a little understanding, my dear."

"Y-you're right, I'm sorry…" Charlie said, brow crumpling and her insides twisting. "I wasn't thinking…"

"Besides, you've come up with so many of these pet projects over the years, it's honestly hard to keep track of them all!" Lucifer continued cheerfully. "What happened to that little cafe you wanted to open up? Or the art exhibit? Or the dance club?"

"O-oh…" Charlie said, squirming like a pinned bug beneath her father's judging gaze. "That was...I mean, they were just...Well, you know how hard it is to get something off the ground here…"

"Because you gave up," Lucifer nodded knowingly. "That's always been your problem, y'anno. Whenever something gets a bit difficult, you always run off and start something new. You never were very good at sticking things out, muffin."

"I...what?" Charlie said, her cheeks burning redder than usual, and her breath catching in her throat. "I don't - why would you say - it's not my fault if something just doesn't work!"

"And what makes you think the Hotel will?" Lucifer wanted to know, sickly sweetly.

"I...I don't know," Charlie replied haltingly, struggling to explain herself. "It's just… I know there's a problem with overpopulation, and… I wanted to help? So, I was thinking… maybe… maybe there's a better way to deal with things. You know, that doesn't involve mass murder every year… So, I thought, if I could rehabilitate the demons here and - and send them to Heaven instead, maybe we wouldn't need the Cleanse so often…"

"I see," Lucifer said, his too-wide smile never faltering. "And what makes you think Heaven would ever accept a demon from Hell, even if by some miracle you actually managed to get any of these fuck-wits to straighten out?"

Charlie blinked.

She… hadn't thought of that. The idea that Heaven might not let a demon in, no matter how much they bettered themselves, hadn't even crossed her mind.

"But… but it's Heaven," she stammered uncertainly. "I thought… I thought they were all about… f-forgiveness and…"

"You've been listening to all that New Age bullshit these modern morons have been spewing lately," Lucifer said, shaking his head. "But if any of that was true, there wouldn't be so many sinners down here in the first place, would there? Remember, it's Heaven that carries out the Cleanse every year. The Exterminators are angels, not demons. Now does that sound very forgiving to you?"

"Well… No, but…"

"And besides, Heaven isn't the wonderful place you seem to think it is," Lucifer continued breezily, tapping her lightly on the nose. "I used to live there, remember? And I'm sorry to burst your bubble, puddin-pop, but it's exceedingly dull. There are so many rules and regulations you can hardly sneeze without pissing off the higher ups. If you aren't perfect, if you don't toe the line, if you make even one mistake, that's it. They drop you like a sack of shit, and there are no second chances. Believe me, I should know. Now is that any way to live? At least down here people are free to do as they please."

"Well, yeah, but… Dad, nobody here is happy," Charlie said in a small, pained voice..

"What are you talking about?" Lucifer laughed airily. "Everywhere you go, people are smiling ear to ear!"

…those aren't real smiles, Charlie thought miserably, but she knew arguing with him on the matter was hopeless.

"Now, why don't you come home and forget about all this redemption nonsense?" Lucifer cajolled. "Wouldn't that be easier? Trust me, plumpkin, it's just going to end in failure and tears. The souls down here are beyond anyone's help at this point, and I don't want to see you disappointed again. Come on, look, we kept your bedroom just the way you left it…"

"No!" Charlie cried, finally ducking out from beneath Lucifer's arm and stepping away from him. "Look, I know redemption might be a long shot, might even be impossible, but we won't know that until we try. That's all I'm asking: just let me try. Because - you're right. Maybe I do give up on things too easily, but that's why I can't give up now! These are my people, and there's good in them, I know there is! And if Heaven won't see that… Then I'll just have to convince them!"

"And what makes you think you have a chance in Hell of redeeming these lowlifes?" Lucifer asked, a snide curl to his lip. "When you have no idea what drives them to sin in the first place? When you have no concept of what suffering truly is? It's all fine and dandy to sit up on your little pedestal, and say 'you can do better', but you have no fucking clue. Do you? You've always been handed everything on a silver platter."

"I…" Charlie stammered, her eyes burning and her vision blurring with frustrated tears. "I might not know what I'm doing, but I...I still want to try, Dad…"

"Oh, Charlotte," Lucifer said, smiling indulgently at her through a mouthful of dagger-sharp teeth. "Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. I knew you were naive, but I didn't think you were this fucking stupid."

"I - what?" Charlie stuttered, blinking at her father in startled bewilderment.

"For fuck's sake, child, you are the goddamn Antichrist!" Lucifer cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "And it's time you started acting like it. I have indulged these silly fantasies of yours time and time again, but enough is enough."

Heart slamming against her ribcage, Charlie stumbled back a step as his form began to change, growing taller and broader. Curled horns began to sprout through his hair, which grew black and coarse, and his fingers curled into cloven hooves while his face elongated and his handsome features twisted into a beastly visage.

"All those demons out there?" He intoned in a deep growl. "They are MINE. This is MY kingdom. And I will kill them myself before I let Heaven have a single one! Do you understand me?"

"But why?" Charlie cried, shaking like a leaf but determined to stand her ground. "They're dying by the millions every year, what does it matter if a few souls go to Heaven instead?"

"ENOUGH!" Lucifer bellowed, and just like that he was back to his normal, rosy-cheeked self, his smile firmly back in place. "This discussion is over. I will not let you undermine everything I'm trying to accomplish here. I had hoped you would abandon this little endeavor on your own, but it seems I'm going to have to step in. So, I am selling the Hotel."

"What!?" Charlie shrieked. "But - but you can't!"

"Of course I can, it's my property after all," Lucifer pointed out cheerfully. "You were just borrowing it. If you want to do charity work, do it on your own dime."

"Fine then!" Charlie interjected angrily. "I'll buy the Hotel!"

"With what?" Lucifer asked sweetly, folding his hands behind his back with an amused smile. "Your allowance? That's still on my dime, then, isn't it?"

"But - but - "

"Now, I know you think I'm being unfair here, but really, it's for your own good," Lucifer assured her in his kindest, most saccharine voice. "You'll just make yourself miserable with all this foolishness."

"Dad, please, don't - !"

"I'll finalize everything in the morning, and tell your little friends to clear out," Lucifer continued as if she hadn't spoken. "In the meantime, I think it's best if you stay here for tonight and get some rest. After everything you've done, you deserve it!"

"No - wait!"

"Sleep tight, cinnabun!" Lucifer sang, completely ignoring the plea. "I'm sure things will look better in the morning!"

And he slammed the door in her face.

She heard the lock click, and his footsteps recede down the hallway, along with a jaunty whistling tune. Even knowing it was fruitless, Charlie rushed forward anyway, twisting the knob in desperation. The door wouldn't open. She slammed a fist against the wood, breath coming in short panicked gasps, before she raced across the room to try and yank open the double French doors that lead out onto her balcony. They wouldn't budge. Finally, she grabbed a chair and tried to break through the glass of her window seat, but all she managed to do was break the chair instead and give herself a splinter.

Tears already streaming down her face, Charlie sank to the floor and buried her face in her arms. She shouldn't be surprised. She should have known things would turn out this way, but she hadn't thought her own father would actually…

A wracking sob shook her frame, and she sank her fangs into her bottom lip, trying to push down the hard knot of pain clenching around her heart. Why did this always happen? What was she going to tell everyone? What could she do now?

Charlie lifted her head, scrubbing angrily at her cheeks, and struggled to take deep breaths. Crying never solved anything, she knew that, but she couldn't stop...

And then her eyes landed on the old radio next to her bedside.

...Alastor.

There was no way she could afford to buy the Hotel on her own, but… Alastor was one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell. Maybe he could…

…If she made a Deal with him.

That's what it would come down to.

And if Alastor bought the Hotel, they wouldn't be on equal footing anymore. He'd have all the power. He could do whatever he wanted, and she wouldn't be able to stop him. If he ever got bored with her little redemption project…if he was no longer entertained…

On the other hand...

… Did she really have a choice?

Slowly, Charlie climbed to her feet, and padded across the room towards the radio. She'd heard all kinds of rumors about the Radio Demon. That if you managed to tune into the right station, he could hear you just as easily as you could hear him. Did it actually work that way, though, or was it just smoke and mirrors?

Charlie reached for the dial with trembling fingers, and twisted it until all she could hear was static.

"...A-Alastor?" she whispered, swallowing thickly. "Alastor, are you there?"

The static wavered, stuttering with feedback, and for a brief moment she thought she could hear voices in the background but they were too faint and distorted to make out clearly. And then the static evened out again, and after a minute or two she switched the radio off with a sigh.

That's right. There were protective wards around her bedroom, meant to keep out any intruders. As strong as Alastor was, it seemed even his powers had limits.

Charlie collapsed onto her bed, face-down into her pillows, and let out a half-choked sob. In the next moment, something touched her hand, and she jerked upright with a gasp - only to find Razzle and Dazzle looking up at her with wide, worried eyes. At least their ability to teleport to her side hadn't been hindered at all.

"What's wrong?" Razzle asked, reaching out to touch her cheek.

"Do we need to beat anybody up?" Dazzle wanted to know.

"O-oh…" Charlie said, hurriedly wiping the tears out of her eyes. "I'm - No, it's okay, guys, I just…I'm fine, really."

The two little goat-demons exchanged a skeptical look, before the both of them crawled into her lap and wrapped their arms around her waist. Charlie let out a watery laugh, wrapping them in a grateful hug, and buried her face into their fur.

"Thanks, guys," she said after a few minutes, once she felt more in control of herself. Dazzle let out a trilling pur, while Razzle licked her cheek. Charlie chuckled, gave them another squeeze, then sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it.

"So what happened?" Dazzle wanted to know, cocking his head up at her.

"It's Dad," Charlie huffed out. "He wants to shut down the Hotel."

"Why?" Razzle asked, frowning in confusion.

"I don't know!" Charlie cried, throwing her hands up. "It doesn't make any sense! So many demons die every year, I didn't think he'd care if a few went to Heaven instead. But apparently I was wrong."

"Can we beat him up…?" Dazzle asked uncertainly.

"Wha - no!" Charlie said quickly, with a frantic shake of her head. She couldn't even imagine what might happen to them if they went after her father. Getting turned back into dolls would be the best case scenario. "No attacking my dad."

"Aww, alright," Dazzle huffed, curling up in her lap with a yawn.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Razzle asked, shoving his twin over to make some room for himself. Charlie sighed, her head rolling back so she could stare up at her ceiling, thinking.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "There's no way I can do this without the Hotel. Without a safe place to stay, how can any demon here ever hope to find the stable footing they need to straighten themselves out? I might not know much about rehabilitating people, but even I can work that out. They need a place to stay. They need warm beds and good food and nice friends. They need a h-home."

Her voice broke on the last word, and she gathered the Goat Bois closer, burying her face in their soft fur with a shudder.

Without the Hotel, Angel Dust would have no choice but to stay at that awful studio, since he clearly wasn't able to hold an apartment on his own. Sure, he'd been angry before, but she knew he secretly liked being able to get away from Valentino now and then. Alastor would probably disappear back to wherever he'd come from. Husk and Niffty, too, before she'd even gotten a chance to know them. And Vaggie…

Another sob shook her, and Charlie finally gave into the tears, while Dazzle petted her hair and Razzle tucked his head up beneath her chin. She didn't know how long she cried for, but eventually she lifted her head and wiped at her cheeks. She gave the Goat Bois a grateful squeeze, feeling a little better.

"What can we do?" Dazzle asked quietly.

"I don't know…" Charlie admitted.

But...there had to be something.

But what? What did people do when they had lost all hope? When they had nowhere else to turn? When they were up against a wall and needed help?

They prayed.

Charlie blinked at the ridiculous idea that had drifted into her consciousness. Surely, that wasn't the only thing she could think of. Praying didn't even work. If you wanted something, you had to get it with your own two hands, not beg some imaginary man in the sky for it. Her father had told her that countless times.

Your father lies.

…That was true.

Still. She was the Princess of Hell. The...the Antichrist. Would God even answer a demon's prayer…?

Would it hurt to try?

Well. No. And if she didn't try, she'd never know, would she?

Charlie hesitated, uncertain and nervous, before she slowly shifted the Goat Bois out of her lap, climbed off the bed, and knelt beside it. That was how these things were normally done, wasn't it? She clasped her hands together, palms sweating, and squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart was suddenly thundering like a jackhammer. What was she supposed to say, exactly?

Razzle and Dazzle exchanged a mystified look, shrugged, and simply looked on with curious interest.

"Um," Charlie started, throat dry, voice barely above a whisper. What the Hell was she doing? She felt like an idiot. "Uh...Dear God, I guess. Hello. You don't know me, but my name is Charlotte Magne, and I'm… I'm the daughter of Lucifer. You know… The guy that tried to, uh…overthrow you and take over Heaven? Yeah. Um, a-anyway... I was wondering if, um, if maybe you could possibly help me? If you're not too busy, that is. You see, I'm trying to...start up this - this Hotel to help, you know, rehabilitate sinners down here, but… well, Dad isn't really making it very easy. He's going to sell the Hotel, and without that I don't know how I'll be able to help people get back on the right track. I don't even know what I'm doing, to be honest. Or if it'll even work if I did. But… but I want to at least try. There has to be a better way than mass genocide. And if there's any goodness in you, I know you'll agree. And...I know you send your angels to carry out the Cleanses every year, but maybe… Maybe you could send one to help rehabilitate demons instead? Just one. That's all I ask. Just… help me. Please, please help me…"

Charlie stuttered to a halt, feeling like she'd babbled on long enough, held her breath, and waited.

Razzle and Dazzle both glanced up at the ceiling, holding themselves very still.

After several long seconds...nothing happened.

She wasn't sure what she had expected. Feeling stupid and strangely disappointed, Charlie slowly climbed back into bed, and buried her face in her pillow. Dazzle patted her shoulder sympathetically, while Razzle ran a comforting hoof down her back.

And that's when a great crack tore the red sky apart and shook Hell right down to it's foundation.

EDITED 11/23/2020. Changed Angel's accent a bit to make him sound a bit more like a New Yorker.

Hello, and welcome to Heaven Sent! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, please be sure to leave a comment or fav, and let me know what you think so far.

Stay Tuned...