To Devour a God

by the7Saviors

Chapter I – An Odd Transfer

I didn't understand it.

As I stood in front of the large metal container stamped with the insignia of the Wendigo Corporation, I couldn't help but wonder what the point was. Within these containers were several large pods containing the newly developed Daeus Arms.

They were currently being machine lifted by a crane into large, heavily armored trucks to be shipped off to who-knows-where, and for whatever reason, I was assigned to oversee the shipment.

Why was I here?

I wasn't part of the Daeus Arm R&D team, this wasn't the lab I worked in, and I had no idea what Moon Dancer was thinking having me temporarily transferred here. I respected the Daeus Hunters and what they did, really I did -- my own brother was one of the best Hunters Canterlot had to offer and I was proud of him for that.

I just personally wanted nothing to do with Daeus Arms.

As far as I was concerned, the things were impractical to say the least. I realize they were all we had when it came to fighting against the Avidaeos, and I understood the need for them, but they just... bugged me.

The weapons themselves came in all kinds of different flavors -- blades, scythes, staves, spears, hammers, and various gun types. Then there were these 'new type' Daeus Arms that could supposedly switch between shields, melee weapons, and ranged weapons on the fly.

The problem was that they were these stupidly large hunks of metal that used HIve Cells to function. The process one underwent to become a Daeus Hunter made the insane weight of a Daeus Arm a complete non-issue when actually wielding the things, but that didn't help the bigger problems.

What repulsed me about them were both the negative side effects they had on the natural magic circuits that ran through a pony's body, and the fact that their function and effectiveness against the Avidaeos revolved around Hive Cells.

Essentially, In order to become a Daeus Hunter, one had to inject themselves with Hive Cells via a bulky armlet placed on the arm just above the wrist, and more or less fuse with their weapon, which itself was basically an artificially made Avidaeus.

Once you put that armlet on, there was no taking it off, there was no going back.

I shuddered just thinking about it.

Hive Cells were the minuscule semi-sentient organisms the Avidaeos were made up of. They surrounded a 'core' and were what allowed the Avidaeos to adapt to any environment, no matter how uninhabitable.

The cells also allowed them to shape themselves into any number of strange and terrifying creatures. These Hive Cells were as fascinating as they were horrifying, and I had made it my life goal to learn everything I could about how they worked to better help fight against the Avidaeos in my own way.

With knowledge.

To that end I studied for years and was eventually hired as a researcher at the Wendigo Corporation. It had been one of the happiest days of my life, but getting back to the topic at hand, willingly injecting yourself with Hive Cells was something I just couldn't wrap my head around.

From what I had heard, it didn't even work a lot of the time, and the horror stories of what happened to those that failed to properly bond with the cells made me sick to my stomach.

That wasn't even mentioning the fact that the wielding the weapons -- while drastically increasing physical strength, speed, stamina, and endurance -- also drastically reduced a pony's natural magical capability.

This was an issue exclusive to ponies, as we were the most magically inclined of any of the other races of Equus save for maybe the changelings, and they didn't have the same problem for whatever reason -- in fact, they took to Hive Cells extremely well now that I had thought about it.

Once injected, unicorns couldn't cast anything more powerful than a simple levitation spell -- maybe a bit more than that if they were particularly powerful. Pegasi could still fly, but not for very long before their innate magic started to dwindle.

Earth ponies completely lost their connection to the land and their literal magic touch when it came to growing and producing food. This was a particularly devastating blow considering food had become somewhat scarce to come by in many areas and had to be rationed out.

This was somewhat mitigated by a more recently created Daeus Arm specifically made for ponies, a weapon known as an arcane stave. While there was still a slight enhancement in physical characteristics, arcane staves focused more on enhancing a pony's magical strength tenfold.

They allowed ponies to channel their magic into devastating fire, ice, lightning, and photon attacks. Arcane staves worked in a similar fashion to guns, but on a far more powerful scale, and like healing bullets when used in a gun, they could also be used to heal wounds.

It was an incredibly draining weapon though, and prolonged use was dangerous as it would leave a pony vulnerable on the battlefield. Not many opted to use staves, and while they could be used by anypony, those that did choose to use them were almost always unicorns.

Despite my distaste of the weapons, I still made it a point to learn about them, which is why I knew as much as I did. After all, you never knew when such knowledge would come in handy, and prior knowledge was always a good thing to have in general.

Well there was that, and the fact that Shiny would never shut up about the things whenever he came back home to visit.

As I reflected on what I knew about Daeus Arms and wondered what in Tartarus Moon Dancer was playing at, I continued to walk amongst the many metal crates and trucks.

I inquired about the progress being made, took stock of various other armaments and artillery, marked off each shipment that was made, and kept track of the transport vehicles coming in and out of the large warehouse that was connected to the D.A. R&D Lab.

It was tiring and, at times, annoying work, but I managed well enough. Once it was all over though, I'd be having a word with Moon Dancer about why I was even transferred from the Hive Cell Research Lab to Daeus Arms R&D in the first place.

I finally finished up the tasks I had been assigned to do after about eight hours or so of work. I made my way back to the Hive Cell Research Lab area and entered the changing room to the left of the lab entrance.

As I stepped inside I breathed a weary sigh of relief, taking off my lab coat and hanging it up next to all the others. It looked as though I was the last one to leave for the day... as usual.

Normally I didn't mind, as I regularly volunteered to work longer hours -- well maybe volunteered isn't the right word. It was more that I would completely forget that my shift was over when I lost myself in my work.

This time however, I just wanted the day to be over so I could go home and have a nice relaxing soak in the bath, maybe with a good book or two. The thought made me smile as I grabbed my bag from my locker.

I had just closed the locker and was about to head out when I heard the door to the changing room open. I turned to see none other than Moon Dancer herself walk into the room. She looked around briefly before spotting me standing next to my locker.

Her eyes widened slightly and she took a step back, looking away and rubbing the back of her neck. I frowned and opened my mouth to go off on the mare, but the look on her face stopped me cold.

She looked nervous and apologetic, looking everywhere but at me. She shifted from hoof to hoof and after a moment's hesitation she finally spoke.

"H-Hey, Twilight," she began with a sheepish smile, "sorry about, y'know, having you transferred to Daeus Arms, but the boss wanted--"

"But nothing, Moon Dancer," I interjected sourly, "you knew I was in the middle of something important, and you also know how much I hate getting dragged away from my work -- especially for something like this."

"I know, I know," Moon Dancer replied quickly, raising her hands in defense, "believe me, Twilight, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't ordered to by Miss Inkwell."

"The Chief Operating Officer?" I asked, blinking in surprise, "why would she have me transferred to Daeus Arms R&D?"

"I don't know all the details," Moon Dancer replied with a shake of her head, "but apparently you caught the eye of the top brass with your advances in the field of Hive Cell research -- particularly with that thesis on Avidaeos cannibalism."

"So... they sent me to Daeus Arms because I was doing well in the field of research I actually studied for?" I asked with a raised brow, "that doesn't make any sense, Moon Dancer."

"No, it's not like that," Moon Dancer replied with a huff, "from what little I was able to get out of Inkwell, the higher ups wanted to test you for something."

"Test me for -- why?!" I cried in alarm, "what was this test? Why wasn't I told about it?"

"I don't know," Moon Dancer answered, rubbing her arm worriedly, "but I don't have a good feeling about this, Twilight," she looked me in the eye then, and I could see the concern clear on her face as she spoke, "the President wants to see you before you leave tonight."

For a good minute, I just gaped at the mare in disbelief.

"...Excuse me?"

Moon Dancer sighed and began heading back towards the door, looking back at me from over her shoulder as she made to turn the handle.

"I don't know what this is all about, Twilight, but from the sound of it, I think things are about to change for you," she grimaced and turned back towards the door, her voice growing quiet, "...and not in a good way."

Before I could ask her what she meant, she pulled the door open and quickly stepped outside. I could hear her hurried hoofsteps echo down the halls as I stood there dumbfounded.

Moon Dancer had been my best friend since foalhood, and through a lucky opportunity, had managed to get hired long before I did. The mare was brilliant in her own right, and despite her rather awkward and introverted nature, she quickly rose to the position of head researcher within the first few years she had been here.

I was happy for her, but couldn't help but feel more than a bit envious when I heard the news that she had been promoted. I eventually got over my envy and we maintained a friendly relationship. I trusted her to talk to me about her worries, but this time I felt as though there was something she wasn't telling me about the situation.

And then there was this test.

Why was I being tested? Was it some kind of performance review? If that were the case, wouldn't it make more sense to judge me based on what I know? Weren't there rules regarding this kind of thing? And most importantly...

What did Chief Executive Officer Celestia want with a simple researcher like me?

Author's Note:

Expect me to sprinkle in some more world building here and there as the story progresses. Also, I may have changed the terms, but I will be using a combination of actual aragami and original Avidaeos that I come up with.

If you have any suggestions on monsters feel free to throw em' out there.

Comments

[Silent Echo]

Is Spike in this story?

[Falx_of_Lume]

Is this a God Eater story?

[the7Saviors]

9012481
Maybe. If he is, he won't be fulfilling the same role as in canon that's for sure.

[the7Saviors]

9012484
Yes, this is a God Eater story.

[Chrome Masquerade]

Going in, let me say that I LOVE God Eater and am looking forward to this.

[Chrome Masquerade]

The plot thickens!

[The Watcher Face]

Anyone else think this was a Aldrich story?

[The Lurking Creep]

9012598
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/5/15/1437150__safe_artist-colon-pembroke_princess+celestia_aku_alicorn_bottom+heavy_dialogue_extra+thicc_female_mare_pony_samurai+jack_solo_thiklestia.jpeg

[Ebonysdagger]

So Twi is the one that figured out how to make the weapons eat, eh?

[JimboTex]

Devour a god, you say? For some reason, this seems like fitting music:

[the7Saviors]

9012827
Nah, it wasn't her originally, but she did discover something else about it, though... something that could potentially change things in the future.

But that's a reveal for a another time further into the story.

[OBSIDI4N_DR4G0N]

Where is the cover image from?

[the7Saviors]

9013002
DeviantArt. made by f-sonic. You can find a link to the source of the picture on the cover art itself. Honestly I couldn't find what I was looking for, and this was the next best thing that I saw, so I went with this.

I might commission someone to make original cover art for the story at some point though.

[Venerable Ro]

I have no idea what this is about, Wossa god eater?

[the7Saviors]

9013454
God Eater is a series of japanese games in the 'monster hunter' genre. As far as 'monster hunter' type games go, God Eater is among one of the most stylized and... 'anime-esque'(?) of the bunch.

Gorgeous anime women (and men), giant monsters, giant weapons, post apocalyptic settings, an... interesting soundtrack, and what I personally think is a great art direction make up what I think is a great game.

[Nevermore777]

9012486
Just getting to reading this and I know this is a little late and I don’t know if you did but probably not, you could have made Spike the Daeus Arm

[the7Saviors]

9300353
If you're referring to what I think you're referring to, I thought about it, but ultimately decided against it. While most elements of this story are heavily inspired by God Eater, the plot itself is much more in line with the first two episodes of MLP—at least in spirit. While I could probably find a way to make Spike being the Daeus Arm work, I'd rather him have a different relationship with Twilight than Ren did with Lindow, again, assuming that's what you were referring to. If not, I have no idea what you mean.

[Nevermore777]

9300399
I don’t actually know all that much about God Eater and it’s lore other than what I’ve heard or read or seen in the anime. I don’t know how much personality the Daeus Arms actually have or if they just seem like monsters. *shrugs* Just an idea that popped into my head when I thought about what Spike could be in this series