“Bah! Trixie is exhausted from performing feats beyond imagination. Begone with you until morning!”
"呸！特里克西因为表演超乎想象的技艺而筋疲力尽。和你一起走吧，直到天亮!"
The halls of 99 echoed around me with the screams of a dying stable as I lay in the center of the atrium. A thousand years seemed to pass, the wall rusting before my eyes, the bodies moldering, liquefying, black fungus spreading from their corpses as the metal pitted and corroded. Acidic water hissed and bubbled in pools that slowly ate their way through the floor and covered the walls in a caustic sheen.
当我躺在中庭的中央时，99号的大厅里回荡着垂死马厩的尖叫声。一千年似乎过去了，墙壁在我眼前生锈，尸体腐烂，液化，黑色的真菌从他们的尸体上蔓延，金属坑坑洼洼，腐蚀。酸性水在水池中嘶嘶作响，冒着泡，慢慢地侵蚀着地板，并且腐蚀性地覆盖着墙壁。
Through it all I lay there. Not dead. I didn’t get that blessing. I couldn’t move. Didn’t want to move. I simply listened to the dripping. The hissing. The groaning of stressed metal. The clatter of breaking glass or tumbling ceramics. The pressure forced the burning chemical I’d unleashed into every pore of my body like countless fiery razors. Still, I lived. I didn’t deserve to die. That was for better ponies… like my friends.
我一直躺在那里。没死。我没有得到祝福。我动弹不得。不想搬家。我只是听着滴水声。发出嘶嘶声。重压下金属的呻吟。碎玻璃或滚动的陶瓷制品发出的咔嗒声。压力迫使我释放出的燃烧的化学物质进入我身体的每一个毛孔，就像无数的火红的剃须刀。尽管如此，我还是活了下来。我不该死。那是为了更好的小马...就像我的朋友。
I wasn’t alone, though. Not alone. He was here too, with his hat and watery pale eyes. He hadn’t come for me. He wouldn’t take me. I’d broken, but I still wasn’t gone. I just wanted to die, move into the everafter… become whatever ponies became when life was over and done with. But he wouldn’t take me. My stable. My mother. My friends. But not me.
不过，我不是一个人。不仅如此。他也在这里，带着他的帽子和水汪汪的苍白的眼睛。他不是来找我的。他不肯接受我。我崩溃了，但我仍然没有离开。我只想死，搬到永远...成为任何小马成为时，生活已经结束了。但是他不愿意带我去。我的马厩。我母亲。我的朋友们。但我不是。
“Is this Hell?” I whispered.
"这是地狱吗?"我低声说。
“If so, does that make me the devil?” he asked in return.
"如果是这样，那我就是魔鬼了吗?"他反问道。
There was nothing to say as the pressure built more and more. Nothing to do but wait, lie there for another thousand years. I dropped like a rag doll to the level
随着压力越来越大，没什么好说的了。除了等待别无他法，在那里再躺上一千年。我像个布娃娃一样跌倒在地
below as the floor rotted out beneath me. And the level below that. And the next. Then, finally, I landed in the liquefied remains of Stable 99. Only the pitted feces-colored metal shell of the stable remained, the armor keeping the Wasteland out and the poison in. Submerged talismans still bubbled, still faithfully pumping out more and more of the gas.
地板在我脚下腐烂。低于这个水平。第二天也是。最后，我降落在稳定99的液化残骸上。只剩下坑坑洼洼的粪便色的马厩金属外壳，防御荒原的盔甲和毒药。潜入水中的护身符仍在冒泡，仍然忠实地泵出越来越多的气体。
The Dealer sat on a long jagged spur of metal resembling a severed gray wing. That vast shell groaned and creaked above me. Beneath me. Within me. From far above, a massive stable door, sealed by centuries of corrosion, gave. A hurricane wind blasted the rubble-choked tunnel beyond clear. A shriek like the screams of so long ago. The wind slackened, and died.
商人坐在一根长长的锯齿状金属刺上，像一只断掉的灰色翅膀。那巨大的贝壳在我头顶上发出吱吱嘎嘎的响声。在我之下。在我心里。从远处，一扇被几个世纪的腐蚀所封闭的巨大的稳固的门给了我们。一阵飓风把废墟堆积如山的隧道吹得面目全非。像很久以前的尖叫一样的尖叫。风减弱了，死了。
With one final bending, breaking, tearing cry, that armored shell gave way, and the hilltop collapsed inward as if under the hoof of an angry goddess. Finally, I thought… annihilated with a smile.
随着最后一声弯曲、破裂、撕裂的叫喊，那披甲的外壳坍塌了，山顶向内坍塌，就好像被一个愤怒的女神的蹄子踩倒了。最后，我想......一笑置之。
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
“She’s waking up? Sedate her!” some mare cried distantly.
"她醒了？给她注射镇静剂!"一匹母马远远地叫了起来。
“We did! She’s not responding to the Med-X!” another answered. Distant blurry lights entered my vision. And pain, but I was used to pain by now. I reached for that blur, pushing through the darkness. If I was alive, then Glory might be as well. All my friends might still be alive! I couldn’t lie here and do nothing!
"我们做到了！她对Med-X没有反应!"另一个回答。远处模糊的灯光进入了我的视线。还有痛苦，但我现在已经习惯了。我伸手去抓那个模糊的东西，穿过黑暗。如果我还活着，那么晨辉也可以。我所有的朋友可能都还活着！我不能躺在这里什么也不做！
A wave pushed me back towards the black, but I refused to succumb. “Sweet Celestia, she’s still waking up! Bluebell!”
一个波浪把我推回黑暗中，但我拒绝屈服。"亲爱的塞莱斯蒂亚，她还在苏醒！蓝铃花!"
“I already cast it again,” the mare panted breathlessly, "it's not working!" I could see faces now. Bloody faces in paper masks. Unicorns. They had scalpels and little bloody scissors hovering over me. My chest and gut burned as I pulled together my focus. One unicorn’s horn flashed, trying to push me back into Stable 99. I fought that urge to sleep. To dream. I’d kill them all. Teal eyes widened in shock as I stared back into them, pulling together a bullet spell as I slowly sat upright. “What is she doing? Hold her down! Get her under, now!”
"我已经再次抛出它,"母马气喘吁吁,"它不工作!"我现在能看到脸了。带着纸面具的血淋淋的脸。独角兽。他们拿着手术刀和带血的小剪刀在我头上盘旋。当我集中注意力的时候，我的胸膛和肚子都在燃烧。一只独角兽的角闪烁着，试图把我推回稳定99。我克制住了那种想睡觉的冲动。为了梦想。我会把他们全杀了。蓝绿色的眼睛因为震惊而睁大，我盯着他们，慢慢地坐直，拼凑出一个子弹咒语。"她在干什么？按住她！现在就把她弄下去!"
“Won’t… let… you…” I choked around a tube in my mouth, my horn glowing white as I readied a shot right at her head. Then hooves grabbed my shoulders and forced me back down. I saw stallions in filthy white coats stained and spotted in blood. “Glory…” I rasped around the tube. “Glory!” I shouted, then
"不会......让......你......"我含着一根管子哽住了，当我准备向她的头部开枪时，我的角发出白色的光芒。然后马蹄抓住了我的肩膀，把我推倒在地。我看见种马穿着肮脏的白大褂，血迹斑斑。"晨辉......"我绕着管子飞快地说。"晨辉!"于是我大叫起来
choked.
窒息。
“Get a memory orb!” The unicorn mare ordered as I struggled. I felt something inside me tear, but I ignored it. It didn’t matter how much I hurt now. I had to get free. I had to save my friends. “Security! Calm down! We’re trying to help you.”
"得到一个记忆球!"在我挣扎的时候，那匹独角兽母马命令道。我感到内心有什么东西在撕裂，但我忽视了它。不管我现在伤得多重。我必须得到自由。我必须救我的朋友们。"保安！冷静点！我们是想帮你。"
A lie. They were Enclave. Or Sanguine. Or somepony that was going to sell me out… betray me. My horn flashed as I struggled, and one of the stallions yelped as my bullets bit into his flank. Somepony blinded me with a rag across my eyes. I fired wildly, desperately. Another sedating surge washed through me like a blanket, the lethargy blurring away the rest of my senses.
一个谎言。他们是昂科雷。或者Sanguine。或者某个出卖我...背叛我的小马。我挣扎的时候，我的角闪了一下，其中一匹种马在我的子弹射入它的侧腹时尖叫起来。有人用布蒙住我的眼睛，弄瞎了我的眼睛。我疯狂地、绝望地开枪。另一股镇静的浪潮像毯子一样冲刷着我，昏昏欲睡的状态模糊了我其他的感官。
A glassy sphere was pressed to my horn but I resisted… fought. I had to get free! I had to help my friends! Glory! I had to help Glory.
一个玻璃球被压在我的角上，但是我反抗......战斗。我必须得到自由！我必须帮助我的朋友！晨辉！我必须帮晨辉。
“Come on you stubborn idiot!” the unicorn mare said, grinding the orb against my horn. “Let me save you!” Not me, you idiot! Help her! Her wing… sweet Goddesses, her wing…
"来吧，你这个固执的白痴!"独角兽母马边说边在我的角上磨圆球。"让我来救你!"不是我，你个白痴！救救她！她的翅膀...甜美的女神，她的翅膀..。
Please…
求你了。
I tried to fire another bullet, but my concentration slipped away. There was a spark… no, Glory! I had to find Glory and all my friends. “Gluh… Reeee…” I choked, feeling myself cut open and my organs exposed to the chilly air. Then my horn spasmed, and the connection was made. The world faded away.
我试图再开一枪，但我的注意力不再集中了。有一个火花...不，晨辉！我必须找到晨辉和我所有的朋友。我哽咽着，感觉自己被切开了，我的器官暴露在寒冷的空气中。然后我的喇叭一阵痉挛，接通了。世界渐渐消失了。
Glory...
晨辉..。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I didn’t want to be here in this mare. I wanted nothing to do with this place. I needed to find Glory and put her wing back on. I needed to find Rampage and discover just what was inside her. To do something to help Lacunae recover from that horrible doll-like state. But instead, I was stuck here. And worst of all, I felt two wings.
我不想待在这匹母马里。我不想和这个地方有任何关系。我需要找到晨辉，把她的翅膀放回去。我需要找到狂暴并发现她的内心。做点什么来帮助拉库奈从那种可怕的玩偶般的状态中恢复过来。但相反，我却被困在这里。最糟糕的是，我感觉到了两只翅膀。
“I can’t believe we get to go to the Grand Galloping Gala!” Twist squealed. She was wearing a green dress which, despite the mint leaves around the collar, looked vaguely like forest camouflage. “Oh, I get to wear the pretty dress and have the pretty mane, and look! My hooves are painted!” she squealed as she
"真不敢相信我们能去参加盛大的奔马节!"扭曲的尖叫声。她穿着一件绿色的连衣裙，尽管领子周围是薄荷叶，但依稀看起来像是森林迷彩服。"哦，我可以穿漂亮的裙子，有漂亮的鬃毛，看！我的蹄子上漆了!"她尖叫着
danced on the sparkly ruby hooves in glee. “Best! Night! Ever!” I could only wonder how much brushing and blowing it’d taken to get her curly mane to lay flat. I suspected that magic was employed.
欢乐地在闪闪发光的红宝石蹄上跳舞。"最好的！晚安！永远!"我只想知道到底刷了多少次，吹了多少次，才让她的卷发平躺下来。我怀疑他们使用了魔法。
“Famous. Last. Words,” Vanity replied, smiling indulgently at the ladies and making Twist pout a little. The handsome stallion wore a pristine white dress uniform. “If your night is pleasant, then consider yourself fortunate. The Gala has a well-deserved reputation for driving mares to drink.”
"很有名。最后。话,"瓦妮特回答，宽容地对着女士们微笑，扭了扭嘴巴。那匹英俊的种马穿着一套质朴的白色制服。"如果你的夜晚是愉快的，那么你是幸运的。这个盛会有一个当之无愧的名声驱使母马饮酒。"
“Do we all have to attend?” Psalm asked softly, shuffling and fidgeting in a deep midnight blue dress decorated with tiny enchanted flecks of sapphire. Her white mane obscured her face as she looked worriedly out the door, chewing softly on the end of a lock. Twist sighed and brushed it out of her mouth, making the delicate black unicorn blush slightly.
"我们都必须参加吗?"他穿着一件深蓝色的连衣裙，上面点缀着几颗被施了魔法的蓝宝石。她的白鬃毛遮住了她的脸，她担忧地看着门外，轻轻地咀嚼着锁的末端。特威斯特叹了口气，把它从嘴里抹了出来，让那只精致的黑独角兽微微红了一下。
“The Princess herself is decorating us, so the answer is probably ‘yes’,” Jetstream said as she stood before the mirror and carefully nudged her dark hair into place with a brush. The orange and gold dress made her look like she was on fire. A bit too garish for my -- what was I thinking? Why did I give a fuck about her dress right now when Glory needed me! Besides, when had I ever worn a big frilly party dress? The blue pegasus grinned over at Big Macintosh and Applesnack standing calmly in crisp pressed uniforms. “Besides, half our boys are escorts of the Ministry Mares. It’s not like they can just skip out.” She looked over at Stonewing, who seemed to positively vibrate in anticipation, and gave a soft sigh.
"公主本人正在装饰我们，所以答案很可能是'是',"Jetstream站在镜子前，用刷子小心翼翼地将她的黑发梳理到位。橙色和金色的连衣裙使她看起来像着火了。对我来说太花哨了----我当时在想什么？为什么在晨辉需要我的时候我他妈的在乎她的裙子！另外，我什么时候穿过大大的褶边派对礼服？蓝色的天马对着大麦金托什咧嘴一笑，苹果奈克穿着笔挺的制服，静静地站在那里。"另外，我们一半的男孩都是侍从母马。他们不可能就这么溜走。"她看了看Stonewing，她似乎在期待中激动起来，然后轻轻地叹了口气。
“I can’t believe you set me up with your sister. She’s going to hate me!” Applesnack muttered as he brushed his shaggy tan mane aside. “Couldn’t you have been your sister’s escort?” he asked the big red stallion with a frown.
"真不敢相信你居然撮合我和你妹妹。她会恨我的!"阿普尔斯纳克一边把他浓密的棕褐色鬃毛拨到一边，一边咕哝着。"你不能当你姐姐的护花使者吗?"他皱着眉头问那匹红色的大马。
But Big Macintosh just gave an easy chuckle. “Anope. How’d it look if she was escorted about by her big brother?” He rolled his green eyes towards the door, his grass stem still sticking out his lips. “Besides, she needed me with one of her friends.”
但是大麦金托什机只是轻轻一笑。"Anope.如果她被她哥哥护送着到处走，看起来怎么样?"他把绿色的眼睛转向门口，他的草茎仍然伸出嘴唇。"而且，她需要我和她的一个朋友在一起。"
“Still don’t see why I don’t get no Ministry Mare,” Doof muttered dully. It was like seeing a cinder block in a dress uniform, and his perspiration was already starting to show through. “It’d be nice to go out with a pretty mare like them.” Half the Marauders shared a look, and thankfully nopony laughed.
"我还是不明白为什么我得不到梅尔牧师,"杜夫咕哝着。这就像看到一个穿着制服的煤渣块，他的汗水已经开始流出来了。"要是能和她们这样漂亮的母马约会就好了。"一半的掠夺者都看了一眼，谢天谢地没有小马笑。
There was a knock on the door, and a lilac mare poked her head in. “Is everypony ready? I need you gentlecolts to come with me, please. The Princesses are about to make their entrance.” Macintosh, Applesnack, and Vanity all trotted out. Stonewing brought up the rear, still almost half-flying, half-vibrating across the floor.
有人敲门，一匹淡紫色的母马探进头来。"大家都准备好了吗？我需要你们这些绅士跟我来。公主们马上就要登场了。"麦金托什，苹果组合和虚荣都出场了。石翼在后面，仍然几乎半飞半振地在地板上。
“Um… I- I- I’d like to go to the G- G- Gala with a Ministry M- M- Mare too,” Echo stuttered; the yellow stallion, looking positively tiny out from under the heavy communications equipment, was nearly stepped on as Doof snorted angrily and plodded out the door.
"嗯......我-我-我-我也想和一个m-m-Mare部长一起去g-g-Gala,"回声结结巴巴地说。那匹黄色的种马，从沉重的通讯设备下面看上去非常小，在杜夫愤怒地哼着鼻子走出门时，差点被踩到。
“Trust me, Echo. Those mares are nothing but trouble,” Jetstream said sourly. “And they’re missing out by not having a great guy like you at their side.” He brightened up immensely at that.
"相信我，艾可。那些母马只会带来麻烦,"Jetstream不高兴地说。"如果没有你这样的好男人在身边，他们就错过了机会。"他听了这话心情大为愉快。
“Well, we should probably get to the party too,” Twist said, sashaying after the others.
"好了，我们也该去参加聚会了,"特威斯特跟在其他人后面大摇大摆地说。
Jetstream trotted to Psalm, giving the black unicorn a little nudge on the flank. “Come on, Psalm. It’s just a party.”
喷气流小跑到诗篇，轻轻推了一下黑独角兽的侧腹。"来吧，诗篇。这只是一个派对。"
“I’d rather not. I haven’t done anything that deserves honoring,” she whispered, her silver eyes looking up into Jetstream’s. “Are you sure I can’t stay here till it’s all over? I don’t like… crowds.”
"我宁愿不去。我没有做过任何值得尊敬的事情,"她低声说，银色的眼睛望着Jetstream的。"你确定我不能呆在这里直到一切都结束吗？我不喜欢人多的地方。"
“It won’t be so bad. Vanity says that it’ll probably just be boring aristoponies talking to one another. And once you have your decoration, you can go.”
"不会那么糟糕。虚荣心说，这可能只是乏味的独唱演员之间的对话。一旦你拿到了装饰品，你就可以走了。"
“All right,” she murmured. “I’m sorry, though…”
"好吧,"她喃喃地说。"不过，我很抱歉......"
Reluctantly, the pair exited the room together.
两人不情愿地一起离开了房间。
The Grand Galloping Gala was a positively spectacular affair that I might have enjoyed a great deal more if I hadn’t been trapped in it while my friends...
盛大的奔驰晚会绝对是一件壮观的事情，如果我没有陷入其中，而我的朋友们.....。
Mentally, I was climbing the walls, trying to find some way… any way… to get myself out of this memory. I needed to help them. To beg for forgiveness. This was almost worse than leaving them to die. They’d been hurt following me.
精神上，我正在爬墙，试图找到一些方法......任何方法......让自己摆脱这段记忆。我需要帮助他们。乞求原谅。这几乎比让他们自生自灭更糟糕。他们在跟踪我的时候受伤了。
I’d never seen more stuffed shirts and fancy dresses in my life. The Gala was clearly the social event of the year. Even more so given that, from the snippets of
我这辈子从没见过这么自命不凡的衬衫和花哨的裙子。晚会显然是今年的社交盛事。更重要的是，考虑到这一点，我们可以从
conversation rising around us, this was apparently Luna’s first. It seemed that there was more than a little apprehension from the aristoponies that the Gala would devolve into a common carnival slog. ‘Could you imagine?’ ‘How gauche!’
我们周围的人都在谈论这件事，这显然是露娜的第一次。看起来，从停演中有一点点担心，这个盛会将演变成一个普通的狂欢节。你能想象吗"多么笨拙!"
We trotted past a unicorn stallion with a unicorn mare on either side of him. I wished I could plunge a sword into his heart and save two lives and one soul. “How dare she pick him over me! I’m the eldest. It should have been me!” he muttered to the bored-looking mares to either side of him.
我们小跑经过一匹独角兽种马，它的两边各有一匹独角兽母马。我希望我能把一把剑插进他的心脏，拯救两个生命和一个灵魂。"她怎么敢选择他而不是我！我是老大。应该是我!"他对两旁那些看起来无聊的母马们喃喃自语。
Trumpets blared and formal processional music began to play. Twilight Sparkle entered in a splendid gown of purple and swirling silver galaxies. Macintosh trotted at her side, his eyes steady and his lips curled in that casual, confident smile. They approached the wide central throne dais. Applejack, dressed in surprisingly normal businesslike attire, entered alongside Applesnack, the former doing her best to smile as casually as her brother while the latter did his best not to be sick. From the doorway flew Rainbow Dash in a dress that could almost pass for a uniform, a grinning Stonewing beside her. There was some applause and cheering from the crowd, which the Ministry Mare obviously relished. Jetstream gave a little sigh.
喇叭声和正式的游行音乐开始响起。紫悦穿着由紫色和银色星系组成的华丽长袍走了进来。麦金托什在她身边小跑，他的眼睛定定地看着她，嘴唇卷曲着，带着那种随意而自信的微笑。他们走近中央宽阔的宝座台。苹果杰克，穿着令人惊讶的正常职业装束，和阿普尔纳克一起走了进来，阿普尔纳克尽力像她哥哥一样随意地微笑，而阿普尔纳克尽力不生病。彩虹·达什穿着一件几乎可以穿成制服的衣服从门口飞了出来，她身边的石翼咧着嘴笑着。人群中响起了一阵掌声和欢呼声，马利部显然很高兴。Jetstream轻轻叹了口气。
Pinkie Pie bounced in on her hooves with an escort on either side. The stallion and a mare were decorated as formally as two clowns could possibly dress, but the rainbow wigs still killed it. Then I was astonished to see Fluttershy enter in a simple white gown decorated with pearls and rubies; the design was vaguely reminiscent of a nurse’s uniform. At her side, walking with pain evident on his face, was the scarred Goldenblood. More than once he broke stride, coughing for breath as she waited patiently with a concerned and tender expression. Of course, that was how she always looked.
小手指派在两边都有人护送的情况下，用蹄子蹦了进来。这匹种马和一匹母马被正式地装扮成两个小丑可以穿的样子，但是彩虹假发仍然杀死了它。然后，我惊讶地看到Fluttershy穿着一件用珍珠和红宝石装饰的简单的白色礼服走了进来，这个设计让我隐约联想到护士制服。在她身边，带着明显的痛苦走着的是伤痕累累的金色血液。他不止一次停下脚步，咳嗽着喘气，而她则带着关切而温柔的表情耐心地等待着。当然，她一直都是这个样子。
Rarity and Vanity entered with a fanfare, and almost everypony save one gave a collective gasp of approval at her exquisite gown. The only pony who didn’t share their approval ground his teeth furiously behind Jetstream. Vanity, a familiar sword belted at his side, somehow made the white dress uniform even more splendid. For a few seconds, he gazed straight at Jetstream, and I knew that he would have rather had her by his side than the magnificent unicorn mare. Every noble muttered in complete approval, for here were two equines that embodied the image of all that was good in the noble lineage. Truly, there were no finer nor more lovely ponies in all the world!
"稀有"和"虚荣"大张旗鼓地走了进来，几乎每一匹小马都对她精致的礼服赞不绝口。唯一一匹没有得到他们认可的矮种马愤怒地跟在Jetstream后面。虚荣，一把熟悉的剑束缚在他的身边，不知何故使白色的礼服制服更加华丽。有那么几秒钟，他直直地盯着喷气流，我知道他宁愿把喷气流放在自己身边，也不愿意看到那匹漂亮的独角兽母马。每个贵族都满意地咕哝着，因为这里有两匹马，代表着贵族血统中一切善良的形象。说真的，世界上再也没有比这更好更可爱的小马了！
Or were there? The lights dimmed as a great glowing orb and a shining silver sphere drifted from on high to land side by side at the entrance. Celestia looked as she always had. Perhaps a little more tired and wan, but glorious as ever. Beside her, looking young and vibrant and confident, stood Luna. And, side by side, the Princesses walked through a procession struck dumb with adoration. There was Rarity at her finest, and then there was this! Together, they moved with utmost dignity as everypony in attendance bowed before them. Not out of fear, but out of love and respect. They were Celestia and Luna. There was no other like them in the world.
或者真的有吗？灯光暗了下来，一个巨大的发光球体和一个闪闪发光的银色球体在入口处并排从高空漂移到陆地上。塞莱斯蒂娅看上去一如既往。也许有一点点疲惫和苍白，但一如既往的辉煌。站在她旁边的卢娜看上去年轻、充满活力和自信。两位公主肩并肩地走过一支被崇拜得目瞪口呆的队伍。有一个叫稀少的，穿着最好的衣服，还有这个！他们一起极端端庄地行动，每一匹在场的小马都在他们面前鞠躬。不是出于恐惧，而是出于爱和尊重。他们是塞勒斯蒂娅和卢娜。世界上没有其他人能像他们一样。
When they mounted the dais, Celestia gave a formal bow to her sister and then moved to the far right of the stage. Clearly, this was Luna’s show, and Celestia refused to upstage it. Twilight Sparkle stood at Luna’s right, giving concerned looks at the former monarch. Goldenblood looked as if he was struggling to stand, supported by Fluttershy at his side. I was no expert, but it didn’t look like an act. Luna gave him one concerned glance, then looked across the gathered masses of Equestria’s finest. She took a slow, deep breath, and when she spoke it wasn’t in some blasting clarion but with a strange projection, as if she was talking to me and me alone.
当他们登上讲台时，Celestia正式向她的妹妹鞠了一躬，然后移到了舞台的最右边。很明显，这是露娜的表演，塞莱斯蒂亚拒绝抢走它的风头。紫悦站在卢娜的右边，关切地看着这位前君主。金色的血液看起来好像挣扎着站起来，旁边站着的小萤火虫扶着他。我不是专家，但这看起来不像是在演戏。卢娜关切地看了他一眼，然后看了看聚集在一起的Equestria最好的警察。她慢慢地深吸了一口气，当她说话的时候，声音不是用某种爆破般的嘹亮，而是用一种奇怪的投影，好像是在和我单独说话。
“Ponies of Equestria. For twelve long years we have struggled… we have sacrificed… we have toiled against an enemy without reason or remorse. And, despite our pain and hardships, we have risen to these challenges with determination and vigor that would make the stars themselves tremble in awe.” As she spoke, the volume slowly rose, as if the castle itself were speaking to us. “Regardless of the troubles we have faced on these long and uncertain nights, today we take comfort in our traditions and celebrate our dignity, our unity, and our strength! Therefore, it is with humility and thanks that your Princess welcomes you to this most glorious of nights, and declares: let the Grand Galloping Gala… commence!” And with that word, it felt as though Equestria itself was giving the speech, and the crowd broke into cheers.
"Equestria的小马。十二年来，我们一直在奋斗......我们做出了牺牲......我们毫无理由、毫无悔意地与敌人作战。而且，尽管我们经历了痛苦和困难，但我们以决心和活力迎接了这些挑战，这些决心和活力足以让明星们敬畏地颤抖。"当她说话的时候，音量慢慢升高，仿佛城堡本身在对我们说话。"尽管我们在这些漫长而不确定的夜晚面临着种种困难，但今天我们要在我们的传统中得到安慰，庆祝我们的尊严、我们的团结和我们的力量！因此，带着谦卑和感谢，你们的公主欢迎你们来到这个最辉煌的夜晚，并宣布:让大奔驰盛典...开始!"听到这个词，感觉就像是马术国自己在发表演讲，人群爆发出欢呼声。
With a gleeful squeal, Pinkie Pie rushed to a bellpull dangling nearby. A gong resounded, and suddenly velvet drapes were yanked up to reveal dozens of clowns, acrobats, jugglers, tumblers and singers. A cascade of fireworks exploded outside with such energy that, for a moment, it seemed like day had returned. Streamers descended like rain, and a cloud of countless balloons rose from cleverly hidden boxes about the throne room. The stunned aristoponies suddenly found themselves swept up in a party two short steps removed from a
小馅饼兴高采烈地尖叫了一声，冲向附近晃来晃去的铃铛。锣声响起，天鹅绒窗帘突然被拉起，露出了几十个小丑、杂技演员、杂耍演员、不倒翁和歌手。外面的烟火如瀑布般迸发出如此强大的能量，有那么一瞬间，似乎白昼又回来了。彩带像雨一样飘落，无数的气球从王座厅周围巧妙隐藏的盒子里升起。这些令人震惊的独裁者们突然发现自己被卷入了一个小组，这个小组距离一个地方只有两步之遥
riot.
暴动。
Jetstream, Psalm, and Echo made their way down the stairs and to the dais where the Princesses, the Ministry Mares, and the other Marauders were meeting with a few other select individuals. “A bit much, wouldn’t you say, Pinkie Pie?” Rarity observed as a pie-juggling pony in a loud checkered suit rolled by on top of a large ball.
Jetstream，Psalm，和Echo下了楼梯，来到了讲台，公主们，部长Mares和其他掠夺者们正在那里和其他几个精挑细选的人会面。"有点过了，你不觉得吗，平奇?"罕见地看到一匹小马在一个大球顶上滚过，穿着花哨的格子花呢套装，玩着馅饼戏法。
“What do you mean? I just made the Gala what it should have been! Ponies playing, ponies dancing...!” She fluttered her eyes at the unicorn with a cheeky grin. “Would you rather it be like the first time?”
""什么意思？我只是让这个盛会变成了它应该有的样子！小马在玩耍，小马在跳舞......"她冲着那只独角兽眨了眨眼睛，厚颜无耻地咧着嘴笑。"你愿意像第一次那样吗?"
Rarity took one look at Blueblood watching sullenly and shuddered. “I’d rather not.”
稀有看了一眼蓝色的血统，闷闷不乐地打了个寒颤。"我宁愿不要。"
“Excellent speech, Sister. I’m glad you modified the traditional Canterlot voice,” Celestia said with a fond smile. “I never found much use for it.”
"说得好，修女。我很高兴你改变了传统的Canterlot的声音,"塞莱斯蒂亚笑着说。"我从未发现它有多大用处。"
“You used it for two hundred and sixty three years,” Goldenblood rasped, sitting with his eyes closed while Fluttershy held a hoof to his brow.
"你用了二百六十三年,"金血王怒气冲冲地说，闭着眼睛坐着，小弗特希用蹄子挡住了额头。
“You should be back in bed. You’re still not well,” the yellow mare fussed softly.
"你应该回到床上去。你还是不舒服,"那匹黄色的母马轻轻地大惊小怪。
“Oh, I should last another hour or so,” he said as he looked at Rarity. “Wouldn’t you say?”
"哦，我还要坚持一个小时左右,"他看着稀少说。"你说呢?"
“Well, it would get their attention elsewhere,” Rarity said with a small worried frown. “But only if you’re sure.”
"好吧，那样他们的注意力就会转移到别的地方去了,"稀有带着一丝担忧的皱眉说。"但前提是你确定。"
“I’d hate to cause a spectacle,” he rasped, coughing into a handkerchief. Fluttershy pulled out a healing potion from the dress; apparently, the similarity to a nurse’s uniform didn’t end with the style. For just a few seconds, he was the focus of a great number of ponies as he drank the restorative draught.
"我不想引人注目,"他用手帕咳嗽着，粗声粗气地说。Fluttershy从裙子里拿出了一种治疗药剂;显然，与护士制服的相似之处并没有随着时尚而结束。有那么几秒钟，他一边喝着恢复精力的药水，一边成了众多小马的焦点。
“The Ministry Mare of the Ministry of Peace, dressed as a nurse, is giving aid to a member of the aristocracy,” Vanity said softly from beside Jetstream. “Very well done, nephew.” The look Rarity was giving Goldenblood was far less admiring. In fact, it looked like a faint expression of unease.
"和平部的母马，打扮成一个护士，正在帮助一个贵族成员,"瓦妮特在捷溪旁轻声说。"干得好，侄子。"奥若尔给金布拉德的眼神远没有那么令人钦佩。事实上，这看起来像是一种不安的模糊表达。
“You’re not staying, Princess?” Twilight Sparkle asked as Celestia turned away,
"你不留下来吗，公主?"紫悦问道，塞莱斯蒂亚转过身去,
walking towards an exit behind the throne.
朝王座后面的出口走去。
The rainbow-maned alicorn looked back at Twilight and shook her head with a sad little smile. “No. I’m afraid my heart isn’t in celebrations. Besides,” she said a touch coolly, glancing at Goldenblood coughing pink and red flecks into the handkerchief, “I wouldn’t want to detract from my sister.” Goldenblood gave a mirthless smile as he looked up at Celestia before clenching his eyes in another fit of soft coughing. He almost looked… ashamed.
那个戴着彩虹帽子的小角斗士回头看了看《暮光之城》，摇了摇头，带着一丝悲伤的微笑。"没有。恐怕我的心不在庆祝。"此外,"她冷静地说，瞥了一眼Goldenblood的咳嗽，手帕上有粉红色和红色的斑点,"我不想影响我妹妹。"金血王抬头看着天堂，脸上露出了一丝不悦的微笑，随后又开始了一阵轻微的咳嗽，双眼紧闭。他几乎看起来...很羞愧。
Celestia extended a hoof to Luna’s shoulder and said as if sending her off to battle, “Good luck, Luna. Stay strong. The Gala has broken many great and powerful ponies before.”
塞莱斯蒂娅把蹄子伸到露娜的肩膀上，好像要送她上战场一样说道:"祝你好运，露娜。保持坚强。春晚之前已经驯服了许多强壮的小马驹。"
“I think I can handle some aristoponies at a party, Sister,” Luna said, as if a touch insulted at the implication that she couldn’t.
"我想我可以在派对上演唱一些独唱曲目，修女,"露娜说，似乎因为她不能演唱独唱曲目而受到了侮辱。
“You’d be surprised at just how they can push you if you’re not careful,” Celestia warned as she looked at the crowds.
"如果你不小心，他们会如何推动你，你会感到惊讶,"塞莱斯蒂亚在观察人群时警告说。
“Oh, like the one hundred and thirty first Gala, where you transformed half the attendees into frogs and the other half into pigs?” Twilight offered with a kind smile. At her friends’ looks, she flushed. “I was curious whether our experience really was the worst gala ever.”
"哦，就像一百三十一个春晚，你把一半的参加者变成青蛙，另一半变成猪?"暮色带着和蔼的微笑。看到朋友们的目光，她脸红了。"我很好奇，我们的经历是否真的是有史以来最糟糕的晚会。"
Celestia shuddered. “Yes. Exactly like that one. I don’t think anypony looked me in the eye for two years after that.” With that, the Princess gave Twilight a parting nod and smile and walked quietly towards the exit.
塞莱斯蒂亚颤抖着说。"是的。一模一样。我认为在那之后的两年里，没有一匹小马看着我的眼睛。"说完，公主向黄昏点了点头，微笑着走向出口。
“I suppose we should mingle and chat things up with folks?” Applejack asked, looking as if she’d rather chew tacks than waste time talking to all these snobby ponies.
"我想我们应该和大家一起聊聊天吧?"苹果白兰地问道，看起来她宁愿嚼大头钉也不愿意浪费时间和这些势利的小马说话。
Pinkie Pie bounced along with a crowd of performers, giggling wildly. “No, silly! We should have fun!” she said with a squeal. Fun was certainly a relative term. I’d been known to get a little crazy from time to time, but never on the scale that Pinkie Pie operated on. I wondered if, in the time since founding her ministry, she’d opened a school for clowning specifically to have the number of performers needed for the Gala. They were everywhere, and the aristocrats seemed stunned, unable to figure out what the proper actions were. Nopony would dare leave with the Princess in attendance.
小手指饼和一群表演者一起弹来弹去，疯狂地咯咯笑着。"不，傻瓜！我们应该玩得开心!"她尖叫着说。乐趣当然是一个相对的概念。大家都知道我时不时会变得有点疯狂，但是从来没有像PinkiePie这么大的规模。我想知道，在她成立事工以来的那段时间里，她是否专门为小丑开办了一所学校，以满足春晚所需的表演者数量。他们无处不在，贵族们似乎都惊呆了，不知道该采取什么样的正确行动。小马不敢在公主的陪伴下离开。
The Ministry Mares and their escorts started to break up into clumps and mix in with the chaos. Jetstream was left with Echo, the pair having the dubious distinction of being the least interesting ponies to talk to. Other than Doof, who saw the buffet and never looked back.
母马和它们的护卫开始分裂成丛，混杂在混乱中。Jetstream只剩下Echo，这两匹马可能是最不值得交谈的小马。除了杜夫，他看到了自助餐，再也没有回头。
“…I’m telling ya, they’re all a bunch of lying, cheating, no good snakes, the whole lot of ‘em,” Applejack complained bitterly to a knot of aristocrats (and one mime doing her best to imitate Applejack’s scornful looks and motions behind her back) as we passed. “They’ll take whatever you give ‘em, then they’ll sell for twice what it cost ‘em in the first place!”
"......我告诉你，他们都是一群撒谎，欺骗，没有好蛇，所有的'他们',"当我们经过时，苹果白兰地对一群贵族愤愤地抱怨道(一个哑剧演员尽力模仿苹果白兰地轻蔑的眼神和背后的动作)。"你给他们什么，他们就要什么，然后他们就会以两倍的价格卖出去!"
Rarity coughed delicately, commenting, “Applejack, I think that’s what we call ‘profit margins’.” Behind the orange mare, Applesnack grabbed the mime in a hooflock.
"苹果白兰地，我想这就是我们所说的'利润率'。"在橙色的母马后面，阿普莱斯纳克用马蹄锁住了这个哑剧演员。
“Really? It’s what I’m callin’ profiteerin’! And greedy shenanigans. I’m trying to keep ‘em honest by putting some kin in charge and seein’ if that helps straighten’ ‘em up. I got no complaints if they make a bit or two, but they ain’t gonna get away with what they done before,” Applejack said with a firm stomp that coincided perfectly with Applesnack punting the mime clear over the crowd.
"真的吗？这就是我所说的"奸商"！还有贪婪的诡计。我试图通过让一些亲戚负责来保持他们的诚实，看看这是否有助于他们改邪归正。我没有抱怨，如果他们做了一点点或两个，但他们不会摆脱他们以前所做的事情,"苹果杰克说，与苹果奈克说完全一致，哑剧明确的人群。
“Well, surely there must be some you can work with. You’re putting Braeburn in charge of Ironshod Firearms,” Rarity said with clear concern.
""那么，肯定有一些你可以处理的。你让布雷本负责铁鞋火器公司,"稀少明确表示担忧。
Applejack gave a sheepish smile. “Um, Rarity, not sure you noticed, but Braeburn’s got a few tumbleweeds in his acre.”
苹果白兰地露出了羞怯的微笑。"嗯，稀少，不知道你有没有注意到，不过布雷本的地里有一些风滚草。"
The white unicorn nodded thoughtfully. “Mmm, yes. He does seem a bit distracted at times.”
白色的独角兽若有所思地点点头。"嗯，是的。他确实有时看起来有点心不在焉。"
“And he’s family. The rest of ‘em… Hippocampus, Flash, Boom… I walk into a room and it’s like they’re just nodding and waiting for me to leave so they can continue their shenanigans! I feel like I’m foalsittin’!”
"他是我的家人。其余的部分......海马体，闪光灯，砰......我走进一个房间，他们就像是在点头，等着我离开，这样他们就可以继续他们的恶作剧了！我觉得我在坚持!"
“I wish I could make some recommendations, but I’m afraid most of my contacts are limited to my own ministry.” Rarity gave Applejack a sympathetic smile.
"我希望能提出一些建议，但恐怕我的大部分联系人都只限于我自己的部门。"罕见给苹果杰克一个同情的微笑。
“Oh, Goldenblood’s suggested a few business ponies, but I can’t tell them from the snakes.” Rarity looked decidedly unhappy with the mention of the sickly pony as Applejack went on. “Horse is the only one I’ve met who doesn’t seem to
"哦，金血王建议养几匹商务小马，但我分不清它们和蛇。"当阿普尔杰克继续说下去的时候，一提到那匹病怏怏的小马，罕见显然显得不高兴。"马是我见过的唯一一匹看起来不像的马
give a damn how many bits he can pull out of this war. Cares more about his gadgets than making money. But Golden told me I should be careful with him. Careful.”
才不管他能从这场战争中捞到多少好处。比起赚钱，他更关心他的小玩意儿。但戈尔登告诉我，我应该小心对待他。小心点。"
“Well, as useful as Goldenblood might be, I don’t need him to tell me how to run my business,” Rarity declared firmly.
"好吧，虽然金色血统可能很有用，但我不需要他来告诉我如何经营我的生意,"稀有坚定地宣布。
“Oh? He’s meddling in Image too?”
"哦？他也在干涉形象?"
Rarity opened her mouth, then balked. “No… no, he really isn’t. He’s not telling me things that I wouldn’t have done myself.” Her lips pressed together as she looked across the room towards Fluttershy. “But I still don’t like him. He’s...” But whatever he was fell out of earshot as Jetstream strolled away. Normally, I’d have been fascinated, but right now all I could do was wonder if my friends were alive. I knew better than to hope that they were okay.
蕾妮张开了嘴，然后犹豫了一下。"不......不，他真的不是。他没有告诉我一些我自己不会做的事情。"她的嘴唇紧闭着，望着房间另一头的小弗特希。"但我还是不喜欢他。他是......"但不管他是什么，当Jetstream漫步离开时，他从听力范围之外掉了下来。通常情况下，我会着迷，但现在我所能做的就是想知道我的朋友们是否还活着。我知道不能指望他们没事。
Jetstream wandered through the crowd, clearly looking for the gray pegasus. Pinkie Pie was dancing on the piano in one room, grinning with an expression of ‘have fun or else.’
Jetstream在人群中徘徊，显然是在寻找那匹灰色的飞马。小派正在一个房间里的钢琴上跳舞，露齿而笑，表情是"玩得开心或者其他"
“I was just wonderin’ if I could ask you somethin’ about Miss Maripony,” Big Macintosh said in his low, confident voice. He was standing with Twilight Sparkle in an alcove off to the side, and Jetstream peeked a little closer, her ears twitching. I’d be curious, too, if I wasn’t thinking about Lacunae following me about like a broken doll. When was this stupid memory going to end?
"我只是想问你一些关于马里波尼小姐的事,"大麦金托什用低沉而自信的声音说。他和紫悦站在旁边的一个凹室里，Jetstream凑近一点偷看，她的耳朵在抽搐。我也很好奇，如果我没有想到空隙像一个破娃娃一样跟着我的话。这愚蠢的记忆什么时候才能结束？
“Who?” Twilight Sparkle blinked in confusion.
"谁?"紫悦困惑地眨着眼睛。
“Maripony?”
"马里波尼?"
Twilight Sparkle suddenly started. “Oh! Yes, Maripony.” She laughed awkwardly. “I… ah… I get her confused. You know… with the Splendid Valley site. Happens all the time,” she said with an embarrassed smile.
紫悦突然开始了。"哦！是的，马里波尼。"她尴尬地笑了。"我.....。.我把她弄糊涂了。你知道的...辉煌峡谷的遗址。这种事经常发生,"她尴尬地笑着说。
“Well… I was wonderin’… has she mentioned me at all? I mean, does she talk about me?” Big Macintosh looked so uncertain and concerned that it was quite touching.
"嗯......我在想......她有没有提到过我？我的意思是，她谈论过我吗?"大麦金托什机看起来是如此的不确定和忧虑，以至于它非常令人感动。
Twilight blinked, then smiled. “Well, yes. I suppose she does, now that I think about it. She wishes she could get away from the ministry more to see you.
暮色眨了眨眼，然后笑了。""嗯，是的。我想是的，现在我想起来了。她希望能多离开牧师的工作来看看你。
Everything’s so crazy.”
一切都太疯狂了。"
“Really? Huh…” Big Macintosh looked baffled and even a little worried.
"真的吗？哈......"大麦金托什看起来很困惑，甚至有点担心。
“Did I say something wrong?” Twilight asked in concern.
"我说错什么了吗?"暮光关切地问道。
The large red pony sighed. “It’s just… she’s so much smarter than me. I just… I don’t understand why she likes to be around me. She’s such a clever, nice little mare. Don’t see what she sees in a pony like me.”
那匹大红马叹了口气。"只是......她比我聪明多了。我只是...我不明白她为什么喜欢和我在一起。她真是一匹聪明可爱的小母马。别让她看到我这样的矮种马。"
Twilight blinked and then smiled a little. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Really.” She sighed as she looked at her polished hooves. “At the ministry, everything is crazy. I mean, you throw so many eggheads into one room, and there’re so many ideas flying around that, by the end of the day, you feel fried. A pony like you, who’s…” She trailed off and he smiled down at her as she fished for a word.
暮色眨了眨眼，然后微笑了一下。"哦，不用担心这个。真的。"她看着擦得锃亮的马蹄，叹了口气。"在魔法部，一切都很疯狂。我的意思是，你把这么多知识分子扔到一个房间里，有这么多的想法飞来飞去，到一天结束的时候，你会觉得精疲力尽。像你这样的小马驹，谁是......"她慢慢地走开了，当她想找话说的时候，他朝她微笑。
“Simple?” Big Macintosh offered, and she blushed.
"简单?"大麦金托什提出，她脸红了。
“Easygoing,” Twilight countered with a smile. “It lets a pony like her unwind and relax from all the pressures we deal with at the ministry.” Twilight sighed as she looked back at the crowded room. “Trust me. Being smart isn’t a guarantee for being happy.” Then she returned her gaze to him with a smile. “And you make her happy.”
"随和,"暮光微笑着反驳道。"它让像她这样的小马放松下来，从我们在事工上所面对的所有压力中解脱出来。"暮色回头望着拥挤的房间，叹了口气。"相信我。聪明并不能保证幸福。"然后她微笑着把目光还给了他。"你让她快乐。"
Big Macintosh’s mood quite obviously improved as his casual smile returned. “Well, thank you, Twilight. I hope you’ll tell her I look forward to seeing her again. I was thinkin’ on taking her to a hoofball game with some of the other Marauders.”
大麦金托什的心情明显好转了，他又露出了随意的微笑。"好吧，谢谢你，暮光之城。我希望你告诉她我期待着再次见到她。我想带她和其他掠夺者一起去看马蹄球比赛。"
“Hoofball?” Twilight Sparkle blinked in confusion and a little unease. “Um… well… I don’t think she’s ever been to a hoofball game.” The purple mare rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Sure! It’ll probably be fun!”
"马蹄球?"紫悦在困惑和一丝不安中眨着眼。"嗯......好吧......我想她从来没有去看过足球比赛。"紫色的母马若有所思地摩挲着她的下巴。"当然！可能会很有趣!"
“Ayup!” he agreed with a nod. “Then I’ll be sure to ask her. Thanks, Twilight.”
"哎呀!"他点头同意了。""那么我一定要问问她。谢谢，暮光之城。"
Twilight Sparkle seemed to start, then slumped a little. “Oh. Yeah. Sure. No problem.”
紫悦似乎开始了，然后有点下滑。"哦。是的。当然。没问题。"
Normally, I would have been interested in the pair and curious about the implications, but at the moment I was simply wondering if I’d be trapped in this
通常情况下，我会对这对搭档感兴趣，并对其中的含义感到好奇，但此刻我只是想知道自己是否会陷入其中
memory for hours… days? How long could a memory orb last? It wasn’t a bad memory. In fact, compared to many memories I’d experienced, I’d normally enjoy the party and the obvious fun. Pinkie Pie had taken the stuffed aristoponies and forced all her gaudy, gauche, glittery gala games into their dreary dignified lives. Clearly, it was not what they were used to, but no one dared to complain with the Princess doubling her fun.
几个小时...几天的记忆？一个记忆球能持续多久？这不是一段糟糕的回忆。事实上，与我经历过的许多回忆相比，我通常会享受派对和显而易见的乐趣。萍琪·派已经拿走了那些充满反叛色彩的牡丹花，迫使她所有的华而不实、华而不实、闪闪发光的节日游戏都进入了他们沉闷而有尊严的生活中。显然，这不是他们习惯了，但没有人敢抱怨与公主倍她的乐趣。
There was joy and laughter, too. Two gorgeous tumbling fillies kissing Echo’s cheeks simultaneously, making the young stallion blush to his hooves. Doof had found the cheese tray and its unfortunate digestive implications to anypony downwind. Stonewing flew through a solid wall, much to the amazement of the onlookers, including Rainbow Dash, and the chagrin of Big Macintosh. Vanity and Rarity drifted through as a respite and a focus of calm and civility.
还有欢乐和笑声。两个漂亮的翻滚的小姑娘同时亲吻着艾可的脸颊，使得这匹小种马的马蹄都红了。杜夫发现了奶酪盘，以及它对任何顺风小马消化系统的不幸影响。"石翼"飞过一堵坚实的墙壁，让旁观者惊讶不已，其中包括"彩虹冲击"(RainbowDash)和"大麦金托什"(BigMacintosh)的懊恼。虚荣和稀缺渐渐过去了，暂时得到了一点喘息的机会，也得到了一点冷静和礼貌的关注。
The Gala culminated with the Marauders getting medals for their work at securing some coal mine or another east of Hoofington and holding it against overwhelming odds. Finally, the party started to wind down... and Jetstream heard a mare cry out. “Help! Someone! Please, help!”
庆祝活动达到了高潮，掠夺者们获得了奖章，以表彰他们在保卫Hoofington东部的一些煤矿或其他地方的工作，并顶住了压倒性的优势。最后，聚会开始平静下来......喷气流听到了母马的叫声。"救命！有人吗！请救救我!"
My host took to the air and swooped down the hall like a comet. She found Fluttershy in an alcove with a collapsed, coughing, and rasping Goldenblood. She was pressing a hoof to his throat. “Your heartbeat is irregular and very weak! We need to get you to the hospital.” She looked at Jetstream. “Get Twilight! She can teleport him! Or maybe Rainbow Dash can fly him there. He’s not heavy!”
我的主人腾空而起，像彗星一样从大厅飞扑而下。她在一间凹室里发现了小萤火虫，凹室里有倒塌的、咳嗽的、刺耳的金色血液。她用蹄子顶着他的喉咙。"你的心跳不规则，非常微弱！我们得送你去医院。"她看着Jetstream。"抓住《暮光之城》！她可以瞬移他！或者彩虹·达什可以带他飞过去。他不重!"
“On my way!” Jetstream said at once, readying her wings.
"我来了!"喷气流立刻说，准备好了她的翅膀。
“Stop!” Goldenblood gasped as Jetstream turned to follow Fluttershy’s instructions. The blue mare froze, looking back at him as he struggled to rise. He coughed again, blood speckling his uniform. “Please. Stop. I’ll… I’ll be fine.”
"住手!"当飞天女侠按照小萤火虫的指示转身时，金色血液倒抽了一口冷气。当他挣扎着站起来的时候，蓝色的母马呆住了，回头看着他。他又咳嗽了一声，制服上有血迹。"求你了。别说了。我...我会没事的。"
“You will not be fine! Your heart is failing,” Fluttershy insisted, but he raised a hoof to her mouth, silencing her.
"你不会没事的！"你的心脏正在衰竭,"小弗特希坚持说，但他却抬起一只蹄子挡住她的嘴，让她安静下来。
“My heart… has been failing... for years. I’ll be… fine,” he said in wet, laborious tones. “Just another hour. Then… Luna will have retired… and the… important… ponies will… have gone home.” He spasmed and hugged his scarred chest, wet coughs rasping softly in his torso. “Everything must go perfectly tonight. Right… to… the end.”
"多年来，我的心脏......一直在衰竭。我会......好起来的,"他用湿润而费力的声调说。"再等一个小时。那么......卢娜就退休了......那些......重要的......小马......就......回家了。"他痉挛着，拥抱着他伤痕累累的胸膛，湿漉漉的咳嗽声在他的躯干里响起。"今晚一切都必须完美无缺。直到......结束。"
“But why?” Fluttershy asked in concern, brushing his sweaty golden mane from his scarred forehead.
"但为什么呢?"Fluttershy担心地问道，从他伤痕累累的额头上拂过汗津津的金色鬃毛。
“Where the nobles… go… the people… follow. Luna… is changing things… they have to accept her. Accept the ministries. Support both,” he said in snort, breathless gasps. “Confidence in Luna… is all that matters… now. If the nobles believe… the people… believe. And they will fight for her… because… they will believe in her…” He panted as she held him closely. “An hour, and I’ll go.”
"无论贵族去哪里......人民......都会跟随。卢娜...在改变一些事情...他们必须接受她。接受政府部门。支持两者,"他喘着粗气说。"现在，对卢娜的信心...是最重要的。如果贵族相信...人民...相信。他们会为她而战......因为......他们会相信她......"她紧紧抱着他，他气喘吁吁地说。"一个小时，我就走。"
Fluttershy’s gaze hardened. “I’m not going to let a patient of mine die. We’re getting Twilight.”
小萤火虫的目光僵硬了。"我不会让我的病人死的。我们正在看《暮光之城》。"
“Twilight… needs to… be seen… with Luna… now!” he insisted as he held her foreleg in his clammy grip. “Half an hour. Then… everypony… will be… leaving. The attention… can go… off Luna.” He squeezed her foreleg. “Please, Flutter… shy… My life… doesn’t matter… compared to… you seven. Please…”
"黄昏......需要......被看到......和露娜一起......现在!"他一边坚持，一边用湿冷的手抓住她的前腿。"半个小时。然后......每匹小马......都会......离开。注意力...可以...从卢娜身上消失。"他捏了捏她的前腿。"求你了，小心翼翼......害羞......我的生命......无关紧要......和......你们七个比起来。求你了......"
“I can fly him!” Jetstream said confidently. “No one will miss me. I got my medal. I can fly him to the hospital, and you can follow me.”
"我能让他飞起来!"Jetstream自信地说。"没有人会想念我。我拿到奖牌了。我可以用飞机把他送到医院，你可以跟着我。"
Fluttershy looked down at him with a gentle smile. “We’re going to the hospital, Goldenblood. And I’ll find some way to make you all better. And you are not going to argue. Understood?” Jetstream shed the frilly dress and, with Fluttershy’s help, carefully got Goldenblood on her back between her wings.
小弗特希低头看着他，脸上带着温柔的微笑。"我们要去医院，Goldenblood。我会想办法让你好起来的。而且你不会和我争论。明白吗?"Jetstream甩掉了那件褶边连衣裙，在Fluttershy的帮助下，小心翼翼地在两翼之间把金色血液弄到了她的背上。
“You should… stay here. The six… with Luna. Symbolic…”
"你应该......留在这里。六个...和露娜一起。象征性的......"
“Does he always talk this much?” Jetstream asked as she adjusted his weight.
"他总是这么唠叨吗?"调整他的体重时，Jetstream问道。
“He is a very bad patient,” Fluttershy said quietly as, together, they flew out of the side of the palace. The shadow and firework flashes hid them as they moved together out over the city.
"他是一个非常糟糕的病人,"小飞燕平静地说，他们一起飞出了宫殿的一侧。当他们一起走出城市的时候，阴影和烟火把他们隐藏了起来。
“And not… a very good… escort… I’m sorry…” Goldenblood murmured with alarming weakness between gasps as they flew into the night amid fireworks and sparklers.
"而且不是......一个很好的......陪同人员......对不起......"金血在烟花和烟火中飞入夜空，喘息间带着惊人的虚弱低声说道。
“That’s okay. I’m not very good with big parties, anyway,” Fluttershy replied as she flew close beside him. “But I’ll take care of you, Golden. I’ll take care of you.”
"没关系。不管怎样，我不太擅长参加大型聚会。"小红毛一边飞到他身边，一边回答。"但是我会照顾你的，戈尔登。我会照顾你的。"
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
As the memory faded away, I was left lying on my back in a bed, a blindfold wrapped across my eyes and tied in place. I lifted a hoof to push the blindfold away, only to find it restrained by a hoofcuff. I jerked all my limbs once, finding them all strapped down. I jerked again and again.
随着记忆逐渐消失，我躺在床上，双眼被蒙住，被绑在原地。我抬起一只蹄子把眼罩推开，却发现它被一只蹄子拴住了。我猛地抽动了一下四肢，发现它们都被捆住了。我一次又一次地抽搐。
“Like the memory orb?” a mare said to my side, and I turned my head in her direction, my horn starting to glow to remove the blindfold. Something heavy tapped against my horn. “Don’t. You hurt two of my nurses. Take off that blindfold and I’ll smash your horn, then dump you outside for the ghouls. Understand?”
"就像记忆球?"一匹母马对我说，我把头转向她的方向，我的角开始发光，以解除蒙眼布。某种沉重的东西敲打着我的喇叭。"不要。你伤害了我的两个护士。把眼罩拿下来，我就砸碎你的喇叭，然后把你扔到外面去找食尸鬼。明白吗?"
“Where are my friends? Who are you? Where am I?” I asked. If this was the Enclave, then I was going to take them all apart or die trying.
"我的朋友们呢？你是谁？我在哪里?"我问道。如果这就是昂科雷，那么我要么把他们全部分开，要么为此付出生命。
The mare sighed. “Your friends are alive. Some of them are still in serious condition. My name is Doctor Triage. You’re at the University. You’re a guest of the Collegiate.” There was a pause. “I’m going to remove your blindfold. Please stay calm. We almost killed you trying to sedate you earlier.”
母马叹了口气。"你的朋友还活着。他们中的一些人情况仍然很严重。我是分诊医生。你在大学里。你是学院派的客人。"停顿了一下。"我要摘掉你的眼罩。请保持冷静。我们之前想让你镇静下来，差点害死你。"
I felt the blindfold slowly tugged away, my eyes--my right eye; there was a bandage over my left--trying to focus on the mare before me. Everything was blurry, and sparkles danced in the corners of my vision as it struggled to focus on the grey unicorn with a blond mane. Her doctor’s coat was speckled with blood. I gave a tug on my cuffs and she arched a brow skeptically. “Are you going to be able to follow my instructions and stay in bed?”
我感到眼罩慢慢地被拉开，我的眼睛----我的右眼;我的左眼上缠着绷带----试图把注意力集中在我面前的母马身上。一切都变得模糊不清，闪光在我的视线角落里跳舞，因为它挣扎着去聚焦那只金色鬃毛的灰色独角兽。她的医生大衣上有血斑。我拉了拉我的袖口，她怀疑地皱起眉头。"你能按照我的指示躺在床上吗?"
“I want to see my friends,” I said as evenly as possible.
"我想见见我的朋友,"我尽可能平静地说。
She sighed again. “Why does nopony ever listen to their doctor?” Walking to the door, she pushed it open. “I need a wheelchair, please,” she called down the hall before returning to my bed. “Now, I want you to stay calm. We went through some rather extraordinary measures to try and save you. If you hadn’t helped us at the Fluttershy clinic… well…”
她又叹了口气。"为什么没人听医生的话?"她走向门口，推开了门。"我需要一个轮椅,"她在走廊尽头喊道，然后回到我的床上。"现在，我要你保持冷静。为了救你，我们采取了一些非常措施。如果不是你在Fluttershy诊所帮了我们......"
“How is Glory?” I asked softly. See? Look at me being a picture of calm.
"晨辉怎么样?"我轻声问道。看到了吗？看看我，一副冷静的样子。
“She’s stable, and in better shape than you are. You have severe biomagical contamination. The damage is extensive. We had to place you in the autonomous
"她很稳定，身体也比你好。你们有严重的生物污染。损害是广泛的。我们必须把你放在自治区
healing booth just to stabilize you long enough for surgery to remove the necrotic tissue and put you back in for a second run. Be glad the professor likes you. I don’t recall her allowing anypony two trips through the tube before.” She lifted a key with her magic. “I’m telling you all this because it took nearly six hours to put you back together. I don’t want you to ruin all that work with an overdose of stupid.” One by one, she removed the cuffs.
让你稳定下来，以便手术切除坏死组织，让你重新接受第二次治疗。很高兴教授喜欢你。我不记得她以前允许任何小马乘地铁两次。"她用魔法偷走了一把钥匙。"我之所以告诉你这些，是因为你花了将近6个小时才恢复过来。我不希望你因为过度的愚蠢而毁了这一切工作。"她一个接一个地解开了手铐。
“I need to see my friends. Now,” I said resolutely as I slowly rolled out of bed and onto the floor. Then I fought the urge to scream as my legs bent under me and I collapsed onto the yellowed tile. My legs bowed before my eyes! They weren’t supposed to bend like that!
"我要见我的朋友。"现在,"我坚决地说，慢慢地从床上滚下来，倒在地板上。我的双腿弯曲着，瘫倒在泛黄的瓷砖上，我忍住了尖叫的冲动。我的双腿在眼前弯曲着！它们不应该这样弯曲的！
“You really need to listen to your doctor,” she said as her blue magical glow wrapped around me and laid me back down on the bed. “Several of your bones have transformed into something the consistency of thick rubber. We’re trying to find a treatment to strengthen your limbs. Fortunately, your spine, skull, pelvis, and ribs are still largely intact. Your legs, however…” And she gave a non-committal shrug as a white earth pony stallion with a pink heart cutie mark trotted in pushing a wheelchair.
"你真的需要听医生的话,"她说，她的蓝色魔光包裹着我，把我放回床上。"你的一些骨头已经变成了厚橡胶一样的东西。我们正在寻找一种治疗方法来强化你的四肢。幸运的是，你的脊椎、头骨、骨盆和肋骨大部分仍然完好无损。然而，你的腿......"她不置可否地耸了耸肩，就像一匹白色大地上的种马，带着粉红色的心形可爱标记，推着轮椅小跑着。
“Tell me Glory’s condition. Were you…” I swallowed hard. How could I just ask if they could get her wing back on?
"告诉我晨辉的情况。你是不是......"我艰难地咽了口唾沫。我怎么能问他们能不能把她的翅膀装回去呢？
“We were able to stop the internal bleeding in the four of you. The alicorn… well… I won’t hazard a guess as to her physiology. Rampage recovered on her own. She was the one who found us. Went right to the professor,” Triage said as she carefully lifted me once more and put me in the chair. With my left eye covered by the bandage, I had to keep turning my head to see things. We exited into a far grimier hospital hall than the Fluttershy clinic… but at least this one didn’t have ‘PLAY’ written on the walls. She trotted ahead as the stallion pushed me along. “Believe it or not, your injuries were by far the most severe. Physically, at least.”
"我们能够止住你们四个人的内出血。阿里克那个...好吧...我不会冒险猜测她的生理机能。狂暴是靠自己恢复的。是她发现了我们。我径直走向教授,"她一边说，一边小心翼翼地把我再次举起来，放在椅子上。我的左眼被绷带遮住了，我不得不不断转动头部去看东西。我们走进了一个比Fluttershy诊所还要肮脏的医院大厅......但至少这个大厅的墙上没有写着"PLAY"。当那匹种马推着我向前走时，她一路小跑向前。"信不信由你，你的伤势是目前为止最严重的。至少在身体上是这样。"
“Blackjack!” Rampage shouted, rushing down the hall and shoving aside anypony who got in her path like a filly avalanche. She slid on the tiles, and only Triage’s magic stopped her from slamming into me. “How are you? They said you were stable, but… but… how are you?” she asked, her eyes huge and round. She put her weight on my knee, and I gritted my teeth as I felt it bend. She jerked her legs back, and the expression on her face somehow made the
"黑杰克!"横冲直撞的大喊着，冲下大厅，把挡在她前面的小马推到一边，就像小母马的雪崩一样。她在瓷砖上滑了一下，只有Triage的魔法阻止了她撞上我。"你好吗？他们说你很稳定，但是......但是......你怎么样?"她问，她的眼睛又大又圆。她把她的重量放在我的膝盖上，当我感觉到它弯曲时，我咬紧牙关。她猛地把腿往后一拉，脸上的表情似乎让她觉得
sensation even worse.
感觉更糟。
“I’m fine. We’re going to check on Glory,” I said as I brushed her mane. From the horrified look on her face, my heart began to thud limply in my chest. “What happened, Rampage?”
"我很好。我们要去看看晨辉,"我一边说一边给她梳头发。从她惊恐的表情看来，我的心开始在我的胸膛里无力地砰砰跳动。"发生什么事了，狂暴?"
“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything after we went down those stairs. When I came to, we were on an elevator that opened up at a construction site near the university. I came straight here for help.”
"我不知道。我不记得我们下楼后发生的任何事。当我苏醒过来的时候，我们正在大学附近一个建筑工地的电梯里。我直接来这里寻求帮助。"
“She was very insistent,” Triage said softly as she trotted ahead of us, “I think she swore a personal, unending, and eternal war of annihilation if we didn’t help you right away. Fortunately, the professor agreed.”
"她非常坚持,"分诊医生轻声地说，一边小跑着走在我们前面,"我想她发誓，如果我们不马上帮助你们，她就要进行一场个人的、无休止的、永恒的毁灭战争。幸运的是，教授同意了。"
“I woulda too,” Rampage replied with a scowl. Triage simply rolled her eyes with a huff.
"我也会的,"狂暴板着脸回答。分诊医生气呼呼地翻了翻眼睛。
“Rampage, how is Glory? You’ve seen her… haven’t you?” I asked, and she quickly looked away as the orderly stopped pushing me. The other staff in the grimy ward watched me warily; given that I could shoot them with a look, that wasn’t much of a surprise.
"暴怒，晨辉怎么样了？你见过她......是吗?"我问道，当护理员停止推我的时候，她迅速地把目光移开了。肮脏病房里的其他工作人员小心翼翼地看着我;考虑到我可以用眼神拍摄他们，这没什么好惊讶的。
“I haven’t been to see anypony except P-21,” Rampage said softly. “I didn’t want… you know… anything to happen.” She bit her lip. “Since I woke up, I keep feeling… I don’t think I’m safe… you know?” She looked at me with shame in her pink eyes before she quietly stepped back. Magic glowed around the wheelchair as Triage pushed me the last few feet into the dirty, dim, dank room.
"除了P-21，我还没见过别的小马。"。"我不想......你知道......发生任何事。"她咬着嘴唇。"自从我醒来，我一直觉得......我觉得我不安全......你知道吗?"她羞愧地用粉红色的眼睛看着我，然后静静地后退了几步。当分诊医生把我推进最后几英尺进入肮脏、昏暗、潮湿的房间时，魔法在轮椅上闪闪发光。
Oh, Glory.
哦，晨辉。
I wanted to weep as I saw her lying still in the decrepit hospital bed. A magical monitor beeped softly as she lay on her stomach with a blanket around her haunches. One gray wing lay slack at her side. The other… wasn’t… I shook as I stretched out a hoof towards her, tears running down my cheeks as I watched my outstretched limb slowly droop as the muscles cramped. I hugged my leg to my chest as I looked at her, unconscious.
当我看到她仍然躺在破旧的病床上时，我真想哭。一只魔法监视器发出嘟嘟声，她趴在地上，腰间盖着毯子。一只灰色的翅膀松弛地放在她身边。当我向她伸出一只蹄子时，我颤抖着，眼泪顺着我的脸颊流下来，看着我伸展的四肢慢慢地下垂，因为肌肉抽筋。我抱着我的腿在我的胸部，我看着她，不省人事。
“You couldn’t save her wing? Put her in the magical restoration thingy again…” I muttered thickly with a sniff, my body starting to shake. This was my fault. I
"你救不了她的翅膀？再把她放进那个神奇的修复物里......"我用鼻子咕哝着，我的身体开始颤抖。这是我的错。一
had caused nothing but pain and misery in her life. “Do something! Please!” I said as I twisted and grabbed Triage’s dirty medical coat between my hooves. “I’ll do anything you want. Just fix her!”
给她的生活带来的只有痛苦和不幸。"做点什么！求你了!"我一边说，一边扭动身体，用蹄子夹住了伤员分类医疗用的脏外套。"你要我做什么我就做什么。快治好她!"
The doctor just sighed. “We can’t. When her wing was separated from her body, putrefaction began immediately. All that reached the top of the lift was bone, dead meat, and feathers.”
医生只是叹了口气。"我们不能。当她的翅膀从她的身体分离，腐烂立即开始。到达电梯顶部的只有骨头、死肉和羽毛。"
“Give her Hydra! Something!” I begged, gritting my teeth as I felt my forelimbs bend. “I… I can’t leave her like this.”
"把九头蛇给她！一些东西!"当我感到前肢弯曲时，我咬紧牙关乞求着。"我.....。.我不能就这样离开她。"
Triage grunted in annoyed resignation. “Even if it could work, the amount of Hydra we’d have to use would probably induce such massive amounts of taint contamination that she’d be dead anyway. Just like you,” she said as she lifted a clipboard.
伤员分类小组恼怒地听天由命地咕哝着。"即使它能起作用，我们不得不使用的九头蛇的数量可能会引起如此大量的污染，以至于她无论如何都会死。就像你一样,"她一边说，一边拿起一个写字板。
“Contamination? Me?”
"污染？我?"
“I haven’t seen taint corruption like yours in a long time. You should have seen your heart! We removed at least a half dozen tumors in your lungs and lymphatic systems. I can’t even begin to guess what it’s doing to your skeletal structure.” She poked me in the chest with the clipboard. “You know what? Forget your bones,” she said as her lips curled in an angry smirk, “I can’t even begin to guess how it’s fucking with your brain.”
"我很久没有看到像你们这样的腐败了。你应该看看你的心脏！我们至少切除了六个肿瘤在你的肺部和淋巴系统。我甚至不知道它对你的骨骼结构产生了什么影响。"她用写字板戳我的胸口。"你知道吗？"忘了你的骨头吧,"她愤怒地撇着嘴，说道,"我甚至猜不出你的大脑是怎么想的。"
“My brain?” I muttered dully, receiving a look like I’d just proven her argument.
"我的大脑?"我无精打采地喃喃自语着，看上去好像我刚刚证明了她的观点。
“The brain’s an organ, and your organs are fucked. I’m having trouble finding biological systems that aren’t compromised on some level. Muscles. Epidermis. Looks like your reproductive bits got lucky. That’s about it, though,” she said as she looked at the clipboard. “You know, a rare few might get exposed to taint and get some decent benefit from it like regeneration or the like. But most, like you, just die. Normally I wouldn’t give a damn, but I spent a lot of time, energy, and good chems trying to piece you back together. The very least you can do is try to pretend like you’re going to try and keep that hulk of meat you call a body in something vaguely resembling working condition.”
"大脑是一个器官，你的器官已经完蛋了。我很难找到在某种程度上没有被破坏的生物系统。肌肉。表皮。看来你的生殖器走运了。就是这样,"她一边说，一边看着写字板。"你知道，少数人可能会受到污染，并从中获得一些体面的好处，比如重建或类似的东西。但大多数人，像你一样，只是死去。通常我不会在乎，但是我花了很多时间，精力和好的药物试图把你拼回去。至少你可以试着假装你要试着让你称之为肉体的庞然大物保持某种类似工作状态的状态。"
“You don’t get it,” I said softly as I stared at Glory’s unconscious form. “This is my fault. Going through the tunnels was my idea. I cost her her wings.” Her wings. I might as well have lit her on fire and called it a day. “I have to make this
"你不明白,"我盯着晨辉的无意识形态，轻声说道。"这是我的错。穿过隧道是我的主意。我害她失去了翅膀。"她的翅膀。我还不如把她点着然后收工呢。"我必须做这个
right.”
是的。"
“You have to take care of yourself. You’ve got six months to live. Maybe a year. We removed the most blatant taint tumors, but there are others inside you, and--” I silenced her with a hard shake.
"你必须照顾好自己。你还有六个月的生命。也许一年。我们移除了最明显的污染性肿瘤，但是你体内还有其他肿瘤，而且——"我用力摇了摇她，让她安静下来。
“Don’t you understand, Doctor? I don’t matter! All that matters is helping my friends. I die in a year, so what?! Glory will have to spend the rest of her life stuck on the ground because I took a tunnel and she followed me in.” I clenched my eyes shut, trying to control my shaking. “I have to help her fly again. Tell me there’s a way.”
""你不明白吗，医生？我不重要！重要的是帮助我的朋友。我一年后就要死了，那又怎样?！晨辉将不得不在地上度过她的余生，因为我走了一条隧道，她跟着我进去了。"我紧闭双眼，试图控制自己的颤抖。"我必须再次帮助她飞起来。告诉我有办法。"
Triage staggered back out of reach, and I tumbled right out of the chair and sprawled on my face. “Incredible. I’ve heard DJ Pon3 talk about you, but I never thought it could possibly be true,” she said as I tried to get my limbs under me. Triage lifted my chin with her hoof and stared into my eye with wonder. “How the fuck aren’t you dead yet?” Her tone was one of marvel and sick disgust. “You’re telling me that you seriously… sincerely… don’t give a damn about yourself? That you’re willing to die and rot so long as you’re helping others? We should have just let you die and save ourselves the materials.”
伤检分类医生摇摇晃晃地回到我够不到的地方，我从椅子上摔了下来，四肢伸开地趴在脸上。"难以置信。我听DJPon3说起过你，但我从没想过这可能是真的,"她说，我试图让我的四肢在我下面。分诊医生用她的蹄子抬起我的下巴，惊奇地盯着我的眼睛。"你他妈的怎么还没死?"她的语气是一种奇怪而恶心的厌恶。"你是在告诉我，你真的......真的......不在乎自己吗？只要你还在帮助别人，你就愿意死去腐烂吗？我们当初就应该让你死，把材料留给自己。"
“Funny… I thought helping others was a good thing,” I muttered, “you’re the second doctor I’ve met who thought I was stupid for hurting myself to help others.”
"有意思......我以为帮助别人是件好事,"我喃喃自语道,"你是我遇到的第二个认为我为了帮助别人而伤害自己是愚蠢的医生。"
She stared into my eye and shook her head slowly. “What good is your help if it kills you? You think ponies won’t need your help after you’re gone? That your friends won’t need you? If you don’t take care of yourself, then all you’re doing is a sick, masochistic suicide. And I don’t waste my skill and effort on suicide cases.”
她盯着我的眼睛，慢慢地摇了摇头。"如果你的帮助害死了你，那又有什么用呢？你以为你走了以后小马就不需要你的帮助了？你的朋友不再需要你？如果你不照顾好自己，那么你所做的一切就是一种病态的、受虐式的自杀。我不会把我的技能和精力浪费在自杀案件上。"
She shoved me away, stood, and levitated me back into the chair. “As to your friend, I’ve only had two pegasus patients before her, neither with severed wings. I suggest that, if you want a more informed opinion, you can just crawl down the road to the Skyport and ask the pegasi there if they have some treatment for regrowing a wing, because I don’t.” And with that, she trotted out of the room.
她把我推开，站起来，把我悬浮在椅子上。"至于你的朋友，在她之前我只接待过两个飞马病人，都没有被切断的翅膀。我建议，如果你想得到一个更有根据的意见，你可以沿着公路爬到飞马座上，问问那里的飞马有没有治疗再生翅膀的方法，因为我没有。"说完，她小跑着离开了房间。
I sat there for the longest time using my magic to nudge myself closer to the bed. I reached out, gently stroking her choppy amethyst mane as I dreaded when
我在那里坐了很长时间，用我的魔法把自己推到床边。我伸出手，温柔地抚摸着她波浪起伏的紫水晶鬃毛
she’d finally wake. It was growing out quite fast. Pretty soon, it’d be thick enough for her to hide behind again.
她终于醒了。它长得很快。很快，它就会厚到足以让她再次躲在后面。
A soft clearing of the throat made me look over at P-21. Rampage was curled up outside the door, looking as lost as I felt. “Hey,” he said softly.
我轻轻地清了清嗓子，看了看P-21。狂暴蜷缩在门外，看起来和我一样迷茫。"嘿,"他轻轻地说。
“Hey yourself.” He looked wary. Scared. Worried for me. But I also noticed something else: he wasn’t limping any more. I looked back and saw the brace was gone from his rear leg. “They fixed it?”
"嘿，你好。"他看上去很警惕。害怕。为我担心。但是我也注意到了一些其他的事情:他不再一瘸一拐了。我回头一看，发现支架从他的后腿上消失了。"他们修好了?"
“Apparently, that regeneration booth is some heavy duty magic. Removed the scarring; I finally feel like I can walk without my leg falling off, which is good, because that Enervation almost fused my entire leg,” he said with a mirthless smile. “Scotch Tape and Lacunae are in a bad way. Scotch Tape had some major internal bleeding. I think, being younger, she was more susceptible to the magical fields. She’s… not talking to anypony. And Lacunae just stands there. She’ll follow you if you lead her, but that’s about it.” I closed my eyes. I didn’t know how I could possibly help them. But I had to… I had to help them all.
"显然，那个再生展台是某种强大的魔法。移除了疤痕;我终于觉得我可以走路了，腿不会掉下来，这很好，因为那种能量几乎融化了我的整条腿,"他带着一丝苦笑说。"透明胶带和缺口不好。透明胶带有严重的内出血。我想，年轻的她更容易受到魔法场的影响。她...不跟任何小马说话。空隙只是站在那里。如果你领导她，她就会跟着你，但仅此而已。"我闭上了眼睛。我不知道怎样才能帮助他们。但我必须...我必须帮助他们所有人。
“At least you’re still with me,” I said with a smile as I reached over to nudge his shoulder with my limp limb. But his sad smile melted away as he looked off to the side with a worried frown. “What? What is it?”
"至少你还和我在一起,"我微笑着说，同时伸手用我柔软的肢体轻推他的肩膀。但是当他忧心忡忡地皱着眉头向旁边看去时，他那悲伤的微笑消失了。"什么？这是什么?"
His blue eyes looked away at the wall, the door, Glory… anything that wasn’t me. “I’m… I’m not sure I can keep doing this, Blackjack. I don’t know why we keep throwing ourselves into harm’s way over and over again. 99 is done. Throw EC-1101 in the river or down that shaft or something and let’s go back to Chapel and have some kind of life again with no monsters or killing. Just a quiet life for as long as we can.” He closed his eyes. “Priest is there. Sekashi. The Crusaders. Even Charity.” He pressed his lips together and gave a snotty sniff. “I found someone that makes me feel whole and complete and… I don’t want to lose it again. I was down in that hole and… I was going to die. I was going to lose it all forever and I almost let it happen. And if you keep on doing this…”
他蓝色的眼睛看着墙，门，晨辉......任何不是我的东西。"我......我不确定我能否继续这样下去，Blackjack。我不知道为什么我们总是一次又一次地把自己置于险境。99号结束了。把EC-1101扔进河里，或者通过竖井之类的东西，让我们回到教堂，重新过上没有怪物和杀戮的生活。只是尽可能地过平静的生活。"他闭上了眼睛。"牧师在那儿。女名女子名。十字军战士。甚至是慈善。"他紧闭双唇，轻轻地吸了一口鼻子。"我找到了一个让我感到完整和完整的人......我不想再次失去它。我在那个洞里...我快要死了。我将永远失去这一切，我几乎让它发生。如果你继续这么做......"
“You will,” I said softly, feeling as though my rotting, worthless heart had been ripped from my chest and only a void remained inside. I closed my eyes, feeling the ache.
"你会的,"我温柔地说，感觉就像我那颗腐烂的、毫无价值的心从我的胸膛里被扯了出来，只剩下一片空虚。我闭上眼睛，感到疼痛。
And what hurt the most was that he was right. I was cursed. I was like a walking ball of pain and misery, and everypony I encountered… good, bad, or
最让人伤心的是他是对的。我被诅咒了。我就像一个充满痛苦和不幸的行走的球，我遇到的每一匹小马......好的，坏的，或者
otherwise… was smashed apart as I rolled along. I used to think that, if I kept my friends close, at least I could take the hurt myself. Catch the bullets with my damn hide. But I couldn’t do that anymore. I’d tried to be strong, but I wasn’t strong enough. I’d tried to be tough, but I wasn’t tough enough.
否则...就会在我滚动的时候被撞得粉碎。我曾经认为，如果我和朋友保持亲密，至少我可以自己承担伤害。用我那该死的皮去抓子弹。但是我不能再这样下去了。我试着变得坚强，但是我不够坚强。我试图变得强硬，但是我不够强硬。
Hell, I couldn’t even take care of myself anymore.
见鬼，我甚至不能再照顾自己了。
“Well, then… as soon as you’re all feeling better… you should go,” I said. “Head back to Chapel. You’re smart and clever; they’ll need you if they’re going to build that place right. Take Glory and Scotch Tape with you. Lacunae too. And Rampage, if they’ll let her.”
"好吧，那么......一旦你们都感觉好些了......你们就应该走了,"我说。"回到教堂。你既聪明又聪明;如果他们想把那个地方建好，他们就需要你。带上晨辉和透明胶带。还有缺陷。还有狂暴，如果他们允许的话。"
“But you won’t be coming with us?”
"但是你不和我们一起去吗?"
“I can’t,” I said softly, closing my eyes. “There’s something bad in Hoofington. Something… something bad that started a long time ago. Goldenblood did something… some plan or plot involving EC-1101.” Besides, if I did go to Chapel, the trouble would follow me there, too.
"我不能,"我轻轻地说，闭上眼睛。"Hoofington有些不好的事情。一些...一些很久以前就开始的坏事。金血王做了一些事...一些关于EC-1101的计划或阴谋。"而且，如果我真的去了教堂，麻烦也会跟着我到那儿去。
“What does it matter, Blackjack? It was two hundred years ago.”
"这有什么关系，黑杰克？那是两百年前的事了。"
“It matters!” I snapped, glaring at him. He looked shocked at my reaction, and I drew a shaky breath. “One thing I’m absolutely sure of is that Goldenblood didn’t do anything that didn’t matter. And I know… I just know deep in my soul that it’s bad. Maybe it was that thing I shot with Folly. Maybe it’s whoever Sanguine serves. I don’t know. All I know is that somepony needs to stop it, or Hoofington will just keep killing. If the killing isn’t going to stop, I can’t give up.”
"这很重要!"我厉声说道，怒视着他。他看到我的反应很震惊，我颤抖着吸了一口气。"有一件事我非常肯定，那就是金血王子没有做任何无关紧要的事情。我知道...我只是在我的灵魂深处知道这是不好的。也许是因为我用Folly拍的那个东西。也许是桑吉尼的手下。我不知道。我只知道有人要阻止这一切否则Hoofington就会继续杀戮。如果杀戮不会停止，我就不会放弃。"
He just stared at me with that sad-eyed gaze. “You’re incredible, Blackjack. You really are… but I’m not. I’m sorry,” he said quietly as he hung his head again.
他只是用悲伤的眼神盯着我。"你真不可思议，Blackjack。你真的是...但我不是。"对不起,"他一边低着头，一边平静地说。
“Don’t be. It’s the smart thing to do,” I murmured quietly, “and you know me. I’m an idiot.”
"别这样。"这是明智之举,"我低声说,"你了解我的。"。我是个白痴。"
He sniffed as he rose to his hooves and quietly left the hospital room. I simply reached forward and stroked her cheek again, trying to ignore the bones bending in my leg. He was doing the right thing. He was a smart pony.
他闻了闻，站起身来，静静地离开了病房。我只是向前伸出手，再次抚摸她的脸颊，尽量不去理会我腿上弯曲的骨头。他在做正确的事情。他是一匹聪明的小马。
* * *
* * *
I don’t know how long I sat there alone, listening to the monitor that beeped out her vitals minute after minute, hour after hour. Then I saw the tiny shift of her head. The hairs falling across her eyes as they slowly opened. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t have to. Her right wing lifted only an inch or two and fell back. Her left… the bandaged stub moved slightly. Her eyes slowly closed again, seeking that solace of oblivion as she started to weep broken, gasping sobs.
我不知道自己一个人在那儿坐了多久，听着监视器一分钟一分钟、一小时一小时地发出她的重要信号。然后我看到她的头微微的移动。当她的眼睛慢慢睁开的时候，毛发纷纷落在她的眼睛上。她没有看我。她没必要这么做。她的右翼只抬高了一两英寸，然后向后倒了下去。她的左边...包着绷带的残肢微微移动。她的眼睛又慢慢地闭上了，开始哭泣，断断续续地抽泣着，寻找着被遗忘的安慰。
She’d taken the betrayal of her people, the loss of her cutie marks, the abandonment of her family; she’d suffered humiliation and terror and endured my selfish self-destructive desertion. Now she’d lost her fundamental self. I’d only ever reached the point where the Wasteland almost won, but that was me. Now the Wasteland was attacking my friends, and it was winning.
她承受了人民的背叛，失去了可爱的印记，抛弃了家庭;她遭受了屈辱和恐惧，忍受了我自私自利的自我毁灭式的抛弃。现在她已经失去了最基本的自我。我只到过荒原差点赢的地步，但那就是我。现在荒原正在攻击我的朋友，它正在取得胜利。
I stretched a hoof towards her, and she rolled away from me, pressing her face to the mattress as she wept as silently as she could. Slowly, I withdrew my limb, clenching my eyes shut as I felt a little ball of pain and rage constrict more and more inside me. Glory had fallen for real, and I had to find some way… any way… to make her better again. Drawing a slow and shaking breath, I stared at the back of her head.
我朝她伸出一只蹄子，她从我身边滚开了，脸紧贴着床垫，尽可能地默默哭泣。慢慢地，我收回我的肢体，紧闭我的眼睛，因为我感到一个小球的痛苦和愤怒收缩在我的内部越来越多。晨辉已经真的落空了，我必须找到一些方法......任何方法......让她再次变得更好。我缓缓地颤抖着吸了一口气，盯着她的后脑勺。
Ante up.
下注吧。
I used my magic to turn the chair and wheel it back out into the hall. Rampage immediately jumped to her hooves. “How is she?” My look was answer enough. I’d been told I had a shooty look. Right now, I expected I had a balefire bomb look going.
我用魔法把椅子转了个方向，把它推回了大厅。狂暴立刻跳到了她的蹄子上。"她怎么样?"我的眼神足以回答这个问题。有人告诉我，我的表情很糟糕。现在，我希望我有一个balebfire炸弹看起来进行。
Unfortunately, the orderlies didn’t seem to quite catch on as they trotted up. “Doctor Triage said to take you back to your room.”
不幸的是，勤务人员似乎并没有完全理解他们的行为。"分诊医生让我带你回房间。"
I didn’t look at him. I was too busy trying to burn a hole through his chest with my stare alone. “I need my gear, now.”
我没有看他。我太忙了，只能一个人盯着他，想把他的胸膛烧个洞。"我现在就要我的装备。"
He laughed. “Your gear? You can’t even support your own weight. How…” And then my horn flashed and blasted the wall beside his head. He staggered to the side, staring at me in shock. “You’re crazy!”
他笑了。"你的装备？你甚至不能支撑你自己的体重。然后我的号角闪了一下，把他头旁边的墙炸开了花。他摇摇晃晃地走到一边，震惊地盯着我。"你疯了!"
“Then don’t fuck with me. My gear. Get it,” I said as I rolled the wheel chair past him. He, however, seemed to feel the need to play hero and kicked over the chair, sending me sprawling. He yelled for help as I rolled onto my chest. He
"那就别跟我耍花招。我的装备。我一边说，一边把轮椅从他身边推过去。然而，他似乎觉得有必要扮演英雄，于是踢翻了椅子，把我摔得四脚朝天。当我翻滚到胸前时，他大喊救命。他
hadn’t been wrong; my legs weren’t supporting me. They bent and flopped as I tried to rise. Oh yeah, and they hurt… a lot. “Rampage, can you find my stuff?”
没错，我的腿支撑不住我。当我试图站起来的时候，他们弯下腰，摔倒在地。哦，是的，他们伤害...很多。"狂暴，你能找到我的东西吗?"
“Sure, Blackjack. But what are you going to do?”
"当然，黑杰克。但你打算怎么办呢?"
“What my doctor recommended,” I said as I looked down the hall. She trotted off quickly.
"这是我的医生建议的,"我边说边看着大厅。她飞快地跑开了。
If I couldn’t walk, then I’d crawl. I opened each door and checked the contents. Bathroom. Bathroom. Office. Locked. My horn reached out to the next lock and twisted without finesse, but it clicked open. My luck seemed to be holding for now. Opening the door, I looked at the medical supplies in nice neat rows. Including a metal box with four leg braces. I tried not to smile as I saw that one of them had a tag reading ‘Stable-Tec: #99’. Carefully, I buckled each brace tightly on its appropriate limb.
如果我不能走路，我就会爬。我打开每扇门，检查里面的东西。浴室。浴室。办事处。锁上了。我的号角伸向下一个锁，毫无技巧地扭曲着，但它还是打开了。我的运气似乎暂时还不错。打开门，我看着整齐排列的医疗用品。包括一个带有四个腿支架的金属盒子。我尽量不笑，因为我看到其中一个标签上写着"Stable-Tec:#99"。我小心翼翼地把每个支柱扣紧在适当的支架上。
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered as I lifted myself to my hooves. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t comfortable. It wasn’t easy, but at least I was standing on my own.
"这里什么也没有,"我一边小声嘟囔着，一边抬起我的蹄子。这并不完美。感觉不舒服。这并不容易，但至少我可以独立生活。
P-21 and Rampage appeared in the doorway. “What do you think you’re doing?” P-21 asked me as he saw me standing in the braces.
P-21和狂暴出现在门口。"你以为你在干什么?"P-21看到我站在支架上时问我。
“Going to the Rainbow Dash Skyport,” I replied as I levitated my barding and started to strap it into place over the braces.
"去彩虹机场,"我一边回答，一边把我的护身符悬浮起来，开始把它绑在支架上。
“You’re going to the Enclave?” He stared at me as I nodded and checked my shotgun. “Is this a suicidal relapse?”
"你要去昂科雷?"他盯着我，我点点头，看了看我的猎枪。"这是自杀式的复发吗?"
I loaded the weapon with buckshot, slung it, and moved on to check Vigilance. “Nope. I’m coming back. That’s part of the plan. There’s only one thing I know that will help her, and it isn’t me,” I muttered softly as I pointed the pistol and scowled. My depth perception was all futzed up. I tore off the bandages, but it didn’t help. Then I saw the horrified looks on their faces. “What?”
我给武器装上铅弹，挂上，然后继续检查警戒系统。"没有。我会回来的。这是计划的一部分。我知道只有一件事情可以帮助她，但那不是我,"我一边用手枪指着她，一边低声嘟囔着。我的深度知觉一团糟。我撕掉了绷带，但是没有用。然后我看到他们脸上惊恐的表情。"什么?"
“Your eye,” Rampage muttered.
"你的眼睛,"暴怒喃喃自语。
I trotted past them into the bathroom and stared in the mirror. The right side of my face looked fine. The left… raw red lines formed a Y meeting right over my eye socket. A raw and bloody hole lay where my eye should have been. I sighed
我小跑着从他们身边经过，走进浴室，盯着镜子。我的右脸看起来很好。左边...原始的红色线条在我的眼眶上方形成了一个y字形。我的眼睛原本应该在的地方出现了一个鲜血淋漓的洞。我叹了口气
as I stared at myself; I didn’t even look like Blackjack anymore. I looked like some old, scarred Wasteland raider. “Well, fuck,” I muttered. What else could I say?
我凝视着自己，我甚至看起来都不像黑杰克了。我看起来就像一个老旧的，伤痕累累的荒原袭击者。"操,"我喃喃自语道。我还能说什么呢？
“Blackjack, don’t go. Take some time to recover,” P-21 said softly.
"黑杰克，别走。需要一些时间来恢复,"P-21轻声说。
“I thought you were going back to Chapel,” I replied as I walked past him, the braces clicking beneath me. That was a cheap ass shot, Blackjack. I stopped, bowing my head a little. “I have to go. I have to help her. Don’t you see? If we’d just let her go after we left weather station four… she never would have gotten hurt. She didn’t deserve any of this. So I’m going to find the only thing in the Wasteland I think can help, or I am going to go stark raving mad.” I glanced back over my shoulder at him. “I don’t expect either of you to come with me. In fact, you should be going back to Chapel. The further you are from me, the safer you’ll be.”
"我还以为你要回教堂呢,"我从他身边走过时回答，背带在我身下发出咔哒声。你这招太低级了Blackjack。我停了下来，低了一下头。"我得走了。我必须帮助她。你还不明白吗？如果我们离开四号气象站后就让她走......她就不会受伤了。她不该承受这一切。所以我要在荒原上找到我认为唯一能帮上忙的东西，否则我会彻底疯掉。"我回头看了他一眼。"我不指望你们中的任何一个跟我来。事实上，你应该回教堂去。你离我越远，就越安全。"
Without another word, I left my friends behind. Where they were safe.
一句话也没说，我丢下了我的朋友们。他们安全的地方。
* * *
* * *
Nopony tried to stop me on my way to the exit. I drew every look, though, as I stepped out into the foggy day. Great, as if Hoofington’s normal drizzle wasn’t bad enough. Six gray four-story granite buildings rose around a yellowed rectangular field filled with scrapped military vehicles, tents, and cargo containers. Barricades had been built across the gaps with bits of steel and rubble. Turrets atop the corners of the buildings pointed out at the Wasteland, moving slowly as they tracked for hostile targets.
在我去出口的路上，小马试图阻止我。然而，当我走进大雾天的时候，我画下了每一个眼神。好极了，好像胡芬顿的正常毛毛雨还不够糟糕似的。六座灰色的四层花岗岩建筑围绕着一块泛黄的长方形空地拔地而起，空地上堆满了报废的军用车辆、帐篷和货物集装箱。用钢块和碎石在空隙处建起了路障。塔楼顶部的建筑指向荒地，移动缓慢，因为他们追踪的敌对目标。
“I think you might be the second worst patient I’ve ever had,” the doctor said as she trotted out after me into the rain, pulled a cigarette from her pocket, and put it between her lips. A little flash ignited the tip. “You know, there’s at least three ponies here fighting for the chance to get first dibs at studying your corpse? I don’t think we’ve ever had a pony exposed to the degrees of Enervation, radiation, and taint you’ve been.”
"我想你可能是我遇到过的第二糟糕的病人,"医生说，她跟着我走进雨里，从口袋里抽出一支烟，放在嘴唇之间。一个小小的闪光点燃了顶端。"你知道，这里至少有三匹小马在争取第一个研究你尸体的机会？我认为我们从来没有让一匹小马遭受过你所遭受的这种程度的衰弱、辐射和污染。"
“Sorry to disappoint them,” I said as I continued through the clammy gray mist. “Which way to the Skyport?”
"抱歉让他们失望了,"我一边说，一边穿过湿冷的灰色薄雾继续前行。"去机场怎么走?"
“The Skyport?” Triage’s eyes narrowed. “You seriously think the Volunteer Corps is going to help you? Your friend is a Dashite. I saw the brand.” I gave her
"飞机场?"分诊医生眯起了眼睛。"你真的认为志愿兵团会帮助你吗？你的朋友是达什特人。我看到了烙印。"我给了她
a shooty look, but, to her credit, she didn’t look away. Maybe it was only half as effective with one eye.
一个扫射的表情，但是，值得赞扬的是，她没有移开视线。也许一只眼睛的效果只有一半。
“I only need help from one of them. They’ll tell me where to find them,” I said, my braces clattering softly with every step. “If not, I’ll make enough noise that they’ll come find me. Now, which way is it?” I asked as I looked around… though it wasn’t as if there were signs saying ‘Enclave this way’.
"我只需要其中一个人的帮助。他们会告诉我在哪里可以找到他们,"我说，我的牙套每走一步都发出轻轻的叮当声。"如果没有，我就制造足够的噪音让他们来找我。现在，是哪条路?"我一边环顾四周，一边问道......尽管这里并没有标志牌写着'飞地这边'。
Triage just took one long look at me standing there before her and sighed as she pulled out the cigarette and pointed the burning tip towards a scrap metal gate. “Go out the north gate by the planetarium. Watch for ghouls. When you hit Celestia Boulevard, go east. It’s about five or six miles.” She put the cigarette in her mouth. “You’re really going? Alone?”
分诊医生只是看了我一眼，长长地站在她面前，叹了口气，抽出香烟，把燃烧的烟头指向一扇废金属门。"从天文馆的北门出去。小心食尸鬼。当你到达CelestiaBoulevard时，向东走。大约5、6英里。"她把香烟放进嘴里。"你真的要去吗？一个人?"
“I’m not going to get any more ponies hurt following me,” I said firmly.
"我不想让更多的小马跟着我受伤,"我坚定地说。
She just sighed, and her horn pulled a black eyepatch from her coat pocket. “Here. Put this on. At least try to keep an infection out of that socket,” she said as she floated it in place and tied it over my missing eye.
她只是叹了口气，然后她的角从大衣口袋里拉出一个黑色的眼罩。"这儿。穿上这个。至少不要让眼窝感染,"她一边说着，一边把它放在适当的位置，然后把它绑在我那只失去的眼睛上。
I smirked, then started as a pony trotted abruptly into my field of vision on my left. Okay… this was going to take some getting used to. “So, I guess this makes me a one-eyed Blackjack.”
我得意地笑了一下，然后开始像一匹小马突然跑进我左边的视野。好吧...这需要一些时间来适应。"所以，我想这让我成了一个独眼黑杰克。"
“I think that taint’s given you some hardcore brain damage,” she said as she looked at me with a shake of her head. “Fine. I’ll just let you know that the professor wants to talk with you before you go. Chat with her or don’t. She’s in the planetarium, if you care. Second floor.” She trotted back towards the ‘School of Medicine’ building behind me.
"我认为这个污点给了你一些严重的脑损伤,"她摇着头看着我说。"好吧。我只是告诉你，教授想在你走之前和你谈谈。和她聊天或者不聊天。她在天文馆，如果你在乎的话。二楼。"她小跑着回到我身后的医学院大楼。
I sighed and made my way across the muddy field towards the large domed structure on the north end. I stopped by a merchant working out of a burned out bus and converted most of the junk in my saddlebags into specialty ammo for my shotgun. The healing potions in stock looked absolutely pitiful, but they would probably be okay for a few more days.
我叹了口气，穿过泥泞的田野，朝北端的大圆顶建筑走去。我在一辆烧毁的公共汽车外工作的商人那里停了下来，把我鞍袋里的大部分垃圾都变成了我猎枪的专用子弹。治疗药水在股票看起来绝对可怜，但他们可能会好几天。
No time to waste; I’d talk when I got back. The guards at the gate were pathetic, but I had to admit that the energy turrets they had rigged looked formidable enough. They gave me incredulous looks as I passed by. “Good luck,” one of them muttered just before the door slammed shut behind me.
没有时间可以浪费了，我回来的时候会说的。门口的守卫很可怜，但我不得不承认，他们操纵的能量塔看起来足够可怕。当我经过时，他们用怀疑的目光看着我。"祝你好运,"其中一个在我身后砰地关上门之前喃喃自语。
Once past the razed ruins around the Collegiate’s base, I found myself almost lost in the mist. Grim gray buildings were simply dark patches till I moved close enough to their shattered remains. Broken statues reared in silent poses in the mist, and I could swear that they were watching me. There was other debris, too, largely in the form of rusting sky carriages. Cold gray patches of water sat like glazed mirrors between the crumbling buildings on the edge of the campus.
一旦经过学院基地周围被夷为平地的废墟，我发现自己几乎迷失在雾中。残酷的灰色建筑只是一片片黑暗，直到我走近它们破碎的残骸。破碎的雕像在雾中静静地矗立着，我可以发誓它们在看着我。还有其他残骸，大部分是以生锈的天空车厢的形式出现。寒冷的灰色的水块像玻璃镜子一样坐落在校园边上破败的建筑物之间。
Then I heard a shot. And another. And another. Distant and… hard to tell the direction in the muffling mist. Then there was an inequine scream. And another. And another. Suddenly, I heard the splashing… much closer. I twisted my head in time to see a mottled black-and-red boiled pony lunge out of the fog at me. I brought my shotgun up to its neck to block its lunging bite, forcing me to push back with my forehooves as its splintered and jagged teeth chomped at the air before my face.
然后我听到一声枪响。再来一杯。再来一杯。在朦胧的雾气中，遥远而又......难以辨别方向。接着是一声不一样的尖叫。再来一杯。再来一杯。突然，我听到溅水声...更近了。我扭了扭头，正好看见一匹斑驳的黑红相间的矮种马从雾中冲了出来。我把我的猎枪举到它的脖子以防它突然咬我，当它裂开的锯齿状的牙齿在我面前的空气中咀嚼时，我不得不用前蹄向后推。
S.A.T.S. and two magic bullets exploded that head with a spray of rotting matter. I whirled in time to face two more as I set my braced legs and focused on blasting instead of running. My shotgun roared, the buckshot ripping into their soft, pulpy bodies and stripping rotting flesh from yellowed bone. As soon as they dropped, I reloaded, bringing out the sword as more raced at me.
和两颗魔法子弹在那颗头颅上喷射出腐烂的物质。我迅速旋转身体，面对着另外两个人，支撑着双腿，专注于爆破而不是奔跑。我的猎枪咆哮着，大号铅弹撕裂了他们柔软多汁的身体，从发黄的骨头上剥下腐烂的肉。他们一倒下，我就重新上膛，把剑拿出来，更多的人向我冲来。
I didn’t really know how to fight with a sword, so I treated it like a baton. A disturbingly sharp baton. The razor edge cut into them quite nicely, and once or twice I was even lucky enough to hew off limbs. The shotgun rendered their skulls to bloody goo. My braced legs clicked and strained under my barding as they bit and snapped at any limb they could get their mouths on.
我真的不知道如何用剑作战，所以我把它当作一根指挥棒。锋利的警棍一种令人不安的尖锐警棍。剃刀的刀口切得很漂亮，有一两次我甚至有幸砍掉了他们的四肢。猎枪把他们的头骨打得血肉模糊。我支撑着的双腿咔嗒一声，在我的帐篷下绷得紧紧的，因为他们咬着任何一个他们可以戴上的肢体，猛地咬着。
“Why…” I shouted over the hissing and snapping. I brought the sword down and split the leathery hide of one ghoul’s face. “Are ghouls…” I cut the blade horizontally across another’s throat and was rewarded with its head arcing off completely. “Always…” I pressed the shotgun to another’s chest and, with a sickening pop, blasted rotten guts and rancid organs out of its torso. Another shot to the face finished it. “Hungry?!” I yelled as I emptied the last two shells into one trying to chew through both brace and barding on my hind leg.
"为什么......"我对着嘶嘶作响的声音喊道。我把剑拿了下来，撕开了一个食尸鬼脸上的皮革。"是食尸鬼吗......"我横着切开另一个人的喉咙，结果它的头完全呈弧形掉了下来。"总是......"我把猎枪对准另一个人的胸膛，发出一声令人作呕的爆裂声，把腐烂的内脏和腐臭的器官从躯干里轰了出来。脸上又挨了一枪，结束了这一切。"饿了吗?!"我喊道，我把最后两颗子弹都吃光了，试图咬断支架和后腿。
More and more came at me, and soon I was forced to move as they flanked me. Whatever the reason inside their feral brains, I was food. Better still, I was slow food! I just couldn’t move as fast or smoothly with the braces on. Their undead jaws and broken hooves pummeled my already not quite intact body, and I was
越来越多的敌人向我袭来，很快我就被迫移动，因为他们包围了我。不管他们野性的大脑里有什么原因，我就是食物。更妙的是，我是慢餐！戴着牙套，我就是不能移动得那么快那么平稳。它们不死的下巴和破碎的蹄子重击着我已经不完整的身体，我也是
firing as fast as I could reload while slashing wildly behind me with the sword. I was lucky I didn’t cut my own tail off! The flechette rounds, however, proved my salvation. The razor sharp darts shredded the pulpy flesh even more efficiently than buckshot! With their gray flesh rendered to reeking goo, they fell one after the next.
尽可能快地重新装填子弹，同时用剑在我身后疯狂地乱砍。我很幸运没有把自己的尾巴切下来！然而，这次巡回演出证明了我的救赎。剃刀般锋利的飞镖甚至比铅弹更有效地撕碎了果肉！他们的灰色肉体变成了发臭的粘液，一个接一个地倒下去。
Then, as fast as they had appeared, the last one fell. I gasped for breath, turning this way and that. There were red bars still in the fog, but for the moment I wasn’t being attacked. I wiped their gunk off the sword, reloaded with flechettes, and continued along the broken road north.
然后，就像他们出现的速度一样快，最后一个掉了下来。我喘不过气来，转来转去。雾中还有红色的栅栏，但是那一刻我没有受到攻击。我擦去他们剑上的泥，装上箭，继续沿着破碎的道路向北走去。
I wasn’t alone anymore either. The Dealer trotted along beside me. “You sure about this, Blackjack?”
我也不再是一个人。商人小跑着跟在我旁边。"你确定吗，黑杰克?"
“It’s not like last time. I’m not going to die. I’m going to get help for my friend,” I said as I trotted along a flooded street through the fog. There were more gunshots ahead, more ponies I’d probably have to kill.
"这和上次不一样。我不会死的。我要为我的朋友寻求帮助,"我一边说，一边穿过浓雾沿着一条被水淹没的街道小跑。前面有更多的枪声，更多的小马我可能不得不杀死。
“Alone?”
"一个人?"
“It’s better this way. This way, the only pony who gets hurt is me. I have to walk it alone,” I replied, feeling the hollow inside me. “P-21 knows it. He’s the only one brave enough to admit it.”
"这样更好。这样，唯一受伤的小马就是我。我不得不独自行走,"我回答，感觉到内心的空虚。"P-21知道这一点。他是唯一一个敢于承认这一点的人。"
For a while, he said nothing as we walked side by side. “You ever think… maybe you should just accept what happened to her?”
有一阵子，我们肩并肩地走着，他什么也没说。"你有没有想过......也许你应该接受发生在她身上的事?"
I really wished that I could shoot him. Really. “Accept what? That Glory will never fly again? No. I can’t accept that.” I kept my eye locked straight ahead. There were more red marks that way, too.
我真希望我能杀了他。真的。"接受什么？那晨辉再也不会飞了？没有。我不能接受。"我目不转睛地盯着前方。这种方式也有更多的红色标记。
“Maybe you’ll have to.”
"也许你必须这么做。"
“Shut up!” I screamed at him. “What is the point of you? I’m fucked up enough in the head without having my stupid brain telling me what I already know. I’ve accepted that I’m the cunt that cost her everything. Now I’m going to give something back to her. The only thing that I can give back to her.”
"闭嘴!"我朝他大喊大叫。""你有什么意义？我脑子已经够乱的了，连我那愚蠢的大脑都不告诉我我已经知道的事情。我已经接受了我是那个让她失去一切的贱人的事实。现在我要回报她一些东西。我唯一能还给她的东西。"
The gunshots were becoming louder, and then I came across them: two ponies trapped on a second story ledge accessible only by a thin ramp of debris. It was
枪声变得越来越响，然后我遇到了他们:两匹小马被困在二楼的窗台上，只能通过一个薄薄的斜坡的碎片。是的
the only thing keeping them alive as a dozen or so ghouls slowly crawled up towards them. Their low caliber rifle was barely adequate for radroaches and bloatsprites, and feral ghouls... Soon as they got tired or ran out of bullets, they’d be ghoul chow…
唯一能让他们活下来的东西，就是一群食尸鬼慢慢地爬向他们。他们的低口径步枪几乎不能满足流氓和浮肿的精灵，还有凶残的食尸鬼...一旦他们累了或者子弹用完了，他们就会成为食尸鬼..。
I didn’t care.
我不在乎。
As I stared at the scene… I realized that I didn’t care that they were going to die. I didn’t know those two ponies. I didn’t need to help them. I didn’t want to help them. I could simply back away, go around, and get to the Skyport to help the one pony that did need my help. Even if I did help them, they would probably shoot me. Or I’d have to escort them back to the university. Or worse… they’d want to hang around me.
当我注视着这个场景的时候，我意识到我并不在乎他们会死去。我不认识那两匹小马。我不需要帮助他们。我不想帮他们。我可以直接后退，绕过去，到空中港口去帮助那只需要我帮助的小马。即使我真的帮了他们，他们也可能会杀了我。否则我就得把他们送回大学。或者更糟...他们想和我在一起。
In that instant, I stopped being Security. I was just another Wasteland scavenger, tainted and corrupted and putting myself first. I might not have had a clue what my virtue was, but at this moment I knew I didn’t have it. I slowly backed away, looking for a way around. A blue pegasus inside my head was very put out with me. They all were. This was the antithesis of awesome.
在那一刻，我不再是一个保安。我只是另一个荒原清道夫，被污染，腐化，把自己放在第一位。我可能不知道我的美德是什么，但此时此刻我知道我没有美德。我慢慢地后退，想找条路绕过去。我脑子里有一匹蓝色的飞马，非常讨厌我。他们都是。这是令人敬畏的对立面。
I heard one of the mares calling for help. I clenched my eye shut, tapping the barrel of my gun against my forehead. “Yup... She’s right, Blackjack. You’re brain damaged… it’s the only explanation!”
我听到一匹母马在叫救命。我紧闭着眼睛，用枪管敲着前额。"是啊......她说得对，黑杰克。你的大脑受损了......这是唯一的解释!"
With a scream, I charged… okay, trotted rapidly towards… the mass of ghouls, firing cones of razor sharp metal into the wheeling, hissing creatures. A few of the glowing variety received S.A.T.S.-guided magic rounds into their noggins. The rest were slowly abraded away by shotgun flechettes. The swinging blade kept them at bay as I reloaded and resumed tearing out chunk after chunk of dead pony flesh.
随着一声尖叫，我冲了过去......好吧，快速地跑向......那一大群食尸鬼，把锋利的金属锥射向那些旋转着、嘶嘶作响的生物。一些热情洋溢的孩子接受了sat指导下的魔法子弹射入他们的脑袋。其余的部分被猎枪射出的碎片慢慢地擦掉了。在我重新装弹的时候，摆动的刀片把它们挡在了海湾里，然后继续撕下一大块一大块的死马肉。
Finally, I blew the legs out from under the last ghoul. My horn throbbed so badly that I wondered if it would go the way of my eye and just explode or something. Then the pink unicorn mare poked her head out, levitating the rifle at me warily. A bloody earth pony mare peeked out next to her.
最后，我把最后一个食尸鬼的腿炸飞了。我的号角抖动得如此厉害，以至于我不知道它会不会像我的眼睛一样爆炸或怎样。然后粉红色的独角兽探出头来，小心翼翼地把步枪悬在我身上。一匹血淋淋的地球母马在她旁边窥视。
Then so did two foals.
然后是两匹小马驹。
“Thank the Goddesses. It’s Security. Security saved us!” she exclaimed as she lifted the rifle from me. With a clatter my legs gave out beneath me and I fell
"感谢女神。是安全问题。保安救了我们!"她一边从我手里拿过来福枪，一边大声叫道。啪的一声，我的腿在下面支撑不住了，我摔倒了
soundly on my rump as the four scrambled down the narrow ramp towards me. The brown earth pony mare’s battle saddle had gotten twisted and fouled, the hunting rifles pointing uselessly beneath her. The pink unicorn paused, looking worried again. “Are you all right, Security Mare?”
当他们四个沿着狭窄的斜坡向我爬来的时候，在我的屁股上呼呼大睡。褐色土地上的小马驹的战马鞍已经扭曲缠绕，猎枪毫无用处地指向她下方。粉红色的独角兽停顿了一下，看起来又很担心。"你没事吧，保安母马?"
No. I almost let you die. I nearly trotted off to let you and her and your young become lunch for ghouls. “Yeah. Sure. No problem. No big deal for me,” I said with a grimace. “Are you heading south?”
没有。我差点让你死。我差点跑开，让你和她还有你的孩子成为食尸鬼的午餐。"是的。当然。没问题。对我来说没什么大不了的,"我做了个鬼脸说。"你是往南走吗?"
“Mhmmm,” the brown mare said with an enthusiastic nod. “The Eggheads have a book bounty; one hundred caps for any pre-war book that’s undamaged. It’s tough to find books that aren’t pulped, though.”
"嗯......"棕色的母马热情地点了点头说。"书呆子们有一大笔奖金，任何一本没有损坏的战前书都可以得到一百顶帽子。不过，很难找到没有制成纸浆的书。"
“Well, I fought a bunch of ghouls a little bit ago between here and the college. If you hurry, it should still be clear.” I looked at the brown mare’s rifles. “Want to trade rifle rounds for shotgun shells?”
"不久前，我在这里和大学之间和一群食尸鬼打了一架。如果你抓紧时间，应该还是清晰的。"我看着棕色母马的步枪。"想用步枪子弹换猎枪子弹吗?"
“Twenties?” The pink unicorn asked hopefully.
"20块?"粉红色的独角兽满怀希望地问道。
I shook my head. “Twelves.”
我摇了摇头。"十二个"
“We don’t have many twelve gauges…” the unicorn said as she levitated out a half full cardboard box. “Just buckshot…”
"我们没有多少十二个量规......"独角兽一边说着，一边将一个半满的纸盒悬浮起来。"只是铅弹......"
“I’ll trade you thirty rounds of hunting ammo for them.” Almost two for one, but who was using math?
"我用三十发子弹和你交换。"几乎买一送一，但是谁在用数学呢？
“We’ve also got fresh food from the Enclave,” the brown unicorn added. I felt a chill go down my spine.
"我们还从昂科雷得到了新鲜的食物,"棕色的独角兽补充说。我感到一阵寒意沿着我的脊背袭来。
“I’ll buy every bit you have. Three bullets each,” I said without hesitation. I had plenty of ammo… and hopefully they hadn’t eaten any of it. Looking confused, they agreed. The four hurried to the south, eager to get to the shelter of the Eggheads. I waited till they disappeared in the fog and dumped four apples, three carrots, and a head of lettuce into the mud. Then narrowing my eyes I smashed them all to mush.
"我会买下你所有的东西。每人三颗子弹,"我毫不犹豫地说。我有足够的弹药...希望他们没有吃掉任何弹药。看起来很困惑，他们同意了。他们四个急忙向南赶去，急切地想找到书呆子们的庇护所。我一直等到他们消失在雾中，把四个苹果、三根胡萝卜和一棵莴苣倒进泥里。然后我眯起眼睛，把它们都砸烂了。
Maybe they weren’t contaminated. I wasn’t going to take that risk. I wasn’t going to let there be another 99. Checking my shotgun, I continued my path north.
也许他们没有被污染。我不想冒这个险。我不想再有另一个99分钟了。我检查了一下我的猎枪，继续向北走。
* * *
* * *
The fog never lifted so much as thinned into tattered swirls and chest-high banks. The mucky, broken road underhoof sloshed with every step. This area had a different feel from the ruins around Riverside. There were smaller homes of stone and rotten wood instead of the large apartment buildings. Upscale, but not nearly as opulent as Blueblood Manor. This region hadn’t suffered a direct hit from a bomb, but there was more than enough radiation in the water to prohibit long term habitation.
雾从来没有消散过，甚至变成了破烂的漩涡和齐胸高的河岸。泥泞破碎的路，每走一步，脚下都湿漉漉的。这个地区有一个不同的感觉周围的河滨遗址。那里有用石头和腐烂的木头建成的小房子，而不是大型的公寓楼。高档，但不像蓝血庄园那么豪华。这个地区还没有遭受到炸弹的直接袭击，但是水中的辐射已经足够让人们无法长期居住。
Oh, yeah. And there were leeches.
哦，是的。还有水蛭。
Every few minutes, I’d have to flick them off my barding with the sword. Their chisel teeth gnawed at the ceramic plates, and every now and then they were tenacious enough to get at my hide underneath. It didn’t matter how many of the things I killed, more were always wiggling through the water. Thorny briars wound around the stones, and there were strange mushrooms growing in the cracks. Deep croaks periodically shot out, making me jump. The skitter of radroaches and the buzz of bloatflies were everywhere. I’d finally found a place around Hoofington teeming with wildlife, and all I wanted was to drop a balefire bomb on it.
每隔几分钟，我就得用剑把它们从我的剑柄上弹开。他们凿子一样的牙齿咬着陶瓷盘子，而且时不时的咬着我的皮。不管我杀了多少东西，总有更多的东西在水里晃来晃去。石头周围缠绕着荆棘，裂缝里长着奇怪的蘑菇。周期性地发出低沉的叫声，让我跳了起来。到处都是掠行兽和嗡嗡作响的苍蝇。我终于在Hoofington附近找到了一个充满野生动物的地方，我所想要的只是在那里投下一颗火焰炸弹。
Wait… teeming with life?
等等...充满生机？
I paused, feeling something nibbling at my hoof. Maybe a little bit of Glory had rubbed off on me, but I levitated out a healing potion and held it before my eye. In my experience, a healing potion only lasted a few days after being brewed by a unicorn with the healing spells. It’d been milky purple when I’d purchased it. After three hours, I expected the color to fade a little or maybe for it to become more transparent. Instead, I found it still milky purple.
我停了下来，感觉有什么东西在啃我的蹄子。也许有一点点的晨辉已经感染了我，但我漂浮出一个治疗药剂，并举行它在我的眼睛。根据我的经验，一种治疗药剂在被一只独角兽用治疗咒语酿造出来之后只持续了几天。我买的时候它已经是乳白色的了。三个小时后，我希望颜色能淡一点，或者变得更透明。相反，我发现它仍然是乳白色的紫色。
I looked to the west; here, it was impossible to tell where the river ended and the marsh began, but the black towers of the Core were still visible. Conventional wisdom was that Enervation was the result of magical contamination, that too many experiments and spells and bombs and worse had just created this energy that sucked the life out of everything. If it didn’t kill you, it’d sicken you till something else did. But what kind of accidents or magical contamination could have produced that cave with Enervation so strong it made Glory’s wing simply drop off?
我向西望去，在这里，不可能分辨出河流的尽头和沼泽的起点，但核心区的黑色塔楼依然清晰可见。传统观点认为衰弱是魔法污染的结果，太多的实验、咒语、炸弹以及更糟糕的东西创造了这种能量，吸走了一切生命。如果它没有杀死你，它会使你生病，直到别的东西杀死你。但是是什么样的意外或者魔法污染使得这个洞穴变得如此强大，以至于光荣的翅膀直接掉了下来？
Ow… I lifted my hoof to see a black leech the size of my horn chewing into the base of my hoof. Flicking it off with my sword, and batting its friends off as well, I kept moving. My depth perception was lousy. Past twenty or so feet I was all right, and inside three feet I could guesstimate, but between those two, things were off. I wondered if it’d been the taint that’d gotten my eye, or the Enervation..
噢......我抬起我的蹄子，看到一只有我的角那么大的黑色水蛭正在咬我的蹄子底部。我用剑把它拨开，同时也击退了它的朋友们，我继续前进。我的深度知觉很糟糕。过了二十英尺左右我就没事了，在3英尺以内我可以猜测出来，但是在这两英尺之间，事情就不对劲了。我想知道是不是污染让我的眼睛，还是让我感到厌倦。.
The Enervation was strongest within the Core. Maybe something had happened that made it originate there? The magic shields or something reacting with the megaspells going off under the city. Maybe one of those megaspells had been an Enervation spell?
在核心中，衰弱是最强烈的。也许是发生了什么事情导致了它的产生？魔法盾牌或者其他什么东西与城市下面的巨型细胞发生反应。也许其中一个巨大的咒语是衰弱咒语？
Except Chapel… the Arena… this bog… they were practically next door to the Core but had green things still growing. Meanwhile, places like Flankfurt were miles and miles from the city but were virtually sterilized by the Enervation fields. Could a megaspell nuke the city core itself and splash across the entire area at random? I couldn’t envision it. And one would think that, after two centuries, the Enervation fields would weaken; it would require some sort of heavy duty megaspell-level magic to keep them going after all that time. “But I never hear DJ Pon3 talking about Enervation away from Hoofington. So it’s not something natural, either…”
除了教堂......竞技场......这片沼泽地......他们几乎就在核心区的隔壁，但是绿色的东西还在生长。与此同时，像Flankfurt这样的地方距离城市数英里，但实际上已被Enervation农场消毒。一个巨型火箭会不会自己用核弹炸毁城市中心，然后在整个地区肆意飞溅？我无法想象。人们可能会认为，两个世纪之后，能量场将会减弱;这将需要某种巨大的或者说是巨大的魔法来维持它们在那么长时间之后的运转。"但我从没听过DJPon3谈论远离Hoofington的衰弱。所以这也不是什么自然现象......"
I rubbed my eyepatch. Maybe having my brains rotting was making me smarter? How’s that for irony? “If it’s not accidental… and not something that happened in the Core… there must be some other source of Enervation.” But what? Even my taint-riddled brain wasn’t figuring that out.
我揉了揉眼罩。也许我的大脑腐烂让我变得更聪明了？这是不是很讽刺？"如果这不是偶然的......也不是在核心区域发生的事情......那么一定还有其他的能量来源。"但是什么？即使是我那满是污点的大脑也无法理解这一点。
Then there was a splash as a frog twice the size of my hoof landed next to me. It swam onto a grimy rock and climbed atop it, facing me with green glowing eyes as it let out a low croak.
接着，一只有我蹄子两倍大的青蛙扑通一声落在我身边。它游到一块脏兮兮的岩石上，爬上岩石顶部，发出低沉的呱呱声，绿色发光的眼睛面对着我。
“Ribbit to you too,” I muttered as I kept walking.
"瑞比特也对你说,"我边走边喃喃自语。
It followed, hopping from rock to rock as it kept pace with me. I stopped. It stopped. I moved. It moved. “Okay. As Scotch would say, creepiness factor rising.” My mane was giving it a 6.2 on the itchiness factor. It let out another long low croak, and two more swam over to climb onto the stones. These two were even larger than the first. In unison, they let out another long croak. Creepiness factor approaching shooty levels…
它紧随其后，在岩石间跳来跳去，与我保持同步。我停了下来。它停了下来。我搬家了。它动了。"好吧。正如苏格兰人会说的那样，令人毛骨悚然的因素正在上升。"我的鬃毛给了它一个6.2的瘙痒因素。它又发出一声长长的低沉的叫声，又有两只游过去爬上石头。这两个甚至比第一个更大。同时，他们又发出一声长长的呱呱声。令人毛骨悚然的因素接近射击水平..。
Then a pair of briar bushes were shoved aside, and a massive frog easily the size of four ponies pushed its head out. “Braaawwoorrkkkk!” it croaked, and then opened its mouth wide. Long yellow fangs glistened as its tongue shot out and connected with my barding. It stuck fast, and I was nearly dragged completely off my hooves as the muscle contracted. My hooves slid through the muck towards that pony-sized maw.
接着，一对荆棘丛被推到一边，一只四匹小马大小的巨大青蛙伸出了脑袋。"braaawwoorrkkk!"它呱呱叫，然后张大了嘴。长长的黄色尖牙闪闪发光，它的舌头伸了出来，与我的剑相连。它粘得很紧，我的肌肉收缩的时候，我的蹄子几乎完全被扯掉了。我的蹄子在淤泥中滑向那匹小马般大小的无底洞。
“I do not need this right now!” Sword met tongue in desperate slashes, but the flesh was almost as tough as cable. I’d nearly been dragged completely into its mouth before the tongue severed. Steadying myself, I brought the shotgun up and blasted it, but the peppering darts didn’t seem to do more than irritate the monstrous frog.
"我现在不需要这个!"剑在绝望的撕裂中碰到了舌头，但是肉体几乎像电缆一样坚硬。在舌头被切断之前，我差点被完全拖进它的嘴里。我稳住身子，拿起猎枪，把它轰开，但是这些刺耳的飞镖似乎只能刺激这只可怕的青蛙。
Its bloody tongue disappeared into its mouth and, with an enormous splash, it launched itself into the air. If the meal doesn’t come to the froggy… My braces clattered as I barely staggered aside and reloaded flechettes. These didn’t appear much better than the buckshot. As I watched, yellow bile seemed to ooze from the frog’s wounds, and they were healing almost before my eyes! Okay. Shotgun wasn’t working. I couldn’t get enough range for the rifle. I had no idea where its weak points might be.
它血淋淋的舌头消失在嘴里，随着一声巨大的水花声，它飞向了空中。如果青蛙没有吃到这顿饭的话......我勉强摇摇晃晃地走到一边，重新装满了鱼片，我的支架咔嗒咔嗒地响着。这些看起来并不比铅弹好多少。我看着，黄色的胆汁似乎从青蛙的伤口里渗出来，它们几乎就在我眼前愈合！好吧。散弹枪不管用。我的步枪射程不够。我不知道它的弱点在哪里。
Crap.
该死。
The giant frog gave a short hop and rammed me. The yellow ichor burned where it touched, and I kept moving back more and more. The water was getting deeper, and it was moving me around towards the river, its bulbous green eyes never leaving me. It knew exactly what it was doing; once I was swimming more than walking, I’d be easy prey.
那只巨大的青蛙跳了一小下，撞了我一下。那条黄色的鱼在接触到的地方燃烧起来，我越来越后退。水越来越深，它把我推向河边，它那球根状的绿眼睛永远不会离开我。它清楚地知道它在做什么;一旦我游泳而不是走路，我就很容易成为猎物。
Well… since they were the only things I could see… I slipped into S.A.T.S. and targeted a blast at each round eye. But as I fired, the eyes retracted into the critter’s skull! “Cheater!” I shouted and pulled off a hoof-sized leech, then tossed it into its mouth. It bit down, and I watched the black slug nearly liquefy instantly in its acidic spittle. Glad I hadn’t tried the ‘let it eat me and shoot it from the inside’ plan!
嗯......因为他们是我唯一能看到的东西......我溜进了s.a.t.s，瞄准了每一个圆形的眼睛。但是当我开枪的时候，他的眼睛缩回到了那个畜生的头骨里！"骗子!"我大声叫喊，扯下一只蹄子大小的水蛭，然后扔进它的嘴里。它一口咬下去，我看着黑鼻涕虫立刻在它的酸性唾液中几乎液化。很高兴我没有尝试"让它吃了我，然后从里面射杀它"的计划！
“Not good,” I said as I tossed leech after leech into its mouth. Okay, technically this was feeding rather than fighting, but so long as I wasn’t eaten myself I was still okay. I even managed to scramble into shallower water, but the giant frog
"不好,"我一边说，一边把水蛭一个接一个地扔进它的嘴里。好吧，从技术上讲，这是喂食而不是战斗，但只要我自己没被吃掉，我就没事。我甚至设法爬进了较浅的水域，但是那只巨大的青蛙
looked like it was getting bored with appetizers.
看起来好像开胃菜吃腻了。
Its tongue flashed out again and smooshed against my chest, the tip fully healed. I dug in my hooves, but it simply waddled towards me, ignoring my frantic shots.
它的舌头又一次伸出来，紧贴着我的胸口，舌尖完全愈合了。我用蹄子挖着，但它只是摇摇摆摆地朝我走来，完全忽略了我疯狂的射击。
“Get down!”
"趴下!"
My ears swiveled behind me; it couldn’t be! Thump…
我的耳朵在我身后转动，这不可能！砰..。
I dropped into the muck as a grenade flew over my back and into its mouth. Its eyes bulged, “Brrrooo…” And then it exploded in great bloody chunks. I rose from the churned water, a leech wiggling across my face looking for something to bite for a second before I tossed it aside. Then I looked back behind me at P-21 walking through the chest-deep muck. He slung Persuasion as he trotted through the muck at me.
一颗手榴弹从我的背上飞过，落进了它的嘴里，我掉进了淤泥里。它的眼睛鼓了起来,"Brrrooo..."然后它爆炸了，血肉模糊。我从搅动的水中站起身来，一只水蛭在我脸上蠕动着寻找可以咬一下的东西，然后我把它扔到一边。然后我回头看了看穿过齐胸深淤泥的P-21。他一边拿着《劝导》，一边穿过淤泥向我跑来。
“Are you okay?” P-21 asked as he put a hoof on my shoulder. I stared at him for a long moment, then hugged him close.
"你还好吗?"P-21一边把蹄子放在我的肩上一边问。我盯着他看了很长时间，然后紧紧地拥抱了他。
“I thought you were doing the smart thing and going back to Chapel?” I sniffed.
"我以为你会做一件聪明的事，回教堂去呢?"我闻了闻。
He flushed, looking away. “You’re not the only one who’s allowed to do stupid things.”
他脸红了，目光移开了。"你不是唯一一个被允许做蠢事的人。"
“But…” I looked around at all the mud and fog around us. “How did you find me?”
"但是......"我环顾四周，看到周围都是泥和雾。"你怎么找到我的?"
“I didn’t,” he said softly, “she did.”
"我没有,"他轻声说,"她有。"
I looked back at Scotch Tape rising from some rushes, looking at her PipBuck sheepishly. She looked shaky and scared but trying to keep up a brave face. “Well… like you said. We’re all… all messed up. I just didn’t think you should be… you know… messed up alone.”
我回头看着从灯芯草上升起的透明胶带，怯生生地看着她的皮布克。她看起来摇摇晃晃，很害怕，但还是努力装出一副勇敢的样子。"嗯......就像你说的那样。我们都...一团糟。我只是觉得你不应该......你知道......一个人搞砸。"
I looked at the rest of the weeds and thorns. “Is Rampage…”
我看着其余的杂草和荆棘。"暴怒......"
“Staying behind with Glory and Lacunae,” P-21 finished. Then he bowed his head as he pressed his lips together. Finally he said softly, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I was weak.”
"留在晨辉和空白之后"，P-21完成。然后他低下头，嘴唇紧闭着。最后，他温柔地说:"对不起......对不起，我太软弱了。"
I stared at him, and some hateful, petty part of myself wanted to rub it in. Hurt him. Four little ponies went to work beating the living snot out of that shameful part of myself as I walked to him and nudged his shoulder with a smile. “You weren’t weak. You were smart. Being around me will get you killed.” We trotted back to Scotch.
我盯着他看，心里有点恨他，想把这话说出来。打他。我走向他，微笑着轻轻地推了推他的肩膀，四匹小马开始工作，把那个活生生的鼻涕从我可耻的那部分打出来。"你并不软弱。你很聪明。在我身边会害死你的。"我们小跑回苏格兰威士忌酒吧。
“Anypony can die,” Scotch Tape muttered as she looked at the mucky water beneath her. “Even Mom wasn’t safe in the stable…”
"任何小马都会死,"苏格兰磁带喃喃自语，她看着下面肮脏的水。"就连妈妈在马厩里也不安全......"
“But… I led you into those tunnels. It’s my fault…”
"但是......是我把你带进那些隧道的。都是我的错......"
“You led, Blackjack. We followed. You didn’t make us do anything.” He took a deep breath. “Chapel will be there whenever we’re done. Till then… well…” He gave a shy smile and a helpless little shrug. Then he blinked as he caught the look of disgust on my face. “What?” Then he looked at the matching expression on Scotch Tape’s muzzle. “What is it?” He suddenly blinked and his eyes went flat. “There’s a leech on my butt, isn’t there?” We slowly nodded. “More than one?” Another nod. “Big ones?”
"你领先了，黑杰克。我们跟着他。你没有强迫我们做任何事。"他深吸了一口气。"只要我们完成任务，小教堂就会在那里。在那之前......嗯......"他害羞地笑了笑，无可奈何地耸了耸肩。然后当他看到我脸上厌恶的表情时，他眨了眨眼睛。"什么?"然后他看了看透明胶带口套上的相配的表情。"这是什么?"他突然眨了一下眼睛，两眼平视。"我屁股上有只水蛭，是不是?"我们慢慢地点了点头。"不止一个?"又一次点头。"大块头?"
“Uh huh…” Scotch said weakly.
"啊哈......"苏格兰人虚弱地说。
He looked back. A blood curdling cry echoed through the mire.
他回头看了看。一声令人毛骨悚然的叫声在泥潭中回荡。
“We have got to get you some decent barding,” I muttered, launching a black bloodsucker into the mist. Once we had them all off his rear, Scotch Tape hopped onto his back and we continued north, passing by the corpse of the giant frog. A dozen smaller amphibians were already having a cannibalistic feast. “Enjoy your lunch,” I called out to them.
"我们必须给你一些体面的交易,"我咕哝着，把一个黑色的吸血鬼发射到雾中。一旦我们把它们都从它的后面赶走，苏格兰胶带跳到它的背上，我们继续向北行驶，经过那只巨大的青蛙的尸体。一打较小的两栖动物已经开始了一场同类相食的盛宴。"好好享用你们的午餐吧,"我对他们喊道。
“Thannnnks,” one of the larger ones croaked in reply. I think that all three of our manes stood on end before we raced away from the scene as fast as my clattering legs would carry me.
"谢谢,"其中一个大个子用沙哑的声音回答。我想我们的三个鬃毛都竖起来了，然后我们飞快地离开了现场。
* * *
* * *
“So, that’s the plan?” P-21 said skeptically as we walked along the Celestia Boulevard.
"那么，这就是你的计划?"当我们沿着CelestiaBoulevard走的时候，P-21怀疑地说。
“It’s all I could come up with,” I replied, keeping my eye on the long ago looted shops and smashed cafés. We weren’t quite clear of the bog or the fog banks.
"我只能想到这么多了,"我回答道，眼睛盯着很久以前被洗劫过的商店和被砸毁的咖啡馆。我们还没有完全走出沼泽或雾堤。
Scotch Tape blinked up at the mists. “Why is it so foggy and rainy here at the same time?”
透明胶带在薄雾中闪闪发光。"为什么这里雾这么大，雨这么大?"
“Probably the Enclave,” I replied, glad it didn’t obscure my E.F.S. I hadn’t seen anything red in fifteen minutes.
"可能是飞地,"我回答，很高兴它没有遮住我的e.f.s.我已经有十五分钟没有看到任何红色的东西了。
“It would make it harder for somepony to take pot shots as they fly in and out of the Skyport,” P-21 speculated. “Also, nopony would be able to keep track of them.”
P-21推测说:"这会使一些小马在飞进飞出空中港口的时候更加难以瞄准。"。"而且，没有小马能够跟踪他们。"
“Yeah, but it’s still depressing,” Scotch Tape said, and then started as she pointed to the side. “Somepony’s over there!”
"是的，但还是很压抑,"苏格兰胶带说，然后开始指向侧面。"有个小马在那边!"
I looked at the blue bars. “Relax. They’re not hostile.” Not yet, anyway.
我看着那些蓝色的条纹。"放松。他们没有敌意。"至少现在还没有。
The bars belonged to four bedraggled mares and one stallion. They had filthy sacks and patched saddlebags filled to bulging with more junk than I could imagine. “Stay back!” the stallion warned as the mares readied flimsy shovels, pry bars, and a cracked baseball bat. They also looked ready to run for their lives.
栅栏属于四匹狼狈的母马和一匹种马。他们有肮脏的袋子和打了补丁的鞍囊，里面装满了我无法想象的垃圾。"退后!"当母马准备好脆弱的铲子，撬棍和一根裂开的棒球棒时，种马发出了警告。他们看起来也准备好逃命了。
“No trouble!” I said, making sure my guns were away.
"不麻烦!"我说，确保我的枪不在枪口上。
“They’re Red Eye’s slavers!” one of the mares squealed, “they found us!”
"他们是红眼奴隶贩子!"其中一匹母马尖叫着,"他们找到我们了!"
But the stallion looked at my barding. “No. That’s Security.” At once, the five relaxed, and the tension left the three of us as well. “Sorry. We… I… um… never thought we’d see you.”
但是那匹种马看着我的剑。"没有。这就是安全。"五个人立刻松了口气，紧张的气氛也使我们三个人松了口气。"对不起。我们我。.没想到还能见到你"
“We’re on our way to the Rainbow Dash Skyport,” I said, trying to look as friendly as I could. “You thought we were slavers?”
"我们正在去彩虹机场的路上,"我说，尽量显得友好一些。"你以为我们是奴隶贩子?"
The stallion cleared his throat. “Ever since Red Eye took over Paradise, the slavers have been out in force. You join him willingly, and he gives you a gun and sends you to the Everfree. Otherwise… well… you disappear for good in Fillydelphia. Scrapyard was completely wiped out this morning. Even with three VC soldiers, we couldn’t fight them.”
那匹种马清了清嗓子。"自从红眼接管了帕拉迪斯，奴隶贩子们就开始大举出动。你自愿加入他，他给你一把枪，然后把你送到Everfree。否则...你就永远消失在Fillydelphia。废料场今天早上被彻底清理干净了。即使有三个VC战士，我们也打不过他们。"
“VC soldiers fighting Red Eye?” I asked. Gasp, were the Enclave really doing something to help? Something that actually mattered?
"越共士兵打红眼?"我问道。惊讶的是，昂科雷真的做了什么来帮助我们吗？真正重要的事情？
“Well, they were when we fled, though Red Eye’s griffins were all over them. I don’t think Scrapyard had a chance,” the stallion muttered darkly.
"嗯，我们逃走的时候是的，尽管到处都是红眼的狮鹫。"我认为废料场没有机会了,"那匹种马阴郁地咕哝着。
“You’re from Scrapyard?” I asked, looking at their bags of junk. They nodded warily. “Where are you going?”
"你是废品厂来的?"我看着他们装满垃圾的袋子问道。他们小心翼翼地点点头。"你要去哪儿?"
“The pegasi trade food for ordinary junk,” one of the mares said, sounding somewhat baffled. I squirmed inside, but seeing how slat ribbed these five ponies were...
"飞马座用食物交换普通的垃圾,"其中一匹母马说，听起来有点困惑。我在里面蠕动，但看到如何板肋这五个小马是..。
“Do a lot of ponies eat the Enclave food?” P-21 asked.
"是不是很多小马都吃昂科雷的食物?"P-21要求。
“It’s the only food if a pony wants to avoid taint. You can eat hoppers and leeches, but you’ll be tainted in a few years,” the mustard-colored stallion said with clear distaste. “Otherwise, it’s preserved food or Society food.”
"如果小马想要避免污染，这是唯一的食物。你可以吃蚱蜢和水蛭，但几年后你就会被污染,"这匹芥末色的种马带着明显的厌恶说道。"否则，就是腌制食品或社会食品。"
P-21 nodded thoughtfully. “With taint in the water, any plants that live get contaminated. That eventually builds up in whatever eats the tainted matter.” I sighed, remembering a lone dragon with the only hope to someday rid Equestria of that poison.
P-21若有所思地点点头。"由于水中有污染物，任何活着的植物都会受到污染。这最终会在任何食用污染物的物质中累积起来。"我叹了口气，回忆起一条孤独的龙，唯一的希望就是有一天能把小马国人赶出去。
“Ugh. Why does anypony actually live in Hoofington? This place is like a butt and butt sandwich with extra butt on the side,” Scotch Tape groaned.
"呃。为什么anypony真的住在Hoofington？这个地方就像一个屁股和屁股的三明治，边上多了一个屁股,"ScotchTape呻吟着。
“I’d go back to Gutterville, if I could… not sure if it’s still there, with Red Eye, but still… better than here,” one of the mares opined. I had to agree, though my home was currently saturated with chlorine gas.
其中一匹母马说:"如果可以的话，我想回Gutterville去......不知道它是否还在那里，带着红眼，但还是......比这里好。"。我不得不同意，尽管我的家现在充满了氯气。
* * *
* * *
“Food trade, medical aid, or other business?” the bored puce pegasus asked from behind her counter as we shuffled through the Skyport gate. The huge rusting hulks of several massive skywagons formed an impenetrable wall along the remains of the chain link fence. If it took two pegasi to lift a Vertibuck, then I imagined it would take teams of pegasi to pull one of these from Manehattan to Hoofington. I’d thought that the fog would lighten up the closer to the airport we got, but everything here was shrouded in mist so thick that you couldn’t see twenty feet in front of your nose. From the blue bars on my E.F.S., I could tell there was somepony overhead. It made my mane twitch.
"食品贸易、医疗援助还是其他业务?"当我们缓步穿过Skyport大门时，百无聊赖的深褐色帕伽索斯从柜台后面问道。几辆大型空中马车的巨大锈迹斑斑的车身沿着铁丝网围栏的残骸形成了一堵坚不可摧的墙。如果一架"变雄鹿"需要两架飞马，那么我想象着"变雄鹿"需要一队"飞马"将其中一架从Manehattan运送到Hoofington。我原以为离机场越近，雾气就会越浓，但是这里的一切都笼罩在浓雾之中，你甚至看不见前方二十英尺的地方。从我飞机上的蓝色栏杆上，我可以看出头顶上有一匹小马。它使我的鬃毛抽搐。
“Food trade,” each of the ponies from Scrapyard said in soft, respectful tones. “And medical… please.” The puce pegasus pressed her lips together tightly as she issued them each a green collar and red collar.
"食品交易,"斯卡普亚德的每一匹小马都用温和、恭敬的语调说。"还有医疗......请。"深褐色的天马紧紧地抿着嘴唇，给每个人发了一个绿领和一个红领。
“Follow the green lines to the trading station. Follow the red lines to the medical station. Next!” she snapped, sending the ponies following lines painted on the cracked tarmac. Then her eyes took one look at me and widened in shock. “You! You- you- you-“
"沿着绿线走到交易站。沿着红线到达医疗站。下一个!"她抓狂了，让小马跟着裂开的停机坪上画的线走。然后她的眼睛看了我一眼，震惊地睁大了。"你！"你-你-你-"
I trotted to the counter, leaning against it, eye staring into hers as she stammered.
我小跑着来到柜台，靠在柜台上，眼睛盯着她结结巴巴的说话。
“Other business,” I said with a grin.
"其他事,"我咧嘴笑着说。
“You… you can’t be here. You’re that… that terrorist,” she said as she licked her lips. I could make out vague outlines in the mist atop the skywagon hulks to either side of the gate.
"你...你不能待在这里。你就是那个......那个恐怖分子,"她舔着嘴唇说。我可以在大门两边的篷车顶上的薄雾中辨认出模糊的轮廓。
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said in an even, calm, civilized, not-going-to-shoot-you-unless-I-have-to voice.
"我不是来制造麻烦的,"我用一种平静、文明、不会向你开枪的声音说，除非我不得不这样做。
“What are you here for, then?” she asked, swallowing and looking at P-21 and Scotch Tape as if they were going to suddenly pull out death rays and start blowing things up at random.
"那么，你来这里干什么?"她一边问，一边吞咽着，看着P-21和透明胶带，好像它们会突然拉出死亡射线，然后开始胡乱地炸东西。
“I’m looking for the pony in charge. If you’ll tell me where to go, I’ll get out of your mane and let you get back to boring everyday work.” I smiled as comfortingly as possible. Okay… maybe there was just a little shootiness in my grin.
"我在找负责的小马。如果你告诉我去哪儿，我就不再烦你，让你回去做无聊的日常工作。"我尽可能安慰地笑了笑。好吧...也许我只是笑得有点不自在。
She looked at two other mares processing the visitors, then swallowed and pulled out three yellow collars. “Please put these on.” I glanced at P-21, levitated them over each of our heads, then smiled at her again. My cooperation seemed to disturb her even more. Sometimes, you just couldn’t please a paranoid pegasus pony. “T… this way,” she said as she left the counter and followed a yellow path painted on the ground. I had to admit, it was an efficient way to manage ponies. Anypony on the wrong trail would get noticed right away.
她看着另外两匹正在处理来访者的母马，咽了口唾沫，拉出了三个黄色的项圈。"请把这些穿上。"我瞥了一眼P-21，把它们悬浮在我们每个人的头上，然后再次对她微笑。我的合作似乎使她更加不安。有时候，你就是不能取悦一匹偏执的飞马。"t..这边走,"她说着离开了柜台，沿着地上画着的一条黄色小路走去。我不得不承认，这是管理小马的有效方法。任何走错路的小马都会马上受到注意。
“Thank you,” P-21 said softly, but the puce mare jumped anyway.
"谢谢你,"P-21轻声说，但是深褐色的母马还是跳了起来。
“Come again?” she asked in confusion. A Vertibuck landed beside us in eerie silence, and Scotch Tape gaped at the missile pods and energy cannons.
"再说一遍?"她困惑地问。一只眩晕鹿怪异地降落在我们身边，一片寂静，透明胶带在导弹舱和能量炮上张开。
He glanced at me and Scotch. “Thank you for helping these ponies,” he elaborated.
他瞥了我一眼，又看了看苏格兰威士忌。"谢谢你帮助这些小马,"他详细说明。
“Oh. That.” Her nervousness gave way to a little irritation. “You’re welcome… I guess.” She looked sharply at Scotch Tape. “Stay clear of the Vertibuck, please.”
"哦。那个。"她的紧张变成了一点恼怒。"不客气......我想。"她目不转睛地看着透明胶带。"请不要靠近眩晕鹿。"
“Something the matter?” I asked, watching as the pegasi started to load the Vertibuck with what appeared to be heaps of scrap metal and other junk.
"有什么事吗?"我问道，看着飞马座开始给"眩晕巴克"装载似乎是成堆的废金属和其他垃圾。
She shook her head a moment as if trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t get her shot. “Just.. not how I imagined it. Always hungry ponies… always sick… dirty… smelly… a lot of them crazy or violent,” she said, then swallowed. “I just thought it’d be… I dunno… different.”
她摇了摇头，好像在试图想些什么话来表达自己，而这些话并不会让她成功。"只是。.跟我想象的不一样。总是饥肠辘辘的小马......总是病怏怏的......脏兮兮的......臭烘烘的......很多都是疯狂或暴力的,"她说，然后咽了口唾沫。"我只是觉得......我不知道......有什么不同。"
What did she expect? A nice orderly stablemeet? “This is the Wasteland. And this is the Hoof. Worst of the worst. I almost got eaten by a giant frog just an hour ago. A frog. How crazy is that?” And before that, I was nearly eaten by a mechanical abomination. She looked a little uncertain, and I gave a half smile. “So, if there’s any place in all the Wasteland that needs your help, this is it. It’s really appreciated.” She brightened a little, and while she wasn’t exactly friendly, she stopped twitching at my every move.
她还能指望什么？一个整洁的马夫？"这里是荒原。这是霍夫。最坏中的最坏。就在一小时前，我差点被一只大青蛙给吃了。一只青蛙。这有多疯狂?"在那之前，我差点被一个机械怪物吃掉。她看起来有点犹豫不决，我也微微一笑。"所以，如果在整个荒原中有任何地方需要你的帮助，那就是这里。我真的很感激。"她有点高兴起来，虽然她并不十分友好，但她不再因为我的一举一动而抽搐。
The yellow line led to the terminal, and once inside, I felt my spirits lift immensely. That perpetual fog was gloomy, even for Hoofington. Once inside I saw a number of terminals, monitors, and, of course, pegasi of all colors flying around the large open-aired building. Somepony had hung a banner across the ‘Rainbow Dash’ part of ‘Rainbow Dash Skyport’ that now read ‘Thunderhead’. A cloud split in half by a lightning bolt motif was on every crate and terminal.
黄色的线路通向终点站，一进入终点站，我就感到精神大振。即使对Hoofington来说，这种持续不断的雾气也是阴沉的。一进去，我就看见许多终端、监视器，当然还有各种颜色的飞马座在这座敞开的大楼里飞来飞去。有些小马在彩虹冲刺跑跑道的"彩虹冲刺"部分悬挂了一条横幅，现在上面写着"雷头"。每个板条箱和航站楼上都有一片云被闪电劈成了两半。
There were also flaws. Most of the ponies I saw looked tired, unwashed, and strained. Weapons were of poor quality and everypony wore threadbare uniforms. There was a general feel of malaise and frustration in the air.
也有一些缺陷。我看到的大多数小马看上去都很疲惫，没有洗澡，而且很紧张。武器质量很差，每个小马都穿着破旧的制服。空气中弥漫着一种不安和沮丧的气氛。
I saw a grand total of three suits of power armor, and they were looking more like they were keeping an eye on the pegasi than looking for trouble. More than a few looked almost afraid of the scorpion tailed armored ponies standing above them with their beam rifles. I also wasn’t much of an engineer, but the Thunderhead power armor looked… fancier than the power armor of the Neighvarro Enclave. More little flashy bits and a shinier finish made me wonder if their armor was newer.
我一共看到了三套动力装甲，它们看起来更像是在盯着飞马座，而不是在找麻烦。不少人看上去几乎害怕那些拿着步枪站在他们头顶的蝎尾装甲小马。我也不是一个工程师，但是雷头电源盔甲看起来...比邻里昂科雷的电源盔甲更先进。更多的闪光点和更闪亮的完成使我怀疑他们的盔甲是否更新。
I had to admit, the disintegration rifles following me really made me wish they weren’t nearly so fancy.
我不得不承认，跟着我的解体步枪真的让我希望它们不是那么奇特。
The puce pegasus led me to an office door marked ‘Security’; that made me smile. “Lieutenant? That… um… it’s the… ah…” She glanced at me. “Terrorist? The one who attacked Miramare?”
深褐色的天马把我带到一个写着"安全"的办公室门前，这让我微笑起来。"中尉？那个......嗯......是......啊......"她瞥了我一眼。"恐怖分子？攻击米拉马雷的那个?"
“Terrorist. You blow up one Vertibuck, and suddenly everypony’s convinced that you’re a complete monster,” I muttered dryly.
"恐怖分子。你炸掉一头眩晕雄鹿，突然每匹小马都相信你是个彻头彻尾的怪物,"我干巴巴地喃喃自语。
“You did what?” Scotch Tape and P-21 asked in unison.
"你做了什么?"透明胶带和P-21同声问道。
“Didn’t I tell you about that?” I blinked at their surprise. Then again, with everything I had to tell him earlier, I might have left that little detail out. “They shot first, you know. I was merely defending myself,” I said primly.
"我没告诉过你吗?"我被他们的惊讶惊呆了。不过话又说回来，我之前不得不告诉他的那些事情，我可能漏掉了那个小细节。"你知道，他们先开枪的。我只是在自卫,"我拘谨地说。
“Funny. Didn’t you geld a stallion ‘defending yourself’?” P-21 asked. Scotch Tape gawked, covering her mouth with her hooves as she blushed and started giggling.
"有意思。你不是赏了一匹种马'自卫'吗?"P-21要求。苏格兰胶带呆呆地看着她，当她脸红并开始咯咯地笑时，用她的蹄子遮住了她的嘴。
I tried to maintain my dignified posture. “That was different. I was drunk. And singing. I got carried away.”
我尽量保持自己威严的姿势。"那是不同的。我喝醉了。还有唱歌。我太激动了。"
“You do that a lot,” a mare said from within the office. The puce mare stepped aside as I slowly trotted into the office. It couldn’t be…
"你经常这么做,"办公室里的一匹母马说。当我慢慢地跑进办公室时，那匹深褐色的母马走到一边。不可能..。
The navy mare behind the desk narrowed her eyes as she looked at me evenly. “Sergeant Wind Whisper,” I greeted her. The puce mare stammered her farewells and quickly stepped out, closing the door once we’d entered. Behind the sergeant flashed a dozen screens showing various sections of the Skyport. I was disappointed not to see the pony I was after in any of them.
桌子后面的海军母马眯着眼睛平静地看着我。"WindWhisper中士,"我向她打招呼。那匹深褐色的母马结结巴巴地告别，很快地走了出去，我们一进去就关上了门。中士身后闪烁着十几个屏幕，上面显示着飞机场的各个部分。我很失望没有看到我想要的小马。
“It’s ‘Lieutenant’, now, though being a lieutenant in the Volunteer Corps is like being captain of a griffin dung cleanup crew. After Miramare, a lateral transition was called for by my superior,” she said as she glanced at P-21 and Scotch. “I don’t see your Dashite friend. A report was filed that she was dead, but, oddly enough, every report on your activities always has you in the company of a gray Dashite with a purple mane and matching eyes.”
"现在是'中尉'了，尽管在志愿军中当中尉就像是一名格里芬粪便清理队的队长。在米拉马雷之后，我的上司要求进行横向调动。"她一边说，一边瞥了一眼P-21和苏格兰威士忌。"我没看见你的大栅栏朋友。有人报告说她已经死了，但奇怪的是，每份关于你活动的报告总是让你和一个有着紫色鬃毛和相称眼睛的灰色达什蒂人呆在一起。"
“You’ve been spying on me?”
"你在监视我?"
“After all that you’ve done?” She laughed, “Of course. I have a pony on staff whose job is to keep track of all five of you. You destroyed a Vertibuck with an unknown weapon of frankly terrifying destructive power. I’d be an idiot to not keep track of you,” she said as she stood and trotted to the fridge to get a small wire basket with six Sparkle-Colas. “Not an easy job, since our last report had you in Chapel yesterday, and yet here you are. I’m dying to know how you and that Dashite travelled without being detected,” she said as she passed out one to each of us. “Really? Chopping her mane, putting on some barding, and calling herself ‘Fallen Glory’?”
"在你做了这么多之后?"她笑着说:"当然。我手下有一匹小马的工作就是记录你们五个人的行踪。你用一种未知的武器摧毁了一只眩晕鹿，坦白地说，这种武器具有可怕的破坏力。她站起来，小跑着走向冰箱，拿了一个装着六种闪亮可乐的小铁丝篮。"这不是一件容易的事，因为我们上次的报告说你昨天在教堂，但你还是来了。我很想知道你和达希特是如何在不被发现的情况下旅行的。"她边说边给我们每人发了一张。"真的吗？砍掉她的鬃毛，披上一件白大褂，自称'堕落的晨辉'?"
“Yeah, I guess that wasn’t the best of disguises,” I agreed, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly as I popped the caps off our bottles and swept them into my pouch, adding sternly, “But she’s not a Dashite, Wind Whisper. She’s still loyal to the Enclave.” I looked at her steadily. She seemed to be staring at me. “What?”
"是的，我想那不是最好的伪装,"我同意，笨拙地摩擦着我的后脑勺，我打开瓶盖，把它们扫进我的袋子里，严厉地补充说,"但她不是一个达什人，风耳语者。她仍然忠于昂科雷。"我稳稳地看着她。她好像在盯着我看。"什么?"
She frowned as she rolled the bottle back and forth between her hooves. “Nothing. You just seem… different.” I wondered if it was the mud, the fact that I had more scars on me than a masochistic raider, or the leech holes chewed in my armor.
她用蹄子来回转动瓶子，皱起了眉头。"没什么。你只是看起来......与众不同。"我想知道是不是因为泥巴，是因为我身上的伤疤比受虐狂还要多，还是因为盔甲上的水蛭洞。
“It’s the eye. Once you lose an eye, it throws everything off,” I replied with a snort.
"是眼睛。一旦你失去了一只眼睛，一切就都完了。"我哼了一声回答道。
The corner of her mouth twitched in a half smile. “Not that. When we first met, I thought you were an idiot.”
她的嘴角抽动着，露出一丝微笑。"不是那样的。我们第一次见面时，我以为你是个白痴。"
“Can’t imagine why,” P-21 muttered.
"不知道为什么,"P-21低声说。
“And now?” I asked.
"现在呢?"我问道。
“Now… I can almost believe what that radio personality said about you,” she said as she leaned back a little.
"现在......我几乎可以相信那个电台人物说的关于你的话了,"她向后靠了一点说。
Habazawa? “What did DJ Pon3 say about me? When?”
哈巴扎瓦？"DJPon3是怎么说我的？什么时候?"
“Two days ago,” she replied, looking surprised that I didn’t know. It wasn’t like I always kept my radio tuned to the station. She reached over to the terminal on her desk and started typing. A moment later, DJ Pon3’s voice crackled to life. “You know, I’d go to jail for listening to this back in Thunderhead,” she said as
"两天前,"她回答，看起来很惊讶我竟然不知道。我并不总是把收音机调到电台。她把手伸向桌上的终端机，开始打字。过了一会儿，DJPon3的声音响了起来。"你知道，我会因为在Thunderhead听这个而进监狱,"她说
she sat back.
她靠在椅背上。
“…like to take a moment to talk about a word I hear thrown around a lot. ‘Hero.’ I know. I know. I can hear you from here: ‘But DJ, you use that all the time.’ I know, my little ponies, but let me tell you exactly what I mean when I use the word. In Postapocalyptia, everypony struggles to stay alive and to protect whatever they can. Sometimes it’s all a pony can do to get by for themselves, let alone their children. And it’s even tougher if they can survive while preserving their sanity and decency. Not everypony can.
"......我想花点时间来谈谈我经常听到的一个词。英雄我知道。我知道。我可以从这里听到你的声音:'但是DJ，你一直在用这个。'我知道，我的小马驹，但是让我告诉你我用这个词的确切意思。在Postapocalyptia，每个人都在为生存而奋斗，并竭尽所能地保护自己。有时候，一匹小马能做的就是自己养活自己，更不用说自己的孩子了。如果他们能够在保持理智和体面的同时生存下来，那就更加困难了。不是每个小马都能做到。
“But, every once in a while, a pony comes along willing and able to give something of their own to help preserve the life of some somepony who can’t make it. Sometimes, it’s nothing more than a bottle of purified water to a thirsty soul. Sometimes, it’s a kind word to somepony who’s been living hard and rough for too long. And sometimes… just sometimes… it’s a pony willing to take a bullet so somepony else doesn’t have to. Who deals bloody vengeance to anypony who thinks that other ponies are fair game. Who’s willing to give their life, just because they can.
"但是，每隔一段时间，就会有一匹小马出现，它愿意并且能够给予自己一些东西，来帮助那些不能活下去的小马保住自己的生命。有时候，对于一个饥渴的灵魂来说，这只不过是一瓶纯净水。有时候，这是对那些长期过着艰苦生活的小马的一句友善的话。有时候......只是有时候......就像一匹小马愿意承担子弹，这样其他的小马就不用承担了。谁会对那些认为其他小马是公平竞争对手的小马进行血腥的报复。他们愿意献出自己的生命，仅仅因为他们可以。
“I know you probably think I mean just the Stable Dweller, but she’s not alone. There’s her friends as well, fighting the good fight beside her. There’s ponies from Trottingham to Stalliongrad willing to give their own pain and suffering to make life a little better. And there’s some ponies called to sacrifice things that you or I never imagined. Some of you may recall a few days back about an army of psycho raiders rampaging all over the northwest corner of Hoofington. I know most of you get the jitters just thinking about them, but when we’re talking Hoofington raiders, they won’t kill you. They’ll eat you, and worse. That’s right. A hundred or more bloodthirsty, pony-eating psychos spreading out with nothing to stop them.
"我知道你可能认为我说的只是马厩居民，但她并不孤单。还有她的朋友们，和她一起为正义而战。从Trottingham到Stalliongrad，都有小马愿意付出自己的痛苦和折磨来改善生活。还有一些小马被召唤来牺牲一些你我从未想象过的东西。你们中的一些人可能还记得几天前，一队变态袭击者在Hoofington的西北角横冲直撞。我知道你们大多数人一想到它们就会紧张不安，但当我们谈论胡芬顿掠夺者时，它们不会杀了你。他们会吃了你，甚至更糟。没错。一百多个嗜血的吃小马的疯子四处游荡，没有任何东西可以阻止他们。
“Nothing, that is, but the Security Mare. She went right to the heart of their territory and stopped them cold. Now I know what you might be saying: ‘give me a few crates of ammo and some guns and I’d do the same.‘ But what you folks don’t realize… what I didn’t realize… was that those raiders weren’t just a bunch of psychopaths. They were a stable full of hundreds of ponies all looking to treat the Wasteland as their personal buffet. And not only that children… you see that stable? It was Security’s home.
"没什么，就是安全的噩梦。她径直走到他们领地的中心，把他们冷冷地拦住了。现在我知道你可能会说:给我几箱弹药和一些枪，我也会这么做。但是你们没有意识到的是......我没有意识到的是......那些袭击者不仅仅是一群精神病患者。他们是一个稳定的数以百计的小马都希望把荒地作为他们的个人自助餐。不仅仅是那些孩子...你看到那个马厩了吗？那是保安的家。
“She didn’t just stop hundreds of ponies willing to kill, rape, and pillage. She
"她不仅阻止了数以百计的小马去杀戮、强奸和掠夺。她
stopped her friends. Her family. Everypony she’d ever known before leaving to bring justice to the Hoof. All to help ponies who a few days earlier had hounded and hunted her for a whole mess of bottlecaps. And that, my little ponies, is what I mean when I use the word hero. If there are ponies able to do that then what excuse do any of us have not to give a bottle of water if we can spare it, or a kindly word if we can share one?
阻止了她的朋友。她的家人。她所认识的每一匹小马，在她离开为霍夫带来正义之前。所有这些都是为了帮助几天前追捕她的小马，为了一大堆装瓶。我的小马驹们，这就是我用英雄这个词的意思。如果有小马能做到这一点，那么我们有什么理由不给一瓶水，如果我们可以分享它，或一个善意的话，如果我们可以分享一个？
“Food for thought, children. This is DJ Pon3, bringing you the truth… no matter how bad it hurts.”
"孩子们，值得深思。这里是DJPon3，为您带来真相......无论伤害有多深。"
I stood there a moment, stunned as Wind Whisper just watched me. That wasn’t the truth! She’d left out that they weren’t raiders yet! That I tried to kill myself along with them! What the hell, Homage, how can you call that the truth?
我在那儿站了一会儿，目瞪口呆地看着风声低语。那不是事实！她忽略了他们还不是强盗！我试图和他们一起自杀！什么鬼东西，敬意，你怎么能说那是真理？
“It’s true,” Scotch Tape said quietly and I jerked, looking at her with my heart pounding in my chest and feeling my breath catch in my throat. “They all went crazy… killing and eating and… worse. And she stopped them.”
"这是真的,"ScotchTape平静地说，我猛地一抽，看着她，我的心怦怦直跳，感觉自己的呼吸在喉咙里哽咽。"他们都疯了......杀人，吃东西，还有......更糟的。她阻止了他们。"
No. That’s not how it happened! I murdered them! I killed foals!
没有。事情不是这样的！我杀了他们！我杀了小马驹！
“And I doubt even the Enclave could have stopped them. They were set to sweep all across Hoofington,” P-21 said quietly as I bowed my head, shaking and making the braces clatter. I clenched my eye shut. I wasn’t a hero. I wasn’t. I was just a stupid mare too dumb to die, too stubborn to kill myself, and stupid enough to throw myself in harm’s way over and over again.
"我怀疑即使是昂科雷也无法阻止他们。他们的任务是横扫整个Hoofington。"我低下头，摇晃着牙套，发出咔嗒咔嗒的声音。我紧闭着眼睛。我不是英雄。我没有。我只是一匹愚蠢的母马，笨到死不了，笨到死不了，笨到一次又一次地把自己置于危险的境地。
“I see,” Wind Whisper said in a softer, less cynical voice. “Well then… in light of that… what can the Enclave do for you, Security?”
"我明白了,"风耳语用一种更柔和、不那么愤世嫉俗的声音说。"那么......鉴于此......飞地能为你做些什么呢，保安?"
Think of Glory. Remember the plan. Pull yourself together and do it right for a change! I fought to get my heart and breathing under control, but the organs weren’t quite working like they should as I looked at the blue pegasus in her black uniform. “My friend is hurt. Badly. She… lost her wing.”
想想晨辉。记住这个计划。振作起来，做出正确的改变！我努力控制自己的心脏和呼吸，但是当我看着那匹穿着黑色制服的蓝色飞马时，器官并没有完全恢复正常工作。"我的朋友受伤了。非常糟糕。她...失去了翅膀。"
“Impossible!” Wind Whisper blurted, looking disturbed, her own wings fluttering a little behind her as she scowled at me in disbelief. “You’d need a chainsaw or something to…” And her disbelief fell away as my eye drilled into hers.
"不可能!"风耳语脱口而出，看起来很不安，她自己的翅膀在身后扇动了一下，她难以置信地怒视着我。"你需要一把电锯之类的东西......"当我的眼睛钻进她的眼睛时，她的怀疑消失了。
“I remember a pegasus at Miramare missing her wings,” I said slowly. “So don’t
"我记得在米拉马雷有一匹飞马失去了翅膀,"我慢慢地说。"那就不要
tell me it’s impossible.”
告诉我这是不可能的"
Wind Whisper frowned at the mention of the airbase, but also absently stroked the tip of her wing. “I apologize. It’s just… not something a pegasus wants to think about.”
提到空军基地时，WindWhisper皱起了眉头，但也心不在焉地抚摸着她的翼尖。"我道歉。这不是飞马想要考虑的事情。"
“No different than a unicorn losing her horn,” I replied, feeling a belated stab of guilt to Roses.
"就像一只独角兽失去了它的角一样,"我回答，感到一阵迟来的内疚刺痛了Roses。
P-21 glanced at Scotch Tape. “Gee, I’m so glad that earth ponies like us have nothing integral to lose.” That drew a little snort from the olive filly.
P-21扫了一眼透明胶带。"哎呀，我真高兴，像我们这样的地球小马没有什么不可或缺的东西可失去。"这话引得橄榄小姑娘哼了一声。
“She’s hurt badly, and I need some way to help her,” I said softly, trying to keep my calm and civility. “Do the Enclave have any way to restore a wing?” The question seemed to almost nauseate the navy blue pegasus.
"她伤得很重，我需要一些方法来帮助她,"我轻声说，试图保持冷静和礼貌。"昂科雷有办法修复一个翅膀吗?"这个问题似乎让海军蓝天马感到恶心。
“I… maybe in the tower. But that’s only a maybe. Usually, a pegasus dies before their wings come off. I only know one mare who’s ever lost her wings and lived to talk about it.” I felt a stab of hope, but it died at the look on Wind Whisper’s face. “She killed herself… stepped off the clouds.” She gave one last shiver and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Security. I don’t think I can help you. I’m sorry.”
"我.....。.也许在塔里。但这只是一个可能。通常，飞马在翅膀脱落之前就死了。我只知道有一匹母马失去了翅膀，还能活着说起这件事。"我感到一阵希望的刺痛，但它在风耳语的脸上消失了。"她自杀了......走出了云端。"她最后颤抖了一下，摇了摇头。"对不起，保安。我想我帮不了你。对不起。"
“Yes, you can.” My tone brooked no argument as I stared at her. “I need to find a particular pegasus…”
"是的，你可以。"当我盯着她时，我的语气没有任何异议。"我需要找到一匹飞马..."
* * *
* * *
“I can’t believe there wasn’t anything she could do for her,” P-21 muttered as we left the Skyport. I’d felt my spine itching the whole time the power armored ponies watched me. Most of the Volunteer Corps appeared equally relieved to see me go.
"我真不敢相信她什么都不能为她做,"当我们离开飞机场时，P-21嘟囔着。整个过程中，我都能感觉到我的脊椎发痒，那些强壮的装甲小马一直在注视着我。看到我离开，大多数志愿者队员似乎同样松了一口气。
“You heard her. Pegasi just don’t break their wings. They must have used a chainsaw on that poor Miramare pony’s wings.” I shivered, glad I’d fed Minty to that raider… and wishing that I could have added Lighthooves as well. Still, hopefully I’d get to take care of that soon. “At least she told us where to go.”
"你听到她说的了。飞马座是不会折断翅膀的。他们一定是用电锯锯了那匹可怜的米拉马雷小马的翅膀。"我打了个哆嗦，很高兴我给那个袭击者喂了明蒂......我希望我也能加上一些轻便火枪。尽管如此，我还是希望能尽快解决这个问题。"至少她告诉了我们去哪儿。"
“Scrapyard. Only two miles, too.” He looked at my legs. “How do you feel?”
"废料场。也只有两英里。"他看着我的腿。"你感觉怎么样?"
“Sore. These braces chafe,” I muttered, then flushed as I looked at him. “But you
"酸痛。"这些牙套磨破了,"我喃喃自语，看着他，脸涨得通红。"但是你
know that, don’t you?”
你知道的，对吧?"
“I have to admit, I’m glad to have it off,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Funny, but the doctors seemed surprised that I didn’t have a problem with that booth. In, get magicked up, and get out. Wish we had one in 99.”
"我不得不承认，我很高兴把它取下来,"他笑着承认。"有意思，但医生们似乎很惊讶，我对那个电话亭没有意见。进去，变魔术，然后出来。真希望我们99年也有一个。"
Scotch Tape didn’t seem to share his carefree feelings on the subject. Indeed, she looked horrified. “I… didn’t like it,” she said grudgingly, shivering. She caught my concerned look, and her ears folded back. “I thought… I thought it was going to eat me…”
透明胶带似乎没有他对这个问题无忧无虑的感觉。事实上，她看起来很害怕。"我.....。."不喜欢,"她不情愿地颤抖着说。她看到了我关心的表情，她的耳朵向后竖着。"我以为......我以为它会吃了我......"
P-21 snorted, and I smacked his rump hard with my tail, making him jump. “Scotch… it’s all right now. I don’t know what that thing was, but I shot it with the strongest damn gun in Equestria. It’s gone.” She shivered and nodded but didn’t look particularly convinced. I supposed it was hard to believe that monsters didn’t exist when you were nearly eaten by one.
P-21哼了一声，我用尾巴狠狠地拍了拍它的屁股，吓得它跳了起来。"苏格兰威士忌......现在没事了。我不知道那是什么东西，但是我用Equestria最强的枪打的。它消失了。"她打了个哆嗦，点了点头，但看起来并不是特别确信。我想当你差点被一个怪物吃掉的时候，很难相信怪物不存在。
Walking due south through the Enclave’s fog bank, I was glad to be heading uphill and into drier land. We still couldn’t see farther than twenty or thirty feet, but I suspected we were entering some sort of industrial district. We passed by one of the yawning entrances to the Green Line, giving it a wide berth. There were tons of railways here, and rusting train cars had dumped heaps of black rock all over the place.
沿着昂科雷的雾堤向正南方走去，我很高兴地朝着上坡的方向走去，进入了一片干燥的土地。我们仍然看不到二十三十英尺以外的地方，但我怀疑我们正在进入某种工业区。我们经过了通往绿线的一个打着哈欠的入口，对它敬而远之。这里有成吨的铁路，生锈的火车车厢把成堆的黑色岩石堆得到处都是。
There were also red bars out here.
这里也有红色的栅栏。
Scotch Tape and P-21 moved quietly on their hooves. Me? I clicked and rattled and clattered with every step. I glanced at them and nodded for them to hang back a little. I really wanted to get some barding for him. She at least had that utility barding. Softly, I started to whistle about cleaning up winter as I trotted slowly towards the bars.
透明胶带和P-21战斗机静悄悄地前进。我？我咔嗒咔嗒地走着，每走一步都发出咔嗒咔嗒的声音。我瞥了他们一眼，点头示意他们退后一点。我真的很想给他点颜色瞧瞧。她至少还有那种实用价值的抵押。我轻轻地吹着口哨，慢慢地向酒吧走去，打扫卫生。
The bars moved in the fog, fanning out along the train cars. I heard hooves tapping softly on rusting rooftops as I whistled to myself like I didn’t have a care in the world. The fog swirled around my hooves as I took step after clicking step. I saw the vague shapes in the mist. I was completely and totally surrounded.
酒吧在雾中移动，沿着火车车厢呈扇形散开。我听见蹄子在锈迹斑斑的屋顶上轻轻叩击，我向自己吹着口哨，好像我对这个世界漠不关心似的。当我踏出一步又一步的时候，雾气在我的蹄子上打转。我看见雾中模糊的影子。我完全被包围了。
“You there,” a mare said from the fog, “throw down your weapons. You have been selected to serve in Red Eye’s glorious rebirth of Equestria.” Step by step, a
"你,"一匹母马在雾中说,"放下武器。你被选中参与红眼小马国辉煌的重生。"一步一步来
creature emerged that I’d only seen in a memory: one half a predatory bird and the other a powerful cat. She’d decorated her plumage with bright red dye, and the power armor she wore was decorated with a bright red eye. A pair of miniguns pointed right at me, and I doubted that my dinged up armor would last long. Why couldn’t I ever have cool power armor, huh?
出现了一种我只在记忆中见过的生物:一半是食肉性鸟类，另一半是强大的猫科动物。她用鲜艳的红色染料装饰她的羽毛，她穿的动力盔甲上装饰着一只鲜红的眼睛。一对迷你武士正指着我，我怀疑我那破烂的盔甲是否能坚持很久。为什么我就不能拥有酷酷的能量盔甲呢？
“Yeah. Sorry. Can’t do that. I got a friend to help,” I said as I picked out the other half dozen red bars. There were also two blue bars. “Maybe next time.”
"是的。对不起。不能这么做。我找了一个朋友来帮忙,"我一边说，一边拿出另外六根红条。还有两条蓝色的条纹。"也许下次吧。"
She scowled at my response. “Maybe you don’t understand. We’re not giving you a choice!”
她对我的回答皱起了眉头。"也许你不明白。我们没有给你选择的余地!"
I looked at the griffin and then smiled. That seemed to make her even more unnerved. “What’s your name?”
我看了看狮鹫，然后笑了。这似乎使她更加紧张不安。"你叫什么名字?"
“I… you don’t need to know my name! Now throw down your weapons!” Her gun’s motors hummed as she revved them threateningly.
"我.....。.你不需要知道我的名字！现在放下你们的武器!"当她威胁性地加速时，她的枪发动机发出嗡嗡声。
My eye locked with hers and I repeated in an even softer tone, “What’s your name?”
我的眼睛紧紧地盯着她，我用更温和的语气重复道:"你叫什么名字?"
She glanced up at the ponies ready to blow me away. “Scarlet.”
她抬头看了看那些准备让我大吃一惊的小马。"斯嘉丽。"
“Scarlet? Lovely name,” I said as I kept staring at her. Clearly, I wasn’t following the script. “Scarlet, my friend is hurt and she needs my help and you are slowing me down. I’m the Security Mare. I’ve killed hydras, blown up Vertibucks, and put a monsterpony through a rock crusher. And you are in my way. So, please, go away.” I glanced to the side where P-21 peeked out from under the train with Persuasion gripped tight in his jaws.
"斯嘉丽？可爱的名字,"我一直盯着她说。很明显，我没有按照剧本来。"斯嘉丽，我的朋友受伤了，她需要我的帮助，而你在拖我的后腿。我是保安母马。我杀过水蛇，炸过眩晕鹿，还把一匹小怪马扔进碎石机里。你挡着我的路了。所以，请你离开吧。"我瞥了一眼P-21从火车底下探出头来的一边，他的嘴里紧紧地抓着《劝导》。
Unfortunately, the glance seemed to break the spell. “K…kill her!” she shouted.
不幸的是，这一瞥似乎打破了魔咒。"k..杀了她!"她喊道。
At that, both of us were blasted by three bombs set around us as her paired stream of rapid fire death went high and wide. A heavy thump filled the air, and she barely took to the sky before the grenade launched her end over end to arc out over the train cars. The last two struggled to recover as I rose to my hooves and gave each a faceful of buckshot. In less than ten seconds, the ambush was annihilated.
听到这话，我们两个人都被三颗炸弹炸死了，而她那一连串急速的死亡之流却越来越高，越来越宽。一声沉重的重击弥漫在空中，她刚刚飞上天空，手榴弹就从她那一头向火车车厢上空发射出去了。最后两个努力恢复，我站起来我的蹄子，给每一个脸上的铅弹。不到十秒钟，埋伏就被歼灭了。
I frowned at P-21. “Is it just me, or are we getting really good at this?”
我对P-21皱了皱眉。"是我的错觉，还是我们真的越来越擅长这个了?"
“Well it’s not like it was hard with all of them staring at you,” he said as he dug through his bags for another brick of that gray explosive.
"当他们都盯着你看的时候，这并不难,"他一边说，一边从包里翻出另一块灰色的炸药。
I trotted to where Scarlet was starting to pull herself out of the heap she’d landed in. “You… you are… dead… so…” she said as her blasted armor smoked. The minigun motors ground horribly as they jammed. The griffin’s red eyes went wide as I pressed the shotgun to her chin and she gulped.
我小跑着来到斯佳丽开始从她落下的垃圾堆里爬出来的地方。"你......你......死了......所以......"她说着，她那该死的盔甲冒出了烟。迷你枪发动机卡住时，发动机可怕地转动着。当我用猎枪顶着她的下巴时，她的红眼睛睁得大大的，她咽了一口气。
“I’m not an executioner,” I said softly, “I just want to help my friends. You’ve slowed me down. I take it there are more of you at Scrapyard?”
"我不是刽子手,"我轻声说,"我只是想帮助我的朋友。你拖累了我。我想废料场里还有你们的人吧?"
“I… I won’t betray Red Eye!” she stammered as she clenched her eyes shut. I could tell she was expecting imminent death. I could hear the cards.
"我.....。.我不会背叛红眼!"她闭上眼睛结结巴巴地说。我看得出来，她预感到死亡即将来临。我能听到牌的声音。
“I can respect that,” I replied, pulling the gun from her head. If she was really willing to die rather than tell me, I wasn’t going to be able to force anything out of her. Besides, she’d already told me what I needed to know. Her eyes looked at me in shock and disbelief. Then I smiled. “But I can’t have you follow me, either.”
"我尊重这一点,"我回答，从她的头上拔出枪。如果她真的宁愿死也不愿意告诉我，我也不能强迫她做任何事情。此外，她已经告诉了我需要知道的一切。她的眼睛带着震惊和怀疑的神情看着我。然后我笑了。"但我也不能让你跟着我。"
Five minutes later, we continued on our way. “I’ll kill you! We will have our revenge. I swear, I’ll get you for this if it’s the last thing I’ll do!” It’d taken two rolls of duct tape, a broom handle, a plunger, and a half dozen tubes of Wonderglue, but I doubted that she’d be getting her revenge any time soon. I know it was silly, juvenile, and an utter waste of time… but the three of us enjoyed a good laugh. Four little ponies in my head joined in as the Dealer sulked in the back of my mind.
五分钟后，我们继续赶路。"我要杀了你！我们会报仇雪恨。我发誓，即使这是我做的最后一件事，我也要报复你!"用了两卷胶带，一个扫帚柄，一个柱塞，还有半打Wonderglue管子，但我怀疑她不会很快就报仇雪恨。我知道这很愚蠢，幼稚，完全是在浪费时间......但是我们三个人很开心地大笑起来。我脑子里的四匹小马也加入了进来，商人在我的脑海里生闷气。
* * *
* * *
“Okay. This might not be so easy,” I muttered without a smile on my face as I stared at the village of Scrapyard. It’d apparently been a junkyard even before the war, and half-ripped-apart skywagons were stacked up as ad hoc apartments next to a large factory-style building. There had to be twenty ponies on the ground, and three griffins were watching from the roof of the factory. Gunfire cracked from the ponies in the thinning mist towards the open building. It was returned with pink disintegration bolts. There were a couple bodies and a few heaps of pink sludge, but I didn’t think they were slavers.
"好吧。这可能没那么容易,"我盯着Scrapyard，嘴里咕哝着，脸上没有一丝笑容。显然，即使在战争之前，这里就已经是一个废品回收站了，一辆被撕裂了一半的空运货车被堆放在一栋大型工厂式建筑旁边，作为临时公寓。地上有二十匹小马，三只狮鹫在工厂的屋顶上看着。枪声在薄雾中从小马身上响起，向着空旷的建筑物射去。它带着粉红色的解体螺栓回来了。有几具尸体和几堆粉红色的淤泥，但我不认为他们是奴隶贩子。
I scanned the compound with my scope and located two ponies guarding one of
我用望远镜扫视了一下院子，发现有两匹小马在守卫其中一匹
the locked up skywagons. Jail? The ponies we’d met had said that the slavers were taking everypony they could get their hooves on. No sense in slaughter. I looked at P-21. “Okay, I need a smart pony now.”
锁起来的运货马车。监狱？我们遇到的那些小马说奴隶贩子把所有能骑的小马都带走了。屠杀是没有意义的。我看了看P-21。"好吧，我现在需要一匹聪明的小马。"
“A smart pony would be back at the college,” he muttered as he peered through his binoculars. “Looks like the Enclave isn’t done putting up a fight just yet. Those griffins are keeping them grounded. Probably waiting for them to run low on ammo and try to make a break for it. That skywagon’s filled with prisoners, I think. And that one is probably holding their commander, judging by those runners going in and out.” Oh, that was a little detail I missed. He looked at me. “Do you still have that spell thingy?”
"一匹聪明的小马会回到学校的,"他一边用望远镜凝视着，一边喃喃自语。"看起来昂科雷的战斗还没有结束。那些狮鹫让他们无法动弹。可能是在等他们弹药用完然后逃跑。我想那辆空中旅行车装满了囚犯。从那些跑进跑出的人来看，那个人很可能抓着他们的指挥官。"我漏掉了一个小细节。他看着我。"你还留着那个咒语吗?"
“I have many thingies. It’s sometimes hard to keep them all straight,” I said as I showed him my inventory. He smiled a little. “Is there a plan? That looks like a plan!” I asked with a grin.
"我有很多东西。有时候很难把它们都整理好,"我一边说，一边给他看我的存货清单。他微微一笑。"有什么计划吗？这看起来像一个计划!"我咧嘴笑着问。
He frowned back at me. “There is, but you’re not going to like it.” And he explained it to me, drawing it out in the dirt.
他也对我皱起了眉头。"有，但你不会喜欢的。"然后他解释给我听，把它从泥土里拉出来。
“Forget it!” I shouted, stomping my hoof on his diagram.
"算了吧!"我喊道，跺着我的蹄子踩在他的图表上。
“Unless you’ve got an extra PipBuck on you, she has to,” he said as he pointed a hoof at me. “All she has to do is get it there.” I seethed at him for even suggesting this! This was bordering on ‘following Blackjack’ reckless! Scotch wasn’t looking very sure about it either.
"除非你身上有一个额外的皮伯克，否则她必须这么做,"他一边说，一边用蹄子指着我。"她所要做的就是把它弄到那里。"他竟然提出这样的建议，真叫我生气！这简直就是"跟随黑杰克"的鲁莽！苏格兰人看起来也不是很确定。
“P-21, this is your daughter we’re talking about!” I said, gesturing to her with a hoof. How could he suggest that she--
"P-21，我们说的是你的女儿!"我说，一边用蹄子指着她。他怎么能建议她——
“What?” Scotch Tape gaped at him, her eyes popping wide. Aw crap… P-21 closed his eyes and shook his head as he clenched his jaw. I could almost see the curses he suppressed. The olive filly just gaped at him, then at me. “You’re my…”
"什么?"透明胶带瞪着他，她的眼睛睁得大大的。该死...P-21闭上眼睛，咬紧牙关摇摇头。我几乎可以看到他压抑着的诅咒。橄榄小姑娘瞪着他，然后又瞪着我。"你是我的..."
“Sire,” he said flatly. “And that’s it.”
"陛下,"他平静地说。"就是这样。"
“P-21…” I began, but then he gave me his shooty look… it was better than mine. Scotch Tape stared at him in amazement, but he refused to look at her. Slowly her eyes drooped along with her ears.
"P-21......"我开始说，但随后他给了我一个扫射的眼神......比我的好。苏格兰胶带吃惊地盯着他，但他拒绝看她。慢慢地，她的眼睛和耳朵一起垂下来。
“But… I mean…” Scotch Tape looked at her hooves. “Why… why didn’t you tell me?”
"但是......我的意思是......"苏格兰胶带看着她的蹄子。"为什么...为什么你不告诉我?"
The blue stallion sighed. “To avoid all… this…” he said as he gestured around the three of us. “And of course Blackjack picks now of all times to bring it up.”
蓝色的种马叹了口气。"为了避免这一切......"他指着我们三个说。"当然，Blackjack现在总是选择提出这个问题。"
“I thought you’d forgotten,” I said, feeling worse for Scotch than I had before.
"我还以为你忘了呢,"我说，比以前喝苏格兰威士忌更难受。
“I… you… I… I mean… Momma always talked about you,” she said as she stared up at him. “She said she loved you.”
"我.....。.你...我..。.我的意思是......妈妈总是谈论你,"她盯着他说。"她说她爱你。"
“That’s nice,” he replied, glancing at her with a scowl. “I didn’t love her. She could teach me what I needed to escape. She was… tolerable. But she just used me just like every mare did in 99.” He sighed. “Forget it. I’ll do it.”
"太好了,"他回答，皱着眉头看了她一眼。"我不爱她。她可以教我逃避的东西。她...还可以。但她只是利用了我，就像99年所有的母马一样。"他叹了口气。"算了吧。我会的。"
“You don’t have a PipBuck,” I reminded him. “I’ll do it, and then…”
"你没有皮伯克牌的,"我提醒他。"我会做的，然后......"
“I’ll do it,” Scotch said at once, silencing both of us.
"我来吧,"苏格兰人马上说，让我们俩都安静了下来。
“But…” I began, but she gave me a hard, hurt look. Short of tying her up, there wasn’t any way I was going to get her to not do her part of the plan.
"但是......"我开始说，但是她给了我一个痛苦的眼神。除非把她绑起来，否则我没有办法让她不按计划行事。
“Fine. I’d better hurry, then,” P-21 said as he took off his saddlebags and dumped out the contents. He fished out some wires and a spark battery and started to work. He focused with such a great severe look that Scotch Tape just sat back with her eyes on her hooves. I kept my eyes open for more Red Eye patrols.
"好吧。那我最好快点,"P-21一边说着，一边脱下他的鞍囊，把里面的东西倒了出来。他掏出一些电线和一个火花电池，开始工作。他用一种非常严肃的神情集中注意力，以至于ScotchTape只是靠在椅背上，眼睛盯着自己的蹄子。我睁大眼睛等待更多的红眼巡逻队。
At least that way the only ponies I’d hurt would be the bad guys… I hoped…
至少那样的话我唯一伤害的小马就是那些坏家伙...我希望..。
* * *
* * *
Two saddlebags lighter, I took position as close to the factory as I dared. I set up in a notch behind a tub and a refrigerator and took sight at the ponies firing away at the pegasi trapped within the factory. The griffins were looking bored, and there were fewer and fewer disintegration bolts coming out those doors. I didn’t think it’d be long now.
两个鞍袋轻了，我尽可能靠近工厂的位置。我在浴缸和冰箱后面的一个凹口处设置了一个小洞，看到小马向困在工厂里的飞马座开火。狮鹫们看起来很无聊，门外的瓦解螺栓越来越少了。我以为不会太久了。
Looking through the scope, I watched as a few faint hoofmarks appeared in the dirt approaching the scrapped skywagon that looked like it was being used as a
透过望远镜，我看到一些微弱的蹄印出现在接近那辆废弃的空中旅行车的泥土上，看起来像是被用作了一个
headquarters or… or something. There were ponies coming and going at regular intervals, bringing out more ammo. If it wasn’t a headquarters, then at least it was an important building. I had no idea how long the StealthBuck lasted… was it five minutes or three? I didn’t think it muted sound…
总部什么的。每隔一段时间就有小马来来往往，带出更多的弹药。如果它不是一个总部，那至少它是一个重要的建筑。我不知道这次偷袭持续了多久...是五分钟还是三分钟？我不认为那是静音..。
It didn’t matter, though. She was determined to do it. If I’d just kept my mouth shut about P-21 being her father...
不过，这并不重要。她下定决心要做这件事。如果我不说P-21是她父亲的话..。
“Come on, Scotch.” I looked at the jail. Two of Red Eye’s ponies had brought another struggling young mare with bloody flanks and tossed her inside a few minutes ago, confirming P-21’s theory about the building’s function. P-21 was somewhere over there… I knew better than to even bother trying to look. I swept my scope back to the first building, licking my dry lips.
"来吧，苏格兰人。"我看了看监狱。几分钟前，红眼的两匹小马拉来了另一匹血淋淋的年轻母马，把它扔进了大楼里，证实了P-21关于大楼功能的理论。P-21就在那边的某个地方......我知道最好不要费力去找。我把望远镜扫回第一栋楼，舔着干燥的嘴唇。
Then the door opened, and out came a mare with an ammo box in her jaws. The door swung closed behind her, but then bumped open for just a second before closing completely. I stared at the door, feeling lightheaded. Then an orange pony bucked my brains and reminded me not to be an idiot and forget to breathe! It’d been three minutes… it had to be! I checked my PipBuck. No, two and a half. Damn it, Scotch, get out of there.
然后门开了，出来了一匹母马，嘴里叼着一个弹药箱。门在她身后关上了，但是在完全关上之前，门突然打开了一秒钟。我盯着门，感到头昏眼花。然后一匹橙色的小马扭曲了我的大脑，提醒我不要是一个白痴，忘记呼吸！已经三分钟了...一定是的！我检查了我的PipBuck。不，两个半。该死的苏格兰人快出来。
Ammo Mare trotted back towards the door. She shoved it open with a hoof… just as a stallion was exiting. I almost relaxed, but then I stared at the two just standing there, talking in the doorway! “Come on, in or out… Damn it…” I muttered as I stared at the two. It had to be a hundred feet, and if I started the party early with the rifle…
阿莫母马小跑回到门口。她用蹄子把它推开......就在一匹种马正要离开的时候。我几乎放松下来，但是我盯着站在门口的两个人说话！"来吧，进来还是出去......该死......"我盯着他们俩喃喃自语。肯定有100英尺，如果我早点拿着步枪开始派对..。
I narrowed my eye. I’d never tried to take a shot with my magic bullet at a range like this! Pressing my lips together, I focused like I never had before. I pressed my hooves to my temples as I dropped into S.A.T.S. and targeted her rear leg. I wondered if I’d already passed my stupidity quota for the day! “Aw… fuck it...”
我眯起眼睛。我从来没有试过在这样的距离用我的魔术子弹射击！我紧闭双唇，像从未有过的专注。当我跳入s.a.t.s，瞄准她的后腿时，我把蹄子压在太阳穴上。我怀疑自己是否已经超过了今天的愚蠢限额！"噢...去他妈的..."
The magical bullet streaked across the space between us with a sharp crack and smashed right into the rear of her leg above her hoof. I fell back against the scrap, feeling like I’d just got bucked upside the head and had a basket of apples tumbling out of my nose. Oh… never mind. That’s blood. From the yells and screams, confusion raged at the door. No one seemed to be screaming for a sniper, though. I poked my head up and peered at the ground next to the skywagon.
那颗神奇的子弹划过我们之间的空隙，发出一道锐利的裂缝，正好击中了她蹄子上方的腿后部。我向后倒在那块废料上，感觉就像刚刚被从头上扣了一下，还有一篮子苹果从我的鼻子里掉了出来。哦...算了。那是血。从喊叫和尖叫声中，混乱在门口肆虐。不过，似乎没有人尖叫着要狙击手。我抬起头，凝视着空中货车旁边的地面。
A tin can lying on its side just seconds ago was now upright. The signal that she’d gotten clear.
就在几秒钟前，一个侧躺着的罐子现在是竖着的。这个信号表明她已经安全了。
I looked at a Sparkle-Cola bottle on top of the refrigerator. All I had to do was set it upright. Just… set it upright…
我看着冰箱上方的一个可乐瓶。我所要做的就是把它竖起来。把它竖起来。
Something exploded in my head, and stars danced in my vision as my horn flared and went dead. I lifted a shaking hoof to my brow, checking to see if my horn was still there. I swallowed as I lay back. Apparently, that last spell had been too much for my little horn to manage. I stared at the bottle just three feet above me, trying to focus. The pain just built and built inside my skull while the bottle didn’t budge a hair.
有什么东西在我的脑袋里爆炸了，我的喇叭突然响起，然后熄灭了，星星在我的视线里跳舞。我抬起一只颤抖的蹄子到我的额头，检查我的号角是否还在。我躺下时咽了一口唾沫。显然，上一个咒语对我的小号角来说太难了。我盯着离我三英尺高的瓶子，试图集中注意力。疼痛在我的头骨里形成，而瓶子一动也不动。
Oh crap.
哦，糟糕。
Slowly, I shifted onto my hooves, the world spinning as I moved my head. I had to set the bottle upright. Every second I wasted was a chance for Scotch’s presents to be discovered! I stretched up the rusty side of the fridge and carefully fumbled for the bottle. I bumped it, fumbled with it… and knocked it off the far side of the fridge. Rover’d been right! Thumbs were better! I looked around for another bottle.
慢慢地，我转向我的蹄子，世界旋转，因为我移动我的头。我不得不把瓶子竖起来。我浪费的每一秒钟都是一个发现苏格兰礼物的机会！我摊开冰箱生锈的一面，小心翼翼地摸索着瓶子。我把它撞了一下，摸了一下......然后把它从冰箱的另一边撞了下来。罗孚是对的！拇指更好！我四处寻找另一瓶酒。
“Hey, is somepony over there?”
"嘿，那边有小马吗?"
Oh… crap…
哦...该死..。
I fumbled with the rifle, trying to get the mouthgrip out and in my jaws. Ugh, when was the last time I cleaned this thing? My jaw struggled to keep it steady as I propped the rifle on the bathtub, steadying it with my forehooves. How the hell did Lancer DO this?
我笨拙地摸索着步枪，试图把枪口的握把拿出来，放进嘴里。我上次清理这玩意是什么时候？我把步枪放在浴缸上，用前蹄支撑着它，我的下巴挣扎着保持稳定。兰瑟到底是怎么做到的？
Then a deep throaty roar of flame, shrapnel, and pressure erupted as the satchel charges within the command center went off. I’d thought I was a fair distance from the blast. I probably would have been too, but I’d ignored what a mare bringing ammo out meant. And there was a lot more than just bullets inside. The secondary explosion a second later rained flaming shrapnel over everything. Taurus’s rifle was dropped as I jumped into the fridge a second before half the flaming skywagon rained down over Scrapyard! My ears kept popping every time I opened my mouth.
随后，指挥中心内部的炸药包爆炸了，爆炸产生了火焰、弹片和压力的低沉喉音。我以为我离爆炸还有一段距离。我可能也会这么做，但我忽略了母马带弹药出来意味着什么。里面不仅仅是子弹。第二次爆炸后不久，火焰碎片雨点般地落在一切东西上。当我跳进冰箱的时候，金牛座的步枪掉了下来，就在一半燃烧的空中货车雨点般落到废料场上的前一秒钟！每次我一张嘴，我的耳朵就会不停地砰砰作响。
Then something slammed into the fridge and sent it flipping over down the slope. With a crash, I was flung flat on my face surrounded by at least a dozen stunned and concussed ponies in a very bad mood! I rose to my hooves, staggering stiffly on the braces. Then I pointed my hoof at the lot of them. “You! You’re… all under arrest! Drop your guns and weapons and lay flat on the ground.” I stared as hard as I could, willing their surrender!
然后有什么东西砰的一声扔进了冰箱，把它扔下了斜坡。随着一声巨响，我被至少十几只震惊和脑震荡的小马团团围住，心情非常糟糕！我站起身来，僵硬地摇晃着支架。然后我把我的蹄子指向他们。"你！你们...都被捕了！放下枪支和武器，平躺在地上。"我用尽全力盯着他们，希望他们投降！
The moment lasted for all of three seconds. “Kill her!”
这一时刻持续了整整三秒钟。"杀了她!"
Fine! My horn… fucking hurt as it refused to drag out Vigilance! Something snapped inside me. “You fuckers are keeping me from Glory!” I screamed and, braces or not, charged right into the nearest spear-wielding pony. I didn’t kick or bite her; instead, I threw my entire body at her and bit hard on the haft of the spear as we went down together. Her teeth were rotten brown lumps. My teeth had the benefit of modern dentistry. Twisting hard, I tore the spear from her grip, rolled atop her, and drove the tip under her jaw, putting all my weight on the haft and driving the tip out by her ear. Twisting, I yanked the spear free as she thrashed and screamed.
好吧！我的号角...他妈的疼，因为它拒绝拖出警戒！我内心的某个东西突然爆发了。"你们这些混蛋让我远离晨辉!"我尖叫着，不管有没有支架，直接冲向最近的那匹挥舞着矛的小马。我没有踢她，也没有咬她;相反，我把我的整个身体扔向她，在我们一起倒下的时候，我用力咬住了长矛的一端。她的牙齿已经腐烂成褐色的疙瘩。我的牙齿受益于现代牙医学。我使劲扭转身体，从她的手里扯下长矛，滚到她身上，把矛尖压在她的下巴下面，用全身的重量压在刀柄上，把矛尖压在她的耳朵上。我扭动着身体，猛地把长矛扯了出来，她猛地拍打着，尖叫着。
No time to finish her off as I rose, barely setting myself for the charge of the next three ponies. The first caught the tip in her chest, my shove driving it clear into her sternum as her momentum impaled her on the shaft. Then I was the pony slammed off my hooves by two earth pony mares far better suited for fights like this. I bounced across the field as more ponies came around to ponypile on Security.
没有时间结束她的生命，我站起身来，勉强让自己负责接下来的三匹小马。第一个抓住了她的胸部的尖端，我的推动它明确进入她的胸骨，因为她的势头刺穿了她的轴。然后我就像一匹小马驹，被两匹地球上最适合打架的母马猛地甩掉了蹄子。越来越多的小马围着安检站的马堆跑来跑去，我在空地上蹦蹦跳跳。
My mouth burned as my teeth clenched down on a smoking piece of skywagon and slashed it across one mare’s face while my horn failed over and over again to do something as simple as draw a pistol! The mare yelled as her partner jumped on my back, driving my rump to my hocks as she stabbed at my shoulders with a carving knife. The plates kept the edge at bay as her head jerked again and again. I threw the scrap at the mare before me before rolling and thrashing wildly.
我的嘴被灼伤了，因为我的牙齿紧咬着一辆冒烟的飞天马车，划破了一匹母马的脸，而我的号角一次又一次地失败，没能做到像拔枪这样简单的事情！母马大叫，因为她的合作伙伴跳到我的背上，驾驶我的臀部到我的飞节，她刺伤了我的肩膀与切肉刀。当她的头一次又一次地抽搐时，盘子挡住了边缘。我向面前的那匹母马扔了一堆废铁，然后疯狂地打了起来。
Either she’d gotten lucky, or I’d just impaled myself with that roll… either way, my left shoulder burned horribly as I knocked her free. I twisted my head, barely caught the handle with my teeth, and pulled it free. Oh… now I was bleeding too. Well, no time to worry about that now! I fell atop the tossed mare, ramming the carving knife into her windpipe and tearing as hard and brutally as I could.
要么是她运气好，要么就是我用那个滚球把自己刺穿了......不管怎样，当我把她撞飞的时候，我的左肩烧得很厉害。我扭着头，勉强用牙齿咬住把手，然后把它拔了出来。现在我也在流血。好了，现在没时间担心这个了！我跌倒在颠簸的母马身上，把切肉刀刺进她的气管，拼命地撕扯着。
Something arterial split, and hot blood spurted across my face. I grinned despite myself as I felt my own blood running down under my barding.
动脉破裂，热血从我的脸上喷涌而出。我不由自主地咧着嘴笑了起来，我感到自己的血液在我的剑下流淌。
They were getting the message. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one. “Shoot her!” somepony yelled, and from the shotguns and rifles being lifted, they were happy to do so.
他们得到了这个信息。不幸的是，这是一个错误的决定。"开枪打她!"有个小马大叫起来，举起来的猎枪和来福枪，他们很高兴这么做。
I screamed around my clenched teeth as I staggered at the face cut mare, throwing my hooves around her and jamming the knife into her shoulder. I wasn’t trying to kill her… yet. I twisted as hard as I could to put her between me and her compatriots as they opened fire. She screamed. There might have been a “stop” involved as I fought to keep her upright. Shots that penetrated her thumped off my barding as they sprayed lead at both of us. New holes opened in my hide as she finally went limp and fell out of my grip.
我在咬紧的牙齿周围尖叫着，我摇摇晃晃地走向那匹面部受伤的母马，用我的蹄子围住她，把刀子插进她的肩膀。我还没想杀她。他们开火的时候，我拼命扭动身体，想把她挡在我和她的同胞之间。她尖叫着。当我努力让她站直的时候，可能会有一个"停止"。子弹穿过她的身体，打在我的身上，向我们两人喷射铅弹。当她最终变得软弱无力，从我的抓地力中掉出来时，我的皮肤上又出现了新的洞。
My armor glistened from the blood of three ponies covering half of it, and my eye glowed as if I could annihilate them with my glare alone. They stood in an arc before me, staring in horror as I rose. The braces pinged beneath my barding as they gave way. Only the broken remains kept me upright as I stood there and bled. “You! Can’t! Kill! Me!” I bellowed each word at them as they scrambled to reload.
我的盔甲上覆盖着一半的三匹小马的血液闪闪发光，我的眼睛闪闪发光，仿佛我一个人就能消灭它们。他们在我面前排成一个弧形，当我站起来时，他们惊恐地盯着我。支架一松动，在我的护栏下就发出刺耳的声音。当我站在那里流血的时候，只有破碎的残骸使我保持直立。"你！不行！杀！我!"当他们争先恐后地重新装弹时，我朝他们吼了几个字。
The griffin begged to differ as she flew over me and drew a line across my rump with her minigun. I sat awkwardly as my legs shook. My horn flickered as it fought to pull out a weapon. A healing potion. Something! I clenched my eye shut. I was going to fail. She was going to be trapped on the ground forever. Because I wasn’t tough enough. Wasn’t good enough. A second line drew over my shoulders, and only my locked limbs kept me upright. The griffins were hovering over me now, interested in just how long they could draw out using their miniguns before I expired.
当她飞过我的头顶，用她的小枪在我的屁股上画了一条线的时候，那狮鹫可不这么认为。我两腿发抖，尴尬地坐着。我的号角在拔出武器时闪烁着。一种治疗药剂。什么东西！我紧闭着眼睛。我会失败的。她将永远被困在地上。因为我不够坚强。还不够好。在我的肩膀上画了第二条线，只有我僵硬的四肢让我保持直立。这时，狮鹫在我头顶盘旋，它们很想知道在我死之前，它们能用它们的小猎犬拖出多长时间。
They were reloaded. They were ready to put down the crazy mare that defied them. I took the deepest breath I could and screamed out, “Glory!” Every eye was on me. Every eye wasn’t on the factory...
他们被重新装载。他们准备放下那匹违抗他们的疯狂的母马。我深深地吸了一口气，大声喊道:"晨辉!"每只眼睛都盯着我。不是每个人都关注工厂..。
Then one griffin melted in a flash of pink goo as a trio of pegasi in dinged and pitted armor flew from the factory and sprayed pink disintegration bolts and slicing red beams. From the opposite side came a roar from two dozen recently freed ponies armed with every weapon we’d picked up. They closed on both
然后一只狮身兽在一阵粉红色粘性物质的闪光中熔化，三只身穿凹凸不平的盔甲的飞马从工厂里飞出来，喷射出粉红色的碎裂螺栓，切割出红色的光束。从对面传来了二十多匹刚放出来的小马的咆哮声，它们配备着我们捡来的每一件武器。他们两个都接近了
sides like a manticore’s jaw, a griffin falling from the sky with her feathers aflame while another was blasted from the sky by a grenade shot that bordered on art. One mare bleeding to death was forgotten as they scrambled to their own defense.
像狮身蝎尾兽的下巴一样，一只狮身鹰首兽从天而降，羽毛燃烧着，另一只狮身鹰首兽被从天而降的手榴弹击中。有一匹母马因为流血过多而死，当它们争先恐后地保护自己时，被遗忘了。
I felt my body giving out as my useless limbs fumbled weakly for a healing potion. I managed to get one out of my bags, but the glass bottle slipped out from between my bloody hooves and landed before me. I fumbled with it, the broken braces fighting me as my softened bones bent. I slowly started to fall over. I couldn’t die now. I still needed to help her! And Lacunae! And Rampage. Everypony! Death could wait, damn it! But my body couldn’t keep up any more. Looks like I didn’t need to worry about that taint after all.
当我无用的四肢虚弱地摸索着寻找治疗药水时，我感到我的身体在衰竭。我设法从包里拿出一个，但玻璃瓶从我血淋淋的蹄子中间滑了出来，落在了我面前。我笨手笨脚地摸索着，软化的骨头弯曲时，支架断了，还在挣扎。我慢慢地开始跌倒。我现在不能死。我仍然需要帮助她！还有空隙！还有暴怒。每一匹小马！死亡可以等待，该死的！但是我的身体已经跟不上了。看起来我根本不需要担心那个污点。
Then two hooves pushed me back upright, the pain on my shoulder from the shove snapping me back from the fuzzy blackness. “Hang on!” Scotch Tape said through the sounds of the battle around us. She grabbed the bottle in her mouth and flipped it into her hooves, biting the stopper and pulling it free before holding it to my lips. “Here!” she shouted, and I drank the milky purple potion. I wasn’t sure how much it helped, but I wasn’t feeling any deader.
然后两只蹄子把我推了回去，我肩膀上的疼痛把我从模糊的黑暗中拉了回来。"等等!"透过我们周围战斗的声音，透明胶带说道。她抓起瓶子放在嘴里，把它弹到蹄子上，咬住瓶塞，拔了出来，然后把它放到我的嘴边。"这里!"她喊道，我喝下了那乳白色的紫色药水。我不知道这对我有多大帮助，但我不觉得自己死了。
“Let me get another!” Scotch said as she dug at my bags. But I sighed.
"再来一杯!"苏格兰人一边说，一边在我的包里翻来翻去。但我叹了口气。
Sorry Scotch.
对不起，苏格兰威士忌。
I shoved her away as one of Red Eye’s raiders charged with a spear, the tip cutting the olive filly’s flank as it punched through my failing armor and drove deep into my side. “You die! For Red Eye!” the mare screamed before biting the haft to pull it out, determined that if they were going to die, she’d take me with her. And the filly as well.
我推开了她，一个红眼突击队员拿着长矛冲了过来，长矛尖端刺穿了橄榄小母马的侧腹，穿透了我不堪一击的盔甲，深深地刺进了我的身体。"你死定了！为了红眼!"母马尖叫着，然后咬住腿把它拉出来，她决定如果它们要死了，她会带上我。还有那匹小母马。
I bit hard on the spear in my side, jamming it inside me. She might kill me, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for her. She wouldn’t kill anypony else for as long as I was alive, even if that was just for a few seconds! Get clear, Scotch. Sorry I didn’t tell you about P-21 sooner. Sorry… Glory…
我用力地咬着身边的长矛，把它塞进了我的身体。她可能会杀了我，但我不会让她好过的。只要我还活着，她就不会杀任何小马，哪怕只有几秒钟！让开，苏格兰人。抱歉没早点告诉你P-21的事。对不起...晨辉..。
Then there was a loud bang beside me. Scotch Tape stared in shock at the hole that had opened in the mare’s neck. The mare released the weapon, staggering away. Another twelve millimeter hollowpoint blasted out another bloody chunk. Then a third, and the mare fell limp beside me. I slumped over as I saw something die inside the teal eyes behind Scotch’s goggles.
然后，我身边传来一声巨响。透明胶带震惊地盯着母马脖子上打开的洞。母马放开了武器，摇摇晃晃地走开了。另外十二毫米的空尖弹又炸出了一块血淋淋的碎片。然后是第三只，母马瘫倒在我身边。当我看到苏格兰人护目镜后的蓝绿色眼睛里有什么东西死去时，我瘫倒在地。
“Sorry…” I murmured softly.
"对不起......"我低声说。
Then she noticed me, and the gun tumbled into the dirt. “Blackjack! I’ll… I have… please… please don’t die!” she begged around her tears as she grabbed the spear in my side with her jaws.
然后她注意到了我，枪掉进了泥土里。"黑杰克！我......我......请......请不要死!"她边哭边用下巴抓住我身边的长矛。
“No… don’t pull…” But then I felt it pull out as I fell on my side. Then she was pouring healing potions down my throat as fast as she could pull the stoppers. I think I just about cleaned her out as the fighting slowly died around us. She cradled my head as I stared up at the sky… really wishing I could look somewhere else. “Did we win?”
"不......不要拉......"但是当我侧身倒下的时候，我感觉到它拉出来了。然后她尽快地把治疗药水倒进我的喉咙里。随着我们周围的战斗逐渐平息，我想我差不多把她的钱都花光了。她抱着我的头，我抬头看着天空......真的希望我可以看看别的地方。"我们赢了吗?"
“We won,” P-21 said. Slowly, I looked at the dozen or so ponies still standing, at the bodies of Red Eye’s ponies lying amid smeared heaps of pink goo and piles of ash. Two pegasi stood apart, seeming at a loss for what to do at this moment. They kept their guns pointing in my general direction as I gritted my teeth and shifted slowly on to my hooves, the broken braces struggling to keep me upright. “Blackjack! What are you doing? Wait and rest,” P-21 said as he tried to push me back down.
"我们赢了,"P-21表示。慢慢地，我看着还站着的十几匹小马，看着红眼的小马躺在粉红色的粘稠物和成堆的灰烬中。飞马座的两个人分开站着，似乎不知道此刻该做些什么。当我咬紧牙关，慢慢挪动我的蹄子时，他们的枪指着我的大致方向，破损的支架使我挣扎着保持直立。"黑杰克！你在干什么？等待和休息,"P-21一边说一边试图把我推回去。
“No. I need to talk… now… before she flies off.” I took step after step towards her. I tried not to have my shooty look, but after being nearly painted in blood, I supposed any look of mine was pretty creepy. P-21 kept me on my hooves as I swayed and then sat down hard. “Hello, Dusk.”
"没有。我需要谈谈...现在...在她飞走之前。"我一步一步地向她走去。我尽量不让自己看起来像个卑鄙小人，但是在几乎被涂上了血之后，我想我的任何一个表情都会让人毛骨悚然。P-21保持我在我的马蹄，因为我摇摆，然后坐在硬。"你好，黄昏。"
She tapped the side of her helmet, the armor retracted, and hard dark eyes stared at me suspiciously. “How did you find me?”
她轻轻地敲了敲头盔的侧面，盔甲缩了回去，两只黑色的硬眼睛满腹狐疑地盯着我。"你怎么找到我的?"
“Wind Whisper,” I replied. “Luckily, you were nearby.” I took a deep breath. “You owe me. Agreed?”
"风声,"我回答。"幸好你就在附近。"我深吸了一口气。"你欠我的。同意吗?"
“We could have…“ she began, but then she looked at all the ponies lying around me and glanced at her companion. Her lips twisted sourly and she shook her head. She sighed, narrowing her gaze as she glanced at me. “I guess I do.”
"我们本来可以......"她开始说，但随后她看了看我周围的小马，又看了看她的同伴。她的嘴唇绷得紧紧的，摇了摇头。她叹了口气，眯起眼睛看着我。"我想是的。"
I nodded once. That was one hurdle I was glad to be past. “You can repay me easily.” The dark pegasus looked at me skeptically. “One. Help me back to the college. I’ll tell you two when we get there.”
我点了点头。这是我很高兴能够跨越的一个障碍。"你可以很容易地报答我。"黑暗的飞马怀疑地看着我。"一个。帮我回学校。等我们到了那里，我再告诉你们两个。"
She certainly didn’t look happy. Right now, she probably could have turned me
她看起来肯定不高兴。现在，她也许可以把我变成吸血鬼
into a glowing pile of goo. Heck, right now, I was so shot up that a hard sneeze would turn me into goo. “Alright. But how are we supposed to get you there?” she asked with a small frown. I glanced at their equipment.
变成一堆发光的粘液。见鬼，现在，我被注射得太多了，一个喷嚏都能把我变成黏糊糊的东西。"好吧。但我们怎么才能把你送到那里呢?"她皱着眉头问道。我扫了一眼他们的设备。
“I thought they called it power armor. Not pussy armor,” I replied.
"我以为他们称之为动力盔甲。不是阴部装甲,"我回答。
* * *
* * *
Funny. I never thought I’d fly Pegasus Airlines again, but I here I was slumping against Dusk as the pair winged their way through the cloud ceiling itself. Scotch Tape did all she could to keep me on the flying mare’s back while P-21 rode Dusk’s companion, a mare named Lightning Dancer.
有意思。我从来没有想过我会再次在飞马航空上飞行，但是我在黄昏的时候，这一对正在穿过云层的天花板飞行。当P-21骑黄昏的同伴，一匹名叫闪电舞者的母马时，苏格兰胶带竭尽全力让我骑在那匹会飞的母马的背上。
“So, what was all that about?” I asked as we flew by a particularly... solid-looking?... cloud. I looked at the spire of white tipped with glowing amber talismans. A lightning rod, I presumed. “I mean, why were you fighting Red Eye?”
"那么，这是怎么回事?"我问，当我们飞过一个特别......坚实的外表？...云。我看着白色的尖顶，上面点缀着发光的琥珀色护身符。我猜是避雷针。"我是说，你为什么要和红眼战斗?"
“We’re not. We have no interest in surfacer politics,” Dusk said firmly.
"我们没有。我们对地面政治没有兴趣,"黄昏坚定地说。
“Well, then, what were you doing in Scrapyard?” I asked, and was quite proud of myself for not insinuating they were spreading tainted food.
"那么，你在废料场做什么?"我问道，并为自己没有暗示他们在传播受污染的食物而感到骄傲。
“Buying scrap, obviously.” She glanced back at my incredulous expression. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but clouds don’t have much metal in them.”
"当然是买废铁了。"她回头看了看我怀疑的表情。"我不知道你是否注意到了，但是云里面没有多少金属。"
“But what does Thunderhead need with lots of metal?” I asked with a smirk.
"但雷海德需要这么多金属做什么?"我傻笑着问。
“Stuff,” was all she said, and I doubted that I’d get more than that.
"东西,"她只说了这么一句，我怀疑我能得到更多。
“So if you don’t care, why fight?”
"那么，如果你不在乎，为什么还要战斗?"
“They attacked the town while we were negotiating salvage rights,” Dusk answered sourly, “we would have withdrawn, but their griffins forced us to bunker down inside that factory. They attacked with a full wing but left those three once we were cornered.” Leaving them in big trouble till I came along.
"他们袭击了城镇，而我们正在谈判打捞权利,"黄昏愤愤不平地回答,"我们本来会撤退，但他们的狮鹫迫使我们躲进工厂的掩体。他们展开了全面进攻，但一旦我们被逼入绝境，他们就离开了。"让他们陷入大麻烦，直到我出现。
We flew through a fissure that nearly reached the bottom of the ceiling; looking up, I could see a band of distant blue. Maybe it was blood loss, but I was finally getting over the urge to vomit as we made our way along. Then, through the
我们飞过一个几乎达到天花板底部的裂缝;抬头，我可以看到一条遥远的蓝色带子。也许是失血过多，但是当我们一路走下去的时候，我终于克服了呕吐的冲动。然后，通过
fissure, I spotted a huge shape of odd uniformity above the rest of the clouds… like a giant flying donut with its main axis perpendicular to the ground. The interior of the donut had been removed and replaced with tier upon tier of buildings. “Is that Thunderhead?” I panted, marveling at the size of an actual city like long ago. Not a village of a few dozen or even hundreds of ponies, but tens of thousands.
裂缝，我发现一个巨大的形状奇怪的一致性上方的其余的云...像一个巨大的飞行油炸圈饼的主轴垂直于地面。甜甜圈的内部已经被拆除，取而代之的是一层又一层的建筑。"那是霹雳头吗?"我气喘吁吁，惊叹于很久以前一座真正的城市的规模。不是一个只有几十甚至几百匹小马的村庄，而是成千上万匹小马。
“You’re the second surface pony to see it,” Dusk replied.
"你是第二个看到它的表面小马,"黄昏回答。
“It’s amazing,” I murmured. Then we were at the other end of the already-closing fissure, and the sight was replaced by more gray.
"太神奇了,"我低声说。然后我们来到了已经闭合的裂缝的另一端，这个景象被更多的灰色所取代。
I imagined a smile from the pride in her voice. “Yes, it is.”
我想象着她声音中那自豪的微笑。"是的，没错。"
Scotch Tape gave a sniff as her hooves tightened on me, making me wince. She hadn’t said much since we’d lifted off. “Are you okay, Scotch?”
透明胶带嗅了嗅，她的蹄子紧紧地踩着我，使我退缩。自从我们起飞后，她就没怎么说过话。"你还好吗，苏格兰威士忌?"
“Wha… yeah… I’m fine,” she murmured in a perfect ‘not fine’ voice.
"什么......是的......我很好,"她用一种完美的"不好"的声音喃喃地说。
“What is it?” I asked.
"这是什么?"我问道。
She sniffed, pressing her face to my bloody, stiffening mane. “I… I killed a pony. I… I didn’t even think about it. I just… I pointed and… and…” She shivered behind me. “It wasn’t like shooting the robots.”
她抽了抽鼻子，把脸紧贴着我那血淋淋、僵硬的鬃毛。"我.....。.我杀了一匹小马。我。.我连想都没想过。我只是......我指了指......然后......"她在我身后打了个哆嗦。"这不像射杀机器人。"
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, thinking back to that raider I’d killed with the broken tip of a rusty knife. I’d been so carried away that I’d never thought about it. “I know it hurts,” I said softly, reaching to pat her with my floppy hoof. “It’ll always hurt. It never gets any easier.”
"对不起,"我平静地说，回想着我用一把生锈的刀尖杀死的那架突袭机。我已经忘乎所以，从来没有想过这个问题。"我知道这很疼,"我轻轻地说，伸手用软蹄拍拍她。"这永远都是痛苦的。从来没有这么容易过。"
“That’s not true,” Dusk replied evenly. I really wished I could have smacked the pegasus without falling a long way to my death. “Once you’ve killed enough ponies, it’s easy. Point, pull the trigger, and dead,” she said quietly, and for a minute I’d thought that she’d decided to stay silent for the rest of the trip. She did, after saying quietly, “You kill enough ponies… and you can kill anypony…”
"不是这样的,"黄昏平静地回答。我真的希望我可以击中飞马而不掉下去摔死。"一旦你杀了足够多的小马，就很容易了。瞄准，扣动扳机，然后死掉,"她平静地说，有那么一瞬间，我还以为她决定在剩下的旅程中保持沉默。她照做了，然后平静地说:"你杀了足够多的小马......你可以杀任何小马......"
* * *
* * *
I slowly opened my eyes, looking at an oddly familiar filthy ceiling. “If this is the afterlife… I’m not impressed…” I murmured, trying to shake chlorine
我慢慢地睁开眼睛，看着一个奇怪的熟悉的肮脏的天花板。"如果这是死后的世界......我不会被打动的......"我低声说，试图抖动氯气
dreams. Slowly, I started to rise, and then my body gave out and I fell back against the gray sheets. The windows were dark; night, or close to it. It’d been a busy day, and I wasn’t even halfway done. “I must have passed out on the flight back…”
梦想。慢慢地，我开始站起来，然后我的身体开始衰竭，我倒在灰色的床单上。窗户是黑的，是夜晚，或者离它很近。这是忙碌的一天，我甚至还没有完成一半。"我一定是在回来的飞机上晕过去了......"
Slowly, I rolled onto my belly and looked back. The bullet holes were gone, only Leo’s scar remaining. I still felt… off. And sore, but whether that was from taint or injury, I couldn’t tell. I suspected I really owed the Collegiate. I also doubted that they were healing me out of the kindness of their hearts.
慢慢地，我翻了个身，回头看了看。子弹孔消失了，只剩下里奥的伤疤。我还是觉得...不舒服。而且很酸痛，但是我不知道这是因为污染还是受伤。我怀疑我真的欠那个学院派的人情。我也怀疑他们是否在治愈我脱离他们内心的善良。
“Congratulations. You’ve set a brand new record,” Triage said as she trotted in, her horn glowing as she lifted the clipboard in front of her. “Punctured lung. Torn muscle. Thirty two different gunshot penetrations. Probably a nasty case of magical burnout. Two liters of blood lost… Luna only knows how you didn’t die from shock… and the first pony in history I think to go through the autonomous healing booth three times in one day.” She adjusted her glasses. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
"祝贺你。"你创造了一个全新的记录,"她一边小跑一边说，她一边举起面前的剪贴板，一边按着喇叭。"肺穿孔。肌肉撕裂。32处不同的枪伤穿透伤。可能是魔法烧坏了。两升血......卢娜只知道你没有死于休克......而且我认为这是历史上第一匹小马在一天内经过自动治疗室三次。"她整了整眼镜。"你知道这意味着什么，对吧?"
“Huh?” I muttered as I looked over at her, unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth as she looked dully at the clipboard.
"啊?"我低声咕哝着，看着她，没有点燃的香烟从她的嘴里晃来晃去，她呆呆地看着那个写字板。
“Well, if you ask me the scientific conclusion is inescapable,” she said as smiled at me. Suddenly, the glowing clipboard swung through the air to smack me upside the head. “You! Are! Not! Bulletproof!” she shouted, smacking me with each word. “If you can’t do this heroic shit without getting holes shot in you, then you need to quit and retire!” She pointed the clipboard at my nose. “If you’re so set to die, then do it somewhere nice and quiet.”
"好吧，如果你问我科学的结论是不可避免的,"她笑着对我说。突然，那个发光的剪贴板在空中挥舞着，要打我的头。"你！是！不！防弹!"她大叫着，一个字一个字地打我。"如果你不能做这些英雄事迹而不被射穿的话，那么你需要退出并退休!"她把写字板指向我的鼻子。"如果你这么想死，那就找个安静舒适的地方去死吧。"
“What does it matter if I’m dead from taint in a year anyway?” I shouted back at her, anger providing a wonderful stimulant.
"反正我一年内就因为污染而死了又有什么关系呢?"我对她大声回应，愤怒提供了一种奇妙的刺激。
“It matters because every halfwit with half a brain hears all about your noble sacrifices and next thing you know they’re getting shot, stabbed, gutted, and killed by ponies who have spent their entire lives preying on the helpless. And I’m the one who has to put their bodies back together! Even when they’re rotting, drugged, or undead, I still have to put them back together again,” she said as she jabbed her cigarette at my face. “It’s crazy ponies like you who make my job difficult.”
"这很重要，因为每一个有点脑子的笨蛋都会听到你高尚的牺牲，然后你知道的就是他们会被那些一辈子都在猎杀无助者的小马射杀，刺伤，开膛破肚，甚至杀死。我才是那个要把他们的身体拼起来的人！即使它们已经腐烂、被下药或者变成僵尸，我还是得把它们重新组合起来。"她边说边用香烟戳着我的脸。"就是像你这样的疯狂小马让我的工作变得困难。"
I just stared at her. “What… you’d prefer it if I’d let ponies die and get
我只是盯着她。"什么......你宁愿我让小马死去然后得到
enslaved?”
被奴役?"
“Of course not,” she said with every bit of as much contempt as I felt for her. “I’d rather ponies stopped relying on heroes like you and the Stable Dweller and saved the Wasteland themselves. Because every time that DJ starts to gush about how brave and wonderful you are, eventually… inevitably… you die, or worse, you become just as bad as the ponies you’re fighting. Ever hear of the Iron Mare? How about Strider? Ranger Steelhooves? Big Daddy? Each one a hero till they broke down, gave in, or gave up. One day, the glorious Stable Dweller and Security Mare will fail too. It’s a fact of the Wasteland,” she said as she glared down at me. “Any idiot with a gun can kill for a cause and get shot up for their trouble. How about an idiot who builds a school? Or runs a clinic? Or makes machines work? Oh, no heroism for them. They’re just the poor schmucks who should be grateful for the brave hero till heroing gets too tough.”
"当然没有,"她说，带着我对她的轻蔑。"我宁愿小马停止依靠像你和马厩定居者这样的英雄，自己拯救荒地。因为每次DJ开始滔滔不绝地说你是多么的勇敢和出色，最终......不可避免地......你死了，或者更糟，你变得和你正在对抗的小马一样坏。听说过铁母马吗？史崔达怎么样？骑警铁蹄？大老爹？每个人都是英雄，直到他们崩溃、屈服或放弃。总有一天，光荣的马厩居民和安全母马也会失败。这是荒原的事实,"她一边说一边低头看着我。"任何一个持枪的白痴都可能因为某种原因而杀人，然后因为他们的麻烦而被射杀。一个建学校的白痴怎么样？或者开诊所？或者让机器工作？哦，他们没有什么英雄主义。他们只是那些可怜的笨蛋，他们应该感激这位勇敢的英雄，直到英雄壮举变得过于艰难。"
“If you think it’s so easy, you do it!” I countered.
"如果你认为这很简单，那你就去做吧!"我反驳道。
“I don’t think it’s easy. I think it’s stupid. You can get shot ten ways to Celestiday, but how does it make the Wasteland any better?” She pointed a hoof. “Your pegasus friend is still critically depressed. That alicorn thing is catatonic. That filly is probably traumatized for life! You can’t fix that with bullets.”
"我认为这并不容易。我觉得这很愚蠢。你可以从十个方向射击到天堂之日，但是它怎么能让荒原变得更好呢?"她指了指一只蹄子。"你的飞马朋友还是很沮丧。那个独角兽是紧张性精神分裂症。那匹小母马可能受了一辈子的精神创伤！你不能用子弹来解决这个问题。"
Glory! I rolled and scrambled out of bed and cried out as my legs buckled beneath me. “I… there was a pegasus… in power armor…” I gasped as I tried to lift myself to my hooves. They buckled again, and I sprawled on my side. “I need… I have to talk to her...” I broke off in a cry of pain as my limb bent at a right angle and I rolled onto my back, feeling the rubbery limb slowly straighten.
晨辉！我翻了个身，从床上爬起来，双腿在身下弯曲，大叫起来。"我.....。.有一匹飞马......穿着力量盔甲......"当我试图抬起我的蹄子时，我倒抽了一口冷气。他们又系上了安全带，我四肢伸开地侧卧着。"我需要......我必须和她谈谈......"我痛苦地喊了一声，四肢弯成了一个合适的角度，我翻了个身，感觉到橡胶似的四肢慢慢伸直了。
“Stop!” Triage said sharply as she wrapped my hoof in her magic and tugged it. “Why do you do this? What masochistic messianic moronity makes you try and walk when you can’t? Why do you have to do this?” she demanded as my limb slowly straightened.
"住手!"分诊医生用她的魔法把我的蹄子包起来，用力拉着它，厉声说道。"你为什么要这样做？是什么自虐的救世主愚蠢行为让你在不能走路的时候尝试和行走？你为什么要这么做?"她问我，我的四肢慢慢直起来。
“Because I have to. Because I owe her,” I said as I said there, eyes closed. “I hurt her. I was stupid and selfish and… and I got her hurt. I cost her her wing.”
"因为我必须这么做。因为我欠她的,"我闭着眼睛说。"我伤害了她。我又蠢又自私害她受伤。我让她失去了翅膀。"
“Enervation rot took her wing. And unless she’s a foal, getting hurt is a part of life. So why are you doing this?” Triage asked, looking at me with the ghost of concern in her eyes.
"衰弱腐蚀了她的翅膀。除非她是小马驹，否则受伤是生活的一部分。那你为什么要这么做呢?"分诊医生问道，眼神里带着关切的神情看着我。
“Because I love her!” I shouted. I took a slow, shaky breath. “I never loved anypony but myself. Never. But she’s always been there with me. Even when it cost her her cutie mark. Even when it cost her her family and career. I’ve been beaten and battered and broken almost daily since I left the stable, and she’s always trying to keep me going. To help me in my stupid, fucking… quest!” I said as I lifted my PipBuck and slapped the screen with my other hoof.
"因为我爱她!"我喊道。我缓缓地，颤抖地吸了一口气。"除了我自己，我从来没有爱过别的小马。从来没有。但是她一直都在我身边。即使这让她失去了可爱的标志。即使这让她付出了家庭和事业的代价。自从我离开马厩，我几乎每天都被打、被打、被打，她总是想让我继续下去。帮我完成我愚蠢的，他妈的...任务!"我一边说，一边举起我的皮伯克，用另一只蹄子拍打着屏幕。
I went limp and sighed, staring at that ceiling like it was a soiled sky. “EC-1101 is meaningless to her, but she still believes in me enough to help me crawl along no matter how much it hurts her. And… I have to help her. I have to help all my friends. I’m tired of ponies getting hurt just for helping me.” I clenched my eyes shut as I started to shake, and nothing was stopping it this time. “She shouldn’t get hurt for me. I’m not worth it…”
我无力地叹了口气，盯着天花板，好像它是一个肮脏的天空。"EC-1101对她来说毫无意义，但是她仍然相信我，不管我有多么伤害她，她都会帮助我继续前进。而且...我必须帮她。我必须帮助我所有的朋友。我受够了小马因为帮助我而受伤。"我紧闭双眼，身体开始颤抖，这次没有什么能阻止我。"她不应该为我受伤。我不值得你这样......"
Triage stood there with a half-lidded mask of an expression before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly in a sigh. “Wow. Two hundred years ago, I could have written a paper on your particular brand of crazy.” She turned, and her horn glowed as she steered in a wheelchair. “Well, your pegasus friends have been waiting for you and making everypony really nervous, so the sooner they’re dealt with, the better.”
分诊医生带着半睁的面具站在那里，然后她深吸了一口气，叹了口气，慢慢吐出了口气。"哇。两百年前，我可以写一篇关于你这种特殊的疯狂的论文。"她转过身来，在轮椅上驾驶时，她的喇叭发着光。"嗯，你的飞马朋友们一直在等你，这让每个小马都很紧张，所以越早处理他们越好。"
“They haven’t been causing trouble, have they?” I asked with a worried frown.
"他们没有惹麻烦吧?"我愁眉苦脸地问。
“No, but it’s no secret that if you want healing, you come to us… or the Enclave. Folks are thinking they’re here to trash the place or something. Makes everypony wonder, you know?” She lifted me into the wheelchair and made me promise not to throw myself out of it this time. “Is your horn working again?”
"不，但是如果你想治病，你就来找我们......或者去飞地，这已经不是什么秘密了。人们认为他们是来这里捣乱的。让每个人都很惊讶，你知道吗?"她把我扶到轮椅上，让我保证这次不会再跳下去了。"你的喇叭又响了吗?"
I looked at the chair and concentrated, then winced as magic sparks shot from the tip of my horn. “Owww…” I tapped it with a limp limb. “I think I broke it.”
我看着椅子，集中注意力，然后就像魔法火花从我的角尖喷射出来一样缩成一团。"啊......"我用软绵绵的肢体敲了敲它。"我想我把它弄坏了。"
“Just burnout. It happens. Next time, don’t push it so hard.” Triage waved down one of the nurses. “The pegasi outside, could you escort them up here?” The nurse glanced at me sitting there looking like I’d been thrown down a few flights of stairs, and I gave her a smile.
"只是精疲力竭。这种事时有发生。下次，不要逼得太紧。"分诊医生向一个护士挥手示意。"外面的飞马座，你能护送它们上来吗?"护士瞥了一眼坐在那里的我，好像我被扔下了几段楼梯，我对她笑了笑。
“Can you take me to Glory’s room?” Time to do this.
"你能带我去晨辉的房间吗?"是时候这么做了。
“She’s been completely non-responsive,” Triage said quietly as her magic pushed the wheelchair. Did everypony in the Wasteland have stronger telekinesis
"她完全没有任何反应,"分诊医生一边轻声说，一边用魔法推着轮椅。荒原上的每一匹马都有更强的心灵遥感吗
than me? “She won’t eat. All she’s asked is for us to leave her alone.”
而不是我？"她不吃东西。她所要求的只是我们离她远点。"
“She’s badly hurt,” I said as she pushed me to the door.
"她伤得很重,"我说，她把我推到门口。
“Well if she doesn’t recover soon, we’ll have to toss her out.” Triage caught my glare and returned it. “Wasteland. Limited space. We fixed her flesh. Mind and soul… that’s outside my specialty. So I hope you can help her.”
"好吧，如果她不能很快康复，我们就得把她扔出去。"伤检分类法抓住了我的目光，把它还给了我。"荒原。空间有限。我们修复了她的肉体。精神和灵魂...这不是我的专长。所以我希望你能帮助她。"
“You do?” I asked, a little sarcastic. For some reason, cynical healers were really aggravating.
"是吗?"我有点讽刺地问道。出于某种原因，愤世嫉俗的治疗师真的让人恼火。
She arched her brows coolly. “Just because I don’t appreciate cheap heroism doesn’t mean I don’t want to help ponies. I can’t help her. I hope you can.” I just dropped my gaze, chewing on my lower lip.
她冷静地皱起眉头。"我不欣赏廉价的英雄主义并不意味着我不想帮助小马。我帮不了她。我希望你能做到。"我只是低下头，咬着下嘴唇。
Dusk and Lightning Dancer appeared in the hall, approaching with wary steps. Dusk’s dark eyes stayed locked on mine while Dancer’s citrine ones looked around a bit more curiously. “So… what’s the second favor? Let’s get this over with.”
黄昏和闪电舞者出现在大厅里，小心翼翼地走近。黄昏的黑眼睛盯着我的眼睛，而丹瑟的黄水晶眼睛更好奇地环顾四周。"那么......第二个忙是什么？让我们把这件事做个了结吧。"
I just nodded towards Glory’s room. “I need you to help your sister.”
我只是朝晨辉的房间点了点头。"我需要你帮助你妹妹。"
Her pupils constricted as she jerked away from me. “Go fuck yourself.”
她从我身边抽身而去，瞳孔缩小了。"去你妈的。"
Damn the promise. I launched myself from the chair and tackled her as the wheelchair went clattering down the hall behind me. Throwing my hooves around her neck, I counted myself lucky she sat down hard as I slumped before her, staring into her eyes. “Listen!” I hissed in her face, glaring like I could vaporize her with rage alone, “I don’t give a fuck about Enclave politics or tradition or your own fucked up issues with pride or honor or whatever you pegasi call it! Glory is in there and she needs your help.”
去他的承诺。轮椅在我身后的大厅里哗啦啦地响着，我从椅子上站起来，抓住她。我把蹄子绕在她的脖子上，当我跌坐在她面前盯着她的眼睛时，我觉得自己很幸运，因为她使劲坐了下来。"听着!"我对着她的脸发出嘶嘶的声音，怒视着好像我可以一个人用愤怒把她蒸发掉一样,"我才不在乎什么飞地政治或传统，或者你自己那些带着骄傲或荣誉的狗屁问题，或者你的飞马们怎么叫它！晨辉就在那里，她需要你的帮助。"
“If she wanted my help she shouldn’t have become a Dashite!” Dusk yelled in my face.
"如果她需要我的帮助，她就不应该成为大树人!"黄昏对着我的脸喊道。
I kicked her as hard as I could… which was honestly pretty pathetic as my limb bent under the blow. “She lost her wing!” I shouted back, and that statement shocked her far more than my physical assault. “She got injured and the Enervation rotted it right off her body! So here is what you are going to do…” I growled as I pointed to the closed door. “You are going to go in there. You are
我用尽全力踢她......说实话，我的肢体在这一击下弯曲得很可怜。"她失去了翅膀!"我也喊了回去，这句话比我的身体攻击更让她震惊。"她受伤了，全身的血液都腐烂了！所以这就是你要做的......"我指着那扇关着的门咆哮道。"你要进去。你就是
going to talk to her. You are going to smile. You are going to make her happy. I don’t care what you have to say, how you have to lie, or what you have to do… you are going to find some way to make her want to live,” I said as I clenched my jaw, tears running down one cheek. “Because I can’t…”
去跟她谈谈。你要微笑。你会让她开心的。我不在乎你要说什么，你要怎么撒谎，或者你要做什么......你要想办法让她想活下去,"我咬紧牙关说，泪水顺着一边脸颊流了下来。"因为我不能......"
Dusk closed her eyes. “You don’t understand. If anypony found out she’s alive…”
黄昏使她闭上了眼睛。"你不明白。如果有人发现她还活着......"
“Wind Whisper already knows. She doesn’t care. Don’t you get it, Dusk?” I said as I felt my legs slowly give out beneath me till I was sitting, “I’ve been where Glory is right now. It almost killed me. It would have if I hadn’t forgotten about the gun’s safety! And the only thing that snapped me out of it was someone giving me something… anything… to live for.” I bowed my head shamefully. “I can’t do it… I… I’m the one who hurt her. That’s all I do… and she needs to live.” I took a deep breath and stared into her eyes once more. “You’re going to do this. And do you know why?”
"风声已经知道了。她不在乎。你还不明白吗，黄昏?"我说，当我感觉到我的双腿在我身下慢慢失去力量，直到我坐下时,"我已经到了晨辉所在的地方。差点要了我的命。如果我没有忘记枪的安全问题的话，我早就忘了！唯一让我振作起来的是，有人给了我一些东西......任何东西......让我活下去。"我惭愧地低下了头。"我做不到......我.....。.是我伤害了她。这就是我所做的一切......她需要活下去。"我深吸了一口气，再次凝视着她的眼睛。"你必须这么做。你知道为什么吗?"
“Why?” she asked, so stunned that the anger and attitude were momentarily abandoned.
"为什么?"她问道，惊呆了，愤怒和态度被暂时抛弃了。
“Because she’s your sister, you love her, and you’re a good pony,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as her that it was true. “You’re her older sister. You have to help her…”
"因为她是你的妹妹，你爱她，你是一匹好马,"我说，试图说服自己和她相信这是真的。"你是她的姐姐。你得帮帮她......"
Dusk finally relaxed with an angry sigh. “Fine. I’ll… I’ll try…” Then she jabbed my chest with a hoof. “But after this, we’re even… no matter what happens! Got it?”
黄昏终于随着一声愤怒的叹息而放松了。"好吧。我会...我会试试..."然后她用蹄子戳了我的胸口。"但在这之后，我们就扯平了......不管发生什么！懂了吗?"
“Just… help her. You’re the only one who can,” I said as I finally crumpled. This was it. This was all I could do. With a sharp glare at me, Dusk opened the door to her room and stepped inside.
"只要......帮帮她。你是唯一一个能做到的人,"我终于瘫倒在地，说道。就是这个。这是我所能做的一切。黄昏用锐利的目光盯着我，打开她房间的门，走了进去。
“Hey, Featherbrain...” Dusk said before closing the door behind her with her scorpion tail. I bent over as all the stress and strain of the day poured out of me. When had my life turned into near daily dramatic trauma?
"嘿，羽毛脑袋......"黄昏说，然后用蝎子尾巴关上了身后的门。我弯下腰，这一天所有的压力和紧张从我身上倾泻而出。我的生活是什么时候变成每天都有戏剧性的创伤的？
“You okay?” Lightning Dancer asked as she returned with my wheelchair. She used her scorpion tail to scoop me up and help me take a seat. She gave me a casual, easygoing sort of smile. Her citrine eyes and brilliant orange mane contrasted with her stark black power armor.
"你还好吗?"闪电舞者拿着我的轮椅回来时问道。她用她的蝎子尾巴把我抱起来，帮我坐下。她给了我一个随意、随和的微笑。她柠檬色的眼睛和亮橙色的鬃毛与她的黑色盔甲形成鲜明的对比。
I rubbed my face with my hooves and sighed. “I haven’t seen okay in a long time. I used to be okay. Heck, I used to be happy. Then I started thinking, and it’s been all downhill from there.”
我用蹄子擦了擦脸，叹了口气。"我已经很久没见过ok了。我以前很好。见鬼，我曾经很快乐。然后我开始思考，从那时起，一切都开始走下坡路。"
“Eh, what can you do?” she said with a shrug, nudging the wheelchair. “So, you going to just hang out here? ‘Cause if I know those two, they’ll be at it for a while. Dusk and Morning never could fly in formation together.”
"哎，你能怎么办呢?"她耸耸肩说，推了推轮椅。"那么，你打算在这里闲逛吗？因为如果我认识他们两个，他们会在一起一段时间。黄昏和清晨永远不可能一起编队飞行。"
“No… I…” I sighed and laid my head back, looking at the ceiling. “Yeah… I need to see Lacunae. I don’t have a clue how I’m going to help her…”
"不......我.....。。」我叹了口气，仰起头，看着天花板。"是的......我需要看看空隙。我不知道该怎么帮她......"
“The big purple pony? She’s down the hall, I think,” she said as she hooked her tail on the frame and trotted towards the far side of the building.
"那匹紫色的大马？我想她在走廊尽头,"她一边说着，一边用尾巴勾住门框，小跑向大楼的另一边。
“If you don’t mind my saying so, you’re not like most Enclave I’ve met,” I said with a little smile.
"如果你不介意我这么说的话，你和我见过的大多数昂科雷不一样,"我微笑着说。
“Oh you mean the serious, devoted, lightning-rod-up-the-rump attitude?” She glanced back at me and grinned. “Yeah. They were fresh out of rectal rods when it came to me. Cost me some advancement but, eh… Dusk’s more hardcore about that anyway. Who needs the stress?”
"哦，你是说那种严肃、专注、避雷针式的态度?"她回头看了我一眼，咧嘴笑了。"是的。它们刚从直肠杆中取出来，当它来到我面前时。花了我一些提升，但是，嗯...黄昏是更核心的反正。谁需要压力?"
I stared at her for a moment. I’d almost forgotten what carefree looked like. “I... I envy you.” Her brows arched in surprise, and I explained, “You just seem… happy. I used to be like that, but now everything’s gotten… weird…”
我盯着她看了一会儿。我几乎忘记了无忧无虑的样子。"我.....。.我羡慕你。"她惊讶地皱起眉头，我解释说:"你看起来......很开心。我以前也是这样，但现在一切都变得......奇怪......"
“You and Dusk…” the yellow mare chuckled. “Well, don’t worry about it. Dusk is always a hardass, especially when it comes to Dashites. The only time she actually unwinds is in bed. Usually takes a good licking, too.”
"你和黄昏......"黄色的母马咯咯地笑着。"好吧，不用担心。黄昏总是很难熬，尤其是对达什人来说。她唯一真正松开的时候是在床上。通常也需要好好地舔一下。"
I blinked and flushed a little. “You and her?” Glory had mentioned something about being like her sister. Dancer just grinned. “Huh… Is this going to really cause problems for the rest of her family?” The yellow pegasus arched a brow, and I elaborated, “I mean Glory being alive… and branded?”
我眨了眨眼，脸红了一下。"你和她?"晨辉曾经提到过像她的姐姐一样。丹瑟咧嘴一笑。"嗯......这真的会给她家里其他人带来麻烦吗?"黄色的天马挑起了眉毛，我解释道:"我是说晨辉还活着......还有烙印?"
Lightning Dancer rolled her eyes. “Oh, that. I told Dusk to let it go, but of course she just couldn’t.” She rubbed her chin in thought. “I suppose it’s a big deal ‘cause of what happened with her mother.”
闪电舞者转了转眼珠。"哦，那个啊。我告诉达克斯让他放手，但她当然不能。"她抚摸着下巴沉思。"我想这对她母亲的遭遇来说是个大问题。"
“Her mother?” I blinked in shock. “What about her mother?”
"她妈妈?"我震惊地眨了眨眼睛。"那她妈妈呢?"
“Oh, her mom, Dawn, went Dashite ten years ago,” she said calmly. Then she noticed me gaping in amazement. Lightning Dancer cocked her head in confusion. “Hasn’t Morning Glory told you about it?”
"哦，她妈妈道恩十年前去了大栅栏,"她平静地说。然后她注意到我惊讶得目瞪口呆。闪电舞者困惑地昂起了头。"牵牛花没告诉你吗?"
“No… she hasn’t…” I said quietly, glancing at the closed door. No yelling. No shooting. I hoped that that was a good sign. “She told me about her father, but…”
"不......她没有......"我平静地说，瞥了一眼关着的门。不要大喊大叫。不准开枪。我希望这是个好兆头。"她跟我说了她父亲的事，但是......"
“Well, it was one hell of a scandal. It started when Thunderhead was attacked by Fiendfire. He’s the only dragon who actually managed to damage the city. During the fight, both her dad and the dragon fell to the surface. He was found by a surfacer pegasus. She came back with him. Oh, but wasn’t that a load of bad wind!”
"好吧，这真是一桩丑闻。它开始时，雷头被Fiendfire攻击。他是唯一一条真正破坏了这座城市的龙。在打斗中，她的父亲和龙都掉到了水面上。他是被一个陆地飞马发现的。她和他一起回来了。哦，但那不是一阵恶劣的风吗?"
“You mean her mom wasn’t Enclave?”
"你是说她妈妈不是昂科雷?"
“Nope.” She seemed amused by my surprise. “What? It happens. Sometimes Dashites have foals, or you’ll get a throwback or something. Most of them last long enough to fly up and get hit by a lightning rod.” She gave a shrug. “For the best. This place has so many diseases and mutagens… well, I had to get two dozen shots just to be down here, and I’ll have to be in quarantine for a month before they let me back up top. But he brought her back and threw all his weight around to bend the rules. Once medical cleared her, they got married. The dragon slayer and the surface mare,” she said with a sigh and a shake of her head.
"没有。"她似乎被我的惊讶逗乐了。"什么？这种事时有发生。有时候，Dashites有小马驹，或者你会得到一个回归或东西。它们中的大多数能坚持足够长的时间飞起来，然后被避雷针击中。"她耸了耸肩。"为了大家好。这个地方有这么多的疾病和诱变剂......好吧，我必须打24针才能到这里来，而且在他们让我回到上面之前，我必须被隔离一个月。但是他把她带了回来，使出浑身解数来打破规则。一旦医生证明她没有问题，他们就结婚了。屠龙者和水面上的母马,"她叹了口气，摇了摇头说。
“But she went Dashite?” I asked. Dancer nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. “Why?”
"但她去了大栅栏?"我问道。丹瑟点点头，看上去有点不自在。"为什么?"
“Well… Dawn was always funny. I mean, she never really fit in with Thunderhead society. She was always talking about how much we could help and telling stories about the surface. Somepony actually took a shot at her at a speech she made at the university. Finally, somepony planted a bomb in their home. Didn’t kill anyone, thank goodness, but soon after that she went back down. Huge disgrace for her family.” She looked over at the closed door with a worried frown. “Hit Dusk hardest, I think, being the eldest. We were both finishing school when her mom left. Councilstallion’s wife going Dashite… it was pretty bad for her family for a while.”
"嗯......唐恩总是很有趣。我的意思是，她从来没有真正融入霹雳头社会。她总是谈论我们能帮多少忙，讲述关于地表的故事。有个小马甚至在她在大学的一次演讲中向她开了一枪。最后，有人在他们家安了炸弹。谢天谢地，她没有杀死任何人，但不久之后，她又回到了地上。这是她家族的巨大耻辱。"她愁眉苦脸地看着那关着的门。"作为最年长的孩子，我觉得《黄昏》最受打击。她妈妈离开的时候，我们都在完成学业。议员的妻子去了大栅栏......有一段时间对她的家庭来说是相当糟糕的。"
“And Morning Glory?” I asked as we reached the room. Lacunae stood as still as a statue in the corner.
"那牵牛花呢?"当我们到达房间时，我问道。空隙像角落里的雕像一动不动地站着。
“She was hurt more than angry. I mean, she was just a filly, and suddenly her mom was gone and everypony was calling her dad a traitor. I think she believed in her mom… and Dusk didn’t.”
"她受到的伤害大于愤怒。我的意思是，她只是一匹小母马，突然她的妈妈走了，每匹小马都叫她爸爸叛徒。我认为她相信她的妈妈，但是黄昏并不相信。"
“And what happened to her mom?”
"她妈妈怎么了?"
“It’s a big Wasteland. Who knows?” Lightning Dancer said as she looked at Lacunae closely. “So this is an alicorn, huh? Never seen them around the Hoof before.” She hovered in front of her, frowning. Then she wagged her head back and forth. “Wagabawagawagah!” she said, her tongue flopping back and forth as she rolled her eyes. Then she followed it up with three more goofy faces before her citrine eyes widened. “Wooo… she is so out of it.”
"这是一个大荒原。谁知道呢?""闪电舞者"一边说，一边仔细看着Lacunae。"这么说这是一只孤角兽，嗯？以前从没在霍夫附近见过它们。"她在她面前盘旋，皱着眉头。然后她来回地摇着头。"瓦加巴嘎嘎嘎!"她一边说，一边翻着白眼，舌头前后摆动。接着，她又画了三张傻瓜脸，然后睁大了柠檬黄色的眼睛。"哇......她完全不知所措了。"
“Out of it…” I frowned up at Lacunae. “Maybe that’s what happened to her…”
"出去......"我对着空隙皱起了眉头。"也许这就是她的遭遇......"
Lightning Dancer looked at me. “This is a unicorn thing, isn’t it?”
闪电舞者看着我。"这是一个独角兽的事情，不是吗?"
“Something like that,” I muttered, wondering just how I was supposed to do this. “Can you boost me up? I need to touch horns with her.” It was a shot in the dark, but it was the only thing I could think of.
"差不多吧,"我咕哝着，不知道我该怎么做。"你能把我推上去吗？我需要和她触角。"这是瞎猜，但我只能想到这一件事。
“Isn’t that unicorn foreplay?” She grinned as her tail wrapped around my waist and lifted me up on her back. Her wings lifted to keep me steady as I stretched up and touched my horn to Lacunae’s. I had no idea if my horn would even work in the middle of burnout, and looking into her empty eyes didn’t build confidence.
"这难道不是独角兽的前戏吗?"她咧嘴笑着，她的尾巴缠在我的腰上，把我背起来。她举起双翅让我保持平稳，我伸展身体，用我的号角碰了碰拉库尼的号角。我不知道我的喇叭在精疲力竭的时候还能不能发挥作用，看着她空洞的眼睛并不能建立自信。
Nothing. “Come on, Lacunae… I know you’re in there…” I tried to concentrate, but there wasn’t even a flicker from my horn. There had to be something… some way to make a connection. Something that linked us.
没什么。"来吧，拉库尼......我知道你在里面......"我试着集中注意力，但喇叭里连一点闪光都没有。肯定有什么东西...有什么方法可以建立联系。把我们联系在一起的东西。
Then it came to me. I closed my eyes as our horns touched and began to hum. It’d only been two days ago, but it seemed like forever. Softly I hummed the notes she’d played in Star House. I felt a tingle in my horn, and the world fell away.
然后我想起来了。当我们的喇叭碰到一起时，我闭上了眼睛，开始哼唱。虽然只是两天前的事，但感觉像是永远。我轻轻地哼着她在星宫演奏的音符。我感到喇叭里有一种刺痛感，整个世界都消失了。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I stood on a black plain, the ground scoured bare of everything save shiny stone. A gale tore at me in one constant and unending gust. Only the stones provided
我站在一片黑色的平原上，地面上除了闪闪发光的石头什么都没有。一阵狂风连续不断地刮向我。只有提供的石头
any respite from the storm that cut at me with every second. The stone itself had been eroded into drawn out spears of glass that shattered with the slightest pressure. In the distance were the black spires of Hoofington…
每分每秒都在袭击我的暴风雨中得到喘息。石头本身已经被腐蚀成被拉出来的长矛状的玻璃，在最轻微的压力下就碎裂了。远处是Hoofington的黑色尖塔。
I could hear the screaming from here. I couldn’t tell if it was the wind or something else. Embers were swept along in the gale, but I had no idea what their origins were. Everything was rendered in shades of gray, and I took a look at myself. Instantly, I wished I hadn’t. My body was translucent white, but there were black blotches that seemed to crawl and creep slowly within me.
我能从这里听到尖叫声。我不知道是风还是别的什么原因。余烬在大风中一扫而过，但我不知道它们的来源。一切都呈现出灰色的阴影，我审视着自己。立刻，我希望我没有。我的身体是半透明的白色，但有黑色的斑点似乎爬行和蠕动在我慢慢。
Okay. Freakiness established. Now… where was Lacunae?
好吧。怪异已经成为现实。那么......拉库尼在哪里？
I trotted across this hellscape for who knew how long before I spotted them. A tree. A street lamp. A chapel… one that I knew.
我小跑着穿过这个地狱般的地方，谁知道过了多久我才发现他们。一棵树。路灯。一个小礼拜堂...我认识的那个。
Slowly, I approached the building, my normal colors returning as I stepped inside. Something was definitely off, though. Things seemed to blur and run together in the corners of my vision and only come into focus when I looked directly at them. The building seemed off, as well: larger and better built than I recalled. It was late, the room lit only by candles and the city glow through the window.
慢慢地，我走近了建筑物，当我走进去的时候，我的正常颜色又回来了。不过，肯定有什么地方不对劲。在我的视野中，一切似乎都变得模糊起来，只有当我直视它们的时候，它们才会变得清晰。这座建筑物看起来也有些不对劲:比我记忆中的更大更好。天色已晚，房间里只点着蜡烛，整个城市透过窗户发出耀眼的光芒。
“Sweet Celestia, please forgive me, for I have taken the life of another. Dearest Luna, please forgive me, for I have taken the life of another,” a young mare whispered as she sat on a small pillow beside me. She was jet black with a cutie mark of a lit candle. She rocked slowly back and forth, head bowed as she murmured the lines over and over again.
"甜蜜的天堂，请原谅我，因为我夺走了另一个人的生命。最亲爱的卢娜，请原谅我，因为我夺走了另一个人的生命,"一匹年轻的母马坐在我旁边的一个小枕头上低声说。她全身乌黑，身上点着一支可爱的蜡烛。她慢慢地前后摇晃，低着头，一遍又一遍地低声念着台词。
“Lacunae?” I asked softly as I stood beside her. No response. Then I reached down and stopped her rocking. She blinked, then slowly looked up at me. “Psalm?”
"缺陷?"我站在她旁边，轻声问道。没有回应。然后我弯下腰，停止了她的摇晃。她眨了眨眼，然后慢慢地抬头看着我。"诗篇?"
“Who are you? You shouldn’t be here. The chapel is closed until the Goddess wishes to return.”
"你是谁？你不该来这儿。教堂关闭，直到女神愿意回来。"
The gale outside made the building rock and creak. “Psalm… this isn’t real, is it?”
外面的大风使建筑物摇晃咯吱作响。"诗篇......这不是真的，是吗?"
She shook as she dropped her gaze to her hooves. “Sweet Celestia, please forgive me, for I have taken the life of another…” she began again, shaking as
当她把目光放在蹄子上时，她颤抖起来。"甜蜜的天堂，请原谅我，因为我已经夺走了另一个人的生命......"她又开始了，颤抖着
she clenched her eyes shut.
她紧闭双眼。
I stopped her again, the whole building rocking and groaning in the wind. “Psalm… you’re the Marauder, Psalm.” She gasped, her eyes going wide. “Macintosh’s Marauders?”
我又让她停了下来，整个建筑在风中摇晃和呻吟。"诗篇......你是掠夺者，诗篇。"她喘着气，眼睛睁得大大的。"麦金托什的掠夺者?"
Before my eyes, she aged to the black mare in body armor. She hugged the sniper rifle, bowing her head. “This is my penance.”
在我眼前，她变成了穿着防弹衣的黑色母马。她抱着狙击步枪，低着头。"这是我的忏悔。"
“Your penance? For what?”
"你的苦修？为什么?"
“For us,” whispered a host around us. I turned my head, and dozens of zebras appeared around us… and ponies too. “Why did you kill us, Psalm? Did your Goddess forgive you for our murders?” they whispered in unison. Each one had a perfect ring in their head, with matching holes blown out opposite sides.
"给我们的,"我们周围的一位主人低声说。我转过头，几十匹斑马出现在我们周围......还有小马。"诗篇，你为什么要杀我们？你的女神原谅你谋杀我们了吗?"他们齐声低语。每一个都有一个完美的环在他们的头上，匹配的孔吹出相反的两边。
“Sweet Celestia, please forgive me…” she prayed desperately. I looked at the dead. The zebras I could understand, but why ponies? Why… young ponies?
"亲爱的塞莱斯蒂亚，请原谅我......"她绝望地祈祷。我看着死去的人。斑马我能理解，但为什么是小马？为什么...小马？
“Psalm… what did you do?” I asked softly.
"诗篇......你做了什么?"我轻声问道。
“She took the shot. Pulled the trigger. Ended our lives. She deserves to go to Hell. Eternal punishment. Not forgiveness.”
"她开枪了。扣动了扳机。结束了我们的生命。她应该下地狱。永恒的惩罚。而不是宽恕。"
“No!” Psalm cried out as she hugged the rifle tighter. “The Goddess forgave me! The Goddess took me in Unity!”
"不!"当她抱紧步枪时，诗篇大声呼喊。"女神原谅了我！女神带我进入了统一!"
“The Goddess cut you off! Unworthy! Blood soaked hooves!” wailed the host. “You killed my family. You killed my children! You killed me!” shrieked the undead host around her as the building continued to creak and shake like it was about to come apart.
"女神把你拦住了！毫无价值！血淋淋的蹄子!"主人哀号着。"你杀了我的家人。你杀了我的孩子！你杀了我!"当这座建筑物继续吱吱作响，摇摇晃晃，好像它就要分崩离析的时候，不死族的主人在她周围尖叫。
I stared at Psalm. Doof had been a rapist. Vanity had worked for Goldenblood. What had happened to Psalm after the Marauders split up? Slowly I knelt, reaching out to hold her. “Psalm… I know what it’s like to do the wrong thing. I know what it’s like… to kill… because it’s all you can do. Because you have no choice,” I said softly.
我凝视着诗篇。杜夫曾经是个强奸犯。虚荣心为金血王工作。劫掠者分裂后，诗篇发生了什么变化？我慢慢地跪下，伸出手去抱住她。"诗篇......我知道做错事的感觉。我知道杀人是什么感觉，因为这是你唯一能做的。因为你别无选择,"我轻声说。
“She had a choice!” roared the slain. “She chose to pull the trigger!”
"她可以选择的!"被杀的人咆哮着。"她选择扣动扳机!"
“F…F…Forgive me… for… for I…” she stammered softly.
"f..F..原谅我...原谅...我..。。」她轻轻地结结巴巴地说。
“I do,” I said quietly. “I forgive you.” I pulled the plug. I pushed the button. I knew what it was like to damn myself. For all I knew, Psalm was a monster worse than Deus, but right now she needed my forgiveness. After all, there was no way she could forgive herself.
"我愿意,"我平静地说。"我原谅你。"我拔掉了插头。我按了按钮。我知道责备自己是什么感觉。据我所知，诗篇是一个比上帝更可怕的怪物，但是现在她需要我的宽恕。毕竟，她无法原谅自己。
The room around me turned into glowing yellow embers and whooshed inside me. For a moment, standing on that tortured plain, I knew exactly how much forgiveness she needed. I’d killed forty with the push of one button and four hundred with the push of another.
我周围的房间变成了发光的黄色余烬，在我体内呼啸而过。有那么一瞬间，站在那片备受折磨的平原上，我清楚地知道她需要多少宽恕。我按下一个按钮杀死了四十个人，按下另一个按钮杀死了400个人。
Psalm had been one hell of a sniper. She’d killed one… by… one…
诗篇是一个地狱般的狙击手。她杀了一个...一个...一个..。
I looked at the remaining two structures, smelling chlorine and thinking about headshots. Slowly, I approached the second, the street light. Somepony stood beneath it, and as I approached I heard the strange city sounds building. Slowly, the mare came into focus. Her blue hide was a perfect match to P-21’s, but her mane was a pale blue-white. She wore a gauzy dress of faintly discolored white lace that drew more attention to her intimate bits than concealed them. And there was shame, empty shame in her soft lavender eyes as she looked at me with a hollow smile. “Hey… want to see a trick? Twenty bits.” As I stared at her, her smile trembled at the edges. “I mean… fifteen?”
我看着剩下的两个建筑，闻着氯气的味道，想着大头照。慢慢地，我走近了第二盏路灯。一个小马站在下面，当我走近时，我听到了奇怪的城市建筑的声音。慢慢地，母马进入焦点。她的蓝色皮毛与P-21完全匹配，但鬃毛是浅蓝白色的。她穿着一件薄纱连衣裙，上面有微微褪色的白色蕾丝花边，这件连衣裙更能引起人们对她私密部位的注意，而不是掩盖它们。当她带着空洞的微笑看着我的时候，她那柔和的淡紫色眼睛里流露出羞愧和空洞的羞愧。"嘿......想看魔术吗？二十比特。"当我凝视她时，她的微笑在边缘颤抖。"我的意思是......十五?"
I was completely baffled. “Who are you?”
我完全被难住了。"你是谁?"
The question was a knife through her. “I’m… ah… Trixie… cause I can do… you know… tricks…” I supposed the look she was trying for was ‘sultry’ but delivered ‘pathetic’. “Twelve bits? Please?”
这个问题像刀子一样刺穿了她。"我......啊......特里克西......因为我可以......你知道......耍花招......"我猜想她想要的表情是'性感'，但表现得'可悲'。"十二比特？求你了?"
Trixie? Who the hay was Trixie? I opened my mouth… reconsidered… then forced a smile. “Sure.” I never saw a unicorn look so relieved to earn so little. I’d found that many bits just sorting through the trash.
特里克茜？特里克茜到底是谁？我张开嘴......重新考虑了一下......然后强作微笑。"当然。"我从来没有见过一只独角兽挣得这么少却看起来如此如释重负。我发现很多比特只是在垃圾桶里进行排序。
“Thanks… you… you know… I’m really good… so maybe you might… um… pay more? If I am, I mean?” Somehow, it didn’t seem to register that I didn’t have any way I might be keeping money on me. Either she couldn’t tell in this… memory? Projection? Or she was just really bad at this! She led me to a nearby motel just down the street.
"谢谢......你......你知道......我真的很好......所以也许你可以......嗯......多付点钱？我是说，如果我是呢?"不知怎么的，似乎没有人注意到我没有任何方法可以把钱放在身上。要么她在这段记忆里看不出来？投射？或者她只是真的不擅长这个！她带我去了附近的一家汽车旅馆。
“Rent’s due, Trixie,” the sour lemon stallion said without looking up from his television. “Better fuck a gold mine out of her.”
"房租到期了，特里克茜,"酸溜溜的柠檬种马说，眼睛都没有离开电视机。"最好把她的金矿操出来。"
I wanted to shoot him right then and there for the shame on her face. But she didn’t say a word. No comeback comment. Nothing. From the shame in her eyes, it was clear she was hoping to get a goldmine out of me. So to speak…
因为她脸上的羞耻，我当场就想杀了他。但她一句话也没说。无可奉告。没什么。从她羞愧的眼神来看，很明显她希望从我这里得到一座金矿。可以说..。
The dingy little room had a musty, musky smell to it, and the sole bulb painted everything in amber. Still, there were posters on the wall, aged and delicate things showing a mare on stage while bold letters declared ‘Behold the Great and Powerful Trixie!’ There were pictures of her animating a rope, of summoning a swirling lightning cloud. I looked away from the posters to ask about them.
昏暗的小房间里有一股发霉的麝香味，唯一的灯泡把所有东西都涂成了琥珀色。尽管如此，墙上还是贴着老旧精致的海报，上面画着舞台上的一匹母马，粗体字写着:"看，伟大而强大的Trixie!"里面有她为一根绳子做动作的图片，还有召唤一团旋转的闪电云的图片。我把目光从海报上移开，问他们的情况。
She was trying to do a striptease… and was so bad at it that I hadn’t even noticed. “So… do you like what you see?” she said as she climbed onto the bed. I didn’t. I didn’t want to have sex with her. I wanted to hug her… but a hug would kill her. Still, I went through the motions with her.
她想跳脱衣舞...跳得太烂了，我都没注意到。"那么......你喜欢你看到的吗?"她边说边爬上床。我没有。我不想和她上床。我想拥抱她......但是一个拥抱会杀了她。尽管如此，我还是和她一起做了那些动作。
It wasn’t good. This wasn’t good. No amount of sex should have that many quiet tears.
情况不妙。情况不妙。再多的性爱也不应该有那么多安静的眼泪。
When we finally gave up and lay there together, she stared at my chest. I stroked her mane; it needed a good washing. “So… um… again? …baby?” she added as she dared to meet my eye. I killed her with a look. My expression crumpled her like a tin can as she shook. “I’m sorry…” she whispered.
最后我们放弃了，一起躺在那里，她盯着我的胸部。我抚摸着它的鬃毛，它需要好好清洗一下。"那么......嗯......又来了？宝贝?"她看着我的眼睛补充道。我看了她一眼就杀了她。当她颤抖时，我的表情像锡罐一样把她揉成一团。"对不起......"她低声说。
All I could be was kind as Trixie clung to me in that filthy room surrounded by walls of failed dreams. If things had been different… But I stroked her softly. I’d maimed her with my pity. “Not even worth one bit…”
我所能做的就是好心地看着特里克茜紧紧地抱着我，呆在那个肮脏的房间里，四周围绕着梦想破灭的墙壁。如果事情不是这样的话......但我轻轻地抚摸着她。我的怜悯使她残废了。"一文不值......"
Worthless. I knew that feeling. I knew what it was like to feel undeserving. Unwanted. Unneeded. To think my life amounted to just a legacy of murder and death. I cuddled with this strange mare, wondering who she was. How was she in this nightmare of Lacunae’s? I touched my horn to hers. “I don’t think you’re worthless,” I whispered in her ear, kissing her softly. I wanted to take her away from here. Protect her. Prove her wrong and find out about that mare in the pictures.
毫无价值。我知道那种感觉。我知道觉得自己不配是什么感觉。不需要的。不需要的。想想看，我的生命只不过是一场谋杀和死亡的遗产。我抱着这匹奇怪的母马，想知道她是谁。她怎么会出现在拉库尼的这个噩梦里？我用喇叭碰了碰她的喇叭。"我不认为你没用,"我在她耳边低声说，轻轻地吻着她。我想带她离开这里。保护她。证明她是错的，找出照片里的那匹母马。
But I was two hundred years too late...
但是我晚了两百年..。
The room dissolved in a cloud of blue sparks, and I was left on that wind-scoured stone. As they disappeared inside me I felt the slow decay of a mare’s life… failure after failure… till all that was left was turning tricks in a dirty motel room. I wondered what had happened to Trixie… Had she died in that place when the bombs fell? No… she must have survived long enough for Unity… somehow. How else could she had been inside Lacunae?
房间里弥漫着蓝色的火花，我被留在那块被风刮过的石头上。当它们消失在我体内时，我感到了母马生命的缓慢衰退...一次又一次的失败...直到所有的一切都只剩下在一个肮脏的汽车旅馆房间里卖淫。我想知道特里克茜后来怎么样了......炸弹落下的时候她是不是死在那个地方了？不......她一定活了足够长的时间......以某种方式。不然她怎么会进到空隙里去呢？
I had self-loathing and self-worthlessness coiled inside me. I looked at the tree with trepidation. What was Lacunae, a toxic angst dump?
我内心深处有自我厌恶和自我价值的感觉。我战战兢兢地看着那棵树。什么是空白，一个有毒的焦虑倾倒？
As I approached the tree, I saw it wasn’t just a tree but some kind of building. I ran my eyes over the sign out front. Ponyville Library? “And the weirdness just keeps on coming…” I said as I took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
当我走近那棵树时，我看到它不仅仅是一棵树，而是某种建筑物。我扫视了一下外面的招牌。PonyvilleLibrary？"奇怪的事情还在不断发生......"我说，深吸了一口气，慢慢地把门推开。
I would have loved to have seen something bright and clean. Really. But the library looked as if it’d been ransacked. Dozens of books lay in disarray. Some piled in heaps, others scattered and ripped. “Spike? Is that you?” a mare called from the stairs as she walked down with slow, unsteady steps. The middle aged mare levitated a bottle of wine beside her as her purple eyes narrowed, then relaxed. “Oh, good…”
我希望能看到一些明亮而干净的东西。真的。但是图书馆看起来好像被洗劫过一样。几十本书乱七八糟地堆在一起。有的堆成一堆，有的散落一地，还有的被撕裂了。"斯派克？是你吗?"一匹母马从楼梯上叫道，她慢慢地、不稳地走下楼梯。当她紫色的眼睛眯起来，然后放松下来的时候，那匹中年母马把一瓶酒悬浮在她身边。"哦，很好......"
Twilight Sparkle?
紫悦？
Gray shot through her mane in premature aging, and wrinkles were forming creases in her face. She looked… tired. And drunk. “If you’re here to check out a book, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. EC-102… the book review… all books are to be reviewed for appropriateness to the conduct and wellbeing of Equestria.” She scowled at the empty shelves and dirty piles. “I used to love this place…” she said with a scowl before taking a drink from the bottle.
在过早衰老的过程中，她的鬃毛开始灰白，脸上也开始出现皱纹。她看起来...很疲惫。还喝醉了。"如果你是来借书的，恐怕你的运气不佳。Ec-102......书评......所有的书籍都要进行评审，以确定是否适合小马国的行为和福祉。"她皱着眉头看着空空的书架和肮脏的书堆。"我以前很喜欢这个地方......"她皱着眉头说，然后拿起瓶子喝了一口。
I approached cautiously. “You’re… you’re Twilight Sparkle.”
我小心翼翼地靠近。"你是...你是紫悦。"
“The one and only!” she said with a bitter twist of her lips, spreading her hooves wide. “Or a piece of her. The garbage that doesn’t matter,” she said as she waved the bottle around the building, “Nice endopsychoillusory projection, huh? I wonder what all this represents? Huh? The loss of my friends? My hypocrisy?” She saw me staring blankly and sighed. “Figures... first pony I get to talk to, and she’s a moron.”
"独一无二的!"她嘴唇苦涩地扭动着，把蹄子张开。"或者是她的一部分。"那些垃圾无关紧要,"她一边说，一边在大楼周围挥舞着瓶子,"很棒的内心幻觉投影，对吧?"？我想知道这一切意味着什么？什么？失去朋友？我的虚伪?"她看见我茫然地盯着她，叹了口气。"就知道...第一个跟我说话的小马她就是个白痴"
Okay... that stung, but still. Getting pissed at a ‘projection’ wouldn’t help. “Hypocrisy?”
好吧...这话很伤人但还是。对"投影"感到愤怒是没有用的。"虚伪?"
She scowled at me. “Oh, don’t be stupid. I was the biggest hypocrite in Equestria.” She pointed at a picture of herself hanging askew on the wall. “Read! Only it’s kinda hard when I stood by and did nothing to stop Rarity’s Image from sucking every remotely seditious phrase from the shelves of Equestria.” She sighed, took a long pull off the bottle, and stared down at the sloshing contents. “For ten years I did everything I could to try and help ponies. Luna. Fucking Equestria! Everypony except the five ponies who really needed it.” She took another drink and grimaced. “Ugh… I’m glad I never actually drank this swill.”
她怒视着我。"哦，别傻了。我是Equestria最大的伪君子。"她指着墙上歪歪斜斜地挂着的一张自己的照片。"读吧！只是当我袖手旁观，无动于衷时，就有点难以阻止雷霆的形象从小马国的货架上吸取每一句带有煽动性的话。"她叹了口气，拿出瓶子，盯着晃动的瓶子。"十年来，我竭尽全力帮助小马。女名女子名。该死的小马国！除了真正需要它的五匹小马。"她又喝了一杯，做了个鬼脸。"呃......我很高兴我从来没有真正喝过这种泔水。"
Okay, this was approaching critical levels of ‘huh’? “What do you mean? You mean, you know you’re not… well… real?”
好吧，这是接近临界水平的'哼'？""什么意思？你是说，你知道你不是......嗯......真实的?"
“I’m a part of a mare who was, and all this is a reflection of that part. That’s all I am. The worst parts,” she said with a twisted little smile, then shook the bottle at me. “Twilight never drank. She should have... but she didn’t. No, she just condemned her friend who was consumed by addiction. Covered for her. Lied for her. Let everypony manipulate her. But she didn’t drink herself.” She set the bottle on the stairs.
"我是曾经是母马的一部分，所有这一切都反映了这一部分。这就是我。最糟糕的部分,"她带着扭曲的微笑说，然后向我摇晃瓶子。"黄昏从来不喝酒。她应该...但是她没有。不，她只是谴责了她的朋友，她的朋友沉迷于毒瘾。替她打掩护。为她撒谎。让每个小马操纵她。但她自己没有喝酒。"她把瓶子放在楼梯上。
“The other parts… they didn’t seem to know,” I said as I trotted towards her. “How are you… here?”
"其他部分......他们似乎不知道,"我一边说一边向她小跑过去。"你怎么......在这里?"
“It’s called poetic justice,” she said with a snide little laugh. “I’m getting everything I deserve. See, when I failed… again and again… to win the war for Luna, I got a little bit desperate. We were close to hitting the million mark for pony casualties… fuck only knows how many zebras we’d slaughtered. Then Trueblood came to tell me about a highly classified project.”
"这就是所谓的理想的惩罚,"她带着讽刺的微笑说。"我得到了我应得的一切。看，当我一次又一次的失败，为了卢娜赢得这场战争，我有点绝望。我们马上就要达到小马死亡人数的百万大关了......谁知道我们宰杀了多少斑马。然后特鲁布拉德来告诉我一个高度机密的项目。"
“Chimera.”
"奇美拉"
She blinked and smiled. “You know about it? Huh, I didn’t know about it. Goldenblood had shit going on that I couldn’t imagine. It was crude and unfinished… but the second I read it, I had the idea: an army of alicorns! Unstoppable! I’d finally accomplish something. I perfected the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion from Chimera’s crude mutagenic gunk.” Her eyes peered at me. “I can see you’ve already had a dose of it yourself.”
她眨了眨眼，笑了。""你知道吗？我都不知道。金血王有着我无法想象的烂摊子。它很粗糙，而且没有完成......但是当我第二次读到它的时候，我有了一个想法:一支由橡子组成的军队！不可阻挡！我终于有所成就了。我用奇美拉粗糙的诱变粘性物质完善了推动变形药水。"她的眼睛凝视着我。"我看得出来，你自己已经吃了一剂。"
“What?” I said as I looked at myself, then at her.
"什么?"我边说边看着自己，然后又看着她。
“You call it taint,” she said as she slumped on the stairs. “So even my crowning achievement is a grotesque failure.” I frowned at the naked self-pity before me… this wasn’t Twilight Sparkle. This was a part of her. The worst part. She looked up at the dirty ceiling. “I found a mare I knew I could manipulate into taking it. See? I’m soooo much better than Rarity… I trick mares into being my test subjects rather than use criminals. I located Trixie, who’d just barely clawed her life back together, and gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Power. Glory. Fame. I might have thought I was helping her. Really, I was just the final nail in her coffin.”
"你说这是污点,"她一边说一边瘫倒在楼梯上。"因此，即使是我的最高成就也是一个荒唐的失败。"我皱着眉头看着面前赤裸裸的自怜......这不是紫悦。这是她的一部分。最糟糕的是。她抬头看着肮脏的天花板。"我找到了一匹母马，我知道我可以操纵它。看到了吗？我比稀有好多了......我欺骗母马成为我的测试对象，而不是使用罪犯。我找到了Trixie，她刚刚重新振作起来，给了她一个无法拒绝的提议。力量。晨辉。名声。我以为我是在帮她。真的，我只是她棺材上的最后一颗钉子。"
I thought of the blue mare I’d laid with and couldn’t argue. A mare in that state… “So, what happened?”
我想起了和我一起生下的那匹蓝色的母马，无法争辩。一匹母马在那种状态..."那么，发生了什么?"
“Bombs fell. Everypony died,” she said with a shrug. “More specifically, they fell right in the middle of the test. But, good news… my potion worked! Trixie got her power. Her glory. Her fame. And, in thanks, she saved us by pulling us all into her… one after the next. Glued together in that… being. That monster I created.”
"炸弹落下来了。每匹小马都死了,"她耸耸肩说。"更具体地说，他们正好在测试中间掉了下来。但是，好消息是......我的药剂起作用了！Trixie得到了她的力量。她的晨辉。她的名声。为了表示感谢，她把我们都拉进了她的身体，一个接一个。粘在一起，在那...存在。我创造的那个怪物。"
I stared at her with a small frown, trying to figure out the pity party. Or was it self-pity? “What about Gardens?”
我皱着眉头盯着她，想弄明白这是一个多么可怜的聚会。还是自怨自艾？"那花园呢?"
Her eyes stared away and she took a slow pull off the bottle. “Gardens was a dream. I made a few experiments. Got the restoration megaspell to work in Tenpony… the arcanum nullification matrix was tricky… then there was the contagion devivification spell that had to be added…” Then she sighed. “All for nothing. Goldenblood talked me out of it… Luna wouldn’t tolerate anything that would suggest she’d failed. So two and a half years of my life wasted. And tens of thousands of ponies while I wasted my time with a pet project that’d never come to pass.”
她的目光移开了，慢慢地把瓶子拿了出来。"花园是一个梦想。我做了一些实验。让恢复计划的巨无霸在Tenpony工作......废除奥秘矩阵是很棘手的......然后就是不得不增加的传染性越轨咒......"然后她叹了口气。"一切都白费了。金布拉德说服了我...卢娜不会容忍任何暗示她失败的事情。所以我浪费了两年半的时间。还有成千上万匹小马，而我却把时间浪费在一个永远不会实现的宠物项目上。"
I stared at her in shock. She really didn’t know! Goldenblood hid the truth from everypony but Spike, and Spike had kept it to protect Twilight Sparkle. “Probably for the best…” Twilight muttered, “if I had created it, the Goddess would do everything to make sure it’s destroyed. After all, if alicorns are perfect to survive in the Wasteland, she’d have done all she could to destroy something that could save the wastes. Or worse, she’d have me corrupt it.”
我震惊地盯着她。她真的不知道！金血王对每匹小马隐瞒了真相，只有狼牙知道，狼牙保守这个秘密是为了保护紫悦。"也许这样最好......"暮光喃喃自语道,"如果是我创造了它，女神会不惜一切代价摧毁它。"。毕竟，如果橡树果在荒原上生存是完美的，她会尽她所能去摧毁一些可以拯救废物的东西。或者更糟，她会让我把它弄坏。"
My words died in my throat. Was that true? “It… it wasn’t a waste. Maybe… maybe someday, somepony could finish it?”
我说不出话来了。那是真的吗？"这...这不是浪费。也许...也许有一天，某个小马能完成它?"
“Yeah. I’m sure that’ll be a mistake, too,” she said with a sniff. “I should have listened to Goldenblood back at the beginning… I shouldn’t have been responsible. None of us should have agreed. We should have found another way. Any other way. Such a mistake…” she said as she grit her teeth. “Pinkie Pie… why didn’t I stop you? Why didn’t I realize what Fluttershy had done? Why didn’t I keep Rarity from… from doing such horrible things? Why didn’t I listen? Why didn’t I do the right thing?!”
"是的。我肯定那也是个错误,"她轻蔑地说。"我一开始就应该听Goldenblood的话......我不应该负责任。我们都不应该同意。我们应该另辟蹊径。还有别的办法吗。真是个错误......"她咬紧牙关说道。"平奇派......我为什么没有阻止你？为什么我没有意识到Fluttershy做了什么？为什么我不阻止她做这些可怕的事情？我为什么不听？为什么我没有做出正确的选择?"
Why hadn’t I gone another way? Why hadn’t I convinced Morning Glory to leave Miramare? Why didn’t I leave forty foals alive till somepony could help them? I should have… I’m sorry…
为什么我没有走另一条路？为什么我没有说服牵牛花离开米拉马雷？为什么我不留四十匹小马驹活着直到有人能帮助它们？我应该...对不起..。
Regret.
后悔。
Lacunae was a dump. A place where the Goddess had dumped all the memories and feelings she hadn’t wanted. If Lacunae was going to be separated, why not rid yourself of things you didn’t want to feel?
空隙是一个垃圾场。在这个地方，女神抛弃了所有她不想要的记忆和感觉。如果空隙即将被分离，为什么不摆脱你自己不想感受的东西？
I trotted to Twilight and did what I did best: I hugged her. “I wish I could tell you more, but your life wasn’t one big mistake. There were better parts to it.” We don’t always see the good we do. “I know you mattered to other ponies... and your friends. It wasn’t all a mistake.”
我小跑到暮光之城，做了我最擅长的事:我拥抱了她。"我希望我能告诉你更多，但是你的生活并不是一个大错误。还有更好的部分。"我们并不总是看到我们做的好事。"我知道你对其他小马很重要......还有你的朋友。这并不全是一个错误。"
“I wish that were true,” she murmured softly as everything around us fell away.
"我希望那是真的,"当我们周围的一切都消失的时候，她轻声地说。
The ruined library dissolved into purple motes, flowing inside me. And now more motes were floating from across the blasted landscape towards me, in spite of the wind. They came with the shame, guilt, and angst of broken ponies. The repairpony who neglected his wife and kids till they left him and died in Manehattan. The raider who had let her foals starve to feed herself. The green unicorn twins’ shameful incestuous relationship because neither could love another as much as they loved each other. More and more.
破败的图书馆变成了紫色的尘埃，在我体内流淌。现在，越来越多的尘粒不顾风的影响，从这片荒芜的土地上向我飘来。他们带着耻辱、内疚和受伤的小马的焦虑来到这里。一个忽视妻子和孩子直到他们离开他死在Manehattan的修理工。那个让小马驹饿着肚子养活自己的掠夺者。绿色独角兽双胞胎的可耻乱伦关系，因为谁也不能爱另一个像他们爱对方一样多。越来越多。
Lacunae: something missing. I’d thought that Lacunae had been a pony whose memories had been taken away. She wasn’t. She was a collection of the pain and angst of hundreds of ponies. Their shame. Their regret. Their guilt. All collected into one vessel sealed off and tossed into the one place they couldn’t be heard. I
缺陷:缺少了什么。我还以为拉库尼是一匹记忆被带走的小马呢。她没有。她是数百匹小马痛苦和焦虑的集合体。他们的耻辱。他们的遗憾。他们的罪恶感。所有人都被集中在一个密封的容器里，扔进一个听不到他们声音的地方。一
wondered what such a being would be... stripped of all its misery and doubt. No mistakes. No confusion...
想知道这样一个生物会是什么样子，被剥夺了所有的痛苦和疑虑。没有错误。没有困惑..。
Suddenly, the stories of alicorns abroad being complete monsters made a whole lot more sense.
突然之间，关于海外的橡子是彻头彻尾的怪物的故事变得有意义多了。
With that, the motes were gone. “So... now what? Is something supposed to happen? Are we done here?” I asked as I turned around to look at the windswept field. For once, I actually wanted the Dealer to show up and provide me with a clue.
就这样，尘埃消失了。"那么......现在怎么办？会发生什么事吗？我们说完了吗?"我一边问，一边转过身来，看着风吹过的田野。这一次，我真的希望"交易商"出现，给我一个提示。
Instead, I got a mirror?
相反，我得到了一面镜子？
Slowly, I approached it. Just a simple standing mirror. A bit fancy. Maybe I’d seen it in Blueblood Manor... or maybe it was something from the countless memories inside me. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I trotted towards it. “Okay... horrible mind rape or emotional crush time incoming. Bring it on.” I stood before my battered, bloody, bleeding self. “Okay! Bring it on! Evil twin combat? Mind messing? Some horrible self-revelation? I can take it.”
慢慢地，我接近了它。只是一面简单的立镜。有点花哨。也许我在BluebloodManor见过它......也许它来自我内心无数的回忆。我闭上眼睛，深深地吸了一口气，向它跑去。"好吧......可怕的精神强奸或情感破坏时间到来。来吧。"我站在被打得遍体鳞伤、血流不止的自己面前。"好吧！放马过来！邪恶的双胞胎战斗？精神错乱？一些可怕的自我揭露？我能承受。"
But... nothing. Just me. White hide. Two bright red eyes. Clean. Goddesses, how long ago had it been since clean was normal and muck, mud, and blood an aberration? Neat security barding. Old normal PipBuck without some damned megaspell program inside it. Happy. Goddesses, I looked so happy! Well fed. No worries but to deal with the next shift and the next game.
但是...什么都没有。只有我。白色的皮。两只明亮的红眼睛。保持清洁。女神啊，从多久以前清洁就是正常的，而淤泥、泥浆和血液则是反常的？干净利落的安全交易。没有该死的megaspell程序的普通旧PipBuck。快乐。女神们，我看起来多么快乐！吃得好。不用担心，只要应付下一个转变和下一场比赛。
I stared at my reflection. Really? What was the point of this? I narrowed my eye, gritting my teeth. “What? I get it! I was an idiot then! What’s your point?” I yelled at myself, then reared up and shoved the mirror back. It shattered... no... not the mirror. Me. And when I looked again, there was the mirror... and there was me...
我凝视着自己的倒影。真的吗？这有什么意义？我眯起眼睛，咬紧牙关。"什么？我明白了！那时我是个白痴！你想说什么?"我对自己大喊大叫，然后站起来，把镜子推回去。它碎了...不...不是镜子。我。当我再看的时候，那里有一面镜子...还有我..。
Bloody, battered me on my weak limbs. My one freakish glowing eye staring back at me. Goddesses... did I look this hurt to everypony? I turned, looking at the bullet hole scars dotting my hide. The ugly splash on my chest. The mar on my face. My hide looked like it was starting to become diseased. I was so dirty that I’d never be clean again; the dirt and blood seemed part of my hide. Mutated limbs bending before my very eyes... like I was turning into some sort of pony leech hybrid. Even my teeth were going yellow, my ribs showing. I didn’t even look like a stable pony any more.
血淋淋的，打得我四肢发软。我那奇怪的发光的眼睛盯着我。女神啊...我看起来是不是对每个小马都很伤心？我转过身，看着点缀在我皮肤上的弹孔。我胸前那难看的水花。我脸上的伤痕。我的皮肤看起来像是开始生病了。我浑身脏兮兮的，再也洗不干净了;污垢和血迹仿佛是我皮肤的一部分。变异的四肢在我眼前弯曲......就像我变成了某种水蛭杂交的小马。甚至我的牙齿都变黄了，我的肋骨都露出来了。我甚至看起来都不像一匹马驹了。
“I get it! I suck! I’m dying! What’s the fucking point?” I screamed, shoving it over again and seeing myself shatter in bloody bits.
"我明白了！我糟透了！我要死了！他妈的有什么意义?"我尖叫着，又把它推了一遍，眼睁睁地看着自己被撕成碎片。
The mirror... I didn’t want to look in it now. I was sick of this place. Sick of these mind games. Sick of always being hurt...
镜子...我现在不想看。我讨厌这个地方。厌倦了这些心理游戏。厌倦了总是被伤害..。
The pony in the mirror...
镜子里的小马。
I screamed as I shoved the mirror away, clenching my eyes. I wasn’t that. I wasn’t going to be that! That pony belonged in a cave! I was going to be dead in six months... a year at the most!
当我把镜子推开时，我尖叫起来，双眼紧闭。我不是那样的人。我不想变成那样！那匹小马属于一个山洞！我六个月后就要死了......最多一年！
Please... let me be dead...
求你了...让我死吧..。
“You still want to die...” whispered a mare inside me. It sounded like Trixie.
"你还是想死......"我体内的一匹母马低声说。听起来像特里克茜。
I closed my eye, lifting my head as I fought the despair inside me. Even after Gardens... Even after finding out about Marigold... I didn’t want to live if it meant turning into that thing. I was becoming a monster. A bloody, brutalized, beaten monster. The Wasteland was molding me into another Gorgon or Deus with all the finesse that Sanguine could muster. I fought the sob in my throat. “I’m scared...”
我闭上眼睛，抬起头，与内心的绝望作斗争。甚至在花园之后...甚至在发现了万寿菊之后...如果那意味着变成那个东西，我不想活了。我变成了一个怪物。一个血淋淋的、残忍的、被打败的怪物。荒原把我塑造成了另一个蛇发女怪或者说是杜斯，用尽了桑吉尼所能运用的全部技巧。我忍住了喉咙里的呜咽。"我很害怕......"
And that was it. Fear. I was afraid. Afraid I’d hurt my friends. Afraid of what I was becoming. Afraid of what would happen to everypony if I died. Better for me to hurry the process along. Fall apart. Push as long and hard as I could before I fell apart for good. Death was easier. I sobbed there in that dark emptiness, ignoring the contents of the mirror as it wept too. “I don’t want to die... I don’t want to... to become that thing!” I said as I pointed at the mirror with a limp hoof. “I want to live!”
就是这样。恐惧。我很害怕。害怕我会伤害我的朋友。害怕我会变成什么样子。害怕如果我死了会发生在每匹小马身上。对我来说，最好赶快完成这个过程。崩溃。在我彻底崩溃之前，尽我最大的努力坚持下去。死亡更容易些。我在黑暗的空虚中抽泣，忽略了镜子里的东西，因为它也在哭泣。"我不想死......我不想......变成那样!"我一边说，一边用软绵绵的蹄子指着镜子。"我想活下去!"
“Then live,” Twilight murmured softly inside me. “Live for your friends. Live for Gardens. Live for something you want to live for. Don’t make my mistake... Don’t live for something you hate.”
"那就活下去吧,"暮色在我心里低声说。"为你的朋友而活。活出花园。为你想为之而活的东西而活。不要犯我的错误......不要为你讨厌的东西而活。"
I sniffed, looking at that thing. It couldn’t look back at me. “And... what if...”
我闻了闻，看着那个东西。它无法回头看我。"而且......如果......"
There was silence for a moment, and then Psalm said quietly, “That’s what friends are for.”
沉默了一会儿，然后诗篇平静地说:"这就是朋友该做的。"
I sat there a moment, blubbering like an idiot. The fact that I was going to inevitably die young looked back at me. Twilight’s taint was slowly and inevitably transforming me into something monstrous.
我在那儿坐了一会儿，哭得像个白痴。我将不可避免地英年早逝，这个事实回头看着我。暮光之城的污点慢慢地，不可避免地把我变成了怪物。
“I’m sorry...” I whispered to that thing in the mirror. To those mares inside me.
"对不起......"我对着镜子里的那个东西低声说。为了我体内的那些母马。
“There’s no shame in fear...”
"恐惧并不可耻......"
“The shame is in letting your fear control you.”
"羞耻是让你的恐惧控制你。"
“You have to keep faith, even when you’re afraid.”
"你必须保持信念，即使在你害怕的时候。"
“You gotta giggle at the ghosties, even when laughing’s the last thing you want to do!”
"你必须对着鬼脸傻笑，即使笑是你最不想做的事情!"
“Don’t let being afraid stop you from being awesome!”
"不要让恐惧阻止你变得优秀!"
“Don’t let fear turn you mean and hateful.”
"不要让恐惧使你变得卑鄙和可恨。"
“Be honest with yourself. Lying never changed nothing.”
"对自己诚实一点。撒谎永远不会改变什么。"
“Ante up...”
"下注......"
I finally looked at that thing that was once a happy and healthy mare and sighed, “I’m going to be dead soon... or I’m going to be a monster.” And then I smiled a little. “Well... guess I better make the time count. Now... how do I get out of Lacunae?”
我终于看到了那匹曾经快乐健康的母马，叹了口气,"我很快就要死了......否则我会变成一个怪物。"然后我微微一笑。"嗯......我想我最好把时间利用起来。现在......我该怎么走出空隙呢?"
“Just ask...” the mare replied, complete and whole within me. I heard the soft hum. My own humming. And I hummed along with myself. Maybe I was doomed. I was afraid. But I wouldn’t let fear destroy me. I had too much to do.
"只要问......"母马回答，完整而完整地在我里面。我听到了轻柔的嗡嗡声。我自己的嗡嗡声。我和自己一起哼着小曲。也许我是命中注定的。我很害怕。但我不会让恐惧毁了我。我有太多事情要做。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I gazed into Lacunae’s eyes as they focused on my own. She blinked, then looked down at Lightning Dancer holding me up. “Ah...” she said delicately, “I assume that there have been... developments?”
我凝视着陷阱的眼睛，因为它们注视着我自己。她眨了眨眼睛，然后低头看着闪电舞者把我举起来。"啊......"她婉转地说,"我想应该有......进展了吧?"
“You could say that,” I said, and the yellow mare nodded and deftly placed me back in the wheelchair. “Thank you, Lacunae,” I said as I settled back, looking
"你可以这么说,"我说，那匹黄色的母马点点头，灵巧地把我放回轮椅上。"谢谢你，拉库奈,"我回过头来看着他，说道
up at her with a soft smile. “That last bit... with the mirror. That was you, wasn’t it?”
带着温柔的微笑看着她。"最后一点......关于镜子。那是你，是不是?"
The alicorn fidgeted a little and gave a sheepish smile. “It only seemed right. You pulled me out of the dark and put me back together again.”
阿里克松有点坐立不安，露出了羞怯的微笑。"只是看起来是对的。你把我从黑暗中拉了出来，让我重新振作起来。"
Virtue isn’t something inherent. The Goddess and countless ponies within had shoved their flaws and weaknesses into the equivalent of a closet and created a mare who was gentle and kind, who had learned from her mistakes. Who was better for them. You couldn’t have empathy if you anesthetized yourself to the pain of others.
美德不是与生俱来的。女神和里面无数的小马把它们的缺点和弱点塞进了一个相当于壁橱的地方，创造了一匹温柔善良的母马，她从她的错误中吸取了教训。谁更适合他们。如果你把自己麻醉在别人的痛苦中，你就不可能有同理心。
“You get a horn, and suddenly everything’s all magical and mystical,” Lightning Dancer said with a teasing grin, looking at Lacunae curiously. Clearly, anypony with wings was an okay pony to a pegasus.
"你有了号角，突然间一切都变得神奇而神秘,"闪电舞者带着挑逗的笑容说，好奇地看着拉库奈。显然，任何有翅膀的小马都是匹匹马。
“Yup. It’s a great, mysterious world for us horn heads,” I replied with a grin. Lacunae lifted me easily with her horn, adjusting me in the seat. I had to admit, I felt a bit foalish being lifted around like that.
"是的。对我们这些喇叭头来说，这是一个伟大而神秘的世界。"我笑着回答。拉古娜用她的号角轻松地把我举了起来，把我调整到座位上。我不得不承认，我觉得自己像小马驹一样被举起来。
“Well, if you’re done, I’ll go wait for Dusk. She’s probably going to need some cloudberry wine and a good cry after all this is done,” she said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. “The tougher the mare, the bigger the softie inside.” Deus must have been stuffed with down fluff, then. She trotted off back towards Glory’s room.
"好吧，如果你做完了，我就去等黄昏。这一切结束后，她可能需要一些黄莓酒和痛哭一场,"她微笑着说，眼睛转了一圈。"母马越坚强，内心越软弱。"那么天王一定是被绒毛塞满了。她小跑着回到晨辉的房间。
“That is a very interesting mare,” Lacunae said softly.
"这是一匹非常有趣的母马,"拉古奈轻声说。
“Ponies keep surprising me,” I agreed with a smile. Then I looked up at her. “I need to find P-21 and Scotch... and Rampage. Push me? My horn isn’t really working right now.” I frowned, screwing up my face. There was a sparkle from the tip, then a zap like the blowing of a light bulb. I rolled my eye, looking at the char barely visible on the tip of my horn. "Yup. Still not working." I pouted. Stupid little defective horn... hurmph.
"小马总是给我惊喜,"我微笑着同意道。然后我抬头看着她。"我需要找到P-21和苏格兰威士忌......还有狂暴。推我？我的喇叭现在真的坏了。"我皱起了眉头，皱起了脸。它的顶端闪闪发光，然后就像电灯泡被吹灭了一样。我转了转眼睛，看着角尖上几乎看不见的焦点。"是的。还是不行。"我撅着嘴。愚蠢的有缺陷的小喇叭...轰。
* * *
* * *
It took a bit of time to find them in the ‘School of Literature’. One classroom had been converted into a kitchen. The fare was distinctly basic, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Most of the Eggheads sat around with books, talking about
我花了点时间才在"文学学院"找到他们。一间教室被改成了厨房。食物显然是最基本的，但乞丐没有选择的余地。大多数书呆子围坐在一起读书，谈论着
their ideas, problems, and plans. Scotch Tape stared at a Sparkle-Cola slowly going flat before her. P-21 read an arcane science book like his life depended on it. Rampage was explaining in exact detail the best way to snap a neck to two horrified-looking research mares.
他们的想法，问题和计划。透明胶带盯着眼前慢慢变平的可乐。P-21阅读一本晦涩难懂的科学书籍，就像他的生命依赖于此一样。横冲直撞正在准确地详细解释折断两匹看起来吓坏了的研究母马的脖子的最好方法。
She gets turned into a filly, deals with a tech abomination, has at least three different mares inside her, and goes on without a tick. I owed her a hug. Later. Right now, I pointed at P-21 and Lacunae steered me to his table. He glanced at me, glanced at the alicorn, and returned to reading with a focused stare that implied that either he didn’t want to talk or he was trying to levitate it with his earth pony magic. Somehow, I doubted it was the latter.
她变成了一头小母马，和一头讨厌的科技怪物做交易，体内至少有三匹不同的母马，而且一匹也没有。我欠她一个拥抱。再见。现在，我指着P-21，Lacunae把我带到他的桌子旁。他看了我一眼，又看了一眼那个小角，然后又专注地盯着我看，这表明他要么不想说话，要么就是想用他的小马魔法让它飘起来。不知怎么的，我怀疑是后者。
“I didn’t realize it was a problem for you,” I said softly.
"我没有意识到这对你来说是个问题,"我轻声说。
“Well, given that I didn’t tell her, I would have thought you’d have picked up on it. Silly me,” he replied in an acid tone.
"好吧，既然我没有告诉她，我以为你已经注意到了。我真傻,"他用尖酸的语气回答。
I supposed I deserved that. “So, why is it a problem?”
我想这是我应得的。"那么，这有什么问题呢?"
He finally looked at me. “Blackjack, what does the word ‘father’ mean to you?”
他终于看着我。"黑杰克,'父亲'这个词对你来说意味着什么?"
I hadn’t exactly thought about that. “Well... um... when a stallion and a mare love each other very much...” I said lamely, but he clearly wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Definitely in grumpy pony mode. “I don’t know. I never really thought about it. Textbook told us that they helped mares care for foals back before the Incident.” And that we didn’t need them any more with the breeding queues.
我还没想过这个问题。"嗯......嗯......当一匹种马和一匹母马非常相爱的时候......"我一瘸一拐地说，但他显然没有心情开玩笑。绝对是脾气暴躁的小马模式。"我不知道。我从来没想过这个问题。教科书告诉我们，事故发生前，他们帮助母马照顾小马驹。"我们不再需要繁殖队列了。
“Well, to me it means ‘sperm donor’,” he replied flatly.
"对我来说，它的意思是'精子捐献者',"他直截了当地回答。
“I still don’t see the problem,” I said.
"我还是看不出问题所在,"我说。
He clearly fought to repress what he wanted to say. Then he said, in low, even tones, “Scotch Tape now thinks of me as family. As her ‘father’.” He sighed and closed his eyes and he sat back. “Her mother always went on and on about us being a family once we were out of the stable. Living together. Having more children. Love...” He sighed and rubbed his face. “All I wanted was to escape. Now she expects me to be a ‘father’ to her... I doubt that she knows what that means either.”
显然，他竭力压制自己想说的话。然后他低声而平和地说:"透明胶带现在把我当成家人了。作为她的'父亲'。"他叹了口气，闭上眼睛，往后靠了靠。"一旦我们离开了马厩，她妈妈总是不停地说我们是一家人。一起生活。生更多的孩子。爱......"他叹了口气，揉了揉脸。"我只想逃跑。现在她希望我成为她的'父亲'......我怀疑她也不知道这意味着什么。"
“Maybe not,” I replied softly, “but here is what I do know. Over the last month,
"也许不会,"我轻声回答,"但我知道的是。上个月
that filly has lost more than you or I. She’s lost her home... her mother... and today she lost her innocence. Now, maybe she does have expectations of you that aren’t fair, but you are twice her age and she needs all the help she can get. We’re all she has in the world!”
那匹小母马失去的比你我都多她失去了她的家...她的母亲...今天她失去了她的纯真。现在，也许她对你的期望是不公平的，但是你的年龄是她的两倍，她需要所有她能得到的帮助。我们是她在这个世界上的全部!"
“You don’t understand,” he hissed, clenching his eyes shut as he rubbed his face. “I can’t be her father... it’s... I just can’t!” I’d seen that look in his eyes just a few days ago. There was more to this than just unexpected relationships.
"你不明白,"他嘶嘶地说，一边揉着脸，一边紧闭双眼。"我不能成为她的父亲......这......我就是不能!"就在几天前，我在他的眼睛里看到了这种眼神。这不仅仅是意料之外的关系。
“All right, but I hope someday soon you can at least tell her why,” I said softly. I wouldn’t press further... not right now anyway. I could still see the angry ring around his neck. I nodded for Lacunae to wheel me over to Scotch Tape.
"好吧，但我希望不久的将来你至少能告诉她原因,"我轻声说。我不会再逼你了...至少现在不会。我仍然可以看到他脖子上那个愤怒的圈。我点头示意拉库奈把我推到透明胶带那儿。
The filly didn’t look up from her bottle. “Hey. Rubber hoof brigade, coming through,” I said as I waggled my limp limb at her. “Wooga wooga wooga.”
小母马没有从奶瓶上抬起头来。"嘿。"橡皮蹄队，过来了,"我一边说，一边向她摇晃着我的瘸腿。"呜嘎呜嘎。"
She narrowed her eyes, leaning away from me. “You are so weird, Blackjack!”
她眯起眼睛，把身子从我身边移开。"你真奇怪，黑杰克!"
“I’m trying to get you to smile,” I replied,
"我只是想让你笑一笑,"我回答,
“I’m not a foal,” she said with a huff, returning her gaze to her soda. I glanced at P-21 sitting in the exact same pose. Dear Celestia, their obstinacy was genetic!
"我不是小马驹,"她怒气冲冲地说，目光又回到她的苏打水上。我瞥了一眼坐在那里的P-21，姿势完全一样。亲爱的塞莱斯蒂亚，他们的固执是遗传的！
I gave her a flat look. “I’ll have you know that I have body tackled raiders, Enclave power armor, and monsterponies.” Oh, now she was looking at me like I was disturbed. I grinned. “So tackling you and tickling you till you cry probably isn’t impossible.”
我平淡地看了她一眼。"我会让你知道，我已经解决了突袭机，昂科雷电力盔甲，和怪兽。"现在她看我的眼神好像我被打扰了。我咧嘴一笑。"所以抓住你，挠你直到你哭可能并不是不可能的。"
“You wouldn’t!” she gasped.
"你不会的!"她倒抽了一口冷气。
I did, and to hell with everypony who stared like I’d lost my mind! I didn’t stop till she was laughing and gasping and begging for mercy. I was laughing, too. And from across the room, I thought I saw a ghost of a smile on P-21’s face.
我做到了，让那些盯着我看，好像我疯了的小马见鬼去吧！我没有停下来，直到她笑着，喘着气，乞求我的怜悯。我也笑了。从房间的另一边，我想我看到了P-21脸上幽灵般的微笑。
“Thanks, Blackjack,” she said softly once she’d caught her breath. “For caring...”
"谢谢，Blackjack,"她屏住呼吸轻声说道。"为了关心......"
“We all care about you,” I said as I shifted and shoved myself into sitting upright against the wall next to the olive filly.
"我们都关心你,"我一边说，一边挪动身子，靠着墙坐了起来，紧挨着橄榄小姑娘。
“He doesn’t,” Scotch Tape said. “He hates me.” Three guesses as to who she’s talking about, Blackjack...
"他没有,"苏格兰磁带说。"他恨我。"猜三次她说的是谁Blackjack..。
“P-21 doesn’t hate you. He’s just... he’s just like that. He’s serious about everything,” I said as I gave her a patient smile and brushed her mane out of her teal eyes.
"P-21不讨厌你。他就是...就是这样。他对每件事都很认真,"我说，给了她一个耐心的微笑，拂去了她蓝绿色眼睛上的鬃毛。
Her smile didn’t last. “I screwed up,” she said softly.
她的微笑没有持续多久。"我搞砸了,"她轻声说。
“Come again?”
"再说一遍?"
“In the office?” she reminded me as she stared at her hooves. “I was so scared I just froze up. I think I wet myself a little...”
"在办公室?"她盯着自己的蹄子提醒我。"我吓坏了，一下子呆住了。我想我有点尿裤子了......"
“Well, it was dangerous...” If it hadn’t been for my clattery leg braces I’d have done it myself.
"好吧，这很危险......"如果不是因为我那叮当作响的腿支架，我早就自己动手了。
“Not that,” she said softly, pressing her limbs together. “I saw... it. The monster from the tunnels.” She drew a trembling breath. “There was a heap of scrap in there. Just a pile of junk... but I knew it was going to come alive. It was going to eat me... eat us all. I would have stayed there till I reappeared if some mare hadn’t brushed against me. I nearly got caught anyway…”
"不是那个,"她轻轻地说，把四肢压在一起。"我看到了......它。隧道里的怪物。"她颤抖地吸了一口气。"里面有一堆废铁。只是一堆垃圾...但我知道它会活过来的。它要吃了我...吃了我们所有人。如果没有母马碰到我，我会一直呆在那里直到我再次出现。反正我也差点被抓住......"
She shook, and I put a leg across her shoulders. “I see it all the time. I hear it in the walls.” She pointed at a Sparkle-Cola machine in the corner. “I... I think its in there, and any second it’s going to pop out and eat us all.”
她颤抖着，我把一条腿放在她的肩膀上。"我经常看到这种情况。我在墙上听到了。"她指着角落里的一台可乐售货机。"我.....。.我想它就在那儿，随时都会跳出来把我们都吃掉。"
“Scotch, it’s gone. I shot it with the strongest gun in Equestria. It’s not coming back,” I said, but I saw she wasn’t convinced.
"苏格兰威士忌，不见了。我用了全Equestria最强的枪。不会回来了,"我说，但我看到她并不相信。
Triage trotted in and immediately approached me, four new leg braces floating beside her. I broke into a wide grin. “Finally! I am so tired of being pushed around like an old gray mare.”
伤检员小跑进来，立刻走近我，她身边漂浮着四个新的腿支架。我咧嘴大笑起来。"终于来了！我已经厌倦了像一匹老灰马一样被人摆布。"
“Oh, no, old gray mares are much better patients than you. Speaking of which, the professor wants to make sure that you speak with her before you run off again.” Funny, she didn’t seem like she was very happy about that. My mane was starting to prickle.
"哦，不，老灰马比你更适合当病人。说到这个，教授希望你在离开之前能和她谈谈。"有趣的是，她看起来并不为此感到高兴。我的鬃毛开始刺痛。
“All right, just let me check on Glory first...”
"好吧，让我先看看晨辉......"
“I’m afraid that that wasn’t a request,” a stallion said from the doorway. The unicorn levitated a bow and arrow, the black arrowhead glowing with an inset talisman. Looming behind him was a massive sentry bot with a white crab painted on the front. A zebra mare bearing a scorpion cutie mark-- were they still called cutie marks on zebras?-- and carrying a rifle the spitting image of Lancer’s skulked on his left, and a white pegasus mare with two needle rifles on her battle saddle stood to his right. The stallion with the arrow glared right at me. “Professor Zodiac will see you. Now.”
"我恐怕那不是一个请求,"一匹种马在门口说。这只独角兽悬浮在一张弓和一支箭上，黑色的箭头上镶嵌着一个护身符。在他身后隐约可见一个巨大的哨兵机器人，前面画着一只白色的螃蟹。一匹有蝎子可爱斑点的斑马----斑马身上还有可爱斑点吗？他左边拿着一支和兰瑟一模一样的步枪，右边站着一匹骑马的白色母马，马鞍上放着两支来复枪。那匹带着箭的种马直直地瞪着我。"十二宫教授要见你。现在。"
Footnote: Level Up.
脚注:水平上升。
New perk added: Made of Stubbornium -- You just don’t know when to up and die! When reduced to 25% or fewer hit points, you gain +6 DT and regenerate 2hp/sec till above 25% hit points.
新的额外津贴补充说:由斯塔布尔尼姆制成----你只是不知道什么时候起来和死！当生命值降低到25%或更少时，你可以获得+6DT，再生2hp/sec直到生命值超过25%。
Quest perk added: Magic Bullet (rank 3) -- The range of your magic bullet spell has increased by a factor of five.
任务特技补充:魔法子弹(等级3)--你的魔法子弹魔法范围增加了5倍。
 
Author's Notes:
作者笔记:
((Huge thanks and admiration to Kkat for creating FoE. Massive props to Hinds and Bronode for spending TEN hours making this decent! And thanks to everypony who leaves feedback! You make this possible.))
(非常感谢和赞赏Kkat创造了地球之友。为Hinds和Bronode花费十个小时制作这个像样的东西而大加赞赏！感谢每一位留下反馈的小马！你让这成为可能。)