“I have to find a way... To make this all okay... I can't believe this small mistake... Could've caused so much heartache...”
"我必须找到一种方法......让一切都好起来......我不敢相信这个小小的错误......会造成如此多的心痛......"
There was a certain point somewhere in my life where reality and my expectations of it diverged sharply and never really realigned after. Maybe it was being trapped underground, watching my friend’s wing fall off. Perhaps it was back when I woke up with more metal in my body than any living mare – any living creature, come to that – should have. Or it might have been when I found out I was related to one of the most famous Ministry Mares. A goddess hijacking my body to kill a friend counted pretty high on the list, too, but just a little underneath getting my mind trapped in a machine. Or course, deaths one, two, or three might count.
在我生命中的某个时刻，现实和我对现实的期望截然不同，从未真正重新调整过。也许它被困在地下，看着我朋友的翅膀掉下来。也许是当我醒来的时候，我体内的金属比任何活着的母马——任何活着的生物——都要多。或者可能是当我发现我是与一个最著名的部母马有关。一个女神劫持我的身体去杀死一个朋友，在这个名单上也占了相当高的位置，但是只有一点点让我的思想困在了一个机器里。当然，死一个，两个，或者三个也许算数。
So when I stared up at a giant glowing alicorn-shaped figure within the moonstone, the only thing I could reply with was a neutral, “Huh.” It was pretty darn high on the wierdometer, sure, but didn’t even make the top five. Well, its name was Tom… maybe number five? “Look, Tom, I hate to tell you, but we’re a little occupied right now. I’m trying to save my world from your moonstone annihilating the Eater. Sorry.” I turned back to Echo. “So, are you going to help us or not?”
所以，当我抬头凝视月长石中一个巨大的、发光的亚里冈形状的物体时，我唯一能回答的就是一声中性的"哼"当然，它在线路计数器上的排名相当高，但甚至没有进入前五名。嗯，它的名字叫汤姆...也许是五号？"听着，汤姆，我不想告诉你，但是我们现在有点忙。我正试图从你的月光石中拯救我的世界。对不起。"我转向Echo。"那么，你到底帮不帮我们?"
His unfocused eyes were fixated on the huge, glowing form. “Huh?” he asked, seemingly unable to tear his gaze from it.
他目不转睛地盯着那个发光的大家伙。"啊?"他问道，似乎无法将目光从它身上移开。
YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. THE EATER MUST BE DESTROYED. the voice boomed, the volume a little below stroke-inducing.
你不明白。食客必须被消灭。声音低沉，音量低于中风的程度。
“Right. Unfortunately, I don’t want every single person I know to die,” I said, glaring up at it. “And I don’t have time to argue this.”
"对。不幸的是，我不希望我认识的每一个人都死去,"我说，怒视着它。"我没有时间争论这个问题。"
AH! EASILY REMEDIED! The glowing blue eyes flared brightly.
啊！很容易补救！发光的蓝眼睛明亮地闪烁着。
I lifted my hooves in alarm. “No! Wait!” But the world swirled away.
我惊慌地抬起我的蹄子。"不！等等!"但是世界却在旋转中消失了。
When it coalesced, I found myself alone, wearing my old security barding, in Stable 99’s atrium. It was definitely cleaner than I’d ever known it to be. It felt so very wrong to see it pristine and utterly deserted. I sat at one of the long dining tables set out in the atrium. “Hello, Blackjack,” a stallion said calmly. I turned and looked at an oddly familiar unicorn sitting with his hooves clasped on the table in front of him. Not Goldenblood, thank goodness. A pale white unicorn stallion with a candy cane mane smiled at me. “This should be a little easier.”
当它结合起来的时候，我发现自己孤身一人，穿着我那件旧式的安全防护服，在Stable99的中庭里。它绝对比我所知道的更干净。看到它原始而完全荒凉的样子，感觉真是大错特错。我坐在中庭摆放的一张长餐桌旁。"你好，黑杰克,"一匹种马平静地说。我转过身来，看到一只奇怪而熟悉的独角兽坐在他面前的桌子上，它的蹄子紧扣在桌子上。谢天谢地，不是金色血统。一匹淡白色的独角兽种马，长着一条糖果手杖的鬃毛，对我微笑着。"这应该会容易一些。"
P-21, Scotch Tape, and Rampage appeared at the table. They looked around, equally baffled, till their eyes landed on the strange stallion. “Charity?” Scotch said. “What are you doing here?”
P-21、透明胶带和狂暴出现在桌子上。他们同样困惑地环顾四周，直到他们的目光落在这匹奇怪的种马身上。"施舍?"苏格兰人说。"你在这儿干什么?"
“Charity?” Rampage asked with a frown. “That’s Big Daddy!”
"施舍?"狂暴皱着眉头问道。"那是大老爹!"
I sighed and rubbed my face with my hooves. “This is all in our heads,” I groaned, then regarded Tom flatly. He appeared far too comfortable with this little trick. “We’re all seeing someone different. For me he’s some strange stallion from my stable.”
我叹了口气，用蹄子擦了擦脸。"这都是我们脑子里的想法,"我呻吟着，然后直截了当地看着汤姆。他似乎对这个小把戏太自在了。"我们看到的都是不同的人。对我来说，他是我马厩里的一匹奇怪的种马。"
Rampage clutched her head and groaned. “Unicorns… flipping unicorns… Unicorns living their weird unicorn lives…”
狂暴抓住她的头，呻吟着。"独角兽......讨厌的独角兽......独角兽过着奇怪的独角兽生活......"
“So, this isn’t Chapel?” Scotch Tape asked as she stared around, in wide-eyed wonder. “But it looks just like it!” Then she frowned a little. “A little too clean though. And we haven’t even started on the windmills yet!”
"那么，这里不是教堂?"苏格兰胶带问道，她睁大了眼睛惊奇地看着周围。"但看起来就是这样!"然后她皱了皱眉。"不过有点太干净了。我们甚至还没有开始建造风车呢!"
“That’s because it’s coming from your head,” I said, then glared at Tom. “You built what we’re seeing from our memories, didn’t you?” He nodded once, and I grunted sourly. Mind games were getting old... but he’d also made sure it was clear this wasn’t actually real, unlike Happyhorn. I grudgingly gave Tom a point for that. Tom smiled, folding his hooves patiently as he waited. I looked over at P-21, who seemed a little troubled. “Who do you see?”
"那是因为它是从你的脑袋里发出来的,"我说，然后瞪着汤姆。"你创造了我们从记忆中看到的一切，不是吗?"他点了一下头，我不高兴地哼了一声。心理游戏已经过时了......但他也明确表示，这不是真的，不像哈皮霍恩。我勉强给了汤姆一分。汤姆微笑着，耐心地叠着蹄子等待着。我看了看P-21，他似乎有点不安。"你看见谁了?"
He looked over at Scotch Tape, then at Tom. “Somepony… who helped me…”
他看了看透明胶带，又看了看汤姆。"有人......帮助过我......"
I stared at Tom a moment. “So you’re appearing as somepony who can help, but not ponies we love. And I bet this isn’t happening in normal time, right?” I asked, thinking back to being trapped in the Happyhorn simulation. He gave another shake of his head.
我盯着汤姆看了一会。"所以你表现得像一匹能帮忙的小马，而不是我们喜欢的小马。我打赌这种情况不会在正常时间发生，对吧?"我问道，回想着被困在哈比霍恩模拟中的情景。他又摇了摇头。
“But why are we here?” Scotch Tape asked. “I mean,” she continued, pointing a hoof at me, “weird stuff happening to Blackjack is normal. I’d freak out if she went a month with nothing strange happening.”
"但我们为什么在这里?"透明胶带问道。"我的意思是,"她继续说，用蹄子指着我,"发生在黑杰克身上的怪事是正常的。如果她一个月都没有什么奇怪的事情发生，我会抓狂的。"
“Gee, thanks.” I snorted and rolled my eyes. Still, I had to admit, I was curious too.
"哎呀，谢谢。"我哼了一声，翻了个白眼。不过，我不得不承认，我也很好奇。
Tom smiled and spread his hooves. “Who can say? I intended this to be a party of one, but it seems the moonstone she rolled in and her affinity for all of you has pulled you in as well. I can only speculate that the malfunction of the divinatory device resulted in this gestalt.” He arched a brow at me. “Or did you do this intentionally?”
汤姆微笑着展开他的蹄子。""谁知道呢？我本打算这是一个一人的聚会，但似乎她滚进来的月光石和她对你们所有人的亲和力也把你们拉进来了。我只能推测是占卜仪器的故障导致了这种格式塔。"他向我挑了挑眉毛。"还是你故意这么做的?"
Rampage burst out laughing and snorting. “Blackjack! Doing something like this? On purpose? Hah!” The three of us stared at her flatly as her laughter faded. “What? I’m just saying you usually do cool stuff on accident and mess up if you…” She trailed off, then said sulkily, “Well, I thought it was funny.”
狂暴的人突然大笑起来，喷着鼻息。"黑杰克！做这种事？是故意的吗？哈!"当她的笑声渐渐消失时，我们三个人直勾勾地盯着她。"什么？我只是说你经常在意外的时候做一些很酷的事情，如果你搞砸了的话......"她停了下来，然后生气地说,"嗯，我觉得这很有趣。"
I sighed, closing my eyes and wishing there was one more person here who could have made sense of this mess. I could imagine Glory sitting beside me, willing me to be smart enough to figure all this out. I thought about it a moment and took a deep breath, then met Tom’s eyes. “Okay. You brought us here for a reason.” I remembered what it had boomed out at me. “You want us to let Horizons fire so that you can destroy the Eater.” He nodded again, his eyes turning sympathetic. “Even though it will kill everything in the Wasteland.”
我叹了口气，闭上眼睛，希望这里还有一个人能够理解这一团糟。我可以想象晨辉坐在我旁边，希望我足够聪明来弄清楚这一切。我想了一会儿，深深地吸了一口气，然后看着汤姆的眼睛。"好吧。你带我们来这里是有原因的。"我想起了它向我发出的隆隆声。"你想让我们让地平线号点火，这样你就可以消灭食者了。"他再次点点头，眼睛转向同情的目光。"即使它会杀死荒原上的一切。"
“Not everything,” he replied. And suddenly the walls around me were torn away in an enormous explosion. The blast whipped at my mane, and I lifted my hooves to protect my eyes from the blinding light. Of course, it wasn’t a real explosion, and the gale of dust and smoke soon died, leaving the table undisturbed as it floated in the air over an immense bay of flat water. The sky was the color of Flux, and the mountains appeared as if they’d been shoved up and scoured by colossal claws. Millions of tiny motes of light swirled around us like an animated luminescent blizzard. The ocean seemed thicker than normal
"不是所有的,"他回答。突然，我周围的墙壁在一次巨大的爆炸中被撕裂了。狂风抽打着我的鬃毛，我抬起我的蹄子保护我的眼睛免受眩目的光线的伤害。当然，这不是真正的爆炸，灰尘和烟雾的狂风很快就消失了，桌子漂浮在一个巨大的平坦的海湾上空，没有受到任何干扰。天空呈现出弗拉科斯的颜色，群山仿佛被巨大的爪子推挤着冲刷着。数以百万计的微小光团像一场活生生的发光暴风雪一样在我们周围旋转。海洋看起来比平时厚多了
water, as if it had clotted, congealed, and set.
水，好像凝结了，凝固了，凝固了。
We drifted in midair over Hoofington Bay, heading west towards shattered mountains. At least, I thought it was west. The sun and moon were huge orbs in the rainbow-hued sky. “No…” Scotch Tape whimpered, and P-21 put his hooves around her. I could have used a hug as well.
我们在半空中漂过胡芬顿湾，向西飞向破碎的群山。至少我以为是西边。太阳和月亮是彩虹色天空中的巨大球体。"不......"苏格兰磁带呜咽着，P-21用他的蹄子围住她。我也需要一个拥抱。
“What is the point of this?” Rampage roared at him, sweeping her hoof over the devastated, ravaged landscape. I thought I saw Spike’s mountain as a shattered pile of rubble. There were no ruins. Trees. Even rivers. Nothing. It was as if a great hoof had scraped the land bare in all directions, melting and burning everything in its path. A few shattered ruins remained further away, smashed beyond recognition. I spotted the enormous shell of the S.P.P. in the distance, crushed like an egg against the side of a mountain. As another coast came into view ahead of us, I saw what might have been Manehattan, looking as if all buildings had been stacked on their sides and crushed into the earth. The sky was filled with countless motes drifting around us like snow. “Showing us… this?”
"这有什么意义?"狂暴冲他吼叫着，用蹄子扫过被摧毁、破坏严重的大地。我想我把斯派克的山看成了一堆破碎的碎石。那里没有废墟。树木。甚至是河流。没什么。就好像一只巨大的蹄子从四面八方刮去了光秃秃的土地，把路上的一切都融化烧毁了。一些破碎的废墟还在更远的地方，粉碎得面目全非。我看到了远处s.p.p巨大的外壳，像鸡蛋一样压在山的一侧。当我们前面的另一个海岸进入我们的视野时，我看到了可能是曼哈顿的东西，看起来好像所有的建筑物都堆在两边，被压进了泥土里。天空充满了无数像雪一样在我们周围漂浮的尘埃。"给我们看...这个?"
The table set down on a rocky boulder surrounded by a heap of gravel and mud. “That,” Tom said as he looked at the muck. As we watched, the pebbles stirred, then tumbled down as something green poked its way out into the open. It was some of the puniest, sickliest grass I’d ever seen, but it was alive.
桌子放在一块石头上，石头周围是一堆砾石和泥土。"那个,"汤姆看着污泥说。就在我们观察的时候，这些鹅卵石被搅动了一下，然后又被什么绿色的东西从空中探了出来而跌落下来。这是我见过的最弱小、最难看的草，但它是活的。
“That?” Rampage scoffed. “That’s it?”
"那个?"狂暴对此嗤之以鼻。"就这样?"
“Wait,” Tom said, and the sun and moon began to move faster and faster through the sky above us till both became solid, flickering bands, one golden and one silver. The glowing motes began settling to the ground, disappearing into the earth. Rain fell, washing the blasted land, then snow. Then blankets of white appeared and disappeared again and again, and with every disappearance, that green, sickly patch darkened and spread. It crept like fingers along cracks in the rock and around the edges of muddy puddles. It seemed to appear by magic. The grass deepened and elongated, died and regrew as years whirled past our eyes. Bushes sprang up, followed by thin trees. The remains of the old world rusted away and disappeared under a verdant carpet of life.
"等等,"汤姆说，太阳和月亮开始在我们头顶的天空中越来越快地移动，直到它们都变得坚实、闪烁不定，一条金色，一条银色。发光的尘埃开始落到地上，消失在地下。大雨倾盆，冲刷着这片荒芜的土地，然后下起了雪。然后，白色的毯子一次又一次地出现又消失，随着每一次消失，那块绿色的、病态的斑块变黑并扩散开来。它像手指一样沿着岩石的裂缝和泥水坑的边缘爬行。它似乎是魔法般出现的。随着岁月从我们眼前掠过，草地越来越深，越来越长，越来越枯萎，越来越茂盛。灌木丛长起来了，紧接着是稀疏的树木。旧世界的遗迹生锈了，消失在生活的翠绿地毯之下。
And it wasn’t just plant life, either. Insects crawled amongst the sprouts. Fish splashed in the clear creeks. Frogs jumped along the bank. Birds reappeared in the sky. Then more animals, some I knew and others I didn’t. The millions of
而且不仅仅是植物。昆虫在嫩芽间爬行。清澈的小溪里鱼儿溅起水花。青蛙沿着河岸跳跃。鸟儿再次出现在天空中。然后是更多的动物，有些我认识，有些我不认识。数以百万计的
motes in the sky had now dwindled to just a few, disappearing ever faster into the trees and land. The table lifted off the earth, and I saw that the life wasn’t just here in Equestria. It was everywhere. The oceans became a deeper and more vibrant blue, fading to green nearer to the coasts. The clouds were cleaner. The megaspells I’d seen ravaging the far world were gone, and the scars they’d left were fading with the passage of time.
天空中的尘埃现在已经减少到只剩下几个，消失得越来越快，消失在树林和土地中。桌子离开了地球，我看到生活不仅仅是在Equestria。它无处不在。海洋变成了更深更有活力的蓝色，在靠近海岸的地方褪成了绿色。云层更干净了。我所看到的横扫遥远世界的巨型巨人消失了，他们留下的伤疤也随着时间的流逝而褪色。
We floated over an Equus so transformed that it was impossible to imagine it ever being any other way. And in the dark, there were lights. Small ones, perhaps nothing more than scattered campfires… but lights. The first guttering sparks of civilization. “It’s beautiful,” Scotch Tape said in awe as we floated between the planet and the moon.
我们漂浮在一个如此变化的马身上，以至于我们无法想象它会以其他方式存在。在黑暗中，有灯光。小的，也许只是零星的篝火......但是灯光。文明的第一颗熄灭的火花。当我们在行星和月球之间漂浮时，苏格兰磁带带着敬畏的口吻说:"太美了。"。
“That is why Horizons must fire and the Eater must die,” Tom said simply, his hooves still clasped before him and a sad smile on his face.
"这就是为什么地平线号必须开火，而食者必须死,"汤姆简单地说，他的蹄子仍然扣在他面前，脸上带着悲伤的微笑。
“And all of us, too,” I pointed out, hoping the unacceptability of that was clear in my tone. “LittlePip. Her friends. Everypony I know who is fighting for survival. They all have to die as well?”
"我们所有人也一样,"我指出，希望我的语气清楚地表明这是不可接受的。"小匹普。她的朋友们。我认识的每一个小马都在为生存而战。他们都得死吗?"
“Yes,” he answered, and I was glad he wasn’t smiling when he said it. “And they will not be the only ones.”
"是的,"他回答，我很高兴他说这话的时候没有笑。"他们不会是唯一的受害者。"
“Well, screw that!” Rampage said, standing and slamming her hooves onto the tabletop. “That’s… that’s… like the Angel. The only way to peace is through death? No. Hell no!” I could have hugged her.
"好吧，去他妈的!"狂暴说着，站起来，把她的蹄子摔在桌面上。"那是......那是......像天使。通往和平的唯一途径就是死亡？没有。绝对不行!"我本可以拥抱她的。
“There was a way for more life to be saved, but sadly, it was undone,” he said, his eyes landing on me. The urge to snap at him warred with the desire to kick myself for taking the Redoubt out of the shadow world. “Death is not an ending,” he continued. “It is a transition. The matter of our bodies is only rented from the universe.” Scotch Tape gaped at Tom, her mouth moving slowly and the side of her face screwing up. “We borrow it for a time, gaining a chance to change the world for the better. We take from our surroundings to survive, and when we die, what we take is returned. It is then reassembled into different forms. The carbon in your body today might have been a tree a million years ago, and it might be a diamond ten million years from now. And you, free of your body once more, will continue the song you began far before you could ever remember, on into the future further than you could ever grasp. The song
"有一种方法可以拯救更多的生命，但是悲哀的是，它被破坏了,"他说，他的目光落在我身上。对他猛吼的冲动与把堡垒带出阴影世界的自责的欲望展开了战争。"死亡不是结局,"他继续说道。"这是一个转变。我们身体的物质只是从宇宙中租来的。"苏格兰胶带在汤姆身上裂开，她的嘴慢慢地动着，脸的一边皱了起来。"我们借用它一段时间，以获得改变世界、让世界变得更美好的机会。我们从周围环境中汲取营养以求生存，当我们死去时，我们所获得的东西会得到回报。然后将其重新组合成不同的形式。今天你体内的碳可能是一百万年前的一棵树，也可能是一千万年后的一颗钻石。而你，再一次摆脱你的身体，将继续你开始的歌曲，你可能永远不会记得，进入未来的更远，你可能永远无法理解。那首歌
you sing even now, though you cannot always hear it.”
你现在还在唱歌，虽然你不能一直听到它
Then we heard the singing of the stars. One note, then a second. A third. A dozen. A hundred. A thousand. Countless voices and melodies resonating from the universe around us. The familiarity and beauty tugged at my heart and drew tears to my eyes. Bright and piping symphonies. Low and deep somber voices. Some sang fast, others slow, some loud, and others softly. As the harmony surrounded us, filling my ears, I could hear a stirring within myself. A song so familiar it felt as natural as breathing, and I looked around as songs rose from within my friends as well. And Equus sang with us, in a voice more beautiful and wondrous than any before. Because it was our world. Our life. Our song.
然后我们听到了星星的歌声。一个音符，然后是第二个。第三个。一打。一百个。一千个。无数的声音和旋律从我们周围的宇宙共鸣。熟悉和美丽牵动着我的心，牵动着我的眼泪。明亮的管乐交响曲。低沉忧郁的声音。有些人唱得很快，有些人唱得很慢，有些人唱得很大声，有些人唱得很轻柔。当和声环绕着我们，充满我的耳朵时，我能听到自己内心的激动。这是一首如此熟悉的歌，感觉就像呼吸一样自然。我环顾四周，朋友们的歌声也从我的耳边响起。马儿和我们一起唱歌，声音比以往任何时候都更美妙、更神奇。因为那是我们的世界。我们的生活。我们的歌。
We all had tears in our eyes, but it was P-21 who broke the reverie. “And if Horizons doesn’t go off? Or if Horizons doesn’t destroy the Eater?”
我们都热泪盈眶，但却是P-21打破了这个幻想。"如果地平线号没有启动呢？或者如果地平线号没有摧毁食者号?"
Tom closed his eyes, the beautiful melody of the stars suddenly quieted, and in the near silence the table plunged to the now-poisoned world below. The song of Equus, sickened and dissonant, fell softer and softer. We hovered above the Core. There was no fighting. Everything was still and quiet. Time accelerated again, but now on the ground came the opposite of the explosion of life we’d seen before. What meager greenery there was in the Wasteland dwindled, the valley turning grayer and stiller. We rose again and saw the Wasteland struggling to recover. Even with the skies cleared, life labored and ponies with it. It was as if life itself was being leeched from the land they struggled to make flourish. I had no idea how many generations passed, but soon the entire world had entered a stagnant stasis.
汤姆闭上了眼睛，星星的美妙旋律突然安静了下来，餐桌在几近寂静的状态下沉入了下面这个已经被毒害的世界。马儿的歌声变得越来越柔和，既令人厌恶又不和谐。我们在核心上空盘旋。没有战斗。一切都静悄悄的。时间再次加速，但现在地面上出现了我们以前见过的生命爆炸的反面。荒原上的草木渐渐枯萎，山谷变得越来越灰暗，越来越静。我们再次站起来，看到荒原正在努力恢复。即使天空晴朗，生命依然艰辛，小马依然与它在一起。就好像生命本身正在从他们努力创造繁荣的土地上被榨取。我不知道过了多少代，但很快整个世界进入了一个停滞不前的状态。
As the planet turned below us, we watched the seas assume the color of lead, and lands even on the far side of the world grayed and browned, withering. The seas seemed to dwindle away, the air thinning. The ground shrunk and wrinkled, canyons and gaps spreading as the planet shriveled. The moon and sun drifted closer and closer to the rock, the former crashing in a momentary firework of light and energy, then darkening to nothing. Finally the sun itself smashed into the world in one last flaming burst of defiance. Sucked dry, the rock itself withered to dust, then to nothing, and all that remained was a shriveled shell, floating like a dark, frozen rock in a dimmer, emptier universe.
当地球在我们脚下转动的时候，我们看到海洋呈现出铅的颜色，甚至在地球的另一端也变成了灰色，变成棕色，枯萎。海水似乎退去了，空气也变得稀薄了。地面收缩起皱，峡谷和裂缝随着行星的萎缩而扩展。月亮和太阳离岩石越来越近，前者在短暂的光和能量的烟火中轰然倒塌，然后渐渐变暗。最后，太阳本身在最后一次燃烧的反抗中，撞向了这个世界。岩石被吸干了，它自己也枯萎成灰，然后化为乌有，剩下的只是一个干瘪的壳，像一块黑暗、冰冻的岩石漂浮在一个更加昏暗、更加空旷的宇宙中。
“That…” I started to say, but words failed me.
"那个......"我开始说，但我说不出话来。
“That’s fucked up,” Rampage murmured.
"真他妈的糟糕,"狂暴低声说。
“You’re saying that what the Lightbringer did was worthless?” P-21 asked with a scowl.
"你是说光明使者的所作所为毫无价值?"P-21愁眉苦脸地问。
Tom shook his head. “No. Certainly not! In fact, the Lightbringer bought time and hope for your world. Had she not helped, this demise would have come far sooner and surer. The Lightbringer broke the slow slide of entropy and decay.
汤姆摇了摇头。"没有。当然不是！事实上，光明使者为你们的世界赢得了时间和希望。如果没有她的帮助，这种死亡会来得更快更可靠。光明使者打破了熵和衰变的缓慢滑动。
She snapped countless people out of complacency. Even if Red Eye had survived and the Enclave remained in the skies, they still would have fallen within a generation. And neither would have seen their enemy. The Eater is a parasite within your world, claiming whatever life it can. By the time that it woke from the trauma of its fall, Equus had recovered, and for eons after, the generation of new life far exceeded what it could consume. But the cataclysm that struck your world destroyed that. Now more life is eaten than is renewed, and with each year, the gap grows as the cycle is impoverished. Exhaustion will take centuries, millennia, perhaps... but it is inevitable.”
她迫使无数人从自满中振作起来。即使红眼战机幸存下来，飞地仍然在空中，它们也会在一代人的时间内坠毁。他们也不会看到自己的敌人。食者是你世界中的寄生虫，声称它所能拥有的任何生命。当它从坠落的创伤中醒来的时候，它已经恢复了，并且在之后的很长一段时间里，新生命的产生远远超过了它所能消耗的。但是你们世界的灾难摧毁了这一切。现在更多的生命被吃掉而不是被更新，随着每一年的增长，这个差距随着这个循环变得越来越小。精疲力竭可能需要几个世纪，甚至几千年的时间，但这是不可避免的。"
“Bullshit,” Rampage said sharply. “What if we just periodically drop little bits of moonstone on it? Not enough to obliterate the world, just wear the Eater away.”
"胡说八道,"朗格尖刻地说。"如果我们只是周期性地在上面滴上一点点月光石会怎么样？不足以毁灭世界，只能把食者消灭掉。"
Tom regarded me as if asking if I wanted to answer. I sighed and did. “It won’t work. The Eater can convert moonstone to starmetal before it explodes. We’d be doing what Cognitum wants to do, just in slower amounts.”
汤姆看着我，好像在问我是否想回答。我叹了口气，照做了。"没用的。食者可以在月长石爆炸前将其转化为星际金属。我们要做的是Cognitum想做的事情，只不过数量要慢一些。"
“Indeed,” Tom said gravely. “It claims the spiritual energy within the stone and makes it its own. Horizons’s mass and speed, and my presence, are necessary to prevent the Eater from simply transforming the moonstone to starmetal.”
"的确,"汤姆严肃地说。"它将石头中的精神能量据为己有。地平线的质量和速度，还有我的存在，对于防止"食者"把月长石变成星际金属是必要的。"
“But why didn’t the Eater turn the moonstone pendants to starmetal?” Scotch Tape asked.
"但是为什么食人者不把月光石的吊坠变成星际金属呢?"透明胶带问道。
“With enough time in proximity, it would have. You already know that moonstone protects from Enervation, but you don't know why,” Tom replied. “More important than the stone itself is the soul it contains. The Eater’s arrival on Equus extinguished incalculable life, and that life was condensed in the moon. The souls in pieces of moonstone protect the souls of the living.”
"只要有足够的时间，它就会。你已经知道月光石可以防止衰老，但你不知道为什么,"汤姆回答。"比石头本身更重要的是它所包含的灵魂。食人者的到来熄灭了无法计算的生命，那种生命凝结在月球上。月光石中的灵魂保护着活着的灵魂。"
“That singing noise is a soul?” P-21 asked as he looked out at the distant stars.
"那歌声是灵魂吗?"P-21望着遥远的星星问道。
“Yes. Inside the moonstone, a soul is protected, though not completely, from the pull of the Eater’s own nature. The Eater seeks to make all like it and destroy that which is not,” Tom said soberly. “One song. One voice. One note.”
"是的。在月光石里面，一个灵魂被保护着，虽然不是完全的，不受食者自身本性的牵引。"那个食人者想把一切都变得像它一样，并且摧毁那些不是它的东西,"汤姆冷静地说。"一首歌。一个声音。一个音符。"
“So… it consumes them?” Scotch asked in horror.
"那么......它会消耗它们吗?"苏格兰威士忌惊恐地问。
Anger flashed in Tom’s eyes. “No. That would be merciful. It tortures them eternally until they choose to join it in singing its praises.” And the scream filled the air. The scream I’d learned so well since coming out of my stable. It was blessedly short-lived, but it still sent a shiver along my spine.
汤姆的眼睛里闪现出愤怒。"没有。那就太仁慈了。它永远折磨着他们，直到他们选择加入它，为它唱赞歌。"空气中充满了尖叫声。从我的马厩里出来后，我学得很好的尖叫声。幸运的是，它的寿命很短，但它仍然沿着我的脊椎打了一个寒颤。
“But what if what Cognitum said was true, and she can control it? Wouldn’t that let everypony live?” Rampage asked, anguish on her face.
""但是，如果科涅图姆所说的是真的，而且她能够控制它呢？难道这不会让每匹小马都活下来吗?"狂暴问道，脸上挂着痛苦的表情。
“Even if she could control the Eater like a machine with EC-1101, she gave up the only kind of body that could have resisted the Eater's influence; she would be controlled in turn,” Tom said soberly. The dawn broke, and around us was the Core, alive and bright. It was the promise I’d seen while I’d been trapped in the city. Thousands, millions of people living in the massive metropolis. Ponies, zebras, griffins, sand dogs… even dragons… all augmented and living in unity. All distinctness blurred together, differences squashed under the combined pressure of millions of connected minds.
"即使她能像用EC-1101型机器那样控制食人者，她也只能放弃唯一一种能够抵抗食人者影响的身体，反过来她也会受到控制的,"汤姆冷静地说。黎明破晓了，我们周围是活跃而明亮的核心。这是我被困在城市时看到的承诺。成千上万的人生活在这个大都市里。小马、斑马、狮鹫、沙狗......甚至是龙......所有的动物都在一起生活。所有的差异都被模糊在一起，差异在数百万相互关联的思想的共同压力下被挤压。
“Why… why is everyone augmented?” Scotch Tape asked with a small frown, shying away from the sight of augmented fillies and colts trotting along in perfect unison. “And… why is it so quiet?”
"为什么......为什么所有人都是增强型的?"透明胶带皱着眉头问道，避开了小雌马和小马齐步小跑的视线。"还有......为什么这么安静?"
“They’re wired together,” I said, then narrowed my eyes at Tom, an idea niggling at my head. “This isn’t just a coincidence, is it?”
"他们连在一起了,"我说，然后我眯起眼睛看着汤姆，一个想法在我脑海中浮现。"这不是巧合，对吧?"
Tom beamed his approval. “Indeed. The Eater encourages technology that leads to replacing flesh with machinery, merging minds, and greater strife.” The scene abruptly changed to a strange, exotic land, a battered city of cracked and patched minarets surrounded by a sandy desert. Row after row of augmented alicorns and pegasi flew in precise formation, strafing the equine defenders on the wall, while dark earth pony and hellhound phalanxes marched in neat regiments below, approaching with relentless might from all directions.
汤姆露出赞许的神情。"的确。"食者"鼓励科技以机械取代肉体，融合思想，引发更大的冲突场景突然变成了一片奇异的土地，一座破败的城市，满是斑驳的尖塔，周围是沙漠。一排接一排的增强的苍蝇角和飞马座以精确的阵型飞来飞去，对着墙上的马群防御者扫射，而黑暗的土地上的矮种马和地狱犬方阵在下面整齐地列队行进，以无情的力量从四面八方逼近。
We drifted away over the sand, leaving the imminent carnage behind us. An image of me appeared above the table. My legs were replaced. Then ‘upgraded’.
我们漂流在沙滩上，把即将到来的大屠杀抛在身后。桌子上方出现了我的影像。我的腿被换掉了。然后'升级'。
Then my body. Wings were installed. Finally, Cognitum’s changes.
然后是我的身体。安装了机翼。最后，认知的变化。
“But why?” Scotch Tape asked. “I mean, I get why it’d want more war, but why augmentation?”
"但为什么呢?"透明胶带问道。"我的意思是，我知道它为什么想要更多的战争，但为什么要扩张呢?"
“Because augmented ponies are easier to predict, and connected consciousness blunts the chaotic mix of individuality,” Tom said, and the image split in two, one with my original body and one as Cognitum. “Living organisms are inherently more chaotic and unpredictable than non-living organisms. One day you eat Sugar Apple Bombs. The next day you feel peckish for carrot chips. The constant slurry of chemical reactions, hormones, and metabolic shifts creates a more dynamic individual. As more and more organic systems are replaced by predictable, regulated systems, the individual becomes an ever simpler equation.” He leveled his eyes at me, smiling paternally. “You may note that I’m having this conversation with you four and not with Cognitum herself. It would be futile.”
"因为扩张后的小马更容易预测，而连接的意识会削弱混乱的个性,"汤姆说，于是图像一分为二，一个是我原来的身体，一个是认知。"生命有机体天生就比非生命有机体更加混乱和不可预测。有一天你吃了糖苹果炸弹。第二天你觉得饿了，想吃胡萝卜片。持续不断的化学反应、荷尔蒙和新陈代谢的变化创造了一个更有活力的个体。随着越来越多的有机系统被可预测的、有规律的系统所取代，个体变成了一个越来越简单的等式。"他瞪大眼睛看着我，带着父亲般的微笑。"你们可以注意到，我是在和你们四个谈话，而不是和科涅图姆本人。这将是徒劳的。"
“So, you think we’re going to let Horizons fire?” I said, rising up and slamming my hooves on the front table. “No! Never! I refuse to give up!” I swept a hoof out, pointing below me, and the desert was replaced by the battle at Chapel. “I won’t just write them off while they’re fighting for their lives!”
"那么，你认为我们会让地平线号开火吗?"我说着，站起身来，用我的蹄子狠狠地敲了敲前面的桌子。"不！永远不会！我拒绝放弃!"我用蹄子踢了一下下面的地方，沙漠变成了教堂的战场。"我不会在他们为生存而战时就把他们一笔勾销!"
Tom closed his eyes. “This isn’t about them, or you. This is about the universe. Equus could… should… be a contributor to the great song. Your lives are temporary. You’d be giving them to better the universe.”
汤姆闭上了眼睛。"这无关他们，也无关你。这是关于宇宙的。马可以...应该...成为这首伟大歌曲的贡献者。你们的生命只是暂时的。你会把它们送给更好的宇宙。"
“Begging your pardon,” Scotch Tape interrupted, “but if this is such a big deal, why doesn’t the universe give us some help?”
"请原谅,"苏格兰磁带打断了他的话,"但是如果这真的是一件大事，为什么宇宙不给我们一些帮助呢?"
Tom gave her a wry smile. “What do you think I’m here for?”
汤姆苦笑了一下。"你以为我来这里干什么?"
P-21 stared at him a moment. “You’re going to die to stop the Eater, aren’t you?”
P-21盯了他一会儿。"为了阻止食人者，你会死的，是吗?"
Tom closed his eyes and gave a little nod. “It is likely. Almost certain, actually.”
汤姆闭上眼睛，微微点了点头。"很有可能。事实上，几乎可以肯定。"
“But… didn’t the Eater trick Goldenblood into using the blanks to bind you?” I asked.
"但是......那个食人者不是骗金血王用空包弹把你绑起来了吗?"我问道。
Tom smiled. “Yes. It was quite helpful. The Eater needs a star spirit. I will be that spirit. But I have not weakened myself by struggling against my restraints.
汤姆笑了。"是的。这很有帮助。食者需要一颗星星的精神。我将成为那个精神。但是我并没有因为挣扎着挣脱束缚而变得虚弱。
I’ve waited, patiently. And when we meet, he will not have a spirit enfeebled by exhaustion to devour, but a star of equal might. And even if it costs my existence, it is a price I must pay.” His smile vanished, and his eyes turned hard. “The Eater is one of my kind, one who should have returned its essence to the cycle long ago. My passing is a small, inadequate recompense for the harm it has perpetrated.”
我耐心地等待着。当我们相遇的时候，他的精神不会因为疲惫而衰弱到可以吞噬一切，而是一颗拥有同等力量的星星。即使要付出生命的代价，这也是我必须付出的代价。"他的微笑消失了，他的眼睛转得很厉害。"食者是我的同类之一，很久以前就应该把它的本质还给这个循环了。我的死只是对它所造成的伤害的一个微不足道的补偿。"
We all stared at him in silence. “Aren’t stars supposed to live… forever?” Scotch asked in a tiny voice.
我们都默默地注视着他。"星星不是应该永远活着吗?"苏格兰人小声问道。
He closed his eyes, lips in a stern frown. “Nothing does. Nothing should. Our lives are rented time, every moment precious.” He opened his eyes, and rage twisted his placid features. “The Eater, through fear or hubris, cheats that rule. One of our own. Our own! It will not be allowed!” The force with which he barked that made us all share an uneasy glance. He closed his eyes again, but his smile did not return.
他闭上眼睛，严厉地皱着眉头。"没有什么能做到。没有什么应该。我们的生命是租来的时间，每时每刻都弥足珍贵。"他睁开眼睛，愤怒扭曲了他平静的面容。"食者，出于恐惧或傲慢，欺骗了这条规则。我们自己人。我们自己的！这是不允许的!"他吠叫的那种力量使我们所有人分享着一种不安的目光。他又闭上了眼睛，但是他的微笑没有回来。
“What… what if… what if the Legate is right?” I asked in a whisper. There was no reaction. “He’s got a plan… a way to use magic shields to catch you and feed you to the Eater. What would happen then?”
"如果...如果...如果Legate是对的呢?"我低声问道。没有任何反应。"他有一个计划......一个使用魔法盾牌抓住你并把你喂给食人者的方法。那时会发生什么?"
He didn’t answer at once. I didn’t know if it was because he was unsure, or sure and too harrowed by that certainty to respond. “It doesn’t matter,” he said at last. “You must stop Cognitum from altering the trajectory of entry and then still allow Horizons to fire. The alternative… no…” He shook his head.
他没有马上回答。我不知道这是否是因为他不确定，或者是因为那种确定性让他过于痛苦而无法回应。"没关系,"他最后说。"你必须阻止科涅塔姆改变进入轨道，然后仍然允许"地平线"号开火。否则......不......"他摇了摇头。
“And what happens to us?” Rampage asked. “We just… live on the moon?”
"那我们怎么办?"狂暴问道。"我们只是...住在月球上?"
“Yes, if you like, though the detonation of the Flux below us would be more than sufficient to vaporize your talisman,” Tom informed her.
"是的，如果你愿意的话，虽然我们下面的通量爆炸将足以蒸发你的护身符,"汤姆告诉她。
Rampage froze, eyes wide. “Really? It would kill me? For certain?”
狂暴僵住了，眼睛睁得大大的。"真的吗？这会要了我的命？确定吗?"
“The chaotic energies unleashed would shred the necromantic enchantments like tissue paper, and the souls within would be released,” Tom answered. I was about to snap at him before he went on, “If you stayed, though, in a generation or two the surface should be ripe for resettlement. Other races have taken their own steps to survive catastrophe. You could start anew.”
汤姆回答说:"释放出来的混乱的能量会像撕碎纸巾一样撕碎巫术的魔法，而内在的灵魂会被释放出来。"。在他继续说下去之前，我正准备对他大发雷霆:"不过，如果你留下来，再过一两代人的时间，表面上就应该成熟了，可以重新安置了。其他种族也采取了自己的步骤，在灾难中幸存下来。你可以重新开始。"
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I pressed, “but what if the Eater catches you in its
"是的，听起来不错,"我追问道,"但是如果食人者抓住了你的把柄怎么办
trap?” He fell silent again, swallowing. I looked at my friends, then back at him. “Well?” He still didn’t respond. I grit my teeth in frustration, then snapped, “Tell me!”
陷阱?"他又沉默了下来，吞咽着。我看了看我的朋友，然后又看了看他。"怎么样?"他仍然没有回应。我沮丧地咬紧牙关，然后厉声说:"告诉我!"
Tom didn’t answer, but we suddenly relocated far in the sky between the clouds. Behind us, I thought I could see Ponyville. Then a white light appeared in the sky above us. The brilliant bolt illuminated everything like a new sun as it plunged down towards the Core. Suddenly, a ghostly funnel rose from the ground, and Tom was caught as it streaked down, shedding great plumes of blue-white fire as it scraped against the magical fields and slowed in its plunge. As it reached the base of the funnel, a second pillar of glowing light appeared, surrounding the enormous flaring moonstone and holding it in place. The fields pulsated as the blue light flared and blazed inside them.
汤姆没有回答，但是我们突然在天空中云层之间移动了很远。在我们身后，我想我可以看到Ponyville。然后一道白光出现在我们头顶的天空中。闪光的螺栓照亮了一切，就像一个新的太阳，因为它陷入了核心。突然，一个幽灵般的漏斗从地上冒了出来，汤姆被它抓住了，漏斗向下飞去，擦着魔幻般的田野，慢慢地下沉，喷出一缕缕蓝白色的火焰。当它到达漏斗底部时，第二个发光的柱子出现了，环绕着巨大的发光的月光石并把它固定住。蓝色的光在田野里闪耀着，田野也开始搏动起来。
Then the Enervation scream began, a howl of agony so absolute and all-consuming that it would have shattered my flesh had it been real. From that horrid nexus of light, a green luminescence began to spread across the land. Tiny motes of light winked into life, hovering like tiny stars before sweeping towards that green nightmare. Mountains seemed to decay and split as the tiny souls merged into rivers of light streaming towards Tom’s dwindling blue glow. The clouds around it were swept up in a great whirlwind, a hurricane of annihilative magic whirling under my hooves. In the distance, I saw the S.P.P. hub burst like an egg, one immense soul ripped into the storm and followed a half second later by another tiny mote. Rivers of souls surged from across the sea as well, pouring through silver rings spread centuries ago and now fulfilling their horrible purpose.
紧接着，一声衰弱的尖叫开始了，痛苦的嚎叫如此绝对，如此强烈，如果它是真的，它会把我的肉体撕成碎片。从那可怕的光束中，一种绿色的发光开始传遍大地。微小的光点闪烁着生命的光芒，像微小的星星一样盘旋着，直至扫向那个绿色的梦魇。山脉似乎在衰败和分裂，因为微小的灵魂合并成河流的光线流向汤姆逐渐减少的蓝光。它周围的乌云被巨大的旋风卷起，毁灭性的魔法飓风在我的蹄下旋转。在远处，我看见s.p.p.中心像鸡蛋一样爆裂，一个巨大的灵魂被卷入风暴，半秒之后又是一个微小的尘埃。灵魂的河流也从海洋彼岸涌来，穿过几个世纪前传播开来的银戒指，现在实现了它们可怕的目的。
The scream built and rose, and with it the blue glow disappeared entirely, and a thing… a horrible silvery thing bathed in a green aura... rose from the earth. I didn’t know if it was flesh or metal or some horrible alloy of the two, and I didn’t want to know. I just knew that it was wrong, and the very existence of such a thing ripped at my sanity. I could only pray that Tom wasn’t giving this vivid a vision to my friends. Scotch Tape had clenched her eyes shut, and P-21 closed his as well as he embraced her. Rampage looked on, but her face was a mask of horror.
尖叫声越来越大，越来越高，随之而来的是蓝光完全消失了，一个东西...一个沐浴在绿色光环中的可怕的银色东西...从地上升起。我不知道这是肉还是金属还是两者的某种可怕的合金，我也不想知道。我只是知道这是错误的，这种事情的存在本身就让我神志不清。我只能祈祷汤姆没有给我的朋友们带来如此生动的景象。苏格兰胶带紧闭了她的双眼，P-21也紧闭双眼，拥抱着她。狂暴看着她，但她的脸上却带着恐惧的表情。
Then darkness. Merciful darkness. Then we found ourselves hovering over the moon again. I dared look at Equus, but it had burst open like the S.P.P. hub. Massive boulders were slowly spreading out from where I imagined Equestria
然后是黑暗。仁慈的黑暗。然后我们发现自己又一次在月球上盘旋。我不敢看雅科仕，但它像s.p.p中心一样爆开了。巨大的石头从我想象中的马斯特里亚慢慢蔓延开来
and the Core had been. Thankfully, from here, the Eater was just a baleful green star. “That,” Tom said in a harrowed voice, “is why the Eater must die, even if it costs all of you your lives. I’m sorry. Cognitum must be stopped, and Horizons must fire.”
而且核心已经。谢天谢地，从这里开始，食人者只是一颗邪恶的绿色星星。"这就是为什么,"汤姆用一种痛苦的声音说,"即使牺牲你们所有人的生命，那个食人者也必须死。"。对不起。必须阻止科涅塔，地平线必须启动。"
“Shit,” Rampage muttered, rubbing her face. “Seeing something like that… Horizons almost makes sense.”
"该死,"狂暴一边揉着脸，一边喃喃自语。"看到这样的事情......地平线几乎是有道理的。"
P-21 and Scotch Tape didn’t answer. The filly just sobbed into her father’s neck. I wished Glory were here. I wished she’d seen everything I had. I knew… I just knew… if she were here, then she could figure out some solution. Find some way to make it all make sense! It was too big. Too much. Too much for anypony. I wanted her here. Wanted her to hold me.
P-21和透明胶带没有应答。那匹小母马只是啜泣着钻进她父亲的脖子里。我希望晨辉在这里。我希望她能看到我拥有的一切。我知道......我只是知道......如果她在这里，那么她可以想出一些解决办法。想办法让这一切变得有意义！它太大了。太多了。对任何小马来说都太多了。我希望她在这里。想让她抱着我。
I felt a pair of hooves around my shoulders, and a pair of soft wings encircled me. Purple mane fell on my cheek, and her lips nuzzled the back of my neck. I turned, gazing up at her gentle smile, then at Tom. The stallion just gave me a sad smile, and I held the hooves embracing me, closing my eyes and pressing back against her. “Please tell me this is real, and not just in my head,” I murmured to her.
我感觉有一双蹄子绕在我的肩膀上，一对柔软的翅膀环绕着我。紫色的鬃毛落在我的脸颊上，她的嘴唇用鼻子蹭着我的脖子后面。我转过身，凝视着她温柔的微笑，然后是汤姆。那匹种马只是给了我一个悲伤的微笑，我用蹄子拥抱着我，闭上眼睛，用力反推她。"请告诉我这是真的，不只是在我的脑子里,"我喃喃地对她说。
Glory just smiled, then leaned in and kissed my lips for an eternity far too short. Then she faded away before me. I wanted to weep again, but I knew what she’d want. I took a deep breath and looked Tom straight into the eye. He’d given me some clear choices, and it was obvious which the best to take was. He met my gaze, his eyes understanding but also pitying.
晨辉只是微微一笑，然后俯身吻了吻我的嘴唇，时间实在太短了。然后她在我面前消失了。我想再哭一次，但我知道她想要什么。我深吸了一口气，直视着汤姆的眼睛。他给了我一些明确的选择，很明显哪个是最好的选择。他迎着我的目光，他的眼睛理解我，但也同情我。
There was only one answer to give.
只有一个答案。
“No.”
"没有。"
I didn’t imagine many brain-invading star spirits wore expressions of shocked surprise like the one I saw on his face. The poor stallion appeared as if he’d been shot. “Blackjack… You must not understand…”
我无法想象许多大脑入侵的明星精神会像我在他脸上看到的那样带着惊讶的表情。那匹可怜的种马出现了，好像中了枪似的。"黑杰克......你一定不明白......"
“I understand plenty,” I countered, startling him again and earning a worried frown. “We might just be ponies, but we get it. I understand that you think this is the only thing we can do. I get the stakes. I get them plenty. But you are insane if you think I am going to help murder everyone that I love and care for.” I looked at my friends, one after the next, and saw matching resolution in their eyes.
"我懂得很多,"我反驳道，又一次吓到了他，愁眉苦脸地皱起了眉头。"我们可能只是小马，但我们明白。我知道你认为这是我们唯一能做的。我明白你的意思。我得到了很多。但如果你认为我会帮助谋杀所有我爱和关心的人，那你就是疯了。"我看着我的朋友们，一个接着一个，在他们的眼睛里看到了同样的决心。
“We’ll stop Horizons, and Cognitum, and deal with the Eater without everyone dying.”
"我们要阻止地平线和科涅土，在没有人死的情况下对付食者。"
Tom stared at me, his mouth working. Suddenly, a laugh broke out from the air, echoing all around us. “Told you,” a familiar voice purred in wicked glee. Then a translucent, ghostly form, slinky and with mismatched limbs, appeared hovering next to Tom. Extending a paw towards the stallion, it continued, laughter still in its voice, “Ten bits. Pay up.”
汤姆盯着我，嘴巴动了动。突然，一阵笑声从空中传来，回响在我们周围。"告诉过你,"一个熟悉的声音在邪恶的欢乐中咕噜咕噜地说。然后，一个半透明的、幽灵般的身体出现在汤姆的旁边，它身体曲折，四肢不协调。它向那匹种马伸出爪子，继续笑着说:"十比特。付钱吧。"
“Discord?” we gasped, almost in unison. “But you’re dead!” I added the obvious.
"不和?"我们几乎一起倒抽了一口冷气。"但是你已经死了!"我添加了显而易见的东西。
“As a doornail,” Discord replied. “But I’d hardly let a little detail like that keep me from this moment.” He grinned at a disgruntled Tom. “I told you she wouldn’t take your offer. Ponies are so delightfully entertaining!”
"死定了,"不和谐的人回答。"但我不会让这样一个小小的细节阻止我从这一刻。"他对一个心怀不满的汤姆咧嘴一笑。"我告诉过你她不会接受你的提议的。小马真是太有趣了!"
“She should. It’s irrational for her to pass it up,” Tom argued.
"她应该知道。对她来说，错过这个机会是不理智的。"汤姆争辩道。
“Of course it’s irrational!” Discord said with another laugh. “Since when have rationality and reason triumphed over whims and needs?” He lounged in the air over Tom’s head, pulling out a pair of square wire framed glasses and a small chalkboard with way more numbers and diagrams than any decent person needed and explained in a pedantic voice, “You can present her with all the possible futures you want, with exact probabilities of every result and a clear explanation of what you think the future should be…” Discord tossed the glasses away, bouncing them off Tom’s head, drew a smiley face over the diagrams, grinned, and continued, “and she... or any of them really!... can tell you to shove it where the sun doesn't shine!” A devious glint sparkled in Discord's eye as he leered at Tom. “And considering you are a sun, that's something I'd really like to see.” And he tossed the board over his shoulder where it exploded like a grenade with a pink mushroom cloud.
"这当然是不合理的!"不和谐的声音又响起一阵笑声。"从什么时候开始，理性和理性战胜了突发奇想和需求?"他懒洋洋地躺在汤姆头顶的空中，拿出一副方形金属框眼镜和一块小黑板，上面的数字和图表比任何一个正派人所需要的都多，他用迂腐的语气解释说:"你可以给她展示你想要的所有可能的未来，每个结果的准确概率和你认为未来应该是什么的清晰解释......"不和的声音把眼镜扔掉，从汤姆的头上弹开，在上面画了一个笑脸图表，咧嘴笑了笑，接着说:"她......或者其中任何一个真的！可以告诉你把它推到没有阳光的地方!"他斜视汤姆时,"不和谐"的眼睛闪烁着狡黠的光芒。"考虑到你是一个太阳，这是我真正想看到的东西。"然后他把冲浪板扔过肩膀，就像手榴弹和粉红的蘑菇云一样爆炸了。
“But her actions may doom the planet!” Tom snapped, gesturing at me.
"但她的行为可能会毁灭这个星球!"汤姆厉声说，指着我。
“So what?” Discord countered flatly, crossing his arms. “The point of choice is not knowing the future. You and Eaterpants are so drearily all-knowing that the only choice you can imagine being right is the one you think should be done. It’s all too easy to fall into that trap. Look at Cognidumb. Moldy Goldy. Twilight… Twilight...” He hesitated and screwed up his face. “Spike was right... eh.” He shrugged and went on. “Even Mopelestia and Lunatic. All certain that what they
"那又怎么样?"不和谐的声音直截了当地回应着，双臂交叉在胸前。"选择的关键在于不知道未来。你和你的天使裤是如此令人沮丧的无所不知，你能想象的唯一正确的选择就是你认为应该做的选择。太容易掉进那个陷阱了。看看Cognidumb。发霉的戈尔迪。黄昏...黄昏..."他犹豫了一下，皱起了眉头。"斯派克是对的...嗯。"他耸耸肩，继续说。"就算是Mopelestia和Lunatic。所有人都确信他们
did had to be done. But Blackjack doesn’t know what the future will bring. She does what she feels is right, even when it’s the wrong thing to do. She learns from her mistakes, sure, but she never thinks she knows the only way.” Then he looked past me at my friends. “And it’s not just her, either.”
不得不这么做。但是Blackjack并不知道未来会发生什么。她做自己认为正确的事情，即使是错误的事情。当然，她会从错误中吸取教训，但她从不认为自己知道唯一的出路。"然后他越过我看着我的朋友们。"不仅仅是她。"
P-21 held Scotch Tape to his chest protectively. “If you think I’m ever going to just let my daughter die, then you’re deluded at best and evil at worst. I don’t care if we do get to spend eternity floating as souls or spirits or whatever. I want that chance to be a father. To have a family. And I won’t rob thousands of others in the Wasteland of that chance, either.”
P-21将透明胶带贴在胸前以防万一。"如果你认为我会眼睁睁看着我女儿死去，那么你充其量就是在欺骗，充其量就是邪恶。我不在乎我们是否能像灵魂或灵魂或其他什么东西一样永恒地漂浮。我希望有机会成为一个父亲。组建家庭。我也不会剥夺荒原上成千上万人的这种机会。"
Tom gaped. “But… how can you be so selfish? If the Eater is allowed to remain, or worse, be reborn, then you are dooming millions upon millions of years of thriving life! You will be robbing the universe of the songs he has taken, yours likely among them! The loss is nigh unthinkable!”
汤姆目瞪口呆。"但是......你怎么能这么自私呢？如果食者被允许留下来，或者更糟糕的是，获得重生，那么你正在毁灭数百万年的繁荣生活！你将抢劫宇宙的歌曲，他已经采取了，你的可能其中！这种损失简直难以想象!"
“And what about our lives now?” Scotch countered. “Don’t they matter as much as that life millions of years from now? I don’t know what my future will be. I don’t know if I’ll settle down in Chapel and help out the Hoof or go wandering around like Blackjack trying to make bad places better. Maybe I’ll have a coltfriend, or a marefriend, or both. Maybe my own babies. Don’t I get a chance to have that life and find out?”
"那我们现在的生活怎么办?"苏格兰人反驳道。"难道它们不像几百万年后的生命那样重要吗？我不知道我的未来会怎样。我不知道我会不会安定下来，在教堂里帮助霍夫，或者像黑杰克一样四处游荡，试图让糟糕的地方变得更好。也许我会有一个朋友，或者一个女朋友，或者两者都有。也许是我自己的孩子。难道我没有机会过那样的生活，然后找到答案吗?"
The stallion stared at her in worry. “But… but the lives of billions… trillions… numbers beyond your reckoning are at risk! Your life, and your own babies… the lives of the few cannot equal the lives of so many.”
那匹种马忧心忡忡地盯着她。"但是......但是数十亿人的生命......数万亿人的生命正处于危险之中！你的生命，还有你自己的孩子......少数人的生命无法与这么多人的生命相比。"
“Bullshit!” Rampage shouted, thrusting a hoof at Tom. “You can’t say that those lives in the future are worth any more than ours today just because there are more of them! You can’t guarantee they’re going to be better people, or even that they’ll exist at all! Some other catastrophe could come along and ruin things for them too.” She looked at all of us and then added, “Now, I wouldn’t have a problem dying myself and getting a fresh spin on the spiritual wheel or whatever, but there’re thousands of ponies I know who do deserve their chance at life.”
"胡说!"狂暴的叫喊着，用蹄子猛踢汤姆。"你不能仅仅因为他们的数量增加了，就说他们未来的生命比我们今天的生命更有价值！你不能保证他们会成为更好的人，甚至不能保证他们会存在！其它灾难也可能随之而来，毁掉他们的一切。"她看了看我们所有人，然后补充说,"现在，我自己死了，在精神的车轮上获得一个新的旋转或什么的，我不会有问题，但有成千上万的小马，我知道谁值得他们的生活机会。"
“Yes, they do! They will! Just not... I...” Tom stared at her, then looked helplessly at the translucent draconequus.
"是的，他们知道！他们会的！只是不...我..。。」汤姆盯着她，然后无助地看着半透明的龙。
“I told you,” Discord sang teasingly.
"我告诉过你,"不和谐声调侃地唱道。
“Here’s an idea,” P-21 said as he rose. “Instead of any of us dying, why don’t you get a couple more stars, and we can pry the Eater out once and for all? And once we do, since Equus means so much to all of you, you can help us fix the Wasteland and do all kind of snazzy, helpful things.” Tom bowed his head, a solemn expression on his face. It appeared almost as if he were ashamed. “What? Too busy shining?” Discord, to his credit, also didn’t smile. In fact, he seemed to pity the star.
"我有个主意,"P-21站起身来说。"与其让我们中的任何一个死去，你为什么不再弄几颗星星，我们就可以一劳永逸地把食者揪出来了?"？一旦我们这样做了，因为雅科斯对你们所有人都意义重大，你们可以帮助我们修复荒原，做各种时髦、有益的事情。"汤姆低下头，脸上表情严肃。看起来他几乎感到羞愧。"什么？忙着发光?"不和，为了他的声誉，也没有笑。事实上，他似乎很同情这位明星。
“They don’t care about Equus,” Tom murmured. We stared at him for several long seconds. “You are... very small... so weak already.” He shook his head. “Most of us have our own concerns. Others would just as soon annihilate both the Eater and Equus at once.” And like that, we were whisked away from the planet to a distant star that glowed a cold, blazing blue. We followed it as it drifted past Equus, and then with three puffs of flame it consumed the moon, sun, and planet without even stopping. The universe rotated around us, and another star, surrounded by a disk of whirling gasses, shone a brilliant beam of energy focused on the reappeared planet. The beam liquefied the surface and left it a glowing sphere of dead black glass. This spun away to be replaced by another Equus that hovered in place for several seconds before a small brilliant pebble of a star smashed the planet like an egg, blasting the moon and sun away in opposite directions. As the rubble whizzed out of sight, another Equus shone in the night. Then a ripple of something unseen and massive passed by, and the entire set of spheres disappeared with three brief, tiny flickers, gone as if they’d never been.
"他们才不在乎马呢,"汤姆低声说。我们盯着他看了好几秒钟。"你......很小......已经很虚弱了。"他摇了摇头。"我们大多数人都有自己的担忧。其他人会马上把食者和马都消灭掉。"就这样，我们飞快地离开了这颗行星，来到了一颗发出冰冷炽热蓝光的遥远恒星旁。我们跟着它漂过了爱科斯，接着它喷出三股火焰，一口气吞噬了月亮、太阳和地球。宇宙围绕着我们旋转，另一颗恒星被一盘旋转的气体包围着，它发出一道明亮的能量光束，聚焦在这颗再次出现的行星上。光束液化了表面，留下一个发光的死黑色玻璃球。这颗恒星旋转着离开，被另一个在原地盘旋了几秒钟的马所取代，然后一颗小小的明亮的恒星像个鸡蛋一样砸碎了这颗行星，把月亮和太阳炸向相反的方向。当碎石呼啸着消失在视线之外时，另一头野马在夜色中闪耀着光芒。接着，一个看不见的巨大物体的涟漪掠过，整套球体随着三个短暂的微弱的闪烁消失了，仿佛它们从未存在过。
So many ways our world could be destroyed from without. Yet, despite that, I still wasn’t about to just let Horizons happen.
我们的世界可以通过很多方式从外部被摧毁。然而，尽管如此，我还是不打算让视野号发生。
One last turn and we were back over Equus again. Tom lifted his eyes. “Those that do care, and we do… please believe me… we do… they have their own trials and problems keeping them from acting. Other threats, some not entirely unlike the Eater. Some far, far worse. I lost my world long ago. The Eater’s detonation tore it to pieces. I will give all I can to stop him and to make up for my failure.”
最后一个转弯，我们又回到了马场。汤姆抬起眼睛。"那些真的在乎，我们也在乎......请相信我......我们在乎......他们有自己的考验和问题，让他们无法演戏。其他的威胁，有些与食者并不完全不同。有些更糟糕。我很久以前就失去了我的世界。食者号的爆炸把它炸成了碎片。我会尽我所能去阻止他，弥补我的失败。"
Discord sighed and flashed from above Tom’s head to the ground next to him, hooking an arm around the stallion’s neck in a smarmy hug. “Dear me, things are getting maudlin.” He patted Tom’s head, getting an annoyed glare from the star spirit. “It’s very nice that you’re willing to do that. However, that doesn’t change
不和谐的声音叹了口气，从汤姆的头上方一闪而过，落在他旁边的地上，一只胳膊钩住了这匹种马的脖子，给了它一个谄媚的拥抱。"天哪，事情越来越伤感了。"他拍了拍汤姆的头，星星的灵魂恼怒地瞪了他一眼。"你愿意这么做真是太好了。然而，这并没有改变
that this is their world, Tommy. You’re asking them to give up their lives, and while it’s grand to say that they’ll be reborn, that doesn’t make these lives any less precious.”
这是他们的世界，汤米。你是在要求他们放弃自己的生命，虽然说他们将获得重生是件好事，但这并不会让他们的生命变得不那么珍贵。"
“For that matter,” P-21 went on, “it’d basically shit on the lives and sacrifices of everyone else who’s died to make the Wasteland better. To make anything better in the whole of our history! I don’t care if our souls or spirits live on after we die. Life matters. Ours. Yours. Everyone’s. If we die giving it our best shot, then I can accept that, but I can't accept that our best shot is the one that kills everyone even if it works.” He rapped his hoof twice on the table and locked his eyes with Tom’s as he repeated, “Life matters.”
"就此而言,"P-21继续说道,"它基本上是在那些为了使荒原变得更好而牺牲的人的生命和牺牲上拉屎。"。让我们的历史变得更美好！我不在乎我们的灵魂或精神在我们死后是否还活着。生活很重要。我们的。你的。每个人的。如果我们死的时候给了它最好的机会，那么我可以接受，但我不能接受的是，我们最好的机会是杀死所有人，即使它起作用。"他用蹄子在桌子上敲了两下，然后用汤姆的眼睛锁定了他的目光，重复着"生命很重要"
I couldn’t restrain myself. I threw my hooves around him and kissed him as hard as I could. I didn’t even try to restrain myself when he said those two words. I only stopped when I heard music. Rampage had an accordion apparently glued to her hooves while lit candles occupied the tabletop, and Scotch Tape and Discord both wore strange little hats atop their heads. Discord, smoking a cigarette and sporting a T-shirt with broad stripes running horizontally across it, sighed deeply. “Ah. C’est l’amour…”
我控制不住自己。我用蹄子把他搂在怀里，用尽全力地吻他。当他说那两个字的时候，我甚至没有试着抑制自己。我只有在听到音乐时才停下来。当点燃的蜡烛占据了桌面时，狂暴的手风琴似乎被粘在了她的蹄子上，而ScotchTape和Discord头上都戴着奇怪的小帽子。不和谐，抽着烟，穿着宽条纹的t恤衫，深深地叹了口气。"啊。爱情来了......"
“Must you?” Tom asked him with a long-suffering look at the ghost.
"你一定要吗?"汤姆带着长期痛苦的神情问他。
“Since you asked, yes, I must,” Discord said, pulling the shirt, cigarette, and funny hats off with a single sweep of his paw. “Chaos is infinitely superior to annihilation, as I’ve told you again and again. It’s brought us here. It opens up fascinating new possibilities.”
"既然你问了，是的，我必须这么做,"不和谐说，一边用爪子轻轻一扫，把衬衫、香烟和滑稽帽子都扯了下来。"正如我一再告诉你们的那样，混沌比湮灭优越得多。它把我们带到了这里。它开启了迷人的新可能性。"
“Such as defeat,” Tom pointed out.
"比如失败,"汤姆指出。
Discord blew a raspberry. “Oh please. It’s no fun if there’s not some terrible risk of losing. I’ve lost multiple times, but I never let that stop me.”
意见不和引起了轩然大波。"哦，拜托。如果没有可怕的失败风险，那就没有乐趣。我失去过很多次，但我从未因此停下脚步。"
“Not even when you’re dead,” I pointed out, and jabbed a hoof at him. “How are you here at all?”
"就算你死了也不行,"我指着他，用蹄子戳了戳他。"你怎么会在这里?"
“Well, I could guess that I’m just a subconscious projection of your desire to defy authority and establish your own control over your own destiny, or maybe it’s simply because you’re trotting around in a body made of reprocessed me. None of us are truly here at all. This is, after all, in your head,” Discord said as he reached over and opened a square hole in midair like a door. He poked his
"嗯，我可以猜测，我只是你的一个潜意识投射，你渴望反抗权威，建立自己对自己命运的控制，或者可能只是因为你在一个由再次处理过的我组成的身体里跑来跑去。我们没有一个人是真实存在的。"毕竟，这是在你的脑袋里,"不和谐说，他伸出手，在半空中打开了一个方形的洞，就像一扇门。他戳了一下
head inside only to immediately pull it back out, blushing furiously, the sound of slapping flanks and my moaning drifting through the opening. He slammed the door shut, manifested some planks, and hammered them over the thin air. “Oh my… Well, I think that that’s enough exploration of your mind, thank you very much. Twilight’s fantasies were so much more… literary. And much less sticky.”
我把头伸进去，却立刻把它拉了出来，脸红得厉害，拍打身体侧面的声音和我的呻吟声从洞口飘了过来。他砰的一声关上了门，露出一些木板，在稀薄的空气上敲打着。"哦，我的......好吧，我想这就足够探索你的思想了，非常感谢。暮光之城的幻想是如此的...文学。而且粘性要小得多。"
“Can we please get back to stopping Cognitum?” Rampage asked plaintively.
"我们能不能继续讨论关于认知的问题?"狂暴哀伤地问道。
“Right…” I said as I looked at Tom and then down at the world below us. “I’m sorry, Tom. I think you’re okay, for a star. You want to make Equus a better place. I’m all for that. But I’m not taking any option that kills everyone I care about. I don’t care if they do get another shot in an afterlife. Every one of them is fighting for their survival. I can’t just end that. I have to do something else.”
"好吧......"我看着汤姆说，然后看着下面的世界。"对不起，汤姆。作为一个明星，我觉得你还不错。你想让马科斯变得更好。我完全同意。但我不会采取任何会杀死我所关心的每个人的选择。我不在乎他们死后还有没有机会。他们每个人都在为生存而战。我不能就这么结束。我必须做点别的事情。"
Tom didn’t reply for several long minutes. “How?” Tom asked, cocking his head curiously.
汤姆好几分钟没有回答。"怎么做?"汤姆问道，好奇地抬起头。
“I don’t know!” I admitted, “but we’ll do it! We’ll find a way.”
"我不知道!"我承认,"但是我们会做的！我们会找到办法的。"
And once again we hovered above Chapel, but this time there were ponies working with zebras to entomb the city. Deus and the Raptors leveled the towers of the Core and all the tantalizing treasures that lingered within. The rubble was buried beneath the earth, and then Gardens spread an immense rainboom of magic that swept over the world. Ponies worked hard planting crops and healing the poison and scars of the land. They gathered up the silver rings wherever they could be found, returning them to the Core to be entombed with the Eater. With every one, more life bloomed and thrived, and ponies and zebras lived again, wiser and aware of the threat the Eater posed.
我们再次盘旋在查普尔上空，但这一次有小马和斑马一起埋葬这座城市。上帝和猛禽们夷平了核心塔和里面所有诱人的宝藏。瓦砾被埋在地下，然后花园传播了一场巨大的魔法雨，席卷了整个世界。小马努力地种植庄稼，治愈土地上的毒害和伤痕。他们把所有能找到的银戒指收集起来，送回核心，和食者一起埋葬。随着每一个，更多的生命开花和繁衍，小马和斑马又活了起来，明智和意识到了食者构成的威胁。
Tom stared at me as the Hoof, a great green bowl of life and civilization, spread out beneath us. It would happen. I was certain of it. As certain as a super smart star spirit from space. We’d live with the Eater, deny it whatever we could, and perhaps someday find some way to deal with it safely. We could do it. Ponies and zebras and griffins and… everyone. We could make the world better.
汤姆盯着我，看着霍夫，一个生活和文明的绿色大碗，在我们脚下伸展开来。这会发生的。我确信这一点。就像来自太空的超级聪明的星星精神一样确定。我们会和食者生活在一起，尽我们所能否认它，也许有一天我们会找到一些安全的方法来对付它。我们可以做到。小马，斑马，狮鹫，还有...所有人。我们可以让世界变得更美好。
Tom started to laugh and shook his head. “How… unexpected.” I expected a patronizing reply, but he simply smiled at the four of us.
汤姆开始大笑，摇了摇头。"真是...出乎意料。"我以为他会以恩人的姿态回答我，但他只是冲我们四个人笑了笑。
“I told you,” Discord said with a grin. “Sometimes these ‘mere mortals’ can accomplish truly staggering feats. They would even have redeemed me if those
"我告诉过你,"不和谐笑着说。"有时候，这些'普通人'可以真正取得惊人的成就。他们甚至可以救赎我
haybrains had stuck to the script!”
"乡巴佬照着剧本来的!"
Tom nodded and sighed, then turned to us. “It seems that I must place my fate in your hooves. It’s your world. If you have the maturity to make such a decision, then I will respect it. I only hope that you are right.”
汤姆点点头，叹了口气，然后转向我们。"看来我必须把我的命运寄托在你的蹄子上。这是你的世界。如果你成熟到可以做出这样的决定，我会尊重你的决定。我只希望你是对的。"
“Trottenheimer’s Folly!” P-21 said, looking at Rampage, then me. “It can destroy Tom, right? And Cognitum has it, doesn’t she?” Rampage snapped out of a daze and nodded a little in response. “Then you just have to get it from her and blast the rock. Heck, you might just be able to wreck Horizons’s infrastructure with a lucky shot or two!”
"Trottenheimer'sFolly!"P-21说，看着狂暴，然后是我。"它会毁了汤姆，对吧？而且她还有认知力，不是吗?"狂暴突然发呆，点了点头作为回应。"那么你只需要从她那里得到它，然后炸掉那块石头。见鬼，你也许只需要一两个幸运镜头就可以破坏视野号的基础设施!"
“But… what would that do to the star spirit... thingy?” Scotch Tape asked, and we all glanced at her. She flushed and snapped, “What? It’s not like Blackjack has a monopoly on the word!”
"但是......那会对星星的灵魂......什么东西造成什么影响?"苏格兰胶带问道，我们都看了她一眼。她脸红了，厉声说道:"什么？又不是只有黑杰克才有这个词!"
“I would pass on. To what, or where, I do not know. Perhaps I would return to the beyond to shine again, or remain within this sphere, or proceed to some other destiny.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Do not fear for me, young one,” he continued with a wave of his hoof. “One way or another, I will endure.”
"我会转达的。去哪里，去什么地方，我不知道。也许我会回到另一个世界再次闪耀，或者留在这个世界，或者继续前往其他的命运。"他给了她一个温柔的微笑。"年轻人，不要为我担心,"他挥动着蹄子继续说道。"无论如何，我都要忍受。"
“If not as a spirit, we live on as memory,” Discord said with a nod.
"如果不是作为一个灵魂，我们就活在记忆中,"不和谐点头说。
“Right,” I said, my mind racing a mile a minute. I could do this. I could! I just had to neutralize Cogs and… I stood and smacked my hoof against the table. “Right. Let’s do this. One last game, with the whole damn world in the pot.”
"是的,"我说，我的脑子一分钟跑了一英里。我可以这么做。我可以！我只需要中和齿轮，然后......我站起来，用蹄子拍了拍桌子。"对。我们开始吧。最后一场比赛，整个世界都陷入了困境。"
“I think you are making a mistake,” Tom said with that calm smile, “but I will abide. I made peace with this long ago. The falling of one of our own shall be rectified one way or another. I have faith that you mortals will make it so.”
"我认为你犯了一个错误,"汤姆带着平静的微笑说,"但是我会遵守的。很久以前我就已经接受了这个事实。我们自己人的堕落将以这样或那样的方式得到纠正。我相信你们这些凡人一定能做到。"
“Alright,” I said as I looked at each of my friends. “We can do this. We’ve come so far. We’ll finish this once and for all.”
"好吧,"我看着我的每一个朋友说。"我们能做到。我们已经走了这么远。我们将一劳永逸地解决这个问题。"
“There’re still a few mooks to wipe up,” Rampage pointed out. “That bitch with the missile launcher is being more annoying than your typical unicorn.” I arched a brow at her coolly, and she grinned back. “Present company included.”
"还有几个家伙需要擦干净,"狂暴指出。"那个拿着导弹发射器的婊子比你通常看到的独角兽还要烦人。"我冷静地向她挑了挑眉毛，她也咧开嘴笑了。"包括现在的陪伴。"
I sighed and bowed my head, but gave a smirk in reply. “Okay. I’ll work on Echo. We’re going to need him if there’s any way to get Cognitum out of my old
我叹了口气，低下了头，但给了一个傻笑作为回答。"好吧。我去处理Echo。我们需要他如果有办法让我的旧的认知力恢复的话
body. P-21, keep stalling the launch. Scotch, make sure Snipey keeps her head down and doesn’t tag him again. Rampage... just do what you do best.”
身体。P-21，继续拖延发射。苏格兰人，确保Snipey把头低下，别再伤害他了。横冲直撞......做你最擅长的事。"
“Sweet! I’ll finally have the chance to stun them all with my interpretive dance!” she said as she jumped to her hind legs and struck a funny pose, one foreleg stuck off to the side. We all stared at her for a second before she waved her hoof dismissively. “Oh, you mean the whole slaughter thing. Yeah, I can do that too.”
"太好了！我终于有机会用我的舞蹈把他们都震住了!"她说，当她跳到她的后腿，并采取了一个有趣的姿势，一个前腿卡在一边。我们都盯着她看了一会儿，然后她不屑地挥动着她的蹄子。"哦，你是说整个屠杀的事情。是的，我也可以这么做。"
“Oh, I like her!” Discord said with a grin. “Like the pink one with half the giggles but twice the mayhem!” He swept Rampage up and planted a deep kiss on her lips, pulling away with a pop.
"哦，我喜欢她!"不和谐笑着说。"就像那个粉红色的，咯咯的笑声只有原来的一半，但故意伤害却是原来的两倍!"他横冲直撞地走过来，在她的嘴唇上深深地吻了一下，砰地一声拉开。
Rampage blinked back at him and slammed her hoof across his face, twisting his head around like a corkscrew. “I’m a filly, you pervert!”
狂暴向他眨了眨眼睛，用蹄子狠狠地踢了他的脸，把他的头像开塞钻一样扭来扭去。"我是小母马，你这个变态!"
“Everything gets weirder every minute,” Scotch Tape remarked, shaking her head. Rampage stuck her tongue out at her. Tom frowned from Scotch Tape to Rampage, pointing a hoof from one to the other, and then shook his head, muttering about needing more notes on these mortals.
"一切都变得越来越奇怪,"苏格兰磁带说，摇摇头。狂暴向她伸出舌头。汤姆皱起眉头，从苏格兰胶带到狂暴，指着一只蹄子到另一只，然后摇摇头，嘟囔着需要更多关于这些凡人的笔记。
I looked at each of them in turn, taking in P-21’s certain smile, Rampage’s eager grin, and Scotch Tape’s nervous smirk. I wished Glory were here, if not to help in the fight, then to think of a solution for if… no. Nothing was going to go wrong. We were going to do this! “Okay. Let’s go.”
我依次看了看他们每个人，看到了P-21确定的微笑，狂暴的热切的笑容，和ScotchTape紧张的傻笑。我希望晨辉在这里，如果不是帮助战斗，然后想出一个解决方案，如果...不。不会出什么差错的。我们本来要这么做的！"好吧。我们走吧。"
The world faded to white as we all stepped away from the table. Distantly, I heard Discord say, “Double or nothing?”
当我们离开餐桌时，整个世界都变成了白色。我远远地听到不和谐的声音,"加倍还是不加?"
When the chamber under the Lunar Palace returned, I heard my friends as a chatter of thoughts. Echo blinked at the enormous rock at my back, then at me. “What… there was a voice in my head… telling me… telling me not to do what I was doing. We’d all be machines like her if it worked, and dead if it didn’t…” He shook his head. “What did you do, Blackjack?”
当月宫下面的房间回来的时候，我听到我的朋友们在谈论我的想法。艾可对着我背后那块巨石眨了眨眼，然后又对着我眨了眨眼。"什么......我脑子里有个声音......告诉我......告诉我不要做我正在做的事情。如果成功了，我们都会像她一样成为机器，如果失败了，我们都会死......"他摇摇头。"你做了什么，黑杰克?"
“Do? I don't have to do things to have weird shit happen to me. I can trigger it just by standing around,” I replied as I put a hoof around his shoulders. “You were with me for how long and never figured that out?”
"做什么？我不需要做什么事情就能让奇怪的事情发生在我身上。我只要站在一旁就能触发它,"我一边用蹄子绕住它的肩膀一边回答。"你和我在一起多久了，从来没有发现吗?"
He dropped his eyes. “You can’t beat her,” he muttered. “She’s going to rule us all. She should…”
他垂下了眼睛。"你打不过她的,"他喃喃自语。"她将统治我们所有人。她应该......"
“Can’t beat her? Yeah. Just like I couldn’t beat Deus. Or blow up a battleship. Or take on the Enclave. Or go to the frigging moon,” I said as I jerked him around and stared into his eyes. “But I need you if I’m going to do it. I need you to back me up, just like you used to back up Big Macintosh. You’ve got to trust me, Echo. Do that, and you can go on with your life not feeling ashamed for the mistakes you’ve made. Okay?”
""打不过她吗？是的。就像我不能打败天王一样。或者炸掉一艘战舰。或者去飞地。或者去那该死的月亮上,"我一边说，一边拉着他转过身，盯着他的眼睛。"但是如果我要做的话，我需要你。我需要你支持我，就像你过去支持大麦金塔一样。你得相信我Echo。做到这一点，你就可以继续你的生活，不必为你所犯下的错误感到羞愧。好吗?"
Echo stared at me for too many long seconds. How can she trust me after all I’ve done to her? So like him... Finally, he gave a shaky nod. “What do you need me to do?” I kept the gaze. I’ll do it right… for once… At that, I smiled.
艾可盯着我看了很长时间。我对她做了那么多事，她怎么能相信我呢？所以像他一样...最后，他摇摇晃晃地点了点头。"你需要我做什么?"我凝视着他。我会做好的......这一次......听到这个，我笑了。
“I need you to delay Horizons’s firing. If you can find a trick to shut it down completely, that’d be even better,” I said as I looked high above. Cognitum was nearly at the throne. “Will any of those Harbingers help us?”
"我需要你推迟视野号的开火时间。如果你能找到一个把它彻底关闭的方法，那就更好了。"。认知神殿几乎就要坐上宝座了。"这些预兆会帮助我们吗?"
“Maybe. She’s convinced most of them that she’s unstoppable, though,” he replied. “Or she’s promised them riches. Or they really hate you. Or all three.” He bit his lip. “Cognitum didn’t even put kill implants in them. She doesn’t seem to think she needs them.”
"也许吧。尽管如此，她还是让大多数人相信她是不可阻挡的。"或者她答应给他们发财。或者他们真的很讨厌你。或者三者都有。"他咬着嘴唇。"Cognitum甚至没有在里面放置致命植入物。她似乎并不认为自己需要它们。"
‘Cause she had my ‘victoryness’ working for her. “Right.” I nodded and concentrated on my friends. Echo is going to take over stalling Horizons. Mop up the rest of her muscle as fast as you can. Then we’re going to have to get her attention. I turned and stared at Echo. Can you hear me?
因为她让我的胜利感为她工作。"对。"我点点头，把注意力集中在我的朋友们身上。艾可将接管停滞不前的地平线。用最快的速度擦干她其余的肌肉。那我们就得引起她的注意。我转过身来，盯着艾可。你能听到我说话吗？
He glanced over from the terminal. “What are you staring at me like that for?”
他从航站楼向外瞥了一眼。"你这样盯着我干什么?"
Urk. I really wished I had more time to figure this telepathy shit out. “Nothing. Just buy us time.”
Urk.我真的希望我有更多的时间来搞清楚这该死的心灵感应。"没什么。给我们争取点时间。"
I trotted over to where I had a better view of Cognitum way up above me. I couldn’t risk teleporting; I might end up stuck in somepony else for time I couldn’t spare. I couldn’t shout that far… not over the dwindling gunfire and occasional missile or grenade detonation on the far side of Tom. But… I did have one thing she might hear.
我小跑着来到一个能更清楚地看到我头顶上的认知区的地方。我不能冒心灵传输的风险;我可能会因为无法抽出时间而被困在其他的小马身上。我不能喊那么远......不能超过越来越小的枪声和偶尔导弹或手榴弹爆炸在远方的汤姆。但是...我有一件事她可能会听到。
“Hey, Princess Fuckslut! I’m still alive down here!” I shouted into my broadcaster, transmitting on as many frequencies as I could. She froze in midstep and I grinned. “You know, for being a unicorn Princess, you’re pretty lousy at killing me and my friends. I thought Princesses were supposed to… you know…
"嘿，婊子公主！我还活着!"我对着播音员大声喊道，尽可能多地用频率传输信号。她走到一半僵住了，我咧嘴笑了。"你知道，作为一个独角兽公主，你很不擅长杀死我和我的朋友。我以为公主应该...你知道..。
be able to accomplish shit.”
能够完成任务"
“Blackjack,” my broadcaster crackled. “Your impudence is pathetic. Your obscenities betray your utter futility. Do you really think I’ll succumb to petty insults when I’m so close to my triumph?”
"黑杰克,"我的播音员噼里啪啦地说。"你的厚颜无耻真可悲。你的下流话暴露出你完全是徒劳无益的。你真的认为我离胜利这么近的时候，还会屈服于卑鄙的侮辱吗?"
“Why not?” I replied. “You’re not exactly the most advanced artificial intelligence I’ve bumped into. They didn’t have half your glitches, Cognitum. Then again, I guess you don’t need cutting-edge programming to get fucked by a horny Horse, do you, Sweetie Butt?”
"为什么不呢?"我回答。"你不是我遇到过的最先进的人工智能。他们没有你一半的毛病，科涅塔姆。不过话又说回来，我想你不需要最前沿的编程来和一匹好色的马做爱，对吧，甜心?"
“It has always been the purview of fools to insult their betters. You will see, Blackjack. I will make sure you survive to see it,” Cognitum countered haughtily. “I am Princess Luna. I will restore my realm and rule it as my people deserve. They will enjoy a second golden age!”
"侮辱自己的上级一直是愚人的权限。等着瞧吧，黑杰克。我保证你能活着看到它,"科涅土傲慢地反驳道。"我是卢娜公主。我要恢复我的王国，按照我的人民应得的那样统治它。他们将享受第二个黄金时代!"
“Oh, get off it. You’re not Princess Luna any more than you’re me. I don’t see Princess Luna using incineration spells. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘moon themed’ to me. You’re nothing more than a computer glitch pretending you’re actually a person. A bad copy in a fragmented memory that snatched a body she can’t handle and a soul that you pretend makes you Princess Luna.” I stared up at her as she froze, right at the edge of the throne.
"哦，放开它。你不再是卢娜公主，就像你不再是我一样。我不认为卢娜公主会使用焚化咒语。这对我来说可不是什么月亮主题。你只不过是一个电脑故障，假装你是一个真正的人。支离破碎的记忆中一个糟糕的副本夺走了一个她无法处理的身体，还有一个你假装成卢娜公主的灵魂。"我抬头看着她，就在王座的边缘，她愣住了。
“I’ve changed my mind,” she stated primly. “About you surviving, that is. Get down there and kill her. Now.” Two ponies appeared at the edge and immediately started to leap down from girder to girder towards me. “Now, it’s time to alter the stone’s trajectory.” She sat on the throne and reached up for the mesh with her hooves.
"我改变主意了,"她一本正经地说。"那是关于你的生存。下去杀了她。现在。"两匹小马出现在桥边，马上开始从一根大梁跳向我。"现在，是时候改变石头的轨迹了。"她坐在宝座上，用蹄子去够网眼。
The first of the two was a unicorn stallion in a black longcoat and shades levitating two automatic pistols. The other was an earth pony mare with a strange long, slim, single-edged sword gripped in her jaws and her mane tied in a topknot. “Go ahead. Pull that mesh down. Soon as you do, I’ll teleport right next to you and pull your plug.”
第一个是一匹穿着黑色长外套的独角兽种马，阴影使两把自动手枪悬浮起来。另一匹是一匹土地上的母马，有着一匹奇怪的长而纤细的刀，它的下颚紧紧地抓着，鬃毛扎成顶髻。"去吧。把网格拉下来。一旦你这么做了，我就会传送到你身边，拔掉你的插头。"
She froze, then lowered her hooves. “Perhaps it would be amusing to watch you finally silenced for good, Blackjack,” she said as she sat imperiously on the throne. If she wasn’t actually a Princess, she could pull off the look pretty damn well.
她僵住了，然后放低了蹄子。"也许看着你最终永远地安静下来会很有趣，黑杰克,"她一边盛气凌人地坐在宝座上一边说。如果她不是真正的公主，她看起来可以做得非常好。
Pistols jumped onto the ring that encircled Tom, followed a second later by the blue-gray earth pony mare with the sword. The sickly white unicorn took a moment to shake a cigarette out of a pack and slip it between his lips... as the swordsmare charged in much much faster than I expected! She ran like a pegasus, closing the distance between us with astonishing speed. I unloaded with Sexy, but the moment before I fired, she leapt into the air. The unicorn, farther back from the spread, hit the deck, covering his head.
手枪跳上了包围汤姆的圈子，一秒钟后，那匹带着剑的蓝灰色土地上的小马驹紧随其后。这只病怏怏的白色独角兽花了点时间从烟盒里抽出一支香烟，然后从嘴里滑了出来......这时，剑的攻击速度比我想象的要快得多！她像飞马一样奔跑，以惊人的速度拉近了我们之间的距离。我和Sexy分手了，但就在我开枪之前，她跳了起来。那只独角兽，在距离牧场更远的地方，落在了甲板上，遮住了他的头。
The mare came down, her head twisting like a zebra’s to bring the blade down in a vertical slash. I rolled onto my side, interposing Sexy’s thick barrel between me and the blade. Despite the thick steel barrel, the edge bit into the metal. I bit down on Vigilance’s grip and slipped into S.A.T.S… twenty percent chance to hit? Only five for her head? And even in the spell, the mare slowly moved back from me! Was she on chems or something?
母马下来了，她的头像斑马一样扭曲，把刀片垂直砍下来。我翻了个身，把性感的粗枪管插在我和刀片之间。尽管钢桶很厚，但边缘还是钻进了金属里。我咬下了警戒队的把手，溜进了s.a.t.s。.有百分之二十的机会击中？她的头只要五块？甚至在咒语中，母马慢慢地从我身边退开！她嗑药了还是怎么了？
I tried four shots, but all four missed the swordsmare, cutting through the air inches from her body as she leapt to the side. Shinde, yariman. Wha… what the heck did that mean? I kicked my legs and spun around to keep facing her. The mare moved as fast as any zebra, keeping ahead of me. I rolled to my hooves, slowed by Sexy’s weight. Damn it! Why couldn’t I be strong enough to manage it like an earth pony?
我试了四次击球，但是四次都没有击中，当她跳到一边时，击中了离她身体几英寸的空中。辛德，亚里曼。这...这是什么意思？我踢了踢自己的腿，转身面对着她。母马跑得跟斑马一样快，一直跑在我前面。我转动着我的蹄子，因为性感的体重而放慢了脚步。该死！为什么我就不能像一匹地球上的小马一样强壮起来呢？
Then I yipped as a pistol round bit into my rump. Mr. Pistols had lit his cigarette and had two matte black IF-21 automatics with dual laser sights, silencers, and extended magazines. I quite approved of his taste in hardware. Hold still, darlin’. We’ll end this nice and neat. Easy paycheck. He advanced slowly, cautiously, but not fearfully, maintaining excellent trigger control and aim. Worse, he was on one side of me and swordsmare was on the other. I’d have to turn my back on one to deal with the other.
然后我像一把手枪一样对着我的屁股叫了起来。先生点燃了他的香烟，并有两个磨砂的黑色IF-21自动步枪与双激光瞄准器，消音器，和扩展杂志。我非常赞同他对五金的品味。别动，亲爱的。我们会干净利落地结束这一切。轻松的薪水。他缓慢地、谨慎地前进，但并不害怕，保持着出色的扳机控制和瞄准能力。更糟糕的是，他在我的一边，剑士在另一边。我不得不背对其中一个去对付另一个。
I need help. I tried to maneuver to put the swordspony between me and Mr. Pistols. I failed in that, getting a slice right across my snout that filled my nose and mouth with blood. Now I just concentrated on moving, shielding myself with my forelegs and Sexy’s bulk as best I could. From where he worked behind the terminal, I saw doubt in Echo’s eyes.
我需要帮助。我试图在我和"性手枪先生"之间摆出一道剑锋。我失败了，鼻子上被割了一刀，血流满了我的鼻子和嘴。现在我只专注于移动，尽我所能地用我的前腿和赦西的身体保护自己。从他在航站楼后面工作的地方，我看到了Echo眼中的疑虑。
I’m coming! P-21 thought at me. One minute! A moment later came the thoughts. I’ll save all of you like you saved me. I won’t let you die.
我来了！P-21看着我。一分钟！过了一会儿，我又有了一些想法。我会像你们救我一样救你们所有人。我不会让你死的。
Touching thought, but I didn’t have a minute. I couldn’t use any magic beyond levitation. And if Echo thought I was going to lose… If I did lose…
感人的想法，但我没有一分钟。我不能使用任何超越悬浮的魔法。如果Echo认为我会输...如果我真的输了..。
No.
没有。
I turned my back on the swordsmare and stared right at Mr. Pistols’s sunglasses-covered eyes. Now there was fear. I knew that the swordsmare was coming for my head. One slice to finish me off for good. But I was going to kill Pistols first, and he knew it. Everypony knew it.
我背对着那对剑士，盯着手枪先生戴着墨镜的眼睛。现在有了恐惧。我知道剑要来砍我的头了。再来一片，我就死定了。但是我要先杀死"手枪"，他知道这一点。每个人都知道这一点。
So I ducked.
所以我躲开了。
The blade passed right over my head, scraping off the top of my helmet as its wielder flew in front of me. Her eyes were wide as she looked back over her shoulder at me, and I entered S.A.T.S. as she landed. I saw every muscle tense as she prepared to leap away to safety. A part of me noted she had one fine ass. Not as sweet as a pegasus’s, but still… Dame! she thought desperately. I toggled one burst, the spell not yet having recharged enough energy for more, and fired.
刀片从我头顶掠过，刮掉了我头盔的顶部，它的使用者从我面前飞过。当她回头看我时，她的眼睛睁得大大的，她着陆的时候我进入了s.a.t.s。当她准备跳向安全地带时，我看到她每一块肌肉都绷紧了。我的一部分注意到她有一个漂亮的屁股。虽然没有飞马那么甜，但还是...妈的！她绝望地想。我转换了一次爆发，但是这个咒语还没有充足足够的能量来施放更多的咒语，于是我开火了。
It was enough.
这就够了。
Her body shattered into bloody rags and dropped to the floor as so much twitching, writhing, gasping meat, her broken sword skittering away across the metal. She didn’t have a fine ass anymore. She didn’t have any ass anymore. She crawled her way towards the broken hilt of her sword as she bled out, her entrails slowly spooling out behind her. Watashi wa... meiyo nashi de... shinu koto ga... dekinai... She stretched one bloody hoof towards the hilt. Uso megami-sama...gomen na– Then she went still, and her red bar winked out.
她的身体碎成了血迹斑斑的碎布，随着肉体的抽搐、扭动、喘息而倒在地板上，她的断剑在金属上滑落。她再也没有漂亮的屁股了。她再也没有屁股了。她慢慢地爬向断掉的剑柄，血流不止，她的内脏慢慢地从身后流出来。Watashiwa...meiyonashide...shinukotoga....她把一只血淋淋的蹄子伸向刀柄。然后她静静地走着，她的红棒闪烁着。
Then I got shot in the head.
然后我头部中枪。
It must have been a hollow-point, because thank goodness for the combat helmet that deflected most of the shot, but it still felt like a hammer against my skull. Take her down quick! Get my fucking money! Never look at the fucking moon again! Fuck this place! Mr. Pistols thought desperately as he unloaded as rapidly as he could into me, moving to keep the curve of Tom to give him cover while levitating his guns out and into the clear. Even without a direct line of sight, he had phenomenal aim, and I was forced to shift to the side to try and buy myself cover. It didn’t work, and my appreciation for earth pony annoyance with unicorn magic grew in leaps and bounds.
那一定是一个空尖弹，因为感谢上帝，战斗头盔挡住了大部分的子弹，但我还是感觉像是一把锤子砸在了我的头上。快把她放下来！把我的钱拿来！再也不要看那该死的月亮了！去他妈的地方！先生绝望地想着，他尽可能快地向我开火，移动身体保持汤姆的曲线，给他提供掩护，同时让他的枪漂浮出来，进入空中。即使没有一个直接的视线，他有非凡的目标，我不得不转移到一边，试图购买自己的掩护。它没有起作用，我对地球小马因为独角兽的魔法而产生的烦恼的感激之情越来越强烈。
“You know, Blackjack, I’m wondering…” Cognitum purred over my PipBuck. Not now, damn it! I leapt to the side to try and catch the black-longcoated unicorn in the open, but he nimbly jumped off the circular catwalk and onto the girders. Sexy roared my frustration as he took cover behind a vertical beam, and then a second later his guns appeared to either side of the beam and fired back at me with way more precision and luck than any blind-firing unicorn deserved. I was bleeding from rounds that had managed to penetrate the combat barding, and the impacts that hadn’t penetrated made me feel like somepony had been using me as their piñata. “Is there something amiss with your magic?”
"你知道，黑杰克，我在想......"认知神在我的皮布克旁咕噜咕噜地说。现在不行，该死的！我跳到一边，试图在空地上抓住那只穿着黑色长袍的独角兽，但是它敏捷地跳下了圆形的t型台，跳上了大梁。"性感"在一根垂直的横梁后面寻找掩护时大声说出了我的沮丧，然后一秒钟后，他的枪出现在横梁的两侧，并以比任何盲射的独角兽都更精确、更幸运的方式向我开火。我流着血，子弹已经穿透了战斗护栏，没有穿透的冲击让我感觉像是小马把我当成了它们的皮纳塔。"你的魔法有什么问题吗?"
“I’ll teleport up there in a second, and you’ll find out!” I shouted back over the broadcaster connection, moving to the side. Something apple-shaped was levitated out from behind the pillar on the right and flung at me. He jumped out to the left, rolling along the metal beam with impressive grace and rising to a crouch to aim both weapons at me. I countered by shooting the grenade as it was halfway through the air, the spheroid exploding in a cloud of shrapnel while the remainder of my fire sent him behind the cover of another girder. The grenade shrapnel still cut into my chest and forelegs, though, and I was reminded of an adage about horseshoes and hoofgrenades.
"我一会儿就传送过去，你就知道了!"我对着电视台的连线大声回应，走到一边。有个苹果形状的东西从右边的柱子后面飘了出来，向我扔过来。他跳到左边，以令人印象深刻的优雅沿着金属横梁滚动起来，蹲下来用两把武器瞄准我。当手榴弹在半空中爆炸的时候，我反击了手榴弹，那个球体炸成了一团弹片，而我余下的火力把他送到了另一根大梁的后面。不过，手榴弹的弹片仍然划破我的胸膛和前腿，这让我想起了一句关于马蹄铁和蹄榴弹的谚语。
Wheezing and bleeding, I fished out a healing potion and found that I only had two left. What, had I been drinking them like… oh, yeah. I had, hadn’t it? I gulped one down, thankful for the sweet relief the healing magic provided.
我呼哧呼哧地流着血，摸出一瓶治疗药水，发现只剩下两瓶了。什么，我是不是喝得像...哦，是的。我有过，不是吗？我一口吞下一个，感谢治愈魔法带来的甜蜜解脱。
Meanwhile, Cognitum purred, “No, I don’t think you will. I think you can stay down there and witness my victory. I am Princess Luna, reborn!”
同时，认识神咕哝着说:"不，我想你不会的。我想你可以留下来见证我的胜利。我是卢娜公主，重生了!"
She reached up for the mesh, grabbed it with her hooves, and, as if she were coronating herself, lowered it onto her head. Now would be a great time for that computer to short her brain out! Taking the legs off her was still an option in my book! And I had a momentary stab of hope when her whole body went stiff. Then, suddenly, hundreds of talismans along the walls flared to life, and the entire chamber gave a great rumble.
她伸手去拿铁丝网，用蹄子抓住铁丝网，然后把它放在头上，就好像她在给自己加冕一样。现在正是那台电脑让她的大脑短路的好时机！在我的书里，把她的腿锯掉仍然是一个选择！当她整个身体僵硬的时候，我有一丝希望。然后，突然，数以百计的护身符沿着墙壁闪耀起来，整个房间发出巨大的隆隆声。
Then, when I was distracted, Mr. Pistols of course took the opportunity to lob another grenade at me. The metal pinged once off the deck beside me, and all I could think of was to kick it away from me before it went off. Luckily, my kick sent it over the edge of the platform a second before it detonated. The underside of the platform rattled like a hoofful of bolts had been flung against it. Of course,
然后，当我分心的时候,"手枪先生"当然抓住机会又向我扔了一个手榴弹。那块金属在我旁边的甲板上砰的一声掉了下来，我所能想到的就是在它掉下来之前把它踢开。幸运的是，我的一脚把它踢到了月台边缘，然后它就爆炸了。平台的底部嘎嘎作响，就像一支螺栓被甩到了上面。当然
while I was dealing with that, I took two more rounds in the barding. Wear her down. Take her apart bit by bit. Mr. Pistols’s thoughts were a whole lot more cool and composed than mine were. Then get the fuck out of here and spend the first million caps on booze and whores to forget this fucking place. Well, mostly.
在我处理这件事的时候，我又挨了两枪。说服她。把她一点一点地拆开。先生的想法比我的要冷静和沉着得多。然后滚出这个鬼地方，把头一百万瓶酒花在酒和妓女身上，忘记这个鬼地方。嗯，大部分是。
Two more minutes, Blackjack. P-21 promised. Soon as I can get Sniper to step on a mine, I’ll be there.
再等两分钟黑杰克。P-21答应了。只要我能让狙击手踩到地雷，我就去。
There was another distant explosion. Run out of fucking missiles, damn it! Rampage snarled in my mind.
远处又发生了一次爆炸。该死的导弹用完了！狂暴在我的脑海中咆哮。
Owwie! She shot my leg! What kind of pony shoots a kid? Scotch Tape cried out.
哎呀！她打中了我的腿！什么样的小马会开枪打小孩？透明胶带大声叫道。
I’m okay, but I won’t be able to get to you, Blackjack.
我很好，但是我不能接近你，Blackjack。
There was nothing for it. I scrambled off the circular walkway and into the girders. Mr. Pistols was somewhere in here with me. I checked Sexy; the swordsmare had really cut part of it good, but it just had to get me through today. There was a red bar ahead of me. I had no idea if he had an E.F.S. or not, but he was a lot more mobile than me. I had only one edge. I’d have to make the most of it.
没什么好说的。我爬下环形走道，钻进了大梁里。先生和我在一起。我检查了一下"性感"这个词，那个击剑手真的把它的一部分切得很好，但是它只能让我熬过今天。我前面有一条红色的横杆。我不知道他是否有e.f.s.，但是他比我灵活多了。我只有一个优势。我必须充分利用它。
Where is she? Cognitum said she’d be easy. That thing needs to look up the fucking definition. Must be in the girders. She’ll have an E.F.S. Just need to get above her. She’ll come to me. Above us, there were the sounds of screaming, and through the girders I could see flashes of energy. And here I was, dealing with a pony who was apparently doing all this for money! I moved slowly forward, keeping my eyes up. My boots clanked on the metal. There. I hear her. That’s it. Come towards the red bar.
她在哪儿？科格尼特姆说她很好相处。那东西需要查一下定义。一定是在大梁里。她会有e.f.s.只是需要在她上面。她会来找我的。在我们上方，有尖叫的声音，透过大梁我可以看到能量的闪光。而现在，我正在和一匹小马打交道，它显然是为了钱才这么做的！我慢慢地向前移动，眼睛一直抬着。我的靴子在金属上叮当作响。好了。我听到了。就是这样。到红条这边来。
If he could hear my hoofsteps. “I don’t want to kill you, you know. I just want to stop Cognitum and go home. I think we all want to go home.” I concentrated, trying to tune in to his thoughts like a radio. Bingo. Just like that freak said. Trying to get me to give up and change sides. Just keep talking while I move over you. I sighed as I saw a bit of movement in the shadows above me. Was it his longcoat?
如果他能听到我的蹄声。"我不想杀你，你知道的。我只想停下来回家。我想我们都想回家。"我全神贯注，试图像收音机一样收听他的思想。答对了。就像那个变态说的。试图让我放弃和改变立场。我从你身上挪开的时候，你就继续说吧。我叹了口气，因为我看到在我上方的阴影里有一点动静。是他的长外套吗？
I sat down and sighed. “I’m so tired of fighting. I don’t know who you are, but I’m ready for a change. I don’t know what Cognitum told you. How much money she’s agreed to pay you. What threats she’s made. I just want this to be over. I want to go home. Start a new life. A real life.” I levitated Vigilance under
我坐下，叹了口气。"我已经厌倦了战斗。我不知道你是谁，但我已经准备好改变了。我不知道Cognitum告诉你什么了。她同意给你多少钱。她受到了多大的威胁。我只想结束这一切。我想回家。开始新的生活。一个真实的生活。"我把《警戒》悬浮在空中
the platform behind me where I figured he'd be most likely to drop down, and suddenly I heard the chatter of gunfire and ghostly screams, of Calamity screaming for Homage and of Velvet begging someone to stop. Focus... Focus on Mr. Pistols.
突然，我听到了枪声和幽灵般的尖叫声，听到了灾难般的呼喊，听到了维尔维特恳求某人停下来。专注...专注于"手枪先生"。
Get behind her. She’s apparently survived headshots, but nopony survives without a brainstem. Fuck, but she’s a talker. What the hell is she talking about? Change? Nothing changes. Everything gets worse. Everything dies. That’s the one promise of life: it ends. What matters is how much booze and money you get from beginning to end. I felt the girder I was on tremble slightly as something landed behind me.
到她后面去。显然，她通过了头部特写，但是没有脑干的小马却活了下来。妈的，但她是个健谈的人。她到底在说什么？改变？什么都没有改变。一切都变得更糟了。一切都会死去。这是生命唯一的承诺:它结束了。重要的是你从头到尾能得到多少酒和钱。当有东西落在我身后的时候，我感觉到我骑着的大梁在轻微地颤抖。
I turned and saw him crouched, pistols raised. I could have turned out like him. If I hadn’t had EC-1101 to give me direction and friends to keep me good, I could have ended up just like him: fixated on enjoyment and my own wants, screw everypony else. I was pretty self-centered at times. “I don’t want to kill you,” I said as I kept Vigilance levitated. “I just want to go home. If you help us stop Cognitum, you can come with us.”
我转过身来，看见他蹲着，举着手枪。我可能会变得像他一样。如果我没有EC-1101给我指引方向，没有朋友让我保持良好状态，我可能会像他一样:专注于享受和自己的需求，去他妈的其他人。我有时非常自我中心。"我不想杀你,"我说，同时保持警惕悬浮。"我只想回家。如果你能帮助我们阻止认知，你就可以和我们一起走。"
My turn seemed to unnerve his shaky sneer. How the hell did she hear me? “Damn. Here I thought I was being quiet. But that Princess Whatever promised me all the money, and paid me a million up front. A million. If she can just throw that cash around, she sure can take care of me after we’re back. Unless you can beat her offer.” I really should put a bullet in her head, but maybe she can.
轮到我的时候，他颤抖的冷笑似乎消失了。她到底是怎么听到我说话的？"该死。我还以为自己很安静呢。但是那个什么公主答应给我所有的钱，并且预付给我一百万。一百万。如果她能随便花点钱，我们回来后她肯定能照顾好我。除非你能超过她的出价。"我真该一枪崩了她但也许她可以。
“You bet I can. Easily,” I countered. “Your life.”
"当然可以。轻而易举,"我反驳道。"你的生活。"
That made him chuckle. Fuck, how original. “I got two hollowpoints aimed at your head. You can’t turn that cannon towards me fast enough to finish me off.” Shit. She’s got me talking. Time to-- He paused when I levitated Vigilance from underneath the platform next to him, out of his view, and pressed it against his temple. Fuck. “Fuck.”
这让他咯咯地笑了起来。妈的，真有创意。"我有两个空尖子瞄准你的头。你不可能把那门大炮转向我，快到把我干掉。"该死。她让我开口了。时间到了----当我从他旁边的平台下面把警戒性悬浮起来，从他的视线之外，把它压在他的太阳穴上时，他停了下来。操。"操。"
“I don’t want to kill you, but I will. I want to stop her. I need help. Echo has switched sides. You can too. You can do the right thing, right now, when it matters most… or I can blow your brains out. I should do that anyway,” I said as I glared at my own reflection. “But honestly, the biggest difference between me and her is I’m giving you a chance to do the right thing.”
"我不想杀你，但我会的。我想阻止她。我需要帮助。Echo倒戈了。你也可以。你可以做正确的事情，现在，当它最重要的时候...或者我可以打爆你的脑袋。无论如何我都应该这么做,"我说，同时瞪着自己的倒影。"但老实说，我和她最大的不同是，我给了你一个机会去做正确的事情。"
She can’t be serious. Fuck. I knew a shipping container of caps was too good to
她不是认真的吧。操。我知道一个装着帽子的集装箱太好了
be true. He didn’t twitch a muscle. I should have pulled the trigger. If he thought faster than I, he’d take me out. But I’d been given a chance to do better. I had to give that chance to others.
真实。他一点肌肉都没有抽搐。我应该开枪的。如果他想得比我快，他就会干掉我。但我有机会做得更好。我必须把这个机会给别人。
He lowered his guns. “Shoulda known better. Any job that has you going to the moon is no good.” I should blow her brains out when she turns away… but… fuck. I’m in over my head here. I’ll never get back to Dise at this rate. “Couldn’t say no to that much money though.” If it looks like Cogs is gonna win, I can just take her out and say it was all a ploy--
他放下了枪。"你应该知道得更清楚。任何能让你登上月球的工作都是不好的。"我应该在她转身的时候打爆她的头...但是...妈的。我现在一头雾水。照这样下去，我再也回不去迪斯了。"虽然不能拒绝那么多钱。"如果看起来Cogs要赢了，我可以直接把她带出去然后说这一切都是策略--
I smacked him with the barrel of the gun, nearly knocking his glasses off. “No. Help me or run away and hide.” There was another rumble and a scream of rage from above. “There is no taking me out. No ploys.” He stared at me with bafflement, then horror.
我用枪管打他，差点把他的眼镜打掉。"没有。要么帮助我，要么逃跑躲起来。"又是一阵隆隆声和一声愤怒的尖叫。"没有办法带我出去。不要耍花招。"他困惑地盯着我，然后是恐惧。
...Oh, you have got to be kidding me. She can read minds? I would have doubled my fee if I’d known that. “I’m not a hero, Security. I kill ponies. But I try and do the job I’m paid for.” Fuck! If anyone finds out I broke a contract, ugggh! Not worth dying for. Can’t pussy out either. Fuck. “I fucking hate today,” he muttered.
开什么玩笑。她会读心术？如果我知道的话，我会付双倍的费用。"我不是英雄，保安。我杀小马。但我努力去做我应该做的工作。"操！如果有人发现我违反了合同，啊！不值得为之牺牲。也不能退缩。操。"我他妈的讨厌今天,"他喃喃自语。
I smirked and rolled my eyes. “Please. My ‘today’ has lasted for months,” I countered, then thought at my friends. Don’t kill the one with pistols and the longcoat. He’s agreed to help us too. “Head on back to the ring.” He seemed to get the hint that I wasn’t going to tempt him with my back and headed back.
我得意地笑了笑，转了转眼珠。"求你了。我的'今天'已经持续了几个月,"我反驳道，然后又想起了我的朋友们。不要用手枪和长衣杀人。他也同意帮助我们。"回到拳击场"他似乎得到了暗示，我不会用我的背部去诱惑他，然后往回走。
Too bad. Wish you could have convinced this sniper. She died praising Luna after stepping on a mine. P-21 thought. How’d you do it?
太糟糕了。真希望你能说服这个狙击手。她踩到地雷后，死时赞美卢娜。P-21认为。你是怎么做到的？
I gave him a chance. I thought back. Hopefully it was a chance to spend his pay and not a chance to stab me in the back. Meet at Echo. We need to find out what’s going on. Rampage? I thought as we started back towards the ring platform around Tom.
我给了他一个机会。我回想着。希望这是一个花掉他薪水的机会，而不是在我背后捅刀子的机会。在Echo见面。我们得搞清楚到底怎么回事。横冲直撞？当我们回到汤姆周围的拳击台时，我想。
I still haven’t gotten her. I think she’s down to her last missile, though. I’ve gone through way too many legs with this cunt. Rampage paused. What do you mean you hope I give her a choice to give up! That’s your bag, Blackjack. I got four ponies in me telling me she’s going down!
我还是没找到她。我想她只剩下最后一枚导弹了。我已经和这个婊子打过太多次交道了。狂暴停止了。你什么意思你希望我给她一个选择放弃！那是你的包Blackjack。我有四匹小马告诉我她要完蛋了！
I didn’t think it! Did I? Ok, if I did, I didn’t intend too. Just do what you have to
我没想到！是吗？好吧，就算我知道，我也不是故意的。做你该做的
and meet up. I looked at the stallion as he jumped onto the platform. “Okay. Don’t kill Cognitum right away. I’m trying to get my body back.” The blank look I received for that comment could have told me his thoughts without mind reading. “Look, can you kill the gun pods first?”
然后见面。当这匹种马跳上月台时，我看着它。"好吧。不要马上杀死它。我在努力找回我的身体。"我听到那个评论时的茫然表情可以告诉我他的想法，而不需要读心术。"听着，你能先杀了那些枪吗?"
Thirty seconds and I’m already regretting this. “Yeah. Sure.” He shook out another cigarette and lit it with a brass lighter, snapping it closed with his magic. Fucking doomed. Again. “No problem.”
30秒后我就开始后悔了。"是的。当然。"他又抖出一支香烟，用一个黄铜打火机点燃，用他的魔法啪的一声合上了。死定了。再来一次。"没问题。"
Scotch Tape limped as P-21 helped her over to us. I took a second to look around and up, and…
P-21一瘸一拐地把胶带递给我们。我花了点时间环顾四周然后..。
Okay. This wasn’t good.
好吧。情况不妙。
Cognitum contorted and twisted in the seat as lightning arced along the cables connecting her to the throne. All around us, even more milky white talismans were coming to life. The Flux was starting to send up geysers that slowly twisted the girders into increasingly warped shapes. Parts of the entire girder lattice were starting to bend and groan as they began to collapse. The whole plate above began to sag and tear in places. Magical fields along the periphery of the structure sprang to life, and enormous runed symbols of magic filled the air, some lining the walls and others around the throne.
科涅塔在座位上扭曲着，就像闪电沿着连接她和王座的电缆弧线旋转一样。在我们周围，更多乳白色的护身符开始活跃起来。流量开始发送间歇泉，慢慢扭曲梁成越来越扭曲的形状。整个梁格的一部分开始弯曲和呻吟，因为他们开始崩溃。上面的整个盘子开始有些地方下陷和撕裂。沿着建筑外围的魔法场域突然活跃起来，空气中充满了巨大的魔法符号，有些沿着墙壁排列，有些则围绕着王座。
Okay. This was getting a little ridiculous. I ran to where Echo worked furiously, his eyes staring at the terminal screen as he juggled a dozen little tasks at once. “What’s happening to her?”
好吧。这越来越荒谬了。我跑到Echo拼命工作的地方，他的眼睛盯着终端屏幕，同时处理着十几个小任务。"她怎么了?"
“She altered the trajectory. Then this happened,” Echo said, tapping a button.
"她改变了轨迹。接着就发生了这样的事情。"Echo边说边按下了按钮。
“You are a tyrant,” Goldenblood hissed over the speakers. “A monster unrepentant. You could have spared Equus the nightmare I wrought. Instead, you’ve demonstrated that you are unworthy of rulership. I will correct the mistake I made, Your Majesty!”
"你真是个暴君,"金血王对着喇叭嘶嘶地说。"一个不知悔改的怪物。你本可以让马免受我造成的噩梦。相反，你已经证明了你不配成为统治者。我会改正我犯的错误的，陛下!"
Echo killed the voiceover. “It’s been repeating versions of that ever since she made the alteration,” he said as he resumed his furious typing. “She’s been locked in ever since. Her gun pods tried to scrap the computer, but it’s shielded.”
艾可取消了旁白。"自从她做了修改之后，就一直在重复这个版本,"他一边说，一边继续愤怒地打字。"从那以后，她就一直被关在里面。她的机关枪试图毁掉电脑，但是电脑被屏蔽了。"
“Are you sure about that?” P-21 asked as he peered up from under the brim of his hat. “I think she’s doing something.”
"你确定吗?"P-21从帽檐下探出头来问道。"我觉得她在做些什么。"
I stared as well. It was hard to make out, but it looked like she was manipulating something small and shiny. Something like a large pistol of some kind. Something familiar…
我也盯着他看。很难看出来，但看起来她在操纵一些小而闪亮的东西。类似某种大手枪的东西。熟悉的东西..。
Folly.
愚蠢。
“Oh shit! Hold on!” I screamed as a blinding bar of light exploded above us. Cognitum’s aim had been off, and the beam hit the field of magic to the left of the throne. The magic interacted, and instead of one beam blasting clear through the roof, a hundred smaller refracted beams lanced out in a fan that then ricocheted wildly off a second magic field behind the first. Beams of blinding white light ripped through the cavernous Lunar Palace, as the plate and platforms came apart.
"哦，该死！坚持住!"我尖叫着，一道炫目的光柱在我们头顶爆炸。科涅塔姆的目标已经失去了，光束击中了王座左边的魔法场。魔法相互作用，不是一束光穿过屋顶，而是100根折射的小光束在一个扇子中射出，然后疯狂地从第一个扇子后面的第二个魔法场反弹。随着盘子和平台的分离，炫目的白光划破了洞穴般的月宫。
Once again, I consulted the list of magic spells I wished I could cast right now but couldn’t and moved a shield spell to the top. The plate ripped and tore, coming to rest like an immense spiral staircase around us, the platforms a twisted helix rising up to where the throne, inexplicably held up by a single support, remained. Beams and rebar punched right through the plate decking, and something caused the entire thing to lunge up and hang at an angle. Cables dangled and sparked. The F.A.D.E. talismans remained where they were, suspended in midair by their active enchantment.
再一次，我查阅了魔法咒语的清单，我希望我现在可以施放，但不能，并移动了盾牌法术的顶部。盘子撕裂开来，像一个巨大的螺旋楼梯一样停在我们周围，平台像一个螺旋升起的螺旋，一直升到宝座所在的地方，宝座被一个支撑物难以理解地支撑着。横梁和钢筋穿过板甲板，有什么东西导致整个东西弓步向上，以一个角度悬挂起来。电缆摇摇晃晃，闪闪发光。那些f.a.d.e.护身符留在原地，被它们活跃的魔力悬浮在半空中。
On the plus side, none of my friends were dead, the dome hadn’t been breached, and my body hadn’t been vaporized.
好的一面是，我的朋友没有死，穹顶没有被破坏，我的身体也没有被蒸发。
On the minus side, Cognitum was free. The mesh dangled from the throne.
从不好的方面来说，科涅塔姆是免费的。金属网从宝座上垂下来。
“How dare he?!” Cognitum roared as she loaded a second silver bullet into Folly. “How dare he think he can trap the Goddess of the Night like vermin?!”
"他怎么敢?!"当她把第二颗银弹装进弗里里的时候，科涅塔姆吼了起来。"他怎么敢认为他可以像害虫一样困住夜之女神?!"
Go to the moon. Become fantastically rich. Why did I think coming to the Hoof was a good idea? “Tell me you’re taking point,” Mr. Pistols said. If you think I am… shit, mind reader… um… you’re fucking crazy.
去月球。变得异常富有。为什么我觉得来霍夫是个好主意？"告诉我，你是在发号施令,"皮斯托尔先生说。如果你认为我是...妈的，读心者...嗯...你他妈的疯了。
“Who are you?” Scotch Tape asked, a bit suspiciously.
"你是谁?"透明胶带带着怀疑的口吻问道。
“Bastard,” the grayish white unicorn said simply.
"混蛋,"灰白色的独角兽简单地说。
“Seriously?” Scotch Tape clearly wasn’t impressed.
"真的吗?"透明胶带显然没有被打动。
“It’s what everyone calls me. The Bastard. You Bastard. Mister Bastard.” What is it with mouthy fillies these days? Honestly…
"大家都这么叫我。私生子。你这个混蛋。混蛋先生。"这些天，那些满嘴胡话的小姑娘是怎么了？老实说..。
“Are you still connected?” I asked Echo, who had clutched the terminal for dear life when the platform we’d been on had lunged up and was now hanging with it at a sharp angle above Tom.
"你还有联系吗?"我问艾可，我们刚才所在的月台突然升起来的时候，她紧紧抓住了终端，现在正以一个锐角挂在汤姆头顶上。
He tapped the keys. “I am. The subsystems must be embedded in the walls. I think the computer’s using mechasprites to keep things working till Horizons goes off.” He glanced down at the surging and bubbling sea of Flux and rapidly touched several keys. “I’ll try and keep things together. Cognitum is your problem now.”
他轻轻地敲了敲键盘。"是的。子系统必须嵌入到墙里。我觉得电脑是在用机械元件让东西工作，直到地平线关闭。"他低头看了一眼汹涌澎湃的弗拉科斯的海洋，迅速地按了几个键。"我会尽量把事情理顺的。认知现在是你的问题了。"
Yeah. It was time. I considered each of my friends, and they each gave a nod.
是的。是时候了。我想了想我的每一个朋友，他们都点了点头。
“Die, traitors to the goddess!” screamed a mare from the wreckage of the scaffolding slightly above us, about a hundred feet away. The bloody and battered yellow unicorn pointed her missile launcher right at us. Then something was flung from above, striking her in the head. A dismembered hoof. “Ow!” she cried out, rubbing her horn as she picked up the foot. “Why aren’t you dead yet?” she screamed as she swung the missile launcher up at the descending Rampage.
"去死吧，女神的叛徒!"一匹母马从脚手架残骸中在我们上方，大约100英尺远的地方尖叫着。那个血淋淋的黄色独角兽把她的导弹发射器对准了我们。然后有什么东西从上面扔下来，击中了她的头部。被肢解的蹄子。"噢!"她一边大叫，一边揉着她的角，一边抬起脚。"你怎么还没死?"她尖叫着挥舞着导弹发射器，向着下降的横冲直撞。
Unfortunately for her, Rampage landed atop her. She’d lost most of her spiked armor from who knew how many detonations, but she still retained enough weight to crush the petite unicorn under her. Then she reared back her head and smashed her forehead into the unicorn’s until, on the third impact, the unicorn’s horn broke off. Perhaps that would have been an ideal time for Rampage to stop, as the unicorn shrieked and her magic disappeared, sending her missile launcher clattering down into the wreckage below. Rampage wasn’t one for stopping though, and she repeated the head butts a dozen more times till the unicorn’s face was a concave bowl.
不幸的是，狂暴落在她的头上。她已经失去了大部分带刺的盔甲，不知道有多少次爆炸，但她仍然保持着足够的重量，足以压碎她身下的小独角兽。然后她仰起头，前额撞到了独角兽的头上，直到第三次撞击时，独角兽的角脱落了。也许那是狂暴停止的最佳时机，独角兽尖叫着，她的魔法消失了，她的导弹发射器哗啦一声掉进了下面的残骸里。然而暴怒并没有停止，她又用头撞了十几次，直到独角兽的脸变成了一个凹形的碗。
Rampage hopped easily over to us, scowling. “Damn it. I had a half dozen retorts I could have made, but I was too busy smashing her face in. Now she’s dead.” Rampage scowled at me, her face a mask of gore, but then she shrugged. “Eh. Oh well. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Cognitum’ll vaporize me with one of those shots, eh?” She grinned and tapped my side with her hoof.
暴怒很容易地转移到我们身上，怒容满面。"该死。我本来可以反驳她半打，但是我忙着砸她的脸。现在她死了。"狂暴的暴怒怒视着我，她的脸上布满了血迹，但是她耸了耸肩。"嗯。好吧。也许我运气好，认知神经系统会用这样一颗子弹把我蒸发掉，嗯?"她咧嘴笑了笑，用蹄子敲了敲我的侧面。
“You still want to die?” P-21 asked with a frown.
"你还想死吗?"P-21皱着眉头问。
“I just smashed a mare to death with my face. What do you think?” Rampage said, then looked up at Cognitum. “Oh, hey, she reloaded!” Rampage started to jump up and down and wave her hooves in the air. “Here! Coggerhead! Me! Shoot me!”
"我刚用自己的脸把一匹母马砸死了。你怎么看?"狂暴说完，抬头看了看Cognitum。"哦，嘿，她重新上膛了!"狂暴开始跳上跳下，并在空中挥舞她的蹄子。"这儿！科格黑德！我！开枪啊!"
Shit! I was running, and it didn’t matter where. The collapsed plates had made two incredibly steep, broken ramps that I could make my way up, but it wasn’t easy. I had to reach her, make her stop using up all my shots of Folly. My hooves struggled for any crossbrace or twisted bit of metal that I could use for purchase as I tried to close the distance. Behind me came another brilliant pillar of light. It punched a perfect hole down through the wreckage and into the Flux, which seemed to suck it up as if hungry. The mass of metal and fluid gave an almost tectonic rumble. Only the talismans and magical fields were keeping it up, though a cloud of mechasprites worked to reinforce things as best they could. From below me came Rampage’s plaintive wail of “Oh come on! Hit me already!”
妈的！我在跑步，跑到哪里都无所谓。坍塌的板块形成了两个令人难以置信的陡峭、破碎的坡道，我可以爬上去，但这并不容易。我必须找到她，让她不要再用光我拍的蠢事了。我的蹄子挣扎着寻找任何交叉支架或扭曲的金属片，我可以用来购买，因为我试图接近的距离。在我身后是另一道明亮的光柱。它穿过残骸在弗拉科斯号上打了一个完美的洞，弗拉科斯号好像饿了似的，把它吸了起来。大量的金属和液体发出几乎是地壳构造的隆隆声。只有护身符和魔法场地维持着它的运转，尽管一大群机械兵团竭尽所能地加强了它们的力量。从我下面传来了狂暴的哀号:"哦，来吧！打我啊!"
The gun pods swept out to either side of Cognitum as I scrambled up the shuddering ruin of the Lunar Palace. She stood imperiously above us all, a condescending smirk twisting her lips. Pitiful. Pathetic. Presumptuous. She actually thinks she can win. Her horn began to glow. Just like Twilight. Well, I won’t make the same mistake twice. This time, her friends die, starting with her sex stallion. I glanced back, spotting P-21 exposed for a moment as he struggled to maneuver past a twisted loop of girder.
当我爬上月球宫那令人战栗的废墟时，炮舱扫到了科涅塔姆的两边。她傲慢地站在我们所有人之上，一副居高临下的傻笑扭动着嘴唇。真可怜。真可悲。自以为是。她真的认为自己能赢。她的号角开始发光。就像暮光之城。我不会再犯同样的错误了。这一次，她的朋友死了，从她的性种马开始。我回头看了一眼，发现P-21正挣扎着穿过一个扭曲的环形梁，暴露在外面一会儿。
Look out! P-21 raised his head in time to spot the flare of red light atop her horn. The crimson beam sliced through the air, and he jumped aside, springing nimbly and keeping his head low as he avoided the beam. It left a glowing, molten line where it passed, singeing the corner of his hat. He met my eyes and sent back a wave of gratitude.
小心！P-21及时抬起头来，发现她号角上方闪烁着红光。深红色的光束划破空气，他跳到一边，敏捷地跳起来，低着头避开光束。它经过的地方留下了一条炽热的熔化的线，烧焦了他的帽角。他看着我的眼睛，对我表示感谢。
Annoying gnats! The two gun pods dropped towards me as I reached the second half of the fallen platform, halfway up to her. Then two more moved around from behind the throne and followed the first pair; apparently she’d been keeping spares in reserve. The two pods on the attack sprayed me with crimson beams, and I screamed as I felt myself burned by their salvos. Yes! Burn, you insufferable fool! The damned things jinked far too quickly for me to even attempt to hit them with Sexy, even with S.A.T.S. I drew Vigilance, loaded armor piercing rounds, and slipped into the magic to hit one of them three times,
烦人的蚊子！当我到达坠落平台的下半部分时，两个炮舱向我飞来，那里离她还有一半的距离。然后又有两个人从王座后面绕过来，跟在第一对后面;显然她一直在储备备用的东西。攻击中的两个豆荚向我喷射着深红色的光束，我尖叫起来，感觉自己被他们的炮火烧伤了。太好了！烧吧，你这个让人无法忍受的傻瓜！那些该死的东西闪得太快了，我甚至没有试图用Sexy来击中它们，即使是在s.a.t.s中，我提高了警惕，装上了穿甲弹，然后神奇地击中了其中的一个三次
but aside from breaking a targeting talisman, I did little to disable the hovering weapons.
但除了破坏目标护身符之外，我几乎没有去关闭悬停的武器。
Then a grenade wrapped in a glowing teal nimbus launched up from below me and streaked like a guided missile straight at one of the quartet. The explosion peppered me with shrapnel but tore the front off the drone, which whirled wildly, firing blindly in all directions as it spiraled down towards the Flux. I glanced down and saw Bastard, taking cover behind a broken fold of steel, send another grenade aloft, but a beam from Cognitum detonated the apple before it reached the remaining drones. Then another. When Cognitum blew the third out of the air, he snapped, “Damn it! Those are a hundred caps each!”
然后，一枚包裹在发光的青色雨云里的手榴弹从我的下方发射出来，像一枚导弹一样直冲向四方中的一个。爆炸弹片像弹片一样向我袭来，但是把无人机的前部撕裂了，无人机疯狂地旋转着，向各个方向盲目地开火，它盘旋着朝着通量体坠落。我扫了一眼，看到淘气包躲在一块断裂的钢板后面，又向空中投掷了一枚手榴弹，但是一道来自Cognitum的光束在苹果到达剩下的无人机之前引爆了它。然后是另一个。当科涅塔姆把第三发子弹从空中吹出来时，他厉声说:"该死！每个都有一百个帽子!"
However, Cognitum couldn’t block Scotch Tape’s wild fire with the disintegration rifle, a torrent of green bolts spewing up at the pods, the cybermare, and me. Cognitum’s crimson shield absorbed the fire, but the gun pods had to scatter to avoid it. I pressed myself to the floor and struggled to down my last healing potion. One of the pods took that opportunity to nip in, grab one of my hindhooves with a claw on a tendril, and lift me into the air, hauling me over the really… incredibly… ridiculously high drop. It pulled me up towards Cognitum, her horn blazing in triumph.
然而，Cognitum无法用解体步枪挡住ScotchTape的狂野火力，一股绿色螺栓的洪流涌向豆荚、赛博母马和我。科涅塔姆深红色的盾牌吸收了火力，但是炮群不得不分散开来避开它。我把自己压在地板上，挣扎着服下最后一剂治疗药水。其中一个豆荚抓住了这个机会，用卷须上的爪子抓住我的一只后蹄，把我举到空中，把我拖过那真的......难以置信的......荒谬的高空坠落。它把我拉向科涅塔姆，她的号角在胜利中燃烧着。
Don’t worry; I got you! Rampage thought as I twisted around, trying my best to shoot Cognitum and not look down as I wondered how Rampage of all ponies was going to help me all the way up here. And then an enormous wagon-sized chunk of metal scrap came flying through the air straight at us. The gun pod only managed a feeble volley of red beams at the metal block before being smashed aside, and Cognitum’s eyes widened in shock as the block continued towards her unimpeded. She reared up, folding her wings in front of her, and as the block impacted with her shield, her wings flared out, slicing burning lines of fire in the metal and sending the shrapnel raining back down.
别担心，我抓住你了！狂暴想着，我扭过身去，尽最大努力射杀认知神经，而不是低头看，我想知道怎样才能让狂暴的小马一路帮助我到达这里。然后，一大块马车大小的金属碎片从空中飞过来，直接朝我们飞过来。在被撞到一边之前，那个炮舱只是对着那个金属块发出了一阵微弱的红光，当那个金属块继续毫无阻碍地向她驶来时，科涅图姆震惊地睁大了眼睛。她站了起来，在前面折叠着翅膀，随着盾牌的撞击，她的翅膀展开了，划破了金属中燃烧的火线，弹片像雨点般落了下来。
I didn’t quite have the best view of this, however, because the impact with the gun pod had sent it whirling in midair, and when the claw released my hoof, I went flying up above Cognitum and her throne. I shall break these upstarts! I shall show them the futility of their opposition! I cannot be defeated! her mind roared at me as I reached the apex of my fling and… hey! The gravity talismans clearly weren’t working up here!
然而，我对此并不是很清楚，因为与炮舱的碰撞使它在半空中旋转，当爪子放开我的蹄子时，我飞到了Cognitum和她的宝座上空。我要打败这些暴发户！我要让他们知道，他们的反对是徒劳的！我不会被打败的！当我到达冲动的顶点时，她的大脑对我咆哮着......嘿！重力护身符显然在这里不起作用！
I flailed my hooves around as I struggled to stabilize myself, finally taking a
我挥舞着我的蹄子，努力使自己稳定下来
page from LittlePip’s book. I used my magic to grab myself within my own telekinetic field. If I hadn’t been on the moon, no doubt it would have been futile. Here, I managed to stop my spin and orient Sexy towards Cognitum below me.
小匹普书中的一页。我用我的魔法把自己控制在我自己的意念移物能量场中。如果我没有登上月球，毫无疑问，这将是徒劳的。在这里，我设法停止我的旋转和东方性感对我下面的认知。
Unfortunately, using magic sent my perceptions wandering. I was Rainbow Dash standing in the midst of a scene of carnage. Dead Brood choked what looked like a hallway in an S.P.P. tower. “Is he dead?” Rainbow Dash asked tersely.
不幸的是，使用魔法让我的知觉飘忽不定。我就是站在屠杀现场中间的彩虹冲刺。死去的布鲁德堵住了一个看起来像s.p.p塔里的走廊。"他死了吗?"彩虹·达什简洁地问道。
“Yeah,” Silver said. “Even we die when our heads get cut off.” The augmented mare was missing a foreleg, and both her wings were shattered. “Damn it…” she said as she regarded the two dead Enclave cyberponies she’d formed a trio with. “I was going to try and get that Morningstar guy to grow him a new penis… or a new body… or something.”
"是的,"西尔弗说。"即使我们的头被砍下来也会死。"增大的母马失去了一条前腿，两只翅膀都粉碎了。"该死......"她一边说，一边看着那两只死去的飞地赛博小马，她和它们组成了三人组。"我打算让那个叫晨星的家伙给他长个新的阴茎......或者一个新的身体......或者别的什么。"
“Later,” Rainbow Dash said as she turned and went into the room where Homage tended to an injured Windsheer. “Is he going to make it?” Rainbow asked as he breathed heavily, blood dripping from a nostril and out the corner of his mouth. He gave an annoyed twist of his lips, pushing her away with a hoof.
"以后吧,"彩虹·达什说着转身走进了那间照顾一位受伤的温施尔的房间。"他能挺过去吗?"彩虹一边喘着粗气，一边问道，鲜血从他的鼻孔里滴出来，从嘴角流出来。他恼怒地扭动着嘴唇，用蹄子把她推开。
“He needs a healing potion. We’re out,” Homage said, leaving him and turning her attention to a terminal next to him. The room was an absolute mess of wires, equipment, cables, and corpses. “Also, they must have gotten an interface into one of the sealed compartments. Probably with a teleporter. They’re probably working to bypass our bypass.”
"他需要一种治疗药剂。我们出来了,"霍瑞姆说着，把注意力转向了他身边的一个终端。房间里到处都是电线、设备、电缆和尸体。"还有，他们肯定在密封舱里找到了一个接口。可能是用传送器。他们可能正在绕过我们的旁路。"
“What’s going on?” Rainbow asked as she looked at monitors. Several showed tons of ponies streaming into the Core, overwhelming the few trying to keep them out. Two others showed the Skyport with a tornado in the midst of it. A tornado with a face. Three Raptors were battling the swirling wind. “What’s happening at our command?!”
"怎么回事?"彩虹看着显示器问道。一些照片显示成吨的小马正在涌入核心区，几乎压倒了那些试图阻止它们进入的小马。另外两张照片展示了中间有龙卷风的空中港口。有脸的龙卷风。三只猛禽正在与狂风搏斗。"我们的命令是什么?!"
“I don’t know. It’s all falling apart. We should have gotten an alicorn resupply an hour ago. Something bad happened,” Homage said as she typed furiously on the keyboard, tears running down her cheeks. “Damn it! I can’t do anything but watch!”
"我不知道。一切都分崩离析了。我们一小时前就应该得到一个橡子补给了。一些不好的事情发生了,"霍丽一边说，一边猛烈地在键盘上打字，泪水顺着脸颊流了下来。"该死！除了看，我什么也做不了!"
Wait… why was I suddenly getting hot? I cut the magic, the room faded away, and I found myself being bathed by crimson light projected from Cognitum’s horn, the cone of energy focusing into an incinerating beam. There was nothing
等等...为什么我突然变热了？我切断了魔法，房间逐渐消失，我发现自己沐浴在科涅塔姆号角发出的深红色光芒之中，这个能量锥聚焦在一束烧成灰烬的光束上。什么都没有
for it. I had Sexy pointed in the right direction, so I let her rip. The full automatic stream of slugs pounded into her shield like a river of hammers. One by itself might not have been a problem, but twenty within three seconds were enough to make her focus on defense once more. It also had the added effect of launching me away from that incinerating magic and towards one of the shimmering magical fields.
为了它。我让性感指向了正确的方向，所以我让它破裂了。全自动的子弹像一条河的锤子一样冲击着她的盾牌。一个球本身可能不是问题，但是三秒钟内二十个球就足以让她再次专注于防守。它还有一个额外的效果，就是把我从那个焚化魔法的地方推向一个闪闪发光的魔法场。
Contact with the surface of it was like standing on tingling ice. I spread all four of my legs apart to keep from falling on my face and kept Sexy focused on her. With the real Luna's soul empowering her, she might not need to chow down on gems constantly, but she still had to manage her power. The gunfire kept pushing me against the F.A.D.E. shield and not plunging down to a messy end. From below, Scotch Tape and Bastard kept up a withering fire on Cognitum. P-21 fired a grenade of his own which went right past the two remaining gun pods and detonated against Cognitum’s shield with a crackling sphere of lightning. She screamed not just in frustration and rage but in pain as well. Parts of her shield flickered away.
与它的表面接触就像站在刺痛的冰上。我把四条腿分开，以免摔到脸上，同时保持性感的注意力集中在她身上。有了真实的卢娜的灵魂赋予她力量，她可能不需要不断地吃宝石，但是她仍然需要控制她的力量。枪声不断地把我推向f.a.d.e防护罩，我没有坠落到混乱的尽头。从下面，透明胶带和淘气包一直对着科涅塔姆灭火。P-21发射了一枚自己的手榴弹，刚好穿过剩下的两个炮舱，然后以一个噼啪作响的闪电球对着科涅塔姆的盾牌引爆。她不仅在沮丧和愤怒中尖叫，也在痛苦中尖叫。她的盾牌的一部分闪烁着消失了。
Suddenly she curled up, and for a brief moment I thought maybe this might be an opening. But then she launched herself into the air between the throne and maneframe, and when she flung her wings wide, a sphere of fiery energy blasted out from around her. It smashed me like a bug against the F.A.D.E. shield as she roared, “How dare you? How dare you! I am Princess Luna reborn! How dare you stand against me? Me!”
突然，她蜷缩起来，有那么一瞬间，我想这也许是一个开始。但是随后她把自己升到了宝座和火焰之间的空中，当她张开翅膀的时候，一股火焰的能量从她周围喷射出来。我就像一只虫子撞上了f.a.d.e的防护罩，她吼道:"你怎么敢这样？你好大的胆子！我是卢娜公主的重生！你怎么敢反对我？我!"
“You’re a nut!” Scotch Tape screamed up at her. “Luna doesn’t mean fire, you ditz! You can’t even get her powers right!” I could have cheered, but I was too busy sliding downwards along the crackling surface of the shield.
"你是个疯子!"透明胶带对她尖叫起来。"露娜不是说火，你这个白痴！你连她的超能力都搞不定!"我本可以欢呼，但是我正忙着沿着防护罩的裂缝表面向下滑行。
A massive slab of steel ripped out of the wreckage. “I will not suffer the insolence of foals!” And the skywagon-sized chunk streaked down at Scotch, her eyes wide... only to halt just before impact, the girders under the filly groaning. The slab of metal, still glowing with Cognitum’s magic, shifted to the side, and I saw Rampage’s striped form standing over Scotch, her legs straining against the impossible weight she held as only an earth pony could.
一块巨大的钢板从残骸中被撕裂出来。"我不能容忍小马驹的傲慢!"那辆轻型货车大小的大块在苏格兰人面前划过，她的眼睛睁得大大的......只是在撞击前停了下来，母马呻吟着。那块金属板，仍然散发着科涅塔姆的魔力，向一边移动着，我看见狂暴的条纹形体站在苏格兰人身上，她的腿在不可承受的重量下绷得紧紧的，只有地球上的小马才能做到这一点。
“No you don’t!” Rampage shouted up at Cognitum. “You owe me a death, and you don’t get to kill anypony else till you do me! You hear me? I’m not dying last! I’m dying next!” With a great heave, she shoved the block to the side and
"不，你不知道!"狂暴对Cognitum大喊大叫。"你欠我一个人情，除非你杀了我，否则你不能杀任何人！你听到了吗？我不会最后死的！下一个就是我了!"她用力一推，把木块推到一边
then grinned savagely up at Cognitum. “So take your best shot!”
然后对着Cognitum露齿而笑。"所以尽你最大的努力!"
“I should have deactivated your talisman when I had the chance,” Cognitum snarled as she hovered in the air. “I’ll not make that mistake again!” she said as her magic reached out, grabbed all five of us, and pulled us into the air.
"我应该在有机会的时候解除你的护身符,"当她在空中盘旋时，认知神咆哮道。"我不会再犯同样的错误了!"她说，当她的魔法伸出手，抓住我们五个人，把我们拉到空中。
“Fuck! I hate this job!” Bastard shouted as he was hauled up.
"操！我讨厌这份工作!"淘气包被拉上来时喊道。
“Daddy!” Scotch Tape screamed as we were clustered together before the cybermare. The remaining pair of gun pods rose up behind us, covering any possibility of getting away. Something in the vast void below us gave great rumble, and through the wreckage came a throbbing pulse of sound. I only hoped Echo was still alive and keeping Horizons from going off.
"爸爸!"当我们聚集在赛博母马面前时，苏格兰胶带尖叫起来。剩下的一对炮艇在我们身后升起，掩护我们逃跑的任何可能性。在我们脚下广阔的空间里，有什么东西发出巨大的隆隆声，从残骸中传来阵阵震动的声音。我只希望艾可还活着，不要让"地平线"号离开。
Cognitum drew Folly and slipped a silver bullet inside. “Enough. You will either bow and submit, or you will die. I am through indulging you foals in your delusional fantasy of resistance!”
科宁顿拔出弗利，在里面放了一颗银子弹。"够了。你要么屈服，要么死。我不会再纵容你们这些小马驹沉溺于你们的反抗幻想中了!"
“Never,” P-21 declared evenly, his eyes drilling into Cognitum’s glowing eye plates. “It doesn’t matter what power you have. You’re a tyrant, no better than our Overmare. It doesn’t matter how much power you have. Eventually, people will resist, if only out of spite. Killing us won’t change a thing. You’ll never be a Princess.”
"决不,"P-21平静地宣布，他的眼睛钻进了发光的眼板。"你有什么权力并不重要。你是个暴君，和我们的Overmare没什么两样。你有多少权力并不重要。最终，人们会抵制，即使只是出于怨恨。杀了我们也无济于事。你永远成不了公主。"
Cognitum stared at him. I can’t kill them instantly. They must suffer. They must despair! I must prove them wrong. I must break them! “Give it up, Cognitum,” I retorted. “After all we’ve been through, all of us, do you really think we’ll break now? Ever? You can't defeat us. All you can do is kill us.”
科格尼特姆盯着他。我不能马上杀了他们。他们必须受苦。他们一定很绝望！我必须证明他们是错的。我必须打破他们！"放弃吧，科涅土,"我反驳道。"在我们经历了这么多之后，我们所有人，你真的认为我们现在会崩溃吗？从来没有？你打不过我们的。你能做的就是杀了我们。"
Then Cognitum smiled as she drew me closer. Her magic pulled Sexy from me and, with a flare, scrapped the weapon. Oh, come on, I thought plaintively. “Oh really. Nothing?” she said, grinning maliciously. And from her flowed a deluge of hatred like a waterfall of flamer fuel. She hated my interference. My stubbornness. My pride. My organicness. My naïve optimism. My friends… oh, how she hated my friends! And then her head turned to regard them one by one.
当她把我拉近时，科涅图姆笑了。她的魔法夺走了我的性感，一闪而过，扔掉了武器。哦，得了吧，我悲伤地想。"哦，真的吗。什么都没有?"她恶意地笑着说。从她身上涌出一股仇恨的洪流，就像火焰燃料的瀑布。她讨厌我的干涉。我的固执。我的骄傲。我的有机体。我天真的乐观主义。我的朋友...哦，她是多么讨厌我的朋友！然后她转过头来，一个一个地看着他们。
“No,” I whispered in horror.
"不,"我惊恐地低声说。
“Oh, yes,” Cognitum purred. I opened my mouth again to scream at her, but her magic muzzled me. “Now, which one first?” Rampage brightened and raised her
"哦，是的,"认知语咕哝着说。我再次张开嘴想对她尖叫，但她的魔法让我哑口无言。"现在，哪一个先来?"暴怒使她振作起来
hoof but the crushing magical grip silenced her as well. “Not. You,” Cognitum declared firmly. “If I have anything to say about it, you’ll live out the rest of time wandering lost and blind on this wretched ball of rock. And not the other traitor, either. Though I am gravely disappointed with him, he’ll be able to make up for it in servitude to me for the rest of his days. That leaves…” She pulled Scotch Tape and P-21 in front of the rest of us. Her horn pointed from one to the other as she said in my own voice, “Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Moe…”
蹄子，但粉碎性的魔法抓地力也让她哑口无言。"没有。你,"科涅塔姆坚定地宣布。"如果我对此有什么话要说的话，你将在这个可怜的岩石球上度过余下的时光，迷失和盲目地徘徊。也不是另一个叛徒。虽然我对他非常失望，但他可以在余生做我的奴隶来弥补。那就只剩下......"她在我们其他人面前拿出了透明胶带和P-21。她用我自己的声音说:"伊妮。女名女子名。女名女子名。莫......"
I was barely able to open my mouth as tears ran unbidden down my checks. “Please. No. Kill me if you have to.”
我几乎无法张开嘴，泪水不请自来地顺着我的支票流下来。"求你了。没有。有必要的话杀了我吧。"
Scotch Tape struggled as her plasma rifle was torn away and melted. The tiny purple unicorn in me wondered why Cognitum’s magic was so different from Luna’s. Was it her desire to destroy, her hatred, that corrupted Luna’s old gentle nature? Was that fiery magic something my old body was capable of, now amplified immensely due to the Princess’s soul that imbued it? I thought these things because it helped me ignore the telepathic scream of panic coming from the struggling Scotch Tape. I couldn’t begin to break through to her as she sobbed frantically over and over again.
透明胶带挣扎着，等离子步枪被撕开融化了。我心中的紫色小独角兽想知道为什么科涅土的魔法和卢娜的魔法如此不同。是她毁灭的欲望，她的仇恨，腐蚀了卢娜以前温柔的天性吗？那种炽热的魔法是我原来的身体所能做到的，现在却因为公主的灵魂而被无限放大了吗？我之所以这样想，是因为它帮助我忽略了挣扎中的透明胶带传来的心灵感应般的恐慌尖叫。当她一遍又一遍地哭泣时，我无法打动她。
But I looked over at P-21 next to me.
但我看了看我旁边的P-21。
Calm. Complete calm. He even wore a small smile. I didn’t know if it was the telepathy or just that we’d gone through so much together, but I knew… just knew… it would be alright. It’s not always about you, Blackjack.
冷静。完全平静。他甚至带着一丝微笑。我不知道是因为心灵感应还是我们一起经历了这么多，但我知道...就是知道...一切都会好起来的。不是所有的事都和你有关黑杰克。
Cognitum caught my look to him, and he was pulled away from our line towards her. “You. Yes. You’ll do. Then the filly. Blackjack last. Rampage can be entombed alive here, and the traitors can return with me as witnesses that I am the greatest Princess of all time!”
科格尼顿注意到了我的目光，于是他被拉离了我们的队伍，朝她走去。"你。是的。你可以的。然后是小母马。黑杰克最后一张。狂暴可以活埋在这里，叛徒可以和我一起回来，作为我是有史以来最伟大的公主的见证!"
She levitated him to her and for a moment hesitated, lips pursed, turning him this way and that. His utter composure left her nonplussed. As with Scotch and myself, Persuasion was yanked away, bent like a nail, and tossed aside. “You likely have some bomb hidden in your tail, don’t you?” she sneered, and the shadow of a grimace flickered across his gorgeous features as her magic ripped out great big chunks of his mane and tail, casting them into the void below. Half a dozen grenades he’d secreted tumbled after them. He clutched the black duster hat to his chest as he was divested of his armament. Stupid, sentimental stallion.
她把他漂浮在空中，犹豫了一会儿，嘴唇撅起来，把他转向这边那边。他完全镇定，使她不知所措。就像我和苏格兰威士忌一样，《劝导》被猛地一拉，像钉子一样弯曲，扔到一边。"你的尾巴里可能藏着炸弹，对吧?"她冷笑着说，一个鬼脸的影子在他华丽的脸庞上闪烁着，她的魔力撕开了他的鬃毛和尾巴，把它们投到下面的空白处。他偷偷摸摸地跟在他们后面扔了六个手榴弹。他把武器卸下来时，把黑色的掸子帽子紧紧地戴在胸前。愚蠢多愁善感的种马。
Cognitum’s mind worked furiously as she studied him, bilious rage pouring from her. How to make this hurt Blackjack the most? Burn him alive now? He was her little fuck pet, rutting her every second they could. So obscene! Her lips curled. “Any last words for your friends?” she asked as she turned him to face us.
当她打量他的时候，认知觉的头脑疯狂地工作着，愤怒从她身上涌出。如何使这个伤害最大的黑杰克？现在活活烧死他？他是她的小宠物，每时每刻都在骚扰她。太下流了！她的嘴唇微微翘起。"有什么遗言要对你的朋友们说吗?"她把他转向我们，问道。
He nodded, then bowed his head. “Yeah,” he said, then lowered his face into the cowpony hat. For a moment his face was completely hidden inside it. Then he withdrew it and smirked at us.
他点点头，然后低下了头。"是的,"他说，然后把脸埋进牛仔帽里。有那么一会儿，他的脸完全被遮住了。然后他收回话筒，朝我们傻笑。
And dangling from his lips were a half dozen metal stems.
他的嘴唇上挂着半打金属茎。
The detonation was like a lightning storm as six spark grenades went off in unison. I felt my mane stand on end and tasted batteries as the crackling disruptive magic washed over us. Even for me, in an entirely organic body, it was disorienting this close.
爆炸就像一场闪电风暴，六枚火花榴弹同时爆炸。我感觉自己的头发竖了起来，尝到了电池的味道，劈啪作响的破坏性魔法冲刷着我们。即使对我来说，在一个完全有机的身体里，这么近的距离也会让我迷失方向。
And Cognitum was much closer.
而且认知距离更近。
The cyberpony screamed as magical will vied with her technological nature. Then the talismans adorning her body flickered and struggled. Finally, they died. The five of us fell. Scotch Tape luckily landed on the stairs right next to the walkway leading up to the throne, where Cognitum collapsed with a crash of metal. Rampage bounced and skidded halfway back down to Tom. The rest of us landed scattered across the wreckage. I hit a beam so hard the wind was knocked from my lungs and I was left coughing and aching. Better a beam up here than a beam way, way down there, though.
这匹赛伯马尖叫着，就像魔法意志与她的科技天性竞争一样。然后装饰她身体的护身符闪烁着，挣扎着。最后，他们死了。我们五个人倒下了。幸运的是，苏格兰胶带降落在通往王座的走道旁边的楼梯上，在那里，Cognitum被一块金属撞击而倒塌。横冲直撞的人跳了起来，在半路上滑向汤姆。我们其余的人散落在残骸上。我狠狠地撞到了一根横梁，风从我的肺里吹了出来，我只剩下咳嗽和疼痛。尽管如此，在这上面放一根横梁总比在那下面放一根横梁好。
I struggled up onto the span and crawled over to the broken walkway. “Where’s P-21?” I shouted and thought at once. Then I grew more alarmed as I looked around and didn’t see him. I struggled for several seconds, before looking over the edge and trying to find a tiny blue form. Again, nothing. Then I spotted P-21’s black hat dangling from a broken spur of metal. I picked my way over to it, the structure groaning under my hooves as I made my way to it and scooped it up in my hooves. “P-21! Where are you?” I projected and shouted.
我挣扎着爬上跨度，爬到破碎的人行道上。"P-21在哪里?"我一边喊，一边想。然后，当我环顾四周，没有看到他的时候，我变得更加惊慌。我挣扎了几秒钟，然后翻过边缘，试图找到一个小小的蓝色表格。再说一次，什么都没有。然后我发现P-21的黑帽子挂在一个破损的金属钉上晃来晃去。我小心翼翼地走到它跟前，它在我的蹄子下呻吟着，我走向它，用我的蹄子把它铲了起来。"P-21！你在哪里?"我投射着，大声喊道。
“Daddy!” Scotch Tape cried out.
"爸爸!"透明胶带大声叫道。
“I got him!” Bastard shouted, the longcoat-wearing hitpony levitating P-21 from over the edge.
"我抓住他了!"淘气包喊道，穿着长外套的"hitpony"把P-21从悬崖边上吊了起来。
I limped over to him. His eyes fluttered open, and with a pained smile, he croaked out a weak "Hey." He looked a mess, his body battered and abused but intact. Huge bloody clumps had been torn from his hide, and he looked as if he’d been tossed in a thresher.
我一瘸一拐地走向他。他的眼睛颤动着睁开，带着痛苦的微笑，低声说了一声"嘿"他看上去一团糟，他的身体被打得遍体鳞伤，但是完好无损。巨大的血淋淋的树丛从他的皮上被撕下来，他看起来就像被扔进了打谷机。
I hugged him gingerly. “Anypony got a healing potion?” I asked, mostly looking at Bastard.
我小心翼翼地拥抱他。"有治疗药水吗?"我问，主要是看着淘气包。
“You don’t know a healing spell? What kind of unicorn are you?” he replied skeptically, trotting over to P-21 and setting his horn alight. It wasn’t as impressive as a medical pony could have done, but it stopped the bleeding and repaired most of the scratches and holes.
"你不知道治疗咒语吗？你是什么样的独角兽?"他带着怀疑的态度回答，小跑着走到P-21前，点燃了他的喇叭。它不像一匹医用小马那样令人印象深刻，但它止住了血，修复了大部分的抓痕和破洞。
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You know, once upon a time, unicorns only had a few spells related to their magic talent.”
我眯起眼睛看着他。"你知道吗，很久以前，独角兽只有少数几个与它们的魔法天赋有关的咒语。"
“Yeah, and once upon a time, ponies banged each other with swords and clubs while rolling around in shit all day. Then we invented guns,” he drawled, finishing the spell and drawing a cigarette. “Best I can do,” he said as he lit it and took a drag, then looked at Cognitum slumped against the throne. “Can’t believe you beat her.”
"是啊，很久很久以前，小马们用剑和棍棒互相猛击，整天在粪便里打滚。然后我们发明了枪,"他慢吞吞地说，念完咒语，抽了一支烟。"我尽力了,"他一边说，一边点燃它，吸了一口，然后看着科格尼图姆靠着王座瘫倒在地。"真不敢相信你打败了她。"
“We haven’t. Not yet,” I said, realizing we were running out of time. “P-21, go down and swap places with Echo. I’ll need him for the mind transfer. He’s as close as we’re going to get to a specialist. Rampage, haul my body onto the throne and hold it there. Scotch Tape, help me take her legs and wings off. Bastard, if you can lower P-21 down and lift Echo up, it’d speed things up a lot.”
"我们没有。还没有,"我说，意识到我们的时间不多了。"P-21下去和Echo交换位置。我需要他来进行思想转移。他已经是我们最接近的专家了。狂暴，把我的尸体拖到宝座上，把它留在那里。透明胶带，帮我把她的腿和翅膀拿掉。混蛋，如果你能把P-21降下来，把Echo抬起来，就能大大加快速度。"
“Sure. Why not? I always wanted a career as an elevator,” he drawled. His magic lifted P-21 off his hooves and over to the edge, sending him down in a controlled fall.
"当然。为什么不呢？我一直想当一名电梯工,"他慢吞吞地说。他的魔法把P-21从他的蹄子上提起来，到了边缘，让他在一个可控制的下降。
I joined Rampage and Scotch Tape up at the throne, the filly already busy removing my old legs and wings. “Her design is all strange. I mean, it’s mechanical, but it’s... like... warped,” she said as she pulled off one wing. “Still, joints are joints. I just hope I don’t put your wings back on backwards.”
我加入了狂暴的行列，坐在宝座上用胶带封起来，那匹小母马已经在忙着把我的老腿和老翅膀剥掉了。"她的设计很奇怪。我的意思是，它是机械的，但是......像......扭曲了,"她一边说，一边扯下一只翅膀。"不过，关节就是关节。我只是希望我不要把你的翅膀放反了。"
As we worked, the swarms of mechasprites were rebuilding and restoring the structure, gobbling up wreckage and spitting it out properly formed. Only the material that had been obliterated by Folly was gone for good, apparently. From
在我们工作的过程中，一大群机械兵团正在重建和修复这座建筑，他们狼吞虎咽地吃掉残骸，然后把它们拼凑成一个整体。显然，只有那些被愚蠢毁掉的材料永远消失了。由
the steady rumbling below, it felt like we were working in a volcano on the verge of erupting. I popped open the back of the throne, trying to find a... there it was! I yanked out the plug and tugged out enough cable to reach the data port in my old temple. I plugged it home as Echo was lifted up to the platform.
下面持续不断的隆隆声，感觉就像我们在一座即将喷发的火山上工作。我突然打开王座的后面，试图找到一个。.就在那儿！我拔出插头，拉出足够的电缆到达我的旧太阳穴的数据端口。当Echo被抬到平台上的时候，我把它接上了家里的电源。
“How long till it goes off?” I asked the sallow yellow stallion.
"还要多久才会爆炸?"我问那匹灰黄色的种马。
“I have no idea! Your fight has thrown every sensor in this place for a loop,” he shouted. “If we could keep it up for fifteen minutes or so, it might miss the Core completely. Be a bad day in the Highlands, but...” he shrugged and then rushed to where Scotch was taking off my left foreleg. “Wait! Leave it connected. I can use her PipBuck to help in the transfer.” He twisted it and started typing. “Okay. Gotta compress the files...”
"我不知道！"你们的战斗把这个地方的每一个传感器都打乱了,"他喊道。"如果我们能保持15分钟左右，它可能会完全错过核心。他耸了耸肩，然后冲向苏格兰威士忌剥掉我左前腿的地方。"等等！让它保持连接。我可以用她的PipBuck帮忙转账。"他把它拧了一下，开始打字。"好吧。必须压缩文件..."
Suddenly, my old body went rigid, and Cognitum’s eyes flared. “No! No! I will not be defeated! I will not be a thing!” she shrieked, her horn blazing with overglow. Rampage lunged against her, pinning her to the throne. “I am a Princess! You can’t do this to me!”
突然，我的老身体僵硬了，科涅塔姆的眼睛睁得大大的。"不！不！我不会被打败的！我不是什么东西!"她尖叫着，她的角闪耀着光芒。狂暴冲向她，把她钉在王座上。"我是公主！你不能这样对我!"
I bit a spur of scrap and smashed her across the horn again and again, making her scream in rage and frustration. “Can’t you just delete the cunt and be done with it?” Rampage asked, struggling with her.
我咬了一块废铁，一次又一次地用角撞她，使她在愤怒和沮丧中尖叫起来。"你就不能把那个婊子给删了吗?"狂暴问道，与她扭打在一起。
“Sure. Do you want to run the risk of residual Cognitum inside Blackjack? Blackjack’s had neural contamination already. I doubt she wants more.” I thought of what Lacunae’s memories had done to me and shook my head hard. “Just give me a few more seconds,” he continued. “I’m compressing the Cognitum kernel, and then I’ll transfer it into a buffer and download the Blackjack kernel.”
"当然。你想冒黑杰克里面残留的认知力的风险吗？黑杰克已经被神经感染了。我怀疑她还想要更多。"我想起了拉库尼的记忆对我的影响，强烈地摇了摇头。"再给我几秒钟,"他继续说。"我正在压缩Cognitum内核，然后将其转换到缓冲区并下载Blackjack内核。"
I kept smacking Cognitum with the bar while Rampage, Bastard, and Scotch kept her thrashing, half-disassembled body pinned in place. “You’ll die! All of you will die! Die die die! I hate you all! Hate hate hate!”
当狂暴、淘气包和苏格兰威士忌把她那半截半截的身体固定在原地的时候，我不停地用棍子敲击着认知觉。"你会死的！你们都会死！去死，去死，去死！我恨你们所有人！恨恨恨!"
“You really need a software patch or two,” I told her. She got out a crimson beam, slashing it across us. Scotch Tape fell back, crying out, but the rest of us kept working. I shoved her face to the side, pressing it with my hooves and keeping her reinforced horn away. She tried to telekinetically fling us off but got a bar across the face for it. “Echo?!” I cried out as a red glow began to build around all of us.
"你真的需要一两个软件补丁,"我告诉她。她发出一道深红色的光束，划过我们的身体。胶带掉了下来，大声叫喊，但我们其余的人继续工作。我把她的脸推到一边，用我的蹄子挤压它，使它的强化角远离。她试图用意念力甩掉我们，但脸上挨了一拳。"回声?!"当红色的光芒开始包围我们所有人的时候，我大叫起来。
“Got it!” And he lunged up, grabbed the mesh, and jammed it on my head. “Two more seconds!”
"知道了!"然后他突然跳起来，抓住网格，把它塞到我的头上。"再等两秒钟!"
“No! No!” Cognitum screamed. “Forbidden operation! Kernel panic!!”
"不！不!"科涅塔姆尖叫起来。"禁止手术！内核恐慌!!"
The world swirled away.
世界旋转着消失了。
I was in the black void place again. From somewhere near me came a white light... no. I was the light. And I was going to a place. Ahead of me was a thing. It was a pony on fire. A pony made of faces. A hundred screaming, enraged faces that belched fire and wept blood. A thing that should not be. It charged straight at me, hooves exploding like balefire bombs as it loomed larger and larger. It swelled to the size of an alicorn. A giant. A titanic behemoth.
我又回到了黑暗虚空的地方。从我附近的某个地方传来一道白光......不。我就是那道光。我要去一个地方。在我前面的是一个东西。那是一匹着火的小马。一种用脸做成的小马。一百张张愤怒的面孔发出尖叫，喷出火焰，流出鲜血。一件不该发生的事情。它径直向我冲过来，当它越来越大的时候，蹄子就像火焰弹一样爆炸。它膨胀得像一只橡子那么大。一个巨人。一个庞然大物。
It didn’t matter. I would not deviate, falter, or surrender. I didn’t know how. I smashed into its massive, contorted chest with a flash of light like a nova, and the massive flaming monstrosity was sent flying away off to the side, wailing and screaming into the darkness as I continued to my destination. It opened before me like a flower of light, and...
没关系。我不会偏离，不会犹豫，也不会投降。我不知道该怎么做。我猛撞在它巨大扭曲的胸膛上，一道新星一样的闪光，巨大的燃烧着的怪物飞向一边，在我继续前往目的地的路上嚎啕大哭，消失在黑暗中。它在我面前开放，像一朵光明的花朵，而且.....。
screamed.
尖叫。
was in a place that was not meant for me. This body, once my own, was as cold and merciless as the surface of the moon. It was as hostile as the Core. As callous and cruel as I had been in my wanton slaughter at Yellow River. It was wrong. Anathema. Twisted. Perverted. Corrupted.
在一个不属于我的地方。这个曾经属于我的身体，就像月球表面一样冰冷无情。它和地核一样充满敌意。就像我在黄河上遭受的肆意屠杀一样冷酷无情。这是错误的。女名女子名。扭曲。变态。腐败。
This was the body of Nightmare Moon. Oh, it might have originally been mine. Carried a few scraps of my original DNA. But it was no more mine than the raw ore hammered into an executioner’s axe belonged to the mountain. It had been changed on a fundamental level, and I did not belong here any longer. My mind was a square peg trying to fit into a round soul. But I didn’t know how to leave. I couldn’t, even if I did. Too much was on the line. My friends. Everyone in the Hoof. Everyone in the world. How could anyone give up with all that on the line?
这就是梦魇之月的身体。可能本来是我的。带着我原始DNA的一些碎片。但是这并不比那些被锤打成刽子手斧子的未加工的矿石更属于这座山。它已经从根本上改变了，我不再属于这里了。我的头脑是一根方木桩，试图装进一个圆形的灵魂里。但我不知道如何离开。我做不到，即使我做到了。风险太大了。我的朋友们。每个人都在霍夫。世界上的每一个人。怎么会有人愿意放弃这一切呢？
There was another flare of white light, like with Tom, only when it faded I was in a dark place filled with cold and hateful stars. We stood on a space rock of some sort, the surface studded with craters and spurs of black ice. Broken and half-finished features of gothic architecture rose around us. Heavy black chains
还有另一道白光，就像汤姆一样，只是当它消失的时候，我在一个黑暗的地方，充满了寒冷和可恨的星星。我们站在某种太空岩石上，岩石表面布满了陨石坑和黑色的冰刺。破损的半成品哥特式建筑在我们周围浮现。沉重的黑色锁链
anchored my hooves to the ground before an obsidian throne. Sitting upon it, tall, cold, and regal, was Nightmare Moon in all her terrible glory. A swirling nebula circled behind her like a halo of blue, green, and purple. And unlike before with Tom, I was completely alone.
在黑曜石宝座前把我的蹄子固定在地上。梦魇之月坐在它上面，高高的，冰冷的，庄严的，光彩夺目。一个漩涡状的星云在她身后盘旋，就像一个由蓝色、绿色和紫色组成的光环。不像以前和汤姆在一起的时候，我完全是一个人。
“So. We meet again,” Nightmare Moon said coldly as she sat upon her dark throne.
"所以。"我们又见面了,"梦魇月坐在她黑暗的宝座上冷冷地说。
“Yeah. I guess we do,” I said, tugging at the chains and finding them far less cozy than Tom’s table. “Last time, though, you were a lot less... this...” I pointed out, gesturing at her with a hoof. Her draconic eyes narrowed coldly. “Princess Luna.”
"是的。我想是的,"我一边说，一边拽着铁链，发现它们远没有汤姆的桌子舒适。"不过，上次你可没这么......这个......"我指着她说，一边用蹄子指着她。她那严厉的眼睛冷冷地眯了起来。"卢娜公主。"
“Princess Luna?” Nightmare Moon laughed. “Oh dear. How wretchedly pathetic. You maintain your incapacity to grasp the patent truth, even now.” She rose from her throne and spread her wings wide. “I have always been Nightmare Moon!” Lightning flared and flashed all around us, and she laughed riotously.
"卢娜公主?"恶梦之月笑了。"哦，亲爱的。多可怜啊。即使是现在，你仍然没有能力掌握专利的真相。"她从宝座上站起来，张开翅膀。"我一直都是噩梦之月!"闪电在我们周围一闪而过，她放声大笑。
Once upon a time, I would have soiled myself at this. But I’d been in too many minds, experienced too many weird dreams, and faced too many terrors to be impressed. I sighed and bowed my head. “Okay. Look... I know you’re trying to be impressive and terrifying and stuff, but stop. It’s just not going to work.”
要是在以前，我肯定会为此感到羞愧。但是我经历过太多的幻想，经历过太多奇怪的梦境，面对过太多的恐惧，以至于无法被打动。我叹了口气，低下了头。"好吧。听着...我知道你想给人留下深刻印象让人害怕但是别说了。这根本行不通。"
There were a few moments I wanted to treasure forever. The startled, wide-eyed expression on her face was one of them. “You... you mock... me?”
有一些时刻我想永远珍惜。她脸上惊讶而睁大的表情就是其中之一。"你......你嘲笑......我?"
“If it were any other day than today, yeah. I’d probably take you a lot more seriously, but I was in a very impressive dreamscape like five minutes ago! And he did a better job than starry spooky blackness! I mean, really... I’ve seen worse.” And because this was a dream, and I was so tired of today, I took a step forward, despite the chains. I made them shatter with my refusal to acknowledge their physicality. “And you’re not Nightmare Moon. You’re Princess Luna.”
"如果不是今天的话，是的。我可能会更严肃地对待你，但是五分钟前我还在一个令人印象深刻的梦境中！而且他比星光闪耀的幽灵般的黑暗做得更好！我是说，真的......我见过更糟的。"因为这是一个梦想，而且我今天已经厌倦了，所以我向前迈出了一步，尽管有枷锁。我拒绝承认他们的肉体，使他们粉碎。"你也不是梦魇之月。你是卢娜公主。"
Her eyelid twitched a moment before she narrowed her eyes and blasted me with a stream of dark magic from her horn. It actually hurt... maybe she could erase me here and leave my friends outside with two drooling, mindless bodies. “You dare presume to tell me who I am? I am the Queen of the Night! I am a monster beyond your reckoning!”
她的眼皮抽动了一下，然后眯起眼睛，用她的角发出一连串的黑魔法向我喷射。这实际上很痛苦...也许她可以把我从这里抹去，留下我的朋友在外面和两个流着口水，没有思想的身体。""你竟敢告诉我我是谁？我是黑夜女王！我是一个你想象不到的怪物!"
I picked myself up, trying to ‘wish away’ the pain like I had the chains. Wasn’t
我重新站起来，试图像戴上锁链一样'许愿'远离痛苦。不是
working. “Actually, I’ve faced quite a few monsters. I’ve been a few monsters. So I can reckon pretty well. You’re right around the same level as Deus... pre-tank. Dangerous, capable of hurting me? Yes. But like smoke and mirrors, deep down you're actually… kinda disappointing. Almost pathetic.” I frowned up at her, trying to think of the best way to handle this.
工作。"实际上，我遇到过不少怪物。我曾经是一些怪物。所以我可以算得很清楚。你和天王差不多等级...在坦克前。危险，能够伤害我？是的。但是就像烟雾弹和镜子一样，在内心深处你实际上...有点令人失望。几乎可悲。"我对她皱起了眉头，试图想出最好的办法来处理这件事。
“Dis... disappointing?” She actually stammered. “I... you... how dare you...”
"这...令人失望吗?"她结结巴巴地说。"我.....。.你...你怎么敢..."
“Stop,” I said firmly. “I need my body back. You’re in it. That means I need you. Which means we need to knock this off right now, Princess Luna. Can I call you, Luna?” From the eye twitch, I guessed another– Yep! Black lightning slashed at me. I imagined an alicorn shield like a white bubble blocking it... but there was no escaping the fact that I was out of my weight class. The blast sent me sliding away from the throne, and for an instant, my body flickered, as if it was in danger of disappearing completely. And, of course, it hurt more. “Ow...”
"住手,"我坚定地说。"我想要回我的身体。你在里面。这意味着我需要你。也就是说我们必须马上停止这一切，卢娜公主。我可以叫你露娜吗?"从眼睛抽搐来看，我猜是另一个原因——是的！黑色的闪电向我袭来。我想象着一个角果盾，就像一个白色的泡泡挡住了它......但是我无法逃避这个事实，那就是我已经超出了我的体重等级。爆炸让我从宝座上滑下来，瞬间，我的身体忽隐忽现，仿佛有完全消失的危险。当然，这更加伤人。"噢......"
“I will not suffer such impudence,” she said coldly. “I am Nightmare Moon! You shall respect me!”
"我不能容忍这种厚颜无耻的行为,"她冷冷地说。"我是梦魇之月！你应该尊敬我!"
I sucked in my breath and then sat up. “Right. Okay. Why do you think you’re Nightmare Moon and not Luna?” I asked as I pulled myself to my hooves.
我吸了口气，然后坐了起来。"对。好吧。为什么你认为你是梦魇月而不是月神?"我问，我把我自己拉到我的蹄子。
“Do you not realize how many ponies I have killed?” And the rock in space became a parade ground across which marched a legion of zombie soldiers, all mutilated and dripping gore. I spotted at least one of each Ministry Mare and a half dozen Big Macintoshes. The legion multiplied and multiplied till millions of dead marched before us.
"你难道不知道我杀了多少匹小马吗?"太空中的岩石变成了一个游行场地，一大群僵尸士兵走过，他们身上都是血肉模糊的血块。我发现每个魔法部的母马中至少有一匹，还有六个巨无霸。军团越来越多，数以百万计的人死在我们面前。
“I’m going to guess... lots,” I countered, and the parade of soldiers became a parade of raiders, Steel Rangers, stable ponies, pegasi, Harbingers, and zebras. “I’ve done it too. And unlike you, I actually killed them all personally.” I frowned at my own gory crowd and realized something was missing. Oh yeah...
"我猜......很多,"我反驳道，士兵的游行队伍变成了掠夺者、钢骑兵、马厩小马、飞马、港口人和斑马。"我也这么做过。不像你，我亲手杀了他们所有人。"我皱着眉头看着自己血淋淋的人群，意识到少了点什么。哦，是的..。
a few dozen dead foals joined the ghastly display. “I killed children too.” She gaped at me as I stared into her eyes. “Believe it or not, killing people... even ordering them to their death... doesn’t make you Nightmare Moon. It just really sucks.” We locked gazes for several seconds, and I added, “Or did you like it?”
几十只死去的小马驹也加入了这场可怕的表演。"我也杀过孩子。"我盯着她的眼睛，她目瞪口呆地看着我。"信不信由你，杀人......甚至命令他们去死......都不会让你成为噩梦之月。这真的很糟糕。"我们对视了几秒钟，我补充道:"还是你喜欢这样?"
“Like it?” she asked, with another little eye twitch that made me tense. “Of course I didn’t like it. But could any of you understand the depths of my manipulation? What I created?” From behind her erupted six ministry hub
"喜欢吗?"她问道，眼睛又抽搐了一下，这让我很紧张。"我当然不喜欢。但是你们谁能理解我操纵的深度？我创造了什么?"她身后突然冒出六个牧师中心
buildings... well, they were great big buildings, so I supposed they represented the ministries. “The ministries were my tools and weapons! My means to control the population while–”
建筑物......嗯，他们是伟大的大建筑物，所以我认为他们代表各部委。"牧师是我的工具和武器！我的方法是控制人口，同时-"
“While escaping any accountability or responsibility,” I finished flatly. “We’ve had this conversation before, remember?” Nightmare Moon stared at me for several seconds in bafflement, and a question snuck into my mind. “You don’t remember, do you?”
"在逃避任何责任和义务的时候,"我直截了当地说。"我们以前谈过这个，记得吗?"噩梦之月困惑地盯着我看了几秒钟，一个问题突然出现在我的脑海里。"你不记得了，是吗?"
“I am Nightmare Moon! I have perfect memory of all my great works and terrible crimes!” she declared, the ministries crumbling into rubble behind her. “I have orchestrated disaster! I alone am responsible for all the ruin we suffered.”
"我是梦魇之月！我对我所有的伟大作品和可怕的罪行有完美的记忆!"她宣称，政府部门在她身后支离破碎。"我策划了一场灾难！我们所遭受的一切损失都是我一个人造成的。"
“Oh stop!” I shouted back at her. “What about the zebra Caesar? What about your sister? What about those nobles and businessponies who said war was the only option?” And as I spoke, a shadowy zebra loomed to my left, an adumbral Princess Celestia on my right, and a horde of faceless ponies in fancy dresses and business suits in a semicircle around me, facing her. “You made bad calls. Do you think you were the very first?” I stared at her and let the shadows fade away. “You really don’t remember talking to me earlier, do you?”
"哦，住手!"我也对她大喊大叫。"斑马凯撒怎么样？那你妹妹呢？那些声称战争是唯一选择的贵族和商人呢?"就在我说话的时候，一只阴暗的斑马出现在我的左边，一位天国公主出现在我的右边，一群没有脸的小马围着我，穿着华丽的裙子和西装，围成半圆形，面对着她。"你做了错误的决定。你以为你是第一个吗?"我盯着她，让阴影消失。"你真的不记得之前跟我说过话了，是吗?"
“I am eternal. I am the night! I am forever!” she declared imperiously, and redundantly.
"我是永恒的。我是黑夜！我永远都是!"她傲慢而冗长地宣布。
Of course she didn’t remember. She wasn’t a mind. She was a soul. The final summation of all her experiences personified. Only I refused to believe that the summation was this... thing! How could it be? I stared at her for what felt like the longest time, then slowly approached her. There was only one thing I could think of to break through to her. “Why? Why did you create the ministries?”
她当然不记得了。她不是一个思想。她是一个灵魂。她所有经历的最后总结被人格化了。只是我拒绝相信这个总结就是这个...东西！怎么可能？我盯着她看了好长时间，然后慢慢走近她。我只能想到一件事来打动她。"为什么？你们为什么要设立这些部门?"
“Fool! Did you not hear what I said? To deceive. To control. I wished to dominate all the world! You cannot understand the burdens of such a choice!” she declared boldly, but I could smell a whiff of bullshit coming from her. Monsters never talked about their crimes or burdens.
"傻瓜！你没听见我说的话吗？欺骗。控制。我希望统治全世界！你无法理解这种选择的负担!"她大胆地宣布，但我能闻到她身上散发出一股狗屎味。怪物们从不谈论他们的罪行或负担。
“Oh, yeah? I had to decide who’d rule the Society. Who to put on top and hope that it’d work out okay. I’ve had to make big calls before.” This wasn’t her. It couldn’t be. And then I reached out with my hooves and grabbed her helmet. Her eyes widened in shock, and green lighting raked me as I felt something like a pulpy blanket tear away. The haughty and cold facade ripped away, and the
"哦，是吗？我必须决定谁来统治这个协会。把谁放在最上面，希望一切顺利。我以前不得不做出重大决定。"这不是她。不可能。然后我伸出我的蹄子，抓住她的头盔。她震惊地睁大了眼睛，绿色的光芒斜照着我，我感到有什么东西像一条软软的毯子撕开了我。那傲慢冷酷的外表被撕碎了
world around me reassembled into a royal throne room. The shadows now became blinding, glaring lights that bathed the real Princess Luna from every angle. She sat upon a throne decorated with suns, staring at a mob of ponies shouting questions and muttering angrily about the war.
我周围的世界重新组合成一个皇家王座室。这时阴影变得刺眼，耀眼的光芒从各个角度照耀着真正的露娜公主。她坐在一个装饰着太阳的宝座上，盯着一群小马，大喊着问题，愤怒地嘟囔着战争。
Luna bowed her head on the throne. “I was... ill prepared to take the throne. A month... one month... that was all the preparation I was given. And even then...” The crowd and mob faded away from the room, and Luna gazed at the despairing posture of her sister, slumped in a chair, her face contorted with grief. “Celestia was inconsolable after Littlehorn. Truly, she’d suffered an injury more grievous than any I’d inflicted on her as Nightmare Moon.”
卢娜低下头坐在宝座上。"我......没有做好登基的准备。一个月...一个月...这是我所有的准备。就在那时......"人群和人群渐渐离开了房间，露娜凝视着她姐姐绝望的样子，她瘫坐在椅子上，脸因悲伤而扭曲。"塞莱斯蒂娅在李特霍恩之后伤心欲绝。说真的，她所遭受的伤害比我在《恶梦之月》中对她造成的伤害还要严重。"
“You didn’t have a choice, Luna,” I said, putting a foreleg around her shoulder.
"你别无选择，卢娜,"我说，把前腿搭在她的肩膀上。
“Yes, I did,” she said, closing her eyes. The throne room returned, only this time she was in the back of the room. On the throne sat Twilight Sparkle, surrounded by her friends. “I could have stepped aside. I wanted to. I had no experience with ruling or even a desire to rule anymore. I once went to Ponyville for a festival and ended up insulted and abusive to ponies simply because I didn’t understand what had changed in my absence.” Then she looked at the six, and her eyes hardened. “But I was her sister. I was a Princess. I had to rule. I had to make up for the mistakes I’d made... the betrayal I’d committed when I’d become Nightmare Moon.”
"是的，我做到了,"她闭上眼睛说。王座室回来了，只是这一次她在房间的后面。紫悦坐在王座上，周围都是她的朋友。"我本可以退到一边。我想。我没有统治的经验，甚至没有统治的欲望。有一次我去Ponyville参加一个节日，结果被侮辱辱骂小马，只是因为我不明白我不在的时候发生了什么变化。"然后她看着那六个人，眼神变得僵硬了。"但我是她的妹妹。我是一个公主。我必须统治。我必须弥补我所犯下的错误......当我变成恶梦之月时所犯下的背叛。"
“But you couldn’t rule as Celestia,” I said, and the world morphed into Goldenblood’s hospital room.
"但是你不能像天国那样统治世界,"我说，然后世界变成了金血王的病房。
Luna stared down at the broken, dying stallion. “I remembered him from the school. Such a conundrum, not fitting into Canterlot society. The historian with a fondness for rocks and sculpture. So strange. But wise. I thought he was going to die... all the doctors thought he would... Even if he was, I felt he could help me come up with some way to rule without feeling like I was going to wet myself. And he did. He gave me everything I ever wanted, and more.” She closed her eyes and gave a sniff. “And everything I wanted went wrong!”
卢娜低头看着这匹破碎的、奄奄一息的种马。"我在学校记得他。这样一个难题，不适合坎特罗特的社会。喜欢岩石和雕塑的历史学家。太奇怪了。但是很明智。我以为他要死了......所有的医生都认为他会死......即使他死了，我觉得他可以帮助我想出一些方法来治疗，而不会让我觉得自己要尿裤子了。他做到了。他给了我想要的一切，甚至更多。"她闭上眼睛闻了闻。"我想要的一切都出错了!"
Suddenly she hardened, and Nightmare Moon returned. “No! It all went horribly right!” She laughed, turning her head and blasting me with more lightning, sending me flying away from her. “I had my army! My ministries to hide and obscure my evil plots! My secret projects... oh so many secret projects! I was
她突然变得坚强起来，噩梦之月又回来了。"不！一切都进行得非常顺利!"她笑了，转过头，用更多的闪电击中我，让我飞离了她。"我有我的军队！我的事工隐藏和掩盖了我的邪恶阴谋！我的秘密项目...哦，这么多秘密项目！是的
drowning in secrets!” A cybernetic alicorn army soared overhead in perfect formation while Steel Ranger and Enclave power-armored ponies marched in two columns past her. Above all of us were the shadowy shapes of Thunderheads and Raptors. “I did nothing to stop it! Nothing to rein it in!” She threw back her head with a blast of lightning from the skies. “I reveled in my war!”
淹没在秘密中!"一支控制论的独角兽部队以完美的队形在头顶盘旋，钢铁骑兵和昂科雷动力装甲小马排成两列从她身边经过。在我们所有人的头顶上，是"雷头"和"猛禽"的模糊身影。"我没有阻止它！没有什么可以控制它!"她仰起头，一道闪电从天而降。"我陶醉于我的战争!"
Shadowbolt Tower erupted into the sky behind me. “Bull!” I shouted. “If you had really wanted a slaughter, you would have used those megaspells soon as you got them.” The immense shadowy structure imploded, sucking into itself and raining down debris. “Maybe you didn’t wave a magic wand and end the war, but I know how hard it is to keep peace!” As the monolith crumbled behind me, shadowy Reapers loomed up facing equally imposing Steel Rangers. Above me, phantasmal Enclave ponies slammed into spectral cyberponies. I stared her in the eyes, willing her not to lapse into that stupid evil for evil’s sake mindset. “And I remember way back when the war started. You weren’t calling for the zebras’ heads on sticks. And when she offered you the country, you turned it down. You weren’t Nightmare Moon then. You never wanted to rule.” I stared into her stunned eyes. “So why did you take the throne?”
影螺塔在我身后突然升上了天空。"胡说!"我喊道。"如果你真的想要一场屠杀，一旦你得到那些巨型杀手，你就会立刻使用它们。"巨大的阴影结构向内爆炸，吸入自身，碎片如雨点般落下。"也许你没有挥舞魔杖结束战争，但我知道维持和平有多难!"当巨石在我身后崩塌时，影子收割者隐约出现，面对着同样壮观的钢铁突击队。在我头顶上，幽灵般的飞地小马猛烈撞击着幽灵般的控制小马。我盯着她的眼睛，希望她不要为了邪恶而陷入那种愚蠢的邪恶的心态。"我还记得战争开始的时候。你不是在叫斑马的头挂在树枝上。当她把这个国家给你的时候你拒绝了。那时你不是梦魇之月。你从来不想统治。"我盯着她目瞪口呆的眼睛。"那你为什么要登上王位呢?"
The noise and chaos faded away as she stared into my eyes, stricken. The Nightmare faded with them, and tears streaked her dusky cheeks. “I... I had no choice. I had to. Celestia couldn’t... she wouldn’t...” Beside both of us, a scene of a bedroom with Celestia lying on a bed faded in; at first, I thought she was dead. Her eyes stared out, tears running down her cheeks. Through a doorway, I could make out a dozen vague ponies in uniforms waiting and talking silently like puppets. “Celestia blamed herself for Littlehorn. It had been her idea to place it there. Her joke.” Luna sniffed, raising her head as tears ran down her cheek. “I think she gave the school to me to keep me as far from the fighting as possible. Like how she tried to protect Twilight and her friends.”
当她惊惶失措地盯着我的眼睛时，嘈杂和混乱渐渐消失了。噩梦随着他们一起消失了，眼泪划破了她灰蒙蒙的脸颊。"我.....。.我别无选择。我必须这么做。塞勒斯蒂娜不能......她不会......"在我们两人旁边，塞勒斯蒂娜躺在床上的一个卧室的场景逐渐消失了;起初，我以为她已经死了。她的眼睛瞪得大大的，泪水顺着脸颊流了下来。穿过一扇门，我能看见十几匹模糊不清的小马，它们穿着制服，静静地等待着，像木偶一样说话。塞莱斯蒂娅为Littlehorn的事情自责。把它放在那里是她的主意。她的笑话。"卢娜嗅了嗅，抬起头，泪水顺着脸颊流了下来。"我想她把学校给我是为了让我尽可能远离战争。比如她如何试图保护暮光之城和她的朋友们。"
She shook her head. “But I could have said no! But how could I have said no?” she begged as she stared at me, anguish marring her face. “I was the next in line. The little sister. It was my chance to show everypony I could rule just as Celestia did. To make up for what I did as Nightmare Moon. I was going to be as good as Celestia! But I could have stepped aside.” And the image of the bedroom became the one of Twilight Sparkle sitting on the throne, flanked by her friends. Luna and I now watched from a shadowed doorway to the side. “I could have done other things, and left the responsibility to Twilight. To Cadance. To anypony else.”
她摇了摇头。""但是我可以说不！但我怎么能拒绝呢?"她看着我，苦苦哀求，脸上带着痛苦的伤痕。"我是下一个继承人。小妹妹。这是我向每个小马展示我能像塞莱斯蒂亚那样统治的机会。为了弥补我作为恶梦之月所做的一切。我会像塞莱斯蒂亚一样出色！但我本可以退到一边。"卧室的形象变成了紫悦坐在王座上，两侧是她的朋友。卢娜和我现在从一个阴暗的侧面门口观察。"我可以做其他的事情，把责任留给《暮光之城》。为了终止。敬任何其他人。"
I reached up and embraced her, staring into her eyes as the images faded away. “When Deus invaded my home, I didn’t want to go running out into the Wasteland. I could have just given EC-1101 over, or worked out a deal, or something. Something smart. But I stepped up when I had to, and even when it was rough, I kept with it. Just like you.” I stared into her eyes. “I know you’re a good pony, Luna. Even if you don’t think you are.” Visions of Psalm in the orphanage appeared beside us, like silent films. Of Goldenblood lying in his hospital bed. Of Luna helping foals with their nightmares.
我抬起头，拥抱了她，凝视着她的眼睛，看着画面渐渐消失。"当上帝入侵我的家时，我不想跑到荒原去。我本来可以把EC-1101送过去，或者做成一笔交易，或者别的什么。聪明的东西。但是在必要的时候我会挺身而出，即使是在艰难的时候，我也会坚持下去。跟你一样。"我凝视着她的眼睛。"我知道你是匹好马，露娜。即使你认为自己不是。"孤儿院里的诗篇景象就像无声电影一样出现在我们身边。黄金血躺在医院的病床上。卢娜帮助小马驹解决他们的噩梦。
Luna smiled and wiped her tears away. “And I know you’re a good pony too, Blackjack.” And now on our other side were images of me saving Scotch Tape from 99, fighting to protect Chapel from Dawn and Deus, and fighting Cognitum in the Lunar Palace. “Even if you don’t think you are.” She sighed, and all the images and shadows faded away. The ground around us began to glow as if we were standing in a pool of starry moonlight. “So... what do we do now?” We touched horns and brows, and both of us gave sad smiles to the other.
露娜微笑着擦去眼泪。"我知道你也是匹好马，黑杰克。"现在在我们的另一边是我从99年拯救苏格兰胶带，战斗保护教堂从黎明和上帝，并战斗在月球宫的认知。"即使你认为自己不是。"她叹了口气，所有的影像都消失了。我们周围的土地开始发光，好像我们站在一池星光月光下。"那么......我们现在该怎么办?"我们碰了碰角和眉毛，两人都对对方露出悲伤的微笑。
In unison, we said softly, “We do everything we can to make up for it, knowing that we’ll never succeed in getting rid of the guilt. We devote ourselves to spending every second trying to do better despite the fact that it will never be enough. And we pray with every single good act we do that somehow, when our lives are over, that our lifetimes will come close to making up for the wrong we committed.”
我们异口同声地说:"我们知道我们永远无法摆脱罪恶感，所以我们尽一切努力去弥补。我们每时每刻都在努力做得更好，尽管事实上这永远不够。当我们的生命结束时，我们祈祷我们的一生能够弥补我们犯下的错误。"
And the light grew and grew until the darkness was no more. It flowed through us, and when sensation returned, I found myself levitated before the others, who stared on in awe. The limbs that had been removed were returning to my frame and changing as if sculpted by invisible hooves. My wings spread wide, and the black metal vanes transformed into snowy white feathers. The flaming mane softened into gently shimmering fields of red and dark purple, like the colors of a sunset right before dusk as I felt the magic run through me. I felt my body whole, not strictly biological anymore but not mangled and pieced back together either. My synthetic limbs now resembled the dark purple armor the batponies wore, though mine was far more stylized with delicate engravings of moons and stars. It ran from my rump all the way up my spine to my shoulders, where a crescent moon decorated the chestpiece. Atop my head sat a simple crown. And then...
光明越来越明亮，直到黑暗消失。它流过我们，当感觉回来的时候，我发现自己漂浮在其他人面前，他们敬畏地盯着我。被去除的四肢又回到了我的身体里，变化着，好像是被看不见的蹄子雕刻出来的。我的翅膀张开了，黑色的金属叶片变成了雪白的羽毛。燃烧的鬃毛柔和地变成了微微发光的红色和深紫色的田野，就像黄昏前夕阳的颜色，我感觉到魔法在我身上流淌。我感觉我的身体是完整的，不再是严格意义上的生物学意义上的，但也不再是被撕裂和拼凑起来的。我的合成假肢现在看起来就像蝙蝠战士所穿的深紫色盔甲，尽管我的假肢更像是精致的月亮和星星的雕刻。它从我的臀部一直延伸到我的脊椎和肩膀，一弯新月装饰着胸膛。在我的头顶上坐着一顶简单的王冠。然后..。
I blinked.
我眨了眨眼。
Lifting my hooves, fingers slid smoothly from the ends with perfect articulation, and I stroked my face. Nose. Mouth. Eyelids. I’d gotten my face back! And I looked over, and down, at all of my friends. The corner of my lip curled in an awkward smile. “H...hey. It worked.”
抬起我的蹄子，手指顺利地从两端滑落完美的关节，我抚摸我的脸。鼻子。嘴巴。眼睑。我的脸又回来了！我低头看了看我所有的朋友。我的嘴角露出尴尬的微笑。"h..嘿。这招奏效了。"
And best of all. Most wonderful of all... I could feel that sensation of life inside me. Maybe like this, I could have my babies. I could have... everything.
最棒的是。最美妙的是......我能感觉到我体内的生命的感觉。也许这样，我就可以生孩子了。我可以拥有...一切。
“Blackjack? Is that... are you in there?” Scotch Tape asked, as if afraid.
"黑杰克？那是......你在里面吗?"透明胶带问道，好像很害怕。
“She’s got feathers. Does that mean... what does that mean?” Rampage asked as she scowled at my wings. “Damn it, Blackjack, you’re not allowed to get any weirder! You’ve exceeded your maximum allotment of weirdness!”
"她有羽毛。这是否意味着......这意味着什么?"暴怒怒视着我的翅膀问道。"该死，黑杰克，你不能再变得更奇怪了！你已经超出了你的极限了!"
“Whoa,” Bastard muttered.
"哇,"淘气包喃喃自语。
“Are you... okay?” P-21 asked as he stared at me with the closest thing to awe I’d ever seen.
"你...没事吧?"P-21一边问，一边用我所见过的最近似敬畏的目光盯着我。
“I... think so?” I replied, not one hundred percent certain myself. “Don’t ask me to wiggle the moon around just yet... but yeah...” I finally smiled. “I think I am okay.”
"我.....。.你这么认为?"我回答，我自己也不是百分之百确定。"不要让我现在就把月亮摇来摇去......但是是的......"我终于笑了。"我想我没事。"
I looked down at the blank me lying on her side next to Echo, who was working on my old PipBuck with a small, worried frown. The blank body stared absently out, a little bit of drool starting to drip from the corner of her mouth. She wasn’t even ambulatory like Boo or the other blanks. Just a puppet with her strings cut. “Cognitum’s not in there, right?” I tensed as I suddenly expected my own eyes to turn and look at me, my old body to grin with malice.
我低头看着躺在艾可旁边的空白的我，艾可皱着眉头，正在修理我的旧皮布克。空白的身体茫然地凝视着外面，一点口水开始从她的嘴角滴下来。她甚至不能像Boo或其他空白病人那样行走。只是一个断了线的木偶。"这里面没有'认知'，对吧?"我紧张起来，因为我突然期待我自己的眼睛转过来看着我，我的老身体露出恶意的笑容。
Echo smiled as he worked my old PipBuck. “No. She’s not. I made damn sure she couldn’t double back.” Then he frowned. “Though the buffer I set up is full of junk data now. Just need to pick her out of it.” A low buzzing resonance began to fill the room. Something going on with Horizons? With Cognitum? Damn it. I needed to get my friends and myself out of this place!
艾可一边看着我的旧皮布克，一边笑了。"没有。她不是。我确保她不会原路返回。"然后他皱起了眉头。"尽管我设置的缓冲区现在充满了垃圾数据。只要把她从中挑出来就行了。"房间里开始充满了低沉的嗡嗡声。地平线出什么事了吗？带着Cognitum？该死。我需要让我的朋友和我自己离开这个地方！
“Find her. I need to make sure she can’t cause any more trouble.” Maybe not delete her. There might be some way Virgo or somepony could debug her and give her a second... I suddenly had an image of jars holding captured ponies. Okay. She better not be in my head... Regardless, there was no time to waste. I
"找到她。我得确保她不会再惹麻烦。"也许不该删除她。也许处女座或者小马会调试她，给她一点时间......我突然想起了一幅画面:罐子里装着捕获的小马。好吧。她最好不要出现在我的脑子里......不管怎样，没有时间可以浪费了。一
took my weapons, ammo, figurines, and supplies from my old body and then walked to where Folly had fallen.
从我原来的身体上拿走我的武器、弹药、雕像和补给品，然后走到弗利倒下的地方。
“It’s been a while,” I said as I lifted the weapon, turning it over with my magic, holding it in my hooves. I cracked it open. A silver bullet rested inside. I snapped it closed. That buzzing noise grew as I walked to the edge of the platform. “P-21, get clear!” I shouted out as I aimed the weapon down at Tom nestled in the heart of the wreckage. From Cognitum’s second shot, I hoped it would just punch a hole clean through Tom. He could go back to being a star spirit, and I’d go home and work on trying to rehabilitate Equus while building the world’s biggest ‘Do Not Dig Here’ sign over the Core. And there was the issue of families. Maybe a wedding. How did you even do weddings?
"好久不见了,"我一边说，一边举起武器，用我的魔法把它翻过来，用我的蹄子夹着它。我把它撬开了。一颗银色子弹在里面。我啪的一声关上了门。当我走到月台边缘时，嗡嗡的声音越来越大。"P-21，让开!"当我把枪对准坐落在残骸中心的汤姆时，我大声喊道。从Cognitum的第二枪来看，我希望它能在汤姆身上打出一个洞。他可以重新成为一个明星精神，而我则回到家里，努力恢复马儿的健康，同时在地核上建造世界上最大的不要在这里挖掘的标志。还有家庭问题。也许是婚礼。你是怎么办婚礼的？
I couldn’t wait to find out. I leveled the gun right at Tom’s sparkling heart. I saw P-21 wave from a pile of rubble, carrying a terminal on his back. Goddesses, I loved him.
我迫不及待地想知道。我把枪对准汤姆闪闪发光的心脏。我看见P-21波从一堆瓦砾中出来，背着一个终端。女神们，我爱他。
“Where is she?” Echo said in worry. “I’ve scanned the buffer twice. She’s not in here!”
"她在哪儿?"Echo忧心忡忡地说。"我已经扫描了缓冲区两次。她不在这儿!"
I paused. “Well, she’s not in my other body, right? And I don’t think she’s in this body. So where else could she...” That buzzing, growling noise grew louder and clearer. It was three words, chanted from a billion tiny mouths rising from all around us.
我停顿了一下。"好吧，她不在我的另一个身体里，对吧？我不认为她在这个身体里。那么她还能去哪儿呢......"那嗡嗡的、咆哮的声音变得越来越大，越来越清晰。这是从我们周围的十亿张小嘴里唱出的三个字。
“HATE! HATE! HATE!”
"恨！仇恨！仇恨!"
“KILL! KILL! KILL!”
"杀！杀！杀!"
“DIE! DIE! DIE!”
"去死吧！去死吧！死吧!"
My eyes snapped up above us. The computer at the apex of the dome now seethed with crimson light as millions of mechasprites, eyes glowing red, altered and transformed its surface into a mockery of a living organ. Maybe, while being in my body, Cognitum had developed something like a soul, twisted and wretched but enduring past any normal program. I had no idea what those machines were doing as they cannibalized the covering, exposing the technomagical guts of the maneframe, rewiring it before my eyes.
我的眼睛在我们上方突然睁开。位于圆顶顶端的计算机现在像数百万机械人一样沸腾着深红色的光，发着红光的眼睛改变了它的表面，把它变成了一个对活体器官的嘲弄。也许，当我在我的身体里的时候，认知觉产生了一种类似于灵魂的东西，扭曲和不幸，但却经受住了任何正常程序的折磨。我完全不知道那些机器在干什么，它们拆掉了盖子，暴露出机器人的技术内脏，在我眼前重新接线。
“Oh you have got to be fucking kidding!” Bastard shouted as he reloaded his
"哦，你他妈的一定是在开玩笑!"淘气包一边重新装弹一边叫道
guns. “No payday is worth this shit!”
枪。"发工资也不值得你这么做!"
The mechasprites swooped in towards us, and from my horn erupted a dozen magical bullets that streaked out and exploded in the midst of the swarm. Thousands swept around the detonations, swirling like guided shrapnel towards us. “I can stop her!” Echo said as he worked furiously on my old PipBuck. “Just give me five seconds!”
机甲怪向我们扑来，从我的角里射出一打魔法子弹，在蜂群中爆炸。成千上万的人在爆炸中穿梭，像被引导的弹片一样向我们飞来。"我可以阻止她!"艾可一边说着，一边拼命地修理我的旧皮布克。"给我五秒钟!"
That was four seconds more than we had.
比我们的时间多了四秒钟。
The swarm flowed around me and straight at the yellow stallion. I tried to throw up a shield like I’d seen everypony else with a horn do and actually succeeded; the mechasprites slammed into it like a pile driver. It held but did nothing to prevent two other clouds of machines from swooping in from above and below and engulfing Echo. “It’s okay, they only eat metal!” Echo shrieked as he tried to sweep them off his body. “They’re only supposed to eat metal!” he screamed as he disappeared beneath the swarm.
蜂群围绕着我，直冲向那匹黄色的种马。我试着扔出一个盾牌，就像我看到其他每匹小马都按喇叭一样，并且真的成功了;机械臂像打桩机一样猛地撞上了盾牌。它坚持了下来，但并没有阻止另外两个机器云从上面和下面猛扑过来，吞噬了回声号。"没关系，他们只吃金属!"艾可试图把它们从他身上扫走时尖叫起来。"他们应该只吃金属!"他尖叫着消失在蜂群之下。
Three seconds later, only a puddle of blood remained where he’d stood.
三秒钟后，他站的地方只剩下一滩血。
Scotch Tape cried out as the mechasprites swept in at her next. “Oh fuck no!” Rampage shouted, curling herself protectively around the filly and slashing her tail though the air. She stomped and snapped, crushing the machines in her jaws. The holes bitten in her flesh were regenerated almost instantly, but the mechasprites consumed her armor bite by bite. Then Scotch Tape started to scream in pain; Rampage gave a shout of “Hold on!” as she grabbed her and leapt away to a lower level with a stream of mechasprites following.
当机器人扫过她的下一个目标时，透明胶带大叫起来。"哦，他妈的不!"横冲直撞的人喊道，一边保护性地蜷缩在那匹小母马周围，一边在空中挥舞着尾巴。她跺着脚，咬着牙，把机器咬碎在嘴里。咬在她身上的洞几乎是立刻再生的，但是机甲怪一口一口地吃掉了她的盔甲。然后，苏格兰胶带开始痛苦地尖叫起来，狂暴地大喊"坚持住!"她一把抓住她，跳到更低的地方，后面跟着一股机甲怪。
Bastard flung a barrage of grenades with his magic at the swarm coming for him but exhausted his supply after a dozen detonations. He raced away from the throne as well. “Sorry girls, but it’s time for bottomless magazines,” he snapped at his guns, and his horn flashed. The magazines in each of his automatics glowed, and, biting down on his cigarette, he unloaded a stream of bullets far in excess of the ten each magazine usually carried. Astonishingly, he kept one swarm at bay with bullets alone. It wouldn’t do anything for the two others sweeping in at his flanks, though.
巴斯塔德用他的魔法向向他冲来的蜂群投掷了一连串的手榴弹，但在十几次爆炸之后耗尽了他的补给。他也迅速离开了王位。"对不起，女孩们，但是是时候看无底洞的杂志了,"他厉声说，他的枪，他的号角闪烁。他每个自动步枪里的弹夹都闪闪发光，他咬了一口香烟，发射出一连串子弹，远远超过每个弹夹通常携带的十发子弹。令人惊讶的是，他单枪匹马就挡住了一大群子弹。尽管如此，对于另外两个从他的侧翼扫进来的人来说，这也没什么用。
I raised a new shield around myself, and the swarms of mechasprites coalesced into an enormous red-glowing steel alicorn. Her hooves ripped down the throne, flinging the debris to the side. I levitated my old body onto my back, almost by
我在自己周围架起了一个新的盾牌，成群的机械炸弹聚集在一起，变成了一个巨大的发着红光的钢铁炸弹。她的蹄子撕下了宝座，把残骸抛向一边。我把我的老身体悬浮在我的背上，几乎是
instinct. Even if it was just an empty shell now, it was still me. I flew into the space between Cognitum and Tom as those enormous hooves smashed against my shield. I poured my magic into it, hoping it would hold. I didn’t know the spell, exactly; I was just copying what I imagined every alicorn did.
本能。即使它现在只是一个空壳，它仍然是我。当那两只巨大的蹄子撞在我的盾牌上时，我飞进了科涅塔姆和汤姆之间的空地。我把自己的魔力倾注在它身上，希望它能坚持住。确切地说，我并不知道这个咒语;我只是在模仿我想象中每一个角果所做的事情。
Unfortunately, even when it was holding, every impact rattled me to my core, and if my shield failed now, I’d die. We’d all die.
不幸的是，即使它还在坚持，每一次撞击都让我的心脏慌乱不安，如果我的护盾现在失效了，我就会死。我们都会死。
My eyes turned upward towards the throbbing mechanical thing, the aborted child of the Eater. I peered down at Tom below me. I saw Rampage running, Scotch Tape clinging to her back as she screamed for Daddy. I watched Bastard desperately trying to keep the sprites away from himself with his guns, the barrels growing red with all the shots he’d fired. I peered at P-21 pounding away at the terminal, keeping Horizons from killing us all. I looked up, past the technological grotesquery, at the ailing blue-green sphere that was the home of millions of people who needed me to do the right thing.
我的眼睛向上看着那个跳动的机器东西，那个食者的流产的孩子。我低头看着我下面的汤姆。我看见狂暴的女孩在奔跑，透明胶带贴在她的背上，她尖叫着要爸爸。我看到淘气包绝望地试图用他的枪让精灵远离他自己，枪管因为他开的枪而变红。我凝视着远处轰轰作响的P-21飞机，防止"地平线"把我们全部干掉。我抬起头，越过那些技术上荒诞不经的东西，看着这个病态的蓝绿色球体，它是数百万人的家园，他们需要我去做正确的事情。
Three lives... plus Bastard... versus the world. It was an easy choice.
三条命...加上淘气包...对抗这个世界。这是一个简单的选择。
But then, I’m not a clever pony.
不过话说回来，我可不是一匹聪明的小马。
I pointed Folly straight up at that twisted, tortured, tormented spawn of technology, entered S.A.T.S., and fired. My will was so sure. So set. It didn’t even ask me if I was sure. My shield dropped, and an instant later a brilliant white beam emerged, streaking up towards the apex of the dome. The mechasprite mare let out a scream as the beam punched straight through the top of the dome and out into space. The tempest that followed blasted the mechasprites out after her, scattering the machines as the wrecked Lunar Palace trembled, the debris shifting and grinding. Pieces of scrap went flying as the pressure shifted, and for a few horrifying seconds, I had a good idea what it was like living in a blender. Then a piece of flooring, caught in the gust like a kite, smashed up against the hole in the ceiling. There was a whistling shriek for several seconds, then silence.
我直接把弗里德指向那个扭曲、折磨、痛苦的技术产物，进入了s.a.t.s，然后开火了。我的意志是如此坚定。就这么定了。它甚至没有问我是否确定。我的盾牌掉了下来，不一会儿，一道耀眼的白光出现了，划过圆顶的顶端。当光束直接穿过圆顶射入太空时，机械母马发出了一声尖叫。随之而来的暴风雨摧毁了机械师，机器四处散落，毁坏的月球宫颤抖着，碎片移动着，摩擦着。随着压力的移动，一块块碎片飞了起来，在那可怕的几秒钟里，我对生活在搅拌机里的感觉有了一个很好的概念。接着，一块地板像风筝一样被阵风卷起，砸在天花板上的洞上。一阵口哨般的尖叫声持续了几秒钟，然后一片寂静。
I hovered there in the air, my old body hugged to me. I checked my inventory. No more silver bullets. For all I knew, there weren’t any more left in the world. I stared down at Tom, still glistening and held in place by magic. I put Folly back in my saddlebags in the tiny hope that I’d find one more silver bullet in time. How long did I have before the taint from Folly threatened by baby? I needed Triage. “Is everypony alright?” I called out.
我在空中盘旋，我的老身体紧紧地抱着我。我检查了我的存货清单。没有银子弹了。据我所知，世界上已经没有多余的东西了。我低头看着汤姆，他仍然闪闪发光，被魔法控制住了。我把Folly放回我的鞍囊里，希望能及时找到另一颗银弹。我有多长时间才从愚蠢的污点受到婴儿的威胁？我需要分诊。"每匹小马都好吗?"我大声喊道。
“I hate the moon!” Bastard shouted from somewhere below in the wreckage..
"我讨厌月亮!"淘气包在废墟下面的某个地方喊道。.
“Oh please,” Rampage said as she emerged from underneath a smashed Ultra-Sentinel. “We’ve had lots worse than this, right kiddo?”
"哦，拜托,"狂暴说，她从一个粉碎的超级哨兵下面出来。"我们经历过比这更糟糕的事，对吧，孩子?"
“No, I think this tops it,” Scotch said as she followed, picking her way carefully along the twisted metal and broken girders.
"不，我认为这是最好的,"苏格兰人边说边跟着她，小心翼翼地沿着扭曲的金属和断裂的大梁走着。
“Oh, come on! The megaspell was way worse than this,” Rampage replied. “I’d say this was number three on the list. The space center and Maripony were tied for number two.” I dropped down to them.
"哦，得了吧！巨型建筑比这更糟糕,"狂暴回答。"我敢说这是名单上的第三个。太空中心和马里波尼并列第二。"我走到他们面前。
But Scotch wasn’t listening. “Daddy? Where are you?” she called out as she stared at the jumbled mess. Apprehension prickled at me as I moved towards where I’d spotted him last.
但苏格兰人不听。"爸爸？你在哪里?"她一边看着乱七八糟的东西，一边喊道。当我朝最后一次看到他的地方走去时，我感到一阵恐惧。
To my relief, he called out, “I’m over here.”
让我松了一口气的是，他喊道:"我在这里。"
I swooped ahead of everypony else towards the folded girders whence the call had come, a smile on my face. I set my blank body down as I spotted him lying out on his stomach, hooves still working the terminal, leaning against a half-dozen slim metal shafts. “I think... I think I have a problem,” he rasped, not taking his eyes off the screen. I slowed as I looked beyond him lying there to the shafts and... no... no no no...
我骑在每匹小马的前面，冲向那对折起来的大梁，那里传来了召唤，我的脸上露出了笑容。我把空白的身体放了下来，发现它趴在地上，蹄子还在码头工作，靠在六根细长的金属杆上。"我觉得......我觉得我有问题,"他愤怒地说，眼睛没有离开屏幕。我放慢了速度，看着他身后的竖井......不......不.....。
They weren’t against him. They were impaled through him. From the middle of his back to his haunches, the rods pinned him to the floor like a butterfly to a mat. He didn’t take his eyes from me. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” he asked.
他们不是针对他。他们被刺穿了。从他的背部中间到他的腰部，杆子把他压在地板上，就像蝴蝶压在垫子上一样。他的眼睛没有离开我。"很糟糕，不是吗?"他问道。
“Yeah, it’s bad,” I whispered in horror.
"是的，很糟糕,"我惊恐地低声说。
“Figured it must be. I can’t feel anything below my shoulders.” He glanced over at me and gave a tiny half smile. “You look good, Blackjack.”
"我想一定是的。我感觉不到肩膀以下的任何东西。"他瞥了我一眼，露出一丝微笑。"你看起来不错，黑杰克。"
No no no. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right! “Rampage, keep Scotch back!” I yelled. “Bastard. I need you!”
不不不。这不公平。这是不对的！"横冲直撞，把苏格兰威士忌收回去!"我喊道。"混蛋。我需要你!"
“Keep me back from what?” Scotch Tape shrieked, then screamed, “No! Let me go! What’s wrong?!”
"阻止我做什么?"透明胶带尖叫了一声，然后尖叫起来,"不！放开我！怎么了?!"
Bastard stepped into view, and he tugged his glasses down, teal eyes widening in horror. “Shit...”
淘气包走进视线，拉下眼镜，蓝绿色的眼睛惊恐地睁大。"妈的......"
“You can do healing magic, right? I’m going to pull the rods out, and you heal the holes,” I said, adamantly.
"你会治愈魔法，对吧？我要把杆子拔出来，你来修补那些洞,"我坚定地说。
“I… This is way beyond a healing spell. How the hell is he not dead yet?”
"我.....。.这已经远远超出了治疗咒语的范围。他怎么还没死呢?"
“Shut up,” I said, glaring imperiously at him. “I am going to pull, you are going to heal, and P-21 is going to keep living and keeping Horizons from going off. Understood?” He swallowed and nodded as I seized the first slim rod and gave it a tug.
"闭嘴,"我说，傲慢地怒视着他。"我会拉，你会痊愈，P-21会继续活下去，阻止视野号离开。明白吗?"他咽了口唾沫，点了点头，我抓起第一根细长的鱼竿，拉了拉。
The metal above us let out an immense groan as the rod moved a few inches up and started to shift. “Hold on!” Rampage shouted, rushing to the hollow we were in and shoving up against it. With her immense earth pony strength, she was able to stabilize it.
我们上方的金属发出巨大的呻吟声，因为杆移动了几英寸，并开始移动。"等等!"狂暴喊道，冲到我们所在的洼地，把它推到一边。凭借着她巨大的马力，她能够使它稳定下来。
Unfortunately, that meant she wasn’t able to hold on to Scotch Tape. The filly darted in around her and froze, staring at the sight. “Oh no. No no no no.” She rushed to him and hugged him around the neck. “Daddy. Hold on, Daddy. Just hold on.”
不幸的是，这意味着她无法持有透明胶带。那匹小母马飞快地绕过她，呆呆地盯着这一景象。"哦，不。不不不不。"她冲向他，搂住他的脖子。"爸爸。坚持住，爸爸。坚持住。"
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said with a smile as he nuzzled her, then tapped the flickering terminal again.
"我哪儿也不去,"他一边用鼻子爱抚着她，一边微笑着说，然后又轻轻地敲了敲屏幕。
“Do something!” Scotch Tape pled to me, tears streaking her cheeks. “Anything! You’re a Princess now or something, aren’t you?”
"做点什么!"透明胶带向我恳求，泪水划过她的脸颊。"什么都行！你现在是公主了，对吧?"
I swallowed as I dug into my repertoire of magic. A pair of magical scissors appeared, doubly reinforced with hydraulics. I put them to one of the rods, but as they started to shear through, the rod started to twist. Blood spurted from where it pierced his body as he cried out. “Stop!” Bastard yelled, and I relaxed the scissors, the flexing rod returning to its original position. P-21 gasped for breath, then typed the commands again with shaking hooves. Bastard frowned up at me. “By the time you get one rod out, he’ll bleed out.”
我一边沉浸在自己的魔术表演中，一边吞咽着。一把神奇的剪刀出现了，并加强了液压系统。我把它们放在其中一根棒子上，但是当它们开始剪切的时候，棒子开始扭曲。血从刺穿他身体的地方喷涌而出，他大叫起来。"住手!"淘气包喊道，我放松了剪刀，弯曲的杆子恢复到原来的位置。P-21喘不过气来，然后用抖动的蹄子再次输入命令。淘气包朝我皱起眉头。"等你取出一根棍子，他就会失血过多而死。"
“Shut up!” Scotch snapped. “Do something else!”
"闭嘴!"苏格兰威士忌啪啪作响。"做点别的吧!"
But what else could I do? I doubted a mustache would help much. I focused my
但是我还能做什么呢？我怀疑留个小胡子是否有用。我集中了我的注意力
imagination and tried to imagine the burning beam cutting through all the rods at once. Instantly, a jet of flame flowed out across the metal, but the rods, instead of instantly vaporizing it, turned red, and P-21 started to grunt as he fought the pain. My wings fanned the rods before they could burn him any more. A giant glowing grinding disk appeared and started to work through one of the rods. If I was lucky, I’d get through one in five minutes... but there were six... Finally, I tried to use my magic to shift the immense bulk of weight above me, but Rampage cried out, and her legs trembled as she pushed back. “Stop!” she cried in alarm. “This whole thing is ready to come down like a house of cards.” I stopped my magic, and she relaxed.
想象着燃烧的光束一下子切断了所有的燃料棒。立刻，一道火焰喷射出来，穿过金属，但是杆子没有立刻蒸发，而是变成了红色，P-21在与疼痛作斗争时开始发出咕噜声。我的翅膀在燃料棒被点燃之前把它们扇了起来。一个巨大的发光研磨盘出现了，并开始通过其中一个棒工作。如果我够幸运的话，我可以在五分钟内打通一个......但是只有六个......最后，我试着用我的魔法把巨大的重量从我头顶移开，但是狂暴喊了出来，当她往后推的时候，她的腿在颤抖。"住手!"她惊恐地哭了。"整个事情就像纸牌搭成的房子一样，随时可能崩溃。"我停止了我的魔法，她放松了。
If I’d had a few hours, I could have extracted him. I didn’t. And if I rushed, I could kill us all. Damn it. Why couldn’t I have brought LittlePip with me?
如果我有几个小时的时间，我就能把他救出来。我没有。如果我仓促行事，我会杀了我们所有人。该死。为什么我不能带上小匹普呢？
P-21 took a hoof off the keyboard to caress Scotch Tape’s cheek. “You have to go. I can’t delay it much longer. Cognitum tweaked the targeting talismans before you blasted her. It’ll go right to the Core now. You have to get out of here and survive to do something about it.” The ground under us rumbled, and he grimaced in pain before he tapped the terminal keys again.
P-21从键盘上拿起一只蹄子抚摸着苏格兰胶带的脸颊。"你得走了。我不能再拖延了。在你攻击她之前，认知调整了目标护身符。它会直接进入核心区域。你必须离开这里，生存下去，为此做点什么。"我们脚下的地面隆隆作响，他痛苦地做了个鬼脸，然后又重新敲击了终端键盘。
“No. No, we can’t leave you!” Scotch Tape begged. “Please, Blackjack! Do something!”
"没有。不，我们不能丢下你!"透明胶带恳求着。"求你了，黑杰克！做点什么!"
I wanted to do something. Anything. Anything to undo this. To come up here alone, and... but no. If I had, I wouldn’t have made it. It was always because of my friends that I’d been able to do anything at all. Could I teleport him out through the bars? Then he’d have a half dozen holes he’d immediately bleed out through. How many magic bullets would it take to blast through? We didn’t have Scotch’s rifle or my sword... he was way too close to use a grenade, even if we had one left. The ground rumbled again, and he tapped the keys once more, silencing it.
我想做点什么。什么都行。只要能解决这个问题。一个人来这里但是不行。如果我有的话，我就不会成功了。总是因为我的朋友，我才能够做任何事情。我能通过铁栏把他传送出去吗？然后他会有半打洞，他会立刻流血而死。要打穿多少颗魔法子弹？我们没有苏格兰人的步枪或者我的剑......他离我们太近了，不能用手榴弹，即使我们还剩一颗。地面再次隆隆作响，他又轻敲了一下钥匙，让它安静了下来。
“Please,” he murmured at he looked up at me, smiling with tears streaking his cheeks. “Remember what I said...”
"求你了,"他低声说，抬头看着我，眼泪在脸颊上留下了痕迹。"记住我说的话......"
I swallowed sickly. He was right, but then again, he’d always been the smarter pony. “I’m sorry, Scotch.” I wanted to be sick. It wasn’t fair. I’d gotten my body back. Our babies back. Why couldn’t I have gotten a chance to be with him? For him to see Scotch Tape grow up into a strong and happy mare? To help him raise
我恶心地咽了口唾沫。他是对的，但话又说回来，他一直是最聪明的小马驹。"对不起，苏格兰威士忌。"我想生病。这不公平。我找回了我的身体。我们的孩子回来了。为什么我没有机会和他在一起？让他看着苏格兰胶带长成一匹强壮快乐的母马？帮助他抚养孩子
his babies? My babies? Why couldn’t the universe just give me a clean win for once?!
他的孩子？我的孩子？为什么老天就不能给我一次干净利落的胜利呢！
I looked over at Tom’s sparkling form. “Please,” I prayed. “Please save him.”
我看了看汤姆闪闪发光的表格。"求你了,"我祈祷着。"请救救他。"
I cannot. I am bound until I face the Eater. I am sorry, Blackjack.
我不能。我被捆绑直到我面对食者。对不起，黑杰克。
I bowed my head as Scotch Tape embraced him, tears running down my face. I could cry again. Damn him. Damn all the stars. What good were they if they couldn’t save a single pony’s life when we needed them to? What good was everything that had happened to me if I couldn’t save him? Security saves ponies. Princesses protect their subjects from harm.
当ScotchTape拥抱他时，我低下了头，泪水顺着我的脸颊滑落。我可以再次哭泣。该死的。该死的星星。如果他们不能在我们需要的时候拯救一匹小马的生命，那他们还有什么用？如果我救不了他，发生在我身上的一切又有什么意义呢？安全保障拯救小马。公主们保护她们的臣民免受伤害。
There was only one thing to do. I met his eyes, gave a little nod, and received a little smile in return.
只有一件事可以做。我看着他的眼睛，轻轻地点了点头，得到了他的微笑作为回报。
“I love you, Scotch Tape,” P-21 said, nuzzling her. He pulled his battered black hat off his head and placed it atop hers. “I’m so proud of you. I know you’re going to do great things. Build great things. Grow up strong and beautiful and... I wish I could be there to see it all. Wish I could hold you when you need me to and just... be a real father...” He punched in the keys again.
"我爱你，透明胶带,"P-21说着，用鼻子蹭了蹭她。他把他那顶破旧的黑帽子从头上摘下来，戴在她的头上。"我为你感到骄傲。我知道你会成就一番大事业。创造伟大的事物。坚强而美丽的成长......我希望我能在那里看到这一切。但愿我能在你需要我的时候拥抱你，只是......做一个真正的父亲......"他又按了一下键盘。
“You were a real father, Daddy. You were the best daddy any pony could ever want,” Scotch Tape sobbed into his mane.
"你是一个真正的父亲，爸爸。你是任何一匹小马都想要的最好的爸爸,"苏格兰磁带抽泣着说。
He smiled, twisted his hoof to hold her close, turned, and kissed her ear. “I love you, Scotch.” He closed his eyes. “Goodbye, my little filly.”
他微笑着，扭着蹄子把她抱在怀里，转过身来，吻了吻她的耳朵。"我爱你，苏格兰人。"他闭上了眼睛。"再见，我的小母马。"
“No... no no no...” Scotch Tape sobbed, shaking her head. “Just a little longer...” I tugged at her. I walked to Bastard and gave him some instructions, a promise, and a number. He nodded, pushed his glasses back up, lit a new cigarette, and then levitated Scotch Tape with his magic.
"不......不......"透明胶带抽泣着，摇着头。"再坚持一会儿......"我拉了拉她。我走到淘气包跟前，给了他一些指示，一个承诺和一个数字。他点了点头，把眼镜往上推了推，点燃了一支新的香烟，然后用他的魔法使透明胶带悬浮起来。
“Come on,” he said as he pulled her away. “We have to go. This place is going to blow up, and you’ve got to live.”
"来吧,"他一边说，一边把她拉开。"我们得走了。这个地方要爆炸了，你必须活下去。"
“No! No!” she screamed, flailing her hooves wildly as she was pulled away from him. Bastard lifted my blank body with a grunt, setting it across his back, and pulled both of them out of the space. “No! Please, Blackjack, no! Don’t do this! No!” she screamed, tearing at me with her cries. “Daddy! No! Let me go, you
"不！不!"她尖叫着，当她被从他身边拉开时，她的蹄子猛烈地摆动着。淘气包咕哝着把我空白的身体抬起来，放在他的背上，然后把他们俩都拉出来了。"不！求你了，黑杰克，不！别这样！不!"她尖叫着，用她的哭声撕扯着我。"爸爸！不！放开我，你
bastard!”
混蛋!"
When she’d gone, I broke down, crying and sniffing too. “It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
当她走后，我崩溃了，哭泣着，嗅着。"这不公平。这是不对的。"
“No. It’s not,” he replied. “But that’s life. Thanks to you, I got to have a few more months. Got to see incredible things. Meet good people and make friends. Be a father. A lover. A person. You showed me that I could be so much more than a number. You gave me that chance. I wouldn’t give it up for anything, even if it ends like this.” His warm smile faded. “You have to get back to Equus. You can’t give up, Blackjack. Find a way to beat this. To win. You can. I know you can.”
"没有。不是,"他回答道。"但这就是生活。多亏了你，我还有几个月的时间。看到了不可思议的事情。结识好人，交朋友。做一个父亲。一个情人。一个人。你让我知道我不仅仅是一个数字。你给了我这个机会。我不会放弃任何东西，即使结局是这样。"他那温暖的微笑消失了。"你必须回到马科斯。你不能放弃，Blackjack。想办法战胜它。为了胜利。你可以。我知道你可以。"
How could I speak after that? I wanted to tell him that I couldn’t do this without him. That I wanted him beside me. And in his eyes I saw understanding that I knew I wanted to say all that. Of course he did. So why waste these last moments with arguing? I sniffed and leaned down, kissing him on the lips for one horribly too short moment. “I love you,” I whispered into his ear as he gave one barely muted sniff.
在那之后我还能说什么呢？我想告诉他没有他我做不到。我希望他在我身边。在他的眼睛里，我看到了理解，我知道我想说这一切。当然了。那么，为什么要把这最后的时刻浪费在争吵上呢？我闻了闻，弯下身子，在他的嘴唇上吻了那么一小会儿。"我爱你,"我对着他的耳朵低声说，他轻轻地嗅了一下。
“I know,” he answered, just as quietly. When we parted, he entered the suppression command again. He lowered his eyes, then murmured, “Before you go, though... my cutie mark...” He looked pained and gave a small half smile. “It’s not a penis, is it?”
"我知道,"他同样平静地回答。当我们分手时，他又进入了镇压指挥部。他垂下眼睛，低声说:"不过在你走之前......我可爱的印记......"他看上去很痛苦，露出一丝微笑。"这不是阴茎吧?"
My throat produced something between a hiccup, a laugh, and a sob. I leaned over and brushed my hoof over his flank. The last flakes of blue came off completely. The male symbol and twenty-one dots were gone. In their place was a bold red heart bursting through a ring of chain encircling it. My throat seized up, and it took me several seconds before I could croak, “No. It’s not a penis.”
我的喉咙发出一阵打嗝、一阵笑和一阵抽泣之间的声音。我弯下身子，用蹄子蹭了蹭它的肚子。最后一片蓝色完全脱落了。男性符号和21个点消失了。取而代之的是一颗红色的大胆的心，突破了环绕它的一圈铁链。我的喉咙卡住了，过了几秒钟我才能发出沙哑的声音:"不。这不是阴茎。"
He nodded. “Good. That’s all I wanted to know.” He gave a little chuckle. “Silly.” He entered in the command on the terminal again. “You should go. You don’t want to miss your flight.”
他点点头。"很好。这就是我想知道的。"他轻轻地笑了一下。"傻瓜。"他再次在终端机上输入指令。"你应该去。你可不想错过飞机。"
Tearing myself from his side was like tearing my heart in two. But I had to go, no matter how much it hurt. Since I had to go... I did. I always did what I had to... even if I couldn’t save the ponies who mattered most to me.
把自己从他身边拉开，就像把自己的心撕成两半。但是我必须去，不管有多痛。既然我不得不离开...我确实离开了。我总是做我必须做的...即使我不能拯救对我最重要的小马。
Then I turned and saw Rampage holding up all that metal. A somewhat sheepish
然后我转过身来，看到狂暴拿着那些金属。有点羞怯的人
smile crossed her face. “Yeah. I just realized it too. I move, and there’s a good chance he gets squished and Horizons goes off with you in it. Go get going, Blackjack. He can’t stall this thing forever.”
她脸上露出了笑容。"是的。我也意识到了这一点。如果我搬家，很有可能他会被压扁，而"地平线"也会跟你一起离开。去吧黑杰克。他不可能永远拖延下去。"
“No...” I muttered. “No... not... no!”
"不......"我咕哝着。"不......不......不!"
“Yes,” Rampage contradicted me. “Look. This is the best for everypony. You get to live to stop the Eater. I get to die saving your life. And I get to die for good.” Her pink eyes softened. “This is what I want, Blackjack. I might be Peppermint, but... I don’t want to be the last one to die. Tom said this place going off can take me out, so... yeah. This is where I need to be.”
"是的,"狂暴反驳了我。"你看。这对每个小马都是最好的。你可以活着去阻止食者。我为了救你的命而死。我将永远地死去。"她粉红色的眼睛变得柔和了。"这就是我想要的，Blackjack。我可能是薄荷糖，但是...我不想成为最后一个死的人。汤姆说这个地方可以带我出去，所以...是的。这是我需要去的地方。"
P-21 frowned. “It seems stable enough. I’m not going to be wiggling around down here.” He gave a cough, looking pale. He had to be bleeding out slowly around those shafts. “Go, Rampage. Help Scotch Tape. She’ll need you. Blackjack needs you.”
P-21皱起了眉头。"它似乎足够稳定。我可不想在这里晃来晃去。"他咳嗽了一声，脸色苍白。他不得不在那些竖井周围慢慢地流血而死。"走吧，暴怒。帮助透明胶带。她需要你。黑杰克需要你。"
“I’m staying,” Rampage told him. “At least this way, neither one of us has to die alone.”
"我要留下来,"狂暴告诉他。"至少这样，我们都不会孤独地死去。"
I was so riven by grief, I couldn’t argue. P-21 couldn’t delay forever. If I tried to fight Rampage, I would likely cause the collapse she was trying to prevent. So the only thing I could think of... the only response... was to walk away in the direction of Scotch’s sobs.
我悲痛欲绝，无法抗拒。P-21不可能永远拖延下去。如果我试图反抗狂暴，我可能会导致她试图阻止的崩溃。所以我唯一能想到的...唯一的反应...就是朝苏格兰人呜咽的方向走去。
“Hey,” Rampage called after me, and I looked back. Rampage stared at me from over her shoulder. “It was fun.” She smiled, her eyes streaked with tears.
"嘿,"狂暴在我身后喊道，我回头看了看。狂暴从她的肩膀后面盯着我。"很有趣。"她微笑着，眼中闪烁着泪花。
“Yeah,” I answered weakly, with my own, tiny, half smile. “It was.”
"是的,"我虚弱地回答，带着我自己的微笑。"是的。"
What more was there to say after that? I flew to where Bastard struggled with Scotch Tape near the tram hatch that was marked ‘To Terminal’ and levitated them through, flying behind them. When we were all inside, I pressed the button, the doors closed, and the tram began to roll, heading up the steep track. Bastard looked at me as he set my blank body on a couch. “Where’s Rampage?” he asked.
在那之后还有什么可说的？我飞到淘气包在电车舱口附近用透明胶带挣扎的地方，电车舱口上写着"到航站楼"，我把它们悬浮在空中，飞在它们身后。当我们都在里面的时候，我按下了按钮，车门关上了，电车开始滚动，沿着陡峭的轨道前进。淘气包看着我，把我空白的身体放在沙发上。"狂暴在哪里?"他问道。
“She’s not coming,” I answered hollowly. Scotch Tape curled up in a tighter ball, the young mare shaking in her grief, her tears exhausted.
"她不来了,"我低声回答。苏格兰胶带卷成一个更紧的球，年轻的母马在悲伤中颤抖，她的眼泪用尽了。
This must have been a shorter route than to the Astrostable. I looked back at the cracked dome of the Lunar Palace as the minutes passed by. I wanted to see them both, one more time. But the link... the special link we’d all shared... it was broken.
这条路一定比去天体稳定器要近。几分钟过去了，我回头看了看月宫破裂的圆顶。我想再见他们两个一次。但是这种联系...我们共同分享的这种特殊的联系...被打破了。
Wasn’t it?
不是吗？
I walked to my blank body and regarded it for a moment, then reached down and touched my horn to my own brow. The space within was empty, except for a number of tiny windows like monitor screens. There, I saw Rainbow Dash arguing with an injured Storm Chaser. There, Velvet Remedy riding a wing of alicorns through a howling storm. There, Charity and the defenders of Chapel were in a terrible firefight with an unrelenting mass of Brood advancing towards them. There, Xanthe and her team were lost in the rubble of the bunker.
我走向我空白的身体，凝视了一会儿，然后弯下腰，用我的角碰了碰自己的额头。里面的空间是空的，除了一些像显示屏一样的小窗户。在那里，我看到彩虹·达什和一个受伤的风暴追逐者在争吵。在那里,"天鹅绒补救法"骑着一只翅膀的橡子穿过咆哮的暴风雨。在那里，查瑞特和教堂的守卫者们正在进行一场可怕的交火，一大群布鲁特军队不屈不挠地向他们逼近。在那里，赞斯和她的团队在地堡的瓦砾中迷失了方向。
And there was P-21 typing on a terminal. As I focused on that window, I could hear his voice coming from the image. The terminal screen was showing a diagram with all kinds of red and white flashing symbols that I couldn’t begin to understand. Hurts... glad I lied that it didn’t. They would have given me Med-X. I’d rather die tha... heh... that’s funny... no. Got to stay focused. Discharge the stabilization talismans. Almost missed it that time. Getting lightheaded.
终端上有P-21打字机。当我聚焦在那扇窗户上时，我能听到他的声音从图像中传来。终端屏幕上显示着一个图表，上面有各种我无法理解的红白闪烁符号。很痛...很高兴我撒谎说没有。他们会给我用Med-X。我宁愿死在...呵...那很有趣...不。集中注意力。排出稳定性护身符。那次我差点错过了。头昏眼花。
She’ll be okay. Blackjack will take care of her. Blackjack will move the world if she has to. She won’t give up. I know it. Refresh. Discharge. Crap! Discharge! Focus, P-21. Focus. Recharge. Refresh. Discharge. Focus... Why does that ‘calculated force’ number get bigger every time I refresh? Nevermind. Recharge. Refresh. Discharge... I couldn’t look away as minutes crept by, and again and again he entered the commands that delayed the inevitable. I didn’t hear Rampage. Perhaps there wasn’t anything for them to say to each other. I should have looked earlier. Maybe come up with a better name. Like Blackjack. Recharge. Refresh. Discharge. Eh... if only she had been a stallion. If only Priest... if only... Recharge. Refresh. Discharge. I hope she makes it. She will. Just made... a... mistake. Not her first... Refresh. Discharge. Error? Wait...
她会没事的。黑杰克会照顾她的。如果有必要的话，黑杰克可以改变世界。她不会放弃的。我知道。刷新。排放。该死！放电！专注，P-21。专注。充电。刷新。排放。焦点......为什么每次刷新的时候计算力的数字都会变大？算了。充电。刷新。随着时间一分一秒地过去，我无法移开视线，他一次又一次地输入那些拖延不可避免的命令。我没有听到狂暴。也许他们彼此之间没有什么好说的。我应该早点看的。也许能想出一个更好的名字。就像黑杰克。充电。刷新。排放。要是她是匹种马就好了。如果只有牧师...如果只有...充电。刷新。排放。我希望她能成功。她会的。刚做了...一个..。.错误。不是她的第一个...刷新。排放。错误？等等。
The screen was now flashing all white. “Damn...” he whispered hoarsely as the white light below grew brighter and brighter, the world shaking as a roar grew and grew. I wanted to see her grow up. I wish I could see Scotch happy, one more time. “Sorry, Blackjack. Hope it was eno--”
屏幕上现在闪烁着白光。"该死......"他低声嘶哑地说，下面的白光越来越亮，随着一声咆哮，整个世界都在震动。我想看着她长大。我希望我能看到苏格兰人再次高兴起来。"对不起，黑杰克。希望不是——"
The window winked out, and I snapped my horn away. The tram was shaking as it crested the ridge of the massive chasm. Then, in a brilliant flash of luminescent white, the dome exploded, Tom shooting out faster than I could see amidst a detonation that not only ripped roof off the Lunar Palace but blasted the very foundation of the building out into space. The floor of the crater erupted in a massive cascade of rock and debris, tons of dust and glowing crystal vomiting out. The magical fields lasted just long enough to stop any of the high-speed ejecta from impacting the chasm walls or the Astrostable, but we still felt the vibrations through the floor. Maybe the Hoof wasn’t the only place that was going to be hit... but really... I couldn’t care. My heart felt as if it had been ripped in two. I wanted the synthetic pump back. I wanted the old, corpselike body that hadn’t felt. That had been more like a machine.
窗户一眨眼，我就把喇叭啪地一声关掉了。当电车驶过巨大的裂缝的山脊时，它在颤抖。然后，在一道耀眼的白光中，圆顶爆炸了，汤姆的爆炸速度比我在爆炸中看到的还要快，爆炸不仅撕裂了月球宫的屋顶，还把建筑的根基炸到了太空中。火山口底部喷发出大量的岩石和碎片，成吨的灰尘和发光的水晶喷出。神奇的磁场持续了足够长的时间来阻止任何高速喷射物撞击裂缝墙或天文台，但我们仍然能感觉到地板的震动。也许霍夫不是唯一一个会被击中的地方......但说真的......我不在乎。我的心好像被撕成了两半。我想要回合成泵。我想要那种没有感觉的老式的，像尸体一样的身体。那更像是一台机器。
Then the tram stopped and went dark. “What’s going on?” Bastard asked in alarm. “Why’d it stop?”
然后电车停了下来，天黑了。"怎么回事?"淘气包惊恐地问道。"为什么停下来了?"
“It was powered from the Lunar Palace,” Scotch Tape said dully. “That, or something broke in the track.”
"它是从月球宫发电的,"ScotchTape无精打采地说。"那个，或者是赛道上有什么东西坏了。"
I rose to my feet. The terminal was just a few dozen feet ahead now. I could see the two rockets sitting on the pad. “This is ridiculous,” I said as my horn glowed and I tried to propel the tram down the track manually. It didn’t budge. “Come on! Move!” I tried to lift the vehicle, but something groaned dangerously underneath us.
我站了起来。航站楼就在前面几十英尺的地方。我可以看到发射台上有两枚火箭。"这是荒谬的,"我说，我的喇叭发光，我试图推动电车下来的轨道手动。它纹丝不动。"来吧！快走!"我试图把车举起来，但在我们下面有什么东西发出危险的呻吟声。
“The brakes probably engaged when the power was cut,” Scotch Tape pointed out. “After all, they wouldn’t want the tram to slide all the way back down that slope.”
"刹车可能是在停电的时候启动的,"ScotchTape指出。"毕竟，他们不希望电车一路滑回那个斜坡。"
Suddenly, there was a reverberation through the ground as a boulder twice the size of the tram car thudded down only a hundred feet from us. Then another. Then another. The entire tram lurched as something banged into the ceiling, and several of the windows cracked. “Okay. Everypony get close,” I said as I gathered them all up around me, Bastard on the left, Scotch Tape floating on my right, and my blank body across my back. I closed my eyes, imagined a Blackjack-shaped hole in my mind between here and the terminal, and pushed my way through.
突然，地面上回荡着一个巨石的声音，巨石的大小是有轨电车的两倍，沉重地从离我们只有一百英尺的地方跌落下来。然后是另一个。然后是另一个。整辆电车摇摇晃晃，好像有什么东西撞上了天花板，几扇窗户都裂开了。"好吧。"每匹小马都靠近我,"我说，我把它们都围在我周围，左边是淘气包，右边是透明胶带，背后是空白的身体。我闭上眼睛，想象着从这里到终端机之间有一个黑杰克形状的洞，然后努力穿过去。
There was a pop, and I opened my eyes to see the dimly-lit terminal around me,
我睁开眼睛，看到周围灯光昏暗的终端
all the window shutters closed but otherwise with no more signs of damage than there’d been when I left. “Yes!” I shouted as I felt my blank body across my shoulders.
所有的百叶窗都关上了，除此之外，没有比我离开时更多的损坏迹象。"是的!"我边喊边感觉到自己空白的身体横跨在肩膀上。
And just the blank body.
只有一个空白的身体。
I looked to either side of me, set the blank down, and teleported back to the tram.
我向两边看了看，放下那张空白纸，然后心灵感应地回到电车上。
“What the fuck was that? Where did you go?” Bastard demanded as I reappeared. A rain of hoof-sized gravel was starting to patter down. “Why did you leave us?”
"那是什么鬼东西？你去哪儿了?"我再次出现时，淘气包问道。雨点般的蹄子大小的砾石开始哗哗地落下来。"你为什么离开我们?"
“I’ve always had problems with teleporting others. If you know how to do it right, by all means, you can send yourself back to the terminal!” I grabbed Scotch Tape, focused with all my might, and teleported again.
"我在传送其他人的时候总是遇到问题。如果你知道如何正确地处理这个问题，当然，你可以把自己送回终端!"我抓起透明胶带，全神贯注，然后再次瞬移。
Alone.
一个人。
I screamed in the terminal, my voice echoing as the floor shook. There was some kind of thunderous crash overhead. I teleported back to the tram and saw that the old rocket now lay on its side across the roof, a boulder lodged in its nosecone.
我在航站楼里尖叫，我的声音在地板震动时回响。头顶上发出雷鸣般的轰鸣声。我心灵传输回有轨电车，看到旧火箭现在横躺在屋顶上，一块巨石卡在它的鼻锥里。
I tried to teleport them both again. And again. And again. Every time I did, I only took myself. I tried to focus on just teleporting Scotch Tape. On just teleporting Bastard. But every time I did, I sent myself through that mental hole alone.
我又试着把他们两个传送过来。再来一次。再来一次。每次我这么做的时候，我只考虑我自己。我试着专注于透明胶带的瞬间传送。关于传送私生子。但是每次我这样做，我就把自己送进了那个精神的洞穴。
Back in the tram, it was getting cold and a little hard to breathe. I panted, sweating, as more and more rocks rained down, now covering the roof. If only Lacunae were here, teaching me how to do the spell right step by step. If only I were a little more talented. A little more powerful. A little more...
回到电车上，天气越来越冷，呼吸有点困难。我气喘吁吁，汗流浃背，越来越多的岩石像雨点一样落下，现在已经盖满了屋顶。要是空白在这儿就好了，教我如何一步一步地正确施法。要是我能多一点才华就好了。更有力量一点。再多一点..。
Scotch Tape hugged my hoof, and I jerked my head, looking down at her tear-streaked face as she smiled. “Just go, Blackjack.”
透明胶带抱住了我的蹄子，我猛地抬起头，低头看着她泪痕累累的脸，看着她微笑。"走吧，黑杰克。"
“What?” I muttered dumbly.
"什么?"我默默地咕哝着。
“Just get into the rocket, and go,” the young mare said in a tiny little voice.
"只要上火箭，就可以走了。"年轻的母马用微弱的声音说。
I couldn’t answer. The thought... no. Not after Glory. P-21. Rampage. No... “It’s
我无法回答。这个想法...不。不是为了荣誉。P-21.横冲直撞。不......"是的
okay,” Scotch Tape promised with that tiny little smile. “I’ll be with Daddy again. You can save everyone. Like my brother... or sister... or whatever.”
"好的"透明胶带带着微笑答应了我。"我又要和爸爸在一起了。你可以拯救所有人。就像我的哥哥...或者姐姐...或者别的什么。"
“Fuck that!” Bastard snapped. “Between Cogs and what you promised me, I’ll not only be able to pay off those assholes in Dise, but retire. In Tenpony! With a frigging harem! Of solid gold alicorns!”
"去他妈的!"淘气包崩溃了。"有了齿轮和你对我的承诺，我不仅可以还清在迪斯的那些混蛋的钱，还可以退休了。在Tenpony！还有个该死的后宫！纯金的橡子!"
Scotch Tape regarded him flatly. “Oh boo hoo hoo.” She looked back up at me. “Just go. Before the other rocket gets hit by a boulder too.” As she spoke, there were shards of jagged crystal falling to the ground around us like javelins.
透明胶带直截了当地看着他。"呜呜呜呜"她抬起头看着我。"走吧。在另一枚火箭也被巨石击中之前。"就在她说话的时候，一片片参差不齐的水晶碎片像标枪一样落到了我们周围的地面上。
“We’ll be fine, Blackjack. It’ll be quick and I’ll... I’ll be with Daddy again. We’ll be together.”
"我们会没事的，Blackjack。很快的，我会...我会再次和爸爸在一起。我们会在一起的。"
“Fuck!” Bastard hissed, sitting down and glaring at Eqqus. “I was going to finally be rich... pay off all my motherfucking debts. Just once be in the clear.” He took a deep breath and drew a cigarette. “Fuck it. Go. I’ll take care of the kid. Teach her how to smoke or something before we get crushed.”
"操!"淘气包发出嘶嘶声，坐下来怒视着Eqqus。"我终于要发财了......还清所有该死的债务。只有一次是清白的。"他深吸了一口气，抽了一支烟。"去他妈的。去吧。我来照顾这孩子。在我们被碾碎之前，教她怎么抽烟之类的。"
I stared at the pair, numb with horror as Bastard lit up. “Go,” Scotch said in her tiny, heartbroken voice. “The world needs you.”
我盯着他们俩，当淘气包亮起来的时候，吓得麻木了。"去吧,"苏格兰人用她小小的、伤心的声音说。"世界需要你。"
“No! No, fuck the world!” I shouted. “I’m not leaving anypony behind anymore! Not one more! Lacunae... she died to save others. Glory--” I choked. She could still be alive... she had to be... had to. “P-21... they died to save me. Rampage...
"不！不，去他妈的世界!"我喊道。"我不会再丢下任何一匹小马了！一个也不能再多了！她为了拯救他人而死。晨辉——"我哽咽了。她可能还活着...她不得不...不得不。"P-21...他们为了救我而死。狂暴..。
she... at least she got what she wanted!” I sputtered as I walked back and forth in the tram, trying to think of some way I could break it free of the track without snapping it like an egg. If only there were more time! More time. “I’m not leaving anypony to die anymore! Not anypony!”
她...至少她得到了她想要的当我在电车上来回走动时，我结结巴巴地说，试图想出某种方法，我可以把它从轨道上挣脱出来，而不会像打鸡蛋一样把它打断。要是有更多的时间就好了！更多的时间。"我不会再让任何小马死去了！不是什么小马!"
Suddenly there was another thud, but this one was from the rear of the tram. And it was accompanied by a shriek of metal from where the tram was locked to the rail. I rushed to the rear windows and looked down.
突然又传来一声闷响，但这是从电车尾部传来的。伴随着金属的尖叫声，电车被锁在了铁轨上。我冲到后窗向下看。
Rampage.
横冲直撞。
Rampage shoved her armored shoulder against the back, bracing her hooves against the metal tracks and struts. The breaks screamed in protest, but Rampage just shoved all the harder. The mare, her eyes boiled shut and her ears caked in blood, heaved her body against the tram, pushing and straining hard. Every few seconds, her body regenerated and then began to die again. But she pushed and
狂暴把她披着盔甲的肩膀抵在后背上，用蹄子支撑着金属轨道和支架。刹车声尖叫着表示抗议，但狂暴只是使劲推。母马，她的眼睛沸腾了闭上，她的耳朵结成血块，把她的身体顶在有轨电车上，使劲推，使劲拉。每隔几秒钟，她的身体就会再生，然后又开始死亡。但是她推了我一把
shoved as gravel showered down upon her. The brakes screamed in agony and motors ground as the car was violently projected forward by the striped mare.
像碎石一样倾泻而下。当汽车被那匹斑马猛烈地推向前方时，刹车片痛苦地尖叫着，发动机也停在地上。
She came back. She came back. She chose to live rather than to die.
她回来了。她回来了。她选择活着而不是死去。
Twelve feet. Ten. Five. Two. One. The tram shuddered as it connected with the terminal. A hiss as something automatic sealed and the airlock disengaged. The doors parted enough to let Scotch Tape and Bastard out. Then I realized...
十二英尺。10.五。二。一个。电车与航站楼连接时抖动着。发出的嘶嘶声，象是某种自动密封的东西，气闸被解除。门开得足以让苏格兰胶带和淘气包出来。然后我意识到..。
There was no way to get Rampage inside.
没有办法把狂暴带进去。
“Rampage!” I beat my hoof against the window, looking down at her. “Rampage! You have to find a way in!” But did she know one? Could she even hear me? If I peeled one of the window shutters open for her, would it still come back down? If it didn't, we were all dead. “Rampage!”
"横冲直撞!"我用蹄子敲打着窗户，低头看着她。"横冲直撞！你必须想办法进去!"但是她认识一个吗？她能听见我说话吗？如果我为她打开一扇百叶窗，它还会回来吗？如果不是这样，我们都会死。"横冲直撞!"
Her face healed enough that she could look at me through her desiccating eyes, and she pointed a moonstone-encrusted hoof up at Cognitum’s rocket. Her lips moved silently, but there was no mistaking the word on her lips.
她的脸愈合得很好，可以透过她干燥的眼睛看着我，她用一只镶着月光石的蹄子踢向科涅塔姆的火箭。她的嘴唇静静地动了动，但是她嘴上说的话绝对是真的。
Go.
去吧。
I shook my head again. “No. No no no! I can’t leave you here like this! You can’t die here!” I yelled at her. Of course, it was futile. She couldn’t hear me, could barely see me. “Rampage!”
我又摇了摇头。"没有。不，不，不！我不能就这样把你丢在这儿！你不能死在这里!"我对她大喊大叫。当然，这是徒劳的。她听不见我，几乎看不见我。"横冲直撞!"
She pointed at the rocket again, then staggered back. Being exposed to vacuum, even with her regeneration, had to be agony. It was everything she’d ever feared. Her skin split around the edges of her armor as she shook her head drunkenly.
她又指了指火箭，然后踉踉跄跄地退了回去。暴露在真空中，即使她再生了，也是一种痛苦。这就是她曾经害怕的一切。当她醉醺醺地摇着头时，她的皮肤裂开了。
Through my tears, I could almost see her mouth say ‘I’m sorry.’ Above it, the larger pieces of the moon were starting to fall towards the terminal.
透过我的眼泪，我几乎可以看到她的嘴在说"对不起"在它的上方，较大的月球碎片开始向终端坠落。
“Rampage!” I yelled at her, half out of my mind now. “I forgive you! I forgive you! I’ll come back for you, Rampage! I promise! I’ll come back for you!”
"横冲直撞!"我冲着她大喊大叫，现在已经快疯了。"我原谅你！我原谅你！我会回来找你的，狂暴！我保证！我会回来找你的!"
But if she could read my lips or not, I couldn’t tell. She just smiled. Smiled... as if she was a happy filly going for a walk on the moon, then staggered to the side, slowly walking away amidst the blizzard of pebbles and stones and dust now raining down on her. “Rampage!” I shouted after her, wishing I could send her the thoughts. Let her know that somehow, some way, I forgave her.
但是如果她能读懂我的唇语，我就不知道了。她只是笑了笑。微笑着......仿佛她是一只快乐的小母马，正在月球上散步，然后蹒跚地走到一边，慢慢地走开了，身后是铺满鹅卵石、石头和灰尘的暴风雪，雨点般地落在她身上。"横冲直撞!"我在她后面喊着，希望能把我的想法告诉她。让她知道，不管怎样，我原谅了她。
Bastard threw his forelegs around my neck and pulled me away from the window. Away from the sight of my friend disappearing into the dust of the moon. “We’ve got to go! Come on! The terminal is losing air!”
淘气包把前腿绕在我的脖子上，把我从窗口拉开。远离我的朋友消失在月光的尘埃中的视线。"我们得走了！快点！航站楼的空气正在流失!"
“Let go of me, you bastard,” I snapped, ready to kill him.
"放开我，你这个混蛋,"我厉声说，准备杀了他。
“You want it all to be for nothing!?” he roared in my face. “Then die here! You want to make it mean something, then get your fat, melodramatic ass in that rocket now!”
"你想让这一切都白费吗?"他在我面前大吼大叫。"那就死在这儿吧！你想让它变得有意义，那么现在就把你那肥胖的、戏剧性的屁股放进火箭里!"
I gave one last look at the dim outline of my friend as she wandered, blind, deaf, and immortal into that void, then tore myself away. The terminal was filled with a whistling noise as air leaked out around a spear of moonstone piercing the room completely through. We struggled to breathe as we made our way up the gantry tower connected to Cognitum’s rocket. Through the tower’s windows, I could see some of the sides of the chasm sliding in to fill the void. I couldn’t see the Astrostable though. Maybe it was lying in the bottom as well?
我最后看了一眼我朋友模糊的轮廓，她瞎了，聋了，神仙般的徘徊在那片虚空中，然后挣扎着离开。终端里充满了呼啸的噪音，空气从一支月光石周围漏了出来，穿透了整个房间。当我们爬上连接到科涅塔火箭的塔架时，我们挣扎着呼吸。透过塔楼的窗户，我可以看到裂缝的一些侧面滑进来填补空白。不过我看不到天体稳定器。也许它也躺在底部？
We pushed into the rocket and sealed the hatch. “Launch it, kid,” Bastard said to Scotch Tape, who was examining the makeshift artificial pilot in the center couches.
我们推进火箭，封住了舱口。"发射吧，孩子,"淘气包对苏格兰胶带说，苏格兰胶带正在中央沙发上检查临时的人工驾驶员。
“My name is Scotch, jerk,” she replied, sharply.
"我叫苏格兰人，混蛋,"她厉声回答。
“Got it. Now, with introductions out of the way, will you launch this damn thing?” he asked as he threw himself into a seat. She hit something and took another couch, and the rocket rumbled. I lay down too, and the rocket surged towards the stars. It passed through the rain of tumbling rocks. Several enormous ones were spinning right towards us, but I reached out with my magic and pushed them away. Soon we were clear of even the spinning arcs of dust. The rocket curved, and I tiredly struggled to reach a window.
"明白了。现在，既然我们已经开始介绍了，你能发射这个该死的东西吗?"他一屁股坐在座位上问道。她撞到了什么东西，又拿了一张沙发，火箭隆隆地响了起来。我也躺了下来，火箭冲向群星。它穿过倾泻而下的岩石雨。几个巨大的向我们旋转，但我伸出魔法把它们推开了。很快，我们连旋转的尘埃弧都清除了。火箭弯曲了，我疲惫地挣扎着去够一扇窗户。
It had to be my imagination, but I thought I saw a lone bump at the end of a scratch moving away from the terminal. The hole that had once held Nightmare Moon was now a half-collapsed depression rapidly filling with rubble.
这一定是我的想象，但我想我看到了一个孤独的颠簸在一个刮擦结束离开航站楼。曾经的梦魇之月坑，现在是一个半塌陷的洼地，很快就被瓦砾填满了。
And above us, Tom glowed, trailing a stream of dust like a tail after him. On his way to where the Eater waited, ready to ensnare and devour him. I turned my eyes to the stars, but where once they had offered solace and wonder, now they only seemed cold and indifferent. Did you think it would be easy? Did you think
在我们上面，汤姆光芒四射，像尾巴一样尾随着一股尘土。在他去食者等待的地方的路上，准备诱捕并吃掉他。我把目光转向星星，它们曾经给予我安慰和惊奇，现在却变得冷漠无情。你认为这会很容易吗？你有没有想过
it wouldn’t hurt?
不会痛吗？
I pressed my cheek to the cold glass. Pain was the price of living, and I hurt worse than I ever imagined. I fumbled for something to fill the silence. Scotch Tape lay on her side, face pressed to the fabric of the couch. Bastard... I didn’t really want to talk to. So I opened my Delta PipBuck and found something to take solace in. I found it in a song I’d picked up sometime ages ago, back when I’d been younger... more innocent... more... me.
我把脸贴在冰冷的玻璃上。痛苦是生活的代价，我受到的伤害比我想象的还要严重。我笨手笨脚地想找点什么来打破沉默。透明胶带贴在她身上，脸贴在沙发布上。混蛋...我真的不想和你说话。所以我打开我的DeltaPipBuck找到了一些可以慰藉的东西。我在很久以前的一首歌里找到了它，那时我还年轻......更天真......更......我。
The music started to play, long and slow guitar, and a gravelly old stallion’s voice, a dead ringer for the Dealer long ago, began to sing.
音乐开始播放，长而缓慢的吉他，一个沙哑的老种马的声音，一个很久以前的经销商死的模仿者，开始唱起来。
I hurt myself today… To see if I still feel...
我今天伤害了自己...看看我是否还有感觉..。
I focus on the pain... The only thing that's real...
我专注于痛苦...唯一真实的东西..。
The needle tears a hole... The old familiar sting...
针撕开了一个洞...老熟悉的刺痛..。
Try to kill it all away... But I remember everything...
试图杀死一切...但我记得一切..。
The guitar built up louder as I thought of that angry blue stallion telling me he’d shoot me if I gave him a gun. Telling me he’d end me if I ever killed another through my stupidity. Him wiring a tyrant up with bombs and killing him. And as I thought, hot tears ran down my cheeks. How I’d stopped him from hanging himself. How I’d helped him face his addiction. He’d hurt so much, and now... now...
当我想到那匹愤怒的蓝色种马告诉我，如果我给他一把枪，他就开枪打我时，吉他的声音越来越大。告诉我如果我因为我的愚蠢而杀了另一个人他就杀了我。他给暴君装上炸弹，然后杀了他。正如我所想，热泪顺着我的脸颊滑落。我是如何阻止他上吊的。我是如何帮助他面对毒瘾的。他伤得那么重现在...现在..。
What have I become... My sweetest friend?
我变成了什么...我最可爱的朋友？
Everyone I know... goes away... In the end...
所有我认识的人...都离开了...最后..。
And you could have it all... My empire of dirt...
你可以拥有一切...我的肮脏帝国..。
I will let you down... I will make you hurt...
我会让你失望...我会让你受伤..。
I’d let Rampage down. Denied her the one thing she’d wanted more than anything. I hadn’t been wrong in my selfish wish, but I hadn’t respected her. Not as she’d deserved. From the moment she’d leapt upon Leo Zodiac’s back, to her smiling up at me through those drifting clouds, I’d done everything I could to keep her alive. I’d driven her away, to my enemy, because I hadn’t been able to
我会让狂暴失望的。拒绝了她最想要的东西。我的自私愿望没有错，但我没有尊重她。不是她应得的。从她跳到利奥·十二宫背上的那一刻起，到她穿过漂浮的云向我微笑的那一刻，我已经尽了一切努力让她活下来。我把她赶走了，送给了我的敌人，因为我没能做到
end her pain. Not till it was too late. Too late... the music softened and slowed as the old stallion sang on with the Dealer’s voice...
结束她的痛苦。直到为时已晚。太晚了......随着那匹老种马继续用庄家的声音唱下去，音乐变得柔和而缓慢.....。
I wear this crown of thorns... Upon my liar's chair...
我戴着荆棘的王冠，坐在说谎者的椅子上。
Full of broken thoughts... I cannot repair...
充满了破碎的思想...我无法修复..。
Beneath the stains of time... The feelings disappear...
在时间的污点下...感觉消失了..。
You are someone else... I am still right here…
你是另外一个人...我还在这里..。
The music built as I remembered us all together in Star House. Lacunae. Rampage. Scotch Tape. P-21. Glory. Laughing. Happy. Broken ponies taking solace in each other. A piano began to hammer a note louder and louder as the music built.
这音乐就像我记得我们一起在星空之家一样。空隙。横冲直撞。透明胶带。P-21.晨辉。大笑。快乐。破碎的小马在彼此身上得到安慰。随着音乐的播放，一架钢琴开始敲击一个音符，声音越来越大。
What have I become... My sweetest friend?
我变成了什么...我最可爱的朋友？
Everyone I know... goes away... In the end...
所有我认识的人...都离开了...最后..。
And you could have it all... My empire of dirt...
你可以拥有一切...我的肮脏帝国..。
I will let you down… I will make you hurt...
我会让你失望...我会让你受伤..。
I sobbed, and I wasn’t alone. I should have stopped the music then, but I couldn’t. I could bear to think as the old stallion went on, singing of the pain that burned inside me as I imagined a life with five friends, together... free... happy...
我抽泣着，我不是一个人。我当时应该把音乐关掉的，但我做不到。我可以忍受想象那匹老种马继续前行，歌唱着我内心燃烧的痛苦，我想象着和五个朋友一起生活...自由...快乐..。
If I could start again... A million miles away...
如果我可以重新开始...在千里之外..。
I would keep myself...
我会让自己..。
I would find a way...
我会想办法..。
 
Author's Notes:
作者笔记:
(Author’s notes: the song is Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt. This chapter is too painful to talk about too much. Sorry.)
(作者笔记:这首歌是约翰尼·卡什版本的。这一章太痛苦了，不能说太多。抱歉。)
(Heartshine: I agree. I argued for Superior’s “Polaroid Millenium”. But I’m
(心灵闪耀:我同意。我为Superior的"宝丽来千禧"辩护。但是我
also tired of trying to type through tears.)
也厌倦了在泪水中打字。)
(Bronode: Fuck it. Just… fuck everything. A high blood alcohol level usually just provides adequate editorial performance. This time, it’s the only reason I made it through.)
去他妈的。去他妈的一切。高血液酒精水平通常只是提供了足够的编辑业绩。这一次，这是我成功的唯一原因。)
New note: Even a year later, this makes me cry.
新注释:即使是一年后，这让我哭泣。