“An exercise in rhetoric.”
"这是一次修辞练习。"
There were no words for what I felt. Everything within me had been yanked inside out and scraped raw. I wished I could be like Scotch Tape, sobbing my eyes out, or Bastard, sitting cold and composed in his couch, a thin trail of smoke drifting through the air from the cigarette clutched between his pursed lips. That was probably some kind of safety hazard, but I really couldn't care less. I’d just lost two more friends in the worst possible way, one forever and the other abandoned on the moon. If the Astrostable had survived… if it hadn’t collapsed into the crater or been buried by rubble, there was some chance that she might find it. I had to cling to that hope. The alternative would drive me mad.
我的感受无法用言语表达。我体内的一切都被从里到外地猛拉出来，刮得一干二净。我希望我能像透明胶带那样，把我的眼睛哭出来，或者淘气包，冷冷地坐在他的沙发上，从他撅起的嘴唇间夹着的香烟在空气中飘着一缕轻烟。那可能是某种安全隐患，但我真的不在乎。我刚刚以最糟糕的方式又失去了两个朋友，一个永远失去了，另一个被遗弃在月球上。如果占星家幸存了下来...如果它没有坍塌到火山口或者被碎石掩埋，她有可能找到它。我不得不紧紧抓住那个希望。否则我会发疯的。
P-21… don’t think about it… don’t think about it… please don’t… I gritted my teeth, feeling myself shake. No. I had to keep it all together.
P-21......不要想它......不要想它......请不要......我咬紧牙关，感觉自己在颤抖。没有。我必须把一切都保持在一起。
I needed distractions, fast. So I could not think about... P-21… Rampage… no, damn it… No! Glory was alive, damn it! I wouldn’t believe it was otherwise until I saw it with my own eyes! She was alive and we were going to… we were going to… no. I had to keep it together. My people needed me… l scanned frantically around the cabin, looking for anything that could occupy me and not remind me of... I glanced at my hooves and found what I sought. What the heck had happened to me? I’d thought that Cognitum was the one who had altered my body when she’d inhabited it… a sort of evil renovation. But alicorn souls seemed pretty darn powerful... Now I had to wonder if it had just been an effect of having Luna inside her, an evil, Nightmare Moon version of what had happened when I got my body back. Speaking of which, now that I had a moment's peace, I could figure out what had happened to me.
我需要分心，越快越好。所以我不能想...P-21...狂暴...不，该死的...不！晨辉还活着，该死的！直到我亲眼所见，我才相信事实并非如此！她还活着，我们要...我们要...不。我必须振作起来。我的人民需要我......我疯狂地在机舱里四处扫视，寻找任何可以占据我而不会让我想起的东西......我瞥了一眼我的蹄子，找到了我要找的东西。我到底怎么了？我还以为是科格尼图姆改变了我的身体，当她居住在那里的时候......一种邪恶的革新。但是阿里康的灵魂看起来相当强大......现在我不得不怀疑这是不是卢娜进入她体内的结果，一个邪恶的恶梦之月版本，当我找回我的身体时发生了什么。说到这个，现在我得到了片刻的平静，我可以弄清楚到底发生了什么事。
Parts of my body were still synthetic, but I couldn’t tell where machine ended and flesh began. The magic that had transformed me transcended anything that could be designed. I felt alive, entirely alive, not like clunky metal fused with flesh. My body was armored in places, but it didn’t cover me from horn to hoof. The design was sleek and fluid, with tiny shooting stars and crescent moons. Talismans gleamed in my ‘armor’, but what their functions were I couldn’t guess. I turned my hoof from side to side, seeing through gaps in the plate armor the intricate gearwork within, listening to it whir and click softly inside my limb.
我身体的某些部分仍然是人造的，但我不知道机器从哪里结束，肉体从哪里开始。改变我的魔法超越了任何可以被设计的东西。我觉得自己活着，完全活着，不像是笨重的金属和肉融合在一起。我的身体有些地方披上了盔甲，但它没有把我从角到蹄盖住。设计是圆滑和流动的，有微小的流星和新月。护身符在我的"盔甲"中闪闪发光，但它们的功能是什么，我无法猜测。我把我的蹄子从一边转到另一边，透过板甲的缝隙看到里面错综复杂的齿轮工作，听着它在我的肢体里呼呼地响。
My E.F.S. still had all the old energy and health displays. I fished around in my old saddlebags, took out a garnet, and sucked on the gem, enjoying the sweet and sour fruity taste for a second before it melted away with the familiar surge of energy. Okay, I couldn’t see Princess Luna eating rocks, so clearly there was some of the old me in here. Maybe all this alicorn-ness was like a special suit of alicorn barding, and when I got my old soul back, I’d revert to just flesh and metal Blackjack? The magical projection could–
我的e.f.s还保留着以前的活力和健康表现。我在旧鞍囊里摸索着，取出一颗石榴石，吮吸着宝石，享受了一会儿甜酸水果的味道，然后它就随着熟悉的能量浪潮消失了。好吧，我看不到卢娜公主在吃石头，所以很明显这里还有一些以前的我。也许所有这些橡子就像一套特殊的橡子盔甲，当我找回我的灵魂时，我会变回原来的肉身和金属黑杰克？这个神奇的投影可以-
Wait… when had I thought like that? I rubbed my brow, then turned my head, looking at my reflection in the window. My eyes still had the tiniest flickers of red light within, but now I worried about things bigger than just physical alterations. I had Luna’s soul inside me, but what precisely did that mean? I didn’t have Luna’s memories or magic. I couldn’t begin to imagine how one raised the moon. Our commonality had allowed us to share this body without that horrifying sense of corruption and violation I’d initially felt, but in its place was… something inexplicable.
等等...我什么时候这么想过？我揉了揉眉毛，然后转过头，看着窗外我的倒影。我的眼睛里仍然闪烁着微弱的红光，但现在我担心的不仅仅是身体上的变化。我体内有卢娜的灵魂，但这究竟意味着什么呢？我没有卢娜的记忆和魔法。我无法想象一个人是如何升起月亮的。我们的共同点使我们能够共享这个身体，没有我最初感受到的那种可怕的腐败和侵犯感，但取而代之的是...某种无法解释的东西。
I carefully drew out the figurine of Rarity, and I turned it over in my hooves. There was a piece of soul in each one. Each piece subtly nudged me in different directions. Little hints and impressions. They didn’t stop me from being me, but they might affect my decisions or outlooks in elusive ways. So where was my soul? Cohabitating in this body? Left behind in the blank? Was some Blackjack-ness keeping me… me? Or was Luna slowly tugging me towards being more like the ruler of Equestria she was two centuries ago?
我小心翼翼地把那个"稀有"的小雕像拿出来，用蹄子把它翻过来。每个人都有自己的灵魂。每一件作品都微妙地把我推向不同的方向。小小的暗示和印象。它们并没有阻止我成为我自己，但它们可能以难以捉摸的方式影响我的决定或观点。那么我的灵魂在哪里？在这个身体里同居？留在空白处？是不是什么黑杰克的事情让我......不能自拔？还是卢娜正在慢慢地拉着我变得更像两个世纪前的Equestria的统治者？
The fact I was wondering these things at all scared the fuck out of me, and the amount of stuff I was trying not to think about was reaching unmanageable levels. I’d given up so much… lost so much… This didn’t feel right. These weren’t my thoughts. I didn’t deserve these wings. Just like Luna had felt she hadn’t deserved the throne…
事实上，我想知道这些事情，所有吓了我一跳，我试图不去想的东西的数量是达到无法控制的水平。我放弃了那么多...失去了那么多...这感觉不对。这些不是我的想法。我不配拥有这些翅膀。就像卢娜觉得自己配不上王位一样..。
“This is going to drive me crazy,” I muttered.
"这会把我逼疯的,"我喃喃自语道。
“Yeah. That’s how it started with her,” Bastard murmured, taking a long pull off his cigarette as he examined the bore of one of his pistols. “When the Harbingers hired me, she was pretty upfront. A million caps for a few days’ work. Oh, and killing you. That too.” He gave me a supremely smack-worthy smirk, but I abstained – more from heartbroken lethargy than actual restraint – and he continued, “But the longer we were in the rocket, the nuttier she became… like convincing herself she had to do stuff. Rationalizing it to folks who already thought she shat moonbeams or who couldn’t care less so long as they got paid.”
"是的。"她就是这样开始的,"淘气包低声说，一边检查一支手枪的枪膛，一边抽了很长时间的烟。"先驱者组织雇佣我的时候，她很坦率。几天工作一百万顶帽子。哦，还有杀了你。那也是。"他给了我一个超级可笑的假笑，但是我没有——更多的是因为心碎的昏睡而不是真正的克制——他继续说,"但是我们在火箭里呆的时间越长，她就变得越疯狂......就像说服自己必须做一些事情。给那些已经认为她在享受月光或者只要有报酬就不在乎的人找借口。"
“Great. That makes me feel so much better,” I said, and latched on my next bet for not thinking about things. I asked, “What’s your story, Bastard?”
"太好了。这让我感觉好多了,"我说，然后接着下一个赌注，赌自己什么都不想。我问,"你有什么故事，混蛋?"
He shot me a momentary scornful look, then snorted out dual rings of smoke. “No story. I kill ponies for money. I owe a lot of money to some folks who will collect my head if I miss a payment. It’s that simple.”
他轻蔑地看了我一眼，然后喷出两道烟圈。"没有故事。我为了钱杀小马。我欠了一些人很多钱，如果我不还钱，他们就会收回我的头。就是这么简单。"
“Oh.” I felt vaguely disappointed. And annoyed…
"哦。"我隐约感到失望。还有烦恼..。
“Not everypony is the Lightbringer or Security,” he said with a thin smile. “I’m just trying to get through life the best I can.”
"不是每个小马都是光明使者或保安,"他淡淡地笑着说。"我只是想尽我最大的努力度过这一生。"
My lips curled in a frown. “So you’ll kill a foal for caps?”
我皱着眉头撇着嘴唇。"所以你要杀一匹小马驹来换帽子?"
“I kill a target for caps,” he replied calmly. “If you don’t like it, take it up with whoever hires me. I’m just the messenger.” He paused, pursing his lips. “And generally, no,” he added. “Foal-killing is rarely worth it in the long run. Low pay. High revenge factor. Now, killing the foal’s parents… sure. I’ve definitely done that before. Nothing ridiculous, of course. I don’t do those ‘rape and dismemberment’ deals. Too messy and likely to go wrong.”
他平静地回答说:"我杀一个目标来换取帽子。"。"如果你不喜欢，可以找雇我的人。我只是个传话的。"他停顿了一下，噘起了嘴唇。"总的来说，没有,"他补充说。"从长远来看，杀小马驹并不值得。低收入。高复仇因素。现在，杀死小马驹的父母...当然。我以前肯定这么做过。当然，没什么可笑的。我不做那些强奸和肢解的交易。太乱了，可能会出问题。"
“So glad you’re a professional murderer,” I muttered darkly, wondering if it was a mistake to save him. I didn’t know what he was thinking anymore, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
"真高兴你是个职业杀人犯,"我暗自嘀咕，心想救他是不是一个错误。我不知道他在想什么，但我不想承认这一点。
“Call it my way of fighting the Wasteland,” he said with a smirk. “I honor my deals and keep everything nice and civil. I avoid collateral damage whenever possible, and strive for neatness and brevity.” He paused, looking a little pained. “It was really tough breaking that deal with Cognitum. That’s going to leave a
"这就是我对抗荒原的方式,"他傻笑着说。"我尊重我的交易，保持一切美好和文明。我尽可能避免间接伤害(电影)，力求整洁和简洁。"他停顿了一下，看上去有点痛苦。"打破与Cognitum公司的协议真的很艰难。这样就会留下一个
bad taste in my mouth for a long time.”
很长一段时间我嘴里的味道都不好"
“You could have died and kept your honor,” I pointed out.
"你本可以死而保全你的荣誉,"我指出。
That earned another smoky snort. “Yeah. Except I’d be, you know, dead. First rule of being a professional is to survive. Jobs go south. Plans go wrong. Dying for anything is something only morons do.”
这又招来了一阵冒烟的鼻息声。"是的。除非我，你知道，死了。成为专业人士的第一条规则就是生存。工作机会越来越少。计划出错。只有傻瓜才会为任何事而死。"
My telekinetic backhand knocked him out of his seat, across the cabin, and into the far wall. “Fuck!” he hissed, clenching his nose and grimacing. At least he was smart enough not to draw his guns. I saved this– this– this bastard and lost P-21 and Rampage? Rampage hadn’t been a saint, but… “What was that for?” he cried out indignantly.
我的遥控反手把他从座位上打下来，穿过机舱，撞到了远处的墙上。"操!"他发出嘶嘶的声音，捏着鼻子做鬼脸。至少他很聪明，没有拔枪。我救了这个...这个...这个混蛋然后丢了P-21和狂暴？狂暴并不是一个圣人，但是......"那是为了什么?"他愤怒地喊道。
I jerked him over to me. “You’re not a ‘professional’. You’re a raider with a sense of hygiene,” I spat in his face.
我猛地把他拉过来。"你不是'专业人士'。你是一个讲卫生的突击队员,"我朝他的脸上吐了一口唾沫。
“So when I break a contract to save my life and help you, I’m scum, and when I don’t, I’m a corpse? Nice,” he replied evenly.
"所以，当我违反合同来拯救我的生命和帮助你的时候，我就是人渣，而当我违反合同的时候，我就是一具尸体？很好,"他平静地回答。
That was a kick to the nethers of my righteous indignation. When a pony would do anything to survive, they were scum, but if he’d honored his deal with Cognitum… ugh… I couldn’t handle this. “I just lost two very dear friends and a pony I’d have liked to have given a second chance. One of them,” I growled out, pointing at Scotch Tape, “was her father. Don’t you dare call any of them morons.”
那是对我义愤填膺的一记重击。当一匹小马为了生存不择手段的时候，他们都是人渣，但是如果他遵守了他与Cognitum的交易......呃......我可应付不来。"我刚刚失去了两个非常亲密的朋友和一匹小马，我本想再给它一次机会。"其中一个,"我指着苏格兰胶带咆哮着说,"是她的父亲。"。你敢叫他们中的任何一个白痴。"
“Duly noted,” he muttered as he glared at me over his askew glasses. “Now, are you going to kill me, knock me around a little more, or give me one of those second chance thingies?” he asked evenly. I glared into his insolent eyes and… damn it… What was happening to me? I was upset, sure… but I wasn’t really going to kill him for insulting my friends, was I?
"知道了,"他从歪斜的眼镜上瞪着我喃喃自语。"现在，你是要杀了我，再揍我一顿，还是再给我一次机会?"他平静地问道。我瞪着他傲慢的眼睛...该死...我到底怎么了？当然，我很难过......但我不会因为他侮辱我的朋友就杀了他，对吧？
Was I? I stared into his teal eyes, seeing myself reflected in them and the silent question hanging in the air between us.
是吗？我凝视着他的青绿色的眼睛，看到自己映射在他的眼睛里，看到悬在我们之间的无声的问题。
I am not an executioner…
我不是刽子手..。
“Sorry,” I muttered, releasing him. If he insulted them again, though…
"对不起,"我喃喃自语，释放了他。如果他再侮辱他们的话。
He straightened his glasses and rubbed his bleeding nose with the back of a forehoof. “Yeah. Forgot that you do that whole… friend… thing. I got vaccinated for that years ago.” He considered me and then added. ”Guess you were pretty close, huh?”
他挺直了眼镜，用前蹄的后面蹭了蹭流血的鼻子。"是的。我都忘了你是朋友。我几年前就接种过疫苗。"他考虑了一下我，然后补充道。"我猜你们关系很好，是吧?"
“Yeah. We were. And are.” I’d never forget Rampage. I'd get her home, even if I had to bring down the moon to do it.
"是的。是的。而且是。"我永远不会忘记狂暴。我会把她带回家，即使我不得不把月亮弄下来。
“Well, glad that worked out for you,” he said with a shrug as he finished off the cigarette and stubbed it out on the upholstery. “I’ll honor our deal. Get the kid back safe. Keep her alive till the day after tomorrow.” He pushed back the sleeve of his coat to reveal a PipBuck. He checked something. “Let’s see. Armor piercing ammo. Need to pick her up some barding. Then play bodyguard till this mess is over.” He chuckled. “Then I get paid and get some persistent bastards off my ass.”
"好吧，很高兴这对你有用,"他说着耸了耸肩，把香烟吸完，在座垫上熄灭了。"我会遵守我们的协议。把孩子安全带回来。让她活到后天。"他把外套的袖子往后一拉，露出一只皮布克。他检查了一些东西。"我们来看看。穿甲弹。我得去接她。那就当保镖，直到这场混乱结束。"他咯咯地笑了。"然后我得到报酬，让一些固执的混蛋离开我的屁股。"
“You know, we might all die in a few hours,” I pointed out. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
"你知道，我们都可能在几个小时内死去,"我指出。"难道你不觉得困扰吗?"
“Should it?” he answered, as if the very question surprised him. “I don’t want to, if I can help it, but it’s going to happen. I die when I die. That big rock today, a raider’s bullet tomorrow, a mark’s bodyguard next month, starvation next year, or old age in who knows how long… something’s going to get me. Why sweat the details?”
"应该吗?"他回答道，好像这个问题让他吃了一惊。"如果可以的话，我也不想这么做，但这是迟早的事。我死的时候就是死的时候。今天的大石头，明天的突袭者的子弹，下个月的目标保镖，明年的饥荒，或者不知道多久的老年......总会有什么东西要来抓我。为什么要纠结于细节?"
I grunted, then leaned over to where Scotch lay strapped into her couch. Her face was turned away from us. No flying through the air with hooves waving on this trip. She clutched the battered black hat in her hooves. Had that really been just hours ago? The young mare might have been asleep, or was simply alone in her grief. “Just take care of her,” I told him, the edge in my voice present through our entire exchange now gone, “Anything thing she needs, you give it to her. Got it?” He grunted once and nodded.
我咕哝了一声，然后探身到苏格兰威士忌躺在她沙发上的地方。她把脸转过去不看我们。在这次旅行中，不要在空中挥舞着蹄子飞行。她把那顶破旧的黑帽子紧紧地攥在蹄子里。这真的是几个小时前的事吗？那匹年轻的母马可能已经睡着了，或者只是一个人在悲伤。"照顾好她,"我告诉他，在我们整个交流过程中，我声音中的锋芒现在消失了,"她需要的任何东西，你都给她。懂了吗?"他咕哝了一声，点了点头。
I stared at him for a long moment; something else was amiss, but I couldn’t put my hoof on what. He was scum… no, that wasn’t it. I was giving him a second chance. That was so me. But there was definitely something... something... something about him… He was a killer… no… he was… he… “What?” he asked with a frown. Suddenly I levitated him to me, pulled off his glasses, and examined him closer. He was handsome in a somewhat underfed-
我盯着他看了好一会儿，还有什么地方不对劲，但我不能把蹄子踩在什么地方。他是个人渣...不，不是这样的。我给了他第二次机会。这就是我。但他绝对有点...有点...他身上有点...他是个杀手...不...他...他..."什么?"他皱着眉头问道。突然，我把他悬浮起来，摘下他的眼镜，仔细地观察他。他在一个有点吃不饱的地方显得很英俊
looking way, athletic without being bulky. Really, he had a frame similar to Stygius, P-21, and Glory... and… and… Now he started to look a bit alarmed. “Fucking what? If you’re going to hit me again, get on with it.”
看起来很有运动细胞，但不显得臃肿。说真的，他的身材和Stygius、P-21、Glory差不多......而且......而且......现在他看起来有点惊慌。"他妈的什么？如果你还想打我，那就动手吧。"
Fucking… that was it! I wasn’t sexually aroused or interested in him at all! There wasn’t that little part of me wanting the comfort and bliss that came with sex. I mourned P-21 because he was my friend, not because I’d lost a lover. There should have been… something! Sure, it had taken me a few hours to get with Stygius, but that was coming off of sexual trauma, and I was worried about killing him. I should be snogging Bastard. Flirting with him, at least… but… nothing. He left me cold. My emotional reset button wasn’t just not working, it appeared to have been removed completely.
他妈的...就是这样！我对他完全没有性冲动或者兴趣！我并没有那么一点点想要性爱带来的舒适和幸福。我哀悼P-21是因为他是我的朋友，而不是因为我失去了爱人。应该有......一些东西！当然，我花了几个小时才找到冥河，但那是因为性创伤，我担心会杀了他。我应该和淘气包接吻。和他调情，至少...但是...什么都没有。他冷淡地离开了我。我的情绪重置按钮不仅不起作用，而且似乎完全被移除了。
“Nothing,” I answered as I released him, averting my eyes to my blank body lashed to her couch. He shook his head and drew another cigarette, lighting it. I didn’t know if the lack of sensation was a good thing or a sad commentary on my character. I added it to the growing list of things I didn’t want to think about right now… and my head was getting a little too full. “Have you… have you ever felt like you’re not yourself anymore?”
"没什么,"我回答，放开他，把目光转向绑在她沙发上的空白身体。他摇摇头，又抽了一支烟，点着了。我不知道这种感觉的缺失是好事还是对我性格的悲伤评论。我把它加入了一个不断增长的我现在不想考虑的事情的列表中......我的脑袋有点太满了。"你有没有......你有没有觉得自己不再是你自己了?"
He took a long pull on his cigarette, then exhaled. “Nope. Can’t say that I have. That sounds to me like a hell of a personal problem I’m glad I don’t have. Like pregnancy. Or being an alicorn. Or being batshit insane, on top of all that.” He pushed off me and sailed back to his seat.
他深深地吸了一口烟，然后吐了出来。"没有。不能说我有。对我来说，这听起来像是一个地狱般的个人问题，我很高兴我没有这个问题。比如怀孕。或者成为一个独角兽。要么就是精神错乱，最重要的是。"他推开我，驶回他的座位。
“Thanks,” I muttered dryly. Unfortunately, that left me right back where I started. And his little quip… my babies… I could still feel them inside me. Little pokes and kicks. I had to not think about… not…
"谢谢,"我干巴巴地咕哝着。不幸的是，我又回到了起点。还有他的俏皮话...我的宝贝们...我还能感觉到他们在我体内。小小的戳和踢。我不得不不去想...不..。
Damn it! Thinking about P-21 made me choke up. Thinking about Rampage made me want to hit something. Damn it… why couldn’t I just win for once? One solid, inescapable, undeniable, Blackjack-gets-what-she-wants win without paying for it in blood and tears? Why? It wasn’t fair. Just once… Just…
该死！一想到P-21就让我窒息。一想到狂暴，我就想打什么东西。该死...为什么我就不能赢一次呢？一个可靠的，不可避免的，不可否认的，blackjack-get-what-she-wants的胜利，不用付出血与泪水？为什么？这不公平。就一次...就一次..。
Crap, I was crying. Great, shuddering sobs that curled me over and sent tears drifting through the cabin again. First Glory… no! Not Glory! Glory was alive! She was. She had to be. She was going to hold me in her hooves and tell me everything was going to be okay. She’d figure all this out. And I’d never, ever, stray from her again.
该死，我哭了。伟大的，颤抖的抽泣，卷曲了我，使眼泪再次漂流通过船舱。第一晨辉...不！不是晨辉！晨辉还活着！是的。她必须如此。她会用蹄子抱着我，告诉我一切都会好起来的。她会想出办法的。我再也不会离开她了。
Enough. I couldn’t take it anymore. I used my magic to untie my blank body and brought it to me. It’d been able to see P-21 even when I wasn’t ‘home’. Maybe I could use it to get away from myself. Just for a little while. Just until I worked out what I was going to do.
够了。我再也受不了了。我用我的魔法解开了我空白的身体，把它带给了我。即使在我不在家的时候，它也能看到P-21。也许我可以用它来摆脱我自己。就一会儿。直到我想清楚我要做什么。
I turned over my blank face. This was my face, but not mine. So young. So… innocent. Had I ever truly looked this way before? I could almost imagine that this was myself dreaming… heh… I was even drooling a little. I held my blank body close and pressed my horn to hers. To dream… but who knew what nightmares I might see?
我转过脸去，面无表情。这是我的脸，但不是我的。这么年轻。所以...是无辜的。我以前真的这样看过吗？我几乎可以想象这是我自己在做梦......嘿......我甚至有点流口水。我紧紧地抱着我空白的身体，按着她的喇叭。梦想......但谁知道我会看到什么样的噩梦呢？
They couldn’t be worse than the nightmares I was living now. I dove into the first window I saw, it and all the others now annoyingly opaque, and let the world swirl away.
他们不可能比我现在生活的噩梦更糟糕了。我跳进我看到的第一扇窗户，它和所有其他窗户现在都令人恼火地不透明，让这个世界旋转着离开。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
Goldenblood lay broken on the hard granite stones of Mount Hoof, right at the edge of the nearly-sheer-sided great granite knob located at the south end of the Core. To his left, water poured over the spillways of the Luna Dam. Below, more blasted out from the outlets of the hydroelectric plant at the base. Above them loomed an S.P.P. tower, with pegasi whirling and dueling with Brood fliers while cyberponies maintained a withering fire from the access ring near the umbrella hood at the top. To the west, I could see Chapel in a desperate fight against the Brood as the dark horde advanced, was repulsed, and advanced again. To the east, I could see smoke and flashes amidst Scrapyard’s mountains of junk. That wasn’t all that far from the Collegiate. The Nightmare Citadel to the northeast was on fire; I could only hope that its defenders had taken refuge in the stable before a unicorn found a way to teleport in.
金色的鲜血散落在霍夫山坚硬的花岗岩石上，就在核心南端近乎陡峭的巨大花岗岩丘的边缘。在他的左边，水从月神大坝的泄洪道倾泻而下。下面，更多的炸弹从水力发电站的出口处爆炸出来。在他们的上方耸立着一座s.p.p塔，飞马座呼啸而过，与布鲁德飞行器决斗，而赛伯矮种马则在靠近顶部伞罩的入口环上保持着一团熄灭的火焰。在西边，我可以看到查普尔正在与布伦特军队进行一场殊死的战斗，黑暗部落已经向前推进，他们被击退了，然后又向前推进。在东面，我可以看到烟雾和闪光在废料场的堆积如山的垃圾。那里离学院并不是很远。东北方向的噩梦城堡着火了，我只能希望在一只独角兽找到传送的方法之前，它的守卫者已经在马厩里避难了。
The most disturbing thing of all was the sight of a massive dark vortex over the Rainbow Dash Skyport. Three Raptors were whirling and maneuvering around the monstrosity of storm clouds and air, and as I watched, it reached out a twisting arm and sent claws of lightning raking at one of the war machines, tearing away dark cloud and blasting burning lines along the hull. To the northwest, I thought I saw Megamart on fire. And southeast, it looked as if the Brood were sweeping along the banks towards Elysium. Hopefully Splendid and the others had gotten out. I didn’t begrudge them their flight.
最令人不安的是在彩虹机场上空看到一个巨大的黑暗漩涡。三架猛禽机在风暴云和空气的怪物周围盘旋和机动，当我看到时，它伸出一只扭曲的手臂，用闪电般的爪子撕扯着一台战争机器，撕开了乌云，沿着船体燃烧着的爆破线。在西北方向，我以为我看到Megamart着火了。在东南方向，布伦特一家似乎正沿着河岸向极乐世界扫去。希望辉煌和其他人已经离开。我并不嫉妒他们的飞行。
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Legate purred. The powerful zebra stood with a hoof on Goldenblood’s spine. The ghoul’s limbs were missing, but he felt only a dull discomfort from each of the broken stubs. “This world should die with a roar. Not a whimper. I’m so glad you’ve managed to give me an invigorating fight. It wouldn’t have been fitting had you all simply submitted to the inevitable.”
"很漂亮，不是吗?"使节咕噜咕噜地说。这只强壮的斑马用蹄子踩着金色血液的脊椎。那个食尸鬼的四肢不见了，但是每一根断掉的根茎都使他感到一种迟钝的不适。"这个世界应该在咆哮声中死去。一声不吭。我很高兴你给了我一场精彩的比赛。如果你们只是听天由命，那就不合适了。"
“So glad our battle could entertain you,” Goldenblood rasped under the crushing hoof.
"很高兴我们的战斗能给你们带来欢乐,"金色血液踩着粉碎的蹄子刺耳地说。
“Oh, you don’t understand. It’s not the fighting I’m savoring. It’s the despair. Truly nothing is more precious than the utter abandonment of hope. I pray we’ll be able to hear the wailing all the way up here,” the Legate chuckled, then paused and asked, “Have you given up hope, Goldenblood?”
"哦，你不明白。我喜欢的不是战斗。这是绝望。真的没有什么比彻底放弃希望更珍贵的了。"我祈祷我们能听到一路上的哀号声,"使者咯咯地笑着，然后停下来问道,"你放弃希望了吗，金色血统?"
“Blackjack will stop you,” he swore.
"Blackjack会阻止你的,"他发誓说。
“Oh?” The Legate sounded amused.
"哦?"特使听起来很高兴。
“Nothing has stopped her. Nothing will stop her. She cannot give up,” Goldenblood answered, and then the hoof twisted, making something in his body crack. “You should know. Your own prophecy says that she will defeat this city.”
"没有什么能阻止她。没有什么能阻止她。她不能放弃,"金血王回答，然后蹄子扭了一下，在他的身体里弄出了裂缝。"你应该知道。你自己的预言说她会打败这座城市。"
“Yes… prophecy…” the Legate purred. “I’m honestly not sure myself if the prophecy of the Maiden of the Stars is true. Oh, it was unquestionably useful. It kept my own superstitious people aligned and allied. Earned me respect and cooperation. But is it true? A Maiden of the Stars, coming down to destroy this heart of sin? Did I predict it, or simply construct a convenient lie?”
"是的......预言......"使者低声说。"说实话，我自己也不确定星星少女的预言是否是真的。哦，这无疑是有用的。它使我那些迷信的人们联合起来。为我赢得了尊重和合作。但这是真的吗？一个星辰少女，下凡来摧毁这颗罪恶之心？我是预测到的，还是编造了一个方便的谎言?"
Suddenly, the hoof on Goldenblood’s back lifted and wrapped around his neck. He hauled Goldenblood into the air, turning his face towards the east. “What do you think?” the Legate hissed into his ear.
突然，金色血液背上的蹄子抬起来，绕在他的脖子上。他把金色的血液拖到空中，把脸转向东方。"你觉得怎么样?"使节在他耳边发出嘘声。
There was the pale image of the moon, faint in the daytime sky, and next to it a brilliant blue star. At first barely visible, it gleamed as it grew brighter and brighter. “She failed,” Goldenblood whispered. “She failed to stop my creation.”
那是一幅苍白的图画，月亮在白天的天空中黯淡无光，旁边是一颗明亮的蓝星。刚开始几乎看不见，但随着光线越来越亮，它闪闪发光。"她失败了,"金布拉德低声说。"她没能阻止我的创作。"
“Indeed,” the Legate laughed. “The Eater will catch it as it falls into the well we’ve carved into the earth.” He gestured to the Core. “The moonstone will be slowed by the friction and caught in our web, leaving the spirit easily digestible. Food, in all forms, comes down to the preparation.”
"的确,"大使笑着说。"食人者会抓住它，因为它掉进了我们挖在地里的井里。"他指了指核心。"月长石会因为摩擦而减速，并被我们的蜘蛛网缠住，这样月长石就很容易被吸收。所有形式的食物都可归结为准备工作。"
The blue glow grew and grew. Goldenblood watched the eager grin on the Legate’s face for several minutes. Then the zebra’s eyes narrowed in concern. “What is happening? Something is wrong! It should be slowing in the atmosphere already! Dropping into–”
蓝色的光芒越来越明亮。金血王注视着特使脸上热切的笑容好几分钟。然后斑马关切地眯起眼睛。"发生了什么事？有点不对劲！它应该已经在大气层中减速了！下降到-"
The blue spot grew brighter and brighter in the sky but then streaked overhead and disappeared out of sight behind the eastern mountains. The Legate grabbed Goldenblood by the head and turned him, squeezing his skull as he demanded, “What did you do? The moonstone was supposed to embed itself!”
蓝色的光点在天空中越来越明亮，但随后在头顶上划过，消失在东部山脉的后面。特使抓住金血王的头，把他转过来，挤压着他的头骨，问道:"你做了什么?"？月光石应该是自己嵌入的!"
Goldenblood smirked as the Legate stared at him, then the sky, then at him, and then up at the sun. The Legate’s grip relaxed a little. “Oh, clever pony. The trajectory loops. I thought it’d be a straight path.”
金血王得意地笑着，因为特使先是盯着他，然后是天空，然后是他，最后是太阳。特使的手稍微放松了一点。"哦，聪明的小马。轨迹循环。我以为会是一条笔直的小路。"
“Of course,” Goldenblood rasped. “Trottenheimer worked out the math. I thought it was supposed to be a straight line too at first.”
"当然,"金血王粗声粗气地说。"特罗滕海默算出了数学公式。起初我以为它也应该是一条直线。"
“I see. So it will orbit the world, then the sun… the moon… Oh, he was a clever pony,” the Legate hissed.
"我明白了。所以它将环绕地球，然后是太阳......月亮......哦，他是一匹聪明的小马,"特使嘶嘶地说。
“Yes. And wise as well,” Goldenblood answered. A moment later he added, “You worked all that out quite quickly, just from seeing it once? It took me an hour with charts after I was told.”
"是的。也很聪明,"金血王回答。过了一会儿，他又补充道:"你一眼就看出来了？我花了一个小时才看完图表。"
He reached up and tapped the blood-red rings that decorated his face. “My people have a special relationship with celestial bodies. Ages in the past, my tribe were oracles and prophets, though the stars are not always straightforward with their knowledge, or favors.” He stretched a hoof towards the skies. “With every pass of the sun and moon, the spirit will grow more powerful. The stone will increase velocity with each pass. Maybe poor dying Equus might lend some power, too. The kinetic and spiritual energy will build until the final trajectory will bring it…” The Legate paused, lowering his forehoof.
他伸手敲打着装饰他脸上的血红色的戒指。"我的人民与天体有着特殊的关系。在过去的时代，我的部落是神谕和先知，尽管星星并不总是直接表现出他们的知识或恩惠。"他把蹄子伸向天空。"太阳和月亮每经过一次，精神就会更加强大。每过一关，石头的速度就会增加。也许濒临死亡的可怜的马儿也会借给我们一些力量。动能和精神能量将一直建立，直到最后的轨迹将它带来......"特使停顿了一下，降低了他的前蹄。
“Straight down. With a velocity far higher than that of a straight shot,” Goldenblood finished. Then he asked, “Is that despair you’re feeling?”
"直走。以远高于直球的速度,"金血王结束了这一切。然后他问:"你感到绝望了吗?"
The Legate threw him aside, glaring at the spot where Tom had disappeared over the western horizon. “Finishing off this pathetic world shouldn’t be this difficult,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not beaten yet. I still have one last contingency.” He glanced over at Goldenblood, and his confidence returned.
使节把他推到一边，怒视着西方地平线上汤姆消失的地方。"结束这个可悲的世界不应该这么困难,"他嘟囔着，眯起眼睛。"我还没有被打败。我还有最后一个应急方案。"他扫了一眼Goldenblood，又恢复了信心。
“After all, I couldn’t be sure that Cognitum would succeed.”
"毕竟，我不能肯定认知力能否成功。"
“What are you going to do?” Goldenblood asked.
"你打算怎么办?"金血王问道。
“What any good leader does at times like this,” he said as he gazed back out at the Core. “Get help.” I waited for him to elaborate, but all he did was look down at the Core and smile. Was it me, or did the distant tempo of the fighting and screams increase?
"任何一个优秀的领导人在这种时候都会这么做,"他回头凝视着核心区时说。"寻求帮助。"我等着他详细说明，但他所做的只是低头看着地核微笑。是我的错觉，还是远处战斗的节奏和尖叫声加快了？
Goldenblood didn’t answer for several seconds. “You won’t succeed. Somepony will stop you.”
金血王好几秒钟都没有回答。"你不会成功的。有人会阻止你。"
“The last refuge of the powerless.” The Legate chuckled. “Well, perhaps. Perhaps your alicorns will rescue you. Perhaps, somehow, Horizons will fail, and my plan will be thwarted. But none of you have the capability to defeat me. And I will try again and again until the end of time. Even if I have to kill every living being with my own hooves.”
"无权者最后的避难所。"特使咯咯地笑了起来。""嗯，也许吧。也许你的橡子会拯救你。也许，不知何故，地平线会失败，我的计划会受挫。但是你们没有人有能力打败我。我会一次又一次地尝试，直到时间的尽头。即使我不得不用自己的蹄子杀死每一个生物。"
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I pulled myself from Goldenblood’s mind. A contingency? What was it? Help? From whom? Who did he have left to get help from? I needed more information. I had to know! I pushed my way into another mind.
我把自己从金血王的脑海中拉了出来。应急措施？那是什么？帮忙？从谁那里？他还能找谁帮忙呢？我需要更多的信息。我必须知道！我把自己塞进了另一个大脑。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
“We’re boned,” a tiny blue colt said as he and a half dozen bloodied Zodiacs clustered in a cramped hole blown out of a wall, waist-deep in water. I was able to identify Sagittarius, Aquarius, Virgo, Pisces, and Capricorn. I didn’t know who the white pegasus in the black combat armor was, nor the wounded zebra in the cloak.
"我们死定了,"一匹瘦小的蓝色马驹说，他和六个带血的黄道带聚集在一个狭窄的洞里，被风吹出墙外，淹没在齐腰深的水中。我能分辨出射手座、水瓶座、处女座、双鱼座和摩羯座。我不知道穿着黑色战斗装甲的白色飞马是谁，也不知道斗篷里受伤的斑马是谁。
“We’re not dead yet,” Sagittarius said as he leaned out of the cover of the hole. The chamber they were in was twenty feet tall, with intermittent pillars spaced out here and there. Rusted construction equipment jutted out of the water that covered the floor and lapped at the walls. On the far side of the room, six Brood tended to a damaged golden tree that trickled rainbow sap into the water. Four other unicorns maintained a shimmering shield protecting them as they worked. A hulking tank sat between the Zodiacs and them, its dented and blackened armor plates popping and twisting back into shape as the repair talismans
"我们还没死呢,"射手座探出洞口说。他们所在的房间有二十英尺高，断断续续的柱子分布在各处。生锈的建筑设备突出水面，覆盖了地板，并在墙上搭接。在房间的另一边，六个布鲁德倾向于一棵受损的金色树，它会把彩虹汁滴入水中。另外四只独角兽在工作时保持着闪闪发光的盾牌。一个巨大的坦克坐落在黄道带和他们之间，它的凹陷和黑色的装甲板弹出和扭曲成形作为修复护身符
worked.
工作。
“We’re out of explosives,” the blue colt said sourly. “Those damn Brood blew themselves to pieces getting the C-4 away from the tree. Cancer’s scrap metal and Aries is probably roadkill. Gemini and Taurus are keeping the Brood reinforcements outside at bay for now, but eventually even that schizo is going to run out of magic. They’re going to have that tree repaired and popping out reinforcements in here soon. The Flux in the water is probably giving all of us tentacles as we speak. But that’s fine, because the frigging tank is going to kill us all long before they sprout. Oh, and we’re out of explosives. We’re boned.”
"我们没有炸药了,"蓝色小马酸溜溜地说。"那些该死的家伙把自己炸成了碎片，把C-4从树上弄走了。巨蟹座的废金属和白羊座可能是路上被撞死的动物。双子座和金牛座暂时阻止了魔龙军团的增援，但是最终，即使是双子座的精神分裂症患者也会失去魔力。他们很快就会把那棵树修好并派出增援部队。在我们说话的时候，水中的通量可能正在给我们所有人带来触角。不过没关系，因为在它们发芽之前，这该死的坦克就会把我们都杀死。我们没有炸药了。我们完蛋了。"
“Hate to say it,” the white pegasus said, “but we should withdraw. Regroup. Try again later.”
"我不想这么说,"白色飞马说,"但我们应该撤退。重组。以后再试。"
“No, Libra. We were barely able to get in here the first time. We’ve almost scrapped that tree twice. We just have to finish it off. Screw the tank,” Sagittarius said as he jabbed his hoof out the hole.
"不，天秤座。我们第一次差点就进不来了。我们已经两次差点撞坏那棵树了。我们只需要完成它。"去他妈的坦克,"射手一边说，一边把蹄子从洞里戳了出来。
“Get me a new chassis! I’ll show that striped monstrosity what for!” a piece of equipment on Virgo’s PipBuck squawked as a red talisman flashed on the device.
"给我一个新的底盘！我要让那个条纹怪物瞧瞧我的厉害!"当红色护身符闪过时，处女座PipBuck上的一个设备发出嘎吱嘎吱的响声。
“Hush, Crabapple,” Virgo said with a frown. “If we could get you installed in the tank, our problems would be over. We could use that tank to take out the tree, the Brood, and everything else.”
"嘘，海棠,"处女座皱着眉头说。"如果我们能把你安装到水箱里，我们的问题就解决了。我们可以用那个罐子除掉树，魔龙军团，还有其他的一切。"
“Use the tank...” Sagittarius murmured.
"用坦克......"射手座低声说。
“We tried that,” Libra said. “Remember? When we got between the tree and it, it just moved out of alignment and opened fire.” The white pegasus glowered out of the hole. “I’d thought the Brood were supposed to be dumber than an Enclave general.”
"我们试过了,"Libra说。""还记得吗？当我们走到树和它之间的时候，它偏离了方向，开了枪。"白色的天马怒目而视地从洞里探出头来。"我还以为布伦特一家会比昂科雷将军还蠢呢。"
“Zodiacs don’t care if the target is a genius or dumb as hammers, we take it down,” Sagittarius murmured. “If we can’t get it to shoot the tree… can we get it to shoot something else?”
"星座不在乎目标是天才还是笨蛋，我们会干掉他们,"射手座喃喃地说。"如果我们不能让它射树......我们能让它射别的东西吗?"
Aquarius’s eyes widened and he leaned over to peer at the vehicle now patrolling around the tree, moving through the churned-up, muddy water. “This is a bad idea,” the colt muttered.
水瓶座的眼睛睁得大大的，他俯身凝视着这辆在树上巡逻的汽车，穿过翻腾的泥水。"这是个坏主意,"小马咕哝着。
“Will it work?” Sagittarius asked.
"这能行吗?"射手座问道。
“It’s going to get us blown to pieces,” the colt said, glowering at him.
"它会把我们炸成碎片的,"小马说，怒视着他。
“But will it work?” Sagittarius repeated.
"但这会奏效吗?"射手座重复道。
“Will what work?” Virgo asked plaintively as she dug through her bag for robot parts and started to wire them together. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
"什么有用?"处女座一边挖出包里的机器人零件，一边用电线把它们连接起来，一边哀怨地问道。"有人能告诉我发生了什么事吗?"
Aquarius was silent a moment, then groaned. “Ugh… Yes. Maybe. You’re betting against Equestrian wartime engineering.” He turned to the zebra. “We’ll need some smoke on the water, Scorpie.” The zebra mare arched a brow but then quickly began to dig through pouches lining the inside of her cloak. She dropped various materials into an empty Sparkle-Cola bottle, which began to spew a stream of mist.
水瓶座沉默了一会儿，然后呻吟起来。"呃......是的。也许吧。你在赌马术战时工程不会成功。"他转向斑马。"我们需要一些烟雾在水面上，斯科皮。"斑马母马挑起眉毛，然后迅速地开始挖斗篷里面的袋子。她把各种各样的东西扔进一个空的可口可乐瓶子里，瓶子里开始喷出一股薄雾。
“I’ll get it started while you fill them in,” Sagittarius said as his horn glowed and manifested a compound bow. “Don’t take too long.”
"我会让它开始，而你填补他们,"射手座说，他的角闪闪发光，并显示了一个复合弓。"不要花太长时间。"
The green unicorn leapt out of the hole, kicking and jumping as he surged through the water to take position next to one of the pillars. He waited for a count of ten, then drew an arrow from the quiver on his back. Aquarius was a smart kid. A little negative… but he knew shifting forces. He was a great Zodiac. Sagittarius would take his 'maybe' over anyone else's 'definitely' any day of the week. The arrow ended in a bulbous grenade, and with practiced care, he fired it straight at the back of the turret. The detonation was decidedly underwhelming.
绿色的独角兽从洞里跳了出来，一边又踢又跳，一边冲过水面，在一根柱子旁边找到了自己的位置。他等到数到十，便从背上的箭袋里抽出一支箭来。水瓶座是个聪明的孩子。有点消极......但他知道力量的转移。他是伟大的十二宫杀手。射手座在一周中的任何一天都会把他的"可能"置于其他人的"肯定"之上。箭结束在一个球根状的手榴弹，并与熟练的谨慎，他发射了它的炮塔直线回来。这次爆炸显然没有给人留下深刻印象。
The turret swiveled towards him, and he dove to the side behind the pillar. The twin cannons roared, and the blast sent both him and the water surging away, stunning him. The turret shifted, orienting on him.
炮塔转向他，他就躲到柱子后面。两门大炮轰鸣着，爆炸把他和海水一起冲走，使他晕倒在地。炮塔朝着他移动。
Then a mouth bit the back of his neck, and he was surging sideways with a great spray of water as the cannons fired again. “I got chew!” Capricorn said through a mouthful of mane.
接着，一张嘴咬住了他的后颈，随着大炮再次开火，他被一股巨大的水花冲向一边。"我有口香糖!"摩羯座满嘴的鬃毛说道。
Libra streaked along the perimeter of the flooded garage, streaming the thick white mist from the bottle around her neck. The cannons tracked Sagittarius and Capricorn while the machine gun pods blasted a line of high-caliber rounds after the white pegasus. Sagittarius and Capricorn took cover behind one of the
天秤座沿着被水淹没的车库的周边飞奔，脖子上的瓶子喷出浓浓的白色雾气。大炮跟踪着人马座和摩羯座，机关枪吊舱则在白色飞马座后发射一排高口径炮弹。射手座和摩羯座躲在其中的一个后面
pillars, and he floated out his bow, shooting a bolt of green magic at the tank. It replied with an annihilating blast that nearly turned their cover to rubble. When the pair surfaced from the frothy water, Capricorn murmured, “I don’t like this plan.”
然后他拿出他的弓，向坦克射出一道绿色的魔法。它用毁灭性的爆炸作出回应，几乎把他们的掩护变成了瓦砾。当这一对从起泡的水中浮出水面时，摩羯喃喃地说,"我不喜欢这个计划。"
The mist started to thicken enough that the edges of the room became lost in a haze. All their previous attempts to assault the tree behind the tank had been for naught. As Libra swooped behind the tree, the machine gun fire stopped, but one of the unicorn Brood blasted at her with lightning, forcing her to keep going. As soon as she was clear of the tree, the machine guns opened up again. From the opposite side of the room, Aquarius fired a pistol from behind another pillar. The turret rotated around and oriented on the colt. The cannons fired again, but he was gone, riding on the back of Pisces as she darted along the water like a missile. “It’s working!” the colt shouted.
雾气开始变浓，房间的边缘在一片薄雾中消失了。他们以前所有攻击坦克后面的树的尝试都是徒劳的。当天秤座向树后俯冲时，机关枪的火力停止了，但是独角兽之一的布鲁德家族用闪电击中了天秤座，迫使她继续前进。她一离开树丛，机关枪又开火了。从房间的对面，水瓶座从另一根柱子后面开了一枪。炮塔围绕小马转动并指向它。大炮再次发射，但他已经走了，骑在双鱼座的背上，她像导弹一样沿着水面飞奔而去。"起作用了!"柯尔特喊道。
A small ball-shaped robot with two propeller blades and a small beam gun swooped into position and, hovering, let crimson beams slash at the tank. The red talisman set into the bot’s front crowed, “Death from above! This is perfect! I got him now!” The turrets swung towards the robot. “Oh sparkfarts…” The two rounds slammed into the pillar, and the robot disappeared in a cloud of shrapnel. The red talisman went flying through the air, then was seized by a pink magical aura and yanked behind another heavy block of concrete. “Viggy!” it shouted tinnily. “I need another chassis!”
一个带有两个螺旋桨叶和一个小型射线枪的小型球形机器人俯冲到指定位置，悬停着，让深红色的射线划向坦克。红色护身符嵌入机器人的前部，尖叫着:"从天而降的死亡！这太完美了！我抓住他了!"炮塔转向机器人。"哦，火花放屁......"两发子弹打在柱子上，机器人消失在一片弹片云中。这个红色的护身符在空中飞舞，然后被一个粉红色的魔法光环抓住，猛拉到另一块沉重的混凝土后面。"Viggy!"它叮叮当当地叫着。"我需要另一个底盘!"
“They don’t grow on trees, you technocretin!” the filly shrieked. “Most AIs protect their chassis somewhat, you know!”
"他们不是从树上长出来的，你这个技术白痴!"小母马尖叫起来。"你知道，大多数人工智能都会在一定程度上保护自己的底盘!"
“Bah! Plug me into a pocket calculator, a servomanipulator, and a balefire egg launcher, and I’ll show you squishies how to win a fight! You’re all way too obsessed with retaining your fluids,” the robotic stallion shouted out.
"呸！把我塞进一个计算器，一个servomanipulator，和一个balefire蛋发射器，我将告诉你们怎样赢得一场战斗！你太执着于保留体液了,"机器种马大声喊道。
Libra dropped the bottle and rolled sideways through the air, twisting her body as she spun and aiming her light machine guns right at the tank. Hurling sideways along the beams, she strafed the war machine with her own fire. It returned with thunderous blast after blast, tearing holes in the walls, ceilings, and pillars as it tried to swat the pegasus out of the air.
天秤座扔下瓶子，在空中翻滚着，旋转着身体，用轻机枪瞄准坦克。她沿着横梁横冲直撞，用自己的火力向战争机器扫射。它带着雷鸣般的冲击波返回，撕裂了墙壁，天花板和柱子上的洞，因为它试图拍打飞马出空气。
A Sparkle-Cola bottle flipped through the air from nowhere and shattered against the tank. The fluid immediately burst into flame, spreading over the cameras and
一个闪亮可乐瓶不知从哪儿冒出来，在罐子上撞得粉碎。液体立即燃烧起来，蔓延到摄像机上
sensors. The tank roared in a frenzy as it blasted again and again, careful to avoid the tree but ripping into everything else with high explosive rounds. The noise deafened Sagittarius, and all he could do was take cover under the water for as long as he could hold his breath.
传感器。坦克一次又一次地狂轰滥炸，咆哮着，小心翼翼地避开树木，但是用烈性子弹把其他东西都撕裂了。噪音使射手座震耳欲聋，他所能做的就是在水下躲避，只要他能屏住呼吸。
When the fire stopped, the air swirled with smoke and mist. The flames on the tank had been extinguished in the tempest. Sagittarius felt as if his body had been stuck in a dryer with some big heavy rocks. Something inside him was grinding together, and as he forced himself to his feet, he immediately coughed up a slurry of blood and foul water, slumping against a stub of concrete jutting from the foaming pool. Capricorn floated nearby, unconscious or… no, she was still breathing.
火停了以后，空气中弥漫着烟雾。坦克上的火焰在暴风雨中已经熄灭了。射手座觉得自己的身体好像被塞进了一个烘干机，里面有一些很重的大石头。他的身体里有什么东西在摩擦，当他强迫自己站起来的时候，他立刻咳出了一团血和污水，打在从泡沫池子里冒出来的一截混凝土上。摩羯漂浮在附近，不省人事或...不，她还在呼吸。
Then he lifted his eyes and stared at the two barrels of the tank. Behind it, a platoon of Brood and unicorns stood in ranks around the fully restored tree. Identical smirks rested on all their faces. “You’re finished,” one unicorn wearing Silver Stripe’s face informed him flatly. The other Zodiacs were picking themselves out of the rubble of the shattered and blasted pillars.
然后他抬起眼睛，盯着坦克的两个桶。在它后面，一队布鲁德和独角兽站在完全修复的树周围。他们的脸上都挂着一模一样的傻笑。"你完蛋了,"一只戴着银色条纹面具的独角兽直截了当地告诉他。其他的十二宫正在从破碎的柱子的瓦砾中挑选他们自己。
A resounding crunch filled the room as a massive crack ran down the center of the roof of the flooded garage. The grinding noise rose as rocks and pebbles pattered down. The Brood and Zodiacs alike turned to stare up at those ominous slabs. Try and fire those cannons again. I dare you, he thought. “Libra? Scorpio? Either of you alive?” he asked aloud.
一声巨响响彻整个房间，一道巨大的裂缝从被淹没的车库的屋顶中央向下延伸。当岩石和小石子啪嗒啪嗒地落下时，摩擦的声音响了起来。魔龙军团和黄道带都抬头凝视着那些不祥的厚片。试着再次发射大炮。我敢打赌你不敢，他想。"天秤座？天蝎座？你们有人活着吗?"他大声问道。
“Yeah?” the blond pegasus answered as she emerged from a pile of concrete, her scorched feathers bent in wild directions. The zebra emerged a second later from that mysterious space that zebras and P-21 hid in.
"是吗?"金发的珀加索斯从一堆混凝土中走出来，回答道，她那烧焦的羽毛向四面八方弯曲。斑马一秒钟后从斑马和P-21隐藏的神秘空间出现。
“Get everypony out,” he said as he drew an arrow from his quiver, stepping out and immediately drawing the eyes of every Brood and the tank as he loaded it into his magical bow.
"把每匹小马都拉出来,"他一边说，一边从箭袋里抽出一支箭，走出来，立刻吸引了每一个育雏和坦克的眼睛，他把它装进了他的魔法弓。
Pisces screamed for him to come back and Virgo sobbed, but Sagittarius didn’t look back. The unicorns’ horns flared as they pushed up on the slabs overhead. He drew back the arrow, water dripping off the grenade at the end. Then lines of fire were punched through his battered body as dozens of bullets ripped into him. He loosed the arrow as he fell, his vision darkening as the roaring barrage concluded.
双鱼尖叫着让他回来，处女座哭泣着，但射手座没有回头。独角兽们在头顶上方的石板上向前推进时，它们的角发出了响声。他把箭拔了回来，手榴弹末端的水滴了下来。随后，几十颗子弹穿过他遍体鳞伤的身体，射入他体内。他倒下的时候射出了那支箭，随着咆哮的弹幕落下，他的视野变得越来越模糊。
As he collapsed into the churning water, the crack overhead exploded, and the two gargantuan slabs slid down like an immense house of cards collapsing in slow motion. Through the gap, for a moment, he could see the floor above, and the floor above that, collapsing as well, dropping rusting construction equipment down upon the tank, the tree, and the Brood. Then, as he started to slip beneath the waves, everything going black, the green unicorn smiled.
当他倒在汹涌的海水中时，头顶上的裂缝爆炸了，两块巨大的石板滑落下来，就像一个巨大的纸牌搭成的房子，以慢动作坍塌了。透过缝隙，有那么一会儿，他可以看到上面的地板，上面的地板也坍塌了，生锈的建筑设备掉落在水箱、树和布鲁德一家人身上。然后，当他开始滑入波浪之下，一切都变黑了，绿色的独角兽微笑了。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
The memory window winked out before me, and I was left staring at the void in my old and empty mind. Sagittarius was gone. I looked at the lingering pools of thought. How many others would I see wink ou– and another one disappeared right then! I gasped. Who was it? Calamity? Velvet? Whisper? Someone I’d known was gone, and… I switched my attention from one pool to the next. How many minds had I been connected to in the first place? I hadn’t been able to precisely inventory them. Another pool winked out, and I screamed in that vast nothingness. Stop dying! Please stop dying. Please…
记忆的窗户在我面前闪烁，我只能呆呆地望着我空虚的心灵。人马座消失了。我看着那些挥之不去的思绪。我还能看到多少个温克——然后又有一个消失了！我倒抽了一口冷气。是谁？灾难？天鹅绒？耳语？我认识的某个人走了，然后......我把注意力从一个游泳池转移到了另一个。一开始我接触过多少人的思想？我无法准确地列出它们的清单。另一个游泳池闪烁着灯光，我在巨大的虚无中尖叫。别死了！请不要死去。求你了。
There was nothing for it. I found the nearest mind and threw myself into it. I had to know. I had to…
没什么好说的。我找到了最近的心灵，全身心地投入其中。我必须知道。我不得不..。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
“We failed,” Xanthe muttered as they sat in a muddy pit together. While Xanthe’s armor was still intact, her mane wasn’t. Only a few long strands remained. Her stomach clenched, and she retched but brought nothing up. She glanced at the three ghouls. “Any ammo left? At all?”
"我们失败了,"他们一起坐在泥坑里喃喃自语。虽然赞斯的盔甲还完好无损，但她的鬃毛已经不是了。只剩下几根长绳子了。她的胃紧缩着，呕吐着，但什么也没有吐出来。她瞥了一眼那三个食尸鬼。"还有弹药吗？一点都没有?"
“Sorry, all out of corpses,” Snails said mournfully. “Those skeletons didn’t work out so good.”
"对不起，所有的尸体,"蜗牛悲哀地说。"那些骨架可不怎么样。"
“It’s okay,” the zebra said, glancing over at Carrion.
"没关系,"斑马看了看小腐尸说。
The ghoul griffin’s armor was wrecked, functional only in the sense that it still clung to his desiccated frame. “Guns are dry. Explosives are gone. Sorry. I don’t see how we can accomplish our mission at this point.”
盗尸者格里芬的盔甲被毁坏了，只有在它仍然粘附在干燥的身体上的时候才能发挥作用。"枪已经干了。炸药不见了。对不起。我不认为我们现在能够完成我们的任务。"
Xanthe shoved herself to her hooves, staggering a few steps as she cried out, “We can’t give up!” She managed all of three steps before collapsing on the muddy floor of the ruined bunker. She clenched her eyes, trembling and
赞西使劲蹬着蹄子，摇摇晃晃地走了几步，喊道:"我们不能放弃!"她设法走了三步，然后跌倒在那个废弃的地堡的泥泞地板上。她紧闭双眼，浑身发抖
muttering again, “We can’t give up.” She looked back at the others. “The Maiden is counting on us. Everypony needs us to take out this bunker!” She turned desperately from one to the next. “We can try to get some more ammo from the Brood! See if we can rupture the Flux tanks again! Or maybe… maybe I could try that vent. Maybe they haven’t mined it a third time!”
"我们不能放弃。"她回头看了看其他人。"少女正指望着我们呢。每个小马都需要我们来清除这个地堡!"她绝望地从一个转到另一个。"我们可以试着从魔龙军团那里得到更多的弹药！看看我们能不能再次破坏通量罐！或者...或许我可以试试那个通风口。也许他们还没有挖第三次呢!"
“Xanthe!” Carrion croaked, helping her out of the muck. “Enough. We’re not going to be able to do it. The Brood know their bunkers are under attack, and they’re reinforcing them. We probably got hundreds of those bastards between us and that stupid tree.” Xanthe swayed and clutched her stomach. “And you’re not going to last much longer one way or another,” the griffin added. “How much RadAway do you have?”
"赞特!"腐尸呱呱地叫着，帮她从粪堆里爬出来。"够了。我们做不到。布鲁德一家知道他们的地堡受到攻击，他们正在增援他们。在我们和那棵愚蠢的树之间，可能有上百个这样的混蛋。"桑特摇摇晃晃地抓着她的肚子。"无论如何，你都不会坚持太久,"格里芬补充道。"你有多少辣椒酱?"
Xanthe clenched her jaw, tasting blood in her mouth. “I… ran out fifteen minutes ago,” she whispered, like uttering a shameful confession.
桑丝咬紧牙关，嘴里有血的味道。"我.....。."十五分钟前就跑出去了,"她低声说，像是说了一句可耻的话。
“Uh-oh,” the stealth suit quipped in a worried, foal-like tone.
"啊哦,"潜行服用一种忧虑的，像小马驹一样的语调打趣道。
Carrion sighed. “All right. Let’s backtrack to that drain. It should get you out of here, at least. Maybe they can send in a second team.”
腐尸叹了口气。"好吧。让我们回到那个下水道。至少能让你离开这里。也许他们可以派出第二支队伍。"
“No!” Xanthe said sharply, rising to her hooves. “We’re not going to give up! The Maiden wouldn’t give up! She may have cursed me, but I can’t give up! Because the only way you can ever lift a curse is by doing the right thing! The Legate’s evil, and these Brood are monstrous, but I can’t give up! I’d rather die than give up!” Then her guts gurgled, and she coughed. “Even if I really, really don’t want to become a ghoul.” She gave the others a weak smile. “No offense.”
"不!"赞斯厉声说道，连蹄子都抬起来了。"我们不会放弃！少女不肯放弃！她也许诅咒了我，但我不能放弃！因为解除诅咒的唯一方法就是做正确的事情！莱格特的邪恶，魔龙军团的邪恶，但是我不能放弃！我宁死也不放弃!"然后她的肠子咯咯作响，咳嗽起来。"即使我真的真的不想成为食尸鬼。"她给其他人一个微弱的微笑。"无意冒犯。"
“None taken. And you probably won’t. If everypony that died of radiation poisoning became a ghoul, Equestria would be a nation of undead,” Carrion answered.
"没关系。也许你不会。如果每一匹死于辐射中毒的小马都成了食尸鬼，那么小马国将成为一个不死之国。
Silver Spoon stood away from the others, staring down the dark tunnel they were hunkered in. “Ghouls,” she murmured. Then she turned back to the others. “The Brood aren’t ghouls too, are they? I mean, they’re like cyber zebra unicorn pegasi thingies with all kinds of crazy powers, but they’re not ghouls too, are they?”
银勺子站在远离其他人，凝视着他们蜷缩在黑暗的隧道里。"食尸鬼,"她喃喃地说。然后她转向其他人。"魔龙军团也不是食尸鬼吧？我的意思是，他们就像飞马座的网络独角兽，拥有各种各样疯狂的能力，但他们也不是食尸鬼，对吧?"
Xanthe, Snails, and Carrion shared a look. “Uh, no. They’re not ghouls too,” Snails said dully.
黄丝苔、蜗牛和腐肉共享一个眼神。"呃，没有。他们也不是食尸鬼,"蜗牛闷闷不乐地说。
“Right! ‘Cause that would be, like, totally cheating,” Spoon said brightly. “So, what if we blew up the one place they can’t go?” The blank faces remained, and she snorted, rolled her eyes, and explained, “The reactor thingy. Duh!”
"对！"因为那简直就是作弊,"斯彭乐观地说。"那么，如果我们炸掉他们唯一不能去的地方呢?"面无表情的面孔依然存在，她哼了一声，翻了个白眼，然后解释道:"那个反应堆什么的。废话!"
“Blow up a reactor?” Xanthe said lightly. “But reactors are heavily shielded. This one is obviously breached, but you’d still need a tank to blow it up.”
"炸掉一个反应堆?"赞斯淡淡地说。"但反应堆受到了严密的屏蔽。这一个显然被破坏了，但你还是需要一辆坦克把它炸掉。"
Silver Spoon snorted. “Well then, we get inside the reactor first, and then blow it up! You don’t need to be so totally geek about it.”
银勺轻蔑地哼了一声。"那么，我们先进入反应堆，然后把它炸掉！你不必对此如此极客。"
Xanthe took on a softer tone. “Silver Spoon, it’s an operational reactor. It’s on. It’s a huge conflux of magical energy. I know you absorb radiation, but even ghouls have a limit.”
赞斯用了一种更柔和的语调。"银汤匙，这是一个运行中的反应堆。开始了。这是一个巨大的魔法能量汇集。我知道你会吸收辐射，但即使是食尸鬼也有极限。"
Silver Spoon snorted. “Well, duh. That’s what I do when I hit my limit. I make stuff explode! So I’ll just make the inside of the reactor explode. Simple.”
银勺轻蔑地哼了一声。"好吧，废话。当我达到极限的时候，我就会这么做。我让东西爆炸！我会让反应堆内部爆炸。很简单。"
“But… you’ll die…” Xanthe said dully.
"但是......你会死的......"桑特无精打采地说。
Silver Spoon turned away. “So? I die. I’m, like, already dead. And anypony who’d care is dead too. So, like… what’s the difference?” She sniffed, glowing green tears trickling down her cheeks. “I miss back when all I had to do was find Tiara. I wish I could have found her. She’d… well… she’d miss me. She’d be rude about it… but she would.”
银汤匙转过身去。""那又怎样？我死了。我好像已经死了。任何在乎的小马都会死。那么，就像......有什么区别呢?"她吸着鼻子，发着绿光的眼泪顺着脸颊流了下来。"我怀念那种只要找到皇冠就能找到的日子。我希望我能找到她。她会想我的。她会很无礼......但她会的。"
“I’ll miss you,” Snails said as stared back at her.
"我会想你的,"蜗牛回头看着她说。
“And me,” Xanthe added, trotting over and hugging the glowing ghoul. She suddenly shuddered as her stomach clenched, then pulled away.
"还有我,"桑丝补充道，一边小跑一边拥抱着那个发光的食尸鬼。她突然颤抖起来，肚子紧紧地攥着，然后挣扎着离开了。
“Hrmph,” Carrion grumbled. “I’ll… miss having a walking bubble of healing following us around,” he said as he averted his eyes.
"哼,"卡里昂嘟囔着。"我会......怀念有一个会走路的治愈泡泡跟在我们身边的日子,"他边说边转移目光。
“Thanks,” Silver Spoon said as she looked down the hall. “I don’t really know the way, though. What if I get lost?”
"谢谢,"西尔弗·斯彭看着走廊说。"不过，我真的不知道怎么走。如果我迷路了怎么办?"
Xanthe took out a tool and shakily removed the PipBuck from her hoof, and for an instant, everything went dark. Then the most amazing thing happened: my vision filled with an emerald-lit view of one world superimposed over another. One world seemed to be made of shadows and ugly black stone. The other was
桑丝拿出一件工具，摇摇晃晃地把皮普巴克从她的蹄子上拿下来，刹那间，一切都变黑了。然后最神奇的事情发生了:我的视野中充满了一个祖母绿色的世界重叠在另一个世界上。一个世界似乎是由阴影和丑陋的黑色石头组成的。另一个是
of shimmering, jade-colored light. Xanthe was a crude zebra-shaped block nestled within a suit of glimmering lights. A handsome verdine griffin stood superimposed over a crumbled black body. Snails seemed a twisted snarl of light fused with the dark body. The hallway was at once a broken and muddy ruin and a shining and polished piece of structure set in its prime.
闪闪发光，玉色的光芒。黄丝是一个粗糙的斑马形状的木块坐落在一套闪烁的灯光。一个英俊的verdine格里芬站在叠加在一个崩溃的黑色身体。蜗牛似乎是一团扭曲的光与黑暗的身体融合在了一起。走廊立刻变成了一片破烂不堪、泥泞不堪的废墟，闪闪发光的建筑物正处于它的鼎盛时期。
Was this what every ghoul saw, or just a shining one like Silver Spoon? Either way, seeing the ugly real world imposing on such delicate, if illusive, beauty, I could understand why so many would inevitably go mad. Silver Spoon examined the PipBuck on her hoof, and it appeared like a disgusting coil of foulness studded with horrible glaring lights, showing the PipBuck mapping tool. “Okay… so… this way?” she asked, jabbing a hoof down the hall.
这是每个食尸鬼都看到的，还是像银汤匙一样闪闪发光的？不管怎样，看到这个丑陋的现实世界强加于如此精致，如果虚幻的美丽，我可以理解为什么这么多人会不可避免地发疯。银勺仔细检查了一下蹄子上的PipBuck，它看起来像一团恶心的污秽，上面点缀着可怕的耀眼的灯光，显示着PipBuck的绘图工具。"好吧......那么......这边走?"她一边问，一边用蹄子戳着走廊。
“Maybe one of us should go with her?” Snails asked in his slow drawl.
"也许我们其中一个应该和她一起去?"蜗牛慢吞吞地问。
But Silver Spoon shook her head. “I’ll be fine. There’s no reason for two of us to… you know,” Silver Spoon trailed off. She stared at the lanky, mangled-looking unicorn and then leaned forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek. “I’m… you know… like… sorry… and stuff…”
但是银勺摇了摇头。"我会没事的。"我们没有理由......你知道,"银汤匙说完。她盯着那只瘦高、面目狰狞的独角兽，然后向前探了探身子，轻轻地吻了他的脸颊。"我......你知道......就像......对不起......之类的......"
“Yeah. Sorry, eh,” he murmured. “Real sorry…” He opened his mouth and closed it again before lowering his star-filled eyes.
"是的。"对不起，嗯,"他喃喃地说。"真的很抱歉......"他张开嘴又闭上，然后低下他那充满星星的眼睛。
“Hate to be the crotchety asshole here, but if we don’t get her out of here and some rads out of her system, we’re going to be either Team Ghoul or Team Looking for a New Zebra,” Carrion said from next to the sickly zebra. “If you’re going to do this, then you should go do it.”
"我讨厌在这里成为一个古怪的混蛋，但是如果我们不把她从这里弄出去，把她的体内清除掉，我们要么成为食尸鬼队，要么成为寻找新斑马队,"卡里昂站在病怏怏的斑马旁边说。"如果你打算这么做，那么你就应该去做。"
“Right. Right…” Silver Spoon took a few steps back from the others. “I just… I…” she stammered.
"对。对......"银勺从其他人身后退了几步。"我只是.....。。」她结结巴巴地说。
“Thank you, Silver Spoon,” Xanthe said with a gentle, honest smile. “I’m sorry we couldn’t find Diamond Tiara.”
"谢谢你，银汤匙,"桑丝带着温柔、诚实的微笑说。"很遗憾我们找不到钻石头冠。"
“Well… it’s not surprising she rushed on ahead of me. I was, like, always catching up to her and stuff.” She swallowed and turned away. “G…goodbye, all of you.”
"嗯......她跑在我前面并不奇怪。我总是能追上她。"她咽了口唾沫，转过身去。"g..再见，你们所有人"
She tore herself away and raced through the emerald-lit world for several seconds till she could disappear around the corner. Then she pressed her
她挣脱出来，在这个祖母绿色的世界里跑了几秒钟，直到她可以消失在角落里。然后她紧紧地按住她
forehead to the wall and sniffed. “Goodbye…”
额头贴在墙上，用鼻子闻着。"再见......"
She consulted the map on her PipBuck and kept searching around for signs that read ‘Utility’, ‘Maintenance’, or ‘Reactor’. She passed other ghouls wandering aimlessly, but the glowing outlines nodded their heads respectfully as she passed. The grotesque mockeries that were their bodies were hardly noticeable. Then a mare called out, “Hey, Silver Spoon!” The voice echoed through the hallways of the ruin.
她查阅了PipBuck上的地图，继续到处寻找有效用、维护或者反应堆的标志。她走过其他漫无目的地游荡的食尸鬼，但是当她走过时，发光的轮廓恭敬地点了点头。他们身上那些奇形怪状的笑话几乎看不出来。然后一匹母马大叫:"嘿，银汤匙!"那个声音在废墟的走廊里回荡。
“Tiara?” Silver Spoon called out, her ears perking up as she turned down a side path and trotted several feet. “Tiara? Is that you?” Hope echoed back at her, and then she stopped short. “No… no, Tiara’s dead. She’s dead. She’s gone.” She clenched her eyes shut. “I… I have to do this. I’m the only one who can.” She sat down, raising her eyes to the ceiling. “Oh… but I don’t want to. I’m scared. I wish Tiara was really here…”
"皇冠?"西尔弗·斯彭大声喊道，她转过一条小路，小跑了几步，耳朵竖了起来。"皇冠？是你吗?"希望在她耳边回响，然后她突然停了下来。"不......不，提亚拉死了。她死了。她走了。"她紧闭双眼。"我.....。.我必须这么做。我是唯一能做到的人。"她坐了下来，抬眼望着天花板。"哦......但我不想。我很害怕。我希望提亚拉真的在这里......"
“Hey, Silver Spoon!” the mare’s voice echoed again, but Silver Spoon covered her ears and shook her head, backtracking to the hall and continuing to follow the signs and the map. Again and again, the mare called out, and Silver Spoon’s whole body trembled in response.
"嘿，银汤匙!"母马的声音再次回响，但是银勺捂住她的耳朵，摇摇头，回到大厅，继续跟着标志和地图走。母马一次又一次地叫着，银匙的整个身体都在颤抖。
Finally, she reached a hatch with a rusted sign above it reading ‘Warning: Reactor. Do not open while in operation.’ She looked at the PipBuck, then at the door, squinting to read the gross reality through the shimmering green dream world. “This is it…” she said, and she put her hooves to the wheel and heaved, her body straining. “Come on!” she shouted as she grunted, her body feeling very warm and bright, but the hatch didn’t budge.
最后，她来到一个舱口，上面有一块生锈的牌子，上面写着"警告:反应堆"。操作时请勿打开她看了看PipBuck，然后站在门口，眯着眼睛通过微光闪烁的绿色梦想世界阅读着粗糙的现实。"就是这样......"她说着，用蹄子踩着方向盘，身子绷得紧紧的。"来吧!"她一边喊一边咕哝着，她的身体感到非常温暖和明亮，但舱门没有动。
“Damn it, you stupid door! Open!” she shouted and reared up, slamming her hooves against it. Green light flared around her hooves, and the black horridity crumpled a little as her strike left glowing marks in the metal. “Open! Open! Open!” she shouted, her hooves digging and melting her way through the metal.
"该死，你这该死的门！打开!"她大喊大叫，直立起来，用蹄子猛烈地撞击它。她的马蹄周围闪耀着绿光，黑色的恐惧有点皱缩，因为她的撞击在金属上留下了发光的痕迹。"打开！开门！打开!"她叫道，她的蹄子在金属里挖洞融化。
“Hey, Silver Spoon! Over here!” Tiara called out to her again and again. “Hey, Silver Spoon, let’s go have some fun with those blank flanks!” “Hey, Silver Spoon, let’s go get drinks after work!” The ghoul’s body felt as if it were on fire as she struggled, loops of necrotic magic like tiny solar prominences erupting from her mottled gray hide only for the holes they left behind to heal instantly. Silver Spoon bowed her head as she continued to dig, glowing tears melting pits
"嘿，银汤匙！这边!"提亚拉一次又一次地向她呼唤。"嘿，银汤匙，我们去和那些空白的侧翼玩玩吧!""嘿，银汤匙，我们下班后去喝一杯吧!"当她挣扎的时候，食尸鬼的身体感觉就像着火了一样，一圈圈坏死的魔法像小小的日珥一样从她斑驳的灰色皮肤中喷发出来，只是为了他们留下的洞能够立即愈合。银勺低下头继续挖掘，热泪盈眶
in the floor as she shone like a tiny green sun.
她像一个小小的绿色太阳一样闪闪发光。
Suddenly, the hatch gave way, and inside was a chaotic storm of magic roaring between several crystal talismans. The color flickered and changed, twisted… coalesced… forming into a pink mare with a purple-and-white-striped mane. A delicate crown lay perched on her head, and she wore a bright red dress with gems studding her ears. Her lips twisted in a cocky grin, but there was warmth in her eyes. “Hey, Silver Spoon. There you are.”
突然，舱口坍塌了，里面是几个水晶护身符之间一阵混乱的魔法风暴咆哮。颜色闪烁和变化，扭曲...结合...形成一个粉红色母马与紫色和白色条纹的鬃毛。她头上戴着一顶精致的王冠，穿着一件鲜红色的裙子，耳朵上镶着宝石。她的嘴唇扭曲着，咧嘴大笑，但眼睛里却透着温暖。"嘿，银汤匙。你在这儿啊。"
Silver Spoon stared. “T…tiara?”
银汤匙盯着我。"t..皇冠?"
“Of course, you dummy. Who else?” The pink mare spoke with more fondness than malice as she smiled and nodded over her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go paint the town red.”
"当然，你这个笨蛋。还有谁?"粉红色的母马说话时喜爱多于恶意，她微笑着，点头在她的肩膀上。"来吧。我们去狂欢吧。"
“Yeah… I’m coming…” Silver Spoon whispered as everything grew brighter and brighter by the second. A smile crossed her face as she stepped closer to that mare, the real world melting away as everything transformed into light. “Tiara. I found you,” her voice whispered.
"是的......我来了......"银勺轻声说道，一切都变得越来越明亮。当她走近那匹母马时，一个微笑掠过她的脸庞，真实的世界随着一切变得光明而融化。"皇冠。我找到你了,"她的声音低声说。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
The white pool exploded before me, the name echoing in that vast emptiness that was my blank head. I’d wronged Silver Spoon, tricked her twice and used her for my own ends. I was glad she’d been happy at the end of things… but it also raised so many more questions. Another window winked out before I knew who it might have been. I couldn’t help myself. I mentally sent myself to the next window and let myself melt away. If I couldn’t help, then I had to know. Had to watch. Had to flagellate myself as a witness to these horrors.
白色的池塘在我面前爆炸，那个名字在我空白的脑袋里回荡。我错怪了银勺，骗了她两次，为了自己的利益利用了她。我很高兴她在事情结束的时候很开心......但是这也带来了更多的问题。在我知道可能是谁之前，另一扇窗户闪了出去。我情不自禁。我在心里把自己送到下一扇窗户，让自己融化掉。如果我帮不上忙，那么我必须知道。不得不看。不得不鞭打自己作为这些恐怖的见证人。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
The Reapers reaped a bloody batch of Brood. No hiding. No tricks. No strategy. Just brute force and bloody determination carried them along as they butchered the enemy on all sides. Toaster slammed one against the wall of the bunker before a dozen of the hellish appliances blazed to life and incinerated the pinned cyborg. Then the scarred earth pony pulled away, the sizzling body stuck fast to the toasters before he spun with surprising grace and flung the flaming torso into the face of two more before springing upon them with maniacal glee. Still, even his powerful frame was slick with sweat, and his vicious blows moved with
收割者收获了一批血腥的巢穴。没有躲藏。别耍花招。没有策略。他们残暴的武力和血腥的决心支持着他们屠杀敌人的所有方面。烤面包机砰的一声撞在了地堡的墙上，接着十几个地狱般的电器爆炸起来，把被压制的机器人烧成了灰烬。这时，那匹满脸伤痕的土地上的小马拉开了身子，嘶嘶作响的身体紧紧地粘在烤面包机上，然后他以惊人的优雅旋转着，把燃烧的躯干扔到另外两个人的脸上，然后狂喜地跳起来扑向他们。尽管如此，即使是他强有力的身体也因为汗水而变得光滑，他的凶狠的打击也随之而动
ominous inertia.
不祥的惯性。
Hammersmith and Dazzle fought back to back, the unicorns wielding their weapons with their magic and bodies. Nopony who witnessed those two would ever accuse unicorns of weakness. Hammersmith shoved a Brood up only to bring that colossal metal mallet down as if he were driving home a railroad spike. Dazzle, her rifle gone, dodged a blow by a Brood unicorn’s blade and sprang forward, grabbing the Brood around the neck and then slicing right through her head with a crimson beam before she could teleport away. A second unicorn appeared on Hammersmith’s back, blade raised, point aimed at the base of his skull. Her magic sent the dropped blade from the first cyberunicorn flying up and deflecting the strike. Without looking up, the immense mallet whirled over his head like a steel cyclone and sent the Brood flying. Another crimson beam turned the enemy into drifting dust.
哈默史密斯和Dazzle反击了独角兽们用他们的魔法和身体挥舞着他们的武器。亲眼目睹这两件事的小马不会指责独角兽软弱。哈默史密斯推了一个布鲁德一家，只是为了把那个巨大的金属锤子拿下来，就好像他正在把一个铁路道钉推回家一样。眩目，她的步枪消失了，躲过了布鲁德独角兽的一击，跳向前方，抓住布鲁德独角兽的脖子，然后用深红色的光束穿过她的头部，在她可以瞬移离开之前。第二只独角兽出现在哈默史密斯的背上，刀刃高举，指向他的颅骨底部。她的魔法让第一只网络独角兽的刀片飞起来，偏离了攻击方向。头也不抬，巨大的锤子像旋风一样在他头上旋转，把布伦特一家轰飞了。又一道深红色的光束把敌人变成了漂浮的尘土。
Overhead, Storm Front fought with cool precision against a dozen Brood fliers as he led them ahead, flipped long enough to bring his sniper rifle to bear, and blew a hole in one flier’s head, then darted through the hole left in the enemy formation. He shed blood and brass as he flew, but wore a smile as he whirled overhead.
在头顶上，斯托姆·弗朗特领着十几架布鲁德病毒飞行器向前飞去，他以冷静的精确度与它们战斗，飞行时间长得足以让他的狙击步枪发挥作用，在一架飞行器的头部打出了一个洞，然后穿过敌人编队留下的洞。他在飞翔的时候流下了鲜血和黄铜，但是当他在头顶上旋转的时候却面带微笑。
Of them all, Brutus was at the front. An enormous blank mutant, augmented and twice his size, brought down a hoof almost half as large as the black stallion’s body. Brutus rose up and caught the giant’s descending hoof against his own, his powerful frame straining against the weight. Then, he shifted suddenly to the side, and the giant’s foot dropped awkwardly and it staggered. Brutus didn’t hesitate, planting his forehooves and kicking out with a massive applebuck at the giant’s ankle. With an explosive crack, bone and wire erupted from the ruptured limb as it folded. Brutus, his forelegs still planted, turned around and gave a second mighty applebuck at the other forelimb, which struggled to maintain the monster’s weight. His legs struck the side of the knee, and the limb twisted as tendon and wire gave under the force of the beast. The giant fell before him, and Brutus rose up and slammed his forehooves against the skull again and again till there was a third, mighty crack and blood gushed from various orifices.
在他们所有人中，布鲁图斯在最前面。一个巨大的空白突变体，扩大了它的体型，使它的蹄子几乎有黑神驹(电影)的一半大。布鲁图斯站了起来，用自己的蹄子抓住了巨人正在下降的蹄子，巨人强有力的身躯顶住了重量。然后，他突然挪到一边，巨人的脚尴尬地垂下来，摇摇晃晃。布鲁特斯毫不犹豫地插上前蹄，在巨人的脚踝上踢出一只巨大的苹果鹿。随着爆炸性的裂纹，骨头和金属丝在断裂的肢体折叠时爆发出来。布鲁特斯，他的前腿仍然植物，转过身来，给了第二个强大的苹果鹿在另一个前肢，挣扎着保持怪物的体重。他的双腿撞到了膝盖的一侧，四肢在兽力的作用下扭曲成肌腱和钢丝。巨人在他面前倒下了，布鲁图斯站起身来，用前蹄一次又一次地猛击他的头骨，直到第三个巨大的裂缝出现，血从各处涌了出来。
Candlewick poured a stream of blazing yellow at the Brood as they flooded down the ramp and teleported in. So many rushed forward that they became a blazing mass, burning slower than they died. The wall of burning dead barely kept them at bay long enough for the others to keep from being overwhelmed.
烛芯把一股炽热的黄色倾泻在布鲁德一家身上，他们沿着坡道涌下来，然后瞬间移动进来。如此多的人冲向前去，以至于他们变成了一个燃烧的物体，燃烧的速度比他们死亡的速度还要慢。燃烧的死亡之墙几乎没有把他们挡在海湾足够长的时间，以防止其他人被淹没。
“These guys seem really pissed off! Did something happen?” he shouted over his shoulder.
"这些家伙看起来真的很生气！发生什么事了吗?"他越过肩膀喊道。
“Yeah, they realized they better send all their fuckers on us!” Toaster bellowed in glee before leaping on a pile of Brood and rolling about like a pig in a heap of burning bodies.
"是的，他们意识到他们最好把所有的混蛋都派来对付我们!"烤面包机欢快地咆哮着，然后跳上一堆小鸡，像一头猪在一堆燃烧的尸体中滚来滚去。
“Maybe this is the only tree left,” Dazzle yelled as she swung the blades and continued to blast beams of magic.
"也许这是仅存的一棵树了,"戴泽喊道，她挥舞着刀刃，继续发出魔法的光芒。
Candlewick looked back at the golden tree. So much Flux was being pumped into it that the arcane device had swollen grotesquely. Brood weren’t popping out so much as dribbling out like runny roadapples, being seized by unicorn Brood, and having augmentations shoved into their bodies with gory sprays of blood. Usually there wasn’t time for more than a jagged spur-like plug stabbed in at the base of their skulls; the new Brood were being sent at the Reapers as soon as they could walk. The reinforcements from outside were far more effective than that slurry of zebra oozing like sap.
烛芯回头看着金色的树。大量的通量被注入其中，以至于这个神秘装置出奇地膨胀起来。布鲁德并没有像流水的苹果一样从身体里冒出来，他们被独角兽布鲁德抓住了，他们的身体里被血淋淋的喷射出来。通常情况下，除了在他们的头盖骨底部插入一个锯齿状的刺状插头外，没有时间做更多的事情了;新的孵化器在他们能走路的时候就被送到了收割者那里。外面的援军比斑马汁液般渗出的泥浆要有效得多。
The scarred pony in the firepony hat turned to the Brood pushing through the burning wall of corpses and flicked a release on his saddle. The canister popped free, and he kicked it into the flames where the trickling rainbow fuel ignited and turned the container into a wildly bouncing rocket trailing fire. He reached under his coat and drew out another container, this one marked with a bright red stripe.
那匹戴着火红帽子的伤痕累累的小马转向魔龙军团，穿过燃烧的尸体墙，轻轻地在马鞍上松开缰绳。罐子突然自由了，他把它踢进了火焰中，彩虹燃料点燃了，集装箱变成了一个疯狂跳跃的火箭尾焰。他把手伸进外套里，又拿出一个瓶子，上面有明亮的红色条纹。
“What’s that?” Dazzle asked during a gap in the fighting.
"那是什么?"在一次战斗中，Dazzle问道。
He slammed it home on his side and twisted it in place. “Toaster’s special blend. Has an oxidizer mixed in along with magnesium powder.” He tugged his hat down over his eyes. “If that’s the last tree thing left, it’s gotta burn.” Then he pulled out Big Daddy’s potion and popped the cork out of the bottle, looking down at the glowing white dregs at the bottom. “I don’t have a clue what this is, but if it let Big Daddy take out a tank...” He upended the bottle and swallowed the last bitter dregs in the container. “Yech!” Suddenly, his insides gave a great lurch, and he choked, then whimpered, “I’m not sure I should have drunk that.”
他砰地一声把球打回了自己的位置，然后把球扭了回去。"烤面包机的特殊配方。含有氧化剂和镁粉。"他拉了拉帽子遮住眼睛。"如果这是剩下的最后一棵树，它必须烧掉。"然后他拔出老爹的药水，把瓶塞拔了出来，低头看着瓶底发光的白色药渣。"我不知道这是什么，但是如果它让大爸爸拿出一个罐子......"他倒过瓶子，吞下了容器里最后的苦涩渣滓。"呀!"突然，他的内心剧烈地倾斜，他哽咽着，然后呜咽着,"我不知道我应该喝那个。"
“What are you doing?” Dazzle asked, her eyes going wide. “Why are you… smoking?”
"你在干什么?"戴泽问道，她的眼睛睁得大大的。"你为什么...抽烟?"
“I have no idea,” Candlewick croaked as a warmth spread through him, wisps of
"我不知道,"烛芯低声说，这时一股暖流传遍了他的全身
smoke leaking out his nostrils and mouth. “I hate this. All this,” he said as he pushed past Dazzle, staggering towards Brutus, the rousing giant, and the tree beyond.
烟从他的鼻孔和嘴里冒出来。"我讨厌这样。"这一切,"他一边说着，一边从戴德勒身边挤过，踉踉跄跄地走向勃鲁托斯，这个令人振奋的巨人，还有那棵树。
“What’s wrong with ye, boy! We need yer flame guarding our flanks!” Hammersmith yelled as the beefy bearded unicorn whacked another cyborg with his immense hammer, sending a halo of brain and skull erupting in every direction.
"你怎么了，孩子！我们需要火焰来保护我们的侧翼!"当长着粗壮胡子的独角兽用他的巨大锤子猛击另一个半机械人时，哈默史密斯大叫起来，脑袋和头骨的光环向四面八方喷发。
“I hate it. Hate him. Hate me,” Candlewick muttered as he continued forward. “It’s filth… I’m filth… it’s all filth...” The flamer coughed as the tip ignited. The flame jetting from the tip of his flamer was a brilliant white, and sparks spat out before it. “And it needs to be washed away.”
"我讨厌它。讨厌他。"恨我吧,"烛芯咕哝着，继续往前走。"这是污秽......我是污秽......这一切都是污秽......"喷雾器点燃时咳嗽了一声。从他的火焰喷射器顶端喷出的火焰是一种耀眼的白色，在它前面喷出火花。"它需要被冲走。"
“Candle!” Dazzle shouted after him, but the earth pony in the red dragonhide coat and firepony hat rushed forward as the behemoth pulled its split skull back together. The scarred stallion jammed the flamer into the beast’s enormous nostril and a great whooshing noise filled the cavernous space as tongues of fire exploded out from the monster’s mouth and other nostril before blasting out its malformed side a few seconds later. As the beast reared up, Candlewick hooked his legs in the blazing nostrils and yanked up. The gargantuan Brood continued to roll away from the Reapers and fell on its back, flinging Candlewick like a comet over the heads of countless Brood.
"蜡烛!"戴泽在他后面喊道，但是那匹穿着红色龙皮大衣戴着火红帽子的地球矮种马冲了出来，巨兽把裂开的头骨重新拼合在了一起。伤痕累累的种马把火焰筒塞进怪兽巨大的鼻孔里，几秒钟后，火舌从怪兽的嘴里和其他鼻孔里喷射出来，喷出畸形的一面，巨大的嗖嗖声充满了洞穴般的空间。当这头野兽站起来的时候，烛芯用腿钩住熊熊燃烧的鼻孔，猛拉起来。巨大的巢穴继续滚离死神，仰面倒下，像彗星一样抛过无数巢穴的头顶。
“Burn! It all has to burn!” Candlewick shouted as he fell, the flamer sending a fiery plume ahead of him and making the Brood stagger back from the ring of hissing, snapping white fire. “Burn it all away!” he yelled as he landed in the pool of flame and continued the stream. He didn’t wait for the fire to dissipate, rushing along as it seared his hooves and scorched his belly. The stallion raced along the burning road, his coat ablaze as he rushed right up towards the tree. Something leapt on his back, despite the inferno, but Candlewick just rolled in the burning flamer fuel and scraped the impediment off.
"燃烧吧！这一切都得烧掉!"蜡烛芯一边倒下一边大叫，火焰在他前面喷出一股火焰，使得布鲁德夫妇摇摇晃晃地从嘶嘶作响的白色火焰中退了回来。"把它们都烧掉!"他一边喊着，一边落在火池里，继续往前走。他没有等火慢慢消失，火烧焦了他的蹄子，烧焦了他的肚子，他冲了过去。那匹种马沿着燃烧的路跑着，他的外套着火了，他冲向那棵树。尽管火海熊熊，还是有什么东西跳到了他的背上，但Candlewick只是在燃烧着的火焰燃料中翻滚，把障碍物给扫除了。
The golden tree, bloated and twisted, loomed up three times his height, and he rammed the nozzle right into an oozing orifice. The roaring disappeared as all around him the Brood surged forward, immolating themselves as they pushed into the fire. Dazzle called after him while Toaster whooped and cheered him on. The golden tree blackened around the hole he’d jammed the nozzle into.
金树，膨胀和扭曲，隐约出现三倍于他的高度，他夯实喷嘴进入一个渗出的孔。咆哮声消失了，他周围的一切都涌了上来，当他们推进火堆的时候，他们自焚了。当烤面包机欢呼并为他加油的时候，戴泽在他后面喊道。他把喷嘴塞进洞里，金色的树木在洞口周围变黑了。
Suddenly, knots on the surface of the tree swelled grotesquely, glowing bright red, and then exploded like blazing pustules, vomiting forth incendiary pus over his back and into the screaming, writhing masses of Brood. The glowing mouth of the flamer began to spatter him with chunks of molten metal as the blaze spread more and more. There was no pain, only a warmth that grew and grew as more and more burned away.
突然，树表面的肿块膨胀得有些奇怪，发出亮红色的光，然后像燃烧的脓疱一样爆炸，在他的背上吐出燃烧的脓液，进入痛苦挣扎的布鲁德病人群中。火焰越烧越旺，炽热的火焰开始用大块的熔化金属将他喷洒出来。没有痛苦，只有一种温暖，随着越来越多的燃烧而生长。
The great, bloated, technological monstrosity suddenly burst along the back, and a flaming rainbow slurry poured out in great splatters and tears. The fire seemed like a living thing now, and it spread out consuming all in its path. Tree.
那个巨大的、臃肿的、技术上的怪物突然在后面爆裂了，一道燃烧着的彩虹泥浆像巨大的飞溅物和眼泪一样倾泻而出。大火现在看起来就像一个活物，它向四周蔓延，吞噬着它所经过的一切。树。
Augments. Armaments. Brood. But not Candlewick. Him it caressed like a lover, and the half of his vision on the side of the flamer disappeared. Still, he poured on the fire. More fire.
Augments.军备。繁殖。但不是烛芯。它像情人一样爱抚着他，火把旁边他的视线消失了一半。尽管如此，他还是把水倒在火上。更多的火。
“Candlewick!” screamed Dazzle as hooves pulled him away, and she cried out as he glanced back over his shoulder, shaking her scorched hooves. “Stop! We’ve beaten them!”
"烛芯!"当他的蹄子把他拉开的时候，她眼花缭乱地尖叫起来，当他回过头来看的时候，她大叫起来，摇晃着她烧焦的蹄子。"住手！我们打败了他们!"
“Your tanks are empty, laddie!” Hammersmith shouted.
"你的油箱空了，小伙子!"哈默史密斯喊道。
“No. Have to burn it all away. Burn it all…” he said as the warmth grew and grew, spreading throughout him. Soon there’d be nothing left. He’d go out like Big Daddy, in a blaze of glory.
"没有。不得不把这一切都烧掉。烧光它......"温暖的气息越来越浓，传遍了他的全身。很快就什么都没有了。他会像老爹一样带着晨辉离开。
Dazzle lunged forward and hugged him, and she immediately cried out as her beautiful pale hide turned red as if she was embracing a hot stove. “Please. Come back! Please!” she sobbed, holding him to her chest as he felt his body sear hers.
戴德冲上前拥抱了他，当她美丽苍白的皮肤变成红色的时候，她立刻哭了出来，好像她正在拥抱一个火热的炉子。"求你了。回来！求你了!"她抽泣着，把他抱在胸前，他感到他的身体在灼烧她的身体。
Candlewick groaned and shuddered, his body shaking as he struggled to pull away from her before she was burned up too, but she refused to release him. Her tears sizzled as they fell on his face. Slowly, like a flame that had spent its fuel, the warmth began to ebb as he shook. Somepony was pouring water on him, but all he was aware of was Dazzle holding him and the horrible smell of burned ponyflesh. “I’m sorry,” he croaked as the warmth was replaced by pain. So very much pain. He staggered and fell on his side, his sole remaining canister of special blend fuel slipping from its case and rolling beside him. Somepony was pouring healing potions into him, but all they did was increase the pain.
烛芯呻吟着，战栗着，他的身体颤抖着，在她也被烧焦之前，他挣扎着要离开她，但她拒绝释放他。她的泪水落在他的脸上，发出嘶嘶声。慢慢地，就像一团耗尽燃料的火焰，当他颤抖的时候，温暖开始退却。有个小马正在往他身上泼水，但是他所能感觉到的只是眩目的抱着他，还有烧焦的马鬃散发出的可怕气味。"对不起,"当温暖被疼痛取代时，他用嘶哑的声音说。非常非常痛苦。他摇摇晃晃地倒在地上，他唯一剩下的一罐特殊混合燃料从箱子里滑了出来，滚到了他身边。一匹小马正在给他注射治疗药剂，但是它们只是增加了他的痛苦。
“Shh…” Dazzle said softly as her burnt hoof rubbed the side of his face with
"嘘......"戴泽轻声说道，她被烧焦的蹄子正在擦着他的脸
sight. “Don’t talk. Don’t apologize. You did it. Soon as the tree went up, the Brood pulled back. We stopped their reinforcements. Now just hold on. We’ll get outside and fire a flare to signal an alicorn pick up. Get you to the Collegiate and thrash those eggheads till they magic you all better again.” Storm Front, Hammersmith, and Brutus moved in close, watching in concern. The pegasus’s feathers were burned around the tips, grounding him.
视线。"别说话。不用道歉。你做到了。树一升高，魔龙军团就撤退了。我们阻止了他们的援军。等一下。我们到外面去发射信号弹，发信号给一辆阿里克纳货车。带你去学院，痛打那些书呆子，直到他们再次使你神魂颠倒。"暴风雨前锋，哈默史密斯和布鲁图斯走近了，关切地看着。珀加索斯的羽毛在顶端周围被烧焦，禁锢了他。
But Candlewick looked past them to where Toaster watched the gathering, a nasty smile on his face. Candlewick could only see out of one eye, but he glared straight at the scorched and battered stallion. “No,” he croaked loudly, tasting blood. “Don’t you fucking dare, Toaster!” The scarred stallion’s eyes went wide as Brutus and Hammersmith whirled on him.
但是烛芯从他们身边望过去，看到烤面包机看着他们聚集在一起，脸上露出讨厌的微笑。烛芯只能用一只眼睛看东西，但他直直地瞪着那匹烧焦了、受尽了伤的种马。"不,"他大声地嘶叫着，嘴里有血的味道。"你他妈敢，烤面包机!"当布鲁图斯和哈默史密斯转向他时，伤痕累累的种马睁大了眼睛。
“Do what?” Brutus asked as he glared at Toaster. The appliance-bedecked stallion’s eyes popped wide as everyone regarded him.
"做什么?"布鲁图斯瞪着烤面包机问道。每个人都注视着这个装饰着各种器具的种马，它的眼睛睁得大大的。
“Nothing!” he said, grinning at Candlewick and struggling to keep it from a snarl. “He’s fucking crazy after that shit, right?”
"没什么!"他对着烛芯笑着说，努力不让它咆哮起来。"他是他妈的疯了后，狗屎，对不对?"
“He planned on finishing all of you off and taking–”
"他打算把你们都干掉然后..."
“You fucking idiot!” Toaster suddenly screamed. “We could have had it all, bro!”
"你他妈的白痴!"烤面包机突然尖叫起来。"我们本来可以拥有一切，兄弟!"
“Bullshit,” Candlewick spat, at him. “You could have had it all. That’s all you care about. All you’ve ever cared about. And when this is all over, I’ll make sure every damned Burner knows it.” He slumped against Dazzle. “You make a shitty leader, Toaster.”
"胡说八道,"烛芯朝他吐了口唾沫。"你本来可以拥有一切。这就是你所关心的。你所关心的一切。当这一切结束的时候，我会让每个该死的焚烧者都知道这一点。"他对着戴泽猛跌下去。"你真是个糟糕的领导，烤面包机。"
“Get out of here,” Brutus rumbled as he loomed at the other earth pony.
"离开这里,"布鲁图斯低声对着另一匹大地上的小马说。
“No one’s going to follow you after they hear what you wanted to pull here,” Storm Front added.
"没有人会跟踪你后，他们听到你想在这里拉,"风暴阵线补充说。
Toaster’s pupils contracted to pinpricks. “No. Fuck you. Fuck all of you!” He hit a talisman on his chest, and the toasters began to jet their flame. “Annihilate! Incinerate! Obliterate!” Time seemed to slow as he raced forward, his toasters lighting up one after the next, forming the corona that would take out at least one of them before he was put down. His hoof flailed at his side as Toaster closed the gap, racing like a flaming meteor straight at the prone Candlewick and Dazzle.
烤面包机的瞳孔收缩成针状。"没有。去你的。操你们所有人!"他击中了他胸前的护身符，烤面包机开始喷出火焰。"歼灭！焚化！抹去!"当他向前冲的时候，时间似乎变得缓慢了，他的烤面包机一个接一个地点着，形成了一个光环，在他被放倒之前，至少可以干掉其中的一个。他的蹄子在他身边甩来甩去，烤面包机拉近了缝隙，像一颗燃烧的流星直冲着倾斜的烛芯和眩目。
The unicorn tried to blast him with her magic, but Toaster ignored the injury in his maddened state.
独角兽试图用她的魔法炸死他，但是烤面包机忽略了他疯狂状态下的伤口。
Hammersmith brought the mallet down in an overhead blow, but Toaster ducked to the side and embraced the unicorn, the toasters blazing as he smashed his armored head into Hammersmith’s unarmored horn. The unicorn roared in agony as a crack ran right through the base of the spire and every bit of him not protected by his plate armor ignited. As Brutus came in behind Toaster, he received a blazing applebuck kick to the face, knocking the stallion back long enough for Toaster to release Hammersmith and give Brutus a flaming body slam. Storm Front frantically dug through the scorched debris, looking for ammo.
哈默史密斯用头顶上的一击把木槌打了下来，但烤面包机闪到一边，抱住了独角兽，烤面包机的火焰熊熊燃烧着，他的装甲头撞上了哈默史密斯没有装甲的号角。独角兽痛苦地咆哮着，一条裂缝正好穿过尖顶的底部，他的每一个部位都没有被他的板甲保护起来。当布鲁图斯跟在烤面包机后面时，他的脸上挨了一记猛烈的苹果鹿踢，把这匹种马踢了回去，让烤面包机把哈默史密斯放了出来，并给了布鲁图斯一记烈焰般的身体重击。风暴前线疯狂地从烧焦的残骸中挖掘，寻找弹药。
Toaster shoved Brutus aside and then lunged straight at Dazzle. The prone Candlewick seized the canister beside him in both hooves, smashed the end down on the platform between his hind legs, letting rainbow fuel leak out, and then flung the cylinder right into Toaster’s face.
烤面包机把布鲁特斯推到一边，然后径直冲向戴德勒。趴在地上的烛芯用两只蹄子抓住他身边的罐子，用两条后腿把罐子的一端敲在平台上，让彩虹般的燃料漏出来，然后把圆筒直接扔到烤面包机的脸上。
Toaster’s special blend went up like a fireworks factory, and as his eyes burned away, Toaster’s course sent him racing off to the side. He screamed, or perhaps laughed, as he thrashed his way around the room, slamming his blazing body against whatever surface he encountered, including the floor. “Annihilate! Obliterate! Immolate!” he screamed wildly, thrashing as his mane burned away, then what remained of his overcharged-appliance armor. “Infurigate… in… blasty… gate…” he trailed off as the flames died, the blackened body taking a few more feeble steps, chunks of bone peeking through the charred muscle. “Fuck…” he rasped, giving a smoky cough. “Bro… why…?” he choked out before he finally collapsed.
烤面包机的特殊混合物像烟花工厂一样燃烧起来，当他的眼睛被灼伤时，烤面包机的过程把他推到了一边。他尖叫着，或者大笑着，在房间里四处乱窜，用他炽热的身体猛烈地撞击任何表面，包括地板。"歼灭！抹去！献祭!"他疯狂地尖叫着，鞭打着他的鬃毛，然后他剩下的充电过度的装备盔甲。"激怒......在......火光冲天的......大门......"他慢慢走开，火焰熄灭了，烧黑的尸体又走了几步，大块的骨头透过烧焦的肌肉露出来。"妈的......"他粗声粗气地咳嗽了一声。"兄弟...为什么...?"他在倒下前窒息而死。
“Bye, bro,” Candlewick muttered.
"再见，兄弟,"烛芯咕哝着。
“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Brutus rumbled. Hammersmith picked up Candlewick with his levitation, not wincing at the crack in his horn, and set him carefully on Brutus’s back.
"来吧。"我们离开这儿吧,"布鲁图斯嘟囔着。哈默史密斯抬起蜡烛芯，小心翼翼地把它放在布鲁图斯的背上。
“Hell of a day,” Storm Front muttered.
"糟糕的一天,"斯托姆·弗朗特喃喃自语。
“It’s not over yet, laddie,” Hammersmith replied, walking over to the smoldering body. “This is for not paying yer bloody bills, you sodding slag.” The steel sledge came down, pulverizing Toaster's immolated remains. Suddenly, the
"还没结束呢，小伙子,"哈默史密斯回答道，走向闷烧的尸体。"这是因为你没有付账单，你这该死的荡妇。"钢制雪橇滑了下来，碾碎了烤面包机牺牲的残骸。突然之间
smoking remains exploded, showering the bearded pony with steaming bits of gore and bone. Hammersmith blinked, then picked a curved bit of skull out of his beard. “You bloody blazing son of a bitch,” he said as he scraped the gore off his face. “You just had to explode one last bloody time, didn’t you?” Together, the Reapers walked out of the smoking tomb.
冒着烟的残骸爆炸了，留着胡须的小马身上洒满了热气腾腾的血块和骨头。哈默史密斯眨了眨眼，然后从胡子里掏出一块弯曲的头骨。"你这个该死的狗娘养的,"他一边说，一边把脸上的血擦掉。"你不得不最后爆发一次，是不是?"收割者们一起走出冒着烟的坟墓。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
“He lived. They lived,” I said as I pulled myself out of my blank’s mind. Bastard looked over, vaguely baffled, but Scotch snapped her head around at me, her eyes full of wild hope. Immediately I stared at her, my smile fading and with it I watched her crumple anew. “Not…” The light died in her blue eyes as she slumped. “I’m sorry, Scotch.”
"他活下来了。他们活了下来,"我一边说，一边把自己从空白的脑海中拉了出来。淘气包看了一眼，有点困惑，但苏格兰威士忌猛地转过头来看着我，她的眼睛里充满了狂野的希望。我立刻盯着她，我的微笑消失了，随之而来的是我看着她再次皱起来。"不......"当她倒下的时候，光线在她蓝色的眼睛里熄灭了。"对不起，苏格兰威士忌。"
“I just thought… since you and Glory survived so many times… maybe…” Scotch murmured hollowly.
"我只是想......既然你和晨辉活了这么多次......也许......"苏格兰人低声说。
I carefully moved over to her couch and put a wing around her. “I’m sorry,” I repeated, not knowing what else to say. “I meant some other ponies. They killed all three bunkers… but… I thought…” I shook my head. “I wasn’t thinking…”
我小心翼翼地挪到她的沙发上，在她身上放了一只翅膀。"对不起,"我重复道，不知道还能说什么。"我是说其他的小马。他们把三个地堡都炸死了......但是......我想......"我摇了摇头。"我当时没想......"
The young mare turned from me. “It’s just… it’s Mom all over again. I wasn’t there when she died. The Overmare ordered her recycled before they told me she was dead. I just… I just went home, and Rivets was there telling me I was getting moved to C shift. It was like she never existed in the first place.”
那匹年轻的母马转身离开了我。"只是......妈妈的事又重演了。她死的时候我不在。在他们告诉我她已经死了之前，Overmare命令她回收。我只是...我只是回家了，瑞维茨在那里告诉我，我要调到c班了。就好像她根本就不存在一样。"
“She did, Scotch. And I know she’d be proud of you. P-21 was,” I said as I gave her a little hug with my wing.
"是的，苏格兰威士忌。我知道她会为你骄傲的。"P-21是,"我说，同时用机翼轻轻地拥抱了她一下。
“I wish it hurt. I don’t feel anything. Like the feely part in me is broken or something,” she said as she pressed her cheek against the window behind her seat. “It’s not fair. You came back two times… three?”
"我希望它会痛。我什么都感觉不到。就像我内心深处的感情破碎了一样。"她把脸贴在座位后面的窗户上说。"这不公平。你回来过两次......三次?"
“I’ve kinda lost track myself,” I replied with a sad smile. “I wish they all could.”
"我自己也有点迷路了,"我带着悲伤的微笑回答道。"我希望他们都可以。"
“He should get to come back once,” she said, and then the young mare leaned over and pressed her face to my shoulder. “I want him back,” she sobbed loudly as I held her in my hooves. I nuzzled the top of her head, fighting to keep myself together. I had to keep it together. I couldn’t fall apart now, couldn’t afford to slip onto that mattress and wallow in grief. Maybe it was Luna, or maybe it was
"他应该可以回来一次,"她说，然后年轻的母马俯下身来，把她的脸贴在我的肩膀上。"我要他回来,"当我用蹄子抱着她时，她大声地抽泣着。我用鼻子蹭了蹭她的头顶，努力让自己保持镇定。我必须振作起来。我现在不能崩溃，不能滑倒在床垫上，沉浸在悲伤中。也许是露娜，也许是
me, but I only let a few tears slip down my cheeks and gave a snotty sniff before I beat back that terrible welling of emotion inside me. But Scotch, at least, could weep. I envied her that.
但我只流了几滴眼泪，鼻涕一吸，就把内心那股可怕的感情压了回去。但至少苏格兰威士忌可以让人哭泣。我很羡慕她。
I glanced over at Bastard, glaring at him, challenging him to make one dismissive snort or snide smirk. All he did was blow a stream of smoke and look away from us and out the window at the approaching planet.
我瞥了一眼淘气包，怒视着他，挑战他做出一个轻蔑的鼻息或冷笑。他所做的只是吹出一股烟雾，把目光从我们身上移开，透过窗户看向即将到来的行星。
When Scotch calmed, she rubbed her snotty nose and bloodshot eyes and errantly blew the former in my wing. Cognitum’s fancy schmancy rocket had gravity, unlike the other one, preventing snot meteors from floating all over the place. My mane stood up on end… but hey, I could live with a little snot. “Sorry,” she said, wiping her muzzle on the back of her foreleg.
苏格兰人平静下来后，她揉了揉鼻涕鼻子和充血的眼睛，不小心把鼻涕吹到了我的翅膀上。科涅塔姆的奇特火箭有重力，不像另一个火箭，它可以防止流星四处漂浮。我的鬃毛竖了起来......但是，嘿，我可以忍受一点鼻涕。"对不起,"她一边说，一边用前腿后部擦拭着她的口鼻。
“Oh, that’s alright,” I answered lightly, “I was due.” I wiped the wing off on the velvet upholstery, trying to keep my disgust from showing. Yeech! It wouldn’t come off! What was up her muzzle, a glue factory? Finally, I managed to get it off, but I left a half dozen or so small white feathers adhered to the seat. Scotch Tape gave a little smile, but it came nowhere near her eyes. Bastard just shook his head with mute disapproval. “What! It’s sticky! I don’t know how Glor–” I stopped as my mental workings went ‘clunk’.
"哦，没关系,"我轻轻地回答,"我应得的。"我把天鹅绒家具上的翅膀擦掉，尽量不让自己的恶心表现出来。耶！它不会掉下来！她的嘴巴上是什么，胶水工厂吗？最后，我终于把它弄下来了，但我还是在座位上留下了半打左右的白色小羽毛。透明胶带露出了一丝微笑，但是那微笑从她的眼睛附近消失了。淘气包只是摇摇头表示不满。"什么！粘糊糊的！我不知道怎么回事——"我停了下来，因为我的思维工作发出了"沉闷"的声音。
Scotch Tape came immediately to my rescue, asking, “Did you say they took out the bunkers? Isn’t that good?” Her eyes were still wet with tears, but she was clearly trying to be brave.
苏格兰胶带立即来到我的救援，问:"你说他们把掩体拿出来了吗？这不是很好吗?"她的眼里仍然含着泪水，但她显然是在努力变得勇敢。
I gave mental thanks to my fellow ‘Don’t Think About It Club’ member. “It… it means no more reinforcements. He’s still got thousands of troops, but now that’s all he has.” It was still more than we had defenders. Way more. “He also has this great big storm thingy over the Skyport. It looks like a tornado with a face.”
我在心里感谢我的"不要去想它俱乐部"会员。"这...这意味着没有援军了。他还有成千上万的军队，但现在他只有这些了。"这仍然比我们的防守队员要多。远不止这些。"他在天空港上空也有一个巨大的风暴物体。它看起来就像一个有脸的龙卷风。"
“A Tempest?” Bastard blurted in alarm. “Where the hell did he get one of those?” Scotch Tape and I shared a flat look, then simultaneously turned to him, brows arched. He colored a little. “I banged a zebra mare once on a semi regular basis a long time ago. Leave me alone.”
"暴风雨?"那个混蛋惊慌地脱口而出。"他到底从哪儿弄来的?"我和苏格兰胶带看起来很平，然后同时转向他，眉毛弯起来。他涂了一点颜色。"很久以前，我曾经半定期地干过一头母斑马。别来烦我。"
We again shared a look and shook our heads. “Give us a little more than that,” I prompted. “What is it?”
我们再次一起看了一眼，摇了摇头。"再多给我们一点,"我提示道。"这是什么?"
“A zebra weather control fetish with an air elemental spirit stuck inside it,
一个斑马天气控制迷恋一个空气元素的灵魂
usually in a bad mood. They were supposed to be the next step in superweapons. Put them on a missile and unleash them to rampage all over pony lands like megaspells. Think a constant, sapient balefire bomb.”
通常心情不好。他们被认为是超级武器的下一步。把它们放在导弹上，然后放出来在小马的土地上横冲直撞，就像巨头一样。想象一个永恒的智慧的巴里火炸弹。"
I’d much rather think of almost anything else. I’d seen two balefire bombs way too close for my comfort. Also, that wasn’t what I’d meant. “How do I beat it?” I asked.
我宁愿想想其他的事情。我已经看到了两个火焰炸弹离我太近，让我很不舒服。而且，我也不是这个意思。"我怎么才能战胜它?"我问道。
“With difficulty. I have no idea, really. Xulu only knew because she was a shaman, and she only knew because the spirits were terrified of what was happening during the war,” he answered with a shrug, then stabbed a hoof at me. “And that’s it. Don’t ask me more than that. I’m boring. I’m plain. I’m just a hitpony who gets paid to put bullets in people. Got it?” He stabbed the lit end of the cigarette at me with a note of alarm in his voice. “I am not a hero. Not special. Not interesting. Understand?”
"有点困难。我真的不知道。祖鲁之所以知道，是因为她是一个萨满巫师，而她之所以知道，是因为鬼魂们害怕战争期间发生的事情,"他耸耸肩回答，然后用蹄子捅了我一下。"就是这样。别再问我了。我很无聊。我很平凡。我只是一个拿钱杀人的希特马。懂了吗?"他用一种警告的语气用点燃的香烟头向我刺来。"我不是英雄。没什么特别的。没意思。明白吗?"
Now I had something to distract me. “Well, I don’t know. Now I have all kinds of questions about how a hitpony and a shaman ended up together.” I glanced at my blank body. There were all kinds of things I needed to check, but I also needed this. What if I jumped in and saw Homage die? Or Charity? After feeling Candlewick’s burned body, even I needed a moment or two.
现在我有东西分散我的注意力。"好吧，我不知道。现在我有各种各样的问题，比如一个hitpony和一个萨满巫师是如何走到一起的。"我瞥了一眼自己茫然的身体。有各种各样的东西我需要检查，但我也需要这个。如果我跳进去，看着"致敬"死去会怎么样？还是慈善机构？感觉到蜡烛芯烧焦的身体后，我也需要一两分钟。
He clenched his jaw, pushing his glasses up and looking out the window. “Come on. Please?” Scotch Tape asked.
他咬紧牙关，把眼镜往上推，看着窗外。"来吧。求你了?"透明胶带问道。
“No,” he said sharply, scowling at the young mare. “Look, not everyone has a great big story behind them. So just live with that, because I’m not saying more.”
"不,"他严厉地说，怒视着年轻的母马。"你看，不是每个人背后都有一个伟大的故事。所以，接受现实吧，因为我不会多说什么。"
I rubbed my nose. “I don’t know. Knowing my talent for gathering weird people, you’re probably two centuries old after escaping a M.o.M. stasis spell because you were caught trying to assassinate Twilight Sparkle for the O.I.A.” He stared at me for several seconds, and I grinned. “I’m right on one of them, aren’t I?”
我揉了揉鼻子。"我不知道。他盯着我看了几秒钟，我咧嘴笑了笑。他说:"我知道我有收集怪人的天赋，你可能已经两百岁了，因为你被抓到企图暗杀战略行动紫悦。"。"我就在其中一个上面，不是吗?"
“No. You just must have known some pretty freaky people.” The reply wiped the grin from my face.
"没有。你肯定认识一些很奇怪的人。"回答把我脸上的笑容抹去了。
I had known a lot of exceptional people, but also plenty who hadn’t been. And some who might have seemed not-so-exceptional who had been more than I could have imagined. “Guess I do,” I muttered, my momentary elation smashing
我认识很多优秀的人，但也有很多人不是这样。还有一些看起来并不那么特别的人，他们的表现超出了我的想象。"我想是的,"我咕哝着，心中一时的欢欣鼓舞扑通扑通一声
back down to reality.
回到现实。
“And a lot of them tend to die,” he continued flatly, making me turn my face from him as I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep myself together. “No thanks. I’m glad I’m alive, but I don’t want to follow you around. That’s just... too dangerous.” He turned away on his seat.
"他们中的很多人都快死了,"他继续说道。我咬紧牙关，努力让自己保持镇定，这让我把脸从他身上转过去。"不用了，谢谢。我很高兴我还活着，但我不想跟着你。这实在......太危险了。"他在座位上转过身去。
“That Bastard,” Scotch Tape muttered, the young mare glowering at his back, then up at me. I kept trying to keep focused, but thoughts and memories kept rolling through my head. P-21. Rampage. Lacunae. Discord... kinda. So many people had suffered and died to help me, taking bullets that should have finished me off. Scoodle had merely been the first. How many others had died, or were dying, because of me? “Blackjack?” Scotch Tape asked in alarm. Dusty Trails. Big Daddy. Charm hadn’t died, but had come close. Silver Spoon. If I hadn’t used her, she’d still have been alive in the boneyard... it was my fault. It was all my fault. Scotch Tape’s eyes went wide as things started going black. “Blackjack!” she cried out. Dealer... he’d died so perfunctorily I’d barely noticed and hadn’t thought of it till now! Slaves killed in Fallen Arch. Reapers killed by Rangers. Rangers by Reapers. My sister! My stable! I couldn’t stop it! Couldn’t stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!
"那个混蛋,"苏格兰磁带喃喃自语，年轻的母马怒视着他的背，然后向我走来。我一直努力集中注意力，但是思想和记忆一直在我脑海中翻滚。P-21.横冲直撞。空隙。有点不和谐。那么多人为了帮助我而受苦，为了帮助我而牺牲，他们挨了本该杀死我的子弹。史酷德只不过是第一个。还有多少人因为我而死去或濒临死亡？"黑杰克?"苏格兰胶带警惕地问。尘土飞扬的小径。大老爹。魅力还没有消失，但已经接近了。银汤匙。如果我没有利用她，她现在还活在墓地里......这都是我的错。都是我的错。苏格兰胶带的眼睛睁得大大的，因为事情开始变得黑暗。"黑杰克!"她大声喊道。毒贩子......他死得如此敷衍，我几乎没有注意到，直到现在才想到这一点！在堕落拱门被杀的奴隶。被突击队杀死的死神。流浪者作者:Reapers。我的妹妹！我的马厩！我阻止不了！无法阻止！住手！住手！住手！住手！
“Breathe!” Scotch Tape yelled in my face, the word sounding like it was coming from underwater as the rocket’s interior faded to black. Finally, it all stopped.
"呼吸!"透明胶带对着我的脸大喊，这个词听起来像是从水下传来的，因为火箭的内部已经褪成了黑色。最终，一切都停止了。
* * *
* * *
When I came to, I was still in the rocket, with my head throbbing and feeling... on the mattress. I could hear Scotch Tape and Bastard arguing in the distance. Next to me was my blank body. I clenched my eyes closed, pressing my face into the padding of the chair. I wanted my old rocket back, funky smell and all. I wanted to go back to Star House with my friends. To 99! To Canterlot!
当我苏醒过来的时候，我还在火箭里，我的头在床垫上悸动着，感觉.....。我可以听到远处ScotchTape和淘气包在争吵。我旁边是我空白的身体。我紧闭双眼，把脸贴在椅子的垫子上。我想要回我的旧火箭，臭气熏天。我想和我的朋友们一起回星星之家。敬99！去坎特罗特！
I didn’t want to think about what had happened. It’d been ages since I’d had an attack like that, and as I thought about it, guilt roared at me to suck it up and deal. There was too much riding on this! Too many still counting on me. Too many who’d died for me! What kind of scum was I to lie here like this, feeling overwhelmed and wanting nothing more than to retreat to when my life had been whole and simple and so much easier to face? I crushed myself into that mattress, and piled more mattresses atop me, wanting to be mashed to oblivion.
我不想去想发生了什么。我已经很长时间没有发作过这样的心脏病了，当我想到这一点的时候，内疚咆哮着让我忍气吞声。这件事牵扯太多了！还有太多人指望着我。太多人为我而死！我这样躺在这里，感到不知所措，只想回到我的生活是完整的，简单的，容易面对的时候，我是什么样的渣滓？我把自己挤进了那张床垫，又在身上堆了更多的床垫，想要被捣成糊状被遗忘。
I levitated my old body to me and embraced it, pressing my horn to my old brow. I had to hide. Take a disguise. Go away till I was safe and in control and could do what everyone demanded I do. I couldn’t be in charge of Equestria right now. I couldn’t save the Wasteland now. I didn’t want this. Anything but this. So I touched my horn and let everything swirl away, picking a pool and disappearing inside.
我把自己的身体悬浮起来，拥抱它，用我的角抵住自己的额头。我不得不躲起来。伪装一下。走开，直到我安全，可以控制，可以做每个人都要求我做的事情。我现在不能掌管Equestria。我现在无法拯救荒原。我不想这样的。除了这个什么都行。于是我摸了摸我的号角，让一切都随风而去，捡起一个池塘，消失在里面。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
The defense was in shambles, but it persisted. The Rainbow Dash Skyport had become a hot point. Brood pushed along the ground while winds whipped the defenders along the fortified walls. Overhead, the Tempest roared continuously as three Raptors wheeled and banked. Their plasma cannons seemed woefully ineffective as they struggled to avoid two lesser vortices that the Tempest swung like lightning-clawed limbs. One of the three had suffered terribly, trailing smoke and limping away as the Tempest howled and flailed at the other two.
防守是混乱的，但它坚持了下来。彩虹破折号已经成为一个热点。布鲁德夫妇沿着地面向前推进，而狂风则沿着防御工事的墙壁鞭打着防御者。头顶上，暴风雨持续咆哮着，三架猛禽机在空中盘旋。他们的等离子炮似乎效果不佳，因为他们努力避开两个较小的漩涡，暴风雨像闪电般挥舞着四肢。三个人中的一个非常痛苦，尾随着烟雾，一瘸一拐地离开了，暴风雨号叫着挥舞着另外两个人。
“Wow. Feels just like the old days,” Rainbow Dash croaked as she landed in the middle of the Skyport. She darted in, silent as a ghost as she made her way to the command center... but it was a wreck. Something had exploded in there, and I couldn’t help but imagine a Brood unicorn teleporting in with a bomb and out with Goldenblood. She raced outside, where teams of unarmed ponies clustered around the main terminal, flapping their wings furiously as they clutched whatever they could.
"哇。"感觉就像回到了过去,"彩虹·达什在飞机降落在机场中央时发出嘶哑的声音。她飞快地冲了进去，一言不发地向指挥中心走去......但那里一片狼藉。有什么东西在那里爆炸了，我忍不住想象一只育雏独角兽带着炸弹传送进来，带着金色血液离开。她跑到外面，一队队没有武器的小马聚集在主航站楼周围，拼命地拍打着翅膀，尽可能地抓住任何东西。
“Keep flapping!” a soldier bellowed at the civilians. “We’ve got to keep up a counterclockwise spin or that thing is going to suck the roof right off the building!”
"继续拍翅膀!"一个士兵冲着平民大吼大叫。"我们必须保持逆时针方向旋转，否则那东西会把大楼的屋顶都吸下来!"
Rainbow Dash raced up to the armored pegasus. “Where is General Storm Chaser?”
彩虹·达什冲向装甲飞马。"风暴追逐者将军在哪里?"
“Who the fuck are you?” the soldier asked in shock, looking at her in bafflement.
"你他妈的是谁?"士兵惊讶地问，困惑地看着她。
Of course, he must not know the purple power armor with flowy cape.
当然，他一定不知道带着飘逸斗篷的紫色威力盔甲。
“Where is General Storm Chaser, Private?” Rainbow Dash barked in the precise tone to make the blue stallion stiffen up. “Report!”
"追风将军在哪里，二等兵?"彩虹·达什用精确的音调咆哮着，使这匹蓝色的种马僵硬起来。"报告!"
He instantly saluted. “Ma’am, she relocated to the Castellanus’s radio room when our command center was destroyed. Chains of command have broken
他立即敬礼。"夫人，当我们的指挥中心被摧毁时，她搬到了卡斯特兰纳斯的无线电室。指挥系统已经崩溃
down all over the valley, and we’re just trying to keep things together here. The Brood have made a big push over the last ten minutes for some reason, and that Tempest is tying up all our air support! We’re grounded over almost half the valley.”
遍布整个山谷，我们只是想让这里的一切都井井有条。出于某种原因，在过去的十分钟里，魔龙军团做了很大的努力，而暴风雨正在占用我们所有的空中支援！我们的飞机几乎覆盖了整个山谷。"
Rainbow peered up at the three. “I see the Cyclone, the Sleet, and the Rampage. Where’re Blizzard and Sirocco?”
彩虹凝视着这三个人。"我看到了旋风、雨夹雪和暴怒。暴雪和热风在哪里?"
“No idea, ma’am. Probably bolted. I’ve got my orders to try and counteract that wind, but we’re barely making a dent,” he said over the gale.
"不知道，夫人。可能是逃跑了。我接到命令，尽量抵消风力，但我们几乎毫无进展,"他在大风中说。
“No surprise. A Tempest can generate ten thousand wingpower without breaking a sweat. Damned megafetish,” she said before turning and running towards the downed Raptor beside the terminal. “Sometimes, Fluttershy, I really wish you’d have talked to us before making your damned megaspell matrix. Frigging Goldenblood...” she muttered as she raced towards the machine. The propellers along the top were turning faster and faster. “She can’t be thinking of taking this thing into the air now. It’s not even skyworthy in a calm!”
"没什么好惊讶的。一场暴风雨可以不费吹灰之力就产生一万个翅膀力量。该死的恋物癖,"她说，然后转身跑向航站楼旁被击落的猛禽号。"有时候，Fluttershy，我真希望你在制作你那该死的巨型矩阵之前能和我们谈谈。该死的金色血液......"她一边向机器冲去，一边咕哝着。顶部的螺旋桨转得越来越快。"她现在不可能想把这东西放到空中。在平静的天气里，它甚至不值得飞翔!"
She must have cloaked, because she slipped right between the two sentries at the gate. The Castellanus lived once more, her interior illuminated sporadically by various flickering light sources as her deck groaned and moaned underneath her. Pegasus engineers worked furiously to bang away at the mechanisms while others were taking some boxes on and removing others. More than once, the guards and workers gave a double look, as if catching a glimpse of a ripple of cloaked cloak, but they all rushed back to their work, too busy to start chasing ghosts.
她一定是穿了隐形衣，因为她正好从大门口的两个哨兵之间溜了过去。卡斯特兰纳斯又活了下来，她的内部被各种闪烁的光源偶尔照亮，甲板在她下面呻吟着。飞马公司的工程师们拼命地工作，不停地敲打机械装置，而其他人则在搬运一些箱子，拆除另外一些。看守和工作人员不止一次地看了两眼，好像瞥见了一丝隐形斗篷的涟漪，但他们都赶回去工作，忙得没时间开始追逐鬼魂。
“Get those pumps working!” a familiar voice yelled. Chicanery stood in a rumpled suit that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks, an oversized helmet perched on his head, next to a hole in the floor plates. “No, no! If the breaker’s no good, then it’s no good. Don’t electrocute yourself trying to get it in.” He popped his head up and started at the sight of the cloaked blur, then reached for a boxy, battered beam pistol and pointed it right at her, jaw working.
"让水泵工作起来!"一个熟悉的声音喊道。奇卡纳里站在那里，身上穿着皱巴巴的西装，看上去好几个星期没洗过了，头上戴着一顶超大号的头盔，旁边是地板上的一个洞。"不，不！如果断路器不好，那就不好。不要试图把它弄进去而电死自己。"他突然抬起头，一看到身影就吓了一跳，然后伸手去拿一把四四方方、破烂烂的光束手枪，正对着她，下巴张得紧紧的。
“The safety is on,” Rainbow said as she decloaked, and at her appearance he relaxed a little. “Good eyes, though, Chicanery. What are you doing here?”
"保险栓打开了,"彩虹一边说，一边打开了她的斗篷，看到她的样子，他稍微放松了一点。""不过眼力不错，骗子。你在这儿干什么?"
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve asked myself that ever since the skies blew up,” he said after holstering the gun. “It was a choice between helping here or cowering in
他翻了翻白眼。"自从天空爆炸以来，我就一直在问自己这个问题,"他扣紧枪套后说。"要么在这里帮忙，要么畏缩不前
the terminal waiting to be made, you know, terminal.” He turned and peered down the hole. “No! Nevermind who I’m talking to. If you can’t get that pump powered directly, then wire it to a spark battery. We only need it for a few minutes!” He returned his pale eyes back to her. “While video production is more my thing, I spent two years working as an electrical rigger for lots of propaganda projects. Lighting. Sound system. Stuff like that.”
等待建造的航站楼，你知道，航站楼他转过身往洞里看。"不！别管我在跟谁说话。如果你不能让泵直接供电，那么就把它连接到火花电池上。我们只需要几分钟!"他把苍白的眼睛又转回到她身上。"虽然视频制作更多的是我的事情，但我花了两年时间为许多宣传项目做电力装配工。照明。音响系统。诸如此类。"
“I’m looking for Storm Chaser? Bridge?” she asked with a toss of her head.
"我在找风暴追逐者？桥牌?"她摇摇头问道。
“CIC. Flight bridge is too thrashed. But I don’t understand why she wants us to get this thing fixed for fifteen minutes of flying. We’re going to need more than that, aren’t we?” Chicanery asked with a worried frown.
「中投公司。飞行驾驶台被撞得太厉害了。但是我不明白为什么她要我们把这个东西修好，飞15分钟。我们需要更多，不是吗?"诈骗犯愁眉苦脸地问。
“Not if she’s doing what I think she’s doing,” Rainbow Dash said as she peered down the hall. “Listen. Do me a favor and hang around outside the bridge for a few minutes, okay? If the ship takes off, get out an emergency hatch, but I might need some help.”
"除非她在做我认为她正在做的事情,"彩虹·达什说，她凝视着走廊。"听着。帮我个忙，在桥外面等几分钟，好吗？如果船起飞了，打开紧急舱门，但我可能需要帮助。"
“Um, sure,” Chicanery said with a worried frown, then leaned over and shouted down, “Look, when you get that pump going, go talk to Calliope outside. He’s probably got more things for you to do.”
"嗯，当然可以,"奇卡纳里愁眉苦脸地说，然后俯下身子大声喊道,"听着，等你把泵打开了，到外面去和卡莉欧碧谈谈。他可能有更多的事情要你去做。"
They walked quickly along a hall, with Rainbow Dash gesturing with a wing for him to hang back. In the bridge, a number of cables ran to a terminal in front of the captain’s chair. It was also filled up with dozens and dozens of boxes and crates. The gray mare sat in the seat, typing on the terminal as others worked around her. She looked like hell, her uniform stained and splashed with blood and her mane out of its normally neat bun. “That’s it. I have attitude control now,” Storm Chaser shouted at an engineer over the rumble. “The reactor’s already starting to overheat,” she then muttered as she stared at the screen and hit a button. “Everypony out,” her voice boomed over the intercom. “You have two minutes to get your feathers off this ship!”
他们沿着一个大厅快步走着，彩虹·达什指着一只翅膀让他往后退。在舰桥上，一些电缆通向船长座椅前的终端。里面还装满了一打又一打的箱子和板条箱。灰色的母马坐在座位上，在终端上打字，其他人在她周围工作。她看起来像地狱，她的制服沾满了血迹，她的鬃毛从平时整洁的发髻上脱落下来。"就是这样。我现在可以控制态度了,"风暴追逐者在隆隆声中冲着一位工程师喊道。"反应堆已经开始过热了,"她盯着屏幕，按了一个按钮，喃喃自语道。"所有小马都出去,"她的声音在对讲机里低沉地响起。"你有两分钟时间把你的羽毛从船上拿下来!"
“Ma’am! We don’t have the control uplink established yet. It’ll take a few more minutes!” one of the engineers called out. Rainbow Dash carefully opened up one of the crates and was greeted by the sight of dozens of glowing green orbs nestled in padding.
"夫人！我们还没有建立控制上行链路。还需要几分钟!"一个工程师喊道。彩虹·达什小心翼翼地打开其中一个箱子，迎接他的是几十个发光的绿色球体躺在填充物中。
“I’ve got it. I’ll get off the second it’s live, and the Rampage can guide her straight down that thing’s gullet,” Storm Chaser said as she worked the controls.
"我明白了。我会在它启动的第二秒下车，狂暴可以引导她直接进入那东西的食道,"斯托姆·查瑟一边操作控制器一边说。
“Everypony out! Move!”
"大家都出去！快走!"
As the last engineer left the room, Rainbow Dash grabbed him from behind. “Wait a minute. Just stay right there.” And then she turned and stepped inside. “So, when did you become skilled in information networks, General?”
当最后一个工程师离开房间时，彩虹·达什从后面抓住了他。"等一下。就呆在那儿。"然后她转身走了进去。"那么，你什么时候变得擅长信息网络了，将军?"
“You,” Storm Chaser answered, looking over at Rainbow Dash in shock. “Did you jam their network?”
"你,"风暴追逐者回答，震惊地看着彩虹冲刺。"你干扰了他们的网络吗?"
“Homage was working on that when I left. I came as soon as I saw the Tempest. She got a report by alicorn that the bunkers are all down. Survivors are being evacuated to the Arena and University,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked around at all the boxes. “You’re turning the Castellanus into a fireship.”
"我离开的时候,'敬意'正在起作用。我一看到暴风雨就赶来了。她接到阿里克松的报告说地堡都被炸毁了。幸存者正在被疏散到体育馆和大学,"彩虹·达什说，她看了看周围所有的箱子。"你把卡斯特兰纳斯号变成了一艘火船。"
“That’s the idea,” the general replied tersely.
"就是这个意思,"将军简洁地回答。
“Good idea,” Rainbow Dash answered as she walked in front of the general. “And since you don’t have the fifteen or twenty minutes it’d take you to set up the link, test it, and get off safely, you’re going to fly the ship yourself, aren’t you?”
"好主意,"彩虹·达什走在将军面前回答。"既然你没有十五到二十分钟的时间来建立连接，测试它，然后安全下船，你就要自己驾驶这艘船，不是吗?"
“It’s my responsibility,” Storm Chaser said, keeping her eyes on the screen. “I can’t order somepony else to do this.”
"这是我的责任,"StormChaser说，眼睛一直盯着屏幕。"我不能让别人来做这件事。"
“Big Daddy is dead,” Rainbow Dash rasped. The gray pegasus lifted her head in alarm, staring at Rainbow. “The Reapers who survived gave Homage the news.” She slowly approached the mare. “You’re the only mare with any strategic leadership experience left. You are not flying this mission.”
"大老爹死了,"彩虹·达什粗声粗气地说。灰色的飞马惊恐地抬起头，盯着彩虹。"活下来的收割者告诉了我们这个消息。"她慢慢地走近那匹母马。"你是唯一一匹拥有战略领导经验的母马。你不能执行这个任务。"
Storm Chaser didn’t look at her. “I’m not sure my leadership is worth much anymore. I made a critical mistake and underestimated my enemy. We lost Goldenblood, and that Tempest has pinned me down here.”
风暴追逐者没有看她一眼。"我不确定我的领导能力还有多大价值。我犯了一个严重的错误，低估了我的敌人。我们失去了金血王，暴风雨把我困在了这里。"
“So your plan met the enemy and fell apart. He learned a few tricks with unicorns, which he probably took from our alicorns, and pulled out a trump card. I saw what you had those boys doing. If you had a half dozen more Raptors, you could probably take out that Tempest without sacrificing one, too. You’re doing what a general needs to do,” Rainbow Dash replied.
"所以你的计划遇到了敌人，失败了。他学会了一些独角兽的把戏，可能是从我们的橡子那里学来的，然后拿出了一张王牌。我看到你让那些男孩做的事了。如果你有半打以上的猛禽，你可能会采取暴风雨不牺牲一个太多。你正在做一个将军需要做的事,"彩虹·达什回答道。
“It’s not good enough!” Storm Chaser cried out, tears on her cheeks. “Don’t you
"这还不够好!"风暴追逐者哭了出来，泪水在她的脸颊上。"难道你不是吗
understand? Ever since I came to this damned place, I haven’t been a good enough leader. Too many mistakes. Too many things I allowed to get ahead of me. Ponies have died because I couldn’t do what needed to be done! The Enclave failed. I failed.” She shook her head, then bowed it. “These ponies don’t need me. They need a leader like you.”
明白吗？自从我来到这个该死的地方，我就不是一个好的领导者。太多的错误。太多的事情我让它们超越了我。小马死了，因为我不能做需要做的事情！昂科雷失败了。我失败了。"她摇了摇头，然后低下了头。"这些小马不需要我。他们需要一个像你这样的领袖。"
“Me?” Rainbow Dash reached up and removed the hat and helmet, frowning down at Storm Chaser.
"我?"彩虹达什伸手摘下帽子和头盔，皱着眉头看着风暴追逐者。
“You’re a Ministry Mare,” Storm Chaser said with a smile. “You’re Rainbow Dash. If you stepped up, I know you could turn this around. You can do anything!” she said with a grin, taking Rainbow’s hooves in hers.
"你是一匹魔法部的母马,"风暴追逐者微笑着说。"你是彩虹·达什。如果你能挺身而出我知道你能扭转局面。你可以做任何事!"她咧嘴笑着说，把彩虹的蹄子套在自己的身上。
“Yeah. I am pretty awesome,” the ghoul replied as she leaned down towards her. “Except you’re forgetting one thing: I failed too.” Storm Chaser’s smile faded as doubt entered her eyes. “I fucked up one end to the other. I gave my loyalty to Equestria, when I should have kept it with my friends.” She glanced at the boxes. “I failed to really lead the pegasi when I was needed most. Ran away instead. I failed and I died... and I failed at that, too.” She sighed and brushed back her hoof, shedding a few strands of mane. “These ponies don’t need a leader from the past. They go with me, they're headed in the wrong direction. They need a leader who can carry them forward. Somepony they know and trust.”
"是的。"我真的很棒,"食尸鬼俯身向她回答。"除了你忘了一件事:我也失败了。"暴风追逐者的微笑随着疑虑进入她的眼睛而消失了。"我把两头都搞砸了。我把我的忠诚献给了Equestria，而我本应该把它留给我的朋友。"她扫了一眼包厢。"在最需要我的时候，我没能真正领导飞马座。而是逃跑了。我失败了，我死了......我也失败了。"她叹了口气，拉了拉她的蹄子，脱落了几缕鬃毛。"这些小马不需要过去的领袖。他们跟我走，他们走错方向了。他们需要一个能带领他们前进的领导者。一些他们了解和信任的人。"
Storm Chaser closed her eyes. “I’m not sure I can save them.”
风暴追逐者闭上了眼睛。"我不确定我能否拯救他们。"
“Maybe you can’t. We’re outnumbered twenty to one. We’ve cut off their reinforcements, but there’re still a whole lot of enemies left. And if we don’t have somepony pulling things together and telling people what to do, we’re not going to get anything done.” She slipped the helmet onto her hoof. “And because we’re running out of time and I really don’t want to argue–”
"也许你不能。我们的人数是他们的二十倍。我们已经切断了他们的援军，但敌人还是很多。而且，如果我们没有一个能把事情团结起来，告诉人们该做什么的人，我们什么也做不成。"她把头盔套在马蹄上。"因为我们时间不多了我真的不想吵架"
Rainbow brought the helmet around, striking Storm Chaser in the temple and staggering her in her seat. The mare wasn’t quite knocked out, but she was dazed. “Chicanery, come quick. You’ve got some duct tape, right?”
彩虹把头盔带了过来，击中了寺庙里的风暴追逐者，在座位上摇摇晃晃地走着。这匹母马还没有完全昏迷过去，但是她已经头昏眼花了。"骗子，快来。你有胶带，对吧?"
The white pegasus trotted back in, his eyes wide. “It’s standard issue for engineers. Why?” he said as he pulled out the roll. Rainbow Dash seized it, looped it round one hoof, and tore off strips with her teeth, leaving bits of her wispy rainbow-hued mane in the adhesive, then wrapped it around Storm
白色的飞马小跑回来，他的眼睛睁得大大的。"这是工程师的标准配置。为什么?"他一边说，一边拿出那卷纸。彩虹·达什抓住它，把它绕在一只蹄子上，用牙齿撕下一片片，在粘合剂里留下她那纤细的彩虹色的鬃毛，然后把它缠在斯托姆身上
Chaser’s hooves and covered her mouth. By the time the mare had gathered her wits enough to start resisting, Rainbow was finishing taping her wingtips together behind her back. Chicanery watched it all with a hapless expression. “Oh, I am so dead.”
追赶者用蹄子挡住了她的嘴。等到这匹母马恢复了理智开始反抗时，彩虹已经把她的翼梢在背后绑好了。骗子们带着一种不幸的表情看着这一切。"哦，我死定了。"
“Eh, could be worse,” Rainbow replied as she dumped Storm Chaser across his back. She undid the clasps of her armor and pulled herself out of it, then piled armor, hat, helmet, and cape on top of the glaring general. “Get her out of here. I’ll fly this mission. There’s never been a better flier in the skies than me, Raptor or not.” She patted the heap on the straining stallion’s back. “Get the suit to somepony who’ll use it. Won’t do for Mare Do Well to just disappear from the Wasteland.”
"呃，还有更糟的呢,"彩虹一边回答，一边把风暴追逐者甩到他的背上。她解开盔甲上的扣子，把自己从里面拉出来，然后在耀眼的将军头上堆上盔甲、帽子、头盔和斗篷。"把她带出去。我来执行这次任务。不管是不是猛禽，天空中没有比我更好的飞行员了。"她拍了拍那匹紧张的种马的背。"把这套衣服送给会用它的小马。对于好马来说，从荒原上消失是不可能的。"
“Grandma...” Chicanery began to say before Rainbow covered his mouth with a desiccated hoof.
"奶奶......"奇卡纳里在彩虹用干裂的蹄子捂住嘴之前开始说道。
“Reactor’s heating up. Do awesomer than me,” she said as she looked into the angry eyes of the General. “You can do it. Reestablish your lines. Use the Raptors for support once the skies are clear.” She leaned in and rasped, “Don’t give up. Not on yourself. Not on anypony.” The general’s angry eyes softened a little as Chicanery ran out of the room.
"反应堆正在升温。她看着将军愤怒的眼睛说:"你比我厉害。"。"你能做到的。重建你的台词。一旦天空晴朗，就用猛禽作为支援。"她靠过来，粗声粗气地说:"不要放弃。不是你自己。在任何小马身上都没有。"当警察从房间里跑出来时，将军愤怒的眼神变得柔和了一些。
Rainbow Dash flew over and landed in the captain’s chair. “Been a while...” she said as she stroked her hoof over the armrest and gave a little bounce, the chair squeaking. “Oh, yeah. This was the one with the squeaky seat.” She reached over, tugging the terminal connection closer. On it was a diagram of the Raptor, much of it flashing bright red with alerts. “Okay. Activate interlocks,” she said as she hit buttons on the armrest of the chair. “Dynatherms connected. Infracells are up...” She frowned and hit a different button a half dozen times. “Up! Get up, you damned infracells! Good.” Then she pulled over a wheel set on the other arm. “Megathrusters are go!” she said as she pushed a tiny knob to the top of its track. The entire ship began to rumble, and she grinned. “Let’s go, Castellanus!”
彩虹·达什飞过来，落在了船长的椅子上。"有一会儿了......"她边说边用蹄子在扶手上跺了一下，椅子吱吱作响。"哦，是的。这是那个座位吱吱作响的家伙。"她伸出手，把终端连接拉得更紧了。上面有一张猛禽的图表，大部分都闪烁着明亮的红色警报。"好吧。激活联锁,"她一边说，一边按下椅子扶手上的按钮。"戴纳瑟姆斯接通了。她皱起了眉头，按了六次不同的按钮。"起来！起来，你们这些该死的废物！很好。"然后她把另一只手臂上的一个轮子拉过来。"超级推进器启动!"她一边说，一边把一个小把手推到铁轨上。整艘船开始隆隆作响，她咧嘴笑了。"我们走，卡斯特兰纳斯!"
The Raptor groaned and shrieked, lurching back and forth as it clawed for altitude. “Come on! Up ship!” On the front viewscreen, the wall around the Skyport began to loom near, and Dash pulled back on the wheel hard. “Get your ass in the air!” she shouted as the Castellanus rose enough to just barely clear the top, making the defenders stationed there dive for cover as the keel skimmed over them. The ship immediately dropped into the midst of the Brood besieging
猛禽呻吟着，尖叫着，在爬向高空的过程中来回摇晃。"来吧！上船!"在前面的屏幕上，围绕着空中港口的墙壁开始逼近，Dash使劲向后拉着方向盘。"把你的屁股举起来!"当卡斯特兰纳斯刚刚升起，刚刚越过顶端时，她大声喊道，使得驻扎在那里的守卫们在龙骨掠过他们时俯冲寻找掩护。飞船立刻掉进布鲁德军队的围攻中
the Skyport. “Oh horseapples!” she shouted as twisted the wheel with her hooves while her wings pushed buttons and knobs. “Really wish I had time to brush up on this!” she yelled as the Castellanus twisted sideways. “Lift, damn you! I know you got one last good flight in you, Castellanus,” she hissed.
空中港口。"哦，马苹果!"当她的翅膀按动按钮和旋钮的时候，她用蹄子旋转着轮子。"真希望我有时间复习一下这个!"当卡斯特兰纳斯扭向一边时，她大叫起来。"起来，该死的！"我知道你还有最后一次飞行的机会，卡斯特兰纳斯,"她嘶嘶地说。
The whole airship rumbled, the feed from the ventral cameras disappearing into static as the vessel ground a furrow through the attackers, the vibration nearly bucking Rainbow into the air as the seat squeaked wildly. Finally, the ship lurched back into the skies, the display for the keel flashing red. “Well, good thing I’m not planning on landing. I think I left the landing gear lodged in that one’s ass.”
整个飞艇隆隆作响，来自腹侧摄像头的信号消失在静止状态中，飞船在攻击者身上碾过一道沟壑，随着座椅发出疯狂的吱吱声，震动几乎跃入空中的彩虹。最后，船摇摇晃晃地回到了天空中，龙骨的显示屏闪着红光。"好在我没打算着陆。我想我把起落架留在那家伙的屁股里了。"
The Castellanus rumbled, the vibrating deck plates making the crates of arcane high explosives jostle ominously and shift slowly across the deck. In front of her, on the main screen, she watched as the Tempest raked its claws along one of the other Raptors, the lightning blasting furrows along its armor, shearing off one of the propellers that whirled madly atop the vessel, and sending it soaring off into the wild blue yonder. “Hang on, guys. I’m coming,” Rainbow said as her mane fell out around her lap like snow. “Figure it’s about time I caught up with you girls,” she murmured with a small smile.
卡斯特兰纳斯隆隆作响，振动甲板板使成箱的秘密高爆炸药互相挤压，并在甲板上缓慢移动。在她的面前，在主屏幕上，她看着暴风雨掠过其他猛禽的爪子，闪电沿着它的装甲划过一道道沟壑，剪断了一个螺旋桨，螺旋桨在船顶疯狂旋转，把它卷入远方的蓝色荒野中。"等等，伙计们。我来了,"彩虹说，她的鬃毛像雪一样披散在膝盖上。"我想我是时候赶上你们了,"她低声说，脸上带着一丝微笑。
“Come on, Dashie,” Rainbow Dash said to herself in a ghoulish imitation of Pinkie’s voice. “It’ll be fun! We’ll all have our own ministries. I’ll be the ministry of parties!” “But Pinkie, I’m already in the air guard,” she murmured in her normal voice as the ship rattled and hummed around her.
"来吧，大头儿,"彩虹·达什鬼鬼祟祟地模仿着平奇的声音对自己说。"会很有趣的！我们都有自己的事工。我将成为派对的牧师!""但是平奇，我已经在空中警卫队里了,"她用平常的声音低声说，船在她周围嘎嘎作响，嗡嗡作响。
Back in the squeaky imitation of her friend, she continued, “But think about it, Dashie, you could be the Ministry of... um... Flying? Or weather? Or... just being awesome! You’ll be the Ministry of Awesome, and I’ll be the Ministry of Fun, because I’m going to make sure everypony has so much fun!” She slumped in her seat, closing her eyes. “Wasn’t as much fun as we thought, was it, Pinkie?” A tiny pink pony inside me wept and shook her head.
她模仿着她朋友的动作，继续说道,"但是想想看，达希，你可能是......嗯......飞翔的魔法部？还是天气？或者...只是为了表现得很棒！你将成为了不起的魔法部，而我将成为趣味部，因为我要确保每一匹小马都能玩得很开心!"她瘫坐在座位上，闭上了眼睛。"没有我们想象的那么有趣，对吧，平奇?"我体内一匹粉红色的小马哭泣着，摇着头。
The ship howled as she looked up, the Tempest’s enormous scowling face turning towards the new enemy. She jerked the wheel hard, her wings flipping the knobs and dials. “Could really use a bridge crew right now!” she shouted as the ship suddenly rolled to the side, the crackling claws sweeping past it with a noise like a thousand buzzing hornets ripping the hull. A momentary weightlessness lifted her from the seat as she snapped the wheel forward, and the
船一抬头就嚎叫起来，暴风雨号巨大的愁眉不展的脸转向新的敌人。她猛地转动方向盘，翅膀拍打着旋钮和转盘。"现在真的需要一个桥牌队!"当船突然侧翻时，她大声喊道，噼啪作响的爪子掠过船身，就像一千只嗡嗡作响的大黄蜂撕裂船体。一瞬间的失重把她从座位上提了起来，她啪的一声把车轮往前推了一下
heavy crates of munitions thumped ominously.
沉重的军火箱发出不祥的撞击声。
“Should have been focused on the rest of you girls. Shoulda stopped Fluttershy from making those damned spells. Shoulda pinned Pinkie down till she got help. Shoulda made Twilight pull her head out of her research notes,” she grunted as the Castellanus corkscrewed up past the face of the Tempest. Within its mouth was a single glowing star around which the gale whirled. “All my fault. I was too busy fighting and having fun and not taking care of all of you!” she shouted over the growing rumbles as the ship leveled out. She flipped a switch and shouted, “This is the Castellanus. I don’t know if you can hear me, but the Tempest’s talisman is located inside the mouth. Take a shot while it’s focused on me. Castellanus–” The ship jerked as something exploded below decks, setting off an alarm and slamming Rainbow’s head into the monitor. Black, tarlike ichor dripped down between her brows as she focused at the screen, bringing the Castellanus’s nose in line with the Tempest’s mouth. “Hold it together just a little longer, you glorious old bird. Hold it together.”
"应该把注意力集中在你们这些姑娘身上。应该阻止弗特西施那些该死的咒语。应该按住小指直到她得到帮助。应该让暮光之城把她的头从她的研究笔记中拉出来,"她咕哝着，卡斯特兰纳斯扭曲着脸通过了暴风雨。在它的嘴里有一颗发光的星星，疾风围绕着它旋转。"都是我的错。我忙着打架，玩得太开心，没有时间照顾你们所有人!"当船平稳下来时，她的声音盖过了越来越大的轰鸣。她扳动开关喊道:"这是卡斯特兰纳斯号。我不知道你是否能听到我，但是暴风雨的护身符位于嘴里。当它聚焦在我身上的时候，试试看。卡斯特兰纳斯——"当甲板下有什么东西爆炸的时候，这艘船猛地一动，拉响了警报，彩虹的头撞上了显示器。当她聚焦在屏幕上时，黑色的、像鞑靼人一样的鱼状物滴落在她的眉毛之间，使卡斯特兰纳斯的鼻子与暴风雨的嘴成一条直线。"再坚持一会儿，你这只光荣的老鸟。团结起来。"
The ship seemed incapable of slowing as it rocketed towards the Tempest. The enormous sentient twister spread its whirling arms wide in preparation to rip the ship from the skies. “I remember when you came off the lines. EAF-009. First Raptor rigged for command. Earth pony engineering, unicorn magic, and pegasus cloudcraft working together. Wish it could have been for something that didn’t kill... but you’re a damned fine old ship, Castellanus. We’re going to get inside that thing and blow it all to hell. Just like the old days...”
这艘船向暴风雨号疾驶时，似乎没有减速的能力。巨大的有感知力的龙卷风张开旋转的双臂，准备将船从天空中撕裂。"我记得你从台词中脱颖而出的时候。Eaf-009.第一架猛禽号准备就绪。地球小马工程，独角兽魔法，飞马云一起工作。真希望是为了什么没有杀人的东西......但你是一艘该死的漂亮的旧船，卡斯特兰纳斯。我们要进去把它炸个稀巴烂。就像过去一样......"
Smoke and steam were filling the bridge as the ship rumbled and the crates shifted and wandered over the deck plates. Rainbow’s left wing reached into a compartment and drew a plasma pistol, pointing it at one of the crates of balefire eggs. “You were wrong, Lightning Dust. I wasn’t ever ashamed of the pegasi. We did what we had to do. I just wish we’d done something else. I hope we can show everypony that pegasi can be trusted to work the skies again. We can... I know we can...” she said as her eyes narrowed and her hooves tightened on the shaking wheel.
当轮船隆隆作响时，烟雾和水蒸气充满了驾驶台，板条箱移动并在甲板上移动。彩虹的左翼把手伸进一个隔间，拔出一把等离子枪，对准一箱子弹火鸡蛋。"你错了，闪电尘埃。我从不为飞马感到羞耻。我们做了我们必须做的。我只是希望我们能做点别的。我希望我们可以向每一匹小马证明，飞马座可以再次驾驭天空。我们可以......我知道我们可以......"她说着眯起眼睛，用蹄子紧紧抓住摇动的轮子。
The Tempest’s claw swept in from the left, and she pulled the wheel up at the last second, curling over the crackling energy. “Too slow...” The other claw slashed in from the right, and she dove beneath it, screaming propellers tearing into the cloudy limb as it passed under. “Still too slow!” As she raced for its mouth, the surface of the Tempest suddenly flashed, and a third limb erupted
暴风雨的爪子从左边掠过，她在最后一秒把轮子拉了起来，卷曲着噼啪作响的能量。"太慢了......"另一只爪子从右边划了进来，她潜到了爪子下面，尖叫的螺旋桨撕裂了乌云密布的四肢。"还是太慢了!"当她跑向它的嘴的时候，暴风雨的表面突然闪烁起来，第三个肢体爆发出来
from under the maw, reaching straight for the bow of the Raptor. But just as fast as the claw emerged, Rainbow Dash twisted the wheel, and the claw ripped past, shredding the ship’s hull but not stopping its advance. “Hah. Didn’t know I’ve seen that trick before, did you?” she crowed as her wings tightened on the trigger.
从肚子底下直接伸向猛禽的弓。但就在这只爪子出现的同时，彩虹·达什扭转了方向盘，这只爪子撕裂了船身，撕裂了船体，但并没有阻止它的前进。"哈。你不知道我以前见过这种把戏吧?"当她的翅膀紧紧地扣在扳机上时，她欢呼起来。
Then the open maw, with the Tempest talisman within, disappeared, and Rainbow blinked as she stared at a solid whirling wall. “Haven’t seen that trick...”
然后那张开的肚子，里面装着暴风雨的护身符，消失了，彩虹盯着一堵坚实的旋转的墙，眨着眼睛。"还没见过这种把戏......"
The Castellanus plunged into the wall of the tornado. Instantly, everything in the bridge was slammed to the right, and Rainbow struggled to keep her grip as the Castellanus was swept around and around. The viewscreens offered nothing but a nauseating display of the world tumbling around and around, over and over. Crates, boxes, and bombs went thrashing around her as the whole ship tumbled up the cloud wall, one metal ammo crate smashing one of Rainbow’s wings with a sound like splintering kindling. More metal smashed into her, and it was a miracle nothing went off. Or maybe just good firing safeties. Did a missile explode if you dropped it?
卡斯特兰纳斯一头扎进龙卷风的墙里。立刻，桥上所有的东西都被甩到了右边，当卡斯特兰纳斯号被扫来扫去的时候，彩虹挣扎着想抓住它。屏幕上只能呈现出令人作呕的世界一遍又一遍地翻滚的画面。板条箱、箱子和炸弹在她周围翻滚，整艘船在云墙上翻滚，一个金属弹药箱像劈啪作响的引火声一样砸碎了彩虹的一个机翼。更多的金属砸向她，没有发生爆炸真是个奇迹。或者只是好的发射保险。如果你把导弹扔下去，它会爆炸吗？
With a final shriek of metal and wind, the ship was ejected from the whirling storm and sent flipping end over end out into the air. Despite it whirling in ways that made me want to puke, Rainbow managed to stabilize the ship against all odds. The ordinance stopped bouncing off the walls and ceiling and settled to rolling around the floor. Rainbow Dash curled up against the wheel, one foreleg studded with her own bones jutting from the mottled blue-gray hide. One of the pegasus’s eyes didn’t work, and something thick and cold ran down her cheek. The terminal before her showed every section of the Raptor flashing red. Alarms blared on every deck as smoke swirled about her. Only two viewscreens remained active, and in one she could make out the Tempest with a corkscrew-like trail of black smoke running around it. She clenched her eye shut. “Come on. Just... one... more... stunt...”
随着最后一声金属和风的尖叫，这艘船从旋转的风暴中被抛出，翻转的尾巴被抛向空中。尽管它旋转的方式让我想吐，彩虹还是设法稳定了船的再看我一眼。法令不再在墙壁和天花板上弹跳，而是在地板上滚来滚去。彩虹Dash蜷缩在轮子上，一条前腿上镶嵌着她自己的骨头，从斑驳的蓝灰色兽皮中伸出来。飞马的一只眼睛失灵了，厚厚的冰冷的东西从她的脸颊上滑下来。她面前的终端显示出猛禽的每个部分都在闪烁着红光。当烟雾在她周围旋转时，每个甲板上都响起了警报声。只有两个显示屏还在使用，其中一个显示屏上，她能辨认出暴风雨，周围有一圈像开瓶器一样的黑烟。她紧闭着眼睛。"来吧。只要......再......一次......特技......"
She hugged the wheel to her chest and pulled back, groaning as the controls fought her, and the Castellanus responded with a slow, juddering motion. The vibration of the ship took on a deeper, more visceral resonation as the ship began to tear itself apart. The Castellanus spiraled up and up, shaking and smoking. The skies dimmed as the Wasteland and valley below became a smoke-veiled, bloody eye. In the dim distance, she could see the blue glow of Tom near the
她把方向盘抱在胸前，往后拉，当操纵杆和她搏斗时呻吟着，卡斯特兰纳斯缓慢地摇晃着回答。随着飞船开始自我撕裂，飞船的震动呈现出一种更深刻、更发自内心的共鸣。卡斯特兰纳斯盘旋上升，颤抖着，冒着烟。天空变得暗淡，下面的荒原和山谷变成了烟雾笼罩的，血腥的眼睛。在昏暗的远处，她可以看到汤姆身上发出的蓝光
sun, and she smiled. “Let’s show them what a Ministry Mare can do.”
Sun她笑了。"让我们告诉他们魔法部的母马能做什么。"
And she lunged forward, and the Castellanus responded. The deep groan was replaced by a growing whine as it started to dive. The pitch increased as the Hoof began to rapidly fill the viewscreen, and she centered the nose on the whirling vortex. Something on the ship exploded, the controls lurching against her broken body, but she kept the wheel locked in a death grip. Flames blew out a control panel beside her, but she didn’t take her eye off the tiny glowing mote in the heart of the Tempest.
于是她向前冲去，卡斯特兰纳斯回应了。深深的呻吟声被一声越来越大的哀鸣所取代，因为它开始下潜。当霍夫开始快速地填满屏幕，她把鼻子对准旋转的漩涡时，音调上升了。船上有什么东西爆炸了，控制装置摇摇晃晃地靠在她破碎的身体上，但她还是紧紧地抓住了方向盘。火焰烧毁了她旁边的控制面板，但是她的眼睛没有离开暴风雨中心发光的微小尘埃。
“Hold it together!” she said as the ordinance shifted back towards the wall behind her, the speed of the dive increasing faster and faster as she battled to keep control. “Just a few more seconds!”
"团结起来!"她说，当法令移向她身后的墙壁时，潜水的速度越来越快，她努力保持控制。"再等几秒钟!"
The Castellanus disappeared into the whirling apex of the tornado and dove down the heart. It was impossible to tell if the winds were tearing the propellers and controls away or if they were tearing off under their own power. Then a colossal crunch rang through the Raptor, accompanied by screaming metal. Suddenly the front of the bridge exploded inwards towards her and the hoof-sized glowing megafetish imbedded itself in the center of the viewscreen before her. The diamond talisman seemed to possess a glowing eye within that bulged as it stared up at Rainbow Dash and the layer of ordinance pressed to the wall behind her. On the last remaining screen, the ground raced up to meet her.
卡斯特兰纳斯消失在旋转的龙卷风尖端，俯冲下心脏。我们无法判断风是否撕裂了螺旋桨和控制装置，或者它们是否是自己动力撕裂的。然后猛禽发出巨大的嘎吱声，伴随着尖叫的金属声。突然，大桥的前部向她的方向爆炸了，这个蹄子大小的令人着迷的发光物体嵌入了她面前的屏幕中央。这个钻石护身符好像有一只发光的眼睛，当它盯着彩虹冲刺和她身后的墙壁时，那只眼睛突起来了。在最后剩下的屏幕上，地面飞速上升迎接她。
The Ministry Mare of Awesome grinned at the shrieking talisman and called out, “I call this one the Rainbow–”
可怕的母马对着尖叫的护身符咧嘴一笑，喊道:"我把这个叫做彩虹——"
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
The pool in my blank’s mind exploded in a rainbow-colored flash. She was gone, and in the back of my mind, six tiny speechless ponies held each other, a tiny pink pony and yellow pegasus sobbing against each other while three others comforted a tiny, stunned, blue pegasus. Then said pegasus cheered how awesome it was, and my brain got awkward. I did my best to shove them all out of my mind. Rainbow Dash had gone out as she’d wanted, helping others, saving Equestria. The only way it could have been better would have been if it’d been saving her friends.
我脑海中的池塘在彩虹般的闪光中爆炸了。她走了，在我的脑海里，六匹无言的小马紧紧抱着对方，一匹粉红色的小马和一匹黄色的小马互相呜咽着，而另外三匹马则安慰着一匹小小的，惊呆了的，蓝色的小马。然后飞马公司的人为它的精彩而欢呼，我的大脑变得笨拙起来。我尽了最大努力把他们从我的脑海中赶走。彩虹·达什如愿以偿地出去了，帮助别人，拯救了小马国。唯一能让事情变得更好的方法就是拯救她的朋友。
I smiled in that great, empty void. “Thanks, Rainbow,” I murmured. Going out like that wouldn’t be half bad...
我在那巨大的空虚中微笑。"谢谢，彩虹,"我低声说。像那样出去也不错..。
I needed to know more. Did she kill the Tempest? I sought another mind that could give me some answers and slipped inside.
我需要知道更多。她杀了暴风雨吗？我寻找另一个可以给我一些答案的头脑，然后溜了进去。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
“Ow. Ow. Ow.” Every step from this mare trotting through the familiar halls of Stable 99 elicited an ‘ow’ as stabs of pain ran through her bandaged body. “Come on. Where are you?” Crumpets muttered as she limped along the maintenance halls. “How bloody hard is it to find a sodding great purple...” She rounded a corner and spotted Psalm sitting at a table in Atmospheric Maintenance Three. In three months, nopony had cleaned up the cards scattered around the table or the IOUs that were spotted with blood from when ponies had sheltered here from the crazy infected ponies. A few months hadn’t erased the nightmare of two hundred years. “...turkey,” she finished weakly.
"噢。噢。噢。"从这匹母马穿过熟悉的Stable99大厅走出的每一步都会引起一阵阵疼痛刺穿她缠着绷带的身体。"来吧。你在哪里?"小圆饼一瘸一拐地走在维修大厅里，咕哝着。她转过一个角落，看到坐在《大气维持三》中的一张桌子旁的《诗篇》。在三个月内，没有小马把桌子上散落的卡片或者那些血迹斑斑的借据清理干净，这些借据是小马在这里躲避受到疯狂感染的小马时留下的。几个月的时间并没有抹去两百年来的噩梦。"...火鸡,"她虚弱地说完。
Psalm sat at the table, staring down at the assembled sniper rifle on resting on it. Her purple eyes stayed locked on the matte black finish, the enormous scope the size of a hoof. Crumpets sat down outside the door, slumping against the doorframe a little. “Bit for your thoughts?”
诗篇》作者坐在桌旁，低头看着放在桌上的狙击步枪。她紫色的眼睛紧紧盯着那粗糙的黑色表面，那巨大的视野有一个蹄子那么大。松饼在门外坐下，微微地靠在门框上。"你在想什么?"
The purple alicorn lifted her head to see Crumpets, then returned her gaze to the weapon. “You should be in bed.”
紫色橡子抬起头去看松脆饼，然后又把目光转向那件武器。"你该上床睡觉了。"
“Sheets make me itchy. Actually, being trapped anywhere makes me itchy. Made life as a Steel Ranger a bleedin’ slog. Always wanted to go on patrol just to stretch my bloody legs.” She winced as she examined at her bandaged leg. “Now me legs really are bloody, and we’re both stuck here while everypony else is gettin’ stuck in.” She paused and tilted her head. “But I’m guessin’ that’s not what’s goin’ on in that big pointy head of yours.”
"床单让我发痒。事实上，被困在任何地方都会让我觉得痒。让钢铁骑兵的生活变成了血淋淋的艰苦跋涉。我一直想去巡逻，就是为了伸展一下我那该死的腿。"当她检查包扎好的腿时，她皱起了眉头。"现在我的腿真的是血淋淋的，我们都被困在这里，而其他小马都被困在里面。"她停顿了一下，歪着头。"但我猜你那个大尖脑袋里肯定不是这么回事。"
“I’m a coward,” she muttered as she stared at the gun. “I should be out there helping, but I’m too...” She clenched her eyes shut. “Scared...”
"我是个胆小鬼,"她盯着枪喃喃自语。"我应该出去帮忙，但是我太......"她紧闭双眼。"害怕......"
“Scared of what?” Crumpets said as she limped over to sit beside her. “I’ve never been a fan o’ hatin’ on fear in general. Like, there’s these things back in Trottingham called water goblins. Look like a ghoul crossed with a fish. If you lean too far out from the fanboat, they’ll pop right out of the water and chew your bloody face off. Scare me shitless.” She waited for a reply. “Am I chattin’ to meself here or what? I don’t want to do a bloody interrogation, but a response would be nice.”
"怕什么?"松饼女郎一瘸一拐地走过去坐在她身边说。"总的来说，我从来不讨厌恐惧。在Trottingham有种东西叫水妖精。看起来就像食尸鬼和鱼混在一起。如果你身体探出船舷太远，它们就会从水里蹦出来，把你血淋淋的脸咬下来。吓死我了。"她等待着答复。"我是在自言自语还是什么？我不想进行血腥的审讯，但如果能得到回应就好了。"
Psalm looked at her, and the corner of her lip curled. “You can barely walk.”
诗人看着她，她的嘴角微微翘起。"你几乎不能走路。"
Crumpet patted her shoulder. “Aye. And many a foolish hornhead underestimated an earth pony’s capability to thump somepony actin’ like a leatherhead.”
克伦佩特拍了拍她的肩膀。"赞成。而且许多愚蠢的硬脑袋低估了地球上小马的能力，它们把一些小马的行为举止像皮革脑袋一样。"
The purple eyes fell again. “I’m afraid of turning back into what I was. A murderer.” She rubbed her face with a wing. “I don’t want to be that again.”
紫色的眼睛又垂下来了。"我害怕回到从前的样子。杀人犯。"她用翅膀擦脸。"我不想再那样了。"
Crumpets frowned. “You’re still stuck on that rubbish?”
松饼皱起了眉头。"你还在纠结那些垃圾?"
The alicorn didn’t answer for several long seconds. “I don’t know anymore. I’m not sure of anything. Once, I was completely sure. So certain that I... I made horrible mistakes. Now I don’t trust myself to do the right thing.” She clenched her eyes shut, then hissed, “I hate this gun. I hate that it still exists. It’s like a part of me that I can’t get rid of! It reminds me of... so many people I killed.” She grabbed it with her magic, pressed the butt against the floor, and started to lean her weight against it. “I want to destroy it forever!” Then she paused, and released it. “But... I could help people I care about... if I was just... if I could just…”
有好几秒钟，阿里克纳没有回答。"我不知道了。我什么都不确定。有一次，我完全确定。我非常肯定。.我犯了可怕的错误。现在我不相信自己能做正确的事情。"她紧闭双眼，然后嘶嘶地说:"我讨厌这把枪。我讨厌它仍然存在。这就像是我无法摆脱的一部分！这让我想起......我杀了那么多人。"她用魔法抓住它，把屁股按在地板上，开始用身体支撑它。"我要永远毁掉它!"然后她停顿了一下，放开了话筒。"但是......我可以帮助我关心的人......如果我......如果我可以......"
“Kill again?” Crumpets suggested in an arch tone. “You really still think what we do is murder?” Psalm gave a tiny nod, and Crumpets let out a sigh. “Bloody hell, only one thing for it then...”
"再杀一次?"用拱调表示的松脆饼。"你真的还认为我们所做的是谋杀吗?"诗篇轻轻点了点头，松饼发出一声叹息。"该死的，只有一个办法..."
Then she smashed her hoof right into the purple alicorn’s face. The blow not only nearly sent Crumpets down but floored Psalm. Crumpets lifted herself to her hooves, standing over the dazed alicorn as she pulled herself together. “Ow. Bloody nora. Now, let me lay this bollocks to rest right now. Was Big Macintosh a murderer?” Psalm stared at her for several seconds, then shook her head. “What about the rest of your squad way back when?” A shorter wait, then another reluctant shake of her head. “Is Blackjack a murderer?” I was glad to see another tiny shake of her head. “How about me?” Now a frown of comprehension as she furrowed her brows.
然后，她用蹄子猛踩紫色的橡子的脸。这一击不仅几乎把松脆饼打倒，而且打倒了诗篇。松饼站在茫然的阿里康羊旁边，振作起来。"噢。该死的诺拉。现在，让我把这些胡说八道安息吧。大麦金托什是个杀人犯吗?"诗人盯着她看了几秒钟，然后摇了摇头。"你们队的其他人什么时候回来的?"等了一会儿，又不情愿地摇了摇头。"Blackjack是杀人犯吗?"我很高兴看到她又微微地摇了摇头。"那我呢?"现在她皱起眉头，理解地皱起了眉头。
“No. None of you are... were...” she said as she glanced up at the bandaged mare. “But… I...”
"没有。你们没有人是......曾经是......"她说着抬头看了一眼那头缠着绷带的母马。"但是......我.....。。」
“You... might have been,” Crumpets said evenly. “I don’t know what you got up to with the O.I.A., but it doesn’t sound anything like what we do. Soldiers don’t
"你......也许是,"松饼饼平静地说。"我不知道你和o.i.a.有什么关系，但听起来和我们的工作完全不一样。士兵不会
get hard or wet wanting to kill people. Not good ones, anyway. We do what we have to do, and sometimes that involves killing people trying to kill us.” Crumpets stared down as Psalm closed her eyes, tears on her cheeks. “That’s not it, though, is it? All this ‘not wanting to be a murderer’ shite... that’s not what’s really bothering you.” Psalm didn’t answer, and Crumpets sighed. “It’s him innit. That big sparklin’ moron.”
变硬或变湿想要杀人。反正也不是什么好主意。我们做我们必须做的事情，有时还包括杀掉那些想杀我们的人。"松脆饼低头凝视着诗篇，她闭上了眼睛，脸颊上挂满了泪水。"不是这样的，不是吗？所有这些'不想成为杀人犯'的废话......那不是真正困扰你的。"诗篇没有回答，松饼叹了口气。"就是他，不是吗。那个闪闪发光的大白痴。"
Psalm immediately lifted her head. “He is not a moron! He’s good and noble and gentlestalliony and...” She trailed off again, averting her eyes.
诗篇立刻抬起她的头。"他不是白痴！他人很好，很高贵，很绅士，而且......"她转过眼睛，继续说下去。
“He fancies you, you know,” Crumpets said with a small smile.
"你知道，他喜欢你。"松饼笑着说。
“He’s too good for me. I don’t deserve– ow!” Psalm yelped as she was kicked by the bandaged mare. “What was that for?”
"我配不上他。我不值得——噢!"她被缠着绷带的母马踢了一脚，赞美诗大声喊叫。"这是干什么?"
“Because it seems to be the only way to get through to ginormous pillocks like you two,” Crumpets replied. “Yeah, he’s a good stallion, and he likes you. Accept your good fortune and don’t think about what you deserve, you big bloody turkey.”
"因为这似乎是唯一能让你们两个这么大的蠢货明白的方法,"Crumpets回答说。"是的，他是一匹好种马，而且他喜欢你。接受你的好运气，不要想你应得的，你这只该死的大火鸡。"
“He doesn’t like me. He likes... her,” Psalm murmured as she sat up. “He likes Lacunae.”
"他不喜欢我。他喜欢...她,"诗人坐起来喃喃地说。"他喜欢空隙。"
“And you’re not her. I mean, she was a moanin’ misery like you, but she got off her arse and did something to help. Even still, he likes you too. You got that whole ‘alicorn mare of good breeding’ vibe going that’s right up his alley. And you can fight. And you care. That matters more to him than anything,” Crumpets said as she jabbed Psalm’s chest. “What he likes is what’s in here. And if it don’t work out, at least you tried.” Crumpets took a deep breath. “But you definitely ain’t worthy of ‘im if you sit and sulk in here while he dies out there!”
"你不是她。我的意思是，她像你一样痛苦的呻吟，但她站起来，做了一些事情来帮助。尽管如此，他也喜欢你。你身上那种'良种角马'的感觉正合他的胃口。你可以战斗。而且你在乎。这对他来说比什么都重要,"克朗伯茨一边戳着诗篇的胸口一边说。"他喜欢的就是这里面的东西。如果不成功，至少你试过了。"松脆饼深吸了一口气。"但如果你坐在这里生闷气，看着他死在外面，你绝对配不上他!"
Psalm stared at Penance for the longest time, then bowed her head. “Luna wasn’t able to forgive me before she died...”
诗人盯着忏悔看了很长时间，然后低下了头。"露娜死前无法原谅我......"
Crumpets put her hoof on Psalm’s mane. “The only forgiveness you really need is from ponies who love you, and yourself. So, what do you say? Are you a soldier who is ready to help her friends, or an ex-murderer who cares about nothing else than hiding from her own conscience?”
松脆饼把蹄子放在诗篇的鬃毛上。"你真正需要的宽恕只有来自爱你和你自己的小马驹。你觉得怎么样？你是一个随时准备帮助朋友的士兵，还是一个除了躲避自己的良心之外什么都不在乎的前杀人犯?"
Psalm regarded Crumpets and then gave a little smile. “Okay.”
诗篇看了看松饼，然后微笑了一下。"好吧。"
Crumpets grinned. “Are you sure? ‘Cause I could give you another lump or two.” Psalm blinked and rapidly shook her head. “I really wouldn’t mind.” Now Psalm gave Crumpets a somewhat annoyed glare back. “That’s the ticket. Now let’s get out of here!”
松脆饼咧嘴一笑。""你确定吗？"因为我可以再给你一两个肿块。"诗人眨了眨眼，迅速地摇了摇头。"我真的不介意。"现在，诗篇用有些恼怒的眼光回击了松饼饼。"就是这样。现在我们离开这里吧!"
The alicorn balked. “But you’re wounded! You need to stay here until they can heal you some more. The next batch of potion should be ready in a day or two.”
阿里克松退缩了。""可是你受伤了！你需要待在这里直到他们能治好你。下一批药水应该在一两天内准备好。"
“Buck that. If that nurse offers to give me one more ‘oral physical’, I’m going to scream. I don’t mind the attention, but not in the middle of the medical bay!” she said, her cheeks burning. “Besides, Rangers don’t hang out in medical when there’s a fight going on.”
""别说了。如果那个护士再给我口交，我会尖叫的。我不介意别人注意我，但不是在医务室的中间!"她说，脸颊发烫。"除此之外，流浪者队不会在战斗进行的时候在医疗室里闲逛。"
“Where should we go?” Psalm said.
"我们该去哪儿?"诗篇说。
“The rally point was Megamart,” Crumpets replied. “Let’s go. They should have a healing potion or five there, too.”
"集合地点是麦加马特,"松脆饼回答说。"我们走吧。他们应该还有一瓶或者五瓶治疗药水。"
“Shouldn’t we get your power armor?”
"难道我们不应该得到你的能量盔甲吗?"
“No. If we get anywhere near medical, I just know Nurse Sexual Healing will try and give me a sponge bath. With her tongue. In front of everypony.” She gave a little shudder. “And she wasn’t even a Stable 99 survivor. I think there’s just some kind of perverted aura to this place or something.”
"没有。如果我们接近医疗，我只知道性治疗护士会尝试给我一个海绵浴。用她的舌头。在每个小马面前。"她打了一个寒颤。"她甚至不是一个稳定的99岁幸存者。我觉得这个地方有某种变态的气氛。"
Psalm smiled and pulled Crumpets close, lifted Penance and slipped it under her wing, and then teleported–
帕萨微笑着把松饼拉近，举起苦行，把它放在翅膀下，然后传送-
Straight into hell.
直接下地狱。
The roof overhead was mostly gone, with just a thin ring of rooftop along the edges; Steel Rangers and Reapers were perched on it and firing down at the assaulting Brood outside. The rows of formerly-orderly stacked scrap were now filled with wounded ponies. Pegasi, grounded by the absolute fury of gunfire saturating the air, remained perched out of harm’s way. A gaunt old stallion walked along the rows with three more unicorns and a half dozen earth pony medics applying healing spells and helping with the injured. In the middle of the store, now on the ground, surrounded by walls of sandbags, and firing in high arcs over the walls, Gun boomed again and again, the noise barely blunted by the makeshift bunker.
头顶上的屋顶几乎没有了，只有一圈薄薄的屋顶沿着边缘延伸开来;钢铁骑兵和收割者坐在屋顶上，向外面遭到袭击的布鲁德军开火。一排排原来整齐堆放的废料现在都是受伤的小马。飞马座被弥漫在空气中的激烈炮火击中，留在了安全的地方。一匹瘦骨嶙峋的老种马和另外三匹独角兽，以及六匹地球上的矮种马医护人员正在施展治疗法术，帮助受伤的人。在商店的中央，现在是在地面上，被沙袋围成的墙包围着，在墙上高高的弧形射击，冈一次又一次地隆隆作响，这个临时搭建的掩体几乎没有减弱噪音。
“Oh, bugger me,” Crumpets murmured in shock. “I didn’t know it was this bad!” Then she hobbled up to the old unicorn medic. “I need healing. Now!”
"哦，该死的,"松脆饼震惊地低声说。"我不知道这么糟糕!"然后她一瘸一拐地走向那个独角兽医生。"我需要治疗。现在!"
“They all need healing, young missy! You’ll have to wait your–” He was cut off as she grabbed him by the head and glared into his eyes. “Uh... I think I can squeeze out a little more healing magic before my horn pops off. Hold still.”
"他们都需要医治，小姑娘！她抓住他的头，瞪着他的眼睛，他的话被打断了。"呃......我想我可以在我的号角爆掉之前再施展一点治愈魔法。别动。"
As the cool magic washed through Crumpets’s wounds, Psalm went through the wounded and collected ammunition and a few more weapons. “Where’s Star Paladin Strong–?” Crumpets started to ask. Then wall of Megamart exploded and collapsed, screams and gunshots ringing out as Brood started to push in. “Nevermind.”
当冰凉的魔法冲刷着Crumpets的伤口，诗篇穿过伤者，收集了弹药和一些武器。"圣骑士斯特朗在哪里?"松脆饼开始问。然后，当布鲁德夫妇开始推进时，巨大的墙体爆炸并倒塌，尖叫声和枪声响起。"没关系。"
“Fall back!” a familiar voice bellowed over the fury. “The innocents are already evacuated. Fall back to the Arena! I’ll buy you time!” In the breach in the wall, a huge stallion rose up, fighting the Brood with shattering blows of his armored hooves.
"撤退!"一个熟悉的声音在愤怒中咆哮。"无辜者已经被疏散。退回竞技场！我会给你争取时间的!"在城墙的缺口处，一匹巨大的种马站了起来，用它那披甲的蹄子粉碎性地击打着魔龙军团。
Crumpets rushed to Psalm. “Arm me! Quick!” she snapped.
松饼冲向赞美诗。"给我武器！快点!"她厉声说道。
“Hold still,” the alicorn instructed, lifting her in a magic field, and then she wrapped Crumpets up in combat armor and strapped on a battle saddle with a single scoped markspony rifle. “I hope this will do. I didn’t have a chance to ask your preference.”
"别动,"阿里康命令道，把她举到一个神奇的地方，然后她用战斗装甲把圆饼包起来，用一把单筒马克步枪绑在战斗马鞍上。"我希望这个能行。我还没来得及问你的喜好呢。"
“It’s fine. Let’s hurry before the idiot is overwhelmed!” Crumpets snatched a satchel of supplies from one of the earth ponies before racing after Psalm.
"没关系。趁那个白痴还没被淹没，赶紧走吧!"松饼从一匹土地上的小马身上抢走了一小包补给品，然后追赶着诗篇。
As Megamart started to evacuate, the two joined a faltering defense. Anypony who could carry things was hauling wounded and supplies out, some earth ponies all but covered in ammo boxes and weapons. The four ghouls crewing Gun kicked out the sandbags and depressed the barrel as Brood began to appear on the tops of the walls. The artillery roared, and the Brood disappeared as swiftly as they appeared, along with almost half the remaining wall.
当超级市场开始撤离时，两人加入了摇摇欲坠的防线。任何能搬运东西的小马都会把受伤的和补给拖出来，一些土地上的小马全身都是弹药箱和武器。当布鲁德病开始出现在墙顶时，四个食尸鬼的炮声踢开了沙袋，把桶压扁了。炮火呼啸而过，布伦特一出现就迅速消失了，剩下的几乎一半的城墙也消失了。
As they raced towards the breach, the mares cut down any cyberzebra that climbed into view or unicorn that flashed into being around them. Psalm moved like a ballet dancer, swinging the rifle from one Brood to the next, the bullets tearing through eye sockets and out the back of skulls. And when one bullet didn’t work, a second one would take the other eye. “Please, forgive me for
当他们冲向缺口的时候，母马们会砍倒任何爬进视野中的赛博斑马或者闪现在他们周围的独角兽。诗篇像芭蕾舞演员一样移动，从一个布鲁德家挥动步枪到另一个布鲁德家，子弹从眼窝撕裂，从头骨后面射出。当一颗子弹不起作用时，第二颗子弹就会打瞎另一只眼睛。"请原谅我
being afraid,” Psalm murmured between every shot. “Please, forgive me for being late. Forgive me for the blood on my hooves. Forgive me for being me.”
在每一枪之间，诗篇都低声说道。"请原谅我迟到了。原谅我蹄子上的血。原谅我这个人吧。"
“You have issues. You two are really made for each other,” Crumpets muttered as she fired off round after round in Psalm’s wake, protecting the alicorn’s flank as they rushed towards the huge musclebound stallion. Half his armor had been blown from his magnificent marbled frame, but still he fought on, struggling against the horde. One stomp lobbed a rock into the air, and he kicked it with the force of a grenade right into a clump of cyberponies. A Brood unicorn appeared behind him, razor-sharp blade ready to tear out his spine, only for him to stomp a shockwave that erupted under the unicorn and knocked it straight into the air with a hoof-shaped spur of rock under it. Then he hooked a foreleg around the spur, ripped it from the ground, and flung it into the face of another Brood who was taking a bead on him. His magnificent body, even glazed in sweat and blood from a dozen scrapes, seemed to sparkle in the midst of the carnage.
"你有问题。你们两个真是天生一对,"克兰伯特喃喃自语道，她在诗篇的催促下一轮又一轮地开火，保护着阿里克松的侧翼，因为他们冲向那匹硕大的、肌肉发达的种马。他的一半盔甲已经从他华丽的大理石花纹的身体上被吹掉了，但是他仍然在战斗，与部落作斗争。一个人跺着脚把一块石头抛向空中，他用手榴弹的力量把它踢向一丛赛博矮种马。一只育雏独角兽出现在他的身后，锋利的刀片准备撕裂他的脊椎，但是他只是跺了一下冲击波，冲击波在独角兽身下爆发，冲击波在独角兽身下形成了一个蹄状的岩石突起，直接冲向空中。然后他用前腿钩住骨刺，把它从地上扯下来，扔到另一个正在瞄准他的布鲁德的脸上。他伟大的身体，甚至在十几处擦伤的汗水和血液中变得呆滞，似乎在大屠杀中闪闪发光。
Psalm rushed towards him. He spotted her, and his eyes were dragged away from his enemy as he gazed at her. They widened and softened as for a moment the battle was no more, and he stretched a hoof towards her.
诗篇朝他冲过来。他发现了她，当他凝视着她的时候，他的眼睛从敌人那里被拽了出来。他们变宽了，变柔和了，好像战斗已经结束了，他朝她踢了一只蹄子。
Then his body jerked as a half dozen bullets tore into him. Psalm stared, frozen in place as he staggered, more rounds biting into him as he reeled back and then crumpled. His magnificent body no longer sparkled as it collapsed atop the mound in the breach.
然后他的身体猛地抽搐起来，六颗子弹射进他的身体。诗篇注视着他，在他摇摇晃晃的时候被冻住了，更多的子弹穿过他的身体，他后退了几步，然后就倒下了。他壮丽的身体不再闪耀，因为它倒塌在山丘顶部的缺口。
“Damn it! Damn it! Fuckin’ damn it!” Crumpets shouted as she rushed forward with Psalm. They reached him, and through the breach they could see dozens...
"该死！该死！该死的!"松饼一边喊着，一边拿着赞美诗冲上前去。他们找到了他，透过缺口他们看到了几十个.....。
hundreds... perhaps thousands of Brood moving towards the evacuating building.
成百上千的布鲁德军队正在向疏散大楼移动。
Stronghoof looked up at the pair of them, his mustache speckled in blood. “My...
斯特朗霍夫抬头看着他们，他的胡子上沾满了血迹。"我.....。
love...” he murmured over the chaos before he went limp.
"爱..."他在瘫倒之前喃喃自语着混乱。
Psalm stared for what felt like an eternity, bullets whipping past them, catching her mane blowing in the wind and snatching feathers from her wings but miraculously missing her body. Then she turned towards the gap and let loose a howl that echoed from one corner of the battlefield to the other. “NO!”
诗篇凝视了好像是永恒，子弹从他们身边掠过，抓住了她的鬃毛和人在江湖(电视剧)，从她的翅膀上抓住了羽毛，但是奇迹般地失去了她的身体。然后她转过身去，嚎叫着从战场的一个角落传到另一个角落。"不!"
Penance rose up on her left, and on her right, she lifted a weapon from a fallen defender. She shook the mortar dust off the tool, a few small pebbles that had lodged in it clattering to the ground, and pulled the trigger. The motor whirred
忏悔从她的左边升起，在她的右边，她从一个倒下的守卫那里举起了一件武器。她抖落了工具上的灰尘，里面的几粒小石子哗啦啦地掉在地上，然后扣动了扳机。马达发出嗡嗡声
for a moment, and then the minigun began to sing. Its tongue of flame reached out and sent a line of burning metal death at the approaching Brood while Penance cracked again and again. One unicorn attempted to teleport behind Psalm, but she seized the mare, blade and all, and hauled her in front of herself. A bullet blasted the cyberunicorn’s brains out, and her body caught some of the rounds that poured in at Psalm. The alicorn made no attempt at summoning a shielding bubble, ignoring the bullets that got through to hit her. When the minigun ran dry, she drew two more rifles from her collection and continued to fire. Her magical focus and accuracy staggered the enemy as she protected herself with the mangled corpse until it was too shredded to do more than spatter her with blood.
一会儿，然后迷你枪开始唱歌。它的火舌伸出来，向即将到来的魔龙军团发出一道燃烧的金属死亡线，而忏悔一次又一次地裂开。一只独角兽试图传送到诗篇的后面，但是她抓住了母马，刀片和所有的东西，把她拖到自己面前。一颗子弹打穿了这只网络独角兽的脑袋，她的身体接住了从《诗篇》中倾泻而入的子弹。阿里克拉没有试图召唤一个防护罩，忽略了穿过来击中她的子弹。当迷你枪没子弹了，她又从自己收藏的枪里抽出两支来复枪，继续射击。她的神奇的注意力和准确度让敌人大跌眼镜，她用这具血肉模糊的尸体保护自己，直到尸体被撕成碎片，除了用血溅到她身上以外，什么也做不了。
Crumpets, meanwhile, tore pressure bandages from the satchel and pressed them to Stronghoof's wounds. “Mental. Both of you. Bloody, sodding, leatherbrained mental!” she shouted at him. “You’re perfect for each other!”
与此同时，松脆饼从背包上撕下压力绷带，贴在斯特罗戈夫的伤口上。"精神上的。你们两个。该死的，该死的，脑子有病的疯子!"她冲他大喊大叫。"你们是天生一对!"
Psalm didn’t seem to register the words as she yanked over another Brood body for a shield and cycled its gun into her floating collection, then began building a wall of gore when the individual reinforced corpses were no good at protecting her. A unicorn attempted another teleport, this one with four frag grenades in tow. The stems were pulled, but Psalm grabbed the Brood in her hooves, magically clustered the grenades together, and shoved the unicorn and grenades against the wall, the former covering the latter. The explosion showered her in gore and metal, but she hardly broke stride as she returned to slaughtering any who approached the gap, the alicorn awash in the blood of her foes.
诗篇似乎没有注意到这些话，当她猛拉另一个布鲁德尸体作为盾牌，并循环其枪进入她漂浮的收集，然后开始建立一堵血墙时，个人加强尸体不能很好地保护她。一只独角兽试图进行另一个传送，这个传送带着四个碎片手榴弹。茎被拔了出来，但是诗篇用蹄子抓住了布鲁德夫妇，魔术般地把手榴弹聚在一起，把独角兽和手榴弹推到了墙上，前者盖住了后者。爆炸使她血肉模糊，浑身是金属，但她几乎没有停下脚步，重新开始屠杀任何接近这个缺口的人，阿里克松的血液中充斥着敌人的鲜血。
Crumpets finished packing off Stronghoof’s injuries and getting a healing potion inside him, but that was all the satchel held. “Okay. He’s stab–” She was interrupted by a hoofshattering boom as Gun exploded. The Brood weren’t just trying to break through here anymore; while Psalm and Crumpets had been busy, three other holes had been blown in Megamart’s walls, and they didn’t have the alicorn defending them. “We’ve got to get out of here!”
圆饼收拾好斯特朗霍夫的伤口，在他体内服下了治疗药水，但那是他所携带的全部物品。"好吧。他被刺了——"她被一声马蹄声打断了，枪声响了。布伦特一家不再只是想从这里突围而出，当诗篇和松饼还在忙碌的时候，Megamart的城墙上已经炸出了另外三个洞，而且他们也没有守卫他们的独角兽。"我们必须离开这里!"
Psalm was silent, the only answer coming from her guns, barking again and again, Penance’s barrel sending out precise death as she tore more weapons from her enemies and used them as well. “Forgive me, Luna. Forgive me, Stronghoof. Forgive me, Big Macintosh,” she muttered over and over again, in a trance, her eyes not even focused on the enemy before her as she slew them, her face streaked with tears as she repeated the words over and over again. Bullets bit
诗篇是沉默的，唯一的回答来自她的枪，一次又一次的吠叫，当她从敌人那里撕下更多的武器并使用它们的时候，苦行的枪管发出了确切的死亡。"原谅我，卢娜。原谅我，混蛋。原谅我，大麦金托什,"她一遍又一遍地喃喃自语，神情恍惚，她的眼睛甚至没有注视眼前的敌人，当她杀死他们的时候，她的脸上布满了泪痕，她一遍又一遍地重复这句话。被子弹咬了
into her from both directions now as the Brood who had breached the walls swarmed in behind her.
布鲁德病魔突破了城墙，蜂拥而至，从两个方向涌入她的身后。
Crumpets, hit once or twice by errant shots, pulled herself in front of Psalm and shouted in her face, “Evac! We need to evac now! Now, you sodding dodo!” She struck Psalm in the face again, but the alicorn didn’t stop fighting. “Damn it! Are you a soldier or a murderer?! Soldiers obey orders to pull back!” she screamed in Psalm’s face.
松饼，一次或两次被错误的射击击中，把自己拉到诗篇前面，并在她的脸上喊道:"撤退！我们现在就得撤离！现在，你这该死的渡渡鸟!"她又一次打在了诗篇的脸上，但是阿里克松仍然继续战斗。"该死！你是士兵还是杀人犯?！士兵们服从撤退的命令!"她当着诗人的面尖叫。
Then a bullet thudded right into Crumpets’s spine. Her entire body went numb as she slumped down Psalm’s front. At last the purple alicorn glanced down at the two ponies at her feet, then she stared at Penance. “I’m... I’m...” she murmured as she bled. Then a Brood launched himself over the wall of corpses she’d laid, guns firing in a frantic effort to end her. Psalm’s horn flared as she swung the gun with all her strength, smashing it across the Brood’s face. The delicate talismans shattered as the scope’s lenses smashed, the barrel breaking off where it met the frame of the gun. The spray of gems, metal, and blood seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. Then Psalm lifted the two ponies and curled her wings over both of them. Her horn flashed–
然后一颗子弹击中了Crumpets的脊椎。当她垂下诗篇的前面时，她的整个身体都麻木了。最后，紫玉簪低头看了看她脚下的两匹小马，然后她盯着苦修。"我......我......"她一边流血一边低声说。接着，一个布鲁德病人从她堆积的尸体墙上跳了过去，疯狂地开枪要结束她的生命。当她用尽全力挥舞着枪，把它打在布鲁德一家的脸上时，诗篇的号角响了起来。这个精美的护身符随着瞄准镜的镜片被击碎而粉碎，枪管在与枪架接触的地方断裂。宝石、金属和鲜血的浪花似乎永远悬浮在空中。然后，诗篇举起两匹小马，在它们身上展开翅膀。她的号角闪闪发光
And then the three were dumped in a pile of mud. “Help!” Psalm shouted at the top of her lungs. “Please! They need help!” Hooves thundered towards them. “They need help. Please... save them...”
然后这三个人被扔进了一堆泥里。"救命!"诗人用最大的声音喊着。"求你了！他们需要帮助!"马蹄轰隆隆地向他们冲过来。"他们需要帮助。请......救救他们......"
“We’ve got them. Let them go. I don’t know where we’re going to put them, but we’ll find somewhere! Now let them go!”
"我们抓到他们了。让他们走吧。我不知道我们要把他们放在哪里，但我们会找到地方的！现在让他们走吧!"
And as Crumpets slipped into darkness, she muttered, “About time, you two great... big... dumb...”
就在松脆饼渐渐消失在黑暗中时，她喃喃自语道:"你们两个总算来了，大...大...哑..."
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
This pool didn’t wink out so much as fade away as I emerged from it. I’d gone on a rampage similar to hers and come back. I could only hope that when I met Psalm again, she’d be at peace with her decision. And another wonderful, unique, named weapon ruined! Why couldn’t ponies take care of… a tiny orange pony stared flatly at me at my thought. Okay, so I might have ruined a gun or two... three... four... okay...
当我从这个池子里出来的时候，这个池子并没有消失得那么厉害。我也像她一样暴跳如雷，然后回来了。我只能希望当我再次见到诗篇时，她能平静地接受自己的决定。另一个奇妙的，独特的，命名的武器毁了！为什么小马不能照顾我......一匹小小的橘黄色的小马直勾勾地盯着我。好吧我可能弄坏了一把枪或者两把...三把...四把...好吧。
Of course, as a tiny purple unicorn pointed out, Psalm had ruined hers on
当然，正如一只小小的紫色独角兽指出的那样，诗篇毁了她的生活
purpose.
目的。
Stupid, smug brain ponies who called me on my shit.
愚蠢的，自以为是的小马，居然敢打我的电话。
Grrr… I studied the remaining glowing pools. There were maybe two dozen or so– minus one as it winked out before my eyes. My mind was getting dimmer by the second...
我研究了剩下的发光池。当它在我眼前闪过的时候，大概有二十多个左右的负一个。我的脑子一下子变得越来越糊涂了。
Okay, not helping. I moved to the next and slipped my mind inside.
好吧，帮倒忙。我转移到另一个地方，把自己的思绪放在里面。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I almost wished I hadn’t.
我差点就后悔了。
Chapel was dying. Again.
查普尔快要死了。再来一次。
The defenders were in a fight for their lives as the Brood advanced inexorably towards the stockade. They no longer simply allowed themselves to be blasted to pieces. Now they moved in shifts, one battalion pouring on suppressive fire while the other shuffled forward a few dozen yards, stopped, took cover on the ground, and began laying down fire so the first one could advance; then that one would gain ground and stop, and the cycle would repeat. The defenders, however, were clustered behind a shambled stockade of wood and scrap metal, much of it burning and blasted. The defenders who weren’t shooting were screaming. Screaming for ammo. Screaming for help. Just plain screaming.
当布鲁德夫妇无情地向寨子走去时，守卫者们正在为生存而战。他们不再简单地任由自己被炸成碎片。现在他们轮流行动，一个营倾倒在火力压制上，而另一个营拖着脚步向前走了几十码，停下来，在地上找掩护，开始放火，这样第一个人就可以前进;然后那个人就可以前进，停下来，然后循环往复。然而，防御者们聚集在一个散乱的木头和废金属栅栏后面，其中大部分被焚烧和炸毁。没有射门的防守队员都在尖叫。尖叫着要弹药。大声呼救。只是简单的尖叫。
Flames now licked over the rooftops of the proud homes that had risen recently, filling the air with smoke as fire greedily consumed all the progress that Scotch Tape had authored. The toilets she had been so proud of now blazed like a pyre, collapsing slowly in on themselves. The post office roared, ablaze as the pre-war structure finally succumbed to the fate it had evaded two centuries prior. The refugee camp beside the river was a mass of panicked people with nowhere left to flee, and so now they fled to the last mad refuge before them, the gates of the Core.
最近刚刚升起的骄傲的房屋的屋顶上，火焰吞噬了透明胶带带来的所有进展，空气中弥漫着烟雾。她曾经引以为傲的厕所现在像柴堆一样燃烧起来，慢慢地塌下来。当这座战前的建筑最终屈服于它两个世纪前逃避的命运时，邮局大声喧哗，燃烧起来。河边的难民营里挤满了惊慌失措的人们，他们无处可逃，现在他们逃到了面前最后一个疯狂的避难所——核心区的大门。
And in the midst of it all, Charity wept. They were bitter tears, slow to shed. Charity never gave anything for free if she could help it, and so she gritted her teeth and focused on the clipboards in front of her as colts and fillies raced to her. “I need four heals and X!” one of the colts shouted.
在这一切的过程中，慈善哭了。它们是苦涩的泪水，缓缓流下。如果可以的话，Charity从来不会免费提供任何东西，所以她咬紧牙关，专注于她面前的剪贴板，小马和小雌马向她跑来。"我需要四种治疗方法和x!"其中一只小马大叫。
“Take two boxes of each from the red cache! Tell them to stretch them out!” she said, pointing at some boxes. The colt nodded, the oversized combat helmet on his head wobbling, then rushed to the boxes, tossed two on his rump, and raced off. She pulled a pencil out from behind her ear, flipped to a page on the red clipboard, and made two tiny tally marks next to an icon of a Med-X syringe and a purple vial.
"从红宝石堆里各拿两盒！告诉他们把裤子拉长!"她指着几个盒子说。小马点点头，头上的超大号战斗头盔摇摇晃晃，然后冲向箱子，把两个扔在屁股上，跑开了。她从耳朵后面抽出一支铅笔，翻到红色剪贴板上的一页，在一个Med-X注射器和一个紫色小瓶的图标旁边做了两个小符号。
“I have six who need three-oh-eights!” one of the fillies yelled.
"我这儿有六个人需要308!"其中一个小姑娘喊道。
She flipped through the clipboards. “Take two ammo boxes from the green pile!” she yelled, flipping to another sheet and making another note.
她翻阅剪贴板。"从绿堆里拿两个弹药箱!"她喊道，翻到另一张纸上，又做了一个笔记。
The gray filly raced to the crates and a minute later shouted, “There are no three-oh-eights!”
灰色的小母马冲向板条箱，一分钟后喊道:"没有三零八!"
Charity looked down at the list, then over at her. “There should be at least twenty!”
查瑞蒂低头看了看名单，然后又看了看她。"至少应该有二十个!"
“Well, there’s not!” she yelled back.
"好吧，没有!"她也吼了回来。
Charity raced to the stack, her eyes scanning the boxes of ammo. She picked up a box between her hooves, gave it a shake, and tossed it aside. “Damn...” Five more. “Damn!” She threw empty ammo crates over her shoulder, setting aside a few that were still full of bullets. Most of the pile, though, was of empty ammo boxes. “Damn it! Who’s been taking the three-oh-eights?” she screamed out into the roaring battle. “There’s supposed to be a fucking system!”
慈善跑到堆栈，她的眼睛扫视着弹药箱。她用蹄子夹起一个盒子，摇了摇，然后扔到一边。"该死..."再来五个。"该死!"她把空的弹药箱扔过肩膀，留出几个仍装满子弹的箱子。不过，大部分的弹药箱都是空的。"该死！谁拿了三零八?"她在咆哮的战斗中尖叫。"应该有一个他妈的系统!"
“What do you want me to do about it?” the filly asked, wide-eyed.
"你想让我怎么办?"小母马睁大眼睛问道。
She turned to the stacks, glaring at the boxes of ammo with numbers squiggled on them in chalk. “We still have five-five-six mils, right? Grab six varmint rifles and two boxes of five-five-six and get it back to them!”
她转向烟囱，眼睛盯着那些弹药箱，上面用粉笔乱写着数字。"我们还有556毫升，对吧？拿六支坏家伙步枪和两盒五五六口径的枪，还给他们!"
“Varmint rifles?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard her right.
"坏蛋来福枪?"她问道，好像没听清楚似的。
“It’s that or frigging throwing our turds at them! Now get moving before I dock your hazard pay!” she barked, shoving her toward boxes of arms as she scribbled on a clipboard levitated in front of her with a pencil in her mouth.
"要么就这样，要么就是他妈的朝他们扔我们的粪便！在我扣你的危险津贴之前赶紧走吧!"她叫了起来，嘴里叼着一支铅笔，在笔记板上乱涂乱画，把她推向一箱箱的胳膊。
A second later, there was a loud pop, and the clipboard, its center suddenly
过了一会儿，砰的一声巨响，剪贴板的中心突然跳了起来
bulging towards her, flew into her face and snapped her nose. She bit her pencil in half from the blow and fell back, holding her bleeding muzzle with her eyes clenched shut in pain.
突然向她冲过来，扑向她的脸，打断了她的鼻子。她咬了一口铅笔，向后倒去，双眼紧闭，止住了流血的鼻口。
When she opened them, the boxes of arms and ammunition were splinters, and all that remained of the filly was a bloody lump a few feet away from the crater where they’d been. The other foals who were waiting for supplies had scattered out of sight in the smoke.
当她打开箱子的时候，武器和弹药都已经成了碎片，母马身上只剩下几英尺远的一块血肉模糊的东西。其他等待补给的小马驹已经在烟雾中消失了。
Charity shook as she sat there, staring at the smoldering hole. Her whole body tingled as if it’d been electrocuted. Beside her, the clipboard rested face down, a smoking chunk of shrapnel embedded in its back. As the shock faded, she became aware of other stinging grains imbedded in her hide, dripping blood as she struggled to speak. “Stupid... stupid...” she said, her voice tightening, and then she pointed a hoof at the bloody lump. “There’s a fine for dying, you moron! You...” She sat down, lifting her head as tears streaked down her bloody cheeks, the taste of copper in her mouth.
她坐在那里，盯着那个闷烧的洞发抖。她整个身体都感到刺痛，好像触电了一样。在她旁边，剪贴板正面朝下放着，背上嵌着一块冒烟的弹片。随着休克的消退，她开始意识到藏在她皮肤里的刺痛的谷粒，在她挣扎着说话的时候滴着血。"愚蠢......愚蠢......"她说，声音越来越紧，然后她用蹄子指了指那该死的肿块。"死了要罚款的，你这个白痴！你......"她坐了下来，抬起头，眼泪顺着她血淋淋的脸颊流了下来，嘴里有铜的味道。
It was coming apart. The defense. Her business. Her home. Her future. She’d been clever. She’d be careful. She’d taken care of her people. Invested in infrastructure. Was planning on diversifying with the increased trade. In five years, she’d buy out the Finders completely. In twenty, she’d be setting up armed stops where Wastelanders could buy arms, food, medicine, and a safe place to rest! “I was supposed to be a damned success!” she shouted, then coughed and choked on the blood.
它正在分崩离析。辩护律师。她的生意。她的家。她的未来。她很聪明。她会小心的。她照顾好了她的人民。投资基础设施。正在计划随着贸易的增加而实现多样化。五年后，她将完全买下Finders的全部股份。二十种情况是，她会设立武装站点，荒废者可以在那里购买武器、食物、药品，以及一个安全的休息场所！"我应该是一个该死的成功!"她大叫，然后咳嗽，因为血而窒息。
Then she was slammed on her face as a stallion trampled her. He started grabbing ammo boxes and stuffing them into his saddlebags. “Hey! What the fuck do you think you’re–” she started to shout before he kicked her in the face, flooring her. As she lay on her side, clutching her face, he rushed off, but he wasn’t the last. More ponies were grabbing what remained in the stores and running off.
然后她的脸被猛地撞上，一匹种马从她身上踩过。他开始抓起弹药箱，把它们塞进他的鞍囊里。"嘿！你他妈的以为你在干什么——"她开始喊起来，然后他一脚踢在她脸上，把她踩在地板上。当她侧身躺下，捂着脸时，他冲了出去，但他不是最后一个。越来越多的小马抢走了商店里剩下的东西，然后跑开了。
“Wudderu doin?” she asked thickly as she grabbed at the adults taking everything they could, only to be shoved away again and again. She drew her 5.56 pistol, but before she could fire, there was another blow to her head, and then someone bit down on her gun and snatched it away too. “Stup… Umn churge her...” she muttered weakly as she turned and looked at the stockade. But the stockade seemed barely defended at all anymore. With all the obscuring
"武德都在做什么?"她一边粗声粗气地问，一边抓住那些大人，使尽浑身解数，结果却一次又一次地被推开。她拔出5.56口径的手枪，但还没来得及开枪，她的头又挨了一击，然后有人咬下了她的枪，把它也抢走了。"Stup......嗯，搅拌她......"她虚弱地咕哝着，转过身来看着栅栏。但栅栏似乎根本没有任何防御。在所有的模糊中
smoke in the air, it appeared only a few dozen foals remained, firing what they could and scrounging for ammo among the fallen, coming to each other for aid.
空气中弥漫着烟雾，似乎只剩下几十只小马驹，它们尽可能地开火，在倒下的人群中寻找弹药，互相帮助。
“Oh dear,” croaked a voice as the dry, taut teal pegasus ghoul trotted to her. “This won’t do at all. I should call the Royal Guard. Beating up a filly! Have they no shame?” Harpica drew out a discolored teal handkerchief and began to clean Charity’s muzzle. “There there. Once you’re cleaned up, we’ll see Master Vanity. He’s quite nice and will see to it your parents are notified.”
"哦，亲爱的,"一个声音低沉地说，这时那个干瘪的、紧绷的青色幽灵向她小跑过来。"这根本行不通。我应该叫皇家卫队来。打一匹小母马！难道他们不觉得羞耻吗?"哈皮卡掏出一块褪色的蓝绿色手帕，开始给查瑞特擦口鼻。"在那儿。一旦你清理干净，我们就去见瓦尼特少爷。他人很好，会通知你父母的。"
Charity glared up at her, tears now trickling from her eyes. Then she gritted her teeth, hissing as she suppressed the urge to snap at the poor deluded ghoul. Behind the teal ghoul, Charity could see ponies streaming over the bridge and into the Core, racing for the only protection that remained. Then she bowed her head. “You should dake your kids up to the bountains, Miss Harpica. Show them dhe reservoir. I’b sure they’d enjoy it.”
慈悲怒视着她，眼泪从她的眼睛里流了出来。然后她咬紧牙关，发出嘶嘶的声音，她抑制住了对那个可怜的受骗的食尸鬼发怒的冲动。在绿色食尸鬼的背后，查瑞提可以看到小马从桥上奔驰而过，奔向核心区，寻找仅存的保护。然后她低下了头。"哈皮卡小姐，你应该带你的孩子去看看保镖。给他们看看水库。我相信他们会喜欢的。"
“Oh, I couldn’t do that, darling. You need help,” she said as her filmy eyes turned towards the advancing Brood. “You know, I think those fellows are up to no good. Someone really should tell them to behave.”
"哦，我不能那样做，亲爱的。你需要帮助,"她说，同时她那双朦胧的眼睛转向了前进中的布鲁德一家。""你知道，我认为那些家伙不怀好意。真的应该有人告诉他们要守规矩。"
“Please, Miss Harpica. Goh. I’m sure dhe guard will be here soon. I bow your foals probably would love a little trib to dhe lake, after being coobed up for so long,” Charity said with a crooked smile.
"请吧，哈皮卡小姐。女名女子名。我相信警卫很快就会来的。我弓你的小马驹可能会喜欢一点点的河湖，在这么长的时间，库伯说:"慈善与弯曲的微笑。
“Well, if you’re sure.” She stomped her hoof. “Children! Chil... children...” She turned back, her eyes focused on Charity, and a look of growing horror covered her face. “Oh, no. This... this is the real one, isn’t it?”
"嗯，如果你确定的话。"她跺了跺蹄子。"孩子们！孩子......孩子们......"她转过身去，目光集中在查瑞蒂身上，脸上露出越来越恐惧的表情。"哦，不。这个...这个是真的，对吧?"
“Im sowirrie. I dust wadded... rou should go... prease...” Charity bowed her head and wept. “Noh churge. Jus goh.”
"我是苏维里人。我把灰尘卷起来......你应该去......请......"慈善低下头，哭了起来。"能教堂。就是这样。"
“Shhhh...” She kissed Charity’s brow with leathery lips. “It’s alright.” She straightened and frowned at where children fought for their home. “I wish this was that other place.” She turned and started towards the stockade.
"嘘......"她用坚韧的嘴唇吻了吻查瑞特的额头。"没关系。"她直起身子，皱起眉头，看着孩子们争夺家园的地方。"我希望这里是另一个地方。"她转身朝栅栏走去。
“Wudderyu gonna doh?” Charity asked thickly.
"武德峪要做什么?"博恩斯粗声粗气地问。
“What I’ve always done. What Master Vanity told me to do,” she said softly, barely audible over the crackling flames and gunshots. “Take care of little ponies.”
"我一直都是这么做的。瓦妮特大师让我做什么,"她轻声说道，在噼啪作响的火焰和枪声中几乎听不见她的声音。"好好照顾小马。"
Harpica launched herself into the air, winging her way towards the soldiers. “Dho...” Charity muttered, watching her and then starting to stagger after her. The filly coughed and snorted the sticky blood from her nostrils. “No.” She ran faster, through the wisps of smoke that choked and burned her eyes, tears streaking the soot and blood. “No!” she cried out as she raced towards the stockade, following the pegasus pony trailing teal feathers that glimmered in the air before they were eaten by the hungry flames. “No! No no no no!” she screamed as she ran up the ramp to the top of the stockade, where dozens of young ponies stood firing at the approaching Brood alongside a few dozen adults who hadn’t fled. Apparently some of the adults had stuck around after all. “No!” she yelled as she lunged after the ghoul, stretching a hoof out to her. “I can’t afford your life!”
哈皮卡腾空而起，向士兵们飞去。"Dho......"查瑞蒂喃喃自语，看着她，然后开始摇摇晃晃地跟在她后面。小母马咳嗽了一声，鼻子里喷出粘糊糊的血。"没有。"她跑得更快了，穿过一缕缕的烟雾，她的眼睛充满了窒息和灼伤，眼泪留下了烟灰和血迹。"不!"当她冲向栅栏的时候，她大叫起来，跟在那匹飞马后面拖着青色羽毛的尾巴，羽毛在空中闪闪发光，直到被饥饿的火焰吞噬。"不！不，不，不，不!"她一边尖叫着一边跑上栅栏的坡道，栅栏顶上站着几十匹年轻的小马，它们和几十个没有逃走的成年人站在一起，向即将到来的布鲁德夫妇开火。显然，有些成年人最终还是留了下来。"不!"她一边大叫一边扑向食尸鬼，把蹄子伸向她。"我负担不起你的生活!"
The mare paused and looked down at her with a gentle smile. “Go,” she said, and then she flew out towards the Brood.
母马停下来，温柔地微笑着低头看着她。"走,"她说，然后飞向布伦特河。
Harpica wasn’t Rainbow Dash. She didn’t streak like a blue thunderbolt, tearing apart Brood with her bare hooves, but inexplicably the Brood stopped firing. As one they tracked the lone, emaciated, desiccated mare, as if trying to figure out precisely what she was doing as she flew over them. “Charity?” asked a ghoul colt serving as a bipod for a living colt gunner. “What is Miss Harpica doing?”
哈皮卡不是彩虹冲刺。她没有像一道蓝色的霹雳划过，赤裸的蹄子撕裂了布鲁德夫妇，但令人费解的是布鲁德夫妇停止了射击。他们跟踪着这匹孤独的、憔悴的、干枯的母马，好像试图弄清楚她在飞过他们时到底在做什么。"施舍?"问一把盗尸的柯尔特枪，作为一把活柯尔特枪的枪托。"哈皮卡小姐在干什么?"
“Trying to buy us time so we don’t all die on this wall,” Charity replied, gritting her teeth.
"试图为我们争取时间，这样我们就不会死在这堵墙上了,"Charity咬紧牙关回答。
“Lucky,” one of the mares murmured, a broken heart pendant dangling from her rifle. “You should get going. Let us buy your lives with our own.” The blood red mare seemed positively pleased at that idea.
"幸运,"其中一匹母马低声说，一个破碎的心形吊坠挂在她的来复枪上。"你该走了。让我们用自己的生命来换取你们的生命。"血红色的母马似乎对这个主意非常满意。
“What have I told you about that, Riproar?” another ghoul pegasus rasped. She was a sickly chartreuse with a flimsy blue and red mane and tail that were only bits of stubble. “We die when we die. We don’t rush to it.” She gazed at the stockade, then back at the dour mare. “What do you think? Can we fight here?”
"我怎么跟你说的，利普罗阿?"另一个食尸鬼帕加索斯拉斯。她体弱多病，黄绿色的头发，淡蓝色、淡红色的鬃毛和尾巴，只是一点点胡茬。"我们死的时候就是死的时候。我们不会仓促行事。"她凝视着栅栏，然后回头望着阴沉的母马。""你认为呢？我们能在这里战斗吗?"
“Maybe for five minutes. We should pull back to the city, Heartshine,” she said, her eagerness transforming into dour resignation. “We can kill these Brood for hours with that choke point.”
"也许五分钟吧。我们应该撤回到Heartshine这座城市。"她急切的表情变成了严肃的辞职。"我们可以用那个瓶颈杀死这些思潮数小时。"
“No!” Charity snapped. “Blackjack said to stay out of the Core at all costs.” She scanned the hillside, but the flank of the Brood was positioned to cut off any
"不!"查瑞蒂崩溃了。"Blackjack说不惜一切代价远离Core。"她扫视了一下山坡，但是布伦特病房的侧翼已经被切断了
retreat towards Star House. Two dozen ghoul children might have made it. A hundred ponies, young and old, had no chance of evading detection. There was only one building which wasn’t on fire: the chapel itself, its steeple rising up through the smoke. “There. We can go in there. It should hold enough.”
向星宫撤退。二十多个食尸鬼的孩子可能还活着。一百匹小马，无论老幼，都逃不过检查。只有一座建筑物没有着火:教堂本身，它的尖塔在烟雾中升起。"那儿。我们可以进去。应该够用了。"
“Oh, good,” the beefy red mare said brightly. “We can die in ten minutes rather than five. Well, at least we won’t have to travel far for the funeral. They have those thingies in churches, right?”
"哦，太好了,"结实的红色母马明亮地说。"我们可以在十分钟内死去，而不是五分钟。至少我们不用走很远去参加葬礼。教堂里有这种东西，对吧?"
“Riproar,” the ghoul said in a mildly reproachful voice. “You know better.”
"利普罗阿,"食尸鬼用略带责备的声音说。"你知道得更清楚。"
“Yeah, yeah...” She sighed, then turned and shouted, “Back to the building with the big pointy tower on the roof. Move it! Grab whatever ammo you can, but move!”
"是的，是的......"她叹了口气，然后转身喊道,"回到屋顶上有尖尖的大塔的房子里。"。快走！带上你能带的任何弹药，但是要行动!"
Heartshine nodded and pressed a button on her battered PipBuck. “Halfhearts, retreat to the chapel. Protect the little ones. The time to return to your other halves is not yet come,” she ordered into the broadcaster, then hefted an oversized magical beam rifle to her shoulder. “Survive and fight. You can join those you’ve lost when the day is through.”
心亮点点头，按了一下她那破旧的皮布克的按钮。"哈夫哈特，退到教堂去。保护小家伙们。回到另一半身边的时间还没到,"她对广播员命令道，然后把一把超大号的魔法步枪举过肩膀。"生存和战斗。当一天结束的时候，你可以加入那些你已经失去的人。"
But Charity wasn’t running. She watched as Harpica flew over the heads of the Brood with odd little swooshes that might have been bombing runs if a pony had only a vague idea what a bombing run was supposed to be and was set on doing one without the explosives. Instead of lighting her up, though, they only took a smattering of potshots here and there, bullets biting off bits and pieces of the mare as she swooped back and forth. Maybe it was their interconnectedness, or maybe it was that they had no idea how to react to something like this, or perhaps the Legate was somewhere laughing his bloody stripes off at the ancient mare’s deranged antics, but whatever the reason, she bought priceless seconds for the young ponies and Halfhearts to pull back from the wall.
但是Charity没有跑。她看着哈皮卡飞过布鲁德一家的头顶，发出奇怪的声音，如果一匹小马只是模糊地知道一次轰炸行动应该是什么样子，并且决定不用炸药就进行轰炸的话，那么这些声音可能就是在轰炸。然而，他们并没有点燃她，只是在这里或那里随便开了几枪，当母马来回飞扑时，子弹一点一点地咬下母马的碎片。也许是因为他们之间的相互联系，也许是因为他们不知道如何应对这样的事情，也许是因为莱盖特在某个地方嘲笑这匹古老母马疯狂的行为，笑掉了身上带血的条纹，但不管是什么原因，她为小马和哈夫哈特从墙上拉回来买了无价的秒。
“We’ve got to go,” a gruff filly’s voice said behind Charity. She opened her mouth to protest, and the powerful half-dragon Precious slipped out of the smoke, heaved Charity onto her back, and ran for the chapel.
"我们得走了,"一个粗哑的小母马的声音在查瑞蒂身后说。她张开嘴表示抗议，强大的半龙宝贝从烟雾中溜了出来，把查瑞蒂背在背上，向教堂跑去。
“No! Damn it! Go back! I can’t pay her back for this if she’s dead!” Charity yelled as the dragon filly wrapped her long, scaly tail around Charity’s neck to keep her from leaping off. “Let me go! I fucking hate owing ponies!”
"不！该死！回去！如果她死了，我就不能还她钱了!"龙小母马用长长的鳞片状的尾巴缠住查尔蒂的脖子，防止她跳下去，查尔蒂大叫起来。"放开我！我真他妈讨厌欠小马的钱!"
Then the Brood must have registered what was happening on the wall, because there was a great crackle, and Harpica was simply gone. Dusty tatters, bone chips, and feathers drifted on the smoke as the Brood poured after the retreating defenders.
那么布伦特一定记录下了墙上发生的事情，因为有很大的爆裂声，哈皮卡就这么消失了。布伦特一家在撤退的防卫者身后蜂拥而至，尘土飞扬的破布、骨头碎片和羽毛飘落在烟雾上。
Unicorns blinked into place between Precious and the chapel, each with their silver blades and an accompanying trio of gun-wielding Brood. The dragon filly opened her mouth wide and spewed out a torrent of jade-green flame without even breaking stride. Bullets glanced off her scales, but one blade opened a shallow wound from shoulder to haunch. Precious whirled, her prehensile tail keeping Charity on her far side as she breathed another incinerating gout of fire. Still, she had only one mouth and had Charity to protect, and the unicorns were teleporting to flank the dragon filly. A bullet caught Precious in the knee, and both Precious and Charity fell to the ground, smoke swirling around them.
独角兽闪烁在珍爱和小教堂之间，每一个都带着银色的刀刃，三个人一起挥舞着枪支。小龙姑娘张大了嘴，没有停下脚步，就喷出一股碧绿的火焰。子弹擦过她的鳞片，但是一把刀片割开了一个从肩膀到腰部的浅伤口。普莱舍丝旋转着，她那可以抓握的尾巴保持着她远处的侧面，她呼吸着另一种燃烧着的火的痛风。尽管如此，她只有一张嘴，还有慈悲要保护，而独角兽们正在传送侧翼攻击龙小姑娘。一颗子弹打中了普莱舍丝的膝盖，普莱舍丝和查瑞丝都倒在地上，烟雾缭绕着他们。
Then it cleared, and a trio of Brood aimed their assault carbines at Charity’s face. Charity stared up, the back of her mind running a tally of all the debts she owed and was owed, despite the danger surrounding them, and finding her uncomfortably short at this moment. Even as she drew her twenty-two pistol, she knew it was futile. Still, these bastards couldn’t afford her submission.
然后天气晴朗了，布鲁德三人组用卡宾枪瞄准了查瑞特的脸。查瑞蒂抬起头来，脑子里在计算着所有她欠下的和被欠下的债务，尽管这些债务周围有危险，她发现此时此刻她的欠款少得令人不安。甚至当她拔出她的22口径手枪时，她知道这是徒劳的。但是，这些混蛋还是买不起她的服从。
Then the air behind the Brood shimmered as four-legged things pounced. Jaws closed on the backs of necks, and augmented spines were ripped from the flesh they supported as cybernetic canines materialized from the haze of war. The augmented attack dogs worked with their own horribly efficient pack tactics, one pair seizing forelegs in their jaws while a third disemboweled the immobilized cyberzebra. As soon as they'd butchered one, they disappeared back into the smoke with shimmers of their cloaking talismans.
接着，布鲁德一家身后的空气闪烁起来，四条腿的东西扑了过来。上下颚紧紧咬住脖子的背部，增大的脊椎从它们所支撑的肉体上被撕裂，仿佛电脑犬牙从战争的迷雾中显形出来。这些增强型攻击犬使用它们自己可怕的高效集群战术，其中一对用它们的下巴夹住前腿，第三只用它们的内脏开膛破肚。他们一宰了一只，他们就消失在烟雾中，身上披着闪闪发光的护身符。
“What’s going...” Charity began when a shadow loomed in the smoke, and then the veil parted to reveal a massive black-armored canine. “On?” The blood-smeared cyborg leaned down and sniffed at the filly. “Okay. Please don’t eat us.” Precious let out a long, threatening growl of pain. “Don’t,” Charity cautioned her. “I think they’re... um... well... on our side.” The large canine wagged her tail and let out a metallic chuffing noise. “Can you carry her?” She pointed through the choking smoke to where the chapel’s spire poked up into view. “Take her there?” The dog gave a whine but wagged her tail again.
"这是怎么回事......"慈善活动开始时，一个影子隐约出现在烟雾中，然后面纱揭开，露出一只巨大的黑色盔甲犬。"怎么了?"血迹斑斑的半机器人俯下身子，用鼻子嗅了嗅小母马。"好吧。请不要吃我们。"普莱舍丝发出一声长长的、威胁性的痛苦咆哮。"不要,"查瑞蒂提醒她。"我认为他们......嗯......是站在我们这边的。"那只大狗摇着尾巴，发出金属般的轰鸣声。"你能抱她吗?"她透过令人窒息的烟雾指向教堂尖顶露出的地方。"带她去那儿?"那只狗发出一声哀鸣，但又摇了摇尾巴。
“I can walk!” Precious said, trying to take a step and collapsing. The canine
"我能走!"普莱舍丝说着，试着往前走了一步，然后就晕倒了。狗狗
scooped up Precious almost as neatly and easily as Precious had carried Charity. “This is ridiculous. We’re only buying ourselves a few minutes at the most. Might as well have died at the wall. Less running.”
铲起《珍爱》几乎和《珍爱》搬运《慈爱》一样干净利落。"这太荒谬了。我们最多只能为自己争取几分钟。还不如死在长城上。少跑步。"
“Shut up and let her save you. I’ll be right behind you,” Charity said. The canine leapt off in the direction of the chapel. Charity rose and took one look back at the home she’d made as it blazed. The numbers in the ledger in her head shifted. She was still in the red, but at least it was a little less than a few seconds ago. Now if only she could get some last-second improbable save like Blackjack managed when her rump was in the fire.
"闭嘴，让她来救你。我马上就来,"查瑞蒂说。那只狗朝着教堂的方向跳了下去。查瑞蒂站起来，回头看了一眼她建造的房子。她脑子里的账本上的数字变了。她仍然处于亏损状态，但至少比几秒钟前还要少一点。现在，要是她能在最后一秒钟做出一些不太可能的扑救就好了，就像黑杰克在她屁股着火的时候做的那样。
Then the Brood appeared, striding confidently out from the smoke all around them.
然后，魔龙军团出现了，从他们周围的烟雾中自信地大步走出来。
Dozens. Hundreds. They walked amidst the burning buildings like a legion of shadows. Precious had been right. Running was just delaying the inevitable, but what else could she do? Harpica had bought them all a few invaluable moments. How much time could one filly buy, and what would it be worth to all those who had taken refuge in the chapel?
几十个。成百上千。他们像一群影子一样在燃烧的建筑物中行走。普莱舍丝是对的。跑步只是在拖延不可避免的事情，但是她还能做什么呢？哈皮卡为他们买来了一些珍贵的时刻。一匹小母马能花多少时间呢?对于那些躲在小教堂里的人来说，这又有什么价值呢？
Maybe that’d finally put her in the black?
也许这样她就有盈余了？
“Hey, you! All of you!” Charity bellowed at the approaching Brood. “You owe the Crusaders and associated inhabitants of this community damages for bodily, material, and emotional harm! I’m going to sue the stripes off your asses!” The Brood didn’t fire, though there were more than enough guns on her to turn her to red foam. “You hear me! I’m gonna sue you so hard your grandchildren are gonna need a mortgage to buy a box of Abronco Detergent!” She slumped a little and muttered, “Damn it. How does Blackjack make it look so easy?”
"嘿，你！你们所有人!"慈悲对着即将到来的布鲁德一家大吼。"你们应该为这个社区的十字军战士和相关居民的身体、物质和精神上的伤害负责！我要告得你们屁股开花!"布鲁德夫妇没有开枪，尽管她身上有足够多的枪，可以把她变成红色的泡沫。"你听我说！我要狠狠地告你，你的孙子孙女需要抵押贷款才能买一盒Abronco洗涤剂!"她跌了一跤，喃喃自语道:"该死。黑杰克怎么看起来那么简单?"
As one, the Brood suddenly halted, the red glow of their eyes matched by the searing glare of Chapel burning around them. Then they did something truly monstrous.
布伦特一家突然停了下来，他们眼睛里的红光和周围教堂灼热的火光相映成趣。然后他们做了一件真正可怕的事情。
They laughed.
他们笑了。
A thousand armed zebras laughing in perfect unison.
成千上万的武装斑马齐声大笑。
“Shoo, little girl,” one Brood said.
"嘘，小女孩,"布鲁德说。
“Run along,” another continued in an identical tone.
"去吧,"另一个用同样的口气继续说。
“Tell the others to flee,” a third murmured as they all grinned at her.
"告诉其他人逃走,"第三个人低声说，他们都冲着她咧嘴笑。
“Back to their fortress.”
"回到他们的堡垒。"
“Their sanctuary.”
"他们的避难所。"
“Their only hope.”
"他们唯一的希望。"
Charity gaped at them all. “You... you want us in the Core?”
慈悲对他们都目瞪口呆。"你...你要我们去核心区?"
“Oh yes,” a number of them said as one. “We need more children. Children always worked wonders for me when prompting powerful fools to action.”
"哦，是的,"他们中的一些人一起说。"我们需要更多的孩子。当我激励那些有权有势的傻瓜采取行动时，孩子们总能为我创造奇迹。"
“Been so very hard not to eliminate you all. But time is passing. So go,” one said with an imperious gesture at the city. “It won’t be long now.”
"不把你们全干掉真是太难了。但是时间在流逝。那就去吧,"其中一人对着这座城市傲慢地说。"不会太久了。"
Charity licked her lips but didn’t take her eyes off the soldiers as the ground began to vibrate under her hooves. “I’d rather die.”
当地面开始在她的蹄下颤动时，查瑞蒂舔了舔嘴唇，但她的眼睛没有离开士兵们。"我宁愿去死。"
The smiles disappeared just as simultaneously as they had spoken. “So be it,” they said as a hundred guns focused on her at once. But the shaking was increasing, accompanied by a growing rumble.
微笑消失了，就像他们说话的时候一样。"那就这样吧,"他们说，一百支枪同时对准了她。但是震动越来越大，伴随着越来越大的隆隆声。
Charity peered around, asking in alarm. “What the hay is going on? What are you doing?”
慈善机构四处张望，惊恐地询问。"这是怎么回事？你在干什么?"
But whatever it was, they didn’t seem to have a clue either. The Brood looked around the smoky battlefield as the rumbling and screeching reached a fever pitch, then suddenly cut off. From behind Charity came a thump and a hiss of air that blasted away the smoke around the filly. Suddenly the guns weren’t on her but on something else. Something big. And from the gaping expression on their faces, something unpleasant. She turned, expecting to see a giant dragon or something.
但不管是什么，他们似乎也毫无头绪。当隆隆声和尖叫声达到高潮，然后突然停止的时候，那群孩子环顾了战场上的烟雾。从查瑞蒂身后传来一阵重击声和嘶嘶声，驱散了小母马周围的烟雾。突然，枪口不在她身上，而是对着别的东西。一件大事。从他们脸上张大嘴巴的表情来看，有些不愉快的东西。她转过身，以为会看到一条巨龙什么的。
What she beheld was two words written in bright red paint: MEGA DEUS. The immense black and white tank had clearly been battered something terrible, with numerous holes punched in the armor. Had something taken out his repair talisman with a lucky shot?
她看到的是用鲜红色颜料写的两个字:MEGADEUS。这辆巨大的黑白坦克显然遭到了猛烈的打击，盔甲上打了无数个洞。是不是有什么东西幸运地射中了他的修理护身符？
She took one look at the cannons and machine gun turrets pointing over her and hit the dirt, clutching her hooves over her ears.
她看了一眼大炮和机关枪的炮塔指向她，然后摔倒在地，用蹄子捂住耳朵。
Then Deus roared.
接着上帝咆哮起来。
The cannons made entire ranks of Brood simply vanish in a cloud of metal, bone, and blood. The machine guns tore into the assembled cyberzebras like great, immense scythes. The Brood tried to scatter, but whatever cover remained was on fire, and Deus wasn’t about to let them get away. While the Brood around them flew apart into red mist, a small hatch in the bottom popped open, and the speakers cracked and boomed, “Cunt cunt!”
大炮让整个布鲁德军团消失在金属、骨头和鲜血的烟雾中。机关枪像巨大的镰刀一样猛烈地扫射斑马。布鲁德夫妇试图分散开来，但是不管剩下什么掩体都着火了，天王不会让他们逃走的。就在他们周围的一窝小东西飞成一团团红雾的时候，底部的一个小舱口突然打开了，扬声器砰地一声响了起来,"婊子!"
Charity wasted no time, pulling herself into the war machine. Smoke swirled inside the cabin, but not as bad as outside. The cable-like spinal column and braincase sat inside the jar. As soon as she was inside, the hatch swung closed and the tank lurched forward. “Yeah! Get them!” she said as she pulled herself into the driver’s seat and strapped in, looking out through a tiny armored slit at the scrambling cyberzebras.
慈善没有浪费时间，把自己拉进了战争机器。机舱内烟雾缭绕，但没有外面那么严重。罐子里装着电缆一样的脊柱和脑壳。她一进去，舱门就关上了，坦克摇摇晃晃地向前开去。"是的！抓住他们!"她一边说，一边坐进驾驶座，系上安全带，透过一个小小的装甲裂缝，向外望去，那里的赛博斑马一片混乱。
And Deus did what he did best. The tank let out a booming “CUUUUUNT!”, and the mayhem was squared. The turret above her worked as it automatically loaded shell after shell. Sprays of shrapnel transformed the Brood into great bloody gobs as the tank lunged forward. Some tried to respond with missiles, but Deus either poured on the fire at the launchers or raced into the smoke and out of view. Still, the vehicle definitely lurched with occasional impacts from grenades.
天王做了他最擅长的事。坦克发出一声隆隆的"cuuuunt!"混乱也平息了。她上方的炮塔一个接一个地自动装弹。当坦克向前冲的时候，弹片的喷射把孵卵病变成了血淋淋的大块。一些人试图用导弹回击，但是天王要么向发射器扔火药，要么跑进烟雾中，逃之夭夭。尽管如此，车辆肯定倾斜，偶尔受到手榴弹的影响。
“Take this, you striped fuckers!” Charity shouted. “I bet you wish you’d settled your debts now, don’t you?” she yelled as they ripped through the Brood battalions like a thrashing, grinding wrecking ball. They moved in a crescent back and forth around the chapel, the tank never letting the Brood swing around and attack the structure directly. From the rooftops, the Halfhearts added their own help, the rifleponies picking off every attacker they could when the smoke from the burning structures cleared enough to give clear shots. A Brood loaded head to hoof in explosives dropped two dozen feet from the tank before he could make his suicide attack, felled by a Halfheart’s bullet.
"拿着这个，你们这些条纹混蛋!"查瑞蒂喊道。"我敢打赌，你现在一定希望还清债务，是吗?"她喊道，因为他们撕裂了布伦德军营像一个打击，磨碎破碎球。他们在教堂周围来回移动，坦克从来没有让布鲁德病毒旋转和直接攻击结构。从屋顶上，哈夫哈特加入了他们自己的帮助----当从燃烧的建筑中散发出的烟雾足够清晰的时候，步枪部队会尽可能的干掉每一个攻击者。一个布鲁德病毒携带炸药从水箱中头对脚落下24英尺，之后他发动了自杀式袭击，被一颗哈夫哈特的子弹击倒。
Suddenly something struck Deus hard enough to make the tank rock, and he rang like a bell as he lurched hard to the side. Charity’s straps yanked hard as she was jerked around inside like a rag doll, her ears ringing. “What was... oh...” she said
突然，有什么东西狠狠地撞上了天王，使得坦克摇晃起来，他使劲向旁边晃动，就像按了门铃一样。当她像一个布娃娃一样在里面被拉来拉去的时候，她的肩带猛拉着，耳朵嗡嗡作响。"什么......哦......"她说
as she stared through the thinning smoke...
当她透过稀薄的烟雾凝视..。
...at three more tanks.
还有三辆坦克。
Their turrets flashed, but Deus was already in motion... in reverse. A second later, the ground in front of him erupted. As soon as it did, Deus was racing forward, bouncing through the crater and nearly flying into the air as there was a second detonation where he’d just been. The three were sweeping in, and Deus now ignored the Brood infantry as he raced into the burning wreckage of Chapel. He didn’t stay on a straight line for longer than two seconds, weaving this way and that erratically as two tanks swept out to the sides of the town while the third pursued directly. “I hope you know what you’re doing!” Charity shouted.
他们的炮塔闪闪发光，但是上帝已经在运动了......在倒退。一秒钟后，他面前的地面爆发了。就在它刚刚爆炸的时候，天王飞快地向前冲，在火山口蹦蹦跳跳，差点飞到空中，因为他刚刚经过的地方发生了第二次爆炸。他们三个一窝蜂地冲进来，当天王冲进教堂燃烧着的残骸时，他忽略了布鲁德病团的步兵。他没有在直线上停留超过两秒钟，迂回前进，两辆坦克开到城镇两侧，第三辆直接追击。"我希望你知道自己在做什么!"查瑞蒂喊道。
“Cunt,” Deus replied tersely as he looped around the blazing post office and suddenly turned around sharply. Then his superchargers roared as the treads ripped up the ground, the tank charging the wall of the post office.
"婊子,"天王简洁地回答，他在燃烧的邮局里转了一圈，然后突然转过身来。接着，他的增压器在踏板掀起地面时咆哮起来，坦克冲向邮局的墙壁。
“Wait! That’s my–” Charity began, but Deus was already rolling up the crumbling walls and onto the collapsing roof, the air suddenly becoming blazing hot as he rolled right through the inferno, smoke drifting through the holes in his armor. He didn’t stay there, though. As the already-weakened roof collapsed under his weight, he rode the flaming wave... right into the side of the pursuing tank. His barrels were nearly touching the joint between the turret and hull of the enemy tank. His cannons boomed, and Deus was thrown back into the rubble of the post office as the tank exploded into flame, turret flipping end over end into the air. As the air in the cabin became unbearably hot, he tore off the blazing ruin and past the burning hulk. Through a tiny, grainy monitor, Charity could see a cloak of soot and embers being drawn along behind him.
"等等！"那是我的——"慈善开始了，但是天王已经从摇摇欲坠的墙上滚到了倒塌的屋顶上，当他滚过地狱的时候，空气突然变得炙热起来，烟从他盔甲上的洞里飘出来。不过他没有呆在那里。由于他的重量已经削弱了屋顶倒塌，他驾驶着燃烧的波浪...正好进入追击坦克的一侧。他的炮管几乎碰到了敌人坦克炮塔和车体之间的连接处。他的大炮隆隆作响，天王被扔回邮局的瓦砾堆中，坦克爆炸成火焰，炮塔翻转着一头接着一头抛向空中。当舱内的空气变得难以忍受的炎热时，他撕开了熊熊燃烧的废墟，经过了着火的船体。透过一个小小的、颗粒状的显示器，查瑞蒂可以看到他身后拖着一层烟灰和余烬。
“Yeah!” Charity shouted. “You can do this! You’re going to get free washing and buffing at Chapel for life!” Deus let out a happy growl even as he was being shelled by the pair of tanks that hadn’t pursued him into the flaming settlement.
"耶!"查瑞蒂喊道。"你能做到的！你一辈子都可以在教堂里免费洗涤和抛光!"在没有追赶他进入燃烧着的村庄的坦克的炮击下，上帝高兴地发出了一声咆哮。
The other tanks were spreading out, trying to position themselves so Deus’s mad weaving couldn’t evade their fire. He jerked and swerved like a spasmodic wagon driver having an epileptic attack, and yet he was able to precisely tie together his shots so that each blast went true. Each shot tore holes in their armor... yet seconds later, their repair talismans were bending the armor plating back into shape. An angry growl filled the cabin. Only a perfect hit on their
其他坦克分散开来，试图找到自己的位置，这样天王的疯狂编队就无法躲避他们的火力。他像癫痫病发作的痉挛马车夫一样猛地抽搐和转向，然而他能够精确地把他的射击结合在一起，使每一次爆炸都成真。每一发子弹都在他们的装甲上撕开了一个洞......然而几秒钟后，他们的修复护身符又把装甲板弯曲成了原来的形状。一声愤怒的咆哮充满了整个船舱。只有一个完美的打击，他们的
repair talismans would let him finish them off... well, that or killing the Brood driving the damned thing.
修理护身符可以让他完成任务......好吧，或者杀了布鲁德夫妇，驾驶这该死的东西。
Charity just hung on for the ride. “You’ve got to get closer!” she shouted over the roaring engine and the screeching treads. Deus growled an agreement, twisting to the side and diving at the stockade. He smashed through the burning barrier, racing along the blazing structure as impacts from the far side sent steel and embers fountaining out around him. A skywagon in his way was rammed, followed by a metallic chewing sound. Then he made a tight loop, blasting out a section of wagon and racing out over it with a resounding clang that nearly snapped Charity’s shoulders.
Charity坚持了下来。"你得再靠近一点!"她的喊声盖过了轰鸣的引擎和尖叫的踏板。天王咆哮着达成了一项协议，身体向一边倾斜，一头扎进了栅栏。他冲破燃烧的障碍物，沿着燃烧的建筑物奔跑，远处的撞击使钢铁和余烬从他周围喷涌而出。一辆行进中的运货马车被撞了一下，随之而来的是金属的咀嚼声。然后他紧紧地绕了一圈，开出一节马车，发出响亮的铿锵声，几乎把查瑞特的肩膀压断了。
They were out much closer to the second tank, maybe only a few dozen yards. Its turret whipped around as Deus tracked his to it. In three horrifying seconds, the two twin-barreled tanks ripped into each other with brutal force. Charity’s ears screamed with piercing tinnitus, the filly partially deafened and concussed as the fury of the exchange tore into the battling war machines. And just like that it was over... the zebra tank was a burning lump of metal.
他们离第二辆坦克更近，也许只有几十码远。它的炮塔在上帝的跟踪下旋转着。在可怕的三秒钟内，两辆双管坦克相互猛烈地撞击。查瑞蒂的耳朵尖叫着发出刺耳的耳鸣声，当愤怒的交换声撕裂战争机器时，这匹小母马的耳朵震聋了。就这样，一切都结束了......斑马坦克是一块燃烧着的金属。
And Deus’s turret had been torn clean off.
而天王的炮塔也被清理干净了。
Charity looked numbly up at the jagged hole where the turret had once been, at the blue sky hazed by red-lit smoke. “Can you repair that yourself?” Deus’s engine let out an annoyed growl. “Don’t worry...” she murmured as the smoke cleared. “I can cover it... make a payment plan... for service rendered...”
慈善麻木地抬头看着曾经被红光照亮的烟雾笼罩着的蓝天，看着曾经的塔楼上那个锯齿状的洞。"你自己能修好吗?"天王的引擎发出一声恼怒的咆哮。"别担心......"烟雾散去后，她喃喃地说。"我可以支付......做一个付款计划......为了服务......"
Deus gave a sort of mechanical chuckle as he turned, orienting his hull towards the remaining tank. That tank wasn’t moving on Deus. It was heading straight towards the chapel. “They’re either going to push us into the Core or kill us,” Charity groaned as she wiped her muzzle, blood smearing her hoof. “Why? Why do they want to do that?”
天王转过身来，发出一种机械式的咯咯笑声，把船身朝向剩下的坦克。那辆坦克没有向天王开过去。它直奔礼拜堂而去。"他们要么把我们推进核心区，要么杀了我们,"查瑞特一边擦拭口罩，一边呻吟着，蹄子上沾满了鲜血。"为什么？他们为什么要这么做?"
Deus just sat there and let out a single, low motor growl that I imagined as ‘I don’t know.’ The remaining tank could have blown the chapel apart with its cannons, but instead it languidly strafed the front of the structure with its machine guns. The Halfhearts and Crusaders weren’t running, though. They opened fire from the windows and rooftops whenever there was an opening. Suddenly, the escape hatch in the cabin floor popped open, and the motor gave a more urgent growl. “What?” Charity asked. “I don’t understand...”
天王只是坐在那里，发出一个单一的，低马达咆哮，我想象成'我不知道。'剩下的坦克本可以用它的大炮把教堂炸得粉碎，但是它却用它的机关枪懒洋洋地扫射教堂的前面。不过，《哈夫哈特》和《十字军》并没有逃跑。只要有一个开口，他们就从窗户和屋顶开火。突然，机舱地板上的逃生舱门砰地一声打开了，马达发出了更加急促的咆哮声。"什么?"慈善问道。"我不明白......"
Then the cabin speaker crackled with Deus’s deep, synthetic voice.
接着，客舱里的扬声器发出了天王低沉的人造声音。
“C...c...c...go...” It sounded as if he was tearing off one of his own limbs just to say that simple word. “...c...unt... c... go...” One of those last impacts must have knocked his speech center back into place.
"c..C..C..说这么简单的一句话，听起来好像他要把自己的一条肢体扯下来似的。"...c..阿特...c。.最后的撞击之一一定是把他的语言中枢撞回原位了。
“You’re going to ram it and self-destruct, aren’t you?” Charity asked. “It’s too close to the chapel!”
"你要撞击它，然后自毁，是吗?"慈善问道。"离教堂太近了!"
“Go,” Deus rasped in his deep, pained voice. “I... C… C... I... will... take... cunt... of... it...”
"去吧,"天王用他低沉而痛苦的声音粗声粗气地说。"我.....。.C..C..我。.将...收...走...它...的...阴道"
Charity stared at the speaker, then at the brain inside the cracked jar. The braincase lay slumped against the side of the container, knocked loose in that last exchange. “Go...” Deus begged.
查瑞蒂盯着演讲者，然后盯着破裂的罐子里的大脑。脑壳靠在集装箱的一侧，在最后一次对话中被撞松了。"去吧......"天王恳求道。
“Why?” Charity asked. “We’re all going to die anyway,” she whimpered.
"为什么?"慈善问道。"反正我们都要死了,"她呜咽着说。
“Shhhh...” Deus replied. “I... had... a... c...c...child... once... F...f…f...lees... should... l...l...live...” He repeated, “Go...”
"嘘......"天王回答道。"我.....。.有...一个..。.C..C..孩子......一次.....。.F..F..李...应该...我..。.L.."活着......"他重复道,"去吧......"
Charity started down the hatch. The speaker gave one last crackle. “I... was... a... good... pony...”
Charity开始喝酒了。演讲者发出最后一声爆裂声。"我.....。.曾经是。.好...小马..."
She paused, then gave a small smile. “No. You are a good pony.”
她停顿了一下，然后微微一笑。"没有。你是一匹好马。"
Then she was out, and Deus carefully rolled away from her, paused for a few seconds, then turned. She sat on the grass, watching as he began to roll towards the remaining tank, picking up speed. The turret pointed towards him and let out a blast, but he swerved at an angle, still accelerating. Another blast and another last moment swerve in the other direction. Back and forth he tacked, the remaining tank trying in vain to finish him off. The shells exploded near Deus’s tracks, trying to cripple the war machine.
然后她出来了，天王小心翼翼地从她身边滚开，停顿了几秒钟，然后转过身来。她坐在草地上，看着他开始向剩下的坦克滚去，加快速度。炮塔指向他，发出一声爆炸，但他转了一个角度，仍在加速。又一阵爆炸，又一个最后时刻转向了另一个方向。他来来回回地抢，剩下的坦克徒劳地想把他干掉。炮弹在Deus铁轨附近爆炸，试图摧毁战争机器。
“Go...” Charity murmured. “Go. Go!” she called out, as if her cries could speed the smoking hull of the Reaper on.
"走......"查瑞蒂低声说。"去吧。去吧!"她大声喊道，好像她的哭声可以加速死神的烟雾。
A shell hit him head on, and Deus staggered as his front armor indented, cracked, and flew off, but he could not be stopped. With a resounding clang, he rammed the side of the tank as it started to pull away. The cannons now extended too far over the rear of Deus to hit the smoking tank directly, and the enemy tank
一颗炮弹击中了他的头部，当他的前盔甲凹陷、破裂、飞走时，天王摇摇晃晃地走着，但是他没有被阻止。随着一声响亮的当啷声，当坦克开始离开时，他撞向了它的侧面。加农炮现在延伸到天王的后方太远，无法直接击中冒烟的坦克和敌人的坦克
was titled up on one tread by the force of the impact.
在一个轮胎印上，被撞击的力量打上了标记。
But Deus didn’t stop. He kept pushing. The tank’s treads flailed back and forth as it struggled to break itself free, sparks flying where metal scraped on metal. The tread on the ground slipped and sprayed clods of earth as it was shoved along, foot by foot. Yard by yard...
但是天王没有停下来。他不停地推。坦克的履带前后摆动，挣扎着想挣脱，金属刮到了金属上，火花四溅。当地面上的脚印被一步一步地推着走时，它滑了一下，溅起了一层土块。一码一码..。
Towards the river.
走向河边。
Charity raced down the hill after them, passing by the chapel as the occupants of the bullet-riddled structure spilled out. The filly stared as the tanks struggled down the steep, muddy bank. The Brood tank’s cannons fired wildly, spraying both with mud like thick clumps of gore. As the tank’s tread reached the swirling waters, though, a unicorn appeared atop it with an anti-machine rifle aimed down into Deus. There was a resounding bang.
当布满弹孔的建筑物的居住者从教堂出来的时候，Charity跟在他们后面跑下山，经过教堂。当坦克在陡峭泥泞的河岸上艰难前进时，这匹小母马目不转睛地看着。布鲁德坦克的大炮猛烈开火，溅起厚厚的淤泥，就像一团团的血块。当坦克的脚步到达漩涡水域，但是，一个独角兽出现在它顶部反机枪瞄准下降到天王。砰的一声巨响。
The Brood unicorn’s head exploded. Riproar lowered her smoking markspony rifle with a nod.
布鲁德独角兽的脑袋炸开了花。利普罗阿尔点了点头，放下手中正在抽烟的神枪。
Then they were in the river, and the current caught them. For one moment, the Brood tank almost seemed to float, but then Deus gave it one last push and turned it over. Treads sprayed water in the air for several seconds as it floated away, but then, with an eruption of bubbles, it abruptly disappeared into the stream.
然后他们掉进了河里，水流把他们冲走了。有那么一瞬间，孵卵池似乎漂浮起来了，但是接着上帝最后推了它一把，把它翻了过来。踏板在空气中喷了几秒钟的水，然后随着气泡的喷发，它突然消失在小溪中。
Charity stared at Deus, half submerged, her eyes round as she held her breath.
慈悲凝视着半浸在水中的天王，屏住呼吸，双眼圆睁。
“Come back,” she whispered ever so softly.
"回来,"她轻轻地低声说。
But he didn’t. He slipped into the churning waters of the river. There was a brief spray of resistance as he blocked the course, and then was also lost from view.
但他没有。他滑进了翻腾的河水中。当他堵住路线的时候，有一阵短暂的阻力，然后也消失在视野中了。
And so passed Doof the Marauder...
掠夺者就这样过去了..。
From the battlefield, the Brood were rising and reforming ranks, but the survivors of Chapel had had enough. The Halfhearts and foals charged the survivors. Cyberdogs tore into the Brood ranks, and a bandaged and very pissed off Precious blasted the cyberzebras with emerald fire. The Halfhearts ripped into any Brood unicorn who appeared and cut down clumps of enemies. The colts and fillies who had made Chapel their home for so long rallied as well. They may have been children, but that didn’t stop them from using whatever
从战场上来看，布伦特一家正在崛起，重整旗鼓，但查普尔的幸存者们已经受够了。哈夫哈特和小马驹冲向幸存者。赛博狗冲进了布鲁德的队伍，一只缠着绷带、怒气冲冲的普莱舍丝用翠绿色的火焰烧伤了赛博斑马。哈夫哈特之心撕裂任何出现的孵化独角兽，并切下一丛丛的敌人。长久以来把小教堂当作自己家的小马和小雌马也团结在一起。他们可能是孩子，但这并不能阻止他们使用任何东西
weapons they could to tear the Brood apart before they could organize and consolidate their forces.
在他们组织和巩固他们的军队之前，他们可以用武器把魔龙军团撕成碎片。
In a bloody fifteen minutes of frantic fighting, it was over. The hillside was littered with corpses. Nothing remained of Chapel save burning rubble and the eponymous bullet-ridden building. The Brood, at least here, were gone. The survivors looked at each other for a moment.
在一场血腥的十五分钟的疯狂战斗中，一切都结束了。山坡上到处都是尸体。除了燃烧着的瓦砾和与之同名的弹痕累累的建筑物，教堂什么也没有留下。布伦特一家，至少在这里，已经不在了。幸存者们互相看了一会儿。
Then a musical note rang out, the deep and soulful melody of a contrabass. Adagio and Allegro worked the music as the tiny purple Sonata began to sing. “Sweet Celestia, full of grace. Help us find our rightful place. Help us grow up big and strong. Laughing and singing all day long...” As the fillies and colts sang, the adults joined in, awkwardly mumbling lyrics they didn’t quite know.
这时响起了一个音符，低音提琴深沉而深情的旋律。当小小的紫色奏鸣曲开始演奏时，柔板和快板开始演奏。"甜蜜的天堂，充满了恩典。帮助我们找到我们应有的位置。帮助我们茁壮成长。当小雌马和小马开始唱歌时，大人们也加入了进来，笨拙地咕哝着他们不知道的歌词。
But not Charity. She walked towards the smoldering remains of the town and found one of her clipboards. She scrutinized the precise little numbers in red and black and shook. There were some costs that were just too high. Some that numbers couldn’t possibly cover. But Charity had to be tough, because if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t last long. As she song ended, she turned to the others. “Okay. Fan out. Collect any arms and ammo you can off these deadbeats. I’ll start a running tally. If they try and hit us again, we’ll have something to hit back with. Move it.”
但不是施舍。她走向冒烟的城镇遗址，发现了她的一个写字板。她仔细看了看那些精确的红色和黑色的小数字，不禁颤抖起来。有些成本实在是太高了。一些数字不可能涵盖。但是Charity必须坚强，因为如果她不坚强，她不会坚持很久。当她唱完歌后，她转向其他人。"好吧。散开。收集所有武器和弹药，你可以从这些赖帐的人身上。我开始计票。如果他们再来袭击我们，我们就有东西反击了。动起来。"
The others moved into action, but Charity lifted her head and gazed up into the clear sky and the rising pillars of smoke. “Thanks,” she murmured, then sighed and got back to work.
其他人开始行动，但是查瑞提抬起头，凝视着晴朗的天空和升起的烟柱。"谢谢,"她喃喃地说，然后叹了口气，继续工作。
oooOOOooo
噢噢噢
I let out a mental sigh of relief. Chapel was alive. Well... okay. It’d need a whole ton of repairs. But Charity and the Crusaders were alive, along with the Halfhearts. I wondered where the cyberdogs had come from. The tunnel that’d passed by their lair hadn’t been far. Maybe Charity had some Apple blood in her? Maybe they were just protecting ponies who needed help. Or maybe they were just preemptively dealing with something that would ultimately seek to destroy them as well.
我心里松了一口气。查普尔还活着。好吧。它需要大量的维修。但是查瑞特和十字军战士还活着，还有哈夫哈特。我想知道这些网络狗是从哪里来的。经过他们巢穴的那条隧道并没有走远。也许Charity有苹果的血统？也许他们只是在保护需要帮助的小马。或者也许他们只是先发制人地处理一些最终也会寻求摧毁他们的事情。
I popped out of my blank’s mind to tell Scotch Tape the good news. She wouldn’t be happy her toilets were gone, but she could always rebuild–
我突然从空白的脑海中跳出来告诉苏格兰磁带这个好消息。她不会高兴她的厕所没了，但她总是可以重建-
“I hate Blackjack!”
"我讨厌黑杰克!"
That was what Scotch Tape sobbed as I opened my eyes but didn’t move a muscle. She sobbed brokenly across the rocket from me, and I barely turned my head to spot the young mare curled up with Bastard, the latter looking thoroughly uncomfortable with this situation as she wept into his shoulder. He held her like he might hold an open barrel of Flux, afraid that one wrong move would make a bad situation even worse. “She doesn’t care! He died, and she didn’t even shed a tear! She just went right into that head as if he didn’t matter at all!” she cried into his neck. “I hate her so much!”
当我睁开眼睛却一动不动的时候，ScotchTape就是这样哭泣的。她断断续续地从我身边穿过火箭，我几乎没有转过头去看那匹蜷缩在淘气包旁边的年轻母马，淘气包看起来对这种情况非常不舒服，她趴在他的肩膀上哭泣。他抱着她，就像抱着一个敞开的弗拉科斯桶一样，生怕一个错误的举动会使情况变得更糟。"她不在乎！他死了，她却一滴眼泪都没流！她一下子就想通了，好像他根本不重要似的!"她对着他的脖子哭。"我恨死她了!"
“Yeah...” he muttered, then gave her shoulder an awkward pat. “There there, and all that. You know, this really isn’t my thing...”
"是啊......"他喃喃自语，然后笨拙地拍了拍她的肩膀。""那儿，那儿，那儿。你知道，这真的不是我的风格......"
But Scotch Tape went right along. “She left him! She didn’t even try to get him free! She left them both! She doesn’t care about any of us!” she shouted as she wept.
但是透明胶带一直很好用。"她离开他了！她甚至没有试图让他自由！她抛弃了他们两个！她根本不在乎我们任何人!"她边哭边喊。
That’s not true. It wasn’t. I just... I...
不是这样的。其实不是。我只是...我..。.
“You know the place was going to... like... explode, right?” Bastard asked slowly.
"你知道那地方会......像......爆炸一样，对吧?"淘气包慢慢地问。
“So what? She’s been exploded before! She could have found a way... done something... she’s a fucking alicorn now! You’re telling me she doesn’t have some kind of magical Princess Blackjack bullshit powers she could have used to save him?!” Scotch demanded as she clutched his jacket.
""那又怎么样？她以前也被炸过！她本可以找到办法...做点什么...她现在是个该死的角斗士了！你是说她没有什么魔法公主Blackjack狗屁力量可以用来救他苏格兰威士忌问道，她紧紧抓住他的夹克。
“Fucked if I know,” Bastard replied. “Look, I just want to get out of this tin can, see tomorrow, get paid, and move on with life. So if you feel this way, why don’t you take it up with her next time she’s outside her head, or whatever?”
"要是我知道就糟了,"淘气包回答。"听着，我只想离开这个铁罐子，看看明天，拿到钱，然后继续生活。所以，如果你有这种感觉，为什么不在下次她不在脑子里的时候找她谈谈呢?"
Scotch Tape didn’t answer, choking and sobbing. “Goddesses, I’m so terrible...
苏格兰胶带没有回答，哽咽着，抽泣着。"女神们，我太可怕了.....。
how can I hate her... but I do! She left him! She left both of them! And she doesn’t care... she doesn’t...”
我怎么可能恨她...但我恨她！她离开了他！她抛弃了他们两个！她不在乎......她不......"
Bastard spotted me looking at them with tears running down my cheeks. His eyes went wide as he looked at me over his glasses, and suddenly he grinned. “Hey! Looks like Blackjack’s awake! Now you two can have a nice heart to h–”
淘气包发现我看着他们，眼泪顺着脸颊流了下来。他透过眼镜看着我，眼睛睁得大大的，突然咧嘴笑了。"嘿！看来Blackjack醒了！现在你们两个可以有一颗善良的心了
But I couldn’t. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face what I felt or heard. Because if I stopped, it would crush me like a great wave, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get up again. So I disappeared into my blank’s mind instead. I ran. I hid. I refused to talk. Refused to think about it.
但我做不到。因为我是个懦夫。因为我无法面对我的感受和听到的。因为如果我停下来，它会像巨浪一样把我压垮，我不确定我还能不能再站起来。所以我消失在我的空白的头脑中。我跑了。我躲了起来。我拒绝说话。拒绝考虑这件事。
I was just like Blackjack in that way.
我在那方面就像黑杰克。
Or was I just like Luna like that?
或者我只是像那样的卢娜？
I didn’t care. I found a pool and left my pain behind.
我不在乎。我发现了一个池塘，把我的痛苦抛在脑后。
 
END PART ONE
完第一部分
 
Author's Notes:
作者笔记:
(Author’s notes: I’m incredibly sorry that it’s taken so very long to get what we’ve gotten done. The chapter is simply so long and there was no natural breaking point. Add to the joy of medical woes of me and a kidney stone and it just seems we weren’t able to get it done. My greatest regret is that I wasn’t able to get all of Horizons finished before EFNW. The chapter simply had too much going on. I know that I could have cut out entire scenes and put them in an epilogue, but I wanted to show the events in the hoof.
(作者的笔记:我非常抱歉花了这么长时间才完成我们已经完成的工作。这一章简直太长了，没有自然的断点。让我更高兴的是，我身体不好，还有肾结石，看起来我们好像没办法把它治好。我最大的遗憾是我没能在EFNW之前完成所有的视野。这一章简直太复杂了。我知道我可以把整个场景都剪掉，加上一段后记，但是我想把这些事情展现出来。
In other news, the entire editing team is going to be coming to EFNW with me at the end of May. I’ll also be moving out of Vegas and back to mom’s at the same time, and be unemployed till I get a teaching job elsewhere. So bits donated to David13ushey@gmail.com would be extremely welcome right now and deeply appreciated. I also have a patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Somber ...and I would DEEPLY appreciate help with improving it. Seriously. It’s horrible...
另外，整个编辑团队将在五月底和我一起去EFNW。我还要离开拉斯维加斯，同时回到妈妈那里，失业直到我在别处找到一份教书的工作。因此，现在我们非常欢迎并且非常感谢那些捐赠给david13ushey@gmail.com的信息。我也有一个专利在...和我深深感谢帮助改善它。说真的。太可怕了。
Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who’s stuck with me patiently for all of Horizons. I’d like to thank Kkat for creating FoE, and my EXTREMELY hardworking editors for the hours and hours they’ve poured into the story. Also, one final bit... if you love FoE and want to write stories for it... do.
最后，我要感谢所有耐心陪伴我走过整个地平线的人们。我要感谢Kkat创建了FoE，感谢我非常勤奋的编辑，感谢他们为这个故事付出的时间和精力。还有，最后一点......如果你喜欢FoE并且想为它写故事......那就写吧。
Don’t let Horizons intimidate you. Tell any and all stories about the wasteland you want. Stick with it, and work at your story to make it the best you can. Thank you.)
不要让地平线吓到你。讲述任何你想要的关于荒原的故事。坚持下去，努力完成你的故事，尽你所能做到最好。谢谢。)
 
Editor’s note (Heartshine: I’m just glad that we were able to get this chapter split. It’s been a ton of fun seeing all of Blackjack’s friends this chapter, even though different points of view have been sort of difficult on the editors. Progress gets hard when we have slightly different narrators, and everyone has slightly different ideas of how they’d be responding. That said, this chapter is fun! Even if Somber keeps breaking the poor Raptors.
编者按(心灵闪耀:我只是很高兴我们能够得到这一章分裂。这一章看到所有Blackjack的朋友都是非常有趣的，尽管不同的观点对编辑来说有点困难。当我们使用略有不同的叙述者，并且每个人对于他们将如何回应有略有不同的想法时，进展就会变得困难。也就是说，这一章很有趣！即使Somber不断地打败可怜的猛禽。
    I’m going to privately hope that Somber is able to move up here to Portland. For reasons. That have nothing to do with me dating him. Nope. >.>)
    我私下希望Somber能搬到波特兰。出于某些原因。这跟我和他约会没关系。没有.>)
swicked: Hey reader! Have you ever wanted to meet Somber? Conversely, have you ever wanted to know exactly where he is, so as to be as far from him as possible? Well, now you can!
嘿，读者！你有没有想过见见Somber？相反，你有没有想过知道他到底在哪里，以便离他越远越好？现在你可以了！
Coming to Everfree Northwest: Somber! And the rest of us! But mostly Somber!
来到EverfreeNorthwest:忧郁！还有我们其他人！但最重要的是忧郁！
He'll even be on a panel (yes, they gave him a guest pass, so he's even all official and junk)! Ask questions! Demand answers! Whatever, really. I'll be the one in the LSP ballcap. See y'all there.
他甚至会出现在一个小组(是的，他们给了他一个嘉宾通行证，所以他甚至是所有正式和垃圾)！问问题！要求答案！不管怎样，真的。我将是那个在LSP棒球帽的人。到时候见。
Hinds: By the way, the ESS-A1 doesn’t actually have artificial gravity. It’s just flying a full Brachistochrone trajectory, and Blackjack is out of it during the turnover.
顺便说一下，ESS-A1实际上并没有人造重力。它只是沿着完整的臂式轨迹飞行，而黑杰克在翻转过程中偏离了轨道。
Bronode: My head’s full of metal cubes. That is all. And my thoughts now need to be refined with a belt sander.
我的脑袋里装满了金属立方体。仅此而已。现在我的思想需要用砂带磨光机来磨光。