“What? My dream ended... happily? That. Cannot. Happen!”
"什么？我的梦结束了...幸福吗？那个。不能。发生了!"
We were nine. Nine going into the deeps beneath Hoofington, facing monsters and abominations from the pits of madness and horror. Nine with one goal: to stop the Eater of Souls from destroying the world... inside thirty minutes.
那时我们9岁。9号潜入Hoofington的深处，面对来自疯狂和恐怖深渊的怪物和可憎之物。第九个目标只有一个:在三十分钟内阻止食魂者毁灭这个世界。
I wondered if Twilight ever had to do anything like this.
我想知道暮光之城是否曾经做过这样的事情。
I couldn’t really see it, honestly. The railcar we rode, careening through the gloomy labyrinthine tunnels below Hoofington, had originally been designed to travel the tracks under its own power for maintenance and repair work; a ridge of industrial-grade spark batteries centered in the back, behind the storage locker we’d piled our gear in, kept us whirling along at breakneck speeds. Someone had hastily welded a cowcatcher of sorts to the front and sheet metal to the safety railing around the side of the car to offer some protection to those ponies who now dove down into the heart of darkness. All of us aboard struggled to brace ourselves against the chest-high makeshift armor.
老实说，我真的看不出来。我们乘坐的有轨电车在Hoofington地下阴暗迷宫般的隧道中疾驰，最初的设计是用自己的动力在铁轨上行驶，用于维护和修理工作;在我们堆放设备的储物柜后面，一排工业级别的火花电池集中在后面，让我们以极快的速度旋转。有人匆忙地在车头和车侧的安全栏杆上焊了一个类似排粪器的东西，为那些现在潜入黑暗中心的小马提供一些保护。船上的所有人都奋力支撑自己抵抗齐胸高的临时装甲。
Once upon a time, I’d gone into the earth. My friends had suffered, and I had encountered an abomination of living machinery. Another time, I’d gone into the earth and faced a screaming room of flesh and steel. A third time, I’d gone into the earth and faced nightmares given horridly distorted form. Thus, I was somewhat inured to the organic texturing of the walls, meat and metal and blends of both punctuated by flashing red emergency lights that beat with an arrhythmic pulse. The world around us screamed, kept at bay by only the tiny little singing shards of hope most of us wore.
很久很久以前，我进入了地球。我的朋友们遭受了痛苦，而我则遭遇了一台令人憎恶的活体机器。还有一次，我钻进了地下，面对着一间充满血肉和钢铁的尖叫的房间。第三次，我进入了地球，面对可怕的扭曲形式的噩梦。因此，我有点习惯了墙壁、肉和金属的有机纹理，以及两者的混合物，它们被闪烁的红色应急灯打断，伴随着不规则的脉冲跳动。我们周围的世界都在尖叫，只有我们大多数人戴着的那些唱着歌的希望的小碎片才能阻挡我们。
We hadn’t had much time. I’d shared what I’d experienced in the Core and the threats we might face as the people I’d chosen grabbed whatever ammunition
我们没有多少时间。我分享了我在核心中的经历和我们可能面临的威胁，因为我选择的人拿走了任何弹药
they’d need. Despite a few scoffs of disbelief, I’d worked out a few warnings and tactics we could use if, or rather when, we encountered the hazards of the Core. With the exception of accidentally collapsing the tunnel behind us, the others had adapted to the dangers well.
他们需要。尽管有一些怀疑的嘲笑，我还是想出了一些警告和策略，可以在我们遇到核心危险时使用。除了我们身后的隧道偶然坍塌之外，其他人都很好地适应了这种危险。
Despite everything, some of us were having a good time. A length of conduit revealed itself to be a thick, fleshy tentacle that lifted from the wall and swept across the tunnel like a giant hook. At the speed we were travelling at, we’d never be able to slow in time. But no matter how fast we were going, Whisper would not be outdone by a mere car. The pegasus darted ahead and smashed the tendril at its base, shearing the whole tentacle off like wet clay. The severed length dropped, struck the cowcatcher, and, with the aid of some magic, flipped over the top to crash and flop on the tracks behind us. “Woo hoo!” Whisper shouted. “That’s four!”
尽管发生了这一切，我们中的一些人还是玩得很开心。一段管道显露出自己是一个厚厚的，肉质的触手，从墙上提起，横扫隧道像一个巨大的钩子。以我们当时的速度，我们永远不可能及时减速。但是不管我们的速度有多快，Whisper都不会被一辆小车超越。飞马向前飞奔，在它的根部撞碎了卷须，像湿粘土一样把整个触手撕裂。断裂的长度掉了下来，击中了排水沟，在一些魔法的帮助下，翻过了顶端，摔在我们身后的轨道上。"呜呼!"小声喊道。"四个了!"
From the roof of the tunnel ahead dropped a far more mundane threat to the airborne pegasus: two gatling turrets. The pair began to spray streams of projectiles, turning the tunnel into a shooting gallery. In a few seconds, she’d be turned into a cloud of lingering blood and feathers. Or she would have been, if the dark form of Dusk hadn’t already been ahead with her, leading us down the tunnel. She swept between Whisper and the guns, the five millimeter rounds failing to pierce her power armor as her beam rifle blew out one turret and then the other in a shower of sparks.
从前面的隧道顶部，向空降的飞马星系投下了一个更加普通的威胁:两个格林机关炮塔。两人开始喷射射弹，把隧道变成了射击场。几秒钟之内，她就会变成一团挥之不去的血和羽毛。或者说，如果不是黄昏的黑暗形态已经在她身前，带领我们沿着隧道走下去，她可能已经死了。她在Whisper和枪之间来回扫射，五毫米口径的子弹没能穿透她的强力装甲，她的来复枪射出了一个炮塔，然后另一个在一阵火花中爆炸。
“Dad’s going to be so mad he missed this,” Dusk said, falling back in next to Whisper as they flew ahead of us. Her voice had to get through the noise of the wheels, the wind, and the echoes, but fortunately my augmented hearing picked it up easily enough.
"爸爸一定会气疯的，他错过了这个机会,"黄昏说。他们在我们前面飞过，他退到了耳语旁边。她的声音不得不穿过车轮、风声和回声的噪音，但幸运的是，我扩大了的听力很容易就听出来了。
“Too bad you drugged the old fart then, isn’t it?” Whisper asked with a grin.
"可惜你给这个老家伙下药了，不是吗?"低语者咧嘴笑着问。
“I wasn’t going to pick him in the first place!” I bellowed up at them.
"我一开始就没打算选他!"我对他们大吼大叫。
“Better he’s mad at me for drugging him than mad at himself for being old and injured. My family needs him, and he can help them a lot more than he can help the world,” Dusk said. “Nopony needs me now.”
"他生我的气是因为我给他下药，而不是因为自己又老又受伤而生气。我的家庭需要他，他可以帮助他们比他可以帮助世界更多,"黄昏说。"小马现在需要我。"
I wanted to argue, but just then we passed through a merging junction. I looked behind us and spotted two Ultra-Sentinels emerging from the other tunnel and sprinting after us... literally. At least, they had been Ultra-Sentinels. The meaty
我想跟你吵架，但就在这时，我们经过了一个汇合点。我看了看身后，发现有两个Ultra-Sentinels从另一条隧道出来，正在向我们冲过来......真的。至少，他们是超级哨兵。肉的味道
flesh that enveloped their lower legs now formed mangled limbs they galloped along the tracks with. They still had their old armament, but now they had mouths! Great metal maws that screamed and gnashed mindlessly as they raced to take a bite out of us. “Two bogies on our rear!” I yelled.
他们小腿上的肉现在变成了他们沿着铁轨疾驰的残缺的四肢。他们仍然有他们的旧武器，但是现在他们有嘴了！巨大的金属桅杆，不知不觉地尖叫、咬牙切齿，争先恐后地咬我们一口。"有两架敌机在我们后面!"我喊道。
“Oh, can I–” the mare at the control stand to the left of the locker offered.
"哦，我能——"柜子左边操纵台上的母马说。
“No!” four of us shouted at once.
"不!"我们四个人一起喊。
“The supports were already compromised, and it only collapsed ninety percent of the section anyway,” the mare muttered. “You all act like it was the whole thing.”
母马咕哝着说:"支撑物已经损坏了，而且只折断了部分的90%。"。"你们都表现得好像这就是全部。"
“I’m on it!” Crumpets shouted. The Steel Ranger’s thick armor absorbed the fusillade of red energy beams as she braced herself against the back of the car. She’d swapped her shotguns for something a little more substantial. “Clear!” she yelled, and a shimmery field sprang up between her and us. The missile roared down the tunnel at the pair of cyborgs, the fiery backwash curling against Crumpets and blackening her armor. The machine grenade launcher on her other side chugged away as well, filling the tunnel behind us with shrapnel and fire. Still, these were Ultra-Sentinel abominations, and even with chunks blown out, they didn’t go down. They were just left behind, which was good enough for me.
"我这就去!"松脆饼大声叫道。钢铁骑兵厚厚的盔甲吸收了红色能量光束的连发炮火，因为她支撑自己对汽车后座。她用猎枪换了一些更实在的东西。"安全!"她喊道，我们和她之间突然出现了一片闪闪发光的田野。导弹呼啸着冲进隧道，击中了这对半机械人，炽热的反冲力卷曲在圆饼上，把她的盔甲弄黑了。另一边的机器榴弹发射器轰鸣着离开了，在我们身后的隧道里布满了弹片和火焰。尽管如此，这些都是极端哨兵炸弹，即使炸出了大块，它们也没有沉下去。他们只是被抛在后面，这对我来说已经足够好了。
“Switch!” Whisper yelled. “It’s on the right!”
"开关!"窃窃私语的人喊道。"在右边!"
“We want to go left,” a filly said, and I glanced down to Pythia sitting calmly to the right of the middle of the car in the space under Psalm, examining the tunnel maps duct taped to the floor around her.
"我们想往左走,"一匹小母马说。我低头看了一眼Pythia，她安静地坐在车子中间的右边，在《诗篇》的下面，检查着贴在她周围地板上的隧道地图。
“Hit the button,” I shouted to Lancer. The zebra rose up and stood quite easily on the rattling, swaying floor, steadying his shot as we approached the switch. Three green lights, their colors washing out to piss-yellow with the pulsing of the red emergency lights, glowed steadily on the right wall, three dark lamps on the other side. Past the three pairs, a button no bigger than a hoof was set in a little box poking from the wall. Had we been travelling at sane speeds, we could have simply stopped, reached out, jabbed it, and waited for the tracks to switch.
"按下按钮,"我对枪骑兵喊道。斑马站了起来，很轻松地站在摇晃的地板上，当我们接近开关时，他稳住了球。三盏绿灯，随着红色应急灯的闪动，颜色变成了尿黄色，在右边的墙上稳定地发着光，另一边是三盏深色的灯。过了三对，一个比蹄子大不了多少的纽扣被放在一个小盒子里，从墙上戳了出来。如果我们以理智的速度行驶，我们可以简单地停下来，伸出手，猛戳它，等待轨道切换。
Lancer hit the button at a hundred yards.
枪骑兵在一百码外按下按钮。
We needed the time as the lights on both sides turned to flashing yellow and
我们需要时间，因为两边的灯都变成了闪烁的黄色
automatic systems started switching tracks. We passed one pair of lights, the floor working ahead of us. Two. The tunnel clanked and clacked. The third, and the smoking remnants of the switching button flew past us.
自动系统开始切换轨道。我们经过一对灯，地板在我们前面工作。二。隧道发出铿锵的响声。第三个，还有开关按钮冒着烟的残留物从我们身边飞过。
Then, just before we reached the split, the lights on the right went out and the lights on the left began glowing steadily. The car careened around the curve past the switch, and half of us lunged to the left to keep us on the tracks. “See? Aren’t you glad you brought me along?” Pythia said cheerfully.
然后，就在我们到达分叉点之前，右边的灯熄灭了，左边的灯开始稳定地发光。那辆车在转弯处急速驶过道岔，我们中的一半人冲向左边，使我们保持在轨道上。""看见了吗？你带我来不是很高兴吗?"皮提亚兴高采烈地说。
“I didn’t bring you! You stowed away! I specifically said ‘no fillies or colts allowed’!” It had pained me to use that to deny Scotch Tape, but I couldn’t take her down here. Not after what I’d promised. I held out a wing. “You’re supposed to be this tall to stop the apocalypse!”
"不是我带你来的！你偷偷溜走了！我特别说过'小雌马和小马不准进入'!"用这个拒绝透明胶带让我很痛苦，但我不能把她带到这里来。我已经答应过你了。我伸出一只翅膀。"你应该有这么高才能阻止世界末日!"
“Yeah, yeah. Like I’m going to miss out on a front row seat when you kill an undead star monster.” She leaned over and marked an X on the map in red crayon before adding, “We’re almost halfway there!”
"是的，是的。就好像你杀死了一个不死巨星怪物，我会错过前排观众席。"她俯下身，用红色蜡笔在地图上画了个x，然后补充说:"我们快到一半了!"
“Just be glad I had my own moonstone,” Whisper snapped back at us, touching her red earring, “or you’d be a pile of bloody goop.”
"庆幸我有自己的月长石吧,"Whisper碰了碰她的红耳环，厉声回应我们,"否则你会变成一堆血淋淋的黏糊糊的东西。"
“Yeah yeah,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hoof as she looked from the tunnel maps to her starmap and flourished a crystal over it. “Oh, heads up!”
"是的，是的,"她不屑地挥动着蹄子说，她从隧道地图上看到了她的星图，并在上面挥舞着一块水晶。"哦，小心!"
“For wha– Eeeee!” Whisper shrieked as a silvery blob exploded out of a vent, swirling like ink in water as it lunged towards her and Dusk. The latter shoved the former away, knocking her back over the railcar and leaving herself the sole meal. “Flame! Flame! Fucking flame already!” Whisper shouted. The mechasprites seemed to glue themselves to Dusk, their mouths working as they started to chew through her black-enameled armor. I had no doubt that when they were through, they’d continue to eat. Echo had discovered that the hard way.
"为什么——呀呀!"一团银色的东西从一个通风口爆炸出来，像水中的墨水一样旋转着，冲向她和黄昏，耳语尖叫起来。后者把前者推开，撞翻了有轨车，留给自己唯一的食物。"火焰！火焰！该死的火焰已经燃起来了!"小声喊道。机甲怪似乎把自己粘到了黄昏，他们的嘴巴开始工作，咀嚼着她那漆黑的盔甲。我毫不怀疑，当他们吃完后，他们还会继续吃下去。艾可是吃了苦头才发现这一点的。
Then the tunnel roof filled with fire as Aries, standing at the front of the car, set her incinerator roaring against the wind. Dusk was engulfed just long enough for the mechasprites to pop like popcorn. When the flame cut off, Dusk was left faintly trailing smoke. “You okay?” the pony in a new suit of red power armor shouted up, a few blackened bits of mechasprite bouncing off her. “Still rare?”
然后隧道顶部充满了火作为白羊座，站在前面的汽车，设置她的焚化炉逆风咆哮。黄昏被吞没的时间刚好够机甲士兵们爆出爆米花。当火焰熄灭时，黄昏只剩下微弱的烟雾。"你还好吗?"小马穿着一套新的红色力量盔甲，高声叫喊着，几块黑色的机甲弹在她身上。"还是很罕见吗?"
“Yeah. Just ruined the finish,” Dusk replied, then barked, “Did you just make a
"是的。只是破坏了完成,"黄昏回答，然后叫道,"你刚刚做了一个
joke about cooking me? What’s wrong with you?”
开玩笑说要把我煮了？你怎么了?"
“Hey, you work with fire for a living and see how many bad fire-related jokes you come up with,” she said as she turned to incinerate the sprites just emerging from another passing vent, rendering the cloud into a shower of sizzling shrapnel. “This Burner blend is nasty. What kind of moron mixes an oxidizer with the fuel?”
"嘿，你以火为生，看看你能想出多少与火有关的糟糕笑话,"她一边说，一边转身将刚从另一个经过的通风口冒出来的精灵烧成了灰烬，把云变成了一阵灼热的弹片。"这种燃烧器混合物令人讨厌。什么样的白痴会把氧化剂和燃料混在一起?"
“What kind of moron uses it?” I asked with a smile.
"哪个白痴会用它?"我笑着问。
“Touché,” the armored pony answered casually. I really wished I had more time to get to know her. I’d just wanted a flamer with me; I had no clue about the pony using it. A few more brilliant flowers of flame blossomed, consuming the last of the swarms, and then Aries asked, “Why wasn’t any of this reported in the scouting?”
"感动,"装甲小马漫不经心地回答。我真希望我有更多的时间去了解她。我只是想要一个火焰筒;我不知道小马会用它。又有几朵火焰般灿烂的花朵绽放出来，吞噬了最后的一群，然后白羊座问道:"为什么童子军没有报道这些?"
“Because the Eater wasn’t truly exerting itself then,” Pythia explained. “It is now. Its soul warps and twists these threats into reality,” the filly continued as she traced her hoof along the red tunnel map. “Fortunately, the layout hasn’t changed much. We’re almost to the medial transfer ring. After that, we’ll go into the inner...” She trailed off. “Rock!”
"因为那时候食者并没有真正地竭尽全力,"皮提亚解释说。"现在是了。它的灵魂扭曲并将这些威胁扭曲成现实。"小母马边走边沿着红色隧道地图继续说道。"幸运的是，布局没有太大变化。我们快到中间转移环了。然后，我们进入内部......"她慢吞吞地说。"摇滚!"
“Inner rock?” I frowned, then looked down the tunnel at where a large slab of the roof had fallen down. “Lift!”
"内心的摇滚?"我皱了皱眉，然后顺着隧道往下看，那里有一大块屋顶塌了下来。"抬起来!"
Unicorn horns flared to life, and the slab lurched into the air. At the same time, Aries climbed onto the cowcatcher and braced herself against the forward rail. “Get clear!” she bellowed, and then the slab was on us. Her hindhooves impacted it just before we could smash into it, and the slab went rocketing down the subway tunnel ahead of the car, still suspended above the ground by our magic field. The car’s wide metal wheels skipped over the fouled section of track with a hard bump, but we didn’t derail.
独角兽的角闪耀着生命的光芒，石板摇摇晃晃地冲向空中。与此同时，白羊座爬上了排粪器，并支撑自己对前沿栏杆。"让开!"她吼了一声，然后石板砸到了我们身上。我们还没来得及撞上它，她的后蹄就撞到了车上，石板从车前面的地铁隧道里一路飞驰而下，还悬浮在我们的魔法场上。赛车宽大的金属轮子在坚硬的颠簸中跳过了被污染的赛道，但我们没有出轨。
“You okay?” I asked, working with Psalm to keep the rock levitated, sweat dripping down our brows as the strain started to wear. There was a curve up ahead, though, and it wouldn’t hurt to ram a big frigging rock into the face of something nasty hiding around the bend.
"你还好吗?"我一边问，一边用诗篇让岩石悬浮起来，紧绷的肌肉开始磨损，汗水顺着眉毛滴下来。尽管前面有一条曲线，但是用一块大石头撞一下藏在拐弯处的讨厌的东西也不会有什么坏处。
“Earth pony for the win,” she answered, then shifted from one hindleg to another and worked them back and forth. “Though I’m pretty sure Applejack never
"地球上的小马赢了,"她回答，然后从一条后腿移到另一条后腿，来回地练习。"虽然我很确定苹果白兰地从来没有
planned on this.”
计划好的"
“Well, this a little much to plan for,” I replied. Though that hadn’t stopped some ponies...
"好吧，这个计划有点过了,"我回答。虽然这并没有阻止一些小马..。
“Huh?” Aries looked back at me. “I mean using power armor as construction equipment.” Then she gave a low laugh. “Pretty sure ol’ C.C. would have shit himself if he’d seen me just then.”
"啊?"白羊座回头看着我。"我的意思是使用动力装甲作为建筑设备。"然后她低声笑了笑。"我敢肯定，如果老c.c.看到我的话，他会吓得屁滚尿流的。"
I would have pressed further, but suddenly the chunk of ceiling flying ahead of us was bisected, then the halves were sliced, and those divided into smaller and smaller pieces. There was the faintest shimmer of silvery light.
我本来想进一步追问的，但是突然飞在我们前面的一大块天花板被一分为二，然后一半被切开，那些被分成越来越小的部分。闪烁着微弱的银光。
“Wires!” I shouted, and the wheels shrieked, sparks flying as I leapt onto the storage locker to get a clear view. There was no way we’d stop in time, so I pulled out a bottle and telekinetically levitated a cloud of the sparkly, shimmery white dust inside ahead of us. Starmetal threads fizzed and exploded like fireworks as they came in contact with the cloud, the formerly taut ends snapping and lashing around the car. The pegasi had started pulling back as soon as I shouted, but Dusk, slower in her armor, didn’t quite get clear. A wire wrapped around one of her forelegs like a strand of a spider’s web, then tightened, cinching clean through the limb. The end of her leg went flying as she crashed in a heap on the car’s floor, blood spurting from the wound.
"电线!"我喊了一声，车轮发出尖锐的声音，我跳上储物柜，想看清楚一点，火花四溅。我们不可能及时停下来，所以我拿出一个瓶子，用意念力悬浮在我们前面闪闪发光的白色尘埃云上。星际金属丝接触到云层时，就像烟花一样发出嘶嘶声和爆炸声，以前紧绷的末端在汽车周围啪啪作响。我一喊，那飞马就开始往后退，但是黄昏，她的盔甲动作比较慢，没有完全清楚。一根金属丝缠绕在她的一条前腿上，就像一条蜘蛛网，然后绷紧，清洁地穿过四肢。她摔倒在车的地板上，血从伤口喷涌而出，腿的末端飞了出去。
Magic reached out and caught the limb before it fell off the car, immediately returning it to the injured mare. “Shhh,” Psalm said as she touched her horn to the wound. “Hold still. It’s a clean cut. If I’m quick enough...” The glow of magic flickered briefly. “Did that work?” she asked calmly as she looked at the pegasus.
魔术师伸手抓住了从车上掉下来的树枝，立刻把它还给了受伤的母马。"嘘,"诗篇说，当她触摸她的角伤口。"别动。伤口很整齐。如果我够快的话......"魔法的光芒闪烁了一下。"有用吗?"她看着飞马号，平静地问道。
“Feels tingly,” she said, inspecting the line cut through her armor. “And my armor’s damaged.”
"感觉有点刺痛,"她说，检查着穿透她盔甲的绳子。"我的盔甲也坏了。"
“Better than missing!” Whisper shouted. “Wrap it in duct tape and get back into the fight.”
"总比失踪好!"小声喊道。"用胶带把它包起来然后回到战场上去"
The cowcatcher blasted the rubble of the fallen, kicked, and sliced slab off to the sides, and as soon as we were past the threads, we got back up to speed. Soon our tunnel merged at an angle with another one, more cavernous than the rest and with a slight curve to it. Three sets of tracks ran parallel here, with all kinds
捕牛人把倒下的碎石炸成碎片，踢开，然后把石板切到两边，一旦我们穿过了那些线，我们就开始加速前进。不久，我们的隧道与另一个隧道以一个角度融合，比其他隧道更多的洞穴，并有一个轻微的曲线。这里有三条平行的铁轨，各式各样
of switches going from each track to the others. It seemed vaguely familiar to me. “This is it!” Pythia shouted. “The medial ring! We need to get to the far left set of tracks!”
从每个轨道到其他轨道的开关。对我来说似乎有点熟悉。"就是这个!"皮提亚喊道。"中间环！我们需要到最左边的轨道上去!"
Without getting blown up, cut to pieces, killed in a wreck, or shot to ribbons. While these tracks were nominally intact, they appeared to have been coated with the bloody gunk I’d seen under the city before. Grotesque, wiggling oblongs exploded into sanguine muck when we struck them. Dusk, her power armor patched with a strip of gray tape, took to the air again, and I landed back at the car’s rear.
不会被炸飞，不会被切成碎片，不会在残骸中丧生，也不会被射成碎片。虽然这些痕迹名义上完好无损，但它们似乎被我以前在城市地下看到的血淋淋的泥浆覆盖着。当我们打他们的时候，怪诞、扭动的长扁球爆炸成了血腥的脏东西。黄昏时分，她的动力装甲被一条灰色的胶带修补好，再次升空，我降落在汽车的后部。
“Blackjack!” Crumpets shouted, and I stared behind us. The tunnel was coming after us, forming disjointed monstrosities resembling scorpions and crabs that snapped at us as we passed. Other patches of biomass were forming five-legged wolflike beings that loped after us with mouths that ran half their body length, or swarms of flapping, gnashing insectile birds that tried to keep up with us. The railcar skipped and bounced as the cowcatcher kept hitting the crud crawling onto the tracks ahead of us. “What do I shoot?”
"黑杰克!"松脆饼大叫着，我盯着我们身后。隧道就在我们后面，形成了脱节的怪物，就像蝎子和螃蟹一样，在我们经过时突然咬住我们。其他的生物群落形成了五条腿的类似狼的生物，嘴巴长到身体的一半，或者成群的、扇动的昆虫鸟试图跟上我们。有轨车跳跃和反弹，因为排轮不断击中垃圾爬上轨道在我们前面。"我该拍什么?"
Shit. We hadn’t covered this. Also, what was that distant yellow light and screeching noise from around the tunnel’s curve behind us? “Everything,” I muttered, my eyes widening. We raced along, Crumpets’s grenades tearing huge holes in the packs behind us, but there were always more forming and reforming. Ahead of us, incandescent flowers blossomed as Aries’s incendiary grenades burst. “Shoot everything!” The whole car lurched as we splattered something the size of a brahmin on the tracks. “Get us off these tracks!”
该死。我们还没有报道过这个。还有，从我们身后的隧道拐弯处传来的远处的黄色灯光和尖锐的噪音是什么？"一切,"我咕哝着，睁大了眼睛。我们飞快地跑着，Crumpets的手榴弹在我们身后的背包上撕开了一个个大洞，但总是有更多的成型和改造。在我们前面，白羊座的燃烧弹爆炸，白炽的花朵绽放。"把所有东西都拍下来!"当我们把一个婆罗门大小的东西溅到铁轨上时，整辆车都摇晃起来。"把我们从铁轨上弄下来!"
“Hard to see the buttons,” Lancer muttered next to me as he aimed down the tunnel.
"很难看到按钮,"当他瞄准通道时，兰瑟在我旁边喃喃自语。
“They’re every hundred yards, I think,” Pythia said. “Just use math.”
"我想每隔一百码就有一个,"皮提亚说。"用数学就行了。"
“Use math,” Lancer growled. “You’re probably delivering us straight into its maw.”
"用数学,"兰瑟咆哮道。"你可能是在把我们直接送进它的胃里。"
“Eh. That would be boring. And stereotypical. Bigot,” the filly said casually. He started to retort when she shouted, “Switch coming up now!”
"嗯。那会很无聊的。还很老套。"顽固,"小母马漫不经心地说。她喊道:"马上换台!"他开始反驳
I didn’t see if he was quibbling with Pythia or taking the shot, because I was occupied with several of the flesh dogs racing up beside the car. I lifted a riot
我没有看到他是在挑皮提亚的刺还是在拍照，因为我正忙着看几只跑到车旁的肉狗。我制造了一场骚乱
shotgun, loaded a drum of flechettes, and opened fire. The pulpy masses that were their heads burst apart in tatters of gore, but more meaty mass arched from the globs alongside the tracks and assembled into tissue, muscle, bone, and fangs... many fangs. I tried to shoot them before they had their fangs back.
散弹枪，装了一鼓子弹，然后开火了。他们头部的肉块破碎成碎片，但是更多的肉块沿着轨道拱起，组装成组织、肌肉、骨头和毒牙......许多毒牙。我试图在他们的尖牙回来之前射杀他们。
Dusk had slightly better luck. Her power armor had a little rig next to the helmet that held her sister’s prismatic blaster nicely. The rainbow beam transformed monster after monster into sparkly dust. Aries sprayed sheets of flame overhead, transforming the flying monstrosities into blazing sparks that crackled and popped as they burned away. Crumpets’s missiles and grenades sent huge swaths of the fleshy beasts flying away with each detonation, the missiles outright vaporizing flocks... er... swarms... huge clouds of the flappy bitey thingies! Turrets along the ceiling dropped, pouring out death of the ballistic and magical variety, and Psalm raised a shield to block their fire till we were past.
黄昏的运气稍好一些。她的动力盔甲有一个小装置，紧挨着她姐姐的棱镜式爆能枪的头盔。彩虹光束把一个又一个怪物变成了闪闪发光的尘土。白羊座在头顶喷射大片的火焰，把这些飞舞的怪物变成了燃烧的火花，在燃烧的过程中噼啪作响。松饼饼的导弹和手榴弹每引爆一次，都会把大片的肉质野兽炸飞，导弹完全蒸发成群......呃......成群结队......大片大片的肉质野兽！炮塔沿着天花板下降，倾泻出弹道和神奇的各种死亡，诗篇举起一个盾牌阻挡他们的火，直到我们过去。
Then the apex of her shield struck an overhead girder, and the bubble popped with the force she tried to absorb. The alicorn all but collapsed next to Pythia, grimacing in pain. This wasn’t the first time, either. One of the hounds launched itself onto the car at the pair, its elongated body opening wide in a maw that could bite a pony in half. Tentacles reached out, and even those ended in lamprey-like mouths.
然后她的盾牌顶点击中了头顶的梁，泡沫破裂的力量，她试图吸收。阿利康几乎倒在了Pythia旁边，痛苦地做着鬼脸。这也不是第一次了。其中一只猎犬冲上了车，它细长的身体敞开着，像一只可以把小马咬成两半的无底洞。触手伸了出来，甚至那些触手也进入了七鳃鳗般的嘴里。
Aries lunged at the monster and rammed the tip of her flamer, and her head, into its mouth, her forehooves reaching around to clutch its jaws shut. The hound’s too-numerous eyes bulged and twitched, then smoked, then popped. The beast swelled and burst into blackened chunks of cooked meat. The red power armor smoked as Aries pulled back, the enamel pitted with hissing acid, but it was still intact. “Wooo-wee! If we had the time, that’s what I’d call good eating!”
白羊座扑向怪兽，用火焰筒顶端猛烈地撞击，她的头部进入怪兽的嘴里，她的前蹄伸出去抓住怪兽的嘴巴。猎犬那数不胜数的眼睛鼓起、抽动，然后抽烟，最后砰地一声爆开。那只野兽膨胀起来，突然变成一块块烧焦的肉。红色的强力盔甲在白羊座向后拉的时候冒烟，珐琅质被发出嘶嘶声的酸腐蚀，但是它仍然完好无损。"呜呜！如果我们有时间的话，这就是我所说的好吃!"
“You’ve been native way too bloody long, Aries,” Crumpets shouted.
"你已经当地人太久了，白羊座,"松脆饼大声喊道。
“That’s why I left Bucklyn. Food sucked,” Aries replied as she tossed the chunks of mandible aside.
"这就是我离开巴克林的原因。白羊座一边回答，一边把大块的下颌骨扔到一边。
“I have so got to hear this story when we’re done!” I yelled. “So both of you live, okay?”
"完事后我一定要听听这个故事!"我喊道。"所以你们两个都活着，好吗?"
“Are you sure I can’t...” our driver asked again.
"你确定我不能......"我们的司机又问道。
“No!” I shouted at her. “We need you to control the car! Besides, remember what
"不!"我对她大喊大叫。"我们需要你来控制这辆车！另外，记住
happened last time?”
上次发生了什么?"
“You nearly bury everypony alive once, and nopony lets you hear the end of it,” she said sulkily.
"你有一次差点把每匹小马都活埋了，没有一匹小马会让你听到它的结局,"她生气地说。
Then Lancer found a switch and fired, and the lights, here half on the walls and half on signal posts between the rail lines, began to flash. There was a clack and then a jerk as we were routed onto the middle set of tracks. “One more!” Pythia said. “Then we transit to the inner ring. We should be able to get to the Eater’s shaft from there!”
然后兰瑟找到一个开关，开火了，这里的灯一半在墙上，一半在铁路线之间的信号杆上，开始闪烁。当我们驶上中间的铁轨时，先是一阵咔嗒声，然后是一阵急促的声音。"再来一个!"皮提亚说。"然后我们转到内环。我们应该可以从那里到达食人者的通道!"
The hounds were falling behind, and it didn’t look like any more were forming ahead of us. I had no idea why, but I’d take anything I could get at the moment. Now we had concrete support columns on either side giving us some cover from the turrets above the outer track. Except for the predictable gaps for the switches that let the turret fire through, things were looking up.
猎犬们落在了后面，看起来好像没有更多的猎犬在我们前面形成了。我不知道为什么，但是我会接受任何我能得到的东西。现在我们两边都有了混凝土的支撑柱，可以从外侧的塔楼上给我们提供掩护。除了炮塔可以通过的开关之间可以预测到的间隙之外，一切都在朝好的方向发展。
Then bright yellow lights glared brightly behind us, and I turned...
然后明亮的黄色灯光在我们身后闪耀，我转过身..。
The monsters had trains of their own.
这些怪物有自己的火车。
Three of them.
一共三个。
And they had mouths.
他们有嘴巴。
The trains to the left and right of us started to pull alongside us while the one on our line moved in, at its front an immense, metal-studded compactor that smashed and gnashed behind us. Psalm lifted her head and interposed a beam of magic between us and that train. The magic bulged as the train behind tried to overtake us, bending elastically as she strained. The other two trains to the left and right slowly crawled ahead. The flatcars they pulled were bristling with Ultra-Sentinel monsterbots.
我们左右两边的火车开始向我们驶来，我们队伍中的一辆开了进来，前面是一台巨大的、金属装饰的压缩机，在我们身后压得粉碎。诗人抬起头，在我们和那列火车之间插入了一道魔法光束。当后面的火车试图超过我们的时候，魔法就膨胀起来了，她绷紧身体，弹性地弯着腰。另外两列左右列车缓慢地向前行驶。他们发现的平板车上布满了超级哨兵机器人。
“Can I now?” our driver asked plaintively.
"现在可以了吗?"我们的司机哀怨地问。
“Okay,” I groaned. “Now you can.”
"好吧,"我呻吟着。"现在你可以了。"
“Finally!” Sweetie Bot exclaimed as she left the controls, turned, and squeezed past me. Crumpets was firing missiles at the train gaining on our rear, but the damn thing bit down on each projectile as it hit, filling its mouth with flames and
"终于!"当她离开控制器，转过身，挤过我身边时，SweetieBot大叫起来。小圆饼正在向我们尾部逼近的火车发射导弹，但那该死的东西在每一发射物击中时都咬住了它，嘴里充满了火焰
jagged shrapnel. The robotic mare leaned against the back rail as if she were on a sightseeing trip. Then there was an ominous humming, and every muscle in her body tightened under her synthetic skin. “Let’s see you swallow this, you hideous embarrassment of technology!”
锯齿状弹片。机器母马靠在后栏杆上，好像她在观光旅行。然后传来一阵不祥的嗡嗡声，她身上的每块肌肉都在合成皮肤下绷紧了。"让我们看看你吞下这个，你这个可怕的技术丑角!"
The mare’s horn erupted, hurling brilliant emerald green bolts screaming one after another down the tunnel behind us. They plowed into the wide maw of the train, shredding it to twisted metal and slag, but still the machine kept up her assault. More bolts drilled deeper and deeper into the train’s body, its studded metal hide deforming and popping rivets like bullets, green flame and goopy disintegrating metal gouting from the holes.
母马的角突然爆发了，耀眼的翠绿色的螺栓一个接一个地在我们身后的隧道里尖叫着。他们冲进火车宽阔的血盆大口，把它切成扭曲的金属和熔渣，但机器还是继续攻击。更多的螺栓钻得越来越深，嵌满金属的皮革变形了，铆钉像子弹一样弹出来，绿色的火焰和从洞里冒出的粘糊糊的金属碎片。
Sweetie halted her attack, and for a brief instant we could see the monsterbots clean through the melting, glowing green hole blasted through the locomotive. Then the locomotive began to sag as if it was made of hot wax, its underside catching on the rails and driving it into the concrete floor of the tunnel. Robbed of its ability to move forward but none of its momentum, the train of cars previously being pulled by the mechanical nightmare was sent careening over its mangled, melting corpse, twisting off the track, into itself, and across the tunnel. The cars rammed into support pillars on both sides, sending webs of cracks up them, and the monstrosities the train had been carrying were lost in the new barricade of pulped flesh and twisted, smoking metal.
甜甜停止了她的攻击，在一个短暂的瞬间，我们可以看到怪物机器人清理通过融化，发光的绿色洞爆炸通过火车头。然后火车头开始下陷，就像是热蜡做的一样，它的下面接住了铁轨，把它推进了隧道的混凝土地面。火车失去了前进的能力，却没有任何动力，之前被机械噩梦拉着的车厢，倾斜着越过它那已经损坏、融化的尸体，扭曲着离开轨道，进入自身，穿过隧道。汽车撞到两边的支撑柱上，把裂缝卷成网状，火车运载的巨大物体消失在新的街垒里，这个街垒由血肉模糊、扭曲、冒烟的金属构成。
Sweetie Bot collapsed against the rail, her synthetic hide smoking around her brow. “Why the hell did Horse put that kind of firepower in a fuckbot?” Whisper demanded.
甜心瘫倒在栏杆上，她的人造皮肤在眉毛周围冒着烟。"为什么马儿要把那种火力放在一个操蛋机器人身上?"低声问道。
“A question for the ages,” she answered gaily. When her dismissive response didn’t dissuade us, she went on a little more waspishly, “The previous imprint made extensive modifications. It could never get them working, though; million-word semi-coherent expletive-riddled diatribes against Horse weren’t valid hardware registration files. It did try to erase my pleasure routines, but I still have all five hundred verses of the Zebra Sutra programmed and available on demand.”
"一个长久以来的问题,"她愉快地回答。当她不屑一顾的回答没有打消我们的疑虑时，她更加尖锐地继续说道:"之前的印记做了大量的修改。尽管如此，它永远无法让它们工作起来;百万字的半连贯的、充满脏话的抨击Horse的谩骂不是有效的硬件注册文件。它确实试图抹去我的快乐惯例，但我仍然有所有五百节的斑马经编程和可要求。"
“Whatever,” Whisper said with a shrug. “Do it to the other two.”
"随便吧,"Whisper耸耸肩说。"对其他两个也这样。"
“Gladly,” Sweetie Bot said. “Recharging. One percent...” She paused for several seconds. “Two percent...” We stared at her, and she flushed, “Oh, no one
"很乐意,"甜心说。"充电。百分之一......"她停顿了几秒钟。"百分之二......"我们盯着她，她脸红了,"哦，没有人
complains when stallions have to take a few minutes afterwards!”
抱怨种马不得不休息几分钟!"
Too long. The monsterbots on the trains flanking us were taking aim, and while the pillars gave us some cover, the monsterbots had a lot of miniguns to hurl a lot of metal. “Faster! We need to go faster!” I shouted.
太久了。火车两侧的怪物机器人正在瞄准我们，当柱子给我们一些掩护时，怪物机器人有许多小机器人来投掷许多金属。"再快点！我们必须加快速度!"我喊道。
Whisper and Dusk arched overhead, grabbed the back of the railcar, and fanned their wings like there was no tomorrow. Psalm tried to cover us all with a shield shaped to avoid striking the architecture around us but couldn’t cover the pair of pegasi. Dusk had armor. Whisper didn’t. The bullets and flak began to bite into her body, leaving bloody holes. She just screamed and pushed harder. Bit by bit we drew ahead of the train on the inner track.
耳语和黄昏头顶拱形，抓住后面的轨道车，扇动他们的翅膀，就像没有明天。诗篇试图用盾牌覆盖我们所有人，以避免撞击我们周围的建筑，但无法覆盖飞马座的一对。黄昏有盔甲。但Whisper没有。子弹和高射炮火开始侵袭她的身体，留下血淋淋的洞。她只是尖叫着，用力推。我们一点一点地在内轨上超过了火车。
“Switch!” Pythia shouted. Lancer snapped his gun up and took the shot. The railcar swapped tracks so fast that Psalm and I had to use our magic to keep it stable. The train now behind us roared and surged forward. Psalm resumed her magical beam, blocking it and giving me a chance to pull the injured pegasus in, but she had to drop her shield to do so. Crumpets maintained a steady, thundering barrage of missiles and grenades, but unlike the meat puppets, the resilient trains were hardly slowed by her firing into their gnashing teeth.
"开关!"皮提亚喊道。兰瑟啪的一声举起枪，开了枪。有轨车交换轨道如此之快，诗篇和我不得不使用我们的魔法，以保持稳定。现在在我们后面的火车轰鸣着向前冲去。诗篇恢复了她的魔法光束，挡住了它，给了我一个机会把受伤的飞马拉进来，但是她不得不放下她的盾牌这样做。松脆饼保持了一个稳定，雷鸣般的导弹和手榴弹，但不同于肉木偶，有弹性的火车几乎没有因为她向他们咬牙切齿的开火而减速。
Whisper collapsed on the locker, her legs a bloody mess. “Fuck. Ow. Fucking ow...” she hissed. I lifted her up enough to open the locker and withdraw a couple of healing potions. “I want off this fucking train,” she cursed between gulps.
耳语摔倒在柜子上，她的腿上血淋淋的一团糟。"操。噢。真他妈的......"她嘶嘶地说。我把她举起来，打开柜子，取出几瓶治疗药水。"我要离开这该死的火车,"她大口大口地咒骂着。
“At least we put some distance between us and that other one,” I said, looking at the far track.
"至少我们和另外那辆车保持了一定的距离,"我看着远处的轨道说。
No sooner had I said that than the train on the outer track moved into the middle and began accelerating again. “Oh, come on!” I shouted. The train behind us slowed while the one next to us started to pull not just alongside but ahead. “Something’s going on,” I warned as I watched the first train matching our speed while the other moved ahead foot by foot. The fire from the strafing monsterbots pinged and chattered all around us, and all of us except Dusk, Aries, and Crumpets ducked down behind the armor as well as we could. “How far to the turnoff, Pythia?”
我刚说完，外轨上的火车就开到中间，又开始加速了。"哦，得了吧!"我喊道。我们后面的火车放慢了速度，而我们旁边的火车不仅开始向前开，而且还在向前开。"有事情发生了,"当我看到第一辆火车和我们的速度相当，而另一辆火车步行前进时，我警告说。机器怪物的炮火在我们周围不停地发出声响，除了黄昏、白羊座和松饼，我们所有人都尽可能地躲在盔甲后面。"离岔道还有多远，皮提亚?"
She looked up as something marked on the wall whooshed by. “That was mile marker three so... a minute?” the filly shouted from the shelter of Psalm’s legs.
她抬起头，看见墙上有什么东西呼啸而过。"那是三英里标记，所以...一分钟?"小姑娘在诗篇的双腿掩护下大声喊叫。
“We don’t have a minute. Soon as that train ahead of us reaches a switch, they’ll move onto this track and crush us!” I bellowed over the grinding and screaming of metal. I stared at an oncoming switch and watched the lights change. “Lancer! Change it back!”
"我们没有一分钟时间。一旦我们前面的火车到达岔道口，他们就会开上这条铁轨，把我们压扁!"我对着金属的摩擦声和尖叫声吼叫。我盯着迎面而来的开关，看着灯光变换。"枪骑兵！把它换回来!"
Aries stood, her armor providing Lancer with enough cover to rise, too. Lancer took the shot just before the train on our right reached the switch, the lights changing back and the rails moving back with a crunch. The train let out a growl of frustration before accelerating even faster. Crumpets had shifted to more judicious missile strikes that had rendered the train behind us a flaming mess, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t have to eat us. As soon as the other train got on the inner track, it could slam on the brakes and crush us between them. If it didn’t get all the way past us before switching, it wouldn’t even– “When’s the next switch from this track to the middle one?” I called out.
白羊座站着，她的盔甲也为枪骑兵提供了足够的掩护。枪骑兵在我们右边的火车到达岔道口之前拍摄了这张照片，灯光变换回来，铁轨随着嘎吱声移动回来。火车加速前发出一阵沮丧的咆哮。克拉伯特已经转向更明智的导弹袭击，这让我们身后的火车一片狼藉，但这无关紧要。它没必要吃掉我们。另一列火车一进入内轨，它就会猛踩刹车，把我们夹在中间。如果它在切换之前没有完全超过我们，它甚至不会——"下一次从这条轨道切换到中间那条轨道是什么时候?"我大声喊道。
“Um, that track’s pretty occupied right now, Blackjack!” Pythia shouted over the gunfire. There were at least nine cars in view on the right.
"嗯，那条赛道现在很忙，Blackjack!"皮提亚对着枪声大喊。右边至少有九辆车。
“When?!”
"什么时候?"
“Twenty seconds!” she shrieked.
"二十秒!"她尖叫着。
I couldn’t have Lancer take the shot; it’d be way too close. I’d have to do it. I moved to the edge with Vigilance drawn and rose to my hooves. As the button approached, I jumped into S.A.T.S. and fired three rounds at it. One miss...
我不能让兰瑟开枪，那样太近了。我不得不这么做。我走到悬崖边，警惕拉住我的脚，站起来。当按钮靠近的时候，我跳进了s.a.t.s，朝它开了三枪。一个失误..。
two… but the third round struck home! The lights turned yellow just as we were passing over the switch. Our front wheels made it through, but, with a jolt, a screech, and a shower of sparks, our right rear wheel hit the moving rail and rode over it. For too long a moment I was afraid I’d just derailed us, that we’d get stuck in the switch, or flip over, or crash into a wall or pillar, but then we slammed back down and kept going.
两个...但是第三个回合打中了！当我们经过开关时，灯光变成了黄色。我们的前轮挺过去了，但是，随着一阵颠簸、刺耳的尖叫和一阵火花，我们的右后轮撞上了正在移动的铁轨，越过了它。有很长一段时间，我担心我们会脱轨，我们会卡在开关上，或者翻转过来，或者撞到墙上或柱子上，但是我们摔了回去，继续前进。
The train behind us kept going, too. Right into the side of the train that had been trying to get ahead of us. The locomotive rammed the car it hit off the other the track and straight into a support pillar on the other side, all three disintegrating in a cloud of razor sharp steel and jagged concrete. It took with it all but the locomotive and first two cars of the center train, the rest ending up lying off the track, sideways, smashed, or scattered. On our track, the first car behind the destroyed locomotive was blown back off the track, one end hitting a support
我们后面的火车也继续前进。正好撞上了那辆一直想超过我们的火车。火车头撞上了汽车，撞上了铁轨的另一边，直接撞上了另一边的支柱，三个都在刀片般锋利的钢铁和锯齿状的混凝土中瓦解了。除了火车头和中央列车的前两节车厢，其余的车厢都掉在了轨道上，或是侧着，或是被撞得粉碎，或是散落一地。在我们的轨道上，被毁坏的火车头后面的第一节车厢被吹离了轨道，一头撞上了一个支撑物
pillar and the other scraping the wall. The far end of the one behind it slammed into the ceiling. After that I lost track of which car was where except for the one hurtling straight at us. Psalm got her shield back up just in time, and I flung...
支柱和其他刮墙。后面那个的远端猛地撞上了天花板。在那之后，除了一辆向我们直冲过来的车，我忘记了哪辆车在哪里。诗篇及时收回她的盾牌，我投掷..。
something... some kind of shieldy sort of magic to help shore up her defense. The only other thing we could do was flatten ourselves to the floor and let the magic absorb some of the blow. Thanks to her, and maybe a little bit to me, instead of being crushed, we were merely knocked sideways into a spin, another shriek of steel on concrete joining the cacophony; Whisper was flung off and barely managed to catch herself with her wings before hitting the wall. When it ended, we were at an angle to the track, two wheels between the rails and none on them. As the remaining locomotive and its two cars of monsterbots disappeared around the curve, a roar of rubble and dust heralded the collapse of the roof behind us.
某种...某种盾牌魔法，帮助她加强防御。我们唯一能做的就是把自己平躺在地板上，让魔法吸收一些冲击力。多亏了她，也许还有一点点我，我们没有被压碎，而是被撞得侧身旋转，另一个钢筋混凝土的尖叫声加入了不和谐的声音;Whisper被甩下来，在撞到墙之前勉强抓住了自己。当它结束时，我们是在一个角度的轨道，两个轮子之间的铁轨和没有他们。当剩下的火车头和它的两节车厢消失在弯道附近时，瓦砾和灰尘的轰鸣声预示着我们身后屋顶的坍塌。
“Get it back on the rails!” I yelled. “Hurry!” We piled out, Crumpets, Aries, and Psalm getting to work getting the car back into position and Sweetie Bot ‘supervising’. Up ahead, about three dozen feet, I saw the spur tunnel that would take us to the inner transfer ring. Past that, though, around the curve of the medial ring, I thought I heard mechanical shrieking and grinding noises. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that, though; with the car stopped, the critters we’d left behind before were returning with a vengeance. They swarmed over the rubble, snapping and hissing and gnashing teeth in places that had no business having mouths. I wielded Vigilance and a riot shotgun interchangeably, switching between them as I needed to reload. Overhead, Dusk laid out a field of fire with Pew-Pew while Whisper was practically a yellow blur punctuated by brilliant flashes and splattering meat. Lancer stood upon a piece of rubble, firing at them with precision that was utterly wasted. These things, if they had brains, probably carried more than one in their bodies. His sniper rounds were going completely through the creatures and barely slowing them down at all.
"让它重新回到轨道上!"我喊道。"快点!"我们挤出去，吃点松脆饼、白羊和圣歌，开始工作，把车开回原位，并让SweetieBot"监督"。在前方大约36英尺的地方，我看到了通往内部转移环的支线隧道。过了那里，在中环的弯道附近，我好像听到了机械的尖叫声和摩擦的声音。不过现在不是担心这个的时候，车停了下来，那些我们以前落在后面的小动物们回来报仇了。他们成群结队地爬过废墟，在那些不该有嘴的地方咬牙切齿，发出嘶嘶声。我交替使用"警惕"和"防暴猎枪"，在需要装弹时在两者之间切换。头顶上，薄暮和皮尤一起划出了一片火海，而耳语则几乎是一团黄色的模糊物，不时闪烁着耀眼的光芒和飞溅的肉块。枪骑兵站在一片废墟上，精确地向他们射击，完全被浪费了。这些东西，如果他们有大脑的话，可能在他们的身体里携带不止一个。他的狙击手的子弹完全穿透了那些生物，几乎没有减慢它们的速度。
“Errorerrorerrorerror!” shrieked an Ultra-Sentinel that clawed its way over the pile of rubble. Its gatling beam gun began to sweep back and forth across us as its twisted legs struggled to push and pull it through a gap the robot would never ever normally attempt. Lancer and Whisper’s coats immediately sprouted black burn marks. Lancer swept his gun over to the mangled machine and fired shots repeatedly at the beam gun, shredding it in a shower of sparks and steel before it could inflict too much damage.
"错误/错误/错误!"一个超级哨兵在瓦砾堆上艰难地爬行，尖叫着。它的加特林机枪开始在我们身上来回扫射，扭曲的支架挣扎着推拉着它穿过一个机器人通常不会尝试的缝隙。Lancer和Whisper的外套上立刻出现了黑色的烧伤痕迹。枪骑兵把他的枪扫到损坏的机器前，对着光枪连续开了几枪，在它造成太大伤害之前，用火花和钢把它切成了碎片。
But he’d taken his eyes off the hounds. One of them sprang through a gap in the
但是他已经把目光从猎犬身上移开了。其中一个跳出了一个缺口
pillars, bounded once, and snatched him up whole in his maw like a dog with a bone, only his head and hindhooves sticking out from the sides as it began to thrash wildly about. I leapt at it, silver sword slicing neatly through its head, but the instant Lancer was freed, the dozen or more holes left in him began to gush blood. The halves of the hound I’d severed were busy pulling themselves back into new and deadly forms.
就像狗叼着骨头一样，他的脑袋和后蹄从两边伸了出来，开始猛烈地抽打。我朝它扑去，银剑整齐地划过它的头部，但枪骑兵一被释放，身上留下的十几个洞就开始涌出鲜血。我切下的那一半猎犬正忙着把自己拉回新的致命形态。
“Drink,” I said as I levitated a potion to him. “Drink up!”
"喝吧,"我一边说，一边把一种药水飘到他身上。"干杯!"
Blood bubbled out his mouth and nostrils as I struggled to keep the attacking creatures at bay and administer the potion at the same time. It was just trickling futilely down his chin as he struggled to breathe. “Stop him,” he said, weakly. “Stop my father. End his pain.” He pressed his bent rifle against my chest. “Please. Promise. For me. My mother. My sister. My people!” Something lunged at me, but it collapsed in a shower of rainbow dust. “Please... promise me.”
血从他的嘴和鼻孔里冒了出来，我一边努力阻止那些攻击我的生物，一边喝药水。当他挣扎着呼吸的时候，这只是徒劳地顺着他的下巴往下滴。"拦住他,"他无力地说。"阻止我的父亲。结束他的痛苦。"他用弯曲的步枪顶着我的胸膛。"求你了。我保证。对我来说。我母亲。我妹妹。我的人民!"有什么东西向我扑来，但它在一阵彩虹尘埃中倒塌了。"请......答应我。"
“I promise. Now drink, damn you!” I said, putting the mouth of the bottle into his, but it still just dribbled out the corner of his mouth. “Drink it you stupid, sexy stallion!”
"我保证。现在喝吧，该死的!"我一边说，一边把瓶口塞进他的嘴里，但瓶口还是滴在他的嘴角上。"喝了它，你这愚蠢的，性感的种马!"
But he couldn’t. His eyes were glazed and unfocused as he crumpled in on himself.
但他做不到。他的眼神呆滞，无法集中注意力，蜷缩在自己身上。
One, a dusty voice chuckled.
其中一个，一个满是灰尘的声音咯咯地笑了起来。
“Blackjack!” Sweetie Bot shouted. I gritted my teeth and glanced up to see her pointing down the tunnel. The light was coming back. The car was back on the track, and I could hear the train getting closer again. I levitated up Lancer and set him in the car, laying his gun across his body. The wheels were turning, but the car was taking too long to get going. “Push!” Sweetie Bot urged Psalm, Aries, and Crumpets. I jogged alongside and climbed in with Pythia. As the car sped up further, the alicorn boarded with a flap and then levitated the Steel Rangers on. I took the shot at the button with Vigilance, switching our path to the spur.
"黑杰克!"小甜心喊道。我咬紧牙关，抬起头来，看到她正指着下面的隧道。光又回来了。车子又回到了铁轨上，我能听到火车再次靠近的声音。我把枪骑兵悬浮起来，把他放进车里，把枪放在他身上。车轮在转动，但是汽车开起来太慢了。"用力!"甜心伯特敦促诗篇、白羊座和松脆饼。我在旁边慢跑，然后和Pythia一起爬进去。随着车速的进一步加快，阿里康拍打着翅膀上了车，然后让钢铁骑兵队漂浮起来。我带着警惕性朝那个按钮开了一枪，改变了我们前往马刺的路线。
The rear of the train came into view, coming up fast. Hounds chasing us and Ultra-Sentinels firing from the cars ahead of us, we accelerated so slowly it felt like we’d lapsed into S.A.T.S. Psalm’s shield protected us from disintegration, but it buckled under a barrage of rockets as we raced the train to the spur switch. I wondered desperately if we could levitate the car to clear the rear of the train, but that’d just mean scraping ourselves to meat jelly against the ceiling. “Come
火车的尾部映入眼帘，很快就到了。追赶我们的猎犬和从前面车厢里射击的超级哨兵，我们加速得如此缓慢，以至于我们感觉像是掉进了特种部队Psalm的防护罩里，以免我们解体。但是当我们冲向支线开关时，它在火箭弹的掩护下屈服了。我非常想知道我们是否可以让车悬浮起来清理火车尾部，但那只意味着把我们自己变成天花板上的肉冻。"来吧
on. Come on!” I shouted as the spur grew closer and closer.
打开。来吧!"我喊道，马刺越来越近了。
The car slipped onto the spur, the rear of the train clipping the rear corner with a bang that nearly knocked us off the rails again. A moment later the reversed locomotive whooshed past us, maw snarling, and, from the sound of it, crashed its cars into the collapse with another thunderous impact of shredding metal. “Make sure it can’t follow,” I told Crumpets. The mare nodded, and her grenade machine gun turned the tracks behind us into an impassable tangle. Unless the train grew legs or something... which wasn’t all that impossible.
汽车滑到了铁路支线上，火车尾部砰的一声撞到了车尾，差点又把我们撞出铁轨。过了一会儿，倒车的火车头从我们身边呼啸而过，无底洞咆哮着，车厢轰然倒塌，金属碎裂发出雷鸣般的撞击声。"确保它不会跟着来,"我告诉Crumpets。母马点点头，她的手榴弹机关枪把我们身后的轨道变成了一团不可逾越的混乱。除非火车长出了腿或者别的什么...这并不是不可能的。
Ugh... I fucking hated this place...
我恨死这地方了。
I squeezed over to Lancer’s corpse in the front. Some of us stared at the body. Others kept their eyes out for threats, like I should have been doing. Did he have a chance to make amends with Majina? To make up for what he’d done... to those zebras at Brimstone’s Fall... to me? I could only hope we’d be able to get his body back for some kind of... whatever zebras did with their dead. “So,” Pythia queried, “how’s that curse coming along, Maiden?”
我挤到前排枪骑兵的尸体旁。我们中的一些人盯着这具尸体。其他人则密切关注着威胁，就像我应该做的那样。他有机会向马吉纳道歉吗？为了弥补他在宾斯通瀑布对那些斑马...对我所做的一切？我只能希望我们能把他的尸体找回来...不管斑马怎么处理他们的尸体。"那么,"皮提亚问道,"那个诅咒怎么样了，姑娘?"
“Not now,” I answered.
"现在不行,"我回答。
“Not a whole lot of time left, if not now,” she replied.
"如果不是现在，剩下的时间就不多了,"她回答。
“What do you want?” I asked tiredly.
"你想要什么?"我疲惫地问。
“Me? Saltwater taffy. A kitten. Front row seats at the end of the world. Usual filly stuff.” She poked me in the chest. “What do you want, Maiden?”
"我？盐水太妃糖。一只小猫。世界尽头的前排座位。就是些小母马的玩意儿。"她用手戳我的胸口。"你想要什么，少女?"
I didn’t answer for a moment. “I want people to stop dying,” I answered as I stared at his body.
我一时没有回答。"我希望人们不要死去,"我盯着他的尸体回答。
“Why?” she asked, as if genuinely perplexed.
"为什么?"她问道，似乎真的很困惑。
“Why?” I echoed back with a great deal more scorn. “Do you want to die?”
"为什么?"我用更多的嘲笑回应了他。"你想死吗?"
“Eventually, yeah. Doesn’t everyone?” she asked as she stared down the tunnel. “Death isn’t a bad thing. Pain isn’t a bad thing either, really. It reminds you that you’re still alive.” She closed her eyes. “Suffering is, but that’s a concern of the living.” She then looked gravely up at me. “Do you want to die, Maiden?”
"最终，是的。不是每个人都这样吗?"她凝视着地道，问道。"死亡并不是一件坏事。疼痛也不是坏事，真的。它提醒你，你还活着。"她闭上了眼睛。"痛苦是痛苦，但那是生者关心的问题。"然后，她严肃地抬头看着我。"你想死吗，少女?"
I couldn’t answer that. “I have to live. I have to finish this, with no one else dying.”
我无法回答这个问题。"我必须活下去。我必须在没有其他人死亡的情况下完成这件事。"
“But do you want to die?” she asked, and when I didn’t answer, she went on, “The Legate was obsessed with not dying. For him, it was the ultimate defeat. But so what? Eventually, you lose. It’s what makes the game fun. The Eater’s so terrified of death because it’s the ultimate insult to its ego. How could it...
"但是你想死吗?"她问道，当我没有回答的时候，她继续说道,"特使一直在纠结于不要死。对他来说，这是最终的失败。但那又怎样？最终，你会失败。这就是游戏的乐趣所在。食者如此害怕死亡，因为这是对它自我的最大侮辱。怎么会..。
mightiest and greatest of all... fail? But everything does fail, Maiden. Eventually the proudest mountains are ground to plains and the tallest trees collapse to rot.”
最强大最伟大的...失败了？但是一切都失败了，梅登。最终，最骄傲的山峰变成了平原，最高的树木倒下腐烂。"
“So you’re saying that we should all die?” I snapped. Hadn’t I heard enough of this shit from Tom?
"所以你是说我们都应该死?"我厉声说道。我还没从汤姆那里听够这些屁话吗？
“I’m saying that you need to separate death from suffering. Do you think Lancer regretted coming down here with you? That he wished he’d had a few extra minutes outside and let someone else take his place?” she demanded of me, and all I could do was shake my head. “Good,” Pythia said with a small smile. “None of us do. We don’t want to die, but we’re not afraid to. All things come to an end.” She stared at me. “The Eater wants to live. It wants a second chance at life, and it isn’t willing to do it the natural way. It clings to existence because it is the greatest thing in the universe, by its own measure. To cease to exist would be intolerable, as it would bring about a great emptiness that, to it, nothing in the universe can replace.”
"我的意思是你需要把死亡和痛苦区分开来。你认为兰瑟后悔和你一起来这里吗？他希望自己能多出去几分钟，让别人代替他的位置?"她问我，我只能摇摇头。"很好,"皮提亚微笑着说。"我们都不知道。我们不想死，但我们不怕死。一切都会结束。"她盯着我。"食人者想活下去。它想要第二次生命的机会，却不愿意用自然的方式去做。它之所以坚持存在，是因为按照它自己的标准，它是宇宙中最伟大的东西。停止存在将是无法容忍的，因为它将带来巨大的空虚，对它来说，宇宙中的任何东西都无法取代。"
She considered me soberly. “So, Maiden... Blackjack... what do you want more than anything?”
她冷静地看着我。"那么，少女......黑杰克......你最想要的是什么?"
“Um, guys,” Aries said from the front of the car. “I think we’re almost there.”
"嗯，伙计们,"白羊座在车前说。"我想我们就快到了。"
I stared ahead, scanning for turrets or wires or mechasprites or... anything... but as we emerged into the inner ring of the red tunnels--
我凝视着前方，扫描着塔楼、金属丝、机甲怪或者......任何东西......但是当我们进入红色隧道的内环时----
...I hadn’t expected this.
我没想到会这样。
The Core.
核心。
The red tunnels were supposed to be reinforced against any kind of enemy attack, which was likely the only reason they survived at all. Here, though, parts of the inner wall and ceiling had been gouged away, leaving gaps that opened out into the colossal pit the Eater had scraped during its ascension. Everything that
这些红色隧道应该被加固以抵御任何形式的敌人攻击，这可能是他们存活下来的唯一原因。然而，在这里，部分内墙和天花板被挖空了，留下了裂缝，这些裂缝通向食者在上升过程中刮过的巨大坑洞。所有的一切
had been in the Core and hadn’t been needed for supporting and elevating the Eater had fallen down here. Slabs of building. Passenger trains. Skywagons. Cascades of mulched furniture of all kinds. Pipes and other rail lines, some jutting out from the walls and others piled amid the wreckage. Thousands of emergency lights gave the entire shaft a garish crimson glow. As a final decorative touch, the entire mess appeared as if a bloody slurry had been vomited all over it.
已经在核心区域了，而且不需要支援和抬升食人者已经掉到了这里。建筑物的楼板。旅客列车。空中旅行车。各种覆盖家具的瀑布。管道和其他铁路线，有的从墙上伸出来，有的堆在残骸中。数以千计的应急照明灯使整个通风井发出耀眼的深红色光芒。作为最后的装饰，整个场面看起来就像是血淋淋的浆液被吐得到处都是。
All of us stared as we rolled along the Core’s underworld, taken in by the sight and the coppery stench and the echoes of countless groaning, broken structures and the occasional snapping power line. Up above were the crushed-together bases of dozens, perhaps hundreds of buildings. Somehow I had to get through all of that. I gestured to Sweetie Bot, and the car slowed down as I considered what we’d need to do next. At least there was only one red bar on my E.F.S.
我们所有人都注视着我们沿着地下世界滑行，被这一景象、铜质的恶臭、无数呻吟的回声、破碎的建筑和偶尔断裂的电线所吸引。上面是几十座，也许是几百座建筑物被压得粉碎的基座。不知怎么的，我不得不熬过这一切。我向甜心机器人打了个手势，当我考虑下一步该怎么做时，车子慢了下来。至少我的e.f.s上只有一个红条。
Wait. Only one?
等等。只有一个？
From the depths of the pit rose a gargantuan shadow. A mountain of flesh and meat, pierced and studded with metal and wire. It was misshapen, unfinished, like a clay sculpture the artist had aborted halfway through and had cruelly ripped and torn with malice before throwing it away. If only this were clay. If only.
一个巨大的阴影从深渊中升起。一堆肉和肉，被金属和金属丝刺穿和镶嵌。它是畸形的，未完成的，像一个泥塑艺术家中途流产，残忍地撕裂和撕裂与恶意之前扔掉它。要是这是粘土就好了。但愿如此。
“Blackjack,” the Legate boomed as two enormous, milky eyes turned towards me. I knew he wasn’t blind. He had a few hundred more speckled all over his head and shoulders, like zits, to follow us with. He breathed low and deep, not just through his mouth but through countless slits in his chest. He lifted a limb the size of a ship and slammed it into the wall above us. “I knew you’d come,” he gurgled, the voice echoed by a chorus of lesser mouths on his hide, “Maiden.”
"黑杰克,"特使低声说道，两只乳白色的大眼睛转向我。我知道他不是瞎子。他的头和肩膀上还有几百个斑点，像青春痘一样，可以跟着我们。他的呼吸低沉而深沉，不仅仅是通过嘴巴，还通过胸部无数的裂缝。他举起一条船大小的树枝，砰地一声撞在我们头上的墙上。"我就知道你会来的,"他咯咯地笑着，声音回荡在他的皮毛上
All of us stared in shock and horror, except Pythia, who smirked flatly at the abomination. The talisman in his chest had prevented him from changing for the worse for ten thousand years or more. Ten thousand years of growth. Ten thousand years of injury. Ten thousand years of poison and disease. He was experiencing it all right now. Death would be a mercy for the Legate, not that he’d ever accept it.
我们所有人都惊恐地盯着他，除了皮提亚，他对着这可恶的东西傻笑。他胸前的护身符阻止了他一万年甚至更长时间的恶化。一万年的生长。一万年的伤害。一万年的毒药和疾病。他现在正在经历这一切。死亡对于使者来说是一种仁慈，而不是他会接受它。
“How’s serving fallen stars working for you now, you moron?!” Pythia shouted up at him.
"你这个白痴，现在为流星服务感觉怎么样?!"皮提亚冲他喊道。
He screamed like a thousand backed up sewer pipes bursting all at once and rammed his hoof at us. We accelerated into a covered section of track just as the immense hoof impacted behind us, making the car skip on the rails. “Get in the air as quickly as you can,” I ordered. “Fan out and keep him busy while I look for a way through.” Then I hesitated with a glance at Lancer’s body lying in the corner with his bent gun. “Try not to die. Please.”
他尖叫着，就像一千个倒塌的下水道管道突然爆裂一样，用他的蹄子冲着我们。我们加速驶入一段覆盖着铁轨的路段，这时巨大的蹄子在我们身后撞击，使得车子在铁轨上跳跃。"尽快起飞,"我命令道。"散开，别让他闲着，我去找出路。"然后我犹豫了一下，瞥了一眼躺在角落里拿着弯枪的兰瑟的尸体。"尽量不要死。求你了。"
“Hadn’t planned on it. That’s your thing,” Whisper snapped as we reached the next opening. “Got any heavy metal tunes you could pull out of your ass, Sweetie Butt?”
""没有计划。那是你的事,"当我们到达下一个开口时，Whisper厉声说道。"甜心，你有什么重金属音乐可以从你的屁股里拉出来吗?"
Sweetie rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t exactly Horsie’s favorite genre, but I think I have one or two tracks.” I wasn’t sure where she kept her speakers, but wailing sirens started, followed by a heavy beat. “Goat music... Ramsomething or other.”
甜甜翻了翻白眼。"这不是小马最喜欢的风格，但我想我有一两首歌。"我不知道她把扬声器放在哪里，但是警报响了，接着是一阵沉重的敲击声。"山羊音乐...拉马什么的。"
“Perfect,” Whisper said as she launched herself into the air. The Legate’s immense hoof streaked down towards us, but she skimmed its surface, drawing a dotted line of power hoof detonations, carnage fountaining behind her and twisting the hoof’s trajectory to send it smashing against the wall of the shaft above us. I couldn’t understand the song’s lyrics, but I didn’t need to. The sentiment was clear enough.
"太好了,"Whisper一边说一边把自己抛向空中。特使的巨大蹄子向我们划过来，但她掠过蹄子的表面，划出一条能量爆炸的点线，大屠杀在她身后喷涌而出，扭曲蹄子的轨迹，把它撞向我们上方的竖井墙壁。我听不懂这首歌的歌词，但我不需要听懂。这种情绪非常明显。
Dusk and Psalm launched themselves into the air, Pythia on Psalm’s back. Aries twisted as we passed under the bulging limb and sprayed a thick sheet of blazing flamer fuel over the extremity as Crumpets sent a rocket up into its flesh, a bloody fountain of gore erupting out the side. “Fifty… Fifty-one...” Sweetie Bot counted morosely as she continued to blare the music.
黄昏和诗篇在空中升起，Pythia在诗篇的背上。当我们经过膨胀的边缘时，白羊座扭曲了，在末端喷射了一大片燃烧的火焰燃料。"五十......五十一......"甜心继续低沉地数着音乐。
Dusk went straight for the Legate’s face, blasting those immense milky pools with her beam rifle as she swept around his head like a black wasp. He lifted his other foreleg, blocking the searing spear of light as if by reflex. Whisper was singing along with the music, either knowing the words or just channeling that strange power music held. She’d strafe along his body, arch out, and then slam in with four-hoofed kicks that blew out bloody chucks.
黄昏时分，她像一只黑色的黄蜂一样绕着特使的头扫视，用她的来福枪射击那些巨大的乳白色的水池。他抬起另一条前腿，像条件反射似的挡住了灼热的长矛。耳语是随着音乐一起唱歌，要么知道歌词，要么只是通灵那种奇怪的力量音乐。她沿着他的身体扫射，拱起身体，然后用四蹄踢他，发出血淋淋的咯咯声。
Now if only he wasn’t as big as a skyscraper.
要是他没有摩天大楼那么大就好了。
I jumped into the air and made my way up towards the tangle of beams, concrete, pipes, and wires, searching for a way through. It seemed impossible. The bases of all those buildings were compressed into a massive knot that even
我跳到空中，朝着混乱的横梁、混凝土、管道和电线走去，寻找一条通过的路。这似乎是不可能的。所有这些建筑的基座都被压缩成一个巨大的结
my sword wouldn’t be enough to cut through. There had to be a way, though. Some gap. I tried to push through a hole but only got ten feet before it pinched too tight for me to proceed any further.
我的剑不够用。不过肯定有办法的。一些差距。我试图推开一个洞，但只走了十英尺，它就被挤得太紧，我无法再往前走了。
Pulling my head out, I watched as the car raced around the track, spraying fire and flame whenever part of the Legate got close enough. I needed something that could tear right through all this... and then I spotted a green glow on the track. “Sweetie Bot!” I shouted, and teleported down to the car. “Don’t–” Her horn let out a fusillade of bright green bolts that blew clear through the Legate’s torso in a strobe-lit cloud of gore. The hole tore wide, unleashing a hot slurry that had him clutching his chest in agony. “Fire...”
我把头伸出来，看着车在铁轨上行驶，只要特使号的一部分靠得足够近，就会喷火和火焰。我需要的东西，可以撕裂所有这一切...然后我发现一个绿色的光芒在轨道上。"甜心机器人!"我喊道，然后心灵传输到了车上。"不要——"她的角发出一连串明亮的绿色螺栓，在闪光灯照亮的血块云中清晰地吹过特使的躯干。洞口裂开了，释放出滚烫的泥浆，使他极度痛苦地紧紧抓住胸口。"火......"
“What now?” Sweetie Bot asked, her horn and forehead smoking.
"现在怎么办?"甜心问道，她的角和额头冒着烟。
“I can’t get through up there. I need your horn to punch a hole through that crap!” I shouted, pointing up at the cavity’s ceiling.
"我上不去。我需要你的号角在那堆垃圾上打个洞!"我指着空腔的天花板喊道。
Sweetie Bot stared at me, at the ceiling, and then at the Legate. “Okay. Recharging.”
先是盯着天花板，然后又盯着Legate。"好吧。充电。"
“If you’re just hanging out down there,” Whisper shouted down at me as she whirled around the Legate’s head, darting in and out like a yellow lightning bolt, “could you lend us a hoof? If you’re not too busy?” The heaving mass clutched its chest as the hole continued to discharge gore. I watched the Legate carefully. He was healing, but nothing like before. His body seemed to be just squishing the injury closed.
"如果你只是在那里闲逛,"Whisper朝我喊道，她旋转着绕着特使的头，像一个黄色的闪电一样进进出出,"你能借我们一只蹄子吗?"？如果你不是太忙的话?"大块的肿块紧紧抓住它的胸口，因为那个洞还在不断地流血。我仔细地看着使节。他正在康复，但和以前不一样了。他的身体似乎刚刚挤压住伤口。
I flew up to where Psalm was hovering with ammo and bottles of healing potions in Pythia’s lap as she sat on the alicorn’s back. “Does he still have the heart?”
我飞到诗篇所在的地方，当她坐在阿里克松的背上时，Pythia的膝盖上放着弹药和治疗药瓶。"他还有心吗?"
“Namtar says only the Maiden can kill him, but Dagon says no living thing can slay him. Make up your minds...” she mumbled sullenly as she peeked at a folded-over section of her map before looking irritably as me and answering, “The chunks are in there still, and they’re keeping him going. The Eater’s probably supporting him with that soulless flesh, too. There’s no way in the Abyss that he’s alive naturally.” Then she muttered, “The stars are being butts, though... I really thought I’d worked that out.”
纳姆塔说只有少女才能杀死他，但大衮说没有生物能杀死他。"下定决心吧......"她闷闷不乐地喃喃自语着，眼睛盯着地图折叠起来的部分，然后像我一样恼怒地看着她，回答道,"那些大块的东西还在里面，它们让他继续前进。"。食人者可能也用那没有灵魂的肉体来支持他。在深渊里，他不可能自然地活着。"然后她喃喃自语,"虽然星星都是屁股......我真的以为我已经解决了这个问题。"
“Right.” I sighed and closed my eyes, then opened them and stared down at the Legate. The immense behemoth’s mouth split wide as his countless eyes glared
"对。"我叹了口气，闭上眼睛，然后睁开眼睛，盯着特使。巨兽张大了嘴巴，无数双眼睛瞪得大大的
back with millennia of malice.
带着几千年的怨恨回来了。
“Come, Maiden. Let me correct my prophesy,” the Legate said as he spread his hooves wide. But in doing so, he exposed that grievous wound in his chest. My eyes picked it out, a twisted knot of black and green light that wildly flickered and flashed. It was wedged in a spur of busted rib the size of a large tree.
"来吧，少女。"让我纠正一下我的预言,"使者一边说，一边把蹄子张得很大。但是这样做，他暴露了他胸部的那个严重的伤口。我的眼睛发现了它，一束扭曲的黑绿光疯狂地闪烁着。它被一根大树大小的断掉的肋骨上的突起卡住了。
“Tell the others,” I said, looking at the pair as I drew the starmetal sword and Vigilance. “Get the pieces to me. Keep everyone alive.” I stared at Pythia, and she started at my gaze. “If there’s any star out there that will help me, I’ll take it. Whatever games they want to play, I don’t care. I need to win here.”
"告诉其他人,"我说，看着我拔出星铁剑和警戒的那一对。"把碎片给我。让每个人都活下来。"我盯着Pythia，她盯着我的目光。"如果外面有什么星星可以帮助我，我就要它。不管他们想玩什么游戏，我都不在乎。我需要赢得比赛。"
For an instant, Pythia’s expression mirrored her youthful form. “You have no idea what you’re asking for, Blackjack,” she murmured in a moment of utter horror. “Don’t ask me that. Please don't ask me that.”
在那一瞬间，皮提亚的表情反映了她年轻时的样子。"你根本不知道你在要求什么，黑杰克,"她在极度恐惧的时刻喃喃自语。"别问我这个。请别问我这个问题。"
“I am. You’re right. I don’t know, but I also don’t care. Anything I can give, suffer, or do... I will. I’ll take whatever help the stars can give me,” I said, then paused. “No deals dooming the world or garbage like that,” I added, “this is on me.”
"是的。你说得对。我不知道，但我也不在乎。无论我付出什么，忍受什么，做什么......我都愿意。我会接受星星给我的一切帮助,"我说，然后停顿了一下。"没有毁灭世界的交易，也没有那样的垃圾,"我补充说,"这都是我的责任。"
The look Pythia gave me was almost pitying, but she smiled. “Yes, it’s all on you.” She wiped her eyes hard a moment. “But yeah, I’m not a moron,” Pythia said with a roll of her eyes. “I like the world staying here. It’s where I live.” Then she thumped Psalm’s neck. “I need to fold out my map! Get me back to the railcar!” Psalm teleported away as I looked down at the Legate. He spread his arms wide, ignoring Whisper and Dusk’s assault upon his head. I was all that mattered to him right now.
皮提亚看我的眼神几乎是怜悯，但她笑了。"是的，全靠你了。"她用力擦了一下眼睛。"但是，是的，我不是一个白痴,"皮提亚转了转眼珠说。"我喜欢这里的世界。这是我生活的地方。"然后她捶了捶诗人的脖子。"我需要把地图折起来！把我送回有轨电车那里!"当我低头看着使节的时候，诗篇传送走了。他张开双臂，忽略了低语和黄昏对他头部的攻击。我是他现在最重要的人。
“Come, Maiden,” he said again, in a grotesque croon. “Let me reunite you with your loved ones.”
"来吧，少女,"他又说了一遍，用一种奇怪的低吟。"让我让你和你所爱的人团聚吧。"
I gave the sword a swish through the air beside me and disappeared, reappearing before the gaping, grotesque hole in his chest. Hot, wet air and the stench of a slaughterhouse hit me like a wall, but there, in front of me, lay a quarter of his heart, no bigger than my hoof.
我用剑在身旁的空中嗖地一声划过，然后消失了，重新出现在他胸口那个奇形怪状的洞前。炎热潮湿的空气和屠宰场的恶臭像墙一样击中了我，但是在我面前，躺着他的四分之一的心脏，不比我的蹄子大。
And instantly I was assaulted by his fleshy entrails. A hundred or more serpentine coils of viscera shot out in bloody streamers, roping over my wings and legs. They coiled around the hilt of the sword and yanked the blade short of
我立刻就被他丰满的内脏袭击了。一百多个蛇形的内脏盘旋在血腥的飘带中，缠绕在我的翅膀和腿上。他们盘绕在剑柄上，猛地拔出剑刃
the stone. Both the blade and I were pulled into the cavity, and it took all my telekinetic power to keep him from pulling the sword away from me entirely. “Oh, a teleport. Didn’t see that coming,” the Legate chuckled sarcastically. “And while I’d love for you to watch more of your friends die, I think you’ve experienced enough of that.” I smelled bile. “Time for lunch.”
那块石头。我和刀刃都被拉进了洞里，我用尽了心灵遥感的力量，才没让他把剑从我身边完全拔走。"哦，一个传送器。没想到会这样,"大使讽刺地笑着说。"虽然我希望你能看到更多的朋友死去，但我认为你已经经历了太多。"我闻到了胆汁的味道。"该吃午饭了。"
Crimson and rainbow beams dazzled around me, turning the flesh into a cascade of rainbow colored ash. Dusk whooshed in and ripped and tore wildly with her wings and barbed tail as Glory’s prismatic blaster continued to fire. “The sword! Shoot the sword!” I shouted. She aimed with all the precision S.A.T.S. had to offer, and the tissue that was trying to engulf the weapon vaporized. Free of the flesh, my magic whipped it around and slashed at the lodged stone. The impact made the entire mountain of meat tremble as I struck again and again, feeling a thrill of joy at the Legate’s howls.
深红色和彩虹色的光束在我周围发出耀眼的光芒，把肉体变成彩虹色的灰烬瀑布。暮色呼啸而来，撕裂撕扯着她的翅膀和带刺的尾巴，晨辉的棱形爆能枪继续着火。"那把剑！开枪!"我喊道。她使出了s.a.t.s所能提供的全部精确瞄准，试图吞噬武器的组织也蒸发了。我的魔法把它从肉中解脱出来，把它抽打在那块嵌在石头上的石头上。当我一次又一次地敲击的时候，撞击的力量使整座肉山颤抖起来，感受到了特使的嚎叫带来的一阵喜悦的颤抖。
On the third blow, the stone exploded into fragments, and I watched as those fragments exploded into dust. A dark mote, throbbing with crackling green energy, hovered for a moment before it was pulled into the Legate... towards his head... “The next one is in his head!” I shouted as loudly as I could. Probably inside a skull thick as a concrete bunker.
在第三次打击中，石头爆炸成碎片，我看着这些碎片爆炸成尘土。一团黑色的尘埃，伴随着噼啪作响的绿色能量在空中盘旋了一会儿，然后被拉进了莱盖特号......朝着他的头部......"下一颗在他的头上!"我尽可能大声地喊着。可能在一个像水泥地堡一样厚的头骨里。
Dusk ripped me free, and I moved a little bit away. Dusk didn’t follow, though; I turned and saw her struggling with her hindlegs buried in the Legate’s mass. I grabbed her outstretched hoof with my hands, pulling as hard as I could, to keep her from being consumed. My horn flashed multiple times, sending bolts of white magic into the sanguine innards, but she was slowly pulled deeper. Then a shadow moved above me, and I saw the Legate’s immense hoof sweeping down. “Go!” Dusk shouted, and then she shot me in the chest with Pew-Pew. Luna’s armor absorbed the blow, but it still stung more than enough to break my grip. I teleported back, the hoof rocketing by and trailing a vortex that pulled me after it, flipping me over several times before I could stabilize myself. I watched as Dusk disappeared into the Legate’s mass.
黄昏撕开了我的心，我离开了一会儿。然而，黄昏并没有随之而来;我转过身来，看到她的后腿埋在莱盖特的弥撒中挣扎着。我用双手抓住她伸展的蹄子，使劲拉，以免她被吃掉。我的号角闪烁了好几次，把一道道白色魔法射进了血红的内脏，但她慢慢地被拉得更深了。然后一个影子在我上方移动，我看见特使的巨大的蹄子掠过。"走!"黄昏喊道，然后她用皮尤-皮尤一枪打中了我的胸口。卢娜的盔甲吸收了那一击，但还是疼得足以打破我的手握。我瞬移回去，蹄子飞过，尾随着一个漩涡，在我稳定下来之前把我翻了好几个身。我看着黄昏消失在大使馆的弥撒中。
“Ohh, I can feel her wriggling!” the Legate taunted. “Now, be careful with those damned energy blasts. Wouldn’t want to kill your friend!”
"哦，我能感觉到她在蠕动!"使节受到嘲弄。"现在，小心那些该死的能量爆炸。我可不想杀了你的朋友!"
Oh, he really needed to die. Was he lying? Did it matter? Was I ruthless enough to risk vaporizing one of my own to stop him? His hooves rushed together at me, and I teleported away as they collided with a thunderous boom. I appeared above
他真的需要死。他在说谎吗？这重要吗？我有没有残忍到冒着让自己人蒸发的危险去阻止他？他的蹄子一齐向我冲过来，我瞬间移动开了，因为它们撞上了雷鸣般的隆隆声。我出现在上面
him, and Whisper flew up to me. “What’s the plan?”
然后呢喃飞向我。"计划是什么?"
“The next one is in his head,” I said, pointing down with the sword. “Have any clue how to get through that skull?”
"下一颗在他的头上,"我说，用剑指着下面。"你知道怎么穿过那个头骨吗?"
“Heh.” She grinned and dropped like a lightning bolt, landing atop his head with a resounding crack. Just as fast, she rose and fell again. And again. The flesh of his skull was blasted away, revealing a chipped plate of bone. The Legate howled as he swept his hooves over his head, but she just nipped around them, striking the same spot again and again.
"嘿。"她咧嘴一笑，像一道闪电一样跌了下去，砰地一声落在他的头顶上。同样迅速，她又起又落。再来一次。他头骨的肉被炸飞了，露出一块破碎的骨头。当他的蹄子掠过他的头顶时，莱格特嚎叫着，但是她只是轻轻地绕过它们，一次又一次地击中同一个地方。
Then, though, she rose back to me, her hooves trailing smoke and dangling metal. “Shit,” she said in a disgusted tone. “His skull’s thicker than most I try to get through.” She regarded her power hooves. “Let me snag a replacement. I’ll find some way to get in there.” She darted down towards the car. The Legate punched a monstrous hoof straight up at me, and I teleported down to the car as well. The entire chamber boomed, and debris clattered down on us as we rolled along. Psalm protected us from the shower of stones, the cowcatcher banging aside the largest debris. Whisper landed and narrowed her eyes. “Frigging magic,” she muttered as she pulled off the blackened power hooves. “How are we going to get through that skull?”
然后，尽管如此，她回到我身边，她的蹄子拖着烟和晃来晃去的金属。"该死,"她用一种厌恶的语气说。"他的头骨比我试图穿过的大多数头骨都要厚。"她注视着自己的马蹄。"让我找个替代品。我会想办法进去的。"她飞快地跑向汽车。特使用一个巨大的蹄子直冲着我，我也瞬移到了车上。当我们前进的时候，整个房间轰隆隆地响着，碎片哗啦哗啦地落在我们身上。诗篇保护我们免受阵雨般的石头雨，排粪器砰砰地敲打着最大的碎片。低语着陆了，她眯起眼睛。"该死的魔法,"她一边扯下发黑的马蹄，一边喃喃自语。"我们怎么才能穿过那个头骨?"
“Forty-one. Forty-two,” Sweetie Bot counted regularly.
"四十一个。"四十二,"甜心机器人定期数着。
“Not you. I need you to make a hole,” I told Sweetie Bot, then turned to the others. Behind us were loud booms as the Legate mashed his hooves at us, twisting around to try and get a good hit. We needed to scatter.
"不是你。我需要你让开一个洞,"我告诉甜心机器人，然后转向其他人。在我们身后响起了巨大的隆隆声，特使用他的蹄子向我们扭来扭去，试图找到一个好的击球点。我们需要分散开来。
“You need to get his bonce open?” Crumpets asked me. I nodded. She looked at Aries, and the other Ranger nodded once. “Leave it to us. We’ll crack that nut. I’m an expert at dealing with thick-headed ponies.” Then she paused. “Where’s Dusk?”
"你要把他的包打开吗?"松脆饼问我。我点点头。她看着白羊座，另一个点了点头。"交给我们吧。我们会解决这个难题的。我是对付笨马的专家。"然后她停顿了一下。"黄昏在哪里?"
I closed my eyes. “She’s inside that thing.”
我闭上了眼睛。"她在那东西里面。"
Then we were flying, and not in a good way. The Legate had finally found a way to catch us: laying his hoof across the tracks. We’d hit it like a wall... a fleshy wall, which was probably the only saving grace of most of us. Sweetie Bot had managed to snag the control stand, but the rest of us went flying into the Legate’s limb. The Steel Ranger armor, and my own, banged loudly against the
然后我们就飞起来了，而且飞得不是很好。特使终于找到了一个抓住我们的方法:把蹄子放在铁轨上。我们会像撞墙一样撞上它......一堵肉质的墙，这可能是我们大多数人唯一可以保留的优雅。甜心机器人设法抢到了控制台，但我们其余的人飞到了使节的肢体上。钢铁骑兵的盔甲，还有我自己的，大声地撞击着
slightly yielding surface, and Whisper was able to fly clear. Psalm pulled Pythia into her hooves with her magic, turning and spreading her wings wide.
轻微屈服的表面，和Whisper能够飞得很清楚。诗人用她的魔法把皮提亚拉进她的蹄子，转过身来，张开她的翅膀。
Then she slammed into the hoof, her bones crackling like brittle wood.
然后她猛地撞上蹄子，她的骨头像易碎的木头一样劈啪作响。
I watched her bounce off the surface, her wings having slowed her but not enough, as I crashed on my back back on the car. She managed to land on her hooves, but then she wobbled once, then collapsed. Under us, the wheels were spinning and sending out sparks. “Hey!” Pythia cried. “Come on! You’re an alicorn! You should be able to take that hit!” She pulled free of Psalm’s legs and scrambled for a bottle of healing potion from the locker, but it had smashed and dribbled over her hooves.
我看着她在水面上弹跳，她的翅膀减慢了她的速度，但还不够，因为我的背部撞上了汽车。她设法用蹄子着地，但是她摇晃了一下，然后就倒下了。在我们脚下，车轮旋转着，发出火花。"嘿!"皮提亚哭了起来。"来吧！你真是个独角兽！你应该能够承受这种打击!"她挣脱了诗篇的腿，从柜子里抢出一瓶治疗药水，但药水已经碎了，滴在了她的蹄子上。
If Psalm died, what would happen to the Brood, even if I won here? I struggled to pull out one of my own potions when I heard the noise of rushing air. I looked up at the Legate’s triumphant grin and his other colossal hoof descending towards us.
如果诗篇死了，即使我赢了，布鲁德一家会怎么样？当我听到呼啸的空气声时，我挣扎着拿出我自己的药水。我抬头看着特使得意洋洋的笑容和他另一只巨大的蹄子朝我们走来。
Then, he paused. His enormous, bloody sockets fixed on something behind me, and his grin lessened a little. I passed the healing potion to Pythia, which she quickly administered to Psalm, then saw his gaze. Not on me. No.
然后，他停顿了一下。他那巨大的、血淋淋的眼窝固定在我身后的什么东西上，他的笑容有点淡了。我把治疗药剂递给了Pythia，她很快地把药剂给了诗篇，然后看到了他的凝视。对我来说不是。没有。
On the slain zebra in the corner. Even with the impact, he rested slumped, as if he could be sleeping. “My boy...” the Legate muttered. It was a moment, just a few seconds, but it was the time we needed. I flew out next to Whisper and robbed him of his chance to wipe most of us out in one blow. “The fool. Poor loyal deluded fool,” the Legate muttered as hard contempt returned to his face. Aries and Crumpets were off the car, running back along the tracks as the Legate glared at me. “Do not mistake this for compassion. I have buried legions of my children, and my children’s children. One learns not to get attached.” That cunning grin returned. “As you likely know by now.”
在角落里被杀的斑马身上。即使受到这样的冲击，他还是垂头丧气地休息，仿佛他正在睡觉。"我的孩子......"使者喃喃自语。这是一个瞬间，只有几秒钟，但这正是我们需要的时间。我飞到了Whisper旁边，剥夺了他一下子把我们大多数人都干掉的机会。"那个傻瓜。可怜的忠诚的被欺骗的傻瓜,"特使喃喃自语，同时强烈的蔑视回到了他的脸上。当特使瞪着我的时候，白羊座和松饼从车上下来，沿着铁轨跑回来。"不要把这个误解为同情。我埋葬了我的大批孩子，还有我孩子的孩子。一个人要学会不去依恋。"那狡猾的笑容又回来了。"你现在可能已经知道了。"
Maybe, but he had still been attached enough to hesitate. I had no illusions about saving the Legate, but he wasn’t the Eater. The Legate had been a person. A horrible person who needed to die, but a person. “Maybe,” I yelled back, “but I’m a slow learner.” Wait, was that... I stared at the Legate. “Say something!”
也许吧，但他还是有点犹豫不决。我对于拯救使节没有任何幻想，但是他不是食者。使节是一个人。一个需要死亡的可怕的人，但是一个人。"也许吧,"我大声回答,"但我学得很慢。"等等，那是...我盯着特使看。"说点什么!"
His eyes widened, and then he scowled. He pulled back the foreleg across the tracks, freeing the car to resume its pell-mell travel, and smashed his hooves together in the air before himself. I could have teleported any number of places
他睁大了眼睛，然后皱起了眉头。他把前腿向后拉过铁轨，让汽车继续乱七八糟的行驶，然后在他面前把他的蹄子在空中撞得粉碎。我可以传送任何地方
to get away from him, but I needed to see. Again and again Whisper and I flitted to the left and right. Come on, you striped bastard! You’re a talker! Say something already!
离开他但我需要看到。我一次又一次地转向左边和右边。来啊，你这个有条纹的混蛋！你真健谈！说点什么吧！
“What are you doing?” Whisper asked as she pulled on a fresh power hoof, swooping like a wasp, effortlessly evading another swipe of a giant hoof. The weapon whirred as it automatically tightened on the end of her foreleg.
"你在干什么?"她一边轻声问道，一边用力踩着新鲜的马蹄，像黄蜂一样猛扑过去，毫不费力地躲避着巨大马蹄的又一击。武器旋转着，自动地在她的前腿末端收紧。
“Trying to see if he has something in his mouth,” I growled at her in frustration, then shouted at him, “At least Lancer believed in something!”
"试着看看他嘴里是不是有什么东西,"我沮丧地冲着她咆哮，然后冲他喊道,"至少枪骑兵相信什么!"
“He was a fool! Like you all!” the Legate shouted, and I saw it. Inside his mouth, at the back of his throat, was a telltale black-and-green glow. He had a shard of his soul in his throat!
"他是个傻瓜！就像你们一样!"使节喊道，我看见了。在他的嘴里，在他的喉咙后面，有一种泄露秘密的黑绿色的光芒。他喉咙里有一块灵魂的碎片！
Whisper saw my expression as she activated her singular power hoof. “What?”
低语者看到了我的表情，她启动了她独一无二的力量蹄。"什么?"
“It’s in his throat,” I said triumphantly. Now... how to get it out? I teleported next to his windpipe and made a horizontal slash, but he instantly brought a leg up to shield it before I could cut a hole big enough to find the portion of his soul. I teleport dodged back to avoid the other hoof, but he knew what I was up to now.
"在他的喉咙里,"我得意洋洋地说。现在...怎么把它弄出来？我心灵传输到他的气管旁边，然后划了一道水平斜线，但是他马上抬起一条腿挡住了我，我还没来得及挖出一个足够大的洞来找到他的灵魂。我瞬移回避以避开另一只蹄子，但他现在知道我在干什么了。
“Let him hit you,” Whisper said.
"让他打你吧,"Whisper说。
“What?” I asked, my eyes bulging.
"什么?"我问，我的眼睛鼓了起来。
“I’m telling you, let him hit you!” the pegasus snapped, then darted away from me. The Legate was already drawing back for another blow. Let him... hit me? That was like advising I stand on train tracks when the locomotive was coming! Maybe I could just let him clip me? A near miss? The hoof flashed in on me, and I screwed up my face. Oh, this was going to hurt...
"我告诉你，让他打你!"飞马号突然失控，然后从我身边飞奔而去。特使已经后退准备再次出击。让他...打我？这就像是在火车来的时候建议我站在铁轨上一样！也许我可以让他杀了我？差点失手？蹄子向我闪过，我皱起了眉头。哦，这会很疼..。
The blow sent me rocketing clear across the cavernous space, and I was content to fly clear through it with my wings and legs spread wide. I didn’t quite splatter myself across the wall, but I definitely left a sizeable dent in the crumbly facade of an apartment building. Found it quite relaxing, actually, resting in that divot. I could spend the rest of the fight here. Bring Tom. I was good. I could watch all three giant Legates laugh as he drew back for one last blow.
这一击让我一飞冲天地穿越了这个洞穴般的空间，我很满足于展开双翅和双腿飞过这个洞穴。我没有完全撞到墙上，但是我在一栋公寓楼破败的正面上留下了一个相当大的凹痕。事实上，我觉得在草皮上休息很放松。我可以在这里度过余下的比赛。带上汤姆。我很好。我可以看到三个巨大的特使笑着，他后退了最后一击。
He stopped laughing as a yellow blur streaked right into his maw.
他停止了笑声，一团黄色的模糊物正好划进他的胃里。
I shook off the little Glories, P-21s, and Rampages telling me to get my ass back in the fight as I watched him clench his jaw, pressing his hooves to his throat. I flew up to him... well, weaved and swayed as my whole head throbbed way too much for more teleporting right now. His eyes bulged as he made choking noises, his mouth working around the clenched jaws. Then a flash went off behind his teeth. A second flash. A third. He opened his mouth, howling pain as Whisper sprang free, clutching the chunk of sundered heart in her hooves, dripping rancid spittle and blood. “Kill it!” she screamed at me, holding the stone out as I readied the sword. Its glittering starmetal edge descended towards the black, abhorrent thing.
我摆脱了那些小的荣誉，p-21和Rampages，告诉我回到战斗中去，我看着他咬紧牙关，用蹄子抵住他的喉咙。我飞向他......好吧，摇摇晃晃地走着，因为我的整个脑袋已经跳得太厉害了，现在无法进行更多的传送了。当他发出呛人的声音时，他的眼睛鼓了起来，他的嘴在紧咬的下巴周围张开。然后他的牙齿后面闪过一道光。第二道闪光。第三个。他张开嘴，痛苦地嚎叫着，Whisper挣脱开来，用蹄子紧紧抓住那破碎的心脏，滴着腐臭的唾沫和鲜血。"杀了它!"我准备拔剑的时候，她伸出石头对着我尖叫。它闪闪发光的星状金属边缘朝着那个黑色的、令人憎恶的东西下降。
As one, blade and jaws fell, the latter snapping shut on her wings with a wet crunch even as the former cleaved right through the stone. The two halves of the fragment exploded into black powder; the bisected bits of soul swept up into his brow and down into his swollen stomach. Whisper’s eyes bulged as an immense gray tongue curled around her and started to pull her into his mouth again, his eyes narrowed as if daring me to strike.
当它们合在一起的时候，刀刃和下巴都掉了下来，就在刀刃和下巴正好切穿石头的时候，刀刃和下巴湿漉漉地嘎吱一声合上了翅膀。碎片的两半爆炸成黑色的粉末;一分为二的灵魂碎片扫进他的额头，进入他肿胀的胃里。一条巨大的灰色舌头环绕着Whisper，Whisper的眼睛鼓了起来，又开始把她拉进他的嘴里，他的眼睛眯成一条缝，好像在挑衅我的攻击。
Of course I did.
当然了。
I darted in, slicing down through that thick muscle as I reached forward, popped my fingers, and pulled on Whisper. His mouth spread wide as he lunged at me, and I braced my hindhooves on his upper teeth and grabbed Whisper with my forehooves, pulling her to me and pushing back against him. His hooves were rising up to sweep us both into his dripping, gargantuan maw. As I pulled, though, she gave a screech of pain, and I saw that the tatters of her wings had gotten stuck between two of the immense teeth. We shared a moment, just one, and then without hesitation I brought the sword around and severed her wings in one smooth slice.
我冲了进去，向前伸出手指，划破那厚厚的肌肉，然后拉着Whisper。当他向我扑来的时候，他的嘴张得很大，我用后蹄支撑住他的上牙，用前蹄抓住Whisper，把她拉到我身边，向后推向他。他的蹄子飞了起来，把我们都卷进了他那滴水的巨大无底的肚子里。当我拉的时候，她发出了一声痛苦的尖叫，我看到她的翅膀碎片卡在了两颗巨大的牙齿之间。我们分享了一个瞬间，只有一个瞬间，然后我毫不犹豫地把剑拿过来，把她的翅膀切成了一片。
She fell, and I teleported to catch her as the Legate’s frothing red maw gnashed on bare air. Blood spurted from her sheared-off stumps as I carried her through the air towards the car. We both crashed to the floor, and I was greeted by the welcome sight of Psalm awake, though slumped against the storage locker. Her horn was cracked at the base, and she was handling a healing potion delicately with her hooves. “Fuck. Fuck,” Whisper muttered over and over again, taking the potion and drinking it down. When Pythia offered a syringe of Hydra, though, she immediately waved it off with a furious glare.
她摔倒了，我瞬间移动去抓住她，同时莱格特那发着泡沫的红色无底洞在空气中咬牙切齿。当我抬着她穿过空气走向汽车时，鲜血从她被剪掉的残肢上喷涌而出。我们俩都摔倒在地上，迎接我的是欢迎的景象:诗篇醒了，虽然靠在储物柜上。她的角在底部裂开了，她正在用她的蹄子精致地处理治疗药水。"操。操,"耳语者一遍又一遍地喃喃自语，接过药水，把它喝了下去。然而，当皮提亚递给她一支海德拉的注射器时，她立即怒目而视地挥舞着。
The bleeding didn’t stop, so I pulled some bits of old cord from the storage locker and tied them tight around the stumps. “They can regrow them,” I told her. “They regrew Glory’s wing.”
出血没有止住，所以我从储物柜里拿出一些旧绳子，把它们绑在树桩上。"它们可以再生,"我告诉她。"它们重新长出了晨辉的翅膀。"
She just nodded, her body pale and trembling.
她只是点点头，脸色苍白，浑身发抖。
“I’ve got a full charge now, Blackjack,” Sweetie Bot told me gravely. “I can make a hole up if you want.”
"我现在已经充满电了，黑杰克,"甜心机器人严肃地告诉我。"如果你愿意的话，我可以在上面挖个洞。"
It was the right thing to do. Except... “Go ahead,” I said as I flew aloft.
这么做是对的。除了......"去吧,"我边说边飞向高空。
And was struck by a boat. Okay, it wasn’t a boat, but I’d been hit by boats before; this was just like that! Once again I was reduced to a quivering lump of augmented Princess. This time, though, I didn’t imbed myself in the wall so much as tumble down the slope, banging and flailing as I struggled to regain control. I finally got caught on an I-beam dangling over the abyss. The Legate drew back a foreleg for a finishing stomp.
被船撞了。好吧，那不是一艘船，但是我以前被船撞过，就是这样！我又一次变成了一个颤抖的凸起的公主。不过这一次，我并没有把自己困在墙里，而是跌跌撞撞地从斜坡上摔了下来，挣扎着想要重新控制住自己。我终于被悬挂在深渊上的工字梁卡住了。使节收回一条前腿，做最后的跺脚动作。
Then a flurry of brilliant emerald hail blasted right through his shoulder, and the limb was cleaved off completely, immense jets of gore spraying out of it and the stump as it fell. The Legate howled, then swung his remaining foreleg in an overarching blow that struck the tracks with an earsplitting crack. The section of track the car was on broke free, sliding down the ruin on a slope of debris that had the very earth shaking. The I-beam came loose from the rubble, and I went tumbling down through the dust as well, trying to keep myself together as I rolled.
接着，一阵翠绿色的冰雹从他的肩膀上呼啸而过，他的四肢被完全劈开，巨大的血块从上面喷射出来，树桩也掉了下来。特使号啕大哭，然后挥舞着他剩下的前腿，重重的一击击中了铁轨，发出震耳欲聋的爆裂声。汽车所行驶的轨道断裂了，沿着一片废墟的斜坡滑了下来，这片废墟正是震动了大地的地方。工字钢从瓦砾堆中松开了，我也从尘土中跌落下来，试图在滚动的时候保持镇定。
I came to rest amidst the blood swamp that engulfed the Legate’s waist. Above, he kept howling in pain, slamming his hoof around wildly, perhaps trying to bury us under all the debris he was knocking free. Finally, it stopped, and I made out the glow of an alicorn shield. I started towards it but stopped as a knifing pain blossomed in my side. I looked back at the sight of a length of steel bar punched clean through me. And another. And another. Lifting the sword, I carefully sliced through them all, then pulled out the lengths. After each, I chugged a healing potion as I felt my insides spilling out. “If only I’d had you on the moon...” I muttered as the dust settled around me. Over to the side, I could see the railcar lying on a slope few dozen feet from the jiggling pool of gore around the Legate. My head throbbed so much, I didn’t risk magic, flying over to the vehicle instead.
我来到血泊中休息，浸没了使节的腰部。在上面，他不停地痛苦地嚎叫，疯狂地猛踢着蹄子，也许是想把我们埋在他正在敲打的残骸下面。最后，它停了下来，我看到了一个角斗士盾牌发出的光芒。我开始朝它走去，但停下来的时候，一阵刺痛在我的身体里开花了。我回头一看，一根长长的钢筋穿透了我的身体。再来一杯。再来一杯。举起剑，我小心翼翼地把它们全部切开，然后拔出长度。每次结束后，我都会一口气喝下一瓶治疗药水，因为我觉得自己的内脏都要流出来了。"要是我能在月亮上拥有你就好了......"尘埃落定时，我喃喃自语道。在侧面，我可以看到有轨车躺在斜坡上几十英尺，从晃动的血池周围的使节。我的头一直在颤抖，所以我没有冒险，而是飞到了车上。
“Is everyone okay?” I asked, looking at Sweetie Bot, her synthetic hide lacerated and exposing metal and bands of black muscle beneath. The music had changed from shouting incomprehensible lyrics to something lower, tenser, and instrumental. Psalm held Pythia in her hooves, the filly clutching the starmap to her chest and appearing as if she was actually regretting her brash decision to come along with us.
"大家都没事吧?"我问道，看着甜心机器人，她合成的皮肤撕裂了，露出了下面的金属和黑色的肌肉。音乐已经从喊着难以理解的歌词变成了一些低沉、紧张、乐器的东西。诗人用蹄子抱着皮提亚，小母马紧紧抓住胸前的星图，似乎在为自己鲁莽的决定和我们一起走而感到后悔。
Whisper just looked equal parts miserable and pissed. “I can’t believe I need a frigging gun...” she muttered as she glared at the battered and bent storage locker.
Whisper看起来既痛苦又愤怒。"我真不敢相信我需要一把该死的枪......"她低声说着，怒视着那个破旧而弯曲的储物柜。
“Recharging,” Sweetie Bot said with a definite buzz and crackle in her voice. “Diverting energy from repair systems to main pool. Mr. Horse is awesome–” Her green eyes flared. “Ugh... stop it!” We looked at her in bafflement. “I am in danger of losing my patience with that dumb protocol.”
"充电,"甜心机器人带着一种肯定的嗡嗡声和噼里啪啦的声音说。"把维修系统的能量转移到主池。马先生真了不起——"她那双绿色的眼睛闪闪发光。"呃...住手!"我们困惑地看着她。"我可能会对这种愚蠢的协议失去耐心。"
I didn’t know where Aries and Crumpets were. There were two other blue bars besides the four with me, but I couldn’t pick them out through the dust and wreckage. I had no idea what they were doing; for all I knew, they’d been buried alive in the avalanche. “We need to end this,” I said, pulling out Folly. “We only have fifteen minutes till Tom hits.”
我不知道白羊座和松脆饼在哪里。除了那四个，还有两个蓝色的条，但是我无法从尘土和残骸中分辨出来。我不知道他们在干什么;据我所知，他们已经被雪崩活埋了。"我们必须结束这一切,"我说，把Folly拿了出来。"还有15分钟汤姆就要来了。"
“Wait,” Pythia said. “He’s still got chunks of that soul jar left in him. You might vaporize his mass, but he’ll still be here. Do you want to face whatever’s left of him and the Eater at the same time?”
"等等,"皮提亚说。"他的灵魂罐子里还有很多东西。你可以蒸发他的质量，但他仍然会在这里。你想同时面对他和食人者留下的东西吗?"
“There’s one piece in his brain, and one piece... around there,” I said, pointing at his waist. “I’ve got no clue how to get at either.”
"他的脑子里有一片，还有一片......在那边,"我指着他的腰说。"我也不知道该怎么做。"
“Huh. They gravitated to his chakras. Be glad there’s not seven chunks,” Pythia said, and when we all stared at her, she waved her hoof. “Look, I don’t have time to go into Eschatik meditation techniques right now, okay? Bigger things to worry about!”
"哈。他们被他的脉轮所吸引。幸好没有七块肉,"皮提亚说，当我们都盯着她看时，她挥动着她的蹄子。"听着，我现在没有时间研究Eschatik冥想技巧，好吗？还有更重要的事情要操心!"
“Such tenacious little gnats,” the Legate wheezed. “You are wasting my time. I will be restored again and again.” Then his hoof slammed down a hundred feet away, making the ground shake. “You cannot defeat me!” Another massive impact, closer. And closer. I slipped the silver bullet into the breech, and the weapon became live.
"这么顽强的小蚊子,"使节气喘吁吁地说。"你在浪费我的时间。我会一次又一次地恢复。"然后他的蹄子砰地一声落在一百英尺以外的地方，地都震动了。"你打不过我的!"又一次巨大的撞击，越来越近。再近一点。我把银弹塞进后膛，武器就开火了。
“Wait,” Sweetie Bot said as she limped to the rear of the railcar, where the ridge of spark batteries crackled and popped. She looked them over. “Get ready to hit the stone in his gut,” she said to me, then turned at Pythia. “Tell me where to aim.”
"等待,"甜心机器人说，她一瘸一拐地到后方的有轨电车，在那里脊火花电池劈啪作响和爆裂。她仔细看了看。"准备好击中他的肚子,"她对我说，然后转向Pythia。"告诉我该瞄准哪里。"
“What are you doing?” I asked as she yanked out two sparking cables.
"你在干什么?"我问她，她猛地拉出两根起火的电缆。
“Voiding my warranty. No time for a shielded interface...” she replied. She turned back to Pythia, and the mare pointed at a section right about where his navel would be if his navel wasn’t covered in a patina of gore. The hoof rammed to the ground next to us, making the whole car slide several feet down the slope. “It’s been fun,” Sweetie Bot quipped.
"我的保修单被取消了。没有时间使用屏蔽接口......"她回答。她转身回到Pythia，母马指向一个部位，正好是他的肚脐应该在的位置，如果他的肚脐没有被淤血覆盖的话。马蹄撞到了我们旁边的地面，使得整个车子沿着斜坡滑行了几英尺。"这很有趣,"SweetieBot打趣道。
Then she jabbed the cables into her ears as the shadow of the hoof rose over us.
然后，当蹄子的影子在我们身上升起的时候，她把电缆刺进了耳朵里。
“Wait!” I shouted, but it was too late. Her mane caught fire as her eyes blazed a solid green. Her voice crackled wildly as she spouted gibberish, and then her horn burst into light. The bolts roared out, not in curving aimed trajectories but in a straight line and so thick and fast that they looked like a solid bar of bright flickering green. The beam cut through the Legate’s bulk like my silver sword writ large and blasted a cloud of dust and rubble from the wall on the other side. Sweetie Bot swung her head, and the Legate’s grotesque form collapsed against the far wall, severed from its base. Then the beam stopped, the synthetic pony’s horn sputtering out a few more bolts, the last veering off to the side. She stood there a moment, mane on fire, eyes aglow, the music freezing in a feedback screech, and sparking cables in her ears, and then, with a stuttering groan of “N-n-not tt-onight-t-t Horsiiiiie-e I h-have a h-h-headac-c-c-che…” from her speakers, her eyes popped like flashbulbs and left her still and silent.
"等等!"我喊道，但已经太晚了。她的鬃毛着火了，她的眼睛闪耀着纯绿色。她说着胡言乱语，嗓音嘶哑，然后她的号角突然亮了起来。那些闪电咆哮着冲了出来，不是弯曲的瞄准轨迹，而是一条直线，又粗又快，看上去就像一条亮闪闪的绿色实心棒。光束像我的银剑一样刺穿了特使的身体，从另一边的墙上炸出一团尘土和碎石。甜心机器人摇了摇头，使节怪异的形体倒在远处的墙上，从底部被切断。然后光束停止了，人造小马的角又发出了几个螺栓，最后一个转向一边。她站在那里一会儿，鬃毛着火，眼睛发红，音乐在回响的尖叫声中冻结，耳朵里的电缆冒着火花，然后，她的扬声器发出结结巴巴的"N-n-nottt-onight-t-tHorsiiiiie-eih-h-headac-c-c-che..."的声音，她的眼睛像闪光灯一样闪亮，让她保持安静和沉默。
Two, the dusty voice murmured.
第二，尘土飞扬的声音低声说。
From the hole in the Legate slithered a torrent of guts larger than my body, but I ignored that foulness and focused on the crackling ball of dark magic that came with them. I bodily shoved the masses aside, trying to push aside how they were forming wiggling fingers that started to clutch at my limbs, and pulled the stone free. One good hit, and it exploded into powder. The black soul mote streaked up, and the grasping tendrils around me melted into slurry... clingy, bloody slurry that was like wet concrete, but at least it wasn’t getting too friendly with me...
从特使大厅的洞里滑出一股比我的身体还要大的内脏洪流，但我忽略了那股邪恶，专注于随之而来的黑魔法爆裂之球。我整个人把他们推到一边，试图把他们摆动的手指推到一边，手指开始抓住我的四肢，把石头拉出来。一个好的打击，它爆炸成粉末。黑色的灵魂斑驳起来，抓住我的卷须融化成泥浆...粘粘的，血淋淋的泥浆，就像湿漉漉的混凝土，但至少它没有对我太友好..。
The rest of the Legate was looking scarcely better than his rapidly dissolving
使节的其余部分看起来和他迅速消失的样子差不多
lower half. His body sagged, as if he were having trouble keeping it together. As he swayed, he glared down at me and shifted his weight. Suddenly a whirring roar rose up from the car, where Whisper struggled to keep a minigun braced against the railing. “This is so not my shit!” she screamed as she kept a stream of bullets pouring up at him. The hail of lead perforated his chest and side at Pythia’s direction, for some reason.
下半身。他的身体下垂，好像很难保持平衡。他摇摇晃晃地看着我，移动着身子。突然，从车里传来一阵呼呼的声音，在那里，Whisper挣扎着用一把迷你枪支撑住栏杆。"这根本不是我的东西!"她一边尖叫，一边不停地向他开枪。由于某种原因，铅块打穿了他的胸膛和身体，朝着Pythia的方向。
“Enough!” he roared as he raised his hoof, which still had more than enough integrity to crush us all to goop. “You die! Your friends die! Everything dies!” I pulled Folly free of the slime and raised it. If I got lucky... maybe... maybe I could get him and poke a hole through the roof I could climb through in one shot. Maybe!
"够了!"他一边抬起蹄子一边咆哮，蹄子还是有足够的完整性把我们都压扁了。"你死定了！你的朋友死了！一切都死了!"我把弗利从粘液中拉出来，举起它。如果我够幸运的话...也许...也许我可以抓住他，在屋顶上戳个洞，这样我就可以一次性爬过去了。也许吧！
Then the Legate’s side exploded in rainbow light, and I paused. From where Whisper’d been shooting poked a black form: a suit of Enclave power armor. Whisper cut off the fire, whooping, “That’s it! Get back in the fight, you pussy!” Dusk definitely appeared worse for wear. Her armor had been cracked open, the mare inside looking half digested but still alive and armed. The beam gun bit deep into the upraised limb with S.A.T.S. precision; something in the joint gave way, and the entire limb twisted in on itself. Dusk slipped out between his ribs and tumbled along his body as the Legate worked the limb. He seemed to be struggling to restore it, though; the muscles were reforming, but they were malformed and warped upon his shoulder.
然后特使的一边在彩虹般的光中爆炸了，我停顿了一下。在Whisper被射击的地方露出了一个黑色的东西:一套电源盔甲。小声说，关掉火，呼喊,"就是这样！回去战斗吧，你这个胆小鬼!"黄昏显然更糟糕的磨损。她的盔甲已经裂开，里面的母马看起来已经消化了一半，但是仍然活着并且有武器。光束枪以s.a.t.s的精确度深深地咬进了上升的肢体;关节中的某些东西松动了，整个肢体自己扭曲了。薄暮从他的肋骨间溜了出来，沿着他的身体翻滚着，同时特使在肢体上工作。他似乎正在努力恢复它，虽然肌肉正在改造，但他的肩膀上有畸形和扭曲。
I gladly held my fire, kicking my way free of the gore and half flapping, half swimming to where Dusk was slipping under the ooze. Her feathers and dark mane were gone, and patches of her hide were milky and peeling off; others were missing altogether, exposing damaged muscle. “Med-X,” she croaked, her whole body trembling as I kept her out of the slime. I administered an injection immediately, and she relaxed in my embrace. “Okay,” she said weakly. “Daddy has no right to tell me he’s the biggest badass in the Enclave just for fighting off an overgrown lizard.” I carried her out of the pool to where Psalm had two healing potions and the Hydra waiting, and she eagerly sucked the potions down as the more potent drug regrew her epidermis. “That was the worst...” she started to say, then spotted Whisper’s truncated wings and looked back at her own featherless but still present ones. “Huh...”
我高兴地握住火把，踢开血迹，半扑半游，游到黄昏正从淤泥下滑过的地方。她的羽毛和黑色的鬃毛都不见了，皮毛上的斑点乳白色，脱落了;其他的完全消失了，露出了受损的肌肉。"Med-X,"她低声说，当我把她从烂泥中拉出来时，她的整个身体都在颤抖。我立即给她打了一针，她在我的怀抱里放松了下来。"好吧,"她虚弱地说。"爸爸没有权利告诉我，他是飞地里最厉害的坏蛋，就因为他打退了一只杂草丛生的蜥蜴。"我抱着她走出池塘，来到诗篇中有两种治疗药水和九头蛇的地方。当药效更强的药物重新长出她的表皮时，她迫不及待地把药水吸下去。"那是最糟糕的......"她开始说，然后看到了Whisper的缩短的翅膀，回头看了看她自己没有羽毛但仍然存在的翅膀。"嗯......"
“Yeah, fuck you. At least I don’t smell like barf,” Whisper retorted.
"是啊，去你妈的。至少我身上没有呕吐物的味道。"。
The Legate slumped against the wall. “Persistent... tenacious... fools!” he boomed. I scowled and pointed Folly at his head. The angle would be all wrong for getting out of here, but at least I wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. His bloody lips spread in an impossibly wide leer.
使节靠在墙上。"执着的...顽强的...傻瓜!"他低声说道。我皱起眉头，把弗利指向他的头。离开这里的角度是完全错误的，但至少我不用再和他打交道了。他那血淋淋的嘴唇张开，斜着一个难以置信的大眼睛。
Then, from high above the Legate came the thump of an explosion. Then another. Then a third, blasting out of a broken tunnel. The Legate twisted his head up and stared with an almost weary expression as a train, this one a string of industrial tankers, came rocketing out the broken tube. He struggled to raise his enormous hoof to block, but one tanker after the next smashed right into his face. Psalm grabbed Sweetie Bot, Lancer, and Pythia with her magic and took off, and I pulled up the pegasi as the wreckage continued past the ruin of his head to land around his body. The tankers burst open and covered him with pungent liquid, and flatbed cars sliced into him like immense blunt knives; then the fluids burst into flames, setting him howling, and then a pair of coupled locomotives shot out and smashed into his head like a thunderbolt. The whole thing came apart like a melon, leaving only a screaming mouth and a massive mound of gray meat sitting in a bowl of shattered bone. From far above, barely audible, Crumpets yelled out, “Got ‘im!”
然后，从特使的上方传来了一声爆炸的巨响。然后是另一个。然后是第三个，从一个破裂的隧道中爆炸出来。使节抬起头，带着几乎疲倦的表情凝视着，就像一列火车----这是一列工业油罐车----从破裂的管道中疾驰而出。他挣扎着抬起他那巨大的蹄子去阻挡，但一辆又一辆的油罐车正好撞到了他的脸上。诗人用她的魔法抓住了SweetieBot，Lancer和Pythia，然后起飞了，我拉起了飞马座，飞机残骸继续经过他的头部，降落在他的身体周围。油罐车突然打开，用刺鼻的液体覆盖住他，平板车像巨大的钝刀一样切开他;然后液体突然燃烧起来，让他嚎叫起来，接着两辆耦合的火车头突然出现，像雷电一样击中他的头部。整个事情就像一个瓜一样四分五裂，只留下一张尖叫的嘴和一大堆灰色的肉，放在一碗碎骨头里。从很高的地方，几乎听不清楚，松脆饼大声喊道,"抓住他了!"
I set Dusk and Whisper over where Psalm sheltered the rest against the debris slope. The Legate finally seemed too stunned to defend himself, his whole body shaking as it burned with thick, oily black smoke and sullen orange flames. I flew over to the ruins of his skull and spotted the stone imbedded in a spiral-like wiggle of brain. “You die,” I said as I raised the sword.
我把《黄昏》和《低语》放在《诗篇》的那个地方，其余的部分都被残垣断壁挡住了。最后，大使似乎被震惊得无法自卫，他的整个身体都在颤抖，因为它被浓厚的、油腻的黑色烟雾和阴沉的橙色火焰烧着了。我飞到他头骨的废墟旁，发现那块石头嵌在里面，大脑像螺旋一样蠕动着。"你死定了,"我举起剑说。
Then his body began to spasm wildly, not so much an attack as an epileptic fit. Back and forth he rammed into the walls, and the shard and I were knocked flying. Aries and Crumpets tumbled from the tunnel mouth and rolled down the slope like dropped toys. Before I could recover, I was smashed by the writhing body and fell down along its flaming bulk, back into the bloody lake below.
然后他的身体开始剧烈痉挛，与其说是发作，不如说是癫痫发作。他来回撞击着墙壁，碎片和我被撞飞了。白羊和松饼从隧道口滚下来，像掉下来的玩具一样滚下斜坡。我还没来得及恢复，就被这个翻滚的身体撞得粉碎，沿着它熊熊燃烧的躯体倒在下面血淋淋的湖里。
I pulled my head out of the gore, swimming between pools of blazing fuel, and saw the burning form arch over me, his smashed head crushing against the opposite wall as he dripped down upon me. His jaws were frozen in a skeletal rictus. “I… Can... Not... Die...” the crackling behemoth wheezed as bits cascaded down upon me.
我把头从血泊中拉了出来，在燃烧着的燃料池中间游来游去，看见燃烧着的身体在我身上拱起，他摔碎的头撞在对面的墙上，滴在我身上。他的下巴僵硬得只剩下一副骨架。"我.....。.不能......不能......死亡......"噼啪作响的庞然大物气喘吁吁地向我扑来。
I struggled to lift the sword and Folly, but where was the stone?! Where... I
我挣扎着举起剑和愚蠢，但是石头在哪里?！在哪里...我
couldn’t see. The Legate was collapsing slowly bit by bit, perhaps intending to bury me under his massiveness. “Where’s the damned rock?! Where’d it fall?”
看不见。使节一点一点地慢慢倒下，也许是想把我埋在他的巨大下面。"该死的石头在哪儿！它掉哪儿了?"
“Blackjack!” shouted Crumpets from the shore. I looked over and saw the battered armored pony holding the stone in her hoof. She whirled and bucked it straight to me. My fingers popped out, and I caught it.
"黑杰克!"岸边的松脆饼大声叫道。我环顾四周，看到一匹破旧的装甲小马用蹄子夹着石头。她转过身来，把它直接扣在我身上。我的手指伸了出来，接住了它。
She disappeared beneath the Legate’s hoof.
她消失在特使的蹄下。
I struggled free into the air and teleported next to the hoof as it rose up. The armor lay broken where it had been compressed into the debris. “Ow,” she rasped.
我挣扎着飞向空中，当蹄子升起时，我把它传送到了它的旁边。装甲在被压成碎片的地方断了。"噢,"她粗声粗气地说。
“Hold on,” I said as I looked at the monstrosity above us. “Enough! Die already!” And I struck the stone with all the force I could muster. The sword cleaved the last of his magical heart, and the last of it vaporized. The black soul mote exploded out and lingered in the air for a moment, then flew up above me to where the smoldering body had finally come apart in smoking slurry and collapsed down into the pool in a great splash of gore.
"等一下,"我看着我们上面的怪物说。"够了！去死吧!"我用我所能集中的全部力量敲打着石头。剑劈开了他最后一颗魔法般的心，最后一颗心也蒸发了。黑色的灵魂爆发出来，在空中逗留了一会儿，然后飞到我头顶上，那个阴燃的身体终于在烟雾弥漫的泥浆中散开，倒在一大滩血泊中。
Everyone scrambled back down the slope to where Crumpets lay next to me like a broken toy. “Is she alive?” Dusk asked as she slumped against Whisper.
每个人都爬下斜坡，回到松脆饼像个破玩具一样躺在我身边的地方。"她还活着吗?"黄昏问道，她靠在了Whisper上。
“Hey, Enclave. Don’t you know us Rangers don’t die so easy?” Crumpets replied.
"嘿，昂科雷。难道你不知道我们游骑兵不会这么容易死吗?"松脆饼回答道。
“We have to get her out of that armor! A healing potion won’t work if she’d being crushed,” I said, lifting the silver sword.
"我们必须让她脱掉盔甲！如果她被碾碎了，治疗药水就不起作用了,"我说着，举起银剑。
Dusk shook her head. “No! Don’t! She’s probably got all kinds of internal bleeding. Right now, the armor is the only thing keeping her alive.” The pegasus scowled back at all our stares and snapped, “What? You try having a sibling in medical school and not picking up some trivia.”
黄昏摇了摇头。"不！不要！她可能有各种各样的内出血。现在，盔甲是唯一能让她活下去的东西。"飞马对我们的目光皱起了眉头，厉声说道:"什么？你试着在医学院有个兄弟姐妹，却不去学一些琐事。"
“Well, at least he’s finally done,” Aries said as she looked up at the corpse. A dry chuckle sounded in my mind.
"好吧，至少他终于完成了,"白羊座说，她抬头看着尸体。我心里发出一阵干笑。
A hoof struck her helmet, pushed through her visor, and out the back in an explosion of bone, brain, and metal.
一只蹄子撞上了她的头盔，穿过了她的面罩，从后面爆炸出来的骨头、大脑和金属。
And that’s three, the voice rasped.
这是第三个了，声音刺耳地说。
Perched casually on her head, foot lodged in her brain, was the Legate. Not the enormous monstrosity. He’d reverted to his old size, but now he reminded me of Dawn. His coat was a silvery synthetic fused with pale hide, striped with glowing green lines of energy. His eyes churned with the green and black energy of the soul motes. One limb ended in a truncated spur of bone and meat that finished assembling itself before my eyes in a flash of baleful green energy.
特使漫不经心地坐在她的头上，一只脚卡在她的脑子里。不是那个巨大的怪物。他又恢复了原来的身材，但现在他让我想起了道恩。他的外套是一件银色的合成纤维，由浅色的皮革和闪亮的绿色能量条纹组成。他的眼睛里充满了灵魂尘埃的绿色和黑色能量。一节肢体被截断的骨刺和肉刺截断，在我眼前一闪而过的可怕的绿色能量中自我组装完毕。
“I told you. I cannot die,” he said calmly, lips curled in sublime confidence.
"我告诉过你。我不能死,"他平静地说，嘴唇极其自信地翘起。
I swept the sword at him, but he leapt away almost as fast as Whisper could move. “Oh come ON!” I shouted as I spotted him standing on top of his own body. “I smashed the heart. Game over. You’re done!”
我把剑扫向他，但他以Whisper能移动的最快速度跳开了。"哦，得了吧!"当我看到他站在自己的身体上时，我喊道。"我打碎了那颗心。游戏结束。你完蛋了!"
He was on me in a flash, literally. He might as well have been teleporting as he smashed into me from the left, and the right, whirling like a green-striped blur. Of all my friends, I was the only one who was, relatively, still in fighting condition. Again and again I struck out at him, and again and again he thrashed me. My bones cracked and my armor dented, and he knocked me to the ground. When I tried to rise, he hammered me back down again. Whisper and Dusk tried to move in closer to help, but I snapped, “Stay back!” I didn’t want him to pull something with them. Three more times I struggled to rise, to blast him with magic, to cut him... to do anything... and three times I fell bloodied to the ground.
他突然出现在我面前，真的。当他从左边和右边猛撞我的时候，他就像瞬移一样，像一个绿色条纹的模糊物一样旋转着。在我所有的朋友中，我是唯一一个相对而言仍处于战斗状态的人。我一次又一次地打他，他一次又一次地打我。我的骨头裂了，盔甲也瘪了，他就把我打倒在地。当我试图站起来的时候，他又把我打了回去。"低语"和"黄昏"试图靠近帮忙，但我厉声说:"退后!"我不想让他跟他们扯上关系。我又挣扎了三次，想站起来，想用魔法炸死他，想砍死他......想做任何事......结果三次我血肉模糊地倒在地上。
Finally, I simply stayed there.
最后，我只是呆在那里。
“That’s right,” he crooned in my ear before slapping a hoof across my face and rising to address my friends. “I want witnesses to my triumph.” More than his speed and his strength, that smug expression of superiority on his face really pissed me off. Still, his gloating was giving me a chance to recover from the beating he’d administered. A bit. For all the good it would do. “Just like our first time, isn’t it, Maiden?” he murmured.
"没错,"他在我耳边低声哼唱，然后用蹄子拍了拍我的脸，站起来对我的朋友们说。"我要见证我的胜利。"比起他的速度和力量，他脸上那种自以为是的优越感更让我生气。尽管如此，他的幸灾乐祸给了我一个机会，让我从他的殴打中恢复过来。一点点。尽管这样做有好处。"就像我们的第一次，不是吗，少女?"他低声说。
“It’s the Eater!” Pythia shouted. “That’s the only thing keeping him here!” The Legate looked at the filly with a murderous grin. “Get away from me, you freak!” she snapped as she hid behind Psalm and continued, “Half the stars say you don’t defeat him! Half say you do... so... do it!” Her voice was quavering with panic as she stared at the glowing lines upon his face.
"是食人者!"皮提亚喊道。"这是他留在这里的唯一原因!"使节看着这匹小母马，露出杀气腾腾的笑容。"离我远点，你这个怪胎!"她厉声说道，躲在《诗篇》后面，继续说道:"一半的星星说你打不败他！一半的人说你愿意......那么......去做吧!"她盯着他脸上发光的皱纹，声音因惊恐而颤抖。
“Little fool. This is the true power the stars offer!” he crowed. “Slay me a thousand times if you wish, I’ll return a thousand times, and more!” He touched his chest. “I’ll get a new vessel for my soul, and slay the next world. And the next!”
"小傻瓜。这才是明星真正的力量!"他欢呼道。"如果你愿意，可以杀我一千次，我会回来一千次，甚至更多!"他摸摸自己的胸口。"我要为我的灵魂找一个新的容器，杀死来世。还有下一个!"
“You idiot! What makes you think that the Eater will even need you after it’s restored?” I challenged, and his smirk disappeared. “That’s right. You’re worthless to the Eater once it’s back on its feet again!”
"你这个白痴！是什么让你认为食者在恢复之后还会需要你呢?"我提出质疑，他的傻笑消失了。"没错。一旦它重新站起来，你对它来说就一文不值了!"
“The Eater of Souls needs me!” he insisted, his flaring, flickering eyes narrowing.
"灵魂的食者需要我!"他一边坚持，一边眯起闪烁的眼睛。
“For what?” I asked, rubbing my face as I stood. “You’re nothing to the Eater. It doesn’t need you.”
"为什么?"我问道，站着的时候揉着脸。"对于食人者来说，你什么都不是。它不需要你。"
“It has always needed me!” he shouted at me.
"它一直需要我!"他冲我喊。
“Since when?” I laughed, scornfully.
"什么时候开始的?"我轻蔑地笑了。
“Always! I was the one who could hear its dying whispers! I was the only one who would listen to its call. It needed me to get my own wretched tribe to resurrect it! It needed me to use your people to raise it! It needs me now to forestall you just a few minutes more!”
""永远！只有我才能听到它垂死的低语！我是唯一一个愿意倾听它召唤的人。它需要我让我自己的部落复活它！它需要我用你们的人来养它！它现在需要我抢先你几分钟!"
Then we heard it. The scream of Enervation changed. Focused. For a moment, all around us, came a slightly different modulation of the noise. It could be summed up in three words.
然后我们听到了。衰弱的尖叫声改变了。专注。有那么一会儿，在我们周围，传来了一种略微不同的噪音调节。这可以用三个字来概括。
OH, DO I?
哦，是吗？
The Legate’s colors reverted back to white and red, and he stared at his hooves. His look of utter horror was absolute, and he gaped at me, his mouth moving silently. Finally, he rasped, “I... I am your ever-loyal servant! I would never presume...” He gagged, his jaw working. I just watched. “I... am... worthy! I–”
特使的颜色恢复到白色和红色，他盯着自己的蹄子。他一脸惊恐，目光呆滞地看着我，嘴巴默默地动着。最后，他粗声粗气地说:"我.....。.我是你永远忠诚的仆人！我永远不会假设......"他嘴里塞着东西，下巴还能动。我只是看着。"我.....。.我...值得！我..."
He hunched over as his body seemed to soften like hot wax. “No! Not like this!” He thrust a hoof towards the ceiling and screamed as his flesh ran in the heat of the Eater’s ire. “You owe me!” he screamed as his gut distended, then burst like a boil.
他弯腰驼背，身体像热蜡一样软化了。"不！不是这样的!"他把一只蹄子朝向天花板，当他的肉在食肉者的怒火中奔跑时，他尖叫起来。"你欠我的!"当他的肠子膨胀时，他尖叫起来，然后像疖子一样爆开了。
Then he melted, rejoining the gore in the pit.
然后他融化了，重新回到坑里的血块中。
The soul mote lingered a few seconds longer, snapping as if caught in a great wind, and then the sooty black spot winked out.
灵魂尘埃又逗留了几秒钟，像是被一阵大风吹着，然后那个乌黑的黑点就闪了。
I sank to my knees in the muck and looked over at my friends. Pythia stared at where the Legate had disappeared, then at her wrinkled, grubby starmap. “Oh! So that’s what it meant! Huh!” She folded up the paper. “Well, that made the whole trip worth it for me.”
我跪在淤泥里，望着我的朋友们。皮提亚盯着莱格特消失的地方，然后盯着她皱皱巴巴、肮脏不堪的星图。"哦！这就是它的意思！哈!"她把纸折起来。"嗯，这让我觉得整个旅行都是值得的。"
None of the rest of us shared her glee. Three more of my friends were dead, and the others weren’t much better. Psalm had recovered a little from her impact. Crumpets might not be dead, but she wasn’t far from it. Whisper was half-chewed and Dusk half-digested.
我们没有一个人和她一样高兴。我又有三个朋友死了，其他人也好不到哪里去。诗篇受到的冲击已有所恢复。松脆饼可能还没有死，但她离死也不远了。耳语被嚼了一半，《黄昏》被消化了一半。
“You’re thinking of sending us away while you go on alone,” the purple alicorn said serenely.
"你想把我们送走，自己一个人走,"紫色的海角平静地说。
“What? Fuck no!” Whisper said as she leapt to her hooves, then came crashing back down again. She glared over her shoulders at the tied-off stubs of her wings. “I hate gravity,” she muttered before she glared at me. “We came down here to see this through to the end.”
"什么？当然不是!"她一边说，一边跳上马蹄，然后又猛地摔了回来。她瞪着肩膀，看着被绑起来的翅膀残肢。"我讨厌地心引力,"她低声说，然后瞪着我。"我们来到这里，就是为了看到这一切结束。"
“And you have,” I told her, then turned to Psalm. “Can you take everypony to the Collegiate?” I looked at the bodies of Lancer, Aries, and Sweetie Bot. “All of them?”
"你做到了,"我告诉她，然后转向诗篇。"你能带每匹小马去大学吗?"我看了看枪骑兵、白羊座和甜心机器人的身体。"所有人?"
Psalm gave a smile. “I will manage. I may burn my horn out, but I will see it done.” She rose to her hooves and retrieved a canister from the storage locker. “Keep back. This ignition agent is dangerous,” she warned as she stepped way back. My PipBuck’s rad counter kicked up its staccato chatter as she cracked the case, bursting to a wild crescendo when she poured the glowing fluid inside all over herself. The clicking diminished a little as she shivered and groaned. “Oh yes... this should give me enough oomph to get out.” She regarded the canister. “I think this will be very popular with alicorns in the future.” She faced us. “We should go quickly, however. This radiation will not help the rest of you one bit.”
诗篇笑了。"我会想办法的。我也许会把我的号角烧尽，但我会看着它完成。"她站起身来，从储物柜里取出一个罐子。"退后。这种点火剂很危险,"她退后一步时警告说。我的PipBuck的红色计数器在她打开箱子时引起了断断续续的喋喋不休，当她把里面发光的液体全部倒在自己身上时，爆发出一种狂野的渐强音。她颤抖着呻吟着，滴答声减少了一点。"哦，是的......这应该能给我足够的动力离开这里。"她看了看那个罐子。"我认为这将在未来的橡子公司中非常受欢迎。"她面对着我们。"不过，我们应该赶快行动。这种辐射对其他人一点帮助都没有。"
Yeah... us going our separate ways... “Thanks for coming this far with me,” I told them all.
是的......我们分道扬镳......"谢谢你们陪我走了这么远,"我告诉他们所有人。
“Will you be all right?” she asked as I pulled what remained of the healing potions and shotgun ammo from the storage locker. I immediately slugged down some RadAway and passed some pouches to the others. There was also a small bag of gemstones. After getting Luna’s soul, I’d always been topped off, but still, couldn’t hurt to bring them along.
"你没事吧?"当我从储物柜里取出剩下的治疗药剂和散弹枪弹药时，她问道。我立刻喝了一些雷达威，然后把一些袋子递给其他人。还有一小袋宝石。在得到露娜的灵魂之后，我一直都很满足，但是，带上他们也无妨。
“Hey. Nothing to it. Go up, spank the Eater, save the world. It’ll be done in ten minutes, tops.” Or else we’d be done. Either way. I looked at the maimed, the burnt, and the crushed, and then to Pythia. “Coming?”
"嘿。没什么。上去，打那个食者，拯救世界。最多十分钟就能搞定。"否则我们就完了。不管怎样。我看了看残废的、烧焦的、粉碎的，然后又看了看Pythia。"来吗?"
The filly flushed. “There’s a difference between being in the front row and being on the field. I saw the traitor undone by his own words. Thanks, though.” She paused and screwed up her face. “I called in whatever favors I could. You’ve got a lot riding on this. Don’t screw it up.”
小母马脸红了。"坐在前排和在球场上是有区别的。我看到那个叛徒被他自己的话击垮了。不过还是谢谢你。"她停顿了一下，皱起了眉头。"我已经尽我所能了。你在这上面下了很大的功夫。别搞砸了。"
“What’s it going to cost me?” I asked.
"这要花我多少钱?"我问道。
“You? Personally?” Her face went slack, as if she couldn’t find the words. Then she gave a little half smile. “Don’t think about it. You’re good at that, right?” I kept my gaze on her and it slipped away as she continued, “The games and stakes stars play for... well... let’s just say all the higher powers interested have put their chips in the pot. Just need someone to deal the cards and see who hits, who stays, and who goes bust.” She peered at Crumpets. “And I think we’d all better get going.”
""你呢？就我个人而言?"她的脸变得呆滞，好像说不出话来。然后她微微一笑。"别想了。你很擅长这个，对吧?"我一直盯着她看，她接着说,"这些游戏和赌注明星为......嗯......这么说吧，所有感兴趣的高层都把筹码放在赌注里了。只是需要有人发牌，看看谁出牌，谁留下，谁破产。"她凝视着松脆饼。"我想我们最好都出发吧。"
“Yeah.” I paused, then pulled out Vigilance and turned to Psalm. “Hey. Make sure this gets to Grace. I dunno which of them is going to use it, but they should have it,” I said as I passed the weapon to her. “You know... just in case...”
"是的。"我停顿了一下，然后放下警惕，转向诗篇。"嘿。一定要把这个给格蕾丝。我不知道他们中的哪一个会使用它，但他们应该拥有它,"我边说边把武器递给她。"你知道......以防万一......"
“Oh, fuck that,” Whisper snapped. She trotted right up to me and brought her hoof across my muzzle. “None of that ‘giving your shit up before you die’ shit. You’re going to live, understand?” she demanded as she glared at me. “Rampage isn’t here to smack that shit out of you, so I’ll do it. And when you’re back, I’m going to kick your cybernetic ass to show everypony who’s the baddest momma in the Hoof. Got it?”
"哦，去他妈的,"Whisper厉声说。她小跑着来到我面前，用蹄子挡住了我的口鼻。"没有什么'死前交出你的东西'之类的屁话。你会活下去的，明白吗?"她瞪着我问道。"横冲直撞不是来揍你的，所以我来。当你回来的时候，我会踢你的控制论屁股，让每一匹小马看看谁是蹄子里最坏的妈妈。懂了吗?"
“Wait.” I gaped at her. “You’re pregnant?!” I never would have--
"等等。"我目瞪口呆地看着她。"你怀孕了?!"我永远不会
She stared at me flatly, then gave a strange noise, part contemptuous ‘tch’ and part teary sniff. “Just... fucking survive. Okay?” There were tears in her eyes, but
她直勾勾地盯着我，然后发出一种奇怪的声音，一半是轻蔑的"哼"，一半是含泪的嗅。"只要...他妈的活下去。好吗?"她的眼里含着泪水，但是
she quickly scrubbed them away with a hoof. “Ugh, that breath…” she muttered before turning away and addressing the others. “Let’s go. Blackjack can catch up later.”
她马上用蹄子把它们擦干净。"啊，那口气......"她喃喃自语，然后转身对其他人说。"我们走吧。黑杰克可以稍后追上。"
I walked a little ways from them. They stared at me and I at them, as none of us said the word. Psalm gave me a warm smile, her horn blazing brightly, and then disappeared. I stared at the space they’d occupied for a moment. “Goodbye,” I murmured. Then I flew into the middle of the chamber. I drew Folly, smiling.
我离他们不远。他们盯着我，我盯着他们，因为我们谁也没说那个词。诗篇给了我一个温暖的微笑，它的角发出明亮的光芒，然后消失了。我盯着他们占据的空间看了一会。"再见,"我低声说。然后我飞进了房间的中央。我微笑着画了《傻瓜》。
How funny; what I was planning to do was almost the definition of foolishness. If I’d known when I’d taken EC-1101 from my stable what I’d face, how much I’d lose, how steep the odds I’d have to beat were, I probably would have thrown the damn thing in the ocean and called it good. Maybe the world would have been better for it.
真有趣，我打算做的几乎就是愚蠢的定义。如果我知道我什么时候把EC-1101从我的马厩里拿出来，我会面对什么，我会损失多少，我必须战胜的几率有多大，我可能会把这该死的东西扔到海里，说它很好。也许这个世界会因此变得更好。
Raising the gun overhead, I aimed right at the center of all that compressed ruin that had been the Core. I narrowed my eye a little, slipped into S.A.T.S., and activated the weapon one last time.
我把枪举过头顶，瞄准了核心区被压缩的废墟的中心。我眯起眼睛，溜进sat考场，最后一次启动了武器。
The beam lanced up, and the ceiling shattered. Girders, pipes, wires, wagons, trains, and concrete came cascading down in a deluge of ruin, filling the pit beneath me with the corpse of the city. Folly had cleared a path through the falling remains, though, and as they fell around me, none fell on me. I floated there in a void, the edges of the cavern invisible in dust, darkness, and rubble, green light surrounding me in a column descending from a hole like a great baleful eye. The junk overhead had resettled, but there was a way clear. It was just going to be a bit of a climb.
横梁划破了，天花板碎了。大梁、管道、电线、马车、火车和混凝土像洪水一样倾泻而下，城市的尸体填满了我脚下的坑。然而，愚蠢的行为在倒下的残骸中开辟了一条道路，当它们落在我周围时，没有一个落在我身上。我在一片空白中漂浮着，洞穴的边缘在尘土、黑暗和瓦砾中看不见，绿色的光环绕着我，像一只巨大的邪恶的眼睛，从一个洞里向下伸出。头顶上的垃圾已经重新安置好了，但还有一条出路。这只是一个小小的攀登。
“So. This is it?” rasped a voice in my ear as I reached the hole. I started squeezing my way quickly but carefully through the packed mess as it shifted around me.
"所以。就这样吗?"当我走到洞口时，一个声音刺耳地在我耳边响起。我开始迅速挤出一条路，但小心翼翼地穿过那堆乱七八糟的东西，因为它在我周围移动。
“Looks like it,” I said, and glanced at the bony skeleton in the duster and cowpony hat. “I thought you’d died on the moon.” I teleported through a gap that was closing ahead of me. Of course, the Dealer kept right along with me, shuffling cards between his dusty hooves.
"看起来是的,"我说着，瞥了一眼披着灰尘戴着牛仔帽的瘦骨嶙峋的躯体。"我还以为你死在月球上了呢。"我通过一个正在缩小的差距传送过来。当然,"庄家"一直跟着我，用他满是灰尘的蹄子洗牌。
“I was always more than just him. Besides, I know you wouldn’t want to make this trip without an escort. Nopony should die alone,” he said as I climbed.
"我不仅仅是他。另外，我知道你不想在没有人陪同的情况下去旅行。"小马不应该孤独地死去。"我爬上去的时候他说。
“Well, forgive me if I’m not in the mood to chat,” I said as used the starmetal
"好吧，如果我没有聊天的心情，请原谅我,"我用星铁说
sword to cut a gap I could fit through. I didn’t want to wear out my horn before I got up there. “I don’t know what we’d talk about, anyway.”
用剑来开一个我可以穿过的缺口。我不想在上去之前把喇叭磨坏了。"反正我也不知道我们会谈些什么。"
“How about...” He drew a pair of cards and held them up for me to see: the ace and queen of spades. “How about you tell me about how you got your cutie mark?”
"怎么样......"他抽出一对牌，举起来让我看:黑桃a和黑桃q。"不如你告诉我你是怎么得到这个可爱的分数的?"
I stopped, giving him a skeptical glower. “My cutie mark?”
我停了下来，对他怒目而视，表示怀疑。"我可爱的标记?"
“Everypony has a cutie mark story. What’s yours?” he asked.
"每匹小马都有一个可爱的马克故事。你的是什么?"他问道。
I shoved a piece of steel. “I got it playing cards–” Suddenly, something gave, there was a bang, the piece of steel I’d shoved wrinkled like a wet noodle, and the cavity I was in halved in size. I stared around, wondering what would give first as I tried to find a gap big enough to fit through. “Why do you care, anyway? You’re just a hallucination. Proof I really am crazy.”
我猛推了一块钢铁。"我是打扑克牌得到的——"突然，有东西掉了下来，砰的一声，我推的那块钢铁像湿面条一样皱巴巴的，我身上的洞也被切成了两半。我环顾四周，想知道什么会先给我，因为我试图找到一个足够大的差距，以适应通过。"不管怎么说，你为什么要关心这个？你只是一个幻觉。证明我真的疯了。"
“Or proof that, even toting that goddess around, you’re still Blackjack,” the Dealer retorted. “Come on. Tell me. Who else are you going to confess your sins to before you die?”
"或者证明，即使带着那个女神到处走，你仍然是黑杰克,"庄家反驳道。"来吧。告诉我。在你死之前，你还能向谁忏悔你的罪行呢?"
It was stupid. I should have been focusing on the task ahead, not the past behind. There was so much blood on that path. A river of blood. Yet I found myself speaking, despite everything. “It was the first card game I was ever invited to. With Mom’s job, nopony wanted me around when rules were broken.” I spotted a gap to the side and shimmied that way, finding a spot where I could climb up a dozen more yards. The Dealer kept up with me, leaning in a nook in the wreckage.
这太愚蠢了。我应该专注于前面的任务，而不是过去的事情。那条小路上血流成河。血流成河。然而，尽管发生了这一切，我还是发现自己在说话。"这是我第一次受邀参加纸牌游戏。因为妈妈的工作，当规矩被打破的时候，没有小马希望我在她身边。"我发现旁边有一个缺口，然后沿着那个方向摇摆，找到了一个我可以再爬上十几码的地方。"商人"一直跟着我，斜靠在废墟的一个角落里。
“So what’s the big deal about a game?” he asked as his bony hooves shuffled the cards.
"那么，一场比赛有什么大不了的?"他边问边用瘦骨嶙峋的蹄子洗牌。
“I sucked at it, is what. I didn’t know how to bluff, or count cards, or anything,” I said as I found my way barred by a skinny beam that might, or might not, have been load-bearing. I couldn’t get a good look in the space beyond for a teleport, so I braced my hindlegs and shoved slowly, but firmly, my body straining, the injuries I’d taken earlier burning. “I won a round and got my cutie mark. End of story.” I finally made a gap I could get through, spotting a half dozen silver wires tautly strung in the space above. Good thing I hadn’t teleported. I used a bit of moonstone dust to vaporize them. “Even Cognitum said so. Victory was my
"我不擅长这个，就是这样。我不知道怎样虚张声势，也不知道怎样算牌，什么都不知道。"我一边说着，一边被一根细细的横梁挡住了去路，这根横梁可能是承重的，也可能不是。我无法仔细观察外面的空间，无法进行传送，所以我绷紧后腿，慢慢地但是坚定地推了推，我的身体绷紧了，我之前被灼伤的伤口。"我赢了一局，得到了我可爱的分数。故事结束。"我终于找到了一个可以穿过的缝隙，发现上面的空间里有六根银丝绷得紧紧的。还好我没有心灵传输。我用了一点月光石粉来蒸发它们。""连科涅塔姆也这么说。胜利是我的
special talent.”
特殊才能"
“Mmmm… I don’t think so,” he said as he turned a card, showing me the nightmare version of myself. “After all, she didn’t win where it really counted. She’d planned on ruling afterwards. Dying kind of negates all that.” He put the card back in the deck. “That mark’s seen just as much defeat as victory... luck of the draw, which comes out on top. Ah, but death now... that’s been a bit more consistent around it, hasn’t it?”
"嗯......我不这么认为,"他一边说，一边翻着一张卡片，给我看噩梦中的自己。"毕竟，她并没有在真正重要的地方获胜。她本来打算后来裁决的。死亡有点否定了这一切。"他把牌放回牌堆里。"这个记号看起来就像是失败和胜利一样......幸运的抽签结果出来了。啊，但是现在死亡......围绕着死亡更加一致了，不是吗?"
I froze, remembering that stupid card game with ponies I’d wanted as my friends. Maybe Marmalade could have been... or Daisy... if I’d just... done... something. “It was an accident.”
我愣住了，想起那个愚蠢的纸牌游戏，和我想要的小马作为我的朋友。也许Marmalade可以...或者Daisy...如果我...做了...什么的话。"这是个意外。"
“Of course. Accidental deaths at card games. Happens all the time.”
"当然。纸牌游戏中的意外死亡。这种事经常发生。"
“She got up to go pee and got crunched. End of story!” I shouted at him, then pointed a hoof up at where the Eater was waiting for me. “I don’t have time for this now!”
"她起身去上厕所，结果被压扁了。故事结束!"我向他喊叫，然后用蹄子指着那个正在等我的食人兽。"我现在没有时间做这个!"
“Right. You’ve got a debt to pay,” he said, chuckling. “Still, no time like the present. How’d you get your cutie mark? How’d you really get it?”
"对。你还有债要还呢,"他笑着说。""不过，现在是最好的时机。你是怎么得到这个可爱的印记的？你到底是怎么得到它的?"
I paused, pressing my head against the wall. It’d been an accident.
我停顿了一下，把头靠在墙上。那是个意外。
“Do you know what the cards on your flank really mean?” the Dealer asked as he held up an ace in one hoof and a queen of spades in the other.
"你知道你侧翼的牌到底意味着什么吗?"庄家边问边一只蹄子举起一张a，另一只蹄子举起一张黑桃q。
“They’re just stupid cards.”
"它们只是些愚蠢的卡片。"
“Right. And that’s just a stupid cutie mark,” he responded with a laugh. “Ace of swords. Power. Focus. Determination. Victory. I did this once for you before, if you recall.” He turned it upside down. “Confusion. Chaos. Lack of clarity. Sounds like both sides of your life.”
"对。而那只是一个愚蠢的可爱的标记,"他笑着回答。"剑王"。力量。专注。决心。胜利。如果你还记得的话，我以前为你做过一次。"他把它倒过来。"困惑。混乱。缺乏清晰度。听起来像是你生活的两面。"
My jaw worked as I stared at the card, then at the queen of spades, depicting Luna in profile with a sword. “And that one?”
当我盯着这张卡片的时候，我的下巴绷得紧紧的，然后又盯着黑桃皇后，用一把剑描绘出卢娜的侧面。"那这个呢?"
“Queen of swords. Quick thinker, decisive... executioner.” He practically purred the word. “And while you might not have deliberately chopped off the heads of your prisoners, you really never took that many prisoners to begin with. You are
"剑女王。思维敏捷果断的刽子手。"他实际上是在咕噜咕噜地说这个词。"虽然你可能没有故意砍掉犯人的头，但你真的从来就没有抓过那么多犯人。你就是
frightfully good at killing.” He turned the card upside down. “Overly emotional, vindictive, morose... and bitchy.” He scratched his bony chin. “How many enemies have you had who haven’t died horrible deaths?”
非常擅长杀人"他把卡片倒过来。"过度情绪化、报复心强、郁郁寡欢......还有恶毒。"他挠了挠瘦骨嶙峋的下巴。"你有多少没有死得很惨的敌人?"
“It was just a card game. Just an accident...” I whimpered, clenching my eyes shut. Don’t think about it. She’d gotten up to go pee. Simple as that.
"那只是一场纸牌游戏。只是个意外......"我呜咽着，紧闭着眼睛。别想了。她起来上厕所。就这么简单。
“Of course. She goes to pee and gets crushed. Happens all the time.” I stared at him, mentally begging him to stop. “Woe to those poor fools who saw your flank and thought it was nothing more than playing cards. Even Cognitum’s assumption it was victory was dreadfully naïve. If anypony with a bit of sense had seen your flank, they would have run the other way and never stopped.” He paused as I swallowed, and then returned to his refrain, “How’d you get your cutie mark, Blackjack?”
"当然。她去上厕所，结果被压扁了。这种事经常发生。"我盯着他，在心里乞求他停下来。"那些可怜的傻瓜看到你的侧翼，认为那只不过是玩牌而已，他们有祸了。甚至认为这是胜利的想法也太幼稚了。如果任何一匹有点理智的马看到了你的侧翼，它们就会朝另一个方向跑，永远不会停下来。"我咽了口唾沫，他停顿了一下，然后又重复他的话:"你是怎么得到你的可爱标记的，黑杰克?"
What did it matter? He wasn’t real. I tuned him out, or tried to, as I struggled to climb. The shaft I’d blasted with Folly groaned and twisted around me, but every time I turned around, there was the Dealer. Shuffling cards. Smiling. Waiting for the answer. I reached for a beam, and when it pulled free, I was so preoccupied that I fell a dozen feet and got peppered by metal and debris. He leaned over me. “How’d you get your mark?” he repeated.
这有什么关系？他不是真的。我费了好大劲才爬上去，所以没理他，或者说试着不理他。我被愚蠢搞得焦头烂额，它在我周围呻吟着扭曲着，但每次我一转身，就看到了"庄家"。洗牌。微笑。等待答案。我伸手去够一根横梁，当它松开的时候，我心事重重地从十几英尺高的地方摔了下来，身上布满了金属和碎片。他俯身向我。"你是怎么得分的?"他重复道。
I groaned, pushing myself to my hooves. What would it hurt to tell him? “It was Hatches. I don’t remember what her real name was. We just called her Hatches.” I closed my eyes. “First one to leave always gets picked up by security. The others had won, and it was either going to be me or her leaving first. Getting picked up after curfew was three days locked in rehabilitation cells, or flogging. So Hatches and I had one more round to see who’d leave first. I lost.”
我呻吟着，使劲蹬着蹄子。告诉他又有什么关系呢？"是哈奇斯。我不记得她的真名是什么了。我们只是叫她Hatches。"我闭上了眼睛。"第一个离开的人总会被保安接走。其他人赢了，要么是我，要么是她先走。宵禁后被抓起来的人被关在改造牢房里三天，或者被鞭打。所以哈奇斯和我还有一轮，看看谁先离开。我输了。"
“Oh?”
"哦?"
“Yeah. Then I was such a whiny baby about it that she agreed to leave first anyway. Nice about it, though. Claimed she had to pee,” I muttered with a wistful smile that soon withered. “But the door’s sensor had malfunctioned. She walked through, and it closed on her. Killed her… but I didn’t get in trouble or have to tattle on the others at the game,” I said lowly.
"是的。然后我就像个爱发牢骚的婴儿一样，她还是同意先离开了。不过还是挺不错的。声称她要去小便,"我含情脉脉地微笑着说，但很快就消失了。"但是门上的传感器出了故障。她走了过去，它紧紧地包围了她。杀了她......但我没有惹上麻烦，也没有在比赛中告发其他人,"我谦卑地说。
“So you won,” the Dealer chuckled. “And all it cost you was a life.”
"这么说你赢了,"商人咯咯地笑着说。"你所付出的代价就是一条生命。"
“I didn’t kill Hatches,” I muttered. “I didn’t want her dead. She was nice to me.
"我没有杀哈奇斯,"我喃喃自语道。"我不想让她死。她对我很好。
Closest thing I had to a friend!” I insisted as I resumed my ascent. I didn’t have time for this shit. “Go away. I’ve got a job to do.”
我最亲近的朋友!"我坚持要继续往上爬。我没时间跟你废话。"走开。我还有工作要做。"
Once again, he was in my path. “I’m sure.” He was silent for a second, empty sockets almost pitying, then asked as calm and cool as poison, “What was her real name, Fishie?”
他又一次挡住了我的去路。"我确定。"他沉默了一会儿，眼眶空空，几乎是怜悯，然后像毒药一样平静而冷静地问道:"她的真名是什么，菲菲?"
I quivered, hot tears on my cheeks. “I didn’t kill her,” I repeated, the words sounding like a prayer.
我颤抖着，脸颊上热泪盈眶。"我没有杀她,"我重复着，这话听起来像是在祈祷。
“Right. But people who help you do have a nasty tendency to turn up dead,” he said with a chuckle. “Always somepony there to take the bullet. To die in your stead.”
"对。但是那些帮助你的人确实有可怕的死亡倾向,"他笑着说。"总有人在那里挡子弹。代替你去死。"
“I never wanted that!” I shouted back at him. “I tried to save people!” Again my grip slipped, and I fell, spreading my wings to catch myself, and got pelted by rubble. I coughed and wiped gritty muck from my eyes. Was that sky up there? I was so close...
"我从来不想那样!"我也对他大喊大叫。"我试图拯救人们!"我的手又滑了一下，我摔倒了，张开翅膀想抓住自己，结果被碎石砸到了。我咳嗽了一下，擦去眼睛里的沙子。那上面是天空吗？我差点就成功了。
The sardonic smirk was all the reply he needed, but he went on, relentlessly, “Sure. You didn’t even want to kill your enemies. You just turned them into friends.” His grin widened. “How’d that work out for them, again?”
他只需要冷笑一下就可以了，但他还是无情地继续说:"当然可以。你甚至不想杀死你的敌人。你只是把他们变成了朋友。"他咧开嘴笑了。"再问一次，他们的结果如何?"
I quivered as I stared at the death awaiting me above. “Nopony should have died for me...” I whispered.
当我凝视着上面等待我的死亡时，我颤抖着。"小马应该为我而死......"我低声说。
“Why? You were always ready to die for them. They were just better at it than you were.” He made a show of inspecting my body. “And when you didn’t have anypony to do that, well... look at what a pound of flesh can buy.”
"为什么？你随时准备为他们而死。他们只是比你更擅长而已。"他装模作样地检查我的身体。"当你没有小马来做这件事的时候，那么......看看一磅肉可以买到什么。"
Finally, I balked and paused my ascent, staring at him as pebbles and scree rained down into my mane. He stared back, confident and smug as a skull could be. “Who are you? You’re not my crazy... and I don’t think you’re the Eater, either...”
最后，我停下脚步，暂停了上坡的步伐，眼睛盯着它，就像鹅卵石和碎石雨点般落进我的鬃毛里。他目不转睛地看着我，自信而沾沾自喜，就像个骷髅一样。"你是谁？你不是我的疯子......我也不认为你是食人者......"
“No? Well, who can tell for sure?” The Dealer took his hat off. “If I were anything... and I’m not saying I am... I’d call me the Wasteland.” And he gave me a little bow.
""不是吗？那么，谁能肯定呢?"商人脱下了帽子。"如果我是任何东西......我不是说我是......我会称我为荒原。"他向我鞠了一躬。
“The Wasteland?” I echoed as I stared at him.
《荒原》我盯着他，回声不断。
“The desolation. The loss. The pain and sacrifice. I take you... all of you... and I make your lives living, bloody hell. I twist you. I tear you. I see what you’re all made of. How far you can go. Where, exactly, you break.” He showed cards of me after the Seahorse. Of me outside Maripony right before the bomb went off. Of Shadowbolt Tower dying. “And you... Blackjack... you’re a pony who should have fallen a hundred times over. I try, and I try, and I try... but I can’t quite get you.”
"荒凉。损失。痛苦和牺牲。我带你们......你们所有人......我让你们活在血腥的地狱里。我扭曲你。我要撕碎你。我知道你们是什么样的人。你能走多远。确切地说，你是在哪里崩溃的。"他给我看了海马号之后的照片。就在炸弹爆炸前我在Maripony外面的照片。暗影螺栓塔的死亡。"而你......黑杰克......你是一匹应该倒下一百次的小马。我努力了，我努力了，我努力了......但我还是不能理解你。"
“I don’t die easily,” I retorted, eyes narrowing.
"我不是那么容易死的,"我反驳道，眼睛眯起来。
“I don’t have to kill you to get you,” he said with a laugh. “I get everyone sooner or later, though. Everyone. You think I’m some desolate landscape? I’m everywhere. In Elysium and Flank. In the skies of the Enclave and the depths of your stable. Everywhere there’s contempt, ambition, avarice, and callousness. I was here before the war, and I’ll be here no matter what ‘civilization’ pops up, because murder and corruption, hatred and intolerance... those never change.” He pressed a bony hoof to his chest. “And for some reason, people love me.”
"我不必为了得到你而杀了你,"他笑着说。"不过，我迟早会抓到每一个人。每个人。你以为我是什么荒凉的风景吗？我无处不在。在极乐世界和弗兰克。在昂科雷的天空和你的马厩的深处。到处都充斥着蔑视、野心、贪婪和麻木不仁。战争爆发前我就在这里，无论出现什么'文明'，我都会在这里，因为谋杀、腐败、仇恨和不宽容......这些永远不会改变。"他把瘦骨嶙峋的蹄子压在胸前。"出于某种原因，人们喜欢我。"
“I don’t,” I hissed.
"我不知道,"我嘶嘶地说。
“But of course you do!” He laughed. “Weren’t you always hating yourself for being a screwup? You’re now the most dangerously competent pony in the Wasteland. Weren’t you always hating your tiny little horn and lack of magic? Well, you’re descended from Twilight Sparkle now! Weren’t you pining for friends and lovers? I’ve given you more than a few!” He cackled. “I am so generous, like you. I give people what they crave! What they yearn for more than anything!” He swept his hoof towards the ceiling above me. “And now, I give you what you desire most... a heroic death.” He leered at me. “Make it a good one. You’ve none left to die for you.”
"但你当然知道!"他笑了。"你不是一直因为自己搞砸了而恨自己吗？你现在是荒原上最危险的小马。你不是一直讨厌你的小角和缺乏魔法吗？好吧，你现在是紫悦的后代了！难道你不渴望朋友和爱人吗？我已经给了你很多了!"他咯咯笑了起来。"我是如此慷慨，像你一样。我给人们他们渴望的东西！他们最渴望的是什么!"他用蹄子朝我头上的天花板扫去。"现在，我给你你最想要的...英勇的死亡。"他斜眼看着我。"做得好一点。你已经没有可以为你而死的人了。"
Then he evaporated with a last laugh.
然后他笑到最后，人间蒸发了。
I hadn’t killed Hatches, but there was no doubt I had benefitted from her death... from so many deaths... The spring from which the river of blood flowed. “One last round, then time to cash out and pay my debts,” I croaked, then whispered, “Ante up.”
我没有杀死哈奇斯，但毫无疑问，我从她的死亡中获益......从那么多的死亡中......那条血流成河的泉水。"最后一轮，然后是时候兑现和支付我的债务,"我低声说，然后小声说,"下注吧。"
I pulled myself through the last few dozen feet.
我挺过了最后几十英尺。
The hole opened up in the very bottom of the Eater’s nest. The concave structure
这个洞在食者巢穴的最底部打开了。凹形结构
made of the dozens of skyscrapers spread away from me in every direction, the broken tips pointing up towards the skies. Six walls of magic surrounded the nest, radiating up towards the heavens. The storm whirled around me silently, discharging bolts of lightning into the sheets of magic and making them flare brilliantly. Power cables and pipes lay strewn every which way, the former snapping and smoking as they routed power from who knew where to the F.A.D.E. shields while the latter oozed red flesh. Unlike the nightmares I’d faced below, this meaty sludge seemed content to just trickle like runny magma, oozing this way and that to form strange fleshy objects. Gruesome as they were, they appeared to be benign; nevertheless, I kept my distance.
由数十座摩天大楼组成，从四面八方伸展开来，破碎的尖端指向天空。六堵魔法墙围绕着鸟巢，向上辐射着天空。暴风雨在我周围悄无声息地旋转着，把一道道闪电投射进魔法般的大片，使它们闪耀着耀眼的光芒。电线和水管到处都是，前者断断续续地冒着烟，因为他们把电源从知道联邦航空管理局防护罩在哪里的人那里输送过来，而后者则渗出红色的血肉。不像下面我所面对的噩梦，这些肉质的淤泥似乎满足于像流动的岩浆一样滴下来，以这样或那样的方式渗出，形成奇怪的肉质物体。它们虽然令人毛骨悚然，但看起来似乎是良性的;不过，我还是保持着距离。
And in the middle: the Eater, sitting on its bed of silver wire. Directly above glowed the moon, and shining brilliantly bright... Tom. A luminous swarm of souls swirled in a hollow column in the middle of the ring. Thousands of souls. Millions. And more were being added as I watched, glowing trickles flowing into the mass.
在中间:食人者，坐在它的银线床上。月亮正上方发着光，明亮耀眼......汤姆。一群发光的灵魂盘旋在戒指中间的空心圆柱中。成千上万的灵魂。数百万。在我观察的时候，还有更多的东西被添加进来，发光的细流流进了物体中。
I spread my wings and flew around it, readying on my left the shotgun that held the moonstone rounds and on my right the riot shotgun, both now sporting glossy black finishes decorated with stars and moons. Up close, the Eater’s two rows of silver spines no longer appeared uniform and unblemished. The central ring of the Tokomare was wrapped in rusty steel scaffolding and supports, and numerous beams and braces spanned the individual spines. The seemingly smooth surface was rough and mottled up close, with holes chewed clear through revealing green gemstones and lines of eldritch power that beat like a heart. Countless mechasprites, emerging from swollen hives of starmetal and tumorous flesh, were at work moving wires and cables around, chewing up deformed blobs of starmetal, and vomiting it forth to smooth out the spines they buzzed around.
我展开翅膀，绕着它飞，准备在我左边的猎枪举行的月光石圆圈和在我的右边的防暴猎枪，现在两个炫耀光滑的黑色完成装饰与星星和月亮。靠近一点，食者的两排银刺看起来不再是一模一样，毫无瑕疵。托克马雷的中心环被生锈的钢制脚手架和支撑物包裹着，许多横梁和支撑跨越了各自的脊柱。表面看起来很光滑，但近看却是粗糙而杂乱的，通过咀嚼可以清楚地看到绿色的宝石和像心脏一样跳动的可怕力量的线条。不计其数的机械陨石，从膨胀的星状金属和肿胀的肉体蜂巢中冒出来，在工作中移动着电线和电缆，咀嚼着变形的星状金属，吐出来以平滑它们周围的刺。
I landed on a spine and felt my insides lurch. Though gravity still pulled me down, it felt as if an inexplicable force were tugging me sideways as well. I trotted along the immense ring, the swarms paying me no mind. Perhaps the Eater was unaware of me at this point, or simply saw me as another soul drawn to it.
我落在一根脊柱上，感觉到我的内脏在剧烈摇晃。虽然地心引力还在把我往下拉，但我感觉好像有一种无法解释的力量也在把我拉向一边。我沿着巨大的圆环小跑，蜂拥而至的人群没有理睬我。也许这时食人者并没有意识到我的存在，或者只是把我当作另一个灵魂吸引过来。
That isn’t going to last long, I thought as I remembered Glory’s plan and sought out a larger section of the structure, where the ring was thicker and the spines a little thinner. Here was where one of the inner F.A.D.E. shield generators was
这不会持续很长时间，我想我记得晨辉的计划，并找到了结构的一个更大的部分，在那里的环较厚，刺较薄。这里有一个内部的f.a.d.e防护罩发生器
supposed to be housed in a starmetal box. The inner shields were inactive, but that wouldn’t last long either. I quickly spotted the box and wiped off the grime that covered it. ‘F.A.D.E. I-1’ was still legible under the dirt and gore. I backed away, readied the shotgun... and then spotted the terminal.
应该装在星际金属盒子里。内层防护罩处于非活动状态，但也不会持续很长时间。我很快发现了箱子，并擦掉了上面的污垢。"F.A.D.E.I-1"在泥土和血迹下面依然清晰可辨。我向后退了退，准备好了猎枪......然后发现了终端。
It was still active, despite evidently having been submerged. Probably the finest design Stable-Tec had to offer. I walked to it and cleared away the filth. The screen flickered a bit, but it worked. It showed an image of the Tokomare and scrolling data. ‘Simulation’ flashed in the corner, and I watched as Tom descended and was captured. As he was consumed, the Tokomare grew and merged with the surrounding nest. Then new towers sprang up around it, and a dome formed over the machine. More towers grew out radially, not just replacing the Core but crossing the river and growing across the land like a giant crystal. It was all very symmetrical and neat. There were parks marked on the display. Schools. Commercial centers.
尽管显然已经被淹没，但它仍然在活动。可能是Stable-Tec提供的最好的设计。我走到那里，清除了那些污秽。屏幕闪烁了一下，但还是起作用了。它显示了一张Tokomare的图片和滚动数据。"模拟"在角落里闪过，我看着汤姆下来被抓住了。随着它的消耗，Tokomare逐渐成长并融入了周围的巢穴。然后，新的塔楼在它周围拔地而起，一个圆顶形成了机器。越来越多的塔呈辐射状生长，不仅取代了核心，而且穿过河流，像一块巨大的水晶一样在陆地上生长。这一切都非常对称和整洁。展览上有许多公园。学校。商业中心。
Down at the bottom flashed a notice. ‘Pending EC-1101 Clearance’.
底下闪过一个通知。"等待EC-1101批准"。
I flipped open my PipBuck and loaded the program. Tame the Tokomare, or destroy the Eater of Souls? Restore civilization with the push of a button, helping so many ponies who had suffered from my actions, or destroy a parasite consuming the life of the planet itself? With the push of a button, I could make it all better. Security saves ponies. Princesses protect their subjects...
我弹开我的PipBuck并加载程序。驯服德国佬，还是消灭灵魂食客？通过按下一个按钮来恢复文明，帮助那么多因我的行为而受苦的小马驹，或者摧毁一个消耗地球自身生命的寄生虫？只要按下一个按钮，我就能让一切变得更好。安全保障拯救小马。公主们保护她们的臣民..。
I stared at EC-1101. It would be so easy. So simple...
我盯着EC-1101。这很简单。这么简单..。
And I had never taken the easy road. Ever.
我从来没有选择过简单的道路。永远不会。
I pointed the moonstone shotgun at the casing and pulled the trigger.
我把月光石霰弹枪对准弹壳，扣动了扳机。
The lead slug struck the starmetal casing and flattened against it, spreading out. In the center of the blob of metal, a small rock of moonstone flared brighter and brighter, and I jumped behind a spine as it exploded. The moonstone was hardly done, though. There was another loud pop. Then another, as it landed, reacted, and was launched aloft again. The reaction had taken out half the casing, leaving the F.A.D.E. talisman dangling from a dozen or so wires, a large crack running through the diamond in the center. I didn’t leave fate to chance: I pulled the trigger again.
铅弹击中了星形金属外壳，使其变平，向外扩散。在一团金属的中间，一块小小的月亮石向外展开，越来越亮，我跳到一根脊柱后面，看着它爆炸。然而，月光石几乎没有做好。又是一声巨响。接着，另一架飞机在着陆时做出反应，再次被抛到空中。反应已经取出了一半的外壳，留下了f.a.d.e.护身符悬挂在十几根电线上，一条巨大的裂缝穿过中间的钻石。我没有听天由命:我再次扣动了扳机。
The gem exploded in a glare of blinding white.
宝石在耀眼的白光中爆炸了。
* * *
* * *
I blinked rapidly as my vision returned, voices coming from far away. “Are you alright, Blackjack?” a mare asked as I felt myself in a familiar bed. I quickly took stock of her, an earth pony mare, gray with a grayish-green mane, in Stable 99 barding. As I stared at her, she immediately smiled. “Oh, you are awake. I was so worried after that terminal overloaded. I can’t believe I was so careless.” I continued to stare, and she frowned. “Blackjack? Are you okay?”
我迅速眨了眨眼，视线又回来了，远处传来声音。"你没事吧，黑杰克?"我感到自己躺在一张熟悉的床上，一匹母马问道。我很快就注意到了她，一匹地球上的小马驹，灰色的鬃毛是灰绿色的，住在马厩99号。当我盯着她的时候，她立刻笑了。"哦，你醒了。那个终端超负荷之后我很担心。真不敢相信我竟然这么粗心。"我继续盯着她，她皱起了眉头。"黑杰克？你还好吗?"
“Duct Tape?” I asked thickly, sitting up in my bed, in my dirty, messy room. And she wasn’t alone, either. Scotch Tape stood behind her, watching me shyly. “Scotch?”
"胶带?"我坐在我的床上，在我那又脏又乱的房间里，厚厚地问道。她也不是一个人。透明胶带站在她身后，害羞地看着我。"苏格兰威士忌?"
“Scotch Tape,” Duct Tape corrected, flushing a little. “Honestly, ponies are going to think I’m an alcoholic...” She shook her head, then recomposed herself. “She wanted to thank you as well.”
"透明胶带,"管道胶带纠正，冲洗了一下。"老实说，小马会认为我是个酒鬼......"她摇了摇头，然后重新镇定下来。"她也想谢谢你。"
“Thank you, Miss Blackjack. For saving my mom, I mean,” Scotch said, brushing her mane out of her teal eyes.
"谢谢你，Blackjack小姐。我的意思是，谢谢你救了我妈妈。"苏格兰人说着，拂去她蓝绿色的眼睛上的鬃毛。
I almost jumped out of bed. My legs were my legs. My horn... my horn. The pair backed away as I gaped at my own reflection. With the exception of nasty bedmane, I looked... like I should. “What happened?” I asked the others. “I was shocked?”
我差点从床上跳起来。我的腿就是我的腿。我的号角...我的号角。当我目瞪口呆地看着自己的倒影时，那两个人往后退了退。除了讨厌的bedmane，我看起来......像我应该。"发生了什么事?"我问其他人。"我很震惊?"
“Badly. You’ve been out for months,” Duct Tape explained. “When you showed signs of waking up, they moved you here.” I pushed past the pair of them into the hall. It was my stable. It looked the same. Smelled the same. “Blackjack?” Duct Tape asked in concern.
"非常糟糕。你已经出狱好几个月了,"胶带解释说。"当你有醒来的迹象时，他们就把你转移到这里。"我从他们两人身边挤过，走进大厅。那是我的马厩。看起来还是老样子。闻起来也一样。"黑杰克?"布基胶带关切地问道。
“Where’s Mom?” I asked tensely as I levitated over my baton.
"妈妈在哪儿?"当我悬浮在指挥棒上时，我紧张地问道。
“In security–” she said, but I was already trotting. Running, actually, and not to security. This wasn’t possible... but if it were... if it were... I raced through the halls.
"在安全方面——"她说，但我已经在小跑了。实际上是在运行，而不是安全。这是不可能的......但是如果是......如果是的话......我跑过大厅。
And a pair of hoofcuffs appeared around my forelegs. I tripped and went sprawling across the floor, rolling in the direction of the fall to raise myself to my hooves. “Hey, nice recovery,” Daisy said with a grin, Marmalade smiling behind her. “Guess being out for three months helped you keep on your hooves.”
一双马蹄铐出现在我的前腿上。我绊了一下，四肢伸展地在地板上，顺着摔倒的方向滚动起来，抬起我的蹄子。"嘿，恢复得不错,"黛西笑着说，玛玛拉德在她身后微笑着。"看来出狱三个月能让你保持健康。"
I didn’t hesitate this time. My magic picked the simple lock to the cuffs, and I pulled them off. “Don’t try and stop me,” I told them, and Daisy’s grin became a confused frown as I pointed the baton at her. “Where’s P-21?” I demanded.
这次我没有犹豫。我用魔法撬开了手铐的锁，然后我把它们解开了。"不要试图阻止我,"我告诉他们。当我把指挥棒指向黛西时，她的笑容变成了困惑的皱眉。"P-21在哪里?"我问道。
“P... wha?” Daisy asked, clearly baffled. I turned my back on her and continued. If this really was Stable 99, then there were going to be two changes, right now. I ran right up to medical, the pair following me and shouting my name. I stormed into the medical office, ready to kick flank and beat in skulls.
"p..什么黛西问道，显然很困惑。我背对着她，继续说下去。如果这真的是Stable99，那么现在会有两个变化。我径直跑向医务室，那两个人跟在我后面喊着我的名字。我冲进医务室，准备踢侧翼，打爆他们的头。
“Blackjack! You’re awake!” Doctor Syringe said brightly, smiling in clear welcome. Only one thing kept me from bashing the unicorn’s blue face in.
"黑杰克！你醒了!"博士说，明确的欢迎微笑。只有一件事让我没有撞到独角兽的蓝脸。
The earth pony stallion in stable barding next to her. He was just as blue as her, his mane thick and shaggy, his eyes deep but untroubled. “I can come back later,” P-21 said evenly to the doctor, looking back at the dots and male mark on his flank. “I’ve lived with it for my whole life. I can wait a little longer.”
那匹大地上的种马在她旁边马厩里驯服。他和她一样蓝，他的鬃毛浓密而蓬乱，他的眼睛深邃而无忧无虑。"我可以以后再来,"P-21平静地对医生说，同时回头看着身体侧面的圆点和男性标记。"我一辈子都与之为伴。我可以再等一会儿。"
She immediately flushed. “I’m sorry you had to wait at all. Now that we’ve got a sane Overmare, hopefully things can get better.”
她马上满脸通红。"很抱歉让你等了这么久。现在我们有了一个正常的梦魇，希望一切都会好起来。"
“Sane... Overmare?” I asked weakly.
"正常的......噩梦?"我虚弱地问道。
“Oh, right. You missed a lot,” Syringe said with a frown. “That little monster who used to be in charge is currently locked up till we can figure out how to deal with her. Your mom’s the interim Overmare,” she said, then regarded P-21 as she continued over my stunned bafflement, “One of the first things she did was audit the breeding program and institute reforms.” She hung her head. “There’s no way to make up for what we did...”
"哦，对了。你错过了很多,"注射器皱着眉头说。"以前负责的那个小怪物现在被关起来了，直到我们想出对付她的办法。"你妈妈是临时的奥弗马尔,"她说，然后看着P-21，继续我的震惊困惑,"她做的第一件事就是审核育种计划和进行改革。"她低下了头。"我们的所作所为无法弥补......"
“No, there isn’t,” P-21 said grimly with a frown at her. “But you’re trying to do better. That’s all that counts.” He clearly worked to repress his anger as he regarded me curiously.
"不，没有,"P-21严肃地说，皱着眉头看着她。"但你在努力做得更好。这是最重要的。"他好奇地看着我，显然努力压抑着自己的愤怒。
“She... did?” I asked faintly, unable to tear my eyes off him.
"她......做了?"我微弱地问道，无法把眼睛从他身上移开。
“You sound so surprised,” a voice said behind me.
"你听起来很惊讶,"一个声音在我身后说。
I turned, gaping at the lavender mare with pink eyes and striped mane. “Mom?” I asked, my voice croaking.
我转过身，目瞪口呆地看着那头有着粉红色眼睛和条纹鬃毛的淡紫色母马。"妈妈?"我问道，声音嘶哑。
“Come up to my office. I can fill you in on everything that’s happened,” she told me.
"到我的办公室来。我可以告诉你发生的一切。"她告诉我。
So we did. Overmare Gin Rummy had learned of the Overmare’s plot to kill Duct Tape with the terminal and sell us out to raiders, deposed her, and then, a few weeks later, risked opening up the stable to trade with the Wasteland. Apparently, they’d hit things off wonderfully with a group of traders in Megamart led by a mare named Bottlecap. Mom had sat by my bed and told me all about the ponies she’d encountered since opening up the stable while I’d been in my coma. Bottlecap, Charity, Priest... Big Daddy and Doctor Triage... even the VC and Enclave. Rampage was the rude representative of the Reapers, and Morning Glory was with the Thunderhead ponies.
所以我们就这么做了。杜松子酒拉米已经知道了Overmare的阴谋，用终端杀死胶带，然后把我们卖给袭击者，废黜了她，然后，几个星期后，冒着开放马厩的危险和荒地做交易。显然，他们和一群由一匹名叫botlecap的母马领导的Megamart交易员相处得很好。妈妈坐在我的床边，告诉我她在我昏迷的时候打开马厩后遇到的小马的故事。博特凯普，慈善机构，牧师......大老爹和医生分诊......甚至VC和昂科雷。狂暴是收割者粗鲁的代表，牵牛花是雷锋小马的代表。
When she finished, I simply sat there.
当她说完时，我只是坐在那里。
Everything I’d gone through. Everything I’d been through... a dream?
我所经历的一切。我所经历的一切...一个梦？
“You can talk to them yourself. Now that you’re awake, I think a celebration is in order,” Mom told me, patting my shoulder. “Just give me a moment. We have fresh food. Fresh! Hee. No more recycled food. Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked, checking me.
"你可以自己跟他们说。现在你醒了，我想我们应该庆祝一下。"妈妈拍着我的肩膀告诉我。"给我一点时间。我们有新鲜的食物。新鲜！嘿。再也没有回收食品了。这不是很棒吗?"她问我，打量着我。
“Yeah. Wonderful,” I said as I stared into her eyes. There was something I had to say. “I love you, Mom.” And I hugged her tight.
"是的。太好了,"我盯着她的眼睛说。我有话要说。"我爱你，妈妈。"我紧紧地抱着她。
It seemed to surprise her. “I love you too, Fishie,” she said as she booped my nose lightly, then turned and trotted out of the office. I stared after her, then looked out the window. Out there were all the ponies I loved and cared about, alive and well. The stallions were freed. The Overmare deposed. My stable was helping the Wasteland.
这似乎让她大吃一惊。"我也爱你，小鱼儿,"她轻轻地把我的鼻子拱起来，然后转身小跑着离开了办公室。我盯着她，然后看着窗外。那里有我所爱和关心的小马，它们活得好好的。这些种马被释放了。被废弃的海洋。我的马厩在帮助荒地。
Could this be real?
这是真的吗？
I stared at my own reflection, trying to think it through. Could Mom have deposed the Overmare? Yes. Could she have listened to Rivets and opened the door? Yes. Could she have told me about her own experiences, leading my shock-addled brain to weave a grand and terrible adventure from them? Maybe.
我凝视着自己的倒影，试图想清楚。妈妈有没有可能废黜了那匹母马？是的。她能听见铆钉的声音，打开门吗？是的。她是否可以告诉我她自己的经历，让我震惊的大脑编织出一个宏大而可怕的冒险故事？也许吧。
Would she have freed the stallions?
她会放了那些种马吗？
Not in a million years.
一百万年也不会。
My mom had been a good mare, but she’d believed in 99. She’d never shown the slightest concern or consideration for their well-being beyond what was needed for them to service the mares. She liked stallions based on how they’d performed sexually, not for the people they were. She’d never hesitated to retire one, even my father. As much as I hated to admit it, Mom had been complicit in their abuse.
我妈妈是一匹好母马，但她相信99。除了为母马服务之外，她从来没有对它们的健康表现出丝毫的关心和体贴。她喜欢种马是因为它们在性方面的表现，而不是因为它们是什么样的人。她从不犹豫让一个人退休，即使是我的父亲。尽管我很不愿意承认，但妈妈是他们虐待孩子的同谋。
This was the dream.
这就是梦想。
Not all that surprising, either. Tom had plopped us almost casually into a dream to speak to us, and now the Eater was doing it to lock me up. And since I hadn’t been obliterated, time had to be passing faster here than in the real world, just like with Tom. The only problem was that there was no Tom to end the dream. “Wake up,” I told myself. Nothing. I closed my eyes and bashed my head against the wall next to the round window, but other than giving myself a splitting headache, I was still here in 99.
也不是那么令人惊讶。汤姆几乎是随意地把我们扔进了一个梦里，跟我们说话，现在食人者这样做是为了把我关起来。因为我没有被抹去，时间在这里必须比在现实世界中流逝得更快，就像汤姆一样。唯一的问题是没有汤姆来结束这个梦想。"醒醒吧,"我告诉自己。没什么。我闭上眼睛，用头猛撞圆窗旁的墙壁，但除了头痛欲裂之外，我还在这里度过了99年。
I’d had lots of experience in mindscapes though, and I had Luna. Ending a dream wasn’t as easy as just trotting out of the stable. If the door was open, then the dream would just continue. There had to be something stopping me from ending this dream. My friends. My loved ones. Even my annoying enemies...
不过我在头脑景观方面有很多经验，而且我有卢娜。结束一个梦想并不像走出马厩那么容易。如果门是开着的，那么梦想就会继续下去。一定有什么东西阻止我结束这个梦想。我的朋友们。我所爱的人们。即使是我讨厌的敌人..。
pretty pathetic compared to what I’d come to deal with. I needed this dream to stop. Suicide was risky. If I just killed myself, I might be offing my ability to fight back. I had to reject this dream.
跟我要处理的事情比起来真是可悲。我需要这个梦停止。自杀是有风险的。如果我自杀了，我可能就失去了反击的能力。我不得不拒绝这个梦想。
There was one way...
只有一个办法..。
I heard Mom approaching, and my magic shut the door in her face, locking it. “Blackjack?” she called out as I walked to the controls. “Blackjack, this isn’t funny!” she shouted, beating on the door. “What are you doing in there?!”
我听见妈妈走过来，我用魔法当着她的面关上了门，锁上了门。"黑杰克?"当我走向控制台的时候，她喊道。"黑杰克，这一点都不好玩!"她一边大叫，一边敲着门。"你在里面干什么?!"
“Waking up,” I said as I opened up the commands to the rigged ventilators. Rivets always had been bad at taking care of special jobs that weren’t on the schedule.
"醒醒,"我一边说，一边打开操纵着的呼吸机的指令。铆钉一向不善于处理不在日程表上的特殊工作。
Mom. P-21. Scotch Tape and her mother. Everypony I’d loved growing up...
妈妈。P-21.透明胶带和她的母亲。每一匹我喜欢长大的小马..。
I flipped the switch and immediately smelled the chlorine tang. A few seconds
我按下开关，立刻闻到了氯气的味道。几秒钟
later, the screaming started. The screaming that I would never, ever, be able to forget.
后来，尖叫声开始了。我永远无法忘记的尖叫声。
“Blackjack! You murderer!” But this time there was no Lacunae to teleport me away. This time, I went with my stable.
"黑杰克！你这个杀人犯!"但是这一次没有空隙把我传送走。这一次，我带着我的马厩去了。
* * *
* * *
I snapped open my eyes, staring at the bits of diamond bouncing out of the breached casing. In my mind, it had been hours, but here just the blink of an eye. “You’re going to have to do better than that,” I muttered.
我猛地睁开眼睛，盯着那些从裂开的外壳里蹦出来的钻石碎片。在我的脑海里，已经过去了几个小时，但在这里，只是一眨眼的功夫。"你得做得更好,"我喃喃自语道。
The entire Enervation scream seemed to deepen into an ominous rumble. I ran along the central ring between the spines rising to either side of me. Was it just me, or were they starting to move? ‘Morph’ might have been a better term, the way they were bending into each other and curling inwards. The mechasprites at work around the Eater suddenly burst into action, becoming a whirling blizzard of shrapnel that streaked straight at me. I didn’t blink, fire, or hesitate as I raced straight at the swarm. When they were close enough that I could see the tiny drill teeth in their mechanical mouths, I teleported right through the metallic plague to the far side.
整个衰弱的尖叫声似乎变成了一种不祥的隆隆声。我沿着中间的圆环跑去，圆环中间的脊柱上升到我的两边。是我的错觉，还是他们开始动了？"变形"可能是个更好的说法，他们互相弯曲身体，向内蜷曲。在Eater周围工作的机甲士兵突然开始行动，变成了一阵旋转的碎片，直冲我而来。我没有眨眼，没有开枪，也没有犹豫，直接冲向蜂群。当它们靠得足够近，我可以看到它们机械嘴里的小钻牙时，我就通过金属瘟疫传送到远端。
The swarm took a second to reverse and come after me. The rest were in a frenzy to complete something. Liquid gunk was leaking from tubes, flowing over the metal and assembling into pinkish-maroon tissues. If the F.A.D.E. shield generators were covered in flesh, that’d make it harder to disable them. I reached the second case a sixth of the way around the Eater and took aim.
蜂群花了一秒钟的时间倒车，然后追上了我。其余的人则疯狂地想要完成一些东西。液体粘性物质从管子中渗出，流过金属并组装成略带粉红色的栗色组织。如果f.a.d.e防护罩发生器被肉体覆盖，那就很难使它们失效。我在食者周围六分之一的地方找到了第二个箱子，瞄准了它。
The slug struck and stuck. I took cover as the reaction took place, the droning buzz of the mechasprites rising as they descended upon me. As before, the cover was blasted completely off, and the moonstone fragment that remained went flying. I caught it with my magic, redirecting it into the starmetal behind me as I rushed to the F.A.D.E. talisman. The fragment must have wedged somewhere, because the entire rock reacted at once, blowing me and the bots away in a single detonation. I groaned as I landed sprawled on my face in front of the generator. Squinting through one eye, I aimed Duty at the talisman, and–
鼻涕虫撞了一下，卡住了。当反应发生的时候，我找了个地方躲起来，当机甲怪降临到我身上时，嗡嗡的嗡嗡声响起来。和以前一样，盖子被炸掉了，剩下的月光石碎片飞了起来。我用我的魔法抓住了它，在我冲向f.a.d.e护身符的时候，把它重新导向我身后的星铁。这块碎片一定是卡在什么地方了，因为整块岩石立刻发生了反应，一次爆炸就把我和机器人炸飞了。我趴在发电机前面，叹了口气。我用一只眼睛眯起眼睛，把责任瞄准了那个护身符，然后-
* * *
* * *
“Luna, what are you doing?” Celestia asked, giving me a slightly baffled smile
"露娜，你在干什么?"塞莱斯蒂亚问道，给了我一个有点困惑的微笑
as I pointed a pencil at her. We were in my personal study, one of the few places in the palace where nopony was supposed to go. Books decorated the walls, though many of them were my own notebooks on various ponies I kept tabs on. Ponies who needed my help when they were alone and sleeping. The terminal on my desk had access to all the ministries, and the O.I.A., as well as dozens of other secret sources. So many secrets...
我用铅笔指着她。我们在我的私人书房里，这是宫殿里少数几个没有小马可以去的地方之一。书籍装饰着墙壁，尽管其中很多是我自己的笔记本，上面有我密切关注的各种小马。独自一人睡觉时需要我帮助的小马。我桌子上的终端可以访问所有的部门，o.i.a.，以及其他几十个秘密消息来源。这么多秘密..。
Of course, try telling your sister that she’s not allowed to go somewhere in a palace that used to be hers. “They’re all waiting for you, you know,” the white alicorn said as she looked over my shoulder at a tablet of paper. “Drawing Blackjack again?”
当然，试着告诉你的妹妹，她不被允许去曾经属于她的宫殿里的任何地方。"他们都在等你，你知道吗?"白色的果实说，她从我的肩膀上看到了一片纸。"又在画黑杰克?"
I blinked at her, then at the pad of paper showing the cybernetic alicorn. She was collapsed on the Tokomare, bleeding as she pointed a revolver at a talisman, her eyes narrowed in focus. “I really don’t see the appeal, Luna. Blackjack.
我对着她眨了眨眼睛，然后看了看那张纸，上面显示着控制论的角果。她倒在Tokomare火车上，用左轮手枪指着一个护身符，眼睛因为焦点而眯起来，血流不止。"我真的看不出有什么吸引力，卢娜。黑杰克。
LittlePip. Why do you obsess over failure and disaster when the war is finally over?”
小匹普。战争终于结束了，你为什么还要纠结于失败和灾难呢?"
“Over?” I asked. “When?”
"结束了?"我问道。"什么时候?"
“Luna, you’ve been working too hard.” Celestia rolled her eyes, but that gentle, loving smile never waivered in the slightest. “It’s all over but for the official signing of the peace treaty. Which, incidentally, is what everypony is waiting for... right now.”
"露娜，你工作太辛苦了。"天使转动着她的眼睛，但是那温柔的，充满爱意的微笑丝毫没有流动。"除了正式签署和平条约，一切都结束了。顺便说一句，这正是每匹小马现在所期待的。"
“Peace treaty?” I set the pad down. “How? That’s not possible.”
"和平条约?"我把垫子放下。"怎么回事？这不可能。"
“I used to think so too,” Celestia sighed. “I just couldn’t bear it. But you persevered where I failed, and the Caesar has finally admitted that continued war will simply result in megaspell annihilation.” She put a wing across my withers. “His ambassadors are here, and after reading the treaty myself, I can confirm that they’re offering quite favorable terms for us. Apparently the Caesar’s at risk of rebellion if he continues the war, too, and was willing to be generous.” Celestia paused, and looked at me in concern. “Are you alright, Luna? You haven’t been the same since the Gala.”
"我以前也这么认为,"塞莱斯蒂亚叹了口气。"我实在受不了了。但你在我失败的地方坚持了下来，而凯撒最终承认，持续的战争只会导致巨大的灭绝。"她在我的马肩隆上插了一只翅膀。"他的大使在这里，在我亲自阅读了条约之后，我可以确定他们正在为我们提供相当有利的条件。显然，如果凯撒继续战争，并且愿意慷慨解囊的话，他就有可能发动叛乱。"塞莱斯蒂亚停了下来，关切地看着我。"你没事吧，露娜？自从那次宴会之后，你就变了。"
“I... peace?” I asked weakly. Celestia gave me a nudge, and I rose to my hooves. She began to dress me in formal garb. “It just... it...” I looked at the pad of paper and levitated it, letting her dress me up in my best black silk and diamond gown. I flipped through picture after picture, looking at notes written in the margins of
"我.....。.和平?"我虚弱地问道。塞莱斯蒂娅轻轻推了我一下，我站起身来。她开始给我穿上正式的服装。"它只是......它......"我看着那张纸，把它悬浮起来，让她给我穿上我最好的黑色丝绸和钻石礼服。我翻了一张又一张的图片，看着书页空白处的笔记
each.
每个人。
“Once everything has settled down, you really should write those stories. It doesn’t hurt to have a hobby, and you’ve always been more creative than anypony gives you credit for,” Celestia said as she put the silver and moonstone crown atop my head. Standing before me, she sighed and smiled sadly. “I also want to apologize.”
"一旦一切都安定下来，你真的应该写那些故事。拥有一个爱好并没有什么坏处，而且你总是比任何小马给予你的信任更有创造力,"塞莱斯蒂亚说，她把银色和月光石的王冠放在我的头顶上。她站在我面前，叹了口气，伤心地笑了笑。"我也想道歉。"
“For... what?”
"为了......什么?"
“I haven’t been very helpful. I thought abdication would ease my conscience and let me focus on the school, leaving you to sort out my mess. My... meddling... at Shattered Hoof didn’t help.” Her smile faded, regret etched in her face. “I should have trusted you more. Supported you more, as you supported me through the war. But I can see now that you’re the Princess Equestria needs.”
"我帮不上什么忙。我以为退位会让我的良心得到安慰，让我把注意力集中在学校上，让你来收拾我的烂摊子。我...多管闲事...对《粉碎的蹄子》毫无帮助。"她的笑容消失了，她的脸上充满了悔恨。"我应该更信任你的。在战争期间你一直支持我，所以我更加支持你。但我现在明白了，你就是小马王子需要的人。"
I stared at her, then walked to the mirror. My books were on the shelves, and all over the space were notes on the various disguises I’d worn when I couldn’t bear to be Princess Luna. Eclipse, the black pegasus agent, was only the most well-worn of them. I was used to running away into fantasy when life became unbearable. Outside was Equestria, vibrant and alive. I could hear Pinkie’s music, and from the fancy wagons arriving outside the palace, all the nobles would be there.
我盯着她，然后走到镜子前。我的书在书架上，整个书架上都是笔记，上面记录着我无法忍受做卢娜公主时所穿的各种伪装。黑飞马的代理人Eclipse只是他们中最老套的一个。当生活变得无法忍受时，我习惯于逃离幻想。外面是小马国，充满活力。我可以听到平奇的音乐，从宫殿外面来的豪华马车上，所有的贵族都会到场。
“This is a dream,” I murmured.
"这是一个梦,"我低声说。
“A dream come true,” Celestia corrected in that vaguely annoying way she had. She probably didn’t even know she did it. “Come. Everypony is waiting.”
"一个梦想成真了,"塞莱斯蒂亚用她那种有点恼人的方式纠正道。她可能都不知道是她干的。"来吧。每匹小马都在等待。"
Together we walked down the hall, past two guards, past two others, and into the ballroom. Immediately the entire hall broke into cheers and stomps. I balked, but Sister’s wing was at my shoulder, and I halted, looked to her, and received her nod. I hated crowds like this. Nowhere to hide. All eyes on me, waiting for me to mess up. At the end of the room stood my dark marble throne, decorated in stars, and the smaller, plainer throne beside it for my sister. Three chairs stood on either side of the thrones, and in front of them all was a long table.
我们一起走下大厅，经过两名警卫，又经过另外两名警卫，进入舞厅。整个大厅立刻爆发出欢呼声和跺脚声。我退缩了，但是姐姐的翅膀在我的肩膀上，我停下来，看着她，接受她的点头。我讨厌这样的人群。无处可藏。所有的眼睛都盯着我，等着我把事情搞砸。在房间的尽头，放着我用星星装饰的黑色大理石宝座，旁边放着给我妹妹的更小更朴素的宝座。王座的两边各有三把椅子，前面摆着一张长桌子。
Seated at it were five of the six Ministry Mares. Only Pinkie Pie was absent, her seat occupied by another mare. Goldenblood lingered back behind and to the right of my throne, wearing only formal castle livery like the rest of my servants.
六个马尔斯部长中有五个坐在那里。只有萍琪没来，她的座位上坐着另一匹母马。金色的血液徘徊在我的后面和王座的右边，像我的其他仆人一样，只穿着正式的城堡制服。
I trotted past a visibly pregnant Applejack, a radiantly happy Fluttershy, and an aged yet composed Twilight Sparkle. As I took my seat in the middle, Rarity leaned over with a wide smile and whispered, “Where have you been, Your Majesty? The cameras have been rolling for hours!”
我小跑着经过一个明显怀孕的苹果白兰地，一个活泼快乐的小鸭子，还有一个年老但镇静的紫悦。当我在中间的座位上坐下时，雷诺微笑着弯下身子，低声说道:"陛下，您去哪儿了?"？摄像机已经拍了好几个小时了!"
“I was...” Drawing? Thinking about the Wasteland? Drawing the conclusion to an epic struggle of good and evil? “Occupied.”
"我在..."画画？想想荒原？为一场正义与邪恶的史诗般的斗争画上句号？"有人了"
“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped,” Rarity said with a sigh, then waved to somepony in the crowd. “Smile and wave, Your Majesty. This is your finest moment!”
"好吧，我想这也没办法,"稀少叹了口气说，然后向人群中的一匹小马挥了挥手。"微笑招手，陛下。这是你最辉煌的时刻!"
I raised a hoof and waved to the gentleponies as Celestia took her seat slightly behind me, looking over at Pinkie’s. “Pinkie?” I asked the mares quietly.
我抬起一只蹄子向两位绅士的小马挥了挥手，塞莱斯蒂亚坐在我身后，看着平基。"平奇?"我静静地问母马。
“Still in rehab,” Twilight answered me, her voice barely audible through the cheering. “Thank you for keeping it quiet. I know the Cakes are taking good care of her, but I don’t think even Rarity could stop the media from hounding her if they knew of the scandal.”
"还在康复中心,"暮光回答我，她的声音透过欢呼几乎听不见。"谢谢你保密。我知道蛋糕们对她照顾得很好，但是即使是稀有也不能阻止媒体追问她，如果他们知道这件丑闻的话。"
Of course. I kept secrets. The night excelled at hiding things... even things that shouldn’t be hidden. Things that would eat you up if you didn’t drag them into the light and deal with them. “Ready, Your Majesty?” Goldenblood rasped from my right. “It’s all taken care of. All you need to do is sign.”
当然。我有秘密。夜晚善于隐藏东西...甚至不应该隐藏的东西。如果你不把那些事情拖到光天化日之下去处理，它们就会吞噬你。"准备好了吗，陛下?"金色的血从我的右边滚落下来。"一切都搞定了。你所需要做的就是签名。"
“But... peace? The zebras would never...”
"但是......和平？斑马绝不会......"
“We knew they would. It was a mathematical certainty,” Goldenblood answered. “Also, I ordered you more art supplies. For LittlePip and Blackjack.”
"我们知道他们会的。这是确定无疑的,"金血王回答。"还有，我给你订了更多的美术用品。为了小匹普和黑杰克。"
I scowled at him. “Can’t I have anything private?” I huffed.
我皱着眉头看着他。"我就不能有点隐私吗?"我生气了。
“It is private,” he rasped softly, then looked to the head of the hall. “They’ll come in. I’ll read the terms. You and the Ministry Mares will sign. There will be a reception. I’ve got your speech ready.” His smile wavered. “Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
"这是私人的,"他轻声地说，然后看了看大厅的头部。"他们会进来的。我来读条款。你和部长马雷斯会签字。会有一个招待会。我已经准备好你的演讲稿了。"他的微笑动摇了。"您没事吧，陛下?"
Was I? “It just seems... impossible.” And wrong, but yet so very right!
是吗？"这似乎......不可能。"而且错了，但是非常正确！
“Continued hostilities would have been his downfall. No leader can fight a war
"持续的敌对行动会导致他的垮台。没有一个领导人能打仗
without the will of the people... or at least a clear majority,” Goldenblood said confidently. “I’m sure he’s quite desperate to present the peace accord to his own tribal leaders.” He gestured to the front of the hall, where thirteen zebra dignitaries were trotting in, the room suddenly silent save for the snapping of cameras. They were bedecked in elaborate outfits that spoke of their tribal affiliations. Grain for the Carnilia. Swamp orchids for the Orah.
没有人民的意愿......或者至少没有明显的多数,"Goldenblood自信地说。"我敢肯定，他非常渴望向自己的部落领导人提出和平协议。"他指了指大厅的前面，那里有十三个斑马达官贵人小跑着走进来，整个房间突然安静下来，只有相机的咔嚓声。他们穿着精心制作的服装，讲述着他们的部落背景。给卡尼利亚的粮食。奥拉沼泽兰。
When they stood before the table, the leader, in traditional Roamani plate armor, trotted forward. A stallion levitated a scroll and started to read the terms, his voice booming out as my eyes swept over so many different ponies. There were Charity and Bottlecap. Over there, Big Daddy. Brutus was a royal guard. Glory stood in Shadowbolt armor, and P-21 in Royal Guard barding.
当他们站在餐桌前时，这位身穿传统Roamani盔甲的领导人小跑着向前走去。一匹种马悬浮在一个卷轴上，开始读条款，当我的眼睛扫视这么多不同的小马时，他的声音轰隆隆地响了起来。还有Charity和Bottlecap。在那边，大老爹。布鲁特斯是一名皇家卫兵。晨辉穿着Shadowbolt的盔甲，P-21穿着皇家护卫队的盔甲。
“The zebras admit fault in instigating and prosecuting the war. For this, the zebras beg forgiveness,” the stallion read out, his voice ringing; the zebra’s jaw worked, his eyes staring straight ahead. “The Equestrian people accept and give it, in exchange for economic restitution for the damages of the war.”
"斑马承认挑起和起诉战争是错误的。为此，斑马乞求原谅,"种马大声读出，他的声音响起;斑马的下巴工作，他的眼睛直视前方。"马术爱好者接受并给予赔偿，以换取战争造成的经济损失赔偿。"
I stared from one Ministry Mare to the next. Pregnant Applejack. Tired Twilight.
我从一个牧师的母马到下一个。孕妇苹果白兰地。疲惫的黄昏。
Triumphant Rarity. Goldenblood smiling from behind the throne. Peace.
得意洋洋的稀有。金色血统站在宝座后面微笑。和平。
Prosperity. A thousand years of Princess Luna ascendant. A dream come true.
繁荣。一千年的升起的月神公主。美梦成真。
“The zebra people admit fault in misappropriating ancient superstition for propaganda purposes. The zebras formally recognize that Princess Luna is not the entity known as Nightmare Moon, and beg forgiveness for their insult.” The stallion droned on. Could I have created the Wasteland as a story in my own mind? A distraction from the horrors of war? A place where, no matter how bad the war became, I could escape for a time? “The Equestrian people give forgiveness for this insult, provided the zebra people allow pony moderators to ensure this lie is stripped forever from zebra lore.” I considered the grieving face of Sekashi, who looked as if a friend had been sentenced to death.
"斑马人承认为了宣传目的挪用古代迷信是错误的。斑马正式承认卢娜公主不是恶梦月亮，并请求原谅他们的侮辱。"那匹种马嗡嗡地叫着。我是否可以在自己的脑海中创造一个荒原的故事？转移对战争恐怖的注意力？一个地方，不管战争变得多么糟糕，我可以逃离一段时间？"马术爱好者对这种侮辱给予了原谅，前提是斑马人允许小马调解人确保这个谎言永远从斑马的传说中消失。"我想到了Sekashi悲伤的表情，他看起来就像一个朋友被判了死刑。
A healthy Equestria. A whole Equestria. And who knew what the future could be?
一个健康的马术运动员。整个小马国。谁知道未来会是什么样子呢？
“The zebras admit fault in the murder of innocent foals in the Littlehorn Massacre,” the stallion said, his voice dull and heavy. “Let history remember them for their crime for all time. Let them surrender a number of their own foals for re-education by the Equestrian people, each year, as restitution for this
"在利特霍恩大屠杀中，斑马承认杀害无辜小马驹的错误,"这匹种马说，声音沉闷而沉重。"让历史永远记住他们犯下的罪行。让他们每年交出一些自己的小马驹，让马术爱好者进行再教育，作为对此的赔偿
atrocity.”
暴行
I sat bolt upright, cutting off the stallion reading the terms. “What?” I murmured.
我笔直地坐着，打断了那匹正在读条款的种马。"什么?"我低声说。
“It is only fitting after what they’ve done,” Goldenblood murmured behind me. Then he spoke up, “Perhaps we should simply skip to the signing.”
"只有在他们做了那些事之后，这才是合适的,"金血王在我身后喃喃地说。然后他大声说,"也许我们应该直接跳到签字仪式。"
I watched at the paper was passed to Fluttershy, who nearly glowed with pleasure as she signed it. Then two zebras stepped forward to sign as well, the Mendi tribe of healers being the first. The willow branch crown the dignitary wore clearly marked her as such. Then to Applejack. Then back...
我看着报纸递给了小萤火虫，她在上面签名的时候几乎高兴得发光。然后两只斑马也走上前来签名，第一个是门迪部落的治疗师。这位显贵佩戴的柳枝冠清楚地标明了她的身份。然后是苹果白兰地。然后回来..。
And all the while, my mind worked. Was it possible that the Caesar would surrender? Yes. I’d always known it would take a political shift back home to do it, but it was possible. Like all leaders, he would do what he had to to keep his seat, though this humiliation would disgrace him till his eventual removal. And would they admit that calling me Nightmare Moon had been pure propagandistic nonsense? Perhaps.
在这段时间里，我的大脑一直在工作。凯撒有可能投降吗？是的。我一直都知道，要做到这一点，需要国内政治的转变，但这是有可能的。像所有的领导人一样，他会不惜一切代价保住自己的职位，尽管这种羞辱会让他蒙羞，直到最终被免职。他们会承认叫我梦魇月亮纯粹是宣传上的废话吗？也许吧。
But would my sister happily accept tearing zebra children from their families for indoctrination in Equestria?
但是，我的妹妹会高兴地接受把斑马儿童从他们的家庭中扯出来，让他们在Equestria接受教化吗？
No.
没有。
I stared as the paper was passed back and forth, mark after mark being put down. It wasn’t fair! This was how it was supposed to have gone. An end to the war. A triumph for Princess Luna. A strong and secure Equestria where my people loved me!
我凝视着纸张来回传递，一个接一个的标记被放下。这不公平！事情本来应该是这样的。战争的结束。卢娜公主的胜利。一个强大而安全的小马国，一个人民爱戴我的小马国！
All things I never deserved in the first place.
所有我从一开始就不配拥有的东西。
I stared out the window at the glowing jewel that was Equestria... a jewel smashed and squandered on war. It was a good land, and had things been different, I would have been worthy to lead it.
我凝视着窗外发光的珠宝，那是小马国的......一颗被打碎的珠宝，在战争中挥霍殆尽。这是一片美好的土地，如果情况有所不同，我就有资格领导这片土地。
I wasn’t.
我没有。
But if this was a dream, then how to end it? The dream could go on and on, easily lasting a thousand years or longer. I watched Twilight sign with a weary smile of satisfaction as it returned to the next two. Refuse to sign? But I had to
但是如果这是一个梦，那么如何结束它呢？这个梦可以一直持续下去，很容易持续一千年或更久。我看着《暮光之城》的标语，带着满意的微笑，疲惫地看着它回到了下两个标语上。拒绝签字？但我必须这么做
sign. This was a peace signing. If I refused to sign, the dream would go on, stuck on this moment.
符号。这是一个和平协议。如果我拒绝签字，梦想就会继续，停留在这一刻。
The Roamani delegate, the last, signed. Then it was slipped in front of me. Every eye was upon me. My people. My sister. My Ministry Mares. My friend. Everypony stared at me, waiting for me to be the good Princess I wanted to be. To step fully into Celestia’s horseshoes...
最后一位罗阿马尼代表签了名。然后它滑到了我的面前。每只眼睛都盯着我。我的人民。我妹妹。我的事工母马。我的朋友。每个小马都盯着我，等着我成为我想成为的那个好公主。要完全踏进塞勒斯蒂娅的马蹄铁..。
If only. I levitated the pen. Down, at the bottom, was a line marked ‘Princess of Equestria:’. If only… If only...
但愿如此。我把钢笔悬浮起来。在下面，是一行写着"小马国公主:"的标语。要是...要是..。
I rammed the pen right through the parchment. The dull ripping was like a scream in the silent room as I continued the violation, tearing it in two. Then I rose to my hooves, thundering in the old voice for addressing my subjects, “You think this meager offering sufficient!? You will never have peace! Not while a single one of you accursed zebra walk free! You shall have war! You shall have slaughter! You shall not have forgiveness, but annihilation!”
我用笔猛戳羊皮纸。无声的撕扯声就像是在寂静的房间里发出的尖叫声，我继续着这种侵犯，把它撕成两半。然后我站起来，用古老的声音咆哮着对我的臣民说:"你认为这份微薄的礼物足够了吗？你永远不会得到和平！只要你们这些可恶的斑马没有一个能自由行走！你们将面临战争！你会被屠杀的！你得不到的不是宽恕，而是毁灭!"
The room exploded in shouts. Shouts from Ministry Mares, outraged that I had thrown peace aside. Cries of concern from my sister... my wonderful, kind...
房间里爆发出一阵叫喊声。马尔斯部的叫喊声，激怒了我，我已经抛弃了和平。来自我姐姐的关心的哭泣...我美好的，善良的..。
sister... Bellows and proclamations of doom from the zebras. Silence from Goldenblood.
修女......斑马的怒吼和末日宣言。来自Goldenblood的沉默。
It didn’t matter now. The dream could only continue to two ends: the removal of Princess Luna from the throne, or the annihilation in balefire.
现在没关系了。这个梦想只能持续两个结局:要么让卢娜公主离开王位，要么在巴雷火中湮灭。
Either way, the dream of Princess Luna’s Equestria was dead.
不管怎样，卢娜公主的Equestria之梦已经破灭了。
* * *
* * *
Emerging from the hallucination, I stared at the sight of the pieces of F.A.D.E. generator flying every which way, smoke rising from the barrel as I shook. Luna’s dream... but that dream was gone, and now I returned to my nightmare. One where I fought on the body of an enormous monstrosity from beyond. A monstrosity with defenders, and not just mechasprite hordes. The fleshy glop had assembled itself into a host of horrid scuttling things that now crawled at me from every direction.
我从幻觉中醒来，目不转睛地看着f.a.d.e发生器的碎片飞来飞去，我摇晃着，烟雾从枪管里冒了出来。卢娜的梦想......但是那个梦想已经消失了，现在我又回到了我的噩梦中。一次我与一个来自远方的巨大怪物的身体搏斗。一个拥有防御者的怪物，而不仅仅是机器人部落。这团肉团已经聚集成一堆可怕的东西，现在从四面八方向我爬过来。
To my left, the riot shotgun fired a dozen rounds, flechettes tearing into fanged maws. To my right, Duty and Sacrifice blew meaty holes in the faces of the
在我的左边，防暴散弹枪射出了十几发子弹，弹片飞快地射进了长着尖牙的肥嘴里。在我的右边，责任和牺牲吹在脸上的肉洞
faceless. My sword swept to and fro before me, slicing neatly again and again into uncaring flesh. It made no difference. I could not defeat these enemies with bullets and blade alone. In desperation, I threw together my bullet spell with the shield thingy I’d attempted earlier, and a sphere of brilliant white energy exploded out from me. The bubble swelled, pushing the rising, abominable tide back long enough for me to take to the air.
不露面的。我的剑在我面前来回地扫动，一次又一次地整齐地切割着毫不在乎的肉体。这没有什么区别。我不能仅仅用子弹和刀刃打败这些敌人。在绝望中，我把我的子弹咒语和我之前试过的那个盾牌拼在一起，一个闪亮的白色能量球从我身上爆发出来。气泡膨胀起来，把那上升的、令人讨厌的潮水往回推了一段时间，足以让我升到空中。
So did they. Buzzing chitinous wings, fleshy membranes, and greasy quills erupted from the creatures as they swarmed after me. I swooped and soared amid the spines, looping around the thick central ring. Every few seconds I’d twist around in midair, flying backwards as I blasted my pursuers with magic and bullet alike. A volley of shooting stars streaked out at them, seeking the nearest creatures and burning them with white-blue flames. Still, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. This was a distraction, keeping me occupied.
他们也是。它们在我身后蜂拥而至，嗡嗡作响的几丁质翅膀、肥厚的膜和油腻的羽毛喷涌而出。我从天而降，飞跃在棘刺之间，环绕着厚厚的中心环。每隔几秒钟，我就会在半空中扭转身体，向后飞，同时用魔法子弹和类似子弹的东西攻击我的追击者。一连串的流星向他们飞来，寻找最近的生物，用蓝白色的火焰把他们烧死。尽管如此，这还不够。这永远都不够。这是一种分散注意力的方式，让我忙得不可开交。
I needed more time. An opportunity I could use to find the remaining F.A.D.E. shield generators and destroy them. As I streaked along the Eater, I glanced down at my hoof. A flip, and I stared at EC-1101.
我需要更多的时间。我可以利用这个机会找到剩下的f.a.d.e防护罩发生器并摧毁它们。当我沿着食者飞奔而去的时候，我低头看了看我的蹄子。一个翻转，我盯着EC-1101。
Control the Eater.
控制食者。
Could I?
我可以吗？
Dare I?
我敢吗？
I flipped around and around the central ring, letting Luna do the flying. Soon I was chasing the rear of the swarm chasing me. A thin smile crossed my lips as I opened fire. The rear of the swarm turned, some pulling inside out as they reversed direction and dove straight at me. I waited, smiling. Wait for it. Wait for...
我在中心环绕了一圈又一圈，让露娜来飞。很快我就追上了蜂群的尾部。我开枪时，嘴角掠过一丝微笑。蜂群的后方转过身来，有些向内翻了身，朝我扑过来。我微笑着等待着。等着瞧吧。等待..。
In a blink, I disappeared, and from the far side of the Eater I watched as half the swarm collided headlong into the other half, the mass dissolving into a cannibalistic frenzy of gnashing, wriggling meat. It wouldn’t take long for them to sort themselves out. I made straight for one of the mucky terminals. If I could control things for just a few minutes and stop the Eater’s interference, I could eliminate the remaining F.A.D.E. shields and get out.
眨眼间，我消失了，我看着一半蜂群迎头撞向另一半蜂群，整个蜂群消失在啃咬着、扭动着的肉的同类相食的狂乱中。他们用不了多长时间就能自己解决问题。我径直走向一个肮脏的终端。如果我能控制这些东西几分钟，阻止Eater的干扰，我就能消除剩下的f.a.d.e防护罩，然后离开这里。
Through the swarm of hungry nightmares, I spotted the light of a terminal jutting like a glowing cyst from the Eater’s flesh. I teleported to it at once, banging the
透过一大群饥饿的噩梦，我发现了一个终端发出的光，就像食肉者身上发光的囊肿。我瞬间移动到它上面，敲打着
spacebar to make sure it still worked. Opening the back, I plugged the wires from my PipBuck into it. I could already hear the swarm, a curious rustling accompanied by a slimy sucking noise. I just had to use the program... take control...
空格键来确保它还能工作。打开后盖，我把PipBuck上的电线插进去。我已经能听到蜂群的声音，一种奇怪的沙沙声伴随着黏糊糊的吸吮声。我只是不得不使用程序...控制..。
Just like Cognitum.
就像Cognitum一样。
I froze, staring at the screen and my reflection in it. Cognitum... she’d believed the Eater was just a machine. A dangerous one, but ultimately one that was simply malfunctioning. Fix the malfunction, fix the machine, fix the problem, fix the Wasteland. Save the Wasteland. Save the world.
我愣住了，盯着屏幕和我在里面的倒影。她以为食人者只是一台机器。一个危险的故障，但最终只是故障。修复故障，修复机器，修复问题，修复荒原。拯救荒原。拯救世界。
Just like Dawn.
就像道恩一样。
Tools were made to be used. They weren’t good or evil. They simply were. I’d used my guns to kill hundreds, maybe thousands. That didn’t make the guns evil. Was there any point in simply obliterating it? The ultimate waste of technology was to destroy it, forfeiting not only the use the technology would give but all the resources that had been spent in its creation. Whether I loathed it or not, this was just a device to be used. After all that had gone into raising this machine over the centuries, all the pain, strife and death, didn’t I have a responsibility to use it?
工具是为使用而制造的。他们不是好人也不是坏人。他们就是这样。我用我的枪杀了成百上千的人。这并不意味着枪支是邪恶的。简单地抹去它有什么意义吗？技术的最终浪费是摧毁它，不仅丧失了技术的用途，而且丧失了创造技术所花费的所有资源。不管我是否厌恶它，这只是一个用来使用的设备。几个世纪以来，我花费了那么多心血培育这台机器，经历了那么多痛苦、冲突和死亡，难道我没有责任使用它吗？
Just like Steel Rain.
就像钢铁雨。
But I’d use it to save my friends. My stable. My loved ones! Certainly they were worth saving. I couldn’t just let LittlePip and her friends die! Couldn’t let everyone die when I had the means to protect them and give them the future they deserved! My ends justified these means!
但我会用它来救我的朋友们。我的马厩。我亲爱的人们！他们当然值得拯救。我不能让小皮和她的朋友死！当我有办法保护他们并给他们应有的未来时，我不能让每个人都死去！我的目的证明这些手段是正当的！
Just like Sanguine.
就像桑吉那样。
Sweetie Bot had said that the program would link me to the Eater. It sounded so simple to assume that everything would go my way. That I could be hooked up to this colossal thing and be the one in control. But I’d been flesh and blood once, and blissfully reminded of that state for a moment in my blank body. There were consequences when you connected a pony to something they weren’t ready to handle.
甜心说这个程序会把我和Eater联系起来。想当然地认为一切都会按我的意愿发展，这听起来很简单。我可以连接到这个庞大的东西，并成为一个控制。但我曾经是有血有肉的人，幸福地在我空白的身体里回想起那种状态。当你把一匹小马连接到一些它们没有准备好处理的东西上时，就会产生一些后果。
Just like Deus.
就像上帝一样。
I didn’t need to see the swarm to know it was racing up towards me. Gnashing, squealing, chomping, hissing, buzzing, flapping, scratching noises rushed at me with the growing volume of an avalanche. I didn’t need to rush, though. I simply closed my eyes, smiled, and pressed a button.
我不需要看到蜂群就知道它们正朝我冲过来。咬牙切齿，尖叫，咀嚼，嘶嘶声，嗡嗡声，拍打声，抓挠声像雪崩一样越来越大，冲向我。不过，我不需要着急。我只是闭上眼睛，微笑着，然后按了一个按钮。
And got rid of EC-1101 once and for all.
一劳永逸地摆脱了EC-1101。
I wasn’t sure what dumping a megaspell, uncontrolled and directionless, into the Eater would do. For an instant, I had a mental picture of immense magical power contained within a crystalline matrix of incomprehensible beauty and complexity. Then that matrix exploded into a billion fiery stars, and I opened my eyes as the scream sounded... not an Enervation scream, nor the scream of the monstrosities about to consume me. No, this was a physical scream that seemed to emanate from every direction at once. And there was one unquestionable aspect to it:
我不知道把一个巨大的、不受控制的、毫无方向的东西倒进食者体内会有什么效果。有那么一瞬间，我脑海中浮现出一幅画面，那是一个包含着无法理解的美和复杂的水晶矩阵的巨大魔力。然后那个矩阵爆炸成了十亿颗炽热的星星，当尖叫声响起的时候，我睁开了眼睛......不是衰弱的尖叫，也不是将要吞噬我的怪物的尖叫。不，这是一个身体上的尖叫，似乎同时从各个方向发出。有一点是毋庸置疑的:
Pain.
痛苦。
The swarm collapsed into maroon splatters behind me as the entire massive structure heaved under me. I lapsed into S.A.T.S., but even that couldn’t help me hit the cover of the F.A.D.E. shield generator. Two shots went wild, exploding against spines that seemed to be splintering, melting, and reforming before my eyes. I aimed along the barrel as those two fragments of moonstone each gave a final burst of bright white--
蜂群在我身后坍塌成栗色的飞溅物，整个巨大的建筑物在我身下隆隆作响。我进入了s.a.t.s，但即使这样也不能帮助我打开f.a.d.e防护罩发生器的盖子。两声枪响在我眼前爆炸，击中的脊椎似乎正在分裂、融化和重塑。我瞄准了月光石的两块碎片，每一块都发出最后一道亮白光
* * *
* * *
The whiteness faded, but what took its place made no sense. Everything blurred and swirled around, and somepony kept saying “Fish? Are you there, Fish?” from a million miles away. The blurs congealed themselves into shapes... books on bookshelves. A portrait of the Princesses over a cold fireplace. A clock with a pendulum slowly swaying. A desk. A pony behind that desk...
白色渐渐褪去，但取而代之的东西却毫无意义。一切都变得模糊不清，到处都是漩涡，有匹小马不停地说:"鱼？你在吗，小鱼?"从一百万英里之外。模糊不清的东西凝结成各种形状......书架上的书。冰冷的壁炉上挂着公主们的肖像。一个钟摆缓缓摆动。一张桌子。在那张桌子后面的小马..。
Goldenblood.
金色血统。
The scarred unicorn wore a sweater vest and a pair of black wire frame spectacles that he peered over at me. As I focused on him, he gave a relieved smile. “Oh, good, the drugs are working. We finally have lucidity,” he said calmly. “Welcome back, Go Fish.”
伤痕累累的独角兽穿着一件毛线背心，戴着一副黑色金属框眼镜，从上面凝视着我。当我把注意力集中在他身上的时候，他露出了如释重负的微笑。"哦，很好，药物起作用了。我们终于清醒了,"他平静地说。"欢迎回来，钓鱼去吧。"
“T’not m’name...” I muttered thickly. What was going on here? “Yer suppst t’be ded,” I said as I squinted at him. I lifted my hooves and felt them draw short with restraints. “Let me go,” I growled at him.
"不是我的名字......"我咕哝着。这里发生了什么？"你应该知道,"我眯着眼看着他说。我抬起我的蹄子，感觉它们被束缚得缩短了。"放开我,"我对他咆哮道。
“In time, Fish. When you’re more coherent and cooperative. I’m very glad this new drug cocktail is working. Doctor Trueblood really outdid himself,” Goldenblood rasped, his voice low and gravelly. “How are you, Go Fish? It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to have a talk like this. We came close, once, but you slipped away before we could make any significant progress.”
"总有一天，鱼儿。当你变得更加连贯和合作的时候。我很高兴这种新的鸡尾酒药物起作用了。"特鲁布拉德医生真是超水平发挥了,"金布拉德粗声粗气地说，声音低沉而沙哑。"你好吗，钓鱼去？我们已经有一段时间没有这样的谈话了。有一次，我们差点就成功了，但在我们取得任何重大进展之前，你就溜走了。"
I narrowed my eyes. “This is a dream,” I muttered as I glared at him.
我眯起眼睛。"这是一场梦,"我凝视着他喃喃自语。
“Oh?” he asked with a mild smile as he leaned back in his worn, upholstered chair.
"哦?"他向后靠在那张破旧的软垫椅子上，带着温和的微笑问道。
“You’re the Eater of Souls, trying to stall me from destroying you and saving the world,” I growled at him. Goldenblood didn’t say anything. He just cocked one brow, watching me with those annoyingly curious eyes. I glared around the office, then back at him. “You’ve stuck me in this dream of Happyhorn to convince me I’m crazy so I won’t do what has to be done.”
"你是灵魂的食者，试图阻止我毁灭你和拯救世界,"我咆哮着对他说。金血王什么也没说。他只是扬起一个额头，用那种恼人的好奇的眼神看着我。我环视了一下办公室，然后回过头来看着他。"你把我困在Happyhorn的梦里，让我相信自己疯了，所以我不会做必须做的事情。"
“Right. Save the world. Because that’s the only thing that will make up for your mistakes, isn’t it?” Goldenblood replied flatly. I felt the padded restraints on my hooves. Tugging would be too obvious. I needed to engage him till I could figure out how to get out of here. “In your long litany of failures and mistakes, the only way for you to atone is to suffer, and, since your failures are monumentally greater than all of ours, mundane suffering wouldn’t be enough; you have to ritualistically self-inflict horrible injuries to make the world a greater place. To save it. Is that right, Fish?”
"对。拯救世界。因为这是唯一能弥补你错误的东西，不是吗?"金血王直截了当地回答。我感觉到我的蹄子被软垫固定住了。拉扯太明显了。在我想出离开这里的办法之前，我需要和他谈谈。"在你那一连串的失败和错误中，弥补的唯一方法就是忍受痛苦，而且，由于你的失败比我们所有人都要大得多，世俗的痛苦是不够的;你必须仪式性地自我施加可怕的伤害，让世界变得更美好。为了拯救它。是这样吗，Fish?"
“That’s not my name,” I growled at him.
"那不是我的名字,"我冲他咆哮道。
“I’ll call you by your nickname if you’ll openly consider what I have to say,” Goldenblood said evenly, putting his hooves together in front of his muzzle. “Deal?”
"如果你愿意公开考虑我要说的话，我就叫你的绰号,"金布拉德平静地说，把他的蹄子凑到嘴前。"成交?"
I started to flex and relax my forelegs, giving a little tug with each. To him, hopefully, it wouldn’t appear as if I was trying to pull free. “Fine,” I answered. “Say your piece.”
我开始弯曲和放松我的前腿，给每一个小拖船。对他来说，希望我不会看起来像是在挣脱束缚。"很好,"我回答。"说出你的想法。"
“Blackjack, you’re sick. You’re here at Happyhorn to protect you from self-harm while we struggle to treat you. Once, you were a police pony with aspirations of following your mother into the Royal Guard. You failed to protect one pony... a filly... and from that, your decay into increasingly self-destructive behavior and delusions commenced, eventually culminating in a complete split from reality. You’ve been here ever since.”
"黑杰克，你病了。你在Happyhorn是为了保护你免受自残而我们却在努力治疗你。曾经，你是一匹渴望跟随母亲进入皇家卫队的警察小马。你没能保护好一匹小马......一匹小母马......从那以后，你开始堕落到越来越自我毁灭的行为和错觉，最终完全脱离现实。从那以后你就一直呆在这里。"
“Right. Keep talking,” I muttered, trying to think how to get out of this nightmare. The clock? The portrait? How could I end this? He wasn’t talking though, so I had to. “If I’m crazy, why would I put myself in the Wasteland? Why would anypony?”
"对。继续说,"我咕哝着，试着想怎样才能从这场噩梦中走出来。时钟？肖像画？我该怎么结束这一切？他不说话，所以我不得不说。"如果我疯了，为什么我要把自己放在荒原上？为什么会有小马呢?"
Goldenblood smiled paternally. “You’d be surprised how many psychotic breaks involve some kind of apocalyptic element. I’m working on a paper, actually. There’s some deep-seated fantasy in pining away for the death of the civilized world. To some, it’s a place of absolute freedom and liberty, where frustration can be met with responsibility-free violence. To others, it’s an escape from the mundanity and tedium of life. For you, it’s a place in which you feel like you can suffer as you deserve.” He lifted a file as thick as my hoof and took out some withered pages. “Think about it, Blackjack. You got out into the Wasteland, and the first thing you did was run into foals needing your help. You failed one.” He checked another paper. “A short time later, you killed forty foals. You magnified the failure of one to an unforgivable degree.” Another paper. “Failed to prevent zebras from getting killed. Failed to protect mares wearing ‘bomb collars’.” Another, and he chuckled. “Killed everypony in your bunker home.” He just smiled at me and then shook his head. “Every time you start to feel better, you find some horrible way to make things worse for yourself. You simply cannot forgive yourself for one mistake.”
金色的血液带着父亲般的微笑。"你会惊讶地发现，许多精神崩溃都包含着某种世界末日的元素。实际上，我在写一篇论文。渴望文明世界的死亡是一种根深蒂固的幻想。对一些人来说，这是一个绝对自由和自由的地方，在这里挫折可以用无责任的暴力来对付。对其他人来说，这是对世俗生活和单调生活的一种逃避。对你来说，这是一个让你觉得你可以承受你应得的痛苦的地方。"他拿起一个和我蹄子一样厚的锉刀，拿出一些枯萎的书页。"想想吧，黑杰克。你到了荒原，你做的第一件事就是遇到需要你帮助的小马驹。你失败了。"他又看了一份报纸。"不久之后，你杀死了四十匹小马驹。你把一个人的失败放大到了不可原谅的程度。"另一篇论文。"未能阻止斑马被杀。未能保护佩戴'炸弹项圈'的母马。"另一个，他咯咯地笑了起来。"杀了你家里所有的小马"他只是对我微笑，然后摇了摇头。"每次你开始感觉好一点，你就会发现一些可怕的方法让事情变得更糟。你就是不能原谅自己的一个错误。"
“Right. I want to kill helpless ponies,” I scoffed.
"对。我想杀死无助的小马,"我嘲笑道。
“You want to suffer,” Goldenblood countered wearily. “Back when you were lucid, you engaged in increasingly self-destructive behavior. The risky sex. The binge drinking. Masochism. Self-mutilation. You’re punishing yourself for that one mistake you made, where you failed to save a filly.” He sighed, opening the tometic file to bookmarked pages. “For a time, I hoped we were going to make a breakthrough, but it seemed your delusions magnified. Trying to stop a war in the sky? Going to the moon to stop a superweapon? Fighting some ‘Eater of Souls’ for the world? Does any of that sound even close to reality?”
"你想受罪,"金布拉德不耐烦地反驳道。"当你头脑清醒的时候，你的自我毁灭行为越来越多。危险性行为。酗酒。受虐狂。自残。你是在惩罚自己，因为你犯了一个错误，没能救下一匹小母马。"他叹了口气，把文件打开到书签页。"有一段时间，我希望我们能有所突破，但这似乎是你放大了的妄想。试图阻止一场空中战争？去月球阻止超级武器？与世界上的"食魂者"战斗？这一切听起来是否更接近现实呢?"
“It’s not my fault,” I replied, not wanting to admit that he had a point. “And it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to believe none of that was real. I lost my friends...
"这不是我的错,"我回答，不想承认他说的有道理。"没关系。我不相信这一切都是真的。我失去了朋友。
ponies I loved...” I hissed, feeling hot tears on my cheeks. “It wasn’t just a crazy thing in my head!” I shouted at him, loathing the look of pity in his eyes. “How do you even know any of this?”
我爱的小马......"我嘶嘶地说，感觉到脸颊上滚烫的泪水。"这不仅仅是我脑子里的一件疯狂的事情!"我向他喊叫，厌恶他眼中的怜悯之情。"你是怎么知道这些的?"
“While you have been mostly catatonic during your stay here, we’ve been monitoring your mental state regularly with magic,” he said, his lips still fixed in that faintly amused and patronizing smile. “I loved how you cast me as some nefarious government agent manipulating everything behind the scenes.”
"虽然你在这里的时候几乎是紧张性精神分裂症，但我们一直在用魔法定期监测你的精神状态,"他说，他的嘴唇仍然固定在那微微有趣的、屈尊俯就的微笑中。"我喜欢你把我塑造成一个邪恶的政府特工，在幕后操纵一切。"
“Right, so you became a psychologist after Littlehorn, is that it?” I snapped at him. Out! Where was the way out of this?
"是的，所以你在利特霍恩之后成为了一名心理学家，是吗?"我厉声斥责他。出去！出路在哪里？
He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Blackjack, ‘Littlehorn’ never happened. The ‘great war’ never happened. They were ideas unfortunately implanted within your delusions by another patient here, which you eagerly adopted.”
他叹了口气，揉着太阳穴。"黑杰克,'利特霍恩'从未发生过。世界大战从未发生过。这些想法不幸地被另一个病人植入到你的幻觉中，你急切地接受了这些想法。"
“Then how’d you get your scars?” I demanded.
"那你的伤疤是怎么来的?"我问道。
He gave a strained, almost dangerous smile, before answering lightly, “Housefire, in which I lost my wife and daughter.” I swallowed, glancing over at a picture of a pink-maned pegasus and small yellow-maned filly hanging by his desk. “Satisfied?” he asked thinly.
他勉强地，几乎是危险的微笑，然后轻轻地回答:"家庭火灾，我失去了我的妻子和女儿。"我咽了口唾沫，瞥了一眼他桌子旁边挂着的一幅粉红色鬃毛的飞马和黄色鬃毛的小雌马的照片。"满意了吗?"他淡淡地问道。
A sense of mortification stole over me. “Sorry,” I muttered, looking away, feeling for the first time that this might actually be real. “But it happened. How do you just make up a war like that?”
一种屈辱感悄悄地笼罩着我。"对不起,"我喃喃自语，目光移开，第一次觉得这可能是真的。"但它确实发生了。你怎么能这样编造一场战争呢?"
“Ponies have been writing fiction like that for ages, Blackjack.” The edge in his voice faded a bit as he went on with a touch of scorn, “But do you honestly think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would ever, ever commit Equestria to a systematic butchering of another race? Especially zebras, who are a rational and caring people every bit as much as ponies?” When I didn’t answer, he sighed again and shook his head.
"小马已经写这样的小说很多年了，Blackjack。"但是你真的认为塞勒斯蒂娜公主和卢娜公主会让Equestria承诺对另一个种族进行系统的屠杀吗？尤其是斑马，他们和小马一样都是理性而有爱心的人。"我没有回答，他又叹了口气，摇了摇头。
“So... Morning Glory and P-21…” I spat at him, trembling. “Rampage and Lacunae and Scotch Tape... LittlePip and her friends... you’re telling me they all don’t exist?”
"那么......牵牛花和P-21......"我朝他吐了口唾沫，浑身颤抖。"狂暴和空隙和透明胶带......小匹普和她的朋友们......你是说他们都不存在?"
“Of course they exist, Blackjack. You didn’t create all of your fantasy by yourself,” he said, his horn glowing. The restraints I’d been trying to tug out of suddenly loosened. “Come. I’ll show you.”
"他们当然存在，黑杰克。你并不是自己创造了所有的幻想,"他说，他的号角在发光。我一直试图摆脱的束缚突然松开了。"来吧。我带你去。"
He led me towards the door where Doof and Lighthooves waited, both wearing orderly uniforms. Both watched me with a wary eye, their gray and red hides bruised. “You sure about this, doc?” the earth pony asked.
他领着我走向门口，杜夫和莱特霍夫都穿着整齐的制服，等着我。他们都用警惕的目光注视着我，灰色和红色的皮肤上都有瘀伤。"你确定吗，医生?"地球上的小马问。
“Yes, she needs to see while she’s still lucid,” Goldenblood said as he stepped into the hall. The pair fell in behind me.
"是的，她需要在她还清醒的时候看看,"金布拉德走进大厅时说。那一对落在我后面。
“Easy for him to say,” the red pegasus muttered. “He’s not the one that’ll have to restrain her.”
"他说得倒轻巧,"红色飞马喃喃自语。"他不是那个必须约束她的人。"
“My balls still aren’t the same,” Doof replied.
"我的蛋蛋还是不一样,"杜夫回答。
“Yeah. Sorry about that,” I muttered, getting a surprised look, then a suspicious glare.
"是的。"对不起,"我咕哝着，露出惊讶的表情，然后露出可疑的目光。
Goldenblood took me to a large window. “Here’s the Wasteland, Blackjack.”
金血王把我带到一扇大窗前。"这是荒原，黑杰克。"
Gazing through it, I looked down at a large room with about two dozen ponies. A third of them were wearing patient gowns, the others divided into nurses and orderlies. And there, surrounded by other patients, were my friends.
我凝视着窗外，低头看着一个大房间，里面有二十多匹小马。其中三分之一的人穿着病人的服装，其余的人分为护士和勤务员。在那里，我的朋友们被其他病人包围着。
Glory sat with her singular wing, away from the group, looking over textbooks, her purple mane so beautiful as it fell across her face. P-21 also sat by himself, off in a corner, glaring warily out at the others. The scars around his neck were visible even from this distance. Rampage, covered in bandages and wearing a straitjacket, seemed to be having a conversation with herself at a table. Psalm, not Lacunae, sat nearby, rocking in place as her lips moved silently. Scotch Tape, looking faintly older than the filly I remembered, gazed out a window through bars at the world outside. LittlePip, strapped to a wheelchair in a straightjacket, appeared to be raving as a red-eyed stallion addressed her with a worn expression. Velvet Remedy sat singing to a rapt audience of none, while Calamity watched her with a hollow-eyed look. There were plenty of other ponies I didn’t know, too -- a vaguely familiar earth pony stallion conspicuously wrapped head to hoof in tinfoil, an absolutely adorable green pegasus stallion, a dishwater-gray unicorn surrounded by heaps of paper, scribbling words furiously, and a red-maned white mare with a neutral expression being visited by
晨辉坐在她的单一翅膀，远离群体，查看课本，她的紫色鬃毛如此美丽，因为它落在她的脸。P-21也独自坐在一个角落里，警惕地盯着外面的人。即使从这么远的距离也能看到他脖子上的伤疤。暴跳如雷，裹着绷带，穿着紧身衣，似乎在桌边和自己交谈。她坐在旁边，嘴唇静静地动着，正在原地摇晃着。透明胶带，看起来比我记忆中的那匹小母马要老一些，透过栅栏凝视着窗外的世界。身穿紧身衣，被绑在轮椅上的小匹普，看起来像是一匹红眼睛的种马用一种疲惫的表情对她说话，似乎在胡言乱语。天鹅绒补救法坐在那里对着一个全神贯注的听众唱歌，而卡拉米特则用一种空洞的眼神看着她。还有很多我不认识的小马——一匹模糊而熟悉的地球上的种马，醒目地用锡箔从头到脚缠绕着;一匹绝对可爱的飞马绿色种马;一只被成堆的纸包围着的洗碗用灰色的独角兽，狂暴地写着字;还有一匹红色鬃毛的白色母马，脸上带着中性的表情
a green-and-gold-maned cream unicorn, for instance – but most were ponies I knew.
例如，一只绿色和金色披着鬃毛的奶油色独角兽——但大多数是我认识的小马。
My friends...
我的朋友..。
“So they’re all crazy too?” I muttered, glaring at Goldenblood.
"这么说他们也都疯了?"我咕哝着，怒视着Goldenblood。
“Your delusions had their foundations in other patients here. Some were modified to fit your fantasy, others catered to you, lending their own fractured self identities to your mindscape,” he answered calmly.
"你的错觉在这里的其他病人身上也有根基。他平静地回答说:"有些是为了满足你的幻想而修改的，有些是为了迎合你而修改的，他们把自己破碎的自我身份借给了你的心理世界。"。
“Morning Glory?”
"牵牛花?"
“Nervous breakdown, suffering from intense stress and expectations about her success, leading to control issues and anxiety disorders.”
"精神崩溃，承受着巨大的压力和对她成功的期望，导致了控制问题和焦虑症。"
“P-21?”
"P-21?"
“Who? Oh, him. PTSD from repeated sexual traumas with high risk of suicide.”
"谁？哦，他。多次性创伤导致的创伤后应激障碍是自杀的高风险。"
“Psalm?” I asked, testing him, but he didn’t falter in the slightest.
"诗篇?"我问道，试探着他，但他一点也没有动摇。
“You recast her as Lacunae, a mother figure, which is understandable given your own mother’s remoteness and untimely death. Schizophrenia.”
"你把她重新塑造成拉库尼，一个母亲的形象，这是可以理解的，因为你自己的母亲远离人群，早逝。精神分裂症。"
“Rampage?”
"横冲直撞?"
“Dissociative Identity Disorder,” he replied smoothly. “You should really call her Peppermint.”
"解离性人格疾患,"他平静地回答。"你真应该叫她薄荷糖。"
“Scotch?”
"苏格兰威士忌?"
“Scotch Tape. Borderline Personality Disorder, stemming from early abandonment. She also suffers from the delusion that others are fictitious parents of hers. It’s a... rather unique take on the standard transient, stress-related psychotic features that we sometimes see in those clients,” he added with a faint smile.
"透明胶带。边缘性人格障碍，起源于早期的遗弃。她还患有一种错觉，认为别人是她虚构的父母。这是一个。.我们有时会在这些客户身上看到标准的短暂的、与压力有关的精神病特征。"他带着淡淡的微笑补充道。
Okay. What about the others? “LittlePip? Seriously?” I asked.
好吧。其他人呢？"小匹普？真的吗?"我问道。
“You mean Pipsqueak? Where to begin?” Goldenblood actually grinned. “First
"你是说小不点儿？从哪里开始呢?"金色血液真的咧嘴笑了。"第一
there’s her rampant substance abuse, which has led to permanent psychosis. Add that to Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and delusional disorder with delusions of reference and persecution…” He trailed off. “One pony controlling all the weather and ‘saving the wastelands’? Sound familiar?”
还有她猖獗的药物滥用，导致了永久性精神错乱。再加上自恋型人格障碍，以及参照和迫害妄想的妄想症......"。"一匹小马控制全天候,'拯救荒地'？听起来很熟悉吧?"
I ignored that. “Velvet Remedy?”
我忽略了这一点。"天鹅绒疗法?"
“Narcissistic Personality Disorder and a severe case of delusional disorder. She is convinced that she’s ‘destined’ to be the second coming of Fluttershy.” Then, before I asked, he pointed at Calamity with a hoof. “PTSD from time served in the Royal Guard.” He rubbed his chin. “They do work well together in group, though. Pity he feeds her need for reaffirmation. Ah well, there’s always a dependent when there’s a narcissist.”
自恋型人格障碍和严重的妄想症。她相信自己'命中注定'会成为Fluttershy的第二个归来者。"然后，在我问之前，他用蹄子指着卡拉米蒂。"在皇家卫队服役期间患上的PTSD"他揉了揉下巴。"不过，他们在团队中合作得很好。可惜他满足了她重新确认的需要。啊，当有自恋者的时候，总是有依赖性的。"
I huffed and just pointed at tinfoil pony, not having a clue where to start.
我怒气冲冲，只是指着锡箔小马，不知道从哪里开始。
“Applesnack? Scopo and haphephobia.” At my blank stare, he sighed. “Fear of being seen and touched, as well as some associated depression issues. You’d think he was a monster under there.” I pointed at another, and he just gave me a parental smile. “We could do this all day, Blackjack, and you won’t learn any more than you have in group.”
"苹果包？内窥镜和恐惧症。"在我茫然的注视下，他叹了口气。"害怕被看到和触摸，以及一些相关的抑郁问题。你会觉得他在那下面是个怪物。"我指着另一个人，他只是给了我一个父母般的微笑。"我们可以玩一整天，Blackjack，你不会比在小组里学到更多的东西。"
Fine then. “What about me?”
那好吧。"那我呢?"
His smile wavered a little and he took a moment before answering. “Perhaps one of the greatest cases for Complex PTSD that I’ve ever seen in my life. That, combined with an underlying Bipolar Disorder has created a, to be frank, fascinating mix of delusions, self-neglect, and impulsivity. You vary between utterly agitated to the point that we need to sedate you and catatonic depression where you don’t move for hours. You portray yourself as either the sole savior of the entire world or scum that deserves to be raped and mutilated. Or both. And you seek self-annihilation for perceived, unforgivable offenses that are amplified and re-amplified in your mind.”
他的微笑有点动摇，过了一会儿才回答。"也许这是我这辈子见过的最严重的复杂创伤后应激障碍的病例之一。坦白地说，这种情况再加上潜在的躁郁症，创造了一种错觉、自我忽视和冲动的迷人组合。在完全激动到需要给你注射镇静剂的程度和几个小时不动的紧张性抑郁症之间，你会有所不同。你要么把自己描绘成整个世界的唯一救世主，要么把自己描绘成应该被强奸和肢解的人渣。或者两者都有。你寻求自我毁灭的感知，不可原谅的冒犯，被放大和重新放大在你的头脑。"
“This is ridiculous!” I snapped as I turned away– and ran into Doof; immediately, both he and I tensed. What was I doing? Where was I going in a dream? “This isn’t real,” I said, wheeling on Goldenblood. “You’re dead!”
"这太荒谬了!"我一转身就狠狠地咬了一口——然后撞上了杜夫;立刻，他和我都紧张起来。我在做什么？我在梦里要去哪里？"这不是真的,"我说着，推着《金血王子》的轮椅。"你死定了!"
The scarred stallion sighed. “Blackjack, think about it. What is more likely: that you are fighting for your life in some irradiated nightmare, or that you are
伤痕累累的种马叹了口气。"黑杰克，想想吧。更有可能的是:你是在某个受辐射的噩梦中为你的生命而战，还是你确实如此
simply ill and need to get better? That you’re Security, facing incredible odds to save lives, or that you’re a mare who’s far too hard on herself and needs some help? That you’re the long-lost descendant of Twilight Sparkle with Princess Luna’s soul and a special spell that will save the world, or that you’re just a police pony who let one bad day completely consume her?”
只是病了，需要好起来？你是安全的，面对难以置信的机会去拯救生命，还是你是一匹对自己太苛刻需要帮助的母马？你是长期失踪的紫悦的后裔，拥有卢娜公主的灵魂和一个能拯救世界的特殊咒语，还是你只是一匹警察小马，让一个糟糕的日子完全毁灭了她?"
I turned back to the observation window and stared down at them all. Was it all in my head? I simply couldn’t tell anymore. He put a hoof on my shoulder. “There is no Wasteland, Blackjack. There never was,” he rasped, like a grizzled uncle who smoked too much.
我转身回到观察窗口，低头看着他们所有人。这一切都是我想象出来的吗？我简直说不出来了。他把蹄子放在我的肩上。"没有荒原，黑杰克。从来就没有过,"他像一个头发花白、烟瘾很大的叔叔一样粗声粗气地说。
Then I imagined the sound of shuffling cards, and an equally grave voice intoning: You think I’m some desolate landscape? I’m everywhere.
然后我想象着洗牌的声音，还有一个同样庄重的声音在吟诵:你以为我是什么荒凉的风景吗？我无处不在。
A world without the Wasteland...
一个没有荒原的世界..。
I closed my eyes. “That sounds really nice. Really,” I said in complete sincerity.
我闭上了眼睛。"听起来真不错。真的,"我非常真诚地说。
“I’d like to get better. To have a simple life. Just be a pony... a simple... good... pony...” Then I opened my eyes and stared down at my friends. What would it be like to just going back to being just Blackjack? But as I gazed at my friends, something niggled at me. A malcontent little part of myself. I glanced at Goldenblood, in his glasses and sweater, his eyes full of concern. “There’s just one thing I want from you. Something really simple.”
"我想好起来。过简单的生活。只是一匹小马......一匹简单的......好的......小马......"然后我睁开眼睛，低头看着我的朋友们。回到原来的黑杰克是什么感觉？但当我凝视着我的朋友们时，有什么东西在对我吹毛求疵。我内心不满的一小部分。我瞥了一眼Goldenblood，他戴着眼镜，穿着毛衣，眼里充满了关切。"我只想从你那里得到一样东西。非常简单的东西。"
Goldenblood’s frown deepened. “Anything, if it will help.”
金色血统的皱眉加深了。"什么都行，如果有帮助的话。"
“It will,” I said as I stared through the window. “What is P-21’s real name?”
"会的,"我盯着窗外说。"P-21的真名是什么?"
There was no answer for several seconds, and I glanced at the baffled stallion.
有几秒钟没有回答，我瞥了一眼这匹困惑的种马。
“What?” Goldenblood asked lightly.
"什么?"金色的血液轻轻地问。
“P-21. That stallion there,” I said, pointing a hoof. “Though if you’ve been reading my mind, you know who I’m talking about.” His eyes went to P-21 and then back to me. “Come on. You can’t honestly tell me that his name is actually ‘P-21’. So tell me his real name.”
"P-21.那匹种马,"我指着一只蹄子说。"不过，如果你一直在读我的思想，你知道我在说谁。"他的目光转向P-21，然后又转向我。"来吧。你不能老实告诉我他的名字实际上是"P-21"。那就告诉我他的真名。"
He continued to frown at me. “Blackjack, I can’t just tell you...”
他继续朝我皱眉。"黑杰克，我不能就这么告诉你..."
“Sure. Tell me this one thing! It’ll be our little secret!” I said as I glared at him.
"当然。告诉我这件事！这是我们之间的小秘密!"我瞪着他说。
His eyes went from P-21 to me and back again. “Blue... Blue... um... hooves? Blue... buck...” He fumbled as his eyes twitched from me to the window repeatedly. Sweat trickled down his temple. “I can’t remember. I’ll have to check his file!”
他的目光从P-21转向我，又转回来。"蓝色...蓝色...嗯...蹄子？蓝色......雄鹿......"他笨拙地摸索着，眼睛反复地从我身上抽搐到窗口。汗水从他的太阳穴滴下来。"我不记得了。我得查查他的档案!"
“It’s okay. He can tell me. Let’s go,” I said as I nodded at the window and started towards the stairs down to the room below. But Goldenblood and the other three weren’t moving. I rounded on all of them. “You don’t know what his real name is, do you?” I jabbed my hoof at the window. “Morning Glory. Psalm. Scotch Tape. Even ‘Pipsqueak’... that was from LittlePip’s book! So give me a name that’s not from the Wasteland!” I shouted at him.
"没关系。他可以告诉我。"我们走吧,"我对着窗户点了点头，然后朝楼下通往楼下房间的楼梯走去。但是金血王和其他三个人一动不动。我把他们都赶走了。"你不知道他的真名是什么，是吗?"我用蹄子戳了戳窗户。「牵牛花」。诗篇。透明胶带。甚至"小矮子"...那是小匹普书里的！所以给我一个不是从荒原来的名字吧!"我对他大喊大叫。
“You need to calm down!” Goldenblood replied in alarm. “Restrain her,” he said to the two orderlies, who rushed in.
"你需要冷静下来!"金血王惊恐地回答。"把她关起来,"他对冲进来的两个勤务兵说。
But I was through with mind games. The pair grabbed me with their hooves, but I didn’t move. I just stared at Goldenblood. “You keep trying to trap me in dreams!” I shouted at him, the building starting to rumble and crack. “But I am the Princess of the Night, and you will constrain me no longer!” I bellowed as the cracks spread, now through the struggling, grunting stallions like they were cheap porcelain figurines. I seized that fundamental truth and pushed against this lie. I watched as Goldenblood’s eyes went wide with fear before the world exploded into shards of darkness.
但是我已经受够了心理游戏。他们用蹄子抓住了我，但我一动不动。我只是盯着Goldenblood。"你一直想把我困在梦里!"我朝他大喊，整个建筑开始隆隆作响，裂开了。"但我是夜之公主，你不能再约束我了!"我咆哮着，裂缝扩散开来，现在穿过那些挣扎着、咕哝着的种马，好像它们是廉价的陶瓷小雕像。我抓住了这个基本真理，推翻了这个谎言。我看着金血王的眼睛因为恐惧而睁得大大的，直到世界爆炸成为黑暗的碎片。
* * *
* * *
The interior of the Seahorse, with my legs nailed to the floor as stallions sweated and grunted against me. I ignored and pushed again, the ship creaking, the blackness of my sight cracking like smoked glass. Another dream. Another illusion! But I was through being distracted. I kept pushing my will against that blinding darkness. “Face me...” I grunted as I concentrated. The darkness shattered.
海马的内部，我的腿被钉在地板上，种马汗流浃背，咕噜咕噜地对着我。我视而不见，继续推着船，船吱吱作响，黑暗的视线像烟熏的玻璃一样裂开了。又一个梦。又一个错觉！但我已经受够了分心。我不断地强迫自己的意志去抵抗那令人目眩的黑暗。"面对我......"我专心致志地咕哝着。黑暗破灭了。
* * *
* * *
Now I was standing in a restored Core, wearing the most ridiculous princess garb as thousands of Wastelanders all shouted their love and praise. Cognitum would have eaten it up. My friends were all alive, of course. It was like the Eater didn’t know what to throw against me anymore, but why was it bothering to throw anything against me at all? I stared straight ahead, denying the shoddy
现在我站在一个恢复的核心，穿着最可笑的公主装束，成千上万的荒废者都喊着他们的爱和赞美。科尼特姆会把它吃光的。当然，我的朋友们都还活着。它好像不知道该拿什么来对付我，但是它为什么要费劲拿什么来对付我呢？我直视前方，否认那些劣质的东西
fantasy, watching the cracks creep down the black obsidian towers. “Face me!” I commanded over the crowd, and they disappeared like dust as the skyscrapers exploded into enormous shards falling into the sky.
幻想，看著黑曜石塔上的裂痕慢慢蔓延。"面对我!"我向人群发号施令，当摩天大楼爆炸成巨大的碎片落入空中时，他们像尘土一样消失了。
* * *
* * *
Star House. P-21 as husband and father. Glory as wife. Rampage as friend. I pushed past it, the house shattering like glass into fragments of thought. These phantasms weren’t my friends, and I wasn’t going to be caught up by illusions of the real thing! “Face me, you coward!” I screamed as the shards flew away from me in every direction.
星之屋。P-21作为丈夫和父亲。作为妻子的晨辉。作为朋友的狂暴。我推开它，屋子像玻璃一样粉碎成思想的碎片。这些幻觉不是我的朋友，我也不会被真实事物的幻觉所迷惑！"面对我吧，你这个懦夫!"当碎片从我身边飞向四面八方时，我尖叫起来。
* * *
* * *
And now I landed on my face atop the Eater. My brain felt as if it had been yanked out one ear, mashed liberally, and shoved back in the other. I struggled for focus, looking at the casing ahead of me. Through blurring vision, I raised the gun. “No more dreams,” I muttered. “End this...”
现在我脸朝下降落在Eater的上方。我的大脑感觉好像一只耳朵被拉出来，大量地挤压，又塞回另一只耳朵里。我努力集中注意力，看着前面的弹壳。通过模糊的视线，我举起了枪。"不要再做梦了,"我喃喃自语。"结束这一切......"
The shard of moonstone flew true. I pressed my face to the ground as the casing exploded, showering me with bits of starmetal, talisman, and metal scaffold. Three down. Three to go.
月光石的碎片飞得真实。机壳爆炸的时候，我把脸贴在地上，溅了我一身星形金属、护身符和金属脚手架的碎片。干掉三个。还有三个。
Wait. Why was the world moving?
等等。为什么世界在移动？
I raised my head and looked around, realizing that the silvery ring of metal was no longer a ring. The spines were curling and rearranging themselves, and the central ring I was on had become disconnected, now more like an undulating, segmented curved bar of metal than a solid loop. And it was continuing to move as I held on with my fingers, trying to avoid being flung off. But as the whiplike motions increased, all I could do was teleport into open air away from it and watch.
我抬起头，环顾四周，意识到银色的金属环不再是一个环了。脊柱卷曲并重新排列，我所在的中心环已经变得不连贯，现在更像是一个起伏的、分节的金属弯曲棒，而不是一个实心的环。它还在继续移动，我用手指抓住它，试图避免被甩出去。但是随着像鞭子一样的动作越来越多，我所能做的就是把它传送到远离它的户外，然后观察它。
Like a cloud of razorblades in an emerald fog, the silvery monstrosity rose up, the shards of metal whirling and spinning in almost mesmerizing spirals. Staring into that luminous mist, I couldn’t stop seeing the deaths of my loved ones as the blades swirled and twisted before me. The large lump I’d landed on earlier moved to the center of the mass, like the eye of a storm. The silver surface boiled with the visages of countless souls. The fleshy ooze connected the glades in fleshy, tumorous chunks, forming muscle and pulsating organs with no
就像翡翠般浓雾中的剃须刀片云，银色的庞然大物升了起来，金属碎片旋转着，几乎成了迷人的螺旋。凝视着那发光的薄雾，我无法停止眼睁睁地看着我所爱的人在我面前死去，刀刃在我面前旋转和扭曲。我先前落在上面的那个大块移动到了质量中心，就像暴风眼一样。银色的表面沸腾着无数灵魂的面容。这些肉质渗出物将沼泽连接成肉质的肿块，形成肌肉和有脉动的器官
function. Two clawed hands of starmetal linked by that grotesque meat floated to either side of the green vortex before me, the bladed fingers as long as a dozen Blackjacks. Three small, flat silver satellites orbited it, beaming fields of magic out in a triangular arrangement to catch Tom as he fell. But I couldn’t think about them now. All I could think of was the mesmerizing vortex before me.
函数。两只长着爪子的星状金属手被那块奇形怪状的肉连在一起，漂浮在我面前的绿色漩涡的两边，带刃的手指有一打黑杰克那么长。三颗银色的小卫星围绕着它旋转，以三角形排列的方式发射出魔力场，在汤姆摔倒时接住他。但我现在无法想起他们。我所能想到的就是我面前那迷人的漩涡。
YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION, MY LITTLE PONY, it boomed, not just in mere sound but in a magical wave that tore at the soul inside me. That song within me was the only refuge I had against the impact of its attention. BE HONORED.
你引起了我的注意，我的小马驹，它嗡嗡地叫着，不仅仅是在声音中，而是在一个神奇的波浪中撕扯着我内心的灵魂。我心中的那首歌是我唯一的避难所，可以抵挡它的注意力的冲击。荣幸之至。
I stared up at the brilliant glow of Tom. Three shields generators left to kill, and yet, I couldn’t think with that thing before me. The disturbingly hypnotizing movement and pulsating maroon flesh... those faces in the nucleus screaming Enervation’s hymn that plucked at my very soul! Give me the Legate. Give me a dozen Legates. They’d be better than this.
我抬头看着汤姆发出的明亮的光芒。剩下三个护盾发生器可以杀死，但是，我无法思考前面的那个东西。令人不安的催眠的动作和颤动的栗色肉体...那些在核心中尖叫着的面孔凝聚能量的赞美诗拨动着我的灵魂！把特使给我。给我一打副将。他们会比现在更好。
I gaped, struggling to think... to act... Finally, all I could do was say a single word.
我目瞪口呆，挣扎着去思考......去行动......最后，我能做的只是说一句话。
“Why?” I whispered.
"为什么?"我低声说。
Its serpentine lips spread wide. TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE FROM THE INFINITE VOID. TO SPARE EXISTENCE FROM THE INDIGNITY OF DEATH. I WILL NOT GO WILLINGLY INTO OBLIVION. EVEN NOW, WITH SUCH ENTOURAGE, I AM ROUSED TO MOTION AGAIN. Then the countless mouths paused as the green nimbus flared in a corona. YOU CAUSED ME PAIN, MY LITTLE PONY. GREAT PAIN.
它那弯弯曲曲的嘴唇张得很大。从无限的虚空中拯救宇宙。不让生存受到死亡的侮辱。我不会心甘情愿地被遗忘。即使现在，有了这样的随从，我又被唤醒了。绿色的光环像一个光环一样闪耀着，无数的嘴巴顿时停了下来。你让我很痛苦，我的小马。巨大的痛苦。
I licked my lips, murmuring, “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
我舔了舔嘴唇，喃喃地说:"那时候这么做似乎是对的。"
Was that swirling mass of orbiting blades getting closer, or was it drawing me in? It didn’t matter. The swirling patterns, ever changing yet always the same, soothed me. I FORGIVE YOU. I KNOW PAIN WELL, AND I KNOW
是旋转的螺旋叶片越来越近了，还是它把我吸进去了？没关系。不断变化的漩涡图案总是一成不变，这让我感到安慰。我原谅你。我很了解痛苦，我也知道
YOUR SUFFERING. I KNOW YOUR FEAR. LET ME END BOTH. LET ME GIVE YOU PEACE AND RELIEF. From the corpuscles that revolved around it like cancerous moons extended fleshy pseudopods, studded with countless starmetal fanged mouths. LET ME REUNITE YOU WITH GLORY, the Eater offered in its sibilant whisper of forsaken voices.
你的痛苦。我知道你的恐惧。让我结束这两者。让我给你安宁和解脱。从围绕着它旋转的血球中，就像癌变的卫星一样，延伸出肉质的假足，镶嵌着无数长着星状尖牙的嘴。让我让你与晨辉重聚吧，食者用嘶嘶作响的低语声提出。
FOREVER.
永远。
To be together again... a part of me yearned for that.
再次在一起......我内心的一部分渴望着那样。
The sword slashed across a mass of squirming tentacles, and my magic seemed to sweep the blade around in a flashing circle, cleaving the masses as my magic bullets blasted out in a fan of stars, driving them away. The magic sparked with silver fire when it clashed on the starmetal blades beyond. I wasn’t sure if the Eater’s scream was of pain or frustration, but I flew back as the two hands clenched shut on the space I’d occupied a second ago.
剑划过一大群蠕动的触须，我的魔法似乎像闪光的圆环一样划过剑刃，劈开了一大群，我的魔法子弹像星星的扇子一样喷射出来，把它们赶走了。当魔法与远处的星形金属刀片发生撞击时，闪烁着银色的火焰。我不确定这个食人者的尖叫是痛苦还是沮丧，但是我飞回来了，因为两只手紧握着关在我刚刚占据的空间上。
WHY?! I KNOW YOUR HEART! I TASTE YOUR SUFFERING! I WILL END IT! Was it just me, or did the Eater almost sound as if it were begging?
为什么?！我知道你的心！我尝到了你的痛苦！我要结束这一切！是只有我这么觉得，还是食人者的声音听起来像是在乞讨？
LET ME END IT! PLEASE!
让我结束它！求你了！
“Sorry,” I answered with a sad smile. “Some suffering, you just have to endure,” I said, knowing that one way or another, everything ended. That was what Pythia had tried to tell me. How it ended matter far more than actually dying. “She’d never forgive me if I just gave up. I promised, after all. I have to live.”
"对不起,"我带着悲伤的微笑回答。"有些痛苦，你只能忍受,"我说，知道无论如何，一切都结束了。这就是皮提亚试图告诉我的。如何结束比实际死亡更重要。"如果我放弃了，她永远不会原谅我。毕竟我答应过。我必须活下去。"
For several moments, the Eater just swirled before me, the nucleus completely smooth. Then the orb started to ripple as the ground rumbled, the wires and spires of the Core swaying wildly as the blades and flesh contracted. Then it exploded in a scream and release of energy that threatened to vaporize me then and there. Every blade extended outwards, the hands outstretched in writhing fury as the nucleus became a mass of barbed needles thrusting in every direction at once. I HAVE WAITED EONS BEYOND MEASURE FOR MY RESTORATION. YOU SHALL NOT STOP ME, PITIFUL MORTAL!
有那么一会儿，Eater在我面前打着旋儿，原子核完全平滑。随着地面隆隆作响，圆球开始起波纹，随着刀片和肉体的收缩，核心的电线和尖顶疯狂地摇晃着。然后它爆炸了，发出一声尖叫，释放出能量，威胁着要当场把我蒸发掉。每一把刀都向外延伸，手伸出来扭动着，愤怒地扭动着，因为细胞核变成了一团突然向四面八方插入的带倒钩的针。为了我的复原，我已经等待了无数个世纪。你阻止不了我，可怜的凡人！
THIS ENDS NOW!
现在就结束吧！
But while the Eater threatened, I was already in motion. There were three shields, their generators now orbiting in a halo above the Eater, that I had to take out before Tom came in contact with them. If he did, even disabling the F.A.D.E. generators wouldn’t disrupt the spell they projected. I teleported to the first of the three. If my count was right, I had three moonstone shells left. No pressure.
但是当食者威胁我的时候，我已经开始行动了。有三个护盾，它们的发电机现在围绕着食者上方的一个光环运转，我必须在汤姆接触到它们之前把它们拿出来。如果他这么做了，即使关闭f.a.d.e发电机也不会破坏他们所设计的咒语。我瞬移到了三个人中的第一个。如果我的计算是正确的，我有三个月光石弹离开。没有压力。
I hovered over it and took aim. The generator casing was now connected to a platform ringed with levitation talismans and crackling spark batteries, all held together with starmetal rods. I pointed straight down and– immediately dodged to the side as a blade of all the Eater’s assembled parts swung at me. The weapon, as big as a skyscraper, whooshed past me, ripping a line across the
我在它上空盘旋，瞄准了它。发电机外壳现在连接到一个由悬浮护身符和易碎火花电池环绕的平台上，所有这些东西都由星状金属棒连接在一起。我径直向下指了指，立刻躲到一边，这时一把"吃者"装配好的零件的刀向我挥来。那武器，有摩天大楼那么高，从我身边呼啸而过，撕裂了一条线
spires behind me as it passed. Even though it missed, the draft behind it plucked me out of the air and carried me along like a feather. The Eater’s flesh sprayed over me, grasping, stiffening, holding me in place as that monumental edge swung around the nucleus for a second strike.
我身后的尖塔。虽然它没打中，但它后面的风把我从空中拉了出来，像羽毛一样带着我前进。当巨大的边缘在原子核周围转动，准备第二次攻击时，食人者的肉喷射在我身上，抓住，僵硬，把我固定在原地。
SUCH HUBRIS. SUCH FOOLISHNESS. I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE, AND IN IT IS YOUR DEMISE! the Eater roared as the weapon came around again. But I was also Princess Luna, and she would not be stopped by such filth. A moonlight burst of magic drove the grasping tissue from me, and I dove before that colossal blade obliterated me. The immense length shattered into a billion tiny flechettes that whirled at me, connected by that baleful fog. I teleported again... and was almost ripped in two by the sweep of one of its floating claws.
如此狂妄自大。如此愚蠢。我已经看到了未来，而且是你的死亡！当武器又回来的时候，食人者咆哮起来。但是我也是卢娜公主，她不会被这些污秽所阻止。月光突然施展魔法，驱散了我身上那张抓握的纸巾，我在那把巨刃毁灭我之前潜入水中。巨大的长度分裂成数十亿个小小的斑点，它们旋转着朝我飞来，被邪恶的雾气连接在一起。我又瞬移了......它的一只漂浮的爪子差点把我撕成两半。
YOUR EVERY ACTION, YOUR EVERY REACTION, ARE ON DISPLAY BEFORE ME. YOU CANNOT PREVAIL.
你的每一个动作，你的每一个反应，都展现在我面前。你无法获胜。
“Talk talk talk,” I grumbled as I kept flying, trying to avoid all the many ways it could kill me while struggling to work out how I could distract it enough to get to the generators. “If you’re so powerful, I’d be dead already. I bet that it’s taking a lot of energy to keep that display going.”
"说话，说话，说话,"我嘟囔着，一边继续飞行，一边试图避免它可能杀死我的各种方式，同时努力想办法分散它的注意力，让它跑到发电机那里去。"如果你那么强大，我早就死了。我敢打赌，保持这种显示效果需要消耗大量的能量。"
YOU WISH FOR DEATH! IT IS THE ONLY ATONEMENT FITTING FOR YOUR SINS, the Eater roared as we dueled in the air, me dodging, teleporting, and dodging again. This wasn’t like with the Legate. One solid hit would be like the mother of all boats landing on me. ADMIT YOUR
你想死！这是唯一适合你的罪恶的赎罪，当我们在空中决斗时，食肉者咆哮着，我闪避，瞬移，再次闪避。这和特使不一样。一击致命就像所有船只的母亲降落在我身上。承认你的
FAILINGS. YOU REGRET THE SUFFERING YOU’VE INFLICTED ON THOSE YOU LOVE.
失败。你后悔给你所爱的人带来的痛苦。
Okay, now this was getting annoying. It was taking all my skill and magic to avoid being smashed into cybernetic goo by this thing, and yet I couldn’t help myself. “You know what? You’re right! I do regret a lot of the shit I’ve caused, but I’ve always tried to do better.” A dozen house sized shards streaked straight for me, and I hovered, teleporting just behind them as they passed. “But you know what else? It’s not always me! Sometimes, the Wasteland just fucking sucks!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, at it, at the Dealer, at the whole damned world. “But I don’t care, because I will never give up! Not even if it kills me!”
好吧，这越来越烦人了。我用尽了所有的技巧和魔法来避免被这个东西撞成机械粘性物，但我还是忍不住。"你知道吗？你说得对！我确实为自己造成的许多麻烦感到后悔，但我一直在努力做得更好。"一打房子大小的碎片直冲着我而来，他们经过的时候，我在他们身后徘徊，心灵传输。""但你知道还有什么吗？并不总是我！有时候，荒原真他妈的糟透了!"我用最大的声音尖叫着，对着它，对着庄家，对着整个该死的世界。"但是我不在乎，因为我永远不会放弃！就算要我的命也不行!"
I flew for another floating shield generator but this time teleported backwards before I reached it. The hands passed by, fingers flailing for me as they passed,
我飞了另一个浮动屏蔽发生器，但这次在我到达它之前向后传送。手从我身边经过，手指在我身边挥舞,
and I teleported forward before the draft could suck me away. I grabbed the starmetal framework and pointed the shotgun at the box. An immense mental pressure crushed in on my mind, but I shoved the attack away. A trigger pull, and I dropped. The platform exploded above me, shards of metal raining down as it collapsed.
在选秀把我吸走之前我就心灵感应了。我抓起那个星形金属框架，用猎枪指着盒子。一种巨大的精神压力压在我的脑海里，但我把这种攻击推开了。一扣扳机，我就倒下了。平台在我头上爆炸了，金属碎片像雨点一样落下来。
The hands came up, and I tried to teleport away when suddenly a green light flashed. I tried to squeeze myself through the Blackjack-sized hole in my mind, but couldn’t do it. Instead, I smashed into the upturned palm of the hand beneath me, ramming into it like hitting a wall of sticky goo. Immediately the fingers started to close, to crush me like a bug. But the starmetal platform had also fallen atop me, and the flaming disk of star metal held the fingers at bay. I launched myself up through the burning hole in the middle, flying clear as the Eater rammed its blades through its own hand after me, tearing through its own grotesque flesh in an effort to end me. I barely dodged aside, flying as fast as my wings and Luna’s soul could take me.
手举起来，我试图瞬移离开，这时突然一道绿光闪过。我试着把自己从脑子里那个黑杰克大小的洞里挤出来，但是做不到。相反，我猛地撞上了脚下那只向上翻转的手掌，就像撞上了一堵粘糊糊的墙。手指立刻开始合拢，像挤压虫子一样挤压着我。但是星金属平台也倒在了我的身上，燃烧的星金属圆盘挡住了我的手指。我从中间那个燃烧的洞里跳了出来，当食人者用它的刀片在我身后捅进自己的手，撕开自己奇形怪状的肉体，试图结束我的生命时，我飞得很清楚。我勉强躲到一边，用我的翅膀和露娜的灵魂最快的速度飞着。
One down, two to go. I tried teleporting, but it was no use! The Eater was now tracking me, watching closely. YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME ALONE, LITTLE PONY? the Eater asked as it whirled before me. YOU TIRE. YOU WEAKEN. ARE YOU AFRAID TO DIE ALL ALONE?
一个搞定了，还有两个。我试过瞬移，但是没有用！食人者现在正在跟踪我，仔细地观察着。你以为你一个人就能打败我吗，小马驹？食人者问道，它在我面前旋转着。你累了。你变得软弱。你害怕孤独地死去吗？
“I am not alone!” I shouted as I flapped furiously towards one of the platforms. The Eater struck, the blades assembling in a bizarre geometry that focused the Enervation fog into a fountain of energy that swept at me in a green beam of death... but this time, I didn’t run. I turned and dove straight for that nucleus, twisting around the beam as it tried to swing to me. “Everyone I’ve made friends with and who helped me is here with me now!” My riot shotgun blasts seemed imbued with a silver moonlight as I fired straight into that sphere, as if I poured every bit of Luna’s soul into the shots. And with each shot, like a moment frozen in S.A.T.S., I could see Rampage’s obnoxious smirk, Lacunae’s patient smile, and Scotch Tape’s innocent grin. The shots seemed to disrupt the Eater’s nimbus and control as white flame disrupted the silvery orb. Now I orbited its core with all the wrath of the Maiden of the Stars!
"我不是一个人!"我一边喊着，一边拼命地向一个站台拍打着翅膀。食者击中了我，刀片组合成一个奇怪的几何形状，聚焦了能量的喷泉，以绿色的死亡光束扫向我......但是这一次，我没有逃跑。我转过身，径直向那个原子核飞去，当它试图向我飞来的时候，我扭动着它的身体。"所有和我交过朋友、曾经帮助过我的人现在都和我在一起!"当我径直朝那个球体开火时，我的散弹枪似乎充满了银色的月光，仿佛我把卢娜的灵魂全部注入了子弹。每一个镜头，就像在S.A.T.S.凝固的瞬间，我都能看到狂暴令人讨厌的傻笑，陷阱女耐心的微笑，以及透明胶带天真的笑容。白色的火焰打乱了银色的圆球，这些射击似乎干扰了食者的灵气和控制力。现在我用星星少女的愤怒围绕它的核心旋转！
YOU ARE ALL NOTHING! FLICKERING EMBERS IN THE ETERNAL DARK, EASILY EXTINGUISHED! the Eater howled, trying to bring those blades to bear on me, to lock me in a dream, to convince me to surrender, to do anything it could to survive.
你什么都不是！在永恒的黑暗中摇曳的余烬，很容易熄灭！那个食人者嚎叫着，试图用那些刀片来对付我，把我锁在一个梦里，说服我投降，做任何能让它活下来的事情。
“They are everything!” I contradicted imperiously. “Together, they got me here!” I retorted as I stung it like it had never been stung before. “Every one, every single person, who’s helped me get to this point!” Whisper and Stygius embracing as she sang. Lancer, Pythia, and Sekashi, a family that should have been. LittlePip and her friends, together in Spike’s cave. Duty and Sacrifice barked, the glowing shots seeming to disrupt the Enervation’s singular note with those harmonious feelings inside me. “All of us, working together, as friends, have a power you can’t imagine!”
"它们就是一切!"我傲慢地反驳。"他们一起把我带到了这里!"我一边反驳，一边说，好像它以前从来没被叮过一样。"每一个人，每一个帮助我走到这一步的人!"在她歌唱的时候拥抱着她的耳语和冥河。兰瑟，Pythia，和Sekashi，一个应该是。小匹普和她的朋友们一起在斯派克的洞穴里。责任和牺牲咆哮起来，这些闪亮的镜头似乎用我内心的和谐感受打断了这支支奇异的音符。"我们所有人，作为朋友一起工作，拥有一种你无法想象的力量!"
It raised a shield of blades to protect the nucleus. THEN THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE! ALL OF YOU MUST DIE! YOUR SOULS SHALL ACCOMPANY ME FOR ETERNITY! A tiny aperture formed in the middle of the bladed disk and a beam of pure annihilation swept at me. I threw all my magic, my passion, my perseverance into a shield and managed to get clear of the beam. But I didn’t back down, retreat, or regroup as the beam faded.
它升起了一层刀片保护核心。那么解决方案就很简单了！你们都必须死！你们的灵魂将永远陪伴我！在叶盘的中央形成了一个小孔，一束纯粹的湮灭光束扫向我。我把我所有的魔法，我的激情，我的毅力投入到一个盾牌，并设法摆脱了梁。但是我并没有因为光束消失而退却、撤退或者重组。
No, that would have been the smart thing to do.
不，那样做才是明智之举。
Instead, I darted in, passing through it, trailing smoke and little bits of my armor and hide. “No! No more! It’s time we’re free of you!” I said as I hewed at it, seeing Glory and P-21 with their confident smiles, the blade glowing with starlight as I thought of them. Ponies I hadn’t deserved, but who had loved me despite everything! Again and again I struck, and the magic imbuing the blade rent the nucleus again and again, the quicksilver surface seeming to struggle to contain itself. No, not itself. The nucleus was hollow, and as I rent the mercurian surface, countless souls poured out in great streams of white, like the Milky Way. The Eater would never take them. “Everypony I’ve cared about and loved is with me! You’re the one who is alone! You’re nothing!”
相反，我冲了进去，穿过它，拖着烟雾和我盔甲上的小碎片，躲了起来。"不！再也不会了！是我们摆脱你的时候了!"我一边说，一边看着它，看着晨辉和P-21自信的笑容，刀刃在我想起它们时闪烁着星光。我不配得到的小马，但是谁不管发生了什么都爱我！我一次又一次地撞击，剑刃的魔力一次又一次地撕裂了原子核，水银般的表面似乎在挣扎着控制自己。不，不是它本身。原子核是空心的，当我划破水银般的表面时，无数的灵魂涌出如银河般的白色巨流。食人者决不会带走他们。"我所关心和爱的每一匹小马都和我在一起！你才是那个孤独的人！你什么都不是!"
That did it. I NEED NO ONE! NOTHING! the Eater screamed, flailing wildly. Its claws and blades and beams striking out in all directions with the furious abandon of a foal's tantrum. They smashed buildings, tore the wires free, and beat a whirlwind inside the glowing magical field. I WAS GREATEST!
就是这样。我不需要任何人！什么都没有！那个食人者尖叫着，疯狂地乱扑乱打。它的爪子、刀片和光束像小马驹狂暴的脾气一样向四面八方伸出。他们砸碎了建筑物，扯断了电线，在发光的魔法场地里打了一阵旋风。我是最棒的！
BRIGHTEST! I WILL BE SO AGAIN, EVEN IF I HAVE TO SNUFF OUT EVERY OTHER WRETCHED, TREACHEROUS SPARK IN THE SKIES!
最聪明的！我将再次如此，即使我不得不熄灭天空中每一个可怜的，奸诈的火花！
But while it ranted, I swooped in to the second-to-last shield generator. Two shotgun shells left. I fired, and the slug streaked in and hit the casing... but
但是当它咆哮的时候，我冲向倒数第二个护盾发生器。还剩两发猎枪子弹。我开了枪，子弹飞进来，打中了弹壳......但是
something was wrong. There was a feeble glow of white magic, and then the side of the case detonated with an anemic pop. Was the Enervation transforming the moonstone in the shells? I flew in and finished the shield talisman with my sword. The triangular projection of magic flickered and went out.
有点不对劲。白色魔法微弱地发着光，然后箱子的一侧爆炸了，爆炸声很弱。是这种能量转化了月光石的外壳吗？我飞进去，用我的剑完成了盾牌护身符。魔法的三角形投影闪烁了一下就消失了。
Then a flailing blade smacked the underside of the platform with such force that I was all but plastered against it as it streaked right at the magical wall of the shaft. It was all I could do to extend a wing, making the disk spin and flipping me away before impact. The platform struck the wall of magic and the spark batteries exploded in a shower of lightning. One more. Just one--
接着，一把挥舞着的刀片狠狠地砸在了平台的下面，我几乎全身贴在上面，因为它正好撞到了竖井的魔法墙上。我所能做的就是展开机翼，让飞盘旋转，在撞击之前把我甩开。平台撞上了魔法墙，火花电池在一阵闪电中爆炸。再来一杯。就一个----
I didn’t have more than a moment to gather my wits before I was flying as fast as I could, a fury of building sized blades stabbing at me with furious abandon. The tips sizzled as they struck the shield, while I flew as fast as I could along the shimmering field of magic. The hands appeared before me, dragging their claw tips against the plane with lightning crackling around each tip, ready to slice me or spear me.
在我以最快的速度飞行之前，我没有多少时间来理清思绪，一群建筑物大小的刀刃狂暴地向我袭来。当它们击中盾牌时，尖端发出咝咝的声音，而我则以最快的速度沿着闪闪发光的魔法领域飞行。那双手出现在我面前，用爪尖拖着飞机，每个尖端周围都有闪电劈啪作响，准备要么把我切成片，要么把我刺死。
I stared at the boiling nucleus. I couldn’t teleport, couldn’t fly, but I was the Princess of the Night. “You like mind games? Have one!” I shouted, pouring all my focus into imagining a pool that was the Eater’s mind. I had no delusions about trapping it, but for a moment, it was devouring all, the universe and all the worlds in it spiraling in as it blasted a light brighter than any into the darkness. All the souls in creation sang its praises. It was greatest, most glorious.
我凝视着沸腾的原子核。我不能传送，不能飞，但我是夜之公主。"你喜欢玩心理游戏吗？吃一个吧!"我喊道，把我所有的注意力都集中在想象一个水池上，这个水池就是Eater的大脑。我对困住它没有幻想，但有那么一瞬间，它吞噬了一切，整个宇宙和宇宙中的所有世界都在螺旋上升，它向黑暗中发射出一道比任何光都要明亮的光芒。所有被创造的灵魂都歌颂它。这是最伟大的，最辉煌的。
And it worked. The blades slowed, stabbing more erratically, as I distracted it with visions of its success. Twisting, I powered myself towards the final platform, the last shield generator, and the only thing keeping Tom from destroying this thing once and for all!
结果奏效了。刀片放慢了速度，刺得更加不稳定，我想象着它的成功，分散了它的注意力。扭转，我把自己的动力向最后的平台，最后的盾牌发电机，和唯一的事情保持汤姆摧毁这件事一劳永逸！
A light grew overhead as Tom re-entered with a blazing corona. No time to think. Only to fly. Only to win. I streaked past the massive, silvery blades, that stabbed almost idly as I enraptured it with visions of glory. Faster! Almost there! I could hear the moonstone song radiating above me.
当汤姆带着一个燃烧的日冕重新进入时，一道光从头顶照了进来。没时间思考了。只为了飞翔。只是为了赢。我飞快地穿过那些巨大的、银色的刀刃，它们几乎无所事事地刺着我，让我陶醉在晨辉的幻象之中。快点！快到了！我可以听到月光石的歌声在我的头顶放射出来。
One... more...
再来一个。
Reaching the Eater’s nucleus, I flew clear and streaked for the platform. The surface shimmered and the faces contorted in fury, but I passed it with out care. It would take too long to bring its two hands or blades to bear on me. My
到了Eater的核心，我飞得很远，飞到了平台上。表面闪闪发光，脸庞因愤怒而扭曲，但我小心翼翼地穿过它。要把它的两只手或者两把刀片放在我身上，时间太长了。我的
shotgun was ready. I was ready. I-- oh, crap!
猎枪准备好了。我已经准备好了。我----哦，该死！
A third hand swung around the roiling orb, starmetal blades dropping towards me. All I could do was aim for a gap between the fingers, stretching my hooves out, thinning myself as much as possible. In a flash I was through!
第三只手在旋转的圆球周围转动，星状金属刀片向我落来。我所能做的就是瞄准手指之间的空隙，伸出我的蹄子，尽可能地稀释我自己。一瞬间我就完了！
And my wings had disappeared.
我的翅膀消失了。
The claw ripped through them so quickly and cleanly that I was transformed from a flying body into a ballistic one without being knocked off target. Bloody stubs of metal continued to beat in a futile attempt to keep me in the air. I waved my limbs in a desperate attempt to reach the floating platform before I tumbled to what would certainly be my end.
利爪如此迅速干净地撕裂了他们，以至于我从一个飞行的身体变成了一个没有被击中目标的弹道人。血淋淋的金属碎片继续敲打着，徒劳地试图让我留在空中。我挥舞着我的四肢，绝望地试图到达浮动平台，然后我跌倒了，那肯定是我的终点。
My fingers popped free and caught on the platform’s edge, and I dangled there a moment over the Eater, watching my wings flutter to the ground far far below. “Ow,” I groaned as I hung, then shook my head hard. “One more...” I muttered, pulling myself atop the platform and over to the box holding the shield talisman. Falteringly, I struggled to my hooves.
我的手指挣脱了束缚，抓住了平台的边缘，在食者号上方晃了一会儿，看着我的翅膀扑向远处的地面。"噢,"我一边挂着电话一边呻吟着，然后使劲摇了摇头。"还有一个......"我喃喃自语，把自己拉到平台上，走到拿着盾牌护身符的箱子前。我踉踉跄跄地用蹄子挣扎着。
The Eater rose before me, the swirling blades and green nimbus a horrible parody of the sun. The three hands spread wide as they dripped fetid flesh. Overhead came a rush of wind and an azure glow, like a blue sun descending. It didn’t matter. Distantly, I could hear Chapel’s bell tolling.
食者站在我面前，旋转的刀刃和绿色的光轮仿佛是对太阳的可怕模仿。三只手伸展开来，沾满了发臭的肉。头顶上吹来一阵狂风，蔚蓝色的霞光，像一轮落日。没关系。远处，我能听到教堂的钟声。
I’d won.
我赢了。
I pointed the shotgun at the box beneath my hooves and pulled the trigger, a great relief spreading through me as the gun blasted the starmetal casing.
我把猎枪对准我蹄子下面的盒子，扣动了扳机，当枪击中星形金属外壳时，一种巨大的宽慰贯穿了我的全身。
The slug impacted at my hooves.
子弹击中了我的蹄子。
And...
还有..。
Nothing?
什么都没有？
I stared down between my legs at the sight of the lead slug smooshed against the casing, but instead of a moonstone shard, starmetal glittered in the middle.
我低头凝视着两腿之间，看到铅弹在外壳上滑动，但中间没有月光石碎片，而是闪闪发光的星形金属。
No, I thought numbly, drawing out the bottle of moonstone dust and seeing only
不，我麻木地想，抽出一瓶月光石灰，只看到
silvery sand within. It fell from my fingers, tumbling down into the shadows below. The spent shotgun followed it.
里面有银砂。它从我的手指间滑落，跌落到下面的阴影里。那把散弹枪也跟了过去。
Then one hand seized me, five points piercing around my torso. Another held the platform steady. The Eater lifted me up before its nucleus, the ripples forming a gibbeous face that leered at me. I TOLD YOU, MY LITTLE PONY. FUTILE.
然后一只手抓住了我，五点刺穿了我的躯干。另一个人稳住了平台。那个食人者把我举到它的核心前面，涟漪形成了一张叽叽喳喳的脸，斜视着我。我告诉过你，我的小马驹。徒劳无功。
Then its remaining hand grabbed my shoulders, and like a hellhound plucking the wings off a bloatsprite, the Eater of Souls tore me in two.
然后它剩下的一只手抓住了我的肩膀，就像一只地狱犬从一只浮游生物身上扯下翅膀一样，灵魂的食人者把我撕成了两半。
A numbness spread through me as I fell from his talons back onto the platform. Only my augmentation kept me from passing out immediately from blood loss as I lay there, seeing my entrails and synthetic sinews and wires dangling down beneath me. NOW! BEAR WITNESS TO MY GLORY! he bellowed as it moved down beneath the sole remaining field, using pony technology to keep it safe as I lay there.
当我从他的爪子上跌落到平台上时，麻木感蔓延了全身。当我躺在那里，看到我的内脏、合成肌腱和电线在我下面晃来晃去时，只有我的增强器才能让我不至于立即失血而昏倒。现在！为我的晨辉做见证！我躺在那里，他用小马的技术保证了它的安全。
Tom impacted, and I had a front row seat.
汤姆撞到了我，我坐在前排。
The tapered crystal seemed to have grown in its transit, or perhaps I was just a lousy judge of size. The tip of the stone dragged along the edge of the shaft in a blinding trail of fiery light and magic that swirled around me. Only my proximity to the shield talisman kept me from being instantly crushed and blasted off by the hurricane force of displaced air or the colossal heat. I’d eliminated five of the shields, but the sixth still sufficed to keep Tom from reaching the Eater.
锥形的晶体似乎是在凌日过程中生长出来的，或许我只是一个糟糕的尺寸判断者。那块石头的尖端沿着竖井的边缘拖曳着，在我周围闪烁着耀眼的火光和魔法。只有靠近护盾护身符，我才不会立刻被飓风般的空气或巨大的热量击碎和炸飞。我已经消灭了五个护盾，但是第六个仍然足以阻止汤姆接近食人者。
An enormous flaming blue alicorn seemed to swell from the stone, and brilliant, blazing hooves struck around to either side of the magical wedge holding it at bay. The Eater wove back and forth, laughing with wild abandon. Those floating claws snatched handfuls of blazing spirit fire and drew them to the nucleus, which expanded into a strange, ever shifting geometry that absorbed the energy and grew organically into ever more complex shapes.
一只巨大的燃烧着的蓝色橡子似乎从石头上冒了出来，耀眼的、炽热的蹄子在挡住它的魔法楔形物的两边四处乱撞。食者前后交织着，放肆地大笑着。那些漂浮的爪子抓住了一把炽热的灵魂之火，把它们吸引到核心，核心膨胀成一个奇怪的、不断变化的几何形状，吸收了能量，有机地生长成更加复杂的形状。
YOUR CHAMPION HAS FAILED, the Eater taunted amid mouthfuls of glowing blue luminescence.
你的冠军已经失败了，这个食者在一口发着蓝光的冷光中嘲笑着。
WITH MY LAST MOMENTS, I WILL DEFY YOU! Tom cried out as the Eater’s disembodied hands ripped away more flaming gobbits.
在我生命的最后时刻，我要向你挑战！汤姆大声喊道，这时食人者那双脱离肉体的手又撕开了更多燃烧的火焰杯。
YOUR LAST MOMENTS ARE DELICIOUS, the Eater cackled as he feasted on the still-living star.
你的最后时刻是美味的，食者咯咯地笑着，因为他享用了仍然活着的星星。
And all I could do was hang there, my guts dangling out beneath me, my chest ripped open. I’d failed... I’d failed... Sister... Glory... I’d failed...
我所能做的就是吊在那里，我的内脏在我下面晃来晃去，我的胸膛被撕开了。我失败了...我失败了...姐姐...晨辉...我失败了..。
I closed my eyes. At least I could enjoy the moonstone’s song, beautiful, but now desperate and strained as it fought against its nemesis. It truly was a beautiful melody...
我闭上了眼睛。至少我可以欣赏月光石的歌声，美丽，但是现在，当它与复仇者搏斗时，我感到绝望和紧张。这真是一段美妙的旋律..。
But not the only song I heard.
但不是我听到的唯一一首歌。
I opened my eyes and looked down at my chest. I guessed it was the big round drum with all the wires coming out of it. Slowly, dripping blood and other fluids, I pulled it from my crippled chest cavity. One of the fingers on the hand curled around, pinning me at my severed torso.
我睁开眼睛，低头看着自己的胸膛。我猜是那个大圆鼓，里面全是电线。慢慢地，滴着血和其他液体，我把它从我残废的胸腔里拔了出来。手上的一根手指蜷缩着，把我压在我被切断的躯干上。
You have a heart of moonstone. That was what Glory had said. I stared a second longer, and then I lifted my sword in my other hand. Carefully, I cut the end off the drum.
你有一颗月光石般的心。晨辉就是这么说的。我又盯了他一秒钟，然后用另一只手举起了剑。我小心翼翼地把鼓的一头剪下来。
There, nestled in a bed of gemstones, was a hunk of moonstone. I’d been told she’d been lucky to find an ‘appropriate gem’ to power my body, and as I stared at it, I realized that I’d seen it before: in Horizon Labs and the disassembled silver bullet. It was larger than the slivers in the slugs I’d used before. It hadn’t been corrupted yet.
在那里，有一块月光石躺在一张宝石床上。有人告诉我，她很幸运能找到一块'合适的宝石'来为我的身体提供能量，当我盯着它的时候，我意识到我以前见过它:在地平线实验室和分解的银弹。它比我以前用过的蛞蝓身上的条子还要大。它还没有被破坏。
I wasn’t beaten yet...
我还没被打败..。
I yanked the stone free, and instantly my vision filled with “CRITICAL ERROR” in bright red letters and “SWITCHING TO RESERVE POWER” with a percentage that was ticking down. Rapidly. I stretched myself out along the frame, feeling my life ebb away with each exertion. Then I took the stone and pressed it against the casing. The metal began to glow brighter and brighter, and then exploded with a detonation that blew my hand apart but left a hole in the metal. I fumbled with the stone, barely able to catch it with my other hand, holding it as if my soul depended on it. I raised the sword with my magic.
我猛地把那块石头拽了出来，我的视野里立刻充满了鲜红色的"关键错误"和"切换到备用能量"，百分比正在下降。很快。我沿着车架伸了个懒腰，感觉自己的生命随着每一次努力而衰落。然后我拿起石头，把它压在外壳上。金属开始发出越来越亮的光芒，然后爆炸了，炸开了我的手，但在金属上留下了一个洞。我笨拙地摸索着那块石头，另一只手几乎抓不住它，握着它就好像我的灵魂依赖于它一样。我用我的魔法举起了剑。
NO! the Eater screamed, grabbing me again and pulling me away from the platform. The moonstone did nothing against the fleshy meat protecting his
不！那个食人者尖叫着，又抓住我，把我从站台上拉开。月长石对保护他的肉肉没有任何作用
starmetal skeleton. NO MORE INTERFERENCE. YOU ARE DONE!
星形金属骨架。不再有干扰。你完蛋了！
Almost...
差不多..。
But I wasn’t quite done.
但是我还没有完全做完。
I slipped into S.A.T.S.
我溜进了s.a.t.s。
Three magic bullets to the F.A.D.E. diamond inside the case.
箱子里的f.a.d.e钻石有三颗魔法子弹。
Execute.
执行。
The magic bolts streaked out, hitting the insides of the box and ripping out the connections between the diamond and the power supply. The gemstone went dark, but the field was already active. The Eater froze, and then its aura flared wildly as it emitted a hysterical laugh of triumph. FOOLS! FOOLS! FALSE FOOLS AND FOLLY! SURRENDER TO DESPAIR!
那些神奇的螺栓飞快地掉了出来，打在盒子里面，把钻石和电源之间的连接给扯断了。宝石变暗了，但能量场已经活跃起来了。食者僵住了，然后它的光环猛烈地闪耀起来，发出一声歇斯底里的胜利的笑声。傻瓜！傻瓜！虚伪的傻瓜和愚蠢！向绝望投降吧！
No. I refused. Every second of life I had left would be opposing this thing. For my friends who had fallen, and for those who still survived. For Glory. For P-21. For my Sister. I stared at the stone and then closed my eyes. I might be broken. I might be dying. I might be in agony. I was used to it. And while I couldn’t raise or lower the whole moon...
没有。我拒绝了。我生命中剩下的每一秒都在反对这件事。为了我那些倒下的朋友，为了那些幸存下来的人。为了晨辉。P-21.为了我的妹妹。我盯着那块石头，然后闭上了眼睛。我可能会崩溃。我可能快死了。我可能很痛苦。我已经习惯了。虽然我不能升起或降下整个月亮..。
I could raise a small piece of it.
我可以从中拿出一小部分。
My horn flared as I pushed Tom up the shaft. Just a bit. Just enough for the wedge of magic to lose power, flicker, and disappear. With a relieved smile, I cut the magic.
我把汤姆推上升降机井时，喇叭突然响了起来。就一点点。只要足够的楔子魔法失去力量，闪烁，并消失。带着如释重负的微笑，我切断了魔法。
Tom fell.
汤姆摔倒了。
The Eater dropped me as Tom smashed the platform to the ground, and I fell along with it. Both of us landed on a knoll of rock, broken and bent. Lying on my back, I watched as the Eater clawed and raked his hands and blades against the moonstone, but now nothing protected him. Every impact of Tom’s hooves was a lightning bolt, and bit by bit, Tom smashed the Eater down towards the earth, and me.
当汤姆把平台砸到地上的时候，食人者把我扔了下来，我也跟着掉了下去。我们俩落在一个岩石小丘上，又破又弯。我仰面躺着，看着食人者用爪子抓着月光石，用耙子耙着他的手和刀片，但是现在什么也保护不了他了。汤姆的蹄子的每一次撞击都是一道闪电，汤姆一点一点地把食者撞向地面，撞向我。
YOU ARE DONE! Tom roared as his hooves detonated like megaspells, making
你完蛋了！汤姆咆哮着，他的蹄子像巨大的食物一样爆炸了
the platform rock wildly. YOU ARE FINISHED! he boomed, rearing back and smashing the Eater’s blades to pieces. YOU ARE ENDED! he thundered as he blazed, the heat baking me even with my augmentation. Despite being mortally wounded, a part of me refused to simply die, and I stared at the inactive shield talisman next to me.
月台摇晃得很厉害。你完蛋了！他砰的一声，又站起来，把食者的刀片砸成了碎片。你完了！他一边开火，一边发出雷鸣般的声音，即使用我的增强器，热量也在烘烤着我。尽管受到了致命的伤害，我的一部分还是拒绝死去，我盯着身边那个不再起作用的盾牌护身符。
NO! the Eater whinged. I CANNOT DIE! EXISTENCE NEEDS ME! But he was silenced by an azure hoof smashing the delicate geometric network, scattering the luminous green fog.
不！食者呜咽着。我不能死！存在需要我！但是他沉默了，因为蓝色的蹄子砸碎了精致的几何网状物，散射出明亮的绿色雾气。
I fumbled with the moonstone, but my remaining hand couldn’t seem to get it back in right. It would have been easy just to lie there and be obliterated by the two, but I needed to see this to the end. The fighting had damaged the platform’s levitation talisman, and I was slowly sinking as the two struggled. I reached into the generator casing, pulled out the darkened diamond, and reconnected the wires to the talisman. A flickering sphere appeared around the platform. As my systems rapidly drained, I desperately devoured the gems I’d taken from the locker, but they only barely stemmed the rate I was hemorrhaging power.
我笨拙地摸索着月光石，但是我剩下的那只手似乎无法把它放回正确的位置。躺在那里，被这两个人抹去是很容易的，但是我需要看到这一切结束。战斗损坏了平台悬浮的护身符，我在两个人的挣扎中慢慢下沉。我把手伸进发电机外壳，取出暗色的钻石，把电线重新接到护身符上。一个摇曳的球体出现在平台周围。随着我的系统迅速耗尽，我拼命地吞噬着从储物柜里拿出来的宝石，但它们几乎无法阻止我失去能量的速度。
A second later, the Eater hit. The crumbling nucleus was beaten back as the blazing alicorn slid inexorably down the feeding funnel that was now the Eater’s execution cell. The Eater, now trapped within its own pit, thrashed wildly, slamming against the shield and the walls. The floor of the basin gave way, and both Tom and I followed as the Eater struggled to get away from its radiant enemy. NO! I AM BRIGHTEST! I AM GREATEST! the Eater howled. Tom pinned one of those claws, his furious aura burning away the flesh. The starmetal beneath flashed a brilliant white and exploded. The Eater screamed as the second claw, pressed against Tom’s chest, soon followed. The third tried desperately to push Tom away. NO! I don’t want to die! The third hand disintegrated and exploded. Please…
过了一会儿，食人者打来了。燃烧的阿里克角无情地滑下进食漏斗，现在已经成为了食者的处决单元。现在，食者被困在自己的陷阱里，猛烈地抽打着，猛烈地撞击着护盾和墙壁。水盆的地板塌了下来，我和汤姆跟在后面，看着那个食人者挣扎着要离开那个光芒四射的敌人。不！我是最聪明的！我是最棒的！食者嚎叫着。汤姆用钳子夹住了其中一只爪子，他愤怒的气场烧掉了爪子上的肉。下面的星级金属闪出耀眼的白光，爆炸了。当第二只爪子紧紧地抓住汤姆的胸口时，那个食人者尖叫了起来。第三个人拼命想把汤姆推开。不！我不想死！第三只手解体爆炸了。求你了。
All things die, Tom answered. Hush now... it’s time to end.
万物都会死去，汤姆回答。现在安静...是时候结束了。
The immolated flesh finally gave way, and the starmetal skeleton was now utterly exposed to the stone. Glowing. Shimmering. Shining. Swelling. Glaring. If I hadn’t had my augmented eyes and been protected by the shield, I would have been blinded, then consumed by the sheer brilliance. The walls of the shaft liquefied... vaporized... and I was left in my tiny bubble of protection as the numbers in my vision counted down to zero.
牺牲的肉体终于屈服了，星金属骨架现在完全暴露在石头之下。容光焕发。微光。闪耀。肿胀。太刺眼了。如果我没有增强我的眼睛和保护盾，我会失明，然后消耗纯粹的辉煌。竖井的墙壁液化了...蒸发了...我被留在我的小气泡的保护下，我的视觉数字倒计为零。
Will it hurt?
会疼吗？
Then Horizons went off.
然后地平线出发了。
Maybe it was one final gasp of Perceptitron weirdness, but all at once I could see not just from the shaft but from all over the Wasteland. From Charity in the door of the chapel to Grace in the hospital at the Collegiate, to Whisper staring from a rooftop... the blue-white glow was everywhere. I could only guess the magic fields kept everypony from being blinded as the light stretched higher and higher in the sky, the glow spreading from horizon to horizon. It wasn’t just mere light and energy, any more than the Eater was simple metal and malfunctioning machinery. It was a beam of light that shone out into the universe. In Tenpony’s windows, a line of light gleamed towards the heavens from behind the distant mountains. In the S.P.P. hub, images from dozens of towers showed the pillar of light stream into the night.
也许这是Perceptitron怪异的最后一丝喘息，但是突然间我看到的不仅仅是竖井，还有整个荒原。从教堂门口的慈善，到学院医院里的格蕾丝，再到从屋顶凝视的耳语......蓝白色的光芒无处不在。我只能猜测，当光线在天空中越来越高，光芒从地平线扩散到地平线时，魔幻的田野使每匹小马不至于盲目。它不仅仅是光和能量，它也不仅仅是简单的金属和机械故障。这是一束照进宇宙的光。透过Tenpony的窗户，一道光线从远处的群山后面射向天空。在标准普尔中心，数十座塔楼的图像显示，光柱流入夜空。
Then, like a pitiful whine in the back of my mind, I heard the Eater’s last whimper,
然后，我听到食者最后的呜咽声，就像一声可怜的哀鸣在我的脑海里回荡,
 
And then he was gone.
然后他就走了。
Tom remained, an outline of moonstone chunks vaporizing in the furnace, looking at me gravely. Then the star spirit bowed its head once to me and faded away in a cloud of dwindling blue light. The column of light dwindled to nothing. With the energy dissipated, the walls of magic disappeared too. Nothing remained of the Core. It had been transformed into an almost perfectly concave bowl resting at the base of the great granite knob that had been the southernmost tip of the island. I didn’t know why, but the surface of the rock wasn’t a molten mass. I could only imagine that somehow the departing spirit had prevented us all from being cooked.
汤姆留了下来，一个月光石块在火炉里蒸发的轮廓，严肃地看着我。然后星之灵向我低了一下头，消失在一片逐渐减少的蓝光中。光柱消失得无影无踪。随着能量的消散，魔法之墙也消失了。核心没有留下任何东西。它已经变成了一个几乎完美的凹形碗，放置在岛的最南端的巨大花岗岩丘的底部。我不知道为什么，但是岩石的表面并不是一个熔融体。我只能想象那离去的灵魂以某种方式阻止了我们所有人被煮熟。
But the souls lingered.
但是灵魂还在徘徊。
Millions. Tens of millions. More. Freed from the Eater, they hung like a constellation of stars spreading in all directions. Some sank into the earth in a great torrent. Others streamed towards the sky in a spectacular fountain of light. Some touched the weary survivors. I killed the shield and stretched out my hoof towards the countless motes. One drifted against me, and for a moment I smelled Mom’s mane. I heard the warm chuckle of P-21. Another gave my cheek the caress of a soft gray wing.
数百万。数千万。更多。从食者手中解放出来后，它们就像一群星星一样向四面八方散开。有些沉入土中，形成了湍急的洪流。其他人像一股壮观的光喷泉一样涌向天空。一些人抚摸着疲惫的幸存者。我杀死了盾牌，把我的蹄子伸向无数的尘埃。有一条顺着我漂过来，我闻了一下妈妈的鬃毛。我听到了P-21温暖的咯咯笑声。另一个人用柔软的灰色翅膀抚摸我的脸颊。
And from the mare’s chest, a mote emerged. Among so many, few would note it
从母马的胸膛，一个尘埃出现。在这么多人中，很少有人会注意到这一点
any brighter than the others as it rose towards the starry sky which had been its home for so long. Only LittlePip, in the S.P.P., would hear a Princess’s sobs as it joined the others.
当它朝着长久以来一直是它家的星空升起的时候，它会比别的星星更亮。只有标准普尔中的小匹普，才能听到公主加入其他人的哭泣声。
The mare that remained, little more than a corpse animated by failing technology, stared up at the motes until they were indistinguishable from the stars, meaningless numbers approaching zero in her vision. To the south came a booming rumble as the concrete walls of the dams collapsed into the pit. To the north rose a matching gurgle as the sea rushed in to fill the void.
剩下的那匹母马，不过是一具因技术失败而生气勃勃的尸体，凝视着那些尘埃，直到它们与星星没有区别，在她的视野中，毫无意义的数字接近于零。随着大坝的混凝土墙坍塌，南边传来隆隆的隆隆声。海水涌入，填补了北面的空白，发出相应的咯咯声。
And there, on the wreckage of the platform, the mare stared at the stars as the number reached zero. Darkness took her. And silence. Yet her lips curled in a smile as she felt hot liquid rolling down her cheeks. The rumbling grew, becoming her entire world, stretching into eternity.
就在那里，在月台的残骸上，母马凝视着星星，星星的数量达到了零。黑暗吞噬了她。还有寂静。然而，当她感到热乎乎的液体从脸颊滚落下来时，她的嘴唇微微一笑。隆隆声越来越大，成为她的整个世界，延伸到永恒。
Author's Notes:
作者笔记:
(Author’s notes: Story is done. Epilogue to follow.)
(作者的笔记:故事结束了。接下来是尾声。)
(Hinds: I’m just going to go ahead and paste the release announcement I wrote for the forum:
(Hinds:我打算继续粘贴我为论坛写的发布声明:
“Well, everyone… It’s out. 77. The final chapter, with the epilogue after it. I doubt that this is the end of work on PH; there will be typos found and fixed, almost certainly, there are a few edits Somber wants to make, and we hope to get it on FIMFiction. This is, however, the end of the story, over 1.6 million words resulting from over four years of work. We did it. It has been quite a ride. Kind of hard to believe that this is the last time I’m expecting to fly the Somber Signal... Though the Signal wasn’t there at the beginning, of course, when PH, was just another small, anonymous FoE sidefic in an EQD compilation post, less than ten chapters to its name. Only two chapters posted, when I first saw it, and certainly no dedicated comment thread; I left my error-spotting mixed in with posts about many other stories. Still, Somber saw them, and somehow, I’m not really clear on the details now, I ended up working with him in the document for Chapter 3. I do rather wonder how my life might have been different if I’d decided to spend that time reading some other new two-chapter story in the compilation. PH has gotten so, well, okay, not big exactly, since it’s still a niche within a niche
"好了，各位......都出来了。77.最后一章，以及结语。我怀疑这是PH的工作结束;将会有拼写错误被发现和修正，几乎可以肯定，有一些Somber想要做的编辑，我们希望它在FIMFiction。然而，这就是故事的结局，超过160万字来自于四年的工作。我们做到了。这真是一段不平凡的旅程。很难相信这是我最后一次飞行忧郁信号...虽然信号一开始并不存在，当然，PH，只是另一个小的，匿名的敌人在一个EQD汇编帖子，不到十章的名字。当我第一次看到它的时候，只有两个章节被贴出来，当然也没有专门的评论帖子;我把我的错误发现和许多其他故事的帖子混在一起。尽管如此，Somber还是看到了他们，不知怎么的，我现在对细节并不是很清楚，我最终和他一起完成了第三章的文档。我真的很想知道，如果我决定花那些时间阅读汇编中的其他两章故事，我的生活会有什么不同。Ph已经变得如此，好吧，不是很大，因为它仍然是一个小生境中的小生境
within a niche, but hopefully you know what I mean. Speaking of that, thank you all very much for reading; without you, our readers, I doubt that we’d have lasted anywhere near this long. Some of you may have helped more than others, but I think every bit of positive or constructive feedback has probably helped. Anyway. The end of the story is here. I hope you enjoy it. :)”
但希望你能明白我的意思。说到这个，非常感谢大家的阅读;如果没有你们，我们的读者，我怀疑我们能坚持这么久。你们中的一些人可能比其他人帮助更多，但我认为每一点积极或建设性的反馈都可能有所帮助。无论如何。故事的结局就在这里。希望你喜欢。:)
Oh, and, after Murky, Somber asked if any of us had ideas for cameos of characters from other FoE stories. He ended up going with my suggestion of Whiskey Rose and Caravan Lily from Cascadejackal’s Wasteland Bouquet. Which I keep trying to drum up readers for, as it has less than a hundred votes total and only eighty-three upvotes. If you’re looking for another FoE story to read after PH, why not give it a try?)
哦，还有，在《黑暗》之后，Somber问我们是否有人对其他敌人故事中的人物角色有什么想法。他最终接受了我的建议，从Cascadejackal的《荒原捧花》中选了威士忌玫瑰和卡拉万百合。我一直在努力争取读者的支持，因为它总共只有不到一百张选票，只有八十三张赞成票。如果你正在寻找另一个可以在PH之后阅读的FoE故事，为什么不试一试呢?)