Way of the Departed 亡者之道 第七章
乐高幻影忍者官方小说
作者: Tommy Andreasen
原文与图片来自ninjago wiki
译者：醉酒异客
若有翻译不准处请在评论区纠正
一切都说得通了－－所有那些我已经习以为常的怪事。画像中的杨大师用他那难以捉摸的神情凝望着我，我也望着他。这幅画像与博物馆和寺庙里的那两幅不太一样，这一幅没那么精细。 “杨大师不光教我们飞天旋转术，”贾拉汉说，“还有它背后那一整套思想和智慧。飞天旋转术是一种从无到有的实现，一种需要高度静心与专注还有大量的冥想才能达到的境界。杨大师为了让我们明白这些，采用了各种各样的教授方式，他曾命令我们花好几个小时来画他幂想时的样子，一开始我觉得这么做很愚蠢。”说到这里，贾拉汉的脸变红了。 “不过最终，我还是领悟到了他想向我们传达的道理。明白了之后，我前方道路上的障碍就被清除了，学习的过程变得容易了很多。” 我又向他问起这幅画是怎么来到这里的，他耸了耸肩。 “之前我们还是幽灵的时候，经常有盗贼来寺庙偷东西，白天晚上都有。对他们你得客气点，不然你可就遭殃了。我看见有些专门偷江户时代的东西的盗贼把它拿走了，估计这就是为什么它现在跟这些真古董在一块儿吧。”他笑了起来。 “那些盗贼竟然以为我的这幅破画是江户时代的艺术品，你敢相信吗！？呵呵，这可真是至高的评价。” 我被画中杨大师那逼真的严肃神情迷住了。这幅画能解释得通杨大师是怎么离开寺庙来到诺姆的，但我还有新的疑问。我先向贾拉汉问起了关于他的梦境的事，他如释重负地长舒了一口气。但接下来，他的话简直让我感到脊背发凉。 “在那个梦里，我感觉很冷，就好像我死了一样……我正在某个用冰建的迷宫里，你们也和我在一起－－我是说你们几个忍者。而我并不认识你的朋友们，所以我知道我肯定在做梦，不过感觉就好像一切都是真实的一样。你们几个正在盯着冰墙看，所以我觉得我也应该这么做。然后，我就听见了一个孩子的声音－－那个声音充满了决心，但也充满了矛盾和痛苦……我不知道他在跟谁说话，他好像在自言自语，用两种不同的声音与自己斗争。我顺着声音找过去，结果发现那是绿色忍者。他的声音好像是从另一个时空传来的，而且他的精神状态很不好。他使劲地摇头，好像要摆脱掉什么，然后戴上了兜帽，拿出了武器。当时你与他之间只隔着一堵冰墙，他击碎了这堵墙，直接扑向了你，并将你的头劈成了两半……我完全吓呆了，你的伤疤悬在半空中震动着，我就是被它所发出的绿光照醒的。” 贾拉汉望着我，就好像我能做出解释一样。 我扭头望向杨的画像，到了做决定的时候了。这整件事情变得越来越复杂，我又不像赞那样会分析问题。贾拉汉和我都有秘密，我们能在这里相遇全都是因为塞莉尔的好心，而我们却没有对她以诚相待。可在这件事情上，我们真的能对她全盘托出吗？诺姆这个地方到底在发生什么事？这些江户时代的建筑和古董的原主人都神秘失踪了，而人们却打算用这些没有人要的遗物来重建诺姆，塞莉尔知道这一切吗？她父亲知道吗？他可是这儿的镇长啊！我觉得我需要好好地理理头绪。贾拉汉好像能看出来我在想什么，他继续说道： “你也知道那些乡村里面都发生了什么怪事，而我现在还在用那些失踪的人的家来重建诺姆，这可真够疯狂的，不是吗！？我是说－－” “贾拉汉！！你到底在哪儿？！！”楼下传来了塞莉尔愤怒的叫喊声。贾拉汉望向我，希望我能告诉他该怎么做。“你没法躲她一辈子。你去告诉她，说我们今天晚上会和她谈一些事情，让她把她爸也叫上。我待在这儿再好好看看，走的时候我会把入口封上的，你不用管了。”贾拉汉很感激地点了点头，就出去了。 我又独自一个人了，但我知道这次我没法独自呆太久。我盯着肖像的眼睛，有一种如梦一般的恍惚感觉，这种感觉过去我只有过一次。突然，画像中的杨大师动了起来。 他的画像中移动的方式很奇怪，就好像他无法完全摆脱贾拉汉的笔迹自由移动一样。最终他还是找到了一个舒服的姿势，并把他的注意力转向了我。“寇，我的孩子……我很……很高兴你找到了这幅画，我们终于能再次相见了。”我开始向他讲述我这两天的经历。当我讲到贾拉汉的时候，他的两眼放出了光；而当我讲到江户时代的时候，他看上去非常吃惊，神情也变得严肃和担忧。 “江户时代是一个充满魔力的时代。那个时期流行巫术，当时的巫师主要都集中在南方。绝大多数巫师没有什么邪心，但巫术本身就是一种不安全的东西，它虽然给人们带来方便，但也很容易出差错。一旦出差错，根本无法预料它会带来什么样的破坏。我对江户巫术的了解很有限，在我活着的那个时代，它基本上已经失传了。寺庙刚建成的时候，我对它进行过一些研究，大多研究成果现在也没了。我只知道，‘江户’在古忍者文中是大地的意思。江户巫术的力量来源于大地，巫师们需要将这种力量集中起来以便利用，于是，他们建成了那些古村落。村落里的那些尖塔，就是为了联结土地的力量，以便巫师们使用巫术。但就像我说的，江户巫术很难控制，最后，它将它自己与它的使用者们都消灭了，那个文明也成为了历史。可如今，这一切好像要在诺姆重现了，大量的江户魔力将会苏醒。这一切的背后会是谁呢？”杨大师陷入了沉思。 巫师？我这辈子只见过一个巫师。上一次我见到他还是在黑暗之岛上，那时我还是个幽灵，他也是个幽灵。
补充信息：
结尾处寇说的巫师显然是克劳斯……关于克劳斯的故事，详见官方的书《暗岛三部曲》
Dark Island Trilogy
。
暗岛三部曲的故事发生在第六季与第七季之间。由于杰的第三个愿望，克劳斯没能找到泰拉汉之壶，于是他来到了黑暗之岛，打算用暗物质（就是红石武士用来腐蚀妮雅的紫黑色泥巴）来腐蚀光明神殿，从而重新将忍者国与黑暗之岛合并成由他控制的原始大陆。他还用巫术召回了厄运堡垒号的船员做他的手下。恶运堡垒号的船员们劫走了美纱子和罗南，忍者们为了寻找他们，追踪线索来到了黑暗之岛，并发现了克劳斯的阴谋。最终吴大师用黄金机甲取得了胜利，克劳斯被放逐进地下世界。
至于纳达可汗的船员们的结局，书上好像没有提。官方之前有个说法说他们可能进了监狱，不过Tommy Andreasen在《盲者之眼：碎片》
The Splinter in the Blind Man's Eye
中说他们与忍者达成协议，永远留在了暗岛。（后来小清跑了，详情见《盲者之眼》，B站上@NinjaGogoko翻译过，但他还没更完）
值得一提的是，忍者们在《魔咒幽灵的进击》与第七集开始时乘坐的交通工具 就是坏坏猴给克劳斯建的，结果被他们抢走了。
贴几个图↓
实际上，《三部曲》的故事在动画片中也被提及过。在十四季的结尾，忍者们发现 罗南用假冒的海怪来骗取海岛原始部落的祭品时，杰认为罗南是可信任的，并向忍者们提起了他们在暗岛上见到罗南的经历。
另附原文： It makes sense now. At least that nonsensical and elusive ghost sense that I've gotten used to dealing with. Here is a painting of Master Yang looking back at me. It is different from the one at the museum and the ones still hanging in our temple. This one is more crudely painted. "Master Yang did not just teach us Airiitzu," Jerahn says, "it was a whole philosophy. A lot of pieces that needed to fit together. Patience, focus, meditation and such; Master Yang combined the lessons in various different ways. In the earlier hours on end painting him while he was in some meditative trance. In the beginning I found the whole thing stupid and vain on his part." Jerahn has a guilty look on his face saying that. "But eventually I got it. He was teaching us tolerance, focus and patience. Realizing that, the obstacle moved out of the way, and my path to Airjitzu became much easier." I ask him about how the painting got here. He shrugs. "We saw a LOT of lootings during our time as ghosts in the temple. Thieves would come at any time during the day or night. You got those guys to please. You know all too well what happens. Some thieves made it with some of those Edo period artifacts they came for though. I guess that's how the painting ended up here." He laughs. "Someone must have thought my strokes were authentic Edo period artwork. Can you believe that?!? I think I should feel proud." I am transfixed on Master Yang's stern look on the painting. So that's one question answered: that's how he could reach out to this place and knew where I should go. But the answer just opens up new ones. First one that comes to mind is about Jerahn's dream. He seems almost relieved by my question. I have been holding it for too long. When he started to tell me, it sent to shiver down my spine. "It's cold. It's almost like I'm dead. I am in some Ice labyrinth. I know it's just a dream because I am with you guys. The Ninja I mean. And since I do not know you guys and I am in a place which I do not know, I figure that it's just a dream. Still it feels pretty real though. You guys are staring at the ice, so I figure that I should do that too. But I get distracted by a voice. It's a young voice filled with determination, but also conflict and pain. I do not know who he is talking to and sometimes it even seems like he is arguing with himself in two different voices. I found my way around the ice wall to check it out. It's the green ninja . . . but his voice sounds like it comes from a different place and he looks pale. He shakes his head violently, put on his cowl and gets out his weapons. I see you on the other side of the ice. He lunges at you, slashes the ice and cleaves your head in two . . . I am paralyzed. Your scar hangs in mid air convulsing. It's the big green glow of light that wakes me up." I look at it like it can offer some explanation. I look back at the painting and decide to play my cards close to the chest. This is getting complicated and I am not as smart as Zane. Jerahn and I both have secrets. We are both here because of Seliel and Nom's kindness, but we are not being honest. Can we be honest? What is going on here in Nom? The town is being mended using materials from Edo period cities. Cities whose houses are being re-purposed because they were uninhabited. People have gone missing, and now this place is being ornamented by their cities' remains. Does Seliel know about that? Does her father? He is the greatest after all! This is getting too complicated and I need time to think. As if reading my mind Jerahn continues. "You know how I found out about those cities, some of the others, some students, some of whose homes, and their families are missing. I'm here decorating Nom with THEIR homes . . . how messed up is that?!?! I have been talking—" "JERAHN!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!!" Seliel's irate call echoes from below. Jerahn looks to me as if I can offer some advice. "You can not avoid her for long. Go meet her and say we will all talk tonight, and tell her to bring her father too. I will have a look at this stuff and board up. Don't worry about it." Jerahn gives me a grateful nod and exits. I am alone again, but I know I won't be for long. Staring into the eyes of the painting brings me to a dreamlike trance that I have experience only once before. Master Yang starts to move and it's time to get some answers. It is odd to see him animate in the picture. It seems like it can not be removed to Jerahn's brush strokes, and the situation becomes somewhat awkward. He finally gets comfortable or just ignores it. Then he focuses his attention on me. "Cole my boy . . . I am . . . glad that you have found this painting and that we have this opportunity to talk." I looked at the rift on my head, I quickly fill it in. As I talk about Jerahn his spirit seems uplifted, but as I get to the Edo he was towns he looks shocked. But when he does, it is with great concern and seriousness. "The Edo period was a time to know for great magic. The Edo magic was practiced by many sorcerers in the southern parts of Ninjago. Most used it for good, but the magic was not safe. It was unpredictable and disruptive. Easy to use but not hard to get wrong. I do not know much about since it was mostly lost. I did some studying on the subject when first moved into the temple, but not many texts existed. I did find out that Edo is ancient ninjargan for earth. Edo magic drew upon the power of the earth. The Edo Sorcerers needed to draw up and focus the power. That is the origin of the Edo era villages. Their towers and spiers, just like the Temple of Airjitzu, were designed to channel and concentrate the power of the earth so the sorcerers had easy access to it and could draw upon it when they needed to. But as I said Edo magic often produced unpredictable results. It wiped itself and its users out. But now it seems that Nom is bringing all of these Edo relics here. An enormous amount of Edo power will build up. Who can be behind this?" Master Yang silences. Sorcerer? I know only one sorcerer. The last time I saw him I was still a ghost and so was he. On the Dark Island.
