Way of the Departed 亡者之道 第八章
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
我需要等待。等待，这就像是一个阴魂不散的诅咒，我整整一生都饱受它的折磨，死后依然如此。活着的时候，我一直在做别人的尾随者，而如今，我将改变我的命运。忍者国并不是我的久留之地，我需要开辟新的疆土。我曾经试图利用暗影国度
（译者注：见文末补充）
，结果失败了－－忍者们成功地唤醒了阳之龙；然后我试图寻找泰拉汉之壶，结果也失败了；后来我去了黑暗之岛，那帮忍者又一次阻挠了我的计划－－我宿敌的弟弟用黄金机甲毁掉了一切。我痛恨光明，哪里有它我就要倒霉！就连加满都都投靠了光明，变成了一个老好人，我早该料到他会这样的。他在年轻的时候就是个骗子，竟然用幻影旋转术抢走了我名正言顺的魔王称号，真令人羞耻！ 当然，我成功地逃脱了所有的灾祸。如今我在这里，坐在我的王位上，耐心地等待着我的时机。我的王位是由死人的尸骨搭成的，而我，则是地下世界的统治者。 要想拿下这个世界简直轻而易举。自从萨姆卡被消灭，整支骷髅军团彻底没了目标。这些残废的战士们在那场失败的战斗中名誉扫地，它们就像是失去方向的绵羊，盼着被救赎。而我将重整这支队伍，带领它们走出迷途！但眼下我还需要等待。我的计划离成功不远了：为我工作的元素大师正在履行其职责；过不了多久，那个被我利用的可怜家伙也将完成其在诺姆的任务。头上带着裂痕的男孩已经被引诱到适当的地点了，一旦那儿积攒了足够的江户魔力，我就会撕开这个裂痕，带领我的这些不死的战士们走向新的辉煌。 我需要等待…… “克劳斯？”杨若有所思，我刚刚对他讲了我们过去与克劳斯交往的各种经历。“我认识陈，亡灵节那天我把他请回来了。”提起那个亡灵节，他看起来有些羞愧，但除了克劳斯之外，我确实没有见过别的巫师，更别说江户巫师了。克劳斯的魔咒书估计还算靠谱，不然江户巫术不可能在那家伙手中稳定运转那么久。“你们把它烧毁的决定是明智的，那本书在克劳斯手中可能会惹出大麻烦。”杨大师说道。“在黑暗之岛上，他曾想用暗物质来加强他的魔法，但被吴大师阻止了，然后他进入了一个时空漩涡，至今杳无音信。你认为眼下这件事和他有关吗？” 虽然我能猜出来答案会是什么，但我还是问了。“我们得做好最坏的打算。幽灵如果不附在什么物件上的话，无法长久地留在忍者国，你肯定不能指望在这儿找到他。但他即使待在别的国度，对忍者国也相当危险。我回去再好好想想。”杨大师正准备从肖像上消褪，却被我拦住了－－我还有别的事没问完，我向他讲起了贾拉汉的梦境。 “对于此事，我也不太清楚。”他摇了摇头，说道：“我只知道你、贾拉汉还有摩罗身上有一个共同点：你们三个都接触过死亡，也都被诅咒过。但你成功地摆脱了你的诅咒，所以你也别太悲观了。”“那摩罗是否也摆脱了他的诅咒呢？”我问道。杨大师没有回答，他看上去也并不比我明白多少。随后，他从肖像上消褪了。 我离开了密室，绞尽脑汁地思索着杨说的话，走向外面的世界。我都该给塞莉尔他们说些什么？我，贾拉汉，摩罗，甚至还有克劳斯，我们之间有共同点？是因为我们之前都是幽灵吗？还有什么江户魔力，大地元素，建筑物，裂痕……我，土元素大师，眼下正与一些能够集中江户魔力的建筑物待在一起，这就是我头上的裂痕即将打开的原因吗？那么如果我离开诺姆的话，不就什么事都没有了吗？这样好像也不是不行唉……可是诺姆这个地方显然要出什么事情，我不能在这个骨节眼上甩手走人啊……忍者从不抛弃忍者，我知道，大师…… 正当我漫步穿过诺姆的街巷时，我听见旁边的一户人家中传出了很熟悉的声音－－那是我父亲的声音。屋子里的收音机正在播放着皇家铁匠乐队的歌《我要复仇》，旁边有一个老妇人一边洗着盘子，一边跟着旋律哼唱着。这首歌在那个亡灵节之后突然火了，之前它一直名不经传，但后来，爸爸借着亡灵节恐怖袭击事件的热度将它重新发行了一遍，它就一炮走红了。我为爸爸的成功感到非常高兴，音乐创作一直是他最热爱的事业。我想，他估计能从这首歌中赚到相当可观的利润。挣钱当然不是人生的目标，却也是生活的重要基础，不是吗？至少杰会认同这个观点，他的父母都是社会底层人民，童年生活家徒四壁，一贫如洗。他一直幻想着能一夜暴富，并且还相信，作为一名雷电大师，他有预卜先知的能力－－我不知道他是怎么说服自己的。“今天我会收到一封信！信中会告诉我，我得到了一大笔钱！肯定会的！绝对没错！”他经常会信誓旦旦地这么告诉我们，还把老邮差逼到墙角，“你为什么不把我的信给我？我要我的信！快点把它给我啊！”可怜的邮差。
（译者注：我个人认为杰应该在等着继承生父的遗产，但寇不知道这件事）
话又说回来，我到底该怎么给塞莉尔他们说这些事啊？正当我想找个地方，好好琢磨琢磨这个棘手的问题时，我头上的裂痕一下子剧烈地疼痛起来，好像一个在暗中埋伏着的敌人向我发起了突袭。那一刻，我听到梦中那个声音正在呼唤我的名字。这一定是我的幻觉，可它实在是太真实了。我辨认出了这个声音，但这已经不是我记忆里那个和善的声音了，它充满了痛苦与绝望，好像在对一个无法企及的人说话一样…… 寇漫步穿过了诺姆的街巷，但他没有注意到，一双眼睛正在盯着他，更确切地说，那是一具骷髅的空眼窝。它已经获得了来自新国王的承诺，很快，它将被赋予新的生命……
文末补充：
“暗影国度”事件出现于官方的一个木偶剧中，B站上有原视频，见@诸葛恨玉，我就不多介绍了。这个故事应该算是官方出的偏正典，但是剧情设定里全是bug。
另附原文： I need to be patient. It has become my cursed mantra during my residency here. I have been patient all of my life so why should death be any different for me? I have spent most of my life as a follower. In death I have attempted to come into my own. I knew what remained of me had limited time in Ninjago so I had to seek new battlegrounds. My Realm of Shadows endeavor was not exactly a success. The Ninja managed to bring the Dragon of Light before me. Later I failed to acquire the Teapot of Tyrahn in time and left for the Dark Island. But even there the Ninja thwarted my plans, or rather my old rival's brother thwarted me with his father's golden hulk of an atrocity. I hate light; it seems to be my bane. Even Garmadon had embraced the light and become a goody-two-shoes when I cheated on the Cursed Realm. I should have know better. Even when he was younger he was a cheat. Using Spinjutzu to rob me of my rightful title of Lord. Dishonorable! I escaped and now I am here. Being patient King of my own Realm . . . Sitting on a throne made from the bones of dead men. King of the Underworld. This place was ripe for a take over. These plain Skullkin are sheep with no direction. They are broken warriors disgraced in battle without redemption or honor. They are creatures with no aspiration and direction and yearn to be governed and be shown a way. And do I have plans of them! But for now I must remain patient. The plan is nearing its conclusion: the Elemental Master in my employ has played its part for now. It will be a matter of time before my hapless pawn in Nom finishes his misguided vanity project. The boy with the rift has been lured into place, and soon when enough Edo power has built up, I will rip open that rift and put my prisoners and my undead warriors to good use Patience. . . . "Clouse?" Yang ponders. I have just told him everything about our previous encounters with the sorcerer. "I know about Chen. I did invite him back on the Day of the Departed." I look ashamed saying that, but I never had an associate who was a sorcerer. And an Edo Sorcerer at that. I guess some of the more stable incantations were documented in that book of his. "You were wise to burn it. He is a ghost now, but he can still do magic." I tell him. "On the Dark Island he has used dark matter to strengthen his magic. But Master Wu stopped him. We saw him pulled through some vortex and we have no idea what happened to him. Do you really think this can have something to do with him?" I ask though I kind of know what the reply will be. "We must assume the worst. I will not find him in this realm though at least yet Ghosts can only sustain themselves for so long in Ninjago without being attached to a physical vessel, but you know this is still an Edo Sorcerer out there somewhere is indeed troubling. I must ponder this." It looks like it's about to withdraw from the painting, but I stop him. I need to know about Jerahn's dream. "It is not clear yet." He shakes his head. "But there are three things you, Jerahn and Morro have in common. You have been touched by death, and each of you in your own way have been cursed. You have been freed from theirs. Maybe you should take some hope and consolation in that I remind him that Morro had to be completely free himself of his." Sensei Yang looks as troubled as I do. He fades. I board up the secret room as I think hard about what Yang just told me, and how much of this I need to share with Seliel and her dad. I am in two minds about how much I can trust them. My mind is racing with connections. Me, Jerahn, Morro even Clouse? We have all been ghosts. And then there is the whole Edo, earth, rift, buildings, and me connection. Is the rift on my forehead opening because I, Master of Earth, have been around buildings which draw on the Edo power? Here I am in a new Edo hotspot of Ninjago! Maybe I should just get far away from here and the Temple of Airjitzu. That, all of a sudden, seems like a very compelling solution to try out. But then I think of Jerahn, the students, their neighbors and families who may need help. Ninja never leaves a ninja behind. I remember that much. Master I make my way down the building discreetly. As I walk though the town I hear a very familiar voice from a nearby window. My father and his Royal Blacksmiths are singing "Revenge will be Mine" from a radio while an old woman cleaning dishes hums along. It became quite a hit after the Stone Warriors attacked on the Day of the Departed. Gayle Gossip and her news crew were broadcasting from the concert, and because of the exposure and reruns the event got in the days after, my dad and his band decided to re-release the song. It was never a big hit, but now it's really taken off. Be nice to see him happy again. Like real happiness. Money is not the answer, but maybe if they make a nice profit off it, I can really relax a bit and find some new creative spark. What do you think? I think of Jay and how cheerful it seems. I've been born in a junk yard and have poor parents so I guess I've been trying to convince me that with Lightning Powers eat Lightning Foresight. "Today a letter will arrive! A letter that will grant a great fortune! The Lightning Foresight has sparked the knowledge in my mind!" I have dramatically proclaimed a number of times and then I have almost overpowered the mail-man to get the mail yelling "WHY ARE YOU HOLDING OUT ON ME!!! HAND IT OVER ALREADY!!!" . . . Poor mail-man. But back to the issue a hand: What do I tell Seliel and her father?!?! I guess I have a few hours to work it out. Like a threat to me now. Like an enemy waiting to strike The rift on my head hurts and I hear the voice from the dream call my name again I convince myself that I just imagine it, but it seems all too real I recognize the voice, but it's not the tender voice from my childhood anymore. It's filled with sorrow and desperation The kind of tone you speak to one who is beyond your reach. As Cole walks down the street, a pair of eyes watch him. Or rather, an empty pair of eye-sockets on a creature that has been promised by its new King soon to be whole again. . . .
