第八章 - FimTale

这只载着海盗们还有小马们的飞艇航行了将近三天，才第一次看到他们的目的地。高岭城是个与世隔绝的地方，坐落在独角兽山脉的搞出，天马无畏似乎挺相信这里就会有小马帮助他们去找到好运石榴石。在旅途中，无畏可是有很长的时间给海盗们讲述她在小马国还有其它神秘地方的冒险故事。因此她在讲到她上一次来到这个地方的奇特经历时，也几乎没有遗漏任何细节。

当然，海盗们对这个高岭城也是有很多疑问，而云宝黛茜很清楚这些问题的答案。她跟海盗们解释这些都是出自一本叫《天马无畏之云中禁城》的书，云宝跟他们讲述了那里奇特的穿衣风格还有他们的单色鬃毛和尾巴。无畏听的过程也是边跟着点头，露出了骄傲的笑容。当云宝终于讲完后，无畏叫来了所有海盗们，跟他们简单介绍了他们的任务。

“等我们到那后，云宝和我会先去找邦比谈谈，如果让他看到周围有陌生生物的话，他肯定不会透露任何有关好运石榴石的消息，他会觉得我们要伏击他。”无畏摇了摇头，警告道：“相信我——一旦要是失去了邦比的信任的话，之后可就永远都见不到他了。”海盗们听后只是耸耸肩点了点头，这些话他们很容易就可以理解。海盗们可不会只听得懂废话。

“等一下！我们要去见邦比苜蓿吗？”云宝兴奋地叫了起来：“就是——那个真正的陆马探险家？这可真的酷毙了。”

“我们是应该知道这个名字吗？”西拉诺船长还有其它海盗们对云宝的反应感到惊讶，他应该是一位有名小马吗？

看来关于小马国他们还有很多东西需要学。

“他就是书中的那位陆马冒险家，”云宝边解释边来回踱着步，她的蹄子在木板上发着哒哒声，仿佛就是她话语中的标点符号。“他有一艘非常漂亮的飞艇，有点像你们，只不过他的船叫‘棱镜’，因为他的船是闪闪发光的银色，开到云里的时候，看起来是几乎看不见的——”

“飞艇吗？”穆雷问的时候脸上还带着一些紧张的表情。“是不是…呃…很多小马们都会有飞艇？”

“他是我唯一知道有的小马，我是说，当然暮暮也有她的热气球，但那也不是一回事…”云宝皱了皱眉头，开始怀疑了起来，博伊尔和穆雷拜也开始表现得不安起来。“为什么会问这个？”

博伊尔做了个鬼脸，用胳膊推了推穆雷让他不要再去问那么多问题了，那家伙总是用他的大嘴巴给他们带来麻烦。博伊尔叫了叫：“没什么！”然后他们两位直接消失跑到到甲板下的房间了。云宝黛茜没有追究，继续去专心想着高岭城的任务。

她的心跳加快了，飞艇也开始减速，朝着山边的一个清晰可见的山脊上降落，距离高岭城也只有一段短短的阶梯的距离，云宝黛茜扫视着那里看看有没有邦比苜蓿的踪迹。她敢肯定自己要是能见到就能立刻认出他。

西拉诺命令道：“大伙们都到甲板上，向左舷移动！”船员们全都快速就位，鹦鹉们又拽又拉地收起了船的羽翼板，直到把船的所有部件都停下固定好位置。他们安全抛锚后，西拉诺船长向云宝和无畏致敬道：“我们会一直在这等你们的。”

两匹天马展开翅膀飞了起来，云宝在无畏的带领下飞过了那边的阶梯，牢记着无畏之前跟她说的那些，在到达邦比的小屋之前不要跟那里的任何马说话，所以她紧闭着嘴巴，紧紧跟在无畏的后面。

“嘿，你是谁？”但他们就要进入高岭城大门时，一匹带着翠绿色饰带的薄荷色独角兽雄驹直接拦住了她们，朝她们喊道：“你来高岭城这要干什么？陈述你们的目的！”看来他应该是把自己定位成个临时卫兵，似乎要使得他的第一次工作变得更重要。

“只是去拜访个朋友。”无畏笑了笑，漫不经心地挥了挥她的蹄子。“祝你一天愉快。”云宝也跟着照做，对他露出了友好的微笑。他看起来有些困惑，但也没有什么别的理由留下她们，他耸耸肩放她们进去了。这里的小马们没有想去跟她们搭话的，但云宝可以肯定他们都在盯着她们看。黛茜开始明白之前无畏坚持要西拉诺还有海盗鸟儿们全在船上等着，如果这些小马对于外来天马们都有这么奇怪的反应，谁知道要是一群巨大的又有假肢、弯钩还有眼罩的鹦鹉们来这形势会变成什么样？

她们离开了铺着鹅卵石的大路上，进入了一个小巷子，避开了周边的商店还有酒馆，在这条小巷的尽头有一间奇特的茅草屋，与这里的其它建筑明显不同。那看起来也不像是无序会选择的装饰——蓝色百叶窗、红色小门以及涂成波浪状的蓝绿色外观。这茅草的屋顶让云宝想起了小马镇的房子，在屋顶上方盘旋的精致云朵像光环一样也勾起了她对她的那个小马镇郊外住所的回忆。

“你要做好准备，”无畏低声警告道：“等他看见你的话可能不会很友好的。”

英文版：

The ragtag band of pirates and ponies had been flying in the airship for nearly three days before they caught their first glimpse of their destination. Alto Terre was a secluded village perched high up in the Unicorn Mountain Range, and Daring Do seemed to believe that it would help lead them to the location of the Good Fortune Garnet. Over the course of the journey, Daring Do had plenty of time to regale the pirates with many tales of her travels across Equestria and beyond. So she spared no details when describing her last journey to the region and all its odd quirks.
Naturally, the pirates had lots of questions about Alto Terre, but Rainbow Dash seemed to know the answers to almost all of them already. She explained that it was from reading a book called Daring Do and the Forbidden City of Clouds. Rainbow Dash explained everything from the Unicorn ponies’ dislike of visitors to their odd, monochromatic manes and hides. Daring Do nodded along, looking somewhat proud. When Rainbow Dash finally finished talking, Daring Do gathered everycreature and briefed them on their mission.
“So when we get there, Rainbow Dash and I will go talk to Brumby first. He won’t be forthcoming with his information about the Good Fortune Garnet if he feels that too many strangers are around. He’ll feel like we’re ambushing him.” Then Daring Do shook her head and warned, “And trust me —once Brumby’s good opinion is lost, it’s gone for good.” The pirates just shrugged and nodded. That was a concept they understood pretty well. Pirates didn’t take guff from anycreature.
“Wait a second! We’re going to meet Brumby Cloverpatch?!” Rainbow Dash squealed with unfettered excitement. “Like, the actual Earth pony adventurer? That is seriously cool.”
“Should we recognize that name?” Captain Celaeno and the others were surprised by Rainbow Dash’s reaction. Was this some sort of pony celebrity?
There was still so much to learn about Equestria.
“He’s the aeronaut explorer pony from the books,” Rainbow Dash explained, pacing back and forth. Her hooves clopped against the wooden deck as she talked, almost as if they were the punctuation to her words. “He has this really neat airship kinda like you guys, except his is called the Reflector ’cause it’s all silver and shiny and when it’s in the clouds it looks practically invisible—”
“Airship?” Mullet asked, a nervous expression on his face. “Do… uh… a lot of ponies have airships?”

“He’s the only one I’ve ever heard of. I mean, Twilight has her hot-air balloon, but that’s not really the same thing. . . .” Rainbow Dash frowned, growing suspicious. Boyle and Mullet were acting quite squirmy. “Why?”
Boyle made a face and nudged Mullet so he’d stop asking so many questions. That guy was always getting them into trouble by flapping his big ol’ beak. “No reason!” Boyle barked as the pair disappeared down the stairs to the quarters belowdecks. Rainbow Dash quickly brushed it off and turned back to the matter at hoof—Alto Terre.
Her heart quickened as the ship began to slow, descending toward a clear ridge scooped out of the side of the mountain, just a short staircase away from the village. Rainbow Dash scanned the horizon for signs of Brumby Cloverpatch. She was pretty sure she would recognize him instantly.
“All claws on deck, moving portside!” ordered Captain Celaeno, and the crew scrambled to their positions. The parrots heaved and hoed, pulling the wingspan in with their brute strength until finally the ship was positioned. Once they’d safely made anchor, Captain Celaeno tipped her hat to Rainbow Dash and Daring Do. “We’ll be here waiting for you.”
The two Pegasi took off, flying up over the stairs with Daring Do leading the way. Rainbow Dash had been instructed not to talk to anypony until they got to Brumby’s cottage, so she zipped her muzzle and kept close behind.
“Hey, who are you?” a mint-colored Unicorn stallion wearing an emerald- green sash called out as they trotted through the main gates of the village. “And what do you want? State your business in Alto Terre!” He’d positioned himself as a makeshift guard and this was the first instance in which his job had ever mattered.
“Just visiting a friend.” Daring Do smiled and waved her hoof nonchalantly. “Have a nice day.” Rainbow Dash followed suit, flashing him a friendly smile. He looked confused, but for lack of a better plan just decided to accept it. Nopony else said anything to the duo, but ponies were definitely staring. Rainbow Dash was starting to understand why Daring Do had been so insistent that Captain Celaeno and the rest of the birds stay behind. If these ponies were reacting strangely to some Pegasi, who knew what they’d do if they saw a bunch of gigantic parrots with peg legs, hooks, and eye patches?
They turned off the main cobblestoned road and into a little alleyway, away from the hoof traffic of the shops and taverns. Standing at the end of the alleyway was a curious little cottage that was distinctly different from the rest of the buildings. It looked like something Discord would have chosen—a patchwork quilt of colors with its blue shutters, red door, and wavy stripes of teal painted across the facade. The thatched roof reminded Rainbow Dash of the houses back in Ponyville, and the curious selection of dainty clouds circling above it like a halo elicited memories of the dwellings in Cloudsdale.
“Brace yourself.” Daring Do muttered the warning under her breath. “He might not be too happy to see you.”