Spike sat staring up at the empty vent with the projections for over a minute, flinching at the slightest noise of rattling or squelches as Twilight's laughter slowly petered out.

Eventually, it was silent, but then AJ and Pinkie ran into each other, bumping helmets together, as they burst in through the doorway.

"D-darlings?" Rarity, helmetless, said as she uncowered and pulled the alarm button, disarming it. "That was...truly repulsive. Could one of you dears please remove Twilight's remains before they uh, make this room smell any more unpleasant?"

AJ groaned as she set threw Twi's back end into a trash chute. "Got it..."

Holo-Twi gasped. "Hey, that's my rear, not garbage!"

AJ glared. "Ya ain't usin' it, and I'm pretty sure we ain't starin' up your butt while it's on display for an open-casket funeral while you're still kinda alive, either, sugarcube. So...how's it bein' a magic ghost with Rainbutt Dash-hole there?"

Rarity gasped. "Language!"

Holo-Dash slapped Holo-Twi on the cutie mark. "'sup. Sucks Fluttershy's gone, but at least I won't get lonely!"

Holo-Twi shot Holo-Dash a glare before looking back to AJ. "Uh, could be worse I suppose...I could be like Fluttershy. Pretty sure she'll be a ghost haunting the ship with the way I did the magic. May she rest in peace...eventually. But uh...I can't think as well as I used to..."

Spike squinted. "Meaning...?"

Holo-Twi sighed. "None of my uh, plans or smart things really make sense to me now. I must've lost something. The uh...uh...front part of the brain? Part of that. Emotions are all here, and personality...I think. Hard to tell when the smart part of me's gone."

Holo-Dash smirked. "Welcome to the club, baby!"

Spike squealed. "Oh no, not your intelligence! Tell me we can get it back..."

Holo-Twi shrugged. "Starlight should be able to do it when we get back. So um...I think we have to vote...for who gets thrown out the airlock or...however else they can be dealt with."

Holo-Dash raised a hoof. "I vote Rearity!"

Rarity scoffed. "First of all, it's Rarity, and second, you don't get a vote once you're dead, ghost! Spike, turn her off!"

Spike promptly went over and flipped the switch, making Holo-Dash disappear. "Okay...so...we know it's not me, which one of you is it? Rarity...you lured me out, and your tongue was way too long when we um...were together. And...I didn't hear you come in after I hit the alarm, and you're missing your helmet too!"

Rarity gasped. "Look, Spike, I did not lure you away...whatever thing did wasn't me! I came here to check up on you, but I was frozen in fear on seeing that ghastly sight! And my helmet is right there on the floor, I just...didn't want to draw attention to myself fumbling with that unfashionable thing, and I had to take it off because Pinkie wouldn't stop babbling on the radio the moment it wasn't jammed! Spike, you've got to trust me..."

Spike gulped and hung his head low. "...Pinkie, AJ, what about you two?"

Pinkie bounced over to Twilight's helmet, then pulled out the skull and gave it a lookover. "Alas, poor Twilight, I knew her well..."

Holo-Twi very loudly cleared her throat.

Pinkie tossed the skull behind herself, nailing the trash chute as AJ opened it. "Score! Oh, right, the alibi. Uh...well I went with AJ, but then I had to go to the bathroom, but then I heard Spike and Rarity being all romantic, and I asked about dracony babies, but Rarity was SUPER mean AGAIN. Anyways, then I zipped to AJ and the bathroom and back and soon I had all the wiring done, so I went to get a snack with AJ. The alarm sounded while I was having a second helping of brownies, just after she headed out of the room. I can't believe this place has no cupcakes!" Pinkie closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Unacceptable."

Rarity gasped. "Me and Spike?! But..."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well cupcakes are all nice and good, but it was all about what fits nicely in. Anyways, I had just had a glass of cider and wanted to take a shower since I was all sweaty 'fore I checked on Rarity again. Before that, well, you saw me and Rarity in the hallway, and I'm dang sure Pinkie was in electrical that whole time 'cept for when she went to the bathroom."

Spike took off his helmet and scratched his head. "Rarity...um, before the alarm, where were you? I mean...when we were in the bunks, your tongue uh..."

Rarity breathed deeply. "Look, darling, that wasn't me! I don't know what sick game this monster is playing, but I am a mare of my word! After I helped AJ coordinate some wires, I realized there was an emergency light on the circuit for the oxygen system. I tried to get the attention of the other two while they went for snacks, but alas... Anyways, no big deal, I suppose. It's not like it would've caught fire without me. I'm sure one of those two would've eventually got off their fat rumps from having sugary sweets to notice. Surely. AJ didn't even say hi while I was making sure we didn't all die!"

Spike closed his eyes and exhaled. "I vote...Applejack."

Applejack stomped. "Now what in TARNATION? I bust my rump for ya'll, and I'm accused...on WHAT?"

Spike scuttled over to Holo-Twi. "It's just...you left electrical. That wasn't part of the plan! And it can't be Pinkie, she'd have done us all in by now. I'm sorry, okay...I vote you."

AJ scowled. "Well I think we all know how I'm votin'. Send that dang hussy usin' her tongue in your ear right into the dang engine exhaust path when it does the burn!"

Rarity huffed. "And I vote you, you ungrateful and uncouth mud pony."

Pinkie gasped loudly. "I vote Rarity! That was uncalled for, missy!"

AJ growled. "indeed it was. Well then...Twilight, tiebreaker."

Holo-Twi looked back and forth between the two. "Applejack."

AJ froze. "Y-ya wanna say that again, pardner?"

Holo-Twi stared her in the eyes. "I tried to reason it out, but I can't...but it doesn't matter, because I can't ask Spike to kill Rarity. Even if he's willing, he'd probably go crazy or something from it. So...there's no choice. Um, if you want, we could all say our goodbyes and craft a eulogy fo-"

AJ shoved her hoof into Twi's mouth, but fell over as it didn't stick. "Oh, right, hologram. Uh...ya get the point. Shut up and get this over with, I'm ready to face the dang music. Ya ain't gonna hear any fussin' from me. All I need's a moment to make sure I don't make a dang mess for ya to clean up..." She took off her helmet, and threw her hat into the trash chute, then grabbed a potion labeled "PRE-SURGERY EMETIC. WARNING: EXTREMELY FAST-ACTING", chugged it, then trotted over to the bathroom area and squatted over a hole in the floor with her rear end just barely out of view.

Holo-Twi gestured towards her with her head. "Pinkie, keep a close eye on...that. We don't want any funny business."

Pinkie saluted and bounced over behind AJ. "Aww, but funny business is my game!"

Spike turned to Rarity. "So...read any good books lately?"

Rarity put on a strained smile and whispered. "Just one about a handsome dragon who went on to live happily ever after after a total nightmare. It was sweet. I just wish I could read it with Applejack...she would've loved it."

Spike hugged her leg.

AJ then trotted back as a flush sounded. "Phew, that stuff packs a whallop, I feel a whole bushel lighter. Now as my Granny likes to joke, just stick an apple in my mouth and roast my rump!"

Pinkie promptly pulled an apple out from behind herself, stuffed it in AJ's mouth, re-buttered her rear, then spun her into the hallway.

AJ went googly-eyed a moment as her pupils spun around, then blinked, and looked to Pinkie with a weak smile and talked around the apple. "Uh, thank ya kindly."

Holo-Twi blinked. "Well...okay then. Um, the brain crystals don't like heat, so we'll need to be careful."

Spike nodded. "Right, Twi, if I connect the ship's controls to you..." He opened up a panel and brought a cable, then lightly touched it to her crystal brain. "...can you close the door right on cue?"

Holo-Twi shrugged. "I...whoa, this is weird. Yep, I can tell doors to close! Yay!"

Spike turned towards AJ, then huffed, and puffed...and just stood there a moment before coughing up smoke. "Uh...performance anxiety, sorry."

AJ spat out the apple. "Typical. Rarity, can I have a quick li'l chat with you, dead mare to dead mare?"

Rarity blinked. "What ever do you mean, darling? Um...not to be disrespectful to your...sacrifice, but I'm quite sure I'll be..."

AJ shook her head. "Ya ain't gettin' spared by this. In fact, Spike...ya might as well roast both of us, since the moment I'm gone, she'll just kill you and Pinkie...so it's now or never. Pinkie, grab 'im and let 'er rip!" AJ suddenly grabbed Rarity close. "NOW!"

Rarity struggled, lighting her horn only for it to get smacked. "No, AJ, please, I'll accept my fate in a dignified manner somehow, please don't make poor Spikey-Wikey do this!"

Spike screamed out and tried to run over.

Pinkie grabbed him like he was a flamethrower, opened his mouth, and pushed his tail up like it was a trigger as she aimed for Rarity's head...but as he spewed fire, her aim drifted all over.

AJ and Rarity were untouched except a slightly-singed top of one of Rarity's ears, making her wince.

Rarity breathed heavily. "S-spike...j-just make sure there's nothing left, I want to go from pretty to just smoke and ash, please!"

AJ growled. "Consarnit...you threw off her aim, Well...there's two ways to fire that there gun..."

Spike went wide-eyed as Pinkie turned him around.

Pinkie then lifted his tail and pulled his finger, making him wince as pressure could be heard building.

Rarity gasped. "Wait, ANYTHING BUT THA-"

A loud sputter and FWOOSH of flame went out for a second, before Holo-Twi closed the door and Pinkie let go of Spike's finger.

Spike slid from Pinkie's grasp, clutching his mouth. "I-is there anything left?"

Pinkie grimaced as she looked through the door window. "Uh, well I see both their back halves...wow, still standing somehow. Oh wait, there they go. Ooh...Rarity really should've really gone to the bathroom first too, it's like a fountain..." Pinkie stuffed her hoof in her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry, so sorry...I'm talking about a dead friend, but...look, I'm just a little broken."

Holo-Dash shimmered back on. "Bwahahaha...ahaha, man, yep, Rearity! That's the most hilarious one yet!"

Holo-Twi groaned. "Not the time, Dash... Spike, I am so sorry. I don't know what cruel joker put a spell on this ship making ponies' rear ends be left behind as remains, but I'm sure Rarity is uh...in a better place now. Or a ghost cursed to haunt us. One of the two. ...sorry."

Spike slumped to his knees, practically catatonic.

Holo-Twi put out a hoof, but was nowhere near Spike.

Pinkie stepped in, creating a chain to pat Spike's shoulder. "Hey, maybe we get ice cream after this? I'm sure this ship has ice cream..."

Holo-Twi sighed. "I don't remember... I really should remember, but I don't. Anyways, uh, we need to figure out from their ashes if one of them was it. I...don't know how to do that. Oh Celestia, is this what it's like to be Rainbow Dash?"

Holo-Dash raised an eyebrow. "Figure out? What, you don't know it wasn't Rarity? For an egghead, you really don't pay attention!"

Author's Note

Claimed location timeline:
1 (First tasks):
-------------Storage 1==*==Medbay==Bathroom3-X-Observation
-----------------||-----------------------X---------------------||-------------------||
Engines=Hallway==*====Kitchen====Bunks1======Oxygen==Cockpit
-----------------||--------------------------X--------------------||-----------------||
-------------Storage 2===*===2Electrical==Admin=====Comms

2 (Meetup):
-------------Storage 1==*==Medbay==Bathroom-X-Observation
-----------------||--------------------------X----------------------||-------------------||
Engines=Hallway==*====Kitchen====Bunks======Oxygen==Cockpit
-----------------||--------------------------X--------------------||-----------------||
-------------Storage 2===*===Electrical======Admin=====Comms

3 (Splitup):
-------------Storage 1==*==Medbay==Bathroom-X-Observation
-----------------||-----------------------X------------------------------||-------------------||
Engines=Hallway==*=====Kitchen============Bunks======Oxygen2==Cockpit
-----------------||--------------------------X------------------------||-----------------||
-------------Storage 2===*===Electrical1==Admin=====Comms

4 (Alarm):
-------------Storage 1==*==Medbay==Bathroom-X-Observation
-----------------||-----------------------X----------------||-------------------||
Engines=Hallway==*====Kitchen===Bunks======Oxygen==Cockpit
-----------------||--------------------------X---------------||-----------------||
-------------Storage 2===*===Electrical===Admin=====Comms