“What?” Sweetie Belle squeaked. The Cutie Mark Crusaders gaped. The duck in Scootaloo’s tub quacked indignantly.

“Why?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle dragged our whole family in for a lecture about unsafe magic.” Lilymoon rolled her eyes. “She practically blamed our parents for everything bad that’s ever happened in Ponyville. You can see why they aren’t too thrilled with us being your friends.”

“But that’s not our fault!” Scootaloo pointed out.

Before Lilymoon could reply, a loud roar split the air. The ponies turned to see Harry the bear, standing in his tub, teeth bared. He was obviously upset about something, thought Sweetie Belle, but she couldn’t tell what. Maybe the water had gotten cold?

“What’s up with him?” Scootaloo frowned.

Sweetie Belle peered closer at Harry. His eyes were tracking… something. Sweetie Belle thought it might be a moving shadow, but then she blinked, and there was nothing there. Harry the bear swiped his paws at empty air. Sweetie Belle thought for a moment that she heard bells chiming… but that was silly. Why would there be bells out among the bathtubs?

Now the other animals in the sanctuary were growing agitated, chirping, snarling, braying, and howling.

“Something’s scaring the animals,” Lilymoon said. Scootaloo’s duck quacked in panic and flapped its wings violently as it flew out of its bath, splashing the ponies with sudsy water.

“Ya think?” Ambermoon said, shaking her wet mane.

Like a furry tide, the creatures poured out of their tubs. Goats bounded away in a sloshing stampede. The gerbils abandoned their diving board, scampering to hide in the nearby bushes. Apple Bloom was nearly knocked over as a wave of fleeing mice mobbed her in their rush to escape. Sweetie Belle looked down to see that even Lola the sloth was trying to get away, although very slowly.

“Oh no! What’s wrong?!” Fluttershy cried as she flew over, her hooves full of fresh towels. “Stop! Wait!” she called to the fleeing animals. “You’ll get yourselves dirty again!”

But it was too late. The once-peaceful sanctuary was a shambles of upturned tubs and muddy grass. Fluttershy turned to the younger ponies, and Sweetie Belle could tell she was deeply upset.

“I think maybe you two should go home,” Fluttershy said softly to Lilymoon and Ambermoon. The sisters looked at her in hurt surprise.

“But… they didn’t do anything wrong!” Sweetie Belle protested.

“It’s okay, Sweetie Belle,” Lilymoon said, flipping her blue-and-white mane to hide her eyes.

“Yes. We know when we’re not wanted,” Ambermoon added acidly. “Come along, Lilymoon.” Together, the sisters turned their backs on Fluttershy and walked off.

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy told the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “It’s just that the animals have never been scared like this before. And the only new thing in my sanctuary was… them.”