History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E7Bats

* AntiVillain: The Mane Six (sans Fluttershy) are significantly darker in this episode, but in reality all they want to do is help their friend. The vampire fruit bats could also qualify due to being in-universe [[DesignatedVillain Designated Villains]] and not being malicious at all.

* BatPeople: [Fluttershy is turned into a nonhuman variant of this after taking in the nature of vampire fruit bats, gaining batlike wings instead of her feathered ones and turning into a feral, vampiric fruit-sucker.

* AntiVillain: The Mane Six (sans Fluttershy) are significantly darker in this episode, but in reality all they want to do is help their friend. The vampire fruit bats could also qualify due to being a DesignatedVillain and not being malicious at all.

%% ** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is not a good case to use to try and justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality they are still animals that rely on their instincts and do not have the ability to think and reason or even moralize in the manner that The Mane Six are able to]].

* AmbiguousSyntax: The conversation between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie after [[spoiler: the former has been returned to normal]].
-->'''Fluttershy:''' [[spoiler: So I wasn't a vampire?]]\\

'''Fluttershy:''' [[LampshadeHanging Yes I was, or yes I wasn't?]]\\

'''Fluttershy:''' [[spoiler: But... I didn't try to eat ponies?]]\\

* BalefulPolymorph: The effect is delayed and unintentional, but Twilight's spell to control the vampire fruit bats [[spoiler: inadvertently turns Fluttershy into a vampire pony]].

** Then there's [[spoiler: Flutterbat]], a [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent half-pony, half-bat creature]] with pale fur, a [[spoiler: tattered mane]], [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], fangs, leathery wings, and a bat-shaped [[spoiler: cutie mark]].
* BatPeople: [[spoiler: Fluttershy is turned into a nonhuman variant of this after taking in the nature of vampire fruit bats, gaining batlike wings instead of her feathered ones and turning into a feral, vampiric fruit-sucker]].

* ConflictKiller: All debates over the pros and cons of the various solutions are abandoned when [[spoiler: Fluttershy is transformed, and aren't picked up afterwards]].

* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler: The final shot, which shows that Fluttershy still has CuteLittleFangs]].

** Don't use magic to alter the behavior of animals, lest you [[spoiler: accidentally transfer the unwanted traits to one of your friends]].

%% ** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is not a good case to use to try and justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that rely on their instincts and do not have the ability to think and reason or even moralize in the manner that The Mane Six are able to]].
* FastTunnelling: Done by Pinkie Pie to [[spoiler: escape Flutterbat]].

* FightingFromTheInside: Implied. [[spoiler: A brief shot shows Flutterbat almost turning back into her Pony form, only to revert back to her vampire self, suggesting that Fluttershy was trying to fight off the transformation]].
* FollowThatCar: Pinkie Pie shouts "Follow that bat!" as the Mane Five chase [[spoiler: Flutterbat]].

** Shortly after Twilight casts the spell to curb the vampire fruit bats' appetites, [[spoiler: Fluttershy sniffs as though she's suddenly noticing how delicious the apples smell]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: How [[spoiler: Flutterbat is finally captured, by reflecting her own Stare against her, so she can't escape while Twilight heals her]].

* HypnoticEyes: Fluttershy's ability to entrance others with "The Stare" is an important part of Twilight's initial solution, [[spoiler: the MagicMisfire, and the plan to stop and cure Flutterbat]].
* ImAHumanitarian: Discussed. [[spoiler: When told that she became a vampire, Fluttershy asks if she ate ponies]].

* InvoluntaryShapeshifter: [[spoiler: Fluttershy to Flutterbat]].

* MagicMisfire: Another of Twilight's spells goes awry when Fluttershy uses her Stare to hold the bats in place, [[spoiler: implanting their animal nature within her without anypony knowing]].

* MessyHair: [[spoiler: Part of Fluttershy's transformation. Her mane turns much more messy after she changes]].

** Also [[spoiler: Flutterbat (Pegasus + Vampire Fruit Bat)]].

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After [[spoiler: Flutterbat is revealed to the rest of the Mane Cast, Twilight deduces that they're the ones to blame for her transformation, prompting everypony to put aside their apple problems and start fighting to get their friend back to normal]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: Twilight's spell on the bats end up turning Fluttershy into Flutterbat]].

* NotQuiteBackToNormal: [[spoiler: Fluttershy still has small fangs at the end]].

* OverlyLongTongue: The vampire fruit bats use those to grab apples. [[spoiler: Fluttershy also acquires one after her change]].
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Also sharing traits with [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], [[spoiler: Fluttershy is accidentally transformed into a vampire pony by Twilight's spell]]. However, [[spoiler: she only took on the characteristics of the vampire fruit bats (she gains fangs, her wings turn bat-like, her eyes change color, her [[PointyEars ears turn pointy]], and she starts to hang upside down from trees) and nothing else really mystical beyond that. She only targets the apples as her food source and still has her reflection in mirrors (though she is warded off by them). Oddly though, she doesn't speak while in this form, mostly hissing until she's changed back]]. Probably [[spoiler: the most odd change is that her cutie mark changes from butterflies to bats after she's transformed]]. Additionally, [[spoiler: Fluttershy also has the standard werewolf AlternateIdentityAmnesia once she's turned back to normal]]. So it's a weird combination of the two.

* PestEpisode: The episode [[spoiler: initially]] starts out this way, with the Mane Six dealing with a fruit bat infestation in Sweet Apple Acres.
* PlotTwist: The episode seems to lead up to a conflict between Applejack and Fluttershy, or about sticking to your principles vs. peer pressure. Then [[spoiler: Flutterbat]] happens.

** [[spoiler: As part of her transformation, Fluttershy can hang from trees with her tail]]. Thus proving that she [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E23PonyvilleConfidential ditched her tail extensions]] (or, it was gossip, and she never had them).

* RedEyesTakeWarning: The vampire fruit bats have gleaming red eyes. [[spoiler: Fluttershy gets these too once she turns into a bat pony]].
* RewatchBonus: You might miss it the first time, but [[spoiler: Fluttershy's cutie mark changes to bats when she's a vampire]].

* SequelHook: [[spoiler: The last shot reveals Fluttershy is NotQuiteBackToNormal]].

** Also to the first Creator/TimBurton ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' film, [[spoiler: Flutterbat briefly poses in full wing spread in front of the moon before divebombing the others]], akin to Batman briefly doing the same with the Batwing in the final battle.

* SpaceWhaleAesop: Turning animals against their basic nature will [[spoiler: turn you into a monstrous version of that animal]].

* UndeathlyPallor: [[spoiler: Fluttershy when she changes, her fur and mane taking on a much darker color]].
* [[spoiler: VampireEpisode]]: [[spoiler: "Bats!" involves Fluttershy being magically turned into a vampire batpony after Twilight's attempt to remove the actual bats fails. The end of the episode reveals she still has CuteLittleFangs despite her vampirism supposedly being lifted]].

* VegetarianVampire: A literal example, since vampire fruit bats [[spoiler: (and later Flutterbat)]] only suck the juice out of apples.

* WhamShot: [[spoiler: Fluttershy reveals her pointed teeth in the last shot of the episode]].

* WhosOnFirst: When Pinkie Pie tries to explain what happened to [[spoiler: a cured Fluttershy]]. Mostly revolves around the episode's version of [[spoiler: a vampire vs. a normal one]].

'''Twilight:''' ...who is? [[spoiler: Fluttershy]] -- you're our animal expert.
* YourSoulIsMine: When Twilight's spell interacts with Fluttershy's [[HypnoticEyes Stare]], [[spoiler: the essence of the vampire fruit bats is transferred to Fluttershy]].

** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is not a good case to use to try and justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that rely on their instincts and do not have the ability to think and reason or even moralize in the manner that The Mane Six are able to]].

'''Fluttershy:''' I'm confused.

** The concept of attempting to brainwash animals to stop them from eating prized plants only for it to backfire and result in someone transforming into that animal seems [[WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit strangely familiar]]. It even has a giant produce that was meant to win a competition being sacrified to lure the monster.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Fluttershy, on top of [[FriendToAllLivingThings refusing to harm the vampire fruit bats]], also points out how beneficial they can be in the long run. Meanwhile, Applejack and the rest of the Mane Cast want to prevent a widespread disaster, but are far more [[KnightTemplar extreme]] in their actions and are too short-sighted to see how simple the infestation solution could have been until after they unintentionally make things worse.

* WellIntentionedExtremist and NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Applejack only wants to defend her livelihood from what she sees as pests. However, her solution involves interfering with the bats' natural behavior, which backfires messily on everyone when Twilight's spell affects Fluttershy.

* BlackandWhiteMorality: Fluttershy, on top of [[FriendToAllLivingThings refusing to harm the vampire fruit bats]], also points out how beneficial they can be in the long run. Meanwhile, Applejack and the rest of the Mane Cast want to prevent a widespread disaster, but are far more [[KnightTemplar extreme]] in their actions and are too short-sighted to see how simple the infestation solution could have been until after they unintentionally make things worse.

** Yes, their invasion of Sweet Apple Acres is a problem for Applejack, but the Orchard was quite obviously '''NOT''' being targeted simply out of malice or to ''intentionally'' cause issues with the rest of the farm.
** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is not a good case to use to try and justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that rely on their instincts and do not have the ability to think and reason or even moralize in the manner that The Mane Six is able to]].

** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is not a case to use to justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that rely on their instincts and do not have the ability to think and reason or even moralize in the manner that The Mane Six is able to]].

** Yes, their invasion of Sweet Apple Acres is a problem for Applejack, but the Orchard was quite obviously '''NOT''' being targets simply out of malice or to ''intentionally'' cause issues with he rest of the farm.

** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is a hard case to use to justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that do not have the ability to think and reason or ever moralize like The Mane Six can]].

* FantasticRacism: Applejack's opinion of the bats (in addition to the rest of The Mane Six with the exception of Fluttershy), comes off like this when they go on about how {{Demonization what utterly and terrible monsters they are with apparently no redeeming qualities whatsoever}}. Fortunately, they all get better by the end.

* AppealToIgnorance: Applejack's main argument against the vampire fruit bats.%%ZCE -- how is her argument an Appeal to Ignorance?
-->'''Applejack:''' These creatures have a one-track mind. The orchard is not their restaurant, but do they ever think what others may want? No, they don't, and that is just a fact.
** It comes off a ''WHOLE LOT'' more as FantasticRacism against the bats as yes, their invasion of Sweet Apple Acres is a problem for Applejack, the Orchard was quite obviously '''NOT''' being targets simply out of malice or to intentionally cause issues with he rest of the farm.
** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is a hard case to use to justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOrangeMorality they are still animals that do not have the ability to think and reason or ever moralize like The Mane Six can]].

* FastTunnelling: Done by Pinkie Pie to escape Flutterbat.

%%* AppealToIgnorance: Applejack's main argument against the vampire fruit bats.%%ZCE -- how is her argument an Appeal to Ignorance?
%%-->'''Applejack:''' These creatures have a one-track mind. The orchard is not their restaurant, but do they ever think what others may want? No, they don't, and that is just a fact.

** In addition, Applejack's claim of how the bats, "don't think of what others may want," is a hard case to use to justify your hostility to them since although the bats, like the rest of the animals in Equestria, display at least semi-human (or in this case pony) intelligence, [[BlueandOragneMorality they are still animals that do not have the ability to think and reason or ever moralize like The Mane Six can]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: How Flutterbat is finally captured, by reflecting her own Stare against her, so she can't escape while Twilight heals her.

* InvoluntaryShapeshifter: Fluttershy to Flutterbat.

* MessyHair: Part of Fluttershy's transformation. Her mane turns much more messy after she changes.

** Also Flutterbat (Pegasus + Vampire Fruit Bat).

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After Flutterbat is revealed to the rest of the Mane Cast, Twilight deduces that they're the ones to blame for her transformation, prompting everypony to put aside their apple problems and start fighting to get their friend back to normal.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Twilight's spell on the bats end up turning Fluttershy into Flutterbat.

* NobodyPoops: The bats spread apple seeds by spitting them out, rather than by... nature's usual method.

* OverlyLongTongue: The vampire fruit bats use those to grab apples. Fluttershy also acquires one after her change.

** As part of her transformation, Fluttershy can hang from trees with her tail. Thus proving that she [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E23PonyvilleConfidential ditched her tail extensions]] (or, it was gossip, and she never had them).

* RedEyesTakeWarning: The vampire fruit bats have gleaming red eyes. Fluttershy gets these too once she turns into a bat pony.
* RewatchBonus: You might miss it the first time, but Fluttershy's cutie mark changes to bats when she's a vampire.

* SequelHook: The last shot reveals Fluttershy is NotQuiteBackToNormal.

** Also to the first Creator/TimBurton ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' film, Flutterbat briefly poses in full wing spread in front of the moon before divebombing the others, akin to Batman briefly doing the same with the Batwing in the final battle.

* SpaceWhaleAesop: Turning animals against their basic nature will turn you into a monstrous version of that animal.

* UndeathlyPallor: Fluttershy when she changes, her fur and mane taking on a much darker color.
* VampireEpisode: "Bats!" involves Fluttershy being magically turned into a vampire batpony after Twilight's attempt to remove the actual bats fails. The end of the episode reveals she still has CuteLittleFangs despite her vampirism supposedly being lifted.

* VegetarianVampire: A literal example, since vampire fruit bats (and later Flutterbat) only suck the juice out of apples.

* VFormationTeamShot: The Mane cast sans Fluttershy pull a great one at the end of "Stop the Bats".
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Applejack only wants to defend her livelihood from what she sees as pests. However, her solution involves interfering with the bats' natural behavior, which backfires messily on everyone when Twilight's spell affects Fluttershy.
* WhamShot: Fluttershy reveals her pointed teeth in the last shot of the episode.
* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: The episode goes out of its way to show that the vampire fruit bats aren't adorable and therefore must be "nasty, disgusting and vile" in the minds of everypony sans Fluttershy.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Fluttershy, on top of [[FriendToAllLivingThings refusing to harm the vampire fruit bats]], also points out how beneficial they can be in the long run. Meanwhile, Applejack and the rest of the Mane Cast want to prevent a widespread disaster, but are more [[WellIntentionedExtremist extreme]] in their actions and too short-sighted to see how simple the infestation solution could have been until after they unintentionally make things worse.
* WhosOnFirst: When Pinkie Pie tries to explain what happened to a cured Fluttershy. Mostly revolves around the episode's version of a vampire vs. a normal one.

'''Twilight:''' ...who is? Fluttershy -- you're our animal expert.
* YourSoulIsMine: When Twilight's spell interacts with Fluttershy's [[HypnoticEyes Stare]], the essence of the vampire fruit bats is transferred to Fluttershy.

* AmbiguousSyntax: The conversation between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie after the former has been returned to normal.
-->'''Fluttershy:''' So I wasn't a vampire?\\

'''Fluttershy:''' But... I didn't try to eat ponies?\\

* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Introducing a new species to an area is an extremely complex process, with the potential for many, many, unforseen consequences, especially with a species as ravenous as the vampire fruit bats. Fluttershy never addresses any of the problems involved with placing the vampire fruit bats in Sweet Apple Acres.

** Although her heart was in the right place here, building a sanctuary to house a species that are considered pests unfortunately would not work in the manner that Fluttershy proposes. The reason for this is because doing so would rely on the animals in question staying inside the sanctuary, ''however'', when animals are faced with an abundant supply of food, the glut of resources that is now available to them will help inspire their population to grow massively until that area is unable to support them anymore, at which point the excess animals will attempt to migrate elsewhere and look for new sources of food. This can happen more or less continuously, as the animals in the food-rich area will keep producing as many young as possible as long as they can keep doing so, meaning that a sanctuary for the bats to live in unmolested would act only as a never-ending source of new waves of them continuously flooding into the rest of the farm.
* ArtShift: Every time Fluttershy mentions that the seeds the vampire fruit bats spit out "grow into more productive apple trees", the tree she points to is more realistically drawn than the others, with a distinctly leafy crown, rather than the [[VisualPun apple-shaped crowns]] seen on apple trees throughout Sweet Apple Acres.
* BalefulPolymorph: The effect is delayed and unintentional, but Twilight's spell to control the vampire fruit bats inadvertently turns Fluttershy into a vampire pony.

** Then there's Flutterbat, a [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent half-pony, half-bat creature]] with pale fur, a tattered mane, [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], fangs, leathery wings, and a bat-shaped cutie mark.
* BatPeople: Fluttershy is turned into a nonhuman variant of this after taking in the nature of vampire fruit bats, gaining batlike wings instead of her feathered ones and turning into a feral, vampire-like fruit-sucker.

* ConflictKiller: All debates over the pros and cons of the various solutions are abandoned when Fluttershy is transformed, and never picked up afterwards.

* CueTheSun: Twice Applejack waits on the sun to rise over the orchard so she can begin her apple bucking. The sun rising this quickly is perfectly normal when it's being raised by Celestia, of course.

* DramaQueen: Quite unusually, it's ''Rainbow Dash'' who acts at one point like this (instead of the usual Rarity). [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as her drama was due to Applejack's assertion that the vampire fruit bats would cause a shortage of [[FrothyMugsOfWater apple cider]], Rainbow Dash's [[TrademarkFavoriteFood favorite beverage]].

* TheEndOrIsIt: The final shot, which shows that Fluttershy still has CuteLittleFangs.

** Don't use magic to alter the behavior of animals, lest you accidentally transfer the unwanted traits to one of your friends.
** Also Fluttershy's "long term solution" could only work in a magical land where all animals are at least semi-sapient; in real life it would be disastrous. For example, "When pests are destroying your orchard, hand over part of your land to them. They'll definitely understand and respect the boundary you set and not, for example, breed explosively, expand to ravage your orchard anyway, and then either starve to death or move on to destroy someone else's orchard." Fortunately, Equestrian bats can be reasoned with and so they won't do this.

* FightingFromTheInside: Implied. A brief shot shows Flutterbat almost turning back into her Pony form, only to revert back to her vampire self, suggesting that Fluttershy was trying to fight off the transformation.
* FollowThatCar: Pinkie Pie shouts "Follow that bat!" as the Mane Five chase Flutterbat.

** Shortly after Twilight casts the spell to curb the vampire fruit bats' appetites, Fluttershy sniffs as though she's suddenly noticing how delicious the apples smell.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: This episode [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructs]] Fluttershy's nature as one: her friends point out that by refusing to interfere with the vampire fruit bats in their natural habitat, she'd be putting Applejack's entire orchard and livelihood at risk. The deconstruction is that, by being siding with one groups of living things she is siding against another group. It is difficult to be friends with two competing sides.

* HypnoticEyes: Fluttershy's ability to entrance others with "The Stare" is an important part of Twilight's initial solution, the MagicMisfire, and the plan to stop and cure Flutterbat.
* ImAHumanitarian: Discussed. When told that she became a vampire, Fluttershy asks if she ate ponies.

* KangarooCourt: Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle are quick to take Applejack's side against the vampire fruit bats, and completely disregard Fluttershy's arguments in their defense. It is not ''literally'' a court of law but the song makes it sound like one.

* MagicMisfire: Another of Twilight's spells goes awry when Fluttershy uses her Stare to hold the bats in place, implanting their animal nature in her without anypony knowing.

* NotQuiteBackToNormal: Fluttershy still has small fangs at the end.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Also sharing traits with [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]], Fluttershy is accidentally transformed into a vampire pony by Twilight's spell. However, she's only took on the characteristics of the vampire fruit bats (she gains fangs, her wings turn bat-like, her eyes change color, her [[PointyEars ears turn pointy]], and she can hang upside down from trees) and nothing really mystical beyond that. She only targets the apples as her food source and still has her reflection in mirrors (though she is warded off by them). Oddly though, she doesn't speak while in this form, mostly hissing until she's changed back. Even more odd is that her cutie mark changes to bats after she's transformed. Additionally, Fluttershy has the standard werewolf AlternateIdentityAmnesia upon being turned back to normal. So it's a weird combination of the two.
* PainfulTransformation: For a bit, Fluttershy is seen cringing when her ears turn bat-like.
* PestEpisode: The episode starts out this way, with the Mane Six dealing with a fruit bat infestation in Sweet Apple Acres.
* PlotTwist: The episode seems to lead up to a conflict between Applejack and Fluttershy, or about sticking to your principles vs. peer pressure. Then Flutterbat happens.

** More generally, the difficulties with using new seeds in an established orchard, like tearing out old trees and planting new ones, as well as the wait needed before they start bearing fruit, are completely ignored.

** Writer Merriwether Williams uses apple trees, which in the real world do not rely on bats to reproduce, as a metaphor for plants like the agave, which ''do'' benefit from pollination by bats.
** Building a sanctuary to house a pest species in cannot work, at least not like Fluttershy proposes, because it relies on the animals in question staying inside the sanctuary. When animals are faced with an abundant supply of food, the glut of resources now available to them will cause their population to grow massively until the area cannot support them anymore, at which point the excess animals will migrate elsewhere and look for new sources of food. This will happen more or less continuously, as the animals in the food-rich area will keep producing as many young as possible as long as they can keep doing so, meaning that a sanctuary for the bats to live in unmolested would act only as a never-ending source of new waves of them continuously flooding into the rest of the farm.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: A minor one, but they got the phrase 'mean as sin' into the song. You don't hear that very often in children's programming.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Shortly after Twilight casts the spell to curb the vampire fruit bats' appetites, Fluttershy sniffs as though she's suddenly noticing how delicious the apples smell.
* When Fluttershy transforms back to being a regular pegaus, note that camera quickly cuts away from showing her fangs retract all the way comapared to her other body parts.

** Vampire Fruit Bats are much darker and creepier-looking than their [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E9AppleFamilyReunion more colorful cousins]], and pose a more serious threat to Sweet Apple Acres as they infest the entire orchard rather than just one segment of it.