That night, Spike was sound asleep with Arizona, lulled to the faint, but also melodic chorus of crickets singing, together with some other nightly creatures outside of the house.
While sleeping, Spike dreamed of nothing more than to be back home in Ponyville, and in the safe arms of Twilight, and the girls, and all of his friends and family.
He can see himself, making cupcakes with Pinkie Pie, helping Rarity find some new gems for her dresses, as well a few for him to snack on, assist Twilight in some of her duties as the Princess of Friendship, watching Rainbow Dash doing some awesome aerial tricks for the Wonderbolts' shows, enjoying some of Applejack and her family's delicious apple treats, and listening to Fluttershy's beautiful voice when she sings.
Spike even missed his buddies, Discord and Big Mac, and couldn't wait to get back home to resume their guys' nights, together.
"It's guys' night! Eeyup! Oh yeah! Having fun now! Eeyup! Oh yeah!" The three boys chanted together.
All was going fine, until the sound of a loud bell filled the air, and Spike turned his head in the direction, "What the hay?!" He exclaimed, before he woke up with a start.
Spike looked around, seeing he was back in Arizona's room, with the sleeping cow, snoring lightly in her bed. With a heavy sigh, Spike plopped his head down, and went to back sleep.
He didn't sleep long, when he heard a loud howl in the distance, that snapped him fully awake, looking alert.
"Um, A-A-Arizona?" Spike asked the cow, propping her on the shoulder lightly. "Did you hear that?" Another howl sent chills down Spike's spines, before he looked out the window, to see it was still nighttime. But without the crickets chirping, making it seem rather, eerie.
Suddenly, he heard a loud scratch on the side of the house, and looked in the direction to see a shadow of something darting out of his vision.
"Arizona!" Spike whispered, harshly, shaking the cow violently. "Wake up! Something's out there!" But to no avail. The young calf was sawing logs. With a frustrated sigh, and a roll of his eyes, Spike quietly walked out of the room, down to the kitchen, where he dons up a heavy pot as a helmet, while arming himself with frying pan in one claw, and a small knife – the kind used for spreading butters on toast – in the other.
Creaking the door open, while still hearing the scratching, Spike slowly peeked around the corner, and saw nothing. This was really beginning to frighten him, as he looked around for anything that might jumped out.
"CAW, CAW, CAW," Several crows sang, as they flew out of a nearby tree, startling Spike.
Taking a few quick deep breathes, Spike calmed his nerves, before he decided to turn back into the house, when he hears it again. Another howl filled the air, and Spike looked to see something in the mists of the night. Cautiously stepping forward for a closer look, and almost lost his lunch.
Lying on the ground, lifeless, with a large hole on the side that looked as if it had been made by teeth, was the carcass of an old cow. Spike looked away, feeling squeamish at the sight of its ripped up flesh, while cringing at the fresh smell of blood. Spike looked at the ground, and saw a trail of blood, glistening in the moonlight, leading all the way into the trees nearby.
With his frying pan and knife ready, Spike cautiously followed the trail, as it took him deep in the woods. The tall dark trees towered overhead, blocking out the moonlight, inhibiting his vision, as the little dragon navigates his way through the darkness of the thickets.
It reminded him of how he once got lost in the Everfree Forest, back in Equestria, and then some. Spike's frills pricked, as he hears the sounds of several footsteps, of whatever creatures could be inhabiting the woods, crushing the sticks and dead leaves beneath them.
Spike's nose twitched again, as he caught scent of another fresh kill, and looked to see a pair of red eyes. Spike froze up, in fear, to see more red eyes, piercing the darkness, staring right back at him. And if that wasn't frightening enough, then it's the shiny white teeth they bared, drooling hungrily, together with the eyes locked on the little dragon.
With a frightful scream, Spike broke out in a run, bashing through the branches, and the leaves, with the sound of growls, barks, and footsteps of the specters behind him.
While running for his life, Arizona's words echoed through Spike's head, as he recalls, "The predators aren't here yet. They're still trapped in the void, between our world and the Hold, gettin' hungrier with each passing days, and more solid. So if ya happen to see a shadow with a pair of hungry red eyes, with shining white teeth, then it's wise for ya to run, if ya don't want to end up becoming their next meal!"
Not daring to look back, Spike ran blindly through the trees, tripping and bumping into a few of the dark trees on the way. Spike can feel the hot breath of the wolves behind him, as they close in on him.
With loud scream, Spike swung his frying pan at the wolves behind him, but the only thing he did struck was the bark of a tree. Spike swung again, together with his knife. Next thing Spike knew, something grabbed both of his weapons, ripped them out of his claws, and from the sound of it, where crushed.
"AAAAAAH!!!" Spike screamed, as he desperately climbs up a tree, with the sound of a wolf's jaw snapping at his tail.
Spike kept on climbing up the tree, with the wolves barking and scratching at the tree in frustrations. Spike didn't have time to relax, for long, when he hears the sound of a rattle. Turning to his side, with the moon's light making out of its appearance, Spike screamed upon seeing the outline of rattlesnake, too with glowing red eyes. The snake hissed before it snapped his jaws at him, forcing Spike further away from it, and closer to the end of the branch.
"WHOA!!" Spike screamed, as he fell off, before grabbing the branch, momentarily, from the hungry jaws of the wolves below. He was clearly in between a rock and a hard place.
Spike looked up, with dread, as the snake continues to slither along the branch, fangs ready for a bite, while the wolves beneath him were licking their chops, eager for a little baby dragon, for a midnight snack. Worst still, the branch was beginning to snap.
"Oh no!" Spike moaned. "No! No!" With a final snap, the branch broke, and Spike fell towards the open maws of the wolves, screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
"Spike! WAKE UP!!" Spike jerked his head up, panting heavily, to see he was safely back in the room, with Arizona, looking tired.
"What happened?" Spike panted.
"You were having a nightmare, there little fella," Arizona answered. "Ya were kicking and screaming, and ya stirred me awake."
"I'm sorry," Spike apologized, rubbing his head. "I was having a nightmare, and it felt so real."
Outside of house, past the remains of a skeleton, on the rocky sides of a mountain, where a bent knife, and a crushed frying pan laid, dark, smokey, ghost-like apparitions of wolves, looked over the prairie, before they gazed their heads up to the sky, and howled.