Cloudfire bolted awake, soaked in sweat, his eyes wide and desperate... it was all a dream.

He sighed heavily and happily. The day had yet to even begin and his Pegasus Fiancée was resting happily with her head on his chest. He stroked her mane:

"Derpy, if I could only show you how much of a neat pony I think you are. I respect you... I really do."

The gray pony moaned softly, giggling in her sleep.

He quietly stretched his body, feeling an odd ache deep in the pit of his gut, which felt like pure hunger. It was coupled with a need to urinate, made worse by the additional weight on his core. He started gently shifting his weight:

"As much as I love you... I gotta use the john. I'll be back."

He managed to wriggle out from underneath his sleeping Fiancée without actually waking her. She moaned loudly as he tucked her back in. He comforted the dreaming Pegasus by giving her a kiss to the forehead:

"It's okay, it's okay... I'll be back in a bit. Promise."

He picked up a loose pillow from the floor and set it by Derpy's face. She instinctively took the cool object in a warm embrace, letting out a contented sigh. He heard the snoring of a pony in a deep sleep as he left the room.

Cloudfire crept down the stairs quietly. It was dark, but he knew the way. This time there was no light on to help guide him. He felt for the wall with his flank until it ended, getting to the bottom stair.

He lumbered through the living room and into the restroom, hitting a chair along the way. There he closed the door, and did his business staring into the toilet. The longing in his gut got stronger as he stood there... he belched, then suddenly threw up his dinner. It surprised even him, as he didn't feel sick, yet thinking back he had a good idea as to what might've caused it...

After washing up he sleepily walked out, nearly into a wall. He was ready to head back upstairs and just get into bed with Derpy...

There was a creak by Daddy Hooves chair:

"I heard vomiting." Said the older Unicorn. "Are you alright, Cloudfire?"

The sleepy Earth Pony nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Yeah! I'm fine." Cloudfire belched. "Must've been too much candy from the Corner. Have you been sitting there the whole time?"

"Yeah..." The older Unicorn chuckled in a hushed voice. "I can't sleep. I didn't mean to startle you."

Cloudfire had run into this type of behavior once or twice... it always made him uncomfortable. Staying up late in the dark was odd, but... he set this uneasy feeling aside and tried to be a good future son-in-law. He took an interest and changed the subject at the same time:

"It's okay. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Well, that's kind of you," replied the shadows. "You vomit violently and then offer to get me something to help me sleep? Cloudfire, I'm fine. Thank you. Just a sleepless night. I have my cola... I'm all set."

Cloudfire sat down beside Daddy Hooves's chair:

"Seriously, Dad... What's on your mind? You're not normally up like this..."

"Wow." The older pony took a sip of his beverage. "That's very preceptive, Cloudfire. Your mother and father raised you well."

There was a long pause.

"Seriously, what is it? Did I do something?"

"Cola?" Asked the older Unicorn. "It's still cold..."

"No, thank you."

Again, the Unicorn sipped his cola.

"Alright, Cloudfire... I'll tell you: firstly I'm worried about Derpy. She's coming home exhausted at the end of the day, and lacking her... well, her luster. She's not irritable at least, but... it's not good what I'm seeing. You know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah. I'm worried about her, too. She's a strong pony and I'm doing what I can to help keep her from burning out."

"I believe you. She looks at you and I see it."

Mr Hooves took another sip of his soda and there was a long pause between the two.

"Second thing on your mind, sir?"

There was a sigh, followed by a chuckle:

"Are you really going to marry Derpy in a month or two like you said? That soon?"

"Yes. I plan on it. Very soon."

He felt Daddy Hooves nodding his head in the faint light as he took a yet another sip from his soda, thinking:

"Okay then. Here's what I want to do: I want you two to take a short trip before that... entirely on me. Go to the city... go camping. Do something fun that you're both going to enjoy. What the hay, go gambling if that's what you guys want. Consider this my treat to you, a warm-up to your Honeymoon and just a chance for you two to have fun before you tie the knot. Make Derpy happy for me."

"That's very generous of you, sir," Cloudfire chuckled. "I can think of many things me and Derpy would love to do right off the top of my head..."

"Good, good. Talk to her... share your ideas and get her excited! Then we'll all talk."

Cloudfire nodded:

"Alrighty then. I think I can do that easily enough."

"I don't doubt that. You understand her. She doesn't even have to say a word for you to know what's on her mind. That's love, and it makes me very happy to see in you two." Daddy Hooves got up after finishing his soda and gave Cloudfire a hug. "I feel better now. I was debating how to approach this... I don't think questioning you in front of my daughter would have been wise."

"I have to agree with you, sir."

"Oh, sweet Celestia... Call me Dad, Cloudfire. Please... you've been here a year."

"Okay... Dad."

Daddy Hooves stretched, popping his shoulders. Cloudfire could barely make him out:

"Well, that's that... go back to bed. It's almost 4:00 AM. I'm probably not going to sleep tonight. I'll be in the kitchen getting a midnight snack if you want one, too." He sauntered away from the Earth Pony. "Go out tomorrow... see her friends and just have fun. Talk with them. Stop at the Corner, the Boutique... get her something pretty to enjoy. And don't forget to talk to her friends! Anyway, it's your day off. Good night Cloudfire."

Daddy Hooves sauntered into to the kitchen, leaving Cloudfire by himself in the living room. The Earth Pony got up, stretching. He crept back upstairs to his Fiancées room, where she still peacefully slept. Before her bed he debated staying up and taking Daddy Hooves up on his offer... maybe eventually fixing her breakfast, but first getting something to fill his newly empty stomach.

The bed looked warm and inviting...

"She won't be up for a while," he whispered to himself, ultimately deciding to stay.

He tried to, very gently, push himself back in under the covers.

"Wha?" Derpy asked, half awake.

"Go back to sleep, dear..." He said, soothingly stroking Derpy's mane. "I'm just coming back in. Let's cuddle."

He didn't have to tell Derpy twice. Once he got into bed, she wrapped both her forelegs around him and sighed as he gently pressed his warm body into hers. He gave her a kiss. It didn't take long for sleep to envelop them both... They wouldn't be up for hours.