The morning air was crisp and cool with barely a breeze blowing. The sky was crystal blue, and the rays of the sun played lazily across the green countryside. It was the perfect day, thought Twilight Blimple, for a flight.

The little purple sparkly blimp slowly rose into the air, enjoying the wind as it played across her surface. Her propellers spun into life as she turned in a westerly direction, the fluted spire that jutted out from her control deck pointing the way.

Twilight wasn't a big blimp. Her gasbag was large but stubby, her fins small and protruding, and her purple gondola cabin was slung almost apologetically underneath. Growing up as a little balloon in the big city she had always been jealous of the other airships, who always seemed to be more graceful than she. But soon study had paid off.

Today, she was on an important mission. Today she had to ferry vital medical aid across Airquestria. A hailstorm had hit the town of Hull, and puncture repair kits were urgently needed. Half of the kits were now safely stored in her cargo hold; the other half were being delivered by someblimp else. As her engines chugged softly across the landscape, Twilight wondered who would be joining her on this mission of mercy. She knew Airity was busy designing new fashionable moorings, and Rainbow Dirigible was taking part in a race. Perhaps this would be a chance to make another friend, and provide the contents of another friendship report to HMA Celestia.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a shadow fell across her. The pleasant sounds of her engines and the general noise of nature was drowned out by a powerful thrumming, as above Twilight a huge shape powered into view. Twilight shrank back - the newcomer was a massive silver and blue zeppelin, over 300 metres long and covered in magnificent fins, with a smooth, sleek undercarriage that had a tiny purple cloak attached.

On its side was the legend "Die großartige und mächtige Trixieburg."

"Well well well, if it isn't Twilight Blimple" purred the huge airship, as Twilight found herself buffeted in its wake. "It seems they wanted to give me some entertainment for my important mission!"

"Trixieberg!" Twilight hissed upwards, as she unsteadily gained altitude to fly to window-level with her new companion. "This is bigger than our rivalry! The poor citizens of Hull will deflate if we don't get there soon! Besides, I'm carrying just as much cargo as you!"

Trixieburg's eyes turned in Twilight's direction, and Twilight thought she could see a flicker of a smile fall across her cabin. "Oh yes Twilight, I forgot, you have a very spacious rear cargo bay!"

Twilight blushed a bright crimson, revving up her motors to attempt to outpace Trixieberg. It was no use. "Leave my aft out of this!" she protested.

Trixieberg just laughed as she banked sharply to push Twilight out the way, knocking the little blimp into a spin. "Come on Twilight!" she mocked. "Trixieberg waits for no blimp!"

***

The next few hours of the journey passed in awkward silence, with just the buzzing of engines to fill the void. As night fell, both airships found their gasbags cooling, causing their altitudes to drop. Out of necessity, they huddled together for warmth.

Twilight eyed Trixieburg suspiciously. It had barely been a month since the boastful zeppelin had sailed into town, mocking her friends and showing off about how she had defeated a Major Ursa. A Major Ursa was a semi-mythical beast that resembled a red biplane; many airships lived in fear of its dangerous machine guns. Two little balloons had travelled to the forest and woken up a baby Ursa, and it was only through Twilight Blimple's quick thinking that the town was saved.

Trixeburg had flown away in shame. Twilight hadn't broached the subject yet; she imagined Trixieburg was still bitter from the experience.

Oddly enough, it was Trixieburg who broke the long silence. "I never said thank you, Twilight."

Twilight blinked, her rudders rotating in shock. "Uh, what?"

Trixieburg banked slightly. "I was out of order and you saved me. It hadn't been a good year for me. I shouldn't have flown off like that. I... I was glad it was you, Twilight."

Twilight bobbed a bit higher at this revelation. This was a side of Trixieburg she hadn't expected. "Y-you're sorry?" she stammered. "I mean, I thought..."

Trixieberg cast her eyes down. "I've always been brash to hide my feelings. And I... I guess I'm extra brash with you, because my feelings for you are... extra strong." At this, Trixieburg did something Twilight would never have expected.

She banked back towards Twilight, swinging herself around, her cabin pressed against Twilight's in an impassioned kiss. Twilight felt her engine thumping hard, blushing at this. She felt herself returning the kiss, her fins moving across Trixieberg's nacelles, her gas bag rubbing tenderly against Trixieburg's rigid frame as they embraced.

"I... I had no idea" Twilight gasped, her propellers spinning harder than ever at every touch. How could such a magnificent airship like Trixieberg possibly love a dumpy little blimp like her? This was like one of the romances novels she used to peruse back in her hanger; an impassioned tryst on a starry night.

"I've always loved you Twilight" Trixieburg smiled back. "Ever since that first meeting, when you floated into view. Your little ducting fans, the way your fins bob up and down. You're just perfect."

Twilight's purple cabin blushed bright red, harder than ever before. "Trixieberg..." she whispered shyly. "Do... do you want to... mid-air refuel?"

Trixieberg grinned. "Oh Twilight, you're so vanilla. I was thinking more about some docking."

Twilight gasped, but the allure of the powerful zeppelin was too much for her. She floated up beneath Trixieberg, and opened her cargo bay door, trembling. Soon she felt Trixieberg's gangplank extending, grappling onto her.

"Oh Trixieberg, Trixieberg!" Twilight cried, the little blimp bobbing up and down softly beneath the impassive, huge zeppelin. "Board me!"

As Twilight became lost in her passion, she did not notice Trixieberg decoupling, or the swoosh as the zeppelin suddenly started to ascend higher into the sky. She did, however, notice herself getting heavier as she dipped down towards the ground, struggling to give herself some lift.

"I don't understand..." she wondered loudly, and then gasped in realisation - Trixieberg had unloaded her cargo into her!

"See you later, loser" mocked Trixieberg as the majestic zeppelin climbed higher and higher. "You can deliver all the cargo to Hull; the great and powerful Trixieberg has far more important things to do!"

Twilight looked longingly into the sky as Trixieberg sailed away into the stars. A single tear rolled down her cabin. "I'll see you again" she sobbed at the departing zeppelin. "Oh, what huge vanity!"