((Prompt: Twilight Sparkle, the most romantic pony in Equestria.))
Applejack rapped her hoof against the iron bars, filling the cell with a dull clang. The guard on duty shot her a short glare, so she stopped, albeit with a spiteful lip-curl in his direction. She sighed, pressing her face up against the bars. “Well, you sure know how to show a mare a good time, sugarcube.”
Behind her, Twilight laid on her back on the single, narrow, hard bed. She covered her face with a hoof and groaned. “I'm really, really, really sorry about this, Applejack. You've got to believe me that I didn't mean for any of this to happen.”
Applejack stared out at the desk. Her hat was hung on the corner, and her ear flicked every time the guard kicked at the desk in boredom, making it—the hat, not the desk—wobble and threaten to fall to the floor. “I mean, when you said 'date,' I figured you meant to go to some fancy restaurant or somethin',” she said. “But ya really went the extra mile here, sugarcube.”
“I know...” Twilight said. The bed creaked as she buried her face in the pillow.
Applejack put her hoof to her chin. “How many cakes were in that wagon, you reckon?”
“I know...”
“'Cause there had to be dozens in there. I'd guess forty, from the mess they made.”
“I know, I know.” Twilight raised her head and dropped it into the pillow a few more times.
Applejack gave a quiet chuckle. “Almost as many as there were cabbages in the other wagon.”
“Ugh, don't remind me,” Twilight said, rolling over to face Applejack. She swung her legs over the edge and sat up. “If I never see another leaf of cabbage again, it'll be too soon!”
“Lucky thing there weren't nopony in that old theater, huh?” Applejack turned and sat on the floor, her back pressing against the bars. “I ain't never seen a fire spread so fast.”
“In my defense,” Twilight said, “my spell would've worked if that place had been up to code. And how was I supposed to know there were fireworks stored in the attic?”
Applejack shook her head. “And then the look on the face of the fire-marshal...”
Twilight pinched her brow. “I know...”
“Of course, it didn't help our case any that we were—”
“I know!” Twilight interrupted. “Celestia, I'm so sorry, Applejack. I had all these plans for tonight, and when they didn't work out the way I wanted them to work, I panicked and I tried to make them work, but it just made everything worse!” She threw her hooves emphatically in the air. “Now it's all ruined, and you probably don't want to see me again—I wouldn't want to see me again—and all of it's my fault!” Her chest heaved with heavy breaths.
The jail cell was quiet for a few minutes. After a while, Applejack stood up and crossed over to Twilight's side of the cell. “Y'know what my favorite part was?” she asked.
Twilight avoided her gaze, instead staring at the dirty floor and sniffing.
“The part when you explained to the guards everything that happened, an' took responsibility for it all.” Applejack nuzzled her gently on the cheek.
Twilight blinked and turned to meet Applejack's eyes.
Applejack smiled and rubbed a tear from the corner of Twilight's eye. “A pony who's willing to own up to her mistakes like that... that's a pony I can see myself goin' on a second date with.”
Twilight's eyes watered, and she leaned into Applejack, wrapping her wings around her in a hug. “Maybe you should pick where we go next time,” she muttered into a mass of orange fur.
Applejack chuckled and nodded. “That might be a good idea,” she agreed.