And so here it is, the sequel to Never Judge A Bug By Her Cover. For those who decided not to read the summary, here's the skinny.

The second act of Never Judge didn't happen, this story starts right after Chrysalis reveals herself to Richard and carries on from there.

So…I hope you enjoy it.

Begin!

A New Beginning

The sweet symphony of a slow, romantic classical song filled the air around me with many a sensation, feeling, emotion…from the one I loved more than anything, even myself. Such a feeling I would once have scorned with fierce hatred and disbelief, unwilling or perhaps even unable to consider the possibility that it could even exist.

But Richie…oh my Richie…he broke down the barrier in front of my eyes, smashed it into pieces and then ground those pieces into dust.

But it was there, pungent and yet so fragrant. Spicy and honeyed, angry and amused, content and bittersweet. The emotions of Richard Tyler, emotions flowing from the only human in the world.

My lover, my mate-to-be…mine, all mine. An equal to whom I could be my true self and know I would face no fear, no hatred or violence, but only love in return.

And as we danced in his front room, the fireplace alight with warmth and glow, I found myself thinking of all that had occurred since I had revealed myself to him, all that had happened in the single day since, a simple twenty-four hours to some.

But to me it was the simplest, happiest day of my life.

…

I awoke to the subtle sensation of something blowing on my hair, the once thin strands fluttering ever so softly as the air brushed against them. The surface my head was lying on moved up and down, slowly...

Did I leave the fucking window open? I thought irritably, my teeth set in a grimace. If that cat has shat on my floor again then I'm moving to Richie's, he'll understand.

It was only as I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings that the grogginess of a new day left my mind, and the previous night's events took over, causing me to look up at my breathing pillow and stare blankly at the sleeping visage of my, as of last night, lover.

Oh…OH, Richard! I revealed myself to him and he…he didn't care what I was, who I was. He said he loves me, he LOVES ME!

A truly happy smile overtook me as I recalled all that had occurred last night. Revealing myself to Richard, his fear turning into confusion and then understanding as he held my face in his gentle hands. The strong emotion, the love I felt as I tended to a cut on his back, the slow but horrible fear as he listened to my original plan to breed with and then kill him, only for said fear to morph into pure, true love once more as he shrugged off his trepidation and embraced the mare I was rather then the ruthless Queen I used to be.

I am his best friend, and he is mine. But now we are so much more, we are lovers…and one day we will mate for life. But until that day comes…

I will settle for what I have, which is all I never knew I wanted, needed. I gazed up at my beloved and felt my eyes lidding in contentment as his breathing became gentle snores. Richard is mine, and his love will make me powerful, powerful enough to leave this accursed city and return to the Badlands where my love can make him…us even stronger.

I felt my eyes stinging as the thought, nay, the dream, my dream surfaced…almost close enough to touch.

We will become mated…and I will protect him.

…

But in the meantime, I really need to protect my dignity, TO THE BATHROOM!

Will all the grace of a turtle, I rolled off of Richard and fell to the floor, several curses leaving my tongue as I struggled to manoeuvre my dead legs so I could stand up.

"Nice landing, sugar," spoke a rather amused and unfortunately awake Richard, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he watched my valiant struggle to right myself. "I think I've seen better landings from suicide bombers."

"Laugh it up sweetie," I growled, my flailing thankfully over as I managed to stagger onto my numb legs.

"Oh I am, well I'm trying but your fantastic arse is kind of distracting." Indeed, as I looked at him properly, I noticed that his once mirthful eyes were quite dark and, dare I say, lustful.

"Oh?" I said, a scowl on my face, but inwardly smiling as a plan began to form in my mind. "Distracting is it, why? Is it too fat, too big? Are you saying I've put on weight?" I began to back up, my fantastic arse thankfully taking up his vision as I felt my scowl twisting into an amused smirk.

"What, no!" he denied fervently, sitting up and waving his hands in further denial. "It's not too big at all, it's got a great jiggle and I like a bit of junk in the trunk. NOT that I'm saying your arse is fat or anything and I'm going to shut up now."

I tried, truly I did but I couldn't stop myself from laughing at the absurd pleading expression on his face, nor the worried emotions my feelers were picking up, not that they lasted long once I laughed. His worry rapidly turned into a sort of amused irritability as he realized that I was only messing with him.

"Oh, I get it. Har har har, using female trickiness on my poor, unsuspecting male brain. How very funny of you."

I turned around and lightly slapped his left cheek. "Oh it's okay baby," I crooned sweetly, smiling playfully at his mock annoyance. "The frantic emotions I felt pouring off of you were enough to make my morning a happy one, and you know you love making me happy."

"Oh, you weren't happy enough last night," he said, smirking as he spoke. "I could've sworn by your repeating moaning of 'Mhmm so fucking good!' that I'd already made you happy, all well."

Chuckling at his sarcasm and blatant but sadly failed attempt to make me blush, I patted his cheek again and kissed him softly on the lips. "Oh believe me baby, your tongue made me very happy last night. And those fingers of yours…Mhmm, my legs are still numb from that cum."

It's a rare occasion that I see the emotion before I sense it, because my feelers are actually pretty quick at picking them up, quicker than a bloodhound could smell a rancid carcass in fact. But then again Richard wasn't wearing anything at the moment, seeing that I'd chucked all his clothing somewhere across the room last night.

In my defence it WAS shielding something very precious to me…and I couldn't have that so off they flew. And without them this morning, there was nothing stopping me from seeing his arousal come to life from nought but my words…and maybe the way I ran my tongue over my lips too, but I only did it a little sensually.

"Oh my, is it for me?" I purred, licking my lips sultrily and grinning as his cock twitched in return. "You shouldn't have…" I lowered my head down towards his beautiful, exotic tool and kissed it lightly, moaning…before smirking up at him and turning away, swaying my backside brazenly as I made my way into his bathroom and shut the door.

…

"Fucking hell," his frustrated voice was clear and easy to understand even with a few walls between us. I could feel his frustration the entire time I was doing my business; it didn't waver a bit.

Such dedication deserves a proper reward, I decided, turning on his shower with a touch of magic.

"Richie!" I called, smiling as I heard the familiar thump of him falling off his sofa. He stopped just outside the bathroom door a few moments later and was evidently about to knock, as I found out when I opened said door and yanked him in with my hooves, before all but chucking him into his shower.

I swayed into the somewhat compact shower cubical and smiled up at him, the water gently bouncing off of the thin, nigh invisible lid on my eyes. One that until right then and there I had only thought to use to shield my eyes from dust and bright lights…and the occasional male with poor aim, but who knew that there could be a more sensual purpose for them.

But enough of my species, all I wanted to think about then and there was my Richie. And so it was with great enthusiasm and care that I picked up a sponge and soap and began to tenderly wash my lover…and if I got a nice meal out of it while I did so too, then it was a nice bonus.

…

…

…

The two of us had left his house not an hour later, clean, refreshed and in Richards case, very satisfied. We were walking down Windhold Lane, the quickest and admittedly nicest part of the side of Canterlot Richard lived at. There was a park with foals playing, dogs barking and ducks waddling around on an endless search for breadcrumbs.

But none of it mattered that much to me, the only thing I cared about in that moment was the feeling of complete and utter love flowing from Richard and into me, the emotion filling me up long before we made it to the local tavern for his breakfast.

I of course did not need to eat actual food, it didn't harm me in any way, I could even eat raw meat. But as I was back in my unicorn disguise, I needed to make sure I acted out the part of a normal pony for others, even if I no longer needed to do so for Richard.

I have just won his heart, the last thing I need is for someone to find out what I am and attempt to separate us.

And so with that thought in my mind, I carried on walking with my boyfriend and entered the tavern otherwise known as, The Grey Hoof. The noise of general conversation and whatnot all but evaporated as we entered, Richard's presence apparently offending the mixed class of nobles and commoners alike at the same time.

They dare to judge him when they know NOTHING about him. Despite my outward mask of calm, I was bristling on the inside, fighting the urge to defend my beloved from their scornful glares. I would kill them all in a second to spare him their idiocy if it wouldn't bring the fucking Princesses down upon us.

Even with that thought holding me back, I couldn't stop my horn from beginning to glow in warning, a hiss almost escaping my muzzle before I felt Richards hand upon my neck.

"Come on, let's get the table at the end," he said, his wonderful, soothing voice calming me instantly.

Unable to trust that I wouldn't hiss again, I nodded and followed him over to what was practically 'our' table by now. No one would sit at it whenever we came in, likely superstitious that they would catch something from the 'freaky alien thing' that sat there.

I felt my throat constrict as I fought back another hiss. What's wrong with you Chrysalis, control yourself!

Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, I let out a tired sigh and smiled at the questioning glance Richie gave me. "Sorry sweetie, it's just that I can feel what they feel and it's hard to…take it without defending you."

"You don't need to defend me, Chrissy," he said quietly, angrily but not aimed at me, rather at THEM. "They mean nothing to me, honestly the lot of them could get nuked and I wouldn't bat an eye."

"Nuked?" I echoed, rolling the unfamiliar word on my tongue.

"Killed violently by an explosion," he explained, grinning as he imagined it, the feeling of almost savage glee easily sensed by my feelers. "Not to mention the radiation that would kill off those who somehow survived…"

I couldn't help but smile with him as I too imagined the judgemental ponies around us getting 'nuked'.

"But then again the rest of the city would likely die too, and they're not all bad," he admitted, shrugging as if to clarify his opinion. "Only about nighty nine percent of them deserve a good nuking."

I snorted in a very unladylike manner, attracting more scorn from those around us. Richard smirked as he noticed this, waving merrily at a rather fat stallion in a suit. The stallion turned his muzzle away and up in the air, drawing another snort from Richard this time.

Eventually my lover went over to the bar and ordered himself a full breakfast, one which I promised to pick food off of so as to keep up my unicorn mirage.

While waiting for his food to be cooked, I figured now was as good a time as any to talk about what had happened last night…and where we went from there. And so with a quick soundproofing spell, one that would leave any eavesdropper without nought to listen to but static, I figured we were good to talk openly.

"Richard," I said, placing my hooves in his hands and smiling uncertainly at him. "I was wondering about what happened last night and…I know this sounds a bit needy but I want to know where you think we should go from here?"

Uncertainty flowed from him as much as I felt it myself, but still he smiled and squeezed my hooves affectionately, kissing my left with such love that I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I've never really had a proper relationship before, let alone a girlfriend…a lover. But I do know that wherever we go from here, we'll do it as a team, because that's what we are now, a team."

My smile widened considerably at his words, my head nodding in agreement as I spoke. "We are team now aren't we. I…I like it; I like it a lot Richie."

I'm over two centuries old and have had many experiences that some could call disgusting, heard heart felt words from my prey that others would call romantic. But listening to my first, true partner talk to me like that, include me in his life like that…I felt myself blushing, swooning even as little butterflies seemed to come alive in my belly.

This is what is what it feels like to love another.

It was a feeling I wouldn't give up for anything. I would treasure it selfishly for the rest of my life…

Richard's plate of food was placed on the table quickly, only being saved from flying across onto my boyfriend by his quick hands holding the plate steady. I turned to snarl at the server but only managed to catch the back of them as they all but raced back into the kitchen.

He's done nothing to deserve their hate, he's SAVING THEM for fucks sake and they treat him like shit under their hooves!

There were times like this where I considered simply taking Richard and running away from Canterlot, from Celestia's use for his seed and abandon the dying race to their inevitable extinction.

The only thing stopping me was the certainty that Celestia would have contingencies to stop him leaving the city. A guard posted at the train to stop him, or perhaps even a hired group of thugs to ambush him, leaving Celestia to miraculously save him somehow and win him over to her FUCKING, WHORISH HEART!

…

Okay maybe I'm still a little bit paranoid of her mysterious interest in his life and hobbies, in Richard as a whole. Why would she need to know these things at all, unless of course she wanted Richard for more than his samples.

Richard would laugh at me if I suggested that the fat flanked Princess fancied him, but I know there's something like that going on. Why else did she want to know about him beyond his use for saving her pathetic species?

I didn't know yet, but I wouldn't give the whorse any reason to tell me.

I picked at Richard's breakfast randomly at first, but as if he knew I was unhappy, my boyfriend sneakily managed to somehow stick a bit of egg in my muzzle without me noticing, prompting me to retaliate as per the competition rules and feed him a bit of hash brown in return.

And so it was that we found ourselves giggling at each other and smiling like idiots as we left the tavern, Richard only grumbling a little when I used a napkin to clean a bit of tomato sauce of his cheek.

I can't quite describe why that tiny act made me feel so good, but it did.

"Where to now, sugar?" he asked, looking around the now busy city.

"Hmm, I don't know," I replied, tapping the underside of my muzzle in contemplation. I looked around what I could see, before suddenly pausing as an idea came to me. "How about we join a club?"

"A what?"

Smiling at the absurd amount of surprise I felt flowing from him, I bumped my flank against him playfully and grinned up at him. "Come on Richie, I know the general population of Canterlot consists mostly of dicks and twats, but surely there's a small group that won't glare the moment you enter their sight."

Of course I said all of this knowing full well that everyone nearby could hear me, I wasn't exactly being quiet about it and the spell I'd used in the tavern was attached to the table we ate on, so I pretty much knew that I'd be heard. Antagonising the Ponies of Canterlot was one of my favourite past times, even before I met Richard.

Richard seemed to catch onto this too as a devilish grin of his own wormed its way onto his face.

"Well I'm sure that somewhere in this city, there is indeed a small group of nice people." I could sense a 'but' coming a mile away. "However, I have no desire to suffer their ridiculous superstition, or indeed just their general dickheadery. So how about we just buy a trainer tape instead, eh?"

If I wasn't a Queen well trained in handling emotions, then I could say with certainty that the amount of variety I felt in that moment would have made me throw up. As if was, I simply lowered the sensitivity on my feelers and smirked up at him lover, a plan already forming behind my eyes.

"A tape honey?" I asked, fighting back a giggle as a trickle of dread emanated from my human. "Well…I think I know just what to buy!"

And so it was that I practically dragged him along with me into the nearest tape store, dragging him once more over to the training part and picking out the first one that looked just about terrible enough for us both to partake in.

I know we're together now but I'm still me, a little bit of Chrissy styled fun never hurt anyone…much. Besides it's not like we'll be doing it for more than five minutes.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing at my poor mate-to-be when he noticed what was on the tape.

'Dancing Lessons'

"Chrissy why would you do this to me?" he cried, horror clear on his face as we left the store, my grin morphing into a fully-fledged smirk as his pleading continued all the way back to his house. "Can't we just go ice skating again, it's less bloody painful!"

"Oh, it's okay honey!" I sang playfully, dodging his attempts to grab the tape with a teasing ease. "It's just a bit of dancing!"

…

…

…

Why didn't we just go ice skating, it IS less bloody painful, I found myself thinking not one, not two, but SEVEN hours later. SEVEN! Why, oh why did I think this would be a fun idea, my hooves are killing me!

Richard, as I came to find out rather quickly was NOT a fantastic dancer. Oh he picked up the basics after the first two hours, but then he insisted on spinning me around like a pro, which left me dizzy and more than a bit nauseous. Don't even get me started on when he tried to bend me over, my head is still ringing slightly from banging on the wall.

If I didn't know any better, then I'd swear he's just trying to get back at me for buying this infernal tape.

Richard of course was now quite content to carry on learning. He'd had a great big dopey smile on his face from the moment he stopped stepping on my hooves.

But then again...he seems like to actually like dancing with me, so maybe it's not bad after all. I mean he really does seem to enjoy this now; I can feel his happiness.

It was bizarre how the feeling hit me, gradual in pace but as strong as Earth Pony in force. Because…dancing with him, with my Richie was something that I realized I'd never done before. Not once, not ever.

The simplicity of it all, holding his shoulders as his hands gently, but firmly held my back. The annoyance I felt inside all but evaporating as I looked at his face, his eyes and saw only joy, a rare emotion on the face of one who was often angry. All of this was something I'd once thought only read about in books, in fantasy where the colt meets mare and battles for her heart.

This isn't fantasy, this isn't a book. Whatever irritation I felt fled as I felt utter contentment fill me up, his love so giving, so much filling me up alongside it. This is real, just Richie and I dancing to a silly training tape.

As five minutes turned into ten, and then into twenty, I realized something else, something so simple, something as happy as it was sad.

This is the best day of my life. The realization made my eyes widen, my muzzle open in a sort of shock No drama, no tears…just me and Richard dancing. I've never had such a simple day as this in all my two centuries…not once.

And he was the reason it happened at all…

Gentle laughter escaped me with ease as I held moved my hooves off of his shoulders and around his neck, eyes lidding as affection overwhelmed me.

"This is the happiest I've ever felt," I said, sighing happily as I leaned forward just a touch and kissed him deeply. "Thank you. I love you so much, Richie."

"And I you, always," he whispered, his grip just a little tighter as he squeezed me lovingly, my head resting on his shoulder as we continued to dance and dance and dance…

It was sappy and overly sweet, but I wouldn't have changed a damn thing because I love him, and love is about more than kissing and sweetness.

Sometimes you have to learn how to enjoy the simple things in life, even if it means dancing until the sun comes up.

Funnily enough, that's exactly what we did.

And boom, there's the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, I found it a blast to write about this couple again. They are admittedly one of my favourites.

If you enjoyed then please leave a comment telling me what you did, if you didn't then do the same, I'm open to criticism.

Stay Snuggly Friends, Zam.