Hell Hath No Fury, Like a Lioness Scorned

Zarkon had loved her, used her, left her, and now he was gone. She awoke to find herself alone, again. And when she felt that glimmer of hope, of Shiro's distant presence, hurting and scared and alone, slip through her claws, her tortured howls echoed through the universe, and the Black Lion unleashed her fury upon them all.

[Post S2, written before S3's release. Black Lion's POV.]

No one is angrier than a lioness who has been rejected to her Paladin's solace.

My Paladin.

To her Paladin's safety and protection- to a Paladin, her second Paladin, who had been cruelly ripped out of her, and just like that- he was gone. Without a trace. She didn't know where he was, didn't know if he was okay, didn't understand, and she couldn't feel his presence, so strong and yet broken and like a precious fluffy cub- he'd been her cub…

My Paladin… Where are you…

And this wasn't the first time, was it? But the Black Lion, defeated, broken and unresponsive on her Hangar's floor-

Where are you?

-Had never taken a tick, or a second, to consider that in one moment, she'd lose both her Paladins, no matter how much she loved them at the time. Shiro- oh, by the stars- had her soul and trust and heart now, not where her affections for Zarkon had been- no, her burning love for her new, true, her dearest Paladin, was snuggly protected in a gentle, cherished place in the depths of her mind, far away from where the Lion had locked and buried past grievances away, far, far away and out of Shiro's grasp. Her Old Paladin had hurt her New Paladin far too much already. No more.

We were supposed to be together, one being, you and I. Us and our Paladins, the Lions, the Princess, Coran, all of us. Together.

Fighting her Old partner, Zarkon, the Ex-Black Paladin; it had been so difficult, and out of all five of the Lions, for her the most so. As terrible as Zarkon's deeds, his intents, his destroyed place in her soul- she couldn't deny that once upon a happy, true time, he'd been just that, a wholesome piece of her. He'd been her everything. Her cherished, her precious. Her Paladin. Her once-beloved Paladin…

But me and you, we'd be together, and we'd be bittersweet but happy that Zarkon's gone, because he wouldn't be able to get between us anymore. He wouldn't be able to hurt you, or me, or our friends, not anymore. He'd be gone.

Losing her Old Paladin for the first time, only able to watch, utterly helpless from her locked Hangar, had been a psychotically laughing torment. Part of her had desired to be up there, with her Paladin, but did she want to fight like he, wrong, unjust, murderous? Of course not, she wanted- no, needed, she'd thought in agony- she needed to save her Paladin. He's lost. He's dying, MY BELOVED, his soul is turning to ash, MY PALADIN- and then he'd left, and leaving in the new Emperor's devastating wake a fallen Altea, they're all GONE, a slumbering Princess, missing Lions, dead paladins- and she'd been alone, so alone and cold for ten thousand years…

Accepting she'd lost Zarkon, realising for the first time that he was truly and irreparably gone, that she was trapped in his unfeeling pull- her emotions high, numbed shock and despair, and then burning anger, and helplessness, as Shiro was forced out her safe jaws and into the emptiness and harsh vastness of space- it'd been even worse, somehow, than watching him become the monster Zarkon was now.

Time had passed, and then Zarkon had been defeated, and her soul had merged with Shiro's- they'd taken back the Black Bayard, and they'd fledged her legendary wings, soaring powerful and proud. Voltron had been formed.

They'd won. The idea was exhilarating as first, they were finally freeing the universe of her once-beloved's tyranny, until…

She didn't want to remember that. The pain. The terror. The power, and then-

Nothing.

I'd be sad, of course- because it meant I would be completely losing him, and be it a welcome sight or not, I'd never see my old Paladin ever again… But you'd be there, every breath and step you took being with, united, righteous alongside the fierce roars from my core and the searing blasts from my maw as we defended the galaxies together. Together, Paladin and Lion, leaders, the Head of Voltron, together.

The other Lions, and their Paladins, everyone, tried to console her in the following time, and she didn't give any inclination of a response.

At last, though, it came to the point where someone had to pilot her- for Voltron, for the universe- for the greater good, what was right, for Shiro- and surprisingly, even though the gaping, shadowy abyss within her was painful and terrifying, and he was gone, she let Keith take the controls.

Zarkon had loved her, used her, left her, and now he was gone. She had awoken to find herself alone, again.

The Black Lion stood, and roared, more than ready to find some answers and take some much-needed anger out on those who dared threaten her team.

Those who had hurt her Paladin.

She roared, loud and fierce, because by the name of every star, if it was the last thing she'd do, it would be alongside her dearest and truest Paladin- hopefully, safe and sound and finally where he belonged. She hears Keith saying things, feels the makeshift, unsteady bond between them, both burning with grief and determination, and a silent message settles between the Black Lion and the Red Paladin.

They would find him.

And if it was with the Galra, then they would know her wrath. And she thinks, reaching out for the whole universe to hear, fool or genius, enemy or ally, Paladins, Lions, and Galra- and she feels Keith's silent shudders, how the others freeze, stunned silent at her clear, deathly still, and somehow quiet but loud words.

Hell hath no fury, for no one is angrier than a lioness who has lost her Paladin.