"Weiss, now that we're in Mystral, you're on your own." Black Star said, as the two walked the path to Haven academy.

"Wh-what? Why?" Weiss asked.

"Weiss, I failed, alright? I DIED. I'd rather not go through it again."

"But, Black Star, we need all the help we can get. Shouldn't everyone know you're okay?"

"No. They shouldn't." Black Star clenched his fists. "It's best if I remained dead."

"Why? Why is it so important that you stay dead?" Weiss demanded an answer.

"Weiss, dead is suposed to remain dead. I don't know how I got back, and I don't care. I just...want to disappear." Black Star said, showing the start of tears.

"Star-"

"The one you need died at Beacon. The only reason I was EVER anything was because I had that damn sword!" Black Star exclaimed, taking a deep breath. "I was the weakest of my family, my clan. I had very little aura, and no semblance."

"Wha-what happened to your family?" Weiss asked, Black Star taking another breath.

"We were killers, assassins, thieves. We did anything for money, and we ended up on a radar. Our village was destroyed, and my family, my ENTIRE CLAN was killed. So I ran. I ran away as fast as I could."

"But, you couldn't fight them, right?"

"I was weak, and a coward. I lived in the wilderness, and I was attacked. I made it to a village and...they followed me. I led the Grimm straight to a feast." Black Star said, tears pouring out his eyes.

"You were running for your life, you did what you had to-"

"I SHOULD'VE JUST LET THEM KILL ME! And then, I saw someone cornered. And I saw the blade and picked it up, and I killed that monster. I then realized what I had done, the blade was kept there so NOBODY would pick it up again."

"Black Star, calm down, you-"

"Qrow found me, he was a part of the group that killed my family. He taught me a new life, to help people and use the sword. And I still died, just like everyone else. Weiss, I'm no hero, I never was. I'm just some kid who found a cursed sword." Black Star said, defeat in his voice.

"No."

"What?"

"If what you say is true, then you knew the risks a hunter would take. You knew what would happen if we fought the White Fang and the Grimm during the Breach. But you wanted to fight anyway's, despite the risks." Weiss said.

"Not anymore." Black Star said as he started walking away, only to be stopped by a glyph.

"No, I won't let you walk away from this. You want to run, then you'll have to go through me." Weiss challenged.

"I won't die again, never again." Black Star said as he pulled up his chained weapon, swinging one end of it.

"I won't let you quit." Weiss declared, the two charging each other.

Black Star swung his blades, but Weiss parried and lunged, almost nailing Black Star in the chest. Black Star shot to his left, bringing down his right blade. Weiss jumped away.

"You don't know what I went through Weiss!" Black Star said as he ran forward. "All the Pain," Black Star started, as he swung his weapon downward, Weiss dodging to the side "the Sorrow," Black Star threw one of his blades, which Weiss batted away as Black Star yanked it back to him. "The absolute HELL I went through!" Black Star slammed his weapons at Weiss in an X formation. "And I did it all alone."

Weiss broke off the attack, using her glyphs to separate the two. "That's not all, Black Star." Weiss said as she parried another attack. "You NEVER doubted yourself," Weiss said as she landed a quick but weak strike to the knee. "You ALWAYS fought for your friends, even when they didn't want you to." Weiss declared as she used a glyph to trip Black Star, and then pinned him with her blade. "And you always found a way to win." Weiss said as she backed off. "Black Star, you were our friend. I don't know what happened to you, and for that I'm sorry." Weiss said, her head downcast.

"Weiss, I can't even beat you now." Black Star said as he got up, taking something out of his pocket.

"What's that?" Weiss asked, and Black Star threw it down, exploding in smoke. By the time Weiss cleared the area, Black Star was long gone. "Please, just be safe."