The village was burning and Weiss was surrounded by dozens of mutilated corpses. She was covered in blood, most of it her own, as well as a black, tar-like substance that the rain was unable to wash away. Clumps of her hair were missing, her clothes were tattered, and she was barefoot.

Her knees sank deeper into the mud, her unfocused eyes staring at a mother and child that had died holding one another in each other's arms. Even while being ravaged by Beowolves, neither had let go.

"I'm sorry..."

They were dead because of her. She had failed to protect them long enough to be evacuated, and there was no sign of Yang or Ruby.

She rested her head on the hilt of Myrtenaster, the broken blade sinking into the mud just like herself. She didn't recall fighting tooth and claw with her bare hands, but assumed she must've because she was still alive and her hands covered in blood.

The shards of Myrtenaster littered the makeshift battlefield, her lingering aura preserving the blade from mud and tar, and also reflecting the huntress' image back at her. Weiss had long since grown numb to the sight of her ugly scar, and could even go most days without thinking of how she'd gotten it, but she was unable to escape the shame staring back at her now.

Team RWBY had been assigned to the territory of Anima to help deal with the growing Grimm population when they received a distress call from a nearby village. It had been the third call that month, and they'd all been relieved to hear they'd be receiving military assistance. However, they'd all been naïve and arrogant to think they could save the villagers like they had so many times in the past.

Just like usual Blake had overseen the evacuation while Ruby and Yang fought on the front lines and Weiss used her glyphs to cover the villagers' retreat. A few hundred villagers had already been airlifted out by the time the village was overrun with Grimm, and within minutes several hundred lay dead in the streets.

Weiss had followed the screaming and discovered Blake underneath a pack of Beowolves ripping and tearing her apart just as they were doing to everyone else. She exterminated the pack and quickly encased Blake in a block of ice to keep her from bleeding out, and personally loaded her onto the next airship which hopefully hadn't been brought down by Griffons like the others.

She told herself that if Blake were dead she'd still feel it in her aura even if they weren't partners, but she'd been a huntress long enough to know that there were worse things in life than death and that some things simply weren't worth living through. Not in her estimation anyway.

If the villagers lying in the mud had just ran a little faster or lived further down the street they'd likely still be alive. Or if they'd had a more capable huntress protecting them...

Weiss didn't know how long the battle within the walls had raged, but all too quickly she'd run out of dust vials and had lost her feeble aura shield. Neither she nor Blake had ever been meant for long term combat, and the piles of corpses were proof of that. This wasn't the first time something like this had fallen into her incapable hands, but Weiss knew it would be the last. Even if she somehow survived, there wouldn't be a next time.

"Weiss!" screamed a high-pitched voice over the sounds of gunfire. "WEISS!?"

She'd felt a familiar presence moving toward her even before hearing her name being called, her partner's aura attracting her like a magnet. Boots splashing in crimson came running toward her, and a body suddenly colliding with her own, blocking her view of the mother and child's eternal embrace.

Arms wrapped around her and held her tight but Weiss was numb to the touch. "Weiss," Ruby sobbed. "You're alright. Thank God you're alright."

She pulled away slightly to look her in the face, and Weiss stared back at the twenty-two year old huntress that was perpetually caught somewhere between a young woman and child. "Ruby, I-I-"

"Ssshhh..." Ruby embraced her again and rested Weiss' head on her shoulder. "I know, but it's over now. The military's established a perimeter around the village and all survivors have been evacuated. Now it's our turn. Yang was able to hold the front line by herself but a Chimera almost made her semblance go supernova and us along with it. Don't worry, she got evac'd and the commander says she's in stable condition. Same for Blake. Come on, we need-"

"They're all dead," Weiss whispered, gazing at the corpses around them. "I killed them..."

Fingers coated in blood touched Weiss' cheek, turning her head so they were facing one another.

"If it wasn't for you they'd all be dead," Ruby said matter-of-factly. "I know it hurts but you can't save everyone, Weiss. You taught me that during our first mission."

Ruby's aura was weak but she flared what little she could spare for her partner whose only reaction was to cry in the crook of her neck. "Ruby," she sniffled, "Myrtenaster's broken..."

"I'll fix her," Ruby promised. "When I'm done she'll be good as new."

Weiss shook her head. "Myrtenaster was Papa's last gift to me before he died. I-I don't want another sword. Ruby, I'm sorry, but I think it's time I stopped pretending to be a huntress."

"W-what?"

She raised her head to look Ruby in the eye, her partner whom she was abandoning and betraying, and shut her eyes when tears began streaming down her face. A forehead pressed against her own and Ruby flared what little remained of her aura. A pair of souls danced with one another while a silent conversation took place, and when their eyes reopened they both had tear stained cheeks.

"We always knew this day would come eventually," Ruby said, hugging her tightly. "After we finished our mission quota last month I thought we'd be able to relax for a bit. Finish our tour on the beaches of Vacuo like Yang wanted. I'm sorry, Weiss, I should've never taken this job. This is all my fault."

"I was never cut out to be a huntress," Weiss whispered, not listening. "My family did everything they could to stop me, but I was too stubborn to listen. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Father was right..."

Ruby shook her head. "You listening to them was part of the problem. You always knew you were a huntress. All they ever did was make you doubt yourself just like you are now. You're the bravest huntress I know, Weiss. Long battles aren't your specialty, and neither is front line fighting. That'd be like locking me in a closet with an Ursa and expecting Crescent Rose and I to cut our way out."

"It's not the same," she insisted, her entire body shaking. "All these people are dead because of me."

"They're dead because of Grimm. All those people flying back to Mistral on airships are alive because of you. They're what's important. If you want someone to blame, blame me for not being able to hold the line like Yang."

Weiss sniffled but otherwise remained silent. "You finished your tour, Weiss," Ruby said softly. "That's something a lot of huntsmen can't say. My mom and Yang's didn't finish theirs, but you're still here, and so are Yang and Blake. And so am I, and we've saved a lot of people since Beacon."

"I can't just abandon you," Weiss sobbed, touching Ruby's cheek. "I can't go to work in an office everyday while you're out here fighting Grimm! If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. I-I'd-"

"Blake's retiring too. Yang told me, and I've known for a while this was your last mission. It's kinda hard to hide thoughts from someone you share a soul with." Ruby gave her a wry, childlike smile that quickly turned infectious.

"I-I might not ever see you again..."

Ruby continued smiling. "Weiss, we live together, and seeing how Yang and I plan on signing our next contracts with the SDC, that'll make you our boss. Just don't expect us to be your bodyguards or anything."

Weiss laughed despite herself and wiped her face. "Even I'm not that cruel, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if either of you got hurt on a mission I sent you on."

"We'll talk about it later. Right now we need to get on an airship and find you medical attention." With some effort Ruby helped Weiss to her feet, and together gathered all the remains of Myrtenaster they could find. "Once I get the chance I'll fix her. She'll look as good as the day your grandfather gave her to you, you'll see."

Ruby and Weiss half-carried, half-dragged one another to the landing zone where a bullhead and armed guard was waiting. Weiss paused before climbing aboard, and glanced back at the burning village and piles of bodies. "I'm going to miss this," she realized, squeezing Ruby's hand. "I'm going to miss you most of all."

Ruby smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Weiss."

"I love you too, dolt..."

A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. I first wrote "Broken Mirror" back in 2019 shortly after I injured my back and took a hiatus from posting fanfiction. It's meant to be a companion piece to "Home is Where the Soul Rests" which details Ruby's final day as a huntress. This is how I personally imagine Weiss' final day playing out, her sword breaking and her feeling like a failure and traitor to her partner and team. Being a huntress was never Weiss' true calling or her destiny, but it was the road she chose on the way to becoming head of the SDC.

While "Home is Where the Soul Rests" is my personal bookend for Ruby's story, "Broken Mirror" is my bookend for Team RWBY. This was the last mission Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang went on together, and this was the aftermath. Huntsmen rarely have happy endings, and while it may be bittersweet, it's as happy as Team RWBY could've hoped for.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me abundantly with this story as He has blessed me with every one of you. Thank you, and God bless)