Juhani: A RWBY Story

Chapter Sixty Four - Facing The Mirror

Juhani opens her eyes and finds herself in a green night-like spiritual plane with stars above him. The last thing she remembering was jumping to save Ruby, joining her as they plunged into the abyss.

Juhani: Where....where am I?

As Juhani surveyed her new surroundings, she found herself to be completely alone. Despite this, Juhani began searching for Ruby. As Juhani searched for Ruby, a doorway soon appears before her. On the other side was Ruby. Juhani walked over to the doorway and places her hand on it. Ruby's voice was heard.

Ruby: It's all...so...heavy...It's the only thing I can feel anymore... and it never, ever goes away. The feeling of not being....enough.

Seeing Ruby like this broke Juhani's heart. She tried to go through the doorway, but was unable to. In a desperate attempt to reach out to Ruby, Juhani calls her name.

Juhani: Ruby! RUBY!

No response was heard. It was as if Ruby couldn't hear Juhani. As the doorway vanished, Juhani was overcome with guilt over what happened to Ruby. A voice soon began to whisper in her ear. 

???: You have done all you can, Juhani.

As the voice spoke up, Juhani turned around to see the spirits of Revan, Bastila and Jolee standing before her. A great sense of shame fell upon the Cathar Jedi as she barely had the courage to face her allies.

Juhani: I...I failed her. She suffered in silence and I....failed her. 

Spirit Of Jolee: You did all you could, Juhani. 

Juhani: But...but it wasn't enough. Ruby suffered before my own eyes and I did nothing. How...how could I hope to guide my friends on their journey if.....if I cannot save them? 

Spirit Of Bastila: It is a lifelong challenge to not bend fear into anger. All of us have faced the darkness at one form or another. Each of us has failed.

Spirit Of Revan: And yet despite of our failures, we stood strong against the tide of darkness. To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Juhani. Be a candle, or the night.

As the spirits of Revan, Bastila and Jolee spoke to her, Juhani pondered on the words. She glanced over to the mirror. She watched as Ruby was on the verge of despair. Those feelings were reflected back onto Juhani as feelings of despair, anger and frustration began to swell within Juhani. Without hesitation, Juhani lets out a scream which echoed all around her. As she screamed at the top of her lungs, Juhani fell to her knees. 

Juhani: I....I don't understand. I know what I must do, but I...I fear that I may not be good enough. I fear that all my efforts will not be enough to save those precious to me. I...I hear failing....

Spirit Of Revan: Failure is the greatest of all teachers, Juhani. We are what they grow beyond. That is the challenge of every master. Each of us had risen above our failures. 

Spirit Of Jolee: I had trained my wife against the wishes of the Jedi Council. When she fell to the Dark Side, my failure to stop her allowed her to kill many Jedi during Exar Kun's war on the Republic. 

Spirit Of Bastila: My fear and overconfidence allowed Darth Malak to prey upon the darkness within me and turned me to the Dark Side. I became his apprentice and used my Battle Meditation against the Republic. 

Spirit Of Revan: I was a Dark Lord of the Sith. I was the Prodigal Knight. As a young Jedi, I went to war. I accepted death and violence, and the Sith Emperor called to me from across the Galaxy. He named me a Sith Lord and named me Darth Revan. I killed for him. I turned on the Republic, but I found redemption. Savior, conqueror, hero, villain. I was all of these things, yet I was nothing. 

As the spirits of Revan, Bastila and Jolee spoke on their greatest failures, Juhani reflected on her own great failure. 

Juhani: I....I gave in to the darkness within me and nearly killed my master. I let myself be consumed by the Dark Side within the Ancient Grove. Until...until you came along and rescued me from the darkness. 

Spirit Of Revan: Failure does not mean the end, Juhani. It is an opportunity to learn. You will face many challenges on your journey. You will stumble and you will fall. But remember that even a single spark of hope can drive off the darkness. 

Spirit Of Jolee: You could have given up a hundred times over during our mission to stop Darth Malak, yet you didn't. 

Spirit Of Bastila: You could have easily have given up when you embarked on your journey to stop Salem just as your friends have. But when they were ready to give up, you were one of the voices that pushed them to carry on.

Spirit Of Revan: You bore all the responsibility for what happened. You went over and over your mistakes. The road lies before you, Juhani. Will you walk it alone?

As Revan's Spirit posed that question onto Juhani, a fire lit up inside of her. In spite of all that had happened to her, Juhani was still here. 

Juhani: No. As a Jedi, I am never alone. 

Spirit Of Revan: Then you have but one final test, Juhani. May the Force be with you. 

With that, the spirits of Revan, Bastila and Jolee vanished. With that, Juhani found the strength to keep going. Despite all that she has endured, Juhani would not give up. She would continue facing whatever trials the Tree had for her. She would also put her faith in Ruby, confident that she too would endure the trials the Tree had in store for her. Everything went white as Juhani's trial within the Tree continued.