I do not own RWBY or any of the characters contained within this fanfiction. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, bless his soul.

Prologue

It had been shortly after their first failed mission, that Jaune Arc of Team JNPR had disappeared without a trace.

He'd been sullen ever since the Bullhead ride back, and it was easily apparent why. His partner, his friend, Pyrrah Nikos, was laying, unconsious, wounded during the Grimm invasion when she'd taken a blow that he'd failed to see. Next to her, equally wounded, was his self-proclaimed brother, Lie Ren. All of it had been his fault, or so he believed. Bad judgement calls, weak fighting, whatever the reason, Jaune had put all the blame squarely on his shoulders.

It hadn't been until Pyrrah had awoken from her wounded sleep that she found out that Jaune had simply...vanished.

In a panic, the remaining members of Team JNPR and Team RWBY had rushed to Ozpin, begging for answers, but the sorrowful look in his eyes spoke volumes and they knew. They knew. According to the Headmaster, he explained that Jaune had rushed into his room two days after the mission and revealed everything. How he'd forged his transcripts. How he felt he was never meant to be in Beacon. And even worse, before Ozpin could explain that he'd always known and he'd wanted Jaune in his school anyway, the young blonde had proclaimed his intentions of quitting, and ran out again.

If that wasn't bad enough, two weeks later the entire Arc Family had appeared before the school, demanding to know where Jaune was. He hadn't responded back, no scroll call, no letter, nothing. The only thing he'd left behind was his iconic hoodie, a pair of faded jeans, and his scroll, placed gently on his pillow with only a small, post-it sized note next to it reading, I'm sorry. - Jaune.

Weeks turned to months. No matter how hard Team JNPR and Team RWBY searched, they could find no information on Jaune's whereabouts. Ozpin had even attempted to use some of his contacts to find the missing student, but no such luck. Soon, everyone had begun to fear the worst. Yang had even gone so far as to beg Junior for information, but even the older information broker couldn't tell her where her former friend was.

Through it all, Ren found himself in the unwanted position of leader, something he was never prepared for, and never wanted. Pyrrah was in no condition to lead their team; Jaune's sudden disappearance and subsequent erasure from their lives had taken something from her, and she had become depressed, sullen and broken. So the stoic, green gunslinger found himself trying to keep together a team that was in desperate danger of falling apart.

So he pretended.

He pretended he didn't notice Pyrrah going out onto the balcony almost every other night during the middle of the night, sobbing, pleading to some being above to bring Jaune back, to make sure he was okay, clutching herself as she let her tears fall to the cement balcony below.

He pretended that he didn't notice how Nora had become less cheerful, less upbeat ever since Jaune left. He pretended he didn't see his childhood friend glance at Jaune's empty seat in class, or at their table and almost tear up, desperately trying to come up with some reason not to mention him or to distract herself from her own depressing thoughts.

He pretended that he hadn't noticed how Ruby had withdrawn into herself at the loss of her first, and probably best friend since she'd arrived at Beacon. He ignored the strange look in her eye as she trained, as though losing Jaune had snapped something in the young girl's mind.

He pretended not to notice how Wiess had become morose, as if she blamed herself for Jaune's disappearance. He pretended not to notice how she'd broken up with Neptune when he was called back to Vacuo, and spend an entire week alone in her room, her red rimmed eyes the only sign that the heiress had been sobbing.

He pretended not to know that Blake had become more secretive in Jaune's absence, and how she'd spend days at a time out doing...something. How she spent less time around her team and more time alone in the library, reading books.

He pretended not to notice that Yang had lost a bit of her luster and bluster. He ignored the fact that she joked less, teased less and even smiled slightly less. Even though she was the strongest, the loss of their lovable idiot friend had taken something from them that could never be replaced, and they hadn't noticed until he'd left.

And it was killing him.

He slept less. His mind consumed with worry and concern with every passing day over whether or not he could be a good leader for his team. Worry that his friend, his brother, would be found dead. He'd spend hours at night, planning and formulating things that Jaune could pull naturally out in a moment's notice to protect them. It wouldn't be until Nora begged him to go to sleep that he would.

Every day he'd look up at the stars before sleep overcame him and asked a single question to the shining lights above. Please. Bring him back. We need him more than he'd ever know.

Author's Note: Hey there, looking for a beta reader for my next chapter! Please help me make this ridiculous idea slightly less ridiculous! Also, reviews are always welcomed, and appreciated!