I tried to fall asleep again as I violently shivered. You can't die. Today, like yesterday and many of the days before it, I thought- no, I hoped- he was wrong. You can't run away. I lie here, remembering why I'm surrounded by a bitter chill. It helps me take my mind off the burning thirst in my throat, the aching emptiness in my stomach. You'll stay here in this everlasting winter until someone finds you and takes you in. That was ages ago, or at least it feels like it. It's hard to tell time when you're paralyzed and blind. Okay, I'm not technically blind. When he reached his hands towards me, I squeezed my eyes shut. His curse meant they stuck like that.

Suddenly, something felt different. The temperature seemed a tad warmer. I thought I heard something. It was voices, I realized. Weird, I thought, it almost feels like I'm moving. I tried to open my eyes, but the curse was still in full effect. I stayed like that for a while until something changed. The feeling of motion had disappeared. Soon I realized the voice was back. Focusing on it, I understood that he was asking, "Why were you buried in the snow?"

It took me a moment to realize that this was said in a different language, yet somehow I still understood what was spoken. I was confused for a second, but I soon forgot it when my eyes suddenly flew open. My vision was blurry; I couldn't identify much of anything I saw, but I was certain there was a large man before me. I squeezed my eyes back as a sudden headache formed and instead focused on moving. If I could open my eyes, that meant the curse was broken! Wait, how long has it been? Was he still alive?

"W-wha-what y-year?" I stuttered out.

There was a pause before the answer. Then, "2015. Why do you ask?"

2015?! It's been that long?

(Time skip brought to you by Russia's pipe...)

[a/n: This was gonna be 3rd person, but I think the beginning makes more sense in 1st. The rest will be in 3rd though.]

The next thing October knew, the numbness she'd felt so long it'd become natural was just... gone, replaced by the feeling of something much softer and warmer than the snow she'd been lying in for about thirteen years. She forced her eyes open; once again everything was blurry. The young girl blinked until things came into focus. She didn't get long to look around before a man, the same one from earlier, came into her line of vision.

"You're awake? I was wondering what I'd do with you during meeting. Now you just come with me!" Though the smile accompanying his words was small, it still seemed to brighten up his face with childlike happiness.

October nodded and slid off what she now knew was a bed, smoothing out her thin dress before realizing she was starving. She told the man this, and he left, returning with a few plates and cup of water. Thanking him, she quickly devoured it all. When everything had disappeared, she told him she was ready to go.

She sneezed many times as he led her out the building (she thought it was a hotel) and onto a sidewalk. After walking a few blocks, he stopped and went inside. A few steps in, October saw something- or rather, someone- that made her stop. She watched, petrified, as the man who cursed her walked by. Unfortunately, the Russian man who had brought her hadn't noticed her stop and continued walking. Suddenly she snapped out of it and looked around, but the man was nowhere in sight. After that, she wandered around, still looking for her escort, until someone called, "Yo, kid! What are you doing here?"

October turned to see a young man, no older than his early twenties, with a burger in his hand coming towards her.

"H-hi. I came with a pale man in a big scarf, he found me in the snow. Do you know him?"

The man seemed to think for a moment before saying, "Dude, were you with the commie?!"

The little girl shrugged. She wasn't sure what "commie" meant, but the way he said it made it seem like something bad.

The American squatted down to her level and asked in a (very loud) whisper, "Do you really wanna to go back to him? I'm the hero, I can save you from him if you want!"

Before she had a chance to answer, a voice shouted, "America, you git! Why would you bring a child to the meeting?!"

October visibly paled. The sandy-haired nation stood up to greet his former guardian, not noticing his new little friend's reaction.

"Say, she looks familiar," the Brit commented as he came closer.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," the snowy-haired nine-year-old stuttered, interrupting herself with a cough. "D-Don't c-c-curse m-me again!" She turned to the confused American and hugged his knees. "You said you're a hero, save me from him!"

"England, why's the little dudette scared of you?"

Arthur looked as surprised as Alfred as he replied, "I honestly don't know."

Suddenly summoning her courage, the girl let go of America and faced the bushy-browed blonde. "So, you curse people so much you can't remember their faces?! You make me sick, you- you... villain!"

October ran off, leaving both nations to share confused looks. Not knowing what to do or where to go, she decided to follow a pair of men who looked extremely similar except for their hair colors. She tapped on the back of the one with lighter hair. He was humming, and seemed much more cheerful than the man beside him. With no response, the girl tried again. This time the man stopped and turned around.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" the man with the darker hair stopped as well, but only to yell at his brother. The younger Italian wasn't paying any attention though; he'd picked up a little girl and was holding her like she was his own.

"Where did she she come from?!" the personification of South Italy exclaimed.

Again, this went ignored as Veneziano began to exclaim over the girl's cuteness.

October heard Romano and decided to answer him. "I came here with someone but I lost him and then he-" she pointed over at America, who had separated from Britain and was excitedly telling Prussia about something, "-found me and then the man with the huge eyebrows-" once again she paused simply to point towards England, who had walked ahead of them by now, "came over and he's scary but I don't think you'd believe me if I said why."

"Ve, don't worry, we're scared of him too!" Feliciano said this as casually as a greeting. "And if someone brought you here, they're probably at the meeting!"

As the Italy brothers walked in, the northern half holding a nine-year-old, not many countries paid them any attention. At least, not until they noticed the little girl in Veneziano's arms and begin talking about it.

"Italy, who is that?" Germany asked, sounding exasperated.

"Ve, we found her in the hallway! She said she got lost!"

"Hey, that's the little dudette that said she was with the commie!" America found it necessary to shout this.

"Russia?" came the whisper of a few nations who knew who the American was referring to.

The man in question had seen the Vargas brothers enter with a little girl, but he hadn't given enough thought to realize it was the one he'd found last night. Beyond that, he'd been scarin- I mean, talking to- Latvia. However, upon hearing multiple voices utter his name, he looked around and found more than a few curious gazes directed at him.

"Da?"

Many voices started to respond (America's being the loudest), but most faltered when they noticed a certain little girl had wriggled out of Feliciano's grip and was making her way over to Russia. Many nations watched as October struggled to climb onto his lap, her head poking over the table. Surprised, Ivan lifted her and set her on his knees. She wrapped her arms around him and loudly announced, "I don't see why everyone's scared of you. You seem nice to me."

Everyone who was paying any attention (this excluded North Italy, who was doodling little cats on his notes, as well as Greece, who had fallen asleep earlier while waiting on the meeting to start) looked at the child. Most disagreed with the child's statement, while the others didn't know the nation well enough to judge.

[A/n: Plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone, glad to finally get this out of my head!]